Our favorite time of year

It has been 98 years since Minden founder H.F. Dangberg Jr. decided that what his new town really needed was a big party.

That was the inception of Carson Valley's oldest and biggest party, Carson Valley Days.

In the intervening years, only war has prevented the parade from marching between the towns of Minden and Gardnerville.

While the parade has reversed direction over the years, it has never lost its value in bringing the people of the Valley together.

Whatever conflict existed between the two towns, it was Carson Valley Days that brought them together.

We've seen a lot harder times than this last year. Carson Valley Day survived the Great Depression and a lot of years when growth in the Valley was flat.

Good times or bad, Carson Valley Days has been a constant in the Valley's life. On Saturday, it's a good bet the event will feature flying candy and shaving cream, tractors and fire engines, American flags and more than a few politicians.

All that's missing is the great man himself. In this day and age, we could use some of Dangberg's promotional spirit to drive prosperity our way.