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
Josella, Running Motels in a Town With Lots of Housing Needs and Anger against the Poor
August 29, 2019 17:31 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBJosella Starbuck is a long time motel owner in Reno, a town which increasingly looks down on motel residents and the motels themselves. Politicians claim they are filled with prostitutes and drug dealers, while developers try to buy them out and bulldoze them away. But the motels have had a long and rich history, and now cater to a population with rapidly dwindling affordable housing options. Some of the questions we ask in this episode include: how does someone become a motel owner? Why d...
Alan, Displaced from a Motel and Feeling "Teslafied"
August 21, 2019 19:59 - 9 minutes - 8.3 MBAlan, 59, gets disability checks but says he can’t afford any housing in Reno. He blames Tesla and other new companies in the area for pushing prices up and causing motels to be demolished. For him, the motel room was his last resort before homelessness. Our reporters for this episode are Prince Nesta and Jordan Blevins.
Alan, Displaced from a Motel and Feeling "Teslafied"
August 21, 2019 19:59 - 9 minutes - 8.3 MBAlan, 59, gets disability checks but says he can’t afford any housing in Reno. He blames Tesla and other new companies in the area for pushing prices up and causing motels to be demolished. For him, the motel room was his last resort before homelessness. Our reporters for this episode are Prince Nesta and Jordan Blevins.
Josh, A Day Laborer About to Give Up
August 12, 2019 22:52 - 9 minutes - 8.38 MB“People come to the park, and offer jobs so I'm getting ready to be picked up right now,” Josh, 33, said when we met him at a spot for day laborers. “It's picking up slowly, but it's picking up, you know. It's gonna be busy later but now it's slow and we are just here hanging out. Payment depends on a person. Sometimes I make a hundred, maybe under 100... it depends on the person and the job itself.” Josh says the problem is when he doesn’t get picked up for work, he turns to drinking or weed...
Josh, A Day Laborer About to Give Up
August 12, 2019 22:52 - 9 minutes - 8.38 MB“People come to the park, and offer jobs so I'm getting ready to be picked up right now,” Josh, 33, said when we met him at a spot for day laborers. “It's picking up slowly, but it's picking up, you know. It's gonna be busy later but now it's slow and we are just here hanging out. Payment depends on a person. Sometimes I make a hundred, maybe under 100... it depends on the person and the job itself.” Josh says the problem is when he doesn’t get picked up for work, he turns to drinking or weed...
JD, Mourning his Father and Broken Family While Homeless
August 05, 2019 15:56 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBJ.D. says he’s from a broken family and that he’s never recovered from facing his father’s death without the support of his relatives. “That's the reason why a lot of people are homeless because there's broken families, they're fighting each other, brothers and sisters are fighting each other,” he said. “Wives and husbands are fighting with each other. That's what's going on right now in life. That's the reason I'm homeless because my family is dysfunctional…. broken….” He tried to rebou...
Steve, Selling Blood and Sleeping Outside
July 31, 2019 21:43 - 9 minutes - 8.31 MBSteve says he avoid shelters because he says he gets sick there. The California native says he lost his mom and then lost his way. He does temp work and sells his blood, from time to time, but he says he’s bad at saving money. He’s sober now after being an alcoholic, but he still doesn’t have a place to call home, so he sleeps in different hiding spots in downtown Reno. Our reporters for this Our Town Reno episode are Jordan Blevins and Prince Nesta.
Kyle, Keeping an Eye out for Injustices
July 21, 2019 19:54 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBKyle, who had been homeless for about a decade when we met him, says he first went to live in the forest with pot growers after breaking up with a girlfriend. He avoids homeless shelters, and prefers camping outside despite the many challenges such as the lack of security. "I even got stabbed in the face, one night, while walking down the streets in an alley," he said. "I was trying to save a girl from a known drug dealer who was on top of her."
Jamie, After Losing her Kids, Fending off Assaults along the River
July 15, 2019 22:41 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MB“I'm Jamie and I come from Oakland, California. I found myself here at the river bank after troubles at home,” the mother of six told us. “I lived in Winnemucca, Nevada, and we just had troubles there, you know, with family and always fighting and not getting along. And I figured it would be better if I just left. I came to Reno about two years ago. I've been staying at the river bank for about two years.” Being a woman is especially challenging, Jamie says, when living on the river. “I've n...
Tim Doss, Recycling and Going Undercover for the Homeless
July 10, 2019 18:28 - 10 minutes - 9.25 MB“It's eye opening and changes your world. It humbles you,” the entrepreneur said of going “undercover homeless” in Reno. Tim Doss operates the JunkUber.com removal service, but unlike others in his business field, he donates back to the homeless and those without many means moving into new residences. He also took part in an outreach initiative for the homeless several years ago, going undercover and walking in their shoes for a few days. The reporters for this episode are Prince Nesta and J...
The Greek, Dreaming of Another Life
June 30, 2019 20:19 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBThe Greek says he wants more out of life than being a bartender and a drunk. Now without a job, he's on the streets of Reno, trying to get sober, and dreaming of other lives, such as living on the water and working with boats. He almost died of cold during the most recent winter, but still clings to hope his life will take a turn for the better before it's too late.
A Millionaire's Daughter on the Streets
June 28, 2019 15:12 - 8 minutes - 8.19 MBWhen we caught up with her, Jody, whose father was a rich developer, but who fell on hard times herself, and her teenage daughter had been living without housing for three weeks. “I tried to do the weekly thing. I had a job, but I was two days late on rent. They wouldn't let me stay for two days and here I am … Shelters are currently full. Domestic violence shelters are full and have a waiting list. Section 8 has been down closed for a year….The family shelter is also full and also has a wa...
A Millionaire's Daughter on the Streets
June 28, 2019 15:12 - 8 minutes - 8.19 MBWhen we caught up with her, Jody, whose father was a rich developer, but who fell on hard times herself, and her teenage daughter had been living without housing for three weeks. “I tried to do the weekly thing. I had a job, but I was two days late on rent. They wouldn't let me stay for two days and here I am … Shelters are currently full. Domestic violence shelters are full and have a waiting list. Section 8 has been down closed for a year….The family shelter is also full and also has a wai...
Cravings, Me vs. Self, Love Reincarnated and other Street Poems by Donald Griffin
June 16, 2019 20:02 - 5 minutes - 5.52 MBThis episode features more poetry by our resident street poet Donald Griffin. Here's some of what Drew Willis wrote analyzing his writing ... "Donald Griffin speaks like he writes. He weaves through images and ideas, the last word of every phrase seeming to trigger a parallel line of thought. He can theorize about unseen dimensions and institutional corruption in the same sentence... In his work, Griffin calls this phenomenon 'The Reno Matrix,' an invisible veil hiding what really controls...
Wishes and Other Street Poetry by Donald Griffin
June 14, 2019 14:32 - 4 minutes - 4.03 MBOur resident street poet Donald Griffin returns with new street poetry, based on his life from losing the mother of his children and himself to addiction, and then charting his miracle recovery through writing.
Lisa Adele Rojas, A Local Business Owner Fighting Against Rising Rents
June 07, 2019 16:37 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MB“I was in Midtown, and they raised my rent 70% there all at once and there was no way I was going to pay for that with no improvements on their part. And I left Midtown and came to Wells Avenue." For some local business owners, like Reno native Lisa Adele Rojas from Mandala Massage Supply & Apothecary, they face the double whammy of rent for their own living space going up as well as for their business. Reporters Prince Nesta and Jordan Blevins spoke with her at her shop to find out more.
Karla Wagner and Robert Harding on Opioid Recovery and Harm Reduction
May 31, 2019 15:46 - 40 minutes - 37 MBAs a second part looking into the opioid epidemic on the Our Town Reno podcast, reporters Prince Nesta and Jordan Blevins interview Dr. Karla Wagner, an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Robert Harding, another local Reno expert in harm reduction and community outreach to discuss best practices to help the addicted and those in recovery.
Daniel Fred, Working on Preventing Substance Addiction and Helping the Addicted
May 17, 2019 15:55 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBDaniel Fred himself in long term recovery teaches students at the University of Nevada, Reno about substance abuse. Here with Our Town Reno reporters Prince Nesta and Jordan Blevins, he discusses the ongoing opioid epidemic, as well as the resurgence of cocaine and MMDA, as well as other challenges faced by current students.
Crystal Meth and other Street Poetry by Donald Griffin
May 10, 2019 15:19 - 6 minutes - 5.7 MBOur resident street poet from the NEW Generation Dare group, Donald Griffin, reads three of his poems, Crystal Meth, Holding on and Bedtime. Griffin lost the mother of his children to addiction and was attacked while sleeping along the Truckee River, before deciding to get sober and turn his life around.
Paula, the Downtown BeadMaker
May 03, 2019 15:39 - 5 minutes - 5.5 MBDespite all of her daily woes, Paula, who calls herself a starving artist and lives in a motel, shows up at her streetside storefront on the corner of the north end of the Truckee river and Sierra street, rain or shine, in downtown Reno, to sell the necklaces and bracelets she makes.
Paula, the Downtown BeadMaker
May 03, 2019 15:39 - 5 minutes - 5.5 MBDespite all of her daily woes, Paula, who calls herself a starving artist and lives in a motel, shows up at her streetside storefront on the corner of the north end of the Truckee river and Sierra street, rain or shine, in downtown Reno, to sell the necklaces and bracelets she makes.
Sharon Marie Daniels, Serving Community Meals and Worried about New Restrictions
April 26, 2019 16:26 - 7 minutes - 6.89 MB“I'm very upset. I'm pissed off,” Sharon Marie Daniels said. “We just want to help people and they're cutting that off so we're not able to do that anymore.” Soon, after new locations are figured out, healthy volunteer prepared meals will no longer be allowed at Reno's main downtown shelter. Daniels who was homeless herself as a teen says she will keep fighting to make sure her Sunday noontime meals are served, wherever she can, to access the most people in need as possible.
Renee and Steven, Trying to Get Sober Together on the Streets
April 19, 2019 15:25 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MB“It's hard, but it's better cause it's warm, you know?” Steven said. “It's stressful because I feel like I’ve got to protect … you know, the streets ain't fun.” Two college graduates whose lives took difficult turns, Renee and Steven were recently separated after he went to jail in Louisiana and she decided to go back home to Pennsylvania. “I was assaulted while he was in jail. So yeah, it's hard,” she said. Renee said she missed the embrace of his arms and feeling safe with Steven. The two ...
Stacey Payne, From Addict in the Depths of Despair to Recovery Entrepreneur
April 11, 2019 19:02 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MB“I took money out of my retirement and kind of bet on myself that I could do it... Since then, I've had the ability to gather a couple of investors who believe in the cause ... And everything now is self funded. And we do that by charging fees to live with us. So the idea of someone living with us isn't to have a handout. It's a hand up." Stacey Payne explains how she established Lyfe Recovery Services in northern Nevada and how her own journey led her to this entrepreneurial vision.
Jerry Jackson, Trying to Get out of a Spiral after Burnout and a Breakdown
April 05, 2019 15:33 - 5 minutes - 5.22 MBJackson, 43, was an operations manager for a hazardous waste facility, married with a daughter, when he ran into burnout, and started self-medicating with alcohol, sending his life into what he himself calls a downward spiral. “I kind of had a nervous breakdown about six years ago and kind of got out of the circle of life so to speak. I just haven't been able to pick myself back up,” he said.
Ace, 33, Homeless and Suicidal in Reno
March 25, 2019 21:42 - 5 minutes - 4.88 MBAce says he’s newly homeless again after he said he had family problems back on the East Coast with his older brother and mother, who both siblings depend on. He says he didn’t agree with his mother taking his formerly jailed brother in. He says he had been a caretaker, cooking for his mom. He’d been to Reno before and felt people didn’t bother him here, so he came back. He says he’s also had periods of homelessness in St. Louis, Missouri and Portland, Oregon, among other places, but he feels...
Grant Denton, from Being an Addict on the Streets to Helping Others Follow his Path of Recovery
March 22, 2019 15:32 - 5 minutes - 5.42 MBGrant Denton, a survivor of childhood abuse who become a deadbeat Dad junkie trapped in homelessness in Las Vegas and repeated incarceration, now helps other recovering addicts in Reno on a path he himself has taken, with discipline, exercise, meditation and a resolve to survive and do good in society.
Legendary Baby Bleu, An Unsheltered Prostitute Surviving Winter
March 14, 2019 18:17 - 5 minutes - 5.37 MBLegendary Baby Bleu was homeless when we met her and had recently survived winter on the streets. She described how she started being a prostitute as a high school student and how a bad relationship left her fending for herself 24/7.
Legendary Baby Bleu, An Unsheltered Prostitute Surviving Winter
March 14, 2019 18:17 - 5 minutes - 5.37 MBLegendary Baby Bleu was homeless when we met her and had recently survived winter on the streets. She described how she started being a prostitute as a high school student and how a bad relationship left her fending for herself 24/7.
Joanne, 73, A Reader on the Streets Left to Fend for Herself after Facing Mounting Bills
March 07, 2019 18:31 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MB“I've been on the streets for about six months, but (soon) when I get my check, I am going to have a room. I'm on the streets because there were a lot of bills I had to pay so I couldn't pay rent and everything, so I just did the only thing that I could do.” It's terrible that in our society elders among us who worked hard their whole lives face moments without shelter here in Reno during this cold, raw winter. Joanne tells her story to Our Town Reno reporters Jordan Blevins and Prince Nesta.
Life on the River, by Wendy Wiglesworth
March 01, 2019 16:49 - 5 minutes - 4.71 MBWendy Wiglesworth who lived along the Truckee River for years explains how she got in that situation, how the shelter just didn't work for her and how the riverside community protects each other.
Leann Silvia, Researching about Student Homelessness
February 22, 2019 19:46 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MB"The fact that the university doesn't keep any record of it is partially explained by the fact that if they did, then they would recognize that there is a problem and once you recognize that there's a problem, you have to start to fix it. And I don't think homelessness is a priority for the university right now" We know extremely little about student homelessness but our guest Leann Silvia is trying to change that through her research at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Leann Silvia, Researching about Student Homelessness
February 22, 2019 19:46 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MB"The fact that the university doesn't keep any record of it is partially explained by the fact that if they did, then they would recognize that there is a problem and once you recognize that there's a problem, you have to start to fix it. And I don't think homelessness is a priority for the university right now" We know extremely little about student homelessness but our guest Leann Silvia is trying to change that through her research at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Who Does the City Belong To? by Donald Griffin
February 15, 2019 18:55 - 7 minutes - 6.85 MBIn our first episode, Donald Griffin records part of a spoken word poem he wrote for an Our Town Reno #localorelive live journalism event at the Desert Rose Inn in downtown Reno, where more and more motels are being demolished, worsening an affordable housing crisis and increasing homelessness.