The Last Motels Standing in Reno: Sutro Motel

Sweltering heat and fried leaves aren't new to Reno. But I can't help but notice it's getting worse. 

I tried to take a quick walk to the motel. Take some photos, talk to people. But the heat was too much for me. I had to turn around. 

Equipped with water bottles and my camera I stepped out into the heat once more. I thought about taking pictures of people who managed to stand the heat. 

But no one was there. My only company solitary pigeons whizzing by in the non-refreshing breeze. Occasionally a head would pop out a door as I took photos in the nearly empty lots facing one another. No hellos. 

Weekly welcome, senior citizens, local motels’ bread and butter. The motels are disappearing though.

I can't help but wonder. Maybe the absence of people says as much as their presence does. 

Photos and Essay by Ariel Smith for Our Town Reno

The Last Motels Standing in Reno: Swan Inn

This is part of a series of essays with photos on the last motels still standing in Reno. We previously had a series on the last motel residents of Reno. Motels, initially conceived for tourists, increasingly became a last housing option for many, due to bad credit, not enough money for deposits, or not wanting to deal with a multitude of bills and complications, or a first housing option for residents coming out of homelessness. Many motels are now being torn down, after being bought out and razed by slow to act developers, with many vacant lots now dotting the downtown landscape.

i took myself out this time 

i said too much when i shouldn’t have 

you make it easier for me to experience things 

i met the housekeeper, Donna, when i was taking these pictures

she was a nice woman

she gave me a hard time for having a camera, but not in a hostile way 

saying “you look a little too old to be at UNR” and “your wallet looks a little too clean to be keeping it in your front pocket,” then followed that up with a laugh and explaining she was kidding

i offered to show my student id, but she didn’t seem to mind me there

i love the swan logo of this place

i can wait it out

it felt nice to go out and shoot photos again, especially in a new environment like this motel 

it has been awhile since i have 

the metal flowers below the front stairwell gave me a smile

they were cute in their own endearing sort of way

i don’t know how much longer this motel will last

online it said it was closed, but as i arrived there were a few guests i could hear 

a man muttering to himself and smoking a cigarette on the second floor, eyeballing me as i walked around 

a younger kid blasting music from his room with the door wide open towards the back 

it was a good song 

donna told me to be careful around the area

i appreciated that 

i hope good things come her way 

Photos and Essay by Jake Lorge for Our Town Reno

ACCEPT Reno Has a Long History in Helping HIV+ Community Members

The Access for Community and Cultural Education Programs & Trainings (ACCEPT) is a non-profit organization in Northern Nevada providing health education and services for clients with HIV.

Founded after the tragic death of two men due to AIDS, the group has been serving the Northern Nevada area for nearly thirty years.

“In the early nineties, there were two young men that died from HIV and AIDS that were going to our church,” Executive Director of ACCEPT Gwen Taylor explained. “No one wanted to tell my husband that they died. Those two guys died. Young men died of AIDS without their pastor going to visit them. My husband just became very aggravated with the ignorance.”

After the men passed away, Taylor and her husband started visiting barber shops, beauty shops and churches to provide health education on HIV. Four years later, in 1999, the group officially formed a non-profit, creating the organization that still exists to this day.

After a few years as the African American Cultural Education Programs & Trainings, the nonprofit’s name was changed slightly to become Access for Community and Cultural Education Programs & Trainings. The name was altered to reflect that the group’s services are available to anyone who falls underneath a certain maximum income, that income being about four hundred percent of the federal poverty level, or about $50,000 for a single person.

“We started with the African American community because we were the most severely infected and we still are the most severely infected,” Taylor said. “We do target African Americans. We target minorities, we target low-income people, but as long as they meet those poverty guidelines, we will help any race.”

ACCEPT provides its clients with health education and acts as a provider of non-medical case management. This means that the help ACCEPT provides their clients has to fall outside of medical care, but has a wide variety, from providing housing referrals to transportation credits, or helping older clients navigate technology.

Another key distinction of non-medical case management for ACCEPT is that appointments aren’t limited to a certain time. For agencies or hospitals which are supplying medical care, this isn’t always the case. The willingness to provide clients with customized care, and to spend time with them based on their needs means clients form a close relationship with the agency. Taylor said she feels like a mother to some of her clients.

 “They feel like they are a human being,” Taylor said. “They don't feel like they're just being shipped in and shipped out. They feel like we care. And, sometimes, we're the only family those clients have.”

Throughout the decades, stigma against people diagnosed with HIV and misconceptions surrounding the disease has persisted. Many of ACCEPT’s clients don’t want their families to know they have been diagnosed with the disease.

When a client puts down an emergency number, ACCEPT asks if the contact is aware of the client’s HIV status. There are no signs outside the building ACCEPT is housed in, and there is little indication whatsoever that there is an agency inside focusing on providing services for people diagnosed with HIV until you’ve already walked into the office and encountered the many brochures in English and Spanish lining the walls.

“We have a lot of work to do within our community, especially with the churches and especially with family members,” Taylor said.

Our Town Reno reporting by Jesse Stone

A Powerful Trio Leading the Charge of Nightly Reno Summer Protests

Hecklers or no hecklers, drivers trying to be intimidating or honking in support, new protesters not sure what to do, and others immediately emboldened to speak up, regulars with the same signs or revolving ones, Evann, Cecilia and Kaydi, three twentysomethings who have been organizing nightly protests at the Federal Courthouse building in downtown Reno, have experienced a wide range of experiences and emotions since Roe v Wade was overturned. 

“We need to be a presence every single day,” Cecilia explained of their nightly 7 p.m. protest tactic. “We need to be out there showing people we're not going anywhere. This is a problem. This needs to be addressed. This is an issue. And if we're not out there every single day, looking these people in the eye and reminding them that something is wrong, they forget the fact that just because Nevada is protected for now does not mean that we always will be. It does not mean that everybody else is. I want people to finally show some empathy for other people, be a human being for once, band with fellow human beings. Stand together on this. This is our freedom. This is not about abortion. This is about freedom. This is about human rights. This is about your children's future and you are failing us. You are failing your children.”

All three have been ramping up their social media presence, activity and output to make more people aware. They also spend hours online responding to comments, educating others and inspiring more people to join them.   

“Even if there's only three of us or two of us, you know, people drive by and they see that we're there, that we care and that we're real,” Evann said of her dual role of posting pictures on Instagram and also going to as many of the nightly protests as she can. “And that they'll remember that next time and hopefully they remember next time when they vote or when they decide to make a decision that affects not only them, but women and LGBTQ+ people and people of color and immigrants, everyone in this country.” 

A new Facebook group the trio just started after a request from older would be protesters.

In Person and Online

Dealing with toxic people online and in real life does not faze her. “Honestly, it kind of just fuels my fire more,” Evann said. “The more I get yelled at, the more people flip me off and tell me that I'm stupid or I don't know what I'm talking about or that I shouldn't have this freedom, you know, it just, it makes me more mad and it gives me more fuel to keep pushing, to keep fighting this fight because that means that nothing's going to change. I need to physically be a part of it. And that just motivates me way more in order to keep pushing, keep fighting because I'm angry. And I know a lot of young people are angry and they don't know what to do with that anger. And I think we need to start pushing it out.”

Kaydi says she’s relieved Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak declared the state a so-called “sanctuary state.”

In a tweet sent out June 28th, the governor wrote: “Today, I signed an Executive Order to strengthen protections for reproductive freedom in Nevada. Reproductive health care is a basic human right -- We are committed to ensuring safe access to abortions for women seeking refuge from the restrictive laws in their state.”

“That was absolutely amazing,” Kaydi said. “I feel like it's super important to remind people that that's very much temporary, depending on what happens in November. And so we need to keep going out there telling people who to support and also reminding people that there's going to be an influx of people coming from out of state into Nevada because we are a sanctuary state and we do have abortion protections. And so we need to keep this awareness up so that we make sure that the state and every municipality in the state makes reproductive health a priority so that both people in the state and out of the state can get care because there are a very limited amount of resources available for reproductive health, such as abortion clinics, contraception …” 

Finding Time after Work

All three work, and still find time for their now nightly ritual.  

Evann, the youngest of the group at 20, is a receptionist for a dermatologist. Kaydi, soon to be 23, is a general warehouse worker, with studies in political science in her background and a paralegal certificate.  

“I wouldn't miss a night for the world even though, yeah, I am somebody who works 10 hours basically every single day of the week, but this is so important to me,” Kaydi said. 

Cecilia, 27, works for a biomedical research facility, which has been involved in vaccine rollouts.  “I would like to note that I absolutely do not believe that people should be forced to take a vaccine,” she said. “We have been compared a lot to people who force people to take vaccines. Again, it is your body, it is your choice. That is what we are chanting. So I do not believe in forcing anybody to do anything that they do not want to do.”

Cecilia takes the responsibility of being the oldest in the organizing group seriously. “I kind of mom everybody, make sure everybody gets home safe. The most amazing thing about coming out here is watching the people who come out for their very first time, their very first protest and they're shy and they're scared and they don't know what to do and they're nervous about it. And we welcome them and we open our arms to them and we give them that megaphone and we tell them to scream about it and let it out and to watch them open up and let these emotions out and feel … like they're humans and like they're being listened to is the most amazing part of what we do.” 

She says people keep asking the group why they protest while abortions are still legal in Nevada.  “Just because it's legal here doesn't mean it will stay legal here,” she reiterated.  “And just because it's legal here does not mean people in other states are safe. People in other states are dying because of this.”

Encouraging Voting and Donations

Cecilia says based on her own experience many men think being on contraceptives is a cakewalk.  “If I had a dollar for every time a man drove by and told me why not just use the pill, I'd be rich. It's not that easy,” she explained. “There are lots of different complications that can come with the different birth controls that women have to take. And it's something that men don't know because they don't have to deal with it. They don't have to deal with getting cancer. They don't have to deal with an IUD ripping through their uterus. They don't have to deal with infertility because of this stuff… It should be everybody's responsibility to preventing pregnancy. It should not fall on the woman.”

Cecilia is dismayed that in some states abortion isn’t allowed for medical exemptions anymore. 

“That would be ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and other types of pregnancies which actually risk the life of the mother. That’s the thing with pro-life is they seem to forget the life of the person carrying the baby, who is also at risk. Every time we are trying to carry a child, they seem to forget that pregnancy is dangerous, that women have died. So many women have died just going through the process of being pregnant, giving birth, having a child, let alone the women that are murdered because their boyfriends didn't want them to get pregnant.”

Preventing abortions in the case of rape and incest also leaves her gasping for air. “They want to force us to have the rapist’s baby? In what country does that sound right to people? In what country does it sound okay to force children who have been raped to have a child?”

The three pointed out their support for all the work Planned Parenthood has been doing nationally and locally as well as the efforts of the Wild West Access Fund (WWAF) of Nevada giving financial assistance to those seeking abortion care in the state, coming from within as well as from outside.  

The group encourage donations to these organizations, and registering to vote in November.  In the meantime, they are asking more people to join them 7 p.m. every night at the courthouse between downtown and Midtown.

“I am so proud of all of these kids that come out here every night and I hope that they're all listening and I hope every single one of you knows. I don't care if you are out there for one day 30 minutes, three hours every single day. I am so proud of you. And I love you,” Cecilia said in closing. 

Our Town Reno reporting, July 2022

FARMily, Bringing Educational Urban Gardening to the Center of Reno

Reno is home to many different things. Depending on who you ask, some will point to the downtown casinos, the majestic courthouse, the up and down Truckee River or its many murals. It’s also becoming known for urban gardening, which includes multiplying initiatives by different groups, including Farmily, a local non-profit empowering children with green know how.

The organization operates four urban gardens, with three located right next to Boys and Girls Clubs, where kids at the program are invited to grow plants and food.

“We're teaching kids things like mindfulness and breath work and really how to reconnect with nature,” Rebekah Stetson, founder and CEO of Farmily, said. “The reason why that's our focus is because a lot of the health disparities that we're seeing, whether those are mental health or physical health, directly relate to people not being as in tune with what they're doing to their bodies, with their community. It's just a lack of attachment. We really aim to teach kids those skills because we know, based on research, that those serve us for a lifetime.”

Our Town Reno visited two of the four farm sites, and both were only a few miles from some of the biggest casinos in town. The Reno skyline is clearly visible, and the clutter of tall buildings is at odds with the flowers and recently planted produce at both sites. The Flint Street site is less than a mile from Wingfield Park, surrounded by tall banks and office buildings. It’s not located as close to a Boys and Girls Club as the other sites, but children will still visit on occasional field trips. Volunteers are welcome, and office workers will walk through the small farming space on their lunch breaks. 

“Sharing your experience with people and then also having people share their experience with you is exactly such a cool thing about gardening and agriculture in general,” Philip Nasvik, Assistant Garden Manager and Director of Soil Health at FARMily, said. “People have their strengths and weaknesses in agriculture, just like they have in any other aspect of life . When you can share your knowledge, through the community and the network, that's when you really start to feel that it's something special and meaningful.”

After harvesting the crops and distributing the food to families, FARMily sends excess produce to a few different outreach groups who help distribute food to neighbors in need.

“They love that sense of purpose of planting something, watching it grow and then being able to eat it and share it with their family,” Stetson said of children who take part in the program. “It is really magical. I truly believe that we’re all creators, what we're meant to do is create things. It's such a satisfying experience to tend the land, grow something and then be able to share it with other people. A lot of volunteers come because they love the mission of what we do. They love helping other people, but they also love the zen nature of being in the garden.”

The sites grow more than vegetables and produce. Both sites that Our Town Reno visited grew flowers, to sustain a more complete ecosystem and protect insects and other pollinators. Stetson said the growing process at each site is entirely organic. No herbicides or pesticides are used. No artificial fertilizer is used, and FARMily makes its own compost for growing plants. 

“All of our gardens are organic, but we also use permaculture principles,” Stetson said. “Permaculture is a way of looking at the world as a very interconnected ecosystem. It's important for us to have all sorts of different plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, annual flowers, perennial flowers because then you have a more diverse ecosystem.”

Setting up a farm in the middle of the city brings with it a few changes compared to a farm on the outside of town. The nearby concrete raises the temperature, and FARMily has to manage its water to align with city guidelines. Nasvik said FARMily chooses plants and crops based on the conditions of Northern Nevada and the urban environment. But the urban farm’s convenient location means that students and other distributors are far closer than usual.

“Some urban farms are fortuitous because they're closer to where a market would be,” Stetson said.  “If you were attending farmer's markets, then you don't have as many miles to logistically [to] get your food, which I guess is also beneficial for us. When we harvest, everyone that we distribute to is within a five mile radius of all of our sites.”

Our Town Reno reporting by Jesse Stone

Susan, Trying to Avoid Police and Snuggling with Her Dog in her Van Home

On a recent downtown Reno night, Susan was sleeping in her bed, tucked into the back of the converted shuttle bus she has called home for four months. Her small chihuahua, Abigail, was next to her under the covers.

It was around 6:30 AM when her home began to shake as she felt what sounded like sticks hitting the outside of her van and yells of “Wake up. Reno Police. Get the hell out of there.” 

Susan had been staying in an unmarked area near the river for about four days, where fishermen often park, near Idlewild Park. Abigail was barking as Susan shakily grabbed a robe and went to her door. There she says she remembers seeing five to six uniformed Reno police. 

She had taped a note to the window of the van indicating: “This is my house. Please do not tow my house”. One of the cops she says yelled at her to take down the sign. “That’s bullshit,” she recalls him saying. Another one, she alleges, kicked over the coffee can she had left outside nearby, spreading cigarette butts around the graveled area. “You have a mess to clean up out here, lady,” she remembers him telling her, turning to the other officers and laughing.

“So many, I couldn’t believe it,” Susan said, her eyes tearing at the memory. “They all kept pounding the sticks on the bus, laughing. They told me I had to leave right away.” Susan, a tiny woman in her late fifties, continued with the memory. “Honestly, it made me feel like I was almost naked when I was out there surrounded by all of them. I felt like I should cover up and they ganged up around me."

After they told her she had to leave, Susan told them no problem and went inside her van, more than a little afraid. She says could hear them describe her in derogatory terms, laughing when one said “I wonder where she shits”.

Ryan Connelly from the RPD responded to a request for comment about Susan’s account saying, “the alleged behavior, if true, is not acceptable. If true, it is below our standards of service and what is expected of Reno Police.“

Connelly said police would need a specific date or address to investigate but that Susan could report what happened anonymously through internal affairs. Susan, like many others living in precarious situations, are fearful of retribution and tend to avoid contacting police. Asked if she was interested in filing a report, Susan said she wasn’t, preferring the least amount of contact as possible with police.

Six months ago, Susan would never have seen herself in this situation. Home was previously a small house on Vine St. where she had lived for 14 years. Her daughter, son-in-law and five-year-old grandson lived in adjoining cottages, all on the same property. When one of the cottages was found to be out of code her landlord warned her that there might be changes. She had already fought a rent increase from the property manager who told her that Midtown was “hot”.

“You can’t just decide to call an area something and raise the rent,” Susan said, unconvinced with all the changes going on in Reno. Her landlord died soon after and then his daughters immediately put the property on the market.

Two weeks later, right after Christmas, she and her family were looking for a new place to live. It was hard to find something that would take her and her two dogs. Her daughter, who is pregnant, found a one bedroom, but it does not allow pets. Susan ended up giving her larger dog to her ex-husband and still feels sad about that.

She walks with a limp from bad knees, but continues to do small jobs when she can including garden for people who have trusted her work for years.  “One lady, she only wants me, because I’m nice and neat and tidy,” she said.  She talks wistfully of the yard full of flowers and fruit trees she had tended before losing her home.

“I loved my house and garden. There were cherry trees, established plants, but they tore it all out," she said. She has worked in the nursery business her whole life and was let go from Home Depot after 17 years during the pandemic.

Inside her bus Susan has kept plants she managed to save from her home, but she worries that she can’t get them enough light.

There are brightly colored tapestries on the seating area and she keeps a picture of her grandson on the inside of the van, along with drawings he makes for her. A jar holds flowers she has cut in the alleys of Reno. She offers a bottle of water to visitors and makes sure they are comfortable.

Susan tries to find parking places close enough to her daughter’s apartment so she can see her grandson often. One day they peeked into the large glass doors of an apartment complex where she had parked for a few days.

There is a swimming pool at that location and she wonders if she could perhaps get a place there, close to family. Neighbors bring her food, talk with her and admire her dog. She sweeps the gutters clean and picks up trash in the neighborhood. The next day though the manager of the complex told her she had to move and accused her of entering the locked building and using “facilities”. It doesn’t matter that Susan denies it-the manager tells her she was seen and so she needs to move or they will call the police.

Susan resumes the now routine job of packing up and moving the bus again. She will look for spots nearby, because she feels it is a safe neighborhood and not everyone treats her with disdain. She can walk to the local Maverik in the morning to use the bathroom and wash. They don’t mind Abigail. When she showers at her daughter's apartment, she has to hide Abigail in a big tote bag.

“I’m not going to just use someone’s yard or next to the river,” she says emphatically. I’m not going to pollute the Earth.”

Susan is always mindful of being a good neighbor. She describes a woman a few streets over who doesn’t mind if she parks next to her law office as long as the city allows her to. “She told me that once she meets the human and knows their name they can stay as long as they like. There has to be respect.”

One of Susan’s concerns is her bus. She did a non-permanent trade for her truck with a friend.

“There are people who when they see the bus," which is painted a very flat black with some taped areas, "they think it’s scary! Honestly, I want to paint it another color so people don’t think I’m going to lure children and eat them", she said.     

Susan has a hard time focusing on her future. “I’ve been so consumed with being like this I don’t even know how to find help.” 

Public transit in Reno is so irregular that even getting to a place like St.Vincent’s for food becomes a trial. Should she leave Abigail alone in the bus? What if it gets towed with Abigail inside? If she drives to an appointment, she risks losing her parking space. She plans her day around finding bathrooms, going to work for short periods of time so Abigail isn’t left alone for eight hours … Susan says it all begins to seem too much to think about.

One dream she has, while trying to be as inconspicuous as possible in her van, and not being caught, is finishing the children’s book she is writing for her grandson called “Keeping Abigail Warm”. It’s based on Abigail who is often chilly and refuses to wear clothes.

“You know there’s no place for us,” said Susan. “I cry about it every time I’m told I have to move. I’ve never actually felt this way. I feel unwanted.” She hugs Abigail, who slips in perfectly next to her and offers her a kiss. “I’m hoping for the best," she says- her eyes focused on her dog.

“I’m hoping something good will happen.”               

Reporting by Dina Wood shared with Our Town Reno

Elvira Diaz, Urging Northern Nevadans to Use their Voices and Vote

If there’s one thing Elvira Diaz, currently the Civil Engagement Community Organizer at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, has learned, it’s the power of using her voice, from tv and radio programs to campaign rallies and legislative sessions.

She now wants to see more people participate in our democracy. One person Diaz recently helped was over eighty years old and registering to vote for the very first time.

“It doesn't matter what party you are or what you believe,” Diaz said. “If we have a hundred percent participation, then we will have people who represent us, and they will listen to us. And if we abstain, then our voices are not going to be heard. The people can analyze after the election if that person they voted for really delivers what they say they're going to do, or it's really good for them.”

As part of her work with PLAN, Diaz hosts weekly “Democracy Dinners”. Anywhere from six to fifteen people gather each week to learn more about the political process.

“Even if you vote against something that I want, like the other candidate, that's fine because it's a democracy,” Diaz said. “That way, we can make people accountable. If you vote wrong, don't worry,” she said. “Next time, you’ll fix it and vote right. That happened to me the first time I voted, I didn't even know about party lines. I like this name, this name is beautiful. Now, we have Google. We have the internet. We can check each one. Do your homework.”

An issue she sees as crucial as do many others is the lack of accessible housing and the insecurity caused by skyrocketing living costs.

Diaz recently helped two individuals who were suddenly evicted from a rented house after over twenty years of residency. After the house they had rented and lived in was sold to another owner, the new owner didn’t renew the lease.

Diaz helped them find housing, soliciting friends, family and other community members to help during their difficult transition. Diaz said that evictions weren’t her specialty, and this work was unrelated to her PLAN efforts.

“I did this in my spare time, in the morning before I go to work,” Diaz said. “Go to work, come back, check on them. When this lady cooked food for them, I was like the Uber driver for the food. So I just dropped the food off after my work.”

Diaz ran for office in Sparks for City Council Ward 3 during the last election cycle but failed to win despite a strong campaign both in person and online. Not discouraged and always bolstered, she pursues her good deeds at her current job and during her spare time.

Right now, Diaz believes in the value of voting, even if there are skeptics, young people turned off by aggressive tactics and many faults to the process. Election day for Nevada’s primaries is today.

Our Town Reno reporting by Jesse Stone

Racheo, A Van Life Survivor in a Used Ambulance

Racheo Blais is a 25-year-old who has lived in Northern Nevada all her life. For a portion of that time, her home was a 1985 hollowed-out ambulance which carried her through the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prior to purchasing the ambulance, she was living in her car, a Geo Metro, after her housing situation completely fell apart. She cashed her checks when she got them and saved all she could in order to afford the dilapidated ambulance, which at the time, she thought was a steal. 

At first, the idea of having an autonomous housing unit that could travel seemed like an optimal decision considering the difficulty of renting with a single income in Reno.

She bought it in February 2020 and lived in it until she was able to find stable housing in January 2021. She describes those eleven months as incredibly despondent, filled with anxiety and paranoia stemming from a break-in and theft, food insecurity, difficulties with everyday life as well as an incredibly isolating time. 

Racheo’s ambulance was broken into almost five months after she moved into it. The intruder made off with the title to the ambulance, her keys, her medications, her prescription glasses and left her with a shaken constitution, scared and paranoid. 

“[I] didn’t really feel unsafe in the van until that happened, because I felt it was really inconspicuous, nobody’s really breaking into an old decrepit ambulance in some parking lot in the middle of town. When you went into the ambulance you could tell a single woman lived there, all of my stuff was super girly, flowers plushies everywhere, I didn’t really own anything of value so I wasn’t worried about it in the first place,” she said. 

With the situation leaving her rattled, she purchased a gun which she said ultimately was not a great idea, installed outside locks on the doors because it was too expensive to change the door-locks, put up warning signs on the windows as well as fitted them with razorblades to deter people from getting in if there was another attempt to break-in. 

Knowing she didn’t want to continue living in the ambulance, she repeatedly tried to find more stable housing. She applied to various apartments around town which cost her close to a thousand dollars collectively over a period of months, just on the application fees. She didn’t hear back from any of the leasing offices. 

“The break in made me realized I wanted to leave, then looking for an apartment made me realize I couldn’t. That’s kind of when I wanted to make it more livable in the van to what I could do living there,” she said.

Blais would wake up, use the five-gallon plastic bottle with a spigot she had as a sink to wash her face and brush her teeth, tend to her cat and then went off to work for the day. She would come back after getting off work and return to what she called an incredibly isolating environment. 

"I think people need to be more aware of the blessings they have, and I think the city needs to realize even having a place to do laundry, to shower, to use the restroom, providing electricity, are things that save people’s lives. It’s basic human needs, it's a human right to have those things.” 

Once she got back from work, her night would include her sometimes making meals on her bed with an electric stove she had; however most days she didn’t have the energy to do so and as she put it would have “either an uncrustable or sleep for dinner”. 

“I never slept well either, every single bump in the night would have me on guard, there were times when people would knock on my van at night, the fire department came one time because the alarm of the building that I was parked in front of went off during the night so they were harassing me about why I was in a van, someone broke into the dumpster of that building, plus I was in there with my cat so if she was freaking out I never really slept well,” she said. 

Without her keys, she never felt safe being away from the ambulance for too long. The time she spent away from it was while at work and the one day a week she would leave for a few hours to go shower. 

“My dream while I was living in the van was just to have a safe parking lot, that was illuminated where I could get power, use the restroom and that’s pretty much it. Where it was just a safe place to be where I wouldn’t have to be so scared,” she said. 

At one point, she and a friend of hers who was also living out of her vehicle were staying in the parking lot next to what used to be Fort Ryland. For a few weeks it was just the two of them but as time went on more and more people in vans, trucks and RVs started living there. However, due to the amount of times they were ticketed, they were forced to move elsewhere. 

“I was less scared having other people living in their vehicles around me because I’m not just one single woman in a van living in a random parking lot. I was a single woman in a van in a parking lot with multiple people living around me, and it made it feel more like a community,” she said.

All along the west coast, the issue of disappearing affordable and low-income housing has made the issue of houselessness and housing instability flare. With higher rates to secure housing and low wages, people who are experiencing an unstable housing situation find their only option is to sleep in their vehicle, if they even have one. 

A bandaid to the situation is to offer designated parking spaces where people can go who are living in their vehicles. Santa Barbara was the first city on the west coast to offer this type of help, having started their program in 2004 with the direction of a counseling center called New Beginnings. 

The way it works is by offering those who are living in their vehicles space to park overnight with guaranteed safety. The lot locations aren’t publicized as to not invite those who would discriminate or try to take advantage of the people sleeping there. While it is not a stable housing unit, the program allows some respite from people trying to break into the vehicles as well as from tickets from the police. 

The Santa Barbara program is a blueprint for the initiative and other major cities like Eugene, East Palo Alto and Los Angeles have already started their own parking lot programs. 

It wouldn’t be so difficult to have the same kind of program here in Reno, where empty plots of land are all too easy to find.

“It’s funny because a lot of these areas that are empty lots now are where people used to have affordable housing, so instead of living in a van and being scared for my life every night, I could have lived in a hotel room and been more comfortable and had access to these basic human rights that I didn’t have for so long because I lived in a vehicle,” Blais said. 

Living in the ambulance was difficult for Racheo, but she was always reassured that her situation, even with the difficulties she faced, was and is a privileged one. 

“You know, holy shit I think I felt unsafe in a van, how do you think people in a tent or no tent feel?… If I were on the street, I couldn’t have a wardrobe or multiple pairs of shoes or things like that, it made me grateful for those things that I had and that they were safe.”

It’s lead her to being grateful for the things in life that she didn’t have access to while she was living in a vehicle. She said it's important to have an understanding of gratitude towards things like hot running water, the ability to do laundry, the opportunity to practice good hygiene, even the ability to store food items in a fridge.

“We have all of this land, all this empty land that we might as well use before it becomes luxury apartments that no one here can afford; because a lot of people are moving because they can’t live here, we’re all one check away from being homeless,” she concluded.

Our Town Reno reporting by Matthew Berrey

Tattoo Artist says Local Scene Rife with Male Domination, Harassment and Belittlement

The tattoo scene in Reno is brimming with artists who have either solidified their artistry with a large clientele and large following on social media, or are just starting out as apprentices in the many shops present all around Northern Nevada. Between them there are also independent artists who, either with or without prior experience in a shop-type setting, have made their services available at home. 

This is the case with an artist I recently sat down and talked with whose instagram handle is @stabsnpokes. She chose to keep her name out of the article. 

The local tattoo scene is competitive and can be cut throat. As a woman, it can also feel toxic.

She grew up in this scene and was always interested in art and drawing, saying she wanted to be a comic book artist. She got into the scene at age 15 through an ex-partner of hers who was an apprentice at the time. 

Through a combination of apprenticing herself at multiple shops both in and out of Reno, having worked as an independent artist on and off over the years and knowing an array of artists in the scene, her experience was rife with male domination, harassment and belittlement of women artists. 

“Every time I go to a tattoo shop, and show my work, they’re always trying to figure out how I should perfect my work,” she said of being treated unfairly compared to men.

Usually what happens with tattoo artists is that for some amount of time, before they are able to work full-time in a shop, they do apprenticeships under an artist who has been working in the scene for a good amount of time and are deemed professional by others in the field. 

Depending on the shop-owner or mentor, apprenticeships can come with no guaranteed pay, often working part or full-time for the mentor and can take up to a year to fully complete. There are some artists, depending on who they work with who pay to be an apprentice. 

For theartist who uses @stabsnpokes on Instagram this was a situation that came with a lot of friction. During her apprenticeship, she worked for an artist who owned a shop in Reno and one in Oklahoma. She worked with this artist up until his death which abruptly ended her apprenticeship.  She then found it hard to find another shop to continue her work. 

“…When you go to other shops, you have to have a resume, they want to know who you were mentored by, and the circumstances of his death wasn’t a good idea for people because he was dealing with substance abuse… he couldn’t vouch for me or anything like that, and a lot of artists wanted me to do an apprenticeship again. I just don’t have the time for that or the patience for that, because apprenticing is a soul crushing time of your life if you can deal with it,” she said. 

How money is shared is also something that is extremely difficult she says of being a woman in the tattoo scene. 

“My mentors and coworkers would talk about tips and I would hardly ever get tips, I’d get maybe a twenty like every other week, and I was living out of his shop at one time,” she said. 

With that, there are levels of classicism as well. Remarks made about equipment that is considered cheap when according to her, she’s “seen lots of videos of people debunking that. Like pro tattoo artists testing out cheap Amazon equipment and they’re busting out like really nice tattoos, so it's all about skill.

Along with the financial instability, apprenticing can come with being treated poorly. She recounted that her shop experience consisted of being picked on and being taken advantage of by the other artists.

“They kind of haze you, and I was able to deal with it because I had a shitty childhood or whatever, so a lot of it wasn’t new to me. But they tried really hard to like get me to crack…,” she said. 

It was often that some of the artists working out of the shop would take her things or use her equipment without asking. On top of it all, was the harassment that she experienced for being a woman. 

She told me a story about a time she was late for work and her mentor suggested that as a repercussion, she’d have to give him oral sex. According to her, women in the space have those experiences all the time. She told me of another worker in the local tattoo industry who was sent pornographic videos with the implication to “re-make” it with the person sending it. 

On talking about female artists she said, “They get all the grunt work they still get treated like apprentices, they get treated like they aren’t as good as the male workers that are there.” 

Among these reasons and more, she said this is why she feels more comfortable working out of her home. She has a better handle on the clientele she works with and it comes with not having to deal with the issues of being a woman in a male dominated space. 

“As long as I know what I’m doing and I’m not harming people, I’m good. I have my blood borne pathogens certification, I took the classes for that. I’m CPR certified in case something like that happens,” she said. 

However, those in the tattoo scene often look down on individuals working out of their homes, deeming them as “scratchers”. People with no prior experience of tattooing, unaware of standard hygiene protocols, who typically buy the equipment and start giving out tattoos. 

“The thing with scratchers is that they tend to take on shit that they don’t know what they’re doing, I won't do that. I’m not going to tattoo somebody and think that I can do it. If I really don’t feel comfortable doing it, I will recommend them to someone or to a shop, we’re still helping them get business,” she said.

With the shop mentality, there comes a lot of gatekeeping within the scene. Because it’s the artist giving out their work, the expectation is that the ultimate decision making lies with the person using the tattoo gun. 

However, the issues arising from that include deeming what work is worthy and what isn’t. She said a lot of flack is given towards independent and small artists because if their work is outside of traditional or new-style tattooing, it’s looked at as “trash”. 

“Art is subjective, people are getting tired of seeing the same old traditional artists, people want to break out of the box and get different shit. It’s really just not that deep. I don’t like how American tattoo[ing] is like ordering other people around and [dictating] things you can or can’t do, like it’s some big sacred thing,” she said. 

She’s been working towards tattooing often because it’s something that she has a passion for and wants to create a more inclusive space where more people feel comfortable. She’d like to go to South Korea in the future and start making connections for tattooing there as well, and perhaps finally be able to escape the male toxicity of Reno’s scene behind her.

Our Town Reno reporting by Matthew Berrey

Bruce Hahn, a Justice Candidate Ready to Fill a Void in Reno

Bruce Hahn,  a candidate for Reno Justice Court, Justice of the Peace Department 2, is currently Assistant Bar Counsel for the State Bar of Nevada, with over twenty five years of legal experience, including a decade with the Washoe County  District Attorney’s Office.

Now responsible for cases across the Silver State, Hahn spends a lot of time on cases originating from Las Vegas over platforms like Zoom. He says part of the reason he’s running to fill the empty seat in the Reno Justice Court is to find some cases closer to home.  

“I really know the courts,” Hahn told us during a recent interview in our podcast studios. “I served in our justice courts, Sparks Justice Court, Reno Justice Court, Incline Justice Court, for 26 and a half years, as a plaintiff’s lawyer, so to speak. I worked for the District Attorney’s office, and I have litigated about every kind of criminal matter you can imagine through those courts. Whether that’s filing motions, bringing arguments, whether it’s escorting witnesses, working with opposing counsel, I did that as an active trial lawyer for fourteen years.”

Hahn moved to Reno in 1996, at the same time as he left insurance law. A father of four grown children, he has sent his children to Truckee Meadows Community College and other local schools, and spent five years as the head coach for  the University of Nevada, Reno Mock Trial Competition Team. He says experiences like these help ground him as a person. 

“To connect with people, whether they’re adolescents, whether they’re in their early adulthood, as you get through mock trial experiences, I think that’s not only grounding as a person, but you’re investing,” Hahn said. “You have more invested in the people that you’re ultimately going to be serving as the role of a judge as a neutral, independent, finder of fact.”

Hahn in our podcast studios. You can listen to his full interview with Jesse Stone below.

The primary for the election pits him against Cotter C. Conway and Kendra Bertschy. For the past two years, after Justice Pete Sferrazza retired in October 2021, the Reno Justice Court has operated with five seats, rather than its typical six.

“I believe that the court is under an enormous strain because they are operating under a population that would support seven Justices of the Peace…” Hahn said. “They only have currently the seats for six, and they have been operating on five. There’s a tremendous amount of work, and, frankly, I’m interested if I were elected in collaborating with the people who have been there the longest. The people who know what needs to be done, and are wiser with regards to their environment.”

Hahn said he focuses on building a connection on a personal level when campaigning, and that he and his wife have spent hours in the middle of the night putting up signs. Hahn says he likes starting conversations and receiving constructive feedback from the people he hopes to serve.

His website lists his supporters as coming from law enforcement, the establishment and the DA’s office: including according to his website “Darin Balaam, Washoe County Sheriff, Chuck Allen, Former Washoe County Sheriff, Michael Haley, Former Washoe County Sheriff, Christopher Hicks, Washoe County District Attorney, Richard Gammick, Former Washoe County District Attorney, Marc Picker, Washoe County Alternate Public Defender and Karl Hall, Reno City Attorney.”

“I’m interested in sharing with people who I am as a human being,” Hahn said. “Who I am as a professional, as a husband, as a father. I simply offer that people take a careful look at what the candidates propose, make an informed judgment and reach out to them.”

Jesse Stone reporting for Our Town Reno

Democratic Rivals for Assembly 27 Accused of Being Republican-Linked in Flyer Avalanche

In certain Reno neighborhoods, the mailers for the Democratic Assembly District 27 primary race have come in waves. At first, both candidates were promoted, and then some of the mailers linked Brian Lee to the Republican Party and Donald Trump.

These anti-Lee mailers were signed as paid for by Strategic Horizons PAC, a group funded by the Clark County Education Association union.

The pro and anti Brian Lee mailers started inundating mailboxes. Then in similar color and font scheme to the anti-Lee mailers, the anti-Angie Taylor mailers began. It was hard to see where these came from, but in the top right corner, in barely legible font, these read: Paid for by the Committee to Elect Brian Lee.

And then the trickle turned into a deluge.

We contacted both candidates to find out more. Lee whose Twitter bio reads “Executive Director at the Nevada State Education Association, President and Former Chair of Battle Born Progress, Member of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and Education/Human Rights Attorney” chose to respond by email.

Taylor, a Hug High School graduate and small business owner, who just survived a recall effort from the far-right Operation Sunlight, as Washoe School County District School Board Trustee Chair talked to us over the phone.

The above mailer in favor of Brian Lee says it was paid for by “Strong Public Schools Nevada”

Lee started out his email speaking of the mailers attacking him: “I don't really have much more to say about the false and misleading flyers that were sent by Republican Donors from Las Vegas,” he wrote.

He pointed us to a recent Nevada Current article where he was quoted but his opponent initially wasn’t. A few Taylor quotes have since been added at the bottom. In that article Lee is quoted as saying: “I’m a progressive. I’ve always been a progressive. That I’m a Trump Republican is a damn lie.”

In the Nevada Current article it states Lee registered as Republican in 2015 “to try to get Trump defeated in the primary.” It goes on to say that he changed his party affiliation to Democrat in 2020, so he could vote in the Democratic primaries.

“As for my reply mailers. I have included sources,” he emailed us. “The Shady Republic PAC that is falsely attacking me has donated $250,000 to a Republican-backed ballot initiative which would take away our right to vote in Democratic Primaries for state and statewide elections. The Republican donor behind that PAC supports a Republican in Elko who is anti-mask and a Republican in Las Vegas who is against raising the minimum wage--as well as a Republican Trump Appointee for the state Senate. As detailed in the Nevada Current story, the PAC is also engaged in racist dog whistles informing my supporters via a door knocking campaign that I should "go back to where I came from," which as an Asian-American is a phrase I have heard many times in my life, but I never expected it to become a central tenet of a political campaign. I have resided in Washoe County for seven years--first in Sparks and now in Reno. This is my home. I know that my friends and neighbors will not fall for these false and racist attacks.”

When asked about the more recent flyer linking Taylor to Republicans, from his own election committee, he wrote back: “My opponent, Angie Taylor, has received $10,000 from a donor who also supports an extremist Republican candidate from Elko who is anti-mask and another Republican candidate from Las Vegas was a member of the Trump Administration. No Washoe Progressive groups or labor unions have endorsed my opponent. Every progressive group and Washoe labor union which endorsed in this race have endorsed me. I am the Progressive Choice in this race. I have not received any donations from Republican Donors.”

This mailer above was paid for by Friends for Angie.

“From my standpoint, really take a look at what's coming from my campaign. My campaign and I are absolutely committed to run a positive campaign, and talk about what I think I bring,” Taylor told us over the phone about her own strategy. “I can certainly understand, some confusion with accusations going back and forth but I don't have anything to do with it,” she said citing repeatedly she is not connected to Strategic Horizons PAC. “That’s his choice,” Taylor said of flyers attacking her, referring to her opponent.

She wanted to emphasize she has more contributions from Democrats than from Republicans.

“I don't ask people their political affiliation if they decide to contribute to my campaign,” she said giving more detail. “I do have broad based support. I've been involved in this community for a long time. I've worked with many people in this community for a long time. I'm honored to have the support from people who know me, they've worked with me… However, I will say, based upon what I know, I have received more contributions from people who are Democrats, far more contributions from people who are Democrats, than from those who are Republicans. So … just to say Republican funded is just not true. To say that Washoe teachers oppose me is also not true. In fact, I do have teachers that have contributed to my campaign, so that can't be a true statement.”

Despite the recall effort she just survived, and the new negative mailers, Taylor says she’s resolute in serving in public offices and running for the Assembly.

“You still focus on the why. People have said, you know, by rejecting the recall, that they do want to teach the full story of the history of our country. They do want to talk about those things that are strong, but they also want to talk about the things that have been wrong. That's the best… I'm always going to stand for our students. I'm always going to stand for equity and providing a quality education for all students. And the recall wanted to call that out, but the community said, ‘no, that's what we should be doing.’ And I'm grateful for that. You stay focused on the why because it's important. Education is important. Our state is important. Moving forward together is important. And that's what keeps me going,” she concluded.

As we were writing this article, more flyers were dropped in the mailbox, one blaring “Get the Facts”, the other topped with “Have you seen the attacks?” perhaps confusing more voters, while sample ballots and official ballots were also delivered. State Assembly, District 27, Two (2) Year Term / Vote for One, the sample ballot read: LEE, Brian or TAYLOR, Angela. Then the official election ballot arrived, and for confused Democrats, it was time to make their primary choice.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2022

Indivisible Northern Nevada, Unions Back School Incumbents against Sunlight Candidates

Against a backdrop of fractious school board meetings, and a slate of firebrand candidates running for the local school board, Indivisible Northern Nevada is endorsing one Republican, one nonpartisan and two Democratic incumbents (although they are all officially listed as nonpartisan) running for reelection as Washoe County School District Trustees: Joseph Rodriguez (for District C), Elizabeth Smith (District D), Adam Mayberry (District F-At Large) and Ellen Minetto (District B). 

“While these four incumbent trustees have worked tirelessly to deliver our children accurate and honest education, a small but vocal group has put forward a slate of candidates who want to censor the lessons taught in our classrooms, deny certain children equal participation in school activities, ban books, and whitewash our history,” the recent press release indicated.

Operation Sunlight which has been backing far-right candidates in several local elections is endorsing Melanie Sutton for C, Cathy Kennedy-Reyes for B, Edgar Hitti for D and Graeme Reid for F.  

Trustees make just over $700 dollars per month but they can each impact the body’s direction and decision making.  One Trustee already in line with far-right ideology, Jeff Church, elected in 2020, censored in 2021, remains in his seat for two more years.  Two like-minded Trustees are able to bring items forward to the body’s agenda for discussion, which means that a single elected Church acolyte could have immense impact on the tone of meetings going forward.  

Particularly worrisome for some are the races for B and C.

In the C race, candidate Sutton previously attracted attention for being cited in June 2021 for possession of a dangerous weapon on school property after being seen at the Washoe County School District’s main compound with a gun on her hip. There was also a police report about her in October last year after a trustee “reported possible threats made during a board meeting at public comment.”  “I am your fricking domestic terrorist…,” and “we need to blow up this school district,” she was heard saying. The police report indicated the comments were reviewed but not determined to contain any specific threat or overt criminal activity.  

Screengrab above from the Operation Sunglight website. It was also behind the recent failed attempt to recall Board President Angie Taylor. The businessman behind Operation Sunlight Robert Beadles said parents weren’t given the chance to speak at public meetings, which Taylor repeatedly denied, pointing to marathon sessions of public comments.

The Operation Sunlight promotional link about her (above) is with the SaveWCSD website. Their about page claims “our district has led our schools and students off track with politically-based, activism-focused curriculum changes.”  Other Sunlight backed candidates also get full pages on the SaveWCSD page.

On Sutton’s own page, the candidate writes: “…these schools are no place for people to send their children to receive an education. I began homeschooling two years ago; I have three sons and a daughter.”  On her first 2022 Contributions and Expenses report, up to April 15th, it’s indicated she received $5,000 from Nicole and Robert Beadles, the self-proclaimed cryptocurrency savant behind Operation Sunlight.

Another Sunlight challenger candidate, Kennedy-Reyes, opposes alleged “Social Justice” curriculum, as well as Critical Race Theory. She received $5,000 from Coral Bay, a Beadles-linked entity which gave over $5,000 last year to governor’s race candidate Joey Gilbert, also close to this school movement and whose own billboards indicate Save Nevada’s Schools. Watchers of the B race say they haven’t noticed her opponent Minetto doing any campaigning.

Reid for his part writes: “The role of WCSD should be singular – to provide a first-class education to all students. It is not to advocate for political causes. It is not to reinvigorate racism. It is not to indoctrinate students.”

Reached by Our Town Reno for additional comment on why Indivisible Northern Nevada is endorsing candidates during the primaries for the first time, in this case the incumbents, member Kimberly Carden described them as “fair and … doing the best work for the community.”

The wider Indivisible umbrella is a nationwide movement of thousands of volunteer-led local groups that engage in progressive advocacy and electoral work.

“School board meetings used to be quiet meetings where they talked about new buildings or building improvements and operating expenses and that kind of stuff,” Carden added. “And in the past year or so, they've kind of devolved and that's not just Reno, but it's nationwide. We’ve been watching the chaos that's been going on, the lying and the incompetent analysis that's been put forward by some members of our community.”

Carden stressed the importance of what she called a well functioning school board, which she said would help with retention of teachers and staff.  “If they're working well together, then the board is able to fight for increased per student funding from the state. They could also fight for reducing class sizes, replacing outdated textbooks. I mean, they're children  so you want your kids to have the best education that the county can possibly offer.” 

Calen Evans, the president elect for the Washoe Education Association and the STEM education coordinator at the Lemelson STEM Academy, is also endorsing incumbents.  Other union groups have been among the contributors to incumbent campaign coffers.

“School board races have never been as important as they are right now because we have groups within our community who are actively trying to get candidates who seem to really only have a goal of divisiveness, a focus on these social issues and really just putting out complete misinformation,” Evans said. “That’s really troubling, especially as an educator and watching these school board meetings, the amount of misinformation, with a hundred percent conviction and, you know it's just complete misinformation. I mean, they're like all out lies that are happening and it's really just scare tactics. It's fear mongering to get people in our community to vote a certain way.”

A former Trustee for District D, Kurt Thigpen, who is openly gay, resigned last year after facing an avalanche of threats and hate messages in texts, social media and emails. Many others in Washoe County and elsewhere say the current climate for teachers, school administrators and trustees, is one where they have felt terrorized from the constant harassment they face through messages, phone calls and public comments, over masking, debates over transgender students, and the teaching of U.S. history.

Evans says it’s a diversion to other matters that do need serious attention. “We have legitimate issues in our school district that we need to deal with, without question. I don't think anybody who is in the arena of education can say whole heartedly that we don't have legitimate concerns. I think what's unfortunate is because of these groups and the misinformation, we're focusing on issues like CRT … And so now we're focusing our attention on things that don't even exist, right?  Like there's no CRT being taught in our community, but it's just, they're just using that tactic to kind of fear monger, and then it's taking away people's attention on what we should be focusing on is the fact that we're one of the lowest funded and under resourced school districts in the entire country… So we have, you know, one of the highest teacher turnover rates, we have the largest class sizes in the entire country here in Nevada. These are legitimate issues that we need to address, but instead we're over here just focusing on these issues that really are only fabricated in order to get people scared.”

Evans says members of the Washoe Education Association share his concerns as they view the challenger candidates as “anti-teacher.” 

“The majority of educators should be very concerned with the school board races and understanding that if certain people get elected, it is going to drastically impact our profession in a negative way,” he said. “So I think it's just important that we do a good job at informing our membership … about the importance of these races.” 

Evans asks other voters and parents not to fall for misinformation.  “If you have questions about what's going on in your child's classroom, talk to their teachers, right? Like talk to the people that are actually in the classroom, because what I can guarantee you is the people that are saying all of these things that is going on in our school district, none of them are teachers. None of them are in the arena of education, but for some reason they know exactly what's going on. We don't have time to indoctrinate the children in our community when our focus is on helping better their situation in life. I think it's just really important that voters take the time to really do the research on these candidates, and check to see because you know, they're just making a lot of false claims that can easily be debunked by just doing some basic research on it.” 

The Operation Sunlight backed candidates also draw from organizing by Karen England the Sacramento-based executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute, which fights for “religious freedom, life, the family, and parental rights,” according to its own wording. 

“You guys have a serious problem with activist teachers pushing politics in the classroom, and there’s no place for it, especially for our fifth graders,” England told Washoe County School District trustees last year.  During the meeting, she suggested outfitting teachers with body cameras to ensure they weren’t practicing indoctrination. 

England is also the founder and executive director of the Nevada Family Alliance, previously known for opposing drag queen story hour at Washoe County libraries. Its about page says it is “Nevada's preeminent voice for parental rights & religious freedom.” The Facebook page has been around since at least 2016.  Its latest offering is a Pdf of “a parent’s guide to saving America’s public schools.” 

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2022

Sherrie Scaffidi, A Veteran Transgender Woman, Helping Others in Northern Nevada

“I've known since I was nine that I was a little bit different than everybody else,” Sherrie Scaffidi says.

“But back then there was not a lot of information about people who were like I was. So I kept it hidden and I didn't do much about it. I told my late wife I think in the early 1990s. It didn't go over well at all, so I kept it hidden. She passed away in 2012, and that's when I decided that I was going to live my life the way I was supposed to be. So I started cross hormone therapy and in 2015 I came out to my three grown children. And I haven't looked back since then.”

Scaffidi, 72, is a transgender woman who came out to the world at the age of 65 in the year 2015. She’s well know in Reno at Our Center, and from her involvement in various groups including with PFLAG, an organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents, families, and allies and with TAG, the Transgender Allies Group.

It was a difficult journey with her wife, while she was alive. “For most of my adult life, I had a full beard and, after I told her I would, shave it off and grow it back and shave it off and grow it back. I just did not want to, as the saying goes, rock the boat. She wasn't very happy with it. I could understand that. And so I think her biggest concern was our kids, how they would feel about it. And so that became a big issue for me, when I decided to come out to tell my kids.” 

That turned out to be much easier. 

“They always tease me that their biggest concern or their biggest disappointment was that I didn't think that they would accept me,” she told Our Town Reno. “They always say you brought us up to be accepting of everybody. Why would we not accept who you are?” 

Scaffidi poses with family.

Accepting who you are every step of the way is the key Scaffidi said.  “That beard was part of my person. And I knew that if I was going to transition, I would have to start electrolysis and never have that beard again. And it was a part of who I was. And so I think one of the things I try to get across to people is you have to accept yourself for who you are. You're not weird. You're not a strange person. There's nothing wrong with you mentally. Just accept who you are. That's pretty much the hardest thing that I think people have to do.” 

Overall though, she says losing her spouse, and also losing a child, have been much more difficult experiences. 

“Any issues that I have as being transgender are very minuscule compared to losing my spouse after 42 years of marriage. We lost a child. Those are big things. Somebody calling me sir instead of ma'am, to me, it's not a big deal anymore. It's not that important.”

Scaffidi, a New York native who was in the Navy for a while often works with veterans who are a part of the LGBTQ community.  She’s been a lobbyist for LGBTQ rights in Nevada for the past few legislative sessions. At Our Center, she has also helped parents.

“We try to get the parents to understand that, ‘this is who your child is and you're probably going to have to mourn parts of what you thought was going to happen with that child’. If you have a daughter who is transgender and is actually male, who's going to transition, you're not going to have that wedding where the daughter is going to be in the fancy dress. It's very hard for parents to get to that point. So we have to try to let them understand that this is what's important, that you're going to have to love your child no matter who they are. And you would much rather have a trans son than a dead daughter, because the suicide rate for young trans people is astronomical,” Scaffidi said.

Scaffidi has also worked with students at UNR’s School of Medicine where she portrays patient scenarios.

“We're getting more and more therapists and doctors who are becoming a little more aware and starting to learn how to administer cross hormone therapy and understanding more about the mental aspects of what you go through when you're transgender,” she said. 

Though Scaffidi asks the people around a trans person to be more understanding she also suggests that the transitioning person be sensitive to the situation as well. 

“Try not to act like a teenager when you're going through puberty again, when we start hormone therapy,” she said. “So if you're 65 years old, don't try to dress and act like a 17-year-old. It's not going to work. You can wear stylish things, but not something that a 17 or a 15-year-old is going to wear. Even though you may feel that way inside. Be very cautious of that.”

Training people how to use correct pronouns is also what she tries to do on a daily basis.

“The outer appearance doesn't really matter. And that's one of the things we always try to get across to people. We're all just people. We just look a little bit different than we did before we transitioned,” she said.

Scaffidi lives in Carson City, but appreciates that Reno is more open and she often makes the drive. 

“I find that Carson is not quite as accepting of trans people as Reno is. It's a smaller city. People are more rural because that's just the way Carson is.”

Our Town Reno reporting by Kingkini Sengupta

Joaquin Roces, from Sleeping at Cares Campus to Running for Mayor

Joaquin Roces, 55, a former Marine and father of three boys, has had a long varied life, with ups and tumultuous downs, which recently had him sleeping at the Nevada Cares Campus. He’s now running for mayor of Reno

“Change is the only way we move forward and I believe there needs to be some substantial change in city government, not just something superficial, like what color tie I wear or what party occupies the office. We cannot solve the problems confronting the city with the same kind of thinking that created a problem,” he said at the start of our interview at Believe Plaza, where he stood skateboard in hand, wearing a colorful campaign tee-shirt, and sporting several visible tattoos which also tell part of his life’s story. 

“I don't think the city's following a master plan or any kind of strategic planning. It seems to be like Langston Hughes once said, that's the same old plan of grab the land, grab the wealth, fulfilling the satisfying need rather than … having some sort of stewardship over the community.”

As others running he points to inadequate amounts of affordable, low income and senior housing.  “We're building these luxury apartments and they're actually creating more division within a community than they are unifying it,” he said. He adds the new buildings aren’t tied to alternative energy plans.  “The very reason we're building … is to house employees for the largest alternative energy company in the country [Tesla]. And we have not even had any conversations with them about how to build a sustainable economy.”

As part of his unique positions, school shootings is a fear he hears among many families, and he would like to turn downtown Reno and Midtown into a gun free zone.  “I don't want to see what happened  in Vegas, and what recently happened in Sacramento happen here [again]. Gun violence has already impacted our community. I lost a high school friend to the Sparks middle school shooting [in 2013], and a family lost their son to it as well.”

He calls the Nevada Cares Campus where he stayed several months in late 2021, “an internment camp.” He doesn’t understand why promised wraparound services haven’t arrived sooner, and why they couldn’t have permanent bathrooms which worked and held up from the get go. 

His own stay came after he says his own rent went from $900 to $1,400 and he couldn’t afford it anymore, even though he was working and earning money. 

“I stayed there from the end of September until November 10th, when I was able to secure permanent housing.  I spent my birthday there,” he said.  “There should have been bathrooms. I can't believe the amount of city, state, and county officials that walked … through that site and reviewed the blueprints and not one of them asked the question, where are the bathrooms? 600 people there. They bring in a trailer that has four to five toilets, three sinks, and four urinals for 600 people, and still had to rent porta potties to accommodate the crowd.”

Roces got the hang of skateboarding growing up in Sun Valley where it was his main mode of transportation.

Roces says the overcrowding at Cares Campus causes tensions, and that drugs are openly sold on site. He says people are sent there when they should be getting medical care instead.  “You have hospitals that are discharging clients and patients to the homeless shelter, knowing that they have nowhere else to go. But that hospital has to turn that bed over to make money there. We are running our hospitals like these are hotel rooms,” he said.

Roces believes the money funneled into the campus could have been much better spent on a new collection of tiny home villages. He’d also like to see reform at the Reno Housing Authority, including to simplify the process for the unhoused to get back into housing. For his own sake, he was able to finally find a one bedroom apartment in Midtown in his price range in late 2021. 

Roces was born in the Philippines and immigrated first to California as a child, before moving to the Biggest Little City, where his mom got a job at what was then the Sahara casino.

He lived initially in a trailer in Sun Valley, where his passion for skateboarding took hold.  “It was a form of transportation for a kid like me growing up Sun Valley poor, and I couldn't afford a bike,” he said. 

Roces also shows his most recent tattoo, which represents 22 shell casings representing 22 veterans who commit suicide every day.  He has his own battles with mental illness. He used to cut himself but switched to getting new tattoos.  “It’s a reward system,” he explained.  “If I go six months without self-harming or suicide ideation, I get a new tattoo.”

To conclude the interview he went back to the theme of representing change.  “I don't come from some political dynasty or some legacy.  I'm not backed by any party. I think I've raised a thousand dollars in my GoFundMe. Homelessness, working class, the working poor, livable wages, mental health healthcare, those aren't just talking points for me. They're just not just bullet points on my campaign PowerPoint. I speak from a position of lived experience.  I know what it's like to be a single father growing, raising kids in this community and having to work and making sure that they have healthcare and that they go to school and that they stay out of trouble. I'm also a foreign born, naturalized citizen. So I know also what a minority or an immigrant family goes through when they're trying to make their dreams come true in the city. It is possible. My family did it but it has not been a golden road. There have been ups and downs. There have been financial downturns, not just for individual families, but for the entire community as well. We need to look at things outside the box because the box is breaking down.” 

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2022

Unhoused in Downtown Feel Targeted by "Hard Xeriscaping" and Ambassadors

Hostile architecture is what it sounds like, aspects of usable design that are intended to be aggressive, and keep people from lingering. Bars on benches are examples.

The city said it’s trying to save on water and use native drought-resistant plants, sand and wood chips at its signature Believe Plaza where green, comfortable grass was recently ripped out, so is this “hard xeriscaping” also a part of this trend?

“I look at it and all I can say is cute,” says Dustyn Cook, 30, a Reno native who frequents the plaza. He was there midday with his tote bag, sitting with friends, passing time. “But they aren’t fooling anyone this is obviously to target the homeless. They’re gonna move them out like they're some sort of pest.” 

“Reno has a problem with homelessness that they’re not addressing,” said Leroy Cormier, 63, a friend of Cook. Cormier was in a wheelchair with a sweater tied on the back.  Inside his boot, he had a boar brush. “This place used to be a place where everyone came and rested and the community was here.”

Cook and Cormier expressed a desire for more communication from the city. The abrupt change caught them by surprise. Both shared sentiments that changes like those in the plaza would simply move the homeless population to a different part of the city, and not address the root causes.

“The main purpose of all of this is to keep people in one place,” said Cormier alluding to efforts to push all the unhoused into the Cares Campus compound. “‘Cause Reno has to bounce back and make money.”

Other areas in Reno have also undergone construction which seems to prevent loitering. The bus station on 4th street has bars on its benches now and spikes on the edge of its planters. Reno Ambassadors also have a strong presence downtown. Their Segways and bright blue jackets are visible around every corner. They are often seen speaking to people who appear to be unhoused.

Several unhoused people we spoke to recently on a cold May day say the ambassadors also often make them feel unwelcome.

The Downtown Reno Partnership initiative which employs them says on its website: “They interact with residents, visitors and homeless to change downtown for the better.”

The DRP states as its “core purpose” making “downtown Reno a safer, cleaner, friendlier district for residents and visitors. The Downtown Reno Partnership is a [sic] entity funded by downtown-area property assessments and contributions. Those funds pay for operations, street maintenance administered by Reno Public Works, extra downtown Reno Police officers, Streetplus-administered Ambassadors, marketing and economic development.”

Our Town Reno reporting by Ariel Smith

Washoe County Responds to Allegations of Drug Dealing, Violence, Mounting Deaths and Trauma at Cares Campus

A former employee at the Cares Campus reached out to Our Town Reno wanting to divulge what it’s like to work there, calling it a “cluster f***,” with repeated deaths on site, inconsistencies in applying different rules, favoritism, as well as alleged drug use and dealing by staff and those sleeping there. 

He said in the past six months or so over a dozen people had died at the compound, with bodies found in their beds or in bathrooms. 

A sense of permanent insecurity, repeated fights, visible alcohol and meth use, people pleading for emergency help, overdosing and having threatening hallucinations are hallmarks he said of campus life for those working or staying there. 

There have been suicide attempts as well, he said, including a man trying to light himself on fire and another trying to slit his wrist with a plastic knife. 

People are sometimes banned for a few hours to up to a year, from offenses ranging from fighting to pulling guns, he said, bringing knives and doing drugs inside. He complained that the bans were sometimes reversed without explanation, and applied without any logic.  He said there were many repeat offenders, while he worked on the compound.

The anonymous whistleblower said security could only check backpacks and could not search people’s bodies when entering the premises which led to weapons and drugs being brought in. 

The former employee also described a segregated environment, with many racial slurs coming from white people staying there. 

As we’ve reported before, he described mold in bathrooms and showers, and unhealthy and expired food being served for meals.  He shared disappointment that donation groups have been prevented from doing outreach just outside the campus as they did initially. 

Mini tent cities occasionally pop up right outside the compound, and are repeatedly removed.

The former staff called the cleanliness of bathrooms “horrendous,” despite repeated attention to trying to solve the problem. “Stalls have no doors, toilets and urinals are broken, and often clogged,” he said. 

When cleaning does happen he said “an absurd amount of ammonia is used.”  He alleged cleaners “don’t care about allergies to bleach as beds are cleaned with bleach. You’re going to have someone with allergies with bleach they are going to have a reaction to it,” he said. 

Dumpster trucks of belongings are thrown out periodically, he alleged, including important documents and medications belonging to people who used to be on the campus but were incarcerated or hospitalized at the time of the cleanup. 

The former worker wanted to remain anonymous fearing professional reprisals.   He said nurses, psychologists, therapists and mental health professionals are urgently needed on the campus at all times. 

He talked of mothers dropping off their troubled sons at the compound, to not have to deal with them anymore, but said “it is not a good place,” for that, or for those who just completed rehab.

The lack of consistency is a theme he returned to several times.  “There’s no consistency with anything, how it’s cleaned, how it’s run,” he said. 

He complained of other staff whose cars allegedly “smell like a dispensary,” “who are just there for a paycheck,” “who go into bathrooms with pipes,” “who flirt with clients.” 

He said he often felt bad for those staying there and so paid out of his own pocket to help with their medication and clothes, but he said he was often ridiculed by other staff when doing so. 

For months, we’ve tried to get a tour but have been repeatedly turned down. A former resident who also reached out to us recently wrote about concerns of a “suicide chain,” a public hanging attempt, understaffing outside of daylight hours, and overwhelmed security guards.  He said staff and residents felt forced into a traumatic environment with inadequate grief counseling. 

Other former residents who have reached out to us also complained of a prison like environment, calling the campus a “zoo”, with drug dealings, constant fights and arguing, occasional stabbings, frequent visits from law enforcement, multiple, traumatic deaths inside and overall difficult, dirty, and unhealthy conditions.

They also point out the previous Record street shelter had more on site services, and while challenging as well, felt less daunting and isolating.

After we emailed Bethany Drysdale, the communications manager for Washoe County, she responded: “The Cares Campus was designed to welcome individuals as they are (physically, mentally, and emotionally) and with partners, pets, and their possessions. Our vision is to provide the shelter and services needed to help our unhoused neighbors transition into their next step of housing.  Many of our guests have struggled with homelessness for many years, and face compromised health conditions and unaddressed addictions, and mental health.  As the campus expands adding new services and facilities, we will continue to partner with VOA to provide a continuum of care that is shown with kindness, compassion, and dignity. In addition, we partner closely with our guests to create the plan that best fits their needs. All concerns are addressed collectively with our partners.”

Drysdale also attached the Volunteers of America Professional Code of Conduct (partly in screengrab above, for current operators of the compound under Washoe County supervision) and pointed us to the publicly available Cares Campus Policies and Procedures document: https://www.washoecounty.gov/homeless/Cares-Campus/Emergency_Shelter/cares_campus_policies_and_procedures.php

Concerning deaths on the compound, Drysdale suggested we reach out to the Medical Examiner’s Office and said she could assist with obtaining specific information.  She also suggested “a quarter-to-quarter comparison of indigent deaths, January through March 2021 vs. January through March 2022, for example. Because more people experiencing homelessness are now housed at the Cares Campus, the deaths are happening there and not elsewhere in the community,” she wrote.

In terms of bans at the compound, she wrote: “Our policy on exclusion from the Cares Campus can be found in the Safety & Security section of the campus policies (pg. 13)”

She added that on July 1, “Washoe County will be entering into a new contract with VOA and that contract will transfer the procedures of the campus to Washoe County. We currently set the policy, and VOA enacts the procedures. This will change. It will become a joint effort that will allow for checks and balances and better cooperation between the two agencies. The procedures for exclusions and the appeal process will be managed by the county.”

Concerning the lack of body searches (screengrab above), Drysdale wrote: “It is true that we don’t currently do body searches. It is not practical. However, we have ordered walk-through x-ray scanners and bag scanners very similar to what you see at courthouses and airports. These will provide a better method of stopping weapons and drugs from being brought onto the campus.”

In terms of possible drug dealing by staff, she wrote: “We have no knowledge of staff misconduct, particularly criminal conduct that you’re suggesting. We have a code of conduct for county staff, and VOA has a code of conduct for their staff, and we would certainly take appropriate measures if staff are found to be violating the codes of conduct.”

She also pointed us to the Washoe County Code of Conduct document. https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/files/hrfiles/Code_of_Conduct_Final_5_24_05.pdf

As far as a possible lack of mental health staff, Drysdale indicated this should soon be corrected : “We’re very happy that the Board of County Commissioners approved six new positions for behavioral health professionals for the campus, and we are actively recruiting to fill those positions. We have also issued an RFP for 24/7 on-site medical care on the campus,” she wrote. “Washoe County is transferring case management, which will be county-operated. We have increased the number of case managers from 10 to 20. Currently 16 case managers and 3 case-man[a]ger supervisors are in the onboarding process.”

Many people living on the streets have told Our Town Reno they find the compound unwelcoming and dangerous.

Asked about cleanup days and documents allegedly being lost by clients while they are in the hospital or incarcerated Drysdale wrote: “We have not been made aware of this as a problem, and would defer to VOA for information on the procedures for cleaning days.” In terms of possible allergies to bleach of people sleeping at the compound, she added: “VOA has a procedure for making accommodations and is willing to work through needs such as this with guests.”

In terms of the ongoing issues with bathrooms, and repeated claims (and photos) of unhealthy food being served, Drysdale wrote: “There have been problems with the temporary bathrooms and showers. The next phase of the campus will include newly constructed bathrooms and showers that will be built to stand up to long-term use. Claims of expired or unhealthy food have not been verified and would need to be directed to the food provider.”

Drysdale also reiterated preventing the presence of mutual aid and outreach groups right outside the compound’s entrance. “Donations groups gathering at the entrance of the campus are still an issue and still create a safety hazard, blocking access for emergency and medical vehicles. They are still not permitted to gather at the entrance,” she wrote. 

Concerning the prevalence of trauma with reports of multiple deaths on the compound recently and talk of a “suicide chain,” which is also referred to as suicidal contagion or a suicide cluster when multiple suicidal behaviors fall within an accelerated time frame, within a defined geographical area, Drysdale responded: “As we fill the positions for mental health professionals, grief counseling will be available. We’re not sure what you mean by “suicide chain.””

Whistleblower Interview by Kingkini Sengupta for Our Town Reno

Mayoral Candidate Judi Rought Compares Current State of Reno to a “Flipped” House and Suggests Citywide Wifi and More Transparency

40-year-old mayoral candidate Judi Rought wants to get the infrastructure, “the bones of the city” in a better place after which she says she would focus on making it “pretty”. 

“I know that Hillary Schieve has done a good job of making things pretty. She wants us to be a welcoming community,” she told Our Town Reno of the incumbent she is running against in a crowded field.

“And I completely agree with that. But I feel a little bit like Reno is a flipped house, that someone bought a house, as [cheaply as] they could, they put in substandard materials and slap some paint on it to make it look pretty. But when you walk across the floor, it bubbles and bounces. The sink is still leaking underneath the cabinet. And there's not properly grounded electrical in the house. So there's all these things like wow, it looks really pretty when you walk in. And then you start seeing all these problems.”

One of the big reasons why Rought says she wants to run for mayor is because she feels Reno is being reactive rather than proactive, which she points out on her campaign website and reiterated during our interview.  “With all of the growth that we've had the last few years, as people have finally realized we have a beautiful community, and this is a great place to live, we've had so much growth that we have not been able to keep up with it. And we probably weren't really keeping up with it beforehand,” she said.

Rought was born and raised in Reno and had been away from the city for a while to pursue her education and career.  Having initially earned an MBA at Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage in Kansas, she is also now a Certified Management Accountant. She explains that’s a good certification for a mayor to have, to be able to plan better for the future of Reno. 

“Certified Management Accountants focus forward, we're looking at projections and budgets, and why didn't we meet the budget, and let's dig in and find out why we're not making the money that we thought we were going to be making or what's causing the hiccup, did we have a bad budget? Or did we have too much overtime, for example. So a lot of what I do is focusing on forward planning and the future,” she said. 

Rought handed out pink campaign garb at a recent campaign fundraising event.

Rought suggests that one of the best ways to aim for more affordable housing is probably to have higher taxes to lead to solutions. She admits this might not be popular, but explains at length this might also be common sense. 

“If the city is hurting for money and we need to be able to continue supporting the city, if the government is hurting for cash and we need to support more programs and be able to supplement landlords from an affordable housing standpoint, then we need to have the money come from somewhere.” she said. 

“And that is unfortunately the easiest fix. It is in general that Nevada has a low tax rate. Overall, we don't have income taxes. We don't pay tax on food. The property taxes and everything like that are significantly lower than a lot of other areas, which is why so many people are coming here, but do need more money so that we can do more for the community. That might be the best place to look for it. No one likes that answer. No one wants to hear more taxes. And it's weird to hear someone say someone from a financial background who claims to be responsible to say, well, we need more money. This is where we're gonna get it from. It's weird to hear it. And no one's going to want to vote for me for that concept. And I understand that, but that might be the place that we need to do it from for a long term solution.” 

An avid runner, Rought is also a running coach for girls. She also advocates for more healthy communal events.

Better internet service across the region would also be one of her priorities. 

“What if we had something like citywide wifi? Now, paying for that again, of course, is the first question. How do we pay for it? So my thought is, since we do have a moderate to low amount of debt that the city has right now, we can take out a bond like a 20-year bond, which are normally very low interest rates. And … we work with the city of Sparks and Washoe County as well. So we can get as much of the area covered as possible. And that's how we pay for the infrastructure for something like citywid wifi. And then from there, instead of asking residents to pay the $65 a month or whatever, they're paying their internet service providers, we can then charge maybe $40 a month. And that income will go to paying back the bond over the 20 years.”

She realizes some of her visions could be seen as radical, expecting initial pushback. “Now, I think that one's gonna be a big fight for me to get past a lot of places. There's gonna be a lot of red tape with that one, but it is another idea I have, because I really do believe that the internet needs to be a standard utility,” she said. 

As a mayor, Rought thinks more access to the entire community from the city’s leader is paramount. 

“I could do something like a Facebook Live where once a month, people can just talk to me and will manage it that way so they can ask me questions and I can go through and go, okay, that's a great question. Let me dig into it. And then we can go from there…. I need to be accessible for other people to come tell me, ‘Hey, have you heard about this weirdness going on over at X you know, this is something that's been a perpetual problem and we're worried about it.’

I definitely wanna be accessible and I drive a pink VW Beetle. It's pretty hard to miss me. At this point in time, I'm waiting for people to start honking at me going, ‘Hey, there's that pink chick running for mayor again.’” 

Our Town Reno photos and reporting by Kingkini Sengupta

Helping the Biggest Little City, One Community Run Pantry at a Time

Getting Started

For Claire Holden, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, studying environmental science, searching dumpsters behind grocery stores for viable food was not an unfamiliar task. The labels would have expiration dates that had not yet come, plastic boxes remained air-tight and closed, and produce would glisten from being freshly washed, despite some dents and imperfections. 

These dumpsters were able to provide what thousands of people in Reno seek every day but are unable to find or afford: fresh food. 

This reality is not unique to Claire. Housed and unhoused people all throughout Reno have found themselves in increasingly difficult circumstances exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent inflation.

While the fight to end food insecurity in the Biggest Little City may sound daunting, Claire did not let that stop them from grabbing an extension cord, hooking up a mini-fridge and creating a free pantry, right in their own front yard. The message of the pantry was simple: take what you need, leave what you can. 

And the Biggest Little Free Pantry was born.

The official logo for Biggest Little Free Pantry, designed in September of 2020, made approximately two months after the Instagram for the pantries was created. Art by Reno tattoo artist and ceramicist, Summer Ester, who can be found on Instagram as @waxmouth.

Lived Experiences Lead to Initiative

Claire Holden is a university student who works with several food recovery networks and local farms to combat food insecurity in Reno. Their passion for food recovery and food waste reduction comes from their own past experiences as a financially independent student who faced barriers when it came to feeding themself.

“It comes from a very personal place. I have, at times in my life, been houseless, I have not had access to food, and I’ve seen friends go through that same thing,” says Claire.

“I view food as such a bonding experience, you know, being able to share a meal with the people you love and the people around you and it’s honestly one of my favorite parts of my day.” Claire expands that food ought to be a right rather than a privilege. “I really think everyone deserves that, I view that as a human right. Everyone to some extent should have access to some form of nourishment throughout the day.” 

After setting up a pantry in their yard, Claire made an Instagram to raise some visibility within the community. The expansion of these pantries began with simple word-of-mouth. Claire reached out to their peers and friends that they met through other food recovery projects, along with community members who had the means to help keep the pantries stocked. Claire said there was an “overwhelmingly positive response from the community” and people reached out in hopes of becoming a pantry host. 

Some offered additional supplies to build or store food- including mini-fridges- while others offered their property to set up a pantry. “So in the time span of six months, I had four hosts and four pantries for the community to use,” shares Claire. 

Biggest Little Pantry Founder Claire Holden (they/them) pictured with several bundles of kale at a local farm. They attend the University of Nevada, Reno as an undergraduate student in environmental science. Photo courtesy of Claire Holden.  

Food Without Discrimination

One of the unique things about Biggest Little Free Pantry that separates it from many other food assistance programs, is the anonymity behind its usage. 

The makeshift pantries are open to the public 24/7 and Claire and the other hosts make no attempt to monitor those utilizing the pantries.

Claire speaks as to why this privacy is a part of the mission. “There’s a really big stigma in really any form of government assistance, or getting help in any way when you are struggling. This helps make people feel a little less shame. I mean I remember when I was like 18 or 19 and I was in line at the food bank and I was terrified someone from school would recognize me or something,” Claire explains.

The stigmatization of food insecurity extends to students, parents, all community members alike. 

“Even for families, they don’t want to show their kids how much they’re struggling and parents try to put up this really strong front. I think its important to have something that works to de-stigmatize that experience and it really can be used by anyone. You don’t have to be houseless, you don’t have to be living paycheck to paycheck, you can be anyone because everyone should have a right to food,” says Claire.

Jax Hart, the pantry host for the Sixth street location, shares similar sentiments behind the shame that tends to come with food insecurity. “Food insecurity doesn’t have a specific face, anyone can be hungry,” Hart says.  

“I mean some people have the idea of ‘oh you have a house, you don’t need food’ but that’s not true, anyone can be food insecure so I really don’t like to police that usage at all,” says Jax. “I don’t care who takes food. In an ideal world food would be distributed evenly and the people that need it the most get it, but who are we to decide that and navigate that? So the food is for anyone. And if you have the means, come fill it up because there really is enough food out there and its just atrocious that people are hungry.” 

Jax Hart is involved with several food recovery networks that work to mitigate food insecurity in the Reno-Sparks area. Photo by Vanessa Ribeiro.

FIghting for Food Justice and Food Equity

Jax Hart was already involved in several food recovery networks before they became a pantry host. “I think of all the food justice and food equity work I’ve been involved in, the [Biggest Little Free Pantry] is the best example of mutual aid,” shares Jax. “It’s just purely a tool for the community to take care of itself. It’s a network of relationships, not just a one-sided thing that makes someone feel good about themselves.” 

The mutual aid framework allows the pantries to sustain itself through community contributions. Given the freedom behind who can use the pantry, it also means any person can drop food off, whether it be extra groceries after a trip to the store or spare food that restaurant has at the end of the night.

“A lot of food related work is charitable, it’s you coming from your place of privilege and money and you’re giving food to someone else, so it’s this very one-sided relationship. Whereas this is providing a space where the community can take care of itself. It’s not relying on my generosity, or someone else’s generosity, it’s reliant on the community taking care of itself. It's essential to whatever world we want for the future; we have to take care of our neighbors and each other because when it really comes down to it, who are the people you want to take care of and take care of you? It’s the people right around you.” — Jax Hart 

A Biggest Little Pantry at 1135 Wilkinson Avenue. The pantry includes a wooden structure to protect the mini-fridge from the heat, and a shelving unit that contains food and products. Photo by Vanessa Ribeiro

Challenges in Working with Others

While this anonymity is integral to the accessibility of the pantries, it does come with its hurdles.

Claire says that many grocery stores who do food recovery are unable to work with Biggest Little Pantry due to the fact they don’t track or monitor who uses the pantries.

This makes the work of the hosts and community members that much more important for sustaining the success of these pantries.

“Instead of it being a place that’s just like a handout spot, the idea is that it’s a place that enables other people to help their community too,” says Jax Hart. “If you can’t get people to care about each other, how are you going to get them to care about anything else? If you don’t care about the people around you now, how am I supposed to expect you to care about people in 30 years?”

The fridge components of these pantries are protected by wood structures built by the volunteers of Biggest Little Free Pantry. These structures were made with plywood and fabric, with its pantry counterpart utilizing old book shelves and carts to store ambient items that don’t require refrigeration.

In the time spent at these pantries, numerous community members approached with hungry stomachs and open hands. There were men and women alike, of varying levels of trepidation when asked to conduct an anonymous interview. While some individuals chose not to divulge their experiences, two different community members who use the pantry were willing to share their stories. 

The first was a 52-year-old male veteran who indicated he was unsheltered. The man had a mask around his chin and his finger nails clipped short. His face was clean but his hands were not. His clothes had a guise of professionalism- with a blue button up shirt and black khaki pants- that was betrayed by its faded print and creases that evidently came from sleeping on the ground overnight.

Sun spots littered the man’s face, and his eyebrows were so overgrown it was nearly difficult to find his eyes behind them; but they were there. Once found, his eyes shined bright blue with flecks of gold. They held many emotions, showing far more than what could be summed up in a fifteen minute interview.

An image of when Claire partnered with Reno Food Systems back in October of 2021; they allowed The Biggest Little Pantry to store donations in their walk-in freezer. Photo courtesy of Claire Holden. 

Proud of His Community

When first asked to interview, the man’s blue eyes hiding behind a curtain of hair widened, a spark ignited at the opportunity to speak about his value to his community.

“I don’t wanna be here; on the streets, relying on others for survival,” he said. “I don’t wanna prove the people right in that the people on the streets take, take, take and never give. Well, you know what? I gave my all to my community and it’s because I didn’t get that in return that I’m stuck here today.”

He said he had been using the pantry for several months now. “I don’t really feel like my family is my family anymore, so [I’m] left to make my own family,” he says. “I don’t [know] who lives there,” he pointed to the front door of the house hosting one of the pantries, “but just by giving me this, they’re my family.” 

The man spoke of the last two years being “absolute hell” due to the homeless camp sweeps Reno police officers were making in 2021. The constant relocation made it “difficult to feel safe.”

“Now? This community- my community- doesn’t expect anything from me. They’re kind and loving and fun for the sake of it, not because they want me to give [them] something in return. If people want to hate and judge me for relying on and making this community my own, then so be it,” said the man. 

As those words left his mouth, his head raised a little higher; his chest seemed to pop out and his face dared to break out in a small smile. But again, it was his eyes that truly showed the pride for his community as he looked over to the front door of the pantry host again. “That is my community, and someone would have to be crazy and downright cruel to take that away from me.”

Food and drinks stored at the Wilkinson pantry location. Photos by Vanessa Ribeiro. 

A Student on Hold

While the Biggest Little Pantries are undoubtedly used by those who are unsheltered, just like with the issue of food insecurity, these pantries’ are indiscriminate and can be a constant in any member of the Reno community’s life. 

A 29-year-old college student stood at the pantry, eyeing her options of macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes for her dinner. She had a green Jansport backpack that she used as a vessel to hold the food; it was tattered at the bottom and the straps seemed to be near threads as they supported the weight of the bag. It was difficult finding her eyes, too, but for different reasons. Like magnets, her eyes remained glued to the drawstring of her hoodie that her fingers fiddled with throughout the interview. 

Her hair was cut, cleaned, and groomed, her nails sporting a chipped but fashionable sky blue nail polish. She had sneakers riddled with grass stains that matched the embroidered flowers on the edge of her boot-cut jeans. She looked her young age, but her words resounded as though she had lived a lifetime. 

She began her studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, about three and a half years ago, transferring to the university after earning her Associates degree at Truckee Meadows Community College. Studying Human Development and Family Studies, she says her studies had to be put on hold during the pandemic.

“I was honestly lucky to even still have my job,” she says, “I knew so many people who were already in pretty low situations that had to then lose their job on top of that… there’s really only so much one person can take.” The woman was working in food service until February of 2022, but has since moved on to an office job in order to make a more stable form of income. 

She said that after undergoing a bout of COVID, she was backed up on bills and classwork after having to take several weeks off of school and work. “I needed more money to survive, and unfortunately, the progress of my degree had to be put on hold in order to do that. A lot of my income came from tips so my job really required me being present in order to really have a sustainable wage. Having to catch up from that took a long time, and, obviously,” she gestured to the box of mac n’ cheese in her hand, “ I’m still kind [of] catching up,”

Despite the pause in her studies, the woman stressed the importance of completing her degree, “I’m not going to let the loss and tragedy of the last two years erase all the work I’ve done. I’m just as deserving of that recognition as anyone else.” 

As the woman shared her experiences, her voice was quiet but didn’t falter. Her style and clothing were youthful, but her words were sensible and articulate. She told of her past with confidence that comes with remaining grounded with the present. 

“I am so much more than my income status or the size of my home. I am a living, breathing, person and if the whole community had an ounce of the compassion that’s necessary to donate food, then maybe we wouldn’t have so many people struggling in own neighborhoods.” 

The woman, who now had tears welled up in her eyes, finished her last statement with just as much poise as the start of the interview. She was fierce as she said, “I shouldn’t have to prove why I’m deserving of the compassion and love that lets humans and neighborhoods operate. I will give back when I have the means to do so. In the meantime, I don’t think anyone should hold it against any living human for relying on their fellow humans.”

“That’s just hurting your own community.” 

This marketing logo was created to advertise the Sustainable Nevada Initiative Fund (SNIF) designed by prior ASUN Director of Sustainability Brita Romans. 

The Next Step: The Sustainable Nevada Initiative Fund

After two years of mutual contribution, Claire thought it was time for a an upgrade for these pantries. But with makeshift structures built from donated scrap wood, it was difficult to imagine what the group would even start with.

At least it was at first; then came along the SNIF (talk about a fun acronym, huh?) 

The SNIF stands for the Sustainable Nevada Initiative fund, which is awarded every year by the Associated Students of The University of Nevada, Reno (ASUN). ASUN is the student government organization that represents all undergraduate students at the university. With their near three million dollar budget of student fees, 15,000 is provided for the SNIF, with the ASUN Department of Sustainability implementing the selection process.

Claire has quite the plans to give these pantries new life, with the incorporation of full size refrigerators, external designs by local muralists and artists, and perhaps the biggest game changer: solar power.

“They’ll be solar powered, which is super cool because it takes off some weight from the host and makes it a little more autonomous,” says Claire. They also plan to built the pantries on top of large plastic pallets donated by Tesla. “It allows for more flexibility because all the hosts are actually renters, so it makes it easy for us to move the pantry in the scenario one of us has to move.” 

A copy of the visual blueprint that Claire used in their SNIF proposal of the renovations they plan to make when granted with funds. The new design includes a full sized fridge on one side, with a pantry on the other. This new design includes the incorporation of solar power. 

Getting Club Status at the University

With the expansion of and building of these pantries occurring over Summer 2022, Claire is planning on building up their volunteer base and club status at the university to create more infrastructure for The Biggest Little Pantries. 

The current members who contribute to these pantries are all volunteers or community members who don’t receive financial compensation for their time or resources. Claire hopes to change that with the eventual establishment of non-profit status, “The end goal is non profit status instead of having to work through other people to get donations. Instead we can have someone get us food directly as representatives for us, and it allows some more freedom to work with The Biggest Little Free Pantries while also balancing other life responsibilities,” shares Claire. 

Both Claire and Jax, as pantry hosts, have been able to connect and invest back into the Reno community through their involvement in the Biggest Little Free Pantry. 

A Flawed System

Jax speaks to how each step made to feed those who need it, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. “I think our system is very flawed, people are dying, people are starving, people are unhoused, people can’t afford medical bills, it doesn’t matter what my idea of the solution is, there are real every day issues that need to solves. But when I work with food, whether it’s distributing food directly or I’m working with a pantry, or I sort food at a food bank or something, it just… has such a direct impact.”

Claire feels that with the amount of food waste that happens in food service, industrial farming, and through general wastefulness, there are insurmountable environmental impacts, which creates human impacts. “This seems like a very easy and manageable mitigation strategy not only to food waste but also food justice,” Claire explains. 

As they move forward feeding the community, one pantry at a time, the volunteers at the Biggest Little Free Pantry are seeing continued positivity and support throughout Reno’s food insecure population. 

“I know it’s improving the material conditions of other people, almost instantly,” says Jax. “If someone needs food and they get food from this pantry, I mean that a huge amount of progress. I think it’s easy to get bogged down with trying to solve the world’s problems, but no one person can do that.  But as one person I get another person food. And that’s tangible progress; even though it’s tiny tiny steps, it’s progress.” 

The Biggest Little Free Pantries are at the following locations and can be found on Instagram at @BiggestLittleFreePantry: 1135 Wilkinson Avenue, Reno / 820 G. Street, Reno / 472 East 8th Street, Reno/ 523 East 6th Street, Reno

Reporting for Our Town Reno by Vanessa Ribeiro

Sunday Reno Gatherings for International Students with the Lahtis

Every Sunday around 4pm, Kris Lahti alerts a group of international students on WhatsApp and Facebook while her husband David Lahti prepares a meal to be served to international students- “Sunday Dinner 6:30 524 Denslowe Curried Chicken soup with coconut and spinach Jalapeño popper grilled cheese Rice,” the text reads.

David prepares the dinner in their house and brings it to the community church for everyone to eat together. The menu changes weekly and they try to incorporate something from each country where the international students in Reno come from. 69-year-old David Lahti says, “ the students love it. ‘This is actually like how my mom makes it,’ some say, when I get the recipe right.”

David and his wife Kris Lahti work with a group called International Students Incorporated which operates across the nation and in different parts of the world at various colleges and universities. The Lahtis not only help arrange a Sunday dinner for international students, they also offer airport pick ups and drop offs for incoming and traveling students, grocery and retail shopping for students who do not have vehicles and also help students learn to drive and get their licenses.

David Lahti led a short prayer before a recent meal.

A True Blessing for International Students

29-year-old Merbin John from India is pursuing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“I got their contact from one of my friends who is pursuing [their] PhD in Physics,” he said of the Lahtis. “When I booked my ticket I informed Kris and David about my travel itinerary and was a little worried because the layover at San Francisco to Reno was only one hour so I was a little frightened. Since it was my first international travel I thought I wouldn't be able to make it from SFO. I informed them about this and they mentioned that they can even come to San Francisco and they can arrange an alternate travel plan. However, I somehow managed to get the flight from SFO to Reno and I met Kris at the Reno airport for the first time. They provided all the necessary furniture, coats, bed, tables, chairs. Their incessant help is always appreciable. They are such true blessings for international students.”

“I began offering rooms for rent in a house,” Kris says of how she started interacting with international students. “I rented my house out and then rented a place that was close to the university. And I had five or six girls who would live with me, we would live together and that started in 2008.” They still host five international students, all young women, in their house which is close to the university.

During the pandemic the Lahtis kept offering airport pickups though they stopped the Sunday dinner gatherings for a while.

Subin Antony Jose, another Indian student who arrived in Reno during the pandemic for his PhD, says their initial help went a long way.

“They were more than happy to pick me up from the airport and help me in settling down,” he said. “They have interacted with a lot of international students and they know our worries and concerns very well. Explaining the cultural differences, helping me with groceries, giving suggestions on what is better and not, etc…All these things, they did as a part of service and without any expectations.”

David has been doing this work as a volunteer for 11 years now, and sees his role guided by religion. Kris has been doing this for 13 years and gets paid.

A Tight Network and Leftovers

32-year-old graduate student Muhammad Ali Shahbaz from Pakistan who frequently visits Sunday dinners describes this experience as one that helped him adjust gradually in Reno.

“Being a foreigner it was not an easy task to engage with [a] new culture, language and overall social experience,” he said. “First few weeks in the US were really terrible for me as I could not pick up accents and know how to engage with people. After an invitation from Kris and David to their weekly activities, Sunday dinners and coffee talks, I am now more confident to engage with other people and have a social community where I can release my weekly stress and feel at home…every state should follow their model.”

Doing this for over a decade now, the Lahtis have built a tight network of international students where they meet each other, go on trips and share their experiences while studying or working in Reno.

“We feel like mom and dad, although nowadays we're starting to be called grandma and grandpa, so I guess we're getting older,” David said. “And so there is that kind of association as well, just like you would have with your grandparents or your parents. They may not share everything directly with us, but we know they seem to share with each other a little bit, just getting somebody that's their peer, the same age, they may share, sharing with mom and dad or grandpa, grandma, there's still that, that love, that's kind of there. And yes, it's sad to see them go. But through social media, we can keep [in] touch with them, which is still good.”

The Lahtis also follow up and check in on their students whose families might be facing a difficult situation back home, such as an earthquake or war or any other calamities, political or natural. They have also helped to transfer money to student families in remote areas during peak pandemic times. No matter what the world situation is, or conflicts elsewhere, the Lahtis say they have never seen any student conflicts at their dinner table. 

The homemade dinner often ends with sweet treats and board games. At a gathering’s conclusion, the Lahtis pack leftover dinner items in small boxes for the students to take home.

Our Town Reno reporting by Kingkini Sengupta

Hawah Ahmad, A County Commission Candidate with Ideas to Keep Locals Here, Finding a Balance with Newcomers

Hawah Ahmad, a “Reno born, Washoe raised” 29-year-old candidate for Washoe County Commission District 3, recently hosted an Our Community, Our Culture event at the Holland Project, which was supposed to have a public discussion on homelessness.

However, expected representatives from mutual aid groups didn’t show up, so instead our reporter Matthew Berrey caught up with her to get a variety of insights from the candidate directly, from her young age as a candidate, to her ideas on the affordability crisis and passion for helping.

A comedy and live music show did go ahead as planned. “It’s just to celebrate some comedy and some music and just to kinda let off some steam, just because the election cycle's been pretty rough already,” she said.

Another motivating factor was to reach out to younger voters.

“I am a millennial, I'm 29, but I'm on the older side of the spectrum now, regardless of what people try to say. When it comes down to it, [millennials] they don't normally vote in midterm elections and we have a lot of seats, not just mine, but, you know, we have the governor and we also have the Senator up, so we have to get people out and get them excited.”

She was willing to talk about the unhoused situation as well, saying District 3 encompasses many of the motels now being torn down.

“One of the biggest things that has happened is with the development of the Cares Campus, we have homeless people that don't want to necessarily use it, and we don't have the services to be able to provide to the people that need them. So we have kind of a mass diaspora … everyone's spreading out kind of into the neighborhoods and into the suburbs. It's making our situation, especially like in Sparks, surrounding the university and just around where the shelters are not as safe as it could be. So we want to make sure that we can support the people in our community, right. Because we are putting money into it, but it's clear that our money is not having a return on our investment, but we also want to make sure that we support the needs of the residents, the homeless population, and just really like even our public safety infrastructure. So the farther out you have homeless people go, I mean, like who's going to respond. It's going to be cops and I have nothing against cops, but they're not social workers. “

She says getting everyone immediately off the streets is not realistic and that another frame of mind, where emphasis is on empowering people, could make for better results. Ahmad also sees too much of a gap between different groups helping the unhoused and authorities. “No one's actually talking to each other, but that's definitely a statewide issue where we silo ourselves off very easily and we don't actually work together and strategically plan our problems,” she said. 

She also prefers the term attainable housing as part of the solution than the more common term affordable housing. 

“I am the chair of the Washoe County Senior Advisory Board. I have a lot of seniors that are renters that, you know, they're on fixed incomes and same with the folks on disability. That stuff does not change, but their housing prices are increasing and we're seeing trends where they're increasing every six months.”

More work on reducing rising rents would be part of her strategy. 

“We have to incentivize the good landlords that are not increasing rents. We have to hire case managers to negotiate long-term leases. If you can't force a developer or a landlord to do a certain behavior, we have to incentivize it because we're trying to change a culture.”

Ahmad says she started volunteering on the Fourth Street corridor as a teenager, and has continued to do so, as helping others is part of her DNA. 

“I’ve done everything from running school buses to, from motel to motel, to pick up kids, to take them to a free lunch program, to delivering soap to single parent transient households. And when it comes down to this area is just so important to me. I feel like it's been really forgotten. There are parts of it that haven't, but there are parts of it that have. You have this mass development where you have the folks that live there that are not happy. And so we have to find that magical balance and I do believe it's possible just whether or not we're willing to put in the elbow grease to do it.”

Ahmad loves her hometown, and understands many others are starting to appreciate it, while others who grew up here have had to move because of higher and higher prices. “If we have the audacity to continue to seek out companies to move here, then we have to make sure that we have the services and infrastructure necessary to support our current residents. Absolutely. I just love this place and grew up here and I want to see this place really just do well. We have to make sure that we make this place a good place for all young people for every background. And that's also something that we have not done.”

Ahmad sees her background going to a local mosque and Indian stores as a strength of needed diversity, as well as her youth.  

“If we as young people, don't stand up now, then it's going to be too late. We have to talk about sustainability. We have to talk about public transportation, we have to talk about supporting our unions.”

Our Town Reno Interview by Matthew Berrey