Reno Street Audio

What's it like for journalists covering the devastating fires and never ending smoke here in the West during a historically bad year? Our guest is one of our current reporters Richard Benarski, who was an intern with the Reno Gazette-Journal this past summer, and whose aspiration is to become a storyteller raising awareness by covering climate change. He’s also from Quincy, California, a town in the thick of it, so he’s been reporting in an area he’s extremely familiar with. In this episode he gives many insights both about the situation, what it's looking like right now and in the weeks ahead, and being a reporter literally thrown into the flames.

How can public art become better for Reno and other communities across the United States? Mark Salinas, the senior project manager at Forecast Public Art, recently helped develop a land recognition statement as part of many projects he is working on in the Biggest Little City where he works from. He has also recently worked with a social worker artist empowering the unhoused after they get into housing in Atlanta, as well as with a major community bridge park in development Washington, D.C. On this episode with Our Town Reno coordinator Nico Colombant, Salinas discusses Reno's Space Whale, electrical boxes, Jacobs Entertainment art, the Locomotion plaza and how to get grants and community engagement among several public art related topics.

Danielle Barrineau went from tying herself up in garbage bags to stay warm and hidden while living on the streets in Reno and addicted to heroin, to now being housed with her daughter and helping others. She recently spoke up at City Hall to stop the sweeps. She has plenty of insights from her own experiences and her current work as a peer recovery specialist. She also shares her dreams and aspirations for herself, for Reno, for the world and her daughter.

It was the start of the pandemic. It was the beginning of the end of the Record Street shelter in downtown Reno. It was before the Nevada Cares Campus. It was chaotic, it was frightening. The Reno Events Center was opened for those without shelter. Staff were screaming, yelling instructions, while the rest of the city was empty. This historical audio piece was first run as part of a series with Nevada Humanities, now replayed on your podcast here.

This week we’re reissuing part of a previous episode but on its own to never forget. This month in July marked eight years since Iraq war veteran Kenneth Stafford, a 27 year old father of three girls, was cornered, gunned down and killed by local police while he was going through a difficult time. At a recent protest reporter Gracie Gordon met with his mother Terry Colgrove and his sister Courtney Henderson. They explained how he was on military leave on that fateful tragic day. He had just traveled down to the area from Washington. He was dealing with PTSD and stress related to a pending court case. He had gotten a shotgun from someone to protect himself. When his family called for help, instead of a mental health worker, it was police who came out firing. On this Our Town Reno podcast episode, his mother describing the days and then seconds leading up to his killing.

As more and more federal money arrives into Nevada and local coffers in Reno, those seeking to help our struggling neighbors are seizing the moment to reinvigorate long held ideas never tried before locally.

At the June Community Homelessness Advisory Board meeting, Eileen Bidwell, representing the One Truckee River non profit, presented the need for a local safe parking program. CHAB members seemed interested but wanted to keep the ball in her court, to keep seeing how much further she could take the idea herself. They seem preoccupied by the new Nevada Cares Campus and its safe camp, she said.

“Safe and legal parking can make a huge difference in people's lives. It could make the difference between living unsheltered or living in a relatively safe and legal place to park,” Bidwell said during a recent interview. “People who have no choice but to live in their vehicles live in fear of notices and having their shelter towed away.” In this choice, she gives us an update on the whys and hows this type of program could help locally.

Catrina Peters, a Washoe County official gave us a tour last week of the new safe camp, which is part of the new multimillion dollar Nevada Cares Campus. At the time of our visit, only 14 people and one cat were reported to be staying at this pilot safe camp so far. In the interview we are told only 50 tents in all will be planned when it moves to the yet to be ready former Governor's Bowl baseball field. Our Town Reno tried to get more details of what's being offered and responses to community concerns about what might be missing to make it a more successful and welcoming initiative. Many unhoused we spoke to previously had high hopes for the camp, but feel frustrated at the lack of space, shade, location, clarity of waiting lists and criteria to get in, the food being served there and dogs not being allowed yet, among mounting concerns. We ask these questions and others during the tour, which also included insights from Austin Solheim, the Washoe County Homeless Services Program Specialist, and Grant Denton, the head of the Karma Box Project which has been awarded an emergency contract to operate the camp.

Brianna Punsalang once walked into a local store branded as metaphysical looking for some supplies. When employees tried to sell them on a “Tarot for Teens” class, they thought the local shop must not have had a very diverse clientele. Brianna was 30 at the time. Several years later, they are now running Coyote Supply Co. and gave our reporter Rachel Jackson a tour.

As one of the leaders of the Reno-Sparks chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nationwide nonprofit which focuses on creating the political will for environmental progress, Michelle Hamilton brings energy, dedication, and innovation to addressing climate change.

“It’s been around since 2010 as a national organization,” explained Hamilton, “and there are three chapters in the Nevada area.” Along with the chapter locally, there are chapters in Carson City and Las Vegas. The Reno chapter was established in 2015 and all three chapters focus on lobbying politicians, influencers and stakeholders to advocate for climate change legislation.

“We do that through many vehicles, one is meeting directly with members of Congress,” said Hamilton “to help them understand the climate legislation that we’re advocating for.” The local chapters also focus on outreach to community leaders and business owners. Their goal is to start the conversation and amplify the discussion around climate change and a possible carbon tax. Our reporter for this episode is Richard Bednarski.

Shaved head, painted fingernails, multiple earring that’s Gallo Chingon, the podcaster behind Sucias are my Favorite, a welcome addition to our local landscape. Gallo moved to Reno for a job at Tesla but has since left to begin a life of content creation and exploration of hobbies. He values his time and says he’s out of the rat race for now. In this Our Town Reno podcast episode with Richard Bednarski, he explains how he was able to reconnect with many different parts of his personality here in northern Nevada.