Renoites- The Podcast about Reno Nevada

Reno's primary youth shelter for people aged 18-24 experiencing homelessness or otherwise at risk is Eddy House, a facility designed to bring together a variety of services under one roof. There are low barrier drop-in beds available, therapists and case workers, a residential program, and more. The founder of Eddy House, Lynette Eddy, joins hosts Conor McQuivey and Ember Braun this week to discuss the origins of the organization, the life experiences that led to her involvement in helping at-risk youth, the value of a housing first model, providing services along with housing, and much more. We also discussed Lynette's recently released book, "The Fight Inside: Winning the Battle Between Your Ego and True Spirit." After her husband's death by suicide in 2010, Lynette has studied and shared her understanding of the ego voice inside us that criticizes and attacks, and the positive and affirming voice of our true spirit. Her book is part biography and part self help, modeled on her "open heart mindfulness" approach. Learn more about Eddy House at their website https://eddyhouse.org/ and learn more about Lynette's other work and her book at her website https://www.lynetteeddy.com/ If you have suggestions for future guest or topics, please email conor@renoites.com You can also visit the Renoites booth at the Riverside Farmer's Market most Sundays! The market is every Sunday from 8-1 at Idlewild Park in Reno. Conor will be there most Sundays for the coming months to be available for conversations with members of the community, record mini episodes with local vendors, and stickers and t-shirts are also available! Support Renoites on Patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites

Bourbon Whiskey is one of the most popular spirits in the United States and consistently growing in popularity. It's an exclusively American spirit- to be called bourbon it has to be made here in the United States. Most distilleries use grains of mixed quality from farms across the county or even the world, but in Fallon, Frey Ranch has a rare business model: They grow all the grains used in their Bourbon, Rye, and several other unique varieties of whiskey right there in Fallon on their own farm. This "Estate Distillery" model is rare, but lets them control the entire process from tilling the soil and growing the grains, to the malting process, to the distilling, bottling, and into your glass. On this week's episode of Renoites, Conor traveled to Fallon to meet with Ashley and Colby Frey, the owners of Frey Ranch Farm and Distillery. The family has been farming in Northern Nevada since before Nevada was even a state, and as they built their whiskey business in recent years, were instrumental in creating the laws allowing such a distillery to exist here. Topics in this episode include the technical processes of how whiskey is made and why the farming is an important part of it, the beneficial soil and climate conditions that allow quality control of the grains used, the differences in types of stills and production methods used at Frey Ranch, the challenges of creating a business before regulations and taxes existed for the category, the "between years" of creating various spirits while waiting for the bourbon to age, the importance of having a story and message behind a brand, the increasing presence of women in the distilling and spirits world, sustainability as a common-sense practice on a farm, and much more! The Frey Ranch tasting room is open every Saturday from 12-4 with tours throughout the afternoon, and the first Saturday of the month there is also a food truck on site. You can find Frey Ranch products at most local stores and bars in Northern Nevada, and they are rapidly expanding across the country. You can learn more about Frey Ranch at their website, http://www.freyranch.com Renoites is a community-oriented and listener-funded project. If you find value in the podcast, please consider becoming a financial supporter on Patreon. For as little as $3/month you can help Renoites become financially sustainable while remaining independent. Learn more at http://patreon.com/renoites If you have guest suggestions, topic ideas, or feedback in general please feel free to email conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites

Classical music can sometimes be seen as a bit stuffy or unapproachable to some audiences, but people have been listening to symphonies for hundreds of years and despite the obvious and valuable connection the past, orchestras are also looking to the future and exploring how to reach more people. This week on Renoites, Conor sat down with the new President and CEO of the Reno Philharmonic, Ignacio Barrón Viela. Viela most recently worked for the Billings Symphony in Montana, and took over the role here in Reno in 2022. On this episode, we talked about how to reach new and younger audiences, appealing to younger musicians and music fans, how a business background and love of music led to an orchestra management career, the power of learning an instrument for improving attention span and listening ability, early music education in schools, integrating popular culture with the Reno Phil through events like live-music Ghostbusters and the consistently popular Pops on the River, and much more! You can learn more about the Reno Philharmonic, including all their events, at their website http://www.renophil.com Make sure to subscribe to Renoites wherever you get podcasts and follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites and if you'd like to support the show financially (it really is the only way for the show to continue existing) you can do so at http://patreon.com/renoites If you have suggestions for future guests or episode topics, or feedback in general, email conor@renoites.com

This episode was recorded live at Black Rabbit Mead in Reno, Nevada on May 11, 2023. On this episode of Renoites, recorded live at Black Rabbit Mead, we welcomed Brad Bynum, lead singer of the local band Elephant Rifle and former Editor of the Reno News & Review. Elephant Rifle has a new album out now and an album release show at The Holland Project on Saturday May 20. We talked about the history of the band and Brad's connection to music, why Reno as a mid-size city allows for collaboration between artists of different genres, representing the biggest little city while on the road touring, ways to fund arts and culture, the importance of alt weekly newspapers for local journalism and events, Brad's wild days of pants-off dance-offs during the early days of trivia at Sierra Tap House, and many of us used the Q&A portion to shout out our moms for all they do. Happy mothers day, moms! You can find Elephant Rifle downloads, merch, and tour information on their website at http://elephantrifle.bandcamp.com and be sure to check out their album release show if you're able, on Saturday 5/11 at The Holland Project! You can support Renoites financially on Patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites and be sure you're following us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites

One of the greatest challenges for cannabis businesses in this region is navigating the gray area between operating as a legal business in a state like Nevada and dealing with restrictions on basic business services because their products are not legal federally. On this week's episode of Renoites, we welcome two guests: Sarah Rosenfeld is the owner of MMG Agriculture, a cannabis producer, and Michael Thomas is the Senior VP of Communications at Greater Nevada Credit Union, a local credit union that provides banking services to cannabis companies as part of a new pilot program. We talked about the unique challenges of operating a cannabis business right now, and how things have changed since the earliest days of legalization, when stores dealt in large quantities of cash (think duffel bags). Other topics included how working in cannabis can affect personal bank accounts and the ability to get loans, how cannabis companies get taxed heavily but can't take write-offs, new categories of cannabis business including consumption lounges, competition from neighboring states with looser regulations, and much more! If you have suggestions for future guests or topics, please email conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/renoites

This episode of Renoites was recorded in front of a live audience at Black Rabbit Mead Company in Reno, Nevada on April 26, 2023 Being able to improvise is a fundamental skill for working in comedy or entertainment, but is also incredibly valuable just for going about our day to day lives. Being able to think on our feet and be creative serves us in our jobs and social lives whether we call it "improv" or not. On this week's episode of Renoites, we welcome Tim Mahoney and Annie Saunders, both from Reno Improv. Reno Improv is a non-profit improv theater located in the Wells Avenue neighborhood, featuring shows, workshops, classes, and drop-in opportunities for Northern Nevadans to explore and enjoy the art of improvisation. In front of a live audience at Black Rabbit Mead in the brewery district of Reno, we talked about the different forms of improv, what makes a good audience suggestion for improv games (and what doesn't), how improv abilities can help us in our day to day lives, the difference between "fear of public speaking" and "fear of public pretending," and much more! Plus, we took audience questions and finished the episode with some improv games on stage! The live audience got to enjoy several more improv games after the taping, so make sure you attend the next Renoites LIVE event to get the full experience! The next live episode is with Brad Bynum of the band Elephant Rifle, on Thursday May 11! You can learn more about Reno Improv including upcoming shows and classes at their website, renoimprov.org If you have guest suggestions or feedback, please email conor@renoites.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/renoites

Welcome to the new season of Renoites! This is the first episode of a brand new season, with a bunch of great guests in store. If you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow @renoites on Instagram, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so it will always be easy to find! A common theme in the conversations I have about Reno are that it seems to be constantly changing. Growth can be exciting, I’m definitely happy to know that Reno is a place people want to come, but it’s often framed that there is a conflict between growth and historic preservation. A lot of conversations also tend to be about Reno’s shared story, a common understanding of what this place is about. I am very excited to welcome as the first guest this season, historian and author Alicia Barber. You may know her from her very popular substack newsletter, The Barber Brief. Alicia writes regularly about historic preservation and development issues in the area, city council happenings, and other topics of local importance. On this episode, Alicia and I discuss the earliest history of Reno as a railroad town, how Reno changed and redefined itself over the generations to adapt to different economic conditions, what makes for a vibrant and active neighborhood and what inhibits that, how to tell a shared story of our history where it has actually taken place, the history of the Lear theater and hopes for it’s future, and much more! I’ve long been looking forward to this episode and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. If you have comments or suggestions for future guests, my email is conor@renoites.com You might also consider supporting Renoites financially on patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites. Listener support makes this project possible.

This episode of Renoites was recorded in front of a live audience at Black Rabbit Mead Company in Reno, Nevada on March 30, 2023. Every year, hundreds of bicyclists race around Reno and the surrounding area, in a 24-hour scavenger hunt and party called Scalley Cat. Challenges range from the intensely physical (ride from Reno to Virginia City to Tahoe and back) to the wild and ridiculous (mayonnaise wrestling is mentioned in this episode), with hundreds of challenges for various points. Bribes and rule-breaking are encouraged. This episode is was recorded with a live audience at Black Rabbit Mead Company, and features members of the very large winning team from last year's Scalley Cat (I think about 15 on stage). They're now in charge of organizing the 2023 event, which will take place on May 5, from noon until noon. We talked about the history of the event, Reno as a great city for bikes and bike culture, wild stories from years past, other bike events like Reno Bike Night, plans for this year (the theme is Scalleycamp), and much more! Thanks to all who attended in the audience and thank you for listening! Renoites will be returning in a few weeks with more new episodes and really great guests! And please come to the next Renoites LIVE episode tapings at Black Rabbit Mead: Wednesday, April 26 - with Reno Improv Thursday, May 11 - with Brad Bynum of the band Elephant Rifle and former editor of the Reno News and Review If you have guest suggestions or just want to get in touch, be sure to follow (and feel free to message) me on Instagram @Renoites or send an email to conor@renoites.com If you'd like to support Renoites financially, please consider signing up as a patron of the show! For even a few dollars a month, you're helping support a valuable community-oriented project. There are perks at various levels like stickers and t-shirts, and I try to post occasional Patron exclusive updates about the show, future guests, and so on! Check it out at http://www.patreon.com/renoites This episode was produced by Conor McQuivey and Ember Braun

This episode of Renoites was recorded in front of a live audience at Black Rabbit Mead Company in Reno, Nevada on March 9, 2023 Vickie and Craig Musni started DJ Trivia Sierra Nevada 10 years ago with the goal of providing a family friendly trivia game that could help support local bars and restaurants by drawing crowds on their less busy nights during the week. Since then, the company has grown to over 35 venues in Northern Nevada and the Sierras. On this week's episode of Renoites, Vickie returns to the podcast to talk about the history of her business, the one-two punch of dealing with COVID restrictions followed by issues with the city of Reno's archaic "cabaret license," the difference between themed trivia nights and a format with more variety, the newer DJ Bingo offering for folks that want to have fun and win prizes but aren't into trivia, and much more. We also talked about DJ Trivia's upcoming 10-Year Anniversary fundraiser at the Little Waldorf, with the goal of raising $10,000 for local non-profits. That event will take place on April 15. Up to 30 teams of 6 will compete to win prize money for their favorite charity, and local businesses can participate by sponsoring a team's entry fee! Learn more and sign up here: https://djtriviasierranevada.com/dj-trivia-challenge-for-charity

In 2020, the University of Nevada, Reno selected as the new president of the university the former Governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval. Sandoval grew up in Sparks, attended UNR, and has spent most of his career in various political roles, including in the state legislature, as attorney general, as a federal judge, and for 2 terms as governor (from 2011-2019). As Reno continues to grow, UNR and the surrounding area will have significant impacts on job opportunities for graduates, student and staff housing and affordability, business development and attracting industry to Northern Nevada, the urban landscape and walkability in and around downtown, and much more. On this week's episode of Renoites, President Sandoval joined us for a conversation about his experience in politics and what has driven him to pursue the positions he's held in government, a recent visit to the university from our current governor, Joe Lombardo, the Wolf Pack Digital Initiative launched during COVID to bring new technology to students and faculty, transitioning from his previous roles in electoral politics to his current role at the university, working to develop a more cohesive "university district," the role Nevada can play in greener energy production, and much much more! Thank you for listening and supporting Renoites! This is a local, community-oriented project that exists only through support from listeners like you. Please consider contributing to Renoites on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/renoites and if you have any suggestions for guests or topics, please email conor@renoites.com or send a message on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/renoites This season of Renoites is produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun.

Last time Michael Moberly was a guest on Renoites, it was the middle of the COVID pandemic and we talked about Reno's bar environment and history, especially in the midtown area. Michael has been a bartender and spirits educator for well over a decade in the Reno area. On this week's episode, Michael returns to the podcast to talk about his new role with Monin Gourmet Flavorings, the largest family-owned company in that industry, with a huge production and distribution facility right here in Northern Nevada. We talked about being an ambassador for Reno, developing skills in whatever industry you work to build expertise, how bartending has become more inclusive, the ability to make a career as a bartender, the differences between Reno and Las Vegas cocktail bars (and why Reno is better), the recent decision not to allow a cannabis lounge in Northern Nevada, non-alcoholic beverages and sobriety, what is going on in Spanish Springs as many people are moving to the area but not spending much time inside the McCarran loop, and a whole lot more! This episode was recorded on-site at Monin's facility in Sparks, Nevada. Thank you for listening! If you have feedback or guest suggestions, please feel free to send me an email at conor@renoites.com and if you'd like to support the show financially (think of it like tipping your barista or a musician at a small bar?) you can do that on Patreon! Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/renoites This season of Renoites is produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun

Gary McKinney is a resident of Owyhee, Nevada, a small town on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation near the border of Idaho, about an hour north of Elko. Owyhee is located about 84 miles from a proposed lithium mine at Thacker Pass, an area known to the local indigenous community as Peehee Mu'Huh. Gary is the founder of People of Red Mountain, a group opposed to the Thacker Pass mine. On this episode, we traveled to Owyhee to met with Gary, where we talked about the history of the area, from it's earliest days as a pony express mail route, the 1865 massacre at Peehee Mu'Huh, the various (and sometimes hidden) financial incentives driving the green energy transition, the environmental impacts of mining in the area and around the world, and much more. The Thacker Pass mine is currently under litigation, with various lawsuits from tribes in the area including the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony challenging the processes that were used to approve the project. Since the recording of this episode, federal judge Miranda Du has mostly ruled against the tribes, but a new lawsuit was filed just last week. You can find People of Red Mountain at http://www.peopleofredmountain.com Thank you for listening and supporting this independent and community-focused project. Be sure to follow Renoites on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/renoites and consider supporting the show financially at http://www.patreon.com/renoites This season of Renoites is produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun. Send guest suggestions and feedback any time to conor@renoites.com

Happy Valentines Day! For today's episode of Renoites, we're talking sex, dating and relationships with our guest Steven Ing. Steven is a Reno-based marriage and family therapist with decades of experience in the field of sexuality and relationships and a contributor to Psychology Today where he writes a column called Sexual Futurist. On this episode, Conor and Steven talked about how to approach new relationships with intentional interviewing to learn as much about potential partners as early as possible, about the differences between getting to know people online vs. in person, the "magic number" of how much sex each partner wants to enjoy, breakups and learning from relationships that have ended, and much more! Thanks for listening and if you have suggestions for future episodes or any feedback, please email me at conor@renoites.com and if you'd like to support the show financially, you can visit http://www.patreon.com/renoites for more information This season of Renoites is produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun.

The Nevada Legislature only meets every other year, for 120 days. That's not a very long time to do all the legislative business of the state, including passing the state's budget. Recently elected governor Joe Lombardo recently presented his State of the State address outlining his priorities, and on this week's episode of Renoites, we are welcoming Nevada Assembly Member from District 27, Angie Taylor. Angie previously served at the president of the Washoe County School Board, and this will be her first term in the Nevada Assembly. On this episode, Conor and Angie discuss her history on the school board and dealing with challenging situations like lawsuits and increasing politicization, how the Nevada Legislature operates from legislation being proposed in Bill Draft Requests (BDRs) all the way to being signed (or not signed) by the governor, working in a divided government with a Democratic-majority legislature but a Republican governor, and much more! You can follow the happenings of the legislature at https://www.leg.state.nv.us/ including tracking BDRs that you may be interested in, and many excellent local journalists will be covering the happenings as the session progresses. Thank you so much for listening, and if you have guest or topic suggestions, please email me at conor@renoites.com If you'd like to help Renoites eventually become financially sustainable and remain independent, please consider signing up to donate as little as a few dollars a month at http://www.patreon.com/renoites This season of Renoites is produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun.

PBS has long been a resource for educational television programming, from classics like Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, to newer series for the current generation of young people, like Wild Kratts and Martha Speaks. Here at the local level, PBS Reno also creates workshops and educational programs for use in classrooms which are often facilitated by retired teachers, including an upcoming writing contest for young people expected to receive thousands of submissions. PBS Reno's workshops and classroom programs are present throughout the state- here in Washoe County and extending well into the rural communities. On this week's episode of Renoites, Lynn Lazaro speaks with Nancy Maldonado, VP of Education at PBS Reno about their educational work and outreach. Topics include the importance of both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and SEL (Social Emotional Learning) and how they interact, adapting a primarily in-person system to the challenges of remote learning during the height of the COVID pandemic, utilizing PBS's trusted programming alongside locally created workshops, the value of having students of different ages work together in their Reading Buddies program, PBS Reno's locally produced programs like Wild Nevada and ARTEFFECTS (which also air on PBS stations nationwide), and much more! If you'd like to learn more about PBS's education resources (which are FREE to teachers and students) please visit https://www.pbsreno.org/education/ Thank you for listening! If you have suggestions for future guests or episode topics please email conor@renoites.com and if you'd like to support the show financially you can do so at http://www.patreon.com/renoites for as little as a few dollars a month.

This episode was recorded live at Black Rabbit Mead in Reno, Nevada on 1/26/23 Vertigo and Armani the Star are two of Reno's consistently hard working drag performers, with regular drag shows at 5 Star Saloon (the oldest gay bar in Nevada), drag brunches at other venues around town, and plans on the horizon for even more events, including a sober event to include drag fans who want a different setting than a bar. On this week's bonus live episode of Renoites, recorded at Black Rabbit Mead, Conor talks with Vertigo and Armani about their entry into the world of drag, the difference between performing lip sync numbers and serving as emcee for events, the closure of multiple Reno gay bars in recent months, drag terminology like "reading" and "houses," the fear-mongering about drag as a tool of transphobia, and much more, including several questions from our live audience. You can find Vertigo and Armani performing regularly at 5 Star and various other venues in the Reno area. You can also find them on Instagram, at http://www.instagram.com/hausofvertigo and http://www.instagram.com/armanithestar This episode was produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun. Thank you so much to the live audience for attending and to you for listening! If you have guest suggestions or feedback please email conor@renoites.com and if you'd like to support the show financially visit http://www.patreon.com/renoites

Libraries are one of the most important and consistent elements of any community. There are more libraries than Starbucks or McDonalds, and they are increasingly one of the few indoor public spaces that all people can access for free. They also continually adapt to the needs of the community, to include computer access and digital downloads, story time and children's reading programs, craft and maker space, a community court program, and much more. Jeff Scott is the Library Director for the Washoe County Library System and joins Conor on the podcast this week to talk all about various library services, how to get back into reading if you haven't in a while, the value of easy and fun books over the challenging books we are "supposed to" read, how library budgets have affected services and facility improvements, the politicization of libraries over events like drag queen story hours, the inherently inclusive nature of public libraries, and much more! 77% of Washoe County residents have a library card, but if you don't, you can get one easily online or at any branch! Learn more about that and everything else at their website http://washoecountylibrary.us If you enjoy Renoites and would like to see it continue to exist, please spread the word and tell your friends, and if you'd like the show to be financially sustainable and independent, consider becoming a patron of the show with a small one-time or monthly donation. You can do that at http://www.patreon.com/renoites This episode was produced by Conor McQuivey, Lynn Lazaro, and Ember Braun and recorded at the Downtown Reno Library in Reno, Nevada. Thank you so much for listening!

Bryan McArdle is the Revitalization Manager for the City of Reno. His position involves attracting business and economic activity to Reno, ensuring that we have the available workforce to sustain growth in the area with an increasing quality of life, and building a shared story and vision of what kind of city Reno is and can be. On this week's episode of Renoites, Conor and Bryan talk about what makes Reno a "Goldilocks" city of just the right size, what we can learn from other cities who have taken similar redevelopment and revitalization efforts, how the various districts or neighborhoods in Reno have developed over the years, historical preservation and possible uses of the Lear Theater, the potential impacts of major developments like the Jacob's Entertainment "Neon Line District," and so much more. Bryan has been a business owner in both the Midtown and Riverwalk districts as well as previously serving as Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development at the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN). This episode was produced by Conor McQuivey and Lynn Lazaro and recorded at City Hall in Reno, Nevada. If you have feedback or guest suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out! My email address is conor@renoites.com Thank you for listening and telling your friends to listen! Help spread the word about the show, my hope really is that it will be heard and valued by many people in Northern Nevada. I hope you'll also consider supporting financially at http://patreon.com/renoites

This week on Renoites we are talking podcasting! Reno has a variety of local podcasts of different formats and covering different issues. About a year ago I was grateful to be invited to appear on Up in the Mix, a podcast and radio show hosted by Shaughn Richardson and Cesar Lopez. Up in the Mix is a hip hop inspired music, news and interview show that beginning it's 5th season and has released hundreds of episodes. It was great to have Shaughn and Cesar join me on Renoites to discuss the history of their podcast, what they think about when looking for guests, what's missing from the local podcast community, creating both a podcast and radio show for KWNK at the same time, as well as their lives outside the podcast. Shaughn is a high school teacher with the Washoe County School District and on the Reno Arts and Culture Commission and Cesar is a local photographer. Renoites is a listener-funded project. I'm a believer in audience supported over advertiser-driven media, and you can help Renoites continue to grow and provide stories and information by becoming an official patron of the show. Just go to patreon.com/renoites to learn more and sign up for as little as a few dollars a month (that's about a dollar an episode). There are also great perks available to patrons like early or exclusive content, Renoites swag, shout-outs on the show, and more. If you have any guest or topic suggestions, please shoot me an email at conor@renoites.com. This season of Renoites is produced by Conor McQuivey and Lynn Lazaro. Thank you for listening!

Welcome to the the newest season of Renoites! This is the first episode of season 5, kicking off 2023 with a great collection of guests in the coming weeks and months! This week on Renoites, we welcome Marina McCreary, Beautification and Clean-Ups Program Manager for Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. It is currently Christmas Tree Recycling season until January 10, so please click the link for more info if you have a Christmas tree! On this episode we talked about the various projects of KTMB, including annual and regular community clean-ups, the adopt a spot program to maintain areas throughout the Reno/Sparks area, why Recycle-Reduce-Reuse is actually only 3 of the 5 R's, how to recycle weird stuff, easy ways to volunteer, and much more! If you have suggestions for guests or episode topics, please shoot me an email at conor@renoites.com Thanks for listening and if you enjoy the show please consider supporting Renoites on Patreon. You can find more information, social media links and more all in one place. Just click here! Oh yeah and tell all your friends to listen! I hope eventually almost everyone in town will be tuning in now and then but it all starts with word of mouth. Thanks!