December 2017 digital rtt

December 2017

FEAST: Fabulous Fine Dining in Reno's Riverwalk District

Nicholas Galanin, Things Are Looking Native, Native’s Looking Whiter, 2012

AUGUST 26, 2017 — JANUARY 21, 2018

Unsettled explores over 200 artworks, spanning 2000 years, traversing time and space across the Greater West.

Curated by JoAnne Northrup with Ed Ruscha

Premier Sponsor Louise A. Tarble Foundation | Lead Sponsor Wayne And Miriam Prim Major Sponsors Anne Brockinton Lee; Stacie and Charles N. Mathewson; Mercedes-Benz of Reno; RBC Wealth Management and City National Bank

Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts | E. L. Wiegand Gallery 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno, Nevada | nevadaart.org

DECEMBER 2017 CONTENT

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A PROBABILITY OF WORDS

10 CANNABIS NEWS & POLICY COVER STORY 12 FEAST: Fabulous Fine Dining

in Reno's Riverwalk District EVENT 20 7th Annual Ugly Sweater

Wine Walk 22 Doug "Cosmo" Clifford 24 SIAMSA 26 The Hootchy Kootchy Girls

Vintage Cabaret FEATURE 28 Northern Nevada Veterans

Resource Center Part 5 32 Pro Mountain Biker Teal

Stetson-Lee Part 2 42 Nevada Sunset Winery 56 FREESTYLE

Illustrator Cartoonist

Jason Williams 66 LOCAL POLITICS 68 LIT 70 RADIUS 72 REAL ESTATE 74 RENO AS FUCK

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76 RENO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 78 SKATE NV 82 THE MIND OF MENCARELLI

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84 THE NEST 86 TRAINING TIPS 90 UNITED WE STONED

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94 WANDERED OFF

Editor/Publisher Oliver X Art Director Chris Meredith Contributing Designers Tucker Monticelli Contributing Writers Amanda Horn Britton Griffith-Douglass Tessa Miller Thomas Lloyd Qualls Camie Cragg Lyman Janice Hermsen Natasha Bourlin Shirley Larkins Contributing Photographers Alfyn Gestoso Anicia Beckwith Chris Holloman Digiman Studio Joey Savoie Eric Marks Kyle Volland Nick Sorrentino Marcello Rostagni Interns Gabriela Denne Sales 775-412-3767 Submissions renotahoetonight rocks@gmail.com Website renotahoetonightmagazine.com

All content, layout and design is the property of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. Duplication or reproduction is prohibited without the expressed written consent of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. Copyright 2017. Reno Tahoe Tonight is produced on 10% recycled American paper and is printed with all soy and vegetable inks.

SNAPSHOT Photographer Jeramie Lu Kynd Cannabis Company

A PROBABILITY OF WORDS Text Thomas Lloyd Qualls Photo Johnstone Studios

This issue marks 6 years that this column has appeared in these pages. And I want to extend special gratitude to Oliver X for holding this space for me all this time. The friendship we have built is a unique and wonderful thing. A work of art itself. And I honor all the good work you do in this community to bring the voices of artists of all kinds into the public view.

It is no small thing.

I also want to thank each of you for listening.

Thank you for every note you sent, every time you approached me in town, to tell me that I made a difference in your day, your week, your life.

May the wind lift up each of you. ________________________ Thomas Lloyd Qualls is a writer, a condition that is apparently incurable. You can follow his trail of words here: www.tlqonline.com/blog-sign-up. You could also just invite him out for coffee or beer. He loves a good conversation. Š 2017 thomas lloyd qualls 8 Reno Tahoe Tonight

S

ome days we are the wind. Some days, the feather. Nothing is guaranteed from one day to the next.

To be the wind requires a strong will, a sense of purpose, a willingness to affect change. To be the feather requires a lightness of heart, an act of faith, the willingness to let go.

Life does not come with instructions. No matter what they teach you in church. No one can tell you what is right for you, where your path will lead, how to find your way home.

There are times in each of our lives when we simply get lost. Because that is life. And I don't know about you, but when I am the most lost, there has never been anyone on the horizon with a flag waving me to shelter.

The older we get, the more we realize how little we know. Our knowing turns from youthful certainty towards things like the realization that nothing is forever. That everything is on its way to someplace else, something else.

But I know this one thing: Your wound is your strength.

Like the feather in the wind. Its perceived weakness is that it is unable to resist the force and direction of the wind. But this same condition is also its strength. That is, its ability to let go. To float. The feather’s nature means that it will never stay fixed, inflexible. And ensures it a carefree life of beauty, grace, adventure.

We should all be so lucky.

Like many other times in the crooked-path of history, these are challenging times. But the truth is there has never been a time that was not difficult for most humans. And so I want to urge you to take up this latest challenge. You are more equipped for it than you think.

Be the feather in the wind. The one tossed about by the daily news, the disheartening knowledge of how much fear and hatred is out there, the vicissitudes of fortune. And bring others joy by the beauty of your lighthearted dance.

Because, I will say it again, beauty will save us. In the end, light-heartedness, joy in the simple act of living, and the brave act of loving, these things will give us back to ourselves. They will remind us who we are. And what we can do together.

There are no certainties except uncertainty.

This magazine may not be here next month. I may not be here to write this column. Other far worse things may happen. Still others will not happen. Most certainly they will not happen as we imagine.

And these may not be the tragedies we imagine.

Like the feather in the wind, these are each the things that create the fertile soil of imagination, of creation, of beauty.

Because life is built on top of death. Just as light depends upon dark. And up upon down.

Wholeness is just that. It is not the half moon.

In order for us to truly evolve, to move beyond this phase of us versus them, to create the brotherhood of man that Lennon imagined for us, we must let go of our ideas of what we thought life should look like. We must imagine all of the things it could look like.

We must be brave enough to allow life to change us. And to keep kindness in our hearts as we float upon the winds of change.

Every time I sit down to write I am trying to change my life. And the lives of others. And even though it doesn't always work – even if it almost never works – it is still worthwhile. Even if the words are simply feathers in the wind, maybe they will delight a few people with their dance.

And somehow those words – even the ones that are feathers in the wind – they have the ability to become bridges between me and you.

I want to remind you that your words, even the ones that are tossed into the wind, they are the bridges between you and everything else.

Please remember that. Even if I am not here to remind you.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 9

CANNABIS NEWS & POLICY Text and photo courtesy of Joey Gilbert

Cannabis Paraphernalia: What Nevada Law Says About Marijuana Accessories and Crimes The cannabis space has grown tremendously in recent years. While smoking devices, accessories, and other materials used to produce, prepare, or consume marijuana have always been around, they have proliferated with the commercialization of the cannabis industry and laws legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational use.

In Nevada, adults 21 and over are allowed to use marijuana and possess up to 1 ounce of pot for personal use. When Nevada voters approved Question 2, they also permitted adults to manufacture, possess, use, transport, and purchase marijuana paraphernalia. Adults and businesses are also allowed to distribute and sell marijuana paraphernalia to adults 21 years of age or older.

While having cannabis paraphernalia generally won’t land a responsible marijuana-using adult in trouble with the law, there may be issues when certain circumstances are involved, including:

Sale or delivery of paraphernalia to a minor– Question 2 explicitly prohibits

the sale or delivery of cannabis paraphernalia to minors by individuals 18 years or older who are at least 3 years older than the minor. This 3-year stipulation is intended to not criminalize young individuals who may sell or give paraphernalia to a minor friend or relative, such as an 18-year-old who provides their 17-year-old sibling with a pipe. When the non-minor individual who sells or delivers paraphernalia is more than 3 years older than the minor, however, it can be grounds for an arrest and criminal charge. As a Category C Felony, this crime may be punishable by up to $10,000 in fines, restitution to minors for treatment costs, and up to 5 years imprisonment.

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Paraphernalia in a public space – Nevada’s marijuana laws allow for private use of cannabis only. As such, using cannabis in a public space is a misdemeanor that can subject offenders to a fine. While having only cannabis paraphernalia in a public space is not illegal in and of itself, it can lead to law enforcement contact when officers suspect the individual in possession of the paraphernalia may also have cannabis.

Marijuana DUI Although Question 2 permits adults 21 and older to transport cannabis paraphernalia, it does not give them the right to drive under the influence of marijuana. If a law enforcement officer stops a vehicle and sees cannabis paraphernalia in plain view, they may have probable cause to conduct an investigation and arrest drivers for suspected marijuana DUI, depending on the circumstances.

It bears reminding that while Nevada laws may be lax when it comes to cannabis paraphernalia, federal laws are narrower in scope. Federal law may not punish simple possession or purchase of marijuana paraphernalia, but it does make it illegal to sell and transport paraphernalia, transport paraphernalia across state lines using mail services, and import or export paraphernalia.

Nevada’s legalization of recreational marijuana has relaxed laws associated with cannabis paraphernalia. However, it is always important to consider the potential impact of possessing paraphernalia, especially in public spaces and in vehicles, and when selling or delivering paraphernalia in order to avoid possible investigations and penalties. Responsible use by consumers and responsible practices when operating a cannabis business are key to ensuring you exercise your rights without exposing yourself to citations or criminal penalties.

Our legal team at Joey Gilbert Law is intimately familiar with state and federal marijuana laws, and is available to assist individual, commercial, and institutional clients who wish to discuss a potential case. Contact us for a free consultation.

Joey Gilbert was cast on NBC’s reality TV show The Contender. Gilbert is a retired professional boxer, currently a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer, sports agent, and motivational speaker.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 11

COVER STORY

Text Oliver X Cover and FEAST feature photos

by Chris Holloman Additional photos courtesy of the Riverwalk Merchants Association

The Riverwalk Merchants Association and Reno's Riverwalk District FEAST: Fabulous Fine Dining in Reno's Riverwalk District No matter how many new districts are christened in Reno (and despite the very real impact of gentrification that's hitting sections of the City), the Riverwalk District is still the preferred destination for natives and visitors of all ages.

The Riverwalk District boasts the highest concentration of critically acclaimed and award-winning restaurants, bars, and small businesses in all of the Truckee Meadows. And the nightlife borders on the wild, with our now famous pub crawls having gained national attention for the tens of thousands of visitors they attract each year to downtown Reno. Add to that the old favorite Wine Walk and new dance clubs, and you have a recipe for a lively district that is growing in influence.

Ground zero for all things food, fun, and family in Reno, the historic Riverwalk District is supported and managed by the Riverwalk Merchants Association, whose membership has grown to well-over 50 businesses and organizations dedicated to supporting a safe and thriving social and shopping corridor. The RWMA holds popular monthly and bi-annual events that help to generate additional funds for charities and for the continued revitalization of Reno downtown corridor.

Voted One of the Top 10 Best Riverwalks in America by Travel & Leisure, the Riverwalk is home to eight distinctive parks and plazas, including Barbara Bennett Park, Bicentennial Park (home to Reno's newest Sculpture Garden), Brick Park, Lundsford Park, Powning Veterans 12 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Memorial Park, Reno City Plaza, Truckee River Whitewater Park and Wingfield Park—which is home to numerous outdoor concerts and events and the downtown home base of Artown.

Under the stewardship of the Riverwalk Merchants Association, the Riverwalk District has expanded its footprint from Keystone Boulevard to the west and east to Greater Nevada Field. The RWMA is also downtown’s most consistently generous philanthropic organization, donating thousands of dollars each year to charity groups, fundraising efforts and non-profits who are working to uplift and enhance the community and quality of life downtown.

This year, in our annual celebration of the businesses of the RWMA, we focus on a few of the popular dining establishments found in the Riverwalk District.

FEAST – 516 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501 One of the true gems of the Riverwalk District is FEAST, located on South Virginia at California Avenue. Now celebrating their third year in operation, FEAST owner Ken Long features a different five-course prixe fixe feast each month.

There's an appetizer course, then a salad course, a soup course, the entrée (which has two or three items) and a dessert. The steak and seafood restaurant's menu is bold by design, with wild game offerings that include elk, venison, wild boar, rabbit, chukar, quail, pheasant and duck.

With local art adorning the walls and subtle accents like the array of Edison lights strung in a row above the well-stocked bar that complement the hardwood tables dressed with white linen coverings, the ambiance is classy and comfortably cosmopolitan, and feels big city—especially at night – as you dine in front of the large frontage windows and watch people buzz by...the voice of Billie Holiday is heard faintly on the overhead speakers.

FEAST has a stellar wine list with offerings by the bottle and by the glass from winemakers like Double Bond, Silver Oak, David Arthur Vineyards, Miner Family Winery, Justin Wine, The Prisoner Wine Company, Frank Family Vineyards and many more.

When you sit down at FEAST you're always given the Feast of the Month menu first, and have the option of ordering off of the standard menu

FEAST Hong Kong Steak

as well. “The menu sometimes changes daily or weekly and of course seasonally” notes Long.

“Right now we're changing it a lot because we're in the change of season, and what we're able to acquire as far as game goes changes also. Of course we maintain a few of the base meals that most steak and seafood houses have, but seasonality does affect the menu tremendously,” Long emphasizes. “In the fall season we have a lot of choices for game. It's elk season and deer season. As we go into the winter we try to get a little more exotic with ostrich. We aim to serve dishes, prepared expertly, that you can't find at other restaurants,” states Long.

When Long was preparing to sell his other restaurant property on Center Street, his current location next to Truckee Bagel became available. Long took the proceeds from the sale of his Little House on Center Street diner and bought FEAST.

to or not,” he jokes. Long's wife Esmeralda and son Alex help him with the front of the house in the upscale establishment that seats 60 inside, and another 20 on the patio. Long's chef team is stellar (made up of Jesus Alejo, Raul Hernandez and Brenna Clement) and they deftly handle the wide range of culinary delights that rotate on and off of the seasonal dinner and brunch menus.

“We're fortunate, because I have a nice team of extremely talented individuals back there,” Long beams. “Each of my chefs are gifted in their own right, but when they get together they are like an orchestra. One person will have a certain idea and will get together with the other person who has an idea and they'll work as a team to present a dish in a certain manner,” Long says.

“This location was basically a box on a parking lot,” Long recalls. “We added the kitchen, grease interceptor, hood, back patio and all the interior décor.

Lovers of Sunday brunch will be stoked at offerings like FEAST's breakfast pizza, with ricotta cheese, roasted tomatoes, basil, duck prosciutto and a friend egg. Other favorites include bacon wrapped figs, salmon benedict, breakfast nachos, smoked duck hash and their crab cake benedict. And FEAST's pancakes are to die for!

Long drafted his family members to help him run FEAST. “They're working here whether they want

Holiday parties for corporate and private gatherings are booking up fast at FEAST. For Reno Tahoe Tonight 13

NYE, they will have a few menu options for patrons. “Of course we'll have our surf and turf, Long says, but we'll also have a few other options as well. The cool thing is that you can walk right out this door and see the New Years fireworks, which we do every New Years,� says Long.

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On the cover: FEAST wood planked tenderloin of venison bone-in served with pan seared steel head salmon with a buerre blanc sauce with pan seared mixed vegetables. Red wine blend: The Oracle from Miner Family Winery.

COVER STORY

FEAST Dining Room

Feaured FEAST dish: Hong Kong steak topped with a pineapple mango salsa and served with a sweet teriyaki glaze and mashed potatoes and mixed vegertables.

For reservations or to book your holiday party at FEAST, call (775) 686-6969.

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COVER STORY

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FEAST Dining Room

Beaujolais Bistro – 753 Riverside Drive Reno’s favorite French bistro, Beaujolais Bistro, located on the lush wooden Riverwalk promenade, is refined French cuisine at its finest, with exceptional service and exquisite ambiance. The interior of the converted early 20th century home was completely remodeled by Paolo Cividino of Tutto Ferro and features intricate metal and tile work, vast amounts of steel, hardwood floors, and the original brick throughout.

Beaujolais Bistro Chef-owner Bill Gilbert

Wrapping around the dynamic, open kitchen is a zinc-faced bar made from a modified concrete similar to terrazzo that has birds’ egg granite and brick red agate embedded within. It was designed by Chapel Tavern’s Duncan Mitchell to provide the perfect French cocktail experience. In addition to Beaujolais’ staggering domestic and imported wine selection, the bar also features beer specifically chosen by Mitchell,

who said, “I wanted to offer a combination of those that are local and easy-to-drink with some more rare, challenging options, while always keeping in mind what will pair best with the food.” The cocktails served at the bar are a blend of old and new, “modernizations of the classics with a French twist.”

Chef-owner Bill Gilbert offers a wide variety of delectable menu items, striking a balance between serving up a dining experience fit for special occasions and delivering everyday French to the surrounding community. The mushroom ravioli is a revelation—a must try dish!

“My true passion is preparing simple, classic cuisine,” professed Chef Gilbert, “and to provide an accessible French experience to locals every day.” And Reno’s taste buds thank him.

Beaujolais Bistro is located at 753 Riverside Dr. in downtown Reno’s Powning District right along the Riverwalk. Open Tuesday through Sunday 5-9pm.

Closed Mondays. Reservations at Opentable.com or call 775-323-2227.

Beaujolais Bistro Interior Reno Tahoe Tonight 17

Campo – 50 N Sierra St, Reno, NV 89501 A staple of the Riverwalk's “Gourmet Ghetto,” Campo elevates comfort food to an art form.

The Culinary Institute of America trained Chef David Holman is a master at taking simple ingredients and making them shine. Campo has earned a loyal following because from the moment you sit down, you feel at home, with attentive servers and appetizers, small plates and entrées that burst with flavor.

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Start off with the most delicious foccacia bread on the planet and then try a trio of apps that perfectly capture Holman's ethos: crispy polenta with truffle mascarpone and truffle oil, tender meatballs with tomato sauce, oregano, sea salt, grana and a grilled bread wedge, and their unbelievable wood-fired cauliflower with calabrian chiles, garlic and croutons.

You say you just want a burger or a pizza? At Campo, you are at a burger mecca and pizza emporium of the highest order. Seriously, you

COVER STORY

will not have a better burger anywhere in Reno and the authentic V.P.N. pizza is out of this world. Try the Smokehouse Pizza with house smoked pork, smoked mozzarella, wood-fired tomato sauce, smoked paprika and basil. Your mouth will love you!

I always like to see how a good restaurant executes the classic American burger, and Campo does not disappoint. I order the Baker Ranch Burger with smoky thick cut bacon ($16), fiscalini

aged cheddar with red onion agrodolce accented with plump cranberry halves, calabrian chili mayonnaise and fries. Jaw-dropping—literally.

My articular bone had to extend to maximum capacity to bite this juicy, towering half-pound of beef on a delicious housemade bun. Best burger bite I've had to date—period!

Campo is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Monday. Reservations at Opentable.com, or call (775) 737-9555.

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EVENT

Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

Reno Riverwalk District's 7th Annual Ugly Sweater Wine Walk, benefiting Safe Embrace.

H

elp support Safe Embrace and the Reno Riverwalk District during the Reno Wine Walk on Saturday, December 16, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., a perfect occasion to show your appreciation for community, education and wine. As a special addition to this month’s wine walk the Riverwalk District will be hosting an online ugly sweater selfie contest via Facebook and Instagram. An expected 3k locals and tourists are expected to attend this month’s event wearing their most awful holiday sweaters and apparel.

Each month portions of the proceeds from the Reno Wine Walk benefit local charitable organizations. In over six years the event organizers have donated more than $86,000 to local non-profits. This December the Riverwalk District’s monthly event will be supporting Safe Embrace, an organization offering services to those suffering from domestic violence near

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Reno, Nevada. The organization provides help and resources, counseling and clothing for people dealing with domestic abuse.

The Wine Walk is a monthly event held on the third Saturday where you purchase a decorative wine glass for a $20 wine-tasting fee. With wine glass in hand and a valid 21+ photo ID, you’ll receive an ID bracelet which allows you to sample wine at any of the twenty-plus participating merchant locations. Many of the businesses hand paint each individual dishwasher safe wine glass which attendees get to take home.

At the end of the event, attendees enter to win over $700 in gift cards from all the participating merchants during a 5 p.m. raffle held at The Library (formerly The Waterfall Bar).

To find out more information about the monthly Reno Wine Walk or how to participate, visit RenoRiver.org or call 775- 322-7373.

EVENT Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight The UNR Audio Engineering Society presents

Doug "Cosmo" Clifford in a discussion on the Music Industry, Wednesday, December 13, 2017 (Dead Day) 7pm. FREE Nightingale Concert Hall, UNR

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Doug Clifford is the drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival/Revisited. He's been in the industry for 50 years. He's seen a lot and has much to share. He's also been a Northern Nevada resident for 30 years and a major part of our community.

This will be second of the "Dead Day" talks hosted by UNRAES after last semester's talk with Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick. We now hope to make it a 22 Reno Tahoe Tonight

semesterly event with name industry folks talking about the industry.

Unlike the Emerick event, this one is open to the public! Tell all of your students and CCR fans friends! We will be pre-screening questions for Mr. Clifford. So if you have any CCR industry related questions for him, please send them to me at tom@inspiredamateur.com and I'll forward them to UNRAES to sort through.

EVENT

'SIAMSA'

Champion Irish Dancers to Headline SIAMSA – A Celtic Christmas at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno Champion Irish dancers Rory Patrick and Laura Shannon Cass will headline ‘SIAMSA’ A Celtic Christmas for ONE SHOW ONLY on December 7th at 8:00 PM in the Grand Theater at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. This production, presented by The Reno Irish Dance Company (RIDCo), is an enchanting holiday celebration for the entire family, featuring beautiful dance, music and two young sisters in search of the “Candle in the Window” – the light that represents the true meaning of Christmas.

‘SIAMSA’ A Celtic Christmas was written by Amanda Coulson, who also serves as director and choreographer. Amanda is the Artistic Director of the Reno Irish Dance Company and founder of Dancin! Performing Arts Center in Reno.

This show is a SIAMSA (pronounced Shimsa), which means celebration in Gaelic. The show brings a magical journey to life, telling the story of two young girls, Holly and her sister Ceili, in search of the true meaning of Christmas. Jesse Briggs and Darby Edberg will play the roles of Holly and Ceili, traveling and singing their way from Celtic village to village, meeting many talented performers along the way. Among these are:

• Rory Patrick, International Champion Irish Dancer • Laura Shannon Cass, Principal performer and Champion Irish Dancer • Regan Gallagher, Principal Harpist, Reno Chamber Orchestra and Nevada Opera • Cami Thompson, Musical Director of Siamsa’s beautiful Vocalists • Laura Haug, Principal Classical and Irish Dancer from Dancin! Performing Arts Center and North Carolina School of Performing Arts.

• Liam and Fiona McNeil, Local talented Fiddlers from the “Silver Strings” Musicians.

• The talented Irish Dancers & Performers from The Reno Irish Dance Company.

SIAMSA – A Celtic Christmas is a heartwarming tale and charming celebration of Celtic traditions, superstitions, customs, as well as amusing antics guaranteed to entertain the entire family. Tickets for SIAMSA – A Celtic Christmas are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com or www.grandsierraresort.com or call 775-789-1115.

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EVENT Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

The Hootchy Kootchy Girls Vintage Cabaret

Friday and Saturday: December 15 & 16, 2017 at the Pioneer Underground

T

he Hootchy Kootchy Girls Vintage Cabaret is proud to present: The 2017 Holiday Extravaganza Amateur Show.

Come join us for sexy holiday fun, and let our dancing girls warm your hearts on those cold winter nights! Our guest artists, the Retro Radio Dolls will help us ring in the new year with some vintage holiday classics.

The Hootchy Kootchy Girls Vintage Cabaret is an amateur show with professional production. Combining Hollywood glamor with Vaudeville humor, this night is sure to entertain.

Comedian Amy Bosch will be hosting all shows.

Reno Tahoe Comedy offers a full bar with no drink minimum and nightly drink specials in a beautiful, smoke free theater setting. Special Guest Stars: The Retro Radio Dolls

Located at the Pioneer Underground 100 South Virginia St., Reno, NV. Friday and Saturday: December 15 and 16, 2017.

• Friday – Doors at 5:30pm / Show at 6:30pm • Friday – Doors at 8:30pm / Show at 9:30pm • Saturday – Doors at 5:30pm / Show at 6:30pm Friday & Saturday – $20 in advance, $25 the day of the show (Fees may apply) 26 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Small plates, craft cocktails, seafood & steak

DINNER Served Nightly 5PM - Close

LUNCH Mon - Fri 11AM - 2PM

BRUNCH Every Sun 10AM - 2PM

516 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89501 (775) 686-6969 • feastreno.com

FEATURE Text Oliver X Photo Kyle Volland

Northern Nevada Veterans Resource Center Part 5 In part 5 of our series on the work and services provided by Northern Nevada Veterans Resources, we speak with Assistant Site Director Jessica Siefert about the VRC's transitional housing programs.

In Phase 2, at the 60 day mark, depending on that person (and on a case by case basis), typically they're given back a little bit more and are able to get back out into the community and start looking for employment, for housing and things like that. We're essentially planning for them at 90 days to exit into a stable environment. They can still come back and see us. Sometimes people relapse. It happens, and we welcome them back with open arms.

Oliver X: Upon intake is the veteran assigned a case worker and what's the caseworker client load?

Oliver X: Talk about what your program entails broadly, and then explain some of the qualifying criteria to be enrolled in the transitional housing program.

Jessica Siefert: They're assigned a clinician. So, all of our clients have a clinician. Depending on what that clinician's specialty is, we'll pair them up accordingly. And then our SSVF staff over here...

Jessica Siefert: Okay, so we have the three different programs, but for our behavioral health center – which is what we are going to talk about right now – the only qualifying criteria is that they have a VA medical card.

There has to be a placement agreement and these are things that are given to us by the HCHV...they assist us with placement.

Oliver X: Sorry to interrupt, but what's SSVF?

Oliver X: What is the HCHV? Jessica Siefert: Health Care for Homeless Veterans. We have a contract with them. We're contracted for 20 beds. It's an all male facility.

We do everything from preparing meals, to basic life skills, ya know cleaning things up; stabilizing, when they leave we need to make sure that they have a plan and that they're moving to a stable environment. We do group and individual therapy and all kinds of things.

Oliver X: Zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol? Are there screenings?

Jessica Siefert: Yes, we do UAs and BAs absolutely. Sometimes when they come in they may have gone through a detox, but it may not be all the way out of their system. We send those off to the lab to get levels to see if we're progressing.

It's a 90-day program, so the first 30 days are in a Phase 1. Phase 1 is pretty limited. We prefer that they don't leave the site. We can work with people in the event that maybe they're employed, they don't have substance abuse disorder, that type of thing...But for the most part they don't leave the site, they stay on property.

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Jessica Siefert: Supportive Services for Veterans and their Families. Our SSVF staff will come over and screen our clients and they'll see whether or not they're eligible for this program. If they are then they'll be working with them as far as housing goes. If they're not, we're still working with them, it's just light touch case management basically. We're still assisting them to make sure that when they leave our property that they're stable and that they're moving into a home.

Oliver X: What is a successful term of care in your program?

Jessica Siefert: They come into our program and they participate in our program and leave the program better than when they came in.

That means that they are housed. If they're not housed, maybe that means that they're not ready.

90 days is not a long time. So if they're not ready, maybe they go into a grant per diem program, or they go into another facility to help them along their journey.

Oliver X: And all the while, through the help of the program, they probably become more self-aware would you say?

Jessica Siefert: Yes, absolutely. And we do team them up with the VA mental health, we work closely with them. One of our clinicians is able to diagnose, so if there was a diagnosis that hadn't been diagnosed yet, they could do that and start preparing them for living with this condition and still be successful.

Jessica Siefert Reno Tahoe Tonight 29

Oliver X: In your experience with the 20 men that you see, what is the success rate for reintegration into society? Are there any financial planning skills development offered?

Jessica Siefert: Absolutely. One of the first things that we start with is a budget. We need to see what they have and what is available as far as housing goes. I don't know if you've seen the Reno housing market lately but it's skyrocketing! It makes it really difficult when you have a person living on disability to find a place to live and still be able to feed and clothe themselves.

We do have resources within the community.

We do everything humanly possible to make sure that they're prepared. Whether that means taking them to over and getting them hooked up with SNAP benefits; bringing them back here and having them work with our VSO and submit a claim for compensation or pension to the VA so they have that income; getting them to Social Security and getting them to submit that claim, and finding employment is huge!

Oliver X: It's almost like you're just getting started with the 90 days.

Jessica Siefert: Right. So day one is essential the day that we plan for them to exit. We start on day one and we start planning that budget and we start figuring out what their barriers are. They could have an eviction and nobody's going to give them an apartment. So that's a barrier. How much money do they owe this place? How much can they save while they're here. All those things are considered. That's how they're going to be successful.

Oliver X: The phrase “gap services� is something I hear a lot in social services. What do you feel the effective role of Veterans Resource Center is in helping veterans in the broadest terms?

Jessica Siefert: I think that we are an amazing resource for knowing about other resources. If there's something that we can't provide for them here, we know where to send them, so that they aren't missing that when they leave our program.

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Oliver X: Have you found that some veterans just don't know what's out there for them?

Jessica Siefert: Absolutely. They don't always know that just because they're a veteran doesn't mean that they're not also entitled to a benefit that they would be entitled to – not being a veteran! There's always that too. People forget about that. You don't necessarily have to go to the VA...

Oliver X: Closing thoughts?

Jessica Siefert: I love what I do and I'm happy to be here.

This holiday season, please consider giving generously to the Veterans Resource Center of Northern Nevada.

Nothing is more rewarding than helping a homeless veteran rebuild the life. Each month Reno Tahoe Tonight will focus on one Veterans Resource Center staffer and share their story in-depth. This is the most effective way to thoroughly cover the important work that every single individual we interviewed does to help improve lives, foster hope and restore dignity in the lives of the veterans they serve. vetsresource.org

FEATURE Text Oliver X Photos courtesy of Teal Stetson-Lee, Jeramie Lu and Chris Holloman

Pro Mountain Biker Teal Stetson-Lee Part 2 Wikipedia lists over the counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs like Advil and ibuprofen) as a class of non-prescription drugs that “reduce pain, decrease fever, and, in higher doses, decrease inflammation. Side effects include an increased risk of stomach ulcers and heart attacks.” Since inflammation, as a result of injury, muscle and ligament strain, is enemy number 1 in competitive athletics, the impact that NSAIDs have on the health of the renal system is reason for alarm for athletes.

A New York Times article back in 2002 cited the concerns that NBA players expressed about NSAIDs and kidney damage: “Since Alonzo Mourning, the Miami Heat's All-Star center, was found to have a kidney disorder more than a year ago – the same disease that caused the San Antonio swingman Sean Elliott to undergo a kidney transplant and eventually forced him to retire – many players in the National Basketball Association have grown acutely concerned about the use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

“Medical experts say that use of the medication does not cause the kidney disease, which is called focal segmental sclerosis. But many doctors say that prolonged use at excessive levels of anti-inflammatory drugs, from over-the-counter medicine like ibuprofen and aspirin to prescription drugs like Vioxx and Indocin, may lead to other kinds of kidney problems.

“Shaquille O'Neal, worried that his use of the antiinflammatory drug Naprosyn over the years could lead to the disease Mourning has, refused to take the drug for most of last season.

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“Rick Fox, O'Neal's teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers, launched an awareness campaign on his website to alert players to the potential risk of taking anti-inflammatory medication; Fox asked whether players were essentially risking the health of their kidneys to compete for championship rings.”

Searching for alternative analgesics has become something akin to a holy grail quest for pain management in professional sports. But what if there was a substance that had been used medicinally for thousands of years for pain reduction and relief, right under our noses?

In a 2009 article titled “The Analgesic Potential of Cannabinoids” published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, the medicinal properties of cannabis were touted: “Cannabis was used as a medicine in ancient China (2700 BC) and India (1000 BC). It was brought to Europe by Scythian invaders from Central Asia, entered Western medicine in early and middle 19th century and was widely used for its medicinal properties. Cannabis extract and medications were marketed by pharmaceutical companies over-the-counter in the United States in late 19th to early 20th century. The accompanying increase in recreational marijuana smoking led to formation of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937.

Eventually, cannabis was omitted from the National Formulary and Pharmacopoeia. In the 1960s, the recreational use of cannabis peaked, followed by a renewal of scientific interest in the plant for its medicinal properties. Since then cannabinoids have been studied or used in a multitude of applications, many of which relate to their potential use as analgesic agents.”

Today, despite over 53 years of research in Israel – where cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were discovered – the overwhelming scientific evidence for the beneficial application and use of cannabis as a medicine seems incontrovertible, and anathema to the U.S. federal government's designation of the substance as a Schedule 1 drug by the Controlled Substances Act, the most tightly restricted category reserved for drugs that have "no currently accepted medical use." You'd be hard pressed to find a less than sinister excuse for denying the American public the benefits of something that could be as ubiquitous as aspirin as a pain reducer and pain reliever, with close to zero side effects.

There are people who are pushing back against the anti-science of cannabis prohibition. And it's not surprising that athletes are leading the charge. The Gridiron Cannabis Coalition is an advocacy group pushing the NFL to change its policies on cannabis as a banned substance.

In an interview early this year before the Super Bowl on the website Civilized.Life, the coalition sounded off when asked “What do you say when people ask why players should use medical marijuana instead of NFL-approved medications?”

“Well, first off, we have an opiate epidemic in our country right now. People are becoming addicted.

People are overdosing and dying. And in states where marijuana is legal, we've seen a decrease in opiate overdose deaths. So I think the proof is in the numbers. We're seeing that this is a legitimate alternative to opiates. And it's something that's extremely important. We need to advance different treatments for painrelated issues. And marijuana is proving to be a great alternative to opiates.”

In northern Nevada, champion pro mountain biker and cyclocross racer Teal Stetson-Lee is a rebel athlete leading the voices for change in her sport by amplifying the common sense right of all athletes to seek pain relief from the safest possible modalities available. Her newsworthy brand ambassadorship with the Reno-Sparks based Kynd Cannabis Company is evidence that she's all-in when it comes to flying her flag against the winds of conformity. Here in part 2 of our feature on Stetson-Lee, we look at the foundation of her convictions as she lays out her case for the cultural acceptance of both medicinal and recreational cannabis use.

Oliver X: You take some incredible spills out there. I've seen you face-plant coming down a hill at high speed and you could have been paralyzed or even killed. Are incidents like these what inspired you to investigate alternative forms of pain management and recovery?

Teal Stetson-Lee: Actually that specific crash that you mentioned was back in 2012, and I wish I had known more about cannabis as a medicine then at that time in my life, because I did suffer a pretty severe concussion, and CBD is especially healing and valuable for concussion recovery and neurological trauma.

That probably would have been a significant help in speeding up my recovery process at that time had I known about it.

So, yeah the medicinal properties of cannabis are no small thing. I think a lot of people think that that's an excuse for why people – and especially athletes – use cannabis; that athletes just want to use cannabis recreationally. There is a recreational component of course, and I'm an advocate for that as well, but the medicinal aspect of cannabis is really powerful. Doctors are starting to use cannabis as a treatment in all kinds of different populations now: with veterans to treat PTSD and all different types of chronic pain treatment, anti-inflammation treatment and sleep treatment—even for eating disorders. The list of beneficial uses is extensive.

As an athlete, I've kind of sold my soul to products like ibuprofen, Tylenol and Advil and basic anti-inflammatory pain-relieving over-the-counter products. But that kind of stuff is really hard on your liver and hard on other organs in your body. As a culture we've used these products because they're readily available. Just pop a pill. And you don't need a heavy prescription to take something quick that will temporarily address what's ailing you.

I've had some major injuries over the course of my career...

Oliver X: For example...

Teal Stetson-Lee: Like we talked about, I crashed on my face in 2012 and got a significant concussion. I don't even remember the month of June from that year. I also had a really severe back injury about three years ago that took me off the bike for seven months and sent me down Reno Tahoe Tonight 33

FEATURE this whole problem solving path. It was really a cumulative overuse back injury, from just being locked in the same position on a bicycle for years in training in this linear mode, with lots of compression. And I would say that for those two injuries, a lot of what I used for pain management was ibuprofen. And so I think CBDs have a real value for something that you can put in your system that doesn't have the same harmful effects and aren't harsh on your organs.

Oliver X: Are they testing on the cycling circuit for CBD? Teal Stetson-Lee: Not for CBD, but for THC and the really unfortunate thing about that is that THC is the best delivery system for CBDs. THC is fat soluble, which, when combined with CBD, allows CBD to penetrate your cells and provide the healing effects. So generally, if you're using products that are heavy in CBD you still want to have at least a small amount of THC for delivery. And THC is a banned substance in cycling in any discipline of cycling that's governed by a cycling authority, such as the UCI, which is the international cycling body, or USA Cycling which is the national cycling body. And that's the case with most sports. It's really a hot topic in the NFL and the NBA—especially in the NFL because of all the head trauma.

Oliver X: It's a frustrating conundrum that THC is a banned Schedule 1 substance. As long as that's the case – and regardless of state's rights-- organizations will defer to the federal drug policy out of fear of reprisals.

No sanctioning body to date has tested the federal drug policy on behalf of its athletes.

Teal Stetson-Lee: And, if you want to get into some of the depth of the corruption, there is a monopoly on medicating in this country by the pharmaceutical and alcohol industries – period.

That is not up for debate, that is a reality. All you have to do is turn on cable television and look at how many ads are on television for pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol products. It's insane. That is a really significant point here.

So something like cannabis, which is a healthy alternative, is a huge threat to these industries for recreational and for medical purposes.

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There have been a lot of studies done and lots of information about the benefits of cannabis that has been suppressed. Instead, we've allowed for the perpetuation of misinformation and the proliferation of this whole drug phobia mentality.

And as soon as you start talking about anything that's psychoactive, people start to get a little weird about it. Which is really interesting, since from the beginning of time, mankind has sought out psychoactive experiences. We seek out mind-altering experiences as part of being human.

As an athlete, CBD products are hugely helpful. But even more than the medicinal component, which I am a strong advocate for, I want to be able to share information and have misinformation get totally disrupted, and have candid conversations with people about what's really going on. I don't shy away from that, especially when parents are uncomfortable with what I'm doing and they want to talk to me about it. I'm happy to have those open conversations. In a respectful way of course, but I just want them to know the truth.

Oliver X: What do you say about a product like alcohol that's plastered across every football stadium and pays for major TV sponsor access even though there's a direct causal link to cirrhosis of the liver and its debilitating effect on life quality leading to death? Or the fact that in the US alone, the CDC states that 100,000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes: drinking and driving crashes, other accidents, falls, fires, alcohol-related homicides and suicides? Alcohol is never asked to present any medical research as to its medicinal qualities whatsoever in order to be accepted as a legitimate form of mind-altering consumption that actually leads to the deaths of non-users.

The hypocrisy of a federal ban on cannabis is mindbogglingly meritless in comparison.

Teal Stetson-Lee: It's not even a point of contention. It's such a culturally accepted product that we don't even think twice about it. We don't even care that alcohol and tobacco have no redeeming medicinal value and are proven agents of death with huge impacts on our healthcare system. People can use those substances for recreation because it's a matter of what people

KYND Pure Pen

KYND Balm

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Teal on the winners podium

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FEATURE want to choose. We allow people to choose those things for themselves as consenting adults. We don't do the same with cannabis and I think that's hugely hypocritical.

but that's where it starts, with these fringe subcultures where it is a more accepted cultural component. Then it slowly starts to infiltrate itself into the masses.

Oliver X: Especially when you consider that second-hand smoke kills 50,000 Americans a year. Can you imagine if those numbers were associated with cannabis? It would be prosecuted as a willful act of murder!

So it's interesting that you bring up recreational use of marijuana, because where I see it being accepted in these fringe cultures is in recreational athletics and recreational lifestyles.

That's one of the reasons why Kynd Cannabis Company was so adamant about having this Lifestyle Program. And the Lifestyle Program involves an Athlete Ambassador Program, because you're already kind of preaching to the choir. And ya know I find that when I go out and represent this brand, when I connect with other mountain bikers, not always necessarily in the pro realm, but even on the recreational level, people are like, 'Oh yeah, that's awesome!'

Because they're already using marijuana, ya know. People being out and exploring the outdoors often-times is paired with the use of cannabis. And there's nothing wrong with that.

I think that's a big piece of what I'm trying to explain to people. And anytime anybody gets uncomfortable about the recreational use piece, I usually just point it back to alcohol and say that we already have this mind-altering substance as an accepted cultural part of our lives, so why wouldn't we also allow for cannabis to also be culturally accepted, and allow people to make educated choices. We are adults. We're allowed to make adult decisions, and for our lives to be regulated to the point where people are not allowed to make those decisions for themselves is absolutely preposterous. And, if we stop suppressing information and allow for a dialogue around these substances, people will make more informed decisions.

Teal Stetson-Lee: Totally! Ya know prior to coming to Reno, I worked for the Health Department for a non-profit called the Lasso Tobacco Coalition. I like to share that with people because it gives them some context of where I've come from now that I'm in this role as an advocate for cannabis use and how those things line up. I tell them that I find that big tobacco has had a huge brainwashing impact on our society, and it's pretty disconcerting. The massive disinformation campaign that went on in America for decades about tobacco's safety by the tobacco industry is well-documented, and continued unabated for years until the large lawsuits that forced tobacco companies to give huge payouts, until restrictive legislation and regulations were adopted to protect society against subliminal marketing aimed at children.

I believe in regulation, that is the reason why I worked for a tobacco prevention organization.

The eradication of the product may not necessarily be feasible, nor would I say that I'm 100% on board with that idea, but regulation is paramount. And I feel the same way about the cannabis industry. Cannabis is medicinally valuable. It can be used recreationally. I advocate for both. But regulations are key. Because regulations help us to have some boundaries and guidelines as to how we want to make use of the product, and in what context. But I don't want the regulations to be corrupt in the way they are implemented.

Oliver X: Nobody slinks away to a corner at the family picnic to crack open a beer. It's an accepted recreational activity. When do you think cannabis will enjoy acceptance like that in multigenerational gatherings?

Teal Stetson-Lee: It's getting there. With specific demographics more so than others, 38 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Oliver X: You've mentioned the misinformation that's out there about drug use. What do you mean by that?

Teal Stetson-Lee: Well, like the War on Drugs and the D.A.R.E. Program. Just Say No! On and on...that all drugs are bad. Statistics show that none of those campaigns worked. In fact drug use among minors went up as a direct result of those programs. The campaigns we've used to influence people's perception of drugs have been all wrong because you simply cannot

lump all drugs together as evil. These are emotional campaigns that play into people's fears. Especially to parent's fears that their kids are going to become addicted and do nothing with their lives as a result.

KYND CBD Tinture

Then there's the whole stereotype of stoners being lazy and that they don't do anything to improve their lives. My experience has been the exact opposite. Most pot smokers I know are highly motivated and highly focused and have a lot going on in their lives. Myself included, as a professional athlete. This stereotype has been purposefully misrepresentative of the reality that millions of high-functioning adults live gainful, productive professional, personal and family lives, while enjoying cannabis.

Oliver X: Going back a bit now to the therapeutic effects of cannabis, talk about the relief you've felt from using THC and CBD as a treatment option for better sleep, rest, relaxation and recovery.

Teal Stetson-Lee: I've definitely benefited from using high CBD cannabis strains. That's been my primary focus as I've educated myself more about the products available and experimented with ratios. I do notice a direct effect when dealing with muscle recovery after my workouts or having less back pain after training and racing hard, putting my body through the grueling training processes. So easing my pain that I experience is so important to both physical and mental recovery.

One of the misconceptions about being a professional athlete is that we are super healthy, and that the trauma we put ourselves through is good for us and makes us stronger. That is not true! Being an athlete is not really good for your body. [Laughter].

Another important thing that CBD and THC helps with is anxiety. Allowing my body and mind to just relax and let go helps me sleep better. Which is paramount for quality recovery.

And it's one of the things in our culture that people do not do enough of, they do not sleep enough and the sleep we do get is not the quality we need to tackle the work loads we put ourselves through. If everybody slept more, we would probably be happier more functional people and we would need less medication for other issues that crop up as a result of less sleep. So, high CBD cannabis strains have helped me

in those critical areas of rest and recovery. But the psychoactive element helps too. It helps people unwind and discover new perspectives.

Oliver X: How important is it for you to have your creativity stimulated or ignited?

Teal Stetson-Lee: I think it's important for everybody to have their creativity stimulated.

Sometimes it's easy for us to get stagnant in our own narrow view of the world. We get caught up in the mundane responsibilities of adulting and it's always good to have a fresh perspective.

So whatever can help to give us that, whether it's through stimulating social interactions or through a slightly mind-altering substance, I don't have an issue with that.

Oliver X: Let's talk about how you started cycling. What inspired you to get on a bike as a youth back in Colorado?

Teal Stetson-Lee: I grew up in a small mountain town and my primary mode of transportation was always riding bikes. I didn't get a car of my own until I was 24 because I could commute by bike everywhere. But

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FEATURE Twilight Peaks was just this magical place to ski.

There would always be this purple orchid sunset that would set up behind the peaks and they would be these snow-capped peaks and we would be out on the snow on our skis. Crisp cold air out in the pine trees. It was kind of a sanctuary.

So that was a big part of my upbringing, and I think a big part of my personal power came from that environment.

even growing up riding bikes for commuting, I never got into the mountain bike side of things, competitive riding or even riding out on trails.

But I was always an athlete growing up. From a really young age my parents were really adamant about exposing my brother and I to the outdoors, which is why they moved to southwestern Colorado so that we could have this incredible playground at our fingertips.

And so I grew up backpacking, going on rafting trips and canoe trips, playing soccer on club teams during the summer, and skiing. Alpine skiing was something I started doing at a really young age and then I picked up Nordic skiing in elementary school...cross country skiing. I started doing that competitively from middle school all through high school, and that was my primary competitive sport. I played soccer too, but in terms of individual competitive sports...But what I liked the most about it was that it was a conduit to the outdoors.

My fondest memories of cross country skiing are not necessarily the competitions, but more so the training, being out there with my friends in this wild wilderness, ya know. These beautiful places in the snow, with these incredible twilights and sunsets.

At our primary location for training there was this mountain range called Twilight Peaks and everyday after school we'd all car pool up there, all the parents would get together and drive us, taking turns taking the crew up there. I had a team of maybe like six to ten, and mostly girls actually. We had a solid group of girls in high school who did cross country skiing. But

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And my parents were always really encouraging of that and I have an older brother too and he was a cross-country skier and an alpine skier. He and I did a lot of playing together in the outdoors.

He was always very encouraging. Then I started riding in college. I picked up cycling then, when I was 20.

Oliver X: Did you go out for your team at school?

Teal Stetson-Lee: Yes, it was collegiate cycling at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

They have a pretty reputable cycling team, which I didn't know at the time. I didn't know anything about it, I just had a close girlfriend of mine that I'd grown up with in Durango who had always been a mountain biker. She encouraged me and said, 'You should come out and try riding and let's go show up at one of the Fort Lewis Cycling Club meetings and see if it's a good fit. And let's just throw ourselves into this together.'

Oliver X: As walk-ons?

Teal Stetson-Lee: Yes, as total walk-ons. And she was really awesome how she introduced me to the sport. She said, 'I bet you'd be really good at it, you just gotta get out there and try it.' And so I jumped in and I think I did my first local race the summer right before the mountain bike season started which for college is in the fall. And I won my first local race. It was the expert category. I had a good race and I had a great time and it was good for my confidence. Then I also won my very first collegiate race. So, at that point I was hooked.

And I thought, Maybe this is a good fit for me.

Oliver X: Was it just clean fun for you, or did you already have ambitions?

Teal Stetson-Lee: It was just fun, but because

I'd grown up as a competitive athlete, competition felt like a natural fit for me. I enjoy that. I enjoy challenging myself and seeing myself improve tangibly. So there was that natural ambition from the start. But more than anything, it was just fun. The environment was mostly guys, because the cycling world is male dominated. We traveled to all these collegiate races together all through Colorado and went to collegiate mountain bike nationals all over the place. And it was a blast. It was like summer camp. That's what hooked me: the community and the culture around it. The racing was kinda secondary to the fact that I was having fun.

Oliver X: You were a woman in a male dominated sport. What kind of power dynamic were you observing at that time as far as fairness, equality, prize money, funding for the women's team versus the men's team etc.?

Teal Stetson-Lee: On the collegiate level it was fairly egalitarian because we had a co-ed team and we were a club team and not a varsity sport.

So as a club team, we were already the low men and women on the totem pole in relation to the other collegiate funded sports. That kinda created an equal playing field, at least within the team. I mean we weren't getting great funding from the school. So we kinda had to get creative with making things work and patching things together. That meant you had to find little bits of money here and there to make things work.

For me, just starting out, I didn't have any equipment so I'd send out emails to whoever in the Durango community to try and find clothes to wear and bikes to borrow. The team was very resourceful and they would get donations of essential gear.

My first year I rode a bike that had been donated to the team because I showed up with my mountain bike and it was totally throttled and old school. The suspension on it didn't even work anymore, the brakes didn't work. And I didn't know any better. So I was like, 'This is my bike.'

And my coach was like, 'That's great. But you can't ride that. [Laughter]. You can't race on that.

We have to find you something different.' So we found this large frame bike that totally didn't fit me. But to me it was the coolest thing in the world, because it was so advanced compared to what I'd been riding.

In the January 2018 issue Stetson-Lee talks about her early pro cycling days and her current professional projects.

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FEATURE Text Oliver X Photos Chris Holloman

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NEVADA SUNSET WINERY

Nevada Sunset Winery owners Mike Steedman and Alynn Delisle Reno Tahoe Tonight 43

FEATURE “We want to make great wine at reasonable prices and provide a fun atmosphere where people can come enjoy a tasting, a glass or a bottle with us.” - Mike Steedman and Alynn Delisle owners of Nevada Sunset Winery

A lot more is going on out on Reno's downtown East Fourth Street corridor than just EDM, hipster bars, divey joints and Basque restaurants.

The Old Brewery District, while not exactly humming with activity, is brimming with promise and is steadily emerging as a go-to destination for lovers of spirits and craft beer, due to the proliferation of imbibing options like The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery, Under The Rose Brewing Company, Lead Dog Brewing and nearby Pigeon Head Brewery on East Fifth Street. And now, right across the street from Studio on 4th and Abby's Hwy 50, is Reno's newest boutique entry for alcohol indulgence: Nevada Sunset Winery.

What? Wait...there's a winery...in Reno? You bet there is, and business partners Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman have moved heaven and earth to make Nevada Sunset Winery happen. Delisle and Steedman's 4,000+ square foot facility is part wine bar, part tasting room and part warehouse—and there's plenty of wine production going on, from crushing, pressing, fermentation and aging to bottling and labeling. The temperature-controlled winery with stained concrete floors and Tuscan flavored décor shares a parking lot (and a common structural wall at its western elevation) with Lead Dog Brewing. There's a palpable excitement in the air when you speak to Delisle and Steedman about their prospects and the labor that's gone into opening a winery in northern Nevada.

Steedman, a handsome 50-something sandy blonde-haired SoCal native, who vaguely resembles big wave surfer Laird Hamilton, came to Reno to attend the University of Nevada, and has, except for a few years working in South Lake Tahoe, been here ever since. One of Steedman's six daughters, Logan, works with he and Delisle at the winery. Steedman's son also helps out when he can. A successful local painting contractor who has owned Truckee River Paint for over 30 years, 44 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Steedman, until recently, owned the Studio on 4th, a local bar and music venue, but had to sell it, as under Nevada law you can’t own a winery and a retail liquor establishment. Steedman studied chemistry and biology, which really helps out with all the testing, trial and error that goes into making a quality viticultural product.

Delisle moved to Reno three and a half years ago from the Bay Area where she worked for Pacific Gas & Electric. She fell in love with the area after many ski trips over the years and is very happy now to be settled here. Delisle was also born in Southern California, but was raised in Alabama. She went to college in Arizona and got an MBA from Pepperdine University. She has a background in project management and finance, which has helped out with all of the licensing and other paperwork required for the winery. Delisle's son, who lives in LA, contributes by designing the company's wine labels and website, and her daughter also assists with design ideas.

Steedman and Delisle took some UC Davis wine classes online, and Steedman was involved in courses through Nevada Vines and Wines at UNR with Grant Cramer. “We have been very lucky to work with several winemakers who we can ask questions of and who are always there to help us try and solve problems,” says Delisle.

“We’re also always looking for input from our customers on how we can get better.”

I spoke to Steedman and Delisle over a nice Riesling recently to get the skinny on Reno's only winery.

Oliver X: What inspired you to start a winery in Reno?

Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman: Our winery, Nevada Sunset, is in Reno and our vineyard is in Fallon. We also source grapes from other parts of Nevada as well as California. We wanted to locate the winery in Reno because this is where we live — and there's a large population base for customers.

Oliver X: What kind of misconceptions might people have about northern Nevada grapes.

Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman: A lot of people get a winery and a vineyard confused. They are two separate entities and don’t have to be

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together. Some vineyard owners don’t make wine with their grapes, and some wineries – in fact the majority of wineries in California – don’t have vineyards. We’re fortunate to have the vineyard in Fallon, and also to be able to source grapes elsewhere that we don’t grow in Fallon.

There is a misconception that wine grapes won’t grow in northern Nevada. This is not the case — there are several varietals that do very well here. We grow Riesling and Gewürztraminer grapes in Fallon and also some red hybrids. We have also planted Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Lemberger in Fallon and they are doing well. These varietals have also done well in other parts of northern Nevada. UNR also had a vineyard where Cabernet franc, Semilion, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and other commonly known grapes did well. There are a lot of micro-climates in northern Nevada, so knowing your soil and water and what each grape varietal requires is important.

We do get a lot less yield per acre than in southern Nevada (we get about two tons/acre vs. about nine tons/acre), but the grapes in general do well.

Right now in our tasting room we have three white wines – Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Viognier; three Rosés (Grenache, Syrah / Primitivo and Grenache / Viognier), and four reds: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Reserve and Syrah. We are aging several other wines and are ready to bottle Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Mouvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and a Port. So those – plus another vintage of Chardonnay – will be in the tasting room over the next few weeks. We’re also going to do some blends such as a Grenache / Syrah / Mouvedre (GSM) and others, and plan to host some “Blending Parties” soon. We’re excited to have people share our wines and our experiences.

Oliver X: You opened on Fourth Street in what is being called (or designated as) The Old Brewery District. What benefits, if any, have you experienced by opening in this zone?

Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman: The East Fourth Street area has been great. We share a building with Lead Dog Brewery and are across the street from the Studio on 4th bar and music venue, and very close to Pigeon Head, Under the Rose, the Depot and Louie’s Basque Corner. Record Street Brewery will also be starting up soon. It’s a very vital, exciting environment and we all talk, coordinate and help each other. There’s a lot to do and if someone doesn’t like beer, they come by here for wine or to the Studio for a cocktail. There are people walking around from the Reno Ace’s baseball games and Reno 1868FC soccer games, as well as other events close by. It’s been great and will only get better.

Oliver X: You've experienced a two and a half year odyssey with this undertaking to navigate through the bureaucracies at the state level. Tell that story and the hurdles you've had to leap over to have your winery and the facility.

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FEATURE Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman: Well, this is a long story, best told over a bottle of our wine!

The short version is Mike was part of the PAC in 2014 to change the Nevada State law that said a winery could not be located in a county that had over 100,000 in population. Essentially, a winery could not be located in Washoe or Clark County. The law was changed, but instead of just taking out the words “in a County over 100,000 in population,” there were several restrictions and provisions added to the law.

We decided to open a winery here in Reno after the law was changed. We spent nearly two years looking for a suitable location. This was important because, obviously a location is important, but also because an address is required to apply for all the various Federal, State, City and County licenses required to open a winery. When we found the Fourth Street location we were able to apply for our Federal license, which was required before we could apply for City, County and State licenses.

We got together with two other wineries that were also looking to open in Reno and decided to apply for an Alternating Proprietorship license, which means we share space and operating equipment. We each had to get individual Federal licenses (which took nine months), and we each have our own bonded areas within the building. The ability to share rent and equipment makes the endeavor much more affordable. The State then had an issue with the idea of an Alternating Proprietorship and, after several months of back and forth (and writing a Request for Advisory Opinion to State Taxation and the Attorney General’s Office, and being denied), we were in the middle of appealing. At this point we were able – with the help of local distributors, the rural wineries and local legislators (particularly Senator Julia Ratti)--to add an amendment to the Craft Brewing Bill this last legislative session that allows an Alternating Proprietorship Winery in Nevada. At the Federal level and in every surrounding state, there are no limits to how many wineries share a space as Alternating Proprietors – but Nevada limited the number to four or less. So, Nevada Sunset and the other two wineries (Great Basin Winery and Basin and Range Cellars) were able to get our State Licenses. There are now six wineries in Nevada – the three of us, Churchill Vineyards and the two wineries in Pahrump.

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Oliver X: You were already an engaged citizen who is active in city politics Mike. Did you have to become your own lobbyists?

Mike Steedman: Yes, pretty much! In this last legislative session, we didn’t hire a lobbyist. My partner Alynn and I did the work and outreach ourselves and luckily, with the help of friends and others we mentioned earlier, we were able to get the amendment added.

Oliver X: You share your Fourth Street location with other wineries.

How does that scenario work with respect to shared floor space? Is the winery more like a co-op?

Mike Steedman: Like I stated, each of the other two wineries have their own Federal, State, City and County licenses. We also have our own designated space within the building where we store and age our individual wine. We share the production area and equipment on a prearranged, scheduled basis for a minimum of 24 hours each. The federal law is very prescriptive about what can be done and what can’t be done in an Alternating Proprietorship arrangement.

It’s not at all like a co-op, as we are completely separate in what grapes we source and what wine we make and sell. Right now our winery, Nevada Sunset, is the only one open in the building.

Great Basin and Basin and Range should both be up and running by sometime in the first quarter of 2018.

Oliver X: Tell me about your grow in Fallon?

Alynn Delisle: We have a three-acre vineyard in Fallon that we manage and we do

all the work and get all the grapes.

[Laughter]. And the lady who actually owns it is related to the Freys.

Mike Steedman: Her husband passed away and we took over management of it three years ago. She got a hold of us and said 'Hey, do you wanna take care of it?

You can harvest the grapes if you keep it up.' She gave us a ten-year lease on it.

We've been planting too, so we've been adding to it. We're managing it and we're also planting out there.

Oliver X: Were there already grapes on the property?

Alynn Delisle: There were but her husband had passed away several years prior to us taking over, so it had not been maintained at all for about five years.

Mike Steedman: Some of the vines out there are 10 or 15 years old. There were Riesling and Gewürztraminer, two German whites there. We have some hybrid reds that they had planted a long time ago, and some do very well. And then we've also gone out there and planted Lemberger, which is also another red grape from Germany. People just don't like the name, but it's also the best seller out there at the Frey Ranch. We also planted Malbec and Merlot grapes. We've got some Frontenac out there as well.

Oliver X: I gotta say that the Churchill Vineyards' Riesling is one of my alltime favorites. I love it and often give bottles as gifts.

Alynn Delisle: We did a collaboration with them recently, so we've got some Riesling and Gewürztraminer that we just added to the menu.

Oliver X: How did they know that you'd be a candidate for that land?

Mike Steedman: It was just by chance.

Alynn Delisle: Totally by chance.

Mike Steedman: One of our other partners at the time was at a meeting and someone said, “Hey I know a place that has a vineyard and nobody's taking care of it. You might want to talk to them.”

Oliver X: Crazy, because you had already had the idea...

Mike Steedman: [Laughter]. It worked out great!

Oliver X: So you go out to Fallon every week doing something?

Alynn Delisle: We're there every week certain times of the year. During the pruning season; when we put the nets on; when we harvest, and when we pick everything. It's very seasonal.

Oliver X: This is dirty fingernail work.

Alynn Delisle: We do all the work ourselves.

It is a lot of work.

Mike Steedman: As of now we haven't used any herbicides or pesticides out there and ya know, it takes a lot of work. So we haven't used any of those chemicals at all, so it makes it real nice and we'll see where that takes us. Right now it's ready to really kick off.

Full Circle Soils & Compost they've gotten us some fertilizers to use and we've had the ground tested. It's a big kind of collaboration of a lot of people wanting us to be successful who've helped us and given us great deals or knowledge. We've been really lucky.

Oliver X: Why is Fallon good for grapes?

Mike Steedman: The growing season is nice out there. You don't have the inversion layer like you do here. The soil is a little more sandy out there, which makes it better for the grapes we grow. The growing season is a little longer out there as well.

Alynn Delisle: We also get Frontenac grapes from Yerington.

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FEATURE

Mike Steedman: About 12-15 years ago Steve Pellegrini planted on a couple acres in Yerington.

He has about 1,700 vines out there of Frontenac.

He picks them every year and he can only make so much for him and his family to drink. Last year he had some extra that he gave us and we made some stuff. And then this year he says, 'Hey, I sell a ton every year, do you wanna be who I sell them to?' We said, 'We'd love it.' So we went out there and picked and he brought all his friends and we had a pickin' party. We're making a Port out of part of what we picked.

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Oliver X: Oh, when's that Port going to be ready?

Mike Steedman: Usually you wanna let Port wait about three years, but we may be pushing some out that's a little immature.

Oliver X: How have you been received by the local wine community?

Mike Steedman: Well, there's only three other wineries in the state, other than us and our two

wineries here in this building. Frey works with us of course, and Bill and Getchen Loken from Pahrump Valley Winery have been very helpful.

Steve Grace from here is a surgeon and he has Grace Patriot Wines in Placerville. Jay Short is an attorney here and he produces a 100 tons of wine grapes a year in Placerville and he helps us too, and we buy grapes from both of them. It's been really fun because everyone has helped us.

Oliver X: What is your vision for Nevada Sunset Winery?

Alynn Delisle and Mike Steedman: Our vision has always been to make great wine for all to enjoy, make enough money to travel, enjoy life and our families – and have fun!

Nevada Sunset Winery is located at 415 East Fourth Street Suite B, Reno, Nevada 89512. The winery is available for private parties, meetings and small corporate functions. Current hours are Thursday through Saturday from 4-9pm, with expanded hours to be announced. For information, call (650) 714-6168. nevadasunsetwinery.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 53

10% off with this ad

Illustrator Cartoonist Jason Williams I was born and raised in New Hampshire where I spent my first 30 years; I then moved to Montana for the next 14 years. In June of this year I moved to Reno with my wife Meredith. I have two grown boys (age 18 and 25), and I am step father to Meredith’s 6-year-old boy.

I'm a professional illustrator, cartoonist, caricature artist, and graphic designer. I have had the opportunity to work on all kinds of projects, from comic books to animation to character design. Art has always played a big part in my life. My dad was a good illustrator and I was always encouraged by my family to follow that path as I showed promise. My first professional work was designing t-shirts back in New Hampshire, and after some schooling, I jumped into the graphic design world as a designer and art director for various newspapers and magazines. The last few years I’ve been able to dedicate myself to mostly illustration work.

From Topps trading cards for the Star Wars property to animation illustrations for companies like McDonalds, Chick-fil-A and Chevron.

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The last few years I've started sketching people around towns wherever I may be, as well as landmarks. After collecting thousands of faces, I'm collecting this work in a book called Faces in the Crowd. This book is completed and I'm mulling over different publication options now.

I’ve had the great privilege to start illustrating the Reno crawl poster(s) for Ed and Heidi Adkins. This has been an incredibly fun opportunity and it feels great to be able to be part of the community here so quickly. Reno has quickly and seamlessly become home and has been incredibly inspiring.

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LOCAL POLITICS Text and photo courtesy of Rick Shepherd

My name is Rick Shepherd and I believe that energy is a basic human right. This opinion was cemented after seeing the devastation of Puerto Rico over the last two months and the subsequent human suffering resulting from a lack of energy.

It is obvious to me that we have built a world that all but requires one to have electricity to participate.

zones. With current battery technology, wind and solar are still too diffuse and intermittent to provide baseload utility needs. Geothermal can negatively impact water tables and isn’t available everywhere. Biomass gasification holds promise, but with typical outputs of tens-of-megawatts there is concern over scalability. Today, the best answer to baseload power generation is Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR).

Designed and built by Oak Ridge National Labs in the 1960s, LFTR technology was proven successful over a five-year experiment. Unlike the solid-fuel-reactors used today LFTR is non-proliferating and walk-away safe. We can use LFTR to generate electricity, desalinate water, synthesize liquid fuels like gasoline and diesel as well as capture CO2 for sequestration.

Using LFTR we can turn the liquid-fuels industry into a carbonneutral cycle while solving the Yucca Mountain problem.

America has wasted $250 million every day for sixteen years on foreign occupations. Be mindful of the phrasing here, as these are not wars. Wars have ends; wars have objectives, occupation only looks like war. A quarter of a billion dollars evaporates daily in a sickening display of chaos and suffering so that American interests can retain access to oil and gas deposits. Americans are not fighting oversees to export democracy.

Americans are not fighting some vague them “over there” so that we don’t have to fight them “over here.” Those nations we occupy do not hate us for our freedoms and they did not greet us as liberators.

American forces are present to secure our perceived right to their energy reserves.

Freed from our dependence on hydrocarbon extraction, humanity will proceed to a post-scarcity society where concerns are addressed by need, not profitability. Lifting our brothers and sisters around the world out of desperation will empower and inspire them to grow to their potential. We live in the most peaceful time mankind has ever known despite a few pockets of great suffering. Media outlets fixate on and magnify these conflicts, which spreads fear and generates advertising dollars, but does nothing to change the fact that we are very close to achieving world peace, with the two main impediments being: access to power and water – both of which are within reach with LFTR. Instead of dropping off humanitarian aid for years on end with suspect and questionable motives and results, we should provide LFTRs and give the affected the chance to fix their world for themselves instead of habituating dependent behaviors.

This cycle of violence ceases when we utilize sources of energy that do not require extracting resources from conflict

I am Rick Shepherd, and if you will have me, I ask to be your next representative in Congress.

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LIT Text Janice Hermsen

Should You Change Your Name?

Caring about how you present yourself publicly used to be reserved for public speaking, business presentations and politicians. With technology and social media so much a part of our lives, the name you choose to use may make the difference between the growth of a venture or its decline.

This can be true for authors too.

An author I know wrote for a number of years under her “real name.” When she decided to write using a pseudonym, everything changed for her!

Suddenly, things fell into place and she found her voice. Her writing blossomed and she found a new publisher for her books.

The same thing happened to LeRue Press. LeRue opened its doors as a traditional publisher known as Publishing from the Heart. It expressed our motivation and it suited the direction we wanted to take in our business. When we were forced to change it because of a competitor who challenged the name (they had a similar name and felt we were infringing), our attorney determined it would be better if we changed the name.

We chose a business name that our parents had used for a small printing shop they had. It was a combination of our dad’s name, Leonard, and our mom’s name, Ruby. They used Le and Rue to form LeRue. They were LeRue Enterprises. We chose LeRue Press. The result? Our business increased, we developed from only a publisher to a publisher, printer and business center with expanded services.

Psychologists have done studies to determine the value and effect of a name; numerologists apply numbers to names to come up with personality traits and even to predict likely future events; Onomasticians translate, research and study names and their meanings. Biblical references cite the importance of names: “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.“(Ecclesiastes 7:1) or “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” (Proverbs 22:1) Companies spend millions of dollars “branding” to get YOU to buy what they are selling. So, how important is it? Should you change your name?

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PUT IT UT

RADIUS Text Amanda Horn

[RADIUS] = AN UNSETTLING WINTER

Art Sonia Falcone, Campo de Color (Color Field), 2012, Installation, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. © Sonia Falcone Art. A journey into the Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E. L. Wiegand Gallery this winter reveals myriad unexpected—and unsettling – surprises. The exhibitions on view are designed to challenge your notions about art, upend your conceptions about the West, and lead you outside your comfort zone.

The multi-sensory, multimedia experience that defines the Museum this season begins at the front desk, where a video performance artwork by artist Nicholas Galanin greets visitors.

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The video uses the traditional Tlingit song Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan, which translates to “We Will Again Open This Container of Wisdom That Has Been Left in Our Care,” as a point of departure for Galanin’s two-part video that embodies the concept of cultural collision. In the first part, the well-known Southern California-based dancer and internet phenomenon David “Elsewhere” Bernal performs to the traditional song in a studio setting. In the video’s second part, Native Alaskan dancer Dan Littlefield performs a traditional Raven dance wearing traditional regalia and holding a Raven Rattle, a symbol of power and authority. The backdrop is a Tlingit Eagle and Raven wall screen carved

by Galanin’s uncle, located in the Community House in Sitka, Alaska, Galanin’s home town.

The musical accompaniment for Littlefield’s dance is contemporary electronic music, providing a sense of dissonance.

This entry sets the stage for the cavalcade of color, scent, beauty and intensity that awaits in the galleries beyond. Galanin’s video appears as part of Unsettled, the Museum’s feature exhibition that amasses 200 artworks by 80 artists spanning 2,000 years. The show explores the geography of frontiers characterized by vast expanses of open land, rich natural resources, diverse indigenous peoples, colonialism, and the ongoing conflicts that inevitably arise when these factors coexist.

Through a broad selection of art and artifacts, the story of the Greater West-- a super-region bounded from Alaska to Patagonia, and from Australia to the American West-- unfolds.

Several other videos, sound elements, and projections appear throughout the exhibition as well. Another sensory surprise is an installation by artist Ed Ruscha, made completely of chocolate. With Chocolate Room, Ruscha uses chocolate as an art-making material, “painting” tiles of paper with a chocolate mixture and installing them across the gallery walls to create an unforgettable olfactory experience.

Elsewhere on the third floor, artist Sonia Falcone has created a sprawling, colorful, fragrant artwork comprised of terra cotta plates, dry pigments, spices, and salts found throughout the super-region. Think chili and cinnamon, among other aromas. Another sensory surprise awaits visitors on the second floor, where artist and perfumer Bruno Fazzolari displays a brand-new signature scent that represents the Greater West. The perfume, Unsettled Eau de Parfum, uses sandalwood oil from the South Pacific, a driving force for early trade and contact. The perfume is displayed in a custom decanter in the form of a mushroom cloud that alludes to the legacy of nuclear testing in the state of Nevada. As an added bonus, visitors can sample the perfume with scenting strips in the gallery. If you like it, you can pick up a bottle for yourself or a loved one in the Museum Shop. Also for sale in the Shop is the Unsettled catalogue, a breathtaking publication with a gold foil spine, consisting of 224 pages and featuring 110 color images.

These sensory masterpieces are just a few of the revelatory and unsettling artworks chosen by the Museum’s curatorial director JoAnne Northrup to tell the compelling Greater West narrative, a narrative that spans time, place, gender, and race, challenging the definitions of the latter. Several indigenous contemporary artists like Wendy Red Star, Nicholas Galanin, Brian Jungen, Jaune Quick-to-see Smith, and Teri Rofkar are included alongside numerous Latin American artists such as Ana Teresa Fernández, Sonia Falcone, Minerva Cuevas, Graciela Iturbide, and Rufino Tamayo. These diverse voices appear in conversation with the likes of Chris Burden, Bruce Conner, Trevor Paglen, Edgar Arceneaux, Rodney Graham, Emily Carr, and Georgia O’Keeffe. PreColumbian art lent by the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as several exemplary southwest pots from the John and Brenda Blom collection round out the exhibition’s ancient roots.

Unsettled is a show you need to spend time with, pausing to soak in the sounds and scents, meandering slowly through the galleries so that the show’s themes present themselves in a substantive, meaningful way. Shifting Ground, Colliding Cultures, Colonizing Resources, The Sublime Open, and Experimental Diversity are the labels ascribed to the exhibition, but the visual, sensory stories that emerge are vastly more complex.

Unsettled will be on view at the Nevada Museum of Art through January 21. Upon closing, the show will travel to both the Anchorage Museum and Palm Springs Art Museum. Learn more at nevadaart.org.

Amanda Horn is a Reno-based writer, yogini, and creative community enthusiast.

A former circus performer, she has been pushing boundaries most of her life, constantly redefining her own and testing the radius of the world she inhabits.

She currently serves as Director of Communications for the Nevada Museum of Art. Follow her on Twitter @TeboHorn or email her at amanda.horn@nevadaart.org.

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REAL ESTATE Text Shirley Larkins

Do it!

Year end is a great time for reflection and consideration for what you want in the coming year. My real estate journey this year has been an exciting one, and probably one of the most enlightening by far. With the market being so strong and so many new agents signing up to sell, it has also become clear that my driving force in real estate is not the sell – it’s the people. I truly want everyone who wants one to have a home. I want to be the connector for people looking to change their lifestyle and show them the options available. Reno is such a cool place because we have so many different options for lifestyles at our fingertips. Our community keeps growing and adding new features and attractions, plus we are an outdoor enthusiast’s dreamland. The sky is amazing every night and the sunrise will blow you away every day.

I see more and more people wanting to invest in our city and continue elevating our energy and opportunity as a community. Next year we are going to see even more population and industry growth and it will continue to impact the affordability and availability of homes. I know of some new exciting programs that will be opening up after the first of the year for people who maybe felt like they would never be able to get a home. There are new loan programs coming out that will allow people without as much savings to purchase, and even if your credit is less than stellar, there will be options for 72 Reno Tahoe Tonight

you. Real estate is ever-changing, but the main thing is that everyone needs a place to live and it is always a good time to sell or buy. You just have to know what your options are and be ready to put in the time to make your dream come true.

No matter what lifestyle you want, you can find it.

We still have a housing shortage and prices have been going up, but opportunity abounds if you keep an open mind and heart. Home in on you this holiday season, and ask yourself what is most important to you. Manifest the space you want and need and find a guide to help you get there. You can do it!

Shirley Larkins is a real estate professional with Chase International and has been selling properties for over 11 years.

She specializes in all types of sales from luxury to distressed, and also loves working with first time buyers. She can be reached at slarkins@chaseinternational.com or 775-379-9617.

RENO AS FUCK Text Tyson Schroeder, Anthony Lee Photos by Revision Brewing Company

RE VISION B RE WING CO MPANY “I don’t like to compare it to anything anymore, I like to say ‘Reno is Reno’. It’s not like Portland, it’s not like San Diego, fuck that, it is it’s own.” - Jeremy Warren Revision Brewing Company

I first had a Revision Brewing Company IPA at Pignic Pub and Patio this summer. The venerable hosts at the Pigshack handed me a Revision sticker (and you know how Reno As Fuck loves stickers), so I gave it a whirl. The full, mature flavor washed over me and gently soothed the blaring siren from my automated “Low Beer Level Alert System” or “LBLAS.” (It’s fun to say when you have had a few beers. I know you are saying it out loud right now. Pass it on.)

Jeremy Warren, CEO and Brewmaster, is one of those guys you can’t help but feel like you’ve known for a long time. Warren is intensely focused and enthusiastic in both conversation and brewing, and it shows in his beer.

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Revision opened in late March of this year, and although the taproom doors still have that new car smell the beer itself is extremely mature and developed.

Warren founded Auburn, CA, based Knee Deep Brewing in 2010, and was quickly beating some extremely stiff competition at beer competitions.

“I originally wanted to build a brewery here for Knee Deep, but we didn’t really think Reno was ready for that.” Warren said. “We had a lot of good places but I felt that it was more awesome craft cocktail focused and not really craft beer.”

Warren parted ways with Knee Deep in 2015 in order to pursue a more diverse beer portfolio.

Warren found a new home in Sparks just off of Rock Boulevard. The taproom is a little sparse as it stands now, but you can clearly see the direction they are going. This is a place you just want to hang out in, it’s not stuffy or pretentious, but fun and open. A place where you will likely get to

know the people sitting around you. Revision plans to offer a summer concert series and events in their spacious outdoor area in the spring and summer.

“Today I feel like Reno’s market, when it comes to spirits and alcohol, is just phenomenal,” Warren said. “I don’t like to compare it to anything anymore, I like to say ‘Reno is Reno’.

It’s not like Portland, it’s not like San Diego, fuck that, it is it’s own.”

Revision’s lineup of beers is inspired. From their newly released “Disco Ninja NE Hazy IPA”, a collaboration with ShoeTree Brewing Company, to the Dr. Lupilin Triple IPA, Revision has a rare talent of brewing extremely developed flavors with high ABV that won’t scare the fainthearted. Revision produces and carries a great

selection of the stronger India Pale Ales, but also steps up to the plate with refined Kolch, Brown Ale, Porters and Blondes. We’ve tried them all, and we only regret not bringing a cot.

“The product is quality and consistency, you can’t just have one, you have to have both.” Warren said. “But what really defines quality, in my opinion, is the people behind it.” Warren speaks about his team often. Having spent time drinking with vice presidents Darla Roberts and Ken Foster, It’s easy to see that everyone involved is really dedicated to their work.

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RENO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY Photos Eric Marks facebook.com/RenoStreetPhotography

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"Don't Laugh Laugh Man It Could Be Your Daughter.

Sold Her For A 'C Note' In Reno, Nevada."

- Mickey Avalon, "Tight Blue Jeans" Canon 5D Markiii ISO 800 f2.8 1/500

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SKATENV Photographer Kyle Volland skatenv.com

Pettit's Halloween Jam Skaters Brendan Green Cooper Serafini Austin Flynn Ian Flynn

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COOPER SERAFINI FRONTSIDE GRIND

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THE MIND OF MENCARELLI Text Dave Mencarelli Photo Frank Haxton

If it’s 3 a.m. there's a good chance I'm wide awake.

I'm either up because I have to pee, my dogs are barking at some imagined threat (usually the wind or some such other harmless force of nature), or my brain is trying to process 3,167,414 thoughts at once. Usually, it's the brain thing.

That is, after all, one of the hallmarks of anxiety.

The inability to, as John Lennon suggested: "Relax, turn off your mind, and float downstream." That line is officially credited to The Beatles, but we all know it was the best one that wrote it. Of course he's the best one. Even though they had a guy named Pete Best. Before Ringo came along. Or Richard. That’s his real name. What the hell is John Wayne’s real name? Marvin? Marion?

Mrs. Cunningham’s name on “Happy Days” was Marion. A few happy days would be nice.

The previous paragraph was difficult to navigate right? That's what I'm talking about when I say my brain won't turn off. Thoughts come careening in only to be replaced haphazardly milliseconds later by new ones. Then those lead to even more. Pretty soon it's 4 a.m. and I've wondered what the guy who played Potsie is up to these days; peed twice (hey, I'm up, might as well), wondered if I went 82 Reno Tahoe Tonight

overboard with parentheticals in my last "Mind of Mencarelli” and I'm STILL not sure what John Wayne's real name is.

Strangely enough, I sometimes enjoy being wide awake in the middle of the night. It's dark. It's quiet. Emails and texts aren't buzzing my phone.

No one expects anything from me at 3 o' clock in the morning. I don't have to pretend smile. There’s no one awake in the house to judge me for eating two butterscotch puddings.

I never enjoy it for long though. Pretty quickly I start worrying that I’m going to be less than sharp when my day starts. That I’ll suffer from not getting enough sleep. My heart starts to beat a little too fast and my head hurts. If I’m lucky I can fall back asleep 30 minutes before my alarm goes off.

And then I'm UP. Not really awake, but up. I'm exhausted even after having gone to bed more than 8 hours ago. I start another day tired and scared, but I'm used to it.

And I can sleep at work. Thanks anxiety.

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THE NEST Text Tessa Miller

Holiday Pop Ups at The Nest

I had a love/hate relationship with holiday gift shopping…until I gamed the system. LOVE: Finding that perfect, locally-handmade-with-love gift for all of my most cherished people. HATE: Feeling like I have to get gifts for people I don’t especially feel like getting gifts for, or not being able to find that special gift and settling for something last minute.

I’m not sure when or why the genuinely selfless and generous spirit of the season turned into a guiltridden corporate grab for our hard-earned money, but I’m not into it. Don’t get me wrong, throwing stuff in your cart in the checkout line at Target is much easier than hunting down my favorite local artisans and figuring out how to get all of their wares into my hands in time to wrap them and get them under the tree before the 24th. I—like many of you I’m sure—am a procrastinator by nature.

But is that really what we’re trying to do here?

Holiday shopping left me with my hands tied. I could shop small and local, but have to dedicate a lot more time to the endeavor (my already-pressedfor-time calendar wants to pull out its proverbial hair). Or I could shop easy and convenient, but my soul dies a little to have to buy something cheap made in China. This kind of shopping goes against my every principle, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

So, like I said, I figured out how to game the system. I invited all of my favorite sans bricks and mortar local businesses to The Nest. I figured that if this would help make my holiday shopping easier, it would also be beneficial for many others who, like myself, want to shop small, local and unique but don’t quite have the time to make it happen.

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From one-of-a-kind jewelry made with precious and semi-precious gemstones to small batch wellness products hold the chemicals and more, we will be hosting some of the area’s finest artisans. Not only will everyone on your list be stoked but these hardworking

artists in your community will be also. Spread the love to your neighbors—not corporations.

Plus, if you haven’t experienced my fully stocked hot cocoa bar (extra whipped cream and mint Schnapps please!) or the relaxed and cheery ambiance of the shop, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the stark contrast of high-stress shopping at the big box stores.

A partial list of our pop up shops…

December 2nd: Adornment by Nicole December 9th: Funk On A String,

Pop Up Apparel December 9th: Mothercluckerr

Upcycled Goods December 16th: Rooted Hands, Love Mert December 23rd: Biggest Little Fashion Truck Check out our website for many more participating businesses and a weekly giveaway! thenestreno.com 201 Keystone Ave, Reno, NV 89503 (775) 284-8841

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TRAINING TIPS

Text Camille Cragg Lyman Photo Mike Lagrange

❄

With Christmas approaching people tend to lose sight of their goals and succumb to holiday festivities including extra food, drinks and less activity. I'm certain that instead of losing sight of goals from Thanksgiving to New Year's you can maintain your focused mindset and keep your body in motion with these 12 days of Christmas suggestions.

❄ ❄

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TRAINING TIPS

Consume less beverages throughout the night.

Decrease your drinking since alcohol, colas and juices can only add more calories to the ones you've already eaten.

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Make an effort to get outside more.

Make the holidays a family occurrence and plan outdoor activities where everyone is involved. A snowball fight, or building snowmen in the backyard will burn a lot of calories and will keep the children entertained.

Do not cheat yourself, treat yourself.

Attempting to restrain yourself totally from some foods will only make you want to eat more. Feel free to enjoy the treats that you really love, but in small portions.

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5

Workout in short bursts throughout the day.

Time is so precious and in short supply at Christmas, but on busy days like this break down your exercise into small, 10 minute increments. 10 minutes when you get up, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes when you get home in the evening.

Studies have found that short sessions like these are still effective.

Enter a race/sporting event during the holiday season.

Runs, triathlons, swims and cycling events have become very popular.

Races are a great motivation tool and can really help you to stay focused during the holiday season.

No online shopping, instead drive to the mall and hit the stores.

Although online shopping is handy, I recommend that you get out and shop in the terrestrial world at least a few times over Christmas. Walking around the mall, carrying bags and pushing a cart will mean that you’re getting way more activity in rather than sitting at home on the computer pressing "enter."

Relax Relaxing is an important part of staying healthy and fit during Christmas, not only because it’s good for your mind and your stress levels, but because relaxing and resting will mean that you have enough energy to do workouts on other days of the week.

Instead of buying a fake tree, go out and cut your own tree this year.

You don’t always have to hit the gym to keep healthy and fit over the Christmas season.

Instead choose to go out with family or friends and hunt for your Christmas tree.

More activity will play a huge roll in a less dramatic weight gain this holiday season.

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1

Eat before you go to your holiday party.

Skipping meals is the last thing you want to do, so if you eat before you go you will no longer be tempted to eat a lot or overindulge yourself at holiday parties.

Go on a walk after lunch or dinner.

Studies show that exercising after you have eaten reduces blood sugar spikes.

This means that you’re much less likely to reach for those mince pies or dips later in the evening. An easy suggestion is to go on a walk with the people you’ve eaten with to get your bodies in motion.

11

Be Creative.

Obviously both time and money are tight during December. Why not go out into the countryside to seek materials you can make into creative gifts? This will help you and your family or friends get active and save money this Christmas. Be creative and let your imagination go wild while moving more.

Out of sight out of mind.

Whether it is leftover holiday nog or a cheesy casserole brought over by your grandma, keep in mind the saying "out of sight, out of mind." If fatty and sugary foods and drinks are accessible to you, it makes you more likely to choose them.

Limiting treats and unhealthy leftovers at home is a great way to maintain your weight during the holidays.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Camie Cragg Fitness!

Camille Cragg Lyman Owner Camie Cragg Fitness NSL Professional Beach Bikini Athlete Instagram//Facebook//Twitter//Snapchat ccfreno.com

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1 CANNABIS DISTRIBUTION WE OFFER COMPETITIVE PRICING, TIMELY DELIVERIES AND NO CONTRACTS REQUIRED.

*FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

UNITED WE STONED The Wild Fate of California's Cannabis Legalization After the Fires Text Mitchell Colbert of Pistil + Stigma The smoke has finally cleared from the air in northern California, and people are trying to resume a normal life in a community forever changed by the worst wildfires in state history.

CalFire reports that, “Since the start of the October Fire Siege on Sunday, October 8, CAL FIRE responded to 250 new wildfires.

At the peak of the wildfires there were 21 major wildfires that, in total, burned over 245,000 acres, 11,000 firefighters battled the destructive fires that at one time forced 100,000 to evacuate, destroyed an estimated 8,900 structures (as damage assessment continues, this is the latest count), and sadly, took the lives of 43 people.”

California is not alone in this being a bad year for wildfires. Nevada suffered their worst fire year since 2006, and had 658 wildfires consume 1.2 million acres. Oregon and Montana both had bad years as well. A major contributing factor in many areas was a very wet winter, which caused a boom in vegetation growth, followed by a hot summer, which dried those plants into kindling. Erica Hupp, with the US Forest Service, told NBC News 4 that the Forest Service has staff “all over the country in Montana, Oregon, and Washington.”

In Nevada, the wildfires appear to have largely affected uninhabited land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management, but in California they started near cities and farms, obliterating entire neighborhoods of Santa Rosa and Napa.

Many articles referred to these as the Wine Country Fires, but that name isn’t entirely accurate, as Sonoma and Mendocino counties are also home to hundreds of cannabis farms.

Out of the two industries, cannabis is at a severe disadvantage when it comes to the recovery for three main reasons.

The first reason has to do with key differences between cannabis and grape plants. Because grape vines retain a huge amount of water, more than an oak forest, they don’t burn easily and form natural fire breaks. Cannabis at harvest time, on the other hand, is quite dry by comparison and would effectively be kindling.

The second disadvantage faced by cannabis farmers is the lack of crop insurance and ineligibility for USDA aid or FEMA assistance, 90 Reno Tahoe Tonight

due to the federally illegal status of their business.

The third, and perhaps most devastating, is the lack of access to banks, which forces many growers to keep their money at their house, often in the form of gold buried in the backyard.

The LA Times tells the story of one grower who returned to her stash to find nothing but “a melted mess of gold, silver, plastic, dirt and pine needles.” So, while vineyards have access to aid and insurance to help cover their damages, and had their money safely stored in a bank, cannabis cultivators are left with nothing but the charred remains of what had been their lives.

The timing could not possibly be worse, as California’s adult use cannabis program is about to roll out on January 1st, with applications expected to be available sometime in early December. Now, many farmers who had spent everything to go legal and get licensed are wondering what they can do to recover in time for January. Cultivators in Sonoma County are in luck, because the county tax ordinance allows county officials to adjust the cannabis business tax based off crop loss, but there are strict regulations on qualifying and the inspection itself costs money, which may be a problem if that was lost in the fire along with the crop. Outside of Sonoma County, cultivators have little recourse to recoup their losses.

A Tourism Tragedy California’s North Coast is a region heavily dependent on money from tourism, which, after the fires, is expected to take a nosedive, as sommeliers travel elsewhere to go wine tasting. In preparation for the hit, the California Office of Tourism’s nonprofit Visit California has already announced they will spent $2 million to encourage tourists to keep their plans to visit Sonoma County. While there is a widespread perception that the fires destroyed the entire region, in reality, only about a half dozen wineries were majorly impacted.

It will be much harder to gauge the impact the fires will have on cannabis tourism, which was just beginning to take off in preparation for adult use legalization in January. The Sonoma County Growers Alliance (SCGA) said via email that they “have identified at least 30 farms and 3 manufacturers who have lost everything to these fires.” The SF Chronicle spoke to Hezekiah Allen, the executive director of the California Growers Association, who reported that “several dozen CGA members have lost their entire farms.”

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UNITED WE STONED While these losses are staggeringly higher than what was seen by the wine industry, as the region is home to hundreds of farms, it is just a drop in the bucket and shouldn’t have too big of an impact on macro-level legalization. The real pain will be felt at the micro-level, among the individual farmers who were unlucky enough to lose it all.

Given that Sonoma vineyards are already seeing a drop in tourism after the fires, as travelers go to Paso Robles instead, it is a good assumption that the cannabis industry will suffer similarly. It is a safe assumption that Nevada may see a boom in cannabis tourism after the fires, as tourists seek out a cleaner option further from the blaze, hopefully with less smoke damage.

A Tricky Situation for Cannabis Testing Many in the cannabis industry were already concerned about their ability to pass new, very strict lab testing standards with an effectively zero-tolerance level for some chemicals that could be in the soil as run-off from nearby wineries. The fire damage now poses a much more difficult challenge to state regulators, testing labs, cannabis patients, and everyone else in the cannabis industry: can smoketainted bud pass these new standards, and if so, how? Many in the industry speculate that the extraction process can strip out some of the impurities and damage caused by the smoke, but others aren’t so sure.

Amanda Reiman, Vice President of Community Relations for Flow Kana, expressed her uncertainty, “It’s really impossible to know until we start submitting cannabis for testing. We know that smoke can have an impact on the plant, and we’re not sure yet how that’s going to bear out when it comes to what’s required by the state to certify cannabis.” Jessica Peters, the Founder and CEO of Moxie Meds, posted on Facebook that she “spoke with several heads of Bay Area labs today – lab results will in NO WAY indicate safety of medicine in this instance. They do not have the capabilities to test for what’s in the air and raining down on these plants.”

At the recent New West Summit in Oakland, I spoke to Samantha Miller, the President and Chief Scientist of Pure Analytics Laboratory.

Miller has experience with smoke taint from 92 Reno Tahoe Tonight

the last time there was a large fire in Humboldt county, and she was doing testing for a contest.

She said that “with smoke the issues that we often see are increased microbiological contamination. The smoke brings with it the spores, and it seems to cause them to settle more and to inoculate the flowers more.” Miller had some good news, “you wouldn't expect to see failures for microbiological contamination if you converted something to an oil.” That does not mean oils will be clean, because if the mold or fungus “produced a mycotoxin that is not allowed on the list that could be a failure, so you'd have to determine what mycotoxins are present.”

Miller echoed some of Jessica Peters sentiments.

“If you have cannabis growing in a greenhouse with a plastic tarp over it, and it melts, there is definitely chemical contamination that could be impinging on those flowers, however, that is probably contamination that is not on our list for protection.” Miller was specifically concerned with the presence of polynuclear aromatics hydrocarbons (PNAs) in smoke tainted cannabis. The key issue she touched on is that “the way analytical chemistry works, if you aren't looking for something you won't find it.” There is currently no required testing for any PNAs or any of the other potential chemicals that could be left in smoke tainted cannabis.

While these fires will go down as some of the worst in state history, California is no stranger to fire and the region will recover. With only a few dozen farms lost, it is doubtful that the fires will have a dramatic impact on cannabis legalization, though given the uncertainty around testing, it may be too early to tell. Right now, the industry is hoping for a best-case scenario where the impurities can be purged through extraction, but it would be prudent to plan for the worst, which could be that a huge amount of cannabis that would have been in the legal market is now unsellable due to stringent testing requirements. The roller coaster ride that is legalizing cannabis in California has only gotten wilder after the fires.

Pistil + Stigma is a consulting firm working with organizations in public, private, and nonprofit sectors on groundbreaking policy issues nationwide. Our team of lobbying, community affairs, and cannabis strategy consultants help businesses acquire competitive licenses and grow sustainable and socially conscious businesses.

WANDERED OFF Text Natasha Bourlin Photo Copyright Paris Tourist Office – Photographer Amèlie Dupont

Wintertime Wonders in the City of Light

W

hen visiting new destinations, I tend to run at them, arms akimbo, boisterously expressing my sheer joy at being there. However, Paris is a bit more refined.

Residents often have preconceived notions about rowdy Americans. While some respond to tourists’ smiling faces and awe-struck eyes stoically, others delight in visitors rejoicing in their City of Light.

Only in December does this incomparable city truly live up to its nickname. Twinkling holiday lights are strung up citywide, giving the streets a magical ambiance. Holiday grandeur is hypnotizing along the seasonally illuminated Champs-Elysées. Christmas markets dot the area, their colorful shop faces mimicking wooden, alpine chalets and offering bountiful holiday wares, chocolat chaud (hot chocolate sounds more poetic in French), steaming pastries and general holiday charm, European-style.

Montmartre—home to the infamous cabaret, Moulin Rouge and a longtime artist haven once frequented by legends like Langston Hughes and Van Gogh—feels festive with its colorful carousel spinning below Sacré-Coeur Basilica, and copper stills steaming with vin chaud (hot wine).

Cole Porter once said “I love Paris in the winter when it’s drizzles.” When conjuring up visions of the city, one’s mind often goes to gardens in bloom, clear blue skies and the ever-present Eiffel Tower in the background.

Winter brings with it chilly, often wet weather and gray skies. Yet, the benefits of visiting during this season are many.

Airfare is often less expensive, as are accommodations. Serpentine queues to get into the top attractions are dramatically minimized. Views from the top of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph and others are even more dramatic at night, thanks to the added luminosities. More attention may be offered to you when visiting nearby wine

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regions, as the high seasons have ended—plus you may still get some Beaujolais Nouveau, a red wine celebrated country-wide when released the third Thursday of November annually, and meant to be drank while it’s young. It goes fast. } Music lovers can pay homage to one of the greats on his December 8 birthday, Jim Morrison, who’s buried in Paris’s Père Lachaise cemetery. Then, explore the underground (like, in actual caves) jazz clubs around Latin Quarter and St-Germain-des-Prés where stumbling

upon gripping performances, celebrities and open mic nights are likely scenarios. Grooving helps keep Parisians warm in winter.

This fashion-forward metropolis also reveals its full winter glory, couture-wise, as fashionistas bundle up in their chic winter attire head-to-toe.

While there one December with friends, the single most memorable experience was gazing up at the Eiffel Tower when our vocally brilliant friend broke into Le Vie en Rose a capella and

everyone around us grabbed someone and started swaying to the soul-stirring moment.

These enchanting moments happen regularly in Paris. You just need to create them, any time of the year.

Natasha Bourlin is a freelance writer and natural born nomad who loves to travel the globe, then share tidbits and tips to inspire other’s journeys.

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