The Nevada Appeal brings us a list of the fireworks shows that can be seen in Western Nevada this July 4th.

* Carson City - Mills Park
* Lake Tahoe - South Lake, over the water
* Virginia City
* Reno - downtown near the Aces Ballpark
* Sparks - John Ascuaga's Nugget

The article also lists a bunch of other events going on this weekend, including farmers' markets, concerts, and a steam-up at the Railroad Museum.

Around Carson has been on Twitter for a short while now, and now I've added a box to the sidebar that shows the most recent updates right on this page. Look to the right and you should see it. It's a way for you to keep up with what I'm doing at Twitter without having to visit the site or have an account yourself. I've been putting content on Twitter when I'm too lazy too busy to post to the blog - links to interesting articles, pointers to other Carson area bloggers, and updates from the road if I'm out and about and see something happening. I'm also following several Carson City Twitterers, so if you have an account follow me and I'll follow you back.

You can reach the Around Carson Twitter page at twitter.com/aroundcarson.

There's an article in the Nevada Appeal about the Carson City Freeway, which should be opening very soon. For years we've been talking about what would happen to downtown and the businesses along Carson Street once the freeway was a true bypass, and that time is coming. Because while the freeway isn't going to be completed when it opens next month, it will be done enough that most traffic, especially southbound traffic, will bypass downtown entirely. Freeway traffic will be routed along Fairview, and nearly anyone that's "just passing through" will be going that way instead of taking the 25MPH slog through downtown.

But what do the downtown businesses think of this? The article has a mix of opinions from all sides, some business owners that think they'll be hurt by the loss of traffic, others that say it won't matter because they only serve locals anyway, and even ones who think business will get better because downtown will be a more attractive place once the highway traffic is gone. It's that third option that the city is betting on, I know, but whether it's actually going to play out that way is unsure.

There's also an article, related in theme, about how the north end of town has been much more neglected than the south end. Most of the new construction and redevelopment in town is happening in the south, and that's also where redevelopment funds from the city are flowing. Which leaves the north end with many empty storefronts, none more glaring than the old Kmart at College Parkway. North Carson Street has also already been impacted by the freeway, and will be even more so when the new phase opens, while the freeway won't bypass south Carson at all for several more years. So there's definitely an imbalance between the two parts of town. There's even a bias on this site towards south Carson, simply because that's the part of town I pass through on the way to work. So even though the whole town is struggling right now, those on the north are struggling more and having to fight harder.

Tonight I heard music wafting over the air downtown, so I followed it, like a rat following a piper. It led me to Arlington Square, where I found a few dozen classic cars gathered around for a Karson Kruzers car show. A band and a dance floor were set up in the corner, although as soon as I got there the band called it a night, and the cars started leaving one by one. So of course it was photo time, before the party broke up.

Go see them all.

I've been remiss in putting up the yearly schedule for the Concerts in Minden Park summer series. In fact, one concert has already come and gone! Another one is coming up this Friday. Here's the lineup for the rest of the summer.

June 26 - Shane Dwight.

July 17 - Rick Hays & American Steel.

August 7 - The Savannah Blue Southern Rock Revue.

August 28 - Caravanserai.

All concerts are on a Friday night at 6:30pm, except for the final one on August 28th, which starts at 6:00. Get your picnic baskets ready!

Two more Looking Into the Past photos:

One of the first photographs of Carson City was taken from the very center of town, at the corner of King and Carson Streets. Taken around 1864, it shows a young city that's only about 6 years old but already has a couple of large hotels and saloons. The fence on the left enclosed the Plaza, where city founder Abe Curry set aside four blocks as the site of the future State Capitol. This was a bold move when the town had a dozen residents, but twelve years later Curry's dream came true, and the Capitol still stands there today.

The Sweetland Building was built in the 1930s in downtown Carson City, a solid brick building for the downtown core. In the 1950s the Pine Cone Cafe was a popular hangout for the town's high school kids. After the Pine Cone, a series of restaurants moved into the space. Jimmy G's Cigar Bar is the latest establishment on the corner, opening in June of 2009.

One thing I've always struggled with is abstract photos. I tend to be too literal, too documentarian, and my eye has trouble seeing things as just shapes. Sunday I found myself at the Railroad Museum, with the locomotives and all their interesting gears and knobs and bolts. I determined to try some abstract shots, getting close, skewing the angles, and trying to play with the objects as just shapes, not things.

Photo by Flickr user BBkld

No Safe Place has put up more pictures of the Nevada State Capitol Building, and the rebuilding work that was done during the 1970s. This is Part 7, where they finally start putting the thing back together.

We went to the Minden Farmers' Market last night. It takes place every Tuesday from 4-8pm, in downtown Minden along Esmeralda Street.

Of course the kids had fun.

At the CVIC Hall, Julie the critter lady from Nature's Critters put on a show and tell with all of her various frogs, turtles, birds, hedgehogs, and even a python!

This photo shows progress on the new Carson City Toyota dealership. Near the back of the property the foundation for the building is coming together. Concrete and rebar are in the ground, so we should see it going vertical pretty soon now. Looks like the building is shaping up to be pretty big.