The recent passing of Jake Highton creates a very large void in the Sparks Tribune. The erudite, voluble Highton’s writings were a benchmark for other columnists.
Although my first encounter (written) with Highton was not very salubrious, as it concerned our differing views on the legitimacy of the Reno Media Press Club, it was soon forgotten. When Highton became aware that the RMPC’s main mission was to provide funding for the Journalism School at the University, he stopped his critique.
During his teaching years at the U, he was regarded as the toughest professor on campus. Because of his long and varied newspaper work before joining the faculty in Reno, his method of instruction was solidly grounded in actual employment in the real world. As one of his students famously put it, “There was a special place for you in Heaven if you got an ‘A’ from Jake Highton.”
DISFUNCTION ABOUNDS
The recent Senate vote to repeal and replace Obama Care graphically showed the dysfunction that exists in the US Senate. Oddly enough, it was Republican Senator John McCain who got out of a sick bed to vote in favor of bringing the Bill to the floor and cast the deciding vote when it came to putting it into law. How well this action will sit with his voters back home in Arizona, which is one of the States most adversely affected by Obama Care, remains to be seen.
Although Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decried reports that Democrats were giddy over the defeat of the Bill, television clips showed that he and Elizabeth Warren and several other Democrats were joyously taking selfies and giving each other high fives when the result was tallied.
TENNIS EQUIPMENT
Major Tennis tournaments this year have shown an ever-increasing acceptance of a new style in Men’s Tennis attire, the most notable feature of which is the banishment of the collared, long-tailed Tennis shirt. It has been replaced by a collarless square-tailed garment of the Untuckit variety. Also, Men’s Tennis shorts, which used to be high and tight, have been replaced by almost knee-length garments. While the clothing ensemble has undergone radical changes, the most notable advancement has been in the development of the Tennis racquet itself. Long gone are the wooden weapons of the past that have been replaced by all matter of carbon larger faced implements. This has resulted in service speeds averaging 130 mph. White balls disappeared long ago in favor of fluorescent yellow. Adding to some off-kilter designs in the clothing are all manner of rainbow-hued shoes.
NEW FREEWAY
The extension of I-580, which recently opened, gives South Shore devotees a much speedier route from Reno to Tahoe. By passing Carson City completely, it eliminates much of the stop and go that used to frustrate drivers. The new freeway, which is well-engineered, provides a mute testament to the expertise of Nevada designers and builders.
Leave a Reply