Letters

Bruce and Bob

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Me again. I just wanted to add one more thing to the 21st birthday celebration. I can’t remember exactly when Bruce Van Dyke started writing a column for the Nevada Weekly—it was like December 1993, and the column was called Future Coot or something—but he certainly deserves a mention whenever we talk about the history of this newspaper. I can’t tell you how many times people have told me, “Bruce Van Dyke is the first thing I read in that paper, and it’s not all that uncommon that it’s also the last.” Anyway, Bruce, I’m going to write a paragraph to add to the 21st anniversary story, and in 30 years, we’ll just pretend it was there the whole time.

Bob Grimm is the same way. My memory of his first review is even foggier. I think he sent a review to R.V. Scheide, and R.V. ran it without telling him, and then offered him the gig. So that would make it, probably June or July of 1995. Despite recent missteps regarding the new Star Wars movie and a completely erroneous review of The Witch, which read like it was written by one of the movie’s producers on Rotten Tomatoes, I’ve enjoyed Bob Grimm’s antics over the years, and while I don’t often agree with him, I always enjoy reading him. We would not have been the RN&R you know and love without his efforts.

I took a giant step back from the development of that birthday story. I picked the writer, Mark Maynard—who as always did an admirable job—and I sent him a bunch of sources (even people who’ve hated us over the years), but I didn’t want to much influence the story. I just couldn’t be my normal editor self without coming off as sort of autofellating. I was a little bit disappointed that some of the people who accused us of all manner of unethical behavior over the years didn’t take the opportunity chime in, but you know, fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke. —D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

Question time

Open letter to Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and the rest of the right-wing noise machine:

Dear [fill in the blank], Let me get this straight—proposing policies that treat people differently is not divisive, but stating that such policies are divisive is divisive? I’m confused.

Michel Rottmann Virginia City Highlands

Yard work

Re “Soiled soil” (Green, Feb. 11):

The problem of dog waste isn’t limited to our parks. My neighborhood is full of the stuff. A 20-minute walk around my block reveals countless dozens of their smelly piles. Some dog owners pick up their dog’s mess, then leave the little bags on the curb. What’s that about?

I’m astounded by the many owners who walk their dogs on leashes that extend into my yard and driveway. They must think my yard is their yard. When your dog walks through my yard, defecates or urinates on my curb, bushes or trees, that is marking behavior. It attracts more dogs, and they will do the same.

If you can’t keep your dogs in your own yard, at least keep them out of mine.

Tracy Figler Reno

Dan Hicks moves on

I remember well when Brother Ray Charles had the misfortune to die the same week as Ronald Reagan. The nation was so full of flags and bunting mourning the “Greatest Leader Who Ever Lived,” it barely knew or cared that we lost the most soulful singer of the century.

On Feb. 6, Dan Hicks was taken away by the Big C and the country had football on it’s mind for the weekend, so there was nary a peep about it in the nation’s media. Not a big surprise, Dan never gained any mainstream radio airplay anyway, but what a serious loss to Dan’s fans and the countless musicians he influenced.

Dan spoke with a totally unique voice in his songs, each crafted like a Fabergé Egg. Most don’t know what a meticulous vocalist and crooner he could be. His sense of wry humor and caustic wit made Dan one of my folk heroes, and I will miss him dearly. Dan leaves behind his wife Clare, one of the great women of the world. We wish her strength and peace in this difficult time.

Jeff Cotton Surprise Valley, California

Editor’s note: Promoter Cotton brought Hicks to a Reno summer concert series at the Bartley Ranch in 2003.

Anti-abortion ad

There’s a song by Devo called Space Junk. It seems that RN&R readers must more often keep alert to avoid the fate of Sally. What I refer to is the “Ignorant Ad” in the Jan. 21 issue that others wrote about. When I first saw the ad, I only gave it like two seconds and dodged it before it could smash my head (emotionally).

RN&R owners/editors: please stop printing such junk! Some of my friends won’t bother themselves with looking at your paper, and I see their point as none of us want to be a Sally.

Scott Bechard Reno

Editor’s note: Editors are not involved in the sale or printing of advertising.

Old math

Re “New math” (Letter to the editor, Feb. 18):

The reasoning about the inability to be 10 percent of any given ethnicity, would only apply if you were talking about a single generation removed, and it also assumes that each ancestor was 100 percent a single ethnicity themselves. 1/2 - 1/4 + 1/8 - 1/16 + 1/64 = 1/3

So if we went back as far as your Great-great-great-great grandparents, and were able to discern exact amounts of any given ethnicity, we could even be as odd numbered of a percentage as 1/3 or 33 percent of a given genealogical trait. The rule of 1/2s couldn’t apply as far back as our ancestries are long, at least not to the purity level of which was eluded to. Ben Chavez Reno

Who?

A guy, husband of who knows how many years, father of nine, books himself into a private, remote ranch to take on little birdies with his big gun. He ditches his security detail. He has a bad heart. He dies of a heart attack, or so they pronounce over the telephone, which judge signs off on. His wife of who knows how many years declines to have an autopsy performed, apparently content with the answers.

Don’t they have heart warnings in those Viagra advertisements? Renate Fong Virginia City

In-line reading

When I read the latest issue of your paper, the two columns I look for first are those by Shelia Leslie and Bruce Van Dyke. I really like Bruce’s jazzy humor and suprising honesty and insight. As I was waiting and waiting at the caucus today I thought of his remarks, and wish I’d taken his advice and stayed home, too. It was incredibly frustrating and felt like a total waste of time. That’s it for me. I’ll never go to another.

I also loved what he said about A. Scalia: “He won’t be missed. Not for a second.”

Polly Peacock Reno

Erik Holland

Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor-at-Large/Publisher D. Brian Burghart Associate Editor Brad Bynum News Editor Dennis Myers Special Projects Editor Jeri Chadwell-Singley Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Kelsey Fitzgerald, Bob Grimm, Ashley Hennefer, Shelia Leslie, Eric Marks, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Brendan Trainor, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Design Manager Lindsay Trop Art Director Brian Breneman Marketing/Publications Manager Serene Lusano Marketing/Publications Designer Sarah Hansel Production Coordinator Skyler Smith Designer Kyle Shine Distribution Manager/Operations Coordinator Kelly Miller Senior Advertising Consultants Gina Odegard, Bev Savage Advertising Consultant Emily Litt Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Drivers Tracy Breeden, Alex Barskyy, Denise Cairns, Steve Finlayson, Debbie Frenzi, Vicki Jewell, Marty Troye, Warren Tucker, Gary White, Joseph White, Margaret Underwood

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