Petition to End Sweeps Before Safe Camp Opens Gains Traction

As of Sunday, the petition to Stop the Sweeps in Washoe County, was quickly reaching its initial goal of 500 signatures.

Petition coordinator Bridget Tevnan, who works for the Reno Food Systems and helps with local mutual and direct aid movements, explained that after the recent sweeps at Fisherman’s Park, Wells Ave. and the notices at N. Edison and Mill for expulsions next week, enough is enough.

“It’s traumatic to be displaced in that way. When we think about the way that we're splitting up these communities and their support networks, that's really harmful. Social workers are losing touch with the people they're working with,” Tevnan said.

The N Edison and Mill encampment is on land partly owned by the Truckee River Flood Management Authority, which Tevnan believes could easily be converted into an emergency temporary legal safe camp, given it was apparently already a spot for COVID FEMA trailers .

“This is an emergency housing situation,” Tevnan said. “Why not let the people stay there ? The precedent has been set for using that land for emergency housing and we don't see why they couldn't use it for emergency camping and put, you know, trash cans and toilets down there … at least have people have a safe, sanctioned place to stay until the Cares Campus is fully open and operational. Again, there might just be a disconnect between talking to the people who need the service and what the city thinks should be done. ”

Our Town Reno recently asked to get a tour during open hours.

Advocates have been helping neighbors without stable shelter go try the new Nevada Cares campus as well, but Tevnan said that people must understand the massive shelter is not for everyone.

“A lot of folks, they’ve had very negative experiences at shelters, you know, they've experienced theft, violence. And then, they're just not really environments conducive to well being,” Tevnan said.

Many people had been hoping for the Washoe County run safe camp at the new compound instead, which hasn’t opened yet, and which seems will be smaller than expected.

“I've heard of mixed numbers. I've heard as low as 40 and then up to a hundred. So that is very unclear,” Tevnan said.

The number one request on the petition is : “A complete stop to the sweeps until the Nevada CARES Campus Safe Camp is fully open (with promised mental health care, addiction counseling, transportation, and workforce development), and a stop to sweeps again, if the Safe Camp becomes full.”

The setup of this COVID Cares Act funded initiative seems rushed to many, including Tevnan, and without proper input.

“I think kind of a major flaw in our political system is just that people are unwilling to admit when something isn't working,” Tevnan said. “You know, we don't expect them to have come up with a perfect plan, although I think they could've come up with a better plan if they had been speaking to people who are living in these conditions, that they have the place at the table and advocates too. Advocates have been kind of raising these concerns all along the way. You know, a healthy dose of humility might help, because the abject suffering that we're witnessing hasn't triggered some kind of empathetic, more compassionate response.”

People staying and working at the campus have complained about the lack of laundry services there, as well as administrative hurdles to get pets accepted, and the quality of the food being served.

Tevnan said one man she brought the campus twice was disappointed with the experience. “He tried again, and, you know, he just wasn't able to you know, work it up within himself to stay in the bed option because it felt so uncomfortable,” Tevnan said of his overall experience.

Our Town Reno Reporting, May 2021

Local Professional Women Give Tens of Thousands of Dollars to Nonprofits

Often a good idea can fall by the wayside, or be hoped for but not realized, but when local business owner and realtor Mignon Lagatta ran with her idea, it resonated through the community. In the spring of 2017, Lagatta created a group of professional and retired women with the sole purpose of raising money to donate to a local nonprofit. 

“Thank You Ma’am is a non-profit that gives back to other nonprofits,” explained Lagatta over the phone. “We’re a group of women who get together on a quarterly basis and commit to each giving a hundred dollars.” 

Lagatta is a Nevada native who grew up in Carson City but left the region after high school. She lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles and then came to Reno. “I think my favorite part about Reno is we have that [culture],” she said. “I feel like Reno just has a little bit of everything.”

Four times a year, Thank You Ma’am members meet to select a new local organization to support. They focus their efforts on small groups that are not funded through federal dollars and try to highlight organizations that are not well known. Members are able to nominate a nonprofit  and all the names go into a hat. At each meeting, four names are drawn at random; the member who nominated the selected group then has five minutes to sell the nonprofit and convince the other members of Thank You Ma’am why the nonprofit is a good fit for their generosity. By the end of one hour, there is a vote and a local group is selected. 

“Our goal is to try and get more organized so we can reach a bigger demographic,” explained Lagatta. But over the past year Lagatta saw the most growth in membership, despite meetings being held exclusively on Zoom. Lagatta had an initial idea of having 100 members and at the April 2021 meeting, there were 103 members. With each contribution, Thank You Ma’am was able to collect $10,400 dollars from the meeting and put their total donations since their launch just shy of $100,000. 

Groups they have supported include the Urban Lotus Project, the Reno Gleaning Project, Awaken, Project 150, Nevada Youth Empowerment Project, the Eddy House, and the newest recipient is Forever 14, a group committed to preventing teen suicide. 

Lagatta wants to help as many nonprofits as possible “and there are so many out there we don’t even know about,” she said. She encourages her group members to go out and find these organizations and elevate them through a nomination. Lagatta also encourages these nonprofits to approach a member of Thank You Ma’am. Community members interested in joining in this endeavor can visit their website.

“Pull together, come together,” Lagatta said. “Let’s support our local community and just dig into the needs of our community. There can be ten nonprofits nominated but only four can speak,” she explained “but every meeting there is potentially four nonprofits being spoken about that nobody’s heard of.”

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

The Biggest Sweep Yet Begins on Eastern Side of Wells Ave. Tent Village

Advocates, some in vans, others on foot, helped dozens and dozens of people living in tents scramble to save some of their possessions. Clusters of construction workers and coffee mug holding police watched. A woman tried to start her RV but it stalled. A man pushed his bike with two carts attached to its bike but one of them collapsed under the weight of tarps and full backpacks.

Elmo, with a red beard, and a long whip “to relieve stress”, felt it had been a “trap” all along for local officials to allow and even encourage people to stay here for weeks. Last week, as the new Nevada Cares campus opened, sweeps began in earnest first on the western side of the Wells Ave. overpass. Tuesday morning, a firetruck, city cars and a bulldozer rolled into the much more crowded easter section.

“They pushed everyobdy here, and now they are making everybody move,” he said. He wished there were more dumpsters, “and just leave the homeless alone. We are not doing anything wrong. Just because we don’t have a house doesn’t mean we are bad people,”

He said he hoped to get into housing again soon, but would go hide at a secret location. He felt the new massive shelter was too crammed, and felt too stressful.

Our Town Reno reporting, photos and video, May 25, 2021

Ilya, Bearing Witness to Today's Start of Major Sweeps in Northern Nevada

Several dozen people were still at their tents Thursday morning as a bulldozer arrived with different vested workers as well as police to begin the first of what will be many scheduled sweeps and camp clean outs in the weeks to come, coinciding with the opening of the large COVID Cares Act funded Nevada Cares campus.

Ilya Arbatman said notices which had been handed out had indicated this first operation would take place on either the 17th or the 24th. Media reports quoting Reno city officials had indicated Wednesday or today, but many in the camp were still confused.

Arbatman arrived early Thursday with other volunteers to help those remaining at the camp along railroad tracks save some of their belongings and move before police and contracted workers forced them to do so. Some were simply moving to the other side of the bridge, which could face its own sweep in the coming days.

Screengrabs from a video by John L’Etoile from this morning.

Arbatman said one transgender individual without stable shelter had concerns over the new campus, which has been advertised as being for men and people identifying as couples, whereas the Our Place shelter, which is usually full, has been catering to women.

“That was concerning for some because for a greay area like that, I’m not really that optimistic that Volunteers of America [operating the new campus] is going to be able to handle it.”

He said based on the conversations he’s had “one to five percent” of people previously living in the tent city would utilize the campus. Others he said would need to “coerced to go there. There’s no a lot of excitement about that,” he added. He said they might face the option of going, getting arrested, or “scattering.”

A sign was put up in front of operations, saying “No Tresspassing, Active Construction Zone” under the overpass, which wasn’t initially enforced. He said by the end of the day he thought it would “all be rubble.”

Our Town Reno reporting, May 20, 2021

Carl, At Wells Ave. Tent City Ready to Give Cares Campus A Try

As notices were handed out up and down railroad tracks in Reno, Carl sat down in an outdoor couch to have a cigarette.

“Any property that is left will be thrown away, could be considered trash and thrown away,” he said of what was on the notice. “Anything that is not considered trash, I guess you would have to notify whoever, some, somebody who is in charge to tell them.”

His latest housing situation at the Riverwood Apartments ended with “bad blood happening with the roommates.”

As the sweep looms, he says he’s been helping others at tent city picking up trash. “You know, we got bags and rakes and shovels and stuff. It’s not like we come out with big bulldozers or anything.”

He says he will try out the Nevada Cares Campus if he is allowed in. “I'm planning on getting suited and booted and, and trail on over there,” he said.

He hopes it will be lead to housing and other opportunities. “I would definitely love that. I mean, if I can shower there and have electricity and what not, you know, that would definitely be a plus.

Carl used to work in construction in Illinois and flipping houses but says his friend’s company fell through.

”I saw opportunity out here, which there is a lot of opportunity to actually do work through a good staffing company but I'm not stable enough to make sure I get me a good night's sleep, to make sure I can make it to work on time. You know? Cause like some of the warehouse jobs that I been on, you know, I got to get up at five o'clock in the morning, you know? And sometimes out here you're not getting any rest. You're not. Cause you know, you got that, a lot of everything out here. I don't hate on anybody for what they do, but it's kind of a jungle out here.”

He’s not too worried about oncoming sweeps. “I got my tent in the bag and my backpack, so I really ain't got much to give away, I ain't got much to carry and I ain't got much to give away.”

He says there’s lots of misconceptions of those struggling. “Not all of us are drug addicts and all that stuff. Some of us were actually trying to step up the game and what not and it just fell off, on bad luck, not from just gambling and all that crap either. Honestly walking down the road, you can see who's a person that's actually trying and the person who's not, you know, you see a person that just wants to be a drunk hurt on the street, but it's like, you know, what got him to that point? You know, there was obviously something that struck him if it gets to that point.”

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

Rebel Hopes for Housing while Keeping His Dogs Happy

“Just emotional, unconditional love,” said Rebel about his two dogs, Freyja Marie and LadySyff. “You feed ‘em, you take care of em, you get it back.” Rebel flagged me down and asked if I could take a photograph of his two dogs. We then started talking about his experience here in Reno and how he came to be without a reliable place to live. 

Rebel arrived here almost three months ago because he had some friends whom he could stay with. Previously he lived in Colorado, off the grid, and enjoyed a simple life. Then came the pandemic and he was forced to leave due to the risk of transmission. He has been homeless before and this time around is glad to have his dogs.

Born and raised in Indiana, he has family in Las Vegas and plans to eventually reconnect with them in the next year. Until then, he is trying to find a place to stay and get off the streets as soon as possible. Rebel has suffered with anxiety stress disorder and has found natural ways to manage the issue and no longer relies on pills. Having worked in construction when he was younger, he recalled a day when he was just feeling two crowded and flipped out on the jobsite. Fortunately, his boss at the time knew this was an issue and paid for a medical evaluation which led to his diagnosis. He explained the issue originated when he was thirteen years old. 

When we met him, Rebel had been homeless for about two weeks due to a bank problem and had to leave where he was staying. Though he hopes to get back on his feet and find a place to live, he knows it is near impossible. He has tried various motels and the cheapest rate he has found was over $100 a night before pet fees and taxes, which would only go so far on his $850 disability check. Rebel is also concerned this amount will not be enough to get any reliable housing. 

“Not enough actual low income places anymore,” said Rebel. With no credit history and an income far lower than the average rent price, Rebel is concerned for the houseless community. He said the biggest problem is money and without low-income housing, the houseless community will still struggle to get a stable place to live. 

Rebel heard about the tiny homes that have recently been built and thinks this is a viable and realistic solution to addressing those without homes. “Cause there’s some of them out here, that I know, if they didn’t have access to the booze as much, and work, they wouldn’t be here.” Rebel has had his struggles with drugs and has been sober off of meth for twenty years. When another person heard this, he asked for Rebel’s help. 

“Only thing I can do is make you stop and think,” he said “if you truly want to quit, I’ll talk you through it.” He is hopeful he will be able to help this person transition off drugs. 

He’s heard of the new massive shelter going up but isn’t too sure what it will mean for him yet.

“A lot of it is location,” Rebel explained “like me, I’ve got two dogs...it’s distance, really.” He foresees the biggest struggle people will have to contend with when living in the new CARES Campus is the distance from the services they rely upon. He recently began having some pain in his leg and is worried he will not be as mobile as he used to be. Rebel knows there are others who struggle more with injuries and their mobility. 

“A lot of what’s going on out here is just because there is not enough low income [housing] for the ones like me,” Rebel emphasized again. He knows the affordable housing crisis needs to be addressed and urged the community of Reno to call upon state legislatures and local politicians to address this issue. “I don’t make a minimum of $1200 a month and I’m having a real hard time getting into places.” 

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

Project Unity, a New Generation Steps Up in Reno for Progress

Taking it Upon Themselves to Seek Change

At the beginning of summer last year, protests were erupting across the country over a range of issues, including police violence and conditions at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. Helen Miranda and Ashley Solano decided they needed to do something about it. Being friends since their sophomore year of high school, the two decided to start Project UNITY, a group aimed at organizing protests and activism in the Reno area. 

Solano was born and raised in Reno, while Miranda moved here from Los Angeles when she was eight years old. Disappointed in the lack of local action, Miranda and Solano took it upon themselves to create the change they wanted to see, even if it was just the two of them. Since then, they have organized protests against inadequate immigration facilities, sex trafficking, and police brutality. They have also hosted donation drives for Reno’s houseless community. 

“Personally, I want the right people to care. I want our government officials to do things about what people want,” Miranda said, when asked about what she wants to see change in Reno. “Like we are out here trying to touch so many people, but if it doesn't touch the right people that have the power to change, then where are we ever going to go?”

Solano currently works at a warehouse sorting mail, while Miranda works as a realtor. Miranda is also a mother and soccer coach, with help from her mother when it comes to child care.

Project UNITY’s Facebook banner features two women, hand in hand, surrounded by cacti and butterflies. The signs surrounding them detail the issues Project UNITY cares about, such as fighting against racism and for immigration rights. The word “unity” is shown in Spanish and English. Photo from the Project UNITY Facebook page with permission to use.

Hope Despite the Doubts

Besides the limitations of COVID, one of the biggest setbacks for the duo were the initial fears and doubts surrounding Project UNITY, and whether people would listen to them or not. 

“Maybe people's opinions in the beginning did get to me a little bit, but I feel like I'm way over that. And I feel like now it's just like, I know that I can make a change, whether it's just us or with a whole group of people,” Solano said. 

“I didn’t want to feel the failure,” Miranda said. “But, at a point it just got to where me and Ashley were like, ‘Okay, if it's just going to be the two of us protesting, the two of us doing things, the two of us feeding the homeless, the two of us doing things for one individual.’ If it means changing one individual's life, because they decided to contact two people, I wanted to help.”

Miranda and Solano pointed out how they acted as extra support for each other, saying that even if they didn’t know each other, they would still be doing what they are doing now. 

Solano (left) and Miranda (right) hold a Mexican flag at their first ICE protest on June 14, 2020. Photo from the Project UNITY Facebook page with permission to use.

Looking Forward to the Future

In the future, Miranda aims to be a soccer coach, so she can be the mentor to others like the one she had growing up. Beyond that, she wants to change Reno for the sake of her children and grandchildren. Solano plans on doing some sort of social work, while continuing to help others. 

“Because if you're always thinking, ‘Okay, I want to, maybe one day I want to make a change. Maybe one day, I want to do this or that.’ Then it's never going to happen until you say, ‘Okay, well, this is how I'm going to make it work.’ Even if it's on your own. Even if it's yourself believing in yourself with, um, the whole world against you. If you believe in yourself, it's your, it's your life.” Miranda said.

Miranda and Solano’s passion for social justice mirrors that of their generation. The two young adults have shown that age doesn’t matter when it comes to helping others.

“I definitely want people of our age or younger to know that if you really want to make a change, just go for it,” Solano said. “Don't worry about what people think, don't worry about who's next to you, who's behind you, who's believing in you. You have the power to make a change. And if it's really like you have good intentions sooner or later, people are going to see it.”

Reporting by Rachel Jackson for Our Town Reno

Streetplus Responds, Fires Out of Control Downtown Reno Ambassador

According to the Downtown Reno Partnership Business Improvement District, they “contract with Streetplus, a company with 25 years experience improving cities through hard work, to hire, train and manage” the Segway riding, uniformed team of ambassadors. The website goes on to say, “they work with Reno Police, Reno Fire, REMSA and City of Reno code enforcement to maintain the district.”

After sending a series of questions to Streetplus, including whether the ambassadors had proper training, we received an email from Steve Hillard, listed as President and Principal, with an address out of Exton, PA.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” he wrote back earlier this month. “Streetplus is committed to providing well-trained and professional personnel to perform ambassador duties for the Downtown Reno Partnership and we’ve provided these services since November 2018.  The Ambassadors receive initial and ongoing training structured around their job duties and the various situations they are required to deal with, to include protests.  After a thorough review of the situation, the person involved is no longer employed by Streetplus.”

We were still left wondering who this employee was, how long he had been with the ambassadors and whether there had been initial warnings to Reno team could have been better in tune with. We were also wondering about the ambassador’s own self regulation. Initially, we received a text message from another member of the Reno ambassadors saying since the shirtless man was not in uniform the pictures we posted were of no concern.

Here’s what one of our readers who lives in a tent communicated with us, before the protest altercation: “This "ambassador" Chris, was down at the tracks, where I live in my tent, a few nights ago. It was around 10pm and I was pretty much the only one about.  He came up drinking a beer, it didn't seem to be his first one either. He stood in clear area close enough for me to hear everything he was saying. When he first arrived, he was held up from a train stopped on the tracks, a common thing for them. When he was able to cross the tracks he started complaining about all the people living in tents and how there is no place that he could go and enjoy a little privacy any more. Then he started calling everyone that was living out there faggots and leaches. I sat there quietly not saying anything. He knew that I was keeping an eye on him, as were several others from their tents. He started going off about people shouldn't be watching him and that it was his job to everyone else. It was pretty clear that he was looking for a fight. After about 20 minutes of getting no reaction, he must have gotten tired of listening to himself rant and rave, so he left….. You could tell that he felt superior than everyone around there.” We could not independently confirm this account, but it left us concerned as well as to mechanisms to prevent such worrisome behavior from ambassadors.

Our Town Reno Reporting, May 2021

Voices From The River Survey Finds Interest in Safe Camp at Cares Campus, But Many Concerns

73% Are Willing to Try the New Safe Camp

43 people without stable shelter took part in the survey, nearly a third of them in the 55-64 age range (30%), nearly two thirds (63%) without a source of income, and 91% of them listing ending homelessness as one of their goals.  

The leading answer of needs to end their homelessness was housing.    In terms of housing, basic accommodations was listed first, which included even a car garage or storage building, “somewhere that’s not on the streets,” and a “room with a lock.” 

More than half (58%) said they would use the new Cares shelter.  Of those resistant to the idea, the leading reason was crowds and other people, followed by health concerns (such as COVID or bedbugs) and personal preference or past experiences. 

For the safe camp idea, willingness went up to 73%. Among the nos, there were leading concerns about autonomy.  A leading answer was also for the safe camp to be run by its residents, such as “self-governed with guidance of a program,” or “by a homeless person that knows everyone and respects everyone.”

Advocates using the #showusyoucare hashtag are circulating a fundraising campaign to have local politicians spend nights at the new campus.

Frustration with Existing Services

Barriers to accessing services range from lack of ID, to criminal history, to lacking transportation, to not being able to store belongings, to feeling frustrated at slow results, stigma, not getting to housing, to being turned down, and to general ineffective and unclear service distribution.  

Among those camping, 64% said they had been harassed by law enforcement, with many stating being cited or arrested as well.  

The report concludes transportation would benefit individuals trying to get to the shelter, and that there should be distinct spaces for those who “struggle with crowds.”  It concludes by saying “case management is imperative to focus on individually defined goals and focused on exiting people into housing that reflects their barriers, resources and preferences.”

Our Town Reno Reporting in May 2021

The Social Media Racism Fallout Affiliated to Lacey Shea and Shea's Tavern

Racist History Renewed

Shea’s Tavern opened in Midtown in the early 1990s, and is currently owned by Lacey Shea. It has a reputation as a raucous late night party place, also favored by other bar and restaurant employees. The restaurant next door, Homegrown Gastropub, is owned by her brother, Spencer Shea, and often gets rave reviews for healthy food and a quaint bistro environment. But during the Black Lives Matter protests last year, social media outrage over racist posts associated with Lacey Shea took off.

In April 2021, this concern was renewed when Reddit user u/concernedcitizen775 posted a screenshot that shook the Reno subreddit. The title of the post read: The owner of Sheas Tavern liking a photo of a devout white supremacist. Interesting. The screenshot shows her like (from her account @ladyshea2020) on a post of a picture of her with Instagrammer jesuschrist666hamc with a caption stating “The Fourteen Words”, a slogan popular among white supremacists: : "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children." His publicly listed bio now reads: HELLS ANGELS NEVADA NOMADS! and I am your lord and savior.

The Instagram post featured the caption, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. #HELLSANGELS #FTOT #ALWAYSUS”. The 87% upvoted Reddit post featuring the screenshot had 66 comments before being locked by r/Reno moderators. 

Boycotting the Tavern

One Reno citizen, wishing to remain anonymous, shared her shock and disappointment after seeing the post, along with the other instances involving Lacey Shea on social media. She was first taken to Shea’s by a now-ex boyfriend, who had been going to the bar for years. 

“I was shocked because me and my boyfriend, who is Black, always tried to support businesses that were pro-BLM, although many Reno businesses aren't too open about this. I talked to my ex and he was shocked and saddened that a bar that he used to enjoy is now a bar he would feel unsafe in,” our source said. She stated she would feel unsafe if her name was included. “I think if more people saw these images, rather than just hearing about the situation, they would take it more serious and realize that this is actually terrifying that there is a local bar that supports racism.” Reached for comment via social media, Lacy Shea and Shea’s Tavern have not responded.

This was one of Lacey Shea’s public apologies from her Facebook. The post is no longer visible to the public. Many initial commenters voiced their support for her.

Lacey Shea wrote she was power scroll liking, including this post which includes the double lightning bolt symbol associated with the Nazi SS corps, which pledged an oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler and helped execute the Holocaust. The Filthy Few slogan is associated with members of the Hell’s Angels who have committed murder on behalf of the biker gang.

Negative Reviews Shunned by Yelp

Some Reno locals have retaliated with negative Yelp reviews, which have been displaced for violating Yelp’s terms and services and only appear in another section called 37 Reviews Removed for Violating our Terms of Service where you can’t see them. Another removed section called “12 reviews for Shea's Tavern that are not currently recommended. Note: The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating,” can be read, but are all from before these controversies.

Over 35 1-star reviews have been removed since April 4th, 2021. Due to this, they still have a 3.5-star rating. We contacted Reno-based Michael Tragash, who lists himself as community manager for Yelp. He pointed us to different pages of the website, including community guidelines, and what happens when a local business gains increased public attention: “When a local business makes the news for something controversial, people often go to Yelp with the intention of sharing their views on the situation in a review, photo, or other content. These comments typically don’t reflect a personal consumer experience with the business, which should always be the focus of user content on Yelp,” is the wording on Yelp.

Shea’s Facebook page has deleted any comments on the situation altogether.  On the Shea’s Tavern Instagram page, two comments on a recent post have been hidden, but are still viewable upon clicking on them. One says, “Fuck Nazis”, with 14 likes, while another says, “Nazi punks fuck off”, earning 31 likes. 

Though the original post has been locked, many memes have been posted about Lacey Shea and her tavern across local social media. A recent meme ties in Homegrown Gastropub. After being mentioned in a Reno citizen’s Facebook post, her brother and Homegrown Gastropub owner Spencer Shea (above) stated he is not affiliated with Shea’s Tavern.

Why the Media’s Silence?

Many who know about the social media outrage were confused as to why local news hadn’t covered it, while others were mad about the lack of substantial apology by Shea’s. Many Reddit commenters claimed the man who originally posted the photo worked for Shea’s, and was possibly in a relationship with Lacey Shea. Her Facebook status is currently “single”, and does not follow the account that made the original post. Since she didn’t respond for a direct interview, we couldn’t ask about her exact relationship with Instagram user jesuschrist666hamc.

Despite Lacey Shea’s claim that the caption on the post was not “The Fourteen Words” when she liked it, she was in a picture with someone whose own Instagram comments are filled with the lightning bolt emojis, representing the white supremacist symbol “SS”. It is difficult to believe that this man’s behaviors and beliefs were unknown to Lacey. 

This photo was posted on Lacey Shea’s old Instagram and confused many as to whether a Nazi salute was being celebrated. We tried to get direct comment from Lacey Shea but did not hear back.

Lastly, when scrolling to the very first post on @lacested, Lacey Shea’s previous Instagram account, this below is the first photo which appears from that account.

Another Reddit post was made in late April, reminding people to not forget about this.

Reporting by Rachel Jackson for Our Town Reno

Dwindling Cheering for Disappearing Sports Teams Despite Stadium Space

The Reno sports fan base, although it doesn’t expand much outside of the Sierras, has undergone a recent decline in attendance. Although the Nevada men’s basketball team saw a spike under former head coach Eric Musselman, he who would sometimes take his shirt off for on camera celebrations, the Wolf Pack football team saw its lowest total fan turnout in pre-pandemic days in 2019 (97,080 fans) since 2011 (93,685). It has been a troubling trend. The Reno Events Center would be riddled with open seats during the ten-year Reno Bighorn era which began in 2008.

Along with the Bighorns, the Biggest Little City in the world has been home to multiple college and minor league sports teams, many of them deceased.

In soccer, Reno 1868 FC made its debut in the USL Championship in March 2017 only to cease operations during the pandemic. Serving as minor league affiliate for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer, Reno 1868 played in 120 games -- 60 at Greater Nevada Field -- and went 62-30-28 with a 2-4 playoff record in that tenure.  It attracted a small but loyal fan base, and crowds were bigger when there were special exhibition games involving teams from Mexico.

In ice hockey, the Reno Renegades started in the 1995–96 season in the WCHL, became the Reno Rage in 1997, but folded that season. They played in the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, and attracted attention when they signed female goaltender Manon Rhéaume who appeared in 11 regular season games for the during the 1996–97 season.

Greater Nevada Field still hosts the Minor League Baseball team, the Reno Aces. The Aces are a part of the Triple-A division -- the best among the six minor league divisions. Greater Nevada Field, formally called “Aces Ballpark”, has played host to the Aces since 2009. It can seat over 9,000 people.  With COVID-19 still going, they are scheduled to host 50 percent of its fire code capacity at Greater Nevada Field when the season opens next month.

The Reno Events Center is the former home of the Reno Bighorns, who served as the D-League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings for nine seasons, as well as hosting the Reno Barons and the Reno Express. The Reno Events Center holds up to 7,500 people.

The Bighorns played in the Reno Events Center (above) since the franchise formed prior to the 2008-09 D-League season. In their nine seasons, they went an even 225-225 -- including 34-16 in 2010-11 under Musselman, who also coached the Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball team from 2015-19. The Bighorns relocated permanently to Stockton, Calif., prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, renaming themselves the Stockton Kings.

The Barons, an arena football team, and the Express, an indoor professional football team, resided in Reno Events Center for one season each. The Barons logged just one win in its only game as a franchise. The Express went 6-6 in its lone season in 2019.  

Mackay Stadium is the current home to the Nevada Wolf Pack football and women’s soccer teams. The current Mackay Stadium finished construction in 1965 with an original seating capacity of approximately 7,500 people. Several renovations later, the half-century old stadium can seat up to 30,000 people, although that number was significantly limited this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

The original Mackay Stadium was constructed in 1908, named after Clarence Mackay, an American financier, chairman of the board of the Postal Telegraph and Cable Corporation and president of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company.

Lawlor Events Center (above) is the current home to the Nevada men’s and women’s basketball teams, seating over 11,000 people. It has hosted the men’s team since it opened in Nov. of 1983; it has played host to the women’s team since 1994-95. The highest attendance in the arena’s history was when it jam-packed 11,841 people in an intrastate battle between Nevada and UNLV in the 2016-17 season, where the Wolf Pack came out on top 104-77.  

The Virginia Street Gym, formally called the “Old Gym” has existed since 1945, seating up to 1,800 people. Although it has stood for nearly 80 years, it became the full-time home for the Wolf Pack volleyball team in 1994 after it was an all-sport arena for the 49 years prior. 

Peccole Park, which seats up to 3,000 people, has been the home to the Nevada Wolf Pack college baseball team since 1988. It also played host to the Reno Silver Sox from 2006 to 2008, when they were a part of the Golden Baseball League. It went 110-134 over that span. The Silver Sox are a now-ceased minor league baseball team who existed from 1947-1992 and 2006-08.

Speaking of the Silver Sox, they played in Moana Stadium in a first stint. Moana Stadium ballpark finished construction in 1946. The Silver Sox, a Class C affiliate of the New York Giants at the time, began playing at the beginning of the franchise’s establishment in 1947. The original stadium burned down in 1960, but was refurbished in the same location for the 1961 season. After the Silver Sox relocated in 1992, the historical ballpark stood for two more decades before it was destroyed in 2012. 

Why has Reno lost so many of their teams?

The reasons, depending on the organization, vary. For the Bighorns, one big reason the franchise was relocated was because Stockton was closer to Sacramento and the Kings; the travel from Stockton to Sacramento is 45 minutes, as opposed to the two-plus hours it takes from Reno to Sacramento. It makes it more readily accessible for fans, assistant coaches and scouts to track player development. It’s also easier for the players to travel in between sites. 

“Our NBA G League team has been an incredible asset to help prepare players for NBA action and bringing the team closer to Sacramento will allow us to continue to build on that success and increase efficiency to this valuable development tool … Kings fans in Stockton will now have an opportunity to see the next-generation of NBA players each week,” said Kings general manager Vlade Divac at the time, via a press release. 

In Nov. of 2020, the Reno 1868 FC announced it would cease because of the COVID-19 financial impact the franchise underwent. In their last stretch, no fans were permitted in the stadium for in-person seating for all but two playoff games. 

The Silver Sox relocated to Riverside, Calif., and became the Riverside Pilots in 1993 due to Moana Stadium’s subpar conditions. It returned in 2006 in Peccole Park, playing just three seasons there (as noted above). 

The Reno Barons cut their season after just one game due financial problems and inability to pay players. The Express took the 2020 season off to attract more of a following with the hopes of returning in 2021, but COVID-19 has halted their return. 

It seems expensive and not worth the hassle for those who have looked into it to have a new minor league hockey team in Reno, with bus travel back and over the pass being challenging during the winter and spring.

There hasn’t been just one answer; different factors have contributed to their downfalls. 

Reporting by Matt Hanifan for Our Town Reno

Alex Munoz, Studying the Geography of our Unhoused Neighbors

Our Town Reno reporters, Richard Bednarski and Gracie Gordon sat down with Muñoz in a podcast studio to learn more about what exactly spatial geography is and what he hopes to learn from his master’s thesis research. This Question & Answer interview sheds light on how he chose to study in Reno and became part of the community.

Richard Bednarski: What were some of the biggest surprises you had when you first came to Reno?

Alex Muñoz: I think it's interesting to see the bigger picture in the U.S., because the differences are that it doesn't look like Europe but the U.S. are kind of the same. We are these like and I quote like, Western culture, but it's everything, it's very different. One of the first things I noticed, and this is a stupid cliche, but everything has a bigger. For example, I think like before coming here, I only saw in the streets [of his hometown], one pickup truck in my whole life. And there are around 15, on my street [in Reno]. And you know, this makes sense here because it's near to rural areas. Everything is bigger here. Everything is greater. I didn't know. I grew up with the American culture, every cinema you go, every movie theater, you go in Barcelona, like it is probably then more than 70% of the offer is American. So I kind of have this preconceived idea of what living in the U.S. is, or even like what being American means. And I think it's cool to see how this happens in not, and a lot of that is also in Reno, certainly.

Alex is a founding member of Laundry to the People.

Richard Bednarski: So how did you land on Reno and the University of Nevada?

Alex Muñoz: So with my advisor in Barcelona, I shared these interests for human and oral geography with him. And he put me in contact with my advisor here, Dr. Casey Lynch. And I started reading what he was doing. I got really, really interested. He said that he could offer me a position as an assistant here and the possibility of doing my masters. And I was in LA at that time So I flew to Reno, I met with him and that was it.

Richard Bednarski: You are studying human and urban geography. What are some of the goals for your research?

Alex Muñoz: What I am particularly interested in, is to see how social relationships happen spatially in the urban setting. For example, like going back to Reno and what my research can be in Reno, I'm really interested in inequality and how it's reproduced spatially in the city. So I want to focus my thesis on working on the homelessness issue here in Reno, actually talking about that geographical topic I would observe in the city and see how this inequality happens inside the, city fabric.

“[Reno] is changing rapidly. And I saw that being here and everyone I talked to, they are being here for 10, 20, 30 years. They described the city today, nothing to do with the city that they knew when they moved here initially. And you know, all these relations with the tech industry and how it's shifting socially and economically the city. It's very, very interesting. I said to my advisor, why should I move to Reno? They just have to send me the second season of The City Podcast with Anjeanette Damon. And I will be completely hooked and say, okay, you know what, I'm going to that city, I'm going to live in that city.”

Gracie Gordon: So could you briefly explain what critical urban geography is and like what practicality it may have?

Alex Muñoz: Urban geography is a sub-discipline that studies cities and urban processes. This is really broad. Like you can have thousands of research topics relating to the area or I feel like you can be interested in transportation in planning and economic and human flows that happen in the city. As I said, my interest in how inequality is reproduced and using the spatial formulas as a topic. For me, critical geography, I see it as our perspective, acknowledging how we relate to our environment and the sociopolitical structures that kind of organize these environments. And this means that the social scientist, our work is not like it can not be objective. That's what you have to acknowledge. I think when you think of being a critical geographer and as a geographer, this means like understanding myself as a subject that is observing the environment and challenging the kind of absolute ideas that can be produced and trying to find alternative views and ways of observing these special relations.

With this example, I think I would like to look at the political map. There's like some absolute knowledge that, you know, this is a country, this is a border, this is another country. And this is how things are. And things are stable and they can not be moved. But if you zoom in to the border, you're going to see that that's not really what happens like borders are kind of like hybrid spaces and there's modeling, there's cultural contact, there's personal contact. I think of the border with Spain and France in the Pyrenees [mountains]. If you're thinking of the political map, you're okay from this side to this side, your Spanish or Catalan from this side to the other, you're French. 

But if you actually visit the Pyrenees and this border, it's awesome. The people living on one side of the border have more, have more in common to the people on the other side of the border than they have with me. And we share the same passport, the same ID, the same like nationality or whatever, but they are more in common between them. And if you look, as I say, as they are the absolute, like idea of the map, you're not going to see these relations and you have to look at these alternative beers to observe how these, um, relationships happen and why and how. And I think that's interesting,

A Downtown ambassador telling the group Reno Soup for the Soul they can’t serve food near a bar on 4th Street.

Richard Bednarski: Can you elaborate what you want to get out of your master's thesis in regards to the homeless and the houseless community here in Reno?

Alex Muñoz: The thesis is still nearly in an early stage, but my idea is to build the thesis observing secure encampments. I want to do it through the case of the new Governor’s Bowl shelter, which is a projected secure camp kind of design. And so I'm really interested in how is this camp organized and how they reproduce these dualities between caring and banishing that happens in homelessness policy? Where you want to help people and you get resources for them at the same time, the activities that the homeless people reproduce in the city sometimes are banned and restricted in our laws. So there's this contrast between services and caring for them at the same time, you have to punish them for not having a house, which is crazy.

For me, it's easier to think that I can go to the bathroom. I have a bathroom in my office. I have a bathroom in my house, but if I live in the streets and I don't have a job, my only bathroom is, you know, the public place. I want to observe this duality. And my focus is especially on how the people that opt to move there, or the people that opt not to move there, experience that and observe this difference and try to help to see how we can do that policy and that kind of service is more attractive or more useful for them.

Gracie Gordon: What do you think the community is doing well to address homelessness in Reno?

Alex Muñoz: I would say that I'm amazed by the kind and amount of self organizing groups that take action. Like I'm shocked. Like one connects to one, this one connects to another, and I don't know how many, like little groups there are that self-organized, self-owned and are really constant. And there are a lot of rules in this community and I don't know if that's something that has to do with the country or with the city, but I am just amazed. People that get food, people that get clothing, people that get services and, you know, use their own time to do that. I really want to think that this is like a thing that only happens here and I'm amazed about that.

Advocate Michael Carson does a Facebook Live during a recent sweep.

Gracie Gordon: How did you get involved with helping out our homeless neighbor?

Alex Muñoz: I think it has a lot to do with the fact that my roommate is Blaize Abuntori. I think that marked my relationship to this and how to take action. And I always explain the same story, how the Reno Burrito Project, you know, shocked my life. The first weekend that I was in my own house, it was like a Saturday and there were a lot of people bringing him food and water, like huge amounts of food and like huge packaging though for water. And I was like, okay, I don't know what's happening. Something weird is happening in my house. And at some point that day Blaize came into my room and he was really apologetic. And I think that says a lot about Blaize. He said ‘this is happening because we have this project called the Reno Burrito Project where we meet here. You know, people bring food for making burritos. And then tomorrow, we're going to hand them out. I'm really sorry. You know, that this is happening here’.

Gracie Gordon: And did it just spark your interest immediately?

Alex Muñoz: I was already interested, I live near downtown, I already see what's happening in the city. So that kind of like got me thinking that, you know, that there's a way of taking action. And a few months later I was talking to Blaize about the thing that people in Tent City actually have to throw away, like their clothes. Because they don't have any way of washing them. And I've never thought of that. And we were talking about underwear and how they're in desperate need of getting underwear and moving underwear between like the different organizations to bring underwear to the tent city. I use a clean pair every day. So if I was living in the street, I would need a new one. Then he told me that he knew Ilya and Rosie, and that they were starting this,   Laundry to the People project. So I got on board as soon as I could.

“I felt very terrible he was apologizing to me for something that was happening in my house, that was amazing. I was like, what kind of person do you think I am that you shouldn't be apologizing for?”

Richard Bednarski: Is there anything in the community that you've noticed that, and it could be city, it could be community members, that isn't working to help alleviate the struggles that the houseless community have to deal with?

Alex Muñoz: With homelessness is that it has so many edges and different problems, that it is really difficult to find an answer that unifies all the problems and helps solve them. I think that housing affordability is one of the biggest issues and we kind of focus on what we see, which is like when people are like living … on the corner of your street, but maybe we should try to focus on what happens before and like help people to maintain their own houses or to actually help people find affordable housing. And this is the hardest part. I don't see myself with the kind of authority to say this is not working. For example, through meeting Grant Denton and the River Stewards, I saw a different approach. Like not only saying, okay, this is going to work and let's apply, but, let's meet the people that  we're gonna give the services to and that way we can see what their needs are and how we can help them.

I'm not sure if that approach is being used outside of this example. I don't know if the houseless people actually have a voice in the important meetings or have a voice on the policies that act upon them.

Richard Bednarski: Can you tell us about a moment or an interaction you had with a homeless person and explain how it went? 

Alex Muñoz": I have had a few with the Laundry to the People and the few times that I've been out with the Reno Burrito Project. Also kind of like starting a conversation and talking to people like, and I think that's part of what makes these projects interesting is that they're not only providing some material thing, but also, conversation and understanding that goes both ways.

I'm not talking about any paternalistic way, you know, I'm such a good person. You know, I talked with the houseless people. That's not what I'm saying. It's by their action and if I want to help him provide the service, I need to know the people. I remember one time that I was with The Reno Burrito Project and as soon as I talk, everyone knows that I'm not from here because of my accent. So they asked me, Oh, ‘where are you from’? I said, Oh, I'm from Barcelona and that person was a veteran. So we were talking about, you know, he's been touring through Europe and these and that, and the conversation kind of like when different set different directions. Then he said that he had a job and he was going to move to a motel with his brother. 

That conversation was great to have. We were talking about how you can change your life and how this little thing that happened can, you know, help you move on and change. We were talking about things like food in Spain and things in Spain and things in Catalonia. I had a great time. I could see his happiness for going to the motel and kind of like feeling that he was restarting again.

“So regarding the houseless crisis, the message I would like to voice is, take action, it's way easier than it seems like. I know I'm lucky that I just had the Reno Burrito Project that entered my life and showed me that it's kind of easy to do these things. I've just been here a few months and you know, I'm already involved with the Laundry to the People and it's easy to do in Reno. It's the easiest thing to do if you have some experience, some knowledge that you think that can be helpful, just go for it. And if not, just get interested in what people are doing, call them and everyone here is happy to collaborate.”

Q and A with Alex Munoz for Our Town Reno by Gracie Gordon and Richard Bednarski

Troy, Hoping the Nevada Cares Campus Will Help Him on Path to Sobriety

“This new one they’re building,” Troy, 53, said, overlooking ongoing preparations for the new Nevada Cares Campus at the old Governor’s Bowl location “is supposed to be huge.”

Troy is glad the shelter will serve both men and women but other than that he says he knows nothing else about its exact plans. He says he does plan on sleeping there when it opens and he hopes it will be different than the current place he resides at, the temporary tent shelter on 4th street.  “Too many rude people,” he said. The new campus might have even more, as local law enforcement and authorities are threatening sweeps and citations against those still camping once it opens, now scheduled later this month. Volunteers of America will remain as the operator. The opening will be staggered. Much of what’s been promised is not ready yet. Advocates, including a few formerly houseless, themselves have expressed concern this might be “warehousing,” where people with different problems are lumped together, which tends to create even more hostile environments.

Troy is thinking more of reorienting himself, and hopes a new shelter might offer him a new path. He has lived here in Reno for about three years and is originally from Eugene, Oregon. He says he has struggled with drinking and recently started a new program.

“I’ve had the money two or three times but I end up drinking it away,” he said. “But I’m doing this new program and will be doing a little treatment.”

Wraparound services at the Cares Campus are for future phases, not yet funded, or fully agreed upon.

Reporting and photos by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

Trying to Report about an Out of Control Downtown Reno Ambassador

It was last Saturday, as a street medic awareness session was followed by a “Stop Police Terror” protest organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation at the Believe plaza.

But as we arrived, several street medics and bystanders kept referring to a downtown Reno ambassador who had allegedly berated them with strange rants, and then apparently returned, took off his shirt and berated them more with incoherent and threatening language, before being escorted away by another ambassador.

One of those targeted, Jake Maynard, shared with us a photo, which we tweeted out. Others on social media immediately grew concerned with this situation, while some, including journalists, reached out to us, saying they didn’t believe this was an ambassador, wondering why we were publicizing someone’s apparent meltdown. But what about the words he was yelling, we wondered, making people feel unsafe, especially coming from a uniformed and then shirtless “ambassador”? What about his position of authority trying to intimidate law abiding protesters? Did his uniform and Segway confuse them?

“My initial reaction to the ambassador was that he was not a good example of Reno. He responded to the medic, who wasn’t aware of who the ambassadors were, as he wasn’t from Reno, with aggression. The medic asked him if he was affiliated with law enforcement, and he said no, he wasn’t. I don’t recall if the medic responded with ‘good’ or ‘ok,’ but from there, the ambassador said something along the lines of ‘Who would your sister call if she was getting raped?’ to which the medic replied, ‘probably me.’ This seemed to visibly upset the ambassador, but he drove off on the Segway. The initial interruption caught everyone off guard as he approached from behind us and just started yelling. He then called us a ‘gang’ and told us that we were breaking the rules of the Believe plaza and pointed at the sign and told us to leave.”

One medic, Larry, told reporter Rachel Jackson he was there to support the protest and “teach some basic street medicine.” He said the ambassador had also tried to stop their gathering. “He had tried to shoo us off before, but we didn’t exceed the guidelines. He said 25 people or more, and we were like ‘dude, there’s like ten of us.’ And then he came back out of uniform, and then even more out of uniform because he ripped his shirt off, trying to fight a group of us, swearing in front of children, and saying how someone was raping family members of participants, and that you would want to call police. And we were just like ‘dude like there like kids … here. And then he just kept trying to fight everyone to the point where he almost got Maced by a bunch of people.”

Our Instagram post was finally met with an official statement, but it didn’t exactly confirm whether the heckler was indeed an ambassador.

Larry says the ambassador returned again, lunging toward the group, trying to fight, only to be escorted away, apparently by another Reno ambassador.

Maynard also elaborated on the bizarreness of the heckling and threats as these concluded with another ambassador on hand.

“When he returned to the area out of uniform he firstly interrupted the medic’s demonstration by saying ‘I’m here with my black friend’ and standing next to a Black guy who I also believe to be an ambassador and looked extremely embarrassed during the whole interaction. Other members of the medic group started to argue with him and told him to leave, and that just made him angrier to the point where he called us “f*ggots” and then took his shirt off to try to fight members of the medic group.” At this point, Maynard said “his friend began to hold him back and try to move him out of the area. Most of us were just standing there thinking,  ‘Is this really happening?’ I’ve seen people get upset and haggle at protests before, but this guy went further than I’ve personally seen before and had to be physically escorted away.”

After collecting these testimonies, we tried to get in touch with the Reno Ambassadors but they kept ignoring our calls, or who knows, maybe not taking them seriously. Journalists and bystanders kept casting doubt over our social media posts. After several tries, Chris Reardon eventually replied by text, and when asked if the man was an ambassador, Reardon replied “I confirn that he is not in a[sic] Ambassador uniform and that a picture of him is not of concern. Have a good night.”

A bizarre text exchange also did not confirm whether the aggressive heckler was an ambassador.

The event ended with a sense of hope. Activists marching in the protest continued to emphasize that individuals have the power to create ripples of change. And before the protesters went their separate ways, a member from the crowd was called upon to chant cheers, and all the audience embraced the enthusiasm from their peers. 

Bob Conrad from This is Reno followed up by interviewing the marketing manager for the Business Improvement District called the Downtown Reno Partnership and got this quote below for an updated article:

This made us think of many other instances, where employees are not direct hires, which is then used as an extra layer away from accountability, such as the contractor who pepper sprayed a man who didn’t get out of bed fast enough at the current temporary big tent shelter.

We sent a message on the general Streetplus page, which has its closest offices in San Francisco but did not hear back yet. Here was our message: “The Our Town Reno reporting collective is looking into a downtown Reno ambassador who engaged in threatening conduct at a protest last Saturday, both in uniform and then returning shirtless, and we were wondering if Streetplus has a comment about this. Is training sufficient for ambassadors to deal with protests? What type of training do they get before going out in the community and do you believe it's sufficient? Some protesters were confused by their uniform as they had not encountered them before. Has that been a problem before and is that under review? Thank you for your time.”

Reporting by Gracie Gordon shared with Our Town Reno

Gentrifying Reno, A Personal Essay and Picture Series from a Student's Perspective

Reno, Nevada, is constantly changing and proceeding with new construction plans almost every day, with barriers and bulldozers in every corner. But what does this mean for the older buildings that are being pushed out by the newer buildings? What does this mean for the people who lived in torn down motels and can’t afford new apartment buildings with fancy names. A student journalist at UNR Alexandra Rush writes about her own experience watching the Midtown and Downtown area change throughout the years.

I have lived in Reno, Nevada, for almost two decades–which means the change I have seen in not only the buildings, but the population has been astounding. I began college in the Fall semester of 2018. It was my first time living in Northern Reno versus Southern Reno and I was struggling to get used to the busy streets that were filled with many people and old buildings that looked like they were decaying.

That same semester, they began construction in Midtown and it became a one way street. That construction continued for longer than I expected– over a year. Every time I went down to the area, I saw more and more change happen. I saw people who were homeless with their carts of living supplies walk down the streets that were abundant with workers, orange cones and construction vehicles. Of course, this was a shock because even before this construction, Midtown was a very different place. I had only been down there a few times when I was younger, in middle school and high school, and these upscale, modern buildings like the Acai Cafe and Pizzava did not exist.

Honestly speaking, many people I know, including myself, really didn’t want to go to Midtown because it wasn’t the young, hip place it is now. Now my friends and others I know go there on the weekend just for fun. When I see someone pushing a filled up cart amid all the change, it makes me wonder about their story. Was the person a victim of inflating rent prices in the area? Are they being pushed out by newer businesses? It could be anything. But I know for sure that this scene happens almost daily as this area continues to transform and modernize.

A variety of advertisements among the streets of Midtown during construction. Many diverse buildings are seen, both modern and old. Photo by: Alexandra Rush

I am certain that parts of the old Midtown still exist, but are slowly being pushed out. A new type of spirit embodies it now– one filled with hip bars, trendy thrift shops and new age restaurants. It is exciting to see this change and to see this new life instilled into part of the city, but what does it entail for the older residents and businesses there?

To me, gentrification means historic buildings that have meaning being overtaken by more corporate, more expensive businesses. As rents rise, it sometimes becomes impossible for the older buildings to hold their place. This also affects the older residents that are being pushed out by apartments with insanely high rent. These apartment buildings that I have seen seem to all look very similar with dull colors and matching square windows overlooking the city.

When I look over West Street, I see these apartment buildings called the ‘3rd Street Flats’ that are green and grey. It’s a square building that hosts two businesses underneath– the Bab Cafe and the Urban Market. Surrounding this building which rents out its room for a fairly expensive price, is a pretty large unhoused population that often sits on the corners of the sidewalks watching the residents shop from the new Urban Market and walk back up to their rooms. My role as a photographer while shooting these areas is quite unique. When I look back at the many pictures I have taken throughout the years, I see everything changing. The pictures I took of Midtown this year and last are two different parts of Reno. Though it seems like the construction is taking a long time, in truth, everything is evolving quite rapidly.

A view from above reveals a variety of buildings on West Street. The 3rd Street Flats, Kwoks Bistro and an old motel can be seen all in the same area. Photo by: Alexandra Rush

Many motels in the downtown area are being converted to upscale apartments in order to accommodate for a new and growing population. That being said, this leaves a specific population without access to housing. Motels can be good living accommodations if people are short on money and looking to have shelter without renting pricy apartments that require deposits, background checks and monthly rent, along with utilities. Often I am walking down the streets and I see how much these converted motels are increasing the population without shelter. Again, though I previously lived in southern Reno, I still saw how motels decreased and apartments increased. I still see motels around Reno, but I can tell that they are one day going to probably disappear as well. It’s strange knowing how large Reno’s population has grown and how many buildings have built to host this surge of people. The ‘Biggest Little City in the World’ is starting to look more and more like any other city. 

One of the motels on West Street. Behind it is the Montage Apartments and the Eldorado. The contrast between the buildings is quite stark. Photo by: Alexandra Rush

More recently, never ending construction has moved to areas surrounding the University of Nevada, Reno campus and the freeway as well (what locals here consider the ‘spaghetti bowl’). The change around UNR took many students by surprise with the demolition of The U and Textbook Brokers. A few of the old houses around there were moved at the request of faculty members and historical advocates so that they were not demolished. This section of campus was especially historical with the old houses. Now there’s a newly designed bus stop. The construction went all the way up Virginia Street to Archies. They constructed a new roundabout and a bus lane. The freeway is consistently changing as well. Even as of today, every day I drive down, there is a new addition. According to local news, this construction is expected to continue for over a decade. I understand why these changes are happening, but it is sad to see the character of Reno slowly disappear.

Many buildings remain unvacated, and available for rent with no potential renters. In the meanwhile, others go without shelter, unable to afford these high priced places. Photo by: Alexandra Rush

I saw an infographic a little while ago showing the estimated homeless population compared to empty houses. The amount of houses that could host this population would be enough to cover them and even more people. Yet it seems the problem is only getting worse. Compared to when I was younger, I believe that the issue involving homelessness in Reno has gotten much worse. Every time I get off the freeway on my way to campus, I don’t go a day without seeing a person on the sidewalk with a sign– no matter the weather– snowing, rainy, sweltering hot. There are even anti-homeless construction projects that I see where they put spikes or rails on benches and other countermeasures for people without shelter. I have personal relations with family members who have been homeless for periods of time, so to me it is odd to think that we are spending money on countermeasures and new buildings instead of helping the unhoused.

One of the older motels in Midtown stays up despite the changing environment around it. It still hosts residents and has not yet been bought out. Photo by: Alexandra Rush

Gentrification is happening all across the globe, and even more rapidly in other cities. Is it possible to stop it? I am not sure myself. The more we grow as a society, the more we move away from historic buildings and older neighborhoods, and the more we opt for modern, trendy and corporate buildings. I myself feel like this is a huge loss of character. It is creating issues that we can’t solve. It is interesting to me to see how Reno will change in the upcoming years. Though I may not live here in the future, my family does live here so I will continue observing this transformation. There are many advocate groups that want to stop gentrification. Should society have a more empathetic stance on older neighborhood populations and stop the modernization and inflation of rent in these areas? I would argue yes, seeing what has happened in Reno. My own experience is not unique here. I am sure others have witnessed the same change, and hopefully in the future we may show more empathy towards the residents of old neighborhoods and deny this gentrification.

Essay and Photo Series by Alexandra Rush for Our Town Reno

Sana Sana, an Artist Fusing Creativity and Activism to Protect Humans, Land and Water

“I was pretty much born an artist, but I feel like I didn’t really start coming into my own,” said Sana Sana, a local visual and hip hop artist “until I dedicated my art to saying something that was meaningful to the people and for the land.”

He does not believe art and activism are independent of one another. He goes by Sana, which is Spanish for heal as his chosen name because of the song mothers from his community sing to their kids when they get hurt, sana sana colita de rana. 

Originally from Milwaukee, Sana Sana came to Reno about fifteen years ago. His artwork is based in illustration, having worked as a tattoo artist for fifteen years. As the pandemic wore on, he chose to leave a local shop. It was an opportunity to break out on his own and focus more on his work and be selective about whom he tattoos. 

Sana Sana draws heavily on his ancestry for not just inspiration but also to live up to who he is. His family goes back to the people of central Mexico where he says poetry is the highest form of expression. “When something moves me to say something, that’s when I create,” he said “that can be either an illustration or it can be a song.” His mother’s side is Coahuilteca, an Indigenous group from southern Texas and his father’s side is Purépecha, a group of people living in Michoacán, located in central Mexico. 

Sana Sana prefers pen and ink as a medium. He enjoys the accessibility it offers. These two pieces highlight how he draws inspiration from the land and his Indigenous roots. 

One of his current pursuits is working with kids and teaching them art, everything from drawing to poetry. He feels this is a great way for kids to handle the realities of life, especially during a pandemic. It can become he says a positive outlet for frustrations and anger and sadness. “A lot of kids are really resilient and they’re dealing with real things, they just need a way to use their voice in a way that doesn’t give them negative consequences,” he said.

Another outlet for Sana Sana is his hip hop. He always wanted to put his words to music but without a background in music, struggled to make it happen. So when a friend asked him to be in a musical, Sana Sana thought, why not? The musical gave him a taste of not just performance but memorization and “eventually it just clicked, the timing clicked,” he said “I can’t wait till this is done so I can start writing my own music,” he said.

And that is just what he did and the hip hop duo Niño Santo was born. Not a fan of abstract art, he feels like art should be clear and make a statement. That much is true in some of his lyrics. He feels having a platform to speak obligates him to say something important and his activism drives him to produce compelling songs and lyrics that turn people’s attention to issues that need to be addressed. 

A Soundcloud track which can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/ninosantomusic/sana-sana-freestyle-pbnj-radio-show

“My life isn’t safe as it is, being an Indigenous person,” Sana Sana explained “it’s not safe just existing, our existence is resistance.” He spoke to the struggles Indigenous and people of color face in today’s society being a driving force for his lyrics. 

“I’m not trying to call out anybody,” he said “but I’m here to call out people’s structures that we have internally that make us not be the best human beans we can be.” 

He also draws a lot from his readings. He looks to books for inspiration and to place himself in the context of others’ struggles in order to better understand the situation in today’s society. His hip hop group, composed of himself and his brother, Rubevelli, recently released an album. One of the videos goes where no other hip hop video has gone before, showing Sana Sana and others planting a small seedling in a wildfire burn area.

“It’s an opportunity to tell a story,” Sana explained about the video “and we wanted to be honest.” He says he does not like to tell stories that are not real to him, drawing inspiration from his community and the elders whom he seeks advice from. He does not portray a reality that is not true to his own but instead links himself and the community to the land. He also wants to draw attention to climate change. “These fires are a real reality that I want to draw attention to,” he said.

“I never want to get people pissed off without making them feel empowered,” Sana Sana explained. He elaborated by saying that people have the ability to be the problem a lot of the time, but notably, they have the power to be part of the solution, he said he “really wanted to paint that picture” with the music video. 

Sana Sana has directed much of his activism toward local issues. He has been helping Beverly and Autumn Harry, a Navajo and Paiute Indigenous mother and daughter duo, clean up trash along the river and feed the houseless community. “When I lean towards social movements, I always can’t help but think of the land first,” he said. 

He understands the importance of social justice issues and draws racism together with the environment through the idea of dehumanization. He says that people need to improve their relationship with the land and water in order to move past the racism of today’s society. 
“My approach is always calling truth; always speaking the truth,” he said “and if I’m wrong, to admit I am wrong, because I am human and go from there.” He wants people to be accountable for themselves, to get their hands dirty, to get out there and meet people. He believes everybody has the power to be an activist and encourages everyone to become one through lifestyle changes. 

“I hope that the community of Reno can take the time to really understand what it’s like to be somebody else,” Sana Sana said “I feel that people inside our society have this way that they lean into just thinking about themselves.” He encourages people to try and step back and really see situations outside of themselves. “I really challenge everybody inside our community” he said “if you see a houseless person, instead of judging them, talk to that person.”   

Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno

UNR Group Speaks out Against University Police Taking Part in Looming Sweeps

UNR Police Takes Part in Threats of Oncoming Sweeps

In a recent notification posted by UNR Police on UNR land away from the main campus, houseless individuals were notified of the upcoming opening of the CARES Campus, followed by an order to vacate the area. The flyer cited Sparks Municipal Code 9.48.030, which states that camping on public property is illegal “within 350 feet of the shore of the Truckee River.”

At a recent CHAB (Community Homeless Advisory Board) meeting, a UNR police representative said one police staff was doing two days a week of outreach in that river area.

A phone call to UNR Police Services and a conversation with Eric James, listed as Assistant Chief of UNRPD, pointed me towards the direction of the Sparks “H.O.P.E Team”, which stands for Homeless Outreach Proactive Engagement. The flyer was said to be part of a “regional effort” by Reno and Sparks PD, including UNRPD.

After we posted a photo of the flyer on the Our Town Reno Instagram page as well as on our Twitter https://twitter.com/ourtownreno, angry comments poured in. One of those was from Elise Campbell (she/they), a student at UNR and member of a group called FUSED UNR. Campbell said those looking to connect to the local houseless population could donate food, water, and other necessities by contacting either themself or the FUSED UNR Instagram page.

After getting into contact with Elise and FUSED’s president, Ro Gil (they/them), we set up a call to talk about what FUSED UNR is, why UNR Police may be conducting sweeps, and what are the other solutions to this issue.

Elise Campbell (top left), Ro Gil (bottom left), and Rachel Jackson (bottom right) spoke over Zoom about FUSED UNR and how the club relates to Reno’s police and houseless community through social work. Visual by Rachel Jackson.

FUSED Concerns

While neither Campbell or Gil were born in Reno, they both consider the Biggest Little City their home. As members of FUSED, they are focused on social justice movements and ways to create change through social work. Campbell and Gil are both social work majors with interests in macro social work, which includes lobbying, policy-making, and global social work in contrast to individual case work and therapy that micro social work entails.

FUSED UNR is a club of about 10 or so consistent members who are involved in multiple social movements. In the past, they have done fundraisers with the ACLU, a collaboration with Nevada’s attorney general on a bill to end no-knock warrants, and a march with Indigenous people to Mackay Statue which resulted in a petition to get rid of the statue (the sculptor was a member of the KKK). They also have educational talks with guest speakers on issues like mass incarceration.

When asked about their thoughts on Reno, Campbell compared the city to the many other places they’ve lived as a child in a military family.

“There's a, like a lot of pretty lights and there's a lot of fun things to do and tattoo parlors and like, um, you know, everything like that. But, uh, when you start to look at like the background and like, notice that, you know, on Virginia street, for example, just like the gentrification and the amount of properties that have been demolished even like specifically right next to the University for that bus stop.” Campbell said, later commenting on Reno’s handling of the housing crisis: “there's obviously a huge, huge problem in Reno specifically, just because I don't think you could go to any intersection, any street intersection without seeing someone with a sign, you know, asking for some spare change or anything like that.”

FUSED has been fundraising through tee shirts.

Having Social Workers Do Work Instead of Police Outreach

In response to looming sweeps on camps of houseless individuals, Gil voiced their solution of taking the money used to conduct the sweeps and giving it to social workers and services to help the houseless individuals affected. “Sometimes I do not understand human beings and how they can see a dog on the street or a cat on the street, and everybody huddles around them and like, ‘Hey, let's help this dog. This dog is lost,’ you know, and they can see another human being and they just turn a blind eye and don't even care, you know, and, and call the police on them and, and do things like that. Like it, just, to me, it does not make sense,” Gil said. 

“It's just crazy that they're making these requirements and these rules like that, but they're also, they're not willing to provide even like a water spigot here, you know, where you can get clean water or anything like that,” Campbell said of the 350-feet rule.

Campbell went on to describe how university money going towards UNR Police could be directed towards a social services coordinator position on campus.

FUSED UNR is currently recruiting members for the upcoming fall semester, and also held a donation drive on April 18, partnering with the Reno Burrito Project.

Reporting by Rachel Jackson for Our Town Reno

Puff Puff Pass the Love Spreads Generosity

Puff Puff Pass The Love describes themselves as “a beginning stage community of cannabis supporters who love giving back”, and with a name like Puff Puff Pass the Love, one might assume the focus of the organization is centered around cannabis, but this is not the case.

Puff Puff Pass The Love has been helping houseless communities in Reno obtain the resources they may have a hard time obtaining themselves, such as healthy food through regular distributions, bedding, and sanitary items such as baby wipes and hand sanitizer. In a community like Reno which has a population of hundreds and hundreds of individuals without stable shelter, this is no small undertaking.

I attended an April outing of the group at the homeless camp located under the Wells Street Bridge. Being relatively new to reporting I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. One might expect a feeling of doom and gloom when attending an event like this, especially in a town like Reno with an ever-growing affordable housing crisis, but what stuck out the most to me was the sense of community I felt between the volunteers and those they were helping. Although the distribution itself lasted only around ten to fifteen minutes between the volunteers showing up in their SUV, handing out food to everyone in line, and packing up and heading out, I could tell that the volunteers had a passion for helping those who need it.

The SUV Tony Doara and another volunteer served food out of to the people residing in the camp. “The people are happy for our help and we’re happy to help them,” she said. The group has an Amazon Wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1Q5VWNFLOHMHO?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR0v8yBrEB_cTaYStzB2FotXw1IwHspLDafdfecMkmkjHCeXlLr3qDQ5lwA

Reporting by Christion McLeran shared with Our Town Reno

Life in a Tent City Before the Opening of the Nevada Cares Campus

Last Easter Sunday, I travelled to a tent city near Wells and 4th Street to document a day in the life of the houseless community living there. The overcast day brought heavy winds, often blowing against and through tents lined up next to the railroad tracks. The lack of sunshine and dust in the air made for a dismal scene next to the rushing Truckee River. Crossing the threshold from “riverside” apartments to the world of the unhoused on Easter, and the final day of Passover, brought a new meaning to one of the holiest days of the year for me. Despite this, volunteers with Reno Soup for the Soul showed up in tow with food and water to share. While these good deeds brought joy, volunteers can only heal symptoms of the housing crisis. Action is needed to solve the root of the problem: houselessness. The only solution to this problem? Homes. 

The park rules and regulations, posted near the bank of the river, states rules including a ban of, “camping, storing personal belongings or washing clothes.” However, for now at least, houseless individuals have been urged to move to this area, rather than other areas of town, as a new super sized shelter campus prepares to open in late April.

 A person walks on a bridge over the Truckee River, towards the tent city. 

On the other side of the river, new apartments are being built under the advertisement of being “riverside” locations. 

 A person sleeps near the side of a building without shelter.

Volunteers push through the wind to hand out food and water.

 A man walks across the bridge above an area of graffitied rock, painted with the words, “No Hope, No Love”.

The words “NO TRESPASSING” are spray painted onto a pillar of the bridge, nearby the tents. Local officials and officers have been allowing people to stay in the area without removing them, for now.

A group of three volunteers wheel a cooler of food and water to tents tucked away under the main road.

 A volunteer chats with someone in their tent, as he holds a bottle of water in his hands. In the background, an apartment is adorned with the American flag and a Pride flag.

Photo Essay by Rachel Jackson shared with Our Town Reno

Patches and Shannon, Two Women Surviving in Reno's Tent City

On an early morning by the Wells Avenue bridge, downtown Reno ambassadors roam around on Segways; cops respond to disturbance calls, and two women attempt to clean out their tents in hopes of making the area feel more like home. Ahead of a new Cares campus, this is where people living in tents are being allowed to stay, but that may all change soon, with sweeps being threatened, and police refusing to hire more social workers, despite pleas from advocates.

Shannon Moore, 32, has lived in Reno for 30 years and has been homeless for the past six years. Moore feels invisible because of her current state of living. To her, being a woman and homeless comes with severe challenges.

“I can't even take a shower now,” she said. “You know, like they have two different men's shelters for men to do whatever they want all day long, be drunk on beer and all that. And they can take showers.  The women’s shelter is all the way (across town).  And when you get there, you can't get in and take a shower, not unless you have a bed there and the bed wait is like a month.” 

Now instead of showering Moore has to boil water and clean herself. Moore feels uncared for. She says she’s not worried about COVID-19 as she has worse to worry about, such as, she says, recovering from recently being shot in the head. She says she used to sleep in just a lawn chair so it’s been worse for ever.

The tent where Moore was sleeping in, saying the shelter for women is already full.

“There is a lot of perspective. You know, you have that loyalty and respect for yourself, not just yourself, but if you know yourself, then you've got loyalty,” Patches explained of the predicament of being a woman out on the streets. “I’m a girl,  you know, people out here hate that. It's all about themselves and not doing what they're supposed to do. They take and take from other people, you know, and people get mad.”

Patches says she longs to have a home for herself, but has endured mistreatment from landlords and even loved ones. The homeless camps have brought friendship and relationships for both Moore and Patches. Moore has friends that “always got her back,” and Patches has a girlfriend. 

Both Patches and Moore take great pride in their tent homes they have created. Moore took the morning to clean out her whole tent. “I had it all fancy. I have my bed. I put my blanket down and then my tablecloth thingy that's like pretty fancy. ”

Patches even tries to help other clean up their sleeping areas. “I'm a person that gets along with everybody,” she said. “Right. Everybody loves me. Cause when you hear Patches up and down the street, or anywhere people live, they all know me. They know who I am. I'm a good person. I'm down to earth people. I help anybody in the whole world.” 

Patches does say people are jealous of each other in the encampment and will sometimes trash each other’s possession or burn tents out of spite.

Both women have plans for the future. Moore hopes to go  to rehab in Fallon so that she can see her 14-year-old son again who is in a “facility” in Las Vegas, and Patches hopes to move back in with her adult son at some point. Homelessness was neither woman’s choice nor plan, but the world sometimes has other plans and its harshness can cause unintended consequences. They both expressed their hopes for a better world for homeless women to be seen and cared for.

Reporting by Gracie Gordon with Photos by Rachel Jackson for Our Town Reno