Library dress is in the cards

Librarians from around the state didn't need a card to check out the Virginia City Library Card dress at the State Library and Archives on Thursday.

Modeled by Virginia City High School junior Crystal Smee, the dress has been a Comstock treasure since it was made in 1994 and is kept in the high school library.

Normally, someone would need a library card to check out the dress made of 158 blue and silver Nevada Library cards, connected with blue pipe cleaners.

The dress is more stylish than comfortable. Crystal, a 17-year-old Dayton Valley resident, was not able to sit down for the two hours she wore the dress at Thursday's Library Legislative Day reception.

While she volunteered, Crystal is one of a very select group of people who could fit in the very tall size 2 dress.

"It's very different to be the center of attention," she said.

Crystal is the daughter of Lani and Mark Smee. Her older sister Amy is serving in the U.S. Army. Her younger brother is Shawn.

Crystal wants to be a forensic pathologist and plans on attending my alma mater, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on graduation.

Keeper of the dress, Christy Ann Strange, is the librarian at Virginia City High School. She says none of the cards have magnetic strips on them, so you couldn't use the dress to check out a book.

Christy Ann said they attended the reception to express the need for funding Nevada's public libraries.

Nearly 100 lawmakers and librarians mingled at the reception.

Carson City has been a cultural hotbed of activity this week for the Oasis conference of artists, museum docents, and librarians.

On Wednesday, Gov. Kenny Guinn honored Western Nevada artists Sue Coleman and Larry Williamson at the Brewery Arts Center.

A Washoe, Sue learned the art of basket weaving from her mother, Theresa Smokey Jackson.

Fifteen of her baskets are displayed in the lobby of the Nevada Arts Council office at 716 N. Carson St., at the corner of Washington and Carson streets.

The office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A closing reception is open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m. March 27.

Virginia City artist Larry Williamson taught high school art in Reno and Panaca in Eastern Nevada. I remember getting a kick out of his piece, "Honey, Don't Go Out Today, There's a Big Bird in the Tree," which I saw when I was living in Las Vegas.

Across town, at Nevada State Museum, Denise Sins' Western Nevada Community College art class attended the Salon de Musee, hosted by the museum's Docent Council.

Live music for the gathering was provided by Erika Paul accompanied by Paul Binnings and Dennis Steele.

Thursday night I saw Appeal press supervisor John Silva walking into the Dayton Smith's with a cartload of groceries.

"You're supposed to take the groceries out of the store, John," I said as we shook hands.

It turns out he'd left his keys inside at the checkout counter. We talked a bit and I pulled out a set of keys as I turned to go and noticed something odd.

"These aren't my keys," I said.

"That's because they're mine," John answered. "It's a good thing you didn't get out of here with those."

Some days.

Former Appeal Lyon County correspondent Nancy Dallas has taken to cyberspace.

"I decided that nobody gives a damn about writing about Lyon County affairs," she said of her Web site dedicated to covering the county.

"We are building up a circulation," she said "It has only been going for about a month."

The site is newsdeskbynancydallas.com and she has attracted 68 subscribers so far.

"There are a lot of stories coming out of here that the daily papers aren't paying any attention to."

Kurt Hildebrand is former managing editor of the Nevada Appeal. Reach him at 887-2430, ext. 402 or e-mail him at kurt@tahoe.com