June 2022

JUNE 2022

SUMMER PREVIEW

Jessica Santina on performing arts; Bob Grimm on film and TV INSIDE

WE'RE BACK! GET COVERAGE EVERY DAY AT RENONR.COM!

EDITOR'S NOTE

Internet, schmiternet!

I’ve been a newsPAPERman since a peanut farmer was president.

When the RN&R’s advertisers and distribution points shut down overnight in March 2020, our last issue had the finality of a tombstone. But after two years of surviving online, and at a time when print newspapers across the nation are dead or dying, we’re returning to ink and paper.

Alternative papers are supposed to be scrappy, but we’ve picked a pretty big fight. Production and transportation costs have doubled over the last two years, and advertisers still tightening their belts in the wake of the pandemic. The odds are against us.

But we’re back in the racks because we believe in the value of independent local journalism—and the power of print to focus on community issues without being lost in the online blizzard of information, national news, fake news, social-media prattle and cat videos.

A print newspaper should be a mirror of the community it serves and dedicated to digging deep into local topics without fear or favor.

No corporation tells us what to print or ignore; no politician can make us spike a story. We aim a spotlight on the issues that will set the course of our region for generations. We provide a glimpse into the local arts scene, draw attention to neighborhood businesses, and celebrate the things and the people who make Northern Nevada a great place to live.

It’s our job to pull back the curtain to show readers what’s really going on behind the sound bites and hype. We ask questions that people in power don’t want to hear. We inform, entertain, educate and, on occasion, even inspire our readers. Our writers live here. They worry about housing costs and preserving our quality of life. They attend our schools, shop in our stores, drive on our roads, hike our trails, worship in our churches and care about our community.

Nobody will get rich from a print edition of the RN&R. Our goal is to make our paper and ink gamble sustainable, and deliver news and arts stories you won’t find anywhere else. If you want to offer us some advice, news tips, criticism or pen a letter to the editor, my email is frankm@ renonr.com. And if you can pitch in with a donation to help keep us viable, there’s a button for that at RenoNR.com.

Meanwhile, I’ll see you in the funny papers.

—FRANK X. MULLEN frankm@renonr.com 2

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LETTERS Vandals will target scooters

I’m already seeing the (Bird) e-scooters (RN&R, May 2) abandoned on sidewalks in Midtown. I expect we’ll soon see them vandalized and wrecked as well. The City Council has learned nothing from our experience with the rental bicycles and keeps making the same mistake. Until there’s a way to make sure the scooters can’t be trashed or stacked up on sidewalks, Reno just isn’t ready for these “dockless” rentals.

Eldon Wright Reno

Abortion is immoral

It appears that the U.S. Supreme Court will finally correct the 40-year mistake that is Roe v. Wade (Streetalk, May 11). This is a victory for the sanctity of human life that is long overdue. There is nothing that can be done about all the innocent souls lost to abortion, but we can now move forward on a moral footing. One doesn’t have to be religious to understand that killing fetuses is wrong. Religions may have different doctrines, but basic morality condemning murder is universal.

Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263, Cathedral City, CA 92234 775-324-4440 • RenoNR.com

Publisher/Executive Editor Jimmy Boegle Editor Frank X. Mullen Photo Editor David Robert Cover and Feature Design Dennis Wodzisz Contributors Alicia Barber, Owen Bryant, Brad Bynum, Max Cannon, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Janice Hoke, Matt Jones, Matt King, Maggie Nichols, Dan Perkins, Cynthia S. Ryan, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Kris Vagner, Robert Victor The Reno News & Review print edition is published every month. All content is ©2022 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The RN&R is available free of charge throughout Northern Nevada, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling 775324-4440. The RN&R may be distributed only authorized distributors.

The RN&R is a proud member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Nevada Press Association, and the Local Independent Online News Publishers.

RenoNR.com

Email letters to letters@renonr.com

| June 2022 | Vol. 28, Issue 1

I’m proud to be pro-life and especially proud that the court will have the courage to strike down an unjust and immoral law.

Sara Montgomery

Fernley

Tucker’s tanned testicles

Fox “News” GOP propagandist Tucker Carlson is now advocating soaking one’s scrotum in infrared light as the solution to being a wimpy, low-testosterone, bow-tie wearing white supremacist whack job.

Even a Trumptard like Kid Rock knows how stupid tanning your testicles is: “Dude, stop!

Testicle tanning? Come on, I mean, I haven’t heard anything that good in a long time. …

I’m starting a punk rock band, and it’s called Testicle Tanning, that’s the end of it. … I don’t know what the hell is going on in this world … but sometimes, some days I just want to stop this planet and let me off.”

These farcical far-right fascist freaks on Fox “News” and their inane, obtuse obsessions with insane idiocies like constantly kvetching about Mr. Potato Head and Green M&M’s no longer being sexy enough for their sick tastes is enough to make a modern day, low-testosterone man perform a “Full Elvis” on his 60-inch TV set

with a .44 Magnum, Dirty Harry style.

Jake Pickering Arcata, Calif.

Increasing rents are due to landowner greed

We have lived in the same place for 18 years (Streetalk, April 26). Beginning our second year, our rent went up by $165. Then there were no increases until two weeks ago, when we were told our rent would be going up by $300 per month.

We are seniors (74 and 82), and that $300 that now has to go to rent was used to purchase food and gasoline, as we are retired. Our landlady sat in our living room about four years ago and told us that as long as we were living here, she would not raise our rent nor put this place up for sale. When I reminded her of that, she said, “Well, I didn’t mean forever.”

Other than a new hot water heater nine years ago, the owner has spent no money on our condo, because we have taken care of EVERYTHING at our own expense.

I do not understand the greed of people who own rental properties.

Merri Kirk Via RenoNR.com

STREETALK

BY DAVID ROBERT

So … did you miss us?

Asked in the Midtown District, Reno Joe Wilson Retired

GUEST COMMENT

BY ALICIA BARBER

Yes, I missed the RN&R in print. I missed the updates on concerts, food reviews and movie reviews, and break-outs for special events like Artown and the Rib Cook Off. I will for sure be reading the RN&R in the future. The RN&R is awesome!

Development review safeguards the public good Construction is definitely on the upswing in Reno, everywhere from the heart of downtown to the edges of city limits. And although some of those projects might take residents by surprise, most are allowed “by right,” requiring only review by city staff to ensure conformance with the existing land development code.

Other projects require some form of “discretionary review,” where the Planning Commission and/or City Council evaluates them with respect to certain findings before they can move forward. These are generally projects that hold the potential to significantly impact the area around them. Discretionary review provides the opportunity not just to vote such projects up or down, but to add conditions to lessen or eliminate any negative effects.

Most developers naturally oppose what they consider burdensome public review, hoping to avoid project delays and potentially costly plan revisions. And in recent years, the city has taken many steps to accommodate them, minimizing levels of review for certain categories of projects, often in the name of “streamlining” or “reducing red tape.”

For example, the Kimpton Hotel soon to commence construction on the south bank of the Truckee benefited from a 2019 council decision to overturn a prohibition against constructing any building that could cast significant shade over downtown parks or plazas. An alternative presented but not chosen would have required such projects to undergo discretionary review to address their potential impact. Freed of those constraints, the 20-story project went straight to the permitting stage.

In September 2020, City Council overhauled Reno’s policy regarding development agreements, mandating their public review

by the council alone, despite the Planning Commission’s request to review them first. Accordingly, in October 2021, the council singlehandedly reviewed and approved the development agreement with Jacobs Entertainment, with staff scheduling a public meeting only after the fact.

Substantive review by relevant public bodies enables more informed decision-making. In November 2021, City Council voted to change the name of North Center Street to University Way, after hearing only inaccurate historical justifications from the applicant, UNR. An updated policy for renaming city facilities and streets had been initiated by the City Manager’s Office in 2020, generating a draft that would require all such requests to be reviewed by the Historical Resources Commission (HRC). And yet although that policy was ready to adopt, and even referenced in public comment, the council approved the change without soliciting input from the HRC, any historians, or the public.

Finally, around 2018, the city dissolved the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB), which for decades reviewed matters concerning the city’s redevelopment areas and advised the City Council in their capacity as the Board of the Reno Redevelopment Agency. Its absence has further reduced public oversight and discussion of Council actions.

It’s a troubling trend. Reducing public review of major development projects greatly diminishes the city’s ability to safeguard the public good.

To support responsible levels of review isn’t to oppose development; it’s a critical step to ensure that what gets built in Reno truly benefits those who live here.

Alicia Barber is a professional historian, consultant, and the author of “Reno’s Big Gamble: Image and Reputation in the Biggest Little City.” Her digital newsletter, The Barber Brief, analyzing urban development in Reno, can be viewed at thebarberbrief.substack.com.

Edward Smith Veteran

Yes, I missed you. I’ve been looking around for a while now to find the paper, and I can’t find it anymore. I liked looking at the ads. I liked the restaurant ads in particular.

I’m always looking for the best deals on buffets in town.

I’m looking for a new buffet to eat at. The buffets today are not as good or plentiful as they used to be.

Ray Henderson

Drugstore clerk

Yes. I missed not having a local news source. It’s vital for the public to know what’s going on in Reno. I missed the weekly news stories about the downtown development and the impact on traffic and businesses.

Kelley Orlaineta Bartender

Hell yeah! I missed the RN&R! I missed having the newspaper as a conversation piece. I really missed the Best Of issue. I liked seeing who was competing against whom.

I’m looking forward to reading about the local events and seeing what’s going on around town.

Kendra Hess Marketing

Yes, I absolutely missed the RN&R. Thank you for coming back in print. I always like reading Reno’s cumulative response in the voting with the Best Of issue. I’m a huge fan of reading about local issues and finding hidden gems of what’s happening in Reno. I like to know what’s going on in my backyard.

RenoNR.com

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THE CITY OF TREMBLING PEEVES

| BY BRAD BYNUM

Reno Van Winkle

When a city becomes a money machine, things are lost

On May 4, Fort Ryland and Clark Lane Maul, two houses on Ryland Street that had hosted punk concerts in their basements since the early 2000s, were torn down to make way for townhouses. Generations of underground music fans had formative experiences at those places. Those houses were regularly the sites of new bands’ first shows. They were occasionally the sites of something strange, exciting and beautiful.

Back in February 2020, in one the last print editions of the RN&R prior to our suspension of publication, we ran a story about the plans to tear down those houses. It was written by a freelance journalist who lived nearby. She was also getting evicted to make way for the new “development.” The news was greeted with outrage, not least from residents who didn’t even know that their homes were slated for demolition.

It took a couple of years, but now the houses are gone, and many local music fans are frustrated.

“They all had people living in them until they decided they’d build townhouses in their place,” local activist Natalie Handler wrote on Facebook the day after the demolition. “They displaced the residents and boarded them up. Some folks were squatting in them during the winter months when the shelters were completely full. And then yesterday, all in a day’s work, one guy in a dozer took them all down. Nothing was saved. The developer who bought these took incentives given from the city. ... These will not be affordable just like many projects which took advantage of the city’s incentives. Just more profit for the developers and less community for us.”

What’s most disheartening about the demolition isn’t the physical destruction of

the buildings, but the symbolic destruction of And when I awoke, it felt like decades had the memories and the communities centered passed. around those places.

In Washington Irving’s short story “Rip Van I’ve written for this newspaper for two Winkle,” set in the late 18th century, the title decades. I started as a freelance contributor character drinks some potent booze and falls in 2002, became the arts editor in 2008, and asleep, and when he awakes, 20 years later, the then the editor in 2016. I was laid off in March British colonies have become the United States 2020. Northern Nevada was hit by a pandemic of America. It feels a bit like that. you might have heard about, and the RN&R There’s a classic Portlandia sketch where saw most of its advertising revenue vanish Jello Biafra, singer of the punk band Dead overnight. Everyone in the Reno office, along Kennedys, slips into a coma in the ’80s and with most of then wakes up our col30 years later leagues at our “When a city becomes a money to discover sister papers machine, things are lost. People are the world has in Sacrabeen overrun lost. Workers have to work more mento and by yuppies.

Chico—not “How big is and more just to pay the bills. We to mention this yupdon’t have time to enjoy the things our friends pie part of and neighthat would otherwise make this city town?” he bors in other asks in dea great place to live, like outdoor industries spair. It feels around town, recreation and the arts. We have even more and family like that. to work and work, and then make members While around the the rest of tough decisions, like whether we country, and us slept, abroad—were want to go to the doctor or pay rent, sheltered in suddenly place, the because we can’t afford both.” jobless. And yuppies took then many of over Reno. them got sick. Some didn’t survive.

Yuppies stand in line to buy sugary tea laden Time slowed. We stayed home, and our with sugary lumps of sugary tapioca, to then children tried to engage with a sick, and notsuck said lumpy, sugary beverage through a fat at-all-funny, parody of school called “online straw—and then they wonder why they don’t learning.” We didn’t see our friends. We didn’t feel refreshed. And they buy up property. They hear live music. We didn’t hug our mothers for tear down old buildings. They make uglier fear of spreading diseases we didn’t underbuildings. And then they raise the rent. And stand. Germs of mystery. then they raise the rent again. And then again.

I parented. I wrote. I learned to cook. I slept.

For the yuppies, a city, like Reno, isn’t a

place to live. For them, a city is a machine for generating profit.

When a city becomes a money machine, things are lost. People are lost. Workers have to work more and more just to pay the bills. We don’t have time to enjoy the things that would otherwise make this city a great place to live, like outdoor recreation and the arts. We have to work and work, and then make tough decisions, like whether we want to go to the doctor or pay rent, because we can’t afford both.

And when buildings, like those Ryland houses—sites of important memories for many locals—are demolished in the name of “progress,” a thin euphemism for profit, it hurts. It’s not just a demolition of property; it’s a destruction of memories.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of shows in those two houses. I only attended a few dozen over the years. I remember a mind-blowing set years ago by the Seattle band Akimbo, and another more recently by another Seattle band, Dreamdecay. But one that really stands out to me was one of the most sparsely attended. It was circa 2005 or ’06, maybe, a Fort Ryland show by the Reno garage punk band the Juvinals. I’d seen the band play before, but for whatever reason, they sounded perfect that night. There were probably less than 30 people in the audience, but we were all dancing—dancing in that serene, unselfconscious way that’s only possible when the music is great and the crowd is relaxed.

It’s a good memory. One that I want to see preserved, which is why I wrote it here—a small memorial to those demolished buildings.

That part of what we try to do with journalism, preserve those moments in the first draft of history. Those houses, and the music communities around them, deserve more, but it’s a start.

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June 2022 |

RenoNR.com

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

| BY JIMMY BOEGLE

We’re back!

But in order to survive, we’ll need your help

In April of last year, my husband and I went to Reno to visit our parents. It was fantastic to be able to finally see so many friends and family members after 13-plus months of isolation—and, of course, to enjoy our hometown.

However, something was missing.

We stayed at the Sands Regency, and the Reno News & Review rack that had been outside of Mel’s Diner for many years was gone. We did see RN&R racks, seemingly abandoned, in other places. It seemed like every restaurant we walked into had an RN&R Best of Northern Nevada certificate or three proudly hanging on a wall.

Then there were the questions from friends who knew about my long history with the RN&R. The queries were all variations of: “Hey, do you know if the Reno News & Review is ever coming back?”

I replied that Frank X. Mullen was doing some great stuff online, but beyond that, I didn’t know.

When Garrett and I got back to Palm Springs—our home since January 2013, when I started the Coachella Valley Independent newspaper—I reached out to Jeff von Kaenel and Deborah Redmond, the owners and stewards of the Reno News & Review since 1995. The subject of the email was “Saying hello.”

“The N&R has been on my mind a lot since Garrett and I spent last week in Reno, visiting family for the first time since the

pandemic hit,” I wrote. “Almost all of the at the Daily Sparks Tribune. It was a fit. friends I talked to mentioned how much they A year and a half later, RN&R editor Larry missed the RN&R. It was weird seeing signs of Henry called me and asked if I wanted to the paper everywhere—empty racks, Best Of become the RN&R’s news editor. I said yes. plaques and certificates, etc.—knowing that its When Larry left several months later, Jeff von future is very much up in the air.

Kaenel asked me if I wanted to become the “I wanted to reach out to you to see if there’s RN&R’s editor. I said yes. I was still a month anything I can do to help the RN&R. Frank is shy of my 25th birthday. doing some amazing work, and I’m glad to After I departed the RN&R in October 2001, see it is continuing online in a limited form. If the paper and I never lost touch. My writing there is anything I can do, please let me know.” popped up in the RN&R from time to time My intenthrough the tions with years. Deidre “But the RN&R’s future is not that email Pike, who were true; the secure. My husband and I don’t have took over as RN&R means deep pockets, and we’ve lost a notthe RN&R a lot to me. It editor after I insubstantial amount of money in was the first left, volunnon-college teered to be the four months since I became the newspaper in my wine colowner. With this June edition, we’re umnist when which I ever had a byline, I launched still running in the red.” as a sumthe Coachella mer intern Valley Indein 1996, under the guidance of editors R.V. pendent in 2013. (I, of course, accepted the ofScheide and Erik Espe. That was when I first fer.) I stayed in contact with Jeff and Deborah; met D. Brian Burghart, who would become one the world of alternative newspaper publishers of my journalism mentors and a lifelong friend. is rather small. Jeff and I even served togethThe RN&R was where I had my first job er on the Association of Alternative Media’s after I moved back to Reno post-college. The board of directors for a couple of years. paper needed someone to fill in for a couple of While my intentions with that email to Jeff months before Amy Paris was available to start and Deborah were true, never in a million her job as an RN&R staff writer. I had a couple years did I think we’d get to where we are of months free before I was slated to start a job now—with me being the RN&R’s new owner

and steward. But the universe had other plans.

Since I became the publisher on Jan. 31, Frank and I have been working hard to bring the RN&R back. We updated the website— which is still a work in progress—at our brandnew URL, RenoNR.com. We’ve beefed up our content, bringing back a lot of RN&R veterans, including Bob Grimm, Jessica Santina, David Robert, Todd South and Brad Bynum. And now, with this June edition, we’re back in print for the first time in 26 1/2 months.

But the RN&R’s future is not secure. My husband and I don’t have deep pockets, and we’ve lost a not-insubstantial amount of money in the four months since I became the owner. With this June edition, we’re still running in the red.

I think the RN&R’s future is bright; I really do. I’ve been overwhelmed, truly, by the amazingly positive reaction we’ve received since announcing our print-edition comeback as a monthly.

But if we’re going to make it, we’ll need more advertiser support than we’re getting now. We’ll need more reader support, too.

If you’re a business manager or owner who loves the RN&R, please advertise. If you’re a reader who has a few bucks to spare, please head to RenoNR.com and click “Support Us!” in the top right corner (on a desktop device) or at the top of the menu (on a mobile device).

Northern Nevada needs the RN&R. But the RN&R needs you, too.

First-round voting starts June 20 at RenoNR.com RenoNR.com

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UPFRONT

NEWS

| BY FRANK X. MULLEN

What lies beneath Lake Tahoe is known for its jewel-like beauty and clear water—but for decades, some users have treated the Sierra lake as a big blue trash can.

During the past year, volunteer scuba divers removed more than 25,000 pounds of debris and garbage that lurked beneath the surface close to the lake’s 72 miles of shoreline. The project initially was set to begin in 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The divers practiced their techniques at Donner Lake, where they surfaced with 1,561 pounds of garbage in July 2020. Clean Up the Lake’s Tahoe project began on May 14, 2021.

“There’s accidental trash, and then there’s intentional trash,” said Colin West, founder and executive director of Clean Up the Lake. “Some people may litter very intentionally. Some people really care and understand and some people don’t.”

As dive crews circumnavigated Tahoe, they recovered plenty of plastic bottles, beer cans, water-logged lengths of rope, boat engines and parts, but also found some unexpected items in the shallows just offshore. The haul included a couple of engagement rings, old Nikon film cameras, entire lamp-posts, a few “no littering” signs, deflated tennis balls, lost wallets, cordless home telephones and a Blackberry mobile phone.

The teams dove on 81 days, tallying up 189 separate dives using a total of 626 cylinders of compressed air. In all, 136 trained volunteers participated, racking up 6,715 hours. Clean Up the Lake will collaborate with scientific institutions and environmental consultants to study the recovered litter to develop a better understanding of its impact on Lake Tahoe. In addition, the Tahoe Fund, with support from Tahoe Blue Vodka—both sponsors of the project—commissioned artists to create a sculpture using some of the items recovered from the lake’s depths.

“While the dive team has removed many expected and unexpected items along the way, ultimately what we hope people remember is the length that one group of individuals was willing to go to in order to protect their home and their planet,” West said.

Clean Up the Lake plans to perform shoreline clean-ups at four other nearby lakes this year.

—Frank X. Mullen 6

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Half the traffic lane, right, on Virginia Street in downtown Reno is a temporary bike lane until October. Members of the Kruz3rMob bicycle club ride in the remaining one-way traffic lane, left, on May 20, before the bike lane was opened. Photo/Frank X. Mullen

Casinos ask, city delivers A bike lane suddenly pops up in downtown Reno As if by sorcery, a bicycle lane has appeared on Virginia Street in downtown Reno.

But it’s not the long-awaited university-to-Midtown cycle track—stymied last summer by the intervention of downtown casinos—that has been planned for years on Center Street. Instead, the pop-up pilot program connects Keystone Avenue to Evans Avenue/University of Nevada via Fifth Street and downtown Reno to Midtown via Virginia Street.

The now-delayed Center Street cycle track involved years of debate, stakeholder meetings and planning, but the Virginia Street project came together within weeks, spurred by the ROW casinos’ desire to have a bikeway pass in front of their front doors.

“It’s a struggle to get a protected bike path (on Center Street) studied and approved; it takes years and years. But the instant the casinos want a bike path, RenoNR.com

it appears as if by magic overnight, with no studies or anything, except studies saying it won’t work,” said Kyril Plaskon, president of the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance.

Bicycle advocacy groups and riders were caught by surprise when city officials announced the project in April. The Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance, which has been a big part of the planning for the now-stalled Center Street project and other bike-route plans, got 20 hours notice before Reno city officials announced the pilot program.

“In general we really like bike paths, but we needed to look at the plans,” Plaskon said.

“Now that the lanes are built on Virginia and Fifth streets, he said, bike riders and drivers will need time to adjust to the new conditions and learn new procedures.

“Everybody wants to ride on Virginia Street, and we support that; the more bike lanes the better,” Plaskon said. “But because the

downtown core is often shut down to traffic for special events, it’s never going to be a viable option that meets federal standards for bike lanes. We still need Center Street as a commuter route.”

Reno officials said the purpose of the pilot program is to “introduce micromobility-specific infrastructure to Reno’s downtown.”

Micromobility refers to a range of small, lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters that typically operate at speeds of about 10-20 mph and are driven by the user. The temporary Virginia Street lane improvements include bike rails (barriers), reduced lane widths, cycle tracks, lane closures, restriping and protected intersections.

The downtown portion of the pilot track is slated to be in service until October, when the city’s “Placemaking Study” of the downtown core is expected to be complete. That study is aimed at finding out what improvements and amenities people would like to see in downtown.

The Center Street route was put on hold after downtown casinos in November 2020 asked officials to reconsider the route’s effect on their Virginia Street properties. A subsequent traffic study concluded that a bikeway on Virginia Street would result in gridlock downtown, because the street is narrow and would become a bottleneck. The city built the pilot program anyway.

Officials are promoting the bike lanes as a way to “make it easier for the public to take advantage of more sustainable ways to visit downtown, the Truckee River, and surrounding local businesses while enhancing road safety for micromobility users.” Officials will be soliciting feedback from stakeholders, including the University of Nevada, Reno’s bicycle community, downtown businesses, bike and scooter users, and drivers “to help shape the future of Reno’s ever-improving downtown.”

The pilot project coincides with the arrival of BIRD e-scooter rentals in downtown and Midtown Reno. A 2019 report by the National Association of City Transportation Officials concluded that shared bike and scooter programs were successful in replacing motor vehicles for short trips. That year, according to the report, people took 136 million trips on shared bikes and scooters, a 60% increase from 2018.

A study in Seattle, where four e-scooter rental companies have been active for more than 18

months, indicated that about one in five users ride the scooters to connect with public transit.

That’s the kind of synergy for which Reno officials are hoping.

Plaskon and other micromobility boosters are glad to see the scooters zipping around Reno. “(It’s) a learning experience all the way around,” Plaskon said. “There is no doubt that scooters increase spending and fun while reducing pollution and traffic. It puts the ‘big’ back in our little city, showing that we can do what other cities are doing.”

Advocates of eco-friendly, alternative transportation options have long supported protected bike lanes and better connections among

those routes so that riders won’t have to travel in the midst of vehicular traffic. Some of the Truckee Meadows’ bike lanes, one rider said, end suddenly—and that’s like delivering riders into “a pit of alligators.” The potential dangers of the city’s existing bike lanes aren’t lost on riders. In Midtown, where the bike lane is in the midst of the traffic lane, bike and scooter riders often take to the sidewalks instead. On May 20, a police car collided with an e-scooter on Virginia Street, but the rider was unhurt.

Plaskon said both drivers and riders will have to learn how to navigate the new conditions.

“That will take time and patience, but we’ll get there,” he said.

Back at the Quad

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Primary Medical Care | Behavioral Health Counseling PrEP & PEP | Wrap- Around Services | Transgender Care CONNECT YOUR COLORFUL CIRCLE AND GIVE OUT TO HOPES' LGBTQ+ CARE THIS JUNE! Give OUT Day is a month-long fundraising campaign culminating on June 30, the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ community.

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(775) 786-4673 | www.nnhopes.org University of Nevada, Reno, president Brian Sandoval presents a graduate with his diploma on May 12. For the first time since 2019, UNR returned to the Quad to celebrate the May 2022 graduation ceremonies. Photo/David Robert RenoNR.com

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NEWS

| BY FRANK X. MULLEN

Lewi Chatelle, who ran the Little Waldorf Saloon from 1972 to 2006 and still owns the property, sits in a safe from the Wal’s original downtown location on Virginia Street. Photo/Frank X. Mullen

‘An amazing place’ In 100 years, the Little Waldorf Saloon morphed from speakeasy to Reno icon

At Reno’s Little Waldorf Saloon, everything has changed and nothing has changed in 100 years.

The business, founded in 1922, has been anchored in three locations and steered by several owners. From its beginning as a hole-in-the-wall speakeasy on Virginia Street, it was a place for Renoites to see and be seen—an oasis for thirsty folks across the social strata. They cheered for teams, made deals, had arguments and began life-long relationships. University of Nevada sports memorabilia became theme for its décor early on. College students were—and remain— the core of its work force and customer base.

The “Little Wal,” as locals call it, isn’t as venerable as the Genoa Bar (founded in 1853) or as rustic as the Old Globe Saloon in Carson City (built in 1875). But Reno’s oldest continuing saloon has transcended being a bar/eatery and evolved into a beloved institution. Ask any university alumni about their experiences as a student, and fond memories of the Little Waldorf remain vivid.

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“There’s so much wonderful, crazy stuff to remember,” said Joan Arrizabalaga, 80, a Reno artist who was a University of Nevada student in the late 1950s. “We lived in that place when we were going to school. It was such a great place, and we loved the owners, Lance and Rita (Morton). … We loved the Little Waldorf, and we never got over it.”

In a city that has always offered a cacophony of taverns, diners and restaurants—as well as free drinks and cheap buffets in casinos—the Little Wal has not only survived, but prospered.

Its link to the university and its teams has been its guiding star; the connection it made with its patrons endures across generations.

Born during Prohibition

The tavern is woven into the fabric of Northern Nevada. No one could have predicted that kind of popularity or longevity in 1922, the second year of the great national mistake called Prohibition.

Charles Meyers, whom with his brother, owned an upscale dinner house called The Waldorf Club, opened his own place at 343 N. RenoNR.com

Virginia St. in 1922. He dubbed the joint the Little Waldorf to distinguish it from his sibling’s operation on the east side of Virginia Street. The current management, who leased the business in 2006, came up with a fanciful origin story connecting it with the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, but that’s marketing, not history.

There was nothing ritzy about the original Little Waldorf. It was tiny. “If there were 30 people in the place, it was packed,” one patron recalled. It had a 20-foot-wide frontage with two side-by-side doors facing the street. A cigar counter was on the left of the small room behind one door. A doorway at the end of the counter was marked “members only.”

The other portal on the right, with “Ladies’ Entrance” inscribed on frosted glass, opened into a narrow aisle between two rows of small tables and booths. The backroom had a 22-footlong oak bar along its right side. Legend says the fixture had come to Nevada around Cape Horn aboard a sailing ship. The Meyers brothers shipped it from Virginia City to Reno.

Although federal agents enforced the Volstead Act in the Silver State, local authorities weren’t much interested in keeping Nevada dry.

In the 1920s, a U.S. attorney complained there were many more bars in Reno after Prohibition than before the law was ratified. Reno Mayor Ed Roberts, who held office from 1923 to 1933, declared the law unenforceable and ordered police to ignore bootleggers unless they were required to assist federal officers.

People joked that the Little Waldorf had “the best milkshakes in Reno”—because they were half whiskey. Newspaper files document federal raids at some Reno speakeasies, and revenue agents seized stockpiles of bootleg booze, but there’s no record of the feds bursting through the “members” door at the Little Wall.

In 1927, Meyers sold the business to J.W. “Matty” Madison. When the Volstead Act was repealed in 1933, Madison was able to advertise the bar, which already had a large clientele among college students, professionals, politicians and downtown workers. In 1946, Madison sold the Little Waldorf to Lance and Rita Morton, just in time for the post-war boom in enrollment at the University of Nevada.

“The Little Wal functioned as an unofficial adjunct to the university,” said Warren Lerude, who graduated with a journalism degree in 1961, became an editor at Reno Newspapers

and won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 1977. “On weekend nights, it was jammed with students from the main front door on Virginia Street to the end of the bar.”

The staff of the Sagebrush, the university’s student newspaper, called it home, Lerude wrote in an email. “So did the sororities and fraternities. And athletes. And student leaders. And a drinking club of students called the Sundowners. And just about everyone else.”

‘An Amazing Place’

Doctors, judges, politicians and hourly workers stood elbow-to-elbow with college kids along the antique bar. Being too young to drink legally was not an impediment.

“Everybody went into that tiny place,” said Arrizabalaga, who was under 21 during her time at the university. “Mayor Sam Dibitonto came in a lot. It was an amazing place.”

“The police would call (owner Lance Morton) when they planned to come over and check for underage drinking. So we’d all get the word and go out and stand on the sidewalk. The police would come and talk to Lance, then they’d come out and say goodbye to us, and we’d all go back in.”

If things got rowdy, and Morton couldn’t immediately restore calm, he had a simple solution: “If there were problems, Lance would just shut the place down, kick everyone out and just close it up,” Arrizabalaga said. “Some people got 86ed (thrown out) individually, but they only got 86ed for like a day.”

The bar didn’t have a kitchen, but Rita Morton would make sandwiches for the lunch crowd. Sixty years later, former students still wax lyrical about those sandwiches. Their affection for Lance and Rita also remains strong.

“We never got rich, but we had more fun than the kids.” Rita Morton, once told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

In 1972, the wrecking ball came for the buildings along the 300 block of North Virginia Street to make way for the Eldorado Hotel Casino. The Mortons were ready to retire. The business was sold to Tom Belaustegui, a Reno lawyer, and Lewi Chatelle, then 25, who had worked there since 1965, when he was a student at the university.

Chatelle, from Getchell, Nev., is the lynchpin in the history of the Little Wal, connecting three locations. He ran the business from 1972 to 2003 and still owns the property at the saloon’s current site, across Virginia Street from the UNR campus.

When the Virginia Street building was slated for demolition, the partners loaded the Little Waldorf’s equipment and memorabilia into a pickup truck. A new building went up at 555 W. Fifth St. (now occupied by JJ’s Pie Company).

“We tried to keep the same old stuff, including the original bar,” Chatelle said. “That bar got so rotten, cracked and split, we had to replace

it. Too much booze got spilled on it. We tried to get it (repaired), but it was too far gone.”

The “betting boards” also were relocated.

Patrons could wager on anything from athletic contests to political races. Chatelle also created an annual Super Bowl pool, a grid with $100 squares and $10,000 in payouts.

The Fifth Street location retained the Wall’s eclectic clientele. Governors Mike O’Callaghan and Robert List often stopped by to hoist a glass and press the flesh. Mills Lane, a former Washoe County district attorney and later a judge, would stop by for lunch and a quick game of poker. Brothel owners and clergymen dropped in occasionally. University students continued to flock to the place.

Dean Smith, 85, who was a bartender at the Virginia Street location when he was a student and is a former Reno newspaperman and publisher, said Chatelle maintained the bar’s old atmosphere.

“It was home for most of us,” Smith said.

“There wasn’t a day passed that you didn’t go in there. People made an effort to get there almost on a daily basis. It was a great hangout for college kids, professionals and a political hangout.”

Alumni and casino workers also were frequent patrons. Softball teams used the Little Wal as their clubhouse, a place to celebrate victories or commiserate after defeats. And drink beer.

“Anybody who was anybody could be found at the Little Wal,” said Pete Saunders, whose 1980s softball team, The Legends, was sponsored by the business. Although the building had more space than the original location, it often was packed. “The bathrooms each had a single stall, and there were lines on busy nights. For Homecoming, they got permits to sell beer in the parking lot. … If you were part of a group in the Little Wal, you were in with the in crowd.”

The current location

In 1981, Chatelle got wind of a sports complex to be built at the university. He bought the property at 1661 N. Virginia St. and built the third iteration of the business near the new Lawlor Events Center. It’s also within easy walking distance of many dormitories.

Since then, UNR students have been the dominant clientele. The saloon featured live music for years, and some nationally known bands made the pilgrimage to Reno to play there.

Chatelle and subsequent managers hired a lot of UNR students as cooks, bartenders and servers.

He especially liked hiring students who, like himself, hailed from Nevada’s rural counties.

“I always tried to hire those cow county kids.

They’ve got a work ethic. They came to Reno to work, make money and go to college,” said Chatelle.

In 1994, Chatelle leased the business to two entrepreneurs who eventually made changes.

They ditched the memorabilia, including artifacts and photos of Wolf Pack teams, and gave

the place a sleeker look.

“It was like they tried to turn it into a Vegas bar,” Smith said. “They put in high cocktail tables and tall chairs. The flavor of the Little Waldorf just disappeared. … They didn’t make it. Lewi took it over again and got it back on its feet. He salvaged some, but not all, of the old photos.”

Chatelle leased the business to Golden Gaming in 2003, which remodeled the interior but kept the Nevada theme. Two years later, Carson City-based SES Nevada took over. The new owners remodeled the interior and built the log façade. A World War II howitzer—a nod to the “Frémont cannon” that is a symbol of UNR’s rivalry with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas —is perched on the patio’s log roof.

Antique and reproduction sleighs, wagons and carts hang from the ceiling among other artifacts. A steel safe from the original location squats in a corner. Deer heads stare from above the bar, where model aircraft are suspended on wires. UNR championship banners hang from rafters. Team photos, portraits of athletes, framed sports jerseys and Reno Championship Air Races pictures grace every wall.

Multiple flat-screen TVs, tuned to a variety of sports events, are scattered around the rooms.

On Thursday nights, the joint is jumping when DJs take the stage; rap music blares, and young dancers are in constant motion. Beer and cocktails flow.

The taps offer 45 varieties of craft beers; bar shelves are lined with premium pours. Burgers, pizza, salads and sandwiches dominate the menu. The Nevada-themed décor is there to stay. College-age patrons are required to show proof of their ages.

Russell Wilhelm, 31, said long before he started classes at UNR in 2008, his elder brother and other alumni told him, “‘You’ve got to go to the Little Wal.’ … I couldn’t wait to turn 21 so I could take full advantage of it.”

In 2013, he and his classmates met at the bar at 6 a.m. on his graduation day for a celebratory drink. “That was the tradition. We started off at the Little Wal and finished up at the Little Wal.” Wilhelm, now an agriculturalist for the state of Nevada, said the place hasn’t changed much over the years. “As a student, you walk into the place, and you feel welcome; you feel safe,” he said. “Other bars in town feel like just a bar, but the Little Wal feels like home.”

Chatelle said he has no intention of selling the prime property. The saloon has become “like a diamond or a rare artifact,” he said. “It’s an institution.” He predicts that the business will continue to prosper.

“They are pretty busy all the time,” Chatelle said. “When (the university) gets that final (student housing) high rise built, they will have 4,000 students within two blocks of the place.

They will be in good shape.”

His formula for any bar/restaurant owner: “Keep your quality up and take care of people.”

YOUR DESERT HOME AWAITS

Call Kevin Stern

760-250-1977

DRE# 0137654

TownCA.com

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NEWS

| BY CYNTHIA S. RYAN

Various tubes, mostly from Europe.

Photo/David Robert

Before the chip A look at William Brinsmead’s collection of vacuum tubes and vintage electronics

Our modern technology stands on the shoulders of giants—specifically, giant vacuum tubes.

This brings us to William Brinsmead.

He’s long been a familiar local figure, especially among electric-vehicle early adopters.

You may have seen his converted electric 1973 Cadillac eHearse rolling around town.

What you haven’t likely seen is Brinsmead’s collection of vacuum tubes and electronics—one of the most important private collections in the region, and possibly in the nation.

The collection mostly lives in his Reno home, but also extends to a few large storage containers. He has one room completely dedicated to large display cases filled with the delicate glass tubes, in addition to antique gramophones, early television sets, World War II-era aircraft radios, Soviet-era electronics and more. The overflow spreads throughout the house.

How does one get started building a collection like this? For Brinsmead, whose father worked for Nevada Bell—a ready source of electronics paraphernalia—it began when he was about 7 years old.

“My parents let me collect a little bit, but they were always throwing out my stuff!” he said. “That was a problem. When they

moved into town, I had to grab all my tubes and stuff that were stashed in the garages out at the ranch in south Reno.”

Anyone born after the 1960s likely doesn’t understand the sheer importance of vacuum tubes—and how those glistening bulbs ushered in the age of electronic devices that we take for granted today.

The story goes back to 1880, when Thomas Edison discovered thermionic emissions while experimenting with lightbulbs. He found that electrons left the glowing carbon filament and were attracted to a positively charged metal plate in the airless vacuum bulb. Later named the Edison Effect, thermionic emissions underlie the basic concept of most vacuum tubes.

There are many types of vacuum tubes, but the two most common are diode (invented in 1904 by British engineer John Ambrose Fleming) and triode (invented in 1906 by Lee de Forest) tubes. The diode is a simple electronic component with just two terminals that allow current to flow in one direction. Triodes, on the other hand, have three active electrodes with a grid and a plate. A tetrode has four electrodes, and a pentode has five. These were used in audio amplifiers, computers, radio receivers and transmitters. They started being replaced in the 1960s and ’70s by transistors, which themselves

were soon largely replaced by semi-conductors.

Both transistors and semi-conductor chips are smaller, more reliable and more energy-efficient.

However, there are still legacy systems that employ vacuum tubes, mostly because replacing them would be too expensive and/or complex.

Or they simply work well, like the small magnetron that powers your microwave oven.

If you know a musician or audiophile, you may have heard them wax on lovingly about the superior sound qualities of vacuum tube-based sound systems. Brinsmead has built numerous tube-based amplifiers in his home workshop.

“At the end of World War II, the Heathkits became popular, and then, stereo, hi-fi and all these home audio systems … they all bloomed in the decades after the war, thanks to an abundance of war surplus,” Brinsmead said.

Newer generations who are now getting their news in real time from their phones may not appreciate how vacuum tubes helped get us to today. Vacuum tubes essentially allowed America to hear, and later watch, news and events in their own homes.

Brinsmead and I compared notes about our first televisions, finding that both our fathers originally bought black-and-white Dumont sets back in the 1950s. Bill has several vintage televisions and loves to occasionally fire them up and feed in images from Star Trek episodes on the color sets, or Dr. Strangelove on the black-and-white sets.

“See that one over there. That one, I did at one of the house parties,” Brinsmead said, pointing to a TV. “That one plays Dr. Strangelove, and it looks just beautiful, because the film was made for black-and-white and really pops!”

Brinsmead was stationed in Thailand during his three years of service in U.S. Army.

“One of the (cathode-ray tubes) there, I recovered from a B-52 ECM (electronic countermeasures) unit in Thailand during the Vietnam War,” he said. “And that one with the big silver screen on it, that is an X-ray image converter and was used in bomb scanners way back in the ’70s. They were scanning luggage for explosives. That was in Thailand. They decommissioned one of them, and I stripped it before they junked it—and that tube was in it.”

During this running history/geography lesson, Brinsmead goes from one cabinet to another, pointing out special pieces and offering one great backstory after another.

“Oh God, this is an interesting one here!

It’s rather ordinary, except I obtained it from a propaganda station that the CIA was running in Aranyaprathet, Thailand, right next to CamboRenoNR.com

dia, during the war. I would go there and repair their generators quite often.”

Yeah, he said the CIA. They wanted stuff fixed, and fixed fast, Brinsmead explained, which often meant driving, in his own car, all over Thailand. Luckily, he’s a fluent Thai speaker.

Directing my attention to a display case, Brinsmead offered yet another story illustrating how much of the collection has a fascinating provenance.

“That tube is interesting, because it was part of a CIA 50,000-watt portable station in multiple small CONEX containers. I think there were 10 of them. One was a DJ room. One was a power supply. One was the main transmitter modulator—all that stuff. While I was there, it crapped out. I knew the guy who was repairing it, and I said, ‘What are you going to do with the old tube?’ ‘We throw them out,’ he said.

‘Oh, I’ll take it,’” Brinsmead said, chuckling to himself at the thought.

After the military, Bill worked at the Honeywell semiconductor facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., before returning to Reno and signing on with the University of Nevada physics department in 1983. Part of his job was equipment acquisition for the lab—and that’s when the collection really took off, he said. According to Brinsmead, he made more than 100 forays for the lab, bringing back millions of dollars in laboratory equipment—and the occasional scientific collectible.

“Upon my retirement in 2010, I finally had the time to curate and acquire more diverse tubes for the collection and preservation of history, as well as the building and restoration of classic vacuum tube hi-fi amps,” Brinsmead said.

He guided me over to a small wall-mounted cabinet, opening it and carefully extracting a small porcelain-mounted glass bulb.

“These are some of my oldest tubes here,” he said. “This is a de Forest Audion. I have three of them. They’re all different, but this was from 1904—maybe 1906. Hard to tell.”

He very carefully replaced it and pointed to another tube. “In there, that’s the light bulb. That’s the same envelope made at the same factory.

(Lee) de Forest contacted the McCandless lamp works, and they made the first tubes for it.”

Finally, there are the colorful boxes that the tubes came in—hundreds of them, bearing the unique designs of their respective eras.

The boxes alone are beautiful and imminently collectible.

Although there aren’t local tube-collecting groups, Brinsmead communes with other tube aficionados through Facebook groups and email forums like the Tube Collectors Association.

Is there any hard-to-find items for which Brinsmead is still on the hunt?

“It’s becoming harder, because I’ve got most everything,” he said. “But if some old fellow croaks, and his wife calls me, as occasionally happens, I’ll get it.” | June 2022

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Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For June, 2022 This sky chart is drawn for latitude 40 degrees north,

but may be used in continental U.S. and southern Canada.

ASTRONOMY

| BY ROBERT VICTOR

N

June’s evening sky chart. Illustration/ Robert D. Miller

Deneb Capella

Vega Castor Pollux

Altair

E

W Procyon Arcturus Regulus

Spica

Antares

Evening mid-twilight occurs when Sun is 9 below horizon.

June 1: 52 minutes after sunset.

15: 54 " " " 30: 53 " " "

S

June skies

Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller

As summer begins, the morning offers a rare view of all the bright planets—in proper order

In June 2022, all the bright objects to be seen at dusk are stars, plus the moon in the first two weeks, culminating in a “Supermoon.” Where are all the planets? Cooler mornings and a rare lineup of four to all five bright planets in “correct” order across the sky before dawn are rich rewards for early risers. The moon, waning from full to a thin crescent June 14-27, adds daily interest as it passes the five bright planets from June 18-27. Summer begins on June 21.

Evening sky: At dusk in early June, it’s still easy to find the Spring Arch in the west to northwest. From left to right, its stars are Procyon in the west, Pollux and Castor (the Twins of Gemini, 4.5 degrees apart at the top of the Arch), and Capella, low in the northwest. By month’s end, only the Twins remain, very low in the west-northwest. Regulus, heart of Leo, is high in the 12

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west-southwest to west, to the upper left of the Twins. Blue-white Spica, the spike of grain in the hand of Virgo, and golden Arcturus—the brightest star of June evenings—pass through their highest points in the south. Antares, the red supergiant star marking the heart of the Scorpion, and ascends through the southeast at dusk in June. Altair rises a little north of east, completing the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb farther north, to Altair’s upper left.

There are no planets at dusk in June 2022.

Look nightly, and follow the moon for the first two weeks. On Wednesday, June 1, an hour after sunset, the 7 percent crescent moon is low in the west-northwest, 12 degrees below Castor and 14 degrees to the lower right of Pollux. At the same time the next evening, the 12 percent moon passes within 3 degrees to the lower left of Pollux. On June 5, look for Regulus 5 degrees to the lower left of the 36 percent moon. On RenoNR.com

Monday, the fat crescent moon, 46 percent full, appears 12 degrees to the upper left of Regulus.

An hour after sunset on Thursday, June 9, the 76 percent gibbous moon is high in the south, with Spica 6 degrees to its lower left.

An hour after sunset on the 12th, the 97 percent moon is accompanied by Antares, 7 degrees to its lower left. The moon is full overnight Monday, June 13, to Tuesday, June 14.

On the 13th, the moon rises about 20 minutes before sunset, some 31 degrees south of east. In the gathering dusk, look for Antares 9 degrees to the moon’s upper right. An hour before sunrise on Tuesday the 14th, look for the full “Supermoon” low in the southwest, only about 11 hours before the closest approach to Earth. Look again, almost an hour after sunset on Tuesday, for a 99 percent moon rising 33 degrees south of east. Though not quite full, the rising moon will be marginally larger in apparent diameter.

The moon returns to the early evening sky on June 29. You’ll need an unobstructed view, and very clear skies. Binoculars will help spot the 1 percent crescent 40 minutes after sunset, 2 degrees up, 30 degrees north of west, with Pollux 5 degrees to its upper left. On June 30, you can look an hour after sunset for an easier 4 percent moon, 6 degrees up in the west-northwest, with Pollux 8 degrees to its lower right.

Mornings: Don’t miss the spectacular, rare predawn display of planets! Throughout June, four or all five naked-eye planets form a long line across the sky in morning twilight. On June 1, the lineup is 69 degrees long, from Venus, very low north of east, through Mars and Jupiter (within 2 degrees in the east-southeast), to Saturn, well up in the southeast to south-southeast. The two brightest planets, Venus of magnitude -3.9 and Jupiter of magnitude –2.3 to -2.4, are 30 degrees apart on May 31, 45 degrees apart on June 15, and 60 degrees apart on June 29. Mars, of magnitude +0.7 to +0.5, widens its distance to the lower the left of Jupiter, to 4 degrees on June 5, 15 degrees on June 23, and 20 degrees on July 1. Saturn, of magnitude +0.7 to +0.6, appears 39 to 43 degrees west of Jupiter.

Of greatest interest through telescopes are Jupiter, with its four bright moons, and Saturn with its rings, opening to 12.6 degrees from edge-on at month’s end, our best view within the next several years. Bright stars visible every morning in June are the Summer Triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb passing west of overhead; Capella low in the northeast; and Fomalhaut to the lower left of Saturn.

Mercury is too faint to be seen in early June, but brightens to magnitude +1.0 by June 11, +0.5 on June 16, 0.0 on June 21, and -0.7 at

month’s end. Mercury remains low through this apparition, so binoculars are recommended to catch it in the twilight glow. Look to the lower left of Venus, by 12 degrees on June 11-12; and by 11 degrees on June 13-15. Mercury is highest in morning twilight June 21-23. On June 23, Venus passes 6 degrees south of the Pleiades, while Mercury passes within 3 degrees north of Aldebaran. On June 29 and 30, Mercury is again 12 degrees to the lower left of Venus.

Once Mercury becomes visible, all five naked-eye planets are in fine display, from Mercury and Venus low in the east-northeast, to Saturn well up in the south, in the correct order of their actual distances from the sun. The moon, waning from full to a thin crescent, can be seen simultaneously with all five planets June 14-27.

On June 21, summer begins at 2:14 a.m., as the sun stands directly over the Tropic of Cancer; on that date, we’ll experience our longest day and highest midday sun of the year, passing about 16 degrees south of overhead in Reno. In morning twilight on the 21st, the 46 percent fat crescent moon, just past last quarter phase, appears within 4 degrees to the lower right of Jupiter.

On June 22, the 36 percent moon appears within 4 degrees to the right of Mars. During June 23-25, the waning crescent moon appears between Venus and Mars (on the 24th about midway between them). Standing in for Earth, the moon on those three mornings joins the five bright planets in the correct order of their actual distances from sun. On June 25, the 12 percent crescent stands 8 degrees to the upper right of Venus. On the 26th, the 6 percent crescent stands 3 or 4 degrees to the right of Venus. That morning, Mercury appears 8 degrees to the lower left of the moon. On June 27, the last old crescent moon rises within 14 degrees to the lower left of Venus. Look for Mercury 4 degrees to the right of the moon, and Aldebaran 6 degrees below Venus and 7 degrees to the upper right of Mercury.

In morning twilight on June 29, the panorama of planets, Mercury to Saturn, now stretches 115 degrees across the sky.

Using binoculars of 50mm aperture or better before twilight begins (and before Mercury rises), you can spot 7.9-magnitude Neptune, in Pisces in June, 8.6 to 12 degrees to the west of Jupiter, except when the moon is bright. Uranus, of magnitude 5.8 in Aries, becomes visible after mid-month. For details on locating these faint planets and more, visit Sky Calendar Extra Content Page, at www.abramsplanetarium.org/msta.

To subscribe to the Sky Calendar or to view another sample issue, visit www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally, including the June 2022 issue. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the wonders of the night sky.

HIKING

| BY MAGGIE NICHOLS

To trails!

How to celebrate National Trails Day

We get it—there are a LOT of obscure holidays out there.

From oddly specific holidays like National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day (Jan. 22) and International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) to seemingly pointless ones like No Brainer Day (Feb. 27) and National Reach as High as You Can Day (April 14), it seems there’s a “holiday” for just about anything—if you search the internet hard enough.

But for the backcountry enthusiast and the outdoor appreciator, National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June, is a real reason to celebrate—and the Reno-Tahoe area has thousands of miles of hikable, bikable, ridable and just plain enjoyable trails on which to celebrate.

The American Hiking Society launched the first National Trails Day in 1993 to promote and celebrate America’s trails and their use. In the almost 30 years since, thousands of events have been held for this holiday, involving hundreds of thousands of Americans. NTD events range from trail workdays to guided hikes to group picnics—and even just getting outside at the same time as others. If you haven’t yet had a chance to partake in one of these diverse NTD events, don’t despair: There are TONS of ways to get involved in the 30th annual celebration of America’s trails right

here in Northern Nevada!

The classic way to get involved with National Trails Day is to join a trail workday.

If you’ve ever spent time out on the trails and marveled at how perfectly carved out a path is, now is your chance to find out how it’s done.

There are trail workdays happening all across the Reno-Tahoe area on June 4—and the rest of the summer too!

If Tahoe is your go-to trail area, and you watched in horror with the rest of us as South Lake was engulfed in the smoke and flames of the Caldor Fire last summer, consider jumping in on the Caldor Fire Restoration Workday, hosted by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (tahoerimtrail.org) at Echo Summit. The TRTA is also hosting trailhead cleanup events at three trailheads around the lake: at Brockway Summit (near Kings Beach), Van Sickle Bi-State Park (in South Lake Tahoe) and Echo Lakes (near South Lake Tahoe).

The Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department is co-hosting a part-celebration, part workday with Muscle Powered (musclepowered.org) at the Kings Canyon Trailhead in the foothills next to Carson City.

This multi-faceted event will celebrate the grand opening of the new trailhead, as well as the new Lincoln Bypass Trail. The day includes some trail maintenance, naturalist-led interpretive hikes, and possibly even a historian to recount the unique and fascinating past of

Kings Canyon Road.

For the true wilderness warriors, Friends of Nevada Wilderness (www.nevadawilderness. org) is hosting this year’s National Trails Day at Steven’s Camp, on the north end of the Black Rock Desert. This weekend-long event starts on Friday, June 3, and includes two full days of trail work and cabin maintenance in this unique and remote desert region. You have to bring your own camping gear, most of your food (breakfasts and a group dinner on Saturday are included), a go-get-em attitude for hard work in the sunny desert, and a vehicle that can handle the intense roads in this rugged area (with high clearance and 4x4 capabilities).

The work, the views and the potential for new friends make this National Trails Day event something memorable and enticing.

You can also join efforts within Reno by hopping on one of two possible slots at the Bicentennial Park Planting, hosted by Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (www.ktmb.org/ volunteer). While it’s not technically listed as a National Trails Day event, these dual planting efforts will still get you outside and involved in making our local spaces beautiful and functional—and that’s a big part of the National Trails Day spirit.

Already have plans for June 4, or perhaps you’re reading this column later in the month?

We get it; summers are busy! There are ways to get involved in workdays and trail improvement projects throughout the summer and early fall. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association hosts the most public workdays in the area, with opportunities to work on the trail several times a week (plus trainings and other recreational opportunities). Friends of Nevada Wilderness also offers plenty of workdays, cleanup opportunities and fun events throughout the hiking and biking season.

Avid cyclists may be interested in helping with some of the local area mountain biking association workdays. The Biggest Little Trail Stewardship (www.bltsnv.org; formerly Poedunks) has opportunities to get involved. So, too, do the Carson Valley Trails Association (carsonvalleytrails.org) Muscle Powered (also in Carson City) and the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (tamba.org/events) in South Lake Tahoe.

Want to get your company, church group or scout troop involved in the spirit of outdoor stewardship? The City of Reno and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful offer Adopt-aPark and Adopt-a-Spot programs for businesses and community groups to invest in the health and beauty of our local outdoor spaces through supported cleanups of a chosen park or area, three times a year.

There is no shortage of organizations and workdays in the Reno-Tahoe area to join.

With that in mind, we wish you a very happy National Trails Day! RenoNR.com

Think Free!

The last one showering shouldn’t be left in the cold!

GO TANKLESS.

FREE

Quotes Tank Options & Tankless

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County and cities back federal-to-private land conversions; critics fear urban sprawl

The future, as baseball philosopher Yogi

Berra once said, “ain’t what it used to be.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic (hopefully) wanes, local governments and business interests are making plans and setting policies that will plot the course of Northern Nevada’s growth and development for the next halfcentury and beyond. Plans and projects are being announced at a dizzying pace, and the public often learns about decisions after they are final. The community will live with the consequences of those choices long after individual policy makers have left office.

In the high desert, two natural features limit urban growth: water and land. Northwestern Nevada—unlike most of the arid West, including Clark County—has enough water resources to meet its needs until the end of the century, development advocates say. Major parcels of buildable private land, though, will be exhausted in about five years—a situation that has economic-development proponents lobbying for transfers of large tracts of public lands into private hands.

Skyrocketing housing prices, meanwhile, have forced low- and middle-income residents out of the housing market. The median price of a single-family home in Reno hit $625,000 in April, and the average monthly rent for a Reno apartment is now about $1,600. Washoe County is predicted to grow from an estimated 14

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population of 493,000 this year to 620,000 people by 2030, according to the regional Consensus Forecast.

Some folks predict a prosperous future for the Truckee Meadows, where residents have high-paying jobs, and our quality of life is maintained. Others warn that choices made for short-term economic gains will create a sprawling city and county where only the wealthy can afford to live, and community needs will outpace available resources and infrastructure.

The region’s future quality of life hinges on predictions made, and policies crafted—and planning that is happening right now.

Utopia vs. dystopia?

Mike Kazmierski, president and CEO of

the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, predicts a future that is much brighter than the present. EDAWN brings businesses to the area and, according to its mission statement, works to retain those companies, promote workforce development, and maintain and improve the area’s quality of life.

The region, Kazmierski said, must grow at a steady pace or die. Residents who want to put the brakes on development should be careful what they wish for: “Ten years ago, people lost their jobs, lost their houses, and their kids couldn’t live here, because they couldn’t find jobs,” he said. “That’s a world with no growth.”

EDAWN brings in companies that pay an average of $25 an hour—jobs that “will still be here in 10 years,” Kazmierski said. The Brookings Institute, he noted, predicts that 40% of the nation’s current jobs will disappear RenoNR.com

in a decade, with workers replaced by automation and selfservice systems.

“We’re bringing in the next generation of jobs,” he said. “If we don’t, we’ll suffer the same fate as 10 years ago, when Economic development advocates say that within five years, all remaining buildable private-land parcels in the metro area will be developed. They support gaming and tourism passage of a federal law that would allow some of what is now public land took a hit, and there to be transferred to the state, which can then sell some of that real estate to was nothing to development interests. Photo by David Robert replace them.”

Kazmierski which include utilities. That means a teacher noted that companies that recently relocated to who makes just under $54,000 per year would Northern Nevada are paying an average wage of be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment $60,000 per year, and 90% of those jobs were renting for $1,348 per month. Someone making filled by people who were already living in the $68,000 per year, such as a police patrol officer, area. could afford a monthly housing cost of $1,700.

“Our kids don’t have to move out of town to Under the 30% formula, workers getting find a good job now,” he said. paid $35,000 per year should be paying $875 Salaries for jobs that can’t be automated also per month for housing—in a town where the are increasing. Hotels “can’t find a housekeeper average rent for a one-bedroom is $1,200 (or for less than $20 an hour,” he said. more, depending on the source) and rising.

“Unless the economy is dead, and people are Critics of rapid growth see a grim future, losing their houses, any community that’s viable with the gap between the haves and have-nots and is a place where you want to live has that continuing to widen. (affordable housing) problem,” Kazmierski said.

“Look at what’s happened to Lake Tahoe, “It’s not a Reno problem; it’s a national problem.” which is an enclave of the wealthy—a private Although $20 is more than double Nevada’s club,” said Toni Harsh, a former Reno City current minimum wage of $9.75 per hour, Council member who also served on the it’s still not enough to afford an apartment in Regional Planning Commission. “Is that what Reno, and that dilemma isn’t limited to service our valley will become? Where will the teachers workers. A recent report on housing costs in live? The dental assistants, receptionists, office the Truckee Meadows, where 54% of residents managers and store clerks? Who will work in are renters, uses a formula of 30% of gross the restaurants? Where do people who used to income to estimate affordable housing costs,

be thought of as middle class live when all rents Truckee Meadows, and not on distant parcels are beyond their reach?” near Fernley or Silver Springs. A website Unless the economy is dead and people are Kazmierski agrees that teachers—and many promoting the bill (www.landsbill.org) stresses other skilled and highly-educated workers— sections of the proposal that would convert some losing their houses, any community that’s are underpaid, and that housing starts have of the BLM land into Wilderness Study Areas viable and is a place where you want to live been lagging far behind demand, but those are and mentions the development of parks, trails national trends. and other amenities. Some opponents of the has that (affordable housing) problem. It’s not “We’re building a fraction of the houses we measure categorize the hype about preserving a Reno problem, it’s a national problem. built 10 years ago, and that’s the same all over public lands as “greenwashing,” a tactic to divert the country,” he said. “… The average person attention from a plan to put millions of publicly – Mike Kazmierski can’t afford a single-family home anymore, owned acres into private hands. even with two incomes. We have moved away Bob Fulkerson, founder of the Progressive CEO of the Economic Development Authority from what was the norm.”

Leadership Alliance of Nevada and the group’s of Western Nevada More than 85% of Nevada’s land is federally former director, said the lands bill is all about managed, and most of it is open for public use. urban sprawl and maximizing profits for and abundance in my region in my brief time few politicians.” That bill, she said, was seen The Truckee Meadows is an urban island in a development interests. breaks my heart. … We need more courage as something that would “further destroy our sagebrush sea, bordering on public land controlled “The same folks who tell us not to worry and (media) coverage if we’re going to change quality of life” in the Truckee Meadows. by the Bureau of Land Management and the about our water supply are also waving the the narrative and give our grandkids a fighting “Nothing much has changed in the 2022 U.S. Forest Service. A study commissioned by pompoms for the lands bill,” he said. The chance at a livable Northern Nevada.” version that I can see,” she said.

EDAWN and released in December concluded proposal would result in more tax-subsidized Rose Strickland of Reno, a longtime Nevada Strickland noted that a map prepared by that “Northern Nevada developers, especially resdeals like the one that brought Tesla to Storey conservationist and public-lands supporter, EDAWN of the area within the proposed idential, will face challenges in finding desirable County, he said, and helped drive the area’s said the land-swap proposal is a re-hash of the “disposal boundary” closest to Reno indicates parcels to accommodate projects by 2027 if nothrecord-high rent increases.

2015 bill. That measure, she said, died because the metro area’s footprint could be expanded ing is done to expand regional access to lands.”

“I shudder to think about where this is of widespread opposition by “just everybody into the hills east of Sparks. “So, it looks like at A U.S. House bill introduced in 2015 going,” Fulkerson said. “The changes I have in the community except the developers and a least some of the supporters of this bill want all proposed an initial transfer of 7.3 million acres seen related to the diminishing natural beauty of the public lands to be put of BLM land to the state, on the chopping block within half of which is located this ‘growth’ boundary,” along the Interstate 80 she said in an email to the corridor between Sparks and RN&R. “That’s what Clark Wendover. That proposal County called all of their met fierce opposition six or seven growth rings. from environmental So I wonder if this is just groups, conservationists, the first growth ring to be progressives and others. It proposed around the Truckee died when that legislative Meadows.” session adjourned. The If the lands bill passes and latest incarnation of that frees up more large parcels land-transfer bill, the for residential, commercial Truckee Meadows Public and industrial development, Lands Management Act, is planners say there will expected to be introduced in be plenty of water rights Congress this year. available to support that “We have to grow, but new growth. That’s because we cannot grow in an the Truckee Meadows unrestrained way. We need Water Authority, the area’s living wages and have to water utility, has acquired be smart about water use,” additional water rights and Kazmierski said. “The added upstream storage community failed to keep up capacity; customers adopting with housing demand, and effective conservation that’s a national problem. measures have also played a It’s pinching out the average large part. The Reno-Sparks people from the housing metro area currently uses market almost anywhere around 83,000 acre-feet of in our country other than water a year, about the same the communities where the amount as 20 years ago, even industries are dying.” though the area’s population Kazmierski said has increased by nearly 50% converting chunks of since 2000. The utility now federal land into private has about 140,000 acre feet parcels is essential for the of water available annually. area’s continued growth.

The map shows the study area that the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada is using to identify parcels In order to get their That will prevent urban suitable for development. A congressional bill expected to be introduced this year would allow for federal public land projects approved by local in that area—and other large swaths of federally managed land throughout the northern part of the state—to be sold sprawl, he said, because governments, developers and off to private developers. The yellow areas are undeveloped private land. The blue area shows what is largely federally new developments would managed public land. continued on next page rise on land adjoining the

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businesses must prove they own enough water rights to supply their needs.

As the climate warms, more winter moisture is falling as rain instead of snow, and spring snowmelt is occurring earlier. The Reno-Sparks metro nough water area gets 90% of its water from the Truckee River; groundwater accounts for the other 10%. for years Upstream reservoirs, including Stampede, Boca and Independence, provide storage that can be Even though the West is experiencing tapped in drought years. its worst drought conditions since a long arid TMWA looks at climate-change scenarios, cycle 1,200 years ago, some officials predict historical drought data and computer models to Northern Nevada has a sustainable water supply help predict future water availability. that will fuel development for 80 years. A study “We look at those and try to predict what fupublished in the journal Nature Climate Change ture impacts will be going out 20 years or more,” in February predicted the chances of the SouthZimmerman said. “… It shows that up until at west’s current drought persisting through 2030 least the 2060s, we’re not in a situation where we are 75%, when factoring in the continued impacts have a shortage.” However, the climate-change of a warming climate. predictions and models change often, ZimmerThe Truckee Meadows Water Authority says man noted, and “constantly seem to worsen. It’s a even when constant analysis worst-case for us to make climate change sure that we will Local governments need scenarios are have water reto have an open discussion plugged into sources to meet computer modfuture demand.” with their citizens, and els, Reno-Sparks Kyle Roerink, won’t have any that’s not happening now. executive water woes in director of the Political campaigns are the decades to Great Basin come. the perfect time to ask Water Network, John Zimmersaid predictions questions about what man, TMWA’s rarely reflect assistant what actually constitutes smart growth, general manager, happens. The and what do we want our noted that new area’s populadevelopment tion is growing city to become?

How much is required to a lot faster than growth is too much? … provide its own various studies water rights. anticipated, and Reno loves a quick fix, but Companies may the weather purchase agriculthere’s a bigger picture. patterns in the tural water rights Sierra Nevada What do we want this valley and convert them are delicate and to residential, volatile. to look like in 50 years? commercial and “More people industrial use, or means more de– Toni Harsh buy them from mand for water,” former member of the a pool of unashe said. “What signed rights.

Regional Planning Commission are the limits?

Over the years, Do we want to developers also get there, and have come up what will we do when we get there?” with various water-importation proposals to tap The major shift in the area’s climate pattern into more distant water sources. translates into shorter wet months and more “We don’t approve where growth happens, or precipitation in what used to be dry months, the type of growth that occurs; we’re just tasked including lots of rain in a short period of time, with making sure that there is a water supply for creating “flash runoff.” The change in weather future growth,” Zimmerman said. patterns affects not only the urban water supply, Predicting how much water may be available but also has implications for flood control and in the coming years and decades is an inexact environmental conditions downstream. science made even more of a crapshoot by the ef“What does that mean for Pyramid Lake, the fects of climate change. Studies indicate that the fish, endangered species, the Lahontan ReserSierra Nevada is undergoing a massive change in voir?” Roerink asked. “We don’t see officials precipitation patterns. talking about that.”

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While developers have to purchase water rights and pay impact fees for their projects, critics complain that communities always struggle to keep up with the overall effects of rapid growth.

“You keep hearing that growth pays for itself,” Roerink said. “That was the premise in Las Vegas, and that’s not what happened. … How can we honestly expect that to happen up here?”

He noted that growth puts pressure on roads, utilities, telecommunications, fire, police and social services: “We expand the need for government, and ultimately, the costs will fall on the ratepayers and taxpayers. Look at the public education system.

That’s a pretty good example of growth not paying for itself.”

Predictions are easy on paper, Roerink said, but reality always looks different. Water is a finite resource, and “there is no such thing as ‘new’ water. Use it here, and you’ll diminish it somewhere else. There is no such thing as unused water in this day and age.”

Fulkerson said proponents of constant growth have to keep touting the region’s comparative abundance of water to counter the constant news about the drought.

“They don’t want to put any fear in the minds of the investor class,” Fulkerson said.

He agreed with Roerink that “we have plenty of water on paper,” and although computer models and studies indicate that the availability of the resource will keep pace with growth projections, there are no guarantees.

In the meantime, he said, developers may be “ripping off the future for the sake of short-term gains”—and everyone else will pay the price.

The metro area currently uses around 83,000 acre-feet of water a year, about the same amount as 20 years ago, even though the area’s population has increased by nearly 50% since 2000. That’s because the Truckee Meadows Water Authority has added storage capacity and secured additional water rights, and its customers have adopted conservation measures. Photos by David Robert

Critics misinformed, EDAWN says Kazmierski said critics of development

either don’t understand what EDAWN does, or don’t care about positioning the region for a prosperous future in a rapidly changing nation.

The area is blessed with water resources, he said, but no one should be complacent about that.

“We do have adequate resources to meet our water need through the end of the century, (but) we will be a lot more efficient in the way we use water. When we do that, we will still have the water supplies to be vibrant community,” he said.

Kazmierski noted that EDAWN “will not support or engage with companies that are high water users. We don’t need you; go somewhere else.”

Transferring public land to private develop“There is virtually no land available in the metro ment is essential for the area to grow, Kazmierski area. If we don’t have more, we’ll have sprawl said, because “rather than sprawling out to distant with people living further away, increasing traffic, communities, we have to acquire some land near pollution and other things we don’t want.” Buildthe metro area, and not out in Timbuktu, to acing on what is now public land east of Sparks, for commodate what we see example, will allow as normal growth.” for continued growth EDAWN, he said, is but avoid the negative focused on the longconsequences of urterm quality of life in ban sprawl, he said.

Northern Nevada and Harsh, the former not just on short-term Reno City Counprofits. The tax breaks cil member, still that attract companies participates in public to the region aren’t hearings and stake“corporate welfare,” he holders’ groups when said. Incentives like the development plans 10-year abatement of the come before local tax on manufacturing officials. equipment granted to “Local governTesla make the differments need to have an ence between a company open discussion with coming to Nevada or their citizens, and putting down stakes that’s not happening somewhere else. now,” she said. “Po“It’s not a corporate litical campaigns are giveaway,” Kazmierski the perfect time to ask About 90% of the Truckee Meadows drinking questions about what said. “If we tax their water comes from the Truckee River, not groundwater constitutes smart equipment, they will go wells. The Truckee Meadows Water Authority growth, and what do to Texas or somewhere serves more than 440,000 residents of Reno, Sparks we want our city to else. We’re looking at a and Washoe County. Photo by David Robert more long-term view.” become? How much Complaining that growth is too much?

EDAWN is focused on short-term goals is … Reno loves a quick fix, but there’s a bigger “a very uninformed position,” he said. “… picture. What do we want this valley to look like Only 20% of what EDAWN does is attracting in 50 years?” companies, and 80% is retention, helping those She said expanding the metro area’s footprint companies.” About 20% of the organization’s onto what is now public land also is an example staff is focused on workforce and community of urban sprawl. She encouraged residents to development, he said. pay attention to development issues—not only in He said the area needs more “housing in the their own neighborhoods, but across the Truckee middle,” including quality rentals, townhouses Meadows. and condos, but people pushing back on growth “Ask the hard questions. What kind of city are “slowing down the creation of housing.” do we want in 20, 30, 50 years? Do we want a EDAWN, he said, is focused in five main issues: community of extremes, have and have-nots?” housing; workforce development and training; Harsh asked. “Or do we want a place that has adequate educational funding including better pay diversity—of races, ages, jobs and income levels? for teachers; childcare services; and securing more “The time to think about those things is now, land for residential and commercial development. while decisions are being made, and not after “We’re boxed in right now,” Kazmierski said. they are locked in. Then it’s too late.”

“Growth puts pressure on roads, utilities,

telecommunications, fire, police and social services. We expand the need for government and ultimately the costs will fall on the ratepayers and taxpayers. Look at the public education system. That’s a pretty good example of growth not paying for itself.

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– Kyle Roerink Executive Director of the Great Basin Water Network, Inc. RenoNR.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

| BY JESSICA SANTINA Sierra Nevada Ballet will be producing one of two local productions of Swan Lake this summer.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre One of summer’s most highly anticipated shows returns this July to Bartley Ranch Regional Park July 15-16. A.V.A.’s Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks, blends ballet with contemporary rock and pop hits, complex sets, interesting props and innovative lighting design. The result is fun, not fussy, and—bonus—it’s free.

Next is one of two local productions of Swan Lake coming to Reno this summer. A.V.A.’s version, coming Sept. 17-18 to the Pioneer Center, will feature the grand scale and classic story that have traditionally been part of this beloved classic about Odette, who has been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer and must find her true love to break the spell. The Reno Philharmonic provides the score, and the large cast includes dancers from four Reno-area ballet studios. www.avaballet.com

Setting the stage for the summer Your guide to the Reno area’s performing arts schedule Few know more about resilience and human ingenuity than the performing arts world. You can close down their theaters, put masks on their audience members or force wildfire smoke down their hardworking lungs, and they’ll still get right back up and do what they do best: entertain us.

And our need to be entertained is particularly acute right now.

As the weather warms up, local theater and dance companies will roll out rosters full of escapist fun, taking innovative approaches to identifying new talent, supporting each other and engaging audiences. Many are playing catch-up, finally unveiling shows they’ve waited two years to present (and you’ve waited two years to see).

Here’s your guide to the Reno area’s summer 18

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performing arts scene. It’s by no means all-inclusive—some companies had no information available as of press time, and others could not be reached. My apologies to anyone I’ve overlooked.

Be sure to check companies’ websites for schedule and ticketing details.

RENO

Ageless Repertory Theatre Reno’s only readers’ theater troupe takes pride in its ability to tell stories using only a script, actors and imagination. With only the barest of sets and costumes, actors perform dramatic readings of a rotating monthly slate of theater classics.

All performances are free (donations are RenoNR.com

welcome) and take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

On June 7 and 10, look for Bernard Slade’s Same Time, Next Year, about a man and a woman, both of whom are married to other people, who sleep together and then agree to meet at the same inn on every anniversary of their one-night stand.

Next comes Brandon Thomas’ classic farce, Charley’s Aunt, about a young man who has been persuaded to impersonate the elderly, wealthy aunt of one of his friends. It runs July 19 and 22, with an added special performance on Wednesday, July 20.

Also, ART is looking to add to its stable of actors. Visit the website to learn more. renolittletheater.org/art-at-rlt

Brüka Theatre The game’s afoot … the game of Clue, that is.

The beloved game of whodunit (and one of my favorite comedy films) takes the Brüka stage June 10. Director Mary Bennett plans to bring the game experience to the stage, complete with a board painted on the floor, and game pieces that help make the audience part of the proceedings.

Also running through June are the final installations of Brüka’s Invigoration Series, a collection of workshops funded by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council. Topics will include Monday night Actor Workouts led by Bennett, and a Women in Comedy workshop led by local improv and comic actor Stacy Johnson.

In the second week of July, Brüka also will bring back its summer camp for youths ages 12 to 18. This two-week intensive theater program returns students to the Brukalton Academy of Magic and Ridiculousness, a Hogwarts-type land where they will work together, under the guidance of professional artists, to produce a play from scratch.

The company wraps its season this summer and will prepare to celebrate its 30th season, which will, fingers crossed, feature the return of the season ticket program. www.bruka.org Goodluck Macbeth GLM’s summer schedule may provoke a sense of déjà vu; it features a couple plays that were originally slated for 2020. Good things come to those who wait.

On June 17 and 18, catch the Ten 10-Minute Play Festival. You’ll see 10 original works from 10 different directors, each written specifically for

this festival in response to a prompt—and running 10 minutes in length. Plays were specifically solicited from high school and college students with the intent of developing emerging talent.

Straight out of the 2020 lineup comes a highly anticipated, irreverent comedy: Matt Cox’s Puffs, July 8-30. It’s the story of seven years at a certain school of magic, where a certain famous wizard does some important things. But he doesn’t live in the frequently ignored Hufflepuff house, which is what this story is really about.

GLM’s commitment to new work has helped it to become a proving ground for up-andcoming playwrights. Last year, it was home to the world premiere of Gina Stevenson’s The Colony, and this year, its New Works Initiative will return Aug. 12-27 to present three more new works. The first of these is Donna Hoke’s Finding Neil Patrick Harris, the story of two nail techs who become an unlikely team when they hear a favorite customer’s bizarre dying wish, and set out to help make it come true.

Two staged readings will be presented during this run: Justin Lopez’s The Re-education of Fernando Morales on Aug. 20, and Amy Tofte’s Cardboard Castles Hung on Walls on Aug. 27.

Then all eyes turn to October, when executive director Chris Daniels, who is stepping down from his post to pursue other interests, will do a farewell performance of the first show of his tenure with GLM, Evil Dead: The Musical. www.goodluckmacbeth.org

Nevada Ballet’s Dancing by the River, on July 12. This free performance of eight works will showcase different styles of choreography, from classical ballet to jazz and tap. Tap superstar Sam Weber and singer Cami Thompson will also perform.

Next from SNB is the summer’s other Swan Lake, choreographed by artistic director Rosine Bena, who set out to make the classical ballet more appealing for younger, modern audiences by shortening it from four acts to two, and changing the original melancholy ending to one that Bena though was more believable (and less of a bummer). It will appear at three venues: the Eldorado Showroom on July 22, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival on July 25, and the Carson City Community Center on Aug. 6. sierranevadaballet.org

Reno Little Theater RLT’s summer lineup seems to be a study of group dynamics. First comes Native Gardens

by Karen Zacarias, running June 10-26. It’s the story of a young Latino couple—Pablo, a high-powered lawyer, and his pregnant, doctoral candidate wife, Tania—who become first-time homeowners and soon are embroiled in an allout war over a fence line.

Then comes another show originally slated for 2020: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, July 15-Aug. 7. This musical comedy about middle schoolers facing off in a spelling bee will include audience interaction.

(Brush up on your spelling, folks.)

Though its own season will wrap in August, RLT also plays host to Ageless Repertory Theatre and Sunday For the Love of Jazz shows, held monthly. Look for fusion jazz group NIMBUS on June 19 and The Jazzettes (Cami Thompson, Erika Paul and Julie Machado) on July 17.

RLT also will support another local performing arts company, Sierra School of Performing Arts, for its summer production of Into the Woods. (See below to.) renolittletheater.org

The Theatre This newly renovated theater on Keystone Avenue is Reno’s home to Kevin and Caruso’s Magique, which features dazzling illusions and slick production quality, including special effects and multimedia. The show runs every Saturday and is appropriate for all ages.

Though RogueWorx’s residency of #Millennial wrapped on May 27, the company plans its return in winter. www.wethetheatre.com

Sierra Nevada Ballet I couldn’t be happier to say that Artown shows are back at Wingfield Park this summer, and a capstone of the annual arts festival is Sierra

The Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts The Broadway Comes to Reno series will bring two perennial favorites to the Pioneer stage this summer. From June 14-19, catch Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece Cats; then Hadestown, the musical based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, takes the stage July 26-31.

The Pioneer also will host several local productions, including the Reno Philharmonic’s Disney in Concert show on June 5; Core Connection Dancy Company’s performance on June 9; and, of course, A.V.A. Ballet’s Swan Lake. pioneercenter.com

TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada Reno’s resident youth theater company joins the Artown fun with its production of Little Shop of Horrors, July 8-31, in its updated space on Spokane Street. The show puts some of the company’s longtime actors at center stage to demonstrate their talents in this dynamic musical.

TWNN also returns its summer theater camp in two week-long sessions, June 13-24, as well as classes for littles and teens; see the website for details. twnn.org

SPARKS

Restless Artists Theatre RAT, which has been one of the most prolific local theater companies over the last two turbulent years, is working hard to prepare for an ambitious sixth season, launching this fall.

Kevin and Caruso’s Magique, which features dazzling illusions and slick production quality, takes place every Saturday at The Theatre.

In the meantime, you have July’s Admissions

by Joshua Harmon, a comedy about an admissions officer at a liberal New England prep school who is struggling to diversify the school in line with the 21st century values and her own parental desires. rattheatre.org

wife of the capitol’s founder and your guide (played by Mary Bennett)—and her fellow “spirit wranglers” take you on a walking tour of Carson City’s most historic and haunted locales. The 90-minute tours depart from Bob McFadden Plaza on Saturdays. carsoncityghostwalk.com

Sierra School of Performing Arts SSPA’s late-summer outdoor performances at Bartley Ranch have lately fallen victim to smoke, with the forced cancellation of many performances the last two years.

Fortunately, Reno Little Theater stepped up to offer its space as a contingency location, should SSPA’s summer 2022 production of Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods suffer a similar fate. The show is scheduled to run August 12-27 at Bartley Ranch, as usual, but RLT will hold some dates aside for contingencies. Further September performances also will be specifically ticketed for RLT’s smaller indoor venue (dates TBD). intothewoodsreno.com

Wild Horse Productions Broadway-style musicals with impressive production quality have become a mainstay of this company, which offers opportunities for both children and adults.

Wild Horse Stage Company, its adult division, looks to take on high-stepping classic A Chorus Line, August 19-28 at the Brewery Arts Center. The company has brought on Anthony Mendoza, a local inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) consultant, to assist in ensuring equitable, inclusive casting and staging for this production.

Wild Horse Children’s Theater will be focused on its summer camp, Camp Whoville, July 18-22, which will focus on Dr. Seuss’ Seussical JR., the company’s spring 2023 production. In August, look for auditions for the fall production of Oliver! JR. www.wildhorsetheater.com

CARSON CITY/ CARSON VALLEY

Carson Valley Community Theatre It all started with a line of greeting cards, Nunsense, featuring a nun offering comedic quips. They became so popular that their creator, Dan Goggin, expanded them in a cabaret show, The Nunsense Story, which CVCT presented several years ago. Now its sequel, Nunsense II: The Second Coming, about five performing nuns looking to make it big, from CVCT director Ann Delahay, will take the stage July 15-24 at the CVIC Hall in Minden. www.carsonvalleycommunitytheatre.org Carson City Ghost Walk Commune with spirits as Madame Curry— RenoNR.com

LAKE TAHOE

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival According to Joe Atack, LTSF’s education director, tickets are selling faster for the upcoming 2022 season than in years past.

Perhaps it’s this year’s lineup. From July 1-Aug. 21, in addition to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, one of the Bard’s most popular comedies, the festival also will present, in rotation, the smash hit musical Mamma Mia!, as well as a series of local entertainment from the Reno Philharmonic, the Reno Jazz Orchestra and more. laketahoeshakespeare.com | June 2022

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ART OF THE STATE

| BY KRIS VAGNER Erin Brothers, director of impact at The Generator, talks with a visitor at a spring 2022 open house. Photo/ Kris Vagner

Ch-ch-changes of venue The Reno art scene has evolved since the RN&R was last in print

Welcome back, RN&R print readers! Phew, it’s been a long pandemic! The shutdown was brutal on the arts industry. But this is one resilient community. Since early 2020, a few new venues have opened, some have moved, and more are slated to open soon.

If quarantine and post-quarantine have you feeling like you’ve lost the lay of the land when it comes to where to go see art and make art, here’s the latest.

Getting crafty Atelier in Reno 2135 Dickerson Road www.atelierinreno.com Back before anyone ever heard the word “COVID-19,” the folks who ran Atelier, a boutique art and craft supply shop on Truckee’s main drag, were considering expanding their popular how-to workshops into Reno.

Late in 2021, a Reno branch opened under the direction of local artist Kelly Wallis, in the back room of the specialty plant shop Sierra Water Gardens on Dickerson Road.

Later, when the plant shop moved to new digs, Atelier expanded into the entire storefront. Unlike the Truckee location, Atelier in Reno’s is not a supply shop. It’s entirely dedicated to workshops. Sewing, knitting, calligraphy and macrame are just a few of the sessions coming up. These aren’t the kind of workshops you need to schedule off 20

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a whole month or season for; the idea here is that you can attend one afternoon session, and leave with a new skill and a finished product.

Spiritual vortex Savage Mystic Gallery 538 S. Virginia St www.savagemysticart.com The South Virginia Street storefront that used to house Ceol Irish Pub sat empty from St. Patrick’s Day eve 2020 until July 2021, when a new tenant opened to showcase spiritual artwork of any and all denominations. Savage Mystic Gallery is named after its owner, Morgan Savage. It’s programmed by Pan Pantoja, longtime director of the Potentialist Workshop. The venue offers a rental space for events, “art fortune” readings and an eclectic range of artwork that rotates monthly.

The June show will feature metal artist Jeff Schomberg, the fabricator of the “Believe” sculpture in City Plaza, and July’s show spotlights neon artist Jeff Johnson.

(If you’re wondering where Ceol went, the beloved watering hole did eventually reopen at 410 California Ave., between Lander Street and Arlington Avenue.)

Beyond brick-and-mortar Holland Project Billboard Gallery www.hollandreno.org In keeping with the concept of “virtual” venues RenoNR.com

that artgoers got used to in 2020—drive-through MFA shows, Zoom critiques and video tours of exhibitions—this new-in-2022 venue is another creative solution to the brick-and-mortar galleries we had to do without for a while.

The idea of putting art on billboards had been simmering on the back burner for years at the Holland Project, Reno’s popular youth arts hub.

The shutdown made the idea of showing local artwork outside of a physical gallery space feel urgent. With a grant from the city of Reno’s “Art Belongs Here” initiative, which funds public art in more residential, less tourist-traveled neighborhoods (think “mural on a firehouse,” as opposed to “sculpture in a downtown plaza”), Holland launched its Billboard Gallery project, featuring artwork blown up to existing commercial billboards.

The images rotate monthly. The locations vary, but they tend to be in areas without a history of major public artworks, like the intersection of Keystone Avenue and Second Street, and near the Wells Avenue overpass.

Recent billboards have featured work by well-known locals such as printmaker Nathaniel Benjamin, and Julia Schwadron Marianelli, painter and South Lake Tahoe Community College art professor. But artists don’t need a mile-long resume to be considered.

“Since we can curate three artists at one time, we try to have a mix of established and also very emerging,” said Alana Berglund, Holland’s associate director. Adam Benedict, who was among the May artists, is still a student. The

June artists are Ruby Barrientos, Ron Rash and Kai Morikawa.

New makerspace digs in Sparks The Generator 2450 Oddie Blvd., Sparks www.therenogenerator.com After seven years in an industrial neighborhood in Sparks and a couple of temporary locations in Reno, the Generator reopened to the public at its new location in the old Lowe’s, near Oddie and Silverado boulevards. This location is part of a larger, new development, the Oddie District, slated to eventually include retail establishments, a distillery, and an Idaho-based business incubator.

Some things at the new Generator are the same—like rental spaces for individual artists, ties to the Burning Man art community, and workshops where you can pick up skills in woodworking, welding or sewing. Some things have changed a bit—like the expanded family and K-12 programming.

Mall makeover (coming soon) Makers Paradise + Wandering Wyld 370 Casazza Dr. (Entrance on Plumb Lane) The shopping center at Plumb Lane and Virginia Street—formerly Shoppers Square (with the Marshall’s)—is now Reno Public Market (with the Sprouts Farmers Market), and it is still undergoing a major remodel. When the space is finished, it will include two new art venues.

One is Makers Paradise, a local branch of a Berkeley makerspace with the same name, with a current target opening date around September.

The other is Wandering Wyld, a retail shop stocked with local artwork, run by Jessie Phillips and Rachel Macintyre, proprietors of The Virgil co-working, and event space and Wyld Market, a long-running pop-up artist market series.

One of the recent Holland Project billboards, by Julia Schwadron Marianelli. Photo/Kris Vagner

ART OF THE STATE

| BY OWEN BRYANT Ruby Barrientos: “I felt it was important to have a box on Wells when they offered it to me, since Wells has always been a Latinx community.”

Photo/Owen Bryant

Adding vibrancy

Reno’s Art Signals program turns electrical boxes into art

Reno is big on public art. It’s probably the only city in the world whose City Hall is guarded by a gigantic “Space Whale,” after all.

Megan Berner, the city’s arts and culture manager, coordinates the city’s Public Art Program, which manages more than 200 indoor and outdoor art pieces around Reno— including the painted electrical signal boxes you see at intersections all over town. The boxes are part of the Art Signals program, which the Reno Public Art Committee started in 2008. The goal is to highlight local artists and to give color to otherwise blank infrastructure. It began on a small scale, with only a handful of artists recruited to decorate a limited area.

“They started with a very core area of downtown, so there were probably about eight that first year,” Berner said. “And then we turned it into an annual program, and it’s grown to include over 50 signal boxes all over the city. We expanded into the north valleys, south Reno, and other neighbor-

hoods because it was so popular.”

As the scope of Art Signals grows, so does the number of artists wishing to participate.

The call for artists typically happens online, in January to February, with applications and proposals reviewed during the spring, and painting taking place by early summer; artists receive $500 upon completion. This year alone saw 45 applicants—the most ever—but with only 13 boxes to paint, it looks to be a competitive selection process.

Art Signals is designed to be an introductory-level program, so those with no experience in public art are encouraged to participate. In the past, some artists would apply each year and paint multiple boxes, but now, with so many applicants, a lot of new faces are coming forward.

One of these faces is Ruby Barrientos, a Reno local and first-generation Salvadoran-American artist. Barrientos is Reno’s current City Artist, a position created in 2019 to honor local visual artists who, in turn, represent the city, engaging the public with art, public talks and curated exhibitions. Experienced in a variety of mediums,

she painted a signal box at the corner of Wells Avenue and Vassar Street.

“When I applied, it was during the pandemic,” Barrientos said. “They had to put a hold on it for a minute, and then they reached back out to me. I ended up changing my design to something else. … It’s a mix of my Salvadoran and Mayan roots. There are both of (those cultures) in there that I’m showing through my work.

“I felt it was important to have a box on Wells when they offered it to me, since Wells has always been a Latinx community. I felt it was important to have that representation on Wells, especially with the gentrification that’s happening here.”

She pointed out that the very coffee shop we sat in during our chat was formerly a boutique that sold quinceañera dresses. (It moved across the street.) Her box stands proudly against its monotone concrete and brick surroundings, featuring a bright and intricate mosaic of totemic designs that pay homage to the peoples and cultures that make the neighborhood what it is.

The memory of her last visit to El Salvador in 2017 was quite meaningful, Barrientos said, and she wanted to bring part of that everyday culture back to the Wells neighborhood.

“Part of it is my own characters and things that I normally draw,” Barrientos said. “And then the other part is me touching on all the Salvadoran art that I would see done by artisans in the community when I visited, but in my own style, so that was me fusing my culture and bringing it here and putting it on Wells.”

A box at Keystone Avenue and Fifth Street, near the new In-N-Out Burger, depicts two sinewy red horses tearing across the surface, frozen in some kind of apocalyptic struggle, with their hooves tangled in thorny briars. This is the work of Reno-based printmaker and muralist Nathaniel Benjamin. A seasoned public artist, Benjamin also runs Laika Press, a local nonprofit printmaking space.

Like Barrientos, Benjamin had seen the painted signal boxes around town and applied five or six years ago when the city put out the yearly call for artists. He’d done a few smaller murals around town in before, and he adapted his technique to the three-dimensional shape of the signal box fairly easily.

“It was interesting, because you are very exposed to the whole world,” Benjamin said. “With this particular signal box, it’s at a very busy intersection, so a lot of people were talking to me as I was painting, and giving their opinions of what I was doing or being excited about it. There was RenoNR.com

one guy who was coming by repeatedly, being offended by the fact that I was painting it.”

Benjamin explained that a lot of people don’t realize that these are pieces commissioned by the city. He said he even had to explain himself to the police at one point.

“When you’re in a public place painting, it’s like you are putting your voice out there in a way that not everyone is able to,” he said. “So there’s a tension there, because not everyone is comfortable with you saying whatever you have to say. Maybe they don’t understand it, or especially when it’s in the process and they just see some blobs of color, it’s like, ‘What do you think you’re doing, you know?’”

Benjamin painted his horses to represent the various emotions people were feeling at a time with a lot of political tension. To him, horses are symbols of power and strength, breaking through barriers, but they’re also beasts of burden, representing the hard work and struggles of the masses.

“I have my own opinions, but I don’t want that to be necessarily what people bring to it,” Benjamin said.

Berner said that the Art Signals program is the most popular thing the Reno Public Art Program does.

“I think that it contributes to this character and sense of place,” Berner said. “We have all these unique, original artworks on the corners that brighten up the neighborhood. They do deter graffiti. They kind of add some vibrancy to our cityscape—and originality.”

Barrientos offered some advice to local artists who may be considering applying to the program: “Go for it, It’s really not as difficult as it might seem. I think a lot of the time, applications and that whole formality deters people who maybe aren’t too familiar, and it can feel intimidating.

But I would say: Just try to move past that. Reach out to other artists in the community who you’ve seen do these boxes, and I’m sure they’d be more than willing to help, like I would. So if there’s anyone out there who wants help, I can definitely support them in that way—and I’d love to see more artists of color doing them.”

Benjamin agreed with Barrientos’ advice to artists: Don’t be afraid.

“That’s No. 1,” Benjamin said. “It’s very manageable, and I think especially with the people who run the city arts right now, it is very accessible, and they do their best to include new artists. So don’t stop yourself before you give yourself a chance, for sure.”

For more information on the Art Signals program, visit www.reno.gov/community/arts-culture/ public-art/art-signals. View the art of Ruby Barrientos and Nathaniel Benjamin on Instagram @ ruby_jo and @nathaniel.benjamin, respectively. | June 2022

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FILM

| BY BOB GRIMM

Illustration

by Michael Grimm 22

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The summer movie and TV preview Bob Grimm’s thoughts on what the toasty season will bring to screens both big and small

It’s been several years since I’ve written one of these summer movie preview stories.

Why? Well, there was that invasive viral nightmare that disrupted so many lives. You know, that horrid five-letter word that devastated the nation—draining us of our energy, and making it hard to venture out and partake in something like public movie-viewing.

Yeah, Trump sure did mess with my biochemical makeup. Shit, I didn’t want to leave the house to go to the damn movie theaters; that jerk squelched my drive to breathe, let alone write summer movie previews.

There was that lousy COVID thing, too. It sent movies running away from their release dates—like coked-up Olympian track athletes after 17 venti Starbucks—to a safer time in the future when they could be watched in a happy theater, perhaps, if viewers so dared, without a mask. (I still throw one on at the theater; there’s a lot of sloppy riffraff in those places, myself included.)

Apparently, that happy safe (?) time is now, with some big films—some long delayed— coming your way in the next few months. It looks like a semi-respectable “summer movie season” is shaping up.

Additionally, there are some exciting TV premieres this summer for those of you who are thinking, “Theaters are for dicks; I ain’t leaving this house. Turn on my massage chair, and get me some Skittles!”

Here is a sampling of some big movies and TV events coming your way. The release dates here are the officially announced dates as of this writing, but things change, and movies don’t always open in all markets at once, so don’t be writing this shit into your calendar with a Sharpie.

Bowen Yang co-stars in what is, apparently, a gay version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This has got to be better than 2016’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Hustle (June 8): There’s new Netflix stuff all over the place this summer. (They are sorry about the rate hikes … they are really, really sorry!) Adam Sandler, who seems to be loving his Netflix deal, stars as a basketball scout in this, one of his dramatic offerings, which tend to be better than the comedy ones—unless you count Reign Over Me and The Cobbler, which sucked just as much as Jack and Jill. Scratch that; nothing sucked as much as Jack and Jill.

Jurassic World Dominion (June 10): This is being pushed as the film that will close out the franchise. Yeah, right: They’ll be watching new Jurassic Park movies a gazillion years in the future while the Earth is being apocalyptically swallowed by the sun. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and the rotting corpse of Sir Richard Attenborough return for the farewell party alongside Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Dinosaurs try to take over the world in this one, which looks like an extension of that short sequence in Spielberg’s Jurassic Park: The Lost World in which a T-Rex was running around San Diego.

Lightyear (June 17): Every superhero needs its origin story, and Buzz Lightyear is getting one. Chris Evans voices Buzz, the astronaut who inspired the toy that appears in the Toy Story movies, originally voiced by Tim Allen.

(I guess his contract to voice all incarnations of Buzz didn’t go to infinity and beyond.) It’s a Pixar movie in theaters for a change. Many of them have been going straight to Disney+ lately.

Spiderhead (June 17): Chris Hemsworth stars in this Netflix movie about a dude with a spiderhead who is totally alienated from society and can’t find a single hat to fit his seriously odd, spider-like head. He can’t get a date to the big ballroom dance, because he’s really fucking ugly and scary, and his dog won’t come in the house, because she is too freaked out. He decides to start eating people with his spider mouth—not only for nourishment, but for the five or six minutes of much-needed social interaction they pathetically provide as they are suffering through a nightmarish, agonizing, screaming spiderhead death.

Advanced screenings are indicating that it’s like Edward Scissorhands with an arachnid spin, and with Hemsworth instead of Johnny Depp, because nobody wants to cast that dirty whore after hearing so much about him and Amber Heard’s poop.

Actually, that’s just the movie I wish this was.

As it stands, it’s some movie starring Hemsworth and Miles Teller about weird medical experiments. Hey, maybe those medical experiments are how people are getting spiderheads?

The Black Phone (June 24): Based on a story by Stephen King’s son Joe Hill, this film has Ethan Hawke reuniting with his Sinister director Scott Derrickson (who also directed the first Doctor Strange) to play a creepy kidnapper of children. Sinister terrified me in parts, and I’m interested in seeing Hawke, now a favorite actor of mine, going full psycho.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (June 24): Jenny Slate famously voiced the title character in a short film a few years back, and now the talking shell gets its own movie.

Elvis (June 24): A few years in the making,

BIG MOVIES

Top Gun: Maverick (May 27): By the time you have this thing in your hand, Tom Cruise’s mega-sequel is likely gracing screens and setting the box office on fire, blowing everybody’s faces off. Delayed so many times it didn’t seem we’d ever get a chance to see it, this film looks to be the one that will set the pace for summer.

I hated the original with all of my guts and ankles, but I am looking forward to this new chance to be blown away. As for the soundtrack, Lady Gaga > Kenny Loggins and Berlin.

Crimes of the Future (June 2): Director David Cronenberg goes down his oft-traveled horror path with the likes of Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux, coming along for what’s sure to be a yucky venture.

Fire Island (June 3): Saturday Night Live star

this is the movie Tom Hanks was working on in Australia when he was one of the first high-profile people to get the ’rona. The title says it all: This is about Elvis (Austin Butler) with Hanks under a ton of prosthetics as his legendary and notorious agent, Colonel Tom Parker.

Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8): Natalie Portman picks up the hammer as a new Thor in this second Thor film from director Taika Waititi. (He did the endearingly, eccentrically funny Thor: Ragnarok.) Weird Funny Thor > Dark Brooding Thor.

The Gray Man (July 15):The summer of Netflix continues with this Ryan Gosling vehicle.

It’s been four years since Gosling has been in a movie! Some kids have gone through every grade of high school since he appeared as Neil Armstrong in First Man. Now he’s The Gray Man, a CIA operative in the latest from directors Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame).

On a side note: While I doubt it will ever see the light of day, Gosling is currently slated to star in Wolfman, directed by frequent collaborator Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines). That’s something I want to see.

Persuasion (July 15): Here’s another Jane Austen flick, this one starring Dakota Johnson.

And, Jesus, it’s on Netflix.

Where the Crawdads Sing (July 15): The very talented Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as a girl living in a swamp who becomes a murder suspect. Something tells me this one will be good, and it will have frogs in it.

Nope (July 22): Jordan Peele’s third directorial foray into horror has its plot tightly under wraps, but some of the preview footage makes it look like an alien-invasion movie. Whatever it is, it’s one of the summer’s best bets for something new and original.

Bullet Train (Aug. 5): Brad Pitt gets to do his goofy “Floyd from True Romance” routine as a tired assassin who gets in a lot of fights on the title vehicle.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (Aug. 5): I don’t care about TMNT … just mentioning this one because it is yet another Netflix offering. They are really trying to make sure that the $787.53 per month you pay for their service is worth it!

Bodies Bodies Bodies (Aug. 5): This slasher film starring Maria Bakalova (from the latest Borat movie) and Pete Davidson supposedly skewers Gen-Z as bodies pile up at a truly lousy party.

Day Shift (Aug. 12): Another Netflix film.

This one is a Jamie Foxx comedy. They are going to raise their fee to $972.81 and one of

Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love and Thunder.

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FILM PRESENTS

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DM EA FRE

The Ballet That Rocks

July 15 and 16, 2022

Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch L

HI OP

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September 17 and 18, 2022

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts WWW.AVABALLET.COM

The Reno Jazz Orchestra presents

LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD

your toes per month to cover all of these film budgets.

Me Time (Aug. 26): Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart team up for the summer’s 9 billionth Netflix offering.

Samaritan (Aug. 26): Late August is the resting place for a lot of Sylvester Stallone movies, and this year is no exception. He plays a superhero who disappeared; this film looks like it’s got kind of a Hancock vibe. I’m always rooting for Sly, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this one, chief. The acrid taste of Rambo: Last Blood is still polluting my mouth.

Salem’s Lot (Sept. 9): This late summer entry is the first theatrical take on Stephen King’s vampire story after some TV efforts (including a celebrated one by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, which, after I wrote this, I downloaded). Please, please let it be better than that Firestarter horse dump currently on Peacock.

BIG TV SHOWS

Stranger Things 4 (May 27 on Netflix): OK, Jim Hopper didn’t die in Season 3, and the Russian-villain angle takes on all new meaning after the real-life events of this year. And, according to the trailer, Eleven still screams a lot. Season 3 was a nice upswing after a just-OK season 2.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (May 27 on Disney+): Even if you didn’t like the prequels (I did), we can probably agree that Ewan McGregor was the best thing about them as young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now, he gets to play middle-aged ObiWan hanging out on Tatooine spying on a young Luke Skywalker. Hayden Christensen also returns as Emo Vader.

The Boys (June 3 on Amazon Prime Video): I was a late comer to The Boys, but I thoroughly enjoyed most of what I saw in the first two seasons. More than happy to witness a third.

Westworld (June 26 on HBO): I bailed on

The Music of the Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Orchestra Doug Coomler, Music Director Sat. June 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm Sun. June 5, 2022 at 4:00 pm Good Luck Macbeth Theatre 142 W. Taylor Street, Reno Tickets: renojazzorchestra.org Harvey Guillén in What We Do in the Shadows.

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continued from Page 23 this one back when Anthony Hopkins was still on the show, and it was actually set in the fake Old West. If you like it, you are getting more.

Only Murders in the Building (June 28 on Hulu): How damn delightful was that first goround with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez? Delightful enough to merit a second round, and, man, it’s so good to see Martin and Short in fine form again.

What We Do in the Shadows (July 12 on FX): Supreme Leader Jimmy Boegle has virtually demanded that I watch this show. I loved the movie, but haven’t seen the show. He claims it is fantastic, and he admonished me for my lazy viewership. I, as always, accept his criticism, but do not trust his taste in footwear.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Aug. 17 on Disney +): Just saw the trailer … this one looks very silly.

House of the Dragon (Aug. 21 on HBO): Man, I just never got it on with Game of Thrones. I promised friends and family members I’d watch it … and failed. I saw the first season, and then sporadic episodes thereafter. I found it mildly amusing, although I did enjoy it when the dragon lady went crazy and annihilated that village with her scaly flying pet, Trogdor style! Now comes this prequel, and I am going to attempt to watch this, and then actually watch Game of Thrones in its entirety afterward. I am pledging here to do this. I am also admitting, here, to the fact that this probably won’t happen.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Sept. 2 on Prime Video): Hmm, what’s going to happen with this one, Amazon’s attempt to counter the Thrones prequel? It’s basically original stories inspired by Tolkien’s novels, but I still have a bad case of the shakes after that Hobbit trilogy slog. Amazon put a lot into this one, so we’d better all watch it, lest we want free Prime delivery to go away. Not that free Prime delivery really exists. That’s kind of a hoax, right?

After a two-year break because of, well, you know, Northern Nevada's best Best Of is back.

First-round voting starts June 20 at RenoNR.com RenoNR.com

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FOOD

| BY TODD SOUTH Does Kwok’s Bistro have the best Chinese food in town? Owner Kwok Chen is a James Beard Award semi-finalist. Photo/Todd South

World food

Local restaurants offer a wide variety of various cuisines—but a few are missing

The Northern Nevada food scene has expanded tremendously in recent years.

I love to explore the diversity of dining options—but there are still cuisines and food specialties we don’t have.

Therefore, I decided to poll some fellow foodies on social media to start a conversation.

The lack of proper Jewish and Italian delis got mentioned quite a bit. It does seem odd that the best option for tongue sandwich, knish or matzo ball soup is inside the Atlantis Casino Resort. Michael’s Deli also serves potato knishes and a “mile high” pastrami sandwich. Liberty Food and Wine Exchange produces some very good housemade salumi and other Italian treats, including my favorite squid ink seafood pasta and gnocchi.

Speaking of Italian, some felt that our 26

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local options are lacking. I’m no expert, but I’ve enjoyed many servings of fresh pasta, cioppino and pizza of nearly every style. (I could write an entire article on pizza alone!) The Kitchen Table is a well-received new favorite, with dishes such as ravioli uovo. Smiling With Hope Pizza produces a thin-crust pie that has won national attention—but don’t leave without a fresh-piped cannoli or signature cannoli sandwich.

My Czech grandmother’s cooking was my introduction to central and eastern European dishes. Wiener schnitzel and Austrian potato salad were picnic food. Von Bismarck serves an elevated biergarten take on schnitzel and spaetzle, and Bazaar European has the best—and perhaps only—borscht, blinchiki and pelmeni in town.

The chef at Kaffe Crepe is Slovenian, mixing her European recipes with twists provided by her Mexican husband. The result is memorable.

The Cajun/creole flavors of New Orleans and RenoNR.com

the bayou make a bit of an appearance on local menus, but some of the best poboys and beignets have come and gone. Etouffee? Please tell me where. We do have a few decent examples of barbecue, but for soul food, M&M’s Southern Cafe is your best bet.

What was the No. 1 thing mentioned as missing? “A real dim sum restaurant.” Dim sum is Cantonese tradition translated as “touch the heart,” and consists of a variety of steamed and fried dumplings, buns and other small bites that make for a meal when combined. The best local option is weekend High Tea Dim Sum at Rice Box Kitchen. Reservations recommended.

Korean barbecue finally came to town!

“Banchan” side dishes are served with a variety of raw meats and veggies, which are cooked by the diner on a grill at the table. Reno now has two such places that I know of, and Siu Korean BBQ is my favorite. Korean-inspired eateries serving varieties of bibimbap, bulgogi, etc. have made their mark, with Arario Midtown being a standout.

Vietnamese pho and Japanese ramen are endlessly discussed. I’ve sampled most in the area, and 999 Pho is among the best, with excellent broth and generous portions. Haru and Kauboi Izakaya both serve up very good ramen and other really interesting Japanese items.

Some folks decry Reno/Sparks/Carson City all-you-can-eat sushi, but I’m a stalwart fan.

Though it’s tough to suggest just one place, Hinoki never disappoints.

I’m not alone in declaring Kwok’s Bistro as the best Chinese food in town; owner Kwok Chen is a James Beard Award semi-finalist, after all. Current takeout favorites include The Wok and O’A Chinese Food. Shanghai Bistro offers hot pot and a menu of authentic fare for the more adventurous. When it comes to Thai food, we’re blessed to have many options, but Thai Lotus, Moo Dang, and The Basil in Carson City are tops in my book.

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean get frequent mention. We briefly had a couple Moroccan options and a fully Persian place I enjoyed while it lasted. Suri’s Mediterranean is my choice for Lebanese shawarma, dolma and hummus, with Persian tea and ice cream of special note. Niko’s Greek Kitchen has the gyro, spanakopita and moussaka you’re looking for.

Aladdin’s Market and Kitchen has lots to offer, including baba ganoush and ingredients for Mediterranean home cooking.

For sub-Saharan cuisine, we have one great option: Zagol Ethiopian Cuisine. it’s a must-vis-

it for delicious food served on injera bread, and the most amazing coffee preparation from the motherland of the bean.

We don’t have any true Spanish options— though a few spots feature paella—so the main Iberian influence is Basque. If you seek paella and seven varieties of housemade chorizo, Villa Basque Café in Carson City is pretty great. For Basque-American family-style dining, I recommend J.T. Basque in Gardnerville. It offers great food, served in an historic building loaded with local color.

Caribbean food is oft-mentioned, and we have very little of it. Sporadic attempts at sandwich Cubano notwithstanding, where is the Cuban ropa vieja, Puerto Rican mofongo, Jamaican jerk chicken, Dominican sancocho, and Haitian soup joumou?

Salvadoran pupusas arrived in Reno a couple of decades ago, and now they’re at many Mexican taquerias. But La Santaneca in Carson City has a menu with mostly Salvadoran options; I recommend the el tipico plate for a proper sampling. Churrasco is our lone Brazilian steakhouse, exceptional enough to survive having opened in February 2020. Sabor serves up a variety of Peruvian and Argentinian specialties, mixed in with Mexican items. I wholeheartedly recommend the beef heart anticuchos.

Perhaps the only Portuguese-influenced items available are included on Hawaiian and Filipino menus. For Hawaiian, there are a few options, but I highly recommend Aloha Shack, with first-rate loco moco, lau lau, kalua pork and “Shack Chicken.” Poke bowls now abound, with Bluefin Poke being among the best. Isla de Manila has some tasty Filipino pancit, sisig and lumpia. My wife loved the dinuguan—pork blood stew—though “chocolate meat” is not for me.

With Indian and related cuisines, we’ve had quite a few come and go. I was hooked by my first taste of murgh makhani, saag paneer and naan 30 years ago. Taste of India, Royal India, and Haveli Indian Cuisine are favorites, with Thali and Maya’s South Indian Cuisine providing excellent vegetarian and vegan options.

Mexican munchies are my default comfort food, a broad category with regional variations.

I get frustrated with comments like, “We don’t have any good Mexican food.” Surely out of the dozens available, there’s one you’ll enjoy.

Chavelita’s Cocina Mexicana is one of my favorite take-out taquerias, followed by Anna’s Mexican Grill, and La Posada Real for a sitdown family meal. Carlillos Cocina’s Mexican brunch is worth the wait for a counter stool. All of Mari Chuy’s locations are splendid, each a bit different. Carniceria La Chiquita Meat Market and Deli packs a lot of deliciousness into a small space, as does Carniceria Dos Amigos.

I could go on and on about every Mexican place I love in the area—but I won’t.

MUSICBEAT

| BY MATT KING Primus’ current tour, A Tribute to Kings, features the band covering Rush’s A Farewell to Kings album in its entirety, in addition to performing their own music.

Creations, covers, changing sounds

Primus, coming to the GSR, celebrates new music and honors their heroes on the ‘A Tribute to Kings’ tour When Primus emerged in the early ’90s, the band’s unique and colorful approach to rock music led the group to success. In the years since, drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde and bassist/ frontman Les Claypool have created one of the most singular and influential bodies of work in all of music—while their shifting sound has kept them on the road and in the public eye.

Top tracks “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” “My Name Is Mud” and “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” offered hints of hard rock, funk, metal and other genres. After a threeyear hiatus from 2000 to 2003, the band regrouped and started a new era: Since releasing that year’s Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP, the band has experimented more with long-form jams and psychedelic rock.

Now, in 2022, Primus has released Conspiranoid, a three-song EP featuring an 11-minute epic, titled “Conspiranoia.” The band is set to perform at the Grand Sierra Resort at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 18.

“We’ve kind of been joking around, like,

‘Hey, we should just do a 20-minute prog-rock song, kind of like old-school Yes and Rush,’” said guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde during a recent phone interview. “When we went in to record, we tried to do that—but we only got to around 11 1/2 or 12 minutes.”

The band’s sound is driven by the wickedly talented bass of Les Claypool; LaLonde shared how his bandmate led the recording of “Conspiranoia.”

“Les had mapped out the song as far as how he wanted it to go,” LaLonde said. “He orchestrated it; then we went in and banged it out. The end of it just kind of went until we finished. What’s there is actually live—that’s what we recorded, and we didn’t go back and edit anything or switch anything. We just blasted it out.”

Beyond the 11-minute epic, Conspiranoid features two B-sides: The chugging, stompalong anthem “Follow the Fool,” and the experimental sci-fi creeper “Erin on the Side of Caution.”

“During the pandemic, I was mostly stuck in my studio, so I’ve got a lot of riffs and stuff,” LaLonde said. “(Conspiranoid) started off as

just one song … and it kind of went well. I was on my way home, and I got the call: ‘Hey, let’s do some more,’ so I went back and ended up doing the other two. That third one (“Erin on the Side of Caution”) was some riffs I had.

“If we weren’t going on tour, we would’ve had time for a couple more. I had plenty more riffs ready to go. We didn’t really have the time to do a whole album.”

Primus is doing much more than supporting the band’s new music on their current tour. This current leg, titled A Tribute to Kings, features the band covering Rush’s A Farewell to Kings album in its entirety, in addition to performing their own music.

“We’d already been doing the Rush thing— we’ve been touring and all that—so right around New Year’s, we were like, ‘Wow, maybe we should have something new for this tour,’” LaLonde said. “I don’t know how anything works as far as marketing or anything; I don’t know if there’s some science behind it, but we just kind of felt like it’d be cool to have something new. That’s what got us in the studio.

We were set up to rehearse for the tour anyway, so the two kind of went together.”

The band is certainly no stranger to fullalbum tours, as they toured performing their classics Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991) and Frizzle Fry (1990) on two different tours in the mid-2000s, as well as their most recent album, The Desaturating Seven (2017). They’ve even dipped their figurative toes into the world of cover albums with 2014’s Primus and the Chocolate Factory With the Fungi Ensemble, a re-imagining of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory soundtrack.

“That’s kind of what led to doing this Rush one,” LaLonde said. “It was kind of like, ‘Hey, we should go out and do some other album,’ and that kind of snowballed into us actually doing this Rush album. There are no plans for anything in the future, but it’s been fun. I’ve been waiting to do it, so I would totally be into doing something like this again.”

LaLonde described the contrasting preparations for a tour that features both new music and a handful of covers.

“There wasn’t much of a learning curve on these new songs. … Since we just played everything live anyway, we went back to relearn the songs,” LaLonde said. “… We’re pretty bad at rehearsing. For a tour, we’ll go in and we’ll try to re-learn some things just to have some other ones to throw in the rotation, but we really don’t rehearse that much as far as just RenoNR.com

Primus. For the Rush stuff, obviously, you’ve got to go in and really keep on your toes with it.

We do have some other songs that, if we want to throw them in, there are some that are harder than others, but historically, we don’t spend a lot of time rehearsing Primus songs.”

As Primus has moved from the heavy sounds of their early years into their newer experimental jams, LaLonde shared how a love for the Grateful Dead allowed him to hop into this new sound.

“When I was getting into Zappa and King Crimson stuff, one of the ones I got into was Grateful Dead, which was kind of weird, because I didn’t know any other musicians who were actually into the Grateful Dead,” he said.

“They weren’t really known as these amazing musicians, which I was surprised by. My friends were like, ‘You got to see the Dead,’ and I went there, and the scene was rad, but everyone was just swirling around without actually focusing on what the musicianship was. I was blown away by it, because there weren’t many bands that had been together and played together that long, so it was really a cool find. I’d always kind of wanted to have an aspect of that, and then when Les started jamming with Oysterhead, and going out and doing the Frog Brigade and stuff, he landed in that scene a little bit more—so we all kind of took this different path into it.”

LaLonde said learning Rush’s music gave him an excuse to buy new gear.

“I rebuilt my whole pedal board for the Rush stuff,” he said. “Basically, I kind of went through and tried out every version you could have of every type of effect. My pedal board now is really specialized to exactly what I want, so I’m pretty stoked on that. A lot of times, I’ll just have stuff in there that I think I like, but right now, I actually have stuff that I spend a lot of time picking out. This was the first time I was trying to nail somebody else’s vibe, because the Alex Lifeson (guitarist of Rush) stuff has very specific effects and sounds.”

Not only are the members of Rush viewed as heroes in the eyes of Primus; the two bands have remained close friends since Primus opened for Rush on the Roll the Bones tour in 1992. As a result, LaLonde said he feels pressure to do their music justice.

“Because of the Rush thing, the fans are very particular,” LaLonde said. “They’re probably pretty scrutinizing, and then being friends of ours is another aspect, and then being heroes of ours—so it’s kind of a triple whammy there.”

Primus is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 18, at the Grand Theatre at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, 2500 E. Second St. Tickets are $49 to $129. For tickets or more information, call 775-789-2000, or visit www. grandsierraresort.com. | June 2022

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MUSICBEAT

| BY MATT KING

Genre blenders

This band’s not punk; it’s not metal; it’s simply Cryptilians Playing with a unique sound can be daunting for a band. On one hand, you risk being ostracized—an outlier in the music scene.

On the other hand … the most unique bands are the ones who are often make it big.

Cryptilians are more than just a Reno rock band. The trio has released one album, 2019’s Dead Before Easter, and the sounds on the 10-track release range from metal headbanging (“Pornosmith”) to punk (“Hatelist”) to hard rock (“Rara Avis”). Despite the shifting sounds, Lanny Thomas Carey (vocals and guitar), Pat Gleason (bass) and Joey Pariah (drums) retain a consistent energy during live shows.

During a recent phone interview with the trio, we discussed the band’s inception.

“I’m in another band, and I played a show with Cryptilians,” said Gleason. “A couple months later, Lanny invited me to join the band. They didn’t have a drummer, so we played with a drum machine, and that was pretty lame. I finally talked Lanny into realizing that, and then we got Joey over here after running through a few different

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drummers. He’s like our little adopted son, because he’s so young.”

Added Carey: “Joe is actually the drummer that we’ve always wanted. He’s more of a technical drummer, so he fit perfectly with us.”

People searching for the correct label for Cryptilians don’t need to look much further than the name of the band.

“It’s more of a heavier alternative band,” said Carey. “We’re not metal; we’re not punk, although we do get labeled punk. We are genre-neutral. We’re Cryptilians, and we play rock ’n’ roll.”

The band’s protean sound has been a blessing in Reno’s metal and punk scene. “We can slide in on a metal show or a punk show or anything else,” Carey said. “People have referenced us to be like cowpunk, which we’re not.”

Added Pariah: “I find it really easy to play with a lot of bands around here, because we have enough punk in our music to play with punk bands, and we’ve got enough metal in our music to play with the metal bands. Having a little bit of everything kind of makes it easier, and we’re able to play with a bunch of different stuff.”

Cryptilians are working toward their sophRenoNR.com

omore release; Carey said the album is “in the works.” Will this new record will show the band’s sound mutating even more? “I think it’s probably about the same,” said Gleason. “It’s a little heavier, but not much. Our style kind of stays pretty consistent.”

This upcoming album, titled Veracity and Fire, has found its biggest influence in the band’s drummer.

“Me and Pat are pretty much influenced by the same types of music, but Joey comes from a different background,” said Carey.”

Added Pariah: “I’m originally from the Bay Area, so when I grew up playing music, it was mostly thrash metal and stuff like that. My influences span from early metal to early rock, but I love punk, and I love what Cryptilians is doing, because it’s not punk; it’s not rock; it’s not metal. It’s Cryptilians.”

So, if the band is just Cryptillians … where did the name come from?

“I wanted a one-name band, like Nirvana, and I wanted the dot-com to be easy for people to remember,” said Carey. “I was driving one day, and I’m into some sci-fi stuff. I was thinking about reptilians and cryptozoology, and I just combined

the two words—and the name was born.”

To contrast with the name, the band’s lyric writing “comes from real life.”

Shared Carey: “Most of the songs are true stories. The lyrics are based on real relationships and occurrences that have happened in my life.

Musically, whatever flows naturally is usually what’s going to stick.”

An average Cryptilians show is a fun experience for both the band and the audience—and you’ll be able to catch one after the group finishes their upcoming LP. “There’s a lot of movement, and there’s some humor involved,” said Carey. “We don’t take the people in the crowd for granted; we appreciate them and we let them know.”

Added Gleason: “I like to put on a bit of a show. I like to present myself when I’m playing my music the way that I would want to see an act performing. We don’t rehearse anything or have anything choreographed, but we might in the future.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/cryptilians.

THE LUCKY 13

| BY MATT KING

Jay Hatchett Vocalist/guitarist for Lizano, performing at The Alpine on June 15 Reggae, rock and funk all combine when it comes to the sounds of local band Lizano.

Their-genre shifting sounds can please any music or dancing fan; the group’s two new singles, “Satisfied” and “Us vs Them,” emanate a psychedelic groovy concoction.

The band is performing at The Alpine at Record Street Brewing, 324 E. Fourth St. in Reno, on Wednesday, June 15, supporting other reggae acts like Through the Roots and Likkle Jordee. Tickets are $16 in advance at www.recordstreetbrewing. com. Jay Hatchett is the vocalist/guitarist for Lizano; learn more at www.facebook. com/LizanoBand.

What was the first concert you attended?

My dad was actually a drummer and played in a ton of funk and jazz bands when I was a kid, but besides going to his shows, I think my first real big show was Asking Alexandria when I was maybe 12 or 13.

What was the first album you owned?

Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland.

What bands are you listening to right now?

I have been gutted over the recent loss of Andy Chaves, so I’ve been bumping a lot of Katastro. I’ve also been listening to a lot of RHCP, Ballyhoo! For the Win, Settle Your Scores, and John Mayer. Kind of all over the place.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

I guess I would have to say dubstep. I can appreciate it for what it is, but I’m just not into it.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

Man, that’s a tough one, I’m such a huge fan of all the old-school greats. Queen would be insane. Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Stevie Ray Vaughan are all definitely on the list.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

I mean … more cowbell always! Ha ha.

What’s your favorite music venue?

Red Rocks (Amphitheatre). I think it’s every musician’s dream to play there, and it also is crazy iconic; 9,000 people in that rock canyon amphitheater is insane. To sell that out is the dream for sure.

A Diabolically Hilarious Murder Mystery BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY Jonathan Lynn WRITTEN BY Sandy Rustin DIRECTED BY Mary Bennett

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

It probably would have to be a lyric from one of the recent single releases “Us vs Them”: “Did you ever make it out of that town alive? Just remember slow it down you gotta take your time.” People have been telling us how much they resonate with the lyric line lately, and I always loved that part of the song.

What band or artist changed your life? How? Definitely Jimi Hendrix. Everything I do as a guitar player has been influenced by his playing style and approach. I remember hearing Hendrix for the first time and just thinking, “Man, I’ve gotta be able to play like that; that is the best guitar playing I’ve ever heard.”

You have one question to ask one musician.

What’s the question, and who are you asking?

Man, that’s tough. I would have to say Hendrix again. The question would have to be: “Where do you find songwriting inspiration? How do you explore writing music toward that idea, and did you ever think you would become the standard for guitar players, inspiring countless generations?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

I wrote a song for my three girls called “Sunflower Seeds.” It would be cool to have them send me off with something I wrote to express how much love I have for them.

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Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Definitely Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix, and Stadium Arcadium by RHCP. Those two albums really changed the way I thought about playing music.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Hmm, I think this is a place for some shameless self-promotion. Go listen to our two latest singles, “Us vs Them” or “Satisfied,” by Lizano. We poured our hearts and souls into this record, and we hope everyone can feel that.

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“Skill Sets”—going a bit squabbly.

Across 1. People Puzzler airer 4. Adult Swim’s Joe ___ Talks With You 8. English university city 13. Tab, for example 14. “I’m rippin’ up ___ doll ...” (Aerosmith lyric) 15. “Ad ___ per aspera” 16. ___ of the hat 17. Really close group of friends?

19. Equilateral unit of steam?

21. Palindromic dental deg.

22. How cuneiform characters were often preserved 23. Dollar bill depiction, familiarly 25. Yell after finishing a ride, maybe 26. Reddit Q&A forum 29. To be, to Nero 30. They’re on all four Monopoly board edges, for short 31. Territorial land grabber

35. Response to “Are my shoes really that waterlogged?”

39. Fashionable quality 40. NFL Pro Bowl safety Chancellor 42. Albanian’s neighbor 45. OutKast’s city, for short 46. “Fine, what’s the answer?”

48. “Be right there” 51. Snowball thrower 52. Bathrooms in Bath 53. Sound from an ocean predator imitating a mouse?

57. High-pitched cries of joy during summer?

59. London’s national art gallery 60. “Arrivederci” relative 61. They’re all mined 62. Actor Sitka (one of two actors who appeared with all six different Stooges on film) 63. ___ Haute, Indiana 64. Nair rival, once 65. Punk record label, or a retired ultra-fast aircraft

Down 1. Showed one’s ire 2. Antique book protector 3. Seaport southeast of Roma 4. “Crazy” singer Cline 5. La Salle who returned to Coming 2 America 6. Jar sold near the farfalle 7. Ottoman Empire official 8. Uses high-tech beams 9. Roman J. Israel, ___ (2017 movie) 10. Musical practice pieces 11. Stage offerings 12. Bike seat 13. Expensive eggs 18. ___TV (Adam Ruins Everything network) 20. Cattle farm 24. The X-Files program, for short 26. Former Bowl of Hawaii 27. Everest, for one 28. Tokyo Vice star Elgort 32. Sounds of dismay 33. Mensa still tests

them 34. 1968 CCR hit preceded by the lyric “Baby I love you” 36. Alerts from HQ 37. Winter Olympics groups 38. Exchange blows 41. She was followed by Scholz 42. Carefree reply 43. Turn LEAD into GOLF, maybe?

44. Tend to your Crockpot stew a few hours later 47. Squat muscles 49. Suffix similar to -ish 50. Crazy Rich Asians director 51. “Hey! Over here!”

54. Many millennia 55. Like some collectibles 56. Cubism-influenced Swiss artist 58. To be, in Tijuana © 2022 Matt Jones Find the answers in the “About” section at RenoNR.com!

15 MINUTES

| BY DAVID ROBERT

Karma King Grant Denton Grant Denton is a “man about town” superhero who is a recovering addict and an ex-convict who was formerly homeless.

He is the executive director of the Karma Box Project (www.karmaboxproject.org); we chatted with him in this space back in October 2018 about karma boxes—community food and toiletry pantries his group has placed around Northern Nevada. We decided to catch up with him again to talk about the Karma Box Project’s newest effort: Safe Camp.

What is the Safe Camp, and what exactly is its primary goal?

Safe Camp is on the grounds of the old Governor’s Bowl baseball field, next to the Spaghetti Bowl. It is a referral-based program to move people off of the streets and into housing. It offers a safe environment to start a new life.

To enter the Safe Camp, what are the requirements folks must meet?

One of the requirements is that you must work on a housing plan. We have a case manager who can help you with this, and it starts with documents, IDs, Social Security cards and verifying income. Many are receiving some form of disability assistance.

Also, are you employable? Most are not due to a physical disability or mental-health diagnosis. And most importantly, (people at Safe Camp need) a willingness to change the course of your life.

What is one of the most challenging obstacles people face when transitioning from being on the street to living in housing?

Taking someone from the street and putting them in an apartment is one of the most challenging things when it comes to behavior modification. The social norms on the street are far different from the norms of quiet apartment living with neighbors. They have to be cognizant of their footprint. How is their behavior affecting the neighbors? It takes a lot of learning and a lot of soft life skills. Bad behaviors are things that get them kicked out of their apartments.

What do the count totals look like for you at the Safe Camp, as of our mid-May chat?

Right now, there are 44 people at Safe Camp; 82 people in total have enrolled at Safe Camp. Twenty people have moved into permanent housing. The Karma Box Project employs four people. The number of pods at Safe Camp is 45. The average

length of stay at Safe Camp is six months, and our success rate is 50 percent.

Your face is all over the place, from television advertising to a huge billboard located next to the Safe Camp. How does it feel to be known and recognized all across town?

Yes, that is my face on that billboard. One of the people who stayed at the camp said that it seems as though my eyes are constantly following them. They said it was like Jesus keeping an eye on them.

You’ve probably seen that painting of Jesus where his eyes follow you as you move around the room. They think they have to be good citizens, stay in line and keep it together, because I am watching them.

How is the Karma Box Project going today?

Karma boxes are decorated boxes that are placed around local businesses. These boxes are filled with goods that the homeless can use. People can use the canned foods, sometimes fruit, and the personal items inside, like first aid kits, toothpaste, toothbrushes and writing supplies.

Donations are always welcome. We have more than 55 boxes located in Northern Nevada, and three in Las Vegas.

When you were at the deepest, darkest days of your addiction, did you ever think you would be doing what you are doing today?

I always thought that I would want to “go out” saving someone and be a hero, and that would be my legacy. I always wanted to jump out into traffic and save an old lady or a kid from getting hit by a car or something, and I’d die saving them. But now I am saving people with what I’m doing today.

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