Renoites- The Podcast about Reno Nevada

*This episode contains adult language Family Soup Mutual Aid has been serving dinner to 150-200 local residents, many of them unhoused, every Tuesday night at the Believe plaza in downtown Reno for the last several years. This "distribution" event also provides clothing, shelter items, and basic over the counter medicine. As a horizontally organized, leaderless organization, decisions are made through collaboration and consensus and all work is done through volunteers and donations. On this episode of Renoites, Conor sat down with the founder of the group, Nicole Anagapesis, to discuss how the Tuesday night distributions work, the challenge of getting people to overcome their fears or concerns about sharing space with our unhoused neighbors, strategies for improving downtown Reno without displacement, the benefits and challenges of being a leaderless organization, the sometimes contentious relationship between FSMA and the City of Reno and Downtown Reno Partnership, the chain link fences and questionable value of this summer's Rollin Reno skating rink, collaborating with local churches for the Good Neighbor Warming Centers that provide a place for women and families to escape the cold overnight in the winter, gun ownership and training for LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable groups, and a whole lot more! You can learn more about Family Soup Mutual Aid on their Instagram account at http://instagram.com/familysoupmutualaid or on their Substack newsletter at https://substack.com/@familysoupmutualaid Thank you for listening! If you have suggestions for guests or any comments or feedback, please feel free to email me at conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites Tell your friends!

Tyler Colton moved to Reno from New York about 6 years ago to transition from a long career as a professional celebrity hair stylist into a bar owner and operator here in the Biggest Little City. Named after his cat, he opened The Emerson in Midtown as a craft cocktail bar staffed and supplied by women (as much as possible) and designed to feel like an upscale hotel lobby bar- a great place for a date. In those 6 years, The Emerson has grown to be a mainstay in the Midtown neighborhood, winning Best Local Bar in the Reno News and Review the last two years in a row. Tyler also had to deal with the covid pandemic, which he described as a blessing in disguise, and multiple curveballs from the City of Reno along the way. Cabaret licenses, live entertainment restrictions, conditional use permits, public comments, planning codes, and more are huge parts of the process in operating a local drinking establishment. And of course let's not forget that South Virginia Street had major overhaul during this time as well, with a hotly-debated median and roundabout installed. On this episode of Renoites, we talked about the journey and the challenges of opening and operating the bar, the most important thing for new business owners to consider and plan for, the important decision of what kind of city Reno is going to grow into being, the introduction of major outdoor events like Dancing in the Street and Northern Nevada Pride to Midtown, his upcoming new bar The Selden (an LGBTQ+ cabaret style bar in the former Junkee building), ideas for revamping Virginia Street again but with bike lanes and parking, and much more! If you have comments, questions, feedback, or just want to get in touch, be sure to follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites or send me an email to conor@renoites.com Thanks for listening and telling everyone you know to listen too!

For any business or nonprofit or government agency, it is very important to be able to tell the story about what you do and why it matters. It is important to relay information clearly and in a culturally appropriate way. In a state like Nevada, with one of the highest Spanish speaking populations in the United States, that can mean providing evacuation instructions for wildfires, or during covid it meant ensuring that information about prevention and vaccines had to be accurate. For local media, it has meant figuring out how to include Spanish language reporting on mostly-english channels, or including more diverse voices in the stories that are being told. Our guest on this episode is Vanessa Vancour, a bilingual strategic storyteller and marketer who worked with UNR to launch noticiero movil, a Spanish language media outlet that began at the Reynolds School of Journalism, and currently works as the Language Access Coordinator for the Nevada Secretary of State’s office. She also operates her own consulting firm, Vancourage. You might have seen Vanessa’s popular Ted Talk “I’m Mexican. Does that change your assumptions about me” in which she talked about the experience of straddling two different languages and cultures. On today’s episode, we talked about the difference between just translating words and actually telling stories, how language accessibility includes prioritizing simple and clear vocabulary, the importance of capturing the stories of our elders including in their own words and voices, and a lot more! It has been wonderful to see so much growing support for the work I am doing to create this show. Renoites is an independent, locally oriented and community funded project. It can’t exist without financial support from listeners just like you. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this work on Patreon, including several new patrons this week! You can learn more about how you can support the show at patreon.com/renoites or just renoites.com If you have suggestions, comments, feedback or otherwise want to get in touch, you can reach me at conor@renoites.com

Federally Qualified Health Centers were created during the civil rights era to bring health care to more people, particularly underserved communities. Here in Northern Nevada, HOPES was originally a clinic for patients with HIV but has since expanded into a FQHC providing primary care and other services to around 14,000 patients in the Reno/Sparks area. On this episode of Renoites, I spoke with HOPES CEO Sharon Chamberlain about the history of HOPES and the services they provide, especially the type of services needed by our most vulnerable citizens. We also discussed how health care options have changed during her career, and the priorities of HOPES including harm reduction syringe exchange, sexual health and STI testing, medically assisted treatment for addiction, and mental and behavioral health. HOPES recently opened a second clinic immediately adjacent to the Cares Campus and operates the Hope Springs tiny home transitional housing community right across the street. We talked about the importance of this new location and making health care accessible to the unhoused. Thank you so much for listening! Did you know that Renoites is entirely funded by listeners just like you? Please consider supporting the show financially! You can just send a one time contribution via Venmo to @renoites or sign up to support monthly on Patreon! If you have guest suggestions, feedback, or otherwise want to get in touch, email me at conor@renoites.com Please tell people about the podcast and help spread the word by posting about it and telling your friends! Your word of mouth is worth much more than any online ad or boosted social media post. Thank you!

Nevada has an unusual legislative calendar, in which our legislature doesn’t meet every year, but every other year. And they don’t meet the entire year either- the session is only 120 days. 120 days to do all the lawmaking for a state of millions of people. Obviously, these are busy times and there is a lot going on. Thankfully, our guest on this episode is political reporter Lucia Starbuck from KUNR. Lucia hosts her own podcast called Purple Politics Nevada and focuses on political issues particularly affecting us here in Northern Nevada. We talked about some of the current proposed legislation, what it’s like being one of only a few reporters following all the happenings, and much more. On this episode, we mentioned an upcoming live event being hosted by Lucia. That event took place on March 4 and can be seen here on YouTube I am hoping to do more audience Q&A and interact a bit more. If you have questions, suggestions, ideas, or things you'd like me to answer or talk about on the show, let me know! Thanks to Dan for submitting a question for this episode! My email address is conor@renoites.com You can find links to my social media and Patreon (if you are able to support the show financially) at http://www.renoites.com Thank you so much for listening!

The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) is the agency that handles much of how we get around in Reno. They design and execute road projects, manage our local public transit, and very soon they will be installing bike infrastructure along several major streets downtown to create the Biggest Little Bike Network. Today on the show, we welcome Sara Going, Project Manager at RTC for the Biggest Little Bike Project, to talk about these upcoming street improvements, how they affect local businesses, connecting different neighborhoods, creating safety (and a feeling of safety) for bike riders and all users of the road, what was learned from 2022's micro-mobility pilot project, planned replacement of structurally deficient bridges, and so much more! If you enjoy this episode and would like to support Renoites financially, your generous contribution is incredibly appreciated. You can learn more and sign up to help this ad-free, locally-oriented project continue on into the future. Learn more at http://www.renoites.com Thank you so much for listening! If you have guest suggestions, comments, feedback, or questions for an upcoming mailbag/Q&A episode, send them over to conor@renoites.com or connect with me on social media. Links can be found at http://www.renoites.com

Reno is the smallest market in the United States to have a AAA Minor League Baseball team. Our Reno Aces, an affiliate team of the Arizona Diamondbacks, play 150 games every year- half of them at Greater Nevada Field in the heart of downtown Reno. On today's episode of Renoites, we're joined by the President of the Reno Aces, Eric Edelstein. Eric's career in minor league baseball management led him to the Biggest Little City over a decade ago, and on this episode he and Conor discuss his career path and what it looks like to be the president of a minor league baseball team, some of the benefits and challenges of the Reno market, the big dreams for the future of the Ballpark District as a destination neighborhood, and much more! Do you have thoughts, comments, questions, or just want to be "on the air" on a future episode of Renoites? This season, I'm hoping to do at least one "Listener Q&A" style episode. Send your comments or questions to conor@renoites.com or text 775-241-3597. Even better, record a voice note in the voice notes app on your phone and email it to conor@renoites.com so that I can play it on the show when I respond. Please consider supporting Renoites financially. This show is entirely listener supported and because it is a local show, I really rely on financial support from you, my neighbors. Learn more http://patreon.com/renoites (you can always just send me some money through Venmo also! My username is "renoites") Thank you so much for listening!

Ann Wolfe is the Chief Curator at the Nevada Museum of Art, the only art museum in the state of Nevada accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Collaborating with paleontologist Dr. Martin Sander, she has co-curated a new exhibition at the museum titled "Deep Time: Sea Dragons of Nevada." You might know these Sea Dragons by their actual name- Ichthyosaur. On this week's episode of Renoites, Ann join Conor to discuss the exhibition and how it was created, the process of combining arts and science in museum exhibitions, working with artifacts and fossils millions of years old, the important scientists who have spearheaded expeditions into the Nevada desert, as well as the more art-focused elements of the exhibition including an 85 foot digital "point cloud" projection, a collection of thousands of dinosaur toys from around the world (note: Ichthyosaurs aren't dinosaurs!), and even the art gracing the cans of a local favorite beer, Icky IPA by Great Basin Brewing. In addition to the current exhibition, Conor and Ann discussed the importance of Land Art to the state of Nevada, including Michael Heizer's "City," a land art piece spanning over a mile of the Nevada desert and taking decades to complete, and the "Seven Magic Mountains" installation- currently a major tourist destination in Las Vegas but which is now planned to be relocated here to Northern Nevada. Renoites is a fully listener-supported project, and we need your support! Please tell people about the show and help spread the word, and consider contributing financially to help the show become more sustainable. Learn more at http://patreon.com/renoites If you have feedback, guest suggestions, or want to get in touch, please email me at conor@renoites.com and follow on social media at http://renoites.bsky.social Thank you so much for listening and for your support!

Jamie Vaughn talks a lot about cancer. As a survivor of breast cancer who wanted to share more about her experience and provide resources to others going through similar experiences, she launched the podcast "Test Those Breasts" and a website with links to resources for those dealing with cancer. On this episode of Renoites, Jamie sat down with Conor to share the story of her cancer journey, how it upended her retirement plans and put her on a different path, what she has learned from dozens and dozens of conversations with doctors, experts, and other cancer survivors, and much more. You can find Test Those Breasts wherever you get your podcasts or at http://www.testthosebreasts.org Thank you for listening! If you have guest suggestions, comments, or other feedback please let me know! Email me at conor@renoites.com Be sure to follow on Instagram and like and share all the posts so that more people can find the show! Visit http://instagram.com/renoites And if you want to support the show financially, please consider becoming a patron! Renoites is FREE to listen, and with no annoying ads! That means the only way for it to continue existing is with financial support from people just like you. Yes, you! Learn more at http://patreon.com/renoites Thanks for listening and for your support!

Many Northern Nevadans have gotten used to seeing sitting Congressman Mark Amodei defeat whichever Democrat runs against him in Congressional District 2. Because this is a Republican-leaning district, the Democratic Party has never invested significant resources in those races. However, this year Amodei won't face a Democratic challenger at all. Instead, his primary competition will be Greg Kidd, a Non-Partisan candidate with a background in business, finance, and technology. Kidd is self-funding his campaign with a slogan of "Free, Fair, and Wild." He describes this slogan as a nod to the Freedom message of Republicans, the Fairness message of Democrats, and the Wild West character of Nevada. This week, Greg sat down with Renoites host Conor McQuivey to discuss his campaign and related issues, including: Thank you for listening! If you have feedback or guest suggestions, please email me at conor@renoites.com Be sure to follow on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites Renoites is free to listen to but it costs money and time to make! Please considering joining my ranks of supporters on Patreon. For as little as $3/month, you can make a huge difference in whether this program becomes financially sustainable and continues to exist.... or if it doesn't, and has to end. I hope to continue this work for a long time but I can't do it without your help. Visit http://patreon.com/renoites to learn more ❤️

Very soon, Nevadans will vote for the second time on whether we would like to eliminate our closed party primaries in favor of open primaries, and institute a system of ranked choice voting for many elected offices in the general election starting in 2026. This is Question 3 on the Nevada ballot. It passed 2 years ago and if it passes again it will go into effect. One of the major advocates for this type of reform is Andrew Yang, the founder and co-chair of the Forward Party, and a former candidate for public office himself. On this bonus episode of the podcast, Andrew joins Conor to discuss what Question 3 would mean for Nevada, his experience in ranked choice elections, the difference between the Nevada initiative and similar efforts in places like Alaska (where ranked choice voting was instrumental in allowing one of their senators to vote to impeach Donald Trump without losing her seat), and much more! To learn more about question 3, please visit http://yeson3nv.org and if you'd like to get actively involved in the work to see that Question 3 passes, reach out to me directly at conor@renoites.com so that I can connect you with organizers for the initiative right here in Northern Nevada. If you appreciate the work that I do bringing this podcast to our community entirely free to listen and free of ads, please consider signing up on Patreon to contribute monthly. Thank you very much to the people who contribute to hopefully make this project financially sustainable (one day!)

When did you learn to change a tire? Make a household budget? Do you know what you can write off on your taxes? Who taught you what do you if you're in a car accident? Some are lucky to have had parents or other family members, or maybe even some classes in school about these important skills, but many aren't as fortunate. Thankfully, owner of Rought & Accounting, Judi Rought, is teaching a series of "Rainbow Adulting" classes at Our Center, Reno's local LGBTQ+ center. The classes are open to all, but geared towards LGBTQ youth, a group more likely to have come from circumstances where they didn't learn these important skills. The program will include monthly classes on filling out tax forms, how medical insurance works, basic auto maintenance, tax advice for gig workers, and more. Learn more and see the schedule at http://ourcenterreno.org This episode was recorded at LCD Modern. Please visit and do some shopping, and thank you Linda for providing us a lovely space to have this conversation. Want to support the show financially? Please do! Visit http://patreon.com/renoites if you think this show provides value to our community and want to help it be financially sustainable Guest or topic suggestion? Email me at conor@renoites.com Are you following me on Instagram yet? Do that! Ok that's all the links. Thanks for listening!

Two years ago, Nevadans voted on a ballot measure to change our primary system. Instead of party primaries which exclude participation for nonpartisan voters (the largest group- larger than either major party), the Nevada Constitution would be changed to have a single open primary for all registered voters, regardless of party. The initiative would also change the general election to introduce ranked choice voting, a system in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference instead of being limited to a single selection. In Nevada, constitutional changes must pass a vote of the public in two consecutive elections. That second vote is happening this November and will determine what form our elections may take in the future. Joining us on Renoites to discuss is William Mantle, a proponent of Question 3, legal assistant, and sometime local election candidate. We talked about the details of how these systems would work, what results have looked like in other parts of the county and world, and addressed many of the concerns being brought forth by opponents of the measure (both major parties are actively working against passage, and some people I've talked to have counted that as a point in it's favor). Thank you so much for listening! Visit http://yeson3nv.org to learn more and if you'd like to be involved more actively in this campaign, email Gamaliel Enriquez at gze.nevada@gmail.com Follow Renoites on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites Contribute on Patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites Email guest suggestions or comments to conor@renoites.com

Dr. Peter Reed is the director of the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR, who describe themselves as striving to enhance the quality of life and well-being among elders and educate current and aspiring healthcare professionals and caregivers. On this episode of Renoites, we talked about a range of issues related to aging, both for elders but also for the rest of us (who are also aging every day however old we may be). Some of the topics included: We also talked extensively about the variety of services provided by the Sanford Center for Aging, from volunteer programs to provide companionship to the homebound, programs for preventative health care around common issues such as diabetes and risks of falling and injury, providing technology to seniors during the COVID pandemic, and more! Thank you for listening! This episode was recorded at LCD Modern, a great modern furniture store near Moana and Lakeside in Reno. Thanks to LCD Modern for providing that space, please go check them out! This episode was produced with editing assistance from Alex Couraud and social content creation by Frankie Reilly. Be sure to follow Renoites on Instagram and Facebook! Send guest or topic suggestions to conor@renoites.com Support the show financially on Patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites

Welcome to Renoites! I'm thrilled to announce some exciting news: the Reno News and Review has just released their Best of Northern Nevada edition, and I’m incredibly honored that Renoites has been voted Best Local Podcast. Since I began producing and hosting the show in 2021, it’s been amazing to see the support grow and to know that people find value in what we’re creating here. A huge thank you goes out to every guest who has made this show special, and to everyone who voted for us in the poll—your support means the world. In today’s episode, I’m excited to welcome Sky Jones, founder and owner of Rising for People Coffee. When I have entrepreneurs on the show, I love exploring what makes their businesses unique and the passion that drives their work. Sky and I discussed the importance of educating customers about her products, the benefits of ethical sourcing by cutting out middlemen, innovative social media strategies like influencer engagement, and much more. Renoites is a community-oriented, listener-funded project, and most episodes are ad-free. Your financial support is greatly appreciated, as it helps cover production costs. If you’d like to contribute, you can visit patreon.com/renoites and sign up to support the show for as little as $3 a month—about a dollar an episode. It might not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference. Thank you to all my current patrons and everyone who helps keep this show going for our community. If you have suggestions for guests or topics, please email me at conor@renoites.com

Today on Renoites we welcome Chaplain Chaz Blackburn, VP of the board of the Circle of Life Hospice Foundation and President of the Board of the Good Shepherd's Clothes Closet. We talked about what a chaplain is and how Chaz came to work as a "spiritual first responders" for people of all religions (or none), the International Fellowship of Chaplains, and the brand new Circle of Life Guest House which provides those in need with a home-like environment and people who care at no cost to them. We also talked about his work with the Good Shepherd's Clothes Closet, providing free clothing to the community for almost 30 years. Good Shepherd's gives away $70,000 worth of clothes (based on thrift store prices) for free every month. Some topics discussed include the importance of providing a dignified shopping experience, their assistance running clothing distribution at area shelters, and the Good Shepherd's own podcast which features local events, guests and provides direction to resources. We talked about so much more, this was a very full conversation! Other topics included healthy ways of grieving, suicide prevention, organ donation, and more. Learn more here: https://www.colhospice.com/ https://www.gsccreno.org/ Thank you for listening! What did you think about this episode? Come leave a comment or send me a message on Instagram! It's always great to hear from listeners. That's @renoites You can also email me at conor@renoites.com

Today on the show I’m excited to welcome Deny Dotson, the executive director of Hot August Nights. Even as someone who isn’t particularly interested in classic cars, I’ve always enjoyed that Hot August Nights is an event that doesn’t just take place in one location but feels like classic cars and a sense of nostalgia are all over town. We talked about the history of the event, the appeal of classic vehicles, what makes a car a classic, changes to Hot August Nights since Deny has been leading the organization, his previous work as the tourism director for Virginia City and some of his favorite events there, and a lot more! This episode, and most of the episodes this season, were recorded at LCD Modern at 907 Moana Lane, near the corner of Moana and Lakeside. I’m so grateful to Linda, the owner, for letting us use this wonderful space filled with cute modern furniture. Be sure to check it out if you get a chance! You can learn more about the store and see some of her great offerings at lcdmodern.com There are still several excellent episodes coming up before the end of this season though! Upcoming episodes include a conversation on aging with Dr. Peter Reed from the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR, owner of Rising for People Coffee Sky Jones, and chaplain Chaz blackburn, president of the good shepherd clothes closet and vice president of the board of the circle of life hospice foundation. Of course, please be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get podcasts and follow @renoites on Instagram.

Education has been one of the most prominent political and social issues in recent years, including during the recent primary elections when voters had the chance to make their voices heard. Some of the issues that we hear a lot about are chronic absenteeism, underfunded schools, the battle between public schools and for-profit charters, and diversity and representation in the classroom. On this episode, I am happy to welcome the president of the Washoe County School Board of Trustees to talk about these issues and more. Beth Smith was recently re-elected with a huge margin, large enough that she has secured her seat and won’t have to compete in a general election in the fall. On this episode we talk about the important issues I mentioned, as well as the recent superintendent selection process and Beth’s own story of getting involved in local education politics. Please VOTE for Renoites as Best Local Podcast in the Reno News and Review's Best of Northern Nevada. You have until July 21 only. This episode was recorded at LCD Modern in Reno, Nevada. Go check out the store near the corner of Moana and Lakeside!

There have been a lot of changes in our understanding about how we talk about neurodivergence in recent years and it can be hard to keep up. With social media driving a lot of the conversation, it’s easy to get incorrect information about things like autism and ADHD. One of the leading experts in Reno, and our guest on this week's episode of Renoites, is Cady Stanton. Her organizations Facilitate Joy and the Autistic Resilience Network work to provide a variety of services from individual and group support to education, resources and more. In our conversation in this episode, we talked about the changes in how we define autism, the under-reported challenges autistic people face both culturally and medically, the upsides and downsides of social media in spreading information about neurodivergence, and much more! Thank you for listening! Renoites is a listener-funded program that can't exist without support from listeners just like you. You can learn how to help make this project financially sustainable by visiting http://patreon.com/renoites Please be sure to also follow us on social media and subscribe wherever you get podcasts. Thanks again!

Kris Vagner has been writing about the arts in Nevada for a long time. She worked as the arts editor of the Reno News and Review beginning in 2004 and has either been on staff or doing freelance writing there and in countless arts publications for most of the years since. She earned her master's degree in Media Innovations from UNR in 2019 and launched her own statewide arts publication Double Scoop. And as of 2023, Kris has returned to the News and Review to now serve as the managing editor, as it has returned from a brief stint as online-only back to print (now in a monthly format available at hundreds of local businesses). On this episode of Renoites, Kris joins Conor to talk about her career in arts journalism, and her experiences of the art community in Reno. Some of the topics include the opportunities (and sometimes lack of opportunities) for working artists, the challenge of an iffy "career ladder" and limited exhibition spaces in our mid-size city, the impacts of Burning Man on our public art and access to international artists and culture in our own backyard, and much more. In the conversation about media itself, Kris talks about the difference between arts and news reporting, the history of the News and Review and it's changing formats, the reason Double Scoop is a statewide publication and she considers art from a "statewide community" perspective, and much more on those topics as well! You can find Double Scoop at http://doublescoop.art and the Reno News and Review at http://renonr.com . Be sure to also follow those publications on social media and sign up for the Double Scoop newsletter to stay in the loop on arts events throughout the state. Thank you for listening! If you enjoy the show, please help spread the word about it, and consider becoming a financial supporter at http://patreon.com/renoites to help the show become financially sustainable (it costs money and time to make this thing!) If you have feedback or guest suggestions, email me at conor@renoites.com or send me a message on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites p.s. I made a joke in this episode about not caring what listeners think about the conversation but that isn't true and I always think about how to make the show the best it can be! -Conor