Our Town Reno
284 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsWith audio postcards from the streets, and inspiring interviews with community activists and heroes of Reno, we address issues of homelessness, the disappearance of public space, gentrification and the value of helping each other out from our base in Reno, Nevada. We do live reporting, micro storytelling and spoken word. As we face an affordable housing crisis, what happens to our most vulnerable? We also feature #keeprenorad musicians and artists. #Helpeachother is our motto.
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Episodes
A Support Group for Parents of Trans Kids
March 31, 2022 00:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBThe peer to peer group at Our Center in Reno provides support for “parents, friends and caregivers of transgender and gender variant youth” on the third Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. One of the participants is Valerie Lovett who on this episode with reporter Kingkini Sengupta shares her own journey trying to help herself and her child.
Turning Reno into a Hotspot for Horror Movies
March 24, 2022 00:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBReno is not often considered a home to a vibrant film community. However, one production company Horror Nerd Productions, with almost a dozen films to their credit, is singlehandedly building an indie film community. “I’ve always been a giant horror nerd,” said Dillon Brown, during a recent interview with Our Town Reno. Having studied English he is a published author but had always wanted to make a film. “I just went for it,” he told us. Listen as he and assistant Jessica Grimaldo explain h...
Aaron Sims, Running for Nevada State Senate District 16 with Housing as a Human Right
March 17, 2022 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAaron Sims, an openly gay candidate, accountant for an employers insurance company in Reno and a frequent volunteer for the unhoused, lost a race for Carson City’s mayor position in 2020, and initially launched a campaign for Congress, but then as the puzzle for 2022 became clearer, decided Nevada’s 16th district for Senate was a better race for him. Listen to his interview to find out how he wants to turn housing, education and health as human rights.
Ben Davis, the Street Photographer Behind Reno After Dark
March 10, 2022 01:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBBen Davis has been behind the lens for a long time. His latest project, Reno After Dark, which can be found on Instagram is becoming a living historical document of how Reno is changing. Davis moved to Reno in 2010 for work; however he has always had connections to the Silver State. His family came to Nevada and laid down their roots outside of Ely working at a copper mine. His mom left the state, breaking a multigenerational run, but he returned. He now spends many nights photographing dow...
Family Soup Mutual Aid and Local Musicians Team Up for Benefit Concert
March 04, 2022 20:04 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBJaden Urban interviews the coordinators of Family Soup Mutual Aid and local musicians on why they are organizing a big benefit concert called Our Streets in Reno at Dead Ringer Bar on the evening of March 9th.
Kyle Isacksen, from Biking with Compost to Running for County Board
March 03, 2022 01:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBThe last time Kyle Isacksen says he ran for an elected position was for fifth grade class president and he came in third. He’s now running for Washoe County Commission District 3, a post held since 2007 by soon to be termed out Kitty Jung. In this episode, he explains why he's running, what the position entails, what policies he would pursue if elected and if he believes he has a chance to win the June Democratic primary and November runoff.
Jammal Tarkington, a Reno Music Icon Muses on the Future for Musicians
February 24, 2022 00:10 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBJammal Tarkington came to Reno in the early 1990s to study music at the University of Nevada. He quickly found success behind the saxophone and has become a staple in the local music scene and beyond, having traveled the world on tour with many of his bands, from Mudshark to Keyser Soze. In this podcast episode with reporter Richard Bednarski, he muses on what the future might look like for musicians in the Biggest Little City and elsewhere coming out of the pandemic.
A Free Empowering Boutique at Our Place, a Shelter for Women and Families
February 16, 2022 22:13 - 25 minutes - 23 MBMary Gilbert gives us a tour of a new boutique which was set up at Our Place to help with women and families staying at their shelter in northern Nevada on their road to being rehoused.
Henry Sotelo, Pushing for More and More Specialty and Rehabilitative Courts
February 10, 2022 14:00 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBWhen Henry Sotelo was 18, he came to Reno with a friend who wanted to check out the University. His friend never attended the school but when Sotelo set foot on the campus, he fell in love. “I just loved the place and I’ve been here ever since,” he explains. Sotelo has been practicing criminal law as a Prosecutor for the City of Reno and Washoe County District Attorney’s office; as a criminal defense attorney, both as a court appointed attorney, and as private counsel; and finally as a Judge ...
RoMar Tolliver, Giving What He Didn't Get as a Kid with Black Wall Street Reno
February 03, 2022 14:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBBlack Wall Street Reno is a nonprofit organization spearheaded by its two founders Donald Griffin and Romar Tolliver, going stronger and stronger in its second year of existence. Both men hope that their organization can be one that steers local teens away from the adversity that they faced as youths and young men. “This organization is to provide preventative measures for teens,” Tolliver said during a recent interview with Our Town Reno. For him, Black Wall Street Reno is a way for youths ...
JP Harvey with Helping Hands Loving Hearts in Reno
January 27, 2022 14:00 - 9 minutes - 9.06 MBJP Harvey has been spending what time she can spare, between school and raising three kids, to help the unhoused locally. From rolling burritos to hand delivering jackets and boots, she has grand plans to make the world a better place. Listen to her as she details her involvement in a new group called Helping Hands Loving Hearts with reporter Richard Bednarski.
Reno Food Systems Prepares for 2022 and Another Big Year
January 20, 2022 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBReno Food Systems is an urban farm located on the corner of Mayberry drive and McCarran boulevard. Everything from fruit to fresh vegetables to medicinal and culinary herbs are produced on the lot during the growing season. Everything is grown organically and with sustainability in mind. “We have workshops, we have volunteers, we have interns,” said Lyndsey Langsdale, the farm manager. “We also do a lot of educational things as well.” The non-profit began as a vision between a few friends...
A Doctor Wants to Help with Mental Health Among At-Risk Youth and the Homeless
January 13, 2022 14:00 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBDr. Sherilyn Duckworth is the founder of A Friend of Mind, empowering youth through yoga, education, and mental health advocacy. She also wants to help in Reno where she just arrived with the unhoused, as in 2021 there were four reported suicides in Washoe County among people living without stable shelter.
Richard Bednarski, Reporting about the Unhoused during COVID and Affordability Crisis
January 06, 2022 14:00 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBCatherine Schofield interviews fellow student reporter Richard Bednarski who looks back on reporting about the unhoused for 18 months during the pandemic and worsening affordability in Reno with motels being destroyed and more and more luxury apartments popping up.
Family Soup Mutual Aid Begins New Season of Volunteering
December 30, 2021 14:00 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBCatherine Schofield hosts and reports for this episode from the Believe Plaza in downtown Reno where a new young group of volunteers has started a new regular Tuesday night outreach event. Some of the first people they helped were recently resettled Afghan refugees who have also struggled with the affordable housing crisis.
Savannah, Facing Eviction Amid Gentrification and Rising Rents
December 23, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBSavannah, a university student, thought she had found the perfect apartment, near the downtown hotel where she works full time, below $1,000 per month with everything included, even if that's about half of what she makes. But that was until a public notice sign went up, and there were indications her apartment building was being bought up by Jacobs Entertainment, just like the neighboring motels. She now worries what she will be able to afford whenever she is forced to move.
Karen Foster, A Reverend Pleading with Developers
December 16, 2021 14:30 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBKaren Foster, the reverend at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada, gives day in and day out, including during the giving season. Amid an affordable housing crisis, this religious leader has a plea for developers, as she tries to spread compassion and empathy. Our reporter for this episode is Richard Bednarski.
Giving a Platform to 775 Queer Pride
December 09, 2021 14:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBNon-binary lesbian Rachel Jackson recently started Pride of 775, a multimedia project to highlight and share queer experiences in Reno. On this episode with reporter Catherine Schofield we talk about how Pride of 775 started, what Rachel plans to do for the project, and we both share some of our experiences of being queer in Reno.
Students Visit a Tent Village Right Behind their Classes at UNR
December 02, 2021 14:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBWhat's it like having a tent village right behind your classes? Bailey Shepard shares his thoughts and interviews a couple staying there, hoping to get into rehab housing soon. Richard Bednarski interviews another tent occupant who has done lots of jail time and has had a hard time figuring out his economic footing. The tent village has had notices to evacuate but parts have remained in an area right behind the University of Nevada, Reno.
Bills Sims, with an Unhoused Father Now Helping Others
November 25, 2021 14:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBIt was a cold, windy, and cloudy fall day. Puddles of water marked the Believe plaza in the normal random manner. Yellow and red leaves stuck to the aged concrete. A lone skateboard practiced through the puddles. Near the crumbling Space Whale, a small group of unhoused community members took a rest and shared conversations. Bill Sims, a longtime Reno resident and advocate for the unhoused came to meet us there. He is the son of a man who was homeless. He now spends his free time volunteering...
Seniors in Service Program Matches Foster Grandparents with School Kids in Need
November 18, 2021 14:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBOur older residents have been lonely during the pandemic, while some of our kids have been struggling in school. What better program than to pair the two together in a win win program. Seniors in Service has been doing just that. They have a foster grandparents program that pairs senior citizens with students in local schools. Half mentorship and half companionship, this program benefits not just students, but the volunteers and also the teachers. Listen to Sheri Brown, the volunteer coordin...
Jane Dunn, Leading the Reno Posse with Outreach for Unhoused Neighbors
November 11, 2021 14:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBAs part of our heroes of Reno and sheroes of Reno series, Catherine Schofield highlights the work of Jane Dunn a leader of the Reno Posse and how and why they do outreach to neighbors in need.
Ken Stover, a Lawyer Defending Activists and the Unhoused
November 04, 2021 14:55 - 13 minutes - 12 MBRichard Bednarski interviews local lawyer Ken Stover who became a lawyer to protect the Earth and now defends activists, from Black Lives Matter to the anti-sweeps movement.
Kathy, Unhoused and Swept Repeatedly by Police as Her Partner Died
October 28, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBKathleen Lang got caught up in recent sweeps while living at a tent city in Reno. She’s now in housing in a dorm style room inside containers at the Village on Sage Street but her long time partner Doug is dead. In this episode, she recounts his final weeks and the weeks leading up to his death. She can't forgive herself for not being there with him at the end of his journey, but she was dealing with repeated sweeps herself. Many who die while unhoused are forgotten and not mentioned in medi...
The Truckee River Runs Through Us, an Expert's Take
October 21, 2021 13:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBThe Truckee River is looking frighteningly low toward the end of 2021. Our guest for this episode is environmental storyteller and Truckee River expert Kelsey Fitzgerald. She is a graduate of the Reynolds School of Journalism who earned her Master’s degree here in 2015 and started the website truckeeriverguide.org/ The website is a citizen interactive field guide to plants and wildlife along the majestic and rugged Truckee River. She’s also a science writer for the Desert Research Institute.
On Stopping Sweeps and Facing the Constant Threat of Being Swept
October 14, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBJake Maynard explains why he joined the anti-sweeps movement in Reno, Nevada, while we go into our archives, a profile of Joane, over 70 and fending for herself. Can't we do better as a society to help the most vulnerable among us?
Losing Hope on the Streets
October 07, 2021 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBWhat happens when you've lost almost all hope while living on the streets? Why is it that in certain situations it's so difficult to climb that hill again and get back into the job market? Our Town Reno reporters speak to Robert and Ace, the first saying he's waiting for death, and the second from our archives suicidal while unhoused. Our neighbors without stable shelter deserve our close attention and empathy, because who are we if we can't help those among us struggling in our communities?
RTC Washoe Bus Drivers Renew Strike Action Against Keolis
September 29, 2021 23:35 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBContracted private operator Keolis, transportation and city officials have expressed disappointment and frustration bus drivers are back on strike amid ongoing efforts to get a better collective bargaining agreement. Little media attention is given to who these bus drivers are exactly and what led them to pursue the job in the first place. Our reporter Richard Bednarski went to the picket line this week to find out.
A Family in Washoe County Shattered by a Police Killing
September 23, 2021 13:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBToo many of our neighbors have had their relatives killed by local law enforcement in situations which could have easily avoided death. At a recent rally, Our Town Reno reporters Gracie Gordon and Rachel Jackson met with the daughter and sister of Johnny Bonta who was killed at the age of 43 by Sparks police four years ago.
Alexis Hill, Now Leading the Way to Help the Unhoused in Northern Nevada
September 16, 2021 13:00 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBIn this episode with Richard Bednarski, we look into getting more details on what’s going on at the Nevada Cares Campus and the overall local government plan to help the unhoused. Our guest is Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. She speaks to us as the county is taking over leadership in helping the unhoused regionally from the city of Reno after months and months of negotiations to make that happen. She’s also the new chair of CHAB the community homelessness advisory board. Unlike man...
Helping Seniors Combat Smoke and COVID Loneliness with Technology
September 09, 2021 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBBeing elderly in normal times can lead to acute loneliness. In this new normal of a still surging pandemic and terrible air quality, the loneliness has grown exponentially. Our guest with reporter Richard Bednarski for this week’s podcast episode is Hannah Sweeney, the program director for Seniors in Service. The northern Nevada non profit has been growing a program that combats isolation by giving tablets, wifi and tech training to seniors in need.
Forced Evacuees of California's Caldor Fire Cross Over into Nevada
September 03, 2021 13:30 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBIn this bonus episode, we look into the plight of evacuees from the Caldor Fire on the California Nevada border. Despite efforts by firefighters, hundreds of homes have already been destroyed. Reporter Richard Bednarski catches up with evacuees now staying at the Reno Sparks Convention Center amid this climate change crisis we are experiencing full on right now, from bad air quality for those around the fires, to those losing homes destroyed by the rampaging flames.
Jessica Castro, From Unhoused and Surviving Trauma to Helping Others in Reno
September 02, 2021 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBJessica Castro was unhoused herself and went through devastating trauma but has rebounded. She’s now a powerhouse advocate for those struggling in Reno and northern Nevava, on social media, at City Council meetings and outside the new Nevada Cares campus. She works as a local auditor at a call center, but when she’s off work you’ll usually find her helping others. Several times a week, she distributes hundreds of bottles of water and holds big community meals, providing healthier options than...
Anthony Shafton, an Author Tracking Reno Through Famous Artists and Public Spaces
August 26, 2021 13:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBOur guest on this episode is Anthony Shafton, a Chicago native, independent scholar and current Reno resident. He’s an author who has written several books including The Nevada They Knew, Robert Caples, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, a double biography about Nevada’s prominent modern painter and novelist of the 20th century. Recently Shafton wrote an oped for Our Town Reno about public art in Reno and how current pursuits might be misguided. He discusses this past, present and future of the Bigges...
Richard Bednarski, Covering Fires and Smoke in the West as a Reporter and Photo Journalist
August 19, 2021 13:00 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBWhat's it like for journalists covering the devastating fires and never ending smoke here in the West during a historically bad year? Our guest is one of our current reporters Richard Benarski, who was an intern with the Reno Gazette-Journal this past summer, and whose aspiration is to become a storyteller raising awareness by covering climate change. He’s also from Quincy, California, a town in the thick of it, so he’s been reporting in an area he’s extremely familiar with. In this episode...
Making Public Art More Equitable and Better for Communities
August 12, 2021 13:00 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBHow can public art become better for Reno and other communities across the United States? Mark Salinas, the senior project manager at Forecast Public Art, recently helped develop a land recognition statement as part of many projects he is working on in the Biggest Little City where he works from. He has also recently worked with a social worker artist empowering the unhoused after they get into housing in Atlanta, as well as with a major community bridge park in development Washington, D.C. ...
Danielle Barrineau, An Advocate with Lived Experience
August 05, 2021 13:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBDanielle Barrineau went from tying herself up in garbage bags to stay warm and hidden while living on the streets in Reno and addicted to heroin, to now being housed with her daughter and helping others. She recently spoke up at City Hall to stop the sweeps. She has plenty of insights from her own experiences and her current work as a peer recovery specialist. She also shares her dreams and aspirations for herself, for Reno, for the world and her daughter.
Danielle Barrineau, from Homeless, Addicted to Heroin, Trafficked while Pregnant to Housed and on the Mend
August 05, 2021 13:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBDanielle Barrineau went from tying herself up in garbage bags to stay warm and hidden while living on the streets in Reno and addicted to heroin, to now being housed with her daughter and helping others. She recently spoke up at City Hall to stop the sweeps. She has plenty of insights from her own experiences and her current work as a peer recovery specialist. She also shares her dreams and aspirations for herself, for Reno, for the world and her daughter.
How the Pandemic Affected the Unhoused
July 29, 2021 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBIt was the start of the pandemic. It was the beginning of the end of the Record Street shelter in downtown Reno. It was before the Nevada Cares Campus. It was chaotic, it was frightening. The Reno Events Center was opened for those without shelter. Staff were screaming, yelling instructions, while the rest of the city was empty. This historical audio piece was first run as part of a series with Nevada Humanities, now replayed on your podcast here.
Never Forget: Kenneth Stafford, A Black Soldier Killed by Reno and Sparks Police in northern Nevada
July 22, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThis week we’re reissuing part of a previous episode but on its own to never forget. This month in July marked eight years since Iraq war veteran Kenneth Stafford, a 27 year old father of three girls, was cornered, gunned down and killed by local police while he was going through a difficult time. At a recent protest reporter Gracie Gordon met with his mother Terry Colgrove and his sister Courtney Henderson. They explained how he was on military leave on that fateful tragic day. He had just...
Eileen Bidwell Advocating for a Safe Parking Program
July 15, 2021 13:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBAs more and more federal money arrives into Nevada and local coffers in Reno, those seeking to help our struggling neighbors are seizing the moment to reinvigorate long held ideas never tried before locally. At the June Community Homelessness Advisory Board meeting, Eileen Bidwell, representing the One Truckee River non profit, presented the need for a local safe parking program. CHAB members seemed interested but wanted to keep the ball in her court, to keep seeing how much further she cou...
A Visit to the Pilot Safe Camp at the Nevada Cares Campus
July 05, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBCatrina Peters, a Washoe County official gave us a tour last week of the new safe camp, which is part of the new multimillion dollar Nevada Cares Campus. At the time of our visit, only 14 people and one cat were reported to be staying at this pilot safe camp so far. In the interview we are told only 50 tents in all will be planned when it moves to the yet to be ready former Governor's Bowl baseball field. Our Town Reno tried to get more details of what's being offered and responses to commun...
At the "Witchy" Coyote Supply Co. Store in Reno
July 01, 2021 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBBrianna Punsalang once walked into a local store branded as metaphysical looking for some supplies. When employees tried to sell them on a “Tarot for Teens” class, they thought the local shop must not have had a very diverse clientele. Brianna was 30 at the time. Several years later, they are now running Coyote Supply Co. and gave our reporter Rachel Jackson a tour.
Michelle Hamilton, a Local Activist Seeking Support for a Carbon Tax
June 24, 2021 13:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBAs one of the leaders of the Reno-Sparks chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nationwide nonprofit which focuses on creating the political will for environmental progress, Michelle Hamilton brings energy, dedication, and innovation to addressing climate change. “It’s been around since 2010 as a national organization,” explained Hamilton, “and there are three chapters in the Nevada area.” Along with the chapter locally, there are chapters in Carson City and Las Vegas. The Reno chapter w...
Gallo Chingon, Leaving the Rat Race for Podcasting and Other Pursuits
June 17, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBShaved head, painted fingernails, multiple earring that’s Gallo Chingon, the podcaster behind Sucias are my Favorite, a welcome addition to our local landscape. Gallo moved to Reno for a job at Tesla but has since left to begin a life of content creation and exploration of hobbies. He values his time and says he’s out of the rat race for now. In this Our Town Reno podcast episode with Richard Bednarski, he explains how he was able to reconnect with many different parts of his personality here...
A Mutual Aid Community Garden
June 09, 2021 23:15 - 10 minutes - 9.35 MBWe've heard of mutual aid groups and community gardens, so why not combine the two? Patricia Curtis-Ostler is one of the volunteers for a new initiative in a sideyard in downtown Reno. She explains why she’s helping as she does with so many groups in the community. We’ll also hear from Michael Carson, a coordinator of this project. He’ll explain his plan to grow crops for those in need.
Stop the Sweeps Advocates Confront Police in Reno
June 07, 2021 23:25 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBThis is a podcast rundown of a stop the sweeps protest today June 7th, 2021 in Reno when protestors faced off against police. I’m Nico Colombant the coordinator for the Our Town Reno multimedia initiative. As people chanted, outreach workers started arriving first, speaking to people unhoused laying on the grass at Believe Plaza. I interrupted Erika Minaberry doing a Facebook Live to ask about her insights with tensions rising. Then the police arrived. They had issued a notice for the advoca...
Wraith, Helping an Encampment Village Move Again
June 02, 2021 22:00 - 9 minutes - 8.71 MBWraith is mad an encampment at N Edison and Mill Street is next on the sweeps list in Reno, following the opening of new mega shelter the Nevada Cares Campus. It’s broiling hot and it’s only June second. People here are tired of journalists and cameras. Advocates were hoping they could make this a legal safe camp until the official safe camp opens at the new Nevada Cares Campus but the City of Reno cars and police vehicles are already here and notices have been handed out. There’s been a pet...
Project Unity, In the Wake of Black Lives Matter Reno
May 26, 2021 23:00 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBAt the beginning of summer last year, protests were erupting across the country over a range of issues, including police violence and conditions at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. Helen Miranda and Ashley Solano decided they needed to do something about it. Being friends since their sophomore year of high school, the two decided to start Project UNITY, a group aimed at organizing protests and activism in the Reno area. Solano was born and raised in Reno, while M...
Carl, Preparing to Leave Tent City
May 20, 2021 01:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBWhen we interviewed him, Carl, an Illinois native, had been living in the tent city in Reno for about a month. “We're all sick, we're all struggling. You know, we're all struggling. I mean, you do get some bad seeds up in here, but you know what, we're all pretty much in the same boat.” As notices were handed out up and down railroad tracks in Reno, Carl sat down in an outdoor couch to have a cigarette and share his story with Richard Bednarski.