Issuu

Letters............................ 3 Opinion/Streetalk............ 5 Sheila.Leslie.................... 6 Brendan.Trainor.............. 7 News.............................. 8 Green............................ 11 Feature......................... 12 Arts&Culture................26 Art.of.the.State.............29

RENoâ€™s NEws & ENtERtaiNmENt wEEkly

VolumE

20,

issuE

DECEmBER

11-17,

2014

Foodfinds..................... 30 Film.............................. 32 Musicbeat.....................35 Nightclubs/Casinos........36 This.Week.....................39 Advice.Goddess........... 40 Free.Will.Astrology....... 42 15.Minutes.................... 43 Bruce.Van.Dyke........... 43

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december 11, 2014

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Send letters to renoletters@newsreview.com

We’re so lucky

Welcome back, Fred

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. Oh my goodness. It’s a wild week here at the world headquarters of the Reno News & Review, high above Lander Street. The grand jury results in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner police-involved homicide cases had repercussions even far away in little, old Reno. Maybe it’s too “inside baseball,” but I know some of you care, so I’ll tell you about it. For one, something happened on Sunday. It’s one of those hard-to-explain internet things, but all of a sudden, my website, www.fatalencounters.org (dealing with officer-involved killings), went crazy. 39,404 people visited the site, and many didn’t just look, they either added data regarding officer-involved killings or they sent a donation to our new 501(c)3, Fatal Encounters Dot Org. It’s really overwhelming. With that came a deluge of journalists. Last week, I was in the Washington Post twice, on CNN, on Al Jazeera, on national NPR talking about the need for data on officer-involved deaths. It’s kind of what’s known as a “beneficial cycle,” in which the news reports feed in to the interest in the website, which spurs more interest on social media. It’s the happy version of the better known “vicious cycle.” The University of Southern California is writing a grant application to fund our collection of this data. That has been a learning experience all by itself. I can’t begin to tell you how many other universities—from Columbia University to Georgia State University to University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill—are analyzing our data. And it’s into this maelstrom that I’m working on the last Fatal Encounters package for our series. And guess what? It’s finals week up at the university. If you’ll listen real closely, you’ll hear the sound of my brain imploding. Maybe I should rephrase that. I’ve always said I’m the luckiest guy I know. In some ways, it’s hard to say whether this is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me, or whether it’s payback for all the good luck I’ve had before.

Re “Free speech” (Letters to the Editor, Dec. 4): Dear Ms. Morgan, Your letter was of great interest to me because I had chosen to no longer respond to anything in this newspaper as their editorial policy of not editing some of their columnists use of the same words as you write about below, but you need to be encouraged. I believe I can answer your question as to how our society has come to this stage in the use of constant obscenities in their language. I have written several letters to the editor of this newspaper regarding the use of the “f” word in some of their columns. We’re not talking about someone being quoted but strictly the writers perceived need to add an “f” word or two for what I assume to be the misguided effort to make a stronger point. I have pointed out to this newspaper editor that the use of these words are inappropriate in a newspaper that pretends to have impact on the Reno citizens. In fact, it has helped cheapen the language of our society. I would suggest that you research the archives of this paper to find the articles and judge for yourself if they were appropriate or not. You can also research my letters that I wrote to the editor regarding this subject. Good luck on having a positive impact on the editor, my bet is on some ridicule for bringing up the subject as the headline above your letter indicates. I guess that they also thinks it’s free speech to yell fire in a crowded theater. It might be interesting to do a survey of the readers of the paper on this subject. Fred Speckmann Reno

The great brown buffalo Re “Land management” (Green, Dec. 4): The restoration of sagebrush ecosystems is a huge step, pretty ambitious, and I wonder why should mining companies care, because BLM will just greenlight solar and fracking anyway. The

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.

Elko Daily Free Press had an essay by a well-known local “renegade rancher” that had an insightful review and summary of all the early explorers’ reports of sage grouse. Very few reported sighting any, and the piece concluded that grazing and settlement—I guess by the railroad—favored the sage grouse. I contacted High Country News about this, and got nary a peep out of them. Now, a local weekly is espousing some complex projects and issues. I support TNC, but note also that their LinkedIn listing for a Range Conservationist requires (mainly) “experience with R modeling”—whatever that is. Is this just more “talking heads” like when the RGJ said UNR was researching “eradicating” cheatgrass? Buffalo chips! Steve Klutter Sun Valley

Me & Howie Re “Me & Jon” (Feature story, Nov. 26): Loved the play-by-play of your Daily Show appearance—but the link to the video was broken when I tried to call it up. Luckily, you mentioned the date of the airing in the article, so I was able to watch it. I have never watched Breaking Bad, so I don’t know who Hank is, but I always thought the drawing of Mr. Burghart alongside of his column was more of a sinister Howie Mandel. Never thought I needed to watch more TV. Leesa Heathman Reno

Dogs for everyone! Re “Guns for everyone!” (Letters to the Editor, Dec. 4): Guns for everyone? No. Guns for police and security guards trained to use fire arms and only as a last resort. Any citizen who thinks he’s a cop is nothing more than an idiot. Reno has first rate law enforcement. We all have cell phones.

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

Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Junior Art Director Brian Breneman Production Coordinator Skyler Smith Design Melissa Bernard, Brad Coates, Kyle Shine Advertising Consultants Joseph “Joey” Davis, Gina Odegard, Bev Savage, Jessica Wilson Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office Manager/Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker

—D. Brian Burghart OPINION

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Cops respond lickety split. Once, the head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, said, “Get rid of your guns and get a dog and a baseball bat.” Why did he say that? After World War II men had unfettered access to arms. They’d confront a criminal with their gun, and a battle would begin. What was a petty crime would escalate into a life and death struggle. Roger Dawson Reno

country or its citizens, but gave American corporations access to that country’s natural resources. • When it came time for that country to pay the loan, it was very clear that they had been tricked and could not pay. • Perkins returned to that country to tell them that because the loan had not been paid, we want/ demand their natural resources. • When that country wisely refused, the jackals went in to assassinate those who would not cooperate. • When that did not work, the military invaded the country. Sold to the naive young as an adventure without consequences and their patriotic duty, they willingly sacrificed their lives and future lives— the karma of murder and rape that will return to them to be paid. • September 11, 2001, was an inside job to justify war. The twin towers imploded from carefully placed dynamite. • Russia destroyed itself with the same economic policies we are following—war at any cost. • Soldiers are victims not heroes: Injected directly into their blood stream, toxic vaccines with the additives aluminum, formaldehyde, mercury and squalene were forced on them, to break down their immune systems. Why? Because the men and women in the military are knowledgeable, skilled, disciplined and viewed as a potential threat to their employer. Forced to fight for their health and sanity, they are now too sick to speak up about what has made their lives a living hell and future lives saddled with karma. • If our leaders believe in war, let them fight their enemy. Our children and their futures are not for sale. Will we go down in history as a generation of vipers or the generation that said, “No more!”

The Unified Conspiracy Theory Re “Age of Empire” (Feature story, Oct. 9): I feel fortunate to be an American citizen, but I haven’t felt proud for a very long time. Your “Age of Empire” is right on. Thank you. Created to protect its citizens by limiting governmental powers, our original Constitution and Bill of Rights specifically stipulated taxation of corporations only. In 1913, a new Amendment to the Constitution was forced upon us with the promise that taxes were to be collected from its citizens in the event of war only, and taxes were voluntary. Since then we have had one war after another. Each new war builds a bigger and bigger military-industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about. New weapons, each more deadly than the last, with which to destroy people’s lives, their lands, economies and the Earth herself. A monster out of control to make a few very rich, it serves the dark force’s agenda and their arrogant male war-like energies. • In John Perkins’ book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, he said that as a young man, he worked for Charles T. Main who sent him to third world countries to talk them into accepting loans from our government. • Using American tax dollars [in foreign countries], American corporations built roads, bridges, electricity, water, etc., none of which actually benefited that Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Anthony Clarke Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Steve Finlayson, Debbi Frenzi, Vicky Jewell, Joe Medeiros, Ron Neill, Christian Shearer, Marty Troye, Warren Tucker, Gary White, Joseph White, Margaret Underwood General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Rosenquist

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Lead Technology Synthesist Jonathan Schultz Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalinn Jenkins 405 Marsh Ave., Third Floor Reno, NV 89509 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-4572 Classified Fax (916) 498-7940 Mail Classifieds to classifieds@newsreview.com

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Web site www.newsreview.com Printed by Paradise Post The RN&R is printed using recycled newsprint whenever available. Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in the RN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. The RN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form.

Cover and feature story design: Brian Breneman

DECEMBER 11, 2014

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by Dennis Myers

ThiS ModeRn WoRld

by tom tomorrow

Favorite winter sport? Asked at University of Nevada, Reno

Maddie Poore Student

I like figure skating because it’s so elegant. I don’t really do much in the winter.

Ileana Tomich Student

I like to watch the ski jumping because they are so athletic.

Matt Lush Account Coordinator

Hand puppets

Snowboarding, for sure. I also like to drink hot coffee and watch the snowfall.

Hansen has been defiant in defense of his 19th When our article about Washoe Assemblymember century views on women, Latinos, African-Americans Ira Hansen’s past writings was being researched, we and gays. Oh, he put out statements with the style of received a bit of advice that we hold the article until next year and then spring it after he was elected speaker. apologies but without the substance. Nothing about them was contrite. Only on his statements about Israel, after It was a non-starter of an idea. We believed that both a trip there funded by a casino owner and donor, has he the public and the Assembly Republicans who planned admitted error. Otherwise, he blamed others for the fix to vote for Hansen were entitled to have the information he found himself in as a result of his backward stances in advance of the February vote. and his shoddy language. As it turned out, we gave the elected Republicans In various statements, Hansen suggested his relationmore credit than they deserved. From all evidence, ships with individuals within groups mitigated his Hansen’s hateful views did nothing to reduce his viciousness toward those groups. He appeal to them. Their loyalty to Hansen expects his one-of-my-best-brothershim trumped all. Not one of them is-gay statement to mollify those who publicly withdrew his or her support continues to legitimately criticize his hate. But the for his candidacy for speaker. Worse, evidence suggests that his ability to lead Assembly according to news reports that get along with individuals does not for have not been denied, after Hansen a moment palliate his disdain for the announced he would decline the job, Republicans larger group. After all, as we reported half of them didn’t bother to show last week, Hansen once wrote of his gay boyhood friend up at the caucus where his replacement was selected, who died of AIDS, “Nature has checks and balances built instead sending their proxies to—him. He then chose into it; cross those lines, and you will pay a price.” his own replacement as well as other Assembly officers, The fact that Hansen learned nothing, that he still is including the unstable, soft-on-crime Michelle Fiore unable to see how his cruel and reckless words can hurt as GOP floor leader. Hansen also appointed himself good people is not the real problem. It is that his fellow assistant majority leader. Republicans have the same infection. That the Assembly Republican Caucus let this By keeping Hansen in charge, however covertly, happen makes plain, as did their reaction to his racist, the Republicans are supporting his contempt for wide sexist, gay-bashing writings, that they embrace his swaths of the population, and are licensing him to viewpoint and agenda, and that he continues behind the continue translating his odious views into public policy scenes to lead the caucus. Assembly Republicans still in the name of the people of Nevada. Ω look to him for leadership.

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Megan Patten Receptionist

Oh my god, I hate winter and the snow and the mountains, but I guess iceskating.

Kayla Hill-Tidball Receptionist

I really like to watch the jumps in the Olympics where they do flips, and also the ice dancing.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

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Immigrants are not the enemy Immigration activist Astrid Silva is well aware that Nevada is at the center of our national anguish over immigrant rights. She knows this on a very personal level, as a “Dreamer,” brought to the United States by her parents in search of a better life when she was only 4. by Astrid’s life story was recounted Sheila Leslie by President Obama on national television a few days before he traveled to Las Vegas to sign the Executive Order expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, to allow millions of undocumented parents an opportunity to keep their families together as they become eligible for legal status, an excruciatingly slow process. When the national media clamored for on-camera interviews with the telegenic, articulate young woman, Astrid told them her family was “relieved to know these aren’t our last holidays together.” Comprehensive immigration reform has been stalled for years despite widespread agreement that something must be done to resolve

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

the status of more than 11 million workers who live in the shadows, paying their taxes and working long hours for low pay. But there isn’t much hope for passage, given Republican control of both houses of Congress and an increasingly stubborn refusal to act. Much of the activity involving immigrant rights is happening in the states with Nevada at the epicenter. According to the Pew Research Center, Nevada has the highest percentage of undocumented immigrants in the country—7.2 percent. Nevada also has the largest percentage of school children with at least one undocumented parent, a whopping 17.7 percent. Immigrants have won some victories in Nevada in recent years. Last session, there was bipartisan collaboration to direct $50 million to fund programs for English language learners for the first time in the state’s history. These programs, operated through “zoom schools,” are demonstrating excellent outcomes, enabling children to build the skills they need

to succeed. But the state’s looming budget hole and the anti-immigrant rhetoric that is emerging with the “red wave” that swept through Nevada this election cycle have placed that funding in jeopardy. The unexpected ascension of Republicans to majority status in both the Assembly and Senate has already led to talk of repealing a law passed in 2013, allowing undocumented workers to obtain Driver Authorization Cards so they can legally drive and buy insurance. Nevada was the 10th state to enact such a law, issuing more than 22,000 cards this year. There has also been discussion of allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a teaching license in Nevada, but that bill may not get very far in 2015 given the dissension in the Republican ranks between the moderates and the Tea Party types. We might get a new version of the useless “English Only” bill instead. Nevada’s newly elected Attorney General, Adam Laxalt, wasted no time jumping on the anti-immigrant

Republican bandwagon, signing onto a joint statement from the Republican Attorneys General Association attacking the Executive Order before he was even sworn in to office, signaling a new approach to these issues from Nevada’s top law enforcement office. Astrid’s voice will be more important than ever in the coming year to illustrate the need to work collaboratively to solve immigration issues. She is set to testify this week in Washington, before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the impact of the executive action on immigrant families. Her national exposure represents all we have to lose by treating Dreamers and their families as disposable workers whom we’re happy to exploit to harvest our fruit, clean our hotel rooms, and work in the kitchen while denying them the opportunity to become citizens. President Obama said it best when he asked: “Are we a nation that kicks out a striving, hopeful immigrant like Astrid? Or are we a nation that finds a way to welcome her in?” Ω

Immigration seems to be a place the left and the right could agree, if it’s not politicized: http://bit.ly/1tLWTrH

We need prosecutions, not deaths You won’t hear “constitutional conservatives” admit it, but Ferguson revealed problems with the police that go far beyond a few bad apples. Real constitutionalists need to look again to America’s founding generations to find solutions. America’s founders had a by Brendan Trainor deep distrust of standing armies. The Third Amendment to the Constitution, forbidding the quartering of soldiers in people’s homes, was written because the British army served general warrants on a populace that was forced to board them. The Third and Fourth Amendments should be read together as proscriptions on an overweening police presence and for requiring warrants for every intrusion into personal privacy. Recently Las Vegas Metro was sued under the dormant Third Amendment for commandeering a private home for a stakeout. The founding generations would look aghast at modern police much the same way they looked at the

British Army. They wanted a more privatized method of keeping order. Victims of crime applied for warrants and solved crimes themselves. Grand juries comprised of citizen volunteers often assisted them by helping in investigations. Grand juries on their own initiative could freely investigate government corruption. If warrants were defective, suspects were justified in resisting arrest and those involved in the faulty warrants, including judges, were held liable. Then around 1830, an Englishman named Robert Peel invented professional police. In England they are still called “Bobbies” after him. The idea was introduced to a hostile American public, but by the beginning of the 20th century, police forces were in every major American city. Over time, politicians and the courts have granted numerous legal protections to the police that ordinary citizens do not have. Qualified immunity makes it almost impossible to hold individual police officers accountable.

Even if successfully sued, the taxpayers, not the cop, pay the judgment. Grand juries have lost their independence and are completely under the thumb of prosecutors. Our lawyer-packed legislatures write so many laws that almost anyone can be prosecuted for almost anything. Ambitious prosecutors often conceal exculpatory evidence, and it is an open secret that police “testilie” to get convictions, or to protect fellow cops. Conservatives began exonerating Officer Wilson as soon as he shot Michael Brown. Liberals and libertarians were much more skeptical. We will not find out in open court what actually happened because, as is usually the case, the district attorney bent over backwards to prevent that. Michael Brown was not an angel, but he was no “demon” either. Brown had no rap sheet. Stealing a few cigarillos to create marijuana blunts does not give credibility to the officer’s testimony, never subjected to cross examination, that Brown viciously attacked

him. District attorneys and police are a fraternity. Police testimony gets convictions and promotions for DAs. We need independent investigations and prosecutions of police use of deadly force. Police unions need to be stripped of their power to prevent bad cops from being fired. The drug war has to end. Ferguson once more revealed the gap in perception between how middle class whites and minorities view the police. Poor whites are also harassed and shot by police. Government monopoly power and privilege is the problem. The public needs to be more skeptical of police shootings of both people and pets because the officer “feared for his life.” Citizens have a right to videotape the police and should have more latitude in resisting unlawful police commands, such as stop and frisk and “requests” to search vehicles without probable cause. It is time for a regime change here in America, from an overly militarized quasi police state back to the free society our founders fought for. Ω

Sir Robert Peel’s Nine Principals of Policing: http://bit.ly/1s0xBWr

good thing our service never goes out of style

CEL

E B R A T I N G 40 Y E A R S

1974 ~ 2014

billpearcemotors.com + 775-826-2100 OPINION

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

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PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

Sen. Richard Segerblom has legislation in preparation to raise the minimum wage, but it will be a drawn-out process.

English language musked A news release distribution service called Wall Street PR has issued a release for Tesla that takes the practice of converting nouns into verbs a step further. The release quotes Tesla CEO Elon Musk defending the corporation from accusations that he exploited Nevada’s hard times to get a good deal for his massive battery plant that will be built 17 miles east of Sparks in Storey County. “Musk has rubbished allegations that he received cash from the state but acknowledged the company did receive a parcel of land from the state,” the release read. “The CEO has also rubbished suggestions that the state didn’t right [sic] the giant electric company a blank check.” Musk’s corporate blog carried an essay under his byline, headlined “The House Always Wins,” making the case that Nevada, not Tesla, came out on top—though in real life, it’s probably Tesla, not Nevada, that is the house. “Nevada is the entertainment capital of the world, home to the most sophisticated casinos on Earth,” Musk wrote. “As everyone knows, the money to build those resorts arises because the casino houses generally tend not to lose.” Several publications, including the Washington Post and Fortune, have published in-depth reports on Musk’s manipulating state governments to ratchet up the corporate welfare he was able to harvest by playing their officials off against each other while his celebrity mystique shielded Tesla from rigorous scrutiny. Nevada won the factory with an incentives package crafted by the Sandoval administration. Estimates of its cost are all over the map, but the most commonly cited one says the state will ultimately pay $200,000 for each job generated. This week, local Washoe governments heard from agency heads that Tesla’s arrival will force acceleration of expansion or improvements of infrastructure like the sewage treatment plant. In addition, they were told that only importation will provide all the needed water for the region when Tesla is operating fully. The Fortune article can be read at http://tinyurl.com/nmx8fmw. The Musk essay is at www.teslamotors.com/blog/house-alwayswins.

State adjudged violent Using the data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a financial website called The Street produced a list of the most violent states in the nation. Nevada ranked third. The Nevada figures are as follows: Total violent crime rate (per 100,000 residents): 607.6 Murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate: 4.5 Forcible rape rate: 33.7 Robbery rate: 178.3 Aggravated assault rate: 391.1 Total population: 2,758,931

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Long process

Very minimum Nevada Legislature will consider steps toward $15 minimum wages in the state With Congress unable to function, states and municipalities in growing numbers have been preempting the federal by government on the minimum wage. Dennis Myers In real dollar value, the current federal minimum wage—$7.25—is lower than it was during most of the 1960s and ’70s. Last month voters in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota increased their states’ minimum wages—though none proposed minimums as high as $10. Illinoisans voted for a non-binding $10 wage and San Francisco voters went to $15.

“A lot of low skill workers will lose their jobs.”

The data for the FBI reports are submitted by local law enforcement agencies, either through a central state repository in most states, or directly to the FBI in a few states. Nevada is in the first category. Local agencies are not required to participate, and some do not, so the figures are not regarded as exhaustive. In the most recent annual report, for 2013, the FBI said it received statistics from 6,115 law enforcement agencies out of 18,290 total police agencies participating (or not participating) in the reporting program. In addition, localities may be reluctant to report some types of statistics that do not put law enforcement in a good light. Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact checking site, reported this week, “There is no mandate that local law enforcement agencies report officer involved shootings to the FBI. While 18,000 city, university, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies voluntarily participate in the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report, just a small fraction of them willingly provide data on deadly force and justifiable homicides within their departments. “ —Dennis

had no effect on employment. Other economists looked at every state-level minimum-wage increase over 25 years at times when unemployment was already high and found no evidence of an effect on job creation. Yet another group looked at the effect of state-level increases on teenagers—canaries in the coal mine of low-skilled employment—and found zero impact on their jobs.”

Myers

Jim Clark Lake Tahoe Republican columnist Last week, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners in Oregon voted to gradually increase the minimum wage from $11.99 to $15. Though overshadowed by police killings protests, workers in more than a hundred cities last week demonstrated for $15 minimums. In Nevada, Clark County Sen. Richard “Tick” Segerblom, a Democrat, will sponsor a constitutional amendment—a step toward a $15 minimum—in

the legislative session that begins Feb. 2. Nevada’s current minimum wage is $8.25, or $7.25 for workers with employer-provided health insurance. Nevada Republican figure Jim Clark wrote in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, “If, as Segerblom proposes, Nevada passes a law more than doubling the minimum wage, a lot of low skill workers will lose their jobs, many replaced by automation. ... The effect on all of us would include cost-push inflationary pressures, making it cheaper to go to Kings Beach [across the state line in California] for a burger.” However, the minimum wage in California has been 75 cents higher than Nevada without causing any land rush to Nevada burger joints at the lake. In October, Mike Konczal and Bryce Covert at the Nation magazine, using statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, looked at 13 states that increased the minimum wage on January 1, 2014. Twelve of them subsequently experienced increases in employment. One—New Jersey—experienced a 0.56 percent job loss. “Real-world evidence is reassuring,” Konczal and Covert wrote. “In 2010, three economists looked at 1,381 counties over 16 years, finding that minimum-wage hikes

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has signed a U.S. Conference of Mayors petition calling for a $10.10 an hour wage. In October, Vice President Joseph Biden visited her city to promote awareness of the problem. During that visit, a restaurant industry front group claimed the $10.10 minimum would cost Nevada $5,300 jobs. Segerblom’s measure would require amending the state constitution, meaning another public vote. The public vote is not likely to offer much of an obstacle, but getting the amendment through the legislature is another matter. It would have to pass two legislative sessions, in 2015 and 2017, before going before the voters. In 2006, Nevadans voted 68.71 to 31.29 percent to set the state minimum wage a dollar above the national minimum wage. Nevada is also one of seven states requiring the minimum wage for tipped workers. In April this year, Segerblom was still promoting—in a Las Vegas Review-Journal essay—a $10.10 minimum for Nevada. But by August, when he filed his request for a constitutional amendment with the legislative bill drafting office, he had raised his sights to $15. Efforts around the nation to raise the minimum were coalescing around that figure. “Two things,” he says now. “First, after I wrote the article $15 appeared to be the new $10.10, and second, it’s always good to aim high and leave room to negotiate.” Though the 2014 Nevada Republican Party platform made no mention—positive or negative—of the minimum wage, with new Republican majorities in both houses of the legislature, an effort to hike it could face substantial opposition. It is a longstanding GOP shibboleth that minimum

wages hurt business without aiding workers. Segerblom argues that even at the higher, $8.25 rate, “a full-time minimum wage worker makes only $17,160 per year, or $330 per week. This is not enough to secure the basic necessities of life—rent, food, medical care and child care—for even a small family. ... How do these families get by? Often they have to rely on private charity or public welfare.” No one thinks the patchwork efforts at state and local levels

are a particularly good idea, but dysfunction in the U.S. Senate has caused stagnation of wages. At the federal level, the Senate was unable to act on the minimum wage this year because of the “silent filibuster” obstacle that has overturned majority rule in that house in recent years, allowing minorities to block action by routinely requiring supermajorities. The most Democrats were able to muster to increase the minimum was 55 votes in the 100-member Senate. Ω

Second chance

Saturday, December 13 | 10 am - 6 pm

Join us to celebrate the newly remodeled E. L. Cord Museum School. Meet faculty, do hands-on art projects, and experience class demonstrations. Lunch at chez louie or grab a bite from local food trucks. All visitors will enjoy FREE museum admission, discounts on upcoming classes, and storytelling in the galleries. Free Admission

MUSEUM STORE: Holiday Pop-Up Saturday, December 13 | noon - 3 pm

Enjoy this personal shopping experience featuring two local designers with international reach. Textile artist Casey D. Sibley creates handmade home goods and accessories in a happy modern style. Karen Hancock makes metal jewelry from copper, brass, and sterling silver. Both claim nature’s rhythms and organic simplicity as inspiration. #shopartfully

In the photo at top, taken with a drone camera by Donald Abbott, “Last Chance Joe” is seen at new location on the night he was moved from the Sparks Nugget to the Sparks Heritage Museum (See 15 Minutes, page 43). The Nugget’s new owners decided to get rid of Joe, and he seemed destined for disposal until an anonymous donor ponied up the money to move the three-ton statue the two blocks. The character of Joe was created for the Last Chance Café in Garden City, Idaho, by Roscoe “Duke” Reading of Boise on a commission from the café owner, Dick Graves, who later founded the Nugget. In the photo at bottom, museum volunteer Richard Simmonds chatted with worker Chuck Ivey, who was working on the pedestal that serves as the new location for the 36-foot-tall Joe. OPINION

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Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts | E. L. Wiegand Gallery 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno | 775.329.3333 | nevadaart.org

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Photo/Sage Leehey

Jamie Roice-Gomes shows a radon test kit and a map of radon levels in tested homes in Washoe County.

Silent but deadly Free test kits for cancer-causing radon gas are available in Nevada Radon being colorless, odorless, tasteless, naturally occurring and the second leading cause of lung cancer sounds a little terrifying, but testing the exposure levels in your home is pretty easy. by Sage Leehey All it takes is a simple test kit that’s free from now until Feb. 28 at all University of Nevada Cooperative Extension offices as part of National s age l@ Radon Action Month. The test kit just needs to be placed on the lowest livednews review.c om in area of your home and left for three days. Then you send it off to the lab in the supplied prepaid mailer. In about a week and a half to two weeks, you’ll find out the radon level in your home. Just make sure to send the kit immediately after completing the test because it’s time sensitive. About one in four homes that have been tested in Nevada have had elevated radon levels. “Every home, every building has radon, but we really care about the level,” said UNCE radon education coordinator Jamie Roice-Gomes. “The EPA says that if your home is at four picocuries per liter of air ... you should take some sort of action to fix it. Let me put this into perspective. When there is an average of four picocuries [of radon] per liter of air, then that means there’s a similar risk to developing lung cancer as someone who smokes about half a pack of cigarettes a day.” And with lung cancer being the leading cause of cancer death and the second most common cancer in the United States, it seems silly not to test your home for radon. “Radon levels, they constantly fluctuate—year to year, seasonally, monthly, weekly, daily, even hourly levels can go up and down,” RoiceFor a list of University Gomes said. “So it’s recommended that homes are tested every two years.” of Nevada Cooperative UNCE is pushing for homes to be tested but Roice-Gomes said testing extension offices, visit tinyurl.com/3cn4s4f. other places, like businesses and schools, is less necessary because it takes For more about radon, long term exposure—about 10 to 20 years, according to Roice-Gomes—to visit www.unce.unr. cause lung cancer, and less time is typically spent in those places than in your edu/programs/sites/ home. She also said the best time to test is during the wintertime when radon radon. levels are at their highest and that the kits are safe around kids and pets. “Basically, it takes an air sample and the radioactive particles end up adhering to the activated charcoal,” she said. “These are non-hazardous as well. It’s OK to be around your kids. Just don’t have them disturb it while it’s testing.” If you’ve tested and have elevated radon levels—anything at or above four picocuries per liter of air—mitigation is also relatively simple and easy. You can do it yourself or you can go to a certified radon mitigator. “And it depends on what type of foundation you have,” Roice-Gomes said. “If you have a crawl space, they end up putting down a polyethylene sheeting down—just a plastic sheeting down—and they seal it with a polyurethane caulking. ... There’s a perforated pipe hooked up to a piping system with an exhaust vent at the end, and it sucks all the radon and soil gas from underneath it, lowering levels. For a house that has a concrete slab, they would end up drilling a hole three or four inches in diameter into the concrete slab, hooking it up to a piping system with an exhaust vent at the end that runs continuously again, and it sucks all that radon and soil gas out.” Without testing, there’s no way to know or even guess that you have elevated radon levels in your home, so Roice-Gomes urged that Nevadans take advantage of the free test kits and find out if their homes are safe. Ω OPINION

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CANDY CANE EXPRESS TRAINS: Enjoy hot chocolate, cider, candy canes and cookies on board vintage V & T trains. Trains leave the Virginia City Depot at noon and 2 p.m. Children under age 2 ride free on lap. Sa, 12/13, 12 & 2pm; Su, 12/14, 12 & 2pm. $15 adults, $7 children ages 2-12. V&T Depot, 166 F St. in Virginia City, (775) 847-0380, www. virginiatruckee.com.

St., Carson City, (775) 883-1976, www. breweryarts.org.

ARTS & OSCARS GALA: Sierra Arts Foundation’s fundraiser includes a silent auction, cocktails, dinner and a broadcast of the Academy Awards. Su, 2/22, 5pm. $100 per person. Eldorado Resort Casino, 345 N. Virginia St., (775) 329-2787, http://sierra-arts.org.

FUTURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS?: Dr. William Schulz, former executive director of Amnesty International, will explore the global and domestic threats to human rights, the political, cultural, military and institutional limits to addressing those threats and what can be done. He will develop a philosophy of human rights: Are they truly universal or trumped by religion and culture? Sa, 12/13, 5pm. $6 in advance, $8 at door, $3 students. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada, 780 Del Monte Lane, (775) 851-7100.

NEVADA’S CHRISTMAS SALE & INDIAN ART: Free door-prize drawings, authentic hand-crafted items and gifts. More than 50 local and visiting all-Indian artists and exhibitors. F, 12/12, 10am8pm; Sa, 12/13, 10am-8pm. Free admission. Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Gym, 34 Reservation Road, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, (775) 432-9740.

WINTER GLAM FASHION SHOW: Vanity

WElcOME tO thE 2014 WINtEr GuIdE

can’t believe it’s December already. And it’s almost halfway through the month, too. Every time I see a house with lights up or walk into a friend’s place that looks like Santa Claus threw up inside, I’m reminded again that this year is almost over. And that I really need to start on that gift buying. It’s getting colder and colder, and the mountains have seen some promising snowfall. Fingers crossed that the snow will keep up, and we’ll have some promising snowpack up in the mountains for the coming year. To get you all prepped and ready for the white stuff and all that winter has to offer, we’ve put together our annual winter guide. We’ve included our ski resort and cross country resort directory for your personal reference again, and we’ve also got a story detailing some locations throughout town offering some cooking—and even some cocktail crafting—classes that can help spruce up the old holiday menu, if you’d like. Riley Snyder writes about the downtown ice rink’s move to the Aces Stadium, and there’s a piece about the UNR Winter Sports Club’s quest to become a NCAA team again. We also spoke to Bobo’s Ski & Patio employees about what’s new in the snow sports world from new tech in skis to snowskating. So grab your favorite blanket and cuddle up with this guide to prepare yourself for the season ahead. Thanks for reading, Sage Leehey

12 | RN&R |

DECEMBER 11, 2014

Entertainment presents a fashion show and cocktail party benefiting The Children’s Cabinet. The event includes a full bar, hors d’oeuvres, silent auction and music by DJ Atom H. Sa, 12/13, 6-10pm. $25 in advance, $35 at the gate. Rancharrah, 6001 Talbot Lane, (775) 229-2657, www.winterglam.brownpapertickets.com.

RENO LATIN DANCE FEST AND SHOWCASE:

Sk AtING rINk tO MOvE

lEArN hOlIdAy cOOkING

rESOrt lIStINGS

WINtEr SpOrt trENdS

uNr SkI tEAM rEturN?

Formerly the Reno Winter Bachata Fest, the dance festival features dance workshops, beginner bootcamps, performance bootcamps, late-night dance parties, competitions and DJs and live entertainment. W-Su through 1/11. Opens 1/7. $10-$300. Silver Legacy, 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 325-7401, renolatindancefest.com.

SHEEP DIP: The 51st annual fundraiser show exposes the follies and foibles of the Truckee Meadows in an evening of skits, songs and dance performed by area locals along with members of the media and even a few politicians. The show raises funds that support charitable activities in the Reno/ Sparks and Greater Northern Nevada Area. F, 1/9, 8pm; Sa, 1/10, 8pm. $35. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks, (775) 356-3300, http://sheepdipshow.org. WINTER WINE, SPIRITS AND ALL THAT JAZZ: An evening of wine tasting and dancing to benefit The Brewery Arts Center. Live jazz orchestra and light hors d’oeuvres. Sa, 1/17, 7pm. $40 per person in advance, $50 at the door. Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King

Art ARTISTS CO-OP OF RENO GALLERY: A holiday show called Deck the Walls with Artists Co-op Art includes one-of-a-kind gifts and decorating items created by local artists. Through 12/28, 11am-4pm. Free. 627 Mill St., (775) 322-8896, www.artistsco-opgalleryreno.com.

HOLLAND PROJECT GALLERY: The Forest, Josie Luciano’s exhibit, simulates the feeling of being watched while asking viewers to examine their emotions as they emerge from a whimsical, sinister, or reverent woods—depending on who is doing the looking. An opening reception with the artist will be on Friday, Dec. 19, from 6-8pm. Tu-F,

3-6pm through 1/9. Opens 12/16. Free. I See How It Is, Christina Lee’s use of modest and utilitarian materials collected through her studio practice and day-to-day life and her minimal, controlled approach speaks to the extraordinarily mundane and absurd aspects of everyday experiences. Tu-F. Opens 12/16. Free. 140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858, www.hollandreno.org.

SIERRA ARTS: Sierra Arts Gallery presents PRINT, original and limited edition prints and sculptures from Art Walk Reno’s 2014 featured artists and the Nevada Woodchucks. Tu-F, 10am-5pm through 12/31. 17 S. Virginia St., Ste. 120, (775) 329-2787, www.sierra-arts.org. SPANISH SPRINGS LIBRARY: The Desert Through My Eyes, Aimee Kelly’s exhibition, includes nine color photographs printed on aluminum. Her work tends to focus on nature and the environment, primarily desert ecosystems. Through the lens of her camera, Aimee strives to capture the contradictory elements of the desert. This new exhibition looks at the power of water in the desert. M-Th, Su, 10am-5pm, 10am-6pm & 11am7pm through 12/28. Free. 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway located at Lazy 5 Regional Park in Spanish Springs, (775) 424-1800.

NEVADA MUSEUM OF ART: Stellar Axis: Lita Albuquerque, W-Su through 1/4. $1-$10. BLOOM: Ken Goldberg, Sanjay Krishnan, Fernanda Viégas & Martin Wattenberg, W-Su through 12/14. $1-$10. Andrea Zittel: Wallsprawl, W-Su through MOrE 8/16. $1-$10. Hiroshi ON Sugimoto, W-Su through 2/15. $1-$10. Maya Lin: What is Missing?, W-Su

Gift certificates to local merchants for up to 50% off

by Riley Snyder

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37,000 visitors every year, city of Reno Recreation Manager Andy Bass said at a City Council meeting in May. The city agreed to loan its ice rink equipment to SK Baseball during the three-year agreement. At a city redevelopment agency meeting in May, Aces CEO Eric Edelstein said his company would do more to popularize the ice rink. “I believe that our sales and marketing focus of our business can put this out there in a way that the city just doesn’t have the resources or charge to do,” he said at the time. SK Baseball plans to keep the rink open until mid-February, and it will remain open on holidays. Weekly hours vary, but the rink will be open from 10 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. on Sundays. Several of the merchants around the stadium, including the Freight House District and Arroyo Mexican Grill, will be open during winter. The Aces Team Shop will also be open and selling cold-weather gear, like scarves and gloves, throughout the season. Prices for admission and skate rental are the same as in years past, and skating lessons are available.

w w w. n e w s r e v i e w. c o m

rive through downtown Reno this winter, and you’ll likely notice a familiar landmark missing—the ice rink on Virginia Street. Because of planned renovations on the Virginia Street Bridge, Reno’s seasonal ice rink is no longer at its location adjacent to the Truckee River on Virginia Street. Instead, the rink relocated less than a half-mile to the front of the Aces Ballpark where it will stay for the next three years. The move was compelled by the decaying state of the Virginia Street Bridge, first built in 1905. The bridge is located at a crucial point for flood control efforts on the river, and city officials decided in 2007 to tear down the century-old bridge and rebuild it to comply with flood control needs. Although progress on bridge renovations is delayed because of environmental permitting issues, the construction process is expected to take anywhere from 12 to 18 months— necessitating the move to an alternative site. That’s why the city made a multiyear deal with SK Baseball (Reno Aces owners) to host the ice rink, because the previous location at the 10 North Virginia Plaza will be used for staging and storage while the bridge is constructed. Rather than move the rink to a public park or somewhere else, city officials decided to partner with SK Baseball because it would be the least costly option. The city has operated the ice rink since 1996, and it attracts around

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The Reno Ice RInk IS movIng To AceS STADIum

For the full schedule of skating lessons, visit www.milb.com/index. jsp?sid=t2310.

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YOUR HOLIDAY MENUS

THE SUN KINGS

A BEATLES TRIBUTE AS NATURE INTENDED

Saturday, December 13

story & photo by Erin Meyering

‘T

is the season for eating, • Lana Thai Cafe & Culinary indulging, and learning to School can introduce you to Thai create and cook. Refine food, the rich culture of Thailand, your palate and impress your holiday and ancient cooking techniques. guests with tricks of the trade, taught Chef Pim from Chiang Mai Thailand by locals. can accommodate private sessions, Want to learn how to shake or couples, or groups of up to 12. Each stir your favorite cocktail? There are class includes a glass of wine or several mixology and spirit tasting beer, three dishes, participation, prep, classes through Death & Taxes, a cooking and food. For details, visit dimly lit and creatively crafted bar lannathaicafe.com. in Midtown. The courses all include • Nothing To It! Culinary Center cocktail/technique instruction and offers a phenomenal variety of classes a healthy dose of spirits—no pun all year round, and even has a sushi intended. Ivan Fontana, co-owner of making class, Taste of Tuscany class, Death & Taxes and Michael Moberly, and artisan bread workshop coming lead educator, retail manager, up. For details, visit nothingtoit. and self-proclaimed com. whiskey wizard, teach • Great Basin the classes. Community Food “Our goal is to Co-op occasionally remove the velvet offers classes for curtain between specialty items. the bartender and The class topics the customer,” are always seasonal Moberly said. and inspiringly Death & Taxes different than the has several unique last. For details, visit opportunities coming up, greatbasinfood.coop. including a “Bubbles” • Wedge – A Ivan Fontana, class, complete Cheese Shop co-owner of Death & Taxes, creates a barrelwith Prosecco consistently aged New Amsterdam and champagne provides cocktail. He says it’s important cocktails on Dec. opportunities to to follow through with 28, a first-ever expand your palate every detail in order to be Mezcal tasting class and learn all about consistent and present on Jan. 25, and a cheese. On top of the quality products. couples chocolate and routine Cheese Basics bourbon class featuring course, Wedge will soon locally made chocolate, with be offering several Grilled an emphasis on pairing techniques. Cheese and Specialty Beer Pairing Plus, the team will be hosting a rare Dinners. In addition, they’ll be doing a whiskey auction on Dec. 13, in case Fondue and Raclette Night just in time you’d like to stock up on hard-to-find for Valentine’s Day. For details, visit whiskeys for the holidays. It surely wedgecheeseshop.com. gives a good reason to practice newly • Urban Roots is a local non-profit acquired bartending skills. to check out if you or your kids are “I want to be able to give people interested in cooking or learning more what I’ve spent years and years on … about where your food comes from. my craft,” Fontana said. Urban Roots has select classes/camps Learning the art of the cocktail not throughout the year. For details, visit your thing? There are plenty of other urgc.org. places in town that offer specialized cooking classes this time of year.

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Saturday, December 20

LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL Saturday, December 27

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE

Saturday, January 24

JEFFERSON STARSHIP Saturday, February 14 On Sale Friday

LOS LOBOS

Saturday, February 21

PUNCH BROTHERS Saturday, March 28

UPCOMING SHOWS

MARK HUMMEL’S BLUES HARMONICA BLOWOUT WITH ELVIN BISHOP & BILLY BOY ARNOLD JANUARY 3 TAINTED LOVE JANUARY 17 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT TICKETMASTER.COM OR SOUTHSHOREROOM.COM. #TahoeConcerts See box ofﬁce for details and age restrictions. Shows subject to change or cancellation. Must be 21 or older to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. ©2014, Caesars License Company, LLC.

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12/5/14 2:11 PM

ADuLT LiFT LiFTs TRAiLs AcREs suMMiT DROP TicKET

ALPiNE REsORTs

BEg.

iNT.

ADV.

Alpine Meadows www.squawalpine.com (530) 581-8374

$95/$104

100+

2,400

8,637

1,800

25%

40%

35%

Boreal Mountain Resort www.rideboreal.com (530) 426-3666

$59

480

7,700

500

30%

55%

15%

Diamond Peak www.diamondpeak.com (775) 832-1177

$64/69

655

8,450

1,840

18%

46%

36%

Donner Ski Ranch www.donnerskiranch.com (530) 426-3635

$49

460

7,781

750

25%

50%

25%

Granlibakken www.granlibakken.com (877) 552-6301

$30

6,800

500

90%

10%

Heavenly Lake Tahoe www.skiheavenly.com (800) 432-8365

$90-$100

4,800

10,067

3,500

20%

45%

35%

Homewood Mountain www.skihomewood.com (530) 525-2900

$48-$62

2,010

8,740

2,510

15%

40%

45%

Kirkwood www.kirkwood.com (209) 258-6000

$72-$86

2,300

9,800

2,000

10%

50%

40%

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe www.skirose.com (775) 849-0704

$84

60+

1,200+

9,700

1,440

20%

30%

50%

Northstar California Resort www.skinorthstar.com (800) 466-6784 Sierra-at-Tahoe ww.sierraattahoe.com (530) 659-7453

$93-$104

$89/$93

Soda Springs www.skisodasprings.com (530) 426-3901

3,170

2,000

8,610

8,852

2,280

2,212

13%

25%

60%

50%

TRAiLs

TicKET

$26

27%

Kirkwood www.kirkwood.com (209) 258-6000

REsORT

DEscRiPTiON

Lessons, rentals, all resort amenities

$33

25%

Northstar California Resort www.skinorthstar.com (530) 562-3270

Lessons, rentals, groomed trails

Royal Gorge Cross Country www.royalgorge.com (530) 426-3871

200

$32-$35

Groomed trails, lessons, rentals, retail shop, cafes, lodges

$39

200

7,352

652

30%

50%

20%

$95-$104

170+

3,600

9,050

2,850

25%

45%

30%

Squaw Creek Nordic www.squawcreek.com (530) 583-6300

$18

Lessons, rentals, snowshoeing allowed

Sugar Bowl www.sugarbowl.com (530) 426-9000

$72

103

1,650

8,383

1,500

17%

45%

38%

Tahoe Cross Country Ski www.tahoexc.org

$24

Lessons, rentals, dog trails, groomed trails

Tahoe Donner www.skitahoedonner.com (530) 587-9400

$47

120

7,350

600

40%

60%

Tahoe Donner www.tahoedonner.com (530) 587-9400

100

$29

Night skiiing Wednesdays, lessons, rentals

Squaw Valley USA www.squawalpine.com (800) 403-0206

through 1/4. $1-$10. Larry Mitchell: The 1ºC Project, W-Su through 7/21. $1-$10. The Paruku Project: Art & Science in Aboriginal Australia, W-Su through 12/7. $1-$10. Late Harvest, W-Su through 1/18. $1$10. Daniel McCormick & Mary O’Brien: Watershed Sculpture, W-Su through 4/5. $1-$10. 160 cONT’D FROM

W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org.

Music BEATLES FLASHBACK: The Beatles Flashback musicians will play all of your favorite Fab Four tunes.

16 | RN&R |

Expect a few surprises, humor and audience participation. F, 12/12, 7pm. $8-$15. Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall, 511 W. King St. in Carson City, (775) 883-1976, www.breweryarts.org.

HANDEL’S MESSIAH: TOCCATA— Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus’ ninth annual production is a celebration of the holidays and includes not only favorite selections from Messiah parts I and III, but also seasonal carols that the audience can join in singing. Performances around the Reno Tahoe area will be held

Dec. 12, 14, 17, 19 and 21. F, 12/12,

DECEMBER 11, 2014

7pm. First United Methodist Church, 209 W. First St. Su, 12/14, 3pm. Cornerstone Church, 300 Country Club Dr., Incline Village. W, 12/17, 7pm. St. Gall Church, 1343 Centerville Lane, Gardenerville. F, 12/19, 7pm. $40 preferred ($15 children), $30 adults, $25 seniors, $5 students 19-23, free under 19. Grace Community Church, 1220 Robb Drive, (775) 313-9697, www.toccatatahoe.com.

JOURNEY TO THE STABLE: Bella Voce presents a musical journey of the Christmas story featuring musical styles from different lands and time periods. Sa, 12/13, 7:30pm.

Free. St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 1070 W. Plumb Lane. Su, 12/14, 4pm. Free. Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 Island Ave. (775) 359-1533, www.bellavocereno.com. JOY TO THE WORLD: The Reno Pops Orchestra holiday concert welcomes the season with holiday classics and family favorites such as “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from his Symphony No. 9, the “Hanukkah Festival Overture,” familiar tunes by Carmen Dragon and classics by Leroy Anderson. Guest performances by Tintabulations Handbell

Ensemble, the Kindred Spirits Ladies Septet and various soloists. The concert concludes with a sing-along for the entire family. F, 12/12, 7:30pm. Free; donations welcome. The Rock Church, 4950 Vista Blvd., Sparks, (775) 673-1234, www.RenoPops.org.

RENO WIND SYMPHONY: A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION: Favorite seasonal selections will be performed including one of the highlights: the recitation of the poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” by radio personality Ross Mitchell, accompanied by the symphony. Ross also will be the vocal soloist on

“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Su, 12/14, 3pm. $5; free for students with ID. Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Complex, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-3555.

A STAR-SPANGLED CHRISTMAS: The Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus of Sierra College presents a holiday concert that commemorates the bicentennial of the national anthem with a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” and a “Star Medley” featuring the music of Lauridsen, Thompson and Porterfield as assembled by

New tech aNd treNdS iN the SNow Sport world

by Sage leehey

now has begun falling in the mountains, and some resorts were even able to open up more runs earlier than expected. Boarders, skiers and all forms of snow sport lovers are flocking to Tahoe to get their season started and to local stores to get their gear ready. And that means one thing for Bobo’s Ski & Patio—customers. General manager Pat Parraguirre said that he’s noticed that skiing is gaining popularity more than snowboarding, and he thinks it’s because of new technology in the sport. “Skis now have a ton of versatility,” Parraguirre said. “They’re rockered in the tip. They carve like race skis on the hard pack, but they float like powder skis off trail, so it makes it very easy and very forgiving in the powder. Doesn’t burn your legs up in one run; you can go all day. And … they have a honeycomb tip and tail, so they’re very light. … You can have one ski for all conditions. It’s like an SUV of skis, good on trail and good off trail—super versatile. You don’t need to have three skis for all the different conditions. You can simplify things with one ski.”

conductor Susan Horst. Sa, 12/13, 7pm; Su, 12/14, 2pm. 15 in advance, $20 at the door, free for ages 19 and younger. Resort at Squaw Creek, 400 Squaw Creek Road, Olympic Valley, (530) 587-3187, www.truckeechorus.org.

CECE GABE: IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS: Get in a jazzy holiday mood during this evening with CeCe and her band. Sa, 12/20, 7pm. $10-$18. Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall, 511 W. King St., Carson City, (775) 883-1976, www.breweryarts.org.

JAZZ FOR THE HOLIDAYS: The Reno Jazz Orchestra presents its annual holiday concert OPINION

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He added that boots are the most important piece of your equipment when skiing, and new tech has advanced the quality of ski boots, too. “The hottest thing with ski boots right now is custom, moldable shells and liners,” Parraguirre said. “What makes this boot so unique is that it goes in its own oven and molds to the person’s foot, both the hard plastic shell and the liner. When it’s warm, you stick your foot in there, so you get a completely custom moldable shell. As it cools, it molds to that person’s feet. So people with really wide feet have some place to go now, and they can find something comfortable. It gives the customer a super customized fit and happy feet.” Moldable liners have been around for some time—and are available for snowboarding, but the moldable shells for skiing are new and have changed the sport. But despite Parraguirre’s observation of a rise in skiers, boarders are making their mark as well. Last year’s winter guide included a story on splitboarding—a snowboard/ski combination that allows boarders to have fun in the back country more easily, and Bobo’s employee Josh Hammonds said the sport has blown up in the last year or so because Jeremy Jones came out with his own splitboard. He says he sees about one or two people a week coming in for splitboards. “Splitboarding is getting a lot more popular because they’re not as expensive [for back country],” Hammonds said. “And it’s actually getting media attention from Jeremy Jones because he’s a local from Verdi, so everybody knows his name and then they see his name on the boards, and they go ‘Oh shit. I want to try one of those.’” Hammonds plans to get a splitboard this year to try it out. “I used to do a lot of back country when we had a ton of snow, but with a regular back country set up, you have to carry your board, you have to carry your boots, you

featuring award-winning jazz vocalist Madeline Eastman, international tap and ballet stars, the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra and other special guests. Sa, 12/20, 7:30pm. $25 adults, $10 students. Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Complex, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., (775) 832-6547, www.renojazzorchestra.org.

11TH ANNUAL NEVADA CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Nevada Chamber Music Festival begins on Dec. 26 with a recital by husband-and-wife pianists. The festival concludes on the evening of Dec. 31 with a New

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ARTS&CULTURE

have to carry it all,” Hammonds said. “With that, everything is kind of right underneath you. You don’t have to bring snowshoes or anything. With those, you just strap them on like skis and walk up like skis and then when you get to the top, just put them back together. You use it as a snowboard. The skis are only there to help you move along the snow faster than you would be walking.” But as far as new snow sports go, Hammonds said the up and comer is snowskating. It’s exactly what it sounds like—skateboarding on snow. The board is the size of a skateboard but slightly different. “They take a snowboard, and they put it on a raised ski and it acts like a skateboard, but for the snow,” Hammonds said. “You don’t have bindings or anything, and you can do skateboard tricks on the snow.” He guesstimates that a couple of people a month come in for snowskates. Many are skateboarders or snowboarders that have heard about it and want to try it out, but a lot of people also come in because they’ve seen someone snowskating and didn’t know what it was. Snowskates can be used on the rails and smaller-sized jumps at the resorts, but it can also be used pretty much anywhere there is snow. “It’s actually a little bit more fun [than snowboarding] because it’s so small, so you can do more with it, you can go anywhere with it,” Hammonds said. “You don’t have

o NStaG e

Year’s Eve Celebration, “A Night in Old Vienna,” followed by a post-concert dinner party in the Crystal Ballroom at the Grand Sierra Resort. The locations vary between South Reno United Methodist Church and the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nightingale Concert Hall depending on the concert. F, 12/26, 7pm; Sa, 12/27,

ART OF THE STATE

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Bobo’s Ski & Patio is located at 475 E. Moana Lane. For more information, visit www.bobos.com or call 826-9096.

Based on Lev Ivanov‘s original ballet The Nutcracker, Peanutcracker is a shorter, 45-minute narrated version designed for families with younger children to introduce them to the world of ballet.

Sa, 12/6, 2-3 & 7-8pm. $11 for general admission, $6 for youth.

12/11, 8pm; F, 12/12, 8pm; Sa, 12/13, 8pm; Su, 12/14, 2pm; W, 12/17, 8pm; Th, 12/18, 8pm; F, 12/19, 8pm; Sa, 12/20, 8pm; Su, 12/21, 2pm. $20 general, $18 students, seniors, $25 at the door. Brüka Theatre, 99 N. |

“You have to get used to the feeling,” Hammonds said. “It’s like snowboarding, but you’re not stuck to the board, so I fell a lot because I would ride it like a snowboard. … But it’s sick. Once you get it down, it’s super fun because you don’t need bindings. You can go anywhere with it. It’s super cheap. You don’t need to upgrade it every year. They don’t get beat up like snowboards do.”

PEANUTCRACKER BALLET RETURNS:

Theatre presents Shad Willingham’s warmhearted homage to traditional farce with its broad character sketches and pratfalls, and just the lightest tip of the hat to the screwball comedies of the 1930s. Dec. 10 is Wednesday Artist Night. $10 for artists and teachers. Th,

Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Complex, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., (775) 348-9413, www.renochamberorchestra.org/?page_id=38.

Pat Parraguirre shows some ski boots with moldable shells and liners.

Virginia St., (775) 323-3221, www.bruka.org.

HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Bruka

7pm; Su, 12/28, 2pm; M, 12/29, 12, 2 & 7pm; Tu, 12/30, 12 & 3pm; W, 12/31, 11am, 2 & 7pm. $5-$55.

that restriction of having to tote around your board, tote around your bindings, tote around your boots. … They make snowskate shoes that are waterproofed and stuff, but most snow skate people just throw on some Vans and get at it. … And the cool thing is, back in the day when we used to get a lot of snow, we used to build little parks in our yard, and those are perfect for that. You can play around in your front yard all day long.” The feel of riding a snowskate was something Hammonds had to adjust to, though, because he had never skateboarded before and kept trying to ride it like a snowboard.

Bob Boldrick Theater, Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St., Carson City, (775) 220-4452, www.sierranevadballet.org.

A.V.A. BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER: A.V.A. Ballet |

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Theatre and the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra present their annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet. F, 12/12, 8pm; Sa, 12/13, 2

& 8pm; Su, 12/14, 2pm. $25-$55 with discounts for seniors and children. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 762-5165, www.avaballet.com.

BUSTED! (XXMAS EDITION): Adult storytelling group Cincinnati, NV presents this two-night stand More featuring all local oN storytellers who tell true stories of times they were

DECEMBER 11, 2014

RN&R

The UNR WiNTeR SpoRTS ClUb WoRkS To beCome aN offiCial Team

by Sage leehey

eno’s proximity to Lake Tahoe is a well-known detail about this town. It’s even stated in the very first sentence of the Wikipedia entry for the biggest little city, only preceded by the fact that it’s in the U.S. state of Nevada. Tahoe is like the backyard playground of Reno, and locals and tourists adore the lake and its surrounding mountains. When I think Tahoe, I think snow and snow sports, so the fact that the closest university doesn’t have an official NCAA ski or snowboard team seems a little strange to me. But the University of Nevada, Reno did have a ski team, and they had it for 74 years before it was one

18 | RN&R |

DECEMBER 11, 2014

of the victims of budget cuts in 2010. Since then, it’s been a club sport open to all students. There’s a social team and a competitive team. It costs $50 to be on the social team and $150 to be on the competitive team. The fees go to club infrastructure, and on the competitive side, they go to competition costs, like registration or travel. Competitive members compete under the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA). “Social members don’t compete competitively, but we offer incentives— sweatshirts, hats, T-shirts, stuff like

that,” president Graham Collins said. “They get free entry into our ski swap, which is a big fundraiser for our ski team. And we also offer the ability to teach people how to ski and board, and we can get them free or cheap equipment. We have about 130 members. About 90 of them are social, and we have about 40 members that are competitive, and that’s a mix between freestyle and alpine in snowboarding and skiing.” The UNR ski team was founded in 1936 by Olympian Wayne Poulsen, who is something of a legend in the area. Poulsen also founded Squaw Valley Ski Resort and helped to bring the 1960

Olympics to the region. Collins has been involved with the UNR Winter Sports Club since 2010, his first year at the university and the year the team lost NCAA status. “We aren’t a part of the athletic department anymore,” Collins said. “We don’t have the rights to some logos. We can’t use the workout center, stuff like that. And at the same time, we aren’t able to attract top-of-the-line skiers to the university because we don’t have a ski team anymore. … There are no scholarships that are offered.” He added that although not ideal, the situation has been positive in many ways, and he thinks it’s great that anyone can be involved in the team as a club. Another thing they lost with their NCAA status was a coach. “When they were a varsity team, there was a coach there, and that coach could work on traveling, budgets, events, dry land training, training for athletes and stuff like that, and it was very, very organized,” Collins said. “Now, there is no coach, and I have to take on that burden of being coach while being a student. The students now run this club, which is great, but there’s no paid coach there to help direct that club. And when

we’re competing, it makes it hard.” the UNR campus. And the team has done Collins’ ultimate goal, though, is to well and qualified for USCSA National bring the NCAA team back to Championships every year as UNR. a club—last year in Lake “Reno-Tahoe was Placid, New York. really built off of the This will be ski industry—skiing Collins’ last year and boarding as a student at the in general,” university, but he Collins said. “If doesn’t plan to there were no stop working to mountains here, get that NCAA there would be status reinstated. no city. And a lot “This is my last of people come year here, but with to this university that being said, that because of skiing and doesn’t mean I’m going boarding and because anywhere,” Collins said. of those mountains, and “I want to see this team without having a ski team come back as a varsity Graham Collins has here, the people that are team. It’s been a process, made the UNR Winter training and competing but this club team has Sports Club a main focus and are top-of-thebeen my focus, and during his university line athletes, as well the reason for that is career. as students, they don’t because having numbers come here anymore.” and people and students In the meantime, the that are passionate about club is also working hard to do skiing, boarding and snow well in competitions because the sports is huge, and it proves to the existing club will be the foundation of the university that there is a need for that NCAA team if and when they return to high-level team.”

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dancer Savannah Fuentes presents an homage to the flamenco arts and a celebration of La Noche Vieja (The final days of 2014). Savannah will be joined by internationally recognized flamenco singer Jose Anillo and Bulgarian guitarist Bobby de Sofia. F, 12/12, 8pm. $8-$35. Laxalt Auditorium, Warren Nelson Building, 401 W. Second St., (206) 409-2161, www.savannahflamenko.com.

RENO DANCE COMPANY’S NUTCRACKER BALLET: Reno Dance Company presents its 13th annual presentation of the classic ballet. F, 12/19, 8pm; Sa, 12/20, 2 & 8pm; Su, 12/21, 2 & 7pm; M, 12/22, 2 & 7pm; Tu, 12/23, 2pm. $19.95-$36.95. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks, (775) 356-3300, www. janugget.com.

THE JESTERS LEAGUE HOLIDAY SHOW: Familyfriendly improv comedy show. Sa, 12/27, 7:30pm. $8 general admission. Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St., (775) 329-0661, www.renolittletheater.org.

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and their musical guests take you on a journey around the Emerald Isle for the holidays. Sa, 12/13, 7pm. $8-$15. Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City, (775) 883-1976, www.breweryarts.org.

To contact the club, email nevadaskiing@ gmail.com, and for more information, visit www.facebook.com/wintersportsclub or nevadaskiing.wordpress.com.

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At this time, Collins is reaching out to alumni and community members for support—mostly financially—and trying to get more students involved or excited about the club. He has spoken with university and athletic department officials, but wants to have the support they need behind him before working more closely with the university to bring the team back. The main obstacle is funding, according to Collins. The team does have an endowment of $325,000, but it’s to be used to help bring the NCAA team back and cannot be touched until that time. “It’s been a lot of work, and I’m excited to see a change,” Collins said. “But before I approach the university with a game plan, I need to get support from the community. People that are willing and able to donate and support us, this is the time to do it. This is the time to help us out and make it happen.”

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broken, caught red-handed or saved by the skin of their teeth. Storytellers for both nights are Ed Adkins, Steve Emmerich, Stacy Johnson, Michelle Leutzinger and John Wade. Th, 12/11, 7:30-10pm; F, 12/12, 7:30-10pm. $10. Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company, 713 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-3716, www.goodluckmacbeth.org. CONT’D FROM

See dealer for limited warranty details. Price does not include $345 dealer doc fee, taxes and license fees. Offers expire 12/17/14. |

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

RN&R

Season of

Giving

We’re extremely fortunate to live in a community which supports – in a big way – charitable and non-profit causes and organizations. This time of year, people give more of their time, money and resources more than any other season. The need, however, for most non-profits extends well beyond the holiday season. Please take a few minutes to learn about some of our region’s non-profit organizations on the following pages as we celebrate this “Season of Giving”, while keeping them in mind throughout the year. ACCEPT AFP American Heart Association Animal Ark Artown Austin’s House Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows Capital City Circles Initiative CARE Chest of Sierra Nevada Carson City Symphony Association Carson Valley Arts Council Casa de Vida

Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada Child Assault Prevention Children’s Cabinet* Citicare Community Foundation of Western Nevada Down Syndrome Network of Northern Nevada Education Alliance of Washoe County ESL In-Home Program of Northern Nevada Family Counseling Services of Northern Nevada Feeding Pets of the Homeless

Please join the RN&R in congratulating board members from the following organizations, recognized by the Community Foundation of Western Nevada as exemplary and generous leaders in the field of philanthropy, with their “100% Giving Board Award” for 2014 . This list consists of 84 organizations led by 1121 board members who have contributed a total of $2,853,884 to support their organizations’ operating expenses:

FISH Emergency Services Food Bank of Northern Nevada For Kids Foundation Friends of Washoe County Library Friends of Nevada Wilderness Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada* Girls on the Run- Sierras Holland Project Hometown Health Hosanna Home Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful* KNPB Mile High Jazz Band Association National Automobile Museum

National Judicial College Nature Conservancy Nevada Diabetes Association Nevada Health Centers, Inc. Nevada Humane Society Nevada Humanities Nevada Land Trust Nevada Military Support Alliance Nevada Museum of Art Nevada Outdoor School Nevada Women’s Fund Northern Nevada Bluegrass Festival Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation

*These organizations have earned the 100% Giving Board Award for seven consecutive years. Organizations in BOLD are featured in our “Season of Giving” section, on the following pages.

Northern Nevada HOPES Northern Nevada International Center Northern Nevada Literacy Council Project MANA Reno Little Theater Reno Philharmonic Association Renown Health Renown Health Foundation Renown Regional Medical Center Renown South Meadows Medical Center River Wranglers Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Nevada Safe Embrace

Safe Haven Rescue Zoo Sage Ridge School Seniors in Service Sierra Kids Foundation Sierra Nevada Journeys Sierra Watercolor Society Special Recreation Services Step2 Tahoe Family Solutions Tahoe Institute for Natural Science Tahoe Rim Trail Association Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway Tech is Good Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery

Museum The Note-Ables Music Therapy Truckee Meadows Park Foundation Truckee Meadows Tomorrow United Way University Libraries Board, UNR Urban Roots Veterans Guest House Volunteers of America N. California & N. Nevada VSA Arts of Nevada Women and Children’s Center of the Sierra

Happy Holidays from the St. Vincent’s Programs! Easing the pain of poverty in Northern Nevada since 1941 Ways to help Donate

Make a tax-deductible cash donation and help us feed, clothe and assist hundreds of thousands of people in need. Donate goods such as non-perishable food, personal hygiene items, clothing, or furniture.

500 East Fourth St. Reno, NV 89512 (775)322-7073 www.ccsnn.org 20

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december 11, 2014

Our Programs St. Vincent’s Dining Room St. Vincent’s Food Pantry St. Vincent’s Resource Network St. Vincent’s Thrift Shop Immigration Assistance Adoptions Affordable Housing/Crossroads Kids to Seniors Korner Holy Child Early Learning Center

www.ccsnn.org

Volunteer

Opportunities include everything from reading to children at Holy Child Early Learning Center to assembling food boxes for hungry families at St. Vincent’s Food Pantry. We can find the right place for you!

Connect

Visit our website at www.ccsnn.org to join our email list. We’ll send you updates on current needs of our families, upcoming special events and volunteer opportunities! x Schedule a tour of our campus by calling (775)322-7073 ext. 242.

THANK YOU! 1 in 4 of our children are hungry. Together we are changing that. together we can solve hunger™ Donate l Volunteer l Get Involved

fbnn.org 775-331-3663

KIWANIS CLUB OF DOWNTOWN SPARKS 145 CATRON DRIVE, RENO, NV 89512 HOURS: WED & THURS 2PM - 8PM / FRI & SAT 2PM - 6PM (775-337-1717) WWW.KIWANISBIKES.ORG

Kiwanis Club of Downtown Sparks serves the children and families of our community and throughout the world. Our bike program volunteers teach bicycling education and repair. We donate over 1,000 bikes and helmets to the children in local schools and youth programs annually. To promote youth leadership and service we sponsor Builders Clubs, Key Clubs and Aktion Club for adults with disabilities. Our outreach activities include bike clubs, clinics and camps, Community Bookshelf, PTP dolls, and the ELIMINATE Project (worldwide) in partnership with UNICEF.

Kiwanis Bike Program...teaching bike riding safety, bike repair and giving back to the community! MA I LI N G A D D R ESS : 5 6 1 K E YS TO N E # 2 4 6 , RENO, NV 89503

WAY S T O V O L U N T E E R

WAY S T O G I V E

• Teach crafts • Sew and deliver PTP dolls • Collect and deliver books • Donate supplies, money or time for craft events

• Help teach bike safety and repair • Donate bikes and parts / repair bikes • Donate $10 – provides a helmet for a child • Donate $40 – provides a bike and helmet for a child

Thank you to ALL our business, government agencies and community partners who support us. A special thanks to the fire, police and sheriff’s departments, RTC and Waste Management who donate bikes. Our sincere appreciation to our financial donors: Patagonia, United Federal Credit Union, American Family Insurance, Grassroots Books, Burning Man, CREW, Roz Cromer Fund, A&H Insurance, SaveMart, Walmart, TDS (Tire Distribution Systems), Granite Construction Supply, and Iron Mountain Reno. Thanks to all of you who partner with us!

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NortherN Nevada ChildreNâ€™s CaNCer FouNdatioN 3550 BarroN Way, #9 a, reNo, Nv 89511 P: (775) 825-0888 | F: (775) 825â€“4726 e: iNFo@NvChildreNsCaNCer.org W: WWW.NvChildreNsCaNCer.org Northern Nevada Childrenâ€™s Cancer Foundation (NNCCF) is the regionâ€™s only organization dedicated solely to childhood cancer. our mission is to enhance the quality of life for children with cancer and their families by providing financial assistance and compassionate support programs while advocating for increased research funds and raising public awareness. Programs and services include: Family assistance Fund, inspire survivorship program and scholarships, emotional support, family outings, a holiday adopt-a-Family program and the st. Baldrickâ€™s head shaving event to raise funds for research. all programs and services are given at no cost to the families. to date, the foundation has helped local families with more than $1.9 million in direct financial assistance and raised $1.3 million for research by hosting a local st. Baldrickâ€™s head shaving event. Twig & Turtle Photography

Way s t o h e l P

Make a big difference for a little hero!

HOPES

Celebrate this holiday season by giving the gift of hope to families in need. Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation of $5, $10 or any amount to help ensure families receive the financial and emotional support to get them through their difficult journey. donations can be accepted online at www.nvchildrenscancer.org, by calling 775-825-0888. No text option available for a little hero!

WHO WE ARE Northern Nevada HOPES is a nonprofit community health center that provides integrated medical care and wellness services to individuals with and without health insurance. HOPES is embarking on the construction of a new three story, 37,000 square foot medical facility on our campus in downtown Reno. This expansion will create a fully integrated health center that will provide thousands of individuals and families with affordable, high-quality healthcare for years to come.

OUR SERVICES

HOW YOU CAN HELP

â€˘ Primary Medical Care & Nutrition

Join our crowdfunding campaign to raise $10,000 by December 31,

â€˘ Chronic Disease Management

(775) 786-4673

2014 for a Community Meeting Room in the new HOPES building.

â€˘ Womenâ€™s Health Services

nnhopes.org

Any amount you give â€“ $5, $25, $100 â€“ will create a gathering space to

â€˘ Behavioral Health Counseling â€˘ Healthcare Coordination â€˘ Pharmacy & Medication Delivery â€˘ Insured and Uninsured Welcome 22â€ƒ

NEW HOPES BUILDING â€“ COMING WINTER 2015

|â€ƒ

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december 11, 2014

467 Ralston St Reno, NV 89503

hold meetups, classes, support groups, drop-in activities, special events and more. Be a part of creating Renoâ€™s first integrated community health center. Make your tax-deductible gift by December 31, 2014 and make a positive, lasting impact in our community.

Happy Holidays from the Veterans Guest House!

The Veterans Guest House provides temporary housing to U.S. military veterans and their families who are receiving medical treatment in the Reno/Sparks area. Today, the Guest House has 17 beds in two homes and will provide nearly 5,200 guest nights of lodging in 2014. On December 14, 1994, the Guest House hosted its first guest. In the ensuing 20 years, over 50,000 guest nights of lodging have been provided. Celebrate this great milestone with us.

Merry Christmas & HAPPY NEW YEAR from our house to yours!

WAY S T O S U P P O R T T H E G U E S T H O U S E • Donations – The Guest House relies completely on donations from the private sector. For more information or to donate, visit www.veteransguesthouse.org • Adopt a Day: For $100 you can adopt-a-day at the Guest House. You can do this in honor or memory of someone. A certificate hangs in the house on the day(s) that are adopted. It is a great gift for someone who “doesn’t need anything”. • Wish List – Food, household cleaning products, paper products and gift cards are always greatly appreciated. Wish List items are listed on our website.

VE TER ANS GUEST H O USE 880 LO CUST STREE T, REN O 89502 (775)324-6958 • W W W.VE TER ANSGUESTH O USE.O RG

• Volunteer – Throughout the year the Guest House has events, projects and other ongoing volunteer opportunities for those who wish to help our veterans and their families.

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City of Sparks Mayor Geno Martini along with Council Members Julia Ra�i – Ward 1, Ed Lawson - Ward 2, Ron Smith - Ward 3, Charlene Bybee - Ward 4, Ron Schmi� Ward 5 and City Manager Steve Discoll would like to thank all who participated in this year’s Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade and event. Cheers to our sponsors and supporters. Without each of you we couldn’t hold this wonderful community event. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sponsors:

Media Partners:

Special Help:

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december 11, 2014

CHRISTMAS DINNER IS GRAND. CHOOSE FROM FIVE DELECTABLE FEASTS ON RESTURANT ROW

THURSDAY, DEC. 11

FRIDAY, DEC. 12

DANIEL TOSH 12/13 • NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 12/31 / • DAMON WAYANS SR. & JR. 1/ 17

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SCREEN SAVER by Jessica Santina

Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema hopes to revive Tahoe City with flicks and brews “I’ve been sneaking beer into movies forever,” confides Steven Siig. In truth, it’s a small part of why this Tahoe City resident and longtime sports documentary filmmaker always dreamed of owning a cinema and drafthouse. He and his wife, Melissa, a writer and editor, are getting to live that dream since buying and reviving the old Cobblestone Cinema in Tahoe City. Among other things, that includes beer. Their new Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema—a true cinema and drafthouse—opened Sept. 5 to an eager following of Tahoe City locals who, the Siigs say, had been craving more entertainment options and found them lacking. “Tahoe City has been really hungry for something to do after hours,” says Melissa. “You can ski here until the cows come home, but what happens if there’s crappy weather or it’s nighttime? There was just a lack of culture and after-hours stuff. People were so hungry for something to do that when we told people we were even just thinking about buying this theater, they were freaking out. We were getting emails and phone calls. People were so excited.” And it wasn’t just any theater they were after. “The movie experience is gone,” Steven says. “It’s very hard to find a good theater to enjoy a movie in, now that it’s all these huge cineplexes. We wanted to create more of a real movie experience.”

Back from the ashes

For screening times and more info, check out tahoearthauscinema. com.

Since meeting Melissa in 2001, Steven had talked about owning a theater. The two spend holidays with family in Port Townsend, Washington, and always make time for a trip to the Rose Theatre, an old vaudeville-house-turnedindependent theater with a balcony, event space, popcorn spice bar and personal introductions to every film. “At the Rose, they actually tell you something about the movie, and it really brings the crowd together,” Steven says. Over the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday, Steven even popped in on the Rose to do an informational interview with the owner, to pick his brain about bringing such a place to life at Tahoe. Timing is everything. The Cobblestone, which was hobbling along on its last legs, looked like an ideal spot to make this dream happen. The Siigs had actually approached the Cobblestone’s owners in January 2013 about buying the lease and were turned down flat. But a

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

“ We’re trying to do something for the town, to give back. We want the whole area to profit, not just us.”

year later, word got out that the The bar is brand new, and owners had lost their lease. The serves up Lagunitas, Mammoth stars seemed to be aligning for Brewery and Marin Brewing the Siigs, and they began their Company beers and Schilling efforts to take over the lease and ciders on tap, as well as find a business partner to help premium bottled beers. The finance the project. concession stand sells espresso Melissa’s chance run-in with drinks, popcorn (with, naturally, Steven Siig a friend at a local ice cream a popcorn spice bar), hot dogs, Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema shop in February was all it took. candy and locally baked goods She casually mentioned that from Sugar Pine Cakery and she and Steven were hoping to Tahoe House Bakery. rebuild the theater, and that friend, Liz Gogolewski, said Inside, the theater offers a new digital projector capable that this would probably be something her husband, Mark, of running 3D movies. Films usually get two evening would be interested in. screenings daily. Mark Gogolewski had been successful in Silicon The interior is made comfortable with couches that Valley, and now that he and his family were living in can seat 12, side tables for drinks and snacks, and 75 Tahoe City, he wanted to invest his money in its revitalizaleather seats. tion. The Gogolewskis saw this as the perfect project. They Because it was designed with lots of space between became business partners with the Siigs in February, and the screen and front row, it can hold 180 people for special the four signed the lease on the cinema in April. events if some are willing to stand or take one of the extra Word spread quickly once the news about the lease was temporary seats waiting in the wings. Even the leather posted on Facebook, and the likes and shares went through seats can be moved or reversed to accommodate a variety the roof. Within three weeks of its Facebook page going of shows. live, the Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema had 447 fans. “We made the room a chameleon,” Steven says. “It was just destiny, this perfect synchronicity,” Steven says. The movie business

Setting the Stage Steven’s background in filmmaking, as well as having grown up with a choreographer mother, had made him passionate about this becoming not just a movie theater, but a versatile arts and events venue. The partners had their work cut out for them—the theater was in serious disrepair. “It had been totally neglected,” Melissa says. “I would talk to locals and they’d say, ‘Oh, I haven’t been to that place in years.’ I mean, the average local didn’t want to come here.” The cinema had been built in the 1970s, which meant asbestos, an absolute gutting and a full remodel. Fortunately, both the contractor and interior designer donated their time to the project. The “vintage warehouse” interior marries the oldschool theater vibe with a contemporary look, expressed through its tin ceiling and wood floors.

“We’re not in the movie business, really, we’re in the concession business,” Steven says. “That’s movie theaters in general. You can’t make money with movies, especially with major motion pictures.” That’s why beer and cider, as well as the snacks they sell, are so critical to the couple’s business model. Currently, the Art Haus has only a beer license; a wine license would require the venue to sell more food, which would mean adding a full kitchen. In the meantime, the Siigs are getting creative about hosting a variety of shows. Of course, blockbusters like Interstellar and Mockingjay are getting time here this month, but they’re interspersed with an eclectic mix of old and new: kids’ movies, old ’80s flicks, independent films, corporate presentations, private parties, a DJ concert, seminars and more. A production of the Tahoe Youth Ballet is even scheduled here in March. The Siigs have formed some important partnerships,

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Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema serves a variety of beers and ciders to its patrons. Steven Siig introduces a movie to the audience at the Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema.

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including one with Alpenglow Sports that brings in wellknown athletes and adventurers to give talks through its “Home Brew Series.” They’ve also partnered with local restaurants to have food brought in, or to offer movie coupons when guests dine out locally. They’re eager to do more and are open to any ideas from the community. “We’re trying to do something for the town, to give back,” Steven says. “We want the whole area to profit, not just us.” Despite opening in the slow season, the Siigs quickly found themselves busier than ever. In addition to their “day jobs,” the two are raising three children. Melissa, who in addition to freelancing is the editor of Tahoe newspaper Moonshine Ink, recently had to ask to cut her hours there in half in order to give more time to the theater, which already employs four staff members. The fact that they’re still around and getting busier all the time seems to indicate that they’ll be OK, they say. The screening of female ski film Pretty Faces scheduled Dec. 7 was sold out weeks before. “Some people asked, ‘Aren’t you worried about movie theaters dying, like because of Netflix?’” Melissa says. “But I think we’re offering something more. It’s a social experience, to meet some friends, have some beers. It’s the whole thing.” Ω |

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Native aesthetic

Artist Melissa Melero shows off one of her pieces in her current show, Numu, at ArtSpace.

Melissa Melero's Numu (Paiute) Many artists find inspiration in the natural landscape of Nevada, and it manifests differently by depending on medium. Some, like Melissa Ashley Melero, incorporate actual elements of the Hennefer landscape into their art. Melero is a Nevadabased painter and mixed-media artist, whose latest show Numu (Paiute) opened Dec. 4 at ArtSpace on West Second Street. Born in San Francisco, Melero is a Northern Paiute—also referred to as Numu—and part of the Fallon PaiuteShoshone Tribe. Melero has lived in Numu (Paiute) will run several Western states, including California, until Feb. 28, 2015 at Oregon, New Mexico and Nevada. artspace, 144 West st. “I have ties to the Northwest and the the exhibition is open Southwest, but the Southwest was a great 4-8 p.m. thursdays hub for Native American art, and they have to saturdays, and by appointment only durgreat connections, so I moved out there,” ing UNr’s winter break she says. Melero made her way back to from Dec. 17-Jan. 20. Nevada several years ago so her son could be closer to family. “I wanted him to be in Nevada with his family, and also see the Native art scene because there are a lot of Native artists here, but no one had ever heard of them,” she says.

She studied at Portland State University and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Although she initially studied photography, it was painting that caught her interest. Within her paintings, Melero incorporates three-dimensional objects collected from the area. “I love texture,” she says. “I’ve always put a lot of textures into my work. I love nature and being outdoors. I bring back a lot of things from outside. I bring back things from Pyramid Lake, and shells [and] willow from certain areas.” This is reflected in her ArtSpace series, which features paintings that are bold, layered and abstract. “The series is called Paiute because that’s the general theme. “I was calling it the Basket series, which was sort of a new direction for where I was going with the organic materials—with the cattails and the dots that sort of symbolize water, colors that symbolized the surrounding landscapes, mostly water areas that I gravitate toward,” she says. …Water being life, and the different imagery would be the

circle, the cycle of life.” Finding a way to integrate the items she’s collected while exploring can be difficult, she says. “I had all of these things sort of hanging around in the studio, and I kept thinking ‘I want to use it, I want to use it,’” says Melero. “I took baskets—I had tons of baskets and willow—which are so related together. They come from the land and from the people. I took all of those things and organized them and magnified them and sort of contrasted and abstracted them. … Even though I’ve been doing this for a decade, [mixed media] keeps artists challenged.”

Part of Melero's mission is to bring attention to other Native artists. She’s founder of Great Basin Native Artists, a group she’s shown with for more than a decade. “There’s a group of us who have been exhibiting together because we’re the only [Native artists] that people know of,” she says. Since January 2013, Great Basin Native Artists have appeared as an official group, and they have upcoming shows in Elko and Reno. More about the collective can be found at www.greatbasinnativeartists.com/. Melero’s ArtSpace exhibit materialized after she contacted the University of Nevada, Reno’s gallery director, Paul Baker Prindle, who took an interest in her work. “Most of it’s inspired by the local landscape and the Paiute culture,” she says of her latest show. “I personally like the different landscapes and the area, like the marshes and the rivers and the lakes, and when I started this particular series, I was thinking about how the land and our cultural art interrelate with each other.” Ω

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Tastefully raising the bar Our Bar 211 West First St., 329-2684 The old brick building next to downtown Reno’s Methodist church has seen a lot of history since 1936. Renovated and by Todd South reinvented in 2011 as Our Bar, it has gained a following among folks who plan their calendar around pub crawls and similar entertainments. They’ve got a pool table, competition darts, blaring jukebox, a burger/beer/shot deal for $10 and a Monday happy hour (7 p.m. to closing) featuring 8.8 percent ABV draft beer for $3 a pint. I’m told the cleaning guy really hates Tuesday mornings, but at least the spartan, bare brick and welded-steel interior should make cleanup easier. I’m too domesticated for weeknight bacchanals, but the food menu looked like something I should check out. Photo/AlliSon Young

Chef Leonard Thomas Curtis posing with a delicious portobello burger that’s topped with cotija cheese and caramelized onions.

our Bar is open from 11 a.m. until the wee hours. For more information, check out www.ourbarreno.com.

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On the Saturday afternoon following Thanksgiving the place was nearly empty, thus my wife and I received a personal level of service from the bartender/server and chef. Both men are clearly proud of the place, so one hopes they keep that level of enthusiasm when the place is packed. The menu categories are pretty standard, with deep-fried appetizers, soups and salads, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, tacos and wraps, but the dishes are anything but average. We settled on avocado fries ($6), mahi fish tacos ($7), a pastrami burger ($9) and a portobello burger ($7). I only wish I’d been able to talk more people into joining us that day so I could taste a broader sampling of the chef’s creativity.

Our appetizer featured a whole avocado that was sliced, seasoned, battered and deep-fried. This was served with a mildly spicy dipping sauce, which made the whole thing work. The fatty richness of avocado is compounded by being fried, but the sauce smoothed out the experience. I recommend ordering this with friends because a few slices go a long way. The fish tacos were excellent, a pair of lightly crisped flour tortillas filled with grilled mahi-mahi, ginger lime slaw, cucumber pico de gallo and avocado crema, served with housemade tortilla chips and a salsa that was more of a tomato puree. It tasted fresh but didn’t have much heat. I barely got a bite of my wife’s portobello burger before it disappeared. A whole portobello mushroom is marinated in balsamic vinegar and green onion, grilled with caramelized onions, then topped with cotija cheese and lettuce on a locally baked bun. It was every bit as delicious as that sounds, and available with either a side salad or fries. The one misstep of our visit was my wife’s salad arriving in the form of crispy, seasoned fries. It was a tasty mistake so we didn’t bother mentioning it. My pastrami burger included a seasoned beef patty cooked just a tad under medium (their standard unless ordered otherwise), topped with Swiss cheese, grilled pastrami, lettuce, and … potato chips. That last item was actually the deciding factor in choosing this burger, even though it seemed a bit over-the-top with fries on the side. I have a seventh-grade memory of trading my PBJ on homemade bread with a kid who had some kind of lunch meat on store-bought white bread. He taught me to put chips on the plain sandwich to make it more interesting, which seemed pretty exotic at the time. With this pastrami burger, though, I have to say the chips were more distraction than bonus. The crunch is kind of cool, but the potato chip flavor overshadowed everything else. The rest of the burger was quite good, so I’d probably skip the chips next time. There’s a lot more on this menu my wife and I would like to sample, so a return visit to Our Bar is definitely on our horizon. Ω

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Road trip The Homesman I’ve often complained to friends that, because I have seen so many movies, I can guess big twists or mysteries in film long before they happen. So I have to give a lot of credit to the Old West drama, The Homesman, directed by Tommy Lee Jones, because it has a twist I did not see coming. Tommy Lee Jones directs and costars as by George Briggs, narrowly saved from hanging Bob Grimm by one Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Mary Bee has won the not so prestigious b g ri m m @ ne w s re v i e w . c o m honor of taking three mentally ill women from the Nebraska territories back east via covered wagon. There, they will be handed over to a minister’s wife (Meryl Streep), who will take care of them and surely smack them over the heads with Bibles.

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Mary Bee saves George on one condition— he must guide and protect her and the women on their trip. Upon reaching their destination, he will be set free with $300 in his pocket. George, who really has no choice, accepts the offer and joins forces with the strong-willed Mary Bee. There are a few scenes establishing Mary Bee’s character before she meets up with George, including a very awkward dinner date and marriage proposal. It’s made clear early on that Mary Bee is “plain” and too bossy. While I hardly think Swank could ever be considering anything near plain regardless of whom she is playing, the bossy part is right on. She is not to be messed with. Jones also establishes the three troubled women with early scenes that are a little confusing. I was eventually able to assess that one woman killed her child, another lost her children to illness, and the final one was

just a little too into religion. The women are played by Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto and Sonja Richter. They aren’t given very much to say, but each makes a memorably tragic impression. The trip involves the usual Western road trip mainstays like a run-in with Indians and bad weather. Jones and Swank have a great rapport, playing off each other well. Mary Bee is a complicated character in that she is very strong-willed and independent on one hand, while being guilt ridden, vulnerable and lonely on the other. In her day, to be her age and unmarried meant there was something drastically wrong with her in the public eye, resulting in mounting shame and embarrassment. The same happens today to a certain extent, but we have TV and iPods to take the edge off. Some of her behavior could be construed as erratic and uncharacteristic, but one has to keep in mind that her character occupies a much different, very cruel stage in American history. Mary Bee’s growing obsession with her social standing makes perfect sense, even if it seems a bit extreme in the end. She wants to conduct sound business and form sensible unions in a time that generally wouldn’t allow a woman to make such suggestions or demands. Two-time Oscar winner Swank brings a rich coarseness to Mary Bee, a woman perhaps too much ahead of her time. There’s a sweetness to what Swank does with the role, and a sad element as well as we see the cross-country trek taking a toll on her. Jones is pretty much Jones here, rough and tough on the outside but definitely in possession of a soft side. As a director, he makes a good-looking movie. The American frontier is a desolate, drab stretch of land where the party has chosen to travel. Again, there are parts of the film that confound a bit, mostly because the actors look the same. It personally took me a little while to sort some of the action out. The Homesman isn’t a great Western, but it’s a worthy entry to the genre, and it marks a nice return to form for Swank, who downright humiliated herself in some of her more recent roles. Jones has given her a role to remind us that she’s an actress of great power. Ω

Big Hero 6

Disney and Marvel deliver one of the year’s best animated films in this delightful story of a boy and his big, puffy robot. Hiro (voice of Ryan Potter) is an inventor, as is his brother Tadashi (voice of Daniel Henney). While Hiro likes to win money at robot fights, his brother is concentrating on helping the world with Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit). Circumstances arise that leave Hiro in the company of Baymax, who turns out to be rather adorable and chummy for a robot. Hiro updates Baymax to fly and fight, then enlists his friends to join him in the fight to stop a mysterious masked man from stealing one of Hiro’s inventions. Baymax and Hiro are a touching, fun screen combo, and the animation here is dynamite. The movie is a blast from start to finish, and it actually does well with the heavy emotional stuff. It’s visually inventive with a strong script that makes you care for its characters. I’m quite certain there will be a sequel. It should be noted that “Feast,” the more traditionally animated short that precedes the film, starring a little Boston Terrier-looking pup named Winston, is also a real winner.

Dumb and Dumber To

After a lot of stops and starts, this one finally makes it to the screen 20 years after the original. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return as Lloyd and Harry, movie history’s two biggest dumbasses. While Carrey slides right back into the role of mischievous goofball, Daniels seems to be forcing it a bit, so the chemistry is off. Bobby and Peter Farrelly make their two stars labor for laughs with a script that is unfunny with a bunch of hit and miss gags (most miss). The plot involves Harry finding out he has a daughter, and the two going on another road trip in search of her (Harry also needs a kidney, thus the need to find the daughter for donor purposes). There’s a gag involving an old woman under the covers that I can’t believe made it into a PG-13 movie, and a couple of other decent laughs, but the chuckles are far and few between. Diehard fans of the original will be happy to see these characters back in play, but that will be accompanied by the sadness of wasted opportunity. An after credits scene claims there will be another sequel 20 years from now. I’m hoping that’s a joke, because there really is no need to visit these characters again. Also, I can’t believe how nasty this film is to Kathleen Turner, and I’m a little mad at myself for thinking the way she is taunted is the funniest thing in the movie.

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Interstellar

The latest from writer-director Christopher Nolan is a triumphant piece of moviemaking, a science fiction film that dares to go outside the lines and actually create things and hypothesize. In the future, Earth is getting swallowed up by dust, all the crops are dying, and the Yankees really suck (wait … that’s true now!). Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a farmer and former test pilot, is raising his two children after the death of his wife. He and his young daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) discover a strange site that just happens to be the remnants of NASA, where an old scientist (Michael Caine) is in the middle of a plan to save the human race. Cooper eventually winds up flying a mission to enter a wormhole and explore distant planets for their ability to sustain life. The major drawback is that time gets all warped during space travel, and the slightest delay can cost him many years back on Earth. The movie gets a little crazy and farfetched, and possesses more than its share of plot holes. I don’t care. It’s a terrific viewing experience that made me think it’s an all-time great science fiction film, even if it is a little crazy. The movie offers many great surprises, performances and brain-teasing concepts. It’s also weird and insane, and I love it for that.

The Theory of Everything

The marriage of Stephen and Jane Hawking takes center stage in director James Marsh’s sweet and powerful depiction of love in the face of adversity. The film showcases the talents of Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables), who gives a remarkable performance as Hawking, renowned physicist and eventual Pink Floyd vocalist. Redmayne depicts a relatively healthy Hawking at first, a slightly awkward but brilliant Cambridge student smitten with classmate Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones of Like Crazy). Redmayne transforms as the film progresses, slowly but surely depicting the physical deterioration of Hawking as he suffers from ALS. Jones is equally powerful as Hawking’s first wife, a woman who refused to let him waste away after his diagnosis. The two marry knowing that the road ahead will be a rough one. Hawking’s initial prognosis had him living no more than two years, a prediction he has outlived by about 50 years. The movie is a love story first, with Hawking’s musings about black holes and the origins of the universe taking a back seat. Redmayne and Jones are utterly convincing as the couple. Marsh treats their courtship in a magical, glimmering sort of way involving awkward school dances, followed by a memorable wedding sequence. The film unabashedly celebrates their romance.

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After a rousing second chapter, the Hunger Games franchise gets a little darker and introverted in its third installment. The results are perhaps a slight step back from the truly winning film that was Catching Fire, but you are still dealing with a good movie in this one. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), after being rescued following her complete annihilation of The Hunger Games, is being used as a propaganda tool to get at the evil Capitol government and its wily leader, President Snow (Donald Sutherland). As it turns out, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) survived the second movie,

The latest Keanu Reeves vehicle is a true stunner. It boasts a high body count, and offers cinematic proof that you shouldn’t mess with a man’s best friend. In the film’s opening moments, we learn that the title character (Reeves) has lost his wife, and he’s taking it justifiably hard. After a member of the Russian mob kills his dog and steals his car, we find out that Wick is a former assassin with guns and gold buried in his floor. The loss of his ride and canine friend are enough to make him spring back into action, and he does so in spectacular fashion thanks to Reeves and directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, both making their debuts. In the pantheon of action movie directing debuts, this one stands very tall. Willem Dafoe makes a nice mark in a few scenes as a double-crossing hitman. Adrianne Palicki, the actress who was supposed to be Wonder Woman until NBC saw the pilot and puked, shows action movie chops as another gun-for-hire that can’t be trusted. This is a great-looking movie that mixes in some strong emotions with its awesome set pieces. It’s nice to see Keanu Reeves back in the saddle.

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John Wick

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While the first Horrible Bosses got by on the charms of its three stars, the second one winds up being a near miss. Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) have decided to go into business for themselves after the events of the first film. They wind up on TV pitching a stupid idea called the Shower Buddy, where they are seen by Rex (Chris Pine), the son of billionaire businessman Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz). This leads to that, and the boys wind up in a kidnapping scheme involving Rex trying to double-cross his dad. The screenplay strains to bring back the likes of Jennifer Aniston as the naughty dentist and Kevin Spacey as the embittered ex boss. It also doesn’t help that Day and Sudeikis are a bit overwrought this time out, their acts getting a little tired. It should be noted that Bateman is easily the funniest thing about this movie, effortlessly smarmy as always. I laughed a fair amount of times, but felt like the three stars would be better served with all new material and premise. I like seeing them together, but they need a new place to play.

775.356.3300 • www.sheepdipshow.org

and is being used as a propaganda tool as well (He’s being held captive by the Capitol). A lot of this movie takes place underground and in the dark, with a few good action sequences. It should be said that this only covers half of the third book in the popular series, and everything builds up to quite the cliffhanger ending. Lawrence is good here, although a couple of scenes are a bit jarring, and not in a good way. She does get a chance to sing, and she sings quite well. Philip Seymour Hoffman completed his role before his death, and he’s typically great.

FOODFINDS

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THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

DECEMBER 11, 2014

RN&R

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Itʼs happen ing in ACTIVITIES THE DESERT THROUGH MY EYES

Aimee Kelly’s exhibition includes nine color photographs printed on aluminum. Her work tends to focus on nature and the environment, primarily desert ecosystems. Through the lens of her camera Aimee strives to capture the contradictory elements of the desert, which can range from absolutely stunning to downright strange. This new exhibition looks at the power of water in the desert. M-Th, Su, 10AM-5PM, 10AM-6PM & 11AM-7PM through 12/28, free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, (775) 4241800

RENO SKI & RECREATION CLUB

The Reno Ski and Recreation Club holds its general meeting. Hear the most current information about the Reno Ski & Recreation Club, upcoming trips and activities. The group meets the second Tuesday of each month. For socializing and dinner, members start arriving around 6PM. Meeting begins at 7PM. Second Tu of every month, 6PM, free. Cantina Los Tres Hombres, 926 Victorian Ave. (775) 356-6262

CROCHET CONNECTION

Learn to crochet or share tips with other crochet enthusiasts. Th, 4-5:45PM, free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway. (775) 424-1800

PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC

Ave. For more information about this activity, contact Debra Brown at (720) 917-4900.

JOHN DAWSON

Th, 12/18, 8PM, F, 12/19, 8PM and Sa, 12/20, 8PM, no cover. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

Th, 12/11, 8PM, F, 12/12, 8PM and Sa, 12/13, 8PM, no cover. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

Join us for J2 - Acoustic music that rocks! F, 12/12, 8PM, no cover. Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave. (775) 356-9799

JOY TO THE WORLD

The joy and warmth of the holiday season is in the air. Join the Reno Pops Orchestra for its “Joy to the World” holiday concert. Welcome the season with holiday classics and family favorites such as “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from his Symphony No. 9, the “Hanukkah Festival Overture,” familiar tunes by Carmen Dragon, and classics by Leroy Anderson. Listen to the sounds of the Tintabulations hand bell choir, the Kindred Spirits Ladies Septet and other soloists. We’ll conclude with our popular sing-along for the entire family. F, 12/12, 7:30PM, free, donations welcome. The Rock Church, 4950 Vista Blvd. (775) 355-7888

BRANDED

RENO DANCE COMPANY’S NUTCRACKER BALLET

Reno Dance Company presents its 13th annual presentation of the classic ballet. F, 12/19, 8PM, Sa, 12/20, 2 & 8PM, Su, 12/21, 2 & 7PM, M, 12/22, 2 & 7PM and Tu, 12/23, 2PM, $19.95-$36.95. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

ZERO JONES BAND FIRESIDE XMAS BASH

Join us for The Elbow Room Bar’s Fireside Xmas Bash with Zero Jones Band! Sa, 12/20, 9PM, no cover. Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave. (775) 356-9799

ROCK AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Raffle, food drive, toy drive. It is the time of year to give. And we are ready to give you a Christmas full of rock ‘n’ roll. See you there! Sa, 12/20, 9PM, no cover. Sparks Lounge, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 409-3340

LOCALS NIGHT

Locals Night, DJ. M, 5PM through 12/29, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

CLASSIC ROCK NIGHT

Classic rock night with DJ. Tu, 5PM through 12/30, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

LADIES NIGHT & TOUGHEST COWBOY

Ladies Night w/live music and Toughest Cowboy Competition. DJ breaks until midnight. W, 7 & 9PM through 12/31, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

ACOUSTIC WONDERLAND

This is a singer-songwriter showcase. Come down to Paddy’s and bring your acoustic instruments. Sign-ups are at 7:30PM and music begins at 8PM. Drink Specials all night! Th, 8PM, no cover. Paddy & Irene’s Irish Pub, 906-A Victorian Ave. (775) 358-5484

LIVE MUSIC & LATE NIGHT DJ

Live music with late-night DJ. F, 5PM-2AM & 7-11PM through 12/26, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

LED ZEPAGAIN

LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC & LATE NIGHT DJ

F, 12/12, 8PM, $20. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

Sa, 9PM and Su, 3PM, no cover. CBQ, 1330 Scheels Dr. (775) 359-1109

The book club meets the first Saturday of each month. Call to find out each month’s book title. First Sa of every month, 1-2PM, free. Sparks Library, 1125 12th St. (775) 352-3200

SIAMSA: A CELTIC CHRISTMAS

LINE DANCING LESSONS

KARAOKE

CONVERSATION CAFE

NEVADA DEBUT OF SHADOWS OF LIBERTY

FOUR SEASONS BOOK CLUB

The drop-in conversation program meets on the first Saturday of each month, 2-4PM, free. Sparks Library, 1125 12th St. (775) 352-3200

CLICKETS KNITTING GROUP

This class is for knitters of all ages and levels. Yarn and needles are available. First and Third Su of every month, 1:30-3PM, free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Spanish Springs (775) 424-1800

RN&R |

december 11, 2014

Sa, 12/13, 7:30PM and Su, 12/14, 4PM, $25. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300 The documentary film Shadows of Liberty reveals the extraordinary truth behind the news media: censorship, cover-ups and corporate control. In highly revealing stories, renowned journalists, activists and academics give insider accounts of a broken media system. Controversial news reports are suppressed, people are censored for speaking out, and lives are shattered as the arena for public expression is turned into a private profit zone. W, 12/17, 7PM, free. Donations appreciated. Labor Temple, 1819 Hymer

Line dancing lessons from the Gilley’s Girls from 6PM-8PM. Enjoy DJ Trey from 6PM-mid. W, 6PM through 12/31. No cover. JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

DJ RAZZ

Come dance the night away to DJ RAZZ! You can even karaoke if you like. Ladies Night every Friday night. Drink Specials all night. F, 9PM. Paddy & Irene’s Irish Pub, 906-A Victorian Ave. (775) 358-5484

BIKINI BULL RIDING

DJ and Bikini Bull Riding Competition. Su, 5 & 9PM through 12/28, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

Live music with late-night DJ. Sa, 5PM-2AM & 7PM-midnight through 12/27, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

KARAOKE WITH BOBBY DEE

Tu, 8PM, no cover. Morelli’s G Street Saloon, 2285 G St. (775) 355-8281

KARAOKE

Th-Sa, 9PM, no cover. Bottom’s Up Saloon, 1923 Prater Way (775) 359-3677

What comes around Karma “If you’re looking for an honest rock ’n’ roll band, you found it,” says Carter Stellon, drummer for the band Karma. by Anna Hart Assembled from members of the Grimtones duo and the Kanes trio, Karma has been portrayed as something of a “super group.” Since its formation in September, the Reno band has garnered a reputation of mythic proportions, receiving praise as though they were human manifestations of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

Photo/AnnA hArt

songwriting process, fostering an equality in artistic input that increases melodic intrigue as the songs switch from one person singing lead to another. Karma’s lyrics often comment on existing hypocrisies and a refusal to submit to complacency. However, much of it is also tongue-in-cheek. “We talk about boring [stuff] sometimes,” Belle says with a laugh. “Other times it’s nonsense, and then sometimes it’s just about dominatrix girls and falling in love with mermaids.” Recently, Karma finished recording their debut EP, Aural Pleasures, set for release on Dec. 20. The collection offers a biopsy of the musical heterogeny Karma has developed, loosely revisiting the general ambiance of rock ’n’ roll of the ’60s and ’70s. With Stellon and Belle’s work with the Grimtones and Springob and Gilmore’s role in the Kanes, it seems inevitable that their experience would color the work of Karma. But the impact seems to have fallen more on the logistical side of performing than on the musical style itself. The knowledge of how to rehearse effectively, record a song, book a show and promote it, as well as establish a presence in the local community have undoubtedly been key to the current triumphs of Karma. In a matter of weeks, Karma have written songs, performed three shows, recorded an EP and booked a release show. But in case that wasn’t enough, Karma has just announced a U.S. tour, starting early next year, running all the way to places like New York and Texas before coming back to the West Coast. In the midst of sharing the microphone, creative license and even clothes, Karma embodies the spirit of the guitar-playing, smug-faced, chain-smoking rapscallion that your parents prayed you would never be caught with under the bleachers at school. Ω

Adam Springob, Greg Gilmore, Carter Stellon and Michelle Belle make up the leather-clad “super group” Karma.

Judging by the surplus of leather, nicotine and great tunes, it’s not hard to see why. Under the dim lights of the Red Rock Studios’ basement, the members of Karma sip their gin and tonics and drag from the cigarettes effortlessly dangling from their lips, exuding a kind of cool that seems only to exist in the backs of record shops or in 1980s cult classics. Alongside Stellon, Karma’s lineup includes Michelle Belle on guitar, Adam Springob on bass and Greg Gilmore on guitar, with the latter three equally contributing to vocals. Characterized by visceral, growling melody lines underpinned by tight vocal harmonies and an energetic foundation of guitars, bass and drums, Karma’s music shows old and new influences. Their songs act as snapshots of musical events and movements, from the British invasion and garage rock of the ’60s and ’70s to the rock revival and indie-rock explosion of the 2000s. Another aspect that sets Karma apart is their egalitarian method of music-making. The lack of a lead vocalist changes the collaborative

Karma’s EP release show is planned for Dec. 20 at Singer Social Club. Show starts at 9 p.m. the cover is $5. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ karmaisaband.

OPINION

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FOODFINDS

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MUSICBEAT

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MISCELLANY

DECEMBER 11, 2014

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THURSDAY 12/11

FRIDAY 12/12

SATURDAY 12/13

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

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

Deep house DJs, 10pm, no cover

Black Market 111, 9pm, no cover

5 STAR SALOON

Karaoke, 10pm, no cover

DJ DoublePlay, 10pm, no cover before 10pm, DJ DoublePlay, 10pm, no cover before 10pm, $5 after $5 after

3RD STREET 132 West St., (775) 329-2878

A TO ZEN GIFTS & THRIFT

Cage the Elephant

BAR-M-BAR 816 Highway 40 West, Verdi; (775) 351-3206

Dec. 11, 7 p.m. Grand Sierra Resort 2500 E. Second St. 789-2000

BRASSERIE ST. JAMES 901 S. Center St., (775) 348-8888

CARGO AT WHITNEY PEAK HOTEL Pub Quiz Trivia Night, 8pm, no cover

The Clarke Brothers, 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

In Stride Music, noon, no cover

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

CHAPEL TAVERN

Comedy 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: Kevin Downey Jr. and Eric Potts, Th, Su, 7:30pm, $15.95; F, 7:30pm, 10pm, $15.95; Sa, 7:30pm, 10pm, $17.95; Rick D’Elia and Reno’s Rising Stars, Tu-W, 7:30pm, $15.95 The Improv at Harveys Cabaret, Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, (800) 553-1022: Eddie Ifft, Gary Cannon, F, 9pm, $25; Sa, 8:30pm, 10:30pm, $30; Darren Carter, Amir K, W, 9pm, $25

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

Monday Night Open Mic, 8pm, M, no cover Strange on the Range, 7pm, W, no cover

DAVIDSON’S DISTILLERY

Carson Feet Warmers, 11:30am, Tu, no cover Dave Leather, noon, W, no cover Mad Beaters, 9:30pm, no cover

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

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

ELBOW ROOM BAR

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

Plastic Paddy, 9pm, no cover

Santa Crawl, 9:30pm, no cover

Karaoke w/Nitesong Productions, 9pm, Tu, Open Mic/Ladies Night, 8:30pm, W, no cover

Karaoke with Miss Amanda, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke with Miss Amanda, 9pm, W, no cover

J2, 8pm, no cover

2002 Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 356-9799

ELEVENTH FRAME WINNER’S LOUNGE

Country Dance w/DJ Cowboy Bob, 7pm, no cover

4600 Snyder Ave., Carson City; (775) 883-2606

FUEGO

Karaoke Night, 8pm, no cover

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

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

THE GRID BAR & GRILL

Reno-Tahoe Comedy at Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., 686-6600: Tony D’Andrea, F, 9pm; Sa, 8:30pm, $13-$15

Open Mic w/Steve Elegant, 7pm, Tu, no cover Karaoke, 10pm, W, no cover

Santa’s Funky Freak-Out, 11:30pm, $10; free w/Santa Crawl cup

255 N. Virginia St., (775) 398-5400

CEOL IRISH PUB

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 12/15-12/17 DG Kicks, 9pm, Tu, no cover

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

Open Mic Night, 7pm, no cover

1801 N. Carson St., Carson City; (775) 461-3311

SUNDAY 12/14

Karaoke w/Andrew, 9pm, no cover

8545 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach; (530) 546-0300

HARRY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL

DJ and karaoke, 9pm, no cover

1100 E. Plumb Ln., (775) 828-7665

HELLFIRE SALOON

VooDoo Dogz, 8:30pm, no cover

9825 S. Virginia St., (775) 622-8878

Bass Heavy, 9pm, W, $TBA

Open mic, 7pm, no cover

StraightJacket, 9pm, no cover

Goin Country, 8pm, W, no cover

Kathy *ULIÀ Q

DECEMBER 12

DECEMBER 10 – 21, 2014

12 Winners Daily!

Home Theater Systems • 50” TV • 40” TVs • Blu-Ray Players Beats by Dre Headphones • iPods and More! 7 PM DRAWING EVERY NIGHT

329-4777 36

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| DECEMBER 11, 2014

1 - 8 0 0 - M U ST- S E E

(6 8 7- 8 7 3 3)

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silverlegacy.com

THURSDAY 12/11

FRIDAY 12/12

SATURDAY 12/13

SUNDAY 12/14

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 12/15-12/17

HIMMEL HAUS

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

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

THE HOLLAND PROJECT

Moons of Vega, Ghost Friends LTD, Broken Lungs, 7:30pm, $5

140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858

Local Comedy Showcase, 8:30pm, $TBA

JUB JUB’S THIRST PARLOR

1-2) Marianarchy Winterball w/Infecto Skeletons, Vague Choir, others, 4pm, $10 donation

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

KNITTING FACTORY CONCERT HOUSE

10007 Bridge St., Truckee; (530) 587-8688

2) Blazin Mics!, 10pm, M, no cover

Nahko and Medicine for the People

Phutureprimitive, Well Groomed, 8pm, $10

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

MOODY’S BISTRO BAR & BEATS

1-2) Marianarchy Reno Winterball w/The Sisters Doom, Priscilla Ford, others, 2pm, $10 donation

Con Brio, 8:30pm, no cover

Steven Roth, 8:30pm, no cover

PADDY & IRENE’S IRISH PUB

Dec. 12, 9 p.m. Crystal Bay Club 14 Highway 28 Crystal Bay 833-6333

Steven Roth, 8:30pm, no cover

DJ Razz, 9pm, no cover

906-A Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 358-5484

POLO LOUNGE

Gemini, 9pm, no cover

1559 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-8864

Gemini, 9pm, no cover

Corky Bennett, 7:30pm, W, no cover

RED DOG SALOON

Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, 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

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

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

SE7EN TEAHOUSE/BAR

Phutureprimitive

Bluegrass/Americana Open Performance Jam, 7pm, no cover

148 West St., (775) 284-3363

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

STUDIO ON 4TH

PartyAnimalComedyTour w/Lucia Carol Tuman, Elgin Alway, others, 8:30pm, $10

432 E. Fourth St., (775) 737-9776

Local Music Night w/locals bands or local DJs, 9pm, no cover

Dance party, 9pm, no cover

Rachael Miles, Six Mile Station, Wheatstone Bridge, 8pm, $5

NTNT, The Convulsionaires, Transmitter, Stabby Unicorn, 8pm, $5

Tuesday Night Trivia, 8pm, Tu, Reno Beer and Record Club w/guest DJs, 9pm, W, no cover

WILD RIVER GRILLE

Dec. 13, 8 p.m. Knitting Factory 211 N. Virginia St. 323-5648

Hot Panda, Actors Killed Lincoln, Busking By Moonlight, 8pm, $7 Sunday Jazz, 2pm, no cover

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

WILDFLOWER VILLAGE

1) The Writer’s Block Open Mic,

3) Music in the Round, 6:30pm, M, Jack Di Carlo, Red Dawn, 6pm, W, no cover

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

4275-4395 W. Fourth St., (775) 787-3769 7pm, no cover 1) Golden Rose Cafe 2) Green Fairy Pub 3) Cabaret

e iv l MIX in the mix

THESE THESE

DON’T DON’T

MIX

Think you know your limits? Think again. If you drink, don’t drive. Period. DJ & vJ services for all occasions 775.412.8873 | www.JoseTheDJ.com OPINION

NEWS

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IN ROTATION

ART OF THE STATE

FOODFINDS

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MUSICBEAT

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THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

DECEMBER 11, 2014

RN&R

THURSDAY 12/11

FRIDAY 12/12

SATURDAY 12/13

SUNDAY 12/14

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 12/15-12/17

2) Escalade, 8pm, no cover

2) Escalade, 4pm, no cover Red Hot Smokin’ Aces, 10pm, no cove

2) Escalade, 4pm, no cover Red Hot Smokin’ Aces, 10pm, no cover

2) Red Hot Smokin’ Aces, 8pm, no cover

2) Midnight Riders, 8pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) Jo Mama, 8pm, no cover 1627 Hwy. 395, Minden; (775) 782-9711 1) Valley Ballroom 2) Cabaret Lounge 3) TJ’s Corral

2) Jo Mama, 8pm, no cover

CRYSTAL BAY CLUB

1) Nahko and Medicine for the People, Dustin Thomas, 9pm, $15-$35 2) Con Brio, midnight, no cover

2) Scott Pemberton Trio, 10pm, no cover

1) Christmas Wonderland, 7pm, $19.95-$25.95 2) Cash Presley, 10:30pm, no cover

1) Christmas Wonderland, 7pm, $19.95-$25.95 2) Cash Presley, 10:30pm, no cover 3) Skyy High Fridays w/Roni Romance, 10pm, no cover

1) Christmas Wonderland, 3pm, 7pm, $19.95-$25.95 2) Cash Presley, 10:30pm, no cover 3) Addiction Saturdays w/DJ Roni Romance, 10pm, no cover

2) Locals Night w/DJ 2Wice, 10pm, $15 after midnight 3) Honky Tonk Thursdays, 10pm, no cover 5) Fallout Boy, Cage the Elephant, Big Data, Meg Myers, 7pm, $39.50

1) World Fighting Championships 32, 8pm, $25-$100 3) Boots & Daisy Dukes 3) County Social Saturdays w/DJ Jamie G, 10pm, no cover w/DJ Jamie G, 10pm, no cover 5) Mariachi Sol De Mexico, 7:30pm, $10-$40

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

CARSON VALLEY INN

Daniel Tosh Dec. 12, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. MontBleu Resort 55 Highway 50 Stateline (800) 648-3353

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

ELDORADO RESORT CASINO 345 N. Virginia St., (775) 786-5700 1) Showroom 2) Brew Brothers 3) BuBinga Live 4) Stadium Bar

GRAND SIERRA RESORT

Karaoke Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave., Sparks, 359-3526: Th, 7pm, no cover Hangar Bar, 10603 Stead Blvd., Stead, 677-7088: Karaoke Kat, Sa, 9pm, no cover Murphy’s Law Irish Pub, 180 W. Peckham Lane, Ste. 1070, 823-9977: Steve Starr Karaoke, F, 9pm, no cover Ponderosa Saloon, 106 South C St., Virginia City, 847-7210: Steel Rockin’ Karaoke, F, 7:30pm, no cover Spiro’s Sports Bar & Grille, 1475 E. Prater Way, Ste. 103, Sparks, 356-6000: F-Sa, 9pm, no cover West Second Street Bar, 118 W. Second St., 384-7976: Daily, 8pm, no cover

2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-2000 1) Grand Theater 2) Lex Nightclub 3) Sports Book 4) Cantina

HARRAH’S LAKE TAHOE

1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks; (775) 356-3300 1) Celebrity Showroom 2) Rose Ballroom 3) Gilley’s

RN&R

| DECEMBER 11, 2014

1) Two Kings, 8pm, $29.50-$40.50

1) Two Kings, 8pm, $29.50-$40.50 2) DJ/dancing, 10pm, no cover 3) Carolyn Dolan, 8pm, no cover

1) Two Kings, 8pm, $29.50-$40.50 2) DJ/dancing, 10pm, no cover 3) DJ R-Boogie, 8pm, no cover

1) Two Kings, 8pm, $29.50-$40.50

3) DJ/dancing, 5pm, John Dawson, 8pm, no cover

1) Led Zepagain, 8pm, $20 3) DJ/dancing, 5pm, 11pm, John Dawson, 8pm, no cover

1) Siamsa: A Celtic Christmas, 7:30pm, $18-$28 3) DJ/dancing, 5pm, 11pm, John Dawson, 8pm, no cover

1) Siamsa: A Celtic Christmas, 4pm, $18-$28 3) DJ/dancing, 5pm, Bikini Bull Riding Competition, 9pm, no cover

1) Daniel Tosh, 7pm, 9pm, $55-$75 3) Boogie Nights, 9pm, $10 4) Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

1) Tahoe Adventure Film Festival, 7:30pm, $20-$30 3) Boogie Nights, 9pm, $10 4) Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

MONTBLEU RESORT

55 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (800) 648-3353 1) Theatre 2) Opal 3) Blu 4) The Zone

1) Christmas Wonderland, 7pm, Tu, W, $19.95-$25.95 2) Live Band Karaoke, 10pm, M, DJ Chris English, 10pm, Tu, Garage Boys, 10:30pm, W, no cover

3) DJ Trey, 6pm, W, no cover

3) Boogie Nights, 9pm, M, $10

PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO

2) Ike & Martin, 7pm, no cover 3) Diamonds and Coal, 8:30pm, $20-$25

2) Ike & Martin, 8pm, no cover 3) Fixx Fridays, 7:30pm, $10 after 8pm

2) Ike & Martin, 8pm, no cover 3) DJ OB-One, 10pm, $20

2) Verbal Kint, 6pm, no cover

2) Verbal Kint, 6pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

SILVER LEGACY

2) Bonzai Thursdays w/DJ Trivia, 8pm, no cover 3) University of Aura, 9pm, no cover

1) Kathy Griffin, 8pm, $45-$59.50 3) Fashion Friday, 9pm, no cover

3) Seduction Saturdays, 9pm, $5

2) Recovery Sundays, 10pm, no cover 3) Industry Night, 9pm, no cover

2) Gong Show Karaoke, 8pm, Tu, no cover Country-Rock Bingo w/Jeff Gregg, 9pm, W, no cover

2707 S. Virginia St., (775) 826-2121 1) Tuscany Ballroom 2) Terrace Lounge 3) Edge

407 N. Virginia St., (775) 325-7401 1) Grand Exposition Hall 2) Rum Bullions Island Bar 3) Aura Ultra Lounge 4) Silver Baron Lounge

1) The Sun Kings, 7:30pm, $22 2) DJ Rick Gee, DJ SN1, 10pm, $20 3) Arty the Party, 9pm, no cover

HARRAH’S RENO

JA NUGGET

1) Christmas Wonderland, 3pm, 7pm, $19.95-$25.95 2) Cash Presley, 10:30pm, no cover

3) Arty the Party, 9pm, no cover

15 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (775) 588-6611 1) South Shore Room 2) Peek Nightclub 3) Center Stage Lounge 219 N. Center St., (775) 788-2900 1) Sammy’s Showroom 2) The Zone 3) Sapphire Lounge 4) Plaza 5) Convention Center

2) George Pickard, 6pm, Tu, W, no cover

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

Reno Santa Pub CRawl Dress as Santa Claus and grab a cup of cheer this weekend as thousands of like-minded folks brave the cold during the 14th annual pub crawl. Holiday revelers aged 21 and older can dress as Santa, an elf or other character or expression of the holiday season and enjoy drink discounts and no cover charge at more than 50 participating bars, restaurants and taverns in downtown Reno. The fun gets started at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. Later that night, all pub crawlers are invited to gather at the Reno Arch for a mass photo op. A commemorative cup and map costs $5. Proceeds from pub crawl cup sales will benefit local schools in need. Those who are underage or don’t want to bar hop can still get into the spirit by entering

The Great Santa Dash at Wingfield Park at First Street and Arlington Avenue. Runners of all levels are encouraged to participate in the 5k run/ walk and wear a Christmas-themed costume. The event gets underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Registration is $20-$30. The event sponsors the AIY Foundation to help local schools with athletic equipment and physical education program awareness. Alternatively, you can hit the slopes in a Santa suit for the Santa Crawl Skiing Extravaganza at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, 22222 Mt. Rose Highway, on Saturday morning. Participants in costume will get a discount off an all-day lift ticket with proceeds also going toward local schools. Visit http://renosantacrawl.com.

—Kelley Lang

tahoe adventuRe Film FeStival

holiday GinGeRbRead FeStival

maRianaRChy winteR ball

SiaSma: a CeltiC ChRiStmaS

The annual film festival highlights the best adventure sports films of the year and showcases the action sports world’s best talent. All of the films are specially selected and edited to fit the festival’s fast-paced format. The night includes special guest speakers, action photo displays, breakdancers, DJs and a few special surprises. The event begins at 7:30 pm. on Saturday, Dec. 13, at MontBleu Resort, 55 Highway 50, Stateline. Tickets are $20-$30. Visit www.laketahoefilmfestival.com.

Design and build a gingerbread creation and enter it in the May Arboretum Society’s seventh annual contest. Ribbons and prizes will be awarded. The event also features live holiday musical performances, arts and crafts, and free admission to the Wilbur D. May Museum. Visitors are invited to vote on their favorite creation for the People’s Choice Award. The festival takes place from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Wilbur D. May Museum at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St. Admission to the festival is free, but there is a $10 registration fee per entry in the contest. Entry forms are available at the Wilbur D. May Museum or Arboretum office or online at www.maycenter.com.

Named in memory of local music promoter Marianne Psota, the winter edition of the benefit concert features two days of live music, comedy and other entertainment. Day one features performances by Infecto Skeletons,Vague Choir, The Liver Scars, Slut Fungus, Stabby Unicorn, Weapons of Mass Creation, End of the Line, among other acts starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. Day two features performances by The Sisters Doom, Priscilla Ford, Kittenhead, Mary Jane Rocket, Reno, We Have A Problem, Max Volume Band and many others starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. Admission is a $10 suggested donation, which will benefit local artist Greg Allen. Both nights of the ball take place at Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor, 71 S. Wells Ave. Call 384-1652 or visit Jub’s Jub’s Facebook page for details.

The Reno Irish Dance Company presents its annual holiday performance that combines Irish traditions, superstitions, music and dance. Siamsa (pronounced shimsa), means “celebration” in Gaelic. The show tells the story of a little girl named Holly who goes in search of the meaning of Christmas. Reno resident Molly Hunsberger will reprise the role of Holly, traveling and singing her way from Celtic village to village, meeting many performers along the way, including world champion Irish dancer and Tony Award winner Trent Kowalik, Nicole McKeever, principal dancer in the world tour of Riverdance, and members of the Reno Irish Dance Company, among other guest musicians and dancers. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Celebrity Showroom inside JA Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks. Tickets are $28 for adults and $18 for children and seniors. Call 745-0820 or visit www.renoirishdanceco.org.

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American idle My girlfriend is beautiful, highly intelligent and interesting. She’s smart for a living (as a strategic planner in advertising), so I find it sad that she watches so much television—maybe two hours of it upon coming home from work. She could be spending her time doing so many other things. There comes a point in the day of a brainy person when she’s about a half-step from being entertained by cat toys. But this is nothing to be boohooing about. Engineering professor Barbara Oakley explains in her neurosciencebased book on learning, A Mind for Numbers, that our brain has two modes of problem-solving that it shifts between. Theres’s “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work we go” focused mode and the resting-state, brain-in-the-La-Z-Boy diffuse mode. Focused-mode thinking is what we’re using when we put our attention on a problem or on learning, writing or memorizing. It’s direct and intense, like shining a flashlight on a raccoon. But your brain is not a Denny’s and should not be expected to be always open. In fact, Oakley explains, you will be far more efficient if you take breaks and let your diffuse mode take over. This is the subconscious processing that goes on when you turn your focus away from a problem, like by taking a walk, cleaning the gerbil cage, or—horrors!—watching something dopey on TV. And while the focused mode can get you roadblocked into an overly narrow set of potential solutions, diffuse mode involves big-picture thinking that draws on a wide range of neural networks. This means that afterward, when 40 | RN&R |

DECEMBER 11, 2014

you refocus on the problem, answers come more easily, and sometimes—almost magically—you experience the mental equivalent of going to sleep, having mop-wielding elves crawl out of your heat vent, and then waking up to a blindingly clean kitchen floor. Consider the sort of slackers who watch TV—like the late crime writer Elmore Leonard, who was awarded the National Book Foundation’s 2012 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. After a long day working on one of his 45 novels, he’d be on his couch watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Sure, your girlfriend could be doing so many other things, like tossing back four martinis and passing out on the sofa with an olive in her ear. But TV-watching is the brain vacation that works for her. It’s only “sad” if her boyfriend, despite the neuroscience mini-tour above, remains too entrenched in his beliefs to respect a TV-watching woman. Unfortunately, once disgust for a partner is afoot in a relationship, the thing is probably shot. Though—rather incredibly—the idiot box can help a person be a smarter decision-maker at work, scientists have yet to discover any similarly unbelievable lowbrow cures for ailing romantic partnerships. Ω

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

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by rob brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Lord Byron

(1788-1824) was an English poet who loved animals. In the course of his life, he not only had dogs and cats as pets, but also monkeys, horses, peacocks, geese, a crocodile, a falcon, a crane and a parrot. When he enrolled in Trinity College at age 17, he was upset that the school’s rules forbade students from having pet dogs, which meant he couldn’t bring his adored Newfoundland dog Boatswain. There was no regulation, however, against having a tame bear as a pet. So Byron got one and named it Bruin. I think it’s time for you to find a workaround like that, Aries. Be cunning. Try a gambit or two. Find a loophole.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Whenever

I lost one of my baby teeth as a kid, I put it under my pillow before I went to sleep. During the night, the tooth fairy sneaked into my room to snatch the tooth, and in its place left me 25 cents. The same crazy thing happened to every kid I knew, although for unknown reasons my friend John always got $5 for each of his teeth—far more than the rest of us. I see a metaphorically comparable development in your life, Taurus. It probably won’t involve teeth or a visit from the tooth fairy. Rather, you will finally be compensated for a loss or deprivation or disappearance that you experienced in the past. I expect the restitution will be generous, too—more like John’s than mine.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Through the

scientific magic of grafting, a single tree can be altered to grow several different kinds of fruit at the same time. One type of “fruit salad tree” produces apricots, nectarines, plums and peaches, while another bears grapefruits, lemons, oranges, limes and tangelos. I’m thinking this might be an apt and inspiring symbol for you in the coming months, Gemini. What multiple blooms will you create on your own metaphorical version of a fruit salad tree?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): No other

structure on the planet is longer than the Great Wall of China. It’s not actually one unbroken span, though. Some sections aren’t connected, and there are redundant branches that are roughly parallel to the main structure. It reminds me of your own personal Great Wall, which is monumental yet permeable, strong in some ways but weak in others, daunting to the casual observer but less so to those who take the time to study it. Now is an excellent time to take inventory of that wall of yours. Is it serving you well? Is it keeping out the influences you don’t want but allowing in the influences you do want? Could it use some renovation? Are you willing to re-imagine what its purpose is and how you want it to work for you in the future?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Arctic

Monkeys are British rockers who have produced five studio albums, which together have sold almost five million copies. Rolling Stone magazine called their first album, released in 2006, the 30th greatest debut of all time. Yet when they first formed in 2002, none of them could play a musical instrument. I see the current era of your life, Leo, as having a similar potential. How might you start from scratch to create something great?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Alan Turing

90 Auto Center Dr.

42 | RN&R |

DECEMBER 11, 2014

(1912-1954) was a British mathematician and pioneering computer scientist. After World War II broke out, he got worried that the German army might invade and occupy England, as it had done to France. To protect his financial assets, he converted everything he owned into bars of silver, then buried them underground in the countryside north of London. When the war ended, he decided it was safe to dig up his fortune. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recall where he had put it, and never did find it. Let’s draw a lesson from his experience, Virgo. It’s fine if you want to stash a treasure or protect a secret or safeguard a resource. That’s probably a sensible thing to do right now. But make sure you remember every detail about why and how you’re doing it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Even if you are

not formally enrolled in a course of study or a training program, you are nevertheless being schooled. Maybe you’re not fully conscious of what you have been learning. Maybe your teachers are disguised or unwitting. But I assure you that the universe has been dropping some intense, new knowledge on you. The coming week will be an excellent time to become more conscious of the lessons you have been absorbing. If you have intuitions about where this educational drama should go next, be proactive about making that happen.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You now

have a special ability to detect transformations that are happening below the threshold of everyone else’s awareness. Anything that has been hidden or unknown will reveal itself to your gentle probes. You will also be skilled at communicating your discoveries to people who are important to you. Take full advantage of these superpowers. Don’t underestimate how pivotal a role you can play as a teacher, guide and catalyst. The future success of your collaborative efforts depends on your next moves.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Harper Lee was born and raised in Alabama. At the age of 23, she relocated to New York City with hopes of becoming a writer. It was a struggle. To support herself, she worked as a ticket agent for airline companies. Finding the time to develop her craft was difficult. Seven years went by. Then one Christmas, two friends gave her a remarkable gift: enough money to quit her job and work on her writing for a year. During that grace period, Lee created the basics for a book that won her a Pulitzer Prize: To Kill a Mockingbird. I don’t foresee anything quite as dramatic for you in the coming months, Sagittarius. But I do suspect you will receive unexpected help that provides you with the slack and spaciousness you need to lay the foundations for a future creation.

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

the ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus’s wife Penelope describes two kinds of dreams. “Those that pass through the gate of ivory,” she says, are deceptive. But dreams that “come forth through the gate of polished horn” tell the truth. Another ancient text echoes these ideas. In his poem The Aeneid, Virgil says that “true visions” arrive here from the land of dreams through the gate of horn, whereas “deluding lies” cross over through the gate of ivory. Judging from the current astrological omens, Capricorn, I expect you will have interesting and intense dreams flowing through both the gate of ivory and the gate of horn. Will you be able to tell the difference? Trust love.

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

chances of going viral are better than usual. It’s a perfect moment to upload a Youtube video of yourself wearing a crown of black roses and a V for Vendetta mask as you ride a unicycle inside a church and sing an uptempo parody version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” It’s also a favorable time for you to create a buzz for you and your pet causes through less spectacular measures. Promote yourself imaginatively.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): At age 80,

author Joan Didion has published five novels, 10 works of non-fiction, and five screenplays. When she was 27, she wrote, “I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be.” That wasn’t a good thing, she added: “We are well-advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the mind’s door and demand to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends.” I recommend her counsel to you in the coming months, Pisces. Get reacquainted with the old selves you have outgrown and abandoned.

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

Drone guy Donald Abbott, an assistant professor at Truckee Meadows Community College who teaches refrigeration theory and other courses and also works for an air conditioning firm, has been drifting into photography. He took the top photo of “Last Chance Joe” on page 9 with a camera mounted on a drone.

What made you get into photography? I work at the Sparks Heritage Museum. I’m a volunteer there. And it’s neat to see those pictures that are 50 years old or 60 years old, and I just wanted to try to start logging pictures like that for future generations to look back on.

Where did you get the drone? A hobby store on Wells Avenue. … I looked online. I compared models. And they [the store] had a comparable model.

What was it like learning it? A little nerve wracking, a little nervous when you’re flying an expensive piece of equipment in the air that you can put into a street. But it’s a blast, a lot of fun. You know, like a kid in a candy store.

Where did you first practice with it?

Have you encountered any legal problems?

My backyard.

Not yet. I stay within the boundaries. You know, I don’t go flying over people’s homes or near hotels or anything like that. I’ve had people take pictures of it and come over and talk to me about it, how neat it is— especially when I show them the pictures. … The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] allows flying it up to 400 feet.

You approached the police about shooting the Sparks Christmas parade? I didn’t talk to the police. I talked to the city, the people at the city that were in charge of the parade.

And what was the reaction?

Poetic adjustments

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I put it into a tree. [Laughs.]

As you continue practicing, what are you trying? I’ve been practicing panning around objects, like a smooth pan around a stand-alone object. Eventually I’d like to pan around a moving vehicle or surfboard or something like that. Also, getting close to things and not being nervous about hitting them. Going down hallways. I think it would be neat to get some footage going underneath a bridge or something like that. But I don’t trust myself fully yet for that. Abbott’s footage of the move of the Nugget statue of “Last Chance Joe” can be viewed at http:// youtu.be/Eo-kpP6qLrk.

“hey, it’s the system at work i did my job they did theirs and they did it well like common decent folks. heh heh heh.” grand juries indict 99% of cases 99 fucking percent! yet both juries fanned in ferguson and new york? gee, uh, wotta coincidence. all we are saying is give us a trial. nobody said guilty nobody said innocent just how about a trial? america responds fuck you shut up be peaceful watch football go to the mall fuhgeddaboutit. string yer lights clean yer guns happy holidays. Ω

yes yes yes, there are loads of good cops blah blah blah we know we know of course. but now we’re reminded plenty of jittery fearful and super pissy racist cops too. and they’re out there fucking up. so let’s cut the crap. you know i know we all know one job of the d.a. is to take care of the cops. got it? he achieves this through a handy little secret council called the grand jury. murkier than swamp water these unknown people do the d.a.’s c.y.a. handiwork let trigger happy cops walk. nobody can find these jurors so nobody asks why or how and the d.a. gets to say |

And how did it go?

∫y Bruce Van Dye

like so much hokum like so much jerkoff flapdoodle pollyanna licking the cute goody two shoes worn by her whip wielding dominatrix.

hands up don’t shoot i can’t breathe this keeps happening black lives matter excepting, of course mike brown ferguson eric garner new york kaijeme powell st. louis ezell ford los angeles tamir rice cleveland (12 years old!) and so on and so forth. the mayor of new york said black lives matter and to have to say that here in 2014 smacks of absurd bizarro jeez as in wtf is the prob, people? it sounds like something the mayor of new york might have said in 1876. i wrote a year ago about all our wonderful progress in racial relations now that blacks and whites sit together integrated peaceful no big deal at concerts and sporting events. that column now feels |

Did you consider just shooting the parade without asking anyone? The thought crossed my mind, but, you know, I don’t want to get in any type of trouble over something silly like that. You know, that’s not worth it to me. And since I asked them, I’m going to respect their decision.

They didn’t want me to do it, just for liability purposes, of course. Flying, it could malfunction; it could come over, fall down and hurt a kid. ... You shouldn’t do that,

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anyway. That was their response.

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