Carson Valley Days: Public safety, costs being researched

GARDNERVILLE -- A melee involving hundreds of drunken Carson Valley Days revelers has prompted concerns from Douglas County officials.

Saying they don't want the annual parade and subsequent events to become an excuse for a big party, town and county officials met Thursday, according to County Manager Dan Holler.

According to a statement released Thursday, the county spent $15,000 and 550 hours policing the 93rd Carson Valley Days.

No specific actions are being recommended at this time. County officials will meet with local business owners to "ensure a safe event in the future," according to the statement.

The Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club hosts the annual event and included a community barbecue at Gardnerville's Heritage Park June 13. Around 1:30 a.m., after the official event ended, the crowd spilled onto Highway 395.

Hundreds of people were reportedly in the streets and were in early stages of a riot, according to deputies, who claim they feared for their safety and lives.

Two men arrested for fighting with deputies during the melee face hearings in mid-July. In one case a Gardnerville Ranchos man allegedly grabbed a deputy's nightstick and started hitting the officer with it. In the other case, the man is accused of swinging a beer bottle at a deputy.

A third man, who allegedly sprayed beer on deputies and then ran off, is spending the July 4 weekend in jail after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct.