A Deeper Look into a Reno Revelation: Faded Shawties

Being part of a small local band can be a rewarding experience, but it also comes with its own unique set of challenges. A group that is continuing to move through it all while staying true to their lighthearted and fun-focused ways is Faded Shawties. 

Lead guitarist Eduardo “Eddie” Esquivel is the founder. After many years of performing solo acts, he decided to take a leap of faith and follow his dream of being in a group. The band’s first recruit was Daniel Davis, an experienced drummer familiar with the local music scene.

Together the two of them created the elusive band image of the “Swag Lifestyle” and Davis is credited for giving the band its name.

One of the toughest hurdles for a small band is gaining visibility. Local venues may not have the reach of larger clubs or national tours, and getting notoriety within even just the local scene can require months, if not years, of gigging.

A later addition, Nicolas “Nico” Villalobos, the band’s bassist, is the creative director behind their Instagram content; which the band has become synonymous with. 

With the help of a social media presence, the band has booked many live shows including multiple performances at the Holland Project.

For most local bands, the financial realities are harsh. Revenue from local gigs is often meager, especially when you're playing small venues with low ticket prices. Equipment costs, studio time, and travel expenses can quickly add up, and most of the time, the money earned from performances doesn’t cover these costs.

Many bands rely on day jobs to support their music, making it difficult to balance both responsibilities. Band members often juggle their music career with other obligations—work, school, and family. This makes coordinating rehearsal schedules, studio time, and live performances a logistical challenge.

Finding time to work on new material while managing personal lives can stretch members thin, which sometimes leads to burnout or even internal conflict within the band.

Each member of Faded Shawties has many obligations outside of creating music. Daniel is a full-time college student at the University of Nevada Reno, whereas both Eddie and Nico have full-time jobs. But they make the commitments to each other that their friendships are a crucial part of being creative together and prioritizing their relationships and connections are what allow them to grow and thrive together as a band. 

Many bands chase the elusive "big break" that will launch them into the spotlight. But the reality is that success in the music world is often a slow burn.

While some bands seem to rise quickly, the majority spend years honing their craft, building relationships, and earning their place in the industry. The lack of immediate success can be discouraging, but perseverance and patience are often the most important qualities for survival.

Faded Shawties has been a group for two years and has plans to continue to make music and perform. Despite the challenges, being in a small local band can be incredibly fulfilling. It offers opportunities for creative expression, the chance to build a community and the possibility of unexpected breakthroughs. While the path may be tough, those who stick with it often find that the music, the camaraderie, and the passion make the struggle worth it. 

Reporting by Mayra Gonzalez Hernandez, CyAnastasia McRae-Liber and Wesley Kaopio with top visual made from photos by @keychainptg on Instagram

Our Reno-related book of the year is The Horse by Willy Vlautin

We once had the immense privilege of interviewing Vlautin himself for an Our Town Reno story about motels he’d written about in his first book The Motel Life, now mostly all gone amid downtown gentrification: https://www.ourtownreno.com/our-stories-1/2018/4/15/willy-vlautin-author-of-the-motel-life-torn-on-renos-disappearing-motels

His latest book has stark, folksy, minimalistic echoes of the late great Cormac McCarthy, with a 60-something songwriter, guitarist barely living out memories of gone south relationships and being a small time but admired musician in multiple bands, who dishearteningly make more money when playing covers.

An ailing horse by an unused mine in a barren part of Nevada where he’s living his last chapter, thanks to his great uncle who repeatedly came to his rescue, serves as a metaphor for himself. The question is whether or not he will try yet again to save himself, this time by way of the horse.

The musician’s recollections bounce around from one strange band to another, all the songs he’s written, and the relationships he’s failed at, some for better, others for much worse. As in many of Vlautin’s other books, drifters, downtown diners, struggling poets, the down and almost entirely out, the kitschy casinos and grimy motels take center stage.

Vlautin, a songwriter and musician himself, who grew up partly in and out of Reno motels, knows this West Coast environment all too well.

One takeaway from this book is that kindness, talent and passion will occasionally save you, and give you grace upon others, but that an addiction such as alcoholism will ultimately bury you.

Reno serves as a base which he can never get away from, even if it fuels his alcoholism rather than his potential. The book is a rich song, meandering through a torn up life with too many regrets, but plenty of fodder for more to write.

Keep Reno Rad, December 2024

RareTea Boba Gets a Rave Review

On the corner of Virginia and California, a specialty cheese store, a gluten-free smoothie shop, and a bagel place all grace the area with their presence. However, it’s RareTea Boba that steals the spotlight.

Owner Ruth Broos first moved to Cold Springs, Nevada to be closer to family. She decided that Reno “needed something different.” After first looking into possibilities for the area (another smoothie joint, original pizza, etc.) she settled on boba tea.

“You know, when I first came to Reno, I didn’t know very much about the areas,” she remembers. “I used a commercial real estate agent, and she brought me here because she was friends with the owner of the property,” Ruth says. “That’s how it worked out. Then more and more customers were coming in, and they were saying I had the best spot in town, location wise.”

RareTea is a boba franchise based out of Berkeley, California, and Ruth’s location on California Ave. is the only location in Nevada. Her location is also one of the biggest, she says.

Her 24 California Ave. location boasts an open floor plan, with board games, TV, and plenty of seating, making it a popular spot for students and families. 

Even though she’s not from Reno, Ruth recognizes the importance of the community. Ruth is from, Phoenix, Arizona– a city boasting a casual 1.6 million residents– so Reno is a pretty big change. Her favorite thing about Reno? The people.

“They’re pretty cool, they’re down to earth. It’s a small town, everybody knows everybody,” she said.  

Reporting by Madison Kitch for Our Town Reno

Armon Johnson, Now the Head Basketball Coach at Hug High, Giving Back What He Once Received

"I felt it felt right," Armon Johnson says of replacing Moe Golashani as the head coach of the Hug varsity basketball team this season. "It's like a place I wanted to leave an imprint, you know, and try and help as best as I could."
Johnson, a former Traner, Hug and UNR standout, had a brief career in the NBA after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2010.
As a high school player, he tied the state record for career points scored with 2,616 over the 2004 to 2007 seasons for the Hawks. At Nevada, he was WAC freshman of the year and all-conference twice, with averages of 14.3 points and 4.4 assists before being enshrined in the Nevada Hall of Fame in 2020.
He says in years past he came back to Hug to volunteer feeling he needed to give back for all he had received.

"Hug prepared me for my future, for college, for things like that, for the professional ranks because it made me be a man," he says of what he got from playing basketball for Hug. "I had to step up. I had to be mature. I had to be responsible. You know, being in class on time, everything around here was motivating to me. Like, when I was here at Hug, the UNR Wolf Pack guys would come to open [the] gym. You know, they would come and support, watch our games, things like that. That was always super motivating and a huge part of the reason I went to Nevada. Just having those guys support, I always had that motivating factor that, wow, I got a lot of people I can't let down."

He says his plans as head coach are to build a local dynasty. His coaching philosophy centers around making extra passes, putting in extra work, never giving up and being confident but not arrogant.

Reporting shared with Our Town Reno, December 2024

Dick Smith, A Local Skydiving Instructor Known as Batman

Dick Smith has been known by many as Batman for years. Initially it was because of a birthmark he had on his chest that looks like the bat symbol. As a kid, Batman was always his favorite superhero. As an adult, he’s now known as the guy who wears his batman suit while taking people sky diving with Skydive Lake Tahoe. 

It’s been a wild ride for this Batman. He remembers being thrown backward and his canopy almost folding up during one of his jumps. He was close to the ground and scared that he would get seriously hurt. 

Despite such moments of extreme doubt, skydiving is still Smith’s passion and hobby, having jumped now over 7,600 times. 

The 40-year-old who grew up in Acampo, California, lives in Minden, Nevada, with his wife and two kids. 

Before settling into his current career, Smith recalls never having a desire to skydive, not wanting to take a chance at risking his life. 

“I always thought that it was super crazy,” he said. “You know I’m going to die if I do it.”

That was until he had to deliver a pizza to a drop zone in Lodi, California, where he met Roger, an instructor who took Smith on his first tandem after trying to convince him for seven months.

“I did it, and I was like, ‘holy shit,’” he said. “You guys are making money from doing this?”

Smith was in shock and awe at how amazing his first skydiving experience was, which eventually led to him dropping out of school, where he was studying programming. 

He began packing parachutes and was able to start saving money for his skydiving training and courses. 

“I got lucky that I found skydiving at the age of 23,” Smith said. “When I think of getting a real job, it almost sickens me.”

His favorite part of a jump is the free fall when he’s by himself. He’s able to get full control over his body. Smith described it as having 10,000 feet of playground. 

“You get to fly, and it takes me back,” he said. “My childhood dream was wanting to go be a superhero.”

When doing tandems, he tries to make others feel more secure through his calm demeanor and will distract them by asking questions like what their hobbies are or by making “bad” jokes. 

“What do I do if the parachute doesn’t open,” he said. “Start flapping your arms. I don’t know. It has a 50% success rate in the cartoons.” 

It’s rewarding for him to see so many people face their fears through skydiving. For Smith, the sport also left a deep impact on his life personally. 

When he was younger, he had a negative outlook, asking himself why bad things were always happening to him and why he wasn't doing things better.

With skydiving, he says he started gaining more confidence, becoming more adventurous, believing in himself and projecting more positive energy. 

Smith wants to continue skydiving for as long as he can. But, as he gets older, he doesn’t want to hurt anybody. Because of this, in the future he sees himself working on the assembly and maintenance of skydiving equipment. 

Reporting by Stephanie Navarro Rocha for Our Town Reno

Big Horn Olive Oil Presses On With its Tasty Gourmet Offerings

Inside of the Mayberry Landing Boutique Shopping Center, a friend of mine pointed to an olive oil place on a whim – Big Horn Olive Oil. I had done an olive oil tasting before; while she had not, setting me up in this instance as a connoisseur for the common Mediterranean cuisine ingredient.

The idea of trying flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar seems unusual, especially since those products typically do not come in flavors like mango and apricot. One of the store’s employees, Ego Onunaku, explained this phenomenon.

“It does sound kind of weird that there's a store of olive oil and vinegar, but once you come in and actually try it, then you can see why there's so many flavors and so many choices,” she said.

My friend experienced this progression – almost verbatim – as we went through the store. I finally convinced her to sample an apricot olive oil, and to her surprise, she enjoyed it. On the other hand, I knew exactly what flavor of olive oil I wanted, since I discovered the pairing of the spicy harissa olive oil and tangy mango balsamic at a previous tasting.

Finding pairings is something that the employees at Big Horn Olive Oil assist customers with. They know which flavors are popular, which ones go well together, and how you can use a balsamic in cooking. 

“It's kind of overwhelming, so you have to kind of give them the breakdown of the store,” Onunaku said. “Pretty much just being on the floor, giving people pairings and showing them what they can do with the product for the most part.”

In addition to having products of different flavors, Big Horn Olive Oil also claims a higher quality than products bought at a grocery store.

“Ours is super fresh because once it's harvested, it has to be crushed into an oil two to four hours after it's harvested,” Onunaku said of olives in the oils being sold here. “Whereas like a regular grocery store, they don't have the same requirements because ours is ultra premium extra virgin, rather than just extra virgin.”

“We have a lot of restaurants that actually buy from us to make their product, because they know it's high quality, and because you can just taste it in the flavor, you can taste the quality of it,” she added.

Onunaku listed a couple of local restaurants, like Centro and Smiling With Hope Pizza, that purchase various products from Big Horn Olive Oil. She also noted that other restaurants purchase truffle oils from them as well.

As a small local business, Big Horn Olive Oil also gives back to the Reno community. They have a thank-you message from the Reed High School wrestling team on the wall by their checkout counter. The company helped fund travel costs for the team. 

“We're always giving donations for people to do their raffles or even the Reed High School,” Onunaku said. “So just pretty much a lot of local donations for people that come in and ask for help with that kind of thing.”

After any visit, mouths are watering for that next taste of tasty olive oils paired perfectly with a delicious balsamic vinegar.

Reporting and Photos by Aaron Blum shared with Our Town Reno

High Fives Foundation, Going Stronger Than Ever 15 Years In, Healing Athletes with Life Altering Injuries

In 2006, Roy Tuscany, an aspiring pro skier, was at Mammoth Mountain when he went 130 feet on a 100-foot ski jump. He fell from 30 feet in the air, and the impact fractured his T12 vertebrae, causing instant paralysis from the belly button down. 

Tuscany was raised in Waterbury, Vermont, and moved to Lake Tahoe in 2004. Now at 43 years old, he lives in Reno, Nevada with his wife and son. 

In 2009, he created the High Fives Foundation. This nonprofit's goal is to support athletes who have experienced life-altering injuries through a three-phase approach. First, the foundation looks at what is needed for recovery, from physical therapy to one-on-one workouts to alternative medicine. Then, they look at how they can create a better quality of life, like making home or vehicle modifications. Lastly, they hope to reconnect the athletes to the community through sports. 

Tuscany said that his injury was the catalyst in starting the foundation. When he got hurt, his community in Vermont and the Sugar Bowl Academy in Lake Tahoe, where he was a ski coach, put together fundraisers to support him. Once he got to a good place in his recovery, Tuscany felt that he needed to pay it forward and help those who would fall into the same position he was in. 

“It’s my calling, you know,” he said. “I think that’s why the day that I got hurt and had such a catastrophic injury… it’s really shaped me knowing that I was left on this planet to help others.”

Now, 15 years later, the organization has helped over 850 athletes. 

Tuscany had his own struggles during his healing journey, such as facing uncertainty and hearing others give him a bleak outlook on life, but he draws from his experiences to guide others. 

“One of the things I realized is once you stop trying to press rewind because we cannot rewind on life, you can actually start hitting play and living life again,” he said. 

He likes to tell people that even if life may never be the same again, it can still be awesome. 

Through his injury, Tuscany found unexpected fortunes. He was able to spend more time with his mom, as she was there to support him before she passed away from cancer. It also led him to meet his wife, Alana Nichols, who also has a disability. 

His passion for sports continues, whether it’s skiing, mountain biking, surfing, fly fishing or driving off-road vehicles. Tuscany hopes to continue helping individuals with life-changing injuries, showing there is always a way forward.

Reporting by Stephanie Navarro Rocha with photos provided by the High Fives Foundation

My Uncle Binu Singh: The Passionate Owner Behind Vino’s Pizza

In 2017, my uncle celebrated the opening of a new pizza business in Carson City, Vino’s Pizza, continuing a long held family tradition.

My family also worked in the pizza business for 15 years, with my father owning two Mountain Mike’s franchise locations. Inspired, my uncle later used the skills he acquired through working there to form his own business where he is more hands-on with the recipes, self-branding, and restaurant culture. 

With one son and two daughters, my uncle has lived with a nonstop schedule since the start of his business. As his family has grown, Singh has also been striving to grow his business. In January 2021, he opened a location in Sparks, followed by another at USA Parkway, in November 2023. 

“I took this opportunity of the business being a success to find the best location for additional openings,” Singh said. 

The logo for Vino’s Pizza is a play on the letters of his name, Binu aligned with the visuals of an abstracted pizza. Growing up in Punjab, India, he is referred to by his known name and that is Binu. However, after arriving in the U.S. and opening his business, he also has been nicknamed Vino. A missing pizza slice is seen as a cut-out for the letter, with the slice serving as a comma.

Vino’s Pizza logo is displayed on the buildings of all three restaurant locations. The bright colors and simple font create an eye-catching appeal - Photo by Khushleen Khera.

“I took the advice from family and friends and executed a combination of our ideas with the help of professionals,” Singh said, explaining the creative process when developing his business and brand. 

As I visit Vino’s Pizza throughout the years, I can see the passion and hard work my uncle implements throughout every aspect of his business. From carefully attending to customers to decorating the space with a warm ambiance, he puts his all in his work. 

“My favorite part of this daily routine is meeting new and frequent customers. I love having those small and short yet personal conversations,” Singh said. 

Singh takes the chance to interact with every customer he can, embracing a warm, welcoming environment - Photo by Khushleen Khera.

With what is served at the restaurant, there is a detail in highlighting the variety of both pizza and wine. The walls of the interior display lines of wine, paintings, and subtle restaurant decor to match the theme of the brand. Vino’s Pizza’s menu includes a wide selection offering loads of topping options, garlic twists, wings, and desserts. 

“The recipes and taste combinations we follow here were also recommendations from family and friends, I want to make what the people want,” Singh said.

The interior of Vino’s Pizza restaurants is adorned with winery decor and warm ambient lights. The pizza shown is Binu’s special veggie recipe, including a variety of vegetables and barbeque sauce on top - Photos by Khushleen Khera. 

With now three locations, my uncle jumps from one restaurant to another depending on which one is busiest that day. Operating each restaurant and being the boss of multiple employees requires nonstop tasks. I am fascinated with how he proceeds to successfully run each restaurant. 

Each restaurant has become a space for my uncle to indulge in his passion for business and celebrate familial gatherings. Beyond just serving delicious pizza, these locations have fostered a sense of community, where friends and family gather to share memories over a meal. 

Fragment of a design on the initials of Vino’s Pizza displayed on a door leading to the outdoor seating of the restaurant - Photo captured by Khushleen Khera.

“I hope to continue growing my local business and enjoy this journey with my family, employees, and customers,” Singh concluded.

Reporting and photos by Khushleen Khera shared with Our Town Reno

Maggie Pollock: From Reno to Torino and Back, A Student Artist Pursues Her Journey

“Art is my favorite thing to do, it gives me a sense of happiness and meaning. Being able to create something is the best feeling ever,” Carmel born and Reno raised Maggie Pollock says.

The 20-year-old, who is graduating soon with a Bachelors in art and a minor in art history at the University of Nevada, Reno wants “to be able to have a job that includes my passion for art.”

She next wants to complete a masters in art conservation as part of her goals of always working in art. In terms of her own painting style, Pollock focuses on realism and impressionism.

One of her techniques is glazing with a thin transparent or semi-transparent layer on a painting which modifies the appearance of the underlying paint layer.

Pollock knew she wanted to be an artist from when she was a child. She loved to draw, paint and overall just be creative. “I owe my start of my career to my friend who passed, I would watch her and I knew I wanted to do that,” she says.

As part of her studies, Pollock has gotten to study abroad in Torino, Italy, where she is practicing oil painting and illustrative art, “learning traditional oil techniques and portraiture.” There, she got to explore Torino’s museums, churches and walk around the city gathering inspiration for future paintings.

The Museum of Oriental Art in Torino has been her favorite spot with its large collection of Asian art.

Pollock returns to Reno, December 18th, when she will continue practicing her art by painting everyday and looking for an internship to further her career. 

Reporting by Grace Kaplan shared with Our Town Reno

Pathways Spirit, hoping to be part of a post pandemic Midtown revival

Pathways Spirit, a metaphysical supply store, stands out on Wells Avenue in a white and blue building with dragonfly emblems across the doors and windows. They sell a variety of incense, candles, crystals, books and tarot card decks. On occasion, the store also features local psychics for readings. 

Through multiple owners, locations, and a changing Reno, Pathways Spirit has been a staple in Reno since it was first opened by Dee Trotten in the late 1980s. 43-year-old owner Will Rogers has owned the metaphysical shop since 2019. 

Rogers was a longtime customer and business partner with the previous owner Jann Selleck before taking over. When Selleck decided to retire in 2019, she planned to close Pathways Spirit down, until Rogers asked to take over. 

“It was kind of like a weird series of events on how I came about this place. My mom used to bring me in here when I was a kid. It affected me greatly. I went through some health things, no answers. And that kind of led me to keep coming back here,” Rogers says. “It kind of changed my whole perception of things in a way and that kind of led me to be like, nah man, we really gotta try to keep this place open.”

Pathways Spirit is the oldest metaphysical shop in Reno, having been open roughly 40 years. Since Rogers took ownership of the store, he has begun offering aura photography and Reiki as a service as well as offering witchcraft and astrology classes. 

Rogers has also worked to modernize the business, including building a growing social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, updating the technology used, and is currently creating a website for Pathways Spirit. 

“I've just been trying to push it into the future. This last year has been kind of trying for a lot of small businesses.” Rogers said. “So, yeah, just kind of pushing us into the future, that's been my big goal and just kind of really keeping our roots here and growing a little bit more.”

Rogers previously worked in the automotive industry prior to taking ownership of Pathways Spirit. The impact Pathways Spirit had on him inspired him to take over the business, and give others the introduction to the metaphysical world that he received from Selleck. Rogers says the value Pathways Spirit gives to Reno is priceless. 

“Being able to help other people open their minds is fulfilling for me. I've had people come and tell me, thank you, just because they found a book here or something, or they were able to just even have a conversation with me about something that they thought was insignificant, but actually meant more to them,” Rogers says. “A lot of discovery happens here, like self-discovery or inner truths and inner discoveries happen here. I know it happened for me. And so that is what really adds to the community. I feel like it's just priceless.” 

Not only has Pathways Spirit been able to connect others in Reno to Rogers for spiritual guidance, it has connected many people in their spiritual journey, including one customer who performs Reiki on horses, and was able to help other customers with their animals through Reiki rituals. 

“It's really the connections that are made here and the paths that intersect here that matters.” Rogers says. 

In the middle of a changing Midtown, Rogers has grown close with fellow small business owners including Pathways Spirit’s sister shop, The Ravens Realm, and the newly opened metaphysical supply store Three Moons Trading Company. 

Next door, Rogers has grown close with the owner of Truckee Meadow Herbs. The two businesses share many of their customers. 

“He's kind of in the same kind of field like, we have a lot of people who do herbs and things, teas and things. And so it's kind of cool, that synergy that we have,” Rogers said. 

Across Reno, small businesses have closed at unprecedented rates following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as the combined result of rising rents and slower business. In Midtown, many of Rogers’ fellow small business owners have closed down, or are at risk of closing. 

“It's getting better. It's getting worse in some areas. A lot of people have been kind of pushed out of their businesses and things recently,” Rogers said. “Juicy's … that used to be one of my favorite spots, and then the story behind that from what I've been told from some of the other business owners is that the rent went up extremely high. And then now it's been sitting empty ever since with signs on it.”

A Las Vegas native, Rogers has called Midtown home for over 20 years, and has raised his son in Midtown. As both a resident and a business owner, Rogers has experienced the changes in Midtown firsthand. 

“I like Midtown, you know, it's kind of got that old school feel here, like old traditions in a way, you know,” Rogers says. “Just seeing things empty, it's kind of eerie. It's kind of sad in a way, you know, so I would like to see it become more populated like it used to be.”

Reporting by Lily Wright for Our Town Reno

Bella Williams, Following Her Family into Becoming a Nut Vendor at Local Events

In our series on who says current students don't work hard + the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, meet Bella Williams who goes to UNR while also leading a vending company called Nature's Candy, following in her father's footsteps.

Her own business is selling nuts and dried fruit at local events and parades.

As the daughter of an event planner Williams grew up in the Reno festival scene.

“My dad organizes street events in Reno and he got me into vending,” said Williams.

After one and a half years of vending, she is still going strong, selling with her friend Greydon Geil while they both attend UNR.

“One of my dad’s closest friends was selling the nuts before and he offered to kind of hand it over, but not fully completely, so I could do it as a side hustle,” said Williams.

If you’ve been to any City of Reno or Sparks events, chances are you’ve seen Bella at her booth. Her two favorite events are the Rib Cook Off and the Italian Festival.

“I like the Italian Festival the most because of the culture,” said Williams. “I really like the Rib Cook Off because it’s the biggest show of the year and it's exciting.”

Williams’ father learned the business from his father , who started Williams LTD, a company based out of Tahoe that eventually moved here to coordinate events. They currently have contracts with The Row casinos in Reno and the Sparks Nugget.

Williams’ typical day of selling is filled with waves of customers, followed by slow times. During those slow times she offers samples to try and bring people in. Although some customers take advantage of those samples.

“My least favorite are the people that try everything and then leave,” said Geil.

“Yeah the people that sample every single nut and then don’t buy, its like okay thanks,” said Williams. “Then they don’t even give me a tip afterwards, like I gave you half my nuts bro.”

By the end of event weekends she usually brings in between $800 to $1000 dollars for smaller events, and between $1500 to $1600 dollars for larger events. Her product cost runs up to $600 for an event so profit margins are small.

How busy Williams’ booth gets depends on the times when people are hungry.

“I think its depending on when people are the most hungry and desperate for just anything to eat,” said Williams. “So they just see my nuts and they’re like ‘OK fine’ and try it and then they end up buying it.”

Some of Williams’ strangest customers are the drunk ones, like one guy who kept asking for their numbers.

“Drunk, loud, crazy, kooky customers are my least favorite,” said Williams.

“There was this one time when a drunk guy tried one single nut and then he stood at my booth for like 30 minutes just advertising for me,” said Williams. “He was talking to every person that walked by saying ‘You have to try this’ and I was like ‘thanks,’ and he was scaring all the customers away.”

Out of all the nuts she sells there is one nut that stand above the rest.

“My favorite nut is the cinnamon roll nut because I had never seen it before and when I tried it it was life changing,” said Williams. “It’s glazed in sugar and it literally transforms the whole almond.”

Williams says her next upcoming event is “Crafts For Christmas” inside the Nugget on Thanksgiving weekend.

“Be there or be square," she concluded.

Reporting by Andrew Maples

Nancy Roman, from UNR Dining to Her Own Chula's Tacos Food Truck

27-year-old Nancy Roman grabs the ticket from the cashier, her sister, and puts it on the line. She and her dad start to cook new orders on the grill.

After viewing them for nearly an hour, I can see how well they work together. There is very little space, and many in this situation would be tripping over each other. However, Roman and her family are in sync.

It’s a cold night in Reno, so they have warmers for guests who want to eat outside. Roman and her family wear hoodies under their aprons and gloves. 

Chula’s Tacos is a family-run food truck in Reno. During colder months, the truck is open on Friday nights from around six to nine P.M. 

Roman has been around cooking for as long as she can remember. She grew up around her grandpa who taught her grandma, her parents, and her aunts and uncles how to cook. She has been in the food industry since she was 16, coming up on 11 years of being involved. 

“My grandpa used to make tacos in Mexico and then my mom, she also makes tacos, and my uncle makes tacos, so I make tacos too.”

Roman’s dream is to open her own restaurant, but because restaurants are expensive, she decided to start with a food truck and still be able to cook for people.

“I did not have enough money to start my own business, so that is why I started out with a food truck so that I can later get my own restaurant. My goal is to open multiple taco trucks around town,” Roman explains.

A year ago when she opened her truck, Roman and her family created the name of the food truck and then created signature dishes to go with the name.

The name, “Chula” means beautiful in Spanish and is also the name of their most popular and most sold-out item. Like in Spanish, they have a guy version of the dish named “Chulo” and a girl version named “Chula,” a surf-and-turf taco served with a broth that customers like to dip their food into. Chulo is a taco with two meats mixed together. 

I was able to go to her food truck for the first time and try one of the burritos that they sell with chorizo before she closed. The burrito was a decent size and took me two days to finish. It came with a mild salsa and paired great with the ingredients in the burrito. I will definitely be going back when I have the time to try their signature dish. 

The family dynamic was great to see as well.

“My dad works the grill, my sister takes the orders, my mom preps everything, and then my cousin helps build the orders, and my brother is the only one that knows how to drive the food truck,” she said.

Even though I came late, there were still quite a few people who came to support Roman. A few students from the UNR campus as well as family friends gathered around to enjoy Chula’s Tacos whether it be outside with the heaters or in their cars. 

Since the food truck is only open one day a week, Roman decided to do special events and catering for weddings and birthdays if the event hosts a large number of people to cover costs.

When she is not in her food truck, Roman spends her days working as an Assistant Director of Residential Dining on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. This gives her a chance to both stay in the food industry and get more experience in management. With being an Assistant Director, she was able to learn what goes into a food business and what to think about as she is growing her own. Time management, inventory, and food costs are some of the main factors she has seen as Assistant Director that she will take with her to help her grow as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. 

Upon starting her business, Roman never knew how important it was to support small and local businesses. 

“Every dollar is like a hundred dollars to a small business,” she said at the end of our interview.  

She suggests shopping and eating locally to help these small business owners keep their stores and restaurants open. 

Reporting and photos by Kadreanna Walker for Our Town Reno

Humans of Reno: Tyler Curle, A Big Mountain Skier

Colder weather and snow is here in higher elevations with several lifts already open at Mt Rose.

Tyler Curle, 26, currently works at a local ski company and in his free time pursues competitive big mountain skiing, including on the Freeride World Tour.

Growing up in the shadow of Mt. Rose, Tyler basically lived at the resort as both his parents worked there.

The competitive nature of his skiing picked up as Tyler neared the end of high school and sponsors began showing interest in him.

Competition provides a platform for Tyler to strive for perfection while creating an analytical obsession which shows in his ability to scan a mountain face for features.

Reading terrain and choosing a line down a face which will score highly is a cultivated skill that requires experiential knowledge and a deep connection and understanding of snow.

To stay in physical shape during the off-season, Tyler frequents the Woodward Tahoe skateboard park to sharpen his air-awareness and tricks on trampolines and in foam pits. To stay mentally sharp he consumes ski media.

While competing in the Freeride World qualifiers last season, Tyler placed right on the bubble of making the pro circuit, granting himself a wildcard which sends him straight to finals for the upcoming season.

Reporting by Amico Fondi with photo by Emily Tidwell with permission to use

Keep Reno Rad: Psychic Autumn Practices White Wicca on Vassar Street

From her home in Midtown, a psychic specializes in palm and tarot reading, chakra healing, and past life regression readings under the alias “Psychic Autumn.”

Autumn practices a type of magic called White Wicca, and calls herself a “woman of the elements” rather than a psychic or clairvoyant.

Psychic Autumn has spent the last eight years in Reno providing readings locally, but she began reading at four years old on the streets of California with her mother, celebrity psychic Lana Stevens.

She conducts her readings on the front porch of her home on Vassar Street to be near the elements: the air, the trees, the sun, and water–provided by a bird bath outside her home.

Autumn starts her readings by lighting a unique combination of incense for each of her clients. For Josephine, Autumn lights a blend of Frankincense, Myrrh, and Sandalwood to calm anxieties. 

She selects the tarot card “Wheel of Fortune” in a reading for Josephinem a regular client.

Her most prized possession is an Amethyst and White Citrine geode providing abundance and clarity as well as removing negativity. Josephine holds the stone before her chakra healing to feel its properties. 

Autumn begins the chakra healing with her singing bowl with the belief that its vibrational frequency has the ability to heal each of the seven chakra centers through its interaction with each of the centers own vibrational frequency.  

Autumn next lights a pan of various incense for protection and removal of negativity. 

Josephine opens her arms while Autumn takes the pan and carries it around Josephine’s body to allow the smoke and smell of the incense to cover her.  

Chakra healing seeks to balance the seven chakra centers–each associated with a specific color and part of the body. While Josephine is currently ruled by the throat chakra, represented by blue, and the heart chakra, represented by green, Josephine should be ruled by the crown and root chakras associated with the head and feet and the colors purple and red. Chakra healing seeks to correct this. 

Reporting and photos by Lily Wright shared with Our Town Reno

‘Papa What You Cooking’ helps preserve downtown Reno history while also dishing out soul food

Across the river from the ‘Believe’ sign and ‘Space Whale’ sculpture in downtown Reno, stands an interesting-looking historic building. Built in 1934, the building was designed by a local architect in Art Deco style, and originally served as a hybrid post office and federal office building.

This location served as Reno’s main post-office until 1975, then continued as a smaller office until 2012, when a local development group acquired the space. In 2015 ‘The Basement’ opened, featuring a local marketplace of both dining and retail establishments located in the basement of the building. One of these businesses now there is a locally and family owned restaurant called Papa What You Cooking.

It specializes in soul food, which is usually associated with authentic southern cuisine. Part-owner Kai Stanton explained their idea of soul food is different, and is more about unity and embracing family traditions, wherever you are.

“The basis and the foundation of soul food is the soul of Nevada, the soul of families. And so it's not fried foods, it's not based on just one particular culture, It's multiple cultures coming together to say, ‘hey, we're here, we're growing together,’” she explained. 

Stanton shared how they offer all types of wonderful savory and sweet foods. These include baked chicken, red beans and rice, shrimp and grits, as well as oxtails, which Stanton described as the must-try dish if you could only have one. 

“Our wonderful oxtails pair well with a bed of rice and the gravy that comes from the oxtail juice that’s produced by being seared and cooked for 12 hours… so many people love the oxtails,” she said. 

All of their food comes from original family recipes, with ingredients sourced from local Nevadan farmers. Some seasonings they have shipped from family back in Louisiana or New Orleans.

Additionally, they offer a “Soulful Garden” menu, which contains salads and other options that cater to dietary restrictions. A unique element of the restaurant is it also contains a cafe-style coffee bar, with cookies, pies and other sweets.

“Our coffee is absolutely wonderful because we tag teamed with Wood-Fire Roasted Coffee here locally in town… their beans come from Guatemala and Ethiopia which creates our Truckee River Roast,” said Stanton. 

Beyond providing unique offerings however, Stanton expressed pride in the restaurant being able to help grow the unity and legacy of Reno, while also preserving history. 

“One thing I want to share most of all, and I think we can all agree, is that we want to share the unity and the love of family, the heart and the beautiful culture of Reno, to preserve the historical buildings that were here, to help support not just Reno to grow, but to grow Reno's legacy and to help not just revamp downtown but to give amazing memories to downtown Reno and to allow families to enjoy the beautiful scenery that so many people have helped develop downtown,” she said. 

Stanton and her fiancé, William Lyons, who is the other owner, had the idea to start a restaurant, after Lyons had many requests for his homemade cookies, cakes, and pies. 

“It started with something very small, people just appreciated the flavors of what we’ve already developed,” said Stanton. 

With both recently retired, they stumbled upon the old post-office during a downtown stroll, and fell in love with the aesthetics and how it felt like “a little home,” Stanton said. 

They also loved the idea of being in what Stanton calls “the heart” of Reno. Being in the downtown that’s right on the river allows them to reach both locals and tourists alike, while also being a vibrant part of the city’s development.

“To be in the middle or the heart of something keeps blood flowing, keeps energy going, and to be a part of that amazing vibe and to bring not just the culture of family, but [also] embracing and helping with the revamping and development of downtown Reno… And to be a part of the heartbeat of Nevada right downtown, we're hoping to be able to encourage other families to do the same.” Stanton said when speaking about the location of the restaurant and what it means.

Stanton also commented on the interesting intersection between the legacy of the old post-office building, and the legacy they wish to leave behind for their family. 

For Stanton, their restaurant is keeping the culture of their childhood alive for their children and grandchildren, maintaining their legacy. Simultaneously, the legacy of the old post-office is preserved by it being still used. This inspires them.

“I love it when people come in and say, this is the building that I came with my mother or my grandmother to pick up their mail. And then to have something to try [and eat] that we've, you know, provided for them, just further enhances the legacy enrichment of coming to Reno and being in the heart of Reno,” she said. 

The name ‘Papa What You Cooking’ is inspired by a common phrase uttered by Lyons’ family members, as his cooking would often be the gravitational force that pulled the family together. 

“There's something about when Papa cooks food, it brings everyone together and everyone's so excited. And everybody has a Papa, right? And so him being the Papa in the culture at home as well, everyone would ask, Papa, what are you cooking? So we thought that that would be a great name for a restaurant to be Papa What You Cooking,” she concluded.

Our Town Reno reporting by Dan Mariani

Keep Reno Rad: A Workshop to Promote Action Photography and Protecting Nature

In partnership with The Holland Project, action photographer and climate activist, Emily Tidwell, hosted a dynamic, hands-on photography workshop at Idlewild Skate Park, on Saturday, Nov. 9.

“Getting back into it [photography] was the big thing for me…when I got here, my camera forced me to put the date and time in - that’s how long I haven’t used my camera," said Mariah Espinal.

After seeing an online ad for the workshop, Mariah was eager to join Emily as a way to pursue her interests while on break from grad school.

Photographers of all skill levels gathered at The Holland Project for an introduction to Emily’s workshop and background, and later met at Idlewild for an interactive photo session with local skater, and founder of the Bitchin Betties skate group, Ella Haworth.

Ella performed numerous tricks on her skateboard and rollerskates, while Emily’s group of students practiced capturing shots of her dynamic moves.

“A big thing for me recently has been reconnecting with the arts…It’s been a real treat being out, talking to people, and photographing motion…[Emily] helped me set up my camera settings, for light and shutter speed. It’s been a new experience for me, I like it," said photographer Chris Mullen.

Emily aims to continue connecting with local creatives and hosting more photography workshops to help get people “comfortable with what it is to shoot action, and expanding into what it looks like to be a photographer in this space.”

In addition to offering creative growth to community members, Emily also aspires to bridge people to valuing the environment through her activism. “I’m really wanting to get more on-the-ground activations around bipartisan environmental causes. So, I’m excited to put more of those events together,” said Emily who is the captain of the creative alliance for Protect Our Winters.

Emily’s action and outdoor sports photography has been featured by renowned brands such as Red Bull and Patagonia and publications including Mountain Gazette and Freeskier.


Photos and writing by Beatrice Bash

Alexis Da Silva, From Reno’s Sportsdome to Major League Soccer as a Referee

Alexis Da Silva, 34, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, who now lives in the Midtown area, has gone from refereeing local Sportsdome indoor games to being the referee when Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi scored an 11-minute hat trick in Fort Lauderdale, in an end of the regular season Major League Soccer matchup.

“That was, you know, very emotional. I was very thankful. The experience is amazing to have all those names, big names around you. It's a dream,” he said. 

He describes his style as being fit, always alert, decisive and giving “lots of body language to be respected on the field. I try to have a lot of empathy for players, for coaches,” he said. “But at the same time, I have to be serious and be focused for the full game.”  

A Northern Nevada resident since 2015, Da Silva started in the MLS last year part time and went full time this past season.  Next year, he’ll be eligible to ref playoff games, as he works his way up to wanting to be on the international stage.  He’s already done a few friendlies with top European clubs on their summer preseason tours, giving him a taste of the highest level of soccer.  

“I have the goal to go international, that's always been my goal,” he says.  

It’s been a gradual ascent from local soccer at the Sportsdome, GBYSL and UNR women’s games.  

He used to drive to California to get more recognition and exposure, doing up to five complete matches per day, and then do the same the next day, sometimes at a loss because of the gas money he spent.  

“I was dead tired,” he remembers, “and sometimes losing money.”  

He started doing prestigious youth tournaments such as the Dallas Cup, more college games and lower level professional leagues to gain even more visibility, and worked his way up with all the licenses and experience needed to be a professional referee.  

His arrival in the MLS coincided with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for referees including significant pay increases, improved travel accommodations, and a minimum number of match fees in case of injury.

Probationary referees got a a 68% increase in 2024 to $85,150, with experienced referees who have officiated 200 matches seeing their pay increase to $142,150.

Soccer has been Da Silva’s long life passion, first as a player going through the ranks in Brazil, mostly as a playmaking center midfielder, and then as a college player in the US in Illinois and Indiana. 

He says the position he played which involves lots of fitness and vision helped him as a ref.  In contrast, being Reno-based has been a challenge, with fewer opportunities initially and added layovers for travel.  

“It's actually been a challenge for me every time when I say I’m from Reno, people are like, woah. Where is Reno?” he says laughing about it.  

He says MLS is looking good right now, with Messi, its partnership with Apple TV, its expansion with a new San Diego team in 2025, and the anticipation of the 2026 North America based World Cup.  

His advice to young up and coming referees?  “Always keep learning,” he said. “Every game you need to take seriously and learn something new. It's not going to be easy. You know? It’s difficult to referee. There's a lot of pressure. The higher you go, the more pressure, physically, mentally. The criticism from all sides.  You need to be prepared. That comes from a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline. And sometimes being selfish to be willing to grow, to learn more, and keep moving toward your own goals.”

Our Town Reno reporting, October 2024 

Monday's at Fisherman's Park with Food Not Bombs Reno, Pursuing Its Mission Despite Last Year's Deadly Attack

The line was long with neighbors in need, people living on the streets and day laborers last Monday for a community meal at Fisherman’s Park hosted by Food Not Bombs Reno.

With the weather turning, tea, coffee, and cocoa were served along with hot food and winter jackets. There was also a strawberries and cream dessert handed out.

Pet food was available to feed the many furry friends and companions also showing up.

They’ve been here for years, giving out love, hugs, healthy food and clothes to neighbors in need.

It was this same group which was run down by David Turner driving a car at a second location they used to serve food at and hand out donations in April 2023, outside the Cares Campus. One unhoused woman was killed, and two of their volunteers were seriously injured. Turner has since been sentenced to life without parole.

Griffin Peralta (in red shirt above), a teacher who has been volunteering for the organization for almost ten years, explains that more people come to the gathering as it gets later in the month. This is due to an “inverse relationship to food stamps and SNAP,” Peralta says.

SNAP short for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget.

“For us, we’re out here every week, doing this thing, having dinner with people, specifically to be in solidarity with folks that we feel the government is letting down,” Peralta said.

He says this Reno chapter of Food Not Bombs sprung from the Occupy Wall Street movement which started in 2011.

Peralta makes a clear distinction that, rather than a hierarchical top-down charity approach, Food Not Bombs pursues solidarity by “meeting people where they’re at.”

Our Town Reno reporting by Kade Collins

Keep Reno Rad: Denver's Choppers Keep Legacy Going

The owner of Denver’s Choppers Mondo Porrras started building custom bikes in San Bernardino in 1967 with the late Denver Mullins, manufacturing their distinct style of long down tube stretch frames.

Student reporters James Moore and Amico Fondi caught with him recently at his Reno shop on Airway Drive.

His bikes were featured in dozens of magazines, earning him awards along the way such as “Best Custom Fabricated Bike Builder of the Year” and a spot in the chopper Hall of Fame.

“I’ve been dong this for almost 55 years,” he said. “When I got into building bikes with Denver, it was only real bikers [who] had choppers and bikes. You know it wasn’t your accountant or banker or anything else, it was more blue collar guys [who] were real bikers, with the bike clubs and so on and so forth. It was a culture onto itself.”

With the weather changing, late fall and winter is the prime time to get to work on motorcycle upgrades for aesthetic and performance enhancements.

“To do this and to do it right, you first need to have the desire and the heart to do it, then I recommend taking a machine shop class and a welding class,” Porras concluded.

Reporting and photos by James Moore and Amico Fondi shared with Our Town Reno

Where's Your Happy Place: Reno’s Plastic Scale Modelers Share their Passion

For many years, plastic model kits from toy stores, hobby shops, and antique vendors have provided children with hours of fun. However, these kits are not merely toys to be played with and forgotten. 

For members of the Reno chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society, scale modeling is a serious art form and hobby that honors the past, educates in the present, and provides a method of relaxation. This small club dedicated to scale modeling boasts about sixty members and meets on the second Friday of every month at a fire station on Mae Anne in Reno. 

Seventy-three-year-old John Herdener—a retired mechanic, teacher, and veteran—first joined the Reno IPMS club—nicknamed the High-Rollers—in 2001;

“Well, I was teaching at Hug High School; and they were doing their meetings there; and I stopped in at the hobby store that happened to be open at the time. It’s now long gone; the owner passed away,” said Herdener,  “But he had one of the fliers on the table; and I, you know, picked it up and looked. ‘Oh, there’s a club?!’ And I saw that they met at Hug High School, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this makes it too easy.’”

Since then, and even with the change of the club’s location, Herdener has rarely missed any of their meetings. 

Herdener, who was first inspired to build scale models during his childhood when he watched his father construct ship models, owns over one thousand kits today.

His current project is a 1/72 scale P-51 Mustang – a storied World War II-era fighter plane; but his favorite build to date is a replica of the Honda 750 motorcycle he used to ride before an accident led him to give up on biking.

Describing the incident, Herdener said that he was “coming into Carson, fifty-five mile-an-hour speed limit—I’m doing about fifty. I’m on the inside lane, and I needed to move over. So, I looked over; and there’s a car; and I look up; and the lady had turned in front of me. I was about fifteen feet away from her. Impact speed was forty-five miles-an-hour. It should have killed me.”

His model Honda, now a memento of his riding days, was featured in the pages of a magazine.

Fellow modeler Phil Schenfeld (in top photo, with a landing craft he made above) is, like Herdener, a retired veteran and club member; 

Schenfeld has been involved with the Reno IPMS “High-Rollers” for about twenty-five years now.

In keeping with the club’s 2024 D-Day theme, he built a model landing craft—a project which took him eight months to complete. 

Inside? Thirty-six different figures—each detailed.

“Some of the figures are pretty much stock out of the box,” stated Schenfeld, “but most of them have been modified to the point that they tell a story. That’s my whole thing, tell a story.”

For Schenfeld, the modeling hobby not only pulls him away from the stress of current events and politics, but it also serves an educational purpose—providing him with greater knowledge about the past.

“It maintains my dexterity. I do a lot of research,” he said. “When w–When I started this [landing craft] project, I knew about this much [little] about Operation Overlord. I could write a book about it right now—about just Utah Beach, which is where this particular thing is dedicated to. So, I love doing the research.”

Kody Kuczynski, another member of the Reno IPMS club and a student at Truckee Meadows Community College, sees the hobby as an instrument that develops the researching skills of its participants. 

He also thinks the hobby provides its participants with an education in fine motor skills, in paint chemistry, and in photography, too.

Kuczynski (in photo above), who began modeling as a child, loves to build armor. Though he originally used cans of spray paint to color his models, he has since embraced airbrushing.

He says that “there are days where it’s like, I just wanna come home, sit at the workbench, and just be tuned out—have my headphones on, listen to an audiobook, podcast, or just music and just head down, working alone.”

Like many modelers, Kuczynski utilizes a diverse set of materials to finish his works. On diorama bases, he incorporates ordinary items like dirt and small sticks to replicate natural elements in a miniature setting. 

Phil Schenfeld, who does some of his work in a modeling room at his home in north Reno, uses household products to finish certain of his model airplanes.

Using pieces of tin foil and a mixture of floor polish and Mod Podge, Schenfeld can give a model a metallic coloring without paint.

For those interested in trying their own hand at modeling, Herdener says to be patient. 

“Seek the advice of other modelers; but, you know, don’t get discouraged if your first few models don’t turn out too great,” he said. “It’s—it’s a learning experience, and it’s meant to be fun. If it’s not fun, you’re doing something wrong.”

Audio feature, photos and reporting by Ariel Van Cleve