When to Leave

First published in April of 2018 in Mason Valley News as an opinion column by Quest Lakes.

When I was about 10, I began reading everything I could get my hands on. Finding books was hardly a challenge because my mother was a librarian and my father kept an enormous home library and spent his evenings reading, often suggesting titles that I might like.

I recall staying up late, reading “Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia” and feeling perplexed and unhappy to discover what became of the Romanovs. At 10, I did not understand how anyone could execute children.

A little later, Seymour M. Hersh’s “My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and Its Aftermath” appeared on our bookshelves and it was then I began to wonder about many things I had and hadn’t been taught. I began to think about omissions in my social studies text books at school and what else might be missing and why.

Then I read “The Diary of A Young Girl” by Anne Frank and another set of questions was added to the previous set. Why did everyday people participate in a plan for genocide, whether by silently going along or by actively participating? What were they thinking as authoritarianism became the norm? And another question plagued me throughout my teens: why didn’t the rest of those in the Nazi’s crosshairs get out of the region in time – people of color, people who were gay or disabled, etc? Of course I learned later that many did try, and as an adult I came to understand that it’s no easy thing to leave one’s country, one’s home.

I wish I could say that as the decades went by these questions plagued me less because war, and poverty, ethnic hatred, misogyny, racism, homophobia and xenophobia nearly disappeared.

But over the last few years, I’ve had no choice but to go back to those questions that first occurred to me during childhood. Our free press is being reinterpreted as Lügenpresse (lying press). There’s a growing disdain for higher education and the arts, with a surprising percentage of Americans saying higher education is actually harmful rather than helpful. There’s an increasing entanglement of religion and government, and an alarmingly open penchant for white nationalism among some. My friends and neighbors are being mislabeled as lazy, perverted, criminal and worse by some of our nation’s elected officials.

As a child and teen I would’ve identified now as the time to get out. But as an adult, I see that now is the time to stay and defend everything I’ve loved about this country.

First published in April of 2018 in Mason Valley News as an opinion column by Quest Lakes.

Manners Versus Character in Three Acts

*This essay by Quest Lakes was originally published in the MVN as a column during the summer of 2018.


"Under ascending authoritarianism, demands for 'civility' are precursors to calls for censorship." - Leah McElrath
****

I’m always surprised when people equate good manners with good character. Some of the nastiest people in history have had lovely manners. The serial killer Ted Bundy was reportedly very ‘polite.’

Those who always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘yes, sir’ do not necessarily have stellar characters. Just this week I saw Attorney General Jeff Sessions, with his southern drawl and genteel manner, grin into the media cameras as he used the Bible to justify the Trump Administration’s separation of immigrant children from their parents. He used Romans 13, the same passage slavers mis-used to justify slavery: “the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”

Then today there was yet another salvo in the manners versus character war. Trump was recorded saying that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un “speaks and his people sit up in attention. I want my people to do the same." The polite, rapt attention the North Korean people display when Kim Jong Un speaks is based in fear, not respect for the dictator’s character.

Good manners and politeness are often on display for the cameras in authoritarian regimes. A United States where people have the freedom to express their dismay with their elected officials, even with the use of impolite vulgarities, is part of a healthy democracy.

And keeping the actions of our elected officials under scrutiny is necessary to our freedom, even when those officials have commendable manners and find our demands for transparency rude.

For example, here in Nevada when a certain elected official engaged in a backroom deal with a mining company for hundreds of thousands of dollars, I’ll bet not a single vulgarity was uttered. Probably there were many expressions of gratitude. Gentlemen probably held doors open for ladies. But we can’t be sure, because the public was excluded from those polite negotiations among people of bad character and good manners.
***

"Liberal columnists, the professional bleeding hearts, have the public ear, but what they do with it is simply to reassure it. They sound as though they're being daring, but they're not. If reality broke into one of those columns, God knows what would happen!" – James Baldwin

"Not one single member of the Nazi Resistance ever said 'If only we had been more civil early on...' Politeness favors only the oppressor." - @HoarseWisperer

"Commentators who are more excised over “F_ _ _ Trump!” than they are towards this administration’s heinous policies and undermining of our institutions are replicating the white familial behavior of prioritizing 'not making a scene.' It’s designed to disarm resistance." - Ethan Grey

Silver City's Many June - August 2018 Events

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 brings public programming in arts, science and more to the Silver City School House and adjacent town park and outdoor performance space (the Silver Pavilion). For children's events, parents are asked to stay and join in the fun and help with clean up. Parking can be found on the south side of the School House at 385 High Street.

Historic Preservation and Archaeology Awareness Month: Check out the display at the local post office titled Progress in a Multi-year Archaeological Project. Silver City resident Robert Elston, PhD, among those awarded a National Science Foundation award for the project, has outlined their progress for us. Up through June 2018.

Thai Food Cooking Lesson, Saturday, June 9 at 1pm the Silver City School House. Local Sean Laughlin will teach how to cook several 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. Sign up at the sheet on the bulletin board at the local post office.

Basement Rummage Sale, Saturday, Sept 1st. Proceeds from the sale of miscellaneous items goes to the nonprofit Silver City Historic Preservation Society and other local nonprofits.

Bicycle Safety Rodeo for ages 5-12 , Tues June 26 from 10am-noon at the Silver City basketball court with Cortney Bloomer of Healthy Communities Coalition. Bring your own bike and helmet. 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 and 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.

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

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, funk and rock 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 Young Shakespeare at Sand Harbor. Tuesday, July 31st. One hour, interactive performance for children begins at 10am (Macbeth, adapted for children). To get a seat and a parking space, get there well ahead of time. Free with suggested $5 donation and parking is $10. Bring water and sunscreen for the best experience. Details: http://laketahoeshakespeare.com/young_shakespeare/

American Flat Historic Site Lecture, Film, Photo Showat the School House. Time and date to be announced, possibly Fall 2018. 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. Sponsored through Silver City Arts group.

Monthly Events:

Adults Acoustic Jam, normally the 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. Children can attend if their parents are attending.


Silver City Arts group meets monthly to plan their own events, promote other arts groups events, and/or to plan coordination with other arts groups’ events. Next meeting: Wednesday, June 13, 7:00 pm at the Silver City Schoolhouse.

Ongoing

Poetry Corner: Silver City Arts sponsors a Poetry Corner at the community bulletin board at the local post office. It features poems or song lyrics by or about current or former Silver City denizens such as Irene Bruce.

Shakespeare Group: If you are a Shakespeare enthusiast or thespian, Silver City resident Jay Cimo is seeking others that share his interest to meet monthly. For information contact him at jayacimo@gmail.com. No experience necessary and all ages welcome.

June 2 Poetry Reading and Workshop with Gary Short

Silver City, Nevada – Poet Gary Short, the only Nevada writer in the history of the state to win the Western States Book Award, is the visiting artist at the Resident Artist Program in Silver City during June. He’ll offer a poetry reading, followed by an optional, free poetry writing workshop, on Saturday, June 2 at 2pm at the Silver City School House (community center) at 385 High Street.

These days Short makes his home in Guatemala, but he lived for years on the Comstock at American Flat. The Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE) explains, “Gary Short has surveyed the universe of Guatemala, Albania, Mexico and, most recently, Tasmania. Throughout all of these journeys, he has returned to the landscape that claims him: the Comstock. He thinks of this last place and Guatemala as his twin homes, his private domain that both welcome the itinerant one on his terms.”

Gary Short been a Stegner fellow at Stanford, a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and has had residencies at the MacDowell Colony, the Vermont Studio Center, the Drew University MFA program and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He received a Pushcart Prize for 2008 and has been awarded grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Nevada Arts Council, the Sierra Nevada Arts Council, Writers at Work, and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

He is also a former editor for Hayden's Ferry Review, Shankpainter, and Great Basin Magazine. He’s been on the faculty at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Old Dominion University, the University of California, Davis and University of Mississippi, and was a guest lecturer at the University of Tirana in Albania.

Copies of his first three volumes of poetry, including Flying Over Sonny Liston, Theory of Twlight and 10 Moons and 13 Horses, will be available for signing and purchase during the book signing event. Gary "Short knows Nevada’s austere landscape, its ephemeral beauty, and its stoic people as few writers in any genre do."

About the Resident Artist Program in Silver City: Located in rural Nevada 3 miles from Virginia City and 29 miles from Lake Tahoe, Silver City is a small, unusually creative and productive community on the Comstock within one of the nation's federally designated historic landmarks.

The Resident Artist Program provides a venue for those from other parts of the U.S. and the world to engage with people of the region through the arts. Those creating in the performing, visual, or literary arts are invited to apply to reside for up to 3 months at McCormick House, a geodesic dome designed in the 1970s by Nevada artist Jim McCormick. In exchange, visiting artists offer public performances, exhibitions, readings, workshops, etc. in Silver City and other northern Nevada communities. The Program is privately funded and directed. For more information, contact director Quest Lakes at 847-0742.

Silver City Nevada Spring Arts News

Save the dates this spring for an acoustic jam, a potluck dinner party, a poetry workshop with renowned poet Gary Short, and much more.

The Silver City Arts group is hosting a "Chase the Blues Away" potluck dinner on May 26, right after the monthly acoustic jam. All are welcome. Follow the link below for more details, and for details about other upcoming events in Silver City this spring and summer. http://silvercityreads.blogspot.com/2018/04/silver-citys-summer-2018-arts-and.html

Megan Berner writes, "I recently spent a few consecutive weekends making work in Silver City, NV as part of the Resident Artist Program in Silver City hosted at the unique McCormick House. The house was built by Jim McCormick in 1972 as a series of connected geodesic domes.The studio is filled with light and I spent my time there falling in love with this tiny Comstock town. The lilacs were in full bloom and I saw lots of wildlife on my walks in the hills--mountain bluebirds, goldfinch, wild horses, jackrabbits, and tons of quail. I am always inspired by the places that I visit and while in residence, I continued to experiment with combining digital transfer processes with cyanotype. The effects are unpredictable at times and I was inspired to go back to imagery from my time in the Arctic as well as to create some new Nevada landscape pieces. I will continue to work on this body of work in the coming months." More about her work in this interview with KNVC 95.1FM radio: https://www.knvc.org/the-latest/in-the-studio-with-deana-hoover-megan-berner/

Poet Gary Short is the next visiting artist at the Resident Artist Program in Silver City. He'll offer a poetry workshop and reading, dates and times to be announced soon. His book 'Flying Over Sonny Liston' won the Western State Book Award. One of North America's most remarkable narrative poets, Short lived for years at American Flat on the Comstock near historic Silver City. The Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE) explains, “Gary Short has surveyed the universe of Guatemala, Albania, Mexico and, most recently, Tasmania. Throughout all of these journeys, he has returned to the landscape that claims him: the Comstock. He thinks of this last place and Guatemala as his twin homes, his private domain that both welcome the itinerant one on his terms.” For more information, contact Resident Artist Program director Quest Lakes at 847-0742.

Emerging artist Allison Rasmussen, who was the winter visiting artist with the Resident Artist Program in Silver City, has artwork on view in the True Grit-themed exhibition at Western Nevada College through July 6. Rasmussen, Valedictorian of her high school class, graduates from high school this May. Also this month, she's graduating with honors from WNC with an Associates Degree through the college's early college entry program, Jump Start.

The Mylo McCormick Project offers a June 21st concert at 6:30pm at the Dangberg Home Historic Ranch during their family friendly, outdoor summer concert series. Blues, funk and rock, 6:30pm; $10 tickets. The park setting includes stunning views of the Sierras. Other members of The Mylo McCormick Project include Don LaLonde on drums and vocals, John Shipley on keyboard and vocals and Chris Osti on bass. Guitarist Mylo McCormick grew up in Silver City and was mentored by Silver City songwriter/musician Will Rose. Full list of summer events at Dangberg here: https://www.dangberghomeranch.org/events/

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.