The Generator, Getting a New Sparks Lease on Life

At a recent monthly social, artists and staff from The Generator maker space were more or less celebrating the upcoming transition from their current collaborative workspace located in the heart of Reno at 250 Bell Street, to a new warehouse they rented out in the newly branded Oddie District in Sparks. Although their current space afforded them a convenient and central location for the artists, they seem to be looking forward to the new workspace, after months of dealing with moving and uncertainties.

The Generator offers memberships to artists, with the benefit of being able to use tools and machines that are generally too unrealistic to own personally, whether it be due to cost or other factors, as well as a workspace with other passionate and supportive people to step in and lend a hand when needed. Art for Burning Man has often been created here.

“We’re gonna go in there and make something temporary work because we have artists that need space immediately and we have to just keep working,” said Jessi Janusee, or “Sprocket,” the Public Programs and Communications Coordinator for The Generator of moving into the new space in Sparks, which is set to take place during the entire month of August. “We're going to have a year to build it out the way we want to build it out, and it's gonna be awesome.”

She went on to explain that the new space is a completely empty warehouse building where the old Lowe’s was located on Oddie Boulevard, and although daunting as far as making it a large-scale workable artistic space, she said that it opens up the possibility for the collective to make it exactly what they want and need. Last year, it already had to move from its original 1240 Icehouse Avenue in Sparks after its lease there expired.

 Talking about the setup of the new space, Janusee said, “A lot of things will be in a room because we wanted to be more family friendly, that's something we’ve struggled with. And just be more accessible in general.” She added, “it's kind of chaotic when someone’s on a forklift driving by the kitchen.” Janusee explained that she hopes this new space will be much more permanent for The Generator, saying, “now we can think a lot more about the design and what will serve all of us, [everyone] will just have their own spaces, workshop has their own space, hotworks and lampworks will have their own space, we’re going to have a recording studio, and there’s going to be a lot of open space and kid friendly areas.”

Along with the upcoming move, Janusee hopes to cast a larger net to those interested in being a part of The Generator but are apprehensive for a number of reasons. She admitted that it can be intimidating looking from the outside in, saying, “So many of my friends were like, ‘wow, I thought this was only rich Burners that hung out here’ and I said, ‘no it's actually really poor weirdos.’”

“I mean it's hard because we started out specifically making large sculptures and large-scale Burning Man stuff, but we’ve matured into more of a community art space that’s more encompassing and more open.” She stressed the fact that The Generator is a welcoming place for all people and admitted that even she was anxious at first, “I was so intimidated, but it really only takes one connection with one person and having one memory and that’s it, then all of a sudden you’re like, ‘why didn’t I come down here sooner?’”

Janusee also shared her optimism that this move will expand membership and more importantly inclusivity to all parts of our community. The Generator is already the largest collaborative of its kind in the greater Reno area, but their vision is to develop even further and reach more parts of the community. Seeing as the Oddie District in Sparks seems to be somewhat barren for now, Janusee sees it as an opportunity to revitalize the area and a lot of different, fun ideas are being thrown around on how they are going to accomplish that. From backyard parties and live music just like their monthly socials, to community gardening in the park across the street.

According to The Generator’s website, the new space will feature artist studios, food and beverage options, flex tech workspaces, the makerspace and more. The new space will be located at 2400 Oddie Blvd, comprising of 30,000 sq ft of indoor space and 20,000 sq ft of enclosed outdoor space, and is set to officially open early fall of this year.

 Reporting by Jayme Souza for Our Town Reno

Tina Mokuau, A Reno-Based Artist Thriving Through Her Colorful, Evocative Paintings

For local Reno artist Tina Mokuau art is her way of navigating the world. She explains the art she creates is a healing outlet that keeps her going and makes her feel like her true self.

“My art keeps me inspired and balanced. My creativity is a good way to feel more connected to my soul and my imagination.  It's one of the best reasons to keep going and keep learning,” Tina said. 

Tina came to Reno, Nevada with her husband Gary in 1997 from Honolulu, Hawaii. What drew Tina to the Reno area was the mountain ranges and lakes accessible to Reno locals, which made them fall in love with the area. 

Her connection to art goes back even further. She says she was first introduced to its possibilities in the first grade. When she first entered an art room she says she immediately fell in love with the look and smell of it.

Over the years, one of her biggest influences has been Gustav Klimt, a symbolist Austrian painter who died in 1918 known for painting which included gold leaf. Tina believes he was ahead of his time and absolutely adores his use of gold in his creations.

Tina is prolific at sharing her work on social media, believing it’s an essential component for contemporary artists. Her Instagram is @tinasartlife and her website is at www.tinasartlife.com

Tina says one of her dream projects would be to work on a mural under guidance or in collaboration with another artist.  She thinks the community in Reno is very supportive of artists. Tina herself has been involved in the Sierra Arts Foundation and the Reno Art Collective. Tina does believe sales for local artists are not as great as they could be and is hoping the current influx of newcomers to the area will help support local artists.

“It's still a small town feeling even though Reno is growing fast. I think a lot of the artists know each other and root for one another. It feels like we all want the art community to grow,” Tina said. 

Tina’s advice to artists all over the world is to stick with it, no matter what keeps going. Don’t give up your passion. Tina wants people to live their best life and if art helps in any way she wants people to keep pursuing their passions and interests.   She also likes to give back. This year, Tina will be donating 15% of her artistic monetary gains to the Domestic Violence Resource Center.

“Make things that make you happy, don't worry too much about pleasing everyone. Keep improving on your work and try not to compare yourself to others. We all have something unique to offer,” Tina said of her advice for other artists.

Reporting and Photos by Carley Olson for Our Town Reno

A Listener Powered Station Against the Algorithmic World

It’s nice and cool inside the KWNK shared space on Wells Ave, on a sweltering June day. DJ Crescent Moon is in the padded studio wearing a New Orleans jazz tee-shirt mixing underground rap. Tucker Rash, 21, the new program director for the non-profit 97.7 FM radio station and a recent Reynolds School of Journalism graduate is typing away at his laptop next to a row of supplies for Laika Press.

He’s been volunteering at the station since 2017, before it was even on air, and remembers selling popcorn as part of fundraising efforts.  

“At the beginning, I hosted my own show, which was really fun,” Rash said. “I was a DJ. I had a radio show called The Bottom 40. I played a lot of punk and some metal, but mostly just like punk and electronic music. And back then I was volunteering too. So I would also help out programming the schedule.”

For KWNK and successful ongoing membership drives, what started with limited hours and sharing a frequency with another radio station has grown to being on air 24 hours and a growing group of volunteers. 

“We have almost 80 DJs working for us now. It’s grown pretty exponentially. It feels really nice to have a radio station that isn't just like one or two voices, but you know, nearly 80 voices of people and tastes and genres of music. It feels like a community. “

“A lot of them are musicians themselves, and it feels good to have a platform to just share something that you're passionate about,” Rash said of the staion’s many DJs. “We have a really wholesome and inspiring community that uplifts each other's voices here. So it's really nice to have a scene of like-minded people, all sharing, diverse and different ideas and music genres, but all accepting them as valid and, you know, they're all respected. So it just feels good to be surrounded by people who may not necessarily have the same exact tastes and interests as you, but they're just as passionate as you are and a real friendship and community forms.”

Some DJs leave town, but still keep their show going, like a few now living in Russia, attracting listeners there as well.  “It’s kind of cool seeing a little Reno community radio station become international,” Rash said. 

His goals as program director are to make the station more “put together” and cohesive. “It often feels like a mix mash of ideas. And it feels a little incoherent. So as program director, I really want listeners to have a solid KWNK experience. Like when they tune into the station, they know they're listening to KWNK no matter what kind of music is playing.” 

One current show is called Soft Power Radio with Ilya Arbatman which combines music and interviews. Rash says there’s a current effort to have more storytelling, shows and podcasts to go with the diverse music. 

In terms of overall content, KWNK abides by FCC guidelines and sometimes has to clean up songs, something new potential DJs should keep in mind when thinking of possible playlists.  Applications for new DJs are open via the KWNK Instagram @kwnk97.7

And people shouldn’t feel restricted when coming up with ideas, Rash explained. “We're a free form radio station,” he said. “So besides the FCC guidelines at the end of the day, you do have complete creative control over your show, which is what makes community radio so great. It's why we have so many different diverse genres and topics that you wouldn't hear on other stations. So the main thing we're looking for with the applications is that you do have a theme that you want to stick to. We don't really want shows that are all over the place. As long as you have a defining genre or era of music that you'd like to showcase that you're really into, we'd be more than happy to have you.” 

Rash has words of advice on starting a new show. “The main thing I see when people get sick of doing their shows is they take on too much, too fast. So a lot of people come into the station and they want to do a really informative show where they interview a ton of people, but they don't really have the experience to know that hosting and editing interviews consistently on a weekly or even bi-weekly basis takes up more time than you necessarily want as a volunteer DJ position. So my advice would be to pick something that you're genuinely passionate about and maybe find a friend or two, that'd be happy to keep you motivated and maybe host the show with you because it's much easier to bounce ideas off each other and find topics to talk about each week and the motivation to come in each week.”

Rash sees thriving community radio as a reaction to the algorithmic world. “I think that unfortunately people's free will is really being eroded because so much of our tastes come from online recommendations. So if you have a Spotify account or a YouTube account, you're giving those platforms so much information about yourself that they're able to predict what you might be interested in before you discovered it on your own, or before you come up with that idea on your own. And I don't really like that idea of being fed content over and over again. It feels kind of gross to me. It feels inorganic and unnatural.”

He also sees an important local role for the station. “In recent years we have so many outside players coming in from other states and trying to influence the city, buying up buildings and land, but having something on the radio station broadcasting all the time that represents the true voice, history and nature of Reno as a community, I think is probably more important than ever. Having the ability for true members of the Reno community, true locals, to talk about their experience in Reno, it's a really beautiful thing.” 

Rash himself was born in Oakland, and has lived in Reno, since he was three.  

During the pandemic, most DJs transitioned to editing and recording their shows at home, but some like DJ Crescent Moon who was still going at it at the end of our interview are now back in the studio, bringing varied music and and a wide range of young progressive voices unlike any other media in town.  

Our Town Reno reporting in June 2021

Behind the Scenes: Jewelry Making with Nicole King, a Photo Series

Local Reno jeweler Nicole King, 37, of the brand on Instagram called @AdornmentbyNicole, has been making jewelry for over 15+ years. King is originally from the Bay area, having moved to Tahoe in her 20s where she first began learning about making jewelry at the store Beads Etc.. For the last 10 years, King has seen Reno culture, local business and the arts change. With her initial impressions in casino culture and the show “Reno 911”, she has since found a meaningful community.

In terms of jewelry making, King is mostly self-taught in the tools of her trade, continuously building on her skills as she designs custom pieces for her clients. The pandemic has changed the business as well, though she hasn’t been able to attend any gem shows, King has decided to dive in and dedicate herself full time to her business in the last year. King and her husband both work full time on their respective businesses, her husband’s business being Tahoe Trail Bar, while raising two young children. Although the pandemic has given King some anxiety about their family’s financial security, she feels grateful to be able to support her family and stays determined to make the most of the time at home to continue building her business.

Nicole King has three tables in her home studio with this one being where she does much of the shaping and shaving of different pieces. King shapes pieces with pliers and other tools as well as shaves them with a jeweler’s saw. Towards the back of her desk, King has stone setting burs (the tools with balls on top) that she can use to hammer metal into domed shapes.

King uses a jeweler’s saw to shave a piece of metal to be used for the backing on a gem. The metal shavings fall below into the bottom drawer where she collects them for future use. King also has a multitude of tools used for engraving kept on top of this desk. 

On the wall of one of three stations King works at in her home studio, she keeps a vast collection of beads. At this desk King often works on her computer to communicate with clients on custom pieces. King has been collecting beads since her days working in the Tahoe bead shop Beads Etc.

King keeps an area for welding where she solders metal pieces to create rings and earrings with the use of a blowtorch. King uses melted silver solder to join together metal pieces, cleaning off any excess on the soldering iron pen onto the block next to her.

King’s main area for welding has a pickling pot that she uses to clean pieces of excess solder. King began making jewelry with bead and wire, later expanding her skills into finer jewelry techniques and metal smithing.

Photo series and reporting by Johanna Guerrero for Our Town Reno

The Shapes of Reno, an Architectural Review

Reno is made up of architecture spanning from many different decades. Since building started in the Biggest Little City in the late 1800s, it hasn’t stopped. This has cultivated a variety of assorted architecture throughout the city, from different eras. A simple walk downtown reveals how old brick homes and colonial-revival style buildings have been turned into shops, offices, and fraternity houses. 

While some of the oldest buildings and iconic motels have been torn down, some old homes are saved from development by moving them to a different neighborhood.

I’ve lived in Reno for over 10 years now and I’ve had the chance to see the everchanging city remodel year after year. I live in the outskirts of the city and attend the University of Nevada, Reno and I feel like a sight-seeing tourist on every commute. I love that the city combines different architectural styles.

The difference in styles between the 1900s and the 2000s has given Reno a unique and beautiful shape and a more than memorable cityscape. In 2018, the oldest building in Reno, the 1872 Masonic/Mercantile building, was torn down because it was reported it was no longer stable enough for renovation. It was sad to see it be taken down because it’s a reminder that many of the the older buildings can have expiration dates, unless there is resolve to save them.

Personally, I prefer the older styles of architecture because of elements like arches and linework that seem to be missing from more modern, blocked out buildings. Reno’s older buildings seem to have more of a sturdiness and permanence to them.

The Pioneer Center is a theater for a variety of shows and concerts but the building itself is as captivating as anything within it. The dome-like structure is reminiscent of a tent you’d see at a circus. As a local, this is one of my favorite places to pass by because of how much the shape and color stand out in the midst of multi-floor parking garages. The Pioneer center’s hidden attraction is a tiny shack a few feet away from the dome, with a door that leads down a steep flight of stairs. That’s the entrance to the Pioneer Underground that hosts the Reno Tahoe Comedy club.

This eye-catching, fully reflective building emerges straight up about 30 floors. The size and the glass construction contrasts with the nearby brick riverwalk. The infamous Space Whale sits right across from the building which offers a modern looking backdrop for the skateboarders and bicyclists that use the area.

This is only a parking garage with some of its letters fading but the material and shape shows the popularity of the reflective glass style in Reno.

Now a fraternity for women, the building itself was built in 1948 and is made of classic red brick. Many of the fraternities and the university utilize old buildings for housing.

The Washoe County Court House was built in 1910, in neoclassical style architecture. The courthouse sits among the newer office buildings as well as the older establishments around the riverwalk. Its intimidating columns frame the entrance and at sunset it is in the perfect location to have a halo of sun rays, only adding more to its intimidation.

The Trinity Episcopal Cathedral was built in 1920 and designed by Frederic DeLongchamps. The decorative windows and elongated shape draw you in with curiosity.

The Urban Vacation Resort Condos, a relatively new structure, uses bright colors and Reno-esque block style architecture. It looks like a resort but captures a sort of nostalgic feeling.

While the beauty of Reno’s historical buildings remains, the city is still always expanding and constructing, including a whole section of housing for students near campus. Most of the new projects are built in a modern style for efficiency, but seem less durable than the older buildings.

Photos and Writing by Liza Cheharovska shared with Our Town Reno

Coyote Supply Co, a "Witchy" Store Mixing Cultures and Potions

Brianna Punsalang once walked into a local store branded as metaphysical looking for some supplies. When employees tried to sell them on a “Tarot for Teens” class, they thought the local shop must not have had a very diverse clientele. Brianna was 30 at the time.

Though they are originally from Laguna Beach, Brianna moved to the Reno area about six years ago from Artesia, CA. 

“So after comparing notes with some of our friends, we just realized like, okay, like we need to open a witchy store that everybody feels welcome and everybody feels safe asking questions regardless of like gender or sexual orientation or ethnicity,” Brianna said.

After launching an online store in July of 2019, Brianna and their partner Michael Gomez opened the Coyote Supply Co storefront that November, at 30 Mary St Ste. 15.

“I’d been in retail since I was 19 and it just kind of felt like it was the thing I was the best at, but I had some concerns about the fast fashion industry that I was working in and just the ethics and the sustainability of it,” they said. “So I really wanted to open a boutique that I could kind of change the way that we think about retail.”

A range of products line the shelves of Coyote Supply Co., available for witches and nonwitches alike.

When asked what witchcraft meant to them, Brianna said, “I was raised Pagan, so I've been coming from my mom's influence, which is, she's Irish American, so I'm definitely more like Celtic leaning, um, despite my Asian appearance. But I've mixed. And for me, it's just about honoring the seasons, it's about working with nature and for nature instead of against it and trying to control nature. And, for me, I just draw a lot of my influences from my indigenous Filipino side, being Kapampangan and Ilocano and like the folk magic from there. And then my mom's like Celtic, like neopagan practices.”

Michael, the co-owner, has been practicing for about a decade and draws from his Jaliscan and German backgrounds.

The two also bring their “22-pound floof ball”, Björn, to the shop in a cat backpack, equipped with a clear dome so he can see the world. He is paid in cat treats, and loves scratching the shipping supplies instead of a scratching post. 

The misconceptions surrounding witches and witchcraft often has people confused about who Brianna and Michael are and what they do.

“I also just want to point out because a lot of people, when I first opened, just assumed, ‘You're like Satanists,’ which were not, witches actually don't even generally believe in Satan, unless they're from like a religious background that includes Satan as part of the religion. So yeah, most witches don't actually believe in Satan. We're definitely not Satanists, we’re not sacrificing goats, we're vegan. And, we don't believe in like black magic versus white magic and the dichotomy of that, because it's rooted in colonialism.”

Björn watches the shop from the office, where only “House Witches” are allowed. 

As a first-generation queer witch, Brianna tries to support many BIPOC and queer creators as well. The pair are Great Basin Community Food Co-op alumni, where they were inspired by the triple bottom line practices. This is a major source of inspiration for Coyote Supply Co’s low environmental impact, and their zero-waste mission.

“Especially Michael and I being BIPOC and LGBTQ plus, we just wanted to make sure that we were prioritizing BIPOC makers, other queer makers, small makers. And if I'm going to carry spiritual items, they need to be made by the witches that are practicing with them, and that they're also from the appropriate culture.”

Coyote Supply Co and Sarah Jane Smith from Mount Rose Alchemy, another local Reno business, teamed up during the pandemic to create free BIPOC care packages for those in Reno and across the country. So far, they’ve distributed about 100 care packages filled with donation based items.

Despite the somewhat out of view location and limited square footage (measuring at about one hundred square feet), Coyote Supply Co brings in customers from all backgrounds.

“So many of our customers have actually ended up being like friends and makers now, which is so rad to see that, like, community building happen so quickly and organically. Our clientele actually ended up being a lot younger than I expected. It's mainly Gen Z, which is cool. Cause like I'm an elder millennial and I just joined Tik Tok and I have no idea what's going on, on there,” Brianna said. “So it's definitely surprising, but, we're really diverse. It's very, it's very queer, it's very witchy. It’s very mixed in terms of diversity and we've got witches from all different spiritual practices, which is really cool. We've got Catholic witches, we've got Hoodoo practitioners, we've got Indigenous Native witches, like everything.”

One shelf is dedicated to Plant Magic products, made by Cheryl Rafuse. The booklets shown include stickers, potion recipes, planting guides, and other plant care information.

During the pandemic shutdowns, Coyote Supply Co was “signal boosted” by Cheryl Rafuse from Plant Magic, who also worked as a branding and marketing consultant during their initial launch. Through online orders, they were able to reach witches near and far and stay afloat.  

For those new to witchcraft or intrigued, Brianna has words of encouragement especially those introduced through TikTok and a growing social media trend known as Witchtok.

“Don't let anybody tell you that you’re a baby witch and you don't know what you're talking about. Like, people have been aware of magic forever and it's not something you're ever going to perfect, so don't put yourself down and don't let anyone else put you down.”

Coyote Supply Co is open every day except for Tuesdays, from 12pm to 6pm. Fair warning, the pair are “notoriously late” when it comes to opening on time, due to the fact they live in Carson City and are not morning people.

Reporting by Rachel Jackson for Our Town Reno

Michelle Hamilton, a Local Activist Seeking Support for a Carbon Tax

As the leader of the Reno-Sparks chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nationwide nonprofit which focuses on creating the political will for environmental progress, Michelle Hamilton brings energy, dedication, and innovation to addressing climate change. 

“It’s been around since 2010 as a national organization,” explained Hamilton, “and there are three chapters in the Nevada area.” Along with the chapter locally, there are chapters in Carson City and Las Vegas. The Reno chapter was established in 2015 and all three chapters focus on lobbying politicians, influencers and stakeholders to advocate for climate change legislation. 

“We do that through many vehicles, one is meeting directly with members of Congress,” said Hamilton “to help them understand the climate legislation that we’re advocating for.” The local chapters also focus on outreach to community leaders and business owners. Their goal is to start the conversation and amplify the discussion around climate change and a possible carbon tax.

The Energy and Innovation Carbon Dividend Act of 2021 was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives in April by one of Florida’s Representatives Ted Deutch, along with 28 original cosponsors, which has since climbed to over 50 sponsors. According to a statement released by Deutch “it would ensure that polluters pay a rising cost for their emissions, driving down greenhouse gas pollution and returning the proceeds to taxpayers every month. This important legislation will be a crucial tool in our country's urgent fight against the climate crisis.”

Hamilton explained the dividend would put more money into the pockets of the majority of the population while also encouraging those that create the most carbon to reduce their emissions. 

Seeking Local Support for a Federal Initiative

“We would love for Rep. Mark Amodei to sign on as a cosponsor of this important bill,” said Betsy Fadali in a recent press release. She is also a  member of the local Citizen Climate Lobby. The bill would put a $15 tax per ton on oil, natural gas, and coal.

“A well-designed carbon tax is going to do a number of things,” explained Hamilton. “First it’s going to place a fee on fossil fuels at the point of extraction.” She identified this as the coal mines, the wellheads, the point of production, or where these resources leave the earth. The advantage of this, Hamilton explained, is putting a tax on pollution. “By putting a tax on carbon, what you’re fundamentally doing is discouraging the burning of fossil fuels,” elaborated Hamilton. 

Opponents of the bill say it would increase bills for utilities and the price of many products and services. Hamilton sees it instead as reorienting money to save the planet and help most affected people. It would act like a snowball rolling down a hill, she said, slowly at first, but with time, business and individuals alike would be incentivized to reduce their carbon emissions.

“The money should be distributed on an equitable basis back to the U.S. population,” said Hamilton. The Citizen Climate Lobby feels strongly that the generated revenue should go back to the demographics most affected by fossil fuels extraction, often this is lower-income families and people of color. 

“The dividend is going to give them more money than what they’re facing in increased cost of gas, increased cost of heating oil...and let’s not forget air conditioning,” emphasized Hamilton. She further explained that the vast majority of households in the bottom 20% economic bracket, or “the people who have the least will also come out ahead.” 

Another benefit to a carbon tax she said would be to start shifting the focus from production to innovation. Companies that have a fleet of vehicles may start to shift the fleet over to electric vehicles, as fuel costs continue to climb. The fossil fuel producers will have to shift their focus in order to remain viable. This tax also has the potential, she explained, to begin slowing the amount of oil and fuel consumed across the nation and buy time to develop new technology and transition to sustainable energy. 

“As soon as we change that and polluting is no longer free,” said Hamilton “then those costs are going to be embedded in the cost of the products.” This will give the average person buying power into making rational choices into how they contribute to climate change; which is often seen as an overwhelming dilemma with little but nothing to do, a carbon tax like this will begin to shift the narrative and empower the individual consumer. 

Hamilton did say the biggest drawback of this carbon tax and legislation would be that it is not a silver bullet and has its faults. Notably, it excludes all farming vehicles from being taxed. “On a larger scale, the legislation doesn’t address the land use,” explained Hamilton “whether or not we plant forest, whether or not we cut them down, that’s going to have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions.” She said the bill does  not address how agriculture addresses carbon sinking, or the storage of carbon in the soil or carbon emitting, which elevates greenhouse gasses. 

“A lot of people are concerned about climate change,” Hamilton said. “At the heart of it I really believe people are nice.”  She is excited about the traction this bill has garnered in Congress and remains optimistic. She encourages the community to talk about climate change. To simply have a dialogue with friends and family about what can be done and how changes can be made. “Don’t be afraid to talk about this,” she encouraged. “Find out more. We don’t all have to agree but if we’re not having conversations about the things we care about...we’re not going to solve this problem unless we engage in dialogue.”

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

A Student Photographer Discovers the Murals of Midtown

Giant lightbulbs, acorns falling from the sky, mushroom clouds and a spiderweb surrounding a crescent moon are just a few details I saw on murals on my recent walk though Reno’s Midtown. I am a UNR journalism student, originally from Placerville, California. I moved to Carson City, Nevada, about six years ago. Before taking my journalism classes I did not have much of a reason to explore Midtown Reno. I appreciated the opportunity to walk around and take photos on a sunny Tuesday afternoon and see for myself what people talk about when they mention Midtown’s murals.

Street art is something I have always found interesting, to me it is one of the best ways to display your artistic talent. It is also a way to express your thoughts and feelings about certain topics and to potentially help promote local businesses. Some paintings are made for clients and some are made just for the artist themselves, both types of  paintings hold a story and the background story is a very important part of the painting. During my afternoon walking around, it was the first time I had seen that much street art at one time. There is not nearly as much street art in Carson City and street art is not allowed in the part of California I lived in. Personally, I find looking at street art inspiring, I love standing and thinking about what the artists thought process was while they created their art. 

These two paintings were created by Erik Burke. Burke has created art in many different areas including Reno, Carson City, Las Vegas and Mexico. The painting above is called “Ponderous” and was created in 2016. John Muir is on the left. The intention of this painting is to show the relationship between man and nature.

“Expression of the Soul” was created in 2018 as a tribute to the legacy of certain winemakers who have a lasting impact on the craft of winemaking. Each of the four images on the wall represent a part of the winemakers influence during their time. 

This painting created by Joe Rock was my favorite during my tour through Midtown. The bright colors that reflected in the sun and amazing details grabbed my attention. Also the hidden layers of words, colors and shapes is very interesting to look at. 

I found this painting on a small garage door in an alleyway. This painting was created by Jamie Darragh in Spring of 2017.  Darragh painted this mountain and starry night piece for Blackhole body piercing which is just next door. My favorite part about this painting is the moon and all the details around it. 

This is the last painting I saw on my walk in Midtown. This painting was completed by Jason Liggett in September of 2020, making it  much newer than the others I saw. This painting stuck out to me because of the bright colors and the way it sums up Nevada is such a wonderful way. 

Photos and Essay by Natalie Newman for Our Town Reno

Vaccinated and Getting Back to Life in Reno

Things seem to be returning to a version of normal in Reno in the past few weeks – something none of us have experienced in over a year – which comes after an increasing number of vaccinations and the new guidelines released by the CDC on May 14th. Although it seems like Renoites have been out and about for months now, taking advantage of many outdoor activities as well as frequenting many businesses operating under social distancing guidelines and mask requirements, within the last few weeks it is very clear that everyone is ready pick up where they left off in March of 2020.

Exactly two weeks after the new CDC guideline announcement, at the popular local beer garden, The Eddy, I was greeted by a large crowd of mostly unmasked patrons, something none of us have been able to enjoy for nearly 14 months now. Welcomed by smiling faces, friends and strangers alike were able to interact in a refreshingly different way than we have been for quite some time, cultivating a truly freeing and happy environment.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, unmasked patrons were allowed to mingle amongst friends and strangers. Everyone could interact with each other and share smiles, seemingly unconcerned about getting too close to one another or striking up conversation without face coverings.

The long winter of the pandemic might be coming to an end, at least locally for now.

For many people, including myself, getting vaccinated was a number one priority following the announcement made by the CDC on May 14th, not only to enjoy private businesses mask free, but also to not have to don the mask while working. Whether related or not, Washoe County has continued to see a rise in vaccinations since the recent CDC announcement, which is a great sign for us in the Biggest Little City, seeing as most of us are clearly eager to continue enjoying this essentially newfound freedom. 

Whether it's fully vaccinated people that feel safer around others or people who no longer see the coronavirus pandemic as something to be fearful of due to the rising vaccination rate, one thing is for sure and that is that we as a community are all ready to get back to doing things we enjoy and be around others in the process.

Some say that this change in people actually getting out of the house and wanting to be in public areas that are crowded with strangers was largely due to the June 1st reopening of the state to 100% capacity, but others argue that it was just good timing. The main shift in attitude seen by most came after the new CDC guideline announcement that stated fully vaccinated individuals were safe to remove their masks in all outdoor and most indoor settings.

Regardless of their individual reasonings, it has been a welcome change to see people’s full faces around town, inside restaurants, at local bars, walking downtown and on the Riverwalk or shopping at the grocery store. Along with the feeling of finally being free to uncover our faces without fear or scrutiny, it seems that more people in general are ready to get out and do things, and simple activities like going to The Eddy on a Friday night, has people eager to interact with others. Although Washoe County may not be quite ready to have large gatherings – groups larger than 10 or events over 500 attendees without special planning – there are some Reno staples that are back for 2021. Aces ball games are in full swing, the Reno Rodeo is set to start next week, and the Riverfest will be taking place this weekend. 

1st Person Reporting and Top Photo by Jayme Souza for Our Town Reno

Gallo Chingon, an Eclectic Leaves Rat Race and Finds a New Home in Kinky Reno

After coming to this area to work for Tesla for a few years, Gallo Chingon realized he no longer was fit for the rat race. One of the many occupations and hobbies he now pursues is as host of the podcast Sucias Are My Favorite, a NSFW show about the kink community. Chingon has found a groove focusing on learning new things, being creative, and is pondering jumping into a van.

Our Town Reno reporter Richard Bednarski recently sat down with Chingon at the Reynolds School of Journalism to talk about how he landed in Reno, what his name means, and to learn more about his life philosophy.

Richard Bednarski:

Gallo, can you tell me a little bit about your background, where are you from? How did you end up in Reno and a little bit about who you are?

Gallo Chingon:

I'm originally from Texas, from Houston. I was living in San Antonio when I got recruited to come out to Tesla, or I like to say suckered, but that's more of a personal issue. And since then I have just been doing content creation, but on my own. I had a YouTube channel and now I'm sticking to a podcast that I got and loving it out here in Reno so far.

Richard Bednarski

Gallo Chingon roughly translates as a tough uncompromising rooster. Can you tell me how you got that name and what it means to you?

Gallo Chingon

Actually the name came through roller derby and the reason I go by it is now more of an inside joke. I picked it up from a group of longboard garage, bombing group friends. We'd go to a parking garage, dive down in longboards, what not, got the nickname there. Because I had a Mohawk and it carried over into roller derby. And as I introduced myself, Oh, Hey my name is Gallo, blah, blah, blah. 

Richard Bednarski

A unique story for a unique name. So you came to Reno for work, how did you fall into your comfort zone here in Reno?

Gallo Chingon

I made quick friends with some guys at work and every Wednesday morning was our Friday night, So we'd go out to breakfast, hang out there and then we'd get together Friday afternoon and we would try one new restaurant per week. So in doing that, you'd meet more people, make new friends and Reno is a very, very open and friendly town. It  reminds you of like small towns in Texas where, you know, everybody's friendly, even though most people aren't from Reno. It's interesting how friendly people become here. I think it's just, just what Reno is.

Richard Bednarski

So what's your favorite restaurant?
Gallo Chingon

I would say either Betos, right here, up here, 5th street. It's a good little Mexican restaurant and another place is Butcher’s Kitchen Char-B-Que. They've got the best brisket in town, which has taken me three years to find because most of the barbecue places here are Carolina style, which is pork and I'm a fan of beef, which is a Texas specialty.

Richard Bednarski

And so you have your own podcast, what is it about and what are your goals with that podcast?

Gallo Chingon

So it's a NSFW podcast, it started off with me being in the kink community and some issues I don't want to discuss about here. So the goal is to bring a little bit more attention to the kink community. That it's not what you so much see in mainstream media especially with 50 shades of gray. That's like the worst thing that's happened to the kink community, insofar as abusing or not listening to save words. And with that at the same time, even though I have to click-baity or  controversial topics, my whole goal is to let everyone know we're all human, regardless of our identity or labels, we identify ourselves as human. And we should try to connect there, even if we're on the left, on the right of the political spectrum, we can, we still should strive to  see a middle ground.

Richard Bednarski

What following or what are your subscribers like? Is it, is it up and coming? 

Gallo Chingon

Yeah, it's brand new. I've only had about little over a dozen episodes right now. Most of them are friends that are in the kink community. 

Richard Bednarski

Do you plan to  maintain that podcast indefinitely?

Gallo Chingon

There was an awesome study that says most podcasts end before the seventh episode, so I've already broken past that, I'm at 13 or 14 now.  Looking forward to doing more, got plenty scheduled and I've got a YouTube channel that I'd live stream on, which essentially keeps me accountable to keep doing it. So I don't see myself stopping because that one passion I've kept steady with.

Richard Bednarski

I've definitely learned consistency is the way to go. You are a self-described Renaissance man, you dabble in a little bit of everything and have a variety of hobbies and everything from building mechanical keyboards and to knitting, so out of all of the hobbies that you have, which one is your favorite and what do you like most about having a variety of hobbies?

Gallo Chingon

One, it keeps me from being bored. So a lot of times a lot of my friends will ask me, Hey, have you seen this or that on whatever streaming service and more often than not, I'll say no. And because I'd rather stay busy doing things with my hands, that's tangible or even intangible like coding or scripts just to make my life easier. That's truly just wanting to learn more on my own and that's easier now, especially with YouTube where you can learn or a skill share or any other place that if you want to learn something, there's really no excuse to not learn right. 

Richard Bednarski

Gallo can you  tell me about a time where you have nearly died? I understand that there's been a handful of cases like this. 

Gallo Chingon

My earliest memory of me nearly dying or drowning, I was about four or five years old. My mom was cleaning a rich lady's house. She had a creek or river, I don't know what the definition of one or the other is, but it was about 12 feet wide. There was a four foot pier off the back of the house and I distinctly felt like someone pushed me into the water. I knew how to swim since I was an infant, but it's just being caught off guard, I remember thrashing. And at some point I remember hearing in my head an adult voice, calm down, breathe, climb out. That was the first time the most recent was a motorcycle accident where it was a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler with no helmet. We were both doing about 35 miles an hour. And there's been held at gunpoint, mugged, held at knifepoint, and a whole bunch of other stuff. 

Richard Bednarski

Are you scared of water at this point?

Gallo Chingon

No, I still go swimming. I still love it. Because of that, from that early age, I came to the realization, especially being in and around drive-by shootings in the nineties, I realized by the time I was 10 or 11, that life is cheap and I didn't expect to live past 20 for some reason. I had in my mind that I wasn't gonna be of drinking age. So since that point I realized I live life to the fullest because I'm not going to get tomorrow. There's no guarantee that I'll have tomorrow. So that's  also the influence of me just being so varied and trying so many things because tomorrow might not come.

Richard Bednarski

I understand you experienced houselessness at one point. Can you talk about that experience and how it was for you?

Gallo Chingon

So the first time it was my own dumb fault. I ran away from home when I was 17, my father and I didn't get along. So I was couch surfing a lot with high school classmates or other seniors or with my aunts. And I would probably spend two to three nights a month in my car just to not overstay my welcome someplace. But the most recent one was about 10 years ago when I got through that divorce. A miscommunication with the ex-wife, I thought she was going to be paying for or finish paying for the truck. She did not and it got repossessed. I lost my job. And one thing led to another, just steamrolled. And I ended up being homeless for about seven weeks. Luckily I still had a bank card. So all the money that I was panhandling, I just put into a bank account and about four or five weeks in, I made friends with some other homeless people. And one guy was actually squatting in a house that was his legally, but he just didn't pay bills or taxes. So he's just essentially waiting for them to get kicked him out. But luckily we just had a roof over our head for a while. And from there I was able to save up enough to be able to get an apartment, a shower and get back on my feet again.

Richard Bednarski

That's a good story to hear and it shows how it only takes one thing to make anyone be out on the streets and lose their home and be houseless. So with that said, what are your thoughts on the current house situation here in Reno?

Gallo Chingon

So coming from Houston, I've seen more houseless, homeless on the streets there than I have here. It doesn't seem they're as aggressive as I've seen in other places about asking for money. They're usually chill or just have their signs, but I have seen people where they'll bang on your window. If you're at a stop light and try to get your attention, Hey, don't ignore me or be more aggressive. And here it doesn't seem as bad to me, but maybe as a local or someone's been here longer, it might seem it's, it's a bigger problem or a bigger issue as far as the inconvenience of having them around or having to see them. And I get that this is more of a tourist city, so it  detracts or taints or stains that shine that you'd want to bring people in. But at the same time, you know, you're going to have that everywhere. It's not simply an issue one or two issues that  happen to you. It could be an untreated mental illness that they can't cope with owning or upkeeping a home or an apartment.

Richard Bednarski

I don't know if you're aware of the new CARES Campus that the City and the County are putting in down at the Governor's Bowl.

Gallo Chingon

Yes. I didn't know it was at Governor's Bowl, but I do remember whenever I drove by Fourth street, every now and again, I was seeing a tent where they were feeding them about a year or two years ago. It was a little before COVID started like that winter. I recall seeing that tent go up. So I liked seeing that they are not being as bad as other cities are just like, hurting them off to another location that they're trying to help them. And at the same time, there are those people that just don't want the help that they're just having that bitterness or resentment in general to the normal world. But you know, I think it would also help. I don't know if they're got anything else going on to help treat the mental health aspect of it, but I do like that at least they're addressing the issue and treating it more civilly than a criminal offense there. 

Richard Bednarski

What is your favorite thing about living here?

Gallo Chingon

I like all the variety of things that you can do pre-COVID. I loved all the festivals that we'd have from things. Memorial day to labor day, give or take. Hopefully now that we're gonna open up in June, those will start coming back. But at the same time is that you can make a friend anywhere you go pretty much. There's plenty of groups, Facebook, group meetups. So whatever hobby you have, you can just say I'm into salsa dancing, or I want to learn a language and just type in Reno and whatever your interest is. And you'll find a group and you can meet up. I don't know how open they are now, but at least you can find some type of new community, new home when you get here.

Richard Bednarski

Do you see Reno as your permanent home?

Gallo Chingon

Yes and no. I think it would probably be my home base. I'm considering going or doing the van life, just traveling around, living in a van. The rat race just no longer appeals to me. I'm not staying in a high, well paying job because I need the money. I want to be able to have more experiences than just sitting at home, watching TV. The only thing I miss is TexMex food and a couple others like restaurants from Texas, but I try to go back at least twice a year for that. 

Richard Bednarski

And lastly, what message do you want to tell the community of Reno?

Gallo Chingon

We're all human. Just, you know, regardless of how you see yourself or whatever your political views, if you see someone post something on social media or you meet someone in person, don't have that attitude of, well, if you don't agree with me, then you can unfriend me. Why don't you try to meet in the middle at least try to understand your friend, because like I said, we're all human. 

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

For Jami Cade, the Mission Will Continue in Reno

Jami Cade (far upper right in photo) is a veteran who just recently moved to Reno, and wants to start a Mission Continues Service Platoon here in Nevada. It’s part of the Wounded Warrior Project charity and veterans services organization to honor and empower post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families.

After leaving the military, Cade, who went to college in Maryland, and served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, said she wanted a fresh start and found herself in Reno. “I knew I wanted to do a volunteer group or donations to homeless shelters it was just going to happen regardless of where I moved to,” Cade said.

The Mission Continues initiative seeks to connect veterans with a new purpose: aiding under-resourced communities. Whether it be painting murals, organizing food drives, or helping plant community gardens, “we can get a lot done …it’s a platoon for you if you have the passion to serve,” Cade said.

These communal platoons also serve a secondary role: a place of camaraderie and connectivity for veterans looking to make a change in the community. The non-profit also helps with veteran’s self-care and mental health by surrounding them with other like-minded people who want to serve and help make an impact on their local communities after serving in the military.

Cade who was in leadership training at the time of our interview said she was looking to build a team so the service platoon can hit the ground running come the end of July when she is hoping to get it started. She’s already posted to Facebook groups like Things To Do in Reno. The Mission Continues is mainly a veterans organization but anyone of any age can volunteer, regardless of prior service.

Reporting by Enrique Hernandez for Our Town Reno

The Reno Gastro Project, Simultaneously Helping Local Restaurants and Those in Need

Since early February, the Reno Gastro Project, whose stated mission “is to support the local economy while feeding community members facing hunger”, has been purchasing restaurant meals at full price for those most in need.

In nearly three months, they have already raised about $16,000 dollars. Susan Abele, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Nevada State Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with three of her co-workers, had this vision in helping our neighbors in need. On a recent morning, she sat down with Our Town Reno reporter Richard Bednarski at the local restaurant, Lili’s Restaurant and Bar, over a cup of coffee.

“We’ve been raising money to buy meals from local restaurants at full price and provide the people in need,” said Abele as the chatter from early morning diners and wait staff filled the air.  She moved here in 2004 from Idaho and was recently inspired by a friend’s Facebook post about a similar project happening in Spokane, WA. Abele wanted to not only bring food to people who need it but also support the local restaurant scene as well. The initial campaign is focused on providing meals for the Eddy House, which helps youth without stable shelter. “Our goal is to provide two weeks of meals to the at-risk youth that they serve,” said Abele, as the waitress brought us each a cup of coffee. 

Officially launched on February third, the Reno Gastro Project is a licensed non-profit with the State of Nevada. They have also applied for 501(c) 3 status with the U.S. government and their application is pending. Once this happens, all donations will be tax-deductible. 

“We’ve supported over 20 local restaurants already,” explained Abele “and our goal is to support each one at a $1,000 a restaurant.” To date, the Reno Gastro Project has supported over 20 local restaurants. This includes Cherry Bomb Catering, who squeezed them in during a busy sold-out Easter Sunday in order to provide an Easter Brunch for the women at Casa de Vida. Other big players have been Two Chicks and Ijji Noodle House.  

Abele said participating restaurants and staff have been extremely supportive and some have even set up a donation page on their own websites. In addition to the meals purchased, Reno Gastro Project tips a standard 15% for every order.

“Every restaurant we have worked with has just been amazing,” Abele said as a waitress brought out a large aluminum pan of food and placed it on a table behind us. “It has been really fun for me, just getting to know some of these restaurant owners and how they’ve kind of weathered the storm this last year.” Wherever we are in this storm, groups like the Reno Gastro Project that have stepped up and developed a unique brand of mutual aid help the community survive the storm.

Another thing that the Reno Gastro Project provides is a diversity of quality food. Many times food handed out for those in need are staples like canned goods, bread, and sturdier fruits like apples and oranges. Being able to offer a range of meals augments the experience, particularly for the youth at the Eddy House. “This morning we’re getting Hawaiian fried rice,” explained Abele after a sip of coffee. “I’m guessing they haven’t had that either, it's a lot of fun trying to make it a culinary experience as well.”

Each meal provided helps feed people who do not have access to food, let alone restaurant meals and gives them an experience they most likely would not have otherwise. 

Moving forward, the Reno Gastro Project has identified a handful of organizations they want to work with once they complete their goals with the Eddy House. Currently they are looking into a partnership with the women’s shelter, Our Place. 

“The other thing we want to do is community events,” explained Abele. “We might buy 100 or 200 meals from a restaurant and just announce that to the people in Reno who might not be able to get a meal from a restaurant otherwise.” Abele hopes as the Reno Gastro Project grows there will be an organization who they are supporting can help facilitate these community meals.  

“Just being able to report that we are almost at a thousand meals to Eddy House is just beyond what we were anticipating,” explained Abele as more aluminum trays filled with food were brought out. Being able to do work of the magnitude in a short period of time really stands out to the group behind Reno Gastro Project. Moving forward, they are hopeful and eager to see where the project goes. 

“We recognize there are so many good things happening in Reno,” said Abele. “We just hope to add value and provide support to our existing network and hopefully together we can make a dent in food insecurity in our community.”

Reporting and Photos by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

Reno's Public Transportation Gets a Boost, Greener Service and Nicer Stops

Better and Better Bus Service

The website WalletHub recently placed Reno eighth in a ranking of U.S. cities, for best public transportation, behind Seattle, Boston and San Francisco, but still respectable, and possibly surprising to some tired of long waits in between buses.

Reno even placed first in a sub category called Public Transit Resources rank, while losing overall points, ranking quite low in accessibility and convenience.

The rankings may keep trending upwards though as The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County recently completed their "Virginia Street RAPID Transit Line," a multi year project which brings several new stops and buses connecting the University to Midtown and Meadowood Mall further south.

The new Virginia Street RAPID is also using a 100% electric fleet, making its green ranking go up as well.

This project also created wider sidewalks in Midtown, adding roundabouts and trees and made the entire route more pedestrian and bike friendly.

Bridges in Community

The newly constructed bus stops along the route also look a lot different than just a sign post and maybe a bench. Partially enclosed, lit for safety and visually appealing, they are also giving the route a cleaner, sleeker, more modern look.

The additions will make it easier for UNR students to get from campus to local businesses around Midtown and Meadowood Mall areas as part of long standing efforts to create more bridges in the community between its university population and others. Whether this will create gentrifying effects, or whether students will create a positive effect beyond their regular N. Virginia street haunts remains to be seen.

Reporting and Photography by Bryan Hofmann shared with Our Town Reno

AAPMCO, a Local Moving Company Pushes Through Pandemic

Herculean Tasks

Running a small business is difficult in the best of times. In these pandemic times, it’s herculean, much like moving a Concert Grand piano.

Brandon Manion, who owns Anytime Anywhere Piano & Moving Co., specializes in moving pianos, but also in a fitting, eclectic local style, moves gun safes, hot tubs, furniture and more as indicated on the company’s social media.

When COVID first struck, AAPMCO was in a tough spot, according to Manion. The company wasn’t sure where they stood as far as being an essential business. 

“I wasn’t really sure if we should be out in the field, to be respectful of what’s going on, and also to not break the law. So, we kind of had to do our due diligence and see where that laid out. We were actually good, so that didn’t end up being too much of a problem,” he said. 

After the company figured out that they could continue to run, they had to solve the same question everyone else did: how can we operate, but do it in a safe fashion? It was a bit of a learning curve, as it was for everyone else. 

Keeping Distance and Masks On in People’s Homes

A moving company comes with a lot of person-to-person interactions, as well as physical activity, so the adjustment that Manion and his workers had to make was a pretty big one. 

“Even little things, like knocking on the door and walking ten feet away. They give us permission if we have masks, and sometimes they will require gloves or booties. We have hand sanitizer and disinfectant to put the customers at ease, but in our line of work, the customers give us space. We might be in their home, but we’re never in the vicinity of the customer,” he explained. 

Being clean is a big part of what they make sure to do now. Sanitizing the equipment inside and outside of the trucks is a big part of their routine, and some customers will sanitize inside of their homes before they arrive. 

“We have our masks on and we’re sweating up a storm, and we can’t just take them off. We have to get it to a point where it’s safe, and exchange people going outside to catch their breath and cool off. It kind of makes things difficult when you want to stay in the guidelines, but it’s been unique,” he said. 

As far as personal protective equipment goes, such as masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer, AAPMCO has to buy it all themselves. “That kind of stuff gets costly when you have to consistently buy it,” Manion said. As a small business, they don’t have the luxury of those things being provided for them, so they have to purchase it themselves. They keep spray bottles on their trucks, but they get their sanitizers from a former customer who owns a distillery, and Manion gets six gallons at a time. 

“You just have to put out fire after fire and it’s about persistency and consistency,” Manion said of running a business, “There’s always going to be things knocking you off, and you just have to make sure you re-focus and keep chugging along because that’s part of being of business owner. “

Reporting by Sean O’Leary for Our Town Reno

Kelsey Sweet's Golden Unikorn Combats Sexual Assaults in Local Arts Scene

Recently, you may have noticed a golden unicorn being toted around in the back of a pickup truck or maybe rolling (literally) around downtown with Kelsey Sweet as a human statue painted from head to toe in gold as its cohort.

 Sweet, a Northern Nevada native, local artist, performer, curator, and advocate for suicide prevention and sexual assault awareness, also runs parlorMINT – a collective of various services aiming to “cultivate conscious co-creative communities” and help local artists. Currently striving for a PhD at UNR, Kelsey bases her educational research around the overall awareness of artistic work and how it is portrayed to those around us.

The idea of the Golden Unikorn (with an affiliated Instagram called goldenladysunikorn) came from Sweet’s personal journey and healing process through previous traumas. “So part of my masters in transformative leadership, I had to come up with a capstone project or some sort of like community based project where we take some idea and then try to execute it within a community to see what happens, and that’s the Golden Unikorn.”

Referencing one of her previous art pieces, a book called The Open Jar, Sweet said that the Golden Unikorn was basically that book come to life, or “different vignettes throughout history and examples of what sexual violence has looked like kind of throughout the course of time.” Thus, making the Golden Unikorn unquestionably special was key, not only as a personal art piece for Kelsey, but also as an embodiment of the recognition of sexual violence in our community and the necessity for prevention.

Unbeknownst to far too many of us in Reno is the alarmingly large and increasing number of documented sexual violence cases in our city. Recent numbers put the Biggest Little City at just about twice the national average of reported rapes, growing rapidly in the past few years. Statistically speaking, this leaves the art scene in Reno with just as much responsibility as any other.

Kelsey Sweet giving me a tour of her vast collection of art pieces, explaining along the way what each one meant to her.

Although she says she wishes she could cast a bigger net and help many more, Kelsey focuses most of her efforts on spreading awareness through Reno, using her art and research as a means of doing so. One of the platforms Kelsey has created through her artistic and scholarly exploration is called SITAS, which stands for Sex in the Art Scene. SITAS is a forum that aims to establish a better understanding of sexual assault in the art scene, along with formulating practical solutions within our community for prevention. For the past three years, Kelsey has advocated SITAS during the month of April – nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month – and has been doing so this year as well.

Although meant originally for a form of personal expression and therapy, the Golden Unikorn is beginning to become something more than just that. “You know, it's a hit piece, it draws attention, it's big. It's a real-life sized unicorn and you can see it when you’re driving downtown.” And what quite possibly makes it the best agent for promoting awareness and achieving true change is its ability to grab positive attention from the community. “It just makes people smile, makes little kids smile. I mean, I don't have to talk about the sexual assault side of it and why I have it or getting to dress up as a golden lady and playing the statue.”

Sweet as the golden statue with the Golden Unikorn at a recent art sale show in downtown Reno. Photo by Rachel Jackson.

Reporting and Photos by Jayme Souza for Our Town Reno

Hampton House Garden Project Aims to Help and Heal

A Garden for the People

With temperatures rising and skies clearing, activist Lily Baran started her day on a recent Saturday tending to a batch of strawberry seedlings she received from a farm in Dayton, Nevada. Her son Oliver and her dog Champagne are close behind, dodging wasps here and there. Once frost is a threat of the past, the seedlings can be put into the ground to bloom and grow into red delicious berries. For now, they are one of the first batches of seedlings grown by the Hampton House Community Garden Project.

Baran, a Reno citizen of almost eight years, partnered with Black Wall Street Reno about two months ago to start the project. Starting April 10th, volunteers will be welcome at 12 p.m. on Saturdays at 638 Elko Avenue to garden.

“I think I've always loved gardening, but, in my work and organizing and activism have really wanted to find a way after such a traumatic year for everyone, but especially for Black and Indigenous people, to try to find a way that we can have a space where we're restoring and healing and taking care of each other and ourselves and our communities.”

Baran says gardening is a way for Black and Indigenous people to heal, while also connecting to their roots. 
“You couldn't walk to get a fresh head of lettuce in this neighborhood, in the snow. You know, you wouldn't do that if you didn't have a car, and that's intentional, I think, and I'd like to, you know, improve that.” 

Volunteers have cleared the area of the backyard and started compost piles, which are turned every other day. Baran’s plans for the future include flowers, goats, and a beehive, alongside fruits and vegetables in the garden. Photo by Rachel Jackson.

Baran’s Vision

Baran’s current activism, engagement with the community and work for local progress goes much further than just running the garden. During the day, she works for Assemblywoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong from Assembly District 6 at the Nevada Legislature. She is also a musician and music teacher. Aside from her day jobs, she is a mother to her son Oliver, who often lends a helping hand with the garden.

“The vision is like, there are kids in the neighborhood, they don't have anything to do. Their parents maybe can't afford a summer camp or whatever. They come over here, they're picking strawberries, they're, you know, making honey, they're making their own salads or making French fries with the potatoes they grew, and they're feeling like they're a part of something and they're having fun and experience while also learning how to do, you know, something that's essential to survival and always has been.”

All of the food harvested will be donated to those in need.

“Reno is way too small with way too many houses and, development to have to be experiencing a crisis on this level,” Baran said of the current housing crisis, noting a lack of compassion towards the houseless community. “These people are brilliant minds in our community that could be, you know, participating in it and helping.”

After making a Facebook post asking for donations, HHGP received dozens of packets of seeds in the mail, ranging from watermelon and pepper seeds to sunflower and marigold seeds.

Mutual Aid and Marigolds

“I think Reno is a beautiful, a beautiful community that deserves much better. And I think that the way that we do that is by holding elected officials accountable, becoming elected officials and improving our community, no matter how small, you know, just doing something, to unite each other,” Baran said.

With the recent donations of seeds for the project, Baran is especially excited to plant marigolds for the incoming beehive from Wendy Baroli from Girlfarm, located 20 miles north of Reno. Baran loves marigolds not only for their beauty and pollen, but also their symbolism. In some traditions, marigolds are given to those who have lost a loved one. 

“The other thing about them is that I give them away a lot because they're, the coolest thing is that they produce so many more marigolds out of the one. So one flower, you pull it out and there's like a hundred more seeds out of that one flower.” 

Much like marigolds, Baran’s impacts others by a hundredfold. Mutual aid is her answer to what her and many others can do as individuals to help their communities. About a half hour into the gardening session, volunteer Jerome Silas showed up to help, as well as get some much needed healing after a long year for himself, with his participation in countless Black Lives Matter protests.

Baran teaches Silas the basics of planting seeds into pots that will later be transferred into the ground. 

From Protests to Planting

Silas unintentionally went viral last year when a photo was taken of him at a Black Lives Matter protest in Minden, Nevada. The Aug. 8, 2020, photo by photographer Jason Bean shows Silas surrounded by armed counter-protesters.

While that moment has been talked about in news outlets and online, the lasting effects of last summer and protests have taken a toll. The Hampton House Community Garden Project is aimed at just that: helping people heal. 

While people often count the amount of protestors injured, few take into account the trauma involved with having to protest for your right to live. The fear of being surrounded by open carriers and police officers as a Black person in America has lasting effects, even after everyone goes home. 

As Baran put it, the garden was made, “to make something out of something good out of something bad.” 

Reporting by Rachel Jackson for Our Town Reno

Neon Reno, Through the Lens of Carley Olson

The best part about Reno is the neon lights you can find at night. They fill up the city creating odd shapes, colors, and patterns all the while helping light up the night sky. The way they reflect on our city is a wholesome reminder of this lively city.

Photos and Text by Carley Olson shared with Our Town Reno

Paying Homage to the Godfather of Graffiti in the Truckee Meadows

Graffiti’s Roots, from New York City to the Biggest Little City

Known as Rakos, Beau B Bevier, a pillar of the local art, skateboarding and graffiti scene recently passed away, leaving a huge hole in the hearts of many. It’s a moment for other graffiti artists to reflect on their journeys and the history of their craft.

As a fresh blanket of snow slowly melted underfoot, we caught up with the graffiti artist known as Easoe to learn more about Reno’s graffiti scene. He has been in and out of Reno for over 30 years.

“Graffiti as we know it started in New York City,” he explained to us during our recent interview, referring to spray painted lettering and images. It first came about in the 1960s and 70s as a creative expression. It came of age alongside Hip-hop and other subcultures of the time. People would use the spray paint to define their name in simple letters. “From there it grew, it elevated, and became what people think of as graffiti nowadays,” Easoe said. 

Easoe likens it to cursive writing and calligraphy, “it’s an artform itself,” he said. There are many types of graffiti, including the throw-up style, “quick bubble style letters which can be filled in or left hollow.” There is also the funk style, which Easoe has long admired. He describes it as a clean, easy-to-read lettering that anyone can understand and appreciate. “Some people’s writing isn’t nice and pretty to look at as others,” he said relating graffiti to people’s handwriting. 

This particular piece is a tribute to Beau Rakos, who recently passed away. Rakos was one of the original graffiti artists in the Reno scene. Easoe explained these large pieces combining many different elements take the most time. Through the process they become a labor of love. 

From a University Wall to Milk Trucks, Gallery Shows and City Sanctioned Commissions

Easoe, who has also spent time in the Bay Area, has been working in and out of Reno as a graffiti artist since the mid-90s. He remembers the city had a permitted legal graffiti wall near the university that he would often hone his skills on. “There were also milk trucks,” he said, whose owners gave permission to artists to paint.

“As far as what everybody believes, everybody looks at Rakos as the pioneer, the godfather of graffiti here in Reno,” Easoe explained of the tribute piece he’s helping with right now. He remember how he and Rakos became fast friends. Rakos served not only as a mentor but a source of inspiration for many. Easoe attributes Rakos for connecting him with a group of talented artists that is known today as the TME crew. From 1995 onwards, the graffiti scene just blossomed and more and more people became involved. By the 2000s the community had grown to accept graffiti. “Those were great years here in Reno,” he said.

Artists began getting gallery shows and commissioned work. Easoe looks back at those years almost as the golden years of graffiti. “Nowadays, within the last few years, it’s really been shut down,” he explained. He notes there is far less graffiti around town today, however, there are a few legal walls remaining.

Perhaps gentrification is at fault. Easoe explained a recent incident that resulted in the painting over of a mural. According to him, a local graffiti artist was commissioned by the owner of a building in Midtown. He wanted a mural on the outside of his building. Soon after the work was completed the artist noticed it was painted over. According to the owner, the city’s graffiti abatement team came down and painted over the mural without reaching out to him.

What the community does see “are a few artists in town that mainly get all the commission walls, that would be Joe C. Rock and Eric Burke,” Easoe said. He is hoping the TME crew can get more work this coming spring and summer. He really wants to showcase their talents to the community.

The Rakos trademark lettering is part of the tribute. “It seems like people aren’t really open to lettering,” Easoe said as to why it’s important to include these elements. “They like pretty scenery or characters and what graffiti really is, it’s letters first.”

Being a Traditionalist and Dealing with Police

He hopes the community can open up their minds and let them show their artwork like they did ten to fifteen years ago. Reno has a deep history in graffiti, with the train tracks running through town, the milk trucks, and Easoe wants this to remain a part of Reno’s identity. 

He feels the recent pushback from the community could be due to the prevalence of tagging. These are small and quick pieces that often go up illegally on private property. He notes that the graffiti laws have become far stricter in recent years and has heard about the police keeping files together of an individual’s work. Once they have accumulated enough evidence for a felony case, “they can put you away for quite a long time,” he said, as has been the case a few times recently according to local media reports.

While Easoe does not have a problem with the police and wants to raise his family in a safe community, he does not want to be viewed as a criminal. “People who look at graffiti as vandalism, they look at us as outlaws. I think if they sat with us and talked with us for a little while, they would genuinely enjoy us,” he said.

On a personal level, Easoe first fell in love with graffiti in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1990s and that is where he learned about many of the unwritten rules. For example, he learned that if he tagged over a masterpiece or graffiti that honored someone, he most certainly would get a “stiff beating.” 

“I’m inspired by letters,” explained Easoe as the snow crunches under our feet. Perhaps a traditionalist in the graffiti realm the work he has done has long focused on the lettering of his name. His work is often attributed to the funk style, mentioned above. This style creates legible and clean writing. Anyone can read these pieces. “Everywhere I see letters” he said “I get inspired.” This allows him to find inspiration all around him in urban spaces where there are signs. Another style Easoe talked about is wild style where there is a lot going on in the piece. The work itself serves to camouflage the letters to the point of illegibility. He does not enjoy this style, but instead as an artist, believes “you just gotta keep elevating and you’ll bend those letters in certain ways.”

Recent photos on Easoe’s Instagram feed pay homage to Rakos and also show some of his own recent work.

Surviving the Loss of a Mentor to Many

The art community suffered a major loss a few weeks ago when Beau Rakos passed away. He was an innovator and his work long inspired Easoe. “He did original stuff,” said Easoe. “There’s things that you see that he wouldn’t have to write his name next too.” The community knew it was Rakos’ work. Rakos developed trademark pieces, like a curvy peanut or impressionable cassette tape, often with wings. Or fish that look like stars. 

The piece in the top photos of this story is an honor to who Rakos was. Commissioned by the owners of the building, letters bigger than life, done in the Hollywood blockbuster, dwarf anyone admiring the work. The unfinished piece features some of Rakos’ most known work. “We wanted it to look like he actually painted it,” explained Easoe as we walked among the massive letters. The mural is done in a gray shade of light blue and features a portrait of Rakos painted by Joe C. Rock. They hope to have the piece finished over the next couple weeks. 

Rakos’ work can be spotted in and around the Truckee Meadows. His definitive style often stood alone without his name. 

How Easoe became Easoe and a Family Man

“I’ve had that name for forever,” Easoe explained during our interview walking around the Rakos hommage piece. He received his own artist name from a mentor.

“I’ve always had Easoe, it actually first started out as Ease.” Early on in San Francisco, Easoe noticed other graffiti artists adding an O to their name, like a guy he knew wrote Twist and it soon became Twisto. And Bless became Blesso. Ease became Easoe, “it just stuck, I never wrote Ease again.”

“They are totally getting into it, they helped us out with this wall,” laughed Ease, a father, when asked if he plans to pass on the family trade to his two kids. He wants them to value the art and the skill of graffiti but plans, he says, to stop them short of illegal activity. Having been arrested several times, he doesn’t want that for his kids. “I’ve got a family, I’m married, I’ve got responsibilities,” said Easoe. “I am not so much into the illegal part of graffiti.” But he still likes to get out there and create as much as he can. 

Nowadays, he says he spends time working on commissions and canvas work. He has found a following of supportive people allowing him to further pursue his creative endeavors. His work is featured on his Instagram page, cool_easoe_rock. He said the TME crew would be absolutely honored to paint walls for people. 

“The idea of what people might have of us, being graffiti writers, being criminals, yes, some of the graffiti you see is illegal. It is criminal. I’m hoping that people open up their minds to the fact that it is an art form. And if given the chance we can create some really beautiful work.”

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

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Michael Sion, Bringing some of the Baddest Little City Out in Song on Social Media

Pranks, Sketches and Repeat Mode to Promote his Music

Whether it’s watching him doing headstands in the mud, playing chess by himself while performing a comedic sketch, or seeing multiple video snippets of his catchy (Long As) We Got Honkytonks song (“You can take away my job and pay, tell me to drink alone. But long’s I got good friends to meet, headin’ down to the honkytonk”), former longtime Reno resident and quirky renaissance man Michael Sion provides a social media balm for these mostly dreary times.  

“You get nowhere being negative,” Sion, who goes by Smiley Mikey on his YouTube channel and lists his age as OAF (Old as F) told us during a recent phone interview.  “Artists are supposed to reflect the world around them, but there is also a duty incumbent upon artists to make the world better. What better way to make it a better place now than to be positive and lift people's spirits?”

Sion sees the pandemic and uncertain political times as an opportunity to adapt and keep moving forward, using more social media, finding animators and others online to make his style come alive from Tik Tok to YouTube, not forgetting Facebook and Instagram either.  

“My mind is a weird place and I'm not consciously trying to do music or comedy,” he said of his style, which he described as unpredictable, multi-level and irreverent. “It just happens that way, that when I write songs, I approach a topic in a way that nobody else has, because I have my own weirdness.”

“On one level it's parody of cowboy country music,” Sion said of the song above. “I wrote one of the most ludicrous lines I could think of to make fun of current country music. Most of it just talking about alcohol, I wrote ‘long as we got honky-tonks, this country will be free.’ However, it also works as a fun spirit lifting, you know, two-step song,  and it also does say in a very positive way, on another level, let's get out there and party and have fun and not let COVID or the recession get us down. And, you know, I'm not telling people to go out there and not distance and not wear masks or anything like that, but I'm saying, ‘Hey, if your bar is open and it's following the guidelines for safety, get out there and have some fun and quit staying at home, binging on Netflix and Hulu. And so the song works on different levels and that's because my mind is a weird place and approaches topics from different angles just naturally.”

“Reno as a Chrysalis”

Sion is also a non-stop self promoter. “I take official videos and chop them up into 15 or 20 seconds and put those smaller versions out there. I send them out there and it makes people happy,” he said of one of his tactics. “Even once in a while, when you encounter a troll,… well, even that gives them a nice adrenaline rush or a rush of serotonin. So in that regard, it's made them happy.”  He adapts strategies to different platforms and has noticed love on Facebook being more “rustic and rural. “

“As long as it makes them happy or angry, just as long as it has some reaction, then I've done my job. And my ultimate goal is just to get my songs stuck in people's heads for the rest of their lives, become part of them. That's my goal,” he said.

In a previous incarnation, as an investigative journalist for the Reno Gazette-Journal, Sion used to cover the methamphetamine crisis, prostitution, gambling as well as the cultural scene coming from and through the Biggest Little City. 

“Reno is a very strange and fascinating crossroads of the world,” he said.  Sion also had a four-year stint as the Silver and Blue magazine editor at UNR, and along the way became a ghostwriter and massage therapist. He started doing music and comedy at local open mic nights, and then started writing songs and getting them recorded, moving on to playing local stages and being featured on KTHX-FM. 

In Reno, he explained in our interview, “even total beginners can explore their passions and develop, whether it's on community stages, as an actor or as burlesque performer, whatever it is, this is a great place to start. And you can take it to the next level. I've met young performers who I used to collaborate with going on to Nashville, LA, New York, Paris, wherever, and really forging, you know, international careers or national caliber careers. Or even if you stay in Reno, you can still do quite well. Use Reno as your chrysalis, as your cocoon.”

Sion is now in Santa Rosa, California, “for a variety of reasons,” but says he may end up moving back to Reno “by the end of this year, possibly or not, but possibly nevertheless.” For his recent music videos, he’s worked with fire dancers, circus performers, aerialists, jugglers, models, a tattoo artist, actors, sound engineers, videographers and other musicians from Reno.  

Don’t Wanna Buy a Gun, a family affair involving two Sion sons, which was recorded in Reno, has gotten nearly 40,000 views since its release on YouTube several months ago.  “I’m promoting it hard and it's doing very well and I'm hoping it'll get to a hundred thousand views by April and then hopefully a million views by the end of the year,” he said.

Counteracting the COVID Blues

For those feeling the COVID-19 blues, Sion recommends taking action. “If you're business-minded with any kind of business you have in any field, you play the field as the field is, you don't sit around, not doing anything, not taking risks, not trying to find out how to get your art out in front of people,” he said.

“You do not do that. Nothing ever good comes from that. Nothing ever positive comes from negative thinking. You simply adapt and you find new ways to get your art out there. If you don't have a burning passion to get your art out there, so be it, but that's on you, not the universe. There are so many avenues to try. Not everything you do is going to work in life. But if you have a burning passion to connect with people and get your art out there, you will find a way. And the internet is obviously an easy way to do it.” 

What does he miss about Reno? 

“Reno, historically going back to its roots as Lake’s Crossing was a crossroads of the world and it had an uncanny amount of creativity and an entrepreneurship far out of proportion to its small population,” he said.  (Reno’s first name was for the toll bridge that spanned the Truckee River close to the present day Virginia Street bridge.)  “I miss the rugged individualism of Nevada,” he added. “Sometimes it could get very hardcore, but I kind of miss that because it's part of me now.”

Sion worries Reno is becoming “homogenized because greed in the real estate market brings out the worst in people. And, it brings a lot of people moving in to the market from elsewhere who don't have that rugged individualistic attitude, or they don't have an appreciation for Reno's culture and its past, they're just coming as equity migrants to buy a lot of land. And then not really contributing to the culture that's already there so that it won't be as interesting anymore. That's a fear, but maybe it's unjustified,” he said.

Before releasing new songs, Sion is dead set on having his recent ones reach more people.  

He’s also working on two book projects and says it’s never too late to get six-pack abs.  “I’m going for it, man, even at my age. So hopefully in a few months, I'll have six-pack abs. And by the end of 2021, I'll possibly be returning to the BLC, the 775, the baddest little city in the world.”

“I wanted to try animation because I thought that it would just be a cool way to present the songs,” he said of a recent approach. “And it would be very different from having live humans in it, like my other ones, my other videos have had. Anytime you try to put together a creative project involving many people, it's the same as running a business, you've got to manage and recruit and get the best out of the people you bring along. I'm the kind of person when I hire other creatives to do work on my creative projects, I do not micromanage. I give general guidance. I give input along the way, but I let them do things. So they come up with their own visions that works.”

Our Town Reno Interview, January 2021

Tim Meevasin: A Local Personal Chef, Small Business Owner, and “Paella Guy”

All smiles with personal chef Tim Meevasin who struggled at the start of the pandemic, but has rebounded since.

Finding a Life Balance in Reno

As COVID-19 continues to take its toll on small businesses all over the country, Tim Meevasin has witnessed some of this change in his own small business.

“In the very beginning with the shut down, (it was) almost dead. We worked maybe two days out of the month for three months,” said Tim Meevasin, owner of Tim Meevasin Personal Chef in Reno, serving the Biggest Little City and surrounding areas, with a signature paella party dish.  

Meevasin is originally from Las Vegas, but he’s called Reno home for the last 18 years. He first moved to Reno in 2002 to attend the University of Nevada, Reno with a Millennium Scholarship. After studying Business Management at UNR, Meevasin studied Culinary Arts at Truckee Meadows Community College and was certified by the American Culinary Federation, finding his path. 

Meevasin grew up in the kitchen and was always surrounded by food. Not only did he grow up cooking food all the time, but Meevasin loved watching cooking shows. “I watched Emeril and Julia Child. And I love to eat. It’s always (has been) big in our (Thai) culture,” he said.

In his short bio on his website, he wrote that he loved to sit, “at the kitchen table watching his grandma fix dinners and pretending to help her just to get free samples.”

In culinary school, Meevasin was introduced to many new dishes and was able to travel to Italy, Spain, and Japan just to name a few, where was exposed to different ways of cooking. He decided that being a personal chef was what he wanted to do because it allowed to do what he loves, cooking, while also having a balanced life that working in a restaurant would not grant him. 

“Today we actually cooked. I left my house at eight o’clock and it’s 2 o’clock and we’ve already unloaded, had lunch, and I’m done with work,” said Meevasin. “Ya know what I mean? The balance is way better and that’s a huge, huge part of it.”

Tim Meevasin smiles with recent clients and several dishes. One is a valencia with extra green beans and the other is a large seafood paella with clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, and lemon. 

Adapting to a COVID-19 World

Meevasin started his personal chef and catering business in 2014. Since then, he has become known as the “paella guy,” offers different versions of the famous Spanish dish. “A meal prep is us going out to the client’s home, we do all the grocery shopping and menu planning and we cook a ton of meals and then we cool it, package it, and we’re out the door,” said Meevasin, of a typical business day. 

Meevasin also offers cooking classes for any clients who want them. It is a relaxed course where Meevasin teaches them how to make a dish in the client’s home. Meevasin sees it as another way to connect with clients if they want to learn how to make dishes such as risotto or paella. 

The intimacy of Meevasin’s business is what makes it stand out in Reno. Not only does he get jobs by word of mouth mostly, but works in clients’ homes. This allows for a connection to be built with Meevasin and his customers.

Meevasin says he doesn’t do any advertising, but mainly relies on word of mouth to get his next gig. In recent months, he said, business has really picked up again. “Since people can’t go out and do stuff, they’re doing small dinner parties like backyard outdoor paella parties or a small indoor plated dinner,” he said.

Now, Meevasin is doing smaller groups more frequently because of COVID-19 safety regulations. Meevasin did not file for the CARES Act or unemployment because technically during this time he was still working. Although Meevasin did apply for the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), but he says he only got very little because of being one person in charge of a small business. 

“I just feel like the business environment is going to change so much in the next, it already has, but even continuing with COVID/flu season and we’re spiking right now in Reno,” he said. “I think businesses have to be able to adapt, a lot of businesses have to figure out how to still stay relevant if COVID shuts everything down because it’s hard depending on your business model.” 

He’s optimistic for his own business model. “I think there’s a lot of business opportunities, there’s wealthier people moving into Reno from all over but, mainly the Bay, that creates opportunities,” he said.

He’s also happy to call Reno home despite all the current challenges.

“We love the mountains, we love the outdoors. I feel like being close to the Bay Area, being close to Yosemite, Mammoth, and honestly Tahoe. It’s a good mix of (like) recreational and professional, without being too big,” said Meevasin of why he’s stuck around. 

Reporting by Marisa Sachau for Our Town Reno