True stories

How do you introduce the best Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada the Reno News & Review has ever produced? We’ve got a 14-year tradition of building great “Best Of” issues, but this one’s broken the mold: Bigger and better art, more categories than ever, more verified reader participation than ever.

Let’s begin with the art. These illustrations made by Reno artist Franz Szony thematically leap from the classic words of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Since it’s the Reno News & Review, they’re a little twisted but true to the original rhymes—sometimes a darker story than we remember falling from our mothers’ lips. These were some of the best, most memorable stories made in Western culture, and we thought they’d make a great setting for the best, most memorable businesses, nonprofit groups and personalities in Northern Nevada.

The bottom-line theme of our “Best Of” never changes: It’s great to be the best!

We’d like to personally thank each of the 1,382 people who participated in our readers’ poll. We had more categories than ever before, but we also had more participants than ever before. Northern Nevada’s biggest popularity contest had its usual share of controversial results (even among the editorial staff that counts them). Suffice it to say, there’s a whole network culture of people out there who want to see their friends, family and businesses and selves take top honors.

So congratulations to everyone who won, placed or participated. You’re the best, and you know it!