Lawmakers honor former legislators and member of pioneer family

Lawmakers took time out Tuesday to honor JohnD Nevers Winters who died a month ago as well as three former members of the Assembly.

Winters, a fourth-generation Nevadan and operator of a pioneer dairy in Carson City, died March 30 at age 97. He graduated from the University of Nevada in 1932 and worked for the Soil Conservation Service before joining the family business, Sanitary Dairy.

His great grandfather John Devers Winters settled in western Nevada in 1857.

Winters was a proponent of water resources conservation and served on the Carson-Truckee Water Conservancy District board as well as the California-Nevada Interstate Compact Commission.

He donated the land for a new Carson High School in the 1950s and donated the land Carson City has developed into Eagle Valley Golf Course and Centennial Park, which is now named after Winters.

In addition, the Assembly paused to honor three former members of that body including colorful Ways and Means Chairman Marvin Sedway, who died in 1990.

Sedway, an optometrist, was known for colorful quotes such as telling one agency when he was cutting its budget: "If there's no penalty for doing it wrong, there's no incentive to do it right."

He was well known as a supporter of public schools and education budgets, telling his committee at one hearing: "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."

In addition, longtime Assembly member and later Sen. Virgil Getto, of Fallon, was honored for his contributions to the state and Mouryne Landing Dini, who served as Chief Clerk of the Nevada Assembly a record 23 years.

Their portraits will all be hung at the Assembly's end of the Legislature on what they refer to as the Wall of Distinction.

That wall already bears portraits of former Speaker Joe Dini, who held that post as head of the Assembly a record eight sessions, Douglas County representative Lou Bergevin and Reno Assemblywoman Jan Evans.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.