56°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

Airport signs to soon show ‘Harry Reid’ as new name

Work could commence soon on updating signage at McCarran International Airport to reflect the name change to Harry Reid International Airport.

Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom said the account set up by the county to receive donations for the renaming cause met the $4.2 million threshold needed to carry out the first phase of the work. McCarran officials also confirmed that the threshold was met.

The first phase includes changing primary signage outside of and leading up to the airport with the new name.

“It allows us to change the name officially,” Segerblom said. “Major signage where it’s visible as the Harry Reid airport.”

An additional $2.8 million needs to be raised to take care of the other two phases of the renaming process.

The second phase is curb to gate, or mainly signage located inside the airport, and the third phase is smaller changes such as stationery, letterhead, business cards and concessionaire-related needs.

Neither Segerblom nor airport officials had a time frame of when the physical work might begin or an estimate of how many signs are in need of rebranding. Airport officials also noted that a firm date has not been set for when they would start to use the Harry Reid International Airport name.

A McCarran spokesperson said now that an adequate amount of money has been collected, meetings can be set up with the Federal Aviation Administration, the county and the Nevada Department of Transportation to finalize plans.

That will be followed by the design phase and the contractor hiring process and then the construction phase.

One sign that will not see a change is the original McCarran Field sign located at the entrance of the executive terminal off Las Vegas Boulevard. With the historical significance of the sign, Segerblom said it was important to keep that intact.

When the name change was approved by the Clark County Commission earlier this year, a stipulation was put into place that no taxpayer dollars would be used to fund the process. The county then set up a bank account to accept donations.

Donors to the account include some notable Nevadans.

Three $1 million donations each were made by William and Judy Boyd; professional gambler Billy Walters and his wife, Susan; and businessman Stephen Cloobeck. William Boyd is the executive chairman of Boyd Gaming, but the donation was a personal one.

Law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck donated $75,000; The Murren Family Foundation, founded by former MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren and his wife, Heather, contributed $50,000; and former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley donated $5,000, according to a county document.

Segerblom spearheaded the movement for the name change, first as a state senator years ago and again this year, leading to the County Commission unanimously voting to approve the renaming.

The move was spurred by current namesake Pat McCarran’s controversial past, which included racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. In light of that past and the work Reid did for the state as a political figure, the choice of the new namesake made perfect sense to Segerblom.

“It means so much because I’ve been pushing this for quite some time,” Segerblom said. “But since Black Lives Matter and all the Confederate statues from around the country have been going down … it’s just lots of things happening, and I view this as part of that. Truthfully, Harry (Reid) has done more for the state of Nevada than anyone has done, or probably ever will do.”

The commissioner called it “a perfect transition from old Nevada to new Nevada.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Looking for some family fun for Easter? Hop over to Simkins Park

Anyone looking for a fun, family-friendly festivity to enjoy this holiday can hop on over to Simkins Park to join the Mills family as they celebrate Easter Sunday with worship music, free food and an enormous 14,000-egg hunt that is sure to bring a smile to hundreds of faces.

Campground fees to increase at Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — Visitors to Death Valley National Park can expect a slight increase in entrance fees for various campgrounds beginning on May 1.

Clerk staffer Cori Freidhof appointed interim leader

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf’s time in office officially comes to a close on March 31 and deputy clerk Cori Freidhof has now been selected to assume that vacated seat. Freidhof will take over the office as of Monday, April 1 and fulfill the unexpired term ending Jan. 1, 2027.

Gaming can have impact on us

When does gaming cross the line from recreational relaxation to problematic behavior? How do video games and gambling relate? What resources are available for those who find themselves struggling to control their relationship with video games and gambling?

County eyeing impact fee increases

The cost to develop in Pahrump could go up, with a public hearing on a proposal to raise local impact fees set for next month.

Here’s who filed as political candidates in Nye County

Locals have filed their political candidacy as of March 15 and this year two major offices in Nye County will be up for grabs in the general election. Nye County residents have to first narrow down their preferred party candidate on June 11 in the primary and then vote in November to support their preferred candidates.

Second Source donation for Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace is now better off thanks to a second donation from The Source dispensary’s Round Up program.

Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.