Submitted by Karl Breckenridge
I – like most residents of our little hamlet, have been cooped up since whenever it was we were told to coop and not go to coffee with our buddies at the Black Bear Diner every morning or have lunch with another group of guys every Wednesday at Simon’s. We’re all home, vegging.
And slowly going nuts. Yesterday – Friday – I decided I need an outlet to keep from going completely bonkers. Contemporaneously my buddy for whom I have a great respect for personally and journalistically, Bob Conrad, who runs the web-based newspaper This is Reno, was showing signs on Facebook of going as goofy as I was. I decided to help out, why don’t I write a piece for him daily for the duration of this national dilemma!?
I made the offer – a short squib on a daily basis – nothing political, nothing controversial; probably nothing even related to coronavirus, as there seems to be no shortage of that topic anywhere we look. Just an out-of-my-mind piece (thanks, Herb Caen for that!) about our valley – the people, the foibles, the dreams, some stories of our towns. And not just today’s or February’s, but going back a few years – to 1945 when I moved here as a four-year-old (my dad grew up in Reno).
Bob apparently trusts me – I’ll never lie to him, nor to you the reader. Yet I do think the facts should not get in the way of a good story. Most of the great tales of the world could be told in 20 words or less were they not padded up. Lady Godiva took off all her clothes and rode through the streets of Coventry a few years ago – that’s the sum and substance of it but it’s been turned into a folk tale.
I won’t use a name in a column without securing the permission of the person, so if you write me care of This is Reno or personally, you’re safe in opening up to me about a story idea or a thought, be it fur me or agin’ me. If you see a quote, you can take to the bank that it’s the real deal. Nor am I naïve about quotes – if I don’t think the person uttering the statement knows it for sure, you won’t read it here.
We’re going to have some fun. We need it. So you’ll see some stuff that’s a bit off the wall. Meaning no disrespect to any, but tasteful fun. We’re not going to get hung up on indexes (indices?) nor down-the-road retrieval of stuff – I’ve been writing for 32 years locally, never kept an index of stories and don’t plan on starting.
Yakking this up last night with a group of friends sitting at least six feet apart, they said stuff like “you can re-run the story of the strawberries and the Mayberry Bridge” or “the tale of the Olympics was a dandy, with Marilyn Monroe at Eugene’s.”
Actually no, bear in mind many stories are copyrighted by the RGJ and that copyright will be honored, as will the Non-Disclosure Agreement I entered into with Harrah’s Club an eon ago. Yeah, I know; Mr. Harrah passed away in 1978 but I choose to honor the agreement to perpetuity.
And they’ll be happy stories. That’s why we’re gathering here once a day. I don’t write the unhappy stuff – I remember Lincoln Fitzgerald being shot up in downtown Reno and most of the other egregious crimes around our valley, but that’s not what we’re about. These are stories of our valley; I’ll seldom say Reno or Sparks as I write for all denizens of our valley…
But there are plenty of good stories left, and even those copyrighted can be abridged, and probably will be here.
So – c’mon back daily – right here to where you’re reading this. We’re all cooped up but hopefully this will turn into a pleasant respite in your day and we’ll all learn a bit about our town that hasn’t made it into print yet!
Karl Breckenridge
Karl Breckenridge was slowly going nuts. So he decided to help out This is Reno by writing a daily out-of-his-mind column for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown. Now that it’s over he’s back to his usual antics, drinking coffee with the boys at the Bear and, well, we’re not sure what else. But he loved sharing his daily musings with you, so he’s back, albeit a little less often, to keep on sharing. Karl grew up in the valley and has stories from the area going back to 1945. He’s been writing for 32 years locally.
Read more from Karl Breckenridge
Cheers 4 – the Lear steam bus
The latest news on the Lear Theater has Karl remembering some of the Lear’s other projects, including a steam-powered bus.
Cheers 3 – the groceries II
Karl did not limit his column to ten items or less, so get out of the express line to read this history of Reno grocery markets.
Cheers 2 – the groceries I
Karl got a little distracted this week, starting off with a list of Reno’s great groceries of yesterday then slipping on some ice.
Cheers 1 – Of wine and Little Italy
Karl is back, making us all wonder why we didn’t spend more time during stay-at-home orders pressing grapes into homemade wine.
Day 75 – Karl’s retired to the Bear
From the get-go our pal Karl said he’d write “a short squib on a daily basis – nothing political, nothing controversial,” well, except for that one column.
Day 74 – the Truckee’s picturesque islands (updated)
Karl’s pal Jody shares the rich history of bootlegging, decorating, and engineering within the confines of the Truckee River’s banks and its picturesque islands.
Day 72 – Hobos, tigers and leprechauns
Karl recollects the series of eateries that drew diners to the corner of Virginia Street and Gentry Way for several decades.
Day 70 & 71 – in Flanders Fields
Karl shares a poem by John McCrae to mark Memorial Day.
Day 69 – The Nugget shark: John meets Jaws
Karl was talking about baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, long before the kids these days had ever been born.
Day 67 – What I like about Reno High
Karl, er, Carmine Ghia, writes an end-of-school-year essay to turn in to Mrs. Lehners about everything he likes about Reno High School.
Day 67 – 25 Bret Harte
Karl saddles up and heads to Newlands Manor where Western movies star Reno Browne grew up, and Lash Larue paid a visit or two.
Day 66 – Out for dinner we go
Karl goes out to eat at the El Tavern Motel, a truck stop outside the Reno city limits on the Lincoln Highway.
Day 65 – Dawn Bunker
Karl is back in action with a fresh story of which students of Mrs. Bunker’s class at Jessie Beck Elementary School still won’t spill the beans.
Day 64 – abducted
Karl Breckenridge called in to This Is Reno editors this morning with a hands-in-the-air, what-can-I-do sense of resignation.
Day 63 – Wedding chapels
Karl’s enjoying coffee with pals at the Bear, so today Jody stands at the altar to share the history of Reno’s wedding chapel industry.
Day 62 – the mansion at 2301 Lakeside Drive
Karl’s 7-year-old alter ego rides his bike down to Virginia Lake to explore the Hancock Mansion, a nifty home complete with a bomb shelter, sunroof and doll collection.
Day 61 – Basque hotels
Karl wanders back in time to 1960, a time when multiple Basque hotels served up minestrone soup, English lessons, banking, and accommodations.
Day 60 – the bygone Greyhound terminal
Karl’s synapses are firing today after hearing mention of Reno’s Greyhound bus terminal on Stevenson Street, now razed.
Day 59 – Don’t tell Mom
Karl rewinds to Mother’s Day to share a story from the archive about Grandpas without a Clue and another ragtop adventure, by reader demand.
Day 58 – School stuff
Karl considers the value of a school name as the WCSD moves to rename one of the area’s older remaining schools and open a new one.
Day 57 – Pedalin’ around Vine Street
Karl rides his bike through history, remembering some of the places and people that helped to build Reno into the city it is today.
Submitted opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of This Is Reno. Have something to say? Submit an opinion article or letter to the editor here.
