Helicopter helps put 'C' into C-Hill

A helicopter was key in helping about a dozen Carson City residents

spend a gray Friday putting the "C" in C-Hill.

After last year's frustrating battle to paint the "C," attorney John Griffon said the painters decided it was time to call in some air support.

"Last year, we had to haul the water up there ourselves and we lost some of our troops," Griffon said. A couple of the people who helped came back with sore muscles and sprains.

Trying to avoid a repeat, Griffon contacted John Kelly of El Aero to help haul water and lime to the top of the steep hill overlooking Carson's west side.

Kelly, manager of El Aero, said it was an opportunity for the company to do something in the community.

Nearly a dozen workers spent the day touching up the "C," part of the annual preparation for Nevada Day.

Kelly flew three 55-gallon barrels of water along with three bags of ingredients and tools from the saddle to C-Hill.

State Sen. Mark Amodei credited Kelly's flying with substantially reducing the amount of time it took to touch up the "C.'

"Because of John Kelly and the folks at Sterling Air and El Aero, who basically donated the use of a helicopter for two hours, what took a week last year took a couple of hours today," he said. "They are the kings this year. It took us an hour this morning to airlift 150 gallons of water and 150 pounds of ingredients to do the whitewash and an hour to mix it and put it on."

This is the second year Griffon, Amodei and several Carson residents reworked the symbol of Carson City.

"It was a lot easier to do this year because we had a Bell Jet Ranger hauling water instead of a guy carrying 10 gallons at a time over the hill. Nobody doing this is getting any younger."

Early Friday morning the cloud level was just above the big letter, which appears over Carson City.

Among those working on the "C" Friday were attorneys Tom Donaldson, Andy MacKenzie, Chris MacKenzie, Jason Woodbury, Todd Russell, Mike Pavlakis and Jim Puzey.

All, Amodei said, are of "solid rural Nevada stock."