Washoe County Teachers Still Without a Contract, Sought out Pay Raise Weeks Into New School Year

One of our favorite protests to cover for Our Town Reno was the February 11th 2023 teacher’s rally for better pay and working conditions. 

Despite this large protest, with hundreds attending in rainy conditions, several weeks into this 2023-24 school year, teachers, as well as principals and school psychologists, are currently still working on an expired contract.   Negotiations are ongoing, with the amount for teacher pay raises a main sticking point. 

This week, Washoe Education Association President Calen Evans released this statement on the group’s Facebook page: 

“We met with the district’s team for nearly 10 hours yesterday as we work to come to an agreement on our contract. While we made some very positive gains in areas there are still some crucial components on which we do not agree. 

While there are many things, we all agree on and fully support, there are some fundamental differences in how we view what makes an effective education system and how to best improve learning outcomes for students. There is also a difference of opinion on where we believe money should be placed and how to best attract and retain highly qualified educators. These differences do not mean we don’t want the same outcomes, we just have differences in how to get there and it is leading to our inability to come to an agreement.

Finally, we are running into some obstacles around the projected cost of certain items and projections for certain expenses, which is leading to difficulty in agreeing to a finalized compensation package. 

To be clear, these differences and hurdles do not mean that our district doesn’t support our efforts. Just because we don’t all agree on everything, that doesn’t mean we don’t ultimately want the same outcomes. We believe in our superintendent and her leadership and strongly support our board of trustees. 

With that being said, we are strong in our resolve to provide our unit with a contract that we feel reflects the FULL value we know our district can provide. Our priority is to come to this agreement collaboratively, but we still are not to a point that we feel we have maximized the value of this contract. Our hope is that our district's team, through directives from our superintendent and board of trustees, continue to be more aggressive and creative with its budget to support our educators. We are hopeful that through collaboration and a strong drive from both sides that we’ll be able to push this over the finish line quickly. “

Teacher retention has been challenging in recent years due to pay not adequately covering rising costs of living and still extremely large class sizes, despite efforts to reduce these and have co-teaching arrangements.  New teachers have been hired but with a starting salary of about $41,000 per year, many leave the profession quickly.  

Another bargaining group The Association of Professional and Technical Administrators, the union that includes school psychologists, previously filed a complaint with Nevada’s Government Employee Management Relations Board accusing the district of delaying negotiations for the new contract.

The President of the Washoe Schools Principals Association Colbee Riordan has said starting the school year without a contract has made it difficult to hire for key positions. 

Washoe County School Superintendent Susan Enfield, who took on the job in July 2022, has said she is committed to resolving the contract situation with all concerned bargaining groups. She has said she considers $65,000 a more adequate starting salary for a teacher.

Our Town Reno reporting, Labor Day 2023

Beleaguered Nevada Humane Society Now Seeks to Squash Unionizing Effort

On the Friday before Labor Day, employees at the Nevada Humane Society say they received an email from management urging them not to form a union.

The “information sheet No. 1” was sent as employees from Reno and Carson City are trying to convince others to unionize ahead of planned Sep. 29 union elections, citing low pay, chronic understaffing and a myriad of other problems.

In mid-August, employees filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and informed the Nevada Humane Society of their intent to organize. 

We contacted the Nevada Humane Society about these developments but received no immediate response to our query.

In an all-staff email shared with Our Town Reno, the explainer sheet sent by the systemmessage@paycomonline.com address indicates the Nevada Humane Society “does not support unionization,” and “does not believe that unionizing is in the best interest of our employees or our animals.” 

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing local animals with permanent homes has been riddled with problems in recent years, and recently appointed a new CEO Jerleen Bryant.

One current worker told Our Town Reno anonymously that the majority of policy changes implemented by Bryant have been like “a new coat of paint on a car that is rotted on the inside,” alleging that employee needs and concerns continue to be ignored under her leadership. 

Other NHS employees, who also asked to remain anonymous, say recent changes, including Bryant’s hiring, who was made interim CEO in May and then given the permanent role in July, have failed to address the high staff turnover and chronic understaffing that they say prevents their shelters from providing an appropriate level of care. 

This despite NHS receiving millions of dollars in grant funding every year, with the last reported total being about $8 million in grants and contributions in fiscal year 2021.

In recent days, NHS has been reaching out to local media and asking for help on their own social media, asking for donations to help replenish their pet food assistance program.

Workers told us that when their centers are unable to receive and care for enough animals because of low staffing, the burden falls on animal services departments of Washoe and Douglas County Sheriff's departments, which unlike the NHS are not “no kill” shelters and do not provide pet adoption services. 

Since taking over, Bryant has said she is committed to keeping NHS a no-kill facility. She’s also indicated she has plans to open the NHS dog adoption floors back up to the public, after operating on a per appointment basis only.

Complaint letters from workers concerning former CEO Greg Hall who resigned in May included allegations of mismanagement, retaliatory actions against staff, lack of training, and excessive euthanasia and drugging of dogs. Hall denied the allegations before stepping down.

Employees who spoke to Our Town Reno say the main priority in forming a union is to secure better pay for shelter employees and guaranteed minimum staffing, along with the creation of a committee for animal care which would give day-to-day workers a voice in overall decision-making.

If successful, the election will authorize the newly-formed Northern Nevada Animal Labor Union to represent the workers at the Humane Society’s Reno and Carson City locations.

Our Town Reno reporting by Andrew Zuker

What's That Construction Project? Two Converted Motel 6s

Two former Motel 6s at the intersection of Plumb Lane and Virginia Street and on Stardust Street have been turned into Plato’s Midtown and Plato’s West University, with new paint jobs, updated pools, landscaping, new appliances including burner cooktops,  AC units, flooring and bedding inside the rooms. 

It’s very much like rebranded long term motel living but with more money needed upfront with “onsite laundry, a secured mail and package room, 24/7 emergency maintenance, and an all-inclusive utility fee that eliminates the need for managing multiple accounts and saves you money on utilities like internet and Wi-Fi.”

The Wifi though is now listed at an extra $95 a month.  

200 square feet studios go for $1,099, with small dogs and cats accepted.

In a press release from last summer, announcing the purchases of the two motels, Michigan-based Repvblik LLC called itself “the nationwide leader in privately funded marketplace solutions to create workforce, student, and senior housing through adaptive reuse of distressed real estate.”  

In total it said there would be 239 housing units.  

"Many of our service workers are in a tough spot because their salary is not enough to qualify for a mortgage, but yet they make too much to qualify for financial assistance,” Mayor Hillary Schieve was quoted as saying in the press release at the time. “More workforce housing will allow us to fill that gap. We want these folks to be able to live in the same city they work, and not have affordability be a barrier to that.

The reviews are just starting, with Kelli Charles giving five stars to both locations and Tammy Foulks giving just one star to the Midtown location.

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

William Platt, A Long Standing Local Dentist Eases Into Retirement

Soon, local dentist William Platt will be putting in his last fillings and placing his last crowns at Evergreen Family Dental, after decades of treating patients their entire lives, and then some of their own kids into adulthood.

 “I feel good about all the years I practiced,” he says. “And I think it's the one job where I could work so hard and actually enjoyed it because it was hard work. I started my practice from nothing. It was just me,” he remembers.

After graduating from Wooster High and then zoology at UNR, he made the decision to go study in San Francisco. Originally he had hopes of becoming a veterinarian, and then a lawyer, but after talking to one of his brother's friends who was a lawyer, he got a suggestion of becoming a dentist instead and from that moment he went for it. 

After graduating with honors from the University of Pacific Dental School in San Francisco, he returned to Reno, set with his career choice.

Starting a dentist’s office from scratch, he initially did everything on his own, from answering calls, to scheduling patients and even keeping the books. 

Looking back at all the years he's practiced he says is happy with the work he has done and is starting to look forward to retirement. 

He looks forward to exploring new places with his wife and close friends and to getting to do more of his hobbies, like float-tube fly fishing. 

Most of his and his wife's close friends are actually people that started off as patients. 

“That's probably our closest group of friends is from patient's originally in the office,” he said. 

He has patients that he started seeing as children and now he sees their adult children. Making himself accessible throughout the years is the reason he feels he has had such loyal patients. He recalls coming into the office after hours and on weekends to see a patient when needed.

Reflecting on what he will miss the most he says is the interactions he has with patients that come in needing help and him being able to figure out the best way to alleviate their challenges. 

“I liked figuring when patients came in with toothaches or problems, you know, figuring it out and, and helping them out, get them out of pain and, and usually we get a good result and they're happy and I'm happy,” he said. 

As a strategy to ease into retirement, he started cutting back, only working a couple days per week.  Now, he says he’s ready, and thankful for everyone who came to sit in his dentist’s chair and trust him.  

Our Town Reno reporting by Aimee Arellano

Reno’s New Six Wards Separate Incumbents, while Mayor Says “Hunger Games” Era Begins

“Surprise, surprise, the staff-directed process under the direction of the City Manager [Doug Thornley] who reports to the incumbents don’t match any incumbents up against each other. Surprise, surprise,” council member Jenny Brekhus said drily Wednesday as a final map with six wards for Reno elections moved closer to being adopted for good in September.

“The fingerprints of staff doing work for the incumbents … that’s what I see,” she alleged.

Appointed member Kathleen Taylor lives in the new Ward 1, while the also appointed for sudden replacement purposes Miguel Martinez stays in the new Ward 3.  At-large council member Devon Reese, first appointed and then elected, lives in the forthcoming Ward 5.

Council member Naomi Duerr, who stays in Ward 2, called it an “elegant solution.” 

Reese said it was “not correct” that it had staff-driven “fingerprints,” calling the drawn out process consultant and community driven.

The new map called Map E passed 5-2 with Ward 4 representative Megan Ebert joining Brekhus in voting no.

Ebert reiterated disappointment her ward would be losing its only community center, Evelyn Mount, and will only have five out of 83 of the city’s parks.  With the new map, Ward 4 loses areas around UNR, which have lots of progressive voters.

Ward 6 in south Reno will have no incumbents, making that the most open ended race in the next cycle.

Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 will all be up for election in the 2024 cycle, with Ebert and Duerr staying on in their redrawn wards until 2026. 

At the previous City Council meeting, Duerr had asked for several modifications in Ward 2 which she obtained.  Brekhus called those additional changes “distasteful,” “playing around with people … like monopoly pieces” and a “callous way to do redistricting.” 

The City of Reno released this summary:  “Council voted to amend Title 1, Chapter 1.02.010, of Reno Municipal Code titled "Ward Boundaries and Official city map," to change the City of Reno ward boundaries and create a sixth ward on the Official City Map as required by Reno City Charter. Council chose Map Option E as the next official map for Reno.  According to the Charter, the City is required to transition from five to six wards in 2024. Staff and the City’s independent data analytics consultant completed a comprehensive community engagement process between June-July 2023 to draft several ward map options for Council discussion and deliberation. Council must vote on these ward boundaries choice for a second time at the next City Council Meeting on September 13, 2023 for the map to become official.”

Mayor Hillary Schieve had previously wanted to keep the at-large seat but her efforts failed in Carson City during the last legislative session to reverse a prior change to go to six wards. 

Schieve said there would be a new era of what she called “hunger games,” with representatives advocating solely for their own wards, with “different parts of the city up against each other.”

“You can’t cry over spilled milk,” she also said.  “Let’s all move forward together.” 

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

Mary, "Kicked Out of Cares Campus," Trying to Find a Roommate

I’m Miss Mary. I’m from San Francisco, California. Born and raised. I came up here in 1992 with my husband, who was actually a junkie, a door kicker and a pill bender. 

In San Francisco, there’s bad influences, bad neighborhoods, and you just kind of walk into it. However, what saved me was always working legitimately.  I used to work as a dietary aid at a care center and as a bar cleaner.

When we came here we stayed at a hotel called Pat's Place. And that used to be a strip bar. 

I'm in transition now. I have savings tucked away. I'm trying to find a reliable roommate,  which is, you know, it's a bit hard, and it’s like 1200 a month just for a room, you know? It's kind of ridiculous. 

I like being independent by myself, but like I said, I’m trying to find a reliable roommate. It's not too easy, you know what I'm saying? 

I have had addiction issues [myself]. I got rid of almost all kinds of drugs now, [but] I have a little alcohol, but not to excess, just to get rid of the tremors. It's a vicious cycle, addiction issues, you know, and a lot of us are going through it. Some keep it to themselves, but I want to shout it out … 

My husband died on morphine, and alcohol poisoning. He was a junkie, you know, an opiate user. 

In 1993, when we first came up here, he didn't have a chance. I was lucky. I kept working, so that's what saved me. But, the coroner came to my office. They called me down the office and said my husband passed at 2:00 PM. It was kind of shocking, but that's when you're a junkie or a drug user that you're walking down the line of death. And we all know that, but we still wanna feel better. Medication, pharmaceuticals, you know, somebody always takes something to feel better. I wish I could be free of that and just be normal without medication. And a lot of us are going through that. 

I started getting into drugs when I was 13 years old. 

And then I had suicide [attempt], slit my wrists, slit my throat, suicidal ideations. I don't know where that came from. It's just stuck on stupid, you know. And then being affiliated with just bad influences in San Francisco, we thought we were gonna go to Colorado, but then when we came here, a new methadone clinic opened, you know, that's the opioid to get you off the heroin. So we stuck here. He only lasted a year up here. I was with him like eight years. 

Every morning I used to have to give him CPR 'cause he was a little greedy with the alcohol and meth, you know.

We actually got married up here in Reno. We were going to go to Colorado thinking that they would change our lives and get us clean. But like I said, the methadone clinic opened and then we got stuck and he died a year later.

I never had children. And living the drug life, you don't want to involve children with that anyway. You know, it wouldn't be fair to the child. So no children. 

My father was from Russia, and my mom was from London, England. He had a job over in London and met my mom. Had my sister, Doreen, then they went to San Francisco 'cause he caught a job at the San Francisco Water Department. He studied eight years in Siberia to work in the water department, measuring water. I mean, water's very important to all of us. So very proud of him. Mom was a happy, happy go lucky English woman. Always happy, always cracking up. We had lots of company, good company, bad company. And it's just the influences of wherever we're living. Especially in San Francisco. I haven't been back in 30, 40 years. I have no idea how it is now. 

My sister was totally straight. A student. Not into drugs or anything like that, but we lost touch. I haven't seen her in 30, 40 years. I've been looking for her through Instagram. She might've remarried and changed her name.  I heard she was in Tahoe, Pacifica, Connecticut. You know, it's like, where's my sister? I really miss my sister Doreen, two years older than me. 

I have just a handful of friends here. Not too many. You know, someone you can really trust. Yeah. Or not trust, you know, are they friends or frenemies, you know? You often wonder are they with you? 

I used to catch fish in the Truckee River, but there’s no fish in there anymore. I see people with fishing poles, but they don't get lucky, you know. 

Now that I'm retired, I don't have working anymore, that's why I'm being alcoholic lately because I get bored. Not enough to do. I'm thinking about going back to work. Should I volunteer? It’s hard to work if you don't get paid, you know what I'm saying? 

I don't carry around too much. I don't need much. Just the clothes on my back, which I change every now and then. 

You won't believe this, but I am banned from all the casinos and the Cares Campus 'cause this stupid said that I hit a security guard. What? So they banned me for life. So I can't go to the Cares Campus. 

But I have enough money tucked away to get my own place.

I don't mind paying rent. I've always never not paid rent except for now. And I'm banned from the Cares Campus. Like I said, I got accused of hitting a security guard. I'm almost 70 years old. He would flatten me. Why would I hit a security guard? 

Right now I'm out. I have a few places, like under the railroad tracks. There's a few places where you can hide and be safe, or just stay up all night.

I spend the Social Security money I get on food, clothes, refreshments. I need some new threads. I go to Catholic Charities to get clothes or donations, you know, there are lots of resources here in Reno, which is a good thing. 

In the wintertime I usually have an apartment or room to stay in. I've been through a few places. 

Hotels, motels, I tried sober living but that didn't work out.  You know, now that it's summer, I like staying out, listen to music.  

 I like being out here listening to music. I drink a little bit, which is, I don't know … I used to be on crystal meth. I used to be on all kinds of drugs and I beat that. Now I drink a little alcohol for the tremors, for a little buzz. So I feel better, but that's not good either, you know? I don't know if I can quit at all. 

Interview by Aimee Arellano for Our Town Reno

Hilary Lopez, Leading the Reno Housing Authority to its 80th Birthday Amid Contemporary Challenges

With an upbringing in hardscrabble Hell’s Kitchen in New York, high level education at UNR and professional experience in Denver, Hilary Lopez is bringing her passion for affordable housing however big the mountain may be to northern Nevada, as the current executive director of the Reno Housing Authority, serving all of Washoe County.

The RHA will soon celebrate 80 years of existence in October, with numbers Lopez is proud of, even though she knows all too well the task is difficult, with hoped for projects stopped in their tracks like converting the Bonanza Inn into affordable housing, costlier construction costs, long waiting lists which are often closed due to high demand, finding landlords to work with and complicated layered financing involving competition with other similar entities. 

“We serve over 9,000 Nevadans on an annual basis between our public housing, our housing choice voucher, and other housing programs,” she told Our Town Reno during a recent interview at her offices on East 9th street. “We grew from having a small amount of public housing to being able to provide 750 units of public housing to our community, as well as other expanded housing options, while administering over 2,500 housing choice vouchers and specialty vouchers for residents of our community.”

Two-thirds of its residents are seniors or persons with disabilities, with several programs geared towards them, and others for families, those fleeing domestic violence situations, former foster youth and military veterans. 

The RHA recently refreshed its bilingual website.  “We just actually revamped our website,” Lopez said. “So I would encourage everyone to go and explore it.”

In terms of most of its funding, the RHA has a federal US Department of Housing and Urban Development contract for low-income public housing and for the housing choice voucher program, formerly known as Section 8, but is independent from the federal government and doesn’t use any local tax dollars.  

“Some of the misconceptions are that the Reno Housing Authority is actually attached to the city of Reno,” Lopez said. “We are our own agency.”

That came to the fore when there was disappointment that the City of Reno backed out of a previous agreement earlier this year to help the RHA fund the conversion of the former Bonanza Inn into affordable housing.

Waiting lists are another reality local residents hoping for subsidized housing have to deal with. 

“So we actually have two waiting lists. We have a public housing wait list, and then we have a separate waiting list for our housing choice voucher program,” Lopez explained. “And, some families are on both of those lists right now. Both of those lists are closed. However, we are always reviewing those lists. We're always trying to process applications off of those lists as quickly as we can…. [But] one of the things that we don't want to do is just continue to extend that list so that there's really not a reasonable expectation that someone who's on it would be able to receive an offer of housing or a housing choice voucher within the next one to two years.”

“We always like to reiterate that our clients are very good tenants. The housing choice voucher program provides a guaranteed source of rent for our landlords that participate, that we also have these additional landlord incentives that do come into play if there is an issue with either tenant damages, or other scenarios. It’s just helping one way that someone can help our community, an easy way that someone could help our community and provide safe, affordable housing for our residents. I would encourage anyone that wants to learn more about that program to contact us and our landlord liaison would be happy to provide more information,” Lopez elaborated about a new landlord liason program.

Other challenges include finding new landlords ready to accept housing choice vouchers.

“One of the great things about the housing choice vouchers is that residents can use them to find housing that's close to their employment, that's close to the schools that their children go to, or other nearby amenities,” Lopez said. “We have folks that come off the wait list and receive the voucher, and it's always disappointing if they're unable within the timeframe that they've received that voucher to utilize that voucher.”

The RHA recently added a landlord liaison program to provide more assistance for landlords who might have questions or concerns and might want to be involved in the program. Lopez said new incentives were recently added. “So I encourage anyone who wants to help out their community, have some guaranteed rent, and really work with us, to contact us and, and find out more about that program,” Lopez said.  

There has been progress on other fronts too, such as breaking ground on the Dick Scott Manor project on East Eighth Street, which according to Lopez “will be 12 units of permanent supportive housing, specifically targeted to extremely low and very low income or unhoused veterans in our community.”

Another current project in Sparks will provide another 15 units of affordable housing, while American Rescue Plan funding is helping to maintain current housing stock. “We’ve been fortunate and received over $45 million from the state through their Home Means Nevada initiative, which uses federal ARPA funds to help us preserve, upgrade and redevelop some of our public housing to make sure that it is available not only for our current residents, but for generations to come,” Lopez said. 

There is also a strong local bond with nonprofits.  

“We work with them to really help boost and bolster some of our resident service programs. Some of the unique ways that we're working with some of those partners is through our Start Smart program, for example, where we provide education on financial literacy, budgeting, employment, resume writing, et cetera, to our teens who are ages 14 to 18,” Lopez said.

“And we do this in partnership with some of the nonprofits or other for-profit agencies and banks in our area that come in and provide seminars to our students. And then as a bonus for participating in these activities, our students will receive an escrow and then they could use those escrow funds when they graduate to help with continuing education,  first time expenses related to first time employment or other eligible expenses.” 

Lopez encourages those frustrated by the lack of affordable housing to join the Nevada Housing Coalition, which has regular events across the state to find new solutions. She also recommends residents to talk to elected officials “to just kind of reiterate how important it is that we have affordable housing,  sustainable and attainable housing for all members of our community.”

Lopez is well aware recent population growth is making matters even more pressing.  

“We’re doing our best to try and bring new units to the market as quickly as possible. We know that there's a need and so we're always trying to see how we could expedite things, how we could improve on our processes,” she concluded. 

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

Willie Puchert Puts Hat in Library Board Ring, Stresses Importance of Access

Willie Puchert is a local graphic designer and former journalist who has lived in northern Nevada for almost 40 years. While he has never been interested in running for office, Puchert has been active in progressive politics for decades, working and volunteering with city, county, and statewide campaigns. 

His decision to apply for one of the open Washoe County Library Trustee positions was inspired by what he witnessed back in May at a contentious Library Board meeting. Puchert says he noticed a local Republican Party operative directing and coordinating the commenters, many of whom were hostile to the library board and staff. 

Criticism of the Washoe County Library System is part of a larger national conservative movement which opposes Drag Queen Story Hour events and seeks to remove books and materials they consider to be offensive. 

According to a report from the American Library Association (ALA), the surge in book bans is a result of a network of local political and advocacy groups targeting books with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines, and books involving characters of color.

These groups, including Moms for Liberty, have helped push for legislation in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Indiana and Idaho to regulate the availability of certain books on library shelves, while also leading efforts to defund or eliminate entire library districts.

“I applied because I am concerned with censorship and book banning and the historical precedent,” Puchert said of his own reasons to apply for a board position here. 

Puchert is also troubled by the accusations of grooming and pornography lobbed at the library board and staff, reaffirming his fears that “our library system was becoming the latest flashpoint in the culture wars, just as CRT has been in the school district, and the ongoing discrimination towards members of the LGTBQ+ community.” 

While the Board performs many functions important to the operation of the library system, choosing the books and materials available is not part of that role.

The Library Board of Trustees is tasked with governing operations at all the libraries in the county system and consists of five at-large members, appointed by the Washoe County Commissioners to a four-year term. 

Puchert is one of over 50 applicants seeking one of the two open seats recently announced by  County Commissioners following the departure of trustee Ann Medaille, and the board’s decision to not reappoint outgoing chair Amy Ghilieri to a second term. 

For his part, Puchert believes that libraries are a critical source of information and entertainment, as well as a hub for local culture. He thinks that it is important to push back against the campaigns of fear and misinformation and to protect Washoe residents’ ability to access libraries and their wealth of resources.

If appointed, Puchert says he hopes to increase the number of literacy and cultural programs offered by the library.  A decision on who gets appointed to the two open seats is expected soon.

For more information on the Washoe County Library System and the application process for the Board of Trustees, visit https://washoelife.washoecounty.gov/category/library-system/ .

Reporting by Andrew Zuker for Our Town Reno

Applications Flood In for Open Library Board positions, and New Bookmobile Approved Amid Tensions

Over 50 applications have been received to fill two seats for the newly contentious Washoe County Library Board, apparently delaying a vote on new trustees.

Applicant information is not yet available to the public, and more information is expected to be given when county commissioners meet again publicly on August 22nd when the vote was initially expected. 

One trustee, Ann Medaille resigned in July, while commissioners voted 3-2 against reappointing board chair Amy Ghilieri to a second four-year term. The swing vote was Clara Andriola, recently appointed to her seat by Republican Governor Joe Lombardo.  

The remaining three trustees are Lea Moser, Al Rogers and Frank Perez.  

“I'm no longer able to continue as a member of the library board of trustees,” Medaille said in a message to library staff. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve for the past year and I wish the library and the board all the best in the future.”

Once the library board is full again, it will vote itself on its next chair, probably at its Sept. 20 meeting. 

Libraries have become polarizing in the country and in Northern Nevada in recent years, with social conservatives opposing drag queen story hours, such as the ones held locally, and community members from both sides of the political divide opposing certain books made available to children. 

While expressing dismay concerning her removal, Ghilieri explained that the library board does not oversee programming of events or which books the library selects but rather the overall budget, strategic planning, branch improvements and the annual evaluation of the director, currently Jeff Scott.

At the most recent mid August County Commissioners meeting, Washoe County Collection Development Manager Debi Stears “presented an overview of how library materials are curated.”

A county press release indicated “there have been only two formal challenges in recent history, that of a DVD about Scientology in 2015, and that of the book “Johnny the Walrus” this year.”

That’s a 2022 children’s picture book by conservative political commentator Matt Walsh which compares being transgender to pretending to be a walrus.  It was moved from Amazon’s LGBTQ+ category to the Political and Social Commentary category and removed by Target from its online bookstore, with some commentators calling the book “hateful,” “transphobic” and “anti-transgender.”

It remains available for sale at Amazon and on the shelf at the Downtown Reno Library.  

In its last meeting, the Board also accepted a $75,000 state of Nevada grant for the Washoe County Library System to buy a bookmobile. “This grant will allow the Washoe County Library System to purchase a van to be outfitted with shelving, circulating library materials, Chromebooks, and tablets to be checked out and used by Washoe County residents, particularly in rural and isolated areas,” the press release indicated.  

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

Social Media Uproar Follows KTMB's Return of River Inn Sponsorship Money

The upcoming August 17th Raise the River fundraising event for KTMB (Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful) at Idlewild’s Sensory Garden, which will be taking place without sponsorship money from the owners of the River Inn, is leaving some in the community angry and others confused.

This controversy was sparked when an email sent to owners Lawrence McNutt and Dana Miller indicated their $3,000 sponsor fee was being returned. 

"While KTMB initially welcomed the River Inn to the fold, we felt upon further review that it was best to part ways in order to ensure the safe execution of our mission and honor healthy donor stewardship practices," Darcy Phillips, the executive director of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, was quoted as writing to local television channel News 4.

Above a follow up to the initial TikTok by wickedwitch_ofthe_west.

Since then, there has been a deluge of social media posts and comments, from here in northern Nevada but in other parts of the country as well, opposing this decision such as a late July video by wickedwitch_ofthe_west calling KTMB “spineless.” That content creator’s TikTok, which got over 7000 hearts and 180 comments, alleged there had been pressure from board members and other donors.  

When asked about this, Chris Ewing, the KTMB Communications Manager wrote back to Our Town Reno with the following message: “KTMB leadership made a decision to part ways as we didn’t feel our values aligned. Leadership is also asking staff – still managing event planning and daily organizational responsibilities – not to engage in social media commentary that is less than civil.”

One of the messages for the wickedwitch_ofthe_west TikTok came from the “Renos historic River Inn” account saying: “It has been such a long difficult journey these last few years. This means the world to us. Thank you!” The River Inn’s own prolific TikTok has been documenting the twists and turns their ownership has taken, including entanglements with the City of Reno and neighbors, some of whom are reportedly suing them over modifications they’ve already made.

Then the KTMB Facebook event posting for Raise the River was inundated with angry comments favoring the River Inn owners and seems to have since been taken down.  

More recently, McNutt and Miller spoke at the Reno City Council during public comment on August 9th, but didn’t directly address the controversy.  McNutt made a call for the Council to work toward supporting employment in northern Nevada, while Miller said she was ready to show people around the River Inn.  She said they had been bringing “certain parts of it back to life,” and would like the city’s assistance to put a trail at their location across the river to facilitate cyclists. 

Their history with the City of Reno already includes disputes over code enforcement and once receiving a cease and desist letter for advertising camping on their property while not having a license to run a campsite. 

City officials have indicated they are closely looking at developments at the River Inn, with concerns in terms of any impacts to the Truckee River. 

McNutt, a former stuntman turned IT entrepreneur, and Miller purchased the property, originally known as Lawton’s Hot Springs, in December 2020 for $852,000. After thriving in the early parts of the 20th century, it was then empty for decades, with a near but ultimately failed attempt to turn it into a casino resort in the 1980s.  

Our Town Reno reporting, August 2023

Angie Salcido, Repairing Credit in Reno With Compassion

The credit repair services industry is growing rapidly in the US and here in Reno, and for good reason.

“If you have bad credit, you can't get an apartment, you can't get credit cards, you can’t get auto loans, or anything like that,” Salcido, who has been at this for over ten years now, explained. 

Millions of Americans have very poor credit, with a FICO score evaluating creditworthiness of between 300 and 579. Debilitating credit can come from difficult livelihoods or theft and scams.  

That’s where “credit doctors” such as Salcido come in.  She remembers a client whose mother stole her identity when she was 16, with more than 90 identified problems.  It took her about a year to clean the mess up, she says, bringing her credit score back to a respectable 720. 

Clients can come through her doors for a free initial visit. 

“What we'll do is we'll get you scheduled for a free credit consultation, kind of go over things and see how much time you need to work on your credit, or if it's just a quick fix, then we can kind of advise from there and just come up with a game plan of how to fix your credit scores,” she said.  “Even if you come and say hi, and we look at your credit, I'm just happy to help and I can give you the guidance that you need to work on your credit.” 

Sorting out issues with the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, can be a real headache, including in cases involving mistakes.  

“You have to know the laws and you have to know the Fair Credit Reporting Act. And a lot of people think that they talk to each other as three different credit bureaus, which they don't, they all report different information,” Salcido said.  

“So basically you would dispute the information and state the laws of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. And as consumers, we can dispute anything on our credit report and they legally have 30 days to investigate the accounts.” 

People who get helped through her office are a varied bunch, from people trying to buy vehicles or a home to business owners with late payments on their credit.  

Situations can get complex, but these don’t daunt Salcido. “I had a client who co-signed for his daughter and then he sold his house,” she said of one particular case. “He was not able to basically get a new house because that debt was on his credit. So it was 16,000 repo and we basically settled for about 7,000 and got it removed completely from the credit report and he was able to purchase a house.” 

Getting help through government agencies can lead to more frustrations, she says.  “I think it's easier for you to go to an expert, just like if you had a legal situation, credit is very particular and it's the way how you dispute it. So you can dispute anything online, but you might not dispute it correctly,” she said.  

If they decide to take on her services, she says it’s about $100 per month to work on their credit.  “Basically we will go in and dispute everything that's negative on the credit report. It takes about 45 days for the responses to come back from the credit bureaus because they legally have 30 days to investigate the accounts. And then we do updates every 45 days. So we'll kind of reach out to the clients, send them emails, let them know what's been deleted and what the next steps are … move forward.” 

Salcido says there is lots of value in getting in person, in state assistance.  “You always want to work with somebody that's in state because you want to be able to go into their office and answer any questions that you have and you want to sit with somebody face to face. It is your credit profile. You want to make sure that you're able to talk to that person and get any questions answered,” she said. 

A San Diego native who came to Reno for family reasons, Salcido used to work in the mortgage sector when the big real estate crash happened in the late 2000s.   She first started helping people in Northern Nevada with loan modifications and said assisting people with credit issues felt like a logical progression in her own career.

During our interview, she was happy to give out free advice.  

“Keep those balances low,” she said.  “I mean if you have a limit of $500, you want to be under $150 on the credit card limit, because utilization can basically make your scores go down 80 points, anywhere from 80 to 100 points.”

She also recommends always monitoring personal credit scores and having “at least two to three revolving accounts, which is credit card accounts, to make sure that you're building some positive credit scores.”

For hard on their luck local gamblers, Salcido said:  “Do not take out all of that money from your credit cards because you're going to have to pay it back….It's not easy with a high interest rate. “

Younger generations, she says, should know how to build their credit scores and get help early on.  She recommends parents adding their children on their cards as authorized users, and try to push their older kids to purchase a home as soon as possible, rather than rent.  

“I have a 16-year-old son, he's on two of my cards. I think he's probably got a 800 credit score. And then just monitor your credit scores and then you can be on your way with purchasing a home or buying a car,” she said. Her daughter was able to buy her own home in her 20s.  

Salcido warns of getting certain credit cards though, as she does during teaching sessions she gives at the Children’s Cabinet.

“I tell all my high schoolers, look at that interest rate and look at that annual fee because your credit card is going to be for life. You want to keep that open for life because if you're closing credit cards, it hurts your credit scores. So I would really look at those interest rates and then look at the annual fee and make sure you're comfortable with keeping that for life. I want them to start with good credit scores. I don't want them to get into trouble with like what they do at colleges. It's important for them to have that education so that they can basically use that knowledge in life. A lot of those students [come from] broken homes and basically they are coming out of foster care, all that stuff. So they've had identity theft. So I think it's really important for us to get in there and and teach about that.”

If given a chance, Salcido says she would like to teach in high schools and at the university level.   Having good credit is so essential to our current lives, she said, and too often, sadly, not taught to us in our families and schools.  

Do people let their anger and frustration spill over while interacting with her, we asked? 

“I’m just very compassionate about the situation and let them know. I try to stay positive. I mean, I do feel like a counselor sometimes, but you know, every situation is different and I let them know that, ‘hey, this is what we can do to fix it and we're gonna get you out of this situation,’” Salcido said of helping others. 

Our Town Reno reporting July 2023

What's That Construction Project? A New Panera Bread on Keystone

“Construction is no unknown sight here in Reno, but this one isn’t one to dread,” writes photographer and student reporter Aimee Arellano. “Another location for Panera Bread is being built close to the heart of Reno, on Keystone and 5th. Being such a popular fast casual restaurant we are excited to see another location open. There is currently one location open in Reno and it is on the UNR campus, but by the end of this year it’s expected there will be another that will be easier to access for those who aren’t attending the university. Panera Bread will be a great addition to our Keystone shopping center.”

The Keystone West End Commons, being developed by S3 Development, already has a Starbucks, an In-N-Out and a Chipotle drive-thru, and is expected to have a Cracker Barrel in the near future.

Another Panera will soon open at The Crossing at Meadowood in south Reno, as the chain streamlines its store models, with less and less seating and more and more to go and digital orders.

Photos and Writing by Aimee Arellano for Our Town Reno

Darcy Patterson, Making Her Late Daughter Proud with Wake Up Nevada

Darcy Patterson, the force behind the advocacy organization Wake Up Nevada seeking to stop opioid overdose, has a collage of mementoes and pictures on her bedroom walls, honoring her late daughter. 

“Kirsten was a beautiful young lady, very smart, very witty, funny, great smile,” Patterson told us during a recent visit of her apartment in northwest Reno.

“She got involved with substances when she was a freshman in high school, and it progressed to the point where she was eventually using heroin, and she died of an overdose in 2017,” she said. “She died in Idlewild Park in her car by herself. It was her birthday that day. She was an incredibly special person, and she deserved to have a full life, which was cut short.  She was raped in her freshman year, which she never really recovered from. She had some mental health issues, which almost always goes hand in hand with substance use. I knew she was using, but I didn't know what at that time, and I didn't have resources, which was really difficult. A lot of times I was calling the police to come and get her, and, you know, they didn't know what to do with her. And then, when she was missing, I would have someone looking for her, or I'd put her in a facility to try and get some help for her.”

Her daughter started going in and out of rehab, treatment, and counseling, but her addiction remained.  She would buy other people’s prescriptions, and then when she had less money she started using heroin which was cheaper and easier to find. “It was available no matter what age you were, it was available at school, it was available in the street. You could get it anywhere,” Patterson said.  

Through her ordeals, Kirsten remained close to her little brother, who was ten years younger than her, played volleyball, taught herself guitar, and helped others in the community who she met in rehab.  

“She was always helping other women and children in those programs,” Patterson said, who decided to carry on her spirit, after she died. 

Outside her apartment, visitors are welcomed with tributes to Kirsten.

At first Patterson helped with a group called Addict’s Mom organizing a local event called Lights of Hope, and then in 2020 created Wake Up Nevada. After an initial grant, which included putting up billboards across town, she’s now revamping the website, and focusing on giving out Narcan and fentanyl test strips in the community, “so that we can save others from overdose and prevent another family from being where I'm at, a mom and or a dad or family, and also just to get the awareness out there that this is happening. It can happen to anyone,” she said.  

The Narcan and fentanyl test strips have been funded through The Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies at UNR.  Patterson also collaborates with Black Wall Street Reno, Victory Outreach, Tu Casa Latina and Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet, joining up for events and distribution efforts.  

“Narcan is really the only thing that's going to save you from an overdose,” she explained. “Many things have fentanyl in them right now. And if they don't, you should assume there is fentanyl in them and have Narcan, which reverses the overdose. What we're trying to do is flood the market here in town. So it's everywhere, because it happens everywhere. It happens at the grocery store and the Taco Bell. We have Narcan boxes throughout our cities.”

With other groups, Patterson has refurbished old newspaper stands to turn them into Narcan donation spots.

“It's free to the public,” she said. “They're centrally placed. Then we have community partnerships like Reno Behavioral Health care that is sponsoring one of our Narcan boxes. It needs to be out there because if it's not there and they don't have access to it, they'll die. There's no question. It's an immediate death. Someone cannot get recovery unless they're alive, I know that sounds cliche, but it's absolutely true. Some people say, ‘well, you're keeping them alive. Well, yeah, we are so that they can maybe eventually get recovery.’”  

Patterson is working to get even more spots for Narcan boxes, including in local parks. This fall, she also is trying to set up peer to peer sessions in local high schools. 

Patterson said this work is crucial as attention on opioid overdoses and addiction has waned, despite the continued urgency. “People don't see it on the front page.  That’s what I'm trying to get out there, so that it should be on the front page. We're losing, they say at least 300 to 600 people a day in the US just from overdoses of any sort.”

In the meantime, she is willing to help anyone in the community, from parents to addicts, friends, relatives and siblings.  “They can always contact me. I have many resources that I can get them in touch with,” she said.  

She gets direct feedback from unhoused populations when they see her distributing Narcan.  “We see people who have made huge recoveries and if they were not saved, who knows? It's a passion of mine and I love the people on the streets. They are so positive about what we're doing. They're telling us, thank you for putting this out here. Thank you for what you do. And it's a blessing to me.” 

Patterson is doing her unpaid volunteer advocacy and support while working two jobs.  A former labor and delivery nurse at St. Mary’s she shifted to endoscopy, while also starting work recently as a hospice nurse.

She gets ideas from other groups, such as serving on the board for the Santa Barbara based initiative SafeLaunch, which has as its mission to prevent adolescent exposure to alcohol and other drugs.

“I need to be doing something for others,” she said. “That's just my way and that really brings me a lot of happiness and peace and knowing that I'm doing something for others, but I'm also doing something for Kirsten and my family.”

She credits her son who just graduated high school and will be going to UNR this fall to study mechanical engineering with keeping her going, as well as her faith.  

“There were a lot of times where I was really down and I thought, well, I really don't want to do this. I don't want to go on, not that I would maybe have killed myself, but I really felt like, you know, there were some really down times. But, I knew I had him and I'm in it for him. So I was the one that needed to take care of him and provide. And so I did. And he's a great supporter of what I do.”

Several of the pictures on the walls of her home are of her two children smiling together. 

“She's very proud,” Patterson said of her late daughter. “She gives me signs. Some people believe in them, some people don't. I know she gives me signs that she's proud.”

Our Town Reno reporting, Summer 2023

Hernan, "Leaning into the Chicano Vibe" with Sun Valley Based Clothing Brand

Hernan Rios is a 26-year-old education worker and elementary school teacher who makes unique clothes with a storyline based in his origins and the brand name Frxxdom.

A first-generation low-income student who struggled with English, he remembers being inspired by one of his teachers who pushed him to do well in school.

Hernan is now a role model for students who remind him of his younger self. “It’s not just about college, you’re more than capable of getting that higher-paying job,” says Hernan. His passion for making clothes started back in his elementary school days. 

“I didn’t have many clothes and the clothes that I did have my parents bought them at the beginning of the school year and I ended the school year with them. I was someone who changed outfits twice or three times before going to school because I like dressing a certain way,” says Hernan. As he got older Hernan explored more of the fashion industry and he became a fan of many brands.

Old English reflective font is one of the creative details Hernan incorporated into this particular clothing piece he designed. 

Hernan makes clothes based on what he would wear, making them affordable but still providing high quality. Hernan describes the style of his brand as minimalist and designed with street fashion/streetwear in mind.  “Right now I'm leaning into the Chicano vibe so I do tend to use a lot of old English,” says Hernan.

 “Finally during Covid, it was around the time of the BLM Movement, which is still going on, but I was doing a few readings of everything that was happening, and I finally came down to the name Frxxdom,” says Hernan. The meaning behind his brand name is the freedom to be able to go out and make ideas happen not just think them.

 “Some people tend to be too shy or they have too many obstacles and they never really take that risk. That’s my brand, it’s that mental freedom to go out there and pursue whatever you want,” Hernan says.

Hernan models one of his more minimalist designs on a t-shirt in a previous clothing release titled Glory is Coming. 

In the beginning for Hernan, the difficulties were a lack of resources, but not of vision. “I had a little laptop that didn’t do much it was just meant to do homework. I downloaded Photoshop, watched a bunch of Youtube videos, and learned how to curve letters and more,” Hernan says.

Financials also played a part as he didn’t always have what was needed to invest in his business. “Had I not been bold enough or brave enough to spend the amount of money I did to get this started- I think it’s all worth the amount,” Hernan says. 

Currently, Frxxdom has had eight different clothing drop collections. two of which were this year, and Hernan hopes to do at least two more in the coming months. Everything he knows about running his brand and designing he’s learned on his own and he says he doesn’t gatekeep. Hernan is more than happy to direct others that go to him for help in the right direction or give them advice. 

“Just the influence that I'm having on the few people so far is what keeps me inspired,” Hernan says. He’s also looking for collaborators, as he makes clothes designing his main career. “It’s not if, it’s more of when. I do want this to become my main priority. As much as I do love teaching I know there’s more ways to be that role model I want to be,” says Hernan. He plans to give back to his community when his brand grows and give back to the kids especially those of Latine descent and those in the Sun Valley area where he’s been teaching there for the past nine years. 

For Frxxdom, his goals include being represented at local art shows and events. For now, he is vending from his website which can be found linked to his Instagram handle @frxxdom2020

Our Town Reno reporting, July 2023

John Jimenez, Struggling with Alcoholism After His Dad's Death

“My name is John Jimenez. I’m from San Jose, California.  I came up here to take care of my dad in 2013 and he just died two weeks ago. So I'm drinking, but I want to find some help. 

But I refuse to go to that shelter [the Cares Campus]. I hate it. It just sucks over there. I'd rather be out here and die out here. 

[Sometimes] I rent [motel] rooms for [other people] with my ID because they don’t have it.  

Going back to San Jose? There's nothing over there for me unless I can get something set up before I leave … 

I’m stuck out here and all I'm trying to do, to tell you the truth, is drink right now. 

But I'm to the point where I want to get a couple more beers, go to detox, and then go back to the Victory Outreach [church]. That's what I'm doing. And that's the truth. I've been homeless six years and my Pops just died, like I said. 

I was a licensed caregiver up here before, and I [lived in] apartments. 

Sleeping outside in the summer of course at nighttime it's a lot warmer, but … I'm tired of this, so I guess I'm just trying to get drunk tonight and go to Reno Behavioral Healthcare hospital and get help. 

How do I get alcohol? Asking here or there … Begging people basically.

The ambassadors, they don't help. They've never helped me. I think one ambassador gave me two dollars and all. I managed to buy a beer. 

I hate to say it, but, I'm not a drug addict but I'm an alcoholic. I have to have my beer, but I'm getting tired of it. So I said to myself tonight if I can get a couple more beers and a couple more dollars, I'll catch the 56 and go to RBH and detox. But until then, I'm gonna stay out here and hustle.” 

Our Town Reno interview and photo by Aimee Arellano, July 2023

Caitlyn Evans and Taylor Leathers Offer Valuable Current Home Buying Tips for Young Locals

Even though median home prices in Reno just surpassed $600,000 and interest rates keep going up, to their highest levels in over 20 years, a local mortgage advisor with All Western Mortgage, Taylor Leathers, 32, and Caitlyn Evans, a realtor with Solid Source Realty, 24, say, despite appearances, it’s a good time to buy.

The cousins, both grads of McQueen High, say thinking of different locations, and looking at condos to start out could be good ideas. 

“Typically I see a lot of buyers wanting some land,” Evans said. “And I think that's where it gets tricky because most scenarios getting land and a house, you're going to be out in Sun Valley or Golden Valley because that’s where the big plots are. I've sold a couple homes in Sun Valley and it's just the cheapest place you can get a good chunk of land if you're looking for a quarter of an acre, it's probably your best bet as far as price.”

Evans is also seeing plenty of activity in the Cold Springs area. “They have started building houses out there that are on somewhat of a slope. So when you're in your backyard you really can't see into your neighbor’s house. So I think the builders are getting more sophisticated as far as, you know, having everybody have a great view and not on top of each other. It's nice to see the new development.”

Although out of reach homes are often what’s talked about (such as above in video) downplaying initial expectations, sometimes distorted by social media, can be a smart move, Leathers says. 

“I think that it is getting harder and the expectation of what you get for your first home is kind of blown out of proportion with social media because you see people post these houses that have horse land and you know, RV space and all of that, but you don't know what their circumstance is,” Leathers said. “Did they have a co-signer? Did they get a gift of funds? If you're doing this by yourself, you do need to really realize that this is a stepping stone. This is getting your foot in the door … and you're going to upgrade as you go. So it's more of changing your mindset on exactly what the big picture goal is rather than the small ‘Oh, I like the way this looks and how it sounds.’” 

The two also explained there is a misconception about the amount needed for down payments.

“Some people have this misconception that you need 20% down and that's just so far from the truth. I mean, we're seeing … even down to 3%,” Evans explained.

“This area has USDA loans in certain parts where you can even put 0% down,” Leathers said. “But really the first step is talk about money. Don't be afraid of it. And if you have even the slightest idea about it, talk to someone who does it for a living and get the right steps to get there. It’s okay to be vulnerable and talk about it,” she said.

Leathers says information can be confusing, and that she is always ready to explain in simple terms what her clients may benefit from.

The market being less busy now is actually good for nervous buyers, Evans said.  “People are scared of the interest rates,” she said. “But, you have to kind of think of it as if the interest rates are high, then you're going to get the house you want. You're not going to be competing with multiple offers. When the interest rates are low, it's just a rat race when everybody is trying to buy at the same time. And a lot of people don't know we have incentives for the sellers and the sellers can actually give you points and closing costs for your side. So if you're a buyer, you'd get a lot of money, straight from the seller because they're desperate to sell.”

When interest rates are high, it’s a good time for locals to buy as there’s also much less activity from investors and flippers, Evans said. 

Leathers says there have also been efforts to cut down on such activity. “When interest rates were low as an investor, money was virtually free. You could buy cash, turn around and get a loan after you bought it with cash and replenish your money. Now there's even more rules against that. Investors care about the numbers and that's why people get frustrated with flips because maybe they're not held to a higher construction quality either. But right now the numbers aren't making sense to them. We're not seeing as many investors. So when you buy a house right now, you will have a higher payment, but you are getting the house that you want because there aren't so many offers on the table. And when rates come down, you can apply to do a refinance and potentially lower your rate.”

Evans has her own website at https://www.caitlyn775homes.com/

Leathers says in Northern Nevada there is still a massive supply and demand imbalance, meaning if you can try to buy a house now you should, as she doesn’t see a pricing bubble pop anytime soon or enough construction going on.

“Even though we have slowed because buyers are worried about the affordability and comfortability of the payment with the higher interest rates, it doesn't change the fact that we don't have enough homes being built for the amount of household formations we have,” she said.  “So this morning the data I pulled and it shows that we have 7,400 household formations right now and we are only building just over 5,000 homes.”

Leathers recommends young adults try to become homeowners as soon as they are comfortable with a monthly payment. 

“I am never someone that will rent shame, because if that works for your lifestyle right now and what your goals are, then that's great,” she said. “But if you want to dip your foot in and learn how to build wealth, the wealthiest people are in real estate. So the sooner you can start and learn how to build those blocks up the better.”

Both started in their careers young and feel they are ideally positioned to help first-time buyers.  

“I got into real estate about three years ago,” Evans said, who added she realizes now there are no stupid questions. “I think I'm pretty good at running them through the process as crazy it is, it's just one day at a time. There's a lot of information to be learned and I think I'm pretty [good] at explaining it in detail and, and just kind of taking it slow. But I'm always ready to pick up the phone and get you the help you need at any time. I really enjoy this job and I think that's what it takes to be successful in this industry is you have to be on top of things.”  

She sees her follow up abilities and commitment as an important trait.  “A lot of realtors will contact you and never speak to you again or, they'll contact you in the next month or two. But it comes down to caring.”

She also has a sweet spot for working with veterans.  

Leathers concurs on her cousin’s follow up abilities. “She is constantly keeping you informed and touching base with you because there are times where there isn't really much going on because we're waiting for inspections or underwriting and things like that,” she said. “She's really good about checking in with you, making sure there aren't any lingering questions and she has that open line of communication, which is, I can't stress enough how important it is.”

Meanwhile, Evans said her cousin’s combined youth and experience is an obvious strength when helping first-time buyers. “I think a lot of the lenders out there are kind of past due on retiring and it's good to have a fresh face … for young adults to resonate with.” 

Leathers has been in mortgage about six years, and in finance over 10 years.  “I started in the banking world and moved my way up through finance and really saw a gap in the understanding of money and how to budget and really the shame around it,” she said. “People don't like to talk about money and I got into mortgage because that's really where a lot of people are vulnerable for the first time. And I noticed there was a gap of people who would take care of you and show you what to do rather than just be like, ‘Nope, you can't qualify.’ So I pride myself in my business to really educate and get you your long-term goals by taking the small steps now.” 

Working as a close tandem can lead to advantages for their clients as well.  “A lot of times when you're not working with local people who have a good relationship together, there is a gap and you may not be able to get ahold of your lender or your agent if you're working with an online agent. You know, it's just better to have a team that has your back and knows your goals because you're going to get what you want when you have that,” Leathers concluded.  

Our Town Reno reporting, July 2023

Despite Legislative Setbacks, The Fight is Still On for Reno-Based Tenant Advocate Ben Iness

It was a rough legislative session for the Nevada Housing Justice Alliance coalition of organizers and advocates who work with tenants on their rights and housing accessibility.

Reno-based coordinator Ben Iness scored it at zero wins, with Republican Governor Joe Lombardo in the way.

“Meaningful, lasting, material wins for tenants for struggling Nevadans, hardworking Nevadans and families, I would say none,” he said at the beginning of our interview. 

Many of the group’s priority bills did make it to the governor’s desk, but then he says “the hammer struck down, and there was no justice for tenants.”

The death of Assembly Bill 340 which would have revised provisions related to summary evictions was a particularly crushing blow to Iness.  

In Nevada, he says, summary evictions which can remove a person from a rental property without a full trial are “very swift.  It is punitive and it doesn’t make sense logically.”

Here, it is the tenant who must file a Tenant’s Affidavit in court to contest an eviction before the landlord files anything, making it uniquely unfavorable to tenants facing difficulties. Iness was hoping a more level playing field would finally be created in the Silver State.  

“Predatory landlords exist, they're not all of them, but they do exist. And we should put protections to make sure that that behavior is prevented,” Iness also said, lamenting failed efforts to limit rental application fees and recurring hidden fees, as well as a sputtered drive to maintain COVID-era eviction protections for tenants awaiting rental assistance.

“If we can just divert the course, and have a meaningful system that can proactively identify evictions before they happen, help those tenants in crisis or need and simultaneously keep landlords whole, then we can prevent them from ever happening,” Iness said of his organization’s ultimate goals.  

Iness understands it’s a long game though.

“Our goal is about education and empowerment … organizing with tenants so that they're part of this fight and this process. We aim to address the root causes of housing insecurity, as we make sure that every tenant has a place to call home. It goes without saying, sometimes, you know, you go blue in the face saying it so much, but that housing is a human right. That should be one of the first things that anyone has secured or guaranteed.”

In our interview to be featured in full in a future podcast episode, Iness called for more “boldness and braveness” in our leaders, at the state, county, city and local levels to help the cause of tenants, who make up more than 40% of the state’s population, rather than working in the interest of deep-pocketed developers and landlords. 

“Our [housing] crisis is only worsening,” he said. “Governor Lombardo failed Nevada tenants with those vetoes. Until we start doing something different, because it's not a matter of market sensibilities or supply and demand, until we start looking at housing differently and start protecting housing then we're just waiting until the next crisis. We need to stop treating the symptoms, rather than the disease, ” he concluded. 

Our Town Reno interview, July 2023

Annemarie Grant Turning Her Attention to Overcrowding at the Washoe County Jail, Gets Promises of Investigations

While looking into urgent concerns of overcrowding at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, shared with her by current inmates, emailing back and forth with local officials and making public records requests, activist Annemarie Grant was recently sent a packet which revealed in one message that “there is a need to get an accurate and authorized occupancy number for our detention facility.”

Grant’s brother died at the jail in 2015 after being hog tied and struggling with deputies.  Earlier, he had been found on the ground of the Peppermill Casino lying on the ground in the parking lot, handcuffed by security guards before police arrived.  

In 2018, Washoe County Commissioners approved a $100,000 settlement with Purdy’s family to resolve their wrongful death complaint, after they received $25,000 from the City of Reno and $50,000 from the Peppermill in two other settlements.

Since her brother’s death, Grant has been attending yearly protests with families of relatives killed by local law enforcement, while being active on many fronts trying to improve conditions at the Washoe County jail and the local conduct of law enforcement. 

The email from Robert Charles from June this year, then still the Fire Safety Officer at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, indicated “we would appreciate it if we could establish a date and time to come investigate the facility and make an accurate determination of what our total capacity is for the detention facility as well as individual cells that currently hold more than one detainee.”

The message, which was sent to Patty Blakely, in the first paragraph underlines that “we have obviously grown in inmate numbers exponentially over the years, with no end in sight.”

Blakely is listed as working for Fire Prevention for the City of Reno.  

The email points to more uncertainty, indicating “we want to observe the fire code & Fire Marshals established capacity numbers from the point of determining said numbers, as well as moving forward for growth or diversion of detainees when we are at capacity.”

Charles wrote the email as he was preparing to leave his position, effective July 14th.

Grant has raised related concerns, such as one inmate indicating three to four inmates are often crammed in a cell awaiting classification.

In other correspondence, Dale Way, the Deputy Fire Chief with Truckee Meadows and Rescue, explained to Grant that “the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in its entirety at 911 Parr Blvd is under the jurisdiction of the City of Reno.”

City of Reno Fire Marshal Tray Palmer emailed Grant last week, ccing Captain Willie Seirer, with this wording: “An inspector has been assigned to investigate this, and has made contact with Sheriff's Department. The Occupant load was set at time of construction through our building department and utilized the code that was adopted at time of construction. We are attempting to pull these records to verify what code the cells were designed to.”

Grant then wrote about exposed electrical outlets and defective doors inside which could become a fire hazard in case of urgent exits for inmates.

Grant hopes the investigations do happen, but she is still concerned whether or not there will be meaningful change. In a follow up with Our Town Reno, she said: “I feel this is a very serious issue and needs the state Fire Marshal’s involvement to conduct a thorough investigation. And I’d like to remind the Washoe County Commissioners they have a duty under NRS 211.020 and are responsible for the inspecting of any county jail. As well as a duty to their community members.”

After not getting new responses and sending more emails, Palmer finally wrote back to her on July 17th: “This email is not a forum for opinion.” He asked Grant to make future requests through Reno Direct.

Grant wrote to us: “This email chain is when I began to attempt to report my concerns  about the overcrowding/occupancy limits at the WCSO. Given the WCSO denied my request for a copy of the occupancy certificate I wasn’t exactly sure where to turn.”

Our Town Reno reporting, July 2023  

Payton Talbott, Getting to the Next Level in MMA Fighting

Payton Talbott has always been sporty, playing football and wrestling competitively in high school. He got into mixed martial arts after high school when he was inspired by watching Conor McGregor's highlights on Youtube. “I used to think of MMA as a barbaric sport and a macho man sport I could never relate to, but when I saw McGregor and just how poetic he made his finishes look, I could relate to that,” says Talbott.

When he was 18, Talbott vividly remembers his first time at the Reno Academy of Combat. He felt all of his worries and stress melt away even though he was taking a pummeling. It made him fall in love with the sport, he says, because it was humbling.

Now Talbott is 24 and for him, it has always been important to find the right balance of femininity and masculinity. That’s why he’s even tried pole sport to strengthen his core and have an overall intense workout.

 “It’s another way to articulate your body in an appealing way and fighting is a version of that because you’re fighting to perform for others,” Talbott says. He has a deep respect for his female training partners. Talbott even recalls a time his nose was broken by one of his female training partners. “When you tap gloves in the training room and are lining up against them to go, they can feel if you’re holding back because of some kind of gender barrier in your head. In the fighting community we’re all just equal,” says Talbott. 

Currently, Talbott is undefeated. In all his competitions, he has a record of 10-0-0. His pro MMA record is a sparkling 5-0-0 with all fights decided before the closing bell.

In the beginning, it was difficult for Talbott to fight because, he remembers, he would go in with a lot of adrenaline and not incorporate his personality. Now that he's comfortable in the cage, Talbott says he can enjoy himself. “When I’m having fun … is when I shine and do better and you’ll get the best version of me,” says Talbott. 

Talbott attempts to escape the crucifix position his training partner has him trapped in. 

Next month in August Talbott, listed at 5’10” is gearing up for the Dana White contender series.

He is scheduled to fight August 8th in the Bantamweight division against Junior Cortez, a shorter fighter at 5’7’ from Arizona who has a record of 7-2. Cortez lost in a 2021 Contender Series matchup and is giving it another go.

If Talbott wins it is a possibility that he could earn a UFC (the Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship major league MMA) contract and set up his career to start earning money. However for that to happen, there are a couple of different factors that are considered. A fighter needs to look interesting, the people have to like your personality, and a fighter has to win in a decisive manner. “It feels like a big job interview but I feel like I have a good resume and I’m set up for success,” Talbott says. 

However, Talbott is also staying grounded and has other things to look forward to outside of MMA. This isn’t his end goal as he says he has a ton of other “backup plans” and aspirations, if the UFC doesn’t come calling.

“A lot of people give their lives to this sport and when they have to exit it because they’re aging, it’s really hard for them to indoctrinate themselves back into society,” Talbott says.

 Regardless, he says, back when he was 18 he never would have imagined that he’d come this far.

“I definitely didn’t think that in six years I would be fighting in front of Dana White (the UFC president whose net worth is $500 million) but I always knew I had a strong gift and a different mindset than a lot of people. I figured that at some point I could share that with the world in some form in some medium. I didn’t expect it to be fighting,” says Talbott.

Reporting by Nancy Vazquez for Our Town Reno

Nick Josten, Unchained and Blossoming in Reno’s Theatre and Film Scene

“I think life is really great and fun when you don't have to worry about just a crappy day job,” Nick Josten says in way of advice to others who have that artistic sensibility in Reno. “And there's so many wonderful artists in this town and it's sad that they have to just keep clocking in and just do their art on the side. It'd be nice if there were more people in Reno who could just, you know, just do art and live.”

Local theatergoers have recently gotten to see Josten as both Bruce the shark in a parody of Jaws and a six-year-old boy who gets eaten by a shark, “so I kind of have to eat myself on stage.”

The show runs until the end of July at Good Luck Macbeth Theatre. 

Josten is also finishing up a novel, and working in the voice industry and with local films, especially in the horror genre.

Carp-e Diem in which Josten stars is available on Amazon and other platforms.

Josten credits this burst of creativity to quitting his nine to five and being in the right place at the right time. 

He remembers the day he quit his “regular” job at the local Patogonia precisely: March 17th, 2022.  He has no regrets.

“It’s a [three] billion dollar company, but everyone I worked with had to work two or three jobs to get by,” he said.  Now he’s happy to be his own boss for multiple pursuits. 

“I was just an extra in a friend's production,” he says of his film acting debut. “And the director of photography for that saw me kinda wandering around in the cowboy outfit. He's like, you know, that looks like a guy who can leap into somebody's house and kill all the occupants, but still seem likable. I want to see what he can do for this part that I want him in… I got the part, and it was a lead role in his feature film, his first feature film, which was absolutely terrifying. Like I'd never really been on film before, like just as an extra in the background. And they were trusting me with this huge part in their first feature. And it was just such an amazing experience that I wanted to learn whatever I could about filmmaking.”

The film which we reviewed on Our Town Reno was called Carp-e Diem with Mad Wife Productions. While acting, Josten also helped on set, up to now directing his own short film, and helping with screenwriting. 

“It feels like … actually getting paid to go to film school,” he said during our interview on a hot, searing day in the shade behind Good Luck Macbeth Theater.  “The entire Reno film scene's really starting to blossom and grow. There's so many amazing filmmakers around town.”

Josten has a quickly growing list of work on IMDb.

Josten calls his career progression “illogical.”  He went to undergrad in South Dakota to study literature and philosophy, moved to Japan to teach English for five years, and then went to grad school in Vancouver, Canada for a library program. 

Halfway through his master’s though, he realized it wasn’t for him. To find a new focus, he started doing standup comedy and getting work in the voiceover industry. 

“They had this program on campus the access and diversity program, where they had students read textbooks and case studies and things like that for students who were visually impaired students who couldn't actually read the text. So that's kind of how I got involved with voiceover, just volunteering to read, sociological essays and things like that. And the people working there recommended I try pursuing voiceover a little more seriously and so I took a workshop and got an agent and started doing some voiceover gigs up there and started getting more involved with standup.”

When his grandmother got sick, he decided to return to northern Nevada where he grew up.

“After my grandma died, I grew roots here and I just kind of stuck steady, stayed around here.”

“I provide voice overs for commercials, corporate narration, e-learning projects, and animation,” his Facebook voice over page reads.

Josten started doing standup in Reno, pre-pandemic, and won his first Wednesday night at the Third Street bar, with his “absurd, storytelling” style. “Now looking back on it, I don't know if I ever was really a standup comedian … I was more interested in sketch and just like doing random weird characters.” Now he feels film is a better outlet for him.  “I enjoy writing weird random characters and, you know, telling more of a story rather than just like doing jokes.”

His primary income is voiceover work from narration for local businesses to doing “monster voices” for mobile video games sold in South Korea.  He’s building his own sound booth to do more of this work from home. 

While putting it all together, he does regret Reno is getting more expensive, making it challenging for indie artists. 

“It just makes it harder and harder to work and, and live as an artist. And it seems like a lot of people don't really want to pay artists for what they do. But, yeah, just keeping your nose down and like most of my day is spent like auditioning, writing grants, trying to get money to do these sorts of things, [but] actually getting to do it is kind of like the dessert on top. I can't see myself going back to a nine to five,” he said.  

He recommends it to others. “Once I quit the day job and started being able to focus on just doing the artistic stuff, it seemed like everything started to blossom and I was just, I'm available to do things so people contact me to do things and I've just had so many fun opportunities since not having my leg chained to a desk.” 

He’s thought of moving to Los Angeles to pursue in person acting classes, but with the current writers’ strike he’s put that on hold. 

“I also have this good relationship with Mad Wife Productions, where it's kind of, they're already giving me opportunities to direct and get involved with the screenwriting and everything,” he said of local opportunities also keeping him here. “That's one of those things that I'd be moving down to LA to get involved with. And I already have it here in Reno. Right now, I'm definitely leaning towards sticking around for a while, but it is just kind of one of those things where you want to shoot your shot and see what happens in the big leagues. But I don't know if I even want to be in the big leagues. Like I'm having fun doing what I am doing right now, and I'm making ends meet. It seems kind of dumb to screw up a good thing. Like I might've landed in paradise and not even realize it until I leave, you know? So maybe at some point I'll leave, but for right now, I'm pretty happy where I am,” he concluded.  

Our Town Reno reporting, July 2023