O’Callaghan remembered

Annie Flanzraich

Monday, June 6, 2005 | 10 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan's roots go deep into Nevada's history as one of its governors, teachers, mentors and newspaper editors. And now a tree in his honor is rooted in Paradise Park.

Friends and family of O'Callaghan gathered Saturday morning to remember and celebrate his life at a ceremony held by the Paradise Democratic Cub of Las Vegas. Since 1996, the club has planted trees and released birds to honor deceased Democrats.

In his opening remarks John Ponticello, president of the club, said the ceremony was not meant as a day of mourning.

"This is not a sad day," Ponticello said. "This a day to remember."

Close to 40 people at the park each had different memories of O'Callaghan and how he touched their lives. Among them was Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.,who remembered her days as an "O'Callaghan girl" when O'Callaghan was running for governor in the 1970s.

"I know there are thousands of people who he touched in a very personal way," Berkley said. "And there are hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who's lives have been enriched, even though they didn't know him, because Mike O'Callaghan lived."

From 1971 until 1979 O'Callaghan served as governor for the state of Nevada. During his term he worked to preserve Lake Tahoe, provide affordable housing in Las Vegas and help disadvantaged children in Nevada. After he left office he became the executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun and held that position for 25 years. He died in March 2004 from a heart attack. He was 74.

For his daughter Colleen O'Callaghan-Miele, her father's tree will continue his legacy of compassion and humanitarianism.

"This tree is one more thing that is going to help us get stronger and root," O'Callaghan-Miele, co-publisher of the Henderson Home News, said. "This tree represents that and as this tree grows so will our family."

For her brother Tim O'Callaghan, publisher of the Henderson Home News, the Modesto ash sapling that was put into the ground had the same qualities he remembered about his father.

"A tree stands for something that has integrity and is compromised and is solid," he said. "A good tree has a strong root system."

"Gov. Mike's" roots reached out to Adriana Martinez, chairwoman of the Nevada State Democratic Party, and reinforced her political resolve.

When she was running for the state Senate in 2002, O'Callaghan gave her some sage words of advice.

"He pounded on the table and he said, 'Don't you ever get that feeling of defeat.' " Martinez said O'Callaghan told her in regards to Yucca Mountain. "You have to continue to fight for what you believe in."

Harriet Trudell, O'Callaghan's gubernatorial aide from 1973 to 1978, remembered his candidness.

"We fought a lot and we hung up (the phone) a lot," Trudell said. "But he was one of the most real human beings I ever knew."

Las Vegas Sun President and Editor Brian Greenspun said a tree planting was an appropriate way to commemorate O'Callaghan's life.

"Whenever there was anything to celebrate, Mike did it in one of two ways," Greenspun said. "He'd pick up the phone and call a friend or when he went to Israel he would take care of it himself. He would plant a tree in that person's name. Now I can't tell you Mike is solely responsible for the green line (a line of trees that separates Israel from other Arab countries) but he sure planted his share."

After the honoree's relatives and friends finished remembering O'Callaghan's life, Ponticello invited the family members on stage to release a white bird as a symbol of freedom.

O'Callaghan's tree is planted next to trees planted in honor of other political figures that have been honored by the Paradise Democratic Club including Ron Brown, former Judge Del Guy, former Governor Grant Sawyer, Virginia Clinton Kelley, former U.S. Senator Alan Bible, State Senator Mahlon Brown, Senator Howard Cannon, Judge Gary Redmon and Supreme Court Justice Myron Leavitt.