EDITOR’S NOTE
LETTERS Closed email policy
All of us think about it Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. Anyone who’s read this newspaper for a while knows I’m a skeptic. Worse than that, particularly where government, money or religion are concerned, I’m kind of a cynic. But, sometimes doesn’t it just feel like there must be something pulling the strings, that the meme is an active and sort of benevolent intelligence? I can’t tell you how many times in the last few months I’ve said, “I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe in synchronicity.” Sometimes I get drunk and can’t remember which one I believe in. What I’m trying to say is that I’m not one of those people who believes everything happens for a reason. Usually, things happen for no reason at all. And then, there are reasons you don’t talk about. And that’s how I stay in the fight club. Tangents aside, after I wrote about my recent disquieting diagnosis from my good pal the mainstream physician, the confluence of seemingly random events coming into alignment was mindboggling. Suddenly, all these people— many of whom I had no idea of their interest in alternative methods of healing—started coming out of the woodwork, trying to help me with real advice. These weren’t some wild-eyed true believers, just friends who’d had family members who had learned some stuff. It’s all helpful. It’s all good. (And for a change, no sarcasm intended.) Honestly, just as peculiar are the people who think that an admission of heart disease is some kind of a weakness. I saw somewhere that half of all people 35 and older have some form of heart disease, so you’ve got it too, bunky. So, no, my stress level is still unimportant to me. I am still pushing my heart rate as high as I can make it go on the elliptical machine. It is not my intention to leave a good looking corpse. I hope to leave one that looks like I almost—almost—survived being dragged by my stirrup through a buffalo stampede.
Re “UNR and library divert email” (Upfront, March 29): Emails cannot be sent directly to a member of the Board of Trustees of the Washoe County Library, as is stated in the article by Dennis Myers. Due to security concerns of the Washoe County Technology Service Department, emails submitted via a Washoe County web page, including the Library’s website, cannot be directed or auto-forwarded to a destination outside the county network, such as the personal mailbox of a library board member. In addition, as private citizens who are not Washoe County employees, board members can send emails to county mailboxes, but they are unable to access such mailboxes and view their contents. Because of this situation, in early 2008 the Trustees addressed the issue of enabling the public to communicate with the board by directing first that a county mailbox be set up to receive emails that individuals wish to send to the board; secondly, that a link be set up on the library’s web site by which individuals could send emails to the library board mailbox; and thirdly that the library director be authorized to access the mailbox regularly so that all pertinent emails could be forwarded to the individual library trustees. Since March 2008, when the county mailbox for the library board was created, the only emails not forwarded by the director are those that are categorized as spam. The library staff is currently examining other options for library board e-mail, but at present the County mailbox is the most workable solution. The article also made reference to library hours on Easter Sunday of this year. At its March 21 meeting, the board voted to approve closing the two branches on April 8 that are normally open on Sundays. The issue of whether to have libraries with Sunday hours open on Easter in 2013 and future years will be addressed by the library staff and/or the board. Alfred W. Stoess Washoe County Library Board of Trustees
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Not an empowered woman Re “The naked truth” (Feature story, March 29): I look forward to reading your newspaper, but I must say that I was very disappointed to see the cover story of March 29 and honestly pissed off that you proclaimed Caitlin Thomas to be UNR’s most provocative feminist. Do you at the RN&R even know what feminism is? I’m a 20-something female UNR student, familiar with Thomas and her so-called knowledge of sex. I do not find anything newsworthy about what she has to say. What has she done in this community that is so great? Did you really think about what kind of message you were sending when chose to put this woman on your cover? Thomas is not what feminism is all about, and she certainly is not a symbol of a progressive woman. What disturbed me the most is that her story and her persona were highlighted in such a way as to suggest that she is the epitome of female empowerment only because she speaks frankly—and crudely—about sex and paints pictures with her menstrual flow. Her ideas of womanhood are not fresh and new. They are nothing but shallow, old stereotypes of female sexuality that do nothing but reflect a culture that is narcissistic, intellectually shallow and disconnected. Ideas such as hers are part of the reason why female sexuality is misunderstood—something she claims to be fighting against. There are plenty of other female 20-somethings more deserving of recognition that have dedicated their lives to fighting for equality and are trying to make a difference but are overlooked because, as always, sex, attention mongering and the recycling of old news presented in a new form sells, while intellect, having dignity, fighting and sacrificing for others does not. Marion Sanni Reno
Here’s to bankruptcy! Re “The naked truth” (Feature story, March 29): Sure singular sign of a slow news day at the RN&R: A UNR co-ed feature story, since her exhibitionist,
Editor/Publisher D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Special Projects Editor Ashley Hennefer Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Photographer Amy Beck Contributors Amy Alkon, Megan Berner, Matthew Craggs, Mark Dunagan, Marvin Gonzalez, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, K.J. Sullivan, Bruce Van Dyke
D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com OPINION
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Design Manager Kate Murphy Art Director Priscilla Garcia Associate Art Director Hayley Doshay Editorial Designer India Curry Design Brennan Collins, Marianne Mancina, Mary Key, Skyler Smith, Melissa Arendt Art Director at Large Don Button, Andrea Diaz-Vaughn Advertising Consultants Gina Odegard, Kelly Funderburk, Matt Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office/Distribution Manager/ Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke
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sexploitive column got spiked at the Nevada Sagebrush student newspaper. Another sure sign of slow news is your misplaced grousing on the Reno trench for rail traffic through town. Look, Barstow, Calif., has all above-street-level rail traffic—entirely freight without Amtrak, and that’s a planned major stop on eventual highspeed rail from Disneyland/Apple Valley, Calif., to Las Vegas. So, fess up, you local yokels, neoLuddites posing as critics of the Reno trench. Would you prefer the status quo ante, the condition existing prior to the status quo? That means long waits 24/7 at above-ground, street-level railroad crossings? Freight and Amtrak passenger train traffic. Be honest, now! Would you? Really? Let’s have a show of hands. Dave Phillips Reno
Stripped of power Re “The naked truth” (Feature story, March 29): Gee, you gals have come a long way, baby, when a sexploitative exotic dancer becomes the spokeswoman for feminism. Now I see why none—or very few—of the college students I teach ever want to identify themselves as “feminists.” On the whole, after perusing the article, I must conclude: The new feminism is really hot! And better yet, feminism has finally found its proper place in the grand ole scheme of patriarchal objectification! Brad Summerhill Reno
Even FLoW Re “Open for business” (Green, March 29): Thank you for your coverage of the launch of Cleantech Open Nevada. Bringing this international program for accelerating the growth of Cleantech start-ups will be a big help in developing this vital industry in Nevada. I did want to address some misconceptions in the article. First, Cleantech Open is a network of networks that operates as an accelerator beyond just the annual business competition. Second, our Northeast branch merged into us from MIT’s Ignite Group, but the Cleantech Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker Assistant Distribution Manager Ron Neill Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Jesse Pike, John Miller, Martin Troye, David Richards, Warren Tucker, Matthew Veach, Neil Lemerise, Russell Moore General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Senior Accountant Kevin Driskill
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Open itself was founded independently in the Bay Area. Lastly, Cleantech Open has a “youth” competition through our International Programs division and allows student teams to participate in the national competition. Chip Evans Nevada Director Cleantech Open
The book’s better Re “Royale with cheese” (Film, March 29): I really agreed with your review of Hunger Games. I, too, was wondering about the freaky shaky cam. I thought for all the imaginative, mind-blowing events and characters in the book that the movie barely touched what it could have been. The arena actually looked like somebody’s back yard, and the “cornucopia” was a shack/trailer in a tiny grassy clearing. What had transpired in my mind from reading the book was epic and colorful and more ... this film is not. Although I did like Jennifer Lawrence somewhat, the rest of the movie fell flat and one-dimensional around her. Some of the motives and the emotional stories were only confused and oppressed in the movie. Some weren’t dealt with at all. I understand that movies can’t satisfy every detail of a personal experience of a book, but this movie really lost out on some opportunities. Riki Rushing Austin, Texas
Ninety to go Re “Top 10 Worst Supreme Court Decisions” (Feature story, March 8): Next, please develop an article on the 100 worst decisions by the Supreme Court, because 10 just don’t do justice to the scope of the problem. In reviewing the decisions that look so flawed in retrospect, it helps us appreciate the limitations of the current Gang of Nine. I’d like to add Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944), a landmark case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II. In a 6-3 decision, the Court sided with the government, ruling that the exclusion order was constitutional. Linda Everhart Pittsburgh, Penn.
Credit and Collections Manager Renee Briscoe Business Zahida Mehirdel, Shannon McKenna Systems Manager Jonathan Schultz Systems Support Specialist Joe Kakacek Web Developer/Support Specialist John Bisignano 708 North Center Street Reno, NV 89501 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-4572 Classified Fax (916) 498-7940 Mail Classifieds & Talking Personals to N&R Classifieds, Reno Edition, 1015 20th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 or e-mail classifieds@newsreview.com
THIS WEEK
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Web site www.newsreview.com Printed by Paradise Post The RN&R is printed using recycled newsprint whenever available. Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in the RN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. The RN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form. Cover design: Priscilla Garcia Feature story design: Priscilla Garcia
APRIL 12, 2012
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