It was in response to the threat posed by the Sierra Reflections development at that time. Local residents were alarmed that the large development proposed for the old Pagni Ranch west of Pleasant Valley and north of Washoe Valley would create changes that threatened our rural lifestyle.
The main concern was the extension of city water and sewer to the border of Washoe Valley at the intersection of Old Hwy 395 and North Eastlake Blvd. It these services were available, developers could rescind our minimum 5 acre rule and build large homes on tiny lots throughout Washoe Valley. We've seen what has happened to the rural ranch landscapes of South Reno. We did not want that here. Pleasant Valley and Washoe Valley, and really, everyone south of Highway 431 (Mt Rose hwy) prefers our rural setting.
We petitioned, met, met with county and were met with county and developer resistance. It is this writers opinion that the only thing that stopped it then was the Great Recession that occurred, wiping out the subprime mortgage business and the economy along with it.
I maintained the site for about 10 years until finally giving it up, frustrated with the amount of work required just to deal with the background computer and network computer issues. It made an impact, and I still get asked about it.
Now, in 2026, we are faced with the same threat. The developer has regrouped, taken advantage of Western Nevada's massive growth and has redesigned the project to make it even worse and threatening for local residents.
Supposedly, "blogging" has progressed to the level where maintaining a site is handled by others and I can focus on local news, articles, information and community communication.
Facebook and Nextdoor were great in the beginning but sites like those always have a business plan to eventually gain enough to eyes to "monetize" the site. As we have seen with Nextdoor it is now mostly advertising and not really focused on individual neighborhoods anymore or sufficiently moderated.
So I decided to "reboot" as threats to our lifestyle and community continue. No ads, no subscriptions, moderated posts so no trolls. Just useful news and commentary related to our area. We are looking for contributors from the county south of Hwy 395. News, announcements or just musings. I hope we can all get together to preserve our way of life.
Rick Cooper
March 19, 2026
