Festivals attract crowds and more

Carson Valley Days marks the beginning of festival season in Carson Valley, which essentially wraps up in September with Candy Dance.

Both festivals attract thousands to the Valley and clearly aid the county's economy, which is why they were invented so many years ago. And both festivals are at milestones. It has been 99 years since H.F. Dangberg Jr. started Carson Valley Days to show off Minden and Gardnerville. Lillian Virgin came up with her idea to raise money for Nevada's oldest settlement 80 years ago.

Nothing as large as a Carson Valley Days or a Candy Dance can occur without some conflict. They attract the equivalent of the county's population between them.

In the case of Carson Valley Days, all sorts of non-profit groups seize the opportunity to raise money for many good causes. While there are some issues, generally Carson Valley Days' satellite events contribute to the whole.

For a variety of reasons, including a long and divisive battle between the town and its businesses, that's not true of Candy Dance.

On Thursday, town officials said on one hand how undeserved Genoa's reputation for rancor was and on the other asked county commissioners to reject two independent fair permits, continuing a decade-long fight. Candy Dance is the main fundraiser for the town, accounting for roughly 70 percent of its annual revenue. That fact has added to the urgency of the argument.

At some point, Genoans will have to reconcile themselves to the fact that the county is not going to solve the conflict for them.

Perhaps acceptance is the answer to concerns about Candy Dance and the town's reputation for combativeness.