MARK WAITE / PVT Hollis Harris, grand marshal of the 2006 Fall Festival Parade, prepares to crank the ignition on the side of his 1908 Cadillac while his son, Dan Harris, watches. Advertisement

Hollis Harris, a long-time resident, prominent developer and community donor, will be the grand marshal of the 2006 Fall Festival parade Saturday morning.

Barbara Buchanan, chairwoman of the Fall Festival Parade Committee, said a record 140 entries are entered in this year's parade, which will start at 9 a.m. tomorrow at the corner of Honeysuckle and Dandelion Road. The parade will turn onto Highway 160 at Dandelion Road and travel down to Boot Hill Road, right after Petrack Park, site of the festival.

Harris, 75, will ride in the open air in a 1908 Cadillac, powered by a one-cylinder engine started by a crank ignition.

While driving in a bumpy low gear, Harris said he could relate to this year's parade theme: "jumping and jiving." The second or high gear, is a little smoother ride. He will be the third entry, behind the honor guard.

Harris still has the 1929 Ford Model A Speedster he drove with his son Dan cross-country in the summer's National Guard Great Race from Philadelphia to San Rafael, Calif. While on an overnight stop in Tonopah, he bid $16,000 for two paintings, money which will be used to construct murals and monuments in Tonopah.

Harris was also lauded for his contributions to Pahrump Valley, including the donation of land for the Desert View Regional Medical Center that helped make the long-awaited hospital become a reality.

"Hollis Harris gave so much to this community, and he's a very gracious and generous man," Buchanan said in explaining the nomination.

Harris said he came to Pahrump 43 years ago from the Fresno, Calif., area. He was the ranch manager for the California Farm Corp. in Pahrump, raising cotton, alfalfa, sugar beets, barley, wheat and lettuce.

Harris also subdivided land. His first subdivision was Thousandaire Estates, followed by Plantation Estates, Jocelyn Estates and what he considers his best development, Desert Trails.

When asked his reaction to the nomination, Harris said, "I'm extremely pleased. I really feel honored. I feel real good about it."

Harris said his grandfather, who lived to be 94, was the parade marshal in Tulare, Calif., at age 92.