Mayor Ed Lawson on Sparks

But what about Sparks?

The "Reno Area" is of course inclusive of more than just the city of Reno. We also have the city of Sparks immediately adjacent to us as a major part of our shared economy and community, and Sparks shares many of the same concerns Reno does around growth, development, homelessness, and more.

This week on the show we welcome the best person to talk about the city of Sparks- Mayor Ed Lawson!

Ed and Conor talk about what type of city Sparks is and wants to be, how the city plans to grow vertically in key areas, a lands bill 6 years in the making which may create new capacity for tens of thousands of homes, building a new road to connect Spanish Springs and the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, addressing homelessness through the use of Sparks Police Department's HOPE team and regional projects like the NV Cares Campus, Ed's role on the Community Homelessness Advisory board (CHAB), the influence (or lack thereof) of partisanship and national issues on local elections, the smells of nature while riding Harley Davidson motorcycles in the Sierras, and a whole lot more.

Thank you for listening!

Alex and Broden McClelland on Golden Owl Bookshop and Reading

After reading in school about a double decker bus in London being converted into a mobile book shop, 11-year-old Broden McClelland loved the idea and suggested to his parents that they do something similar here in Reno. The Golden Owl Bookshop was born, and has become a staple at the Riverside and Sparks United Methodist farmers markets, Sprouts Farmers Market in Sparks, and various other locations around town.

On this episode of Renoites, Broden and his mom Alex join Conor to talk about the creation of their mobile bookstore, but as often happens on this show, the conversation didn't stop there. Topics on this episode include the mental health and attention span benefits of readings, why we are drawn to particular genres, what goes into curating the selection for a small book store, home schooling during covid, the effects of social media on young people, alternatives to Amazon/Audible/Goodreads for buying and listening to books or tracking our reading lists, and so much more.

Huge thanks to Alex and Broden for coming on the show and for bringing a super cool mobile bookshop to Reno! You can find their schedule posted weekly on their website at http://www.goldenowlbookshop.com 

Thank you for listening!

Pete Copeland on the Great Reno Balloon Race

2021 marks the 40th Anniversary of one of Reno's biggest community events, the Great Reno Balloon Race. It's held at Rancho San Rafael park (September 10-12 this year) and is the largest free ballooning event in the world.

This week on the Renoites, Conor is joined by the executive director of the Great Reno Balloon Race, Pete Copeland. Pete and Conor talk about the balloon event industry, how the Reno Balloon Race got started as an opening at for the Air Races, the different challenges of piloting in different parts of the country, advancements in balloon-manufacturing, the history of all the fun weird-shaped balloons, the GRBR pilot incubator program to train new pilots, partnerships with local organizations like The Children's Cabinet, and so much more!

You can learn more and prepare for the event at http://www.renoballoon.com

Thank you for listening!

Eric Henry Andersen on Local Music

Eric Henry Andersen is one of the most active, hardworking musicians in Reno. You may know him from the popular local band The Novelists, last year's Artown music video "Heartbeat to Heartbeat, Eye to Eye (From Reno with Love)" or from his work as a solo artist playing shows both on tour and here in town. He's also a recent appointee to the Reno Arts and Culture Commission. 

On this week's episode, Eric and Conor talk about what led Eric to a career as a musician, finding the balance between improving instrument skills and writing new music, working collaboratively with a band vs. working more independently, creating the Heartbeat to Heartbeat music video during a pandemic, monetizing creative work through Patreon or other patron-supported models, Burning Man's influence on Reno's arts culture,  Reno music venues and what's missing from that landscape, and so much more!

You can find Eric's music and upcoming appearances on his website at http://erichenryandersen.com and check him out on music streaming services. 

Thanks for listening!

Alex Stettinski on the Downtown Reno Partnership

You've probably seen the Reno Ambassadors rolling around on their Segways downtown, giving directions and checking on businesses and generally tasked with keeping the streets of Downtown Reno clean and safe. They're a part of the Downtown Reno Partnership, a Business Improvement District (BID) tasked with improving Downtown Reno. But what is a BID and how does it work?

On this week's episode of Renoites, we welcome Alex Stettinski, the executive director of the Downtown Reno Partnership. Alex moved to Reno to lead the organization when it began 3 years ago. He relocated from the Los Angeles area, where he's long worked on BIDs and neighborhood organizations which have had a large impact in improving various LA-area communities.

Conor and Alex talk about the purpose of Business Improvement Districts and how they work, who is paying for the services they provide, the tangible benefits of property assessments vs taxes, the impact of the Downtown Partnership on the number of police calls, why the Ambassadors are well suited to build relationships with and provide resources to unhoused people, changing the public perception of downtown, the important of place-making projects like the recently completed Locomotion Plaza, and much more!

You can learn more about the Downtown Reno Partnership and subscribe to their newsletter at downtownreno.org

Thank you for listening! Go spend some time and money downtown!

Yvette Cantu Schneider on “Pray Away” and the Ex-Gay Movement

Netflix recently released the documentary "Pray Away," the story of the religious belief that it's possible or desirable to "convert" LGBTQ people to heterosexuality. The story is told by the former leaders of that movement, who have since spoken out against ex-gay ministry and churches that still fail to affirm the gender and sexual orientation of their members.

One of those former leaders featured in the film is Yvette Cantu Schneider, who rose to lead women's ministry at Exodus International, the large umbrella organization of the ex-gay movement in the United States. Since leaving Exodus over a decade ago, before it was shuttered in 2013, Yvette has worked with GLAAD and other organizations to push for more affirming churches.

Conor and Yvette discuss her path from being out and proud and not religious into being a leader of the Christian ex-gay movement, tactics her organization and others used to control people, the physical toll of anxiety and PTSD from leading an inauthentic life,  the media that gave endless airtime to ex-gay groups, why it's actually the churches that need to change, and so much more.

Please watch Pray Away, now streaming on Netflix.

Thank you for listening!

Additional Resources - Please have a look, especially if you or anybody you know attends a church that tells you it's wrong to be yourself:

https://www.prayawayfilm.com/resources 

Jolene Cook on Reno Local Food Week and GrowingNV.com

On this week's episode, Conor welcomes Jolene Cook! Formerly a manager of the Great Basin Community Co-op, current board member of Reno Food Systems, and creator of Reno Local Food Week and GrowingNV.com. Jolene is passionate about local food and building community here in Reno.

Conor and Jolene begin the episode with Jolene's story of how she realized the importance of healthy food in her own life and information about local food and the 3rd annual Reno Local Food Week (which begins August 15), but soon expand into a wide-ranging conversation to discuss so much more.

Topics include creating community through the use of social media technology but without the algorithms and ads, the power of farmers markets to demystify and normalize shopping local, the trap of being a perfectionist and the benefits of embracing failures as lessons, the numbers behind creating sustainable local food systems, the role restaurants can play in promoting local food, the importance of having pride in the place you live, and much more!

Thank you so much for listening!

Jaime Chapman on Pineapple Pedicabs, Dog Parks, and Burning Man

One of the most fun and eco friendly ways to be transported from one place to another is via pedicab, essentially an oversized tricycle with room for passengers. This week's guest, Jaime Chapman, has been driving pedicabs since 2012 and opened Pineapple Pedicabs in 2019, bringing this fun form of bike-driven transportation here to Reno. Jaime is also involved in dog rescue and rehoming, trying to create a dog park in her neighborhood, and a frequent Burning Man attendee with plans to attend the unofficial "free burn" this year. 

On this episode, Conor and Jaime talk about the origins of Pineapple Pedicabs and the services they provide, growing a business during the pandemic, dealing with weather and smoke conditions, rescuing animals from kill shelters in California, her campaign to install an off-leash dog area at Wilkinson Park, how she fell in love with Burning Man, what she expects from this year's unofficial, unregulated event in the desert, and so much more!

Be sure to follow Pineapple Pedicabs on your preferred social media platforms, and book a ride at https://www.pineapplepedicabs.com or by calling (775) 234-8188

If you're looking to adopt or foster a pet, please reach out to Jaime for more information!

Thank you for listening!

YeVonne Allen on Northern Nevada Pride and Our Center

Saturday, July 24 will be Reno's annual Northern Nevada Community Pride Parade and Festival. In this week's episode, Conor is joined by YeVonne Allen from Northern Nevada Pride and Our Center, Reno's LGBTQIA+ community gathering place. 

Conor and YeVonne talk all things Pride, from Reno's LGBTQ history, the origins of Northern Nevada Pride, what to expect at the events this year, how the pride parade and festival raise funds for Our Center, other events and promotions happening this week, the importance of in-person spaces for the LGBTQ community, and so much more!

Learn more about this Saturday's event at http://www.northernnevadapride.org

Go visit Our Center in person, and on social media (Facebook and Instagram)

I will have a Renoites booth at the festival on Saturday, 7/24 selling Renoites pride merch! Please come say hi and pick up some Renoites gear!

Thank you so much for listening!

Tia Flores on the Sierra Arts Foundation

The Sierra Arts Foundation has been one of the major drivers of Reno as an arts-friendly city for over 50 years. Tia Flores is the Program Director and works to create programming, artist services, gallery spaces and much more.

Conor and Tia discuss arts in Reno generally, and Sierra Arts Foundation's work in the region. Topics include arts education in the Washoe County School District, creating spaces for local artists to show and sell their work, saving the historic Riverside building that now houses their offices and artist lofts, launching docent-led art walks in Sparks, and so much more!

Thanks for listening, and check out Sierra Arts Foundation at http://www.sierraarts.org