Carson Column

I knew Thursday was going to be a bad day when I picked up my paper and read the header "Soldiers honored" over the photo of two sailors comforting one another at the USS Cole memorial.

It wasn't trepidation I felt at the phone calls I was going to get throughout the day pointing out the error. It was anger and indignation. Looking back, I'm a little shocked that I felt that way. As a fleet sailor in the U.S. Navy during the first half of the 1980s, I rarely ran into soldiers, much less felt any competition with them.

I can only think of one time I ran into a Marine, and despite the famous competition between the two services, there was more camaraderie than anything else.

And yet, when I saw "soldier" instead of "sailor" it was as if someone had called me a Californian.

It must be what Australians feel when people mistakenly call them English.

For the record, we received more than 30 calls Thursday and the people responsible will never, ever make that mistake again.

During peacetime, soldiers usually have it pretty easy, but sailors always have to be ready for combat. That is a lesson we learned again with the USS Cole.

That is why I offer my apologies for the mistake and my condolences to the crew of the Cole.

According to the Navy Web site, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is handling donations for USS Cole victims and their families. Anyone interested in making a donation should make checks payable to Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and include "For USS COLE" on the memo line of the check.

Mail all donations to:

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

801 North Randolph Street, Suite 1228

Arlington, VA 22203-1978

You don't have to go to Hollywood to be a star. That's the message Wayne and Carla Wilson of Jacks Valley are hoping to make with their Carson Valley Star Makers.

The television program has aired 12 times on Carson Public Access Television.

"We're doing the Christmas show in the first weekend of November at the Windsock Lounge," Wayne said. "We'll be airing that show the week of Thanksgiving."

Auditions will begin in January for the show that spotlights local talent.

"We've had some great talent," Wayne said Friday. Among that talent is Carson City's Geneva Noland of Geneva's Ceramics, who at 71 sings '40s hits like "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey," but isn't afraid to take on Bob Seeger's "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll."

"We have a wide variety of talent, musical as well as plays," he said.

The program airs several times during the week, but its prime times are 7 p.m. Mondays on Channel 10, 9 p.m. Thursdays on Channel 26 and 8:30 p.m. Fridays on Channel 16.

Betty Kalicki has lived in her Molly Drive neighborhood for 34 years without seeing a raccoon.

When she finally saw one of the ring-tailed bandits Thursday night, it was eating cat food in her dining room.

"At about 7:30 p.m., I came in to close the slider when I saw what looked like a huge gray cat, only it had rings around its tail," she said. "It kept looking up at me and kept eating, as if it were wondering if I would chase it out or if it could get away with something."

Betty said her visitor eventually left on its own, which was good because she had no idea how she was going to get it to leave.

Betty has two cats and has been in the habit of leaving her door open so they can get in and out.

She has been plagued by skunks looking for something to eat in the past, but they haven't been around for months.

"I have two cats and they are so friendly with these animals," Betty said. "Our neighborhood is hilarious, you see all these little black and white things running around. But I'd never seen a raccoon until last night, in my dining room.

Managing Editor Barry Smith says raccoons were making regular visits to his garage and he had to stash the pet food away until they left.

Ah, Nature.

Kurt Hildebrand is the assistant managing editor of the Nevada Appeal and one angry sailor. Reach him at 881-1215 or e-mail him at kurt@tahoe.com