Renoites

If you have been paying attention to any of the big news stories in Reno for the last few years, you’ve probably heard a lot from the local activist community.  From the protests following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, to the Stop the Sweeps protests and rallies which picked up steam last year, all the way up to the recent community meetings about development and the Jacobs’ Neon Line project, the voices of our local activist community have been a common presence. This week on Renoites, Conor speaks with Lily Baran about the meaning of activism in a city like Reno. Last year, Lily and several other activists were cited for protesting at a park outside city hall (the charges were dropped- it was apparent the protesters were unfairly targeted by police). She also appeared at a recent Propublica forum to discuss affordable housing in Reno, has provided public comment at countless City Council meetings, and is generally a prominent figure in the local activist community. On this episode, Conor and Lily discuss what activism really means, the difference between performative and action-based activism, the role of social media in spreading ideas, accountability and difficult conversations, creating alternative systems of mutual aid and power, what defunding the police should actually look like, building relationships slowly and sustainably, her Hampton House mutual aid garden project, and so much more! Thank you so much for listening! Come to the Renoites Anniversary Party on March 10 at the Brewer's Cabinet Production Facility! Details and RSVP here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/renoites-1-year-anniversary-party-tickets-268336059377   Lily’s Recommendations for learning more about the topics we discussed: Instagrams: Dr. Ayesha Khan: https://www.instagram.com/wokescientist/ The Nap Ministry: https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/   Books: The Body is Not an Apology  by Sonya Renee Taylor https://thebodyisnotanapology.com   Abolition. Feminism. Now. by Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica R. Meiners, and Beth E. Richie https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1546-abolition-feminism-now   Six by Ten- Stories from Solitary Edited by Mateo Hoke and Taylor Pendergrass https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1186-six-by-ten   Begin Again- James Baldwin’s America and its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575725/begin-again-by-eddie-s-glaude-jr/   What about the Rapists? An Abolitionist FAQ https://www.interruptingcriminalization.com/what-about-the-rapists

This week on Renoites, it's time to talk all about cats and cat rescue! Our guest this week is Rachel Story, a feline rescue advocate who runs the local cat rescue Feral at Heart and works with the Enchanted Cat Cafe. Rachel's focus is on Trap/Neuter/Return, a strategy that allows anyone to help reduce the feral cat population in their neighborhood by trapping feral cats and having them neutered at a local low-cost clinic, then returning them back to where they were trapped. Conor and Rachel talk about the TNR approach and why it is fundamental to helping reduce the feline population in overcrowded shelters, the difference between how animal control services respond to calls about cats vs dogs, a recent major animal hoarding case in Fallon, the Enchanted Cat Cafe and the recent trend of cat cafes to increase adoption rates, and so much more! You can donate directly to Options Veterinary Care (Please be sure to note Rachel's name in the comment box and the funds will go directly to support her work) at this link: Donate Here (each spay/neuter costs $25) On March 10, Renoites will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary with a party at the Brewer's Cabinet Production Facility from 5:00-7:00pm followed by a special game of DJ Trivia from 7:00-9:00. Please come join listeners and former guests for a great evening of beer, bar games, music, trivia, and fun! RSVP at the link below and your first beer is on us! RSVP for the Renoites Anniversary Party on March 10 Thank you as always for listening and telling your friends about the show!

One of the frequent criticisms of the criminal justice system in the United States is that people who violate the law often cycle in and out of the system, and a focus on punishment often doesn't serve to solve the actual problem at hand. Today's guest on the podcast is Judge Christopher Hazlett-Stevens, who presides over the Reno Municipal Court system's Community Court. Community Court is held at the Downtown Reno library instead of the court house, and is geared towards Reno's unhoused population. Certain misdemeanors like open container violations or trespassing are referred to the community court where instead of fines or jail time, offenders typically are referred to services like health care or helped to acquire ID and be put on housing wait lists. Conor and Judge Hazlett-Stevens talk about the origins and purposes of the community court, how the experience is different than typical court proceedings, why the library is a more comfortable space for participants, the difference between serving as a lawyer in the past and now as a judge, being prepared to run a campaign in this election year, the arguments that alternative courts are too soft on crime or that they're still part of an overly punitive justice system, and a whole lot more. You can follow the community court at their Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/rmc.communitycourt/) to stay up to date with happenings, or go visit and see how it works for yourself. Court is held at the Downtown Reno library every Wednesday morning and you don't need to have been cited with a violation to take advantage of the services offered. This episode was produced by Conor McQuivey and Ciara Cihak. Thank you as always for listening!

This week's guest on Renoites is the Community Director for Yelp Reno, Michael Tragash. Through his position with Yelp, Michael helps local businesses connect with their customers through events and sharing their stories and make the most of the customer feedback they receive. Conor and Michael discuss Yelp and how it works, how trust and reliability are essential for business owners and their online reviewers, what the "feedback economy" is and why it matters to business owners more than ever, restaurants as a gateway to the many diverse cultures represented in the Reno area, what the Yelp Elite Squad is and the role they play in the local business community, and much much more! You can download the Yelp app wherever you get apps or visit yelp.com and follow Michael on Instagram at https://instagram.com/yelpreno Renoites isn't listed on Yelp because that would be a pretty weird place to review a podcast, but you can always send feedback directly to me via email! My address is conor@renoites.com Thank you so much for listening!

This week on the podcast, Conor welcomes Reno’s city council member from Ward 1, Jenny Brekhus. Jenny has served on the Reno city council since 2012 and is running for Mayor of Reno this year. Conor and Jenny discuss current issues facing Reno, including the controversial Jacobs Entertainment Neon Line District and accompanying development agreement with the city, the CARES Campus and homelessness, the recent judicial decision forcing the city council to approve a housing development in Verdi, how to best spend federal funds that the city will be receiving in the coming years, and much more! You can learn more about Jenny at her website https://jennybrekhus.com or subscribe to her substack newsletter at https://jennybrekhus.substack.com This episode was produced by Conor McQuivey and Ciara Cihak. Thank you for listening! If you have guest suggestions, ideas for episode topics, feedback, or just want to get in touch, you can email Conor at conor@renoites.com

Renoites is back for the new year with more great guests and episodes every Tuesday! This week on the podcast, Conor welcomes local stand up comedian David Gamble Jr. to talk about the world of stand up comedy both nationally and here in the Biggest Little City. David has been performing stand-up in the Reno area for 7 years, including creating and hosting a regular showcase of local and regional comedians at Ferino Distillery in Downtown Reno. On this episode, Conor and David discuss the world of stand-up comedy, the process of translating jokes from conversation with friends into material for the stage, the power of comedy to help us talk about serious issues like race and racism, the changing dynamics of who is allowed to joke about what, what makes stand-up such an enduring form of comedy generation after generation, and so much more. We also talk about David's viral essay from 2020, "Growing up Black in Reno" You can follow David on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dgjcomedy/  To find more comedy shows in Reno, join the Facebook group Reno Stand Up Comedy Thank you for listening!

One of the greatest frustrations for people who are large, chunky, plus-size, fluffy, husky, or (to skip all the euphemisms) just fat is that we live in a society that has labeled fat as a "bad word" and assigned various judgments and criticisms to people who have big bodies. From having diets recommended that they didn't ask for, being assumed to be unhealthy based on nothing more than their appearance, being discriminated against by medical providers, or struggling to find major retailers who carry fashionable clothes that fit, there are many unique struggles for plus-size people. On this week's episode of Renoites, Conor welcomes Emily Treischel, founder of the plus-size clothing swap Curve NV and an advocate for fat acceptance and body positivity. Conor and Emily have an informative and wide ranging conversation about the many aspects of what plus-size people experience in our society, and what we could all be doing to foster a more size-inclusive world. Some of the topics discussed on this episode include the appropriate language to use when discussing our and other's bodies, the gender and racial elements of the body positivity movement, the role of social media in destigmatizing fat bodies, body positive events and communities, navigating the dating world as a fat person, the pluses and minuses of increased representation in mass media, weight loss surgery, and so much more. Thank you to Emily for providing such a great overview and explanation of these important issues. Check out her plus-size clothing exchange community Curve NV on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/curve_nv/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bigbeautifulbroke/ Thank you for listening!

Black Wall Street was the name of a thriving black-owned business district and surrounding residential area in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1921, just over 100 years ago, it was destroyed in a racial massacre that left many residents and business owners dead or injured, and their businesses burned to the ground. It is among the worst cases of racial violence ever recorded in the United States. This week on the podcast, we welcome Donald Griffin and RoMar Tolliver. Together, they have founded Black Wall Street Reno, a nonprofit named after the original Tulsa district and guided by a mission to build up the black community in the Reno/Sparks area. Conor, Don, and RoMar talk in this episode about the origins of Black Wall Street Reno, services they provide to the community, developing their organization based on local needs, the different approaches and effectiveness of political and direct aid organizations, sobriety and recovery from addiction, the challenges of raising funds and recruiting volunteers as a new nonprofit, Reno's racial history, spoken word poetry, creating generational wealth for black communities, teaching accurate history in schools, and a whole lot more. Please be sure to check out Black Wall Street Reno at http://www.blackwallstreetreno.org and follow them on social media! Thank you for listening!