Sheila Browning-Peuchaud, Making a Push for More Transparency as a Reno Ward 5 Candidate

Sheila Browning-Peuchaud, a former assistant professor at the Reynolds School of Journalism at UNR, an evidence based health coach for her own company and self-described “public servant by heart,” is running for Reno’s city council ward 5.

The first word on her campaign website, in big bold letters, is “transparency.” And that is exactly what Browning-Peuchaud wants to see more of in Reno.

Browning-Peuchaud grew up in Michigan as the youngest of eight kids, but she didn’t stay in the Midwest. Her senior year of high school, Browning-Peuchaud served as a youth ambassador in Japan. She’s also worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan, taught journalism at a university in Cairo, and studied abroad in France and Russia.

In her travels, Browning-Peuchaud has carried the third Peace Corps goal with her. In her words, that goal is “to bring back what you learn, to try and make America better.” Now, Browning-Peuchaud hopes to make this corner of the world a little better by calling for a more transparent local government. 

A lack of transparency includes the city’s dealings with Jacobs Entertainment, “one entity that owns about a quarter of the heart of our city,” Browning-Peuchaud says. The company’s development plans have resulted in the demolition of several Reno motels, which previously served for some as the last stop before homelessness.

Browning-Peuchaud is also concerned with the lack of transparency around what exactly the plan is. “You know, whatever Jacobs Entertainment has in mind for downtown,” she says, “it might be the best thing in the history of Reno, or it might be the worst, and we have no idea.”

“Whatever you think best, on whatever timeline works for you,” is not a strategy she thinks is working. She believes that the city could have benefitted from “more negotiating and horse trading,” or, at least, the opportunity for more public workshops. 

Another instance of lack of transparency concerns the fate of the former Record Street shelter. “City staff were going back and forth about that property for about seven months,” Browning-Peuchaud indicates.

In her view, before recommendations are published on agenda meetings, the public needs more than just four days “to think through the implications, organize, and respond. The public should be able to weigh in…early and often,” she says.

Browning-Peuchaud makes it clear that she isn’t accusing anyone of keeping secrets or “doing [back room] deals.” But she does think that it’s inconsiderate when decisions are made for the community without their knowledge or consent. 

“Without transparency, you're asking the public (to) ‘just trust us’. But, without transparency, you've already given the public a reason not to trust,” says Browning-Peuchaud. “Let’s understand what’s going on here. Let’s share the process with the public.”

Browning-Peuchaud generally thinks about things “in terms of a five minute plan, a five-day plan, a five-week plan, a five-month plan, and a five-year plan.” Admittedly, some things do take longer than others, as is apparent with the Jacobs Entertainment buyout and development spree. “But,” she adds, “you need to know where you're headed in order to get there, right?

Another pillar of Browning-Peuchaud’s platform is commitment to service. “Running for public office implies serving in public office,” she says. “So I will serve the term.” She brings up the case of Neoma Jardon, a previous ward 5 city council member who left her position for a job to head the Downtown Reno Partnership. To fill her position, the city went through an appointment process. Browning-Peuchaud put her name in the running then, in 2021– her first shot at the position she’s now campaigning for three years later. Her participation in the appointment process allowed her to see it “up close.”

“People who are ‘in the know’ were telling me, ‘listen Sheila, it’s fine that you're doing this. But they've already decided who they're going to appoint,” Browning-Peuchaud remembers. Everyone who self-nominated for the city council spot was given three minutes to speak, and she describes the group as folks who were “doing amazing work for the city.”

“I was blown away by the spirit and talent in that room,” she recalls. As it turned out, one candidate who didn’t speak that day was the person ultimately appointed to fill the position for city council Ward 5. It was the same person who Browning-Peuchaud was told already had it in the bag, so to speak. According to Browning-Peuchaud, similar appointment processes followed after the resignations of Oscar Delgado (in Ward 3) and David Bobzien (at-large), which led to Ward 5 challenger Devon Reese to starting his time on council. 

If elected in the seat, Browning-Peuchaud would call for special elections if any other council member steps down before their term is over. “People will say, ‘special elections are complicated, and expensive, and might not have high turnout.” But the way she sees it, “the turnout will always be higher than four,” (the number of city council members who constitute a majority). 

Previously teaching journalism ethics, as well as a race, gender and media class, Browning-Peuchaud remembers teaching a class on election day in 2016, when she told her students, “it looks like we’re about to elect our first female president. As we all know,” she sighs, “that's not the way that played out.” But the results of that 2016 election were influential in Browning-Peuchaud’s decision to run for public office. 

“I was like, ‘oh, I'm not like some young kid fresh out of college,’” she says. “I guess it's time for me to step up.” Her campaign for Reno city council ward 5 is something she considers “a new phase of public service” for herself. 

Now, Browning-Peuchaud just wants to “run the kind of campaign (she) can be proud of,” which, notably, does not involve sending out hateful mailers to ward 5 constituents, as was recently the case targeting Reese.

For Browning-Peuchaud, June will be a big month, go through to November or be eliminated from the race.

The primaries are on June 11th, and on June 14th one of her kids will graduate from Wooster, and the other will turn 14 a few days later. 

“We’re going to still be the family we are,” she says, proud of their time in northern Nevada, all trying to make this corner of the world a better place.

Reporting by Ray Grosser for Our Town Reno

Jacobs Entertainment Ignores Answering Concerns About Its Giant Video Board

While the massive J Resort 65 by 65 feet electronic video board at West 4th street can be entertaining and soothing to some walking or driving by, it was immediately annoying to several nearby residents.

Dez Peltzer, a resident of Reno, living one block away in the Plaza Apartments, says the sign directly faces their bedroom window. Peltzer says they “would consider [the sign] a nuisance.” 

Being on the third floor, Peltzer's window has a clear view of the art on display and had to buy blackout curtains to prevent the light from keeping them up at night. 

A January press release indicated the rotation of digital artwork being displayed is set to change every six months.

“We set out to create an unparalleled creative experience in downtown Reno,” Jeff Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Entertainment was quoted as saying. “Our sizeable digital art display exists to immerse the community in a life-sized gallery from J Resort’s public spaces…”

Cassandra Hui, a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno, who studies circadian rhythms and how light pollution can affect people’s internal clocks, said she was concerned how the massive sign adds light pollution to downtown Reno.

“A big thing is changing the color,” Hui recommended. 

A warm tone LED would range from golden yellow to red and would be easier on the eyes and on the body's circadian rhythm. 

A majority of the light pollution in Reno comes from casino signs on Virginia street. With the J Resort being several blocks away, this is expanding the area of light pollution. 

A warmer spectrum could still affect the circadian rhythm, but Hui said this wouldn’t have as many negative effects.

A more recent notice had a call out for “Reno’s digital creatives” to have their work displayed on the screen during Artown, on Friday, July 26, 2024. We reached out to several artists promoting this event on their own feeds, but none responded to our interview queries.

There’s also been research on how electronic billboards are wasted energy, create driver distractions, add to visual clutter, disconnect people from a sense of place and nature, and provide no social benefits.  

A recent paper in a scientific journal explained how visual pollution can have a deep degrading effect on urban communities.

The sign was installed by a company named YESCO, which released a behind the scenes video and has been making other signs for the J Resort. 

“Digital signs of this scale are energy hogs using the equivalent of 30 homes worth of energy in a year,” John Hara the President of Scenic Nevada said.

His non-profit which works to protect the scenic character of Nevada has several lawsuits against Jacobs Entertainment to protect the scenery of Reno over other planned signs for a multitude of reasons.

Hara explains one of these lawsuits states how billboards attached to buildings are only allowed to use that board to advertise for what’s happening in the building it’s attached to. However, Jacobs Entertainment has been using its multiple signs for other things, such as promoting its Glow Plaza events. Scenic Nevada says that this shouldn't be allowed while Jacobs Entertainment has submitted a request to be able to advertise for their neighboring attractions as well.

We reached out repeatedly to the J Resort and the Abbi Agency which released the January press release (with contact details above if anybody wants to try and get back to us with any answers) for comments to information we were being provided for this report.  After seven attempts, we did not hear back and gave up.

Our Town Reno reporting by Quay Skankey, Lexi Waisanen and Aimee Arellano

The Peppermill and Others Tapping into Northern Nevada's Vast Geothermal Energy

Leading us through a tour of the Peppermill’s geothermal plant, John Kassai, the central plant and geothermal manager, invited us to lay our hands on a large pipe connected to the ground. Once we touched the pipe, warmth ran through.

Reaching 4,400 feet below the ground, the Peppermill harnesses the Earth’s natural heat in order to heat the casino’s water and power the casino’s internal heating. This has saved the Peppermill millions of dollars in energy use, returning the investment of developing the geothermal plant in just three years.

Nearly 15 years ago, the Peppermill started tapping into the vast Moana Reservoir, holding natural geothermal energy more than three quarters of a mile underground. It took the Peppermill Resort $9.7 million to develop their geothermal heating system.

Although it was a risky decision to move forward with the project, which was initiated during the Great Recession, the project has saved the Peppermill an estimated $2.2 million in natural gas bills each year while drastically reducing the casino’s carbon footprint by 12,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Geothermal energy is the heat that the earth contains. Northern Nevada is abundant with geothermal energy due to its unique composition of earth and geographic location. 

Other companies like Ormat Technologies have also made use of these geothermal sources. Ormat’s plants at Steamboat Hills power homes in Galena. The Moana Reservoir powers the Moana Springs Community Aquatic & Fitness Center.  

Maria Richards, the interim director of Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, resides in an office on UNR campus, with maps on the walls, and a UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs mug, filled with hot tea on her desk.

She explains that the Great Basin is constructed of a thin layer of crust above the mantle.   The Great Basin is an area that spreads 200,000 square miles west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas. The water of the region drains inside the region itself, with no outlet into the ocean. Its expanse includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, and parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and California.

Maria Richards pointing to the Great Basin on a map that is hung up in the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy. On the map there are points marking where geothermal power plants and hot spots are located.

The Great Basin being next to the Pacific Tectonic Plate causes much tectonic activity to occur inside the basin’s earth. The pull-apart, land-stretching activity creates passageways for the heat to travel up through the thin crust where it can be reached by drill or even make its way to the surface.

Geothermal energy is a renewable form of energy. Theoretically, sources of geothermal energy can continue to produce energy eternally. The degree of renewability a geothermal source may have depends on a balance of give and take from the resource. 

Geothermal energy relies on the fluids that carry the heat through the crust. If the same amount of fluids that were taken from the source are replenished in the system, or if the fluids entirely remain in the system, the source may be able to produce geothermal energy infinitely. 

The Peppermill follows this renewable format by keeping the water that carries its geothermal heat kept in a closed loop system. This relieves the challenge of replenishing the system.

At the Peppermill, these pipes bring the geothermal water from the pumps, through the heat exchangers, and back down into the Earth. 

Also on UNR’s campus is Jim Faulds, director of the Nevada Bureau of Mine and Geology, whose office is populated by work-related achievements and paperwork. Faulds explains that passageways of the energy can close overtime. Rock material on fault lines are eroded down into small clay particles. The geology world calls this process clay gouging. This clay material fills passageways, making them impermeable and inaccessible. 

This process is more common in larger faults than in smaller faults, Faulds explains. Given this, Faulds seeks out young and small faults in hopes of the faults being active and long-lasting.

“It’s the heat beneath our feet,” he says, “Why not use it?”

To locate subsurface hotspots, Faulds explains geologists deploy LiDAR (Light Detection and Radar) technology. Airplanes deflect laser beams off the Earth’s surface, resulting in high-resolution topographic images. These images help paint the picture of what’s going on beneath the surface, like which areas have higher potential conductivity or will allow for a more rapid flow of electrical currents.  

Richards from Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy explains that geothermal energy produces more heat with a higher temperature differential within the closed loop of fluid. Due to this, Richards is in favor of mixed incorporation of geothermal sources with other renewables like solar. 

She says that when a geothermal source produces its least amount of energy due to the sun heating the ground, a solar source is producing its most amount of energy from absorbing the rays. 

This contrasts with the Peppermill’s central plant and geothermal manager, John Kassai’s opinion on solar energy.

”Solar is overrated,” he says.

Kassai criticizes solar’s productivity and consistency in comparison to renewables like geothermal and nuclear energy. He states the Peppermill will not be incorporating solar into its power supply in the near future.

Kassai explains how he can watch over all of the heat production from the Pepermill geothermal operations from this computer

Geothermal’s consistency is reliable, as outside factors like consistent wind or sunlight are not crucial to its production. Nevada is second in the U.S. for most geothermal energy production, behind California.

Thanks to these geographical advantages, Faulds suggests that UNR’s campus could soon be powered by geothermal energy. Faulds says it could become a significant financial benefit to the university if it was willing to invest the time and necessary upfront resources. UNR’s campus suffers occasional power outages, like one that occurred in late April, so it could be worthwhile to explore alternative options.

However, the development of geothermal energy is an increasingly expensive investment.

Richards was just in Gabbs Valley, a mountain range in the west of the central Nevada desert in the Great Basin region for a geothermal drilling project.

“We were drilling a well that we wanted to get to 50 feet and it was already $30,000,” says Richards.

Another challenge with geothermal energy is the loud noise it creates.

Richards explains the geothermal wells have mufflers because of the amount of noise and volume associated with water raising to the surface.

“It’s like the roar of the Earth,” says Richards, “I like to think the Earth is talking to us through geothermal.”

During the Peppermill’s drilling process, engineers put up large sound barriers to prevent hotel guests and the neighboring residential areas from hearing the noise of the geothermal plant.

Kassai explains that it is more difficult for businesses to invest in geothermal development now, because drilling costs have risen since the Peppermill’s construction of its own geothermal plant.

The Peppermill is still happy to boast about its decision to drill and develop its own geothermal system.

Despite the costs, a recent analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office's (GTO) GeoVision found that geothermal electricity generation has the potential to increase at least 26-fold by 2050, with northern Nevada one of its possible hubs.

Reporting by Kade Collins, Malia Ascuaga, Trey Kroll, and Dez Peltzer shared with Our Town Reno

Tara Webster Expresses Frustration after not Getting WEA Endorsement

One local candidate running for Reno City Council Ward 5 Tara Webster sent an email expressing frustration to Mario Fitzpatrick from the Washoe Education Association Board of Directors after he indicated the WEA decided to endorse another candidate.

In her email shared with local media, Webster wrote: “May I ask what qualifications WEA was looking for in an endorsable candidate? I am the only Ward 5 candidate who is a K-12 educator, actively engaged in education outreach, and who has pursued a doctorate in Education. I am also the only current candidate at large in Northern Nevada advocating for early childhood education, who fought to open a pre-k school in Northwest Reno that serves low-income learners.

As a strong advocate for public K-12 education, I am concerned that two WEA-endorsed candidates and one interviewee received donations from Academica, a funder of Mater Charter Schools whose expansion was recently opposed by WCSD. Further, K-12 charter schools threaten public education funding, historically segregate already marginalized communities, and were recently reported to be underperforming across Nevada. “

Our Town Reno previously looked into Academica donations to Kurt Thigpen who was running for Assembly District 24 before dropping out. We noted that Academica Nevada, part of the Academica charter school management company giant which administers more than half of Nevada’s 55,000 charter school students, while Thigpen has been a member of the Nevada State Public School Charter Authority since an appointment in 2022.

In that Substack post we also noted “the Washoe County School District recently expressed concerns over one of the Academica schools Mater Academy of Northern Nevada receiving unanimous approval from the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority to open a second facility in Golden Valley, saying it could be detrimental to tax-funded public schools.”

In her own email from today, Webster wrote “I would be remiss to not acknowledge that another candidate with an education background, Lily Baran (Ward 1), was not provided accommodations to interview and was overlooked for endorsement over her non-educator opponent.”

She concluded, “If either myself or my peer are missing key qualifications based on our attached applications and interviews, or are not connected to the right people, I want to ensure we can work towards meeting WEA's expectations in the future. “

In follow up texts to Our Town Reno, Webster wrote she's taught educators across the US, Costa Rica, Cambodia and was a guest for that in China, has taught everything from k through college, wrote papers on topics spanning trauma in education to ocean diversity, and even had dinner with acclaimed science communicator Bill Nye on several occasions.

Our Town Reno wrote Fitzpatrick for a response but did not hear back.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

Local Sparks Woman Trying To Press Charges for Rape, Finds Herself Arrested for Battery

Dani Shelley, 40, a sexual abuse survivor and a local home owner, with a career in digital forensics, is shocked and looking for help, facing a charge of domestic battery while thinking of suing the Sparks Police department. 

After moving here several years ago from Portland, a relationship she had with a diesel mechanic nine years younger than her, who works locally on freight trucks, has turned into a physical, emotional and legal nightmare.

After trying to get him arrested for what she says was rape, she’s the one now thrown into the court system for punching him in the face.  She’s been frustrated every step of the way in trying to get him arrested, but now is facing her own pre trial hearing in early June.  

Her Move to Sparks

Her move to Sparks initially came about when she decided to leave Portland during the pandemic.  

“Everything went crazy and my neighborhood just got super dangerous. I got tired of hearing gunshots all the time and picking needles out of my yard and thought, ‘I need to get out of here.’ And I don't know. For some reason I picked this area,” she remembers. “And the cost of living is lower and the weather's better and the crime is way lower. So I bought a house out here and then sold my house in Portland and came out here.”

She met her ex online, making sure it was clear with him she wanted a serious long term relationship. 

“He basically does this thing called mirroring where he's trying to mirror exactly what I want or what I am like so that I feel comfortable with that,” she then realized.

A Relationship Gone Horribly Wrong

She says she contracted syphilis from him in 2022, and had to get costly treatment in a hospital.  After they had broken up, one night in August 2023, she says he texted asking to come over and cuddle.

His visit she says then turned into rape, with him allegedly hitting her and forcing himself into her without protection.  She says as a victim of sexual abuse during childhood she just froze up, but that he knew what he was doing was “disgusting.” 

“If somebody is doing something that I don't want, I freeze. I can't do anything,” she says.  She says she bled and was in pain for three days.  

She then recorded conversations with him about it she says, trying to get him to understand.  “I was like, look, we need to discuss this because that was rape,” she says.

She alleges she found out his ex-wife and others in his life have gone through similar abuse with him.  

“For a long time I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. Like, he just doesn't know. He doesn't know any better or whatever, which is insane. But, you know, I was like, look, you need to understand what was wrong about this and you need to get help because at the time he was actually in therapy,” Dani told us during a phone interview this week.

Punching Her Ex in the Face and Breaking Her Hand

In late November, after she says an unprompted visit by her ex led her to break her hand punching him in the face, she got a meeting with Sparks police which was set up by a victims organization she had contacted for help. She didn’t want to name the organization feeling frustrated in how the process unfolded.

In explaining the broken hand she gave us this account in a follow up email: “He was purposely trying to cause severe emotional distress (as 'punishment' for being rightfully upset with him about what he put me through) and was continually telling me to hit him. I did, and I expected him to hit back, which he didn't do. I suspect my hand broke because he turned his face away and my fist landed on the side of his head. He did not have any visible injuries, was still walking and talking fine, and was able to drive home…. I suspect the reason I broke a bone is because of my existing health issues. While I have never had a bone density test, as I heard it's hard to get insurance to cover it, I have been on medication for a long period of time that is known to cause osteoporosis, especially with long term use (depo provera birth control, which I used to control my PMDD symptoms). The fifth metacarpal was fractured all the way across.”

She says she found out from others he had used a possible technique of entrapment on them as well, to seek out to be victimized.

During her meeting with police, her goal was to file a report for sexual assault for the alleged rape in August, but instead she felt she was the one being targeted.

“From the very beginning, when they were taking my report, they did not act like they [cared about] what I was saying,” she remembers. 

Trying to get Her Ex Arrested

An officer took photos of her broken hand. “I was defending myself and I did readily admit to that and the police,” she says. After the meeting, she was told she could send electronic evidence she had concerning her complaint of sexual assault. 

“So they had sent me a link to my email to upload it. And originally they sent me a link and then I was only able to upload 25 pieces. So I called back and I was like, ‘hey, I have a lot more. Where can you send me another link?’ So they sent another link and I put another 25 pieces.”

Dani says she uploaded video recorded conversations, text messages and emails.  

Her career in digital forensics came in handy. “Our clients are law firms and corporations. We handle evidence that's going to be used in court cases that are mostly white collar crimes.”

Part of what she recorded, she says, and submitted, was him allegedly admitting to hitting her during the rape. “When I ask why he hit me, he describes the reason for doing it as an ‘impulse’ he had and could explain no further,” she wrote in an email.

Getting Arrested Herself

While waiting for months for her ex to be charged and arrested, after inquiring relentlessly about it to different local offices, including Sparks police, she found out in early March she was the one with a warrant now against her, launching her into a new tailspin of calls and queries.  

“Instead of responding to me, they sent Sparks police out to my house to arrest me. It was a Monday morning,” she remembers. “They came to my house. I was like in my slippers and shorts and a tank top, and they pulled me out of my house and put me in handcuffs and took me to jail. And I was like, ‘What is going on?’”

The arrest itself was harrowing.

“I have many physical health issues and wanted to note my left thumb is still completely numb from nerve damage I sustained from being handcuffed so tight the day they came to my house to arrest me,” she wrote to us in a follow up.

Going to Jail and Discovering the Charge Against Her

She spent half a day in jail before bailing out, which with additional charges and a credit card advance fee cost her about $1700.

She says she finally saw the complaint against her when she was arraigned the next morning.  

The document signed on March 11th and filed on March 14th in Sparks Municipal Court indicates that on or about about August 16th, 2023, in the vicinity of her home on E Street, she struck her ex with a closed fist.

“It alleges I punched my ex in August last year, which I can prove did not happen. In fact, this is the date I told them he sexually assaulted me,” she says, hoping the listed date will prove her innocence. “I can prove I broke my hand in November, not August. I am hoping this will be enough to get the case against me thrown out, but in the meantime I'm suffering from a lot of trauma from the whole situation. At this point I'm looking for any assistance I can get.”

Seeking her Own Safety and Justice

She’s been appointed a court appointed lawyer but hasn’t been able to meet with him yet.  

“I’m looking for an attorney to sue the police department, but so far I have not been able to retain someone. I'm very concerned for my personal safety and my future at this juncture,” she wrote to Our Town Reno in her initial email.  

She’d like to see the bodycam video of her meeting with police as well as those of her ex.  She’s also thinking of suing the city of Sparks.  

“I think I have plenty of evidence to prove that they've completely mishandled my case and they're aware of it and they've been aware of it and they refuse to make it right,” she alleges.
She believes discrimination may be at play as well based on her appearance.  

“I have a mohawk, my head is tattooed, I have piercings. I'd say I stand out,” she says.

Dani hasn’t dated since and has grown increasingly untrustworthy of the world around her.  “I can't trust anyone in my house. I've had a couple people spend the night here. Even if somebody is in my house, like I cannot sleep… I can't be around people like that. Three weapons are next to my bed,” she said. 

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

County Confirms Employee Tore Down Candidate's Sign

After her sign was torn down by a Washoe County employee from a private property in Sparks, Ward 1 City Council candidate Christine Garvey put up a new one and stood proudly in front of it, while the County wrote back to Our Town Reno about the matter.

Garvey said the homeowner on which both the previous torn up sign and new one were displayed is in her 70s and “was just trying to support someone she felt would look out for seniors and her community.”

Earlier today, Garvey emailed county officials and bcced Our Town Reno writing in part:

“I am contacting you concerning an issue that occurred Tuesday, May 14th, 2024, at the Sparks Senior Center located on Richards Way in Sparks.

A Washoe County employee, Jacquelyn King, ripped down and destroyed my campaign sign that was attached to and located on the private property directly to the East of the Senior Center. 

This employee was on the clock as a county employee when she did this. 

When I introduced myself and asked Ms. King if she knew anything about the missing sign that had been placed an hour earlier, she told me she knew who I was and yes, she did know what happened to my sign.

She went on to tell me, quite proudly that she’s the one that cut down my sign because it was "propaganda.”

She also told me several times during our conversation that she has been repeatedly told by her supervisors, county employees, to remove any "propaganda" from the senior center. However, my sign was not even located on county property.”

The message concluded with Garvey, who barely lost the 2022 Sparks mayoral race against Ed Lawson, saying she was seeking  “payment for my destroyed sign, an apology and immediate action to remedy this behavior by a county employee utilizing all applicable county codes, policies and state law. “

While seeking comment from the county, we also asked if the person cited in Garvey’s complaint was indeed a county employee.

Candee Ramos wrote back to Our Town Reno today indicating: “Washoe County has begun an investigation into this incident. The County is working on reimbursement for the property owner, as well as an apology. The employee was acting of her own accord, with County leadership never having given instructions to remove signs to any employee. Any disciplinary action for the employee is considered a confidential personnel matter.”

Ramos did not name the employee in her own message but wrote “I can confirm that the individual is indeed a Washoe County employee.”

Ramos also said the county had provided a reminder of its Employee Political Activity Guidelines on its intranet page in March.

This indicates in part “the employees should not:

1. Solicit contributions for any political purpose from other employees or from any individual on an employment eligibility list; Engage in political activity during normal work hours (including displaying or wearing political materials);

2. Engage in political activity for the purpose of securing a promotion, transfer or salary increase;

3. While off duty, engage in political activity that impairs the employee's attendance and efficiency as an employee; or,

4. Engage in any political activities at any time that are forbidden by federal law when that employee is in a department administering federally aided programs.”

The guidelines  urge employees to “use good judgment and remember to always be respectful and mindful of the fact that there are many different views and perspectives, and it's best not to distract others with individual opinions.”

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

Leo Carew, Getting the Help He Needed at the Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital

In this article, reporter Ray Grosser, who previously worked with youth suffering from abuse and trauma, features Leo Carew’s turnaround while looking into the overall state of evolving local mental and substance abuse care.

Trigger warning: this article mentions suicide

Before moving to Reno, I worked at a day treatment center in Denver. We spent all day hanging out with kids who had already seen way too much in their short time on Earth. Almost all of the youth at the center had suffered (or were currently suffering) through severe trauma and abuse. We faced the problem that most facilities do in this line of work: a constant lack of both staff and money, paired with an always-increasing necessity for behavioral health services. 

There is a need for access to these services everywhere, a fact that is readily apparent here in Reno. I wanted to figure out what kind of resources are available here. I found that, fortunately, Washoe County is taking some hugely important leaps in this area. 

Recently, Julia Ratti (in photo above) was hired as the county’s first Behavioral Health Administrator to oversee and improve the system for mental health and substance abuse challenges in the community.

Another step forward is the planned reopening of West Hills Behavioral Health Center. The county has secured funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (the act that provided financial relief from COVID) in order to complete renovations of the center, which closed in 2021 due to lack of funding (among other factors). West Hills may start accepting patients as early as this summer, potentially including youth patients. 

Meanwhile, Willow Springs, a residential center for youth in need of mental and behavioral health care, which offers outpatient services as well, continues to face challenges. 

Very sadly, a patient died by suicide there in March of last year. While the existence of these facilities are important in itself, it’s vital that they receive adequate funding that will allow for sufficient staffing and services. When there is no money or resources, then facilities can easily become nothing more than a roof and a room for the people in our community who need so much more. 

Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital which opened its doors to the community in 2018 is trying as best it can to provide much needed local help. Since opening, the Sierra Center Parkway location has provided inpatient and outpatient services for folks in need of mental health and psychiatric care. The hospital is “near and dear” to Don Butterfield, its current CEO.

“Unfortunately, Nevada ranks 38th in access to mental health resources,” says Butterfield, referring to a 2023 report by Mental Health America. Due to the scarcity of quality inpatient care for youth in Northern Nevada, Reno Behavioral has expanded their programs with more than half of their beds dedicated to youth treatment, according to Butterfield. 

Youth treatment is tremendously important for early intervention. I wanted to speak with someone who had a positive experience with mental health care here in Reno, but of course, it’s also important to protect kid’s identities. And the flip side of the coin is that it’s never too late to seek mental health help, either. 

So, I was lucky enough to meet 57 year old Leo Carew. Leo was adopted at two years old “by a wonderful family,” and grew up in a loving home. Early on, Leo began feeling like his life was missing something, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. “I found myself attracted to alcohol, to drown my emptiness,” Leo told me. 

He left his parents house after school, and took his coping tools with him. His alcoholism made it really difficult to hold down a job for long. It also made it really tough to save money. “I’d be like ‘oh my god, ten dollars, let me go buy a bottle,’ rather than spend it on food,” Leo remembers. Fortunately for Leo, he had something that a lot of people don’t have– a supportive family. “When a dire need for money came around, I always had my father to fall back on,” Leo said.

Leo is a self-described modern day prodigal son, his father always welcoming him back with forgiveness, and even once bailing Leo out of jail. So, you and I can only imagine how hard it hit when Leo’s dad passed away. “I was lost…I felt the world crumbling around me,” Leo was filled with emotion as he remembered his dad.

He moved to Reno after his father died, looking for a fresh start. What he found here, though, “was just a different bunch of drinking buddies.” Leo cycled through life this way for a while– he was able to find a great job at Sprouts, and a community at church. But he wasn’t able to stop drinking.

Leo has benefited from family always trying to help him.

One day after a particularly intoxicating weekend, some friends and a couple of Leo’s sisters stepped in, and took him to Reno Behavioral Health Hospital. “March 24th, 2019,” Leo recalls. “That was my last day drinking.” When he got to the hospital, Leo had made up his mind: “I’m gonna take the help that they’re gonna give me, and I’m gonna run with it.”

When I asked him what it was about this place that made a difference for him, he gave credit to the people working there who “take you by the hand.” He appreciated the one on one therapy sessions, and the time and space that the program provided him to reflect on his life through writing. He also feels a lot of gratitude for his sisters, who really wanted to help him find a better path. 

Leo spent ten days at Reno Behavioral. When he came out on the other side, Leo finally felt ready to take on the world without the bottle. Thanks to an understanding supervisor, he was able to keep his job at Sprouts. He started going to AA meetings, where he recently received his five year chip. 

Leo also got married to a woman who he gushes over now, telling all of his regulars at Sprouts about her and their life together. The two of them keep busy between work, church, and making travel plans together. 

With a lot of hard work and a little luck, Leo was able to turn his life around for the better. In the midst of a nationwide mental health and substance abuse crisis, stories like Leo’s can seem hard to come by. And there’s a lot of pieces to Leo’s stories that are missing from others: a loving family, a supportive community, and a program that really worked. 

But Reno has an opportunity to fill in these gaps for other folks, too. Continuing to prioritize and invest in mental health resources can go a very long way for our community. Between all of us, we have a whole lot of love and energy to extend towards our neighbors who are in the thick of mental health crises. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis of any kind, you can call the National Mental Health Hotline at 866-903-3787, or the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988. And if you are interested in the services and programs at Reno Behavioral Health hospital, you can receive a free and confidential assessment by calling 775-393-2201 at any time, day or night. 

Reporting by Ray Grosser shared with Our Town Reno

Homelessness Advisory Board Finally Meets, Showing Concerns for High Number of Unhoused

At the first Community Homelessness Advisory Board (CHAB) meeting in 2024, County Commissioner Mike Clark called for more meetings, as did Reno at-large councilman Devon Reese, now running for election in a redrawn Ward 5.

Despite the County-run Cares Campus now being three years in operation, and multiple efforts to combat the high cost of housing, the number of unhoused locally is going back up.

The latest federal count of people without stable shelter willing to be counted put the county’s unhoused population at 1,760 in early 2024, compared to 1,690 in 2023 and 1,609 in 2022.

Many of the CHAB board members are currently running to retain seats, putting some of them on the defensive.

The most recent Point in Time count and the County’s own dashboards show homelessness is on the rise compared to last year, despite out of market articles, repeatedly pushed by elected and county officials, indicating the number of unhoused was being drastically reduced in northern Nevada.  

Chair Alexis Hill, a Democrat now facing reelection as a county commissioner, started out saying there had been “misinformation” that she had been indicating local homelessness had been reduced by half, after she had exuberantly shared the out of market reports on her social media.  She said numbers were being “reduced on the street,” meaning many residents remain regulars at the Cares Campus and the Our Place shelter for women and families, but not in any type of permanent housing. 

Taylor said she had noticed more people looking unhoused in downtown Reno in recent days, with the costs of even cheaper apartments, such as offered by Siegel out of reach for many.

“As much as we’re doing, we still want to do more, we still need to do more,” said Kathleen Taylor, selected as a Reno councilwoman as a replacement, and now facing an election battle for a redrawn downtown Ward 1.  

She said the eye test revealed more unhoused in downtown areas of late, along train tracks and on 4th street with several visible mini tent cities popping up in recent days. Taylor had concerns the emergency overflow shelter, which is used for winter months at Cares Campus, is now closed.

The number $300 million was talked both for overall northern Nevada spending over the past five years to tackle homelessness, and the needed money for effective future permanent supportive house in a presentation by a non profit called the Corporation for Supportive Housing, bringing audible gasps. 

During discussions and public comment, there were also concerns about COVID funding having run out for eviction assistance and emergency shelter vouchers, as well as helping seniors specifically.

Another number discussed was 2,900 or the number of people who have reportedly gone through the Cares Campus and Our Place systems in recent years and never got access to any permanent housing.

“What more can be done, and how can we be more successful,” Devon Reese asked.  

The County’s presentation showed its own month to month numbers of people experiencing homelessness have been back on the rise as well.

The initial presentation by Dana Searcy , the county’s Division Director of Housing and Homeless Services, focused on the limited permanent supportive housing which will be built on the Cares Campus in the coming years, as part of its final phases, with 152 people already signed up for those future units.  The planned reopening of the now shut down West Hills Behavioral Health Hospital was also mentioned as part of helping in the future.  

“There’s not been very much change over the last four years of that PIT count,” Searcy admitted, as to numbers of locally unhoused not actually dropping, since the massive Cares Campus started its operations, with case workers trying to help as best they can to get the unsheltered housed. 

“We have not said we have seen a significant decrease in homelessness,” Searcy said pointing to its own monthly numbers working with different partners registering those experiencing life without their own shelter. “It might get bumpy,” she warned as the end of COVID funding fully takes effect. 

Commissioner Clark, a Republican who is not in campaign mode, offered the most ideas, including trying a new safe park program on county parking lots with portable showers and restrooms, as well as more public bathrooms and trash receptacles along 4th street, where many of the unhoused both staying at the Cares Campus or not, tend to congregate.  

Clark said it “wasn’t a political game” for him, but that he was “just trying to move the needle in a positive way, trying to get people more comfortable in their situation.”

Clark said within the Cares Campus there could be a senior center for the older population staying there, with craft and activities more geared toward that demographic. He also wanted more people from the Cares Campus to be encouraged to speak at CHAB meetings, and to have people living there on the board, as well as at least one representative from the 4th street business community.  

Clark warned of other municipalities and out of state elected officials coming to Washoe County, as has been touted by county officials including by Searcy in today’s meeting, while so much work remains.  “Copying us might not be the best,” he said.  

A main point of his was that the CHAB should meet more often, even every month, he said, for a “hot button issue on everybody’s mind, to show the public we are serious.”

Reese agreed there should be more meetings, saying we are experiencing a “crisis of human scale.” The councilman also agreed northern Nevada should look into a safe parking program for people living in cars and RVs.

Towards the end of the meeting, Michaelangelo Aranda, who is running in a crowded race for the new Reno Ward 6 council seat, said while driving he had recently almost hit an unhoused man, crossing a busy street at night with his belongings.

The man told him he had been told to move from a shopping square where he wasn’t allowed. Aranda suggested a program to offer high visibility vests to the unhoused, donate luggage bags, and also follow Sacramento in setting up a model similar to Camp Resolution, a self-governed encampment community, but with access to government-run water, trash, bathrooms and showers.  

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

What’s That Construction Project? The Cottages at Comstock

In a long empty lot above UNR and near train tracks, on Comstock Drive, the ground is being prepared for 1300 to 1900 square feet, three to four bedroom, two story homes, already purchased at prices mostly in the $400,000 range.

A dozen new streets are being planned with a dozen homes on most sides, leading to concerns of bottleneck traffic going into UNR especially on football game days and during high university exit and entry times, with students and staff pouring onto Virginia Street from a narrow and circuitous Comstock Drive.  Initially, there were also concerns of the sloping soil and its brittle nature to sustain such a large scale project.  

On the Northern Nevada Homes website, it’s indicated “At Northern Nevada Homes, we don’t think hard-working people should have to settle for a fixer-upper or live in the outskirts of town to own a home. It’s why, at Cottages at Comstock, we’re committed to delivering quality-built homes at affordable prices in a desirable, in-town location. Rest assured, affordable doesn’t mean bare bones. You’ll get many of the standard features found in higher priced communities, but without the higher priced mortgage payment.”

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2024

Ward 6 Race Has Mostly Little to Nothing in Early 2024 Contributions and Expenses

Candidates for our new Ward 6 in south Reno have mostly little to nothing to show for in early 2024 contributions and expenses, ahead of the June 11th primaries, with a wide open race for the November runoff.

The exception is marketing professional Brandi Anderson who led the pack with $12,705 in contributions but only $101.02 in expenses

In terms of January to March contributions she received $5,000 from Nevada Tri Partners, a regular contributor in northern Nevada, including to Paul Laxalt, Chuck Allen, Naomi Duerr in recent election cycles.

Anderson received $2,500 from the Locus Development Group, which is involved in RED, Park Lane, McCarran and Rancharrah projects, and which recently gave the same amount to incumbent county commissioners Clara Andriola and Alexis Hill, and to incumbent City Council members Miguel Martinez and Devon Reese.

Her other big checks were $1,000 from the Reno Firefighters Association and $500 from Duerr.

William Mantle, who finished fourth in the most recent Reno mayoral contest, has $5,100 in contributions, nearly all from himself, with $284 in spending, mostly on a Squarespace website.

Michaelangelo Aranda, a graduate of the Washoe County Leadership Academy, has $63 in contributions and $38 in spending.

Michael Grimm, self described as “a designer, civil engineer, and contributor to the Reno Arts community for over 25 years” on his Facebook campaign page, has $300 in contributions from himself and no spending. 

Health care and business management professional Roy Stoltzner has $292 in contributions from himself and the same in spending for a Wix website.

A former gubernatorial candidate calling himself a conservative Republican Tom Heck has $30 in contributions and the same in spending 

J M Darcey who we could only find on Facebook listing himself as working at the Millionaire Creation Center has nothing for both.  

Another previous candidate Mon Bertolucci has withdrawn from the race.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

Jen Gurecki, Seeking the Community’s Empathy after Deciding to Close Shop at the Reno Public Market

Jen Gurecki who ran the women-owned Coalition Snow Far Out outpost at the Reno Public Market as well as a Zawadisha space for handcrafted African goods, was there from the beginning at the new Plumb Lane venture since late 2022, before even the grand opening.

Gurecki has now decided it’s time to leave, after writing about her concerns to the owners of the venture, including the El Dorado Hills-based Foothill Partners. 

She had to break a lease which she says was done on amicable terms.  “We worked with ownership very amicably to depart the space,” she told Our Town Reno during a phone interview Monday. “So we get to leave and they get to have a space moving to their next iteration of what the public market will be. So it actually benefits everyone to let us go because we know it's not a good fit.”

Gurecki explained the lease agreements for the retail side were different than for vendors, and that she initially believed the project would bring more foot traffic to sustain her own sales. 

Fuego Street Tacos told Our Town Reno they were leaving on the food side and relocating soon, explaining that the high costs of operating there, and being told to keep increasing their own prices made the situation untenable. The owner Sarah Reynosa says for her with rent there about 20% of a tenant’s gross sales, in addition to credit card transactions, utilities and cleaning costs, it was just too much.

Photo provided by Gurecki of Far Out which she says was not marketed enough by the Reno Public Market Instagram.

Gurecki will pursue her own multi faceted enterprises which include online sales and adventure group travel, as well as a Riverside Farmers Market presence, just not at the Reno Public Market anymore.

“We’re all staying in business and so closing our shops allows us to remain in business rather than waiting it out to see if it will get better,” she said of the departure from the Plumb Lane location. 

Gurecki pointed to a lack of marketing for the stores and different values, including too much waste in the food court, as several reasons.

“In terms of values, I would look at the single use plastic and the waste that is produced there that doesn't sit well with us,” she said.  “I’m not going to point a finger at the food vendors and say that this is their fault. But this is one place in which Reno Public Market could have taken a leadership role and ensured that the space was more ecologically friendly versus the incredible amount of waste that is created there.”

We contacted the Reno Public Market lead developer Doug Wiele, who initially told us he was going to the dentist. He then wrote back that he was reversing course and that a RPM statement was being prepared for media instead of granting us an interview.

It read in part: “While a tenant choosing to leave is never our desired outcome, we understand that not every business is going to be a fit and we respect their decisions as business owners. 

"What our customers, locals and visitors, want from a dining, shopping and entertainment experience continues to evolve and we are regularly evaluating what new experiences and offerings we can bring into RPM to meet those needs. We conduct robust and ongoing marketing efforts to support our merchants and drive traffic to the property.” 

Gurecki says she realized she could control the areas she operated at the Reno Public Market, but as a leaseholder could not control the entire project.  

“While, yes, there are financial concerns about the viability of our stores remaining open, there's also so many other things going on in that space that led us to come to the very painful decision that it wasn't the right fit for us,” she said. 

As Gurecki, the Wyld Market Collective, Wedges & Wide Legs Boutique, and several other food vendors recently decided to call it quits, including A La Parilla and Brazilian Gourmet, she says she expects to see significant changes, which she believes will benefit everyone in the long run.

A new retail anchor is Junkee which had a statement on Instagram earlier this week indicating:

“I have been bombarded by the media requesting my experience of having my business at Reno Public Market.
I, Jessica Schneider, owner of Junkee Clothing Exchange, am here to set the record straight on my experience with my business being at Reno Public Market. Since our move to the market, Junkee has been doing better than ever. We have been busier than we ever have been, and we have countless new customers. Reno Public Market brings in all walks of life with various bands, charity events, and family events almost daily.

Since the move, being inside Reno Public Market has brought us more parking, a strong sense of community, and a safe place for my staff and customers.”

More spaces are now available after the departure of tenants there since the start of the Reno Public Market in late 2022.

Gurecki has noticed angry comments on our recent posts concerning vendor exodus, including complaints about high costs and lack of comfort, and says she would “hope that the ownership is listening to the community and is going to make changes that make it a place that is more appealing to more of the community.”

Concerning social media comments she read this week, Gurecki also wanted to make clear that “everyone who's in there is a locally owned small business. And what you're seeing at Reno Public Market with people leaving is indicative also of this, a larger issue in our community. And this isn't a time to point fingers or to shame small businesses for supposedly not knowing what they're doing. This is a time to really rally behind all of the small businesses in this community because us leaving should be sounding the alarm to people of what is happening. Not only at a local level, but nationally and globally. And the only way that we're going to be able to resolve any of those issues is to come together on that.”

“We're just open to different opportunities and possibilities,” Gurecki said of her own entrepreneurial future. “Coming to the decision to close the shop has been very difficult, very painful, and we don't feel like we need to be rushing into anything else… Right now our main focus is to smoothly transition out of that space, catch our breath, and then take that time to envision what the future could be for us.”

She concluded by urging the community “to be empathetic and supportive and be supportive. I don't mean come in the Reno Public Market and spend money. If you don't want to spend money there, don't. But … I will actively stand up for my business and my brand and will not tolerate anybody just, you know, tolerate some of the ridiculous comments that I'm seeing. So ideally, we can encourage people to respond and engage with thoughtfulness and kindness.” 

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

Jarred Santos, pursuing his artistic growth as a tattoo apprentice

A troubled youth and accomplished boxer turned self-described struggling artist, Jarred Santos is a Reno local who exemplifies the opportunities here in Northern Nevada, as he keeps grinding, evolving in his passions and turning them into his livelihood.

Santos now 31, who previously did commissioned for Our Town Reno, has been working as a boxing coach at Elite Boxing & Crossfit for the past five years, and is now two years into his apprenticeship as a tattoo artist at Empire Tattoo Company.

Santos has been in the ring since he was a kid, using it to learn responsibility and work ethic. Seeing how much boxing has helped in his own life, Santos hopes to give others the same positive reinforcement and purpose.  He himself benefits from another passion.

“My whole life has been spent in a boxing gym but when I'm not boxing, I’m drawing,” he explains.

A tattoo of boxing gloves that Santos did on himself at the beginning of his apprenticeship, merging his two passions.  

When first tapping into his creative side Santos would call himself a “struggling artist” on social media as he didn’t see himself creating much income through his art. After constant encouragement from others, he can now proudly say he has achieved his dreams of staying creative while also getting paid. 

Santos met Samuel Linville in the boxing gym a few years ago, where they first traded boxing lessons for free tattoos. Once Santos found out he was having his first child, their collaborations evolved into tattoo lessons to start off Santos's apprenticeship, allowing him to develop another source of income. 

A portrait of Santos focused on his craft on a wall at Empire Tattoo. 

Santos’s work corner at Empire Tattoo where he displays some his artwork.

“Art isn't seen as a sustainable career but I want to be able to provide for my boys so they are inspired to follow their dreams,” Santos explains as to his motivation to keep going in an artistic vein despite the challenges. “When my boys are older and trying to figure out their life plans I want to be able to tell them not to listen to anyone else and do whatever you want to do, just put in the work.”

When scrolling through his social media portfolio, viewers can see how Santos was able to transfer his art style from canvas to skin. “People would describe my style as lowbrow but I like art because I can do whatever I want and no one can tell me otherwise. I don't have a style, I just do what I want to do.” 

A tattoo of a coffee cup on the leg of one of Jarred’s boxing students, done earlier this year. 

His finished pieces are no longer just on the walls of businesses and residences, but permanently displayed on the bodies of his clients as well.

Santos hopes to continue to have this creative outlet as a source of income and a way to find peace. “In ten years I see myself hopefully as a good father, a good role model, and still married to my wife. Nothing else matters,” he concluded.

Our Town Reno reporting by Joseph Azar and Valentina Garcia

What's That Construction Project? The Nevada Museum of Art Expansion

The Nevada Museum of Art is currently working on expanding their 15,000 square feet facility by 50,000 square feet, with a new entrance on California Avenue, connecting to the current entrance on Liberty Street with a long hallway.   

New spaces which are being built up will be used for research, education, and more gallery spaces. One of the main goals of this expansion is to add more areas for students, educators, and scholars in the community. 

They are also aiming to increase the amount of gallery spaces to be able to showcase more art from their collections. The museum has about 4,000 objects in its collection but only a small fraction is currently displayed with traveling exhibitions taking up most of the space. 

The museum’s research center called the Center for Art and Environment will get an expanded space of about 10,000 square feet on the second floor. 

Expansion plans also include having a new 5,000 square feet library with increased public access to books, research materials and archives.

All of the construction is due to be done by spring 2025 to be able to serve over three million residents in Nevada and its visitors as the Silver State’s only accredited art museum. 

Many of the visitors include thousands of students from the Washoe County School District who get organized hands-on tours.

The expansion, which will also include a new classroom, is expected to cost the museum around 60 million dollars.

To fund this project the museum received a 16 million dollar donation from philanthropists Charles and Stacie Mathewson, and the new wing will be called the Charles and Stacie Mathewson Education and Research Center. 

Charles Mathewson, who headed International Game Technology in the 1980s and 90s, committed to the large gift before dying in October 2021, at the age of 93. 

The museum has been asking for donations on their website to help this project, and has gotten other big donor contributions. 

On its website this is its pitch to encourage more donations: “They’ve become part of our cultural DNA. The events, the exhibitions, the spaces, the memories. From Raphael’s The Woman with the Veil to treasures of ancient Egypt. From The 36th Star: Nevada’s Journey from Territory to State to Tahoe: A Visual History. From the  E. L. Cord Museum School to First Thursdays to Hands ON! Second Saturdays. If you and yours have enjoyed any of these, you know what a vibrant asset the Museum has always been to our region.” 

Currently, it’s asking visitors to look for additional parking along nearby streets due to the ongoing construction.  

Photos and reporting by Dez Peltzer 

Devon Reese Leads in Fundraising and Spending in Ward 5 Race, with Challengers Jostling for Runoff

In the Ward 5 Reno City Council race, it seems to be a competition to face off against current at-large councilman Devon Reese, now running in a redrawn ward as his at-large seat will be eliminated.

Brian Cassidy, who runs Junk King Reno and lists himself as a Republican, received January to March contributions from individuals totaling $3,650 while spending very little.

Cassidy has a website which indicates he wants to build a “community-focused future” and that “his dedication to family and community is the cornerstone of his campaign, reflecting his values of hard work, perseverance, and service.” It also includes a “gameplan to fix Reno.”

Speaking of websites, Sheila Browning-Peuchaud, a former Assistant Professor at the Reynolds School of Journalism, who has been campaigning for a more transparent and ethical Reno, paid Grim Design nearly $5,000 as part of more than $9,000 in expenses, which also included $1,200 to the Apple Store.

She has been just Peuchaud on initial documents, and the B in her maiden name Browning will put her highest up on the ballot alphabetically.  Some of her highest donations, totaling over $12,000, come from another Browning and an additional $2,000 from an address in her native Michigan. 

Tara Webster, who also has experience in academia, and who entered the race later but is making a strong door to door push to make it to November on a message of being a transformative candidate for accessible housing, childhood care and more sustainability nets raised just $3,000 while spending under $300 during the first three months of the year.

The candidate with the highest overall name recognition lawyer Devon Reese, running on quality of life issues and being accessible, received over $40,000 in early year contributions while spending over $26,000.

His big donors include the Reno Sparks Association of Realtors, the Builders Association of Northern Nevada, Local 169, Local 39, the Circus and Eldorado Joint Venture, Peppermill Casinos and Las Vegas-based law firm Kaempfer Crowell. 

Reese’s big expenses have gone to Tissot Solutions and Changing Dynamics Political Consulting.  He also sent over $1,000 to the Nevada Independent.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2024

Selena La Rue Hatch, Running to Keep Her Assembly Seat in the Spirit of Passionate Service

Selena La Rue Hatch, a teacher who is running as a Democrat to keep her Assembly District 25 seat in what could be a competitive November showdown, remembers distinctly what made her run in the first place.

Roe v. Wade had just been overturned, the skies were black with smoke from ferocious forest fires, her child couldn’t go outside and she was teaching up to 45 students in her high school classes.  

“I just felt like we were facing so many crises, so many fronts, and it felt like we were kind of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but not really making the systemic changes that we needed. And so I decided to get involved. I was going to protest and I was working through my union and I just felt like we weren't making the changes we needed,” she explained to Our Town Reno during a recent phone interview. 

“And so I decided, you know what? If I'm not making a difference from outside the building, so let me run and get inside the building and let me bring my students voices with me,” she said. 

She’s proud of accomplishments made during the last legislative session in Carson City, but felt frustrated by the many vetoes from Republican Governor Joe Lombardo.  

“I think we passed some legislation that protects abortion rights, that protects LGBTQ students and citizens,” she said.  “And I think that we passed really important legislation on housing and gun safety and environmental protections. The problem is a lot of those bills that I just mentioned were vetoed, and that's I think, really frustrating to go back to the community and say, ‘hey … I did all this great work. We got these bills passed, but unfortunately, you're not going to benefit because they got vetoed.’ And so I think that while we did make progress, there's still a long way to go. And I think that I'm going to keep working on those issues.”

This time around, La Rue Hatch is hearing from her constituents they’re still struggling with affordable housing, calling it one of the biggest challenges facing our community.

“I don't think it is something that one single bill is going to solve,” she said. “I think it is a multi-faceted issue. We have a huge shortage of housing availability and so I think we need to look at zoning laws, We need to look at how we build up rather than just out so that we are maximizing the use of our space. I also think we need to look at making sure that people have a fair shot of getting a home. I am very concerned at the number of out-of-state corporations that are coming in and buying homes with cash offers so that everyday Nevadans don't even have a chance to bid on their home. We have to provide protections so that our folks can afford a place to live.”

Portrait photo by Harmony Hildebrand shared with permission to reuse.

Reducing class sizes in northern Nevada is another goal of hers.  As a world history teacher at North Valleys High School she experiences this problematic overcrowding first hand, with over 35 students in each of her six classes.   

“The national average is about 15 students per class and I think at the high school level, the sweet spot would be around 25 students. You know, the problem with having 35 to 38 students in a class is a lot of behavior issues, [some] students want to perform in front of a crowd, other students get left behind because maybe they're not the bright star of the class or they are just kind of quiet.”

The state has been investing more in education, after being chronically underfunded for decades, but she says “it's not going to be a one session solution.”

Seeking the seat from the other side of the political aisle, Diana Sande, who works as a Health Communications Manager at UNR, got an early endorsement from Government Lombardo, something La Rue Hatch says voters should think about.

“I think that you have a governor who vetoes every single piece of legislation that is meant to address housing, every piece of legislation that's meant to address climate change, every piece of legislation that's meant to address gun safety, even a bill that's meant to get kids in school, that's what our free school lunches and breakfasts [are] to me … And so it is it is a community concern,” she said. “But there are a lot of candidates who support all of those vetoes. I think those are pretty extreme. And I think if you're a candidate that supports that, then you need to explain to the voters why you support those policies.”

Even though she’s an incumbent, she says she takes no vote for granted, and will work to speak to as many voters as possible in a swing district in a swing state with high national stakes as well. 

La Rue Hatch who grew up on a cattle ranch near Pyramid Lake, before going to college at Boston University, then working on campaigns and volunteering for non-profits, says she had a sense of service instilled in her by her grandma who took care of her and ran a daycare for the kids of first responders.  

“I just wanted to give back to my community in whatever way … And I always teach my students, you know, you need to follow your passions, but your passions need to serve others. You need to use your gifts to help other people, because that, I think, is really the purpose for all of us on this planet,” she concluded.  

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2024

End of an Era for the Jacobs Bought Out Gold 'N Silver Inn

Workers were emptying out parts of the usually “always open” Gold ’N Silver Inn Monday, as a sign said it was closed until Thursday, as it’s now under the management of Jacobs Entertainment, as part of its buyout spree of entire swaths of downtown Reno, most of it now dirt lots surrounded by unstable fencing.

"Jacobs Entertainment extends its sincerest gratitude for everything Jeff Paine has done for this community and we are excited to carry on the legacy of The Gold 'N Silver Inn," Jacobs Entertainment said in a statement.

A favorite restaurant for many locals, it’s been an iconic venue on 4th street since the 1960s, and which according to their sign was established in 1956.

It was bought by Jacobs Entertainment in January last year, with Paine saying he was ready to retire after owning and running the restaurant for over 35 years.

Nearby, the Chapel of the Bells, closed for a while now after also being bought out, is slowly decaying, with litter all around it. A historical home is boarded up behind it, also bought out, with birds flying in and out of broken windows.

Several unhoused people pushing their belongings could be seen walking in front of the Jacobs Gold Dust West across the street, while people living in an RV had a view of the now familiar multi colored and quickly fraying Neon Line District fabric which covers the fences around the many dirt lots.

Many of these were previously the site of motels, and due to the affordable housing crisis, often the last or first resort before or after homelessness.

Our Town Reno Photography and Reporting, April 2024

Jake Erwin, a Young Photographer / Videographer Taking on the Reno Music Scene

While Jake Erwin may have outgrown multiple cameras, he says he began to grow into himself when he moved to Reno at the age of 23.

He found himself in the Biggest Little City after wanting a fresh start away from Susanville, California. Moving to an unfamiliar place, with no friends besides his uncle, it was uncomfortable at first to adjust. However Jake has flourished in this new city and has quickly become a go to photographer and videographer for the local music scene.

When Jake was 16, him and his brother started playing Call of Duty, a popular video game that pins clans against each other to engage in combat as a soldier. At the time, in 2012, it was common for people to record the gameplay and create a video montage to upload to YouTube. Jake quickly found that he preferred editing videos of the game rather than playing it and thus his passion for creating content began. 

He taught himself how to edit through YouTube tutorials and trial and error. As his skills progressed he became interested in graphic design and decided to attend college pursuing a more fine arts based education. After about four months he realized that graphic design was not his passion and Jake left school. 

A little shocked and discouraged that graphic design hadn’t been what he thought it would be, he began to find local jobs to work at while he figured out what he wanted to do. He worked at Papa Murphy’s along with other jobs in Susanville until he decided to make a drastic change. After some bad stuff had happened, he says, he packed his things, moved to Reno and bought a Subaru WRX. Little did he know that this car would lead him to the discovery of his lifelong passion. 

Through some friends, Jake began getting into the local car scene. He and his friends would organize and attend car meetups and film content of cars with the help of a photographer in their spare time. Unfortunately they had a falling out with their photographer and with no one there to film the cars, Jake stepped up and bought his first camera.

An EOS Rebel T7 camera that Jake describes now as adequate for a beginner. He started teaching himself how to take pictures but after six months he quickly realized he had outgrown the camera and he decided to sell it to his friend Josh, another local Reno photographer who goes by takeone_visuals on Instagram. He then bought a new camera at the end of 2021 and kept that equipment until the middle of 2023. 

Between November 2021 through June 2023, Jake said he became a well sought after car photographer. While he loved taking pictures he began to stop loving the car scene in Reno as a whole. “That final six to eight month period from November of 2022 to June of 2023, I didn't enjoy cars anymore. It was mostly just due to people I had encountered… I just kind of fell out of love with the car side of it. But I was still really in love with the picture side of it,” he says. 

Through this weird transition period of falling out of love with the scene he had become so accustomed to, Jake started attending more concerts with his girlfriend.

He said that it wasn’t until he went to a concert at the GSR in July that he started noticing photographers running around the stage capturing music artists. At this show in particular he saw a man in all black sprinting back and forth as he captured memories for the bands In This Moment, Motionless in White, From Ashes to New, and Fit For a King.

Jake said he was curious and then he had a realization, “what's this guy doing running around up on stage–I want to do that. I want to figure that out.” 

After the show he figured out that the photographer had been Ian Urquhart. He found his Instagram and reached out to Ian. Unsure where to start, Jake also asked for some tips and Ian kindly sent him a long list of things to do. Or as Jake describes it, a “bible” on how to become successful in musical and touring photography. Jake was incredibly grateful for these tips as most people in the photography scene gatekeep their methods. 

Before diving into the list, Jake had to buy a new camera because he had sold his old one in the middle of 2023. However life got in the way and buying a camera had to become a later priority but once he was able to, with the help of his girlfriend, Jake bought a Sony A7R III, which Jake describes as the perfect combination of video and photo. He also credits his girlfriend as his biggest supporter. “She has been, just, the most supportive person that I could ever ask for in my life. She’s the one person in my life that i've met, that no idea has been stupid to her, no idea has been too far out of reach for her” and so she pitched in to help make Jake’s vision come true.

So, with the help of his girlfriend and some local bands, he started to get into the music scene. Over the last summer Jake and his girlfriend rebuilt a gazebo in their backyard that served as the perfect makeshift venue for their friends in the band, Quitter, who had approached them asking if they knew of any places they could perform. Emberwake was one of the bands on the bill and their song Monster spoke to Jake.

That was what inspired him to shoot a music video for them. “I was like hey, this song I, I really want to get my hands on this. I don’t have the camera yet, and I don't have any pictures to show you. I don’t have any video to show you of what I’m capable of, but take my word for it. I’m good for it.” 
Emberwake happily agreed and the two started planning out music video ideas, times, and locations. However, right before filming was set to begin, Steven, one of Emberwake’s vocalists, broke his foot. The camera mentioned previously arrived in the mail three days after this incident. Jake was really bummed but he understood and so they postponed filming. 

Their focus shifted back to planning from September through November of 2023. At one of Emberwake’s September shows at the Remedies Bar, Jake asked them if he could take pictures of them performing completely free of charge. They offered to pay him and he denied saying, “They were like so what’s your Venmo we’ll give you– and I'm like no no no no. I don’t want that expectation first of all, to be put over my head. You know like, in my head I don't want to not live up to what that dollar value would have been” because these guys are way too generous Jake says. 

He used this show as an opportunity to improve his photography skills and step into the world of photographing bands for the first time. During this time he also started attending Holland Project shows. Reporter Lauren Juillerat, in the band BenderWorld, was playing one of the nights Jake came to take photos. His photos provided them with some beautifully captured moments of their performance and when he told them that was only his second time photographing bands, they were shocked. “He is incredibly talented. The photos he took that night in October are still some of our favorites to this day” Lauren says. 

Jake says that he was following Ian’s advice and seeking out local venues to help him improve his skills. He says that The Holland Project was very welcoming. Anyone with or without experience is invited to attend and enhance their abilities or enjoy shows put on by local and touring bands. 

It wasn’t until early November that he and Emberwake were finally able to begin filming. This consisted of very late nights in the freezing cold since that was the only time all seven of them were free. But this experience was not only rewarding in a creative sense, but also in a friendship sense. From complete strangers in the beginning, to good friends at the end, lots of laughs were exchanged on set. “If you’ve seen it, it was a very emotional video. But, behind the scenes of recording it, it was just laughs. It was constant fun” Jake says. 

They had no budget for the music video. Meaning any money that was used came directly from Jake’s paychecks. His experience was developed along the way as he experimented with his new camera and new found companions. 

Emberwake was just the beginning. Because of them, Jake was able to showcase his talent through videography and photography and gain a multitude of opportunities after the music video release for Monster. Such as his first arena show in early 2024 and being paid to shoot four to five shows on average a week. 

His advice to anyone new to the Reno photography/videography scene is, “do not charge anyone, until you'd be comfortable paying for your own experience. People assume I'm getting paid, so I'm good. Money does not make you good.” In the meantime he recommends practicing your skills at venues like The Holland Project. That way you don't have to worry about contacting bands in advance. Just show up, take pictures and learn the etiquette of the creative field. He also encourages wearing all black when taking pictures at events. “I do my best to lay low and be a fly on the wall” so he doesn't draw attention away from the performers. 

Jake also wants to warn beginners that when you do start out in this creative field, there is a lot more bad than good initially. You have to really love it to be able to get past the rejection and hate in order to do this long term. 

He also recommends being realistic to an extent. Currently, Jake is fortunate enough to say that this has become his full time job. However he doesn't just do photos in the music scene. He helps local businesses with commercials and photographs as well. For example, Low Boost Performance is a local business he does social media for. “Have plans in place. This isn’t a guaranteed job” says Jake. 

Jake constantly strives to improve his work. He is currently working with Split Persona, a Reno band, on a music video that will be released within the next few months. He is also attending local shows and venues and aims to expand on storytelling with his work in the coming months.

Our Town Reno reporting by Lauren Juillerat

Amy, With a Manager's Job and No Dependents, But Struggling Mightily in Biggest Little City

“I’m to the point of almost giving up, like ‘no I can’t do this’,” Amy who in her 40s says of trying to survive in a rapidly changing and costlier Reno. She’s been sharing local resources she’s found with Our Town Reno via email to share with the community and now she wanted to share her own story in more detail.  

She works as a manager for a self storage company for $16 an hour, while living in a small 325 square feet apartment or what she calls “a glorified hotel room,” for $1,000 near the Row.

She wanted to stay anonymous, not wanting her ex husband to find her or to lose her job. She initially moved to Reno to flee her ex, after traveling non stop with another previous job, to find a place where she could start over.

Initially she worked in a friendly thrift store where there was a sense of community. Then the pandemic rolled around, and she got a slightly higher paying job, but still she struggles. 

“I don't have any savings. My car is falling apart, and I don't have enough money to fix it,” she said. 

She says she’s in a category that gets little to no help, making too much money to qualify for welfare, able bodied, employed, with health insurance, housed, “sane,” even if dealing with mental health challenges, not addicted, not a veteran, sober, without dependents, but still struggling, not eating healthy enough, always afraid of her car totally breaking down, not being able to afford co pays for proper health care. 

“We need just as much help as the next person does,” she says of people in her situation.  “There’s a lot of barriers, you have to already be on food stamps, already have to be going through sober living, but none of that applies to me and others struggling.”  

She’s tried to enlist in different local assistance programs, but “by the time that you're done with all this rigamarole, you're just ‘well, anyway, I mean, I said to myself, I'm like, my God, I'm giving up.’” 

Food banks she says are often closed when she has time to get to them, so she relies on Karma Boxes to have just enough to eat. 

Her company offered her on site housing but she says conditions there were “hideous” and probably wouldn’t pass code enforcement, and you can have someone knocking at your window who needs help in the middle of the night, she said of why she decided to avoid that option.  

Downtown, where she lives instead, she says she falls asleep to gunfire and people fighting over drugs, she walks around with mace and knives to protect herself, and every morning she’s grateful her car hasn’t been broken into.  

She’d like to see more meals on wheels, at more different times, and not just for seniors.  She’s worried about worsening traffic, wildfires and earthquakes.  She says people have gotten less and less friendly locally in recent years.   

“I don't want to, like, go somewhere and lie and say, yeah, well, I'm homeless, you know, and can you give me resources for this? I don't drink, I don't do drugs, but I can’t get ahead here,” she concluded.   

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2024

Kathleen Taylor, Receiving and Spending Lots of Money in Unpredictable Ward 1 Race

As wards were redrawn recently, and longtime council member Jenny Brekhus is being termed out, a crucial, unpredictable primary is taking place currently for our new Ward 1, now encompassing downtown, much of 4th street, UNR, parts of University Ridge, and the Spaghetti Bowl.

Contribution and expenses reports for the January to March 2024 period show a casino and developer backed non elected incumbent currently in a different ward receiving and spending much more than her opponents, a candidate favored by the local Latino political machinery getting money from a controversial charter school company and a people’s champion candidate getting dozens and dozens of individual contributions. 

The Ward 5 selected councilwoman now running in an election Kathleen Taylor has received $42,327 in January through March contributions, while spending a whopping $49,507. As we previously reported, she received over $100,000 in contributions last year, filling up her coffers to stay on Council.

Notable recent contributions for Taylor come from the casino affiliated, from “Circus an Eldorado Joint Venture” ($5,000), Cindy Carano ($250), and Cal Neva ($1,000), the developer realm, including S3 Development ($1,000), mortgage lender Alpen Mortgage ($1,500), marketing company Nevada Trip Partners ($2,500), and the Builders Association of Northern Nevada ($2,500), the Kaempfer Crowell law firm ($2,500), NV Energy ($1,500) and Savage and Son ($1,000).

Taylor’s spending has gone mostly to Dietz Media and Marketing, Las Vegas based G8 Political LLC, Tom Clark Solutions and Tiffany East PR, who always does well come campaign season.

There’s also a $562 charge to Samsung and a $500 one to Stripe and $40 to the City of Reno.  

One of her two opponents Frank Perez, a former chair of the Washoe County Library Board, raised $22,457 while spending $15,897.  A big check for him came from the controversial for profit charter school education company Academica Nevada ($2,500), while another big chunk of change came from IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39 Nevada Voice ($5,000).  He’s spent most of his money with Google, Changing Dynamics Political Consulting, Stripe, ActBlue, Reno Type, USPS, Southwest Airlines, Tissot Solutions, Señor Tequila’s Mexican Kitchen and Cantina, Mari Chuy’s and Costco. 

There’s also 12 small charges of $15 and less at Cafe con Papi.  

Lily Baran, meanwhile, a champion of progressive causes, has received $10,025 while spending $4,180.

Her contributions come entirely from individual donors, over 100 of them, many of them familiar in advocate circles and from public comment speakers at the city and county level.  

Her spending has gone notably to Darren Archembault ($600) (correct spelling should be Darren Archambault) and several other individuals.

Each candidate has misspellings for some donors or recipients and several companies use different names in their contributions, which can make these campaign financial disclosures less clear cut sometimes in terms of figuring out who is getting and who is giving out lots of money during local campaigns.  Still for Ward 1, the lines are clear. It remains to be seen who will have the winning formula in what we see as a very competitive race.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2024

Setas Seminary "Psychedelic Church" Returns With Cold Plunge

After an introductory gathering, Setas Seminary is returning with a cold plunge on April 21st, with a 7:30 a.m. gathering at Hub Coffee on 727 Riverside Drive, with a “sensation session” followed by a dip “into the crisp Truckee River.”

Other upcoming events following moon cycles include discussing Food as Medicine, Fun & Healthy Summertime Dishes, Mind, Body and Mood, and a Summer Solstice Celebration.

Setas Seminary, founded by Reverend Dr. Leah Linder and Reverend Pam Conboy, kicked off its inaugural event with a Spring Equinox Celebration in late March. 

Described as a Church of Spiritual Integration, the Seminary also calls itself a psychedelic church, giving interested members access to psilocybin, which founders of the church say is helpful for overall health. 

As long as they follow the rules of a formally established church they believe their practitioners will be protected from prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act—which still lists psilocybin mushrooms under Schedule I, meaning according to the DEA “that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”

“You actually need to use less over time,” Leah Linder informed the audience of curious participants at the first gathering when discussing psilocybin mushrooms. “Eventually, the goal is to thrive without outside help.”

At the Equinox Celebration, Linder and co-founder Pam Conboy organized mini-workshops such as breath work, yoga and massage. 

In the breath work session, participants were taught the box breathing method of system regulation.

At this Sunday’s event, according to its website, participants will be taught Wim Hof breathing techniques, while beverages and snacks will be provided. Attendees are being asked to bring their own towel and something warm to slip into post-plunge. Setas towels and a book by the Dutch motivational speaker Wim Hof, also known as the Iceman, will be available with donation.

Reporting and Photos by Em Tomeo shared with Our Town Reno