Reno Public Market BlueZone Sports is Suddenly Closed, While Employees Complain

The website for BlueZone Sports which has been operating since late 2023 at the Reno Public Market indicates it’s temporarily closed right now.

Its website still indicates this is its flagship store since “serving outdoor enthusiasts in the Lake Tahoe region,” since 2014.

An email and call to their Plumb Lane location today went unanswered, while we received an email this week alleging employees have been informed there were rent issues, and that they have been suddenly left jobless.

One witness said he’d seen “moving vans and trucks at their back door the last three days.”

The store’s rating on Indeed has been cratering of late with a review titled Poor Leadership from last fall from an employee in Reno indicating "I had high hopes when I started working here, but the company's potential is completely overshadowed by poor leadership from the CEO. Decision-making feels arbitrary, with no clear vision or strategy for the company's future. Communication from the top is rare and often inconsistent, leaving employees feeling in the dark about important changes. The CEO is also unapproachable and out of touch with the day-to-day operations, making it hard for employees to voice concerns or offer feedback. This disconnect has fostered a toxic work environment, where morale is low, and turnover is high. It's a shame because the team itself is talented, but under this leadership, I don't see the company moving in a positive direction anytime soon.”

“What is the most stressful part about working at the company?

Working with the CEO and upper management. The company is very poorly operated,” another Reno based employee reviewer added in February 2024 before answering more questions they answered themselves.

“What is the work environment and culture like at the company?

The CEO makes it seem like you are under a dictatorship.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?

Long, stressful, not worth the salary they pay for what is expected.”

Their website indicates the store has multiple locations, in South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Roseville, Carson City and Tahoe City.

It also directly sells many items for outdoor enthusiasts online.

Our Town Reno report, June 13, 2025

Reno To Front Demolition of Former Shelter Compound with Sale Still not Finalized

According to an emailed summary of this week’s City Council meeting, “Council and the Redevelopment Agency Board awarded a contract to All Eagle, LLC for the Community Assistance Center Demolition Project in an amount not to exceed $700,000, which includes contingencies of $19,800. 

The property, located at 315 and 335 Record Street, is under an Economic Development and Purchase/Sale Agreement with Ulysses Development Group, who will reimburse the Reno Redevelopment Agency for a large portion of the demolition cost.”

This is $30,000 more than the Ulysses Development Group, which has a plan to build 136 apartment units there, is required to reimburse the city for the demolition and clean up of debris.  

The overall sale of the properties for a grant dependent $3.375 million with 2% interest over 15 years has not been finalized though, so initially the Reno Redevelopment Agency, which has its own budget, will be fronting the entire demolition cost. 

The former shelter compound was less than two decades in use, despite recent pleas by advocates for the poor it should be repurposed to still help with different services, such as for cooling during hot days.

Since the Cares Campus was opened in 2021, and homeless services were transferred to the county, the majority of our City Council has repeatedly indicated it wants to let go of its former homeless shelter compound, which has been left vacant for several years now, and prone to vandalism.

Its two sections were built in 2005 and 2007 for $20 million with materials estimated to be able to last between 50 to 100 years.

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Latest Sexual Coercion Allegations Case Against Local Realtor Chris Nevada Has Two Parts of It Upheld

New court documents from June 9th indicate parts of a lawsuit by Paul Gilsdorf against the owner of the Nevada Real Estate Group local realtor Chris Nevada are now going forward.

The upheld parts of the Gilsdorf lawsuit now being considered in Washoe County concern wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress, while allegations about unfair treatment due to gender and retaliation were dropped as the document indicates Nevada couldn’t be held liable in legal terms as an employer due to how real estate work is organized.

As part of the allegations stated in the document the plaintiff alleges Nevada would brag about sexual relations he was having with female employees and directed the plaintiff to send over attractive and young women for recruitment interviews, and would then allegedly offer money, job security and other benefits to female employees in exchange for sexual favors.   

The document explaining why parts of the lawsuit can go forward indicates "allegations of an employer using their position of influence as leverage to coerce female employees to engage in sexual relations, and then proceeding to brag about such alleged relations, directly involve the public policy of protecting those in the workplace from an allegedly open and hostile sexual manipulation where one manipulates their position of power over their employees for sexual gain."

It also outlines that "after being allegedly subjected to a toxic work environment, and upon his termination, it is alleged that Mr. Nevada, on behalf of Defendant, threatened Plaintiff with a lawsuit and threatened to contact Plaintiff’s future employers. These actions, when taken as a whole, go beyond mere termination, therefore making such claims viable at this current time."

Our Town Reno has previously reported about another recent case against Nevada by plaintiff Misty Carter which was dismissed with prejudice, with each party bearing their own costs according to the PacerMonitor website.

The Gilsdorf lawsuit initially filed in Clark County pertains to Gilsdorf, a former Nevada Real Estate Group employee, being allegedly fired after speaking up against Nevada, the group’s owner, to other superiors while working in Reno. 

Gilsdorf was hired as director of growth at the Nevada Real Estate Group in July 2022, and tasked with recruiting real estate agents.

In an email sent to Our Town Reno about this case last year Nevada wrote: "Paul Gilsdorf voluntarily resigned from the team; he was not terminated. He expressed dissatisfaction after his request for a pay raise was denied. Three team members have confirmed that Paul shared his decision to join Cody Gibson from Keller Williams as their new recruiter and moving to Oregon, and that he was resigning from his current position. These team members have provided signed affidavits attesting to this. Additionally, I have an email from Paul confirming his resignation, along with a text message from me wishing him well in his future endeavors. It is clear that he is attempting to extort $15,000 from the company.  He has no case and this will be dismissed very quickly, and I will be seeking damages from him for his false accusations."

While doing research on these cases, we found that Nevada previously operated with the same profile picture as now in Alaska but with a different last name Druesedow.  

On docketalarm, we found a 2014 case called Druesedow, Christopher K vs. Uei, Katherine J FAP, which was also dismissed with prejudice, while this latest local case remains pending.

Our Town Reno reporting, June 11, 2025

Washoe County Manager To Retire After Report Calls For Better Communication

Washoe County Manager Eric Brown says he will retire effective June 30th after serving over five years in the position, despite receiving a 10% one time bonus to his base salary of $341,000 along with an annual raise last December.

His retirement announcement comes as the county is facing a budget deficit of $8 million and a recent lawsuit by the former interim Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess for an alleged toxic work environment and discrimination.

It also coincides with a review of the county manager’s office by Raftelis Consulting which recommended improved communication at the county leadership level.

“When you get to a point where the kinds of communications challenges that are reflected in this report occur, I think one has to look at themselves and at the situation and say, well, maybe this is no longer the right place for me to be in order to be effective or for the organization to continue to move forward,” Brown said today.

Brown's tenure included guiding the county during the pandemic, the establishment of the Cares Campus, ending drag queen story hours at local libraries, taking leave for medical reasons during the 2024 election cycle and a bizarre video circulated several times by the county in which he made unfounded statements about his past as a high level sprinter.

“During the [County Commissioners] Board meeting on June 17, the Board will consider an agenda item outlining the forthcoming steps in the County Manager recruitment process,” a county press release indicated today.  

Our Town Reno reporting, June 10, 2025

What is the protocol for unscheduled house visits by City of Reno employees?

A concerned local is wondering about this very question as she says she was in her backyard on a recent early morning when “a city employee came to my door which I didn’t hear and everyone else was asleep in my home. I went inside my home and the employee then proceeded to just come through my side gate without permission,” she alleged in a message to Our Town Reno.

“When I saw him and confronted him, I asked him to leave because he was trespassing and I didn’t give him permission to come into my yard nor did I know for sure whether he actually worked for the city because he didn’t have anything identifying him other than his outfit. He didn’t leave until my husband woke from the commotion and came to the door. Other odd thing was when I check my camera the employee kept messing with his crotch while looking at my camera.”

After a few days, the City of Reno gave this lengthy response, with their own version of what happened in this particular instance:  "While the City of Reno does have the legal authority to access utility easements located on private property, we also recognize that many residents may not be aware these easements exist or that City staff may need to access them to maintain critical sewer and utility infrastructure. 

In many parts of Reno, critical infrastructure such as sewer and stormwater systems are located in residents’ backyards. To keep these systems functioning safely and reliably, City crews must occasionally enter these areas to perform inspections, maintenance, or emergency repairs. 

As a standard practice, employees make every effort to notify and coordinate with property owners before accessing private property. For routine maintenance, the standard protocol is to alert the property owner of the upcoming work via knocking on the door.

 For larger projects, written notice is provided. When a property owner cannot be reached or does not respond, the City has the legal right to enter the backyard to access City infrastructure. 

In this instance, the individual seen in the picture is a City of Reno employee who attempted to notify the resident by knocking and ringing the doorbell. After receiving no response, the staff member proceeded through the side gate to access sewer infrastructure located within the City easement in the backyard. When approached by the resident, the employee explained that he rang the doorbell and knocked on the door and clarified the purpose of the visit. After hearing concerns from the homeowner, the employee offered to return at a more convenient time and then left the property. 

Residents may not be aware that utility easements maintained by the City of Reno can be located in the backyards of private properties. To find out if your property includes a City easement, please contact the Washoe County Recorder’s Office . If you are a property owner with tenants, we encourage you to inform your renters about any City easements on the property."

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Controversial San Francisco Figure Linked to Property in Reno Slapped with Stop Work Order

Don Carmignani, who had many controversial headlines about him in the Bay Area, related to domestic abuse and violence with the unhoused, appears to now be causing concerns in Reno.

Official documents listing that name with another address linked to him on Magnolia Street in San Francisco have him as the new owner of 2090 Fife Drive in Reno, which is a lot listed as being sold for $200,000 in late 2024.

A neighbor who made the connection indicated to us he was having non permitted demolition work done, and that a stop worker order was issued on June 3rd on the recently purchased property.

The neighbor said all trees and structures had been demolished at the location on Fife Drive, while a temporary pole was put up “to hold up the electrical wires from the NV Energy drop… “ One trailer on site had Biltmore Construction marked on it. The website for that company currently indicates: “this website has been temporarily suspended due to non-payment.”

A Don Carmignani living at the same address on Magnolia Street as in the Washoe County documents was in the news when his ex-wife accused him of multiple incidents of domestic abuse, “including one in which she said he twisted her arm in an unprovoked attack,” according to reported testimony in a 2023 San Francisco Standard article.

The testimony was part of a trial related to a fight Carmignani, a commercial property developer who briefly served on the Fire Commission, had with an unhoused man, Garrett Doty, who faced assault and battery charges.

During the trial and in subsequent media reports, there were allegations Carmignani repeatedly attacked unhoused people living by his house, with some of these encounters on surveillance camera.

Previously in 2013, Carmignani had resigned from the San Francisco Fire Commission after being arrested in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident involving his then estranged wife. 

In the 2023 trial, the unhoused man was found not guilty on all charges, while testimony indicated Carmignani was known to regularly use pepper spray or bear spray on unhoused people in and around the Marina District, allegations he and his lawyer denied. 

In the case that went to trial, Doty had retaliated with strikes with a metal pipe.  

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Reno Skateboarder Prepares Long Pacific Coast Voyage to Help Others

Trevor Parker wanted to let the community know about his upcoming 100 day 2,000 mile planned odyssey from the northern tip of Washington to the edge of Tijuana, Mexico, to raise money for the Eddy House in Reno and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with an upcoming hitting the road party.

Born and raised in Reno, Parker, a bartender, says he’s spent nearly his entire life in one neighborhood, in a household greatly affected by addiction. He calls his “Pacific Push” ride one of transformation.

Parker’s dad died when he was six. He says he almost died himself in an alcohol-related skateboarding accident.

“For the first 30 years of my life, I had no respect for myself or authority,” he says. “But getting clean and sober changed everything.”

Backing him for the ride is Noble Pie Parlor, sponsoring Parker with $15 a day for meals as he travels.

“I don’t even have enough money to do this trip,” he says, “but I’m doing it anyway — because kindness really can make the world go round.”

Along the way he plans to perform random acts of kindness daily.

A send-off celebration fundraiser is being planned for July 11th at the EP Listening Lounge.

The all-day event will feature live music, art installations, a raffle, food trucks, and a clothing, skateboard and bike drive to benefit the Eddy House for at-risk youths.

“This isn’t just about skating,” Trevor says. “It’s about creating a movement — a ripple effect of good energy and action… You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference,” Trevor says. “You just have to move — even if it’s one push at a time.”

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Local With Disability Says Date Went on Walk With Her French Bulldog and then Both Disappeared

A local woman recently filed an incident report with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office for grand larceny, indicating her dog was stolen from her by a man she had just started dating.

The reader says she met someone on a dating app who then allegedly stole her dog Dice a French bulldog. She says she has limited mobility and that Dice was her lifeline.

“This person seemed to adore Frenchies as much as I did,” she wrote about the moments they initially texted each other.  “We matched, chatted for days and finally decided to meet at my place.”

The reader says her date “gushed” about how well behaved Dice was, and kept asking “probing questions” about her disability, her routine and how much Dice had cost, which looking back now she said were “red flags.”

Following that first encounter, she says that “after a long day at work I let him take my dog on a walk,” but that they never came back.

At one point, after she texted in a panic, he wrote that he would be back but then that didn’t happen, and the dog now remains missing. 

“He’d used my vulnerability against me, exploiting my disability to steal the one creature that gave my life purpose,” she wrote. “I am hoping to get coverage to the community and help me to find my dog and get this guy locked up for stealing my puppy,” she concluded in a message trying to get help.

She has been posting about her ordeal on NextDoor and Carson City Facebook pages as well.  

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Are Local Nurses Charting On Their Own Time Without Pay?

Above an AI assisted illustration for this story, after a reader told us that while he was at a Renown Urgent Care location recently, the person attending to him said that if they aren’t finished charting patient information for people they saw during their shift by the end of their hours, they have to finish on their own time for no pay.

The reader told us it seemed new AI software was helping but not enough and that such attendants, likely what is known as APRNs, or advanced practiced registered nurses, should get unionized.  What are known as registered nurses who are generally more unionized do not work in Renown Urgent Care locations.   

We reached out to both a local unionized nurse leader and Renown, getting responses from both for this type of possible scenario.

“We do stay after our shifts to chart if we are not finished, but it is on the clock paid,” Nicole Courts, a steward with SEIU Local 1107 assured us.  

“With that said, it is frowned upon to do that regularly as they will say we need better time management,” she added.  “Personally, I spend a lot of time in patient care and less time charting because I feel that’s what is important. This sometimes results in me having to stay after shift. There are also extremely busy days where the patients are very sick and require more of your time leaving you less time to chart especially in trauma situations. I have a good leadership team and if they feel this is happening too often or feel I’m struggling they would reach out to see if they could help.  I cannot speak for Urgent Care, but the Union only covers Renown Regional not Urgent Care, but they would definitely fight for us if they knew that was happening.  I would definitely encourage nurses who are being asked to work without pay to go to their leadership and speak up or take it to Human Resources.”

The manager of Communications for Renown Caroline Ackerman indicated in an emailed response “Renown Health is committed to ensuring that all employees receive appropriate compensation for the time they work. Employees who are in non-exempt roles are required to log all time worked, including time spent completing patient charts. Renown providers including APRNs, PAs, DOs and MDs are in exempt roles, which means there may be times where they complete tasks outside of scheduled work hours. We try to minimize work outside of clinic hours; however, Renown grants patients real-time access to clinic notes, labs and imaging through MyChart, and we always want to ensure that a licensed medical provider reviews these promptly.

Renown has a zero-tolerance policy for retaliating against employees who report concerns, and we encourage all employees to escalate perceived wrongdoing to their leader, human resources partner, or through our anonymous compliance hotline. Renown strongly aligns with People First values and we aim to foster an equitable working environment for all employees.”

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Film Tax Breaks Die at Legislature after Northern Nevada Ignored

Proposed tax breaks for the state's film industry had a late death on the final day of the 83rd session of the Nevada legislature, as northern Nevada was getting no respect or just promised crumbs as has been the case for other recent costly initiatives benefitting just the south of the state, constraining its appeal and spelling its doom.

In the end, a proposal to provide Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. and Howard Hughes Holdings with what was reported as the largest public subsidy in state history to establish what was called the Summerlin Studios died in the Senate.

Another film tax credit bill for a film studio in southwest Las Vegas never received a full floor vote.

Other efforts which involved northern Nevada and at some points Jeremy Renner with hyped up reporting in local media in recent years for UNR and our area to be a hub for filmmaking haven’t gotten anywhere significant either, after similar efforts two years ago.

This is a poster for a 2013 film about a street-level hustler and an exotic dancer in northern Nevada who steal money and drugs before hitting the road across the Silver State.

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Promoted and Hoped For Safe Lot Parking Program Doesn’t Appear to Conform with Local Rules

While many local advocates have long sought to establish a safe lot parking program for unhoused neighbors living in their vehicles, but have been prevented from being allowed to do so, a new flyer making the rounds on social media, linking itself to Karma Box Project founder Grant Denton, does not appear to be something that would be allowed locally.

The flyer being circulated on social media indicates “no one should have to live in their vehicle, but for those who must, “The Slot” - Safe Lot Parking Program offers a critical bridge for those experiencing homelessness, providing a safe environment than living on the streets or in unsafe areas.”

The location is written out as To Be Determined but with already fixed hours from seven to seven.  

When asked about this the City of Reno responded: "Regarding the social media post in question, we are unable to identify if the program being referenced is occurring within the City of Reno, so you may want to also reach out to the City of Sparks and Washoe County with the same question.  

Under Reno Municipal Code (RMC) 8.12.011, it is unlawful to camp in a vehicle overnight in public spaces within the City of Reno. This includes streets, parks, and other public rights-of-way.  

Additionally, camping overnight in vehicles on private property, such as a business or private parking lot, is also prohibited unless explicitly allowed through a valid Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or approved zoning designation. For example, recreational vehicles/mobile home parks and certain Homeless Service Providers, such as the CARES Campus, may allow overnight vehicle camping if permitted by City regulations."

We asked the County which runs the Cares Campus about this and received this response from Communications Manager Bethany Drysdale with a link to an ordinance that was passed last year prohibiting camping in public areas: “Overnight camping is not permitted on county property other than designated campsites.”

We wrote the email listed on the flyer and got a lengthy response from Tana Springmeyer-Weber who wrote out founder in her signature line.  She forwarded a message she is sending out to prominent members of the community to get needed support.   

“As a fourth-generation Native Nevadan, a devoted mother of two U.S. Marine Corps veterans, a divorced widow, and the sister of an older brother currently facing vehicular homelessness, I am deeply invested in the well-being of our community,” the message indicates.

Within the email, Springmeyer-Weber says her aim is to launch this program in the Sparks area to offer “a safe, secure, and legal place for veterans, individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and like my brother, who are living in their vehicles to park their vehicles overnight. This program is designed to serve as a vital transitional space, assisting those in need as they seek more permanent housing solutions.”

“I am looking for potential locations that could effectively accommodate this program, but I require additional support and endorsement to move forward effectively,” she wrote, before giving names of people and organizations she says are helping with the project.

“Currently, I have received the endorsement of Grant Denton, the founder of The Karma Box Project, who has agreed to partner with me in this program. Other endorsers include Councilman Donald Abbott, Community 4 Veterans, and Blue Star Mothers of Spanish Springs, NV5,” her email indicated.

We reached out to Sparks councilman Abbott who wrote back: “While I have connected individuals interested in this idea with others who may be able to help move it forward, I am not aware of any formal progress. This is the first I’ve heard of The SLOT project moving ahead, so I would need to learn more about the specifics before being listed as an official endorsee.”

Concerning the need for such a program he wrote “I believe it is important to address the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness, especially those living in vehicles. Solutions like safe lots can provide stability and access to services while ensuring public health and safety,” before indicating “there is no formal policy that I’m aware of or permitting process in place for designated safe parking lots. Any initiative of this kind would need to be reviewed and approved by the city to ensure compliance with local laws.”

The Sparks councilman said if an exact location was proposed, he would be willing to reach out to staff to check on the zoning for a suggested parcel and give “an update on the policy side of it.”  

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025

Reno High Students Express Frustration at Not Knowing What Repercussions Will Be for Hate Filled Vandalism

In left photo there is the leg of a high school student, who posted about her own wounds on social media after injuring herself at a senior sunset party at Reno High last week, which turned into a frenzied youth rampage of hate filled vandalism.

The right photo is a screenshot of what appears to show the same boot while several youths damage an exterior part of the school.

UPDATE: After publication of this article the principal of Reno High sent a message which addressed some of the school repercussions:

"This is Principal Mike Nakashima with an update on our school’s investigation of the egregious events that occurred the night of May 22nd.

As part of our comprehensive administrative investigation, we have identified multiple individuals who committed acts of vandalism, destruction of property and hate speech during this incident. Today, those students and families were notified of disciplinary action, including suspension for the remainder of the school year and a loss of privileges, including the ability to participate in graduation ceremonies.

Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot state the specific number of individuals who have received this disciplinary action.

Again, this discipline is the result of our school’s administrative investigation, and it is separate from the criminal investigation being conducted by School Police, which is ongoing. Those with information that may be helpful can share it via SafeVoice.”

What follows are some additional questions other students are asking us anonymously through our Instagram.

Will Reno High seniors who took part in last week’s destruction be charged in criminal matters? Were some bystanders also suspended?

What was the amount of damage done at Reno High?

Did the damage reach $100,000? If so, in Nevada, according to what we could find destroying property valued at $100,000 or more constitutes a Category B felony. This carries a potential sentence of 1 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

School Superintendent Joe Ernst has vowed the investigation will be “thorough and just.”

At a school board meeting this week, Ernst asked for patience to not “jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.” Trustees have described what happened as “criminal acts.”

Students who have reached out to Our Town Reno have identified several students who took part in the destruction, and have expressed frustration at not knowing what the full consequences will be for those who destroyed school property inside and outside, as well as for those who displayed hate messaging, including the n word and multiple swastikas.

One of the students being identified by multiple other students as having taken part in the vandalism is from an extremely influential and wealthy local family, while others were prominent student athletes.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 28. 2025

Commissioner Rebuffed in Attempt to Revisit Our Place Transfer from RISE Management to VOA

Board of County Commissioners Chair Alexis Hill has rebuffed an attempt by another Washoe County commissioner to revisit the upcoming transfer of the Our Place shelter for women and families from RISE to Volunteers of America management, despite its two-year bid coming in about $1.2 million higher.

After Michael Clark said he wanted to reconsider his “aye” for block agenda items on May 20th, Hill then wrote back “Typically, we would follow the reconsideration rules outlined in our Board Rules however, reconsideration of these executed contracts creates potential liability for the County under Nevada law governing contracts. Rule 5.4.2.1 empowers the Chair to decline agenda items that substantially conflict with the law or the county's ability to conduct operations. Due to the legal exposure, I will not be adding this request to a future agenda.”

Clark also indicated on social media he had mistakenly let the agenda item go through without discussion, perplexed as to why VOA got the nod over RISE. The change will take effect in mid June.

Commissioner Clark previously received an email from Candee Ramos, from the county’s communications office, indicating “the evaluation committee, which is made up of both internal staff and stakeholders, scored VOA higher in the scoring process. This was a standard procurement/RFP process that included a qualifications-based process vs. a commodity or construction low bid process. Pricing is only one of the five criteria delineated in the RFP. The team offered to let you see the scoring if you would like.”

Our Town Reno has asked to see this scoring process as well if made available.

RISE, which runs county CrossRoads programs, has had good reviews for operating Our Place in Sparks since its opening five years ago, while VOA has had controversial history running both the former Record Street shelter and now the Cares Campus, with several lawsuits and numerous complaints which have been ongoing over perceived favoritism, safety concerns, logistics and working with the community at large.

RISE started as a local grassroots organization organizing community meals in 2012, while Volunteers of America is a faith-based entity with programs in nearly all states.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2025

Washoe County Responds to Community Concerns over Trail Closure due to New Development

The Washoe 301 service has given a new response regarding concerns about the White Creeks trail closure due to a Pavich and Associates development project overspilling into public recreation areas near the foot of Mt. Rose.  

“Washoe County, in conjunction with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, permitted a private residential subdivision in 2007 with standard conditions for development.  The developer restarted development activities in late 2024 and just recently began field work including a new crossing of Whites Creek.  This work has significantly impacted the many users of the Whites Creek trail system, initially creating safety issues for both the users of the trail system and the Whites Creek stream environment,” Washoe 301 wrote back to a concerned resident. 

“When construction began last week, Washoe County began receiving complaints and concerns and after visiting the construction site, immediately shut down the Whites Creek Trail for the safety of our residents. Portions of the trail had become an active construction site complete with heavy machinery and hazards such as metal posts erected on the trail with no signage or buffers in place to warn the public of the work being done.  

While this is a private development and is the responsibility of the owner and contractor to ensure a safe work environment for everyone, Washoe County stepped in to resolve the situation.  Frankly, County staff was stunned that a construction site would be left unsecured in this manner, especially given the heavy use of the trail system in the area.  Washoe County has also contacted the other permitters including the State of Nevada and the US Army Corps of Engineers to address possible violations of the various permits, including lack of environmental protections, water flow management, and excessive grading.

Washoe County has been made aware of the issues associated with this private development and quickly acted to address public safety and the safety of the Whites Creek environment.  Working directly with the other project permittees, the County has and is meeting with the owner and contractor to address the County, the State of Nevada, and the US Army Corps of Engineers concerns.  We will keep the community informed of the outcomes to assure that all non-compliant issues are resolved appropriately.  For the safety of trail users, the trail will remain closed until further notice.”

Assistant County Manager David Solaro sent his own reply, explaining the situation in even greater detail.  

“The Whites Creek trail through this section of the Whites Creek drainage is located primarily on lands dedicated to Washoe County as open space from the various developments that abut the creek,” he wrote in an email forwarded to Our Town Reno. “It is also through lands managed by the USFS in many cases as well.  The closure of the trail in this area is on a privately owned 70’ wide piece of land, not dedicated to Washoe County.  As part of the development of the subdivision plans there is a 62’ wide easement for pedestrian access which will allow the trail to continue through the new roadway, possibly similar to how it crosses Callahan east of this location.  In order to effectuate the pedestrian easement, construction must be completed.  In a perfect world the developer would have communicated with Washoe County before beginning construction so we could come up with a plan to re-route the trail before construction.  As we know this did not occur, and WC was put into a position to have to close the trail due to safety reasons listed below.

It is unfortunate that the trail closure has inconvenienced so many trail users, and as a frequent user of that and the many other great trails in the area I understand the inconvenience.    This does shine a light on the work that we do here at Washoe County to make sure when development occurs, the long-term impact is continuation of a great recreational trail network.”

The development is for the Legend Trail subdivision, with 42 estates of two plus acre lots each in a gated community.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2025

Our Place Shelter Goes to Volunteers of America Management, Replacing RISE, Despite Costlier Bid and Criticism

The Our Place county-run shelter for women and families is being passed from RISE management to the often harshly criticized Volunteers of America, after Item 9 passed without discussion this week at a commissioners meeting, despite its more costly bid, according to County Communications Manager Bethany Drysdale.

The item indicated VOA, which has come under repeated criticism for its handling of operations at the previous Record Street shelter and now at the Cares Campus, from several local social workers and the unhoused themselves, was “the most responsive and responsible bidder.”

The item indicated “VOA will provide staffing, program management and administrative oversight for the Our Place campus. The contract will be awarded for a transitional term of two weeks in an amount not to exceed [$75,000] for the period of June 16, 2025 to June 30, 2025 and an initial term of twenty-four (24) months in an amount not to exceed [$3,987,879] for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and [$4,127,455] for the period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, with the provision for up to three (3), one (1) year renewals.”

Commissioner Mike Clark, who was seeking a more detailed explanation, received a separate email from Candee Ramos, in the same office as Drysdale, indicating “the evaluation committee, which is made up of both internal staff and stakeholders, scored VOA higher in the scoring process. This was a standard procurement/RFP process that included a qualifications-based process vs. a commodity or construction low bid process. Pricing is only one of the five criteria delineated in the RFP. The team offered to let you see the scoring if you would like.”

VOA’s overall two-year bid was $1.2 million higher than RISE’s which had run Our Place since its opening in 2021, to the surprise and delight of many at the time that a grassroots organization would be awarded such an important county contract.  

We contacted RISE executive director Benjamin Castro but did not hear back.

RISE is an acronym for Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equality.

The sprawled out 20-acre Our Place campus includes a free clothing boutique, several family and women’s homes, a general shelter area and a dining hall, which several social workers have told Our Town Reno is a much more welcoming model than the prison like warehouse look and feel of the Cares Campus.  Throughout the years, local facilities run by Volunteers of America have had extremely restrictive access for our team of reporters, while with RISE we were able to visit Our Place on our own whenever we asked.

A recent review of the VOA run general Cares Campus shelter from a month ago, which we cleaned up for spelling, indicates: “I just moved to the Reno area and having a place to go for a warm bed and food to eat, I am glad Nevada Cares exists. However now that I have been at the campus for a bit, the staff treats you like it is prison, they have probably 12 showers in one bathroom and I think 3 of them work, have been broken for couple weeks now, you have to stand in line to show, they have a nice kitchen sad they don't use it, Catholic ministry prepares the food and it’s not that good, why they are serving chili in the spring is very questionable, oh wait they serve sloppy Joe's at lunch and then turn the leftover into chili…”

Another by Robert Lintner from a year ago alleged “all the staff are never on the same page with each other and each shift tends to make up their own rules everyday depending on who you are!!!!” echoing similar complaints we’ve received in our reporting of ongoing issues of perceived favoritism, long wait lines and unclear rules at the Cares campus under VOA management.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2025

ACLU of Nevada Threatens To Sue School Counties Over New Policy for Transgender Athletes

The ACLU of Nevada is now threatening to sue school districts if a new White House issued policy to ban transgender athletes from high school girls sports is implemented.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association which oversees high school sports in the Silver State said in April athletes can only play on teams that align with the sex on their original birth certificate.

“There are many laws that the United States has had over the years that were changed. Sometimes change is difficult,” NIAA executive director Tim Jackson said at the time. “We have a federal law in place and I do not think it would behoove us as a body to willfully violate a federal law.”

This was a reversal of a 2014 policy which allowed transgender students to play on sports teams that aligned with their chosen gender identity.

This new direction goes against the Equal Rights Amendment to the Nevada Constitution passed by voters in 2022 preventing the denial of equal rights on account of sex or gender expression.

The NIAA and its member school districts do not collect any data on whether any transgender student athletes have been participating in its sanctioned sports. At the national college level, NCAA President Charlie Baker has said he was aware of 10 transgender athletes competing in college sports across the country.

Truckee and North Tahoe said they would move from the NIAA to the California Interscholastic Federation after the current season due to this new policy, while leadership from other school counties, including Washoe, have indicated they would not go against NIAA rules.

In April, the group Silver State Equality said they were “deeply disappointed that the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) changed its decade-long inclusive transgender student-athlete policy to one that is exclusionary.”

The LGBTQ civil rights organization added:

“We will continue to fight unapologetically for transgender Nevadans—who make up less than 1% of our state’s population—for the fewer than 10 nationally known NCAA transgender athletes, and for every transgender tourist and professional who comes to Nevada expecting to be treated with the equality and dignity they deserve."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department is suing Maine for allowing transgender student athletes to keep playing in girls’ and women’s school sports. President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year “to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy,” according to wording on the White House website.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2025

A REMSA Employee Endures Hectic Moments, and Decides to Switch to Dentistry

A UNR student I know is passionate about providing health care to marginalized communities. After working as an EMT, though, she decided that line of work might be too much for her, and is instead now pursuing dentistry. This woman would like to remain unnamed but was remain to share her experiences in candid detail.

As a student in college, she is passionate about health care, so she took opportunities to explore what profession in the field would fit her the most. She first volunteered in medical clinics across Reno to test if she enjoyed assisting patients.

“So, I started volunteering, and I noticed that I liked the pace of coming in a room, getting to know someone, seeing what was going on with themselves, and coming up with a conclusion on how to help them, right? But I was like, I feel like I can do more. So, then I was like, let me go into maybe emergency medicine,” she said.

With the encouragement of one friend to pursue becoming an EMT, she enrolled in Truckee Meadows Community College. In the summer of 2022, she got her EMT certification through a class at TMCC. She felt empowered after learning how to take care of people on the spot and think on her feet. But with such power comes great pressure. She mentioned how when a person has this job, they simply cannot overthink because “you have like someone’s life on your hands,” she said. She wanted to discover her place in the future, and the life of an EMT was the first uniform she tried on.

No matter what position in health care this student is in, she loves positively impacting others. In her time working as an EMT, the most rewarding aspect was being able to help others. The heart-to-heart moments with patients stick out to her.

“I think he was probably homeless,” she remembers of one interaction. “He was really dehydrated, and he just donated blood. So he was like really, really bad. So I remember the EMT gave him the IV, and I was just listening to him, and he was like, Thank you so much for listening to me. Like, I appreciate your help and thank you guys for taking me to the hospital. Yeah, so it's like little things that I noticed that I was really satisfied with the health care”. 

At this point, she has been working as an EMT for almost two years. Throughout this time, she has provided medical assistance to many individuals and enjoyed doing so.

“At least like if I make their day, I was like happy about it, yeah,” she said.

One of her first calls she had was for a soccer player who hit his head and fell on his back too hard. 

Another time she answered the call of a Hispanic family concerned about a lady who looked extremely dehydrated. In moments like this, she educates patients on how and why they must look after their well-being.  

She also mentioned an intense call she didn’t like so much, rushing to a victim of a stabbing to the abdominal area.

A situation as dire as this does not allow a person to overthink; only pursue action. She remembers the paramedics commanding her to apply pressure and to just do something to help. She discloses that this was a traumatic moment for her, that she even thinks about it from time to time.

“Yeah, I do,” she admits. But like they say, time heals. But I always think that I freaked out and then I like kind of like froze,” she remembers. Fortunately, the patient made it to the hospital and survived. Even when the patient receives the needed medical attention and everyone is safe, intense and impactful calls like this tend to linger. 

“I took it home. I was thinking, what if I could have done this? What if I could have done that? And that's when I was like, okay, maybe let me think about this career again,” she said. 

Working as an EMT has many challenges; and she points to two big challenges specifically. The first is not knowing how to handle the situation, so you have to improvise. There is no time to think, so every moment matters.

“Do your best to serve, help someone if they're in like life or death,” she explained.

The second challenge is the anxiety that comes with working a shift. “Sometimes I would go in the ride-along or like the ambulance and think about it,” she said. “I'm like, what if I'm going to do CPR and I don't know where to ride? What if you don't survive, and I'm going to take that. I was like always overthinking it.” She started feeling out of place.

“When it got to like moments that ugly scenarios, I was like wishing, I was like wishing. I know it's bad, but I was like wishing not to be there, which is not good,” she said. “And I was like, why am I doing something I'm like always stressful, you know?  Like I wasn't happy to be there.  I was just in stress mode, which wasn't good.”

Through these tense times, she got to know herself better.

“It helped me realize that maybe ER or emergency medicine wasn't for me,” she said. “Or like medicine, and maybe go in another because there are so many ways to help people. So, yeah, it made me realize that.”

As she mentioned, she wants to know how her day is going to go; she does not want to bring traumatic moments home, and she ultimately enjoys educating others about health care more than directly running calls on an ambulance. Using this newfound insight, she decided to pursue dentistry instead. So as she wraps up her senior year of college she is now working towards becoming a dentist.

“So I  was like, let me shadow a dentist, and I noticed that they do meaningful things … Like someone comes with pain, they fix it right away, you know,” she explained.

Another benefit for her in pursuing dentistry is the steadier work-life balance dentists have and that she says she would no longer experience that constant negative stress.

Ultimately, she is passionate and wants to make a positive impact in the livelihood of others through any kind of health care. Although working as an EMT was not what she wanted to pursue as a longterm profession she grew during this time. She wanted to emphasize that this is her story working an EMT and that it just wasn't the right fit for her, but it could be the right fit for other people.

“I just want to say that that just because I say like ‘it was bad for me for me for being a first responder’ it can be different for someone else like I feel like everybody has a purpose to be here in life, you know and probably me being an EMT wasn't like the one but that's okay. There's a lot of other careers that you can help people you can still do something meaningful in life,” she concluded.

Contribution by Samuel Fernando Rea Ramirez in collaboration with a COM 210 UNR class with Amy Pason

Reno Kimpton Hotel Project Fizzles into $1 Million Land Sale

A trustee sale in Reno today marked the end of the much ballyhooed but never realized Reno Kimpton hotel project on Court Street with the only bidder Court Street Ventures LLC getting the land for $1 million.

That company itself has lent money to the project and is still in a legal battle with Las Vegas-based CAI Investments, which had previously filed for bankruptcy for this specific, much talked about, yet gone nowhere project.

The City of Reno even changed its shadow ordinance in 2019 to help, loosening requirement on tall buildings in downtown areas, to establish Nevada’s first hoped for Kimpton-branded boutique hotel.

CAI was also the initial purchaser of the Harrah’s for $50 million before stalling on that project as well. The company has been represented locally by attorney Garrett Gordon who also does work for Jacobs Entertainment.

At one point, CAI Investments had this blurb on its website concerning the Kimpton Project: “Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, joined CAI Investments, key stakeholders and local officials on Friday, May 13 for a ceremonial groundbreaking event to mark the progress on its new hotel in Reno, Nevada. When it opens in late 2024, the new Kimpton in Reno will become the first newly constructed non-gaming hotel built in the city. With a prime location in the heart of Downtown and across the street from the Truckee River and Wingfield Park, the hotel will become a beacon for boutique hospitality in the “Biggest Little City in the World.””

Our Town Reno reporting, May 16, 2025

Multiple Charges against Reno-Based Owner in Lovelock Fiber Optic Scandal

Multiple charges have been filed against the Reno-based owner of Uprise Fiber LLC Stephen Allen Kromer, accused of diverting millions of dollars for a massive rural fiber optic project into his own personal bank account.

His company had been paid $9.1 million in upfront state funds from the Nevada Department of Transportation two years ago to initiate a rural broadband project in Lovelock, which also involved huge sums of promised grant money from the U.S Department of Agriculture, but no noticeable progress had been made.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said the charges were the result of dedicated work from his office’s investigators and prosecutors, and that he had faith justice would be served in this case, which has made local media headlines for months on end.

Kromer has been charged with one count of theft in an amount of $25,000 or more but less than $100,000, and 30 counts of theft in an amount more than $100,000.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 16, 2025

Costly Art Projects for Reno Police Station Go To Outsiders, Including to One without Any Renderings

The City of Reno recently decided to spend nearly $400,000 on two art projects for the Public Safety Center police headquarters opened last summer, with both artists coming from out of town, and one with no indication of what the end result might look like beyond being a sculpture.

In a meeting in late April, agenda items B9 and B10 were approved, one for a public plaza concept granted to Seattle based artist John Fleming at a cost not to exceed $175,000 based on sketches with Truckee river symbolism, and another for the Brooklyn-based Mark Reigelman at a cost not to exceed $200,000 for a sculpture in the parking lot along 911 Kuenzli street, which came without any renderings whatsoever in his attached packet.

Reigelman has previously done the Manifest Destiny public art at the Hotel des Arts in San Francisco, and Smökers, a series of miniature houses positioned over steam-emitting manholes in New York City. Fleming recently got other Reno work to create the new public art at the corner of Oddie and Silverado Boulevards.

In discussions before the approval, Mayor Hillary Schieve said she hoped money could stay for local talented artists, rather than being given to outsiders, and that projects should be seen in detail before these go forward.

“Both of these pieces of art are exceptional,” councilman Devon Reese said, even though one was in the rough draft sketch stage and the sculpture had no suggestion of what it might be.

Megan Berner the Arts and Culture Manager said they did not ask for specific design proposals, and prefer to proceed first with getting an artist on board to then get community engagement in shaping what the art ends up being. She said Reigelman “did a large amount of research,” and is planning to “engage pretty heavily,” to develop the project.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2025