Week of May 24, 2023

From the editor’s desk

In her Left Foot Forward column, Shelia Leslie registers her disgust with the Legislature’s penchant to bestow millions in giveaways to wealthy corporations, as deals made behind closed doors often become law in the session’s final days. This year, a baseball franchise and Hollywood have their hands out in Carson City.

Much to the horror of the Washoe County GOP leadership, Drag Story Hour, a program popular at libraries across the country, is back in the Truckee Meadows this summer at three local libraries. Opponents had tried to stop the events by appealing to the County Commission—which has nothing to do with library programming. They kept talking anyhow.

Matt King previews Debauch-a-Reno, the music fest put on by Pete Menchetti, known to some locals as Sticker Guy. The Mummies are one of the big names coming the festival, which last happened in 2019. It’s taking place June 16-18, with an extra show in Virginia City in July.

Our Western Lit feature spotlights Helicopter Heroine by Charles Morgan Evans. The Reno author tells the story of Valérie André, the first woman to fly a helicopter in combat and one of the first three helicopter medevac pilots.

Bob Grimm is not a fan of Fast X, the latest entry in the Furious franchise. It’s become clear that the franchise can no longer top itself—although it tries to, in exhausting ways, Grimm says.

Readers in our latest letters column, meanwhile, focus on the “green-washing” of lithium, Tahoe’s legends, child labor and other topics in the news.

The former Masque restaurant, 229 N. Virginia St., is now a vacant storefront, but the space is more colorful now thanks to a mural by artist Iain Harrison. It’s the first artwork completed in the Downtown Reno Partnership’s Vacant Storefront Beautification Initiative, which aims to “activate the space and draw attention to the location.”

It’s that time of year—Best of Northern Nevada voting time, that is. If you’ve already voted in our nomination round, great. If not, head to vote.renonr.com before June 11!

Our June issue, featuring our annual Summer Guide and a host of local news and arts coverage you won’t find elsewhere, will be hot off the presses next week after the holiday. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

I’ll see you in the funny papers.

Take care,

—Frank X. Mullen, Editor