r-2019-02-21 by News & Review

FEBRUARY

2 1 - 2 7,

2019

HAVE A BALL

RN&Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WINTER FAMILY GUIDE See Family Guide, page 18

At locAl theAters, tough issues tAke the spotlight this seAson

s e rv i n g n o rt h e r n n e va d a , ta h o e a n d t r u c k e e

Email lEttERs to RENolEttERs@NEWsREviEW.Com.

Snow job Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. Back in early January the Sierra snowpack was only at about 69 percent of its historical average for that time of year. As of Tuesday, it was at 146 percent of the average. That’s thanks in part to a series of wicked storms that came through the region over the course of Presidents’ Day Weekend—and, according to the National Weather Service in Reno, it looks like the weather will be pretty active through the end of the month. I got to see the crazy snowfall—and the positively insane roads it caused—firsthand over the weekend. My fiancé and I left for Napa Valley on Valentine’s Day and came back over Donner Summit on Saturday Feb. 16. The drive to California wasn’t so bad, but the drive home was awful. Despite warnings about dangerous road conditions from the California Highway Patrol and the state’s Department of Transportation, thousands of people loaded up their cars with skis and snowboards and flocked to the Sierra ski resorts—or at least tried. It took us eight hours to get from Napa to Reno—normally a three-hour drive—on some of the worst roads I’ve ever witnessed. I think everyone who found themselves on Interstate 80 or Highway 50 over the holiday weekend must have felt at least a bit foolish. I certainly did, though I wasn’t ready to call off my weekend vacation. In the end, I didn’t have to, and that’s thanks to the people who work tirelessly to make that journey safe for travelers all year long. So, thank you, highway patrol officers and Caltrans and Nevada Division of Transportation employees. Thanks for plowing the roads and stopping folks to check that they have either allwheel-drive vehicles or chains. Thanks for working the social media outlets to which we all turn for information. Thanks for helping to keep us all as safe as possible. You rock.

—Jeri Chadwell je ric @ ne wsrev i ew . com

Rn&R

02.21.19

febRuaRy 21, 2019 | Vol. 25, ISSue 02

Pre-speech letter

Plutonium II

It is Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. It is 10:24 am. Tonight is another of Trump’s farces that he calls a speech. He should do it live from the Apollo and see how it goes over! Before his BS tonight (State of the Union) I find his inviting the David family to this event an insult to the memory of their parents and total lack of respect! But he’ll tell us we’re all in danger without the wall. Our only danger is him being on this side of the wall when it’s finished! We may be stuck with him for two more years, but how many years will it take our country to recover from his attempt at being a leader? Our only hope of survival is if American voters wake up and get him out of office. It will be up to the Dems to get together and pull this off. No! GOP will go up against him. As an independent voter I have few choices. But I do have a vote!

Re “Plutonium” (letter, Feb. 7): Both letters use hyperbole and omit salient facts. The plutonium will eventually be moved to Sandia in Los Alamos for weapons replenishment.Vegas U can keep partying. The “not in my desert” letter is poignant, but glosses over or uses an emotional hook to negate rational arguments for a repository. This, because waste’s long half-life and ’no means to reprocess’ arguments were effective at stopping more nuclear plants in the 80s, as were Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. But now it is clear that clean nuclear could do a lot to alleviate global warming. I have not seen conclusive proof that Yucca is prone to a catastrophic event. The test site is a logical choice, and containment is likely attainable until good reprocessing is perfected. Such hysteria over some dumb secret! Wave at the train, honey! You’d think this was some new form of wagering unseen hereabouts. Cliff Callahan Sun Valley

Jerry Wallis Reno

Write now In the U.S. House of Representatives are HR 24, a bill to audit the Federal Reserve Bank, and HR 25, a bill to end the Internal Revenue Service. Either, or both, should end the Federal Reserve and their debt and death monetary paradigm, and if we ever hope to achieve fiscal responsibility in this country, this needs to happen. Also in the house is HR 899, a bill to end the U.S. Department of Education and put the future of our children back into our hands, where it belongs. I encourage you to contact your representatives and ask them to support these bills, as I have. William Jones Carson City

Editor’s note: The measures Mr. Jones cited were introduced in the 2017-2019 Congress, which ended on Jan. 3.

Jessica Santina, Todd South, Luka Starmer, Bruce Van Dyke, Ashley Warren, Allison Young Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Brad Bynum Associate Editor Jeri Chadwell News Editor Dennis Myers Special Projects Editor Matt Bieker Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Kris Vagner, Bob Grimm, Andrea Heerdt, Holly Hutchings, Shelia Leslie, Josie Glassberg, Eric Marks,

Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard Arthur Art Directors Maria Ratinova, Sarah Hansel Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Ad Designer Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold Ofﬁce Manager Lisa Ryan RN&R Rainmaker Gina Odegard Advertising Consultant Latricia Huston

Lobby collectively Merriam Webster defines collective bargaining as “negotiation between an employer and a labor union usually on wages, benefits, hours, and working conditions.” Collective bargaining is the principal tool workers have for protecting themselves and their families against unfair or exploitive working conditions. Unions representation gives a unified voice for all working people by advocating for safer, healthier, workplaces and an overall higher quality of life—that is, unless you are an employee of the State of Nevada. Since 1962, workers employed by the State of Nevada have been forbidden from

Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Bob Christensen Distribution Drivers Alex Barskyy, Corey Sigafoos, Gary White, Joe Wilson, Marty Troye, Timothy Fisher, Vicki Jewell, Olga Barska, Rosie Martinez, Adam Martinez President/CEO Jeff VonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Accounts Receivable Specialist Analie Foland

Sweetdeals Coordinator Reid Fowler Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins N&R Publications Editor Michelle Carl N&R Publications Associate Editor Laura Hillen N&R Publications Editorial Team Anne Stokes, Caroline Harvey, Thea Rood Marketing & Publications Consultants Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Elizabeth Morabito, Traci Hukill, Celeste Worden, Greta Beekhuis Cover design Maria Ratinova

collectively bargaining with the state. In Nevada, compensation and conditions of employment are determined statutorily by the legislature or established through administrative policy. A fundamental right that should be available to all workers has been taken away from many in Nevada. In 2019, we will have possibly the best opportunity to change this that we’ve seen since 1962. A bill will be put forward to allow collective bargaining for state employees. The time to push this through is now! Call, write, visit and lobby your assemblyperson and senator to get this done for our state employees. Ryan Budman Reno

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By matt bieker

Favorite way to spend a snow day? Asked At old World Coffee lAB, 104 CAliforniA Ave.

Peter HolHzer Business analyst

I like sledding because I’m not good at skiing. I usually just go sledding at UNR because they have lots of hills and good parking. I don’t have to drive far, and there’s no traffic.

AdriAnnA WHite Technical support engineer

I like to make snow angels, or I will stay inside and just kind of read book with my window open and just enjoy the snow and be cozy and warm.

Jel Ani Best By Lisa Davis

Nevada is number one! To be exact, The State of Mental Health in America report (2018) shows Nevada as number one at failing to provide its citizens with appropriate and accessible behavioral and mental health care services for adults and youth. In other words, Nevada ranks the highest in the country for mental health needs and lowest in providing the necessary options to address our mental health crisis. An individual experiencing a mental health crisis will likely be directed to an ER, jail or an inpatient hospital ward, none of which address the specific underlying issue to the current crisis. This becomes a cycle, and this cycle, on an average, costs taxpayers $485 million a year. Nevada is a fast-growing state that cannot compete with the rising costs and lack of services. Without a serious overhaul to our current way of managing individuals during a mental health crisis, mental health costs will continue to rise, and our community will continue to see negative impacts. In order to attempt to address the state’s lack of care for its citizens, Assembly Bill 66 is being proposed at this year’s Nevada Legislature. AB66 would create crisis stabilization centers in Washoe and Clark counties. In conjunction with adding stabilization services, data will be collected to understand how to provide continued and ongoing support. Recommendations include utilizing the “Crisis Now” model that uses crisis services and centers to provide short-term and cost-effective care that is

appropriate to the individual’s current crisis. The centers will have up to eight beds, and the duration of stay is no more than 14 days. The centers will be open year-round and open 24/7. Two case managers will be provided to implement evidence-based treatment and protocols and provide education and referrals that are specific to the crisis intervention. Crisis Now is now being implemented in Maricopa County, Arizona. In 2016, the results from the Crisis Now model equates to a savings of $260 million in psychiatric inpatient costs and $37 million in hospital expenses. The Crisis Now model relieves police officers, ER rooms and individuals experiencing crisis from unnecessary extra steps, costly stays, and timely boarding. The rationales behind AB66 are to effectively treat our most vulnerable population that most often falls through the cracks and then cycles through our systems. Individualized treatment connects the person to their community; empowering the person to understand what is happening, seek services necessary and to become an effective and productive member in our community. By approving AB66, we can be more effective in the treatment we provide to all individuals. Nevada’s focus on mental health needs to be on providing more options and promoting healthier citizens! Ω

Barback

Probably sitting in a public place. If it’s snowing, I like to watch it while it’s happening. Once everything settles, I like to get home as soon as possible. I’ll probably just watch the most watched shows on Netflix.

JuditH HArve y Retiree

I just worked out, so that was wonderful—I had cabin fever after this weekend. I like being outside when it snows, [going] skiing or something. It’s fun. And I need a good coffee.

JoHn HeJny Chiropractor

Hanging out at the coffee shop, that’s why I’m here. Old World is my favorite one. I have to be honest, my son owns it, and my other son works here, but neither of them are in today.

Lisa Davis is a certified drug and alcohol counselor who will take her master’s in social work at Our Lady of the Lake University in August.

02.21.19 | RN&R | 3

YOU’RE INVITED… The Elm Estate invites you to experience exquisite hospitality through its inaugural ticketed events this year. This timeless and modern event venue is beautifully designed, as is each signature event, to strike the fancy of the region’s broad audience of aficionados, socialites and antisocials.

ENGAGED AN OPEN HOUSE AT THE ELM ESTATE Sunday, March 10th 11:00 am - 1:00 pm You're invited to join us at The Elm Estate for a wedding Open House. Come out to tour our site and have a chance to sit down one-on-one with several of Northern Nevada's premier wedding specialists, including photographers, DJs, florists and event designers, wedding planners, and many more! Enjoy mimosas and small bites with us and get your planning underway at our complimentary event.

EASTER BRUNCH AT THE ELM ESTATE Saturday, April 20th

STAY TUNED FOR OUR SUMMER CONCERT SERIES!

Ticket and event details available online at THEELMESTATE.COM

@THEELMESTATE

4 | RN&R | 02.21.19

by SHEILA LESLIE

They said it couldn’t be done Nevada’s Democratic-led Legislature exerted its majority party power last week by introducing, hearing and passing a gun safety measure, Senate Bill 143, in just a few days. The bill implements the 2016 voter-approved initiative to require background checks for nearly all private gun sales, including those at Nevada’s omnipresent gun shows, a loophole that has allowed thousands of guns to be sold without the scrutiny buyers would face if they bought their weapons from a federallylicensed gun dealer. The Sandoval/Laxalt administration refused to implement the measure when the FBI declined to provide the background checks specified by the initiative since Nevada uses its own broader method of conducting background checks for guns purchased through dealers. The measure was unpopular in rural Republican Nevada, so there was no political cost to ignoring the voters and letting the initiative wither. Democrats promised to fix the problem during the 2018 campaign, and, last week,

they unveiled their solution by introducing SB 143. But instead of sending the bill through the normal hearing process, they put it on a lightning-fast track, with the goal of approving it in time for the one-year anniversary of the tragic Parkland shooting. Given the intense national craving for progress on gun safety measures, the symbolism was understandable and poignant, but the fast-tracking of the bill fed conspiracy theories from Nevada’s already paranoid 2nd Amendment crowd, convinced the Democrats were angling to take away their gun rights, install a universal gun registry, or otherwise threaten their prized gun culture. When the National Rifle Association got wind of the upcoming hearing, they launched into full attack mode, beginning with a breathless tweet of alarm, accompanied by a picture of the Hawaii legislative building. You’d think the palm trees would have been an obvious clue they had the wrong photo, especially in February when our capitol was buried in snow, but you can almost hear the thought process of their

out-of-state social media person—Nevada Legislature, Las Vegas, palm trees, this must be it. The gaffe was humorous, but the NRA wasn’t kidding around. Their panicked message sent hundreds of opposition calls to the Legislature before the bill was even introduced. The joint hearing of the Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees attracted ardent supporters from both sides—grizzled, older Nevadans and younger, vibrant Moms Demand Action ladies, clothed in bright red t-shirts. Nevada’s governor and attorney general testified in support of the measure, another sign of its popularity with Democratic base voters. There was no real urgency to expedite the bill, since it won’t take effect until January of 2020 when the three-year timeline prohibiting changes to the original initiative ends, but Democrats succumbed to the political optics of the Parkland anniversary and the opportunity to showcase their ability to move legislation quickly and address pent-up demand for gun

safety reform. There are often mistakes made in “ram and jam” bills that don’t have enough careful review during the legislative process. Hopefully that won’t be the case this time. Despite the needless rush to pass the bill, it’s good to see Nevada act, although other states have passed bolder initiatives, such as Washington’s plan to raise the minimum age for buying semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and enact stronger gun storage requirements. No one is under the illusion that SB 143 will prevent all gun violence, accidental gun deaths and suicide by firearms. But closing the gun show loophole is an obvious place to start exercising a little control over the reckless gun culture in Nevada, which allows people who wouldn’t pass a background check to mosey on down to their local gun show and buy whatever they please. If some people are inconvenienced a bit, that’s a small price to pay for our collective safety. Ω

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by Dennis Myers

Premature Panic

The Nevada Education Department says under existing law, school days happen only in school buildings.

The Sacramento Bee ran a story headlined “Gas is getting more and more expensive. California lawmakers demand an investigation.” The story, like most news coverage of gas prices, explores possible reasons for price levels, like “lack of competition in the refinery market.” What such stories do not explore is the notion that gas is not expensive. In Zimbabwe, the government shut down the internet to impede communication and organizing of protests against gas prices there—$13 a gallon. In Portugul, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands gas is over $7 a gallon. In France, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Britain, Finland and Belgium, the price is over $6. In both Canada and Mexico, it is over $4. Then there’s that nickel increase in the price of a postage stamp, which CBS and many others reported this way: “Largest Stamp Price Increase In Postal Service History Goes Into Effect Sunday.” This means mailing a letter now costs 55 cents— compared to $1.14 in France, 84 cents in Germany, 72 cents in Japan.

PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

muddled reid article Posted The Huffington Post claimed on Feb. 8 that Nevada’s Harry Reid chastised Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar for mistreating her staff when he was Senate Democratic leader. The headline on the piece mentioned Reid, followed by a reference to a leaked campaign document in the subhead, suggesting there was documentation for the claim. But the subhead referenced a different issue, and the article never spelled out specifically what—if anything—Reid told Klobuchar in what the story said was a verbal exchange. The article quoted a Reid spokesperson saying Reid does not remember such a discussion. Reid called Klobuchar “one of the most brilliant, hardest-working members of the Senate.” Reid “spoke to her privately and told her to change her behavior, multiple sources have confirmed to HuffPost,” the article reported.

levi re-enters market After 30 years, Levi Strauss & Co. has decided to return to a publicly traded market. The troubled corporation filed papers on Feb. 13 for an initial public offering of $100 million. That is just a placeholder amount. The corporation has not revealed a price range or amount it seeks to raise. The product for which the corporation is best known, riveted pants made of dungaree material, was invented by Reno tailor Jacob Davis in 18701871. Levi Strauss later provided the funding to file patent papers, after which Davis and Strauss partnered on production of the product. The corporation went public in 1971, then was taken private again 14 years later. It will use a listing of “LEVI” on the New York Stock Exchange.

–Dennis Myers

RN&R

02.21.19

Policy distance Snow days were once so simple on Friday, Feb. 16, the Washoe county School District called a “Digital Day” just 11 days after parents reacted strongly against the concept. It appears that when the district backed off on Feb. 5, a considerable number of parents thought the entire concept was being dropped in favor of a return to traditional snow days. The parents weren’t the only ones. Some news reports said that Digital Days had ended, as with this KOH report: “The just-canceled program the district says was dropped over parent complaints, actually was ended after a January 4th memo from the outgoing Nevada Superintendent of Instruction.” Actually the district dropped Digital Days regions, not Digital Days, and the district website still reads, “In lieu of snow days this year, the school district is mandating online classroom days.” This is what the district said in its Feb. 5 statement: “The Washoe County School District prides itself on being responsive to our students, families, staff

members, and our community. We teach our students to listen and learn, and we strive always to model that behavior in all of our work. We are continually refining our processes and striving to improve our service to our families, and we appreciate their partnership and feedback. In the past, our District heard complaints from families and staff members who opposed a ‘one size fits all’ approach to weather-related delays and Digital School Days, due to the fact that weather conditions can differ greatly in the 6,300 square miles in which our students and families live and employees work. As a result of these complaints, we created and implemented a regional approach to designating Digital School Days and two-hour delays. We did so because we sincerely believed that this approach would alleviate their concerns and counter their criticisms. We acknowledge that the system does not meet the needs of students, families, and staff members in a District of our size once we implemented the system for the first

time today. Because we are a continuous learning and listening organization, we have reassessed the situation and decided to immediately return to the original District-wide approach of implementing Digital School Days or two-hour delays. In the future, we will use the notification system to which our students, families, and staff members are accustomed to declare District-wide weather-related changes in schedules.” Digital Days are snow days during which schools try to continue the learning process by interacting with homebound children from a distance. The situation was not improved by the shifting stance of state officials. The Nevada Department of Education condoned the use of Digital Days in Washoe County in a letter dated June 13, 2017, according to the school district. But then it followed up with a memo last month that questioned the legality of the Washoe policy. The Nevada Department of Education claims it told the Washoe district that its plan for Digital Days does not comply with state law. The district replied that NDE approved the county plan last June. However, NDE seems to draw a distinction between “distance education” and Digital Days. The term Digital Days was devised by the school district as a supposedly clearer term for distance education. The use of two different terms for the same policy probably fostered confusion. NDE also said Washoe Digital Days will not count as school days, which seemed to defeat the whole purpose of having them. The Digital Days policy seems like one that would have worked in the 1950s, when families could function on a single income and one parent remained home in the daytime. But in 2019, with both parents working in most households, school children on snow days may not get to school, but parents are still expected to get to work. Will students at home alone make themselves do the assigned work? In addition, parents were not bewitched by the idea that educators can now reach inside the home and decide how students will spend their time. “If my daughter is at home, she’s not at school, and that breaks that

tie,” the father of a Dilworth Middle School how the challenges the WCSD is experiencing student told us. “I’ll decide how my child in this area could effect a change in legislaspends her time at home, and I’m going to tion.” ThisisReno.com reports that the district tell my legislator that.” has been in discussions with legislators. If he follows through, it will be unusual. The Washoe district first tried out Digital Legislators we contacted said they are not Days in a pilot program on the Nevada side hearing about the issue. of Lake Tahoe’s North Shore last year, which “A snow day is murder,” the mother of a some officials said might lead to the California Sparks High student said after the first Feb. side of the lake using the program. If that 5 Digital Day. “We have to scramble was likely, it may no longer be, since the to make it work, since both of us publicity has cooled off some parents. [parents] work. I don’t need In the Tahoe Tribune, one parent another item to cope with. And posted a reader comment: “Some State and this one was a big, big task.” kids just don’t have an environlocal were Moreover, the use during ment at home conducive to not meshing Feb. 5 of a mix of zones learning. This policy harms chiland two-hour delays caused dren already at a disadvantage on distance confusion that resulted in and should never have happened. education. an explosion of social media I sincerely hope that here in distress. LTUSD [Lake Tahoe Unified One parent we spoke with said School District], with our extremely neither she nor her children have the high population of poor, homeless, and devices to make Digital Days work, and she children living in volatile home situations, resents low income families being put in that this is never implemented. We already such a position. have these failing programs of the ‘sports Some journalists took the NDE opinion as school,’ ‘science school,’ ‘art school,’ and an conclusive and reported as fact the opinion’s uninteresting and test targeted curriculum. Let’s conclusion that Digital Days are illegal. In fact, not further set our children back by failing to the district has its own legal counsel and is free recognize that they all deserve equal ground to to rely on those lawyers. The state opinion was stand on.” Ω signed by state schools Superintendent Steve Canavero, who is not an attorney. Canavero ended his memo, “We certainly Practical instructions for students on “Digital Days” can be hope that you will engage in conversation with read at www.washoeschools.net/Page/12155 the legislature regarding your proposal and

Snow day?

At the Department of Motor Vehicles offices in Reno, with steam rising from the parking lot pavement under the sunshine beating down, a guard turned people away at the door at 3 in the afternoon on Feb. 15 because the agency— and other state offices—closed early. It was the second time in February that Gov. Steve Sisolak sent state workers home early as a result of weather. Recently the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Sisolak’s mother “used to make him and his brother get up early to shovel snow” in Wauwatosa, but his adult life in Las Vegas seems to have more influence on him now. PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

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tahoe

by Gabby DoDD

The “Sunny Day” bagel sandwich is a shortcut through breakfast—eggs, cheese and meat.

Ray of light Sunshine Deli & Catering Since the closure of Wildflower Cafe and acclaimed Log Cabin Cafe—which opened in 1981 and was Lake Tahoe’s oldest running breakfast spot—North Shore locals have had limited breakfast options in a place with an already slim selection. (Log Cabin is slated to reopen sometime this spring.) However, in Incline Village, there remains a restaurant that satisfies the needs of both the grab-n-goers and those looking to stay a little longer with friends or family. More than six years ago, John and Debbie Sullivan saw an opportunity to reinvent a struggling business. They purchased the restaurant, stripped away the old carpet, added on a seating area and updated the menu. The result is what many consider a “go-to” breakfast and lunch spot for Incline locals. Sunshine Deli & Catering, 919 Incline Way, can be spotted from the road by its colorful sign and flower planters out front. On the inside, brightly painted walls and savory smells give the deli its “sunshiney” feeling. Although the deli is tight on space, there are about a dozen tables that make for a cozy dining experience. The breakfast menu offers American classics like eggs, toast and potatoes, as well as popular breakfast items like the “Sunny Day” ($5.95). This large bagel sandwich consists of eggs, cheese and a choice of ham, sausage or bacon. “It’s a really great choice for students because they can load up on carbs and not spend that much money,” co-owner John Sullivan said. Mexican and French style items on the menu give the deli a culturally diverse feel. Vicky’s chilaquiles ($5.95 small, $8.95 large) is comprised of tortilla chips served

PHOTO/GABBY DODD

with spicy salsa, sour cream, cheese, beans and egg. Two thin and crispy crepes ($7.95) provide a sweeter breakfast. During lunchtime, a local favorite is the mango cashew chicken wrap ($5.95). It’s one of the few original items that have been on the menu since before the Sullivans purchased the cafe. John Sullivan said the wrap is in such high demand they sometimes run out of the ingredients for it. Sunshine’s homemade soups (quarts cost between $11-$13)—like French onion or turkey chili—are another good option for a light lunch, or a yummy take-out gift for a friend feeling under the weather. Other lunch options include a variety of sandwiches and salads. The staff at Sunshine is friendly, checking in on the lives of regulars in true mom-and-pop style. One of the Sullivans is always working in the store, six days a week. A few perks to Sunshine’s food—it’s always served quickly, making it convenient for busy people heading to or taking a break from work or school; and the coffee is self-serve at the counter and always free. The newest addition to the business, which the Sullivans say they are looking to expand, is catering. Available on the website is a full list of the packages the cafe provides, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options for different occasions ranging from meal-at-home options to galas. “I enjoy catering quite a bit,” Sullivan said. “I get to meet one on one with customers and really get into satisfying what they want, and it’s a lot of fun.” Ω

Sunshine Deli & Catering is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more about Sunshine’s catering packages, call 832-2253.

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RN&R

02.21.19

agatha christie’s ancient akhnaton plays at Brüka in March.

by Jessica santina

hiDDEn DEsirEs:

GoodLuck MacBeth After coming off a lighthearted fall and midwinter, Goodluck Macbeth is getting down to business with provocative works. The first of these, running March 16-30, is The Wolves, a Pultizer finalist by Sarah DeLappe, a former Reno resident and American Playwriting Foundation award winner. Set in Reno, it’s the story of the nine adolescent girls on a high school soccer team. Told through an orchestral maneuver of dialogue set to soccer drills, it offers an almost voyeuristic glimpse into their inner lives. Next up is Equus, April 19-May 11. This intense drama, familiar to many for Daniel Radcliffe’s Broadway performance, is the story of a psychiatrist trying to understand a treat a young man who blinded several horses in a violent fit of passion. The tragic and harrowing story deals with religion, sexuality, violence and more. For Artown, GLM brings us Fun Home, an award-winning Broadway musical drawn from Alison Bechdell’s graphic memoir of the same name. In this refreshingly honest musical, adult Alison reflects on her experience coming to grips with her own sexuality

and that of her recently deceased father, diving deep into his life and finally seeing him through grownup eyes. The summer wraps with playwright Greg Burdick’s Monessen Falls, Aug. 14-25. It’s the first selection in the company’s New Works Initiative to stage original new works from playwrights from Nevada or around the globe. Set it an aging former steel town in Pennsylvania, it tells of a man who returns home following his mother’s death, after a long absence, and must grapple with his past, including a hostile, jobless brother and the crippling debt their parents left behind. TickeTs and informaTion: www.goodluckmacbeth.org

DEEP Dark sEcrEts:

Reno LittLe theateR This spring, RLT plays with what’s hidden beneath the surface. Coming off Neil Simon’s breezy romance Barefoot in the Park, things take a somewhat sinister turn with Violet Sharp, March 8-24. It’s a drama inspired by the notorious 1932 case of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, but told in a modern way. Violet Sharp, an immigrant servant working in the

Lindbergh home, is suspected of committing the crime, and the investigation raises issues of race, class and discrimination. The tables then turn May 24-Jun 16 with The Foreigner, a hilarious farce from the ’80s that has surprising relevance today. Two Englishmen visit a resort-style fishing lodge in Georgia, and as a way to keep strangers from bothering him, one of the men pretends he cannot speak English. But he immediately becomes privy to juicy, even uncomfortable secrets that no one knows he can understand. The main stage season wraps with RLT’s Artown show, Kate Hamill’s awardwinning retelling of Sense and Sensibility. Running July 5-28, it’s inspired by and set in Jane Austen’s world, though told with modern verve, dialogue and wit that’s more relatable and fun for modern audiences. Woven throughout the season at RLT, you’ll find Sunday jazz performances each month, monthly staged readings from Ageless Repertory Theatre and an April Latino ARTE bilingual production of Cesar Chavez: Resistance!, about the life of the Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist. Plus, families will find two week-long camps for kids during the two-week Washoe County

Photo/Eric Marks

his is the winter of our discontent. The calendar says we’re headed toward spring, but it’s hard to believe. The cold weight of that discontent seems mirrored all around us in the gray, oppressive weather, and, at this time of year, we turn inward to ponder issues and plan our next moves. Local theaters are up to the task. As the warm months approach, look for classics and new works that confront relevant political and social issues head on, as well as inspirational and heart-warming dramas. Not that you won’t find fun—there’s plenty of that, too. Here’s what to watch this spring.

at local thEatErs, tough issuEs takE thE sPotlight this sEason School District spring break, as well as summer break camps. TickeTs and informaTion: www.renolittletheater.org

of goDs anD kings:

BRüka theatRe Brüka continues its Classic Revolution season, committing this year to pulling apart classic works of theater to understand how they’re relevant now. Take, for instance, Akhnaton, a littleknown, rarely performed work by Agatha Christie, set in 1350 BC, about Pharaoh Akhnaton and his attempt to convince a nation to abandon their pagan god, Amon, for a new deity. Christie’s research in Luxor and her fascination with ancient Egypt inspired this work, which she wrote in 1939 and updated in 1979. It runs March 1-23. Brüka’s next mainstage show, April 26-May 18, is The Crucible, directed by Holly Natwora and featuring an impressive cast of 13. Surprisingly relevant in its themes of intolerance, abuse of power and hysteria, the Arthur “spRinG staGes Miller classic portrays continued on page 12

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“spring stages continued from page 11

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12 witch hunts of Salem, Massachusetts, and how fear of “the other” tears apart a community. Watch for Brüka’s Original Readings Workshop Weekend, a weekend of staged readings of locally sourced plays, June 1-2. For Artown, June 21-July 27, catch Blake Edwards’ Victor/Victoria, a hilarious, romantic musical about mistaken identity and sexuality. In 1930s Paris, Victoria Grant is a singer who can’t get a gig because she’s not edgy enough, until she meets up with a flamboyantly gay nightclub singer with a brilliant idea: dress Victoria as a man, pass her off as a female impersonator and shock crowds with his/her talent. While adult themes are being explored throughout the spring on the mainstage, Brüka’s Theatre for Children program will explore the magic of science through a child’s eyes in Galileo—Stars in His Eyes. Inspired by the children’s book Galileo’s Treasure Box, it’s about Virginia, Galileo’s eldest daughter, who was only 9 years old when he perfected his telescope and experimented with the laws of nature. The company will open the show with public performances at Brüka March 7-9, then from March through July they’ll take it on the road to more than 25 schools and libraries in Washoe County as part of the Pioneer Youth Performing Arts Roster (and they’re still booking appearances) and will perform its closing shows once again at Brüka. In addition to its performance schedule, Brüka’s got more up its sleeve, including an April 6 fundraiser, The Lavender Ball, which will feature local artisans and an auction and will celebrate the local arts and theater community. Attendees are encouraged to wear their funkiest lavender ensembles. Also, mark your calendars for Memorial Day weekend, when Bennett and her gang of ghostly friends kick off the annual Carson City ghost walks with evening strolls past the capital city’s favorite haunts, accompanied by spooky storytelling and fun, all leading up to the full ghost tours that begin in October. And, as if that weren’t enough to keep them busy, Brüka’s got a two-week theater creation summer camp for kids ages 8-18 planned for July, which, this year, features a sci-fi twist. TickeTs and informaTion: www.bruka.org

gIrl power:

restless artists theatre For a more rose-colored-glasses view of life, head to downtown Sparks, where RAT revels in upbeat comedies and light dramas. March 15-31 you’ll find End Days, a dark comedy about 16-year-old Rachel who feels abandoned by her parents. Her dad hasn’t changed out of his pajamas since 9/11 and her mom, a Jew, has become a born-again Christian. Meanwhile, there’s a new boy living next door—an Elvis impersonator who has a crush on Rachel. Oh, and the apocalypse is coming. Not only are all RAT’s shows this season written by women, but they feature a healthy dose of female empowerment. May 3-19 brings Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky, based on the true story 12

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of a young woman who, in the early 20th century, made a groundbreaking scientific discovery about the nature of stars and their distance from Earth— despite being hard of hearing and held back in a man’s world where women weren’t even allowed to use the telescope. Empowerment turns ugly in RAT’s Artown installment, Exit, Pursued by a Bear, another Gunderson play, July 5-21. This absurd revenge murder comedy, named for a bizarre stage direction written into Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, centers on Nan, who is married to abusive, violent Kyle. Fed up, she and her friends tie Kyle to a chair and cook up a plot to torment him and then feed him to a bear.

around the artistic, spiritual and political landscape of his identity as a gay man, including issues such as marriage equality and immigration rights. Students will showcase their theater and dance training in Performance/Body/Self, a studentdeveloped work for which admission is also free. Capping off the semester is the Spring Dance Concert, May 2-4, featuring new choreography by faculty and guest artists and performance by UNR students. TickeTs and informaTion: www.unr.edu/cla/theatredance

TickeTs and informaTion: www.rattheatre.org

IllumInatIng experIences:

tMCC perforMing arts You can catch the Aurora Borealis in Reno this spring … or a facsimile of it, anyhow. Truckee Meadows Community College’s troupe of talents is led by director Stacey Spain in presenting Almost, Maine, April 5-14 at the Redfield Performing Arts Center. This romantic comedy set on a Friday night in winter in the remote town of Almost, Maine, takes on an almost magical feeling as the northern lights become one of the characters in a story about love and human connection. The show will feature original music by sound designer Anna Alex, original neon by Jeff Johnson and a remarkable Aurora Borealis effect created by lighting designer Ty Hagar. April 26-28 features What’s in a Name?, an evening of concert dance featuring original works by TMCC’s new artistic director for dance, Dayna DeFilippis. The show is a mixed program of traditional and creative dance styles that investigate the meaning of identity, inclusion and equality in today’s society, as seen through a personal and communal lens. The season wraps May 7 with a joint performance of the TMCC Concert Band and Choir. TickeTs and informaTion: www.showtix4u.com or 674-7610

revolutIonarIes:

University of nevada, reno departMent of theatre & danCe UNR breaks new ground this spring when its new musical theater department presents its inaugural production, Urinetown, March 1-9. This multi-award-winning musical hilariously spoofs the legal system, capitalism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, politics and even musical theater itself. It’s the story of how one town’s water shortage leads to a government ban on private toilets, forcing citizens to pay to use public amenities … until one hero leads a revolution to take back the toilets. On April 4, join the department for a free “performance, lecture and rant” entitled A Body in the O by special guest Tim Miller, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed performance artist and writer whose work centers

As the warm months approach, look for classics and new works from local theater companies. By the Book:

ageless repertory theater From our community’s more seasoned performers come two dramatic staged readings at Reno Little Theater every month. This spring, look for Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart, March 19 and 22. This tearjerker is the story of three sisters from a dysfunctional family who reunite at their grandfather’s house after one of them shoots her abusive husband. Things get decidedly lighter and more civilized in April, when Mathew Barber’s Enchanted April takes the stage April 16 and 19. In this period comedy, four wildly different women look to escape rainy London and rent a villa in Italy for the month of April. On May 7 and 10, Joe diPietro’s Clever Little Lies is about Alice, a housewife who learns of her son’s adultery, and she’s out to make things right, which is just when things go even more wrong. After a June hiatus, ART returns for Artown July 16 and 19 with Neil Simon’s Fools, about a Russian schoolteacher in a cursed village who falls in love with his student. TickeTs and informaTion: www.renolittletheater.org/arT-at_rLT

It’s an IllusIon:

eldorado resort Casino Looking to be amazed? Check out The Illusionists Experience in the Eldorado Showroom, opening April 17. Billed as Broadway’s biggest-selling magic spectacular, the show features the talents of five of the world’s best illusionists, merging the showmanship of luminaries such as Harry Houdini with a modern aesthetic. TickeTs and informaTion: https://www.eldoradoreno.com/entertainment/ shows

Can’t take that away:

Western nevada Musical theatre coMpany Carson City’s resident musical theater company opens its 2019 season May 10-19 with a musical set in Nevada, Crazy For You. With a truckload of recognizable Broadway tunes by George and Ira Gershwin, it’s the story of a young banker from New York City who craves the spotlight and winds up in a nearly deserted Nevada town to foreclose on a theater. Instead, he falls for the theater’s owner and sets out to revive the old place. The show includes music performed by a 17-piece professional orchestra. TickeTs and informaTion: www.wnmtc.com

extra, extra!:

Wild horse children’s theater photo Credit

Nevada is the setting for the musical Crazy for You, planned for May in Carson City.

Carson City’s talent extends to its youth, many of whom can be found on stage at the Brewery Arts Center March 22-31, in Wild Horse Children’s Theater’s production of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Kids. With an enormous double cast totaling almost 70 kids ages 5 to 14, the show is based on the beloved characters of A.A. Milne and the 2011 Disney film. This summer, Wild Horse will become the first company in Northern Nevada to perform

Disney’s Newsies, the Broadway musical about a homeless New York City newsboy in 1899 who, along with his newsboy friends, goes on strike against their unscrupulous publisher. Local performers ages 10 to 21 are invited to audition for the show in early March, and the production looks to be impressive, thanks to a grant from the Carson City Redevelopment Authority. On stage at the Carson City Community Center, it will feature choreography by Robin Kato-Brong, Rachel Bennett and professional dancer/actor Sierra Scott. TickeTs and informaTion: www.wildhorsetheater.com

kids aCting up:

theatreWorks of northern nevada TWNN’s all-inclusive philosophy that exposes young people to live theater experience presents Stuart Little, the story of a plucky mouse from an orphanage who’s adopted by a family and must forge a relationship with his new brother and the family cat. The show runs March 15-24 at Southside School in downtown Reno. Next up is The Prince and the Pauper May 17-26, the classic tale by Mark Twain about a rich, spoiled prince and his poor doppelganger who trade places and get to experience life in the other’s shoes. For Artown, TWNN presents the beloved Disney version of The Little Mermaid, July

10-28, about a young mermaid princess who falls in love with a human prince and sacrifices her voice for legs so she can be with him. Watch the website for performance locations. Families, stay tuned for spring break camps and two weeks of summer camp that include an opportunity to be in The Little Mermaid cast. TickeTs and informaTion: www.twnn.org

perfeCt pairs:

sierra school of perforMing arts Reno’s performing arts academy will spend the first half of the year gearing up for its two biggest shows. The first of these is Guys and Dolls, the Broadway classic musical set in the 1930s about two unlikely romances: a gambler with a missionary, and a showgirl seeking the straight and narrow with a crap game manager who is anything but. The show will run Aug. 9-25 at the Hawkins Outdoor Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch, and auditions will be held March 16-17. SSPA will also host musical theater camps during spring break and summer. TickeTs and informaTion: www.sierraschoolofperformingarts.org

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RN&R

His own man

Story and photoS by DeNNiS MyerS

Nevada Legislature learned to work with a black senator

oe Neal arrived in Nevada in 1954, about 10 months before Colliers Magazine ran a story, “The Sorry State of Nevada,” about substandard life in the Silver State that Neal would one day help to improve. The state, then and later, was often used as a bad example, as when Pennsylvania’s Somerset American editorialized that Nevada was “no place for the poor and needy, or for any on whom the wheel of fortune might turn adversely.” Born in 1935, Neal was raised in a very small Louisiana town, where a federal malaria research program in the 1920s had provided some jobs and a New Deal program in the 1930s helped farmers, so Neal had no fear of using government for social progress. Both Louisiana and Nevada had been helped by the New Deal (“How the New Deal built Nevada,” RN&R, May 15, 2008), and the reactionary leadership of both states resented it. After arrival in Nevada, Neal did a stint in the Air Force, then became a community leader and civil rights activist. He was elected to the Nevada Senate in 1972. It is appropriate that in this year’s Black History Month, there is a new biography available of Neal by veteran Nevada reporter John L. Smith—The Westside Slugger. Smith’s book is a substantial contribution to the state’s political history. From his first day in the Senate, it became clear Neal was going to go his own way. When a ceremonial

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Joe Neal in the Nevada Senate early in his tenure.

resolution congratulating Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew on their reelections came up, he voted against it. Neal: “I think this particular resolution was conceived in haste, and I think it would be more appropriate if it would come up near the end of the session when we would have a better understanding of what this peace in Vietnam represents to the people of the United States.” Jeff Menicucci, then an aide to Republican Sen. William Raggio and a conservative newspaper columnist, wrote of Neal: “It takes no special courage to cast an antiNixon vote in the Foreign Relations Commission of the U.S. Senate. It requires considerably more courage to do so in the Nevada Legislature.” During his tenure, a fellow senator said to a group of visiting Nigerian dignitaries that few blacks lived in Northern Nevada because of the cold weather. The climate of the Nevada Legislature was not conducive to a first African American senator, either. On one occasion, Assemblymember Bob Robinson, after a dispute with a black colleague, told members of the Ways and Means Committee, “Sickle cell anemia is the new great white hope.” In 1997, Neal read a sample of his mail to the senate: “I always thought you were a typical of what we get with aff, action and other programs that promote the unqualified. ... Did you know that your species accounts for 14% of the population and 70% of the crime? Whats the goals of your species in America, turn it into one of those great black run countries like somilia, hatie, or rawanda. FUCK YOU.” But his life experiences also gave him a view of reality that his colleagues did not have, and he brought it to bear on the drafting of state laws, should there be legislators willing to learn. Smith describes the late 1970s and early ’80s, when hiking the penalties on drunken driving

offenses was all the rage in state legislatures. Hiking penalties is an expensive habit that seems to have no critics. One measure imposed jail time and “distinctive garb” on drunken driving first offenses. Smith quotes Neal: “In a mostly black district, knowing that those jail cells weren’t full of white folks, I was very much concerned about the people it would impact. Getting arrested and being forced to go to jail had a greater impact on the lives and livelihoods of the poor. They would often lose their jobs as a result of a mistake.” Note that Neal did not solely challenge the impact on blacks, but on all low income people. Neal often got along better with conservatives, such as Senate Democratic leader James Gibson, a right winger and Mormon, and even with Republicans, because his fellow Democrats were sometimes less than reliable allies. Besides, both sides learned from the other over time. Republican leader William Raggio said in 1995, “I kidded him the other day when we were talking. I said, ‘You know, we’ve been here the same length of time. And I find you and me voting the same on issues. We’ve really done a dramatic change. Issues that we wouldn’t talk about, now we’re together on.’” Moreover, he and Gibson were skilled players who knew the rules better than the average senators. Most legislators learn house rules, but not the secondary or backup rules—Mason’s Manual. Neal did. Over time, Neal gained influence both because he survived longer than most senators and because of his mastery of the rules. It was Neal who came up with the strategy that got the Equal Rights Amendment through the Senate. Some legislators began to credit him more. He won over GOP Sen. Ray Rawson on an issue close to Neal’s heart—a King birthday holiday. Rawson, a

conservative Republican and another member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, talked about Neal’s relentless efforts: “[H]e tried a humorous approach. He tried an angry approach. He tried to appeal to our sense of justice and our empathy. I mean, I come from a heritage of people that were pushed across the country, that lost home after home, that know what prejudice is. … But it’s through Sen. Neal’s eyes that I appreciate now without this [holiday] we can’t really communicate as well. There is suspicion. There is a prejudice that exists.” Neal was not always easy to predict. Though he voted for abortion, he seemed uncomfortable with the issue, once keeping a measure bottled up in a committee he chaired. A 1977 right to die measure sponsored by Assemblymember Steve Coulter was approved by the Nevada Senate after Neal opposed it because “that means we’re beginning to take life lightly.” His colleague Richard Bryan defended it on grounds it “only allows someone to say that if he is ever incapacitated or comatose, that he does not want life-sustaining procedures taken.” Neal’s best guide to his thinking was not his party or a label like liberal, but his occasional comment, “I speak to a need”—that, and the fact that the fixed star in his universe was those who were hurting. They were always his concern. At various times, he sponsored legislation to create a state bank (an idea he got from North Dakota), requiring employers of 300 or more workers to provide child care, and requiring financial institutions to invest some profits in “socially beneficial projects.” He did not, however, have a good feel for the Senate hall. He was noted as long-winded—on at least one occasion, he spoke so long that a fed-up Senate finally halted his speech. He could give an effective five-minute speech and not be able to detect sentiment turning his way. Then he would keep talking until he started losing support. In 1997, largely on the strength of his seniority, Neal became Senate Democratic leader. It was a poor fit from the beginning, almost a contradiction in terms. Neal operated best as an outsider using the institution’s rules against it, and he alienated industries his fellow Democrats tapped for campaign money, particularly the casinos, which Neal wanted to tax at higher levels. Even so, he might have succeeded in the role but for two members of his caucus—fellow Democrats Nick Horn and John Vergiels— constantly undercut him. When Democrats gained the Senate majority, they undertook the delicate task of dropping their black leader and giving the job to Vergiels. In the same shift, Neal became Senate president pro tempore, in line of succession to the governorship, occasionally serving as acting governor. Neal first talked about running for governor in 1973, when he threatened to run against incumbent Mike O’Callaghan, then made a short primary run in 1998. Then, when Republican

KNPB in Reno staged debates in the 2002 election. Here Democratic nominee for governor Joe Neal was seated next to an empty chair. His Republican opponent, Kenny Guinn, declined to debate him.

Gov. Kenny Guinn ran for reelection in 2002, Neal ran and won the primary, the first African American to win a nomination for governor in Nevada history. The Democratic Party’s leadership promptly abandoned him. The state’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, set the pattern. Bryan’s fig leaf was that he would not support Neal because he was soft on nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain—though, as Smith’s book notes, when Bryan was governor, there were issues on which Neal was Bryan’s only Senate ally. In addition, over the years, Bryan had supported plenty of Democrats with whom he disagreed on one issue. With Bryan and Reid over the side, other smaller fry such as the Democratic speaker of the Assembly also abandoned ship. It deeply angered black Nevadans. Neal, of course, lost to Guinn. In that prescient column in Neal’s first year, Menicucci wrote that Neal “often resort to tactics common to the right.” “Senator Neal believes that eventually we will have to deal with the problems addressed by his bills,” he wrote. “In the meantime, debate will be stimulated and interest aroused. Much the same function is performed by Neal’s lonely dissenting voice on heavily supported legislation. A minority opposition vote, while practically impotent, can alert the public that there is another side to a seemingly non-controversial issue.” That was pretty much the way Neal’s career unfolded. He did not often win first rounds, or even later rounds. And some things he never won, such as a hike in casino taxes. But after he broke the ground, he or those who followed him later sometimes won. In an 1837 lecture, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “They did not yet see, and thousands of young men as hopeful now crowding to the barriers for the career, do not yet see, that, if the single man plant himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abide, the huge world will come round to him.” Ω

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by KRIS VAGNER

k r isv @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Dozens of handmade ceramic vessels are part of Miya Hannan’s exhibition Underfoot.

At peace Miya Hannan If I told you that disembodied human arm bones reaching out of a ceramic vessel were part of a sculptural installation, what would come to mind? Campy horror flicks? Corny plastic Halloween decorations? The arm bones are part of a gallery installation by Miya Hannan. Their physical characteristics resemble the ones used in silly fall yard decor and scary movies: lifelike proportions, a realistic off-white hue and an unmistakably human gesture— elbow bent, fingers curled toward the ceiling. But they exist in a different realm than the ones from the party supply shop. It’s a quiet, somber realm where Hannan confronts notions of death without relying on an ounce of camp. For Hannan, witnessing death was once an ordinary occurrence. In her native Japan, she worked as a radiation technologist, taking CAT scans, X-rays and MRIs—and occasionally losing a patient. “I think seven years of looking at X-rays was a big influence on me,” she said. A statement on her web site reads, “I was a scientist in a country with many superstitions, which gave me the ability to perceive the world from two contrasting perspectives.” Even though she hadn’t yet considered becoming an artist, she adopted a kind of visual language in her mind, often recognizing patients not by face or name, but by the shapes of their organs or bones. After seven years in medical technology, thinking she’d take a hiatus, Hannan moved to San Diego and enrolled in English classes at a community college. An advisor told her that in order to stay enrolled, she’d need to choose a major. “I took one drawing class to test out and see if I liked it or not,” Hannan said. “That 16 | RN&R | 02.21.19

PHOTO/KRIS VAGNER

changed my life.” She picked up drawing easily. “Because I was struggling with English, visualizing my idea was a good outlet,” she said. “In a classroom, in a critique, I didn’t need to say much because my drawing told a story.” She finished community college with an associate’s in art, moved to San Francisco, earned a master’s and is now an art professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. In Hannan’s gallery installation, now on view in the Oats Park Art Center in Fallon, about 60 funeral urns sit on a wooden floor, atop a thick layer of white, powdery ash. The ash is made from cattle bones. It’s a readily available material used in the production of bone china, but here it’s a stand-in for the real bone ash that people in Japan keep in home shrines for 49 days after a family member passes away. Fragments of rib cages and spinal columns poke out from the urns. Above them, hundreds of cast epoxy resin copies of the sphenoid bone—a butterfly-shaped bone inside the skull, behind the eye—hang suspended on threads. The walls are lined with long sheets of paper, marked only with burnt-away, sphenoid-shaped holes that look like flocks of sparrows in flight. The visual barrage of white plays a trick on the eye, making the air in the room look hazy, enough so that you might be tempted to look for a fog machine set to low or a humidifier set to high, but there isn’t one. The installation required an obsessive amount of labor—Hannan cast, built and arranged hundreds of pieces—yet it exudes an eerily comfortable sense of resignation and calm. It’s clear that Hannan has confronted the notion of death, looked it up and down with an archaeologist’s drive to uncover and classify things, and finally let it settle in as a part of her reality. Ω Miya Hannan’s exhibition Underfoot is on view through March 23 at the Oats Park Art Center, 151 E. Park St., Fallon. The gallery is open during events and by appointment. Visit churchillarts.org, call 423-1440 or email info@churchillarts.org.

by BoB Grimm

b g ri m m @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

SHORT TAKES

“They already know you’re a robot, you don’t have to do the dance, too!”

Boring machine Alita: Battle Angel is a project that’s been on James Cameron’s plate for what seems like forever. I can’t remember the first time I saw him attached to the project, but I know it was a long time ago. Then, the whole Avatar thing happened, and Cameron the director got lost in Pandora speaking Navi and doing strange things with horse-like creatures. He went from directing Alita, to providing screenplay and producing contributions only. Directing chores went to Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn) and now, after some substantial delays, the movie has finally arrived. The first time I saw the actual character of Alita in previews (played, in motion captures, by Rosa Salazar), I found her super creepy with her big eyes and ghostly smile. After seeing her in 3D IMAX I have to say, something about adding that third dimension makes her more visually accessible. She really is an impressive special effects feat, blending in just fine with the 100 percent human actors and special effects backdrops. The movie itself is rather absorbing for a while, a decent story about a more than 300-year-old android trying to fit into a dystopian society, along with having the dullest boyfriend in cinematic history (Keean Johnson). The convoluted plot has something to do with her amnesiac-self trying to remember her battle machine origins (interesting) and trying to become a killer roller derby superstar (not so interesting). Looking through a garbage heap (that looks uncannily like the garbage heaps from Idiocracy, a film Robert Rodriguez did the special effects for), Dr. Dyson Ido (a superb Christoph Waltz) finds the upper half of a strikingly beautiful android. He takes some readings, discovers she still has brain activity, and takes her on home. He meshes her upper parts with a robot body he has lying around, one that was intended for his late daughter. He brings the android back to life, dubs

her Alita (his deceased daughter’s name) and starts feeding her oranges. Alita can’t remember a god damned thing, but it all comes back to her in flashes. She’s a big time, former warrior so, naturally, her talents will take her towards a career in killer roller derbies. That’s where the movie really starts to lose it. It’s an interesting movie about a young girl in an old android’s body looking for her sense of self, and even becoming a bounty hunter. Then, in a snap decision, she decides to go for fame and money in roller derby. Huh? It’s as if the film has no idea where to go. It’s based on an original graphic novel that probably birthed the roller derby angle, but that’s an element Rodriguez and Cameron could’ve easily jettisoned. It comes off as a tech geek’s kind of Quidditch, a lame attempt to instill the Harry Potter universe in the world of Alita. Every second of this movie where Alita is skating around feels like a distraction. There are many other killer cyborg characters with familiar faces on them, including Jackie Earle Haley, Jai Courtney, Jeff Fahey and Casper Van Dien. The cyborg characters are pulled off with varying degrees of success, from impressive (Haley) to downright silly looking (Courtney). While Alita herself is a surprisingly well integrated figure visually, some of the other characters come off as badly cartoonish. Another subplot involving persons named Vector and Chiren (Mahershala Ali and Jennifer Connelly) is supposed to provide the film with two super villains, but I never really got a handle on what the pair was actually doing. Thus, they weren’t very scary. Now that Cameron’s little Alita diversion is out of the way, he can get back to dawdling with his funky Smurfs in Pandora for future boring installments of his CGI wasteland. Alita: Battle Angel ultimately feels like a decent idea that didn’t get his full attention in the end. Ω

Alita: Battle Angel

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Cold Pursuit

Cold Pursuit sees Liam Neeson in another tired revenge formula film, this time set in the snowy Rocky Mountains. It allows for some impressive scenery. That’s about the best thing I can say for this one. It’s not a good thing when the best part of a murder mystery is shots of a snow plow cutting through large quantities of white stuff. That, oddly enough, is a beautiful thing to watch and had me wishing this was a documentary about a guy trying to keep a mountain pass clear in the winter rather than another Fargo rip-off. Neeson plays Nels Coxman and, yes, the film contains plenty of jokes about that last name. Nels has just won citizen of the year for keeping the roads clear, just in time for his son Kyle (Michael Richardson) to be killed by a criminally forced heroin overdose. Turns out Kyle interfered in some drug dealings with a major dealer nicknamed Viking (Tom Bateman) and got put in a fatal predicament made to look like an addict’s accident. Nels knows better and seeks out answers. When he starts getting them, he kills off those responsible, one by one, until the path leads to Viking. When he gets there, the plan involves Viking’s young son. (“You took my son’s life. You have a son. He’s going to be taken!”) What follows is a revenge thriller that thinks it’s funny and clever, but it’s not.

Glass

Following one bomb after another during a 15-year stretch, in 2017, M. Night Shyamalan showed us he was still capable of good cinematic things with Split—a showcase for James McAvoy’s multi-persona performance and a creepy little thriller thanks to Shyamalan’s surprisingly deft direction. An after-credits scene showed us Bruce Willis as David Dunn, his superhumanly strong Unbreakable character, and the possibilities became very intriguing. The director announced his intention to make Glass and that Split was, in fact, the second part of what would be a trilogy. Glass would bring back the brittle-boned character of that name played by Samuel L. Jackson in Unbreakable, along with Willis and the newly introduced McAvoy character(s). OK, sounds good. Let’s go! Well … shit. 2019 has its first legitimate clunker. Shyamalan is up to his old tricks again—the kind of loopy, half-assed filmmaking that made the world scratch its collective head with The Happening, The Village, The Last Airbender, After Earth and Lady in the Water—all wretched stink bombs. He has a remarkable ability to employ both lazy and overambitious writing simultaneously. He puts a lot in play with Glass but doesn’t seem to have a distinct idea of where to take it. Plot holes abound like wolf spider offspring jumping from their momma’s back when you slam a shoe down on her. There are so many, it’s hard to keep track of them.

Happy Death Day 2U

Christopher Landon follows up his somewhat creative original with an overly ambitious sequel that starts off fantastically but gets lost in its second half. Jessica Rothe returns as Tree, the college student who got stuck in the Groundhog Day murder loop in the original. The sequel starts with Ryan (Phi Vu), the character who walked in on Tree and Carter (Israel Broussard) stuck in a brand new murder loop with a seemingly different baby mask killer. Landon and friends go crazy, establishing a reason for the whole murder loop thing (a quantum physics experiment) and setting up some scenarios that openly acknowledge the plot of Back to the Future 2, featuring

doppelgangers and everything. So far so good—but then the plot goes Tree-centric again and becomes about her fixing other elements of her life, leaning hard on emotional stuff rather than the totally clever gimmicks the film presents in the first half. In fact, the movie basically ignores the doppelganger element and drops it completely, becoming just another murder mystery that feels like a bad Scream sequel. It’s too bad. At one point, I was looking at this movie as one of the greater sequel ideas I had ever witnessed. Landon squanders that idea and ultimately delivers a movie that feels like a copout.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Taking some cues from Mad Max, the Book of Revelations and, yes, Radiohead, The Second Part is another healthy dose of family-friendly fun where both sides of the age spectrum should laugh heartily. One of my favorite moviegoing things is to hear an adult blast out laughing, and then their kid follow suit. Either the kid is, indeed, in on the joke, or he/she just wants to be like the parent. Either way, it’s just a lot of fun and really cute when a movie produces these kinds of reactions for its entire running time. Cut to five years after the end of the first movie, and our hero Emmet (Chris Pratt) is happily buying coffee in Apocalypseburg, a devastated Lego land of sullen tones and broken dreams. Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) has taken to dramatic narrating at all times, things are getting knocked down as soon as they are built up, and invading aliens called Duplos are mostly to blame—invading forces that are at once undeniably adorable and unabashedly destructive. It’s a crazed world where Batman (Will Arnett) winds up engaged to Queen Waterva Wa-Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), leader of the Duplo, and Emmet winds up running with a Kurt Russell-type antihero who is suspiciously like him. The reasons for all of the craziness will not be revealed here. Take the kids, and find out for yourself.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

The title of this one implies some campy fun, right? The fact it stars Sam Elliot has you thinking tongue-in-cheek, cult classic adventure in the making, perhaps? I’m all for a movie deviating from expectations—bring it on—but this one has no idea what it is trying to accomplish. Elliot plays an old soldier drinking his life away. Through flashbacks, we see that he was part of some covert operation to kill Hitler. That part of the movie’s title is handled in a couple of quick, unimaginative scenes. Then, his character is approached by the government to go and kill Bigfoot because he’s spreading a disease in Canada that could wipe out the entire planet. Again, this part of the film’s title is handled in a couple of flimsy scenes, one including Bigfoot vomiting all over Elliot. The movie actually takes itself seriously, trying to depict a sincere look at a mercenary defeated by lost love and looking for one last chance, replete with a sappy soundtrack and real attempts at emoting. Come on? This could’ve been goofy fun, and moments like Bigfoot spouting vomit all over the place show that there may have been loony cult aspirations with this one. Instead, it’s a real drama with a cult title meant to fool geek chumps like me into plunking down the dough for a viewing. Avoid this. It’s terrible. (Available for download during a limited theatrical release.)

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GOAL

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ello readers, and welcome to the Reno News & Reviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2019 Winter Family Guide. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never considered myself much of an athlete, although I greatly enjoyed my time on my high schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swim team (go Miners). So, when we decided on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sportsâ&#x20AC;? for the theme of this guide, I had to rely on my journalistic training to put myself in the mindset of someone who is actually, you know, good at them. In my research, I was introduced to a group of talented senior citizens who are undoubtedly more active than I am, as displayed in the fierce competition of the biannual Reno Tahoe Senior Games. Seniors throughout the Truckee Meadows meet every six months for seasonal tournaments in events like rock climbing and go-cart racing (as well as a few more low-key activities). You can read about my coverage of the games on page 20. In the modern age, participation trophies are maligned as the ultimate killer of young ambition and sense of competition. But instead of the usual screed you might hear about the subject in your local internet forum, writer Andrea Heerdt spoke to a sports psychologist about the impact of participation trophies on a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s psyche on page 23.

Finally, critics have said the National Football Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new emphasis on player safety has led to rules that are stifling the spirit of the game. But with the reality of the long-term risks of concussion becoming clearer every day, many parents have mixed feelings about allowing their children to sign up for the sport. Kris Vagner examined the local impact this issue has on high school players on page 24. Even as we sit here amid the snowstorms that have left the Sierra Nevadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Febru-buried,â&#x20AC;? Renoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residents remain active. In researching this guide, I was impressed by how many rec center games, city leagues and private training programs are available in the city. Some of the stories and athletes in these pages have inspired me to shake the dust off after what feels like a long winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hibernation, and I hope it does the same for you. Maybe after all this snow melts, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll even hop back in the pool and do a few laps. Maybe. Best regards, Matt Bieker, special projects editor

This publication was made possible by grant number CFDA 93.217 from Title X, and its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Population Affairs.

02.21.19 | RN&R | 19

family guide

Golden oldieS by Matt Bieker

m attb@ ne wsr e view.com

ince 1928, the modern Olympic games have used the ceremonial flame as a symbol of the burning spirit of competition, warmth of camaraderie and passion for excellence demonstrated by the world’s top athletes. That’s all well and good, but one could argue that the competitors in the Reno/Tahoe Senior Games are better representatives of those qualities—some of them have been around longer than the flame, anyway. Every six months, the Parks Department schedules a two-week competition for the city’s senior citizens, classified as age 50 and above, at appropriate venues and city-owned buildings around the Truckee Meadows. Participants can enter dozens of events, from card games to rock climbing. “We do have a lot of really cool events,” said Dan Massey, one of the managers of the Parks and Recreation Department. “Like, we had go-kart racing—a lot of senior citizens probably haven’t done that in a really long time—and it gives them an opportunity to get out and try something new. And then, also, just be around people that have similar interests, and have conversations and just get a little bit of socialization.” The games have been around in their current form since 2001, Massey said, but were known by other names in years previous. They are staged as the summer and winter games according to the season, with specific events like track and field in the warmer months, or skiing and snowshoeing in the cold. The goal, Massey said, is to encourage any and all senior citizens to get active, either physically or mentally.

The participants of the Reno Tahoe Senior Winter Games keep the spirit of competition alive.

“So, we offer events for every skill or health level within our senior games,” Massey said. “Even if you can’t, you know, go out and swim 400 meters, you can sit down and play cards and still get the socialization. The events themselves are almost secondary. The goal is that you just get people out of the house and around other people, so that’s kind of what we center around.” This season’s games began on Jan. 30 and concluded on Feb. 14 and included events like poker, cribbage, swimming, archery, weightlifting and cross-country skiing, among others. Bob Forse, organizer of and competitor in this season’s shuffle board tournament at the California Building in Idlewild Park, has a special history with the games—he ran them for years when he managed the Parks and Recreation Department. Now a retiree, his involvement with the games has gone from a professional to a personal one. “The whole idea behind it is to basically get seniors out doing things with other seniors and things that maybe they haven’t done in years,” Forse said. “I’m like, ‘You’re going to have a 75-year-old person climb a 40-foot wall?’ And they do it. And when

Bob Forse and his opponent watch a tense exchange during this season’s shuffleboard tournament. Photo/Matt Bieker

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they get to the top and ring the bell, the look on their faces is, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I did that.’” Plus, he said, there’s no harm in a little friendly competition—mentioning a personal rivalry he’s developed with a friend over the seasonal archery tournament. “Competing is something that we don’t get to do much anymore when we get older,” Forse said. “When you get older, you don’t get to go out and do your best against somebody else. So, now these people get out, and they get to actually try to outdo somebody else.” Forse and the other volunteers each choose the events for which they serve as the primary organizers, working within the City’s tight budget for equipment and refreshments. However, some of the major expenses, like lift tickets or specialty equipment, are subsidized through local business who sponsor the Senior Games. And donations are greatly appreciated. “Anybody that is willing to give up a space or time or a product or something like that,” Forse said. “I mean, Kelly [Rowland] and I, we brought a lot of the food and stuff from our Superbowl party. We just brought a bunch of that stuff and stopped by Costco, grabbed some stuff and brought it in, and it’s stuff like that that makes the game bigger. Because then people want to be part of it, and they want to help.”

In your court While the events vary in popularity and participants, the most heavily attended event this year by far was pickleball, a combination

of badminton and tennis played with wide wooden paddles and an aerated plastic ball. “We actually have more people playing pickleball in the senior games tournaments than all the other sports combined,” said Lyle Mason, president of the Truckee Meadows Pickleball Club, which currently has approximately 240 members. Pickleball has been a part of the Senior Games since 2015, although it’s been played in the valley for at least eight years since it first started at the Neil Road Recreation Center, which still hosts daily pickup games. This season, the tournament was spread over multiple days and locations, including the Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center and the Boys and Girls Club on Foster Drive. The Senior Games are divided into different divisions based on age, starting at 50, And advancing every 5 years, in order to keep things competitive in the highly popular sport. “There’s a lot of room for advancement in your skill,” said player Alan Clarke. “So it’s really good because it’s easy on your legs … So the appeal of this sport, especially to seniors

is it’s a soft ball and moves slow, it’s a country,” she said. “There are even pickleball small court so you don’t have to be vacations like in Cancun and Kansas City.” able to run or sprint to come Competitors in the season’s games are out here and participate awarded, gold, silver and bronze medals at and it’s also very social the end of each event. Winners from previous because in this event years could be seen posing for photos (or you are very close even competing) with medals from previtogether.” ous games draped around their necks—not Liz Brown, unlike the iconic Sports Illustrated cover of another regular Olympian Michael Phelps bedecked in his own pickleball player who accomplishments. won her division at After the competition had run it’s course, the games, values the however, this season’s games were capped off camaraderie as well as by a Valentine’s Day dinner and dance at the El the competition found in Dorado Casino during which the organization regular matches. recognized all the competitors and awarded a “We love the people,” few special honors as well. The oldest competiBrown said. “It’s active. We tor, for example, received a special plaque. get good exercise. The Darryl Feemster Legacy Award is … It’s very addictive also given every season to honor the because there’s a pretty short memory of Darryl Feemster, a prior “Competing learning curve, but then manager of the Parks Department there’s a lot of room for and one of the Reno/Tahoe is something improvement.” Games staunchest advocates. that we don’t get Outside of the Senior “We give the award to to do much anymore Games, and even outside whomever we feel best personiof Reno, there is a growfies what the games are all when we get older.” ing national pickleball about competing hard, going Bob Forse scene that Brown said is an out and being social, things like easy way to find year-round that,” Massey said. tournaments in new locations. The summer games are already in “A lot of our club members the works, Massey said, and anyone interdo to go get better play because there’s ested in competing can learn more at the Parks this whole U.S. Pickleball Association, and and Recreation Department’s website, or people they sponsor tournaments out there all over the can call Senior Services at 657-4602. Ω

02.21.19 | RN&R | 21

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bat Do childhood participation trophies make for better athletes later in life?

r. Dean Hinitz has been a sports psychologist for 30 years, is a former collegiate gymnast, has worked with Team USA and is the parent of two athletes himself. Hinitz said it’s not a matter of whether or not kids should receive participation trophies for being involved in youth sports, but instead it’s about determining what age is appropriate to celebrate participation and determining what other elements are important in sports. According to Hinitz, around age 5 is a suitable time to give children participation trophies. “Kids delight in their very first trophy, but after that we start developing criteria for improvement, for excellent play, for place finishes so [kids] can start making distinctions,” said Hinitz. He agrees that winning and losing is a component of sports that children need to understand eventually, but Hinitz said that a child’s youth sports experience should not begin with that mentality. You want to acknowledge your child and let them know they’ve been seen, and they tried their very best in the game, and at that early age it’s okay to reinforce that behavior, win or lose, with a reward, according to Hinitz.

dr. dean Hinitz is a sports psychologist who sees patients at his midtown practice. Photo/Matt Bieker

As children move up the developmental ladder throughout elementary school, Hinitz said that participation trophies lose their meaning. “Trophies and rewards mean something as long as they mean something, and thanking anyone for showing up means a ton when you’re 5,” said Hinitz. “It doesn’t mean a lot when you’re 15. It doesn’t even mean a ton when you’re 10. Kids are smart enough to start recognizing that there’s, sort of, individual performance outcomes.” However, it’s not all about the outcome of a child’s performance, either. According to Hinitz, coaches have to learn to reward the process elements of sports, like the focus of making a great swing, or the effort it takes to sprint to first base, as opposed to the mathematical results of athletic involvement, like how many points were scored. He said he’ll ask youth basketball players if they can make a great free throw shot every time, and their response is “no,” but he’ll then explain to young players, “Yes, you can make a great free throw shot every time, you just can’t make all of your shots,” reinforcing that elements like focus, attention, effort, commitment and rigor should be recognized in our sports culture just as much as scoring points.

“We think mental toughness is falling down and getting up again, and that’s an element of it, but the highest level of mental toughness is saying, without any defenses, without any protection at all, ‘I’m swinging from my heels, I’m leaping across the floor, I’m serving with all of my heart,’” said Hinitz. He said that there’s also underlying messages everywhere in our culture that effort, difficulty and trying are all bad. He said that almost every product around us from garage doors to remotes is designed to teach us that effort is bad and should be avoided at all costs. “Where most people are striving to avoid [effort], great coaches say this is good,” said Hinitz. “It’s good to move. It’s good to be tired at the end of the day, to feel something that normal people don’t feel, which is physically exhausted. It’s a hard thing to teach, but it’s an amazing thing to teach.” Another element of excellent coaching is creating a true love of the game. Hinitz has also coached a fair amount of youth sports, and, when he asks Winning attitude younger kids what they love about it, they talk Hinitz said another problem within our about how fun the movements are in their society is if you try something and sport and what it feels like to fly, jump make a fool of yourself, the effort “Kids and twist. When he asks college-age it took to try in the first place is athletes what they love about their delight in their overshadowed by the negative sport, he’ll get responses about a very first trophy, outcome. gymnast scoring a 9.5 or a baseball “When someone misses but after that we start player going three for four at the a field goal, we all make plate—these responses are no developing criteria for fun of them as opposed to longer about the sport, they’re improvement.” celebrating the courage to about mathematics. put their cleat in the grass Hinitz has discovered that if Dr. Dean Hinitz and take a swing at a ball with an athlete’s love of movement and their leg,” said Hinitz. “What’s passion for their sport prevails, even in been lost is when a little girl falls a high pressure situation, they’ll perform off the balance beam, we all say, ‘Oh she better focusing on, say, the sensation of how messed up her routine,’ as opposed to all great good a back flip feels rather than honing in on a respects to those who get on a balance beam.” potential score. According to Hinitz, outstanding coaches “There’s a little kid in all of us—in most of us, reward true mental toughness, which is the and I hope it doesn’t get extinguished—that loves willingness to be vulnerable, exposed and to to run, jump, flip, catch, fall and get up again, and try. Excellent coaches don’t shame their athletes once we start keeping score, the joy in basic movefor missing, they celebrate their athletes for ment can be lost,” said Hinitz. Ω wholehearted effort, or when they’re 5, for simply showing up and giving the sport a try.

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family guide by Kris Vagner krisv@newsreview.com

Running inteRfeRence Rence on youth football injuries As participation declines, safety measures increase

ver the last decade, participation in youth football nationwide has declined about seven percent. The Sierra Youth Football League—a feeder league for high school teams—has seen similar numbers locally. In 2018, the league had just under 1,200 players, mostly boys and a few girls, ages 5-14. Lately, about 100-150 fewer kids sign up each year. Why the decrease? Some blame income equality. “Among richer families, youth sports participation is actually rising. Among the poorest households, it’s trending down,” the Atlantic reported in 2018. Some blame video games for taking up too much of kids’ time and attention. (Though sports video games like Backyard Baseball and Madden NFL have been praised for teaching young athletes terminology and techniques, bolstering kids’ understanding of real-life sports.) Rollins Stallworth, coordinator for the Washoe County School District’s Department of Activities and Athletics, listed some other factors, too. Numbers for youth sports in general

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have declined, he said, and football has probably lost a few players to soccer, tennis, golf and lacrosse, all of which have become more popular in recent years. And then there’s the factor that seems to be on everyone’s mind—safety.

conceRn oveR concussions Stallworth referred to “the concussion epidemic,” among young football players, which CNN defined as “a brain injury epidemic that affects 4.5 million players who are still too young to play in the NFL.” A concussion is a brain injury usually caused by a blow to the head. It can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance and muscle coordination. In the short run, a concussion can cause confusion, dizziness and headaches. Repeated concussions can lead to dementia and brain damage. A report to Congress from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention referred to concussions as “the silent epidemic” because

symptoms—impaired memory, for example—are often not visible. Brian McGee is the football director for Sierra Youth Football League. “The league has seen a consistent decline in numbers since the time the concussion movie came out,” he said. He was referring to the 2015 film Concussion, in which Will Smith plays real-life pathologist Bennet Omalu, who, in 2002, performed an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster. Webster had suffered mental health problems and committed suicide at age 50. Omalu diagnosed Webster with CTE—chronic traumatic encephalopathy—a condition that can cause debilitating memory loss, depression and sleep disturbances. It’s linked to concussions and other head injuries, both common enough in football that in 2013, the NFL settled a $765 million lawsuit filed by around 4,500 players and their families, who accused the organization of concealing its knowledge of the dangers of such injuries. The film and the lawsuit both led to increased awareness about concussions. Countless opinion pieces have since argued that kids shouldn’t play tackle football at all—including one in the New York Times by Bennet Omalu, the pathologist played by Will Smith in the movie. There have also been countless opinion pieces— including some by doctors—arguing that kids should keep playing football, and that there’s a lot that adults can do to make it safer.

spotting a concussion

Making kids football safer Now that the health risks of football have been in the national spotlight for several years, coaches and administrators have had time to respond with new policies and procedures. “USA Football, the governing body of youth football across the U.S., has made major changes,” said Stallworth. “Limited contact, new, improved coaching techniques. They’re attacking this issue aggressively.” In December 2018, Renown held a concussion summit in Reno to teach coaches, parents and athletes how to identify and address concussions. Stallworth said that protective gear for kids has improved. Designs for mouthpieces, chinstraps and helmets have been tweaked in recent years, which has prevented injuries. And the school district takes an additional measure. “Every helmet has to go through a reconditioning process after every season,” Stallworth said. He added that coaches and administrators have become more cautious about identifying and monitoring concussions. “We’re keeping a kid out who might have a slight headache, and we’re keeping that kid out for an extended amount of time,” he said. “A kid can be out for 10 days. Even if there’s a symptom of a possible concussion, we go into protocol.” Brian McGee from Sierra Youth Football League said that, in the past, “We were probably doing things incorrectly. We were throwing safety out the door.” But now, in his league, running full-speed at an opponent

Children and teens who show or report one or more of these symptoms may have a concussion or other brain injury.

SignS obServed by parentS or coacheS • Appears dazed or stunned • Forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or is unsure of the game, score or opponent • Moves clumsily • Answers questions slowly • Loses consciousness, even briefly • Shows mood, behavior or personality changes • Can’t recall events prior to or after a hit or fall

SymptomS reported by children and teenS • Headache or “pressure” in head • Nausea or vomiting • Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision • Bothered by light or noise • Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy or groggy • Confusion, or concentration or memory problems • Just not “feeling right” or “feeling down” SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control fact sheet

from 10 yards apart is not allowed. And his coaches take USA Football’s online safety certification course, which teaches them how to prevent heat exhaustion, identify and respond to concussions and cardiac arrest, and teach safer blocking and tackling techniques. McGee also said that, once kids are ready to start high school football, the safest thing they can do is to show up prepared. “If you ask any football coach, it’s dangerous to have high schoolers who haven’t played before,” he said. “They need to know how to block properly, how to be tackled properly. ... We want to introduce people to tackle football.” His youngest players, 5- and 6-year-olds, have the option of flag football or tackle football. In many high schools, including local ones, the amount of contact time is limited in the name of safety. “In the younger divisions, I’m opposed to that,” McGee said. It may sound conterintuitive, but he’s thinking about safety. “If we only were allowed to have contact for 20 minutes a week, my concern with that is—we get onto game day, and we’re in a live action situation,” he said. When it comes to younger kids and contact, he reasoned, learning to do it properly is safer than avoiding it. “I could see limiting contact when they’re in high school,” he added. “All levels of football have worked hard to change the culture,” said McGee. “Everyone’s being a lot more cautious,” said Stallworth. Ω

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Adriana Diaz serves up chef Paul Morrison’s hearty sandwiches, such as this French Dip panini.

Shacked up Since 2005, the Great Basin Community Co-Op has been a hub for local and near-sourced organic groceries and other healthy comestibles. In 2018, the upper floor of the downtown shop was turned into a cafe featuring recycled and reclaimed materials. It’s a pretty inviting space with friendly service and plenty of seats, though online ordering and delivery or take-out are available. Whether you’re omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, paleo or gluten-free, the cafe has got you covered. Allergen and ingredient information is clearly stated on the menu of baked goods, fresh juices, smoothies, specialty coffees, soups, toasts, salads, breakfast and lunch burritos, paninis and acai-granola bowls. Nearly everything is labeled “organic,” so that’s the last time I’m going to use the word here. A cup of chicken bone broth ($2.99, eight-ounces) was a pretty satisfying start on a snowy winter afternoon. Also available with beef or lamb, the savory, hearty brew is stewed for 72 hours with enough seasoning to be satisfying, but not overpowering—just plain comforting. I would definitely appreciate a cup of this to start every cold morning. Traditionally, a “French dip” is a French roll or baguette, stuffed with a pile of thin-sliced roast beef, served au jus (with juice). My panini French dip ($9.99) was a little lackluster, despite quality ingredients. A small quantity of thick-sliced, marinated beef, white cheddar and egg-free mayo substitute were served on sliced sourdough—with fresh horseradish and broth on the side. The flavors were fair, and the horseradish had interesting herbal notes, but it just didn’t register as “French dip” to me. It’d be more accurate to label it “Boeuf panino au jus.” 26 | RN&R | 02.21.19

PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG

I’ve sampled iterations of vegan “mock tuna” over the years. They’ve varied in in quality, but none transmitted the essence of tuna. The “Un-Tuna Melt” ($9.99) of housemade sunflower seed mash, vegan “cheddar,” tomato and olive oil was actually a tasty panini. The cheese substitute isn’t remotely cheese, but it’s good in its own way. The sunflower mix was wellseasoned, but was it tuna? Nope. Maybe quit calling seed sandwiches “tuna” and just let them shine on their own. I ordered a braised pork burrito ($11.99), but bit into local, grass-fed, marinated and shredded beef, refried beans, lime white rice, cheddar, lime crema, tomatillo salsa and cilantro. It was damn good, so I didn’t bother correcting the error. Here, the beef was plentiful and on center stage. The hint of lime was a perfect complement to the salsa verde and cilantro. It had a really nice bit of heat, and I’m not sure when I last enjoyed a burrito with this much gusto. Neck and neck with the beef burrito on the tastiness scale was a vegan walnut cauliflower burrito ($9.99) with marinated walnut meat, cauliflower, mushroom, lime white rice, cabbage slaw, cilantro and housemade chipotle mayo. I’ll be honest, this didn’t sound remotely appealing to me—at all. Nonetheless, it was something of an epiphany. I’ve had other veggie burritos, some of which were perfectly fine. This was something else completely. Yeah, I could taste the walnut and cauliflower— two things I would never think to pair—but layered with all of the other ingredients and an expert level of spicy seasoning, it was perfectly, amazingly delicious. The beef burrito edged it out on my scale of appreciation, but not by much. Ω

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Food Shed Cafe is open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Learn more here: https://goo.gl/qAomtt.

by Joey Thyne

Trial run Acid Reality Casualty Test Acid Reality Casualty Test, a brand new Reno psych-doom band, jams in a loft overlooking a warehouse transformed into an artists’ workshop, covered in Simpsons graffiti and shopping carts turned into armchairs. A half-burnt joint lies on the amp as the bandmates noodle on their instruments. The band consists of Chris Monzon on vocals and guitar, Alex DuBose on bass, Wyatt Law on lead guitar and Garrett Caufield on drums. ARCT started out as just Monzon and Caufield, who have played in a number of projects together. After coming up with the riff for their song “Peyote Coyote,” Monzon declared they should play a show in a week. “I’m an idiot,” Monzon said of the idea, sheepishly. When they heard Acid Mothers Temple was coming to town, they decided they needed a demo to get on the bill. They recorded live with one mic pointed toward the drums and the other toward the bass. Monzon came in late nights to record guitar and vocals. Their demo, released to Bandcamp on New Year’s Day, features tracks “Peyote Coyote,” “The Love and Terror Cult” and “Mystic of the Hill.” The collection of songs is littered with distortion, reverb, experimental song structure and desert imagery. “The big, desolate landscape is a blank slate for a lot of stuff,” Caufield said. Following roughly four live shows as a two-piece outfit, Monzon and Caufield posted on Craigslist looking for musicians in a “psych-death-band thing.” DuBose recalls thinking, “I like death, let’s do this.” What originally started as krautrock à la Kraftwerk or Can turned into something heavier with the addition of DuBose and Law. ARCT exists in the crossroads of psychedelic, surf, doom and punk. Or, as DuBose so eloquently describes their sound, “Loud.”

Acid Reality Casualty Test is comprised of (from left) Alex DuBose, Wyatt Law, Garrett Caufield and Chris Monzon. PHOTO/JOEY THYNE

ARCT remains an ever-evolving beast, a genre stew based on each member’s influences. Monzon comes from a noise punk background, with Sonic Youth informing much of his writing. DuBose listens to a lot of John Zorn, Bathory and nomeansno. As for Law, he is the band’s silent shredder, quietly analyzing every situation, ready to bust out a face-melting solo at a moment’s notice. “Wyatt [Law] is from the ’80s,” Monzon said. “I think he was practicing, and Ozzy Osbourne was about to ask him to play. Then Randy Rhodes invented a time machine and sent him here and wiped his memory and replaced him.” Each member is involved in some other musical project. Caufield drums for metal band Rotted Fumes. DuBose plays in the Reno Video Game Symphony. Monzon has his solo project Baby Dog. Law records at his home studio in Carson City. A gig at the Holland Project on February 4 would have been the bandmates’ first live show all together if not for a particularly nasty snow storm that prevented Law from attending. Their performances maintain the loose improvisational spirit of their practice sessions. “It was fun,” DuBose said. “I messed up a lot. I don’t think anyone cared, though. And that feels weirdly liberating.” In everything the band does, they seek to break down boundaries and rebuild them on their own terms. At one point in the show, Monzon forgot the lyrics to a song he wrote the night prior. As a joke, he invited someone onstage to sing it instead. Eventually, nearly the entire crowd came onstage. “There’s only one time to get it perfect, and that’s on record, because that’s what people are going to listen to over and over,” Monzon said. “But when you’re performing live, it’s an experience. It’s cool when things go awry or when you try something out that you wouldn’t normally do because a live setting forces you.” What do the bandmates hope people got out of their live show? “Tinnitus,” DuBose responded. Ω

Listen to Acid Reality Casualty Test’s EP here: https://goo.gl/CWyxxA.

02.21.19 | RN&R | 27

Northern Nevada

LocaLLy roasted

at 1715 s. WeLLs aVe. magpieroasters.com

RN&R

02.21.19

THURSDAY 2/21

FRIDAY 2/22

SATURDAY 2/23

Dance party, 10pm, $5

10069 Bridge St., Truckee, (530) 536-5029

Lil Miss Mixer, Chrispylicious, 9pm, no cover

Metal Echo, 9pm, no cover

Bar oF aMErICa

Jo Mama, 9pm, no cover

1UP

214 W. Commercial Row, (775) 813-6689

KawtNKandy, Bob-O, Nick Tesla, 10pm, $10

5 Star Saloon

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

132 West St., (775) 329-2878

40 MIlE Saloon

1495 S. Virginia St., (775) 323-1877

Zepparella Feb. 21, 8 p.m. The Saint 761 S. Virginia St. 221-7451

Comedy

10040 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, (530) 587-2626 555 E. Fourth St., (775) 499-5549

Divergence: Couch King, Electric Nature, Dirt Monkey, SubDocta, JARS, Astreya, GomeX, 9pm, no cover 9pm, $20-$25

CarGo ConCErt Hall

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

CEol IrISH PUB

The Coney Dogs, 9pm, no cover

Nigel St. Hubbins, 9pm, no cover

Julie Courtney & Doug Nichols, 6:30pm, no cover

Peter DeMattei, 6:30pm, no cover

Whiskey Preachers, 9pm, no cover

Só Sol, 9pm, no cover

432 E. Fourth St., (775) 409-4431

Freaky February House Party: Cue:Lad, Konstantin, Creedence, 9pm, $5

Nick Eng, Matthew Howlett, 7pm, $5

FaCES nV

Farrah Moan, 8pm, $10-$25

HEllFIrE Saloon

Wunderlust, 8pm, no cover

538 S. Virginia St., (775) 329-5558 Carson Comedy Club, Carson City Nugget, 507 N. Carson St, Carson City, (775) 882-1626: Casino Boss & Friends, Fri-Sat, 8pm, $15 Laugh Factory, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 3257401: John Caponera, Thu, Sun, 7:30pm, $21.95; Fri-Sat, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $27.45; Joey Medina, Tue-Wed, 7:30pm, $21.95 LEX at Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-5399: Mark G, Fri, 6:30pm, $10 The Library, 134 W. Second St., (775) 683-3308: Open Mic Comedy, Wed, 9:30pm, no cover Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-5233: Will Durst, Thu, 7:30pm, $12-$17; Fri, 8:30pm, $15-$20, Sat, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $15-$20

CottonWooD rEStaUrant

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

Serina Dawn & Mark Sexton, 6:30pm, no cover

DaVIDSon’S DIStIllErY 275 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-1917

DEaD rInGEr analoG Bar 239 W. Second St., (775) 470-8590 3372 S. McCarran Blvd., (775) 825-1988

tHE HollanD ProjECt

Satchy, The Waterbeds, Alex Hellacaster, 8pm, $5

140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858

jIMMY B’S

180 W. Peckham Lane, Ste. 1070, (775) 686-6737

MON-WED 2/25-2/27

Karaoke, 9pm, W, no cover

Sonic Mass with DJ Tigerbunny, 9pm, no cover

alIBI alE WorKS

tHE BlUEBIrD

SUNDAY 2/24

Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm, no cover

Def Cats Organ Trio, 3pm, no cover

Post shows online by registerin g at www.newsrev iew. com/reno. D eadline is the Frida y before public ation.

The Coathangers, SadGirl, Tommy and the Tongues, 7pm, $12-$14

Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, no cover Trivia, 7pm, W, no cover

Between the Buried and Me, Tesseract, Astronoid, 7pm, Tu, $22 Traditional Irish session, 7pm, Tu, Wed. Night Showcase, 7pm, no cover

Sam Valdez, Rodes Rollins, 7pm, Tu, $5 Twin Peaks Bingo Night, 6pm, W, $5 Open mic with Monsterbug Productions, 9pm, W, no cover

Friday Night Karaoke, 9:30pm, no cover

02.21.19

RN&R

THURSDAY 2/21

FRIDAY 2/22

SATURDAY 2/23

SUNDAY 2/24

LAUGHING PLANET CAFE

Jazz Jam Session Wednesdays, 7:30pm, W, no cover

941 N. Virginia St., (775) 870-9633

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE NIGHTCLUB

1021 Heavenly Village Way, S. L. Tahoe, (530) 523-8024

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $22-$47

Magic Fusion, 4:30pm, 7pm, $22-$47

MIDTOwN wINE BAr

1527 S. Virginia St., (775) 800-1960

DJ Trivia, 7pm, no cover

MILLENNIUM

Canelos Jrs, El Potro de Sinaloa, 10pm, $35

MUMMErS

Joker’s Wild Blues Band, 8pm, no cover Acoustic Wonderland, 7pm, no cover

Karaoke with R&B Productions, 9pm, no cover

MFB, 9pm, no cover

PIGNIC PUB & PATIO

Killer Whale, Cecil Fielder, 8pm, no cover

Hot to Trot: Reno Jazz Syndicate, 10pm, no cover

Outlaw Kindred, Travis Rigsbee, 8pm, no cover

THE POLO LOUNGE

Bingo with T-N-Keys, 7pm, no cover

Jake’s Garage, DJ Bobby G, 8pm, no cover

DJ Bobby G, 9pm, no cover

THE SAINT

Zepparella, 8pm, $20

Dust in My Coffee, Wheatstone Bridge, 8pm, no cover

Country Ladies Night, 8pm, no cover

1559 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-8864 761 S. Virginia St., (775) 221-7451

POWERSOLO

SHEA’S TAVErN

Feb. 27, 8 p.m. Shea’s Tavern 715 S. Virginia St. 786-4774

715 S. Virginia St., (775) 786-4774

Monet X Change, 10pm, $15-$20

340 Kietzke Lane, (775) 686-6681

VIrGINIA STrEET BrEwHOUSE 211 N. Virginia St., (775) 433-1090

BeRazz, DJ Rekoh Suave, 10pm, no cover

Mother Mercy, Unchained, 7pm, $7

wHISkEy DICkS SALOON

Local Anthology, 9pm, $5

Cash Only Band, 9pm, no cover

2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd., S.L. Tahoe, (530) 544-3425

02.21.19

Karaoke, 7pm, M, no cover DG Kicks, 8pm, Tu, no cover Saint Tango Milonga, 4:30pm, $10-$15 Trivia Night with Aubrey Forston, 8pm, no cover

7-Out, Chaki, Sad Giants, 9pm, $5-$6

SPLASH rENO

Millennium Saturdays, 10pm, no cover charge for women before 11pm

PADDy & IrENE’S IrISH PUB 235 Flint St., (775) 376-1948

Bingo w/T-N-Keys, 6:30pm, Tu, no cover Greg Gilmore, 7pm, W, no cover

Alias Smith, 8pm, no cover

2100 Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 378-1643

906-A Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 359-1594

Magic Fusion, 7pm, M, Tu, W, $22-$47 Motown on Monday, 9pm, M, no cover B.E. Chicken Bingo, 9pm, W, no cover

906 Victorian Ave., Ste. B, Sparks, (775) 409-3754

RN&R

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $22-$47

188 California Ave., (775) 322-2480

Feb. 24, 7 p.m. The Holland Project 140 Vesta St. 742-1858

Magic Fusion, 7pm, $22-$47 Magic After Dark, 9pm, $32-$47

THE LOVING CUP

The Coathangers

Live Jazz Jam Wednesdays, 7:30pm, W, no cover

One Way Street, 8:30pm, no cover

1480 N. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 841-4663

THE LOFT

MON-WED 2/25-2/27

POWERSOLO, The Saturday Nights, The Juvinals, 8pm, W, $8-$12 Trivia Night, 8pm, W, no cover

THURSDAY 2/21

FRIDAY 2/22

SATURDAY 2/23

Dance party, 10pm, $5

10069 Bridge St., Truckee, (530) 536-5029

Lil Miss Mixer, Chrispylicious, 9pm, no cover

Metal Echo, 9pm, no cover

Bar oF aMErICa

Jo Mama, 9pm, no cover

1UP

214 W. Commercial Row, (775) 813-6689

KawtNKandy, Bob-O, Nick Tesla, 10pm, $10

5 Star Saloon

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

132 West St., (775) 329-2878

40 MIlE Saloon

1495 S. Virginia St., (775) 323-1877

Zepparella Feb. 21, 8 p.m. The Saint 761 S. Virginia St. 221-7451

Comedy

10040 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, (530) 587-2626 555 E. Fourth St., (775) 499-5549

Divergence: Couch King, Electric Nature, Dirt Monkey, SubDocta, JARS, Astreya, GomeX, 9pm, no cover 9pm, $20-$25

CarGo ConCErt Hall

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

CEol IrISH PUB

The Coney Dogs, 9pm, no cover

Nigel St. Hubbins, 9pm, no cover

Julie Courtney & Doug Nichols, 6:30pm, no cover

Peter DeMattei, 6:30pm, no cover

Whiskey Preachers, 9pm, no cover

Só Sol, 9pm, no cover

432 E. Fourth St., (775) 409-4431

Freaky February House Party: Cue:Lad, Konstantin, Creedence, 9pm, $5

Nick Eng, Matthew Howlett, 7pm, $5

FaCES nV

Farrah Moan, 8pm, $10-$25

HEllFIrE Saloon

Wunderlust, 8pm, no cover

CottonWooD rEStaUrant

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

Serina Dawn & Mark Sexton, 6:30pm, no cover

DaVIDSon’S DIStIllErY 275 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-1917

DEaD rInGEr analoG Bar 239 W. Second St., (775) 470-8590 3372 S. McCarran Blvd., (775) 825-1988

tHE HollanD ProjECt

Satchy, The Waterbeds, Alex Hellacaster, 8pm, $5

140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858

jIMMY B’S

180 W. Peckham Lane, Ste. 1070, (775) 686-6737

MON-WED 2/25-2/27

Karaoke, 9pm, W, no cover

Sonic Mass with DJ Tigerbunny, 9pm, no cover

alIBI alE WorKS

tHE BlUEBIrD

SUNDAY 2/24

Thursday Night Trivia, 7pm, no cover

Def Cats Organ Trio, 3pm, no cover

Post shows online by registerin g at www.newsrev iew. com/reno. D eadline is the Frida y before public ation.

The Coathangers, SadGirl, Tommy and the Tongues, 7pm, $12-$14

Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, no cover Trivia, 7pm, W, no cover

Between the Buried and Me, Tesseract, Astronoid, 7pm, Tu, $22 Traditional Irish session, 7pm, Tu, Wed. Night Showcase, 7pm, no cover

Sam Valdez, Rodes Rollins, 7pm, Tu, $5 Twin Peaks Bingo Night, 6pm, W, $5 Open mic with Monsterbug Productions, 9pm, W, no cover

Friday Night Karaoke, 9:30pm, no cover

02.21.19 02.21.19

RN&R RN&R

29 31

FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 21, 2019 For a complete listing of this week’s events or to post events to our online calendar, visit www.newsreview.com. THE GREAT GATSBY GALA: Battle Born Dollz presents an evening of dancing and decadence inspired by the era of The Great Gatsby. Proceeds from this benefit will be donated to the Veterans Guest House of Reno and Honor Flight Nevada. Sat, 2/23, 6pm. $20. VFW Battle Born Post 9211, 255 Burris Lane, www.facebook.com/Battleborndollz.

INTERNATIONAL FILM WEEKEND: This event features free afternoon and evening film viewings followed by informal discussion. Afternoon showings will spotlight the independently made films selected by the International Film Weekend Committee, while evening viewings will consist of award-winning commercially produced international films. Thu, 2/21-Fri, 2/22, 3pm. Free. Carson City Community Center, 850 E. William St., Carson City, (775) 742-5011, www.friendscclibrary.org.

KID-O-RAMA: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

FEB/22

: AILEY II

The modern dance company returns to Reno. Founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, the company embodies Alvin Ailey’s mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people. Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters, Ailey II developed into one of America’s most popular dance companies. In June 2012, Waters retired and named her longtime associate Troy Powell as the new artistic director, who continues the company’s legacy of merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s emerging choreographers. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $15-$55. Call 686-6600 or visit artown.org or pioneercenter.com.

EVENTS

CARSON VICTORY ROLLERS DOUBLE HEADER: The Carson Victory Rollers and Carson Junior Victory Rollers will host a double header versus Nor Cal Roller Girls and Junior Roller Girls. Food, drink and merchandise vendors will be at the event. Sat, 2/23, 3:30pm. $0-$10. Carson City Community Center, 850 E. William St., Carson City, www.facebook.com/ CarsonVictoryRollers.

AN EVENING AT THE OSCARS: The Cordillera International Film Festival celebrates a night of stars and film. Pose for a picture on the red carpet, then enjoy drinks, dinner and dessert and watch a live broadcast of the Academy Awards. Sun, 2/24, 4:30pm. $75-$85. Silver Legacy Resort Casino Grand Exposition Hall, 407 N. Virginia St., www.ciffnv.org.

ALPENGLOW WINTER FILM SERIES: Back for its 13th year, the film series showcases the outdoor industry’s most respected athletes. Hear from these professionals as they share stories of their incredible adventures in the mountains. This month’s featured speaker is rock climber Brittany Griffith. Thu, 2/21, 7pm. Free. Olympic Village Lodge, 1901 Chamonix Place, Olympic Valley, www.alpenglowsports.com.

FIBS, FAKES AND FALSEHOODS—MISTAKEN TAHOE: Author David C. Antonucci uncovers the truth behind long-held Tahoe fictions. Sat, 2/23, 2pm. Free. Galena Creek Visitor Center, 18250 Mount Rose Highway, (775) 849-4948.

GALLERY TALK—BROOKE HODGE OF THE PSAM:

BERNARD SCHOPEN READING AND SIGNING: Nevada Writers Hall of Fame member Bernard Schopen returns to Sundance for a reading and signing of his latest book The Dying Time. Wed, 2/27, 6:30pm. Free. Sundance Books and Music, 121 California Ave., (775) 786-1188.

RN&R

02.21.19

Brooke Hodge, director of architecture and design at the Palm Springs Art Museum, will discuss the NMA exhibition In Conversation: Alma Allen and J.B. Blunk. The work of the artists Alma Allen and J.B. Blunk blurs the line between design and sculpture, with both men creating evocative, organic work from natural materials. Thu, 2/21, 6pm. $10 general admission, free for NMA members. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333.

presents its annual kids’ extravaganza, which includes the Big Truck Event featuring fire trucks, snowplows and grooming machines, as well as street parties, kids’ concerts, a game and craft room and other attractions and activities. Thu, 2/21-Sun, 2/24. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, 1960 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, (800) 403-0206, squawalpine.com.

MAKE YOUR MATCH—MEET THE NEW SEASON OF EXHIBITIONS: Experience soundscapes by local artists in the Nevada Museum of Art galleries as you explore the new exhibitions. The party includes a performance by contemporary dance company Collateral & Co., music spun by DJ Mojo Jojo and visuals by Rich Moore, as well as a s’mores station, table games and small bites served by chez louie. Fri, 2/22, 7pm. $10-$25. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org.

OSCAR SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL: The Joe Crowley Student Union and KUNR have partnered with Shorts HD and Magnolia Pictures to present the 2019 OscarNominated Short Films. With all three categories offered, this is your annual chance to predict the winners and have the edge in your Oscar pool. Thu, 2/21-Fri,

2/22, 7pm; Sat, 2/23, 2pm & 7pm; Sun, 2/24, 2pm. $15. Joe Crowley Student Union,

University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-6505.

POETRY OUT LOUD: The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Join the Holland Project to support local students in the Poetry Out Loud State Semifinal Competition. Thu, 2/21, 5:30pm. Free. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333.

READING BY WAYÉTU MOORE: The author will read from her latest book She Would Be King. Wed, 2/27, 6pm. Free. Nevada Wolf Shop, second floor, Joe Crowley Student Union, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-6505.

RENO BEER CRAWL: Attendees can sample domestic, nationally recognized and locally distributed craft beers at 15 or more participating bars and restaurants in downtown Reno. For $5, you get a commemorative Reno Beer Crawl glass, wristband and map to use during this self-guided event. For $1 you can enjoy 6-ounce samples at each of the participating locations. Sat, 2/23, 2pm. $5. The Library, 134 W. Second St., renobeercrawl.com.

RENO COIN CLUB MEETING: Ken Hopple, retired chief coiner at the Nevada State Museum, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Morgan and Orr coin press running at the old Carson City mint. Learn about the mint, coin press, discovery and preservation of the old dies, and coinage of Carson City. The meeting will also feature the first quarter of 2019, the new American innovators dollar with George Washington’s signature and, tentatively, the 2019 Native American dollar. Tue, 2/26, 7pm. Free. Denny’s, 205 Nugget Ave., Sparks, www.renocoinclub.org.

ROTARY MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION: Rotary Club of Carson City holds its first Mardi Gras celebration featuring Cajun and New Orleans cuisine, a no-host bar, live music, silent and live auctions and a costume contest. Proceeds will benefit local youth programs and scholarships. Sat, 2/23, 6pm. $100. Casino Fandango, 3800 S. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 720-1159, carsonrotary.org.

SPRING FILM SERIES—THREE FROM KATHRYN BIGELOW: The film series concludes with a screening of the director’s 2012 political thriller Zero Dark Thirty, starring Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, James Gandolfini and Kyle Chandler. Fri, 2/22, 7pm. $7-$10. Barkley Theatre, Oats Park Art Center, 151 E. Park St., Fallon, (775) 423-1440, www.churchillarts.org.

SKATE JAM 6: The all-day skateboarding event for all ages features skateboard ramps, contests, live music, prizes, food trucks and more. All attendees must sign a waiver. All skateboarders under age 18 must wear helmets and have a parent or guardian sign a waiver. Sat, 2/23, noonmidnight. $15. Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor, 71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652.

SKI YOUR HEART OUT: This fundraiser for the American Heart Association includes an on-mountain poker run, vertical challenge, wine tasting and lunch. A season pass or lift ticket is required for participation other than the wine tasting and lunch. Sat, 2/23, 9am. $45-$55. Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, 22222 Mount Rose Highway, (775) 849-0704.

VIRGINIA CITY’S FATHER-DAUGHTER DAY & DANCE: The fifth annual event takes place at venues across town and features an all-inclusive ticket package that includes lunch, hot cocoa and sweets, a corsage, old-time photos and a father-daughter dance at Piper’s Opera House. Sat, 2/23, 11am. $20-$99. Piper’s Opera House, 12 N. B St., and other locations in Virginia City, (775) 847-7500, visitvirginiacitynv.com.

WEEKEND NATURE WALKS: The May Arboretum’s Weekend Nature Walks are designed for families with children age 10 years and younger who want to learn more about different aspects of the environment. The walks are led by Alexis Tarantino, an environmental studies student at the University of Nevada, Reno. Sat, 2/23, 10am. Free. Wilbur D. May Center, Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St., (775) 785-4153.

ONSTAGE COME IN FROM THE COLD: The 2019 family entertainment series continues with a performance by the Reno Swing Set. Sat, 2/23, 7pm. $3 suggested donation per person. Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, (775) 828-6612, www.facebook.com/BartleyRanch.

GALILEO—STARS IN HIS EYES: Brüka Theatre presents this original play written by Mary Bennett about the famous scientist Galileo, his incredible discoveries and challenges, as experienced through his young daughter Virginia. Virginia was only 9 years old when her father perfected his telescope and experimented with the laws of nature. Thu, 2/21-Sat 2/23, 11am. $5-$10. Brüka Theatre, 99 N. Virginia St., (775) 323-3221.

THE LORD OF THE DANCE: The Reno Wind Symphony presents this compilation of vocal and instrumental music heard in Irish and Celtic circles. The concert features tenor vocal soloists Adam Teachout and Kevin Shoemaker on “Four Irish Folksongs” and music from the Irish dance/music spectacular Riverdance. Mon, 2/25, 3pm. $10 general, free for students, children. Nightingale Concert Hall, University Arts Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., renowindsymphony.com.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE: Good Luck Macbeth presents Lee Hall’s play based on the 1998 film and screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Thu, 2/21Sat, 2/23, 7:30pm. $18-$30. Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company, 124 W. Taylor St., (775) 322-3716.

SIRENS: Restless Artists Theatre presents Deborah Zoe Laufer’s dramatic comedy. Sam and Rose are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary with a cruise in the Mediterranean. While on this cruise, Sam hears the most sublime music he ever heard, jumps overboard and winds up with a siren. And, there on her island, he must struggle with the terrors of middle age, the tortures of creative failure and the desire to live in his past rather than face his uncertain future. And he must find a way to get home and win his wife back. Thu, 2/21-Sat, 2/23, 7pm; Sun, 2/24, 2pm. $8-$15. Restless Artists Theatre Company, 295 20th St., Sparks, rattheatre.org.

SPEAKEASY SERIES—DANI JOY: Step back in time with the swanky sounds of 1920s vintage jazz along with soothing original music from Dani Joy’s newest album Islands. Sat, 2/23, 7:30pm. $20. Mountain Music Parlor, 735 S. Center St., (775) 8435500, mountainmusicparlor.com.

by AMY ALKON

No girls aloud I’m a female comic, so being smart and funny and having a strong personality is basically my job, as well as who I am. A friend had me stop by his business meeting at a cafe so he could introduce me to his client he was hoping to set me up with. I tend to show off when I’m nervous (going big, loud and funny), and I apparently terrified the guy. My friend scolded me, telling me it’s a turnoff for men to have to compete with a woman. Come on! I’d be thrilled to have a partner who is smarter and funnier. Shouldn’t men be like that, too? Social science research finds that there’s a bit of a chasm between what men think they want in a female partner and what they actually end up being comfortable with. For example, when social psychologist Lora E. Park surveyed male research participants, 86 percent said they’d feel comfortable dating female partners smarter than they are. They likewise said they’d go for a (hypothetical) woman who beat their scores in every category on an exam. However, when they were in a room with a woman who supposedly did, the men not only expressed less interest in her but moved their chairs away from her. This seems pretty silly, until you look at some sex differences in the importance of social status. Sure, it’s better for a woman to be the head cheerleader (as that plays out in junior high and beyond), but a woman isn’t less of a woman if she isn’t the alpha pompom-ette. Manhood, on the other hand, is “precarious,” explain psychologists Jennifer Bosson and Joseph Vandello. It’s achieved through men’s actions but easily lost or yanked away—like by being shown up publicly by a chick. The answer isn’t to be someone else on a date (somebody dumber, with less personality). But maybe, seeing as some of the bigpersonality stuff comes out of fear, you could try something: Challenge yourself to be vulnerable, to listen, to connect with people instead of impress them. You should also seek out men who are big enough to not feel small around you—men who are accomplished, as well as psychologically accomplished. These are men who’ve fixed whatever was broken in them or

was just less than ideal. When a guy says “She took my breath away!” it should be a good thing, not a complaint about how he was nearly asphyxiated by your personality.

What’s not to lick I’m friends with this guy. Only friends, and he knows it. But lately, we’ll be on the phone, talking about our businesses, and he’ll suddenly start talking dirty (saying sex things he wants to do with me). I just make a joke and get off the phone, but then he’ll do it again the next time. How do I get him to stop? There you are, talking about your plans for the third quarter, and there are the guy’s sex thoughts— kind of like a goat ambling into your living room. As annoying as this must be, his being motivated to do it isn’t inexplicable. In surveying the scientific literature on sexual desire, Roy Baumeister and his colleagues find evidence for what many of us probably suspect or believe: Men, in general, have a far stronger sex drive than women. This is reflected in how, among other things, men “experience more frequent sexual arousal, have more frequent and varied fantasies, desire sex more often, desire more partners, masturbate more, want sex sooner, are less able or willing to live without sexual gratification,” and are often interested in freakier stuff. You can most likely get him to stop—but not through hinting or hanging up when the conversation goes “what I’d like to do to you with my tongue”-ward. Tell him straight out: “Hey, from now on, we need to keep the raunchy talk out of our phone conversations. Makes me seriously uncomfortable.” There’s a time and place for everything, and sex talk suddenly flying into your casual conversations is like placing your order at a drive-thru speaker—“Hi...I’d like the cheeseburger with fries”—and hearing heavy breathing and then a low male voice: “That’ll be $8.97... and a picture of your feet.” Ω

ERIK HOLLAND

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

02.21.19 | RN&R | 33

Free will astrology

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): In December 1915, San

Diego was suffering through a drought. City officials hired a professional “moisture accelerator” named Charles Hatfield who promised to make it rain. Soon, Hatfield was shooting a secret blend of chemicals into the sky from the top of a tower. The results were quick. A deluge began in early January 1916 and persisted for weeks. Thirty inches of rain fell, causing floods that damaged the local infrastructure. The moral of the story, as far as you’re concerned, Aries: When you ask for what you want and need, specify exactly how much you want and need. Don’t make an openended request that could bring you too much of a good thing.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Actors Beau Bridges

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by ROb bRezsny

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As a poet myself, I regard

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good poetry as highly useful. It can nudge us free of our habitual thoughts and provoke us to see the world in ways we’ve never imagined. On the other hand, it’s not useful in the same way that food and water and sleep are. Most people don’t get sick if they are deprived of poetry. But I want to bring your attention to a poem that is serving a very practical purpose in addition to its inspirational function. Simon Armitage’s poem “In Praise of Air” is on display in an outdoor plaza at Sheffield University. The material it’s printed on is designed to literally remove a potent pollutant from the atmosphere. And what does this have to do with you? I suspect that in the coming weeks you will have an extra capacity to generate blessings that are like Armitage’s poem—useful in both practical and inspirational ways.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1979, psychologist Dorothy

Tennov published her book Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love. She defined her newly coined word “limerence” as a state of adoration that may generate intense, euphoric and obsessive feelings for another person. Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Leos are most likely to be visited by this disposition throughout 2019. And you’ll be especially prone to it in the coming weeks. Will that be a good thing or a disruptive thing? It all depends on how determined you are to regard it as a blessing, have fun with it and enjoy it regardless of whether or not your feelings are reciprocated. I advise you to enjoy the hell out of it!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Based in Switzerland,

Nestle is the largest food company in the world. Yet it pays just $200 per year to the state of Michigan for a permit to suck up about 210 million gallons of groundwater, which it bottles and sells at a profit. I nominate this vignette to be your cautionary tale in the coming weeks. How? 1. Make damn sure you are being fairly compensated for your offerings. 2. Don’t allow huge, impersonal forces to exploit your resources. 3. Be tough and discerning, not lax and naïve, as you negotiate deals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Sixteenth-century Italian

artist Daniele da Volterra wasn’t very famous for his own painting and sculpture. We remember him today for the alterations he made to Michelangelo’s giant fresco The Last Judgment, which spreads across an entire wall in the Sistine Chapel. After Michelangelo died, the Catholic Church hired da Volterra to “fix” the scandalous aspects of the people depicted in the master’s work. He painted clothes and leaves over genitalia and derrieres. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose that we make da Volterra your anti-role model for the coming weeks. Don’t be like him. Don’t engage in cover-ups, censorship or camouflage. Instead, specialize in the opposite: revelations, unmaskings and expositions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): What is the quality of

your access to life’s basic necessities? How well do you fulfill your need for good food and drink, effective exercise, deep sleep, thorough relaxation, mental stimulation, soulful intimacy, a sense of meaningfulness, nourishing beauty and rich feelings? I bring these questions to your attention, Scorpio, because the rest of 2019 will be an excellent time for you to fine-tune and expand your relationships with these fundamental blessings. And now is an excellent time to intensify your efforts.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Michael Jackson’s

1982 song “Beat It” climbed to number three on the charts in Australia. On the other hand, “Weird Al” Yankovic’s 1984 parody, “Eat It,” reached number one on the same charts. Let’s use this twist as a metaphor that’s a good fit for your life in the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you may find that a stand-in or substitute or imitation will be more successful than the original. And that will be auspicious!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Space Needle

in Seattle is 605 feet high and 138 feet wide—a tall and narrow tower. Near the top is a round restaurant that makes one complete rotation every 47 minutes. Although this part of the structure weighs 125 tons, for many years its motion was propelled by a mere 1.5 horsepower motor. I think you will have a comparable power at your disposal in the coming weeks—an ability to cause major movement with a compact output of energy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In 1941, the Ford

automobile company created a “biological car.” Among its components were bioplastics composed of soybeans, hemp, flax, wood pulp and cotton. It weighed 1,000 pounds less than a comparable car made of metal. This breakthrough possibility never fully matured, however. It was overshadowed by newly abundant plastics made from petrochemicals. I suspect that you Aquarians are at a phase with a resemblance to the biological car. Your good idea is promising but unripe. I hope you’ll spend the coming weeks devoting practical energy to developing it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Cartographers of Old

Europe sometimes drew pictures of strange beasts in the uncharted regions of their maps. These were warnings to travelers that such areas might harbor unknown risks, like dangerous animals. One famous map of the Indian Ocean shows an image of a sea monster lurking, as if waiting to prey on sailors traveling through its territory. If I were going to create a map of the frontier you’re now headed for, Pisces, I would fill it with mythic beasts of a more benevolent variety, like magic unicorns, good fairies and wise centaurs.

You can call Rob Brezsny for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785. And don’t forget to check out Rob’s website at realastrology.com.

by KRis VAgNER

Farewell, PolyEsther’s

How did you get into the business of selling Burner fashions? I always loved costuming, and I always loved clothes. I have been hustling vintage clothing since before high school and dressing people for photo

PHOTO/KRIS VAGNER

In 2008, art photographer and fashion enthusiast Esther Dunaway was renting a parking space for her 1972 Volkswagen van at Wildflower Village, the former motel/art studio complex on West Fourth Street. She asked owner Pat Campbell-Cozzi if she could host a yard sale to sell some vintage and custom-made garments she’d been collecting. Campbell-Cozzi said no, but encouraged Dunaway to open a small clothing shop at the complex. PolyEsther’s Costume Boutique stayed at Wildflower for three years, then moved to midtown, where it became a mainstay for Burner fashions, costume rentals, creative alterations, makeup and accessories. Dunaway plans to close up shop on March 15, citing disagreements with her landlord and a desire to focus more on fashion design than retail management. She’s hosting a farewell party at the store, 655 S. Virginia St., March 9, 11 a.m. until night time.

You’re closing your brick-and-mortar shop, but some parts of your business will stay active, right?

shoots. … People started asking me, “Esther, you sew. I need you to make me something for Burning Man.” … Then I started working at Unique Boutique up in Truckee, … and [owner Viviane Sabol] gave me a whole bunch of stuff that wasn’t selling and said, “Make something wonderful out of it,” so I fixed it up and took it back.

Tell me about a highlight or two from your years in midtown. We had one of the fashion writers for British Vogue come in and say that she loved us, the only Burner girl dressed in Burberry—hilarious! … Maid Marian came in from Burning Man, and we did a jacket for her and her gal. They had just been to Paris, and the jacket had an Eiffel Tower on the back with LED lights around it.

I don’t feel inspired by the retail portion of it. … I want to start working more on wardrobe services and doing the rentals and have a really great online shop. I can do free deliveries in town and meet people to do their alterations. And I still want to do a sewing internship program. … We’ve had probably 10 amazing interns over the years, all sorts of people that wanted to do something more with sewing or costuming. I’ve had the state of Nevada approach me to run an industrial sewing program. That would create so many jobs. Right now, there a huge deficit of trained sewing professionals in the state, and there’s at least five to 10 companies in this area that need them.

Costume companies? No, they make office chairs and patio furniture and linens, big-machine stuff.

What can people expect between now and March 15, when you close? We’re open regular store hours, and we’ve got everything half off, even our killer, expensive rental stuff is just amazing prices. … I’m bringing droves of stuff out of my back room and out of my sewing room. I’ve got antique sewing machines. Ω

by BRUCE VAN DYKE

Rant and read and rip In August 2016, Hillary Clinton told a rally of her supporters, “By the way, Mexico’s not paying for his Wall, either. If he ever tries to get it built, the American taxpayer will pay for it. We’ll be stuck with the bill.” Pretty good call. In fact, spot on. Just think, we came this close to having a competent, qualified, experienced, intelligent, compassionate person in the White House. Instead, we have Golf Thing. But—her emails! • I’m guessing the White House Rose Garden is going to have a real good year, because it certainly got fertilized nicely a couple of Fridays ago, when President Capone unleashed that impressive torrent of projectile bullshit. It’s always fun when he shows up for a gig without teleprompters. It’s when he’s at his most terrifyingly bizarre. And as Dum Dum unleashed the disturb-

ing contents of his foul mind, I kept thinking, as the camera showed all the media people in attendance, just how many of those folks were quietly and politely observing this mess and thinking to themselves, “My god. This blowhard jackass is the president?” In fact, one of these days, I predict one of the pool reporters is gonna lose it. He’ll snap, stand up, and shout, “FUCK YOU, YOU LYING PIECE OF SHIT!!! I QUIT!! I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE! YOU’RE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL ASSHOLE!! I’D RATHER WORK IN A CHOCOLATE FACTORY THAN LOOK AT YOUR HIDEOUS, TWO-TONED FACE FOR ONE MORE SECOND!!!!” And then he’ll rip his credential off, fling it in the air and storm out of the shocked room. Speaking of losing it, I loved it when Golf Thing went into his outlandish sing-song spurt, as he projected the expected path that

his Moronic Emergency That Exists Only In His Demented Head will take in the courts (a prediction which looks to be fairly accurate, I’m delighted to report). It just struck me, as he plowed forth with his third-grade schtick, that we’re getting closer and closer to the day when he just flat out snaps, when he blows his cork once and for all and gives us some really good soundbytes! That wasn’t quite it in the Rose Garden, but—we’re gettin’ there. • About once a month or so, I like to sign off with this, not because it’s news—we all know this by now— but simply because it feels so good to say. “The Republican Party is the true enemy of the American people, and their business partners are the locust oligarchs of Russia who have infected the planet with their mind-boggling greed.” Ah, sweet catharsis! Ω

02.21.19

RN&R