Are you a Good Photographer or a Great Photographer?

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Lessons of Life, Photography

Tags

camera, Great Photography, images, landscape, model, nature, Nikon, people, Photographer

Mt. Shasta

I have spent almost 40 years off and on with my Nikon cameras. I love photography and I have enough good shots to open up a small gallery if I had them printed up and displayed. The problem is that despite my experience and skills, I’m just another good photographer. I don’t meet the qualifications of a great photographer.

Mom and Daughter

So what is the difference between a good photographer and a great photographer?

A good photographer can’t wait to see the images (printed or on a computer) because he or she is pretty sure they got some good shots. A great photographer knows the instant the shutter closes that the shot is great and doesn’t need to wait to see it because it is recorded in their mind.

A good photographer understands the use of light, color, and shadow in photography and seeks to find it in every shot. A great photographer sees the subject for all viewpoints and knows automatically where and when to take the image for the best use of light, color, and shadow.

Boy on Edge

A good photographer can see the flaws in his or her images. A great photographer knows how to fix flaws in the image in editing so that no one knows he or she made a mistake.

A good photographer can find moments in his or her subjects that express emotion. A great photographer can create emotion in his or her subjects that they didn’t even know they had.

A good photographer experiments with equipment and camera lenses to take his or her images to the next level. A great photographer is a master of his or her images. Extra equipment, lenses, filters are used as needed to make a good image great but are never a substitute for skill and experience.

A Walk With A VIP

A good photographer is sensitive to the needs of his subjects, and always places their concerns and ideas first during a photo shoot. A great photographer is a pain in the ass and could care less about the input of his or her subjects. Capturing the perfection of the moment is the first and last concern of a great photographer and everything else is just noise.

Five Rules For Taking Images of Your Children

01 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Lessons of Life, Opinion, parenting, Photography, Random, Recreation, Technology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

camera, children, D60, digital, Family, how to, Image, Nikon, photo, pictures, portrait

I’m an image horse. From my first film-hungry Nikon FM in the 1970’s to the inexpensive, but utilitarian digital Nikon D60, I’ve recorded life through my camera lens. I’m not a professional, but I’ve logged years with landscape, micro, macro, stellar, animal, model, and most other forms of photography.

The one type of photography I dislike most is the type that parents love to do, take semi-posed pictures of people. Every time I hear a parent say, “Smile! Smile! Come on, SMILE!,” I cringe. I don’t know who started the “Smile” prompting, but it is the worst thing anyone can ask of the subject of an image to do. It is saying to the child (or adult), “We want you to fake an emotion so we can show you faking an emotion to other people.”

Humans don’t fake emotions well. In fact, we are horrible at faking emotions. Children are the worst. A fake smile is marked by a tight facial expression around the mouth, bared teeth, and cringed eyes. Unfortunately, the people who take these horrible images are often rewarded by comments like, “Oh, he looks so handsome,” or “They look like they’re having such a great time!” Of course people are going to compliment your picture-taking ability, they want it to end!

This doesn’t mean people need to take sad or “how-long-do-I-have-to-stand-here?” pictures. There are a few simple rules that will avoid taking fake pictures of people you love.

Image Composition is YOUR Job, Not Their’s
Instead of going for the posed shot, which everyone hates to be involved in, position yourself so that you can take a REAL image of what is happening. From talking to playing children (and adults) in action are much more interesting than a posed shot. You want a recorded image of people engaged in life, not the camera, so you must do the work required of any good photographer, not them.

Does Fake Happy Really Tell The Story?
Sometimes children can be intensely focused on a task, or interacting with others. WHY would you want to stop this intensity and fake a smile for the image? Take the picture that tells the story instead of the fake happy picture that makes them look stupid.

If You Demand Happy, Make It Real
Okay, happy children can be a great image, but if you must have that type of image, make them laugh naturally. Ask questions like, “who’s the stupidest person with a camera?” When they laugh and point at you, take the picture. I guarantee that image will be better than the one where you said, “Smile!”

Be Unseen and Patient
It’s almost always better to hang around for a while before you take the picture. Look for the best composition, the best angle, and become part of the background. They may notice you, but children attention spans are marvelously short and they have a Jedi-like power to ignore a parent, so use that to your advantage.

It’s Digital, Take Lots of Images, Select Few
People sometimes think that every image should be perfect. I’ll admit, in the days of film cameras, when I got my photos back from the developer I used to feel guilty about all the failed images; however, today they are just digital bytes and bad pictures can be deleted. Take ten images and consider yourself a great photographer if there is one good one in the bunch.

Here’s one thing to consider the next time you see someone point a camera at another human: if they say ‘Smile!’ it’s going to be a bad image.

Getting Serious About Composting

28 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Green, Health

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bioengineering, Compost Box, Composter, Composting, DIY, Recycling

The rising Moon through one of our two 60′ trees

Fall at our house means dealing with a lot of leaves. Our house was built in the late 1940’s and it has two 60′ trees in the front yard. In addition, we have five different fruit trees on our small lot. Our usual Autumn ritual has been to rake the leaves up, bag them and send them off with the trash. Watching the trash truck pick up 20 to 30 bags of leaves gives a feeling of accomplishment and regret.

After years of sending all that carbon-rich material off to a landfill, it is time to make a change. We have toyed with the idea of composting, but our best effort involved a plastic kitty litter bucket that we occasionally remembered to add food scraps.

The basic ‘on-the-fly Compost Box design using an old pallet and old wood scraps

A Place to Compost
This year I have finally decided to get serious about composting. I have built a three bin composting box out of old scrap wood based on a design I saw using wood pallets. My design was done on the fly (and it shows,) but it does the job.

The Composting Box Complete

Building the Box
I only had one old wood pallet available so I made it the back wall of the middle bin. I built two other bins on either side of the main bin. These outside bins will be used for storage (leaves in the Fall/Winter/Spring and grass cuttings in the Summer.) The dimensions of the boxes are not significant to the process, but my composting box is roughly three feet deep and eight feet wide with the middle bin twice the size of the either outside bin.

I’m waiting for more green material, but this is how my compost box looks now

Because the compost pile needs mixed on a regular basis, the bins are open in the front. I used more scrap wood as temporary front panels on all three bins, but each one can be quickly removed for easy access.

Do’s and Don’t of Composting
I have spent some time researching the topic and below are some of the rules about composting:

Greens and browns – Most suggest a one green to two brown ratio. (Greens and browns are defined below.) Greens provide nitrogen, browns provide carbon.
Water and Oxygen – One website suggests that the compost pile be as wet as a sponge. Another suggests that a pile that is too wet will smother the bacteria. Regardless, a dry pile is not going to compost, so adding water once or twice a week may be necessary depending on the climate and recent weather conditions. Oxygen is needed to help the bacteria in the compost to breakdown so turning the pile to add in air three to four times per month is needed.
Browns – Dead leaves are considered brown. Our house has an overabundance of browns right now. Twigs, hay, and shredded paper are also brown, so if you don’t have the tree bounty we have consider shredding your paper rather than tossing it in the trash.
Greens – Grass cuttings are one major green source during the summer and non-meat, non-dairy food scraps are also green. Coffee grounds are green, so if you’re in my situation where I need a lot of green now, a chat with your favorite Starbucks store manager will probably get you into as much green source as you can handle. NPR had an interesting story on Morning Edition this week about food waste at restaurants. It may be worth checking your favorite eatery about compost greens.
Don’t Compost…well, maybe or maybe not– Most composting websites say no dairy and no meat, but one says that he has done both with no problems. The issue with meat is the attraction of animals (dogs, raccoon, rats, mice, etc.) that might feed off the meat. The lone voice for adding meat suggests only cooked, boneless meat that is buried in the pile. As for dairy, I’ve read that it is 1) a smell issue, 2) a pest issue, or 3) a bacteria-killing issue. The same lone voice for adding meat says he has never had a problem with adding dairy to his compost. You can decide what makes sense or not.
For less than $8 I bought this pH meter at Home Depot
No ashes? – Adding wood ash from a fireplace or outside fire pit is not advised unless you have acidic soil. Ash is a major alkaline source and can make your compost dangerous to plants. I did read that ash can be spread in a thin layer on the lawn, but I’m going to research it further before I try that on my lawn.
Oils? – Petroleum products are never recommended; however, small amount of vegetable oil is generally believed to be safe. The issue is that the bacteria does not grow well in an oily environment, so soaking the pile in oil is considered bad.
Animal waste – waste from animals that eat meat products are considered a health risk to a compost pile. Most websites do not recommend adding dog or cat feces to the compost; however, chicken, horse, cow, and other manure animals are considered ‘green’ nitrogen material and can be added.

Our Motivation
This year we had unusual success with our garden and next year I plan to expand our garden with additional raised beds. As much as possible, the material I will use in those beds will be the new compost from our compost box. I don’t know how much we can make in six months, but at least we will know that we are putting our leaves back into our soil and not in some landfill.

Major Earthquake Hits Eastern California

18 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Crisis Management, Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Earthquake, Great Nevada ShakeOut, Nevada, ShakeOut, Sierra Nevada mountains, USGS

(NOTE: Today at 10:18 AM PDT Nevada held the 2012 Great Nevada ShakeOut as part of the larger Great ShakeOut program. It is a simulation of a major earthquake. What follows is a fictional account of a massive earthquake near Reno, Nevada. This blog is not associated with the Great Nevada ShakeOut program. The location of the fault, scale, and timing have little geologic or scientific basis except to note that the Sierra Nevada mountain range is currently being pushed up by slow geologic forces. The fault line of this fiction earthquake roughly follows the eastern boundary of the Sierra Nevada batholith.)

Reno, Nevada, October 18, 2012, 6:42 PM

At 10:18 AM it struck. Four hundred miles along the Sierra Nevada mountain range suddenly jerked up 15 to 20 feet along a newly discovered fault line that runs 400 miles from near Susanville, California south to a point 40 miles southwest of Bakersville, California. The 7.9 earthquake lasted for 3:23 minutes and was an apparent upward movement of the Sierra Nevada block.

Damage included the loss of several dams in the Sierra Nevada range that caused downstream flooding. The worst of this flooding occurred in Reno, Nevada and along the Truckee River. Severe damage to Interstate 80 and roads through the Sierra Nevada range will prevent any travel between northern Nevada and northern California for at least several days, if not weeks. Multiple bridges are damaged or destroyed and rock falls and ground shifting will require rebuilding significant sections of many roads.

Reno and Carson City have the worst damage in populated areas with many homes and buildings uninhabitable. Damage to power, water, gas, and sewer lines will cause those services to be out for several weeks in many areas. Reno has become the most isolated as all roads into Reno have been damaged to the point they are not passable at this time. US 50 is reported to be open with some buckling and cracking east of Carson City, but still passable.

Several fires occurred as a result of the earthquake. Most were localized; however, one structure fire near the National Forest west of Reno and one near Carson City did ignite grass and brush that eventually grew and currently is burning on the slope of the eastern Sierra Nevada range. Emergency crews are already overtaxed in addressing the immediate needs of the people in the Reno and Carson City areas and the forest fires will be allowed to burn until cool weather extinguishes them. Smoke from the fires is expected to fill the valleys tonight as temperatures drop and the mountain air moves into the lower elevations.

The Reno-Tahoe airport has been closed as damage is assessed. The terminal and parking structure were heavily damaged; however there is no visible damage to the runways that can be seen from the fence bordering the airport.

There are no official reports of casualties; however, several news agencies have reported that at least 21 people are dead and that number is expected to rise over the next few days as rescue and emergency services reach the area. Multiple accounts of survivors rescuing victims trapped in collapsed structures are being reported and construction equipment has been brought into the downtown area of Reno as multiple buildings have partially or completely collapsed.

The University of Nevada, Reno is closed and has multiple damaged buildings; however, no deaths have been reported even though many classes were in session. Damage at several elementary, middle, and high schools have been reported, but earthquake training has been credited with preventing many injuries and death.

Why Job Creators Aren’t

15 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Business, Employee Retention, Ethics, Government, Government Regulation, Management Practices, Opinion, Politics, Public Relations, Taxes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

business friendly, Conservatives, Employment, job creators, jobs, Nevada, Reno, Unemployment

Job Creators in Nevada

Willard Mitt Romney and other conservatives try to promote the idea that private businesses are desperate to create jobs if only the government will let them; however, in May Romney gave a wink to the idea that Job Creators might be holding back millions of jobs to artificially stifle job growth to favor conservative candidates in the upcoming election. At the same time conservative businessmen are threatening their employees with layoffs if President Obama is elected.

Are Job Creators the victim of the federal government, or are conservatives trying to manipulate the citizens in order to make themselves wealthier?

Protest outside The Venetian during Republican debates

Nevada has led the country in high unemployment during this recession and has been increasing in July and August (now 12.1%.) Reno, Nevada was ranked the worst city in the nation to find a job. Yet, last week the conservative TaxFoundation.org ranked the Silver State #3 in its 2013 Business Tax Climate for the second year in a row because of its ‘business friendly‘ tax structure.

Since taxes are not holding business back from creating jobs, why is Nevada the Rodney Dangerfield of American employment?

PROFITS, ALWAYS PROFITS
The answer lies with the problems low unemployment cause for businesses. Low unemployment pressures employers (Job Creators) to offer higher wages and better benefits to attract and keep employees. High unemployment means employers can control the job market, which means higher profits. There is no reason for major Nevada employers like casinos to desire a change in the current employment environment.

This is probably why Nevada ‘Job Creators’ like Sheldon Adelson of The Venetian in Las Vegas are spending millions of dollars in support of conservative candidates who will make them wealthier rather than spend the money creating jobs.

David Ward: Mr. Reno

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Business, Consulting, Government, Passionate People, Politics, Pride, Public Relations, Rotary

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

David Ward, downtown, E Media Group, Nevada, panhandling, Reno, Reno City Council, The Montage, Violent Crime

David Ward

If a person represented all that is good and positive in Reno, Nevada, David Ward would be among the top candidates to be called Mr. Reno.

Native and long-term residents are unusual in Nevada where only 24% of the citizens were born here; however, Ward is one of those unusual people who has lived in the Truckee Meadows area for over 50 years. He raised a family and built a business in Reno.

David, a University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) graduate, married Shannon, his college sweetheart, 39 years ago and founded E Media Ad Group 12 years ago, where he is a trusted media consultant for several local businesses.

David at his desk at E Media Ad Group

He has consistently contributed time, money, and/or energy toward maintaining and improving the quality of life in the Truckee Meadows. Ward has served as a Nevada Commissioner for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Vice Chair on the Disabilities Resource Board, a board member of W.A.R.C. (Washoe Ability Resource Center), an advocacy committee member of the Historic Reno Preservation Society, and President of Reno Central Rotary, Executive’s Association of Reno, and the Reno Ad Club.

David Ward stepping up his commitment to Reno

Campaign For The Community
Ward is now stepping up his pubic service commitment by campaigning for more effective local governmental structure as a key element in his run for Reno City Council At-Large seat. If he is successful his plan could help the area meet the needs of its citizens with less bureaucracy and at a lower cost. Primary to Ward’s plan is to lay ground work for consolidation the Truckee Meadows communities under one entity.

Consolidation
Currently the valley contains three major governments (Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County) with duplicate councils, committees, and services as well as several quasi-government entities and boards for other essential public services. The cost of multiple governments is only part of the issue as a citizen’s or business person’s interaction may vary significantly depending on which entity is involved.

Ward notes that the recent failure of the consolidation of the Reno and Washoe County fire services was due to a poor implementation plan that failed to create a fair and equitable Joint Power Agreement (JPA) for the combined fires services. He also suggested that an independent fire services board consisting of people with expertise in the field was needed to make the fire services consolidation successful.

The result of the ‘divorce’ of the Reno and Washoe Country fire services is that Washoe County residents now pay more for fewer services. Reno residents would be in a similar situation if the city had not won a two-year federal grant to supplement the cost of its fire services and there is no guarantee that the federal grant will be renewed at the end of two years.

Ward intends to meet with every key government representative to open a dialogue about consolidating all government functions under one entity that will be equitable for all citizens. He is realistic about the challenges and resistance to the idea, but consolidation has never been more necessary for the future of the area.

Trouble in the Biggest Little City: Vacant Store Fronts

Improving Reno’s Public Image
In addition to consolidation, Ward sees multiple challenges for Reno, both now and in the future. Unemployment and homelessness are high, while government and gaming revenues are declining.

Residents have complained that they don’t feel safe in the downtown area because of panhandling and other aggressive activities of homeless people. Ward recognizes that many of Reno’s panhandlers may have mental and/or financial issues that need to be addressed. He cites one casino owner who told him about a patron who panhandles downtown until he has $50, then goes to the casino to gamble. Ward suggests an “effective and compassionate” solution to the issue is needed.

The Montage Solution: Dress up the windows with quality murals

He has several ideas to improve the attractiveness and safety in the downtown area, including addressing the issue of vacant store fronts that magnify Nevada’s business and unemployment woes to visitors and citizens.

Ward suggests following the lead of The Montage upscale condo development in downtown Reno. The former casino underwent a massive renovation in 2006-08. The bottom dropped out of the Nevada real estate market just as The Montage was opening. They have faced many challenges during this economic downturn, but rather than have empty space visible to people walking by, they covered the windows of vacant ground floor space with murals. The Montage’s retains its upscale look and the street level view feels friendly, not abandoned.

Rebuilding Reno’s Tourism
Ward feels that the city must rebuild its tourism base with a more diverse marketing effort on a national and international level with less dependence on traditional gaming marketing. He is confident that Reno can continue to be a dynamic community and he is impressed by Reno’s new City Manager, Andrew Clinger, who is a Nevada resident that understands the needs of the local citizens and businesses.

Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election, David Ward will continue to love and serve his community, which is why he can rightfully be called, Mr. Reno.

Lack of Quality Jobs Killing Nevada’s Future

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Business, College, Education, Ethics, Government, Higher Education, Politics, Public Relations, Taxes, Universities

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Brian Sandoval, business friendly, Conservatives, Employment, GOP, job creation, job quality, Nevada, Republicans, Sheldon Adelson, Unemployment

No degree? No experience? Welcome to Nevada where you have no future.

For years Nevada conservatives have waved the banner of the ‘business friendly myth‘ that low taxes and minimal regulation will attract new business to Nevada. The truth is that ‘business friendly’ does little, if anything, to attract quality jobs and makes this former Mexican province one of the worst in the nation in societal quality-of-life factors.

Poor Job Quality
Typical experiences of Nevada’s unemployment disaster indicate a long-term unemployment crisis and not a temporary business downturn.

In May of this year a master’s degree engineering graduate from the University of Nevada wanted to keep his family in the state but had to move his family to San Jose, CA to find employment. Another unemployed resident couldn’t find a job because she was “overqualified.” Her skills consisted primarily of a stable work history managing a telephone answering service. In Nevada there are no jobs now nor in the near future that will be available for anything but the lowest qualified worker.

Sheldon Adelson: Godfather of Conservative Politics

While most of the country has experienced some recovery from the massive job losses between 2008 and the first quarter of 2010, Nevada has not, despite the assurances of Governor Brian Sandoval. Conservatives point to wealthy Nevadans as the ‘job creators’ who will be the source of new jobs. Instead wealthy people like casino mogul Sheldon Adelson have poured millions of dollars into campaigns for conservative politicians ( $70 million so far,) while the citizens of the state have borne the impact of the unemployment crisis.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal article by Ed Vogel stated that of the few new Nevada jobs available in the future, most will be low-paying, low-skill, non-career jobs. The top four fastest growing jobs in Nevada are 1) retail salespeople, 2) waiters/waitresses, 3) cashiers, 4) gaming dealers.

These type of jobs do not provide for a career with a progressive future and leave the worker with little spendable income after basic living costs. The highly qualified worker has little hope of finding a job that matches his/her abilities. This creates a ‘Catch-22’ scenario. Educated, skilled workers can’t find work in Nevada so they go elsewhere and businesses with high quality jobs want quality workers, which Nevada can’t retain for a lack of quality jobs.

Nevada is a perfect storm of failure under conservative ‘business friendly’ policies which financially benefit those who allegedly are the ‘job creators,’ but leave the citizens in a ‘unfriendly’ job environment.

Nevada’s Death By Stupidity: The Business Friendly Myth

11 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Business, Crime, Ethics, Government, Government Regulation, Higher Education, Politics, Public Relations, Taxes, Technology, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

business friendliness, business friendly, Conservatives, Nevada, smaller government, spending

A shuttered grocery store sits in the shadow of one of Reno’s largest Casino’s

Nevada is the poster child of what not to do to save an economy. Politicians who promote failed policies continue to be elected in the State that leads the nation in being the worst at everything (unemployment, foreclosures, violent crime, education, etc.) Voters have been little more than Pavlov’s dogs in Nevada politics and are roped in by the claim that all Nevada’s problems can be solved by lower taxes and smaller government, which allegedly will make the Silver State more ‘business friendly.’

Once Reno’s 2nd largest Mall, Park Lane Mall is now just a sign in front of a vast empty space.

The problem is that Nevada is one of the most business friendly States in the nation and yet Nevada’s economic and social ills continue to spiral downward. Nevada has no income tax, no corporate or capital gains tax, and is one of the easiest States in which to establish a business. Yet, politicians win elections through promises of more jobs by making Nevada what already is: business friendly.

Nevada leads the nation in unemployment at 11.7% (April 2012). Ranked 50th out of fifty States in 2011 and 2010, and 49th in 2009, jobs¹, or the lack of them, is certainly a major issue for Nevada; however, Conservatives rank Nevada in the top three States as being the most ‘business friendly.’ The data used for this ranking is based primarily on low taxes and low business fees. So if Nevada is business friendly, why is the unemployment the highest in the nation?

Stores that relocate leave vacant commercial space, sometimes for years

(¹Unemployment for Nevada 2011 – 13.5%, 2010 – 14.9%, 2009 – 11.6%, 2008 – 7.0%. Note that in 2006, Nevada’s unemployment was only 4.2%.)

CNBC also has a business friendly ranking, but low taxes and business fees are only part of the factors considered. CNBC’s 2011 ranking placed Nevada as 45th in Business Friendliness. Among the major factors in the State’s poor ranking were Education (50th,) Economy (50th,) Quality of Life (44th,) and Technology and Innovation (37th.)

Nevada’s fate will be determined by the voter and if CNBC’s rankings are more indicative of business friendliness then Nevada voters must elect politicians willing to invest more money in quality of life issues and infrastructure. Revenue will have to be found to address the real issues or else the Silver State will continue its death spiral.

Next: Poor Quality Jobs and Education Killing Nevada

Nevada Newspaper Goes Behind the Wall…to Die

11 Friday May 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Business, Communication, Customer Service, Employee Retention, Ethics, Generational, History, Human Resources, Information Technology, Internet, Print Media, Public Relations, Social Media Relations, Technology, Traditional Media, US History

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Newspapers, online, Reno Gazette-Journal, RGJ, Subscription fees

RGJ’s main bunker…entrance in Reno

The Reno Gazette-Journal (RGJ) recently decided to lock themselves behind a wall and it will cost you at least $12/month to see what they have hidden. Does anyone else see the problem with this business model?

Allow me to reconstruct the history of news media in America to understand why this is a death sentence to the RGJ.

In the 1800’s newspapers owned the information world

1700-1900
In the 1700’s, newspapers became the source of community news. These newspapers often portrayed a political view, but were THE source of information in a society where travel was limited and information scarce. Writers and editors often became key figures in the social and political structure as the gatekeepers of what would be printed.

Radio was faster, but newspapers were corporeal

1900’s
The invention of radio and television gave new options to the public on how they accessed news. The radio offered broadcast news that reached more people faster; however, newspapers remained the source of news because it existed in corporeal form. News transmitted on radio waves disappeared if a person wasn’t in front of the radio during the broadcast. Newspapers; however, almost always gave more a more in-depth account of the events.

Television came shortly after radio and added the exciting features of seeing the reporter and moving images of events; however, newspapers continued to be the best source of significant events.

CNN was to newspapers what Wal-Mart was to Mom & Pop stores

1980
CNN was the first real threat to newspapers. It offered news 24/7/365 and it often relayed events in progress. People no longer had to wait for a newspaper’s version that would come the next day. The newspaper still had the corporeal advantage because CNN would eventually move on to the other news while newspapers could be read anytime. Newspapers also still gave more in-depth reporting on local news issues.

1995
It wasn’t until the creation of the Internet that newspapers faced a challenge that would threaten their existence. The public use of the Internet stripped newspapers of almost every advantage they held. News was not only reported, it was discussed and people reacted in real-time. With the development of the Google search engine topics could be accessed and researched at any time anywhere there was Internet access. The news was no longer filtered and limited to what an editor thought people should know, but rather raw information reached individuals who made their own decisions on what was significant to them.

Reporters who spent years in college and thousands of dollars in tuition and books now found themselves competing against bloggers who had no editors to please. Reporters might get the story and accurately report it to their community but in a real-time world their information was just following up to what people already knew. Newspapers have adapted by presenting an online version of the information that will be in the next day’s paper and that has helped writers compete and be read; however, investors want profit and that is the heart of the dilemma.

The Reno Gazette-Journal has decided that they will create demand and increase revenue by limiting access. That is a rational position to take if you have a product that has significant value and demand, but newspapers and their value appeals to a diminishing demographic. Older white males are dying off at an incredibly rapid pace and newspapers have little demand or value to younger, non-white, non-male demographics. How does RGJ expect to gain new readers by charging for access who have free access to local online news through three Reno television news station’s webpages?

There is another problem with RGJ’s decision that may impact the quality of writing. A writer for RGJ has to accept that their audience will be extremely limited. Blogs will exist for decades and are be searchable to anyone in the world. An RGJ reporters work is locked away behind a wall forever. Who wants to dedicate their life to writing and have it unread? Over time writers will have to decide how much damage RGJ is doing to their career by locking their work behind a pay wall. Once the good writers are gone, what value will the Reno Gazette-Journal have to anyone, paying or otherwise?

Stroke of Fate: Fighting a Winning Battle

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Generational, Health, Lessons of Life, Travel

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Nevada, Reno, Renown, Renown Medical Center, stroke, Wallenberg's Stroke, Wallenberg's Syndrome

Why don’t strokes ever cause super powers?

Weapons of Rehab

A stroke has no sense of honor, nor fairness. It can destroy every aspect of human dignity and leave behind a pulp of flesh. A stroke can wipe out speech, sight, hearing, touch, smell, mobility, cognitive thinking, and the list goes on. Never have I heard of a case of a stroke doing good, like giving heightened senses, or more strength. Strokes don’t even fix missing functions, like giving a blind person their sight, or a deaf person hearing. Quite frankly strokes suck.

After my stroke I was faced with the possibility that I could be incapable of independent living for months, years, or even the rest of my life. That didn’t happen. While I still can’t drive, nor safely move without some type of aid (wheelchair, walker, cane, etc.) I can get around on my own. I can eat as long as I’m mindful of what I’m doing, and see well enough to write, although I often have to use just one eye. My prognosis is great, with the expectation that almost all of my disabled functions will repair over the next few weeks and months.

It’s not easy, but I am fighting a winning battle. I’m fortunate because my stroke did not do more damage. I am frustrated by the fact that my brain seems to lack the capacity to correct my balance and vision issues. Cognitively I know exactly what needs to be done, but my brain has the ability to overrule logic and tell my body that I’m about to fall to the right, so lean right….I said correctly, my brain thinks I’m leaning right, but then insists on shifting more to the right. This irony must be fun for my Conservative friends, but to me it only shows how screwed up we become when we lack balance.

Vertigo has become a major issue in my recovery. The sense that the room is spinning varies from almost non-existent, to a strong rotational pull every time I move my head slightly. Walking becomes a drunken stagger when my vertigo kicks in, which makes my physical therapy sessions almost useless.

Still, everyday I am a bit closer to a full recovery and there are times when I feel almost normal. I have a great team of therapists who are working with me to get better…possibly to get me out of their hair. I’ll talk about living in Rehab next.

PBS Station To Cut After-School Programming To Attract Donors

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Education, Ethics, Generational, Management Practices, parenting, Public Relations

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Child Development, children, children's programming, Idaho PTV, KNPB, Kurt Mische, Nevada, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS Kids Go, Reno

: Paul Kiser

Reno, Nevada PBS affiliate, KNPB is cutting almost a third of its dedicated children’s programming and all of its dedicated after-school shows that target school-aged children. Effective next week all PBS Kids shows on KNPB will end at 12:30 PM, cutting 2.5 hours from its current 9 hours of children’s programming. The programming cuts will put KNPB third from the bottom of 30 western United States PBS stations in total hours of daily children’s programs and the only PBS affiliate without after-school programming.

Kurt Mische, President and CEO of KNPB, denied that the station is cutting ‘all’ programming for school-aged children, and noted that programs like NOVA, Nature, American Experience, and Great Performances “are of great benefit…and interest…to school age children.” Those programs along with the Antique Roadshow will now air once a week at 5:00 PM after PBS News Hour and The Charlie Rose Show, which will fill the after-school time slots at 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

Mische indicated that the programming changes are being initiated to attract donors and money, which school-age children are not providing to the non-profit organization. He explained,

“Making our changes will allow us to serve a larger audience of viewers…and donors…who not only watch but help to financially support our important service.”

Another PBS affiliate recognizes the issue, but has different philosophy regarding programming for school-age children. Ron Pisaneschi, the Director of Content for the PBS affiliate in Boise, Idaho (Idaho PTV) said that there is more programming competition for the attention of school-age children because of commercial children’s television on the cable channels, but added, “even though the audience is small, we want to serve them.”

Hours of Daily Children's Programming of 30 Western US PBS Stations

Programs cut from KNPB’s schedule are The Electric Company for 6-10 year-olds, Cyberchase for 8-11 year-olds, Super Why! for 3-6 year-olds, WordWorld for pre-schoolers, and a second daily airing of Arthur for 4-8 year-olds. KNPB already had cut Fetch! for 6-10 year-olds earlier this year. The only two PBS stations with fewer hours of children programs are Rohnert Park and San Mateo, California. Both are in the San Francisco area market where PBS affiliate KQED has 19.5 hours of children’s programming in addition to a 24-hour PBS Kids channel. San Mateo PBS affiliate KCSM has only one hour of daily children’s programming; however, KCSM is currently up for sale and accepting bids until February 14, 2012.

Ironically, Mische’s attitude about the value of children’s programming to KNPB and to the State of Nevada was more supportive last year when he stated,

KNPB is proud to be a leader in education. At a time when education in Nevada garners its share of negative publicity, KNPB is taking action to impact education and life-long learning. We broadcast 52 hours per week of award winning, high quality, and trusted children’s programs that delight and teach youngsters.

KNPB 2010 Annual Report

The children’s shows, including all after-school shows will be cut effective January 2, 2012.

A version of this article first published as
PBS Station To Cut After-School Programming To Attract Donors

on Technorati.com

USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype: 775.624.5679]

Graph: Hours of Children’s Programming on 30 Western US PBS Affiliates

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Education, Ethics, Generational, Management Practices, parenting, Public Relations

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

children, children's programming, KNPB, Nevada, PBS, PBS Kids, Reno

How many hours of dedicated children’s programming are on PBS stations in the western United States? This graph shows that after KNPB cuts 2.5 hours of children’s programming on January 2nd, it will be tied for third among 30 western US PBS affiliates for the least amount of children’s programs (programming survey based on changes to be made in January 2012.) KNPB will also be the only station among those surveyed without after-school programming.

Click on graph for larger image

9 Most Violent States In the U.S. of the Past Decade

04 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Crime, Government, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, FBI, Florida, Hawai'i, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Statistics, Tennessee, Uniform Crime Reports, Violent Crime

USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype: 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, New Mexico, Maryland, Nevada, Louisiana, Delaware, and Alaska are America’s most violent States¹ during the last ten years according to FBI statistics². Violent crime is on the decline in most States; however, these nine have averaged over 600 violent crimes per every 100,000 in population in the last decade. There is an 85 point gap between the tenth highest State (Illinois) and ninth ranked Alaska, which is a significant separation considering that there is only a 116 point spread among the top nine (see TABLE 2.0.)

Graph 1.0 - The 10 Most Violent States of the Past 10 Years and other example States

The good news is that five of the of the top nine States have made major progress in decreasing violent crime during the last ten years. Florida dropped almost 255 points from its 2001 rate to its 2010 rate. Maryland and New Mexico dropped 235 and 192 points respectively. South Carolina and Louisiana both dropped over 100 points during the decade.

Four States still had rates in 2010 that were over 600 violent crimes per 100,000. Two of those States (Delaware and Tennessee) have made little progress over the decade and the other two (Nevada and Alaska) have lost ground from where they were in 2001.

Table 2.0 - 10 Year Violent Crime Averages (per 100,000 pop.)

Nevada began the decade with a violent crime rate below California’s, but the rate jumped in 2006, peaked in 2007, and has slowly declined. Despite the decline, the significant drop of other high ranked States has placed Nevada as the most violent State for the last two years.

Graph 1.0 shows the average violent crime rates over the last ten years for the eleven highest ranking States, plus five other States that are representative of borderline, middle, and low ranking States. Two of the eleven highest ranking (Illinois and California) were ranking relatively high in 2001, but dropped rapidly during the first three years of the decade and ended up with violent crime rates that were just over the United States average.

NOTES

¹ The District of Columbia was excluded from this report as it is not a State and is more representative of an urban area.

²The violent crime statistics are from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, Table 4, years 2001-2010. The information can be found at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr.

This article first published as
Nine Most Violent States of the Past Decade
on Technorati.com

Sandoval/Reid campaign money not a stimulus for Nevada

24 Wednesday Nov 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Communication, Consulting, Ethics, Government, History, Honor, Management Practices, Politics, Pride, Print Media, Public Relations, Traditional Media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Blogging, Blogs, Democrats, Governor, Management Practices, Nevada, New Business World, Newspapers, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, Publicity, Republican, Republicans, Rory Reid, Sandoval

by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Article first published as
Sandoval/Reid Campaign Money Not a Stimulus for Nevada
on Technorati

We endured relentless political ads on television and radio, but Nevada didn’t hit the jackpot in campaign dollars flowing into the State from the Governor’s race. Despite the fact that almost $3.8 million dollars was spent by the Sandoval for Governor Campaign in the months leading up to the election, 80% of the money was payable to recipients outside the State. Rory Reid’s campaign also spent a significant portion of its money to out-of-state firms with MSR Media Strategies, LLC in Fairfax, Virginia netting almost $2.8 million from the Reid campaign.

Sandoval Campaign Expenses
(Spreadsheet listing all campaign expenses through October 21, 2010)

In a detailed review of Governor-Elect Sandoval’s campaign reports, 63% ($2.4 million) of campaign expenses were made payable to Strategic Media Services, inc. in Washington, D.C. for advertising. While some may argue that money spent for advertising comes back to the State in the form of purchased television and radio air time and newspaper ads, one Nevada media consultant pointed out that most media outlets in Nevada are owned by out-of-state media corporations, so political ads that ran on many local stations were payable to non-Nevada interests. The one exception is the Intermountain West Communications Company that owns several television stations including in the western United States including KSNV-Las Vegas, KRNV-Reno, and KENV-Elko.

David Neal, President of Strategic Media Services, inc. (Sandoval’s leading campaign expenditure) and Kyle Osterhout, Partner of MSR Media Strategies, LLC (Rory Reid’s leading campaign expenditure) were not immediately available; however, two media experts with campaign related experience said that the standard fee for media agencies is 15% of the advertising purchase. In some cases a campaign may negotiate rebates from the media agency based on volume of business; however services such as the production of the ad are typically not included in the 15% fee.

The Las Vegas area did benefit from 19% (over $720,000) of the campaign funds with over $400,000 paid to political and media consultants. Almost half a million dollars went to the three Las Vegas firms of October, Inc., Autumn Productions, and Autumn EMedia. The latter two are subsidiaries of November, Inc.

The Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Carson Valley garnered only 1 percent (less than $30,000) from the Governor-Elect’s campaign and rural Nevada received less than $10,000.

NEXT: Where the money came from in Sandoval’s campaign

More Articles

Business: Public Relations, Management, and Social Media Related

Rotary Related

Science Related

Personal Experience Related

Our Country and History Related

Riding Reno: The Ladies of McCarran Boulevard

15 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Public Relations, Random, Recreation, Rotary, Sports, Travel

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Bicycling, Bike, Bike ride, biking, Blogging, Blogs, exercise, Keira Knightley, Lady Gaga, mountain bike, Nevada, Public Image, Public Relations, Reno, rider, riding, Rotary, Rotary District 5190, routes, Shakira, Sparks, Taylor Swift, Touring, workout

by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

This summer I started riding a bike around Reno, Nevada. Because I live close to McCarran Boulevard it is usually the primary feature of my route. McCarran is a four lane artery circling Reno; however, most of the 23-mile ring road has a wide shoulder and is a good option for a rider looking for a workout. Because it makes a circle a rider can complete the entire route, or it can be divided up into four sections that offer different challenges and levels of workout. Solely for my entertainment I have labeled each section with a female star’s name that reminds me of the section.

I should point out that I use a borrowed 15 year-old mountain bike, which creates significantly more resistance than a more contemporary road/touring bike, or even a hybrid or commuter bike…and yes, it is a pansy excuse. For a hardcore rider who loves hills, the terrain of McCarran will hardly seem challenging, but for me (and my borrowed mountain bike), the western sections of the route are more than enough of a cardiovascular workout.

I tend to NASCAR my route, so my description of riding McCarran Boulevard will be a route that is counterclockwise in each section of the circular route. The four sections are bisected by Interstate 80 and Virginia Street.

Shakira's first hill

SHAKIRA
Northwestern McCarran Boulevard
At 3.5 miles, the Shakira section is the shortest of the four McCarran quarters. It starts at North Virginia Street and after a slight downhill offers the second highest continuous elevation gain (175 feet in 1 mile) of the 23 mile route. That seems tame for most experienced riders on narrow tire touring bikes, but on a summer afternoon or evening the climb is into a stiff headwind. Combine the climb and wind with a hot day and a rider can lose a pound or two thanks to Shakira.

The first hill flattens out on top to a slight downhill followed by a second smaller hill with a 80-foot elevation gain that puts the rider at the top of Shakira section. From here it is all downhill for over a mile to I-80; however, this is a heavily congested area with multiple shopping campuses on both sides of McCarran. While Shakira has nice broad shoulders, she also has a lot of cross traffic in the last mile.

Shakira has great shoulders

Shakira is ideal for a short cardio workout. For a quick ride I typically hit northwest McCarran and then continue into the next section of McCarran to 4th Street and return home on surface streets.

LADY GAGA
Southwestern McCarran Boulevard
This was the first section of McCarran I named…I was listening to a Lady Gaga song during the climb … and the name stuck. It is the longest and has the most challenging terrain of the four sections of McCarran.

From I-80 and west McCarran, Lady Gaga continues to drop in elevation from Shakira past 4th Street and down to the bridge that crosses the Truckee River. Once she lures you in with fun downhill she then begins a 575-foot elevation gain over the next 2.8 miles to the highest point on McCarran (5160 ft.) To add insult to injury, a significant portion of the climb turns the rider to the southwest and into the afternoon headwind. Workout junkies might fall in love with the challenge of Lady Gaga, but for others it might feel like a ‘Bad Romance’ as you are pedaling over a mile up the hill into the wind and round a left curve only to find there is still more hill ahead.

Lady Gaga takes you for a ride

Once at the top you can congratulate yourself because you have conquered the biggest hill in the circuit. The next phase of Lady Gaga is a 600-foot mostly downhill ride for over two miles. The downhill ends at Lake Street and the remainder of the 7.1 mile section is relatively flat as you head east to South Virginia Street; however by reaching the valley floor you also have returned to a high traffic area.

Lady Gaga has great ...uhm,..shoulders too!

The paved shoulder on the Lady Gaga section is excellent for most of the route; however, the division between bike route and car lane is ill-defined in the flat area between Lake and South Virginia Streets. It is unfortunate that just as the car traffic becomes heavier the bike route designated area on the shoulder disappears.

Taken together, the total 10.6 miles of the Shakira and the Lady Gaga sections offer 1) a great workout, 2) great bike lanes, except as noted and, 3) great views of the Reno Valley (yes I’m aware no one refers to it as the ‘Reno Valley’.) I should note that most riders will pick up considerable speed on the downhills of these ladies and I have experienced strong side gusts on the downhill at the beginning of Lady Gaga. I have never been concerned that I would be pushed out into traffic; however, some caution in gusty winds is advised.

The narrow shoulders of the Keira Knightley section

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
Southeastern McCarran Boulevard
Having covered the 10.6 miles of the western half of McCarran, one might easily dismiss the Keira Knightley portion of the McCarran experience; however. the 6.0 miles has a unique challenge, just not the kind bike riders normally seek. From South Virginia Street, the traffic is heavy due to the collection of shopping campuses and other commercial activity in area. Initially there is plenty of paved area for riders to avoid close encounters of the automobile kind; however, the paved shoulder keeps shrinking until there is little or no shoulder after you pass Longley Lane.

I would advise that the rider have some type of mirror to track the traffic behind them and, of course, a helmet is necessary in any riding environment. Most of Keira should be considered highly hazardous riding with shoulder conditions that are uncharacteristic of most of McCarran.

The other notable characteristic of the Keira section is its flatness. At Virginia Street the elevation is approximately 4450 feet and it drops over down to about 4400 feet at Longley Lane then stays within 15 feet of that elevation for the remainder of the section.

Like the real Taylor Swift, the final section of McCarran is a tame experience for most

TAYLOR SWIFT
Northeastern McCarran Boulevard
I have named the last section of McCarran, Taylor Swift. It is a 6.3 mile section that has some narrow shoulders at the beginning and a few minor elevation changes in the last half of the section. Overall the Taylor section has about a 250 foot rise but it levels off for the last mile before North Virginia Street. Taylor is a high traffic area for the first mile or so, but once past Prater Way the surrounding area becomes primarily residential. The other area of note is near the I-580 (US 395) and North McCarran interchange. In addition to the activity around the on/off ramps of I-580, there is major commercial activity for almost a mile on either side.

Like the Shakira section, the elevation gain occurs when the rider is facing west, which is the direction the wind comes from in the afternoon and evening. If you start your ride at the beginning of the Shakira section then you might discover that the last few miles on the 23-mile ride will remove any guilt you might have for the nice level ride of the Keira and first half of Taylor sections.

I have done the ride in two hours of ride time, but I would allow for two and half hours. For hardcore riders/racers it is probably an hour and a half ride or less. I like Shakira, Lady Gaga, Keira, and Taylor because they offer fewer intersections than normal city streets and a great riding area for most of the route. If you find yourself in Reno looking for a nice ride with views of the city, you can’t go wrong with the Ladies of McCarran; however, the best views, and the best workout will be with Shakira and Lady Gaga….is that a surprise to anyone?

More Articles

Nevada I-580: An Interstate by any other name

13 Friday Aug 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Communication, History, Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Public Relations, Random, Travel

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

395, Blogging, Blogs, Highway, I-580, I580, Interstate Highways, NDOT, Nevada, Nevada Department of Transportation, Public Image, Public Relations, Publicity, US 395

by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

I’ve lived in Reno, Nevada, USA for 15 years and one thing that has confused me is the identity of main north-south freeway through northern Nevada. To most it is known simply as ‘395’ and it is the only north-south freeway between I-5 in California and I-15 in Utah. When I first moved here I sometimes mistakenly called it I-395 because it is a freeway (access only by on or off ramps); however, the ‘395’ is officially ‘US 395’. Recently I learned that the road does have a federal designation, which is Interstate 580 or I-580; however, no where on the freeway can you find signage for I-580. Why?

For decades Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has been working to upgrade US 395 into a north-south freeway from Hallelujah Junction north of Reno (in California) through the communities of Reno and Carson City with the ultimate plan to continue it south of Carson City. The Federal designation for this upgrade has been Interstate 580 or I-580. According to one source, at one point in the 1980’s signage was put on the section of I-580 in Reno; however, for unknown reasons it was removed. Thus, Reno has an Interstate that is not identified as such, and is still known by an identifier associated with highways.

Signage for I-580 doesn't exist

One thing I have learned in living in Reno is that there is a strong sentiment among ‘natives’ to hang on to the past, and an even stronger dislike for the Federal government. My best guess is that there is reluctance of renaming the freeway by its correct designation for fear of upsetting the natives. I know at least a dozen people who would say something to the effect of, “I don’t care what they say, 395 is 395, and you can’t make me call it anything different!”

I actually don’t care what designation it is given, but it is an Interstate and I’m interested in how long it will take before it is referred to by its correct identifier. Rumor has it that once the link between south Reno and Washoe Valley is complete the I-580 designation will be finally given to the Interstate, but I’m not holding my breath. Nevada schools are consistently the worst in the nation, so learning new things is not a popular sport in this State.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by confusion over I-580. Nevada has a long history of avoiding reality. Just try using the correct pronunciation of Nevada (Ne-va-da) and you will have every native acting like they invented the Spanish language and tell you it is pronounced Ne-vad-duh.

That pretty much says it all.

More Articles

Nevada’s oldest brewpub opens new Reno brewery

25 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Business, Customer Relations, Information Technology, Passionate People, Public Relations, Rotary, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Beer, Blogging, Blogs, Brewery, Brewing, Brewpub, Craft Beer, Customer Loyalty, Employment, Food, Grain, Great Basin, Hops, Management Practices, Micorbrewery, Nevada, New Business World, Public Image, Public Relations, Publicity, Restaurant, Rotarians, Rotary, Rotary Club, Rotary District 5190, Specialty Beer, The Great Basin Brewing Company, Value-added

by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

No one could legally brew beer in Nevada until the early 1990’s. That was changed, in part, by the efforts of Tom and Bonda Young and a few other brewing entrepreneurs who worked to change antiquated State laws. Once the law was changed Tom and a business partner established the first brew pub in northern Nevada, the Great Basin Brewing Company in 1993. Today, Great Basin Brewing is the oldest brewpub in Nevada and this week it will open a new top shelf brewery/restaurant in Reno.

Great Basin Brewery might have started out in Reno, except that the law that allowed brewpubs to operate in Nevada initially required the location to be in an area designated as a redevelopment zone and Sparks stepped forward to welcome the venture in the Victorian Avenue redevelopment plan. For 17 years it has been a significant part of downtown Sparks.

South side of the New Great Basin Brewing Company in Reno, NV, USA

Brewpubs are no longer restricted to redevelopment zones and last November Tom and Bonda took the leap to expand by remodeling a former Mexican chain restaurant into a showcase brewery serving some of Nevada’s most honored craft (specialty) beers. The new Reno location will significantly increase the production of the local brewpub that already is among the top 35 among over 1600 in the United States. The Sparks location can currently produce 7 barrels of beer at a time, but the new brewery will increase the combined production to 32 barrels.

Eli and Ryan working the brewing room

In addition to increased beer production, the new Reno Great Basin Brewery location will serve the same menu as its Sparks sister facility with the addition of hot baked pizza from their new brick pizza oven. The expansion of Nevada’s home-grown brewery has also created new jobs with the increased staff, along with the construction workers involved in the remodel. Tom also worked with local suppliers as demonstrated by using a local carpenter to build all the table tops in the facility.

Several members of the brewery staff have taken on significant responsibilities during the remodel and ramp up phases of the project including Jazz Aldrich, Eli Brightburg-Smith, Paul Ganzer, Dave Miller, Ryan Quinlan, and Dondo. This week has been spent taking the final step to make the new facility’s restaurant operational for the public opening on Monday (July 26).

Signs show which craft beers are currently on tap.

While watching beer brew can be as exciting as watching grass grow, it is intriguing to be able to see the large stainless steel containers that ferment grain products into a wide variety of craft beers that have landed the most awards of any Nevada brewpub. The new facility includes a silo on the southwest side of the building for the grain used by the brewery, which is a reminder that this is a real brewery with a brewpub and restaurant, and not just a restaurant that has a small brewery function to qualify as a brewpub.

I’m a big fan of the Young’s and the Great Basin Brewing Company. Tom Young has been a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Sparks and has donated many kegs of beer at cost or less for many fundraisers in the Reno/Sparks area. He and Bonda have also hosted Rotary Youth Exchange students and been active participants in club activities. It is exciting to see local business people who have given back so much to the community expand their operations and bring a quality brewery into Reno proper. If you have a chance to stop by this week I highly recommend stopping in to see the facility and have a beer..or two. Cheers!

(The Great Basin website)

More Articles

Starbucks makes a smart move: Free WiFi

09 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Information Technology, Internet, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Public Relations, Re-Imagine!, Relationships, Rotary, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, The Tipping Point

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Blogging, Blogs, Circus Circus, Coffee, convention authority, Customer Loyalty, Executive Management, Free Internet, Free WiFi, gambling, Gaming properties, Grand Sierra Resort, hotels, John Ascuaga's Nugget, Las Vegas, Management Practices, Nevada gaming, New Business World, Public Image, Public Relations, Publicity, Re-Imagine!, Reno Gaming, Rotary, Social Media, Social Networking, South Point, Starbucks, The Atlantis, The Eldorado, The Peppermill, The Silver Legacy, Value-added, WiFi

by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Customer Loyalty: Paul Kiser in Starbucks style

Today I’m dressed like a Starbucks employee to honor the wisdom of the decision-makers at the famous coffee company to team with AT&T to offer free WiFi to all. They started it on July 1st. It is a smart move…a very smart move.

Why? There is one common aspect of every successful business and it is simply to give your customers a reason to love you. That’s it! Customers who love a service or product is an absolute ‘must’ if you want to build customer loyalty and business referrals. You can spend millions of dollars in advertising and not get the return that a company gets with requited love from their customers. With free WiFi Starbucks has found a way of creating value-added service that will cause many people to love Starbucks.

If you have a ‘butts-in-the-seats’ type of business and you want customers to: 1) frequent your location, 2) spend time and money in your business and, 3) be loyal to your business then free WiFi is one of the best ways to make it happen. Here’s what will happen for Starbucks over the next 12 months.

Starbucks will see increased traffic of laptop users (a ‘small’ market of people who will buy almost 200 million laptops in 2010)
Starbucks will see more repeat business
Starbucks will be more visible to more people
Starbucks will not need to spend as much on advertising and will get more social media publicity

All butts-in-the-seats organizations would like to experience these four outcomes in their business, so why don’t more places offer free WiFi? In brief, the answer is ‘accountant-think’, which is always short-sighted. The common rationale is one of two issues. First, instead of seeing free WiFi as an inexpensive way to add value to their service the accountant-think business people try to make it a revenue source. In Reno, Nevada the major hotel/gaming properties have been known to charge as much as $500 to ‘turn on’ WiFi in their convention areas and most of the properties charge around $13/day for guests to have access to WiFi. The result is that technology conventions go elsewhere rather than be charged for a service that they can get for considerably less (or free) in another market. The Reno gaming properties have boxed themselves in with contracts or dependence on the revenue source from WiFi, so they are now in a death spiral of losing more and more business or give up a piece of their dwindling revenue.

Last year I was in Las Vegas on a business trip and stayed at the South Point property. They charged a fee for WiFi, so I went to Starbucks to get online (my home account is with AT&T, so I’ve always had free access at Starbucks.) Afterward I picked up dinner at the Outback Restaurant next door and took it back to my room. South Point didn’t get me to stay on property, nor did they even get me to eat at in-house, simply because they didn’t offer Free WiFi. Is that a smart business move on their part? Nope, just good, solid accountant-think.

The second rationale accountant-think executives is that WiFi customers don’t have a revenue impact. In August of 2009, Erica Alini wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal (NOTE: the Wall Street Journal or WSJ is a historical archive of old business trends written by accountant-think reporters) that declared, “Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users.” For her article Ms. Alini cites three examples in New York that discussed limiting or eliminating laptops at a cafe or coffee shop. The most common problem seemed to be too many customers … what a tragic problem … and that some laptop users were purchasing minimal product. However, Ms. Alini admits that some places were using laptop users to ‘make the place look busy.’

A deserted restaurant is cause for people to avoid the business, so having customers, even minimal revenue producing customers, can mean more paying customers. My question is how much would a coffee shop have to pay people to sit and look like customers? Free WiFi is a small price to pay. I spend $10 to $15 per day at my Home Starbucks on Keystone in Reno, NV, USA. It will not make me a shareholder, but it is money I would not spend in one place, except for the fact that I am a captured customer. I also always meet with people at a Starbucks, so I bring in additional customers. The major factor in my customer loyalty is the access to free WiFi.

Starbucks has made a very smart business move with making free WiFi a value-added service for all and the return on the service will reap big dividends in customer loyalty and increased traffic (butts in the seats.) Starbucks customers have a new reason to love Starbucks and that is key to survival in today’s world. But don’t try telling that to the accountant-think executives running other stores and restaurants. They just won’t understand it … and I’m sure that’s okay with Starbucks.

More Articles

War Declared on Social Media: Desperate Acts of Traditional Media

02 Wednesday Jun 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in 2020 Enterprise Technologies, About Reno, Branding, Communication, Customer Service, Information Technology, Internet, Management Practices, Public Relations, SEO, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, Website

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bloggers, Blogging, Blogs, copyright infringement, Elmer, Facebook, Freedom of Speech, journalism, journalists, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun, LinkedIn, Management Practices, Nevada, New Business World, Newspapers, Public Image, Public Relations, Publicity, Reno Gazette-Journal, reporters, Rotary, Sherman Frederick, Social Media, Stephens Media Group, The Old Conservative Times, traditional media, Twitter

by Paul Kiser

Paul Kiser - CEO 2020 Enterprise Technologies

(NOTE USE AND REPRINT INFORMATION BELOW)

For the most part, the people in the traditional media (newspapers, magazines, TV, etc.) have seen the tidal wave of Social Media coming for years. They have typically adopted an if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them strategy. The editors of our local paper have pushed their reporters (from here forward I’ll refer to them as journalists) to use Twitter and to blog in order to keep pace with the millions of reporters online that inform the world of everything from the cute thing their toddler did this week to the world event that everyone will be talking about in tomorrow’s newspaper.

Social Media has given voice to everyone and now journalists are but one voice among many, which is a problem if your living comes from your ability to be paid to have people read your stuff. In the days before blogs and Twitter, publishers and editors had the ability to control who could be heard and who could be silenced, but Social Media took away all their power and at least one publisher is mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. He has declared war! He is going to sue!

The rationale for the suit is legitimate. A certain publisher (let’s call him, Elmer) at a certain Nevada newspaper (let’s call it The Old Conservative Times) has called out the demons (let’s call them lawyers…on second thought, let’s stick with demons) and is going after any website that uses copyrighted material of the The Old Conservative Times. What’s more, Elmer wants everyone else in the traditional media to get on the bandwagon with him.

I agree that anyone who steals an article from another website without crediting or revealing their original source of information is wrong. If possible, they should also link back to the original source. That’s the way Social Media works. We share information and let our friends, followers, readers know from where we got the information and, in turn, help publicize their work. Journalists, for the most part are professionals, and to steal their work and claim it as your own is unethical.

But that is not what this issue is really about for Elmer and the methods being used by The Old Conservative Times demonstrate that this is not an act of preserving the work of professional journalists. Elmer and his demons have decided to sue first and ask questions…never. Rather than contacting the offender and telling them to remove the copyrighted information, Elmer and his demons are going for the throat and filing suit with the intention of stealing the domain rights of the organization. That’s right, Elmer is using the nuclear option. No warning, just show up in court and turn over everything to Elmer. Freedom of Speech be damned, Elmer is here to tell us what we should think!

I should note that according to Elmer’s blogs he is a conservative. He hates President Barrack Obama and he takes any opportunity to spin a situation to cast a negative light on our President, or Democrats, or the elected government of the greatest nation in the history of the world. It seems about every third blog is pounding home the conservative dribble that proposes hate for our government, hate for our elected leaders, hate for the citizens of Mexico, ….you get the picture.

So Elmer is lashing out at Social Media, which is composed of people who want to be informed, but not by just those who hate, but those who can love, and everyone in between. Elmer wants traditional media to regain control of people’s hearts and minds and this Social Media thing is not acceptable! So Elmer and his demons are not seeking to correct the issue of copyright infringement, which could be done with a phone call or an email, they want to take away the voices of the Social Media, one domain at a time. Elmer also wants all his publishing friends to join him as he strikes a blow against freedom of speech for all and raises a flag on the land of the uninformed.

Hey Elmer, let me know how that works out for you…but don’t quote me, or I’ll sue you.

(Any use or reprint of part or all of this article is expressly ALLOWED for anyone,-except The Las Vegas Review-Journal, its staff, Stephens Media Group, or any affiliates, or any conservative-based organization that has made derogatory remarks about President Barack Obama, Senator Harry Reid, or Speaker Nancy Pelosi,-providing credit is given to Paul Kiser and, if possible, a link to this web address is included with the appearance.)

More blogs

America’s Hostile Takeover of Mexico

12 Wednesday May 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, History, Lessons of Life, Random, Rotary, US History

≈ 37 Comments

Tags

Alta California, Arizona, Blogs, California, Colorado, Hispanic, Illegal Immigrants, Immigration, Mexican Cession, Mexican Immigrants, Mexican-American War, Mexico, Nevada, New Mexico, Nuevo Mexico, Texas, US/Mexican Border, Utah

by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Arizona recently passed a law directed at people of Mexican descent in an effort to rid the State of ‘non-Americans’. For many Americans this topic is centered on claims of how ‘illegal’ immigrants are responsible for stealing jobs, increasing crime, and threatening to destroy almost every aspect ‘American’ life. If you want to find the person who has a raw nerve about the issue of Mexican immigrants (legal or illegal) one only has to say, “Press one for English” and that person will launch into a tirade about illegal immigrants and how they have destroyed ‘our’ country.

It is easy to forget that less than 165 years ago the United States of America “obtained” 55% of Mexico’s territory at gunpoint. The Mexican-American War was not a war as much as it was a mugging. It is now recognized that most of the rationale for the declaration of war by the United States on Mexico had little to do with defending US citizens or property and a lot to do with our designs on seizing northern Mexico. We had offered to buy much of the land prior to the war and Mexico rejected it, but after the war we paid fifty cents on the dollar.

Mexico 1847

There is a reason why the northern borders of California, Nevada, and Utah fall on the same latitude of 42 degrees North. It is because that was the northern border of Mexico after they won independence from Spain. Until 1847 the sovereign country of Mexico owned the land that is currently claimed by the States of California, Nevada, Utah, southwestern Wyoming, western and southern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the pan handle of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Before the US takeover, northern Mexico consisted of Alta California, Nuevo Mexico, and Tejas. Many of the names of the geographic features, such as the Colorado River, retain the Mexican name still today.

How We Took Northern Mexico
After Mexico won its independence from Spain it allowed settlers to immigrate into their country, providing they agreed to become Catholics and abide by Mexican law and policies. In what is now Texas, the Americans moved into Mexico and then objected to the laws that outlawed slavery, restrictions on what crops could be grown, and becoming Catholics. Eventually the Americans declared their independence from Mexico in 1836 and a minor war ensued.

Mexico had few resources with which to fight the white illegal immigrants and restore Mexican law. After a few minor defeats the Mexican government stopped sending their army to battle with the trespassers; however, they never relinquished the land to the Texans. The white illegal immigrants then claimed to be an independent country known as the Republic of Texas. Knowing that Mexico would eventually gather enough resources to reclaim the land, the immigrants then petitioned the United States for statehood and protection of the US Army. In 1845 the United States accepted Texas’ petition to become a State and sent troops to secure the territory.

US States that occupy Mexican land (in white...ironically)

Mexico objected to the occupation of Texas or ‘Tejas’ with U.S. troops and in 1846 attacked Fort Texas. In response the U.S. Congress, under a doctrine of ‘Manifest Destiny’ (i.e.; the United States was destined to control the land from the Pacific to the Atlantic) declared war on Mexico with the intent of not only securing the Texas territory, but California as well. Meeting little resistance the United States occupied northern Mexico, including California by January of 1847 and by September had captured Mexico City.

The United States then dictated the terms of Mexico’s surrender with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty forced Mexico to ‘sell’ most it’s country to the United States for $15 million, half of what had been offered before the war.

As we consider the issue of immigration ‘reform’, it would be helpful to remember that it was the United States that aggressively took the land from Mexico in the first place and that ‘Manifest Destiny’ was a disguise for the conquest of northern Mexico.

More Articles

Positive Harm Part II: Downs and Ups

06 Tuesday Apr 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Lessons of Life, parenting, Random

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Doctors, Healthcare, Nurses, Renown, tonsillectomy

Play Surgery before the big day.

Yesterday our 4 1/2 year-old son, Alexander had his tonsils and adenoids removed. In Part I of this story

(See Positive Harm to Our Son Doesn’t Feel Okay)

I talked about the concerns of harming our child in order to make him healthier and our efforts to prepare him for the experience. It is impossible to know whether that preparation was good or bad, but we certainly have seen the downs and ups of the experience and the problems of too much knowledge.

The Downs of Surgery Eve

On Sunday night we did another session of play surgery before bed and then just before he went to sleep I reminded him that there would be some pain after the surgery and that we would be with him until he went into the OR. That was probably a mistake. Alexander woke up just before 1:00 AM crying. He said his throat hurt, then his ears, then his head. His Mom took it at face value, but he didn’t have a fever and at times the pain was only the throat, so I was more suspicious. He was clearly scared and violently battled to stay with Mom and wanted me to stay away.

We were able to get him to sleep in 10 minute chunks, but he always woke up crying. To me it was clear he was terrorized by the thought of going to the hospital in a few hours. Needless to say, none of us slept the rest of the night.

Mood Recovery Before Surgery

Alexander at home a few hours post op

At the hospital he fell asleep in Mom’s arms in the waiting area and got about an hour in before we were moved into a pre-op room. When he woke up he was still in a foul mood, but he wasn’t crying. In the pre-op room I decided to see if I could get his mind off of the surgery. He had been given a stuffed duck during his tour of the surgery area the week before so I began flying ‘Quackers’ around the room. That got him to laugh and lifted his spirits some.

A Boy Rests

The staff at the Renown was aware of his fears (I got the sense they had experienced one or two patients with a similar concern) and they all worked to help him get his mind off of the surgery. Nurse Toni, (the nurse that gave us a tour of OR the week before,) checked in on him, and his pre-op nurse (I can’t remember her name) did a great job of asking him questions and involving him in the conversation. By the time the anesthesiologist came in Alexander was no longer focused on the surgery and he continued to talk directly to Alexander…and listening to him. By the time the star of the show, Dr. Jenny Van Duyne, entered the room Alexander was ready to hold court. When it came time for Alexander to go to the OR, he had no problem taking a wagon ride away from Mom and Dad.

The next 45 minutes were blessfully short and when Dr. Van Duyne came out we knew everything went as planned. She explained that he had one very large tonsil and she put in one stitch to keep the back of the mouth symmetrical, but everything else looked good.

Recovery Room Down and Up and Down

Post surgery was no cake walk, but the important note is that it was after the surgery…meaning the scary part for us was over. Alexander was groggy and hurting post op but he did what he need to do. He drank liquids and rested. Again the Renown staff did great. Nurse Kim was his post-op nurse and she kept close tabs on us and did not hesitate to give pain meds if she thought they were needed.

If either of us had felt that Alexander wasn’t getting the best care we could have been difficult parents for the staff. We were both exhausted and feeling very protective; however, I don’t remember any time where I felt that Alexander was being neglected. Alexander did his part by drinking water, eating two Otter Pops, and he even went potty.

All was going as planned until we were ready to leave. Just as I picked Alexander up he lost his cookies, or in this case his Otter Pop. It could have been a lot worse but Nurse Kim had made sure we had the emesis (sick) bag at the ready.

Roller Coaster at Home

Alexander - 26 hours post op...vacuuming

Since being home we have dealt with the challenge of getting Alexander to take his medicine (which tastes horrible), vomiting right after taking medicine, sleep in four-hour stints at night, and a really sad and hurting boy. We have also experienced a boy who wants to vacuum and clean the furnace air filter. He feels good for about two hours at a time today and then he doesn’t. Hopefully, each day he will feel stronger.

Our journey is long from over, but we are able to see that doing positive harm to our child was for the best. We know that he will sleep better and feel better. In hindsight I would have not discussed the scary parts of the surgery as much. The pain is best dealt with at the time it hurts, not feared before it happens.

Other Paul Kiser Blogs

Census 2000 VS Census 2010

Who uses Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, & LinkedIn?

Publishing Industry to End 2012

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Oh My!

Positive Harm to Our Son Doesn’t Feel Okay

03 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Lessons of Life, parenting, Random

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

adenoids, boys, hospitals, parenting, pediatrics, Renown, surgery, tonsillectomy, tonsillitis, Tonsils

Alexander prepares for 'play' surgery

On Monday we will get up early and take our four and a half year-old boy, Alexander, to Renown Hospital in Reno. He is basically healthy…that is when he doesn’t stick a plastic bead up his nose,

See Blog Post

but he snores and is awaken at night because his tonsils have grown too large and block his airway when he sleeps. He also has a persistent cough at night that comes and goes. We are confident this is absolutely necessary as his Dentist (Dr. Stoker), his Family Practitioner (Dr. McCarthy), and two Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist have all agreed: Tonsils Must Go.

Play Surgery to Prep for the Real Surgery

Still, it is getting harder to shrug off that this surgery is going to hurt him and there are always risks and complications that can’t be anticipated. Parents may not be required to take the Hippocratic Oath (First, Do No Harm), but even so, it’s instinct for most of us, and when we turn Alexander over to Dr. Jenny Van Duyne on Monday morning we will be asking her to hurt our son. Yes, in the long run he will be better off, but that doesn’t change the fact that when he comes back from surgery he will be injured.

Our Play Operating Room

Ironically, I was pushing for us to have him checked out and to have this surgery done. I had my tonsils out when I was around six and I was eating crackers the next day. My older brother Mike had his done around the same time and as a teenager he had a much harder time recovering from the surgery. Of course, that was back in the days of rusty, old surgery instruments when doctors sharpened knives with a leather strap…okay, it wasn’t that bad, but it was almost 50 years ago.

Post Play Surgery Recovery Room

It doesn’t seem that the surgery has changed that much and the recovery time is one to two weeks, so this is not an overnight hurt that will be better the next day. We also know he gets worried and scared in unfamiliar situations, so we took him for a tour of the Operating Room last week and Nurse Toni did a great job of reassuring him. He’s also watched a DVD over and over that was produced to help children overcome their fears of this surgery. Finally, we’ve been practicing the before, during, and after surgery with me as the doctor (complete with poofy shower cap) and him as the really good patient. So far, so good, but Monday morning will be the final exam for all of us.

I was thinking that this was going to be harder on Mom than Dad, and in the end I will likely push my fears aside for Alexander and Mom, but it still feels odd….I don’t know, maybe it’s just the poofy shower cap.

Other Paul Kiser Blogs

Census 2000 VS Census 2010

Who uses Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, & LinkedIn?

Publishing Industry to End 2012

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Oh My!

Reno’s Secret Extreme Disc Golf Course

26 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Passionate People, Public Relations, Recreation

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Disc Golf, Nevada, Recreation, Reno, Reno Adventure Park

by Paul Kiser

“The Pebble Beach of Disc Golf” (Player comment)

Thomas Hill Frost at Hole 10 on the Green Course

This week I spent a morning with a magnificent view of the Reno and in the background was the snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountain range. It was a location that few know about and fewer know how to get to; however, my guide, landowner Thomas Hill Frost, knows this area well.

I didn’t visit the site for the view, but because Tom has built two 18-hole Disc Golf courses on 40 acres of land that are at best, challenging and for most, extreme. I haven’t played Disc Golf for years but after running into Tom at a Reno Starbucks he peaked my interest enough to see what he has been working on for ten years.

Tom points out the work on the hole structure

Located above the Virginia Foothills area, southwest of Reno, Reno Adventure Park overlooks the southern suburbs.

Green Course hole with next tee pad in background

Tom and I walked the Green Course which is 18 holes on ‘kinder and gentler’ terrain, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for the flat grass-covered courses in a city park or on a college campus. This is a hill course with an occasional juniper or pinion pine tree that obscures the hole from the tee pad. The course can be played in tennis shoes; however, boots that protect the shins are recommended. I walked the course in street shoes and in the end had to dump dirt and sand out of my shoes and socks.

View from the Tee Pad of the 1st Hole of the Red Course

The Red Course is for the adventurous player. There is 600 feet of elevation change between the top of the course and the bottom with many holes dropping or rising 10 stories or more between the tee pad and the hole. There may be a more challenging permanent disc golf course in the world, but I can’t imagine where or why. Anyone who logs time on the Red Course will have earned her or his beer once they return to civilization.

One of the most challenging holes on the Green course is the 13th (of course, it had to be ‘13′.) The course is downhill with a few trees blocking the view of a hole that is set a few feet from a granite cliff. Overshoot the hole and you’re going to go for a hike. When we were there a red fox was at the bottom of the cliff. To my knowledge she won’t retrieve a lost disc for players, so don’t plan for help if you screw up.

The Cliff behind Lucky 13

Lucky 13 on the Green Course

Green Course Hole 17 Tee Pad

It is important to note that this is a private course on private land. People must contact Tom (775.750.0776) to reserve a tee time, gain permission to access the course, and get directions. Tom will typically be willing to meet parties and guide them to the property, but please don’t cancel as Tom arranges his schedule to accommodate guests. Because of wildlife, no dogs are allowed.

Tom is a landscape artist and he is the great-great-grandson of the famous Yosemite landscape painter Thomas Hill (1829-1908). Tom is aware of the artistic value of his land and he wants to preserve the beauty for all. He has spent ten years working with Washoe County for easement access and use permits, and then he began installing the course piece by piece. His current project is to complete concrete tee pads on all 36 holes. Eventually he would like to have the property serve as a place for people to come and play, paint, relax, and enjoy.

Up to now the course has been a secret to Reno and the Disc Golf world; however, that is changing as more people become aware of this Reno treasure. Now that I’ve been there I could tell you how to find it…but then I have to…sorry, I’ve been watching ‘Chuck‘ too much. Call Tom at 775.750. 0776 or go to www.RenoAdventurePark.com for more information.

3rd From Sol

~ Learn from before. Live now. Look ahead.

Category Archives: About Reno

Are you a Good Photographer or a Great Photographer?

Five Rules For Taking Images of Your Children

Getting Serious About Composting

Major Earthquake Hits Eastern California

Why Job Creators Aren’t

David Ward: Mr. Reno

Lack of Quality Jobs Killing Nevada’s Future

Nevada’s Death By Stupidity: The Business Friendly Myth

Stroke of Fate: Fighting a Winning Battle

PBS Station To Cut After-School Programming To Attract Donors

Graph: Hours of Children’s Programming on 30 Western US PBS Affiliates

9 Most Violent States In the U.S. of the Past Decade

Sandoval/Reid campaign money not a stimulus for Nevada

Riding Reno: The Ladies of McCarran Boulevard

Nevada I-580: An Interstate by any other name

America’s Hostile Takeover of Mexico

Positive Harm Part II: Downs and Ups

Positive Harm to Our Son Doesn’t Feel Okay

Reno’s Secret Extreme Disc Golf Course