Carson to host Nevada Day celebration

Friday, Oct. 30, 1998 | 11:24 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- With good weather predicted, Nevada prepares to celebrate its 134th birthday Saturday with a giant parade, concerts, contests and parties.

Statewide political candidates have seized the opportunity to ride in the three-hour parade and then head for the University of Nevada, Reno for the homecoming football game against Boise State.

The crowd in Carson City is expected to reach 40,000.

Since Nevada Day falls on Saturday, a holiday is declared for Friday. Nevada is one of the few states to celebrate its admission into the United States with the festivities centered in the capital city.

They kick off tonight with the 1864 Grand Ball, where many participants dress in period costumes.

Halloween is also observed tonight, a day earlier than the rest of the nation, so it won't conflict with Nevada Day events. Gov. Bob Miller and his wife, Sandy, will be on the steps of the governor's mansion handing out bags of popcorn to thousands of "Trick or Treaters." Miller calls it "one of our favorite traditions at the mansion."

Also on tap today is a rally and a costume parade in front of the Legislative Building in support of funding for the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, which is running out of money. Citizen Alert, Citizens Against Nuclear Waste in Nevada, and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, are using the event to urge lawmakers to fully finance the agency, which is fighting against a nuclear dump at Yucca Mountain.

A sculpture of the late newsman Guy Shipler, dean of the Capital Press Corp., will be unveiled at the Capitol Saturday morning. More than $11,000 was raised after Shipler's death in 1996 for the bust fashioned by Kristin Lothrop of Massachusetts. Shipler's son David, a Pulitzer Prize winner, will be on hand.

The 240-entry parade, held since 1938 in rain or shine, is the focus of the birthday party. Grand Marshall is Hughie Schoff, being honored for his many civic activities in Winnemucca and promotion of Nevada.

Besides the politicians, there are beauty queens, floats, horseback riders, high-school bands and marching units. Sen. Harry Reid is the ninth entry in the parade and his election opponent, Rep. John Ensign is 12th. Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones is in the 80th spot followed by her GOP opponent for governor, Kenny Guinn, in 85th.

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., hosts his 17th annual free chili feed after the parade at the Carson City Nugget.

Other events during the day include an 8-kilometer run; beard judging on the steps of the Capitol; the 24th annual world championship single jack rock-drilling contest in which participants pound a drill into a chunk of white granite; free concerts and fireworks Saturday night.

On the election ballot Tuesday is an advisory question asking voters whether Nevada Day should be a three-day weekend celebration every year. At present it is observed on Oct. 31. But local businesses want it moved so there will be the three-day holiday. And they argue that would help school and other groups attend, because many of them can't make it during the middle of the week.

The question is advisory only. If the law is to be enacted, it would have to be done by the Legislature.