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JANUARY

23-29, 2019

STRAIGHT TALK

COFFEE WITH AN INDIAN PODCAST See Arts&Culture, page 14

Explore the strange new world of neighborhoodoriented social media SERVING NORTHERN NEVADA, TAHOE AND TRUCKEE

EMAIL LETTERS TO RENOLETTERS@NEWSREVIEW.COM.

Last hurrah

Weeding out truth

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

The big news in Northern Nevada this week, now widely reported, is that Harrah’s Reno has been sold to CAI Investments, a real estate investment company that plans to convert that resort into a non-gambling property with hundreds of apartments and extensive space for retail, recreation and offices. The idea is that it will become the new Reno City Center.

Something like this was probably inevitable.

Harrah’s has struggled in recent years.

The whole industry of gambling has never fully recovered from the Great Recession, and, locally, Harrah’s has had a harder time keeping up, rebranding to appeal to shifting demographics, than some of the other resorts in the valley.

In fact, part of the appeal, in recent years, of a night out in Harrah’s was the old-school flavor of the place. There’s the old-school steak house and the old-school showroom. Going out to those places was a peek back into the glory days of Reno’s midcentury casino heyday. Hopefully, spots like Harrah’s Steakhouse and Sammy’s Showroom survive more or less intact as the property moves into its new phase, but you might want to start planning your next visit now.

And I sympathize with the dealers, pit bosses, bartenders and waitresses who are about to be laid off. This will be a tough transition, and it really signifies the end of an era.

Still, I think overall it’s good news. The biggest problem in this community right now is the lack of affordable housing, and the current plan will lead to more than 500 new apartments popping up right smack in the urban core, in a historic property with great built-in amenities.

I’m so glad that plan isn’t to just tear it down in order to build a plaza on which to put a couple of cheesy sculptures and the occasional ice rink.

Re “Hashed out” (In Rotation: Smoke, Jan. 9): Thank you for pointing out one of the many reasons cannabis needs to be studied.

I’m a user for 47 years, medical card holder since 2008, award winning grower and breeder, and a medicinal budtender for 2.5 years. I have witnessed amazing results from products made from cannabis. February 2017, I slipped breaking my wrist and humerus.

Cannabis was the only medicine I used. I know it works, but I want to know the how and why. An information site that I personally rely on now is projectcbd.org. I modulate the effects for pain, sleep or recreation by mixing different percentages of THC/CBD and changing my strains often. I source organic CBD from Sierra Nevada Hemp in Carson.

You mentioned set and setting. Consumption lounges will be a perfect place to hold clinics in cannabis use. Seniors are terrified yet they have much to gain. I know.

Lissa Farrell Carson City

—BRAD BYNUM bradb@ ne ws r ev i ew . com

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01.23.20

Old gripe Re “Bible stud” (Film, Jan. 21, 2010): There’s no analysis at all in this review.

It is devoid of intellect. You listed off a few of your favorite scenes (unsurprisingly, those with the most violent action), you gave a plot synopsis for whatever reason, then you complained about the supernatural plot twist—but not for the lack of verisimilitude or its moral incompatibility with its violent expose; instead you warned, “If you don’t like religion, you’ll think it’s silly.” You’d do the world a favor to find a different hobby.

Jorell Dye Seattle, Washington

But ... it’s in Sparks To whom it may concern: I’m a little disappointed after watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives filmed in Reno. The restaurant chosen to represent

Leslie, Eric Marks, Kelsey Penrose, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Luka Starmer, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare.

To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Editor Brad Bynum Associate Editor Jeri Davis Special Projects Editor Matt Bieker Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Jane K. Callahan, Mark Earnest, Bob Grimm, Oliver Guinan, Andrea Heerdt, Holly Hutchings, Shelia

Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard Arthur Art Directors Maria Ratinova, Sarah Hansel Art of Information Director Serene Lusano Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Publications & Advertising Designer Nikki Exerjian Ad Designers Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold Office Manager Lisa Ryan Sales Manager Gina Odegard Advertising Consultant Caleb Furlong, Owen Bryant Distribution Director Greg Erwin

JANUARY 23, 2020 | VOL. 25, ISSUE 50

the best of Reno was Noble Pie Pizza Co. The pizza is sub-standard—at its best, mediocre. “The award-winning wings”? Anyone can deep fry a wing and add Frank’s Red Hot Sauce to it and call it award-winning? If research was done properly, it would be known that Boulevard Pizza best represents Reno.

The Thai wings are sweet spicy and delicious. I can keep going on about these wings because they are that good. Noble Pie does not represent Reno properly. I want it to be known that Boulevard Pizza is the standard when it come to wings in Reno. Can there be a wing article to set it straight?

Matthew Verzola Reno

Whoever allowed for this ugliness should not be guillotined, but rather tarred and feathered. A guillotine is too quick.

Craig Bergland Reno

Quite the compliment Re “The long sentence” (Cover Story, Jan. 16): Jeri Davis’ article “The long sentence” reflected the kind of investigative journalism I have come to appreciate so much via Dennis Myers. A lot of information developed into a coherent and compelling narrative that tells an important story.

Stephen Lafer Reno

Surface level You know, a decade or so ago they paved our street. It was well done, extraordinary. You could almost play pool on it—kinda.

Couple of years later, somebody decided to unnecessarily repave … and on the cheap. Now we have a city where the manhole covers are well below the grade. Who the darned-golly-gee-heck allowed this to happen? What kind of company would ever agree to do something as sinisterly dastardly as this?

Not only has this abrupt elevation change in our roadways caused many accidents, but perhaps even fatalities.

Do you dodge those potholes daily, too?

Super bad for two-wheel vehicles?

Not only do we pay more now for repairs to our shock absorbers, alignments and tires, but there is even something far more dastardly at play. Yes. Consider the constant pounding by heavy vehicles on the below-ground vaults and pipes that are under our manhole covers. You can see them starting to give. Take a look. I’m thinking the future is in for a ginormous cost to rebuild this crap. Let’s hope they are not so shortsighted.

Distribution Manager Bob Christensen Distribution Drivers Alex Barskyy, Corey Sigafoos, Gary White, Marty Troye, Timothy Fisher, Vicki Jewell, Olga Barska, Ashley Martinez, Rosie Martinez, Adam Martinez, Duane Johnson, Andy Odegard President/CEO Jeff VonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Account Jedi Jessica Kislanka Sales & Production Coordinator Laura Anthony Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins

N&R Publications Editor Debbie Arrington N&R Publications Associate Editors Derek McDow, Thea Rood N&R Publications Editorial Team Anne Stokes, Nisa Smith Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant Elizabeth Morabito Marketing & Publications Consultants Joseph Engle, Sherri Heller, Rod Maloy, Julia Ballantyne, Laura Golino, Chris Cohen Publications Support Specialist Chelsea Hall Cover design Sarah Hansel 760 Margrave Drive, Reno, NV 89502 Phone (775) 324-4440 Fax (775) 324-2515 Website www.newsreview.com

CONTENTS

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OPINION/STREETALK SHEILA LESLIE NEWS IN ROTATION: TAHOE FEATURE ARTS&CULTURE ART OF THE STATE FILM FOOD MUSICBEAT NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS THIS WEEK ADVICE GODDESS FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 15 MINUTES/BRUCE VAN DYKE

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Editorial Policies: Opinions expressed in RN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permissions to reprint articles, cartoons, or other portions of the paper. RN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or review materials. Email letters to renoletters@ newsreview.com. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel.

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BY MATT BIEKER

What makes a good neighbor?

ASKED AT RENO COFFEE COMPANY, 1300 S. WELLS AVE. IAIN WATSON Teacher

Not being all in your business, but also being helpful to the greater good of the neighborhood.

I think just being able to communicate and being friendly, and knowing your limitations of, “Do I really want to interact with this person a lot? Or do I not want this person to be in my business?”

ANNA THORELL Teacher

I actually just moved to Sierraville, and the minute I got there, my neighbor saw me pull up with a U-Haul and all my stuff. …

First time I met him, he was like, “Hey do you need some help with that?” … From that moment, it was really easy to create a good relationship and friendship.

BRIAN EUBANKS Arborist

Don’t believe the hype On a Jan. 14 episode of the Daily Show, just after the you go—there he is on TV, on social media, on billseventh debate among the Democratic Party contendboards—hell, there could even be an ad for the guy in ers, Daily Show host—and, since he gave us a great this very newspaper. (The RN&R editorial board, a.k.a. interview last time he came through town, friend of the the RN&R editors, aren’t privy to advertising informaRN&R—Trevor Noah had this to say: “Do these debates tion in advance of publication.) even matter at all? … The debates used to be the best way And it seems to be working. Steyer’s strong polling to get in front of the American people. But with two in Nevada and South Carolina, two early voting billionaires in the race, the game has changed. states, were the reason he’s made it onstage Just look at Tom Steyer, for instance. He’s in the last couple of debates, and he far from a household name. He has the seems to be banking his strategy on charisma of a clipboard, but recent doing well in the two states.

Tom Steyer polls show him surging to second But don’t let him fool you. has spent more on place in South Carolina and third in He’s the candidate equivalent of a advertising in Nevada Nevada, and one guess how he did corporate punk band or one of those it,” and then Noah rubbed his fingers beers that are produced by a national than other candidates together in the obscene, universal distributor but presented like some have spent in their entire gesture for money. kind of hip microbrew. He’s like national campaigns.

The show then cut to this MSNBC human greenwashing. nugget about Steyer: “His Nevada-only He seems innocuous enough, and ad spending is more than all of the ad most of his policy positions seem fine, spending of Biden, Warren and Klobuchar if not particularly original. And thanks for combined nation-wide.” spending all that money in Nevada, Tom. It’s staggering to consider. Tom Steyer has spent Would we balk at him being named to a cabinet more on advertising in Nevada than other candidates—topposition—say, Secretary of Energy? Not at all. tier, household-name candidates—have spent in their entire Still, he’s a hedge fund manager billionaire who bought national campaigns. Democratic candidates have spent a his way into the Democratic presidential race. He has total of 11.6 million in Nevada, of which 10.4 was spent by almost no real experience, no vision, no substance. No way Tom Steyer. we want to reward that. We’re sick of billionaires.

So, you’re not just going crazy if, as a Nevada There are viable presidential candidates worthy of resident, you feel like you see Steyer’s face everywhere support still in the field. Tom Steyer isn’t one of them. Ω

I’m an arborist, and I specialize in neighbor disputes. I basically represent people who have tree issues and stuff like that, so I think the less you see and hear from them the better off you are. You’ve got the option of being friends and stuff, but I personally don’t know the names of my neighbors.

EDUARDO CORONA Teacher’s assistant

With my neighbors, the ones across my street, they’re really nice to my family. … One of my neighbors actually ran up to our house at 2 a.m. because there were raccoons, and we both have chickens in our backyards—going out of your way to help someone out.

KELLY SCHARRENBERG Management trainee

A good neighbor is someone who is respectful of your property, who stays relatively quiet, who you can go and talk to if you’re having any issues. You have friendly greetings when you pass them. That’s what makes a good neighbor.

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BY SHEILA LESLIE

Care about health Maybe we’ll wake up one morning with a brand-new health care system in the United States that covers everyone, like virtually every other developed country has already achieved. It’s a goal worth pursuing. But make no mistake; the health insurance industry and the pharmaceutical companies aren’t going to let go of their lucrative profits without an epic battle.

In the meantime, people continually try to make our ludicrous system work, including state governments who are responsible for the cost of prescriptions for their employees. Back in 2005, Speaker Barbara Buckley intensely lobbied Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn on her Canadian drug importation plan, and he finally acquiesced. Although some individuals did travel to Canada for cheaper prescription drugs, the program was cumbersome and the travel difficult—and the concept did not develop into a major resource.

Fast forward to 2020 and Utah’s new “Rx Tourism” program, which pays certain state employees $500 to travel to

Tijuana to purchase their drug supply at 40 to 60 percent of the cost of the drugs in the United States. The state also picks up the plane tickets to San Diego for the employee and a companion, contracts with a Mexican company to facilitate travel across the border to a specialty pharmacy and gets their employee back on the plane home the same day. Some participants travel every 90 days and build in a weekend in San Diego as a mini vacation. According to reporting by the Salt Lake Tribune, the $500 incentive from the state combined with the avoidance of a large co-pay leaves some patients $1,000 richer every time they travel.

Utah has thoroughly vetted the providence of the drugs from manufacturing to the boutique pharmacy used by its employees. The state is now considering extending its “Rx Tourism” program to Vancouver, Canada, where a pharmacy is located inside the airport, making it even easier for their employees to buy drugs at half-price.

Utah’s program concentrates on the most expensive prescriptions to maximize savings. A Congressional study last year determined Americans “pay on average nearly four times more for drugs than other countries—in some cases, 67 times more for the same drug.” Researchers point out that other wealthy governments negotiate directly with drug companies to get a good price, while the U.S. system relies on for-profit pharmacy benefit managers to demand “rebates” that supposedly lower the price for everyone. Obviously, that system keeps prices high.

California is taking a novel approach to the problem with Governor Gavin Newsom’s current proposal to have the state sell generic drugs under its own label.

Anyone could purchase the generic drugs, thus creating more competition among manufacturers to keep their prices low.

Predictably, pharmaceutical companies criticized the conceptual proposal as too vague or unworkable. But Newsom blasted back, saying, “A trip to the doctor’s office,

pharmacy or hospital shouldn’t cost a month’s pay. The cost of health care is just too damn high.”

Drug companies insist they need the higher prices in the U.S. to fund their research and development costs; otherwise, many new drugs would never even reach the market. But why should U.S. patients bear that cost for the world? And what about the U.S. patients who can’t access those same life-saving drugs due to exorbitant prices?

Democrats in the House recently passed a bill to allow the federal government to directly negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for 250 drugs covered by Medicare, with those negotiated prices then made available to private insurers to presumably lower costs for everyone.

President Trump quickly announced he would veto the bill should it ever reach his desk, leaving us in the drug companies’ stranglehold.

We are allowing ourselves to be fleeced.

Don’t tell me your vote doesn’t matter. Ω

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BY JERI DAVIS

IMPEACHMENT RULES

A spoken word performance stole the show at this year’s Reno Women’s March.

Shortly before the impeachment trial of Donald Trump began on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed the resolution laying out the rules for it. This came after outcry from Democrats and concerns raised by some Senate Republicans.

Now, instead of having two days each to make their 24 hours worth of trial arguments, House impeachment managers and the President’s legal team will have three days. Changes were also made to the section of the resolution that would have barred the House’s evidence without a vote. Instead, evidence will be admitted automatically unless there is a motion from Trump’s team to throw it out.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts read the new version of the resolution aloud to start the impeachment trial. Despite the changes, arguments over the rules and the seeking of documents and witnesses is expected.

PHOTO/JERI DAVIS

NO ACA ACTION BEFORE ELECTION It seems the United States Supreme Court is unlikely to consider the fate of the Affordable Care Act prior to the 2020 presidential election. The court denied a request Tuesday from ACA supporters to expedite consideration of the case.

President Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to repeal the ACA are credited to some extent with Democrats gaining a majority in the House in the 2018 midterms. This, of course, came eight years after Republicans had gained the House majority, riding a wave of support from those opposed to Barack Obama’s signature health care law. But even among those voters who opposed the ACA, certain elements of it—like the requirement that insurers cover people with pre-existing conditions—have become popular with Americans on both sides of the political spectrum.

And the law is guaranteed to be a talking point during the lead-up to the 2020 election. Current Democratic presidential candidates vary in their stances on the ACA. Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden would both like to expand the ACA and allow Americans to buy into a public insurance option that’s Medicarestyle. But progressives like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would like to see it go away altogether, to be replaced by a government-sponsored, single-payer “Medicare for All” health care system.

CLINTON DISSES SANDERS According to the Hollywood Reporter, Hillary Clinton talks some pretty serious trash about Vermont Sen. and 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders in a forthcoming Hulu documentary, saying, “Nobody likes him. … He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. … He was a career politician. It’s all just baloney, and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.”

Clinton also declined during an interview with the Hollywood reporter to say whether or not she’d endorse Sanders and campaign for him if he wins the Democratic nomination.

—JERI DAVIS

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Voices heard Spoken word performance a highlight of 2020 Women’s March The fourth annual Reno Women’s March—organized differently than in years past—was well received by participants, who stopped under the Reno Arch to snap selfies as the march progressed along a new northward route between the Reno City Plaza and the Reno Events Center and appreciated the warm, indoor venue for speeches once there.

The event, which ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., included time dedicated to speeches from political campaigners as well as nonprofit organizers. But it was a spoken word performance given by nine women that, in the end, stole the show.

The women—the eldest in her 70s, the youngest still a high school student—took to the stage midway through the event. A few portrayed historical characters, giving Chautauquastyle performances. Others simply shared stories personal to them. The sum of their performance was a moving portrayal of the ways women’s lives differ and yet are the same.

Joy Viselli, who proposed performance, was first with a piece entitled “More Choices, New Roles.”

“I speak for my mothers, backbone of America and its workforce,” she began. “Mothers of children, some without fathers, work in a system built

for men with wives at home. A society where mothers, dream employees in vast numbers, trained to be non-aggressive, take less pay and do their other full time, unpaid job—mothering. … This country now offers new roles, more choices. Still, we are the glue of family and country, with fortitude, energy for emergency rooms, all night vigils. We perform. We vote.’”

Viselli was followed by Verita Prothro, who portrayed Sojourner Truth during the era of her famous “And ain’t I a Woman?” speech delivered in 1851 at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

“Sojourner Truth here,” she said.

“Born a slave, 1797, Ulster County, New York—1827, escaped to freedom with my infant daughter. Sued to free my son and won, the first black woman to win such a case against a white man. … Bore 13 children, most sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with a mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?”

Next was Vivian Leal, whose performance began as a portrayal of suffragette Alica Paul circa 1914: “For decades, our mothers have cried, ‘Votes for women!’

But it seems they hear us not. So, let’s be louder. ‘Votes for women!’ I said, ‘Votes

for women!’ … You’re tired. Susan, Lucy, Elizabeth, our leaders are dead,” Leal said, referencing famous suffragettes Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Staton.

Later in her performance she broke with her historical portrayal to speak of two local women activists who passed in 2019, saying, “We are Tired. So tired. …

Marissa and Jean are dead,” referencing Marissa Morningstaur, who was a social justice activist with nonprofit Indivisible; and Jean Melby Mauer, another member of Indivisible who taught English as a Second Language and was an advocate for her students.

Susan Thompson’s performance focused on education, using her own mother’s life experiences as the vehicle.

“When women are educated, we all thrive,” Thompson said. “My mother lived in a shack, a bus windshield for a window, four to a bed, corn in the rafters where snakes hunted mice and fell on them as they slept. … One of eight children born into poverty, limited opportunities but a drive for an education and a better life. After graduating as her high school salutatorian out of that shack to Knoxville, Tennessee, where she found work to earn money for college. And there she met my father. … My mother and father equally have inspired my brother and me to seek an education.”

Viselli was one of two performers to take the microphone twice. This time, she shared her experiences as a pre-Title IX athlete and the mother of athletes.

“You know, girls and boys, that 37 words govern how schools—K through post secondary—protect you?” she asked. “I am this old rugby ball, dry and shrunken of its air, but still so full of stories—’72 too late for me, born in ’46, no 37 words to give athlete programs to historically underrepresented females, long graduated—but not for our daughters. … Five daughters—volley ball, track, soccer, a principal ballerina, three sports scholarships, a Carson City granddaughter, Team USA kayaking Olympic hopeful. Yes, your moms were right to open the doors.”

Kimberly Carden related the experiences of female veterans like herself.

“Yes, I am a soldier,” she said. “My promise to you was no different than those of my brothers in service. I loved my country no less than a man. I was no less brave than a man. And although women have served in each war and

conflict throughout our history, we had to wait.

We waited until 1948 until we were entitled to veterans’ benefits. We waited until 1974 until we were not involuntarily discharged for being pregnant. … We waited until 1976 before we were admitted to the U.S. Military Academy. And we waited until 2013, when the combat exclusion policy was lifted. And … in 2019, Sergeant First Class Janina Simmons, an openly lesbian solider, made history by become the first African American woman to graduate from the legendary U.S. Army Ranger School.”

Next was Sam Gingrich, who compared reproductive rights to a super power.

“Did you know that we have a super power?” she began. “This power allows us to prevent and treat cancer. It allows us to reduce poverty and give people a chance to make the lives they want. … This power belongs to and protects all of us, not just the young woman who has chosen to terminate a pregnancy, but the mother of three who needs a pap smear so that she can live a long and healthy life with her children. Our power is reproductive rights.”

To represent transgender women, Davine Kaplin read a piece written by Emily Stiles called “Without Interference.”

“Her name does not matter; she’s a woman—a transgender woman,” Kaplin began before going on to relate the struggles of the LGBT community and historical riots for rights in places like Los Angeles in 1959, San Francisco in ’66 and New York in ’69.

“Sick of police harassment of transvestites, as they were known, thousands of protesters rioted, tired of being persecuted for being who they were and of being forced into doing sex

work,” she said, “Today, living without interference, they are an active and productive part of this society. It’s time for equal rights.”

The performance of Bembeleza, a woman originally from the Congo, came in the form of a poem, delivered in French and English: “Get up and put yourselves in the world of your vision/ Woman, mother of the nation/ Woman, conclusion the nation/ Woman, contribution beyond constitution/ With real love/ Women are powerful in any sector/Life comes in the ninth month in the wombs of women/ Respect to you women/ If you’re proud of this wonderful life, know that you are proud for the women/ Oh, woman/ Woman wants to be the most appreciated creature in the world/ Respect to you women” High school student Jadyn Johnson spoke as a future voter, saying “I dissent from this dark present” and asking the audience to imagine the power of young people’s votes.

“Vote for what?” she asked. Prioritizing money over morals? No. Electing leaders who feel the heat of the end of our world and who put planet over profit? Yes. … We young women of 2020, it’s our time.”

To cap off the performance, Carden returned to the mic with a sort of ode to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, entitled “The Lion in the House.”

“The first and only female House Speaker, and the first speaker in 60 years to reclaim the gavel after losing it, her voice unites and lifts her caucus and the women of this nation,” Carden said of Pelosi. “She has backbone. She has game. She will go down in history as our most effective speaker.” Ω

in step

Native American Jingle Dress Dancers from the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony performed again this year during the Reno Women’s March. The dancers of all ages gathered together on the stage at the Reno Events Center to perform a healing dance.

Photo/Jeri Davis

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tahoe

by MArk EArnEst

Author Jennifer Quashnick, with her dogs Avi and Bella, has just released her fourth Mountaingirl Mystery, and the two dogs are also characters in the book.

Who dunnit?

Jennifer Quashnick There’s something about a big lake surrounded by the woods that just cries out for a mystery. It’s something that Tahoe author Jennifer Quashnick certainly heard calling, and she now has four books to show for her efforts to make Tahoe front and center in intrigue and compelling storytelling. Her fourth mystery, Sierra Nevada Burning Revenge, has just been released.

Quashnick grew up about 45 miles from Sacramento in a small town called Galt. She discovered Tahoe at a young age, as her family had a cabin there and would often venture east on the weekends and during the summer. She’s been writing for most of her life, starting in her teen years and through college, where she graduated with a degree in environmental science.

That’s the primary work she still does in Tahoe, and it was during a hike in the Sierra Nevada with her dog, Bella, when she got the idea for her first book, Sierra Nevada Trail of Murder. Bella even features in the book, which begins when Tahoe resident Rachel Winters discovers a body on a mountain trail that leads to her being pursued as part of an environmental crime cover-up.

All of Quashnick’s books have environmental advocacy themes informed by her work and interests in life. She said it was difficult to write about it at first.

“I didn’t want to go overboard and start preaching in the book,” she said. “I was trying to find that nice balance between the story everyone likes and putting in something about environmental issues. I put as much as I could in there that would still make sense for the characters and give you something to think about.”

COURTESY/JEnnifER QUaShniCk

Quashnick said mysteries seemed like a good place to start a series, and that she’s “always liked authors that have scientific subject matter.”

She said her co-workers and friends weren’t aware of her novel writing aspirations. “I think the people that knew me were a little surprised at first, but everyone seemed to enjoy the story and the local love,” Quashnick said.

Two more books followed in the Sierra Nevada Mountaingirl Mysteries series— River of Lies, which is partially set in Reno; and Dangerous Developments. Like her first three books, Burning Revenge has been published through online retailers and local bookstores.

The fourth book in her series also features Waters, a detective named Luke Reed and Bella. Plus, there’s a new dog named Avi (and, yes, Quashnick also has a second dog named Avi in real life). In Revenge, there are interweaving themes of arson, murder, the mining industry and a missing firefighter.

For the fourth time, Quashnick will also host a reading at the South Lake Tahoe Public Library. She goes beyond just reading from the latest book, showing Powerpoint slides of the settings and also talking about the nuts-and-bolts of the publishing world.

It’s all a presentation that points to the reasons why Quashnick sets her mysteries so close to home.

“It’s just a unique place that’s well known to everyone, and it’s so beautiful,” she said. “It’s just fun to write about these areas. I think we have a small-town feel, so it’s been kind of fun weaving that in.” Ω

Jennifer Quashnick talks about Sierra nevada Burning Revenge during a presentation at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at South Lake Tahoe Library, 1000 Rufus allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California. Learn more about all of Quashnick’s books at mountaingirlmysteries.com.

January 25, 2020 • 8-11pm Grand Ballroom General Admission $50 Enjoy over 100 Beers and Entertainment

by Garage Boys For tickets, visit www.sierraarts.org

Enjoy Samples of:

Blonde NV, Revision Red Ale, Revision IPA, Disco Ninja, Northeast-Style Hazy IPA

Take the Elevator Home Rate: Book a room in Casino Tower - Starting at $59 or Resort Tower - Starting at $69 Mention Code: BREWHA

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Explore the strange new world of neighborhoodoriented social media

BY JANE K. CALLAHAN

SCREENSHOTS COMPILED BY JANE K. CALLAHAN

D

espite the political rants and mediocre food pics, people just can’t seem to quit social media. Founded in 2008, Nextdoor. com, an online community for neighborhoods, is like a hyper-local Facebook-meetsCraigslist website: lost dog alerts, items for sale, warnings about neighborhood mischief, calls for handyman recommendations, and a few “What’s with the cops on so-and-so a corner?” posts.

In order to join, and access a neighborhood’s posts, newcomers must verify their home address (usually via a postcard that has carries a confirmation code). Everyone is required to use their real names. Posters can limit their views to fellow neighbors, or opt for a post to be visible to surrounding ’hoods.

According to Shannon Toliver, a communications coordinator with Nextdoor, the website is the world’s largest social network for neighborhoods, boasting 250,000 neighborhoods globally. Toliver said there are currently 550 neighborhoods listed in the greater Reno area, “with 19 public agencies in Nevada using [the platform] to convey critical, targeted information to residents, including the City of Reno and Douglas County.”

As Reno grows, so has the activity on Nextdoor—and the content can tell us a lot about the kind of city Reno is today.

When I first joined two years ago, the posts were largely—and annoyingly—about escape artist dogs. But since then, as more residents have joined and engaged with other communities, some common themes have arisen—for better and for worse. (Too many people still need to fix their fences.) It’s a powerful tool for grassroots organization and public education, but it’s also littered with sarcastic, me-againstthe-world missives to bad drivers.

After analyzing months of posts from neighborhoods across the city, here’s what stood out to me.

in excess of the current three percent cap. After contacting county offices to find out the reason for the increase, she learned that the city had contracted a third-party company to fly drones over Reno. The drones were looking for additions and modifications that added to a homes’ value—and bills.

POLITICAL PARTY Nextdoor has become an accessible information bridge between residents and local politicians, and in Reno, has become a mobilization tool—in part due to some locals with relentless information-gathering skills.

Typically, the onus has been on residents to find out about things like city planning meetings or new, perhaps obscure, ordinances. Now, anyone can post this information in one spot so that it pops up in everyone’s Nextdoor feed.

Perhaps as a result, some local politicians are using the site to interact with their constituents.

Last August, Roxbury resident Laura Dyer noticed a much higher real estate tax bill—one

So she sounded the alarm on Nextdoor.

“I definitely didn’t expect the large outpouring of responses regarding my posting on Nextdoor, and it was quite heartening to see others had an interest in the subject and wanted to engage in the conversation about it,” she said. “Several people did private message me saying they had contacted [local public offices].”

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“the Nextdoor generation ”

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In general, Reno residents tend to be most active with housing issues and correlating concerns like overcrowded schools, the homeless population and traffic. (Just last month, neighbors organized on Nextdoor to successfully block a new development in Verdi.)

On the public servant side, Angela Fuss, Planning Manager for the City of Reno, said it’s not new for elected officials to get information via social media, and she knows that Nextdoor has, for some, become part of their toolbox. She added that while Nextdoor can be a unique source of info, it’s important to remember that it comes with all the weaknesses of social media.

“I’ve been in the planning business for a long time, and I know that’s how a lot of residents get their information. … On the downside, sometimes that information is inaccurate,” she said.

NATURAL URGES

After Dyer and others learned that the drone contract complied with local statutes, the next concern was that the new bills were not itemized— so residents didn’t know what they were paying for. According to Dyer, the county said itemization wasn’t written into the software—and they couldn’t afford it.

“The county … balked at letting us know what they are adding to our bills,” Dyer said. “It’s like they want to do it silently so we don’t know.”

Using Nextdoor to spread awareness ended up being a smart move; Dyer says the County Commissioner and the Assessor’s office got

involved and began working directly with Washoe County Treasurer Tammi Davis to get additional taxes itemized for transparency.

In November, one Northgate resident was surprised to find they had an exceedingly high water pressure reading, which can damage pipes. After posting about it on Nextdoor, he found that he wasn’t alone—and that it was likely the result of ongoing construction.

The post helped him crowdsource knowledge for a solution while also making other residents aware of the threat.

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Nextdoor posts give the impression that Reno residents maintain a sense of awe and respect over consistent urban wildlife sightings—a consistent reminder that despite the city’s growth, we’re still sharing the land.

Somersett—which appears to generate the most wildlife sighting posts—was built around a historical mule deer migration route; the animals still use it despite the area’s rapid development. For more dangerous wildlife—bears have been spotted by Boomtown, and bobcats like backyards in Mogul—posters offer tips and warnings alike. (Stop chucking organic scraps in the yard, and watch your small dogs if you fear a coyote is nearby.)

The Nevada Department of Wildlife sees it as a useful tool for protecting the wildlife—and the residents.

“When it comes to animals like coyotes, they are extremely adaptable and able to survive in these urban environments … but there are also many dangers that come with living near humans,” said Jessica Wolff, urban wildlife coordinator with the Nevada Department of Wildlife. “There are some things people can do to help protect wildlife via Nextdoor. Notifying us when there is an increase in posts on a particular subject is very helpful.

As an agency, we don’t have access to what neighborhoods are talking about, so simply posting something to Nextdoor does not notify the department. Making sure all neighbors are on the same page when it comes to how to interact with these animals helps protect not only the people, but the animals as well.”

no-compete clause that limits some businesses from opening within a certain geographical boundary around their stores.

“We applied to [several] because of Starbucks and other chain stores,” said Benjamin Murphy, the cafe’s manager (and son of the owners). “The alternative was to open in some tucked-away corner and be forced to close anyway due to lack of foot traffic.”

After a family member got sick and medical bills mounted, their business was in danger. Then, a loyal customer posted a rallying cry on Nextdoor, urging others to check out the cafe.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in new customers and retention, and have heard from many of these customers that they came because of the Nextdoor post,” Murphy said. “It really started picking up.”

Anne Silver, CEO of the Reno and Sparks Chamber of Commerce, confirmed that small business viability is a problem.

“We have experienced strong growth in the small business sector over the past two years,” she wrote in a recent email.

“Unfortunately, we have also seen many small businesses close for various reasons: location, rent increases, road construction— particularly in our midtown corridor—and retirement. The ‘big box’ stores—Costco, Walmart, large supermarket chains, drugstore chains, KOHL’s, Office Depot, franchise food operators and others—still dominate our landscape and make it harder for small businesses to compete.”

Nextdoor has also been a boon to local charities, largely for animal welfare causes, veteran programs and food drives.

As Reno grows, so has the activity on Nextdoor—and the content can tell us a lot about the kind of city Reno is today.

BUSINESS AFFAIRS According to the Reno and Sparks Chamber of Commerce, 75 percent of the area is made up of small businesses, and more than 80 percent of the organization’s new members last year fell into that category.

Classic Rock Cafe is one of them—and it has seen some challenges lately.

The family-owned business opened in the Ridgeview Plaza shopping mall after being denied from six prior locations. That’s because big chains—like Starbucks—often enforce a

GET OFF MY LAWN A new technology has taken advantage of Nextdoor, and residents seem to be all for it: the doorbell cam.

One night last December, an Old Northwest couple was in their garage when they heard two men discussing—and possibly plotting over—the truck parked in the couple’s driveway. The next day, the couple installed a video doorbell—and warned other residents to look for suspicious people that may be casing vehicles in the neighborhood.

Last week, a Canyon Pines resident installed outside cameras and an alarm after discovering a human’s bare footprints in the snow leading up to her house. Commenters chimed in with their theories, one suggesting the prints could have belonged to a kidnapping victim running away, while another said it must be a prank courtesy of some teenagers.

Perhaps it’s the advertising campaigns companies like Ring have launched on Nextdoor, or maybe it’s symptomatic of a city that’s getting more crowded by the month—but the technology could turn residents into busy bodies faster than it may keep us safe. While many posts show good intentions, others highlight how easy it is to get wrapped up in fear over things that were likely happening before the cameras. We just couldn’t see them.

Earlier this month, Sierra Highland resident Hector Anguiano posted a clip from his video doorbell, titled “Be careful. People are crazy,” that showed a reckless driver sideswiping a garbage can as it drove down a residential street—uncomfortably close to a man out walking his dog.

The post cascaded into everything from goodwill commentary (“maybe he was just having a bad day”) to junior detective work. (“It was indeed a Dodge, but it was actually a Sebring from around 2007. Excellent eye though.”) Another poster thought the car matched a recent post from Nevada Highway Patrol. (It didn’t.)

Travis Warren, Reno Police Department’s public information officer, confirmed that RPD has seen an increase in evidence to support cases coming from video doorbell and surveillance camera footage, especially in cases where the immediate suspect description is not available.

Warren said sites like Nextdoor do help others share information and inform the community what to be on the lookout for, but to also remember that community outsiders do make visits.

“You may have family members of those in the community who are visiting for the first time, or someone is meeting a neighbor to discuss retirement plans, or a representative from a legitimate business is there,” he said. “It’s important to remember that normal people are doing regular, everyday things from time to time.”

He advised that in cases where someone looks unfamiliar, best practice is to verify: contact RPD and ask if they’ve received reports of suspicious vehicles or speak with neighbors first to see if they’ve noticed something Anguiana says that in the eight years he’s lived in Reno, he hasn’t seen a spike in suspicious activity, but did say he installed the video doorbell after several instances of interference to his property. While he doesn’t feel that the cameras themselves will deter crime, he said “Sharing information about neighborhood safety is a great idea.”

BEHIND THE CURTAIN Improving safety or helping small businesses on Nextdoor may prove to be effective over time, but it also opens the door for other issues.

A year ago, a Glenwood Estates resident published a post, warning of a “suspicious black truck” with two people “who do not belong in the neighborhood”— with no actual description of the riders or why they were determined to not be from the area. When the poster was asked to clarify, angry comments followed.

Media across the country has reported on instances where these fine lines can cause large problems, from San Francisco’s controversial capture of a “porch pirate” by way of Nextdoor doorbell video, to false accusations that damaged a local restaurant’s reputation in Asheville, North Carolina.

One source of the problem is that Nextdoor may be growing out of its terms and conditions. The site prides itself on being an a resident-run website. One resident per neighborhood acts as the “lead” for their geographical domain.

That person decides what’s appropriate , what isn’t and can basically curate content.

Like Facebook, anyone can report another user on Nextdoor, resulting in permanent removal from the site. Increasingly, Reno users are complaining that a post has mysteriously disappeared (both stand-alone posts and responses in a thread). And since it’s on a case-by-case basis that’s reviewed after the lead takes action, there are no clear safeguards for equal treatment (a problem that platforms like Facebook and Twitter still publicly wrestle with).

Per the site’s terms and conditions, “Neighborhood Leads can report content, review and vote to remove reported content, or close discussions that were started in their neighborhood. …

Neighborhood Leads do not have the power to limit a member’s ability to post or to restrict their access to Nextdoor. Only

Nextdoor staff can take those actions.” (Nextdoor also advises residents to “Not post concerns about moderation in the main newsfeed.”)

As the site grows—both in membership and its everexpanding corporate partnerships and marketing programs—it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether Nextdoor-employed moderators will become overwhelmed, and lean too heavily on neighborhood leads to make the call for them.

Regardless of what Reno’s presence on Nextdoor continues to become, it’s prudent to remember that social media channels are built around people, and that means it will have two characteristics: the beautiful display of generous, curious and unique qualities, and the rapid deterioration of common sense and humility. Post wisely. Ω

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Brian Melendez created and hosts the local podcast Coffee with an Indian.

PHOTO/LUKA STARMER

“We’re all looking to be represented, and we’re all looking to be cared for, and we’re all looking to be heard, and we’re all looking to simply exist.”

Brian Melendez Coffee with an Indian

Lessons learned A local podcaster tells his stories on Coffee with an Indian

BY LUKA STARMER

T

he last year was a big year for podcasts in Reno. It was featured in season two of The City Podcast, a series from USA Today. That season investigated the power struggle between Reno’s grittier identity of strip clubs and casinos versus the glittery, techy Tesla vibe that’s emerging.

Reno is home to other critically acclaimed podcasts with national audiences like Grammar Girl and Van Sounds. Then there are other more grassroots localized shows like the Biggest Little Streets Podcast that

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comments on issues of homelessness and the disappearance of public spaces in this city.

For me, one of the most moving podcasts of the year is Coffee with an Indian created by Brian Melendez.

It’s a podcast worth stopping whatever you’re doing and binge listening. Go on a roadtrip across the desert just to immerse yourself, or just listen on the way to work. They’re easy to digest, 20ish-minute episodes—21 episodes in all.

Implied by the title, the episodes are meant to feel like you’re sitting across the table from Melendez in a coffee shop. As it turns out, that’s not just a persona he puts on for his listeners. He’s actually down to have coffee with anyone. You can find Melendez regularly hanging out at Old World Coffee on California Avenue.

That’s where he does his writing.

“When I knew I needed to start a podcast, I didn’t have the technical skills to start it,” Melendez said.

Friends and professionals pointed him to Chris Webster,

a Reno local who founded the Archaeology Podcast Network. Webster also teaches podcasting production techniques. Melendez said he was part of Webster’s very first podcast training class at The Reno Collective.

The workshop taught him about microphones, editing software and so on. Then he turned his home into a recording studio.

“I took a bunch of blankets, and I used safety pins and thumbtacks and I created this little blanket fort cocoon, and I started recording.” Local songwriter and comedian Grace Hayes produced his custom theme song to open and close each episode. Melendez figured out how to market himself on various social media platforms, and he’s made the podcasts available on everything from iTunes to Spotify.

He also publishes longer, more in-depth, often times more R-rated versions of every episode on the paid membership platform called Patreon. That show is called Coffee with an Indian, Black.

According to Melendez, as a production team of one, he’s getting roughly 14,000 downloads per week across the globe.

BREAKING GROUND Melendez, 40, grew up on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. He’s Northern/Southern Paiute and Western Shoshone. The podcast is only one arm of his selfproclaimed journey to explore the depths of spiritual self-determination. He teaches guided meditation.

He runs an LLC, and he’s starting a nonprofit. He’s worked as a tribal legislator, law enforcement officer and as an operations officer with the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. Last week, Melendez was invited to participate in the Native American Presidential Forum at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Last year, he and his wife, Teresa Melendez, established the Native

American caucus for the State of Nevada Democratic Party.

“That’s what I’m hoping my podcast does, is remind people that we’re fucking human,” he said. “We’re all looking to be represented, and we’re all looking to be cared for, and we’re all looking to be heard, and we’re all looking to simply exist.”

In the first episode, “Ground Zero,” Melendez gives a synopsis of his upbringing, a general scene setting of Nevada and a broad overview of Native Americans in Northern Nevada. He sets his lofty intentions for the rest of the episodes. He promises the podcast will rub up against some tough conversations. He calls himself “a white person whisperer for Native People and a Native People whisperer for white people,” indicating his ability to decode topics for listeners coming from different backgrounds.

The whole first episode is a message of general housekeeping. It’s meant to get everyone listening on the same page. And then none of the episodes are like that again. If you’re going to give the show a try, I urge you to give it a three-episode test.

“I always knew I wanted to have a conversation about my community, but I realized there wasn’t an appropriate format,” he said during our own conversation over coffee.

“Because when people get together, they’re not really having these conversations.”

I need to point out that the podcast isn’t really conversational, though. Melendez isn’t coming at his listeners like an indigenous peoples’ talking head. This isn’t Joe Rogan from the reservation. This podcast is a memoir. It’s ethnographic. Most importantly, it’s highly engaging storytelling drawn directly from Melendez’s life. It’s carefully written and concisely edited.

The stories are relatable and full of wisdom. It’s spoken in his real voice, sometimes flowing from super insightful discourse into his version of explicit street slang that comes from growing up tough in the neighborhoods of Hungry Valley and Reno.

“When I initially started the project, the people I thought would be listening would be younger tribal people,” he said. “I thought maybe certain aspects of my storyline would come through as a caring uncle or a big brother.”

“There’s so much truth and so much knowledge behind what he’s speaking,” said Darren Easterwood of Reno. “He’s practically become a historic figure not only for Nevada Indians, but for all Indians through his podcast

You can find the Coffee with an Indian podcast on Brian Melendez’s website www.lucentree. com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

and his representation of indigenous people.”

Easterwood said he’s half Native American, and he grew up in Reno alongside Melendez’s younger brother, Tyler.

Melendez’s audience is broader than the Native American community. Being a white listener who grew up on the East Coast, I enjoyed the whole series. I learned from them, too. I feel like I get a glimpse of Reno in decades passed, and I get to hear what it was like growing up as Native American.

A couple of times each episode he will stop in the middle of a story to highlight an important generalization. For example, it’ll be like, “Lesson learned: listen to your intuition.

Sometimes it’s a matter of life or death.”

Another good one was, “Lesson learned: If we’re going to save the planet, at the very least we’re going to need to outnumber the people that don’t give a shit.”

The episodes work somewhat chronologically from his schoolboy days through adolescence into adulthood. He really acquaints the listener with his family and friends, their nicknames and their influences. At times, he will stop an episode to address some of these people directly, even some who are deceased.

He’ll send out a little sentiment—a message of love or gratitude, a shoutout.

“I’m not doing this from a place of judgment or self-righteousness,” he said. “I’m not a hero in my story, nor do I ever believe I’m a hero in my story. I try the best I can to highlight the antiheroes in my life that actually did shit in my life and who actually made a difference in my life. A lot of those people, for the better part of a story, were tarnished souls. They were crooks and criminals and murderers and gang members and drug addicts and bad parents and shitty brothers, and all these people had a part in my life.”

The stories run listeners through the gamut of emotions. They range from hilarious to downright tear-jerking. He told me he believes in healing through radical transparency, and that’s why he’s willing to put it all out here in a public space. He’s also very adamant to make clear that what he says is not a blanket generalization for all tribal people. His stories are his own. Ω

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by Mark earnest

Pick up the pieces Holly Spahr Not every piece of art has perfect symmetry, placement or even pristine materials. Holly Spahr explores the idea of decay in her latest exhibition, at least in the chunk of it that’s made out of glass.

Here’s the scenario: there are glass lamps in Spahr’s show that stem from a recent glass blowing internship with Robb Dunmore, a local artist who teaches that technique. Not every glass lamp that Spahr created turned out exactly as she intended, though.

“With glass blowing, you have to start at a very humble place and work on the core elements before you start doing all these things that people see as glass art,” Spahr said. “You make a lot of mistakes.”

Some of those mistakes will be front and center in Spahr’s art exhibit at Junkee Clothing Exchange and Antiques, which begins on Jan. 26. “There will be a collection of glass works that are essentially broken, and to a glass blower’s eyes would be garbage,” she said. “But I still feel a connection with them. There’s beauty in broken things.”

Spahr took it one step further and embellished the cracks and imperfections of these glass pieces with ornate floral elements or vines. It fits in well with other pieces that conjure up a distinctive place in Spahr’s imagination.

“Some of these are hanging pendant lamps, but I’ve covered them in moss and vines to make them into something that might fit into a fantasy world, almost like floating islands,” she said.

“It’s interesting to me to use material that I have on hand to appreciate the flaws and work with the failures and 16

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Holly Spahr’s glass sculptures and paintings are part of her exhibition at Junkee Clothing Exchange and Antiques, where she works as a costumer.

Photo/courtesy holly sPahr

irregularities, and to give life back to something that’s broken.”

Spahr’s day job is also all about repurposing. She works as a costumer at Junkee, where she gets to create displays and stretch that aspect of her creativity.

“I’ve been super-lucky recently because Jessica [Schneider, Junkee owner] supports the arts and my own artistic talent,” Spahr said. “I’ve lived in Reno for two years now, so I still feel like I’m new to the art scene.

Sometimes, I’m a loner artist type, but I’m getting more involved now.”

Spahr grew up in Atlanta, and she has a degree in fine art and sculpture from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has experience as a scenic fabricator and designer of artistic displays for museums, and she also worked in California as a prosthetic technician to help amputees.

Her motivation to move from California for a lifestyle where she could focus more on her personal artwork has worked out well so far. Spahr’s show is part of a re-opening for Junkee Gold, a section of the store that Spahr said was known by shoppers as “the secret room” and features the more elaborate costumes and items from the store.

It’s the second show that Spahr has staged at Junkee, and this show features more art than her April 2018 display, she said. Along with the glass sculptures, she will feature about 30 paintings.

“About half of those are portraits that people will recognize from the style of the last show I did,” she said. “But now I’ve added a lot of . . . let’s call them landscapes.

They’re abstract, celestial maybe. I think they pair well with the glass pieces. It’s almost like a fantasy island, very lush. It’s the type of thing that I like to dream about and then put into the artwork.” Ω

holly spahr’s art show has its opening reception from 2-7 p.m. Jan. 26 at Junkee clothing exchange and antiques, 960 s. Virginia st. Get more details on spahr’s art at instagram.com/monstermouthstudios.

BY BOB GRIMM

b g ri m m @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

SHORT TAKES

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“Grimm only gave us three stars? Aim a little higher.”

Whatcha gonna do?

Twenty-five years have passed since detectives Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) first suited up for Captain Michael Bay in Bad Boys, and 17 years have passed since they joined him again for Bad Boys II. Since the first time Bay assaulted our eyes and ears with his patented brand of cinematic garbage, I’ve grown to almost enjoy said garbage. I hated Bad Boys, but I sort of liked the outrageous Bad Boys II. Bay tends to amuse me now, unless he’s doing a Transformers movie, in which case I check out.

I attribute my suddenly liking some Bay movies to brain decay due to aging, a lack of iron and a general loss of spirituality over the years.

So, I guess the bad news is that Bay passed on directing Bad Boys for Life, the third installment in the franchise. I would’ve liked to have seen an attempt

by Bay to top the almost self-parodying craziness that was Bad Boys II, but, alas, he was making Netflix movies with Ryan Reynolds.

The good news is that the directing team of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah does a sufficient job of continuing the mayhem, easily topping Bay’s lame original and providing a chapter that is as good, and sometimes better, than chapter two.

Burnett is eying retirement, while Lowrey is dealing with the psychological and physical ramifications of aging (he’s dyeing his goatee, so it’s all good). A crazy witch lady gangster Isabel (Kate del Castillo) has escaped from prison and has put out a hit list for her son Armando (Jacob Scipio) to work his way through. Isabel has some vengeance in mind, the targets are former associates, and they have connections to Lowrey.

Lowrey himself is on that list, and he takes a couple of bullets early in the film. I’m not giving too much away here in telling you that Lowrey doesn’t

die. There’s no movie if Lowrey dies. So, a brief healing time later, Lowrey and a very reluctant Burnett are back in action, wise cracking and shooting people in slow motion.

Some familiar faces return, including Theresa Randle as Burnett’s long suffering wife. She’s good in a subplot that has Burnett becoming a grandad while getting more house time in attempted retirement. House retirement doesn’t go well. Bad things happen with ceiling fan repair. Joe Pantoliano makes a welcomed return as Pepto-Bismol-swigging Captain Howard, a still capable riff on all of those screaming captains from Beverly Hills Cop movies.

All the mayhem comes to an appropriately visceral and bloody conclusion, replete with big plot twists and the Smith-Lawrence duo kicking ass. When the two are just allowed to riff and fly, it’s fun. There’s a big production going on around them, but it never overwhelms their combined star power. They are bloodier, nastier versions of Abbott and Costello.

As Bay learned with Bad Boys II, Smith and Lawrence are better in this sort of thing when they wink at the camera and everything is ridiculously over-the-top. The new directors know their way around an action scene, and their comic timing is strong, so there are equal levels of laughs and explosions in this installment. The movie isn’t the big joke that Bad Boys II was—Burnett’s electronics store sex problem confession remains the series highlight—but it’s unabashedly nuts. It also qualifies as a competent and promising reboot.

Now, please don’t take these words as incredibly high praise. I’m saying that this is relatively tasty cinematic junk food. I’m saying that it’s good enough that I’m OK with the idea that the next chapter won’t be nearly two decades away. (Bad Boys 4 is already in the works.) I’m saying that there seems to be a few more Bad Boys stories to tell, and the beat goes on without Bay. Ω

Bad Boys for Life

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1917

A couple of British World War I soldiers stationed in France have themselves a harrowing time in 1917, a war action/drama from Director Sam Mendes that amounts to one of 2019’s greatest technological achievements in cinema. It’s also one of the past year’s best movies.

Mendes, along with his special effects team, editing crew and legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (an Oscar winner for Blade Runner 2049), designed the film to look like one continuous “real time” shot.

They do a seamless job, to the point where you stop looking for the places where edits might be happening and you just take the whole thing in. The story never suffers in favor of the filmmaking stunt. Lance Corporals Schofield and Blake (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) are seen napping at the beginning of the movie.

Blake is ordered to wake up and report to command and takes Schofield along with him. The two pals figure they have some sort of nothing assignment coming their way involving food or mail delivery. Not long after, in a plot that owes a little to Saving Private Ryan, Schofield and Blake get their unusual assignment: go beyond a recently abandoned German front line and reach the next British battalion before they mistakenly advance into a trap set by the enemy. It’s up to them to save the lives of 1,600 soldiers, one of them being Blake’s older brother. The movie is set in motion and never really stops. Schofield and Blake venture out into a body-riddled, fly-infested battlefield with very little time to spare. Deakins’ camera follows them as if you were a third party along for the mission. This results in a completely immersive experience.

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Just Mercy

Michael B. Jordan stars as civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, a real-life attorney who has dedicated his life to freeing wrongly convicted death row inmates. Destin Daniel Cretton’s film focuses primarily on the case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man sentenced to death for the murder of a girl, even though evidence showed him with friends and family at the time of the killing. What happened to McMillian is depicted competently in the movie, as are some other cases and Stevenson’s struggles to bring injustices into the light.

Jordan and Foxx are very good, as are a supporting cast of Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson and O’Shea Jackson, Jr. The film is well done, but perhaps a little too routine for stretches. Still, it’s a showcase for fine acting, especially by Jordan and Foxx. It’ll also get you thinking on the downfalls of the death penalty, and the kinds of horrors men like McMillian went through.

4

Little Women

This is the umpteenth adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, and it’s safe to say this one is in the running for best adaptation of the story—ever.

Directed by rising directorial juggernaut Greta Gerwig (the magnificent, ultrafantastic Lady Bird)—who has a vision with her films that declares, “Hey, we aren’t screwing around here!”—her third feature is an across-the-board stunner. It’s also chock-full of tremendous performances, and it’s written and directed by Gerwig, whose vision makes this an admirable update of a precious work. The incredible Saoirse Ronan, who also starred in Lady Bird, headlines as Jo March, eldest sister of the March clan, which includes three others: Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen). Ronan, not surprisingly, makes the intrepid character of Jo her own, a budding writer who is trying to get her ideas past a crusty editor (Tracy Letts, who had a damn fine 2019). Gerwig, in a departure from past adaptations, focuses more on the girls as adults, with

flashbacks to their younger days. In doing this, she has chosen not to cast Amy with two different actresses. Pugh, who is well into her 20s, plays Amy at every stage, even falling through the ice as a pre-teen. I’d say that was an odd choice, but the other choice would be to have less screen time for Pugh, and I say a big no to that. Yes, she doesn’t look like she’s 12, but who cares? She’s a master in every scene. Timothée Chalamet steps into the role of Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, and there couldn’t have been a better choice for the role.

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Underwater

5

Marriage story

Kristen Stewart goes into badass movie star mode in Underwater, a long delayed and surprisingly decent deep-sea horror/thriller from director William Eubank.

While it stands to be the second big-budget box office disaster in a row for Stewart after Charlie’s Angels, it deserves a better fate.

The movie is actually pretty good. The film doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel or work any miracles. It’s successful in a very basic way in that it engages from beginning to end, with an occasional effective scare, a constant sense of dread and high-pressure tension. Stewart stars as Norah, an underwater engineer on a drilling rig in the middle of the Mariana Trench. We first see her brushing her teeth as the lights around her flicker, accompanied by some dull thuds. She glances around, plays a little with a spider in the sink, and she isn’t too concerned. Then, “boom!,” her section of the rig implodes, blasting water all around her as she and another crew member narrowly escape to a temporary safe place. And by temporary, I mean safe for the next 30 seconds or so. Norah eventually finds herself squaring off against sea creatures on the ocean floor in a deep sea horror flick that’s decent enough to warrant a viewing, but far from classic. Stewart’s star power, and some decent effects, put this one over-the-top.

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are incredible in writer/director Noah Baumbach’s best movie yet, an alternately searing, touching and hilarious look at a marriage’s end times. Nicole and Charlie Barber work in a theater company together, she the performer and he the director. The movie starts with them in counseling, going through a divorce where they promise each other things will remain amicable and lawyers won’t get involved.

Nicole will go to Los Angeles and pursue film acting while Charlie stays in New York to facilitate his latest play making it to Broadway. They are determined to share custody of their young son. This will be a pleasant divorce. Then … the lawyers get involved, of course. Early in the film, it’s a wonder why these two are getting divorced. They’re both quiet about it, and, heck, you might even think there’s a chance they can pull out of the nosedive and make a happy landing. Nope. Just, nope. This director will not be trafficking in easy endings. Baumbach comes from a place that knows two people can really love each other, yet put themselves through a progressive, scorching hell to achieve separation. Nicole tries to remain civil, but Charlie has done stuff that’s going to result in things that will make the proceedings a little rougher than first thought. Nicole gets herself a lawyer in Nora (Laura Dern just being the best Laura Dern ever) and Charlie eventually caves and gets one too in Bert Spitz (a funny Alan Alda) and his eventual replacement Jay (an even funnier Ray Liotta). I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this movie contains the most realistic, earth-shattering, devastatingly honest marital fight I’ve ever seen in a movie. The participants in this scene simply had to have gotten medical assistance when it was all over. Driver and Johansson do things in this film you will not soon forget. (Streaming on Netflix.)

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by Todd SouTh

Northern Nevada

Carlillos Cocina serves Mexican breakfast and lunch classics like these chilaquiles with carne asada and green sauce.

A little spice

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You do not have to tolerate sexual harassment.

CaLL MaRK MaUsERT

Experienced Nevada Attorneys who have successfully litigated more than 300 sexual and racial work place harassment cases. 36 years of experience.

Contingent Fee Cases Accepted

Mark Mausert

729 Evans avE, REno | 775-786-5477 18

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01.23.20

For decades, an eight-stool diner on South Virginia Street in what is now midtown served up American diner fare, including a chili cheese omelet with home fries I still compare all else against. At some point in the late ’80s, new owners decided to build two more locations, and then bit off more than they could chew. The largest location eventually settled into being The Cup (breakfast/lunch), and the original is now Beefy’s, a decent little burger stop.

But the last shop to use the Landrum’s name eventually became something really special—and frankly amazing.

Carlillos Cocina retains the classic layout, with perhaps 18 stools at the counter and a few more in each corner of the room. The place gets pretty busy, but the family crew behind the counter moves things along at a rapid pace. Watching them perform the “kitchen dance” plate after plate is kind of mesmerizing. Still a breakfast/lunch operation, the biscuits and pancakes have been replaced by some of the best Mexican food you’ll find anywhere.

The menu includes tortas, burritos, fajitas, tacos and salads, but I had one thing in mind. Chilaquiles ($8.99) is a traditional breakfast of fried tortilla chips that are then simmered with salsa until they soften. There are many varieties, but my plate included mixed-in scrambled eggs, lots of melted cheese and fantastic salsa verde (rojo also available). For an extra $2 they added a pile of tender, cubed carne asada, and I decided to try the breakfast potatoes. Wow. The seasoning and crispy/fluffy spuds were a surprise—really good even without the sauce. A simple salad on the side included dollops of fresh, flavorful guacamole, sour cream and a whole roasted jalapeño. The

PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG

asada was finished with fresh cilantro, bell pepper, onion and purple cabbage, adding a nice bit of crunch. It wasn’t just a meal, it was an experience.

My friend chose a combo plate ($11.99) with a shredded beef tamale, chicken enchilada and a carne asada taco that was folded and grilled. The plate included all the same veggies and extras as mine, though with rice and refried beans. As with the potatoes, I would have been happy with just those well-seasoned sides as a meal. She noted that she loves that peas and carrots are included in the rice, just like her mother did in New Mexico.

The tamale was of particular note, with a perfect ratio of masa-to-filling.

Always on the quest for a good stuffed pepper, I added a chile relleno ($4.50) and shrimp taco ($3.50) to our order, à la carte. I was a little surprised that they were served on the same plate, dressed out with the same great collection of veggies, etc. The taco was served “street style,” not crispy, with plenty of grilled seafood. The relleno was really good, easily earning a place on my personal “best of” list—lots of cheese, better-than-average sauce and a chile with great flavor.

The plates are really loaded. I certainly wasn’t the only one requesting a to-go carton. Having been open just a few years, it’s easy to see why they’ve gained recognition far beyond Reno. The old Landrum’s sign is still in place, perhaps as a nod to the past. I ate at that diner back in the day, but I was never so excited to have leftovers to look forward to. Ω

Carlillos Cocina

415 S. Rock blvd., Sparks, 351-1274

Carlillos Cocina is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

by Mark EarnEST

Digital network Producers Social Being an electronic music producer can be a lonely pursuit—and one without a proper feedback loop. You can create all the great beats and killer hooks you want to get people on the dance floor, but unless you can get it played somewhere, who knows if it actually works its magic?

There’s a sort of “new old” event in the area that can help with this quandary. The Reno/Tahoe Producers Social is back at the Bluebird, giving artists a chance to not only get their music heard, but to also get advice and constructive criticism on it.

The event was brought back to the Bluebird by Jesse Edelman, a.k.a. Zodiak Iller. He described it as “a round-robin, open mic deal for producers to show up and get their music played on highquality club sound, and then industry peers will give you feedback on how it sounds. You can write at home and think that you are doing really good, but once you hear it on the club’s sounds, it’s totally different.”

The Producers Social will take place every month, although with no set date since the Bluebird hosts so many traveling artists throughout the month. Edelman said that those interested can go to the Bluebird’s Facebook page to see when it takes place. The first one takes place on Jan. 30, and the event organizers accept any method to get your music out into the speakers. (Usually it’s via USB or an aux chord into a device.)

Edelman grew up in a small town called Georgetown, California, between Auburn and Placerville, but he was no stranger to the Reno scene. He played

Jesse Edelman, a.k.a. Zodiak Iller, is working with the Bluebird to revive the monthly Producers Social for DJ artists in town. The next one is Jan. 30.

Photo/courtesy ZoDiak iller

shows in the area for the past four or five years and traveled up to the Biggest Little City to see shows as well. He now lives in Reno, and was itching to bring back the Producers Social after it meant so much to him during his journeys from Northern California.

“It was around two or three years ago, and I would drive in, two hours each way, just to play four songs every month,” Edelman said. “It helped me make a lot of friends in the music scene here.”

It also kept Edelman creating on a regular basis. “I gave myself a goal every month—OK, I’m going to have four new songs that I can bring to the Producers Social,” he said. “And that gave me the drive to write.”

The concept, and name of Producers Social stemmed from a similar event in Los Angeles, and Edelman got permission from its organizers to use the name again for the Reno events. He co-hosts the Reno social with local DJ/artist Howker (a.k.a.

Brandon Campbell), although Edelman was humble about his actual role with it.

“I’m not really in charge of much,” he said. “It’s more like ‘Hey, it’s your turn next, go ahead. It just needs someone to organize it and make the flier every month. I’m just trying to keep everyone as an equal. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been making amazing music for years or if you just started yesterday.”

Fostering community is also a huge part of what Edelman wants.

“I go by this thing of community over competition,” he explained. “It’s easy for the individual to rise if they have 30 people supporting them, instead of 29 people who don’t care. If it’s that way for the scene, it’s that way for everyone. If everyone is genuinely happy for the other person then the whole scene rises.” Ω

the Producers social returns at 6 p.m., with music starting at 7 p.m., Jan. 30 at the Bluebird, 555 e. Fourth st. Get more details at facebook.com/bluebirdreno

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5 STAR SALOON

132 West St., (775) 499-5655

THURSDAY 1/23

FRIDAY 1/24

SATURDAY 1/25

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Dance party, 10pm, $5 no cover before 10pm

Dance party, 10pm, $5 no cover before 10pm

Karaoke, 9pm, W, no cover

11th Annual Ullr Fest Fundraiser, 5:30pm, $85

Trivia Night, 7pm, Tu, no cover

ALIBI ALE WORKS (INCLINE)

931 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, (775) 831-8300

ALIBI ALE WORKS (TRUCKEE)

10069 Bridge St., Truckee, (530) 536-5029

The Almost

Brian J (Pimps of Joytime), 8:30pm, no cover

ALTURAS BAR Jan. 23, 7 p.m.

1044 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-5050 Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor 71 S. Wells Ave. BAR OF AMERICA 384-1652 10040 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, (530) 587-2626

Comedy

THE BLUEBIRD

Carson Comedy Club, Carson Nugget, 507 N. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 8821626: Mike Betancourt, Fri, 8pm, $15 Laugh Factory, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 3257401: Bob Golub, Thu, Sun, 7:30pm, $21.95; Fri-Sat, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $27.45; Rocky Dale Davis, Tue-Wed, 7:30pm, $21.95 LEX at Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-5399: Will C, Fri, 6:30pm, $10 The Library, 134 W. Second St., (775) 6833308: Open Mic Comedy, Sun, Wed, 8pm, no cover Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-5233: Will C, Thu, 7:30pm, $7-$12; Fri, 9pm, $12-$17; Sat, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $12-$17

CARGO CONCERT HALL

Winter Hoedown with Everyday Outlaw, 8:30pm, $5

Truth cARTel, 8:30pm, no cover

Bluegrass jam, 6pm, no cover

The New Harvesters, Wabuska Yachting Club, 8:30pm, $5

Falling Axe Fest: Quarin, Cyanate, Condemned Existence, 7pm, $10

Sounds of the City: Scott Parsons, Joseph Tatum, 5pm, no cover

Dippin’ Sauce, 9:30pm, no cover

Dippin’ Sauce, 9pm, no cover

RiFF RAFF, Topanga Jack, Dylano, Crppn Beats, Felipendejo, 9pm, $22

555 E. Fourth St., (775) 499-5549

255 N. Virginia St., (775) 398-5400

CEOL IRISH PUB

Monique Jade Band, 9pm, no cover

538 S. Virginia St., (775) 329-5558

COTTONWOOD RESTAURANT

10142 Rue Hilltop Rd., Truckee, (530) 587-5711

Ryan Taylor, 6:30pm, no cover

FAT CAT BAR & GRILL (INCLINE)

DJ Ramone, 10pm, no cover

FAT CAT BAR & GRILL (MIDTOWN)

Jamie Rollins, 8:30pm, no cover

rnrsweetdeals.newsreview.com

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Black Tiger Sex Machine, 8pm, W, $32.50 Traditional Irish session, 7pm, Tu, Wed. Night Showcase, 7pm, W, no cover

First Take featuring Rick Metz, 7pm, Tu, no cover

get more, spend less.

20

Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, no cover

Après Ski: House Party and Sunset Sound System crews, 9pm, $10-$20

432 E. Fourth St., (775) 409-4431

1401 S. Virginia St., (775) 453-2223

Doug Walther & Friends, 9pm, no cover

Post shows online by registerin g at www.newsr eview. com/reno. D eadline is the Frida y before public ation.

MON-WED 1/27-1/29

Dan Copeland, 6:30pm, no cover

DEAD RINGER ANALOG BAR

599 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, (530) 583-3355

SUNDAY 1/26

THURSDAY 1/23 The holland ProjecT 140 Vesta St., (775) 448-6500

jUB jUB’S ThIrST Parlor 71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652 1) Showroom 2) Bar Room

FRIDAY 1/24

SATURDAY 1/25

Dead Seagals, Tommy and the Tongues, 8:30pm, $10

Legends Never Die: Benefit for Xavier Wilson, 9pm, $10

Dude York, Slate, 7:30pm, M, $8-$10

1) PROJECTflow #21 (hip-hop contest), 7:30pm, $5

1) Koo Koo Kanga Roo, 6:30pm, Tu, $15 2) Greg Rekus, Jen Scaffidi, 8pm, M, $5,

1) The Almost, All Get Out, Ghost Atlas, 7pm, $15-$20

SUNDAY 1/26

lIVInG The Good lIFe

Acoustic Tuesdays, 6pm, Tu, no cover

1480 N. Carson St., (775) 841-4663

Reverend Horton Heat

The loVInG cUP

Motown Mondays, 9pm, M, no cover

188 California Ave., (775) 322-2480

MIdTown wIne Bar

1527 S. Virginia St., (775) 800-1960

Unplugged: Open Mic Thursdays, 7pm, no cover

PaddY & Irene’S IrISh Bar

Acoustic Wonderland, 8pm, no cover

906 Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 359-1594

PIGnIc PUB & PaTIo 235 Flint St., (775) 376-1948

Deception, 8:30pm, no cover

CooCoo Chanel, 8pm, no cover

Pawnshop, 8:30pm, no cover Weapons of Mass Creation, Nino Santo, Cat Stanley, 9pm, no cover

Adam Springob, Aaron Ryder, 7pm, no cover

The Polo loUnGe

DJ Trivia, 7pm, no cover

Ladies Night with DJ Bobby G, 8:30pm, no cover

DJ Bobby G, 8:30pm, no cover

rUe BoUrBon

Adam Springob, 6pm, no cover

Kat Heart, 8pm, no cover

Rachael McElhiney, 8pm, no cover

Thursday Night Salsa—Santos de la Salsa, 7pm, no cover before 9:30pm

Radiokeys, Local Anthology, Miki Rae & Taking Root, 8pm, $10

Country Dance Party, 7pm, no cover

The Swaggerlies, Dusty Miles and the Cryin’ Shame, 9:30pm, $5-$6

Statues of Bliss, Chaki, Ozymandias, 9:30pm, $5-$6

2nd Annual Back to School Glow in the Dark Slumber Party, 10pm, $5

Motive, 8pm, $5 Silent Disco Black Light Party, 10pm, $TBA

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

1401 S. Virginia St., (775) 384-6526

The SaInT

761 S. Virginia St., (775) 221-7451

Shea’S TaVern

215 S. Virginia St., (775) 786-4774

VIrGInIa STreeT BrewhoUSe 211 N. Virginia St., (775) 433-1090

MON-WED 1/27-1/29

Silent Disco, 10pm, $TBA

Jason King, 7pm, W, no cover

Jan. 28, 8 p.m.

Virginia Street Brewhouse 211 N. Virginia St. 433-1090

Sunday Jam Slam, 8pm, no cover

Karaoke, 8pm, M, no cover Jesse French, 8pm, Tu, no cover

Country line dance lessons and dance party, 6pm, W, no cover

Black Tiger Sex Machine Jan. 29, 8 p.m.

Cargo Concert Hall 255 N. Virginia St. 398-5400

Reverend Horton Heat, 8pm, Tu, $25 Rockaraoke, 8pm, W, no cover

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aTlanTIs CasIno resorT sPa 3800 S. Virginia St., (775) 825-4700 Cabaret MELISSA DRU: Thu, 1/23, 8pm, Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 4pm, no cover

COOK BOOK: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 10pm, Sun, 1/26, 8pm, no cover

BooMToWn CasIno HoTel 2100 garSOn rOad, Verdi, (775) 345-6000 gUitar bar MICHAEL FURLONG: Thu, 1/23, 6pm, no cover VELVET DUO: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 5pm, no cover EBONY NOT QUITE IVORY: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

JAMIE ROLLINS: Sun, 1/26, 6pm, no cover TANDYMONIUM: Mon, 1/27, 6pm, no cover STEPHEN LORD: Tue, 1/28, 6pm, no cover BOD GARDNER: Wed, 1/29, 6pm, no cover

Carson nUGGeT 507 n. CarSOn St., CarSOn City, (775) 882-1626 tHe LOFt ONE WAY STREET: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

JAN/25: BREW HAHA

Sierra Arts Foundation holds its annual fundraiser featuring a large selection of micro and macro beers and live entertainment from The Garage Boys.

There will be more than 100 beers to sample. Admission packages includes entry with appetizers, gourmet beer from local brewers and food pairing, as well as a chance to bid in silent auction prizes. General admission is $50 in advance and $60 on the day of event.

VIP admission is $80. The party starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Nugget Ballroom at the Nugget Casino Resort, 1100 Nugget Ave. Call 356-3300.

Carson Valley Inn

elDoraDo resorT CasIno

1627 HigHway 395, Minden, (775) 782-9711

345 n. Virginia St., (775) 786-5700

Cabaret

brew brOtHerS

RECKLESS ENVY: Thu, 1/23, 7pm, Fri, 1/24,

STUDENT BODY THURSDAYS WITH VJ RIZZO:

Sat, 1/25, 8pm, no cover

CIrCUs CIrCUs reno 500 n. Sierra St., (775) 329-0711 Cabaret MIKE FURLONG BAND: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

eL JeFe’S Cantina SKYY HIGH FRIDAY WITH DJ MO FUNK: Fri, 1/24, 10pm, no cover

REVEL SATURDAYS WITH DJ CHRIS ENGLISH: Sat, 1/25, 10pm, no cover

CrysTal Bay CasIno 14 HigHway 28, CryStaL bay, (775) 833-6333 CrOwn rOOM AN EVENING WITH THE WAILERS: Fri, 1/24, 9pm, $30-$35

red rOOM LADIES OF HOUSE WITH MISS COOPER & MIRA: Sat, 1/25, 11pm, no cover

Thu, 1/23, 10pm, no cover

DJ BIRD & VJ RIZZO: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 10pm, no cover

DJ MARK TWYMAN: Sun, 1/26, 10pm, no cover LIVE BAND KARAOKE WITH ROCK U ENT.: Mon, 1/27, Wed, 1/29, 10pm, no cover

BREW CLUB TUESDAYS WITH DJ JB: Tue, 1/28, 9pm, no cover

nOVi DJ SCENICK & DJ RONI V: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

rOXy’S LiVe PianO bar LIVE PIANO: Thu, 1/23, Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, Sun, 1/26, Mon, 1/27, Tue, 1/28, Wed, 1/29, 4:30pm, no cover

DJ OSCAR PEREZ: Fri, 1/24, 10pm, no cover DJ MO FUNK: Sat, 1/25, 10pm, no cover

GranD sIerra resorT 2500 e. SeCOnd St., (775) 789-2000 LeX nigHtCLUb THROWBACK THURSDAY WITH DJ SWERVE-1: Thu, 1/23, 6pm, no cover

LEX FRIDAYS WITH JIMMY LITE: Fri, 1/24, 10pm, $10

BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY: Sat, 1/25, 10pm, $20

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Post shows online by registering at www.newsreview.com/reno. Deadline is the Friday before publication.

Yo Yolie Jan. 25, 10 p.m.

Peppermill Resort Spa Casino 2707 S. Virginia St. 826-2121

WILLIAM HILL RACE AND SPORTS BAR COUNTRY MUSIC NIGHTS & DANCE LESSONS: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 10:30pm, no cover

HARD ROCK LAKE TAHOE 50 HIgHWAy 50, STATELINE, (844) 588-7625 CENTER BAR DJ SET: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

VINyL SHOWROOM RIFFS COMEDY CLUB WITH MIKE BETANCOURT: Sat, 1/25, 8pm, $15

HARRAH’S LAKE TAHOE 15 HIgHWAy 50, STATELINE, (800) 427-7247 CASINO CENTER STAgE TUESDAY NIGHT BLUES WITH THE BUDDY EMMER BAND: Tue, 1/28, 8pm, no cover

HARRAH’S RENO 219 N. CENTER ST., (775) 786-3232 SAMMy’S SHOW ROOM

TAHOE BILTMORE

EDgE

HARVEYS LAKE TAHOE 18 HIgHWAy 50, STATELINE, (775) 588-6611

YO YOLIE: Sat, 1/25, 10pm, $20

HARVEy’S CABARET

TERRACE LOUNgE

$26.83-$36.83

DJ MO FUNK: Thu, 1/23, Sun, 1/26, 9pm, no cover THE RUN UP: Thu, 1/23, 9pm, no cover FASTLANE: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

2707 S. VIRgINIA ST., (775) 826-2121 SPIN THURSDAYS: Thu, 1/23, 10pm, $20 LATIN DANCE SOCIAL WITH BB & KIKI OF SALSA RENO: Fri, 1/24, 7pm, $10-$20, no cover

THE NEVADA SHOW: Fri, 1/24, 10pm,

SILVER BARON LOUNgE

PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO

5 HIgHWAy 28, CRySTAL BAy, (775) 831-0660 CASINO FLOOR

before 8pm

CHRIS COSTA: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 8pm, no cover

TRISTAN SELZLER: Sun, 1/26, Mon, 1/27, Tue, 1/28, Wed, 1/29, 6pm, no cover

MONTBLEU RESORT, CASINO & SPA

SANDS REGENCY 345 N. ARLINgTON AVE., (775) 348-2200

karaoke

55 HIgHWAy 50, STATELINE, (775) 588-3511

3RD STREET LOUNgE

MONTBLEU SHOWROOM

LINE DANCING WITH VAQUERA VIKKI: Thu, 1/23,

The Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 358-6700: Wednesday Night Karaoke, Wed, 8pm, no cover

NIGHT RANGER: Sat, 1/25, 8pm, $25-$45

NUGGET CASINO RESORT 1100 NUggET AVE., SPARkS, (775) 356-3300 NUggET BALLROOM BREW HAHA WITH THE GARAGE BOYS: Sat, 1/25, 8pm, $50-$80

Wed, 1/29, 6:30pm, no cover

SILVER LEGACY RESORT CASINO 407 N. VIRgINIA ST., (775) 325-7401 RUM BULLIONS LEFT OF CENTRE WITH DJ R3VOLVER: Fri, 1/24, Sat, 1/25, 9pm, no cover

Pizza Baron, 1155 W. Fourth St., Ste. 113, (775) 329-4481: Wacky Wednesday Karaoke with Steve Starr & DJ Hustler, 9pm, no cover The Point, 1601 S. Virginia St., (775) 3223001: Karaoke, Thu-Sat, 8:30pm, no cover West 2nd Street Bar, 118 W. Second St., (775) 348-7976: Karaoke, Mon-Sun, 9pm, no cover

IGNITE CABARESQUE: Sat, 1/25, 9pm, $30.04-$39.22

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FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 23, 2020 For a complete listing of this week’s events or to post events to our online calendar, visit www.newsreview.com.

ULLRFEST TORCHLIGHT PARADE & LIVE MUSIC AT DIAMOND PEAK: The 11th annual fundraiser and après ski party benefits the Diamond Peak Ski Education Program. The event kicks off Friday night with a torchlight parade, bonfire, party and live music at Diamond Peak Ski Resort. There’s also a ticketed après-ski party with dinner and auction at Alibi Ale Works Incline Public House on Saturday. Fri, 1/24, 4pm. $0-$85.

Diamond Peak Ski Resort, 1210 Ski Way, Incline Village, www.dpsef.org.

WESTERN NEVADA GHOST TOWNS: Native

JAN/25:

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Nevada State Museum, in collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, will hold a Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday, Jan. 25. The festivities start at 10 a.m. at the Nevada State Museum, 600 N. Carson St., Carson City, with a craft-making session where participants will make Chinese noise makers to help usher in the Year of the Rat, followed by a performance of traditional Chinese music and dance at 10:30 a.m. in the Dema Guinn Concourse. At 11:30 a.m., attendees will follow the Lion dancers to parade down the street to the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, 813 N. Carson St., where there will be more crafts, activities and entertainment. The program is free with admission. Admission to the Nevada State Museum is $8 for adults and free for members and children age 17 and younger. Admission to the Children’s Museum is $10 per child and free for adults. Call 687-4810 or 884-2226.

EVENTS

HAWKS OF NORTHERN NEVADA: Lahontan Audubon Society member Alan Gubanich leads a workshop on how to identify hawks in the field. Gubanich will use hawk specimens, along with PowerPoint photos, to guide you through the process of separating one species from another.

Bring your field guides if you have any. Sat,1/25, 10am. Free, $5 suggested donation. Galena Creek Visitor Center, 18250 Mount Rose Highway, (775) 8494948, www.galenacreekvisitorcenter.org.

ALPENGLOW’S WINTER SPEAKER SERIES: Adrian Ballinger, owner and founder of Alpenglow Expeditions, details his most recent expedition to K2, the second highest and one of the most treacherous mountains in the world. Ballinger will discuss how he and his team had to fight extra hard to keep morale up in order to reach their goal—all without supplemental oxygen. Raffle tickets and beverages will be available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting Truckee Donner Land Trust. Thu, 1/23, 7pm. Free.

Olympic Village Lodge, 1901 Chamonix Place, Olympic Valley, (530) 583-6917, www.alpenglowsports.com.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE WILD WEST: During

CABIN FEVER: This nature program is geared toward kids ages 4-6. Each session will feature a short lesson, a story, an indoor activity and a guided outdoor exploration in the May Arboretum. Cost is $5 per session.

Parent attendance is required. Call to register. Tue, 1/28, 10am. $5. Wilbur D. May Center, Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St., (775) 785-4153.

EAGLES AND AGRICULTURE: Carson Valley’s annual celebration offers a variety of tours and events highlighting the seasonal arrival of bald and golden eagles and other raptors in the valley and the role that the ranching community plays in providing habitat for wildlife. Thu, 1/23-Sun, 1/26. Prices vary.

Various locations, (775) 782-8144.

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the 1930s and 1940s, the big film studios created a steady stream of big-budget Western films with established stars.

Meanwhile, on the back lots of mini studios like Republic and on ranches in the Simi Valley, a sub-genre was putting out hundreds of smaller films a year. These were the B Westerns, and they would launch the careers of cowboy stars like Hopalong Cassidy, Tim McCoy, Hoot Gibson and The Durango Kid himself, Charles Starrett. Screenwriter, producer and film buff Tim Kirk will discuss the careers of Hollywood’s gunslingers and the changing attitudes toward the West. Fri, 1/24, noon. $10 general admission, free for students and NMA members. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333.

Nevadan and author Stanley Paher has written 19 books on Nevada, Arizona and Death Valley. His most recent release is the 10th edition of his Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps Illustrated Atlas, which covers hundreds of ghost town locations, caves, hot springs locations, the forty-niner emigrant trail, the Pony Express Route, etc. During the lecture, Paher will go into detail about ghost towns and historic locations in the Tonopah area and other parts of western Nevada. Sun, 1/26, 2pm. $8, free for youth ages 17 and younger. Nevada State Museum, 600 N. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 687-4810.

SIERRA NEVADA COLLEGE: A Series of Ricochets. The show features work

by Valery Jung Estabrook, Nicholas B. Jacobsen, Eric-Paul Riege. This exhibition focuses on recalibration as it relates to the interweaving of conceptual practices and personal trajectories. There will be a reception at 5pm on Feb. 6, followed by a curator talk at 7pm. The show runs through Feb. 14. Thu, 1/23-Fri, 1/24, Mon, 1/27-Wed, 1/29, 10am. Free. Sierra Nevada College, 999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, (775) 831-1314, www.sierranevada.edu.

SOUTH VALLEYS LIBRARY: Learning and Communicating. Painter Jade Chen’s exhibition is on display through February. Thu, 1/23-Sat, 1/25, Mon, 1/27-Wed, 1/29, 10am. Free. South Valleys Library, 15650-A Wedge Parkway, (775) 851-5190.

STREMMEL GALLERY: Nevada Artists. The exhibition encompasses a select group of painters, sculptors and ceramicists with ties to the Silver State, spanning from the 19th century to present day. The show runs through Feb. 15. Thu, 1/23-Sat, 1/25, Mon, 1/27-Wed, 1/29. Free. Stremmel Gallery, 1400 S. Virginia St., (775) 7860558, stremmelgallery.com.

WINTER FIREWORKS: Enjoy a winter fireworks celebration at the KT Deck on Saturdays in January and February.

All fireworks shows are dependent on weather conditions. Sat, 1/25, 7pm.

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, 1960 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, (800) 403-0206, squawalpine.com.

ART ARTISTS CO-OP GALLERY OF RENO: January Art & Supply Sale. Art supplies for sale include new pre-cut mats, frames, easels, paints craft-makings, how-to books, canvasses and paper. Co-op members’ artwork is for sale in the feature room. Thu, 1/23-Wed, 1/29, 11am4pm. Free. Artists Co-op Gallery of Reno, 627 Mill St., (775) 322-8896.

INCLINE VILLAGE LIBRARY: This month’s featured artist Anastiscia ChantlerLang will talk about her work at a reception. Tue, 1/28, 6pm. Free. Incline Village Library, 845 Alder Ave., Incline Village, (775) 832-4130.

LAKE TAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Tahoe Art League Member Art Show. The exhibition runs through March 20. Thu, 1/23-Wed, 1/29, 8am. Free. Lake Tahoe Community College, Haladan and Foyer Galleries, South Lake Tahoe, (530) 544-2313, www.facebook.com/TahoeArtLeague.

MCKINLEY ARTS & CULTURE CENTER: Along the Truckee River—A Bob Adams Retrospective. Adams’ paintings show a slice of life in Reno at end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s. Thu, 1/23Fri, 1/24, 8am-5pm. Free. McKinley Arts & Culture Center, 925 Riverside Drive, (775) 326-264, www.reno.gov.

MUSIC COME IN FROM THE COLD: The winter family entertainment series continues with a performance by Suspect Terrane.

Sat, 1/25, 7pm. Free, $3 suggested

donation per person. Western Heritage Interpretive Center, Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, (775) 828-6612.

RENO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: The RCO 20192020 season continues with a program of rhythm and dance led by music director finalist Nicholas Carthy. Selections include Schumann’s Introduction, Scherzo & Finale, Beethoven’s concert aria “Ah! perfido” featuring soprano Hope Briggs, Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas and Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta. Sat, 1/25, 7:30pm, Sun, 1/26, 2pm. $15-$55.

Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., (775) 348-9413, renochamberorchestra.org.

SARAH BORGES & THE BROKEN SINGLES: The alt-country/rock artist and her band performs. There will be a free conversation with the artists at 3pm, followed by the concert at 8pm. Sat, 1/25, 8pm. $10-$20, free admission for artist talk. Oats Park Art Center, 151 E. Park St., Fallon, (775) 423-1440, www.churchillarts.org.

SUNDAY MUSIC BRUNCH: Chez Louie hosts live music with Judith Ames and brunch featuring creative dishes, mimosas and a Bloody Mary bar. Reservations strongly encouraged. Sun, 1/26, 10am-2pm.

Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 284-2921, www.nevadaart.org.

ONSTAGE DEAD PANDA COMEDY NIGHT: The monthly stand-up comedy show features nationally touring comedians as well as local and regional comics. Fri, 1/24, 7:30pm. $7.50-$11. Reno Improv, 695 Willow St., (775) 233-6035.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS: Reno Little Theater presents Agatha Christie’s

classic murder mystery. Fri, 1/24-Sat, 1/25, 7:30pm; Sun, 1/26, 2pm. $15-$25.

Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St., (775) 813-8900, renolittletheater.org.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: Broadway Comes to Reno continues its 2019-2020 season with this classic murder mystery that is chock-full of mishaps and madcap mania. Fri, 1/24, 8pm; Sat, 1/25, 2pm & 8pm; Sun, 1/26, 1pm & 7pm. $48$88. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 686-6600, pioneercenter.com.

SHREK, THE MUSICAL JR: Truckee Community Theater presents the musical play based on the 2001 Dreamworks film. Shrek the ogre goes on a quest to rescue the feisty Princess Fiona, with help from the wise-cracking Donkey, and win back the deed to his swamp from the scheming Lord Farquaad. Fri, 1/24-Sat, 1/25, 7pm; Sun, 1/26, 2pm. $10-$29. Truckee Community Theater, 10046 Church St., Truckee, www.truckeecommunitytheater.com.

WHAT RHYMES WITH AMERICA: Restless Artsts Theatre presents Melissa James Gibson’s poignant, funny play about estrangement and the partially examined life. Thu, 1/23-Sat, 1/25, 7:30pm; Sun, 1/26, 2pm. $8-$15. Restless Artists Theatre, 295 20th St., Sparks, (775) 525-3074, rattheatre.org.

SPORTS & FITNESS DISCO SNOW TUBING AT SQUAW VALLEY: Disco tubing is a family-friendly party where you spin down the tubing lanes to music and lights. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Sessions are 55 minutes long and begin at the top of the hour. Riders must be 40 inches tall to ride and able to independently get in and out of the tube. Sat, 1/25, 5pm. $55. SnoVentures at Squaw Valley, 1651 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, squawalpine.com/events-activities/ disco-tubing.

RINK AT THE ROW: The outdoor ice skating rink is open through Feb. 17. Rink hours are 3-10:30pm, Monday-Thursday, noon11:30pm, Friday-Saturday, and noon9:30pm on Sunday. Admission includes skate rental. Bring your own skates and get $2 off admission. Thu, 1/23-Wed, 1/29. $12-$18. Rink at the Row, Sixth and Sierra streets, www.circusreno.com/ event/shows/rink-row.

BY AMY ALKON

“I have a gleam...”

I’m a straight woman, and at my recent birthday party, several people remarked about this other woman, also straight, “Whoa, is she infatuated with you, or what?” Straight women getting intense girl crushes on me has actually been a pattern in my life.

Weird. A friend says I have “charisma” but couldn’t really explain what that is.

Charisma is human magnetism. If you’re a mugger with charisma, you don’t even have to hold people up at gunpoint. They just come over and offer you their wallet.

Charisma can seem mysterious and magical—like psychological catnip for humans—but organizational psychologist Ronald Riggio explains that it comes out of a “constellation of ... social and emotional skills” that allow a person to “inspire others at a deep emotional level.”

This charisma skill set includes being gifted at talking, listening, connecting and reading the room.

When charismatic people talk, they grab others’ attention and emotions by being “real”—spontaneous and genuine. They’re usually great listeners, making people feel heard and understood. And they tend to be powerful public speakers, converting masses of people into followers with their voice, words and presence.

Take Martin Luther King Jr., booming out—almost singing—“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” That idea gets its mojo sucked out if it’s delivered by some nervous little pastor, mumbling, “Uh...I hope my kids can someday live in a country where people understand that skin color isn’t what’s really important.”

Charisma might seem like the personality version of latte foam— nice but unnecessary for human functioning. However, research by evolutionary psychologist Allen Grabo suggests that we evolved to have “psychological mechanisms which enable an individual—the potential follower—to make automatic, rapid and reasonably accurate assessments” of others’ leadership potential. Getting behind an effective leader would’ve allowed ancestral humans “to coordinate

effectively and efficiently” for hunting, warfare and other “recurrent” challenges, so they could survive and pass on their genes.

Even people without much charisma can benefit by borrowing from the skill set of the charismatic.

But lucky you; you have a social superpower—the power to charm the masses into following your lead.

Hopefully, you’ll use it to do good.

Spurner phone My boyfriend of nine years often doesn’t reply to my texts and emails. He says that we talk daily, and whatever’s in my message could be discussed then. Well, it hurts my feelings to get zero response. Not even an emoji.

An email to your boyfriend is not just an email. It’s what marriage researchers John Gottman and Janice Driver call a “bid for connection”—one of many small attempts people in relationships make to get their partner’s attention, affection or emotional support. In response, their partner could ignore the bid (“turn away”), express irritation (“turn against”) or reply lovingly (“turn toward”)—even just with a smile, a nod or a hug.

In Gottman and Driver’s research, newlywed couples who had “turned toward” each other 86 percent of the time, on average, were still married six years later.

The couples who ended up divorced had a 33 percent turn-toward rate.

On a bleak note, Gottman writes, “I think that you can sometimes actually see people crumple physically when their partner has turned away from their bid for connection.”

Explain the “bid for connection” thing to your boyfriend. Tell him you’re just looking for some tiny loving reply to your texts and emails—even an emoji or two. He’s human, so he might sometimes let a message slip by unanswered. But if he mostly responds, you’ll mostly feel loved instead of “increasingly angry” that messaging him feels like grabbing a handful of words and hurling them into the void. Ω

ERIK HOLLAND

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

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Free will astrology Call for a quote.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): German writer Johann

Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) declared that English writer Lord Byron (1788-1824) was the greatest genius of the 19th century. Here’s an interesting coincidence: Byron regarded Goethe as the greatest genius of the 19th century. I bring this to your attention in the hope that it will inspire you to create a similar dynamic in your own life during the coming months. As much as possible, surround yourself with people whom you think are wonderful and interesting and enlivening—and who think you are wonderful and interesting and enlivening.

All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication. The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message. *Nominal fee for some upgrades.

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of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be one of those rare times when you can safely engage with influences that might normally rattle you. You’ll be protected as you wander into the unknown and explore edgy mysteries. Your intuition will be highly reliable if you make bold attempts to solve dilemmas that have previously confounded and frustrated you. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to get a bit wild and exploratory, this is it.

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to express tenderness and warmth, even when we’re not at our best, is the most demanding task on Earth. It requires more courage than that of a soldier in the frenzy of battle, as much imagination as a poet and diligence equal to that of an architect supervising the construction of a massive suspension bridge. And yet on the other hand—contrary to what Dostoevsky believed— sometimes love is mostly fun and inspiring and entertaining and educational. I suspect that the coming weeks will be one of those phases for you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): How well do you nurture

yourself? How diligent are you in providing yourself with the sustenance that ensures your body, mind and soul will thrive? Are you imaginative in the ways that you keep yourself excited about life? Do you take strong measures to avoid getting attached to mediocre pleasures, even as you consistently hone your focus on the desires that lead you to joy and deep satisfaction? The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to meditate on these questions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Seven books of the

Old Testament refer to a magical place called Ophir. It was a source of exotic finery and soulful treasures such as gold, peacocks, jewels, frankincense and precious sandalwood. One problem: No one, not even a biblical scholar, has ever figured out where it was. Zimbabwe? India?

Tunisia? Its location is still unknown. I am bringing this to your attention because I suspect that in 2020 there’ll be a good chance you’ll discover and gain access to your own metaphorical Ophir: a fount of interesting, evocative resources. For best results, be primed and eager to offer your own skills and riches in exchange for what this fount can provide to you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn filmmaker

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In my early adult life, I lived

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m a big fan of self-

is regarded as one of England’s greatest painters.

He’s best known for his luminous and imaginative landscapes. His experimental use of light and color influenced the Impressionist painters who came after him. But the weird thing is that after his death, many of his works were lost for decades. In 1939, a famed art historian found more than 100 of them rolled up like tarpaulins in the basement of an art museum. Let’s apply this event as a metaphor for what’s ahead in your life. I suspect that buried or lost elements of your past will soon be rediscovered and restored. I bet it will be fun and illuminating!

below the poverty line for many years. How did that impact me? Here’s one example: I didn’t own a mattress from ages 23 to 39, but rather slept on a two-inch thick foam pad that lay directly on the floor. I’m doing better now, thank you.

But my early experiences ensured that I would forever have profound empathy for people who don’t have much money. I hope this will serve as inspiration for you. The next seven weeks will be the Empathy Building Season for you. The cosmos will reward you if you build your ability to appreciate and understand the pains and joys of other humans. Your compassion will be tonic for both your mental and physical health.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Ancient Greek author

Theophrastus was a scientist before the concept of “scientist” existed. His writings on botany were influential for hundreds of years after his death. But some of his ideas would be considered unscientific today. For example, he believed that flute music could heal sciatica and epilepsy. No modern research suggests that the charms of the flute can literally cure physical ailments like those.

But there is a great deal of evidence that music can help relieve pain, reduce anxiety, reduce the side effects of drugs, assist in physical therapy, and even make you smarter. And my reading of the current astrological omens suggests that the therapeutic effects of music will be especially dramatic for you during the next three weeks.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Learning to love is

difficult, and we pay dearly for it,” wrote the serious and somber author Fyodor Dostoevsky.

“It takes hard work and a long apprenticeship,” he added. All that’s true, I think. To hone our ability

Steven Soderbergh says it’s crucial for us to have a well-developed story about who we are and what we’re doing with our lives. It’s so important, he believes, that it should be the trigger that flings us out of bed every morning. We’ve got to make our story so vivid and interesting that it continually motivates us in every little thing we do. Soderbergh’s counsel is always good to keep in mind, of course, but it will be even more so for you in the coming months. Why? Because your story will be expanding and deepening, and you’ll need to make the necessary adjustments in how you tell your story to yourself.

editing. For example, every horoscope I write evolves over the course of at least three drafts.

For each book I’ve published, I have written but then thrown away hundreds of pages that I ultimately deemed weren’t good enough to be a part of the finished text. And yet now and then, I have created a poem or song in one rapid swoop.

My artistic artifact is exactly right the first time it flows out of me, with no further tinkering needed.

I suspect you’re now entering a phase like that.

I’m reminded of poet Allen Ginsberg’s operative principle: “first thought, best thought.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Who don’t you want to

be? Where don’t you want to go? What experiences are not necessary in your drive to become the person you were born to be? I encourage you to ask yourself questions like those in the coming weeks. You’re entering a phase when you can create long-term good fortune for yourself by knowing what you don’t like and don’t need and don’t require. Explore the positive effects of refusal.

Wield the power of saying no so as to liberate yourself from all that’s irrelevant, uninteresting, trivial and unhealthy.

You can call Rob Brezsny for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785.

And don’t forget to check out Rob’s website at realastrology.com.

BY JERI DAVIS

Loving mom

The runs fund research, yes?

Cupid’s Charity donates a hundred percent of its net to a group called Children’s Tumor Foundation. And they are the leading nonprofit actively working to find a cure for neurofibromatosis, as well as treatment options.

Ali Ball’s son was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF) in 2016. The condition can cause tumors to form in the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

Now, Ball is organizing an “undie run” with the help of Cupid’s Charity, a national nonprofit that funds research for neurofibromatosis.

The event, which takes place starting at noon on Feb. 8, is only open to those 21 and older. Learn more at cupids.org.

Currently, I stay at home with the kids.

We have three little ones, and I do a lot of volunteering at the school—full-time momma.

Right on. How did you first hear of neurofibromatosis?

In 2016, our son was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis. We couldn’t pronounce it. We had no idea what it was. It was a pretty scary, scary thing for us. We kind of didn’t have any direction or any support. We hadn’t met anyone ever—we’d never heard of it. So, that’s where our journey started. Reno doesn’t really have much of a community or even a lot of doctors who specialize in the condition. It’s one-in-3,000 births that are diagnosed with it. So our son was actually 6 when he was diagnosed, which is a little bit later than a lot of times. Yeah, it was definitely scary.

PHOTO/JERI DAVIS

What do you do when you’re not organizing an undie run?

Was San Francisco your first time ever running in your underwear?

When was your first Cupid’s run?

We participated for the first time last year. We went to San Francisco. I was on the search for some way that I could get involved in some sort of NF community. As a parent of a child with NF, there’s not a lot you can do as far as treatment goes. It’s very “wait and see.”

So, we really felt like there was not much we could do. Getting involved with an event or a charity was a way that I could feel like I was doing something to help our son. Last year, we participated in the San Francisco run—my husband and I. … It was just such a fun, lighthearted, silly event. But, at the same time, we got to meet other families who were going through something similar to us, who had had more experience. For me, it felt like I was actually getting to be active in my child’s health.

Yes, this is not something that would be my normal M.O. It’s not something that most people would expect me to do. The thing that really got me about Cupid’s Undie Run was that their story starts in 2010. It was a group of friends that were just rallying around their friend that had been diagnosed with NF. Part of the statement was, you know, that people who have NF have tumors all over their bodies. They can’t hide those with their clothing. … In solidarity, they strip down to their underwear for the day.

Talk about the Reno undie run.

We’re starting out at the Saint on Virginia Street—have a little pre-party time.

And then we will run up a side street up to Plumas. We’ll run down Plumas to California, and then finish the mile-ish run right down Virginia Street—so right through midtown. … The event starts at noon and goes until 4 p.m., after our mile-long run, walk, jog, whatever you can do. We’ll have a little bit more partying, dancing, drinks and celebration. … [The Saint] is open exclusively for the event, so only people in their undies. … The run starts at 2 p.m. Ω

BY BRUCE VAN DYKE

MLK had a lot to say Perhaps you, like me, are wondering just exactly how many Americans aren’t all that impressed with the spectacle of Moscow Mitch and Stable Genius using the Constitution as toilet paper. You know, we’re sorta dim out here in the weeds, but we’re not that dim. We can see when a sham of a charade that’s covering up a whitewash is being stuffed up our tailpipes. We can see when the fix is in.

A new poll by CNN shows just how aware we are that a MegaHosing is currently taking place.

On the topic of witnesses at the Trial of Twitler, 69 percent say they want them, while 29 percent have their heads firmly tucked away in a place where methane levels are dangerously high.

Surprisingly, even 48 percent of RETRUMPLICANS say they want witnesses. So yes, Mitch Trump, almost 70 percent of America is on

to your horseshit. Enjoy your little exercise in fake “exoneration.”

And we’ll see you in November.

Assholes.

• Everybody knows Ole Martin had A Dream. That speech is to MLK what “Imagine” is to John Lennon.

But, of course, he said a lot more than that. For example: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.”

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

“Non-violence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit.

You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.

“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.”

“A nation that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.”

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

“Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That’s the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.” Ω

01.23.20

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RN&R

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