Apparently (I haven’t verified this - so someone may correct me), Nevada is the only caucus state Senator Hilary Clinton has won.  Which is only to be expected, she notes.  So what does it mean?

One more reason to keep the caucus:  Nevada’s results mirrored the Super Tuesday results … we do look like America.  (At least on the Democratic side.)  On the Republican side, having Nevada and South Carolina on the same day meant that, well, those two contests together look like America.  One thing is for sure, the longer we go without “presumptive frontrunners,” the more people in more states have a chance to weigh in.

No matter what else you think about the contest, you’ve just got to be impressed with a system that hands the reins of power over in a way that includes so many people.

When Truckee Meadows Tomorrow asked people to list an example of a community innovation that represents or exemplifies “quality of life” and has made a profound difference here - #1 on the list is the downtown Reno Truckee River Whitewater Park at Wingfield.  My friend Jim Litchfield, of Fluid, deserves a lot of credit and every single award he earned for turning this dream into a reality.  Myrna the Minx thinks so too!

Catch the 12 Horses Podcast with (some of) the story behind the park.

For next year’s Community Well-Being Report, I’m going to have to nominate the Presidential Caucus as one of the most significant innovations of the year.  Record turnout!  Presidential candidates in Nevada for weeks!  Voters paying attention!  Can’t beat it!

What would you nominate?

Nevada Opera presents … Hansel & Gretel. By Englebert Humperdinck (the German Composer who lived from 1854 to 1921 — NOT the pop singer of the same stage name that local drummer Tony Savage has toured with — but possibly the inspiration for Prince Humperdinck of one of my favorite books of all time, The Princess Bride, by William Goldman.) But I digress.

The opera follows the fairytale bedtime story you remember (although it’s German and Grimm - a bit darker, sweeter and more romantic). A perfect opera for the whole family. Don’t miss it! Performances are Friday, February 8 at 7:30 pm or Sunday, February 10 at 2:00 pm at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Buy your tickets now! Or call the opera directly: 775-786-4046.

And be sure to arrive early for the pre-show talk! Artistic Director Michael Borowitz is AMAZING!!!

It’s been fascinating watching the letters to the editor, after the Jan. 19th Caucus in Nevada. It’s very clear most folks aren’t aware that for the last two decades we’ve had ZERO say in who each of the parties nominated for President. And they were plenty unhappy with the craziness we experienced. So to me - the messy and chaotic RECORD TURNOUT that was the caucus was a massive improvement.

For the record, here are our three options for having a say in the presidential nominee:

1. No say at all. (Which is what we’ve had for the last two decades.)

2. Tax payer funded statewide primary election. (That asks only one question: Who would you vote for for President. And was held in March, pretty much after the nominee had been determined.) And FYI - the first (of two) presidential primary Nevada had in 1976 was projected to cost $100,000 but ended up costing taxpayers over $200,000. Click here for EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about presidential primaries in Nevada.
3. Messy caucus process that is run by each party and its volunteers. (And let’s all agree that many of the problems could be worked out - absentee ballots, military voting, etc.)

I vote for the caucus. Let’s also remember the side-benefits we got out of this: Presidential candidates actually visiting Nevada and sometimes talking about our issues, bonus celebrity sightings, and amazing party building opportunities.

Be sure to arrive at least an hour early, so you can catch Artistic Director Michael Borowitz’s pre-show talk for Aida (Oct. 12th - be there 6:30 pm or Oct. 14th - arrive at 1 pm). Spectacular! Want to see what I mean? Check out his pre-show talk for “Orpheus in the Underworld.” (On the left screen, his talk — click on the right screen, and it will take you to that moment in the opera!) You’ll see why we’re all wearing “Michael Borowitz Fan Club” t-shirts.

Explore the majesty of ancient Egypt, the mysteries of the human heart. Experience some of the world’s most breath-taking music as this beautiful tragedy unfolds. This is what opera is all about.

If Reno is America’s Adventure Place … it is also America’s arts adventure place. Don’t know if we still can claim the title, but one upon a time, we had the highest percent of musicians, dancers and artists per capita in the U.S. (At least back in the day when casinos had house bands and elaborate local shows. “Hello Hollywood Hello” anyone?)

We might not have the numbers anymore, but we make up for it in diversity and quality. Nevada Opera is a real gem of a company. And this production of Aida promises to be spectacular. And just think — this is where Dolora Zajick got her start!

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute released the results of their American Civic Literacy Test. Students from 50 colleges nationwide, including top Ivy League schools, failed a test of their knowledge of American history and economics. The average score (14,000 college students took the test) was 54% or an F.
I’d have to agree with Scott Casper, who teaches history at the University of Nevada, Reno. Casper said “memorizing historical dates and other information doesn’t give students insight into democracy as much as learning how to think and question.”  (Read the Gazette Journal article.)  And where exactly does that happen?

This is a multiple choice test. Even if you don’t know the answer, with some basic knowledge, or in some cases logic, you can eliminate some of the answers - and have a pretty good shot at passing.

The story claims the “students who gain more knowledge about civics and history are more likely to vote and take part in social and political activities.” If this test is anything like what students find in a civics classroom (and how boring does that sound already?), then I don’t think more classes will get young people engaged.

Projects like Rock The Vote are an interesting start, but I think people are more likely to get engaged if they feel like they are making a real difference.  It’s a tough sell.

And I’ll be very interested to see how Nevada’s experiment in getting involved in the Presidential selection process turns out.  Planned Parenthood is organizing its activists to get to the caucuses.  Unions are as well.  But we haven’t seen any presidential candidates in a while.  We’ll see how it all turns out.

September, the start of the traditional performing arts season, is filled with opportunity for the art. UNR Performing Arts Series kicks off with the Ethos Percussion Group on September 20, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at Nightingale Hall. Devoted to the incredibly diverse world of percussion music. Later in September, T.S. Monk appears at the Pioneer Center on the 26th to kick off the Washoe County Concert Series.   Drummer T.S. Monk just released Higher Ground, is launching his own label, and is the chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute. Get ready for some incredible music!

At the Nevada Museum of Art, hot off the playa, Kate Raudenbush’s Guardian of Eden.

The Gazette covers its installation at the Museum.  I think this beautiful piece will be a welcome addition downtown.

Back to school is traditionally the time when the performing arts launch their seasons.  This year, the Reno Philharmonic opens their season with Joy & Passion.  You’re already an expert; you’ll know Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

The Reno Chamber Orchestra kicks off with Wings & Strings, a fund-raising gala at the Grand Sierra Resort, Thursday, September 13th at 5:30 p.m.  Of course, this event ties into the Reno National Championship Air Racing Show.

First the balloons, then the air planes.  You know it’s fall in Reno.