Nevada receives a stamp of approval

Diana Sahagun

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 9:19 a.m.

With so many high-profile Southern Nevada officials on hand during Thursday's unveiling of the "Greetings from Nevada" postage stamp, there was bound to be some confusion.

Las Vegas Postmaster Tom Peterson introduced Nevada's governor as "Mayor Kenny Guinn," and -- after realizing his slip -- joked, "Oscar (Goodman) asked me to say that."

Even after Peterson asked "Should I say this is Governor Goodman?" the city's happiest mayor repeated from the steps of the downtown post office, the city's first federal courthouse, that he won't be moving to Carson City.

The blunder did little to quash the high spirits at the ceremony, where a crooning Elvis impersonator danced with Rep. Shelley Berkley and Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt before unveiling the stamp, which features two signs from the early Las Vegas Strip -- the Hacienda hotel's horse and rider and the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.

Betty Willis designed the Welcome to Las Vegas sign in the late 1950s for Western Neon and it has become one of the most photographed and recognized signs in the world.

The Hacienda sign was designed by Brian "Buzz" Leming in 1966 for Young Electric Sign Co. and was installed at the Fremont Street Experience in 1996.

The Nevada stamp is one of 50 stamps that were released in every state Thursday as part of the Greetings From America series.

Guinn said downtown Las Vegas was the perfect location to unveil the stamp because it is rich in history, calling the city the "second capital of Nevada."

As the city continues to rebound from the effects of Sept. 11, Berkley said the U.S. Postal Service is more important than ever.

"This stamp is commemorating the unity of the 50 states and the importance of the Postal Service," she said.

Even as the Postal Service was hit by an anthrax threat, Peterson said it was committed to delivering mail.

"Yes, we deliver mail, but we do much more than that," he said. "We deliver dreams."

It didn't deliver Goodman's dream, though.

"This is a bittersweet moment," Goodman said, jokingly. "We have a wonderful stamp, but it's not exactly what I had in mind. I wanted my picture on it. How come my picture's not on the stamp?"