Renoites- The Podcast about Reno Nevada

This week's guest is Reno's City Councilman At-Large Devon Reese! Devon was appointed to the city council when a vacancy opened in 2019 and went on to run for the seat and be elected to the position for a full term in 2020.
Conor and Devon enjoy a wide-ranging discussion about what the city council is responsible for in Reno (and what it isn't), how Devon communicates with constituents, the challenges of campaigning during covid, campaign finance reform to allow more candidates access to the ballot, his lifelong connection with the art of debate and why it's important for how we communicate, Pride in Reno and the importance of LGBTQ+ representation, rainbow capitalism and pink-washing, the importance and validity of protests, the goals and next steps for the Nevada Cares Campus, and so much more!
Thank you for listening!

This week's special episode of Renoites is our first audience Q&A! Renoites has been on the air for about 4 months, and this time Conor takes a week off from interviewing guests to instead answer questions from listeners about himself, the podcast, Reno, and much more.
Topics include the behind the scenes of how to make a podcast, the best way to spend time outdoors, meeting people in the post-pandemic world, using the Couchsurfing app to travel and meet cool people, living in a Prius for a year, local arts and artists, what goes into selecting and researching guests, weighing in on the "does kink belong at Pride" debate, and so much more!
A huge thank you to everyone who submitted questions! Sorry I wasn't able to answer all of them in this short episode but forever grateful for everyone who listens and especially those who interact! I love to hear from listeners. Email me anytime at conor@renoites.com
Thanks for listening!
 
Relevant links from this episode:
http://www.couchsurfing.org
https://www.yarngurl.life
https://wanderingwyld.com
https://www.facebook.com/feedthecamel/
https://www.facebook.com/RenoStreetFood
https://artspotreno.org
https://northernnevadapride.org
 

Downtown Makeover is one of the longest running blogs in Reno, reporting largely on development projects in and around Downtown Reno. Mike Van Houten has been closely tracking developers and their projects for 15 years, publishing everything from permits to concept drawings to photos of new housing developments as they grow.
Conor and Mike discuss the benefits of an urban lifestyle and downtown Reno's growth towards urban living, how he uses his site to break the reputation of Downtown Reno as full of shuttered casinos, ideas for controlling the ever-increasing rents in town, the false narrative of evil developers vs. inflexible NIMBYs, how construction costs shape what is built, and much more!
Mike also gives some background and his views on several of the most significant (and sometimes controversial) developments currently in the works in Reno, including the Reno Experience District in Midtown, a brand new residential project in the ballpark area, the Jacob's Entertainment "Neon Line" in the NW Quadrant, and the hotly debated 34-unit building currently under construction on Riverside Drive in the heart of the Powning Historic District. 
Thank you for listening!
 
Check out Downtown Makeover at http://www.downtownmakeover.com

Rising homelessness has become a major topic in Reno in recent years, with a massive increase during the pandemic. A large new shelter, the NV Cares campus, is opening in phases and will include a safe camping area, there's conflict around the disbandment of existing encampments, and the conversation continues over the best ways to help bring people from homelessness to stability and growth.
In this episode, Conor is joined by Grant Denton, founder of the Karma Box project, a "little free library" mutual aid model that helps the community directly provide food and essential items for those in need in their neighborhood. Grant shares his own personal story of overcoming addiction and homelessness, and what drives him to give back to the community now. 
Conor and Grant also discuss the importance of providing harm reduction resources alongside support and programs to help people stabilize and thrive, the role of safe camps in solving some of the problems of existing encampments, the psychology of drive and purpose and their place in helping people have a sense of control over their own lives, and so much more.
Thank you so much for listening, and I encourage you to support local organizations that are providing services of any kind to feed, clothe, and house the people who live in our city. I would like to use my social media to highlight organizations that are doing good work so please share with me at conor@renoites.com or leave a comment on the Renoites Facebook page!
 
https://www.karmaboxproject.org/about
https://ccsnn.org
http://www.renoinitiative.org
Reno Burrito Project
 

This week on the show, Conor is joined by Ky Plaskon, President of the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance. Ky has been riding bikes his entire life and is now leading TMBA in advocating for better bike and multi-modal infrastructure in Reno.
Conor and Ky talk about the near future of e-bike and scooter sharing in Reno, a major bike infrastructure project along Center Street that needs your help, why most people's bikes never leave the garage and how to fix that, what to do with the flood of broken bikes from burning man every year, dealing with bike theft, and so much more!
Thanks as always for listening and sharing!
Be sure to follow TMBA to stay up to date!
https://bikewashoe.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BikeWashoe
Also mentioned in this episode:
https://renobikeproject.org
https://www.kiwanisbikes.org
 
 

This week on the podcast, Conor welcomes Michael Moberly, a spirits educator, bar consultant, writer, event planner and all-around bar industry expert who has been working in Reno's bar and spirits world since he was 19.
Conor and Michael talk about the history of Reno's bar scene and why bars have continued to be an important part of our city's culture, the economic challenges facing both bars and their employees, what makes a good bar, locals vs. tourists, summer events, and so much more!
Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoy the episode, please share!
Follow Michael on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/mcmoberly/

Happy Mother's Day! This week's guest on the podcast is Michele McQuivey, Conor's mom! We had a really good conversation about her life and what brought her to be a mom and raise a family in Reno, the differences in parenting over the years and generations, the value of family vacations, why having adult children is the best of both worlds, what role grandparents should play in parenting, and much much more!
Super extra special thank you to my mom for coming on the show even though podcasts are definitely not her thing normally, and also thanks to her for, you know... giving birth to me and raising me and always being supportive and making sure I've had a good life. My gratitude is immeasurable.

Trustee Kurt Thigpen joins Conor on the podcast this week to discuss his path to being elected to the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees last year, the issues that schools are facing right now in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, diversity and inclusion in schools, clearing up misconceptions about new curriculum (spoiler alert, it's not critical race theory!), school funding, and much more!
Thanks for listening! Education is a very important topic so if you have feedback, guest suggestions, or ideas for future episodes of Renoites, please let me know! My email address is conor@renoites.com
Keep up with what's happening in the school district and find your trustee's contact info at http://www.washoeschools.net