Sparklie Bunny Puts Quality and Family Heritage into the Vintage

In the modern era of fast fashion and ever-changing trends, clothing isn’t as well made as it used to be. It is a lot harder to find pieces that aren’t a long list of mixed materials – the same way it is with ingredients lists on packaged food today. 

Jade McLain, the owner of Sparklie Bunny at 1385 South Wells Ave., says she is obsessed with vintage clothing and loves reworking items to give them a personal flair. 

The pieces sold at her store range from vintage, to her hand-reworked vintage clothing, to basics and even a line of quality-sourced classics sporting the Sparklie Bunny logo. 

Inspired by her grandmother and her mother, both fashion lovers, McLain has dedicated her career to sustainable fashion with quality as the top priority. 

Sparklie Bunny is a conglomeration of her grandmother, her mother and herself. The bunny logo is inspired by her grandmother’s modeling history, which includes being the May 1976 cover Playmate of the Month. The hair comes from her mother’s hairdressing career, her role model of a woman owning and running a business. Sparkles are McLain’s own touch. She’s always been a tomboy, but a tomboy topped with glitter. 

Starting with pop up sales and a commercial website, McLain found that her dream was to expand further to a more accessible space. Vintage shopping online is difficult, especially with modified and reworked pieces. 

“The sizing is very different between brands,” McLain explained. “They don’t always have the correct sizing with everyone.”

The brick and mortar storefront opened in October of 2022. There is an ambience of eclectic vintage and homage to the fun nature of McLain’s business. 

Antler chandeliers, sparkles, vintage pieces and her grandmother’s iconic Playboy magazine cover decorate the interior of the store. 

Self expression is easiest done through fashion and appearance, that is part of why her brand means so much to McLain. She does it all herself, from logo design, to website building, to photography and vintage sourcing.

McLain tries to thrift wherever she can, finding spectacular vintage clothing pieces in the most unsuspecting places. Even if a piece isn’t a match made in heaven to herself- it could be somebody else’s. 

Her online storefront showcases the pieces found in her store, with a touch of Sparklie Bunny personality as well. 

There is a wide range of curated pieces to explore and try on at Sparklie Bunny, and McLain makes her store’s experience as accessible as possible. 

“It’s important to know what you have on you,” McLain said. “Don’t you want to pass on something you wear one day?” 

A chain of owners passing down clothing is a sustainable and eco-friendly option when it comes to finding the perfect clothing piece. Not only does it benefit the environment, but it raises the quality of clothing options too. Each piece is going to have a story. 

The sentiment of finding joy in what you wear, enough to treasure it and pass that experience on is something that McLain’s business shares with the Reno community. 

“Not a lot of people have the opportunity to wear whatever they want,” McLain concluded. “When you have the opportunity to do that you really take pride in how you look.”

Reporting by Em Tomeo shared with Our Town Reno

Solving the Puzzle Room in Reno

The Puzzle Room Reno is an adventure, horror, and mystery escape room place for all ages.

Especially for myself, a 23-year-old male who always becomes a child every time I unlock a clue.

I also became a scared man-child when I was stuck in the Asylum- it's one of five escape rooms there. 

They also have Valley of the Kings, Below Ground, Lost Cabin, and Blackbeard’s Treasure.

The Asylum was a dark room with only a few flickering lights and the sounds of many residents being admitted to the asylum, whispering and screaming, and we had to use past clues of past inmates trying to escape.

Be lightning fast if you're attempting to beat the time record, which is 29:23, and remember everybody has 60 minutes to escape, and you'll probably need at least 45 minutes to run away from your nightmares successfully. 

So far, at the Puzzle Room, Valley of the Kings is the most fun I have had with my coworkers from the UNR campus for a staff bonding night. 

We had a blast because we were going into the room as a group of explorers trying to find an explorer who went missing in search of the treasure of King Tut’s tomb. 

We came close to beating the record of 23:17, but we got a very close to it 23:30. We were satisfied. We had lots of fun being together and working on our communication skills. Each room only costs $27 for each person, which is a steal. To reserve a room, you must have at least two people. 

I highly recommend going to the Puzzle Room Reno for an adventurous afternoon, a frightening night with family and friends, or even trying to escape the rooms as a date duo.

Keep Reno Rad Feature by Mario Jimenez

Pickleball Players of All Abilities Unite at Convention Center

While reporting on the local pickleball scene with reporters Kathleen Leslie Kelsey Morris John Purdy and Kelly Yang Kat Fulwider got some wonderful pictures of local players in action and posing on the court at the Jam On It program at the Convention Center.

“You’re going to see kids play with their parents. You’re going to see grandparents play with their kids, and their grandkids. So the diversity, women, black, religious wise, they leave it here,” Matt Williams one of the organizers of the extremely popular program said. “You may have a judge come here, and you may have someone who just got off parole. It is that diverse. They don’t care. It’s sports. It’s pickleball.”

“If you’re single, or you’re lonely at home, you come here, you can stay here for hours,” Katherine Lewis, one of the staff said. “It’s big enough that you’re not sitting by yourself. You can watch good games, interact with people, eat, leave, come back. You can spend a good day here.”

“If you’re pairing up with people, and you’re partnering with them, you can build upon that, get to know more about your partners,” Kristina Cipolletti, one of the many participants said. “You learn their game, you learn about their life. It’s really special."

Have you tried the local pickleball scene and where do you like to play?

Photo Series and reporting shared with Our Town Reno, December 2023

A Reno Mattress Company with a History of Springing Up 4th Street

If you’ve taken a stroll or a drive down 4th street in the last several decades, you may have seen a stand alone red brick building just east of Sutro Street. Stretched across the top of the building is a faded blue and yellow sign that proclaims “Reno Mattress Company,” and just below that, “since 1910.” The anachronistic sign stands out as a relic of the past, in the middle of an evolving 4th street. 

The image on the sign is an old car loaded with furniture and stacked with mattresses on top, bouncing across Washoe Valley, with a jack rabbit dashing through the scene. The sign caught our attention at Our Town Reno, so I went to go check it out. Inside the little red brick building I met Mike Berry, who has worked full time at the store for over fifty years.

Mike greeted me with a smile as he chatted with a customer about a custom RV mattress. I tested out a couple of mattresses, and examined a row of beautiful old Singer sewing machines. After one customer left, the next approached Mike. He was an 88-year-old man from Oklahoma who rode his bike to the store. Mike helped him find the most comfortable mattress, something that would help the Oklahoman get a great night’s rest. Afterwards Mike looked at me in astonishment. “88 years old and he rode his bike here,” he said excitedly.

Mike isn’t sure exactly where the company was in 1910. In the 1960s, when his parents bought in, Reno Mattress was farther east down 4th Street. One thing Mike discovered, though, were some old articles that displayed the company’s old, four digit phone number: five seven nine one. Reno Mattress has kept those same four digits as the last part of their phone number until now.  “So yeah,” says Mike, “we had the same number for probably, I don't know, 80 years, 100 years.”

Mike has worked at the store since he was a kid, and he has worked hard. “I never got any summer vacations because my dad was hard nose,” Mike told me. “So, you know, my buddies were having summer vacation, and I was down here working eight hours a day.” The missed summer vacations may have paid off (at least in part) when Mike bought a brand new Ford truck when he turned 21. 

After being in the mattress business for over fifty years, Mike definitely knows what he’s talking about, when it comes to spring vs. foam or other particularities of the sleep comfort industry. “They say people are in bed like, a fourth of their life, you know,” Mike said. “So you definitely need a good bed.”

There are only four types of mattresses, according to Mike: spring, foam, water, and air. From there, the store uses their mattress magic to customize something special for any customer who has more specific needs. 

“Somebody comes in and says, ‘Hey, I want a mattress this firm.’ We try to make it that firm, you know. If they want it extra, extra firm, we can do that too. The same type of mattress, (we’ll) just use a different, heavier steel coil in the spring. Or a high density foam. We can wiggle around to get what you want.”  Mike says that customs are the company’s “bread and butter”-- they make custom mattresses for RVs and other vehicles, as well. 

When recalling Reno Mattress memories, Mike thought of his dad, who owned the store before Mike. His dad has since passed away, but it sounds to me like they used to have a lot of fun together. “I remember one time we had a customer come in,” Mike chuckles, “and so, you know, we didn't know where my dad went. So, you know, I took the customer upstairs and we flipped over a sheet of foam, and my dad was underneath there, sleeping. So the customer says ‘what's this?’ I said, ‘oh, you know, that's just the owner.’”
With Reno Mattress Company situated right on 4th Street, Mike has seen the effects of the unaffordable housing crisis first hand, and he expressed his frustration to me. “I know people need help,” Mike said with a drip of sadness, “but the city doesn't want to help them.” 

“I was on the Fourth Street Corridor for many years,” Mike told me, “and the city wouldn't let us do anything, because they had plans on selling a lot of these businesses that were out of business. Put little shops in here, maybe running an electric train…from Virginia Street all the way into Sparks.” While several new businesses have successfully made a name for themselves on Fourth Street, there is no electric train, and Mike isn’t impressed with where things have gone. “It's just not good,” he said.

Whatever his thoughts on his store’s neighborhood, Mike is proud of his work, and he plans to stick around for a while. As I saw Mike interact with his customers, laughing and joking, it was clear that he loved his job. And he’s good at it, which is important if you’re looking to buy a mattress. 

“Instead of pulling somebody out of selling refrigerators and washing machines and telling them, ‘today you're going to go sell mattresses,’ you know, they don't know what the hell they're talking about,” Mike said. “I've been doing this forever. If you want the honest truth, and you want a good mattress and a fair deal, we’re here.”

“I enjoy it,” Mike told me with a smile. “One of these days I'll retire.”

Our Town Reno reporting by Ray Grosser

Thrifting in Midtown Reno, Bad Apple and FreeStyle Versus Online Shopping

In the Biggest Little City of Reno, there are many gems in Midtown, such as thrift stores, which have evolved from being places for affordable clothing to becoming havens for discovering unique and vintage pieces, allowing people to curate their own personal styles. In a town full of broke college students, these secondhand shops are a go-to for looking good on a budget. 

Bela Reyes and Audrey Alavi are two UNR journalism students. Bela likes dressing comfortably and chic on a daily basis. But she also has a trendy “cool girl” style. She loves gold hoop earrings and Nike Dunks. And Audrey prefers to have a sleek, trendy, approach to fashion. This means wearing workout sets or having an edgy look with cargo pants, tight long sleeves and slick hairstyles.  For Our Town Reno, they compare two thrifting mainstays against shopping online.

FreeStyle Clothing Exchange, 780 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501

Audrey - Freestyle Clothing Exchange has to take the cake on trendy, affordable thrift items. Friends can get together and tap into their unique style here, with many options to choose from. The most amazing thing about this thrift store is it’s clean, organized, and edgy. The staff is very selective on items they take in, to get the best outcome for their customers. The variety of clothing is so wide it draws in many new customers daily, with items from jeans to blouses, corsets, slippers, and other footwear. 

Bela - Freestyle Clothing Exchange is a Midtown classic. Not only can you buy clothes but you can sell your clothes too and receive 30% of their selling price. Freestyle definitely stays on top of trends, selling brands that are more popular in the current fashion market, such as Ragged Priest and Lululemon. But, they also have some cool vintage jackets and sports sweatshirts. They are more affordable and more popular among college students.

Bad Apple Vntg, 1001 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502

Audrey - This hidden gem always catches people off guard with how unique it is. These items are so original, and it’s a very small store. They have rugs, perfumes, candy, hats, shirts, jeans, bottoms, and even a Los Angeles Lakers letterman jacket. This store can be a tad more pricey because it’s so unique. They need the profit more because they aren’t a part of a chain and it’s all special new items and ideas for sale.

Bela - Bad Apple Vntg sits on the corner of the roundabout near Biggest Little Boba Shop. It was my first time in this funky little vintage shop, but they had some hidden gems. The store is not big, but it is filled to the brim with colorful accessories, vintage clothing, and random knick-knacks such as perfume, candles, and keychains. It is a more unconventional and fun thrift shop. They had the vintage Laker varsity jacket on sale for $152, which was very cool but a little out of my budget. While they are a bit more expensive, I would come back for some unique finds.

Whichever store you choose, thrift shopping is the smarter way to have your defined style, on a budget. These stores are essential to have in the heart of Midtown Reno, drawing in loyal customers as well as occasional shoppers and tourists.

Thrift shopping is better than online because you're able to look at the clothing items in real-time. When debating when to purchase something, it’s beneficial to experience the look, touch, appearance, and quality before adding an item to your wardrobe. Although online can be easier for those with tough schedules, or even just if people feel lazy, it's more worth it to shop in person, for many reasons including creating community connections. Thrifting is also the greenest way to get your clothes. It can take years for materials of fast fashion to break down in landfills, while your good finds here in Midtown, if you keep them in good condition, you can resell and keep that vintage look going for someone else on the fashion line down the road.

Reporting and Photos by Bela Reyes and Audrey Alavi

Christmas with the Crawfords at the Bruka Theatre

“Christmas with the Crawfords” now playing at the Bruka Theatre is an unmistakably holiday camp performance.

It's based on the real life of Hollywood actress Joan Crawford who had a topsy turvy career and family life.

The show is sure to make you laugh nonstop with satirical humor throughout and parodies of other ‘Golden Age’ celebrities such as Judy Garland and Katherine Hepburn.

Based loosely on the real radio broadcast of the Crawford family on Christmas Eve, the plot follows the recently washed-up Joan Crawford in an attempt to re-establish relevancy in Hollywood.

However, Joan's dysfunctional family has other ideas and the family feuds are endless.

In this play, the Bruka Theatre embodies the 1940s era with glamorous and glittery atmosphere and costumes.

One can't help but admire the details and quality of some of the actor’s dresses such as the elegant purple dress Joann Crawford wears in the opening or Carmen Miranda's (played by John Wade) over-the-top flashy golden dress and their feathery fruity headpiece.

The bold voices of talented local actors are unforgettable, such as Bradford Ka'ai'ai who plays the lead.

He is a Washoe County School District Theater Arts educator who has been involved in the theater community in Reno since 1994.

The Bruka Theatre will only perform a total of 15 performances, and seating is limited. So make sure you don't miss out on the opportunity to watch a unique performance in a comfortable intimate space. The show runs for 90 minutes and tickets are $35 or $31 with applicable student, senior, or military ID online, or $40 at the door. All main evening performances begin at 7:30 and late admittance will not be allowed. The Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 pm.

Review and photos by Nancy Vazquez

Assistance League of Reno-Sparks Helps Local Schools, Teachers and School Kids

The Assistance League of Reno-Sparks is being extra generous this year to local schools, teachers and school kids. Here's their latest update:

"Last year, Assistance League’s Links to Learning philanthropy purchased an ambulance simulator for the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno. We were proud and excited to enable high school students to complete EMT training. Helping these aspiring and dedicated students reach their goal was thrilling. In fact, we loved it so much, we wanted to do it again!

This year we offered large Education Enhancement Awards—up to $10,000 each! —to teacher teams at local schools. According the Links chair, Delores Clewe, “This is a pilot project to see if a large sum of money could create an impact on student learning.” Six awards were recently presented at surprise school visits at Lloyd Diedrichsen, Echo Loder, Robert Mitchell, Pleasant Valley, Mamie Towles, and Jerry Whitehead.

In their applications teachers noted the special needs of many students who lost ground during the pandemic lock-down.

Students are showing deficits in literacy, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), critical thinking, and communication as well as social and emotional learning.

These six $10,000 awards will purchase classroom computers, materials, online literacy resources, books, and even a robot!

The Qtrobot facilitates communication skills, emotional regulation, attention, and positive behaviors with special education students, especially those on the autism spectrum.

These large awards were in addition to $70,000 in smaller awards presented to teachers and librarians at other local schools.

Assistance League of Reno-Sparks’ is funded by donations, grants, and our fabulous Thrift Shop at 1701 Vassar.

Follow this link below to learn more about how you can be part of our efforts to improve the lives of students, seniors, and veterans.

https://www.assistanceleague.org/reno-sparks/

Please contact Karen Alvarado,Beechmont3276@gmail.com, 949-610-9456 or Lorie Schaefer, NVomalorie@gmail.com for further information.

Assistance League of Reno-Sparks is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to helping those in need within our community by serving children, seniors, veterans, and victims of abuse. Your contributions are fully tax-deductible. We are an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff; therefore, your contribution is maximized. All donations stay in Washoe County, benefitting adults and children in need through our philanthropic programs in your local community. Assistance League runs its Thrift Store and Senior Sampler at its headquarters at 1701 Vassar Street, Reno."

Keep Reno Rad Submission, Nov. 27, 2023

An Ode to Skateboarders and their Beloved Believe Plaza

A little over two years ago the downtown location got added skating features to the delight of our vibrant skateboarding community.

The plaza has evolved from an unsanctioned skate park into an officially recognized haven for skateboard enthusiasts who have welcomed the change, even though many other residents have complained.

“I think Reno wanted to make this a distinct landmark in the city,” skateboarder Sam Chicobo said.

“The whale is my favorite part about the skate park,” a recent transplant and avid skateboarder-photographer Austin Samwellson said, gesturing towards the iconic feature that has become a focal point for skaters and visitors alike, even if controversial and unnecessary for other locals.

“It’s a cool little piece of flat land. Coming from somewhere that didn’t have any type of skating, flat land or community like this, I think that would really have to be the best part,” Samwellson added.

One of the skateboarding additions is a pad shaped to mirror the shape of Nevada. Infused with vibrant colors, the rails and ledges contribute to a unique visual aspect of downtown Reno which many skateboarders are grateful for.

Photos and reporting by Eliana Gorov and Jace Ouchida shared with Our Town Reno

Joyce Macway, Volunteering at Good Shepherd's Clothes Closet With a Smile

There are pockets of goodness everywhere in Reno. In the midst of a housing crisis, and costs of living which seem to grow higher by the day, folks in the Reno community (and everywhere) need a little boost sometimes. Those pockets of goodness are here, and ready to give a boost and a smile to whoever is around.

Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet is one of those places. On the outside it may not seem like much— a small storefront on Greenbrae Drive in Sparks. On the inside, however, are racks on racks of clothes, shoes, and other supplies. And the best part– it’s all free for those who need it. 

Community members smile as they comb through the aisles, grabbing a nice, new, button-down shirt to feel sharp or a new suit jacket to impress. Before heading out the door, they receive soap, socks, blankets, and any other items that will help them through the month.

The sight of Renoites receiving a helpful service is wonderful in itself. But the real wonder is what, and who, is making it all happen. Since 1996, Good Shepherd's Clothes Closet has run on donations of both money and time. And, according to Joyce Macway, it’s that donated time that really makes the difference.

Joyce, a Sparks native, has volunteered at the GSCC for over fifteen years now. She says that she has always believed in volunteering. She and her family traveled around quite a bit for her husband’s job: from California, to Alabama, to Oklahoma, and all the way to Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Joyce found places to give her time, and her joyful energy, everywhere she went. She has worked at Street Life Ministries in California, with special needs kids in schools, in churches, and in libraries all around the world. 

After a long time away, she landed back in Reno, Nevada. And after hearing about Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet, she stopped by to see what it was all about– and keeps coming back to help.  “It helps me keep my life in perspective,” she says. “I lost my mom. I lost my dad. Struggled with my sisters over the estate. But this kept me grounded.” 

Joyce has also made some lifelong friends during her time at GSCC. “I just lost one,” she says, with sadness in her voice. “She passed away at the age of 94, and she probably volunteered at the clothes closet (for) 20 years. I used to refer to her as my mom, my grandma, and my aunt all rolled into one,” Joyce smiles as she remembers her friend. “She was the neatest lady.”

At Good Shepherd’s, clients can come in every thirty days. At the front of the store, they pick up a laminated piece of paper– a list of items that they can take from the clothes closet, each month. This system is in place so the volunteers can ensure that they have enough supplies for everyone. But their kindness is bigger than lists.

“We have had fire victims come in here,” Joyce recalls. “And usually I just tell them, ‘get what you need. We're not gonna follow the list today. Just get what you need.’” Joyce says that the same goes for immigrants and refugees who arrive in Reno with nothing to their name.  “‘Today, get what you need. Next time you come we'll follow the list.’”

Joyce and the other volunteers at GSCC welcome people from all over, and from all different situations. Joyce remembers one day, recently, that she helped someone who had just left a domestic violence situation. “They had on what they had,” she says. “They were so grateful. And it was just so nice to be able to help them with that.”

“We get lots of grateful people through here.” Joyce says. Sometimes clients want to share their stories with Joyce and whoever else is around. Joyce recently celebrated with a client who was four weeks sober. “Sometimes people ask for hugs,” she smiles. “I give it to them. When they walk through that door, I want them to be happy to be here. I want them to have a good shopping experience.”

If someone wants to volunteer at Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet, there is always a need for donated time. Volunteers work at the front desk, helping clients find what they need, chatting with folks who may need a listening ear, and organizing the racks. And if a volunteer isn’t feeling too social, they can work in the back: organizing supplies, hanging clothes, listening to music. There is something for everyone to do. 

Joyce wrote a few essays, reflecting on the time she has spent volunteering– at GSCC and everywhere else. She writes about the benefits of volunteering: “I learned, first hand, that the benefits of volunteering are good for your mind as well as your body.” She describes that after she began spending time at the clothes closet, her “problems didn’t seem too big anymore.”

One of the essays Joyce wrote is titled “My Happy Place”. “Volunteering at the Good Shepherd Clothes Closet is my ‘happy place,’” she writes. “The hours I spend working are helping me deal with the parts of my life that haven’t turned out as expected. I love the interaction with clients as I bag up their items. I like the feeling that I am making a difference in their lives because I spoke with them, shook hands with them, hugged them, made them smile, laugh or shared ‘the Lord be with you.’” 

Joyce and all of the volunteers at Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet are creating one of Reno’s pockets of goodness. They are re-creating it every day, over and over, as they share their time, smiles, and hugs with people in need of kindness. When the clothes closet first opened 27 years ago, they served a dozen clients a day. Now, that number is over one hundred. According to Joyce, it’s the volunteers that make GSCC successful. “They all believe in paying it forward,” she says. “We're all blessed. And we're all doubly blessed. To be here, to be able to do it.” 

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Ray Grosser

Nichim, Bringing Chiapas, Guanajuato and Michoacan Fashion to Reno

Nichim means flower in the Tzeltal language. The Tzeltals are an indigenous and Chapaneca ethnic group. “When I began to have this concern about opening this store, I said well, if I am going to sell so much clothing from Chiapas, and if these Indigenous people are going to share with me what they do, for me to come and bring it here, I wanted to make it something recognizable and significant,” Irlanda Igareda explains of opening her store called Nichim on Mill Street. 

Igareda sells embroidery pieces from Chiapas, leather bags and hats from León, Guanajuato, as well as huaraches from her home city Sahuayo in Michoacán among other artisan goods. 

What makes Nichim unique from other artisan shops is that Igareda carries the best products from each Mexican state such as sombreros from Guanajuato which is known as the sombrero capital of the world. Igareda also makes sure to know the history of her items.

A few of the huarache designs Igareda sells as well as her artisanal Lelé doll which Igareda takes with her to all her events. 

For this interview, Igareda wore a blue traditional dress and explained its origins.  

“Look at this outfit that I'm wearing today, it's the Cohuina outfit from the Zoque Coiteco festival. There in Coita, which is located in the State of Chiapas, Mexico and this outfit that I'm wearing today is of a woman, now it is part of a dance, the dance of the cohuitecas,” she said.

Not only that but she knows where her products are coming from and who made them. “My favorite part is when they ask me what part this is from. Every time a person asks me the origin of anything that I have here in stock I love it because I can share absolutely everything that had to happen, for the hat, for the bag, so that the blouse would reach here. That way they obviously fall in love with the products because they know that they are made with love, that they come from people who perhaps have been dedicated to this since they were children,” Igareda says.

While Igareda can always be spotted wearing traditional wear and it’s become a part of her brand image, she’s just being true to herself. She loves wearing traditional outfits because they hold huge significance in Mexican culture. Most of this traditional wear is often passed down from generation to generation and can show to the world where a person’s roots are from. 

“I think that as a Hispanic the most important thing, what we should never forget, are our roots. Every Hispanic comes here with a dream, above all, the message that I always share, not just for Hispanic Heritage Month, but always. The message of the empowerment of women in this country and in its society. That each woman realizes that she totally has the right and the ability to grow in any field of work and, in this way grow her economy to have a better quality of life,” Igareda says. 

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Nancy Vazquez

The Ferrari Farms Pumpkin Trove in Reno

 The Ferrari Farms pumpkin patch has been a family favorite in Reno for over two decades. As James Reno reports, their fall festival runs every day from September 30th to October 31st and has plenty to offer. 

Right by the entrance, people were assembling near a booth to buy tickets for the corn maze and take part in a raffle.

One of them, Kenzie has only lived in Reno for a few years but has made it a yearly tradition to attend the pumpkin patch.

“I really love Ferrari Farms and I’ve been going there for a few years now and everyone is super nice, it’s super organized, it’s really fun and I would say my favorite part is the petting zoo, it’s really fun,” she explained.

On top of the petting zoo where cows could be seen eating corn, and other activities, there are multiple food and drink vendors at the pumpkin patch that seem to get a lot of business.

The owner of the TapWagon in Reno, one of the vendors at the event, Cody Wagner, loves the festival as well.

“I think I started in 2018 was our first year so been here for a couple of years. It’s always good business out here, they treat us really well, the owners do, so yeah I can’t complain it’s fun, as long as the weather holds up,” Wagner said.

A common theme among the workers and vendors was that the owner, Frank Ferrari was a great person who treated everyone well. 

Ferrari, who runs around checking everything is running smoothly, took a few minutes to explain the festival’s origins.

“We started the pumpkin patch 26 years ago and we’ve been growing ever since, the farm has been in our family since 1912. We do the hay rides, corn maze, corn walk, we have a country store, we have vendors, we have animals, all kinds of stuff like that. We even do movies under the stars and a haunted maze, but yeah it’s just a lot of fun, and a lot of families enjoy it,” Ferrari said.

Reporting by James Reno

Bonds Brought Together Through Dance at Art in Motion

Kimberly Hosford, the Director of Competition Teams at the Art in Motion Dance Studio, taps and dances along with her students during rehearsals. Teaching both competitive and recreational dance, Hosford and other instructors have helped build a culture through inclusiveness and team morale. 

This culture has been built since the studio opened in 2003. Hosford has been with the studio since 2011, starting as a dancer herself in high school. 

Hosford says the culture has gotten more serious over time, especially with the growth of competition teams. It started out as a place to come and dance recreationally, and while that’s still present, dancers have also gotten into competing. 

“Once we got some kids that wanted to take it a little bit more seriously, and maybe even professionally and compete, the culture just became a bit more serious,” Hosford said. “Dancers started coming hours a day, many times a week.”

Balancing the differences between competition and recreation can get tricky. Hosford said it’s easy to get swept away in the feeling of wanting to win, so it’s important to remind the dancers that having fun matters, too. 

“It's going to take them the furthest and it's also what the audience responds to the best,” Hosford said.” “So I think just reminding the kids of that and seeing them grow as artists is most important.” 

Of course, competing in something is never easy. There’s going to be moments of defeat, heartache, and feeling upset in general. 

Lauren Tito, the studio’s administrative assistant who also teaches classes, says making the dancers feel supported and heard can help boost issues of low confidence or self-esteem. 

“I have found that the kids do better and feel better when they know someone is on their side,” Tito said. “When they feel supported in this way, they are able to focus more on the positives and the competition without the negativity dragging them down.” 

When spirits are high, staff at Art in Motion say they separate themselves from other studios with team bonding and a warm, welcoming energy. 

Tito says it’s easy to hear about the culture of other local studios, and they aren’t always the best stories. Any team or group will have their moments, but Tito says the support and love the teachers and dancers have is like no other. 

“There is nowhere else I’d rather be,” Tito said. “We, too, have our ups and downs, but the positives always outweigh the negatives.” 

Jayden Frost, a dancer turned teacher at Art in Motion, agrees with how enjoyable the studio is. She’s seen it from both a student and teacher perspective and knows how some studios interact differently. 

“You'll see a teacher from another studio, just screaming at the kids, and then I feel like our studio at camp we really get together and we're super close during camp,” Frost said. “It's just much more hospitable.”

All three agree that they’re beyond proud of the growth Art in Motion has produced, and what the future holds.

“I think my very first year we have seven dances registered for competition, and my last year we had like 32, somewhere around there,” Frost said. “It's just really cool seeing how everyone has grown and knowing that I’m with it means a lot.”

“It has been beautiful to watch so many young dancers become amazing adults,” Hosford said. “Also becoming amazing human beings and even growing up to teach and do what I do. It just blows my mind. It's really special.”

The goal these teachers and dancers have is to continue to grow their studio. With more expansion and dancers comes an even stronger culture. 

“I feel like Art in Motion has something really special that a lot of other studios don't, and that is how close we are,” Frost said. “I can only imagine that if it were to keep growing it would just get closer and closer, and we've just been getting better every year, so I'm looking forward to seeing that.” 

As class ends and the dancers pack up, the bonding still carries on. Teachers will hype up how well the rehearsals went as they leave the building. Dancers will linger around after class, either getting food and eating together or just hanging out in the parking lot. 

Reporting by Dominic Gutierrez & Saurabh Chawla shared with Our Town Reno

Bike Film Festival Adds to Ky Plaskon's Relentless Effort to Make Reno Bicycle Friendly

What image does the word “cyclist” bring to mind? Many people may think of white men with tight, logoed jerseys, heads down, cycling uphill and somehow not breaking a sweat. Local cyclist advocate Ky Plaskon encourages folks to expand their view of who a “cyclist” actually is.

One of the ways he hopes to accomplish this is through a bike film festival here in Reno on September 22nd at the Savage Mystic Gallery on South Virginia Street. “They’re pretty emotionally intense movies,” Plaskon says, hoping viewers will get a broader perspective on bicycling and its many communities.

“There's a misconception about who's riding a bicycle, which is…people in lycra,” says Plaskon. (Lycra is that spandex-like material that those logoed jerseys are typically made with). “But the vast majority of people riding bicycles are just trying to get to work, using it as regular transit.” 

These people, Plaskon says also need to be served in terms of our transportation infrastructure.

“(Those people) typically aren't bicycle advocates. If you speak to them…they're like, ‘yes, I feel in danger when I ride my bicycle, just like everybody else does’. We need to expand that understanding, and also explain to our leaders– it's not just people in lycra, and it's not just white people.”

A useful term for this is “infrastructure injustice,” according to Plaskon, who will serve as president of the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance until December. Throughout his term, which began in 2021 according to his LinkedIn, Plaskon provided a passionate voice for the cycling community, from city council comments to publishing opeds to organizing countless public events. “I'm a really aggressive bicycle advocate,” he says. “I’m very pushy.” 

And push he has, although sometimes working against infrastructure injustice takes a lot of pushing. Plaskon recalls the Regional Transportation Commission proposing gorgeous, but very expensive bike lanes– infrastructure that would be separated by pass, lit by bike lights, and lined with trees. “They were talking about spending 10 million dollars on less than a mile of bike path on Center Street,” he says. 

Part of Plaskon’s work with the Alliance involved finding better, cheaper options that had already been implemented in other cities. In Washington D.C., equally safe bicycling alternatives have cost only $750,000 per mile. Bringing this research back to Reno resulted in the Regional Transportation Commission’s consideration of cheaper options. “(They) asked the public: ‘Hey, what do you think? Should we spend a ton of money, and not do a lot, and take a lot of time? Or should we not spend very much money, and do it really fast, and have lots of safe infrastructure…and still be really effective?’”

Unfortunately the RTC has not been quick about releasing those survey results, and the process has slowed. Plaskon thinks “maybe they were hoping that everybody would say, ‘no, we want to spend more money and take more time.’ And my thought is that people were probably like, ‘no…get it done fast and do it cheap.’” 

Plaskon has also focused on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) during his term with the alliance. And thankfully his goals have aligned with the RTC’s on some occasions. Plaskon remembers that last year, “the RTC sponsored 50 riders to come to downtown Reno and do a ride.” He says that they “only promoted in the Hispanic community, in Spanish.” And they had about thirty people show up to bike.

“One (of the riders) was a little girl who had no brakes on her bike,” Plaskon recalls. “We had our supporters out there, helping, but they had to surround her because she would just go off in some crazy direction towards a car…That's an example of the local government supporting diversity and inclusion in the bicycling community, which is fantastic.” 

Representation is a primary goal of the upcoming film festival as well. Featured films include stories of folks with various disabilities, “things that make it really, you would think– challenging to ride a bicycle.” Plaskon reflects. “And they’re totally doing it.” 

There will also be a special guest speaking on September 22nd– documentary producer Cyrille Vincent. Vincent is currently raising funds to produce a film about the life of Major Taylor, one of the most famous, and maybe most forgotten, cyclists in history. Taylor was a Black athlete who started racing during the aftermath of the Civil War, when white folks “made it clear that his elite position was not to be used as a platform to…demand that equality be extended to other members of his race,” according to the documentary’s website.  Vincent will be discussing why he’s intent on completing the film.

Plaskon came up with the idea for the film fest several months ago, after seeing Vincent’s website and his funding goals for the documentary. Plaskon didn’t know who Taylor was until his daughters participated in a bike camp that held the athlete’s name in the title.

Sometimes, organizations like the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance, and folks like Ky Plakson fall to the background, as they do a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work for the Reno community. The same can be said for the story of Major Taylor, who was an unstoppable force throughout his cycling career, and the second Black athlete to win a world championship. At this film festival, Renoites can support both Reno’s current efforts towards inclusivity and justice for cyclists, as well as the important history of someone who paved the way for Black athletes. 

Our Town Reno reporting by Ray Grosser

More information about the film festival:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whirlwind-the-major-taylor-story-meet-the-director-film-festival-tickets-686114154907

Cyrille Vincent’s upcoming documentary, Whirlwind: https://www.worcesterwhirlwind.com/about

The Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance: https://bikewashoe.org/

Glynn Cartledge, from Law to Art, Defending the Incarcerated

It was a hot, sweaty day when I met Glynn Cartledge on the porch of their Reno home. The Truckee river rushed past us just to the north. The riverwalk was a lively scene, buzzing with weekend festivities. Glynn’s home, however, provided a peaceful oasis. “I’m very lucky to live here,” they told me. And with the important work they’re doing, Reno is lucky to have Cartledge here as well. 

Glynn is an artist who was recently awarded a fellowship with the Nevada Arts Council. Their work is full of color and life, but the subject matter that inspires Cartledge’s art isn’t quite fun and games. “My art is a conversation with the criminal justice system,” Glynn says. And after working as a defense attorney for over twenty years, Cartledge has much to say.

In their career, Glynn says they encountered a great deal of injustice, including racism and classism.

According to The Sentencing Project, “Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of white Americans– and one in 81 Black adults in the US is serving time in state prison.” A 2019 publication details the startling facts around pretrial detention– or, waiting for your trial in a jail cell. According to this research, “nine out of ten defendants in jail awaiting trial are there because they either cannot or choose not to meet the release conditions set in their cases. Most likely they cannot afford to pay the bail that has been set.” Being detained in jail before going to trial, many times results in harsher sentencing. This means that folks who cannot pay bail are operating at a disadvantage from the get go. 

To learn more about Glynn and some of their work, visit: https://www.glynnbcartledge.com/contact

Glynn witnessed, first hand, these institutional disparities. Unfortunately they say they also saw a lack of effort from their own colleagues.

Cartledge speaks of one man who died on death row. “Not by execution,” they clarify. “He just died of old age.” According to Glynn, they selected the jury on Monday, and by Wednesday they had finished the trial. The judge released the verdict before the end of the week. “How can that have been justice?” Glynn wonders, seemingly still searching for the answer. “You may say, well he killed people. I don’t think he killed people, but anyway, everybody deserves representation. It’s in the constitution. We don’t want poor innocent people going to prison. Or, poor people who did something bad, but not as bad as the government says. The government has all the power.” 

Luckily, Glynn is still encouraging conversations about criminal injustice. Now, however, they take a different approach. “I have always painted or drawn,” Cartledge tells me. “I had my first art lesson at five years old, that my dad took me to…I went to the University of Georgia where I was majoring in art. Then I dropped out, because I didn’t like one of my professors. I ended up going to law school, kind of out of need. I really loved (law school), but I continued to paint all these years, and study, and take classes from mentors. Then I entered art school again, and dropped out again– so I’m a two time art school dropout. I’m kind of a rebel that way. I do what I want to do.”

“I became really serious about it in about 2010. And that’s when I began to paint my friends and people that I knew.” Glynn started out painting formal portraits of people they had represented, or other formerly incarcerated people who they connected with. They started work on a series called P2P, or “prisoners to paper dolls.” These portraits display subjects painted with oils on canvas. Their arms are outstretched, palms up. And alongside these portraits are “paper doll clothes,” sewn by Cartledge. “ I’m trying to communicate their worth,” Glynn says, “but also how the public, including myself– how we view them.” 

Glynn started making collaged jail cells on canvas as well, illustrating realities of life in a cage. They’ve also recorded oral and written histories from those with histories of incarceration. “I have them write a five page, or more, history… about what they want to talk about. They have to be felons–  a felon means that you went to prison– and you aren’t an ex-felon. That never happens. You’re always a felon.”

What Glynn calls “deadpan portraits” are paintings of people from their chest up, (“more like mug shots,” they say), with a “call to duty” painted across the width of the canvas. “For example, I just painted Jenni…with the word ‘comply’ painted across her in red letters– to state that she’ll have to comply with all the rules and regulations and fines and fees when she gets out. So she’s still, kind of– punished.” And “carceral cloths,” are inspired by the history of early immigrants, who painted ship sails to use as floor cloths. These painted sails mimicked the expensive rugs owned by wealthier Americans back then. Glynn repurposed this idea to symbolize the link between poverty and imprisonment. “Mine have images on them, and the images and the colors, everything, has to do with prison. For example, I (included) handcuffs, sexual positions.. and all the rugs are made on unstretched cotton canvas, just like the used sails that they had back in the day. I’m going to put one on the floor at my next exhibition. It’s 8x6 feet, the standard size of a prison cell.”

Cartledge’s artwork calls us to conversation and action, and it’s a platform for them to share the truth they’ve discovered. “...People who are incarcerated, either in jail or in prison, are human beings. They deserve dignity, they deserve decent treatment, and whether you think they need to be imprisoned or not, I think that they deserve to be treated as any citizen would like to be treated. 97% of those in jail are coming out. So if we mistreat these people in prison, feed them bad food– which we do– if it’s brutal and gang infested– which it is…these people are going to be your neighbors. So if you can’t (take action) for them, do it for yourselves, and for your community.”

Glynn and I chatted about how chaotic the world feels now, and how difficult it can be to focus on any singular crisis, or issue. But change doesn’t always occur on some grand scale. It can look like a conversation with neighbors and friends, or a painting which can open minds and hearts to an incarcerated member of our community. 

Reporting by Ray Grosser for Our Town Reno

Experiencing Flotation Therapy at Healing One in Reno

Everyone has their own individual way of relaxing and switching off – taking a long walk, a deep tissue massage, painting, journaling. But something you may have heard of, but not yet tried is flotation therapy, currently available at Healing One in Reno at 560 E Plumb Lane.

But first before going on my own trial, I’ll answer some basic questions while looking into terminology and a brief history. Sensory deprivation or flotation you may ask yourself?

That’s because you may have heard of float therapy referred to by its other name “sensory deprivation.” It essentially involves stepping into a float tank (or isolation tank) which contains 11” of water (just enough to float above the bottom without ever touching it) and over 1,000 lbs of pharmaceutical grade epsom salts. The air and water are heated to body temperature and the experience is totally silent and sightless – picture an oversized bathtub with a lid to block out any light, sound, any other external distractions.

The concept of using a flotation tank as a therapeutic technique was first developed by Dr. John C Lilly – an American writer, inventor, physician, neuroscientists, and psychoanalyst – in the 1950s. His initial goal was to invent a way of isolating the brain from external stimulation, so he filled a pitch black, soundproof tank with warm salty water in which subjects could float for long periods of time in sensory isolation and go deep inside their own thoughts. He hoped that the tank would allow him to better research the origins of consciousness in his patients. Likely, the idea was inspired by the Dead Sea, a hypersaline body of water located between Jordan, Israel and Palestine that has such a high saline content that you can float on top freely and enjoy the feeling of being completely weightless.

While these tanks were originally used for medical purposes, in the last six or seven years it has gained in popularity as a way to relax and unwind. ‘Floating’ has a wide range of wonderful benefits for the mind and body, and is enjoyed by everyone from professional athletes, pregnant women, and those simply looking for a way to switch off after a hard work week. Studies have shown that floating has been shown to enhance muscle recovery, musculoskeletal awareness, immune function, and lower cortisol to increase stress resistance. Cortisol (our stress hormone) has been shown to be reduced for extended periods after floats, and with the removal of (almost) everything, your body has extra resources to apply to areas where you need a little extra love.

Healing One can be found online via their website: https://www.healingone.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealingOneWorld/ and Instagram: http://instagram.com/healingoneworld

Dubbed as Reno’s “headquarters for healing and relaxation,” Healing One is a balanced float center that was founded in 2015 by Chaz Allen.

Their new location on 560 E. Plumb Ln. boasts float suites, massage rooms, an infrared sauna, refreshments bar, chill lounge with library, quiet meditation spaces, and an oxygen bar. They operate by offering guests both active and passive approaches to healing.

Active healing involves engaging activities to help stimulate an individual mentally and physically so that one may fall into the “flow” state, like yoga, dance, and flow arts. Passive healing requires an individual to surrender to the healing modality and relinquish control of any and all outcomes of the session, such as a massage, floating, energy healing, and meditating.

Float therapy – a method of passive healing – is one of Healing One’s most popular sessions with guests. They have four private float suites, a mixture of sensory deprivation tanks and open-air float baths of different shapes and sizes. Each float suite has its own private and personal shower so you can rise off before and after your session to maximize comfort. They also provide you with everything you may need to prep for your float; body and hand towels, comfy robes and slippers, earplugs, vaseline for cuts and scrapes, q-tips, organic shampoo, conditioner and body soap, and bags for carrying your personal belongings between services. As a guest at Healing One, you can book in for a single one-time float, buy multiple float packages, or set up a membership for monthly sessions.

After parking outside, I walked into the Healing One Center and immediately felt a sense of peacefulness begin to wash over me. I think it was a mixture of the dimmed lighting, calm music, and woozy feeling that the smell of incense gives me.

I was greeted by a lovely employee named Mariano, who checked me in for my appointment and gave me a tour of the center, taking me from the downstairs lounge library, past quiet massage rooms, and up the stairs into the other lounge where I quietly tiptoed past guests meditating, taking a nap, and sipping on herbal tea, relaxing before for their next appointment.

If I could change anything about my appointment, I would definitely have showed up further in advance so I could enjoy and unwind in the lounge areas to their full extent before my float session. The employees at Healing One recommend coming in up to a half hour before your float session to enjoy the amenities they have on offer, so I would definitely take advantage of that next time.

After being taken to my private float suite, I was given some first-timer tips and shown how to use the sensory deprivation tank. After he showed me around, he wished me luck and shut the door, leaving me alone to soak. Once my session started, some light, melodic music started playing, signaling the fifteen minutes I had to prepare for my float. I stripped off all my clothing, stuffed in the ear plugs, and rinsed off in my private shower, just as the music began to die down, signaling the start of my 60-minute float session.

I entered the capsule without any wild expectations. I thought it would be a very quiet, serene place for about an hour. And it was… exactly that. It wasn’t like Eleven from Stranger Things – there were no mind games, encounters with extraterrestrial entities, or trips to the Upside Down. Instead I felt relaxed and deeply focused. The tank itself was much more welcoming than I’d anticipated – white, sleek, and clean, beckoning me to step inside. It was also much bigger inside than I’d first thought. It was almost the width of my arm span and as a female pushing six feet, I had plenty of room for my long, lanky legs.

After switching off the tank light, the room was pitch black and eerily silent. It took me about ten minutes to get comfortable and used to the feeling of being weightless. For the first five minutes, I had a creeping sense of panic and perhaps a bit of claustrophobia. I’m not afraid of very much, but there was something about floating in the dark that was slightly disorientating. I reassured myself by brushing the sides and floor of the tank, and feeling out for the lid hinge just so I knew where it was. I felt a tiny papercut from the day before prickling in reaction to the salt water, sharp stinging at first but easing after a while. I had completely forgotten about it, and remembered the still-full tube of Vaseline sat waiting for me outside the tank, unused. Also, definitely avoid touching your face while in the tub – the last thing you want is for even a drop of that water to get near your eye.

The only noise was the occasional sound of sloshing water when I moved. I was laying flat on my back, floating naked, except for earplugs in my ears. In addition to the darkness and silence, I couldn’t feel much at all. This was as close to total sensory deprivation as I had ever been. After a while, I began to drift in and out of sleep. My body finally fully relaxed, and I felt completely still. The lack of sensory input allowed me to be completely alone with my thoughts for the first time that I could remember. The idea of that seems terrifying, being alone with my thoughts for an entire hour sounds anything but relaxing. But my mind felt at peace. It was the closest to internal silence I’ve experienced in my life.

 I think that because this was my first time, I wasn’t as fully relaxed as I could’ve been. It was a brand new experience that I was trying to take in at the same time, and if I went for a second session I could relax even further and fall more into a deep, dreamy state – I was very close to it. Another 30 minutes would’ve probably done the trick.

Although my other senses had been dampened, I noticed that I hadn’t lost my sense of smell. To maintain cleanliness, the water in the tank is micro-filtered and treated with bromine between uses, and the faint chemical smell lingered slightly. It wasn’t bothersome, but with my other senses gone, my sense of smell felt heightened. As soon as I noticed the smell, I was back drifting asleep.

Suddenly, the calming music started up again and I could just about hear it with my ears submerged under the water. I blinked, bleary-eyed. Apparently sixty minutes had passed, though it hadn’t seemed that long at all. After sitting in the shallow water for a moment, I felt around for the light switch, popped open the tank door and showered the salt water off with the fragrant organic soap and hair washes.

I got dressed, and padded across the hallway and into the downstairs lounge room, where a float journal awaits my own personal entry. I rehydrated, took a moment to relax and reflect on the past sixty minutes in the float tank before leaving Healing One. I felt very refreshed and relaxed after, but also slightly sleepy at the same time. The Traffic speeds down Plumb Lane, it’s rush hour in Reno and the weather is deathly hot. Cars honk, my smartphone buzzes in my pocket as I switch it off from silent mode. PING. That distinctive iMessage tone. I felt like I’d become so sensitive to even the slightest sounds – is this what we deal with everyday? Everything was REALLY LOUD. AND FAST. AND BRIGHT. AND DISTRACTING. Prepare for a sensory overload when you step back onto the street. It confirmed that there really is something important about having a quiet place to retreat to every once and a while, whether that be in a dark salty bathtub or sitting in a corner of your bedroom with the lights off. 

I would say that you should give everything at least one try, and flotation therapy is no different. It’s definitely a unique experience and unlike nothing I’ve tried before, and for that in itself I would suggest just giving it a go to see how it could perhaps benefit you personally. I’ve tried various ‘passive healing’ techniques, but found that although meditation and yoga practices are relaxing, I can never really fully switch off. I’m always focusing on something – my hamstrings twinging slightly because I’m the worst at stretching after working out, or my headphones beeping because I forgot to charge them. The 60-minute float session I underwent at Healing One is probably the most effective relaxation technique I’ve ever experienced and I would definitely return for more float sessions, whether that be for mental health and reducing stress or if my muscles are extra sore during a particular week.

Our Town Reno reporting by Gaia Osborne

A Chance Encounter with Steve, a Downtown Artist with Plans for a Community Gallery

On a recent sunny day, in Reno, Steve was hard at work, studying a woman’s photo to add her to a painting of a party scene full of bright colors, smiles and movement.

His blinds were open, allowing passersby to gaze in. While walking downtown I noticed him  painting through his window and stopped to ask what he was working on.

He told me he was working on a 10 painting series based on bar scenes. He gave a bit of his biography too, saying he’s been a Reno resident since the 1970s after moving here from the East Coast.

Painting has always been a hobby of his and he says, these last ten years, he’s really focused on his art work. He also mentioned how much he enjoys going to Wingfield Park and painting the landscapes he sees there.

Steve has recently moved into what he calls his work studio and art gallery and plans to have it open during the day to showcase his work and possibly display work by other artists within the next few weeks.

Although he isn’t having a grand opening he is encouraging people to come by and take a look at the art work he’ll be displaying.

He says he is calling the spot, right next to the Antique Angel Wedding Chapel on South Virginia Street the “Riverwalk Art Gallery” and welcomes everyone to check it out.

Now that I’ve met him, I am excited to continue going to his gallery to see what he’ll be working on next.

Keep Reno Rad reporting by Aimee Arellano

Mark Carey, A Desert Media Rat with a New Act in Retirement

Mark Carey has had a long and varied career in local media production, which he’s pursued even in retirement, combining new and old methods of broadcasting.

Working in multi-media production allowed Carey to partake in many epic adventures, like hanging out of a helicopter while filming.

Carey started his career as a media entrepreneur as a teenager, receiving his FCC license when he was 16.

After receiving his license, he started working with radio through his high school years part time, and then switched to full time when he graduated. 

It wasn’t until 1980 when the checks from the radio station he worked for started to bounce he says that he took a gamble accepting a job at Channel 4 in Reno working in production.

Even though he had no previous knowledge in television production, Carey became an operations manager within two years. 

He stayed in that position until 1989 when he started his own production company, mainly creating commercials. 

His business allowed him to work with many different types of people, including government agencies, up until he retired in 2023. 

“It was a very good field, did very well for my family, put my kids through college,” Carey says. 

Now that he is retired, he’s still active in the industry though.  To “stay sane,” he’s created  his own radio station, Desert Rat Radio, which has as its tagline Rockin’ Northern Nevada. He also taught himself how to build radio controlled airplanes from scratch which he likes to fly around with other members of a local club in the Spanish Springs area.

Our Town Reno contribution by Kesley Morris

Tyler Aguilar, A Young Photographer Already Flying High

When COVID hit, many of us did a reset of our goals and priorities.  Tyler Aguilar, 22, a Reed High School graduate, set his sights on becoming a traveling drone photographer and videographer.

Several years later, he’s put the building blocks in place, getting his FAA certification, starting to get paid for his photos and videos, getting to become an expert at drone photography and setting his sights on more aerial videography.

He’s still keeping a full-time job as a tax assessor, but gets off early to be able to document sunsets, and beautiful surrounding scenic areas on weekdays and keeps time for weekend trips, while working for realtors, commercial clients and individuals.  Time management seems to be another of his skills, as he’s about to start studying business finance and management at TMCC as well, and he makes music and videos on the side for his own social media. 

“I started photography back in 2020 right in the middle of lockdown when everybody was kind of picking new stuff up,” Aguilar said. “And this was kind of that thing for me. I kind of just bought [a camera] one day with the last, you know, pennies in my bank account because I had just lost my job about two weeks prior.  I kind of just went for it and I never looked back. And now I'm expanding that into drone work and, you know, doing more and more. And I love it. It's probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.”

One of his signature nighttime Reno shots.

Aguilar started getting paid for portrait photography with a handheld camera, and then got into landscape photography, to which he’s now added aerial video and real estate photography. 

He got is FAA Part 107 certificate in February to be able to fly drones, which he says “was honestly the hardest exam that I've ever had to take. It took me about six weeks of studying for a couple hours a day. I was super nervous about it, but it has paid off more than I could have ever imagined. What it allows me to do is basically make income using my drone.”

He started with the Mini 2 DJI, “it's super small and light and just easy to kind of pick up and learn,” he says, and then upgraded to a DJI Air 2S.  

To get more into drone videography, he wants to upgrade again.  

One of his favorite aerial scenic photos.

Aguilar has gotten some negative comments on social media about possible invasion of privacy which he wanted to address.

“With the drones, there's a lot of people that don't seem to understand regulations with flying around people or houses,” he said. “I've gotten a lot of grief online from people saying, ‘Hey, you can't fly, you know, around my house or something like that’ but what people don't understand or often don't think about is that they don't actually regulate airspace. You can't do that as an individual. Now if you were sitting there outside someone's window, you know, hovering your drone, then I could see somebody saying something. But I don't do that. But I have had a lot of people, you know, come after me online saying, ‘Hey, you can't fly there,’ or ‘Did you get proper authorization for that?’ and it's always, yes, I did, you know, I do everything by the book and I'm never going to take chances with the FAA.”

Aguilar can also do product photography.

One of his role models is Peter McKinnon, a YouTuber with a massive following of over five million with a net worth of over $3 million. 

“He’s been a huge inspiration to me,” Aguilar said. “I love what he does, and if I could do even half of what he does one day, that would be huge for me.” Locally he admires John Rodgers who has an Instagram under the handle j.rod.photo. 

“He takes some of the most beautiful photos of Tahoe and Reno,” Aguilar said.  “Every time I scroll through his Instagram, it's a treat and I love it.”

His mom and stepdad are very supportive he says, so he can still live with them in south Reno, which allows him to save up and get needed equipment to build towards his dream career.   

“They're the best,” he said.  “I don't think I'd be anywhere close to where I am today without them. So I do everything in my bedroom, about two feet from my bed. I have a brand new MacBook Pro that I just picked up. It's a beast. I love it. It’s opened so many more doors for me, creatively, I can now do video again. I doYouTube music covers as well, I do play some instruments and get my creativity out that way as well, and then I also kind of dabble in audio recording as well. I do it all in a little corner in my room.”

And then he already travels to different parts of Northern Nevada, which with windy conditions, can be tricky for drone flying, but Aguilar is not one to be grounded for long, as he keeps at it, one photo and project at a time, building up his career on his own terms and already impressive portfolio.

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

Local Lowriders Welcoming the Overdue Recognition and Acceptance

Arlien Casillas remembers how her now husband used to pick her up in his lowrider when they were 16. Miguel Casillas and Arlien Casillas are high school sweethearts who were surrounded by the low-riding culture since they were kids in Los Angeles.

 “The child in me came back out to do something I wanted as a child that I couldn’t afford at the time,” Miguel says of bringing his passion to Reno in 2001 and starting a local car club.

Miguel recruited others who had the same passion and now the Wicked Wayz car club actively participates in multiple family-friendly events throughout the year with their eight members. Their oldest member is 75 and their youngest member is 25. The club now even has two chapters, one being in Reno and the other in Southern California.

While the lowriding style was popular back home in Los Angeles, it has a history of struggling with law enforcement. At its origins, people weren’t allowed to cruise in their cars and they would receive tickets. “Now they’ve changed all those laws, they just had that big lowriding holiday a couple of weeks ago in Sac,” says Arlien. 

In Reno, while there wasn’t really a scene for lowriding the couple says they never faced any problems and now they receive a ton of recognition. In fact, even police officers have told them to hit their switches when they are out on cruises. “Whether it’s UNR recognizing us or Hot August Nights it’s being recognized on a bigger level,” says Arlien. 

The couple and the club love giving back to the community and use their platforms to do so. One of their favorite events is Christmas Wayz which started up during the pandemic in partnership with Catholic Charities. They find underprivileged families and give them a Christmas cruise, gifts, and food they otherwise wouldn’t be able to have. “Even if it’s just to bring the cars for exhibitions, we try to give back to the kids,” says Miguel. 

The couple was also present at the El Grito event earlier this year at UNR, which caused some friction. They commented on some of the backlash from a photo posted to the UNR social handles of a Chicana model posing in front of a lowrider to advertise their event. Many Latine users were upset that that photo was chosen to represent their culture and referred to Chicano culture as gang-related or misrepresenting of Latine people.

 “Until you come to a Wicked Wayz show you won’t understand, not many car shows can you go and see the RC cars going with the mariachi in one row and the dancers in another row. It’s a whole vibe, hopefully, they come to one of our events and learn to beat the stereotype,” Arlien says. 

They are big supporters of Chicano wear and support local vendors like La Gente. The couple thinks its presence in the local culture was long overdue. “They’re doing a great thing not just for our people, but there’s other kids from different cultures that like that clothing, so it’s great to have it in town and for people who’re interested in that to go get what they want,” Miguel says. 

Some of the exciting events that are upcoming for the club are being welcomed and even sponsored by Hot August Nights for a show on August 5th. “For the first time in history, Hot August Nights is welcoming lowriders,” Arlien says. To stay informed on their activities, they post regularly on their social media handles @wicked_wayz_cc

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Nancy Vazquez

Jim Severt, Seeking Community's Help to Save Sun Valley's Biggest Little Bike Park

“It’s just the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Jim Severt says of motorbikes recently tearing up parts of Sun Valley’s Biggest Little Bike Park (see part of photo collage).

The 52-year-old has been building up “this refuge for kids,” spread over 14 acres, for over two decades, “with very minimal support  from Washoe County parks,” even though it’s now part of the Sun Valley Regional Park.

Severt was back in town for a happy family moment on Memorial Day weekend, when he received news of videos tagged with the westcoastpittycommittee handle on Instagram.  

The Tracy, California-based page, which bills itself as a sports team, uses the tag line  “the smaller the CC the bigger the PP.” It recently posted several videos of its riders going through Reno. 

“There’s millions of acres of BLM land where they could have gone instead,” Severt told Our Town Reno during a phone conversation this week, after we were alerted to an angry back and forth taking place on his Facebook page. 

One commenter called Severt a “martyr,” which didn’t surprise him.

“There should be a mutual respect between the bicycles and the motorcycles where if they show up at a place like that they just know better,” Severt said. “But there’s a younger crowd that will say, ‘yeah we are going to ride it, no matter what.’ Even if I was there telling them not to ride it, they would still ride it. Or they would talk shit to me.”

He said repairing the damage would take several hours. “In the high desert, the ground itself when wet or dry, if a motorized vehicle uses it, it will literally tear it up to where it forms these ruts. The damage they did recently, that’s about four or five hours of hand work,” he said.

We reached out to people criticizing Severt on Facebook, who referred us to the so-called westcoastpittycommittee.

Via Instagram, one representative from the group quickly responded to our Instagram message, saying: 

“We couldn’t even see a sign from where we entered, after this we rode to the top and found different jumps that we weren’t aware were also part of the bike park due to the lack of maintenance and overgrowth all over them so we sessioned those instead of the actual bike park.”

In a follow-up, the representative added: “Also we would’ve been happy to go back and help dig the jumps with shovels if the guy would’ve reached out to us but instead he made a post attempting to slander us on Facebook.”

After indicating this article would include the comments and thanking them for the reply, the representative made a few more statements: “Make sure you mention that we were polite and respectful with the bikers the whole time. We weren’t attempting to start any issues with anyone. We were just going for a ride and came across some jumps. As far as digging goes we have dug plenty of spots in Nevada and California and welcome everyone and anyone to come and ride. We aren’t planning on stopping any time soon either. I even reached out to the guy that made the Facebook post and no response. I don’t even know how to get to that spot personally I was led up there by a local. 🤷‍♂️ It would be awesome if we had a facility that we could do both in harmony without having to clash with another sport over it. Also, this is our first time at that spot and if we were aware that the guy would be dozing it if we came and rode it we would have never come.”

The representative didn’t give their name but did include the below screen grabs. 

Severt doesn’t buy the excuse they didn’t know the park is off limits to motorbikes.

“They need to be held accountable for their actions, and they need to stop what they’re doing,” he said. 

The entrance to the Biggest Little Bike Park has a rules and regulations sign which indicates no motorized vehicles, e-bikes or RC cars.

“There’s a whole code or law thing for one,” Severt said. “They know they shouldn’t be there. They can’t claim ignorance because it’s posted on the website and it’s posted at the site.”

Severt says he’s fed up with the lack of community support.  He says he received ten signs for the park but that it took officials eight years to get those to him, and that he also received a grand total of two picnic tables in additional help.   

Severt says building the park has totaled over 40-thousand hours in volunteer work, with himself providing most of that time. 

Despite the current challenges, Severt says he’s proud of the legacy the Biggest Little Bike Park has, including being a foundational training area for Perris Benegas. The Reno native won the gold medal in BMX freestyle park at the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in Chengdu, China in 2018, and finished fourth in women’s BMX freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. 

Severt’s own son also practiced hours and hours there, becoming an accomplished rider as well.

“My idea was always about it to be a safe place to be, and also giving kids an opportunity to learn. You’re learning failure, you’re learning success. It was a place to learn and have fun,” said Severt, previously a former professional BMX and dirt bike racer.

He says the park has 200 jumps, 30 “corners,” a dual slalom course and wood features, making it fun for all skill levels.

Severt, who also worked for an architecture firm in Reno, and for over two decades for the Washoe County School District in maintenance and environmental programs, says he helped design the nearby Truckee Bike Park, the Incline Village Bike Park, and the Bijou Bike Park in South Lake Tahoe, which he feels all get much more community support. 

“They have water there. They have trash cans which get emptied by personnel. They’re fenced. They’re signed. And that was all paid for by either the county, or the parks department or the land owner,” he explained.

After writing on his Facebook post that he was considering sending out “letters to the Washoe County commissioners, Washoe parks and the county manager requesting the termination of my agreement to have the Biggest Little Bike Park continue in the SV Regional park,” Severt says a few people reached out saying they want to help save the spot.  

Severt is currently pursuing a Masters in Architectures at the University of Idaho, so he no longer lives in Sun Valley as he used to.  He wants others to now lead the way

“They need to find a group of people that will step up, not just talk about it but actually go out and can deal with Washoe County parks, that can get a fence around it, running water there, getting a safety access road to it, because those things right now are not there. We need people like at the Biggest Little Trail stewardship to step up, take the reins and then do it,” he said of those wanting to help.  

After seeing the video last weekend, Severt says he called the non-emergency line for the Washoe County sheriff’s office, but even though some of their officers then drove to the Biggest Little Bike Park, he says they couldn’t be bothered to get out of their vehicle.   

In his exacerbated Facebook post he wrote: “this last little act of vandalism and a collective disregard by the Washoe Sheriff's department along with only one person even attempting to do upkeep has brought me to the decision of having Washoe County level the existing jumps and features. It was a good run of 22 years and it will be a huge weight off of my shoulders to get rid of it. Hope you all enjoyed over the years.”

When we spoke to him on the phone, Severt was now hoping this local magical place for non motorized dirt bikers of all ages could still be saved. 

“I don’t want it to go away,” he said, “but I want to keep my sanity,” he concluded. 

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2023