Renoites- The Podcast about Reno Nevada

Dr. Peter Reed is the director of the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR, who describe themselves as striving to enhance the quality of life and well-being among elders and educate current and aspiring healthcare professionals and caregivers. On this episode of Renoites, we talked about a range of issues related to aging, both for elders but also for the rest of us (who are also aging every day however old we may be).
Some of the topics included:
Why is agism a more common/accepted form of discrimination than others?
Is the outdated stereotype of older people being inexperienced with technology finally going away?
How can we prevent common diseases affecting the elderly while we are still young?
How does the way we build cities and neighborhoods affect our ability to connect with others as we age?
Does retiring have to mean a loss of our sense of purpose?
and much more!
We also talked extensively about the variety of services provided by the Sanford Center for Aging, from volunteer programs to provide companionship to the homebound, programs for preventative health care around common issues such as diabetes and risks of falling and injury, providing technology to seniors during the COVID pandemic, and more!
Thank you for listening!
This episode was recorded at LCD Modern, a great modern furniture store near Moana and Lakeside in Reno. Thanks to LCD Modern for providing that space, please go check them out!
This episode was produced with editing assistance from Alex Couraud and social content creation by Frankie Reilly.
Be sure to follow Renoites on Instagram and Facebook!
Send guest or topic suggestions to conor@renoites.com
Support the show financially on Patreon at http://patreon.com/renoites
 

Welcome to Renoites! I'm thrilled to announce some exciting news: the Reno News and Review has just released their Best of Northern Nevada edition, and I’m incredibly honored that Renoites has been voted Best Local Podcast. Since I began producing and hosting the show in 2021, it’s been amazing to see the support grow and to know that people find value in what we’re creating here. A huge thank you goes out to every guest who has made this show special, and to everyone who voted for us in the poll—your support means the world.
In today’s episode, I’m excited to welcome Sky Jones, founder and owner of Rising for People Coffee. When I have entrepreneurs on the show, I love exploring what makes their businesses unique and the passion that drives their work. Sky and I discussed the importance of educating customers about her products, the benefits of ethical sourcing by cutting out middlemen, innovative social media strategies like influencer engagement, and much more.
Renoites is a community-oriented, listener-funded project, and most episodes are ad-free. Your financial support is greatly appreciated, as it helps cover production costs. If you’d like to contribute, you can visit patreon.com/renoites and sign up to support the show for as little as $3 a month—about a dollar an episode. It might not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference. Thank you to all my current patrons and everyone who helps keep this show going for our community.
If you have suggestions for guests or topics, please email me at conor@renoites.com
 

Today on Renoites we welcome Chaplain Chaz Blackburn, VP of the board of the Circle of Life Hospice Foundation and President of the Board of the Good Shepherd's Clothes Closet.
We talked about what a chaplain is and how Chaz came to work as a "spiritual first responders" for people of all religions (or none), the International Fellowship of Chaplains, and the brand new Circle of Life Guest House which provides those in need with a home-like environment and people who care at no cost to them.
We also talked about his work with the Good Shepherd's Clothes Closet, providing free clothing to the community for almost 30 years. Good Shepherd's gives away $70,000 worth of clothes (based on thrift store prices) for free every month. Some topics discussed include the importance of providing a dignified shopping experience, their assistance running clothing distribution at area shelters, and the Good Shepherd's own podcast which features local events, guests and provides direction to resources.
We talked about so much more, this was a very full conversation! Other topics included healthy ways of grieving, suicide prevention, organ donation, and more.
Learn more here:
https://www.colhospice.com/
https://www.gsccreno.org/
 
Thank you for listening! What did you think about this episode? Come leave a comment or send me a message on Instagram! It's always great to hear from listeners. That's @renoites
You can also email me at conor@renoites.com
 

Today on the show I’m excited to welcome Deny Dotson, the executive director of Hot August Nights. Even as someone who isn’t particularly interested in classic cars, I’ve always enjoyed that Hot August Nights is an event that doesn’t just take place in one location but feels like classic cars and a sense of nostalgia are all over town.
We talked about the history of the event, the appeal of classic vehicles, what makes a car a classic, changes to Hot August Nights since Deny has been leading the organization, his previous work as the tourism director for Virginia City and some of his favorite events there, and a lot more!
This episode, and most of the episodes this season, were recorded at LCD Modern at 907 Moana Lane, near the corner of Moana and Lakeside. I’m so grateful to Linda, the owner, for letting us use this wonderful space filled with cute modern furniture. Be sure to check it out if you get a chance! You can learn more about the store and see some of her great offerings at lcdmodern.com
There are still several excellent episodes coming up before the end of this season though! Upcoming episodes include a conversation on aging with Dr. Peter Reed from the Sanford Center for Aging at UNR, owner of Rising for People Coffee Sky Jones, and chaplain Chaz blackburn, president of the good shepherd clothes closet and vice president of the board of the circle of life hospice foundation.
Of course, please be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get podcasts and follow @renoites on Instagram.

Education has been one of the most prominent political and social issues in recent years, including during the recent primary elections when voters had the chance to make their voices heard. Some of the issues that we hear a lot about are chronic absenteeism, underfunded schools, the battle between public schools and for-profit charters, and diversity and representation in the classroom.
On this episode, I am happy to welcome the president of the Washoe County School Board of Trustees to talk about these issues and more. Beth Smith was recently re-elected with a huge margin, large enough that she has secured her seat and won’t have to compete in a general election in the fall. On this episode we talk about the important issues I mentioned, as well as the recent superintendent selection process and Beth’s own story of getting involved in local education politics.
Please VOTE for Renoites as Best Local Podcast in the Reno News and Review's Best of Northern Nevada. You have until July 21 only.
This episode was recorded at LCD Modern in Reno, Nevada. Go check out the store near the corner of Moana and Lakeside!

There have been a lot of changes in our understanding about how we talk about neurodivergence in recent years and it can be hard to keep up. With social media driving a lot of the conversation, it’s easy to get incorrect information about things like autism and ADHD.
One of the leading experts in Reno, and our guest on this week's episode of Renoites, is Cady Stanton. Her organizations Facilitate Joy and the Autistic Resilience Network work to provide a variety of services from individual and group support to education, resources and more.
In our conversation in this episode, we talked about the changes in how we define autism, the under-reported challenges autistic people face both culturally and medically, the upsides and downsides of social media in spreading information about neurodivergence, and much more!
Thank you for listening! Renoites is a listener-funded program that can't exist without support from listeners just like you. You can learn how to help make this project financially sustainable by visiting http://patreon.com/renoites
Please be sure to also follow us on social media and subscribe wherever you get podcasts. Thanks again!

Kris Vagner has been writing about the arts in Nevada for a long time. She worked as the arts editor of the Reno News and Review beginning in 2004 and has either been on staff or doing freelance writing there and in countless arts publications for most of the years since. She earned her master's degree in Media Innovations from UNR in 2019 and launched her own statewide arts publication Double Scoop. And as of 2023, Kris has returned to the News and Review to now serve as the managing editor, as it has returned from a brief stint as online-only back to print (now in a monthly format available at hundreds of local businesses).
On this episode of Renoites, Kris joins Conor to talk about her career in arts journalism, and her experiences of the art community in Reno. Some of the topics include the opportunities (and sometimes lack of opportunities) for working artists, the challenge of an iffy "career ladder" and limited exhibition spaces in our mid-size city, the impacts of Burning Man on our public art and access to international artists and culture in our own backyard, and much more.
In the conversation about media itself, Kris talks about the difference between arts and news reporting, the history of the News and Review and it's changing formats, the reason Double Scoop is a statewide publication and she considers art from a "statewide community" perspective, and much more on those topics as well!
You can find Double Scoop at http://doublescoop.art and the Reno News and Review at http://renonr.com . Be sure to also follow those publications on social media and sign up for the Double Scoop newsletter to stay in the loop on arts events throughout the state.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoy the show, please help spread the word about it, and consider becoming a financial supporter at http://patreon.com/renoites to help the show become financially sustainable (it costs money and time to make this thing!)
If you have feedback or guest suggestions, email me at conor@renoites.com or send me a message on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites
p.s. I made a joke in this episode about not caring what listeners think about the conversation but that isn't true and I always think about how to make the show the best it can be! -Conor
 

We've done a lot of episodes of Renoites about how Reno is growing and the ways we can reduce the likelihood of people being priced out as the costs of housing increase. Public housing has an important role to play, and for 80 years the Reno Housing Authority has owned and operated public housing units, administered housing choice vouchers (formerly known as "Section 8"), and continue to work to build a portfolio of public housing units of diverse types in diverse neighborhoods.
On this week's episode, we are joined by the Executive Director of the Reno Housing Authority, Dr. Hilary Lopez. We discussed the way that public housing funding works, battling dated stereotypes of what public housing looks like, the process of working with landlords to accept housing vouchers, how changes in the economy affect public and private developers differently, and much more!
The organization has several projects in the works currently, and recently announced a deal with Jacobs Entertainment to build additional public housing in the downtown area. We didn't discuss that deal on this episode because it was recorded before the announcement, but I encourage your to read about it from other local journalists who have done a great job of covering that deal. See this article from Downtown Makeover
Thank you so much for listening! You can learn more about the Reno Housing Authority at http://renoha.org and be sure to follow Renoites on Instagram at http://instagram.com/renoites
Please consider supporting Renoites on Patreon! This is a LISTENER-FUNDED program, and can't survive without the financial support of listeners like you. Learn more and contribute as little as a dollar an episode at http://patreon.com/renoites 
Send feedback and guest suggestions to conor@renoites.com