Title: MILLER, 'ALIENS' TO CONVERGE
Subtitle: Stars of a new alien film will be on hand when the 
governor dedicates the Extraterrestrial Highway.
Type: Newspaper article
Publication: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Date: March 22, 1996
Page: 1B
Author: Ed Vogel

CARSON CITY‹Sensing a chance for a publicity bonanza, Gov. Bob 
Miller has decided to dedicate the state's Extraterrestrial 
Highway on April 18 as part of a promotion for a hot Hollywood 
alien movie.

Stars of "Independence Day," a movie about an alien attack on the 
Earth, will make the trip with Miller to Rachel, 140 miles north 
of Las Vegas, to dedicate Highway 375 as Nevada's Extraterrestrial 
Highway.

Large signs proclaiming the 98-mile highway north of the Nevada 
Test Site as a haven for aliens will be unveiled during special 
ceremonies. UFO experts also will be on hand to lead discussions.

The state Transportation Board, chaired by Miller, proclaimed the 
road as the Extraterrestrial Highway on Feb. 1. The highway is 
just north of the secret Area 51 base where the Air Force is 
believed to have tested the stealth, U-2 and other aircraft.

UFO buffs also claim aliens and their downed aircraft have been 
taken to the base for study.

Besides unveiling the signs April 18, "Independence Day" producers 
will dedicate a monument for the movie. The monument is supposed 
to serve as a beacon for outer-space visitors.

The movie will not be released nationally until July 3, but 
producers plan a celebration on April 17 in Las Vegas during which 
selected scenes will be shown.

Scenes from the movie, starring Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, 
were filmed in West Wendover and Wendover, Utah. "Independence 
Day" is being tabbed as one of the summer's top movies.

Since the Extraterrestrial Highway was proclaimed, the state has 
been bombarded by requests for information, said Richard Urey, 
Miller's press secretary.

Miller visited Los Angeles last month to talk to Twentieth Century 
Fox, the distributor of "Independence Day," about tying the road 
dedication in with the movie.

State government officials did not plan to announce the dedication 
ceremonies until next week, but "Independence Day" producers 
surprised them with a Wednesday release out of Hollywood.

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