by Dennis Myers
This ModeRn WoRld
by tom tomorrow
Best time to be a teen—then or now? Asked at the Washoe County Senior Center, 1155 E. Ninth St. Merle Zink Retiree
Probably when I was a teenager. It was fun. A lot of times it was fun. It was the late ’50s and 1960s. We listened to rock and roll. B.B. King. Donovan.
Wayne Colvard Retiree
That’s a very good question. Well, I think when I was a teenager, my time. I think it’s awfully hard now to be a teenager—technology and everything. It’s complicated now. It was a lot easier back in my time, the ’60s. The Summer of Love.
Helen Gray Retiree
Clean up the ditches
Then. I think times were a little easier. There wasn’t as much peer pressure. It was great. It was the 1960s. Bobby Darin, Fabian, the Beatles.
revegetation is necessary to preserve the integrity of those Reno has many amenities to recommend to outdoor hillsides, and decrease the chance of more wildfires. enthusiasts, and one of its best is the system of canals, like And while the trails are used by many Northern the Steamboat Ditch, and its associated trails. Those trails Nevadans, they are not maintained by government agencies allow urbanites to quickly connect with nature in ways that as parks are. That means nobody is responsible to clean many cities lack. up the plastic shopping bags or cardboard boxes that get That being said, conditions around those ditches have flung into the washes by the wind. In fact, it appears the deteriorated in recent years, with the primary causes being Steamboat Ditch Company, which maintains the canal, drought and fire. The lack of vegetation has also increased worsens the problem by trimming the willows that line the the visibility of litter, illegal dumping and dog manure. ditch, leaving them in piles upon which detritus catches, Most of the litter almost certainly is not left by trail users, and which worsens the fire risks for nearby homeowners. but it gets blown in during windstorms. It’s up to people who use the trail to These factors raise several issues. While the trails keep it clean. If they would choose one First, a short walk on the ditch trail day a year to take a garbage bag out, makes it very obvious that the canyons are used by and just voluntarily clean up a section, around the ditches in Southwest Reno, many Northern the trail could easily be maintained and particularly the ones that have not beautiful. Since most of it is not public burned in recent fires, are wildfires Nevadans, they are land, it’s unlikely that a group clean-up waiting to happen. Homeowners who not maintained by day will ever be planned. It’s up to live nearby should be careful to make government agencies those of us who use it. their properties as resistant to fires as And finally, why do we have to possible. Among other things, that as parks are. bring up the issue of the dog poop? includes removing dead bushes and Those who want to walk their dog on trees and not allowing leaves to pile up the ditch have at least a minimum responsibility to clean up under decks or in gutters. More information can be found their animals’ excrement. Show a little common courtesy. at www.livingwithfire.info. The cottonwoods in the washes killed by fires also need Nobody wants to see or accidentally step in that stuff. The ditch trails around Reno are a great amenity, but to be addressed. As they dry out, they become better fuel, it’s not hard to imagine them getting shut down for public and fires that wouldn’t typically be hot enough may now use. Already some homeowners have put up fences on the ignite them. When burned-out areas are not replanted with easement, and it’s not that hard to imagine others wanting desirable plants, undesirable plants like cheatgrass grow. to eliminate the strangers from their backyards. Keeping Cheatgrass burns more easily and more often. While it’s the area clear of trash and maintained against fire may help obvious there have been some efforts to control erosion, Ω particularly using those long, straw wattles, it appears more alleviate these issues. OPINION
|
NEWS
|
GREEN
|
FEATURE STORY
|
ARTS&CULTURE
|
ART OF THE STATE
|
FOODFINDS
|
FILM
|
MUSICBEAT
|
NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS
Nancy Millen Retiree
When I was. I had a lot of things to do. I think it’s so hard today for kids to do things. We had a lot of fun when I was a teen. Sixties. It was nice. Go to the movies, roller skating, ice skating, because I lived in Boston.
Larry Shearin Retiree
When I was a teenager. Things were much better, economically and everything. When I was a boy, buying my Pepsi-Cola was 10 cents, a big 16 ounce. The ’60s.
|
THIS WEEK
|
MISCELLANY
|
MARCH 20, 2014
|
RN&R
|
5
