A quick weekend trip to Albuquerque for my cousin’s funeral turned into a stark reminder that so much of what happens to us is entirely out of our hands. A long delay at the Las Vegas airport got me into New Mexico more than two hours later than scheduled. Another two-hour delay in Denver on the return trip gave me time to watch the second half of the Packers-Cowboys game, but it also meant I didn’t get home until about 1:30 a.m. Monday, with a Tuesday deadline looming.
In between the travel chaos, I was able to honor my cousin by delivering the eulogy. Despite the somber occasion, it was great to spend time with family I hadn’t seen in a few years. It reminded me that some trips are worth every single headache.
Going through the TSA security checkpoint at the Albuquerque Sunport for my return trip, I crossed paths with the UNLV women’s soccer team, which was a fun highlight of the weekend. They had played New Mexico earlier Sunday, and even though they lost 5-1, they were a pretty jovial group of young ladies. They also seemed to thoroughly enjoy the moment when I told them to beat UNR this week.
Not so jovial was the Washington State men’s basketball team, which lost an exhibition game to New Mexico, 92-64, that day. Those gentlemen were understandably quiet and somber, so even though they were on the same flight to Denver, I decided to give them their space and didn’t try to strike up a conversation.
Back here at home, seeing the news that three Fernley planning commissioners resigned near the end of last week’s meeting is another reminder that Fernley is at a critical crossroads, facing heavy-duty choices about its future.
Leaders having different ideas about how to get there is actually a good thing, provided they are all pulling toward the same destination. Robust debate over how to solve a problem pushes a city forward.
But whatever happens next depends on whether Fernley’s leadership can pivot from procedural chaos to long-term vision. Thriving communities require people willing to do the heavy lifting of building partnerships and finding solutions, rather than getting bogged down in endless debate and infighting.
The playoff equation for Fernley football is as beautifully and brutally simple as it gets. Friday, the Vaqueros host cross-county rival Dayton at 7 p.m. The winner takes the final seed in the 3A Northern League playoffs, and the loser turns in its gear.
It doesn’t get any more dramatic than that.
Robert Perea has covered news and sports in Northern Nevada since 1993. He has published The Fernley Reporter online since 2016, loves music, is a sucker for the pets who have adopted him, and is thrilled to be printing the Reporter.
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