EDITOR'S NOTE
LETTERS
Off the beaten path
Show up to ask the library to keep queer, POC materials
Welcome to the November RN&R! Editor at large Frank Mullen and photo editor David Robert took an epic day trip to check out the grandiose canyon walls and wide-open wilderness areas of High Rock Canyon in the Black Rock Desert, a few hours north of Reno by vehicle. If you’re tempted to jump in your own vehicle to get a look, make sure it’s a high-clearance four-wheel drive with off-road tires and copious spares, piloted by someone with some major off-road know-how and stocked with emergency provisions—as much of this remote region has no cell service. Road conditions, rugged as heck, haven’t improved much since the mid 1800s, when gold-seekers traversed the region in wagons. In person and in photos, parts of it look impossibly steep and unpassable, but thousands of people did it. Don’t expect road conditions to improve anytime soon, though. If Dave Cooper and his colleagues at the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock have their way, they never will. Cooper says the area is meant to stay wild and pristine. Frank brought home a wealth of stories about High Rock Canyon’s geology, history and surprising hidden gems. Whether you’re of a mind to get prepared and take your own epic trip, or just do a little arm-chair traveling, Frank’s report, which starts on Page 16, covers both bases. Also in this issue, we have lots of advice on how to connect with the local art scene as the holidays approach. Jessica Santina found out what’s on local stages this fall and winter—both shows to get you in the holiday spirit, or, if you prefer, shows that can help you avoid the holiday spirit. Meanwhile, I caught up with artists and organizations selling holiday gifts that’ll make it easy to shop local for the holidays— even though “local style” means many things to many people. —KRIS VAGNER krisv@renonr.com
Email letters to letters@renonr.com | November 2023 | Vol. 29, Issue 9
There is an orchestrated effort led by the local Washoe GOP party chair and a group of right-wing zealots attending local library board meetings and attempting to remove some of its diversity programs and books. They seek to sensationalize and misinform under the cloak of “concern for the children and taxpayer dollars” with hateful demagoguery, sometimes leveling personal attacks against its director and board members who are not responsive to their demands and actions. Among them is a gentleman who had been suspended from the library, because he was defacing books with Bible verses. The American Library Association reports an unparalleled number of book challenges rising in recent years. It is a result of a network of political and advocacy groups targeting books with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines, and books involving characters of color or involving race, gender and sexual identity. This dangerous precedent of censorship draws some lessons from history. As the local library board now includes three new trustees in recent months, it is vital that
Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263, Cathedral City, CA 92234 • 775-324-4440 • RenoNR.com
Publisher/Executive Editor Jimmy Boegle Managing Editor Kris Vagner Editor at Large Frank X. Mullen Photo Editor David Robert Cover and Feature Design Dennis Wodzisz Distribution Lead Rick Beckwith Contributors Alicia Barber, John Barrette, Matt Bieker, Maude Ballinger, Lucy Birmingham, Brad Bynum, Max Cannon, Zoe Dixon, Loryn Elizares, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Helena Guglielmino, Matt Jones, Matt King, Sheila Leslie, Michael Moberly, Maggie Nichols, Steve Noel, Dan Perkins, Jessica Santina, Jason Sarna, Robert Victor, Matt Westfield, Leah Wigren The Reno News & Review print edition is published monthly. All content is ©2023 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The RN&R is available free of charge throughout Northern Nevada, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling 775-324-4440. The RN&R may be distributed only authorized distributors. The RN&R is a proud member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Nevada Press Association, and the Local Independent Online News Publishers.
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people show up to these meetings and defend our library system and its programs. Remember, decisions are most likely determined by the people who show up. William Puchert Reno
Five reasons to vote Republican
There are several reasons why folks should vote Republican. 1. Individual rights: When I was 18, all that I owned was a used, fat-tire bicycle. Thankfully, our Republican governor in Nevada vetoed a bill so that an 18-year-old can still own an AR-15. 2. Women’s rights: Human rights can go too far. The Taliban has reduced women’s rights. And so have many Republican states by removing a women’s rights on their medical decisions. 3. Individual freedom: Ron DeSantis signed the “Individual Freedom Act” which limits discussions on topics such as race and gender issues. Why be reminded of our history during slavery? 4. Overcrowded prisons: We have more people in prison (per capita) than most countries. Fortunately, Donald Trump said he would pardon a “large portion” of the Jan. 6 rioters. We need the space. 5. Law and order: While a historic first, 91 felony charges are not a good enough reason to prosecute the Republican frontrunner. Former
presidents should be above the law, even if the special prosecutor was appointed by a Republican attorney general. John C. Reno
Israel bears some responsibility
The only thing worse than our skimpy knowledge of current events is our nonexistent knowledge of the past. For example, we are shocked at the “massive intelligence failure” of the well-heeled Israeli security apparatus. What if it wasn’t an intelligence failure at all? There was a similar intelligence “failure” at Pearl Harbor, too, but we later learned President Franklin Roosevelt ignored the intelligence because he wanted to be a war hero. (Editor’s note: Historians disagree on this point.) What if Benjamin Netanyahu wants the war to bolster his political longevity, just like FDR did? Regardless of the level of preparation, it appears Israel bears plenty of responsibility for an inevitable outbreak of hostilities. An Israeli doctor interviewed by the CBS Evening News said that Palestinians were so viciously bottled up in Gaza that automatic weapons started firing whenever a Gazan drew near the wall. Can you spell the word “resentment”? Kimball Shinkoskey Woods Cross, Utah
BY DAVID ROBERT STREETALK What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Your least favorite?
Asked at Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane, Reno Elizabeth Swanson Student
GUEST COMMENT
BY MICHELLE DOSSON
Mashed potatoes. I’m a potato person. You can put a lot of flavors into them. You can have bacon bits, sour cream, etc. Potatoes are fun. I don’t like cranberry sauce. It comes out of a can. It’s gross. It’s a weird, jelly-like substance. It doesn’t have much flavor, either.
Dispelling myths about ‘no-kill’ animal shelters Reno media outlets recently reported that the Nevada Humane Society is disputing an online petition that alleges its shelter is unnecessarily killing shelter pets that have minor behavioral problems. The Humane Society is a “high-save” organization and only euthanizes animals in “limited cases when it would be dangerous to adopt a dog into the community,” according to Jerleen Bryant, the organization’s CEO. “Our status as no-kill has not changed,” Bryant told News 4-Fox 11 in Reno. “We very much qualify as a no-kill organization.” There are many myths about the definition of “no-kill” shelters and exactly what that designation means. As a regional director of the Best Friends Animal Society, I wanted to take the opportunity to set the record straight. “No-kill” means that no healthy or treatable animals should be killed when there are alternatives available to save them. That means a pet shouldn’t be killed just because it finds itself temporarily homeless or has minor behavioral or health problems. Communities should rally behind organizations that are working to achieve and maintain that goal effectively and responsibly. The benchmark for the no-kill designation is defined by a 90 percent save rate, according to the Animal Humane Society. The Nevada Humane Society, for example, so far this year has a 95 percent release rate for dogs, meaning 19 of 20 dogs received this year have been adopted or placed into foster care, according to Bryant. Typically, the number of pets suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being re-homed does not exceed 10 percent of all dogs and cats entering shelters. According to Best Friends’
most recent data, the percentage of U.S. shelters that achieved the no-kill benchmark reached an all-time high of nearly 57 percent in 2022. The bottom line is that the no-kill movement is working to save shelter pets’ lives by employing several strategies, including a combination of collaborative partnerships, proven programs and data-driven decision-making. No-kill is about creating partnerships with other animal-welfare organizations and the community to help find lifesaving solutions for pets—either before they enter the shelter, or after. It’s about political leaders removing policy barriers to lifesaving. It’s about finding alternatives to killing, because those alternatives exist, as long as we care enough to find them. Some of the most effective ways that shelters can become and sustain no-kill is through community engagement. When residents, government leaders, shelters and other animal-welfare groups work together, shelters and communities can become and maintain no-kill. Through collaboration, we can provide better support in shelters and more lifesaving outcomes for pets. Other ways people can help are by adopting, fostering, volunteering and donating to local shelters. At Best Friends, we also have a community-driven, grassroots movement to help save more dogs and cats across the country. More information about that effort and our organization is available at www.bestfriends.org. When a community supports its shelter’s critical needs, we begin to see dramatic results and will be on the right track to achieving a no-kill policy. Michelle Dosson is executive director of the Mountain West Region of the Best Friends Animal Society.
William Woods Writer/chef
Professionally cooked food from someone who knows what they’re doing. For some, Thanksgiving is like a science experiment for people who want to try out some new shit. I want some culturally traditional food where the recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. I don’t want any food that has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. Don’t put raisins in the potato salad. Don’t put mushrooms in the mac and cheese. What are you doing?
Breck Dolan
Immersive experience developer
I’m looking forward to a gluten-free pumpkin pie. Being gluten-free helps me with my brain fog and gets my energy levels up. Pumpkin pie also reminds me of my mom and grandma. I like pumpkin pie even when it’s not Thanksgiving. My least favorite thing is meatloaf on Thanksgiving. A family member always makes meatloaf for Thanksgiving. Why? Also, they make an overcooked prime rib. Don’t destroy a prime rib—use a thermometer!
Nathalie Gonzalez Writer
I love mashed potatoes and gravy, especially the way my mom makes the gravy with all kinds of spices. She is a wiz and does her own gravy recipes. I can’t stand stuffing. It’s mushy and not good. It comes out of a box. I ate it one time, and the texture was so bad that I never ate it again.
Ren Sample
Costume designer
Yams. I love yams. They’re sweet, and I have a sweet tooth. I had yams for the first time at my aunt’s house when I was 5. They had marshmallows on top like a dessert. But because it was a vegetable, I was able to eat as much as I wanted. I hate stuffing. I hate that shit! It’s full of offal and tastes like gamey guts. It’s also too salty. RenoNR.com
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LEFT FOOT FORWARD
| BY SHEILA LESLIE
First, a history lesson, then to the polls—we’ve seen unbridled madness before There are so many reasons to be pessimistic about our democracy these days—and there’s no shortage of examples of what’s wrong. Congress can’t elect a speaker in a time of great international peril, while the country is so polarized it’s almost impossible to have civil discourse on any topic of importance. There seems to be another mass shooting every time you check the news, yet we do nothing to minimize the carnage. And the extreme weather created by a warming planet affects us all. In Nevada, our governor has decided to make the adverse ruling from the Ethics Commission his hill to die on, instead of focusing his attention and considerable resources on any of the myriad issues that plague our state. Out in Douglas County, the school board is breaking its budget paying the legal bills submitted by failed political candidate Joey Gilbert, whom it hired despite his obvious lack of qualifications in education law. And our Reno City Council continues to allow so-called developers to buy up downtown property and raze the housing that provides shelter to those with few alternatives, leaving yet another vacant lot as a daily reminder of what isn’t work-
ing. None of it makes sense. in the streets of the Midwest, few opposed I was reminded of another time of unbridled them, inspiring scores of Americans from the madness in our country when I was reading heartland to abandon their morals and common Timothy Egan’s new book set in the 1920s, A sense and join the parade. Only a handful had Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s the courage to speak up against the movement, Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman and they endured a vicious backlash from their Who Stopped Them. I’m not sure the meteoric neighbors. Stephenson’s house of cards finally second rise of the KKK across middle America collapsed when he kidnapped and brutally was ever brought assaulted a young to my attention in woman, and the “A century later, the U.S. history class, or if courts—and then is still largely under the I’d just forgotten that the country—turned ugly part of Ameragainst the con man influence of another con ica’s past. Egan’s responsible for her man whose followers nonfiction book is death. a fascinating tale of A century later, the refuse to see him as the liar a fraudulent leader, U.S. is still largely and charlatan that he is.” D.W. Stephenson, under the influence who preyed upon the of another con man fears of Americans with banners proclaiming, whose followers refuse to see him as the liar and “America is for Americans,” encouraging mem- charlatan that he is. Much of the populace in the bership in the KKK as a way to defend women rural heartland of Nevada, good solid people, from Irish immigrants, Blacks, Catholics and have somehow lost their ability to discern truth Jews. Meanwhile, he secretly siphoned off the from fiction and apparently still believe our movement’s coffers for his own use, told lie elections are rigged—even when their candidate after lie, and sexually assaulted young women wins—and there is a deep state responsible for with impunity. the political chaos, instead of their flawed leader. When members of the KKK marched openly Republican office-holders, who presumably
know better, refuse to denounce the lies and actions of their party’s de facto leader, afraid of drawing his condemnation and the ire of his disciples. The rest of us impatiently wait for that turning point when Republicans awaken from their fever dream and realize how far they’ve strayed from their own conservative values. It still boggles the mind that Trump’s misogyny and racism haven’t been enough to turn the tide, nor have the lies about a stolen election, or the Jan. 6 rampage at the Capitol and the shocking attacks on law enforcement. Progressives who have Republican friends and family members still under the Trumpian spell must keep trying to calmly talk to them and encourage a rational evaluation of the actions of Trump and his acolytes, like Nevada’s party leaders who insist on having a “pay to play” rigged caucus instead of participating in a presidential primary. Egan’s book reminds us that our democracy is always subject to movements that are perceived to give “meaning, shape and purpose to the days.” In our current dangerous climate of authoritarianism, book banning and denials of reproductive freedom, we can’t afford to be complacent and sit this next election out.
• Bob Grimm’s movie reviews every Monday • More theater reviews • Western lit book excerpts • Free online archives going back to 2000 All of this, and much more, can be found online—only at RenoNR.com!
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A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
| BY JIMMY BOEGLE
After years away, I grew to truly love Reno One day a decade or so ago, I was in the gym on the top floor of the late, lamented Sands Regency. I was back in Reno visiting family and friends, and the now-hubby and I were staying at the Sands, as we always did, thanks to the great location and low room rates. (Yes, Jacobs Entertainment has done beautiful things with the casino formerly known as the Sands. But I, always and forever, will miss the divey yet comfortable Sands.) I remember looking out at the city below me—and being in awe of the sea of green, lush trees, with buildings poking out here and there. (If you’ve never looked down on central Reno from a tall building, do so. It’s beautiful.) It was at that moment I started to realize how special Reno truly was—and is. I left Reno in late 2001. I wasn’t happy about it, but if I’d wanted to stay in journalism, I had no choice, because there were no journalism jobs for me here anymore. I was lucky enough to grab a gig at Las Vegas CityLife (R.I.P), as I unknowingly started a life journey that would later take me to Tucson, Ariz., and then Palm Springs, Calif. I loved Reno, but I can’t say I had a particularly high opinion of it. Sure, Tahoe is
On Page 8, Frank X. Mullen beautifully writes amazing, and I could never get enough Awful about the Fleishmann Planetarium, a truly speAwfuls at the little Nugget (R.I.P.), among other cial place that’s turning 60; I remember being plusses, but Reno was … well, Reno. It was completely in awe of it as a kid. On Page 13, the sometimes backward, unremarkable place Maggie Nichols—who always manages to write where I just so happened to be born. about truly stunning But ever since places around these that moment at “Our place is in Midtown, parts—sets her sites the Sands (R.I.P.), tucked between Arlington on fantastic ways I’ve started to and places to enjoy look at Reno in Avenue and Plumas Street, the outdoors while a new way—and a little north of Mount Rose staying in town. On in the time since I returned here Street, and I’m always amazed Page 16, Frank’s words and David’s part-time nearly at how many amazing things— pictures document two years ago to the historic, incredcome back to the restaurants, bars, parks, ible place that is RN&R, I’ve come to realize how fan- shops, you name it—are within High Rock Canyon. The food section, tastic metro Reno walking distance. Of course, all of it, tells tales really is. Reno is far from perfect.” of our truly underDon’t believe appreciated food me? Just flip and cocktail scene. through this issue of the RN&R. Let’s start on I could go on and on, but you get the point. Page 3, and Streetalk, for which Dave Robert Our place is in Midtown, tucked between Artalked to people at a surprisingly cool place lington Avenue and Plumas Street, a little north called Reno Public Market—although I will of Mount Rose Street, and I’m always amazed always call it Shoppers Square, just because.
at how many amazing things—restaurants, bars, parks, shops, you name it—are within walking distance. Of course, Reno is far from perfect. After living in the deserts of the Southwest for two decades, I adore Reno’s summers, but as for Reno’s winters … no thanks. (Snow is beautiful. Driving in it is decidedly not.) The traffic here can be stunningly awful; I adamantly refuse to take either freeway within three miles of the Spaghetti Bowl most times of the day. Some of the politics are, shall we say, fraught. And I don’t know if I’d ever be able to afford a house in Northwestern Nevada, due to the housing crunch. But here’s the thing: No place is perfect. I absolutely adore Palm Springs, my other home, but there’s a reason you’ll find me in Reno rather than the Coachella Valley for many weeks during the summer—and the housing prices in Palm Springs make Reno’s prices a relative bargain. I’ll be forever grateful to the RN&R for bringing me back to my hometown, and allowing me to fall in love with it—completing a process that started as I looked down on Reno from the top floor of the Sands Regency about a decade ago.
A.V.A. BALLET THEATRE AND THE RENO PHILHARMONIC PRESENT
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ON NEVADA BUSINESS
| BY DAVE CROASDELL
A dozen ways AI can help you learn to create and grow your business This month, we are focusing on a topic that’s in the public’s periphery at the moment, as well it should be. AI is already affecting many industries and will soon affect most, as the technology grows faster than anyone can harness or tame. My buddy, colleague and business partner Dave Croasdell has some great insights into AI and how it can transform your business. He and I have traveled around the world, including Africa and Eastern Europe, teaching and mentoring entrepreneurs. Dave is also a charter board member of BizAssenmbly.org and brings a wealth of knowledge to startups like yours and mine. I’ll be back next month to dive into product/service value, and how to increase yours. —Matt Westfield The AI landscape is constantly evolving, with new tools and updated versions released almost daily. These tools use sophisticated and powerful concepts like neural networks, deep learning and natural language processing to help users explore virtually any problem domain. As a university professor who has worked with numerous business startups around the world for the past 15 years, I thought it would be interesting to explore how AI tools might help generate and grow business ventures. As with most problem-solving exercises, the effective use of generative AI begins with asking the right questions. The greatest challenges to starting a business are universal: articulating and validating appropriate value propositions, securing funding, developing an effective team and useful partnerships, cultivating the first customers, evaluating competition and market opportunities, identifying critical gaps in business models and developing the appropriate infrastructure and operational strategies to find financial success. Business
ventures that can navigate these challenges—with a lot of hard work and a good bit of luck—become successful startups. So how might generative AI assist hopeful business founders address these challenges? Let’s turn to ChatGPT to find out. (Note: These responses are aggregations from several different prompts provided to ChatGPT. Despite the helpful insights they provide, it is still necessary to incorporate human judgement to discern meaningful responses.)
How ChatGPT can help you start a business
Idea generation: ChatGPT can help brainstorm and generate new business ideas. When provided with information about interests, skills and market preferences, it can suggest potential business concepts and value propositions. Business planning: Many startups struggle with inadequate planning. Generative AI can provide guidance on creating a business plan, including financial projections, marketing strategies and operational considerations. Market research: Many businesses fail because they didn’t adequately research their market. Generative AI can help gather information about target-market industry trends, customer demographics and competitive analysis. It can assist in analyzing vast amounts of data to identify market trends, customer preferences and emerging opportunities. ChatGPT can
provide advice on how to enter new markets, expand your product line or pivot your business model. Competitor analysis: Competition is fierce in most industries. Standing out and differentiating your business from competitors can be challenging. AI can help gather and analyze data on competitors, providing insights into their strengths and weaknesses. ChatGPT can help businesses request information about market trends and competitor analysis to see if their business model is well-positioned. Content creation: ChatGPT can help generate content for a company’s website, blog or marketing materials, saving time and effort. By describing the business and its values, ChatGPT can even provide suggestions for logos, brand names and taglines. Financial projections and funding: Securing the necessary capital to start and sustain a business may involve seeking loans, investors or bootstrapping. ChatGPT can assist in creating financial projections and forecasts, and provide feedback on whether they appear realistic and sustainable. By providing input on revenue expenses, and growth expectations, AI can help manage financial resources and generate financial statements. Generative AI can be particularly useful for presenting a compelling case to potential investors or lenders. Customer support: Set up a chatbot powered by ChatGPT to handle customer inquiries and support, improving efficiency and providing 24/7 assistance. AI can help tailor marketing and product recommendations to
individual customer preferences. Problem solving: Businesses face various risks, from economic downturns to cybersecurity threats. Preparing for and mitigating these risks is crucial. Being adaptable and responsive to market shifts and new trends is essential. Challenges or roadblocks can be discussed with ChatGPT to brainstorm potential solutions. Team building, training and education: ChatGPT can help filter employment applications, suggest potentially useful partnerships and assist in developing training materials or guides for employees.
How ChatGPT can help strengthen your business model
Describing your business model: ChatGPT can provide feedback on elements of your business model, like target audience, revenue sources, cost structure and value proposition. Scenario analysis: ChatGPT can simulate different scenarios and assess how a business model would perform under various conditions. This can help uncover vulnerabilities. AI can help businesses process and analyze data, providing insights that can inform decision-making in areas like pricing, inventory management and customer segmentation. Managing risk, regulations and compliance: Navigating the legal and regulatory requirements of starting and running a business can be complex and time-consuming. AI can assist in identifying and mitigating risks. Although Chat GPT can be useful in helping to start and grow a business, as noted at the end of nearly every prompt provided to ChatGPT, AI is simply tool. It still requires human judgement. AI is not a substitute for critical thinking, human expertise or personalized advice. Consider consulting with business advisers or experts to conduct a thorough review of your business model for a more comprehensive assessment.
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UPFRONT
NEWS
| BY FRANK X. MULLEN
Inside Carson City’s pop-up homelessshelter system It’s OK to let people in at odd hours. Don’t turn them away if they’re intoxicated. The coffee is always decaf. These are just a few pieces of advice Molly McGregor conveyed to volunteers at First United Methodist Church in Carson City on Oct. 17. She works with Night Off the Streets (NOTS), a nonprofit that provides floor space and sleeping bags for anyone who needs them at four local churches between Nov. 1 and March 31. The group was launched in 2017 by Deacon Craig LaGier from the St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church Community after four people died of hypothermia sleeping on the street in Carson City—which does not have a designated homeless shelter. According to the NOTS website, no one has died from exposure to the cold in Carson City since. “Most of the time, things are quiet, and your shift is pretty mellow,” McGregor told the volunteers. But not having a place to live tends to be traumatic. Sometimes people arrive unable to access their medications. Other times, she said, people arrive at their wits end. Just in case, her presentation included a crash course in conflict de-escalation protocols and when to call 911. Longtime volunteer Daphne DeLeon described a typical night: “A lot of people are sleeping. Some people are watching TV on their phones, or some people are reading.” Jodi Miller—who is pursuing a social-work degree and manages the NOTS shelters—said that about 35 clients arrive on an average night, with the number of people sometimes reaching 50. The churches need their space back by 7 a.m., when mass starts, so McGregor cautioned the volunteers—who work in pairs in four-hour shifts—that it might feel heartbreaking to show people the door at 6 a.m., when it can still be quite cold. The group’s next goal, said Miller, is to build a permanent shelter. —Kris Vagner
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Paul McFarlane, director of the Fleischmann Planetarium, in its exhibit hall with students on a field trip from Creekside Cooperative Charter School in Tahoe City on Oct. 12. Photo/David Robert
Fleischmann Planetarium turns 60 Boldly going to the edge of the universe—and dodging a wrecking ball Paul McFarlane first visited the Fleischmann Planetarium in 1974, when he was 6, and took his first steps on a path to becoming a starship captain—traveling to distant galaxies and exploring new worlds. In 2018, McFarlane landed his dream job: director of the planetarium on the University of Nevada, Reno, campus. “This building is a sweetheart of a spaceship,” he said. “It’s bigger on the inside than the outside. We’ve got a whole universe in here—all of space and time.” The planetarium and science center— which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year—resembles a starship. Its sweeping shape, called a “hyperbolic paraboloid,” reflects the aspirations of a space age that was just getting off the ground when the facility opened in 1963. Viewed from a distance, the sleek building seems to be in swift motion. Within, its curved roofline traces the path of the sun throughout the day. After dark, planets peek through the solar louvers of its
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curved, floor-to-ceiling glass prow. The roof is made of 180 tons of concrete, laid down in a single pour and balanced on two points. In the early days, a few vehicles drove on it until a fence blocked access. Legend says babies were conceived on that rooftop, under the stars and above a place where galaxies swirl inside a 30-foot dome. The planetarium exists thanks to the Max C. Fleischmann Foundation, which donated $480,000 to build it. The facility formerly housed the world’s first “atmospherium”—a 360-degree system invented to project horizon-to-horizon time-lapse images of an entire day’s weather in a few minutes. Atmospheric physicist Wendell Mordy, the planetarium’s founder, developed the revolutionary technology. For 10 years, “we were the only planetarium in the world with it,” McFarlane said. Over the decades, the planetarium introduced many other innovations, hosted millions of visitors—and faced down two attempts by UNR administrators to erase it from campus. Each
time, community members stepped up to save the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1976, the Desert Research Institute, which then managed the facility, decided to shutter the building due to high maintenance costs, and because the venue had been operating at a loss. The closure announcement sparked a “Save the Stars” fund drive, chaired by Clark J. Guild, which raised $350,000 to qualify for an additional grant for $450,000 from the Fleischmann Foundation. The building was repaired and reopened; star shows and movies continued to be painted in light inside the dome. Art Johnson, who served as planetarium curator from 1973 to 2001, said the maintence problems in 1976 included a solar energy system that was “so ahead of its time” that it never worked as envisioned. Attendance for films shown on the 360-degree dome, he said, was a lot higher than for star shows during his tenure. The planetarium produced many of the movies, including a short of a Saturn V rocket launch; a multimedia production called the Conquest of Mars; and films about the Silver State such as Beautiful Nevada and Riches, the Story of Nevada Mining. In December 2002, UNR officials again wanted to demolish the building to make room for more parking at the football stadium and Lawlor Events Center. Administrators complained that the facility consistently failed to make a profit, something Johnson and others said is an unrealistic expectation. “I don’t know of any planetarium anywhere that is a profit center,” Johnson said. “All of them have underwriters and subsidies, just as museums do. You can’t charge enough for shows to pay for staff.” UNR announced its demolition plans on Dec. 10, 2002, setting off a tsunami of protests from Northern Nevadans. Five weeks later, the university gave in and arranged for parking spaces elsewhere. “The community just was not having that after it had been saved (in 1976),” Johnson said. “There was a lot of anger; the plan to demolish it just didn’t fly.” In the following 20 years, films were shot and shown in an improved format that resulted in sharper images. The staff added more exhibits and programs. Everything under the elegantly curved roof fuels imaginations. Shows on the dome take audiences from 20,000 leagues under the sea to the edges of black holes in deep space. Displays
trace humans’ relationships to the stars, from cave drawings to modern explorations of our solar system and beyond. Glass cases are packed with memorabilia from science fiction and TV shows, with many of the artifacts signed by celebrities. Computer stations allow patrons to virtually land on the moon and then drive across its dusty surface. Outside, surrounded by a garden, visitors peer through telescopes. Memories are made there every day. It has always been so.
Dreaming of the heavens
“When I was a kid, my mom often dropped me off, and I just stayed for hours,” McFarlane said. “In high school, I came for the laser shows. … (Now) I’m just a big kid and love being here. It’s a fusion of science, art and culture—the human experience.” Each year, up to 50,000 visitors enter the planetarium’s doors, bound for distant worlds and places closer to home. “The stars were just the beginning,” McFarlane said. “… The first curator, Richard Norton, wrote the book on meteorites, and we have one of the largest collections in the nation.” Past shows have included live views of the moon and our galaxy and close-ups of the sun’s surface. “Grandparents who came here as children now bring their own grandchildren,” McFarlane said. “It’s a good place for making dreams possible. You have to dream it before you can do it.” Sierra Gonzales, a graduate of Damonte Ranch High School who earned her master’s degree in mechanical engineering at UNR, knows about dreaming and doing. Her grandmother brought her to the planetarium when she was a girl. “It showed the wide-eyed young me how to look up, past the gift-shop stars on my bedroom ceiling, and to the discoveries yet to be found; to tell the story of our universe, the never-ending record of our past and the expanding future,” Gonzales said. In October 2020, Gonzales, then 24, sat at a console in the Lockheed Martin Space Center in
Littleton, Colo., in her role as “real time operator” of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. She gave the command that told the unmanned probe to snag a sample from the surface of Bennu, an asteroid 200 million miles from Earth. “It was an exciting, unbelievable moment,” she said. The probe’s return capsule, with samples of the asteroid’s surface, landed back on Earth in September. Gonzales’ planetarium visits helped inspire her career. “Picking one (job) for the rest of my life felt daunting; I didn’t want to be stuck,” she said. “Space, the final frontier, had no bounds, no limiting factors; that is what I wanted to be a part of. … Thank you, Fleischmann Planetarium.” McFarlane said Gonzales is the latest in a long line of planetarium visitors and employees who went on to make their marks in science careers, education and space exploration. After six decades, the starship keeps moving at warp speed, taking passengers on treks across the voids of space and time. The planetarium is featuring new shows, including Habitat Earth and Dream to Fly. On Wednesday, Nov. 15, 60 years to the day after the facility was dedicated, a concert entitled “Celestial Mechanics” is scheduled at UNR. The performance will celebrate the anniversary with music related to astronomy, including works by Bach, Herschel and others. Laser concerts will light the dome. The planetarium will showcase UNR students’ 360-degree, high-altitude balloon footage of the recent eclipse. On Friday and Saturday evenings in November, Native Skies will present indigenous sky knowledge and live star stories from the Washoe people. “We are here to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers,” said McFarlane, who often guides several tours a day, including for students on field trips from Nevada and California schools. The kids—and the starship captain leading them—are always excited to be there. And why not? “I work in the coolest classroom on the planet,” McFarlane said. Like the oceans’ depths and outer space, “it’s a place of endless wonders. It continues to innovate and inspire.”
Used kids’ bikes in high demand for the holidays; here’s how to donate
Ian Hall, a volunteer bike mechanic with the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Sparks, talked with kids about bike safety at the Boys and Girls Club on Neil Road on Oct. 17. The group donates used bicycles to kids year-round. The biggest demand period for bikes is starting now, as the group prepares to give away up to 300 of them through the Salvation Army Angel Tree, which distributes gifts to families during the holiday season. Bikes are among the most wanted items, said Ellen Jacobson, coordinator for the Kiwanis’ bike program. “We just realized we didn’t have as many kids’ bikes as we thought we had,” Jacobson said. “And if we didn’t scurry to get some more, we’d be in trouble for Christmas.” In mid-October, she counted around 50 bikes ready to distribute and another 50 awaiting repairs. She’s hoping for 200 more. Bikes can be dropped off at the Kiwanis Activity Center and Bike Program, 5305 Mill St., from 1 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 1 to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, or at any fire station in Washoe County. The greatest need at the moment is bicycles with 16- or 20-inch frames. The Kiwanis are also seeking volunteers to help repair bikes in time for the holidays. To inquire, email sparkskiwanis@gmail.com. —Kris Vagner; photo by David Robert
Louvers facing south rotate open to the ecliptic—the plane of our Solar System—along the curve of the planetarium’s glass front, allowing the sun, moon and planets to peek through. Photo/David Robert RenoNR.com
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NEWS
No one knows what founders go through except other founders. … We get it! Come to the free November BA founders workshop and roundtables. Light refreshments served. 9 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 11 @ the UNR Innevation Center, 450 Sinclair St., Reno
BizAssembly.org
| BY LEAH WIGREN
Your winter COVID-19 forecast
Mark Pandori from the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory. Photo/David Robert
Experts recommend vaccine boosters and predict a small seasonal increase in cases
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone get an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall, experts don’t foresee a sharp spike in infections on the horizon—although they do predict a modest seasonal jump. Mark Pandori, a microbiologist at the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, said that because COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, we should expect an increase in positive cases this fall and winter like we typically do with other diseases affecting the respiratory system. However, he does not expect a significant increase, as a sharp spike in cases would require a massive genetic change in the virus—such as the one that occurred with the Omicron variant. At this point, it’s difficult to track the true number of positive cases, because government agencies don’t track at-home test results. Most states stopped reporting infection-rate data when the COVID 19-related public health emergency ended on May 11, 2023. However, indicators show local infections have been slowly rising. The website Covid Act Now reports that at the end of August in Washoe County, 3.8 individuals per 100,000 were hospitalized for COVID. By mid-October, that number had more than doubled to 7.7 per 100,000. Wastewater analysis also showed that SARS-CoV-2 levels had increased in Washoe County in late September, before decreasing somewhat in the first week of October, Pandori said.
Business as usual
For some local businesses, life appears to 10
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be approaching a pre-pandemic normal—with some precautions here and there. On a recent day at Sports West Athletic Club, some people were working out, while others were visiting over coffee—and nobody was wearing a mask. An employee said this was typical and reported no noticeable recent impacts from COVID-19 on staff or customers. At Reno Little Theater (full disclosure: I serve on the board), executive director Melissa Taylor said the theater makes a “very strong request” for staff, cast and crew members to report COVID-19 or flu symptoms, or positive COVID tests; anyone who has been ill or tested positive is asked to wear a mask for 10 days. A sign on the theater’s front door asks patrons to return home if they’re feeling ill. Ticket-refund policies are much more flexible than in pre-COVID days; one group that rents the theater monthly canceled its October performances due to COVID-positive cast members. Additionally, Taylor noted that more audience members are wearing masks now than they were during summer shows.
Updated vaccines recommended
This fall, the CDC recommended that everyone 6 months of age and older receive an updated one-dose COVID-19 vaccine. In October, Northern Nevada Public Health (formerly the Washoe County Health District) began offering the updated vaccine for $22.57; the cost is covered by most insurance plans. Vaccination appointments are also available at many local drug stores. CVS and Walgreens participate in the CDC Bridge Access Program, which provides COVID vaccinations for no charge to those with limited or no coverage.
NEWS
| BY HELENA GUGLIELMINO
Funding for Downtown Micromobility Corridors Corridor
Estimated Project Cost
SINCLAIR LAKE STREET EVANS AVENUE
$3.3M
VIRGINIA STREET
$4.0M
VINE STREET
$2.9M
5TH STREET
$4.0M
Contingency
$3.2M
Design & Construction Administration
$2.6M
TOTAL
$20M
The cost of bike infrastructure Funding was OK’d in October, but cycling advocates and Reno city officials disagree over budget and timeline The city of Reno approved a proposal for improving micromobility—transportation including bikes, e-bikes and scooters— along 4.15 miles of key corridors from the University of Nevada, Reno, to Midtown at the Oct. 11 City Council meeting, including a budget of $20 million and a timeline that puts completion in 2026. Despite previous objections by the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance (TMBA), TMBA president Ky Plaskon announced on its Facebook group that the alliance had experienced “a bit of a reverse course” as it supported the proposal, with Plaskon rallying TMBA members to “hold the city to its word” so that “hopefully, they will think twice before derailing this project part way through.” Before conceding support, Plaskon claimed that the city was proposing a project that would take too much time and cost too much money. He believes that micromobility should only cost $1 million per mile of improvement and should be
designed to accommodate the changing needs of an area. “Fast and cheap,” he’d noted in a previous press release. The city’s Public Works Department, which put together this proposal, steered by city engineer Kerrie Koski, claims the opposite, and in the Oct. 11 meeting, Koski said that even though the proposal calls for more money spent, “we’re taking the approach (to) do it right the first time.” In an interview before the Oct. 11 council meeting, Plaskon said “nothing’s perfect from the start,” describing the city’s way of thinking as “the old method.” His argument for fast and cheap is built on the principle that micromobility infrastructure will need to be redesigned as planners see how users and vehicles interact with new or modified bike lanes and other parts of the system. He pointed to other cities around the country that have implemented micromobility programs with this newer way of thinking— Washington, D.C., in particular. At the Oct. 11 meeting, Koski, too, mentioned Washington D.C. “They’ve done a lot of
micromobility with just striping, but we’re also finding out that they’re going back and spending more money to put more infrastructure in to make it safer. So they’re using a (mindset of), ‘Let’s get it on the road, then we come back and deal with it later.’” Will Handsfield, a transportation expert in Washington, D.C., acknowledged that perfect infrastructure does not exist. “I don’t think I would presume to say we’re going to get every single street exactly right and never have to modify it again,” Handsfield said during a phone interview. “It’s just not how it works.” With changes inevitable, he advocated for “doing the maximum that you can as fast as possible,” because every day that goes by without proper micromobility programs in place increases the chances that bikers, skaters and other users incur injuries or death. Plaskon further cites Washington, D.C., as a basis for his budgetary recommendation for Reno. The TMBA press release said that places like Washington, D.C., are completing projects at $750,000 per mile; Handsfield said he thought the figure was closer to $250,000$500,000. Both numbers are a far cry from the city of Reno’s proposed $4.8 million per mile. “One of the things about adding micromobility to our streets is there are existing streets that have to be redesigned when adding a mode of transportation onto them safely,” said Amy Pennington, special projects and outreach coordinator for the city’s Public Works Department. “Not every street is easy to do something cheap and fast, because some streets have more things that need to be done for it to happen safely.” She could not describe specific designs for this project, as they have yet to be completed.
However, she did note that each street within the proposal was evaluated individually. “It’s not one size fits all,” she said. The city previously went through a pilot program to study micromobility. Implemented in 2022 on Fifth Street (from Keystone Avenue to Evans Avenue) and Virginia Street (connecting downtown Reno to Midtown), the program studied a number of infrastructure options to see what might work, including buffered lanes, two-way tracks, protected intersections, intersection bike boxes and bike signals. “We do feel like we got a lot of feedback from the community, from all different types of users, to hear what they liked,” Pennington said. In total, the city conducted four public feedback surveys and recorded more than 4,500 responses. “We were able to take all that information into what we have brought forward for this recommendation,” she said. Reno’s Public Works Department used the success of this pilot program to rationalize the implementation of the more expensive, permanent infrastructure in its now-approved proposal. Plaskon believes that the pilot program, which was implemented in less than a month, proves the need to continue building micromobility quickly, in a way that can be easily adapted. Passions run high regarding these issues. Councilmember Devon Reese said while talking about the city and TMBA’s relationship during the Oct. 11 meeting: “Have there been perfect moments in that relationship? No.” The project is now being handed over to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), which, after review, will not only manage but also fund the project. Plaskon concluded after the Oct. 11 meeting: “The city’s effort is not perfect, (but) we have to start somewhere, and there is a lot of learning as we try to improve safety together.”
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Graphic/Dennis Wodzsiz
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NEWS
| BY JASON SARNA Jennifer Shane is one of many busy locals who’s found pickleball is a boon to their social lives—and an affordable, welcoming sport to boot. Photo/David Robert
Making friends through pickleball The fun, year-round sport for people of all ages A year ago, Jennifer Shane’s teenage son asked, “Mom, do you have any friends?” The optometrist, now 54, paused. As a single mother and business owner, her friendships were lacking—but since she started playing pickleball in October 2022, her friend network has grown immensely. “Sixteen of my friends are from pickleball,” she said. According to Shane, some wonderful people she’s met while playing the sport get together off the court as well. “I’m dating a pilot,” said Shane. “And one of my pickleball friends is also dating a pilot. So when they are out of town, we get together outside of pickleball.” The social benefits of the sport appear to be one of the many reasons pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.—and has been for three years in a row. According to the 2023 Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) Pickleball Participation Report, 36.5 million people played at least once in 2022. That’s 14 percent of the adult population. “It’s addicting,” said Shane. “You’re doing something fun that doesn’t feel like exercise.” Pickleball was invented by three friends—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCullum—on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, in 1965. The game is a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong and is played by people of all ages. 12
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“You see people from age 7 to age 90,” said Shane. “I was once in a match that spanned over three generations.” Brandon Mackie, co-founder of Pickleheads, an online platform that helps players find courts, organize sessions and connect with local play, said the sport’s popularity “exploded during the pandemic.” “Many Americans were looking for responsible ways to socialize and stay active,” said Mackie. “But that was only the beginning. Pickleball’s growth has continued even as lockdowns have ended and normal life has resumed.” The magic of pickleball, according to Mackie, is that “it’s easy to learn, but hard to master.” Shane also mentioned that the sport requires a “very low investment” compared to other sports. The average cost for a pair of paddles and balls is around $40. Indoor courts usually charge a small fee to play, and outdoor courts are usually free. The rules of the game are simple: One round up to 11. Points are scored on the serve. Must win by two. The most confusing part is the scoring, which has three numbers instead of two. For example, instead of a score of 1-2, it’s 1-2-1. Since both players on a team serve, the last number indicates which player is serving: player “1” or player “2.” As far as play goes, it’s more about the volley back and forth between players than hitting the ball as hard as possible. “The game is not supposed to be won with
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the serve,” said Paul Kocher, former president of Truckee Meadows Pickleball Club (TMPC). “You want to rally the ball back and forth and have fun. It’s not a Roger Federer, 130-milesper-hour-serve type of thing.” The court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, and the game is usually played as doubles, i.e., two on two. However, according to Kocher, “singles is starting to grow in popularity.” Another appealing aspect of the game is that it’s played year-round. When the weather is warm, players can use a number of the outdoor courts, and when it’s cooler, they can play indoors. “We play outside unless it’s below 45 degrees,” said Reno pickleball player Susan Volinkaty. “That’s when the balls start to crack. Forty-five or higher, we’re outside, so long as the courts are dry.” Some of the top places to play pickleball in Reno are Cyan Park, Plumas Alpine/Reno Tennis Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows and Hidden Valley Regional Park. For an extensive list of local courts, visit the TMPC website: tmpc.clubexpress.com. Along with supplying players with court information, TMPC organizes local fundraisers, cleans up parks and helps restore courts. The group also works with the Boys and Girls Club and teaches people who want to learn how to play the game. “We’re always striving to help promote the city and build new places to play,” said Kocher. “We want to give back to the community.”
Locals who want to find or host meetups can do so on the Reno Pickleball Facebook group (www.facebook.com/groups/renopickleball). Mackie’s website, Pickleheads (www.pickleheads.com), is another resource for finding courts and games, locally and nationally. Mackie also recently launched the Pickleheads mobile app, which lists 12,000 courts in 5,000 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The app allows users to find nearby games, join groups and organize games. Regarding the name of the sport, there are two stories explaining why it’s named “pickleball.” One is that it was named after a dog named “Pickles” who would go get the ball. Another has to do with the game reminding one of the sport’s founders of a “pickle boat,” which is a term from rowing used to describe a motley crew of rowers put together at random to compete in races. “One guy is going with the dog, and another is going with the pickle crew,” said Kocher. “Google it, and come up with your own opinion. Does it really matter?” Many players take their paddles with them while traveling. Between them, Shane, Kocher and Volinkaty have played in California, Florida, Mexico and South Dakota. Kocher even played on a cruise ship. “Most places have drop-in play, meaning you can show up without making prior arrangements,” said Volinkaty. “Put your paddle in the rack, and wait for your turn to play. Very appealing.” As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, Kocher said it may one day become an Olympic sport. According to the Olympic Charter, for a sport to be accepted “it must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents.” “If we have breakdancing, we can probably have pickleball,” said Kocher. Locally, the pickleball scene is strong: The TMPC has more than 850 members, and more people playing. This is great news for the sport and community; however, there is some concern that the increasing number of players may jam the courts. “It would be great to have a complex with 20 or 30 courts in one area with lights on that would be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” said Volinkaty. “A facility like that can bring in huge tournaments to the area—a great moneymaker for the city.”
HIKING
| BY MAGGIE NICHOLS The Truckee Meadows has a motherlode of outdoor adventure spots that are easy to access from the city, including the Tahoe-Pyramid Bike Trail. Photo/ Maggie Nichols
Family outings In-town, outdoor holiday adventures for families and groups of all kinds November is a month synonymous with Thanksgiving and the start of holiday season. For many people, that means more time with family and friends, eating good food together and exchanging gifts. Whether this fills you with excitement or dread—depending on your relationships and your preferences—spending time outside can be a great way to boost your mood. It can provide a much-needed break from obligations, or offer a way to bond with relatives you don’t often see. No matter what you like to do, there’s something outdoorsy for you. One classic option is to join a fun run or walk on Thanksgiving—before diving into your meal. Scheels in Sparks puts on an annual Turkey Trot, where you can run or walk 2 miles around the Sparks Marina, or opt for the 10k route if you’re feeling ambitious. Desert Sky Adventures hosts Reno’s Wobble Before You Gobble, with a timed 5k route and an untimed 1-mile walking route. Make either of these events extra-interesting by wearing a costume—or coordinating a whole group of costume-wearing walkers and runners.
If you’ve got young children or older relatives to include, take advantage of Washoe County’s Regional Parks and Open Space system. Idlewild Park, Rancho San Rafael Regional Park and the Sparks Marina are just a few options with excellent playground equipment for kids. Virginia Lake is an in-town favorite with a walking trail, playground equipment and picnic tables. Pah Rah Mountain Park is a hidden gem in Sparks. It’s a little off the beaten path yet conveniently right next to Vista Boulevard, and has a plethora of playgrounds scattered across a grassy expanse. It features tennis courts and the hint of a baseball field—which can be turned into a soccer pitch or football field with a little imagination. Washoe County also hosts various themed days for kids, families and adults throughout the year. Join one of their Fall Photo Hikes on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Bartley Ranch Regional Park. On Sunday, Nov. 5, you can meet turkeys and other farm animals at the annual Meet the Turkeys event at Rancho San Rafael Park. Most Wednesdays feature Little Sprouts, a craft event for kids ages 2-5 at Rancho San Rafael’s Ranch House.
Paved trails throughout the city make for a great experience on wheels. Whether you like biking, have some rollerblades or are bringing along a stroller, there’s a path for you in the Riverwalk District in downtown Reno. Wingfield Park is a good spot to dip your toes in the chilly Truckee River. The Eddy has a large, sunny, dog-friendly outdoor space where you can grab a drink, enjoy live music and play games like giant Jenga. Just a few blocks over on Lake Street, Bundox Bocce at the Renaissance hotel has several outdoor bocce courts. If you’ve never played before, the rules are clearly explained— and everything is made a little bit better with appetizers and small plates from the bar. Farther from the city center, solitude and sunshine await on the Veterans Parkway Bike Path that runs parallel to Veterans Parkway in Hidden Valley. It can get windy in the afternoons, but the openness and copious views provide 3.8 miles of uninterrupted enjoyment for bikers, runners and skaters. Or follow the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail to wind along the Truckee River on a paved surface (that occasionally consists of bike lanes) as it meanders through parks, meadows and the occasional neighborhood. If you and yours would prefer to get off the pavement, there is no shortage of options. Some of my favorites are the view from the top of Rattlesnake Mountain near the airport, the solitude in the trees around Thomas Creek near Galena, searching for bootlegger’s cabins and frogs in Lagomarsino Canyon just east of Sparks, and exploring the stunning, 360-degree views from Prison Hill, outside of Carson City. If you’re an animal lover, there are lots of places to check out our local wildlife. Great flocks of migrating birds frequent Washoe Lake and Hidden Valley, from soaring golden eagles to purposeful Vs of white pelicans—and even the occasional sandhill crane, calling out like a dinosaur that belongs in a Jurassic Park movie. This is also the time of year when deer start to migrate down from the mountains and can be seen near dusk, grazing wherever they can find food, particularly along the eastern side of Washoe Lake. As the days grow cooler, it’s easier to spot fence lizards and whip lizards sunning themselves on desert rocks as the days heat up. No matter what sorts of things you like to do or how you’re spending this holiday season, Reno and the surprinting areas are full of great ways to get outdoors easily and simply. You can go by yourself or take the whole family. Either way, you’ll end up with great memories that can’t be purchased at any holiday sale. RenoNR.com
Think Free! The last one showering shouldn’t be left in the cold! GO TANKLESS.
FREE
Quotes Tank Options & Tankless
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Preparing for winter PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Safeguarding natural gas meters in snowy regions
A
s another winter season approaches, the lessons learned from the heavy snowfall of last year are still fresh in our minds. The weight of snow and ice accumulation puts undue stress on meters and piping, potentially causing leaks and other hazards. Our community’s safety is paramount, and Southwest Gas has some helpful safety tips and precautions for customers. Southwest Gas urges customers in heavy snowfall areas to proactively install a snow shelter to protect the natural gas meter and surrounding piping. Once the first snowfall hits, it is too late to install a snow shelter. Installing a structurally engineered snow shelter prevents snow and ice accumulation on the meter and lessens the chances of damage to natural gas infrastructure, which reduces the potential of customers being without natural gas to heat their homes and businesses, cook, access hot water, and use clothes dryers for extended periods of time. For the safety of the customer and the community, Southwest Gas will immediately suspend service to a home or business when damage from snow and ice is discovered at a natural gas meter or surrounding piping. Gas service will only be restored when snow and ice are cleared, adequate meter protection is installed, and requirements imposed by the local jurisdiction have been observed by the customer. For additional information about snow shelters, including tips to help protect against potential snow damage, snow shelter design drawings, 14
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and contractor referrals, visit www. swgas.com/en/safety#snow-precautions, or call 877-860-6020. While a snow shelter is the preferred method to keep meters safe, there are other practical ways to keep infrastructure safe during the winter months: 1. Use a Broom: Instead of a shovel, use a broom to clear snow or ice off the natural gas meter and outdoor appliances, including regulators and associated piping. Using a broom is gentler and less likely to damage the equipment. 2. Avoid Piling Snow: When shoveling, plowing, or using a snow blower, make sure not to pile snow on or near the gas meter or outdoor appliances. Keep these areas clear to prevent potential damage. 3. Gutter Maintenance: Ensure that all outside gutters, especially those above or near the natural gas meter and outdoor appliances, are free of leaves and debris. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage and obstruct ventilation. 4. Ventilation Checks: Natural months, it’s also a good time to get gas appliances require proper exnatural gas appliances inspected. haust and ventilation. It’s crucial to While Southwest Gas doesn’t perknow the location form inspections A MESSAGE FROM of air supply and on natural gas exhaust ducts and appliances, such keep them free of as gas fireplaces or snow, ice, leaves, stoves, customers or debris. Clearing are encouraged to vents prevents opvisit www.swgas. erational issues and com for a comthe accumulation prehensive list of of harmful carbon approved contracmonoxide in buildings. tors who can help ensure the safety In preparation for the colder and efficiency of these appliances.
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As winter approaches and the memory of last year’s heavy snow season lingers, safeguarding the natural gas meter and appliances isn’t a matter to be taken lightly. Remember, the key to winter readiness is early preparation. Southwest Gas is dedicated to safely and reliably delivering an energy source that helps sustain and support quality of life in our communities. Customers are welcome to contact the company if they have questions about natural gas safety or their gas service.
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For November, 2023 This sky chart is drawn for latitude 40 degrees north, but may be used in continental U.S. and southern Canada.
ASTRONOMY
| BY ROBERT VICTOR
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November’s evening sky chart. Illustration/Robert D. Miller
Capella
Aldebaran
Arcturus
1 8
E
Jupiter 15
Deneb
22
W
Vega
29
Altair
1
Saturn 8 15 22 29
Mercury 22 29 Antares
Fomalhaut
Evening mid-twilight occurs when the Sun is 9° below the horizon. Nov. 1: 44 minutes after sunset. 15: 46 " " " 30: 47 " " "
S
November skies
Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller
The month features the Leonid meteor shower— and chances to view the two brightest planets simultaneously The four giant planets are visible after nightfall—two bright, and two requiring optical aid. Jupiter, Uranus and the Pleiades pull all-nighters on Nov. 2, 13 and 22, while November also sees Jupiter-Saturn’s 20-year cycle of divorce and reconciliation; the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, in the sky together this month (and early December) for the last time until a year from now; and a head-on collision with Earth and some cometary particles. At dusk, Jupiter, of magnitude -2.9 to -2.8, gleams low, north of east at the start of month, and climbing higher through the east as the month progresses. At opposition to the sun on night of Nov. 2-3, Jupiter is up all night: low, north of east at dusk; high in the south in middle of night; and low, north of west at dawn. Saturn, of magnitude +0.7 to +0.8, glows well up in the southeast to south
at dusk. Its rings at the start of November are tipped 10.5° from edgewise, giving us a better view than we’ll have again until 2027. Ranking next in brightness after Jupiter at dusk, there’s a virtual tie between three zero-magnitude stars: Arcturus, sinking in the west to west-northwest and disappearing early in the month; Vega, very high in the west-northwest; and Capella, rising in the far northeast. Late in the month, Mercury, near magnitude -0.5, emerges in the southwest to outrank these stars, but it hugs the horizon in evening twilight, so use binoculars. Mars is not visible at all, passing behind the sun’s disk Nov. 17-18. Other bright stars visible at dusk include Altair and Deneb, completing the Summer Triangle with Vega; Fomalhaut, Mouth of the Southern Fish, below or to the lower left of Saturn; and Aldebaran, eye of Taurus and follower of the Pleiades, rising in the east-northeast late in month.
Jupiter and Saturn are 70° apart in the evening sky on Nov. 1, moving to 66° apart on Nov. 30. The gap between the two giant planets is temporarily closing until a minimum separation of 61° on Feb. 5, 2024, before increasing again. Try finding the two faint outer planets: Uranus, at opposition on Nov. 13, retrogrades 1.2° this month, staying 11°-14° to the lower left of Jupiter and within 2.3° of 4.3 magnitude Delta in Aries, the brightest star between Jupiter and the Pleiades. An easy binocular target, the 5.6-magnitude planet passes 2.15° south of Delta Ari on the nights of Nov. 9 and 10. Neptune, at magnitude 7.8, some 25° to 24° east (to the left or upper left) of Saturn, is more of a challenge. Past its September opposition, Neptune slows its retrograde, creeping from 1.3° to 1.6° west-southwest of the 5.5-magnitude star 20 of Pisces, end of the handle of a compact dipper-shaped asterism of six stars of magnitude 4.4 to 5.9 fitting within a binocular field 5 1/4° across. Look for this “Neptune’s Dipper” asterism between the Circlet of Pisces and Iota in Cetus. When you’re outdoors around Nov. 22, whether at dawn or at dusk, visualize this: On Nov. 22, Spaceship Earth is heading toward Regulus, in Leo, west of the sun in the morning sky, and racing away from Saturn, east of the sun in the evening sky. Regulus and Saturn on that date in 2023 lie in opposite directions from Earth, with both at quadrature, 90° from the sun. Binoculars fit the entire gathering into the field with room to spare, providing wonderful views. Planets at dawn: Venus, faded since its September peak, is still impressive at magnitude -4.4 to -4.2. Magnified by a telescope, the receding planet appears in gibbous phase, 55% to 67%, while shrinking from 22” to 17” (arcseconds) across. Watch Venus move east against the background stars by 1.1° to 1.2° per day, passing 1.1° south of third-magnitude Gamma in Virgo on Nov. 17—with a telescope at high power resolving Gamma into a striking, equal pair now 3.7 arcseconds apart. The annual Leonid meteor shower reaches its normal peak of only 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions just before morning twilight begins on Nov. 18. In addition this year, there’s a possible enhancement of 10-15 brighter-than-average meteors per hour, predicted to be visible from the Western U.S. on Nov. 21 around 4 a.m., from a trail of debris released by the Leonids’ source, Comet Tempel-Tuttle, during its visit in 1767. The comet is in a retrograde orbit, which means its particles enter Earth’s atmosphere from the direction of Leo at a very high speed, 44 miles per second. Don’t worry: It’s the particles, and not the comet itself, RenoNR.com
making a head-on collision with Earth. Venus passes 4.2° north of Spica on Nov. 29. Jupiter, after its opposition on the night of Nov. 2-3, drops out of the morning twilight sky within three weeks, but you can still observe it every morning this month, just by looking earlier. Ranking next in brightness after Venus and Jupiter is Sirius, the Dog Star, in the south-southwest to southwest at dawn, following Orion across the sky. View these two brightest planets simultaneously. From Reno’s vicinity, Venus and Jupiter are 132° apart on Nov. 1, when they’re 23° above opposite horizons 1.8 hours before sunrise; 150° apart on Nov. 15, when they’re 14° above opposite horizons 2.5 hours before sunrise; and 168° apart on Nov. 30, when they’re 6° above opposite horizons 3.1 hours before sunrise. From an ideal place where no landscape features block your view, you’d be able to see both planets at once until Dec. 10, when they’re 180° apart, and Venus will rise just before Jupiter sets. After that, your next chance to catch Venus and Jupiter in the night sky together will begin in about a year, when they’ll appear just above opposite horizons soon after nightfall on Nov. 4, 2024. For the next few years, the range of the moon’s north-south wanderings each month noticeably exceeds the range of the sun’s annual summer to winter solstice midday positions. This month, the moon rides highest in south, about 79° up for Reno, on Nov. 2 at 4:48 a.m., and on Nov. 29 at 1:34 a.m. The moon rides lowest in south as a 14 percent crescent on the afternoon of Nov. 16, only 21° up at 2:56 p.m. Before dawn, watch the waning moon pass by these stars and bright planets in the belt of the zodiac: On Nov. 1, Elnath, northern horn of Taurus, the Bull; on Nov. 3, Pollux and Castor, Twins of Gemini; on Nov. 4, the Beehive cluster in Cancer; on Nov. 6, Regulus, heart of Leo, the Lion; on Nov. 9, Venus (don’t miss it!); on Nov. 11, Spica; on Nov. 27, the full moon is between Pleiades and Aldebaran; on Nov. 28, Elnath; on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, Pollux and Castor. In the evening sky, watch the waxing moon pass by these stars and bright planets: On Nov. 14, Mercury (very low—look early, with binoculars); on Nov. 19 and 20, Saturn; on Nov. 24 and 25, Jupiter; on Nov. 26, Pleiades; on Nov. 27, Aldebaran and Elnath (past full and waning); on Nov. 28, Elnath. The Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar is available by subscription from www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar. For $12 per year, subscribers receive quarterly mailings, each containing three monthly issues. Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968 and still helps produce an occasional issue. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the beauty of the night sky and other wonders of nature.
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On both sides, the mountain showed often “stupendous and curious-looking rocks,
T
he southern approach to High Rock Canyon in the Black Rock Desert is a graded, relatively smooth road that seems passable for any modern vehicle—but it’s a bait-andswitch. After entering the 16-mile trail that winds through towering cliffs and affords views of a spectacular landscape, hazards crop up: sharp rocks litter the ruts; the trail’s steep sides can tilt vehicles at alarming angles; gauntlets of water-filled potholes, some more than a foot deep, are common; recent washouts may block the road, which crosses High Rock Creek several times; the canyon’s orange mud is the consistency of wet concrete—and dries like it; piles of fine sand defy traction; and the hefty volcanic rocks scattered everywhere imperil the gas tanks and exhaust systems of SUVs with less than about nine inches of ground clearance. The remote canyon, about 160 miles north of Reno, is nearly as pristine as it was when Indigenous people walked through it for thousands of years. It is as remote as it was when John C. Frémont came through in 1843, and when Gold Rush emigrants trundled the trail that was dubbed the “Death Route” to California from 1849 to the early 1850s. A place of breathtaking vistas, it’s also wild and can be dangerous. No “improvements” to the route are ever made. No amenities—or cell 16
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phone service—are available. That’s the point. “High Rock Canyon is to be managed so it is undeveloped, wild land,” said Dave Cooper, who retired from the Bureau of Land Management 14 years ago and was the first manager for the Black Rock Desert/ High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA), created in 2000. The designation encompasses 1.2 million acres of protected public land, including 10 wilderness areas. Nature and history converge there. “In the conservation area, we have 150 miles of the most pristine sections of the California Trails system that have changed very little since the
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which at several places narrowed the valley that scarcely a place was left to camp ... shut up in the earth, a sort of chasm, the little strip of grass under our feet, the rough walls of bare rock on either hand, and the narrow strip of sky above.
1840s and 1850s,” said Cooper, who is on the board of directors of the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock, an advocacy group dedicated to preserving the region’s historical, ecological and scenic resources. “In the NCA, there is wildlife habitat and some endangered species,” Cooper said. “We created a couple of areas of critical concern in those 1.2 million acres—and High Rock Canyon is one of those.”
Pioneer graffiti from 1849 and the early 1850s can be seen on the cliff walls of High Rock Canyon. Photo/David Robert RenoNR.com
”
— John C. Frémont, 1843
FORMED OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS The steep walls of the canyon,
hundreds of feet high in many sections, provide evidence of its genesis. The layers of gray, orange, white and brown rock formations, a blend of basalt and rhyolite, tell of the lava flows from volcanic eruptions more than 17 million years ago. In places, more ancient rock, part of a sea floor that became the west coast of North America, peek out of the walls; the tiny fossils of extinct sea creatures can be found throughout the NCA. About 9 million years ago, tectonic forces opened faults in the volcanic rock. Water from uncounted storms followed those cracks for millions of years, patiently carving High Rock and its side canyons. The walls of the defiles are dotted with small holes and larger caves, the result of gas bubbles trapped in the lava flows. The Northern Paiute people and their forebears used the canyon as a migration and trade route for millennia. In December 1843,
explorer John C. Frémont and his survey such a situation.” party traveled through High Rock Canyon After the brutality of the playa, High Rock southward to Pyramid Lake. The pathfinder Canyon must have seemed like a respite, but it was seeking a mythical river called the was still hard travel for the ox-drawn wagons Buenaventura, which was said to flow from and weary emigrants. the Great Salt Lake to San Francisco Bay. It remains hard travel today. That waterway never existed, but Frémont found other wonders, including the gorge of KEEPING High Rock. “On both sides, the mountain showed often THINGS WILD stupendous and curious-looking rocks, which “That route is for experienced, highat several places narrowed the valley that clearance, four-wheel-drive operators only,” scarcely a place was left to camp,” Frémont Cooper said. “You need the knowledge, skills wrote in his report to Congress. “It was a and abilities to navigate that trail, which will singular place to travel through shut up in the take the better part of a day. It’s a high-risk, earth, a sort of chasm, the little strip of grass challenging type of recreation opportunity— under our feet, the rough walls of bare rock and it needs to stay that way.” on either hand, and the narrow strip of sky Trundling through the canyon in October, it above.” is easy to imagine what the emigrants endured; In 1846, seeking a safer and more direct their traces are everywhere. Wagon ruts and wagon road to Oregon, Jesse Applegate pioneer graffiti are visible, carved on the cliff and Levi Scott pioneered a route from the walls or painted with axel grease and protected California Trail near what is now Rye Patch from the elements beneath rock ledges. Reservoir, northwest across the Black Rock “That’s the pristine nature of the ApplegateDesert and through High Rock Canyon. Peter Lassen Trail,” Lassen guided Cooper said. “The 12 wagons to diary accounts tell California on That route is for stories of life and the route in death, hopes and 1848. Even experienced, high-clearance, dreams, and the though the struggles they went detour was four-wheel-drive operators through.” 200 miles Unlike other longer than only. You need the knowledge, historic areas, there the Truckee River Route skills and abilities to navigate are few interpretive signs in the canyon. and crossed “The intent that trail, which will take nearly 100 was not to ‘sign’ miles of a the better part of a day. It’s a everything,” he waterless said. “The idea is playa, more high-risk, challenging type of to allow people to than 20,000 create their own gold-seekers recreation opportunity—and adventure out there, followed seek out places the cutoff it needs to stay that way. (and) experience for years self-discovery.” afterward. — Dave Cooper, Preparation is The Friends of Black Rock-High Rock essential. “Some Applegatepeople go in there Lassen Trail who are totally became known as the “Death Route.” unprepared,” Cooper said. “I’ve heard of “On we plodded, my horse and I, over 30 people who had three flat tires and had to miles from food or drink either way, whether walk out by themselves. I always recommend before or behind,” wrote pioneer Joseph that people not go in there alone. … It’s best Alonzo Stuart, who crossed the playa in 1849. to have two vehicles or more if you are going “… (The desert was) a dreary waste stretching as far as the eye could reach—a scene of death to go all the way through.” Camping is allowed in designated areas and desolation. On either side of the road of the canyon. Vehicles are allowed only on and almost walling it in were the dead and the main trail. The side canyons, including decaying carcasses of horses, mules and oxen Fly, Yellow Rock, Little High Rock and mingled with the deserted and dying beasts of Mahogany canyons, offer hiking trails. the day. One never can realize the horrors of
“It’s wilderness on both sides (of the jeep trail),” said Cooper, who enjoys hiking into Mahogany Canyon. “Watch the cliffs for bighorn sheep; most of the time, you get to see them.” At places along Mahogany Creek, the canyon walls narrow into slot canyons. Cliff walls host nesting birds. The canyon floor is often worn smooth, sculpted by water over millions of years. Pools in Mahogany Canyon are the habitat of fish that once thrived in ancient Lake Lahontan, the ice-age lake that once covered about a third of what is now Nevada. The Black Rock playa is one of Lahontan’s lake beds. The plateaus above Mahogany Creek’s headwaters were ancient lava flows.
A ‘PLACE FOR CONTEMPLATION’ “It’s a whole different kind of
beauty,” said Jenn Welsh of Davis, Calif., who usually hikes in the high country of the Sierra Nevada, but went backpacking in the
High Rock Canyon Wilderness last year. “You have the feeling you are in some primeval place or a Western (movie). … The views are incredible.” Welsh said she had always thought of the Nevada desert as barren, but discovered it is teeming with wildlife and a variety of landscapes. Sierra trails often are crowded, she noted, but Nevada’s wilderness is a place of solitude. “It’s uncivilized, and that’s its attraction,” Welsh said. “It’s a place for meditation and contemplation. You have the feeling you may be the first human to be there.” There’s a lot to discover, she said. In High Rock Canyon, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, prairie falcons and golden eagles nest high on the cliffs. Wild horses make their way across the canyon rim. The calls of chukar and quail echo against canyon walls. Rabbits, ground squirrels, lizards and voles scurry across the jeep trail. Rattlesnakes sunbathe on ledges. Mule deer, bobcats and mountain lions make their homes in the canyon. continued on next page
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Potholes on the trail where Fly Canyon and High Rock Canyon meet. Photo/David Robert RenoNR.com
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continued from Page 17 Wildflowers present a riot of colors in the spring. Travelers through High Rock in the fall will need to navigate high stands of sagebrush, saltbush and rabbit brush. In October, the green willows along the creek bed turn rusty. Aspens along creek beds glow with golden leaves. The conservation area is protected, but development nibbles at its boundaries. The BLM is leasing nearby hot springs for geothermal projects. There’s a gold mine just outside the northwest part of the area, with exploration for gold and lithium deposits nearby. “The threats of development are there on the outside of the NCA, but it and the wilderness areas remain protected,” Cooper said. “They should remain that way in perpetuity.” Reversing the protections would be difficult, but not impossible. “They were designated by Congress, so it would require an act of Congress to undo that,” he said. “It would be very difficult to do, given the popularity of those areas. It would depend on public opinion.” The region remains a public resource regulated by the BLM. The road through High Rock Canyon is closed from Feb. 1 until the second
weekend in May every year to minimize human disturbance on nesting raptors and lambing bighorn sheep. In the wilderness area, mechanized travel is restricted to 800 miles of roads and trails, but the vast dry lake bed of the playa is open for vehicles. Tent camping, hunting, rock climbing, backpacking and other recreational activities are allowed in the wilderness areas. Mountain bikes and game carriers are considered to be forms of mechanical transport and are not permitted. It’s no Disneyland. When vehicles break down or someone gets hurt, help is many miles away, as is phone service. The weather in the NCA may change rapidly; temperatures can fluctuate more than 50 degrees in a day. It’s easy to get into trouble and very hard to get out of it. Trekkers stranded in High Rock Canyon, for example, may not encounter other people for days—or weeks. Visitors should tell others where they are going and when they expect to return. The BLM and Friends of Black Rock-High Rock websites offer information and advice about the area. “You need the right knowledge, skills ability and equipment,” Cooper said. “It’s not for everyone. I can’t over emphasize the caution that is needed to go through there.”
Most of the canyon trail is littered with sharp, loose rocks. Photo/David Robert 18
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ART OF THE STATE
| BY CHRIS LANIER A detail of a sculpture by Phil Buckheart. Photo/Kris Vagner ettes that give up their forms only after you’ve squinted at them a bit—geese in flight, antlers branching from a deer skull, raptors with wings and talons outstretched. Phil Buckheart is represented by a half-dozen sculptures where animals, dancers and totemic figures are partially abstracted. Recognizable features are mixed in with both natural and manufactured materials, adorned with painted rocks, or topped with a spray of feathers.
Melding traditional and contemporary
Story of continuance The Great Basin Native Artists’ latest exhibit helps ensure that Native art isn’t relegated to a historical footnote The exhibition It Started With Willows, now showing at the Bristlecone Gallery at Western Nevada College in Carson City, is a fiercely eclectic show, encompassing sculpture, drawings, prints, collage and basketry—featuring work that has been made over the span of the last 70 years or so. It hangs together beautifully. Winnowing trays, seed gathering baskets, cradle boards and fish traps (drawn from the collection of Lloyd Chichester) are hung next to works by contemporary Native artists, ranging from large-scale mixed-media abstractions by Melissa Melero-Moose (Northern Paiute) to playful assemblage sculptures by Phil Buckheart (Absentee Shawnee/Choctaw). The pulse of pattern in the basketry, achieved by weaving darkened willow strands among the naturally lighter ones, emanates outward to the contemporary work, appearing in bold geometrical structures, border or background elements, or depictions of traditional clothing and containers—a vital zigzag of continuity. Melero-Moose is the curator of the show, and also founder of Great Basin Native Artists (GBNA), a collective of Indigenous artists stretching across Nevada, California, Southern Oregon, Southern Idaho and Utah. The contemporary artists in the show are part of that collective. Melero-Moose explained that GBNA partly grew out of a desire to tell the story of the continuance of
Indigenous culture: “Our connection to the land, and connection to these plants that they turn into these baskets—that are entities, you know.” Talking about the patterns, Melero-Moose explained: “In the beginning, baskets were made for utilitarian uses. And if you’re sitting around making baskets, maybe you get some embellishment going on, and you get some designs, because you’re sitting around these beautiful mountains and all of these beautiful colors. I think that’s how over time, way back in the day, a lot of the designs got integrated into the basketry.” The connection between landscape and pattern is made explicit in “Basket Landscape,” a monoprint by David Ipina (Yurok). In it, the curved-edge form of a basket creates a sort of viewing frame—at the right edge, the basket itself is rendered in careful detail, with every section of the woven overlapping accounted for, like tiny sections of cross-hatching. As the eye drifts leftward, and the repeated quadrilateral shape integrated into the basket design stairsteps up and down, it gradually resolves itself into landscape elements—the upper line taking on the geologic weight of a mountain range, while the lower line becomes a jagged-edged stand of coniferous trees. Melero-Moose cautioned me not to jump to reductive one-to-one explanations of the meaning of patterns. “I think if you were to talk to five different weavers, or contemporary artists, you might get five different answers. (The land-
scape is) what I see, and that’s how I interpret it; that’s how I was taught. But if you talked to another family, there are families who have their own family designs, and they have their own purpose for those designs. They might give you a completely different answer.” Some pieces nod to pop culture with a light touch. In the diptych “Big Foot,” Topaz Jones (Western Shoshone/Lummi/Kalapuya/Molalla) depicts Sasquatch against bright green, pixilated weaving patterns. In the second part of the diptych, Big Foot is shown in the classic, unperturbed, look-over-the shoulder pose from the Patterson-Gimlin film, which froze my blood when I was a kid. In the painting “Grandma’s Corn” by Karma Henry (Fort Independence Paiute), the prominence of a Folger’s can—painted in flat colors—calls up Warhol’s Campbell’s cans. But instead of invoking a commercialized emptiness, the Folger’s can is infused with a sense of family memory and everyday usefulness. Green leaves sprout up from the can, growing a modest harvest in the compass of a container that would otherwise be industrial trash. Other work channels traditional motifs into distinctive, personal styles. Jack Malotte (Western Shoshone/Washoe) is represented by two eye-popping screen prints, where the usually orderly traditional patterns are part of a chaotic scramble of shapes, mixed with splatters and scratches, swirls of red triangles that shatter across the picture plane, and layered silhouRenoNR.com
Not long before the pandemic, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and I appreciated the obvious effort that was put into mixing traditional work with work by contemporary artists—creating a visual conversation between, for instance, Kwakwaka’wakw totem poles, large-scale sculpture by the great 20th-century Haida artist Bill Reid, and stop-motion puppets created by Métis animator Amanda Strong. It Started With Willows is engaged in a similar conversation. The basketry clearly grounds the contemporary work, setting it in a foundation of tradition and history. The contemporary work, sharing the wall space, breathes vitality into the midcentury basketry—dispelling the stale air of a museum vitrine. We can see the contemporary artists connecting to their own heritage and ensuring that Native artistic expression isn’t closed off in a sort of historical parenthesis—excluded from the present in bad-faith colonial nostalgia. What’s visible, beyond the individual pieces themselves, is the picture of a community reflecting back on itself. In that arc, we can catch glimpses of rituals, landscape, the flora and fauna that define and give shape to a territory, a home—including of course the willows, which are so gracefully bent from nature to culture. It Started With Willows is on display at the Bristlecone Gallery at Western Nevada College, 2201 W. College Parkway, through Thursday, Dec. 21. Melissa Melero-Moose has also curated the show Creating Stories: Artwork of the Stewart Alumni, open through Feb. 2, 2024, at the Stewart Indian School Museum, 1 Jacobsen Way in Carson City. To learn more about Great Basin Native Artists, visit www. greatbasinnativeartists.com. Full disclosure. Capital City Arts Initiative supported It Started With Willows, and Chris Lanier sometimes writes essays for CCAI’s exhibitions. This article was produced by Double Scoop.
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ARTS
| BY KRIS VAGNER There’s still time to commission your own watercolor illustration like this one from Reno painter Zoe Bray.
Handmade for the holidays Buy your holiday gifts from local artists; here are a bunch of places where you can do so
Reno potter Tom Drakulich makes mugs in four sizes—classic, all-day, latte and espresso. They’re priced between $28 and $32. When he sells them on a large marketplace site like Etsy, he has two problems. While the platform is ostensibly for independent creators, searches for handmade mugs also yield offers for similar-looking products that are mass-produced in factories and sold for less. Also, “They push really hard for you to do free shipping on everything,” Drakulich said. “And it’s a nightmare, honestly.” Clay and glazes are relatively affordable as art materials go, but other expenses—like studio rent and fuel for the kiln—factor in. For a $28 cup, Drakulich takes in about $20. Shipping costs him around $10, so free shipping cuts his profit in half. “That drops your livable wage down pretty 20
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incredibly,” he said. In the days when Amazon has us accustomed to free, next-day shipping on just about everything, the pressure is on. Drakulich does offer free shipping on his website, Good Livin’ Ceramics, but to minimize the dent in his income, he’ll deliver for free in Reno and Sparks. Drakulich said a lot of his customers understand that independent artists can’t reasonably compete with free, one-day shipping in the era of megaretailers, and they know that in addition to getting a well-crafted mug, their purchases help support good design, thoughtfully made housewares—and the community of creative people who produce them. This holiday season, shoppers can skip the shipping conundrum entirely and purchase Drakulich’s mugs (plus pitchers, teapots and other wares) in person at the Riverside Farmers
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Market Annual Holiday Bazaar on Nov. 19, or from the Wyld Market Collective in the Reno Public Market. Here are more ways to skip the mall and the megaretailers, to support your local artists, and to find—or even make—creative holiday gifts.
Art sales + fairs
Santa’s Second Chance Miniature Show: The Latimer Art Club, Reno’s oldest art group—started in 1921 and still going strong— hosts an annual fall sale of miniature art at the Artists Co-op Gallery. This year, the group is holding a second sale at Reno Public Market featuring more than 240 small paintings. For those of you who shop after the last minute or need to pick up a host gift for New Year’s Eve, this event is open through late December. Nov. 10-Dec. 28 at Makers Paradise, Reno Public
Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane, Reno; latimerartclub.com. Fleas the Season: Move over, Currier and Ives. Some families like to get into the holiday spirit with a car smash and a two-day loud-music lineup instead of a sleigh ride. The Punk Rock Flea Market’s holiday edition has beer for the grown-ups, drag queen story time for the kids, a free clothing swap for everyone, and rows upon rows of handmade gifts and fashions ranging from elegant to edgy. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11 and 12, at the Neil Road Recreation Center, 3925 Neil Road, Reno. Single day ticket $5 in advance, $8 at the door; weekend pass $10 in advance, $15 at the door; free for kids 12 and under; rprfm.org. Riverside Farmers Market Annual Holiday Bazaar: Between artisans, farmers and bakers, Reno’s only year-round farmers market boasts more than 100 vendors at its holiday shopping event, including artisans like Queer As In jewelry, Tao Pao Ceramics by Cecillia Su, and Geddy Lee Woodworks. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 19, at Idlewild Park, 2055 Idlewild Drive, Reno; www.renofarmersmarket.com/ bazaar. Atelier holiday pop-ups: Atelier, which offers workshops in knitting and other crafts year-round, is hosting three holiday shopping pop-ups—including one to commemorate Small Shop Saturday, individual producers’ answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Artists selling prints include local favorites like Grace Davis, Julia Schwadron and Ron Rash. You’ll also find hand-dyed yarn, handmade scarves and a wide range of gifts by Atelier instructors. A note to time-challenged shoppers: Atelier and The Wedge (see below) are neighbors, so you can hit two holiday sales in one stop on Dec. 9 and 10. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 25; and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10, at 2135 Dickerson Road; atelierinreno.com. Handmade Holiday Faire at Urban Roots: Reno’s nonprofit urban teaching farm hosts a full-service, kid-friendly fair where you can sip a hot beverage, get your photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus, make your own crafts, or buy readymade jewelry, soaps and other gifts from local vendors. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 3, at 1700 E. Second St., Reno. Admission $10, $5 for kids ages 5-10, free for kids under 4; urgc.org. Chili Cash N’ Carry: Gift shopping and lunch in one shot? Yes, please. Members of The Wedge community ceramics studio will offer handmade bowls for $30, and you can test them out on the spot—because a hearty serving of chili is included in the price. You can also pick
up handmade tree ornaments and other items. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9 and 10, at 2095 Dickerson Road, Reno; thewedgeceramics.com. Brewery Holiday Bazaar & Market: It may sound like a beer festival, but it’s actually a festive gathering at downtown Carson City’s Brewery Arts Center, named after the Gold Rush-era brewery that was founded there in 1860. This event features handmade artwork for sale, live music and food vendors. Noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Brewery Art Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City; breweryarts.org.
Make your own gifts
Holiday Family Arts Festival: Kids can make their own gifts at seven hands-on art-making stations and get a free book from Spread the Word Nevada, a group that promotes literacy in Washoe and Clark counties. Giving is encouraged here, too—the event is also a drop-off spot for the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation’s toy drive. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Lake Mansion Arts & Cultural Center, 250 Court St., Reno; artsforallnevada.org. Holiday Treasures: The Artists Co-op Gallery is always filled with a wide array of artwork that makes for good gifts, including landscape paintings and other Nevada-specific items— good for the out-of-towners on your gift list. This time of year, the feature room is filled with jewelry, pottery, notecards, textiles and holiday crafts, and you can meet some of the artists in person at two holiday receptions. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with receptions noon to 4 p.m., Sundays, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, at 627 Mill St., Reno; artistsco-opgalleryreno.com. Family Workshops: Arts education nonprofit Arts for All Nevada is offering workshops where kids and adults can pick up a technique
quickly—and go home with personalized gift tags, hand-stitched greeting cards, linocut-printed cards or ugly-sweater ornaments. Attendees under 14 need to bring an adult, and all sessions are $35 each at the Lake Mansion Arts & Cultural Center, at 250 Court St., in Reno: • Gift Tag Artistry: Saturday, Nov. 25, 2 to 4 p.m. • Stitched Holiday Cards: Saturday, Dec. 2, 2 to 4 p.m. • Print Making Holiday Cards: Wednesday, Dec. 6, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. • Sweater Weather Minis: Sunday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to noon Atelier Holiday Workshops: Atelier’s crafty instructors will teach you how to make evergreen wreaths and ornaments that are either hand-painted or hand-embroidered in one session. They’re also scheduling private holiday crafting workshops. “These are great for team appreciation events, work holiday gatherings, or if you want to get a group of friends together,” said one organizer. Email atelierinreno@gmail. com to schedule your own event, or visit www. atelierinreno.com for a long list of November and December gift-making sessions. The cost is $40 to $57 per workshop, at 2135 Dickerson Road, Reno.
Shop from home
Want to get in the handmade holiday spirit without leaving the house? Many local artists sell right from their websites. Here are a few ideas to get you started—with five wildly different varieties of local flavor. Need something that says “Nevada” loud and clear? Sydney Martinez of Song Dog Silver has a line of Silver State-shaped stones set into bolo ties ($175), pendants ($130) and other wearables available on her website (findingnevadawild.com) or at the Riverside Farmers
Reno artist Tom Drakulich’s “classic” mug comes in emerald and six other colors.
Sydney Martinez’s jewelry says “Nevada” loud and clear. Market Annual Holiday Bazaar in Idlewild Park on Sunday, Nov. 19. Michael Plyler, a former photography workshop instructor in Zion National Park who relocated to Carson City in recent years, offers packages of his black-and-white Western landscape images as sets of note cards ($25) at www. plylerfoto.com/note-cards/set-of-ten-notecards. For every local who’s pleased with Reno’s cleaner image as of late, there’s one who pines for the days of cheap rent and $1 PBR. Ray Frost’s “Keep It Trashy, Reno” merch will take you back to grittier days. Holographic stickers ($3), T-shirts ($25) and other merch, complete with a cute, scowling possum in a trash can, are for sale on Ray’s web shop Zeppy Stardust,
along with magnets, patches, pins and original acrylic paintings: zeppystardust.com. Oil painter Zoe Bray, who spent some of her childhood in the Basque country in France, is well-known for formal portraits of Basque Nevadans. She also wrote and illustrated a 2022 English and Basque-language children’s book, What Amatxi Whispered. For a customized holiday gift, Bray makes original illustrations in her adorable kids-book style on commission ($90). You can find the details on her Etsy shop: www. etsy.com/shop/ZBrayillustrations. All four sizes of Tom Drakulich’s mugs ($28-32)—plus pitchers, jugs, bowls and planters—are for sale on his website, Good Livin’ Ceramics, at www.goodlivinceramics.com.
Wooden ornaments are among the items you can make in Atleier’s hands-on holiday workshops. RenoNR.com
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ARTS
| BY JESSICA SANTINA Marissa Seaman, Melody Ricketts, Stephen Schillo, Jim Sturtevant, Adam Semas and Hannah Perazzo rehearse for It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Reno Little Theatre. Photo/David Robert
Setting the stage for the season
Your guide to holiday performing arts As I write this, it’s 80 degrees outside, and my house is decorated with pumpkins and spiderwebs—but we’ll bundled up in coats and hearing jingle bells in a matter of weeks. You’re probably already marking your calendar for the next two months of inevitable parties, gift swaps, kids’ end-of-year recitals and other holiday bucket-list activities. So while your calendar’s out, consider this lineup of upcoming performing arts productions, and make plans to attend. You may sense a nostalgia theme in this season’s offerings, but there’s plenty to suit any mood, whether you crave Christmas classics or holiday-free fare.
Reno Ageless Repertory Theatre Reno’s readers’ theater has two non-Christmassy options for people who just enjoy great stories. And if budget and lack of time are concerns, you’re in luck; ART’s shows take place on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, and admission is free (but donations are welcome). Gather in The Dining Room Dec. 12 and 15, where this single dining room is the setting for 18 scenes from different white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant households that together tell a story 22
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of the demise of certain traditions and the notion of what progress means. www.renolittletheater.org/art-at-rlt A.V.A. Ballet Theatre This company puts on the largest-scale production of The Nutcracker every year. Accompanied by the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra performing the Tchaikovsky score, A.V.A. Ballet will perform the full ballet Friday-Sunday, Dec. 15-17, for a total of five performances at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Principal roles will be performed by guest professional artists. If you have little ones, catch the Saturday or Sunday matinee—a special Sugar Plum Party will take place after those performances, allowing children to meet the dancers. www.avaballet.com or pioneercenter.com Brüka Theatre Brüka, which just opened its 31st season, is continuing its Brüka Theatre for Children production of The Paramount & Sometimes Wildly Ridiculous History of Nevada, a play that attempts to present The Silver State’s entire history in just 45 minutes. Though most of the performances are at libraries and schools, watch the website for updates on a public performance in November.
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Then comes Christmas With the Crawfords, Dec. 1-22. Though we always love a good Buttcracker, the Brüka team likes to depart from that tradition now and then for the sake of other great holiday fare. In this 90-minute, campy comedy musical, Mommie Dearest herself, Joan Crawford, is looking to rebuild her image after being considered “box office poison.” Her friend, gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, decides to host her live radio show from Crawford’s Brentwood, Calif., mansion, during which celebrity pals keep dropping by unexpectedly. It’s performed in drag, with several Brüka favorites playing lead roles, including John Paul Rivard, who played Lola in the company’s recent production of Kinky Boots. www.bruka.org Goodluck Macbeth Though the argument over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie (I’m in the “no” camp— there, I said it) rages on, the holidays are about joy, and when it comes to a Goodluck Macbeth original parody, you can count on finding joy. Die Difficult is an original parody written by GLM’s Ashley Atack, Amanda Alvey-Fannin, Rhiannon Box, Ryan Costello, Ryan Kelly, Joe Daniel Montelongo, Lily Perez and Ian Sorensen. It will run Dec. 1-23 and capture all the adventure of ex-cop John McClane’s journey through an office building’s walls, undetected, to thwart a terrorist plot—but with fewer special effects, a lot more Christmas feeling crammed in, and a lot more laughter than the original. For a few extra laughs, local actor and comedian Aaron Foster will perform his Funny Words in Reno standup show at GLM Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 5 and 6. www.goodluckmacbeth.org Nevada Gay Men’s Chorus If traditional holiday music is a must for you, make your way to the new Hug High School on Sullivan Lane in Sparks on Friday and/ or Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9. Its gorgeous new theater is the venue for the Nevada Gay Men’s Chorus’ A Holly Jolly Spectacular, featuring a mix of traditional and pop Christmas classics, with some high notes from guest soloists. Backing them up will be high kicks from members of the Conservatory Dance Theatre. nevadagmc.org Reno Dance Company For many locals, nonprofit RDC’s annual production of The Nutcracker is a beloved
tradition, and this year, it will come first in the Reno battle of the ballets, on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 13 and 14, at the Grand Sierra Resort’s Grand Ballroom. Assistant director Brianna Sherwood-Kopko points out that this is an all-local-dancers production with an immense cast of about 80 student dancers, ages 5 and up. Those who remember the venue from its Reno Hilton days may recall its grand set pieces—an elegant, sweeping staircase; a massive growing tree; and golden elephants. All will be incorporated into the show as props, adding to the visual spectacle. www.grandsierraresort.com/entertainment/ concerts-and-shows/the-nutcracker Reno Little Theater Longing for the good ol’ days? This season’s shows are brimming with nostalgia. After all, two of Reno’s biggest theater companies are presenting plays about radio shows from the ’40s. At RLT, you’ll find Joe Landry’s It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, which will transport you to an era when families gathered around their radios together to hear stories, from Nov. 10-Dec. 17. Six actors play the roughly 40 characters in this classic tale about George Bailey, and a foley artist will bring the magic to life with some creative, old school sound effects. For this intimate show, RLT will depart from proscenium seating and return to its old open-stage seating on three sides. Also on RLT’s schedule is a musical from the Broadway Our Way education program called ’Twas the Week After Christmas, running Dec 9 and 10. This fun family show imagines what happens at the North Pole after the elves and reindeer experience burnout and lose their Christmas spirit. renolittletheater.org Reno Wind Symphony This professional-level wind ensemble will perform Sounds of the Season on Sunday, Dec. 17, at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nightingale Concert Hall. The show is an annual holiday celebration featuring many interpretations of winter songs that are uniquely composed for wind instruments. www.renowindsymphony.com/events/ sounds-of-the-season. Sierra Nevada Ballet You’ve got full productions of The Nutcracker to choose from, but if you’re thinking of bringing your little ones, may I suggest an abridged version? SNB’s annual production of The Peanutcracker: The Story in a Nutshell condenses the Tchaikovsky ballet into a more manageable length (45 minutes) for little ones, to hold their attention—the story remains intact, but it moves along quickly—with narration from artistic director Rosine Bena. SNB will tour the show in area schools,
WESTERN LIT and public performances will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Carson City Community Center, with a 2 p.m. show in English and, new this year, a 4 p.m. Spanish version. Then it heads to Reno for two shows at the Pioneer Center on Sunday, Dec. 3. sierranevadaballet.org The Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts In addition to local shows mentioned above, The Pioneer also will host Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, from Nov. 21-26. It’s the classic holiday tale come to life on stage, with the songs we love from the original movie, such as “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Max the Dog narrates as the story of the meanie greenie whose heart is “two sizes too small.” pioneercenter.com The Row The Eldorado Showroom can always be counted on for a holiday extravaganza. This year’s is Christmas on Ice, from Nov. 21-Dec. 30. Great for the whole family, it will feature synchronized and freestyle figure skating on a real ice rink, as well as song, dance, and holiday warm-fuzzies. www.caesars.com/eldorado-reno/shows The Theatre RogueWorx’s The Game takes the stage for the first three Fridays in November. This cabaret-style show composed of vocals, outstanding choreography, aerial and acrobatic stunts, and comedy is recommended for those ages 13-plus. Learn more at rogueworx.net. Kevin and Caruso’s Magique, with its impressive illusions, spectacular special effects, incredible choreography, and multimedia, continues to run every Saturday night (in addition to other dates) and is appropriate for all ages. www.wethetheatre.com TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada This teaching theater company is excited to present a student-directed show this season. Clue: The Musical will run Friday-Sunday, Nov. 17-19 and Dec. 1-3, under the direction of high school junior and longtime TWNN student Ledger Tye. The show is based on the game and is entirely interactive. The audience will receive forms on which they can suggest a solution from clues. Because there are 216 possible solutions, every performance should be different. Warming things up will also be two murder mystery shorts presented by TWNN’s younger actors. twnn.org
Sparks Restless Artists Theatre COVID-19 and some website snafus may have
led you to think RAT was DOA, but it’s back— with a new dot-com web address and a renewed commitment to staging some long-ago-planned plays. Next is Off Peak by Brenda Withers, from Nov. 3-13. In this brisk, character-driven story, two ex-lovers encounter each other on a train and spend the trip hashing out their unfinished business. Then, from Dec. 29-Jan. 22, RAT will present Andrew Bovell’s Things I Know to Be True, about a family that seems perfect on the surface, but as this heart-wrenching story unfolds and secrets are revealed, it becomes clear they are anything but. rattheatre.com Sierra School of Performing Arts On the heels of this year’s popular Disney film, SSPA is excited to present Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr!, an abridged version of the beloved Disney story for little audience members. It runs Dec. 15 -17 at Damonte Ranch High School’s theater, and high schoolers from area schools play the lead roles in a cast made up of a whopping 115 students ages 12 to 18. Directed by Jared Lively and Elise Van Dyne, it features choreography by Keely Cobb, jaw-dropping costumes by Amie Billinghurst, and set design by Tom Ready featuring original mural work. www.sierraschoolofperformingarts.org
Carson City/ Carson Valley Carson Valley Community Theatre This community theater troupe is known for its comedies and upbeat cabaret-style musical revues. This season, CVCT will present Wacky and Wonderful Christmassy Stuff–A Yuletide Cabaret, from Dec. 21-30. It offers a whole new take on ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in a story about the time Santa and Mrs. Claus had to apply for their current jobs. www.carsonvalleycommunitytheatre.org Wild Horse Productions Don’t judge a play by its movie. Wild Horse Children’s Theater may make you a fan again with its charming children in adorable costumes for CATS: Young Actors Edition, running the first two weekends in December at the Brewery Arts Center’s Performance Hall. As the company’s executive director, Carol Scott, explains, she’s been moved by the passion the student actors have developed for the show. And then there are the $4,000 worth of costumes and the professional makeup artist who will utterly transform the kids into cats, as well as the kids’ time spent in “cat college” to help with their feline movement. This one-hour version of the original Broadway musical, abridged for young audiences, is all the better for it. www.wildhorsetheater.com
| BY LUCY BIRMINGHAM
Author Mikalee Byerman has 100 ideas for where to eat out (with or without the kids), embark on a day trip, or get your culture fix.
Your local tour guide Mikalee Byerman’s updated Reno guidebook is full of advice for locals and visitors Author Mikalee Byerman leaves no bucket list unturned in the second edition of her guidebook, 100 Things to Do in Reno Before You Die, published in September. It’s a fun, precise, absorbing read on local food, drink, music, entertainment, sports, culture, shopping and more. A full-time freelance writer, Byerman has been voted Best Creative Writer and Best Local Author in the Reno News & Review’s Best of Northern Nevada readers’ poll. She’s also a keynote speaker, blogger, storyteller, communications and marketing consultant, and a two-time graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. Writing the first edition of the book, published in 2017, was a fairly easy process, she said. “My second edition was much more work, as I wanted to bring fresh, new experiences for locals and tourists alike,” she said, adding that 96 percent of the entries in the second edition are new. The book is chock full of helpful, detailed RenoNR.com
recommendations. Examples include Kauboi Izakaya, a Japanese bar and restaurant in Midtown; Reno Improv, a welcoming space where people can learn comedy improvisation; Sierra Adventures, for anyone who wants to float down the Truckee River; Reno Axe, a downtown bar that’s a fun, safe space for ax-throwing; and the Carson City Ghost Walk, a guided tour of supposedly haunted places. Toward the back of the book are “Suggested Itineraries” and “Activities By Season.” Byerman expects the book will draw readers from a variety of age ranges. For kids, one popular example is The Discovery, the downtown Reno children’s museum where they can climb inside a cloud sculpture. For adults-only time, she recommends music and martinis at Roxy’s Bar and Lounge, and for the young at heart, a performance by the Reno Philharmonic. “I want the book to be something that my 21-year-old daughter can look at for ideas for her friends, as well as my 80-year-old parents, who can say, ‘Oh, let’s pick up Mikalee’s book and go out to dinner tonight,’” she said. Byerman acknowledges that downtown Reno is struggling, with many vacant properties. “But Reno has consistently evolved over the 45 years I’ve lived here,” she said. “It’s now far more vibrant and thriving. Now there are places I’ll take my daughter to go see a movie down on the Riverwalk, or go with a friend to eat in Midtown, or I’ll go to The Row to see a show at the Eldorado with somebody who’s visiting from out of town.” Byerman considers herself an introvert, despite her outgoing persona. “Shyness and introversion are two totally different constructs,” she said. At a recent event, she spoke to 200 people for five hours—and afterward sat in a semi-dark room for 24 hours to decompress, she said. “I think we as a society should value introversion more, because honestly, the world is built toward this extrovert ideal,” she said. “So we need to recognize that, and include those ideas in the workplace.” Being an introvert didn’t stop her from meeting and interviewing business owners and learning their intriguing backstories as she researched the book. “I’d go into these places and talk to the owners or longtime employees and get these magical stories,” she said—so many stories, in fact, that she now has a podcast in the works, also titled 100 Things to Do in Reno Before You Die. The podcast interviews will also include places outside of Reno such as Carson City, Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley and Virginia City.
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FILM
| BY BOB GRIMM Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Instant classics Scorsese, DiCaprio and De Niro masterfully tell a real story; ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ stands among the best concert films The true story of the 1920s Osage Nation Indian murders gets a sweeping, epic and appropriately dark treatment from director Martin Scorsese—at the top of his game at 80 years old—with Killers of the Flower Moon. The film pairs two of Scorsese’s goto acting giants—Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio—for the first time in one of his films. The nearly 3 1/2-hour masterpiece never lags—and feels like it could’ve been twice as long, with no problem other than bladders bursting in the movie theater. This is not a film during which you will want to take any bathroom breaks. Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) returns to Oklahoma after serving in World War I and immediately finds himself working for William Hale (De Niro) on land owned by the Osage Nation. The area is coveted for its oil, which has made many of the Osage rich. The true events covered in the film are horrifying. Over a period of years, Osage people mysteriously disappeared or were outright murdered, with little to no
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investigation into the crimes—that is, until J. Edgar Hoover and his newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation sent some agents (one of them personified here by an excellent Jesse Plemons) on their first large-scale case. While the culprits were eventually revealed and put on trial, more than 60 (and possibly many more) Osage were killed. Using David Grann’s nonfiction novel of the same name as the basis for his film, Scorsese and team tell the story in a surprising way—one that works as both a grim essay on a disgusting passage in American history, and a stunning mystery. Even if you manage to identify all of the perpetrators before the final revelations, the true depth of their evil deeds will knock you sideways. This is one of Scorsese’s gloomier, darker pictures—but it’s anything but unwatchable. In many ways, it’s one of the more beautiful films he’s ever made, a true big-screen experience that puts that other 2023 gigantic historical drama, Oppenheimer, to shame. Where Oppenheimer felt padded and bloated at times, Scorsese’s effort is a well-oiled, masterful machine featuring awards-worthy performances across the board. Lily Gladstone gives one of the year’s most heartbreaking performances as Mollie Burkhart, the Osage woman who Ernest marries. Sick with diabetes and deemed incapable of handling her own money by a band of dopey white guys—
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the government saw it fit to monitor people, like Mollie, who had to ask for permission to access their own funds—Gladstone gives a portrayal that embodies the full emotional range of a newly married woman experiencing the joys of motherhood while watching all of her relatives mysteriously die. Leaning into his turmoil-acting toolbox, DiCaprio has never allowed himself to be this miserable onscreen before—and this guy was in The Revenant. There’s a love story at the center of this movie, but it’s in the middle of an earthly hell that pulls Ernest in many terrible directions. As the film progresses, so does the pain in Ernest’s face. DiCaprio, as usual, is fully committed and disappears into the guise of Ernest, one of the more complicated characters in Scorsese film history. Then there is the great De Niro, who experienced an acting renaissance, of sorts, with Scorsese’s The Irishman (2019) and now gets a crowning achievement with his portrayal of the deceptively despicable Hale. There’s a true sense of De Niro coming full circle here, delivering one of his best pieces of work in decades for the director who has given him his best roles over the years. The real-life Hale was in his 40s when the events of this film took place; De Niro is 80. Trust me, the age disparity won’t affect your appreciation of his performance one iota. It’s vintage, vital De Niro. From the opening bars of the film’s beautiful soundtrack, it’s pretty obvious who penned the music: This is the late Robbie Robertson’s final score, and it is perfection. Expect some posthumous awards for the legendary composer. There’s no telling if Scorsese and De Niro will ever work together again. Scorsese announced in a recent interview that he and DiCaprio will join forces for his next film, another adaptation of a David Grann nonfiction book, The Wager. If this is it for De Niro and Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon won’t just
A scene from Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
be one of the more important films of 2023, but one of the most important, monumental movies in film history—the end of an era. Killers of the Flower Moon brings Scorsese, De Niro and DiCaprio together for the first, and perhaps last, time. How appropriate that such an occurrence resulted in an instant classic. Taylor Swift, one of the most blessedly prolific artists in recent years, has struck again. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a concert film announced mere weeks ago, is one of her finest, mightiest offerings yet. This is a nearly three-hour extravaganza showcasing a spectacular artist achieving amazing heights. I’m not going to say this is showcasing her at the peak of her career, because who knows what Swift will offer up next? She’s anything but predictable and has a crazy tendency to keep outdoing herself. The film is about 30 minutes shorter than the live show (costume changes, a few songs and some stage talk are omitted), but you’ll still feel like you are at the show and fully immersed. As a wonderfully choreographed journey through Swift’s career, the show’s approach is more thematic than chronological, and it works. Considering the sheer physical exertion and vocal challenges of performing all of these album selections live, the decision to present her various albums out of chronological order makes sense. While Swift really gets no clear breaks, she does get to sit down at a piano or stand still with a guitar on occasion, instead of dancing full-on in high heels for overlong stretches. If this had been chronologically arranged, the intense, poppier 1989-ReputationLover progression might’ve sent her and her dancers to an early grave. While the entire show does not have a single inferior moment, the standout section is the Evermore sequence. Evermore, her second pandemic album after Folklore, was treated by some as an “outtake” album—but it’s not. It’s one of her best, and the lush songs lead to some of the more beautifully staged numbers in the show. Make no mistake: This is very much a choreographed, intricate, beautifully stylized show as much as it is a straightforward concert experience. Many of these numbers would be worthy of an acclaimed Broadway musical. She’ll probably write and direct one of those someday. With Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Swift and director Sam Wrench have delivered a concert movie that stands with the all-time-great films in the genre. She’s slated to direct a feature film in the near future; she will probably release something like 20 more albums in the next 10 years; and she just made one of the best concert movies to ever grace a screen. Yet she’s just getting started.
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BEST 3 THINGS
Hot bliss in a bowl
| BY MAUDE BALLINGER
Broccoli cheddar soup at Süp. Photo/David Robert
Standout fall soups
Ah, the signs of fall: crimson- and saffron-colored leaves, darkness arriving earlier, and that nip in the air crisp enough to force an early retreat home. For me, all these signs point to soup season. This month’s list features the best soups I ate this month, all of which are available at places that make takeout easy—because sometimes, there’s nothing better than a cozy couch soup dinner, and not having to clean up dishes. What: broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl Where: Süp, 669 S. Virginia St., Reno Price: $9.50 Contact: 775-324-4787; www.sup.restaurant In my mind, fall doesn’t officially start until I’ve had my first soup in a bread bowl from Süp. There’s a list of reasons this Midtown eatery has been in business since 2007—including consistency, customer service and, of course, delicious food. It took me years to finally branch out from broccoli cheddar, While all of Süp’s soups are delicious, it remains my favorite, especially when it’s served in a sourdough bread bowl. During the chilly months, the bread bowls can occasionally run out, so if your heart’s set on one, call to make sure they’re available before popping by. What: miso ramen Where: Haru, 5210 Longley Lane, No. 500, Reno Price: $15 Contact: 775-507-7355; order.toasttab. com/online/haru-5210-longley-ln-suite-500 What makes a bowl of ramen really good? For me, it’s a delicious broth, the right kind
of noodles cooked to perfection, and a good ratio of toppings that add to the bowl without overwhelming it. Haru hits the nail on the head with their miso ramen, a chicken-based broth with miso tare. (Think: savory, salty and lots of umami goodness.) The toppings are similar to those you’d find at any good ramen joint: thinly sliced pork belly, fish cakes, soft-boiled egg, green onion, bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms, corn and nori. In addition to ramen, Haru offers other items, including a great selection of barbecue skewers— and I would recommend adding an order of pork gyoza ($7.50) to whatever you get. They’re fantastic. What: tortilla soup Where: Bistro Habanero, 1196 S. Rock Blvd., Reno Price: $6.99 Contact: 775-857-3550; bistrohabaneroreno.com When I saw Bistro Habanero had tortilla soup on the menu, I was expecting it to be thick and red, like the tortilla soups I’ve had (and made) in the past. What came to the table looked more like chicken noodle soup, with tortilla strips instead of noodles in a golden broth. The broth is the real star of this dish: It’s savory, salty and rich in flavor, with glistening fat droplets on the surface. The chicken and vegetables are melt-in-your-mouth tender. This dish is a great example of how something simple can be incredible when it’s well executed, and pairing it with a cheese pupusa ($3.75) to dip in the broth took it over the edge. I was so delighted by this combination that I wanted to tell everyone in the restaurant to order it, but instead, I’m telling you here. Please, do yourself a favor—and try it. RenoNR.com
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TASTE OF THE TOWN TASTE OF THE TOWN
Happenings
It’s feastin’ season! Local butcher shops Armando and Sons, at 7600 Rancharrah Parkway, Suite 110, in Reno (armandoandsons.com), and Butcher Boy, at 530 W. Plumb Lane, in Reno (butcherboyreno. com), will offer turkeys and sides to help make Thanksgiving dinner a success. Perenn Bakery, at 7700 Rancharrah Pkwy., Suite 110, in Reno, is offering a menu of Thanksgiving sides and sweets to take the stress out of entertaining, available for preorder until Nov. 15. Details at www.perennbakery.com/thanksgiving. Claio, the “Greek-ish” restaurant at 3886 Mayberry Drive, Suite D, from the Perenn team, now offers brunch Fridays through Sundays. Guests can enjoy dishes like Turkish eggs, breakfast souvlaki, craft espresso drinks and pastries from Perenn like babka knots and baklava croissants. Learn more at claiorotisserie.com. Rice Box Kitchen has moved from its location on South Virginia Street to 490 S. Center St., in Reno. The concept is now operating under the same roof as its newly minted Noodle Box Kitchen, next to The Discovery children’s museum. Learn more at www.riceboxkitchen.com. The Nourish and Flourish Kitchen and Market, a nonprofit commissary kitchen and food business incubator, has taken over the former Bavarian World restaurant space at 595 Valley Road, in Reno. Nourish and Flourish is currently accepting applications, as well community support for scholarships and volunteering. For more information, head to www. nourishreno.com.
LIQUID CONVERSATIONS
The depths of pumpkin spice
| BY MICHAEL MOBERLY
Cocktail scribe Michael Moberly points out that PSL—the autumn spice combination that won U.S. coffee-chain consumers’ hearts—has a history that goes back to precolonial Asia. Photo/David Robert.
Behind every cup, there’s a cornucopia of cultural implications (and it’s still OK to like it)
Openings and Closings
Dopo Pizza and Pasta, the popular Midtown Italian eatery at 18 St. Lawrence continued on next page 26
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People have strong feelings about their drinks. From the demise of New Coke to the rise, fall and rise again of the cosmo, the general public will live and die according to their drink preferences. Very few drinks elicit as strong of a reaction, in both fandom and vitriol, as the pumpkin spice latte, or PSL. To some, the PSL represents the beginning of a season that means warm autumnal flavors. To others, it encapsulates all that is wrong in today’s world. I want to take a little time to defend the pumpkin spice latte, a flavor that, at its core, represents balance, seasonality and nostalgic joy. Before going any further, we must first understand pumpkin spice. The spice blend is commonly cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and clove. While we in the U.S. associate pumpkin spice with Caucasian folks, the spices found in the blend are indigenous to Asian countries, which were brutally colonized by the Dutch, French and British.
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These spice traders spent hundreds of years exploiting and killing the people who celebrated and cultivated these spices. To dismiss pumpkin spice as exclusively white people’s food is to ignore these spices’ heritage and their colonial history—and to rob people of the ability to celebrate their own cultures. One of the most common issues people have with the pumpkin spice latte is that it represents a person, usually a woman, who is considered “basic.” Calling someone “basic” is to mock a person who engages in late-majority consumerism. The late-majority stage of consumerism is when a product or idea is no longer considered cool or cutting-edge, but is ubiquitous. People who engage with products in this stage are often mocked because of their lack of cool—but cool is also a privilege. To assert your own cool within capitalism takes the resources to access new things and the platform to share them with the world. Mocking people because they enjoy what they know is discounting your own privileged access.
Aside from the complicated history of colonialism and the fact that we are all suffering in late-stage capitalism, the reality is that everyone tastes things differently, and there is no correct answer regarding flavor. Each day, your flavor receptors experience an onslaught of input. From the time you burn your tongue on that first sip of coffee, to the lousy mood your boss puts you in, all these things affect how we perceive flavor. Every single person experiences flavor differently, and because of this, there is no correct answer to flavor. The ingredients of something may always be the same, but our emotional and physical responses to those ingredients are wholly unique. The vilification of a flavor may be an opportunity to explore why you don’t like it. The PSL is a spicy, warm sip of fall, a time when we bring out our most treasured flavors to share with the people we love. You don’t have to enjoy this time of year or its flavors—but you should let those who love a big cup of creamy pumpkin spice enjoy their sip while it lasts.
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| BY STEVE NOEL
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Jessica Brooks, a wine educator and manager at Fourk Kitchen, said that while pinot noir is the most popular Thanksgiving dinner wine, she favors Beaujolais nouveau for its light body, low tannins and fruit flavors. Photo/David Robert
Thanksgiving wines What to buy, how to serve—and when to break with tradition In October 1621, the 53 survivors of the Mayflower, along with 90 Wampanoag people, celebrated the Mayflower passengers’ first harvest in the New World with a three-day feast—what’s often called the first Thanksgiving. Sadly, they had no wine. I believe all the food served at that first Thanksgiving would have tasted much better with a nice glass of wine. I would have loved the opportunity to pair wines with the wild game, fowl, seafood and many vegetables that were apparently served. So what wine should you serve this Thanksgiving? The first question you need to ask is: Do you want to simply provide wine with your food, or pair wines to your food? If you want to just provide wine, buy some red wine and some white wine; wait for your Butterball turkey’s plastic timer to pop; and call it a day. But if you are looking to pair your wines, you should do some homework. Your first assignment is to determine whether you are serving courses with wine pairings, or whether the food will be served all at once, as at a buffet. If the food is served
TASTE OF THE TOWN TASTE OF THE TOWN
as a buffet, you will need a chameleon wine that will work with most of your food options, from green beans to sweet potatoes to turkey. If you’re serving dinner in a multi-course format, wine can be paired with each dish separately. To keep things simple, we’ll consider the served-all-atone option. I spoke to Jessica Brooks, the operations manager, wine buyer and wine educator at Fourk Kitchen in Reno about her thoughts on Thanksgiving and wine. “When we normally think of Thanksgiving, we think of it as this big, heavy meal,” Brooks said. “However, when you break it down into the individual dishes, they tend to be a little on the lighter side and include a variety of different flavors. Most of them will touch with some sweetness. So my personal preference is to offer a good selection of wines, both red and white, to cater to different tastes.” That is great advice. We all have that one friend who will only drink a red or a white, no matter how hard we try to introduce them to something new. Brooks said: “As far as lighter reds, when
you’re talking turkey, you’re thinking herbs like sage, thyme and rosemary. … Pinot noir is obviously the most popular Thanksgiving choice. With this red, it complements poultry dishes without overpowering (them). Also, it does have an herbal earthiness quality to it, which really can make your turkey shine.” Brooks’ own first choice for Thanksgiving is Beaujolais nouveau. “It is conveniently released the week before Thanksgiving,” she said. “It has a light body; it’s low in tannins, and it has red, juicy fruits—strawberry and cherry and raspberry. You also get these candy notes from the carbonic maceration. So it really goes well with dishes that are associated with Thanksgiving.” Brooks is right on point. Pinots are a good choice, as their earthiness goes so well with stuffing, mushrooms and turkey—especially if you smoke it on the grill like I do. Beaujolais nouveau is also a great choice, as it has great acidity that helps keep the gravy at bay and lets the flavors shine through. I am going to add a grenache here as well. Grenache has a nice acidity like a Beaujolais nouveau, earthiness like a pinot noir, and some smokiness like you might find in a syrah. For non-red wines, a rosé can be a great choice for the main course, with the light flavors and higher acidity working with all those great flavors. When I asked Brooks about white-wine choices, she said, “An off-dry or late-harvest Riesling can be really fun, with that high acidity that balances the sweetness. You have notes of apricot, peach, honeysuckle and orange zest. Another good choice is an off-dry gewürztraminer, and it can be a harmonious pairing. It’s highly aromatic. It has those perfumed aromas of rose and lychee, has a luscious mouthfeel—and it literally translates to ‘spice grape’ in German. It has those spice notes that work well with the clove and ginger and allspice, so I think that can be a very harmonious pairing with your candied yams, sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie.” Thanksgiving is a great time of year, one of the holidays when we simply celebrate each other. So open the good wine, add more whipped cream, give thanks just for being—and ignore what your aunt is saying. You know she loves you. Share an extra glass of wine with her, and make sure she knows you love her, too. Jessica Brooks is teaching a course at Fourk Kitcken that includes six different wines at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 15. For more information, email Reno@Fourkkitchen.com. RenoNR.com
Ave., from the owners of Coffeebar, is opening its second location in the Reno Public Market. The space will be revamped with the installation of a Mugnaini wood-fired oven and will feature some of the Midtown location’s best-selling pizzas, salads and starters. Find out more at www.dopopizzapasta.com. Farmers’ market favorite Beloveds Bread is opening a brick-and-mortar location in the Reno Public Market, at 299 E. Plumb Lane. The concept will be crowd-invested and is slated to open in March 2024. For more information on how to invest, head to mainvest.com/ businesses/beloveds-bread. Popular Korean spot Tofu House, whose Moana Lane location shuttered in 2020, is scheduled to reopen in the Damonte Ranch Town Center (and Damonte Ranch and Steamboat parkways) in 2024. The menu will feature similar items to those at the previous location, which included Korean short ribs, bibimbap and tofu soup. For updates, follow Tofu House’s Instagram at www.instagram. com/tofuhousereno. Northern Nevada’s first Cracker Barrel was slated to open on Oct. 30 at 935 W. Fifth St., in Reno. The Southern chain is part restaurant, part “county store,” where guests can get their fill of chicken and dumplings, biscuits, sweet tea, trinkets and even rocking chairs. Head to www.crackerbarrel.com for details. The Fe, a sports bar that specializes in “pintxos” (small finger foods) has taken over the Santa Fe Hotel and Basque restaurant at 235 Lake St., in Reno. Co-owner Gaven Sarratea puts his Basque heritage at the forefront of the concept, offering menu items like potato croquetas, chorizo and manchego crostinis, garlic shrimp and, of course, picon punches. Keep an eye on the Instagram for menu updates and upcoming Basque family-style dinners: www.instagram. com/the_fe_reno. Noble Pie Parlor has closed its location at The Summit mall and will be replaced by Edelweiss, an “apres-style sports haus.” Noble Pie management intends to focus more on its flagship location in Midtown at 777 S. Center St., allowing for better daily oversight of operations. Head to noblepieparlor.com if you want to know more. Have local food, drink or restaurant news or information? Email me at foodnews@renonr.com. —Maude Ballinger
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MUSICBEAT
| BY MATT BIEKER Red Leather, who never shows his face or reveals his real name, will return to Reno, his hometown, for an album release show at Cypress Reno. Photo/Austin Ciesko
Leaving the darkness behind Reno native Red Leather went from addiction to online fame on the road to his debut album In 2021, musician Red Leather used his phone battery’s last 1 percent to call a friend to save him from a suicidal situation in downtown Los Angeles. In December of that year, he suffered a heart attack after relapsing. One month later, on Jan. 5, 2022, he drove drunk to Las Vegas in the middle of the night and overdosed in a hotel room. Now, Red Leather has been sober for more than 20 months, gained 350,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 850,000 followers on TikTok, and is set to release his debut album, RENO, on Nov. 17. “Once that happened in Vegas, I officially 28
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was done,” Red Leather said. “It was almost like an act of God that I almost died, but I didn’t, and I had the opportunity to change. It was just insanity that I literally went from death’s doorstep to famous on the internet, like, 30 days later.” Red Leather, who never shows his face or reveals his legal name, grew up in Reno. Music was an interest of his from a young age, and singing and the guitar became an “escape” for him. While he played in other bands in his youth, his lifelong dream was to write and perform original material. His life in Reno, however, eventually led
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him into the throes of a years-long addiction to alcohol and hard drugs, specifically cocaine—an addiction that followed him when he went to pursue a full-time music career in Los Angeles in 2021. “I had decided, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be in Hollywood, I’m gonna try this music thing out for real,’” he said. “I spent a lot of time busking on Hollywood Boulevard. I was still deep into my addiction during this whole thing, and it got really dark, man. I was really lucky to have a couple of buddies, these guys who I work with, who would, like, be picking me up from motels on Sunset Boulevard.” It was during his time playing on the street that Red Leather developed his anonymous persona. He found his characteristic fringed Stetson in a vintage shop in San Bernardino and realized passers-by paid more attention when he played while wearing it. Red had always been a favorite color of his, he said, and the rest of the outfit came together piece by piece. The choice to remain anonymous provided protection from old habits and bad influences— as well as the freedom to tell his story honestly. “I definitely went through some shit in Reno and Vegas around drugs and dealers and the wrong crowd,” he said. “I was like, if I’m going to pursue a career in music, I don’t want to attract the wrong attention from these people who I used to associate with. On top of that, I think by being anonymous, I can fully talk about my life and my addiction and my recovery without having to be judged by what I look like or who I am—anything like that. That’s been a pretty big blessing.” Many of Red Leather’s songs are based on true stories about his time as an addict, and how his journey to sobriety also led him to spirituality. His most popular song, “Sins,” recounts his experience with suicidal thoughts and his quest for absolution—with his lyrical testimony sonically buttressed by a gospel choir. Red Leather’s music combines the hallmarks of his rock ’n’ roll influences with elements of outlaw country like twangy, scratchy steel string riffs and raucous rhythms fit for clapping and stomping boots. The most potent weapon in his arsenal is his voice, both powerful and distinct, equally capable of soaring choruses and lilting melodies, like in fan favorite “The Only Time It Rains in Hollywood.” Another song, “Dakota,” laments a lost love, with an accompanying music video filmed in Reno. It features scenes from South Virginia Street, the Gold ’N Silver Inn and the Peppermint Hippo gentlemen’s club. Red Leather said the video was meant to be an authentic expression of his life at the time.
“I chose to film it there because this is a true story about a relationship that I had, and a girl that I did wrong,” he said. “I chose my addiction over her. At times, it was hard to film it on set, because I was reliving that shit. I have spent a lot of time downtown in the casinos, staying at the motor lodge by the Eldorado. Besides me having a red hat on, it wasn’t very different from what actually happened.” In L.A., the combination of his visually striking persona, musical talent and unvarnished subject matter eventually led to attention from producers. He was approached about making an album and began to record in marathon sessions at studios around the West Coast. His producers, he said, were the first ones to push him to use social media, and joining TikTok quickly gave him an eager audience and an outlet for his addictive personality. “For, like, the first 100 days in my sobriety, I posted on TikTok three to five times a day,” he said. “I remember looking down at my phone after I had dinner, and a video that I posted right before my meeting, an hour and a half later had, like, 30,000 views. And, you know, having the kind of addict brain that I have, I was like, ‘Oh no, they gave this to the wrong person.’” Buoyed by his online fame, Red Leather spent the last year finishing his debut album, named after his hometown and slated to be released later in November. He freely admits that his relationship with Reno is complicated—he loves the city and its surrounding natural environment, but returning to town sober means navigating new experiences and reminders of a life he’s tried to leave behind. These contradictions, though, are an integral part of his story, and by extension, the album. “The whole album is about being from Reno, my experiences there,” he said. “It’s a journey—a physical journey from Reno to L.A. It’s a spiritual journey from sin to redemption, and it’s also a journey from addiction to recovery.” While Reno may serve as the inspiration and backdrop for the album, he’s also found that, to his fans, his message and experiences transcend any one town—and that his music serves a grander purpose. “I get messages, like, daily from people who will say something like, ‘I really resonate with your music,’ or even, ‘The music saved my life,’” he said. “I wrote this album to help myself get through this shit. But I’m finding that the most meaningful part of it is actually helping other people get through stuff. I almost see it as part of my whole mission, is not only to tell my story, but to help others who are struggling with any kind of darkness in their life.” Red Leather will perform on Friday, Nov. 3, at Cypress Reno, 761 S. Virginia St., in Reno. Tickets are $20. For tickets, visit www.tixr.com/ groups/cypressreno.
MUSICBEAT
| BY MATT KING Kelly Kuo, the Reno Chamber Orchestra music director.
Finding what’s resonating The Reno Chamber Orchestra works to build community via ‘The Stories We Tell’ Orchestral music isn’t the most popular form of music in 2023. As a result, music organizations worldwide are doing what they can to help the genre grow and reach new ears. For the Reno Chamber Orchestra, collaboration is extremely important—and the orchestra is working with a variety of individuals and organizations for an upcoming concert event, The Stories We Tell. Narration, music, storytelling and more will unite when the Reno Chamber Orchestra takes a journey through three works, on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19. During a recent phone interview, Reno Chamber Orchestra executive director Amy Heald explained that the event was inspired by a desire to provide programming that is progressive and community-focused. “Our music director, Kelly Kuo, his approach to programming is always with the lens of, ‘What is going to resonate with our community, and where there is potential for partnerships within our community?’” Heald said. “The other aspect is really thinking about who has historically not been allowed, or has been forgotten, or has been marginalized as an artist on our stage. You’ll notice, looking at our season, a lot more women composers, and composers of color throughout all of our programming—who you typically don’t see as often. As a cham-
ber orchestra, we’re really trying to break open those historic boundaries that have been placed over the years.” The Stories We Tell consists of three musical movements, and each piece helps craft a narrative. “The first piece (“Artemis”) is by Canadian composer Kevin Lau, who is one of two living composers out of our three composers in this concert,” Heald said. “He wrote a piece that tells the story of the god Artemis through music, and it’s a really intense piece that was inspired a little bit by the planets. Gustav Holst was a composer in the late 1800s, and he wrote a piece called ‘The Planets’ that’s based on all of the gods that the planets are named after, so this is kind of a play on that.” The second piece, “The Mountain That Loved a Bird” features a collaboration with college students. “‘The Mountain That Loved a Bird’ is a book that was written in the ’60s and illustrated by Eric Carle,” Heald said. “In 2018, Caroline Shaw was commissioned by Carnegie Hall to take that book and set it to music, so it’s text with orchestra accompaniment. We’ve partnered with Truckee Meadows Community College’s animation department, and they have created original animations that will accompany the reading and performance of this piece. We’re really excited about that collaboration, and it has been really great to get to work with their
students and get to know that whole department a lot better.” The final music number, “La Cenerentola” (the Italian version of Cinderella), is bringing opera music back to Reno. “We had an opera company in Reno, and then sadly … they folded, so we haven’t had a dedicated opera company or much opera in Reno, outside of the university, in many, many years,” Heald said. “We’re really excited to be able to bring this opera, even though it’s just scenes from it, back to Reno and to semi-stage it. We have two vocalists who are coming in to sing the lead roles, and then we’re partnering with the Nevada Gay Men’s Chorus, and they will be singing backup chorus on that piece. Also in our vocal department, we have a trio of students who will be singing a small role in this concert. We have a lot of collaborations, and a lot of different kinds of music that all tell different stories.” Collaborating with the community has been a priority since Heald and Kuo came on board in recent years. “To me, for the orchestra to continue to be relevant, and for people to want to care about us, especially since we do play a fairly dated art form, we have to be able to go out to our community and talk with them and find out what’s resonating with them, and invite them in,” Heald said. “We can’t just expect the community or people to come to us anymore. We really have to be much more inviting as an industry. That’s something that orchestras across the country are working on, and have been working on for many, many years. Coming out of the pandemic, that’s become even more of a thing, and we’re realizing that the audiences that we have aren’t necessarily all coming back, so we really have to make sure that we aren’t just doing the same old thing. What are we doing that is actually inviting, that’s new and that resonates with our community?” In the community-building vein, the Reno
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Chamber Orchestra will be hosting other events leading up to The Stories We Tell. At 5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, Kuo will hold a meet-andgreet at the Element Reno Experience District, 2030 Element Lane, in Reno. The event is free, but RSVP by emailing tickets@renochamberorchestra.org. At 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 16, a small ensemble from the orchestra will be performing “The Nightingale” by Kevin Lau at the North Valleys Library, 1075 N. Hills Blvd., in Reno. The performances are free. While the Reno Chamber Orchestra has featured collaborative events in the past, The Stories We Tell will be its first truly multimedia experience, and the organization hopes to continue fostering relationships with people outside of the orchestra world. “We have another collaboration that will be happening in the spring with TMCC and their drawing and art departments,” Heald said. “Again, we are just looking at all the different ways that we can continue to find other partners within our community. We also have an ongoing partnership that we started last year with Northern Nevada HOPES, and we have been doing small chamber performances at Hope Springs, which is their bridge housing community. We also offer free tickets to their staff, clients and anybody on their side who would like to come to our concerts, so we’ve seen both staff and residents of Hope Springs who have been coming to our concerts for the last year, which has been really, really special. … We work really closely with high school districts and are starting to add more opportunities for students to come. I just want to make sure that everybody has an opportunity and feels welcome to experience this art form and this music.” The Stories We Tell will take place at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 18; and 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Nightingale Concert Hall, on the UNR campus at 1335 N. Virginia St., in Reno. Tickets are $28.50 to $68.50, or $5 for students with ID. For tickets and more information, visit renochamberorchestra.org.
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JONESIN' CROSSWORD
| BY MATT JONES
THE LUCKY 13
Elleanor Burke
Performing at the Holland Project Nov. 6 Whether she’s crafting quirky, guitar-led solo works under her own name, blending hardcore and post-rock with Tummy+, or crafting something with new band This Could Never Work, Reno musician Elleanor Burke has shown that no music genre is out of her reach. Her latest record as Elleanor Burke, Hark! (with the special help of her band Brandon T. Nguyen, Lavandula Felice and Lynn Stanfield), is a sonic journey of heavy emotional moods and groovy jams. For more on Elleanor Burke, check out elleanorburke.bandcamp.com. Elleanor Burke is performing at the Holland Project at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 6, opening up for The Mall. Tickets are $10. For more, visit hollandreno.org. What was the first concert you attended? My dad was a real hippie-dippie type, a real deadhead, so the first show I went to was Bob Weir, who was one of the front people with the Grateful Dead, and his band RatDog. I think I was 11 at the time, and I wasn’t sure what I was getting into.
“TV Without Hesitation”—some abrupt endings. By Matt Jones Across 1. Cinema showing 5. Antibacterial body wash brand 9. Push a product 13. Actor Stonestreet 14. Heavenly figure 16. Ash, for one 17. Message that you missed an entire state at your door while out for a stroll? 20. Familial-sounding U.K. trip-hop group that once enlisted DJ Shadow, Thom Yorke, and Mike D 21. UT campus 22. Tagline intoned gruffly in many Halloween horror movie trailers 25. Had regrets 29. Where purple dinosaurs are ground into powder? 32. Poi-making need 33. Writer Roxane of the short story collection Difficult Women 34. A Prayer for Owen ___ (John Irving
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novel) 35. Place on a scale 36. ___ Lanka 38. Vow at an altar 39. Measure from an annual checkup, perhaps 40. Unemotional one 42. Singer-songwriter Frizzell 44. Like 39, 49, 59, you get the idea 47. It may be signaled with a whistle 48. German connecting word that’s, like, the height of a human? 50. Captain Kangaroo player Bob 52. 2009 movie with a 2022 sequel 53. Scientist’s workplace 54. Chef’s cutting gadget 56. Near an open flame or eating holes in my sweater, probably? 63. Thor’s father 64. Accumulated, as a bill 65. Rug stat 66. Simon of Hot Fuzz 67. Largemouth fish 68. Coin with a Lincoln profile Down 1. Not so many 2. Savings plan option
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3. Word before Jon or Wayne 4. Rod who wrote the 1974 No. 1 1 hit “Seasons in the Sun” 5. Bread that often contains molasses 6. Part of IHOP 7. The Night of the Hunter screenwriter James 8. Superman archvillain Luthor 9. Walked with confidence 10. Edwardian or Elizabethan, e.g. 11. Cariou who played Sweeney Todd on Broadway 12. Something to stand on 15. Put a tag on 18. Native to a particular region 19. Word fragment (abbr.) 22. “Notorious” SCOTUS member of the 2010s 23. Remote control battery size 24. “Have a sample” 25. Head out from the airport 26. Rescue financially 27. 2022 World Cup winner (abbr.) 28. Homer Simpson grunt
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30. Submit, as an absentee ballot 31. Pointer finger 35. “For what reason?” 37. German white wine 40. Exch. purchase 41. Reason for OT 43. Relatively tame (but dizzying) Disneyland ride 45. Forensic letters 46. Arcade game with fast-moving arrows that (gasp) turned 25 this year, for short 48. Fencing weapon 49. Airport runway surface 51. Breakfast sandwich meat 54. Electra Woman and ___ Girl (’70s series) 55. Promises to pay, for short 56. Short trip 57. Lyric verse 58. Drag accessory 59. Key above Caps Lock 60. Minecraft resource 61. X, on a clock 62. Fedora, e.g. © 2023 Matt Jones Find the answers in the “About” section at RenoNR.com!
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What was the first album you owned? One of the first albums I went out of my way to buy on CD or anything was probably Frizzle Fry by Primus. I was a Primus teenager for sure, What bands are you listening to right now? I feel like they’ve been all over the place. I’ve been really into Bjork, and Japanese rock music (like) Malice Mizer, and there’s another band called LUNA SEA. They’re a visual kei J-rock band, and those two artists were really influential on the record I just put out. ” What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? The only real genre I’ve just never been able to understand is pop punk. No hate toward it; I just have really been able to sink my teeth there. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? I think it’d be really crazy to be able to see when Miles Davis had John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley in his band, and was playing around Kind of Blue in the late ’50s. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? I’m not guilty about it, but I love early 2000s girly-pop music. Gwen Stefani is a really big one. It was guilty when I
| BY MATT KING
was young, because I grew up with this very masculine musical world. What’s your favorite music venue? I would say anywhere that’s outside in the daytime in a big, open space. I really just love playing open spaces, or outdoor events of questionable legality. What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? “Kiss of Life” by Sade, the first line: “There must have been an angel by my side.” That comes out of my mouth a lot. What band or artist changed your life? How? I have actually said that Eden by LUNA SEA changed my life. I’ve been playing guitar since I was really young, and I’ve had this interesting conflicting relationship with it where it’s just not what I’m into, but it’s still the instrument that I know best, and I feel like I can express myself the best on it. I heard this album, and I really liked its approach to a more beautiful sound that was pretty and delicate in a different way. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I think it’d be really interesting to play in front of somebody Miles Davis, or even someone who seems a little nicer, like Herbie Hancock, and just be like, “What do you think I can improve on?” I love working with different musicians who notice those kinds of things, and I think it’d be really neat to get the discerning eye of somebody who has a bit of ego. What song would you like played at your funeral? It’d be really cool for people to play music that reminded them of me. It would be really neat if people took their turn just listening and feeling. Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? This is me just panicking and saying the first thing that comes to mind, but Diamond Life by Sade. What song should everyone listen to right now? “I Talk to the Wind” from A Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson 1976. It’s a weird, deep-cut version of the song.
15 MINUTES
| BY DAVID ROBERT
Deanna Bradburn Patriots Food Pantry Deanna Bradburn has worked as a clinical dietitian for more than 10 years in inpatient and outpatient facilities. She’s currently the associate chief for the clinical section for nutrition and food services for the Patriots Food Pantry, slated to open at the Reno VA Medical Center, 975 Kirman Ave., in November. How did the pantry come about? With our extensive work with veterans in the hospital setting and the outpatient settings, we have noticed an increase in the amount of veterans identifying as being food insecure. Though you may not think it is a problem in our country, many households have limited or uncertain access to adequate food—or “food insecurity.” After looking into resources and different options, one of our dietitians, Thea Kimura, was able to find a new program from the Food Bank of Northern Nevada called the Prescription Pantry program. This program is funded by Healthy Nevada grant from the state of Nevada. The prescription pantry requires a provider to write a prescription to access healthy food items from a number of food pantries around town. They have options of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins to allow them to make healthier meal choices. In July of 2022, we were able to partner with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to be able to have the veterans have access to the prescription food pantries in Washoe County and rural … counties across Northern Nevada. A year after we had been offering the prescription to veterans, we noticed the increased number of veterans using this service and decided it would be a huge benefit for our community to be able to offer a food pantry at the VA hospital as another option to allow resources for food. The pantry will be available for the veterans in need, to allow easy access to food for those who are outpatients or those who are getting discharged from the hospital. Those experiencing food insecurity are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, which adds to the complexity of treating veterans. For veterans to qualify, they must be screened or identify that they have difficulty with access to food. A VA provider can write the prescription for that veteran to visit any location at the participating pantries, both locally and in rural areas.
Where will the food pantry be located? How do the veterans contact you for help? The food pantry will be located at the main VA hospital campus. It is planned to be opening in November for veteran use. They can call me at 775-326-5793, or call community services at the main desk, 775-786-7200. There are also seven other locations in town for a prescription pantry that could be used by veterans; just contact their provider at the VA to determine if they are eligible for the program. Also, they can visit the FBNN (the Food Bank of Northern Nevada) Mobile Harvest at Capitol Hill VOC (Veterans Outreach Center), the third Monday of every month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., and FBNN SNAP Outreach staff at Capitol Hill VOC, the second and fourth Fridays of every month from 9 a.m. to noon. How can the community help? If they would like to help out, they could donate funds to Community Affairs in the VA for the Capitol Hill Veterans Outreach Center, or donate to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. RenoNR.com
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AN EXHIBIT THAT TAKES CENTER STAGE. N E P O W O N | O N E R O T WHEN HOLLYWOOD CAME Celebrate Reno’s iconic stage show! The Nevada Historical Society commemorates the 45th anniversary of MGM’s Hello Hollywood, Hello! show with a spectacular display of costumes, photographs, sketches, and memorabilia.
BECOME A MUSEUM MEMBER FOR FREE ADMISSION TO ALL STATE MUSEUMS. Visit NVMuseums.com for museum locations, exhibits, & events. 32
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November 2023 |
RenoNR.com
NVHISTORICALSOCIETY.ORG