July 2023

LETTERS EDITOR'S NOTE

The Constitution, not the Bible, is our founding document

A man—wearing a red wig and dressed as a woman—exposed innocent children to books, with words and illustrations, at two Reno libraries in June.

It was a literary massacre. The horror, the horror!

At least that’s the way the Washoe County Republican leadership sees drag queen story hour, the subject of Zoe Dixon’s story in this issue of the RN&R. GOP bosses spurred protesters to attend local government meetings, even though those panels have nothing to do with library events.

Some of the demonstrators at a June story time cited Old Testament references to bolster their objections.

While it’s their constitutional right to tout their spiritual beliefs in the public square, the same First Amendment also separates church and state. We have no official religion. All Americans have the right to worship, or not, as they please.

More than 100 parents and their kids flocked to the summer’s first drag queen story hour. Parents make the decisions to attend; someone else’s interpretation of their own religion isn’t relevant. That goes double for abortion, birth control, LGBTQ+ issues and other secular political debates.

Polls show the American people agree. A PEW Research Center survey in 2019 that found nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults believe churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics. Individuals, of course, are free to express any political positions they want, but people shouldn’t delude themselves in thinking that their faith should be imposed on anyone else.

In this country, whether you are an evangelical Christian or have taken solemn vows in a convent populated by drag queen nuns, you have zero standing to demand that others believe what you believe, or live the way you do.

Here, freedom from religion has equal footing with freedom of religion. Those who favor a theocracy can move to Afghanistan.

—FRANK X. MULLEN frankm@renonr.com

Nevada’s handouts to billionaires

It’s amazing that Nevada legislators can bow and scrape and give hundreds of millions of dollars to sports teams, giant corporations and Hollywood (RN&R, June 2023) while ignoring the needs of the people of Nevada. There is no trickle-down!

Billionaires’ money stays in their pockets while Nevadans scrape by on minimum wage and send their kids to some of the worst-rated school systems in the country. Voters should demand that candidates pledge to never give billionaires handouts if they are elected to office. (Lawmakers) should put their constituents’ needs first, not make obscenely rich people even richer.

Casey Cummings Sparks

It is quite a sight to see how the professional sports industry can shake its magic wand and send a wobbling state Legislature into special session. There, duly elected representatives are called to consider a ninedigit proposal for a new baseball stadium, because Las Vegans, you see, need more fun things to do.

The good news is, the proposed new

Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263, Cathedral City, CA 92234 • 775-324-4440 • RenoNR.com

Publisher/Executive Editor

Jimmy Boegle

Editor

Frank X. Mullen

Photo Editor David Robert Cover and Feature Design Dennis Wodzisz

Distribution Lead

Rick Beckwith

Contributors

Alicia Barber, Matt Bieker, Maude Ballinger, Lucy Birmingham, Owen Bryant, Brad Bynum, Max Cannon, Zoe Dixon, Buddy Frank, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Taylor Harker, Janice Hoke, Matt Jones, Matt King, Lynn Lazaro, Sheila Leslie, Michael Moberly, Maggie Nichols, Steve Noel, Dan Perkins, Jessica Santina, Jason Sarna, Marc Tiar, Kris Vagner, Robert Victor, Matt Westfield

The Reno News & Review print edition is published monthly. All content is ©2023 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The RN&R is available free of charge throughout Northern Nevada, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling 775-324-4440. The RN&R may be distributed only authorized distributors.

The RN&R is a proud member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Nevada Press Association, and the Local Independent Online News Publishers.

stadium, if built, will likely stand forever as a monument to Nevada’s once-sturdy existence, like the Coliseum in Rome, even long after American civilization implodes from too much emphasis on sport, and too little emphasis on the health, education and welfare of its own citizens.

Kimball Shinkoskey Woods Cross, Utah

Reno investment fund’s bankruptcy hurts

Great article on Hughes Private Capital (RN&R, June 2023). We are a small contractor here in St Louis that worked on some of the homes, and they have left almost every contractor here unpaid. It’s extremely sad to see what they are doing to families and small businesses.

Connor M. St. Louis

I am one of the investors who is probably wiped out after putting my savings into Hughes Private Capital’s funds. When a friend told me about the return (rate of the funds), I thought it was too good to be true. She kept getting dividends, so I compared it with the minuscule interest I was getting from “safe” investments and put some money into a real estate fund. As the months passed, I got returns and put more into it.

It’s probably all gone now. It was too good to be true.

Linda K. Reno

Stop gun violence; ban guns

Gun violence can be stopped by getting rid of guns (RN&R, June 2023). Gun programs on TV should be eliminated too. They are so detailed; they show you how to kill. How to Get Away With Murder used to be a TV program.

Australia hasn’t any guns. Trump made guns a demand for everyone, and with Trump has come repeated mass murders. Get rid of Trump and deranged people like him.

Also: Bring back the pay phones (RN&R, June 2023). Not all of us want cell phones. When life’s too easy, shit happens.

Helen H. Reno

I care about guns in schools and bullets hitting kids and teachers. The MAGA nonsense about gender bathrooms, drag queen story hour and hiding American history from students are distractions from the actual problem: military rifles in the hands of lunatics. Ban assault weapons now!

Tim Barnum Truckee

Cover photo by David Calvert

GUEST COMMENT

BY DARCY SHEPARD

Residents should support measures aimed at saving Washoe County’s dark and starry skies

Washoe County is a special place, particularly if you prefer to be outdoors. We urbanites are pretty familiar with our slice of Lake Tahoe, Mount Rose, the Truckee River, Peavine, Pyramid Lake and other amazing places within a short hike, bike ride or drive.

But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If you head north of Reno/ Sparks for about two hours, you’ll come to Gerlach, the gateway to the Black Rock Desert. Keep going north, and you’ll see why Gerlach is also known as the gateway to dark sky country.

The entire northern half of Washoe County, almost all public land, is actually a big black hole; you’ll see it easily on a map of light pollution available online. It’s another world, where paved roads turn to gravel and then disappear. It’s where signs say “no services for 100 miles”; the only sounds are the wind and the raptors; and the sky is so layered with stars, it’s hard to even find the constellations.

Our black hole is one of just a handful left in the country. Artificial light snuffed out the darkness elsewhere. Now our own dark skies are endangered.

The most “glaring” example is the proposed Ormat geothermal plant on public land bordering Gerlach. The huge industrial facility, if built, would light up the gateway to “dark sky country” and make a mockery of that moniker. Thanks to the Reno News & Review, by the way, for covering this highly controversial project. It IS a big deal, which is why Friends of Nevada Wilderness has taken the extraordinary step of joining a lawsuit to stop Ormat’s exploratory drilling. Of course, we support alternative energy —

STREETALK

BY DAVID ROBERT

Could artificial intelligence be harmful to mankind? What’s the worst-case scenario?

Asked at Walden’s Coffeehouse, 310 S. Arlington Ave., Reno

David Luke Retired

I think it could be, unless it’s regulated by the government. The government will have to step in and work with the corporations and the creators of AI to figure out how to regulate it. We could lose control of our world. AI could start making decisions that could adversely affect our lives.

just not at that particular gateway.

Thanks, also, to the Washoe County Commission for recognizing that the people of Gerlach were not sufficiently heard and putting the project on a temporary hold.

Other federally managed public lands in remote northern Washoe County don’t face immediate threats, but remain in limbo, because they lack an official permanent designation that will protect them.

So, thanks to Sen. Jacky Rosen for attempting to rectify the situation. After consultation with conservationists, ranchers, hunters and others, she has released a proposal that would protect vast swaths of the northern county with conservation overlays, and save the starry skies.

We encourage Nevadans to learn more about the value of dark skies by joining us at our annual family friendly Dark Sky Festival, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 18 and 19 in Cedarville, Calif., just over the state line form the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary in far northern Washoe County.

Yes, we love Lake Tahoe and the Truckee. But there, you’ll be hard pressed to lose yourself in the Milky Way on a moonless night; it’s hidden by all the artificial light. You’ll need to go north for that experience. We hope to see you there, under the stars.

Darcy Shepard is associate director of the Friends of Nevada Wilderness, which is dedicated to preserving all qualified Nevada public lands as wilderness, protecting present and potential wilderness from ongoing threats, informing the public about the values of and need for wilderness, and restoring and improving the management of wild lands. Learn more at www.nevadawilderness.org.

Jaycee Grider Marketing design specialist

This question is fascinating to me, as I work in marketing design, HR tech and consulting. I don’t think AI will harm humans. It’s a matter of how we can take advantage of these tools. In the long run, I expect some changes in the workforce, eventually some job loss. Overall, I see AI being a benefit to the workforce.

Jasmine Moreno Supervisor/entrepreneur

AI is not just harmful, but scary. I am a gospel worker and preach door to door. I recently watched a sermon that said now is the best time to preach the word of God in person, because we are going to be replaced by AI. Just watch the movies like I, Robot and The Terminator. Where did they come up with these ideas? Think about it.

Matan Farhi Orthodontist

In my field of work, AI is helpful and beneficial to improve my patient’s outcome. I could see a world where AI would be negative, in the term of human job loss. Hopefully we can find a middle ground that balances the positive and the negative.

Kevin Young Sales management

I don’t think that we are as far along as we think we are with AI. People are getting paranoid about losing jobs. AI in the wrong hands, I would fear. Machine learning can replace people’s jobs and make humans obsolete.

FORWARD

| BY SHEILA LESLIE LEFT FOOT

When it comes to corporate handouts, the legislators can’t help themselves

Nevada’s 2023 legislative session—and two special sessions—are now part of history, perhaps to be remembered best for the enormous amount of money legislators had to spend, and their ultimate decision to use taxpayer dollars to fund a billionaire’s stadium for one of the worst baseball teams in the nation.

Once again, economic-development officials managed to convince a majority of legislators—although none of Washoe County’s Assembly members—that diverting public funds to a billionaire’s pocket makes sense. Unions leaned hard on legislators to support the stadium’s construction jobs, even though unemployment is low, and those tax dollars could have created the same jobs on projects that benefit others beyond a greedy billionaire, such as school renovations or road projects to ease traffic congestion.

Legislators blithely ignored all the sports economists whose studies consistently show the benefits of publicly financed stadiums are always oversold, swallowing the ridiculous argument that somehow Nevada is “different.” As one economist, Victor Matheson, told The Nevada Independent,

“The fact that anyone in (Nevada) gave them a dime when the team has literally nowhere else to go is the worst bargaining in the world. Quite honestly, I would have just squeezed them. … It’s not about being friendly to the A’s; it’s about looking out for the taxpayer.”

But Nevada’s economic-development gurus were determined to showcase their poor negotiating skills, even against the backdrop of the Golden Knights’ spectacular Stanley Cup victory, accomplished in a stadium distinguished by no public handout at all.

Nevada’s Legislature also expanded on another disturbing trend—the development of secret legislation far from the public eye, only appearing in bill form during the waning days of the session, when nothing is fully vetted, and the public has little opportunity to weigh in. This tactic was pioneered by the state’s energy monopoly but has now spread to corporatewelfare bills, and even a bill allocating $100 million for the homeless, championed by the lead lobbyist for economic-development giveaways. It’s obvious the bill was designed to benefit a developer rather than the homeless, with the fund located in economic-development coffers instead of Health and Human Services, where

professionals could have advised the secret bill drafters that massive shelters have little value when homeless Nevadans lack access to permanent housing and social service supports. The session had some bright spots, however, including the elimination of the racist practice of “sundown sirens” by creating a $50,000 penalty each time the law is violated. The new law is a reaction to political leaders in MindenGardnerville, who continued to flaunt the twicedaily siren despite a 2021 law calling for an end to the practice, claiming it wasn’t a “get out of town by sundown” signal to non-white people, but rather a way to celebrate first responders. This painful reminder of our state’s history of racial discrimination won’t be missed.

Nevada will now extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months, joining 32 other states in recognizing the crisis of maternal mortality and the need to improve access to reproductive health care. And in keeping with Nevada’s libertarian “live and let live” views, Gov. Joe Lombardo broke with his Republican counterparts throughout the nation by prohibiting insurance companies from denying medically necessary coverage for trans Nevadans.

But Lombardo succumbed to the Republican mania against even the mildest of gun-reform measures, vetoing a trio of modest gun-violence prevention efforts, including raising the age for purchase of an assault weapon from 18 to 21. Republicans opposed the measures before they were even heard, contributing absolutely nothing toward solving one of our country’s most pressing concerns.

Some of the Legislature’s finest work involved letting a few bad bills die. Chief among them was the $4 billion film-production giveaway, which was apparently too large of a handout for even Nevada’s Legislature to swallow. Legislators also killed Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and Councilmember Devon Reese’s bid to derail ward voting. Democrats invested decades of work in changing the system to support ward voting, and legislators with long memories weren’t about to backtrack to benefit one councilmember’s re-election. Barring any more special sessions, it’s over now until 2025, when we can expect even more requests for corporate handouts and continued stalling on solutions to critical problems, like the dismal state of children’s mental-health care. That’s the “Nevada way,” after all.

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

A toast to the Wooster High class of 1993

So I went to my 30-year high school reunion last month.

Before I talk about how that went, I want to say that this just doesn’t seem possible. I insist that I am not old enough to be going to my high school reunion. It’s unfathomable that it’s been three decades since I accepted my diploma and walked across the Lawlor Events Center stage as part of the Wooster High School class of 1993.

Yeah, yeah, I know the math checks out. I don’t want to hear it.

Anyway … when I first saw the reunion announcement on Facebook several months ago, I immediately decided to go. It seemed like it’d be fun to have a cocktail and do some reminiscing. The reunion itself was simple enough—a no-cover evening event at a brewery. Sure, why not?

But as the reunion date approached, I began having second thoughts.

Three decades is a long time—one-third of a human lifetime (assuming things go well). Obviously, we’ve all changed—and Reno has certainly changed.

For those of us in the class of 1993,

Wooster was the southernmost high school in the Truckee Meadows; students as far south as Washoe Valley were bused up all the way to Plumb Lane. Back then, the freeway ended at South Virginia Street, near the pink Scolari’s, and there was almost nothing in the swampy fields east of Virginia Street and south of what is now South Meadows Parkway. It was during our senior year when Galena High School opened for freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

When we graduated, Bill Clinton was in the first months of his presidency. “That’s the Way Love Goes” by Janet Jackson was the No. 1 song. This newspaper didn’t even exist yet; the first Nevada Weekly didn’t hit the streets until November 1993.

So, yeah … I hadn’t seen most of the people who were going to be at that reunion since that was our world. Awkwardness was inevitable. Plus, I discovered that the brewery where the reunion was going to be held doesn’t even have bourbon, just beer. Unacceptable.

Of course, I wound up going to the reunion. When the hubby and I walked into Imbib Brewery on Second Street several minutes after the 7 p.m. Saturday start time, I was

apprehensive. I made a beeline for one of the few truly familiar faces, that being the face of Missy, a friend I’ve kept in touch with for most of the last 30 years, if not the last several. (Damned pandemic.) We chatted for a bit; I grabbed a beer (thanks, Nick, for buying!); and I began to mingle.

And much to my surprise, I started enjoying myself.

I had a lovely chat about the supply chain with Jin, who’s now something of a bigwig at Google. I had a great conversation with Trent, my former elementary school best friend (and distant cousin, several times removed). I learned about life in Antarctica via Amy, who has the distinction of being the first person to ever have COVID-19 at the South Pole. I made tentative plans to get together with Missy later this summer.

We left well before the scheduled end time, because we had an early morning flight—and I was actually a little sad that we had to leave early.

Nicolette, the classmate who organized the gathering, later commented on social media that we’d definitely reconvene in five years for our 35th. The lord willing, I’ll be there—

| BY JIMMY BOEGLE

although as much as I love Imbib, I’ll request that we have it at a venue that serves bourbon.

Jin, Melissa/Missy and Jimmy at the reunion.

Photo/courtesy of Jin Hong

ON NEVADA

How Reno/Tahoe became a business-startup hotbed

Greetings from Warsaw, Poland. As I sit here in my hotel room—sick as a dog and tripping on sinus meds that I cannot pronounce—Russia seems to be imploding just east of here.

I’m like Forrest Gump. I was here when Putin invaded Ukraine last year. I was here when COVID-19 shut down the world and almost stranded me … and now this. Pretty crazy, indeed.

Anyway, while I was here in March, I was invited by the marshal (the equivalent of our state governor) of the Lubelskie region to visit Kyiv with him on this trip. Due to our work with startups here, he awarded my business partners and me with pins showing solidarity between Poland and Ukraine. It was quite an honor. He is in the region that accepted trains full of 2 million refugees from Ukraine last year. He is literally on the front line of the war for freedom in eastern Europe. However, I did not accept the offer to take the train into Kyiv—and as of this writing, it was a good decision. I know my wife and 10-year-old twins are glad, too.

Back in Reno, we have been hosting many startups from Poland to learn the U.S. startup culture of fail and repeat. We’ve been embedded in the Polish startup community for five years now, which is hard to believe. It has been an incredible journey, and we’ve made lifelong friends along the way.

Reno is now recognized as one of the

hottest startup cities in the U.S.—and there are stats to back it up. Just ask the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN). That’s incredible when you consider where we’ve come from as a region over the last decade or so. We’ve put the Reno 911! jokes deeply into the rearview mirror.

One of my dear friends and colleagues, Pawel Pietrasienski, is a research professor at both the Warsaw School of Economics and University of Nevada, Reno. Much of his research focuses on startup ecosystems in the U.S. and around the world. He has identified how successful startup ecosystems thrive, and why. We all know the poster child is just over the hill in Silicon Valley; there’s also the Boston/Cambridge area of Massachusetts, and a few others. But why aren’t there more startup hotbeds in the U.S.? Why is Reno now a hotbed?

Pietrasienski has provided an analogy, tabbed “the triple helix model,” named after the DNA strands that uniquely make up the foundations of all animal life. I will not delve further into the medical correlations, since I’m a dumb left-handed guy with absolutely no credibility to discuss science on any level; I will, however, explain the analogy within my core competency, startups and SMEs (small to medium enterprises). Reno is the perfect example of late of this triple helix model: Business leaders, government leaders and academic leaders have come together for the benefit of nurturing a business ecosystem.

We’ve always had the three primary players in Reno, but before, there was no coordination or collaboration: Businesses were doing their own thing; the university was in a relative silo, and the economic development folks were doing their own thing. That all changed in 2010, when we held a one-day conference called Reno 2020. It was sponsored by another news organization in town, the university and EDAWN. Many in attendance were griping about all of the silos, how few local business leaders were coming onto campus, how students at the U were relatively insulated, and how economic development was focused on other initiatives. At that meeting, I announced I was starting an initiative with Mark Pingle (with College of Business Dean Greg Mosier’s leadership) to create an entrepreneurial initiative at the university. That lead to the e-minor we created, as well as the Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition discussed in this space last month by colleague Dick Bartholet. There was a domino effect. The Innevation Center opened off campus, in downtown Reno. I had an office in there for several years and still host our BizAssembly.org roundtables as the very first community partner in 2014.

Then there is the Applied Research Facility on campus, created to collaborate with the bleeding-edge tech companies in Northern Nevada. It got the university students involved in cutting-edge development beyond the standard (and relatively mundane) internships that made up the few options for undergrad and

| BY MATT WESTFIELD

grad students to work on true innovation.

While mentoring the founders of Dragonfly Energy at Cleantech Open in San Francisco in 2014, I brought one of the first outside companies into the ARF lab, in 2015. It was a lithium sulfur battery startup from the Bay Area called NexTech, which needed to complete its cutting-edge research and development. (Lithium sulfur batteries have proven to be more stable and less explosive than lithium ion technology.) At the time, the EDAWN folks hired Doug Erwin to focus on the startup side of economic development. He was proactive in further aggregating “the triple helix” players.

This transformation happened in parallel with then-Gov. Brian Sandoval’s support and international business initiatives, which I am honored to continue to carry forth with my colleagues. We now have a dynamic entrepreneurial culture on campus in the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship. This all helped get the word out that Reno was open for tech business within the favorable Nevada business climate that already existed. Then the angel investors began taking notice of quality startups here, and the money began flowing in a formidable way. This is our way of implementing the triple helix model for business success.

I guess you can partially blame me and the others mentioned here for the local traffic jams. I don’t apologize.

UPFRONT Pride parade, festival scheduled during Artown

Northern Nevada Pride, the area’s annual LGBTQ+ celebration, is slated to be expanded this year.

June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

nationally, but locals celebrate in conjunction with Artown in July. Northern Nevada Pride’s festival and CommUNITY Pride Parade are scheduled for Saturday, July 22. The day-long events bring together the LGBTQ+ community, allies and businesses, said YeVonne Allen, the event’s marketing director.

The parade will be in downtown Reno, starting at 10 a.m. The festival will be at Wingfield Park and surrounding streets from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sponsor, vendor, parade and volunteer information can be found at www. NorthernNevadaPride.org.

The festival and parade are presented by (and will benefit) Our Center, Northern Nevada’s LGBTQ+ community center, located at 1745 S. Wells Ave., in Reno. Northern Nevada Pride’s mission, Allen said, “is to empower all members of our fun-loving community” and to bring people together to “promote diversity, celebrate our culture, remember our history and advocate for our future.”

This year, the Pride Festival has three stages of entertainment, including a DJ area; the festival also extends down First Street. Special guests are Jordy, Mo Heart and Wreckno. A $5 donation is payable at the entrances. Free tickets are periodically offered on social media, Allen said.

Other activities on festival day include a Drag Brunch at Café Whitney, 255 N. Virginia St., starting at 10:30 a.m., with a live performance by the Haus Does Moore. On Sunday, July 23, the Grand Sierra Resort hosts the Pride Pool Party with Les Lee. Sponsors of Pride 2023 include Anthem, the Washoe County Health District and dozens of local businesses and individuals. Those with questions about the event may check the organizers’ Facebook page or contact Allen at yevonneallen@gmail.com.

More information about Our Center can be found at www. ourcentereeno.org.

—Frank X. Mullen

Books and fabulousness

Drag queen story hour brings out kids, parents, volunteers—and protestors

Miss Ginger Devine burst onstage in a dazzling pink dress before an audience of more than 100 parents and children at the Downtown Reno Library—and asked a question: “Are you a princess? I’m a queen!” she said.

The children and adults laughed. Devine’s smile was framed by her copper-red mane. She had a book in her hand. The 2023 series of drag queen story hours was off and running.

The event, in its fifth year at Washoe County libraries, features drag queens reading books to kids. The readings are beloved by many parents and children, but reviled by some adults who have made it a flashpoint in the culture wars. Library officials said the events are a platform for performers to use their storytelling skills to engage children

in reading. The sessions also promote diversity and inclusivity, they said, by having queer role models as storytellers.

“We do hundreds of story times a year, and generally reflected in those story times is the cisgender mother and father with children,” said Jamie Hemingway, a library system spokeswoman. (Cisgender refers to people whose gender identity matches their biological sex at birth.) “We wanted to add a program that would represent some of the families that don’t fit that mold.”

The story time is presented by the Friends of the Washoe County Library; no tax dollars are involved. The first installment was on June 15 at the Downtown Reno Library, and the second on June 17 at the North Valleys Library. The third and final session is slated for Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sparks Library.

The excitement of sharing stories

While the children, most younger than 6, waited for the stories to begin, they burned off some energy by playing games in the library’s auditorium, decorated with rainbow balloons, streamers and a message on a whiteboard: “Welcome Drag Story Time.”

More than a dozen children were invited onstage to act out the story of Five Little Speckled Frogs. The kids hopped around, mimicking amphibians before pretending to jump into the “pool” of the audience’s enthusiastic applause.

Devine made her entrance and read Just Add Glitter by Angela DiTerlizzi and Samantha Cotterill. Every time the story repeated its phrase “just add glitter,” Devine prompted the audience to say the phrase along with her.

Interactive songs punctuated the time between readings. Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows by Jessika von Innerebner came next. That book, librarians said, normalizes expressing feelings by describing a unicorn having a bad day. Devine then read Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima, about a girl who absolutely adores wearing costumes.

The books are among 42 chosen by librarians for their popularity and because they fit the event’s themes of love and self-acceptance. Devine chose the books she read based on her own guidelines: One has to be about unicorns; one has to be engaging and interactive for a wide audience; and diversity must be represented in all of the stories.

“When I’m choosing the stories, I want there to be diverse representation,” said Devine, also known as Christopher Daniels, the former executive director of the Good Luck Macbeth theater in Reno. “It can be about race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, but also familial makeup.”

Devine isn’t limited to reading. She engaged the audience through her animated and lively storytelling and by asking the kids to predict what would happen in the stories. She kept in character as some of the younger children raced around among the seats. After the storytelling session, children went upstairs to engage in crafts, coloring and selfies with “the Queen.”

Outside the library, the streets were also a stage for performance art.

Protest signs and rainbow umbrellas

This year, drag queen story hour also attracted volunteers from Our Center, a nonprofit resource center for Northern Nevada’s LGBTQ+ community. They twirled umbrellas decorated

Miss Ginger Devine reads to children during drag queen story hour at the Downtown Reno Library on June 15.

Photo/David Robert

in rainbow colors and were a counterpoint to a small group of people who were demonstrating against the event.

The protestors, who believe drag queen story sessions are inappropriate for children, tried to persuade some of the parents who arrived not to attend. They took photos and video of the line outside the library. They displayed signs to passing motorists and prayed; some read Bible verses.

“The impact on children is negative, because they don’t need to be exposed to the caricature of women in such a way,” said Victoria Myer, a protestor. “I don’t understand why we need to send out adult material to present to our children.”

Some opponents of the event tried to falsely equate homosexuality and drag with pedophilia, and claimed that interacting with men in women’s clothing is “grooming” children to be gay. Opposition to the events is championed by the Republican Party in some states, including in Nevada.

In May, Montana became the first state in the nation to ban anyone dressed in drag from reading to children in public libraries and schools. The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, this year has tracked more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills working their way through state legislatures, with 45 of those measures aimed at making drag performances illegal.

Devine, who has heard all the arguments and herself has been the target of hate, said the storytelling sessions are about reading, not politics.

“When (story hours) first started, I was working for Sierra Arts Foundation as an arts-integration specialist,” Devine said. “I would go into the school district and teach theatrical strategies

to teachers as a vehicle to get children engaged in reading.”

Parents who attended the storytelling session on June 15 said they support the story hours and the event’s message of promoting reading and learning about diversity. They said parents, not strangers, should decide whether or not their children should attend the story times.

“It’s a great event. It’s a part of the community, and so are we, so we want to be here for that,” said parent Jasmine Kleiber. “Exposure helps with the acceptance and support our children will have for everyone. It’s about being a part of this together.”

Another parent, Jacob Abell, said the event was enlightening for his children and himself.

“My brother-in-law is gay, so there was a side of things that I never used to see,” he said. “With this, I’ve seen so much of it that I’m pretty comfortable. I didn’t even think about the political ramifications of such a thing.”

Kids got the message.

“(This event) shows that there’s other things in the world,” said Elle Davis, an elementary school student who was one of the older kids in attendance. “Not everything is black and white; there are rainbows and colors around, too.”

Opponents won’t be happy, but the story hours will continue, library officials said.

“There were 70-plus people in the room today, and all the others that come and support who really want this,” said Hemingway. “We want to keep bringing it here to them annually,”

The story hours are free. Children attending the event must be accompanied by an adult, and adults must have a child attending with them.

Our Center also accepts volunteers to staff the story times. Details can be found at www. ourcenterreno.org.

Snowcapped!

The “winter that didn’t want to end” has blanketed the Sierra Nevada with the deepest snowpack recorded in more than 70 years, officials reported.

This spring, the accumulated snow was estimated to contain about 30 million acre-feet of water—more water than is in Lake Mead—according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of snow-sensor data. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory reported that the winter of 2023 was the secondsnowiest in the 77 years of record-keeping. That translates into more than 56.4 feet by mid-March, as compared with the record of 67.7 feet set in 1952, when more than 200 passengers on a San Francisco-bound train from Chicago were stranded for three days near Donner Pass.

Other unusually snowy Sierra winters include 1890, 1938, 1969, 1983, 1995, 2011 and 2017. The winter of 1847, which stranded the Donner Party, was said to have dumped more than 22 feet at Donner Lake. That winter was severe, with about 20 storms hammering the Sierra from October to March, but other winters since have generated greater snow depths. In the Donner Party’s case, numerous storms early in the season were the main cause of the disaster that entrapped 81 people in the beautiful, deep and deadly snow.

Protestors who oppose drag queen story hour pray across the street from the Downtown Reno Library on June 15.

Photo/David Robert

The Sierra Nevada, as seen from an aircraft north of Reno on May 9, when the snow accumulation had already broken a 70-year record. Photo/Dave Robert

Preserving Reno’s Irish history

The Sons and Daughters of Erin club restores gravesites at Hillside Cemetery

The oldest cemetery in Reno—devastated by neglect, vandalism and urban growth—is being renewed by residents who see the plots as tangible links to Nevada’s storied history.

Among the graves in the restored Hillside Cemetery, at 10th and Nevada streets, are new and reclaimed headstones of some of Reno’s prominent citizens of Irish descent, whose names resonate on the city’s street signs and in historical documents.

Willie Puchert of Reno, who has headed the Sons and Daughters of Erin’s local branch for 12 years, led the group’s fouryear restoration of 30 graves at Hillside with the expert help of Fran Tryon, an archivist and historian. Tryon belongs to the Hillside Cemetery Preservation Foundation, which manages the upkeep of the cemetery. With the assistance of former Reno City Councilman David Bobzien, the project was awarded $1,000 from city coffers in 2019 to pay for 30 grave markers.

The project expanded when members of the Southern Nevada Sons and Daughters of Erin chapter, led by director Missy Reinheimer, visited Reno in August 2019 with a $1,000 donation and an offer to help with

the heavy lifting. The group cleared brush and toted rocks on a Saturday morning. The workers were was so dedicated, Puchert recalled, that they had to be told to stop and rest after hours of hard toil. It was a labor of love.

“A significant number of our Irish came here during the Potato Famine and helped found Reno,” Puchert said. “It’s important that we preserve our history.”

Marker for a Reno congressman

The restoration project was sparked by a presentation by Tryon in 2018 that “brought to life” some of the individuals buried at the cemetery.

The most prominent burial is the grave and headstone of George Williams Cassidy. His resting place is marked with an official U.S. congressional marker in recognition of his twoterm service as the lone U.S. representative of Nevada from 1881 to 1885. The marker was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2021.

Cassidy moved to California in 1857 to mine gold, but subsequently became a journalist for three newspapers in California and Nevada. He became a part owner of the Eureka (Nev.) Sentinel in 1870. He was elected to the Nevada

Willie Puchert, who leads the local Sons and Daughters of Erin club, next to the restored headstone of George Williams Cassidy, a Nevada congressman from 1881 to 1885.

State Senate from 1872 to 1879 and served as Senate president pro tempore in his final term. His life was marked by tragedy when his only daughter, Mamie, died suddenly at age 6. Cassidy and his wife, Mary Delaney of Carson City, were shattered by grief.

Four sisters from the old country

Four Irish sisters with the last name of Blessington emigrated from Ireland together in the latter half of the 1800s, and three are buried at Hillside, along with their niece Kate Mayberry. Her mother, Catherine Blessington Mayberry, is buried in California. Catherine married James Mayberry, owner of the Mayberry Ranch, situated on both sides of the Truckee River. Mayberry Drive, named for the ranch, at one time spanned the river where a footbridge now accesses Mayberry Park. Their daughter, Kate Mayberry, was a teacher and is buried in Hillside Cemetery as well.

Two of the Blessington sisters, Malinda and Mary, were seamstresses and owned a shop in Virginia City. The third and youngest sister, Rose, suffered from mental illness. In 1900, her sister Catherine moved her to an asylum in Reno, where she died in 1905.

Another native of Ireland, J.C. O’Connor, ran a variety store in California in the mid1800s. He and his wife, Elizabeth, born in Boston to Irish parents in 1828, moved to Reno after he suffered a stroke. Elizabeth became the main supporter of the family, working as a housekeeper and later landing a job at the Nevada State Asylum, Tryon said. Their graves are now marked with small headstones restored by the project in a family plot.

Some gravestones still missing

The funeral for a well-known and respected Reno gambler, James L. Conroy, a first-generation Irish-American who died at age 70 in 1907, was so well attended that his house was not large enough to hold the mourners, Tyron said. Conroy built a large home for his first wife, Etta S. Conroy, in Reno in 1891, the year before she died. The 1908 gravestone for his second wife, Emma M. Conroy, was discovered and retrieved from a shed on Pyramid Lake Highway in 2020, Tyron said. A stone for Baby James, who died in 1890, is still missing.

Three small children, whose mother was born in Australia of Irish immigrants who came to San Francisco, have been recognized as Irish descendants. The 1882 gravestone of 2-year-old

Ralph Smith, the son of Melancton J. and Catherine Godfrey-Smith of Verdi, was stolen from Hillside Cemetery and has been replaced by the project. Melancton was a blacksmith and union member. George, another son, was a blacksmith and Verdi constable. The boys’ sister, Nettie W. Smith, died at age 7 weeks in 1901.

The Hillside Cemetery potter’s field, adjacent to the main cemetery, was used for parking for years by college students and neighborhood residents. A potter’s field traditionally is a burial ground for impoverished or unidentified people. Using a list of tombstones transcribed and published by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1955, the names of those souls buried at Hillside’s field have been identified.

One recently identified burial is that of Henry Jones, an immigrant to the U.S. who was born in Ireland in 1816 and was conscripted into the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. Jones was a hermit who lived in a cabin on an island in the Truckee River, sustaining himself through odd jobs. He was found dead in 1884.

These stories of immigrants who worked for a better life in their new country inspire their descendants, Puchert said. His own Irish immigrant great-great grandparents worked in the necropolis in Daly City, Calif., fabricating gravestones. Puchert’s parents, who were retired teachers, moved to Reno in 1982. He became involved with the Sons and Daughters of Erin, he said, when “there were more Irish and Scottish folks who came to my dad’s funeral than expected. I felt very blessed and became one of them.” Now, he said, his identity is tied to wearing a kilt and listening to bagpipes.

“I think the reason why I am so passionate about this project is because my Irish immigrant ancestors were stonemasons in the South San Francisco cemeteries, and so I feel a kinship to the Irish immigrants buried here in Reno,” Puchert said. “… We are committed to preserve and sustain our culture. If you don’t, it dies.”

A cleanup of the Hillside Cemetery happens every Saturday, and volunteers are always welcome.

Other club activities include a St. Patrick’s Day ceremony at the grave of William Blanchfield in the Mountain View Cemetery in Reno. Blanchfield was an Irish pilot killed in 1924 in Reno while circling to drop a wreath from a small aircraft on the grave of another pilot buried in the Knights of Pythias cemetery next to Hillside Cemetery. His mother in Ireland had sent shamrocks to be dropped on his grave on the anniversary of his death, until she died. The club has kept the tradition going.

The club also paints green shamrocks on the main street in Virginia City for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Members march wearing kilts of the Mackay tartan in honor of John Mackay, silver baron of the Comstock.

Photo/David Robert

Tempest in a (kava) teapot

Reno Roots Kava Bar serves ‘nature’s Xanax’—but the county Health District won’t allow it to be served traditionally

Neil Cavanagh and his wife, Dalice, said they verbally got a green light last year from Washoe County to open a kava tea bar. Then then spent more than $65,000 on the business—only to find out Washoe County Health District officials would not allow them to sell their product after all.

With their life savings on the line, the couple struggled to find a way to keep the Reno Roots Kava Bar at 935 N. Virginia St. open, and get the kava tea flowing. Serving only herbal and boba teas was a recipe for failure, they said, and the business had been losing about $700 to $1,000 a day since opening March 14.

Although the legal dietary supplement is sold as a beverage in kava bars across the nation, including in Las Vegas, rules governing the legal—but as yet unregulated— supplement are set by individual counties. Clark County allows kava to be sold as a prepared tea, but Washoe health officials decided it can only be sold as a supplement in powdered form. The Cavanaghs, faced

with the demise of their business, kept trying to get health officials to change their minds.

“There are hundreds of kava bars across the country, but as far as I can determine, Washoe County is the only health department saying, ‘No, you can’t sell it as tea,’” Neil Cavanagh said. “It was frustrating.”

After repeated rejections from the health district, the couple recently met with health officials and Reno Councilman Devon Reese, who sits on the Washoe County District Board of Health. The Cavanaghs decided to sell kava— often called “nature’s Xanax”—in a way that’s not exactly in the Pacific islands tradition, but satisfies the health district’s concerns: Rather than sell ready-made kava tea, made by seeping water through a layer of root fragments or root powder and mesh filters, the bar supplies patrons with a coconut shell of water and a double portion of kava extract. The customers pour the supplement into the cup themselves.

“I found a guy in Florida who makes a very good supplement,” Neil Cavanagh said. “It’s more expensive; a product that had cost me pen-

nies to make now costs about $2 to make. But (patrons) will not be able to tell the difference between it and the traditional method, and it still has all the benefits of kava tea.”

Kava comes from a shrub called Piper methysticum, which is native to Micronesia and Polynesia. Its root has long been used in religious rituals in the South Pacific. Kava, which is said to reduce stress and anxiety, has also become popular in the U.S., where hundreds of bars serve it as tea to patrons older than 18.

Discovering kava in Florida

Born and raised in Reno, Neil and Dalice Cavanagh were in a dark place in 2010. “We were alcoholics,” Neil said. “It was getting in the way of our marriage.”

That year, the Cavanaghs moved to Florida to start a booze-free life. There, they met new friends, including one who owned a deli next door to a kava bar. “It was a full bar,” Neil said. “All those people sitting there were doing the same thing you do at a (regular) bar: talk about sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll, religion, politics—everything you’re not supposed to.”

There were no raised voices or fights. “Nobody’s throwing their words,” said Dalice. “People were having intelligent conversations.”

Kava, Neil said, has an earthy taste and contains compounds called “kavalactones” that have been shown to interact with receptors in the brain, helping to calm the mind and promote relaxation. The beverage is relaxing, but not intoxicating, users attest. “It’s a body mellow,” Neil said. “Like a massage from the inside out.”

Studies have shown that kava can have a positive effect on people who suffer from anxiety without the negative side effects associated with some prescription medications. Recent research indicates it may also be a natural sleep aid, an anti-inflammatory and a muscle-relaxer. Its popularity in the U.S. is increasing, according to industry reports, with Hawaii, California and Florida leading the list of states with the most kava bars.

Seeing the demand for the drink, the Cavanaghs initially planned to open a kava bar in Florida. But their focus shifted to Reno in 2022, when Neil visited his hometown for his friend’s 50th birthday. He started checking out spaces for a kava bar and found a spot across the street from the University of Nevada, Reno. He searched Nevada laws.

“It’s very hard to find where it says, ‘Yes, you can,’ or, ‘No, you can’t,’” said Cavanagh. “It’s legal in all 50 states. That’s all that pops up.”

He applied for a Reno business license in November and spoke to an employee at the Washoe

County Health District on Dec. 15, who called him about an initial heath inspection. There was no mention of a ban on selling kava tea, he said.

A week later, another district employee called to tell Cavanagh he wasn’t allowed to sell the beverage. He was shocked.

“There are no ordinances, there are no laws, that say I can’t do this,” he said. He’s right, but because kava is both legal and unregulated federally, it’s up to counties to set the rules.

In January, Cavanagh was asked to come into the health district offices to discuss his business plans. But the six officials who met with the couple “didn’t want to talk about plans. They wanted to talk about kava,” Neil said. The officials told the couple that under the health division’s interpretation of U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, they could not sell the tea. The FDA “considers kava to be a supplement that is limited to personal use.” Kava is not listed as “generally recognized as safe,” according to federal regulations, and “cannot be used in foods or beverages as an ingredient.”

Cavanaugh said the officials were unaware of the kava bar in Las Vegas, 9th Island Kava Lounge, and couldn’t explain why a now-closed kava bar, Sol Kava, was allowed to open in Reno in 2017.

Amber English, an environmental health specialist supervisor at Washoe County Health District, told the RN&R that Sol Kava may have opened before the supplement was on the health division’s radar or before the FDA’s “recognized as safe” list of supplements was updated.

English, who said she has never tried kava tea, doesn’t dispute its alleged benefits. She knows other jurisdictions allow it, but said it is her job to make sure the public is safe. Some reports link heavy kava use to hepatotoxicity (liver damage), and it remains banned in the United Kingdom. But in 2007, the World Health Organization’s assessment of kava concluded that incidences of liver damage are rare and often found in people who already have compromised livers.

Neil Cavanagh is relieved that he can finally sell his main product. Since March, he said, UNR students who are fans of boba tea helped keep the shop alive, but most are now gone for the summer. “Kava is a destination product,” said Cavanagh. “People drive from all over to have it. And with the kids not here, we need that other clientele.”

Still Cavanaghs remain determined to be able to sell kava in the traditional way. “We will follow through with the appeals process, and we’ve reached out to the state and are working with Councilman Reese, and we are going to try to get help from legislators,” Neil said.

“We’ll serve it (as a supplement) until we win this fight. This is my passion. I’m trying to open a sober bar. … Kava is a holistic alternative to alcohol. We are bringing a positive thing to the community.”

Dalice and Neil Cavanagh own the Reno Roots Kava Bar at 935 N. Virginia St. Photo/David Robert

Casinos never lose, do they?

Reno “loosest” slots, card counters and cheating systems explained

Do you think you can beat the casino? There are countless tales told in bars, described in books or glamorized on TV dramas of those who made millions doing it. But there’s always the killjoy who says, “They didn’t build all these giant resorts by losing.”

Being an industry insider for 30-plus years, I know my way around the felt tables. But even though I am long retired and have no interest in any casino today, most folks don’t trust a single thing I say. (The rumors are far more “believable.”)

Here’s an example: I can say with confidence after working across the country that the slot machines in the Reno area are the loosest in the world. But if you ask anyone who just had their entertainment budget gobbled up by one or our local machines, they’ll argue the point.

Facts are facts. The Nevada Gaming Control Board, and similar agencies in just about every other state, publish the casino hold percentages by game type. Anyone can look up these stats online. Some reports show the individual properties, but Nevada only breaks it down by geographical area.

Overall, the Reno paybacks on slot machines for all of 2022 were 94.51%. In other words, the casino kept 5.49% of the money wagered. That compares to the entire state (including Reno) keeping 7.16%, and the Las Vegas Strip raking in 8.14% (just a 91.86% payback). While that doesn’t sound like much of a difference, another way to phrase it is that the slots in Reno are more than 30% looser than those on the Las Vegas Strip. Before you declare that the Strip owners should be jailed, know that their payback percentage is, more or less, about the same as the rest of the country. Table games offer the same odds across the country, depending on the rules.

While the average Reno casino makes 5.5% percent on the slots, remember that these numbers are before expenses like salaries, benefits, insurance and the light bill. Most businesses get to deduct their expenses before paying taxes on what’s left (the “net”). Casinos have to pay taxes on their “gross”—in other words, on the 5.5%. That generates a lot of tax money, and it’s the main reason we have no income tax in Nevada.

Check, and you’ll see that the profit margin for casinos is way below other businesses like jewelry stores, banks, clothing retailers and the

Players at a Reno casino try their luck at electronic slot machines, which in 2022 had an average payback rate of 94.51%. Photo/ David

Robert

like. However, don’t shed tears for gambling joints. Between commercial and Native American operators, casinos made about $90 billion last year across the country. That’s more than Hollywood, the recording business, concerts, newspapers and magazines combined.

How can they make that much, yet claim to be loose and have low profit margins? Volume, volume, volume. Some form of gambling is legal in 48 states, and most have casinos. Only Utah and Hawaii have no legal gaming (but their residents flock to casinos in Wendover or Las Vegas on a frequent basis).

Can you legally beat the casinos? Yes and no.

Today, the best odds are with online sports betting, but not because you can predict who will win or lose. (You can’t; wasn’t your March Madness bracket busted by the second round?) It is because right now, all the big operators (like BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, William Hill and FanDuel) are fighting each other for market share. They are offering huge (and stupid-good) promotions. By skillfully taking advantage of these new player deals and using different screen names (although doing so may violate the terms and conditions), you can’t lose. There are even websites like DarkHorse Odds that will explain how to do this—for a monthly fee. But this won’t last too much longer. Your next-best casino bet is playing loose video-poker machines. You have to do some homework to find great pay tables and improve your skills. By doing that, you can easily get the paybacks to the 99.5%-plus range. There are plenty of books and websites to help you spot good machines and make better decisions on your game play.

Next in the loose line are the traditional table games like blackjack and craps. With standard rules, both games hold between 1% to 2% with skilled play. If you can count cards, you can get “21” above 100%. However, at a recent seminar I attended with one of the world’s best card counters, he said that very few who try to count are good enough to actually make that profit.

What about cheaters? A few of their schemes work, but many have landed in jail. These days, the main target seems to be baccarat games. One of the boldest moves was when players noticed that cards from leading manufactures were mis-cut. This made the patterns on the back of certain cards (like face cards) slightly different from others. Players could then use a technique called edge-sorting to determine which cards were coming out of the shoe next, and bet accordingly. Poker celebrity Phil Ivey made more than $10 million playing in New Jersey using edge-sorting techniques. The casino sued

him. He (correctly) argued that he followed their own rules, and that he did nothing wrong. But in 2016, a judge ordered him and a friend to return all their winnings. There were no criminal charges.

Baccarat has also been the target of simple scams like false shuffles and/or high-tech methods using tiny hidden cameras, infrared dyes and miniature radios.

Slot machine cheats have attacked the games with everything from coat hangers to magnets, and light wands to computers. A famous case just a few years ago involved a Russian gang that used cell phones and reverse engineering to outsmart the random-number generators of some older games.

What are the worst games to play? That easy: The lottery is a giant rip-off. The average return on Mega Millions and Powerball is about 55%. States exempt themselves from their own laws that prohibit casinos from offering any game that is anywhere near that tight! (Yet I still buy lottery tickets.)

Roulette has about the same return as many slot machines. Look carefully at the game: If you find a game with just one green zero (rare), the hold is 2.7% overall. A standard “double 0” game is 5.26%. A game with a “triple 0” segment was once considered heresy (with its 7.69% hold), but more and more of them are appearing. Some bets on the roulette layout are better than others, but—trust me—none of the roulette schemes you’ve heard through the grapevine work.

Another tip: “21” tables that offer a 6-to-5 payout for getting a natural blackjack are much tighter than those with traditional rules. And like triple 0, these tables are becoming more common. The best bet is to find the standard 3-to-2 odds. (Pays are shown on each of the table layouts.)

Also, common sense would lead you to believe that slot machines with giant million-dollar jackpots could be tighter than other games. They definitely are.

Do casinos ever lose? Of course they do— but not for long. It’s difficult in Reno, Sparks or Lake Tahoe to make a profit when there’s a blizzard outside, and all the roads coming from out-of-state are closed. Casinos lose lots and lots of money during these meteorological events.

At high-roller casinos in Las Vegas, billionaire-dollar players (known in the business as “whales”) can go on a win streak, sending the house’s profit into the toilet.

Fortunately, when the sun comes out, and the whales founder, it usually goes the other way—and that’s why they can build those giant resorts.

Buddy Frank is a retired local journalist and casino executive. He was recently inducted into the Slot Operations Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.

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Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight

For July, 2023

This sky chart is drawn for latitude 40 degrees north, but may be used in continental U.S. and southern Canada.

July’s evening sky chart. Illustration/Robert D. Miller

the western twilight glow, as plotted on our evening twilight sky map. On June 30, Venus approached within 3.6° to the west (lower right) of Mars in a quasi-conjunction, and now begins to fall back.

On July 4, look for a patriotic gathering of red Mars. 3.8° to the upper left of white Venus, and 3.4° to the lower right of blue Regulus, heart of Leo, the Lion. All three fit within a field about 7 degrees wide. Compared to Venus, Mars and Regulus are faint, magnitude +1.8 and +1.4.

Venus and Regulus appear within 5° from July 9-25, and reach a minimum separation of 3.5° on July 15 and 16, as Venus passes below Regulus. This is another quasi-conjunction, since Venus approaches within 5° of Regulus without overtaking it. Mars fits within the same 5° field on July 9 and 10, forming a trio, at its most compact on July 9, 4.7° across (from Venus to Regulus). On July 10, Mars appears 0.7° (minimum distance) above Regulus and 4.9° to the upper left of Venus.

July skies

The month offers plenty of chances to view portions of our own Milky Way galaxy

Soon-to-depart Venus reaches peak brilliance in July. With an optical aid, it presents an ever-thinner crescent. Binoculars and a vantage point with unobstructed views toward the west will become increasingly essential to follow Venus, two other planets and a star—down into the evening twilight glow.

Jupiter and Saturn, 62 to 66° apart and well up in the predawn sky, suffer no barrier to observation—except, for some, the early hour. The Summer Milky Way, from a dark site on a clear moonless night, is recommended to all.

In July, Venus takes the plunge: On July 1 at sunset, as seen from Northern Nevada, Venus appears 25° up in the west, and 41° to the upper left of the setting sun. That evening, Venus sets 2.3 hours after the sun. By Aug. 1, Venus will be only 3° up at

sunset, and 18° to the upper left of the sun. Venus will then follow the sun below the horizon by only 20 minutes. Venus’ distance narrows, from within 46 million miles of Earth on July 1, to within 29 million miles on Aug. 1. The apparent size of Venus’ disk grows from 35” (arcseconds) to 55”, while the fraction illuminated wanes from 31 percent on July 1, to a slim 5 percent on Aug. 1. The apparent size is large enough for the crescent to be resolved with ordinary binoculars of 7 or 8 power. To succeed, find Venus very soon after sunset. Having the planet near greatest brilliancy at magnitude -4.7 in first half of July makes sightings in the daytime and bright twilight easier. When searching for Venus in daytime, take care to avoid pointing your optics at the sun!

Binoculars are also useful to follow the pairs and trios formed by planets and stars low in

Mercury enters the mix by mid-month, but you’ll need binoculars and an unobstructed view, as it remains very low in twilight. During the week of July 16-22, look to the lower right of Venus, by 17° on July 16, and 10° on July 21. As Venus sinks lower into bright twilight, and Mercury is slightly higher daily, you’ll be looking to the upper right of Venus the following week, by 6° on July 24, and 5° (least separation) on July 26. If you can still find zero-magnitude Mercury on July 28, look for fainter Regulus just one-quarter of a degree to its right.

The waxing crescent moon overtakes Mercury, Venus, Regulus and Mars from July 18-21—all twilight gatherings accessible with binoculars! Follow the moon past Spica on July 24 and Antares on July 27-28, until it’s full on Aug. 1.

Saturn (magnitude +0.8 to +0.6), approaching its opposition in late August, rises south of east in the late evening in July, from 3 hours after sunset on the 1st, to 1.25 hours after on the 31st. Bright Jupiter (magnitude -2.2 to -2.4) rises in the east-northeast around 2 a.m. at the start of July, and about a quarter hour after midnight at month’s end.

Predawn skies: Follow the waning moon past Saturn in the south-southeast to south on July 7; Jupiter in the east on July 11-12; and the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters and Aldebaran, in Taurus, on July 13-14. The “V” of Aldebaran and the Hyades points through 2.5-magnitude Alpha and 4.1-magnitude Delta in Cetus, 7° apart, and another 6° in a straight

| BY ROBERT VICTOR

line beyond Delta to the long-period variable star Mira, expected to reach peak brightness near third magnitude this month. An hour before sunrise by late in July, Orion has risen in the east, while the Summer Triangle (Vega, Deneb and Altair) is high in the west.

Stars and the Milky Way: Now that the aforementioned Summer Triangle is in the eastern sky at nightfall, and Scorpius is in the south, we know that the season for evening viewing of the Milky Way has arrived. On dark, moonless nights, look for the Teapot asterism formed by eight bright stars of Sagittarius, the Archer. It follows Antares and the Scorpion across the southern sky, while the Summer Triangle climbs high in the east. The Milky Way looks like a cloud of steam rising out of the spout of the Teapot, and passing through the Summer Triangle, along the neck of Cygnus, the Swan.

As we face the Great Sagittarius Star Cloud above the Teapot spout, we’re looking toward the inner regions of our Milky Way galaxy. As we examine the Cygnus Star Cloud, we’re facing ahead of the sun in its revolution around the galactic center, into our own nearby spiral arm, which binoculars readily resolve into countless stars!

The Milky Way is in an ideal position for observation in a dark, moonless sky, with the center of our galaxy highest and due south, in Reno on Sunday, July 9 at 11:35 p.m., getting four minutes earlier each night, until Friday, July 21, at 10:47 p.m.

There are other good viewing times! On earlier dates or earlier in the night, the Milky Way won’t be quite as high in the sky. Later, southern parts of the Milky Way descend closer to the horizon. Avoid bright moonlight or areas with bright artificial lights. On the full moon night of July 2-3, and again on the evening of July 29 (when 90% full), the bright moon is at its southernmost place, in Sagittarius, and creates poor sky conditions for viewing.

If your sky is degraded by artificial light, visit the informative website of the International Dark-Sky Association (www. darksky.org) and be encouraged by practical solutions for the protection of dark skies, wildlife, and human health.

The July 2023 Sky Calendar illustrates many of the events described in this column. It, together with a constellation map for the month’s evening sky, is available by subscription at www.abramsplanetarium.org/ skycalendar.

Robert C. Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968 and still produces issues occasionally, including May and July 2023. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the beauty of the night sky and other wonders of nature.

Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller

Just like a lake

The Sparks Marina serves as a wonderful alternative to Lake Tahoe for water recreation

As the summer heats up, you don’t have to battle the crowds at Tahoe for a chance to paddle and play in the sun. The Sparks Marina is right here in town, and it offers wildlife, pockets of solitude and beachfront amenities—if you know where to look.

Nestled between Legends Bay and Western Village, right next to Interstate 80, the Sparks Marina is impossible to miss. The official parking lot is on the northwest side, off of Howard Drive and Lincoln Way. This park isn’t fenced in (except along the freeway), so it is easily accessible from almost every side.

An underground aquifer feeds this former gravel pit with fresh water. It takes in a few

million gallons each day (much of which is then pumped into the Truckee River), and the city of Sparks has steadily developed the marina to become a recreation jewel, full of year-round outdoor opportunities. It averages around 60 feet deep, is stocked regularly with fish, and is monitored for healthy water conditions.

At the main entrance to the marina, a plethora of things to do are clustered between the parking lot and this 77-acre body of water. Picnic tables and shelters dot the grassy areas around the northwest corner, and in the summer, Goodi’s concession stand serves treats and beverages during business hours. A new playground offers entertainment for children and people not looking to interact with the water.

| BY MAGGIE NICHOLS

The Sparks Marina averages around 60 feet deep, is stocked regularly with fish, and is monitored for healthy water conditions. Photo/Maggie Nichols

Along the north edge, several sand volleyball courts provide opportunities for friendly competition. Restrooms are open to the public, so you can stay all day. A paved, ADA-compliant 2-mile-long path rings the entire lake. On the south shore, a fenced-in dog park allows pups to roam freely—and even swim if they are so inclined.

While the western side is full of parks and recreation opportunities, the northeastern area is lined with condos and apartments—and the actual marina portion of the Sparks Marina. Sparks Water Bar has outdoor seating with a view, allowing you to enjoy refreshments while overlooking all the activities in the lake. For morning people, Lighthouse Coffee can be a great place to stop for a caffeine break. You can drive directly to these businesses or park on the other side of the lake and take the scenic path all the way around.

If you’re trying to beat the heat, this lake is more than just a pretty picture. During the summer, lifeguards are on duty five days a week at the designated swimming beach near the concession stand. Boat ramps make launching your craft in the water straightforward for an afternoon of paddling, motoring (electric only) or even sailing.

Local shops have paddleboards and kayaks available for rent. If you’re ready to own your own watercraft, Scheels at Legends is perfectly placed for perusing. Calm mornings on the marina are ideal for paddling, while windy afternoons can create excellent conditions for sailing, kite-surfing or windsurfing.

Though it may not look huge, it’s easy to find solitude among flocks of seagulls resting in the middle of the marina, or turtles sunning themselves on logs at the back of the canal on the eastern side.

The marina is stocked regularly, so fishing is a great way to pass the time; just make sure you have your Nevada fishing license, and follow all the fishing rules and regulations. If you’re feeling extra-adventurous, you can also scuba dive (with a partner or instructor) in the marina. Not certified yet? Instructors right here in Reno can teach you how and get you on your way to exploring your local waters.

It’s easy to overlook the Sparks Marina as you zoom past it on the interstate. While it may not have the grandeur of Lake Tahoe, this unassuming little space is full of surprises and opportunities for fun. It holds a little something for just about everyone and is truly a Sparks treasure.

Since 1969, the Reno Philharmonic has entertained and educated Reno’s concertgoers and young musicians through a range of performances, outreach and educational initiatives, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the city’s artistic foundation.

The largest-performing arts organization in Northern Nevada, the Reno Phil is about to kick off its 55th season, with more than 60 professional musicians performing under the baton of conductor Laura Jackson.

As much as the Phil is part of the community, it’s also a reflection of it. As the city has undergone huge population and cultural shifts, over the past decade especially, the Reno Philharmonic has had to find new ways to adapt— serving its longtime patrons while also attracting the next generation of listeners.

THEN AND NOW The Reno Philharmonic

was founded in 1969, financed out-of-pocket by conductor Gregory Stone, a successful commercial musician and film composer who longed to make his mark on the wider world of music. From an initial rehearsal at the Reno Musicians’ Union Hall, Stone created a symphony orchestra from the large pool of musicians contracted to play at the city’s casinos. The early Reno Philharmonic performed on Tuesday nights, as it was the only night of the week when the casinos didn’t offer their own performances.

The Phil’s first concert featured Gershwin’s Concerto in F and took place in what has since become its iconic home venue: the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Stone’s focus in those early years favored more pop programming over classical music—an artistic dispute that eventually led to a schism, with affiliated musicians founding the Reno Chamber Orchestra in 1974 under the baton of Vahe Khochayan. (The Reno Chamber Orchestra still exists today as a separate organization.)

Stone retired in the late ’70s, and decades of growth and reorganization established the Reno Philharmonic in its modern form, including the additions of the annual Pops on

the River concert, the Classix Series, and the holiday-centric Spirit of the Seasons concerts. Current CEO Ignacio Barrón Viela joined the operation last year, and Laura Jackson was named the orchestra’s fourth conductor after a nationwide search in 2009.

“I was one of five finalists that came that year, and for me, it was love at first sight with the orchestra musicians,” Jackson said. “I was so amazed at how much they cared about the music they make, how much they cared about excellence and playing well for their community and connecting with them.”

Jackson originally studied as a violinist, calling the instrument “the voice of her soul.” Her professional performances started to suffer, however, as she found herself too fascinated with the overall symbiosis of the orchestra instead of her own individual parts— even missing her cues and making mistakes. Eventually, a bout of tendonitis necessitated rest from her instrument, and she enrolled in a conducting class during her undergraduate studies at Indiana University.

palette of colors for a composer.”

After studying conducting at the University of Michigan, Jackson eventually took on a role as assistant conductor with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a position that gave her national exposure and notoriety in the world of orchestral musicians. She emerged from a field of 200 applicants to become the new conductor of the Reno Philharmonic. While everyone is familiar with the image of a conductor onstage, the actual duties of the position can seem opaque to the layperson.

— Ruth Lenz, first chair violinist and concertmaster for the Phil

“I got more and more fascinated with the organism that is all of the instruments put together that creates such a magnificent and beautiful sound, and how that particular collection of instruments can do anything in the world,” Jackson said. “I mean, it can create any human emotion; it can tell a story; it can depict an object in sound. It’s an incredible

“When you look at Google Maps on your phone, it’s a very twodimensional kind of map of how things work, but when you look at it in real space and time, it’s completely and utterly different— same thing with a piece of music,” Jackson said. “When you look at the music on the page, it might say ‘fast tempo’ and have lots of loud dynamics. But is that music aggressive and urgent? Or is it passionate and warm? Or is it joyful? I make all those decisions of what the essence of the music is and then give the orchestra technical information that they then translate into their instrumental sounds.”

Essentially, while the sheet music tells a musician what to play, the conductor’s onstage direction tells them how to play. While all

“ My grandpa was a medical doctor; he was a surgeon. He was telling me he was proud of me for getting my doctorate, and

I said, ‘Oh, Grandpa, I’m not a real doctor.’ And he kind of laughed, and he said, ‘Music saves just as many lives, and more, than medical doctors. ”

Credit: David Calvert

orchestral music is a collaboration, the style and musical interpretations of the conductor have the greatest overall effects on the sound of the ensemble. But the conductor’s influence isn’t just limited to the stage.

“In terms of behind-the-scenes stuff, the music director (another name for the conductor) is really the artistic lead,” Jackson said. “I work with a committee, but largely, I’m in charge of designing the kinds of programs that we put on. So, you know, we will decide we want to do something for kids, and then I’m figuring out the best kinds of music and the flow of that concert, what pieces will appeal to them the most, and so on and so forth.”

For the coming season, Jackson and the Reno Phil board have decided on an ambitious schedule, spanning different genres, concert formats and physical locations.

This year’s roster started with the Summer Pops series featuring Disney in Concert on June 24. Next, the Phil will perform a series of patriotic tunes at the Greater Nevada Field on Monday, July 3, dubbed Patriotic POPS at the Field. Pops on the River will be held at the Reno Glow Plaza on Saturday, July 8, covering some of Motown’s greatest hits. On Monday, July 10, the Motown theme continues for Dancing in the Streets at Sand Harbor in Incline Village. Finally, the summer series comes to a close with a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein at Sand Harbor on Monday, Aug. 7.

The fall marks the start of the Phil’s Classix series, which Jackson considers the flagship performances. On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 14 and 15, the Phil returns to the Pioneer Center for back-to-back performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (chosen in honor of the 55th season).

Friday, Nov. 3, marks the return of a new fan-favorite format, wherein the orchestra plays the live score of a classic movie

alongside a theatrical screening. This year’s film is Back to the Future (another nod to the 55th anniversary, as Marty McFly famously travels back in time to 1955), screened at the Grand Sierra Resort.

On Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11 and 12, guest pianist Jon Nakamatsu joins the Phil to perform Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1. After the season’s holiday shows, the Classix series resumes with an ode to the music of Spain in the Spanish Nights concert (Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27 and 28, 2024); a show centered around Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony (Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24 and 25); and celebration of George Gershwin’s 125th birthday (Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24). For the season finale, the Reno Phil Chorus will join the orchestra for Mahler’s Fifth Symphony (Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21).

That’s a lot of music. But Jackson said each piece is chosen carefully, with feedback from musicians and audience members weighing heavily on her decision process.

“There are a lot of ways in which we take feedback from people in our community,” she said. “And those are our staff members, our board members, our musicians. Then the

concertgoers—the subscribers—will write in after a concert and say, ‘I would love it if you would do this,’ or, ‘I don’t really like that so much.’ And that all helps us shape where we’re going next.”

Jackson and the board favor a balanced approach to programming, which includes a mix of classical and modern content— something she says is designed to not only appeal to a broader listener base, but also showcase the breadth of what a professionally trained orchestra can do.

Jackson hopes this approach will bring listeners back every year—and make them lifelong fans.

“I hope that our concerts make people feel closer to their community, to other people in their community, and that they feel like they have a greater sense of community family,” Jackson said. “And then finally, the other thing is for kids to get hooked on it— how much fun it is to play music and meet friends in the orchestra, and come and hear the orchestra play and sing along with them and just have music in their lives. That is what I’m hoping for.”

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE STAGE

TheReno Philharmonic’s youtheducation initiatives are far-ranging, with the Education and Community Engagement Department serving “22,000 students and families” every year through a combination of in-school performances, workshops and special events. Performances under their “Discover Music” program prioritize children in grades K-5 in Title I at-risk schools, offering small-ensemble performances at no charge to the schools through grant funding.

Outreach like this is primarily meant to expose children to live music and the basics of orchestral organization, as are events like the fall’s Family Concert. Likewise, annual Young People’s Concerts take place at the Pioneer Center and are dedicated to familiarizing children in grades 3-5 with instruments that make up an orchestra, the cultural relevance of the chosen works, concert etiquette and more.

When it comes to directly training the

next generation of orchestra players, the Phil provides access to more than 230 young musicians to take part in the Reno Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The RPYO provides grant-assisted extracurricular tutoring and performance opportunities to students in grades 2-12 across Washoe County and beyond.

The Youth Orchestra is perhaps one of the most substantial contributors to the generational continuity of the Phil, with 10% of the professional orchestra onstage for any given concert estimated to be alumni of the Youth Orchestra.

“In the sixth grade, I had put on my goals, ‘Where do you see yourself in 10 years?’ I had put playing with the Reno Philharmonic,” said Jessica Escobar, a section violinist with the Phil since 1999. “I had actually auditioned to be in the very first arena Philharmonic Youth Orchestra when that started up in 1995. And from there, I guess my name must have gotten passed along to our personnel manager at the Reno Phil. So I’ve been playing with the Reno Phil since I graduated from high school.”

Escobar first heard orchestral music when the Reno Phil woodwind section performed for her sixth-grade class. Her childhood exposure introduced her to the group setting of the orchestra—a specific experience she credits as her primary passion in pursuing a music career.

“I’m a big orchestra person,” Escobar said. “I like being like a drop in the sea and becoming part of that larger ‘me’ with all of my friends. It’s just like heaven; it is absolute euphoria. It’s one of the things that most give me joy in this life, without exaggeration.”

Heather Gage, another section violinist, was first exposed to her instrument when the Phil came to her school in Quincy, Calif. While she had some basic tutelage from a player in Quincy, her interest in orchestral music led her to make the 90-minute trip to Reno once a week to learn and play in the Youth Orchestra.

“Reno was the closest town to Quincy that would have an orchestra of this level,” Gage said. “After I talked to the conductor one of the times that they came out to play, he set me up with a teacher in Reno.”

Gage’s childhood interest in classical music brought her to Reno for her undergraduate continued on next page

“ I hope that our concerts make people feel closer to their community, to other people in their community, and that they feel like they have a greater sense of community family. ”

—LauraJackson Reno Philharmonic conductor

Laura Jackson emerged from a field of 200 applicants to become the fourth conductor of the Reno Philharmonic in 2009. Credit: Jiyang Chen

studies, before she pursued higher education in Cambridge, England, where she found her instrument opened more doors than just those to a classroom or stage.

“That’s a great thing about our instruments: It’s immediate community anywhere you go,” Gage said. “And we have all made friends at different festivals in different parts of the country or world that we then run into in later years.”

The cumulative effect of these youthoutreach efforts goes beyond producing talented musicians.

“The other day, I went to an eye exam at Costco, and the optician and the lady at the desk and someone just sitting there waiting— they had all been to a Young People’s Concert,” said David Haskins, a section violinist since 2017. “Just all these different generations of people had all been to that concert. And I just thought that was really interesting.”

The Philharmonic’s investment in youth education is just one part of its overall strategy to embed a fundamental appreciation for live music in the community—a feat that can’t be accomplished by simply filling the Pioneer Center once a month. It’s these sustained efforts to reach listeners of all ages where they live that make the Reno Philharmonic perhaps the city’s most widely known musical institution.

“There are times when things feel separate and divided and, like, it’s difficult to be together,” said Gage. “When we’re in the concert hall, whether that’s 80 of us on the stage or 1,400 of us with the audience as well, I find we have more in common than we have differences. … It doesn’t matter what color on the political spectrum they’re on; we can

all be together in that live experience that will only happen in that way that one time.”

To Ruth Lenz, first chair violinist and concertmaster for the Phil, generational connection to and through music is part of her DNA. She began playing violin at 2 years old thanks to her parents’ instruction, and she earned her first contracted position at the Phil at age 15.

“My parents were actually in the Philharmonic before I was born,” Lenz said. “I had to ask myself when I was a teenager, ‘Do I actually like this? Am I doing this because I like it or because I’m expected to?’ … It’s in my blood, and I love it.”

To Lenz and the other musicians, playing music satisfies a personal artistic calling, and

they value the camaraderie they find with like-minded performers. But to professional musicians, the full effect of their craft is only felt when they’re performing for an audience. In those moments, live music can be as much a form of community service as it is entertainment.

“My grandpa was a medical doctor; he was a surgeon,” Lenz said. “He was telling me he was proud of me for getting my doctorate, and I said, ‘Oh, Grandpa, I’m not a real doctor.’ And he kind of laughed, and he said, ‘Music saves just as many lives, and more, than medical doctors.’ And he goes, ‘You know what I do when I get home after a hard day? I put on a record, and that’s how I cope.’ Everyone needs that.”

AN INTRICATE ARRANGEMENT

The Reno Philharmonic’s formal mission statement is “to produce inspirational symphonic performances of the highest quality for diverse audiences and support exceptional education, outreach, and engagement programs.” While its commitment to the highest ideals of live performance is noble, the actual business of getting the musicians onstage requires a concerted effort.

“I think people don’t consider that, you know, these musicians are paid, and what it costs to put an orchestra onstage just in salaries alone is almost $80,000 (for a show),” said Evelyn Klatt, chief development and marketing officer for the Reno Phil. “When you want to think about, like, how to balance that out with 1,500 seats in the hall, that can be a little challenging.”

The Reno Phil operates as a “per service” orchestra, meaning that the musicians are paid per every three-hour block of time they are rehearsing or performing, as opposed to a full-time orchestra, where musicians are paid a yearly salary. Because most of the musicians are union workers, they perform under contract with the Phil, and the number of players required depends on the specific arrangements chosen by Jackson.

To make their music as accessible as possible, via both performances and educational initiatives, the Phil relies heavily on community donations. With a combined fundraising total of $3,386,800 in 2022, only about 34% came from ticket sales, sponsorships/advertising and other “earned revenue” streams. The vast majority comes from individual contributions and some public grants.

“People often find that surprising, that when they’re paying for a ticket—you know, $35, $40, whatever it is to come see the orchestra— that is just a very small amount of revenue for the organization,” Klatt said. “If you look at any concert that we do, on average, most of (the funding) is coming from individual support. There are several sponsors … that are paying thousands of dollars so that we can keep those ticket prices low.”

Public donations also fund what Klatt considers to be one of the most unique aspects of the Phil’s artistic priorities: commissioning new music.

“In the classical-music world, when a new piece of music comes out, people are like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s not Tchaikovsky. That’s not Beethoven. That’s not Brahms. I’m not going to like that,’” Klatt said. “Laura Jackson is really adamant that she introduce our audience to new works and modern works

Reno Phil members Ruth Lenz (concertmaster), David Haskins (section violin), Jessica Escobar (section violin) and Heather Gage (section violin). Photo/David Robert

Credit: David Calvert

that are coming out, and that she help these young composers be able to have a vehicle to write their work, because we’re paying them to write it.”

Klatt estimates that the Phil’s budget has doubled over the past almost decade. However, existential challenges in that same period have forced the organization to find ways to adapt.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a dampening effect on the Phil’s audience and revenue, but Klatt said the Phil found itself in a better financial position than many other, similarly sized orchestras across the country. Even as the Phil returns to a regular programming schedule, Klatt believes that the greater challenge facing the future of the organization lies in appealing to Reno’s changing population.

probably 70-plus.”

Klatt said that traditions like the Phil’s Classix series almost always cost more to produce than they make in revenue. And while they have no plans to abandon classical performances, the future of the Phil’s financial growth may be more closely tied to events like the Disney in Concert performance and other, more contemporary approaches.

Phil since 1999

“We’re trying to dive into this new market, which is films,” she said. “We started last year with Ghostbusters. This is something that’s very popular across the nation; orchestras will play the score live accompanying the actual film.”

“The demographics of our community are changing really rapidly,” Klatt said. “It’s much younger, and classical music is something that tends to be for an older demographic. Just the bulk of our audience, I would say 80%, is

Other examples of more innovative works by the Reno Philharmonic in recent years include a commission by composer Zhou Tian in 2019, which commemorated the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad with a piece that was performed by 14 additional orchestras in cities along the historic route. Another recent performance paired John Williams’ music for the Star Wars movies with the music of classical composer Gustav Holst, someone Williams said heavily inspired his music for the films.

These examples and many others, Klatt said, showcase the Reno Philharmonic’s dedication to fulfilling the role of a modern orchestra— one that values diversity, tradition and innovation in equal measure.

“We’re battling the issue that orchestras all have, that (people say), ‘It’s not for me,’” Klatt said. “Orchestra is kind of like going to church. There are a lot of protocols where you can feel uncomfortable if you don’t know what you’re

doing. It’s sort of like, ‘I don’t know if I should be there.’ But we’re here for everybody. We want the whole community to feel welcome and to be in the hall.”

Reno Phil conductor Laura Jackson: “When you look at Google Maps on your phone, it’s a very two-dimensional kind of map of how things work, but when you look at it in real space and time, it’s completely and utterly different— same thing with a piece of music.”

Credit: Jiyang Chen

“ In the sixth grade, I had put on my goals, ‘Where do you see yourself in 10 years?’ I had put playing with the Reno Philharmonic. ”

—JessicaEscobar, section violinist with the

Heart and sole

Brüka Theatre puts its best foot forward for Artown with beloved musical ‘Kinky Boots’

Two days before the opening-night performance of Kinky Boots at Brüka Theatre, I was having dinner with colleagues.

One of them, whom I don’t know well, decided this was a good time to plunge into the controversial issue of transgender women using women’s public restrooms—specifically, that just because such individuals had “decided” they were women, they didn’t have a right to invade women’s bathrooms. To avoid an ugly confrontation at a work event, I simply said, “I really disagree with you,” and turned to talk to someone else.

It was prescient, I suppose, that I’d just bought tickets for myself and my family for Kinky Boots. Although the stage musical is a decade old and was inspired by a 2005 film of the same name, the issues this story raises— and its relevance to active discussions, like the one I just described, and the furor over drag queen story hour—are striking. In fact, it couldn’t have been better timed for Brüka’s 30th season to wrap with this heartwarming extravaganza of a show, for which the rights were only just released to small, local theaters.

Inspired by true events, this musical by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper tells the story of Charlie Price (played by Michael Davanzo), heir to the Price and Co. men’s shoe factory, who resents being forced to … well, fill his father’s shoes after the old man (Rodney Hurst) dies and leaves him to run the failing business.

When the company’s biggest customer cancels all its orders, Charlie must find a way to unload his inventory and give his employees the boot—unless he can reinvent the company to target a niche, underserved market. Miserable about his work and his always-disappointed fiancée, Nicola (Kristina Worthley), Charlie stumbles into an alley and encounters a woman being assaulted. But this woman is actually a drag queen named Lola (John Paul Rivard). The assault left one of her high-heel shoes broken, and Lola remarks that there seem to be no boots capable of handling her.

Charlie follows Lola into a club and watches her perform with five other queens, the Angels. He becomes fascinated by her strength, talent and taste. Suddenly, a lightbulb switches on in

his mind: Lola and her Angels are his niche market. With her input and killer style, Price and Co. could reinvent itself.

The two have a lot more in common than shoes, it turns out. When not in drag, Lola is Simon, and deep down, he’s still the vulnerable, misfit boy who desperately craved his father’s approval—and never received it. As the story unfolds, Charlie and his employees must reckon with their own ideas of gender, acceptance and what “being a man” really means.

When Rivard takes the stage as Lola, the whole room lights up. He’s magnetic. He is not only hilarious and gifted at delivering one-liners; his stunning, big, soulful voice knocked my socks off (so to speak). His duet with Davanzo, “Not My Father’s Son,” moved me to tears. Davanzo is also to be commended for his strong, capable voice in some challenging songs.

I can’t forget the spectacular Angels, played by Stephen Moore, John Wade, Tom Cruz, AJ Clopton and James Escobedo. Not only did they pull off their drag characters

with enormous heart, wit and unflagging energy, but they did it while wearing heels that made me pale with disbelief.

Kinky Boots is a challenging show, no matter how you slice it. It calls for strong vocal abilities, and a few cast members fall short here. In a couple of places, the singing seemed out of sync with the music, and some notes simply couldn’t be hit. And I’m in agreement with many theater critics who highlight the script’s tendency to make sudden, unexplained shifts in character and story that are hard to swallow.

But these minor kinks in Kinky Boots should in no way keep you from enjoying this truly delightful, heartfelt, funny show. It’ll just make you feel good.

Kinky Boots is performed at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Sunday, through Saturday, July 22 (there are no shows on July 5 and July 9), at Brüka Theatre, 99 N. Virginia St., in Reno. Tickets are $33 with discounts in advance. For tickets or more information, call 775-323-3221, or visit bruka.org.

A scene from Brüka Theatre’s production of Kinky Boots

Photo/David Robert

| BY KRIS VAGNER

Art news and notes

It’s Artown time; new local Nevada Arts Council fellows; and more!

Artown announces youngest poster artist

Artown announced that its 2023 poster artist is Nusra Juma, 15, a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The press release reads, in part, “The youngest Artown commissioned artist in the organization’s history, Juma was awarded $3,000 for her vivid painting depicting a woman in colorful traditional African attire dancing against the backdrop of a vibrant Reno sunset.”

Juma spent much of her childhood in a refugee camp in Burundi, often drawing with pencils, the only available art material. After arriving in the U.S. in 2019, she picked up painting and continued honing her skills at Sparks Middle School.

Artown is under way

Artown, Reno’s annual summer arts and culture festival, kicked off Saturday, July 1. The entire month will bring concerts, theater, poetry, history talks, art and music workshops for kids, and other events, all over town—most of them free. Headliners

include Nickel Creek on July 11, Mexican pop sibling duo Jesse + Joy on July 16, and Storm Large on July 20. The long list of local music acts includes Colin Ross, New Wave Crave and Graham Marshall, leader of the Reno Jazz Syndicate.

For the full schedule, visit artown.org, or pick up Artown’s Little Book at all Raley’s, Washoe County Public Libraries and Nevada State Bank branches, plus dozens of stores in Reno, Tahoe, Sparks and Carson City.

Six new Nevada Arts Council fellows include two from Reno

The Nevada Arts Council announced its six Visual Arts Fellows for 2023 earlier this month, including two from Reno—Glynn Cartledge and Miya Hannan.

Cartledge is an oil painter whose portraits and other work deal with issues related to incarceration. (Learn more at www. glynnbcartledge.com.) Hannan is a University of Nevada, Reno, art professor whose previous career in the medical field in Japan has influenced her sculpture installations, which elegantly address death and funeral practices.

The fellowship, which includes a $5,000 cash award, is intended “to encourage artistic excellence by providing financial support to outstanding artists.” Awards are given to visual artists some years, and literary and performing artists other years.

The other four artists who were awarded fellowships this year—Jeffrey Burden, Gig Depio, Bobbie Ann Howell and Brent Holmes—are all from Las Vegas.

Reno museums offer free summer admission to military families

The National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families—a support organization for military families—have teamed up to offer free admission to families who have a member on active duty in the military.

The program began on Armed Forces Day in May and will last through Labor Day, Sept. 4. The participating local museums include the National Automobile Museum, Nevada Historical Society, Nevada Museum of Art, and Sparks Heritage Museum. In Carson City, the Nevada State Museum and Nevada State Railroad Museum are participating, as are the Museum of Truckee History and TruckeeDonner Historical Society/Old Truckee Jail Museum in Truckee. There are also museums participating in Carson City, Elko, Ely, Las Vegas, Henderson, Overton and Boulder City. Learn more at www.arts.gov/initiatives/ blue-star-museums.

BVD Radio

Bruce Van Dyke’s only on: jiveradio.org/bvd

Artown’s 2023 poster artist is Nusra Juma, 15. Photo/courtesy of Artown

"Big Bucket O’ Tunes" (a collection of some 4000+ tunes he curated from 2014-’22), old & current ID’s & Blurbs, and outtakes from his morning show on 'The X' in the ’90’s.

Self-parody?

Wes Anderson wastes a great cast in the dull ‘Asteroid City’; Michael Keaton’s return makes the latest DC film a good time

With Asteroid City, writer-director Wes Anderson continues to show he’s lost his way after his first misfire, 2021’s The French Dispatch. He’s suddenly become a flat, boring director of two films in a row.

Until Dispatch, all of Anderson’s films had a stylized sense of adventure, and were full of life and emotional sweetness. They were all undeniably good. In contrast, Dispatch and now Asteroid City are uncharacteristically flat offerings from a normally zestful guy. I was bored to death while watching.

A lot of Anderson’s films have been presented almost as if they were plays, with title cards announcing scenes, and tableau-type shots with characters breaking the fourth wall. His directorial signature is a kind of cute, intentional staginess—but Asteroid City takes things a step further. A Rod Serling-type narrator (Bryan Cranston) announces that we are about to see a play called Asteroid City. He introduces the cast, and the backstage setting looks like an old 1950s TV show. We then see the play as a Wes Anderson-type movie, with over-

stylized, cartoonish sets; lots of sweep cuts; and title cards—all the usual quirky hallmarks of an Anderson film.

We also get glimpses behind the scenes of the play with its creators (played by Edward Norton and Adrien Brody) communicating with the performers and crew. It’s another portal into the filmmaking style of Wes Anderson.

Yeah, OK. Whatever. It’s too much. At this point, it’s almost as if he is parodying himself.

The play presented onscreen looks like the Cars ride at Disneyland, set somewhere in the Nevada desert, with the occasional poofy atomic-test cloud sprouting up. Visually, the movie is actually quite interesting, but the “play” gimmick grows tired and slows the action down. Just make a movie, Wes!

There’s a willing cast presenting Asteroid City, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Maya Hawke, Matt Dillon and many others. There’s no Bill Murray this time out; Steve Carell replaced him when he got COVID.

The story has something to do with a bunch of young scientists gathering for a convention in the desert at the time when atomic tests were first being fired off. They, and their parents, witness an alien visit (the best sequence in the movie) … and not much else happens.

There are long stretches of the film that feature no soundtrack music and, quite noticeably, no period pop and rock songs, which

Anderson has used quite effectively in the past. Oddly enough, you can hear some Slim Whitman, the artist whose music caused alien brains to blow up in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! Anderson stalwart Alexandre Desplat supplies the original but rather bland score.

This all results in dull passages with the likes of Schwartzman (looking a little like Stanley Kubrick) and Johansson (doing her best Liz Taylor) doing dry, emotionless deliveries of sparse dialogue—with no music to liven things up. It grates on the nerves.

There are a couple of sequences, like the aforementioned alien visit and a goofy musical hoedown number courtesy of Jarvis Cocker, that pop with vintage Anderson goodness. But most of the film just drones on and on.

This a slight improvement over The French Dispatch, which was a collection of stories that lacked any real focus or reason for existing. Asteroid City feels like it could’ve been something relevant had Anderson provided his cast with more words and a livelier environment. His last live-action triumph, The Grand Budapest Hotel, was the ultimate coming together of his visual mastery and fun storytelling. Now? Well, it’s like he’s just trying to show off.

Maybe Quentin Tarantino is right, and some directors should just stop at 10 movies. (Tarantino says he’s going to call it quits after his next film, his tenth.) Asteroid City is Anderson’s 11th, and it’s his second gutter ball in a row.

Considering his amazing career—one that includes masterpieces like Rushmore, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (and brilliant stopmotion films like Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs)—Wes Anderson deserves a pass for making some duds. He’s already distinguished himself as one of the all-time greats. But with Asteroid City and Dispatch, he’s found himself caught in some sort of dull rut. I’ll continue to watch his future efforts, and I suspect he will

create his way out of it—but I won’t be rewatching this boring exercise in futility again anytime soon.

After many years of production and a lot of off-camera shenanigans by star Ezra Miller, The Flash has finally made it to theaters—in a fashion atypical for the speedy title character, seeing as the film seemingly took a million years to get here.

The Flash does what Spider-Man: No Way Home did in providing a “multiverse” plot that allows different versions of beloved superhero characters to pop up onscreen. Barry Allen (Miller) travels back in time by running really, really, really fast in an attempt to save his mother; this allows Michael Keaton’s Batman to return, more than three decades after he last played the part. We also get another dose of Ben Affleck’s Batman, and many other surprises.

Allen winds up running into another version of himself in an alternate timeline, and the pair go on a potentially time-altering adventure that eventually includes Keaton, a well-cast Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Michael Shannon’s return as the evil Zod, and others who won’t get mentioned in this article. Whatever you do, don’t read the cast list before seeing the film if you don’t want spoilers!

It all helps create a vacuous but certainly fun yarn that shines mostly due to the presence of Keaton, who makes you wish he never took off the cowl. Keaton’s Batman was supposed to return earlier in the abandoned Batgirl, and Miller’s troubles with the law almost led to this film facing a similar fate. Thankfully, the film made it through the turmoil, and there Keaton is, once again growling “I’m Batman” and looking as good as ever in the costume. A new, Keatoncentric Batman story seriously needs to be given a green light.

Director Andy Muschietti (It) proves to be as effective with big action scenes as he is with clowns in sewers. But just as Pennywise’s shtick grew tired in his sequel, The Flash is a bit much at almost 2 1/2 hours, as Miller proves to be a little grating. It’s cool to see Y Tu Mama Tambien’s Maribel Verdu on hand as Barry’s

Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in Asteroid City

Ezra Miller and Sasha Calle in The Flash

mom. She’s so much cooler than Barry. Calle left me wanting more of her Supergirl character, and a solo movie is in development. Hopefully, the poor box office showing of The Flash won’t kill off the potential for her to get her own movie. Affleck is still an OK Batman, but this will probably be the last time he wears the cape. Robert Pattinson and another Batman or two to be named will continue the Dark Knight tradition in future films. (Multiple Batman projects are in the works.)

The Flash winds up feeling like nothing more than a stunt movie—another Back to the Future Part II retread that feels unoriginal and a little flat at times. There are also some questionable special effects; they are mostly good, but there are a few jarringly bad visual moments, which is surprising since the filmmakers had plenty of time to fully shape the look of their movie.

Fortunately, it all comes out in the wash, because the chance to see Keaton fly again is too great to pass up. Supergirl is kind of awesome, and other surprises make the film ultimately worthwhile. The Flash, flaws and all, is better than any of those Snyderverse DC offerings.

This is probably the end of Miller’s time in the DC Universe, unless James Gunn takes pity. The movie failed to ignite with the public—and that’s a surprise, considering the Keaton hype.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts continues on the path of Bumblebee in that it is a Transformers film without the directorial hand of Michael Bay. Bay allowed his worst tendencies to come to the forefront with his Transformers movies; they were all quite terrible.

Bumblebee, released in 2018, was the most recent Transformers movie. Hailee Steinfeld and co. proved that robots in disguise could be relatively fun without an audio/visual hammer repeatedly pummeling you in the face à la Michael Bay.

Rise of the Beasts, regrettably, is a step backward for the franchise. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II) and starring Anthony Ramos (Hamilton) and Dominique Fishback (Swarm), the film is a surprisingly boring and confusing affair. It’s more than two hours long (of course); it’s chock full of so-so CGI effects; and I’m still not entirely sure what the whole thing was

about. Plotlines slam into each other and overlap in a way that left me lost or not caring.As much as I could put together, it has something to do with another race of angry, mean robots stirring up shit for Earth and the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, the blue-and-red truck that changes into a Shakespearean robot. The likes of Ron Perlman, Pete Davidson and Michelle Yeoh lend their voices to robots, and the humans barely factor in at all.

Visually, it’s not as hard on the brain as Bay’s films; the action unfolds in a manner that won’t drive you insane. There are some fun robot-to-car (and back) transformations, and you can actually follow the action in most of the battles. It gets passing grades on the special-effects front.

But the human part of the story drags. Caple makes a noble effort to create characters we care about, but the performers don’t command the screen in a way that pulls one in. Not counting voices, there are few recognizable actors in this movie, unless you are a hardcore Hamilton or Swarm fan. Ramos and Fishback are likable, but some bigger stars could have shared the burden of carrying what is supposed to be a blockbuster movie. The film feels like something you’d see on a streaming platform rather than a summer blockbuster.

The film is, technically, a direct sequel to Bumblebee Bumblebee was set in the ’80s, and this one is set in 1994. This lends to a fun soundtrack and reminders of how bad cars were 30 years ago, including lots of shitty Oldsmobile sedans on the road. Too bad they didn’t find a way to work Hailee Steinfeld into the story. That would’ve taken care of some of that star power.

I suspect this chapter isn’t going to set the box office on fire, and some recalibrating may be in order. While I’m no huge Transformers fan, they finally got the formula right with Bumblebee. When you have a Hailee Steinfeld in your movie, it makes a large difference. This one doesn’t have a Steinfeld, just a bunch of robots smacking into one another for two hours. While that can be impressive at times, it gets a little tiring.

While Rise of the Beasts didn’t make me want to tear my face off while watching it like Bay’s efforts did, it’s merely fair to middling entertainment—and these days, you need more than that to justify a trip to the theater for a summer blockbuster.

TANKLESS.

A scene from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

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Happenings

Fire up the grill! Butcher Boy, at 530 W. Plumb Lane, in Reno, is offering specials for July 4th, including American Wagyu from Fort Klamath Ranch, raised exclusively for Butcher Boy; beer brats, made in-house with antibiotic-free Berkshire pork and beer from Imbib Brewery (pictured); and ready-toeat smoked briskets that are brined, seasoned and smoked in-house (preorder recommended). Butcher Boy is now offering local delivery, and customers can order online at butcherboyreno.com, with free delivery on orders over $150.

The Lavender and Honey Festival in Idlewild Park will take place Sunday, July 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. With a wide variety of infused food and drinks, plus arts and crafts, music and demonstrations, this is a scentsational event highlighting local vendors and artisans. Learn more at www. lavenderandhoneyfest.com.

Vampires beware! The fifth annual Reno Garlic Festival takes place Saturday, July 29, at Dick Taylor Park, 1140 Beech St., from 3:30 to 8 p.m. At this free-entry Artown event, guests can enjoy a spectrum of garlicky eats and drinks like garlic ice cream, garlic-

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Summer slurpers

A guide to non-alcoholic beer, wine and cocktails

People are generally surprised to hear I don’t drink, mostly because I’ve spent 16 years putting drinks in people’s hands and talking about drinks with anyone who will listen.

I chose to stop imbibing because I genuinely love not drinking. I feel better; I am more present; and it’s the easiest time in my life for me to be a teetotaler—in part because we now live in the golden age of NA options.

Advances in technology and a demand for better-tasting non-alcoholic options have opened the door for a whole new world of delicious and fun non-boozy drinks. So if you are sober or sober curious, here is a handy guide to some tasty NA slurps for your slippery summer.

Beer: Long gone are the days of skunkyfunky non-alcoholic beer. As the world’s beer has gotten more fun and wild, so has the world of n/a. This industry is no longer an afterthought—because sales of NA beer reached more than $20 billion in 2022. Chefs, celebrities and some of the most

significant players in the beverage world are investing in NA beer because of the demand. Brands like Corona and Guinness have upped their game by creating delicious and nearperfect versions of their flagship beers that you can order at many bars nowadays. But it’s not all big brands: Athletic Brewing makes fantastic versions of every style; Crux delivers nearperfect IPAs; and Busty Lush has a selection of fruited sours that are to die for.

Wine: To answer an obvious question before it’s asked: No, non-alcoholic wine is not just grape juice. There is a new generation of winemakers using their knowledge of wine and new technologies to offer the complete wine experience without the buzz. Some companies like Empress, a Norwegian non-alcoholic brewery, craft vibrant flavors using tonics and kombucha techniques. Brands making genuine non-alcoholic wine remove the alcohol content or reduce it to less than 0.5% by volume. The alcohol can be removed through various methods, including vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis and evaporation. What is left, if it’s

done right, is an articulate, delicious and foodfriendly wine. Brands to check out: No & Low, Empress, and Lautus.

Spirits and cocktails: Sober or not sober, everyone enjoys a good cocktail. We all crave balanced and refreshing concoctions that reflect the care and thought of a bartender. I am happy to report that the bar world has embraced the trend of non-alcoholic tipples. Rum Sugar Lime in midtown Reno has a full NA menu, developed with the same attention to detail they give their general cocktail menu. The world of non-alcoholic spirits is also growing daily, with brands like The Pathfinder making wholly unique styles of NA spirits, while brands like Seedlip and Lyre’s deliver classic spirit styles like rum and gin.

There is no wrong time to take a vacation from drinking. Sometimes you must, and sometimes it just seems like a good idea. The most important thing is to listen to your mind and body, and when you need a break, do it. But when you take that break, there’s still a world of fun and delicious beverages to enjoy by the pool.

Andy Johnson puts the finishing touches—including locally grown violas—on a ginger cranberry nonalcoholic cocktail at Rum Sugar Lime.

Photo/ David Robert

| BY MARC TIAR

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smoked hot dogs, and even garlic beer and margaritas. Find more information at www.renofoodsystems.org/garlicfest.

Beer at elevation

As we dive once again into peak “damn it’s hot” season, it might be time to think of escaping to higher elevations—where you can count on it being 10 degrees cooler, and if you can stand the crowds, you can find some nice cool water to play/swim/cool yourself down.

While you’re up there, let me point you toward some worthy destinations making beer around the jewel of the Sierra— beautiful blue Lake Tahoe.

Most small towns surrounding the lake will have an adequately stocked market and maybe a bar with a decent selection—but serious beer-hunters will want to focus on destinations at opposite but equally attractive ends of the lake, Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe.

For a quick outing from the Truckee Meadows, cruise up to Incline Village. While you technically have only one option for a brewery visit, it gets double-credit, because it actually has two locations (and still another in Truckee, but we’ll save that for another day). Alibi Ale Works (alibialeworks.com) may sound familiar, because their beers are available throughout the region. You may have tried their pale ale or porter, a seasonal sour with a fun name (the Mr. Tartacular

series) or one of their hazy IPAs.

But to get the full Alibi experience, stop by either the original taproom/brewery (now dubbed the Brewery and Barrel House) or the newer location, the Incline Public House. The former is your basic brewery taproom, with a full roster of Alibi beers (including some brewery-exclusive beers and special bottled releases), flights and growler fills, while the latter is a charming dark-wood mountain brewpub tucked into the trees with a delicious food menu in addition to a similar selection of Alibi beers. (If you’ve got kids in tow, only the Public House is family-friendly.) Either way, you won’t go wrong with Alibi on the north shore.

If you want to really get out of town and find yourself a nice selection of different brewpubs, check out South Lake Tahoe. As you cross into California, you’ll leave behind the casinos of Stateline and enter the touristy part of town, where you will find a walkable trifecta of local breweries.

“We’ve known from the beginning that when people come to town, they don’t always have convenient transportation, or don’t want to drive far to their destination,” said Chris Smith, South Lake Brewing Company’s co-founder and head of brewing operations.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, as

we’re starting our brewery crawl just meters over the border at South of North Brewing (www.southofnorthbeer.com), which—tucked down a little side street from the main drag— offers a lovely outdoor beer garden, fire pits and live music, along with a varied lineup of brews.

Take a six-minute walk back up to the main boulevard, and you’ll find yourself at Stateline Brewery and Restaurant in the Heavenly Village (www.statelinebrewery.com). A nice selection of beers—including few sour, fruit and barrel-aged options—greets you; the ridiculous whiskey selection and food menu will give you plenty of reasons to linger a bit.

Finally, your third stop is the recently opened second location of the largest production brewery in town, the aforementioned South Lake Brewing Company (www.southlakebeer. com). The Libation Lodge, a “mountain oasis taproom serving craft beer, wine and elevated pub food,” as described by marketing manager Jenna Brown, makes for a good stopping point—for now.

When you tire of touristy crowds and want to enjoy a pint with the locals, you’ll find more brews a little further from the state-line party zone, at the original South Lake Brewing Company brewery. As Brown explained, “A short 15-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of Stateline, this area of town is less hectic and features a higher concentration of Tahoe locals. These factors made the ‘Y’ a perfect location for SLBC’s first production brewery and taproom.”

But again, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, let’s stop at a place set back a block from Highway 50, Sidellis Lake Tahoe (www. sidellis.com), which pours an assorted selection of brews, sometimes including seasonal and barrel-aged options, to pair with a menu of light brewpub food.

Continuing through town (perhaps on a scenic route home via Markleeville, or a jaunt along the west shore), your next stop is Cold Water Brewery and Grill (www. tahoecoldwaterbrewery.com). The taps mainly offer a mix of modern American craft mingled with a few traditional German beer styles.

Finally, our last stop is that flagship location of South Lake Brewing Company. As at many craft breweries of today, hops seem to dominate the taps, yet they have struck a balance with pilsners, ales both brown and red, a big stout, and a blood orange blonde for those who seek a less-hoppy flight or pint.

Whether you’re showing off the natural beauty of the region to visitors, taking a day trip to escape the heat, or enjoying a long weekend getaway, you’ll find a great variety of high quality locally brewed beers all around Lake Tahoe.

The ninth annual Biggest Little City Wing Fest will happen Friday and Saturday, July 28 and 29, outside of The Row on Virginia Street, from Second to Sixth streets. With more than 20,000 pounds of wings slathered in sauce, as well as live entertainment, a craft fair and best wing competitions, this event is a crowdpleaser. Get the details at www.caesars. com/the-row-reno/events/wing-fest-2023.

Truckee Thursdays, Truckee’s summer street festival, is under way! Through Aug. 10, enjoy Thursday evenings with a food court, beer garden, live music and artisan vendors in historic downtown Truckee. Find out more at www. truckeethursdays.com/schedule.

Openings + Shifts

Belleville Wine Bar has opened at 400 W. Fifth St., in downtown Reno. Bringing the casual elegance of a Parisian wine bar to Reno, the location will feature a variety of sommelier-curated wines and artisan small plates. Learn more at instagram. com/bellevillewinebar.

The Cheese Board is opening a second location at 15435 Wedge Parkway, Suite 100. The menu will have many of the same signature dishes in addition to some unique to the new location. “We want this new location to take on its own energy and vibe of the south Reno community while still holding the integrity of The Cheese Board brand,” says co-owner Caitlin Fletcher. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with dine-in, takeout and online ordering; cheeseboardcatering.com.

Noodle Box Kitchen is opening at 490 S. Center St., next to The Discovery museum in Reno. The concept comes from the team behind Rice Box Kitchen, at 555 S. Virginia St. The menu will, of course, be more noodle-centric than that at Rice Box Kitchen, featuring Thaistyle street food noodles. Watch www. riceboxkitchen.com for updates.

Reno’s first halal supermarket, Silk Road International Market, has opened at 1300 E. Plumb Lane, in Reno. The market carries a wide variety of imported pantry items and halal meat, and serves ready-to-eat food like halal kababs and freshly baked goods. Call 775-410-9981 with questions.

Have local food, drink or restaurant news or information? Email me at foodnews@renonr.com.

—Maude Ballinger

Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe offer numerous great local craft-brew options

Nicole and Chris Smith have two South Lake Brewing Company locations. Photo/courtesy of South Lake Brewing Company

All about the package

Wine today comes in a variety of different containers—and they all have advantages over bottles

I love the great outdoors. Hiking to a remote peak and feeling the sun and wind while admiring the beauty, or kayaking down a river, or lounging on the beach— these are soul-restoring activities in our hectic modern world.

I also love wine. Opening and sharing a stunning bottle with people who will savor it as I do is also soul-restoring to me. I especially enjoy combining these two soulrestoring activities, wine and the outdoors, but there is one major problem: the glass bottle.

Glass bottles are heavy. And glass breaks. This makes packing in and out of the wilderness much more difficult—and there should be no glass on the beach or at the pool. Oh, and did you remember the corkscrew?

Fortunately, we now have wine containers that are great for taking to the beach, pool or wilderness—and they’re just as good as, or even better than, glass bottles for storing wine.

Glass bottles started being used to store and transport wine once glassblowing techniques advanced during the time of the Roman Empire, and became more widespread during the Renaissance and in subsequent centuries. In other words, we have been using glass wine bottles for some 2,000 years—with very little change.

Meanwhile, new “alternative” packaging options have been around for less than 50 years—and used for wine for far less than that. Here are some of the more common types of alternative packaging now being used for wine.

• Bag-in-box: Also called boxed wine packaging, this involves a plastic bladder or bag filled with wine; it’s then placed inside a cardboard box. The wine is dispensed through an attached tap or spout. This packaging is convenient and lightweight, and it provides an airtight seal, which helps preserve the wine’s freshness.

Tetra Pak: Tetra Pak cartons are commonly associated with juice and milk, but they are now used for wine packaging, too. These cartons consist of multiple layers of paperboard and plastic, providing protection against light and oxygen.

Cans: Aluminum cans are lightweight, portable and easily recyclable. Cans also offer excellent protection against light and oxygen, ensuring the wine’s quality.

PET plastic bottles: Polyethylene terephthalate bottles are lightweight and shatterproof, making them a viable alternative to glass bottles; they are also recyclable. However, PET bottles may not provide the same level of oxygen protection as glass or other packaging options, which can impact the wine’s aging process.

Pouches: Wine pouches are similar to bag-

Boxed wine no longer means low-quality wine—Black Box wines have won more than 100 gold metals. Photo/David Robert

in-box packaging, but in a smaller format. They are made from flexible materials and are easy to carry. Wine pouches are often used for single-serve portions or for wines consumed quickly after opening.

It wasn’t that long ago that people thought only poor-quality wine was put into a bottle with a screw cap. Screw caps were the first major change in wine packaging for thousands of years—and they’re now considered mainstream, even for higher-quality wines. The same will be true for all of these alternative packages someday, as more quality wines start being sold in them.

And trust me: More quality wines will be sold in them, because these alternative packages offer advantages over bottles.

Convenience and portability: Bag-in-box, Tetra Pak cartons, aluminum cans and pouches can all be tossed in a cooler, backpack or picnic basket, with no opener required and no glass to break.

Preservation of freshness: Bag-in-box is the clear winner in this area. As wine is dispensed from the container, the bag collapses inside the box, preventing the wine from coming into contact with oxygen—which preserves the wine’s freshness. This method allows for wine to stay fresh for weeks or even months. This is perfect for people who only want a single glass of wine on occasion.

Value: Again, bag-in-box wins here. Here in Reno, you can purchase a quality threeliter box of wine in the $15-$20 range—the equivalent of four 750-milliliter bottles. A can of wine is usually 375 milliliters, the equivalent of half a bottle, and costs $6— which can be a value, because you only need to open “half a bottle” at a time.

Environmental impact: Yes, glass can be recycled, but glass is heavy, and the impact of shipping the bottles from the manufacturer, to the winery, to the store, to your home and to the recycling facility creates a large carbon footprint in transportation alone.

Wine quality and variety: You may be shocked to learn that boxed wine has won many gold medals in prestigious wine competitions. Black Box wines have won more than 100 gold medals, and Bota Box wines have more than 145 gold medals.

Today, we have access to great-tasting, quality wines, in convenient, environmentally responsible packaging that’s easy to carry in, and back out, when outdoors—which, given that we live in gorgeous Northern Nevada, is a wonderful thing.

Therapeutic music

The Heartless Bastards’ Erika Wennerstrom, coming to the Ranch House, reflects on two decades of methodical songwriting

Since forming in 2003 and releasing debut album Stairs and Elevators in 2005, the band Heartless Bastards has been building and tweaking a sound rooted in rock, blues, punk and more. The band moved from hard blues/punk on “Gray” in 2005, to soulful, funky soft rock on “Only for You” (on LP Arrow in 2012) to, most recently, a mix of Western, gospel and pop on “You Never Know,” a track from 2021 release A Beautiful Life

The band is heading out on a summer tour, including a stop at the Ranch House in Sparks on Sunday, July 23. During a recent phone interview, band leader Erika Wennerstrom explained what tour preparation looks like for Heartless Bastards.

“I think the best preparation is just self-care,” Wennerstrom said. “I really keep my mind on the present. We play so consistently, we don’t rehearse for a tour or something. Everybody’s got it pretty down. Our team will do basic stuff like get hotels booked and that kind of thing, but really, I think (pre-tour) is my time to work on a new album. I can’t really write when I’m

touring much. I might get melody ideas, and I jot them down on my phone or something, but this is my time to work on new material, so I’m just embracing that opportunity while it’s here—while working on self-care and hanging out with my dog.”

Wennerstrom equated the process of writing new music to therapy.

“When I was younger, I don’t think I equated it with therapy, but it really kind of is,” Wennerstrom said. “Any time any of us as people can explore our creative side, it’s very therapeutic, and my process is just to explore that. I feel like music is medicine. I didn’t use to understand why I did what I did; I just felt compelled to do it. But more and more, it gives me more of a sense of purpose … and I guess it’s good for my mental health. People have told me various songs have helped them over the years, and I guess it drives me all the more to heal myself, and I know that it might offer somebody some benefits as well.”

The music of Heartless Bastards has resonated with fans all over the world, if streaming numbers are any indication. “Only for You” is nearing 50 million Spotify streams

and 23 million YouTube views at the time of this writing. Wennerstrom explained how she relies on the healing power of her music to lift her through periods of writer’s block.

“I’ve been really challenged by (writer’s block), and in all honesty, I can be a little hard on myself when I don’t feel like I’m being productive,” she said. “I realized in some ways— and I shouldn’t get so philosophical—but I am this little speck of dust in the world, and if I’m having some writer’s block, and I’m not producing something, it’s OK. When I do finish a song, I find comfort in knowing it can help somebody. I think that’s part of my takingcare-of-myself writing journey, being OK with a slow writing process. It’s always been that way for me, knowing that it’ll come in time.”

A self-proclaimed slow writing approach could be one reason the group has released just six albums over their 20-year career, with the biggest gap between records being six years.

“I’m not extremely prolific, but I guess I have seven albums (including one solo record),” Wennerstrom said. “I don’t write very fast, but I’ve had some longevity here, and I’m still doing it. It’s still kind of a big body of

work. I think my songwriting is growing, and I guess that’s a bit subjective to the listener, but I just really take my time. I’d like to think it’s quality, not quantity at this point.”

Some artists release music more often because of short attention spans. When I mentioned that, Wennerstrom quipped: “If somebody has a short attention span, isn’t it going to be even shorter if it’s a bad song?”

“People just have to ask themselves why they’re doing what they do, and for me, it’s always been a bit of therapy, also,” Wennerstrom said. “It kind of starts with me trying to write songs that I think I would enjoy, or messages that I think I need to hear.”

In 2022, Heartless Bastards re-released signature album Arrow, in celebration of the LP’s 10 year anniversary. The re-release included a few bonus tracks and acoustic versions.

“There’s nostalgia, but I also feel like I’ve consistently played a lot of that material since then, even when I did my solo album,” she said. “When I look back, I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s been 10 years,’ but we’ve been playing those songs over the years, so it’s not like I’m completely revisiting the material in a way.

“Jim Eno, who produced that album and plays drums in Spoon, is moving to Rhode Island. We did a kind of a celebration of Jim with different people he’s worked with. It’s been interesting to look back and think about (recording Arrow). I wrote some words for the event; we played some songs; and it was nice to just think about that experience with Jim and that whole process. He was real, real patient with me. It takes me a while to find my way through songs. It’s like I’m searching for something, and I have to trial-and-error quite a bit before I find my way through it. Sometimes it’s a feeling, and I can’t quite place it or put my finger on exactly what I’m trying to get out there.”

Wennerstrom remains grateful for the album.

“I know it’s been our biggest album, and I just look back with gratitude,” Wennerstrom said. “I’m so thankful that people responded to it the way they did, and I’m really grateful for the response it got, and people are still listening to it a lot on the DSPs (digital streaming platforms). Back then, I was just putting one foot in front of the other, and I don’t know if I even had a grasp on how well it was doing.”

Heartless Bastards will perform at 8 p.m., Sunday, July 23, at the Ranch House, 906 Victorian Ave., No. B, in Sparks. Tickets are $35. For more information, call 775-453-1657, or visit Facebook.com/TheRanchHouseSparks.

Heartless Bastards’ Erika Wennerstrom. Photo/Aaron Conway

Think Free!

THE LUCKY 13

Chris Fox

Guitarist/vocalist of Boss’ Daughter, performing at the Reno Punk Rock Flea Market

If you’re searching for some blazing-fast and melodic Reno-bred punk music, you need to check out Boss’ Daughter. With most of the songs being 1-2 minutes or so, the band packs a fiery punch of blast beasts and fast chord changes, all while providing a poppy and powerful vocal delivery. Some standout tracks include “Drunken Smiles” and “Photography.” For more information, visit bossdaughter.com. The band is set to perform at the Reno Punk Rock Flea Market, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16. Visit rprfm.org for more details. Chris Fox is the guitarist/vocalist for Boss’ Daughter.

What was the first concert you attended? I have a vivid memory, from sometime before I was 7, of Buddy Guy running through the audience in a park in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., with his polka-dotted Stratocaster. Maybe that?

#Our Story Is One

Baha’is of Northern Nevada Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Hanging of 10 Baha’i Women in Shiraz, Iran

Baha’is in Northern Nevada gathered to honor the sacrifice and fearlessness of 10 beautiful women who were unjustly and horrifically hanged in a public square in Shiraz, Iran, on June 18, 1983, for their refusal to recant their belief in the Baha’i faith.

The women were hanged, one by one, with each witnessing the others’ deaths. Each was told if they recanted their faith, they would live. The last woman hanged was 17-yearold Mona Mahmoudnejad, a loving and accomplished high school student whose spirit continues to inspire women and men around the world.

Each woman chose their belief in the

oneness of humankind, justice and the equality of men and women. They went to their deaths knowing that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their religion, race, gender, nationality or class.

Their story is inextricably linked today to the courage of Iranian women, and those men who stand with them, who continue, in the face of persecution and arrest, to stand for the equality of men and women. Their story is also dynamically linked to women all over the world who are steadfastly and courageously working towards justice, basic human rights and equality.

#Our Story Is One

www.bahai.us • Reno Baha’is • 775-391-3233

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What was the first album you owned? I remember buying Offspring’s Smash and the blue Weezer record together on CD in third grade. I still have them.

What bands are you listening to right now? Capable!, Zeta, Bad Idols, Former Member, Cory Wong, Paint It Black, Fearless Flyers, Stuck Lucky, Vulfpeck, GRiZ, Louis the Child, and Rx Bandits.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Art isn’t intended to be consumed by everyone. That’s what makes it beautiful.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

Defunct: Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix. Current: Cory Wong, Fearless Flyers, Vulfpeck and Kinfolk.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Why would anyone be ashamed of the art that they love?

What’s your favorite music venue?

Playing the Grand Theatre at the Grand Sierra Resort was an amazing experience. I’d love to play at Red Rocks sometime.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

“Thanks, I’ll love you ’til I die,” “Embrace Impermanence” by Boss’ Daughter.

What band or artist changed your life? How? Larry and His Flask taught me that it’s possible to use music as an excuse to see the world. Thanks, Flask. Zach Quinn picked a crumb of bread out of my beard at Pouzza Fest, which saved me so much embarrassment. Thanks, Zach.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I’ve tweeted at Mark Hoppus many times to try to find out what’s up with the drums on the intro of the demo version of “Does My Breath Smell?” Like … did Scott get a new double-kick pedal that day, or what? He has yet to respond.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Jeff Rosenstock, “Polar Bear or Africa.”

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Jimi Hendrix Experience, Axis: Bold as Love; Bomb the Music Industry!, Vacation; Minus the Bear, Menos El Oso; Good Riddance, Ballads From the Revolution; The Dillinger Escape Plan, Calculating Infinity Oops, I did five albums.

What song should everyone listen to right now? A Wilhelm Scream, “Figure Eights In My Head.”

Boss’ Daughter. Photo/Lindsay Dimitri

THE LUCKY 13 Clark Demeritt

Leader of Clarko, performing at the Holland Project on July 23

Local rocker Clark Demeritt and his band Clarko exude proto-punk to the max. Songs like “Stifled” and “Alien Touch” sound like Devo if they’d made their first record in 2023—with a few more psychedelic effect pedals, and if they only sang with treble. His debut album, Welcome to Clarko, came out in late May, and the band is heading to the Holland Project at 8 p.m., Sunday, June 23, and opening up for Color Green and Noah Linker. For more info on the show, visit hollandreno.org. For more on Clarko, visit instagram.com/clark_rules.

What was the first concert you attended?

I went to see the Cure when I was 13 at Curiosa (festival). I didn’t really know who the Cure was before, but I’m definitely a lifelong fan after. The Cure’s audience is weird—tons of jerks. I saw them after My Bloody Valentine, and the Cure campers were flipping MBV off! Who does that?

What was the first album you owned?

The first album I ever bought was Britney Spears, … Baby One More Time, but it was for my brother. He was too embarrassed to buy it, because our masculinities were very fragile back then. The first I bought for myself was Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, an album I still love. My mom had to do some mental gymnastics to be OK with the title.

What bands are you listening to right now?

CLARKO! I just got into 100 gecs, so I can feel young. I feel so young now that I like 100 gecs, but that might not actually be young-people music. Maybe it’s old people’s idea of young people music to make themselves feel young?

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Having to be really annoying about the Grateful Dead. This goes for people who don’t like them, as well as people who do. I get it! They were a band. I do like them, by the way.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

The Replacements in their prime, but two shows: One of the fantastic ones, and one of the really bad ones.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Standing outside when bands are playing. I like the fresh air a lot!

BY MATT KING

What’s your favorite music venue? In town? It is, of course, the Holland Project. In the whole wide world? First Avenue in Minneapolis! There’s so much history there. I love the big room, but also the 7th St. Entry (a smaller attached venue). I got to sit on one of Prince’s motorcycles there, and they have my favorite socks ever.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

The ones I get wrong: “Spiral might of Jesus, spinal meningitis got me down,” Ween, “Spinal Meningitis.” Also Devo, “Uncontrollable Urge”: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.”

What band or artist changed your life? How? Nobody will be surprised to hear Devo! Devo taught me to love the unexpected— that songs didn’t have to be serious, but that doesn’t mean they are a joke. A complete artistic vision! More importantly, all the local bands I saw when I was a teenager: Brainfoot, Short Hair, Over Vert and many more!

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? Prince: Where’s the best food in Minneapolis?

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“I’m So Tired” by the Beatles. I want everyone to know how I was feeling when I died.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Q: Are We Not Men A: We Are Devo! It’s a timeless album that holds up to this very second, although I am under the belief that the first four Devo records are perfect. Honestly, I would say anything to get out of figuratively getting shot in the head.

What song should everyone listen to right now? “Mary Susan” by Blood on the Wall. I love that song. I always come back to it. It’s perfectly triumphant and kind of emotional for reasons I do not fully understand.

“Exactly!”—that’s

By Matt Jones

Across

1. Pulitzer-winning rapper Kendrick

6. Over again

10. “Butter” group

13. Awestruck

14. Narcotic-yielding leaf

15. Navy, e.g.

16. Desert of Israel

17. Daybreak, in poetry

18. Teensy bit

19. <---

22. Like some verbs (abbr.)

23. Gradually lessen

24. <---

32. Loser to Bjorn in the 1976 Wimbledon final

33. “Didn’t think I had it ___”

34. Angiogram image

36. Dallas basketball player, for short

37. Mythological Theban with a chemical element

named after her

39. Exclude

40. Rhode Islandbased auto insurance company

43. Crust deposits

44. River deposit

45. <---

48. Massachusetts Cape

49. Greek vowel

50. <---

59. Jacob’s biblical twin

60. Wilson who says “Wow”

61. Gut trouble

62. Flippant

63. Format for old ringtones

64. Internet company with an exclamation point

65. Collector’s objective

66. “Mr. Roboto” group

67. Angioplasty device

Down

1. “Video Games” singer ___ Del Rey

MATT

2. Like some whiskey

3. D&D spellcaster

4. Simian

5. Echo effect

6. Pinnacle

7. First-time gamer

8. Hosiery hue

9. Poster heading

10. Amorphous amount

11. Coppelia costume

12. Sewn line

15. Guggenheim Museum’s Spanish location

20. Empty fully

21. “Four Leaf Clover” singer-songwriter Moore

24. “Letters from Iwo ___”

25. Car rental company

26. Courteous

27. Writers Guild of America, for example

28. Atlanta university

29. Rise up

30. Sex and the City role

31. In any way

35. Pot starter

38. Serpentine symbols

41. “12 for 1” Columbia House deal, essentially

42. Admit freely

44. React harshly toward, like a dog

46. Everyday expressions

47. Tech bros?

50. Asks for table scraps

51. Spot in the ocean

52. Cafe au ___

53. Knucklehead

54. Actress/inventor Lamarr

55. Alternative to DOS or Windows

56. Dull pain

57. Inert element used in lights

58. Moderate horse gait

© 2023 Matt Jones

Find the answers in the “About” section at RenoNR.com!

what that is.

Ray Bacasegua Valdez is a Native American of Nahua/Yaqui (Yoeme) ancestry—and he’s so much more. He’s an artist who works with the Washoe County School District; he’s director of the American Indian Movement of Northern Nevada; and he’s a father. He was born in Kingsville, Texas, and has lived in Reno for 26 years. He markets his art not only in the Reno area, but throughout “Turtle Island.” (Turtle Island is a Native American name for the Earth or North America. The turtle, which symbolizes wisdom and longevity, holds the continents on her back.) Over the years, he has created many murals for the Washoe County School District, and others, including one on the water tank above Rancho San Rafael. In addition to his art, he holds ceremonies in the Nevada prison system and throughout Nevada. Learn more by calling 775-329-9015, or visiting www. rayvaldezstudio.com.

What are some of the things you do throughout the year?

I continue creating my art and facilitating ceremonies, as well as holding a Native American cultural class within the Washoe County School District. I have a studio/frame shop at 960 Matley Lane, No. 34, in Reno, where I create fine-art paintings and offer art framing to the community. I am grateful for the support I have received as I continue to spread my message through my paintings. We continue to hold our traditional ways and stand to protect Turtle Island. Also, I’m the director of the American Indian Movement of Northern Nevada. This work encompasses many activities such as the resistance at Peehee Mu’huh

(Thacker Pass), which AIM-NNV has been involved in for more than two years. This is a challenging situation, as the federal government allows the desecration of a sacred site for lithium mining. The movement has been protecting our people for 52 years, and we will continue to ensure that the next generations have their traditional culture. Our climate, water and maala ania (mother earth) are in jeopardy, and the time is now for all people and the globe to create alternatives to protect our mother.

I understand you were recently in Europe. How did that turn out?

What an amazing trip to the Pyrenees mountains, near Arthez-d’Asson in the south of France, to facilitate our traditional ceremony. The people learned of our Native American ceremonies many decades ago, and I am grateful for the opportunity to pray with these relatives. I was also able to visit Barcelona and see sculptures and paintings from many centuries ago. I was able to create some plein air (outdoors) art of the Pyrenees and am excited to share this work at my next exhibition.

What do you have coming up this summer?

During the upcoming months, I will be attending many ceremonies throughout Nevada, as the summer is a very active time for traditionalists. This will be my 25th anniversary at 960 Matley Lane, and I am humbled to continue at this location all these years. I will be having an open exhibition on Saturday, July 15, from 3 to 7 p.m., which is open to the public. Come see my new work! Lios em chiokoe uttessia.

Ray Bacasegua Valdez

Teacher, artist, ceremony facilitator