THUMBS UP to the Victorian Square renaissance and the future of downtown Sparks. In back-to-back weeks, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for multi-million-dollar developments that will transform and revitalize Victorian Square. The renovation of the old Silver Club Hotel into residential lofts and the former Bourbon Square Casino into a mixture of shops, restaurants and … [Read more...]
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THUMBS DOWN to Republican State Treasurer Dan Schwartz and Michael J. McDonald, chairman of the Nevada State Republican Party, for an apparent cozy deal funded by taxpayer dollars. McDonald, it was reported last week, has been working for the treasurer’s office since July 20. His taxpayer-paid yearly salary is nothing to sneeze at, either, at about $95,000. And what does he … [Read more...]
Nevada agriculture is conservation partner, not enemy
Last month, the Nevada Drought Forum asked to hear from agriculture about the impacts of the ongoing drought, what actions farmers and ranchers have taken to deal with those impacts, and what actions we’d like to see from the state in the short and long term. As we head into this month’s state Drought Summit, it’s important to correct some misconceptions. Agriculture, … [Read more...]
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It’s Labor Day as we put together this week’s issue of the Sparks Tribune. No day off for us, like a lot of workers in Sparks. After all, Burning Man attendees need gas and food as they head home on the holiday after playing in the desert, gamblers still need cards dealt and football bets placed and furniture stores need salespeople to handle all those Labor Day … [Read more...]
Sparks Tribune attracts eager class of readers
The Sparks Tribune signed up 30 new subscribers in a single transaction last week. No sales pitch was required. They were eager to get the newspaper, and all of them expressed that eagerness in handwritten letters addressed to me. Delivering the Tribune every Tuesday will be a breeze because they share the same address: 3570 Waterfall Dr. Yup, that would be the … [Read more...]
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THUMBS UP to a key element of a proposal to make changes to garbage collection in Sparks: So-called single-stream recycling that will allow residents to throw all recyclable material into one large bin. The proposed changes are under discussion between the city of Sparks and Waste Management, the company that has the trash-collection franchise in the city. THUMBS DOWN to … [Read more...]
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THUMBS DOWN to construction work on Interstate 580, which has made getting to the airport to catch a 5:30 a.m. flight a strange journey thanks to lane and off-ramp closures. Did the taxi suddenly travel north and exit at Oddie Boulevard, circle around and head south on the freeway, only to pass right by the airport, take the next available exit, circle around and head north … [Read more...]
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THUMBS UP to one of the newest businesses in Sparks, Silver State Relief, which sells medical marijuana. The marijuana dispensary, the first in the state, opened for business last Friday on Greg Street at an ideal location in a new building after a lot of due diligence by its operators to ensure that it meets all the necessary regulations established by state and city … [Read more...]