Expansion by Demolition of Housing Authority Hawk View Apartments Causes Stresses, Concerns

A resident of the Reno Housing Authority-run Hawk View Apartments on Steelwood Lane scurries along on a sweltering summer day, confirming he needs to leave his residence soon, as it’s being torn down to be rebuilt much bigger and safer.

The Hawk View location currently has lots of trees, shaded areas, a colorful playground, a convenient picnic spot, all less than a 10 minute walk to a bus stop, a Sonic and a gas station. The RHA says it’s on shaky ground though, and an ability to access private capital has led it to pursue its imminent demolition and double its units with new construction penciled in to be started this fall and completed within two years. 

A “relocation plan” was drawn up by the contracted Boston-based HousingtoHome entity last October, but it now feels sudden for residents who haven’t found an alternative just yet, and worrisome for community advocates.  

One resident Judith is unimpressed, despite repeated meetings and a unit which was proposed to her as a replacement elsewhere. 

“The one unit they gave me to look at was totally not from my preferences I mentioned to them,” she says. “But we went and took a Lyft to check it out but the manager never showed up after waiting there for a half hour by office in this heat. So we get back and mention it to HousingtoHome and they told us we need to look for our own place then. This is supposed to be their job not ours. They want us to move, not us. And what’s really messed up they locked up the 24 hour laundry room the other day so no one can do laundry and with no prior notice either. I don’t think that is fair.”

Judith says a definitive move-out date initially scheduled for the end of June has now been pushed back to the end of July but without the ability to do laundry this uncertain transition phase has becoming increasingly challenging.

She says the pending move is “stressful to say the least,” especially since she suffers from agoraphobia and panic attacks. 

Judith says she recently felt threatened to put in an application for new housing, which she finally did at Altitude by Vintage on Sky Valley Dr., without any hope she’ll end up with an apartment there. 

She says she suffers from mental disabilities, is on Social Security disability payments, and pays $317 for her unit, or about 30% of her income.  

Judith is currently trying to add her mother to her housing application  which is complicating the process.  

In addition to the help from HousingtoHome, JD Klippenstein, the RHA Director of Development says all costs for each resident’s move is being paid for by the housing authority, including “packing supplies, packing assistance, and then additionally paying for security deposits, the move and moving fees for the new apartments that they are identifying. All of the tenants initially were offered a comparable unit that they can move to,” he said.

Klippenstein said about 24 households have already permanently relocated, 13 already have moving dates pending, and “the vast majority of the remainder have applications and are in the process of attaching the voucher to the unit that they found.”

All will be offered continued rental assistance.  

Klippenstein said the RHA is doing a $80 million redevelopment of the Hawk View Apartments due to what he described as “serious foundational issues,” even though it received a City of Reno inspection score of 99 just five years ago.

“The inspection score is related to probably day to day items in terms of things the landlord would be responsible for, for the units, inside the units. So what it reflects is that we did our best to make the property very safe and livable conditions. But it doesn't take into account the underlying structural issues of the building,” Klippenstein said. He says it was built in the early eighties on clay, with shifting foundations since it was constructed. 

The late Joyce Cowdin loved the Hawk View Apartments after spending years unhoused and living in motels.

The Director of Development also wanted to make clear in the long run units here will be added in this revamp, going from the current 100 units, to 199, with all of them having attached vouchers or “income targeting.” 

“We received funding which really let us leverage the opportunity to reinvest in affordable housing on that site and ensure that those families are taken care of,” he explained. “So it meets this threshold that HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) provides for obsolescence, meaning that essentially it would be more cost effective to demolish and rebuild versus simply rehab and then continue to deal with the foundational issues.”

The displacement of so many vulnerable residents and the imminent tear down of accessible housing has caught the eye of community advocate Ilya Arbatman, a frequent public speaker at local government meetings.

“Generally, the problematic aspect of larger-scale projects like these is when the actual people they are supposed to benefit are kind of an afterthought,” Arbatman wrote to us. “Sure, RHA is excited because they can add some units and put up new public housing. But in the two years between demolition and future move-in (and that's an estimate - we can assume that things will take longer, as they tend to - the original move-out date was end of June and already it’s been pushed to end of July), those units will disappear completely. What if something happens and the new construction gets stalled? The big bureaucracy public housing model is at its weakest when it makes big decisions like these.”

The mechanism used to operate this turnaround is HUD’s so-called Section 18 Demolition and Disposition which also allows getting access to private capital for a refurbish.

“It is being financed through the low income housing tax credit and private activity bonds, which about 95% of all subsidized affordable housing in the country is built using this,” Klippenstein explained.  “So there's a tax credit investor who does own through the ownership entity 99.9% of it. They are a silent partner, though, in the day to day management of the property. The housing authority stays in as the managing member of the new ownership entity.”

But private developers Arbatman says “are not accountable to the public in any way… [They] can bail on a project, declare bankruptcy, change their mind, etc. and leave the people they were allegedly serving with no recourse other than litigation, which is costly and trying for any low-income community. Some recent changes to this law are intended to make this public/private collab easier so RHA can use "Section 18 to demolish or dispose of public housing to help PHAs reposition public housing to a more sustainable financial platform and access private capital,”” according to HUD language he researched,

Klippenstein says the current timeline is to have the new units all “leased up starting fall of 2026,” with a 68-unit building, three other 20 to 30 unit building and several townhomes.  

“We wanted to offer a variety of unit types so that folks can find a unit that meets their need and the townhomes in particular we're excited about bringing on also, and have a community building as well,” he said of current plans.  

“In terms of the exterior, I would say it's much more modern than what it is, but it doesn't look like it was built in the eighties. It's a much more modern design and I would say on par with most market level market properties,” he said.  

He sees the transition process as worth the current effort.  

“It’s a really worthwhile investment in the community to both increase affordable housing but also ensure that we have high quality, affordable housing available for decades to come while being able to continue to meet the needs of the current residents,” Klippenstein concluded in our phone conversation.  

“We're really excited. It was nearing the edge of the end of its usable life without serious investment. And this is the serious investment that we are able to make,” which includes combining different sources of funding and state loan funding.  

Arbatman would like to see more proof of the foundational issues leading to this tear down and access to private capital, including from an unbiased party, a full account of all relocated tenants, and whether all of them do end up with satisfactory housing, and how many people who enjoyed living at these units will get to return.

Judith says she’s been living at Hawk View Apartments with her Dad since 2016 and started really liking some of her neighbors, who she says are equally disgruntled by this looming displacement.  

“I’ve been a good tenant, never late on my rent never caused problems but I really feel I wont find a place. The lady down below me is in a wheelchair and they have been looking for places that are upstairs, ok come on how is she supposed to get up stairs you know. I’m having a really hard time finding a place in north Reno where I want to stay and it’s hard,” she said.

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2024

Recount Requested in Three Local Primary Races

There will be recount ballot counting at the expense of three candidates: Lily Baran, who finished third by just 15 votes to Frank Perez for second place for the November runoff for Reno Ward 1 City Council against Kathleen Taylor; Mark Lawson who was 1725 votes behind Clara Andriola for the Republican nomination for the Republican leaning County Commission District 4 seat; and Paul White, who was 2317 votes behind Diane Nicolet to face off against Perry Rosenstein for the District G School Trustee position.

A message from Candee Ramos in the communications team for Washoe County sent to commissioners and forwarded to Our Town Reno today confirmed this.

"There are three races from the most recent primary election that have had demands for a recount: Mark Lawson for County Commission District 4, Paul White for School Board Trustee District G, and Lily Baran for Reno City Council Ward 1," the email indicated.

"Per NRS 293.405(3) and NAC 293.365, the recount must commence within 5 days of the demand, it must be completed within 5 days after commencing, and it must be canvassed within 5 working days of completion. Our interim ROV, Cari-Ann Burgess, has indicated her intention is to begin the recount this Friday and finish over the weekend.

The canvass for the recount has been scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 2 at 8 a.m. in Chambers."

It remains unclear how much the recounts will cost for each candidate, which they need to pay for and then only get reimbursed if the result is reversed.

In an email forwarded to media County Commissioner Mike Clark asked several questions: "Is it possible to watch the recount? And if so – when can that be done over a weekend – how do people enter the county complex. I attended a recount back in 2014 and we all sat around and watched in a designated area.

Also, why is this meeting not listed on the Commission Agenda portal, I looked about an hour ago.

Why have this before the fire board and not after, are we attempting to make this the most difficult as possible for residents to show up?"

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2024

Outrage Reigns at Washoe County School Board, while Trustee Kicked out of County GOP

The statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization Silver State Equality said two of its representatives who spoke at a Washoe County School Board meeting to oppose book bans had to leave the meeting due “to safety concerns after being harassed — blocked from returning to their seats, and subjected to derogatory comments, with one person even laying hands on them under the guise of praying.”

The group called behavior at the meeting in which speakers read from passages in books available at some local schools they deemed unacceptable “abhorrent and inexcusable.”

A speaker was forcefully escorted from the podium after he declined to stop reading a passage as asked, leading to chants from others taking part in a heated public comment session.

The meeting went into recess twice, including when North Carolina pastor John Amanchukwu, a regular at these types of meetings across the country, started reading passages from "American Psycho."

“Many Washoe County parents support the First Amendment and believe that diverse representation in literature fosters acceptance and a love of learning. In addition, they also support Washoe County School District’s existing parental choice program, which allows parents to monitor and restrict specific titles, genres, and themes. This support was evident in the approximately 40 public comments submitted via email, none of which supported book bans. Banning books effectively bans the people and communities they represent, echoing historical dark periods that should not be repeated,” Silver State Equality wrote in a statement sent out this morning.

It concluded by urging the Washoe County School District “to keep books in school libraries, ensuring they remain safe spaces for learning, exploration, and representation.”

In other school board related news, elected District B Trustee, whose term expires in 2027, Coleen Westlake, was censured and “removed” from the Washoe County Republican Party by its central committee at a meeting earlier this week at Boomtown casino.

A resolution indicated she allegedly “hurt the Republican brand, Republican values, Republicans as a whole, the community in general and, in particular and of most concern, all Washoe County students and their parents.”

The Washoe County branch has also recently kicked out County Commissioner Clara Andriola, for not being “Republican enough,” and voting too often with Democrats, even though both Andriola and Westlake remain Republicans.

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2024

Laurie, Dealing with Loss, while Paying to Sleep in her Tent

Laurie says the encampment she stays at in Reno charges people to sleep there, but she still prefers it to the Nevada Cares Campus, which is why she says she panhandles.  She says she recently lost both her dad and husband, and is trying to reconnect with several of her children who live in northern Nevada and work at Tesla.  Interview and photo by Andrew Maples.

“My name is Laurie. 

This dog is my service dog. 

My dad recently passed away in California.

With my husband we were thinking of taking his ashes to Arkansas, but on the way our motorhome broke down.

I was trying to replace the engine, but then the motorhome got stolen, and then my husband passed away in Utah, from heat exhaustion, a really bad heat stroke.

I’ve been here a few weeks now. My older children live here, they work at Tesla.

I'm just trying to reconnect with them.

I'm just out here trying to make some money so that I could pay this lady some money so I don't have to move my tent because … I can't like stay there for free. “

Our Town Reno reporting by Andrew Maples 

Lily Baran Seeks Money for Recount in Reno Ward 1 Race

While first place finisher in the Reno Ward 1 Council primary race Kathleen Taylor is sending new text messages to would be November voters, and locals on social media are calling on voters to choose second place finisher Frank Perez to oust an incumbent who was initially selected to become a seat holder, the third place finisher in the race by just 15 votes Lily Baran is preparing to officially ask for a hand recount, trying to finish up getting money for the effort she needs to pay for herself, expected to be in the five figure territory.

The deadline to ask for such a recount is Wednesday. 

“This is a rare instance where a hand recount is something you would want to do,” Baran said today.  “ We should do our due diligence to count everybody who voted at all.  At this point, all the votes are in the building. Let’s just count them all,” she said.

Final released tallies in percentages had Taylor at 29.13%, Perez at 24.10% and Baran at 23.67%. 

Baran is hoping this race and others will get Nevada to eventually join two dozen other states and Washington D.C. in automatically triggering recounts for razor thin margins.  She sees it as a disadvantage to grassroots candidates as herself, also pointing out that Black women candidates as a demographic have the biggest challenges in receiving fundraising support.  

According to Ballotpedia, “Nevada allows any candidate defeated at any election to request a recount…The deadline to request a recount is no later than three business days after the canvass of the vote. Each recount must begin within five days after the request and must be completed no later than five days after its start. The requester is responsible for costs associated with the recount unless the recount changes the election outcome in his or her favor, in which case the requester is refunded any costs paid. If the recount does not change the election outcome, the requester may receive a refund if the costs paid were greater than the cost of the recount.”

We asked the county’s communications director Bethany Drysdale to confirm this and the exact price point to which she responded “the cost is based on the number of ballots to be recounted. So a recount for a statewide office – senator, for example – would cost a lot more than a recount for a local and small-district office. For example, Joey Gilbert requested a recount for the gubernatorial primary in 2022 at a cost of $84,000. The Registrar of Voters would need to look at how many ballots were cast in Reno Ward 1, and then provide an estimate based on that. “

Baran said she’s heard from several people that even though they thought they had voted accurately, when they checked, their ballots had not been counted.

In one instance she says two friends voted at the same time for her, and made a video, dropping their ballots at the same time on June 8th, and only one of the two had their vote counted.  

Baran also said mail-in voting is great, but that with voter rolls slow to update, many renters who move never get that option.  She’s asking for people who did vote to check if their vote was counted and let her know if it wasn’t. 

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2024

What makes you want to gamble? An Audio Story

In a city known for casinos attracting tourists, what do Reno locals think about gambling? Aimee Arellano went to a well known casino, the Grand Sierra Resort, to get a feel of what goes through the mind of Reno gamblers when wagering money. Audio feature here with script below:

Walking around local casinos, machines beep and light up.

The heavy smell of smoke can be overwhelming at first but when having fun and getting free drinks the smell slowly become less intrusive.

When no one is playing a machine, these always seem to be making noises related to promising payouts.  But when the losing begins, what do people start to think? 

“When you’re losing you want to believe it is rigged but I think it's all about luck at the end of the day,” Rizzo a Reno local says of his own gambling abilities.

“The most I lost was like $1400 at a blackjack table at the Peppermill,” he remembers, that big loss still etched in his brain.

Recently, Rizzo has turned to sports betting, which has become year-round, and increasingly within each game, with play by play possibilities.

“The most I have won on sports betting in a day is like $2000,” he says.

Another Reno local, Allen Palomino, also enjoys sports betting and likes to bet on his favorite teams, even though he says it may not be the best strategy with emotions getting in the way.

“I think it's the adrenaline, the feeling you can get when you can win a small amount of money,” he says of what keeps him returning to sports betting.

When does a fun hobby become an addiction though? 

When you are on a long losing streak, trying to win lost money back, Rizzo said, can be a slippery slope.

“It's hard to stop because you're always thinking ‘I'm going to get it back I’m going to get it back’ but it just never comes back,” he warns others who might be thinking of getting into gambling.

Remember, he says, in the end, the house always wins.

Our Town Reno audio reporting by Aimee Arellano

A'Keia Sanders, Bringing Reno Together for Juneteenth

Before lunch time on June 19, 2024, A’Keia Sanders was busy helping several food trucks navigate their way into the Glow Plaza, as a Juneteenth event previously scheduled as a parade on Virginia Street pivoted to the 4th street location for food, music with a local DJ and games.  

“This is a pilot event, the first of its kind on the day of here, “ the programming chair for the Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society explained.  Several of the food trucks are run by Black-owned businesses, including Wing King of Reno and the Potluck.  

“It’s a good time to hang out.  We are asking for a $5 donation, but entry is free. We'll have some of the beverage stations open with free water,” she said.

“We are bringing the community out and together, educating them because I know that this is a new holiday that has been passed in our state as well as nationally, is very controversial and a lot of people don't understand it.  So we try to be that middle person to give that education with love as well as unify, unify our community,” she further explained.

The new Nevada state holiday, established last year, recognizes the historic day of June 19th, 1865 when remaining enslaved Black Americans were finally freed in Galveston, Texas, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Sanders, a Georgia native, who served in the U.S. Navy says she celebrates both July 4th and Juneteenth.

“We're not trying to deter from we are Americans and we're not trying to deter from other holidays. I think the big thing is education, because a lot of people just don't know and they're afraid to ask, you know?” she said. 

Her last duty station was in Fallon, which then brought her to northern Nevada in Spanish Springs, where she now lives with her husband and two boys.  

“We’ve decided to make this community our home and we're invested in making it better,” she says.

Sanders now works as the deputy director of the Nevada Governor's office of Federal Assistance, trying to lift Nevada from its current position of being 48th in the nation in receiving federal funding.

“We want to educate in a friendly environment and bring the community out, have a good time, but still make them aware of some of the things that went on through history that affected us as Black Americans that is American history,” she concluded before going back to getting the important local festivities going.  

Our Town Reno reporting, June 19, 2024

Terra Stodtmeister, An Advocate for Surviving Endometriosis

Terra Stodtmeister, a Reno photographer well-known in the community, survived stage 4 endometriosis and had a long but ultimately infinitely rewarding experience with becoming a mother, through adoption.

During that process, Stodtmeister became a local advocate for those battling infertility.

“I started pushing really hard to get answers. I started seeing GI doctors, OBGYNs, allergists, like literally anyone who I could see. I even got my bloodwork done,” she says of her own journey to get treatment and understand what was happening with her body.

According to the Endometriosis Treatment Center of America “Stage 4 of endometriosis is considered severe. This stage is characterized by many deep endometrial implants and large cysts on at least one ovary. Thick adhesions appear throughout the pelvic region, causing widespread scar tissue and an increased risk of infertility. ‘

“No one said the word Endo [short for endometriosis],” Stodtmeister said of her initial medical appointments. “The first time I heard the word, Endo, I was sharing my story on Instagram and posting some of the symptoms I was having, and so many women dm’d me saying they thought I had endo,” she remembers of how people on social media came to the rescue. 

Part of her journey can be found on her Instagram @redpoppymama

She joined Facebook groups allowing her to avoid unhelpful doctors, leading her to trustworthy doctors to help her with the pain she was enduring.

“There is a file on the Facebook page that shows you excision surgeons that have been kind of vetted, so then you're not going to multiple surgeons and having multiple abrasions, which is essentially just burning the inside of you,” said Stodtmeister. 

By actively engaging with online communities and vetted resources, Stodtmeister navigated her path to recovery, finding an excision specialist all the way in Georgia. Her journey to feeling better underscores the importance of support and finding the right doctors.

With 5-10% of women in the 15-49 age range affected by endometriosis, Stodtmeister emphasized the need for more research and awareness. 

“Having a buddy to go with you…is the first thing I wish I did,” she says.

Stodtmeister now serves as a resource for other women through her own social media platforms to help those struggling to find answers to understand similar diagnoses to what she endured.

“For me, sharing about endometriosis specifically and infertility, adoption, like so many things on social media have created better relationships, better friendships, and I feel like people can come together in a really beautiful way because they feel like they know you,” said Stodtmeister. 

 “It's been very affirming and really helpful for my journey and moving forward,” she concluded.

Reporting by Lexi Darcy and Kyra Marangi

The Truckee Meadows Park Foundation Perseveres in Preserving and Restoring Local Wetlands

Next time you find yourself in the great Reno outdoors, squint your eyes and imagine that there are no buildings, cars, or sidewalks. Picture the Truckee Meadows, free of infrastructure and city noise. There is the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west, and the Virginia and Pine Nut mountains in the east. If there was no city in between, what do you think you would see?
According to the Truckee Meadows Park Foundation, or TMPF, the state of Nevada has probably lost over 52% of its wetlands since settlers arrived in the West starting in the 1840s. Fortunately for us, TMPF has been working hard to preserve a little piece of the wetland ecosystem that used to thrive in this valley. 

The Rosewood Nature Study Area is composed of about 60 acres of marshy beauty, and it’s one of the only remaining wetlands here. The site used to be a golf course, until it was shut down in 2015. Over the next few years, the wetland was neglected, allowing invasive species to take over. In 2018, the city of Reno agreed to let TMPF work on the site, and they quickly got to work restoring the precious land with native species. 

In the summer of 2021, TMPF proudly opened Rosewood to the public– with a visitor center full of captivating taxidermy displays, as well as three miles of new trail. Recently, I had the opportunity to walk through the nature center. Less than 15 minutes from my house, I was transported into a world that I didn’t know could exist within our city limits.

Heidi Anderson, Executive Director of TMPF, and Jay Howard, the Trails Program manager, accompanied me as we meandered through the mesmerizing wetlands, with a beautiful view of the Sierra range everywhere we went. On our walk, we spoke about how we’ve found ourselves in this situation, of urgently scrambling to restore spaces like these. “Through channelization, agriculture, through development,” Anderson told me, “we've really just destroyed these wetlands.”

The U.S. loses about 50,000 acres of wetland each year due to these practices, which has much larger consequences than just the loss of pretty scenery. Wetlands have the keen ability to absorb and hold carbon dioxide, or CO2, one of the biggest contributors to the global climate crisis. Wetlands also control erosion– their ecosystem involves plants with strong roots, which hold the ground steady as water streams in from the mountains surrounding us.

Speaking of powerful ecosystems, wetlands here in northern Nevada are also homes to a whole slew of critters and birds. If you visit Rosewood Nature Center, you might just be lucky enough to spot a great blue heron, or a prairie falcon. There’s so much life swimming, flying, and hopping around that you’ll be sure to see something. On our walk, Henderson and Howard kept stopping to point out birds, and a couple of rare fish sightings. 

“We’ve identified over 100 different species of birds,” Anderson says with excitement, “and we continue to find more and more pretty much every month.” At Rosewood you also might encounter beavers, muskrats, marmots (check out @rosewoodmarmots!) or a family of weasels, although Anderson says that the weasels are a little shy. 

The real star of the show, though, is Peavine Pete. Pete is a rescue desert tortoise, who lives a seemingly comfy life in his little home at the TMPF visitor center. Although Pete isn’t native to northern Nevada, he fits in well amongst the multitude of species that are starting to thrive again at Rosewood. 

In the visitor center, alongside a friendly tortoise, you can also check out one of Rosewood’s most recent additions, their David’s chair. This rugged, motorized wheelchair provides a much needed resource to the disabled community. The chair operates in conjunction with a multitude of other tools and programs that TMPF has implemented, in hopes to increase access to the outdoors for all. 

Howard explained to me how important outdoor accessibility is at the new nature center: Rosewood also offers adaptive bicycles, and a couple of other wheelchairs equipped for a roll through the wetlands.  “I mean you go back five or 10 years, and this stuff didn't exist,” he remarks. Now, “it’s all about the sports world, and not leaving people behind.” 

As we walked through the wide gravel trails and talked about adaptive sports, I felt so grateful that such a beautiful part of this land would be accessible for disabled folks. The success of wetland restoration feels sweeter, knowing that it has and will be enjoyed by people with a wide range of abilities. Notably, TMPF has shown a strong commitment to accessibility across all of their programming.  

One of TMPF’s projects is the Truckee Meadows Trails Initiative, which Howard is “in charge of, so to speak,” in his words. The initiative is currently working on developing a unified trail system throughout all of Washoe County, which would greatly increase pedestrian accessibility. “There’s a lot going on in the trails community,” Howard tells me, “but not everyone is talking to everyone else. So we are trying to think regionally for our trail system, (and) create connectivity that doesn’t exist” (yet).

If you take a stroll through the Rosewood wetland, you’ll see the results of 14 restoration technicians working Monday-Friday to restore the land to its natural beauty. “We’re trying to remove those invasive species, and plant natives behind them,” Anderson says. “That’s really one of the most effective ways to rehabilitate a space.” Although the invasive plants can be stubborn, now Rosewood is full of cattails and swaying green reeds.

When I asked Howard and Anderson about the history of this place (prior to it being a golf course), they pointed out the importance of Indigenous ties to the wetland. “The Native American history is very important in this area,” Howard tells me, “you know, the people that were here before any of the European Americans showed up on the scene.”

For TMPF, the importance of Native history isn’t brushed aside with simply land acknowledgement lip service. The foundation partnered with local tribes when planning for the future of Rosewood, leading to decisions to plant willow trees, elderberry groves, and other species that are important to Indigenous life and ceremony. These are things that local tribes “continue to have less and less access to,” according to Anderson. “So being able to give that access back to the community is really important.”

By the time we finished our walk through Rosewood, I felt like I gained an entirely new insight on wetlands, and their crucial importance in our battle to sustain the world’s natural beauty and diversity. If you want to learn more about this incredible landscape and the role you play in preserving spaces like these, you can visit the Rosewood Nature Center at 6800 Pembroke Drive. Or, take a look at the Truckee Meadow Park Foundation website (tmparksfoundation.org) to learn more about their programs, projects, and upcoming events. 

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Ray Grosser

Reno Magick, Closing as a Brick and Mortar, but Not Disappearing

Reno Magick, a local favorite for the otherworldly inclined, is closing its brick and mortar store at 1004 S. Wells Ave. with goodbye sales there until June 30th, when it will go exclusively to virtual and select in person events, including a pop up booth at the Riverside Farmers Market.

Its modern witchcraft temple where it had rituals and classes has already stopped operating.

A steadfast community location for over a decade for witches, pagans and the spiritually tuned of northern Nevada, the shop has provided a variety of practice items as well as house-made incense, candles, sage and crystal wares.

A recent nostalgia visit had this reporter greeted with wafts of incense and the sound of soul-reaching music working its way around the building’s hand-painted muraled walls.

Going forward, after the big sale is over at the end of this month, the website renomagicstore.com is where their products will be sold online.

Rent for brick and mortar was getting too high, and the foot traffic that used to be there before the pandemic just doesn’t exist anymore. 

Owner Misty Grayknights said that she sees many businesses of the same niche having to shut their doors and convert to a different type of business model.

“We’re going through a weird time.” she said, “It’s not a recession but it’s damn close.” 

Grayknights will persevere by setting up at the local farmers markets and getting the word out through social media, but it just won’t be the same in person collective experience as it used to be at Reno Magick.

Reporting by Em Tomeo shared with Our Town Reno

Disappointment over Scope of County’s Investigation while More Accusations Target Grant Denton

Note: update below story with investigator’s findings.

While a narrow Washoe County investigation has started into the controversial conduct of Karma Box executive director Grant Denton, more ex-girlfriends, former colleagues and supervisors are coming forward with new allegations of what they call predatory behavior in multiple relationships and in work environments. 

We’ve also found out there’s been recent change in terms of work which had been previously delegated to Karma Box, the River Stewards program, now passed on to another nonprofit active in helping the unhoused, RISE. 

Those speaking out recently against Denton want him kept away from all work in recovery and homelessness spaces, including the Cares Campus safe camp where he is still contracted by the County.  

In terms of the River Stewards, some of the statements made related to the current investigation and interviews we did previously with the unhoused indicated there were concerns as to who was chosen by Denton to do the river cleanups, and how people were paid.  

“The River Stewards Program has not been active for several years until funding was recently provided to RISE this spring,” Kara Steeland from the Truckee Meadows Water Authority wrote to us.  “I believe Karma Box did not have the capacity to apply for funding or manage the program any longer. Under Karma Box, there was a gift card system in place to incentivize people to help clean up along the river. RISE will hire individuals on a contract basis who will work as River Stewards and be paid a living wage.”

The county investigation concerning Denton was started after a former girlfriend made public allegations against him at a county meeting on May 28th that he preyed on women in recovery workout programs. At the same public forum, an advocate for women and the unhoused read a statement on behalf of John Opalinski, a staff member with Bristlecone Family Resources and a board member of Reps 4 Recovery, also denouncing Denton for alleged misconduct.

It was then announced a county investigation would be carried out.

In one email shown to Our Town Reno, Mary Kandaras, the Chief Deputy District Attorney, wrote the investigation would “focus primarily” on the county’s contract with Karma Box to run the safe camp.

County Manager Eric Brown then indicated in a May 31st email that an independent investigator had been brought in “to investigate Grant Denton’s interactions with Safe Camp clients.  Grant has agreed to not come to the Safe Camp while the investigation is being conducted,” he wrote, saying this matter would be resolved “in a swift and fair manner.” 

The latest 990 Karma Box Project form we could find was from 2022, indicating $82,300 in compensation for Denton.  Last year, Denton already garnered negative media attention for not filing required tax forms to the IRS and losing nonprofit status temporarily.

At that time, County Commissioner Mike Clark said he had previous discussions with county management about Denton, concerned as to how the contract could be continued under those circumstances.

“Why are we doing business with somebody who for the lack of a better word is not officially licensed? That would be like the county hiring a plumber who wasn't licensed,” he said. 

Clark says he’s been receiving new statements against Denton daily, even hourly.   “I’ve asked for a fair, independent investigation,” he said. “I don't know if anybody's guilty of anything but I think we need to look a little bit wider than just what was taking place at the Cares Campus.”

New allegations range from threatening, demeaning and bullying behavior with the people he deals with personally and at work, especially women, in several positions he’s held since arriving in Reno, to being told of a sexual assault allegedly committed by Denton. 

We emailed Denton Friday about the accusations in the new statements we were cced on, but have yet to receive a response. In previous correspondence with Our Town Reno related to the initial accusations, he said he wasn’t a “perfect man,” but denied any wrongdoing.  In an interview with This is Reno, he called the multiplying accusations a “f****** witch hunt”, adding an expletive to a phrase often used by former President Donald Trump.  

One former girlfriend and supervisor of Denton’s Stacey Payne is also disappointed the investigation won’t have a bigger scope, but now that she’s made a statement released to media and elected officials, she says she’s resolute in making sure Denton never works in recovery and homelessness spaces again.

“He’s like a volcano always about to erupt.  He’s used steroids for years and admits to it,” she said, alleging he was getting these on the internet without a prescription. Side effects of long term steroid use can include irritability and aggression.  

In the This is Reno article,  Denton, who is in his mid 40s, admitted to partaking in testosterone replacement therapy, which he indicated was a common treatment for middle aged men in recovery with low testosterone.

Payne feels responsible as she says Denton followed her to Reno, where she says she introduced him to many people.

She says she first met Denton in Las Vegas ten years ago, through a men’s in-patient program where she spoke on behalf of the recovery homes she ran called BlueCove Homes. 

Denton, who had an abusive childhood and then veered into drug addiction as an adult in Las Vegas and repeated legal problems, including for domestic battery, went to live in one of these recovery homes, became a certified personal trainer and then Payne’s boyfriend.

When Payne started the LYFE Recovery sober living home company in northern Nevada in 2016, she says Denton soon came to visit with his two boys.

“I introduced him around to everyone I had been meeting in the recovery community,” Payne wrote. “He started out on his best behavior, but soon, the deception, the females, the lies, the yelling, the threatening, all came right back into my life. July 2017 was the last time I asked him to leave my home and shut the door.”

Despite the definitive breakup, Denton decided to remain in Reno, where he’s since been celebrated by local politicians, media and officials as a hero to help the unhoused, through his Karma Box donation locations, his energetic social media presence and public talks and subsequent outreach efforts and paid positions.  

Meanwhile, advocates for the unhoused and several women who have worked alongside him or dated him paint an entirely different picture.  

Payne says she used to cling on to hope Denton would become a “better man,” but now feels “a tremendous sadness for all who have suffered, and an anger that he has been able to fool so many… I had so hoped and prayed that during Grant's meteoric rise here in Reno, in the recovery community, that he had found his OWN recovery…That he had finally found some peace from his demons....but in my soul I know now, after hearing the latest accusations, that has not happened.”

In a follow up phone interview with Our Town Reno, Payne said she regretted not writing a statement sooner.  Now, she says, she won’t hold back whatever the investigation concludes, with a civil suit as another possible future path.

Payne said in the recovery and homelessness spaces, there is a high correlation with past sexual abuse and that for successful programs it’s not just about having shelter or not using substances anymore, but being “in a safe place with mentors around you that have been through it, that have come through their own traumas and are on the winning side of life again. That you have a predator in the midst of a vulnerable population … it absolutely cannot happen,” she concluded.

Others who sent statements and messaged with Our Town Reno wanted to stay anonymous, for fear of reprisals. 

A former coworker in the recovery sector said multiple clients reported Denton as being “emotionally abusive,” forcing himself into “coercive” relationships early into their recovery process. 

Several people who have spoken out say they’ve been told repeatedly not to do so by supervisors and others in local government positions, and fear there is internal pressure going on during the current investigation for employees and Safe Camp clients to stay silent. 

The ex-girlfriend received a cease and desist letter, while an advocate for the unhoused who has had repeated run-ins with Denton alleges a board member for the Karma Box told her to “keep her mouth shut,” during a phone call, after she made allegations against Denton to others and on social media accusing him of being verbally abusive towards volunteers and the unhoused right outside the Cares Campus.  

Other local women who’ve encountered him in support spaces have been writing each other, and commenting on different posts about their own recollections. One wrote of coming across Denton: “He was all pushy bro energy prison shtick.  I assumed others would sniff out his ICK; instead he inserted himself in a seat of power.”  Another wrote:  “I’m another person here that’s been saying all this for years. And I was attacked and shamed by Karma Box and all affiliates.”

A former supervisor who released a statement to elected officials and local media wondered why his recovery workout programs focused on women and not men, insisting on the importance of working with one’s own gender in the recovery space. 

“This practice protects very vulnerable people, newly in recovery, from exploitation of their vulnerability,” she wrote in her email, which also included a recollection of being told of an alleged sexual assault. 

“I also learned that one of my female staff members at that agency (and later at another agency) reported that Grant threw her against her car in the parking lot and forcibly kissed her. She was very upset and angry at him for assaulting her without any process of consent... Sadly, she was not the only one who came to me with allegations about his sexual advances and feared his presence,” the statement read.  

We included this allegation in the email to Denton to which he did not respond.  

The former supervisor also grew concerned that Denton was working with women and not men for a local jail recovery program, worries that then grew as Denton’s local role and stature in helping the unhoused kept growing.  

“Most have been afraid to come forward,” she wrote of her own ambivalence in sending out her statement. “I too, have felt the sting from speaking out in the past and have been silenced and driven to work behind the scenes to avoid political ugliness and exclusion.”

After Denton started Karma Box, which did outreach during the pandemic, when there were several big encampments around Reno, she says “reports of bullying and rageful behavior began to surface among the community at the Wells encampment in 2020. I … learned that the camp came together to form a petition to ask that Karma Box not be allowed to do outreach in the Wells encampment due to creating hostile relationships with people living there. I was vocal about this with Dana Searcy, Catrina Peters, and Alexis Hill (who was running for office at the time).”

We reached out to the three and Washoe County communications director Bethany Drysdale, who gave the sole response to our query.  “This incident happened quite some time ago, and Washoe County investigated it as we investigate all complaints against personnel,” Drysdale wrote back. “It was investigated and resolved at that time. Washoe County doesn’t have legal authority over contractors' personal relationships. There are other legal mechanisms for people who allege harm. By its terms, the Code of Conduct applies to contractors when they are representing Washoe County.”

There have also been recent changes at the county level in terms of who works with the safe camp, with Elizabeth Pope (above) recently moving away from the Cares Campus to replace Kim Schweickert as county coordinator for the Our Place shelter for women and families, which prompted another response. 

“Kim is the coordinator over case management at the Cares Campus. Elizabeth Pope is currently coordinating Our Place. Elizabeth did not manage Safe Camp. Staff in the county and HSA often have the opportunity to experience multiple programs. Staff often move within programs to meet the needs of the agency and its clients,” Drysdale wrote back.

“What does that mean?” Commissioner Clark responded as he was also cced. “Sorry to be obtuse but I’m not understanding do employees at the Cares Campus change positions randomly to experience programs? Do titles change? Pay changes?”

Ryan Gustafson, listed as the Director of the county’s Human Services Agency, then stepped into the email thread writing “in regards to your question, employees at WCHSA and the County move around pretty regularly. It’s for program experience as well as for the agency needs. Titles can change, which could impact pay, but that’s not always the case (transfers for example). In this case, there was not a title/pay change.”

Commissioner Clark has been trying to get clearer financial breakdowns on the Cares Campus and safe camp for years as well.  

"I am upset with the total lack of transparency. Somebody at the county has the definition of transparency and camouflage confused,” he told us during our recent phone interview.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation is, or the future of the safe camp or the Cares Campus, Payne, who says she’s not a victim, concluded our phone conversation by saying: “I’m not going to be silenced. It’s important that Grant Denton does not have any credibility in the recovery field ever again. I think that it is the government's responsibility to now listen to all of the victims that are willing to come forward.”

Our Town Reno reporting, June 2024

Update: An email forwarded to us had this from Mary Kandaras, Chief Deputy District Attorney, related to multiple accusations of misconduct toward vulnerable women by Karma Box Project executive director Grant Denton:

"Based on the allegations made in public comment, Washoe County hired Sandra Ketner, Esq. to conduct an independent investigation and determine whether these allegations were related to his Karma Box work, particularly at the Safe Camp.

The investigation was limited to ensuring the safety of persons served by the Safe Camp.

Sandra Ketner spoke with participants and employees and found no inappropriate sexual conduct or harassment by Grant Denton.

According to the investigator,

[T]here was no corroborating evidence to support allegations of sexual misconduct by Denton with respect to Safe Camp participants or otherwise on campus. Likewise, there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of derogatory, threatening, or violent conduct by Denton with Safe Camp participants or otherwise on campus. While some witnesses reported that Denton can be hard on and tough with participants (especially when the participants violated the rules), no one reported that Denton crossed the line or acted in a way that violated the Code of Conduct. Moreover, no one reported any credible evidence related to others who may have been threatened, abused, manipulated or taken advantage of by Denton. To the contrary, nearly all witness accounts described Denton as being respectful and professional with Safe Camp participants. Thus, the preponderance of the evidence reflects that Denton’s alleged conduct described by [Witnesses] has not occurred or has not been witnessed or reported at Safe Camp.

Washoe County Management does not have authority to investigate allegations of Grant Denton outside of his role as a contractor. Accordingly, the allegations against him were not discounted, but instead resulted in an investigation of his contracted work to manage the Safe Camp for Washoe County."

Vanessa Cropley, A Survivor of the Foster Care System

According to official statistics, only one in two foster kids who age out of the system will have some form of gainful employment by the age of 24.

Vanessa Cropley, an office manager at a security company in Reno, who is on the good side of these odds recently shared her story with student reporter Sarah D’Atri.

Vanessa’s journey included spending time with her grandma who became her guardian, running away back to her mom’s and then put in treatment centers and in homes for troubled kids.

“I grew up in [the] state’s custody. I got taken away from both my parents and I grew up in a bunch of different foster homes, treatment centers and whole bunch of stuff. Me being a little kid, not understanding why the state took me away, I thought that the state [was] just being mean and keeping me and not [giving] me back to my mom and dad.

My mom wasn't doing what she was supposed to, [so] they found long term solutions for us. Me and my sister went to live with my grandma. She agreed to take us, so that we were with family and not just going house to house to different foster homes.

Growing up in the system, I couldn't get my driver's license like everyone else. Everyone else is getting their permits and everything like that. I wasn't allowed to because of the state's custody. Obviously, I am now driving. So, I think that's a huge thing that I think the states should consider is let the children go get their permit so they can get a driver's license and not be like mean with anxiety.”

 Sarah: Oh, so you can only get it at 18.

Vanessa: Yeah, because that's when I grew out, like graduated from being in the state’s custody.

 Sarah: Are there any other rules that are like that?

Vanessa: Even though I was in custody of my grandma, if we wanted to go anywhere, she would have to get approval, to take me, out of the city or state.

Sarah: So, even though you were with your grandma, she was considered your guardian?

Vanessa: Yeah.

Sarah: Oh! you would think you're with your family member, they are literally by blood, your guardian.

 Vanessa: Then because I was still a kid and I didn't understand it was my mom not doing what she needs to goes back, I kept running away.

 Sarah: Oh, to go to your mom's?

 Vanessa: Yeah. So, I kept running away to be with my mom. There was this one time I was on the run for over a year, and she hid me. They finally got a hold of her and said ‘We know you have her. If you don't give her back to us, you're going to jail’.  So, she said ‘Sorry Vanessa, I got to put you on a plane and you're going back to being in the states’.

Then I went to a lot of treatment centers, troubled youth homes stuff like that. A lot of the staff members who saw how I was being raised, grown up in the system. I was being such a bad troublemaker and kept running away because I wanted to be with my mom. [They] thought I was going to be some junkie on drugs, thought I was going to end up overdosing and dying. They pretty much watched me grow up. After I turned 18, they were ‘Oh my god Vanessa! I am so proud of you look at you".

Sarah: WOW! With everything that you know now, what do you want want to teach the general public?

Vanessa: The biggest thing is people shouldn't judge people for their past. I want people to understand, even if they did have a rough upbring[ing], give them a chance and believe in them. Don’t hold their past against them.

Reporting by Sarah D'Atri with the Reynolds on the Record shared with Our Town Reno

Dan, Unhoused While Trying to Pass Through Reno

Some of our unhoused neighbors, like Dan in photo, with his two dogs River, 10, and Trixie, 2, say they had no intentions of staying in Reno.

He says his truck broke down several weeks ago on his way from Las Vegas, where he spent the winter, to Spokane, to reunite with some family members. He was looking for money to get his truck fixed.

Dan says he wants to eventually find a place in the northwest and maybe pitch a tent and then try to build a log cabin to live on his own with his dogs in a forest or on BLM land.

Below the story he shared in his own words with reporter Andrew Maples in a shaded area near a local Walmart parking lot about his current hopes if he can find the money to get his truck fixed.

“[I want] to go see my son in Spokane and my grandson and my daughter in law. From there, I'm going to go up in the mountains, either in Idaho, or western Montana, trying to find a place where I can build a log cabin and go about my own business.

I'm going to build it in the backcountry somewhere. At my age, my kids are all grown and doing good things in life. And, so now I can travel around, see the country. You know, times are hard…

I've been through Reno before. I stayed in the winter down in Vegas. My truck broke down when I got here. The spark plug blew out the cylinder head, but like I said, thankfully I’ll get a fix, so I'll be good to go [soon] and then I'm gonna head back up.

I stay a lot of times on, like, National Park or national forest land or BLM land.

I can pitch my tents for right now or whatever until I find that spot.”

Our Town Reno reporting and photo by Andrew Maples

New Hopes Clinic Building Trust in a Healthcare Desert

“We're just excited to see what it becomes,” said healthcare provider Jennifer Edwards, as the new Northern Nevada HOPES began operations after its big opening ceremony on 4th street.

“There's been this hype, building it for two years, and not really knowing what it's gonna be,” she says of the Jerry Smith Community Wellness Center.

The first priority for the new clinic, according to Edwards, is to provide easy-access care for the community members living at the Cares Campus. With the new location only a few blocks down from the shelter, “we can help them help themselves a little faster,” she says. 

Rather than trying to make their way across town to the 5th street location, which HOPES also operates, people at the Cares Campus are just 0.1 miles from the new clinic’s front doors. 

Edwards explains that when she worked at the 5th street clinic, her patients were often late, or didn’t show up to their appointments at all. She believes that for some staying at the Cares Campus, making the trek across town was too difficult. “I've actually started seeing (those patients) more just in this month that we've been open, then I really have in the last year,” she says. 

Before the new clinic was up and running, the area “had an influx of ambulance visits,” according to Geeve Iverson, a member of the HOPES communications team. “People are trying to get care, but they're not able to get to Renown or Saint Mary’s,” two other healthcare facilities in the area. “This area kind of is a healthcare desert,” Iverson says. 

Just across the street from the new clinic is Hope Springs, a tiny home village that HOPES opened in 2021. Hope Springs provides a six-month transitional housing program for our neighbors who need it most, and over 50 graduations in the past three years. Iverson says that Hope Springs is in the perfect spot, too: “it gave our CEO the chance to look across the street at an empty lot and say ‘that's where the clinic needs to go.’”

HOPES’ hope is that folks can easily access the new clinic, have their needs met, and then go on to spread the word to their neighbors and friends in the area. “For people experiencing homelessness, they don't have as much trust in the system,” Edwards points out. “So they have to hear that somebody that they know had a good experience.”

The non-profit brought eight medical providers over to their new clinic on April 1st, so they could start providing medical care for folks in the area, as soon as possible. On July 1st, they’ll bring over an additional seven, for a total of 15 medical clinicians at the 4th street locations.

But the kind of care that HOPES provides doesn’t end after meeting patients’ physical needs. They’ve also integrated behavioral health into their practice. The new clinic has an entire wing devoted to behavioral healthcare, with both group and individual therapy spaces.

“Often for behavioral health, you have to be referred out,” Edwards explains. “It may be, you know, three months before you actually get to talk to somebody.” But at HOPES, if Edwards is treating a patient in primary care and they express a mental or behavioral health concern, “I can go right outside of my room and talk with the behavioral health person, bring them into my room, and have the patient talk to them and do some follow-up.” 

Another barrier to healthcare access is financial concerns. It’s common practice for many folks to avoid the doctor because they aren’t sure whether they’ll be able to afford it or not. HOPES actively works to address this barrier as well– along with accepting most insurance policies, they also have an on-site Medicaid worker. So if a patient doesn’t have Medicaid or doesn't know if they qualify, “we often can have them see the Medicaid worker right then, and try and get them qualified right away,” according to Edwards.

For those without Medicaid or other insurance, HOPES offers a sliding scale, pay-what-you-can system. “We don't turn somebody away just because they can't meet their co-pay that day,” Edwards says. This model allows HOPES to effectively serve groups who are often the least likely able to financially access healthcare: unhoused or housing insecure community members, undocumented or uninsured neighbors, and folks struggling with substance use. 

“There’s a stigma that 4th street is a dangerous part of the city to be in,” Iverson points out. He is hopeful that Hope Springs, paired with the HOPES new 4th street clinic, will start to chip away at that stigma. “(Unhoused communities) aren’t dangerous,” he says. “They just don't have the resources that they need.”

If you or someone you know is interested in seeking care at HOPES, you can schedule your first appointment by calling 775-786-4673, Monday–Friday, 8am-5pm, and asking to schedule a “new patient appointment.”

Our Town Reno reporting by Ray Grosser

Disappointment, Departures and a Defensive Posture at the Great Basin Food Co-op

It’s always refreshing to see a business break the mold of capitalism, especially here in Reno. 

Community-driven initiatives, like the Great Basin Community Food Co-op, might just hold the key to a more people-oriented society. But what happens when such worthy initiatives receive complaints of unfair treatment from multiple employees? 

With an overall 4.6 star rating on Google, it seems that the co-op has made a great name for itself locally over the years. However, despite its delicious offerings and inspiring mission, the co-op still has room for improvement, according to some members of the Reno community who were previously and are currently employed there. 

GBCFC has done great work bringing fresh local goods to the greater community here in Reno. Inside the store you’ll find local produce, a salad bar, and (as of this April) a cafe offering several fresh meals. 

Complaints of alleged unfair treatment at Reno’s Great Basin Community Food Co-op were recently brought to the public eye through a Facebook post, spurring other concerned individuals to come forward when they heard we were working on this story.  

Adrianne Tobin authored the initial Facebook post on April 22nd. According to Tobin, she had been voicing concerns about internal affairs at the co-op for months, before walking out of the co-op’s building during her shift on February 13th. Tobin alleges that her intention in leaving the building was to remove herself from a situation that she “did not want to escalate.” Tobin says that she had no plans of resigning, but was then told by management not to return.

Following her departure from the co-op, she sat with her thoughts for a couple of months before taking her grievances to social media. In recounting her own experience, Tobin claims that she “had been harassed and spoken poorly” by a few different employees, one of whom she says was a superior. She also says that she and some of her co-workers took their concerns to a kitchen manager. But when the issue was brought up in a group meeting, Tobin alleges, the manager “remained silent.”

Tobin made it clear that although she felt mistreated herself, she still appreciates what the co-op is doing for the community. “I believe that with a few changes internally,” Tobin says, “they can enable themselves to properly care for those who put their hearts and hands into the project.” Tobin encouraged folks to continue patronizing the store. She also expressed both online, and to Our Town Reno, that she did not have “bandwidth for litigation” and doesn’t want to harm the co-op’s financials in any way.

An inside look at the co-op kitchen where, as confirmed by the co-op’s statement, employees work to meet time demands associated with various tasks. 

Notably, the co-op’s first of seven principles is “broad access to local and organic food.” However, similar to many health food stores nationwide, prices at the co-op may not quite fit the bill for “broad access.” With high rent prices and other cost of living expenses in Reno, many are likely unable to afford co-op products, like the “three day celery juice reset” which delivers three bottles of celery juice for $26.50. 

The numbers on the co-op’s 2023 annual report show a commitment to their cause. According to their report, 62% of their total sales last year were organic and non-GMO foods. They provided almost $60,000 in member-owner discounts, and they also gave $27,965 in round-up funds (“would you like to round up your total today?”) to other local initiatives, like Soulful Seeds and Reno Food Systems. 

Many of those who spoke to Our Town Reno expressed sentiments similar to Tobin’s: a great appreciation for the co-op, and a strong belief in the meaningful work it does in Reno. But on top of those sentiments is the hope that an organization with such a strong commitment to the community is able to offer the same kind of support for their workers. 

The GBCFC Facebook page responded to Tobin’s online post quickly, and at great lengths. They addressed her claims of wrongful termination by stating that Tobin “walked out on the job in the middle of (her) shift. Per (the co-op’s) employee guidebook, that (she was) paid to read and sign, that action is taken as a resignation.” 

One example of a timing sheet used to direct employees on how much time they had to complete a task.

Of course lapses in communication happen in the workplace, but the co-op didn’t seem to have a problem in communicating with Tobin on social media. “Folks did not like working with you and described you as ‘extremely difficult’ to get along with,” the co-op’s official page wrote on Facebook, following with, “it would be interesting to see posts all over the internet from everyone who felt mistreated by you.”

Tobin alleges that, apart from her own experience, she witnessed what she called “dozens of instances of unethical treatment of my fellow employees.” Several of these alleged instances were brought to light in response to Tobin’s initial post, as her message created a channel for previous employees who wanted to share their own stories. One of those previous employees was Hana Fahmi. 

Fahmi says that they were excited about the co-op’s mission, and their opportunity to play a part in it. According to Fahmi, things started going south when their schedule would change mid-week. They allege that their manager wouldn’t admit to having changed it. Fahmi says that they resolved to taking screenshots of their schedule each week, in order to prove they weren't lying about it. 

According to Fahmi, they were also told that they’d need to work on to two mandatory so-called “wellness shifts” each week. Fahmi describes these shifts as more labor intensive than regular shifts– stocking shelves, for example. By Fahmi’s account, the co-op assured them that “everyone had to do the shifts, to even the load.” But Fahmi alleges that they quickly realized “other employees didn't have any wellness shifts.” Fahmi says that, some weeks, they were scheduled for four or five of these shifts. 

Despite all this, Fahmi says they persisted through the first few months of their employment last year, happily “part of something claiming to be ‘better than other grocery stores.’” Fahmi alleges that they were promised a 90 day review, after which they may have been eligible to start receiving benefits, and a raise from training wages. “My 90 days hit, and I was supposed to have a meeting with my department head,” says Fahmi. “Unfortunately this never happened,’ they claim. “Therefore my benefits and pay increase also never happened.”

Fahmi alleges that they were removed entirely from the schedule in October of last year without prior notice, leaving them suddenly without work or income. “I had such great respect for the concept, and the humans that built it,” they say. “It just really hurt knowing that my energy and hard work wasn't valued enough to get basic respect from employer to employee.”

Fahmi wrote a comment on Tobin’s original post, briefly explaining their own issues with the co-op’s handling of employees. The comment was met with another wordy response from “GBCFC HR,” who wrote that Fahmi’s recounting of events was “simply not true and/or taken out of context.”  

The co-op’s advice to Fahmi was to “take accountability” instead of “slandering an organization attempting to do some of the trickiest work within modern food systems.” They signed off by asking Fahmi to “hit (them) up via email,” and described the Facebook conversation as “a waste of everyone’s lives.”

Another previous employee wanted to stay anonymous, for fear of reprisals, so we’ll call them Randy. Randy found solidarity in Tobin’s post as well, sharing their own experience at the co-op. Randy felt that they were being treated poorly by a couple of co-workers, and working under management that would “play favorites, hardcore,” in Randy’s words. 

Randy says that a meeting was set between them, the two co-workers, and two managers. As Randy tells it, during the meeting they “sat there” while their co-workers told management “that (they) wash dishes too loudly,” and that Randy made them feel “uncomfortable.”

“It felt really weird because (the two managers) didn’t even try to make me feel better, and I clearly wasn’t doing well after the meeting,” Randy recalls. “I was honestly just there to try to do my job.”

Randy also believes that they were eventually wrongfully terminated, in early December of last year. “Right when I thought things were getting better, I got a call to let me know that I wasn’t with them anymore,” they say.

When Randy tried to collect unemployment, the state told them that they were waiting on the co-op to collect “witness signatures” for their company statement. “If all they needed was a couple (signatures), it was probably the people I was having problems with, and…management,” Randy hypothesizes. 

Ultimately, Randy was unable to collect unemployment. An email they received from management afterwards told Randy that the co-op “did not deny (them) unemployment, the state did after analyzing the facts…” The email from the co-op closed out with, “truth prevails.”

With the chain reaction it caused, we wanted more insight about what exactly led Tobin to take her concerns to social media. In following up with her about the Facebook saga, she provided more detail, in her own words, about what her experience of working at the co-op entailed. 

“There's this one time I cooked some beef more than (the general manager) would have liked me to cook the beef,” Tobin says. “She didn't like that it had little black parts on the brisket.” Tobin alleges that, in response, the co-op management wrote a message in their group chat “about how an animal had to die for my mistakes, and how it's all in vain.”

Tobin recalls being drawn to the strong convictions of the co-op, this idea of fighting food corporations, and supporting local and sustainable food practice. “I'm really susceptible to that stuff, you know,” Tobin says. “I think they hire a lot of people like that… ‘yes men’, people pleasers, similar backgrounds as myself. It seems like they're a welcoming haven…but I really think they're just using that against the people they hire.”

The trade-off that Tobin describes is all too common for conscientious employees. Folks looking to work for a “good cause,” especially at a company with good benefits like those offered at the co-op, are often willing to commit boundless time and energy to work for something “more than a paycheck.” Vera Miller is one of these workers. They have devoted countless hours to community building here in Reno, including organizing protests and gatherings in support of Palestine.

Miller worked at the co-op from the summer of 2020 to the fall of 2022. They say that during their time, they “lived in constant fear and anxiety of losing (their) job and income.” Miller describes one of those anxiety-inducing practices that was implemented during their second year at the co-op: the introduction of “timing sheets” in completing various co-op duties.

“Everything was timed out, including your break,” Miller says. “If you did not meet these times, you were written up.” Miller alleges that the co-op would fire an employee after three write ups. According to the co-op’s statement, which is included below, the timing sheets were introduced when the co-op was faced with a choice: their “options were to either close (their) doors or figure out how to adapt to a very competitive market.”

Miller remembers clocking out for 30 minute breaks. But rather than taking a break, they say that they would get right back to work in order to give themselves an “extra buffer.” Miller recalls, “I always needed that buffer.” Tobin had a similar experience with trying to meet time demands at the co-op, during her 1pm-9pm shift. “I wasn't taking breaks,” she says. “There was just no way for me to get the amount of work done.”

“There was no room for feedback or adjustment for these times, trust us, we tried,” Miller says. For Miller, working through eight hours every day of their schedule and attempting to meet the time demands of their kitchen tasks, “was pretty rough.”

One current employee, also anonymous due to fears of reprisals, says that a common theme in what they’ve seen and experienced is an alleged “lack of leadership within management.” We’ll call this current employee, “Tony.” 

“There's a percentage of people who maybe don't show up all the way,” Tony says. From their perspective, though, “the majority put their best foot forward, and want to improve…yet the payoff doesn't really come after that. It feels like you can never reach the standard.” 

Tony alleges that they have witnessed multiple instances of employee mistreatment at the co-op, but they fear that their testimony of these events might expose their identity, and put their own employment at risk. So in order to mitigate that risk, Tony encouraged some former co-workers to reach out to us directly. 

One of those former co-op employees that Tony connected us with is Abby, using another name  to conceal their identity. Abby contacted Our Town Reno with a list of instances that allegedly occurred in their time at the co-op. They allege that they were “written up for not looking someone in the eyes” when greeting them, and that HR told Abby that it was “never their job to look out for (Abby) or (their) feelings.” 

Abby was also concerned by the amount of inappropriate and homophobic comments made by customers which, according to them, went largely unchecked by co-op management. “I was so depressed working there,” Abby recalls. “I weighed 90 pounds, was barely sleeping, would wake up and check my schedule in the middle of the night due to paranoia.”

Abby alleges that when they told management about what they were going through, “I was told it was my fault for seeming like I didn't want to be there.” And when they eventually decided to leave the co-op for mental health reasons, they were told that they "f***ed (the co-op) over,” according to Abby’s account.

Tobin's Facebook post resulted in her receiving a slew of messages from both former and current employees, and she encouraged everyone to speak up about their experience. But, in Tobin’s view, a lot of people hesitated to take their statements public “because they're worried about retaliation, or the repercussions… they're just so tied into the (co-op) community.”

The management and the board members at the co-op are largely “all part of the same social scene,” according to Tobin. One of her suggestions is to bring in an external HR department or external management who might help to alleviate some of the concerns being brought up by both former and current employees. 

From all of those who did come forward, the majority expressed love and gratitude for what GBCFC is trying to accomplish. Having access, however expensive, to fresh local food is important to many people. The co-op provides a strong community bridge for local farms. On top of that, the co-op’s member-owner model allows for democracy-style business decisions, transparency with finances, and several other benefits. 

It’s that very idea of transparency that makes it important to provide a platform for these community members. For any business, “your workers are your community and clientele too,” as Miller says. “Please. Speak out and be in solidarity with your fellow workers. Don’t treat us so badly.”

Our Town Reno conducted multiple phone calls with the co-op’s management in attempts to gather a comment from the company. Ultimately, a statement was crafted by the “GBCFC Leadership Team,” which includes the co-op’s managers and board members. They sent the following statement to Our Town Reno via email:

We cannot comment on the specific actions or accusations of any current or former employees regarding confidential personnel matters, as we have the utmost respect for our employees' privacy. What we can say is that we are 100% confident that we have acted consistent with our obligations under the law and, more importantly, consistent with the core values that we stand for.  One of the co-op’s core goals (as summarized in the "Ends Policies" available on our website) is to create a cooperative work environment that is respectful and diverse, providing a livable wage and benefits to a self-directed, effective employee who is a partner in achieving our business goals.  

So, we strongly believe in creating a wonderful workplace and a happy workforce, which we all strive to achieve every day.  Although we are not perfect in achieving this or any other goal, we are very proud of what we have accomplished and seek to continually improve.  This is one of the most accepting, diverse, and satisfied workforces in the city.  Our starting rate of pay is $17/hour, which is $5 more than the Nevada Minimum Wage, which will be put into effect on July 1, 2024.  We offer incredible benefits, including full-paid medical, dental, vision, and our alternative wellness stipend.  
Offering these types of benefits in a food service environment is very rare in our industry, especially for our size. Beginning a decade ago, we adopted industry-driven labor benchmarks to afford great pay and benefits for our team.  Frankly put, at the time, we didn't have much choice. Our options were to either close our doors or figure out how to adapt to a very competitive market. We chose the latter and have since created timing standards for all tasks performed at the co-op by taking an average of times from both the fastest and slowest team members for any task. We have spent the last five years finessing these timetables to be inclusive and supportive of as many team members as possible. The first 30 days for new entry-level team members are spent training folks on the best ways to achieve these tasks in the most efficient ways possible. 

We make it very clear to all new hires that we utilize a timing system model and that we would no longer be in business without this model. Most folks are excited by the challenge and quickly thrive within our well-structured operational systems. That said, some do not. As a small business, we have a finite amount of resources available for training. We do our best to offer as much support as possible but it's just a business reality that not everyone makes it, which is okay. We are happy to report that over 82% of new employees reach these times within the first 12 -15 days of employment.   

Our employees also have the added benefit of working for more than just a paycheck.  They have the opportunity to be part of something much larger than themselves because the Co-op is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill business that solely exists to make money.  Rather, we exist to make sustainable, healthy, local food available to this community.  We exist to keep small family farms in business in a society where seemingly every rule and regulation works against them while serving the interests of a few giant industrial food producers who manufacture unhealthy, addictive products that are destroying the environment. And we exist to create a sense of community and belonging for every staff member and customer who walks through our doors.  

While you may be able to find a small number of individuals who are willing to make unfounded and disingenuous accusations about us, we believe they are not representative of the 63 staff members who we are all proud to work with every day or the hundreds of former employees who have worked here since we first started serving this community in 2005. 

Our Town Reno reporting by Ray Grosser

Washoe County Says It Will Look into Several Allegations against Grant Denton from Karma Box Project

Despite a cease and desist letter issued by a lawyer for Karma Box Project founder and executive director Grant Denton, who also trains people in recovery, a former girlfriend and personal trainer, decided to speak out against him at a Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, saying he was unfit for helping vulnerable people. 

She read her prepared statement before the County Commission decided whether or not to amend the contract awarded to the Karma Box Project to operate its mod pod safe camp, authorizing an increase in the amount of $1.2 million for a total not to exceed $1.8 million for the July 2024 to June 2025 period for staffing purposes.

An additional statement by a man active in the local recovery space both as an employee and as a board member which was read by another community member indicated that Grant Denton has had in his words “a negative impact, particularly on women in the community.”

That statement said Denton’s actions include allegedly “making demeaning and derogatory comments, courting women in the very early stages of their sobriety, and fat-shaming them. Such behavior is not only deeply disrespectful and harmful but also completely unacceptable for someone in a position of leadership and trust within our community.”

The statement called for “appropriate action … to ensure a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all individuals, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”

After the two statements, Washoe County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mary Kandaras said the county was “aware of some of the allegations and they will be, they are being reviewed by management. In the meantime, I would like to say that if you believe you are the victim of a crime then things should be reported to law enforcement.”

She added “the county has very robust policy in how to handle allegations of harassment and it will be handled according to law and policy.” 

The former girlfriend went to a Reno police station a few weeks ago, wanting to file a temporary protection order, but after being told of possible ramifications, instead was given a security camera for her safety.  

During public comment on the Karma Box item, one commenter called for the new contract to be suspended, while a lawyer for Denton, Cody Marriott for Silver State Law, who had previously sent the cease and desist letter, said Denton and Karma Box were not the same, so that the new contract should be awarded.

“We welcome an investigation to clear up Mr. Denton’s name and absolve his reputation on the matter,” he said. 

“While it is no secret that I am not a perfect man, I vehemently deny the allegations,” Denton wrote to us by email.  “I also look forward to a swift investigation into the allegations, the people who made them, and the people/entities who assisted/encouraged these individuals into making the false allegations.  As everyone in this community is aware, I have worked tirelessly over the past decade to become a better man and help this community move forward.” 

Commissioner Mariluz Garcia called the allegations a “curveball,” but along with Commissioner Alexis Hill pushed to go ahead with a vote to approve the new contract for Karma Box, along with other updated agreements with RISE and Volunteers of America, which all passed. Commissioner Mike Clark had said the updated Karma Box contract should have been separated and put on hold until an investigation is carried out, and voted no. 

As part of a statement which she previously sent to Our Town Reno, the former girlfriend indicated she met Denton in February 2023 when he made a presentation at the Reps4Recovery location on Kietzke Lane, as part of their Sunday speaker series.  She said she was looking for a supportive sober community after her previous boyfriend who suffered from addiction challenges had passed away.  

The personal trainer said she exchanged numbers with Denton with the intention that she would assess his shoulder pain, which is one of her specialties, before they started a tumultuous on and off relationship lasting until April.

She says she believes Denton uses his position and many contacts in the community to take advantage of vulnerable women.  The former girlfriend also makes other damning allegations, spanning conduct in the personal, family, work and relationship spheres. 

She says Denton would put calls on speaker phone to county officials to intimidate her with his local network, which she says has made it difficult for herself and others to speak out.  

Since their breakup, she says she’s been afraid to go to Reno Behavioral Health where her insurance referred her for therapy due to his presence there, with a so-called karma box on site, and a page on their website praising him, indicating “Denton has dedicated his life to the homeless and those in recovery.”  

She says she has also avoided gyms where she was contracted to be in on days Denton was present despite some of the days being in her contract. 

As she concluded making her statement Tuesday, she broke down in tears.

The former girlfriend recently emailed her concerns about Denton to Commissioner Clark, suggesting other people to contact as well concerning his alleged misconduct.  Clark then copied the email to Washoe County management, including those in charge of homelessness services and indicated in part, that her comments were “uncomfortable, difficult to read.” 

In her email, she wrote: “I am a victim of Grant Denton.  I am unable to even get protection in my case due to his platform and political backing, I am asking for a chance to have my story heard.  I am relocating due to safety issues regarding him.  I know commissioners play a big role in allowing projects/programs in the community. I am advocating, for good reason, to have him removed from venues with vulnerable women and children.”

In the email, the former girlfriend also pointed to previous domestic violence charges against him found on the internet, which date back to April 2011, in Clark County, with a charge then listed as “domestic battery - 2nd offense.” Looking at those records, a felony offense date listed in June and filed in September of that year is described as “Battery Domestic Violence 3rd.” 

Denton who grew up in what he has described as an abusive Mormon family and church, faced multiple charges in Las Vegas, and was incarcerated several times, while being a meth and heroin addict, before he says he turned his life around, became sober and came to Reno with a mission to help those living on the streets and in addiction recovery in northern Nevada.  

Several local advocates for the unhoused have previously complained Denton was being verbally abusive towards them while they tried to organize community meals near the Cares Campus, and also alleged they saw him being overly confrontational with unhoused people in front of them. Some have shared commentary concerning some of these difficult interactions via text messages.

Before the former girlfriend even received the cease and desist letter, an employee at the Nevada Department of Taxation warned her she would be getting it. She says she felt this warning was a form of intimidation to prevent her further from speaking out. 

In the letter she eventually did receive emailed to her May 25th and dated May 24, sent by Marriott from Silver State Law, in which her name is misspelled, Denton is described as a “well-respected member of the community” who has “spent the last decade working to improve the lives of the disenfranchised.”  

It states in footnotes his relationship with her “can only be described as casual,” which she says can be proven otherwise with past text messages from Denton.

The letter alleges that she has made “several untrue statements” and that her actions constitute “stalking, harassment, slander, libel, intentional interference with contractual relations, and defamations per se,” all of which she denies.  

The former girlfriend says what she is sharing with the community is based on her experiences with Denton, and that it’s for the benefit of all, denying all accusations listed in the cease and desist letter. 

Our Town Reno reporting, May 2024

Understanding Local Unhoused Deaths by Fentanyl from a Healthcare Perspective

Within the last 10 years, the number of fentanyl related deaths has quadrupled within the unhoused population in the United States, and these types of deaths are tragically rising here in Washoe County as well.

Mikayla Willden, a REMSA Care Flight critical care technician, shared that substance use is most commonly seen at the extremes of our society, in wealthy families and within the unhoused community.

In Reno, the number of homeless deaths from October 2022 to the beginning of April 2024 reached above 190. Sixty-six of these 192 homeless deaths recorded by the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office have a cause of death listed with fentanyl included.

Since the start of 2024 to the beginning of April, there were 14 homeless deaths, five of which are still awaiting toxicology reports. Intoxication by fentanyl is labeled under different titles, such as ‘Acute Ethanol, Fentanyl, And Methamphetamine Toxicity’, ‘Morphine, Methamphetamine, and Fentanyl Toxicity’, or ‘Acute Fentanyl Intoxication.’ Toxicology examinations indicate that fentanyl was frequently a factor in deaths involving multiple substances, including but not limited to ethanol, morphine, methamphetamine, methorphan, and cocaine.

With laced drugs, Willden said that, “Narcan tends to not work as well due to the fact that [these are] mixtures of opioid versus non-opioids together.” This makes even common, less detrimental drugs like marijuana and LSD dangerous not only because Narcan wouldn’t work on them as well, but because they are often found to be laced with fentanyl and other highly addictive and dangerous opioids. 

It is also worth mentioning that 25 of the toxicity causes of deaths mentioned previously are titled with the beginning words ‘Acute Fentanyl.’ Acute intoxication does not refer to the amount of substance taken being small, as many people initially assume. It means intoxication on the functioning side, where it is too much for your body to continue operating normally. “Acute intoxication is more so if you have a dosage or an amount of a substance that’s technically lethal,” Claire Coutts, a certified alcohol and drug counselor intern at Quest Counseling said. This dosage amount changes based on the tolerance of an individual as well. 

According to Coutts, substances are classified fittingly as ‘uppers’, ‘downers’, and ‘all-arounders’. Downers are those that have a depressing affect (heroin, fentanyl, alcohol) while uppers are stimulants (cocaine, nicotine, amphetamines). All-arounders are those that often, but not always, have both affects (cannabis, ecstasy). 

Fentanyl is a depressant and a schedule II controlled drug, meaning it has “a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence” (according to the DEA). Other examples of schedule II drugs are oxycodone (OxyContin), Adderall, and methamphetamine. These drugs are also typically classified as dangerous.

Something especially dangerous about fentanyl is its extremely high potency, where just “two milligrams can cause overdose or death” (according to a study from UCDavis).

While recognizing the dangers of fentanyl is important, recognizing the stigma surrounding substance usage within the homeless population is necessary, especially when considering the welfare of healthcare workers. Most calls from the homeless population regarding overdoses go to ground care of REMSA. 

Different types of vigils have been been held in northern Nevada in recent years for the unhoused, from alongside the Truckee River, to the Believe statue to churches.

“Unfortunately, especially in the Reno area, it does consist of 911 abuse of ambulances by the homeless population,” Willden said. REMSA workers receive calls from the homeless community where an individual simply wants a bed for the night and purposefully does something in a shelter, such as violent acts or drug use, to get sent to the hospital. A lot of these calls are from CARES Campus, Wells Avenue, Fourth Street, and other areas downtown.

Lack of access to resources for this community is a huge factor in the rising number of overdoses. The rate Naloxone (Narcan) was dispensed in 2022 in Nevada was .5 per 100 people, and while there are free Narcan kits in public spaces around Reno, actual help is limited for these individuals. The waitlist for counseling is also long and requires more counselors than Washoe County has at its disposal. 

While there are resources for addiction, many do not seek help for multiple reasons. Four common reasons are they are unwilling to admit they have addiction, do not want help because they want to continue in their actions, fear legal consequences if seeking help, and/or their surroundings and community do not provide a space where these drugs are seen as a hazard and potentially harmful and deadly. One of the main things people need to possess in order to want to seek treatment is internal motivation (according to the NIH).

Many who are experiencing homelessness are in an environment where the consequences are not seen as dire as they truly are. The negative connotation surrounding fentanyl can also be downplayed when surrounded by the substance more often. With the drug becoming more and more prevalent, both inside and outside the homeless community, Willden said the lack of stigma surrounding fentanyl becomes a serious issue.

Exploring the stigma and knowing the dangers with substance use is important to understand when evaluating the rapidly increasing number of fentanyl deaths in the past three years. Understanding the mindset behind substance use is key to helping unhoused individuals not only in improving their lifestyle, but also their future and overall state of mind. 

Reporting by Tenyson Fowler shared with Our Town Reno

Despite Confusing Signs, Young Local Voters Say Yes To Voting in Primaries

This year’s primary election will mark the first time Malorie Schwartz will cast a ballot. 

The University of Nevada, Reno freshman says it’s important for eligible voters to have a say in the direction of the country. 

“I would like to know that I’m doing my part in picking the best person to represent the country I live in,” she said. 

Schwartz, who registered as a Democrat in her hometown of Las Vegas, plans to vote by mail. While Schwartz knows her registration is up to date and has a plan for voting, election officials are reminding voters there’s still time for each would be voter to formulate their own plan before the June 11th election. 

“That’s the big one, May 28,” Carson City Clerk-Recorder Scott Hoen said about the deadline to check your voter registration status. 

Hoen, who was elected in 2022, said the key component for college students and voting is to vote in the proper county. 

“Let’s say they live in Las Vegas with their parents, that’s where they’ve got their ballot in the past, that’s where they are registered to vote,” he explained. 

As a first-term county clerk, Hoen says one of the issues he frequently encounters is voters who register at the Department of Motor Vehicles. He said when voters visit the DMV, they often update their registration unknowingly.

“Most people who are registered at the DMV are registered as non-partisan. It is probably the largest party right now in Northern Nevada because of just that,” Hoen said.

As of April 1, there were 2,317,568 registered voters in Nevada. Statewide broken down by party, non-partisan had the largest number at 786,379, followed by registered Democrats with 707,287. Republican voters ranked in at 652,171. 

Of those registered voters, 236,581 were between the ages 18-24, according to the secretary of state’s office. 

One student who won’t register for either party but who plans to vote is UNR senior Joe Church.

He believes college students play an important role in the election process. It’s one of the reasons Church registered to vote as soon as he was eligible at age 18 to participate in the process. 

“It is important to vote for what you believe in, in hopes that it can change the country for the better,” he said. 

Hoen also stressed the importance of participating in democracy. 

“Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to go vote. It’s that cornerstone of what we all believe in, and everybody’s vote is important,” he said. 

Church, a Douglas County native, who moved to Carson City in 2021, last cast his vote during the 2020 presidential election. The registered independent voter said he plans to participate in this upcoming primary election cycle. Church is currently educating himself about the candidates and their agendas. 

“I’m turning to the news, debates, social media, campaign speeches they give,” he said. 

Schwartz, who’s studying journalism, learns about those running for office from her own circles. 

“I learn about the candidates I vote for through social media and word of mouth from family members and peers,” she said. 

Church also suggested students do their own research and verify the information they see to ensure truthfulness. 

“In today’s digital age, it’s sometimes hard to believe what you are reading, which makes it super important to not get fooled by false information,” he said.

This comes amid concerns from the right of the political spectrum in how Nevada’s elections have been conducted in recent years.

“Our state runs some of the most accessible, secure elections in the country,” Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in January. “This is possible thanks to the hard-working election officials that have been working tirelessly to prepare and the poll workers that are gearing up to help make these elections happen.” 

However, Hoen suggests voters should be leery about trusting mail-in delivery of their ballots. 

“In-person (voting), no problems,” he said. “By mail, you have to worry about that a little bit. If you are going to vote by mail, make sure it is postmarked by election day. If you’re going to vote by mail and use the post office, then mail it early and don’t wait until the last day.” 

Important dates for the upcoming primary election: 

• In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 11. 

• Early voting will take place starting Saturday, May 25 through Friday, June 7. 

• Mail in ballots will be sent by May 22. 

Important dates for the upcoming general election: 

• The 2024 general election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5. 

• Early voting will take place starting Saturday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Nov. 1. 

Voters can register or update their voter registration at registertovote.nv.gov. To check your voter registration and mail-in ballot status in Washoe County, visit https://www.washoecounty.gov/voters/2024-election/index.php. 

Reporting by Ashley Betrue shared with Our Town Reno

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