News
Ethnic Cookbook  
Reprinted
by Lorainne Clark

The Ely Renaissance Society
ethnic cookbook was a very
popular item at last year’s
Reunion. The cookbook has been
reprinted and will be available at
this year’s  Reunion  at the
Spanish house or from the
website at www.elyrenaissance.
com. All proceeds benefit the ERS
mural projects and Renaissance
Village.

The cookbook contains recipes
that have been handed down
through local families.  Ethnic
favorites are included to provide
a taste of White Pine traditional
favorites. The cookbook was
compiled by alumni Lenora Lujan
Leibold and Renaissance
volunteers.

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Internet Connects WP
www.elyrenaissance.com

This new website gives information
about the Ely Renaissance and offers
readers a chance to purchase
products that support the
Renaissance.   

Looking for information on WP
County? Want to check the Calendar
of Events?  Need links to local
businesses? All that is available at:
www.whitepinechamber.com.

The local newspaper, the Ely Times, is
available at www.elynews.com. and
by subscription. The Ely Times is now
published on Wednesday.

Ely  Renaissance
Society
Ready for 2008
by Lorraine Clark

Eight years after start-up, the
Renaissance Society is proud to
have financed over twenty
outdoor murals and sculptures
which tell the story of out rich
heritage in our 11 block
downtown area. Artists from all
over the world were brought in to
create images of out history using
a variety of different art styles.
Once shabby boarded up
buildings are filing with new
businesses and the appearance is
attractive to both visitors and
residents.

Although a vastly improved
appearance is important, the real
success has been in the pride of
the local citizens have in their
community and the area’s rich
history told through art.

When the community healing
began, the Renaissance Society
expanded its focus to recruiting
and supporting “Home Grown
Business”, particularly
businesses that focus on the arts.
These are the businesses that
have been filling up the
downtown. These include an art
gallery, a dance studio, an Indian
crafts and jewelry business, a
publishing company and the
community owned Garnet
Mercantile clothing store.

The Renaissance Society has no
paid staff, and no government
funding. It finances the projects
through fund raisers such as the
All Class Reunion for which the E.
L. Cord Foundation made grants,
auctions, dinners, the sale of
donated property and occasional
business grants. As the project
progressed, it became evident
that there is a need for classes
and venues for the development
and the support of local artists,
writers, actors, and musicians.

When the need to facilitate artistic
endeavors by local artists became
more evident, the Renaissance
Society was presented with an
opportunity to purchase nine
contiguous lots with eleven 100
year old structures on them
situated near the downtown. The
houses once belonged to early
shopkeepers, railroad workers,
and miners.

Purchasing the property brought
the Renaissance into Phase II and
plans were formed to turn this
little complex into an art village
that continues the theme of
“Where the World Met and
Became One”. Artists will be
encouraged to use the houses for
studios, hold art classes, drama
and musical productions and the
“Village” will hoist events to
support our artists.

The Renaissance Society closed
escrow on this property January
of 2005. Volunteers began the
arduous task of cleaning and
sorting through the piles of
rubble to determine an action
plan. With the help from the local
minimum security camp work
crews, which   are paid $300.00
per day, and the White Pine High
School Honor Society which
adopted the village as a
community service project, much
progress has been made at the
Village.

In order to raise funds for the
crew and materials needed for
repairs, the Renaissance Society
opened the Village during the 4th
of July All Class Reunion so
visitors could explore the Village
houses.

Each of the completed houses
has been decorated by volunteers
to represent a different ethnic
group that migrated to work in
White Pine County in the early
1900’s. Visitors rode the ping
pong train to the Village and met
artists selling their art, bought
ethnic products, enjoyed
performances, White Pine Ale and
food. An auction of antiques
found in the houses and
carefully revived by Renaissance
volunteers provided more money
to make another payment for the
property
Reflections
The Arts &
Entertainment
magazine for White
Pine County and is
published four times a
year. Subscriptions are
available from Clark
Publications, PO Box
151719, Ely, NV 89315.
Cost is $12 per year.
More information is
available by e-mail at
lorraine.clark@sbcglobal.
net.
What to do in Ely...
Art Trail
by Lorainne Clark

The Art Trail includes all murals,
sculptures, White Pine County
Court House, Veterans War
Memorial, Museums, and Labyrinth
walks.

Enjoy our local downtown shops,
soda fountains, pubs, and art
gallery.

For recreation you can golf, drive
Success Loop, ride the Nevada
Northern Railroad Steam Ghost
Train,










bowl at Sunset Lanes, play poker,
enjoy horseshoes, visit our
beautiful Great Basin National Park
(with Lehman Caves) and our
wonderful Cave Lake and The
Ward Charcoal Ovens State Parks.

Garnet Mercantile
Update
by Lorainne Clark

If you haven’t been to the
Garnet Mercantile, formerly
JC Penney, in awhile you
may be a little surprised at
what’s going on there.  The
community owned Garnet
Mercantile, opened
November 2004 following
the end of 90 years of
service by JC Penney.  In the
midst of its 3 year in of
operation the store is going
strong.

New is the word at the
Garnet as more products
come in on a regular basis
and new faces greet you at
the door.  Farewell was
given to Dan Leoni in
February 2007 as he
retired.  Mr. Leoni, who
managed the local Penney’s
store for about 10 years
before it closed, agreed to
come back to the Garnet as
general manager to get it
started.  He was replaced
the first of March by Robin
Bartlett, WPHS alumnus.  
Specials run on a regular
basis including sidewalk
sales.  Jewelry is one of a
few new items in the store
as it was carried sparingly in
the past.  

This year the Garnet has
already seen success,
exceeding not only sales
from the first quarter last
year, but sales goals set by
the board of directors at the
first of the year.  An annual
meeting will be held in Ely
over Memorial Weekend
giving shareholders a
chance to hear updates on
the previous year.  The
Garnet Mercantile welcomes
all White Pine alumni and
looks forward to continuing
service to the community for
many years to come.
Focus on Ely
Renaissance Society
Projects
by Lorainne Clark

The Ely Renaissance Society has
recently received publicity from
several sources.

In March 2007, a writer, Najda
Laroussi, from petit fute, a travel
guide book published in France
toured the murals and Village. She
was updating travel information in
Nevada and wanted to include
information about Ely.  She was
quite impressed by the murals and
the concept of telling our history
through art, but what really got her
attention was a walk through the
French house at the Village.

She exclaimed as she stepped into
the parlor, “It’s just like my
Grandmother’s house in
Bourdeaux”.  She pointed to the
mirror and other furnishings and
said her Grandmother had one just
like it and it all made Najda feel very
much at home. Thanks go to our
decorators Jody Horton and Dee
Christiansen, both WPHS alumni, for
their hard work in putting together
the French House.

The Winter issue of Journal of the
West features an article by Tom
Straka entitled “On Joe Pachak’s
‘Living Well Because of Mother’”.
This quarterly journal is devoted to
Western History and Culture. The
article is an in depth explanation of
the importance of pine nuts to the
Native American diet. Tom Straka
explains the gathering process for
the nuts and how the pine nuts are
incorporated into ceremonies and
Native recipes to this day. You can
view the article at www.
journalofthewest.com

Public Art Review magazine is doing
an article on Ely’s murals that will be
featured in an upcoming issue.
When we get notice of the
publication, we will pass this on.

Two tour operators toured the
Village the end of March. They were
very impressed with what was
available to see. They are looking for
new areas to bring tours to.

A film crew from the United Kingdom
will be here filming our murals and
downtown in June for an upcoming
series on British television Skye
network. This broadcast will feature
art and architecture in the United
States. Information on this project
can be found at www.artlandusa.tv.

All this promotion and interest is
exciting and will bring economic
rewards to the area. Thanks to
everyone who has worked so hard.
Ely Renaissance
Society 2008
Schedule of Events

Saturdays
Mid June through
September         
Village Open

July 3 - 5th        
Village July 4th
Celebration
WPHS Reunion
Western Auction

August 2          
Book Festival
Village

August 9          
Mayor’s Croquet
Tournament
Ice Cream Social  
Sculpture Park

August 30 - Sept. 27
Farmers Market at the
Village

November 28 & 29   
Holiday Village
Open House

December 6              
Holiday Village  
Artist Showcase
The Ely Renaissance
Society  is organizing a
2008 Farmers' Market
to be held at the
Renaissance Village.

Plans are to open the
market on Saturdays
starting in late August
and continuing through
October 2008

All gardeners, or anyone
who has access to fresh
fruits and vegetables or
other farm products are
welcome to participate.

A greater variety of
products will assure a
successful market and
result in a day of fun for
both buyers and sellers.

For more information
contact Phil Leibold at
txphil@aol.com or call
Virginia Terry at
775-235-7417  Click Here
CONGRATULATIONS!

Jack Smith awarded the Nevada
Governor's 2008 Points of Light !  
Mr. Smith was nominated by the Ely
Renaissance Society  for all of his
unwavering help and support
given in countless projects which
allow our community to flourish  
and remain representative of our
people.