BARBWIRE by ANDREW BARBANO Pirate Laureate of the High Desert Outback of the American Dream

Barbwire Archives

Hopeful High Holly Days: Heroes big and small
Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-23-2014 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-24-2014
Expansions to the Tribune version appear in siena italics.
Editor's Note: Because Chuck Harper's memorial service takes place on Monday, Dec. 22, hereinbelow, you'll find an advance of my Dec. 23 column which will print the day after. C'est la vie. This column has been uploaded on Dec. 21. Here are the adios logistics —> Memorial service at 1:00 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at Walton's, 875 West Second between Brickie's Bar and Keystone. Glad I didn't get a haircut this week. Reception follows at the Reno Elks Lodge on Kumle Lane across from the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

Friday came news that Chuck "Big Daddy" Harper died at 80 on Dec. 13. His memorial service was yesterday and his yesterdays were all memorable.

I was very fortunate to cross paths with him many times.

When he managed a Salt Lake City music station in 1976, I called him at the very last minute in need of an affiliate for my Long Beach GrandPrix Formula One motoracing network.

"Oh, what the hell. Let's go for it," said my man Big Daddy.

I last saw him a couple of years ago at an Eldorado rock 'n' roll nostalgiafest featuring Phil Harvey, one of his former KCBN 1230-am colleagues now an actor in LA.

Phil's brother Andy from Carson City showed up as did Nevada newspaper hall-of-famer Marilyn Newton.

KCBN alumni included Palmer and Jolene Stewart and Doyle Brown, son of the founder.

Chuck told me a story that night that tells you all you need to know about him.

Back in the 1960s when Big Daddy Harper ruled, KCBN did a prom night contest.

At the drawing, one awkward teenage girl blurted out that she wouldn't be going because no one had asked her.

Big Daddy thought for a moment (it would mean canceling something important) and said "Relax. I'll take you to the prom."

So the clumsy duckling became the belle of the ball when she walked in with Big Daddy hisself.

That was my man Chuck.

Chuck's formal obituary appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal Dec. 19 and 21.

One thing not included: Big Daddy was once the ringmaster in the early days of Reno's Circus Circus, which he described as one of the most fun jobs he ever had. He had the perfect tall build to wear the black boots, top hat and tails and crack the bullwhip.

I don't know if Chuck's in the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame as yet, but he damn sure oughtta be. [UPDATE: He is conspicuous by his absence.]

I got Guy Richardson elected to the Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame in 2012 and have been campaigning for Don Dondero ever since (see right).

So now let's go to work for Chuck.

I owe (and you can blame) Doc Guy for providing the entrée that launched my checkered career as a regular columnist in 1987.

The following year, Big Daddy tipped me that KOLO Radio was going news-talk. I got the job, my first regular talk show gig. They put me head-to-head with Lush Rambo in the morning. With Travus. T. Hipp doing afternoons, we surgically removed four in ten listeners from hate radio powerhouse KKKOH in less than six weeks. I knocked off Limbaugh outright on KHIT soon thereafter.

All remembrances about Big Daddy will be gratefully accepted and posted here. [UPDATE: If there was a recurring theme at his sendoff, it came from people he unselfishly helped in their careers, with their families and daily lives.]

Former Washoe County Commmisioner Jean Stoess recalled that the community held a fundraiser for him at the Sparks Nugget.

"My dad broke his neck diving into a sandbar in Lake Tahoe," noted Chuck's daughter Michelle Harper-Montoya, adding "he made a full recovery."

One thing I learned early about this town is that if you take care of it, when you're in need, it will take care of you.

My friend Big Daddy was the ultimate mellow dude who always took care of business both personally or professionally.

May he rest in peace among all the golden oldies riding the waves which escaped our sky toward the ends of the universe.

FORTUNATE MISTAKES. For years, I've had a talk line for live TV during legislative sessions.

It comes with Yellow Pages listings. For some reason which escapes me, Ma Bell includes Barbwire.TV under television stations.

Sometimes, serendipity surfaces.

ROOP STREET RATZ. As noted a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from an 81 year-old Carson City mother living with her disabled son. She had a horrendous rodent problem, holes in the wall and a totally unresponsive landlord. Her cat couldn't keep up with the invasive critters. I wallpapered the capital media and public officials and even called a few. The mother in question went to the local health department. Nobody lifted a finger.

Finally, the lady called the landlord's representative and mentioned the Barbwire. Problem fixed. She said knowing that I would back her play gave her the courage to complain. (In Nevada, tenants can be evicted without cause and little notice.)

Don't know if I helped much, but it made me feel good at Christmastime.

A few days later, the talk line helped me get some Sparks seniors their rabbit ears TV service back.

The lady who called said I sounded young and thus made an old man very, very happy.

COMING SOON: Déjà vu all over again — Fear and Favor in the Newsroom, a bad dream from the '90s (Barbwire 12-10-1997 and 2-15-1998 and 2-22-1998) came back to Sparks last week with the showing of Shadows of Liberty. Stay tuned.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno. (Pardon my Spanglish.)

ONLINE EXTRAS...

TOMORROW'S NEWS TODAY: FEEL UP YOUR FIRE METER. The Reno Gazette-Journal did big spreads on three consecutive Sundays (Sept. 14, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28) on NV Energy smart meter fires. Welcome aboard. Barbwire readers were two years ahead on the fire meter issue. (Touch a Smart Meter, Go to Jail — 11 October 2012)

[UPDATES: THE NEVADA FIRE MARSHALL'S INVESTIGATION concluded "don't worry, be happy." I'm still worried and will continue fondling NVE's precious equipment. In its Sunday 21 Dec. 2014 front page headline major story, the Reno Gazette-Journal published results of the NVEnergy-commissioned "don't worry, be happy" echo study. Spoonfed stenography means never having to say you're sorry.]

ANTE INTO THE GAME: Support the new season of Barbwire.TV by putting your money where my mouth is.

A thousand thanks to those who already responded and keep sending show suggestions.

  Stay tuned.

  I encourage you to donate to the cause at Barbwire.TV/

The medium that shapes public opinion needs at least one refuge where it is not filtered through the distorted green eye shades of prissy corporate accountants for whom profit is the only priority; where self-censorship is the journalist's normal work environment and where all sins of omission are tacitly encouraged and forgiven with the wave of a balance sheet.

This is important. We've got a lot of work to do.

Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno. (Pardon my Spanglish.)

Andrew Barbano is a 46-year Nevadan, chair of the Nevada César Chávez Committee, producer of Nevada's annual César Chávez Day celebration, first vice-president and political action chair of the Reno-Sparks NAACP, labor/consumer/civil rights advocate, member of Communications Workers of America Local 9413/AFL-CIO and editor of NevadaLabor.com and JoeNeal.org and DoctorLawyerWatch.com/ As always, his opinions are strictly his own. Check local listings for other Nevada cable systems. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us. Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Sparks Tribune since 1988.

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Smoking Guns... Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential The ever-expanding Ira Hansen Archive of an anachronism Breaking Bad 5: Machine Gun Michele and the good ole boys Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-16-2014 Sparks Tribune BREAKING BAD Walter White and some other white guy Who's,,, ...Who? Breaking Bad 4: Ira and his ammosexuals flip us the finger Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-9-2014 Sparks Tribune / Updated 12-11-2014 Breaking Bad 3: Ira, the guv and the dragonslayers Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 12-2-2014 Sparks Tribune Breaking Bad Part Deux: Ira blames the Tribune Barbwire by Barbano / Submitted for publication 11-21-2014 / Expanded from the 11-25-2014 Daily Sparks Tribune On 11-24-1874, barbed wire was patented. 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Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-23-2014 Sparks Tribune St. Elon, Lord Pedro and Gov. Veto El Obtúsè Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-16-2014 Sparks Tribune 9-23 CRYSTAL BALL UPDATE: The above column accurately predicted Martinez's departure one week in advance Tinkle-down economics: testing Tesla's testes Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-9-2014 Sparks Tribune Labor Day 2014: Red, white and screwed Silver State Lining: Nevada union membership 10th-highest in the nation Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the Sparks Tribune / 8-28-2014 Union decline and rising inequality in two charts by Colin Gordon Economic Policy Institute / 6-5-2012 Labor Day: State of the Unions By Mark Robison / Reno Gazette-Journal / Sunday 9-1-2013 The above graph was used in journalist Mark Robison's extensive Hard Labor: Nevada unions tout role in helping workers, firms, economy (Sunday 2 Sept. 2012 Reno Gazette-Journal, page one, Reno Rebirth section of the print edition). 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By Erika Eichelberger / Mother Jones/BillMoyers.com 5-30-2014 “The behavior of the financial sector has not changed fundamentally…since the crisis. The industry still prizes short-term profit.” The Post-Dated Recession: Pay me now or pay me later Barbwire by Barbano / Expanded from the 9-6-2012 Daily Sparks Tribune The Post-dated Recession By Joshua H. Silavent / Daily Sparks Tribune / 5-3-2011 Nevada Press Assn. Better Newspaper Contest 2013-14: BARBWIRE SCORES SIXTH NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARD BRONZE 2014 Hopelessly trying to win an earthquake / 4-18-2013 The 2013 Loony Tunes Legislative Lexicon / 5-30-2013 The politics of media ga-ga boosterism / 3-20-2014 2012: WE WON —> BIG NEWS FROM THE NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION GOMORRAH SOUTH CONFAB—> BARBWIRE NOMINEE GUY RICHARDSON INDUCTED INTO NPA HALL OF FAME ON FIRST BALLOT Support legendary photographer Don Dondero next 2010 GOLD HAT TRICK: Barbwire takes first place three years in a row. The winning entries Suing for Schools: The 20-year shuck Expanded from the 2-21-2010 Daily Sparks Tribune RED flags flying low over Sparks Expanded from the 1-10-2010 Daily Sparks Tribune The wrath of self-righteous racism Expanded from the 11-8-2009 Daily Sparks Tribune Government contacts Nev. congressional delegation Nevada Legislature State of Nevada Secretary of State Carson City Clark County City of Las Vegas Douglas County Reno City Council Sparks City Council Washoe County Commission Washoe Registrar of Voters The campaign against forcibly-paid newspaper obituaries And they wonder why the newspaper business is dying?   The Dean's List    The Dean of Reno Bloggers could very well be Andrew Barbano, self-described "fighter of public demons," who started putting his "Barbwire" columns online in 1996 and now runs 10 sites. RENO NEWS & REVIEW, 11-9-2006 The 2009 first-place Nevada Press Association award winners Tony the Tiger & the flaky NFL Barbwire / 11-30-2008 Deregulation is never having to say you're sorry Barbwire / 8-3-2008 Nevada: A good place to visit, but do you want to live here? Barbwire / 6-15-2008 The 2008 first-place Nevada Press Association award winners The price of a piece / 6-17-2007 Boxing Pandora /9-23-2007 The Lady in the Red Dress 10-28-2007 1997 Pulitzer Prize entries The life and times of Travus T. Hipp The best who ever was   Get ahead of corporate-influenced news—>Subscribe to Barbwire Confidential

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Copyright © 1982-2014 Andrew Barbano

Andrew Barbano is a 46-year Nevadan, editor of NevadaLabor.com and JoeNeal.org; and former chair of the City of Reno's Citizens Cable Compliance Committee. He is producer of Nevada's annual César Chávez Day celebration and serves as first vice-president, political action chair and webmaster of the Reno-Sparks NAACP. As always, his opinions are strictly his own. E-mail barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us.

Barbwire by Barbano moved to Nevada's Daily Sparks Tribune on Aug. 12, 1988, and has originated in them parts ever since.
Whom to blame: How a hall-of-famer's hunch birthed the Barbwire in August of 1987
Tempus fugit.

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