Letters

Face fear’s path

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

You and I are coming to a fork in the road. I’m not sure how it’s all going to come together or fall apart, but I’ve asked my bosses, Jeff vonKaenel and Deborah Redmond, for a sabbatical or a leave of absence or something—basically a year off.

Maybe this is too much information, but I’ve always tried to be honest with you readers in this weird little space, and I think this honesty has been one of the keys to this newspaper’s ability to keep on keeping on in the face of the recession that hit the nation back in 2007 and is just now starting to even out: We’re growing, and the paper’s future looks good.

Anyway, it’s like this: I’ve had a pretty unbelievable year. In part, it’s because of work we did here at the paper, the whole FatalEncounters series, and the national attention that came of it. Many national and international media outlets used our data to develop stories—the Washington Post and the Guardian UK both used our data to start their own databases for 2015. (I have my fingers crossed that one will continue the effort.) Black Lives Matter and other social justice organizations used our data to fuel their own actions.

But my peaks are only matched by the changes that have come this year. Some I knew were coming. For example, I knew my son was off to college in August. But I never could have predicted the death of my friend Carmen, or the sudden and capricious deafness caused by Menier’s. There’s been a whole slew of life-changing events in a very short time. And in the midst of all that stuff, I raised $71,295 to fund the completion of the FatalEncounters database.

At this moment, I think the plan is that I’ll step back to be more like a managing editor— planning issues and making sure people get paid on time, but I won’t do much regular writing or the more tedious day-to-day stuff. I think we’ll hire someone like me who’s equally as comfortable writing news or features with an background that includes journalism ethics and media law. But who knows? One thing I’ve learned in the last three years is that the future is unknowable. —D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

Nothing gets done

Donald Trump is hated by many people. So why is he doing so well in his attempt to get the Republican nomination for president? Here’s the story:

The Republicans have the majority in both houses of the Congress. And what have they done with it? Besides using every trick they know to block the president, they have done nothing! They talk about “immigration reform,” but it’s just talk. Nothing gets done.

And then, all of a sudden, up pops The Donald. He is loud and he is brash, but he can identify the problems and point out the lack of action we have seen for years. His opponents have excuses, but they are afraid to take a firm stand on one side or the other, for fear of offending somebody. Not so with Trump. Offending those who are happy with the do-nothing GOP is the name of the game.

The Donald has made this an interesting race for the White House. Thanks, big guy.

Brad MacKenzie Reno

Ordeal

Does anyone know there are disabled people in Reno? Does anyone care?

I am tired of having to go into Reno from Lemmon Valley every time I need a service. I am physically disabled and can’t climb flights of stairs. But more importantly, my phone is no longer any good. I am profoundly hearing impaired and use a caption telephone.

A caption telephone requires two telephone lines or internet. It is a telephone with a screen. On the screen appears the caller’s words. It takes a second or two to read them, and then I answer. That’s the reason for a pause between the caller’s voice and mine. Also when someone calls, I say, “I am using a caption telephone. It will be about 20 seconds before we can begin our conversation. Please do not hang up.“ And people hang up all the time.

At present, I am looking for an electrician, an attorney for seniors, and a handyman. Winter is here. I can’t get out every day. And now my phone is useless.

I live seven miles into Lemmon Valley, alone, about 15 miles to the city. I’m not homebound.

Please, people, understand about the phone. Educate yourselves. There are disabled people, and we count. We pay taxes like you and we’re entitled to be served by the community.

Helen Howe Lemmon Valley

Wet science Video is proof

Re “Water wars: How politics beat science in the West” (Feature story, Nov. 5):

Once again the clear, concise prose of resident scribe Dennis Myers has served to inform RN&R readers, this time about a topic elemental to all of our lives in the arid deserts of Northern Nevada. It was fascinating to read his juxtaposition of quotes from politicians of the era and our current crop of reality deniers. Sigh, the more things change ...

One may only wonder if Powell’s recommendations for enlightened development had been followed, would there even be the Reno we know today?

I look forward to his next article about water in the West, when the mysteries of “water rights” are revealed. Steve Waclo Carson City Re “Go easy, Mayor” (Editorial, Nov. 5):

“like the already full overflow shelter, and temporary housing for her dog.”

Unfortunately the very next day this argument was disproven. The City Council meeting had a leader of a local shelter come in and discuss they have about 30-ish beds available not counting some of the other programs they are working on.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like stories of “heartless officers.” However, the lack of video to back their claims gives me a lot of pause. The only place a private account of mistreatment holds more weight than an officer’s account is in the court of public opinion. There are a lot of people who assume police are misbehaving and thus will take accounts like this at face value.

However, if you encounter police misbehavior and ever intend to invoke change you need to video it. It is easy to do and a modern social justice advocate is expected to do so. A failure to video or share collected video creates major doubt as to the veracity of the claims ... especially since when the issue was brought forward the very next day, a representative of the officers was willing to face the light of public accountability, but I didn’t see a single person speak who made these claims (admittedly I only watched a portion of the meeting). Scott Reimers Reno Erik Holland

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. Editor/Publisher D. Brian Burghart News Editor Dennis Myers Arts Editor Brad Bynum Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Bob Grimm, Ashley Hennefer, Sheila Leslie, Eric Marks, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Brendan Trainor, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Associate Art Director Brian Breneman Ad Design Manager Serene Lusano Production Coordinator Skyler Smith Design Kyle Shine Advertising Consultants Joseph “Joey” Davis, Gina Odegard, Bev Savage Senior Classified Advertising Consultant Olla Ubay Operations Coordinator Kelly Miller Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Anthony Clarke Distribution Drivers Tracy Breeden, Alex Barskyy, Denise Cairns, Steve Finlayson, Debbi Frenzi, Vicky Jewell, Angela Littlefield, Marty Troye, Warren Tucker, Gary White, Joseph White, Margaret Underwood General Manager/Publisher John D. Murphy President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resource Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Nicole Jackson Accounts Receivable Specialist Kortnee Angel Sweetdeals Coordinator Courtney deShields Nuts & Bolts Ninja Christina Wukmir Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins 405 Marsh Ave., Third Floor Reno, NV 89509 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-4572 Classified Fax (916) 498-7940 Mail Classifieds to classifieds@newsreview.com Website www.newsreview.com Printed by Sierra Nevada Media 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.

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