What an ascent.

Cody Martinez chuckles, recalling the childhood root beer float memory.

It sprang from the concession stand of the bingo hall, where he’d grown up on the Sycuan reservation near San Diego. The drink held a dreamy enticement, the barometer of scoring big.

“The bingo hall was right in my backyard,” he indicates. “Sometimes after school when the bus had dropped me off, I was able to get one of those root bear floats. That was a unique thrill for me. You know, we have a strong… read more.