Renoites- The Podcast about Reno Nevada

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

We've done a lot of episodes of Renoites about how Reno is growing and the ways we can reduce the likelihood of people being priced out as the costs of housing increase. Public housing has an important role to play, and for 80 years the Reno Housing Authority has owned and operated public housing units, administered housing choice vouchers (formerly known as "Section 8"), and continue to work to build a portfolio of public housing units of diverse types in diverse neighborhoods. On this week's episode, we are joined by the Executive Director of the Reno Housing Authority, Dr. Hilary Lopez. We discussed the way that public housing funding works, battling dated stereotypes of what public housing looks like, the process of working with landlords to accept housing vouchers, how changes in the economy affect public and private developers differently, and much more! The organization has several projects in the works currently, and recently announced a deal with Jacobs Entertainment to build additional public housing in the downtown area. We didn't discuss that deal on this episode because it was recorded before the announcement, but I encourage your to read about it from other local journalists who have done a great job of covering that deal. See this article from Downtown Makeover Thank you so much for listening! You can learn more about the Reno Housing Authority at http://renoha.org and be sure to follow Renoites on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites Please consider supporting Renoites on Patreon! This is a LISTENER-FUNDED program, and can't survive without the financial support of listeners like you. Learn more and contribute as little as a dollar an episode at http://patreon.com/renoites Send feedback and guest suggestions to conor@renoites.com

Some of the most important years of our development, when we're learning communication skills and how to navigate the world, are spent in the jungles of the elementary school or middle school playground and classroom. It can be very easy to learn the wrong lessons, struggle with friends, and end up carrying those challenges into the future. All of this is especially true for girls, who face a unique set of challenges on top of everything else. Girls on the Run Sierras is working to help fill that social and emotional learning gap by teaching girls from 3rd-8th grade important skills for self esteem, choosing friends, talking about emotions and relationships, and much more during an after-school program based around (but not actually focused on) running. Over the course of a 10-week season, girls might learn about how to choose the right friends for them and how to let the wrong friends go, how to properly name their emotions and the healthiest way to deal with them, what steps they might take to move towards their dreams, and they do it all while preparing for a 5k run with no clocks, and where every girl's race bib is number 1. On this episode, Executive Director for Girls on the Run Sierras Joy Heuer joins the show to talk about the GOTR programs and philosophy, the importance of inclusion for all girls, creating equitable access to after-school programs, how the lessons learned in GOTR are brought back to the classroom and into the home, and so much more. GOTR has Spring and Fall programs, as well as a summer camp, and more information can be found at https://www.girlsontherunsierras.org/ Thank you so much for listening! Renoites is an independent, listener-funded, and community-oriented project. Please consider contributing to this work at http://patreon.com/renoites to help it become financially sustainable. Patrons also receive benefits like bonus segments, Renoites merchandise, and more! If you have suggestions or feedback please email me at conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram!

Oscar Delgado served as a member of Reno's City Council for a decade before resigning last year to focus on his work as CEO of the Community Health Alliance, a Federally Qualified Health Center providing care to many of Reno's lower income families. On this week's episode of the show, Oscar sat down with Conor to discuss the role that FQHCs play in our health care system, both locally and nationally, the issue of stigma around lower income clinics, the importance of providing primary care and reducing the use of urgent care for all medical issues, the model of providing a variety of services under one roof (dentist, mental health, nutritious food, and more), the rollout of COVID vaccines in the early days of the pandemic, and a lot more! On an extensive bonus segment (available for all patrons of the show), we talked more about some local political issues, including the upcoming election year, the process of appointing a replacement for his seat rather than holding a special election, redistricting and elimination of the at-large seat, the toxicity and invasion of privacy that has plagued our politics in recent years, and more! Thank you so much for supporting the work I'm doing with Renoites! This month marks 3 years of bringing conversations like this one to the people of our community. I'm very proud of the work I've done and it wouldn't be possible without you listening and sharing. If you have suggestions or feedback, email me at conor@renoites.com and follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites

Career education in Washoe County Schools isn't just "shop class" like it was when I was in high school. Across the country and here in Northern Nevada, rebranding vocational education to "career and technical education" has brought about a lot of changes including programs focused on business, culinary arts, medical professions, and much more. Here in Washoe County, some of those programs are housed in "Signature Academy" schools with a special focus, but every high school has CTE opportunities of some kind. On this episode of Renoites, I welcomed Josh Hartzog, the Director of Career and Technical Education and Signature Acadamies for the Washoe County School District. We talked about what CTE is and how it has changed over the years, how the district determines what programs and focuses to offer, the importance of having programs for less exciting but more in-demand professions but also for uniquely interesting or engaging ones as well, how CTE programs are funded, the challenges of creating equitable access to these programs, and so much more! There is also a bonus segment EXCLUSIVELY for patrons from this episode and most others this season, so please be sure to check that out too! On that bonus segment, we delve into the politics a bit, discussing the search for a new superintendent (again), the results of last year's legislative session, and the politicization of school boards. You can find that segment and more information at http://patreon.com/renoites Thank you so much for listening! As always if you have suggestions or feedback please let me know! You can always email me at conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts!

This episode of Renoites was recorded in front of a live audience at Black Rabbit Mead in Reno, Nevada on January 28, 2024. People choose to abstain from alcohol for a host of different reasons. We often associate sobriety with alcoholism and "recovery" but in recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the "sober curious" movement. Maybe you're doing Dry January as part of a New Year's resolution. Maybe you're training for a physical event like the Reno Tahoe Odyssey. Or maybe you just want to go out with friends but don't feel like having a drink tonight. Whatever reasons you have to not drink, the food and drink industry is starting to adapt and create better options. Recently at a non-alcoholic drink tasting and live podcast taping at Black Rabbit Mead, I sat down with Sarah Bear Rively, founder of Curious in the City. Sarah has abstained from alcohol for several years, after deciding that the party culture of Reno from her younger years and the "wine mom" culture of motherhood weren't the right fit for her. She's launched Curious in the City, which is aimed at creating more options for people who are choosing not to drink (for whatever reason). On this episode, we talked about the different reasons that people choose to abstain from alcohol, the difference between sober and sober-curious, the increasing options for non-alcoholic beverages, whether there is a generational component to these decisions (Sarah and I are both about 40), how Reno compares to other cities that are embracing non-alcoholic as a trend, and so much more! Curious in the City is hosting a non-alcoholic dinner with Chef Jonathan Chapin on March 8. The event will include a 5-course meal with non-alcoholic wine pairings by Jøyus Wine. Tickets can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/savor-the-moment-a-five-course-dinner-with-chefs-chapin-butterfield-tickets-817381579307 You can find Curious in the City on Instagram and Facebook Thank you for supporting local media! Be sure to subscribe to Renoites wherever you get podcasts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and show your financial support at http://patreon.com/renoites

Reno is experiencing a massive housing shortage, resulting in much higher rents than we have seen in the past. We aren't alone! In much of the country, following the financial crisis of 2008, development just kind of stopped and hasn't kept up with the changing population in high-demand cities like Reno. On this week's episode of Renoites, I talked about housing development and much more with Batuhan Zadeh, owner of Marmot Properties, a local development firm that has worked on many residential projects around Midtown, historic buildings like the Santa Fe and Coca Cola bottling plant (more recently the home of Junkee), and many others. We talked about what goes into the development process and how it is determined which projects go forward and which ones don't, why downtown is doing so much worse than Midtown when it comes to revitalization efforts, the process of saving historic buildings not through tight restrictions on superficial changes but by activating them and making them financially viable, the difference between local and out of state developers, the lessons learned from starting small businesses himself, and much more! Please consider supporting Renoites on Patreon! Patrons get bonus content, early access to episodes, Renoites merch, and more! Most importantly, you get to know that you are helping make LOCAL MEDIA FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE. You can learn more at http://patreon.com/renoites Send guest suggestions or feedback to conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram and subscribe wherever you get podcasts. Thanks for listening!

Please consider supporting Renoites financially at http://patreon.com/renoites I have long wanted to do an episode of Renoites focused on the Basque history and culture of Nothern Nevada, but for some reason it kept ending up on the back burner. This week on the show, I am so grateful to finally share an episode all about this history of the Basque people both in the Basque Country as well as the Basque diaspora and it's impact and relevance in the West. My guest on this episode is Iñaki Arrieta Baro, head of the Jon Bilbao Basque Library at UNR. It holds the largest collection of Basque materials outside of the Basque Country and is among the largest collections in the world. The library serves an important part of the Basque Studies program at UNR and continues to preserve texts, photographs, audio and video recordings, journals, and even records of Basque tree carvings (arbor glyphs), an art form unique to the Basque in the West. Thank you for listening and enjoying early access to this and other episodes. I hope that if you're enjoying the show you'll tell friends and family about it and help spread the word! Your support is invaluable and so very appreciated! If you have comments, suggestions or feedback send me a message on Instagram @renoites or email me at conor@renoites.com

Renoites is a listener-funded project. Please consider signing up to support the show at patreon.com/renoites The Potentialist Workshop on 2nd Street has long been a hub for artists in Reno, and recently opened their new interactive exhibition, Upside Down Land. Upside Down Land is based on bedtime stories Pan Pantoja (Executive Artist at the Potentialist) has told his son over the years. It begins in a child's bedroom and a journey through the closet takes visitors into a fascinating world with over 200 sculptures, hidden rooms, and endless fascinating details. A number of notable artists from Northern Nevada have come together to contribute works to the exhibit, which visitors can explore and interact with. Pan has been a very important member of Reno's artistic community for 20 years, with involvement in organizations like the Holland Project, Spoken Views Poetry Collective, Reno Art Works on Dickerson Road, The Generator, and much much more. On this episode, we talked about the importance of art in helping people see things differently, how all the rules are made up, Pan's journey in Reno's art community and stint as Poet Laureate, and a whole lot more. You can learn more about the Potentialist Workshop and buy tickets to Upside Down Land at their website, potentialistworkshop.com If you have suggestions or feedback, please send me a message on Instagram (@renoites) or email conor@renoites.com Thanks for listening!