Reno, NV May 2024

This one is for the ladies

Welcome to our Ladies issue!

Most months, our Managing Editor Nora Tarte reminds me to start writing my publisher's letter about two weeks ahead of our deadline. But not this month. This month, I couldn’t wait to write this piece. Why? Because I am a husband, a son, and the father of an amazing young woman (and two amazing boys!). Our magazine would be a mess if it weren’t for my aforementioned super-woman managing editor, and roughly 75% of our partners in the magazine are women-owned businesses. Am I excited to see our pages celebrating some of the great women of Reno? You bet!

Overall, I’ve been incredibly impressed with the support that women and woman-owned businesses receive from our community. When we recently asked our Instagram followers to help us celebrate their favorite woman-owned businesses, our comments were flooded with responses and while we are always huge proponents of shopping locally, this month is the perfect time to patronize businesses owned by the women of our community.

But let’s put business aside for a minute.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, all eyes are, for good reason, on moms. But it’s not just the biological mothers that need to be celebrated. It’s the mother figures in our lives who have made an indelible impact on us. It’s the family members, teachers, friends, and neighbors doing awesome things in our communities, pouring into our lives - making themselves unforgettable and irreplaceable.

So let’s make the women in our lives who have made a difference feel special. Send a card or a text, make a call, and go see some of those amazing people. Tell them how you feel and give them a thank you because…. they deserve it.

MIKE MCCARTHY, PUBLISHER @CITYLIFESTYLERENO

CITYLIFESTYLE.COM/RENO

May 2024

PUBLISHER

Mike McCarthy | mike.mccarthy@citylifestyle.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Nora Tarte | nora.tarte@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dan Eckles, Amber Ezell, Michelle Krieg

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Ezell Images

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad

LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling

Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.

city scene

1: Neoma Jardon (Downtown Reno Partnership) presents to the Board of the Reno Tahoe International Airport. 2: The Downtown Reno Partnership team met with the EDAWN team at their new office. 3: Graeson Leach cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Midnight Coffee Roasting in Midtown. 4: Design on Edge poses at the American Advertising Federation annual Advertising Awards Showcase. 5: Everyone was welcome to sit with the cool kids when Pioneer Center presented Mean Girls 6: Cajones Caliente was just one vendor serving up rocky mountain oysters in VC March 16. 7: Renoites celebrated St. Patrick's Day around town.

DIVING FOR GOLD

is returning for her second Olympic Games this summer

ARTICLE BY DAN ECKLES

Krysta Palmer

Chinese divers have dominated international diving competitions in the female ranks for nearly three decades. Most of those athletes start competitive training around age 10.

So, when a 20-year-old Krysta Palmer approached University of Nevada diving coach Jian Li You about taking up the sport, you can understand how the Wolf Pack coach may have been a little skeptical. That was late 2012 but the skepticism quickly faded when Coach You watched Palmer throw herself into the sport and improve exponentially in a short period of time.

“She left a message on my office phone. I didn’t get it, but she came to my club and asked if she could try diving,” You says. “She looked older than most girls getting into diving. I asked how old she was and she said 20. I said, ‘Why don’t you walk on to my college team, and she did. She learned very quickly.”

Quickly might be an understatement. Palmer was among the top 15 divers in the conference within six weeks and she catapulted herself into the top three after just a year. In 2015, her junior collegiate season, Palmer won three individual diving titles at the Mountain West Championships. She was named MWC diver of the year after both her junior and senior seasons en route to earning NCAA AllAmerican honors both years.

Palmer remembers those early days well.

“A friend of mine took me to the community pool in Minden and he was a diver,” Palmer says, reminiscing about her diving start. “He wanted to see what I could do in the water. We splashed around the local pool for a while …. [Soon after] Coach You saw a lot of talent in me. Within three

months after walking on at Nevada, I was offered a spot on the team.”

It was a meteoric rise through the U.S. competitive diving ranks for Palmer, a Carson City native, who graduated from Douglas High School in 2010. She even qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials. Palmer qualified for the Olympic trials again in 2020 and this time she earned a spot on the team headed to Tokyo.

Of course, the Covid pandemic had other plans, forcing Olympic athletes around the globe to wait a year. Palmer took advantage of the extra year of training. After a slow start during the Olympic prelims, she ended up earning a spot in the finals where she captured a bronze medal in the three-meter springboard. She became the first American woman to earn a diving medal since 2004 and the first to do so in this particular event since 1988.

“Once I was able to flip my mindset and get focused that I had a whole extra year to get better and improve my strength and consistency, the extra time was a huge benefit,” Palmer says. “Going into 2021, we didn’t know where everyone was at around the globe in terms of training. I stuck with my own plan, stayed present, and didn’t let other things distract me from what my goals were.”

Of course, there is a secret ingredient in Palmer’s recipe for starting a diving career at the age of 20 and medaling in the Olympics just nine years later. Palmer was a strong gymnast as a youth and transitioned into a world-class trampoline athlete as a teen. She was a national champion on the trampoline in 2009 and on the U.S. National Team that competed across Europe. Injuries cut her trampoline career short but the flips, tucks, turns and spins all translated to diving.

The other key to Palmer’s quick transition was her mental ability to compete. Coach You raved about her mental toughness and that she already knew how to compete at an elite level even before trying a single dive. You said not having to spend a lot of time on the mental piece allowed them to focus on everything else that goes into honing world-class diving skills.

There are hundreds if not thousands of high school and college divers. It would be normal to wonder if there’s anything special Palmer would point toward—to attribute her ascension into world-class diving stardom.

“I can’t pinpoint one specific thing,” Palmer says. “I trained physically and mentally to be a top-level athlete. I always had high goals… and Coach You built my foundation. She always says she built me like a used car. I had the parts. She just put them where they needed to be.”

When Coach You is not sharing her time between diving instructor and used car mechanic, she’s often helping Palmer plan and execute a busy training schedule. Palmer says she trains six days a week, and five of those include

dry-land training, in addition to her time in the pool. She hits the weight room three days a week to improve muscle endurance and work on injury prevention. She also mixes in some cross-training and cycling, but she still makes time to give her body a break.

“I don’t do much on Sundays,” Palmer says. “It’s important for both my mind and body to rest. Especially now that I’m into my 30s, it’s crucial for me to focus more on recovery.”

When Palmer looks back on her Olympic experience she does so with much gratitude. It would be hard not to. Still, there was one thing she’d change and that’s one of her biggest motivating factors to earn another Olympic berth. Since the 2020 Tokyo Games were postponed a year and impacted in many ways by the pandemic, her family was not part of the experience. With spectators prohibited in 2021, Palmer’s family was relegated to watching her compete on television like millions of other fans around the globe.

That won’t be the case when Paris hosts the 2024 Games later this year.

“It’s going to look different,” Palmer says. “I’m excited and motivated to go to another Olympic Games… I was definitely sad my family could not go with me [to Tokyo]. I got to experience my Olympic dream, but I knew I wasn’t done. My parents have played such a huge role in helping me get to this level. They’ve motivated me to become what I am today. I use that as fuel, especially on tough training days. They are part of my soul. I want to go back and have my family there and present.”

Palmer knows she still wants to compete and Coach You thinks there is plenty left to compete for in 2024. “Krysta has worked very hard,” You says. “I’ve never seen anyone that talented work that hard. A lot of the talented athletes are lazy. She just loves diving… diving is about a performance. It’s a show, and she knows how to put a show on. That’s a big part of her success. She looks better at this point in her training than [pre-Olympics] in 2021. There’s still four months to go before the U.S. Trials. She’ll be ready.”

While the Olympics are forefront in Palmer’s focus this spring. She readily admits she thinks

she can continue to compete, beyond the Paris Games. But what about life after world-class competitions? Palmer has a degree in kinesiology and earned her MBA, but she has not allowed herself to think much beyond ‘maybes’ outside of the diving board and pool.

“It’s hard to say where my journey will take me,” the 32-year-old says. “I’m leaving that in God’s hands. I love doing speaking engagements, getting out in the community, and telling my story. Maybe that could be life after diving. I could see coaching in college athletics. I would love to start building a real estate portfolio, maybe open a gym. I just know I have to live out this dream before making new ones … I’m trying not to grow up too fast.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For the Palmer fans in northern Nevada, the standout athlete will be releasing her signature ‘Home Means Nevada’ t-shirts through the HMN company this spring. You can follow her social media to stay up to date on product releases and all things Palmer.

Instagram: @KrystaPalmer and X: @PalmerKrysta

HAPPY. HEALTHY. PETS.

Youth Cycling Picks Up Speed

ARTICLE BY DAN ECKLES

If you haven’t noticed, the youth cycling movement is growing in the Reno-Tahoe region—and at a pretty quick pace. Two organizations are behind the growth and they’re working hand-in-hand to move youth cycling forward.

Reno-Tahoe Junior Cycling (RTJC) and the Nevada Interscholastic Cycling League (NICL) are helping bring exposure to cycling, pushing it from the ranks of functional hobby to competitive sport and lots of points in between.

Founded in 2011, RTJC started with five youth riders who wanted to learn bike skills and techniques to safely enjoy the area’s trails. In 2024, there are more than 600 kids—ages 10-18—participating in the club.

The NICL started in 2016 as a non-profit aimed at developing high school and middle school teams for kids in grades 6-12 in the Reno-Tahoe region but also stretching south to Mammoth, Calif. and east to Elko and Ely.

“At the end of the day, both organizations kind of go by the hashtag ‘More Kids On Bikes,’ and especially more girls on bikes,” says Lane Swall, a long-time volunteer and coach in both organizations, who is serving as the 2024 Reno-Tahoe Cycling Board President.

“They are two very different organizations, but they’ve helped one another succeed.

RTJC has boosted interest in cycling by hosting multiple programs, specifically its RenoDeVo race development team and its community rides for kids ages 10 and under, held at various locations around the region to help young riders gain experience.

NICL is a five-race series of sanctioned events aimed at providing student-athletes an opportunity to set and accomplish competitive goals.

Swall, who got involved in the organizations during their early years as his kids grew an affinity for cycling, says it’s been a blessing to watch cycling grow in the Reno-Tahoe region and positively impact so many kids and families.

“I’m involved to this day because of what it did for my family. I owe a debt I’ll never be able to repay and I see other families have the same experience,” he says. “I’ve been lucky to have a front-row seat to see kids grow and mature as mountain bikers and people.

To learn more about the organizations check out their websites at:  renotahoejuniorcycling.com and nevadanorthmtb.org

4 0

This marks our second year running the 40 Over 40 Project, featuring 40 incredible women in the Reno community. When we started this project in 2022, I didn’t know exactly where it would lead. I knew I wanted women over 40 to feel beautiful and empowered and to have the chance to experience a portrait session just for them. Very quickly, this project transformed into something so much greater.

OVER40

THE PROJECT FEATURES 40 INCREDIBLE WOMEN FROM THE RENO COMMUNITY SHARING THEIR STORIES OF PERSEVERANCE, HEARTWRENCHING ADVERSITY, AND EVERLASTING GRIT. TO SEE THE FULL LIST OF WOMEN, VISIT EZELLIMAGES.COM/40-OVER-40.

ARTICLE BY AMBER EZELL-BISIAUX | PHOTOGRAPHY BY EZELL IMAGES

Adrienne Renwick

Trying to succinctly define oneself is no easy task! While there are many roles I take on in life, the ones that bring me the most joy and purpose are as a mom, partner, and educator. I'm also a bit of a wanderer with a deep passion for soaking up new cultures and experiences.

I’ve spent the bulk of my career as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Licensed Clinical Alcohol Drug Counselor, and more recently earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Oregon State University. I currently hold a position as a Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno for the School of Public Health and the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention (CASAT).

I specialize in helping folks through trauma, addiction, domestic violence, and all the unique challenges kids and teens face. One thing I'm really proud of is my knack for building partnerships. I've always believed in the power of collaboration to make a real difference in mental health support across our Northern Nevada communities.

Outside of work, chances are I'm either exploring a new destination or curled up with a good book, always eager to learn something new.

Ann Silver

I'm a transplanted New Yorker who has long considered Reno my home despite the often-asked question, "What are you doing here?" There's no better place for stargazing, hiking, reading outside on a summer day, walking miles with my golden retriever, or engaging in the business of running the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce.

Gilley, the retriever, joins me in the office on Fridays and rarely complains. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues and teammates who want to ensure our businesses succeed and our quality of life improves, not just for ourselves, but for the many who face a multitude of challenges on a regular basis. Demonstrating grace and gratitude are essential for a balanced life and I've managed to figure out that active listening, reflecting on what's being said, and being a compassionate leader have guided me on my professional journey. My devotion to my family knows no bounds. I thank them all for their love, strength, wit, and wisdom.

Leslie Hasvold

My knee-jerk statement is that I have had a charmed life. I was adopted into a wonderful family as a toddler, my youth was full of vacations, lessons, electronics, wonderful experiences, and anything I wanted. As an adult, I landed in a career that I love and have become successful in.

But I spent my high school years with a mother who was sick with cancer, losing her when I was 19. When I was 37 my father passed away after an accident. When I was in my 40s, I spent too many years in an unhealthy relationship.

However, losing my mother forced me into a bias of independence and self-sufficiency that I am wildly proud of.

Coming out of a terrible relationship, I elected to do speaking and crisis call line support for a domestic violence resource center. It became almost an obsession for me to make sure people understood that DV can touch those of us who might not be traditionally suspected to be vulnerable to it. You truly don't know who is suffering behind closed doors. I had no idea until it was me.

Patricia Morataya

Born into adversity in El Salvador, my early years unfolded with my mother's departure at the tender age of 6. Left in the care of my grandmother, I witnessed the harsh realities of the Salvadoran Civil War, where gunshots and the constant presence of military forces became an eerie backdrop to my everyday life.

Tragically, my struggles extended beyond the war-torn landscape. I faced unimaginable pain at the hands of family members. These traumatic experiences shaped my understanding of the world, casting shadows over my formative years. Living without electricity until I was 8 or 9 and hauling water from a nearby pump for daily needs became a testament to resilience. But the hardships laid the foundation for the strength that would carry me through future challenges.

At 15, my cousin, grandmother, and I embarked on a treacherous journey to the United States. Crossing three borders, riding in-motion cargo trains, navigating rivers, and walking through the desert in the dead of night with limited visibility, the month-long odyssey was just another test of endurance.

Looking back, standing beside a husband I adore and my two children, Joshua and Nykollette, I feel blessed to have overcome the unimaginable.

ARTICLE BY NORA HESTON TARTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM BEARDEN, ABPHOTORENO

sommer elston WITH LOVE FROM

MOM WITH A BRAND

“I’ve never lived anywhere else, our roots run really deep here.”

Sommer Elston is a fifth-generation Nevadan. So, it seems kismet that she’d make a name for herself repping Reno. Six years ago, she started a brand of merchandise using a With Love From Reno logo and then grew that brand to include regions throughout the state, and beyond. It started with a t-shirt. Now there are beanies, stickers, murals, sweatpants, and more.

The designs.

The original With Love from Reno logo is what Elston calls a love letter to the city. As someone who used to run a stationary company, it felt fitting, and she came up with the block letter design in order to offer something both gender-neutral and simple. She later added another design with a more feminine touch—cursive writing across an outline of Nevada.

Get your own gear.

With Love from Reno branded merchandise can be found in local stores like Home Means Nevada and sometimes Scheels. She sells most of her merch, however, online. “I do a drop in the spring and fall every year,” she says. These inevitably include her original designs in new colors and applications, plus specialty pieces like sweatpants, tie-dye, etc. “Once those are gone, they are gone.”

There’s artwork, too.

There have been two With Love from Reno murals in the city, although only one still stands today. The remaining mural is on the northside wall of The Nest, an antique shop on Keystone Avenue. While Elston designed the pieces, they were painted by local artists in town, and the inspiration came from the murals famous in Nashville where Elston visits family often. “I wanted to do something like that here in Reno.”

It's called a side hustle, baby.

While With Love from Reno has certainly blossomed from one item to a full-blown merchandise company, Elston still considers it a side hustle. That’s because the single mom works on the business while her three kids are asleep or on the weekends. Her full-time job is with Roundabout Catering where she runs social and graphic design for their various brands and businesses.

An Eco-Friendly Approach to Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is an age-old tradition that honors the changing of the seasons and promotes a boost of happiness and rejuvenation. And while you release what you do not need, you can also give to those who do. Here is a list of organizations that will distribute your items to residents right here in Reno. And for items that cannot be repurposed, we’ve included a list of local recycling resources.

Women & Children’s Center of the Sierra

Helps women and their families escape poverty Needs: Non-expired food and drinks, new or gently used clothing and shoes for women, men, and children, car seats, strollers, high chairs, baby gates, and other gear, toys and books, diapers, wipes, baby formula, pet food and supplies, new and gently used household items, and new personal hygiene and cleaning products.

Karma Box Project

Provides basic needs to entire community Needs: Over 50 box locations stocked by the public (map available on the website). Summer needs include water, sunscreen, socks, and sun hats. Winter needs include knit wool caps, gloves, socks, and space blankets. For all seasons, one-use hygiene items like soap, toothbrushes/toothpaste, tampons, nonperishable foods preferably in poptop containers, individual snacks, bars, ramen, pet food and supplies.

CARE Chest

Provides free medical resources to Nevadans in need Needs: New and gently used medical items such as: crutches, walkers, canes, transfer chairs, handrails, lifts, hospital beds, scooters and unopened, non-perishable medical supplies (such as incontinence protection, bandages, cleansers, diabetic testing supplies, and blood pressure cuffs) and nutritional drinks.

SPCA & Humane Society

Saves and improves the lives of pets and people Needs: Pet food, beds, leashes, collars, crates, and gently used toys and human sheets, blankets, and towels.

Many CVS and Walgreens stores will properly dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medicines for free. Look for their “medication disposal kiosks” near the pharmacy.

Sephora and Nordstrom Rack offer programs to recycle empty beauty products such as compacts, mascara tubes, pumps and dispensers, toothpaste tubes, etc.

Both Staples and Best Buy recycle electronics and accessories, such as computers, phones, cords, and ink cartridges. Staples also recycles pens, dried markers, and crayons and Best Buy accepts vacuums, fans, and large appliances.

For clothing and other textiles that are stained, torn, or cannot be reused, schedule a free porch pickup with Just Porch It to recycle.

ARTICLE BY MICHELLE KRIEG, SORTED ORGANIZING

your needs evolve throughout your life, your Edward Jones

advisor will strive to

the products, solutions and experiences to help you achieve what’s most important to you. Let’s talk. Contact us today to learn more.

Advisor

Between the city’s skyline and the Sierra, find space to breathe and homes that take your breath away. Glenhaven is a select o ering of homesites and custom residences set privately within the tranquil meadows of South Reno. Expansive homesites from two to five acres provide the ideal canvas for modern residences designed for inspired living.

events

MAY 3RD-4TH

La Fiesta de Mayo

The ROW

Walk the mezzanine between Circus Circus and El Dorado and enjoy festive dancers, mariachi bands, taco stands, and tequila and beer sampling to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

MAY 4TH

The Reno Super Custom Car Show

Reno-Sparks Convention Center | 12:00 PM

Best of Show Magazine presents a display of custom cars at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Come for the cars, stay for the food and drink. This family-friendly event will even be doling out cash and prizes to the winning vehicles.

MAY 4TH

Cedric the Entertainer

Nugget Event Center | 7:00 PM

May is bringing big laughs to the biggest little city. Cedric the Entertainer is set to perform in Sparks. You likely recognize him from The Neighborhood, Barbershop , and The Original Kings of Comedy , but that’s just scratching the service on his long resume of notable accomplishments.

MAY 9TH

Science Distilled

Desert Research Institute | 7:00 PM

Part of an ongoing series for the 21 and over crowd, Science Distilled explores scientific topics through the lens of current news and events. The program is hosted in partnership with the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum but held offsite.

MAY 11TH

Andre Nickatina

Virginia Street Brewhouse | 8:00 PM

If you lived in San Francisco and listened to hip-hop music, you know this man is a legend. Also known as Dre Dog in a past life, he’s headed downtown to wow crowds with his most popular tunes, and then some.

MAY 12TH

Sunday Music Brunch

Nevada Art Museum | 10:30 AM

Celebrate mom with a meal made for her at the Nevada Art Museum Café. Live music performed by Colin Ross will be the soundtrack to the morning, which is hopefully just the start of the day. Don’t forget to stay and enjoy the galleries after.

MAY 12TH

Reno Aces Mother’s Day Game

Greater Nevada Field | 1:00 PM

What better way to spend Mother’s Day than watching the home team take on, and hopefully beat, the Tacoma Rainiers? The Reno Aces are playing at home this Mother’s Day and invite everyone and their mother to join in on the fun. There will even be a flower giveaway to celebrate.

events

MAY 17TH-18TH

Spring Fever Revival

Grand Sierra Resort

Hot August Nights may happen in a few months, but the first event hosted car show of the season is already here! Grab your friends and head to Grand Sierra Resort where you can ogle everything from muscle cars to hot rods.

MAY 18TH

The Biggest Little Block Party in the World

Downtown Reno | 2:00 PM

This all-ages, one-day extravaganza is an expert blending of music and art, alive underneath the iconic Reno arch. Bop around downtown to experience several DJ sets, a silent disco, and more. Plus, of course, food trucks and drinks.

THROUGH JUNE 30TH

Menopause the Musical

El Dorado Showroom

This iconic and hilarious stage production has taken Las Vegas by storm. And now, it’s performing in Reno. Launched on April 3, there’s still plenty of time to get tickets to the award-winning show. Get ready to laugh out loud for 90 minutes straight while learning about, and perhaps commiserating with, all of the wonderful womanly changes associated with menopause.

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