NWReno.com

US Bank progress

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:58:00 +0000

It's really dawning on me that they're going to have two banks side-by-side in the same lot at the Raley's center. First, the Nevada State Bank (creepy place; I've never seen anyone go in or out of there) and now the US Bank. Anyhow, here's a shot of how they're coming along. Compare with older shots from November.

How to make a true Martini

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:51:00 +0000

Putting my past as a bartender to good use in the present.

NW Domino's Pizza to close

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Here's a piece from Channel 4 via MSNBC announcing that the Robb Dr. Domino's Pizza will shut its doors.

On the bright side, the story indicates that some of the seven closed locations could actually re-open under new management. I'm more of a Papa John's guy (garlic butter, tender pepperocinis) but no one wants to see any business - chain or otherwise - close up shop. It's just a downer. It would be an especially tough blow to then early-vacant strip mall it resides in, since Azteca's and The Purple Bean, Too closed up late last year.

We'll keep watch over this one and keep you up on what happens.

NW in miniature

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:04:00 +0000

A little something I'm playing around with. Tilt/Shift is a new iPhone app that lets you replicate (kinda) the look of a tilt and shift camera. Kind of neat so far. Will post more interesting shots as I come across them.

Update: Something is rotten in the state of Great Pumkin Land

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:11:00 +0000

As month four of the Great Pumpkin Experiment begins, TGP appears to have taken a turn for the worse.

After being moved to the back yard (free from the clutches of well-meaning spouses who think TGP belongs in the garbage bin), the big storms of late '08 and their accompanying winds brought Great Pumpkin to its knees. Well, if pumkins had knees, anyway, that's where it'd be.

At present it has fallen off the bench where it was living and is now at the mercy of rowdy overlords Duncan and Stella. A cursory inspection shows rot starting to set in. Also, it's not so much round anymore as it is round-esque. If we keep alternating between freezing and tropical up here in NW Reno, I don't give TGP more than a couple more weeks.

Video: McQueen band in Tournament of Roses Parade

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Shoveling your sidewalks - it's the law

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:43:00 +0000

A quick reminder as you dig out from Christmas Day's kickass winter storm, Reno residents are required to shovel the snow on the sidewalk in front of their properties. And you can't just shovel it anywhere you want, either. It's illegal to move snow from private property onto public property (read: the road). So, you pretty much have to toss it into your own lawn.

It's just a fact of life in Reno. Besides, you don't want to get behind on your shoveling. Big, icy berms just flat out suck.

Hey, we're smart!

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:13:00 +0000

I love pouring over demographics in some effort to decipher a community's personality. Though a higher education degree doesn't guarantee one has any common sense, it's some kind of a start.

According to stats at point2.com the 89523 ZIP code, aka Northwest Reno, has what appears to be a large number of adults with bachelor's degrees and higher.

Take a gander at the sampling below:

Number of people who have achieved the following levels of education:
No High School - 310
Some High School - 670
Some College - 3908
Associate Degree - 1669
Bachelors Degree - 5475
Graduate Degree - 2551

If I were guessing (a dangerous game, I know) I'd assume two factors send this number upward: the neighborhood's proximity to the University of Nevada, and all those doctors and lawyers living out in Somersett. And, oh yeah, my one miserable year of law school. Still can't shake those nightmares about contracts exams.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:57:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from Dexter, a Verdi local.

Snow time?

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:04:00 +0000

Last storm was a dud, but here's the view out my front door at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Weather.gov tells me the following about tonight and tomorrow:

This Afternoon: Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a high near 39. Southwest wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tonight: Rain likely before 10pm, then snow. Low around 28. Breezy, with a southwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Monday: Snow showers, mainly before 10am. High near 31. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 19. West wind around 5 mph.

The Great Pumpkin Experiement, Month three

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:38:00 +0000

Back in October, we placed our plump, firm and shiny new pumpkin on the front porch, where it greeted everyone who graced our door. I'd purchased it around the middle of the month at the Winco on Northtowne Lane.

It greeted trick-or-treaters on the evening of Oct. 31, and, as the weeks wore on, it became clear the uncarved beauty would serve us well into Harvest season and Thanksgiving.

Then, the first snow came and the Great Pumpkin hadn't budged. It also had aged quite nicely, I have to say. A fine sheen of frost covered it every morning, and all I had to do was brush off the occasional bit of snow or ice.

So now we find ourselves a week before Christmas and the Great Pumpkin is still there. Unbothered, unfettered, a silent sentinel warning that if you come into this house, you need to understand one thing - our gourds don't mess around.

Now I'm determined to see how long it'll last. Pretty shortly, as it ages, I'll move it to the back yard, but I'll send photo updates documenting the pumpkin's inevitable decline.

It is inevitable, right?

(The Great Pumpkin, Dec. 20, 2008)

Aztecas closes

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:06:00 +0000

I can't say for sure when Aztecas, the Mexican restaurant on Robb Dr. closed, but I'm guessing it's a fairly recent development. Only a couple of months ago, all seemed well at the trendy (ish) place, which served up above-average fare from south of the border.

Along with an impressive tequila selection, they even had those really cool Mexican sodas like you see at the grocery store. It was a Mexican joint actually fit for a date. Whatever that is.

Sadly, as I drove by today, I had to shake my head and stare as another local business had clearly bitten the dust. It's only been a few months since The Purple Bean, Too, next door closed, forcing me to drive over to the original location off W. 7th St.

So, adios, Aztecas. We barely knew ya, but you'll be missed.

[where: robb dr., reno, nv 89523]

Automated Postal Center

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Never never again. That's my approach to having to stand in line at the post office, thanks to the merciful addition of the Automated Postal Center at the Northwest Reno Post Office (Peavine Station).

I sell books on Amazon as a side business (my pack-rat tendencies are finally paying off, sorta), so I mail a lot of stuff. In the past, that meant rolling the dice and hoping you wouldn't get stuck in a line out the door. Given that the post office is also in the business of passports, if someone with an itch to go to Paris gets ahead of you, you're in for a long wait.

But no more.

They added the machine about a month ago, and it's a life saver. Just walk up, answer a couple of questions, punch in a ZIP code, drop the package/letter on the self-serve scale and, voila, your postage is printed out.

Only one complaint, and it's a minor quibble. I like to ship Media Mail with some of my heavier items, and the machine only offers 1st Class through Next Day service. Fix that, and you've got a customer for life.

Random reason why Northwest Reno is so great

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Ostrich on the menu at Cabelas.

Didn't quite pan out

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Dire predictions of multiple inches of snow and sub-zero temps apparently turned out to be just that; predictions.

A nice howler of a wind blew in Thursday night, usually a portent of heavy snow, but the white stuff never materialized up here and we woke up to a cool, but clear morning. In fact, the wind only seemed to have blown the existing snow away in many parts.

Here's what the weather service says specifically about ZIP code 89523 for the rest of the weekend:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 34. Calm wind.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Sunday: A chance of rain, snow, and freezing rain before 10am, then a chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday Night: Rain likely before 10pm, then snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 28. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

NW Reno Speed Trap #2: Cops change up the game

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Above photo: Revenue Corner can be found at WB I-80 and McCarran

For the longest time, it was fun to watch people coming off westbound I-80 at McCarran, pull up to the red light, stop quickly, then turn onto McCarran, only to get nailed by a cop. Invariably, you'd hear the siren first, then a motorcycle cop would spring out of the bushes to the right (next to the IHOP). I dunno, maybe the FOURTEEN signs reading, "No Right Turn On Red," could have been your first clue, but so many people ignore it that they might as well name the spot Revenue Corner.

I don't run that red light because there's no damn point in it. Plus, it really is a trickier turn than it looks, so I truly side with the law on this one. I'll even go out of my way not to be first in that lane to avoid a-holes behind me honking at me to go.

So, it was with some amusement the other day that I noticed they've changed the game on us. Now, instead of sitting to the right in the bushes, motorcycle cops are set back a good five hundred feet under the overpass to the left.

Touche' RPD. It's a good move, because locals accustomed to scanning the bushes for a motorcycle cop will take a quick look, then go ahead and run the light, only to be caught unawares from behind.

As they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Below, a google street map view of the new trap's location.

Snow

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:10:00 +0000

Finally got a little snow up the hill here, but it wasn't much, to be honest. Most of the quarter-inch covering our Peavine southern slope backyard had melted by 10 a.m. as the sun shone through and the winds had finally settled.

The roads in Northwest Reno were a different story. Even in my Jeep, it was a bit like an ice rink when I headed down Beaumont to pick up breakfast from Raley's. It's always funny, and a little disconcerting, to watch people get reacquainted with snow driving, particularly those two-wheel-drive owners who slip and slide at every turn.

The plows were out, but they didn't hit the steep slope of Beaumont until about 9:15. National Weather Service tells me there will be a chance of showers through the rest of the weekend, but the next most likely chance for anything significant is Sunday night into Monday.

U.S. Bank construction progress

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:25:00 +0000

(At left, U.S. Bank construction at Mae Anne in the Raley's shopping center, Nov. 21, 2008)

(At left, U.S. Bank construction Nov. 29, 2008)

It's funny, you know. Ever since we moved up here to the new Northwest, I've seen a sign at the Robb Dr. exit on I-80 touting a Wells Fargo branch "coming soon." It's been coming soon, in fact, for nearly three years and, at present, that space is occupied by a Christmas Tree lot.

On the other hand, the first indication there was a U.S. Bank going up in my neighborhood was the actual foundation being poured as fences went up around the site. Bulldozers moved in and, within two weeks, this thing has really started to take shape.

Located in the Raley's shopping center at Robb and Mae Anne, it looks like it'll be a full-service bank branch. They seem determined to get this thing opened soon. I've seen workers on site on weekends and the latest development includes the beginnings of a roof.

It should be noted that there is a branch location inside the Safeway, a mere mile away, but I'd think the two could coexist without issue.

Updates and construction photos to follow as I see them.

Favorite cop hangout, first in a series

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Motorists in the Northwest would do well to watch for this little trap, where I've recently seen two motorcycle cops fishing for speeders. It's a great place to find yourself going a few over the limit, too. As MaeAnne dips slightly from the West and as you approach the uphill near Robb, it's definitely tempting to pick up a little momentum for the upcoming rise in elevation.

Our fine uniformed brothers and sisters at RPD know this and have seized the opportunity to grab the more egregious offenders. So, in the name of saving a few lives and a few bucks, I thought you might like to know that the corner of Valley Wood Dr. and Mae Anne is NOT the place to zip through.

Good night, moon

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:00:00 +0000

November is coming to an end here in the Northwest and everywhere else, for that matter. With December comes uncertainty, anxiety and trepidation. I haven't seen change like this, personally, professionally and otherwise in my 35 short years on this earth.

If you'll take a little unsolicited advice from someone who nearly checked out earlier this year, it's this: hold close the people and things that matter most in your life. Everything else will fall away, as it should.

Good night. And yes, good luck.

$1.99 gas

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:21:00 +0000

It's not easy being honest with yourself. But if I'm totally forthcoming, I'd have to admit that my interest in more fuel-efficient vehicles over the summer had less to do with what's right for the earth and more to do with what's right for my wallet.

So, now we're back under $2 a gallon and I'm once again happily piling into my Jeep with its horrible 14mpg average mileage. In fact, I stopped by what must surely be the cheapest place in town - The Golden Bear at 1325 N. Virginia Street (across from Lawlor) and filled the thing up for under $40. Two months ago, that trip would have cost me in the neighborhood of $80.

Now, it's damn the torpedoes, and a renewed attitude of "where can I drive you to next?" Need butter? Sure. Be right back.

But it's only a temporary respite, and I'm sure I'll be back to my greener, more conscientious, penny-pinching ways soon. For this weekend, however, I'm just happy to see a half-decent price. Now let's see if we can get this thing under a buck.

Find cheapest gas prices in town at www.rgj.com/gas

A real mystery

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:11:00 +0000

I don't know whether to think this is cool or just sad. On the one hand, there's a Mystery Machine apparently permanently parked in front of our Northwest Reno McDonald's.

On the other, it appears someone is - or has been - living in it. I'd be inclined to guess they're burner types who didn't quite make it out of the area, as planned, since I first started seeing this van around the time of Burning Man.

That, and the bikes.

I'm half tempted to dig further into this creepy, spooky mystery for the hell of it. I'll fill you in on what I find.

Pho 21

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:23:00 +0000

Pho 21 Vietnamese Noodles

10580 N. McCarran Blvd.

Reno, NV 89503

(775) 424-2121

So, it's like this. No, Pho 21 isn't the best Vietnamese place in town by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm really rooting for it because it represents the only place to get a bowl of noodles in the New Northwest part of town, and that means something around here.

Pho 21 is a very clean establishment, usually with a bustling lunchtime crowd of professionals and families alike.

When I was there Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, the plasma TV was playing a funny Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra DVD infomercial while Chuck Mangione's "Feels So Good" was grooving along on the overhead. For like the whole meal. Seriously.

I've been lucky enough to always be served by a guy called "Marvin," but I've always thought of him as Fernando, for his strong resemblance to 1980s Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela. Sorry about the digression, but this point is key. Marvin knows his stuff, so look for him when you're there.   A couple of visits back, I was trying to decide between a bowl of rare beef (the #8) or of beef meatballs (the #9), and - get this - Marvin suggests I order a combination of the two. Of course! Why didn't I think of that?

Then, when I expressed some concern it wouldn't be spicy enough (you know I'm a big bun bo hue fan), he spoke in hushed tones about a secret jar of hot and spicy sauce he'd be happy to bring out for me. Like an MI6 agent on a top-secret mission, he transported it to my table and deposited it with a sly wink and discreet thumbs up.

In the end, I enjoyed one tasty bowl of pho, one that was tailor made to my liking. So, don't be afraid to veer off the menu.

The only real downside I can come up with is this weird, draconian rule that says you can't use a debit/credit card for purchases under $20, and since the place is fairly cheap, it takes a lot to get to $20.

But never fear. In a pinch, you can pop into the Flowing Tide Pub next door and hit up the ATM, which doles out money in $10 increments.

So, for all the downsides, I recommend Pho 21 if you don't want to leave the NW part of town. If you're able to branch out, Saigon Pearl and Viet Pho are probably better choices.

On my windshield

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:19:00 +0000

Sometimes, nothing beats pounding the pavement with old-fashioned street-level marketing. Such is the case with Beck's brew house, which appears to be open for business up off of Kings Row.

This makes twice now that I've heard about the new place. Yesterday, it was on twitter. So, spending a few bucks at Kinko's and hitting the intertubes with some word-of-mouth will hopefully pay off for these guys.

Now, I just hope they are forward-thinking enough to actually serve Becks beer. Because, if they don't, you just know that's a mistake they'll never live down.

Northwest library magazine cuts

noreply@blogger.com (James Ball) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:12:00 +0000

My job as a web editor at RGJ.com is to deliver the news in fresh, unconventional ways. One of the unspoken goals of what I do is to help a lumbering (ofttimes slumbering) relic remain vital in a time when our core product - a dead tree dropped on thousands of doorstops (or bushes or neighbor's driveways) - is increasingly irrelevant.

We employ live streaming video, breaking news updates, email blasts, live chat, text messages and twitter, to deliver information to a growing segment of people who simply don't care to get yesterday's news in a non-eco-friendly format.

So you know I'm sold on digital journalism.

But, still. There's something about a magazine; something about glossy double-trucks and the tactile feel of a well-designed monthly that just does it for me. Which is why, for years, I've hit up the Northwest Reno Library's expansive magazine rack with its back issues and quiet corners ready-made for flipping through the pages and discovering something new.

On a whim, I can check out six back issues of Men's Health and get my butt back in shape, until that falls away and I turn to the copies of Wine Spectator to help fuel a summer of over-indulgence. And so on. The magazine rack is there to satisfy my every moody phase, and it has never let me down, especially feeding my hunger for the otherwise overpriced British publication, The Economist.

Over the past month or so, when I've been up at the NW library, I've noticed little placards under select magazines reading, "Due to Washoe County budget cuts, this publication will be canceled effective 1/1/09"

Well, just crap.

This seems to infect about 10 percent of the magzines, with titles ranging from Make (The DIY mag) to Fast Company (a personal fave) to Adbusters. Honestly, I can't make it through a full issue of Adbusters without feeling like a total cornpone rube, but hey, it looks cool when you carry it around, right? And it's absolutely worth saving.

That in mind, I checked with the disinterested lady checking out books out front.

"So, about the magazines you're cutting..." I said.

Before I could finish my thought, she'd shoved an orange note card in the general direction of my face, saying, "you can fill this out and tell us which one you'd like to keep."

Oh. Okay. Well, good. I wasn't the only one concerned about the fate of our magazines. But still, as I wrote out my requests, I couldn't help but think of these cards being summarily rounded up like little cockroaches and swept straight into a garbage bin at the end of each shift. In other words, I didn't sense more than a token effort to hear my concerns.

Undaunted, I pressed on.

"But short of that working," I said, "What if someone wanted to make a specific donation to save a specific magazine?" What I had in mind was offering $20 to personally salvage Fast Company from certain death, ensuring it would be available to all public library patrons over the next 12 months. Then, maybe others would see my gift and want to do the same. Maybe we could do this thing after all.

She shrugged. If she were hooked up to a heart rate monitor, I wouldn't have been surprised to see a flatline. She blinked once, digging somewhere deep to come up with, "You want, I can have someone call you orrrrr.....?"

It was a big "orrrrrr," that one. It was an "or" that said, "or you could quit asking pointless questions in the last 15 minutes of my shift and let me check these people out."

So I begged her off and promised myself to return when I could hopefully catch someone who might be interested in me starting this deal.

Maybe not how I'd wanted it to go. I guess I thought the library would be jumping at a citizen's offer to pitch in and help. I don't doubt on another day, I'd have gotten a warmer reception from someone else.

My question to you - all Washoe County Library patrons - is this worth doing? Should we try to salvage some of the quality content offered to our children and our students and less fortunate neighbors who can't afford a subscription to a magazine in this tough climate?

Yeah, there are bigger issues. Diabetes, foreclosures, you name it. But this one struck me as particularly important. Any thoughts?