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.

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.

What started as a simple street abandonment in September 2024 has turned into Reno's longest-running political circus, starring our freshly-minted Vice Mayor Kathleen Taylor, who squeaked into office by the skin of her teeth.

Fun fact: She even managed to charm the Washoe County Republican Party into an endorsement. Talk about a magic trick. Picon ponders if she would have won against the very Democratic Frank Perez without it. We know of a few Republicans who leaned they were duped who want their votes back.