R 2014 01 23 by News & Review

Letters ........................... 3 Opinion/Streetalk ........... 5 Sheila Leslie ................... 6 Brendan trainor............. 7 News ............................. 8 Green ........................... 11 Feature ........................ 13 Arts&Culture ............... 16 Art of the State ............ 19

Foodfinds .................... 20 Film............................. 22 Musicbeat ................... 23 Nightclubs/Casinos ...... 24 this Week ....................27 Advice Goddess .......... 28 Free Will Astrology ...... 30 15 Minutes .................... 31 Bruce Van Dyke ........... 31

Enough spying

See Let Freedom Ring, page 7.

Yes, it’s drought, but it’s a drY drought See News, page 8.

Methy lives

See Arts&Culture, page 16.

AlwAys A bridE See Bridal Guide, inside.

RENo’s NEws & ENtERtaiNmENt wEEkly

VolumE

19,

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2014

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Gut check

Plug in, drop out

Send in the drones:-)

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. I must be living a boring life. The most interesting thing I can think of—outside my continuing adventures trying to get my solar water and PV systems—is the little adventure at the Digestive Health Center for an upper endoscopy I had last week. I’ve got a persistent pain in my right abdomen, just under my rib cage. I’ve whined about it before, and it was truly the first non-traumatic thing that I ever went to the doctor for. That’s going on 18 years ago. At any rate, the upper endoscopy is the other end of the colonoscopy that I got when I turned 50. What they do is knock you out, stick a scope down your throat, and take pictures. There was a tiny hiatal hernia, but no damage from the years of what’s been diagnosed as acid reflux or GERD. It suggests that the original diagnosis of some gall bladder issue seems more likely than ever. My doctor did give me some kind of cool advice. Before the procedure, I explained that I never take the Prilosec my doctors always prescribe because it seems to prevent me from digesting my food correctly, exchanging one sort of pain for another. His advice was, “Keep doing what you’ve been doing,” and since I was a bit zoned out from the sedation, he had to explain, “Yeah, don’t take the Prilosec.” He then gave me the generic diet advice: No spicy foods, don’t lie down for twothree hours after eating, raise the head of the bed, no caffeine or alcohol. So, it seems likely my gall bladder needs some adjustment. The doctor specifically mentioned that he doesn’t really buy into those olive oil gall bladder cleanses, but there was something going on behind his eyes that suggested maybe he wasn’t quite convinced there’s not something to them. On the other hand, since he’s a guy who stares at assholes for a living, maybe he’s less likely to engage with his eyes than most. Here we go, this should be fun. If somebody has a gall bladder treatment they particularly like, drop me a line.

Re “Fight with power” (Editor’s note, Jan. 16): As the owner of a solar power system, I am still a customer of NV Energy, and they charge me $9 a month for the privilege. It doesn’t make any difference to the electricity which side of the meter I am on. If I don’t use all the power when it is generated, it goes onto the grid and is consumed by my neighbors. In this way, I am just like the “peaking” power plants in your column. The major difference, is that I am not a “dispatchable.” My system was installed with the help of the Solar Generations program. Because of that, all the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) produced by my system are owned by NV Energy. At the time I installed, the RECs were worth as much as the electricity itself, about 12 cents per KWh. To me, the grid is the perfect battery. I can store electricity at 100 percent efficiency, and it is maintenance free. As a net-meter customer, my system size is currently limited to 50 percent more than I can use. Which is fine with me. If the rules change, and I only get the avoided cost rate, it might make more sense for me to leave the grid completely. Dan Casale Sparks

Re “Drone on” (15 Minutes, Jan. 16): Kudos to visionary Dr. Maragakis and his supportive staff at University of Nevada, Reno. It’s going to take much more than wide open spaces and sunny skies to attract the Unmanned Autonomous Systems industry and its high-paying careers to the Silver State. I’ve wondered how many UNR STEM graduates have been able to find employment in the region. I trust this new program, beginning as a minor, will blossom, and allow many graduates to remain and contribute economically to the area we all enjoy so much I notice Ms. Chatterjee studiously avoided the tainted, or even disgraced term “drone” in her interview. Unmanned Autonomous Systems is a mouthful and even UAS does not exactly roll off the tongue. I propose, that, when in print, we stay with “drone,” but add an emoticon, “drone:-)” to differentiate good drones from, well, not so good drones. How this will be handled in the spoken word, I shall leave to those much smarter than I. My concern is that the original term is just not going to go away. Steve Waclo Carson City

Pigeon hero

Re “Out, damned pot” (Upfront, Jan. 16): Nevada still has one of the worst written and unfair medical marijuana laws in the country. We voted as a state to allow sick people access to one more medication that they can add to their arsenal of deadly prescription drugs. Pot is not just fun to smoke, it really does help very sick people. These are people tired of being dittoheads and just taking their corporate-manufactured drugs. Most prescription

Re “Cruel service” (Letters to the Editor, Jan. 16): Thanks to Kevan Shaw for coming to the aid of the abused pigeon at the Eldorado Hotel Casino on New Year’s Eve. It is heartwarming to be reminded of the wonderful people out there who are willing to take the initiative to help those who are being mistreated, be they people or animals. It’s fortunate that Mr. Shaw was in the right place at the right time and was willing to act. Julie Douglass Reno

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages people to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Law promotes criminality

Editor/Publisher D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Staff writer Sage Leehey Contributors Amy Alkon, Todd South, Brendan Trainor, Laura Davis, Bob Grimm, Ashley Hennefer, Sheila Leslie, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young

Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Junior Art Director Brian Breneman Design Vivian Liu, Serene Lusano, Marianne Mancina, Skyler Smith Advertising Consultants Meg Brown, Gina Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office Manager/Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker

—D. Brian Burghart

brian b@ n ewsreview . com

drugs have severe side effects. So does pot. Ever seen your roommate destroy a bag of Doritos and ruin your sofa? So here are some facts about getting your medication papers from the state of Nevada. You call the guy in the Big Nickel ad. He asks you what your ailment is, he then tells you what state building you can get your application at and when you fill it out, for $150 dollars, he will tell you the only doctor in Northern Nevada willing to risk his license for your cash. None of the pot docs will take insurance for this medical recommendation. Medical marijuana has no prescription. Otherwise it would be protected under the Health Information Privacy Act. Your medical info becomes public knowledge. So after paying the Pot Pimp and the Pot Doc cash, you still pay the state $150 for your papers and another $12 for your picture. Now you need to find a provider of your medicine, and it is not at the pharmacy with the corporate stuff. It is still in the alley, park or casino parking lot. So after all the time and money spent on this law, like my doc said, just pay the ticket. It is cheaper, and the DMV doesn’t call you a pot head. Any dispensary in Northern Nevada will be closed by the government or lack of patients who can afford to follow our laws. The only real answer to this problem of regulation, greed and crime is to legalize it. Roberta Moose Reno

It’s humor, but it’s a dry humor Water, water, everywhere—except here in the West and Southwest. Just in case some of the readers are not aware, have roots in the Amazon, or just live in a cave; we live in what’s called a “desert region” here in Nevada. Here it comes again this spring and summer, and it’s called drought. We old timers have seen it before, Distribution Manager Valerie Mets Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Ron Large, Joe Medeiros, Andy Odegard, Jesse Pike, Martin Troye, Warren Tucker, Matthew Veach, Gary White, Joseph White, Sam White General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Ronsenquist

so it comes as no surprise to us, and we have endured the condition before, and not too long ago. In this writing I do not solicit a 200-page report on climate warming because we just can’t do a thing about it. Though I do not favor the use of the term, “It is what it is,” I will never the less lean on it here. Be prepared for a weekly shower with your domestic partner, and if you have children a collective and all-at-once bathing experience will just have to suffice. Once again we of the older set have been there, done that many years ago. For all the “greenies” out there, you might take my example to heart. Many years ago, I began a ritual to do my share for water conservation. As a male, the task is easily accomplished. However, the ladies of the household may find the task uncomfortable and perhaps not to their liking. Easy—instead of using the porcelain fixture within the house when I needed to relieve my bladder, I took to taking the chore outside to my back yard. After choosing a few select areas of unwanted weeds and/ or other invasive plant life in mostly private areas, I attacked with urine. These unwanted plants do not do well in a constant, unrelenting stream of body acids. I surmise that over the years I have saved thousands of gallons of precious water that usually and wastefully, just go down the tube. At the same time I have controlled or eliminated the unwanted weeds and invasive plants with no use of harmful, commercially produced chemicals. I have nurtured another bonus over the years, since I drink very little water and instead prefer a cold beer or two and again two or three glasses of red wine before and during dinner. More ammunition for my attack on the unwanted plants in the back yard. Dan Archuleta Sparks

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Having affordable health insurance is a big relief. We can ﬁnally do the things we love with less worry.

There’s still time to purchase income-based health insurance plans from Nevada Health Link. Enroll in a health plan today at NevadaHealthLink.com and depending on your income, you could receive help from the federal government with your insurance costs. Nevada Health Link offers certiﬁed health insurance plans that are high quality, regardless of the amount you pay. You won’t be denied even if you have a previous health condition. Nevada Health Link built by Nevadans, for Nevadans. Find a plan that’s right for you. Last day to enroll Visit NevadaHealthLink.com or call 855-7-NVLINK (855-768-5465). For updates, text NVLINK to 25827.

4 | RN&R | January 23, 2014

by Dennis Myers

THiS Modern World

by tom tomorrow

Choose: Snowy winter or drought summer? Asked at Java Jungle, 246 W. First St. Dustin Urban Web marketer

I’d prefer cold and snowy with water next summer. I’m a kayaker, and I like to see water in the river.

Brandon Pausa Hospital worker

I’d rather have the warm winter and the drought summer because I don’t like the cold very much. I’m from Michigan, and it was always snowy and cold there, and I never enjoyed that. I moved out here so it would be warmer.

John Freeman Computer programmer

Don’t panic

Cold, snowy weather, absolutely. We need water. We need a lot of water. We need snowpack. We need the river to be high. The only bad thing about it is if we get enough water, they’ll start building more homes.

We’ve added layers of privacy-invading security We had our third medical center shooting since October. checks to get on airplanes, even domestic flights. Often in our culture, a third incident with details in We’ve become a country that lives in paranoid fear, common with two previous events begins panicked while real violent crime has been dropping for years. calls for changes. After all, it’s a detective novel Remember when we used to proud to be the land cliché that one incident is an accident, two are coinciof the free? Now we’ve developed an international dence, but three is a pattern. reputation as being the land of the surveilled and First, let’s dispel the idea that there is a pattern, the home of the timid. We should not look for ways outside of the weapons of choice, which were, of to further decrease our liberty. The ability to move course, guns. The first incident in October at St. freely is characteristic of a free society, but we see Mary’s Regional Medical Center was a shot fired by those rights further and further restricted. We should an off-duty police officer. The second was the incibe looking for ways to control a security-obsessed dent at Urology Nevada near Renown Medical Center government because it’s not just the in which a probably mentally ill foreign or domestic terrorists the person killed a doctor and himself government is treating with suspiand wounded two others. cion, it’s all of us. In the third incident, elderly The nation is There were many areas of worry William Dresser allegedly shot his becoming armed that were identified in those fearwife at Carson Tahoe Regional filled days following the terrorist Medical Center. All we can do is and fortified— attacks on the Pentagon and the speculate about motives, but this World Trade Center on Sept. 11, has some indications that it was an against us. 2001. For example, gasoline tanker attempted mercy killing. trucks were identified as having And not to shoot a dead horse, more explosive potential than those but doesn’t this help to undermine 747s, but the devices that were the idea that more guns on school campuses will shown as effective methods for police to disable the decrease gun violence in schools? Medical centers, pneumatic braking systems were never legislated onto except when specifically posted, are not what are those trailers. known by the gun lobby as “gun-free zones.” Attacks on medical centers are worrisome, but it has America is already an armed fortress. As a become obvious that Americans don’t have an appetite to country, we’ve over-reacted to isolated terror attacks solve the real underlying issues: mental health, our healthand extremely rare attacks on government buildings. care system, and our militarized society. Ω We’ve added prison-like security to many of our schools because of extremely rare school shootings. OPINION

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Jaimie Crush Writing tutor

A cold winter and enough water next summer. I like the cold, and it’s good to have water, obviously.

Don Divers Security guard

Definitely cold winter. I like the cold, for one reason. It’s pretty obvious from dying plants everywhere that there’s not enough water.

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Let’s re-invigorate the middle class It’s not news that the American middle class is shrinking. Or that our democracy cannot thrive with so many of us living on the edge of a financial cliff. President Barack Obama recognized this when he recently called economic inequality the “defining challenge of our time.” by Yet in this climate of recession, Sheila Leslie high unemployment, and a stagnant minimum wage, many politicians seem determined to force even more families into poverty by reducing or eliminating what remains of the social safety net—food stamps, extended unemployment benefits, and access to health care through expanded Medicaid eligibility. Pundits of all political stripes are talking about income inequality and what should be done to address it. Forbes magazine and others from the traditional business sector insist that the free market will conquer even this intractable problem as long as we avoid demonizing the wealthy and instead inspire the poor to work harder to attain the vaunted status of the financially elite.

CNN’s columnist John D. Sutter recently proposed seven ways to address income inequality including breaking down social barriers between the economic classes so they understand each other better, improving public schools, raising the minimum wage, taxing the rich at a reasonable rate, giving workers a stake in their companies through unions or ownership, reducing campaign contributions from the corporate sector, and giving money directly to the poor through “cash transfers.” He noted the promising work being done in Kenya and Uganda by Give Directly, a non-profit that “empowers the poor to set their own priorities” by spending contributions any way they see fit, relying on the poor to best know their own needs. Contrary to fears that the monthly cash transfers would fund tobacco or alcohol purchases, the recipients chose to pay education and medical expenses instead. Many started or expanded a small business such as raising chickens, small vending

operations, and local transportation efforts. These kinds of strategies to address income inequality may soon be put to the test in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the world, New York City, where a new mayor was inaugurated on Jan. 1, promising an administration sharply focused on the widening gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Mayor Bill de Blasio, a traditional progressive, will lead New York City through these tumultuous times. His vision differs greatly from that of his predecessor, billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a man so convinced of the need for his leadership, he had the term limits laws rewritten so he could serve an extra term as mayor. The new mayor’s inaugural rhetoric was on point: “When I said we would take dead aim at the Tale of Two Cities, I meant it. And we will do it. … We are called to put an end to economic and social inequalities that threaten to unravel the city we love.”

The mayor’s cornerstone proposal is to pay for pre-kindergarten classes by raising taxes on the wealthy, but the proposal depends on the approval of the governor and state legislature and is sure to be opposed by New York’s moneyed classes. Not everyone was impressed with Mayor de Blasio’s agenda. The Wall Street Journal called him New York’s “Divider In Chief,” harshly criticizing him for setting a divisive tone instead of “civic courtesy and grace” in his inaugural address. Back in Reno, we look forward to electing a new mayor and City Council in 2014 to lead our troubled city out of a multi-million dollar debt built on the trickle-down theory of economic prosperity. But will they be willing to take on the “defining challenge of our time” and figure out how to strengthen the economy while reviving the American dream of opportunity for all? Or will they be content to merely maintain the status quo? Ω

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Defeat the American police state The worldwide firestorm caused by Edward Snowdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revelations of warrantless mass collection of the personal telephone and email data of millions of Americans and others by the National Security Agency (NSA) has led to a bipartisan reaction in Washington that will attempt to by Brendan rein in the excesses of the national Trainor security state. But what if Washington, D.C., proves, as it has so often in the past, incapable of reforming itself? Is there any role that local and state government can play to pull us back from the abyss of an American police state? Well, yes, there is, and James Madison wrote about it in Federalist 46. If the federal government grossly exceeds its authority, Madison wrote, the states could nonetheless have the powers necessary to prevail. The unpopular acts of the federal government, often but not necessarily unwarranted, would face immediate opposition in the states. The repugnance of the people could

lead to refusal to cooperate with federal officials, Madison wrote. Couple this refusal to cooperate with the embarrassments created by legislative devices, and especially if this legislative opposition spread to several adjoining states, it could end federal overreach. Nevada is no stranger to this refusal to cooperate. We do not have a state income tax, and we have refused to share data with the IRS. I have already written here about our legislative device designed to take back the management of our public lands from the federal government, legislation that has now spread to five Western states. We are a medical marijuana state, refusing to cooperate with federal marijuana laws. The wildly popular legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington State could help spread state-level opposition to the federal war on pot. Complete legalization in Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, California, and so on, would effectively end the decades-long federal

marijuana prohibition. Repugnance to the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national security state caused opposition to the USA PATRIOT Act that arose in Nevada around 2003. In early 2004, the FBI enlisted Las Vegas Metro to collect the names and other information of everyone who was staying in Las Vegas over the New Year. Sen. Harry Reid was shocked, shocked that the PATRIOT Act he voted for would be used against anything other than terrorism. Now we know that the NSA also surreptitiously provides data to federal law enforcement agencies in the prosecution of ordinary crimes. The Nevada Campaign to Defeat the PATRIOT Act was a grassroots organization of Democrats, Greens, Republicans, Libertarians, Independent Americans, the American Civil Liberties Union and others who spoke to local groups and urged resolutions from Nevada government to oppose the act. Yes, only a

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few minor resolutions were passed. But now we see exactly how bad the PATRIOT Act really is because we know how it has spawned the NSA snooping. There is already a bipartisan bill introduced in California that would forbid cooperation by state agencies, corporations acting on behalf of the state, and universities with the NSA. This model legislation contains provisions that would authorize a state to shut off resources such as state controlled water and power to the NSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge new facility in Bluffdale, Utah. Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerted plans of resistance today are facilitated by social media. Check out websites such as Turn it Off! for more information. There is a grassroots Northern Nevada â&#x20AC;&#x153;Restore the Fourthâ&#x20AC;? Facebook group which has already organized demonstrations and get togethers in Northern Nevada. Our legislature will reconvene in 2015. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have some local government resolutions in hand, and state legislation ready for them to act on! ÎŠ

Now that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read what the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001) actually does, shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you read what the government said it was going to do? http://www. justice.gov/archive/ll/ highlights.htm

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By end of summer, the Truckee River, already low, could be a trickle.

Out-of-state drivers shielded A Dec. 26 Nevada Supreme Court ruling is attracting attention in the legal community around the nation. Dogra v. Liles is a case arising from a chain reaction wreck in which a California college student was driving her mother’s car in southern Nevada on her way to a friend’s birthday in Las Vegas when she lost control of the car, with three additional vehicles involved in the ensuing accident. The car, which had been turned over to the daughter for her use while in college, had insurance in the mother’s name. Because of the extensive damage, the policy’s compensation limits were exceeded, and there were various legal actions to sort out who got what portions of the insurance. Eventually, a case came to the Nevada Supreme Court to determine whether the mother, a California resident, could be held accountable in the jurisdiction of Nevada courts because she allowed her daughter unrestricted use of the car. Justice Michael Douglas recused himself from the case for unknown reasons, and he was replaced by District Court Judge Patrick Flanagan of Washoe County, who ended up writing the court’s majority opinion. In what a Florida legal website, Legal Examiner, called “this rare display of discord” on the usually placid Nevada Supreme Court, the justices ruled 4-3 that the mother was not within the jurisdiction of the state’s courts, and the case was dismissed. Justice Mark Gibbons wrote a dissent from the majority ruling and was supported by Justices Nancy Saitta and Michael Cherry. On the Legal Examiner site, Reno attorney Steven J. Klearman wrote, “Unlike their brethren on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Nevada Supreme Court rarely produces close split decisions. ... The holding in this case has tremendous consequences for Nevada residents injured in accidents involving vehicles owned by residents of other states. Given Nevada’s tourist economy, small size, and proximity to California, we have an unusually high proportion of out of state vehicles traveling on our roadways.” The court opinions can be read at http://supreme. nvcourts.gov/

Another win for NOTC The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take a case from Nevada on the constitutionality of Nevada’s “None of these candidates” (NOTC) ballot option. Interest in the court (in)action was widespread, even covered on Lenta.ru in Russia. The ballot line, which applies only to statewide races, was challenged in court in 2012 by supporters of Mitt Romney and Dean Heller. U.S. Nevada District Court Judge Robert Jones granted an injunction taking NOTC off the ballot, but that action was reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in time for the 2012 election. Then in July 2013, the Ninth Circuit threw the lawsuit out, upholding NOTC. The Supreme Court action has the effect of leaving the Ninth Circuit ruling standing, so some political reporters took that to mean NOTC has been validated, as when the Washington Post reported that “after the Supreme Court’s decision Monday, it looks like it’s here to stay.” (The Post also included in its story a clip of Richard Pryor in the movie Brewster’s Millions to try to explain NOTC. Not making this up.) But the court’s refusal to accept the case does not indicate anything about the merits of the case. The court declines to accept cases for all kinds of reasons. It may not consider a dispute ripe for hearing, or the issues raised important enough, or because the law is already settled, or a number of other reasons. So far, no federal appeals court has ruled on the merits of NOTC. The Ninth Circuit ruling was on technical grounds, that those bringing the lawsuit had no standing and had engaged in improper tactics. On the same day the court refused the NOTC case, it also declined to hear an Arizona abortion case. NOTC is a protest device. It has no effect on election outcomes.

--Dennis Myers 8 | RN&R |

JANUARY 23, 2014

How dry Drought worries crisscross the West Reno’s fire chief is worried. “It’s one of the worst, driest seasons this community has ever by seen,” said Chief Michael Hernandez. Dennis Myers “It does not bode well for the upcoming fire season.” Firefighting agencies have limited education resources. Hernandez hopes state and local government will help prepare the public for what’s ahead. “We would follow suit with whatever the state does,” he said. Record low snowpack, severe winter drought, low reservoirs, and weather patterns that indicate continued dry weather are combining to

“The drought areas of the West are likely to persist.” National Drought Mitigation Center threaten Western quality of life. The Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report issued on Jan. 8 by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service had a photo on the cover that was captioned, “Dismal snowpack outside USFS [U.S. Forest Service] Lake Tahoe Mgmt. Unit Office, 6,300’ elev.” The report read in part, “Because of the paucity of storm events and the long duration between said storms, snow that has accumulated at times has also melted, leaving even less for future runoff. The bottom line is that current snowpacks in western Nevada are near historic low levels. This on

the heels of several dry years means that agricultural interests and water users need to be very proactive in managing water resources this year. It is not likely, given current conditions, that water supply conditions will recuperate to near normal conditions by April, the normal peak of snowpack. It is possible—just not very likely. To make matters worse, soil moisture conditions across the state are extremely dry, in many cases at the bottom end of historically observed values. Dry soils have to reach a saturated state in order to produce runoff—the dryer the soils are, the more melt is consumed to bring them to saturation.” On Jan. 15, the Obama administration designated nine counties in Nevada as primary natural disaster areas due to drought. “Our hearts go out to those Nevada farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a prepared statement. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling Nevada producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.” The nine counties are Churchill, Clark, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing and Washoe.

In addition, farmers and ranchers in eight counties also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are Carson City, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lincoln, Storey and White Pine. More public acreage will be freed up for grazing and there will be additional funding for forage. Emergency loan rates are reduced and land rehabilitation funds are available. There have been similar drought designations in 10 states besides Nevada—Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah— as the impact of drought settles with particular ferocity across the West. Non-farm businesses and nonprofit organizations who do not qualify for USDA help can be assisted by drought recovery loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration. These include small, non-agriculture firms, small agriculture cooperatives, aquaculture firms and private non-profits. Such Economic Injury Disaster loans can be used to meet debts and operating expenses—rent and overhead—which could have been met in the absence of the drought. The interest rate is 4 percent for businesses and 3 percent for nonprofits on terms of up to 30 years.

Help from above? There seems to be little prospect of drought relief from weather. The National Weather Service reported “snow-water equivalent values in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the lowest 5th percentile as of mid-January. ... Meanwhile, across the interior West and Southwest, drought persistence or development is consistent with the CPC [Climate Prediction Center] monthly and seasonal precipitation outlooks.” A Weather Service map showed Nevada almost entirely within a “Drought persists and intensifies” region. “Outside of the northern Rockies and portions of Nevada and Utah, most of the West was very dry in December,” according to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska. “Areas along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington had precipitation that was 9-12 inches below normal for the month. Moderate or worse drought increased from 49.99 to 51.44 percent of the region in December, and severe or worse drought increased from 30.86 to 31.11 percent. ... The drought areas of the West are likely to persist and expand in January.”

The Mitigation Center, incidentally, ranks Nevada’s drought plan as “response based” rather than “mitigation based.” On Jan. 17, California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, released a 20-point drought plan, and urged Californians to reduce their water use by 20 percent. “We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens, including dramatically less water for our farms and communities and increased fires in both urban and rural areas,” Brown said. “I’ve declared this emergency, and I’m calling all Californians to conserve water in every way possible.” Brown assigned various tasks, including contingency plans, to eight state agencies—the Department of Water Resources, Department of General Services, State Water Resources Control Board, Drinking Water Program, Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Drought Task Force. He suspended several regulations or sections of state code. The California mountain timber town of Willits, where the 1964 Reno arch is now installed, has less than 100 days of worth of water in its municipal reservoirs. Outdoor watering in banned, and a family of four is permitted to use just 150 gallons a day. The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, which serves

Reno News & Review 4.93” x 11.5” (Half Page Vertical)

Washoe county areas where range fires are a high risk, urged residents “to use maximum caution with any ignition source, including the careful disposal of fireplace and wood stove ashes.” Chief Hernandez said the Reno Fire Department will be doing what education it can on the normal concerns about fire risks. “We urge fire-safe behavior,” he said. “The only thing we can control is human behavior.”

1-06-2013

PABLO CRUISE Saturday, January 25

“ The only thing we can control is human behavior.”

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET

Michael Hernandez Reno Fire Chief

Saturday, February 1

“Rapid fire growth and rapid fire disasters” make the activities of people important, Hernandez said. Open fire, smoking, defensible space around outlying homes are familiar points that are hit again and again to get a prevention message out. “Making sure that outside summer activities like barbecuing is conducted in a safe manner is something we urge,” he said. “We want people to take every precaution possible.” “We have a saying,” Hernandez said. “Man plans and God laughs.” Ω

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Mourners gathered in Sparks, right, for a vigil for Bernie Anderson, longtime member of the Nevada Legislature, and the next day in Reno, left, for his colleague Vivian Freeman. He served 14 years in the Assembly, she served 16. Anderson was a widely admired government teacher at Reed High School. Freeman was also elected to the Washoe County Hospital Board and longtime PTA president at Elmcrest Elementary and Clayton Middle schools. OPINION

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This child has no voice, which is why she depends on us to...

SPEAK UP. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Compelling medical evidence shows that unborn babies can feel pain as early as 20 weeks. Compassion and science require us to speak. (Read more at doctorsonfetalpain.com.) A government’s first responsibility is to protect the defenseless. Call Senator Reid and Senator Heller and ask them to support the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to stop abortions on unborn babies after they can feel pain. www.NevadaRightofLife.org 10 | RN&R | January 23, 2014

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IllustratIon by PrIscIlla GarcIa

by Brad Bynum br a d b@news r ev i ew. c om

ust two days before Christmas, early on a Monday morning, dozens of people showed up to video-linked meeting rooms in Carson City and Las Vegas to talk about marijuana. The scene was rather different than the typical marijuana party depicted in movies or TV. The discussions centered on bureaucracy, regulation and taxation, rather than psychedelic music, snowboarding or nachos.

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Discussions that focus on business concerns make sense, since marijuana will soon be a legal business in Nevada, within certain parameters. In 2000, Nevada voters approved the medical use of marijuana. But patients were only allowed to possess a few plants, and the law did not establish legal “dispensaries,” places to purchase medical marijuana. Patients were placed in the unusual position of having to cultivate their own medicine—something that would be inconceivable to the users of other medications, like insulin or penicillin. Finally, last year, after the Nevada Legislature passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Tick Segerblom, the law was amended to accommodate up to 66 legal dispensaries, distributed among the state’s counties based on population, with the bulk allocated to the population centers in Clark and Washoe counties.

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The meeting on Dec. 23 was a public workshop hosted by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, the agency responsible for establishing the program, to hear public comment and suggestions about the proposed regulations of the new industry. Potential business applicants hoping to open dispensaries—or, more accurately in many cases, the lawyers and lobbyists representing the applicants—commented on regulatory minutia. Some commentators seemed perturbed by the perceived foot-dragging on the part of state and especially local officials in implementing the new medical marijuana program.

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“It’s almost as if there’s a piling of red tape on red tape that’s going on here,” Las Vegas attorney Patrick McDonnell said at the hearing. “We’re seeing a lot of almost obstructionist reaction from the local jurisdictions to the will of the people as carried out by the state legislature and as being carried out by the Nevada Division of Health.” Deputy Administrator Marla McDade Williams says the division is on schedule with establishing the program. “The legislation that enacted in the 2013 legislative session authorized establishments to be certified in Nevada,” McDade Williams said. “The law is effective April 1, 2014. Contained in that law was a provision requiring us, the Division of Public and Behavioral Health to adopt regulations by April 1,

Dispense with the formalities Despite the extensive public record of information, many prospective operators of medical marijuana dispensaries are hesitant about openly identifying themselves to the media. “What you’ll find is that most people working on this, myself included, are not comfortable putting our clients out in front of media at this point, because this is a game where everybody’s going to be playing their cards close their chest,” said one lobbyist who asked to remain unnamed. “It’s going to be incredibly competitive, and any information shared in the public realm is going to give potential competitors, essentially, information.” Photo/Eric Marks

“the real wild card in this whole thing are the local governments.” -Peter Krueger Nevada Medical Marijuana association

2014. So that’s the process that’s been ongoing. It’s on target. We’re not going to miss that deadline. Where there’s a difference in expectations, I think, is that people saw April 1, and thought, ‘Well, that’s when they have to start certifying establishments.’” McDade Williams estimates that it will be late summer or early fall before certified dispensaries will actually be open to the public and able to provide patients with medical marijuana. She says that though the budget for the operational staff to oversee the program has been approved, they still need approval for administrative staff. Additionally, they won’t be able to fill the positions already created until March 1. The Division for Public and Behavioral Health is maintaining a comprehensive online archive of documentation about every regulation and step of development in implementing the program, including video of the public hearings. It can be found at health. nv.gov/medicalmarijuana.htm. “We want everybody to have the same set of information,” McDade Williams said.

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“A lot of law firms are involved, and they’re not going to come out with their client,” said Peter Krueger, founder of the Nevada Medical Marijuana Association (NVMMA), a newly established trade and lobbying group, representing the various business segments of the medical marijuana industry. At this point, according to Krueger, they are primarily working to spread information and prepare clients for the application process. It’s difficult to speculate on exactly how many people plan to apply for the 10 dispensary licenses available in Washoe County. But with only 66 dispensaries planned statewide, and about twice that many people—many of whom are likely applicants— attending the Carson City and Las Vegas hearings on Dec. 23, it’s going to be very competitive. One person who wants to open a dispensary is Shane Smith, a Sacramento native who spent a lot of time in Northern Nevada as a kid, visiting family in Fernley and Hawthorne. He has operated medical marijuana dispensaries in California and Arizona. “A lot of people are being kind of quiet about it,” said Smith. “But there’s huge competition in

the market right now. There’s a lot of big names locally that want to get involved. There’s a lot of action backstage. … But you do want to build a rapport with your community. That’s what we’re trying to do—build a rapport with Reno and Northern Nevadans, and letting them know who we are. I don’t think being as quiet as possible is necessarily a good thing when it’s going to come down to merit-based applications—who you are and what you’ve done for the community.” This month, Smith is opening Elements Cannabis Center in Reno. Though not a dispensary, Elements will offer medical marijuana examinations, as well as the notary and fingerprint process patients need to complete in order to apply for a medical marijuana prescription. It will offer educational classes from lawyers and law enforcement about medical marijuana, as well as other events. It’s grand opening is Jan. 27. Elements will also sell Cannabidiol (CBD) products. CBD is a cannabis compound that contains many of the medical benefits of marijuana—used to treat seizures, OCD, ADD, Alzheimer’s, insomnia and more—without the psychoactive effects. It’s legally available without a prescription or age limit throughout the United States. “People can come in and get a dispensary atmosphere and still receive meds without that extreme stigma that’s been attached to it for so many years,” says Smith. “For all our geriatric patients in the Northern Nevada area, most of them belonging to things like the Red Hat Lady clubs and normal things like that, they don’t want to be known as a pot smoker, but they still want to treat their arthritis. This product is actually perfect for that.” “Shane has a business plan that to me makes sense,” says Krueger of the NVMMA, which represents Smith, among others. “His business plan is to create essentially a community center. It will not at this time, because there’s no provision of law, sell medical marijuana. But he does plan to sell hemp extracts, which are perfectly legal. They’re less than 1 percent THC. These are what are called CBDs and CBGs. These are all the extracts that have less than 1 percent of the THC in them. You can buy them on Amazon. You can buy them at Walmart, or health food stores. His idea is to encourage people who are medical marijuana users to come and learn about products at this point. It will be educational. It will also be educational for the public. That way, I think he hopes he will begin to get a good reputation, knowledge in the community that he’s there as a solid member to do everything within the law.”

on its own merit The dispensary licenses will be awarded on a merit basis, according to McDade Williams. “The key part of the application process is specified in sections 25, 26 and 27 of the draft regulations that we put forward,” she said. “It somewhat mirrors the enabling legislation and sets up some level of expectation about what we’ll be expecting when we move forward through the application process. The experience of the partners and the owners that are going to seek a certificate—what is their experience with medical marijuana? What is their experience

managing a business? That’s one of the key areas that people will have to respond to, and then they’ll have to propose their operational plan. They’ll have to disclose a location when they come and submit their application. They’ll have to have done a lot of work prior to that time to ensure that where they intend to locate is going to be an authorized location for them, because if it’s not, even if we approve their application and the local government doesn’t, then we will deny their application. So they have to make sure they’re doing due diligence at the local government level.” Other things potential operators will need to address include how they intend to train staff and oversee products—which will be closely regulated in Nevada. Unlike in some other states that have implemented medical marijuana programs, in Nevada, the products will be subject to label testing and standardized labeling. This will help patients be aware of the strength and dosage of their medication. “Anybody who intends to operate a lab to test marijuana must not be affiliated with any of the other establishments,” said McDade Williams. “That’s specified in the bill and codified now in the Nevada Revised Statutes. We’ll take that very seriously. … We’re learning from other states’ experiences.” “The real wild card in this whole thing are the local governments,” said Krueger. The county and city governments have had a wide variety of reactions to the state’s implementation of Peppermill_RNR_Inciters_ICE_Jan23.pdf

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medical marijuana (see “Taking their time,” News, Jan. 2). Many local governments, including Washoe and Clark counties, are following the state’s lead— albeit somewhat hesitantly. “Many of the municipalities and counties have taken a wait-and-see attitude,” said Krueger. “They’re waiting to see what the state comes up with.” But some local governments have been outright hostile to the idea. Lyon County’s Sheriff Allen Veil sought an ordinance banning dispensaries. “Lyon County says no way in heck, but then you have cities in Lyon County that are really interested— for one, Fernley,” said Krueger. There are many aspects of the program that might displease either side—those for medical marijuana or those against it. For example, marijuana will be taxed—the only medication taxed in the state. Another problem is banking. Marijuana is still illegal at a federal level—and though the Obama has, somewhat inconsistently, claimed not to prioritize enforcement of marijuana laws, federally insured banks are still very hesitant to work with medical marijuana dispensaries. “I think there’s going to be lots of attempts to tweak the bill,” said Krueger. “That’s understandable. … There will be attempts by some local municipalities to say, ‘We’re not going to do this.’ Currently, under the law, that’s their right. In the long run, though, 10 years ago, the people voted for access to medical marijuana, so whether that will be 1/20/14

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Marijuana will be the only medication in the state that is taxed. sustained in legislature, I don’t know. Additionally, there will be an attempt in legislation, and my guess is it will fail, to allow for recreational use, like in Colorado and Washington. I don’t see that passing the Legislature because, as you know, the original bill only passed by one vote. I think legislators in both parties are going to say, ‘Well, let’s wait and see what goes on in Colorado.’” Regardless of what happens in the Rocky Mountain state, though, Nevada medical marijuana patients will no longer be required to manufacturer their own medicine. Ω

For more information, visit http://health.nv.gov/medicalmarijuana.htm.

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A A bestselling novel by A locAl Author gets A new stAge AdAptAtion BY JeSSICA SAnTInA

lmost 11 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, or crank, at least once. And, according to a 2012 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1 percent of 8th and 10th graders, and 1.1 percent of 12th graders had used meth at least once in the past year. Author Ellen Hopkins’ daughter, Cristal, was only 17 when she first tried crank—not yet a senior. And that one choice led to 18 years of heartache, jail and prison time, and numerous health issues, including brain damage. Determined to understand Cristal’s story and share it with others, Hopkins, a resident of Washoe Valley, wrote Crank, her 2004 young-adult novel written in verse—a story told through freeverse poems. It went on to become a New York Times bestseller, receive numerous awards and earn the distinction of being one of a growing list of banned books. Now this book by a local author has achieved another distinction: the premiere of its stage adaptation, Flirting with the Monster, which is currently in production by TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada (TWNN) at the Laxalt Auditorium in Reno.

The Spell of The MonSTer

Phot

o/Al

l is o n

Youn

Crank is a story told in first-person by Kristina, a 16-year-old Reno girl with divorced parents who lives with her mother, stepfather, brother and sister. During a court-ordered visit to Albuquerque to see her father, a heavy

Hannah Davis as Kristina in TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada’s world premiere production of Flirting with the Monster.

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JANUARY 23, 2014

user of alcohol and drugs, Kristina falls head over heels for neighbor Adam, a seductive bad boy “from the wrong side of the tracks” who, in a pivotal moment that changes Kristina’s life, offers her a line of crank (“the monster”). To win his approval she accepts, unleashing “Bree”—what she has named the danger-seeking side of her personality who begins to dominate her life and drive her poor decision-making. Her pursuit of crank drives her to destruction—estrangement from her family and friends, pregnancy at the hands of a rapist, and incarceration for dealing. Hopkins says Crank is a fictional story, but “pretty much all the plot points happened with my daughter.” It’s a powerful, at times upsetting story, which is why many schools have banned it from their libraries. But it’s a story Hopkins says she felt called to write, despite how personal and painful it was. “I want that information out there,” she says. “I do high school visits, and when I’m talking to kids, I’m very clear. I show pictures of my daughter, before and after, and I say, ‘This is who she was, and what she’s become, all because of a single choice when she was 17. All because of a guy.’ It has affected all our lives for 18 years now. It was more important for me to be honest that it was a real story.” Hopkins said it has made a big difference for readers, many of whom are grappling with the same issues. “I get about 200 messages a day on social networks, with people sharing their responses to these books.”

From Page to Stage

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A TWNN board member posited the idea of adapting Crank for the stage during a 2013-14 season planning meeting. The theater company approached Hopkins about writing a stage adaptation, and she liked the idea. Working closely with director Holly Natwora, Hopkins crafted a script that observes the conventions of stage plays while retaining much of the original verse. “[Doing the adaptation] was difficult,” says Hopkins. “I’ve done short video scripts that gave the idea of movement, but for this I had to look at movement on stage. It’s a small local theater company, so I knew they couldn’t have a whole bunch of set changes. I had to think about which scenes really needed to be there and which ones to condense. There are some great interior monologues, and beautiful language that I didn’t want to lose. I got some of that to fit in where I could, because it meant a lot to me to keep certain lines.” Natwora, a local actor who has appeared in numerous productions with Brüka Theatre, has directed one other TWNN production, and seized the opportunity for this one when it was offered to her last spring. “I wanted to work on an original piece,” says Natwora, who borrowed the 537-page book and read it in a day’s time. “I’d developed some short pieces with authors, but nothing of this magnitude. It’s brilliant. The language is fantastic, and I was just enamored. It’s not the kind of language you hear on stage often, so I was excited to incorporate that.” Of course, adapting a book in first-person verse won’t work on stage. The immediate challenge was to give life to the other characters and let them speak, to avoid it being a one-woman show. Though much of the powerful verse was retained in the adaptation, there are scenes portrayed through traditional dialogue throughout the play, which Natwora knew was essential for connecting to the audience and dramatizing the story. The staging of this play has been a bit of a challenge for Natwora, as it’s an episodic play told from memory; it doesn’t flow in real time, and the locations frequently change. But it was really important to both Natwora and Hopkins to maintain the integrity of the story, including having Kristina (played by

21-year-old Hannah Davis) speak right to the audience, and at times moving at a frenetic pace to mirror Kristina/Bree’s drug-induced state. And while a considerable amount of the original verse is in the play, it’s never intrusive, and never feels unnatural. “Ellen was awesome in process,” says Natwora. “She’s a busy woman, but when she’d come in for some rehearsal, I’d ask about cutting a bit, and she’d say, ‘OK, sure, no problem!’ She was very giving with her work, which was great. She was open to every suggestion, and was there for audition process. It’s been extremely important to me and all who are involved in acting to honor Ellen and this book. And I think we do that.” “It’s Holly’s play, but if there are things I feel she’s missing, I’ll point it out,” Hopkins says. “Just as I’m willing to omit passages, she’s willing to listen. It’s been really collaborative, and I think that’s what makes it so strong and so realistic.” Hopkins says she thinks that the stage is an ideal venue to tell this story, as opposed to film, which might have resulted in the loss of some of the verse that means so much to her. “I’m very happy with the end product,” Hopkins says. “Holly really wanted it to be like a meth experience, have it be fast and have language fired back and forth, and it really works.” And what was it like for Hopkins to see this personal story play out on stage? “Watching it come alive on stage, there were really hard scenes to watch, especially the first few times I watched it. My youngest daughter was in tears.” Hopkins will be available after each performance to speak with the audience. This production was made possible through a grant from the Alliance with Washoe County Medical Society. “It’s been an amazing experience and opportunity,” says Natwora. “I think it’s going to engage audiences in a way that they haven’t been in a Ω while.”

Friday, FEBRUARY 28TH, 2014 | 7PM Celebrity Showroom, John Ascuaga’s Nugget

$30 Adults, $20 Children 12 and under Purchase tickets at renoisartown.com or call Box Office at 775-356-3300 (www.janugget.com)

The University of Nevada, Reno College of Liberal Arts Presents:

2014 Forum for Excellence Series

An Evening with Lani Guinier “Leading from Behind: A 21st Century Strategy for Leadership” Thursday, February 6, 2014 7:00 p.m. Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Building

FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT LAWLOR EVENTS CENTER BOX OFFICE!

TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada presents Flirting with the Monster, on Jan. 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31, and Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., and matinee performances Jan. 19 and 26, and Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Laxalt Auditorium, 401 W. Second St. Ticket are $10 to $12. For tickets or more information, visit www.twnn.org or call 284-0789.

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VIP “meet the speaker” packages are available: call (775) 682-8973. Dr. Guinier’s appearance is made possible with the support of friends of the College of Liberal Arts and the sponsors shown above. |

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Photo/Allison Young

Familiar places

Patricia Chidlaw with her Elko-inspired painting “White King” at the Nevada Museum of Art.

Patricia Chidlaw Images of bustling diners, empty hotel pools, and neon-lit parking lots are common by throughout the West. These are images Ashley that have a sense of modern timelessHennefer ness, in a way—many Nevada diners, hotels and parking lots haven’t changed much in the past 60 years, and they’ve remained relevant and familiar. And within the scope of a day, the one thing that gives these images some grounding in time is light. Artist Patricia Chidlaw’s photorealisFor more information, tic paintings capture exactly that. In the visit www.nevadaart. exhibitions slated for 2014 at the Nevada org. Museum of Art, there’s a theme of capturing landscapes—urban, rural and metaphorical. Chidlaw’s paintings rest somewhere in the middle of this nexus. Her work is exhibited in Realm of the Common Place, which opened Jan. 18 in NMA’s Feature Gallery North. “Chidlaw breaks the landscape stereotype,” says NMA communications director Amanda Horn. “She paints the

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unexpected views, the vantages so many of us drive by, or sit in, and ignore. She extracts beauty from these often desolate or decrepit places.” Some of the paintings feature people, but many don’t, choosing instead to depict overlooked scenes like shadowed freight trains or mud pits near the side of the road. Movement and travel thematically dominate Chidlaw’s work. Chidlaw takes a mixed-medium approach to painting. She employs photographs as the first step, and uses them to establish frame and angle. Next comes the rendering through paint, often using oil on canvas. What’s most striking about transitioning from photo to painting is the way lighting is maintained and emphasized: late afternoon sunlight is reflected through a window, casting shadows on restaurant diners; evening sunsets are awash with deep orange and pink hues, punctuated by drifting blue and white clouds. “Chidlaw is loyal to the photograph,” says Horn.

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Photographs are rarely edited during this transition. “Chidlaw is a faithful American realist,” says Horn. “It’s this authenticity that makes her work so engaging.” Horn cites early 20th century painter Edward Hopper, and there’s certainly evidence of influence in how both Hopper and Chidlaw use light to alter seemingly mundane activities. A 1996 painting entitled “The Hopper Calendar” is an homage to the painter, and features a calendar of Hopper paintings on the wall next to the subject. Depicting a woman sitting in a chair and gazing out the window, it’s directly reminiscent of Hopper’s “Pensive Lady in Pink.” While Chidlaw’s paintings capture places throughout the country, particularly southern California, several take

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place in Nevada. She’s drawn to these regions because of colors and architecture. “White King, Elko,” a 2002 painting depicting the historical Commercial Casino in Elko, is part of the exhibit. “Even for Nevadans who have never visited this locale, the scene will feel very familiar,” Horn says. “It captures the spirit of our history—neon-era motels and small casinos that pop out of the desert landscape on our highways.” In essence, Chidlaw’s paintings support the notion that common place is a realm of its own—the community spaces we share and travel through daily are signs of progress, but also resistant of it. “Her paintings provoke mystery in their familiarity” says Horn. “The viewer gets the feeling she should know what happened in this place, but is not sure why. Looking at them feels like a déjà vu.” Ω

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LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW & DELICIOUS FOR YOUR

Recycle

FOOTBALL SUPER PARTY?

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Friend or pho Asian Pho 4997 Longley Lane, 234-3777 Pho is a soup with origins in early 20th century Vietnam, featuring thin rice noodles (vermicelli), vegetables, and thinlyby Todd South sliced, charbroiled meats. Many nonVietnamese mispronounce this dish as “foh,” but the true pronunciation (akin to “phu-ah”) can be difficult for westerners. Let’s just go with “pho” and agree that it’s delicious. Across the U.S., Vietnamese noodle shops have really taken off in recent years, with Reno no exception.

Photo/ALLison Young

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That’s How We Roll Beef and rice noodle pho.

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FREE Winter Slide Series

January 29th at 7pm Featuring Charles Albright “Paddling with Todo Slushead” Raffle Proceeds to Benefit American Whitewater.

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paper won her over. For me, I usually find pot stickers to be greasy, limp disappointments, but these were crisp, tasty, wonderfully-fried pork dumplings. They actually changed my mind about what this appetizer can be. Although there are chicken and seafood variations on pho, its mainstay is beef (in a variety of combinations). I ordered a medium serving of my favorite, featuring rare steak, well-done flank, tendon and tripe ($6.50). Sadly, the kitchen was out of tendon—I’ll grant you, an acquired taste—but the other ingredients were so good I hardly noticed. The broth was full of flavor, a perfect balance of savory, subtle seasonings. Some diners add one or more table sauces—hoisin, hot chili paste, Sriracha, fish sauce—I left that perfect broth alone. I did employ the traditional side items—bean sprouts, sweet basil, chili pepper, lime—and cilantro, which is the first time I’ve seen this included on a pho side plate. Once prepped for munching, the soup didn’t stay in the bowl for long. My wife’s favorite Asian soup is wor won ton ($6.95), which is more Hong Kong than Vietnam. Wor won ton roughly translates as, “won ton soup deluxe,” meaning it includes a bunch of veggies. Asian Pho’s version is quite good, with so many pork dumplings my wife felt the need to remove a few in order to stay on diet. I didn’t mind cleaning up the collateral damage, or sneaking a taste of perfectly-cooked shrimp and bok choy from her bowl. On a return visit, I ordered another traditional favorite, flamebroiled pork and Imperial rolls served on a bed of cold vermicelli and lettuce, with vegetables, peanut garnish and a lightly sweet “special sauce” ($8.50). I’ve always enjoyed this dish, but Asian Pho’s rendition is among the best I’ve had. The Imperial egg rolls were quite good, cut into chunks you eat with the rest of the dish. Some noodle shops seriously overcook the pork, but the meat topping my dish was tender and crazy tasty. After two excellent meals at this gas station oasis, I think I’ll become a regular. Fill ’er up! Ω

For more information, visit www.asianphoreno.com.

Most include some Chinese and Japanese menu items, as does Asian Pho, an unassuming little spot located in the same building as a convenience store/gas station. A friend of mine has a rule: “I don’t eat food prepared inside or next to a gas station.” Normally I might agree, but this time she’s missing out. Asian Pho is a true hidden gem, albeit one hiding in plain sight at a busy intersection. Like most noodle shops, the format here is fairly informal. Unless you’re ordering take-out, just grab a couple menus from the counter and seat yourself at one of the numbered tables. When finished, tell the cashier the table number and pay on the way out. Simple, straight-forward, efficient. The service was fast and friendly, even though we had a few “lost in translation” moments. I recommend ordering with the menu’s item numbers to avoid confusion. For starters we ordered spring rolls ($4.95), and pot stickers ($4.95). I’m generally more fond of the former than my wife, while she prefers the latter. However, dipped in a decent peanut sauce, the balance of pork-shrimp-veggie flavors enveloped in moistened rice

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Private Dickens The Invisible Woman There was a time when The Invisible Woman, a movie that takes a speculative look at an affair Charles Dickens had toward the end of his life, would’ve had Oscar written all over it. The Academy Awards used to love these ornate period dramas so very, very much. The film, released in a limited number of theaters, did pull down a nomination for by costume design, but that’s all. Now, I’m Bob Grimm not saying I personally would’ve nominated this movie in the major categories, but it’s a bgrimm@ newsre view.c om pretty close call in some categories for a film that got absolutely no buzz during awards season. Considering its subject matter and period piece pedigree, this would’ve been Oscar heaven in 1995.

“She was the best of wives, she was the worst of wives ... no, that’s not it ...”

1 Poor

2 Fair

3 Good

4 Very Good

5 excellent

Ralph Fiennes directs himself as Dickens, and he presents the author as the John Lennon or Elvis Presley of his day. Dickens was a literary rock star, and one of the first to deal with print media scrutiny and hordes of fans when he tried to take a walk or go to the theater. The married Dickens also created quite a bit of controversy by having an affair with a young actress named Nelly (Felicity Jones), whose full name was Ellen Ternan. Jones, the stunning actress who broke through with an amazing performance in Like Crazy, is this film’s best asset. As Nelly, an aspiring actress with questionable talent and a discreetly displayed big fan crush on Dickens, Jones brings a smoldering sophistication to her role, and goes toe-to-toe with Fiennes in many scenes. This actress is the real deal, and would’ve been a lock for an Oscar nom back when films like Sense and Sensibility and Shakespeare in Love were all the rage.

As for Fiennes, he does a fine acting job on top of steady, stable directorial work. The film, based on the Claire Tomalin novel that speculates on aspects of the Dickens/Nelly affair, is told out of chronological order. Fiennes makes the time shifts easy, anchoring the movie with a stunning beach shot that allows us to know we are back in the latter part of the story. Much of what happens in this movie is based on true events, including the 1865 Staplehurst rail car crash that many attribute as the cause of Dickens’ subsequent health woes and decrease in writing output. He began a retreat from the literary scene in the aftermath, and died only five years later. Other parts of the film are based more on rumors and foggy history, including Dickens and Nelly losing a baby and their living situations toward the end of his life. Fiennes looks to show a parallel between celebrity today and celebrity 150 years ago. Dickens lived in a time when divorce was less common and an extramarital affair equated to mortal sin. (I guess it still does today in some sects.) One of the film’s greatest scenes is when Dickens’ wife Catherine (heartbreakingly portrayed by Joanna Scanlan) learns the details of her separation from him through an article, penned by him, in the newspaper. I’m sure there is many a celebrity spouse today who has found out about their impending separation or divorce via TMZ.com. The movie is a beauty to look at, boasting some of 2013’s finest cinematography by Barry Ackroyd (The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips). The Oscar nom for costume design is well deserved. I never questioned the authenticity of the time period Fiennes and crew recreated. It all looks very real. This is the second directorial effort for Fiennes after 2011’s very good Coriolanus. I think he’s a director to be reckoned with. He has a crafty touch with sensitive subjects. The Invisible Woman could’ve been heavy handed, like a soap opera, in the hands of another director. Fiennes makes his movie seem less like a period piece and more like a universal statement of media power over lives and its ability to inhibit our choices. Ω

American Hustle

David O. Russell continues his impressive directorial roll with this semi-comedic look at the notorious ’70s Abscam scandal. This is basically Russell shooting for Scorsese glory here, and while the style of the movie seems copied at times, there’s no denying the power of the ensemble cast. Bradley Cooper scores laughs as a pathetic FBI agent looking to make a name for himself, and Christian Bale looks great in a comb-over as the conman forced into an alliance with the law. Amy Adams gets one of the strangest roles of the year as a con artist pretending to be British, and she pulls it off quite nicely, while Jennifer Lawrence steals her every scene as a seemingly dim Long Island housewife. You also get stand up comic Louis C.K. as Cooper’s field boss. The film falls a little short of greatness due to its sometimes carbon copy feel, but the cast pulls it out of the fire. It also has the best use of Robert De Niro as a bad guy in many years.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

After nearly a decade of being absent from our movie screens, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), the world’s greatest newscaster, has returned. This time, it’s the ’80s, and a new media craze called 24 Hour News has Ron and the boys (Paul Rudd’s Brian Fantana, Steve Carell’s Brick Tamland and David Koechner’s Champ Kind) working the late night shift in New York. The plot is basically just a place setter for weird, random humor involving bats, sharks, shadows, scorpions in RVs, and hair. Ferrell and the crew manage to sell the dumbest of things, and they make so much of it funny. Even the stuff that’s just strange has its own humorous appeal. Carell goes super dopey with Brick as he finds a love interest (Kristen Wiig), Champ still loves Ron in a dangerous way, and Brian has a new condom cabinet. I laughed my face off, with this being a sequel that continues the comedic legacy of the brilliant original, and even ups the ante when it comes to anchor-on-anchor battles in the park (the battle scene in this one is one for the ages, and involves fighter jets). The last time they made one of these, they had enough on the cutting room floor to release an entire other movie. I hope that happened here as well, because I don’t want to wait 10 years for more.

Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey continues his career resurgence in this film based on the life of Ron Woodroof, a man who tested HIV positive in the ’80s, and had to battle the FDA while smuggling non-approved drugs into the country for himself and fellow sufferers. McConaughey lost many pounds to look the part, and it’s a frightening transformation. He also delivers an incredible performance. This, combined with his work earlier this year in Mud, easily establishes 2013 as the best year of his career. Jared Leto does incredible work as Rayon, a cross-dresser who helps Woodroof distribute the drugs to those needing some sort of treatment. Director Jean-Marc Vallee does a good job of capturing a time where HIV was a death sentence, and the terror that surrounded those who were fighting for their lives. This is a very good movie with great performances.

Frozen

I have to admit I was more into the strange Mickey Mouse short that precedes this musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow Queen” than the actual feature. It features retro Mickey busting out of a black and white film and becoming 3-D as he battles a bad guy kidnapping Minnie. It’s worth the price of admission. As for the actual feature movie, Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel have wonderful voices, and the visuals are fun to behold in this middle-of-the-road Disney fare. It has a lot of music—some of it quite good, some of it, well, not—and a beautiful look to it. For recent Disney animation, my vote goes to Tangled for best, but that’s not to say this one is a letdown. It’s OK. Just OK. It’s about on par with Pixar’s latest, Monster’s University. It’s fun to watch, but not altogether memorable.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot his latest Tolkien trilogy in High Frame Rate 3-D is a tragic, disastrous choice. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, like its predecessor, An Unexpected Journey, is a task to watch. The look of the movie simply doesn’t jibe with the

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technology, resulting in a visual nightmare. As a middle chapter in The Hobbit saga, Smaug is guilty of the same flaws that marred the first film. It’s overstuffed, the dwarves are severely uninteresting, and the action scenes lack any kind of urgency. It’s just a big, boring stunt film with people looking silly in their getups. As Bilbo, Martin Freeman labors to make things interesting during action scenes that feel redundant. (Hey, it’s another giant icky spider attack!) He definitely stands out among a cast of bland actors playing bland dwarves. Oh Gimli, how you are missed! Jackson finds a way to bring back Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Bloom’s scenes are a bunch of sorry minutes that could be cut from the film’s running time. Too many scenes in this movie feel padded and bloated. With each passing minute, Jackson is doing further damage to his directing legacy. His original Lord of the Rings trilogy was a major triumph. These Hobbit films feel and look like parody. Smaug the dragon (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) finally shows up, and he is easily the best thing in the Hobbit films thus far. He should’ve arrived in the second half of the first film, and the whole damned thing should’ve been over in three hours.

Lone Survivor

This is an explosive passion project from writer-director Peter Berg that takes an unrelentingly gruesome look at Operation Red Wings, the failed 2005 Afghanistan mission that claimed the lives of 19 American soldiers. Most of the movie centers on the four Navy SEALs dropped into hostile territory, and how an unfortunate civilian encounter and communications problems led to a massive gun battle of insurmountable odds. Mark Wahlberg plays Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL who co-wrote the book this movie is based upon. Luttrell, along with Navy SEALs Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) and Matt Axelson (Ben Foster), were performing reconnaissance for a mission meant to capture or kill a notorious Taliban leader when a trio of goat herders stumbled upon their camp. The resultant ambush is filmed with many gory details, and will be a hard watch for some. The stuntmen who worked on this movie did an incredible job, and the cast is one of 2013’s strongest ensembles. This is a nice comeback for Berg after Battleship.

Nebraska

I can’t deny the wonderful acting work from the likes of Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk and especially June Squibb. They are all wonderful in this movie. What I can bemoan is the stupid, stupid story propelling that acting. Dern plays an old codger who becomes convinced that he’s won a million dollars because of a magazine subscription letter saying he’s a winner. So he starts walking from Montana to Nebraska, and his son (Forte) eventually helps him on his quest with an automobile. It’s a dumb idea to start, and the premise is too improbable for a serious comedy movie. Still, it does lay the groundwork for some decent father-son dynamic between Dern and Forte, and Odenkirk shows up as another son and knocks his part out of the park. Of the six Oscar nominations this film earned, I would call Squibb the most deserving for her work as Dern’s droll wife. The black and white cinematography is also quite nice. As for Best Screenplay, Best Picture and Best Actor, I wouldn’t go there. The movie is good in a peculiar way, but far from great. The premise annoyed me a bit the whole time I watched it.

Saving Mr. Banks

Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are charming as Walt Disney and Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers in this obviously whitewashed look at Disney’s attempts at getting Travers’ approval to make a movie out of her book. Of course, most of us know he succeeded, but many don’t know that Travers was quite the holdout. The movie splits time between the Disney/Travers business and Travers’ childhood, where we find out much of Mary Poppins was based on her troubled father (Colin Farrell) and actual nanny. B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman are wonderful as the Sherman brothers, who made Poppins into a musical, much to the chagrin of Travers. The movie takes a lot of artistic license with the situation. Even though Travers is depicted as difficult here, she was far more adversarial in real life and never approved of the movie (those animated penguins!). Still, the film is fun to watch, with Hanks and Thompson making it all very worthwhile and heartwarming.

Short notice Sil Shoda “This song was written on the toilet,” David Kellers, bassist for local alt-country rock band Sil Shoda said into the by Laura Davis mic during last Friday night’s show at Se7en on West Street. “That is where most of my inspiration comes from,” singer Robert Clark confirmed from under his cowboy hat, before taking a giant gulp from the pitcher of beer he’s holding onstage. Photo/AlliSon Young

It’s safe to say the four members of Sil Shoda aren’t afraid to put themselves out there—whether it’s a brutally honest confession behind a song’s inspiration—or an audition for a career opportunity. Friday night’s fundraiser show happened to showcase both. The event was put on last minute as a means for the band to raise money to play Eco Hideaway, an event coinciding with Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The weekend long, invite-only party features live bands and brand vendors in honor of the prestigious film festival. Guests include a littering of various industry professionals—giving the bands invited to play an opportunity to make some career enhancing connections. “It’s exclusive stuff,” Clark says of Eco Hideaway. “It’s a big chance to showcase ourselves. We have to try to sell ourselves to these people—it’s a resume builder.” Sil Shoda first heard about the event opportunity through Reverbnation, an online music industry site on which the band hosts a selection of songs and live video.

Rabble rousers: Anthony Vairetta, Scott Curtis, Robert Clark and Dave Kellars of Sil Shoda.

For more information, visit www.reverb nation.com/ silshoda.

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“It was kind of a contest,” Clark says. “They were looking to choose bands for this event. You could submit for free, and we got selected.” Although excited for the news, the selection came about in short notice—leaving Sil Shoda in a tight spot to finance their trip. “They told us about three weeks ago,” Clark recalls. “There had to be money donated to [play], and we also had to figure out a way to finance a hotel and travel.” The answer came in the form of Friday’s fundraiser show. But that in itself proved to be a feat to accomplish. With such short notice, it was hard for the band to find an appropriate venue. It would have to be big enough to hold the sizable Sil Shoda fan base expected to turn out to support, and of course, it would have to have plenty of beer on hand. “We were scrambling hard to try to find a venue to open the doors for us,” Clark admits. “We needed to raise a little money, and we had to rush—I just kind of winged it a little.” The winging worked—the band raised a total of $600 through their fundraiser show, which was free with a $5 suggested donation. Not only did Sil Shoda fans prove their loyalty by turning out to fill the room—but they allowed the band to give back to the venue that agreed to play host for the lastminute show by giving it its share as well. “The bar sold out of three of their beers, including Pabst and Bud Light,” Clark reminisced the following day. “It was a good night all around. I don’t know how we pulled it off, but in a few weeks time, we put a crowd in there.” Now the band gets to take its newly raised funds and make their fans proud by spreading their rough and rowdy sound to Utah. Fans will be getting their thank-you note soon enough—Sil Shoda plans to release its second full-length album later this year. But to hold things over until then, in the words of Clark on Friday night: “I think we need another pitcher.” Ω

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3RD STREET 125 W. Third St., (775) 323-5005

THURSDAY 1/23

FRIDAY 1/24

SATURDAY 1/25

Blues jam w/Blue Haven, 9:30pm, no cover

Bazooka Zoo, 9:30pm, no cover

Suspect Zero, 9:30pm, no cover

SUNDAY 1/26

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/27-1/29 DG Kicks, 9pm, Tu, no cover

5 STAR SALOON

DJ Ricky Rick, 10pm, Tu, no cover

132 West St., (775) 329-2878

THE ALLEY

Voted Best Band, Beer Can, Moron Bros., Donkey Jaw, 8:30pm, no cover

906 Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 358-8891

BODEGA NIGHTCLUB

Rhythm Rewind w/DJs RyOn and Rewind, 9pm, $7

555 E. Fourth St., (775) 378-4507

DJ SupaJames

CEOL IRISH PUB

Jan. 24, 10:30 p.m. Harrah’s Lake Tahoe 15 Highway 50 Stateline 588-6611

Pub Quiz Trivia Night, 8pm, no cover

Neil O’Kane, 9pm, no cover

1099 S. Virginia St., (775) 324-2244

Sonic Mass w/DJ Tigerbunny, 7pm, no cover

Good Friday with rotating DJs, 10pm, no cover

COMMA COFFEE

Mark Diorio, 11:30am, no cover

538 S. Virginia St., (775) 329-5558

CHAPEL TAVERN 312 S. Carson St., Carson City; (775) 883-2662

COTTONWOOD RESTAURANT & BAR

Comedy

10142 Rue Hilltop, Truckee; (530) 587-5711

Axton and Company, 7pm, no cover

DAVIDSON’S DISTILLERY

3rd Street, 125 W. Third St., 323-5005: Comedy Night & Improv w/Patrick Shillito, W, 9pm, no cover Catch a Rising Star, Silver Legacy, 407 N. Virginia St., 329-4777: Dave Mencarelli, Th, Su, 7:30pm, $15.95; Nick Rutherford, F, 7:30pm, 10pm, $15.95; Sa, 7:30pm, 10pm, $17.95; Tony Woods, Tu-W, 7:30pm, $15.95 The Improv at Harveys Cabaret, Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, (800) 553-1022: Bobby Collins, Johnny Steele, Th-F, Su, 9pm, $25; Sa, 8pm, 10pm, $30; Greg Fitzsimmons, Brandon Hahn, W, 9pm, $25 Reno-Tahoe Comedy at Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., 686-6600: Dan Kimm: Hypnot!c’s Greatest Hits, F, 7pm, $14, $17; Kabir “Kabeezy” Singh, F, 9:30pm; Sa, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $14, $17

Out for War, Ninja Slaughterhouse, 8:30pm, no cover

275 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-1917

EL CORTEZ LOUNGE

Karaoke with Lisa Lisa, 9pm, no cover

235 W. Second St., (775) 324-4255

FUEGO

Blarney Band, 9pm, no cover

Traditional Irish Tune Session, 7pm, Tu, no cover

CW and Mr. Spoons, noon, M, no cover John Ayres and Friends, 7pm, no cover Nine Below Zero, 9:30pm, no cover

Nine Below Zero, 9:30pm, no cover

Karaoke with Lisa Lisa, 9pm, no cover

THE GRID BAR & GRILL 8545 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach; (530) 546-0300

HANGAR BAR

Open Mic Jam, 9:30pm, M, karaoke, 9:30pm, Tu, open mic, 9:30pm, W, no cover Karaoke with Lisa Lisa, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke with Lisa Lisa, 9pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

Karaoke w/Andrew, 9pm, no cover

Bass Heavy, 9pm, W, $TBA

Karaoke Kat, 9pm, no cover

10603 Stead Blvd., Stead; (775) 677-7088

HIDEOUT LOUNGE

Vampirates, 10pm, $10

240 S. Park St., (775) 329-6966

HIMMEL HAUS

Open Mic Night, 9pm, M, no cover Trivia Night, 9pm, W, no cover

3819 Saddle Rd., South Lake Tahoe; (530) 314-7665

JAVA JUNGLE

Outspoken: Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, no cover

246 W. First St., (775) 329-4484 1180 Scheels Dr., Sparks; (775) 657-8659

Post show s online by registering at www.newsr eview.com /reno. Dea dline is the Friday befo re publication .

Live flamenco guitar music, 5:30pm, no cover

170 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-1800

JAZZ, A LOUISIANA KITCHEN

Music Trivia w/Chris Payne, 9pm, W, no cover

Erika Paul, 6pm, no cover

First Take featuring Rick Metz, 6pm, no cover

Bill Davis, 6pm, no cover

big

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Reno Ballroom

S U N D AY, F E B R U A R Y 2 • 2 P M Includes ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET, game day hat, prize giveaways and co-hosted by KOZZ’s Jim McClain & Max Volume.

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THURSDAY 1/23

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SUNDAY 1/26

71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652 1) Showroom 2) Bar Room

2) Matt W. Gage Band, Mary Jane Rocket, 2) Deadly Gallows, The Lonely River Dusty Miles and the Cryin’ Shame, 9pm, $5 Drifters, The Crux, 9pm, $3

KNITTING FACTORY CONCERT HOUSE

The Boom!! w/Boggan vs. Alex Maars, others, 8pm, $5

211 N. Virginia St., (775) 323-5648

MURPHY’S IRISH PUB AND ROCKWATER RESTAURANT 787 Emerald Bay Rd., South Lake Tahoe; (530) 544-8004

PADDY & IRENE’S IRISH PUB 906-A Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 358-5484

THE POINT

Traditional Irish Celtic Night, 7:30pm, no cover

Soulfly, Cyanate, Blasphemous Creation, 8pm, Tu, $18-$40

Guest duos, 7pm, no cover

Blood on the Dance Floor

Open Mic Night, 7:30pm, W, no cover

Jan. 25, 8 p.m. Knitting Factory 211 N. Virginia St. 323-5648

Acoustic Wonderland, 8pm and 8pm, no cover Karaoke hosted by Gina Jones, 8:30pm, no cover

3001 W. Fourth St., (775) 322-3001

1) Local bands and promoters meeting, 4pm, no cover

Blood On The Dance Floor, The Relapse Symphony, Haley Rose, 8pm, $17-$30

Mark Wilson and friends, 7:30pm, no cover

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/27-1/29

Karaoke hosted by Gina Jones, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke, 8:30pm, Tu, 9:15pm, W, no cover

RED DOG SALOON

Open Mic Night, 7pm, W, no cover

76 N. C St., Virginia City; (775) 847-7474

RUBEN’S CANTINA

Karaoke, 8pm, no cover

1483 E. Fourth St., (775) 622-9424

Hip Hop Open Mic, 10pm, W, no cover

RYAN’S SALOON

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

924 S. Wells Ave., (775) 323-4142

SIDELINES BAR & NIGHTCLUB

Live jazz, 7:30pm, W, no cover

Savannah Benefit, 9pm, $TBA

1237 Baring Blvd., Sparks; (775) 355-1030

SIERRA TAP HOUSE

Black and Blues Jam, 8:30pm, Tu, no cover

Cosmic Boogaloo, 9pm, no cover

Sex Panther

The Halve Two, Super Hero Life, 9pm, no cover

252 W. First St., (775) 322-7678

ST. JAMES INFIRMARY 445 California Ave., (775) 657-8484

STUDIO ON 4TH

Fighting the Future, 8pm, $5

432 E. Fourth St., (775) 410-5993

Heart of the Hills, 8pm, $5

Dance party, 9pm, no cover

Strange on the Range, 7pm ,M, no cover Tuesday Night Trivia, 8pm, Tu, no cover

An Evening With Todd Ballowe and Friends, 8pm, $TBA

Karaoke Night, 7pm, Tu, no cover Open Mic Wednesdays, 7pm, W, no cover

WILD RIVER GRILLE

Jan. 25, 10 p.m. Crystal Bay Club 14 Highway 28 Crystal Bay 833-6333

Sunday Jazz, 2pm, no cover

17 S. Virginia St., (775) 284-7455

WILDFLOWER VILLAGE

Reno Music Project Open Mic, 6:30pm, no cover

4275-4395 W. Fourth St., (775) 787-3769

Strange on the Range, 6 Mule Pile-up, Farewell Belladonna, 7:30pm, no cover

Wildflower Comedy Power Hour Open Mic, 8:30pm, Tu, no cover

BILLCAN BI B ILL LLCA AN B BD BDAY D DAY AY B AY BASH ASH ASH AS

Friday, Fr id day ay, y Ja Janu January nuarry 24

W// Bee W Beerca Beercan!, rcan! n!, Voted V ed Best Be Band, d Mor Bros. Bros. And Donkey Jaw Moron

OUT O OU T FOR WAR

Januar y 25th! A oNE Night oNly ChARity Show

Saturday, S Sa atu turrday, y January y 25

W/ Ni W/ N Nin Ninja ja Slaughterhouse +TBA

WALKAWAY W WA ALK LKAWAY ALPHA

Thursday, January 30

BENEfitiNg

W/ Ostracized, Crossroad Heathens, Deathplant

THAWED OUT HIP HOP SHOW

livE PERfoRmANCES By:

Friday, January 31

mARk mACkAy PlAyiNg oRigiNAl muSiC & moRE t. lEE wAlkER PlAyiNg BluES/ Soul/ fuNk/ R&B/ RoCk N Roll & moRE! DooRS oPEN At 9Pm

W/ Traj Hardie, B3 Theshark, Prince Jaydubb, Knappsacc, Anomoli, Jus'ME, Killa YY, and DJ Van Gloryious

THE SHELL CORPORATION

Friday, February 1

Januar y 31st

W/ Me Time, Part Of The Problem, And The Flesh Hammers

Layzie Bone

W/ Gentlemens Hall, Clementines Knight

Februar y 8th

Johnny Madcapp And The Disasters, Keyser Soze, And Mojo Green

BASIC VACATION

fRom BoNE thugS & hARmoNy 18+ Show | DooRS oPEN At 8Pm

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Tuesday, February 4

The Launch of PLATFORM

OPINION

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ARTS&CULTURE

IN ROTATION

ART OF THE STATE

FOODFINDS

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NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS

| THIS WEEK

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JANUARY 23, 2014

RN&R

ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT SPA 3800 S. Virginia St., (775) 825-4700 1) Grand Ballroom Stage 2) Cabaret

THURSDAY 1/23

FRIDAY 1/24

SATURDAY 1/25

SUNDAY 1/26

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/27-1/29

2) Hindsight, 8pm, no cover

2) Hindsight, 4pm, Kick, 10pm, no cover

2) Kick, 8pm, no cover

2) Two Way Street, 8pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) Chili Sauce, 7pm, no cover

2) Chili Sauce, 8pm, no cover

2) Paul Covarelli, 6pm, no cover

2) Paul Covarelli, 6pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) Chum, 10pm, no cover

1-2) Sex Panther, Black Boots, Chango, Micah J, Crispylicious, Tre Tuna, Multipleks, 10pm, $15-$18

1) Ice Fantasy, call for showtimes, $19.95-$24.95 2) Atomika, 10:30pm, no cover 3) Skyy High Fridays, 10pm, $10 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, no cover

1) Ice Fantasy, call for showtimes, $19.95-$24.95 2) Atomika, 10:30pm, no cover 3) Four Play Saturdays, 10pm, $10 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, no cover

1) Ice Fantasy, call for showtimes, $19.95-$24.95 2) Atomika, 10:30pm, no cover 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, no cover

2) Live Band Karaoke, 10pm, M, DJ Chris English, 10pm, Tu, Audioboxx, 10:30pm, W, no cover 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, W, no cover

3) DJ SupaJames, 10:30pm, $20

1) Pablo Cruise, 7:30pm, $46.20 3) Rick Gee, DJ SN1, 10pm, $20

2) Drive, 8pm, no cover

2) Stew Stewart, 8pm, no cover 3) Scott Marshall, 6pm, no cover 4) Sierra Arts’ Brew HaHa featuring Vokab Kompany, 8pm, $50-$65

2) Stew Stewart, 8pm, Country at the Cabaret w/DJ Jamie G, 9pm, no cover 3) Scott Marshall, 6pm, no cover

1) Sweet Talk: A Delicious Electro-Cirque Kiss, 8:30pm, $20

1) Sweet Talk: A Delicious Electro-Cirque Kiss, 8:30pm, $20 3) Boogie Nights, 8pm, no cover w/’70s-’80s attire

2) The Inciters, 8pm, no cover 3) Salsa dancing with BB of Salsa Reno, 7:30pm, $10 after 8pm, ICE Models and Bottles w/DJ Spryte, 10pm, $20

2) The Inciters, 8pm, no cover 3) SNOW Party w/DJ Spryte, 10pm, $20

2) Little Town, 7pm, no cover

1) Lacy J. Dalton, Collin Raye, 8pm, Tu, $30 -$35 2) Little Town, 7pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) Aces Up, 9pm, no cover 3) Fashion Friday, 7pm, no cover 4) Live music, 8:30pm, no cover

2) Aces Up, 9pm, no cover 3) Seduction Saturdays, 9pm, $5 4) Live music, 8:30pm, no cover

2) Recovery Sundays, 10pm, no cover 3) Industry Night, 9pm, no cover 4) Live music, 6:30pm, no cover

2) Gong Show Karaoke, 8pm, Tu, no cover

CARSON VALLEY INN

1627 Hwy. 395, Minden; (775) 782-9711 1) Valley Ballroom 2) Cabaret Lounge 3) Valley Sky Theatre

CRYSTAL BAY CLUB

DJ Spryte Jan. 24-25, 10 p.m. Peppermill 2707 S. Virginia St. 826-2121

14 Hwy. 28, Crystal Bay; (775) 833-6333 1) Crown Room 2) Red Room

ELDORADO HOTEL CASINO

345 N. Virginia St., (775) 786-5700 1) Showroom 2) Brew Brothers 3) BuBinga Lounge 4) Roxy’s Bar & Lounge 5) Stadium Bar

1) Ice Fantasy, call for showtimes, $19.95-$24.95 2) Atomika, 10:30pm, no cover 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, no cover

HARRAH’S LAKE TAHOE

Karaoke Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave., Sparks, 359-3526: F-Sa, 7pm; Tu, 6pm, no cover El Cortez Lounge, 235 W. Second St., 324-4255: Daily, 9pm, no cover Ponderosa Saloon, 106 South C St., Virginia City, 847-7210: Steel Rockin’ Karaoke, F, 7:30pm, no cover West Second Street Bar, 118 W. Second St., 384-7976: Daily, 8pm, no cover

15 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (775) 588-6611 1) South Shore Room 2) Casino Center Stage 3) Peek Nightclub

HARRAH’S RENO

219 N. Center St., (775) 788-2900 1) Sammy’s Showroom 2) The Zone 3) Sapphire Lounge 4) Plaza 5) Convention Center

JOHN ASCUAGA’S NUGGET

1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks; (775) 356-3300 1) Showroom 2) Cabaret 3) Orozko 4) Rose Ballroom 5) Trader Dick’s

2) Stew Stewart, 7pm, no cover 3) Scott Marshall, 5:30pm, no cover

MONTBLEU RESORT

55 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (800) 648-3353 1) Theatre 2) Opal 3) Blu 4) Onsen Beach & Nightclub 5) Convention Center 6) Outdoor Event Center

PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO 2707 S. Virginia St., (775) 826-2121 1) Tuscany Ballroom 2) Terrace Lounge 3) Edge 4) Capri Ballroom

SILVER LEGACY

2) The Inciters, 7pm, no cover 3) 3-D Thursdays w/DJs Max, Chris English, Kronyak, 10pm, $20

407 N. Virginia St., (775) 325-7401 3) University of Aura, 9pm, no cover 1) Grand Exposition Hall 2) Rum Bullions Island Bar 4) Live music, 6:30pm, no cover 3) Aura Ultra Lounge 4) Silver Baron Lounge 5) Drinx Lounge

RN&R

| JANUARY 23, 2014

2) Country at the Cabaret w/DJ Jamie G, 7pm, W, no cover 3) Dotsero, 6pm, W, no cover

For a complete listing of this week’s events, visit newsreview.com/reno

MILE

CARSON

HIGH

arson High Jazz Band and the Mile High Jazz Band present their 11th annual combined concert. The show is a benefit for Carson High music programs and will feature two big bands, vocalist Sheryl Adams, combo performances and the traditional grand finale combining the forces of both big bands. This year, the concert will include an appearance by the Carson Middle School Jazz Band under the direction of Nick Jacques. The concert begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Bob Boldrick Theater inside the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St. Tickets prices are $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors age 62 and older and $5 for youth age 12 and younger. Call the Mile High Jazz Band at (775) 883-4154 or visit http://milehighjazz.com.

JAZZEXTRAVAGANZA —Kelley Lang

Brew HaHa

Mamma Mia!

Sierra Arts’ 19th annual beer tasting and fundraiser features raffles for prizes, a large variety of beers and a dance party featuring live music by hip-hop/electronic/soul group Vokab Kompany. A general admission ticket includes unlimited beer tastings featuring more than 100 types of beer, including seasonal and microbrew varieties not available anywhere else. A $65 VIP ticket to Brew HaHa allows event-goers access to the event an hour early at 7 p.m., along with a chance to speak with the brewers. Both tickets include a commemorative beer pint tumbler. The event begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Rose Ballroom inside John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks. Tickets are $50 general admission and $65 for VIP. Proceeds benefit Sierra Arts programs. Call 356-3300 or visit http://www.sierra-arts.org.

Broadway Comes to Reno continues its 20132014 season with the hit musical written by Catherine Johnson. On the eve of her wedding, a young woman’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they last visited 20 years ago. The music of the Swedish pop group ABBA propels this tale of love, laughter and friendship. The show takes place at Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Evening performances start at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25, and at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. There will be matinee shows starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $59-$94. Call 686-6600 or visit www.pioneercenter.com.

OPINION

NEWS

GREEN

FEATURE STORY

The Discovery After Dark

Young Blood

Middle school students are invited to this night at the museum featuring a variety of art projects, hands-on science experiments, music spun by a DJ and more. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, 490 S. Center St. Admission is $10 for museum member and $15 for non-members. Call 786-1000 or visit www.nvdm.org.

Artists under the age of 21 get a chance to show and sell their artwork in the gallery without constraints or a screening process. The showcase happens on Friday, Jan. 24, from 6-8 p.m. at the Holland Project Gallery, 140 Vesta St. Admission is $1. There will be music by Frankly Fictitious and snacks and pizza donated by Noble Pie Parlor. Call (775) 742-1858 or visit www.hollandreno.org.

ARTS&CULTURE

ART OF THE STATE

FOODFINDS

FILM

MUSICBEAT

NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS

THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

JANUARY 23, 2014

RN&R

Think Free

Weirding bells are ringing I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in four months and haven’t been able to think of a guy to be my date. I recently met a guy at a party. He is the friend of a friend, and he’s cute and funny, and seemed really nice. He lives two hours away, so it isn’t easy to meet for coffee or something, but I thought I could ask him to be my date for this wedding and see where things go from there. Taking a guy to a wedding on the first date is like taking a cow sightseeing at a slaughterhouse. On a first date, the only person asking “So, are you two next?” should be a counterperson at Starbucks. The commitment-ganza first date also goes against the three things I always say first dates should be: cheap, short and local. That way, even if you and a guy hit it off like the Israelis and the Palestinians, you can probably stick it out for a polite 59 minutes of happy-hour drinks and then bail—in a way you can’t if you’ve signed up for a wedding ceremony, a four-course sit-down dinner, and people you don’t know crying on your sleeve and throwing up on your shoes. Beyond this being the wrong venue for a first date, inviting a near stranger four months in advance has to come off as weird and desperate. This far ahead, a guy has to wonder why there isn’t another male soul in your life you could ask—and wonder who’s next on your list if he says no, the wino living under the bus

28 | RN&R |

JANUARY 23, 2014

shelter? (On a positive note, that guy would especially appreciate the open bar.) Also consider that there’s a reason this guy hasn’t asked you out, and it’s probably that he isn’t interested or isn’t interested enough to date a woman he has to travel two hours to see. A guy who’d date the 7 who lives around the block would probably need her to be a sexually gifted 11.5 to make up for the two-hour drive. But there is an upside in the rubble of all these downsides. If you can accept that you won’t have a date for the wedding, you might find a date at the wedding by turning it into an opportunity to strike up conversations with interesting and possibly handsome strangers. Who knows, you might even meet a really great guy for you—one who gets that glimmer in his eye, realizing there’s no better woman to invite on a first date to either his nephew’s circumcision or his grandma’s funeral. Ω

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., No. 280, Santa Monica,CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com).

Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (775) 324-4440 ext. 5 Phone hours: M-F 8am-5pm. All ads post online same day. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Adult line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

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fEatuRE StORy |

aRtS&CuLtuRE

IN ROtatION

aRt Of tHE StatE

fOODfINDS

fILM

MuSICBEat

775.334.6666

NIGHtCLuBS/CaSINOS

tHIS WEEK

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jaNuaRy 23, 2014

RN&R

Our First

2014

by rob brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Actor Casey

WE’ll bE accEPting EntriEs noW through FEbruary 28 once more into the breach, my friends. the reno news & review is hosting a poetry contest. One submission per person. Entrants must live within 50 miles of the Reno News & Review’s office. There will be a panel of judges from both inside and outside the newspaper; we won’t announce who they are until publication of the winners to prevent lobbying. We’ll only accept emailed entries. The poem must be in the body of the email; no attachments, please. Include full name, address and phone in your email. Nom de plumes will not be accepted. Poems must be less than 500 words and must be submitted in a publishable form, e.g., no 1-line, 499-word poems. We’ll be mindful of intentional line breaks and word placement, yet reserve the right to change if needed, so stay away from

unusual fonts or formatting. We will presume all spellings and punctuation are intentional and we won’t copy-edit. Email to: renopoetry@newsreview.com with “Poetry 2014” in the subject line. Deadline for entries is 5PM, 2/28/2014. Winners will be published on 4/3/2014. The person who strips names from submissions will not be part of the judging team. We reserve the right to reject any submission at the editors’ discretion.

Affleck appreciates the nurturing power of his loved ones. “My family would be supportive,” he says, “if I said I wanted to be a Martian, wear only banana skins, make love to ashtrays, and eat tree bark.” I’d like to see you cultivate allies like that in the coming months, Aries. Even if you have never had them before, there’s a good chance they will be available. For best results, tinker with your understanding of who your family might be. Redefine what “community” means to you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author

John Koenig says we often regard emotions as positive or negative. Feeling respect is good, for example, while being wracked with jealousy is bad. But he favors a different standard for evaluating emotions: how intense they are. At one end of the spectrum, everything feels blank and blah, “even the big things,” he says. “At the other end is wonder, in which everything feels alive, even the little things.” Your right and proper goal right now, Taurus, is to strive for the latter kind: full-on intensity and maximum vitality. Luckily, the universe will be conspiring to help you achieve that goal.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): At her Oth-

erwordly blog (http://other-wordly.tumblr. com), Yee-Lum Mak defines the Swedish word “resfeber” this way: “the restless race of the traveler’s heart before the journey begins, when anxiety and anticipation are tangled together.” You might be experiencing resfeber right now, Gemini. Even if you’re not about to depart on a literal trip, I’m guessing you will soon start wandering out on a quest or adventure that will bring your heart and mind closer together. Paradoxically, your explorations will teach you a lot about being better grounded. Bon voyage!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): How does a

monarch butterfly escape its chrysalis when it has finished gestating? Through tiny holes in the skin of the chrysalis, it takes big gulps of air and sends them directly into its digestive system, which expands forcefully. Voilà! Its body gets so big it breaks free. When a chick is ready to emerge from inside its egg, it has to work harder than the butterfly. With its beak, it must peck thousands of times at the shell, stopping to rest along the way because the process is so demanding. According to my analysis, Cancerian, you’re nearing the final stage before your metaphorical emergence from gestation. Are you more like the butterfly or chick?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “I’m not sure where

249

to go from here. I need help.” I encourage you to say those words out loud, Leo. Even if you’re not sure you believe they’re true, act as if they are. Why? Because I think it would be healthy for you to express uncertainty and ask for assistance. It would relieve you of the oppressive pressure to be a masterful problem solver. It could free you from the unrealistic notion that you’ve got to figure everything out by yourself. And this would bring you, as if by magic, interesting offers and inquiries. In other words, if you confess your neediness, you will attract help. Some of it will be useless, but most of it will be useful.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Dogs have a

plus tax per month

2013 Countryman 36 month lease, $2,888.00 cash due at signing. MSRP $28,650, Automatic Transmission, Excludes Destination and Handling, 10,000 Miles per Year. On Approved Credit, See Dealer For Complete Details. 30 | RN&R |

JANUARY 23, 2014

superb sense of smell, much better than us humans. But ours isn’t bad. We can detect certain odors that have been diluted to one part in 5 billion. For example, if you were standing next to two Olympic-sized swimming pools, and only one contained a few drops of the chemical ethyl mercaptan, you would know which one it was. I’m now calling on you to exercise that level of sensitivity, Virgo. There’s a situation in the early stages of unfolding that would ultimately emanate a big stink if you allowed it to keep developing. There is a second unripe situation, on the other hand, that would eventually yield fragrant blooms. I advise you to either quash or escape from the first, even as you cultivate and treasure the second.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Whatever

adventures may flow your way in the coming weeks, Libra, I hope you will appreciate them for what they are: unruly but basically benevolent; disruptive in ways that catalyze welcome transformations; a bit more exciting than you might like, but ultimately pretty fun. Can you thrive on the paradoxes? Can you delight in the unpredictability? I think so. When you look back at these plot twists two months from now, I bet you’ll see them as entertaining storylines that enhance the myth of your hero’s journey. You’ll understand them as tricky gifts that have taught you valuable secrets about your soul’s code.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Manufac-

turing a jelly bean is not a quick, slam-bam process. It’s a five-step procedure that takes a week. Each seemingly uncomplicated piece of candy has to be built up layer by layer, with every layer needing time to fully mature. I’m wondering if maybe there’s a metaphorically similar kind of work ahead for you, Scorpio. May I speculate? You will have to take your time, proceed carefully and maintain a close attention to detail as you prepare a simple pleasure.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

I understand the appeal of the F-word. It’s guttural and expulsive. It’s a perverse form of celebration that frees speakers from their inhibitions. But I’m here today to announce that its rebel cachet and vulgar power are extinct. It has decayed into a barren cliché. Its official death fromoversaturation occurred with the release of the mainstream Hollywood blockbuster The Wolf of Wall Street. Actors in the film spat out the rhymes-with-cluck word more than 500 times. I hereby nominate you Sagittarians to begin the quest for new ways to invoke rebellious irreverence. What interesting mischief and naughty wordplay might you perpetrate to escape your inhibitions, break taboos that need to be broken, and call other people on their BS and hypocrisy?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Ger-

man philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) has had a major impact on the development of ideas in the Western world. We can reasonably divide the history of philosophy into two eras: pre-Kantian and post-Kantian. And yet, for his whole life, which lasted 79 years, this big thinker never traveled more than 10 miles away from Königsberg, the city where he was born. He followed a precise and methodical routine, attending to his work with meticulous detail. According to my analysis, you Capricorns could have a similar experience in the coming weeks. By sticking close to the tried-and-true rhythms that keep you grounded and healthy, you can generate influential wonders.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The

Aquarian author Georges Simenon (19031989) wrote more than 200 novels under his own name and 300 more under pseudonyms. On average, he finished a new book every 11 days. Half-a-billion copies of his books are in print. I’m sorry to report that I don’t think you will ever be as prolific in your own chosen field as he was in his. However, your productivity could soar to a hefty fraction of Simenon-like levels in 2014—if you’re willing to work your ass off. Your luxuriant fruitfulness won’t come as easily as his seemed to. But you should be overjoyed that you at least have the potential to be luxuriantly fruitful.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When I’m

older and wiser, maybe I’ll understand the meaning of my life. When I’m older and wiser, maybe I’ll gain some insight about why I’m so excited to be alive despite the fact that my destiny is so utterly mysterious. What about you, Pisces? What will be different for you when you’re older and wiser? Now is an excellent time to ponder this riddle. Why? Because it’s likely you will get a glimpse of the person you will have become when you are older and wiser—which will in turn intensify your motivation to become that person.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at (877) 873-4888 or (900) 950-7700.

by Dennis Myers PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

Abolitionist Nancy Hart Since Illinois Gov. George Ryan declared a moratorium on executions in his state in 2000 after a dozen wrongful convictions in capital cases came to light, debate on the death penalty has been revived, with moratoriums or abolition being enacted in some states. In Nevada, Nancy Hart of the Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty has spent decades campaigning and lobbying. The Coalition’s website is at www.NVCADP.org. (Italics here indicate the tone of voice.)

Why did you get involved with this issue? I got involved because it was a human rights issue for me. I had been involved in Amnesty International—still am—and learned about it at a conference. And the more I learned about it, the more I thought, “Good heavens, of course I’m against the death penalty.” It started as a human rights issue for me, but it became just a public policy issue that it seemed to me to be something that we could make progress on if we did enough education and if enough people knew about it, knew more about it, that maybe we could see some change.

Nevada doesn’t seem like fertile ground for this kind of an effort. Well, you know, there’s a national trend happening right now that’s kind of a result of a lot of things. It’s the result, I think, of a growing awareness around states that are conservative like Nevada, or not necessarily conservative but have a view that the death penalty is a practical option. And even in those states, there’s been concern about the cost, there’s been concern about the execution or the conviction of innocent people, and there’s always been concerns about discrimination, racial discrimination, economic discrimination. And I think that national momentum—which has also led to some repeal in some states—has created a little buzz around it, and whenever there’s a little buzz, I think more people pay attention. And I truthfully think there’s a lot of people who don’t know much and don’t think much about the death penalty and they may have a knee-jerk reaction. But we’re in a time even in Nevada when I think more people, if they’re given the right information, they are concerned about what we spend on it, or whether it’s actually effective at resolving the crime problem.

You’ve been doing this for how long?

a strong conviction, personal position, initially. But they’re all really interested in learning more about the issue. And everyone is interested in making sure that it is appropriate and fair, even if they support the concept of the death penalty. So when we have promoted reforms, like getting rid of three-judge panel sentencing, there’s been a lot of support for those types of reforms. The question of actual abolition, you know, it still divides. People either have an opinion one way or the other. But I do think there’s concern about cost, and I do think there’s concern about effectiveness. And part of the effectiveness issue is people’s concern’s that there are inmates on death row for years and years, and we’re not actually executing anybody, and we’re not getting the so-called justice that we’re looking for. So those concerns about delays and costs aren’t really about whether you believe in it or not, it’s just you have to ask yourself whether it’s working. That, in fact, has been one of the things that’s happened in some of the states that have repealed, is that even conservatives have come to the point in their states where they look at it and realize it’s just not working. You know, “I can say I believe in it, but we shouldn’t have it because it’s just ineffective.” And I think that that kind of reception is here in Nevada as well. We’re a ways away from changing the death penalty in Nevada, but I think that conversation has started and there is a lot of interest in learning about it. Ω

I have been working against the death penalty for 30 years.

As you’ve gotten more organized, have you been able to find sources of financial support in this area? Not in this area. There have been some national foundations that have funded the death penalty work in the last decade that’s really been phenomenal across the country, and we did tap into some of that funding. As foundation funding goes, it comes up and down and right now there isn’t a whole lot of it. We operate on very slim resources.

Tell me about the organization. The Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty … started meeting in 2001, and that was after one of Joe Neal’s abolition bills, and then there was a study. So we’ve been around but we’ve never had regular staff here. … And it’s always difficult to make the progress you want to make when you have a volunteer base.

You’ve been at several Nevada legislatures. When you raise this issue, what is the typical reaction?

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Love

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love weddings, and from what I can tell, most other people love them, too. But they love attending them. Planning them, that can be a completely different story. The price tag for a wedding doesn’t just include the large dollar sum many drop for this one day. It comes with a whole lot of stress and drama as well most of the time. That’s not to say that planning a wedding can’t be fun and exciting—it’s just fun and exciting mixed in with the stress and drama. So to help you out, we’ve made this guide for you. If you’re looking for something to help you plan out when you should do what in the planning process, you can flip to the wedding checklist. Just remember that every wedding is going to be different, so your timeline might vary a bit. Tim Hauserman talked to some veteran cake bakers in the area to give you some ideas about what to expect while figuring out that part of the process. If you’re strug-

gling with your catering menu, turn to Erin Meyering’s story about offering vegetarian and other alternative options for your guests. For all things wedding planning and the issues that might come with it, I sat down with local wedding planner Donna Putnam and talked about her experiences with the big “I do.” We’ve also included a story on a local shop that offers not only gowns and tuxes but also planning and rental services. So if you’re planning a wedding anytime soon—even if it’s just on Pinterest— read through this guide and hopefully it might take away a little bit of that stress. And remember, your wedding is about you, your to-be spouse and the love you share—don’t let the planning get in the way of that. Good luck, Sage Leehey

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Editor D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Special Projects Editor Sage Leehey Designer Hayley Doshay Contributors Tim Hauserman, Erin Meyering Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Advertising Consultants Meg Brown, Gina Odegard, Bev Savage Office Manager/Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker Distribution Manager Valerie Mets Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Ron Large, Joe Medeiros, Ron Neill, Andy Odegard, Jesse Pike, Martin Troye, Warren Tucker, Gary White, Joseph White, Sam White, Matthew Veach

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art salesperson. Part wedding planner. Part therapist. Tiffany Harker really loves all the pieces of her job. That was clear as soon as she started talking about her full service bridal boutique, beaming the whole time. Back on Sept. 20, the doors of Tiffany’s Bridal Boutique and Formal Wear opened, complete with a formal ribbon cutting and all the works. Harker moved across the country from Ohio on April 20 to open this store, and she has high hopes for it. “This has all been seven years in the making,” Harker said. “I got my degree in professional bridal consulting, and I started doing it out of house. I started doing small, little events. I got into big corporate events, really large weddings. And this is what I wanted my whole life. It’s been baby steps getting there. I started doing invitations, shoes, jewelry, things like that, then linens, chair cover rentals. My husband slowly got pushed out of every room in our house.” When the couple had a daughter two years ago, Harker talked to her husband about moving and opening up her full service bridal boutique. The original plan was to move to Charlotte, N.C., but there were too many bridal shops in the area to open hers. And after some convincing from her aunt, Harker

decided Reno would be a great location for her shop and convinced her husband to move across the country. Reno has fewer bridal and formal wear shops than many cities its size. Because of this, some go out of town for a larger selection of shops, making Reno a great fit for Harker’s shop. “Full service is going beyond just the gown. It’s being the wedding planner, the consultant, offering invitations, shoes, centerpiece rentals, linen rentals, chair cover rentals,” Harker said. “I even do ceiling drapery treatments with the lighting, things like that, so everything needed for your wedding and reception venue, like the glassware, stuff like that.” She offers different packages to couples seeking her services for their wedding. She can be the wedding planner from start to finish, the wedding day coordinator or they can choose from her services a la carte. She loves helping throughout the wedding planning process but misses it because she hasn’t been able to do much of this for the last year while trying to get the shop off the ground. “I just love seeing the faces on brides,” Harker said. “It’s such a happy moment. It’s such a—I don’t know—it’s just a once in a lifetime moment event, and I just want them to be happy. And just to see their face, that’s my reward, is just seeing the smile on their face when they’ve found the gown, or walking into their reception and seeing their vision a reality. The best part is when they walk in and see their dream, their vision become a reality.”

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h, the wedding cake. It is often held up as an essential symbol of the traditional wedding, something to be treated with reverence like a fine family heirloom, but it’s important to remember that in reality, it’s just a large, fancy and potentially delicious dessert. It’s just a cake. At least that is what Allison Sayles, wedding cake maker extraordinaire for Sugar Pine Cakery in Tahoe City, keeps trying to remind herself, while she maneuvers her beautiful creations through busy summertime traffic. No lives are in danger here. Only large quantities of deliciousness. Customers might think otherwise when they understand the stress level that some folks go through to make sure one of those beautiful multi-tiered creations arrives in pristine condition. Barbara Vogt, co-owner of the Tahoe House Bakery in Tahoe City, has been in the wedding cake business for many years. She says the process of planning for your wedding cake is

JANUARY 23, 2014

fairly simple, and the key is to begin the process early. First, she meets with whoever is in charge of the cake. Sometimes it’s a wedding planner, or the bride and the bride’s mother, or it could be the bride and groom, although it must be noted that while we have made great strides towards an enlightened society in which men and women possess equal opportunities, when it comes to wedding cakes, men are still firmly entrenched in the back seat. Vogt says that from her experience, “grooms are excited to get any kind of input. Sometimes the brides let them pick one of the flavors.” Armed with information on what type of cake they would prefer, Vogt next puts together a cake tasting. She can even make a mini cake to take home and share with the family. Once the decision is made, she collects a deposit and then asks the bride to call her two weeks prior to the event to make sure they are still getting married. Vogt says, “I’ve had a couple of brides over the years who I’ve called and left a message just a few days before the big day, ‘If you are still getting married and want a cake you better call me.’… They do.” At Lake Tahoe, it’s common to choose a beautiful outdoor setting for weddings. While a lovely green lawn with the deep blue lake in the background makes for spectacular wedding pictures, it can be a challenge for the cake makers. Vogt remembers a wedding at the Ehrman Mansion on the grounds of Sugar Pine Point State Park. The mansion sits in a magnificent wooded area on a grassy knoll just above the west shore of Lake Tahoe. A dance floor had been set up in front of the mansion overlooking the lake,

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and just around the corner was the cake lovingly set up for all to see. Also closely watching the chain of events was a bear (who was apparently a big fan of the movie Wedding Crashers). Once the dance floor filled up, the bear moved in to devour the cake. While there wasn’t much left when the bruin was finished, the guests did obtain some unforgettable photographs. Another memorable wedding along the lakeshore at Chambers Landing brought a smaller marauder, in this case a squirrel, who also quickly made off with nibbles of the sugary concoction. Sometimes, the groom does get a little input into the cake, unbeknownst to the bride. Vogt remembers one instance where the groom contacted her five days before the wedding and asked for a secret decorating addition. Apparently, it had taken the couple a long time to make the decision to embark on the marriage because right where the couple was set to cut the cake Vogt was instructed to add the word, “Finally!”

sticker which says, “Caution, Wedding Cake on Board.” “You worry about Tahoe summer traffic,” Sayles say. “Then, when you get there, you have to carry it over God knows what uneven surface to what is hopefully a shady space.” She has to time it so she can get in and set up the cake before the crowds arrive, but late enough that the cake will still be fresh when the bride and groom take their photo op. Whoever is in charge of guarding the cake should arrive at the location before the always present gang of kids start hanging around with their long fingers waiting to dip in for a quick lick when the adults aren’t looking, or grandma wants to give her lengthy two cents about the horrible cake decoration choices made by her granddaughter-in-law. In the late summer and fall, wasps are a frequent visitor to the sweet stuff. Sayles remembers an extremely elaborate cake last year, adorned with flowers and peaches, that was soon swarmed by the hungry wasps. Oh, and then sometimes it rains. While Vogt had to deal with a bear at the Ehrman Mansion, Sayles’ reward at the lake side location was a tromp through deep puddles in a drenching rain. Once, against her better judgment, Sayles was convinced to set up a lovely butter cream cake on a temporary dance floor. While, as is always the case, she was not there to witness the unveiling of her artwork—the cake maker is never there to enjoy the cake, they are long gone and back baking cookies for the non-wedding crowd—she was informed by a frantic wedding planner that the combination of clomping feet and a temporary dance floor led to the frosting grumbling on the cake. Another time, she remembers setting up a cream cheese cake on a sunny Tahoe beach in June when the temperature was 90 degrees. She did everything she could to set it up just right, but as she was leaving she thought for sure it was tilting slightly to the right. After both of these incidents, Sayles later received letters from the brides … saying how scrumptious and delicious her cakes were. Perhaps, it really is just a cake. In the end, while everybody loves her cakes, and Sayles is close to being booked solid for this coming summer, she is not sure why she keeps taking on the challenge. “You have to keep your humor. You don’t want to disappoint people. It is absolutely nerve wracking.” While making cakes for strangers is a challenge, she says, “making my sister’s cake was the worst, I couldn’t watch people eat it.”

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YOU DON’T WANT TO DISAPPOINT PEOPLE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NERVE WRACKING. Sugar Pine Cakery’s Sayles says that once the sampling is done, and it comes time to make the wedding cake, it’s a three-day process. First she bakes the cake, then on the second day she fills the inside and puts a crumb cote on the top, and then on the last day, the frosting and decorations go on, hopefully as late as possible so that the cake is as fresh as it can be once the bride and groom take to the knife. Sayles says a popular alternative these days are gourmet cup cakes. Couples can have a small showpiece cake at the ceremony, and then provide the guests cupcakes. They are less expensive and easy to transport, and don’t require plates, or silverware. Once the cake is completed, that’s when the scary and dangerous part of the operation occurs—delivering and setting it up. In the summer, Sayles is often delivering three cakes at a time, “I get the air conditioning going in my car for a while, trying to get it as cold as possible,” she says. Then, she delicately stacks the cakes in the car, and often has her husband drive while she holds on tight to her little babies in the back. Every bump in the road, and the frequent honking they inspire with their slow driving, increases her stress level. She says she needs to get a bumper

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by S A G E L E E H E Y SAGEL@NEWSREVIEW.COM

LOCAL EVENT PLANNER TALKS WEDDINGS

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onna Putnam is the owner of Forget Me Knot Events, and she has planned more than 250 weddings. Her experiences might help out those who are planning their own weddings.

Tell me a little about your company. I own Forget Me Knot Events, and I opened it about three or four years ago. I went out on my own after working, gosh, 16 years in the corporate world. I used to work for Reno Diagnostic Centers, and I was a marketing and HR director. And I thought if I was going to work this hard, I’m going to do it for myself and take all these skills that everybody has taught me and open my own business and do the one facet of my job that I love. And that’s event planning. I do corporate event planning and wedding planning and pretty much any event someone wants me to help out with.

What’s your favorite part about being a wedding planner? I think my favorite part is meeting the family. It might sound kind of trite, but I really, absolutely love all the different family dynamics and how much emotion is involved in the process and helping mitigate the stress level and let them enjoy the emotion versus letting the other negative emotions come in. In other words, let’s keep the stress level down and let the happy emotions come through. It’s just really cool to be a part of that day, and I still keep in touch with a lot of my brides, and it’s kind of nice to feel part of the extended, extended family.

Any bridezillas or horror stories? I think in life you’re always going to have someone you don’t get along with or whatever. I think part of my job is to pull them off the ceiling, so I don’t really let them get up there that high. It’s my job to sweat the details. It’s my job to make sure the day comes out the way they want, so if I’m doing my job then they don’t typically turn into a bridezilla. And my major was communications, for Pete’s sakes, so if I can’t talk to somebody then I’m doing something wrong. I really, really try to get them to talk to me. And I used to bartend, too, so it’s all about building a relationship and talking with people. And I think that helps keep them from turning into a bridezilla. And when they interview me, I’m interviewing them as well. Sometimes you’re just not a fit. You can’t be a fit for everybody. So there’s times where you can sense that in an individual and maybe it’s best to just not go forward.

So how does the process normally work?

They usually find me from my website or word of mouth or something. Pretty much everybody is going to go check you out online first, you know, the sniff test. So they go scope you out, stalk you on social media, Facebook, Instagram and all of that, and they look at your work. And then they decide if that is what they’re going for. Then they’ll usually send me an email or give me a call, and they’ll usually want a price range, whether they want day-of or partial or a full planning experience. So I’ll give them kind of a ballpark range because I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, myself included. … And so then we usually set up a time to Facetime chat if they’re a destination bride or if they’re local, we usually meet [at Starbucks]. And then depending on what they tell me and how well the meeting goes, I’ll give them a price from there.

affordable than most people think. When people hear wedding planner, they think Jennifer Lopez with the headsets on [in The Wedding Planner] or even Father of the Bride, and they think, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” And it’s actually more affordable than you think, and it’s money well spent because someone is watching out for you for the full day. … When you rely on friends and family, it’s not if they’re willing to help, it’s if they actually do help in the end. Everyone is going to say they will help you, but you may not want the help that you get.

What are some common issues that people can try to prepare for? There’s always going to be issues with their budget. When I work with people,

LET’S KEEP THE STRESS LEVEL DOWN AND LET THE HAPPY EMOTIONS COME THROUGH. Do you get more people who want full planning, just day-of or partial? If you took the pie and divided it, it’s almost all equal. I have a lot of day-ofs, but then throughout the course of the year, I’ll get a lot of full planning that come in. And it’s kind of nice because you get to put your toe in the pond of all these different facets. Sometimes the day-ofs are really cool because you get to become someone else for the day, and you get to execute their vision. Sometimes they’re a little bit more challenging in that regard because you don’t know if someone else will be as organized as you are. But I purposely jump into the picture 60 days beforehand to make sure that I understand what’s going on, so it’s a little bit more than just a day of. But the partials are fun, too. And with the full planning, that’s where you really get your feet wet and then you’re down in the trenches trying to plan it out with their mother, sometimes grandma.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who’s planning their wedding? Don’t put your family to work on your wedding day. It’s your wedding day. You’re getting married to celebrate two families coming together. Don’t put them on the unpaid work detail. In order for your family to enjoy the day and you to enjoy the day, hire someone to just be you for the day. Carve that out of your budget if you can afford it. It’s more

You mentioned Pinterest, is that more of a help or a hindurance?

I always advise to them to have a slush fund set aside for those unforeseen costs. There’s always vendors who want to work with you but then certain circumstances come along and later something happened and somehow they become double booked or something. Always prepare for a vendor who maybe can’t fulfill what you want to do, and that’s OK because you can always find another person that’s going to work with you. It’s not the end of the world. Some people have lost their venues. That’s a big one. We have always been able to find them another venue, and they’ve done well, if not better. It’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t happen exactly the way they plan, so try and keep that perspective that this happened for a reason, now let’s work it out positively.

What’s your favorite part of the actual planning process? I think planning the floral and the décor, because what we do is we usually do a mock table setting. And you can really see on the family’s faces, the bride’s face—it’s like a preview of their wedding and they’re really excited. You can tell immediately if what you’ve put together is going to work or not. It’s always nice to give them that feeling, that release, like, “Oh my gosh, what I saw in my head is actually going to work out.” Sometimes you have all these ideas in your head. You’re on Pinterest, and you’ve got a thousand pins in your head, and you’re like, “How the heck am I going to put this all through this funnel and get this all to work?” So it’s a matter

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of putting in a tangible form for them to be able to see. I really like to work with the local florists in town because I’m not really a designer. I can do design, but I’m more like organization, planning, all of that. And so I work with them to kind of pool those two schools of thought together to give them visual confirmation of where they’re going. And again, it’s a preview to their wedding day. And it’s always, from that point forward, I wouldn’t say smooth sailing but things are just like, “Ahh.” It takes that pressure cooker feeling off. I’ve got it. I can see it. I know it’s going to be great, and then they get really, really excited about it. I like to do that early on because that excitement helps fuel them through the rough patches, budget problems, vendors dropping off or things not panning out or things being more than they thought they were going to be.

I think Pinterest is an awesome medium for inspiration and ideas. It can tend to overwhelm folks because they tend to over-pin. And having never planned a wedding before or any kind of large social event that has over 100 people, that’s understandable. So I recommend that they pin to their heart’s content. It’s kind of like brainstorming. You’re just dumping ideas. And then create a whole separate page and don’t even look at your other page for like a whole month and get the planning started, and then you can go to that page and start pulling things that you really like. It can help you streamline your vision. And you also have to be realistic with your budget because Pinterest can sometimes give you the illusion that things are more affordable than they really are. A lot of the bouquets that are in there are really elaborate. It’s a forum for people to showcase their best work, so that’s the best of the best. Sometimes we forget that when we’re budgeting things. And they’re like, “Oh, I can make that.” Someone else can make that, maybe, but it’s going to cost a lot of money. They have to be realistic with themselves as far as do-it-yourself projects. Sometimes people get into a quandary, and they’re like, “Oh, I’m going to make this and my mom’s going to make this and grandma’s going to make this.” You end up with this do-it-yourself list that’s really long, and you don’t want to be up the night before your wedding hot gluing things and folding programs because you’re saving a dollar and you saw it on Pinterest. It might come out beautiful, but now you’re photos are going to come out bad because you’re tired and have dark circles under your eyes. So I think it’s really great for inspiration, but you have to keep in mind what’s realistic. It’s kind of like what they used to say—you can’t have everything you see on TV. Same thing for Pinterest. It’s just a different medium.

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