Van Gogh and Other Tough Cats

During the nearly 25 years that I lived in Silver City, dozens of feral and abandoned cats found their way to our house. Some I only saw a time or two, darting under the house or shooting up a tree and onto the roof for safety. But others unpacked their little hobo sacks and stayed for good.

Our house is on the far northern edge of Silver City, at the end of a steep lane not far from the Storey County line. To the east and the north there are only a few houses, and they’re all homes to dogs. If a cat were to go on a walk about, ours would probably be the first house without a dog that he’d come upon. My husband says there’s something like a hobo sign on our house, but its for cats. In fact, the Depression era hobo sign for “kind lady lives here,” was a stick figure drawing of a cat.

One of the cats that came to our house over the years was a big, orange and white cat named Kato. He showed up one summer and tried to blend in with my own cats, who ignored him. I put food out for him and called “kitty, kitty” to him, which only seemed to alarm him. I posted photos of him at the local post office and soon got a call from a crying woman who said, “Oh thank goodness, I think it is my cat Kato. Can you go outside and call his name and see if he responds?” Outside I saw him sitting near the front door and asked, “Kato?” And this cat that had previously run away whenever he saw me looked at me quizzically and responded, “Meow?” as if to say, “how do you know my name?”

So then began a series of unfortunate events with Kato. His owner came to retrieve him – it turned out he’d come all the way from American Flat, a journey of several miles across coyote infested territory. However, when she tried to get him in her car, he bit her and struggled against being put in her car. By the next afternoon, he was back at our house. Next, the woman’s boyfriend came and put him in a cat carrier and took him back to their house at American Flat. By the next morning, he was at our house again, obviously determined to stay. At that point, his original owner stopped trying to convince him to come back.

However, my husband and I were at a loss for what to do with Kato. He was not neutered, and had odd behavior. He would beg to be petted, and then bite and scratch viciously whenever the petting stopped. Our kind neighbor Fred suggested Kato would be just fine if only he were neutered, and caught him in a live trap and took him to the vet for the operation. Sure enough, Kato was a sweet animal after that and spent his last many years cuddled up with my blue-eyed cat Widdershins, who became his best buddy.

This year we’ve had a number of feral or abandoned cat visitors, including one I’m calling Van Gogh. Van Gogh is one of the largest cats I’ve ever seen. He has long, dark gray hair and enormous, terrified yellow eyes and a neck wound that never seems to quite heal. He appeared last April and has been coming and going from under our house since then, but has obviously had either very bad experiences with people or none at all. He can’t be lured into a live trap, but will dart out and grab some food when he thinks no one is looking. After I’d seen him on and off for a few months last spring, I noticed that he had also lost most of one ear, in addition to having the stubborn neck wound. Thus, the moniker Van Gogh...Today I’m still trying to lure him into a live trap so he can get the care he needs.

Silver City is as tough as Kato and Van Gogh. No matter what adversity this community faces, whether its Comstock Mining Inc’s proposed huge pit mine in the southwest part of the community, or Art Wilson’s mining operations near homes in the east and north parts of town, or officials tasked with protecting Silver City’s best interests who do quite the opposite, Silver City perseveres.

Read about Silver City's victory in the Nevada Supreme Court below. It's a real David vs. Goliath situation:
https://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/voices/2018/04/12/one-less-hiding-place-government-communications-thanks-state-supreme-court-obermayr/512262002/

Comstock Residents Ass’n v. Lyon County Board of Commissioners (Summary):
https://law.justia.com/cases/nevada/supreme-court/2018/70738.html

Nevada Supreme Court Rules for Open Records in Comstock Mine Case by Susan Juetten
https://gbrw.org/2018/04/03/nevada-supreme-court-rules-for-open-records-in-comstock-mine-case/

Silver City’s Spring and Summer Public Programming

Where is Silver City, Nevada? Silver City is located within a federally designated historic landmark, just 3 miles from Virginia City, 12 miles from Carson City, and 30 miles from Reno and Lake Tahoe. Throughout the year the community partners with various local and regional groups to bring public programming in arts, science and more to the town’s community center (known as the School House) and adjacent town park and outdoor performance space (the Silver Pavilion). From State Route 342, turn onto 2nd Street near the U.S. Post Office in Silver City and then right onto High Street where you’ll find the School House, Park and outdoor stage. Parking can be found on the south side of the School House at 385 High Street, Silver City, Nevada 89428.

April-May Visiting Artist: The Resident Artist Program's April and May 2018 Resident will be Megan Berner, who has also experienced an art residency in the Arctic Circle. Megan explains , "One thing I was struck by while in the Arctic was how similar the geology is to Nevada...In some ways, they are both extreme environments...[Both Nevada and the Arctic are] dramatic, awesome, stark, vast, I would even use sublime in the true sense of the word for both, stunningly beautiful and maybe a bit harsh." Megan creates site-specific installations that incorporate video and sound and constructs performative scenes that ultimately exist as photographs. She has a Masters in Fine Arts in Intermedia with a minor in drawing, and is the public art program coordinator with the City of Reno's Arts, Culture and Events department where she works to further the City's public art goals and maintain its public art collection. See her website for more about her work, and listen to her May 2018 interview with Deana Hoover on KNVC 95.1FM (https://www.meganberner.com/news/2018/5/12/interview-on-knvc ) For more information about the Resident Artist Program in Silver City, contact director Quest at quest@theodata.com

Acoustic Jam, Sat. April 21 from 3pm-5pm at the School House. The jam is a week early this month. Normally, it takes place on the last Saturday of each month.

Mike Beck Concert, Sunday, April 29 at 7pm at the Silver City School House. Sponsored by Yellow Truck Productions and Evangeline Presents. Mike Beck is an acoustic solo artist who performs across the US and Europe. He is a regularly featured performer at The National Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering and has 7 acclaimed albums. Ticket Donation: $15-$25. To reserve Seats: Email SilverCityLive@gmail.com with number of seats and a phone number for confirmation.

Historic Preservation and Archaeology Awareness Month Display, "Progress On A Multi-year Archaeological Project," May 1-31 2018, at the Post Office in Silver City. In 2016 long time Silver City, Nevada resident Robert Elston (University of Nevada Reno), Dave Zeanah (Sacramento State), Brian Codding (University of Utah), and Craig Young (Far Western Anthropological Group) received a National Science Foundation grant for a multi-year archaeological project in Grass Valley, Nevada. They’ve been working to accomplish the field work by running a field school in 2017 and 2018 through Sacramento State, which is also administering the grant. Learn about their progress in this display at the Post Office.

Introduction to Cyanotype Process, and Meet and Greet with Megan Berner, Sunday May 6th at the School House, 2:30pm-4:30pm, intended for an older teen and adult audience. Megan is the spring Artist in Residence in Silver City (see first entry in this list of events for more details).

Chase the Blues Away Spring Potluck and Music Party, Saturday, May 26 at the Silver City School House. Silver City Arts group’s usual monthly Acoustic Jam will take place from from 3:00 – 5:00 pm – anyone who’d like to participate is welcome. The potluck begins at 5:00 pm.

Poetry Reading and Writing Workshop With Gary Short, June 2 at 2pm. One of the most remarkable narrative poets to emerge from the U.S., Gary Short, has a June Residency with the Resident Artist Program in Silver City. He'll offer a poetry reading, followed by an optional poetry writing workshop, on Saturday June 2 at the Silver City School House at 2pm. Short is the only Nevada writer in the history of the state to win the Western States Book Award. He's been on the faculty at UC Davis; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Old Dominion University; and University of Mississippi and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Tirana in Albania. At one time Short lived at American Flat near Silver City. Today he makes his home in Guatemala. For more information, contact Quest Lakes, director of the Resident Artist Program, at 847-0742.

Thai Food Cooking Lesson for adults, Saturday, June 9 at 1pm the Silver City School House. Local Sean Laughlin will teach how to cook dishes and those attending will enjoy a delicious meal together. Donations to cover the cost of ingredients will be $20 to $25, depending on the number attending. Sean will teach about basic Thai ingredients, their use, and give a brief history of the dishes. Menu includes: Pad Thai - a fragrant traditional rice noodle dish with shrimp and egg, garnished with green onion, cilantro, and sprouts; Pad Krapow - Thai basil and chili base brilliantly balanced with sweet soy and served over steaming rice; and Pannang – vibrant red Thais curry with coconut cream, lemon grass ginger and Galanga served over steaming rice

Suggested Donation $20 - $25 depending on how many sign up
RSVP jugglegeek@aol.com; 310 739-0098 cell; 775 847-0148 home after 7:00 or sign up on the post office bulletin board

Basement Rummage Sale, Saturday,June 16, time TBD. Proceeds from the sale of miscellaneous items goes to the nonprofit Silver City Historic Preservation Society.

Bicycle Safety Rodeo for ages 5-12, Tues June 26 from 10am-noon at the Silver City basketball court with Cortney Bloomer of HCC. Bring your own bike and helmet, please. Questions? Contact Quest of HCC at quest@theodata.com.

Science for ages 8-12 with UNCE, Tues July 3 from 10am-noon at the School House. Questions? Contact Quest of HCC at quest@theodata.com.

Science fun for ages 8-12 on Tues July 10 from 10am-noon with Jim Barcellos of University Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) at the Silver City School House. Questions? Contact Quest Lakes of Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties (HCC) at quest@theodata.com

United Way’s annual preschool fun fair at the School House and park, Tues July 17 from 10am-noon. Join United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra for a morning filled with summer fun for parents their 0-6 year olds. Crafts, healthy snacks, free children’s books, hands-on educational activities, and more. Questions? Contact Quest of HCC at quest@theodata.com.

Floral Design for adults and teens, Tuesday, July 24 from 10am-noon at the School House, space limited, RSVP required. Create beautiful floral arrangements with wildflowers you’ve collected, or flowers from your own garden, with Floral Designer Lynnette Edmondson of Community Roots & Shoots (a nonprofit). No flowers? Lynnette can bring some for you. RSVP at quest@theodata.com.

Summer Art Show and Sale, sponsored by Silver City Arts group, will be rescheduled. Contact Carol Godwin of SCA group for more information: godwinsilvercity@aol.com

Blues concert in the park, Sunday, July 29, 6:30pm-8:30pm with Mylo McCormick and other Nevada musicians. Bring a lawn chair and a picnic and enjoy this family-friendly blues and pop concert on the Silver Pavilion stage. Donations appreciated. Sponsored by Resident Artist Program in Silver City. Questions? Contact Quest at quest@theodata.com

Clinical Somatics for adults, Tuesday, August 7 from 10am-noon at the School House with Lisa Godenick. Clinical Somatics movement techniques include slow, gentle exercises to relieve chronic muscle and joint pain, restore natural posture, retrain muscular patterns, and prevent recurring injuries. Limited space. RSVP to Quest at quest@theodata.com

Hands on engineering fun for boys and girls ages 7-12 on Tues Aug 14 from 10am-noon at the School House with guest teachers from Society of Women Engineers. Questions? Contact Quest of HCC at quest@theodata.com.

Carpool to Shakespeare at Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe. July 31st, 10am, Sand Harbor, $5 donation and $10 parking.

Summer 2018 American Flat Historic Site Lecture, Film, Photo Show, Sat. Aug. 4th, time TBD, at the School House. The event will feature a screening of a new film about the site with an intro by BLM, and a lecture by longtime Silver City resident Dr. Ron Reno, plus a show with locals’ photos of American Flat. Dr. Ron Reno is a consulting architectural historian and industrial archaeologist who also serves on the research faculty at Desert Research Institute. Co-sponsored through Silver City Arts group and Bureau of Land Management.

Regularly Scheduled Meetings:

The Silver City Town Advisory Board normally meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm at the School House. Agendas are posted at the local Post Office, at the School House (at north door), etc.

The Silver City Arts (SCA) group hosts music, visual arts, theater and poetry events and programs. The group draws on the community's own rich resource of artists, artisans and musicians, and also connects with regional and statewide groups to bring programming by national and international artists, poets and musicians. The group of volunteers’ mission is "to encourage the arts, build community, and share our unique town through free, public events." The group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7pm at the School House.

Silver City Cemetery Advisory Board MeetsApril 21 at 11:00 am, Silver City Schoolhouse. April agenda: where to get dirt and stabilizing blocks for the drainage slope on the east perimeter. Seeking all ideas and persons. Preservation of the historic section of the cemetery.

Silver City Small Actions Committee meets at the Silver City School House.

Monthly Events:

Acoustic Jam, last Saturday of each month from 3pm-5pm, Silver City School House (or the outdoor stage if the weather is good). Bring your instrument or your voice and join in.