March 2018 rtt digital

March 2018

Meet Nevada's Next Governor

Chris Giunchigliani Adult Content 21+

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ADVITORIAL Muse Group

CANNABIS NEWS 10 Pesha' Numma Dispensary

COMEDY 12 Comic Dennis Miller

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COVER STORY 14 Meet Nevada's Next Governor

Chris Giunchigliani

EVENT

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38 Novelist Willy Vlautin 40 Poet Thomas lloyd Qualls 50 Reno-Tahoe Comedy

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PRESENTED BY MUSE GROUP MUSE GROUP

Text Jaclyn Coleman Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight Cheers To Three Years!

Muse Group came about, because one day I woke up and realized I was tired of working for other people. Weird, right?

I decided I was going to quit a good paying 9-5 job at an Advertising & Public Relations Agency that offered health benefits and paid time off, and move to South Lake Tahoe to be a server at a breakfast place. Life was easy going, but I found myself missing the hustle and bustle of the marketing world, so I started freelancing on the side and quickly realized, hey, I could make a business out of this. When pitching myself to new clients, eager prospects would say: “Great!

We’re excited for the PR, can you also do my business cards and website?” Obviously not. The design and coding realm was not in my wheelhouse. I ran through my contact list, signed on a designer and a coder, and boom! An agency was built over some beers.

With Muse Group coming up on three years of being in business, as of February 28, 2018, I thought I would talk a little bit about where we are today.

Today, well we have an office. A REAL one, not a kitchen table we’re calling our office. We have clients; those are real too, not just family and friends. We have at the heart of the agency, an awesome team of creative, smart, and talented women: Jessie Phillips, Eunice Choi, Ashlee McDougall, Sara Murillo, Sarah Thrall (yes, we have two) Claire Santamaria, and Laura Levin. Then, of course myself, Jaclyn Coleman.

8 Reno Tahoe Tonight

What we do: At Muse Group we believe in collaboration, growth, balance, passion, imagination, and integrity. A lot of things, I know, but hey! They’re all equally important and make up the core values of the agency.

We incorporate public relations, design, brand management, social media and digital marketing to help create and elevate brand awareness for our clients. We like to say: “You envision it, we perfect it.” We understand that whatever industry the business is in, there’s a story to tell. Muse Group finds that unique angle (even when it doesn’t seem obvious) and finds the best way to express it to the world.

In year three, as we look ahead, we’ve figured out what we love to work on and where we’ve found the most enjoyment and success.

The clients we’re attracting WE want to work with and they are passionate business owners. We’ve focused our client list down into two main categories; nonprofits such as Reno Philharmonic, Overture Colorado, Ho Ola Na Pua, Catholic Charities and Tour de Nez; along with food and beverage clients such as: Blend Catering, Feast, Wild Garlic, Blind Onion, Port of Subs and Chúla Artisan Eatery in Southern Cal to name a few.

At Muse Group in year three we’re going to live by the motto: “Whatever you’re thinking, make sure you’ve had coffee, meditated, and talked it over with the team, before you send that email.

Look out year four! Muse with us?

Musegroupreno.com

Reno Tahoe Tonight 9

CANNABIS NEWS Text and photos Oliver X

On February 17 of last month, an estimated 500 people braved long lines to welcome Lyon County's only cannabis dispensary to town. The Yerington Pauite Tribe's Pesha' Numma Dispensary opened at 601 Bridge Street to pop-up tents and displays from The Grow Farm and Cannabella Kitchen. A representative from Silver State Trading Co. was on hand as well as Nevada District 2 Congressional hopeful Clint Koble. Even state gubernatorial candidate Chris Giunchigliani sent her well wishes to the dispensary and the tribe.

“The grand opening was amazing, people came from all over the place to see this new dispensary,” says Pesha' Numma Dispensary general manger Melissa Castillo.

“There's a lot of cancer in this town. I had cancer ten years ago. I'm from the reservation here and grew up here my whole life. I'm excited to give people access to safe, affordable regulated and tested medicine.

It's going to help a lot of people here.”

Castillo says for the past ten 10 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Yerington Paiute Tribe's Pesha' Numma Dispensary Opens

years, she knew she wanted to be in the cannabis industry and says she fell in love with the products. “The vibes here are great,” says Castillo. “Everyone has been so positive and very uplifting. It's really exciting being tribal as well, the art and the spiritual awareness, because that's a big part of this holistic lifestyle. It's not even just about cannabis. We're hoping to bring all kinds of events here in the future, whether it's pop-ups or in-house yoga sessions, or music and food.”

Nearly a week after the dispensary opening Castillo says that the crowds are still coming. “The numbers are actually growing,” Castillo states and emphasized that cannabis sales will help finance other opportunities on the reservation in the future.

The display cabinets at Pesha Numma were stocked to capacity with familiar brands like Kynd, STRAINZ, Bullet, Silver State Trading and Cannabella Kitchen, to name a few. “We have orders coming from Vegas, Reno and Carson,” noted Castillo.

“We have cbd only products

from Kushmedics coming soon for the skin care snobs out there, and products from Apothecanna from Colorado.

“It's taken us quite a while to get to this point of opening the dispensary, says Laurie Thom, Yerington Pauite Tribe Chairman. “We started first by developing law and order codes. Because as a sovereign nation we are capable of doing self-determination, and we did that process. We developed a full-on tax plan and we did a tax code which changes the business on the reservation and how we control and monitor those businesses. And we also lobbied at the state legislature for SB375...I did that with the Dice group—Joe and Cassandra. We went and spoke with the legislators up there and put the miles in, then met with the Governor's office and then the Governor signed SB375.

Since the legalization of adult use, most of Nevada's cannabis dispensaries opened with large crowds and long lines; Pesha' Numma was no different. But promoting

cannabis products to rurals is different than marketing to urbanites. It's much more personal. One middle-aged couple from nearby Wellington said they heard about the opening from a flyer they got in the mail. “What we did was we followed a lot of the state regulations for advertising,” says Thom. “The city did ask that we do a sign no larger than what you see here.

We're not doing any signage on the building itself. We did do mail outs for advertising like we're allowed to do.

We did some outreach and we used the newspapers and did personal invites.”

When asked how any the tax revenues will be distributed to the tribe, Thom was happy to explain their vision for the funding use. “When we developed the tax plan within the tax plan we have a tax commission, Thom states. “Once that's developed they can make a decision on where they feel the areas of greatest needs are. We were looking at our social programs and our scholarship programs. Putting it back into education. We've been asked to try and figure out how we can bring back the Pauite language back into the school system. But you need to pay the speakers and the teachers to be there to monitor the class. So we're looking at using some of that money to bring back our language and make it stronger.”

No culture can thrive without knowledge of its native tongue and Thom reemphasized the importance of language to the Pauite culture. “That's our whole future.

That's our language. Those are going to be very key programs for us to be able to fund. Education is the key for us. We come from one of the poorest communities in Nevada. We have to make sure our children are educated because they are our next leaders.”

Congressional candidate Koble, on the stump in rural Nevada, says he's excited about what the new dispensary means for Yerington residents. “Well I think the dispensary has caused a lot of excitement and created jobs with more jobs to come, so I think there's a real future here for it,” he notes.

“Plus, a lot of people are coming in for medical reasons and now they don't have to travel all the way to Carson City, they can take care of themselves in their own home town—that's a great thing.”

Andrea Shuman works the Cannabella Kitchen pop-up at the newly opened Pesha Numma Dispensary in Yerington

The Yerington Pesha' Numma Dispensary is located at 601 West Bridge Street in Yerington.

Open daily from 11a-6:30p.

775-463-2220.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 11

COMEDY Text Dave Mencarelli Photos Marcello Rostagni

Comic Dennis Miller At The Silver Legacy's Grand Exposition Hall February 10, 2018

D

ennis Miller took the stage at The Silver Legacy last month in front of a sold out crowd. Miller is a respected stand up comic and has maintained a large fan base, even as his comedy has become more pointedly political in nature.

His show in Reno was not lacking in political satire, but it wasn’t limited to just that.

no music stand was available, so Miller did his set standing behind a podium, which was oddly appropriate considering his delivery – he almost seems more like he’s giving a speech than doing stand up – granted, it’s a funnier speech than you’re used to. He made a few off-the-cuff jokes about the podium and then went into his act.

Miller’s opener, the very funny Sarah Tiana, barely touched serious issues. She did a hilarious 20 minute set about being from the south, dating as a forty year-old woman, and performing for the troops. The audience loved her and rightly so.

All the things you expect from Dennis Miller were there: Lots of big words and obscure references, honest and funny opinions with a conservative slant, and a rant or two.

But back to the main course. Miller was very open about the fact that he was using this show to prepare for an upcoming television special. To that end he told the audience he’d asked the stage crew for a music stand to hold his notes. Apparently

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As a comic, it was interesting to watch him work out these bits on the fly, which is his process as he told me in our interview. There were several belly laughs in his 50+ minute set, but there were also some lulls. But all in all it was an enjoyable show and I look forward to seeing him again.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 13

COVER STORY Text Oliver X Chris Giunchigliani's head shots courtesy of Audrey Dempsey Cathexes photo by Oliver X

Meet Nevada's Next Governor Chris Giunchigliani

Reno Tahoe Tonight 15

COVER STORY Audience at Chris G's Cathexes Listening Tour Stop

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COVER STORY “Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade are likely to end up in jail or on welfare. Over 70 percent of America's inmates cannot read above a fourth-grade level. Nevada's students are struggling in literacy...”

- Guinn Center for Policy, 2014

The golden door, Ellis Island, where the words of poet Emma Lazarus “Give me your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” sound out this melting pot's creed. The golden door is no longer a place, really. It's the promise of a good education and the bright future it affords those who seek it and who labor to complete it and enjoy its fruits.

Literacy is the best predictor of both life expectancy and income. Read.org states: “Improved literacy can contribute to economic growth; reduce poverty; reduce crime; promote democracy; increase civic engagement; prevent HIV/AIDS and other diseases through information provision; enhance cultural diversity through literacy programmes in minority languages; lead to lower birth rates as a result of increased education; and confer personal benefits such as increased self-esteem, confidence and empowerment.”

Without a good education, the wheels of the economy cannot hum and industry cannot prosper. As Nevada begins to realize unprecedented growth in the industrial tech sector, a bright talent pool and educated work force is required to fill high tech jobs and skilled executive positions. This is no secret. This is why a wholesale overhaul and real investment in our educational infrastructure is urgently needed at the K-12 level and in vocational education.

But with Nevada consistently placing at or near the bottom in nearly all K-12 national educational statistics, it is time to find leadership 18 Reno Tahoe Tonight

in the capital that will not just pay lip service to building a better future for our children, and start actually doing something about it—for the future of our state. Without a committed plan to rebuild our structurally weakened educational system to reduce class sizes, improve classroom performance and pay teachers a living wage as professionals, the forecast is bleak. This is how our schools have become warehouses of disaffected students, demoralized faculty and disconnected parents.

Hey, here's a crazy thought: Maybe a teacher can help?

Nevadans are being ignited, inspired and truly engaged by the candidacy of longtime special education teacher, Clark County commissioner and progressive gubernatorial candidate Chris Giunchigliani. Giunchigliani (pronounced junekil-e-on-e), born in Lucca, Italy, is disarmingly genuine, quick-witted and whip smart. She's colloquial and collegial, down-to-earth and HONEST – that anomalous superlative being anathema to political actors, and thus deserving of the rare all caps in recognition of its scarcity.

Chris Giunchigliani is not for sale. Hers is a grass roots campaign built by a tenacious campaigner who is full of actionable ideas and who loves people. The Emerge Nevada’s “Woman of the Year Award” winner in 2017, Giunchigliani is a doer, a problem-solver and a bridge-builder, who knows her way around the political arena as well as she knows her way around the state. She lived for four years in a motor home touring the Silver State in its entirety, as president of the Nevada State Education Association from 1987 to 1991, reaching people from the tribal communities and rurals to the urban centers and suburbia.

Giunchigliani was the president of the Clark County Classroom Teachers Association from 1983-1987 and during her tenure, founded the Teachers Health Trust.

Chris G (as she's affectionately called) puts the “L” in liberal. Liberal portions of love. Liberal amounts of energy and can-do spirit, and an immigrant's drive and passion. She applies liberal doses of common sense to complex problems, like the restructuring of how our state's educational system is funded. Liberal measures of humanity, grit and mother with, and a track record a mile

long of compassionate care and service to the citizens of Nevada as a legislator in the Nevada State Assembly.

She wears the liberal moniker as a badge of honor. Her ideas betray a hint of the utopian ideals of the sixties but her social solutions are refreshingly pragmatic. And if the “L” word scares you, look below the label. Look at the depth of her leadership experience, with eight regular legislative sessions and five special sessions under her belt (Giunchigliani served as Speaker Pro Tempore and as chair of the Elections, Procedures and Ethics Committee, vice chair for the influential Ways & Means Committee and Growth & Infrastructure Committee) and her sincere life commitment to building community in a state she came to in the prime of her youth, and committed her life to shaping.

Giunchigliani is the goods and she's ready to deliver some much needed non-partisan leadership to a wounded political process for a state whose electorate is hungry to be heard on issues that matter to women, students, teachers, the working poor, young people, seniors and those of all cultures seeking a representative voice in the governor's mansion.

If ideas are the currency of a culture, Nevada's cup will runneth over with Giunchigliani at the helm of state politics. She has concrete ideas about education reform, the economy, wage inequality, common sense gun control, the environment, mental health, transportation, small business development and a host of other key issues that matter to Nevadans.

Recently widowed, Giunchigliani lost her longtime life partner in 2015 to a tragic auto accident, the legendary political consultant, educator/mentor and proud “yellow dog democrat” Gary Gray, who ran over 280 political campaigns.

About her late husband, Giunchigliani beams.

“You know when I lost my husband he was my best friend,” says Giunchigliani. “We were married 28 years, but together for 33. He was a renaissance man, so I feel very fortunate. We traveled the world together. We didn't have children, but we had our rescue dogs. We loved to entertain. He cooked. He did his own stained glass; he was juried in stained glass. He built three

houses. He was an artist at heart; an Elizabethan scholar. He was a middle school English teacher who loved to teach. He was a little bit of everything...and an awesome, off-the-charts cook.

“I learned so much from him and we had so much fun together. So that's the hardest part of getting up everyday, to be very truthful...It's been three years in April and it feels sometimes like yesterday. But it made me stronger and when you lose something, you learn the value of what you were blessed with and it becomes more important.

He and I were both public servants. We volunteered; we mentored kids; we wrote checks to non-profits. We tried to support those things that build a community. And so I think he left me with the feeling that I still have something to give, and that's really why I made the decision to get into the governor's race, this late in the game.

“I'm a fiend at campaigning,” admits Giunchigliani. “I love the grassroots. I hate having to raise money, but you have to, so I do it and I'm diligent. That's why within two and a half months I was able to hit my million dollar mark...”

Giunchigliani gets choked up when relating a story about one of her earliest political campaign supporters. “I am more proud to get the $1 contribution that I got from a former student 32 years ago,” she relates. “Honest to God, she came across town on the bus; went to Savers to buy an outfit and gave me a dollar contribution. Ya know, that's what this campaign is about: It's about making sure each person has a voice. It doesn't matter you're wealth; it doesn't matter your status or where you come from. I seat a good table. And my table will be the one that is completely diverse and where everybody is welcome if they want to work hard and make sure we're taking care of people.”

For a candidate whose primary talking point is education, Giunchigliani's own educational experiences are colorful indeed, and say a lot about her tenacity, roots and values.

“I never planned on going to college,” she recalls.

“I was going to be a waitress. I'm a good waitress, my mom taught me that. But my parents moved from Chicago to Kansas City, Missouri when I graduated from high school. I'm from this big city and I moved to a small town, and it was a culture shock. I still remember that they were selling hay in the K-Mart! [Laughter]. My Reno Tahoe Tonight 19

COVER STORY parents said, 'There's a college down the street, go see if you can get in.' We had no money.

Nothing. I'd gotten out of high school a semester early and was working full-time. That's when I did my maid work. I had no revenue. So I went down to Avila College and talked with the registrar. They helped me cobble together small scholarships.

They brought me in on academic probation, I believe. I had a C+/B- grade point average because I got out of school early and took exactly what I needed to graduate and get done with it so I could go to work. I didn't even know what I wanted to major in. I met a counselor named Barbara and she was so awesome. She said, 'Well, you're the oldest of six, you probably can handle kids. Let's look at education.' And that's really how I wound up enrolling in an education curriculum.

“At that time as a freshman they made us go out and volunteer and work in classes with disabled kids, and I found my calling. I wound up specializing in Special Education with severely intellectually challenged children, emotionally disturbed children, learning challenged children...I got my Bachelors degree in Special Education and taught for two years in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. I came out to Vegas on vacation with girlfriends, some gals that I bar-tended with as well as a roommate. We stayed at three different hotels. I went over to UNLV and met one of the professors. He was from Kansas. He gave me the paperwork to enroll. I went back to Kansas City, Missouri and two weeks later I moved back out to Vegas. [Laughter]. I found a job, an apartment and enrolled in school all in that period.” [Laughter].

The night before we meet for coffee at The Hub Coffee Roasters, I attend a Chris G fundraising event during the candidate's Listening Tour.

Giunchigliani is masterful on the stump. “I want to get things done,” she states confidently.

“I don't need this job, I want this job,” she says to enthusiastic applause from the roughly 150+ attendees at the Cathexes exhibition space on 250 Bell Street in downtown Reno. Many of northern Nevada's democratic old guard are there, as well as members of northern Nevada's arts community, like Christine Fey and Annie Flanzraich. But what strikes me is the energy of the young people in the room, who came out to support the Giunchigliani campaign. Young college age voters who will likely be casting their first ballots in the gubernatorial election.

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“I want this job so that we're building better communities; we're making sure that we're protecting our environment and promoting conservation issues, cleaner air...no fracking!”

Giunchigliani states. “There are so many things that are going on in this state. But the first thing we have to fix is our funding formulas for education. Until we fix that, nothing else can be done.” Again, thunderous applause...“That means that not every child still needs to go to college,” she emphasizes. “We need to make sure that we have career and technology programs for our young people. Once we fix that structural flaw, then we look at where we take that categorical funding and start looking at class size reduction, pre-k...Other programming. Social workers, they just started adding them in, but they didn't put enough funding into that program. Too often it's schools that are left behind. When they call a special session to give the largest public tax giveaway in the United States for a publicprivate stadium, and you can't fund your schools, something is wrong!” [Big applause].

I sit down outside with Giunchigliani on a glorious winter day in Reno's Powning District to talk about her candidacy, get to know her platform and to hear her vision for a Nevada under her executive leadership.

Oliver X: What made you get into politics in 1990?

Chris Giunchigliani: As president of the teachers union, I made a commitment. My husband actually started the first Teachers In Politics program. That's when teachers got involved in the 1960's, long before I met him.

He, Joyce Woodhouse, whose a State Senator now, and Jim Rathban. Just a bunch of former teachers. So I was actually volunteering for the teachers association; I got involved with politics that way. But when I was president though, I wanted to make sure that our member's money was being spent wisely. So everybody we endorsed, I walked door-to-door for.

Oliver X: So you were on the stump...

Chris Giunchigliani: [Laughter]. On the stump... literally. 'Cause I wanted to see if they really had a campaign, or if they were just taking our money and not doing what they said. So I had walked

COVER STORY Chris G on the campaign trail

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COVER STORY at that time probably every precinct in Clark County. And I used to fly up here and work for candidates as well in Washoe. I was in Sparks the other day and I was like, 'I've knocked on those doors!' And somebody said, 'Yeah, that was former Assemblyman Bernie Anderson's district.' And I went, 'Oh my God, I walked for Bernie.'

Oliver X: At your Listening Tour stop at Cathexes you said you'd been to every school except for two in the whole state during those years.

Chris Giunchigliani: Right. Every school that had been built by 1991.

Oliver X: That's remarkable.

Chris Giunchigliani: It was fun. It taught me that if you don't know how people live and where they live; what their businesses look like; what their sidewalks look like; what their schools look like, how can you represent them? And so that's what gives me an advantage in this race. Having lived in my motor home, I drove this state for four years. I've been to Dyer. I saw my first golden eagle on the roadway in Dyer. I've been to Silver Peak. I remember when Round Mountain had to move the town from one side of the road to the other because of the mining changes. I have that experience. The tribes...Going to Schurz helping them get their school rebuilt because they didn't have the financing when I served in Carson.

I got involved in 1990 because my then Assemblywoman Eileen Brookman, her son had to have open heart surgery. So she had already filed for re-election and she said, 'I gotta take care of family. I would love you to run in my seat.'

I had gone door-to-door for her. My husband had also in the sixties, so we'd known her forever.

I was honored when she asked me. Gary and I talked about it, because I was still president of the teacher's union at the state and we weren't sure how that would work, going door-to door with folks. But we made the decision. I'm a good campaigner and my values are my values. I have a strong work ethic. I was progressive then and I didn't shy away from my pro choice stance. So I filed for office. My democratic opponent was a neighbor and he actually said that I needed to stay in the kitchen.

Oliver X: Woa! Who was that?

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Chris Giunchigliani: Jack Schofield. He's passed on now. But Jack did that, and then he told people that because I didn't take my husband's last name, I shouldn't be voted for.

Oliver X: Wow! You were not traditional.

[Laughter]. How did his chauvinism play?

You won, right?

Chris Giunchigliani: [Laughter] I was not traditional. Yes, I won. He had been in the Senate before. He was LDS and part of our district, Ward 1, is very Catholic. I'm a Catholic.

But people knew who I was and they knew that I cared about what their values were. I even had support from then United States Senator Berkeley Bunker. He was the Bishop and he put my yard sign in his yard. And he was getting calls from his constituents, saying 'You're supporting that liberal woman and she's pro choice.' He said, 'You know what, she's got a good soul; she care's about families and kids and she doesn't try to hide who she is, and I'm supporting her.' I said, 'Senator, take the sign down' because he had to counsel people at his house. He said, 'Nope, I believe in you and the sign is staying there.' I was honored. And I think that tells you who I am.

Democrats, Republicans, Non-partisans...I work with anybody. They know that my door is open; they know that I share their story. That's why I've had a basket on my front porch since 1990.

People leave me notes, eggs, pies. [Laughter]. And I still have a basket on my front porch.

Oliver X: What are the main differences between you and your likely Democratic primary opponent Steve Sisolak, and why should people vote for you?

Chris Giunchigliani: My years of leadership. I did policy when it wasn't accepted. I took risks in order to make sure we were changing public policy. I think that's what separates me from all of the people I'm running against. I didn't stick my finger in the wind, or use a poll or focus group to find out if I should support gay marriage, or support a woman's right to choose, or restore felon's rights. I did that because I felt it was good public policy. I didn't always pass it the first time around, but if you don't ever have a conversation, you will never change anything. So that's one thing that separates me. The other thing is, I genuinely like people and I'm endlessly curious.

I love to listen and learn. If you're willing to do

that, you can bring about change that works for the majority of people.

Oliver X: You secured the endorsement of the Nevada State Teachers Union (where you once served as president). What do teachers need in order to be effective educators in our Nevada public school systems? Why are our public school teachers among the lowest paid civil servants?

Chris Giunchigliani: Because they are women.

The whole funding for education across the United States can be traced back to the fact that it was women who made up the majority of those employed as teachers. Men were paid differently even 40 or 50 years ago there was a gap in salary schedules. If you had vocational licensing, you got paid more as a teacher as well. So it really goes back to the sexist part of it.

That said, we were never deemed “professionals” because again, the social services—teaching, nursing—were mostly woman based industries.

Therefore our salaries prove that we still have gender inequality in our salary schedules.

That is something that is fundamental. We need to raise our salaries. We need to continue to promote the professionalism of our careers.

You can be a union and still be a professional and paid accordingly. We have to look at that and that's part of what I want to do is raise that status. That’s part one.

I would say that in addition to that, you have people who are not willing to invest. You have to be willing to invest to pay people appropriately, so that they're making a household income that allows them not to have to be on free and reduced lunch as school teachers and support personnel. And it's ironic that in this state those are the circumstances.

Oliver X: According to the 2016 Quality Counts Report, Nevada ranks fourth lowest in K-12 educational spending per pupil, and only a third of Nevada families have at least one parent with a college degree. How do we fix our broken public education system and more importantly, as a culture, how do we make education a priority in this state at the K-12 level, where it's most important?

Chris Giunchigliani: Yes, we are either fourth to last or last, depending on what report you read.

We have to fix the funding formula in order to be able to equalize it. It's called the Distributive School Account (DSA). There's a whole formula that goes in based on the population; the number of kids; where you come from. And then there's also a wealth equalization component, because you know in the rural counties you don't have the same access to occupational therapy, physical therapy and those types of things. So there's a layer added on to equalize the wealth part of it. And in the sixties when it was formulated, it was genius and very ahead of its time – and it worked. But over time our clientele, for lack of a better word, has completely changed. The formula was never adjusted structurally to adapt to the diversity that we now have across the state.

What we have now is a flawed structure and categorical funding on top. And you don't need all that categorical funding, you really should put that into your base, into the structure and then say, 'What do I need for English Language Learning? What do I need for Special Ed? What do I need for Career and Tech? Then have those components added on. That will help us move the needle on funding.

Number two, we need to look at teacher salaries and support personnel as well. Our support personnel are poorly paid and they're not even at minimum wage in some cases across this state.

Thirdly, I think we need more career ladders for teachers to be able to stay in the classroom, but be rewarded for mentoring. Maybe for a class period you're out and you're helping new teachers come in and helping them set up their classrooms. Make it more professional that way, which then helps guide the increases in salaries.

I want teachers to write the curriculum. So I've been talking with groups about how the curriculum is so white-washed, because it's all tied to text books out of Texas, mostly. So you don't have the diversity; you don't have women's history; you don't have African American history; you don't have Asian American history; you don't have Hispanic history...Why not have teachers write the curriculum in the summer to make it more multicultural and pay them a stipend that goes into their salary?

Reno Tahoe Tonight 25

COVER STORY Next is teacher training across the state. There's ways to professionalize it that increases income, but also benefits the classroom in the long run.

I believe we should be working with youth in middle school, to start attracting them more to what jobs are out there...There's probably 25 different career choices within the technology sector, but we never talk to them about those options.

We need teachers too. Our schools do not reflect our student populations. We don't have enough males in elementary schools. We do not have enough people of color throughout. Why are we not working with youth in middle school and high school to start preparing them to go into the teaching profession? I think that would be huge in the long run. Because then you begin to change who your instructors are and you're planning for the next ten years, which we tend not to do.

Oliver X: The former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Tip O'Neill famously said, “All politics is local.” Is that axiom still true? What are the most important issues facing Nevadans today in their daily lives and how will you speak to their concerns?

Chris Giunchigliani: Absolutely true. All politics is local and all politics is social as well.

You need to know where you live; where you come from; what people are experiencing. What I'm finding as I've gone on my listening tours across the state is that people want a Nevada that works for everyone and not just the privileged few. And I don't care what county you're from, they want the right to have an opportunity. So in Washoe County your housing shortage is a key issue. But in other parts of the state, it's the educational funding, because businesses cannot be attracted if you do not have a quality work force. In some of the rural areas it's suicide prevention. There's issues going on with youth, as well as adults with suicide. Mental health across this state is a huge issue.

I talk to small mom and pops. I think they're the fabric of the United States. They're the ones who have been left behind in many instances. So while it's nice to recruit large corporations, why are we not applauding our local businesses and helping them expand and grow? They don't even ask a 26 Reno Tahoe Tonight

lot in incentives. It might be money to do their facades; it might be technology assistance. Why are we not supporting and growing our own, and why are we not promoting “Buy Nevada First” and publicizing businesses that are locally-owned, women owned, or minority-owned? Why are we not doing that? That's something that I absolutely want to focus on.

Oliver X: We've all heard the phrase, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The Danish capital of Copenhagen ranks high on the list of the world’s healthiest and happiest cities and the Danish people regularly rank among the happiest people on Earth.

With obesity and depression on the rise worldwide, how do we build healthy cities and a healthy state?

Chris Giunchigliani: There's a Smart Cities program that's going across the United States and I think that's something we ought to be taking a look at. I work through the RTC and I'm on the local Board there. Lee Gibson is up here with the RTC. We need to look at different modalities so that people can get out of their cars and bike or walk to work, skateboard...We need to make sure we have complete streets so that there's safe ways for people to be able to commute other than in their automobiles.

Chris Giunchigliani: Conservation and culture are two contributors to people's quality of life.

So if we're looking at our environment, which includes our air, and means of multimodality, we also need to look at arts and culture to make sure that we have that component readily available and affordable for people to be able to enjoy. Because there's that pleasure that comes into play that helps improve our life experience.

Obesity can be another form of addiction, so we need to drill down and see what the underlying causes of it are in people's lives.

If people are feeling isolated there's different ways of dealing with the issues so that we are promoting people's health.

Little free libraries. When my husband died, I put up 32 free libraries around Clark County. I'd love to do that state-wide to encourage neighbors to talk to neighbors...I put chairs out by mine. I have a couple that comes from California to visit

their grandchildren and they were putting books in my box and they were like, 'Oh honey, we discovered this and when we come in monthly, we just always bring you books!' That builds a community, and I think that that leads to suicide prevention, less obesity...

Urban farming is another great tool. I'm promoting that down in southern Nevada. I want school gardens. I require school gardens in all of our schools in Clark County. I'd like to do that state-wide. We have 122 schools with a garden. I want apartment complexes to do them, so that we have community gardens so that when the kids come home they can practice what they've been taught in school. They can grow healthy food for their families. We can bring in chefs and build cultural activities around food. There's just so many different things we can do and I think the governor can be the champion of that.

Oliver X: How will you be about reaching across the aisle as governor?

Chris Giunchigliani: People do not need to be concerned about a democratic governor and a democratic controlled Assembly and Senate if that's what comes about. Because I use common sense. I govern through problem solving. I have proven that I work across the aisle by passing most of my progressive legislation under a Republican governor with a Republican controlled Senate by Senator Raggio. But they were statesmen. And part of my messaging will be that this is about making sure that the institution is respected, and that stateswomen and statesmen are who we want in our bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Democrat or Republican. That helps set the tone.

That's number one. Number two, if it's a good public policy, I don't care whose name's on it.

Read the full article online at renotahoetonightmagazine.com.

Learn more about Chris Giunchigliani at chrisgfornevada.com/about-chris/and chrisgfornevada.com/on-the-issues

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EVENT

Photos courtesy of Cirque Paris

e u q r i C s i r Pa

t The Opens a ado Eldor m Showroo h arc M , y a d i r F 30, 2018 28 Reno Tahoe Tonight

ight

e Ton o h a T o n o Re Special t

T

he producers of last year's 2017 runaway hit, "Cirque Le Noir" and the Broadway production of "The Illusionists," are back at it again with a new production that is certain to wow audiences in an intimate, visually and conceptually stunning cirque experience at the Eldorado Showroom called Cirque Paris.

Dorward directs and handles choreography.

Cirque Paris's costume designer is in Los Angeles and she makes all of the costumes.

“Circus costumes are tough because they have to stretch and do this and do that and there's water, so our costume designer has a tough job,” states Dorward.

Featuring a hand-picked, award-winning cast of Cirque Du Soleil alumni and set around a custom fabricated speakeasy-styled bar, Cirque Paris will be a feast for the eye, and continues the Eldorado's successful run of scintillating showcase engagements in the beautifully revamped Eldorado Showroom.

The sneak peak showed hints of the mood-setting lighting design that will be spectacular for Cirque Paris. “We like cutting-edge lighting and this is just a smidgeon of what audiences will see,” notes Dorward. “If you saw Cirque Le Noir, it's going to be bigger and better than that. The lighting is going to be beautiful.”

At last month's sneak peak, members of the media and special guests were able to get an advance look at one of the Cirque Paris performance elements and set pieces of the much anticipated show, which will open March 31 and have an open-ended run.

Meet the Cast!

“What we wanted to do was bring this old vintage-style speakeasy bar, but in a modern future show,” says creative producer-director Neil Dorward. “So the whole stage is a bar.

When the audience starts to arrive, they'll come up and have a drink, and then the bar turns into the stage. It's going to be good fun.”

The audience will be seated around the stage, making the intimate “champagne seating” unlike any other theater experience you've had. With every seat in the house a good seat, the Showroom's obstructed sight lines are excellent and the audience feels right in the middle of the action.

“The stage will extend into the audience, like with Cirque Le Noir, and then the lid of the stage will fly in on a truss and then become the top of the stage,” says Showroom Manager Julia Mansfield-Cholico. “We're going to have bartenders serving. It's going to be a fun, hip environment.” Mansfield-Cholico noted that the bar is being custom built in Brazil.

I ask Dorward how he cast the show. “It takes a long time [to cast],” he notes. “I have different casting agents and we travel around the world looking for cast members and we find them here, there and everywhere. We try to look for something that hasn't been seen, that's going to shock the audience and evoke emotion that connects with the audience.”

The Eldorado is delighted to announce that everyone’s favorite host from “Cirque Le Noir,” Darren “Dizzy” Partridge will return for “Cirque Paris.” Dizzy, originally from Coventry, England excelled from an early age in theatre studies, martial arts and break dancing. At 18 years old, he beat 4,000 people to win a position as a famous Butlin’s Red Coat entertainer, where first saw a live circus performance and which changed his career choice from being a police officer to running away with the circus. Never working a day in his life, Dizzy has enjoyed his life adventure which includes playing Sir Francis Drake in “Pirates Adventure Stunt Show” in Mallorca, Spain, playing “Lazy Town’s” Robotacus in London’s west End, Dizzy the Elf in “Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre Christmas Spectacular” at the home of the Oscars, and lead physical comedian at Sydney Opera House in “Le Grand Cirque,” breaking box-office records twice. How now operates a Circus Talen Agency and also regularly performs around the world in casinos and on luxury cruise ships with his own shows: “Magic & Mayhem,” “Speechless” and “The Man From Mars.” Most recently, Dizzy was the master of ceremonies in “Cirque Le Noir” and appeared as The Trickster in “The Illusionists Cancun.” As the host of “Cirque Paris,” Dizzy will leave you in hysterics as heaves and guides you through the unimaginable to the unbelievable as the ultimate master of ceremonies.

Cirque Paris Opens March 30 at the Eldorado Showroom. With the most beautiful, dangerous and unique acts from all four corners of the globe, and accompanied by mesmerizing musicians, sensational dancers and a magical comedy host, “Cirque Paris” transports the audience to the cabaret nightclubs of France.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 29

EVENT Text and photos Oliver X

ELECTRIFY Continues its Sold-out Run at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Stateline A Conversation with Madeline Feldman and Dreu Murin, producers of Electrify

30 Reno Tahoe Tonight

If you haven't seen Electrify yet, you may be the only one. Since opening in late Janaury, the high energy rock n roll burlesque-inspired cabaret show has been playing to sold-out crowds every weekend at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Stateline, Nevada. The sound design featuring current hits and memories from the 80's, 90's and beyond; the choreography, the camp and the fun are all turned up to 11, and audiences are having a blast at the show.

Dreu Murin: Well, This has been on my mind since college at UNR. The Ashlee Stone era was something truly unique and I felt exciting for Reno at the time. Ashlee and I actually met getting pedicures one day after a college class and hit it off immediately, as we were really the only two “guys" getting pedicures at that time.

Life is too short for ugly feet! I loved the drag concept back then and uniqueness it brought to a venue and to our city.

I spoke with the producers behind the hit show, Dreu Murin and Madeline Feldman, to see behind the curtain a bit and to find out how they coaxed drag queen Ashlee Stone back onto the stage after years of retirement.

Years later, I spend a ton of time in one of my favorite places, Key West, Florida, for various events as well as a huge supporter and figurehead for the Florida Special Olympics. In Key West, drag shows are everywhere and create such a fun party atmosphere and I couldn’t wait to bring that element back to the Reno Tahoe area.

When I was working with Hard Rock on this project in the early stages I went to Maddie and said 'We are using a drag queen for this project and nobody does it better than Ashlee Stone. We are bringing her back!' The challenge was convincing her that she needed to make a come back. How we got her? Well, let's just say first, I am very convincing--just ask Maddie! It was perfect timing and the right place at the right time…To me the reemergence of Asheee is huge for our area and people that remember that era, and it has been so exciting to see from the back of the room every show and see the people respond to her. She is sexier than ever and people respond better than ever!

Oliver X: You've had sell out shows every week since opening night. Now that you're mid run, what fine tuning, if any, and new elements have you added since your opening week success?

Madeline Feldman: Audience feedback is super important to us, so we always encourage people after the show to tell us what they loved and what we can improve on. After our opening weekend, the consensus is "we want more!" so we added five new numbers. Each week, we continue to tweak and refine, and this week we-vamped our blackout number. We are super excited to see the response!

Keep things changing so you never see the same show twice… Makes for exciting productions.

Oliver X: No doubt! Have you been surprised at the crowds you've garnered thus far, or was this all part of the plan?

Madeline Feldman: It was definitely part of the plan to be a hit, but 8 weeks straight of sold-out shows is a wonderful surprise! Live performance productions with showgirls (and guys!) used to be a huge part of the Tahoe casino world and part of the magic of visiting Lake Tahoe, with multiple running shows and many locals hitting the stage. It's refreshing and very welcoming to see that the community agrees with my feelings of nostalgia, and the local turnout and buzz has been truly awesome. We are all about energy!

Oliver X: The energy is definitely propelling the production. It's so much fun! Our readers are excited about the return of Ashlee Stone to the stage and public life.

There's gotta be a story behind the reemergence of the legendary drag queen. How were you as producers able to convince the popular personality to perform again?

Oliver X: Agreed! Men were literally falling out of their chairs looking at her ass at the performance I attended! Any chance of an extension into deeper spring for Electrify?

Dreu Murin: We are always in discussion about an extension. At this point we have nothing inked. Stay tuned to RTT. You will know before anyone. However, we are always tossing around new ideas and concepts. Maddie and I are very high energy and hands-on type people. We use the approach that if it's not broke, let's change it and make it even better!

I do want to add that Hard Rock has been such a great supporter and partner with this project.

We as producers appreciate them supporting the local talent so much and believing in all of us. Alisa, Rob and Tyler--just to name a few--truly trusted us with this project (which was basically drawn on a cocktail napkin) and never asked questions all the way until opening day. Can't thank them enough!

Reno Tahoe Tonight 31

$5 OFF! TICKET PRICE WITH BACKSTAGE PASS

High Voltage Rock n' Roll AC/DC

Oliver X: What's next on the horizon for you as producers?

Madeline Feldman: Great question... I think the better question is 'What isn't?'

Dreu Murin: We are constantly in the works with new projects and are excited to continue to expand our reach and diversify our products. We are currently on a long run with Princess Cruises with one of our shows, so we are looking to expand that market further for 2018-19. The hot market of Texas is on the radar for sure. However, it’s an absolute joy to be a team that is always ready for the next thing.

Madeline Feldman: We're both (Dreu and I) "Yes" people, so no idea is too grand or too far out.

Dreu is constantly working on the 14 different entities within the DMP business, but shows are near and dear to his heart.

Soo, more cruises, Vegas, the moon? Who knows with Dreu…

January 19 - March 31 Every Friday & Saturday | 9PM

$20 TICKETS Purchase tickets online at

HardRockCasinoLakeTahoe.com Must be 21+ *Live Entertainment Tax of 9% not included in ticket price.

844.588.ROCK

50 HIGHWAY 50 STATELINE, NV 89449

32 Reno Tahoe Tonight

@HRHCLAKETAHOE #THISISHARDROCK

One thing we can announce is "Hue,man.” Charity and volunteer work is something Dreu prides himself on and it seems like he is either hosting, auction or producing events for every charity in the area."Hue,man,” is an all ages variety show benefiting the Special Olympics and in partnership with Greater Nevada Credit Union. The acts we are bringing in have been seen on America's Got Talent and The Ellen Show, and we are so excited to bring a little circus magic to our Tahome!

This show is on March 16, 2018 at Montbleu and tickets are on sale now at. montbleuresort. com/events/tahoe-polar-plunge2018-kickoff-benefiting-specialolympics-nevada

PUT IT UT

EVENT Text Annie Flanzraich Photos Tony Conzachi Reno's biggest and best Mardi Gras party is back and this year it’s on Saturday night, so you can keep the good times rolling all weekend long.

On March 24, join the Rotary Club of Reno at the Reno Ballroom for food, fun, and philanthropy. This event is the largest fundraiser for the region’s oldest Rotary club and raises money for community and global service projects.

This year Rotary Club of Reno is partnering with the Silver Legacy, Eldorado and Circus Circus to bring attendees Creole, Italian, Latin American, and Scandinavian cuisine, in addition to offerings from local restaurants.

“The menu this year is impressive,” said event chair Mary Brock. “Attendees are going to have a huge variety of choices.”

Mardi Gras brings together many of the state’s top alcohol distributors and hundreds of wines, bourbons, and beers for sipping.

34 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Get Ready for

2018 Reno Mardi Gras, now on Saturday night!

EVENT “Reno Mardi Gras offers attendees the most diverse selection of spirits of any tasting event in the region,” Brock said.

“This is a once-a-year opportunity to taste the best wineries, distilleries, and breweries that all the distributors in our area represent at one event.”

The event starts at 7 p.m. and concludes at 10 p.m.

VIP tables can be purchased for $1,200 and include reserved table for 10 and recognition.

Individual tickets to the event start at $65, and prices increase to $75 on March 1.

An exclusive, early entry, pre-event wine and food tasting takes place at 6 p.m. for sponsors.

Sponsorship packages include reserved seating, enhanced recognition and other benefits and start at $1,950.

For more information and to buy tickets or sponsorships, visit mardigrasreno.com.

“We’re ready to kick it up a notch with this year’s event!” Brock said. “Taste the region’s best restaurants, all these unique spirits and be entertained for a night for a really affordable price.”

Back this year are two special libation areas: Bourbon Street, with offerings from local and national distillers and the Rue De La Brew, featuring beers from the region’s best breweries.

In between sips and bites, attendees can bid on the wide variety of silent auction items — such as exclusive trips, one-of-a-kind experiences, dining, golfing and more.

At the event, participants can also dance to music by DJ Fierce, watch acrobatic performances by the Siren Society, and interact with costumed characters from the Carnavale Costumers.

When the night is done, there’s no need to worry about driving home. Room packages at the Silver Legacy, Eldorado and Circus Circus are available to extend the experience.

36 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Reno Mardi Gras is the Rotary Club of Reno's primary fundraiser. With its proceeds and contributions from members, the club donated almost $200,000 to community and global service projects between July 2016 through June 2017.

EVENT Text and photos Tony Contini

> Novelist Willy Vlautin at Sundance Books and Music Reno Novelist and musician Willy Vlautin is touring his new book "Don't Skip Out on Me" in rockstar fashion. He has dozens of tour dates set from Europe to his stomping grounds of the American West.

Though he's humble and seemingly shy or anxious, this is a big time for the Reno native.

On top of the new book and accompanying album, his novel "Lean on Pete" was recently adapted for the screen and will be released in late March.

During his stop at Reno's Sundance Bookstore, Vlautin read an excerpt from his newest, answered questions, signed a carpal tunnel-inducing amount of books and played a few songs.

38 Reno Tahoe Tonight

We were packed tightly in the cozy bookstore while the member of Nevada Writers Hall of Fame was still sitting with a drink across the street at The Loving Cup. Rows of listeners sat on the staircase to get a better view when he entered. Plastic chairs filled the main room and spilled over to the children's section. Vlautin shared with the audience, not only his new work, but also his process of intertwining music and novels. The way novels can be "dipped in the sadness of songs."

Despite touring extensively with his band Richmond Fontaine in North American and Europe, he said he's petrified while performing.

Until he was 35 he overcame this by being blind drunk, now he simply doesn't make eye contact. Between songs and readings from his dialogue-rich prose he'd mumble

All my novels start as songs

ill write a song and the world of that song wont leave. through a charming smile or land a couple jokes to keep the crowd bated.

of himself. His wiser present tries to protect the insecurities of his adolescent past.

Christine Kelly owns Sundance Bookstore. She has stocked his work since the first novel, "The Motel Life." She said Willy is one of the family.

Kelly said he's a wonderful storyteller in both his music and fiction. She enjoys how he handles place and landscape. He breathes life into both rural and urban settings of the West.

Vlautin cut more than 300 pages from his newest novel. Revision is a crucial element of creation.

He said you lose so many stories when you need to make edits and they seldom make it back into the story, but in Vlautin's special case they can find a new home in songs.

"He captures the invisible people so well," Kelly said. "He pays attention to the people who are often missed in the world."

Vlautin said he always writes for escapism.

This roots back to his thirteen-year-old self completely vanishing into Yes' music. A part of his adult self fell in love with the romanticized daydream of living alone on a ranch. He'll start a novel to vicariously live that life, but once the fantasy wears off, his heart takes over.

"My heart can be messy," Vlautin said. "Then all of a sudden it becomes a much different story.

It becomes a study in loneliness. " "Don't Skip Out on Me" is about a half Irish and half Paiute boy trying to become a boxer. He said that in a way it's a love story between two parts

When patrons approached him to get their books signed after the reading, he mentioned the download code at the back of the book. He went into greater detail for his older fans.

He spoke to everyone in line like they were old friends, some actually were. His college creative writing professor, Gailmarie Pahmeier, said he's always had the gift.

"I think the literary fabric of our community is strong," Pahmeier says. "Willy, being a native, really underscores the fact that there are so many good artists right in our own community."

Photojournalist Tony Contini is a world traveler and music lover. We welcome Mr. Contini back to Reno Tahoe Tonight after an extended absence globe trotting to the far reaches of the planet. His work can be found at tonycontini.com/blog Reno Tahoe Tonight 39

FEATURE Text Oliver X Photos The Johnstone Group and Lynell Garfield

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Poet Thomas lloyd Qualls Gets the Last Laugh Winning the Landmark Prize for Fiction for New Novel “Painted Oxen” Reno Tahoe Tonight 41

FEATURE

“Phenomenology is the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view. The central structure of an experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something, as it is an experience of or about some object.”

- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

O

f or about, but not the thing itself...

The observation of the thing. The great stoic Marcus Aurelius said “Of each particular thing ask what is it in itself.”

The heretic Kant asserts that the thing in itself is unknowable.

to embarrass her at cocktail parties and family reunions. Screw that. The real writer demands a proper book deal and a damn advance, with tour support!

And for the interminably curious is the quest for the meaning of it all.

To paint with words is to court poverty and derision. Picture the archetypal unshaven sap in the corner of the hipster cafe with his bottomless Americano (“The usual, eh Sam?”) and his crumpled heap of notes before him, sliding off the table. Defiantly low tech, this doomerick is on a typewriter in public for chrissakes. He is acquainted with rejection, no, despair. Self-doubt courses through his veins. He is Edward Morra in Limitless.

For the writer, that poor self-flagellating beast of masochistic futility whose stock and trade is the ephemeral product of an alcohol-drenched mind's musings, the book deal is everything.

Self-publishing is bush league and only serves

Get the picture? This is of course an exaggerated depiction of the writer's half-life. The other half, that other most coveted potentiality, is what Reno poet Thomas Lloyd Qualls is about to experience.

Perhaps as participants in life we are actor and audience. Both solipsism and Shakespeare suggest as much. “All the world's a stage and all the men and women are but players,” says Jacques in Bill's As You Like It.

42 Reno Tahoe Tonight

“Painted Oxen,” the forthcoming novel by Qualls (his second) is about two seekers taking very different paths on a journey to enlightenment. Like life and the road tread by its protagonists, the novel is serpentine. For those looking for a page turning adrenaline rush, “Painted Oxen” disappoints, as it is decidedly aformulaic, taking the reader to the far reaches of foreign lands across the pontoon bridge of introspection and the dimly lit landscapes of interiority through poetic prose and a kind of circular mechanics. It is metaphysical in the way that the sun sets in the west without fail, but grounded in our fundamental need to find a place to call home: our own sacred mountain.

In reading nearly all of the early drafts of the novel, I was moved by the cadence and melody of Qualls' poetics in the codex. The reader is challenged by words and sights that color the senses. The seductive mystery of his intercalary chapters enhance the narrative, imbuing “Painted Oxen” with an epic tonality. The beauty in Qualls' word strokes, sentence construction and the depth of his reach into the soul tissue and psyche through story are refreshing departures from the popular trends toward propulsion and amplitude in plot development.

And yet the novel is not gimmicky. Qualls' devices succeed because they make the reader a miner; to engage in the search for meaning that is eluding its seekers. “Painted Oxen” is a different kind of novel and Thomas Lloyd Qualls is a different kind of smith.

For Homebound Publications, “Painted Oxen” was clearly a revelation, landing Qualls the Landmark Prize for Fiction and a book deal from the progressive publisher. Below I speak with my good friend with the Cheshire Cat grin about the journey to a place he has longed for, but, like his protagonists found, was right in front of him all the time.

Oliver X: What made you enter “Painted Oxen” for the Landmark Prize for Fiction and not “Waiting for Rembrandt?”

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: Well you know, it's “Painted Oxen's” time. “Rembrandt” is what it

is. My voice was different then. I have to confess that I've imagined at some point that somebody is going to pick up “Rembrandt” down the line sometime. I'm almost out of copies of “Rembrandt” now. The print sales have been really pretty amazing.

But again, it's “Painted Oxen's” time. When I was frustrated and still trying to find “Painted Oxen” a home, I probably used some expletive to describe my frustration, I remember you saying, 'Whatever you do, it deserves to not be an orphan wandering the streets of Calcutta.' And that landed with me.

Obviously I was attracted to the publisher because of their philosophy....

Oliver X: How did you find them?

Were they on your submissions list?

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: For a while I had a subscription to Writer's Digest because they're the people who put out these invaluable resources like The Writer's Market: Where and How to Sell What You Write, which is the bible for freelancers and unpublished writers. They have both agents and publishers in there. I was mostly researching for agents in the beginning and that was the step-off point. Poets & Writers Magazine also has a list that you can access online as well.

So once I started looking for small presses I used whatever resources were out there. I read interviews and I subscribe to a couple of writer's magazines. There's always stuff in there: new agents looking for talent and small presses that are open to submissions. I submitted in August of last year, so I don't remember what the thread was that took me there to Homebound.

A lot of the small presses are hooked into this thing called Submittable, a website that kind of consolidates a lot of this info. Some of these presses want to see a synopsis; some of them want a query letter. I think Homebound wanted to know what my marketing philosophy was.

They want to know if you're willing to partner with them on the undertaking. That's all part of publishing. But Homebound is willing to put some real money behind marketing the book,

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FEATURE setting up interviews and all of that kind of stuff.

They want me to do the same thing as well. But the prize was secondary for me. It's not like I set out to enter and win this competition. But that was what was at stake at the time.

So the prize is amazing and that was the opportunity right then. That what was open for submissions, Landmark Prize for Fiction, when I was ready to approach them. But of course concurrently every week I was researching where I would submit next. That's my job. I gotta show up. That's the other part of being a writer these days. It's not just magic. You're not going to just write something and leave it in a coffee shop and then magically someone's going to find it and turn it into a bestseller. That's the tricky part I think, especially for young writers: understanding how to be in the flow while also doing the work. Both those two things have to be there. You've gotta put it out there and be diligent about getting found. It's the letting go part that I think that was the magic part of this whole process. I'd worked on the novel for years, polishing it and I'd tried to find it a home for years. But then it was the letting go that allowed them to see me; to see it. Like you were talking about the other day, when we were talking. I got out of the way. I was standing in front of it. I got out of the way and they went, 'Oh, we can see this.'

So, it was just timing, right? Timing is everything. So there's hard work and there's flow, but there's also timing...Writers like Tim Ferris and Mignon Fogarty talk about being at the right place at the right time in the industry and they struck while the iron was hot. When they emerged, blogging and podcasting were these new things and they seized on that. Trying to do whatever the next thing is futile, because by the time the trend becomes apparent, you're too late...It's not about trying to find the next thing.

Just do what you do and keep doing it.

Oliver X: Well said...What was the feeling like when you got the call or email from Homebound?

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: Omg it was so funny. I'm on my phone and I think I got it on a weekend

44 Reno Tahoe Tonight

day. So I'm on my phone and an email comes through. And you know how on your phone you only see like the first line of the message. And so the first line started like every other rejection email that I've ever gotten: 'Thank you for your submission of 'Painted Oxen'...' And thank goodness that I'm a person who actually collects all of these rejection letters and flags them and puts them in their own folders. Cause they're kind of like a badge of honor for the work that I'm doing. Look, I'm putting myself out there and it's okay that I'm getting these rejection letters. That somehow makes that muscle stronger. It gives me more resolve. So, I click on the message and the next sentence is, 'We would like to talk with you more about your project.'

And I just like, what?...I've been looking for this for like two years. It's so hard to digest that.

And I think I was at home with my family and I couldn't just stop and absorb this. I just save it and flag it. I didn't even know what it meant; I knew I'd have to come back to it when I had a moment to myself to read the rest of it. I do read the full message and I contact her (Leslie M. Browning) and we set up an interview.

Oliver X: But at that time you still don't know what you've won.

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: I still don't know...I went back and I read everything on their website again and looked at their authors and I start getting ready to have a real conversation with her. We're writing back and forth via email before we get to talk. Because I'm just thinking that maybe they want to talk to me about a contract, which I was ecstatic about...And she writes, 'Let me put this in context, 'Painted Oxen' is in the running for the winner of the Landmark Prize for Fiction.' Again, you don't want to jinx it. So that was the first thing, 'cause I didn't talk to anybody about it. For like a week I didn't talk to anybody about it. Nobody. Not Lynell, not you, not anybody. I thought, If I talk about this I'm going to kill it somehow. Like in Dune, 'A beginning is a very delicate time.' So I just kept it to myself. I didn't even allow myself to think that I could win the thing.

So I talk to her and it sounds like they are definitely going to give me a publishing deal

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FEATURE as long as we can agree on the contract. That part is in. But I don't know that that means that I won the thing. Like, maybe they're giving all the runners-up (because there are honorable mentions too) deals too. It was never clear to me.

At one point I remember asking, 'When will you announce?' [Laughter]...Still not asking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did I win?' They're like, 'We're going to announce in the morning; we need a bio.' I'm thinking that maybe I got this, but I'm still not certain. I have to wait til the next day.

So after I had inked the contract, I finally told Lynell. But I really didn't tell people.

Oliver X: What was her reaction?

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: She was like me, sort of stunned. She didn't really know how to take it.

It was so big, and we'd been looking for this for how long? What you seek is seeking you. What do you do when your dreams start to come true?

You be in gratitude and you keep the doors open.

This is the lifting-off point.

Oliver X: What's next in the process?

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: Well, there's a yearlong process with them. Setting up a marketing plan; executing that and setting up presales and an official book release. The author platform building is neverending; the audience building is nevereneding. But I've gone from that being the tedious part, to realizing that is really the exciting part. Because what is it that you want?

You want to connect with other human beings.

Having the chance to do that and to expand my audience is everything. And that's what this really means. I get to book this book into more hands. I get to share this little piece of what I think is light, with more people. And then I have to keep feeding that so that it grows and the audience continues to grow.

The goal is sustainability. It enables me to get to the place where I can wake up in the morning and make coffee and just write for a living, everyday. That's the path, but this is a huge, giant door that they have opened for me and that we have all opened together.

You put your shoulder into that door with me. And so this is like the beginning.

46 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Oliver X: I think you've created a lot of writerly structure in your life to support this pursuit Thomas.

You put yourself through the paces and processes of being curious and seeking information that positions you to succeed in a writer's career.

You've set aside time for your writing, to be available for the words.

The words are out there, the way Telsa taught us that electricity is all around us; the way he was able to pull that energy in through his Tesla coil. That phenomenology is much the same way we can source words that are all around us and tame their wildness.

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: What a great analogy that is with Tesla. I never even thought of it.

But that's exactly it. And it goes back to that subatomic thing; it goes back to flow. What is electricity, but a flow?

Oliver X: Current flows...

Thomas Lloyd Qualls: Words, money, love comes to us when we open ourselves to them.

What is the line, probably from Rilke and I'm paraphrasing here: 'Don't seek love, but seek out all of the things in you that are preventing love from finding you.' That phenomenology thing...

You hit on that word and that's so key because that's what it is. Phenomenology is about our relationship with all things. When I look upon you, or a tree, or a mountain, or anything...

When I look upon beauty, my relationship with it is tied up with its relationship with me.

When I look upon at a tree, my looking at the tree affects the tree, which affects how I see it.

Find out more about Homebound Publishers' Landmakr Prize for Fiction and Thomas Lloyd Qualls at homeboundpublications.com/ the-results-for-the-2017-landmark-prize-forfiction and tlqonline.com.

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RenoTahoe Comedy A Talk with RTC's Wayne Wright 50 Reno Tahoe Tonight

You may not hear about it in the news, but Reno loves comedy. You can see comedy seven days a week in this town! Each month RTT will speak with local comedy promoter Wayne Wright, as he helps make Reno one of the funniest cities in the USA with his Reno-Tahoe Comedy programming at the Pioneer Underground and the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino.

Oliver X: Hi Wayne. Tell me what's exciting this month with your local comics.

Wayne Wright: Hi Oliver. We've got some really good locals coming back in, both male and female. We've got Josie Spadoni whose been in Reno for years.

Kelly Hilbert's back on track after having a baby about seven or eight months ago. So he's coming back in. He's one of the best comics who started out at our venue and performs almost exclusively with us.

Wayne Wright: I haven't gone into open mics to see a comic I wanted to book, but I have dropped by them and have met some that have done a pretty good job and have subsequently worked with them.

We also have some newer comedians like Cesar Calix, Art Hernandez and Sammy Solorio has become a real staple of the venue and is coming along strong, almost basically taking Drew Shafer's place. Sammy's doing a lot of guest spots and is hosting now more.

Oliver X: Who do you have headlining coming for March and early April?

Drew Shafer is coming back into town to host two shows on the Tracy Smith weekend which is St. Patrick's Day weekend. Another comic from out of town is Sam Meeker, he's going to host some shows. That is going to be a great weekend.

It's always great to have Drew back. He's been such a great influence on the other local comics, really taking time to help show them how to write jokes, put tag lines on their jokes and he's really been supportive of the other local comics.

He and Kelly are the two best local comics that we have brought up in our venues. Drew has been amazing. He now lives in Sacramento and is spreading his wings and doing a great job down there.

Oliver X: Do you have a mix of styles that you aim to present with your local comics, like a storyteller, a oneliner comic; a guy or gal that works off of crowd participation?

Wayne Wright: [Laughter]. You just answered your own question...There's storytellers; one-liners and then there's comedians that do crowd work. It can be a little iffy for locals to try to work with the crowd because they don't have the experience that a professional comedian does to go back and forth with the audience and not get into a difficult situation. Doing crowd work can bring out someone who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t normally be inclined to be a heckler to start hecklingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which you don't want in a regular show. In an open mic situation it's a little different because you can work your way out of things in that format. But in a regular comedy show it's different.

Wayne Wright: We've got some great

headliners coming up. March 8-10 we have two headliners, one's hosting and one's headlining: Sacramento's best comic Carlos Rodriguez and Ron Josol. The week after that is St Patty's Day weekend with Sam Meeker and Sammy Solorio on March 15; March 16-17 is hilarious veteran headliner Tracy Smith (Comedy Central). Next we have headliners DC Ervin (Fifty Shades of Black) and Keon Polee (Laff Mobb's We Got Next) March 22-24. It will be Keon's first time working with us. The week of March 29-31 we are bringing in headliner Steve Hofstetter (Road Hard), who always does a great job with us. Then the first week of April we welcome a comic who is really on the rise named Frankie Quinones (The Funny Drop) April 5-7. That weekend most of those shows will sell out.

Also don't miss the Comedy Collective the first Friday of every month at the Pioneer Underground. They're an all-star lineup of local improv comics and professional actors who are phenomenal. The place is packed every show and it's a really good show. There's a lot of energy and the crowd responds enthusiastically. Everyone in the group is a very cool person. It's really fun to work with people who all love comedy. We wanna help comics and we want folks to come in and enjoy comedy for a few hours each week.

Catch Reno-Tahoe Comedy at LEX inside the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino. March 8 is Ron Josol. And starting March 9 RTC features comedy on Friday nights at LEX starting at 6:30pm with Carlos Rodriguez. Also performing at LEX in March is Tracy Smith March 15-16 and DC Ervin March 22-23. For ticket information call 775-322-5233 or go to renotahoecomedy.com

Reno has a lot of open mic opportunities where comedians can go out and get their legs on stage and work out material in front of an audience.

Oliver X: Do you scout at open mics?

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FEATURE Text Oliver X Photos of Marcio Decker and Betty Scott

by Chris Holloman Photos of home interiors

by Tom Zikas

Decker with a morning cup of joe 52 Reno Tahoe Tonight

The Kinetic Art of Marcio Decker â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Part 2 Painter Marcio Decker actually has a day job.

As if being a fabulously gifted international artist on the rise was not enough, the painter helms the design studio of the award-winning Aspen Leaf Interiors, known for curation and design of inspired elegance in luxury living for discriminating clientele. Decker, who holds a Masters in Interior Architecture & Design from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and his partners COO Betty Scott (CID, AKBD) and Senior Designer Olivia Osborne employ an integrative environmental aesthetic to create spaces that reflect their client's personalities and lifestyles.

I spoke with Decker and Scott at their Reno studio to find out how they navigate and balance the world of art and design to create master interiors with impeccable taste and poetic resonance.

Oliver X: How do clients source Aspen Leaf?

Betty Scott: Nearly all of our clients are word-ofmouth or direct referrals from existing clients or builders we've worked with in the past.

Oliver X: What does a typical day look like for you?

Betty Scott: There is not a typical day in this business. [Laughter]. Every project is different; every client is different; every house is different...

If we use a fabric in a project, we throw it away because we don't want to duplicate anything.

We use it once and we toss it.

Oliver X: You are never derivative. Is there is a spontaneity and newness with every client interaction?

Betty Scott: Yes, because no individual's personality is the same as the next one. So every design is different and unique.

Oliver X: So your portfolio must be wildly diverse.

Betty Scott: It's wildly diverse. And that's one of the things that makes us unique versus other firms who get pigeon-holed into a niche or style of 'We do contemporary,' or 'We do traditional rustic,' or 'We only do cabins.' We do the gamut, from chateaus to mid century modern to high contemporary. And of course we do rustic and mountain modern and all of the catch phrases that like to be thrown around in Tahoe and the City.

About 50% of our work is here at the lake. About a quarter of our work is in the San Francisco Bay Area and about a quarter of our work is in Reno.

Oliver X: Any special projects or clients you want to mention?

Betty Scott: We have many clients who I have adored over the years. Some of the most elegant, sophisticated, kind and intelligent women. We work a lot with women.

Marcio Decker: And men, obviously...

Betty Scott: Who appreciate fine things; who appreciate detail, fine craftsmanship.

Marcio Decker: And who appreciate elevating their lifestyle and elevating their homes for their well- being and for their families to enjoy. Part of our formula also is that we know our clients intimately.

So with that knowledge comes a responsibility of maintaining the privacy of their identities.

Some of them do want us to, and allow us to speak about them. But others prefer not to.

Betty Scott: There's also an intermingling with design and the arts with our clients. We Reno Tahoe Tonight 53

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Bar in private home, Reno, NV 54 Reno Tahoe Tonight

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Betty Scott and Marcio Decker looking at samples at Aspen Leaf studio in Reno

have clients we work with who are very active in the Nevada Museum of Art. And so there's a lot of overlap in that regard as far as interest goes and appreciation.

Marcio Decker: Clients who will collect my works as well.

Betty Scott: Several of Marcio's pieces are placed in client's homes that they came to us wanting to show the pieces. Specifically, one I'm thinking of is here in Reno. And it's a large acrylic on canvas piece that Tutto Ferro framed in a custom frame, and it's installed into the house, not just hanging on a wall.

Oliver X: It's an installation?

Betty Scott: Yes, it's an installation.

Marcio Decker: And this is a piece that was hanging at the studio and our client said that she 56 Reno Tahoe Tonight

wanted it. So sometimes that's how it works. It's organic, ya know. Somebody comes here to the studio and sees a piece. In fact one of the pieces hanging here I'm pretty sure is going to a client.

We don't force it. Everything's very fluid.

Oliver X: Betty, what's it like for you to have a Florence Biennale First Prize winner on this team and as a close friend and colleague?

Betty Scott: Marcio and I have been friends since we both moved to Reno 18 years ago. And he was an artist when I met him, and he has been producing art and evolving his art over the years. I have some of his first pieces that he did 15-20 years ago, and I love them just as much as I do the current collection of works that he's producing. It's more that his work is out there in the community and in the art community and recognized internationally now. So, it's been a really fun ride to be with him.

Decker at the studio with works in progress

FEATURE Kitchen in private residence Lake Tahoe

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FEATURE Scott and Decker at their Aspen Leaf Reno studio

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Living Room in Lake Tahoe Reno Tahoe Tonight 63

FEATURE DSCAttraction, 2017 Painting created for work completed at Gary Farell's winery new tasting room Sonoma_8827

Oliver X: How have you seen his work evolve and in what ways?

Betty Scott: Well, it started in a more traditional art form, acrylic on canvas painting and has evolved into this moving, kinetic light show.

Pieces that light up and hang on the wall and pieces that stand on easels...People walk by his art at shows and you see their brow furrow and they move from side-to- side and they whisper to each other, 'What is this; how is this doing that?'

Oliver X: As if it's doing something...Kinetic.

Alive. Energy. Motion. Movement.

Betty Scott: It's a big bright glow in the room.

Whether it lights up or not, people are fascinated with it.

Oliver X: And you see the absorption and engagement. And for an artist, that's everything.

Betty Scott: He says that his enjoyment comes not from selling the pieces, but from seeing the reaction of the onlooker. aspenleafinteriors.com The artist at home

Scott and Decker at Aspen Leaf studio Reno

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Living Room in Private Residence, Lake Tahoe 66 Reno Tahoe Tonight

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MBath 2 68 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Living Room in Private Home, Reno, NV

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LIVE Text Jenny PezDeSpencer Photo Amanda Searle

If you went to this sold-out show expecting to see comedy, you would have probably been disappointed. While it was very funny at times, it was not a comedy show, but an introspective walk through Eddie Izzard's life and how he became a comedian. He included film footage as well as photos from his childhood, college years to now. Izzard riveted the crowd with stories that included playing sports until he was 12; his first show he put on with teddy bears, as well as an attempt at art using plastic craft with which he made a pair of cufflinks for his brother – they were a mold of his big toe and his actual front tooth that he still has.

When his family moved to England in his teens (Izzard was born in Yemen to parents who both worked for British Petroleum), he decided to do something about being a performer and walked into Pinewood Studios and said, “I'm here and I want to act it. It is my density.” He should have said destiny.

They immediately threw him out.

Izzard also had to decide whether he should be a dramatic actor, where you have to be honest, or do surreal comedy, where you just have to be funny. He also touched on his mother's death, his drug use, his work with Monty Python, as well as now being transgender, but preferring women.

Izzard enlightened us about his marathon running, which he has embraced to such a degree that in 2016 he ran 27 marathons in 27 days to raise money for Sport Relief. He did this as a tribute to the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison. Included in the show were questions from the audience which he answered graciously. All in all, it was great insight into a tremendous comedian and human being, who pledged to make a run for the British Parliament in the year 2020.

In addition to being the most popular female comic in northern Nevada, Jenny PezDeSpencer is a senior contributing writer for Reno Tahoe Tonight and is celebrating her 9th year writing for the publication.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 71

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REAL ESTATE Text Shirley Larkins

RENT 74 Reno Tahoe Tonight

So, what’s up with the high rents Reno? In case you haven’t heard (or you’ve been couch surfing the last year), Reno’s rents are crazy high. On top of that there are hardly any rentals available.

Doesn’t matter if we're talking studios, duplexes, apartments or a house, if you're looking for a place I would recommend thinking outside of another man’s box. You may be surprised what you can find when you put your mind to it.

Our growth over the last year has already put a strain on available housing inventory both in rentals and homes for sale. The rental market went up about 14% last year (more in MidTown) while housing prices were up about 24% in the greater Reno area. What this means is if you have wanted to own a home here at any time in the past you should start thinking about making that dream become real sooner rather than later. We are running out of houses and we are well behind (I have heard 5000 to 7000 units) on new home construction. There is a lot of apartment construction spread out around town but most of this will be a bit higher end from the plans I have seen. We need to be prepared for prices to keep going up.

If you're thinking of buying an investment property now is definitely a good time for that because rents will not be going down. Do the math right on your investment in some cases and you could be getting paid within a couple of months of closing escrow too. You must be savvy to find these deals, but they are happening all over town still.

We are a boom town again Reno and I am excited! I know there will be growing pains, but I look ahead with positivity. Today’s market conditions are a lot different than they were in 2006-2007. We have real industry and economy happening here with a strong projection for the next couple of years. There is opportunity for everyone right now who wants to grab it and more people coming our way. Are you ready for it?

Shirley Larkins is a real estate professional with Chase International and has been selling properties for over 12 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

I don’t mean for this to sound bad or doomsdayish either. I just want to be real, so people can get in while the getting can still happen. I believe that every person who wants to own a home should get one, and I want to show them all the different ways this can happen.

If you can afford a rent over $1200 right now, then you could potentially be paying your own mortgage on at least a condo. And if you do not have a lot of savings but make decent money and have credit there are a few different lenders and programs that can help you with down payment or closing costs.

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RENO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY Photos Eric Marks facebook: @RenoStreetPhotography

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"Spit It Out"

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THE MIND OF MENCARELLI

Text Dave Mencarelli Photo Digiman Studios

The Mind of

Mencarelli

There are a lot of things people find strange about me. I have to have both my shoes tied to the exact same tightness, I eat sunflower seeds shell and all (too lazy to get those bastards out of there), and I’ve been a Rick Springfield fan for going on 40 years.

The thing that almost everyone has trouble understanding though, is that I love being in the hospital.

Let me explain. I don’t like being in the emergency room. I don’t like going to the doctor. I like being admitted to the hospital.

I know this is weird.

First, I need to be the center of attention and you are never more the center of attention than when you are sick enough to be in the hospital. You get to see your friends and family and you don't even have to get out of bed. Or shower. Or pretend to laugh at your mom’s jokes.

It’s also very good for my anxiety. When you’re laid up in the hospital no one expects anything from you except that you rest.

You don’t have to commit to any social engagements that the moment you do you’re crafting your excuse to cancel. That oil change you have to get done, the thank you cards you need to mail, and your plan to organize your garage all go directly to the back burner – and there’s no guilt.

How many times have you thought “Man, I wish I could lie here in bed all day and just watch TV.”? If you’re like me, you’ve thought that 1,274,317 times. Give or take a few. In the hospital that's what you do. And that’s what you're supposed to do. Plus they bring you a meal three times a day and you can eat all the lime Jell-o you want! Also, if you are good to your nurses you can usually convince them to play cribbage or gin rummy with you at 3 a.m. when you can’t sleep. I always let them win because they’re more apt to bring you that lime Jell-o quicker when they like you.

I have some serious health concerns (that aren’t mental) – diabetes being the most dangerous. There is no place I feel safer than in the hospital. I had a small stroke two years ago and after 5 days at St. Mary’s I was afraid to go home in case it happened again! It didn’t. I’m also a bit of a hypochondriac.

So, to recap, center of attention, good for my anxiety, prescribed laziness, and a good safe feeling. Who doesn’t want these things?

Let me take some space here to thank all the nurses and nursing assistants who’ve taken such great care of me in my last few extended stays. These people are true heroes. They are trained to take care of you physically and the best ones will also hold your hand in the middle of the night when you’re scared and crying.

Unless you beat them at cribbage.

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THE NEST Text Tessa Miller Photos Ali Denney

Have you ever bought yourself a bouquet of fresh flowers at the store, excitedly taken them home, put them in a vase and then thought, “Wow, those do NOT look as good as I thought they would!”

No? Please don’t tell me I’m the only one! Well, if you feel my pain, fear not!

My favorite florist, Camryn Lane, is back for a new series of classes at The Nest. Why is she my favorite, you ask? Well, not only does she make stunning, creative floral arrangements, but she is freaking adorable and only 18 years old! I thought I was cool owning my own business at 21, but she blows me out of the water.

She’s professional, hard working, and selfmotivated—qualities that are getting harder and harder to find in someone her age. To quote her, “Basically I am an old lady trapped in this young body of mine.”

She puts together fantastic arrangements for weddings, events and other custom orders and in the coming months, she is going to be teaching 84 Reno Tahoe Tonight

us how to put together an arrangement (or flower crown!) so you’re never disappointed with those little store bought bouquets again.

All classes include everything you need to make your own beautiful arrangement plus beverages of both the alcoholic and non alcoholic varieties and light but delicious refreshments. Good company and new friends is always a given at our classes.

Plus if you sign up for 2 or more classes, there will be a 15% discount.

Large Spring Inspired Arrangement Class Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 6pm $50

In our first class, we will be learning the basics of putting together a floral arrangement plus a few of Camryn’s tips and tricks. We will be creating large spring-inspired arrangements with the option of a St. Patrick’s Day twist.

Dried Floral Crown Class Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at 6pm $40

Join us to create dried floral crowns – just in time for Coachella! We will be using dried florals along with air plants, to create long lasting crowns.

Perfect if you’re headed to a music festival this spring, if you’re getting married this summer and want to make your own crown or just need one to rock your boho gypsy soul!

May Day Small Arrangement Class

Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 1pm $25 admission including one arrangement $10 per extra arrangement

In honor of May Day, a forgotten tradition to deliver flowers to your neighbors on the first of May, we will be creating small arrangements to give to friends, family, co-workers, teachers or anyone else who could use a little reminder that they are loved. Or let’s be honest, we'll probably keep one for ourselves too...

To sign up for one, two or three of our classes, go to bit.ly/NestFloralArrangementClasses (pssst…the link is case sensitive!)

Hope to see you there!

The Nest 201 Keystone Ave Reno, NV 89503 (775) 284-8841 thenestreno.com FB/IG @thenestreno Monday – Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm

TRAINING TIPS Text Camille Cragg Lyman Photo Irina Petrova

H C R MA ESS N D A M

S S E FITN

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Regardless of whether or not you have skills on the court or, for that matter, even know the rules of the game, you can still train like a college basketball player with this total-body workout!

Obviously this setup is a basketball-inspired workout, considering the huge college games this month it will be nice to be in motion in your very own living room while the college athletes are in motion at their game. With movements that capture the spirit of the basketball games from lay-ups and cross-body passes to traveling the court and hanging from the rim, these exercises are specifically designed to challenge your body and help you get your game face on when you see them happening.

Things you will need for March Madness Fitness

• • • • • •

TV Your March Madness game of choice Workout attire Shoes Timer Game-time attitude

March Madness Fitness Objective To do the most amount of work in the least amount of time while watching the March

Madness game of choice. Be in motion for 20 minutes and break them up in two, ten-minute increments with a ten minute half time. If you feel faint or light-headed at any time, please lie on the floor face up and breath in through the nose out through the mouth to allow oxygen to the brain and nerves and muscles to relax.

Rules

Put your timer on for 10 minutes while your game of choice is going on. When the basketball players are in motion so are you, doing the exercises that are called out from moves that you see from the game. For the first ten minutes pick a team. When that team does any of the moves that you see below you put yourself in motion.

Do the exercise and then watch the game and wait for the next move to come up which will give you insight of your next exercise and how many reps. When the timer "buzzer" goes off on your smart phone, take your own half time break for 10 minutes. When the ten minute halftime is over, get back into the game and get ready for the second half. Choose the opposite team, put timer on for ten minutes, watch the game and attack all exercises per what the team does.

Post workout, treat yourself to a protein shake and watch the rest of the game knowing you put your strong efforts in for the day as well! Repeat with every new game in March Madness all the way up to the Championships!

March Madness Fitness Lay-up made = 5 Push-ups Lay-up missed = 10 push-ups Steal = 5 burpees Jumper made = 5 squats Jumper missed = 10 squats 3 pointer made = 5 sit-ups 3 pointer missed = 10 sit-ups Free Throw made = 5 diamond push-ups Free Throw missed = 10 diamond push-ups (hands close together and push-up) Dunk made = 25 Mt. Climbers Dunk missed = 50 Mt. Climbers Foul = 30 steps of lunges Travel = 50 Bicycle Abs Technical Foul = 20 chair/couch triceps dips Air Ball= 100 High Knees Have a great game and a great attitude!

Camille Cragg Lyman

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MARCH 17

WANDERED OFF Text Natasha Bourlin Photos Visit Napa Valley

by Photographer Bob McClenahan

Napa Valley Hacks

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Gott’s Roadside is one of the most mouthwatering and affordable places to eat in the valley. Their meats are all humanely raised, and they offer many things including both regular ol’ burgers and the more epicurean type you’d expect to find in this area, like their Kimchi Burger. All said and done, you can leave stuffed for under $20. One tip, get there close to when it opens to avoid the ubiquitous lines.

For many it’s a trip of a lifetime. However, residents of Reno-Tahoe are spoiled; it’s just a three-hour drive to the illustrious Napa Valley.

Proximity aside, a trip to Napa is not perceived to be an excursion many can afford monthly.

Not even annually. But this frugal globe-trotting gypsy has uncovered some hacks over the years to help anyone take in the wineries, dining and picturesque vistas the valley offers for far less.

Simply booking lodging can prove financially intimidating, luckily there’s funky and budgetfriendly Calistoga. Stay in one of the kitschyyet-relaxing resorts (there are also far swankier versions) that use the area’s geothermic hot springs in their pools and spa treatments, then bundle mud baths or massages with lodging to boost savings, like Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa and Resort.

In central Napa, the Chablis Inn starts at $85 a night, and the Old World Inn is a B&B that’s an easy walk to many town highlights, and that feeds you heartily each morning so you save on at least one meal.

Two Birds One Stone has decadent Asian fusion small plates for $10 or less, despite its location in an historic winery, and Zuzu has a huge array of tapas with single-digit price points. The Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ is great too, with its 18-page, globally focused wine list and heaping, hearty dishes.

While there, skip driving to area wineries or restaurants and get a Vine transit system daypass for $6.50. Wineries often charge upwards of $30 each for a tasting, but make a purchase— most have reasonably priced options—or join their wine club, both of which generally negate the lofty tasting costs while letting you relive your experience later. Grab some cheese and wine at the Oxbow Public Market and head to a scenic spot for a picnic. Find wineries like Castelo di Amorosa that offer extras, such as tours or affordable add-ons to their tastings. For evening entertainment, head to the Blue Note Jazz Club for world-class music of all genres.

Just don’t let price phobia keep you away.

Finding frugal means of travel is one of freelance writer Natasha Bourlin’s favorite sports, her own form of hunting.

While prevalent in this foodie utopia, Michelin star-rated restaurants can whittle at your wallet.

Often, you’re left with memories much like those of a disappointing prom date: everything looks stunning, takes a long time, is very expensive, but you don’t even get a kiss at the end, just a giant bill.

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WANDERED OFF

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Food, Wine and Spirits NOW ON A SATURDAY NIGHT!

March 24 Let the good times roll with GREAT FOOD, MUSIC & SPIRITS at Reno’s LONGEST RUNNING MARDI GRAS PARTY! This year with MORE FOOD, WINE, BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES! Do something good and have fun! All money raised supports Rotary Club of Reno's service projects in Northern Nevada and around the globe.

Saturday, March 24 6 p.m.: Exclusive early entry for sponsors and guests 7 p.m.: VIP table and general admission entry Downtown Reno Ballroom 401 N. Center St., Reno, NV 89501 $65 until March 1 – $75 after

FOR TICKETS, SPONSORSHIPS, SILENT AUCTION AND WINE RESERVATIONS,

VISIT MARDIGRASRENO.COM