Postage stamp dedication set for Saturday

The old post office on Maine Street has had a storied past as one of Churchill County’s most iconic landmarks.

Built in 1928, it has since been retired as a federal facility; however, it continues to live on as a civic meeting place.

The old red brick two-story building on the corner of Maine and A streets will be in the spotlight again as it serves as a backdrop of what life in Fallon was when the Mayors NV Commission holds a sesquicentennial event on Saturday to honor Nevada’s official postage stamp for the sesquicentennial.

Although the official postage stamp of Nevada’s sesquicentennial was unveiled in May by the U.S. Postal Service, a second dedication of the stamp takes place at 11 a.m. at the Old Fallon Post Office.

Rick Gray, executive director of the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority, said Pony Express riders will deliver a proclamation to Mayor Ken Tedford Jr. Gray said the mayor will read the proclamation, and dignitaries to include Reno artist Ron Spears and the postmaster will offer their comments.

“The postmaster will also have NV150 merchandise for purchase, and the artist will have his work on display,” Gray said.

“The Nevada Statehood Forever Stamp had an official first-day-of-issue ceremony last month in Las Vegas to a large crowd at an event attended by political, civic, and business leaders from around the state,” said David G. Rupert, public affairs representative for the U.S. Postal Service in Denver.

Rupert said the Fallon event — organized by the Nevada 150 Sesquicentennial Committee, the Mayors NV 150 Commission, the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority and the United States Postal Service — is the first dedication of the stamp in Northern Nevada.

Spears will sign autographs and answer questions about the process of creating stamp art.

Rupert said the USPS joins the celebration of Nevada’s 150th anniversary with a stamp showcasing one of the state’s many hauntingly beautiful landscapes.

“The stamp art depicts a close-up view of an area in Fire Canyon, part of Valley of Fire, Nevada’s oldest state park,” Rupert said. “The painting is an oil-on-Masonite panel. Captured by Reno Nevada artist Ron Spears at dawn, the sandstone formations glow in shades of brilliant reds and yellows — a result of various quantities of iron in the rock — highlighted by deep purple and blue shadows.”

Spears’ original sketches were oils on canvas. The final painting, in oil on a Masonite panel, measures approximately 15 x 12 inches.

“I wanted to be at Fire Canyon when the sun broke over the horizon,” said Spears. “It only lasts for a few moments, but seeing the rocks come to life as the morning sun hits them is definitely worth getting up early for.”

According to Rupert, Spears created hundreds of illustrations for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, Harry Potter Card Game, Upper Deck, Blizzard Entertainment and others. He also illustrated book covers, magazine articles and the children’s book “Dad Are You The Tooth Fairy?” written by actor Jason Alexander.

“As a lead illustrator for International Game Technology, and an art director for Sierra On-Line, Ron has created countless illustrations for dozens of video games,” Rupert added.

To add to the excitement of the day, the Wells Fargo stagecoach will offer rides around Oats Park from 4-7 p.m. The staging area will be at the Fallon Youth Club on Richards Street.