Gardnerville resident Samantha Graybill-Fiesler is on her way to Las Vegas next week to compete in the 2010 Nevada Geographic Bee to be held at Tarkanian Middle School.
Samantha, who is the 10-year-old daughter of Vicki Graybill and Dan Fiesler, may be the first Gardnerville Elementary fourth-grader to make it to the state competition, sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
Her mom said Samantha was born at Barton in South Lake Tahoe, but has lived her life here, practically making her a native of Carson Valley.
After winning her school geography bee, she took the test to qualify for state. She is among the top 100 geography students in the state.
The bee is open to students in fourth through eighth grade.
Should Samantha win the state competition, she get a trip to Washington, D.C., and a chance to compete against the best student geographers in the state.
Samantha appeared in an R-C Halloween story when she was 5, helping to decorate the Adaven Hotel for the holiday.
Minden resident Sherry Dilley is chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party for the next 60 days, or less, if she can help it.
Sherry is the vice chairwoman of the state party and took the helm on Tuesday when Chairman Dr. Chris Comfort resigned.
She said Wednesday that she is already on nearly a dozen boards and prefers working for the betterment of the Carson Valley Boys & Girls Club to the statewide spotlight.
In order to find a new chair, she has to call a meeting so the party executive board can call a meeting.
Sherry said Douglas County is home to plenty of famous Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, Gov. Jim Gibbons' staffers Lynn Hettrick and Robin Reedy, and lots of other folks.
"I tell people, 'if you want to get elected, you have to go to Douglas County,'" she said.
Kurt Hildebrand is editor of The Record-Courier. Reach him at khildebrand@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 215
