The Scoop with Tanya Flanagan

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Good morning, and thank you for joining me for the scoop with Tanya Flanagan. I'm so happy you decided to wake up and start your day with me. Here on the scoop, where we talk about life, joy, funny moments, trending topics, and so much more. We promise to keep you in the know and find out what you know. So let's get started.

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Hello, and welcome to another Sunday morning here on the scoop. Thank you for waking up and joining me. I'm Tanya Flanagan, your host. It is beautiful outside and I hope you've had a great week and getting ready to start a new one. Today I have the pleasure of continuing my man on the streets series we introduced this a few weeks ago you might recall our first guest was cannabis guru i You should go and well today. I have a dear friend who I've known for about 20 years, whose life is fascinating. It's interesting. He probably thinks it's simple. But I think it's those of us who think our lives are simple. don't realize how interesting we are and how much we have a great story to tell. And to share. So I am so happy to have sitting across from me with his cup of coffee. Alex Brunel. I love to call him Ali hundra Alex Bernal in the studio with me. Good morning, Alex. Good

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morning, Tanya.

Unknown Speaker 1:52
Thank you for getting up and spending some time with me. I know that by day you are a program supervisor for Clark County's Parks and Recreation. And that sounds like sort of a normal job right? But by night, or what I know about you is you're everything from a foster dad to your My personal DJ. So whenever I want some cool, Neil soul sounds I say Hey, Alex, have you heard of this artist or whatever? Hey, what can you what can you give me on this? And Alex will put together the best flavor. And it flows. It is wonderful. I have full CDs of all loose ends tracks Kim tracks. I remember when I discovered Mali music on the gospel side. And Alex said, Have you been cheating on me? And I was like, no, but what do you know about this? So I just want to know, like music is a passionate space of passion for me. It's, it speaks to you as well. But what's your roots in that? And how did you get into that space? The DJ space?

Unknown Speaker 2:58
Oh, wow. You know, my father was into music. He always had vinyls, and he listened to everything. And I would just go and when he would leave to work, I would just sneak over there and just play the music. And eventually, I hooked up with a gentleman here out of Vegas, his name was George Lester, the community he was known as hurting bad. He was probably one of the he's the pioneer of DJs here in Vegas. And he worked with my dad. So he kind of took me under his wing and took me to my first DJ gig at the age of 10. I think the Eldorado it was the Eldorado high school dance at 1979 Here I'm a little kid in elementary school, looking at all these grown teenagers dancing and it just kind of fascinated me music and it's always been in my DNA. And I love all types of music is about to say what's your favorite genre? Oh, Neil. So, Neil, so it was my favorite genre, but I listen to country, rock. You name it if it has a nice beat or good lyrics.

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I feed into that best concert you've ever gone to. Ooh,

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great question. Man. musicology prints. That concert was amazing, but I love Frankie Beverly, I've been a Frankie shot A's. So

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here's the to know if you are true. Frankie connoisseur. How many Frankie Beverly amaze concerts have you attended?

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Yes, great question, because I remember someone that posted it on social media. And I just remember I was like, I had to count because I want to say maybe close to seven times. Okay. And every time I go, it's like the first time and I know his voice isn't as strong as it used to be. But he don't need to say no more. I will say for him. Isn't

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that like the phenomenon with him? I have had a lot of conversations with people about how Frankie's voice has deteriorated over the years Bless his heart. But when you go people where they're white and people sing the song so he you know, he doesn't have to we know the lyrics. We love the music. I think I've seen the show like five I've times and I mean the epitome of locations. Closing out an essence Music Festival in New Orleans in the Superdome that is unparalleled. To see Mays play, the Superdome was amazing you

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know that's the one thing I have not done yet it's gone to an essence she go one day

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it is it's I'm sure it's I've been in years and I'm sure it's very different than what it used to be. But it is a mix of spiritual balance. Just good time love people from all over the place. You have workshops, you have vendors, you have good food, you have music and then you just have all of the culture mixed in that is New Orleans that makes New Orleans what it is

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and that's that's on my bucket list of cities I'm still haven't gotten to New Orleans either. Shame on me.

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And you know, just prepare to you know, be Aloha because it's um so I was sent July's Fourth of July weekend and it's hot but it is it's a good time. Good seafood good food in general. has been yay. Um, so we have this love of music between us and but also you used to actually when I used to do Urban League young professionals, you would come out and do our events and stuff. So we go way back, we also go back what another dual camp brotherhood camp sisterhood and recently, the county, the Parks and Recreation you that you're a part of dedicated a recreation center in honor of Melvin some of them no one's beetle, but we affectionately call him beetle Melvin beetle and is at the Von Tobel family park. There's now a recreation center to service the families and the children in that neighborhood. And you were an instrumental part of that coming to fruition and then allowing Melvin's legacy to live on. I know he was a dear friend. What is that like? Because what ended 2021 is we're coming through COVID. And we're seeing so much loss. We lost him not to COVID, but we lost him in that time. Never seen a funeral like that before in my life. Let me tell you, folks, Melvin was memorialized at the Clark County Government Center amphitheater. And we pretty much almost filled up that amphitheater. And then we came back later and had a community party with food and blankets, and music and entertainment. And it was just the most beautiful home going that I have ever seen for a man who would have been considered a regular person who just gave to the community because his heart said, this is the thing that should be done. And you are you in here, Labor's at the same feather. So what's it like for you to spend all that time with your friend and then to see the combination of his memory in the form of a new recreation center?

Unknown Speaker 7:56
Wow, what a blessing to be around him. You know, I was young, in my early 20s, single parent, two kids with no direction. You know, I thought I was just gonna work in the hotel industry. And I had no mentors, no one that kind of just told me I can do anything great. Melvin just happened to come in my life. And he was the first man that didn't fail me. You know, he didn't look like me. But he, he loved me. And, you know, he took me under his wing and just just taught me how to be a man and just taught me how to tie a tie and shake a man's hand. And, and I remember when I first met him, he, he said, You know, I want to be your mentor, but I can't be your mentor, because I'm black. And you're Mexican. He said, I need to, I need to go find a Mexican to mentor you. So he did. That was his journey. That was practical. And we went in his truck, I think he had his truck. And we went to the state building. And we went and found this. He found this Hispanic man and, and he said, Hey, so this is Alex, you know, I want you to mentor him, because you look like him. And you're all from the same. You know, this, this and this. I want you to mentor him. And the guy goes, Yeah, sure. I'll do that I'll do that. Gave me gave me his business card. And I was the first time I ever saw a man look like me. I saw business card. Wow. And I'm in my 20s like, wow, that is so cool. And, and he said, Yeah, I'll mentor him. Well, I kept calling that guy every every like every other day, every other day, because I was searching for help. The guy just kind of pushed me away. He didn't even follow through. So about two months, and Melvin saw me and he's like, Hey, man, how's that going with the mentor? And he goes, Hey, pick up my phone game. He called me. He's the man forget him, man. You're gonna stick with me. So that I just stuck with him for 30 some years.

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People coming together in the strangest circumstance, right?

Unknown Speaker 9:52
Yes. And he just ended up this opening up doors for me. You know, he, he gave me an opportunity to travel to you He, you know, he said one day he said, Hey, Alex, I see greatness in you. And no one has ever told me that in my life. And that inspired me and I brought me to a point in my life where I said, I'm going to be with this man for the rest of my life. He, he saved me and my jobs to protect him. And, and to make him proud of me. And so he gave me opportunity to work for the county and, and got me opportunities. He just opened up so many doors for me, not just for me, but for my family, because where I'm at career wise, I wouldn't have that opportunity. And so he introduced me to a camp brotherhood and camp sisterhood, where I met a Chief, Chief Washington and at the time, former commissioner a weekly. And that created the camera, the hood. And here I am getting these are African American children in the boys and girls, and everyone's African American, and here I am. And, but I promise you, I did this for 20. Some years, been in the commute West Las Vegas community for over 20 something years. And I swear they didn't see me as I remember. They were like me, people used to say your mascot was mixed. I thought, Oh, my God, that's, you know, I make a joke and say, you know, I got my Ancestry DNA. And I got like a percent.

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But you know that to that point, because I spent what I realized I have 20 years we can't sisterhood camps is to a camp brotherhood. And I started when I used to work with them. Commissioner, you bond, you know, gates and found out about camp. And camp is colorblind, because I remember having an assistant, and she was Hispanic. And her son was struggling. And she was my assistant at the time. And I said, we're gonna send him to camp. And she was like, Well, what's cam, and I said, it'd be fine. We do this camp for kids, we take them up to Mount Charleston and camp sisterhood camp brotherhood, to put that in context is where we, at the end of the school year, first weekend after school was out, we open up spaces for between 100 to 115. Kids, a percentage of boys and presenter girls, about half and half, we use these not quite equally split, free of cost to families in the community. First come first serve basis of who signs up. Some rows have some reservations, of course. But we take them up to Mount Charleston, and they spent a weekend up a camp Lee Canyon, and games, activities, workshops, respect, leadership, self esteem, we just instill everything that we can, but in a fun way in a learning and in the loving atmosphere. And what you know is that your kids are going to be well taken care of, and it will be the memory of a lifetime. And we know we're doing a good job because the kids want to come back every year. And they're waiting for camp to happen. And the families are waiting for camp to happen. And what are the applications going to drop and how do I get my spot? And you know, they're calling Hey, can I get a spot? Can you reserve a place and so that's when you know that this simple program that's being done by you mentioned former city of Las Vegas fire chief Dave Washington, former Clark County Fire Chief virtual Washington. Former North Las Vegas fire captain Cedric Williams, like probation officers, EMT, social workers, Parks and Rec staff, ministry clergy stuff, just people volunteer and business owners. Oh, coming together students coming together to spend some time with kids. We took like ages, we used to go down to six I think it was eight to like 16. Yeah, yeah. And we would just take them up there and divide them up by groups and put them together age wise, we've been introduced to yoga. And once I brought yoga up one year, had a girl come up and do yoga. And I'm like, Are you are you bringing that back again next year, to have the experience to be in the mountains because a lot of kids never get out of their neighborhoods. And Melbourne was always about creating peace and inclusion. And camp was a lot of you were part of remember just the things you guys would do in the community. And in that vein, you carried that back home because you're a foster parent. So I mean, you're a foster parent, like you didn't just do this weekend you say hey, I want to take a kid that needs the same give back sometimes we have to do it within our families. Like I've had to do it within my family. But you welcome someone who wasn't. But it's that like, man, the motivation behind that

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I firstly, you know a lot of people say asked me like man, weren't you scared with Did you have any fears of doing that? And I didn't only because I worked with kids for so long. It became natural. I think a couple of things One is I saw my mom used to take in her her nephews from out of state that were misbehaving. So they would go stay with they aren't my mom would try to get them right. And then Melvin and Beto when I used to go to his house, they'd be people walking in the house, this people just walk right in and sit on the sofa and behave. Hey, daddy. And I'd be like, Who is that? My son's was my everybody in the community was his sons. And they all call him daddy or grandpa Papa. And I wasn't accustomed to that. And he got to the point where they call me Uncle Alex and, and I watched him just taking love everybody, and he didn't care him and he fed him he gave money in his pocket. And he wasn't looking for any kind of attention. So as that was going on, he kind of he planted the seed for me, my mom and him just planted the seed. And I was always in the back of my mind. So then, when I started working with working with at risk, and I was working with gangs, and gang member youth, and one of the things I always ask kids is, hey, where's your father? And they say, Don't know, don't have one. No, Mom was raising me. And so I got to the point, I said, You know what, I need to make a change, because we that can't be the excuse. You know, I got a big house. Let me try one kid. And if it works, cool. And I remember the first time I had this kid, I met this, I forgot the name WestCare. And they said, you're going to interview this kid? I said, Okay. And I saw this staff walk right behind me, personally, like 653 50. I said, man, that guy's big. And I sit in the office and wait for my kid to come in, and they bring in this kid, it's that kid 653 50 Right on a cross. And I said, my first kid, it's

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653. I can handle them. I can't.

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And he's and he had his head down. And he could tell he didn't want to be there. And I'm like, wow. And I'm asking him questions. He's not giving me no eye contact or nothing. Then I just asked a simple question, say, Man, you like tacos. And he lifted his head up, and had the most beautiful smile. Oh, and I say, man, let's go home and have tacos. And he said, All right. He went with me gotten tacos. He stayed with me for years, man, he's my son, I love him. He was the beginning of me opening up doors for other foster youth. And I remember, he asked me, Did you ever look at my record and see, you know, this, this and this? And I said, Nah, should I? He's like, Well, you know, I have anger issues. And you know, I'm out of control and all that. I say, okay, that's what that's it, but that's not who you are. And he was with me. And it was nothing but a blessing. And it just became a thing where I just felt like, you know what, it's, it's what I need to do. Everyone will say stuff like, Oh, I wish I can do it. I would love to do that. Now, you know, I tell them do it. Do it. Right, I got an empty room, do it. Just, you know, my thing. Is this no, go? Well, I feel like I remember somebody asked me, he goes, Well, I feel like I'll fail the kid. If I, if I take them in my home, I said no, you fell in the kid by not even tempting to take that kid in your home. There's a lot, I work at child Haven on the weekends. And the predominant is predominant black and brown in there. And to see those kids, they need a home. And, and so you know, I make it a point. Not only do I you know, do what I do with the kids here, but I make it a point on the weekends to inspire those kids. They allow me to come in there and do workshops with them and, and just try to help them see things in a different world like you know, that you are important in this world.

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At this point, how many children have you fostered? Like to have you lost count? Has it been so many? You know, I don't,

Unknown Speaker 18:35
I don't know. It's not that so many. But most kids who stay in my home stay in my home. Like, I usually get the kids that, that they had lost parental rights, or the parents passed away. So I have them. When I get them. I usually get most kids, but when they're like in high school, I won't work with the kids that are too young because I feel like my patients I need to work with ones that are a little bit older. So they can, it's almost like I gotta teach them how to be a man, man one on one, I'm gonna teach you how to do your laundry, I'm gonna teach you how to cook, I'm gonna teach how to clean, I'm gonna teach you these things that you probably never were taught, and only got this short period of window. So I want to make sure that I that I don't fail you as a man. And so I get these kids and they will be with me for years. Two years. I've had some that up to three years and, and their kids they have kids and their kids call me grandpa. And and I just had one of my foster youth yesterday got his high school diploma. He turned 18. And, and in the mother's son, he just went in the Marines.

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Wow. I mean, that's it's a testament to your sacrifice and your love and the give when you see the kids. The appreciation is when they do have the opportunity to do something with their life. Because then it's saying I get it. I understand. It's just like any parent right? Even like my own dad, and you and I both In our conversations about my relationship with my father, mostly because my mother has been deceased, may she rest in peace for like 23 years at this point. So you've always only really known me with my dad. And so the father daughter relationship is very for those of you who know, Tanya and her dad, daddy Flanagan is a whole character.

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personality. And you know what they I remember, I remember when I knew I was getting ready to have a daughter. And I never raised girls. I've only been around boys my whole life. And I remember the first person I thought, who I needed to call with you, I remember I called you and I said, Listen, I want to be like your Daddy, I want the love that you have for your Daddy, I want my daughter's at that same love and respect for me. What do I need to do? And I remember you what she told me and I was like, I want to apply that with my daughter. I don't want to fail them.

Unknown Speaker 20:54
I sent it and now we've put the big question mark out there. But what is it? For me I said to you, I said, make sure they always feel protected. Spend time, time is is everything. And make sure they feel protected. If it's ever someplace she doesn't want to be don't make her stay. Always go get her and just make time for like Daddy daughter dates so that she gets an understanding of how she's supposed to be treated and understanding of the skills and qualities a good man is supposed to have. And it's just time, right? My dad couldn't rattle the keys. There we go. My daddy was like, that was your bed. That was my you know, my mom was my best friend. But I was Mama's baby and daddy's girl. You know, I was the youngest of three children. And so I had two older brothers. So I mean, I roughhouse don't get me wrong. I was a tomboy. Until I turned into a girl, and people would look at me and go, I don't see that I was a tomboy. Until I turned into a girl. My mother was probably so happy today. I turned into a girl. Not that she didn't put me in dresses, not that I was running around, you know, pants and doing all this, but just the day that I was okay, I get the dress. Let's do it. Because before that, I was like, Let's climb a tree and play GI Joe and Ali or something. So I was really you know that I want to play football. But I just think fathers are protectors, you know, the first place that makes you feel the safest daddy's men. Men are. By nature problem solvers. Women are by nature, nurturers. And so, you know, daddies are protectors,

Unknown Speaker 22:44
you know, I think another part that makes me make foster parenting easier for me as well as parenting was, I got my children, all my children got to be exposed to Canberra, the hood, Camp sisterhood, you know, Latino youth leadership conferences, camp, any town, this coming to the rec centers, and so they got to be around kids and positive things going on. I took them to go see me when I would go and do teach and motivational speaking. So it's, it's one of those things, and my kids can look at now they go dad, I remember when he took take his hair, or you would do these things. And, and, and I think I learned that from my grandfather, my grandfather told me when I remember when I was 18, I was still in high school. And I told him, I was scared to tell him I was going to be a father. And because he was the world to me, and he wasn't upset. In the best advice he gave me was, don't buy your kids. He said, Don't buy him all the toys they want, don't buy him. He said time he said take him to the park, take them to the zoo, spend time with them. They'll remember that

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time is what children remember. Everybody loves a nice gift. But time is what people remember.

Unknown Speaker 23:55
And that's what I do with my kids. I think I'd take them over, I try to take them everywhere with me and

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showing them how to do things. I mean, as a woman, even just I remember my first job background as journalist, so working for newspapers, but knowing how to check my oil and change the air filter in my car, like if I was living somewhere small because as a reporter, you start small. So you're living in a small town, you don't have all the resources that you have in other places. But just hearing those voices, you hear the voice of your parents, when they teach you things, it comes back to you in those moments when you need them as like scripture. When you spend time with scripture, scripture comes to you and those times of need that seem like frightening moment. You can call that scripture to mine and find peace. So as parents voices are kind of like that you call that lesson to memory and it you know creates a sense of peace. And you start to realize how much they're preparing you for life. You know whether it's money management relationships, where Space. Everything there just preparing you family. It's preparation.

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You know, I remember, I was going through something that I was a foster parent and coaching basketball at the time and all the kids were stay at my house. And I was going through, I was going through a divorce. And I was struggling. And but I still had to go to work every day, I still had to coach, I still had to be a father, I still had do these things. But I was struggling. And I remember, I would take all the kids in my Suburban, we go to church, and we go to church. And and I remember Beto, one day said, Man, I'm proud of you. And so what do you mean, he said, you take the kids to church. And I say I was proud of what he said, you're teaching your kids, that when you're struggling, and you're hurting, go to church. And he and the kids see that Alex and I didn't see it that way. I was doing it for myself. Now, but he said, but your kids see that. They need to know that. You know, when you're in need go. And

Unknown Speaker 26:04
our lives are always an example for someone your life is an example. Even when you don't realize people are watching. I remember pastor Fowler saying one time people are watching you, even when you don't think they're watching you. So always remember to be the best you that you can be. And I remember getting out of the Kinect can be the strangest place this is one day I was getting out of the car to grocery store was after work. So you know, I had on business attire. And this little girl was in the parking lot with her mom, and she looked, you know, a little disheveled, you know, like, like, maybe they didn't have as much. And it was like, she just watched me get out of my car and walk to the store. And I can see her face lighted. And it brought to mind, Pastor files come in, and I was like, wow, you never know what someone's watching because I could have got up car, frustrated with my day, looking grumpy, not pleasant on my face, maybe my demeanor could have exuded negative energy. But instead being in a good space, or trying to portray a good space, I saw this little girl and I could see her face like that. And I could see her take in the totality is like when I was a little girl I used to love to watch old movies. And so because all movies were just women were just so and the attire, you know, in the middle of the day, it was you know, stables and mink and you were like is that life? You know, because you're a little kid you're growing up and your your world is smaller than you know, it's your community, which is great. But you're watching these movies and it's grant and to someone even though you may think you're just a normal regular person. In that moment, you may be grant whatever it is your grant to them as you show them this example of how to be and I think that it just stayed with me you never know when you're an example to someone you never know when someone is watching you. So remember to be the best person that you can be. And that always stayed with me. It has been a pleasure to have you to have my friend spend some time with me this morning. I hope you enjoyed the coffee and the conversation. I certainly enjoyed having you. I always allow my guests to share their socials. You have good information you do great things. With we talked about the Melbourne in its recreation center, but you're actually located at

Unknown Speaker 28:42
I'm located at Parkdale Recreation Center, which is at 3200 Ferndale Street, we're on the east side over by boulder station.

Unknown Speaker 28:49
Okay, so anybody who might be interested in knowing a little bit more about Alex Brunel, what he does and how he does what he does for kids in the community. Searching for some answers looking for some program. Parkdale is the space 3200 Ferndale on the east side any social handles you want to share before we get out of here? No, I think I'm good. All right. Well, thank you for being my friend. And thank you for getting up this morning and spending some time with me and sharing your story. In this man on the street segment of the scoop on 91.5, jazz and more. I want to thank you for tuning into the scoop with me telling you Flanagan and I want to invite you to get social with me. I'm on Facebook and Twitter. My name is my handle ta en YAFLA na GA N You can also find me on Instagram at Tanya almond eyes Flanagan and if you have a thought and opinion or a suggestion, don't hesitate to shoot me an email to tanya.flanagan@unlv.edu Thanks again for joining in. Stay safe and have a great week.

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