Step out and support troops at local events

Entries will being taken for Nevada's longest-running Veterans Day Parade in Virginia City until parade time at 11 a.m. today.

"Virginia City being the mother of Nevada, this should be the place to come to celebrate Veterans Day," parade organizer Lorraine Du Fresne said. "These people are from World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea and Desert Storm. Don't let down your troops. Come show them how much you support them."

This year's grand marshal will be U.S. Navy Commander Jonathan M. Padfield, commander of the USS Comstock. Padfield is from Salt Lake City and will attend the parade with members of his family and officers from the ship.

A spaghetti feed will follow the parade for all veterans and parade entrants at the Storey County Senior Citizens Center at Miners Park.

Anyone or group wishing to enter the parade should gather at the Fourth Ward School, south end of Virginia City at 10 a.m.

A ceremony in Mills Park at 2 p.m. is planned to rededicate memorials to deceased Vietnam veterans. A parade will be staged in downtown Reno.

State Veterans Services Director Chuck Fulkerson said the movable wall listing the names of those who died in Vietnam will be open to the public throug today at Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno.

Outgoing Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa will speak at the wall at 10 a.m.

On Tuesday, the observance continues with a program at Al Seeliger Elementary School in Carson City.

The Veterans Day program begins at 10:40 a.m. and includes patriotic music, a poetry reading, a brief history of Veterans Day and a brief history of the Blue Star Banner.

The school will be given a Blue Star Service Flag by Shannon Bell, president of Seeliger's Parent Teacher Student Association, retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Rex Jennings and retired Air Force Master Sgt. Tod Jennings, who is also a member of the American Legion post in Carson City.

The Blue Star Service Flag will honor those former Seeliger students currently serving in our nation's armed forces, defending freedom around the world, Tod Jennings said.

Family members of individuals serving in the armed forces and who attended Seeliger as well as all veterans and their families are encouraged to attend.

In observance of Veterans Day federal, state and local government offices will be closed.

Public school, community college and college students are off for the day and no postal delivery or other services will be available Monday.

The only governmental employees on the job will be in public safety fields. Sheriff's deputies will be on patrol as usual and fire and paramedic crews will work throughout Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties.

Snow plows and other emergency crews are on call for the holiday.

Public libraries will be closed and will reopen Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Banks are closed, but area chamber of commerce officials say most retail stores will be open for business along with restaurants and grocery stores.