Letters for July 16, 2009

Sick society

Re “Health Dangers” (Editorial, July 9):

Renown Hospital pulled a corporate raid on the county hospital and turned it into what it is today: just another faceless, soulless, heartless, corporate shark, swimming in the ocean devouring everything in its path. A pirate ship. Less for more. Squeeze every last drop of life’s blood out of it. Either dump it, or sell it to some sucker, or better still, let the government bail you out. So typically American. So typically Republican.

The necessities of life like health care, energy and safety should not be for-profit mutual companies, traded like pork bellies.

John Fisher
Reno

Keep it local

I want to thank Reno News & Review for its continued support of the Rollin’ on the River music series. I have lived in Reno all of my life and never enjoyed summer as much as I have recently with your help. That being said, many friends and I have been disappointed to see the event turn away from our local breweries instead serving Coors and Blue Moon (from Canada), only. We have three awesome local breweries: Great Basin, Silver Peak and Buckbean. I was very willing to bring some extra dough to support our local vibes, but was given only two imported choices, neither of which compare in taste or value. I would really like to see a return to local roots. We should support the local companies, contribute to our local economy, save the planet (less fuel used in transportation), and enjoy the company of our local friends and family with great local libations. Keep it local and we’ll keep coming.

Yvette & Gregg
Reno

Where’s the news?

Re “(Th)ink” (This week, July 9):

I have to confess that I have a love/hate relationship with RN&R. I have to shake my head sometimes (well, most of the time). In the July 9-15 issue you have a cartoon, (Th)ink, by Keith Knight, depicting two guys watching the news while U.S. Rep. Peter King states that he is distressed that the news focused on Michael Jackson. King stated what most of us knew, that Michael Jackson was an alleged pedophile. One of the guys watching the show made the comment, “[It] didn’t take long for the next political hypocrite to reveal himself,” like it takes a stretch to realize that the media overly sensationalized MJ’s death over Iran’s protesters being hanged and killed, and North Korea nonchalantly lobbing missiles, but what we’re really waiting for breathlessly is Peter King to reveal his hypocritical lifestyle so the media can continue its vulturous tendency to swoop and kill anyone going against the new political regime.

In the same issue, speaking of North Korea, Bruce Van Dyke correctly expresses his concern in a comment that says, “I mean, there’s gotta be some, right? Not everybody in the dang country can be successfully pounded into a state of brainwashed stupefication by constant and incessant overexposure to toxic sloganeering, can they?”

I’m really glad you asked that question Van Dyke, because that is what I ask myself many times a day. Along with that question is the question of why the media would so idolize a talented and troubled musician to the exclusion of real news (like lots of people dying), in real places (like Iran), and feed their pabulum to a populace who just seems to be “pounded into a state of brainwashed stupefication by constant and incessant overexposure to toxic sloganeering.” After all, hope and change, y’all.

Candy Webb
via email

Send it back

Re “Margaritaville” (Foodfinds, June 25):

As a longtime resident of northwest Reno, the Hacienda has been a regular and reliable spot for tasty south-of-the-border fare for the whole family for years. These days, as we live in another part of town, the Hacienda is more of a special destination restaurant for us because of the years of reliably delicious dining we’ve experienced there.

I have to take exception to the review by your dining writer, Sharon Black.

Her assertion that everything about the restaurant was great except the food is not at all substantiated by her description of the plates brought to her table. Of the three meals described, one was apparently excellent.

Another, the Enchilada Del Mar—a favorite of mine—was depicted this way: “While the seasoning was decent, the whole affair was rather bland,” seeming to mean that it was well prepared but not a spicy dish. Anyone who has ever ordered this dish in any Mexican restaurant knows that this is entirely the idea! A simple request of the server for a shaker of extra spice could have remedied the situation for a diner who prefers more heat.

Finally, her one complaint about her own dish, the Snapper El Diablo, was that it was overcooked. This is truly an issue but not one that justifies trashing the entire menu! Popular, busy restaurants all fall prey to the occasionally over- or under-cooked dish, easily resolved with a request to the server that I’m sure would have been received cordially and executed immediately.

Because there seems to be a trend in recent RN&R dining reviews, I went to your archives to read more reviews by Ms. Black and I found that her MO seems to be “Everything was great, but …” I get the feeling she goes in looking for something, anything, that will allow her to cast her review with a negative that makes it appear worthy of the space it takes up on your page. I submit that your readers would have been better served if she’d asked for the dish to be fixed, and related the details of that customer service experience. Had she been treated poorly in that circumstance, she would be completely justified to recommend we not dine there.

I recommend the Hacienda to your readers on the basis of repeated, very satisfactory dining experiences and encourage all diners to not simply accept an occasional meal not prepared to their liking, but to test any establishment’s customer service by asking for better. I ask Ms. Black for the same.

Steve Funk
Reno

Send it back

The recent Artown opening day diminished the musical artist Richie Havens—who was right-on—and his audience. Many in the large crowd were there just to be seen and/or heard, while the performer was subjected to atrocious audio and loud low-riders on Arlington Avenue. As several people attested at the time, there were no remote speakers, so that anyone not seated immediately in “the bowl” had the already-compromised vocal audio drowned out by blabbing “art aficionados.”

Remember the Woodstock soundtrack, where Havens twice requests “guitar mike”? But at ArtTown? Bummer, dude.

Next year, it’s a free concert. Hey, man, in Aces’ park!

Steve Klutter
via email

Good catch

Re “The cherries of wrath” (Arts & Culture, July 9):

Was there a recent merger between GM and Ford? Ms. Clarissa León’s otherwise fine story is tarnished with two glaring errors. A “Chevy Bronco”? Really? Finally the General’s affordability with Ford’s reliability! When and where can I get one? Ms. Hernandez must have an inside line on the new vehicle. Or another example of loose journalism?

Mark Beguelin
Reno