Could someone please point out to Washoe County Human Resources Staff that we are all able to count here in Washoe County. All you need to do is look at a “cal·en·dar” and you can see seniors were served cold meals for 14 days.

While watching the presentation yesterday by the Human Services team at the Washoe County Commissioner Strategic Planning meeting. Commissioner Mike Clark asked about the COLD MEALS seniors had been served for days, well actually 14 days. Adult and Senior Services, quickly answered 11. Really, 11?

In a performance worthy of a magician trying to make numbers disappear, Washoe County officials attempted to transform 14 days of cold meals into 11 through the magic of bureaucratic math. Spoiler alert: The seniors who endured two weeks of frigid fare aren't fooled.

At Washoe County’s Strategic Planning meeting yesterday, the performance of "How to Forget Your Campaign Promises," Commissioner Alexis Hill masterfully demonstrated the art of political pivoting. Remember that earnest candidate who swore to District 1 voters she wouldn't be "the commissioner" to raise taxes? Plot twist: She's auditioning for exactly that role.

You’ve been duped Distrcit 1 residents.

Hill, fumbling through alphabet soup (SGST? GST? Let's call it the "I-Promise-I-Won't-But-I-Will Tax"), seemed to be channeling the ghost of former Commissioner Bob Lucey's tax dreams. The only difference? She might actually have the votes to make it happen.

What started as a simple reader question about a downtown corner property has unraveled into an intriguing web of real estate connections that would make a detective's spidey senses tingle.

Remember our piece back on January 11, 2025, about the City of Reno's peculiar habit of playing Sugar Daddy to property owners through the ReStore program? You know, the one where taxpayers somehow got stuck with the bill for basic landlord responsibilities at Crak N' Grill - because apparently fixing broken windows and leaky roofs is now a public service. This is no fault of Crak N’ Grill’s they got the ReStore funding and can/should use it but their landlord should have taken care of basic building repairs.

In a masterclass of municipal mismanagement, Washoe County has transformed public service into a cynical shell game, with mental health patients and seniors as unwitting pawns.

Enter the “$32,000-Man” County Manager Eric Brown, maestro of magical thinking, preparing to perform his annual strategic planning workshop on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 - a thinly veiled fundraising plea disguised as governmental transparency.

In a departure from their trusted mission, Washoe County staff have revealed a disturbing mindset that threatens the very principles of public discourse and documentation.

Within internal communications from 2023, a county employee's statement suggests a calculated strategy to suppress public commentary: "I agree, and again, if the commenters know their word aren’t going to be memorialized in writing, it’s possible they might stop making so many comments in the first place! On can hope, anyhow … “ Let that sink in. The institution traditionally celebrated as a sanctuary of free expression is contemplating silencing citizens by manipulating the record.

With the City of Sparks budget deficit, it seems “the powers that be” are hoping to avert layoffs due to lack of funds. The Sparks City Council on Monday will vote on Agenda Item 9.2 to establish a Voluntary Employee Separation Program not to exceed $2,200,000 from the general fund and $1,000,000 from all other funds, thus proving the City of Sparks is “Wishin’ and Hopin” that they have a whole bunch of interested employees saying goodbye.

But what about all that institutional knowledge that will be exciting the front door? Will Sparks become Washoe County Government who’s crack team can’t get a senior a hot meal?

First, a tip of the hat to Councilmember Naomi Duerr, who shone like a beacon of competence amidst the typical governmental fog yestrday. Consider this Picon’s rare moment of unqualified praise.

The city's initial disappearing act with the meeting video late last night - likely to be explained away as "technical difficulties" - was swiftly followed by the video being restabled after public outcry. The public comments on the Plumas Redevelopment (aka the Lakeridge Tennis Club empty lot) triggered the need for a developer to actually have to work with residents becasue someone on the dais wants to run for mayor, and know this group votes.

In a display of bureaucratic bungling that would be comedic if it weren't affecting vulnerable seniors, Washoe County has managed to turn a planned renovation of the 9th Street Senior Center into a case study in administrative incompetence.

Despite months to prepare for the center's remodeling, the county's solution for its seniors? Cold sandwiches and subpar salads for ten days and counting. When caught serving cold meals, officials attempted to quietly slip these changes into TRIO's monthly meal calendar, hoping no one would notice. But the seniors noticed - and they spoke up.

As Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District bids farewell to Chief Charles Moore, he's leaving with a characteristic bang rather than a whimper. Moore, known for his candid leadership, has lifted the curtain on what appears to be a carefully orchestrated fire regionalization initiative spearheaded by Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson.

Behind the scenes, State Senator Skip Daly and the mayors have reportedly been architecting a controversial regionalization plan, with Commissioner Alexis Hill eagerly vying for influence. We reached out to a number of people, and off the record, those conversations reveals a potentially troubling tax structure that could double-burden unincorporated Washoe County residents - a detail that sources say Hill dismissed with a revealing comment about Verdi residents' affluence so they won’t notice.

Look who's talking about "unwavering commitment" to all us Renoites. Councilmember Taylor's latest Contribution and Expense campaign report reads less like public service and more like a "Who's Who" of development dollars. Let's peek at the receipt for this shopping spree, shall we?

Picon was sadly amused today to get an update about the Senior Volunteer Fair on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 10AM to 12PM, according to the flyer Washoe County Human Services Agency pushed out about a month ago.

Washoe County sent us a reminder at 9:02AM that the Senior Volunteers fair is TODAY, September 21st from 10AM to 2PM.

But, wait, then they issued a correction at 9:37AM that the fair is on January 28th from 10AM to 2PM.

Eight days of sad sandwiches and counting, while Washoe County's highly paid staff keeps serving up excuses like they're going out of style. Permits, then frozen pipes, next they'll blame it on Mercury being in retrograde.

Let's talk about numbers, shall we? While the median Washoe household scrapes by on $81,531, our crack team of sandwich architects is pulling in six-figure salaries faster than they can say "cold lunch."

What is it with the City of Reno’s “Gang of Seven” and the former Community Assistance Center (CAC) buildings on Record Street. Are they embarrassed that the building was allowed to fall into decay on their watches? Well, frankly, they should be, but hey it is only taxpayer money, so they don’t care. Are they afraid they will haunted by the memory of former Mayor Bob Cashell after allowing the buildings to fall into ruins. They should be, Cashell was proud to open the CAC in 2008.

Local homeless advocate, Lily Baran, has brought great ideas forward for these spaces to help homeless women and children, but no matter how good the idea the Reno City Council just don’t listen.

Watch in amazement as the City of Reno's "Gang of Seven" performs their most spectacular illusion yet - making developer deals vanish before elections, only to reappear like magic in 2025.

What's that behind your ear? Oh, just another zoning change.

Renoites start paying attention to what the City of Reno Government is up to. Remember the city put all their developer buddies, builder pals, and lobbyist BFFs on hold in 2024 so they could get reelect.

Wannabe Mayor Councilmember Devon Reese, splitting hairs finer than a Vegas showgirl's eyelashes. So you didn't get an "ethics violation" - you just got a special invitation to a "deferral agreement" and mandatory ethics training in 2023.

Potato, po-tah-to... Violation, deferral... What's in a name? That which we call an ethics breach by any other name would smell as... interesting.

Well, folks, here's your contrast in senior advocacy. Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark is blowing up Facebook attempting to get Washoe County seniors some decent food to eat, not just a cold sandwich, calling the press; bringing the food to county meetings showing department directors and staff what is being fed to seniors.

But in Sparks their senior advocate Councilmember Donald Abbott is mounting his own press campaign, touting himself, crafting heartfelt Valentine's cards (how quaint), to be handed out to senior citizens in February. Councilmember Abbott makes sure there are enough valentines to accompany Meals on Wheel deliveries as he mentioned on KOLO yesterday. Hey, Donald, heads up, we think the seniors would like some food they can eat, a hot meal instead of five days of cold sandwiches which we ponder if the “meal” meets state or federal guidelines. But where the heck are you? That’s right you’re on KOLO TV Morning Break with Katie Roshetko talking valentines and not food. Find a spine and bring up something important, no it’s all Abbott self-promotion.

Picon remembers the Sparks Library controversy involving The clash arose when Mayor Smith attempted to prevent the first Drag Queen Story Hour at the library, sparking a feud with Director Scott. This incident raised questions about Mr. Scott’s humanity since Mayor Smith was terribly ill at the time, battling cancer, passing away in 2020. This was the start of an ongoing feud with Jeff Scott vs A Whole Lot of Folks that continues to this day. Picon thinks it was this feud that cost Scott the WC-1 ballot measure loss.

Greater Reno/Mark Robison did some due diligence at the request of The Education Crusade, regarding why you can watch porn at the Washoe County Libraries but cannot watch porn at the Clark County Libraries. We question the whole “grant” issue and ponder why Clark County gets the same grants as Washoe County, but Library Director Jeff Scott professes they cannot limit access to the internet. If they do they will not receive the grants they needed to bring high speed internet to the Gerlach Library at a cost of $2.3 million. Frankly we’re not going to spend the amount of time needed to track down grant disclosures and limitations, but someone with more time than we sure should.

Turns out Washoe County forgot one teensy detail while shutting down the 9th Street kitchen - actually getting permits for the backup plan. Yes, folks, in a building that LITERALLY HOUSES the Northern Nevada Public Health Department, they couldn't get their permitting ducks in a row. You can't make this stuff up.

So now, our seniors are being served the "Washoe County Special" - cold sandwiches for FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS. Oh, and no soup because they don’t have the permitting to cook it.

Picon noted that media/press are asking questions as to the closure/remodel of the Washoe County Senior Center on 9th Street. You know, the facility that County Manager Eric Brown and his Human Services team are remodeling during the winter months in Northern Nevada.

Grab your parkas - Washoe County's putting on quite the winter performance. Picture this: elderly residents shivering outside a makeshift dining room in January because somebody thought winter was the perfect time to remodel the Senior Center. But hey, at least County Manager Eric Brown got his cozy $34,000 bonus. Who needs outdoor heaters when you've got all that warm bureaucratic air?

Our Town Reno just pulled back the curtain on the City's ReStore program, and what do we find? A spectacular show of making property owners' basic responsibilities vanish into thin air - using YOUR tax dollars as the magic wand.

First let us say, this is no reflection on Crak N’ Grill, we’re on the side of small business owners, and if the program and the money is available, go for it. What we question is the thought process of our overly-paid City of Reno elected officials.