Letters

Roll out

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’m back from my little musical sojourn around the Western states. The gang put out a great issue last week without much help from me, which makes me feel real unnecessary, but, like, in a good way. A couple of quick items of RN&R business: First, don’t forget to vote in our Best of Northern Nevada readers’ poll. Visit vote.newsreview. com/best-of-reno-2016 and get after it.

Secondly, Friday, July 1, is the kick-off of the RN&R’s 21st annual Rollin’ on the River concert series. The Artownaffiliated series takes place every Friday evening in July starting at 5:30 p.m. in Wingfield Park in downtown Reno.

This Friday features music from the Sextones, formerly known as the Mark Sexton Band, a local pop soul group that has played the event in previous years and is beloved by music fans throughout the community.

I’m also pleased to introduce opening act the Umpires to a larger audience. That’s a relatively new local group that specializes in jazzy, instrumental takes on reggae and ska. I was originally turned on to the project by my good friend—and creative collaborator—Mike Mayhall, who plays bass in the group. But it’s an ensemble consisting of some of the best musicians in the valley, including guitar virtuoso Ryan Hall and funky drummer Dan Weiss, who also plays with the Sextones.

I’m going to be co-MCing the concert with my colleague Emily Litt, so you can also come watch me struggle to remember not to cuss onstage in front of a family audience.

One last item: Our cover story this week is the case for Donald Trump by a lefty. If there’s a Republican out there who wants to make the case for Clinton, we’ll be happy to run it as well. —Brad Bynum bradb@newsreview.com

We serve as conduit

To Reno Gazette-Journal publisher John Maher:

Dear Mr. Maher, last Wednesday, a member of our community and well-liked member of and hiking leader with the local chapter of the Sierra Club died in a rafting accident in Alaska. Her body was found downstream on Thursday.

Through her volunteering and showing us the great outdoors, Karen Todd touched many lives in this community. A search of the internet last Friday showed that thanks to the Associated Press, newspapers all over the country either printed on paper and/or online the details and updates of the accident. On Friday, even the newspaper serving the community of another person on the rafting trip who was also confirmed dead only the day before, the Sacramento Bee, reported the details of the accident, the deaths, and named both persons and their home towns.

At this moment as I write, a search of the internet for ‘“karen todd’ Alaska raft” returns 1,470 hits. Do any of them pertain to Karen’s hometown newspaper? No. A search at the RG-J subscription website returns zero results too. It is not as if it was difficult for whomever under you is responsible for monitoring AP wire blasts last Thursday to know the story touched us locally, for clearly within it are the words “Sparks, Nevada.” The AP updated the story frequently and appears to still be doing so.

Your newspaper’s failings in this matter are shameful, disrespectful and unforgivable. Do we have a local, hometown newspaper here in this valley? I am beginning to think we do not. I am beginning to think we do not because, when opening the newspaper to a section sometimes labeled as “Local News,” the news therein directly under that title pertains to the cities of South Lake Tahoe, Pollock Pines and Placerville. All in California. All—out of the area. Stories printed in the newspaper delivered to my doorstep right here in Reno and again, represented as local news. Since we do not have a local newspaper, Mr. Maher, how about we quit subsidizing your operating budget through the purchasing of Public Notices and payments to print the property tax rolls and tax delinquencies? This is a practice that goes back to the origins of newspapers in communities, to when there was a promise made—that in return for those all important lifegiving sums of taxpayers’ money, the new and struggling local newspaper would print obituary notices of our dearly departed at a reasonable rate. This is something this so-called local newspaper no longer does at a reasonable rate, but at full display ad rates.

You have broken that longstanding promise to local government and its backers, the taxpayers. Our so-called local newspaper is now old enough and strong enough to stand on its own two feet and to support itself. It’s time for the subsidies to end.

Don Mello Reno

Economic boost coming

Nevada voters should brace for millions of dollars from out-of-state “Big Marijuana” interests supporting legalization of recreational pot on the November ballot. These corporate pot promoters will try to repeat what worked for them in legalizing marijuana in Colorado in 2012. There, they financially overwhelmed opponents by five to one, spending $3.4 million (90 percent from outside Colorado) in passing legalization.

The enormous financial advantage for pro-pot advertising in Colorado overcame opposition to legalization from most all public officials—across the political spectrum from liberal Democrats, like Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, to Republicans, like Attorney General John Suthers and U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Tea Party favorite. The two leading newspapers in Colorado, the Denver Post and Colorado Springs Gazette, opposed legalization, as did the Colorado Education Association and the Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce.

Big Marijuana will repeat its Colorado advertising falsehoods in Nevada—that “regulation” of marijuana means the end of black markets and that marijuana taxes will be used for education. The Colorado Attorney General and the Governor’s “Weed Czar” refute both claims as myths.

Jim Hartman Genoa

Erik Holland Corrections

Re “Out of harm’s way” (Feature, June 23):

We reported that the heroin overdose antidote naloxone is available through Change Point. The drug is not available directly through Change Point. That organization can provide referrals to Northern Nevada HOPES’ pharmacy or to Northern Nevada Outreach Team, either of which can distribute the drug. We regret the error.

Re “Pointed abstraction” (Musicbeat, June 23):

We reported that Convolve & Reflect is Pinnacles’ first album and that Robbie Landsberg recently became a father. Convolve & Reflect is the band’s second album, band members Justin Hunt and Jesse Kinseth are fathers, and Landsberg is not. We regret the errors.

Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Brad Bynum News Editor Dennis Myers Special Projects Editor Jeri Chadwell-Singley Arts Editor Kris Vagner Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Kelsey Fitzgerald, Bob Grimm, Ashley Hennefer, Shelia Leslie, Eric Marks, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Brendan Trainor, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Design Manager Lindsay Trop Art Directors Brian Breneman, Margaret Larkin Marketing/Publications Manager Serene Lusano Marketing/Publications Designer Sarah Hansel Production Coordinator Skyler Smith Designer Kyle Shine Senior Advertising Consultants Gina Odegard, Bev Savage Advertising Consultant Emily Litt Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager/Operations Coordinator Kelly Miller Distribution Assistant Denise Cairns Distribution Drivers Tracy Breeden, Alex Barskyy, Debbie Frenzi, Vicki Jewell, Patrick L’Angelle, Marty Lane, Marty Troye, Warren Tucker, Gary White, Dave Carroll, Denise Cairns President/CEO Jeff VonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Marketing/Promotions/Facilities Manager Will Niespodzinski Executive Coordinator Jessica Takehara Business Manager Nicole Jackson Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Dargitz Accounts Receivable Specialist Kortnee Angel Sweetdeals Coordinator Courtney DeShields Nuts & Bolts Ninja Christina Wukmir Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

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