EDITOR'S NOTE
No ‘other side’ to the Big Lie
LETTERS A surprise on the newsstands
Journalists have always been loath to use the words “lie” or “liar” in a news story, and reporters are generally obligated to present both sides of political issues in their coverage of elections. Then came the Big Lie: the unfounded assertion that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, and that Donald Trump won. The fairy tale has been unequivocally debunked in dozens of courts and found to be baseless by secretaries of state across the nation (and by audits of ballots, some run by partisans who were desperate to discover fraud). The Big Lie fueled the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol that resulted in multiple deaths. It remains a clear and present threat to our democratic process. But facts haven’t swayed some political candidates, who continue to wallow in the nonsense. In Nevada, some GOP candidates, including those running for the U.S. Senate and the office of secretary of state, are salesmen for the fantasy. In the RN&R’s campaign coverage, we’ll be spotlighting those candidates’ adherence to the falsehood. Journalists avoid the word “lie” because it is defined by the intent of the speaker. If someone claims the Earth is flat, is he knowingly lying, or just a simpleton? But intent doesn’t matter when it comes to the Big Lie. It’s immaterial whether those who spread it have swallowed the myth whole, or are pretending it’s true in order to further their ambitions. The dangerous whopper is the most important thing about the campaigns of the election deniers. The Big Lie is now part of their names. There is no “other side”; a lie is always just a lie. In the current election cycle, the stink of the baseless lie envelops those candidates. And shame will be attached to their names throughout history. —FRANK X. MULLEN frankm@renonr.com
I never thought I see the Reno News & Review again after that last issue at the start of the pandemic. This week, I saw the newspaper on the newsstands once again. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m glad to see you back in print with all the regulars like Bob Grimm and This Modern World, and some new writers and important news like the growth and sprawl story (RN&R, June 2022). Welcome back! You were missed. Bob Carponi Sparks
Good to see you back in print I gave up reading the RN&R back when it was last printed. The content seemed directed at the drug addicts, tweakers and hookers, rather than normal-working class folks in Northern Nevada. Even the ads seemed to be from all of the local drug trade, with very few respectable businesses bothering to support the narrative that anyone making a profit was evil, and any form of vice is desirable. Your June 2022 edition appears to be a little more toward the mainstream. I hope that
Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263, Cathedral City, CA 92234 775-324-4440 • RenoNR.com
Publisher/Executive Editor Jimmy Boegle Editor Frank X. Mullen Photo Editor David Robert Cover and Feature Design Dennis Wodzisz Contributors Wishelle Banks, Alicia Barber, Owen Bryant, Brad Bynum, Max Cannon, Don Dike-Anukam, Buddy Frank, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Janice Hoke, Matt Jones, Matt King, Maggie Nichols, Dan Perkins, Cynthia S. Ryan, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Kris Vagner, Robert Victor, Madison Wanco The Reno News & Review print edition is published every month. All content is ©2022 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The RN&R is available free of charge throughout Northern Nevada, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling 775-3244440. The RN&R may be distributed only authorized distributors. The RN&R is a proud member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Nevada Press Association, and the Local Independent Online News Publishers.
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Email letters to letters@renonr.com
| July 2022 | Vol. 28, Issue 2
you will continue to tack back toward normalcy (at least normal for Reno). Our community is starved for good, honest news reporting about local issues. The Reno Gazette-Journal and local radio and TV news have become a collective, bad joke. The local government public information officers have grown accustomed to sending out propaganda and are not getting challenged by any of the local news organizations. Instead, the parrots at the RGJ and the local electronic media post whatever the government propagandists send to them; misspellings and all. Although your print edition is constrained by the number of printed pages, perhaps you can use the edition to present the core elements of some of your more in-depth reports and then have greater detail stored on your website. It is too bad that I can no longer afford to live here. I would like to see the RN&R surpass the RGJ as Reno’s newspaper of record and our community’s most-trusted news source. J. Tyler Balance Reno
Unbridled growth a plague
Forget COVID: Reno’s plague is unrestricted growth (RN&R, June 2022), and the City Council is our failed immune system. Politicians line their pockets with developers’ money as they
bulldoze affordable housing and replace it with luxury apartments that only rich people can afford; rising home prices force all but the 1% out of the ownership market. It’s BS to shrug and say that the American Dream is obsolete. That’s the fat cat money grubbers talking. Citizens need to stand up and demand affordable housing for everyone, not just the wealthy. Andy Welsher Reno
Ignore GOP guns and posers; repeal the Second Amendment
It’s campaign silly season on TV, and once again, the Nevada GOP candidates are finding their way into the hearts of “low information” voters by sashaying around the videoscape with guns. Rifles, shotguns and pistols as penis substitutes are de rigor for any GOP candidate who wants to avoid actual issues. The only real solution is to repeal the Second Amendment and replace it with common-sense laws. The National Guard is our “well regulated militia.” The Second Amendment has been used as a blanket denial of common sense controls for too long. Gary L. Watson Sparks
STREETALK Did the pandemic affect your job or the way you do it?
BY DAVID ROBERT
Asked at Great Full Gardens, 748 S. Meadows Parkway, Reno Julia Moreno Marketing
GUEST COMMENT
BY BUDDY FRANK
No. I work for a yarn company, and we had a lot of business through our website. We had a lot of people visiting and buying on our site. Crocheting and knitting became very popular during the pandemic. We had more work than most businesses; there was a revival. TikTok had a lot of videos showing how to knit and crochet.
How to fake being a Reno native Those who’ve lived here for just a decade or two can be pretty snooty about their home base. In fact, many of them love to deride the newly arrived “out-of-towners.” It’s helpful for new residents to know these tips to blend in during your first few years here. After that, feel free to complain about everyone else invading “your” town. 1. Blame everything on Californians. Don’t ever be caught saying anything good about the Golden State. Common targets: California drivers, forest-fire smoke and the high price of everything. 2. Complain about the newspaper. Print journalism is in trouble everywhere, and the Reno Gazette-Journal is no exception. Recall the goodold days when there was the morning Nevada State Journal and the Reno Evening Gazette. As for TV, the best lines to use are “I like Joe Hart on 4 and Mike Alger on 2.” You’ll really sound like a veteran if you say you miss Tad Dunbar, John Firpo or the late, great Bob Carroll. 3. Curse the Spaghetti Bowl. The interchange between Interstate 80 and Interstate 580 has been too small for the traffic for 30 years, so, naturally, everyone complains. It is under construction now, and should be finished just in time for it to be too small once again. 4. Get a Wolf Pack sticker. This will help defer any suspicion that you and your car are newbies. The biggest national athletic achievements for UNR (University of Neva-
da, Reno) have gone to the school’s swimmers and divers, but no one knows that. Football and basketball are the big dogs. Say, “Remember when Chris Ault was coaching?” Extra points if you refer to him as “the Little General” 5. Visit our museums. There are several new and wonderful museums in Reno, but talking about the older ones makes you seem like a local. The National Automobile Museum downtown is truly worth a visit, but it’s important to say, “It was so much better when Bill Harrah had it in Sparks.” The old U.S. Mint in Carson City, the home to the Nevada State Museum, is a must-see. 6. Use the wrong names. Many local landmarks have changed hands, so using the old names will cement your heritage. The power company is Sierra Pacific, not NV Energy. The Grand Sierra should be called the MGM Grand (or Bally’s or the Hilton). Renown is Washoe Med, and the Sparks Marina is the Helms Pit. 7. Read some books. Local journalist Guy Clifton wrote two humorous volumes of You Know You’re A Nevadan If … . Jack Harpster’s The Genesis of Reno is an excellent early history. Advertising executive Mark Curtis Jr. has two books that will also enlighten: Reno: A Fabled City Finds Its Soul and the coffee table One of a Kind. Buddy Frank is a retired local journalist and casino executive. He’s lived in the area since 1957, but his wife, who was born and raised in the Carson Valley, still considers him a “California newcomer.”
Claudia McStay
Commercial bank teller
It was a lot less personal during the pandemic. I was at home doing 12-hour days. I worked on small business loans with Zoom; Zoom wasn’t used as much before the pandemic. Today, it’s much different; we’re reviving personal relationships.
Shirley Woods
Retired school principal
I was supervising students on Zoom. I’d supervised learning before in-person, but not on Zoom. It was really, really weird. I was supervising a set of twins on Zoom, and they would take their laptops underneath their bed. I’ve gone back to the schools now twice in-person, but I still do a few Zooms.
Jesse Schmidt Food server
It was absolutely horrible. I was losing about $150 a day in tips. I lost a lot of money. When we came out of the pandemic, I was still wearing a mask, and it was hard to talk to people. Masks sucked! People were rude when I served them and complained if I touched my mask, even though they weren’t wearing one. It’s better today. People are a bit less rude, in a better mood—and tips are up.
Brian Tschirhart
Accounting student
I was a full-time student during the pandemic and was doing remote learning. It could’ve been better, as it lacked the personal essence of in-class learning. (We) lacked the ability to talk to faculty and other students. The quality of education took a dip. When in-person learning returned, it was not the same energy as before; the faculty seemed less friendly. RenoNR.com
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THE CITY OF TREMBLING PEEVES
| BY BRAD BYNUM
A new hope
As last month’s RN&R showed, Reno feels anxious—but there are reasons to believe
Sure signs of summer: baseball, butterflies, lemonade stands, 9 p.m. sunsets, neighbors who think 6 a.m. is a great time to mow their lawns, and, of course, good ol’ fashioned summer kickoff block parties. The family who lives across the street from my mom in Double Diamond has had one going for four days straight. She’s been texting me with regular through-the-blinds updates. A lot of reggae and skunky smells. But Margot, my partner in love and crime, and I attended a summer kickoff party ourselves back on June 9. The annual Tri-Lab street party is a fundraising event for a few local nonprofits—the all-ages arts organization the Holland Project, the Reno Bike Project, and KWNK, a community radio station. The section of Martin Street in front of Craft Wine and Beer was blocked off for food trucks, vendors and a KWNK DJ booth that was bumping a weird variety of choice selections. Lead Dog Brewing had a signature beer for the event, a Czech lager with a slick label designed by local artist and literal sheep-shearer Sarah Lillegard. This year’s event was the fourth annual. A couple of bands played in Craft’s back room during the event, but I was only able to catch one set: Clarko, a Devo-inspired post-punk band. The music was terrific, and singer-guitarist Clark Demeritt’s onstage banter was hilarious: “I’m Clark and this is my band, Clarko. That’s right. I named the band after myself. Like Beethoven.” We had a blast. It was the kind of fun, exciting, community-oriented event that would make you fall in love with a city, if only you could afford to live there. And the best part of the night? The conversations. Here are some samples: “I was happy to see the RN&R back in
print!” “I saw the RN&R is back. Are you involved with that at all? “I loved your piece in the new RN&R!” “Man, I gotta tell you, it felt really good to pick up a new issue of the RN&R, and actually hold it in my hands.” I’m not deluded enough to think the RN&R was the only topic of conversation in the valley for the first two weeks of June, and I know that some of that chatter was just people making small talk with a face they associate with the paper. But it was still good to hear. At that point, I still hadn’t even seen a print edition. Craft had a stack earlier in the week, I heard, but they were out by the time of the party. I’d been keeping my eyes open, but I hadn’t stumbled upon one yet. A few days later, I was talking to my friend Josh, and he mentioned that he’d just picked up a copy and had it with him. I asked to see it. I held it in my hands. I don’t want to fetishize newsprint. It’s just paper. But holding an actual printed edition of the newspaper, smelling the smells of ink and paper, seeing the little imperfections in the printing, gave me an unexpected rush—a mix of nostalgia and excitement. It’s a lot like what some serious record collectors might feel when they find some rare 45 of unusual, magical music. “Can I have this?” I asked, mouth presumably agape. “Well,” he said, “I haven’t finished reading it yet.” So then I had to ask around, and stop by a few questionable establishments, just to find a copy. But it was pretty satisfying when I finally did find one—a kind of satisfaction nearly forgotten in today’s age of instant internet gratification. And then I read it. Besides my own column,
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The Tri-Lab street party. Photo/ courtesy of The Holland Project
I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d already read a few of the pieces online, like Frank X. Mullen’s news stories, but it was exciting to see so many familiar names, writing to their strengths: a theater preview by Jessica Santina, an art story by Kris Vagner, a movie piece by Bob Grimm, a food review by Todd South. Photos by David Robert! A Tom Tomorrow cartoon! I was glad to read Frank use a line that I’d often say: “A print newspaper should be a mirror of the community it serves.” And right now, what does that mirror reflect? Anxiety. Anxiety about the future. Anxiety about the price of housing in this community. Anxiety about the rate of development. You can see that anxiety in Frank’s feature story last month.
And in my column. And in Alicia Barber’s guest comment. Reno feels anxious. But there’s also hope. Back in 2020, when we closed up shop and lost our jobs, I didn’t think we’d ever see another new issue of the RN&R. I was the editor of the paper at the time, and I felt like the final captain of an ancient, storied vessel, about to go down with the ship. It was a dark time. So, it’s a bright, but minor, miracle that the paper is back. Kudos to Frank for carrying the torch during those dark times, and massive props to Jimmy for reviving the paper. Thank you, fellas. And Reno? Don’t take this for granted. Value it. Cherish it. It’s free to read. But it’s not free to make.
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
| BY JIMMY BOEGLE
Distributing healing
Lessons learned while delivering the return print edition of the RN&R
When the CVS clerk saw me walking in holding 35 copies of the RN&R June print edition, she gasped. “Oh my God. Is that the News & Review?” she asked? I said that it was indeed, and handed her a copy. She took it, looked at it, and looked at me. She had tears in her eyes. We expected a lot of things when seven friends-and-family volunteers joined me to distribute the RN&R for the first time in more than 26 months. We expected that a lot of our old locations would be gone—and sadly, that proved to be the case. Small, local businesses make up a lot of our distribution spots, and the pandemic was rather unkind to small businesses. We expected a lot of our old racks and boxes would be gone—and that, too, proved to be the case. The RN&R’s former owners gifted our Reno-area outdoor distribution boxes to the Karma Box Project, so we knew almost all of them would need to be crossed off the list (before being replaced at some point down the line, budget allowing). We correctly anticipated that a fair number of our wire racks had been thrown away, seeing as most everyone figured the RN&R’s print-version days were completely in the past. We also found a not-insignificant number of our racks, uh, being “borrowed” by other print publications; we politely took those racks back, re-stickering them and placing our papers on the top shelf, with
the invading-publication copies placed on the the area’s fabric. Red racks and distribution bottom shelf, if possible. boxes were seemingly everywhere, while We also expected that despite all the change plaques and certificates from the Best of and chaos, we’d have no problems finding Northern Nevada readers’ poll are common enough places to put out 25,000 copies of the sights on businesses’ walls. The RN&R for paper across decades has led Reno, Sparks, arts and culture “Based on the overwhelmingly Carson City, coverage in Minden, Reno, and positive response to our print- broke numerous Garderville, Truckee edition-return announcements important and Tahoe. stories over the Fortunately, we years. on social media, we figured were right about But the that, too. emotion, that, for the most part, people think, alsoI came What we did not expect was from another, would be happy to see us. But the emotion. deeper, place. Based on the never in a million years did I The overwhelmingly pandemic positive has cost all anticipate that anyone would response to of us a lot. our printIt’s taken the get choked up upon seeing edition-return lives of more announcements the RN&R back in print. Yet it than a million on social media, Americans— we figured that, happened.” our friends and for the most loved ones. part, people would be happy to see us. But It wreaked havoc on the economy, on our never in a million years did I anticipate that supply chain, and our psyches, collective and anyone would get choked up upon seeing the individual. RN&R back in print. Yet it happened. And in the case of Northern Nevada, the My guess is that some of this emotion is due RN&R was a representation of COVID-19’s to the fact the RN&R is an area institution. For costs. Before last month, the last RN&R print more than 2 1/2 decades, we’ve been part of edition—with a bright, red cover announcing
the publication’s suspension—was published on March 19, 2020. Reminders of the loss of the RN&R remained everywhere, in the form of those empty racks and boxes, and those Best Of certificates. So when I showed up, or one of my fellow distribution folks showed up, with a big stack of RN&R print editions in our arms, it represented—in a way I did not anticipate—a reversal of that loss. It represented healing, and a return to normalcy, and perhaps even the end of the pandemic (even though the pandemic is not over), because one thing the pandemic had cost us was back. It made me realize how truly traumatic these last 27 months have been. It made me confront some of the ways in which I, personally, have been affected by the pandemic and all the havoc it’s wrought. And it reminded me how powerful healing can be—and how much healing we all still have to do. Welcome to the July 2022 print edition of the RN&R. Here’s hoping that our return to print can continue to help with this healing. Please, if you can, help us assure that the RN&R has a secure future by becoming a financial supporter; go to RenoNR.com and click on the “Support Us!” button to learn more. Even better: If you own or manage a business, please advertise! Call 775-324-4440, or email me at jimmyb@renonr.com. Portions of this column previously appeared in the Indy Digest newsletter of our sister paper, the Coachella Valley Independent.
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UPFRONT
NEWS
| BY DON DIKE-ANUKAM
UNR’s ‘Sagebrush’ goes online-only The Nevada Sagebrush, the 128-year-old student newspaper at the University of Nevada, Reno, is now an online-only publication, because the last newspaper printing press in Northern Nevada closed down. The last newsprint edition of the Sagebrush was in December. It’s the end of an era, but student journalists are upbeat about the switch to digital publication. “Print has slowly been dying in all kinds of forms,” said Emerson Drewes, the Sagebrush editor. “It is nice to hold a newspaper in your hand, but the convenience of a phone is a lot more ideal for the technological age.” All Northern Nevada print publications have been hobbled by the decision of Ogden Newspapers—which purchased Swift Communications, the owner of the Nevada Appeal and various other Northern Nevada publications, last year—to close the Carson City press back in February. The Reno Gazette-Journal is now printed in Chico, Calif., and shipped over the Sierra six days a week. The Reno News & Review, which last month returned to an ink-onpaper edition after two years of onlineonly publication, is printed in Las Vegas. “There are some efforts to bring back print editions,” Drewes said. “It would not be a traditional newspaper, probably in a kind of magazine format. It would probably be something like a small pamphlet, but nothing is in the works.’’ The Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter helps fund the publication. With the loss of the press, the alumni held an emergency meeting to come up with a strategy for the newspaper’s survival. “Our conversation is largely about saving the budget and finding new ways of funding the Sagebrush, who (can) get involved in that, and how to do it,” said Mike Higdon, the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter president. For the paper to survive, fundraising has to be a priority now. “The Nevada Sagebrush is the oldest university institution, besides the school itself, including the Mackay School of Mines,” said Nevada Sagebrush alumni and Pulitzer Prize winner Warren Lerude. Donations to The Nevada Sagebrush may be made at nevadasagebrush.com. —Madison Wanco 6
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Participants at the “Rally for Roe” in downtown Reno’s Locomotion plaza in downtown Reno on Oct. 2, 2021. Photo/Don Dike-Anukam (RN&R file)
Nevada abortion rights remain intact After the high court overturns Roe v. Wade, activists prepare for another battle In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the decades-old abortion protections established under the landmark Roe v. Wade case, Nevada civil rights and abortion rights activists are girding for a war that most Americans thought was over in the 1970s. Opponents of the decision also predict that given the conservative super-majority on the high court, birth control, LGBTQ+ marriage and other human rights also are in danger of being outlawed. In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that in 1973 that gave women across the country the right to seek an abortion. The decision means each state will now decide what kind of restrictions or freedoms it provides to women seeking an abortion. Abortion rights are protected by law in the Silver State, but the recent decision still will have effects in Nevada. “I expect to see an incredible increase in travelers and patients seeking care, and (the) clinic system—and our medical system—in Nevada might not be prepared to meet that need,” said Caitlyn Caruso, a board member of the Wild West Access Fund, to KUNR radio on June 24. She also predicted the high court will attack other rights: “I don’t doubt that it will be long before they start attacking basic rights RenoNR.com
to contraception, and other basic reproductive rights and health-care needs. I expect we will see a ripple effect that will extend far beyond just access to abortions.” The Wild West Access Fund of Nevada (www. wildwestfund.org), a nonprofit group, was created last year to financially support and assist Nevadans who seek abortion care. Caruso said the fund is working to help anyone who needs abortion access. It has seen a flood of donations that will sustain the organization for a long time, she said, and the group also is seeking volunteers for the work ahead. “We really are just going to see the ramifications of this ruling come out in the days to come and the years to come, unfortunately,” she said. Nevada’s abortion-rights law will remain in force, but that doesn’t mean the Silver State’s pro-choice voters should be complacent, civil rights and abortion-rights activists told the Reno News & Review in November, when group members anticipated the Supreme Court’s decision. The issue is a part of every race up and down the ballot in this year’s elections, said Caroline Mello Roberson, the southwest regional director for NARAL Pro-Choice America. Roberson provides strategic direction for the group’s organizing in Nevada. “It’s important to remember that abortion is and will remain safe and legal in our state,” Roberson said. “Nevada is one of the few places
in the country with voter-protected access to abortion. And so this year, we may become a really important place for that access.” As the November election approaches, Roberson said, NARAL and other advocacy groups will keep reminding voters that decisions they make in the voting booth affect the choices that women can make about their bodies. “Reproductive freedom is very much on the ballot in 2022, as it is every election year,” Roberson said. “We like to remind voters of that as they are making choices at the polls.” In Nevada, abortion has been a protected right since 1990, when voters approved a law making abortions legal and accessible up until the 24th week of a pregnancy. After the 24th week, an abortion may be performed “only if the physician has reasonable cause to believe that an abortion currently is necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman,” according to that law. Those rights can’t be taken away without another statewide referendum, Roberson noted. “In 1990, Nevada voters affirmed that law,” she said. “… So it put essentially a barbed-wire fence around that part of the statute, meaning it can only be amended with voter approval.” If a future Legislature wanted to amend or repeal the law, it would have to return to the ballot. “So if we had an anti-choice Legislature, they could technically amend it and then send it to the voters. But because we have such strong voter support for reproductive freedom, and abortion access in particular, over decades, it’s unlikely that will happen.”
Support for choice
Roberson noted that a 2019 poll commissioned by NARAL found 83% of Nevadans believe in legal access to abortion. “So what we know is that no matter what’s been going on outside of Nevada, here, we have safe and legal access to abortion,” she said. State surveys compiled by the Pew Research Center indicate that six in 10 Americans support access to abortions in all or most cases. NARAL, which has been active in the state since 2016, has lobbied to protect and expand reproductive rights. Over the last five years, the state organization’s membership has grown from 900 to 44,000 members, according to Roberson. “(We did that) through grassroots advocacy, door-to-door outreach, phone banking, and lots of other things to sign people up to join our cause,” she said. “We’ve been investing in having staff in
the state and have been able to advance an agenda starting in the 2017 legislative session. But moving on up every session, we have advanced bills to protect reproductive freedom.”
Other Nevada laws
Those bills that made it into law include a measure introduced by Sen. Julia Ratti (D-Washoe). Nevada law now codifies all the women’s health protections in the federal Affordable Care Act into state statute and allows women to get a 12-month supply of birth control pills at once. In the 2019 session, the group backed another bill, Roberson said, that “updated antiquated laws that were on the books, and another law … requires that survivors of sexual assault be offered emergency contraception. “And so we have some real tangible results that have come from having our presence on the ground and having conversations with both legislators and community members about the need to protect reproductive freedom and expand access,” Roberson said. “So the conversation in Nevada has been very different than many other places in the country, I believe, because of this work.” While Planned Parenthood offers reproductive health services, and other groups—including the
American Civil Liberties Union—file court cases challenging restrictive laws. NARAL’s role is advocacy, Roberson said. “We advocate for organizations like Planned Parenthood, and other independent providers, to be able to provide care,” she said. “We really get to focus solely on the political and legislative conversation and community organizing, whereas a lot of other folks in our movement are both the providers and advocators. … We organize and mobilize; we don’t litigate or operate.” Roberson said NARAL and other advocacy organizations are mobilizing to get people to the polls in 2022. “(In Nevada), we cannot become complacent even though we’ve had great success,” she said. “There’s still more that we need to do to really expand access to care, and so I invite Nevadans to join us as we advocate for greater care so that everyone has the ability to choose if, when and how to become a parent.” RN&R editor Frank X. Mullen contributed to this report. A version of this story was published online last November, as activists anticipated the Supreme Court’s ruling on the challenge to Roe v. Wade.
Northern Nevada Pride 2022 gears up for its biggest event ever
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Northern Nevada Pride’s festival and CommUNITY Pride Parade are set for Saturday, July 23. It’s a day-long celebration to bring together the LGBTQ community, allies and local businesses, and to promote diversity, celebrate culture, remember history and advocate for the future. The parade will start in downtown Reno at 10 a.m. The expanded festival is scheduled for Wingfield Park and surrounding streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will benefit the local nonprofit organization Our Center, Northern Nevada’s LGBTQ community center, located at 1745 S. Wells Ave. in Reno. YeVonne Allen, an event spokesperson, said Northern Nevada Pride’s mission is to “empower all members of our fun-loving community … We’re expanding our festival footprint, making this year Reno’s Biggest Little Pride.” Northern Nevada Pride is an official part of Artown, Reno’s month-long arts festival. For more information, visit www. NorthernNevadaPride.org, or www.facebook.com/NorthernNevadaPride. More information about Our Center can be found at www.OurCenterReno.org. Photo/David Marshall Photography
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NEWS
| BY KY PLASKON
The new pop-up pilot program on Fifth Street. Photo/David Robert
Give the bike paths a chance A bicycle advocate says drivers and cyclists alike need to embrace the pop-up pilot program—and the lessons it provides A major education effort is under way in Reno after bike advocates responded to more than 1,000 online comments about the downtown Micromobility Pilot Project. The pop-up pilot program that opened in June connects Keystone Avenue to Evans Avenue/University of Nevada via Fifth Street, and downtown Reno to Midtown via Virginia Street. It’s not a traditional bike 8
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lane, and both riders and drivers will need some time to adjust to it. Local drivers commenting on social media sites are angry about the plastic candlesticks and green paint that force them to give a little safer space to micro-mobility users on just a few miles of their thousands of miles of county roads. One of the new bike lane users is my own 15-year-old daughter, Alara Plaskon, who RenoNR.com
started a new job at Roller Kingdom this year. “I feel like I am not going to get run over as easily with them,” she told KTVN Channel 2. Making kids feel safe on bikes in our community should be everyone’s goal—and sharing a small section of the road is a small price to pay for saving the lives of children and encouraging a healthy activity. Similar safety measures should be in front of every school. At Reno High School, there is a traffic jam every day, and I see kids on bikes dodging cars and illegally riding on sidewalks—because it’s their only choice. Where are they supposed to go? Meanwhile, there is a massive center turn lane in the street and hundreds of unused parking spots. Surely our community can spare 6 feet of unused roadway (3 feet on each side) for the safety of our children. The downtown safety measures must be expanded to schools to reduce traffic and parking problems and improve safety. Another common social-media comment is that people on bikes don’t follow rules. That is part of our education, too. Communities across the United States are recognizing that the same rules should not apply to cars and bikes. One: because it takes lot of effort to stop and start on a bike, and we want to reward cyclists for using efficient transportation. Two: because unlike cars, bikes are not deadly weapons. Colorado recently made it a state law that people on bikes can treat stop signs like yield signs, and stop lights can be treated as stop signs. Drivers also complain that people on bikes don’t pay gas taxes for roads, so they don’t have a right to be on the road at all. In fact, according to the Safe Mobility for All Survey (SMAS), 80 percent of cyclists also own cars. So, they do pay for roads. Bikes also have a much less heavy impact on roads, so they don’t require expensive repairs as often as cars do. The 2022 SMAS survey also shows that locals want protected lanes—just like what the city of Reno has built. This is also federally recommended. Local cyclists have quietly been pushing for better infrastructure like this for decades in our community. They have made concessions all along the way with little to no results. This inaction has led to major apathy, not just from bike advocates, but even from local traffic engineers who see other cities catapulting into modern infrastructure, while Reno-Sparks languishes in the transportation dark ages. With
our flat, wide streets, and near-perfect weather, we could be a bike mecca. Long-time advocate and cyclist Kurstin Graham of the Reno Bike Project explains the frustration: “When I heard about Reno’s plan for protected bike lanes on downtown Virginia Street and adjacent projects, I thought, ‘Here we go again: years of studies, public meetings, and local business opposition.’ I didn’t give it a second thought. Then it appeared … protected bike lanes from Fifth to Liberty streets. Wow! And there were some east-west complete streets intersecting Virginia Street. Then came the grumbling and criticism from all sides. The new striping, lane closures, traffic lights, barriers and bollards weren’t a part of my regular commute from Ninth Street and Ralston (home) to Grove and Wrondel (work, Reno Bike Project), so I didn’t pay too much attention. But if I was going to be a part of the conversation, I figured I would need to talk from experience. “I had followed a bit of the conversation on Facebook,” Graham said. “As a bike guy, my Facebook feed is all bikes. So I entered the new bike lanes anticipating a mess. My mind was exploding (with objections): What were they thinking? … Have the people who designed this ever ridden a bike? But I was also thinking, ‘This is kind of cool. I’m here, behind a visible barrier, and following rules to make my movements predictable to motorists.’ The green paint and white lines are designed to indicate to motorists where to expect bicycles. The two greatest complaints motorists cite in regard to bicycles on the roadway, visibility and predictability.” The city of Reno did not do this project in a vacuum. Drivers need to understand that this micromobility project on Virginia Street was requested by business—The ROW casinos. The city applied some of the cheapest and most practical safety measures—using parked cars as barriers to protect cyclists, for instance. This project demonstrates how fast and cheap the city and Regional Transportation Commission can do micromodal projects. Improving our environment doesn’t have to take years and millions of dollars. It proves that we can make life-changing and life-saving improvements for our most vulnerable people quickly with the support of businesses, the city and RTC. What we need now is for drivers to jump on board and stop complaining about losing a little bit of roadway. This bike path through downtown must be made permanent, and these measures should be expanded to schools for the safety of children. My daughter’s life and hundreds of others depend on it. Ky Plaskon is the host of Bike Life Radio on KWNK 97.7 FM and president of the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance (BikeWashoe.org).
After a two-year break because of, well, you know, Northern Nevada's best Best Of is back.
nomination-round voting through July 10 final round voting starts July 18 at RenoNR.com RenoNR.com
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Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For July, 2022 This sky chart is drawn for latitude 40 degrees north,
but may be used in continental U.S. and southern Canada. ASTRONOMY
| BY ROBERT VICTOR
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July’s evening sky chart. Illustration/ Robert D. Miller
Capella
Castor Pollux
Deneb
Vega
E
Regulus
Altair
W
Arcturus
29 Saturn Spica
Antares
Evening mid-twilight occurs when Sun is 9 below horizon. July 1: 52 minutes after sunset. 15: 51 " " " 31: 49 " " "
S
July skies
Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller
The month brings a promising meteor shower—and chances to view our Milky Way galaxy
On clear summer evenings after nightfall, the Milky Way is impressive—and well worth a trip to a dark site! Bright stars and constellations serve as a backdrop for the moon’s progress through the zodiac, culminating with a super moon on July 12 and 13. Once the moon has departed, other stars serve as foreground for Milky Way star clouds. Evening sky: At end of evening twilight in July, the two brightest stars, both of magnitude zero, are golden Arcturus, high in the west-southwest; and blue-white Vega, high in the east-northeast. A bluish firstmagnitude star, Spica, appears 33 degrees to the lower left of Arcturus. About halfway up from horizon to overhead at nightfall is a familiar group of seven stars—six of second magnitude, and one of third magnitude—the Big Dipper. Using its curved handle, “follow the arc to 10
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Arcturus and drive a spike to Spica.” Completing the Summer Triangle with Vega are two stars of first magnitude, Altair to Vega’s lower right, and Deneb to lower left. In the southern sky at the end of evening twilight—up one hour and 40 minutes after sunset on July 16—is the first-magnitude red supergiant star Antares, heart of Scorpius, the Scorpion. This beautiful constellation is in fine display at nightfall in July. July opens the season for excellent viewing of the Milky Way at nightfall. Observe from a dark place far from light-polluted cities on clear nights when the moon is absent or no more than 25 percent full. The best dates this summer for Milky Way viewing from nightfall until three hours after sunset are July 1-3, July 18-Aug. 1, and Aug. 17-31. Follow the moon in evening sky: Look for Regulus, heart of Leo, in the west, 6 degrees to RenoNR.com
the left of the 15 percent crescent on July 2; and 8 degrees to the lower right of the 22 percent crescent on the next evening. It takes the moon eight full days after new to attain first quarter phase—on July 6, when it’s half full and 90 degrees from the sun. That evening, find Spica 9 degrees to the lower left of the D-shaped moon. On July 7, Spica will appear 6 degrees to the lower right of the 62 percent gibbous moon. On Sunday, July 10, find Antares just 3 degrees to the lower right of the 90 percent moon. Super moon: The closest moon of 2022 occurs overnight on July 12-13. So, combined with the moon illusion—which makes our satellite seem larger at rising and setting—our satellite will seem largest at its rising in the east-southeast to southeast in daylight shortly before sunset on July 12, and at its setting in the southwest to west-southwest in twilight shortly before sunrise on July 13. Only marginally smaller, but visually more impressive, will be the full moon rising in the east-southeast to southeast in twilight less than 40 minutes after sunset on July 13. On July 14, the moon rises shortly before the end of evening twilight. On July 15, the 91 percent waning gibbous moon rises by 2 1/4 hours after sunset, within 7 degrees to the lower left of Saturn. On July 16, moonrise occurs 2 3/4 hours after sunset, allowing a short interval of dark skies for Milky Way viewing. The moon returns to the evening sky late in month. On July 29, a half-hour after sunset, try for the 2 percent crescent, 6 degrees up in the west-northwest, with Mercury 3 degrees to its lower left. Fainter Regulus, 9 degrees to their upper left, will be a challenge. On July 30, 30 minutes after sunset, the 6 percent crescent moon is easier to see. Mercury shines through the twilight glow 12 degrees to the lower right of the moon. Faint Regulus is 5 degrees to the lower right of the moon and 7 degrees to the upper left of Mercury. Morning sky: On July mornings, we note the Summer Triangle with its imbedded Cygnus Star Cloud in the western sky. On July 1 as twilight begins, Saturn is directly south, nearly halfway up from horizon to overhead, while brilliant Venus has just risen in the east-northeast. On the line joining are two other planets, bright Jupiter and red Mars. The order of these four planets throughout this month from east to west remains Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. On July 1, they span an angle of 105 degrees. Wait until one hour before sunrise, when Venus has climbed a little higher. Using binoculars, look for Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, the Bull, just 4 degrees south (to the lower right) of Venus. They appear closest this morning, as
Venus moves eastward by 1.2 degrees per day. Also look for stars of the Hyades cluster, in the same binocular field. Wait a few minutes longer on July 1 and 2, and then look for Mercury in the brightening twilight, 13 degrees to the lower left of Venus. On July 1, the five planets from Mercury to Saturn span 118 degrees. But Mercury is moving sunward rapidly, passing behind the sun on July 16, so it will be visible for only a few more days. Beginning with the full moon of July 13, we’ll see a lineup of the moon and four planets in the morning sky. On July 15, see the 95 percent moon within 9 degrees to the lower right of Saturn. On the next morning, the 89 percent moon will be 9 degrees to the upper left of Saturn. On July 18, the 72 percent gibbous moon appears 9 degrees to the lower right of Jupiter. On July 20, the moon will be at last quarter phase, 90 degrees west of the sun, appearing as a reverse “D” and half full. On July 21, the 41 percent fat crescent moon appears within 2 degrees to the upper right of Mars. The next morning, the 32 percent crescent moon will appear 10 degrees to the lower left of Mars, and within 10 degrees to the upper right of the Pleiades star cluster. On July 23, the 23 percent crescent moon appears 5 degrees below the Pleiades and 9 degrees above Aldebaran. On July 24, find the 16 percent lunar crescent 9 degrees to the left of Aldebaran, and 22 degrees to the upper right of Venus. On July 26, the slender 5 percent crescent moon is low in the east-northeast, with Venus within 4 degrees to its lower right. In east to east-southeast, watch for Orion coming up sideways, with bright stars reddish Betelgeuse and bluish Rigel, and a vertical three-star belt between them. Using binoculars, look 15 degrees lower left of Venus for Gemini’s “twin” stars, Pollux and Castor, 4.5 degrees apart. On July 27, about 50 minutes before sunrise, try for the old, 2 percent moon, 30 degrees north of east and 3 degrees up. Using binoculars, try for Pollux 3 degrees to the left of the moon, and Castor 4.5 degrees to the upper left of Pollux and 6 degrees to the upper left of the moon. On July 28, the moon is new at 10:55 a.m. The South Delta Aquariid meteor shower reaches peak in the predawn hours of July 30. The radiant is highest in the south, about 13 degrees above the first-magnitude star Fomalhaut and left of Saturn, around three hours before sunrise. The popular Perseid meteor shower two weeks later will be spoiled by full moonlight this year. On the morning of Sunday, July 31, four bright planets span 143 degrees, from Venus to Saturn. Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally. To subscribe or to view a sample issue, visit www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.
HIKING
| BY MAGGIE NICHOLS
Off the beaten track Griffith Canyon offers petroglyphs, an amazing microecosystem—and solitude from the masses
It’s no secret that the Reno-Tahoe area has a lot of opportunities for outdoor recreation— particularly hiking. Only Alaska beats Nevada when it comes to having the most publicly owned land. More than 80% of Nevada is controlled by various federal agencies, with untold numbers of trails—both maintained and unmaintained—crisscrossing mountains, valleys, forests and deserts. Many trails around Reno are deservedly popular (Galena Creek, the Tahoe Rim Trail, Hunters Creek, Hidden Valley, and more), and it can feel challenging to find an accessible weekend hiking spot that isn’t already full of people. Fortunately, these days, we have the internet—and crowd-sourcing apps like AllTrails, Hiking Project and even Google Maps can help you discover new trails that you never knew were there. For many, Griffith Canyon could be one of those places. If you live in Reno and haven’t heard of Griffith Canyon yet, you should know: It’s a real gem. This small canyon has all the elements of a fantastic family outing or a quick solitary excursion. It’s filled with a ton of really cool and unique features, is easy to get to—and is often devoid of other humans.
Located just north of town, in Spanish Springs, the unmarked trailhead of Griffith Canyon is just a 12-minute drive from Pyramid Highway. Winding through spacious, ranchlike neighborhoods, the approach turns to gravel about a mile out. An obvious pull-off area, on a bend on Pyrenees Drive, marks the entrance to this seemingly nondescript canyon. Despite this underwhelming arrival, Griffith Canyon soon proves its worth. Dropping down to the canyon floor, you’ll start to feel like you’re walking into a different ecosystem—and you are! In the spring and early summer, the sides of the canyon are covered with flowers unseen in the surrounding desert, like Indian paintbrush, arrowleaf balsamroot, mariposa, penstemon, fiddleneck and popcorn flower. Rabbitbrush, bitterbrush and sage are interspersed with glimpses of vibrant red rocks and fluorescent lichens crawling up boulders. Griffith Canyon is one of just a few places around Reno with wild, native cacti flourishing within its boundaries. As you hike along—following the myriad unmaintained game trails meandering back and forth along the wash—you’ll likely encounter many different animals. Numerous species of lizards live in Griffith Canyon, including fence lizards, collared lizards, side-blotched lizards and whiptails. Ravens often soar above, using
the air currents pushed up the canyon walls to keep them aloft. Bees fly industriously from flower to flower, and crickets sing next to the trail. Traces of other animals aren’t hard to spot. Coyote scat is a common sight, and the trails themselves are partially created and maintained by local wildlife such as mule deer, wild horses and even cattle. However, traces of humans are blissfully few and far between. While hiking this area on a recent holiday weekend in pleasant weather, I ran into just two other groups of people out and about. Griffith Canyon has some other unique features that make it one of my favorite short hikes around Reno. Not far into the journey up this canyon is an enormous sprawling juniper tree. The path cuts right underneath this ancient behemoth, and its expansive branches droop languidly in all directions, practically inviting you to take a seat and enjoy its shade. It’s hard not to be in awe of such a picturesque and perfectly placed Nevada native. Continuing up the canyon, keep your eyes peeled for more than just wildlife. For thousands of years, people who have lived in the Truckee River basin have enjoyed Griffith Canyon. Less than a mile up the canyon, you’ll start to see small carvings and etchings in the rocks. At one mile, a series of large red rock faces are covered in these petroglyphs left behind by past Indigenous residents and visitors. Considering just how cool these petroglyphs are, you might expect them to be protected or at least have a sign reminding visitors not to touch them—but there is no such protection or sign. So when you decide to go visit, remember to do the right thing, and appreciate them with your eyes, not your hands. The trail continues along the canyon for a while, growing more faint and less trafficked the farther you get from the petroglyph wall. At some point, you’ll need to turn around to return to your parked car. It’s just less than two miles to walk to the petroglyph wall and back, making Griffith Canyon a short, leisurely hike. The canyon is constantly changed by flowing water when it rains, so the consistency and stability of the trails are a bit less predictable. Though I would rate this hike solidly in the “easy” column, it also requires sureness of foot, as you’ll be walking over many expanses of wobbly, awkwardly sized rocks. I would also avoid heading here too soon after a recent rainstorm, as both the canyon and the dirt road leading to it can become muddy and treacherous. There’s much to love about exploring Griffith Canyon. Its petroglyphs, microecosystem, ease of access and solitude from the masses never fail to disappoint. It’s a great example of the magnificent hidden gems around Reno— and a reminder to leave every place you visit better than you found it. RenoNR.com
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T
ed Conkie, 71, and his wife, Mary, 84, were stunned when a final eviction notice appeared on the door of the Sparks duplex they’d lived in for 23 years. They had nowhere to go. “We couldn’t believe it,” Ted said. “All the (previous) legal papers were confusing, and we’re not lawyers. We never missed a payment in 23 years, but our lease expired. The new owner doubled the rent. We had no idea what
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to do after the constable came (on May 16) and told us we had to leave. … I told Mary, ‘I guess we’ll have to go live on the river.’” That’s where the Conkies might be today if not for the kindness and generosity of strangers. A dedicated community organizer, a helpful Facebook group, a few former neighbors and a host of people they didn’t know paid for motel rooms until the couple moved into a subsidized senior housing apartment on June 1. Mary said she and Ted were lucky that those people cared enough to help—but she knows that what happened to her isn’t unusual. “These big rent increases and evictions are happening all over,” Mary said. “Lots of people are in the same boat we were in.” She’s right. The federal and state moratoriums that kept many evictions at bay during the COVID-19 pandemic expired last RenoNR.com
year, and lockouts are rebounding. Statewide, there were 33,747 eviction filings in fiscal year 2021, an increase of 3,545 filings over the previous year, according to the Nevada Supreme Court. Thousands more are waiting in the wings. The Guinn Center, a public-policy think tank in Las Vegas, estimated in July 2020 (when COVID-19 moratoriums were still in effect) that more than 118,000 Nevada households were facing eviction. As of June 2021, a Pulse survey concluded that 128,000 renters in the Silver State were behind on rent, and 40,000 households thought they might be facing eviction within months. The National Equity Atlas, a demographic-data site, puts the number of potential evictions in Nevada at 46,000 households—about 9% of the state’s renters. The actual number of evictions may be even
higher. Under the state’s summary eviction process, thousands of pay-up-or-quit notices are taped to doors by landlords absent a court’s involvement. There’s no way to track those. “There’s a whole world of evictions happening that we know nothing about,” said Jim Berchtold, a lawyer with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, to lawmakers at a legislative hearing on June 10. A few tenant protections are in force. Nevada has an eviction mediation system, and rental assistance funds are still available, but not unlimited. Tenants can currently forestall eviction proceedings while their rental assistance applications are being processed, but those programs will soon run out of money. Even if the Conkies had been aware of the assistance programs, it wouldn’t have made a difference. When their lease expired, they were informed that it would not be renewed at $750 per month. Ted Conkie said the new landlord told him his unit would rent for $1,400 per month or more. The couple’s combined Social Security income is about $2,200 per month. “Even if the rent was $1,200, that’s more than my whole (Social Security) check,” Mary said. The new owner notified the couple on Jan. 30 that their lease would not be renewed, and they were given 90 days to move out by April 30, the day their lease expired. Confused by the process, they hunkered down and didn’t take any action. Once they got the lockout order, they reached out to Nevada Legal Services and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, but little could be done. Elvira Diaz, a PLAN community organizer, helped the couple file a motion to reconsider the case, but it was too late; it was a done deal. When the Conkies returned from court May 18, they found the landlord had changed the locks on their door. PLAN provides educational services, but not direct support to tenants, so Diaz took matters into her own hands. She told the couple: “You won’t be homeless, even for a day.” To make good on that promise, Diaz paid for the couple’s motel room and solicited donations from her family and friends, as well as Mary and Ted’s former neighbors. She also got the couple on waiting lists for assisted housing. Posts on the Reno-Sparks Mutual Aid Facebook page also garnered donations and other assistance for the displaced tenants. Ted and Mary stayed in motels from May 17 to May 31 in rooms ranging in price from $70 a night to $270 on weekends. When Ted talked to the landlord about the eviction, the man asked him if he thought he and Mary would be living there until they died. “We did think that,” Ted admitted. It’s not unusual for tenants involved in evictions to be frightened and bewildered, Diaz said. In the Conkies’ case, “they had no idea what to do. They didn’t know the process or
where to turn to.” In addition, she noted, longterm tenants are sometimes in denial that they are about to lose the home they have known for decades. The couple had 90 days notice, but when they said they “couldn’t believe” they were about to be thrown out, they meant that literally. Most tenants facing lockouts under Nevada’s summary eviction process for nonpayment of rent have days, not months, to make other housing arrangements. A summary eviction begins with the landlord serving the tenant with an eviction notice. Then, the tenant might choose to leave the property, comply with the notice by paying the rent or fixing a lease violation, or file an affidavit with the court to dispute the notice and get a hearing before a judge.
F
or decades, critics of the
Nevada summary eviction system— which is unique among the 50 states—have complained the process is backward and counterintuitive. That’s because it’s up to the defendant, the tenant, to initiate the involvement of a court. “It is the only legal proceeding of any kind that I’m aware of that requires a defendant to initiate a court action by first filing an answer,” Assemblywoman Selena Torres (D-Las Vegas) told a meeting of the Assembly Judiciary Committee in April. “It is akin to requiring someone to sue themselves for an opportunity to mount a defense.” Andy Romero, an organizer with Make the Road Nevada, told lawmakers: “Aside from bypassing our legal system, summary evictions also cause damage and tension within our family dynamics. The uncertainty that our families face with these types of evictions causes not only a toll on the heads of households, but also on our children, who are already experiencing a global pandemic. What we need isn’t more evictions or a longer moratorium; what our community needs is a bold policy to protect tenants and their families.” A bill that would have ended the summary eviction systems failed to get any traction in the 2021 legislative session. Instead, the bill was amended to authorize another study of the procedures. Lawmakers, however, did pass Assembly Bill 486, which requires judges to stay eviction actions while tenants are involved in the rental assistance approval process. In Washoe County, the mediation/assistance
hope they will give up, resulting in a default eviction.” Reno Justice of the Peace Pierre Hascheff, who hears nearly all the eviction cases in Reno Justice Court, said the law staying cases while the application process is pending is now tenants’ main defense. Many landlords haven’t kept up with the changes in the law, he said, and he’s seen a lot of frustrated property owners complain at hearings. “These landlords, especially mom-and-pop landlords, are saying, ‘Look I’m not making my mortgage payments; you cannot let the tenant stay.’ But I don’t have a say in this,” he said. There are some bad actors on both the tenant side and the landlord side, Hascheff said, especially among landlords who own a small number of units. “It’s their property, and they want it back; they want the tenant out,” he said. “But that’s not how it works under the law. For example, AB 486 says the landlord must cooperate in the rental assistance program and must accept the rent if it’s awarded. Some landlords have refused (the rental assistance payment), but when I tell them in court it’s the law, they comply.” A few landlords have refused to accept the Mary Conkie, 84, and her husband, Ted, 71, were stunned when a final eviction notice appeared on the door of the Sparks duplex they’d lived in for 23 years. They had nowhere to go. payments even after being warned. “I had to sanction them,” Hascheff said. “I don’t like doing that, especially if it’s a small landlord.” program has reduced the instances of nonAnother Washoe Legal Services case The statute allows a judge to fine landlords payment cases. involved a landlord who tried to evict clients for attorney fees and up to the amount of “Now, a small majority (of our cases) are for nonpayment of rent while the eviction back rent involved, which sometimes can be nonpayment evictions,” said Tara Zimmerman, moratorium was still in place. At a hearing, in the tens of thousands of dollars. Tenants, grants and programs manager for Washoe the judge told the landlord he couldn’t evict meanwhile, are required to make their best Legal Services. “It is a frequent issue, but is the client. Three days later, the landlord served efforts to process the assistance applications— not the primary anymore. Most of the people an identical pay-rent-or-quit notice on the something the court can monitor. “In some we’re now seeing for nonpayment cases same tenant. Washoe Legal Services filed a instances, we’ve learned that a tenant filed an have already applied and received, or been complaint with the Nevada attorney general application, but hadn’t done anything else to previously denied, (rental assistance) money.” and tried to seek damages for violation of the process it,” Hascheff said. “In those cases, I governor’s order. can proceed with The Reno Justice the evictions.” Court held that When rentalCritics of the Nevada the client didn’t assistance money is have standing to exhausted, tenants summary eviction seek damages, or won’t be able to if they did, not rely on applications system—which is unique in the summary to stay eviction lthough tenants are eviction arena. actions; the courts among the 50 states— sometimes able to have an eviction “The eviction will return to action stayed or dismissed, some landlords are case was pre-pandemic have complained the serial filers: If one type of eviction fails, they dismissed, but procedures. If the come back with other types of eviction actions. then the landlord tenant can’t pay process is backward and “That’s very common,” Zimmerman noted. demanded rental the rent or reach “For example, one of our attorneys currently mediation,” an agreement with counterintuitive. That’s has six active clients who received two to four Zimmerman the landlord, the notices, sometimes all at once.” said. “The because it’s up to the eviction will be Frustrated landlords who are waiting for client, feeling granted. rental assistance have tried to file nuisance overwhelmed and defendant, the tenant, to “I can give the evictions, which have no protections under the defeated, left the tenant time to move recent law. “Sadly, it is also not uncommon for complex prior to initiate the involvement out,” Hascheff said. rental assistance money to run out, and then mediation. It’s “The statute says I the client receives a new nonpayment eviction not an uncommon of a court. can stay an eviction notice,” she said. tactic to bombard for up to 10 days It’s relatively rare for landlords who tenants with continued on next page abuse the system to face consequences. notices and
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answer in court. Suzy Vasquez, the executive director of the Nevada State Apartment Association, told lawmakers the association is working hen Ted and Mary with the Las Vegas Conkie were evicted, they had Justice Court on a no idea where they would go. The couple left diversion program most of their possessions—and their pets—at for evictions. She the duplex after the locks were changed. promoted a program “The constable told us to take what we could that would provide and make arrangements to come back for the education and rest,” Mary said. resources to tenants In their new apartment in Sparks, they were when they move into able to keep one of their three dogs and a cat; a rental unit and when the other two dogs were surrendered to the leases are renewed. animal shelter. The couple’s appliances and The association, most furniture won’t fit in their new abode. Vasquez said, would “We left a washer and drier and a freezer full be a partner with of food,” Mary said. “It hurts so much to lose legal aid, housing so much, our home, pets and possessions.” authorities, county When the Conkies were left homeless, Elvira Diaz, a PLAN community organizer, took matters into her own hands. She paid for the “But are you happy here?” Diaz asked social services or couple’s motel room and solicited donations from her family and friends, as well as Mary and Ted’s former neighbors. Mary during a recent visit to the couple’s new other agencies to apartment. “provide free financial continued from Page 13 Mary nodded and smiled. Diaz hugged her. literacy videos for our “You’re my granny now,” she said. residents in the community.” for the tenant to move out. I usually give the The couple’s experience underlines why tenants some time to do that.” tenants should take fast action when threatened Several speakers emphasized the importance Some landlords complain that tenants with eviction, Diaz said. of identifying preventable evictions, providing shouldn’t be allowed to have a hearing if they “When you get a notice, you need to pay education and resources to tenants, and making file an affidavit stating that they can’t pay the attention and act immediately,” she said. “You sure policy conversations about eviction rent, because that is not an acceptable defense need to ask for help. Tenants have rights, but law include discussions of skyrocketing rent in non-payment cases. Some judges may they need to act on them. Call Nevada Legal increases and housing affordability. not grant hearings to those tenants. Hascheff Services or Washoe Legal Services; talk to “We can’t have a full conversation if we always does. PLAN or other community groups.” don’t talk about how rents are increasing,” “A lot of tenants are not able to articulate Given the Legislature’s attempts to said Assemblywoman Shondra Summers(their defense),” he said. “Even though the uring a legislative address the inequities of the eviction law Armstrong, (D-Las Vegas). “If we have a tenant’s affidavit may indicate they don’t have hearing on June 10, tenants, and the responsibility of local governments person who is making $25,000 a year at a a statutory acceptable defense, like ‘I have no landlords, lawyers, judges, local government to address the lack of affordable housing in hotel, they are a solid citizen with a kid or two, money,’ you’d be surprised how many times representatives and members of advocacy the community, Diaz also offered advice to and all we are talking about is how we evict when they get to court, the tenant or maybe groups testified about the state’s eviction law Nevadans who care about those things: “Elect them, we haven’t talked about the process of the landlord hasn’t told me everything (in and suggested changes to the statute. Some how to re-house them and where they will go if candidates who support housing issues—who the affidavits). So I always grant the tenant want an end to summary evictions altogether, care about people, not just money.” rents everywhere are out of control.” a hearing, because I want to find out exactly or want landlords to sue first rather than what’s going on and ask if the tenant can make posting a notice and making tenants file an payments today, and ask the landlord if they want the money. “I think it’s a fair process as long as the Although tenants are sometimes able to have an eviction action stayed or parties have the chance to tell the judge what is really going on” he said. He has had tenants dismissed, some landlords are serial filers: If one type of eviction fails, they who were thousands of dollars behind in rent state on the affidavit there’s no way they can come back with other types of eviction actions. “That’s very common,” pay. But when they get to the hearing, he said, they have reached out for help. said Tara Zimmerman, grants and programs manager for Washoe Legal “They’ve called their relatives and tell me that their family is going to help them pay, or Services. “For example, one of our attorneys currently has six active clients they are getting a tax refund or whatever the case may be, and they will have the money who received two to four notices, sometimes all at once.” for the landlord by noon tomorrow,” Hascheff said.
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RenoNR.com
Interested in Reno History? Join Us! Historic Walking Tours – June and July Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings Speaker Programs September to November, January to April 2nd Sunday – Reno Downtown Library Fall Harvest of Homes Tour
NNBA_2022_RNRad.ai 1 6/23/2022 12:00:51 PM
historicreno.org | board@historicreno.org | 775-747-4478 HRPS 1_6H.indd 1
6/16/22 1:22 PM
PRESENTS THE
36th Annual Bowers Mansion Bluegrass Festival
Aug§st 19-20-21, 2022
$35 advance tickets $40 at the gate
Kathy Kallick Band Cent¢al Valley Boys Cr®ing Uncle Blueg¢ass Band
Food Tr§cks and Vendors! Rotar® beer and wine garden Club of Reno Sunrise
For ticket sales and more info visit NNBA.org
RenoNR.com
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| BY WISHELLE BANKS Catherine Lowe and Justin Siao dance at the Darrell Dunkle American Legion Hall near the University of Nevada, Reno, campus. The Northern Nevada Lindy Hoppers resumed dancing in May after a two-year-plus hiatus. Photo/David Robert will improvise, show off, do all sorts of things,” Lowe said. “We have that same sort of culture. We’re definitely not trying to do one thing, exactly correct, every single time. It is about expression, having fun and connecting with the music, and your partner. Together, you create something new.”
No wallflowers here! Northern Nevada Lindy Hoppers cut a rug to a 100-year-old beat Once a week, Northern Nevadans of all ages dance their way back to a simpler era. Their time machine is the classic wooden dance floor at the Darrell Dunkle American Legion Hall near the University of Nevada, Reno, campus. The old building has a fireplace, an American flag, soft lamp light, a seasoned Cable-brand spinet piano and folding chairs lining two walls. But there are no wallflowers here. Visitors are greeted by Catherine Lowe, a petite 26-year-old in a pencil skirt, navy floral blouse and ballet flats. She welcomes the dancers who pay $10 to learn the steps to the Lindy Hop, Charleston, the jitterbug and other classic swing dances popular from the 1920s to the 1940s. So how did a 20-something woman get involved in reviving dances that were popular in her great-grandparents’ time? Lowe discovered the group in 2017 while attending UNR and living in the neighborhood. “I actually didn’t dance much as a child,” Lowe said. “I came across this group, on the one-year anniversary of them teaching in Reno.” What she saw looked new and exciting—not old and outmoded. The history of the dances also was fascinating. “(The Lindy Hop) grew out of Harlem, of 16
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the ballrooms there, primarily from the Black dancers, who were dancing to jazz, which was originally a Black art form,” said Lowe, who was impressed by the energy she saw on that first visit. “They did some crazy tricks. It wasn’t like a formal ballroom-y sort of thing; it was people mostly hanging out with their friends, and showing-off to each other. They would improvise some crazy steps, and (perform) all these aerials—very energetic. It has this feeling of flying. A very joyful dance, for sure.” Lowe wanted to fly, too. And she did, learning the dances and cutting a rug about once a week, until the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 shuttered the hall. The Northern Nevada Lindy Hoppers were forced to separate and isolate. For two years, the hall was silent on Wednesday nights. “That was such a difficult time,” Lowe said. “When we shut down, we thought it was just going to be two weeks, or a month. When we stopped dancing in-person, we tried to do some things online—some teaching—but it became clear that this was going to be long. We just sort of dropped-off. It was a really rough time. Dancing’s very important to me, personally, and for a lot of people here. So it’s really, really good that we’re up and going again.” RenoNR.com
The dancers returned on May 4, three weeks before World Lindy Hop Day. (Yes, that’s a thing.) Once again, the jitterbugs could join hands, move to fast tempos, and look their partners in the eyes without having to stare at a computer monitor. It was immeasurably liberating, Lowe said. As they danced the jitterbug, Charleston, Balboa and the collegiate shag, the men and women got their groove back. It’s more about fun than form as they cut loose on the pine floor. The Lindy Hop, the group’s namesake, is always a favorite. The dance was named in honor of Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 historic first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The Lindy merges elements of both partnered and solo dancing, incorporating the movements and improvisation of African-American dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances. Those influences are apparent in the Lindy’s basic step, the swingout. In that open position, each dancer is generally connected hand-to-hand; in its closed position, leads and follows are connected as though in an embrace on one side while holding hands on the other. “We take from the spirit of the music, and bring that into our dancing. Jazz musicians
On May 25, the eve of World Lindy Hop Day, at a table at the front of the room, Kevin Merkling set up a laptop loaded with a swing-dance playlist, and a big speaker. Merkling, a local architect, is one of the Lindy Hoppers who rotate DJ duties. “Everybody’s got their own taste in music, so it allows (variety),” he said. “That way, you’re not winding up with the same songs being played. We get something new, something different, something to make you think about the music, because it’s an important part of the dance.” Merkling came to swing dancing by way of the earlier ballroom dances like the waltz and foxtrot. About five years ago, he began dancing with the Northern Nevada Lindy Hoppers after seeing social media posts about the group. He stopped by on a Wednesday night—and got hooked. “I fell in love with it. It’s what I do most of the time now,” Merkling said. Newbies are welcome; the first hour on Wednesdays are lessons, often led by Emily Jackson. At the May 3 session, Jackson, 37, wore wide-leg black trousers, a floral blouse and suspenders. She sported tweed flannel wingtips and had a flower in her hair. She is an Indiana native, a Purdue University graduate and a UNR biology professor. Jackson clapped her hands to bring the meeting to order, and the dancers responded in kind. Jackson demonstrated the steps for the jitterbug slowly; crucially, the rock-step, with her heel poised above but not touching the floor, is a key beginning of the swing dance. “This is our pulse, our heartbeat,” she said, as the seven men and four women followed her steps in unison. Once they got the gist of the dance, Jackson cued up a song from her phone, and picked up the tempo. In the center of the floor was a dark-haired man wearing a red buffalo-check shirt, black pants, black boots and a black hat—clearly no stranger to the jitterbug. “You wanna be pulsing the whole time when you’re doing this,” said Justin Siao. He rock-stepped to the rhythm, as dancers watched his footwork. The mood in the room juke-jointjumped up a level. There’s something about the evocative rhythm, full orchestra and post-Depression lyrics that make it impossible to sit
still, especially when people’s heels and toes start to leave the floor. “Even on days when I don’t feel like dancing, I just listen to the music all night,” Merkling said. At the end of the song, Jackson looked at the dancers and posed a question that might make a wallflower feel self-conscious: “Are you ready to dance with other people?” They were. Couples paired up, ran through the steps, switched partners and repeated the dance. “OK, everybody, introduce yourself to your new partner,” Jackson said, and then went over the placement of the dancers’ hands, arms and feet while executing a righteous jitterbug. “Everybody OK with the mechanics, and ready to pick up the pace?” They were. On cue, Siao launched into a countdown. “Five, six! Five, six, seven, eight!” he shouted. The pairs of dancers moved more fluidly. “We don’t make mistakes dancing—it’s a variation!” Jackson said. “We are allowed to use the entire room, so please, let’s expand the space!” That’s the part of the night where folks loosen up, feel more comfortable, and (maybe) get the steps down. One man changed from sneakers to real dance shoes before returning to the floor. The music stopped; dancers rested; and Jackson dished out compliments. “If this is your first time, I have good news— you just danced an entire song,” she said. As the evening progressed, big band numbers maintained the mood, and Jackson danced the Charleston as Clay Mitchell, 43, watched the action. Mitchell, who grew up in Sonoma County, moved to Reno a decade ago and became a founder of the Northern Nevada Lindy Hoppers. “My wife, Cullen, and I started (the group),” said Mitchell, whose tall frame and muttonchop sideburns confirm his dedication to a bygone era and the timeless dances. “Both of us had been dancing for 25-ish years. We discovered it in high school, back during the last swing revival. So, back in the late ’90s, there was kind of the Gap khaki swing, and the retro, kind of neo-swing. “Really, what brought on the revival was that mainstream music was going towards grunge. Punk rockers wanted to rebel against that, and so they chose to take their punk-rock energy and put it into their grandparents’ music. It had a little more rock sensibilities, but it still had the swing vibe to it.” Mitchell cited neo-swing standouts: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and Brian Setzer. He and Cullen, who have four children, taught the old-school dances for many years. “Right now, I’ve stepped back a little bit,” he said. “We ran the dance here for 3 1/2 years, with the assistance of a lot of (these) people. When we got shut down by COVID, everyone’s lives took different directions, and ours was such that we couldn’t really carry it. I ran for office in 2020—I’m a county commissioner in
Storey County, and that’s a bit of a commitment, the drive down the hill. When we got here, there was no ‘vintage swing dancing,’ which is what we call our styles.” The dance group has a lively soul, nurtured by the Mitchells. “One of the things that we’re most pleased about is the community that’s developed around this dance. It’s a specific subset of partner dancing, and there’s a reason we chose a social hall, as opposed to a ballroom,” Mitchell said. “That’s the vibe we wanted. We prioritize fun, enjoying yourself and social connectivity, over doing it right.” There is a right way to execute the steps, he said, and while dancers are encouraged to excel, self-expression is most important. “We’ve been missing that social connectivity,” Mitchell said. “I don’t know of a lot of activities that connect good, healthy physical activity, mental challenges—trying to understand and learn new things— and the social aspect, together, in as effective a way as partner dancing, and particularly the Lindy Hop and jitterbug.” Mitchell added that because COVID-19 remains a threat, anyone interested in participating in the group is free to wear a mask, avoid physical contact and partner rotations, and take whatever precautions make them feel comfortable. The Northern Nevada Lindy Hoppers took their time returning to public dancing, he said. “We waited a little longer to get going than other places, because we wanted to get clear of (those restrictions), and allow the social aspect of it to be front-and-center,” Mitchell said. And this hoofer’s favorite dance? “Definitely Lindy Hop—the granddaddy,” Mitchell said. “I have never found another dance that combines an efficiency of motion, and gives you a flexibility to express and create with a partner in the same way. (It) has a structure, but then it really is about a conversation within the dance and improvising, for the most part. I love a lot of the other vintage swing dancing, but blues dancing is what got me, and what carries me through. I have to say … that connection is what I’ve missed the most.” At the first gathering in two years, Mitchell and Lowe skillfully showed off their Lindy Hop skills. The demonstration was aimed at inspiring wallflowers to give in to the infectious music and get on the pine dance floor. “Once you get into it, dancing just fulfills so many needs,” Lowe said, after she showed off impressive aerials while dancing with Siao. “You’re out there; you’re learning something new; you’re exercising; you’re meeting new people; you’re connecting emotionally; you’re expressing yourself artistically. It’s just so many things all at once. It’s so fulfilling.”
PRESENTS
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Vortex
IO ISS ADM
The Ballet That Rocks
July 15 and 16, 2022
Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch L
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September 17 and 18, 2022
Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts WWW.AVABALLET.COM
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/RenoSwings. RenoNR.com
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| BY MATT KING
On July 28, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Grammy Award-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite will take the Bartley Ranch stage.
Artown in action
Just a few highlights of Reno’s month-long arts bonanza
Reno has made July one of the most special months of the year since 1996, thanks to Artown. An annual month-long celebration of all things arts in the summer, Artown brings music, dance, theater, history and more to the public. Artown is bigger than ever in 2022, with 600 multidisciplinary arts events this July. For a complete list of events, visit artown.org.
Thursday Nights at Bartley Ranch
There’s music galore during Artown, but Thursday nights are bringing a very special set of musicians to Bartley Ranch Regional Park. On July 7, the trio of harmonizing siblings Girl Name Tom, who won The Voice last year, will sing the night away. Tickets start at $45. The Manhattan Transfer, the 10-time Grammy Award-winning legends of vocal jazz, are celebrating five decades of performances on July 14. Tickets start at $50. On July 21, jazz and soul great Dee Dee Bridgewater, with The Memphis Soulphony, will perform an evening of tunes from her latest album, Memphis … Yes, I’m Ready. Tickets start at $45. On July 28, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Grammy Award-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite will combine talents and tastes onstage. Tickets start at $50. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. 18
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Family Programming
Artown is truly fun for the whole family, and there are events tailored to entertain every age group in your troupe! At 9:30 a.m., most Mondays through Fridays throughout July, children ages 6-12 can experience a diverse sampling of arts thanks to Discover the Arts, which features arts education, engagement and interactivity; most events are at the McKinley Arts and Culture Center. Activities include ballet, comedy, musical theater, hula, watercoloring and more. All events are free; check artown.org for specifics. On Saturday, July 2, at 4 and 6 p.m., and on Sunday, July 3, at 11 a.m., experience the wow factor of San Francisco’s acclaimed onering Circus Bella at Idlewild Park. Admission is free! At 3 p.m., Saturday, July 16, The Missoula Children’s Theatre—with the help of numerous local kids—presents Little Red Riding Hood at Wooster High School. Tickets are $10. At 11 a.m., Saturday, July 30, it’s Family Saturday at the Sparks Library. Come on down, and create a family crest or flag. Admission is free for kids and families ages 4+.
10, enjoy all that the Reno Chalk Art and Music Festival has to offer. It’s located at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa; come and check out work from some amazing chalk artists, alongside live music and food. At 10 a.m., Sunday, July 17, all dog lovers better get themselves to the McKinley Arts and Culture Center for the 22nd annual Art Paws. Come out and celebrate K-9s with help from local artists, jewelers, music and the “Bone-ified” beer garden. Of course, dogs are welcome. At 6 p.m., Sunday, July 17, get ready to praise the Lord at Gospel Fest 2022. Hear how gospel music has evolved, and catch a variety of performers giving their take on the genre, at Wingfield Park. Attention garlic fans: The fourth annual Reno Garlic Fest, hosted at the Dick Taylor Park, will take place at 3 p.m., Saturday, July 30. Whether you grow garlic or simply eat it, come on out to support local farmers. All of these festivals are free to attend.
Historic Walking Tours
The Historic Reno Preservation Society is providing a number of different informative guided walking tours throughout the city during Artown. At 9 a.m., Saturday, July 2, starting at the National Automobile Museum, learn all about the silver screen during Movie Footprints. Walk where the stars walked; visit some film locations; and celebrate movie magic in downtown Reno. At 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 5, pay your respects to notable Reno burials
and learn the history of local gravesites during the Hillside Cemetery walking tour. Meet at the Knights of Pythias Hall, and visit some of Reno’s most historic cemeteries. At 9 a.m., Saturday, July 16, meet at the Sparks Museum and Cultural Center to learn how downtown Sparks has evolved from a railroad hub to a successful redevelopment area during the Downtown Sparks walking tour. At 9 a.m., Saturday, July 23, get a unique education about the Truckee River during the Truckee River All the Time tour. Meet at the Wild River Grille. All walking tours are $10, or free for Historic Reno Preservation Society members; get more info at historicreno.org.
Film, Film, Film!
Who doesn’t love a good movie? Artown is filled with a variety of film events for lovers of any genre, and viewers of every age. Fridays at 9 p.m., head to Wingfield Park for Christmasthemed Movies in the Park. Catch The Nightmare Before Christmas (July 8), Elf (July 15), A Christmas Story (July 22), and a series of short films (July 29). All movies are free! Do you enjoy creepy animated films? Check out the Festival of Surreal Animation at 7 p.m., Friday, July 22, at the Spanish Springs Library in Sparks. Admission is free. Boo! It’s Thrills and Chills, the awardwinning scary short-film festival, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 28; prepare for a spooky evening of horror movies and more at the Galaxy IMAX Luxury Plus Theaters in Sparks. Tickets are $10. From Thursday, July 28, through Sunday, July 31, Hollywood comes to Northern Nevada. The Cordillera International Film Festival is Nevada’s largest premiere film festival, bringing 150+ films, celebrity panels, red carpet premieres, parties, workshops and more. Tickets range from free to $500. For tickets, visit ciffnv.org
Festivals Within a Festival
Wondering how to get even more arts into your arts festival? Well, just add more arts festivals! It’s festival-ception! On Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July RenoNR.com
A Christmas Story is one of this year's Movies in the Park (July 22).
ARTS & CULTURE
| BY JANICE HOKE The Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden will glow with Dragon Lights every night from July 1 through Aug. 12, when the walkways will be lit by 42 larger-than-life lantern sculptures made of steel, fabric and thousands of LED lights. pass. For more information and tickets, visit dragonlightsreno.org. The public is urged to buy tickets online in advance, because each night’s tickets may sell out; there is a surcharge for walk-up purchases; and $55 tickets are not available at walk-up booth.
A gathering of steam engines
Flowers, dragons, trains and music! Museums, historic sites spotlight the area’s treasures with programs and events
From the Great Western Steam-Up at the State Railroad Museum to a celebration of lavender by the May Arboretum Society, area museums, historic sites and public gardens are bursting with fun and educational events this summer. Visitors will be able to wander down brilliant dragon-lit trails at the Wilbur D. May Arboretum; meet historic characters at the Dangberg Ranch in Minden and at Donner Lake Memorial State Park; and much more.
bath and body products; essential oils; candles; edible products made or infused with lavender; jewelry; garden art and stakes; fairy garden accessories; and more. Live music and food are featured at the event. The Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a living plant museum with more than 4,600 native and adaptive plant species on display on 13 of its 23 total acres. It is located in a transitional zone between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin Desert.
Lavender Day blooms in the gardens
Here be dragon lights
The May Arboretum Society’s Annual Lavender Day is scheduled Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden at the east side of Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno. Ten varieties of lavender plants will be available to purchase—all chosen for growth in Northern Nevada’s climate. Experienced gardeners will also be on hand to provide growing tips for our area. Visitors may purchase fresh lavender products; natural
The Botanical Garden will glow with Dragon Lights every night from July 1 through Aug. 12, when the walkways will be lit by 42 largerthan-life lantern sculptures made of steel, fabric and thousands of LED lights. Themes this year include Asian Culture, Ocean World and Prehistoric Animals. A new feature this year is an interactive playground with displays that visitor can touch, play with, and even sit on. Tickets are $20 adults; $15 for children; or $55 for a family or for an individual season
Celebrate America’s Independence Day at the Great Western Steam-Up in Carson City July-4 at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, 2180 S. Carson St., in Carson City. Visitors will witness a pageant of steam locomotives, train rides, food, live entertainment, steam-powered fire pumpers, tractors and automobiles on display, and “lost art” demonstrations like knifemaking and blacksmithing. For the 150th anniversary of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad completion, the museum has corralled the largest reunion of existing V&T locomotives under steam, including the famous Reno, No. 11, along with more than 10 locomotives from six historic Nevada railroads. Some locomotives known as local favorites will be featured: the iconic Inyo, Virginia & Truckee No. 25, and the Glenbrook locomotive of the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Co., once parked at the Nevada State Museum for years, now restored to working status by the railroad museum shop. Early-bird tickets are $29 per adult and $10 per child per day. Prices will be higher at the door and may sell out before the event begins. Regular admission hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Tickets and details are online at greatwesternsteamup.com, or call the museum at 775-687-6953.
Chautauqua performances at Donner Lake
On Saturday, July 16, mountain man Caleb Greenwood will tell tales of the opening of the Truckee River Trail in 1844 and the rescue of the survivors of the Donner Party in 1847. Greenwood was born before the Revolution and died during the Gold Rush. He was a beaver trapper, wagon train guide and California pioneer. Frank X. Mullen, RN&R editor and 20-year veteran of Chautauqua festivals, will inhabit the character of the mountain man. The performance is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Donner Lake Memorial Visitors’ Center and Museum, 12593 Donner Pass Road. The event is free; a $5 donation is suggested. RenoNR.com
On Saturday, Aug. 20, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. the series will present “Snowshoe Thompson, Mailman of the Sierra,” a Chautauqua performance by David Woodruff. Thompson carried the mail across the Sierra Nevada through winter snows for 20 years, carrying an 80-pound mail sack over the 180-mile round trip in just five days. He handcrafted his own “snow skates” and traveled with the mail, a jacket, dried meat and matches. He saved lives and unwaveringly served his community. Woodruff is the author of seven books on Eastern Sierra and Death Valley history. He has been a lecturer, presenter and tour guide for more than 28 years and produces a weekly radio program about Eastern Sierra history.
History’s icons at Dangberg Ranch
The historic Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, 1450 NV Route 88 in Minden, is kicking off the Dangberg Summer-Festival, running through August. The event features a slate of Chautauqua performers, educational workshops, lectures and more. The ranch of nearly 50,000 acres was the home of the family that founded the town of Minden. Admission to the houses and the park is free, but donations are appreciated. The main ranch house is furnished with period furniture and wall coverings and creates a nostalgic atmosphere. The Dangberg Association hosts an eclectic and fascinating collection of summer Chautauqua performances, speakers and musicians aimed at delighting, educating and entertaining visitors. The music ranges from cowboy songs to Cajun/Zydeco on six summer nights from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Featured performers include Lacy J. Dalton, Ciana (Celtic tunes) and the Catahoula Mardi Gras Party Band. Concerts cost $20 per person, or $15 for members. Visitors are invited to learn about the unique heritage of the Sierra Nevada region by attending five free talks. Topics include ballooning, films made at the Nevada State Prison, a life of a Dangberg Basque shepherd, reflections of Lake Tahoe and the Lake Tahoe Water Wars. Chautauqua performances in July and August include visits from Eleanor Roosevelt, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Eliza Eppinger, who survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Regional favorites include John “Snowshoe” Thompson. Performance times are 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua performance admission is $15, or $10 for members. On Aug. 20, the CVIC Hall in Minden will host the Dangberg Art Round Up from 4 to 8 p.m. The art auction with prize raffles, music and entertainment raises funds for historic restoration and preservation. Tickets are available now at dangberg.eventbrite.com. A full schedule of Dangberg Ranch events is available at dangberg.org/index.php/events. | July 2022
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Think Free!
ART OF THE STATE
A scene from Kevin and Caruso’s Magique.
The last one showering shouldn’t be left in the cold! GO TANKLESS.
Tricks up their sleeves With ‘Magique,’ Kevin and Caruso make magic in an old theater space
FREE
Quotes Tank Options & Tankless
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| BY JESSICA SANTINA
It may be hard to believe that one of Reno’s finest entertainment venues is located in a strip mall next to a grocery store. But those of us who have made it to The Theatre at 505 Keystone Ave. know it’s true. What’s even more remarkable is that the sets, technical design, lighting, costumes and more are handled primarily by just two people. Purchased by high school pals Kevin Jeffrey and Gus Caruso—or Kevin and Caruso—in 2018, the theater space had already lived several lives: first, as a movie theater (where many longtime locals first saw movies the likes of Star Wars), then as a nightclub, and a home for the Truckee Meadows Community College performing arts department. When TMCC pulled up stakes, the space fell into disrepair and RenoNR.com
played home to squatters. At about that time, Kevin and Caruso had returned home to Reno after years spent on the road performing their signature brand of dazzling illusions in casinos and on cruise ships—part of an act that came complete with breathtaking special effects and impressive choreography from showgirls in eye-popping costumes. The two had high hopes for bringing that show home to Reno. So it was kismet that Kevin drove past the shopping center where a “for lease” sign hung outside the dilapidated theater. Despite its rough appearance, the space had everything they needed, including apartments on the top floor where the two men could live. They leased the building and got to work making plans for a renovation so they could open their show.
Then along came COVID, not only halting all live entertainment for nearly a year, but also disrupting the construction industry and supply chain so much that the men realized they’d have to sit on the project for a year—paying rent on a space that would make no money—before anyone qualified could come renovate the place. So the two took matters into their own hands, painting, hanging curtains, and mounting lights and equipment. Caruso himself stitched, by hand, the dozens of spectacular costumes they and their seven showgirls would wear. And Kevin studied YouTube to learn how to fully automate the show; it took him 400 hours to program nearly 1,800 light cues into a laptop computer. By August 2021, they were able to open Magique on time, with only themselves, their showgirl dancers, and a single stagehand running the show. What makes the story even more impressive, however, is the show’s quality—which is, in a word, outstanding. While Kevin plays the default role of host/emcee—sharing back stories, joking and interacting with the audience between and during tricks—Caruso is a darker, more mysterious magical figure. The illusions— which range from a simple card trick to levitation, cutting a woman in half and vanishing acts—are extraordinary on their own, but Kevin and Caruso transform them into far more. The show incorporates pyrotechnics (not for the faint of heart), laser light shows, house music with supremely danceable beats, and engrossing choreography performed by dancers so talented they can execute it all while wearing 3-foot-tall headdresses. It’s nothing short of a slick, Las Vegas-quality show with top-notch production value that pulls no punches and does nothing halfway. In fact, it’s an exact replica of what Kevin and Caruso toured with for years when they had lots more manpower and a much bigger backstage. Magique has definitely cast a spell on locals; its standing Saturday performances often sell out, and the run has been extended for another year. In short, it’s exactly what you want on a summer night: a delightfully fun, exhilarating escape. As Kevin himself says midway through the show, “Not bad for the place next to Save Mart, huh?”
Magique is performed at 8 p.m., Saturdays, and occasional Tuesdays and Sundays, at The Theatre, 505 Keystone Ave., in Reno. Tickets start at $40. For tickets or more information, visit www. wethetheatre.com.
FILM
| BY BOB GRIMM Austin Butler in Elvis.
of content-starved streaming services, 26 years later, we’ve gotten their next movie adventure, Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe. They remain hilarious. The film picks up in the late 1990s with our two heroes, Beavis and Butt-bead (both voiced by Judge) messing up a science fair and winding up in court. A sympathetic judge sentences them to space camp; this sets things in motion toward a trip on the space shuttle, an eventual encounter with a black hole, and time travel to 2022. In 2022, the boys basically do what they did in 1998: They try to score, and they mock all that they encounter. They also converse with super-intelligent multiverse versions of themselves—and, yes, Cornholio returns in search of TP for his bunghole during a brief jail stay. The movie doesn’t really break any real ground, but we don’t need it to: We just want to hear these two boneheads snickering. It’s good to have the boys back on the big screen. They did have a TV-series-reviving eighth season back in 2011, but even 11 years without Beavis and Butt-head is too much. In addition to the new movie, a new season of the show is supposedly coming later this year, and the classic episodes have been remastered for Paramount+. Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe is now streaming on Paramount+.
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‘Elvis’ is back! Austin Butler is amazing in the new biopic—but Tom Hanks is terrible
Austin Butler gives an unforgettable performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s crazed Elvis, a careerspanning, hyperactive biopic that rarely takes a moment to breathe thanks to Luhrmann’s endearingly frantic but occasionally frustrating directorial style. The film could’ve been a classic, but it’s marred by a surprisingly strange performance from Tom Hanks, miscast as Elvis’ manager, the infamous Colonel Tom Parker. Luhrmann spends a lot of time on Parker, which is a bad thing, because Hanks doesn’t look or sound anything like Parker. He creates an odd, goofy caricature of the guy, and it simply doesn’t work. He’s a pain in the ass to watch. The exact opposite can be said about Butler, who nails Presley at every turn;
even his singing voice is remarkably true. Butler does almost all of the singing in the film through a splendid re-creation of the Elvis comeback TV special. After that, “older Elvis” songs feature a blend of Butler and Presley. Whether he’s full-on singing, or sharing the vocals with Elvis, Butler is amazing. As for Butler’s physicality, you simply forget at times that you aren’t watching the real Elvis. From Elvis’ hip-swiveling early days to his windmilling, crazy-suit-wearing 1970s stretch in Vegas, Butler just looks the part. It’s always a strange thing when a legend like Tom Hanks is the weak link in a film, but such is the case with Elvis. Butler saves the day, and Luhrmann is already talking about a four-hour cut of the movie that could see the light of day somewhere down the road … and in that cut, Elvis meets Nixon. So … this might just be the start of Luhrmann’s Elvis universe.
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It was 1996 when Mike Judge’s animated dunderheads had their first movie, Beavis and Butt-head Do America. Thanks to the wonders
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Scott Derrickson and Ethan Hawke reteam after their well-done horror venture, Sinister, for a new attempt to creep out audiences. The Black Phone, based on a short story by Joe Hill (son
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of Stephen King), almost gets by on the merits of Hawke’s nasty turn, but it ultimately feels a little too business-as-usual for the genre. Hawke sort of comes off as a magician version of Pennywise, the nasty clown from the Stephen King universe. He’s called The Grabber, and he hunts children while dressed as a magician holding black balloons. Why any kid would get within 20 feet of this guy is beyond me—but there wouldn’t be a movie if they didn’t, so there you go. When he gets the kids, he puts them in a basement where he teases them before ending their lives. He wears a series of creepy masks (created by the great Tom Savini) and uses a belt as one of his weapons of choice. Hawke, despite some of the cliches his character flashes, is damn scary in the role. Alas, Hawke isn’t onscreen all of the time, and much of the running time is spent in the dark basement with his latest victim-to-be, Finney (Mason Thames). A broken phone suddenly rings—and The Grabber’s victims are on the other end of the line. Some of the voices are friends of Finney, and they give him directions on how to possibly escape. The premise of the broken phone getting calls from dead kids is a little scary, but that wears off, and the film soon becomes just another movie about somebody trying to break out of captivity. Finney’s sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), sees things in her dreams that could help Finney get rescued. Her character’s abilities feel like something Hill’s dad would’ve put in one of his novels when he was feeling a bit lazy. The film is almost worth seeing for Hawke, and Thames and McGraw are talented young actors. It has its moments, but The Black Phone isn’t scary as a whole; instead, it feels like something you’ve seen too many times before.
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FOOD
| BY OWEN BRYANT R Town Pizza owner Marvin Kinney: “I want everybody who works here, when they leave here, to feel like they learned something, and they become stronger and better with what they’re doing. That’s ultimately my goal.” Photo/David Robert
A different kind of pie At R Town Pizza, Marvin Kinney promotes Detroitstyle pizza—and a humanitarian business approach
Pizza connoisseurs tend to have strong opinions about what style they prefer—and there’s a new player in town whose goal is to change up the pizza scene, one pie at a time. R Town Pizza is a new Detroit-style pizzeria located in Reno Town Mall—in the space formerly occupied by Pirates Pizza— owned by Marvin Kinney. What, exactly, is Detroit-style pizza? Based on traditional “Sicilian grandmas’ recipes,” this thickcrust pie dates back to the 1940s and Buddy’s Rendezvous, a Detroit-area pizza chain. It spread from there, and the style eventually became more recognized. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing segments of the pizza industry. Kinney, an Idaho native, moved to the area three years ago and joined a business partner up in Tahoe. They started a business and were looking to expand—when the 22
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COVID shutdown hit. Dissatisfied with what he was doing and the restaurant industry in general, he parted ways with his partner in the summer of 2020 and decided to do his own thing. “I love restaurants, and I love doing this, but the industry in and of itself is kind of toxic,” Kinney said. From low wages to practices Kinney likens to slave labor, he has made it his mission to upend what he believes are no longer feasible restaurant business models. “I always said this industry was coming for a reckoning,” he said. “I didn’t think COVID was going to be it, but right now, what we’re seeing is the free market has spoken.” Indeed, it has—and Kinney’s solution is more nuanced and humanitarian than one might expect: Kinney is a single father of two children, both on the autism spectrum, and it is apparent his desire to improve the industry comes from a RenoNR.com
place of deep care. “Now you have a lot of restaurants who are yelling about a worker shortage, but in reality, it’s a wage shortage—and a respect thing,” Kinney said. In addition to paying a living wage, Kinney seems to value compassion and patience. He isn’t big on write-ups or firing people, and he takes mental-health days as seriously as other sick days. Kinney said he wants R Town to be a place where his employees can feel appreciated and secure, while growing in their careers. “I’d rather teach and coach,” he said. “I want everybody who works here, when they leave here, to feel like they learned something, and they become stronger and better with what they’re doing. That’s ultimately my goal.” Kinney’s employees come from all walks of life. With his own kids in mind, he recalled a statistic that prior to COVID, 85% of adults on the spectrum were underemployed or out of work. “We’re willing to give anybody a shot if they want to come in and work,” he said—adding that the work isn’t always easy. Starting his new business has not been easy, either. Kinney has had to deal with code changes and updates after moving into a space that had been occupied by the same business for decades. The supply chain disruption caused problems early on, and finding reliable contractors is always a challenge. He estimated that he’s built 70% of the shop with his own two hands, down to the linoleum-tile floor. Fortunately, he had help from friends and investors who believed in what he was doing. Kinney has maintained an open dialogue between himself and the community, using his Facebook and Instagram pages as a sort of “walking, live document” detailing the ups and downs of R Town’s opening. “It resonated with people—and I don’t know why,” he said. “I’m going to keep doing it, though.” One Facebook post was shared more than 250 times locally, and people kept coming in to check the place out—often wanting to help, work or spend money, simply based his social media posts. “This community as a whole has been mindblowing for me,” said Kinney. “The amount of help that we have been offered and have received from people—I don’t even know.”
The hard work Kinney and his team have put into the place is apparent. As we talked, patrons came and went, and the employees in the open kitchen buzzed about like they’d been there for years. Joan Jett rocked out overhead, and a few pinball machines—including an original 1989 Elvira machine—beckoned to be played. The place has a refreshing, bright and open ambiance. Kinney said patrons often mention the place’s welcoming vibe. Now, back to the food: Detroit-style pizza has a distinctive focaccia-like crust and square shape, because, as the legend goes, the pizzas were originally made in steel automotive-parts pans. The crust is about an inch thick, yet light, airy and crisp, but with a slight chew. Cheese blends are common, with Wisconsin block and mozzarella being R Town’s preferred mix. The cheese is put directly onto the dough, followed by the toppings—and then, finally, the sauce is applied in a “racing stripe” pattern, in honor of Detroit being Motor City. R Town’s top three pies are the Three One Three, a “ubiquitous Detroit-style” double pepperoni pie; The Motown, R Town’s version of a supreme pizza; and the Alex Murphy, a spicy meat pizza named after the Robocop character. Non-pizza favorites include the garlic cheese bread, meatballs, and the Pterosaur wings: one-pound confit-style turkey wings cooked for 10 hours with a choice of sauce. Kinney said all of the dough, bread, sauces and dressings—plus even the vegan cheese—is made in-house. (Yes, R Town also has vegetarian and vegan options.) Kinney and crew also try to minimize waste and packaging, using boxes that fit the Detroit-style pie’s unique shape. Despite the stress and setbacks, Kinney said he’s treated it all as a learning experience. He chooses to focus on the positive and feels great satisfaction seeing his customers and employees happy and enjoying themselves. He said he still has much work to do to stabilize the business, but he has high hopes for what is to come. “This is a future for my kids. I want to build something that I can leave them, because I have to think about that stuff,” Kinney said. “I want my employees to grow and be happy.” He said he also thinks about opening other locations in the future and creating ownership options for his employees. He loves the idea of all of his franchisees being people who have worked for R Town. “I just hope we build something that is beautiful and resonates with (employees), and that they’re happy with, and that they’re happy to come in and do every day,” Kinney said. “Really, that’s it. That’s all I can ask for.” R Town Pizza is located at 180 W. Peckham Lane, No. 1100. For more information, call 775-6228838, or visit rtownpizza.com.
MUSICBEAT
| BY MATT KING Big Gigantic.
Positively diverse Big Gigantic brings its high-energy live show to the Grand Sierra If you can hear elements of jazzy funk, 2010s pop, rap and electronica, you’re probably listening to Big Gigantic. Dominic Lalli (saxophone, producer) and Jeremy Salken (drums) tackle a range of genres in their music, and the result is an intriguing blend of colors and sounds that are perfect for an energetic, beat-drop-filled live show. Big Gigantic just released their newest LP, Brighter Future 2, a sequel to 2016’s Brighter Future, and are touring
the U.S., including a stop at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino on Thursday, July 7. During a recent phone interview with Dominic Lalli, he expressed excitement over the release of Brighter Future 2. “This thing is finally out, and it’s been a long road to this being out and getting back playing again and stuff,” said Lalli. Lalli is happy that the music career he’s used to is getting back to some degree of normal. “In January and even early February, it was
still really hard to see what it was going to look like,” Lalli said. “After two years of nothing, you’re kind of wondering what everything’s going to be like when we come back. We’ve been around for a while, too, so we were just wondering how it’s all going to go, because you’re so used to one thing for so, so long, but it’s been really great. All the response and feedback from our fans, and new fans, have been really great. … I couldn’t ask for anything more in terms of the way everything’s gone.” As Lalli began writing during the shutdowns, he realized he felt like he needed to pick up some loose ends from the first Brighter Future. “We put our album Free Your Mind out, and not but a month or so later, everything shut down, and we had to cancel our tour,” Lalli said. “I guess I just went with the flow and welcomed that there wasn’t really much to do at that point, so I got right on starting to write again. I don’t think I was necessarily planning, at that point, for it to be Brighter Future 2, but it was just the way everything panned out in terms of the timing and where we were at as human beings. I felt like somewhere last year, I thought that it was very important for us to put another one of these out and put it all together musically. The stuff I write is down the Brighter Future tunnel anyway, but I think putting some more meaning behind it really helped shape it into what it is. ... I feel like the shapes of both albums are kind of similar. For example, on the very last song, I wanted to do another saxophone harmony like I did on the first Brighter Future. I feel like it was something that needed to happen again, so I just kind of went with it.” The majority of Big Gigantic’s music is upbeat and positive. “The (Brighter Future albums) are not conceptual, but in my mind, they tell a story,” Lalli said. “Musically, it’s my roots in hip hop and jazz and stuff being intertwined with electronic music, but it’s also a story of a person, and in a sense, it’s my story. I never had much growing up. I played a lot of sports in high school, and I feel like that really taught me that hard work is really the way to go. It doesn’t matter how talented you are; you’re never going to get anywhere without hard work. You’re tired; you’re hungry; but you’ve just gotta keep pushing through, and that’s a way to get to a brighter future and a higher conscience. It’s about being spiritual in a sense, pushing through in that way to sort of bypass some of the negative or tougher things that come through your life, and using those things as fuel to help you become a better person, or be better at your craft—things like loving your RenoNR.com
neighbor and doing good in the world, because if you do those things, good things will happen to you. ... That’s sort of the story.” With both Brighter Future albums having a featured artist on every track, I was curious how the duo got others on board with their vision. “In most of these collabs, people are so receptive to these ideas,” Lalli said. “A lot of people, from Kota the Friend to Aloe Blacc, we’re having calls with them and talking to them about what I just talked to you about, and then going back, and they’re writing something that really hits home with it all and really brings it all together. It’s amazing, because I think a lot of people are on that wavelength and really feel those things.” If their recent music is any indication, Big Gigantic’s upcoming live shows will be big parties. “We’ll definitely be playing all the new music on tour, so that’s exciting,” said Lalli. “We’ll be playing all the stuff from Brighter Future 2 and a lot of stuff from Brighter Future, just to connect all that together. Visually, we really are able to add to the message with our content, which you know is a good, good way to accompany the music for sure. Also, because we play instruments and stuff—with me playing sax and Jimmy playing drums—it’s a really another level to being able to emotionally express these feelings. There’ll be a lot of that when we’re on tour, so it’s exciting to bring all those elements together into the show.” I asked Lalli about the part of their show when he takes a break from the production to play his instrument live. “I love improvising; it’s something I really love to do, and I feel honored to be able to do that,” Lalli said. “I went to jazz school, and I got my master’s degree in jazz performance. I love improvising, and I get to do it in a lot of different situations. … When I’m writing, I’m not like, ‘Oh, I need to put a sax solo,’ but the cool thing is that in the live show, for one of the songs, ‘Losing My Mind,’ there’s this cool little synth melody that I have at the end of the second drop of that song. For the live show, I just took that out, and I’m just going to play sax over that part. I can do different things like that, where I can give myself places to shine, and during the show, there’ll be at least one place where I’m just playing all by myself, and I can really just open up and get creative every night and do something different.” Big Gigantic will perform at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 7, at the Grand Theatre at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, 2500 E. Second St., in Reno. Tickets are $29.50 to $64.50. For tickets or more information, call 775-789-2000, or visit www. grandsierraresort.com. | July 2022
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MUSICBEAT
| BY MATT KING Forest Ray. Photo/Brittne Lunniss
Stacked sound
Forest Ray brings rhythmic soundscapes of indie rock with tinges of blues, psychedelic flavor to the Matador Lounge
If you listen to a Forest Ray record, the band’s lineup seems stacked. The huge, lush sounds on songs like “Black Pine” and “Run to the Night” hint at a band with multiple guitarists, keyboard and synth players, plus a steady rhythm section and a vocalist. In reality … you’re listening to a fourpiece band. Forest Ray is all about rhythmic soundscapes of indie rock meets blues, coated with psychedelic flavor. Since 2016’s Musical Witchcraft, the Seattle band has been experimenting with indie-twang, and is now preparing to release Always, their fourth album. The group is touring the U.S. after releasing singles “Always,” “Make Some Time” and “Close Your Eyes”—and is making a stop at the Matador Lounge on Wednesday, July 6. During a recent phone interview with frontman Peter Sumic and drummer Nate Louis, they talked about the history of the band. “The band originally started in 2015, and at that time, it was really a recording project for myself,” said Sumic. “The recent iteration of the band has come from playing 24
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in Seattle really nonstop over the last three years. Nate and I, our current drummer, are native, and we’ve crossed paths so many times in the last year or so. We’d go to each other’s shows and support each other, and it ended up making sense to start doing music together. We both have a big drive for touring and recording. It’s really gone a long way from what it was originally—just sort of a bedroom recording project.” The group is carrying seven years of off-andon experience into this upcoming run of dates. “I’ve learned a lot just through trying to take Forest Ray on the road over the last seven years,” Sumic said. “Our last two-week-plus tour was probably March 2019, and I learned a lot then just in terms of where you can trim the fat on a touring group, how to prioritize core elements, and what really makes sense to tour with. I think originally, I was a bit overzealous, and I was trying to bring eight people out on the road—bringing every possible piece of gear into a massive RV and doing, like, 20 dates. Looking back, I was like, ‘All right, let’s try to simplify that,’ so now we’re doing a much more simplified version, with three or four people in a sprinter van. We’re keeping things simple. My RenoNR.com
old boss used to say, ‘Keep your overhead low and your revenue high.’” Added Louis: “If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last two years with the pandemic, it’s the social side of music. When live shows go away, and you’ve kind of lost the people, you see just how crucial of an element that is to live music, and how it really makes or breaks the show.” One reason for Forest Ray’s grand sound is their utilization of analog recording. Sumic used the pandemic to improve and organize his recording studio. “Being someone who’s always loved recording my own songs, the pandemic was a big opportunity to look inward at my own recording setup, and optimize the space, so that we can be writing and recording superefficiently—and everything’s basically ready to go at any time,” Sumic said. “If I wanted to set up mics, press record on the tape machine and track a new song, we can get that up and going in 10 minutes. “There was a lot of focus on keeping the space and recording studio in top operating form, but I also spent a lot of time writing. I honestly spent way more time on lyrics than I have in the past, which was nice. It was really a good time to grow and look inward and work on other aspects that sometimes fall by the wayside when you’re just thinking about the next gig or trying to get to the next place, which we’re excited to do again.” The pandemic also brought a new instrument into the Forest Ray fold. “Actually, Always was really our first album to feature a Rhodes piano,” said Sumic. “You can hear that a lot on some of the singles we’ve released from the album so far. ‘Always,’ for example, the four track is on a Rhodes piano with a double slide guitar and acoustic guitar. We definitely leaned a little bit more toward the organic elements. There’s electric piano on ‘Make Some Time’ as well, so that was a gear acquisition that definitely influenced some of the writing over the last year.” Louis credited Sumic’s work on his recording studio when talking about the band’s productivity. “I definitely think that Forest Ray being able to take as much control with the recording process is a big part of our recorded output,” said Louis. “Over the last few years, we’ve been able to maintain our release schedule in order to put out as much music as we have. Not just having a recording studio, but having one with the amount of analog gear that we have, is a really big component to the sound.” When it comes to analog versus digital recording, musicians could debate all day. While
Forest Ray prefers the former, Louis said: “I actually don’t think they’re that different. One of the beautiful things about analog recording is it really forces you to record exactly what you’re doing live.” Added Sumic: “There’s no editing. I can’t move the drum hit to put it perfectly in place. That’s the beauty of analog. It preserves a human element. There’s also no bullshit; you literally hear exactly what our band sounds like.” Added Louis: “I think a lot of times, analog forces you to be more concise in a musical statement, whereas sometimes with digital, it’s very easy to get in your own head, and want to go back over things again and again.” As the band looked ahead to the upcoming tour, the members said COVID-19 and varying restrictions remain on their minds. “We’ve been playing shows since August nonstop, and we definitely experienced that during the Omicron surge,” Sumic said. “Playing in Seattle, it was all masks—it was really tight again—and then you go 30 miles north and play in Everett, and no one mentioned the masks. Even when we toured through Texas, it was like that.” Added Louis: “I would say fortunately for both of us and everyone in the band, none of us are immunocompromised. We’re all vaccinated, too, so we do the best we can on the road, and I think overall, we’re pretty lucky in that way. I think the bottom line with all this is really just adapting as much as possible, and kind of being able to roll with the punches.” Sumic said the band is cautious on the road, and keeps a tight-knit social circle. “We might be talking to people, but we’re not necessarily the band that’s going to be at the party until 5 a.m. finishing leftover beers and hanging out with every person in town,” Sumic said. “That’s just in Seattle. When we’re touring, it’s show after show after show, so as soon as we’re done and say our goodbyes, we’re on our way. We have a pretty tight operation, so there hasn’t been any COVID contracted.” Sumic said attendees of the Matador Lounge show can expect a four-piece band that sounds like seven. “We just put a lot of work in,” he said. “There are a lot of multi-instrumental things; Nate’s put in a lot of work in particular to accurately replicate the orchestration on the album. It’s going to be a really full sound, even though it’ll be a relatively small group. I feel like music fans from all walks of life will be able to find a song in our set that they really enjoy.” Forest Ray will perform at 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 6, at the Matador Lounge 445 N. California Ave., in Reno. Admission is $8. For more information, visit matadorloungereno.com.
THE LUCKY 13
| BY MATT KING
Bobby Benedict
“Northern Nevada’s Premier Big Band Jazz Orchestra.”
Singer/guitarist for Sad Giants One of Reno’s premier pop-punk bands is Sad Giants. The group’s blend of emocore guitars with a pop-punk vocal delivery creates a mix of heart-wrenching and angsty tunes that, as the band’s name suggests, can be sad. The band’s latest single, “Car Ballet,” came out in 2020, and is the group’s most-streamed song to date on Spotify. The group is currently working on a follow-up. Learn more at www.facebook. com/SadGiants or sadgiants.bandcamp. com. Bobby Benedict is the singer/guitarist of Sad Giants. What was the first concert you attended? The first big-time rock concert I remember fully taking in was Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2002, when they were doing their big By the Way tour. … I also vividly remember half of the stadium booing and heckling the opening act; I don’t remember who it was, but if you were a band from Hawaii in the early 2000s who got to open for Red Hot Chili Peppers one time, then sorry for booing you. I was 9. What was the first album you owned? The first album that I felt was mine was a purple CD filled with novelty holiday songs— no specific holiday, mostly Christmas, but then “Monster Mash” randomly. What bands are you listening to right now? The ones on current repeat are Sincere Engineer, Stand Atlantic, carolesdaughter, Principles (support your local scene; their album is dank) and Camp Trash. What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? I tend to support anything. I mean, I grew up memorizing commercial jingles, obscure songs from TV show musical episodes, and still loving Tom DeLonge through his mid2000s voice change, so I don’t ever feel like I have a leg to stand on when it comes to judging tastes. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Donnybrook Brawlers from Sioux Falls. It’s just a ska/punk band full of lovely people who I will gladly see any day, with any amount of people, or even just me, because I show up to shows way too early, and everyone is still sound-checking, but I skank around anyway. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Musicals are having a pretty good moment
THIS SUMMER IN RENO & LAKE TAHOE
TWO GIANTS OF JAZZ GRAMMY Stars Diane Schuur and Ernie Watts
right now. I always love a good musical. What’s your favorite music venue? I don’t go outside much anymore, so I haven’t been to many shows, but the library downtown always feels like home. I’ve had nothing but amazing shows at both Shoe Tree Brewing locations in Carson City and in Minden, and I always love The Holland Project. What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? My mind is a never-ending cacophony of lyrics, sound bites and my own personal catchphrases that I deploy while on social auto-pilot in public, so most of the lyrics that get stuck in my head are triggered by a word or phrase. Like, if somebody says, “Nope,” I wait a small amount of time before replying, “Yep,” because E-40 is an ever-present deity. But I would say the thing that never leaves my mind is an intrusively loud piano glissando from ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
together with The Reno Jazz Orchestra Sunday August 21, 2022 Nightingale Concert Hall
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Monday August 22, 2022 Sand Harbor State Park
RENOJAZZORCHESTRA.ORG
Open 24-7 • Free Pool
What band or artist changed your life? How? Brian Hoffman, the Midwestern Sad Dad himself, took me on my first tour around the Midwest after I got out of college. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? Anthony Kiedis: “First of all, ding ding dong dong ding ding dong dong ding dang to you, sir. Who was your opening act at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, around July 31, 2002, and do you know how I can get a hold of them to apologize for starting a “put your shirt on” chant with my sister after he took it off, when the crowd started booing and throwing stuff? What song would you like played at your funeral? “Albuquerque” by “Weird Al” Yankovic. Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats. What song should everyone listen to right now? “Schuyler” by Ebony Tusks.
715 S. Virginia St. www.sheastavern.com RenoNR.com
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CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Professional Services • Rentals & Real Estate Mind, Body & Spirit • For Sale • Odds & Ends
JONESIN' CROSSWORD
| BY MATT JONES
Choose between a 60-word line ad (additional words $1.50), or a 1/20 display ad, for just $99 per month! Call 775-324-4440 or email advertising@renonr.com
Professional Services
BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call 1-866-370-2939 (AAN CAN)
Mind, Body & Spirit
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Odds & Ends
Credit Card Debt Relief! Reduce payment by up to 50%! Get one LOW affordable payment/month. Reduce interest. Stop calls. FREE no-obligation consultation Call 1-855-761-1456 (AAN CAN) DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23 1-866-566-1815 (AAN CAN) 4G LTE Home Internet Now Available! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo! 1-866-571-1325 (AAN CAN) CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and
same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-5359689 (AAN CAN) HughesNet Satellite Internet – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-866-5445758 (AAN CAN) Need IRS Relief? $10K - $125K+? Get Fresh Start or Forgiveness Call 1-877-707-5521 Monday through Friday 7AM-5PM PST (AAN CAN) TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 877589-0747 (AAN CAN) Water Damage to Your Home? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt today! Call 833-664-1530 (AAN CAN) BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN) Never clean your gutters again! Affordable, professionally installed gutter guards protect your gutters and home from debris and leaves forever! For a FREE Quote call: 844-499-0277. (AAN CAN)
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long e tour utes y min @ th Ninet nce. $20 va 15 Ad $ : s t Ticke
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“Even Steven”—or is it Stephen? By Matt Jones Across 1. Swimmer’s stroke 6. Monastery superior 11. Las Vegas’ ___ Grand Hotel 14. Cabinetmaker’s machine 15. City served by Dallas/Fort Worth Airport 16. Dove sound 17. Book lover who focuses on insects? 19. ___ Talks 20. Music system 21. Time before someone becomes a best friend? 23. Twosome on Everybody Loves Raymond or Friday Night Dinner 24. Wanna-___ (pretenders) 26. Exceed 27. ’98 and ’99, but not ’100 28. Slumdog Millionaire actor Patel 29. Last period of the Paleozoic Era
30. Venus’ sister 32. She, in Rome 33. The art of handdrawing national outlines? 37. Sightseeing trip 38. All in the Family in-law Mike 39. Without slowing down or speeding up 42. Co. that makes ATMs and introduced LCDs 43. Palindromic plea at sea 46. Iran, long ago 47. ___ Khan 48. S’mores need, traditionally 49. Reason your 1990s Hypercolor shirts might work later in the decade? 51. 1964 Hitchcock thriller 53. Brain activity meas. 54. Star player of an old flip-phone game? 56. Issa of the upcoming “Vengeance” 57. “Slithy” creatures in Jabberwocky
58. “Hello” singer 59. ’60s activist org. 60. ABBA member, e.g. 61. Portended Down 1. Stylish 2. Jurassic World Dominion classification 3. Site of the first modern Olympics 4. Rotor noises 5. Bury the ___ 6. “Bored” NFT character 7. Tells all 8. Grammy winner Erykah 9. Anxious 10. Lethargic state 11. Graham of The Hobbit and Preacher 12. Handles gently, with “on” 13. Pfizer alternative 18. Pattinson of The Batman 22. Desktop not meant for the office 25. Terribly 28. Lion lair 29. Summoning, as at
an airport 30. Most confident 31. Paper that now owns Wordle, for short 33. Saturday Night Live alien 34. Scandalous acts 35. Lot to park and stay overnight, maybe 36. Service station offering 37. They may tap a percentage 40. Central positions 41. Webpage option under an invoice 43. Fell from grace 44. Maryland state bird 45. Appeared to be 47. Solicited 48. Brother of Michael and Sonny Corleone 50. Building projection 52. Melville mariner 55. Ending for Japan or Sudan © 2022 Matt Jones Find the answers in the “About” section at RenoNR.com!
15 MINUTES
| BY DAVID ROBERT
Safe place provider Lynette Eddy Eddy House got its start back in 2011. “My husband passed away, and I was finishing my graduate degree in social work, and I wanted to make a positive out of that negative situation,” Lynette Eddy explains. “So I used the life insurance money to slowly do something for the homeless youth—because I was an at-risk youth. … I was shocked to see how many of the homeless were young, mixed in with the older homeless, and were getting preyed upon. It’s a whole different population, but they weren’t separated. I knew I had to do something.” She bought a house in northwest Reno—and Eddy House was born. In January 2020, Eddy House moved into a new facility, a 16,335-square-foot former commercial building at 888 Willow St. To learn more, visit eddyhouse.org. What are the reasons youth are on the streets today? Our kids are on the street for different reasons than adults or older homeless people. Many come from homes with a lot of drug use; some kids come from unstable homes. Kids who come out as gay are sometimes kicked out of their houses at a young age. It’s a lot of abuse at home. They find themselves on the street because of the economy, too. Kids at our house were sleeping in cars. We had some kids—they would go out every night to try to find an unlocked car and sleep in it. Can you share a success story? We received a call when we were starting the house. My son, who was helping me get everything set up, got the call from this kid who said that he had just gotten into an altercation with someone and got stabbed. It was a roommate situation, and he needed help; he didn’t know who to call or what to do, and he had just aged out of the foster-care system and moved in with roommates who happened to be drug dealers. My son went over there, called the police and took this kid to the house. He stayed at the house and eventually got on his feet. … Today, he’s an electrician. What are some of the services you provide? We have a drop-in center. Until a couple of years ago, we had to shut the drop-in center down at 5 p.m., and that’s when we moved over to a permanent location on Willow Street. We have an overnight shelter, and we’re open 24/7 for kids who need a place to sleep at night where they
can shower, and we give them food and all the services to get them back on their feet. We take care of basic needs, but we also have a community-living program with about 35 beds, and these kids come in more long-term. They work with our staff, setting and meeting goals, getting back to school, getting an apprenticeship, getting a job and training. They have access to mental-health support. We’ve had many success stories from the community living program. How much does substance abuse play into this? There is substance abuse among the families and (the kids) themselves. Unfortunately, some deal with mentalhealth issues and substance abuse, and sometimes you wonder which comes first. We don’t really have severe addiction problems … but mental-health problems are the real issues, so we focus on that. We have fully licensed counselors on staff, and they work with the kids. What do you think society can do to help combat this issue? Oh my God, I’ve got the answer: I’ve done a lot of research on Housing First. It’s the national model that’s working around the country. The city of Reno sent me to a Housing First conference a few years ago, and I came back with so much that my mind was blown. I reported it to the mayor’s people, and I hope we go in that direction someday. Basically, we provide a roof over (a homeless person’s) head and supportive services. It has to be with supportive services—mental health, addiction, physical health, group therapy sessions; yeah, the list goes on. It’s pretty much what we do at the Eddy House, but on a larger scale. You have to have all the resources available to them to get their GED, help with that internship program, and unions can come in and provide training programs. We do it at the Eddy House, but we could do it on a larger scale for the over 24-year-old crowd. It works for us; why wouldn’t it work for (people) over 24? RenoNR.com
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