Issuu

Letters............................ 3 Opinion/Streetalk............ 5 Sheila.Leslie.................... 6 Chanelle.Bessette........... 7 News.............................. 8 Green............................ 11 Feature......................... 13 Arts&Culture................ 16 Art.of.the.State............. 19

Foodfinds..................... 20 Film.............................. 22 Musicbeat.....................25 Nightclubs/Casinos........26 This.Week..................... 31 Advice.Goddess........... 32 Free.Will.Astrology....... 34 15.Minutes.....................35 Bruce.Van.Dyke............35

Of Human Kindness See Left Foot Forward, page 6.

For thE Night iS Dark

See News, page 8.

nevada Has a crappy tax system. Here’s HOw

Put it on, slow See arts&Culture, page 16.

keep on trekkin’ See Film, page 22.

RENo’s NEws & ENtERtaiNmENt wEEkly

VolumE

19,

issuE

may

23–29,

2013

RN&R

MAY 23, 2013

Send letters to renoletters@newsreview.com

The big lie

Gas is good

The crossing

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. I’m more than a little irritated by Obama these days. As an alternative journalist, I sacrifice a lot of things to work in an environment where I feel as free as possible. I don’t labor under any assumption that the United States is the land of the free, and I’m not sure that we ever were, but Obama’s incursions into fascism just frankly amaze and disgust me. And most people would probably count me among his supporters since I voted for him twice. Faced with the same circumstances, I’d do it again. So I suppose you can guess how I feel about wealth redistributors like Mitt Romney and all his bankster friends. But this bullshit about warrantless spying on the Associated Press and Fox News, and this administration’s prosecution of whistleblowers and singling out political adversaries for tax scrutiny—there are just too many things to enumerate them all—he’s a 21st century version of Richard Nixon. I mean Nixon had an enemies list. With his drones, Obama has a kill list. Why this rant today? You got me. I was actually going to write about how after my first semester as a master’s student, I’ve got a 4.0 average, a frankly unbelievable statistic that surely cannot stand. You’d think I’d be in a good mood. But allow me to continue with my rant: You know what Benghazi, Syria, was? It was a failure of public relations. There were 64 attacks on American diplomatic targets during the George W. Bush administration, according to Mother Jones. Benghazi was bad but normal. But if you read the recently released emails (from CNN, http://tinyurl.com/b22hg3c), it becomes apparent that this administration wasn’t looking for the gentlest or most accurate way to tell the truth, it was looking for the lie that looked most like a version of the truth. And if Obama’s people are lying about things that they could have told the whole truth about—with little reason to believe it would come back and bite them because it didn’t bite their predecessors—then what else are they lying about?

Re “We’re fracked” (Letters to the Editor, May 16): After reading your letter regarding the so-called dangers of fracking, I would suggest that you watch the documentary Fracknation. It exposes the fraud involved in the anti-fracking movement, and any reasonable person viewing this documentary will realize that fracking is safer than most other forms of energy production. Fracking is certainly not perfect, but no energy production is. Reasonable people consider the necessity of certain forms of energy and the true risks involved. We can all desire to live in a Utopian world where no dangers exist, but that’s a truly foolish notion. Improvements in energy production are constantly developed and perhaps someday solar and wind energy will be possible, but at this time the technology simply doesn’t work, neither technically nor financially. Natural gas is the cleanest and least expensive form of energy available at this time. Instead of having American taxpayers continue to underwrite alternative energies that can’t function without those subsidies, we need to allow private industries using capitalism as a financing source to develop alternative energies. After all, the electric car supporters fail to acknowledge that coal is the source of developing electric power. Coal is a dangerous source to the miners and is not the cleanest form of energy. Our present administration has been instrumental in destroying coal as a source of energy that we rely upon. Fred Speckmann Reno

I was crushed when they imploded the Mapes. Driven crazy when they parted out the Harrah’s Automobile Collection. Steamed when they said “nix” to the geothermal gardens at Moana Springs. And I’m ready to go postal if/when they screw up the old downtown mail station. But the worst error of all— besides our misanthropic, malignant stoplight system—was the painful ramming-through of The Trench. Ouch, I was once proud of our rail heritage. Not only is it ugly and require constant money to maintain, but it has cut off a vital traffic area. I speak of the lack of passage by pedestrians, bicyclists and others to cross the river at Wells Avenue. This has split that part of the city from barely-sustainable areas (the North side), to engagingly growing sections (South side). It’s a chokehold on growth, and I’d bet there is even more crime in this now forgotten land where the homeless and hungry try to hide their shame for not keeping up with the Joneses. I wouldn’t mind our City Council taking some action on getting a river crossing there. Craig Bergland Reno

Hear! Hear! Re “A beer to remember” (Feature story, May 9): Great article, Brad, and the point of reference at the beginning really did work! It’s such a great feeling to witness and be a small part of the up-and-coming local craft beer scene here in Reno, and I for one welcome our new yeasty overlords with open arms (and stomach)—cheers! Brian Ball Reno

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages people to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Emergency calls Recently, in Rancho San Rafael Park I accidentally locked my 22-monthold daughter in my truck. I called 911 and was shocked that it took 23 minutes for REMSA to arrive—they can’t unlock a car—and 25 minutes for Reno Fire to arrive—they can unlock a car—with Washoe County deputy sheriffs arriving last. In the 23-minute period, I called 911 back twice. All three calls, the dispatch person was rude, unprofessional and unsympathetic. I know I sounded extremely frantic, but I thought 911 operators were trained to handle that and calm me down rather than be argumentative when I ask for an estimated time of arrival. I am

Editor/Publisher D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Editorial Intern Sage Leehey Contributors Amy Alkon, Chanelle Bessette, Megan Berner, Matthew Craggs, Mark Dunagan, Marvin Gonzalez, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Sheila Leslie, Dave Preston, Jessica Santina, K.J. Sullivan, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young

Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Design Melissa Arendt, Brian Breneman, Vivian Liu, Marianne Mancina, Skyler Smith Advertising Consultants Meg Brown, Gina Odegard, Matt Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Office/Distribution Manager/ Ad Coordinator Karen Brooke Executive Assistant/Operations Coordinator Nanette Harker

offended, angry and beside myself that I was treated so poorly during an emergency. Washoe County, please train your dispatchers better. Our taxes pay the salaries of 911 operators, and the taxpayers deserve to be treated with respect especially during a crisis. Alyna Harrall Sparks

Drunk kids Underage drinking has become an increasing problem in recent years, throughout the country. A recent survey showed that, with a group of people aged 12 to 20, 26 percent used alcohol, and 17 percent binge drank in the 30 days prior. There are many factors that have lead to an increase in underage drinking, such as movies, commercials and billboards that advertise alcohol. All these factors make it seem “cool” or fun to drink because they never show the negative effects of drinking. Alcohol has become increasingly easier for teens to get. Oftentimes teens are able to get alcohol from friends or family, but the main way teens are getting alcohol now is with fake IDs. Alcohol can cause many long-term negative effects such as slowing down the development of the brain, becoming addicted to other drugs, academic failure, the possibility of death from motor vehicle accidents, or alcohol poisoning. Many movies only show the positive parts about drinking, such as having a good time and forgetting stressful situations. movies need to focus more on the Negative effects to give teens a realistic view on drinking. Nelson Brianne Nelson Sparks

Who’s fracked? Re “We’re fracked” (Letters to the Editor, May 16): A letter from Dawn Harris, founder of Frack Free Reno, claimed that “If the allegations about hydraulic fracturing are true,” a whole host of alarming things will happen to Nevada. The good news? The

Assistant Distribution Manager Ron Neill Distribution Drivers Sandra Chhina, Sean Karp, John Miller, Jesse Pike, David Richards, Martin Troye, Warren Tucker, Matthew Veach, Sam White General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Ronsenquist

—D. Brian Burghart

brianb@ ne wsreview . com

OPINION

NEWS

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allegations aren’t true. But don’t take my word for it. National Research Council: “Hydraulic fracturing a well as presently implemented for shale gas recovery does not pose a high risk for inducing felt seismic events.” Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: “After several months of operation, state-ofthe-art, 24-hour air monitors in the Barnett Shale area are showing no levels of concern for any chemicals. This reinforces our conclusion that there are no immediate health concerns from air quality in the area, and that when they are properly managed and maintained, oil and gas operations do not cause harmful excess air emissions.” Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson: “In no case have we made a definitive determination that the fracking process has caused chemicals to enter groundwater.” U.S. Department of Energy and Ground Water Protection Council: “The amount of water needed to drill and fracture a horizontal shale gas well generally ranges from about 2 million to 4 million gallons. While these volumes may seem very large, they are small by comparison to some other uses of water, such as agriculture, electric power generation, and municipalities. Calculations indicate that water use for shale gas development will range from less than 0.1% to 0.8% of total water use by basin.” U.S. Department of Energy and Ground Water Protection Council: “The development and production of oil and gas in the U.S., including shale gas, are regulated under a complex set of federal, state, and local laws that address every aspect of exploration and operation.” Anti-oil and gas activists like Harris spend a lot of time talking about alarming allegations, but ignore the facts. It turns out the truth about hydraulic fracturing is significantly less scary, and the facts speak for themselves. Courtney Loper Field Director, Energy in Depth

Accounting Specialists Renee Briscoe, Tami Sandoval Accounts Receivable Specialist Nicole Jackson 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

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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 and feature story design: Priscilla Garcia

MAY 23, 2013

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MAY 23, 2013

by Sage Leehey

THis ModeRn WoRld

by tom tomorrow

Is the government too nosy? Asked at Plumgate Shopping Center Patricia Plenk Retiree

I think it is. I think it’s very invasive. When the Constitution was written, the government was given limited power, and I think that over the years they have become very comfortable in exceeding that power. They are very overreaching, and there are things that require a more personable touch when it comes to our states. The states know our minds and their own people. Andrew Ayala Graduate assistant

I think when it comes to personal lives, the government is not too nosy. I think that holds true basically for public life, too. What I do find interesting is that the government isn’t too nosy, but a lot of commerce and American businesses are becoming nosier. And everyone seems OK with that.

Norman Thompson Retiree

Reno for Reno Every time a national comedian like David Sedaris visits Reno and then takes a dump on us in the national media, there are two reactions from Reno residents. The first is one of horror: “Oh, my goodness, our tourism industry is on the ropes, how can we take another suckerpunch?” Then there’s the other group, let’s call them “Reno loyalists,” those of us who live here because we love it, and who have the confidence in our choices not to care what some New York pseudo-sophisticate has to say. (And by the way, has anyone identified that elderly, Count Chocula-T-shirt-with-sweat-pants-wearing-fan Sedaris claimed on the Daily Show to have met? We’d like to interview her. Still, the possibility that his fans wear Count Chocula T-shirts to his shows says more about him than it does Reno.) To put it in economic terms, that national punchline Reno has become is known as “the market.” It’s the sum total of 80 years of public relations efforts by private interests and a failed public agency, the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority, which spends around $33 million in taxpayer money a year to promote tourism in Washoe County. We don’t want to take a major tangent here, but the RSCVA should be dismantled and rebuilt. Keep the parts that work—management of the bowling stadium, for example—and return the room taxes to the businesses that generate them. Retire the debt, sell off the other facilities. Radical? Not from any business perspective. Now, here’s why some Reno loyalists love “the market”: The market forces the major industry to recognize who its primary market is going to be in the OPINION

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ARTS&CULTURE

No. In my opinion, no. I’ve had no experience with them intruding on my life or actually anybody’s life that I know of.

future: us. We’re not saying anything casino managers don’t already know. The market will decide which of those towers survive as hotels and which become something else. This newspaper has long said we need a 20-30-something population living downtown in order for this city not to rot from the inside out. We’re not the first to recognize that at the same moment as some of those casino properties are figuring out what they will be, the University of Nevada, Reno wants to expand, and that’s going to mean students are going to need more living space. Think we’re the first to notice the handy and abundant parking and number of empty rooms in that Circus-Circus complex? With our Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada popularity contest coming up, we’re going to talk a lot about innovative people and companies this summer. Look around Reno at the many things that make this a great place to live—and getting better all the time. Those are the innovators who have refocused this community’s from external to internal. Look at Midtown. Look at East Fourth Street. Look at Dickerson Road. Look at the Holland Project. Look at the Pier Group. Look at the Reno Bike Project. Look at all the collaborative projects run by the creative class that are what we Reno loyalists have been talking about for 20 years. Every living, vibrant thing in this world has a life cycle. Midtown had to get pretty ugly before it was affordable enough for the innovators to move in. Those with eyes to see can drive down Virginia Street and envision a Reno for Reno future. Ω |

ART OF THE STATE

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Beverle Deerfoot Healer/massage therapist

I don’t really know. Sometimes it’s a matter of safety, and other times it’s a matter of feeling personally invaded. I think, generally, there is a fear that the government is getting more and more invasive in a sense of access to personal information about us. Everything we do on the internet and all of our personal information. We just don’t know if it’s being used or not. Bob LeMond Real estate broker

I don’t think so. People complain about taxes and all of that living in Nevada. It just doesn’t bother me. I’m just not bothered about all of this complaining and crying about the government. I think we’ve got a pretty good deal here. I don’t think the government is too invasive with me at all.

THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

MAY 23, 2013

RN&R

Baby steps to marriage equality It turns out Harvey Milk was right. In a speech on Gay Freedom Day in 1978 he said, “Gay brothers and sisters ... You must come out. Come out ... to your parents ... I know that it is hard and will hurt them but think about how they will hurt you in the voting booth! by Come out to your relatives ... come Sheila Leslie out to your friends ... if indeed they are your friends. Come out to your neighbors ... to your fellow workers ... to the people who work where you eat and shop ... come out only to the people you know, and who know you. Not to anyone else. But once and for all, break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake. For their sake.” The 2013 Legislature will be most remembered for the compelling debate on marriage equality that featured a senator coming out on the Senate floor, a lesbian preacher, also a senator, matching the Bible-belt bigots with chapter and verse, and a litany of legislators proclaiming their support due to

6 | RN&R |

MAY 23, 2013

personal ties: a gay friend, a gay brother-in-law, a gay mother. Stealing the show in the Assembly hearing were children who attended with their gay parents, enduring more than an hour of vitriolic nonsense from those who would deny their parents the right to marry. People actually got up in public and testified the measure would increase disease rates and show that our society is “devolving.” A representative from the Nevada Livestock Association talked about sodomy and “freemartins” (Google it) as reasons to oppose marriage equality, saying, “I want to speak to the quality of the animals. To do this and pass this bill to make other people feel equal I think is wrong.” The Twitterverse erupted after every outrageous statement, painting a picture of out-of-touch, older, rural Nevadans stuck in a time warp. Perhaps the best tweet of the debate came from Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Steve Sebelius who advised the haters:

“Don’t tell the committee you have gay friends but oppose them having equal rights. Tell your FRIENDS that.” Riley Roberts, a high school student from Reno and the son of a lesbian couple, gave gripping emotional testimony in support of the measure, arguing that his parents should have the same rights as heterosexual married couples: “I was born in Nevada 18 years ago and guess who was there? My mom Pamela Roberts and Gretchen Miller, my loving parents. And who was there to watch me take my first steps? Pamela Roberts and Gretchen Miller.” Despite the powerful testimony, many Republican legislators were clearly not listening, having already made up their minds that gay parents are inferior. In his e-letter to constituents, Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey wrote: “What concerns me the most—are not the personal preferences of adults entering into relations of their own choosing, but the impact re-defining

of marriage has on those who don’t have a choice in the matter—children. ... Redefining marriage further distances the needs of children and denies as a matter of policy, the ideals that our offspring need a mother and a father. By saying that marriage is more about adults’ emotional bonds or legal privileges than it is about children’s needs, means children will become less a primary responsibility for parents— and an even greater one—for government.” The irony of this statement from someone who was “matched” with his wife and married by Sun Myung Moon in a group ceremony with 2,000 other couples is unfathomable. No one questions his choices or his ability to parent, yet he righteously judges others. In the end, there’s no doubt that Legislators who vote against marriage equality this year will be asked by their grandchildren in years to come: “Why did you vote against love?” Ω

For more about freemartins, check out http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Freemartin. People can sure be ignorant.

Another public relations fail As a journalist, it can sometimes be hard to look at my industry in an objective manner. Although journalism students are taught the importance of fairness, accuracy and the First Amendment, it can sometimes be easy to slip into fear and an inability to resist the pressure not to tell the hard truths. by Chanelle Bessette In the past, the revealing of governmental travesties à la Watergate were downright laudable and led to resignations or structural changes. Even lately, the media has had field days when uncovering sensational stories like Gen. Petraeus’ affair with his biographer or the scandal involving Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, the man in charge of the Air Force sexual assault prevention program. But it seems there has been an unsettling trend growing at the heart of today’s national media. Recently, there have been a troubling number of embarrassing national incidents, and these incidents have been under-reported or completely ignored by the media and, as a result, the public.

The first incident concerns the recent disclosure that the Internal Revenue Service was targeting groups for political discrimination, particularly groups that have tea party or other conservative leanings. These groups were given prejudicial treatment when applying for taxexempt status. President Obama responded by calling the scandal inexcusable. “It should not matter what political stripe you’re from,” the president said. “The fact of the matter is the IRS has to operate with absolute integrity.” Even though IRS commissioner Steven Miller stepped down from his position as a result of the episode, the fact remains that this was a much bigger deal than the mainstream news media outlets made it seem. What was essentially at risk from the IRS’ misconduct were the First Amendment rights of American citizens to express their political opinions in a forum where they are given equal treatment. The IRS is not an independent corporation

that experienced a public relations flop; it’s an extension of the U.S. government that is guilty of trying to silence American voices. The second, and more important, incident of media underreporting concerns the cover-up of the Benghazi, Libya, attack that occurred on Sept. 11 last year. When the deadly strike on the U.S. diplomatic compound occurred, many media outlets blindly chalked it up to Islamic fundamentalist outrage against a controversial anti-Muslim video that had been circulated over the internet. New testimony from Americans who were in Benghazi at the time has come forth, however, that decries the video as the source of violence. It would seem that, in fact, the attack on Benghazi was planned, and that members of the U.S. government—particularly former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the UN Ambassador Susan Rice—deliberately misled the public. In fact, Clinton testified in court over the attacks in which she linked

the violence to the video despite her now-proven knowledge about a weak security plan for the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi. “What difference, at this point, does it make?” asked Clinton. All the difference in the world. Although Clinton has since resigned from her post as Secretary of State, the truth remains that Clinton may have been guilty of perjury. However, information has been denigrated as conspiracy theory or obsession by many news outlets. When all is said and done, repression of American rights doesn’t happen overnight. They are the culmination of small infringements on our everyday lives. These infringements can be hard to find when journalists aren’t doing their jobs correctly or when they feel pressure from the government to spread only certain information. But ultimately, it’s the job of all journalists to ensure that all our rights are protected, and that the truth is made visible. Ω

For the Fox News view of the Benghazi scandal, check out http://foxnewsinsider. com/tag/benghaziattack.

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MAY 23, 2013

RN&R

Photo/Dennis Myers

Sen. Kelvin Atkinson speaks in a legislative hallway with Assemblymember David Bobzien, right, and journalist Jon Ralston about Senate Bill 123.

Chamber supports school funding The Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce sent this message to its members: “Assembly Bill 46 would provide a sustainable funding source for the school district to continue to maintain and repair the critical systems that keep our community’s 93 schools open, safe, and functional for our children. With a half-billion dollars in unfunded needs, the school district needs funding to pay for the maintenance and repair projects that many of us may not think about when we think about education (like heating and ventilation systems, plumbing, roofing, and pavement). Right now, the school district has no sustainable funding source to continue to pay for these projects. ... With less than 30 days left in the 2013 session, we need to let our legislators and the governor know why we support this important piece of legislation.”

Nuclear rhetoric Nye County Commissioner Dan Schinhofen called U.S. Sen. Harry Reid a hypocrite for winking at the storage of 403 canisters containing enriched uranium in a landfill at the Nevada Test Site (now called the Nevada National Security Site). The canisters came from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Schinhofen is a supporter of the proposed waste dump for high level nuclear wastes at Yucca Mountain, which Reid opposes. “What we’re concerned with is the sheer hypocrisy of Sen. Reid, who said Yucca Mountain isn’t safe but is OK with putting this fissile material 40 feet underground,” Schinhofen told a public meeting. “The hypocrisy stinks.” Reid’s office gave a statement to the Las Vegas Review Journal: “This is not bomb grade material. The [Nye] County Commission should understand the difference between 403 canisters and 70,000 tons.”

Reno letter published In a letter to the editor of the Nation magazine, reacting to a previous article about how decades of changes in rape law have not changed cultural attitudes, an unnamed Reno resident wrote in part: “I have just learned that my 18-year-old grandniece was raped by a college football player at a party recently. No one is supposed to know about this assault—it’s a secret, a big secret kept by her family because of shame. “The attacker has been charged. My niece had to leave college because she couldn’t hold up under the harassment of the perpetrator’s teammates and others because she pressed charges. She is recovering at home without support from other family and friends because of the ‘no talk’ rule. The rape was devastating, but barring friends and family from giving support is devastating as well. The adage ‘Your secrets keep you sick’ applies here and could have the most severe consequence: suicide. Receiving love and care outside the immediate family would promote her processing this violation and is imperative for her healing. I believe our ‘jock’ culture is to blame, along with the media’s portrayal of women as toys to be used for the glory of men and their supremacy.”

Powers that be Public shut out of utility legislation, putting ratepayers at risk An effort at the Nevada Legislature to shield NVEnergy from utility regulation prompted a surge of consumer by activism. Dennis Myers The drama got underway on April 3 when the corporation announced that it will close its environmentunfriendly coal-fired plants, starting with Reid Gardner in the south next year, and finishing with its northern plant at Valmy in 2025. While basking in the favorable publicity from that announcement, NVEnergy said it would offer an amendment to Senate Bill 123 to help it accomplish the phase-out of coal.

“I think that people have to understand that the legislative process is a negotiating process.” sen. Kelvin Atkinson Clark County Democrat

Pleased as punch At the Nevada Legislature, an amendment has been attached to a bill creating a cultural endowment in Nevada. The amendment reads, “The traditional Basque drink known as the Picon Punch is hereby designated as the official state drink of the State of Nevada.”

—Dennis Myers

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That raised suspicions because some lawmakers said there was no need for legislation in order for NVEnergy to go ahead with its plans (“Bad days in Newcastle,” RN&R, April 18). S.B. 123, sponsored by Sen. Kelvin Atkinson, was a measure intended to foster renewable energy. Atkinson consented to the amendment. The public has never been permitted to comment on the amendment, only on

the original bill. But selected groups were permitted to testify. Objections to the amendment included a hold-harmless clause for shareholders but no protection for ratepayers, plus a balloon payment years down the road that could also threaten ratepayers. And critics said the bill would circumvent the public utilities regulatory process. A flyer circulated by NVEnergy argued that its amendment would “retire 800 MW of company-owned coal-fired generating plants, acquire or construct 550 MW of capacity to replace the retired … plants, acquire or construct 50 MW or renewable facilities, issue requests for 300 MW or renewable energy, and propose rate mitigation under certain circumstances.” NVEnergy called the initiative embodied by its amendment “Nvision.” (This is also the name of a Nevada state wellness program, a Sparks/Las Vegas home improvement company, a Grass Valley television equipment corporation, and a chain of laser surgery clinics.) The dispute between NVEnergy and its critics did not seem to catch fire, even after legislators expressed their concern and the Las Vegas Sun reported on April 8 that NVEnergy “can accomplish [the coal switch] through existing regulation; a change in state law isn’t necessary. In the meantime, there was another amendment being worked on and

circulated among players that set off further alarm bells because it was considered much worse than the original amendment. That was when “people started coming out of the woodwork on this thing” to fight the measure, said one lobbyist. Among those alarmed was Tim Hay, former state consumer advocate. (The consumer advocate post represents the public before the Public Utilities Commission.) Hay and others quickly formed and incorporated a new organization, the Nevada Consumer Protection Alliance. Hay asked his former boss, Frankie Sue Del Papa, to speak out on the amendment, which she did. Del Papa’s stature as a former Nevada attorney general and secretary of state kicked the issue to a new level in the legislative halls—though most journalism entities continued to ignore it. That was particularly surprising because of the newsworthy wording of the amendment, such as language permitting the state Public Utilities Commission to act only “so long as there is no adverse impact on the utility shareholders”—an astonishing gift to the corporation. “I see this as a consumer protection issue,” Del Papa said. “Never before has a bill been introduced that has such guarantees to shareholders.” Atkinson was distressed by the controversy, and felt blindsided by fellow Democrat Del Papa failing to give him a heads-up that she was entering the fray. “My own party, and I have to read about it in the paper?” he said. Lobbyist Marlene Lockard, who by default—other figures wanting to stay out of the legislative building— became the principal lobbyist against the amendment, said it was her fault that Atkinson had not known about the formation of the Alliance or Del Papa’s participation. “I apologized, because I should have told him this Alliance had formed prior to it being in the press.” Atkinson said he was untroubled by the NVEnergy amendment not being submitted as a stand-alone bill instead of as an amendment, and that he did not support any legislation that would circumvent the regulatory process. “If we start allowing them to do that, we’re all in a lot of trouble,” he said. After hearings by the Senate energy and finance committees, the bill passed the Senate. During those committees’ proceedings there was no public comment on the amendment. Atkinson predicted that at a May 17 meeting of the Assembly Commerce

and Labor Committee last week, critics would be satisfied by the corporation’s concessions: “A lot of people are going to be singing ‘Kumbaya.’” It didn’t exactly work out that way. NVEnergy offered a new amendment, but it was a “work session” of the committee, so testimony could only be given by those invited by the committee, chaired by the bill’s Assembly sponsor, David Bobzien. Testimony was taken from the casino industry, labor leaders and the Public Utilities Commission. The state consumer advocate was not invited to testify, nor was the public. The gambling industry, said one player, has a big stake in the bill because it would have a lot of impact on the casinos. But the same could be said of most industries. Labor unions, hungry for jobs, are among the bill’s strongest supporters. “It would have had a major impact on the casinos,” Lockard said afterward. “We think it has a major potential impact on ratepayers.” At press time, the meaning of the new amendment was still unclear. Hay said, “I haven’t crunched some of the numbers I wanted to crunch yet, but I have seen enough to know that it contains loopholes that would guarantee higher rates than otherwise would occur.” Nevada Consumer Advocate Eric Witkoski said he was at a funeral during the May 17 Assembly meeting, but his aide Dan Jacobsen was present and could have testified. “They make the rules,” Witkoski said. “I think we could have provided some helpful information.”

Jacobsen said one good part of the new amendment is that it reduced the amount of generating capacity NV Energy could build or obtain without state approval. But the downside, he said, is that it still circumvents the Public Utilities Commission, by guaranteeing more than 500 megawatts of capacity without PUC authorization, which could put ratepayers at risk. The last generating plant constructed, north of Las Vegas, cost more than $700 million. “The PUC looks at the need that the company has for new generating capacity,” Jacobsen said. “They do this every three years. It’s a formal process. This bill just says that the company gets this amount of generating capacity, and the commission can’t stop it.” Lockard said one of the principal objections, besides the content of the amendments, is NVEnergy circumventing the normal legislative process. She said other players must use a bill drafting request (BDR) instead of piggybacking on a popular piece of legislation already in the pipeline. Lockard said, “We’re concerned about the process. Last session [2011], on the last night of the session, NVEnergy came with a major amendment to a bill, and ultimately the governor vetoed that. Then in the last week, deadline week, NVEnergy had time to envision, have logos made, labor testify, everyone testify. Why couldn’t they find the time to get a BDR like everyone else does? Why do they never go through the process that the rest of us are held to at the Legislature?” Ω

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May 31 - June 2 Stevens Camp is a top site for popular camping, hiking and equestrian use in the Black Rock Desert region in northwest Nevada. The area located at the north end of High Rock Canyon in the Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. The historical house at the camp was built by Tennessee Ernie Ford when he owned the property in the 1940’s and was traded for land with the Bureau of Land Management by its second owner. Vast open space and intriguing wildlife teams throughout this section of the NCA and horsemen find it particularly ideal due to the mountain springs and horse corrals which makes for the perfect camping place. During the antelope hunting season, hunters spend time here dressing their catch and communing with other liked minded outdoorsmen. Rarely do people get to visit due to it’s challenging access but this is the year to discover and explore the emigrant trails, see spectacular land and wildlife while giving back to the land we all hold dear as Nevadans and visitors. Volunteers will be working camping and hiking areas alongside the historic Applegate emigrant trail which also fosters a magnificent aspen lined canyon. Simply put, this is a spectacular experience. Volunteers will contribute to three projects to enhance this area for hikers, equestrian users, hunters and those seeking the solitude. 1. Brush, maintain, and address water crossings 2. Remove unauthorized fencing around horse corrals and install new horse panels to increase the area for equestrian users 3. Stevens Camp cabin maintenance 4. Install new signage Due to the remoteness of Red Rock Canyon, camping around Stevens Camp cabin is required and adds to the community fun. Four established camping areas with a vault toilet, picnic tables and fire pits are available. Tools, water and gloves will be provided. Volunteers through Friends of Black Rock High Rock will be present with delicious home cooked meals and ready for a very good time! Bring your harmonica or guitar for some campfire singing. Projects begin at 9:00 am sharp, on Saturday, June 1. This is a very family friendly event! Directions: Stevens Camp is located 12 miles northeast of Highway 34 at 4596201 N, 292352 E (41°29’25.16”N, 119°29’27.89”W). Stop by Friends of Black Rock’s Visitor Information Center at 320 Main Street in Gerlach, NV on your way out to connect and get last minute items. Volunteers please email Friends Coordinator: Michael Myers at info@blackrockdesert.org or call 775.557.2900

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MAY 23, 2013

Forget the ‘deal of the day’! Visit www.newsreview.com

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Benefit corporations bill in Nevada Senate A bill allowing companies to choose to have a positive impact on society and the environment by incorporating in Nevada as a “benefit corporation” passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 15. by Sage Leehey “The bill was recently heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and it’s awaiting a work session so it can be sent to the full floor of the Senate,” said sage l@ Assemblyman David Bobzien, primary sponsor of this bill, Assembly Bill newsreview.c om 89. “Once it’s heard by the Senate, hopefully it passes, and then it goes to the governor for his signature.” AB89 passed unanimously in the Assembly on March 13. Luke Busby, lobbyist for B-Lab, a non-profit out of New York that supports benefit corporation legislation and has a third-party standard for benefit corporations, is hopeful for a governor signature. “No one has showed up to the committee meetings and spoken opposition to the bill, and no one even testified neutral,” Busby said. “Everyone who showed up to the hearings testified in favor of it. What’s interesting is [legislators] sometimes have philosophical disagreements about how things should go in the Legislature, but they all agree that this bill is a good thing for the state.” According to Busby, benefit corporation legislation has passed in 15 states and Washington, D.C., and has three fundamental components in every place that it has been passed: purpose, transparency and accountability. “Benefit corporations’ corporate charters include the obligation to consider the environment and society when they make decisions on how to operate,” Busby said. “The transparency component is manifested in the fact that per the legislation they’re required to assess their performance of their stated goal against a third party standard. The accountability position manifests itself in the fact that certain glorified entities under the statute are allowed to go to court to seek injunctive relief to force a benefit corporation to act according to its stated purpose.” The accountability factor present in this legislation holds great promise to help benefit the environment locally and nationally. “Right now, the effects on the environment, for corporations, is basically only regulated by the law,” Busby said. “A benefit corporation, on the other hand, works to have a material positive impact on society and the environment. The standard is higher for a benefit corporation in its relation to the environment.” Bobzien believes that Nevada is an ideal location for companies to incorporate here as benefit corporations. “I think we have tremendous potential, and we already have a burgeoning To learn more, visit https://nelis.leg. renewable energy space,” Bobzien said. “I can see a lot of benefit corporastate.nv.us/77th2013/ tions working on issues of sustainability in this state. I think we have a lot of App#/77th2013/Bill/ intangibles in place that could lead to a lot of benefit corporations to invest in Overview/AB89. this state.” A key point of this legislation and the reasoning for its broad support is that incorporating as a benefit corporation is a choice. “This is only for people who want to do this,” Busby said. “This doesn’t force anyone to do anything. It doesn’t create a new tax. It doesn’t create any new regulatory requirements for people who don’t operate their company this way. It just provides another model for people to choose.” Ω OPINION

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It happened Nevada has a crappy tax system. here’s why.

Soon, the latest was sweltering. Januaries in Nevada legislature Carson City are cold, of course, not to deal with the problem created in but the Nevada Assembly hall 1981 will adjourn and go home for two years, was jammed with bodies and televithat can down sion lights. Even on a weekday evening kicking the road one more time. people traveled to the capitol for these occasions. Systems

Gov. Robert List entered the hall to applause, as most governors do. He held in his hand the text of his 1981 message to the legislature. It contained a proposal that would have impact on the state for the next 32 years, and continues its work today. “I call for a dramatic slash in property taxes and a massive program of tax reform,” he said. “I propose that we adopt a tax reform plan which will save property owners $150 million on property taxes the first year alone. Let us shift the tax burden to all the people who utilize state services through the sales tax. And finally I propose that we revise the gasoline tax system to enable the state to better meet the needs of the growing number of citizens.” List called for a 65 to 75 percent cut in property taxes and a 64 percent increase in sales taxes, from 3.5 percent to 5.75 percent. His language was designed to sell with its talk of “reform.” One person’s reform is another’s regression. When List said the tax burden should be shifted onto “all the people who utilize state services through the sales tax,” he neglected to mention that the sale tax does not apply to services—and he wasn’t proposing to extend it that way. The proposal was not a surprise, though List’s embrace of it was. He had promised not to raise the sale tax and had run for governor saying that the 3.5 percent sales tax should be lowered to 3 percent. Two legislators—Republican Robert Rusk and Democrat Steve Coulter—were already promoting a similar plan before List’s message, but until the governor got behind it, its chances were uncertain at best. After Democrats and the press took a fall, List won enactment of his tax package—and then literally within days, the state paid the price. Ever since, Nevada has been more vulnerable to economic downturns, less competitive with other states, hard pressed to stay ahead of the curve—and workers in the state have been soaked. OPINION

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breakdown It’s not as though the legislature didn’t know what was likely to happen with a high sales tax. It was warned before, during and after the 1981 legislative session. In 1960, the Nevada Legislature commissioned a sweeping study of the state tax system. In a book-length report, Financing State and Local Government in Nevada—it became known as the Zubrow report, for its first-listed author—state policymakers were told they should never let the sales tax get too high. A sales tax was new in Nevada. Until the postwar years, it was anathema in the state because of its regressiveness—that is, it hit the working poor harder than the wealthy. But then in the early 1950s, the baby boom hit the state’s schools, and parents were beating down the doors of the capitol demanding tax increases. Business leaders would not permit a business tax. Gambling, tobacco and income taxes were considered and rejected. Teachers’ leaders supported a sales tax in spite of the harm it would do to Nevada’s poorly paid teachers themselves, and a two cent sales tax went on the books in 1955. Zubrow pointed out the regressiveness and also said that people did not know how heavily they were being taxed because collection of a sales tax is so gradual. This, the report said, “might be termed the

“it happens” continued on page 14

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“it happens” continued from page 13

Cargill spent a lot of time in public outreach, trying to relate economics to the public’s concerns. Atkinson was a specialist in public finance. Cargill and another economist—gambling expert Bill Eadington—also testified at the Nevada Legislature on the tax shift. In these forums, the economists anticipated virtually everything that later happened under the List plan. • Property owners would receive a “windfall gain,” but low-income people who rented and paid sales taxes would be hit hard. • Fluctuations in the unstable sales tax would make planning very difficult for local governments, and their spending would be determined at the state level. • The cost of administering the property tax would remain but the money produced by the system would drop.

temporary. That’s because of the next item—an amendment to the Nevada Constitution to allow personal and commercial property to be taxed at different rates. Then business properties could be taxed at a higher rate and the sales tax done away with. And there were proposals, including one in List’s message to the legislature, for renters to share in the large property tax cut. “The governor is committed and determined to find some means or a pass-through to renters,” said his press secretary, Bob Lewis. None of those things ever came to pass. The legislators did indeed approve the constitutional amendment—until the sales tax hike went through. Then, at the 1983 legislature when the amendment had to be approved a second time, it was killed. List never proposed a renters pass-

reelection by Richard Bryan, who promised to repeal the 1981 sales tax hike—the state had to pull back some money from the state pension system temporarily to pay its expenses. When Bryan took office, he laid out a different philosophy of how government should work: “We have heard that in hard times, business tightens its belt. Government, we are told, should do the same. It is an appealing argument, and indeed when times are tough, government should cut expenses. Government cannot, however, avoid its responsibilities. When times are tough, business loses customers. When times are hard, government gains customers, and they are customers who cannot take their business elsewhere!” The experience of the 1981 recession and the change in viewpoint in the executive office obviPhoto/Dennis Myers

‘sucker theory’ of taxation, and has no place in the formulation of a sound tax program.” For a long time, the state respected that warning. The sales tax went up, but by the time of List’s proposal it was just 3.5 percent. The context for 1981 was important. Just two days before List spoke, Ronald Reagan became president, shifting the frame of reference for political dialogue in the nation to the right. More important, Nevadans themselves had just defeated a local version of California’s famed property tax-cutting Proposition 13. The measure, called Question Six in Nevada, was on both the 1978 and 1980 ballots. It was approved in 1978, after which the 1979 legislature passed some changes in tax policy to satisfy property owners. Then in second-round voting in 1980, Nevadans defeated Six. List felt the state should still do something about property taxes, so he proposed the huge

There was an anTi-inTellecTual sTrain among The legislaTors. reduction. It was an easy call for a state governor—the state did not get property tax money. Local governments did. Clark County Commission chair Manny Cortez said, “I think he’s overreacting” to Question Six. In effect, List was giving victory to the losing side in the Question Six election. Even a wounded governor—List was handicapped by scandal and by constantly changing his positions—has influence in the legislature. And he was aided by legislative Democrats, who didn’t like the high sales tax but weren’t willing to make a real fight against it. Lt. Gov. Myron Leavitt and others spoke out against the sales tax hike but didn’t go beyond that. In addition, Nevada did not then have organizations that spoke for the working poor who would be victimized by the shift from property to sales tax reliance. And press scrutiny of the shift (including mine) was poor. Only a few scattered news stories hinted at what would be ahead if the List plan was enacted. So most of the fuses that were supposed to protect the public melted. But there were a few people who spoke up, who not only objected but described exactly what would happen when List’s program passed. And no one listened. They were economists.

A how-to guide On Feb. 2, 1981, the Reno Evening Gazette carried interviews with economists Glen Atkinson and Tom Cargill across the top of its front page. 14 | RN&R |

MAY 23, 2013

• The revenue for government services would be cut sharply just when it was needed most—when hard times come and people reduce their spending. • The small counties whose residents drove to Henderson, Reno and Las Vegas to do major shopping would lose out on sales tax money. • Cargill, Atkinson and Eadington said that of the three basic forms of taxation—income, property and sales—the sales tax is the least fair. Atkinson said a state income tax could be adjusted to the income level of the taxpayer. The economists gave lawmakers everything they needed to foresee the impact of the sales tax hike on Nevada. But the Nevada Legislature reflects the voters who elect it, and there was an anti-intellectual strain among the legislators. “Experts” and “professors” were spoken of derisively. Of greater impact were political alliances and loyalties, beliefs and dogma, and the importance of cultivating property owners. At the national level in the beginning of the Reagan administration, concepts like the Laffer curve and supply side economics were being tried because they fit political beliefs. The Nevada Legislature was dominated by business interests who were more likely to provide campaign support than the working poor. And fairness and equity in taxation were scarcely even mentioned at the 1981 legislature.

‘Promises’ As List’s tax package moved toward approval, there was also talk of steps to ameliorate its impact. For one, though it is little remembered today, the sales tax increase was supposed to be

Robert List comes back to the Nevada Legislature occasionally, sometimes for governors’ speeches, sometimes to lobby.

through. And the sales tax hike was anything but temporary. After the legislators approved the List tax package and went home, the governor was left to reap the whirlwind. (Some legislators actually had second thoughts and tried, late in the legislative session, to repeal the sales tax hike only to be stymied by List’s veto threat. And a lawsuit by 51 taxpayers represented by lawyer and former Democratic lieutenant governor nominee John Foley also failed to stop the hike.) Seldom has a new public policy gone so wrong so fast. The nation was headed into the most crippling recession since the war. Prompted by a sharp increase in the cost of oil during the Iranian revolution and tight money in the U.S., the take from the Nevada sales tax plunged. List cut spending once, twice, three times. “When businesses must tighten their belts, government should do the same,” List said. But that ignored the fact that one of the reasons people pay for a government in good times is so it will be there for them in bad times. List was slashing government just when it was needed. If government operates like a business, citizens get shafted. The consequences were serious. By the end of List’s term of office—he was defeated for

ously called for restoring some predictability and stability to the tax system, but it never happened. Bryan proposed, and the legislature granted, a slight rise in the property tax but never tried to repeal the sales tax hike. So, chronic budget crises became a part of the Nevada routine.

Patch, patch, patch Shortly after Bryan left office for a U.S. Senate seat in 1989, another recession hit. His successor, Acting Gov. Robert Miller, went through the same process List had—several rounds of cuts. Moreover, Miller took his cue from List, not from his fellow Democrat Bryan. When families and businesses must tighten their belts, Miller said, so should government. As the state emerged from recession, Miller proposed nothing to prevent future budget crises. He served longer than any other governor, but did nothing about the problem. As legislatures came and went, it became clear that the notion of following a taxation blueprint or model, as had been done with Zubrow, had fallen by the wayside. Most legislatures provided patchwork tax plans.

In 2001, there was another recession and another state budget crisis. This time, Gov. Kenny Guinn did not parrot platitudes. He just grimly went through the now-familiar ritual of cuts. But in 2003, he proposed a sweeping new tax program that he believed would make the tax system better. He hoped it would also be fairer. But it did not work the way he wanted. What he put in at one end of the pipeline didn’t look much like what the lawmakers took out at the other end. And he never proposed doing anything about the sales tax. The budget crises would continue. The next one came in 2007, and this time the consequences were truly devastating. Republican Jim Gibbons had become governor, and he spent his first legislature trying to reduce the size of state government just as it was about to be needed by Nevadans. And this recession was the worst since 1981. Gibbons, as a former legislator and airline pilot, had no experience in fiscal matters. He floundered, sometimes calling the legislature into session to help him (something List and Bryan never did), other times leaning heavily on his aides. At one press conference at the Nevada Agriculture Department in Reno, he began alone at the podium. As he was peppered with fiscal questions he couldn’t answer, he called aides to join him. By the end of the session, three of them were gathered around him to answer reporters’ questions. Virtually his entire term of office was in recession. It would have tested the most capable

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executive, and Gibbons was hardly that. The damage to state programs was serious and substantial. Years of progress under governors and legislators of both parties were destroyed. Higher education was set back years, if not decades, and economic development became a higher mountain to climb as other small Western states responded more dynamically. That was the nature of these chronic crises. In some cases, the investments made in various programs is lost and when the recession is over the same investments must be made again in order to rebuild. Gibbons was defeated for election and replaced by Brian Sandoval, who quixotically adopted part of Gibbons’ fiscal policy with a no-new-taxes pledge.

one thing, for those who had argued that the voter removal of the sales tax from food had eliminated the regressiveness, the report said the “current Nevada sales tax is in fact regressive.” Other reports agreed. Chico State analyst Robert Morin in 1999: Nevada is characterized “by low levels of service provision, consistent under-estimation of revenues, over reliance on two primary sources of revenue (sales and gaming taxes), and the potential for fiscal problems linked to the state’s population growth.” Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy/ November 2009: “Ten states—Washington, Florida, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Alabama—are particularly regressive. These 10 states ask their poorest residents—those in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale—to pay up to six times as much of their income in taxes as they ask the wealthy to pay.” But the Urban Institute/Price Waterhouse study gave the legislators time to deal with the problem. The result was that the 1989 legislature

And still As the years passed, the sales tax became doubly hazardous. Its take declined. Because it applied to sales but not services, and Nevada’s economy was moving from goods to services, it was producing less money while still making government vulnerable in hard times. Extending it to services—which would have made it less regressive—never won legislative approval. In 1989, a new study of Nevada taxation commissioned by the legislature from the Urban Institute and Price Waterhouse was delivered. Published by the University of Nevada Press as a book, A Fiscal Agenda for Nevada, it told legislators what they did not want to hear. For

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did nothing and subsequent legislatures were not told of the urgency of the report’s findings. List gave the state one of the nation’s highest sales taxes. It remains there today. Only Minnesota, Arizona and California are higher. For 30 years, workers contemplating moving to Nevada have found the state on that list. List later said, “I had no way of knowing a recession was coming.” But recessions are always coming, and state tax systems are supposed to be geared not to flush times but to hard times. In the postwar years until 1981, there had been recessions in 1948-49, 1953-54, 1957-58, 1960-61, 1969-70, and 1973-75. Since the Nevada tax shift, they occurred in 1981-82, 1990-91, 2001, and beginning in 2007. Other states have entered recovery from the “Great Recession.” Nevada is still in recession, and this year’s legislature is likely to produce another patchwork. In other words, state budget crises will continue as long as recessions do. The prescriptions given by the economists in 1981 and by the Urban Institute/Price Waterhouse study are still there, waiting for legislators to given them a higher priority than dogma, banalities, and political hedges. In 2008, a year into the latest recession, Assemblymember James Settlemeyer said, “Just as families have to make sure they’re not spending as much, the state has to do the same.” Ω

Budget crises will happen again.

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LocaL cLothing designers strive for eco-friendLy fashion by ashLey hennefer

Photo/Ashley henneFer

ake a walk around Midtown, and you’ll be able to lead a pretty environmentally-conscious day—you can stop by the Lost City Farm on Moran Street, grab a cup of locally roasted coffee at The Hub, and buy some clothes and accessories created by regional artisans at Never Ender. You’d be participating in various aspects of the Slow Movement, a term that refers to localizing industry and manufacturing, and supporting regional businesses and environmental, ethical production over items sold in big box stores.

For more information, visit www.aumapparel. com.

16 | RN&R |

Slow fashion is one of the newest, but now one of the most prominent, aspects of the movement, comparable with slow food and slow transportation. Inexpensive access to clothes making supplies—and the ability to easily set up shop and distribute through the web with resources like Etsy—has essentially democratized the process of making, selling and buying clothes. In the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, journalist Elizabeth Cline reported on the negative impact of “off-the-rack” fashion. She discovered the unethical treatment of employees—extremely low wages, horrible working conditions leading to sickness and sometimes death—and attributed much of the problem to the revolving door of fashion “trends,” which keep production rates high. These kinds of reports, along with others that showed the build-up of non-biodegradable clothing and accessories in landfills, kickstarted a sector of environmentalism for those who saw clothing as the next hurdle to tackle. And, like food, a local movement is a good place to start. Making clothes isn’t a new idea here in Reno. Creating Burning Man outfits has long been part of preparing for the annual event, and clothing stores like Junkee Clothing Exchange and Melting Pot have been around for years. Locallyproduced fashion is another branch of Reno’s ever-expanding do-it-yourself efforts, focused on regional production and sustainability. In many ways, it’s MAY 23, 2013

Aurelie Martin-Chiari’s clothing is made from recycled fabrics.

similar to Reno’s local food movement. “Sustainable fashion isn’t about making hemp mumus anymore,” says Aurelie Martin-Chiari, a clothing designer in Truckee who designs AUM Apparel sold through local stores. “It’s a modern way of thinking about the clothes we wear. We eat organic food, recycle and use all kinds [of] materials and are becoming more aware of our carbon footprint. Why shouldn’t we do the same about the clothes we wear? For fashion to be sustainable, our way of thinking about clothing has to change. We can’t just expect the industry to change if we keep buying large amounts of cheap clothing that are made abroad. … I try to source everything for my company from local businesses, from fabric to tags.” But locally-made doesn’t always ensure that an item is completely sustainable. This is where local agriculture and local fashion differ. Organic farming at its most basic can be accomplished by anyone, but

to make entirely eco-friendly clothing or accessories is much more complicated. Truly organic clothing starts in the most likely organic place—with the ground. Cotton is widely regarded as one of the most environmentally-friendly fabrics, preferable to synthetic fabrics, which contain plastic and can’t biodegrade. Clothes require tremendous amounts of cotton, and that alone can be unsustainable for smaller communities with limited urban land, unsuited to cotton’s preferred growing environment. While organic fabrics exist, most local designers must travel to other places to get it—sometimes even to other countries. Melanie Crane, owner of Never Ender Boutique & Art Gallery, says that many designers try their best, but it’s a challenge. “Most items are usually not 100 percent sustainable,” says Crane. “If you want to go and get some organic cotton, and you

buy fabric—say you buy it here, and it says it’s made in America—I’m not sure whether the cotton was actually grown here or grown somewhere else. The weaving of the fabric might be here, but it might be grown in China or India.” Instead, environmental consciousness comes through in other forms: buying items made in the United States; making new items out of durable fabric; repairing clothes instead of buying more; and shopping at local thrift shops, resale stores and vintage boutiques.

What’s old is new Crane says that customers come in to the store with many interpretations of sustainable fashion. For her, items made in the United States are a step in the right direction. “Most of the clothing we have here is

made in America,” she says. “And that’s what I try to do. ... Sustainable really can be organic cotton—that’s the first thing I ever thought of—and we have organic cotton T-shirts. Since then, it’s gone toward recycled fabrics. … [And] vintage clothing. There are a lot of girls who shop for vintage and for vintage-style fashion.” As of now, according to Crane, there are limited options for obtaining sustainable fabric locally aside from using vintage wares. She hopes that the region will eventually get a warehouse, like those available in Los Angeles or San Francisco. MartinChiari travels to California to get specialty fabric. “All my garments are made in San Francisco with the use of salvaged, recycled or organic fabrics,” says Martin-Chiari. “Most of the fabrics I use are waste from the overproduction or mistakes of larger companies.” Crane says that vintage fabric is popular because it’s often hardier. “That’s the kind of fabric I focus on because it might not be organic, but it would otherwise be thrown in the garbage, and that’s what you’re trying to do—save throwing things out,” says Crane. “Vintage” is considered different from “thrifting”—vintage requires curation, whereas thrifting offers an assortment of items often without a discernable theme or style. Vintage also refers to clothes made more than 25 years ago. Crane says that many women seek out vintage clothing for the style—retro fashion is very popular, she notes—but also because the clothes have lasted for several decades and will likely continue to be durable. However, vintage items can be expensive, and it’s difficult to find items in certain sizes because the pieces are one-of-a-kind, and “women were very tiny back then,” says Crane. Shopping at thrift, vintage or resale stores is also a timesaver for most people. While making clothes is enjoyed by many as a hobby, making

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Never Ender Boutique and Art Gallery owner Melanie Crane holds items from Aurelie Martin-Chiari’s collection.

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enough items to live off of is a challenge, says Kristin Smith, a student at Truckee Meadows Community College. Smith has been making clothes since high school when she wanted to learn how to make her own prom dress. She says that reducing the environmental impact is also important to her. “I love making my own items because I can make things that fit me perfectly,” she says. “I had a hard time finding the type of clothes I wanted at places like Target. But it takes me so much time even though I’ve been sewing for a long time.” Smith says she tries to shop locally when she can, but notes that it’s hard for her to find reliable outlets for clothes in different sizes. There are also limited options for men. “It’s difficult for my boyfriend to find local clothes he likes because unless you really like that kind of old-fashioned style, there aren’t really many choices,” she says. Although she briefly considered starting a clothing line, Smith says she doesn’t have the time to fully commit to it. Martin-Chiari acknowledges the extra work, and often cost, involved, but will continue to make environmental awareness a priority. “Although having a sustainable line might be more work and more expensive, it’s more than worth it,” she says. Crane predicts that Reno’s local fashion movement will continue to expand, and hopefully include more options for men and children. She also thinks there’s an opportunity for someone to start a sustainable fabric outlet. “It would be really nice to have that here,” she says. “And there are people here who can do it. People love it when they hear their clothes are made in Truckee or here or in San Francisco. But they don’t want to live in San Francisco just to have access to those things. And we will be like those big cities one day.” Ω

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Three sides

A group of artists led by Lynda Traves, at right, discusses the Reno CORE project for Burning Man.

Reno Center Of Regional Effigies In a cavernous warehouse not far from the Truckee River, behind rollup doors and under by a billboard-sized RC Willey canvas, Ky Plaskon artists lounge on couches, munch pizza, drink beer, do tai chi and wonder how to get $15,000 to build and burn a depiction of Reno at Burning Man. They don’t have it all figured out. “I need a sculpture of a woman walking away,” one says. “Maybe a bench with bird poop on it, and people will walk up and say, ‘Ewwww,’” another announces. “I did a rebar head with sheet metal once,” a guy with a tie declares. “Maybe someone will be the chainsaw artist that no one knows, and we will burn that at the end? ... Since we are digressing, I thought we could digress some more.” For more information, It’s chaotic, but order does rise and visit lead to physical form. That form sits in www.renocore.org. the middle of the ramble, a scale model of a three-sided two-story building depicting Reno’s love history: A chapel, a church and a brothel.

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The Reno Center Of Regional Effigies is one of 12 CORE projects that represent various parts of the world from Israel to Lithuania to South Africa at Burning Man. “Reno has a longer history besides gaming than the majority of the world thinks,” project leader Lynda Traves says. “I wouldn’t say it is going to change their perspective, but it will reflect on what Reno is and have fun with it, period.” It’s called “The Good, The Bad and The Naughty.” Having fun with it begins with an open mind. There’s no specific designation for which side represents the chapel, the court or the brothel. “Each side is open for interpretation,” says Traves. “So, what side is ‘the good?’ That is up to you.” The chapel will hold real and fake weddings. Traves and her husband, Mark, plan to renew their vows there. “We should have some toy shotguns out there!” one artist exclaims. “Even if they are just squirt guns.”

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Around the corner is the court. It isn’t just for divorces. “I really hope that somebody has a huge dispute that the judge finds them in contempt and throws them in the brothel,” Traves says. “You know, fights over water rights or bacon vs. vegan.” While inviting controversy is an artist’s specialty, resolving controversy is not. “We are more than happy to have any Black Rock Rangers come and assist with any of the disputes because they are actually trained to handle disputes,” Traves says. Then, there is the taboo side, the

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brothel. It is red and features a shadow box where silhouetted dancers writhe to beats in front of a two-story stripper pole. “Let’s talk about the pole,” Traves says with a smirk. “We actually want people to leave a trace.” That’s contrary to the Burning Man ethos of “leave no trace.” But she is talking about a trace of bodily fluid, which is probably OK. Hand sanitizer will be provided. For those who can grip and climb to the top of the trace-laden pole, there will be a surprise, a surprise that won’t go down in flames on this page. In the end, Reno CORE invites the public to also bring marriage certificates, divorce decrees and brothel receipts—if there is such a thing—to be burned. As the effigy of quickies goes up in smoke, it will burn forever in memory and wipe clean Reno’s past on the playa. Ω

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Both the lunch ($7-$17) and dinner ($7-$24) menus combine local trends with global influences— Americana Latina cuisine—using fresh ingredients, grown locally and harvested at their peak. The culinary creations they offer are incredible displays of flavor, balance and dedication to local product. There are new specials daily and a nice offering of fresh fish. In the kitchen is an alum of The Grill, and Washoe Steakhouse, and Rutherford’s Catering, Chef Sergio Romero. Joe Clements is the man at the front of the house. He grew up in the business and studied at the CIA Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. He worked locally at The Grill, too, which is how he met Chef Romero. Under the small-plates heading, tiger shrimp tamal ($10) is on both menus. Three large shrimp, floating in a tamal with a creamy garlic sauce topped with cilantro pesto and dabs of chile oil for a little spice around the edges. The garlic doesn’t overwhelm this extremely fresh shrimp, and the pesto adds that almost minty basil flavor to the mix

with just a hint of heat. My next small plate, on both menus, was the short ribs arepa ($10). The Argentine sauce of guajillo chilis has a green tea flavor with berry overtones. It was blended into the shredded meat with only a small amount of heat. It sat atop a corn cake topped with crème fresco, cilantro pesto and red cabbage. The succulent meat was complemented by the subtle corn flavor or the cake and there was a chile-like finish bringing the dish all together. A taste of the herb salad ($8) was a tribute to fresh greens, with arugula, dandelion, baby romaine and oak leaf lettuces, and radicchio. Add to this avocado, mango, sweet peppers and mini crispy wontons. Then drip white miso vinaigrette as dressing and I tasted a seasonal and farm-to-table offering to behold— ultra fresh. Finally, I had the skirt steak ($21) cooked to medium rare. It was julienne cut, with a savory, grilled accent of flavor and very tender. It was topped with chimichurri, finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, lemon and cumin with some wine vinegar added a tart lift to the meat without hurting the wonderful grilled flavor. Potatoes bravas is a Spanish dish. The potatoes are covered in a light sauce made of olive oil, red pepper, paprika, chili and vinegar and grilled, root vegetables—parsnips, carrots and beets. There’s a respectable wine list ($27-$86) and a full bar with a dozen beers on tap and twice that many in the bottle. The by-the-glass list ($8-$13.25) has a nice selection. So many flavors in the food, I decided to go with a crisp, fresh white, Cantina Zaccagnini Pinot Grigio ($8) from the Abruzzo region of Italy. This wine shows tropical fruit, cut grass and minerals on the nose. On the palate, I found buttery lemon curd followed by granny smith apple with a medium body and a fresh citrus finish. Eating this much fresh food is highly pleasing to the senses. If you’re a foodie, it’s an incredibly satisfying feeling that immediately follows the first bite of something that tastes really good. It’s an epicurean delight you needed at that particular time. I got that at the Twisted Fork. Ω

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Boldly gone Star Trek into Darkness When director J.J. Abrams created the alternate timeline for his brilliant 2009 Star Trek reboot, it gave the franchise a chance to construct all new adventures for Kirk and Spock. It also gave Abrams the opportunity to mess around with variations on characters and adventures we have already seen. Such is the case with the exhilarating Star by Trek Into Darkness, a movie that had some Bob Grimm classic Star Trek stories very much in mind during its production. b g ri m m @ ne w s re v i e w . c o m The film starts with Chris Pine’s cocky Kirk getting himself in some more trouble. He ignores Starfleet directives and rescues Spock (Zachary Quinto) from an erupting volcano, allowing a primitive alien species that has never even seen a telephone before to set their eyes on a big U.F.O. in the form of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Kirk gets demoted, but keeps a relatively high rank.

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“Someday I hope to play the Priceline Negotiator. Someday!”

1 Poor

2 Fair

3 Good

4 Very Good

5 excellent

Back on Earth, a bomb goes off in London courtesy of renegade Starfleet officer, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), with that same officer attacking a gathering of Starfleet commanders soon thereafter. This dude is pissed off, and anybody in a Starfleet uniform is his target. Kirk and Spock find themselves on route to Klingon territory, where their homegrown terrorist has gone to hide. They have unorthodox directives from Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) to target and assassinate the terrorist from the skies using torpedoes. (Echoes of drone targeting and the U.S. hunt for Bin Laden, right?) So, right there, you have Klingons, terror in London, commanders getting attacked and volcanoes erupting with Vulcans in their belly. That’s a pretty damned good start to a sequel, and that’s with plenty of movie left to go.

Abrams gets a little heavy handed with the post-9/11 War on Terror allegory, but he still keeps his movie effective, and even moving at times. As for his use of a tribble, the furry pests the Enterprise contended with in a famous series episode, I would have to call it my least favorite part of the movie. The way the tribble is used makes absolutely no sense, and feels like a stretch. It’s the tribble, and a pivotal late scene that’s a mirror version of a scene in Star Trek II, where I think Abrams oversteps a bit. I don’t mind him messing with the Trek legacy, but keep it original. Bring back some famed characters, hint at moments from franchise past, but don’t blatantly copy them. Cumberbatch plays a great adversary, and his deep voice is one for the ages. He’s one of those anything-can-happen movie villains that’s frightening, yet oddly virtuous in some ways. Weller gets his best role in years as Marcus, a flawed man with an imperialistic agenda that might have some viewing him as the film’s real villain. Alice Eve is another memorable new addition as Carol Marcus, the admiral’s daughter and a stowaway on the Enterprise. Pine and Quinto might not have you forgetting Shatner and Nimoy, but they have certainly established themselves in their roles and can probably own them as long as they want. Zoe Saldana has many shining moments as Uhura, especially in scenes involving the character’s relationship with Spock. Simon Pegg’s Scotty, John Cho’s Sulu, Anton Yelchin’s Chekov and, especially, Karl Urban’s Bones all contribute to the party. There’s a pivotal chase scene where Kirk and Spock pilot a ship that has a Millennium Falcon vibe to it. That had me thinking about the next Star Wars, and what Abrams, who will direct, plans to do with it. Abrams currently has a grasp on major geek real estate with these two franchises. He’s, like, the Godfather of Geeks. He could destroy all of us with a bad chapter in either series. He’s an extremely powerful man capable of great good, or insurmountable evil. Fortunately, he used his powers for good with Star Trek Into Darkness, a solid piece of summer entertainment. He’s a merciful man, that J.J. Abrams. Ω

Spike Lee tried to get a movie about American hero Jackie Robinson, starring Denzel Washington, off the ground for many years, but couldn’t make it happen. I get a feeling that Lee, who made one of the great biopics with Malcolm X, would’ve done something really special with the subject. This effort from director Brian Helgeland (Payback) is OK, even really good at times, but gets awfully hokey in too many moments. Chadwick Boseman is a great pick to play Robinson, as is Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese. Harrison Ford delivers big time as Branch Rickey, the man who brought Robinson to the majors, and Christopher Meloni leaves the movie all too soon as Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, who was suspended the year Robinson made his debut. Boseman shines, even when the movie doesn’t, and it’s a lot of fun to see Ford do something this craggy and different. I’m thinking Robinson went through some major hell during his baseball times, and this movie only scratches the surface. It’s good, but it should’ve been great.

The Company You Keep

Robert Redford directs himself as an upstate New York lawyer with a past who must flee his life when a nosy journalist (Shia LaBeouf) discovers his true identity. The film gives us fictional characters that were former members of the very real Weather Underground, and they are played by the likes of Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte and Julie Christie. LaBeouf does much of the heavy lifting, and it’s some of his better work in quite some time. Redford is just OK here, as is his movie. I can’t say it blew me away, but I didn’t dislike it, either. It’s just one of those movies that gets by with semicompetent directing and acting without truly wowing you. Others in the cast include Stanley Tucci, Chris Cooper, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins and Sam Elliott.

The Great Gatsby

It was a little worrisome when Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel had its release postponed last year. As it turns out, making the film a summer blockbuster rather than an awards season contender was a great move, because this one is right at home in the summer movie season. Shot in glorious 3-D, it works magic with the format. It’s a rollicking roaring ‘20s movie that shouldn’t be missed. Leonardo DiCaprio is a marvel in the title role, giving us a vulnerable and sometimes slightly crazy Gatsby in relentless pursuit of his love, Daisy (Carey Mulligan). Tobey Maguire is excellent as narrator and Gatsby admirer Nick Carraway, while Joel Edgerton steals scenes as Tom Buchanan. Those who like Luhrmann’s opulent, sometimes frantic style will find plenty to like in this movie. He also manages to use music by Jay-Z and Lana Del Ray in a movie set nearly a century ago.

Iron Man 3

Shane Black, director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (starring Robert Downey Jr. in his best performance ever) and writer of such action classics as Lethal Weapon, gets his second directorial chore and delivers big time. Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is now an insomniac suffering from panic attacks after the events of The Avengers, and he faces a new adversary in The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Stark is a little bit shaky in this one, and that gives the film a dark, comic edge. Gwyneth Paltrow gets a little more screen time as Pepper Potts, while Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall show up as mysterious scientific types. Downey Jr. is as fun as ever here, and Black knows just what to do with him. Black is also pretty snappy with the action scenes, which don’t disappoint. If this is the last of Downey Jr.’s solo Iron Man films, he’s going out on a good note.

Mud

It’s official: Jeff Nichols, who gave us the brilliant Take Shelter, is a writer/ director who stands among the best of them. Matthew McConaughey plays the title character, a chipped-tooth, wild-haired drifter living in a boat in a tree along the Mississippi. Two kids, Ellis and Neckbone (Tye Sheridan of The Tree of Life, and Jacob Lofland) stumble upon him, and find themselves part of his

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strange and dangerous world. McConaughey is just catching wave after wave lately, and this is his best one yet. He makes Mud a little scary, yet charming and cunning. Sheridan and Lofland are terrific as the young friends who should probably stay away from guys living in boats in trees. The cast also boasts Reese Witherspoon, Michael Shannon and Sam Shepard, all of them equally great. Ladies and gentleman, we have the year’s first “excellent” movie. Jesus, it took long enough.

Oblivion

Oz the Great and Powerful

From DINOSAURS to ice age mammals to legends like BIGFOOT and Yeti.

Y DA TO es Y s B clo t OP ST xhibi 2nd E e n Ju

Tom Cruise gives it his all, but his all isn’t enough to save this sci-fi effort from feeling like a bunch of movies you’ve seen before. He plays Jack, a man on a sweep-up mission of Earth 60 years after it was beat up by aliens. He has a lot of dreams featuring a dream woman (Olga Kurylenko) and the Empire State Building, and seems to feel right at home when visiting the planet. Thing is, he’s far too young to have been around when the Empire State Building stood tall—or is he? The movie wants to be clever, but you’ll see the big twist a mile away. As for the visuals, some work (the Empire State Building in ruins is cool) and some don’t (most of the other effects). Morgan Freeman shows up as a survivor dude who smokes cigars, which means he’s smoking cigars that are over 60 years old. He must’ve grabbed a thousand of them and the world’s greatest humidor as the apocalypse unfolded.

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James Franco is in over his head for Sam Raimi’s mostly lame prequel to The Wizard of Oz. The title character calls for somebody with that old school Hollywood charm like Robert Downey, Jr., or Johnny Depp. Franco looks like a kid playing dress up here, and he’s not even the worst thing about the movie. That would be Mila Kunis looking completely lost as the witch who will become that witch we all know from the original Oz. I’m sorry—that witch isn’t supposed to be all corseted and hot. As for Rachel Weisz, she fares best as yet another witch, while Michelle Williams is just serviceable as Glinda the Good Witch. Raimi relies heavily on CGI effects—big surprise—and they look pretty crappy for the most part. This is an underwhelming movie in much the same way his Spider-Man 3 missed the mark. It’s overblown, misguided and odd.

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Director Michael Bay delivers the rare decent film with this crazy concoction based on a true story. Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie play a trio of bodybuilders who decide to kidnap a rich guy (Tony Shalhoub) and force him to sign over all of his assets. The kidnapping plot nets them the dough, but greed and general stupidity result in the plan going south and people dying. Bay uses the story, based on the real-life shenanigans of Daniel Lugo (Wahlberg) to poke fun at the ’90s, give Wahlberg a chance to get laughs Wahlberg style, and provide Johnson with his best role yet. The movie contains all of that stuff that makes Bay such an annoying director (slo-mo, hyper-editing, etc.), but it works because the actors pull it off.

this paper

Derek Cianfrance follows up his brilliant Blue Valentine with a film bigger in scope but still starring Ryan Gosling. Gosling plays Luke, a motorcycle stunt guy who finds out he has a kid and wants to be a part of his life. Problem is, the kid is the product of a one-night stand, and the mom (Eva Mendes) has moved on. Luke resorts to robbing banks, which culminates in a meeting with a rookie cop played by Bradley Cooper. The film then focuses on Cooper’s character for a segment before dealing with Luke and Avery’s kids (played by Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen) when they are teens. The movie is long, but never boring, and it crackles most when Gosling is on screen. It’s all about the sins of the fathers, and Cianfrance presents it in a way that resonates. Also stars Ray Liotta and Ben Mendelsohn.

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musical instruments and more. Tu-Su through 5/26, $5/adults; under age 12 free. Sparks Heritage Museum, 814 Victorian Ave. (775) 3551144

ROSENDO Th, 5/30, 5:30PM, F, 5/31, 6PM and Sa, 6/1, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

AMERICAN YOUTH SOCCER Annual registration for the local American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Region 166 Fall 2013 season. Everyone Plays philosophy. Sa, 6/1, 9AM-1PM. $100 per child until May 31; $135 per child after May 31. Mendive Middle School, 1900 Whitewood Dr. (775) 353-5780

bUDDY EMMER Th, 5/30, 7PM, F, 5/31, 8PM, Sa, 6/1, 8PM and Su, 6/2, 7PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC

LIVE MONDAYS WITH TANY JANE Open Mic Night every Mon night at 8PM, hosted by Tany Jane. M, 8PM through 9/30, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

DOTSERO W, 5/22, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

bLACK AND bLUES JAM Tu, 8:30PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

ACTIVITIES

SCOT AND SCOTT Th, 5/23, 5:30PM, F, 5/24, 6PM and Sa, 5/25, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

WALLY’S WORLD: LONELIEST ART COLLECTION Features 35 pieces of Nevada art from the unparalleled personal collection of Wally Cuchine.Tu-Sa, 11AM-4PM through 6/15. Sparks Heritage Museum, 814 Victorian Ave. (775) 355-1144

KENNY FRYE bAND Kenny Frye Band is ready to rock the stage at John Ascuaga’s Nugget for four days! Hope to see y’all there! Th, 5/23, 7PM, F, 5/24, 5PM, Sa, 5/25, 5PM and Su, 5/26, 5PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

COUNTRY AT THE CAbARET The Casino Cabaret will come alive with the best in country music and dancing for “Country at the Cabaret” fearuring DJ Jamie G. W, 7PM and Sa, 9PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave.(775) 356-3300

CALL FOR ARTISTS – ARTS IN bLOOM The 11th Annual Arts in Bloom Art & Wine Festival is seeking 35 local and regional Fine Artists for our event on Saturday, July 20, 2013 at Victorian Square in Sparks. Exhibit and sell your art, receive an Artist Profile in the RN&R and be a part of a long-running, popular community event. Cost is $100, including space, canopy, feature in RN&R program and on website. For an application and more info: johnm@newsreview. com or (775) 324-4440, ext. 3515.

CONVERSATION CORNER Washoe County Library presents a series of English language learning sessions. The group will practice speaking English around various scenarios that the average person encounters. W, 4:30-6PM, free. Sparks Library, 1125 12th St. (775) 352-3200 CROCHET CONNECTION Learn to crochet or share tips with other crochet enthusiasts. Th, 4-5:45PM, free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Spanish Springs (775) 424-1800 SCHEELS bIKING CLUb Join Scheels cyclists to do some road biking around the city of Sparks. Moderate to strong riders are encouraged to participate. Th, 5:45PM through 9/26, free. Scheels, 1200 Scheels Dr. (775) 331-2700 TIMELESS TREASURES: A CELEbRATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE This colorful exhibit captures the vibrant spirit of Native American culture and includes paintings, pottery, arrowheads, cradle boards, baskets,

RN&R

MAY 23, 2013

CRUSH Dance to some power pop-punk! F, 5/24, 9PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030 GLORIANA F, 5/24, 9PM, $39. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300 JERROD NIEMANN Sa, 5/25, 9PM, $39. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300 DWIGHT YOAKAM Su, 5/26, 9PM, $69-$79. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300 DREW SIMPSON W, 5/29, 6PM, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

LIVE JAZZ Vocal and instrumental jazz from “The Great American Songbook”, performed by First Take featuring Rick (SAX) Metz. Fridays, 6PM through 12/27, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr., Sparks, NV 89441 (775) 657-8659 LADIES 80S WITH DJ LARRY WILLIAMS Ladies ’ with DJ Larry Williams, every Thursday! Th, 7PM through 10/4, no cover. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300 bILL DAVIS Sa, 6PM, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr. (775) 657-8659 OPEN MIC GREAT BASIN BREWING Open mic comedy. Th, 9PM, no cover, 846 Victorian Ave. (775) 355-7711

GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY! CITY OF SPARKS Mayor: Geno Martini. Council members: Julia Ratti, Ed Lawson, Ron Smith, Mike Carrigan, Ron Schmitt. City Manager: Shaun Carey. Parks & Recreation Director: Tracy Domingues. Mayor and Council members can be reached at 3532311 or through the City of Sparks website. WEb RESOURCES: www.sparksitshappeninghere.com www.cityofsparks.com www.sparksrec.com THis secTion is pRoViDeD as a pUBlic seRVice BY THe Reno neWs & ReVieW anD is noT FUnDeD oR aFFiliaTeD WiTH THe ciTY oF spaRKs

In the dark Plastic Caves Some might say that the days of Goth are gone. It might have peaked in the ’90s when it got popular enough to by Laura Davis warrant a Saturday Night Live skit, featuring Chris Kattan’s Azrael Abyss as the Prince of Sorrow in “Goth Talk.” When it comes to the music style, defined by the likes of such British acts as Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees, other than a few current mainstreamers with segments of Goth appeal— Nick Cave and Esben and the Witch, for example—the genre seems to have died out. Photo/Allison Young

The emerging band is Ludwick’s latest project, coming on the tails of two previous bands—punk based Thee Indoors, for which he still plays, and recently disbanded garage punk act Cathedral Ghost. “I was playing in three bands, working, and trying to keep my wife from putting my stuff on the sidewalk,” says Ludwick in reference to his recent split from Cathedral Ghost, a decision he also credits to finding a better fit for himself musically. “I’m not that fun anymore,” laughs Ludwick. “I’m sober now … and this isn’t a party band. [Plastic Caves] is a more honest representation of what I want to get across.” Ludwig isn’t the only one in the band practicing his balancing act, drummer Darren Barnes sits behind the kit for both the pirate punk band Scurvy Bastards, who recently had a reunion, and art rockers Alphabet Cult. The only relative newbie to the local music scene is bassist Shandra Rivera—who quickly found the darkness to be her guiding light in learning an instrument. “I told John I wanted bass lessons,” Rivera recalls. “I just really wanted to play music. He said, why don’t we write some songs together instead? I was surprised at how well [it] matched the way I felt—at how much I related to it. It kept my interest.” With interests piqued, the threesome delves into the depths of reverberating soundscapes and depressing lyrics, creating such tracks as “Suicide Floor” and “Cold Remains,” of which their idols The Sisters of Mercy could be proud. While the band name itself may have a blurry rationale behind it— Ludwick says he chose it mainly for the aesthetic—one explanation could always be related to their practice space. A dark side room in the basement, illuminated only by the light of a few strands of Christmas lights—and a lone animal skull on the side table. “It’s the perfect way to spend summer days—getting pasty in the basement,” Rivera says with a shrug. And on that note, as Azrael Abyss would say, until next time ... stay out of the daylight. Ω

Hidden from the sun: John “Voldgren” Ludwick, Shandra Celeste Rivera and Darren Barnes are Plastic Caves.

On the local front, most semi-Goth bands have long since disbanded, opting instead to perhaps go work on their tans. Yes, Goth had been lying dormant, waiting to be resurrected … until now. Plastic Caves may not fit the stereotype of black nails and smeary eye make-up associated with the subculture, but the local trio’s inception last year brings a revival of the formerly stale style. The fast-paced bass lines and ambient, atmospheric sounds highlighted by dark lyrics and heavy vocals characteristic of the genre, are at the forefront of Plastic Caves’ composition. To put it simply, they’re spooky. And they wear spooky well. “I wanted to play some moody stuff,” says singer and guitarist John Ludwick. “I like it because it’s more expressive. It’s more true to how I feel lately—the passage of time is depressing.”

For more information, visit soundcloud.com/ plastic-caves.

OPINION

NEWS

GREEN

FEATURE STORY

ARTS&CULTURE

ART OF THE STATE

FOODFINDS

FILM

MUSICBEAT

NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS

THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

MAY 23, 2012

RN&R

THURSDAY 5/23 1UP

214 W. Commercial Row, (775) 329-9444

FRIDAY 5/24

EDM Thursday, 10pm, no cover

Suspect Zero, 9:30pm, no cover

DG Kicks, 9pm, Tu, no cover

Aversion Therapy, Tazz Nation, 9:30pm, no cover

THE ALLEY

Subhumans, Total Chaos, Out For War, Priscilla Ford, 8pm, $13, $15

Scattered, Pain Clinic, Enslave the Creation, TSOL, Ninja Slaughterhouse, Liver Scars, Blasphemous Creation, 8:30pm, no cover Kill the Precedent, 8pm, $13, $15

BAR-M-BAR

Freestyle firespinning, 9pm, no cover

816 Highway 40 West, Verdi; (775) 351-3206

CEOL IRISH PUB Edward Sharpe 538 S. Virginia St., (775) 329-5558 & The Magnetic Zeroes CHAPEL TAVERN

Pub Quiz Trivia Night, 8pm, no cover Sonic Mass w/DJ Tigerbunny, 7pm, no cover

Good Friday with rotating DJs, 10pm, no cover

COMMA COFFEE

Mark Diorio, 11:15am, no cover

Celtic/American Tune Session, 7pm, no cover

CORKSCROO BAR AND GRILL 10 E. Ninth St., (775) 284-7270

Comedy

COTTONWOOD RESTAURANT & BAR

3rd Street, 125 W. Third St., 323-5005: Comedy Night & Improv w/Patrick Shillito, W, 9pm, no cover

275 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-1917

10142 Rue Hilltop, Truckee; (530) 587-5711

Tuck Wilson, 6pm, no cover

The After Eights, 6pm, no cover

DAVIDSON’S DISTILLERY EL CORTEZ LOUNGE

Hellbilly Bandits, Jukebox Rebels, Freeway Revival, 9pm, no cover

Traditional Irish Tune Session, 7pm, Tu, no cover

The RN&R no longer a ccepts emailed or phoned-in listings. Post show s online by registering at www.ne wsreview.c om/reno. Deadline is the Friday b efore publication .

Merle Jagger, 9:30pm, no cover

Karaoke w/Miss Amber, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke w/Lisa Lisa, 9pm, no cover

CW and Mr. Spoons, noon, M, no cover Open Mic and Art Show, 8:15pm, M, no cover

Owen Mays & The 80 Proof Boys, Mickey & The Bonepickers, 9:30pm, Tu, W, no cover Karaoke w/Lisa Lisa, 9pm, M, Tu, no cover Karaoke w/Miss Amber, 9pm, W, no cover

THE GRID BAR & GRILL

Karaoke w/Andrew, 9pm, no cover

Bass Heavy, 9pm, W, $TBA

HARRY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL

Open mic, 7pm, no cover

Karaoke w/Lisa Lisa, 9pm, no cover

FUEGO

Live flamenco guitar music, 5:30pm, no cover

170 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-1800 8545 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach; (530) 546-0300 1100 E. Plumb Ln., (775) 828-7665

THE HOLLAND PROJECT 140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858

Reno-Tahoe Comedy at Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., 686-6600: Felicia Michaels, F-Sa, 7pm & 9:30pm, $13, $16

Monday Night Open Mic, 8pm, M, no cover

Burning Dance Night, 8pm, no cover

Karaoke w/Lisa Lisa, 9pm, no cover

235 W. Second St., (775) 324-4255

The Improv at Harveys Cabaret, Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, (800) 553-1022: Nick Griffin, Gene Pompa, Th-F, Su, 9pm, $25; Sa, 8pm, 10pm, $30; Bob Zany, Zan Aufderheide, W, 9pm, $25

For the Fallen Dreams, Hundreth, Upon This Dawning, Sworn In, 6:30pm, Tu, $12

Neil O’Kane, 9pm, no cover

1099 S. Virginia St., (775) 324-2244 312 S. Carson St., Carson City; (775) 883-2662

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 5/27-5/29 1up Wednesday, 10pm, W, no cover

Blues jam w/Blue Haven, 9:30pm, no cover

906 Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 358-8891

Catch a Rising Star, Silver Legacy, 407 N. Virginia St., 329-4777: Geno Biscantel, Th, Su, 7:30pm, $15.95; F, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $15.95; Sa, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $17.95; TBA, Tu, W, 7:30pm, $15.95

SUNDAY 5/26

3RD STREET

125 W. Third St., (775) 323-5005

May 23, 9 p.m. MontBleu Resort 55 Highway 50 Stateline (800) 648-3353

SATURDAY 5/25 ’90s Night, 10pm, no cover

Aaron Edgecomb Group, 7:30pm, $5

JAVA JUNGLE

Java Jungle Sunday Music Showcase, 7pm, no cover

246 W. First St., (775) 329-4484

JAZZ, A LOUISIANA KITCHEN

1180 Scheels Dr., Sparks; (775) 657-8659

First Take featuring Rick (SAX) Metz, 6pm, no cover

Bill Davis, 6pm, no cover

Keith Alan Hartranft, 1pm, no cover

JUB JUB’S THIRST PARLOR

Open mic, 9pm, M, no cover

71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652

SUBHUMANS SU S UBH HUM UMAN ANS

Don’t miss either of these shows!

Thursday, Thu h rsday,, May M y 23 Ma 23

W/ T Total otal Cha C Chaos, aos, Out O t For F War, W Priscilla Fo Ford ord

HEAVY HEAV HE A Y METAL BASH

4& FRI 5/2 5 /2 sat 5 m 9:30p

For

★ outrageous★

ranch party rock

Burgers Bangers & Mash Roast Prime Rib & Yorkshire Pudding Shepherd’s Pie Fish & Chips Chocolate Bacon - happy hour -

4-7pm & 10pm-close

- wedneSday -

MAY 29TH

- Saturday -

top Wrestler Turns To CounTry Honky Tonk with

Mickey & the Bone Pickers 26

RN&R

MAY 23, 2013

MAY 28TH

- Mon & tue -

oPen MiC nite

/28 & tue 5 /29 wed 5 8pm

MAY 24TH

Freeway Revival & TBA

Deadly Gallows & Dirty Kid Discount

LadieS 2 FoR 1 Wine

Former Big

Post show s online by registering at www.newsr eview.com MAY 23RD /reno. Dea dline is the Neutral Machine Fr iday bBoy, efore Gun p Vendetta Polanski ublicati&oPinky n.

voodoo dogz BReakFaSt, LunCh & dinneR 9aM to cloSe Sign uP FoR ReWaRd BLaSteR get $10

4050 S. Mc carran Blvd, reno nv 775.737.4440 • www.Spitfirereno.coM

Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children MacNuggits

Friday, F Fri day, May 24

W S W/ Scattered, ca ered, Blasphemous Creation,, catt Pain Pa n Clinic, C nic, Enslave The Creation Cli

TSOL

Saturday, May 25

W/ Liver Scars, Ninja Slaughterhouse, Kill Thee Precedent

FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS Tuesday, May 28

W/ Hundreth, Upon A Downing, Sworn In, She Has A Fashion Vice

MUSIC SERIES

Thursday, May 30

W/ Post War, Sill Shoda, Feather Merchants, Victory Get Free Tickets Man TheCalls. Tanks. Get Free Ticketsfrom fromthe theBands! Bands!

THE JET STOLE HOME Friday, May 31

TOUR KICK OFF!!! W/ Doomtrooper, Drag Me Under, Lion I Am, And Under Cities

MICROPHONE FRIENDS Saturday, June 1

W/ Hooks N Punches, Flawless Flow, Wyld Thingz, Vybe Vultures And Many More!!

PUNK ROCK LEGENDS: SUBHUMANS w/ TOTAL CHAOS THIS THURS & T.S.O.L. SATURDAY!!!

JUNE 1ST

GET PRE-SALE TICKETS NOW:

Damntrack Fundraiser featuring Tom Plunkett, Spike & Jackson, Nick

Subhumans – May 23 TSOL – May 25 For The Fallen Dreams – May 28 The Jet Stole Home – May 31 Nekromantix – June 12 L.A. Guns – June 14

Ramirez, Memory Motel, Tea Haze & Evynn Tyler, DJ Alfajor

TheAlleySparks.com (775) 358.8891 906 Victorian Ave, Sparks NV Facebook.TheAlleySparks.com

KNITTING FACTORY CONCERT HOUSE 211 N. Virginia St., (775) 323-5648

THURSDAY 5/23

FRIDAY 5/24

SATURDAY 5/25

Bloc Party, Bear Mountain, 8:30pm, $27.50-$60

Undenied, Tempus, The Reagan Years, Freakhouse, 8pm, $10

Lamb of God, Decapitated, Anciients, 7:45pm, $29.50-$60

SUNDAY 5/26

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 5/27-5/29

Rome Wild, Our Devices, Fighting the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 8:30pm, Future, Jazz the Children, 7:30pm, $5-$7 M, $18-$40, The xx, 8:30pm, W, $30-$50

KNUCKLEHEADS BAR & GRILL

Open Mic/College Night, 8pm, Tu, no cover

405 Vine St., (775) 323-6500

PIZZA BARON

Acoustic Open Mic hosted by Roger Scime, 8pm, no cover

THE POINT

3001 W. Fourth St., (775) 322-3001

Karaoke hosted by Gina Jones, 7pm, no cover

Karaoke hosted by Gina Jones, 9pm, no cover

POLO LOUNGE

Bobby G, 8pm, no cover

Gemini, 9pm, no cover

Corky Bennett, 7pm, W, no cover

Live music/DJs, 8pm, $0-$15

Smoke Signalz, 9pm, $5, no cover charge for women

DJ Dr. Morefriend, DJ Enlightenment, 10pm, $10

Reggae Vibes, 8pm, $0-$15

Karaoke, 8pm, M, Mixtape DJ/iPod jam session, 8pm, Tu, live music, 8pm W, $0-$15

The Localz, 7:30pm, no cover

Dusty Miles and the Cryin’ Shame, 8pm, no cover Comedy Night hosted by Brandon Lara, 9:30pm, no cover

Open mic hosted by Frankie Ferreira and Brian Depew, 7:30pm, M, no cover

1155 W. Fourth St., (775) 329-4481

1559 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-8864

RAW BAR LAKE TAHOE

31 Highway 50, Stateline; (775) 580-6029

Steve Starr Karaoke, 9pm, W, no cover

RED DOG SALOON

76 N. C St., Virginia City; (775) 847-7474

RED ROCK BAR

241 S. Sierra St., (775) 324-2468

THE RED ROOM

DJ Steve, 9pm, no cover

RISE NIGHTCLUB

210 N. Sierra St., (775) 786-0833

Fusion Fridays w/DJs Kentot, Fredy G, 10pm, Rise Culture Night, 10pm, $10 $10; no cover charge for women until midnight

SIDELINES BAR & NIGHTCLUB

Crush, 9pm, no cover

9825 S. Virginia St., (775) 853-5003

1237 Baring Blvd., Sparks; (775) 355-1030

Mark Castro Band, 9pm, Tu, no cover

124 Wonder St., (775) 324-1864

ST. JAMES INFIRMARY

Dance party, 9pm, no cover

STREGA BAR

The Deadly Gallows, Last to Leave, 8pm, no cover

445 California Ave., (775) 657-8484 310 S. Arlington Ave., (775) 348-9911

STUDIO ON 4TH

Lizzie Cates, Miranda Stacey McGlynn, Gregory Mitchell, Mason Frey, 8pm, $5

432 E. Fourth St., (775) 410-5993

Strange on the Range, 7pm, M, no cover Tuesday Night Trivia, 8pm, Tu, no cover Sunday Night Strega Mic, 9pm, no cover

Friday Night Blues w/Moses Malone, 8pm, no cover

Rock’N J Entertainment, 8pm, no cover

WALDEN’S COFFEEHOUSE

Oliver’s Organ, Chad Flores, 7pm, no cover

Reno Music Project Acoustic Open Mic, 6:30pm, no cover

1545 Vassar St., (775) 348-7197 3940 Mayberry Dr., (775) 787-3307

WILD RIVER GRILLE

GREEN

Standup Tues. Comedy Open Mic, 7:30pm, Tu, Blues Jam Wed., 7pm, W, no cover

The xx May 29, 8:30 p.m. Knitting Factory 211 N. Virginia St. 323-5648

Sunday jazz, 2pm, no cover

17 S. Virginia St., (775) 284-7455

NEWS

Third Seven, The Observers, 9pm, M, no cover

Come LOL with US! Part2 w/Myk Powell, Marc Los Pistoleros, DJ Endif, TV1, 9pm, $5 Yaffee Adam Stone, John Agar, 8pm, $20

VASSAR LOUNGE

May 23, 9 p.m. Crystal Bay Club 14 Highway 28 Crystal Bay 833-6333

Open Mic Night w/Tany Jane, 8pm, M, Black and Blues Jam, 8:30pm, Tu, no cover

Moses Malone, 9pm, no cover

SILVER PEAK RESTAURANT

OPINION

Ben Taylor

FEATURE STORY

ARTS&CULTURE

IN ROTATION

ART OF THE STATE

FOODFINDS

FILM

MUSICBEAT

NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS

THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

MAY 23, 2013

RN&R

THURSDAY 5/23

FRIDAY 5/24

SATURDAY 5/25

SUNDAY 5/26

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 5/27-5/29

2) Palmore Brothers, 8pm, no cover

1) Ronnie Milsap, Crystal Gayle, 8pm, $45, $55 2) Palmore Brothers, 8pm, Memphis Exchange, 10pm, no cover

2) Palmore Brothers, 8pm, Memphis Exchange, 10pm, no cover

2) Memphis Exchange, 8pm, no cover

2) Escalade, 10pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) Rock River, 6pm, no cover

1) Dave Mason, 7pm, 9pm, $24.99-$39.99

14 Hwy. 28, Crystal Bay; (775) 833-6333 1) Crown Room 2) Red Room

1) Ben Taylor, 9pm, $17, $20

1) Dead Winter Carpenters, The California 1) Dead Winter Carpenters, He’s My Honey Drops, 9pm, $15-$25 Brother, She’s My Sister, 9pm, $15-$25

1) Tracorum, GrooveSession, 9pm, no cover

ELDORADO HOTEL CASINO

1) Menopause the Musical, 8pm, $24.95+ 1) Menopause the Musical, 7pm, $24.95+ 2) Left of Centre, 10:30pm, no cover 2) Left of Centre, 10pm, no cover 3) Skyy High Fridays, 9pm, $10 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, no cover 4) Live piano, jazz, 4:30pm, no cover

ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT SPA 3800 S. Virginia St., (775) 825-4700 1) Grand Ballroom Stage 2) Cabaret

BOOMTOWN CASINO HOTEL

2100 Garson Rd., Verdi; (775) 345-6000 1) Event Center 2) Guitar Bar

CRYSTAL BAY CLUB

Dwight Yoakam

345 N. Virginia St., (775) 786-5700 1) Showroom 2) Brew Brothers 3) BuBinga Lounge 4) Roxy’s Bar & Lounge

May 26, 9 p.m. John Ascuaga’s Nugget 1100 Nugget Ave. Sparks 356-3300

GRAND SIERRA RESORT

2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-2000 1) Grand Theater 2) WET Ultra Lounge 3) Mustangs 4) The Beach 5) Summit Pavilion

Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave., Sparks, 359-3526: F, Tu, 7pm; Su, 2pm, no cover Celtic Knot Pub, 541 E. Moana Lane, 829-8886: J.P. and Super Fun Entertainment, Th, 8pm, no cover Flowing Tide Pub, 465 S. Meadows Pkwy., Ste. 5, 284-7707; 4690 Longley Lane, Ste. 30, (775) 284-7610: Karaoke, Sa, 9pm, no cover Sneakers Bar & Grill, 3923 S. McCarran Blvd., 829-8770: Karaoke w/Mark, Sa, 8:30pm, no cover Spiro’s Sports Bar & Grille, 1475 E. Prater Way, Sparks, 356-6000: Music & Karaoke, F, 9pm; Lovely Karaoke, Sa, 9pm, no cover Washoe Club, 112 S. C St., Virginia City, 847-4467: Gothic Productions Karaoke, Sa, Tu, 8pm, no cover

RN&R

3) Bye Bye Mustangs party, 9pm, no cover

HARRAH’S RENO

219 N. Center St., (775) 788-2900 1) Sammy’s Showroom 2) The Zone 3) Sapphire Lounge 4) Plaza 5) Convention Center

JOHN ASCUAGA’S NUGGET

1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks; (775) 356-3300 1) Showroom 2) Cabaret 3) Orozko 4) Rose Ballroom 5) Trader Dick’s

MONTBLEU RESORT

55 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (800) 648-3353 1) Theatre 2) Opal 3) Blu

PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO 2707 S. Virginia St., (775) 826-2121 1) Tuscany Ballroom 2) Terrace Lounge 3) Edge 4) Capri Ballroom

1) The Four Tenors, 8pm, $25, $35

1) The Four Tenors, 8pm, $25, $35 2) Lingerie Bowling w/DJ Williams, 7pm, Three Blind Mice, 9pm, no cover 3) Club Sapphire w/DJ I, 9pm, no cover

1) The Four Tenors, 8pm, $25, $35 2) Three Blind Mice, 9pm, no cover

2) Kenny Frye Band, 7pm, no cover 3) Scot and Scott, 6pm, no cover 5) DJ Larry Williams, 7pm, no cover

1) Gloriana, 9pm, $39 2) Kenny Frye Band, 5pm, DJ Jamie G, 9pm, no cover 3) Scot and Scott, 6pm, no cover

1) Jerrod Niemann, 9pm, $39 2) Kenny Frye Band, 5pm, no cover 3) Scot and Scott, 6pm, no cover

2) Kenny Frye Band, 5pm, no cover 4) Dwight Yoakam, 9pm, $69-$79

2) Country at the Cabaret w/DJ Jamie G, 7pm, W, no cover 3) Drew Simpson, 6pm, W, no cover

1) Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Wild Ones, 9pm, $30

3) Equinox, Kronyak, Conspiracy, Theory, 3) Boogie Nights at Blu, 8pm, $5-$10, Beatkarma, 10pm, $10 free w/’70s or ’80s attire

1) WFC—MMA at The Lake, 8pm, $25, $50

2) Local guest DJs, 10pm, W, no cover

2) Kyle Williams, 7pm, no cover 3) 3-D Thursdays w/DJs Max, Chris English, Kronyak, 10pm, $20

2) Mark Sexton Band, 9pm, no cover 3) Salsa dancing with BB of Salsa Reno, 7:30pm, $10 after 8pm 3) DJ Chris English, DJ XM Fredie, 10pm, $20

2) Mark Sexton Band, 9pm, no cover 3) Rogue Saturdays, 10pm, $20

2) Mark Sexton Band, 9pm, no cover

3) Social Network Night, 9pm, no cover 4) Live music, 6:30pm, no cover

1) Creedence Clearwater Revisited, 8pm, $55.50-$65.50 2) Live music/DJ, 9pm, no cover 3) Fashion Friday, 7pm, no cover 4) Live music, 8:30pm, no cover

1) Amy Schumer, 8pm, $25-$55 2) Live music/DJ, 9pm, no cover 3) Seduction Saturdays, 9pm, $5 4) Live music, 8:30pm, no cover

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MAY 23, 2013

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V & T R a i lr oad 2013 Season B egi ns Local history buffs and fans of locomotives rejoice: The Virginia & Truckee Railroad is open for the season. Starting May 25, day trippers and weekend visitors will get an idea of what it was like back in the day when this historic train route took travelers to the bustling streets of Virginia City and back to Nevada’s capital city during the silver boom of the mid- to late 1800s. Round-trip and one-way train rides from Carson City to Virginia City, and vice versa, are available through October. The round-trip “Sisters in History Route” from Carson City to V.C. takes passengers on a 24-mile, narrated tour through the Virginia Range and includes a pass through a 566-foot-long tunnel, historical attractions such as American Flat and a view of the Overman Open Pit, as well as possible sightings of wild horses grazing or galloping across the landscape. There is also the 4-mile “Historic Route” loop through Virginia City and Gold Hill. Other options include one-way steam train rides from Virginia City to Carson City on Saturdays and Carson City to Virginia City on Sundays. Round trips on V&T diesel trains will be available starting June 7. Trains depart from the Eastgate Depot, 4650 Eastgate Siding Road, Carson City, or the F Street Depot, at F and Washington streets, Virginia City. Times and prices vary for rides. Call 291-0208 for Carson to V.C. train rides and 847-0380 for the V.C. to Gold Hill train ride. Visit www.vtrailway.com for details.

—Kelley Lang

V i rg i n i a C i t y M e m o r ia l D a y Celebr ation The historic mining town will offer a weekend of events to commemorate the Memorial Day holiday, including the Celebration of Heroes Parade down C Street starting at noon on Saturday, May 25. Historical reenactment groups will mark the 150th anniversary of the formation of the 1st Battalion, Nevada Volunteer Cavalry, with Civil War encampments and staged battles along the V&T Railroad and at Gold Hill, May 25-27. The town will also celebrate the opening of the V&T Railroad season with the V&T Railfest all weekend. Call 847-7500 or visit www.visitvirginiacitynv.com.

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Cou n try Cros s roads

Cars on Ci t y Ghos t Wa l k

B l a ck Rock Re n d e zv ou s

John Ascuaga’s Nugget will hold its third annual country music celebration this weekend. The Memorial Day weekend event starts off with the Redneck Rodeo featuring trucks competing for titles ranging from “Tallest Truck” to “Most Redneck.” The kick-off party to next month’s Reno Rodeo gets underway at 4 p.m., May 24, at the Nugget’s Roof Garden parking lot, across the street from the old Silver Club. The celebration continues with cabaret/lounge entertainment and headlining acts at the Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks. Country music group Gloriana performs at 9 p.m., May 24, at the Celebrity Showroom. Tickets are $39. Singersongwriter Jerrod Neimann performs at 9 p.m., May 25, at the Celebrity Showroom. Tickets are $39. Country superstar Dwight Yoakam hits the stage at 9 p.m., May 26, at the Rose Ballroom. Tickets are $69-$79. Call 356-6600 or visit www.janugget.com.

Learn about Carson City’s past and hear spooky tales about its ghostly residents during this 90-minute, guided walking tour of the state capital’s downtown historic district. This “spirit-led” tour will take participants to some of the city’s Victorian-era homes and landmarks. Tours depart, rain or shine, at 6:30 p.m., May 25, from the corner of 3rd and Carson streets, next to the Firkin & Fox restaurant. Other ghost tours will take place on June 29, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 21 and Oct. 19. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the tour. Call 348-6279 or visit http://carsoncityghost walk.com.

Gather this weekend for a big bash in the Black Rock Desert. No, it’s not Burning Man, it’s the Black Rock Rendezvous. Friends of the Black Rock High Rock, the Nevada Outdoor School, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and partner groups host this three-day event in the Black Rock Desert geared toward family fun, education and exploration. The Rendezvous celebrates the diversity of the Black Rock Desert and promotes stewardship of the land to protect it for future generations. The leave-no-trace camping event includes sunrise blessing ceremonies, speakers, guided nature tours, a kids’ camp, rocket launches, a potluck and Dutch oven cook-off and music by Altered Ego on Saturday and the Playa Slam, featuring a sing-along and cowboy poetry, on Sunday. The camp sets up on Saturday, May 25, and tears down Monday morning on May 27. Call (775) 557-2900 or visit http://blackrockdesert.org.

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The audacity of grope My friend’s girlfriend hits on me all the time. (We’re all lesbians.) She always offers to get me a drink before she gets her girlfriend one, and she’s taken to giving me quick shoulder rubs and stomach pokes. The other night was really bad. A bunch of us were seated around a big table, and after I said something that made her laugh, she slapped my thigh and left her hand there a long time and started rubbing it. She was drunk, but still. I moved my chair over and ignored her for the rest of the night. My friend seems oblivious, and I’ve contemplated telling her, but I suspect she’d be terribly embarrassed. So, what am I supposed to do, just not have a social life? Going out with your friends shouldn’t remind you of the last time you were body-searched at the airport. You, like many people, get so caught up in being irritated at somebody’s behavior that you forget that you never asked the person to stop. You did try other means of communication, but unless you’ve had success moving dishes to the sink with your thoughts and then getting whoever’s dining with you to wash them, you should probably consider telepathy a bust. Having held in your feelings for so long, it’s easy to explode and blurt out “You need to stop hitting on me!” or, referencing the woman she’s publicly disrespecting, “Touch base with the fact you have a girlfriend instead of my inner thigh!” With either statement, you’re accusing and criticizing her—and

rightfully so. The problem is, as psychotherapist Dr. Carl Alasko wisely points out in Beyond Blame, criticizing a person leads to anger, denial and defensiveness, not change. To get Miss Wanderhands to listen instead of blowing up, remain calm and use passive language that focuses on the action you want changed and your feelings about it, for example, “This level of touchyfeeliness makes me very uncomfortable.” This tells her “The petting zoo is closed” as opposed to “You’re a bad person!” (which, by the way, she is). If she persists or makes some unwanted confession, you can be more direct: “Look, I’m not interested. Please stop.” As for your friend, keep in mind that she may not be ready to see what’s going on, as this would require her to take some sort of action she may not be ready to take. Until she becomes ready, her girlfriend will remain a kind and generous person, buying beer for a thirsty woman much in the way she might reach out to a homeless man: “Can I brush past your breast while getting you a sandwich?” Ω

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., No. 280, Santa Monica,CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com).

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by rob brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “I’m still learn-

ing,” said Michelangelo when he was 87 years old. For now, he’s your patron saint. With his unflagging curiosity as your inspiration, maybe your hunger for new teachings will bloom. You will register the fact that you don’t already know everything there is to know—you have not yet acquired all the skills you were born to master—you’re still in the early stages of exploring whole swaths of experience that will be important to you as you become the person you want to be. Even if you’re not enrolled in a formal school, it’s time to take your education to the next level.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Nobel

Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman admitted that physicists can’t really define “energy,” let alone understand it. “We have no knowledge of what energy is,” he said. “We do not have a picture that energy comes in little blobs of a definite amount.” While it’s unlikely that in the coming weeks you Tauruses will advance the scientific understanding of energy, you will almost certainly boost your natural grasp of what energy feels like both inside and outside of your body. You will develop a more intuitive knack for how it ebbs and flows. You will discover useful tips about how to make it work for you rather than against you. You’re already a pretty smart animal, but soon you’ll get even smarter.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Giant se-

quoias are the biggest trees on the planet. Many are more than 300 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Their longevity is legendary, too. They can live for 2,000 years. And yet their seeds are tiny. If you had a bag of 91,000 seeds, it would weigh 1 pound. I suspect there’s currently a resemblance between you and the giant sequoia, Gemini. You’re close to acquiring a small kernel that has the potential to grow into a strong and enduring creation. Do you know what I’m talking about? Identify it. Start nurturing it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t take

yourself too seriously. The more willing you are to make fun of your problems, the greater the likelihood is that you will actually solve them. If you’re blithe and breezy and buoyant, you will be less of a magnet for suffering. To this end, say the following affirmations out loud: 1. “I’m willing to make the mistakes if someone else is willing to learn from them.” 2. “I’m sorry, but I’m not apologizing any more.” 3. “Suffering makes you deep. Travel makes you broad. I’d rather travel.” 4. “My commitment is to truth, not consistency.” 5. “The hell with enlightenment, I want to have a tantrum.” 6. “I stopped fighting my inner demons. We’re on the same side now.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Would you buy a

stuffed bunny or a baby blanket that was handcrafted by a prisoner on death row? Would you go to a cafe and eat a sandwich that was made by an employee who was screaming angrily at another employee while he made your food? Would you wear a shirt that was sewn by a 10-year-old Bangladeshi girl who works 12 hours every day with a machine that could cut off her fingers if she makes one wrong move? Questions like these will be good for you to ask yourself, Leo. It’s important for you to evaluate the origins of all the things you welcome into your life— and to make sure they are in alignment with your highest values and supportive of your well-being.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Having good

posture tends to make you look alert and vigorous. More than that, it lowers stress levels in your tissues and facilitates the circulation of your bodily fluids. You can breathe better, too. In the coming weeks, I urge you to give yourself this blessing: the gift of good posture. I encourage you to bestow a host of other favors, too. Specialize in treating yourself with extra sweetness and compassion. Explore different ways to get excited, awaken your sense of wonder and be in love with your life. If anyone calls you a self-involved narcissist, tell them you’re just doing what your astrologer prescribed.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The German

word “Fernweh” can be translated as “wanderlust.” Its literal meaning is “farsickness” or “an ache for the distance.” Another German word, “Wandertrieb,” may be rendered as “migratory instinct” or “passion to travel.” I suspect urges like these may be welling up in you right now. You could use a break from your familiar pleasures and the comforts you’ve been taking for granted. Moreover, you would attract an unexpected healing into your life by rambling off into the unknown.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): We call it

“longing,” says poet Robert Hass, “because desire is full of endless distances.” In other words, you and the object of your yearning may be worlds apart even though you are right next to each other. For that matter, there may be a vast expanse between you and a person you consider an intimate ally; your secret life and his or her secret life might be mysteries to each other. That’s the bad news, Scorpio. The good news is that you’re in a phase when you have extraordinary power to shrink the distances. Get closer! Call on your ingenuity and courage to do so.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Are you ready to go deeper, Sagittarius? In fact, would you be willing to go deeper and deeper and deeper? I foresee the possibility that you might benefit from diving in over your head. I suspect that the fear you feel as you dare to descend will be an acceptable trade-off for the educational thrills you will experience once you’re way down below. The darkness you encounter will be fertile, not evil. It will energize you, not deplete you. And if you’re worried that such a foray might feel claustrophobic, hear my prediction: In the long run it will enhance your freedom.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the

course of his 91 years on the planet, artist Pablo Picasso lived in many different houses, some of them rentals. When inspired by the sudden eruption of creative urges, he had no inhibitions about drawing and doodling on the white walls of those temporary dwellings. On one occasion, his landlord got upset. He ordered Picasso to pay him a penalty fee so that he could have the sketches painted over. Given the fact that Picasso ultimately became the best-selling artist of all time, that landlord may have wished he’d left the squiggles intact. In every way you can imagine, Capricorn, don’t be like that landlord in the coming week.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I was

often in love with something or someone,” wrote Polish poet Czesław Miłosz. “I would fall in love with a monkey made of rags. With a plywood squirrel. With a botanical atlas. With an oriole. With a ferret. ... With the forest one sees to the right when riding in a cart. … With human beings whose names still move me.” Your task, Aquarius, is to experiment with his approach to love. Make it a fun game: See how often you can feel adoration for unexpected characters and creatures. Be infatuated with curious objects, with snarky Internet memes, with fleeting phenomena like storms and swirling flocks of birds and candy spilled on the floor. Your mission is to supercharge your lust for life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Scientists

in Brazil discovered a huge new body of water 13,000 feet beneath the Amazon River. It’s completely underground. Named the Hamza River, it moves quite slowly, and is technically more of an aquifer than a river. It’s almost as long as the Amazon, and much wider. In accordance with the astrological omens, Pisces, I’m making the Hamza River your symbol of the week. Use it to inspire you as you uncover hidden resources. Meditate on the possibility that you have within you a secret reservoir of vitality that lies beneath your well-known sources. See if you can tap into deep feelings that are so deep you’ve been barely conscious of them.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at (877) 873-4888 or (900) 950-7700.

by Dennis Myers PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

Restorationist Elizabeth Leger Academic journals are not familiar to most people, which is unfortunate. They are filled with useful information. In an article in the scientific journal Global Change Biology, University of Nevada, Reno professor Beth Leger, assisted by her students, wrote about the impact of climate change on the size of plants in the Great Basin. It applies to her work on how to restore the Great Basin after man or nature intrudes, as with range fires.

What interested you about this particular topic? We’ve heard a lot about climate but not that much about plants. Yes, and not much about plant sizes, either. The reason why this project came about was that last winter, you remember, it was so dry here that there weren’t even any plants to study outside. We didn’t even have cheat grass here last year. And what happened was, I had all these people working for me, and I realized I needed to find something for them to do. And so I thought … we have this great resource here, it’s our herbarium. It’s not very large, but it’s very old, and it has collections of plants going back to the 1890s. Some of the first collections of Nevada are there. And I had this idea that we could use this collection to sort of look at what the impact of warming and drying are in our area. ... I had this suspicion that plants might be getting smaller. Some of the

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writing, they would write about what was there and the other plants that were around. It was a lot of work, but it was also like a big discovery. Every specimen was like a new look into the past. So they loved it even though it was a lot of work.

What’s next for you? How do you follow up on this? That’s a very good question. Part of the reason why I’m interested in this is I’m trying to find out how to restore native plants in today’s environment. And one of the things that I think is really important to keep in mind is just what I said at the beginning—bigger is not always better. And sometimes when you want to do restoration, [findings] point to the fact that smaller plants might be better able to survive in post-fire restoration than large plants. I think there are real practical implications. … If you want to be alive in the desert right now, you don’t want to be a 4-foot-tall plant. You want to be much smaller. …

research I had been hearing showed that when conditions are really bad—you know, when it’s really warm or really dry—that it’s actually better to be small rather than large, which is kind of funny because most people think the opposite. Right? Like usually, bigger is always better. ... There is global evidence that being small when it’s warm and dry is good. And my suspicion was that as it gets warmer and drier, plants are going to shrink and become even smaller over time. And so I used this very dry winter last year to take some of my students and put this on this task of measuring plants. … And of them, five of them are getting a lot smaller over time. So it was as I predicted.

When the federal government or the military has wanted to install various projects in Nevada, some people have said that those officials do not understand that the desert is a fragile ecology. Is it? Yes. Yes, it really is. I mean, it takes a lot for a plant to get established from seed here. Not every year is a year to grow. … You have to be careful when you disturb [the desert] because you’re killing things that have been here for hundreds of years and getting them back is really challenging. Ω

You examined 1,900 samples, which seems like a lot to me. How long did it take? It was hundreds of hours, for sure. The kids loved it, though, because … it was almost like they were going back to historic archives. … [Earlier researchers] would put a label on them, they’d have beautiful old cursive

Hump consequences Here’s a hot one we used to entertain ourselves with back in the good old days at Commie Martyrs High. Let’s see if it translates to the modern millennium. “Who’s the better environmentalist? The whiskey-soaked, cigarettesucking, loathsome, fat, repulsive, 296-pound confirmed bachelor with no kids who drives his Hummer to the sportsbook every day to bet on the horses and who’s never recycled so much as one can of the thousands and thousands of beers and sodas he’s choked down his lumpy gullet ... or the yoga-crazed, super slender, quasivegetarian, Prius-driving, ultra-green, ridiculously glowing, fresh-faced, unflinchingly positive, 31-year-old mother of two of the most adorable and dedicated 8- and 11-year-old insanely dedicated recycling crusaders to ever walk the face of the planet?” Congratulations for spotting this totally obvious set-up from about 32 parsecs away. Because, yes, of course, the repulsive gambler just positively mops the floor with Suzy Sparkleface,

Ivan Trigueros, Bilingual Case Manager

For a longer version of this interview, visit www.newsreview.com/reno.

∫y Bruce Van Dye

environmentally speaking, simply because he has made zero new human beings while Suzy has popped out a couple. Those two new humans from Suzy’s womb will, in the course of their lifetimes, require a staggering amount of resources—plants, foods, minerals, and fossil fuels—to make their way in this world. It’s not even close. Garth the Gambler is easily the environmental king, a fact that will no doubt cause his great displeasure should he one day come to realize he’s an environmental wacko of the first order. And yet, the paradigm of childlessness in the United States is one that isn’t really making much headway in our national cerebro-cortex. Well, maybe it’s making a little progress, but that progress is being more than offset by our ongoing national sex frenzy, which has been roaring along pretty good ever since some Pilgrim figured out that bundling was actually a pretty darn good way to spend a long, cold February evening. Look at the latest stats from the Census Bureau, and you’ll see that, environmental movement or no

FEATURE STORY

ARTS&CULTURE

ART OF THE STATE

environmental movement, Americans continue to excel at the making of viable zygotes (Viable Zygotes—now that’s a rock band waiting to happen). Back in October ’06, the population of the U.S. hit 300 million. OK, it was bound to happen. And here it is, all of six and a half years later, and we just hit 314 mill! Dayam! We be humpin’ out here on the fruited plain! In fact, somebody better wash the fruited plain’s satin sheets. They gotta be pretty darned crusty by now. What the lively lingams and yearning yonis of America have teamed up to do in the last 6.5 years is to birth what is essentially three new Nevadas. Just whipped ’em up, right out of thin air, thanks to all the Viagra, Cialis, and horny goat weed now being secretly added to all those energy drinks.* The Unscratchable Itch meets the Unstoppable Urge. Ω

*Your chain just got yanked. Enjoy it. |

FOODFINDS

FILM

MUSICBEAT

because the client comes first a big part of my job is assisting clients with language barriers. i help with things like translation, appointments, budgeting and housing. at hopes, we help find solutions for people. the Latino population can be isolated and they don’t always ask questions or know about the types of services available in the community. my job is to figure out how we can help them access those services, either at hopes or through another agency. it’s a team effort. When we first meet with someone, we do a team assessment to determine which services the client might need. By having effective communication between the clinic, social services, and other departments, we’re able to keep track of a client’s progress and better understand his or her needs. our philosophy is to engage with the client, because the client comes first. it’s a rewarding job. i know that people need help and that i’m going to help them. i like to see families smile! • Primary medical care • chronic disease management • hiV, heP c, std testing • mental health counseling • substance use counseling • suPPort grouPs

NORTHERN NEVADA

HOPES Your partner in health We accept most insurances, medicaid, medicare & the uninsured MONDAY – THURSDAY: 8AM – 7PM • FRIDAY: 8AM – 5PM 580 W 5TH ST., RENO (775) 786-4673 • NNHOPES.ORG

NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS

THIS WEEK

MISCELLANY

MAY 23, 2013

RN&R

get revved up for the BIGGEST event in the

biggest little city. Friday, May 31 & Saturday, June 1 10 am – 9 pm CLASSIC CARS • SHOW & SHINE FOOD & DRINK • STREET FAIRE VENDORS FREE Live Entertainment All Day, Both Days KIM and The Alkadelics FRIDAY, MAY 31 12 : 00 PM - 3 : 30 PM

Featuring

Duane Patton’s Motown Memories FRIDAY, MAY 31 4 : 00 PM - 8 : 00 PM

NATHAN OWEns SATURDAY, JUNE 1 10 : 00 AM - 1 : 30 PM

60’s SUMMER OF LOVE SATURDAY, JUNE 1 2 : 30 PM - 6 : 00 PM

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✴

Billy Richards’ Coasters SATURDAY, JUNE 1 • 6 : 45 PM – 8 : 00 PM

1 - 8 0 0 - M U S T- S E E ( 6 8 7- 8 7 3 3 )

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