Heritage Park first step in Gardnerville anniversary celebration

The centerpiece of Gardnerville's 125th anniversary celebration will be the site of the observance of the town's founding 4 p.m. Monday.

Heritage Park was dedicated on Sunday in time for the celebration, which will feature re-enactors portraying John and Mary Gardner and Lawrence Gilman signing the deed for the town.

Then the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center will host the opening of a Gardnerville exhibit after state, county and town proclamations are read at the park.

Heritage weekend, the culmination of the Gardnerville celebration scheduled on June 19 and 20, will feature a smattering of re-enactors recreating several Civil War battles. The Comstock Cowboys will perform from 8 to 10 p.m. on June 19, and the Carson Valley Pops will play June 20.

Crafts booths on the final weekend will be geared toward homespun, hand-crafted products with no commercial presence.

Douglas County commissioners Kelly Kite, chairman, and Bernie Curtis joined with members of the Gardnerville Town Board at Sunday's dedication of the new park off Gilman Avenue.

The centerpiece of the park, the new pavilion, was opened at Sunday's ceremony. Town Manager Jim Park said Tuesday the park represents the hard work of "about 600 people getting together and working together" on the improvements.

"There have been so many donations, donations of engineering work, materials, picnic tables and benches," Park said. "I think the whole community can be proud of it.

"It's something for many generations to enjoy."

Funding and donations came from many sources, including labor and shade trees from General Electric Power Systems/Bently Nevada and a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service.

The Gardnerville Business Association has raised money through memorial brick sales to offset construction costs, and the American Society of Civil Engineers Capital Branch designed and engineered the pavilion at no cost to the community.

Memorial bricks cover the pavilion walls. The 4-by-8-inch bricks hold up to three lines of print with 20 characters each. Business association members are selling bricks for $50 each at these Gardnerville businesses: Netti's Creations, JT Basque Bar and Dining Room, Aladdin Flowers & Gifts, Wells Fargo, Historian Inn, High Sierra Furniture and the Country Carousel. For information, call (775) 782-2473.

Contact Regina Purcell at (775) 782-5121, ext. 211.