Picon Punch is a Basque favorite. Photo: TV Foodies

Picon Punch, a quintessential Basque concoction, has been a perennial favorite at Basque festivals and restaurants for generations. Now, the tasty but potent cocktail could have even wider appeal if a Nevada assemblyman has his way.

Picon Punch is being proposed as the state drink in Nevada by Assemblyman William Horne.

The Las Vegas-area lawmaker says he is spearheading the effort because of the Basques’ longtime history in Nevada, where Basque men came to claim their stake in the American West by herding sheep.

“There was a request for a need to have a state drink,” he said in a story in the Las Vegas Sun. “What better than the Picon Punch? Me growing up here, it’s the only drink that I know of that has a Nevada tie. The Basque culture, particularly in Northern Nevada, I thought it was appropriate that that be our state drink.”

The proposal is being added to a bill on state parks and is being considered during the current legislative session, which ends in a few weeks.

Picon Punch is the drink that is most closely associated with Basques in the United States. It’s a concoction that includes grenadine, club soda, a bit of brandy, and Amer Picon, a bittersweet aperitif made in France with herbs and a peel of orange. For a good mixture, see the recipe at the website for the North American Basque Organizations, which represents Basque clubs in the United States and Canada.

The drink is featured at such restaurants as Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno and the Star Hotel in Elko. The drink’s origins are not entirely clear, but the cocktail appears to have first been mixed by Basque immigrants who came to West, the vast majority of whom roamed the Great Basin with their flocks of sheep. Picon Punch is the subject of a lengthly 2009 feature article in The Atlantic, which uses the cocktail as a narrative thread to look at the history of Basques in the West.

The sheepherder monument. Photo: Euskal Kazeta

The theft of the five plaques, which took place in early January 2011, shocked members of the Basque community.

The plaques were engraved with the names of hundreds of sheepherders and were anchored next to the towering statue called “Bakardade,” or Solitude, which is the centerpiece of the monument erected in 1989 on a scrubby hill outside of Reno.

The crime underscored what has become a growing problem across Nevada, where thieves have stolen tens of thousands of dollars worth of scrap metal, according to officials.

“These problems are an indication of our times,” Reno Asst. City Manager Cadence Matijevich told the Reno-Gazette Journal. “People are desperate and looking for materials they can turn and sell for a quick profit.”

Typically, scrap metal thieves face misdemeanor prosecution in Nevada if the stolen material is valued at less than $650. If the value is more than $650 but under $3,500, the crime can be charged as  a felony that would be punishable by up to five years in state prison.

The bill under consideration by the Nevada Assembly would require those found guilty  to serve 100 hours of community service for a first offense, 200 hours for a second offense, and 300 hours for third and subsequent violations.

In the case of the Sheepherder Monument, police said they suspected that the thieves removed the bronze tablets with a pry bar and sold them to recyclers. No arrests were made.

The new plaques are anchored more solidly and are made of steel, which is less valuable to potential thieves, according to officials involved in the effort.

Hundreds of names that are engraved on the new plaques were gathered by University of Nevada Reno Professor Carmelo Urza, author of “Solitude,” a book about the monument that contains the names. The original list of names was generated from the many individual donors who gave money for the monument and wanted their fathers and grandfathers who had been sheepherders to be remembered.

Related Euskal Kazeta reports:
Vandals Steal Sheepherder Monument Plaques
Sheepherder Monument in Disrepair on 20th Anniversary

Wall at the Basque Sheepherder Monument after plaques were stolen in 2001. Photo: Andy Mink/Washoe County Regional Parks

The cost of replacing the plaques was covered by the insurance carrier for the Washoe County Regional Parks system, which oversees San Rafael Park where the monument is located.

The 22-foot statue that overlooks the monument was created by acclaimed Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea. The abstract work of art features a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulders under a full moon.

The monument was built to represent not only the sheepherder but his descendants in the American West and Basques everywhere.

In August 2009, as the monument neared its 20th anniversary, Euskal Kazeta reported that vandals had scarred the statue with graffiti and that interactive signs designed to guide visitors through the site had been marred by vandals or weather. The report noted that the monument’s isolated location made it a relatively easy target for crime and vandalism.

The new plaques with herders’ names are made from steel. Photo: Jillian Stenzel

The theft of the five original plaques, which took place in early January 2011, shocked members of the Basque community. The plaques were engraved with the names of hundreds of sheepherders and were anchored next to the towering statue called “Bakardade,” or Solitude, which is the centerpiece of the monument erected in 1989.

The new plaques with herders' names are made from steel, which is less valuable than the original bronze plaques. Photo: Jillian Stenzel

Police said they suspected that thieves removed the bronze tablets with a pry bar and sold them to recyclers. No arrests were made. The new plaques are anchored more solidly and are made of steel, which is less valuable to potential thieves, according to officials involved in the effort.

The cost of replacing the plaques was covered by the insurance carrier for the Washoe County Regional Parks system, which oversees San Rafael Park where the monument is located.

Park officials received a list of hundreds of names inscribed on the original plaques from University of Nevada Reno Professor Carmelo Urza, author of “Solitude,” a book about the monument that contains the names.

“The plaques are beautiful,” Urza said, “and the site once again provides a permanent tribute to the story of Basque emigration to the United States.”

Related Euskal Kazeta reports:
Vandals Steal Sheepherder Monument Plaques
Sheepherder Monument in Disrepair on 20th Anniversary

The 22-foot statue, which overlooks the monument on a scrubby hillside, was created by acclaimed Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea. The abstract work of art features a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulders under a full moon. The monument was built to represent not only the sheepherder but his descendants in the American West and Basques everywhere.

The Sheepherder Monument has been restored in time
for the Reno Basque festival. Photo: Jillian Stenzel.

The abstract design of the statue initially sparked a controversy when it was first proposed. But it came to be accepted as a fitting memorial to the enterprising nature of the Basque herders who roamed the West with their flocks of sheep. About half of the $350,000 for the project came in checks from across the U.S. from Basque Americans who requested their fathers and grandfathers’ names be inscribed.

In August 2009, as the monument neared its 20th anniversary, Euskal Kazeta reported that vandals had scarred the statue with graffiti and that interactive signs designed to guide visitors through the site had been marred by vandals or weather. The report noted that the monument’s isolated location made it a relatively easy target for crime and vandalism.

After the plaques were stolen, Euskal Kazeta followed the replacement efforts with several articles. Andy Mink, a district manager for the park system, acknowledged in previous interviews with Euskal Kazeta that the process to replace the plaques was not moving as quickly as he would have liked.

Mink said this week that he and Urza worked with New Jersey-based NW Sign Industries over a period of months to correct misspelled names and blank spaces before the new plaques went up.

These bronze plaques, as they appeared in 2009, were stolen. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

“It was a long time coming,” Mink said, “but it was a good opportunity to get names corrected. Hopefully it’ll stay up for a long time now.”

Urza said the timing of the new plaques is ideal, noting that the Reno Basque Club will hold its annual picnic on Saturday, July 21. Visitors to the event can check out the restored monument. The turnoff to the monument is located north of McCarran Blvd. on North Virginia St. in Reno.

The towering statue is the centerpiece of the monument. Photo: Euskal Kazeta

In recent months, other descendants of Basque immigrants have asked about adding the names of their relatives to the plaques. NW Sign Industries is helping with the creation of an additional plaque for those who wish to add their names or to honor those of their loved ones.

Anyone seeking information about adding a name to the new plaque is asked to contact leanne@usac.unr.edu.

Bertsolari Johnny Curutchet visited the monument soon after the plaques were restored and sang a bertso, recorded by J.P. Barthe.

The $30,000 or so needed to replace the five stolen plaques was covered by the insurance carrier for the Washoe County Regional Parks system, which oversees San Rafael Park in Reno where the monument is located.

These bronze plaques, as they appeared in 2009, were stolen. No arrests were made. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

The money also paid for replacing bronze letters that were stolen from the wall and a plaque that featured a map of the United States that was also stolen, said Andy Mink, a district manager for the park agency.

The names of Basque herders on the plaques have been checked for misspellings, MInk said, adding that the tablets were expected to be done in the near future.

“It should be soon,” Mink told Euskal Kazeta. “I’m excited to see the finished product.”

The original plaques were bronze and were stolen in January 2011 by vandals who likely sold them to recyclers, the Reno Police Department has said. No arrests were made in the case.

Related Euskal Kazeta reports:
Vandals Steal Sheepherder Monument Plaques
Sheepherder Monument in Disrepair on 20th Anniversary

The new plaques and letters will be made from aluminum, which is less expensive than bronze. The lower cost allowed officials to replace all the lettering on the wall with the same material. The insurance policy only covered the letters that were stolen, Mink said, but officials didn’t want some letters bronze and others aluminum.

An additional plaque is being planned for Basque herders whose names are being added to those on the original tablets. A number of people have forwarded names of family members to University of Nevada Reno Professor Carmelo Urza, who is overseeing the effort.

The Basque Sheepherder Monument has been the target of vandals in recent years. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

A name can be included for a $300 donation, which is the same amount paid originally by family members, said Urza, who was a member of the organizing committee that oversaw the creation of the monument more than 20 years ago.

The donations, Urza said, will be used to cover the costs of manufacturing the plaque and erecting it at the site. Anyone who is interested in adding a family member to the new plaque can contact Urza via email at curza@unr.edu.

The theft of the five plaques was a significant loss for the Basque community. Hundreds of people donated money to have the names of family members memorialized on the bronze tablets, which stood next to the towering statue called “Bakardade,” or Solitude, which was dedicated on Aug. 27,1989 in a ceremony at the park attended by more than 1,000 people.

The abstract work, designed by acclaimed Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea, features a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulders under a full moon. About half of the $350,000 for the project came in checks from across the U.S. from Basque Americans who requested their fathers and grandfathers’ names be inscribed.

In August 2009, as the monument neared its 20th anniversary, Euskal Kazeta reported that vandals had scarred the statue with graffiti and that interactive plaques designed to guide visitors had been stolen. The report noted that the monument’s isolated location made it a relatively easy target for crime and vandalism.

One of the Basque aspen rubbings at the exhibit. Photo: Nevada Historical Society.

The rubbings are made from the carvings left by Basque immigrants who worked as sheepherders. In the summer, Basque herders trailed with their sheep across the mountain ranges, taking advantage of abundant streams and lush pastures.

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Herders typically searched for aspen groves, because they knew that grassy meadows would be nearby. Many carved their names and etched drawings on the soft white bark of the aspen trees.

Today, these carvings a a living legacy to the men who endured a lonely lifestyle as they roamed with their flocks across the Great Basin and mountain ranges of the West from the 1800s to the 1960s. But the carvings are endangered as insects and disease ravage aspen groves.

Husband-and-wife team Phil and Jean Earl originally gathered the rubbings in hopes of helping to preserve the Basque culture, since some of the trees featuring the carvings have died. Phil Earl was a former curator for the Nevada Historical Society Museum. The Earls used rubbing wax to bring out the carvings on muslin cloth. They have gathered their rubbings in a book, entitled “Basque Aspen Art of the Sierra Nevada.”

The aspen rubbing exhibit will run through April 14. The historical society address is 1650 N. Virginia St. in Reno.

For more information, call the historical society at (775)) 688-1190, ext. 0 or check out the group’s website.

The cutback, which would have been about $500,000, or half the center’s annual operating budget, was averted after a last-minute budget compromise this week by the Nevada Legislature.

“It’s fantastic news for us,” UNR Professor and Basque Center Co-Director Joseba Zulaika told Euskal Kazeta.

UNR Professor Emeritus William Douglass at 2009 dedication of Center for Basque Studies

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Video: Center for Basque Studies Dedication Ceremony

The agreement was hammered out by lawmakers in the final hours before the Legislature adjourned for the remainder of the year. The cutbacks to UNR and the center were proposed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

The other half of the center’s funding comes from the Basque government and several institutions in the Basque Country.

The Center for Basque Studies is the leading academic venue outside the Basque Country dedicated to research of Basque-related issues. In 2009, the center moved to a state-of-the-art facility in the university’s Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center.

The venerable Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno has new wood paneling and floors and a raised ceiling that makes it seem more spacious. But the good news is that the Basque menu and ambiance is still there — as well as the Picon punch, according to a report by KTVN Channel 2 in Reno. You can check out the report on the video above.

Related Euskal Kazeta Report:
Landmark Louis’ Basque Corner Sold to New Owners

The restaurant is a Reno landmark. Photo: Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.

The landmark restaurant had been run by Louis and Lorraine Erreguible since it opened in 1967. Over the years, the business attracted a loyal following of customers. Louis was originally from Mauleon, Zuberoa and became a colorful presence in the restaurant, decked out in his white chef coat and Basque beret.

Louis, according to the TV report, likes the changes to the restaurant.

Organizers of the effort are considering using a different type of material for the plaques to make them less desirable to thieves. They are also accepting donations from Basques seeking to place additional names on the tablets, which listed hundreds of herders who came to the United States in search of a better life.

The theft of the five plaques, which occurred in early January, shocked members of the Basque community. Hundreds of people donated money to have the names of family members memorialized on the bronze tablets, which stood next to the towering statue called “Bakardade,” or Solitude, erected in 1989. The abstract work of art features a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulders under a full moon. About half of the $350,000 for the project came in checks from across the U.S. from Basque Americans who requested their fathers and grandfathers’ names be inscribed.

These bronze plaques, as they appeared in 2009, were stolen. No arrests were made. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

The cost of replacing the plaques will be covered by the insurance carrier for the Washoe County Regional Parks system, according to Andy Mink, a district manager for the agency who oversees Rancho San Rafael Park where the memorial is located. The monument is considered county property, he said, because it’s located on park grounds.

“It will be covered under the insurance, which is the good news,” Mink told Euskal Kazeta in a recent interview.

To figure out the cost of replacing the plaques, Mink said, park officials are consulting with businesses that create placards and memorials for cemeteries. “They’re the ones who would know,” he said.

Related Euskal Kazeta reports:
Vandals Steal Sheepherder Monument Plaques
Sheepherder Monument in Disrepair on 20th Anniversary

The process has been slow, Mink acknowledged, and could take months before the memorial is restored. He recently received a list of hundreds of names inscribed on the original plaques from University of Nevada Reno Professor Carmelo Urza, the author of “Solitude,” a book about the monument that contains the names.

The Basque Sheepherder Monument has been the target of vandals in recent years. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

In an interview, Urza said he recently spoke with acclaimed Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea, who designed the 22-foot bronze statue that is the monument centerpiece. Basterretxea suggested creating new plaques with a material other than bronze, which would be less valuable to vandals. Police suspect that the tablets were torn off a wall with pry bars so that they could be sold to recyclers. No arrests have been made.

“Nestor was thinking that he might be able to use a matte stainless steel that could look very modern and very interesting and not have the same material value on the wall,” said Urza, a member of the project’s original organizing committee.

In August 2009, as the monument neared its 20th anniversary, Euskal Kazeta reported that vandals had scarred the statue with graffiti and that interactive plaques designed to guide visitors had been stolen. The report noted that the monument’s isolated location made it a relatively easy target for crime and vandalism.

Urza said he has been recently contacted by Basque families who would like to have names added to the tablets when new ones go up. These supporters can now acknowledge loved ones and help the revitalization effort by making a donation, Urza said.

The money would be used to offset costs not covered by the insurance, such as replacing four interactive sign posts designed to guide visitors. It’s unclear whether those posts were damaged by weather or vandals. Designs for the posts, which feature new text and art, have already been created, according to Urza.

Officials are hoping to fix these reader boards with donations. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

“We’d like to offer the opportunity for people to be able to contribute to the project and put their names on the wall,” he said, “and get funds to clean up the statue and replace the reader posts.”

Those interested in contributing can contact Urza via email at curza@unr.edu.

Professor Joseba Zulaika receives artwork from Basque government official Guillermo Echenique during a 2009 ceremony. Photo: Euskal Kazeta.

A loss of public funding, officials at the center say, would deal a major blow to the nation’s preeminent Basque research facility by eliminating half of its annual operating budget and forcing it to raise money from private sources.

“If all of the cuts go through, we are in real trouble,” UNR Professor and Basque Center Co-Director Jose Zulaika told Euskal Kazeta in a recent interview. “It would mean a drastic change for the Center for Basque studies.”

The cutbacks to the center, which are supported by Gov. Brian Sandoval, are part of a larger plan to slash $30 million from the University of Nevada budget.

Related Euskal Kazeta Report:
Center for Basque Studies Celebrates New Facility

The state provides half of the approximate $1 million annual operating budget for the center, Zulaika said. The other half comes from the Basque government and several institutions in the Basque Country.

At this point, Zulaika said, he is waiting to see what happens in the next several weeks. State lawmakers will vote on a budget before the close of the Legislative session on June 6.

Zulaika noted that the center has always enjoyed strong support from UNR officials. “We are not being alarmists yet,” he said.

The Basque Center is the leading academic venue outside the Basque Country dedicated to research of Basque-related issues. In 2008, the center moved to a state-of-the-art facility in the university’s Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center.

The center library is highly specialized with advanced technological capabilities to provide researchers with easier access to its resources. Even the bookshelves themselves represent the latest technological advances, accessed via a numeric keypad that works to open the shelves.

In all, the library has more than 50,000 volumes and 1,500 journal titles, as well as an extensive collection of thousands of photographs that the staff archived to make them available via the Internet.

The venerable restaurant is a Reno landmark. Photo: Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.

The landmark restaurant had been run by Louis and Lorraine Erreguible since it opened in 1967. Unlike other Basque restaurants, which hired younger cooks, Louis Erreguible continued to oversee the kitchen over the years. Originally from Mauleon, Zuberoa, Louis was a colorful presence in the restaurant, decked out in his white chef coat and Basque beret.

A loyal following of customers has flocked to the restaurant over the years to sample steaming dishes featuring favorites such as rabbit stew, poulet basquaise and Basque-style pork. The restaurant was also known for keeping the long-time Basque-American tradition of serving food at long tables, where complete strangers could be seated next to each other.

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Now in their 80s, the Erreguibles decided it was time to retire, according to a report in Reno Gazette-Journal.

“I think it’s time,” Lorraine Erreguible told the Gazette-Journal. “It touches the heart to have to leave it, but we feel we put it into two very good hands.”

The new owners will be Reno residents Chris Shanks and Brian Elcano, who say they plan to make some minor changes to the restaurant. The deal was closed in early March.

Located on Fourth Street in old downtown Reno, Louis’ Corner has become one of the best known Basque restaurants in the country, in part because of relentless marketing by Lorraine Erreguible. The restaurant was featured last year on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” show hosted by Guy Fieri (See the video below).