$1.50 | TheEurekaCountyStar.com
Vol. 3 No. 33 | e Week of February 5, 2026
Shining a light on all of Eureka County. Our Mission: Inform, enlighten, educate and entertain—Enjoy the journey.
Eureka County Swimming Pool May Get a Well-Deserved Faceli By Winnona Eversgerd e Eureka County Commissioners have announced that sealed bids are being accepted for two major improvement projects at the Eureka County Swimming Pool: e Deck and Flooring Upgrades Project and the Pool Interior Resurfacing Project. e bids were opened during the Commissioners’ meeting on February 3 at 11 a.m. Both projects fall under Northern Nevada Prevailing Wage requirements, and the Commissioners retain the right to accept or reject any or all submissions. ese upgrades are much needed. e current pool deck is the original concrete from when the facility was an outdoor pool, and it has become cracked and crumbling over time. e dressing room floors, installed in 2009, are made of composite material that has worn down. e planned renovations will involve stripping the pool surface, resurfacing the interior, replacing tiles and coping, and installing new epoxy flooring throughout. e work is expected to take about a month to complete. While the projects represent a significant investment, the swimming pool is a cornerstone of the community, offering a wide variety of programs for residents of all ages. Public and private swim lessons are available year-round, and the Eureka Eels Swim Club welcomes students from PreK through 12th grade with practices scheduled Monday through ursday at either 3:30–4:30 p.m. or 4:30–5:30 p.m. One of the newest offerings is Aqua-Tots, a program designed for parents and children ages six months and up. Parent and child aquatic lessons are scheduled Wednesdays 4–4:30 p.m. and Fridays 8–8:30 a.m. Parent and child water aerobics are scheduled ursdays from 4–4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8–8:30 a.m.
e pool also offers Aquacise for all ages Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 2–3 p.m. ese classes offer water aerobics-style exercises targeted to strengthen bodies with low impact benefits. Another exciting event that takes place at the pool is the Sound Bath and Float sponsored by Balance Beam Healing. Josie Hoekenga has reserved the pool the fourth Saturday of every month for this calm and relaxing opportunity. It is open to only 10 people for each event, which really keeps the this very serene and tranquil experience. (Note: February’s session will be held on Feb. 7 because of the potential construction during the end of the month). While visiting with Crystal (Hubbard) Rikalo, Swimming Pool Supervisor, the enthusiasm about all of the great programs offered by the staff was very evident. When I asked her what she would like to include in this article, she emphasized that the pool is for community use. She wants to be able to serve the community the best way she can and is open to ideas that would enhance their program. Aer the new renovations, she is planning to continue monthly theme parties and occasional movie nights known as Flicks-N-Float. Beginning in June SumFun will start back up. is program will last for the entire summer, Monday through Friday, and offers a half-day of swim lessons, cras and snacks from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. e pool will be hiring casual staff in the spring. ey provide life guard training as well as water safety instruction for swim lesson instructors. e Eureka County Swimming Pool is more than just a place to swim—it is a hub of recreation, wellness, and community connection. With these upcoming upgrades, the facility will continue to provide safe, engaging, and enriching opportunities for everyone in the area.
When will Gold and Silver STOP? We have amazing “old timers” who have seen more than most of us will see. In talking with a few of our residents the future is talked and talked about. One young man related that the mines in our area have just “scratched” the veins in our mountains. So we are asking our readers, When will gold and silver top out—and what do you see at the top dollar when that happens? Email us with your predictions trina@theeurekacountystar.com.
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Johnny’s Tech Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 News of Crescent Valley . . . . . . . . . . .2 Senior Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Sheriff’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Commissioners News & Notes . . . . . .3 Market Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Courts & Arrest Recaps . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Worship Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 From Our Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Classified and Legal Ads . . . . . . . . . . .5 Business Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Word of the Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 February Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
TIDDLES-N-BITTLES e American Semiquincentennial! Our country’s 250-year anniversary is called a Semiquincentennial. is amazing quarter-millennium is referred to the United States’ 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, which commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. e short version of this amazing year is being called, e Semi Q! Do you remember what 1976 in our history was called?
Tequila Trails Opens–Go and See What All the Talk is About e newest restaurant in Eureka is Da Bomb! at is the word on the street about the food, atmosphere, staff and of course the bar at Tequila Trails. Located in the historic Jackson House across from the Eureka Court House on Main Street, the restaurant is open and very welcoming. Some of the great items on their menu include of course TACOS! ey even have a to go menu so you can grab as many tacos as your tummy will hold. Prices are as comfortable to your wallet as the chairs are to your–well you know. Get ye to TEQULA TRAILS and have a great time and dinner. Open Mon. - Fri. 4 to 9 p.m. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Is this you? Can You Smell It? By Trina Machacek Finding a smell is a journey into madness. Fear and madness. Apprehensive fear and madness. A journey that is not as highly anticipated as say, going to Disneyland or taking a Caribbean cruise. Both of those journeys will have some delightful smells on their own. But. Yes, an odor filled “but.” Hunting for a smell, especially in the refrigerator, can be...Well let’s just take a whiff and see what we sniff up. I expect some things to smell. A cat box should not be able to be smelled, but life happens. Let’s face it, we don’t all stand box side and wait for Fluffy to finish, so we can scoop and go. So yes, a cat box will smell. A bathroom will smell. Just because it is used as any bathroom, powder room, restroom, inside-outhouse is used, it will have many, many smells. Many, many! en there is the refrigerator. Leovers are sometimes met with happiness. Like that meatloaf from last night that will soon be a cold meatloaf sandwich. at smell will cause you to reach for the soest white bread, mayo, mustard, ketchup and what ever else you need to create that lunchtime or latenight devoured sandwich. Yes, leovers are acceptable smells emitted by your fridge. All things considered, even the smell that your nose tells you needs to be found and destroyed, yes even those smells were possibly one-time yummy leovers. When do leovers become, “Wow, what is that smell?” Sooner than you think they do. Before there was Tupperware, or any number of leover designed plastic containers there were, the tubs from margarine or butter, whipped topping, a variety of chip dips, even pickle jars—with wide mouths, and bags with “zippers.” All things that were designed for one-time use became staples of the kitchen as leover holders. It sometimes was a hunt and peck to find the actual butter! Sometimes it looked like the grocery store cooler in the refrigerator when it was filled with so many name-branded containers. A refrigerator smell is sneaky. It isn’t ever just an “in your face” smell when you first open the door. Oh, no my friends. It waits until you close the door. As you are walking away it will swirl around you, like an invisible ghost of meals past. en you realize that your nose noticed and it will wrinkle at the attack for the first few times. Okay for the first maybe four times, you are busy so you ignore the sign, the tap on your shoulder from that thought of “I gotta find THAT smell.” At first, we seem to think and hope, it’s imaginary. By the fourth time, whew, you’ve got to go in and sniff it out. UUGGHH. e first thing is to rule out what isn’t the cause. at cause and effect is actually very effective in this life event. One of the first things most people will do is smell the milk. ere is an old joke where one guy will pour a glass of milk and ask his wife, “Taste this and tell me if it’s good.” Don’t do that! e smell of the milk is not a pleasant thing, let alone try it. e funny thing about this procedure is, just like when you find something you have lost. e item lost or the smell in question will be the last thing you find. Drawers of the crisper or deli are pulled out and sniffed as a whole. en the path narrows. Is it the bologna sealed in the deli baggie? Nope. at “on the verge” tomato? Nope. en you move to the main arena. Eventually the culprit is found. Whatever you find, you cannot get it out of the house fast enough. For a while the smell will linger. It’s just part of life. at’s exactly what baking soda or a few bricks of charcoal were created for. Okay the charcoal is a stretch, but it works as well, if not faster than the baking soda. Uh, not the ones soaked in lighter fluid though! ere will be smells. e bag of potatoes that starts to grow before you use them all—worse yet if they get wet and then sit! e gym socks that missed the trip to the washing machine because they fell behind the hamper as a three-point shot was attempted. Smells are signs of life, usually a life well lived. Perfume, aershave, baby powder, lotion, toothpaste, furniture dusting spray, nail polish, grease and oil from working on a car, fresh baked bread. All are memorable. Yes, even meatloaf. Wipe your chin and enjoy your journey; smelling at each stop along the way. Trina lives in Diamond Valley, north of Eureka, Nevada. She loves to hear from readers. Email her at itybytrina@yahoo. Really!