Publisher's Note April - May 2022
Max Friedland
It’s been a month or two, hasn’t it? We’re seeing an easing of restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and so I thought our cover (and accompanying story) could encourage people to take in the great outdoors, breathe fresh air, and enjoy the sights! Myself, I got away by spending some time with my kids in New York City, wandering the high-rise canyons instead of the ones closer to home. I’ll get to those when I get back.
The nice thing about a trip to New York, though, is that it reminds me that the culture here in Las Vegas is right on par with some of the best the country has to offer. And that makes me proud to know that we’re a small part of that, by bringing it to you here in the pages of David.
For example, Alexa Freeman’s piece on Joshua Roman, the artist in residence at the Philharmonic, is enlightening as well as entertaining. You can almost hear the strains of his cello as you read the piece.
Along those same lines, writer Stacy D’Alessandro takes a close look at the Smith Center’s Education and Outreach Programs. It’s great to know that the Center, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, is giving back so much to the community.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town at Allegiant stadium, NFL fervor has definitely taken hold and our food writer, Jason Harris, was able to spend some time talking with Gary LaMorte. LaMorte is the man who leads the team behind the team, the group of cooks and nutritionists who keep the Raiders in tip top shape.
As I said earlier, the concrete canyons of NYC are no match for the natural splendor scattered throughout our valley. Several wonderful trails and day hikes are described by Kelly Travis and illustrated by Bob Travis. These hikes range from easy, low impact walks to complex climbs only for the more experienced hikers. You can easily see which is which by noting the number of hiker silhouettes (from 1-4) at the bottom of each description. As we’re entering into the season, though, we want you to be fully prepared, so we’ve also included a number of the season’s must haves in new gear.
Once again, we’re pleased to welcome back our resident experts, Kirk Peterson and Marisa Finetti, this time in conversation about the benefits of fermentation. It’s like being a fly on the wall as they talk about everything from chocolate to eating fermented shark (yes, really!).
Of course, there are traumatic and devastating things happening in Europe, atrocities which are never far from our minds. Jaq Greenspon lives not far from the action and has written a personal essay about how the conflict is affecting him and his family in Kaunas, Lithuania. While he has no current plans to leave, he, like all of us, are watching the news and praying for a swift end to the bloodshed.
Max D. Friedland
