In last week's coverage of the 30th annual Miss Pahrump Pageant, it was reported that the pageant had its beginning in 1976, with Marina Hennigh winning the crown that year for selling the most tickets to the Harvest Festival Rodeo.

Hennigh, now 46, wanted to set the record straight.

"It was a beauty pageant," Hennigh said, correcting information announced at the Aug. 5 pageant. Hennigh was said to have been the first Harvest Festival Miss Pahrump winner for selling the most rodeo tickets -- not winning on account of her poise, talent and beauty.

"There were two different contests," explained Hennigh: the Harvest Festival rodeo queen contest and the Miss Pahrump contest.

"I was the runner-up," Hennigh said of the beauty contest. "Desi Caucky was second runner- up. The winner of the beauty contest was Kim Fidler, who went on to win the Miss Teen America pageant. She won something ... I saw her on TV ... and she went on to the national competition and may have done modeling in New York."

A check of the Pahrump Valley Times archives revealed that Hennigh's recollection was on the money: "New this year is a beauty contest: Kim Fidler was named the first queen in the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce inaugural beauty contest," said the paper in its Oct. 1, 1976 edition.

But according to Debra Bowman, director of the Miss Pahrump pageant for the past five years, Fidler moved away and couldn't fulfill her contract. Hennigh was named the winner by default, since she had come in second.

"We've had a couple of defaults in history," said Bowman, "and some titles have been removed."

The bicentennial year was also the first time a parade was held as part of the Harvest Festival, then in its 12th year, in conjunction with the county fair.

"I can't even remember," Hennigh said, "I was 15 and a-half ... I think Kim Maus won Harvest Festival queen."

No record could be found of that in the newspaper.

Winning the Harvest Festival rodeo queen title was a lot more work and more complex, Hennigh added. "The rodeo was a big doing. We were just a little beauty contest."

Hennigh also said, "There was a gap in the pageant," meaning that it was discontinued for some time, according to her memory. "They stopped having the beauty contest for a while," she said.

Reflecting economic realities, with agriculture having become for the most part a thing of the past in the valley, the board of directors of the Harvest Festival was disbanded in 2003 and the town took over what officially became the Fall Festival.

One man art

show at library

The work of Duane Webb was installed and a reception for this well-known artist will be held from 1-3 p.m. Friday at the library, 701 East St.

Oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings will be on display.

Call Bernie Toy at 727-9112 for more information.

Wellness options forum

A Wellness Options Forum is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Bob Ruud Community Center. Call 727-0999 for more information.