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When Dan
DeQuill wrote for the Territorial Enterprise of Virginia City fame, back in
the 19th century, he used this depiction of a braying, angry, miner's burro.
He always called it, as did most of the prospectors of the day, "A Washoe
Canary." Below are some of our brayings, that is, Washoe Canary Songs.
Fraud, Conspiracy, Scandal Brings
Shame to Commission Chambers
by Johnny Gunn
Of those Clark County residents indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges, and of the two Clark County residents who have already pleaded guilty to participating in the scandal, there is one individual who stands out. Mary Kincaid-Chauncey. Kincaid-Chauncey is an elected member of the Clark County Commission, and at the time of indictment, was serving as chairman of that body. Following release of the indictment, she resigned as chair, but not the commission itself. Dario Herrera, Lance Malone, Erin Kenny are all former members. It’s time Ms. Kincaid-Chauncey became a former member. She needs to do the right thing and step down.
Yes, it’s true she has not been convicted of anything; she must be considered innocent until proven guilty, but the shadow cast by the indictment goes past one woman facing a possible 185 years in prison if all charges are proved. The indictment of Kincaid-Chauncey casts its shadow over the entire Clark County Commission even if no other active member has been indicted. The shadow is what Kincaid-Chauncey should be taking into account. Prosecutors will single her out for the harshest treatment because she stands as an elected official facing corruption charges. She stands as working in the public trust, for that’s what an elected official is. It’s the public perception of an abrogation of that trust that makes her resignation so important.
Michael Galardi is a dealer in naked bodies, has an ego and superiority complex to equal a rock star’s, and has pleaded guilty to all charges. He’s down and out. Erin Kenny, former County Commissioner, an also ran for lieutenant governor, pleaded guilty and is down and out. Lance Malone has nothing to defend. He’s been swimming in Galardi’s garbage for some time, and the prosecutors will gleefully take him out if they can. Dario Herrera has been duped, and the former commissioner will simply be one of those prosecuted.
The big fish is Kincaid-Chauncey as the only currently serving politician indicted, and she will stand in court representing the County Commission, and in the eyes of many, representing every politician, no matter what anyone says. She was the chair of that body, and is still a member of the commission. She faces 10 corruption charges in federal court. All eyes will be on her, including everyone who has ever believed that politicians can’t be trusted.
Mary Kincaid-Chauncey needs to do the right thing and resign her seat before the trial starts, if for no other reason than to save the faces of those serving with her, those who are not indicted, who have not had their names smeared with the stench of Galardi mud.
Sin City Paid For by Sin Taxes?
An Opinion
by Johnny Gunn
There’s no such thing as a slow news day in Las Vegas, and since Oscar Goodman
has been mayor, it just keeps getting more and more exciting in those southern
reaches of the Silver State.
City employees are being fired for taking two paychecks, strip club operators are being tied to local politicians, said to be on the take by federal grand juries, and now, Hiz Honor is calling for East Fremont Street to become, in his own words, a “little Amsterdam.” For those not familiar with that phrase, Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, is considered the prostitution capital of the free world. “We could use it as a redevelopment tool,” the mayor is quoted as telling reporters recently.
Would that be the answer for northern Nevada’s largest city as well? Could Reno build open fronted windowless cribs on the empty Mapes Hotel lot and turn the budget around? Maybe return the cribs to D Street in Virginia City.
Downtown Las Vegas, like so many other downtowns around the country, needs a bit of a face lift, but this might not be the best suggestion that’s come to the surface. According to some reports, Hiz Honor got the idea from a gaming executive, unnamed, you have to know. Well, he’s said in the past he supports legalized prostitution, and legalizing pot, it could certainly be a draw if the two worked in conjunction.
There is a state law that might slow this process down some. Counties with a population greater than 400,000 are prohibited from legalizing the oldest profession, and that law singles out Clark County. Other counties have to make their own laws to legalize or not, to tax or not. Of course, it’s the tax dollars that make Goodman’s scheme possible.
Some downtowners say there are already so many prostitutes walking the streets, putting them in little cubicles and making the business legal and taxable might just clean up the area.
What will this do to the “family friendly” streets in Sin City, USA?
Kinz-lee or Kune-zlee,
Mo-ah-na or Mo-aa-na
The Name Game Continues
In our first edition we invited you to bring to the attention of the world some of the interesting place names that exist in Nevada, and to give us your interpretation of how they should be pronounced. We got some goodies.
From Rick Woods, Editor, Encore Magazine
Names for the Weird Nevada Names:
Kietzke and Kuenzli, of course.
My mom lives 20 miles south of Beowawe in Crescent Valley. And that's Eee-lee, not Eee-lie!
See ya,
Rick
For the uninitiated, it’s Kinz-lee. The name comes from an old and respected ranching family in the Truckee Meadows. Even many broadcast editors blow this one regularly.
Kietzke? We’ve heard it as Keets-kee, but actually, in Nevada, it’s Kits-kee. And Ee-lie is in Minnesota while Ee-lee is in Nevada.
And from Northern Nevada media rep Leslie the Tiki Goddess:
Good Morning my dear,
Now, just for fun..... how about the street names in Reno alone. Moana, Kietzke and Kuenzli to name a few. And how about Washoe. You mentioned Washoe Co. but said nothing of the frequent mis pronunciation of that word.
Your friend, Leslie the Tiki Goddess
Dealing with Mo-aa-na is easy, except that’s the Nevada
pronunciation. In Hawaii one would say Mo-ah-na. Washoe? Many say Wah-shue, but
actually, it’s Wah-show, from the Native American Tribe of the same name.
From “A Friend, Indeed.”
OK smart guy, how did you manage to leave out Panaca? I’ve heard this one demolished in every sense. I say Pah-nah’-cah. What say you?
I, too, except almost no emphasis on that first Pah. More
like Puh-nah’-cuh. There are other strange names out there. Send in your
favorite Nevada names and words by way of the “Contact Us” page.
They did, indeed.