Two little Ranchos boys love their daddy

Sunday is Father's Day and Gardnerville Ranchos resident Jenni Russell said her boys, 4-year-old A.J. and 8-month-old Damian, idolize their father, Dennis.

The couple has been together for four years, having first met on the Internet and hitting it off in person when they first laid eyes on each other in Lodi, Calif.

They've lived in Nevada for about three years. Dennis is the superintendent at the Job's Peak Cottages project on Kimmerling Road. Jenni said Dennis is a certified insulated concrete form installer. That makes him a good provider.

But the thing that Jenni says makes him a great father is the way the boys light up when they see their daddy.

"When Dennis gets home from work, A.J. is out the door before he gets out of the truck," Jenni said. "He gets off work at 3:30 p.m. and has to go back out at 5 p.m. to take down the signs, A.J. gets to go with him. A.J.'s so excited because he think's he's going to work with Daddy."

Damian can only say one word so far, and that's dada.

"But he kicks his little legs when he sees Dennis," Jenni said. "The boys love singing and playing Xbox with him. Even the 8-month-old has his wireless control that doesn't have any batteries in it."

The family takes fishing trips to the Carson River.

"A.J. loves fishing with his daddy," she said. "He has taken to calling him Superman, lately."

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Speaking of fathers and sons, somehow we used Max Jones Sr.'s photograph in a story about Max Jones Jr.

The University of Nevada, Reno, recently announced a new scholarship in renewable energy in honor of Jones the younger. A 1955 graduate of Douglas County High School and a Harrolds Club Scholar at the University of Nevada, Reno, Max is an electrical engineer who worked for Sierra Pacific Power Co. for 31 years. He was the first recipient of the Nevada Engineer Award and rose to the position of senior vice president of the power company before retiring to start his own consulting firm.

He married the former Honor Settelmeyer. His father, and three sisters, Eileen Decker, Mary Jane Robison and Lura Lee Jones all live here in the Valley.

In order to win the scholarship, UNR students have to be a junior, enrolled in the engineering curriculum and maintain a 2.85 grade point average.

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I received the senior edition of Douglas High School's Paws in the Press on Tuesday. The news staff surveyed 236 of their classmates to determine their plans, dreams and a few memories of their time in school. I wouldn't put money on the precision of the results, but they gave it a good shot and should be congratulated for offering an interesting perspective on graduation.

As a side note, I've enjoyed the student newspaper this year, but must admit that I hate the MASH font they selected for the headlines. If that's the worst I can come up with, then they did a great job.

-- Kurt Hildebrand is editor of The Record-Courier. Reach him at khildebrand@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 215.