Personalities

Best inspiration for a new category

Angie & Levi Watson

One of the new categories we added this year is “best power couple,” a category inspired by a few local couples we love, including Angie and Levi Watson. Angie’s business, Black Hole Body Piercing, has won “best place to get pierced” every time we’ve ever held this contest—a win streak more than two decades long. And Levi is such a popular teacher at Mount Rose K-8 that this year he won both best elementary school teacher and best middle school teacher. He’s also the singer of Fall Silent, one of the all-time great Reno bands, which recently started playing shows again after a long hiatus. And they’re two of the most genuine, caring and hilarious people you could hope to meet. Honestly, the fact that they’re there every year is one of the best things about our Best of Northern Nevada party.

Best courtroom quality control

Mari Kay Bickett

Locals are vaguely aware there are some national judicial organizations on the hill north of downtown but probably don’t see them as all that connected to their lives. Mari Kay Bickett stepped down July 31 from a fine tenure as director of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, where she brought a local’s sensibilities—she was raised in Reno and graduated from Reno High and the University of Nevada, Reno—to the job. Sooner or later, she said, everyone walks into a courtroom, “So we should care about the quality of our courts and how they are run and how we’re treated. You want dignity in a courtroom, and you want due process, and that’s what healthy courts can deliver.”

Best volunteer

1. Lynette Schweigert

2. Kenneth Allen

3. Britton Griffith Douglass

Best dentist

1. Tom G. de Bruin

2. Joel Glover

3. Cyrus Kwong

Best local actor/actress

1. Jef Derderian

2. Mary Bennett

3. Ashley Marie James

Best visual artist

1. Alfyn Gestoso

2. Kendall Price

3. Jeramie Lu

Best interior designer

1. John Ludwig

Best go-go dancer

1. Adrienne Zaccone

2. Cordelia Leeder

Best chiropractor

1. Karl V. Forsberg

2. Richard “Ricky” Delacruz

3. Gary Warren

Best local TV news

1. KTVN Channel 2

2. KOLO Channel 8

3. KRNV Channel 4

Best local athlete

1. David Wise

2. Mena Spodobalski

3. Jake Dalton

Best local musician

1. Canyon White

2. Greg Golden

3. Spike McGuire

Best gynecologist

1. Larry Klaich

2. Staci M. Paul

3. Elizabeth Hudson

Best attorney

1. Tory D. Allen

2. Matthew Digesti

3. David Houston

Best barista

1. A.J. Martin

Bibo Coffee Co.

2. Joe Marino

Blue Whale Coffee

3. Kevin Stamps

Old World Coffee

Best local columnist

1. Britton Griffith-Douglass

Reno Tahoe Tonight

2. Cory Farley

Reno Gazette-Journal

3. Mike Higdon

Reno Gazette-Journal

Best plastic surgeon

1. James E. Murphy

2. Louis Bonaldi

3. Charles Virden

Best local filmmaker

1. Jason Spencer

2. Bryant Tarpley

3. David Ware & Ford Corl

3. Emily Skyle

Best police officer

1. John Mandagaran

Reno Police Department

2. Patrick McCauley

Reno Police Department

3. Chuck Allen

Nevada Highway Patrol

Best local radio DJ or DJ team

1. Dead Air Dave

100.1 KTHX

2. Chris Payne

104.1 KRZQ

3. Bill & Connie

96.5 KCLA Alice

Best model

1. Ashley McDermaid

2. Shanda Golden

3. Adrienne Zaccone

Best bartender

1. Jayme Craig

Coach’s Grill & Sports Bar

2. Annalisa Suarez

Pignic Pub & Patio

3. West Muller

Reno Beer Crawl

Best local rapper

1. Tony Walker

2. Feeki Fresh

3. Jenes Carter

Best college instructor

1. Greg Nielsen

University of Nevada, Reno

2. Bret Simmons

University of Nevada, Reno

Best beard

1. Chris Payne

2. Logan Miller

3. Keegan Ferrari

Best creative writer

1. Britton Griffith Douglass

2. Jason Spencer

3. Dante Dennis

Best doula

1. Ashley Maas

2. Rachel Ching

3. Andie Marken

Best high school teacher

1. Josh Bronson

Galena High School

2. Joseph Garton

Sparks High School

Best elementary school teacher

1. Levi Watson

Mount Rose K-8

Best middle school teacher

1. Levi Watson

Mount Rose K-8

2. David Kearney

St. Albert The Great Catholic School

3. Sarah Garrison

Dilworth STEM Academy

3. Marcia Motter

Clayton Middle School

Best photographer

1. Jeramie Lu

2. Tim Conzachi

3. Alfyn Gestoso

Best local comedian

1. Drake Nelson

2. Dave Mencarelli

3. Jenny PezDeSpencer

Best local songwriter

1. Canyon White

2. Tyler Stafford

3. Eric Andersen

Best minister/spiritual advisor

1. Father Tony Vercellone

Our Lady of the Snows

2. Dan Frank

Grace Church

3. Harvey Turner

Living Stones

Best family doctor

1. Dennis Brown

2. Joseph Johnson

3. Thomas O'Gara

Best local politician

1. Hillary Schieve

2. Brian Sandoval

3. Oscar Delgado

Best local TV news anchor

1. Kristen Remington

KTVN, Channel 2

2. Landon Miller

KTVN, Channel 2

3. Joe Hart

KRNV, Channel 4

Best local TV news hairstyle

1. Kristen Remington

KTVN, Channel 2

2. Shelby Sheehan

KRNV, Channel 4

3. Sarah Johns

KOLO, Channel 8

Best real estate agent

1. Cary DeMars

2. Chris Whitney

3. Samuel Douglass

Best muralist

1. Erik Burke

2. Joe C. Rock

3. Shawn Jaime

Best midwife

1. Lynn Anderson

2. Lindsay Schaefer

3. Diane Schuab

Best public figure to fantasize about

1. Chris Payne

2. Hillary Schieve

Best music teacher

1. Ashley Monin

2. Anthony Postman

3. Eric Stangeland

Best social networker

1. Chris Payne

2. Britton Griffith Douglass

3. Kenneth Allen

Best pet groomer

1. Caroline Johnson

CJ’s Grooming

2. Suzie Birdsong

Spanish Springs Kennel

Best politician

1. Hillary Schieve

2. Brian Sandoval

Best power couple

1. Britton Griffith Douglass & Samuel Douglass

2. Greg Golden & Shanda Golden

3. Katie McDowell & Matt McDowell

Best principal

1. Krissy Brown

Mount Rose Elementary School

2. Robert Sullivan

Academy of Arts, Careers & Technology

2. Kris Hackbusch

Reno High School

Best public relations professional

1. Natasha Bourlin

Biggest Little Group

Best massage therapist

1. Sara Freschi

2. Kelsey Billett

3. Keisha Curtis

Most Beautiful Person

1. Shanda Golden

2. Kristen Remington

3. Laura Cooper

3. Hillary Schieve

Most handsome person

1. Dale Ennen

2. Chris Payne

3. Greg Golden