Relay For Life honors Linda Fields

A lot is happening in our area in the next few weeks. Relay For Life is coming up the weekend of Aug. 26-27 at Lampe Park in Gardnerville. This wonderful event, a fundraiser for breast cancer research, will be the eighth annual celebration for breast cancer survivorship. The Topaz Lake Volunteer Fire Department will be participating in the event this year in honor of Linda Fields, wife of Assistant Chief Chuck Fields, who has been undergoing extensive treatment for breast cancer.

A 20-person team, made up of fire department volunteers and employees of Topaz Lodge and Casino, have planned a lot of great things to do at the 24-hour event. They have planned a dunk tank and have, so far, coerced East Fork Fire and Paramedic District Department Chief Dave Drew, training officers Scott Fraser and Dave Fogerson as well as 911 dispatcher Maggie to take their turns in the tank. The cost will be $5 a ball or three balls for $10. Deb Boulet, owner of Reflections Salon in Topaz Ranch Estates will offer "compassion cuts" (a buzz-cut style) or just regular cuts for $10, with all of the proceeds going to the fundraiser. Other ways to help in the fundraiser is the purchase of a luminary bag that will line the track which you can sign with a special message, pledge an amount of your choice for every lap made by the team members or just a straight donation to the American Cancer Society. The team will also have Costco muffins and other fun things planned for the event. Support our volunteers' efforts by stopping by their area, try out your "pitching arm" at the dunk tank and help make our local team number one for donations gathered. For more information about how you can help, call team captain Bonnie Keesecker at 266-3018 or Chief Dave Thomas at 266-4864.

n Now that the primary election is over and the results are in, it is great to know that some of the campaign clutter of signs will be disappearing from our landscape. I was pleased to see that several signs disappeared long before the primary took place. For the family of Justin Nelson (Hathaway) it had to be hard to see Justin's memorial, which has been on the fence along Highway 208 since his death in a car accident at that spot, surrounded by campaign signs. How they disappeared, I am not sure, but it was great to see them removed and shame on the people who placed them around his memorial with such thoughtless abandon in the first place. I know a lot of TRE residents were just as upset as I was to see them there and it was my first inclination to hope no one voted for the candidates whose names appeared on those signs.

n Emergency Preparedness Training Day sponsored by the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday at the TRE Community Park Building at the end of Carter Way. This free informational day will be full of great information that just might save your life or property. For more information contact Capt. Walt Kesteloot at 266-3780 or Toni Braga at 783-6415.

n Don't forget the 39th Annual Topaz Lake Volunteer Fire Department Barbecue Fundraiser, noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Topaz Lake Fire Department. This traditional event will include their famous deep-pit barbecued tri-tip with a huge variety of salads and side dishes, dance to the live country tunes of Buffalo Country while having the chance to win one or more fantastic raffle prizes or the drawing for the grand prize, a slot machine donated to the event by Topaz Lodge and Casino. This major fundraiser for our volunteer fire department also benefits the community we live in.

n There is still time to sign-up for The Not Necessarily Annual Got Golf Tournament. For more information contact Guy Scalise at Topaz Joe's Grill and Bar 266-3208.

Until next week, keep on keepin' on.

n Jonni Hill can be reached through The Record-Courier at jhill@recordcourier.com or by calling 782-5121, ext. 213, or after hours at JHILL47@aol.com