OFF THE WIRE
Kuryakyn employees stand outside their closed vendors rig. / Brian Nordli/RGJ
The only change Jay Borowy, supervisor of the J&P Cycles vendor rig at Street Vibrations in Sparks, noticed after the motorcycle club shooting at John Ascuaga’s Nugget were his breakfast plans.Borowy and his co-workers were staying at the Nugget and were forced to relocate their usual breakfast at Rosie’s Cafe inside the hotel to a Starbucks. He said that morning they weren’t planning to change hotels, and customers still came to their rig in droves that morning.
“In general, not much has changed,” Borowy said then. “People are still out here. It’s an interesting thing to happen, but it seems like everything has moved right on.”
Then, that afternoon, all vendors were asked to shut down starting at 4 p.m. at Victorian Square for the rest of Street Vibrations for safety after an alleged shooting incident involving the Hells Angels and Vagos motorcycle clubs around midnight Saturday and another shooting later Saturday morning.
The decision frustrated the handful of vendors and bar owners interviewed that were having a successful afternoon. Many customers were asked to leave as more than 120 vendors and food booths slowly packed up boxes and merchandise they had hoped to sell.
“It’s just a shame that a few people and a few gangs can ruin it for thousands and thousands of people,” said Kerri Evans, a bartender for Go-Go Bar at Victorian Square.
Freddy Olivis, also a bartender at Go-Go Bar, was only able to work 35 minutes before his shift was cut short. He said he was frustrated to have to end his shift early and suggested they outlaw club patches next year at the event.
One eventgoer, Ron Rynearson, was stranded at a table waiting for his motorcycle to finish.
“We were waiting for some parts to get put on at Kuryakyn, and now they’re shutting it down,” Rynearson, 43, said. “It looks like they’re going to put their parts on, and we have to sit here with nothing to do.”
Randy Burke, Street Vibrations event promoter said he tried unsuccessfully to move some of the 120 venders to downtown Reno.
He said the city recreation officials refused to allow any more vendors on the street because it could have jeopardized security plans. Virginia Street already had about 55 vendors.
And he said he couldn’t reach anyone to get the Reno Events Center open. The Reno Ballroom next door already was full with 70-75 vendors.
Bryan Desimone, marketing coordinator for Kuryakyn motorcycle products, said sales were just as high as they were last year. Their biggest sales usually come on Saturday and Sunday, and they will miss out on that this year.
Saddle Shades Inc., which came from Los Angeles, was among the vendors that spent a lot of money for hotels, food and gas to set up in Sparks. However, owner Teresa Miller, understood the decision to close.
“I think people felt comfortable being out here, but I understand there is a concern this evening, once it gets dark and everything is harder to control,” Miller said. “But I have to give them props and stuff for making that decision.”
The majority of eventgoers interviewed said they weren’t concerned with the shooting, and a few were unaware of the event. Reno-resident Joe Mastroianni, 66, perused the booths unconcerned earlier in the day. Another, Ramon Ontiveros, 64, planned then to continue his stay at the Nugget.
“I think it’s sad, but it’s just a few people, the outlaw bikers that come in looking for trouble,” Mastroianni said. “Most of us are out here to have a good time and see the pretty bikes here in town. I was born and raised in Reno, and I hate to see things like that happen and put a black eye on the event.”
