Former Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa: Optimism, a return to normalcy and cleaning the refrigerator

Most Nevadans know Frankie Sue Del Papa as the Silver State’s longtime attorney general. But there’s a lot of Nevadans who don’t know about her, such as that she grew up in Tonopah.

And during her tenure as the state’s head attorney she spent years tackling the state’s widespread problems with domestic violence, one of the most emotionally stressful — and potentially fatal – experiences a person can have.

I first met Del Papa nearly 30 years ago. She was a friend of my parents. My mom met her at a local pool, while swimming laps side by side. I wasn’t living in Nevada then. I knew nothing about her. I didn’t even know what an attorney general was. But with Frankie Sue, that didn’t matter. She was a very down-to-earth person who loved to come for dinner and debate politics with my father over a Japanese dinner.

Del Papa has a secret hobby: She loves to pick up the phone in her home basement office and make a phone call to someone in Nevada or elsewhere in the country on behalf of someone who needs help. That’s the kind of person she is. Compassionate. I call her “Nevada’s mom.”

Too often these days all we seem to hear from higher-ups or retired officials are gruesome coronavirus statistics. In search of solace I turned to Del Papa. How is she keeping positive during one of America’s worst years? How is she keeping her cool during Nevada’s “stay at home” order? What can she say to Nevadans who need her now?

You’re wearing a mask. Is it homemade?

My mask was made by Jean Kvam of Carson City. She is one of my former executive assistants from the attorney general‘s office. She has made lots of masks for first responders and even made some that she put in a basket in front of her house for neighbors to take. She later saw an elderly couple in Costco each wearing a mask she had made.

What have you been doing while staying at home?

I have been trying to keep a somewhat regular schedule during this time. I am ensconced in my house with lots of books, movies and music. I like to keep in touch, particularly by telephone and make it a practice to reach out to old friends both locally and across the country daily. I also try to spend some time daily gardening, weather permitting.

Any books or television recommendations?

I finished “Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind”, and “21 Lessons for the 21st Century” both by Yuval Noah Harari. I also just finished “Belgravia” by Julian Fellowes, which by the way has been made into five episodes on Epic and other channels. I have also watched a three-part documentary, “Inside Bill’s Brain, Decoding Bill Gates”; “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamar Story”; and “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives” and lots of old movies. I really love Monday nights when “The Voice” is on NBC and I flip between that and “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS.

There’s so much coronavirus news everywhere. How do you deal with getting COVID-19 news overload?

I try to limit my news consumption to CBS This Morning and usually three evening newscasts. I do subscribe to lots of magazines and really look forward to “The Week” and the New York Times, especially on Sunday. I do study the daily map of the United States which shows the COVID cases.

And when you’re not watching TV or reading?

Like most folks I have a cleaning project daily. My refrigerator greets me now by saying, “You again?”

The situation in Nevada is dire. Hundreds of thousands are unemployed. We are living under a “stay at home” order at least until May 1. How have you dealt with this?

I totally understand and support the necessity to socially distance. I remember from my days as attorney general the briefings on how our health systems can be overwhelmed and if that were to happen the panic that could ensue. Like law enforcement, pandemics should not be politicized. My heart bleeds about the unemployment numbers and the stories about the food lines. I have sent a contribution to the Northern Nevada Food Bank and hope that everyone who can help someone does so. I am so grateful to our health workers and everyone on the front lines who take risks constantly to keep the rest of us well.

What would you like to personally say to your fellow Nevadans?

A dear friend used to say, “This too will pass.” I am by nature an optimistic person. I intend to be active in the presidential election supporting Joe Biden because I think our country and the world needs to return to some type of normalcy that is not as divisive and more inclusive, and the sooner the better.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233; www.thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.

Kim Palchikoff is a social worker and mental health freelance writer.

She can be contacted at palchikoff@gmail.com