Community shows team colors in support of injured boy

Yellow and black mingled with holiday red and green as Carson Valley residents continued to show their support for an 10-year-old Minden boy hospitalized in Reno after a woodcutting accident.

Joey Jacobsen remained in critical condition at Renown Regional Medical Center a week after he was hurt Nov. 22 by a falling tree while woodcutting in Markleeville with his father and a family friend.

Adopting the Jacobsen family's slogan of "we believe," black and yellow ribbons began showing up throughout the community on lamp posts, vehicle antennas and street signs. Some people painted "we believe" on their car windows.

The ribbons are the colors of Joey's Little League team, the Pirates.

The community has been kept up-to-date on Joey's condition through daily postings on his Caring Bridge Web site.

Thousand of visitors have followed the fifth grader's progress and more than 1,000 people " most of them friends and neighbors of the well-known Carson Valley family " have left messages of prayer and support.

Joey remained under sedation at the Reno hospital.

"Joey's medical team continues to tell us this is not a sprint but a marathon," wrote Jeremy Houser. "Small steps forward are huge, however; we realize that there will be small steps backwards during Joey's journey to full recovery. We pray that the next couple of days bring many steps forward and very few steps back."

Houser is Joey's cousin and has been updating the Web site for a week.

Family friend Steve Stratton opened Joey's Christmas Tree Lot at Stratton Center on Saturday with proceeds going toward the family's expenses.

Stratton also is accepting donations for the Jacobsens.