Week of Nov. 1, 2023

From the editor’s desk

High Rock Canyon, in the Black Rock Desert north of Gerlach, is way off the beaten path. It’s rugged and remote, for knowledgeable, well-prepared visitors only, and it’s a treasure trove of Nevada geology and history. Don’t expect the giant potholes or washed out roads to be improved anytime soon. The whole idea, reports Frank X. Mullen in this month’s print-edition cover story, “Navigating the ‘Death Route,'” is to keep this wilderness wild. 

Carson City doesn’t have a city-run shelter for people experiencing homelessness, so a group of volunteers took matters into their own hands. Tonight, a nonprofit called Night Off the Streets is starting its seventh year of providing floor space at area churches.

Patriots Food Pantry, a new source of no-cost groceries for veterans, is slated to open this month in the Reno VA Medical Center. Deanna Bradburn, a clinical dietitian, shared the details with photo editor David Robert in our 15 Minutes interview.

Reno musician Elleanor Burke has shown that no music genre is out of her reach, says music writer Matt King. She has a new record out, Hark!, and she’s slated to play at the Holland Project Nov. 6. More in Matt’s Lucky 13 interview.

Foodies, rejoice: Local butchers are preparing to take your turkey orders. Claio now serves brunch—including baklava croissants—and a new commercial kitchen in the old Bavarian World location. Learn more in Taste of the Town.

When it comes to the local performing arts lineup this holiday season, “You may sense a nostalgia theme in this season’s offerings, but there’s plenty to suit any mood, whether you crave Christmas classics or holiday-free fare,” writes Jessica Santina. Here’s the full scoop on what’s coming up onstage.

RN&R publisher Jimmy Boegle, who was raised in Reno and followed his journalism career to Las Vegas, Tucson, and Palm Springs, has found that as Reno has grown over the last several years, it’s been growing on him, too. 

Take the stories of Edgar Allen Poe and set them in a modern world colored by business greed and the opioid crisis—and they sure hold up. Here’s more from Bob Grimm on The Fall of the House of Usher, now streaming on Netflix. While Bob is a fan of House of Usher, he definitely is not a fan of Five Night’s at Freddy’s—no matter how well it’s doing at the box office.

There’s a cosmic bonus in the night sky this month—after the annual Leonid meteor shower peaks on Nov. 18, there’s a chance we’ll see an enhancement of brighter-than-usual meteors on Nov. 21. Take a look at Robert Victor’s astronomy column for details.

You’ll also find almost all of this news and more in our November print edition. Don’t forget to pick one up. 

Take care,

—Kris Vagner, managing editor