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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Town Reno reporting by Ray Grosser

More information about the film festival:

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

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

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

Glynn Cartledge, from Law to Art, Defending the Incarcerated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reporting by Ray Grosser for Our Town Reno

Experiencing Flotation Therapy at Healing One in Reno

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Town Reno reporting by Gaia Osborne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep Reno Rad reporting by Aimee Arellano

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Town Reno contribution by Kesley Morris

Tyler Aguilar, A Young Photographer Already Flying High

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

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

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

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

One of his signature nighttime Reno shots.

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

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

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

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

One of his favorite aerial scenic photos.

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

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

Aguilar can also do product photography.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

Local Lowriders Welcoming the Overdue Recognition and Acceptance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Nancy Vazquez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2023

Behind the Scenes with Worm Shot as All-Female Reno Band Starts to Headline

The all-female band Worm Shot recently headlined its first show recently, after months of opening for other bands.

It’s been a rapid ascent since the group first came together during the last throes of the pandemic. Gina Hoang began playing drums only a month before the band’s inception.

“I learned to play bass and guitar when I was in high school, but I never thought I’d ever take up drums, let alone preform in a band playing drums,” said Hoang.

The band prepares a new set list for every show. For their first ever headlining show, they played nearly double the amount of songs they are used to.

Lead guitarist Liv Rogers is no stranger to the stage, having spent her high school years performing with a different local band, Aurora 1621.

“I didn’t expect to be asked to headline a show so early on into being a band. I never got to headline with Aurora and it’s a little scary. I feel really prepared though, I’m planning on just getting up there and having fun,” Rogers said in an interview before their big headlining debut.

Liv Rogers shows off the custom guitar pick she engraved with the band’s name.

In the band’s final practice before their big show, they ran through their entire set, stopping to work through every missed cue.

Liv Rogers reflected on how preparing for a high-pressure show with Worm Shot differs from her previous experiences. “We’re all friends here, so it doesn’t feel like a personal attack when someone tells me I’m doing something wrong. It’s honestly just way less stressful and I feel like I can focus on actually doing a good job with the music.”

Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Baylor Lucky also shared her nervousness about headlining. “The scariest part for me is going last,” Lucky said. “Playing with two other bands, especially ones that have been playing so much longer than us, means people might not expect much from us. I also feel like I mess up on my vocals a lot when I’m nervous, so I just hope that doesn’t happen.”

After weeks of anticipation, almost every member’s nerves evaporated after the first few songs in their set during the outdoor performance when the weather also cooperated. “The audience seemed like they were really enjoying our music and they reacted well to my corny little jokes” said Lucky.

Even after the other members relaxed, Rogers could not take a calming breath until after the final song. I Wanna Be A Cowboy, the band’s most popular song, relies on Rogers to sing alone and perform a guitar solo. Her hard work pays off and she pulls off both the solo and the vocals. “That’s the best I’ve ever played it live” said Rogers.

Reporting by Cierra Randall shared with Our Town Reno

Peter Menchetti Returns Home for a New Debauch-A-Reno

The schedule has been released and last tickets are being sold for Debauch-A-Reno 2023, coinciding with 30 years of Sticker Guy and 20 years of Slovenly Recordings.

Music and sticker entrepreneur Peter Menchetti has been scoping out music in West Africa in recent weeks, while ramping up promotion for the upcoming June 16th to 18th concerts at Cypress and the Wingfield Amphitheater, before his return to the Biggest Little City. 

There will also be an added July 14th component at Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City. 

Menchetti has organized his trademark We’re Loud Fest around the world now, and Debauch-A-Reno is part of that but just for here, every five years.  

“It's easier to organize things in your hometown than it is to in say, Istanbul or Saigon, Vietnam, or the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, which we've done all of those,” Menchetti explained. “Here in Reno we've got a lot friends. Everybody's coming out to help us out, which is really awesome.”

Menchetti is thrilled to include local bands The Juvinals, Clarko and Pussy Velour in the lineup for the opening party at Cypress which will go until four a.m.  

“Musically, we're mostly dealing with rock and roll, punk, garage rock, there's some post-punk. You know, Spitting Image is going to play [Sunday June 18th]. We’ve got a new band from Los Angeles called Tube Alloys.  They're really cool. I saw them a couple months ago. I just choose bands that I like and people that I like to work with. They have to be good to work with.” Tickets can be found here: https://slovenly.eventsmart.com/events/debauchareno-2023-tickets/

It’s a way to reinvigorate what used to be a thriving local underground scene. 

“What my life revolves around is music and concerts and parties, rock and roll parties, punk rock parties,” Menchetti said.  “It’s also very much how Sticker Guy got its start. We rented a house with a basement on Ryland Street on the corner of Ryland and Wheeler, I guess you'd call it the original Ryland Street basement. There were other Ryland Street houses since then, which I think are gone now, unfortunately. We were having bands play from all over the world. We had, I don't know, a couple shows a week down in the basement. And, a lot of these bands became sticker customers. Some of them I ended up making records for as well. So it all ties together pretty nicely.”

Menchetti was 19 when he started Sticker Guy, dreaming up the sticker printing company concept while working at a carwash and starting it while still going to school at UNR and living at his mom’s house.

“I always really liked it when band had stickers. So I just looked into how to make them then I was involved in the music scene, so I started offering them to all the bands that I was meeting and it just went from there,” he said.

As it grew organically, he says Sticker Guy was able to remain local with production at a warehouse in Sparks and several long time employees.  He says success also came with it being the first sticker company selling through the internet.  

How does he do it all now, keeping the sticker company going, running a recording company and traveling the world to organize festivals and connect with musicians? 

“I’m overworked and I complain about it a lot, but I realize while I'm complaining that it's all of my own choice,” he said. 

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2023

From Food Truck To Its Own Place, Hand Craft Coffee Co Focuses on Community

Marissa and Travis Tidd started their company, Hand Craft Coffee Co, out of a food truck in 2017, serving coffee and pastries in the Sparks area. They opened their permanent location on Wells avenue in January of 2022, and pride themselves on connecting with the community and providing a comfortable space for customers. 

Along with coffee, they serve pastries, breakfast sandwiches and bagels, also providing free WIFI to those who sit in the plant-filled space. Hand Craft Coffee employs about 14 people, with owners Marissa and Travis working alongside their staff almost every day. 

“To me, coffee is about connection and people and food and family. That's always something that we've done growing up is kind of get together at coffee shops,” said Marissa Tidd. “I also have always worked in the service industry, so that's kind of where that started, is coffee and creating a space for people to be together.”

Owners Marissa and Travis Tidd pose inside Hand Craft Coffee Co, located on the corner of Wells and Ryland Street in downtown Reno. Left photo by Sydney Peerman. Right photo provided. 

The transition from food truck to a permanent space was a welcome one, according to Tidd, as she noted the difficulties of operating a food truck. “That industry is extremely hard because I think people forget that you have to set it up and take it down every time you use it. So it's really refreshing to be in a building where that kind of obstacle was taken out,” she said. 

The building that Hand Craft Coffee leases out of has about 13 suites with other local businesses, which was another initial selling point for the couple as they make it their priority to incorporate as many other local vendors into their store as they can. Dorinda’s Chocolates, a vendor who makes their chocolate in the same building, is one of the businesses that Hand Craft Coffee has partnered with. 

“I'm from Nevada, and it's really important for me to create connections with other people and keep jobs in Reno,” said Tidd. The couple also sells Mother of Macros doughnuts and decorates their space with plants from Sierra Water Gardens, additionally selling pastries from other small bakeries in the area. They currently get their coffee beans from Magpie Coffee Roasters, another coffee shop on Wells, who makes a special blend for Hand Craft.

Collectibles are also on sale in a space decorated with plants. Photo by Sydney Peerman.

Hand Craft Coffee’s most popular drink is vanilla lattes and they have become well known for their creative latte art. “This customer came in the other day and was like, ‘I really want latte art in my drink.’ It's fun to just be creative, and of course, not every drink is perfect, but that's the art of it,” said Tidd. The coffee shop has seasonal menus, rotating the specials in and out to keep the menu interesting and different. One of their current drinks on the menu is called the Aloha, containing macadamia and white chocolate. 

Another ideal aspect of their location in downtown Reno is the shared courtyard space with outdoor seating that the building provides. Tidd looks forward to the summer when they can have customers sit outside in the greenery and enjoy the space, additionally planning to introduce smoothies in their summer menu. 

“We just focus on creating a great environment,” said Tidd. “Bringing great people in, meeting them and connecting with the customers, and making sure that people feel at home here.”

Reporting by Sydney Peerman for Our Town Reno 

Putting the Juan in Juan 101.7 FM in Reno

Juan Manuel Briones, a Mexico City native, has lived in the United States for 11 years, making the most of his experience serendipitously, both professionally and in his personal life.

He arrived stateside at the age of 24 and his main reason for leaving Mexico was for love. He met his wife in Mexico City while working at a dance academy and he was her chambelan for her Quinceañera. She was there visiting from the United States to have her celebration. After that, they started dating and six years later the couple finished university in their respective countries. 

His wife graduated locally from the University of Nevada with a social work degree. Briones graduated from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional with a mechanical engineering degree.

After they decided to join forces, he and his wife dedicated themselves to opening a dance studio together. That dream became Stylos Dance Studio on Wells Ave. specializing in preparing participants for their Quinceañeras.

Soon after opening that business, Briones also got work translating commercials from English to Spanish for the Reno Media Group. One of their stations is Juan 101.7 FM.

“I was never going to be on a radio show initially,” he remembers. “After I started working here at the station, three months later the owner of the station asked me what I would talk about if I had my own show. I said I would like to talk about themes that interest the Hispanic community. Like services and events that help our community,” Briones says.

Briones said if he had his own show, he didn’t want to be like other radio DJs who just featured gossip. He wanted his show to be useful. One week after his response he got his show on Juan 101.7 FM.

The radio station was already named Juan long before he was there and it was pure coincidence that his name happened to be Juan as well. “I love being here, it’s like my second home. I can talk about whatever I want and my bosses don’t try to censor me,”  Briones said.

His show called Juan con Juan is on Monday to Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 101.7 FM.

His goal is to be resource for the local Hispanic community and help educate people in an easy and understandable manner.

On his show, Briones tries to be as down to earth as possible and shares his experiences on the radio whenever possible,  “People without even knowing me can identify with what I say behind a microphone,” he says.

Afterward, he’ll see people on the street who will tell him they’ve never tried his favorite food, tortas de tamal or that they also go for [the] Chivas [soccer team] or that they hate the Chivas.  “I am the same Juan in and out of the radio that doesn’t change,” Briones says. His listeners seem to appreciate.

Our Town Reno reporting by Nancy Vazquez

Pub N' Sub, An Anchor on Ralston Street

Ralston Street in Reno, Nevada was named after William Ralston, a prominent businessman and founder of the Bank of California. Ralston was instrumental in the development of the Comstock Lode, a major silver deposit in Virginia City, Nevada, in the late 1800s. He also played a key role in the founding of Reno, which was established as a transportation hub for the Comstock Lode mining operations.

As I walked down Ralston St, the 1.4 mile long street that runs parallel to Sierra St and Virginia St, the street's broken asphalt and abundance of electric cables caught my attention. While it may not be the most visually appealing street in the city, it has a certain charm that draws people in. At the heart of Ralston is Pub N’ Sub, a beloved pub famous for their pizza, chicken wings, and cheap beers that has been serving the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) community since 1974.

Pub N Sub's history is as rich as the pizzas it serves. Founded by Steve Mathers, a UNR grad, the establishment used to be a grocery market run by a family. Mathers bought the place and started his business, deciding to only serve light alcohol and create a place for friends. The pub quickly became a popular hangout spot for students, faculty and locals alike. Its walls are adorned with UNR memorabilia, and the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.

Normally, six staff work simultaneously: two people take food orders and prepare sandwiches, one person serves drinks at the bar, and three people work in the kitchen to make the food.

During my visits, I had the opportunity to speak with a few Pub N’ Sub's employees and regulars. Western, a 26-year-old former journalism student and KOLO TV employee, told me he found his true passion in creative writing, so he quit his job and has been working at the pub for more than four years. Cole, a 23-year-old engineering student at UNR, introduced me to Mitch, a longtime regular who has been coming to Pub N’ Sub for over 20 years. Mitch moved to Reno from Los Angeles to attend UNR, and he and Mathers met there. After graduation, he found a job teaching at a local school and has stayed in Reno ever since, drawn in by the area's natural beauty and abundance of outdoor activities. His favorite activities are skiing in the mountains and swimming in the summer in the Truckee River.

Ralston Street’s other notable feature is the fire station. It stands out not only for its location in the middle of the street but also for its striking blue color. The university's official colors are navy blue and silver, which are meant to represent the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains. The fire station was painted blue to reflect the university's colors, a symbol of the close relationship between the school and the city. In contrast, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has red as its primary color, and it's not uncommon for Reno residents to avoid using anything red as a nod to the rivalry between the two schools. The strong and palpable rivalry between UNR and UNLV is a testament to the passion and loyalty that Reno residents have for their beloved university, and the fire station serves as a physical representation of that connection.

But beyond the colors and the rivalry, Ralston St and Pub N’ Sub are emblematic of the unique character of Reno. The street may not be the most polished or glamorous, but it has a certain authenticity that can't be replicated. The people who come to Pub N’ Sub aren't there for the aesthetics; they're there for the sense of community and camaraderie.

Our Town Reno Contribution by M.G.

Coalition Snow, a Sisterhood of Shredders Going Far Out in Reno

In an industry largely dominated by men, Coalition Snow is filling a void in the snowsports industry as the first ever female-owned and operated ski and snowboard company in the U.S..

Founded in 2014 by Jen Gurecki, Coalition Snow has slowly become a household name for female skiers and snowboarders seeking performance-driven equipment that is designed with them specifically in mind.

“I started snowboarding when I was 15. I’m 45 now, so it’s been 30 years. You spend that much time doing something and dedicating your life to it, and you start to realize who it’s for and who it’s not,” Jen explains. “I’d been living in Tahoe for a while out of university and saw that there wasn’t really a strong representation of women in snowsports. Let’s be honest, snowsports focus is on CIS white men, that’s the industry. And so anyone else just kind of exists in these margins, and I was always unsettled by that. I’ve always just felt like the outdoors should be for more people, for everyone.”

For a very long time, women’s snowsports equipment suffered from a phenomenon known as “pink it and shrink it,” where companies would take a men’s ski model, make it shorter and softer, and give it a “cute and girly” top sheet design. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that skis specifically designed for women began to emerge, yet disparities between the men’s and women’s equipment lines were still abundantly clear. 

Jen Gurecki and the rest of the Coalition Snow are one of very few snowsports companies in the entire world that center their products and gear solely around women. They currently offer a wide range of skis and snowboards for different terrain types and rider preferences, sporting unique and colorful top sheet graphics. At the 2018 Olympic Games, Coalition had two female riders sporting their equipment – Rosalind Groenewoud and Britt Hawes. Their skis and boards are currently available through their retail store at Reno Public Market, and they keep stock at various host shops across the U.S..

Coalition Snow previously had a seasonal store based in Truckee, but had to close up shop in 2020 after just six months due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Around the same time, a new opportunity presented itself. Construction of the new Reno Public Market was in the works, and the developers were in search of local businesses to fill up the new community space with their goods and wares.

Jen jumped at the opportunity, opening “Far Out” – Coalition’s first year-round brick-and-mortar store and taking her business to the next level.

“It was kinda scary. It’s a five-year lease, and it’s very capital-intensive. When we started, the whole store was just sheet rock and concrete floors,” Jen explains. “I had to envision and execute this whole store from the ground up basically.”

The Far Out store at Reno Public Market has all of Coalition’s skis and snowboards, as well as new lifestyle and adventure goods. “The Far Out store is a way for us as a business to actually walk or talk,” mentions Jen. “If you look at the brands we are carrying, we have a number of women-owned, black-owned, Indigenous-owned brands. We are really trying to build the outdoor industry and community that we want to be a part of, and in doing so are able to work with really amazing brands that share our values and help uplift these communities that have been historically excluded. We buy things from these businesses and we sell them, so we’re putting money directly in their pockets. That’s how you really support others.” 

The 712 square foot Far Out store is home to both U.S. and international outdoor brands, with a few select items being one-off pieces that Jen picked up along her travels; “I travel quite a bit, so you’re always going to find things in the store that you will literally not find anywhere else in Reno. Like things I bought from a market in Kenya, items I picked up, put in a bag, and flew back here with,” Jen said.

But Coalition Snow is more than skis, snowboards, and gear. It’s a community for people to connect and grow in snow sports, while leveling up their confidence and riding ability. They offer an Indigenous Backcountry Scholarship for Indigenous communities to increase their access to avalanche training and backcountry skiing and riding.

Coalition also offers group travel excursions through ‘Far Out Adventures’, with customers able to book their spot on an upcoming trip either online or at the physical store in Reno. “Through Far Out Adventures, we run multi-day and multi-week adventure group tours for women, non-binary, and femme presenting humans,” Jen explains. “We recently got back from our Japan ski trip. We’re doing a cycling trip across Kenya soon, which I ran last summer, and a trip to Mt. Bachelor called ‘Bachelorette’ which is our next one.” Customers can sign up for an upcoming trip, and stock up on all their travel and adventure gear essentials at the Far Out store beforehand.

While at the Reno Public Market visiting the Far Out store, it’s difficult to miss the pop-up shop directly opposite which is stacked with colorful, hand-crafted baskets. All the proceeds made by the sales of the baskets are funelled into a microlending program in Kenya, facilitated by Jen’s first brain-child Zawadisha.

Zawadisha is a non-profit that Jen started even before dipping her toes into the snowsports industry with Coalition. “We provide micro-loans to women. We’re sort of like the rent-a-center of rural Kenya, I think that’s the best way to describe it,” Jen explains. “We loan products like iron sheets, solar lamps, clean cookstoves, rainwater tanks, chairs, mattresses, items that improve the quality of people’s lives. We provide the products to them, and they pay for it over time.” Zawadisha’s headquarters are located about a four-hour train ride from Nairobi, in a very rural part of the country.

“We have amazing community partners there, and we’ve worked very closely with the chief, elders, and other women’s groups and other non-profits there. We’ve been doing this work for over 10 years and have a team of 5 women who run the operations, but we work with a couple thousand women every year.” One of the Far Out adventure group tours is in partnership with Zawadisha, and participants will embark in a cycling trip across Kenya.

Our Town Reno Reporting and Photography by Gaia Osborne

The Melting Pot in Midtown Catering to Reno’s Many Eccentricities

Renoites either love or hate the final week of August going into September. Burners flood the streets, cases of water become hard to come by, and eclectic vehicles and bicycles can be seen on every corner. Regardless of how some may feel, Burning Man is an important part of Reno’s unique culture as people from all over the world flock to the playa at Black Rock Desert. 

A crucial part of Reno’s burner culture is the The Melting Pot World Emporium. Its sunfaded prayer flags and poster filled windows make it hard not to notice on Virginia street in the center of Midtown. Since its official opening in 1996 and even earlier start vending at various West Coast festivals the people behind this endeavor have established themselves as Reno staples.

“It is a multicultural, counter-culture boutique with things from all around the world,” said Lisa Martin the Melting Pot’s long time manager. Eric and Monique Baron, the couple behind the store, have traveled to different countries like India and Nepal where they have sourced some of the amazing products in the store. 

With their shop, tourists and locals can get the Burning Man vibe whenever they enter the shop, and also feel like they are traveling around the world.

A wind chime with brass bells sourced from India is one of many lining the impressively stocked walls. 

“It’s really important for us to get things that are fair trade,” said Martin. “Women who have come from a sad upbringing are getting paid a decent wage and getting treated properly to make these goods.”

One standing display case features sterling silver jewelry with turquoise gemstones. 

Sterling silver and gemstone jewelry can be found near the register and in display cases featuring ornate designs and beadwork. Martin and Monique Baron are jewelry makers themselves, meeting up two days a week at Baron’s house to create handmade jewelry for the shop. 

Cute greeting cards, handmade and ethically produced clothing, local art, vaporizers gag gifts are some of the many things available at the Melting Pot. Those searching for a last minute gift are likely to find something for nearly anyone they’re shopping for. 

The smoke shop is described as Eric’s domain and features locally made glass, rolling papers, and bongs. It’s come a long way from the days of water pipes and hushed voices. “It’s refreshing, it’s amazing, it doesn’t feel like we’re hiding anything,” said Martin of the differences running the smoke shop after marijuana became legal in the state. 

Various smoking devices and accessories line the walls and cases in the 21+ smoke room.

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Ariel Smith

A former flight attendant becomes bouquet maker with truck

Emily MacPherson – the owner of Emmy’s Flower Truck – previously spent 25 years in the airline industry, working as a flight attendant for Southwest. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, air travel fell sharply which prompted airlines to cut capacity. “They started offering employees early outs and were paying people because they had too many flight attendants,” Emmy explains. “They were trying to cut back without ever having to lay someone off.” Emmy felt it was the right time to leave that chapter of her life behind, take the airline money, and venture into something completely new and different.

“I’m an old car girl, so I thought ‘what kind of business could I do?’ Flowers and trucks have been around for years. Since before I was born people have been selling flowers out of their trucks. So I did some research and found Daisy,” Emily MacPherson says of how she started her new venture.

Daisy is Emmy’s pride and joy – a beautiful, green 1965 Volkswagen Kombi Transporter. It took Emmy a year of searching to find the perfect vehicle to kickstart her new business, finally finding Daisy at a dealer in New Jersey

Throughout the snowy and cold winter months, Daisy keeps warm and dry in a storage unit. But as soon as the sun comes out and the temperatures in Reno begin warming up, Daisy can be spotted all over town spreading the joy of flowers with the whole community.

“We go out to businesses that invite us, and we have regular businesses that we visit on weekends once the weather gets a little warmer – like Pangolin Cafe… Perenn at Rancharrah…Too Soul Tea Co. …a lot of breakfast and coffee shop places,” Emmy said listing some of her many local partners.
Emmy also makes appearances at summer craft festivals and farmers' markets. Emmy loads up the back of the Transporter with buckets of fresh, vibrant flowers and greenery. Shoppers can pick and pull the flowers they like, and Emmy will arrange and wrap them in a beautiful bouquet to take home with them. “We add an extra wrap layer around the stems for extra hydration,” Emmy adds. “This way, you don’t have to go straight home to quickly put them in water as you do with store-bought flowers. Our bouquets can go 7-8 hours without putting them in water, as long as you keep them in the shade they’ll stay fresh and beautiful.”

Emmy also puts in the time to give back to local non-profit organizations, donating flowers to the Nevada Humane Society for their employee appreciation day and the Eddy House, among others

.Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of businesses to struggle – especially small, locally-owned companies – Emmy found that the pandemic actually helped her business, and she didn’t experience as much of a strain as she anticipated. “People were walking, trying to get out of the house. The flower truck was simple – we could drop these off at someone’s house, leave them at the front door and go. People would come with their friends, and they’d all stay apart and take turns picking. But yeah, I think the pandemic made people crave something. And flowers happen to be one of them,” she said.

A recent addition to the business is wedding parties. “We didn’t do weddings at first, but everyone kept asking us if we did so we started taking small weddings,” explains Emmy. “We wanted to make it less expensive for the brides, and a fun time as well.”

Emmy has a large, very welcoming showroom in Reno where she stores her flowers and the truck throughout the winter months. “We have all of the bridal party come in, and the bridesmaids and the bride make their own bouquets. Everyone has the same flowers, but they can put the bouquet together the way they like, so everyone has a different look which is kinda fun. We have their music playing, champagne, it’s like a fun get-together!” The showroom also provides Emmy with a space to host other events throughout the winter months when the weather is harsh and cold, such as tie-dye and other craft workshops.

“2023 is our third year, and we are really going try to do more regular spots instead of so many random different events in Reno. I think we are just going to try and stick with regular places and times since our biggest complaint has been not knowing where and when to expect us.” – Emily MacPherson

Reporting and Photos by Gaia Osborne for Our Town Reno

Local Theater Good Luck Macbeth Produces Powerful Show in Post-Roe Era

Advocacy Through Theater

Good Luck Macbeth is a local theater company that launched in 2009, amidst Reno’s financial recession when artistic opportunities were few and far in between. 

The mission of Good Luck Macbeth (GLM) is “to create relevant and impactful works of art that demonstrate the transformative power of theater and co-create equitable opportunities for artists to express their truest authentic selves, both on and off the stage, in Northern Nevada,” according to their website. 

GLM prides itself on producing provocative and compelling shows that use the stage as a channel to tell stories that may otherwise go untold. Amanda McHenry, the media director for the theater company, says when it comes to shows that other companies may consider too controversial or risky “we’re still willing to go there. We’re still willing to tell these stories, because it serves us. It serves us as a theater. It serves us as artists. It serves us as a community.”

Amanda McHenry has been involved with the company for several years after studying theater in college and exploring the Reno theater scene with various other groups. McHenry says that, “what makes [Good Luck Macbeth] special is that GLM really tries to break outside of the norm. They’re trying to see- like with Keely and Du- what is going to start a conversation, what is going to get people talking? What is something that’s relevant to today or the communities we’re trying to serve?” 

Paige Tatem has been involved as a stage manager in addition to her acting roles within Good Luck Macbeth. Photo courtesy of Paige Tatem with permission to reuse.

Creating Safe Spaces in Reno 

Paige Tatem, who has also been a part of the GLM team for a few years now, has been involved both behind and in front of the curtains. From stage management to acting as the lead in Keely and Du, Paige can attest to the harrowing but moving nature of some of the productions the theater company produces.

“I was involved in The Colony a couple years ago that dealt with forced sterilization; it was very similar in that it was dark and in your face about it because [forced sterilization] is still happening,” Tatem said. “And Keely and Du is a story that is still happening that now has been federally affected. So, it’s great to just put that out there for whoever wants to come listen.” 

Part of actualizing the mission of GLM, is being clear and open about what communities they hope to serve through their storytelling. 

By selecting productions that are considered transformative and compelling, the theater company aims to create safe space for artists that are underrepresented and underinvested in. Uplifting artists to celebrate their identities and talents through unapologetic authenticity is integral to the mission of Good Luck Macbeth. 

“I know for us at GLM, it’s really important to serve the LGBT community and make sure those voices are represented,” shares McHenry, “so it’s really important for us to pick shows that are going to tell the kind of stories that the people we’re trying to reach will connect with, that they know about, that they’ve also experienced.”

Tatem speaks to the value of shining “a light on the stories that people may not want to tell,” and how those connections lead to the inclusion and belonging that the company strives for. She says that, “in a town that’s really blossoming with a lot of really great art that’s going to come up in the next couple of years, having a space to be able to sit down and learn and feel like you’re included and wanted is really important.”

The poster for the current GLM production of Keely and Du. 

Keely and Du 

Running from March 10th through the 24th, Good Luck Macbeth is showcasing Keely and Du by Jane Martin after several months of hard work. Keely and Du was a finalist for the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and its powerful and moving discourse on abortion and reproductive justice is just as important and relevant as it was 30 years ago. 

“Keely and Du,” summarizes Tatem, “is about Keely, who’s been sexually assaulted and is then kidnapped and taken by this Christian right to life group. And it really explores her relationship with her captor, Du, and it explores the pro-life, pro-choice topic.”

Tatem shares what it was like to play a part like Keely, who becomes pregnant as a result of her sexual assault, and then kidnapped to prevent her abortion. “I had to keep reminding myself that this could be a real person, and to just play it with conviction. She’s in an awful situation. Her whole life has pretty much been terrible, but she knows that she has to fight and that’s her only way out. Even if nobody listens, she’s gonna fight and scream until she’s listened to. And I think she has a lot of conviction. She doesn’t let anyone tell her ‘no’ or put her in a corner…”

Posing questions about female autonomy and religious realities of procreation, GLM is not unaware of the show’s impact in the Reno community and the risk that goes alongside producing such a poignant show.

The Reno arts community has been receptive to the shows produced by Good Luck Macbeth, but that does not minimize the extent of the work that is still to be done.

“I think people within the artist community are very receptive to the things we’re doing,” McHenry said. “People get really excited, really into what we are doing. But when looking at [the] community as a whole, sometimes I feel like it isn’t quite ready to talk about the things we’re trying to talk about or the things we’re trying to push. Like with Keeley and Du, Reno in general isn’t quite ready to go there. So that’s what I love about GLM, is that we’re willing to go there.”

A photo of Paige Tatem and Kathy Welch as they portray their characters, Keely and Du. Photo courtesy of Amanda McHenry.

Promoting Positive Dialogue

In such a volatile time in the United States for female reproductive rights, people with platforms have a unique opportunity to add to the conversation in a productive way, as what Keely and Du aim to do. 

Good Luck Macbeth seeks to use their platform in order to increase our capacity for empathy within the community and to allow others to have an accessible safe space in which they can come forward and get resources to learn and be inspired.

McHenry speaks to the importance of using their platform to promote healthy dialogue and contribute to a pertinent conversation currently being had all over America, “I think we’re valuing vulnerability in a way that we never have before. So it’s a lot easier for us to be like- oh yeah, I’ve been through this, or I know somebody who’s been through this, or I’m just willing to talk about this in a way that might have been more taboo or not okay in the past.” 

As Good Luck Macbeth shares their production of Keely and Du, in addition to the other projects and shows throughout the year, they work to promote equity and inclusion and invite the community to be a participant in that effort.

Reporting for Our Town Reno by Vanessa Ribeiro

The Community of Open Mic Nights in Reno by a Singer-Songwriter

Singer-Songwriter Andrew Zuker joined up with an eclectic group of musicians at Cypress Music Venue in Midtown recently to showcase the unpredictable beauty and community of an Open Mic Night:

There are few places in life where professionals and amateurs commingle joyously, where competition is absent, and where artists from all backgrounds and origins can revel in their craft and enjoy the work of others without pressure to hustle and climb, network and promote. 

Hosted by prolific Reno musician Greg Gilmore, Cypress music venue opens their stage to anyone each Wednesday evening from 7:00-10:00 p.m. Musicians put their name in a bucket and must be ready to perform at any point in the evening when their name is drawn. 

“Three songs or 15 minutes, whichever comes first,” Gilmore gently reminds each group or solo artist once they are plugged in, tuned up, and ready to go.

Music and entertainment are notoriously competitive industries and American culture at large often assumes that everyone should be trying to “make it,” or in other words, become a big star. For some, Open Mic is the first place where they get to step in front of a crowd and give it their best shot. 

For others with a rich resume of music jobs, bands, and gigs, Open Mic is a place to leave career goals behind and just share their love of music and performing. 

Ellie Bartels performing an original work, “Song for Ed,” playing her Fender Stratocaster without a pick, plucking and strumming intricate harmonies under her voice and clever, engaging lyrics.

A Place Where We All Belong

“We’re all equal here,” quips Ellie Bartels, a singer-songwriter and close friend I originally met at an Open Mic a few years back. “The community is great. It’s a funny thing, because I never even noticed until I moved to Reno 5 years ago. The people here are so supportive of each other.” 

Ellie stands tall and slender, with long hair tumbling from her winter hat. Her original songs meander and create a sequence of moods, with lots of motion and dynamic, her thought-provoking lyrics sung earnestly.

Ellie was born in the Deep South but has lived all over the U.S., most recently in Oakland, CA before moving to Reno in 2019. She is currently a student of Psychology and Music at Truckee Meadows Community College. 

With many original songs and a few albums to her name, Ellie has made music both professionally and as a hobby. She considers Open Mics a crucial forum for beginners to gain confidence and performing experience. 

“So that’s why, even if someone sounds kinda crappy to me, I won’t over-praise them, but I will always be supportive,” she said, explaining that it takes a lot of courage to sing and play in front of a crowd.

Ellie acknowledges that we all start out as beginners and that encouragement from other musicians can be an amazing confidence-builder. “Most people will never become famous or anything, but you hope they will keep creating music that you enjoy.”

That night at Cypress, we got the chance to see and support one such beginner. 

Poet and rapper Th3 R3alist R3ason took the stage and announced that this would be his first public performance of music and first time rapping in front of anyone. I would never have guessed it was his first rap performance from his passionate delivery of thought-provoking rhymes and cutting refrains.

Also known as the “Dictionary Hero,” R3ason ended his set by cutting off the mic and performing a dazzling poem of the same name, sans amplification, running through the alphabet forwards and back again with a passionate litany of social commentary. 

Poet and rapper Th3 R3alist R3ason relaxes at the bar after performing music in public for the first time in his life. Inspired by his Aunt, he began writing and performing poetry as a teenager. 

Where the Crowd Wants You to Win

“It helped feed my performance,” he said. “I’ve never done the rapping in front of anybody and to perform that in front of people was a little nerve wracking but it definitely helped calm the nerves seeing that the crowd was responsive. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

The 34-year-old R3ason lives in Reno with his three children but says he is “from everywhere.”  He says became interested in poetry as a child, inspired by his Aunt who was a poet and an influential figure in his life. It was her who pushed him to first share his poems at poetry open mic nights. 

Though this was his first public musical performance, Th3 R3alist R3ason drew from his experience reading poetry and exchanging energy with the crowd. 

British-born chanteuse known simply as Sue riles up the crowd with a rocking rendition of the Rolling Stones’ hit Paint It Black. 

Where You Feel At Home 

By contrast, the singer who goes by Sue, originally from Kent, England, is an entertainment and music veteran.

Petite and in pigtails, playing a small-sized acoustic guitar with a peace sign guitar strap, the cheerful and unassuming songstress has an enormous and energetic sound with soaring, powerful rock vocals. Sue has worked in entertainment professionally for decades, starting in the film industry as a runner and eventually working her way up to visual effects producer. Back in the UK, Sue regularly hosted an Open Mic and also toured professionally with bands and as a solo act. 

Having recently relocated to Reno with her husband, Sue is loving the mountains and beauty of nature in Northern Nevada while finding kinship among the local musicians. 

“I had lived here for about 4 months,” Sue says, explaining how she discovered the Open Mic at Cypress,  “I walked in here because I had to have live music, because my soul was craving it, and I just thought ‘I’ve come home.’”

That feeling of belonging and home was mentioned by all the performers I spoke to, especially Argyle, a cheerful and colorful singer-songwriter with smart lyrics and a lovely, honest voice. Argyle plays a rare and interesting vintage instrument called an Omnichord, which could best be described as the lovechild of an autoharp and a synthesizer, played by holding chord buttons and strumming over a sensor instead of strings. 

Reno-based singer-songwriter and all around creative force Argyle hypnotizes the audience with a stark and soothing original song. Originally from Las Vegas, they came to Reno 11 years ago for school and never left. 

A Place to Grow As a Person and a Performer

“I grew up Mormon and I was trained from a young age to go and sing with a bunch of people once a week and this kind of is a good continuation of that,” Argyle said with a laugh and wry smile. 

“But really what I started doing it for is: I sang a lot as a kid and I really miss that, but I developed stage fright and so I was like ‘If I keep going maybe I’ll stop having stage fright…’ and I think it worked!”

For Leon Neilsen, the multi-talented multi-instrumentalist lead singer of local band Enigmana, the connections created and fostered in the music community are what it’s all about. Neilson, along with bandmates Jonathan Louis, Darion Jordan, Tyler Smelich, and Salvador Garcia, wants to foster the type of supportive environment that encourages new performers to join in and experience being on stage.

“I want to turn Reno into a music town,” Nielsen says, explaining that community is a large part of what drives him to perform. 

“It’s this channeling tool where I get to take this energy that I have, and then I get to crank it to 12 because I’m really good at being an entertainer, so I can make other people feel happy and that’s a rare feeling actually nowadays.” 

Another musical performance in the books for Leon Neilsen.

Where We Can Be Happy

For me, as a full-time journalism student, father of two, husband, and former pro-musician, Open Mic is a welcome respite from daily life where I can enjoy live music, talk shop with the other players, and share my songs or favorite covers without a lot of responsibility and competition. I don’t have to promote the show, book the other bands, host and MC the show, handle payment negotiations with the club manager, bring the equipment and run sound all the while trying to give a great performance. I just get to enjoy the moment.

When I first moved to Reno in 2019, I started attending Open Mics to meet other musicians and  make some friends in town. What I found was an expansive but tight network of talented and creative people, bound together by a love of music, eager to laugh, cheer, sing, and be unabashedly happy to be together. 

Our Town Reno reporting by Andrew Zuker

Behind the Barn Doors at the Andelin Family Farm

A rich history

Andelin Family Farm is located on 150 acres of beautiful property in the middle of the Spanish Springs valley in Sparks, Nevada, and is currently operated by husband-and-wife Cameron and Natalie Andelin.

In the early 1980s, Cameron’s parents purchased the farm from the Gaspari Family. The Gasparis immigrated to California from Northern Italy and began farming in Mendocino County. When the father died, the mother moved six children, 11 cows, five horses, and some chickens to the farm in Spanish Springs.

Although the farm has changed a lot over the years, there are still some buildings, barns, and houses intact as a reminder of the Gaspari Family. “The best part of the purchase agreement was that the Gasparis could live on the farm as long as they wanted,” mentions Cameron Andelin. “We still have some houses on the farm that we actually rent out to people now, but it’s where the Gasparis originally lived.”

Changing hands

Cameron has fond memories of visiting Joe and Jenny Gaspari’s farm as a boy, exploring and collecting eggs from the chicken coop with his brothers and friends after his parents acquired the land.“Fast forward to 2010, my parents decided they were going to move to Idaho and asked me and my wife if we wanted to live on the farm with our kids,” Cameron says.

“We jumped at the opportunity. In the beginning, I was still working as an accountant full-time and did that for around four years until our festivals started to take off. That’s when I quit my accounting job.”

After a while of the family settling into their new life on the farm, Natalie – Cameron’s wife – had the idea of starting a pumpkin patch and opening it up to the public. Ten years later, the Andelin Family Farm Pumpkin Patch is a staple fall-activity for the Reno community, with thousands of families and groups flocking to the farm for all of the fun fall festivities on offer. “I know that the community likes having us here, and we are equally thankful to the community for supporting our farm and allowing us to host all of these events,” says Cameron. The Andelin Family Farm welcomes just under 100,000 visitors throughout the year.

Winter at the farm

The Fall Festival, which ended in October, is the farm’s most popular event and includes a pumpkin patch, corn maze, zombie paintball, hay rides, and so many other family-friendly activities. Since closing day, the farm has been in its “off-season”, and has been very busy preparing for the next big event – the Spring Festival. “During the winter we’re in off-season, and things are much slower,” explains Cameron. “As we start preparing for the event season, we spend most of our time outdoors, setting up for the next festival and working on projects. This winter, we’ve been working on rebuilding some of our animal pens. We always have irrigation projects on the go, and we’ve added a diaper-changing station and lounge to make the farm more comfortable for mothers. We’re always trying to proactively think of ways to make the customer experience at the farm better.”

Expanding interests

The Andelins are also expanding their farm store to make even more of their fresh, delicious produce available to visitors, as well as converting an existing shed into a playhouse for kids. Over the last couple of years, they have also been working alongside the City of Sparks, taking steps towards commercially expanding their farm in the future. “We want to build a restaurant, a bakery, and restrooms,” explains Cameron. “But in order to do that, we need to connect to all the sewage and water systems, and have all those entitlements in place to move forward.”

While in the off-season, projects and farm work can sometimes get delayed or halted by the harsh and unpredictable weather. “With farming, there’s always weather-related hurdles,” Cameron shrugs. “You never have perfect weather for growing – either it’s too hot or too cold. When it rains a lot, our fields can get pretty flooded if they get too saturated with water. One fall, we got so much we had to start pumping it out into a ditch.”

The animals

Andelin Family Farm is home to a wide variety of animals – camels, alpacas (above), ponies, chickens, horses, cows, turkeys, sheep, peafowl, llamas, kune kune pigs, emus (below), goats, and more. Each pen has an information card that provides facts and information on each animal and there are plenty of opportunities to interact with animals on a more intimate level, providing this multi-sensory and educational experience.

The farm’s next big event is its Spring Festival which kicks off in April, opening to visitors Thursdays to Sundays. The main feature is the baby animal petting zoo, a popular attraction with visitors young and old. People have the unique opportunity to snuggle up with baby goats, piglets, calves, chicks, and lambs in supervised animal pens, even getting the chance to bottle feed them. The farm also hosts an Easter egg hunt, and opens up its tulip fields to the public for “U-Pick-Tulips.” This season, the farm has planted 50,000 tulips which will soon be available for the public to come and pick themselves, a fun and unique springtime activity.

Navigating through the pandemic

In 2020, due to COVID-19 social distancing and rules concerning public gatherings, the Andelin Family Farm Spring Festival looked slightly different. Instead of simply cancelling the event altogether, the family came up with the creative idea of hosting a Drive-Thru Baby Animal Festival. Visitors booked tickets and traveled through the farm in their vehicles, passing by all the animal pens. “People loved it,” Cameron says. “My wife and I recorded ourselves for an audio tour. The kids especially loved it. They would unbuckle their seatbelts, roll the windows down, and moo at the cows as they went past.”

The pandemic also prompted the Andelins to begin hosting private group tours of the farm, which they now provide year-round as a permanent offering.

“2022 was a particularly challenging year being at the tail-end of COVID. Everything just costs more – our fertilizer, fuel, everything,” says Cameron. “But it seems like there is always some sort of unexpected challenge or hurdle we don’t anticipate. We just have faith, work really hard, and stay positive.”

A family affair

Cameron and Natalie have five children, four of whom have since moved out of the family home and headed off to college. “Our kids have been heavily involved in the farm, which has been a blessing for them, and for us,” says Cameron. “It’s a bit of a transition not having them here at home, and we do miss the days when they were all here at the farm.”

Despite not having their children around to assist around the farm as much anymore, Andelin Family Farm is not short of helping hands. In 2022, the farm employed over 300 people throughout the seasons. “We’ve become quite a big employer and provide a lot of part-time work for people – everybody from retirees to teenagers, moms, and dads.” 

What’s coming up?

Aside from the Baby Animal and Tulip Festival, the Andelin Family Farm will continue hosting educational school field trips, as well as a kid's summer farm camp. Other spring events to look forward to are the annual Mother’s Day Brunch, and a craft and vendor fair at the beginning of May.

“We’re excited for 2023. Our baby goat yoga will be coming back in May. We’ll be having painting classes, and yesterday we were just talking about potentially doing a knitting class with our alpacas,” Cameron concluded, never short on ideas.

Our Town Reno reporting by Gaia Osborne

The Grays Rebound with their Local Italian Hearts Pasta Sauce and Commercial Kitchen

Val and Sal Gray, Southern California natives, have been married for 25 years. They both previously worked in the corporate world in management positions but were unfortunately laid off when the recession hit. “When we tried to find work again, we were told that we were too old to be rehired,” Val explains. “They had gotten rid of all the upper management and hired younger people working for a fraction of what we made.” After struggling for a while to reenter the corporate world and being too young to retire, Sal and Val found themselves in a predicament. 

Sal and Val both are of Italian heritage, their grandparents hailing from Naples and Rome respectively. “Sal made this fabulous sauce,” Val boasted of her husband. “I had my own family sauce, which I thought was pretty spectacular until I tasted his. It converted me!” The pair used to host regular dinner parties for friends and family, and attendees couldn’t get enough of their sauce. When a friend suggested they consider jarring their sauces and turning it into a business, it transformed into a lightbulb moment for the Grays.

But starting a business from the ground up is no easy feat, and would take a lot of time and resources. “We were living on our 401K, cashing it in just to survive,” Val mentions. “That was at the start of our journey. We prayed a lot, because the whole idea seemed pretty far-fetched to us. We prayed that God would give us a sign. At the time, we were growing tomatoes in our garden, and the next morning we discovered a perfectly heart-shaped tomato. That was our sign.” That heart-shaped discovery not only provided the Grays with a name for their new company, it kickstarted their entire culinary journey.

At the beginning, the Italian Hearts started at craft shows, with friends and family rallying around to help them make their first batches of sauce. Val recounts their first experience selling their product vividly; “We entered a craft show that was at a high school. We hadn’t gone commercial yet and I was really nervous setting up. I went to put a jar on the table and it misses the edge, smashing and filling the entire gymnasium with the smell of our sauce. People came in and were like, ‘what is that smell?’ and we sold out almost immediately, which was a good indication.”

After making some more batches at home and finding success at local farmers and craft markets in Reno, the duo decided to take things a step further. “Our number one goal of being commercial was to sell in Whole Foods,” Val mentions. “We were loyal Whole Foods customers and at the time, Whole Foods had a different model and were all about supporting local. It took us a year to get through compliance, but we finally got into Whole Foods.” In 2011, the Grays found themselves a commercial kitchen to rent in Sparks and began their commercial journey.

The pasta sauce department is one of the most competitive sections in the entire grocery store, with rows upon rows of brands competing for the best, most visible spots on the shelf. “That was the hardest thing at the beginning, showing customers why our sauce is different from everybody else’s,” explains Sal. “At the start, we went out on the road and did demos, because unless people really taste our sauce, they don’t know why we’re really different from anybody else.”

The Grays take pride in the fact that every single ingredient put into their sauce is hand- elected by them, as well as being locally produced and sourced from various family-run farms and ranches in the Greater Reno area. Instead of mass-producing their sauces in a factory, Papa Sal and Mama Val hand-produce each batch of sauce themselves in their own kitchen, maintaining complete control over their product.

“We cook sauce all day, exactly as we would make it at home,” says Val. “We taste them, and they’re not finished until we reach perfection. Of course, our profit margin is much less doing it this way. We can’t say we’ve made a billion dollars from this business because we haven’t. But it’s our passion and our business, and it’s hugely prosperous. Not necessarily on an income level, but to us, that’s fine, because our customers appreciate what we do tremendously.”

The Grays place a heavy emphasis not only on great taste, but also health and nutrition. “For Italians, red sauce is like our secret weapon for good health,” Val reveals. “We use a good grade olive oil, mostly all our ingredients are organic. We recently switched from regular tomatoes to certified organic San Marzano tomatoes that are grown in Italy without raising the price of our sauce.” Italian Hearts is currently in the process of obtaining their certified organic seal and switching out the labels to reflect the tomato change.

The company offers three different sauce flavors; Bella Amore, Val’s Vegetarian, and a Three Meat Sauce. The Three Meat sauce is Sal’s family recipe, hailing from his origins in Naples. Link sausage, chuck roast, and pork roast cook for hours in their signature red sauce, releasing all the meaty flavor into the sauce before being jarred. The Bella Amore is based loosely on Val’s nonna’s recipe, filled with the flavor of Val’s homemade meatballs with a slightly spicy kick. The third sauce, Val’s Vegetarian, came about after one of their vegan friends complained that she couldn’t try any of their products. “We took a week off and went up to our friend’s cabin in Tahoe and totally unplugged from everything, spending the whole time creating a vegan sauce,” Val explains. 

Above, Sal’s egg recipe using Italian Hearts sauce.

Their first major commercial breakthrough was with Whole Foods. After Amazon purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017 though that was not good news for the Grays.

“That changed everything for us,” Val explains. “Unfortunately, we were one of the products that got cut across the board nationwide. Whole Foods was our number one store, so it was devastating.”

Prior to the Amazon takeover, Italian Hearts had won a Whole Foods Small Producer Grant, an award whose winner was selected based on popularity, and was voted on by stores in each region. “We were unanimously picked as the number one because we demoed in there weekly, setting up a table. We knew everybody there, it was like family. So when we got cut, it was like a bad breakup quite frankly.”

After being cut from Whole Foods' product range, Val and Sal felt a little burnt out with corporate America and decided to change directions and keep their focus on the local market in Reno. They went back to setting up tables at more craft shows and farmers markets and started to meet more local food producers.

Hearing about other local business owners' struggles and issues, Val and Sal decided to open their hearts and kitchen to other local producers and help them with their businesses. They’ve been renting out kitchen space for the last ten years now and are currently at full capacity, with nine local chefs and food trucks operating out of their kitchen; Mitch’s Vegan Jerky, Italian Heart’s, Dollface Cheesecakes, Faded Apron, Mama Bear’s Vegan Foods, Just Scones, Hungry Heart’s Food Truck, Kitchen 1851 Food Truck, Mrs. Bea & Mr. Rocko’s Catering. They offer their space and use of their state-of-the-art equipment at the lowest rate possible, simply charging chefs the flat rental fee with no added costs on top, and have rented out their space and helped 50 local food businesses to date. 

Italian Hearts has plans to continue supplying the Reno market with their delicious jars of tomatoey goodness, with the ultimate goals of expanding and opening a second commercial kitchen in Reno to up their sauce production and provide more opportunities for local chefs to find affordable kitchen space. “We definitely have plans to grow, but it all takes money,” Val explains. “We got an SBA loan recently which we were really thankful to get, but that all went to buying new equipment and upgrading our electricity.”  They also have plans to implement an itern program for students wanting to learn about business operations and the food and culinary industry.

Apart from adding the sauce to a pot with your favorite pasta shape, Papa Sal and Mama Val have some other suggestions for getting the most out of your sauce:

Support a local business and follow Italian Hearts on Facebook. Their page unfortunately got hacked and they lost thousands of followers they had amassed throughout their journey. They have a new page up and running, and could use any support to get their following back.

Papa Sal: “Papa used to poach an egg in the morning in the sauce right on the stove, and then use a little Italian toast to dunk in the egg yolk.”

Mama Val: “One thing I really love is zucchini. Cut them into rounds, sautee them in the sauce and finish it off in the oven topped with a really nice cheese.”

Italian Hearts pasta sauces can currently be found in the following stores in the Reno-Tahoe area:

• Raley's O-N-E on Wedge Parkway in Reno – Italian Hearts Display

• Raleys on Caughlin Ranch – end cap display

• Raleys on Mayberry Drive in Reno – shadow box up front in the pasta aisle

• Raleys on N McCarran in Sparks – Italian Hearts Display

• Raleys in Carson City – pasta aisle

• Raleys in Gardnerville – end cap display

• Raley's O-N-E in Truckee, CA

• Whole Foods Reno – pasta aisle

• Whole Foods in South Lake Tahoe – pasta aisle

• The Urban Market in downtown Reno

• Natural Grocers Reno

• Great Basin Community COOP

Our Town Reno reporting by Gaia Osborne