Newsletter

Serving Lahontan Valley

Newsletter
FALL 2008
2 l Fallon Chamber Newsletter
The Executive Director’s Report by Rick Dentino
It’s been a month and a half
since the 23rd annual Cantaloupe
Festival, and the bone weariness
has subsided along with the
caustic memories, while only
the good ones remain in its
85 N. Taylor Street afterglow. But onward and
upward, as they say. And the
Fallon, Nevada 89406
next Chamber event is but a
www.fallonchamber.com month and a half in the other
direction.
I’m referring to “Hometown
Christmas” where local dreams
come true right in your own
home town.
As a kid growing up in a major
city (eons ago), I recall the
magic that the season brings
Rick Dentino, Executive to good little boys and girls. I
figured visiting the Christmas
Director of Fallon Chamber
wonderlands and magical
of Commerce
Oasis Bowl and Slot Casino held its ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday with the Fallon Chamber of Commerce. New owner,
Gary Damon, third from the right, offered hot dogs and refreshments during the bowling alley’s open house. Representatives
from the Fallon Chamber of Commerce and members of Damon’s family helped during the ribbon cutting.
toylands in the downtown
department stores was what
every child was doing at that
same time. Never occurred to me
that not every place in America
had 12-story department stores
with Santa in every one of them.
(How does he do that?)
A lifetime later, I finally made
my way to “livable, lovable
Fallon” where everything is
goodness and light. When
my first Fallon Christmas
rolled around, I volunteered
to help, and was treated to a
real eye-opening surprise … a
“Smallville’ Christmas that was
every bit was uplifting as those
big-city extravaganzas, gawking
into Marshall Field’s windows,
etal. That’s when I finally tasted
of real Americana where eyes
Fall 2008
still glowed and kids made an
eleventh-hour attempt to appear
angelic in order to curry Santa’s
favor.
Oh sure…noses still ran and
the blowing ‘snow’ was actually
soap flakes, but the ol’ magic
came rushing back to me,
and I knew this event wasn’t
something to take lightly. It
HAS TO go on…forever; it can’t
end on my watch!
And so it will, on the first
Saturday of December as it has
always been. The day following
the annual lighting of the Fallon
CENTENNIAL Christmas tree.
South Maine Street from
Williams to Center. Sure there’ll
be FREE raffles for really
nice kid gifts. Of course Santa
will come driving up in his
Harley complete with sidecar.
Naturally there’ll be a FREE
movie and popcorn for the first
150 children, to say nothing
of $2 grab bags chock full of
stuff. And let’s not forget a
band, maybe the Nutcracker
suite by members of the Dance
Studio and other acts, a strolling
magician, scads of vendors,
gobs of hot food … the whole
schemer! It runs from 10 a.m. to
4-ish.
By the time the sun sets over
the roofs on the west side of
Maine Street smile-weary,
rosy cheeked youthful faces,
framed by slightly frosty ears
(because Fallon kids don’t
really understand the concept
of winter) will be winding the
day down and heading home for
dinner. They’ll say, “Man, what
a cool day!” and “Geez, wait till
I tell my mom!”
Yup. A Hometown Christmas.
How can you beat it? And it
even allows the folks a short
respite from the kids while they
are at the movie, to maybe do a
little shopping downtown … or
to simply relax and get to know
each other again over a cup of
java.
Fall 2008 Fallon Chamber Newsletter
Election 2009 … Fallon Chamber Style
By Rick Dentino
Executive Director
As is the case all over these
United States, November is
when all proper citizens get off
the couch and go to the polls
to select our direction for the
next four ears. Surely you know
the drill by now. And personal
choice is yours to keep in your
special secret place.
Ah, but what of another election
here in town that is held dear
to the hearts of Chamber
members? We too, are choosing
our leadership as the Chamber’s
Board of Directors will be
fleshed out in usual fashion at
that very same time. No, you
won’t see familiar names as
Biden, McCain, Obama or Palin
l3
(note the politically correct mix of fresh, but experienced
alphabetical listing) on the members with no more than a
Chamber ballots. They could few years under their collective
be, but none of that August belts, in addition to new blood
foursome had paid their annual — ready and girded for the big
Chamber membership! year ahead.
So, in Fallon They will be a
as in Podunk, creative bunch,
Peoria and What’ll it be: not afraid to take a
Pottawattamie reasonable chance; African Helmeted Cassowary?
Falls, a new Donkey or not standoffish to Giant Dwarfed Newt? Or, maybe
team will voice an opinion … the Successful Local Business-
be running Elephant? even if unpopular. person? (a truly endangered
things. Unfair And I’m anxious species)
comparison, Elephant or to carry out their By the end of the first week in
you say? nebulous ideas. November, we’ll have turned the The way I see it, an aggressive
Well, at least Donkey? “Make no little page. What’ll it be: Donkey or new board can only be to the
the Fallon plans,” Chicago Elephant? Elephant or Donkey? benefit of the commercial
Chamber’s architect George Maybe we at the Chamber community. And when they
general fund, unlike the feds, Burnham once said. I think he ought to have an animal mascot. get a long-needed lift, we’re all
isn’t mega-billions in the red! had our ’09 Chamber board in Hmmm. What do you think winners.
Our 2009 board will be a healthy mind. about the Banana Slug?
4 l Fallon Chamber Newsletter
Is traveling elsewhere to shop really worth it?
By Rick Dentino
Executive Director
Churchill County has reached
out to the Fallon Chamber
in an effort to disseminate a
message of prime importance
for residents of the entire
community. The “Shop
Locally” slogan may seem to
many simply as a trite ploy
to boost sales (and profits) of
local stores and businesses.
It’s frequently taken with a
grain of salt, as shopping the
“big boxes” and outlets in
neighboring cities usually nets
lower prices.
However, there’s another less
obvious reason to think about
where one purchases goods
and services … and that’s
the accompanying sales and
use taxes, and their intrinsic
value to local, civic and social
services we all take for granted.
Basic city and county services
such as police, fire and various
other emergency functions,
which are core values to our
very existence, are supported by
taxes generated from local sales.
Buying elsewhere also directs
those funds elsewhere.
As the result of County
Comptroller Alan Kalt’s
Providing valuable financial
solutions now and
throughout your lifetime.
2711 Reno Hwy ~ (775) 428-6768
Fall 2008
recent report sales features, pricing, shopper- is priced higher here than in
to the county favorable hours, etc. They felt Reno or Carson City, it’ll take
commissioners When people go out of the Chamber is the logical several gallons just to get there
outlining where vehicle to promote the plan, to buy the gas!”
our locally which would be financed by a Gasoline is of particular
collected sales
town to purchase things cooperative of city and county, concern because of every gallon
taxes actually plus business entities on a purchased, the city and county
go, a few local it affects the whole voluntary basis. earn 17.15 cents. That’s over
business leaders Kalt’s study indicated a $2.50 for each 15 gallon fill
were moved community. reversal in recent years of — lost if purchased elsewhere.
to start a grass Fernley residents shopping “If the money stays here, there
roots educational A double-edged sword here, as the result of their own are more opportunities in this
effort for residents as to The group agreed upon an commercial development. This, community,” Guerrero said.
the underlying importance aggressive educational program coupled with the fact that Fallon “If people realize how (the
of shopping “at home.” The to both the buying community locals also frequent those same tax structure) works, they’d
Chamber was selected as the and local businesses, illustrating businesses adds to the problem. understand it makes a big
logical conduit to inform locals the need to both shop in- “There’s no real savings difference to shop locally.”
of the benefits not only to town and to make that happen shopping in other communities,”
themselves but the community through creative, more enticing said Art Crowder. “Even if fuel
as a whole.
Spearheading the effort were
Art Crowder, owner of Jetway
Chevrolet; Chamber president
Steve Young; County Parks
& Recreation Director, Jorge
Guerrero; and Steve Crowder,
also of Jetway Chevrolet. They
recently met with various local
business leaders and elected
officials.
Their collective message is
“When people go out of town
to purchase things it affects the
whole community, as reflected
in a loss of services and
industry to Fallon.” picture
By shopping in Fallon, residents know they are keeping their tax dollars here locally.
Photo by Kim Lamb
Fall 2008 Fallon Chamber Newsletter
Art Un-appreciation 101
By Rick Dentino
Executive Director
Shortly after moving into our
place here in Fallon a couple
of years ago, we were faced
with the prospect of finding
something to fill a blank space
on the living room wall. This
brought us to a local art gallery
one Saturday afternoon.
I was a bit uncomfortable as
such places aren’t my usual
hangout. I’m not embarrassed
to admit my attachment to
the visual arts is thin at best.
Doesn’t make me a bad man;
some people are tone deaf. To
them, Beethoven sounds like a
construction crew. That’s the
way I am with paintings, good
or otherwise. My initial reaction
to the Mona Lisa was that if
she stepped into a local bar,
she’d probably spend the entire
evening buying her own drinks.
As I said, my lovely wife and
I had this empty space on the
wall opposite my recliner. I
suggested a nice sports calendar
to hang there, so we could
display a different scene each
month. She said the smart set
simply doesn’t hang calendars
on living room walls. (Or any
set, for that matter.)
Snob.
She also rejected the idea of
putting up a shelf to mount
my collection of saloon-league
softball trophies. Said they
weren’t chic.
One of the things that annoys
me about art is its inconsistency
— hypocrisy even. Once an
artist made the cover of TIME
when it was revealed he had
spent many years sketching his
cleaning lady in the buff. And
that was considered chic.
Now I ask you … would the
world be better served by
l5
displaying your cleaning lady
sans skivvies or a memento
memorializing your victory
over “Wally & Helen’s Tap”
— Summer, 1983?
Anyway I’m at the gallery
d’art pretending to know what
I’m doing, mumbling things
like “Hmmm, interesting.”
Apparently my act must have
been convincing because a
woman veered toward me and
asked, “Do you like it?”
“It” appeared to be a portrait
of a long, slender bird. Not
too bad. Geez, at least it was
recognizable. Even more to the
point it was about the right size
to cover the living room wall’s
blank space.
The gallery lady related that
this piece could be hung this
way or that, with equal effect.
To demonstrate she turned it
sideways, then upside down.
Or, maybe it was right side
up. Couldn’t tell you. Now, if
I decided to hang a picture of
my uncle Gino, I sure as heck
wouldn’t do it upside down. On
his best day uncle Gino wasn’t
much of a looker but the sight
of him with his mustache above
his nose would turn a child’s
hair white.
Still faking it, I told the nice
lady, “Ah, very interesting.
Either a diving or soaring
effect, eh?”
She said the artist, a local,
had been commissioned to do
some posters. From her tone I
gathered that doing posters was
significant, although I’m not
clear why. I recall posters when She eyeballed the price tag on be a bird) in most any direction, browsing through calendars,
growing up in Chicago that the back and announced it was up, down, north or south. In an but settled for a used Michael
screamed, “ELECT ALBERT reduced and was available for earthquake it would always look Jordan life-sized cardboard
(AL) ZBYGNIEWSKI 70 bucks. good. cutout. The guy threw in a
ALDERMAN. HE AIN’T NO fluorescent matador hand-
CROOK!!” And I wouldn’t “Ahhh,” I uttered. Or maybe it I told her we would have to painted on black velvet.
want one of those things in my was “Huhhh?” Fact is, it wasn’t think about it, and would drop
living room. Garage maybe. such a bad deal considering I back sometime. We never did. And my wife says I don’t know
could point a thing (that might The following weekend I went chic!
6 l Fallon Chamber Newsletter Fall 2008

The Fallon Chamber of Commerce was a sponsor for this year’s 23rd annual Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe Festival and Fair.
Photo by Steve Ranson

85 N. Taylor Street
Fallon, Nevada 89406
www.fallonchamber.com