Nevada celebrates its 139th birthday

Friday, Oct. 31, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada celebrates its 139th birthday today, but the big festivities will be Saturday, including a giant parade, contests, concerts and parties.

State and local government offices and schools are closed today for the three-day weekend to observe the state's admission into the Union. Federal offices are open.

The theme to this year's celebration is "A Salute to Our Veterans" and 78-year-old Richard Sorenson, a 1944 Medal of Honor winner, will be the grand marshal of the 197-entry parade.

Thousands are expected to line Carson City's main street under cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-40s to watch the parade that features schools bands, horse groups, politicians and beauty queens.

A number of military veteran groups are entered. Sorenson, who was in the Marine Corps, was on Namur Island in Kwajalein Atoll when the Japanese launched a counter attack. He was in a shell hole when a grenade was lobbed into the area. He jumped on it saving the other five Marines in the foxhole. But he spent nine months in the hospital recovering from his wounds.

The celebration started Thursday night with a football game between Carson and Douglas high schools. Douglas won 37-7. There was also a Nevada Day Music and Heritage Festival and an invitational golf tournament.

Saturday kicks off with a pancake breakfast at the governor's mansion for the benefit of students at Carson and Dayton high schools, followed by the Nevada Day Classic Run.

There's the 29th annual world championship rock drilling contest, a beard judging contest, boxing matches and the 1864 Grand Ball in Virginia City.

Gov. Kenny Guinn and State Treasurer Brian Krolicki are sponsoring the annual free chili feed at a local casino. They replace former senator and governor Richard Bryan, who started the event.

Guinn and his wife, Dema, will greet hundreds of trick-or-treaters tonight at the Governor's Mansion, handing out Halloween candy to the youngsters in a tradition started more than 30 years ago.