October 2022

It’s a month for spirits and spookier politics

This issue includes a piece about ghost hunters, and a story that alludes to nearly two years of fruitless attempts to track down election fraud, both in Nevada and nationally. The pursuers of the paranormal have come up with little verifiable evidence that ghosts exist; election deniers have none at all.

Each time their fraud claims are debunked, conspiracy theorists double down on accusations. They allude to vast conspiracies, mys terious formulas and fantastic plots which dissolve into the ether upon close inspection. Rinse and repeat. The spin cycle of false claims has had an effect. True believers stay loy al, and many others suspect that “if there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

It has been repeatedly proven that claims of widespread election fraud are as fictional as the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. The 2020 election was the most secure in our history. Yet, polls indicate that the majority of Americans, regardless of party, suspect that election integrity may be a problem.

Studies show that more than a third of Americans believe in ghosts, and about one in 10 says they have seen one. I doubt any amount of scientific fact will move those percentages. The same seems to be true of the elec tion deniers—who now have plenty of like-minded candidates to vote for up and down the November ballot.

A belief in spirits of the netherworld hurts no one. The conviction that our elections are rigged—when not a single verifiable investigation, recount, audit or court decision nationwide has supported the claim—undermines democracy. In Nevada, candidates for the U.S. Senate, secretary of state and many other state and local offices are election deniers, and far scarier and more dangerous than any specter or poltergeist.

Know who you’re voting for Nov. 8. Going into a polling place uninformed could turn Election Day into a second, much-scarier Halloween.

—FRANK X. MULLEN frankm@renonr.com

LETTERS

Re-elect school board incumbents

Every teacher I know, as well as the Washoe County School Board members (RN&R, September 2022), with the exception of Jeff Church, have the best interests of our children at heart. They truly believe in ed ucation and go the extra mile to bring each child to his or her greatest potential. They give of themselves, their time and their money. I believe we have a great board as well as educated teachers who are dedicated helping students achieve.

Those who are trying to radically change our educational system offer nothing of val ue or positive change. Some people simply like to create chaos and disruption. They are typically very negative people.

John Corbin Reno

Support indie journalism

As a young, native Nevadan, I look to local, reliable news sources like the RN&R to keep me informed on the local political scene. I believe news outlets owned by big corpora tions bring their own agendas to our commu nity and can’t be fully trusted when it comes

and

Wodzisz

Contributors

Wishelle Banks, Alicia Barber, Cheree Boteler, Owen Bryant, Brad Bynum, Max Cannon, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Janice Hoke, Matt Jones, Matt King, Lynn Lazaro, Michael Moberly, Maggie Nichols, Steve Noel, Dan Perkins, Pax Leigh Robinson, Jessica Santina, Kingkini Sengupta, John L. Smith, Todd South, Jesse Stone, Kris Vagner, Robert Victor, Madison Wanco

The Reno News & Review print edition is published every month. All contaent is ©2022 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The RN&R is available free of charge throughout Northern Nevada, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling 775-3244440. The RN&R may be distributed only authorized distributors.

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

| October 2022 | Vol. 28, Issue 5

to politics. Keep the RN&R by the community, for the community. Keep it real, RN&R

Jonathon McNeill Reno

Fix the ‘family doctor’ category

Nice work on your “Best Of” categories (RN&R, September 2022). I do want to point out that in the “Best Family Doctor” category, my good friend Dr. John Hess should be the winner. APRNs are not physicians and have very different educational pathways. As a board-certified family physician, I think it is critical that the public understand that APRNs are not the same as family physicians. Your poll makes us sound interchangeable.

Andy Pasternak Reno

stashed at his country club, as well as, for ex ample, those times that Trump wanted everyone out of the room while he chatted with Putin.

Any student of government would know that such a situation would make it impossible for our government to govern, and this is the danger of the Republicans forcing their judges through the Senate based on nothing more than ideology while denying the Democrats their judge selections. The deck is stacked. Welcome to democracy based on the will/shenanigans of the minority.

Vote to oppose GOP’s shenanigans

If we assume Judge Aileen Cannon’s assertion that some kind of executive privilege exists between presidents, the consequences are astonishingly bad. It means that a president can hide information from his successors, up to and including all that top secret stuff Trump had

In the last set of elections, where turnout broke all records, there was still only about 50% participation by eligible voters. Maybe things like this decision by Judge Aileen Cannon as an example of a Republican-created corrupt judi ciary, coupled with Republicans making women second-class citizens should they get impregnat ed, coupled with Republicans refusing to do any meaningful gun regulation no matter how many kids get killed, coupled with all those Republi can “no” votes for infrastructure, compensation to vets for the burn pits, or anything that would “give the Dems a win,” and the overall craziness of this new Republican party will inspire folks to the point where we can get significantly closer to 100% voter turnout.

Michel Rottmann

Virginia City Highlands

GUEST COMMENT

Pick a side: the rule of law, or the Big Lie and authoritarianism

Nevada is ground zero for the 2022 election. You can’t watch the Raiders play on Sunday without being inundated with political ads. If your phone rings, it’s likely a robocall urging you to vote for or against a particular candidate. Earlier this year, the 775 area code ranked No. 3 in the country for robocalls. This will only get worse between now and Election Day.

In November, voters will have their say on every statewide constitutional office, a U.S. Senate seat and the majority of the seats in the Nevada Legislature. But beyond noise from the political ads, there is something more fundamental on the ballot: whether we have elected officials who believe in the rule of law, or who would rather Ne vada (and the country as a whole) adopt one-party, authoritarian rule.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the rule of law and entrepreneurial freedom are on the ballot this fall. We have candidates across the state who proudly, loudly and repeatedly claim that the 2020 election was illegitimate. When challenged, these champions of the “Big Lie” don’t produce facts; they only make only by more strident assertions and attack their political opponents.

Jim Marchant, the GOP candidate for secretary of state, is a clear and present threat to fair elections in Nevada. He has closely allied himself with election-denier and mega-donor Robert Beadles, who last year called for a “purge” of anyone from the Republican party who acknowledges the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

If Jim Marchant becomes secretary of state, he will have influence over every election in the state; it’s clear he’ll use that power to spread the anti-democratic mea

STREETALK

BY DAVID ROBERT

BY ABBI WHITAKER

Stephanie Pence Executive assistant

Yes, I think that there are things that happen that can’t be explained, so it’s supernatural. I’ve dreamed of things that actually happened. I dreamed that there was a horrific train accident. I was watching it happen at a distance through a window and couldn’t do anything about it. A couple of days later, I was watching the news, and there was a train accident in Spain. I’ve also had deceased people come to me in dreams and give me reassurance.

sures that Robert Beadles and others have called for. Adam Laxalt, a regular fixture on Nevada ballots for any open position, has taken an even more extreme position by telling his donors he already has plans to declare the outcome of this election fraudulent, should he lose.

Marchant and Laxalt are just two examples of extreme far-right candidates who are embracing authoritarianism and one-party rule. When one side declares that any election they lose is de fac to illegitimate, they have abandoned democracy.

Some may wave away these developments as “politics being politics,” but the truth is this: Authoritarian leaders will use their positions of power in government to start corrupting private industry.

In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, one in six business owners faced charges from the state, and more than 70,000 were jailed.

Believing that it can’t happen here is dangerously naive.

As the owner of a Ne vada-grown company, the prospect of this kind of “leader ship” in my state is appalling. Small businesses like mine are the backbone of our national economy, creating two-thirds of our new jobs and nearly half of our GDP, according to the Small Business Administration. They’re also the first businesses to be crushed by authoritarians.

A strong democracy is essential for a vibrant, entrepreneurial economy. The two go hand in hand. If Big Lie advocates like Marchant and Laxalt are elected, we could lose our economy and our democracy in one fell swoop.

It’s time to choose a side; I’ll be voting for democracy on Nov. 8.

It depends on the story that I’ve heard. If I can be con vinced that it was real, then yes, I believe. I’ve never had a supernatural experience. I’ve always wanted to have one. I always wanted to stay overnight in a haunted house, especially if there was money involved. If they pay me to stay, I’m in!

Izzy Domrose Beertender Casimir Bochra Project manager

Yes. You can’t teach an ant algebra! There are things that we can’t possibly understand; it’s just not possible. I grew up in Ireland, and there was this castle, and us kids went into the dungeon area to explore. There was a massive heavy metal door, and a big gust of wind came out of no where and slammed it shut. We tried to open the door, and it wouldn’t budge. A few minutes later, it creaked and opened on its own! We ran all the way home and never went back.

Gracie Jolley Bartender

No! Totally not at all. Zero percent! You see all this alleged paranormal/supernatural stuff on social media. Any video or picture can be doctored up with Photoshop or some kind digital manipulation. Nothing would ever convince me that the supernatural is real, unless I saw it with my own two eyes.

Mike Dunne Business owner

Yes. The body is electrical, and where does that electricity go when we pass? When my father-in-law passed away, we put an azalea plant on top of where his ashes were buried. It died—but a pine tree grew in its place. He was in the Air National Guard, and his call sign was Pine Tree!

Do you believe in the supernatural?

Asked at the Sticks shopping center, 701 S. Virginia St., Reno

Abbi Whitaker is the owner at The Abbi Agency in Reno, a marketing and communications firm which was recently named the 2022 Bulldog Reporter Midsize Agency of the Year.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Remembering Bruce Van Dyke

After the deal to take over the Reno News & Review was finalized, one of the first people I reached out to, back in January, was Bruce Van Dyke. I didn’t even wait until the sale officially closed.

I wanted him to resume writing Notes From the Neon Babylon. “To be frank, it doesn’t feel like the RN&R to me without you,” I wrote.

In his reply, he thanked me for reaching out, and said he was happy to hear about the RN&R’s possible print return. “Unfortunately, your timing isn’t so good,” he said, explaining that he was just beginning a new regimen of chemo to get his lymphoma, which had been dormant for five years, back under control. “My doctors are optimistic, which is cool, but the next few months are gonna be a little dicey. So any kind of writing on a regular basis won’t have my full attention, I’m afraid. … Good luck, full speed ahead, and when I’m a little more energetic, maybe we can talk.”

That talk was not to be. Bruce Van Dyke

died on Sept. 16. His final radio home, Jive Radio (www.jiveradio.org), said BVD was taken by complications following “an attack of a rare strain of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.” He was 69 years old.

In the days since his passing, my social media feeds have been full of heartbroken yet joyful remembrances of Bruce. One friend mentioned BVD’s love of birding. Bob Grimm talked about Bruce being a fan of the Atlanta Braves. Several people called him a mentor. Many people reflected on his decades on the Reno airwaves, most notably on The X—his creation, his baby. And a lot of people mentioned his column in the RN&R, Notes From the Neon Babylon.

That column was part of the RN&R for so long that it actually pre-dates the RN&R being the RN&R: It debuted in the Nevada Weekly, the publication that would

become the Reno News & Review in 1995, after not quite two years of existence. The column pre-dates our web presence by more than a half-decade, so we had to go digging through the bound print volumes to find the first Notes From the Neon Babylon. That first column (at least that we could find; seeing as we were flipping through 28-year-old print editions, it’s possible we missed something), from the Jan. 5, 1994, Nevada Weekly, is reprinted to the right.

Notes From the Neon Babylon continued in the RN&R almost every week—in recent years, tucked under our 15 Minutes column on the inside back cover—through March 19, 2020, when all things RN&R came to a screeching halt, thanks to SARS-CoV-2.

“So now, we enter the ‘Flatten the Curve’ era. OK, cool,” Bruce wrote in his final Notes From

| BY JIMMY BOEGLE

the Neon Babylon. “It’s like the classic old sci-fi story from Astonishing Tales, where the people of Earth are all crazy with war and killing each other, and then the Martians attack, and we Earthlings all suck it up and band together to repel and defeat the invaders. I’ve long been comfortable with the thought that pretty much nothing could ever again unite our fractured country, even a little bit. And then … somebody in China ate a freakin’ BAT? Wacky!”

In recent years, Bruce kept on keeping on, working with Jive Radio. On Sept. 27, 2021, he wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about The X being “put to sleep.” It was reflective and hilarious, of course—how could something written by Bruce not be? (Damn, it would have made a fine Notes From the Neon Babylon.) Here’s how he concluded it:

“How does that old saying go? ‘Don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happened.’ Something like that. Seems appropriate today.”

So long, BVD. I am so very happy you happened.

| BY BRUCE VAN DYKENOTES FROM THE NEON BABYLON

Slot shacks shake slow shows and set the stages stompin’

Looking back on it, 1993 was a fairly decent year for live music here in Northern Nevada. Make no mistake, you can still find more good stuff on any given weekend in San Francisco than you can get here in a season, but some good things did go down locally in the last 12 months that are worth noting.

So hey, how ‘bout those casinos? A few of them are beginning to pay attention and are opening their showrooms to music that goes beyond Al Hirt and Patti Page.

Up at the lake, Caesars leads the way. The Towering Toga is pretty much leaving all the other south shore neons in the dust with its broad, eclectic booking policy.

Whatever the genre—country, soul, nostal gia, fogies, jazz lite, rock ’n’ roll—if the act can sell tickets, the Big C will usually give it a shot.

In the past, Caesars has put rock ’n’ soul folks like Santana, Los Lobos, the Neville Brothers, and the Jerry Garcia Band on its stage, and the result has always been great music and happy people.

One nice aspect of a rock show at Caesars:

If one gets up, feeling that primitive, low-down urge to physically react to the music, one is not immediately maced and fed to the Dobermans, as is so often the case in other, less funky casinos.

In ‘93, the music hungry Caesaranian had a shot at Joe Cocker, Lyle Lovett, and Bruce Hornsby, and making his showroom debut Janu ary 14-16 is rockabilly croonman Chris Isaak.

By the way, don’t expect Garcia’s group to be back at the lake anytime soon. The band was great, but some of the fans were a bit too “rain forest” for the management’s taste. The Caesars suits quickly deduced that most of the human cinder cones out on the front steps of the casino cooking cheese sandwiches and veggie stir fry weren’t part of that Sharper Image demo that is the target of all commerce in modern America.

Down here in Reno, a whole passel of great mu sic evenings happened upstairs at the Peppermill.

In ‘93, various promoters presented at the Mill (and always in the 10-15 dollar range) Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo, The Bonedaddys, The Wailers, Robben Ford, Charlie Musselwhite, Steve Morse, and Bela Fleck. Not a loser in that

lineup, and most of these shows were really good, from the standpoints of both performance and production.

If you like electric guitar, and you missed Robben Ford and Steve Morse, you blew it very very gigantically. If you like to dance and you missed the Bonedaddys, may Joe Cocker’s pelvic gremlins invade your hipbones in ‘94.

In Sparks, the Nugget showed some signs of life after long being the stronghold of some of America’s most beloved musical geezers. (The hobistic image of Boxcar Willie explodes into one’s mind.)

The Nugg did a couple of things in the last year that swung with greatness. During the Labor Day Ribfest, jiving pork suckers could see Little Charlie and The Nightcats, reggae group Big Mountain, and the ever-twitching Mumbo Gum bo, all for free at various locales.

A couple of weeks ago (Dec. 17) some right-thinking Nugget execs put Mumbo in the Celebrity Showroom for the Christmas twist of the season. A positively massive show—650

delirious Mumboheads, stompin’ up a storm the likes of which it is safe to say has rarely, if ever, been seen in the Ascuagatorium.

Word from the Nugget is that there may be more on the way, probably in the underused Rose Ballroom. Already set up for a concert in Febru ary, one Pepsi-swilling soul man by the name of Ray Charles. Should be interesting

The Reno Hilton brought us one great evening with the Neville Brothers in the Ziegfeld Show room, and by the time you read this, the Nevs will have no doubt torn it up again with another Zigg show this past Saturday.

The Hilton also had a pretty good summer with their “Loud music in the parking lot” series of concerts, featuring a lot of bands who are either (a) Southern rock giants, or (b) classic rock giants. Not exactly trail-blazing stuff, but stacks of mon ey were made on just about every show, I think.

That’s pretty much the ‘93 good music recap as it pertains to area slot shacks. Next week, the same review type treatment given to any what ever that’s not a casino, and the great shows they put on in the last year.

UPFRONT

Local clerics: AI needs a code of ethics

A group of Northern Nevada religious leaders are proposing that morality and ethics should be built into artificial intelligence before robotic thinking harms humans.

Rajan Zed of Reno, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism and member of the Nevada Interfaith Association, noted that if AI results in machines having consciousness, a serious theological issue emerges: “An urgent and honest global conver sation is needed (with religions as the major partner) before the self-aware machines become game changers and reshape humanity,” Zed wrote.

Self-aware machines have long been the stuff of science fiction—and those stories usually don’t end well. Movies including The Terminator predict a future in which computers, like Fran kenstein’s monster, eventually turn on their hapless creators. As artificial in telligence systems evolve, the religious leaders say, science fiction is becoming science fact.

Carlos Mariscal, an associate phi losophy professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, noted that AI is creat ed by humans who can’t avoid being influenced by their own biases, even unknowingly. For example, in 2015, Google’s photo service mistakenly labeled photos of a Black software developer and his friend as “gorillas.” In 2016, Microsoft’s AI Twitter chatbot, touted as a “friendly robot,” apparently learned to be a Nazi misogynist within 24 hours of interacting with humans. It generated tweets that included “Hitler was right; I hate the Jews,” with anoth er tweet railing against “feminists, who should all die and burn in hell.”

Scientists note that AI will never be objective, because it will absorb the biases of its programmers and the wider community that interacts with its algorisms. Building ethics into programs is no easy task. So far, such attempts have generated contradicto ry and often illogical results.

Still, it’s worth trying, and it’s import ant to have different people involved in creating ethics for AI, Mariscal said.

“There should be religious leaders; there should be policymakers; there should be philosophers—and everybody that might be impacted,” he said.

—Lynn Lazaro

A community initiative

Karma Box Project founder Grant Denton works on other programs to help the unsheltered

Grant Denton, known as the “Karma Box guy” in the Truckee Meadows, has expe rienced life on the streets firsthand. Once homeless, a drug addict and in and out of jail, Denton has learned valuable lessons about life and how to survive—and his experiences inform the projects he creates to help unsheltered people.

Now sober, employed and a father, Den ton is on a mission to help others get off the streets and back to a better life. Public offi cials say he brings a keen understanding of street culture and the difficulties of escaping homelessness to the table.

The Karma Box Project, a network of containers placed around the city, was his baby, and like a responsible parent, Denton has allowed the mature program to go out into the world to make its own way. The boxes, in various sizes—including some former Reno News & Review newspaper boxes—are decorated and filled with essen tials like one-use toiletries and snacks. The cadre of containers is now maintained by community organizations and individuals.

“It’s a community initiative now,” Denton said.

The original boxes placed by Denton have been joined by others. Darlene Martensen of Stead started her own project in September 2020 after seeing long lines of cars waiting in line at food pantries

“I thought, ‘I can do something about this,’” she said.

After repurposing some donated dressers with shelves, she put them out on her street with a few cans of food and the Karma Box sign: “If it’s empty, fill it. If you need it, it’s yours.”

She was shocked at the response. “It just took off,” she said. Her post on Facebook drew more than 800 comments. She partnered with a neigh bor who serves the Sky Vista area. Donations soared. A truck donated for a week by U-Haul was filled to capacity with food and items for the victims of the Caldor Fire, she said.

“People want to help but don’t know how,” Martensen said.

Safe Camp: tents near the shelter

With the Karma Boxes in good hands, Denton’s energies are now directed toward several emerg

BY JANICE HOKE

ing programs that also help unsheltered people: Safe Camp, River Stewards, Street Keepers, Karma Krib and GRIT.

Denton decided to start Safe Camp, a temporary camp next to the Washoe County shelter, after he spent a week one summer under the Wells Avenue bridge, getting to know the people who lived there. “You have to be there constantly to develop relationships of trust and rapport,” he said.

When Washoe County and city governments acquired the Governor’s Bowl Park in 2021, a temporary camp site was established there. Tents, sleeping bags and cots were provided for homeless who did not want to live in the large communal shelter. “We learned that tents were not sustainable for winter,” Denton said. “We learned the complexities of staying warm.”

To provide warmer—and more secure—shel ters, Washoe County purchased 52 modular “pods,” or “mod pods,” small one-room struc tures with a bed, heating and air conditioning, electricity, lights and, most importantly, a door with a lock.

While the current 45 occupants of the mod pods are in a safer place now, the organizers are working to get them to make further moves to self-sufficiency, Denton said. “This is a spring board, not a permanent solution,” he said.

A referral from partner agencies is required for those seeking to live at Safe Camp, said Bethany Drysdale, Washoe County media and communications manager. Occupants must agree to work with a county case worker to create a path to permanent housing.

Drysdale said Denton has been involved from the beginning of the pilot program and was hired as an emergency contractor. His nonprofit, the Karma Box Project, won the bid to manage the facility, and he now oversees the day-to-day operations of Safe Camp. Karma Box Project has 13 staff members and is funded by Washoe County and the city of Reno, with support from the city of Sparks.

“He is an invaluable partner,” Drysdale said. “He brings his personal knowledge and expertise.”

Workforce development

Denton also leads two programs that bring two to four homeless volunteers per day, recruited from a shelter or off the streets, into the commu nity on supervised work assignments.

River Stewards clean up trash along the Truckee River, and Street Keepers do cleanup

A well-stocked Karma Box at Anchor Point in Stead. Photo/Janice Hoke

work at abandoned camps in the city and along the railroad tracks. A notable site is the “Rabbit Hole” along McCarran Boulevard near the Truckee River in Sparks, where the crews col lected 187 cubic yards of trash over two weeks.

“We look for people who want to work but who have forgotten their work ethic,” Denton said.

The workers receive Karma Box cash gift cards. It’s immediate gratification and a chance to see other places besides the shelter or street environments.

A successful journey out of homelessness and drug addiction requires a hybrid approach. The first step is housing. The next steps lead to a job, a life free of drugs, and self-sufficiency. Those steps require a lot of support, Denton said.

Temporary housing

A new hybrid program, in partnership with the Veterans Guest House of Reno, is called Karma Krib by Denton, but is officially named Healthy Home by the Guest House. The house provides a home and wraparound services tailored to peo ple who are just out of a shelter or a mod pod.

The brand-new program welcomed its first two occupants on Aug. 12, said Sylvia DuBeau, CEO of Veterans Guest House. “It’s a momand-pop atmosphere,” she said. Residents must clean up after themselves, fix their own meals if hungry, and make their own beds.

“What we find in the chronically homeless often are severe, adverse childhood experienc es,” she said, and creating a homelike environ ment teaches responsibility and stability.

The pilot program is not a “forever home,” but a temporary step to becoming self-sufficient. Rent is not charged until the resident gains employment, and even then, the rent is lower than market price.

A new program next year will help men in centers for mental illness and drug treatment who have been excluded from normal life, Denton said.

Called GRIT for Grow, Refine, Integrate and Thrive, the program will transport partici

pants weekly for 12 weeks to gymnasiums and wellness centers, recreation activities, nutrition classes and a day of volunteer work. Program partners include Life Changes Inc., Battle Born Housing Plus, Ridge House, Silver Summit, Redirect Athletics and Bristlecone Family Resources.

Helping unsheltered people

What is needed in Karma Boxes during the summer: water, sunscreen, socks and sun hats. In the winter: knit wool caps, gloves, socks, space blankets or light blankets, rolled up to preserve space in the box.

Always needed are one-use hygiene items like toothbrushes and small tubes of toothpaste (no large bottles or multi-item packs), tampons, nonperishable foods (preferably in pop-top containers), individual snacks, bars and ramen. Break apart and package items individually.

Not advised: money, books, mini-bottles of alcohol, large bottles or cans, and packages of multiple pairs of socks (roll up each pair of socks to preserve space). Books belong in Little Free Library boxes rather than Karma Boxes.

Reporting damage to www.karmaboxproject. org may not get immediate attention. If the box is damaged, neighbors are welcome to repair it themselves.

Other ways to help: Donate $20 Walmart gift cards as incentives for workforce development programs. Donations for the temporary housing program, including bed linens, clothes and toiletries, may be arranged through the Veterans Guest House; call 775-324-6958.

Log onto the www.karmaboxproject.org website, and leave a message for Grant Denton, or send a message through the Facebook page. He will arrange for pickup. Monetary donations may be made at www.karmaboxproject.org.

Small donations may be put into the boxes at anytime.

Box locations can be closed on short notice, and the online map on www.RenoNR.com, on Facebook or at www.karmaboxproject.org may not reflect closures.

A row of “Karma Krib” pods at the city’s homeless shelter campus. Photo courtesy of Washoe County

Governing higher education

A professor and an education advocate vie for a regents’ seat

A businessman with experience on statewide education-related panels and a college profes sor who has been an administrator are facing off for the open seat representing Northern Nevada on the Nevada Board of Regents.

The District 11 seat on the board is now held by Jason Geddes, who is termed out. The district encompasses Humboldt and Pershing counties and part of Washoe County. The 13-person panel governs Nevada’s public colleges, including the University of Nevada, Reno, and Truckee Meadows Community College. Here’s a look at the District 11 candidates in the Nov. 8 election.

Steve Laden, 61, is retired from a 32-year career in the financial services industry. He is a former board member and past president of the Education Alliance of Washoe County and a member of the State of Nevada Council to Establish Academic Standards. Laden, who has lived in Nevada for 37 years, is married with one son and a granddaughter. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Laden described himself as an education advocate who would bring more than 30 years of business experience to the board, which oversees a $1.8 billion operations budget plus another $400 million from student fees. Laden noted that he hasn’t worked at a higher education institution, so he doesn’t have “any political goals or potential conflicts of interest. I want nothing more than to support students who want to learn and the people who want to teach and support that endeavor.”

His business background, Laden said, taught him to be always open to new ideas, and to figure out if implementing them would result in “a more positive and contemporary direction.” Next year, the board will have to hire a new chancellor for the Nevada System of Higher Education; that will be the board’s third chancellor search since 2020. Chancel lor Melody Rose, who had served in the po sition for 19 months and was often in conflict with the regents, resigned in April. The board gave her $610,000 in severance pay.

“We need to re-evaluate the chancellor po sition’s job description and title,” Laden said.

“The chancellor is there to administer the will of the board and provide feedback to the board, but the institution presidents report to the board, not the chancellor.”

Laden said the board needs to forge a better relationship with the Legislature, which holds the purse strings for higher-education operation budgets. “We need a cohesive and forward-think ing board that actually has a strategic plan, and then hires a chancellor and university presidents who are also on board with the plan,” he said. “Then we have to communicate what the system of higher education is and what it means to our students, faculty and all of the stakeholders.”

Passing a law allowing people to carry concealed weapons on campus, a proposal that regularly surfaces at the Legislature, was among the topics included in the Nevada Faculty Alliance questionnaire for regents’ candidates. “I firmly oppose carrying guns on campus,” Laden said. “We have uniformed, armed police on our campuses and escort services supplied by student government. … I don’t believe concealed weapons should be allowed on campus. It scares me to have people who are not trained and not knowledgeable (about firearms) and maybe not emotionally ready to be carrying deadly weapons on campus. It makes no sense to me.”

Although his opponent promotes his university job as a positive factor, Laden said having a col lege employee on the higher-education governing board creates a conflict of interest. “On top of that, (Jeffrey Downs) is heading up the collective bargaining for faculty and professional staff at Western Nevada College, so to me the conflict is not just self-evident—it’s gigantic,” Laden said. “So the question is, if he were elected, how many votes would he be forced to abstain on, and there fore not fully be able to represent our district?”

Laden is endorsed by Regent Jason Geddes, the District 11 incumbent; Nevada State Sen. Heidi Gansert, a former regent; and more than two doz en local educators and education advocates.

Jeffrey Downs, 51, is a community college professor; the interim vice president of student success and support services at Western Nevada College; and a visiting lecturer at UNR. He also is the Nevada Faculty Alliance chapter president for Western Nevada College.

Downs moved to Nevada in 2000 and is married with three children. He holds a bach

| BY FRANK X. MULLEN

elor’s degree from California State University, San Bernardino, and a master’s from California State University, Fullerton; he’s currently a doctorate candidate at Liberty University.

If he wins, Downs would be the first faculty member on the board since University of Nevada, Reno, professor Howard Rosenberg was elected to the panel in 1996. Hav ing a faculty member on the board, Downs said, gives the panel a perspective on faculty concerns. “It’s important to have that voice on the board, even if it’s just one out of 13; it’s more presence than just (relying on) public comment,” he said.

When the board is handling issues that may present a conflict with his position as a system employee, Downs said he will “do whatever the legal counsel recommends I do,” including recus ing himself from voting on a given issue.

In searching for a new chancellor, Downs said the board needs to find a person who will build a positive relationship with the Legislature and work well with the board. “It’s a demanding job,” he said.

The board, he said, needs to restore its relation ship with state lawmakers. “Over the past decade, the once-cooperative and collaborative working partnership has deteriorated significantly,” he said. “ … We need a change of direction and representatives who are willing to put the past issues aside and restore that partnership with the Legislature that we once had.”

Downs said he would work to build better relationships between the education system and businesses. “Part of that is incorporating into our curriculum the things that businesses like Tesla and Panasonic, for example, want in their future employees,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we have to abandon any principles we now have in our programs, but to hone in on the things that make our product—our students—better suited for what (businesses) are after.”

He also favors creating more certificate pro grams to augment the degree tracks. “Get them into the workforce in meaningful ways,” he said.

Unlike Laden, Downs supports allowing peo ple who hold concealed-weapons permits to carry guns on campus, which would require a change in state law. “Ninety-four percent of shootings occur in gun-free zones,” he said. “These gunfree zones create a target-rich environment for people who want to do harm. Even if no one carries, the possibility of it is what makes (the campus) less attractive to shooters. It would be nice if the Legislature would give people the opportunities to defend themselves.”

Downs, who has worked on collective bar gaining agreements at Western Nevada College, is endorsed by the National Republican Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Nevada Building Trades union, and the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council; he also has an Iron Workers Statewide Endorsement.

A haunting we will go

Spooky season materializes in Northern Nevada

It’s fitting that Nevada is known as a particularly haunted region: The Silver State entered the Union on Halloween Day in 1864 and is home to hundreds of historic cemeteries, abandoned mines, ghost towns—and spooky stories.

“Even our governor’s mansion is haunt ed,” said Janice Oberding, author of more than 30 books about ghosts, haunted sites and history in Nevada and across the West.

Oberding, who has been called the “First Lady of Haunted Nevada,” said the area near the old courthouse on Virginia Street where the original bridge spanned the Truckee Riv er in 1859 (the site of a lynching in 1891) is arguably the most haunted spot in Reno. The city also boasts old mansions and homes, cemeteries and sites where lurid crimes were committed—which now host their share of specters, she said.

Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Nevada’s rural areas and, of course, Virginia City, also have a plethora of paranormal tales. Some loca tions offer historical tours and ghost hunts, both in October and throughout the year.

“Ghosts thrive in Nevada,” Oberding said. “You don’t have to believe to take a tour; you can just enjoy the stories.”

Tales of visitations from beyond the grave go back to ancient times, but this county’s fascination with the spirit world accelerated after the Civil War, when virtually every family lost relatives on battlefields or from disease, said Carson City-based historian

and author Ron James. In the 19th century, he said, people were more concerned about the recent dead than with exploring haunted places. Spiritualists attempted to summon the departed souls at séances, a popular pastime.

As new buildings aged, stories about haunt ing, usually by anonymous spirits, proliferated. “By the 20th century, every neighborhood had its haunted house,” James said. Places like Vir ginia City, where Victorian buildings have been preserved, became epicenters of the paranormal.

“There’s the apparition of the little crying girl seen in various places, and the parlor maid who appears in others,” James said. Some Virginia City specters are associated with disembodied voices or even smells. The scent of cigar smoke heralds the presence of William, a ghost who stalks the Gold Hill Hotel, and of John Piper, who is said to sit in on opening night perfor mances at Piper’s Opera House.

No one can pinpoint how those tales origi nated, but some stories about Comstock spirits were created relatively recently. James cited the example of the Fourth Ward School, where the museum director playfully invented the tale of Suzette, the ghost of a little girl, as a Halloween story for young visitors. The name may come from a story published in 1994, about a female hitchhiker in 19th-century dress who asked to be dropped off at the school—and then vanished. These dual Suzettes, adult and child, are ce mented into Comstock lore. They are entwined, yet distinct, James said. Other Comstock spec ters also share versions of stories and locations.

The Virginia City cemetery is a ghosthunter’s haven. Photo/David Robert

“In Virginia City, you can literally touch the past,” he said. “And that’s a great place for ghost stories and ghost-hunting. … It’s a lot of fun, obviously.”

‘Mischievous, not malicious’

Debbie Bender, who operates Bats in the Belfry, which offers ghost tours of Virginia City, noted that the town, with its Victorian buildings, mines and numerous cemeteries, “is considered one of the most haunted locations in the country.” The berg’s most haunted location, Bender said, is The Washoe Club, a saloon and hotel which also houses a “haunted museum.”

Paranormal experiences at The Washoe Club, she said, “run the gamut,” including full-body apparitions, objects that move by themselves, disembodied voices and other eerie experiences. Both that building and other Virginia City land marks have been featured on Ghost Adventures and other cable TV programs. Some of the folks on Bender’s tours are veteran ghost hunters or true believers; others are there to see the historic sites and hear the stories.

“It’s so cool when people who are skeptical have an experience on the tour,” Bender said. “Some walk away as believers.”

Her advice for participants: “Come with an open mind, and take a lot of pictures. You never know when you are going to take a picture at just that right time and catch something really cool.”

Susan Bernard, who leads ghost walks at the old Nevada State Prison in Carson City, said the Civil War-era lockup is fertile ground for paranormal activities. Both daytime history tours and after-dark ghost walks are offered by the nonprofit Nevada State Prison Preservation Society, which is always looking for volunteers to help with the tours and maintenance of the building.

“At night, we do give people a little history, but we focus on the paranormal side of the pris on,” said Bernard, whose interest in ghost-hunt ing goes back to 1985, and who founded the Shadow Seekers of Nevada ghost-hunting group in 2008. “We also have investigators who come to the prison and collect evidence (of haunt ing). We have had all kinds of stuff going on, including on video. We see and hear things a lot. …The old execution chamber is one of the highlights of the tour.”

Some tour participants have seen apparitions or heard disembodied voices, she said. Others have reported being touched when no one else is near. The prison spirits are more mischie vous than malicious. “They seem to enjoy whispering, touching and interacting (with people),” she said.

| BY FRANK X. MULLEN

In Carson City, the 29th annual Ghost Walk on Oct. 22, has tours leaving every 30 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those treks are led by “Madame Curry,” a spirit in Victorian costume who shares “firsthand knowledge” of the city’s haunted happenings. The tales include a bride who played hide-an-seek on her wedding day and vanished—but was found years later, rotting inside a trunk. The 1.5-mile walks, which include indoor tours and performances at some of the stops, begin at McFadden Square on Curry Street and wind through the city to the Mark Twain house, the Brewery Arts Center, the Nevada Governor’s Mansion and other historic sites.

Tours, walks and séances can provide a pathway to the paranormal, but sometimes folks meet ghosts in the course of their daily lives.

Dr. Jack Sutton, a Reno optometrist and host of the popular Nevada Backroads series on KTVN Channel 2 since 1984, had a brush with the supernatural while preparing a story about Virginia City’s Chollar Mansion. He and his wife, Jenny, were staying at the Victorian house when he got out of bed to visit the bathroom.

“At about 2 a.m., I saw a little girl in a white dress standing in the hallway,” Sutton recalled. “I called Jenny, and as we were looking at the girl, she just faded away. … When we asked (the management) about it, we were told it was a girl who died of cholera” in the 1800s.

“So that’s my ghost story.”

Where to gather ghouls

Carson City Ghost Walk tickets for Saturday, Oct. 22, tours can be purchased at Purplepass online or by calling 775-348-6279. Details: Car soncityghostwalk.com

Bats in the Belfry offers guided ghost tours through historic Virginia City, from April through October. Details: www.virginiacityghosttours.com or by calling 775-815-1050.

Nevada State Prison ghost walk and day tour information can be found at nevadastateprison.org/tours and at www.facebook.com/nspparanormal.

Truckee Meadows Community College/EPIC offers many classes related to the paranormal throughout the year, including “The Ghosts of Virginia City,” on Oct. 15, taught by Janice Oberding. Details at 775-8299010 and www.TMCC.edu/epic.

More information about local ghost tours can be found at www. eventbrite.com/d/nv--reno/ghost-tour. Information about haunted sites can be found at www.visitrenotahoe.com

Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For October, 2022

This

October skies

There’s a whole lot of retrograding going on this month

In October 2022, all of the other planets of our solar system, except for Venus, appear to move retrograde, or backward/westward, against the starry background, for at least part of the month: Mercury, only until Oct. 2— much to the relief of friends who are devotees of astrology—and Saturn, in Capricornus until Oct. 22.

Mars is in Taurus beginning on Oct. 30, while all month, Jupiter is in Pisces; Uranus is in Aries; and Neptune is in Aquarius.

A planet appears to move retrograde when Earth overtakes it, or it overtakes Earth, al ways surrounding the dates when Earth and the other planet are on the same side of the sun and closest to each other. For the outer planets—Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—retrograde motion is centered on the date of opposition, when the planet appears 180° from the sun and is visible all night. For inner planets Mercury and Venus,

retrograde occurs surrounding inferior conjunc tion, when the planet passes between Earth and the sun.

During October, Venus passes superior con junction, on the far side of the sun, so it’s not moving retrograde.

Evening attractions: Brilliant Jupiter, magni tude -2.9 to -2.8, and Saturn, magnitude +0.5 to +0.6, adorn the southeast quarter of the sky at dusk. Saturn is 44° to the upper right of Jupiter on Oct. 1, decreasing to 41° by the 31st. Most of the change occurs because Jupiter retrogrades 3.3° against the faint background of Pisces, the Fishes, this month. The waxing gibbous moon appears near Saturn on Oct. 4 and 5, and near Jupiter on Oct. 7 and 8.

On Oct. 1, Saturn is within 1° east-northeast of the 4.3-magnitude star Iota in Capricornus. Sat urn ends retrograde on Oct. 22, 0.6° east-north east of 4.3-magnitude Iota Cap, and begins a slow return toward 2.9-magnitude Delta Cap,

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

marking the end of the tail of the Sea-goat, 5.4° to Saturn’s east.

Ranking in brightness next after Jupiter in the early evening sky are golden Arcturus, sinking in the west to west-northwest, and blue-white Vega, overhead to very high in the west-northwest. Mars outshines these stars, but it rises, far north of east, not until nearly four hours after sunset on Oct. 1, and nearly three hours after on Oct. 31.

Using binoculars, look for Neptune’s Dipper, six stars of magnitude 4.4 to 5.9, less than 5.3° in extent. This compact asterism consists of these stars: 20, 24, 27, 29, 33, 30 in Pisces, midway between Iota Ceti and the Circlet of Pisces. (The star field appears on Chart 4 of Sky and Tele scope’s Pocket Sky Atlas. )

Useful for locating Neptune from 2022 to 2025, this asterism is now southwest to south (to the right) of Jupiter at nightfall, by 3.7° to 6.6° on Oct. 1, closing to 1.4° to 4.4° on Oct. 31. In October, Neptune is 2.8° to 3.5° west-southwest of 5.5-magnitude 20 Psc, northernmost star of the asterism, at the end of the handle of the “Dipper.”

On Oct. 22, 7.8-magnitude Neptune passes 8-9 arcminutes south-southeast of a 7.2-magnitude star, HIP116402, so don’t be fooled! On Oct. 28, a line from Jupiter, west to 20 Psc, 3.5° long, extended its own length, locates 7.8-magnitude Neptune.

Predawn attractions: Having our clocks re main on daylight saving time makes predawn sky-watching very attractive in October!

Starting very low in the east in morning twi light, Mercury emerges quickly, brightening a full magnitude, from +1.2 to +0.2, from Oct. 1-4. Mercury climbs higher until October 8-9, when it reaches greatest elongation, 18° from the sun, its best predawn showing this year, while bright ening even further, to magnitude -0.5. Jupiter can be spotted low in the west in morning twilight early in month, but it sets 4 to 5 minutes earlier each day, from one hour before sunup on Oct. 8, to three hours before on the 31st. Mars gleams at magnitude -0.6 to -1.2 high in the southwest quadrant of the sky all month, against the beauti ful backdrop of Taurus, the Bull.

Venus, ending its reign as morning “star,” rises in the east just 27 minutes before sunup on Oct. 1. Sinking into even brighter twilight, Venus passes superior conjunction, on far side of the sun, on Oct. 22. In December, Venus will emerge into the southwestern evening sky, joining all the other planets. The departure of Venus and Jupiter from the morning sky in October leaves the twin kling blue-white Dog Star, Sirius, in the southern sky at magnitude -1.4, as the brightest morning star until red Mars exceeds it in November.

The waning moon passes through Taurus Oct.

| BY ROBERT VICTOR

13-15: Look about an hour before sunrise, before twilight brightens much, to catch the moon 4° from the Pleiades cluster on Oct. 13; and 10° from Aldebaran, eye of the Bull, on Oct. 13 and 14; and 5° to 6° from Mars on Oct. 15. Continu ing eastward through the zodiac, the last quarter moon, half full, passes only 2° south of Pollux in Gemini on Oct. 17. The other twin, Castor, is 4.5° from Pollux. On Oct. 13-16, Spaceship Earth is headed approximately in the direction of these two stars: 10° south of Castor on Oct. 13, and 7° south of Pollux on Oct. 16.

On Oct. 20, the moon appears in Leo, within 5° of Regulus, the Lion’s heart. Use a telescope to watch one of Leo’s stars get occulted. From Reno, the lower, leading sunlit edge of the cres cent moon covers the 3.5-mag star Eta in Leo at 3:48 a.m., and the upper, trailing dimly earthlit edge of the moon uncovers the star at 4:56 a.m. Just four days later, on Oct. 24, the moon occults Mercury. At morning mid-twilight, from Reno, 43 minutes before sunrise, or at 6:35 a.m., the very thin 1 percent crescent moon is less than 2 degrees above the horizon, with Mercury, shining at magnitude -1.1, hovering very closely below it. Mercury disappears behind the sunlit lower right edge of the moon shortly before 6:44 a.m., 35 minutes before sunrise. The event will be visible through binoculars or a telescope for those who keep track of the moon and Mercury until then.

Mars goes east 5.4° against the stars Oct. 1-30. On the latter date, the red planet commences 74 days of retrograde (westward) motion, ending Jan. 12, 2023. A chart depicting nearly all of Mars’ 7.5-month visit to Taurus, from early Au gust 2022 to late March 2023, including its retro grade motion, appeared with last month’s column at RenoNR.com.

In October, watch Mars drift between Bull’s horns. The tips of the horns, nearly 8° apart, are marked by 1.7-magnitude Beta Tauri and 3.0-magnitude Zeta. On Oct. 14, Mars passes 5.7° south of Beta; on Oct 18, 2.2° north of Zeta (least separations). On the morning of Oct. 17, in the first of three passes between tips of the horns, Mars is 5.7° from Beta and 2.2° from Zeta. On the morning of Oct. 30, Mars begins retrograde 2.7° north-northeast of Zeta. Mars will peak at magnitude -1.9 between its closest approach to Earth on Nov. 30 and its opposition and all-night visibility on Dec 7.

Sky Calendar includes illustrations of many of the events described in this article. To subscribe or to view a sample issue, visit www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

Robert Victor originated the Abrams Plane tarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally, including the October and December 2022 editions. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the wonders of the night sky.

Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller

Petroglyphs, ruins, peace

Feel remote while exploring nearby Lagomarsino Canyon

As the weather cools, it’s the perfect time to get out and enjoy the beautiful desert landscape around Reno. There is no shortage of trails to explore, but getting away from the crowds can be challenging on nice weekend afternoons. One of my favorite local hikes off the beaten track, where crowds are never a concern, is a scenic out-and-back just east of town, south of Lockwood: Lagomarsino Canyon.

By using a free app like AllTrails, you can download a trail map and plug in directions before you leave home. (Be sure to do so in advance, as cell service is not available in Lagomarsino Canyon.) Getting to the trailhead is quick and easy: Heading east on Interstate 80 out of Reno, Lockwood is one of the first exits you’ll come across, about 5 miles past Sparks. After driving through this small community, Canyon Way becomes a gravel road. It’s well-maintained, though, as Waste Management trucks access the Lockwood Landfill nearby. A little more than three miles from I-80 is a gravel area where you can pull off and park to explore Lagomarsino Canyon.

The trail, located on the east side of the Virginia Range that borders Reno’s

Hidden Valley, heads southeast up the canyon at a gentle climb. Since it’s not a particularly trafficked route, the trail frequently splits into multiple footpaths that crisscross the drainage.

Plan on spending a little extra time wayfinding and choosing your footing carefully, as this meandering route crosses loose rocks and sometimes even seems to peter out in the vegetation; it’s often ravaged and changed by rain storms, wildlife and other adventurers. At times, it can feel as though you’ve lost the trail completely—and then you’ll spot it emerging on the other side of the gully, always heading gradually up the back of the canyon.

The Lagomarsino Canyon trail is not a loop, but you can turn back at any time and easily follow the canyon back down to your car.

Depending on recent weather conditions, there can be little pools of water, small wetland oases and even, at times, a full stream (Long Valley Creek) that provide homes for frogs, snails and aquatic insects. Classic northern Nevada desertdwellers like fence lizards and rattlesnakes can occasionally be spotted sunning themselves on rocks. Near dusk, bats wake up nearby and take flight to catch their insect dinners. Mule deer, coyotes and wild horses also periodically inhabit the canyon, so keep your eyes open for them, or

| BY MAGGIE NICHOLS

The Lagomarsino Canyon trail is not a loop, but you can turn back at any time and easily follow the canyon back down to your car.

Photo/Maggie Nichols

signs that they’ve been there.

Remnants of former human occupation can be spotted along the route as well, with crumbling stone structures tucked against the sides of the canyon and nearly hidden under trees. Let your imagination run wild as you spy fragments of daily life, like rusted cans and old bottles. Just remember your Leave No Trace principles—leave what you find—as human refuse older than 50 years is now considered historical artifacts and should remain in place. Large, sprawling trees offer spots of scattered shade, and thick stands of willows cluster around water, sometimes obscuring the trail.

If you manage to make your way nearly 5 miles up Lagomarsino Canyon, a short scramble up the side of the gully puts you in front of a 12,000-year-old petroglyph site. This impressive area holds thousands of recorded pieces of rock art and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.

From the parking lot to the petroglyph site and back is about 10 miles round trip. Regardless of how far you decide to sightsee up the trail before turning back, you’re likely to have the space to yourself—or close to it. Though it’s so close to Reno, this remote canyon is infrequently visited and feels farther from civilization than it is, due to its lack of cell service and amenities.

For those looking for more things to check out in the area—and maybe even an added challenge—there is a mosaic of trails crisscrossing this area of the Virginia Range. Though many of these trails are little maintained, with some intensive planning, honed navigation skills and the right gear for the journey, you can go from Damonte Ranch or Hidden Valley in eastern Reno to the Lagomarsino Canyon or the south end of Lockwood. Any of these demanding routes range from about 10 to more than 20 miles, often winding thousands of feet up, through and over the Virginia Range. A more approachable, family-friendly adventure nearby is viewing the Stone House ruins just down the road from the Lagomarsino Canyon trailhead.

When planning your trip, keep in mind that Lagomarsino Canyon is subject to a wide fluctuation in conditions based on recent rainfall. Don’t go if rain has fallen recently (within the last few days) or may fall while you’ll be in the canyon, as precipitation can cause extremely treacherous and frequently dangerous conditions.

A dry fall day at the end of a sunny week is the ideal time to explore this hidden gem. Happy hiking!

Reno conservative activist Robert Beadles, while a guest on a podcast hosted by Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon, laid out his vision for a new political landscape in Washoe County and the nation.

“You know, the left … and these RINOs (Republicans in name only), they’re really scared of Trump, but what they should be scared of is like 25 to a hundred million little Trump 2.0s running around the country,” he said during Bannon’s Oct. 15, 2021, War Room episode. “… We need to do, like, a peaceful purge, you know, bringing in American Firsters. You know, we need to take back our votes. We need to take back our school boards.”

Beadles, who moved to Reno from California in 2019, put the Washoe County School Board on notice 10 days later during the panel’s public-comment period. “God has blessed me,” he said. “I have a shit-ton of money, and I’m going to do everything I fucking can to remove all of you.” He had a similar message for the Washoe County Commission at its March 8, 2022, meeting: “I have no problem spending millions of dollars to replace you all. I have no problem doing, it because we’ve got to get our county back.”

Since then, Beadles, who now sits on the Washoe County Republican Central Committee, and his company, Coral Bay, have contributed more than $600,000 to his political action committees—the Franklin Project and Operation Sunlight—and to candidates for local and statewide offices, according to campaign-finance reports from the Nevada Secretary of State. He also funded two unsuccessful recall efforts against local officials. He’s alleged that there are “40,000 more votes than voters” in Washoe County, a claim county officials determined was baseless after an investigation.

A county spokesperson told the Reno Gazette-Journal that “we can only surmise that (Beadles) did not understand the data he requested.”

After the June primary, the California native paid for a statewide vote recount, filed and/or financed several election-fraud-related lawsuits (which so far have been dismissed), and has been regularly lambasting local election officials, officeholders and candidates on his blog, OperationSunlight.com. In this campaign cycle, Beadles said, he has made contributions to about 50 candidates.

He is just getting started.

“I’ll spend millions and then spend millions more,” Beadles said in an interview with the Reno News & Review conducted via Zoom.

His supporters say he is a champion, fighting against corrupt, left-wing politicians and “RINOS.” His critics, as Beadles told Reno businessman Mike Bosma on his “Bosma on Business” podcast, see him as a right-wing “wackdoodle”—or worse.

“His political currency is misinformation and false narratives,” said Don Vetter, of Vetter PR, who worked on Wendy Leonard’s unsuccessful primary bid for a seat on the Washoe County Commission. Beadles’ PAC sent out mailers asking if Leonard was “taking drug money” to finance her campaign.

Other primaryelection campaign mailers from his PACs accused candidates of racism, having an affair, supporting “totalitarianism,” taking bribes and extorting people.

“I guess what he doesn’t understand is that (misinformation) can damage lives,” Vetter said.

“He comes into this community and offers no solutions, no positives. He tears people down

and brings the national culture-wars stuff to the forefront. That overwhelms the discussion. So many important issues get forgotten. It’s some crazy stuff, but a lot of it has traction.”

Beadles characterizes himself as a truthteller and a catalyst for positive change.

“People think I’m right wing; I’m the furthest thing from it,” he said. “My great uncle is Ben Franklin. I’m a constitutionalist. I just think we should have limited government. I think we should have God-fearing, constitutional people in office who look out for we, the people, (instead of) themselves and their buddies.”

ROBERT DALE BEADLES, 45, came to Reno from Lodi, Calif., in 2019, although he sometimes says he has been a Reno resident for 27 years. He got married in the Biggest Little City in 1995 and visited often after that. “I just made it official in 2019,” he said.

Beadles and his wife, Nicole, have been together since they were 14.

“We married when we were 17, and we didn’t have much,” he said. “Welfare, food stamps, that was us. God’s been great to us. Basically, I just built up a lot of different businesses, sold some, and started buying real estate.”

He started a construction-services company and later founded several software companies. “As the software companies started bringing in profits, I just started buying more and more real estate,” he said. “… I’ve invented a ton of different things that are being used all over the place. I buy assets, not liabilities. All these different spokes are what holds (my) wheel together.”

In 2009, Beadles published a book, Here’s What You Do! Your Economic Survival Guide. The volume’s introduction, entitled “Conspiracy Theory,” describes the imminent

“ People think I’m right wing; I’m the furthest thing from it. My great uncle is Ben Franklin. I’m a constitutionalist. I just think we should have limited government. I think we should have God-fearing, constitutional people in office who look out for we the people (instead of) themselves and their buddies. ”

— Robert Beadles, Political Activist

photo by David Robert

collapse of the economy caused by entrenched, dark forces, including the false, anti-Semitic trope that “the Rothschild family secretly runs this world,” according to “theorists.” He predicted the crash of the dollar and counseled readers to buy gold, invest in real estate and apply for government grants, loans and subsidies. In addition, he recommended that people have a year’s supply of food, guns and ammo available “just in case.”

Beadles ended the chapter by noting that he doesn’t agree or disagree with the conspiracy theories he described, because, “I have no proof, nor do the conspiracy theorists that make such claims. After all, a good conspiracy theory is one without proof; otherwise, it would be fact. You can take this with a grain of salt or heed the unknown and prepare for it.”

Beadles said his advice remains relevant, because the economy is fated to fail.

“Not a question of if; it’s just a question of when,” he said, citing the current inflation rate and other factors. “(It) is a matter of time before the dollar dies. Every currency has died, and every nation has fallen. The track that they’ve put us on is absolutely going to destroy this country.”

In 2010, Beadles was briefly a candidate in the Republican primary for California’s 11th

Congressional District, but he withdrew after a business competitor accused him of stealing highway signs and equipment. No charges were filed, but the experience soured him on running for office, he said.

“I got tricked into putting my toe in to run for Congress,” Beadles said. “I was an idiot. I saw how corrupt it was, and it wasn’t for me.”

He said he realized that he could do more behind the scenes than as a politician. “I can help hundreds of people, amazing people, get into office,” he said.

Beadles said he quietly helped candidates in California, but didn’t get much media attention until he moved to Reno and started shaking up local politics.

“The only reason you know my name is because of all the corruption in this county,” he said. “I don’t want to be doing (political activism). It’s the last thing in the world I want to be doing. ... This is my last-ditch effort to save the country.”

He and his wife bought a $1.6 million home in Reno’s upscale Somersett community. In 2020, the couple purchased 26 properties in Washoe County for a total of $12.6 million, according to the assessor’s office. Those parcels include single-family homes and townhouses. He rents many of those units to low-income people with federal Section 8 housing vouchers, he said, because “it’s a way of giving back, and it also protects the asset, too. They take care of the property. We could make a lot more money, but this is doing the right thing and helping people out.”

Bosma, who interviewed Beadles on his podcast in July, said renting to low-income tenants shows that the multi-millionaire “is a good guy, willing to take time to help people. He’s got a big heart.”

since been removed by YouTube for violating the site’s terms of use.

“YouTube took me down as soon as I started asking questions about the elections in 2020 and about some of the protocols for COVID,” he said. “I had 50,000 subscribers there, and that was deleted. My Twitter and Facebook accounts (also) were deleted.”

counting system, and demand the counting process be stopped if an observer has an issue officials cannot resolve.

In May, Washoe County District Court Judge Egan Walker rejected the proposals, noting there was “no competent evidence” of election problems. The plaintiffs, he said, seemed to want to audit the vote count rather than be observers. “What I have is multiple plaintiffs who filed an unsworn, unverified complaint,” Walker said. He added that the 16 requests were potentially “a substantial invasion in the constitutional right to privacy of every voter in the county” and “would give the plaintiffs the ability to invade the privacy of other voters.”

In 2017, Beadles launched a YouTube channel called “Crypto Beadles” to answer questions about cryptocurrency and its volatile market, he said. He produced hundreds of videos on the channel, which has since been removed by YouTube for violating the site’s terms of use. “YouTube took me down as soon as I started asking questions about the elections in 2020 and about some of the protocols for COVID,” he said. “I had 50,000 subscribers there, and that was deleted. My Twitter and Facebook accounts (also) were deleted.”

In 2017, Beadles launched a YouTube channel called “Crypto Beadles” to answer questions about cryptocurrency and its volatile market, he said. He produced hundreds of videos on the channel, which has

BEADLES SAID he started looking at local elections in January 2021 and “found all kinds of issues.” This year, he backed a proposal by Washoe County Commissioner Jeanne Herman that would have upended the county’s election system. The plan included using paper ballots that would need to be hand-counted, and stationing law enforcement officers at all polling places. Commissioners rejected the proposal in a 4-1 vote in March.

In February, he claimed that data from the county registrar’s office proves there were about 40,000 more votes than voters in the 2020 election. County officials told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the point-in-time data couldn’t be used to determine election turnout, and that an investigation verified there was no evidence of fraud.

In April, Beadles filed a lawsuit against state and county election officials, alleging that election observation in 2020 was inadequate.

The suit listed proposals for more for “meaningful voter observation,” including provisions that would allow election observers to “visually inspect each ballot,” stand within 2 feet of any ballot-

Although he lost the lawsuit, Beadles said he considers the ruling a victory, because the judge ordered “meaningful observation” of the vote counting process. However, Walker was quoting existing Nevada law.

Beadles also paid for a recount for Joey Gilbert, a candidate for governor who lost the Republican primary to Joe Lombardo by more than 26,000 votes. Gilbert had seven fewer votes after the recount. Gilbert, with Beadles’ support, followed up with a lawsuit claiming that an “illegal formula” was used to count votes, asking for a re-run of the election.

Carson City District Court Judge James Wilson in August rejected the proposal, finding that no “competent evidence” was presented by Gilbert to warrant re-doing the election. The lawsuit was based on allegations by an “expert mathematician” that beginning with the 2020 election, “algorithms” have been responsible for switching votes in Nevada and other states.

Nationally, courts have rejected more than 60 lawsuits alleging fraud in the 2020 election.

County registrars, auditors and secretaries of state in Nevada and elsewhere have found no evidence of rigged elections. In November 2020, the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, made up of election officials from across the nation,

“ (Beadles’) political currency is misinformation and false narratives. … He comes into this community and offers no solutions, no positives. He tears people down and brings the national culture wars stuff to the forefront. That overwhelms the discussion. So many important issues get forgotten. It’s some crazy stuff, but a lot of it has traction. ”

— Don Vetter, of Vetter PR in Reno continued on next page

continued from Page 13

issued a joint statement that the 2020 election “was the most secure in American history.”

An unofficial group of political conservatives reiterated the judges’ findings in the lawsuits in a 72-page report, “Lost, Not Stolen: The Conservative Case That Trump Lost and Biden Won the 2020 Presidential Election.” The authors, a group of eight judges and former senators, summarized their investigations into every claim of election fraud presented by Trump and his supporters, including the unfounded allegations of voter fraud in Nevada. “Efforts to thwart the people’s choice are deeply undemocratic and unpatriotic,” the report noted.

Beadles said those who say the elections were free and fair are either corrupt or cowards.

“The evidence speaks for itself. … There’s all the evidence in the world that the election is rigged,” he said. “I can’t explain to you why so many people in positions of power are cowards, why they are refusing to do the right thing.”

Even though the fraud claims have been repeatedly rejected, and the lawsuits have failed, Beadles noted that recent polls show a majority of Americans think that there are problems with election integrity. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 likely voters in August, for example, found that 80% believe the issue of election integrity will be important in this year’s congressional elections. Just 16% don’t think election integrity will be an important issue. Other polls also show widespread concerns about election integrity.

The message that elections are rigged is getting through to the public, even though “the media puts a crooked spin on all this (fraud) stuff, for whatever reason,” Beadles said. Voters, he said, should ignore traditional media outlets, do their own research, and watch documentaries. He suggested viewing “2,000 Mules,” which claims there was widespread and coordinated election fraud in 2020. That film has been repeatedly debunked by mainstream media outlets, nonpartisan fact checkers and numerous technology experts.

“People need to do some of their own due diligence and look into some of these things,” Beadles said, and voters “need to stop listening to people who say there’s no proof and do their own homework.”

the fall because of that,” Lokken said. “People are getting a lot of misinformation from the internet. There’s no firewall anymore other than common sense.”

When faced with a flood of contradictory information, “people can’t figure out what’s true. People are afraid; everything is changing. In times of trouble if you blame somebody, they’ll believe it.”

Lokken said many people “vote without really understanding what’s afoot.” But those active in politics are well aware that repeated lies about election fraud are dangerous. “It’s what gets the so-called RINOs to start voting for moderate Democrats,” he said.

To Beadles, the defection of veteran Republican leaders is further proof of the “swamp” that Trump claimed he would drain when elected president. However, election denial isn’t a “litmus test” for candidates who want his support, he said.

“I tell these people that you need to follow God (and) follow the Constitution; that’s all I’ll ever ask for,” Beadles said. “As far as giving people (campaign contributions), I look at their actions and what kind of personality they have. Typically, they are people who aren’t even politicians. They are just good people from the community who have had enough.”

Before the primary election, Beadles’ PAC sent out mailers asking if Washoe County Commission candidate Wendy Leonard was “taking drug money” to finance her campaign. Other primaryelection campaign mailers from his PACs accused candidates of racism, having an affair, supporting “totalitarianism,” taking bribes and extorting people.

science and department chair of business, political science and history at Truckee Meadows Community College, said people believing disinformation on the internet erodes public confidence in election integrity and weakens our democratic process. Daily newspapers are dissolving, and TV news is not stepping up to really cover local political races, Lokken noted, leaving social media, random blogs and conspiracy theories to fill the gap.

“It’s very possible (fringe candidates) will win some seats in

In Nevada, many prominent Republicans are supporting Democrats in statewide races against election deniers and fringe candidates. For example, 13 Nevada Republicans in July formed a coalition to back Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford in his re-election bid against the GOP nominee, Sigal Chattah, a right-wing candidate who defeated a more-moderate Republican primary contender. Other big-name Republicans are supporting secretary of state candidate Cisco Aguilar against Jim Marchant. Marchant, a conspiracy theorist, is among a national “America First” slate of secretary of state candidates who falsely claim the 2020 election was rigged.

— Fred Lokken TMCC political science professor

He sees the election of such candidates as a panacea: “If we had free and fair elections, you would literally see the landscape change overnight,” he said. “Get these people elected, (and) you would see Nevada become incredible again. You would see lower gas prices, lower food prices. It would be incredible if we had incredible people running things instead of running into the ground. It’s not about money; it’s about getting good, moral, Christian, constitutional-type people into positions of service so we can get back our great state.”

Pete Ernaut, a Republican political consultant and lobbyist, has endorsed Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto over Republican challenger Adam Laxalt, who spread false conspiracy theories even as the ballots were still being counted in 2020. Amy Tarkanian, a former state GOP party chair, has endorsed Democratic state Treasurer Zach Conine over Republican challenger Michele Fiore.

Beadles is undeterred by the legions of experts, officials from both political parties (including many Trump appointees) and the multitude of judges and independent researchers who overwhelmingly reject allegations of election fraud. In one instance, however, Beadles is in agreement with a statement often repeated by his critics.

In reference to tidal wave of sources that reject claims of rigged elections, Beadles said: “I guess if you say a lie often enough, people will accept it as truth.”

“ It’s very possible (fringe candidates) will win some seats in the fall … People are getting a lot of misinformation from the internet. There’s no firewall anymore other than common sense (and) people can’t figure out what’s true. People are afraid; everything is changing. In times of trouble, if you blame somebody, they’ll believe it. ”

| BY JESSICA SANTINA

The fall/ winter arts preview

Packed schedules, at long last, are coming back!

After two years of last-minute show announcements and up-in-the-air production calendars due to COVID-19, local perform ing-arts companies are finally back to planning and announcing full seasons, with several of them bringing back season tickets.

And I do mean full seasons. This fall’s jampacked lineup promises to keep you busy nearly every weekend. You’ll find numerous small, relationship-oriented comedies; thought-provok ing, issue-driven dramas; and a few cherished musicals, not to mention holiday fare, both new and classic.

Despite my best efforts, not every company could be reached, nor did they all provide show information by press time. Be sure to check companies’ websites for schedule and ticketing information.

RENO

Ageless Repertory Theatre

Reno’s only readers’ theater troupe contin ues its tradition of presenting twice-monthly dramatic readings of popular plays on the Reno

Little Theater stage. This fall brings a lineup of dramas dealing with family dynamics and dysfunction.

On Oct. 18 and 21, look for James Sher man’s Relatively Close, about three sisters who return to their summer home on Lake Michigan following their parents’ death to decide what to do with the house and furnish ings, which makes for a tense, comedic family gathering.

Next comes A.R. Gurney’s Love and Money on Nov. 15 and 18. It’s a comedy about wealthy widow Cornelia Cunningham, who is

determined to donate her ill-gotten gains. But her plan hits a snag when a young man arrives claiming to be a relation and rightful heir.

That’s followed by ART’s holiday offering, Phil Olson’s A Nice Family Christmas, Dec. 13 and 16, about a widow who begins receiving un expected visits from family members, including one who plans to write an exposé detailing his family’s dirty secrets.

All performances are free (donations wel come) and take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

renolittletheater.org/art-at-rlt

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre

Auditions just wrapped for A.V.A. Ballet’s Nutcracker, the most highly attended nonprofit performing arts event in Northern Nevada. It was one of the only shows to have been performed before a live audience in December 2020—though they were limited to 50 people at a time, and performed selected scenes only.

Fortunately, the big show is back at full length and full capacity this year, Dec. 9-11, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Look for guest artists from prominent international ballet companies and accompaniment by the full Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, with Laura Jackson conducting. Purchase tickets on the Pioneer Center’s website.

www.avaballet.com

Brüka Theatre

The folks at Brüka have dubbed its 30th anniversary season “Illuminate.” Its lineup includes thoughtful plays that seek to shed light on existing works, characters and ideas. Brüka is bringing back its season tickets after two years without them.

First up is Jen Silverman’s The Moors, Oct. 7-29 It is a dark comedy/gothic romance about two unhappy sisters who live with their maid and dog in an isolated home in the desolate English wilds.

Next up is the 12th annual Biggest Little Theatre and New Works Festival, Nov. 10-13, featuring a variety of local playwrights and theater artists performing and reading bold, original new works.

A cherished holiday cult classic once again returns after three long years: Brüka’s Buttcracker takes the stage Dec. 2-22—and what a long, strange trip it’s been for this annual, homegrown riff on the most popular ballet in history. (There’s no high-brow toeshoeing here.) This year’s theme, Rockstar, has Clara playing the part of groupie to an array of spectacular and wickedly weird rockstars.

A scene from Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company’s production of Holiday Inn.

Things once again get serious at the start of 2023, when The Lifespan of a Fact runs Jan. 20-Feb. 11 and explores the blurring of lines between fact and fiction in the contemporary world of literary nonfiction.

www.bruka.org

Goodluck Macbeth

There’s new blood at the helm of GLM: Sarah Hinz brings an impressive background in theater production and directorship in New York and Minnesota to her new role as GLM’s executive director, replacing Christopher Daniels, who stepped down this summer to pursue other opportunities. Hinz’s energy and ideas promise exciting things for the 2023 season, which will be announced in October. (GLM observes a calendar-year schedule.)

Speaking of “new blood,” Daniels’ final act with GLM will be as co-director, along with Joe Atack, of the show that kicked off his GLM career eight years ago: Evil Dead The Musical, Oct. 7-29. This slasher parody plops five college students into an abandoned cabin in the woods for spring break, where they encounter demonic forces. It’s campy, comedic horror with plenty of blood spatter to go around. (Fair warning: Dress appropriately, front-row patrons.) This one’s selling fast, so get your tickets early.

The rest of the 2022 season was somewhat up in the air at press time. Keep an eye on the website for a Reno Jazz Orchestra concert, a December fundraiser and more.

www.goodluckmacbeth.org

Reno Little Theater

RLT is hitting an impressive milestone this fall—the beginning of its 88th season!

Executive director Melissa Taylor says this also will be RLT’s first full season of mainstage shows since before the pandemic began, which means season tickets are once again available for purchase.

It kicks off with Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted

for the stage by actor/writer Nia Vardalos. The script is drawn from real letters about real problems that Strayed received when working as an advice columnist called “Dear Sugar.” It runs Sept. 30-Oct. 16.

Since we’re all relearning family dynamics at Christmastime after two pandemic years, RLT’s How to Survive Your Family at Christmas, Dec. 1-18, seems fitting. It’s the story of a Harvard student coming home for the holidays and realizing she now has little in common with her blue-collar family.

From Nov. 11-20, the RLT Broadway Our Way youth program presents Northwoods Nonsense. In this light comedy featuring a cast of about 20, a family with a rundown vacation cabin in the woods attempts to drum up visitors by faking a Bigfoot sighting.

RLT also continues to host Ageless Repertory Theatre’s twice-monthly performances, as well as monthly For the Love of Jazz shows and productions from Latino Arte, including its Dia de los Muertos festival. Keep checking the RLT website for an updated schedule.

Finally, make plans to catch RLT’s first mainstage show of the new year, farce-master Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, a fun, fast-paced version of the classic Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles, opening Jan. 20. renolittletheater.org

Sierra Nevada Ballet

Fresh off its production of Swan Lake, SNB is turning its attention to lighter fare— Peanutcracker: The Story in a Nutshell, a locally beloved tradition since SNB’s founding artistic director, Rosine Bena-Porter, first created it in the mid-’90s after hearing how many young children loved seeing The Nutcracker, but had trouble paying attention the whole way through.

Bena-Porter’s abbreviated version is just 45 minutes long. Along with performances designed specifically for the Washoe County and Carson City school districts, two

performances will be open to the public on Dec. 4 at the Carson City Community Center. sierranevadaballet.org

The Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts

The Pioneer will host several local productions, including the Reno Philharmonic’s Classix Series installments Scheherazade on Oct. 15 and 16, The Organ Symphony on Nov. 12 and 13, and perennial holiday favorite Spirit of the Season Dec. 2-4. The “Prince of Spanish Guitar,” Benise, and his flamenco stylings take the stage Oct. 22, and Artown brings Dance Theatre of Harlem to the Pioneer on Oct. 30; and the Soweto Gospel Choir on Nov. 6. Then, of course, there’s A.V.A. Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

We also have two exciting national touring productions to look forward to: The Tony Awardwinning musical Hairspray Sept. 27-Oct. 2, and Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats—The Holiday Variant on Dec. 16. And mark your calendar for Dear Evan Hansen, part of the Broadway Comes to Reno series, coming Jan. 17-22.

pioneercenter.com

The Theatre

Kevin and Caruso’s Magique features dazzling illusions, impressive special effects, the hottest beats, amazing choreography and multimedia sure to delight. The show runs every Saturday and is appropriate for all ages. www.wethetheatre.com

TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada

Reno’s resident youth theater company has a newly renovated space on Spokane Street, just in time for its fall production of Treasure Island, running Oct. 14-23. With a cast of about 20 young actors ranging in age from 6 to their early 20s, this compelling show features a 9.5-footlong pirate ship, sword fights incorporating true fight choreography, actors walking the plank, and all the rest of the treasure-hunting, pirate fun of R.L. Stevenson’s story.

Next comes TWNN’s annual fall festival, Oct. 28-29. The front of the house features entire-family-friendly carnival games and a bake sale, while the back will house TWNN’s own brand of haunted house, for which the troupe unearths costume goodies from shows past and makes those characters spooky—think Aladdin and Willy Wonka with a creepy twist. This free fundraiser encourages donations from attendees.

Closing out the year is the company’s annual holiday family gala fundraiser, featuring a live, family-friendly theatrical performance, a silent auction, photos with Santa, preshow entertainment, dinner, and champagne and cider toasts. At press time, TWNN still had not confirmed the details, but its show is in the planning stages: a parody of The Nightmare

Before Christmas told from the perspective of the wolf.

twnn.org

Truckee Meadows Community College Performing Arts

Just as the theater department at TMCC was getting excited about its forward movement on a new theater being built on campus, the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans abruptly on the back burner, along with its shows. Now under the guidance of new instructor Shea King, TMCC Performing Arts is slowly rebounding and beginning to offer more arts-educational programs and shows. These include technical theater certifications and apprenticeships; King says these offerings were requested by students, who have specifically asked for tech instruction.

As for shows, its first offering of the season is Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party by Aaron Loeb, Nov. 10-19 in TMCC’s Red Mountain building. It’s the story of a fourthgrade teacher in Illinois who tells her class that their local homegrown hero Abe Lincoln was gay—and the controversy and chaos that erupt as a result.

That paves the way for That Day in Tucson, about the young intern who helped save the life of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords after a shooting rampage. It opens Jan. 30.

King says the department also is excited to move into a new venue in Sparks’ Oddie District for its 2023 shows.

tmcc.edu/visual-performing-arts

University of Nevada, Reno Department of Theatre and Dance

UNR’s Department of Theatre and Dance will launch its fall schedule of performing arts with An Evening of One Acts—a collection of five one-act plays directed by students exploring a multitude of mature themes, running Oct. 7-16. Content is rated PG-13 and includes discussions of suicide.

The musical theater program’s fall musical will be 9 to 5, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, slated for Oct. 27-Nov. 6.

This year’s Fall Dance Festival, Nov. 16-20, will offer contemporary, innovative pieces by student choreographers as well as pieces by faculty designed in preparation for the American College Dance Association regional festival. A choreographer talk-back will follow the Nov. 17 performance.

unr.edu/theatre-dance

SPARKS

Restless Artists Theatre

The folks at RAT are excited for a busy sixth season and proud to hang their hat on affordable continued on next page

Michael Davanzo and Jared Lively in rehearsal for Good Luck Macbeth’s Evil Dead The Musical.

ARTS & CULTURE

from Page 17

ticket prices, which haven’t been raised since they opened in their downtown Sparks location.

It all begins with Artifice, a farce that really skewers the art world, running through Oct. 3.

In just a matter of weeks comes Signs of Life, Oct. 28-Nov. 7, about two working-class folks from New Jersey who travel on the interstate highways of the American West to find America and themselves.

Dec. 9-19, RAT will present Things I Know To Be True, by Andrew Bovell. Though it’s relevant to the holidays, being that it’s about family dynamics, it’s probably the only nonholiday-themed play scheduled for December in the area.

That leads right to a second Ken Ludwig show slated for Jan. 6-16: Dear Jack, Dear Louise. It’s an award-winning play that follows the real-life correspondence between his own parents—him, a doctor in the military, and her, a dancer and actress—during World War II, in the midst of their courtship.

Finally, RAT brings back its monthly Friday Chautauquas on Oct. 14, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), and Jan. 20, welcoming Nikita Khrushchev, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gene Roddenberry, respectively. rattheatre.org

Sierra School of Performing Arts

SSPA prides itself on its theater education program, and this fall, its offerings include a workshop for ages 13+ called Broadway Choreography Repertoire, which explores original choreography from popular Broadway musicals, taught by Reno’s own Broadway darling, Adam Cates. Then on Oct. 15, SSPA will offer both Little Sprouts! Adventure in Creative Drama for 5-to-8-year-olds, and Broadway Song and Dance, which is taught by Abby Rosen, for ages 9+.

Then SSPA will present Peter Pan, JR, star ring a cast of 28 youths ages 8-18; it keeping the beloved story of Peter Pan intact, though condensed to one hour. Performances will take place at Damonte Ranch High School’s theater, Dec. 9-11.

www.sierraschoolofperformingarts.org

CARSON CITY/ CARSON VALLEY

Carson Valley Community Theatre

Minden’s own community theater company will present Reginald Rose and Sherman Sergel’s Twelve Angry Jurors (aka Twelve Angry Men) at the Carson Valley Civic Hall, Oct. 14-23. It’s a riveting one-room-set drama

about the jury deliberation in the first-degreemurder trial of an 18-year-old Puerto Rican boy accused in the stabbing death of his father.

www.carsonvalleycommunitytheatre.org

Carson City Ghost Walk

Only a few days remain this fall for you to tag along with your guide Madame Curry (played by Mary Bennett), wife of Carson City’s founder, Abe Curry, on a walking tour of the capital city’s legendary, haunted locales. The regular 90-minute tours depart from McFadden Plaza on Oct. 1 and 8 at 7 p.m. (flashlight tours); on Oct. 22 there will be two special two-hour, daytime ghost walks, featuring home tours and characters from Carson City’s past. Attendee costumes are encouraged, and merchandise, photo ops, and psychics will be on scene!

carsoncityghostwalk.com

Western Nevada

Musical Theatre Company

Sometimes we just need the good-oldfashioned holiday stuff. Look no further— WNMTC will usher in your holidays with Holiday Inn, Nov. 4-20 at the Carson City Community Center. It’s the story of Jim, who leaves a struggling song-and-dance trio to run a farmhouse in Connecticut, where he showcases performances to celebrate each holiday, from New Year’s Day to the Fourth of July. Romance, impressive dance routines, comedy and a live, professional orchestra come with this Irving Berlin classic that brought us such beloved tunes as “Cheek to Cheek,” “It’s a Lovely Day Today,” “Easter Parade” and “White Christmas.”

wnmtc.com

Wild Horse Productions

This company has increasingly built a great reputation for its Broadway-style musicals that offer performance opportunities and entertainment for children and adults.

Wild Horse Stage Company, its adult division, will present Spring Awakening at the Brewery Arts Center, Jan. 27-Feb. 3. Set during World War II, this Tony Award-winning, angsty rock musical explores the trials and tribulations of adolescence. The company has brought on an inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) consultant to ensure inclusive, diverse casting for this production.

Wild Horse Children’s Theater is not to be outdone in the angst department. From Dec. 2-11, it will present Oliver! JR, another junior version of a major musical that is condensed for young audiences. It captures all the heart and favorite moments of the original Dickens story, with fewer of the dark, dreary ones. The company is incorporating a steampunk theme into the production.

www.wildhorsetheater.com

Drones and Nevadans’ hearts

Some of the area’s live and virtual cultural events on October

When rockets emerge from the clouds and disintegrate battlefield targets, the drone pilot thousands of miles away who fired them while sitting at a console in Nevada can punch out and go home for dinner in Las Vegas.

“From bows and arrows to military drones, is all about distancing soldiers from the horrors of war,” said Kari Barber, director of Battles Beyond the Horizon, a new documentary film that premieres at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Mathew son-IGT Knowledge Center’s Wells Fargo Auditorium at the University of Nevada, Reno. “The theory is that the more distance (between combatants), the less psycholog ical impact on them. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

That’s one of many lessons Barber learned in the eight years that she and her husband, Nico Colombant, followed the U.S. drone program, based at Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas. The couple in terviewed whistleblowers, war ethicists and military experts. They shadowed protestors from their arrests to their trails. Both film makers are on the faculty of the Reynolds School of Journalism at UNR.

Battles Beyond the Horizon also explores the future of war as we accelerate toward a world where artificial intelligence soon may make the decision to kill without any human intervention, Barber said. “Robots will carry out those orders and guide the unmanned aircraft,” she said. “Our documentary sets out to wrestle with the questions that arise

as governments consider handing over the most precious decision—who should live, and who should die?—to artificial intelligence and ma chines. As other countries are working toward this step, can the U.S. afford to be left behind?”

The film premiere will be followed by a panel discussion. Battles Beyond the Horizon will show two days later in Las Vegas, and then the documentary will make the rounds of the global film-festival circuit, Barber said.

Nevadans’ pandemic stories

Nevada Humanities presents Heart to Heart: Our Pandemic Stories, a new exhibition curated by Kathleen Kuo, from Oct. 6 to Nov. 22, in Las Vegas, with a live reception on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and an exhibition discussion led by Kuo that will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

The multimedia exhibition draws from pieces shared by more than 270 contributors across Nevada, ages 16 to 90, reflecting on their varied experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandem ic. It includes artwork, stories, essays, poetry and more.

Kuo said the exhibition showcases the hope and the resiliency of Nevadans during the isolation of the pandemic, with the goal of inspiring more people to document and share their pandemic experiences. Nevadans are invited to contribute their pandemic stories to the Nevada Humanities Heart to Heart archive at nevadahumanities.org.

“This exhibition brings Humanities’ Heart to Heart to life and demonstrates how the human ities are lived in our communities and families,” said Christina Barr, Nevada Humanities’ exec

utive director. “Our stories are the ties that bind us together with meaning and understanding.”

A new way to look at nature

On Friday, Oct. 7, Patagonia Reno will host author and journalist Kristin Ohlson for a presen tation on her new book Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World.

The book presents a paradigm shift in how a growing gang of scientists and farmers think about the mutually beneficial interactions of nature. It offers an alternative and hopeful understanding of nature, which is crucial to rolling back and preventing further damage to our planet, Ohlson said.

The author grew up in Oroville, Calif., and had a family home in Lake Tahoe. In a chapter about rehydrating the American West, she describes the dryness of the land she remembers from child hood, before the prevalence of today’s wildfires. She goes on to share the history around Maggie Creek Ranch (including some Donner Party back story) and local ranchers’ success in transforming desert to wetlands.

“We need new metaphors for the way we look at nature. I think most of us carry around these

| BY FRANK X. MULLEN

outmoded ideas about nature being all compe tition,” Ohlson said. “Every facet of human life is based upon these vast, complicated acts of cooperation that go on without us noticing them. I think that it’s important that we look at the rest of nature, and understand that it is completely held together by cooperative relationships. We are a part of nature.”

Other October highlights

The Nevada Historical Society presents “Tahoe Pyramid Trail: Following the Truckee River,” an NHS Docent Council Lecture by Janet Phillips, on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 10:30 a.m., at 1650 N. Virginia St. On Oct. 13 at noon, the monthly “High Noon: Shootout with Neal Cobb” series will present a Zoom lecture by Dana Toth, executive director of the Humboldt Museum, titled “Promoting the Significance of North Central Nevada History Within a Museum and a Community.” Learn more at www. nvhistoricalsociety.org.

The Sparks Heritage Museum on Friday, Oct. 21, celebrates the opening of its Sparks Museum Research Library, a repository of books, photos and documents relating to the history of the Rail City. The free event takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the museum, at 814 Victorian Ave., and features a tour of the museum’s resources, guest speakers and light refreshments. Details at sparksmuseum.org.

Protesters at Creech Air Force Base. Photo/Nico Colombant

ART

The scoop on the scene

STATE

News and notes from the Reno art world

The local art scene is bursting at the seams this year. There’s an ambitious new venue in the works. The first-ever major art fair was a hit, and the second one is already on the calendar. There’s a new awards program, new public art, and lots more news.

Immersive artspace rising on Keystone Ave.

Back in June, five creative entrepreneurs— Tyler Hanson, Kurt Kaull, Rob Dolezal, Breck Dolan and Shane Dolan—purchased the long-empty warehouse at 265 Keystone Ave., where the Holland Project first opened in 2007. The property includes almost 20,000 square feet of interior space and 3.6 acres of outdoor space. The team is in the process of converting the building and lot into an im mersive artspace that will cater to locals and tourists, including families, kids and seniors. The partners are among the founders of Grand Artique, a company that builds festival stages and immersive art exhibitions, former ly based in San Diego and now headquartered in Reno. They have collectively worked on projects such as Lightning in a Bottle, Symbiosis, South by Southwest, Coachella and Meow Wolf.

The Reno venue’s name is not yet set in stone, but organizers recommend following Grand Artique’s Facebook page and @grandartique on Instagram for upcoming local news. The target opening date is spring 2023.

Burning Man Decompression slated Oct. 15

Although the Keystone Avenue artspace isn’t scheduled to open until 2023, visitors can get a glimpse of the property on Oct. 15, from 2 to 10 p.m., when Reno Burners holds its Decompres sion event. “For those people who were not able to go out (to Burning Man), this is going to give them a small taste of what the local Burner scene is like,” said co-organizer Lauren Hufft. In keep ing with the tradition of regional Burning Man groups around the world, locals will set up art cars, theme camps and a DJ stage. Neighboring watering hole Shanty Dolan’s will set up a bar, and food trucks will sell lunch and dinner.

Reno Decompression is a fundraiser for the Reno Arts Grants, a microgrant program that wel comes applications from Burners and non-Burn ers alike. Recipients have included, for example, local theater groups. The event will be at 265 Keystone Ave. Admission is $20 at the door; no advance ticket sales. Details are on the Reno

Decompression Facebook page. To volunteer for the event, email renoburnersart@gmail.com.

NMA admission free for UNR, TMCC students

The Nevada Museum of Art began offering free admission to students at the University of Ne vada, Reno, and Truckee Meadows Community College on Sept. 15. Students can now present an ID from either institution to access the galleries, Art Bite talks and First Thursday events. The program is funded by a $2 million endowment from museum trustee Wayne Prim.

Newest public art is not downtown

Years ago, the city of Reno announced that public art shouldn’t only exist in tourist-heavy neighbor hoods; it should also brighten up neighborhoods frequented by locals. This past summer, the Reno Arts and Culture Commission unveiled a few new public-art pieces placed outside of down town and midtown.

A mural by Asa Gilmore, designed to honor the Reno Fire Department and the National Championship Air Races, is now on the doors of Reno Fire Station 9 in the North Valleys, and there are three new bike racks by Mike Burke— two on West Fourth Street, and one, shaped like a piñata-style burro, on the corner of Cheney Street and Wells Avenue.

Art fair was a hit (and it’s on again in 2023)

The Reno Tahoe International Art Show, which took place Sept. 8-11 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, was a vibrant cornucopia of visual arts, music and film from Reno-Tahoe and beyond—the likes of which our region’s art scene has not, until now, reached a large enough critical mass to pull off.

BY KRIS VAGNER

Artists and galleries from near and far showcased just about everything from Sunday paintings to contemporary urban pop to Burning Man sculptures fresh from the playa. It was a rare opportunity to see members of the various local art communities—including the Holland Project, University Galleries, TMCC, the Sierra Water color Society and The Generator—all in the same place, and an even rarer chance to see Indige nous artists from New Mexico and Arizona, a curatorial group from Los Angeles, and furniture designers from all over.

The next RTIA is slated for Sept. 7-10, 2023. Applications for exhibitors will open in December. To join the email list, visit the Reno Tahoe International Art Show website at www. rtiashow.com.

RTIA announces Reno Tahoe Artist Awards

One of the many RTIA sub-events was the new Reno Tahoe Artist Awards program. Winners were announced at a gala on Sept. 10 at the Nevada Museum of Art. Grand prize winner

Denise Klitsie received the Reno Creative Move ment Award, which came with a $5,000 cash prize. Each of the following artists was awarded $1,000:

• Ruby Barrientos—Excellence in Fine Art and Mixed Media

• Denise Klitsie—Excellence in Fine Art in Oil and Acrylic

• Jordyn Owens—Excellence in Fine Art in Photography

• Candace Garlock—Excellence in Fine Art in Sculpture & 3-D Artworks

• Peter Whittenberger—Excellence in Fine Art in Digital Media

• Anela deLaveaga—Excellence in Bespoke Furniture and Lighting

• Ronnie Rector—Excellence in Fine Art in Watercolor

For more visual arts news from around the state from Kris Vagner and collaborators, visit www. doublescoop.art and sign up for the email list.

TMCC art professors Candace Garlock and Galina Milton were among the hundreds of artists who displayed their work at the inaugural Reno Tahoe International Art show in September. Photo/Kris Vagner

| BY BOB GRIMM

A realistic portrayal

Netflix’s ‘Dahmer-Monster’ is welldone—but you won’t want to watch it twice

Watching Netflix’s 10-episode story of Jeffrey Dahmer—as told through the guiding eyes

(Boxing Helena)—is no party. Of course, it shouldn’t be.

It’s a depressing experience taking in Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a show that aims to realistically portrary Dahmer, his victims and his family in a way that isn’t sensationalistic or crude. For the most part, the show succeeds, due to an able and willing cast that approaches the material in a manner that rings true, even at the saddest and most horrifying moments.

Evan Peters embodies a chilling, haunting Dahmer, a half-mumbling, lost man almost constantly in some sort of haze—and clearly sick in his head. While Peters’ performance is certainly horrific, he never depicts Dahmer as a horror-movie slasher villain. Peters goes to the core to find what made this sick man do what he did.

Dahmer, of course, must’ve had some sort of fake charm to lead 17 young men to their graves, and Peters makes the risky choice to portray Dahmer as a flawed human—a monstrous, flawed human—who wasn’t exactly deplorable when someone first met him. That, of course, changed once he got his victims back to his home, where he became deranged. The show is frighteningly effective

at depicting this.

The series covers Dahmer from childhood until his death. It’s an exhausting experience getting to the moment when he breathes his last breath on a prison-gym floor. Peters, somehow, makes it worth watching.

Richard Jenkins is excellent as Dahmer’s anxiety- and guilt-ridden father, who chooses to write a book on how to help parents not wind up raising a serial killer, or something like that. (Lionel Dahmer’s motivations were always questionable on that front.) Penelope Ann Miller portrays Dahmer’s birth mom as a screaming mess, in what might be the film’s most caricature-like performance, while Molly Ringwald does decent, understated work as Dahmer’s stepmom.

Niecy Nash (Reno 911!) does a solid job as Glenda Cleveland, Dahmer’s long-suffering neighbor who tried desperately to get authorities to act on what she correctly suspected was happening in the awful-smelling apartment next door. Rodney Burford is heartbreaking as Dahmer victim Tony Hughes, a deaf man who is the focus of the entire sixth episode. Shaun J. Brown delivers strong work as Tracy Edwards, Dahmer’s last intended victim—the man who got him caught.

As a Netflix series, Dahmer-Monster doesn’t have a standard movie-type rating, but consider it a very hard R due to the thoroughly disturbing subject matter and gore. It’s not overly bloody, but when it goes there, it certainly goes there. When you are making a show about a guy who occasionally ate his victims, you are not looking at TV fit for family viewing.

Even though five different directors handle the 10 episodes, there’s a consistency to this

show’s look and feel—and, honesty, there isn’t a single moment of joy in this show.

It’s a rough 10-episode experience—a messed-up but realistic depiction of one of history’s most messed-up people. You’ve been warned: This show is well-done, but you won’t want to rewatch it once you finish.

Now that I am done writing about it, it’ll hopefully soon be out of my system. Time to go play with the dog.

Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is now streaming on Netflix.

Man, I’m feeling alone in the wilderness when it comes to the new Star Wars shows streaming on Disney+.

I thought Obi-Wan Kenobi was the most horribly directed piece of trash to smear across our collective faces thus far in 2022, but critics on Rotten Tomatoes have given it an 82% rating on the tomatometer. (Audiences were a little a little harsher, at 64%.)

Now comes Andor, which, as of this issue’s deadline, is 86% fresh with the critics, and 82% with audience—while I think the show kind of sucks so far.

I’ve seen the first four episodes of what essentially is a Rogue One prequel, and nothing has really happened. We’ve been reintroduced to Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Soon, he will be a leader in the rebellion against the Empire, but he’s basically just a street criminal to start, killing a couple of people and getting himself into trouble.

Stellan Skarsgard shows up as some dude who sees his potential; Fiona Shaw is present as a mother figure; and Adria Arjona is … well, I haven’t figured out what she is yet. She fixes things and looks worried all of the time. Genevieve O’Reilly is Senator Mon Mothma, and her story is only getting started by the end of episode four.

Andor isn’t half as bad as Obi-Wan; the show looks much, much better, and there’s a tighter directorial hand guiding the ship. Still, it’s pretty bad, with half-baked characters, confusing flashbacks and no real sense of where the story is going. It looks swell, but it has a few problems under the hood.

Again, I’m only four episodes in, so there’s a good chance this one will rally and generate a sense of purpose. But so far, it’s just a bland soap opera with slow pacing that is borderline frustrating. I had high hopes for this one, so this is quite the letdown.

Andor is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes being released on Wednesdays through Nov. 23.

Evan Peters in Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

An intimate experience

Duc Du (Hinoki Sushi, Haru) brings omakase to Reno with Hinoki O

Omakase is a Japanese term that translates to “respectfully leaving another to decide what is best” or “I leave it up to you.” Big cities like San Francisco and New York are booming with omakase restaurants—but Reno is not.

However, Duc Du—known to locals as the owner of Hinoki Sushi and Haru—has decided that Reno is ready to experience this unique and intimate dining experience. Hinoki O offers an upscale Japanese menu of 12 to 18 different courses thoughtfully curated by the chef.

Since omakase depends heavily on the chef’s style and the restaurant, every experience will be unique. At Hinoki O, guests sit at the bar and interact with Du as he creates each intricate, flavorful, specialized dish.

“We are excited to offer a unique, interactive experience for those looking to step outside of their comfort zone and jump into a world of special Japanese cuisine,” Du said.

Duc (pronounced Duke) Du was born

and raised in Germany and has been cooking for his family since he was 7 years old. He wanted to become a chef, but everybody told him that chefs work long hours and do not get paid well, so he decided to leave Germany and choose a university to study computer science. He had family in both Sacramento and Reno, so Duc narrowed his choices to those areas and visited potential universities. In 2005, Duc decided that Reno was the best choice for him, and he made the move to attend the University of Nevada, Reno.

While he was attending UNR, one of his friends decided to open a sushi restaurant; knowing about Du’s love of cooking, the friend asked Du to work part-time as a sushi chef. During the day, Du would attend class; afterward, he spent his extra time learning the fine art of sushi.

After graduating from college in 2010, Du went into the corporate world to pursue a career in computer science. After about six years, Du realized he did not love what he was doing—and decided to follow his passion.

In 2016, his dream became a reality with the

Hinoki O owner Duc Du: “I don’t really like rules, so when dining at Hinoki O, you can do whatever you want. What is important is that you enjoy the food and the experience.”

opening of Hinoki Sushi on Longley Lane. A few years later, in 2018, he decided to expand his love of Japanese cuisine to ramen with Haru, also on Longley Lane.

With the success of Hinoki Sushi and Haru, Du saw the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine in Reno—and decided it was time to introduce the concept of omakase. With upscale experiences and a beautiful, trendy atmosphere for locals and visitors to enjoy, the Village at Rancharrah was the perfect fit.

While omakase typically has very strict etiquette that must be followed, especially in Japan, Du invites his guests to “break the rules” when dining at Hinoki O; however, if he serves a handroll, he prefers that it is eaten right away, so the seaweed will still be crunchy.

“I don’t really like rules, so when dining at Hinoki O, you can do whatever you want,” Du says. “What is important is that you enjoy the

BY CHEREE BOTELER

food and the experience.”

Hinoki O will be closed in October, and will start taking reservations in mid-October for November. The restaurant is open Thursday through Saturday, from 5 to 9 p.m., and is by reservation only. There are two seatings a night, with only four to six people per seating. Due to the limited seating and the unique ingredients used in the execution of this experience, guests are required to prepay for their reservations, and Hinoki O has a no-refund policy. The dining experience has been priced at $120 per person, including all specialty courses created by the chef for that seating time. Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are available for an additional cost. In November, Hinoki O will launch an updated menu with three price points, one of which will include a wine/sake pairing.

Du is always open to requests and is considering hosting a vegetarian omakase which will be based on Buddhistic temple food; a Vietnamese omakase to honor his heritage; and some collaborative omakase experiences featuring other local chefs.

Hinoki O is located at 7500 Rancharrah Parkway, Suite 110, in Reno. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ HinokiOmakase.

Photo/David Robert

| BY STEVE NOEL

Tips for gifts

When buying wine as presents or for parties, be sure to add a personal touch

The autumnal equinox is now behind us, so we have to face the reality that the holiday season is upon us.

Wait! I am not talking about stores putting up Christmas decorations before the smell of pumpkin spice has faded; I simply want to make sure you are ready for all of the parties and holidays ahead—starting now, as we prepare for Nevada Day and Halloween.

Fall is a great time here in the high desert of Northern Nevada. Cooler temperatures encourage all of us to host and attend parties for various reasons—birthdays,

holidays, it’s Wednesday, you name it. If you are invited to a gathering or party, and you would like to bring your host a bottle of wine, what wine should you bring? If the wine sucks, what will the host think of you?

If you’ve ever received a red wine as a gift, it almost certainly was a cabernet sauvignon, a merlot, or a pinot noir. If it was a white wine, it was a chardonnay or a sauvignon blanc. In general, people are not creative wine-gifters. Too many folks pick what is popular or on the end cap, assuming the receiver will like it.

Come on people. We can do better than this.

In general, there are four styles of wine: red,

white, rosé, and sparkling (which can be any shade). I often take a wine that I want to drink, and hope the host opens it.

You may have heard that sparkling wine pairs with everything. From popcorn to caviar, sparkling wine just works. The same is true as a gift: It just works. If you gift bubbles, your host will normally be happy—but there are couple of rules. Budget allowing, find a bottle labeled “traditional method.”

If it is Champagne, it should say “méthode champenoise.” If it’s from elsewhere, it may say “méthode traditionnelle” or “metodo tradizionale.” All of these terms mean this is a quality sparkling wine, where the carbonization is generated in the bottle by yeast fermentation.

The second rule: I recommend picking one that says brut, not sec, on the label. Brut, extra brut and brut nature sparkling wines are dry; extra sec and sec sparkling wines are sweet. Dry is a safer choice, as sweet wines can be polarizing.

If you want to gift a white wine … yes, I know many people like a big, buttery chardonnay—but many people don’t. Some people will walk across hot coals for a light tropical Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc; others, not so much. I suggest you bring an interesting white wine that falls between these two extremes.

Viognier is a white-wine grape that is grown in many places around the world. It can be a very aromatic wine with aromas from tropical fruits, melon, pears and violets. It has a heavier body than a sauvignon blanc, but not as heavy as a chardonnay. This is a good middle-of-the-road choice, but if you want to be more exciting, you might want to bring an Albariño—a white-wine grape grown mostly in Spain and Portugal. This wine will have aromas of peach, lime and grapefruit; on the palate, expect mouth-watering acids with pears, peach, and citrus.

Rosé wines used to be just for summer picnics, but not anymore. The “rosé all day” people have become “rosé any day” people. Rosés are fun, light wines that can run the gamut from very dry to very sweet (like the dreaded white zinfandel). When gifting a rosé, I prefer to pick a bright-colored dry rosé. Rosés can have a color from light straw all the way to a deep red, and the color can help you know the type of grape. I like watermelon-colored ones, which are often made from tempranillo and can be a little spicier than a traditional Provence rosé. Pick a fun color—and get a matching bow!

There are thousands of grape varieties, so why do we keep giving and receiving the same five to 10 types of wine over and over again? Remember when I said we are not creative? One reason is that many people get intimidated when they go into a wine shop. Don’t be. The people there want to help you. Be honest, and let them know you are learning, and you are looking for something interesting and a little different.

So what is a little different in a red wine? I love grenache, with its lighter color and body, and bold flavors. Grenache has a lot to offer, with bright red fruit aromas like raspberry, strawberry, red cherry and even some citrus. It is an interesting and exciting wine that works with many food dishes, including spicy foods and roasted meats. Grenache is a red wine that many white-wine drinkers like, with price points ranging from below $20 to some of the most expensive wines in the world.

A very good friend of mine said, “Any gift that is thoughtful is 10 times more valuable than a mindless one … regardless of the price.”

She recommends you add a note or tag to the bottle—and write why you chose the bottle for them. Make the gift of wine personal from you to your host, and it will always be the right choice.

Soloman Salomon of Whispering Vines holds a bottle of the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, a popular-selling wine that goes well with many foods. Photo/David Robert

A tale of two managers

Given the last few years of apocalyptic bumps in the road, the idea of taking on a new business, especially in the service industry, is not for the faint of heart.

Given the current state of things, to open a bar or restaurant now is to take on the headaches of staffing shortages and higher prices on literally everything, not to men tion the increasing expectations of patrons outside of quarantine. You must love the service industry and believe in your prod uct to take the risk and put your life behind projects like owning a bar.

With all that in mind, two of Reno’s most congenial and talented bar managers, Sean Sitt and Kyle Aiton, decided to go from run ning the bars they loved to owning them.

Chapel Tavern and Reno Public House have been staples of the Reno bar scene since they opened their doors more than a decade ago. Both bars have been neigh borhood havens, setting a high standard of product and service that still exists today. Earlier this year, Duncan Mitchell, who owned Chapel Tavern, and Chris Costa, the previous owner of Reno Public House, decided to sell their bars to their respective

managers. Costa and Mitchell are primarily responsible for the tone and style that make up the Midtown cocktail movement and have passed the torch to the people they knew could continue that legacy. I sat down with Sitt and Aiton to discuss what it takes to love a busi ness so much that you go from running it—to owning it.

“The pandemic was an affirmation for me to do this. To hell with the forces that are against it; I’ve given too much of myself to this to give up,” Sitt said. “There is a sense of pride in knowing you have helped build something. If I’ve taken the time and effort to perfect a craft I’m this passionate about, I want to keep going with it. I wanted to phase into that next challenge where I could take that creativity and expertise, and use it to make this product better.”

And better, it is: Earlier this year, the James Beard Foundation named Chapel Tavern a finalist in the Outstanding Bar Program catego ry, making it the first cocktail bar in Reno to be mentioned on the James Beard list. Accolades aside, Sitt has led the bar team at Chapel into a new era of delicious and ambitious cocktails.

Aiton reflected on his 12 years at the bar at Reno Public House.

“I never really left,” Aiton said. “What better education can you get in running a business than working in it for a decade?”

Aiton’s business degree and spirit of gen erosity make him a natural leader. The perfect blend of neighborhood clubhouse and quality products makes Reno Public House stand out in our local bar scene.

“Our staff makes our bar, and our staff makes our community. They are cultivating this atmosphere and feeling that people feel at home, no matter what they drink,” he said.

Being stewards of long-running bars, Aiton and Sitt know they have a decade-plus of regu lars and expectations.

“I have been in bars for 22 years and have learned a lot, mostly from Duncan,” Sitt said. “I feel a certain pride and ownership in keep ing his vision going. I can’t, nor would I want, to change that completely.”

Aiton feels a similar allegiance to his concept: “I don’t think I would have worked

BY MICHAEL MOBERLY

for Costa for as long as I did without believing in the idea. So many people asked me what I would change, and my answer was nothing. We are going to keep the same direction we were on.”

Aiton and Sitt have been around Midtown since the beginning and know it’s not easy without friends.

“I hope everyone who reads this knows that it’s not just our two bars; it’s our neighbor hood,” Sitt said. “All the bars around us are friends and care about each other’s success. The idea that the success of one is the success of all is something we look to continue and grow.”

Said Aiton: “I think what has grown this neighborhood on a grassroots level is that there has always been a core group of bars built on each other’s success. It comes down to the product we serve, and we all sell a quality product we can be proud of.”

When I asked the two new bar owners what advice they had for future bartenders looking to own their bar one day, they said, in near unison, “Save your money.” But the real lesson from these two is that if you work hard and care enough about that work that a whole town notices, the world is your martini to sip.

A chat with two Midtown barmen who went from running the bars they loved to owning them

Reno Public House owner Kyle Aiton: “What better education can you get in running a business than working in it for a decade?” Photo/David Robert

For more information on Chapel Tavern, visit chapeltavern.com. For more information on Reno Public House, visit renopublic.com.

Chapel Tavern owner Sean Sitt: “There is a sense of pride in knowing you have helped build something. If I’ve taken the time and effort to perfect a craft I’m this passionate about, I want to keep going with it.” Photo/David Robert

Producing while songwriting

The Wrecks come to Cargo Concert Hall to explore alternative pop and promote sophomore LP ‘Sonder’

The Wrecks embrace happy accidents.

The Los Angeles pop-rock outfit has risen in popularity, in part, by embracing everything that life brings their way. The band’s songs cover alternative pop, rock and electronica—all while being, undeniably, The Wrecks. They just released sophomore LP Sonder, and are on tour supporting it, including a stop at the Cargo Concert Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

During a recent phone interview, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and producer Nick Anderson explained the difference between Sonder and their debut album, 2020’s Infinitely Ordinary.

“The first record was kind of made over

the course of a couple of years, and the songs were gathered over years of writing,” Anderson said. “It’s almost like a compilation of a bunch of different timelines of what we were writing. This new record was all done in a few months. Most of it was written on the tail end of a breakup, and I was just kind of processing that, and writing about it, and purging the songs all within a two-to-three-month deadline. It was done mostly in isolation, too, because of what I was going through. I just needed to do it on my own and get those ideas out.”

The Wrecks’ music, Sonder especially, often features a distressed Anderson pouring his heart out through emotional lyrics. The song “Normal” features these lines: “I’m losing

The Wrecks. Photo/Shervin Lainez

weight ’cause I can’t sleep / I tell my friends that I’m fasting / I’m not in shape; I’m unhappy / I’m getting used to your silence / It can’t hurt me like I can / I don’t hate you but goddamn / You didn’t make it easy.”

Anderson explained that, in some aspects, he appreciated the quick and isolated period in which he wrote Sonder

“It was really cool to be able to just anchor down, shut everybody out a little bit, and explore some ideas without anyone hearing it,” he said. “All of it stemmed from a personal thing I was going through, so there was fuel to it. Sonder was born out of necessity; we had to put out a record, so I had to find 11 songs, and I just kind of found them.”

In other aspects, the process of writing Sonder was very stressful, he said.

“There was a ton of pressure for the deadline, because we had the tour coming up that summer, and the album was set to release the day the tour started,” Anderson said. “I also had to prepare for the actual tour itself—like our new live set and our longest headline show to date. There was a lot of pressure on that deadline, and I remember the last few weeks of getting it done were really difficult. There wasn’t a lot of sleep going on; I hadn’t even written all the songs yet, so it was definitely pretty difficult. I don’t love that kind of deadline, and it was a little unrealistic, but it happened, and I ended up producing a record.”

Being a producer for one’s own band is rare. I was curious if the two separate approaches to music ever bleed into each other.

“I think that they probably do in a subconscious way, but those are the kinds of things that someone would have to tell me,” Anderson said. “… A producer’s job is just to keep it on record, and make the studio recording, (but) maybe part of me thinks it’s not dynamic enough … because I know I’m going to be performing it. It’s never on my mind when I’m making a song, but it’s probably in the back of my mind. I think that there’ve got to be some implicit biases about even the volume of a vocal in a mix or things like that. If I’m the singer, and I’m writing the songs, and I’m producing it, I’m going to probably accidentally favor certain things over others.”

Anderson has gotten used to being both the musician with the crazy ideas, and the producer trying to make each song sound good.

“That’s why The Wrecks, I think, have such an eclectic sound, because every new song I make is such a mystery to me … because I just never want to make the same song twice,” Anderson said. “I’m typically never using the same drum samples, or I’m never using the same guitar

BY MATT KING

tones, and every song presents itself to me as though it’s individual itself and a brand-new thing. That’s really frustrating, though, and I’ve been telling myself lately that it wouldn’t hurt to write what I know, but I’m constantly pushing that part of myself. Part of me wants to change up every song and use sounds I’ve never used. … I’m always on YouTube looking up tutorials for this production stuff that I haven’t done before, and instead of just doing the million things that I do know how to do, I’m spending everyday learning thousands of things. That’s a frustrating thing, but I’m glad that there’s part of me who wants to do that, because that’s why I’ve learned as much as I have with production.”

Anderson became The Wrecks’ producer after a rough experience with another producer.

“I’ve always made my own music, because if I didn’t have, there would be nowhere for me to record,” said Anderson. “… When we finally signed and were able to go to a producer, we did it for an EP, but we didn’t love how it turned out. That was a wakeup call for me, and I developed trust issues, and I didn’t know if I could trust myself to work with a producer. When we did that record, I was putting so much trust in the producer, even to the point of what I liked and what I was saying yes to was being influenced by the fact that I’m trusting this person. It was so exciting—but then our manager didn’t like it, and the minute they’re like, ‘Oh, we don’t love this,’ I heard the whole thing differently.”

After two albums as producer, Anderson said he’s grateful he took on the role.

“I didn’t consider myself a producer until maybe Infinitely Ordinary,” he said. “I was just making what I thought were demos, but I just kept at it, and I’ve got a band who trusts me with that, and put a lot of faith in me and supported me and made me feel like I could do it. At every turn, I’ve never felt like the guys in my band were, ‘Maybe we should go to this person to do it.’ Having the confidence of my band, and then also having someone to prove it to, was nice.

“Our old management was like, ‘Now we should probably go to a producer,’ and the label was like, ‘Who do you guys want to work with?’ I was like, ‘No, we’re going to do it.’ … We went and did it, and we’ve been doing it. I’ve been able to produce our records ever since, and, yeah, I’m glad that those situations happened the way they did. I’m really glad that the EP didn’t go super-well when we went to someone else.”

The Wrecks will perform with Carr at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Cargo Concert Hall at the Whitney Peak Hotel, 255 N. Virginia St., in Reno. Tickets are $20, and the show is all-ages. For more information, visit www.cargoreno.com.

BY MATT KING

Confident collaborators

Last One Down celebrates the long-delayed release of the band’s debut full-length

Looking for the perfect music to listen to while skating through Reno? Well, look no further than Last One Down.

“I just wanted a skate-punk band,” said Andy Harrison, Last One Down’s singer/ songwriter and guitarist.

Yet the band is so much more. Last One Down recently released debut album Failing Dreams, and yes, the skate punk is loud and proud, with riotous drums and chugging guitar, but you’ll also hear hints of hardcore (“Failing Dreams”), pop-filled choruses (“50”) arena rock (“Eye”) and beyond.

Last One Down celebrated Failing Dreams with a badass punk-rock show at the Holland Project in September.

“It was easily one of the best shows I’ve ever played,” Harrison said. “There were a bunch of kids there who were so into it, and they were just dancing around and having a good time. A lot of friends came out, and people loved it. We’re still all on high from it. It was awesome. I’ve had some friends texting me, like, ‘This is some of the best stuff you’ve ever done,’ and, ‘This album rips!’ A couple of people on social media

overseas have given us compliments, too.”

Failing Dreams is 12 songs packed tight with sing-along, blast-beating punk. Who better to produce the album than Paul Miner, who has worked with New Found Glory, Buckethead, Motörhead, Atreyu and others?

“We had a big group of songs, and we just kept playing and playing,” Harrison said. “We didn’t know really what we were going to do, because I recorded our first EP, but we wanted something super-pro (for the fulllength), but also didn’t want to spend $10,000 on something. I kind of had an idea of who I wanted to use from my days in being in bands in Las Vegas, so I brought up Paul Miner to these guys, and I played some of his stuff that he’s recorded. They were totally on board, which blew me away. I’ve never had a band that’s been like, ‘Yeah, we’re totally into it, whatever it costs.’ I contacted him, and his rate was really good compared to a lot of other people we were talking to, so we just decided to make the trek down to L.A.”

They spent at week in Los Angeles, recording their debut album with an accomplished producer at a fancy studio, and

staying in an RV. Can life get any better?

“It was awesome,” Harrison said. “It was the first time that two of the other guys were in a super-pro studio. I’ve done it before, but in the middle of the night when we could pay a super-cheap rate. We just rolled down there in an RV, stayed in an RV park right down the street from the studio, and rode our bikes every day to the studio.

“Paul, he was amazing, man. We brought all of our own gear, because we know what we want to sound like, and Paul was just, like, ‘Well, I think he should use this guitar and this amp and these pedals,’ and he was absolutely right. He just knew his stuff, man, and we all were super-appreciative, because he’s a pro. We all kind of needed that grooming just to push things to the finishing touch, without changing us too much. It was an absolutely amazing experience for all of us.”

Failing Dreams was recorded three years ago, and would have been out a long time ago if it hadn’t been for that damn virus, and those damn supply-chain issues.

“We wanted to put it out right away, but we ordered vinyl,” Harrison said. “The initial

Last One Down.

date that they gave us was (the same day as) our release show, so that’s why I booked the release show. It kept getting pushed back and pushed back, but we still celebrated this album’s release. We wanted to do it in the summer, not in the winter. We’re still waiting on the vinyl, and it’s going to be 11 months of waiting by the time we get it.”

Harrison has been in a few different musical projects, and he said none of his previous bandmates have been collectively as cooperative and dedicated as the members of Last One Down.

“This is the first band where every single person is on board,” said Harrison. “They’re like, ‘Let’s do what we got to do,’ and it’s been super awesome to be able to say, ‘Hey, let’s do this,’ and everybody’s like, ‘Yep.’

“Donnie (Grabrick), he’s a phenomenal drummer, and it’s so awesome to just be like, ‘Hey, let’s do this,’ and he just knows what to do. You don’t have to shape it at all. When I put the band together, I was a little unsure of Josh (Watson, guitar), but the dude always practices and always does what he needs to do. He’s written lyrics; he’s written songs; and I’m just like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Usually, it’s on me; I’m kind of the leader by default, so it’s been awesome having him as pretty much my No. 2. Jason Perl, the bass player, I’ve known him since ninth-grade; we’ve been friends for years, and I was super jealous when he was in Evenground back in the day. I’ve always wanted to be in a band with this dude, and it just kind of happened that he joined up. He’s just solid, and knows what he has to do to be in a band. We’re all older, and we all feel like this is our last chance to kind of make some sort of mark, so we’re trying to push a little bit more than some garage band.”

As Last One Down looks toward the future, Harrison is confident in the collaborative ability that surrounds him.

“Writing with other people at times, of course it sucks, and you butt heads for the most part, but when you create something with three other guys, that’s more important than you making it yourself, because everybody has a little piece in it,” Harrison said. “Collaborating is just a lot better for me, because there’s only so much I can do; I need other people to kind of shape it. With this group of guys, we’re on point, and I think we can only get better.

“I’ve been listening to this album for over a year, and I’m already nitpicking it. We can do better, and I can’t wait for the next one.”

For more info, visit lastonedown.com.

Open

Pool

THE LUCKY 13

Drummer of Charity Kiss

The Spotify bio for Charity Kiss is simple: “Music from a garage; you guess what it sounds like.” The Reno rockers are rooted in indie and alternative, and the band shifts between fast punk and slow heart-wren chers. The band’s streaming numbers are rising each day, so make sure to catch on now, so you can say you knew them when. They are set to perform at the Holland Project at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11. For more information on the band, visit linktr. ee/CharityKiss. Charity Kiss’ drummer is Nate Drum.

What was the first concert you attended? The Front Bottoms in Las Vegas in 2015. I’ve always loved music, but this show sparked my love for LIVE music.

What was the first album you owned? A vinyl of Dirt by Alice in Chains. I got it from the Sundance Bookstore when I was 14. The reason I bought it was because Alice in Chains was one of the only band names I recognized on the shelves.

What bands are you listening to right now? The past few years, I have been unable to stop listening to the band Idles. The raspy voice of Joe Talbot, the deep pockets, the messages—everything about them reso nates with me. Some honorable mentions are Cabbage, Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, Thee Oh Sees, and Gorgeous Bully.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? This one is tough, because I can find some thing I like about any kind of music. But if I had to pick something, I would say Drake. I understand why people like him; he is tal ented at what he does. It’s just not for me.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Growing up being heavily influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’ve always wanted to see them perform live. Their energy onstage has always been something I ad mired, and I try to emulate that energy when I’m playing.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Every now and then, I like to indulge in a little bit of disco. Sometimes you just gotta dance, man.

What’s your favorite music venue? My favorite music venue that I have played would have to be the Holland Project here

| BY MATT KING

in Reno. It’s run by some absolutely amaz ing people, and a Holland show is always a good time.

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

“I just want this to mean something to any one, even if they don’t know who I am.” This line is in the song “Swear to God the Devil Made Me Do It” by The Front Bottoms. This line has stuck with me over all these years, because it perfectly summarizes my mind set when it comes to writing/performing. Music has helped me through a lot of rough experiences in my life, and I want to do the same for other people.

What band or artist changed your life? How? I would have to say David Bowie, by far. I grew up with his music, and ever since I was a kid, I always found his music en chanting. He was the first artist to trans port my mind to a different place. I still re member my first time hearing “Starman.” A wave of peace washed over me, and it was like nothing I’ve ever felt.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I would ask Alex Turner what his writ ing process is. His lyrics are all so wellthought-out, and I strive to be at that level one day.

What song would you like played at your funeral? I want the guitar(s) solo from “Free Bird” played on repeat throughout my entire funeral. It’s just an absolute face-melter of a solo.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? This may not come as a surprise, as I have the album cover tattooed on my arm, and I have mentioned them several times, but I would say Talon of the Hawk by The Front Bottoms. The lyrics, the jams, everything. I first heard it around the same time I start ed drumming, so it will always remind me of the beginning of the happiest times of my life.

What song should everyone listen to right now? Any song by Charity Kiss! (I had to!)

Nate Drum

CROSSWORD

| BY MATT JONES

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themeless puzzle

By Matt Jones

sprig

Everything usually includes them

Table warning, maybe

Melville novel published 4 years before Moby-Dick

side

“Not that again!”

Tumultuous sound

a time

In a glib manner

Happened to

Book-cover filler?

Kyle

Scholarly gatherings

Band with the 1999

“Summer Girls”

Muppet with a duckie

Medium for Myst, originally

Earns more at work

Suffix with butyl

Mus. arcade game with lots of descending arrows

World Cup host with the vuvuzelas, for short

Chapman,

Country New Artist nominee at the 1990 AMAs

Radial counterpart

Summer in the club

Guinness Book entries

Host Liza of Dancing With Myself and the Double Dare reboot

Leave off the list again (how’d that get in there?)

Blows up about, as in an argument

How some goals can be met

Subtly obnoxious

Home planet of Ensign Ro and many subsequent Star Trek characters

Russell Crowe, in Man of Steel

Atlanta actor Brian

Henry

Word on Steinway pianos

Underhanded

Conforms (to)

Thailand, in the past

Iron-rich blood pigment

Some pasture animals

Letters in uploading to servers, once

“A clue!”

Wowed condition

Wired workers, briefly

Upscale computer monitor letters, in the ’80s

© 2022 Matt Jones

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

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15 MINUTES

Laugh master

Dave Mencarelli

Dave Mencarelli is a standup comedian, a veteran local radio DJ, and the general manager at the Laugh Factory comedy club located inside the Silver Legacy. He’ll take the stage at the Laugh Factory Oct. 13-16; visit www.caesars.com/silverlegacy-reno/shows to get tickets and learn more.

Were you a class clown or smartass in school? Smartass among my group of friends, but never class clown, because to be honest with you, I never liked to have any attention on me. I failed my high school senior speech class, because I wouldn’t give the speech. I didn’t want to be in front of people, and that’s what stopped me from doing standup for a long time. I didn’t start until I was 32. I took a comedy class, and it felt safe in the class with the eight or nine other people in it. Then I started going to the open mics and realized that these guys weren’t very funny—but the girls were buying them drinks and wanted to hang out with them. I thought “Oh, well, I can do it for attention.” I had stage fright for many years until I found CBD gummies about four years ago.

Who are some of your influences?

Brian Regan, even before I ever wanted to do comedy. My dad was a big comedy fan, so he exposed me to a lot of stuff. Growing up, my dad and I were watching Carlin, Pryor, Bob Newhart, Johnny Carson and guys like that. I saw all these guys on the Carson show all the time; they were so great. Also, I saw Seinfeld early on. My grandparents had the Bob Newhart comedy albums, and I loved his stuff. He was very subtle and low-key, and I definitely love him. Robin Williams was an early influence, and guys like Andrew Dice Clay.

A little boy says to his mother, “Mom, when I grow up, I’d like to be a comedian.” She replies to the little boy, “Well, honey, you know you can’t do both.” What are your thoughts on that?

It’s true, but not true. You have to know how to manage your money pretty well. The guys who are successful have grown up enough to be good money managers— but you do have to keep that childlike sense of wonder to be successful. You have to keep that world view of all the silliness and the fun of being a kid. Kids love burp and fart jokes.

BY DAVID ROBERT

How do you deal with hecklers?

I was having a really bad set up in Boise one time, and there are only 10 people in the room, and about 10 minutes into my set, some guy yelled “What time does the band start?” I said, “You know, sir, we have a lot in common, because I was wondering that, too! It’s fucking excruciating up here.” Then I go, “What’s your name?” He didn’t answer me, and I went, “OK, cool; I’m not mad at you, brother.” I was just trying to kill him with kindness. I went along for a couple more minutes with my set, and then he said, “Why aren’t you saying something, asshole?” I go, “You know what? I would do that, but I wanna be friends with you.” Then I cleared my throat, and I go, “Why don’t you just shut your cock holster, you fucking meat whistle?” He got up and left with four other people. I felt bad for the club, as he just walked out with half the crowd that was paying for drinks. I apologized to the club manager. He said, “Don’t worry; the guy was drunk and out of line.” I can usually deal with them with kindness, but sometimes people are so drunk that you just can’t. Sometimes the people with them tell them to shut up.”

What are some of your observations about living in Reno?

It’s so nice to live in Reno, where you can see not just one guy pushing a shopping cart with a twin mattress in it and a parrot on his shoulder, but multiple guys like that. There’s so much romanticism here, so much old Reno. I love the slogan “Biggest Little City.” That’s, like, “Man, you know, I’ve got the biggest little wanker in the room; does that impress you?” I don’t understand what “biggest little” means. It’s just kind of confusing. But Reno itself is confusing, so I think that “the biggest little” is the perfect slogan. I play Vegas a couple of times a year, but I’m so happy to be back in Reno when I’m done. So many people say that Reno is like Vegas’ little brother that got in a really bad car accident. I love everything that Reno offers—the culture and the craziness and the weirdness. I just love it here, man.