Jodi Wass named Carson Valley Days Citizen of the Year

Marriage and family therapist and Douglas Center for Hope and Healing founder Jodi Wass was named Carson Valley Days Citizen of the Year on Saturday.

Marriage and family therapist and Douglas Center for Hope and Healing founder Jodi Wass was named Carson Valley Days Citizen of the Year on Saturday.

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

Marriage and family therapist and Douglas Center for Hope and Healing founder Jodi Wass was named Carson Valley Days Citizen of the Year on Saturday, according to Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club member Tim Provost.

The annual parade featured around 70 entries on Saturday as it rolled from Minden to Gardnerville.

“It went really well,” said Sgt. Of Arms Tommy Lovell. “This is Carson Valley’s parade, and the guys really worked hard on it. We had a good plan going in. It’s really awesome seeing everyone come together for the holiday of this Valley.”

The parade was well-attended with residents lining the route from Minden to Lampe parks.

With the theme of Jurassic Valley, there were lots of blow up dinosaur suits and tributes to “Jurassic Park,” including an excellent likeness to John Hammond on the Park Ranch Meats entry, which won for Western Rancher.

The overall winner of the parade was All About Dance.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, which had a pickup tow a metal dinosaur that shook its cage received the miscellaneous award, “because those dinosaurs were rad,” Provost said.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners won for best political under the leadership of Chairwoman Sharla Hales, who ditched the bicycle built for two with husband Jim Hales and went for scooters instead.

United Electric won for best commercial entry with a live band that was wailing as it was towed through town.

Last year’s Citizen of the Year Tim Miller served as grand marshal for the parade. Miller of Carson Valley All About Youth is hosting Carson Valley Youth Day July 19. Visit carsonvalleyallaboutyouth.org to sign up or for more information.

A score of bearded and mustached residents participated in Taylor Lynch’s annual beard contest at Lampe Park on Saturday afternoon.

Events at the park included horse shoes and concerts, in addition to the annual carnival.

Organizers of the pre-Carson Valley Days We Run This Town 5K signed up 210 runners, who took off from Heritage Park in Gardnerville.

Friends and family had two signs showing support for runner Allie Horton.

Mom Jay said that her daughter decided she wanted to make the event her first 5K.

“She is a little bit bigger girl, and she decided to go on a journey of weight loss,” she said. “This is her first 5K she’s ever done in her life. It’s a goal for her to just finish and we are so supportive.”

Carson Valley Visitor’s Authority Executive Director Keith Lewis said the event draws people to Carson Valley.

“Carson Valley Days is important because of the sense of community it obviously brings with the parade and the carnival and the three days of events,” he said. “We know this is a great economic weekend in terms of hotels being filled and restaurants and just being outside is awesome.”

The celebration was the last one Lovell will be involved in directly, as he ages out of the club specifically for 20- and 30-somethings.

Longtime participant Fred Roefer had high praise for Lovell.

“It’s always been about the kids, for the kids and nothing but the kids and he runs it perfect,” said the 41-year Gardnerville resident.

Lovell said club members recognize that operating the celebration is a privilege handed down to them for generations.

He said he’ll go around and buy the old-timers a drink.

“They thank me for doing this, but I thank them and tell them ‘if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be able to do this,’” he said on Saturday. “It’s not lost on us that we’re given permission to run this parade.”

Provost said he’s pleased with the new crop of members in the club.

“They are solid and are taking care of stuff,” he said.

Parade Winners

Overall: All About Dance

Youth: Northwest Martial Arts

Service Club: Miss Nevada Scholarship Organization

Nonservice Club: Sierra Stompers

Noncommercial: Carson Valley Health

Antique vehicles: Northern Nevada Antique Power Club

Political: Douglas County Commissioners

Western Rancher: Park Ranch

Commercial: United Electrical Services

Misc.: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

5K results

1st Place Joel Nord: 19:28

2nd Place Katie Sommers: 19:39

3rd Place Jim Tucker: 20:27

Beard Contest Results

1. The most unique beard -Blake

2. The reddest beard- Johnny

3.The best partial- Richard

4. The best salt and pepper- Jason

5. The best moustache- Andrew W.

6.The whitest beard- Boyd

7.The best groomed beard- Matt

8. The longest beard - Boyd

9. The thickest beard- Matt

10.The most scruffy beard- Nutche

11. Best beard and moustache combo- Andrew F

12. The best beard strut- Jeremy