Rtt dec 2013 digitalv cover1 optimized by Reno Tahoe Tonight

December 2013

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A Probability of Words America Matters Media

11 Art

December 2013 CONTENT

11 Deck the Walls

13 Beauty Basics

13 Putting on the Glitz

15 Community

15 by Chip Evans 17 Children's Cancer Foundation

18 Cover Story

18 David Ellefson My Life With Deth 22 DigiTips

24 Essay

24 The Hidden Gift Bonus

27 Events

27 Boy Scout Council Headquarters 28 Tournant Pop Up Restaurants

32 Fashion

32 Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon

34 Fashion 4 Ways

34 by Isha Casagrande

38 Features 38 44 60 62

LaVecchia Ristorante The Riverwalk Merchants Association Wild River Grille Menu William Furs: Furs on Flesh Part 2

68 Freestyle

68 Photographer Kiley Howard

78 Humor

78 Dear Women's Liberation Movement

82 Interview

82 Oliver X Introduces RTT Events 84 Live! Bonus

88 Local Lit

88 The Devils of Eden Part 2

90 On The Rise

90 Ali Strange Bikinis Bonus 92 Jenny PezDe Spencer

97 Raw Nutrition 97 Why Raw?

99 Riverwalk Report

99 by Courtney Meredith

100 Scene

100 Shop Local - Shop Small Business

102 Skate NV

102 Skater Nathan Alegria

104

104 The Light Factor

104 Good, Good, Good Vibrations

Editor/Publisher Oliver X Art Director Grae Warren Business Development Shelly Brown Design Associates Mike Robertson Kristine Palmer Design on the Edge Paula Campbell Megan Duggan Copy Editor Elisika Arango Contributing Writers Tina Mokuau Jenny Spencer John Clement Thomas Lloyd Qualls Cody Doyle Rory Dowd Sean Cary Sean Savoy Gertie OK Elisika Arango Isha Casagrande Amber Howland Contributing Photographers Chris Holloman Shannon Balazs Tony Contini Clayton Beck Dana Nollsch Anicia Beckwith Digiman Studio Kyle Volland Kiley Sauer Illustrator Lucido Jerry Stinson PAN Pantoja Sales 775-412-3767 Legal Counsel MATTHEW P. DIGESTI, ESQ. | THE DIGESTI LAW FIRM LLP" Submissions renotahoetonightrocks@gmail.com Website renotahoetonightmagazine.com All content, layout and design is the property of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. Duplication or reproduction is prohibited without the expressed written consent of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. Copyright 2012. Reno Tahoe Tonight is produced on 10% recycled American paper and is printed with all soy and vegetable inks.

Snapshot

Photographer Kiley Howard

www.kiley.zenfolio.com "Life in Color" November 8, 2013 at the Reno Events Center DJ Max Kronyak

Citations for December 2013 Digital Cover Riverwalk Merchants Association Cover styling and apparel courtesy of Labels Consignment Boutique Makeup Grace Avila Digital cover photo by Tony Contini Models Virginia Montoya and Briana Maselli On the Cover at left: Model Virginia Montoya wears a Black Tee by Nightcap $33; Black Jeans MIH Jeans $56; Miu Miu Sunglasses $300; Free People Swing Faux Leopard Coat $153; Black Lace-up Boots by BeBe $58. At right: Model Briana Maselli is wearing a red hat from Nordstrom $18; Twisted Heart Sequined Vest $150; White Tee by Nightcap $33; Jeans by TedBaker $68; Boots by Alice & Olivia $175. Note: Place these citations somewhere really small on the title page (if possible) of the Feature Riverwalk Merchants Association

Text Thomas Lloyd Qualls Photo Kelly Peyton

A Probability of Words Someday Words. Some days it’s like this. You’d rather do just about anything other than write. Go pick out the new ladder you’ve needed for months, finally buy a shop vac, hand water your outdoor plants, rearrange your office furniture, go for a bike ride, clean the grill, cut your fingernails, check your Facebook page, again. And still part of you knows you’d really rather be writing than anything else. If you could just start putting words on the page. If you could somehow find the courage, patience, stillness, cone of silence, to write that first sentence, fragment, title, word. Sometimes you may just chicken out and just move straight to editing. Moving around words that are already there and trying to pretend it’s the same thing. Though you know it isn’t. Or the flow gets interrupted by some random thought, phone call, text message, memory, shiny thing, sudden erotic fantasy. And then it may take you the better part of an hour to make your way back to the flow. Or it may just be gone. Evaporated into the ether to go become condensation on some other writer’s water glass

back every other nagging critic telling you there are other responsibilities that need tending to. And still, you hover.

So you allow yourself another espresso. Fuel for the journey, you tell yourself, for probably the thousandth time. And though you know it’s a half-truth, you do it anyway. And you’re not sure if it will actually help. And you feel guilty, and whip yourself the whole way there and back, but you do it all the same. And you’ll do it again. You know the best bet is to start first thing. Someplace where there aren’t friends to talk to or other chores to nag at you. You know the lie you tell yourself otherwise -- that you’ll just clear some things off your desk first, and then you’ll write – has never been true before. But each day is new, and so you believe this time Lucy won’t snatch the football at the last minute. That you’ll be able to connect with the ball, to cleanly deliver a true kick through the goal posts.

Some days it’s like this.

And when, lying flat on your back in the grass with your head pounding, you find yourself sometime after noon not having written any actual words, you’ll resolve again to get up and get straight to work. There’s still half a day left, after all.

You start with the best of intentions. Or even a bad cliché. But you are conscious of how precious the time is. And you resolve to beat

And on those days when you do sit right down, where the words are there and flowing and real, and all feels right with the universe, and all the

6 Reno Tahoe Tonight

wasted writing days, hours, minutes, that have come before suddenly vanish like desert rain, you must not think too much about what you are doing. About what you have done so far today. Because if you do, you may suddenly start to feel selfsatisfied about your productivity, which may lead to delusions that you have already accomplished far more than you have, which may lead to thoughts of rewarding yourself with a beer over lunch, which will – if history is any guide – more than likely lead to the end of your word flow for the day.

Thomas Lloyd Qualls is the author of

Some days it’s like this.

for books) and on multiple e-version

Writing is more than just sitting down and bleeding at the typewriter, as Papa Hemingway famously said. It is also about a lot of pencil sharpening, lying in wait, and trying to sneak up on the paper, the pens, the unsuspecting words. It’s about tricking yourself into sitting still. It’s about playing the role of the medium and surrendering to the trance. Writing is more than just showing up, though showing up is never as easy as it sounds. Make no mistake, the channeling is hard work. True, there’s a rush. But like heroin, it takes its toll on the psyche and like sex, it’s hard to sustain for hours.

Some days it’s like this.

But when it’s not, you can’t wait for another day like this.

one and a half novels, the co-creator of the Power of Words Video Project, and a regular contributor to Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. His debut novel, Waking Up at Rembrandt’s, is now available in print (think of vinyl, only platforms. (If you want to stop what you're doing and buy it right now, go ahead. We'll wait for you.) Under the heading of things to look forward to: a book of poetry entitled love jaywalks will be released in time for Christmas; and Thomas is currently at work on the other half of his second novel, Painted Oxen, due out in 2014. In the meantime, feel free to stop by his website whenever you like. www.tlqonline.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 7

Who’s Responsible for Who’s Words? Making Room for Community Voices Text Chip Evans Photo Debbie McCarthy

ou may have seen or heard comments made on one of our shows that were widely reported on local, state and national news. A recent “Conversations From The Capital” show hosted by Tom Taber, Chair of the Washoe County Republican Party, featured a number of local conservative luminaries, including his vice-chairman, Tom Dickman; Assembly contender Jill Dickman; Sean Barnhill, a Washoe GOP intern; Len Semas of the conservative “Sierra Sage” and Kelly Rush. The words that began the national newsflash fire were uttered by Mr. Semas, “There is a cultural issue. I’m of the opinion that many of--and I need to be careful how I phrase this--there are a lot of social conditions, a lot of social changes, that have occurred in the last 50 years and they parallel women leaving their home occupations as mothers and homemakers and entering the workforce… While I don’t deny anybody’s rights to pursue their dreams regardless of their sex…the reality is there is a special role that women take on, biologically, as the bearers of children and the nurturers of children. I don’t know that we haven’t created problems in society by ignoring that important role. ADD and various learning disabilities, hyperactive kids, kids building bombs in their garage.” (as reported in the Ralston Report) This particular show had drawn the attention of political commentator Jon Ralston, hoping that Assemblyman Jim Wheeler might have more to say about his own recent newsflash about his willingness to vote for slavery if that’s what his constituents wanted. So what was Ralston’s response to Mr. Semas’ anthropological observations? “I expected someone

America Matters Media

sitting there, with an IQ in triple-digits and a conscience, to confront Semas about this nonsense.” He noted that no one voiced an objection and, indeed, a few around the table even amplified the thoughts. In fairness, Tom Taber was not one of them. Tom has spent the last couple weeks pointing that out. Governor Sandoval cancelled a speech to the county party so as not to be associated with these anti-woman comments. The story spread quickly after reported in Ralston’s blog, first in the local and state press, and then to “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Mr. Semas’ comments fit so well with the “Republicans are anti-woman” meme that this show was great fodder for the liberal press. The whole scenario raises interesting questions. Should Tom Taber be held responsible for Len’s comments? Should the county party? What was Tom’s responsibility to confront the comments of his guest? And what about us and the stations our shows broadcast on? At America Matters Media we decided that as “community radio,” we will host voices across the political spectrum. In fact, our new logo includes the words ”a million points of thought.” While we do have some limits (Thank you, FCC!), what people say is up to them, along with any consequences. If you’ve got some thoughts to share and are prepared to take personal ownership for them, give us a call and we’ll find a good time for you to do that. This is your community radio! Chip Evans General Manager - America Matters Media VP/COO - Nevada Matters. Inc. Chip@AmericaMatters.US Cell 775.240.1222

Reno Tahoe Tonight 9

Deck the Walls @ Stremmel Gallery December 5-28, 2013

Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

Art

contradictory emotions that an artifact from an earlier time may have on the modern viewer. Judd describes his work as a combination of “patterns and figures to imitate the eclectic nature of our memories.” Currently finishing his Masters of Fine Art degree at the University of Nevada, Reno, Blanco de San Roman is fascinated by America’s multicultural coexistence. The Spain native uses paint to explore and contrast his interest in American patriotism, while grasping with the uneasiness of being a foreignexchange student. Known for his richly textured collages, Maurice Nespor’s method of layering brings added dimensional value to his work. This allows the viewer to examine the surface of his pieces, while experiencing a continual range of movement and depth. Renowned for architectural design in the Silver State, Nespor applies a draftsman’s approach to his work. He says, “A career in architecture has given me discipline for the task and insight into the principles of composition.”

Catherine Courtenaye Extracurricular 25_February Flourish_oil

tremmel Gallery presents “Deck the Walls,” a group exhibition featuring six artists. The opening reception for John Belingheri, Catherine Courtenaye, Tom Judd, Blanco de San Roman, Maurice Nespor, and Melinda Tidwell will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. “Deck the Walls” will continue through Dec. 28, 2013.

Melinda Tidwell’s work begins with the formal aspects of design before evolving into a fascination with the balance of visual elements in composition. Using simple geometric shapes and rectilinear alignments, she focuses on the coherence and juxtaposition of color, pattern, placement and size. Tidwell’s use of discarded books as her primary material adds both seriousness and levity to her work. For more information, please visit us at www.stremmelgallery.com, or call 775-786-0558. Stremmel Gallery is located at 1400 South Virginia Street in Reno, Nevada. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays.

Bay Area artist John Belingheri creates paintings in which simple shapes and seemingly random patterns draw the viewer into a meditative observation. The eye darts from one construction to the next, creating the illusion of depth and movement. His mixed media paintings have exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Catherine Courtenaye’s paintings investigate the everyday handwriting of 19th-century Americans by reconfiguring these artifacts into color and a personal artistic language. The influences of American penmanship manuals, arithmetic workbooks, and handwritten ephemera are present in her canvases. Courtenaye’s work can be seen locally at Reno City Hall and Renown Regional Medical Center. No stranger to Stremmel Gallery, Tom Judd creates paintings of birds, plants, and landscapes upon collaged fragments of antique floral wallpaper, old maps, botanical prints, maps, and sewing pattern paper. The resulting superimposed images reveal the

Melinda Tidwell Visitor_collage on paper_7 x 12.5 inches

Reno Tahoe Tonight 11

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Beauty Basics

Putting on the Glitz Text Tina Mokuau -The Makeup Artist

This holiday season take the stress and complication out of getting party ready with these quick tips.

Let's face it, every year around the holidays youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bound to make a few public appearances that you want to look great for, and you'll most likely need to get ready in a jiffy. Here are a few pointers on making it simple. Add glamour to your beautiful pucker with a little added shine in place of your regular lipstick. Try Color Elixir Lip Color by Maybelline, it contains a trio of concentrates that gives you the color of a lipstick, the care of a balm and the glassy shine of a gloss all in one product. How's that for simple! Play up your eyes with a bit of extra lash effect by trying Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara. It has an asymmetrical wing tip brush designed to catch every lash from one end to the other, lengthen, stretch and add volume. Gives the effect of falsies without all the hassle. Create a little drama on the eyes with a smoked out effect in color instead of the usual black smoky eye. Line your eyes and color in your lids with Scandaleyes Eye shadow Stick by Rimmel. It's waterproof and will last all night. I love Paranoid Purple. To top it all off and get you feeling festive, dab on a little shimmer to the top of cheekbones, corners of your eyes, and anywhere you want to shine with NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator.

Photographer Petr Suchomel http://petrsuchomel.com Models: Red dress is Jess Bailey Brunette in White dress is Breanne Gaines Blonde headshot is Barbie Roxy Hagar

Look great all season and forget the stress. If you have any beauty questions, feel free to contact Tina at tinamakeupartist.com or on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ tinamokuaumakeupartist Reno Tahoe Tonight 13

live streamin

Text Chip Evans

Photo Debbie McCarthy

Community

Local, International, Universal The Yearning for Community

Our new morning news show demonstrates the universal human need for belonging and being part of a community.

e launched the “Whazzzup?” morning drive-time show (69AM - M, Tu, Th, and Fr) a couple months ago. Our aspirations were modest. We thought we’d toss together some local weather and traffic reports, light news and some cheerful banter for a winning show. It was a natural outgrowth of our company mission to build “community radio” using radio as a platform for dialogue and interaction in a defined, local area. We tweaked the usual morning format. Rather than focusing on the hosts, the show turned the tables and made the callers and studio visitors the “stars” of the show – “It’s not our news show, it’s YOUR news show,” as co-host Eddie Floyd often says on air. What happened next was astonishing! Eddie and his co-host Dennis Romeo, through the magic of the worldwide web, began connecting with people all over the globe, from the Australian outback to the slums of Calcutta India, from Greece to Florida, and back to many states, Nevada and Washoe County. People called in, posted to Facebook, sent emails and even texted messages from all over, averaging an unheard of thirty calls per show. What about? The simple stuff -- weather, traffic, local news, fishing reports, farmers markets and other personal stories. Does an international audience really want to hear this stuff from places they’ve never heard of? Apparently. Why is that? Well, first, as co-host Dennis says, “The show is just good fun! We keep it light.” But there are deeper needs at work. Turns out that lots of people from lots of cultures really yearn for a sense of community, the tie that binds people together in a shared appreciation for each other and the common bonds they share. The “AM News Show” creates community.

You won’t believe what’s happening on the rebranded “AM News Show” (an obvious confluence of A.M. for morning and America Matters). We’ve created a superstar, a fella named “Slunk” from a fishing community in Florida that has a slow, folksy drawl and a devastating sense of humor about his everyday activities. Listeners love him and have asked for recordings of his interviews! Dun Doyle calls in from Anna Roodinna Creek, Australia – truly in the middle of nowhere -- to report on local weather, news and fishing updates. We chat with Morgan Floyd from Mother Teresa’s convent in Calcutta. Franklin Levinson, famous horse trainer in Greece, calls in. Locally, Teacher Daniel has his second graders call in with weather and news reports. Trooper Chuck from the Nevada State Highway Patrol calls with statewide traffic reports along with safety and driving tips. Prominent stockbroker Ken Roberts calls in with stock market updates, famous sports bettor Scott Pritchard shares his daily sports pick, and Sparks resident Richard LaFlame sends in the local weather report. Many voices, many sharings, many new relationships. Maybe it’s a small world after all! Global communities of choice are being created from the Reno Town Mall studio of America Maters Media! Chip Evans General Manager - America Matters Media VP/COO - Nevada Matters. Inc. Chip@AmericaMatters.US Cell 775.240.1222

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Community Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation Continues Annual Know the Gold Campaign Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (NNCCF) is in the middle of this year’s Know the Gold campaign. Inspired by the gold ribbon symbol for childhood cancer, Know the Gold is NNCCF’s Annual community awareness and advocacy campaign.

rom September 1, 2013 through January 31, 2014 establishments across northern Nevada will come together to raise needed funds to help provide financial assistance and compassionate support programs for local northern Nevada children fighting childhood cancer. This is an excellent opportunity to show your community and customers how much you care and support causes close to home. There are many ways to get involved with the Know the Gold Campaign, here are just a few: » Create a Know the Gold fundraiser. » Create a contest or challenge within your business or school to fundraise. » Decorate your merchant windows with gold ribbons. » Receive a Paint the Town Gold Kit. » Display a Know the Gold banner outside your business. » Initiate a change drive. » Sell NNCCF paper kites to hang on the walls of your business. We are open to all ideas and can’t wait to see what creative ways you come up with to

participate in the event. Let us know what inspires you and we can help make it happen. Contact NNCCF

at 775-825-0888 to participate in this campaign. This year’s Know the Gold will be better than ever thanks to our campaign sponsor Crown Beverage. Crown Beverage has been more than supportive and we thank them for their tremendous contribution to NNCCF and Know the Gold. Since November 2012, businesses, schools, churches, organizations and individuals have been raising funds for local children with cancer and their families through the Know the Gold Campaign. The fundraising efforts are intended to spread awareness of Childhood Cancer and to develop more sustainable financial support for local northern Nevada families afflicted by childhood cancer. Debbie Strickland Executive Director, Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation 775-825-0888 Debbie@nvchildrenscancer.org

Reno Tahoe Tonight 17

Cover Story

David Ellefson

My Life With Deth: Discovering Meaning in a Life of Rock & Roll by David Ellefson with Joel McIver HOWARD BOOKS

Text Oliver X

Photos courtesy of Howard Books

Ellefson learned something early on that would help shape him as a unique performer. He explains in the book that he didn’t have the resources as a youth to buy the Ampeg bass amps that his heroes had, but that proved to be a blessing in disguise for the young bassist: “Ironically, not having the standard Fender bass plugged into an Ampeg SVT helped me to develop a unique tone. It was largely because I didn’t have these tools that I was forced to develop a style that would allow me to cut through the mix. One of those was playing the bass with a pick instead of taking the typical two-finger plucking approach. I initially learned how to play the bass with my fingers, but I found that style awkward, and once I started playing in a loud rock environment, I always felt that a pick sounded better. I could wear the bass in a different position where it felt cooler on my body, too: I never liked the look of the guys who had their bass high up so they could play with their fingers. I thought it

“If I was good at the bass, life would give me all that I needed. Including respect.” – Excerpt from My Life With Deth by David Ellefson and Joel McIver

looked effeminate, so I would play it down low

Ellefson eventually forms a band called Toz and starts earnestly playing gigs in the towns around his home, and, with the support of his father who got them a van and a PA system they begin to flourish.

y Life With Deth tells the story of David Ellefson, whose upbringing was rooted in the ethos of a Christian, upper middle class straight-lace family who ran a successful farming operation in Minnesota. From his earliest days playing his mother’s Wurlitzer, to the saxophone he picked up in the fifth grade, to his first Gibson bass at age eleven, Ellefson had a passion for music. Ellefson, not content to resign himself to a future as a farmer, becomes proficient enough to join a series of bands as a young teen. His early forays with his first bands helped fuel his rock star dreams.

18 Reno Tahoe Tonight

and rock out with a pick. It made me feel like a rifleman going into battle, and it remains my stage stance to this day.”

Now in his late teens, Ellefson is completely immersed in his quest for rock stardom, but Jackson Minnesota is worlds away from the mecca of rock music: Hollywood. So he and his band mates decide to move to California to pursue their dream of rock stardom. By a stroke of fate, they meet a blonde-haired, barefoot and belligerent Dave Mustaine in 1983, who lives upstairs from their Sycamore and Hollywood Boulevard apartment. Ellefson describes their chance meeting with Mustaine, who had at the time just returned from an unsuccessful stint with Metallica, as “the beginning of the rest of my life.”

Reno Tahoe Tonight 19

Cover Story David Ellefson

MEGADETH fans rejoice, the band is playing December 19 at the Grand Sierra Resort with Fear Factory http://tinyurl.com/p78etgh

This journalist has had the good fortune to know local rock’s first family, Greg and Shanda Golden, and to call them close friends. Greg once owned Jackson Guitars, who makes the bass that would become Ellefson’s signature stage instrument. Shanda, who is friends with Ellefson, connected me to Ellefson’s publicist Bonnie at Simon & Schuster in New York, who in turn connected me to Ellefson to write a series of reviews about his memoir, which was compiled in Skype interviews over the course of Ellefson’s world travels by Joel McIver. The book is available at bookstores everywhere and on Amazon.com. RTT: Shanda Golden has been praiseful of you and has a strong sense of who you are. She said that David is “empowered in his own space.” I thought that was such an elegant way to give praise to somebody. Did you always know your life purpose or did you find that when you went back to your faith? Dave Ellefson: You know it’s interesting, I’ve always been kinda in my head; very philosophical…Thinking. Very much a communicator. I realized even during some high school projects that I was pretty good at standing in front of people and communicating my thoughts. Being very methodical and clear and well-spoken. Those seemed to be very natural abilities that I’ve been blessed with. 20 Reno Tahoe Tonight

When I got clean, my first sponsor said to me, “One day you’re gonna have the power.” And I didn’t quite grasp what he meant by that. But now, all these years later I know exactly what he is talking about. And quite honestly that power I guess had always been there, but it had never really been tapped into until I found sobriety. Because at that moment the things that were blocking these gifts had been overcome and put away. And suddenly the gift itself of, I guess just what Shanda said, of empowerment, um that all of a sudden the lid was taken off and unleashed. And through the journey that I’ve been on since, that ability has been able to really come out in very bold and powerful ways. Sometimes it’s in the church; sometimes it’s in recovery; sometimes it’s on the stage with my bass; sometimes it’s just as I break out my video camera and I shoot little behind the scenes videos for the Megadeth fans around the world that I put on You Tube; sometimes it’s just sitting one-onone with someone who just needs to share, and is looking for some counsel and some words of encouragement. So I guess more than anything it’s a way of living now. I try to do my best to leave a little margin in my life so that when those opportunities present themselves I can be available to people. Like, don’t book yourself so full in your schedule that you don’t have time for people. Sometimes it doesn’t always work, but I try to be at least in tune to that.

DigiTips

Google Updates the Way it Crawls the Web Text Amber Howland

Photo Edward Howland

oogle recently announced the newest in search engine algorithm updates, Hummingbird. The Hummingbird update is largest change to the way Google searches the web since the “caffeine plan” three years ago. In fact, unlike previous updates, Hummingbird is not just an update to an old algorithm; it is a whole new algorithm.

are your customers engaged on social networks? Social media is a must for your online presence. Be informative on social media, but also engage your customers as much as you can. You want your customers to comment, like, and share what you write. Each time this happens, you are creating a social signal. Your engagement on social media sites shows your relevancy in the market.

Google named this update Hummingbird because Hummingbirds are “precise and fast”. That may be well and good but what does it mean for your business?

Finally Hummingbird ranks websites higher if they have Google+. This shouldn’t be of any surprise. Google writes the algorithms and it’s logical they will rank their own properties higher.

Hummingbird combines Google’s Keyword Graph with semantic search. The goal is to provide search results for what people are looking for based on normal search habits, such as searches performed on mobile devices, and digital assistants like Apple’s Siri. For instance; people are moving away from “hunt and peck” search terms typed into a browser such as; “hamburger, gluten free, Reno” but instead may speak into Siri, “where is the best gluten free burger in Reno”. Understanding how people search is the foundation for Hummingbird. Semantic search takes into consideration searcher intent. They do this by utilizing context, location, intent, variety of words, synonyms, content matching, language, and other factors to serve up the most relevant websites. Understanding how people search means that keyword clouds, keyword stacking, and hidden keywords won’t help you as they did before, but good solid website content that speaks to what the user wants is key. Review your website and ask yourself, how will someone find me with my current content? Am I answering questions my customers will have or is my website simply a directory? In addition to semantic search, hummingbird also looks at Social Signals. In other words, is your content shared on social sites, do people reference your business on social networks, and 22 Reno Tahoe Tonight

SEO needs to keep up with how people search. They key is to make sure your website is a resource to your customers. Write relevant, engaging content that is likely to be shared on social networks and you will be in good shape. And don’t ignore social media sites. They aren’t going away. Your customers are online and they will talk about you. Don’t you want to be the one to lead the conversation? Do you have a digital topic you’d like me to write about in a future column? If so, please let me know by emailing me at amber@dragonflymedia.net.

Amber Howland

Dragonfly Media, Dragonflymedia.net, (775)746-4690 Amber Howland is General

Manager of Dragonfly Media, based in Reno, Nevada. Dragonfly Media works with small to medium size businesses to increase their digital influence through SEO/SEM, social media management, website/app development, and email marketing.

Essay

Text Camilla Downs

The Hidden Gift I see unhappiness. Unhappiness that shows in the way people treat their bodies by what they put into it via what they drink, eat, and the information they consume. I notice as people’s happiness goes up and down like a roller coaster according to the latest gadget, vacation, achievement or new love.

t a young age some of us bought into the idea that what others think of us matters more than what we think of our self. We were sold on the idea that what’s on the outside--our possessions, our looks, and our achievements-define who we are as a person. Fortunately, and for different reasons, not everyone bought into this at a young age, by way of either being raised differently or by having a strong inner knowing that this was not the highest truth. On the flip side of this, there are those of us who received a glimpse of this truth through a book, a lecture, a movie or an inner spark and have awakened to this truth in adult years. Once we received this glimpse we thirsted for more. Like a sponge we absorb this truth over and over again, through as many different modalities we can get our hands and eyes on. It eventually becomes a quest to find answers even though we don’t see it that way at the time. This will be the book, the movie, the course that will lead me to inner peace and happiness. This will give me the answer to who I am, what I am supposed to be doing, and why I am here. While traveling this path, we remove ourselves from unhealthy relationships, we become calm and quiet. We enjoy silence and get to know our true self. We begin to listen to our inner voice when making decisions and embrace hunches when they spring forth within us. At times, it seems as if miracles happen. Just by having faith in oneself and letting go. Letting go and letting ourselves know the answer. 24 Reno Tahoe Tonight

A magical, wonderful awareness falls upon us one day. We finally understand that the answer we have been unknowingly searching for has been within reach this entire time. Our true self, inner peace, happiness, and all answers we seek are within us. We simply must awaken to this knowing through experiencing meditation, or quiet time of some type; and replacing hate, revenge and jealousy with love, compassion and non-judgment. We want to become aware of the thoughts we think and the feelings that accompany those thoughts. It does no good to have positive thoughts, when what we are feeling within is anything but positive. Each and every person holds a hidden gift. It’s time to unwrap the hidden gift of your true, loving self and share it with the world. Let’s end the comparison of ourselves and how we choose to live our life with how others choose to live. Once unwrapped, we all receive the beautiful gift of peace, happiness and your true self. Camilla Downs is a mom, blogging mentor, freelance writer and author of the best-selling

D is for Different—One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance. CamillaDowns.com

Event

NEVADA AREA COUNCIL

CLAIMS DOUBLE EAGLE COURT AS NEW HEADQUARTERS Grand opening of Resource Center for the US’s second largest Boy Scout council

Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight The Boy Scouts of AmericaNevada Area Council has now opened the doors to its new headquarters located on 500 Double Eagle Court Reno, Nevada. The Nevada Area Council is geographically the second largest Scouting council in the United States, serving 23 counties throughout northeastern California, and northern Nevada.

he new Scouting Resource Center has staked its claim to what couldn’t have been a more fitting location- Double Eagle Court. This beautifully renovated building will now be home to the Webster Scouting Resource Center, Arthur M. Smith Jr. Regional Conference Center, and the Ron Krump Trading Post. The council’s office and store were previously located on Wells Avenue. The Nevada Area Council will be commemorating the grand opening of its headquarters with a holiday open house on December 17, 2013 from 5-7 p.m. Along with a unique opening ceremony, the open house will include tours, a grand opening sale in the Scout store and refreshments. The public is invited to attend the event to learn about the new center and how to become involved in Scouting. Additionally, the Nevada Area Council will be hosting the second annual Good Scout Lunch on December 16, 2013 from Noon to 1:30pm. The event will honor Ranson Webster, T. J. Day, Ron Krump, and Arthur M. Smith Jr., whose contributions were instrumental in funding the new center.

In support, the council is encouraging Scouts across the region to wear their uniforms on the day of the event. Last year’s lunch honored Mayor Bob Cashell, a longtime supporter of Scouting. Attendees will include members of the community, as well as Eagle Scouts of all ages and adult volunteers involved with the Boy Scouts of America. The public is invited to attend. Information regarding these events and luncheon registration can be found at callingallscouts.com. For more information on the Nevada Area Council, visit www.scouter.org or call 775-787-1111. Today America’s #1 Character Building Program, Boy Scouts of America, stands to serve thousands of youths, ranging from 6-20 years old. With the addition of their new facility, the Nevada Area Council looks forward to continuing to carry on the morals and traditions that founded the organization over 100 years ago. Reno Tahoe Tonight 27

Event Tournant Pop Up Restaurants December 31, 2013 @ Rise

Text Oliver X Photos Tony Contini

"We want to set a standard that's higher than anyone in town."

get lifted and inspired by great food and have had the opporunity to eat at some of the best dining establishments in America like Chez Panisse, Mustards, Hawthorne Lane and One Market. To me Reno was, at one time, akin to Bakersfield when it came to fine dining. But not anymore. No longer the last town to catch on to a national trend, Reno’s Renaissance has its talented tenth anticipating and setting trends, while leading its citizenry to exciting new explorations into what is possible creatively. From secret shows, to blind dining, molecular gastronomy, foraging, raw food, to popup galleries and restaurants, Reno’s creative culture is beginning to both feel, flex and express itself in ways previously unimaginable. Principal in this evolution is the embracing of fine dining as fine art. Formerly of Old Granite Street and Wild River Grille (among a few notable other locations) respectively, Adam Bronson and Ben Deinken, two young hungry culinarians with huge talent are throwing a series of dinner parties at various times and locations—starting with their first event

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– Chef Adam Bronson on New Year’s Eve at Rise which just so happens to have a fully functional commercial kitchen—to help underwrite their own restaurant startup, where they can express themselves in a manner that helps expand culinary possibilities. Rise Owner Shannon Dobbs: “Making the space available for an artistic project like this is always going to be our focus. Moving forward, I really like the idea of having secret and select knowledge of each project and making the information about the event limited to just the people invited. I think keeping the element of surprise is a great way to enhance the impact of the presentation of a food concept like this.” Chef Bronson: “We’re in the realm of theater and art. What’s important is the environment we will create. Ben and I have always been in middle management in our careers, and there are certain forces in the restaurant world that affect the food--whether it’s personalities or lack of budget, or different visions. We just want to create an environment where food is first. We’re here to serve and give

the custmer an experience, and it doesn’t mean that this vision needs to ever be pigeon holed. We can cook and interpret from any region in the country. We want to provide the guests with what they deserve and not what they expect.

Chef Bronson: “I like the idea of celebrating regional cuisine. There’s a professor at University of Nevada, Reno who specializes in what you can forage here in the Great Basin. The food that we labor to put on a plate has a story behind it.”

Chef Deinken: “What we prepared for you today to try is pan seared scallops encrusted saturated in frozen ground bacon, sitting on top of a fresh pomegranate vinaigrette with emulsified butter sauce with a pink lady apple, fresh ginger and dried then reconstituted persimmon relish on the bottom. Topping this is a garnish of locally grown golden and red beets with Earth Science pea shoots. For dessert Adam prepared a persimmon bread pudding with flourless chocolate truffle and date toffee sauce.

Chef Deinken: “There are so many local ingredients in this town--and not just your staple beef, lamb and chicken. There are native vegetables here that if we were to incorporate into our concept would take time for people to acclimate to. You could even take moss and dehydrate that. It’s about utilizing what you can get a hold of, being creative with it and communicating this with passion and conviction to the customer. Once people know what they’re eating, they’re more willing to be more adventurous. The narrative presentation by the server is an art form in and of itself.”

RTT: What ingredients do you find in the high desert here that you are excited about?

Here's a glimpse at the Tournant menu being presented this New Year's Eve... FIRST • Pork belly crusted jumbo scallops • Parsnip puree/pickled apples and beets • Cocktail course: Sparkling local ginger pear martini SECOND • Wild mushroom consommé • Porcini flan/house dried mushrooms • Cocktail course: Infused bourbon fig on the rocks THIRD

DESSERT • Tiramisu • White chocolate/cookies • Cocktail course: Flaming cafe diablo

• Steak & potato • Marrow braised/Yukon crust/poached local duck egg/red wine • Cocktail course: Ramos fizz with burnt orange

People can sign up at Tournant Pop Up Restaurants on Facebook for the 31st, New Year's Eve, 6 p.m. @ Rise located at 201 North Sierra Street in Downtown Reno.

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▪ Wedding ▪ Glamour ▪ Fantasy ▪ Prom ▪ ▪ Headshots ▪ Fashion ▪ Occasion ▪ Lessons ▪ ▪ Parties ▪ Editorial ▪ Film ▪ Commercial▪

Kristina McKeegan Nierman Professional Makeup Artist

775▪338▪4733 www.KissandMakeupReno.com KissandMakeupReno@gmail.com www.Facebook.com/KissandMakeupReno

Fashion

Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon Text Oliver X

Photos Tony Contini

here was a time not too long ago in Reno when one could only pay lip service to buying local--the options were just too limited. But with shops like Isha Casagrande’s Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon, men and women can get fashionable clothing, gifts, accessories and salon services at reasonable prices in one of the coolest boutiques anywhere. With hair, skin, nail, fashion and styling services, Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon is a one-stop shop for head-to-toe awesomeness! A professional personal shopper and style maven, Casagrande’s popular “Fashion 4 Ways” is RTT’s newest column, featuring creative wardrobe options and designs that are featured in her shop. Below we chat about what smart holiday shoppers can find at Lipstick. RTT: What are some of the gems and discounts holiday shoppers can find this season at Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon? Isha Casagrande: Walking in to Lipstick is like walking into your girlfriend’s closet. It is all about a fabulous, fun and fashionable experience. Each independent salon contractor wants you to fall in love with her services and can custom create a couture package for you or anyone on your holiday gift list. The boutique offers unique stylish clothing and accessories that you cannot find anywhere else in the area. We get new items in daily and most start at around $18. It is the perfect shopping destination for a shopaholic like me. My motto? One for you...two for me! RTT: What do you feel makes your store unique? Isha Casagrande: Lipstick Fashion Lounge is unique because we are a “petite boutique”

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stocked with couture classics that mimic the high ticket items shown in the top national fashion publications. Each item is selected by me and with over 20 years fashion consulting experience; I can help select items to compliment your existing wardrobe at affordable prices. RTT: What events do you have coming up for the holidays and this winter? Isha Casagrande: Everyday is a posh party at Lipstick. Bubbles are always flowing for our guests! We will celebrate some couture styling during a Haute Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 18 11am-6pm. We will feature special shopping discounts, gift wrapping and provide you with stylish tips to get you through the season stylishly, confidently and fabulously! Lipstick Fashion Lounge & salon is at 333 South Arlington Avenue in the Cal Ave District. 775-348-2675. LipstickLLC.com - Facebook.com/ lipstickfashionlounge

Couture Closet

Fashion Lounge

Personal Styling

Television Host

Editorial Styling

Fashion Show Production

Full Service Salon

Event Planning

Lipstick Fashion Lounge is a petite boutique that is brimming with the latest apparel and accessories for your stylish life. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like walking into your best friends closet with a glass of bubbly to play a little dress up. We are fashionably affordable with items ranging from $5-$60. We get new clothing, accessories and girly gifts daily so it is a great stop to satisfy your inner shopaholic on a regular basis. Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm

Private Shopping Appointments

333 South Arlington Avenue - Reno - NV 89501 - 775.348.2675 w w w. l i p s t i c k l l c . c o m

fashion ways Fashion

The holidays are all about the glitz and glamour of the season. There is nothing more fabulous for a girl than finding the perfect little black dress.

Unfortunately next comes the stress that one dress is not enough for the whole season. I beg to differ. Here is one dress fashioned 4 ways to show you how you can make one incredible purchase and stretch it through the season affordably, fashionably and confidently.

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white christmas

Sequin faux fur coat $42, triple pearl strand $36, vintage pearls from Woman of Troy $45 all from Lipstick Fashion Lounge. Hair & make up by Rhonda Avers and Trish VanOosten of Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon.

sexy silent night Black velvet dress $56, spiky crystal bracelet $18, crystal ring $15 and crystal earrings $14 all from Lipstick Fashion Lounge.

Text, Styling & Makeup Isha Casagrande, LipstickLLC.com Photos Nick Schab Model Emma White

rudolph's rouge Scarf $18, pleather skirt $42, necklace $34, crystal ring $15 and earrings $14 all from Lipstick Fashion Lounge.

>> fabulous fluff Fuzzy jacket $45, deer necklace $34, ostrich cuffs $18 each and trio of bangles $18 all from Lipstick Fashion Lounge.

>> festive fringe

Fringe beaded necklace $36, faux leather jacket $42, cuff bracelets $18 each, earrings $14 and velvet leggings $32 all from Lipstick Fashion Lounge.

Isha Casagrande is a fashion stylist who has a passion for fashion and a love for shopping. Isha's attitude is that fashion is about confidence and that confidence is about style. She owns Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon and dedicates her life to making people feel fabulous and sexy. Welcome to her fashionable world where labels do not matter, but that yourself worth does.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 35

Feature

LaVecchia Ristorante Text Oliver X

Photos Chris Holloman Katipo Creative Additional text courtesy of Nancy Eklof Public Relations

38 Reno Tahoe Tonight

For 25 years running LaVecchia has been a staple for Italian dining in Reno. Now well-established in their hillside digs on Skyline Boulevard, the restaurant boasts a spectacular city wide view, a produce garden on the premises, and food that is always fresh, fresh, fresh!

Chianti risotto and bavette steak served with chanterelle mushrooms in a trifolati sauce.

hen I arrived for my interview with Chef Owner Alberto Gazzola, he said he was just starting his composting for next year. Gazzola is considering doubling his garden, where he sources his wondrous tomatoes for his pizza sauce. “We harvested so much produce last year. There is full sun all day, every day. We had some lovely grape tomatoes, different kinds of squash and squash blossoms…it’s so fun to be able to walk outside and pick something fresh for our guests.” Chef Gazzola exudes the kind of easy charm and passion for his art that Italian culinarians are known for. His love for the food of his native

Varese in northwestern Italy comes through in his delicious cuisine. Gazzola began honing his skills in the kitchen early on while his four siblings ran and played outdoors, he learned, stove side the art and craft of Italian home cooking. He went on to learn the business while running his family restaurant/ bar and worked his way up to become chef of LaVecchia Varese, a progressive restaurant in his hometown of Varese. The rest is history, on a vacation to Reno in 1988, Chef Gazzola’s life started to change when an opportunity to open his own restaurant presented itself. He started La Vecchia Varese on West Street in 1990, then a move to Moana Lane for several years and close to 25 years later, the dream Reno Tahoe Tonight 39

Feature LaVecchia Ristorante restaurant atop Skyline Boulevard in Southwest Reno. The successful restaurant serving regional and progressive dishes, has earned a reputation for pleasing the palates of its loyal customers along with new Italian foodies. An avid Ducati motorcycle fan and rider, Alberto enjoys life with his wife Tomomi and son Luca. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Landing in Reno was a true revelation. A beautiful high desert setting, pristine nature and clean air was instrumental in making the decision to stay. Once familiar with the surrounding, I met

Pan seared day boat scallop on a bed of fresh greens capellini pasta with checca sauce served with whole milk mozzarella, fresh garlic, olive oil and heirloom grape tomatoes.

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many friends thru the restaurant and the activities I pursued, running and mountain biking. I met my beautiful wife and developed great friendships, which are still cherished today. Involvement in the community was a natural development and I love giving back. Once my son was in school, his school and activities became part of my interests. I love Reno and I am at home here.â&#x20AC;? Oliver X: What do you feel you take from your native region that finds its way onto your menu at LaVecchia?

Chef Gazzola: Here’s the thing about Italian food, because it gets changed by everybody all the time. Since I was born, I ate Italian food and I cooked Italian food for Italian people, so I learned the true traditional way of how we make things. In the 25 years since I’ve been away things have changed and I have too. A lot of it is due, amazingly enough, to the influence of the media and what’s going on in this country about food. They do things that are very Avant garde. A friend of mine was showing me an ossobuco, a veal shank that is braised for about three hours and usually served

with risotto—it’s right from where I’m from. Well this guy made one that was kind of a thick Carpaccio which is raw beef and then he made the bone, the osso, with a slice of parmesan cheese and he folded it to look like a bone. Then instead of risotto, he made a cream of risotto, and then used the marrow of the bone to make a foam. So it had all the elements, but it was on another planet! [laughter] But what I think I bring is the original flavors. What I try to do every time I cook is make it

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Feature LaVecchia Ristorante

Briana, Brian, Isha and Shirley enjoy a trio gelato dessert.

the way I know it—especially in the taste. So my pizza is the closest I can make it the way an Italian pizzeria would make it. My pasta has to be al dente; the tomato has to be a certain kind and the flavor has to be what I know. And once in a while, you know, I venture out and do the funky stuff. It’s fun. But when it comes to the classic Italian dishes, I stay true. Oliver X: Reno’s culinary scene has really made 42 Reno Tahoe Tonight

strides since the time when you first arrived. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen? Chef Gazzola: You can really see the change in what we have access to now. Access to the ingredients is much easier today. When I started we couldn’t get fresh homemade mozzarella. That didn’t exist when I opened my restaurant. I could barely get lady fingers for my tiramisu. I would drive to San Francisco and fill up so

I wouldn’t have to go back for a month. I couldn’t get prosciutto because it was illegal for such a long time. But I think the best thing that happened was that diners started to venture out from their comfort zone…They started to get prosciutto with their melons in the summer time; or they’d go sideways a little by having soups made with wine. So it wasn’t just restaurants evolving; the diners are the ones that made the biggest jump.

LaVecchia Ristorante is located at

3005 Skyline Boulevard #160, Reno, NV 89509. 775-825-1113. Reno Tahoe Tonight 43

Feature Text Oliver X and and Courtney Meredith Photos Tony Contini Intro Photo Jamie Kingham Some merchant photos and additional text provided by Design on the Edge and RWMA

Still ground zero for all things food, fun, fabulous and family in Reno, the historic Downtown Riverwalk District is supported and managed by the Riverwalk Merchants Association, whose membership has grown to well-over 50 businesses and organizations dedicated to

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supporting a safe and thriving social and shopping corridor. The RWMA holds popular monthly and annual events that help to generate additional funds to continue the revitalization of downtown Reno. Since its beginning, the Association

The RiveRwalk MeRchanTs associaTion

has devoted its energies to giving back to the community by donating thousands of dollars to local non-profits, developing new programs with the arts, music and redevelopment. The association has almost tripled its membership and prides themselves on the cross promotion, and collaboration

between local charities, events, organizations, businesses and other members. Here is our fourth annual showcase of the businesses of the Riverwalk District that help make Reno a great place to live, work and play year round.

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Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association

Photograph Antiques & Treasures

5 Star Saloon >> Still one of the premier late night destinations for a dazzlingly diverse demographic of collegiates, hipsters, gays and straights, the oldest GLBTQ bar in Reno hasn’t lost its swagger. The 5 Star plays host to numerous charity events and DJ nights and features karaoke, a respectable selection of craft beer, free wifi, an internet jukebox and there’s no cover charge to dance the night away. 5starsaloon.net Antiques & Treasures >> Crate diggers, garage sale junkies and collectors of all stripes are in heaven when they enter this department store sized mecca for swag, collectibles, antiques, vintage clothing and accessories. Get lost inside 17, 000 square feet of unique gift ideas stacked from floor to ceiling. antiquesreno.com Arlington Tower >> One of the signature properties in the heart of Downtown administrated by Reno Engineering Corporation, the Tower is a perfect space for photography, restaurant space, retail, financial or office space with Pricing starting at just $1.70 a Square Foot. Contact Britton at 813.1822 for details. 46 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Bar >> Bar has become one of the hottest college and locals hangouts in the Riverwalk. The establishment’s friendly staff, led by the beautiful Jessica Lee, keeps customers coming back to enjoy their dart tournaments, pool table and flat screen TV. Bar is always packed on the weekends and has an electric atmosphere for singles and couples alike. Beaujolais Bistro >> One of the anchor fine dining establishments that helped put the Riverwalk’s Dining District on the map. The cozy Bistro specializes in country French cuisine and features beef, pork and lamb offerings from the famous Niman Ranch, with fresh fish flown in from Maine. The award-winning bistro offers a four-course Prix Fixe menu and wine pairings, in addition to their regular menu. This writer still considers their Belgian frites to be hands down the best in town! Originally located at 130 West Street next door to 5 Star and near the West Street Market, Beaujolais will soon be opening at their new location in the gorgeous Powning District on Riverside Drive. beaujolaisbistro.com

Bowl >> Soul food for the heart and mind, served simply in um, bowls, this is without question my favorite place for gourmet comfort food that’s always a mind-blowingly delicious dining experience, this essential stop in downtown Reno’s Dining District is no longer Reno’s best kept secret. Chef Larry Dunning continues to create flavorful fresh dishes that use regional game, local ingredients and that rustic culinary aesthetic that can be found nowhere else in northern Nevada. Treat yourself to the pork shoulder and you will be transformed. thatbowlrestaurant.com

Bruka Theater >> An award-winning centerpiece of the downtown’s theater arts community, Bruka Theater--under the producing artistic directorship of the brilliant and talented Mary Bennett—has consistently presented the most engaging and provocative programming in northern Nevada, earning Bruka “Best Theatre Company” honors by The News and Review seventeen years running. bruka.org Audiences will not want to miss Brüka’s production of The Buttcracker 5 Pirate Booty now playing through December.

Bumblebee Blooms Flower Boutique >> Bumblebee Blooms is a unique flower and gift shop offering seasonal décor, original custom floral designs, plants, orchids, dish gardens, gourmet gift baskets featuring Village du Gourmet, artisan honey, teas and bees wax bath and body products. My girlfriend always gets an assortment of their delicious truffles which are some of the best I’ve had in the state! Specializing in beautiful sympathy and tribute designs, as well as weddings and special event planning, customers can find everything they need for a lovely remembrance or celebratory offering. Parking is available exclusively for customers just off Court Street in the parking garage of the Sierra Vista Building. bumblebeeblooms.biz

CAMPO >> As if this award-winning restaurant needs any introduction after many features in these pages. But just for fun, let’s pretend then that you have no clue about their delectable authentic Neapolitan cuisine that has national food critics and locals alike swooning over Chef Mark Estee’s whole hog concept of fine family dining. camporeno.com

Photograph Bruka Theater

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Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association Chocolate Bar >>

The Chocolate Bar offers a social style of dining with a one-of-a-kind menu and atmosphere, specializing in award-winning dishes, desserts and libations. They carry a wide variety of creations specially crafted to please any palate, including American cuisine, an array of chocolate desserts and a list of cocktails and libations unique to the Chocolate Bar and developed by their top mixologists. The unique menu also includes beer, wine, signature cocktails and small plates ranging from artisan cheese plates to bacon wrapped lamb. The posh décor makes this a spectacularly romantic Downtown dining destination that you won’t forget. thechocbar.com

Eye Candy Salon >>

Eye Candy Salon was established in May of 2011 as a full service hair salon specializing in all aspects of hair design. Customers can call in to set an appointment at 775-336-0285, or schedule online at www.eyecandysalonreno.com. Walk-ins are welcome too at their 122 West Second Street location. The salon regularly features fine art and photography by emerging artists and takes no gallery fees for showcasing the talented artists that grace their walls with their work. eyecandysalonreno.com Photograph Chocolate Bar

Fuego >>

Fuego is a full-service restaurant and bar serving delicious tapas (small plates) and a stellar selection of Spanish wine, ports, margaritas and sangria. Live music is often offered on the weekends and the atmosphere is comfortably casual, with tasteful décor and seasonal outdoor seating. fuegonv.com

Hookava Lounge >>

Hookava is Reno’s premier hookah Lounge featuring a relaxing atmosphere and a wide variety of tobacco flavors like Maui Wowi, Chocolate Éclair, and Strawberry Lemonade. The lounge also features a selection of wines, beer and snacks. hookava.com

Imperial Bar & Lounge >>

More than just the favorite fraternity and sorority hangout for beer and discount wings, Imperial is a legit gastropub that takes its bar food seriously and serves great food in a stylish environment. The burgers are top notch and their fries are incredible. They feature a diverse selection of beers on tap and the highest quality bang for your buck wine offerings. imperialbarandlounge.com 48 Reno Tahoe Tonight

First United Methodist Church >>

The oldest church in Reno, the First United Methodist Church, was erected in 1868. The church invites and welcomes tourists and visitors of all faiths. The church has been instrumental in helping to revitalize the Downtown area by initiating many activities that enhance our community. Photograph First United Methodist Church

Photograph National Automobile Museum

Java Jungle/Jungle Vino >>

The twin businesses share one of the best locations on the Riverwalk, yet their environments are completely different. Java Jungle is an institution and has earned a rep as the best place for people watching and catching the next local music star live before they become famous! Jungle Vino is swanky yet unpretentious, serving up premium wines and craft, domestic and imported beer.

Men Wielding Fire >>

The family style sit down restaurant located near Aces ballpark features a great bar, patio seating and a delicious menu with their signature tasty smoky barbeque offerings. Try the Tri-tip quesadilla! menwieldingfire.com

National Automobile Museum

Owner Matt Polley has a new lease on the property and, with the community’s support, will have a long tenure at the location that has become synonymous with innovative art and music programming as well as delicious food, beer, coffee and wine options. javajunglevino.com

Honored as one of the top five auto museums in America (The Harrah Collection) offers a wide array of more than 200 antique, classic, and specialty cars in both period street scene settings and changing specialty exhibits that transport visitors back in time. The museum is available for exhibits, banquet and special events. Their current exhibit is Pedal Cars: Kids Classic Rides Exhibit through May 22, 2014. automuseum.org

KOR Fitness >>

Nikos Greek Kitchen >>

Downtown’s newest fitness destination has everything you need to get fit well-before you make that New Year’s resolution. From muscle development, agility and strength training to personal training on state of the art equipment, KOR Fitness has classes for all fitness levels, conveniently located in the heart of Downtown. Stop in for a tour. korfitnessreno.com

Even though its beloved namesake, proprietor Nikos Theologitis has been battling cancer, the popular West Street Market restaurant continues to win Best of honors in the RN&R’s annual Reader’s Poll. Lovers of authentic Greek food love the wit and charm of Nikos’ wife Jacqui and continue to support the establishment for their famous Gyros. nikosgreekkitchen.com

La Terra Verte >>

Old Bridge Pub >>

Opened in 2006, La Terre Verte’s mission is to support the many talented folks who give life to new materials with preservation of the environment in mind. Reno’s favorite eco friendly boutique features recycled and handmade gifts from around the world; customers are certain to find something that’s beautiful and stunningly original. laterreverte.com

Ole Bridge Pub is sure to provide any “Beer Geek” with sensory overload when looking over their beer collection. The environment has an old world charm and coziness. A custom built shuffle board and five 50” HD flat screen televisions will also keep you entertained. Come enjoy a specialty pint or bottle while listening to music and watching the Truckee River on their huge private patio. olebridgepub.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 49

Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association Photograph Outsiders Hair Studio

Old Granite Street Eatery >>

Widely considered one of the jewels of downtown dining, Old Granite Street has earned a reputation for great food and drink in a comfortable environment. The tasty menu reflects their passion to provide familiar and comforting dishes with an emphasis on quality ingredients, combined with constantly rotating craft beer selections, focused wine options and handcrafted cocktails. oldgranitestreeteatery.com

Outsiders Hair Studio >>

Affectionately known as a rock n roll hole in the wall, Outsiders Hair Studio, located on Roff street inside the Arlington Tower, uses this tongue in cheek reference to highlight the edgy and irreverent coolness of their work space, in a salon that doubles as a fine art gallery. Owner Nellie Davis and fiancée Tyler transformed the interior of the salon and built out unique elements like stained bamboo flooring, reclaimed lockers and funky decorated salon chairs. The award-winning salon has a stellar crew of talented and experienced stylists who expertly execute cut, color, extensions, traditional looks and innovative hair styles— quite literally anything their customers can think up. outsidershair.com

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Pfpco.’s Noble Pie Parlor >>

One of my favorite late night spots, Noble Pie Parlor is also a great choice for lunch any day of the week. I typically get the Stromboli or a full order of their award-winning wings. Operating on the ground floor of the historic El Cortez Hotel, owners Ryan Goldhammer and Trevor Leppek are foodies who love to innovate, and their entrepreneurial instincts have helped to transform the strip of coolness that they do business in. The popular pie parlor also has a stellar list of craft beer offerings and their menu now includes many vegan options. Lately the pizzeria has been hosting an especially talented array of local, emerging fine artists on their walls. Stop in and check out the latest exhibit. noblepieparlor.com

Pizza Reno >>

Housed in one of Reno’s oldest buildings, Pizza Reno provides classic and gourmet pizzas, as well as ribs, wings, calzones, salads and appetizers. The atmosphere is old Reno in a restored brick building dating back to 1878. The huge full-service bar runs nearly half the length of the interior space and customers can choose to enjoy two patios and a customer parking lot that holds 15 cars. Pizza Reno can host special events, music and private parties and is a great gathering place for a beverage after work. pizzareno.net

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts >>

Photograph Reef Sushi and Sake

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts is the home of our region’s most prominent performing arts organizations, including the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra and the A.V.A Ballet Theater. The Pioneer also hosts “Broadway Comes to Reno.” With more than 100 performances a year, from dance to Broadway productions, The Pioneer offers something for everyone. pioneercenter.com

Plaza on the River >>

Just steps away from the river and Reno’s famous water park, Plaza on the River is a peaceful, gaming free oasis in the Riverwalk District. Enjoy one of the spacious rooms with views of the beautiful architecture, mountains, and river corridor. The Plaza features a large indoor pool and game room with billiards, concierge services and valet parking in the parking garage. Just a short walk from Reno’s top destinations, the Plaza also offers a rooftop Jacuzzi and sun deck. plazaresortclub.com

Reef Sushi and Sake >>

The Downtown location for sushi, this new addition to the Riverwalk serves up tasty apps all you can eat sushi and dessert for one affordable price. A must visit for locals and tourists alike; their river front patio has one of the best views of the Truckee River in town. reefsushi.com

Photograph Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts

Reno Tahoe Comedy >>

Reno Tahoe Comedy consistently brings the finest comics in the entertainment business to the Riverwalk District in their subterranean theater that comfortably seats over 175 people. The programming features comedians from Showtime, HBO, Comedy Central and the venue is available for concerts and performance and party rental. renotahoecomedy.com

Se7en on West >>

Tucked in the cozy rear corner of the District’s West Street Market, Se7en’s tea house and bar have become staples for locals and visitors alike. With a wide variety of specialty teas, coffee, craft beer and spirits, the bar is the perfect host for film screenings, art installations, acoustic concerts and DJ dancing. The venue offers seasonal drink specials and is known for serving up the best sangria and mojitos in town. facebook.com/SevenOnWest

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Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association Thai Corner Café >> Sierra House ThaiTap Corner Café >> is one of downtown Reno’s

Themore Sierra Tap House one of Reno’s popular unique diningisestablishments, offering up downtown on atmosphere the banks ofthat the allows Truckeeyou a refined,bars butright upbeat River. Outside seating features a view of Wingfield to thoroughly enjoy their delicious cuisine and Park, summer events andAall bustlebar of the artisan crafted sushi. fullthe service with big Riverwalk’s promenade. Inside old Chicago screen television provides thethere’s perfectansetting to feelenjoy with your its brick walls, exposedcold wood-beam favorite cocktails, beer andceiling fine andwine. friendly staff. Visitors and locals enjoy fine wine, Thai Corner’s friendly and fast service will topkeep shelfyou liquor, innovative drink and a wide coming back and thespecials food will make selection of beer onsing. tap from the Sierra Brewing your taste buds renothai.com Company. sierrataphouse.com

The Ross >> Silver & Taproom >> of old world The Peak Ross, aGrill resplendent example

Photograph Se7en on West

Sierra Arts >>

Sierra Arts is the local regional arts organization dedicated to presenting and promoting the arts—visual, literary, music, dance and performance—in our community. They develop new programs and provide facility management for gallery spaces, while giving financial and technical support to artists and arts organizations. Housed in the historic Riverside Hotel (home to the Artist’s Lofts and Wild River Grille), Sierra Arts offers rotating galleries and installations and some of the most innovative and engaging art exhibits in northern Nevada. sierra-arts.org

Summit Funding Inc. >>

Located on the 2nd floor of the Arlington Tower building, Summit Funding is fully prepared to provide you with the lending power of a national mortgage company with the personal attention and service of a local lender. They pride themselves on offering the best customer service in the industry whether it’s refinancing your existing mortgage or purchasing a new home, they provide top notch service and excellence to make your customer experience exceptional. summitfunding.net 52 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Silver Peakand is agracious anchor of downtown’s casual charm hospitality is a beautiful dining corridor. A restaurant brewery the heart historic building in the heart of the in Riverwalk of downtown, food, service and located awardon First andwith Westgreat streets. Conveniently winning beer offerings. Folks canrestaurants, enjoy a beershops, and near Wingfield Park, theaters, their salmon fish and chips while watching artfamous galleries and museums and gorgeous Truckeethe game on flat one of the River, Thescreen Ross istelevisions. just a quickThe ridepatio awayisfrom premier people in the city and the nearby Lake watching Tahoe andlocations Mount Rose where some establishment is always round. activities Walk-ins of the best skiing andpacked winter year recreational areanywhere welcome and restaurant can accommodate can the be enjoyed. The Ross is also steps large groups, friendsservice and stay a while. away fromso thebring free your bus shuttle through silverpeakbrewery.com Downtown to UNR. It’s also on the RTC bus line routes. therossapartments.com

The Waterfall >>

The Waterfall provides a safe and diverse environment featuring a selection of 24 drafts and signature cocktails. A popular destination for the singles set, regulars range from hipsters and collegiates to the rank and file looking for a great place to relax and enjoy beer pong, billiards, local art and quite possibly the best hookah lounge in town. There are over 30 flavors of tobacco available for $12 a bowl and $9 for refills. The Waterfall is also home to the popular Reno Beer Crawl. thewaterfallreno.com

The Montage Sales Center >>

The Montage provides a complete way of life in a modern community unlike anything else you’ll find in Downtown Reno. Close to shopping and the best dining in northern Nevada, the area’s natural beauty, hiking, skiing and kayaking help make The Montage an excellent choice for folks looking for a high quality of life in an awardwinning residential community. Residents can go from a metropolis to the mountain in under thirty minutes. The Montage offers five distinct residence styles, luxurious and contemporary finishes and world class amenities like a private owner’s lounge, underground parking, a 24 hour attended lobby, an outdoor rooftop pool and breathtaking views of Mount Rose and the gorgeous Truckee River. themontagereno.com

Photograph Java Jungle

The River Room >>

The River Room is my favorite restaurant for fine dining and a posh atmosphere—oh and the food is incredible. The staff, like bartender Travis, server Joe, Bar Manager Shaunessy and the entire kitchen staff are friendly, talented and make us feel like royalty every time we dine there. Make sure you make dinner plans this holiday season and try the scallop app—one of the best bites in Reno—and the juicy Rib Eye. My hat is off to Chef Joe Bell and Chef Jessica Marrufo, who have held the food standards high and kept the meat selections quality and consistently delicious. Owner Chuck Shapiro told me his holiday special event bookings for parties have been sold out for weeks. Congrats guys, much deserved! bestrenorestaurant.com/banquets/the-river-room

Trinity Episcopal Church >>

Trinity Episcopal Church houses the largest pipe organ in Nevada, as well as the largest working carillon, or bell tower, in the state! Trinity also presents the Sacred Space Gallery of Art and hosts free organ concerts every Friday at noon. The church is one of Reno’s most historic structures and is a destination you have to visit. trinityreno.org

VSA Nevada at The Lake Mansion >>

For over 25 years now, VSA Nevada, a nonprofit organization, has provided quality arts opportunities for children and adults of all ages and abilities throughout Nevada. Annually over 3,000 workshops and art camps are conducted for everyone to participate in from pre-school to adult—including over 300 workshops that are open to the public. The beautiful Lake Mansion is also available to rent for corporate, organization or private parties, special events and functions. The “Art Access Gallery” at the Lake Mansion has fine artwork and crafts available for sale created by Nevada artists who have a disability. vsanevada.org

West Street Wine Bar >>

Located inside the West Street Market, West St. Wine Bar is the creation of owner Rick Martinez, a man with a passion for travel and great wines. Featuring more than fifty wines by the glass, great imported beer, fine art on the walls and a chic atmosphere, the West St. Wine Bar is the anchor tenant of the now bustling West Street corridor. The staff of trained sommeliers can help you pick out the perfect holiday wine or seasonal offering from their award-winning wine list, so stop by and get that perfect wine for your holiday table. weststreetwinebar.com

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Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association

Photograph Riverwalk District Jamie Kingham

Wild River Grille >>

Perfectly positioned in the heart of Reno along the Truckee River, Wild River Grille offers attentive customer service and exceptional, seasonally-inspired nouveau American cuisine in an intimate, sophisticated setting inspired by the region’s natural beauty. Skilled bartenders behind a full bar present guests with a varied selection of wines from around the globe, refreshing beers, and handcrafted cocktails made from fresh squeezed juices and liquor infusions. In the warmer months, live music complements the riverside patio dining experience. Additionally, their patio is dog-friendly in the summertime. wildrivergrille.com

Whisky Bar & Lounge >>

Now under the ownership and management of serial entrepreneurs Trevor Leppek and Ryan Goldhammer (owners of Noble Pie Parlor), rumor has it that a new name will be rolled out prior to the new year to accompany the remodel planned that will make Whisky one of the unique cocktail destinations in northern Nevada. Goldhammer and Leppek have a strong vision for their establishment, which will have accents and splashes of color along with the kind of cool finishes that will entice Reno’s scene making creatives to cozy up and enjoy live music, DJ dancing and some of the most innovative beverage options anywhere.

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Z Pie >>

With the demise of my beloved Marie Callendar’s, I needed a new savory pot pie destination—and boy did I find it! Serving up “Pies with a Purpose” I have personally eaten at Z Pie over 300 times and have the reward points to prove it! Delicious gourmet pies, salads, soups and a select variety of craft beers and throw back soda brands keep people coming to this restaurant, which trains kids from the Eddy House on how to become self-sufficient and independent. The employees, who have aged out of the foster care system, learn life skills and get a hands-on education in the art of food service at the Z Pie location. All of the proceeds from the restaurant go to support the Eddy House and the kids do a great job serving Z Pie’s delicious pot pies. To go orders and take out are available and Z Pie also can cater your office lunch or holiday party. z-pie.com Photograph VSA Nevada at The Lake Mansion

Photo Tony Contini Model Briana Maselli Makeup Grace Avila

LABELS CONSIGNEMENT BOUTIQUE Located downtown just outside the Riverwalk’s hip and historic Powning District, you'll find Reno's finest and most exciting designer resale store. All the top names and designers are here from Chanel, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, to Valentino, Armani, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin and many more. This strictly upscale 3,000 square feet of elegance is a designer shopper’s dream come true, brimming with a huge selection of apparel for all seasons. The store’s friendly and knowledgable fashion consultants have timeless taste and are privy to the newest trends in style, fashion and accessories. A local Reno favorite, Labels has been selling designer apparel since 1993. Owner Blythe Anderson has creatd a niche all to herself with her impeccable fashion sense and attentive customer service. And ladies, if you love shoes, Labels has one of the largest selections of boots, heels and flats you can find, in near perfect condition. Going out on the town or to the office Christmas Party but don’t want to sell a kidney to afford to be fashionable? Come on in for the holidays and let Blythe custom fit you in something smashing that will have them talking about you for weeks. You’ll love the variety of accessories available from hats, gloves, scarfs, designer sun glasses, fur flings, stolls and wraps of the finest quality, gently worn and ready to thrill. labelsreno.com Briana wears a black silver beaded strapless dress by Cache $228. Silver glitter pumps by Jimmy Choo $577. Vintage rhinestone choker $23. Spike rhinestone bracelet $65.

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Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association Photo Tony Contini Additional text courtesy of Rawr Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

RAwR Almost hidden inside the Riverwalk’s West Street Market, right behind the popular Bowl restaurant is Reno’s best kept culinary secret: Rawr. Attracting a mix of sophisticates, gourmands, the curious and lovers of exotic fresh food, Rawr, meaning “I love you” in dinosaur speak, is the creation of master chef Larry Dunning, who sees Rawr as an opportunity to challenge his creativity and explore unchartered culinary landscapes. Rawr’s mission is to serve animal and plant products which are unprocessed and uncooked. The result is a primal dining adventure composed of ingredients in their purest state, an experience aiming at umami, a Japanese term meaning “the beautiful taste.” The primary focus at Rawr is to prepare raw food that tastes good. The bonus is that consuming foods in their raw state, particularly a plant based diet, is believed to prevent degenerative diseases, slow the effects of aging, provide energy, and support emotional balance. Oh and it doesn’t hurt that the food is prepared with care, is gorgeously plated and tastes divine! Rawr supports several local farms with deep organic practices and a commitment to the earth. The same standard of quality is applied to sourcing the meat products on the Rawr menu. Local farms include: Earth Alchemy in Reno, Mewaldt Organics in Fallon, Sierra Valley Farms in Beckwourth California, Riverschool Farms in Reno, Sandra Beckett and Mike Johnson’s Backyard Farms in Reno, La Quercia in Iowa who make responsibly produced artisan cured meats, Van Norman Ranches in Tuscarora Nevada who provide Wagyu and Angus natural beef, and Pierless Fish Co. from Brooklyn New York who also supply the Michelin starred restaurant The French Pantry (which often finds itself on the Top 5 list of restaurants in the world!) with their fresh seafood. Chef Owner Larry Dunning has made food his art. Formally trained in Vermont at the New England Culinary Institute, Dunning has worked at Jardiniere in San Francisco, Mustards in Napa Valley, Plumpjack in Squaw Valley and has traveled extensively in Europe, working with a few great chefs along the way. Dunning has brought his expertise and unique food philosophy to Bowl and Rawr and Reno residents are delighting in his innovative and deliciously fresh food offerings.

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Photo Butternut chanterelle cannaloni, rosemary cream sauce, smoky pasilla tapenade, candied walnuts.

RENO ENVY Photo Tony Contini Model Angela Davis Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight Reno eNVy is Reno’s signature iconic brand specializing in all things Reno. Featuring a wide variety of apparel and novelty items, collectibles and gifts, all of which embrace our unique lifestyle and misfit culture. Reno eNVy is also the home of the Reno Tahoe Visitor’s Center, where visitors can find maps and publications detailing everything they need to know to enjoy outdoor excursions like hiking and skiing and all the fine dining within walking distance in the Riverwalk District. Owner Scott Dunseath and staff can assist anyone in finding out where to go and what to do in the Biggest Little City. Renoites and tourists might have noticed that the RSCVA has adopted Reno eNVy’s Airstream half shell and placed it at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport due to its high brand recognition and association with travel. Dunseath, one of this city’s most creative thinkers, continues to innovate, and in his new role as the newly elected President of the Riverwalk Merchants Association, we should all be on the lookout for great things from Reno eNVy and Dunseath in the New Year! renoenvy.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 57

Feature // Riverwalk Merchants Association

I BEAN GROUNDED Photo Tony Contini Model Briana Maselli Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight Cara Kennedy is determined to make her I Bean Grounded coffee shop a staple of the downtown coffee community. Toward that end, she proudly serves beans sourced from The Hub Coffee Roasters’ Mark Trujillo, the de facto coffee king of Reno. “He came in and trained our staff from top to bottom,” notes Kennedy. “When people see on our menu board that we serve The Hub, whether it’s for decaf or regular coffee, they love that they don’t have to go down to Midtown or to the river to get their Hub coffee. I Bean Grounded serves preservative free syrups, candies and chocolate for their flavored coffee drinks. “We spend the extra money to get the best quality products and we try to keep it all local,” she says. I Bean Grounded is located across the street from The Montage in the shop formerly occupied by

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Wild West Tattoo. “We’re on The Montage Star Program where they offer their home owners a discount and in return The Montage promotes I Bean in their monthly newsletter.” Kennedy and her fiancé Todd see their business as a coffee gallery. “We don’t charge any commission on sales or a hanging fee to showcase the fine art on our walls,” Kennedy emphasizes. Artists are encouraged to come in and show their work for consideration during business hours and they typically get a full month to show their work. I Bean is also part of the suspended coffee program. People come in and buy two cups and leave one on suspension, so if somebody wants a cup of coffee they can get a free one. “We’re one of the few businesses in the western US who is actually listed on the Suspended Coffee web site,” Kennedy says. With a huge love of the community, free wifi, walking distance delivery, a clean student friendly environment, stunning original art exhibits on the walls and excellent coffee offerings, I Bean Grounded is poised to make a hard run at being your favorite coffee shop. facebook.com/pages/I-Bean-Grounded

Feature

First Course Beef Tartare in a Jar, Cornichons, Toast Points, Stone Ground Mustard ~or~ Crab Louie on Chilled Endive Russian Dressing Aioli ~or~ Soyrizo Potato Pierogi with Cilantro Pesto Second Course Roasted Beet Borscht with Dill Crème Fraiche ~or~ Lobster Chowder topped with Shrimp Ceviche ~or~ Winter Mix Green Salad Toasted Pecan, Apple-Cranberry Compote and Apricot Vinaigrette Third Course Braised Lamb Shank served with Garlic Mash and a Mint Rosemary Pan Gravy ~or~ Pan Seared Sea Bass with French Green Beans Wild Mushrooms, Pappardelle tossed in a Truffle Provençale ~or~ Meatless Black Bean and Lentil Meatballs in Marinara over Roasted Spaghetti Squash ~or~ Grilled 8 oz. Filet Mignon with Charred Onion over a Mushroom Risotto Cake with Béarnaise Sauce Add 6 oz. Lobster Tail for $15 Add Oscar (lump crab, asparagus, scallop béarnaise) - $9 Add Three Cheese Twice Baked Potato - $6 Fourth Course Chocolate Turtle Pretzel Crusted Bars ~or~ Peach Melba

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Revel in the Old, Ring in the New at Wild River Grille RTT: What is going on at Wild River Grille to ring in 2014? We’re lucky to have one of the most beautiful dining locations in the region, nestled right next to the Truckee River in the magnificent Riverside building. This spring, the historic Virginia Street Bridge--the spot that Marilyn Monroe tossed her ring into the river the movie The Misfits, and the Rat Pack roamed--will be torn down to make way for a modern version, so this New Year’s Eve, we’re going to pay tribute to the history that surrounds us, while making way for the new…year, bridge, view, era. RTT: What does that tribute look like for guests that evening? On the 31st there will be dinner reservations available from 5-10:30 p.m., live music bringing people back to Reno’s heyday from 9:30p to 12:30a in the River Room--which also offers a prime view of the fireworks and action under the Arch--and a champagne toast for everyone dining that evening. Chef Joseph Bell has come up with a $70 per person fourcourse, prix fixe menu with options that truly span the ages and blend the old with the new. Guests joining us that evening will spot some longtime favorite dishes with a modern spin, along with some dishes created as a tribute to some of the cultures that have helped build our Biggest Little City over the decades. RTT: Well, that has our mouths watering, anything else we should know? We have two full bars, both of which will be serving drinks to diners, or those who simply want to enjoy the music and nibble on some items off of the prix fixe menu. Reservations are required for New Year’s Eve dining, and guests will have the option to sit in the more intimate Wild River Grille, or the spacious and bustling River Room, so please book by calling the Wild River Grille at 775-284-7455, or visit WildRiverGrille.com. Editor’s Note -> Consistently great food and attentive service in one of the most comfortably elegant dining environments in downtown Reno keeps the Wild River Grille on the top of our list of Reno’s essential restaurant locations. Owner Chuck Shapiro recently added a delicious chicken pesto sandwich that is so succulent and flavorful we have already ordered it several times in the two weeks since its appearance on the menu. Executive Chef Joe Bell, Chef Jessica Marrufo and the entire team are exceptional, making Wild River Grille the perfect holiday dining destination.

Feature

Scott is wearing a black natural ranch mink coat.

Brittney wears a natural mahogany mink with spotted leopard.

Text Oliver X Photos Chris Holloman

Fur on Flesh Part 2

ell the pray for snow campaign worked and the Truckeee Meadows has been blessed with an early snow fall. And not a moment too soon for some businesses that depend on seasonal weather to spike their retail success. It’s the perfect time to consider making a luxury coat a part of your winter fashion wardrobe. William Furs has everything you need to look and feel warm and stylish this season. In part 2 of our feature on William Furs, owner William Asmar talks about the functionality, care and maintenance of these stunningly beautiful furs and leather coats available exclusively at William Furs. RTT: What options do you have for men’s leather coats? William Asmar: I have one of the largest selections of men’s fine leather in northern Nevada. I have the best leather for men from all over the world. RTT: Is Italy still a leader in leather manufacturing? William Asmar: Yes, Italian Leather is still considered to be the best because of the good chemicals that they use for dying the leather pelts and the machinery they use to process the leather.

every coat. Fur vests made of mink, fox and beaver can be worn ten months out of the year. So they are a very practical, functional and stylish part of any wardrobe.

Best Mink is from the U.S. Best Beaver is from Canada Best Fox is from Norway Best Chinchilla is from Hungary I go to Fallon for the largest Lynx auction. Trappers from all of the Western States and buyers from all over the world come to this auction. RTT: What about buying online? It’s a bad idea to buy online. You can buy a size twelve coat from Bloomingdale’s or Sacks and it doesn’t fit. You can spend a few thousand dollars on these catalog furs. Some of these purchases are non-refundable. The proper way to buy a fur is to come in and try it on. RTT: So many people here have coats in their closets that were inherited or gifted to them. If someone wants to move a coat out of their wardrobe what do you suggest?

RTT: Is the USA still a leader in fur manufacturing?

Before you sell a coat on consignment, bring it in to me, let me clean your coat; let me spray it and recondition the coat. Once a coat dries out, it will crack and it is unfixable.

William Asmar: These days China controls most of the manufacturing. They come to the auctions here and buy and then resell. There are only a few small areas left that manufacture: New York and Canada. China dominates.

We have a consignment room with over 1,000 coats in it! A lot of our business is trade in. People acquire a fur by inheritance and don’t know the basics of proper care and upkeep of their fur.

RTT: For readers who might not have considered fur why is it a good fashion choice?

RTT: So there are restoration options for fur?

William Asmar: The warmth and luxury are unsurpassed. Fur like beaver and mink are very warm. We can shear and customize

William Asmar: We have tailoring services. We can fix zippers and magnet fasteners on the premises. We also have a large cold-storage vault for storing furs during the warmer months.

Hair Nellie Davis Outsiders Hair Studio

Catering Java Jungle

Makeup Kristina Nierman Kiss and Makeup

Production Assistance by Brian Williams and Cindy Pratte

Models Scott Lomill and Brittney Brannagan

Styling assistance Isha Casagrande

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Cleaning, Glazing, and Conditioning services are available on the premises, along with restyling and alteration needs for all kinds of furs. RTT: What if someone wants to get their coat appraised? William Asmar: We provide a certificate of appraisal for a cost of $35 per garment. There are two kinds of appraisals: Replacement Value (for insurance claims of theft or loss), and Actual Value (estate or resale, etc.). Furs can be insured as part of a homeowner’s insurance policy. If your fur is lost in a restaurant, in a fire, stolen from your car, you’re covered. RTT: Can fur go down in value if proper care is not employed? William Asmar: We say fur is an investment, but not because they appreciate. It is an investment because it is a legacy garment. Generational and always in possession of intrinsic value as family heirlooms. The lifespan of a fur coat is 80 years or more if the garment is properly taken care of. RTT: What are some of the key elements that allow customers to maintain the luster of the furs?

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Storage – Cold storage – 50 degrees with humidity control for summer season. Cleaning – Proprietary process. Drum and saw dust, cleaning materials to remove dust, dirt. Glazing – Spray skin to make it supple again. Reconditioning – Open the lining and put liquid on the pelt for it to stay supple and soft. People think their coats are safe in their closets, but fur sucks oil from the pelt. Every year we must give moisture back to the pelt. Think of fur like your own hair. William Furs is open six days a week from 9:30am – 5:30pm and closed on Sundays. Located at 3370 Lakeside Ct. in Reno. 775-828-0995. www.williamfurs.com

Feature

Furs on Flesh Part 2

Brittney is wearing black bra Rex rabbit, the wrap around her waist is black fox & the long coat in her hand is Ranch mink.

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INTRODUCING

RENOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RIVERWALK DISTRICT by Courtney Meredith & Christopher Meredith

Available at Reno Visitor Center, Barnes & Noble, & Amazon ISBN-13: 978-0-7385-9671-6 Retail price: $21.99

Freestyle

Photographer Kiley Howard kileyhoward@charter.net 775-250-3010

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Krewella

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Freestyle

Photographer Kiley Howard

Hawai'i

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Big Sean

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Freestyle

Photographer Kiley Howard

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Freestyle

Photographer Kiley Howard

Jane's Addiction

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Humor Text Gertie Ok Photo Sebastian Diaz Hair by Tres Benzley, Caliber Salon & Spa

Dear Women’s Liberation Movement, You endeavored to prove to the world, to women, to men, that anything a man can do, women can do better.

ou got busy brainwashing. When I was a child I remember the TV more and more loudly displaying the superiority of women, beside the supposed inferiority of men. If only men weren’t idiots, then women wouldn’t need those super-absorbent paper towels, or super-shining furniture polish, or super-easy microwaveable meals. You showed us that a man’s place was not at the head of the table, but at the brunt of the jokes. A man was someone you roll your eyes at, or make fun of when he’s not looking. A man was someone to question and challenge. A man was someone to be used and controlled. Everything you sought to remedy for women, you created for men. And just made worse for women. Oh, we can vote. And wear pants. And use a microwave. But now we have to open doors. We have to make decisions. We have to decide if we should sneak into the Porn Folder and delete a few gigs or just buy a new computer for ourselves. We are the bread winners; we should be able to buy ourselves a new computer, right? And yet, there doesn’t seem to be enough money for that. Oh my God, he’s whining about needing money for a new part for his car. There’s one thing women can’t do better: take care of ourselves. We were designed to be protected, loved, nurtured by a man, but they have no clue how to do it--remember?! We told them they were incompetent idiots! Women’s Liberation Movement, you have destroyed the American Man born circa 19701990. You have taken his place and identity, and handed it off to the foreign-born and raised.

You have destroyed the American Woman born in the same time period. You have taken her petticoats and parasol and replaced them with shackles of responsibility and control. You have taught women to only feel worthy if they have achieved greatness, if they have become a man. If they can tell the best story, burp the loudest, or take advantage of the most people. This leaves us with a society of lonely, burdened American women and displaced American men. Luckily, for women, the borders are open, and immigration is on the rise.

Women, contrary to everything

you’ve ever been told by society, THIS is what a good man looks like: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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he opens doors for you he plans dates he makes reservations he arrives on time or early for your date he has a car he has a house he has a job he is ambitious he has goals he listens to you he gives you gifts based on what he hears you say he introduces you to his friends and family he won’t settle for anything less than a lady

And then all these feelings of entitlement might well up in you. A voice in your stomach screaming, “Yeah, where the hell is my Good Man!? Dammit!” You might start scheming on how to find a man, how to “get him.” You might go right to your brain and try to solve the problem--like a man. Which means, now it’s your turn to do some painful self-reflection, to see if maybe you’ve been less than a lady. I want to list off the qualities of a lady, but I fear it will be so startling; you’ll just go into denial and throw this issue of RTT across the room.

BECOMING A LADY Clean Up: clear the memories from your closet, your dresser, your garage. Everything that reminds you of an ex needs to go: clothing, gifts, paintings, phone numbers, text conversations, emails, pictures. Everything! Everything that would promote a non-lady-like life needs to also go: Gertie Ok that skanky dress?! Seriously!? Get RID OF IT! When you find yourself feeling attached to something (I paid over $100 for these boots!), ask someone was arranging for a man for them. And yourself what the value of a relationship with a then Disney came along and told us we would get good man is to you. You might not be ready. If to ride a magic carpet if we defied our parents. not, keep the boots and leave the good men to the And they were right. But that’s not what you women who are ready! wanted, remember?

Upgrade: while you’re at the thrift store donating all your old memories, upgrade your wardrobe.

Think, “What would I have to wear if I was the First Lady?” She would not wear her pajamas to work, that’s for sure. And she would probably iron those pants. Hair cut? Maybe time for something new! Tell your hair stylist you want something “professional, conservative and lady-like.”

Affirm: what are you telling yourself every day?

Are you listing off the atrocities of your life? Are you whining about being a single mom? Try a new affirmation: I am a lady, confident and composed, with room in my heart and my life for a gentleman.

Wait: this is the part that is basically impossible. There was a time when women didn’t think they held their destiny in their hands; they knew

Act: you still can’t wait, can you? Ok, here’s something to do instead of taking up knitting. Be a MAN--in your business, in your career, in your volunteer efforts. Be the best, reach new heights, achieve great things, solve big problems, and even get a good burp in now and then. And at the end of the work day, put it away. Take off the pants, and put on a dress. Try cooking. Try calling your mom. Try growing out your nails. Try being a lady.

Gertie Ok wears the pants at her web design business, Waking Girl Web Design. She has recently opted for a dress at home, and has experienced positive results. She’s got enough friends but feel free to Follow her on Facebook for more wit and charm. Reno Tahoe Tonight 79

Interview

Oliver X Introduces

RTT Events

Text Elisika Arango

I am honored to have been a part of the Reno Tahoe Tonight family since its inception. Lately it seems like Oliver X and RTT are everywhere! We’ve collaborated on a number of events over the years and a formal event management structure seems like a logical next step for the brand, as well as a great opportunity for our community to have access to a true professional. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with him and talk about the future and his plans for RTT Events.

Oliver X

Elisika Arango

Elisika Arango: You and RTT have been involved in an increasing number of community events in the last few months. Is this an area in which RTT is looking to expand?

Elisika Arango: From your experience what makes an event successful?

Oliver X: As a publication, we are privy to more community oriented events and fundraisers than most media outlets simply because of our wellestablished track record of providing easy access to earned media placement in our pages. But I have been producing and programming consistently since 1991—first on the UC Berkeley campus and later in LA as a national talent buyer for Sean Healy Presents. With well over a thousand events under my belt in major cities like LA, New York, San Francisco and Austin, RTT is equipped to project manage and coordinate an assemblage of 200-2,000 attendees. Our current vendor, major media, talent relationships, social media and human resource networks are all top-notch. So we decided to formally offer our services (under the moniker of RTT Events) to Non-profit organizations, businesses and brands who wish to take their special events productions and promotions to the next level. 82 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Oliver X: There’s no real formula for a slam dunk event. Managing public assemblages is really an underappreciated art form, but the success protocols always include: concept management, great communication and leadership, budget creation and a true passion for the cause. Central to any successful event is establishing and disseminating a clear calendar management protocol--which is a written outline of punch list items divided into float (important, but nonessential items along the timeline that can be fulfilled at any point in the run-up to the event like name tags, balloons, etc.) and critical path items (essential elements that must be done in a timely manner to stay on mission), including room reservation, talent acquisition, invites, catering, seating and the like. Additionally, crucial elements like advance planning and adequate lead time, tenacious media outreach, street marketing, realistic goals and expectations, pre-sale ticketing, delegating

and volunteer coordination can make a huge impact on how any event is promoted, received, experienced and executed. In my experience, the combination of the above really sets up event planners for success if they stick to the plan and fully invest themselves in a positive process orientation and outcome for their client(s). Elisika Arango: What do you find is the greatest challenge for organizations looking to have an event? Oliver X: Concept management--which is really about leadership--making realistic choices about the event’s scope and timetables, budgeting and lead time. Far too many events happen inside a calendar window that doesn’t allow for proper organizational planning, staffing and promotion. If an organizer is constantly rushed for time, underfunded and unprepared for the curve balls that get thrown their way along the timeline, then their prospects for success will decrease tremendously--even though they might have other key elements on the punch list covered. Elisika Arango: Your reputation is synonymous with programming music and concert type venues. Are these the events you are focusing on or are you involved in any other projects as well? Oliver X: I recently had the privilege of accepting an invitation to join the Artown Board of Directors, which is a stellar assemblage of private, and public sector professionals and community leaders, led by the electric energy and ideation of Executive Director Beth Macmillan. I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to the seminal arts organization of record here in northern Nevada, and this year, Artown will bring another amazing event season to Reno— 90% of which is created, produced and executed by local artists and residents. My radio show on 101.3FM Renegade Radio and 99.1FM Fox News Talk also keeps me very busy and engaged with the creative community and non-profit sector. Community radio stations like the Bay Area’s KPOO and KPFK influenced and educated me to the impact this form of media can have on an individual level. I’m able to reach thousands of listeners from Gardnerville and Minden to Golden Valley and beyond. Having that platform has been a useful tool in supporting the event programming that is often under the radar and out of the mainstream. But to get back to your question, typically I’m approached a few dozen times a year for assistance and/or coordination on everything from fashion shows and crawls to live concerts

and fundraisers with entertainment components. The direction we’re now going in is that we are offering support services and project management, for a fee for our expertise, which has a measurable value and substantial impact. Elisika Arango: Bringing in an event planner is obviously an additional cost in the process. What would you say, from your years of experience, to those unsure of the value? Oliver X: Excellence always has a market value. But I would tell folks looking for event planners to really look hard at their track record, referrals and community profile. What is their reach and level of expertise and influence? There are plenty of charlatans out there ready to take your money and waste your time. Make sure any planner retained has earned a solid reputation and is easy to work with. Nobody wants to work with a slob, a know-it-all or a curmudgeon just because they’re successful. A great multi-media list, good bedside manner and great taste and judgment are the qualities I look for when seeking assistance from consultants or planners at any level. Ultimately, if the planner can communicate effectively, delegate and keep the event on budget and on time, it’s well worth the cost of acquiring their skills to quarterback an event. Elisika Arango: If I have an event I want your help with or input on, what should I do? Oliver X: Call me. We can first assist in an area that’s seldom valued and always critical: market analysis. You don’t want your event falling on the same date and time as something like the Zombie Crawl or Santa Crawl. Then we listen to the client’s needs, understanding the scope of the event and establishing a budget and timetable for critical elements to be executed like venue acquisition, talent procurement (if needed) and other key items along the critical path. Our fees for services are flat rates, but it all starts with clear concise communication with the client about their needs and goals for their event and putting together a plan with the maximum potential for success. If you need help planning and executing a special event or fundraiser, contact Oliver X at 775-412-3767, or email him at renotahoetonightrocks@gmail.com. Elisika Arango is practically a Reno native having lived here over 30 years. She is a Holistic Health and Happiness Coach working to help you achieve balance, energy and abundance in your life. www.elisikaarango.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 83

LIVE!

The good folks from Tahoe Blue Vodka October 7, 2013 @ Red Bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s California vs. Nevada DJ Battle event at the Reno Knitting Factory Photographer Chris Holloman 84 Reno Tahoe Tonight

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WWW.BRYONEVANSFILMS.COM

Local Lit

Part 2 of a two-part feature

Text Oliver X

Photo Shannon Balazs

The Devils of Eden:

A Veteran’s Story of Contemporary War By Joseph Holsworth Joseph Holsworth

Eager for combat and a battlefield kill, Joseph Holsworth’s eighteen year-old protagonist Specialist Joe Harris--aka “Cherry”--is deployed to Afghanistan’s Firebase Gardez in the Paktia Province in 2003 with the Army’s 82nd Airborne. Holsworth’s character development is rich and colorful as the motley crew of chain smoking, foulmouthed paratroopers are led by the stoic Alpha Team leader Sergeant Eden to a base two miles above sea level in an extremely dangerous, Taliban controlled area along the Pakistani border. 88 Reno Tahoe Tonight

ore memoir than novel, the book nevertheless is a riveting read detailing Harris’ evolution as a soldier and a human being in the most challenging environment of his young life. In Devils, Holsworth strips away any semblance of war as an idealized macho rite of passage to manhood—or even as a necessary and patriotic answer to terrorism for that matter-and reveals the utter futility of our presence in the region as a flag waving front for the extension of America’s imperial appetite. RTT: Firebase Gardez seemed to be a place of stultifying boredom or random chaos at any moment. Describe how Harris’ mind state about the war began to change as he got into the meat of his deployment there. Joseph Holsworth: For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to go to war. Whether it was as a kid playing the socially antiquated game of cowboys and Indians or as an early teenager doing pushups with the Marines in Full Metal Jacket, it was something that I always wanted to be a part of. What nobody tells you about war is that it’s mostly all bullshit. Words like ‘brotherhood’, and ‘duty’, and ‘honor’ don’t have the same allure to them anymore because you know what they really mean. Harris, like so many others of his generation, went to war in desperate salvation of a persona of masculinity

that was constructed for the very purpose of ensuring there would be dedicated participants willing to kill and die for the economic aspirations of the few that have been shrouded by nationalistic propaganda and nonsensical glorification by the many. Each passing day brings Harris closer to this painful truth. RTT: How was Harris affected by the horrific shooting of the ten-year-old farm boy who was unarmed and clearly seeking medical assistance at Firebase Gardez? Joe Holsworth: It was like witnessing a murder. The killing of any person on the battlefield is always sad; it’s a loss of human life. When it is a civilian it’s tragic, and still further, when it’s a child, the consequences are life-changing. The soldiers weren’t prepared to deal with this kind of situation and it was a knee jerk reaction from one soldier that was then immediately followed by many, which is so often the case in these instances. The result is always the same though: politicians argue, big business makes money, soldiers fight, civilians die. RTT: The loss of Browning and Showalter in Tower 2 was a devastating occurrence that seemed to be the catalyst for a very dour tour from that point forward. Was that the low point for Harris? Joseph Holsworth: This is when Harris becomes more isolated and alone than he already was. His best friend and counterpart in the squad is dead and they have all been intimately acquainted with the notion that even paratroopers bleed and die. They lose one of their own, from inside the squad. From that moment on its like death is always waiting for them. It walks with them everywhere and while they can’t see it, they know it’s silently watching to pick out who’s next. RTT: The book describes a tragic and troubling scene involving four 12-14 year-old prepubescent Afghan girls literally stripping naked for MRE’s. It seemed like Harris lost a bit of his humanity at that moment. How did that memory--burned indelibly into his psyche--affect the remainder of his tour and future tours? Joseph Holsworth: This one is hard to write about. It was hard the first time. I have been staring at this question for the last ten minutes with images of that day repeating in my head like a nasty alarm clock. When something like this occurs, the whole world loses a bit of their humanity; Harris just had to watch it happen

RTT: Without spoiling anything for future readers, talk about the impression that Farid the Afghani interpreter had on Harris and what he took away from that relationship. Farid was the face of the Afghan people. In a world where people are forced to choose a side or die, he chose to live. Harris had forged a peculiar bond and friendship with Farid, one certainly not based on mutual respect or concern. The relationship between Harris and Farid is demonstrative of the prevalence of American exceptionalism so many of us possess without our ever acknowledging those prejudices. RTT: It seemed like the only way Valentine kept his sanity was by writing those love letters to his wife. Talk about their relationship. Joseph Holsworth: I think all soldiers in war try to hold onto something to keep them sane… something from before combat from back home; something that’s still good and pure that they can go home to. Too often you hear horror stories of unfaithful wives and cheating girlfriends. I think just like the rest of my book, I wanted to tell the other side of the story. It was a bit of hope in an otherwise hopeless world. RTT: The way Devils ends leaves many questions about the fate of the paratroopers of Firebase Gardez. Might there be a sequel? Joseph Holsworth: I left the ending open so the reader could do what they want with those fates. The sense of emptiness that many feel when reading the ending was the closest thing I could create in reconstructing the feeling when finally leaving the firebase. There will not be a direct sequel to the book, but I promise a loose to close continuation of Harris’ character. I write what I know and what I have lived through. Harris is my characterization of the 21st century infantryman and I will use him as my basis for my protagonist returning from war in my new novel. The battle continues for most soldiers long after they have left country. A new battle has emerged at home. We have lost more soldiers to suicide than enemy fire. And we are still fighting both wars.

Joseph Holsworth’s The Devils of Eden is available at Barnes and Noble and at Amazon.com. Reno Tahoe Tonight 89

On the Rise

Ali Strange Bikinis

Model: Brittney Brannagan Photographer: Mathew McIver HAMU: Edin Carpenter Stylist: Emily Leggitt

Local fashion designer uses Kickstarter Campaign to ask community for help in taking business to next level. Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight Ali Strange Bikinis is now campaigning with Kickstarter to raise funds to manufacture its product in the US and get them into retail stores. The project launched on October 25, 2013 and will run until December 13, 2013. $1,426 has currently been raised, with a goal of $5,000. On average, Ali Conway, the fashion designer behind this startup, currently hand sews 150 suits a month. This no longer sustains the company’s growth. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2009, Ali Conway started pursuing her dream of starting her own business by designing and hand sewing bikinis from home. For the first three years of its existence, Ali Strange Bikinis grew solely from social media and word-of-mouth exposure--namely Facebook and Instagram.

Model: Kirsten Power Photographer: Mathew McIver HAMU: Edin Carpenter Stylist: Emily Leggitt

In 2012, Ali Conway won the RAW Artist Reno award for Fashion with Ali Strange Bikinis’ line. This past year, Ali Strange Bikinis was part of The Reno Fashion Show hosted by Janice Dickinson in July. This brand has become a familiar staple among the arts and fashion scene in Reno. So much so, that the demand for its product has outgrown its available resources. Ali Strange Bikinis’ goal is to raise capital to enable it to reach its next level of growth. The 90 Reno Tahoe Tonight

revenue from this campaign will cover: fabric sourcing, pattern-making, labels and hang tags, manufacturing, PR and sales reps. Also planned is a photo shoot for a look book, including model, photographer, hair and makeup artists. Lastly, it will cover a booth at the Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas. Check her out on IG @alistrangebikinis or look up #alistangebikinis for fan photos. Ali Strange Bikinis is a local startup, fueled by the talent of an ambitious young fashion designer. Giving “Strangers” what they need to stay “Lookin’ Fly and Gettin’ By.” While helping to put Reno’s arts and fashion scene on the map, Ali Strange Bikinis is now asking Reno to help put her on the map. For more information on Ali Strange Bikinis, visit her Kickstarter Campaign here

Photo Dana Nollsch Hair and Makeup Jenny O Salon 7 Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

Foul mouthed and uncouth, venomous and hilarious Jenny PezDeSpencer is a one-of-akind talent with a heart of gold under that gruff exterior. Her fifteen minutes of Reno fame is in full swing and she is ready for her close up.

Jenny PezDeSpencer: Next Best Bartender RTT: So what’s this rumor I hear about you being on TV? Oh it’s no rumor it’s true. I was cast on the new reality show Next Best Bartender. The premise of the show is they take people who have never bartended and teach them how to be a bartender. I actually was told about it by someone and thought what the hell, and then I promptly forgot about it. Thank God for my Droid it reminded me like a week before; then the morning of the casting call at Rise Night Club. I didn’t even know at the time that there was cash and prizes at stake until I went to the casting call. Then it was like, REALLY!? $25,000 in cash and prizes, a trip to Vegas as well as some incredible custom made jewelry from BVW Jewelers from Reno but only if I am in the top 3? So I was like, “Sign me the fuck up!” RTT: Talk about the audition process and what you had to do. Well... There’s a lot I cannot tell you. But I can tell you I was first in line, first to audition and, well what do you know? I was chosen to be on the show. The process itself was pretty straight forward. It was like a job interview on film except most of the people were clearly not even skilled enough to be an unskilled bartender. So me getting on the show 92 Reno Tahoe Tonight

was pretty much a given from the start… there is some serious talent on the show, but then again there are some who I would question their motives to be there. Like we couldn’t get into a treatment program, so we will try out for a reality show. Did that hurt? Oh yeah it did. RTT: How has it been working with the producers and contestants on Next Best Bartender? The producers Stevie Kellum, Joseph Squellati, Harvey Lowry have just been totally supportive of us. Not only on the show but any other endeavor we have going on. Our trainer pour master and bartender extraordinaire Justin Zora was just awesome and he knows so much about bar tending. Now for the contestants, like I said, before some are certainly stronger competitors but some well...all I can really say is watch the show and watch them fall. I was on it and like any great TV show there is bound to be a great mix of talent, drama and just plain cra cra craziness--not only here but in our other locations Sacramento and Las Vegas. If you look at some of them on social media, well, you’ll get it. I mean everyone needs to remember this is also a serious competition and some didn’t take it seriously at all. When you watch it you will see. Read the full article in the December digital edition of RTT at: www.renotahoetonightmagazine.com.

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Why Raw?

Raw Nutrition Text Rachelle Lanning Photo Tony Contini

With all of the fad diets and the latest developments on what’s “good for you,” it can be really hard to decipher what is actually best for you, as opposed to what might just aid in the shedding of a few pounds quickly. But eating raw isn’t a new concept at all. In fact, all humans ate raw until the means of cooking was derived. Heating your food affects it on a cellular level. Food can lose 30 percent of the nutrients and 100 percent of the enzymes. Nutrients are the building blocks of cells in our bodies. Enzymes help digestion and other bodily functions. Cooking food chemically changes the molecular dynamics of raw plants which may convert to toxins, carcinogens, mutagens and free-radicals associated with diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. It may seem foreign at first, but it actually makes sense to eat raw food in the state that it comes out of the earth, with as little processing as possible. Here’s why. Most of the processed “food” at the grocery store has very little nutritional value-- if any—and contains toxins, is genetically engineered, and has sugar, gluten and a whole list of things that should not be consumed on a regular basis. This food is just a byproduct of a profit-driven industry that is not geared toward your health. Consuming raw foods will help reduce these toxins by flooding your body with the nutrients you need, giving your body the ability to heal and rejuvenate at a deep, cellular level. Without enzymes, your body can’t develop new cells, fight off infections, or digest. When you feed your body natural enzymes you will feel energized because your body won’t have to work so hard. Raw food also helps your body reach an alkalized state. There are two types of foods: acidic and alkalizing foods. Acidity encourages decomposition, decay, disease and energy loss. Alkaline foods support detoxification and balance in the body. Our body naturally creates both acidity and alkalinity, but most Americans’ typical diet is far too acidic. Foods like sugar, meat, alcohol, cheese, and chocolate are very acidic and damaging during the cleansing and healing process.

Rachelle Lanning

A raw food diet is based on green leafy vegetables, growing sprouts, and fresh fruits which are all alkalizing and cleansing. Eating food that is alive and full of vital nutrients just makes sense if you want to feel alive. Here are a few things you will notice if you chose to include more raw food in your diet: • Increased energy • Better digestion • Weight loss • Reduced risk of heart disease • Reduced risk of diabetes and cancer • A greater sense of well-being • Improved skin appearance • A connection to your food and surroundings • A highly ethical and sustainable diet When healing your body, you need the cleanest, most nutritious and powerful foods. These foods can be expensive, so when buying food learn to be a healthy bargain shopper and find the places locally that carry organic produce at an affordable price. Raw food provides the life force you need to create the healthiest you. It has the power to help your body fight serious disease, rebuild, and be vibrant. The money you will save in the long run on healthcare is huge, so this should be considered when allotting your monthly grocery budget.

We are reminded by Hippocrates to

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine.”

The Seed is a raw vegan cafe/juicebar located in Midtown, behind the spy shop. Our menu consists of a large selection of juices and smoothies, raw food items such as pizza and falafel, as well as daily specials and desserts. The Seed uses all organic and almost all local products and offers many items for less than $10. Open all day Monday-Saturday.

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Wear Your

UGLY

The offers include everything from a 2-for-1 drink discount, $300 gift certificates towards your next tattoo, and shipping discounts to a free 30-day membership to KOR Fitness, salon packages and discounts on specialty coffee. “This is a creative way for small businesses to ban together and help each other generate traffic to our growing neighborhoods.” Said Scott Dunseath, owner of Reno eNVy. “I hope that this is the first step towards having our districts work together more often, and that our success can be an example for other growing communities.” The Riverwalk Merchants Association hope that they will be able to encourage holiday shoppers to step away from the big brands this season and participate in the revitalization of the city by supporting the hundreds of unique and eclectic businesses that reside in our Biggest Little City.

RIVERWALK REPORT Text Courtney Meredith Shopping locally isn’t just a term used for local businesses. It’s a way of life that affects our entire community. When you buy from a local business, you’re doing more than helping them—you’re helping the entire local economy. And shopping locally doesn’t just affect us now; it helps our future and our children’s future, by ensuring that businesses stay around to provide jobs and positive experiences for our citizens.

While your out look for the donation barrels for socks and mittens that are being collected for the Washoe County School District (WCSD) Children In Transition program. Donations benefit the children of families living in motels or shelters in the Midtown, CalAve and Riverwalk area. Download your official guide online at www.RenoRiver.org, www.CreativeCoalitionReno.com, MidtownDistrictReno.com or pickup at select merchant locations.

This month the members of the Riverwalk Merchants Association have led the charge in supporting the spirit of small business this holiday season. The Merchants Association has spearheaded a unique collaboration between their neighbors from the Creative Coalition of MidTown, MidTown District and California Avenue Merchants Association. By working together this season these business owners have generated a one-of-a-kind shopping guide that is packed full of hundreds of dollars in savings, discounts and freebies. Through December 31st, shoppers can pick up what’s called a holiday dash guide filled with dozens of deals towards local brands and local flavors with big savings for services, retail, cocktails and seasonal dining in the cities hippest and fastest growing neighborhoods. The coupon guide is available through the Riverwalk District website at renoriver.org for instant download and at participating merchant locations in all three districts.

For information visit our website www.renoriver.org, or call 775-825-WALK

Scene

Shop Local -- Shop Small Business

Text Cody Doyle Photo Focus in Photography

Never Ender prides itself for being a local business that also supports local artists and small businesses. Most of their

inventory is made from artist’s right here in Reno. However, Melanie Crane, the owner, doesn’t just support local artists, she also finds other artists beyond our backyard; artists making a living using their unique talents. That’s one of the reasons that makes shopping at Never Ender an enjoyable experience. You will find many things there that you can’t find anywhere else. Everything is in style, unique and affordable. Looking for one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted jewelry? Never Ender carries some amazing jewelry at amazing prices. Amber Solorzano, owner of 81 Findings, hand makes her jewelry from antiqued brass. Amber keeps her jewelry fresh and up to date with the latest trends, so there is always something new to find, and very affordable so everyone can keep up with the styles. Shelly Brown, the crafter of Get Stond makes holistic jewelry from various, extraordinary healing stones. Her taste is exquisite and comes through in her jewelry. Never Ender has a good variety of magnificent pendants in stock. Casey Clark, a local potter creates some of the most distinctive wood-fired ceramics you’ve ever 100 Reno Tahoe Tonight

seen. From mugs to vases, they are all diverse and no two are ever the same. Aurelie Martin-Chiari, created AUM -- a Lake Tahoe based business, by making items from salvaged, recycled or sustainable fabrics. Therefore, her creations are limited in quantity and absolutely unique in style; from Alpaca Beanies to the softest tees you can imagine. Want something that is fun and satirical? Then you need to own a Sharp Shirter item. Dan Lachman is the creator of these whimsical and quirky fashions and accessories. From iPhone covers to unique tees you are certain to find an item that will make you laugh. His things make perfect gifts for that man or woman with a great sense of humor. Never Ender also carries an array of natural lotions, soaps and candles. Looking for baby clothes, whimsical socks, handmade greeting cards? Never Ender has them. Many of them made by several local and talented crafters, you have to go to Never Ender to see them all. Simply put, you want to shop local and support local business and artists. You can do both by shopping at Never Ender, or their website at neverenderreno.com. There is something for everyone, and Christmas is just around the corner.

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SKATENV Nose grind by Nathan Alegria at the 395 ditch Photo Kyle Volland skatenv.com

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The Light Factor By Sean Savoy Photo by Victor Crulich

Good, Good, Good Vibrations “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla Do you remember the expression he’s giving off good vibes, or the idiom we’re on the same wavelength? Well, if you grew up any time after the beatnik era, you probably do. No matter how cliché or hippy-dippy, these phrases serve to convey the idea that there is a correlation between a person’s state of being or the atmosphere of a place and actual vibrational energy.

hen the Beach Boys wrote about “good vibrations,” they weren’t necessarily just referencing the joy of love. What they were alluding to, knowingly or not, was the law of affinity or attraction, now known as field particle exchange — the exchange of forces between particles of energy or the action of the force field of particles on other particles. Organisms put off this energy as vibrations. These vibrations can be thought of as particle emissions, as mentioned above, but also as waves. It is believed in science that all particles, in actuality, have a wavelike nature. This basic law of vibration means that everything vibrates and, I might mention, at its own frequency. Animate and inanimate objects, even thoughts and words, vibrate in fronts of waves, sending off energy containing carrier particles. Let’s call these energy bundles simply “wave-front patterns.” You might think of them as a force moving away from one object, organism, or system toward another, like waves of the ocean Rachelle Lanning are moved to shore and then out again. The law of resonance dictates that the vibrations put off by one organism as wavelengths will adjust the energy of another. In most cases, the weaker

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or lower frequency system will be adjusted by the stronger or more intense one. By frequency we mean the rate at which the wavelengths travel in space and time. The vibration of one organism can set off sympathetic vibrations in other organisms; much like a plucked guitar string causes neighboring strings to vibrate at a resonant frequency. An object’s or organism’s frequency will be amplified and will vibrate more strongly when it is subjected to energy vibrations or impulses equal to or close to its natural frequency. This phenomenon of resonance is the principle behind vibrational healing or energy medicine. Some may chalk all this energy vibration talk up to New Age hocus-pocus, but we have science to prove it. In the study of energetics, which is a branch of physics, it is not fanciful at all. It’s all about the mechanics of energy transformations: flow, exchange and storage. The Earth, for example, is driven by the radiant energy that it receives from the Sun, and it is sensitive to change in the amount of energy received. The same holds true for the human organism. One of the underlying principles of energy is that it can be transformed, and the total energy of a system can increase or decrease only by transferring it in or out of the system. This means that living organisms require available energy to function and stay alive. From this basic understanding of energy, vibration, frequency and resonance, we can see the great value in people gaining and attuning to energy vibrations in the form of healthy frequencies, whether they be from other organisms with which we interact or by exposure to the resonant wave-front patterns of healthy foods and water, minerals, sound, color and, perhaps most important, light. The main idea is that we must find and work with energy that is not only natural to healthy states of being but that enhance our individual and collective energy potential. If we resonate with higher and healthier energy vibrations, the likelihood of health, longevity and even enlightenment is increased.

Sean Savoy

“You just can’t live that negative way. You know what I mean? Make way for the positive day. ‘Cause it’s a new day...” – Bob Marley Note: Sean invites you to learn about the benefits of vibrational healing by trying Sonatherapy™ at Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center & Spa in Reno. Sonatherapy™ is a specialized type of acoustic therapy that has been developed exclusively by researchers of Cosolargy® International for Steamboat. It is a unique and advanced approach to preventative health as well as a healing modality that uses Wave Front Bioresonance™ — pulsations of sound, light, color and imagery, combined with geothermal hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, massage, and other energetic modalities to promote natural health of the body. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/sonatherapy and www. steamboatsprings.org.

For a deeper understanding of how wavefront patterns of color, sound, and solar light with its inherent energy information factors can help the individual consciously develop a more active and vibrant spiritual nature, Sean invites you to explore the System of Cosolargy® by inquiring with the Jamilian University at www.jamilian.org.

THE LIGHT FACTOR is a featured column on spirituality, consciousness, science, energy and adventures into the unknown. Sean Savoy is an ordained spiritual educator, explorer, radio personality, community advocate, writer, raconteur, and public speaker who lectures in the United States and abroad. www.seansavoy.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 105