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INCLINE VILLAGE CRYSTAL BAY COMMUNITY & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

SUMMER 2026

FW Carson P. 14-16

Summer Music Mashup P. 36-38

Community Heroes: Dr. Johanna Koch - P. 24 Father Jorge Herrera - P. 8

885 Tahoe Boulevard Incline Village, NV 89451

Incline Village Crystal Bay Association

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LOCAL PROFILE: Father Jorge Herrera

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EDUCATION: Small School. Big Outcomes. 10-11 F.W. Carson

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BUSINESS PROFILE: Sun Milk

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Before the Smoke

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Highway 28 Updates

Staying Flexible Through Therapy 26-27 LOCAL PROFILE: Chloe Menzies

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A World of Opportunity at Incline High School 32-33 Summer 2026 Events Music Mashup

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Living and Performing at Your Best 37

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Gateway Roundabout

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STAFF

COMMUNITY LIAISONS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

ENVIRONMENT: Amy Berry

Linda Offerdahl linda@ivcba.org

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER:

Kristin Derrin kristin@ivcba.org

EDITOR OF LIVE.WORK.PLAY MAGAZINE

Kristin Derrin

OPERATIONS MANAGER:

Mike O’Neill mike@ivcba.org

IVCBA.ORG, COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Julie Malkin-Manning Sugar Pine Events & Marketing julie@ivcba.org FREELANCE WRITERS:

Kayla Anderson Kristie Wells

INCLINE VILLAGE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL:

Louis Ward/Karli Epstein INCLINE JUSTICE COURT: The Honorable Judge Melissa Mangiaracina INCLINE VILLAGE REALTORS: Laura Vitencz NLTFPD: Ryan Sommers/Andreina Quiroz TAHOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:

Laura Roche/Claudia Andersen UNR AT LAKE TAHOE: Doug Boyle TAHOE PROSPERITY CENTER: Sarah Schmidt TRAVEL NORTH TAHOE NEVADA: Andy Chapman WASHOE COUNTY COMMISSIONER: Alexis Hill

PUBLISHING DISCLOSURE NOTICE LIVE. WORK. PLAY. is the official publication of the Incline Village Crystal Bay Association (IVCBA). Cost to produce and distribute this publication is offset by advertising revenues and budgeted funds. The inclusion of advertising in this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by IVCBA or its Board of Directors of the projects, services or views contained therein.

INCLINE VILLAGE CRYSTAL BAY COMMUNITY & BUSINES S ASSOCIATION

SUMMER 2026

WASHOE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE:

Sheriff Darin Balaam CONTRIBUTORS Mary Danahey Barton Health

FW Carson

P. 14-16

Summer Mu sic Mashup

P. 36-38 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 5377

Local Heroes

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Association

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Crystal Bay

Let’s Dance

LOCAL PROFILE: Dr. Johanna “Joy” Koch

Incline Village

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885 Tahoe Boulevard Incline Village, NV 89451

Executive Director’s Letter

Community

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oes: Dr. Johanna Koch P. 24 Father Jorge Herrera P. 8

BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT: Mike Young CO-PRESIDENT: Sheila Leijon

VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT: Jason Jurss TREASURER: Rick Sweeney SECRETARY: John Crockett

MAIN STREET: Steve Porten

INCLINE SCHOOLS: Mary Danahey BUSINESS: Dan Barden

COMMUNITY: Jenny Molinelli

MEMBER AND PRO-BONO CPA: Craig Iverson,

Ashley-Quinn

PRO-BONO ATTORNEY: Rob Vinson, Sierra

Lawyers

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FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Please contact Mike O’Neill at 805.630-4442 Mike@IVCBA.org PHOTOGRAPHY:

Chris Talbot, Nathalie Sacci, Jen Schmidt

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. DESIGNER & PUBLISHER:

J. Lewis Falconer Art & Design

COVER PHOTO: FW Carson - Photo Chris Talbot Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.

Photo by Suzanna Luna Munn Scott

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teambradley.org 775-831-2252

SUMMER 2026

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INVESTORS

WELCOME TO THE SUMMER EDITION OF LIVE.WORK.PLAY! For locals and second homeowners alike, we highlight the people, businesses, and organizations that make Incline feel like home and the beloved community that it is.

incline village crystal bay

IVCBA’s Local Heroes 4th of July Celebration is a classic hometown celebration. Go to the centerfold in this issue for all the details, ranging from the pancake breakfasts (two!) to the parade and community fair, plus some patriotic fanfare from our armed services. The fire district, Sheriff’s Office, IVGID, the Vets Club, and other organizations are all featured on IVCBA.org/LocalHeroes.

The faith-based organizations in a small town offer a church family to many young couples with kids, as well as seniors. Incline churches house schools, raise money for housing emergencies, and provide a social outlet. Read about Father Jorge and the positive results he has had engaging the Hispanic community through St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Also learn how Cornerstone Church found a niche with Christian music in this town filled with music lovers of all kinds.

Thanks to IVCBA’s Main Street program, the Gateway Roundabout has a new look that reflects the natural environment of Lake Tahoe’s East Shore. Granite boulders were donated by Realberry, owner of the Cal Neva, and its contractor SMC/SNC. Irrigation was installed to support the trees, perennial shrubs, and flowers, with project management by Lefrancois Engineering. The boulder and bronze sculpture placement were donated by FW Carson. Read about this remarkable family-owned business in this issue!

Every issue highlights key segments of our community: education, arts and culture, wellness, the environment, business, and community events. I want to bring attention to an entrepreneurial couple with a business that checks a lot of boxes.

They produce a sunscreen called Sun Milk. After reading this article, you will be looking for this product that protects your skin from the sun in the healthiest way possible.

Have a great summer, and I hope to see you at Shakespeare’s Showcase Series and at Classical Tahoe!

Commissioner Alexis Hill

Linda Offerdahl

Dr. Jonathan Smith Kern Schumacher John & Patty Jansen

Love Our Village?

Join Now

Become a Community Supporter of IVCBA Stay connected and help us build a stronger, more engaged Incline Village & Crystal Bay. IVCBA.ORG

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© SIERRA NEVADA BALLET

© LAKE TAHOE DANCE COLLECTIVE

LET’S DANCE By: Kayla Anderson

If you appreciate the movement and structure of the expressive art form, then Incline Village/ Crystal Bay is the place to put on your red shoes and dance the blues this summer. Here are the East Shore’s top live action performances to check out:

LAKE T A H O E D A N CE CO L L E CT IVE www.laketahoedancecollective.org

Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Christin Hanna, the Lake Tahoe Dance Collective is a school for aspiring and professional dancers who perform around the North Lake Tahoe area in productions like The Nutcracker and recitals. It also hosts a festival every summer featuring multiple days of performances that highlight classical, modern, and contemporary dance forms. To be held July 2123, the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival will be holding its opening night at a lakefront residence in Incline Village, followed by community nights in Kings Beach and Tahoe City: • July 21, 5 pm: Opening Night Benefit Gala in Incline Village • July 22, 6 pm: Kings Beach Community Night at the Kings Beach State Recreation Area ($35) • July 23, 6 pm: Tahoe City Community Night at William B. Layton Park ($35) Sporting a tutu at the Fanny Bridge Dedication Party in Tahoe City in mid-May, Truckee resident Dahlia Dunbar says she’s been dancing with the Collective for three years.

“It’s really cool to get to perform alongside professional dancers in the Festival,” Dunbar says. Another performer, 14-year-old Leilani Harlan, has been with the Collective since she was 10. “I started doing the summer intensive,” she adds, coming from Florida to the North Shore.

“She came from Florida just to dance with us,” Hanna smiles. The artistic director herself grew up on the West Shore, used to drive to Reno for her dance lessons, and wanted to bring the quality of mentorship she received to the lake.

“My mentor Margaret Banks treated me like a professional at a very young age,” Hanna says. To bring that level of dance to the young students, the Festival invites artists from Boston Ballet, Lester Horton Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, and more to dance in Tahoe.

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S IERRA NEVADA BALLET

https://sierranevadaballet.org/

Around since 2001, the Reno-based Sierra Nevada Ballet was founded by Artistic Director Rosine Bena, who started doing “Ballet by the River” events at Wingfield Park in the late 1990s.

Seeing the need for quality dance productions and education in Washoe County, the Sierra Nevada Ballet was born and currently has 10 professional dancers, three apprentices, and five trainees, along with an artistic staff, administrative staff, production staff, and instructors within its academy.

This year, the Sierra Nevada Ballet will be performing Coppelia at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. This comedic ballet is about a man who falls in love with his invention, which is sure to delight and entertain lovers of the performing arts. Here is where the Sierra Nevada Ballet will be this summer: • July 25: Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, Reno • July 27: Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Sand Harbor, Nevada State Park • August 1: Carson City Community Center, Carson City

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L O C A L

P R O F I L E

FATHER JORGE HERRERA By: Kayla Anderson

© NATHALIE SACCI

COMMUNITY HERO:

At 3 p.m. on a warm weekday, the grounds of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church are filled with the sounds of children laughing and playing. School has just gotten out at St. Clare’s Catholic Montessori School, housed in the church building, and parents collect their kids in a quick bustle.

Inside, Father Jorge Herrera sits serenely in his naturally sunlit office. He apologizes for the “mess” of his office, which is more minimalist and organized than most people I know.

Originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, St. Francis of Assisi’s Jorge Herrera has been leading the parish for the past six years.

Father Jorge was 17 years old when he “felt that first call” and started exploring the idea of priesthood. He got that feeling on Palm Sunday when he saw people walking out of a Culiacán diocese holding palm leaves and decided to go inside.

“I spent some time in there and then went into the priest’s office and learned about communion, confirmation, and all the studying involved in becoming a priest,” he says.

“There are a lot of things to love [about being a priest], but the most is to be able to interact, serve, and be a resource for the people,” he says. “Especially with Latinos, I become the point of reference. If you need a doctor, you go ask the priest. If you need a lawyer, you go ask the priest.”

Father Herrera says one of the biggest lessons he’s learned is listening.

Father Herrera was baptized as a baby, but the city he was from wasn’t particularly religious. After that call, he didn’t immediately start studying religion but came back to it 10 years “I’ve allowed myself to be taught by this community,” he says.

“I learned to listen and watch people. We all connect with pain, later. frustration, or anger, so when people come in, whether they’re mad at me or something else, I try to find common ground, He left Mexico 40 years ago and relocated to Los Angeles, then open that bridge to walk together.” where he had two sisters. He’s been going back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico many times since then, joining the priesthood at 26. Father Herrera came to Nevada in 1998, One of his proudest accomplishments in Incline Village has been starting a young adults group open to anyone ages went to seminary in San Francisco, and was ordained at St. 18–35, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. The group gathers Therese Church of the Little Flower in Reno in 2003. monthly at the rectory or in a home to share dinner and openly discuss life, relationships, faith, forgiveness, politics, and other His first parish after ordination was Gardnerville, followed by topics without fear of judgment.

Elko, Yerington, Reno, and eventually Incline Village.

“I love this area, it’s beautiful,” he says about Incline Village. “I found there was a group of hikers in the parish, and over many Mondays, we hiked different segments of the Tahoe Rim Trail.”

He eventually completed the entire 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, earning his certificate of completion in 2023.

Beyond the church walls, Father Jorge has become deeply woven into the community itself. He is involved in numerous nonprofits and community organizations, including United For Action and Catholic Rural Life, and regularly supports any organization “doing something good for the community.”

“I try to be involved in the community as much as I can be,” he says.

“When I saw there was nothing for young adults here, I wanted to start something,” he says. The group began with two people and now regularly gathers over twenty.

Father Jorge likes to welcome the stranger and puts newcomers at ease with his natural humor. His strong desire for unity has pulled people together, as they grow in their shared faith. Outside of celebrating Mass, he is immersed in the life of the parish and broader community, with hospital visits, praying over the sick, marriage counseling, helping people with addiction, attending community events, setting up grants to assist those in need, and even personally serving Thanksgiving dinner at the North Tahoe Event Center.

Congregants cheered when Father Jorge Herrera recently For many local families, Father Jorge has become far more than announced he is extending three more years at St. Francis of Assisi. When asked what the future holds, he reflects simply: “I a priest. He is a connector, a guide, and often the first person have seven more years until retirement, but even then, no one people turn to when they need help navigating life. stops being a priest. I’ll still be involved where I’m needed.”

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Small School. Big Outcomes.

© JEN SCHMIDT

How Incline’s K–12 Public Schools Are Building Students Ready for Life

Written by Mary Danahey

Tucked along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, Incline’s public schools have quietly built something extraordinary: a small, connected K–12 system where students are known, challenged, supported, and prepared not just for graduation, but for life.

Across Incline Elementary School, Middle, and High School, students benefit from a small-school environment that allows educators to truly know their students — not simply as learners, but as individuals with unique strengths, interests, and goals.

Together, with the help of the Incline Education Fund, the schools have created Nevada’s first and only designated K–12 STEM pathway, helping students build confidence, skills, and curiosity year after year.

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At the center of that success is Incline High School — a highperforming rural high school that continues to prove that size can be a powerful advantage in education.

This year, Incline High School is on track to achieve a remarkable milestone: a 100% graduation rate, well above both state and national averages. In an era when many districts struggle with disengagement and absenteeism, Incline’s closeknit culture and personalized approach are helping students succeed at exceptionally high levels.

One of the school’s defining strengths is its low studentto-teacher ratio - roughly 13:1 - allowing teachers to build meaningful relationships with students and families over time.

That sense of connection is intentionally strengthened through the school’s Seminar program, where every student is paired with a faculty advisor throughout all four years of high school.

What begins as a class often becomes something much more powerful: a trusted mentorship and a consistent source of support, encouragement, and accountability.

But the foundation for that success begins long before high school.

At Incline Elementary School, students are introduced early to hands-on learning and STEAM exploration through robotics and coding, a dedicated art program, and literacy enrichment.

Creativity and curiosity are woven directly into the school day, helping students develop confidence as learners from an early age.

At Incline Middle School, those experiences expand through the school’s innovative Exploratory Program, where students engage in experiential learning across disciplines ranging from culinary arts and construction to financial literacy, fiber arts, environmental projects, outdoor education, technology, and more. These programs help students develop the “4 Cs” increasingly valued by universities and employers alike: creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

Given that support, by the time students arrive at Incline High School, they are ready to take ownership of their education.

Academic options at IHS include access to Advanced Placement and dual-credit coursework, and programs like the Personalized Learning Academy - which allows upperclassmen to pursue individualized pathways aligned with their interests and goals. The school’s College and Career programming provides hands-on guidance in everything from financial aid and college applications to internships, workforce readiness, and career exploration.

Rare is the Incline High student who is “only” a student.

Most IHS students balance their academic endeavors with a mix of athletics, clubs, performing arts, service organizations, leadership roles, and/or jobs. In a larger system, students can sometimes disappear into the crowd. In Incline, students are

encouraged to contribute — to their teams, their classrooms, and their community. That balance builds resilience, perspective, leadership, and time-management skills that matter far beyond graduation.

The results are increasingly visible.

Incline students are earning admission to an impressive range of colleges and universities, from strong regional and state institutions to some of the most selective schools in the country. Local pathways such as University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, and Lake Tahoe Community College continue to offer outstanding opportunities, while this year’s junior class includes an unusually high number of potential National Merit Scholars for a school of its size.

But what makes Incline different is not simply where students go after graduation — it’s who they become along the way.

The success of Incline students reflects the strength of a small, connected public school system where students are known, challenged, encouraged, and given opportunities to lead from an early age. Students are not being prepared for one narrow definition of success. They are being prepared for lives of purpose, opportunity, adaptability, and contribution.

In Incline, education is more than a sequence of schools. It is a connected journey — one designed not simply to build strong transcripts or impressive résumés, but capable, grounded, and resilient young adults ready for whatever future they choose.

From Incline to the Ivy League

Six Students. One K–12 Journey. Extraordinary Futures.

This year, 6 graduates who spent their entire K–12 journey in Incline’s public schools are heading to some of the nation’s most prestigious universities in the country.

Chloe Greer - Duke University Jesus Aguirre Garcia - Univ. Pennsylvania - Wharton School Georgia Stembridge - Princeton Jorge Garcia Valdes - Emory University Andrew Bodel - University of Texas Willehmina Dukes - Vanderbilt University

Community Support Expands What’s Possible

Many of the programs that help distinguish Incline’s public schools are made possible through the support of the Incline Education Fund (IEF). From the Makerspace (robotics and coding) and art programs at the elementary school to the hands-on Exploratory Program at the middle school and all five College & Career programs at the high school, IEF funded enrichment helps provide students with opportunities rarely found in a small rural district.

This partnership allows the schools to offer experiences that extend beyond traditional academics — helping students explore interests, develop real-world skills, and prepare for college, careers, and life beyond graduation.

Go to inclineeducationfund.org for more information.

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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: DIEGO GONZALEZ, CARL WALKER, EASTON CARSON, TROY CARSON, RIAN CARSON, DOUG GREGG, TODD CARSON, MANNY QUEZADA

Every day, thousands of residents and visitors pass through the Gateway to Incline Village roundabout, many never realizing the decades of local history tied to the project. For the Carson family, helping shape one of the community’s most recognizable entry points was never simply another construction job. It was an opportunity to contribute to the long-term character of the town their family has called home for generations.

F.W. Carson Co. played a significant role in the roundabout improvement project, collaborating alongside local agencies, engineers, business leaders, and community organizations to help create what has become both a gateway and a point of pride for Incline Village. The company also contributed work tied to the original bronze installations that helped establish the project’s identity from its earliest vision.

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© CHRIS TALBOT

F.W. Carson

Author: Kristie Wells evolving technologies, safety standards, compliance For Troy Carson, Vice President of the family-owned company, requirements, and project delivery methods. Carson believes projects like the roundabout reflect something much larger than investing in younger generations and thoughtfully integrating infrastructure. technology will remain critical to the future of the industry and “We care about our community as much as we do our the communities it serves. employees,” Carson said. “Reputation is valuable, however, it “Our industry is evolving faster than most can hang on to,” needs to be earned, not expected.”

Carson said. “The younger generation is our future, and every That philosophy has quietly guided F.W. Carson Co. for business owner should be investing now for their people and decades. Founded in Incline Village and still headquartered their future.” in the community today, the company has grown into one of That investment in people is especially important in the region’s most respected names in heavy civil construction, mountain communities like Tahoe, where workforce shortages excavation, trucking, environmental remediation, demolition, and housing challenges continue to affect local businesses and infrastructure development throughout California and and families alike. The company hopes to continue creating Nevada. opportunities for younger generations to build meaningful The company’s story is deeply tied to the growth of Tahoe careers close to home while supporting sustainable growth itself. Founder Fred W. Carson moved to Incline Village in throughout the region. the 1960s and initially worked in vertical construction before Much of the company’s work happens quietly beneath the discovering a passion for heavy civil work in the early 1970s. surface, maintaining the infrastructure residents depend on What began with snow removal, trucking, and excavation every day but rarely think about until something stops working. steadily evolved into a broad operation supporting public and In Tahoe, contractors face an extremely short construction private infrastructure projects throughout the region. season between late spring and fall, creating a narrow window Those close to Fred Carson describe him as hardworking, to complete critical improvements to roads, drainage systems, relationship-driven, and deeply committed to building water lines, utilities, and other essential infrastructure. a business that not only supported his family, but also As a result, summer construction projects can sometimes test contributed to the long-term success of the community he the patience of residents and visitors hoping to enjoy Tahoe’s loved. As Tahoe evolved, so did the company. By the late 1980s quieter months. But Carson says those projects ultimately and 1990s, F.W. Carson had expanded into environmental help preserve the long-term health and functionality of the remediation, hazardous material cleanup projects, public works community. improvements, and support work tied to the decommissioning Some of the company’s most meaningful projects have also of portions of the 1960 Winter Olympic facilities. carried personal significance for the Carson family. Among them More than two decades after Fred Carson’s passing in 2003, is the Palisades Tahoe-Alpine Meadows gondola connection, the company remains firmly family-led. Barbara Carson serves a project tied to years spent skiing those mountains growing as President, while daughter Rian Carson and son Troy Carson up and dreaming about the idea of interconnected resorts as serve as Vice Presidents, helping guide the company’s long-term teenagers. vision and operations. Son Todd Carson also plays an important Still, for the Carson family, success has never been measured leadership role as a Manager within the organization. solely by projects completed or contracts won. Community While the company’s footprint has expanded well beyond involvement has long remained part of the company’s identity.

Tahoe over the years, the Carson family says its core values Over the years, F.W. Carson has supported organizations and have remained remarkably consistent: prioritize safety, invest in initiatives including the Incline Bike Park, Tahoe’s Fourth of July people, build relationships carefully, and do what you say you fireworks program, Thunderbird Lodge, and local schools. are going to do.

Looking ahead, the family hopes F.W. Carson will continue “Show up, pay attention, tell the truth,” Carson said. “Create operating as a strong, sustainable company that supports opportunity with relationships and give them the personal and emerging leaders, responsible building practices, local professional care to grow into the future, no matter how big or employment opportunities, and the long-term success of the small.” communities it serves.

That mindset has helped the company maintain long-standing More than fifty years after Fred Carson first arrived in relationships with municipalities, contractors, agencies, and Incline Village, the company bearing his name continues to private clients throughout the West. It has also allowed F.W. quietly shape the region in ways both visible and unseen. Their Carson to adapt alongside an industry that has changed work can be found in the roads residents drive each day, the dramatically over the last two decades. infrastructure supporting mountain communities, and even the Like many construction firms, the company has embraced gateway welcoming people into Incline Village itself.

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P R O F I L E

SUN MILK By: Kayla Anderson There’s a skin protector making waves around Lake Tahoe, helping people enjoy the outdoor activities they love in this high-altitude environment without unconsciously causing more damage to themselves or the environment.

One day, former mining company CEO Marc J. Andrews was researching something related to work when he went off on a tangent, looking into melanoma.

“I saw that melanoma went up 1,000 percent when mainstream sunscreens came out because of the toxicity in them,” he says. “I found some research from an anthropologist who said that 100 years ago, 88 percent of the population lived their lives outdoors. Now, the general population is out there less than 10 percent of the time, but more people are getting skin cancer. No one got skin cancer until sunscreen came on the market 60-70 years ago.”

Thanks to his ancestors, Andrews has some American Indian blood in him, so he tends to tan easily, but that’s not the case for his wife, Ramsey, who is of Irish descent. She wanted to use an all-natural sunblock that blended in and didn’t give off that straight zinc contrast, so she started experimenting.

Ramsey found that certain ingredients naturally had sunblock in them (like coconut oil, which has 5-8 percent SPF, and red raspberry, which has 46-50 percent SPF), but getting the proportions right was a different story.

“She had to play around with the ingredients and determine what went together well. She researched zinc oxide percentages and how different SPF oils blended together to create a clear, moisturizing, and protective coat.

Ramsey tried tallow and shea butter, but was not happy with how they reacted on her skin, as they tend to sit on the surface, feel greasy, and clog pores.

“I can tan, but my wife has to ease into summer. She never really develops a base tan and is always susceptible to burning.

She was the original inspiration behind Sun Milk,” Marc says.

Ramsey originally created Sun Milk sunscreen for herself and close friends. Marc loved the name and shared a passion for health and clean living, so he decided to leave the corporate world behind, resign from his mining position, and launch Sun Milk, LLC. In summer 2024, the couple launched Sun Milk with five allnatural ingredients—organic fractionated coconut oil, non-nano zinc oxide, carrot seed oil, red raspberry seed oil, and sweet almond oil. Kristin Derrin, editor of this LIVE.WORK.PLAY magazine used it all through Italy last fall and swears by it for her whole family. She plans to take it to Costa Rica this summer to try it in the surf.

Marc says testing sunscreens in the high-altitude Sierra Nevada has helped the couple determine Sun Milk’s maximum effectiveness.

“One thousand percent being at this altitude helped figure out the viability of the product. Ramsey didn’t recognize that altitude was a selling point at first, but then one of our friends LIVE.WORK.PLAY.

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© CHRIS TALBOT

got torched here in a day after spending five days in Hawaii. We use the mountains as an advantage in our marketing. Thinner air makes the rays stronger; we’re not in a place that has humidity being a barrier to the sun,” Marc adds.

But whatever you do, don’t call Sun Milk a sunscreen.

“Mainstream SPF is what causes skin cancer, so ‘sunscreen’ is a bad word in our household. When you tell people their sunscreen is toxic and dangerous, they get really angry,” he says. Maybe it’s because people are trying to do the right thing, always being told to wear sunscreen—and then being told that it’s hurting them.

“The majority of sunscreens only blocked UVA rays, then they got into blocking UVB, totally blocking the sun. And that can create a vitamin D deficiency, which also leads to cancer, along with the carcinogenic toxins in mainstream sunscreens. So, melanoma went from zero to through the roof when sunscreen came out,” Marc says.

On top of all the toxins, chemicals, and potentially harmful blockers in sunscreen, in all of Marc’s research, he also found microplastics. That’s why Sun Milk containers are glass.

“I think I heard something about how the average American eats a credit card of plastic a month, so we made it a goal to

stay away from all plastics, in the product and in the packaging.

We only use glass, steel, or wood. We’re anti-plastic even in production,” he says.

He saw that even Hawaii outlawed all major brands because they all contained oxybenzone or other chemicals that eat away at the reefs.

“We call it ‘milk’ because ‘sunscreen’ is a deadly, toxic word,” Marc affirms.

After the Andrews’s bottled their first batch of Sun Milk, their friend at Forever Rox in Incline Village started carrying it. Sun Milk is also now sold at The Potlatch, Panache, local farmers’ markets, and online through its website and Etsy.

Stores in Texas, Florida, and Idaho also carry it.

“Our focus is to build the brand and get awareness out there; get people to understand what’s going on with sunscreen and what Sun Milk is,” Marc says.

“Your skin is a piece of armor protecting yourself. It’s the biggest organ on your body, just as important as the heart.

And we’re just slathering chemicals onto it. We try to promote clean and healthy living. We’ve stuck to all clean containers and ingredients; we don’t use anything that’s toxic. I think when people become conscious of that, then they’ll only want to use clean ingredients in their everyday living.

“And four out of four dolphins agree that Sun Milk is the best.”

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BEFORE THE SMOKE

HOW CHIEF RYAN SOMMERS AND DIVISION CHIEF ISAAC POWNING ARE HELPING PROTECT TAHOE’S FUTURE, ONE PARTNERSHIP, PROJECT, AND HOMEOWNER AT A TIME

Author: Kristie Wells

Most residents of Incline Village and Crystal Bay likely never see the majority of the work being done to protect their homes, neighborhoods, and forests from wildfire.

They may notice crews thinning trees along a hillside. They may hear chainsaws in the distance.

They may receive a defensible space notice in the mail or watch smoke rise from a prescribed burn somewhere across the Basin.

What they often do not see is the decades of planning, coordination, education, and regional leadership quietly happening behind the scenes.

And much of it traces back to two men inside the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. Chief Ryan Sommers and Division Chief Isaac Powning. © CHRIS TALBOT

For Ryan Sommers, the work is deeply personal.

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A native of Incline Village, Sommers attended local schools and joined the fire district in 1995 as a dispatcher. Over the next three decades, he worked through nearly every operational role in the department before becoming Fire Chief in 2016. His father once served on the district’s board during a pivotal period that expanded emergency medical services in the community.

Today, Sommers is helping lead a very different fight: preparing Tahoe communities for an era increasingly defined by catastrophic wildfire.

Long before defensible space and forest thinning became part of the national conversation, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District was building a comprehensive fuels management and wildfire preparedness program designed specifically for life in the Tahoe Basin.

Today, those efforts are drawing national and international completed in communities like Incline Village and Crystal Bay. attention.

As insurance availability becomes a growing concern throughout Earlier this year, the International Association of Fire Chiefs the West, that work has become increasingly important to local brought fire leaders from around the world to Incline Village to homeowners. study the district’s approach to wildfire preparedness and fuels Ironically, insurance challenges have also become one of the management. That growing interest reflects a broader reality: strongest motivators for homeowners to take defensible space agencies across the country now look to Tahoe for guidance on seriously. fuels management, defensible space enforcement, prescribed Throughout the interview, both Sommers and Powning fire, and long-term forest resiliency strategies. emphasized that residents themselves are now a critical part of Sommers credits much of the district’s success to leaders the wildfire protection equation. like former Fire Marshal Gerry Adams, who helped pioneer While Sommers often operates at the policy and coordination prescribed burning authority for local fire districts in Nevada. level, much of the day-to-day forest work happening across the Much of Sommers’ work now extends far beyond Incline Basin falls under the leadership of Powning.

Village and Crystal Bay. Powning joined NLTFPD in 2008 after a long career with the Beyond leading NLTFPD, he serves in numerous regional and U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. He was statewide leadership positions involving wildfire coordination, drawn to the district because of its long-standing commitment emergency communications, mutual aid, and large-scale incident to fuels management and prescribed fire, work that remains management. Those roles help ensure agencies across Nevada central to his role today. and the Tahoe Basin can work seamlessly together during Today, Powning oversees the district’s fuels management emergencies. operations, prescribed fire programs, hand crews, and wildland While residents know him as the local fire chief, many of his fire engine modules, while also serving as Incident Commander peers know him as one of Nevada’s leading voices on wildfire for the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team. preparedness, emergency communications, and interagency His role places him at the center of many of the conversations coordination. shaping how the Tahoe Basin prepares for and responds to The work may happen quietly behind the scenes, but during wildfire risk. major incidents, those relationships and communication systems Formed following the devastating Angora Fire, the TFFT now can determine how effectively agencies respond together. coordinates fuels reduction, wildfire mitigation planning, and Sommers also leads regional communications efforts that help forest health strategies across two states, multiple counties, and ensure fire, law enforcement, and emergency agencies across numerous public agencies throughout the Tahoe Basin.

Washoe County and Nevada coordinate effectively during major Tahoe presents challenges few communities face. Steep incidents. terrain, dense forests, multiple jurisdictions, federal lands, Increasingly, wildfire preparedness is no longer just about environmental regulations, and limited evacuation routes all safety. It is also about whether residents can continue to insure converge within a relatively small geographic area. Successfully and protect the homes they have invested their lives in. reducing wildfire risk here requires an uncommon level of Sommers has become a leading voice in conversations coordination, persistence, and public support. around wildfire insurance, advocating for more consistent risk One of the coalition’s most visible projects is the Worm models that recognize the extensive mitigation work already Project above Highway 431, which creates a protective IVCBA.ORG

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vegetation buffer between forested land and neighborhoods.

The project combines specialized equipment and hand crews to reduce vegetation in difficult terrain above the community.

Powning said one of the biggest surprises has been the overwhelmingly positive response from residents, a reflection of how much public understanding around wildfire mitigation has evolved.

Environmental review requirements, staffing shortages, rising costs, and long-term funding sustainability remain major concerns across the Basin. Vegetation continues to regrow annually, requiring ongoing maintenance rather than one-time solutions.

At the same time, both leaders believe community education has been one of the district’s greatest successes.

Both chiefs stressed that the future of wildfire resilience in Tahoe will not be determined solely by fire agencies. It will be determined by thousands of individual decisions made by homeowners each year.

The department continues encouraging residents to focus on defensible space, home hardening, and neighborhood preparedness. Residents are also encouraged to participate in programs like Firewise and Fire Adapted Communities through the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, which help homeowners complete manageable annual projects that reduce wildfire fuels around homes and throughout neighborhoods.

For Powning, conversations around tree removal and forest thinning are often emotional. People move to Tahoe because of the forested environment, privacy, and natural beauty. Yet many of those same trees can also become dangerous fuel during wildfire events.

“We want those memories to continue forever, minus one or two trees,” Powning said.

After more than three decades with the district, Sommers expects to conclude his tenure as Fire Chief in September 2027. By then, he will leave behind more than a successful fire department. He will leave behind systems, partnerships, and programs that have helped make the Tahoe Basin safer and have influenced wildfire preparedness efforts throughout Nevada.

But neither Sommers nor Powning spend much time focused on legacy. Their attention remains on the work ahead: maintaining forests, strengthening partnerships, educating homeowners, securing funding, and preparing the community for a future where wildfire remains part of life in the Sierra.

As communities across the West continue searching for solutions, many are now looking toward Tahoe and the work happening here as a model for long-term wildfire resilience.

For residents of Incline Village and Crystal Bay, it is a reminder that some of the most important work protecting this community happens long before smoke appears on the horizon.

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HIGHWAY 28 UPDATES and Hidden Beach.

According to Andy Chapman, Tahoe Transportation District Board Chair, it is important for residents and visitors alike to understand these improvements are part of a much larger multi-year effort that will continue evolving over the next several summers, with projects like the Spooner Transit Hub still a few years from completion.

That long-term vision is becoming increasingly visible this summer. Those accessing the East Shore are being encouraged to park in designated lots, use shuttle connections where available, and rethink the traditional drive-and-pull-off experience that defined the area for decades.

The reason behind the changes is straightforward: demand has outgrown the corridor’s capacity.

According to the SR 28 Corridor Management Plan, peak demand along the East Shore far exceeds the corridor’s 582 formal paved parking spaces, with an estimated 1,175 vehicles seeking parking during busy periods. At peak summer use, surveyors counted nearly 600 vehicles parked along roadway shoulders, resulting in roughly 2,000 pedestrians walking alongside traffic to reach beaches and trailheads.

The corridor has also experienced increasing traffic congestion, unsafe U-turns, blocked emergency access routes, erosion from informal trails, and growing impacts to water quality and lake clarity.

Chapman emphasized that the goal is not to increase overall corridor volume, but rather to relocate dangerous roadside parking into safer, managed parking areas.

“The project removes and substitutes unsafe on-road parking By: Kristie Wells for safer off-road parking,” Chapman explained. “This project is really about safety and erosion control.”

For decades, accessing Lake Tahoe’s East Shore carried a Construction impacts are already changing some familiar sense of spontaneity. Many people became accustomed to parking patterns this summer. Parking on the street near the pulling off Highway 28 wherever space allowed and making Tunnel Creek area is being restricted during construction of their way toward the shoreline. the North Parking Project, while the expanded Chimney Beach That experience is continuing to evolve as regional agencies parking area is expected to open June 1st with approximately work to address growing safety concerns, traffic congestion, 120 paid spaces. Secret Harbor parking also remains available, erosion, and environmental impacts along one of Tahoe’s most though future expansion work is still ahead. heavily used recreation areas.

Transportation alternatives are continuing to evolve as well, The changes are part of a long-term effort led by the Tahoe including Tahoe Area Regional Transit mainline bus service Transportation District and regional partners to improve safety, through Incline Village, TTD’s East Shore Express to Sand reduce congestion, protect Lake Tahoe’s clarity, and create a Harbor, the Emerald Bay Pilot Shuttle, and future transit hubs more sustainable experience for everyone accessing the East planned near Spooner Lake and Incline Village.

Shore.

Regional agencies acknowledge the transition may be For those heading to the East Shore this summer, the frustrating at times, particularly during construction, but message is simple: plan ahead and expect a different parking maintain the temporary inconvenience is necessary for the experience than years past. greater good: improving safety, reducing environmental Roadside parking restrictions along Highway 28 continue to damage, and preserving access to one of Lake Tahoe’s most expand, while construction activity, new paid parking areas, and iconic shorelines for future generations. transit infrastructure begin reshaping how the public accesses You can learn more about the SR28 Corridor Project here: destinations like Sand Harbor, Chimney Beach, Secret Harbor, Tahoe Transportation District SR28 Corridor Project IVCBA.ORG

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Two and a half centuries ago, a nation was built on everyday courage. This Fourth of July, we honor that legacy by celebrating the veterans, firefighters, first responders, educators, and community builders who carry that spirit forward in Incline Village and Crystal Bay. The Local Heroes 4th of July Celebration is a three-day tribute to the people who make our mountain community thrive - kids' bike parades, a hometown procession of floats and fire trucks, pancake breakfasts, a community fair, and bar-b-ques. Every moment is a chance to say thank you.

The Be a Local Hero Family & Friends Community Sponsorship lets you honor someone special - a veteran, a neighbor, a loved one who goes above and beyond. Sponsorships start at just $100, with recognition, commemorative swag, and the pride of carrying our community's spirit forward.

DETAILS AT IVCBA.ORG LIVE.WORK.PLAY.

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THURSDAY, JULY 2 4 PM - INCLINE TAHOE FOUNDATION SUMMERFEST 7-9PM - TAHOE PHILHARMONIC POPS & PATRIOTIC SONGS

FRIDAY, JULY 3 8 AM - NLTFPD PANCAKE BREAKFAST 10 AM - IVCBA LOCAL HEROES PARADE, LED BY THE DPSEF KID’S BIKE PARADE 11 AM – 2 PM LOCAL HEROES COMMUNITY FAIR, BBQ, SUSIE SCOOPS ICE CREAM EATING CONTEST, AND WSCO MEET N’ GREET

SATURDAY, JULY 4 8 AM – 12PM IVCB VETERAN’S CLUB PANCAKE BREAKFAST 12:30 – FOOD RUNS OUT FREE BBQ AT SKI BEACH PRESENTED BY THE HYATT REGENCY LAKE TAHOE RESORT, SPA, AND CASINO

MAJOR EVENT SPONSORS

COMMUNITY & EVENT PARTNERS

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GATEWAY ROUNDABOUT The Gateway Roundabout is part of IVCBA’s ongoing commitment to community beautification through programs such as: • Inclined to Bloom • Dancing with Daffodils • Community-driven projects to encourage walkability • Public Art and Placemaking Initiatives Together, these efforts help create a welcoming, vibrant community for residents and visitors alike.

PHOTO TAKE 6/4/2026

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Childhood Belongs Outside

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770 Mays Blvd.

Incline Village, NV 89451 7am - 9pm Every Day!

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Duplicated coupons will not be accepted. No cash value.

Valid June 1 - September 7, 2026.

Advertise in LIVE. WORK. PLAY. For info on rates please contact Mike O’Neill at 805.630-4442 or Mike@IVCBA.org

775-298-2727 907 Tahoe Blvd. Suite 13-B Incline Village, NV 89451

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LOCAL HERO:

© CHRIS TALBOT

DR. JOHANNA “JOY” KOCH

By: Kristie Wells Dr. Johanna “Joy” Koch has spent nearly four decades caring for the Incline Village community, building relationships that span generations and earning a reputation as one of the North Shore’s most trusted physicians.

Since arriving in the Sierra in 1987, Dr. Koch has cared for thousands of local residents through every stage of life, from childhood illnesses and annual checkups to complex diagnoses and emotional life transitions. Along the way, she has become more than a doctor to many patients. She has become a steady and familiar presence in a town where long-term relationships matter.

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Originally drawn to the Sierra Nevada by a desire to live and practice medicine in the mountains, Dr. Koch joined an established medical practice before opening her own family medicine practice in 1992. Today, she continues to serve patients through the Tahoe Forest Hospital System at Incline Village Community Hospital, while also serving as Chief of Staff.

Her path into family medicine came from a simple realization during medical school. “I liked every rotation I went through,” she said. “I finally realized that if I did family practice, I got to do a little of all of it.”

Over time, however, it was not just medicine that shaped her career. It was the human connection. Dr. Koch says one of the biggest surprises in family medicine was discovering how much psychology and counseling become part of primary care.

“Most people who need counseling won’t go,” she explained.

“But they will go see their primary care doctor.”

That long-term trust, she says, is built largely through consistency and simply being present year after year. In an era where many physicians relocate or change practices frequently, Dr. Koch believes longevity matters deeply in a small community like Incline Village.

“Being here long term is the single most important thing,” she said.

Practicing medicine in a mountain community has also allowed Dr. Koch to maintain a broader range of skills than many physicians in urban areas. Because patients often prefer to stay close to home whenever possible, local physicians frequently handle more comprehensive care while working closely with specialists across the Tahoe Forest Health System.

Even after decades in medicine, Dr. Koch remains optimistic about the future of healthcare, particularly advancements in genetics, early detection, and artificial intelligence tools that can help physicians spend less time behind a computer screen and more time focused directly on patients.

In August 2027, Dr. Koch plans to retire from patient-facing clinical care, though she says she has no intention of stepping away from the community entirely. She plans to maintain her medical license and continue contributing through volunteer and hospital-related work.

For many in Incline Village, her retirement will mark the closing of an extraordinary chapter in local healthcare. But Dr. Koch’s impact on the community, and the relationships she has built over nearly 40 years, will continue to be felt for generations to come.

For years we have been proud to serve Incline Village and Crystal Bay as a trusted non-profit dedicated to making this community stronger, more vibrant, and more livable for everyone.

This summer, we’re bringing that commitment to life in new ways.

Through our Housing Committee, we continue working on workforce and affordable housing solutions, because a thriving community depends on the people who call it home year-round. As President, I am honored to be part of a team that turns long-term vision into lasting results.

This summer, watch our community transform with three landmark initiatives: the Gateway Roundabout, Incline Main Street Beautification, and Incline to Bloom—projects that will enhance the beauty, safety, and spirit of our neighborhoods for generations to come.

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STAYING FLEXIBLE THROUGH THERAPY

© BARTON HEALTH

P H Y S I C A L T H E R AP Y RESO URCES

By: Kayla Anderson

Whether you are trying to stay fit or recover from an injury to regain full mobility, there are plenty of physical therapy resources in Incline Village/Crystal Bay to help you stay strong and balanced.

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The Sanctuary Tahoe

205 Stateline Rd. Kings Beach

The Sanctuary Tahoe takes an integrative approach to wellness, offering services designed to help individuals feel their best and maintain an active, balanced lifestyle. Practitioners provide acupuncture, massage therapy, nutritional guidance, herbal medicine, and other holistic healing modalities tailored to each person’s needs.

By focusing on overall wellbeing rather than isolated symptoms, The Sanctuary Tahoe helps support recovery, mobility, stress reduction, and long-term health through personalized care and natural therapies. www.thesanctuarytahoe.com

High Sierra Restorative Health 923 Tahoe Blvd. #100

Established in 2021, High Sierra Restorative Health specializes in emergency medicine, urgent care, integrative & longevity medicine, and regenerative medicine. Hormone replacement and peptide therapies are popular with High Sierra customers, but Nurse Practitioner/Founder Emily Allina wishes that people would take a proactive approach to optimizing their health and then maintaining it for their longevity. Ways to do this include taking a hard look at your gut health and how your endocrine/hormonal systems are functioning, and then going from there. High Sierra also uses PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapy, which uses a person’s own blood cells to release growth factors that can speed up the healing process. For more information, book a free 20-minute consultation by calling 775-347-3737.

Incline Village Physical Therapy and Medical Fitness 333 Village Blvd. #201

The Tahoe Forest Hospital District has an entire team of licensed medical and physical therapy professionals across Truckee, Tahoe City, and Incline Village who specialize in a variety of services to help people support their active, independent lifestyles. The Tahoe Forest Health District (TFHD) has a PT clinic kitty-corner from the Incline Village Community Hospital, which specializes in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, and general orthopedic sports programs, including treating skeletal muscle injuries. Incline Village Physical Therapy also does dry needle services as well as post ACL/knee joint replacements, following them up with postorthopedic operative management programs.

“We offer balance and stimulator wellness classes, preseason conditioning, Parkinson’s exercise classes, and advanced strengthening classes,” says TFHD Director of Therapy Services Ryan Solberg. “We focus on areas for classes that meet the needs of the community,” he adds. For a list of medically supervised fitness classes offered in Incline Village and Truckee, visit www.tfhd.com/wellness/services/ fitness/.

Incline Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine 907 Tahoe Blvd. #5

“It’s all about relaxing into fitness to me,” says Incline Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Owner Pam Murphy. Holding not one but two master’s degrees in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, Murphy uses alternative medicine techniques on the parasympathetic nervous system (often called the “rest and digest” system) to strengthen one’s body. Her treatments include acupuncture (face down and face up), which sometimes involves cupping, in 45-minute to one-hour sessions.

“Acupuncture releases pain, and dry needling will release the muscle,” Murphy says. Recently celebrating its five-year anniversary, Incline Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine now also has an HOCATT sauna machine that combines 10 different therapies into a single treatment.

“It uses steam and infrared heat to deliver all of these modalities; it wakes up every cell in your body,” adds Murphy. Considered one of the newest cutting-edge bio-stacking devices on the market, it caters to people who don’t like needles.

To book an acupuncture appointment, visit https://pammurphylac.com/.

BACKcountry Chiropractic 937 Tahoe Blvd. #205

Founded by Dr. Jonathan Malley, BACKcountry Chiropractic has a deep appreciation for the Tahoe outdoors and wants people to be able to enjoy it as much as he does. Having experienced firsthand how chiropractic tools and treatments have improved his own mobility, he now runs BACKcountry with his wife/nurse/health coach, Colleen, to help people achieve balance and harmony not just by improving the strength and mobility of their backs, but in all aspects of their lives. For more information about BACKcountry services, visit https://backcountrychiroiv.com/.

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WORKSHOPS

TAHOE SUMMER ARTS

unr.edu/tahoe-summer-arts

JUNE-JULY 2026

Week-long art courses at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe

42 YEARS OF SUMMER ART

SCAN FOR MORE INFO

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CHLOE MENZIES By: Kayla Anderson

As an active member of the Incline Village community, Chloe Menzies is paving the way for the next generation by serving as an impressive role model for young women wanting to make change in the world. Born in Sydney, Australia, Menzies moved to Incline full-time in middle school with her Australian father, American mother and two older sisters. Graduating from Incline High in 2020 in the height of COVID, Menzies attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, majoring in Political Science and International Affairs with minors in Sociology and American Ethnic Studies.

During college she spent a semester in Washington DC as a legislative intern for Senator Catherine Cortez Masto where she assisted on initiatives to improve the lives of Nevadans. At Wake Forest, Chloe was also a research fellow at the Race Inequality and Policy Institute, focusing her thesis on environmental injustices and water inequality in Nevada indigineous communities. Upon graduation, Chloe returned to Incline Village and interned with the Tahoe Fund before securing a position with the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada as an Environmental Specialist.

“It was a perfect fit working for the Washoe Tribe and putting my research into action including restoring streams for our native Lahontan Cuthroat Trout and helping germinate over 3,000 pinion pines. I also worked with the EPA and state government agencies to clean up the polluted Leviathan mine superfund site in Alpine County.”

Chloe is currently a freelance grant writer for organizations including The Boosting Hope Foundation, supporting students from underserved communities with college scholarships and mentorships, and the Empowerment Access Foundation, which helps victims of human trafficking restore their lives.

When asked where her philanthropic spirit came from, Chloe replies, “I feel like it was something that was instilled in me at a young age from my parents. I learned that paying it forward feels good and we need to protect and support each other.”

Chloe is Miss Lake Tahoe 2026 and chose to focus her service initiative on animal advocacy. “Saving animals also saves people.”

I grew up in a home with a rescue dog and adopted my first rescue in college…Mercedes was cruelly debarked by her previous owners, which resulted in fearful and aggressive behavior. I want to be the voice for animals like Mercedes,” Chloe says. Chloe also adopted a 14lb cat named Bizét, from Pet Network Humane Society in Incline.

Chloe will compete with 10 other contestants for the Miss Nevada title in South Lake Tahoe this summer, with the hope of representing Nevada at Miss America. “I love representing the uniqueness of Nevada,” she says. Her work with The Miss America Scholarship Opportunity is aligned with their values of scholarship, leadership and community engagement.

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“We mentor younger girls through the Silver State Stars program. They learn important life skills and also see how kindness and empathy help our society,” she adds.

My education at Incline High School and my participation in “[We The People], taught by Milton Hyams, helped build my passion for civic engagement and my social justice career pathway. In 2020, I competed in Nationals on ZOOM during COVID from home. I was wearing my suit blazer on top and pajama bottoms and slippers on the bottom. It was thrilling when they announced on the live stream ceremony that the Unit 3 team I was a part of, with two other girls, won the National Award. Like many other We the People Alumni, Chloe is now helping coach.

Chloe also established the recycling program at Incline High School, collaborating with Waste Management, Administrators, teachers, students, and parents to bring recycling bins and a program to the school. I’m proud when I visit the high school and see the recycling stations in use and think, “I did that.” It makes me realize one person can make a difference, it’s just about getting out there and doing it.”

Advertise in LIVE. WORK. PLAY. For info on rates please contact Mike O’Neill at 805-630-4442 or Mike@IVCBA.org

Shahri Masters grew up at Lake Tahoe, staying on for the beauty, the lifestyle, and the people.

As a third-generation real estate broker, she followed the family path of real estate and construction. Shahri will bring to you a historical perspective as well as in-depth knowledge of the area, of TRPA and development, and of course –The Real Estate Market.

Helping buyers, Shahri Masters 775-831-8888 sellers, builders, and investors masters@inclineliving.com www.inclineliving.com since 1988.

NV LIC. #B1870

Big Views.

Big Ideas.

Tell Washoe County yours. We’re listening.

Dial 3-1-1 or email washoe311@washoecounty.gov.

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A World of Opportunity at Incline High School Through Rotary Youth Exchange

by Mary Danahey

Rotary Youth Exchange invites high school students ages 15– 18 to live abroad, attend school, and fully immerse themselves in another culture, either for a full academic year or through a shorter summer exchange. In return, communities like Incline Village welcome students from around the globe into their homes, schools, and everyday lives.

At Incline High School, exchange students from countries such as Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand have become part of the fabric of campus life — joining classes, sports teams, clubs, and friendships that often last a lifetime.

Rotary refers to these students as “Peace Ambassadors” — young people building understanding across cultures one friendship at a time. And those connections frequently endure long after the exchange year ends. Many host families and exchange students remain close for decades, visiting one another across continents and creating lifelong bonds rooted in a single shared experience.

What makes Rotary Youth Exchange especially unique is the depth of support behind it. Students complete a rigorous application and interview process and are carefully vetted before acceptance. Host families are also screened, trained, and supported throughout the year to ensure a safe, structured, and welcoming experience for everyone involved.

Exchange students typically live with two or three host families during their stay, allowing them to experience different perspectives of American family life while building deeper ties within the community. For host families, the rewards can be just as meaningful — introducing new traditions, perspectives, and energy into the home. Over time, many students become far For more than 50 years, the two Rotary clubs in Incline Village more than guests; they become family.

— part of Rotary International District 5190 — have quietly As longtime Rotarian Rick Sweeney often says, “It’s not a year helped change lives through one of Rotary’s most meaningful in a lifetime, but a lifetime in a year.” programs: Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE).

Whether your family is considering hosting a student from Now gaining renewed momentum locally, the program offers abroad or sending your own child out into the world, Rotary Incline students and families an extraordinary opportunity to Youth Exchange offers something increasingly rare: a meaningful both explore the world and bring the world home to Incline. opportunity to expand horizons, build confidence, and develop This is far more than travel — it’s transformation. lasting global connections.

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More Than an Exchange Student — Family for Life

Exchange students don’t simply pass through a community.

They leave behind friendships, traditions, and connections that often shape families for decades.

Incline native Michelle Jezycki still remembers when her family welcomed a Rotary exchange student from Florence, Italy while she was attending Incline High School.

“Growing up in Incline as a family of all girls, we thought we had a pretty good handle on our household dynamic,” she recalls.

“That changed the day my parents announced we were getting a ‘brother.’”

That “brother” was Cristiano, an energetic and enthusiastic Italian exchange student who quickly embraced life in Incline.

He attended school at IHS, played soccer, cheered at volleyball games, and became a familiar face at local sporting events and activities.

“He didn’t just live in our town,” Michelle says. “He belonged to it.”

What no one realized at the time was that a one-year exchange would become a lifelong relationship. Nearly 40 years later, Cristiano still lives in Florence with a family of his own, while the two families continue to visit one another and remain close friends. “It started as a school-year experience,” Michelle says, “and turned into a lifelong connection.”

A Global Experience That’s Surprisingly Accessible

While the experience is truly life-changing, RYE is also surprisingly affordable. Rotary exchange programs are often available at roughly one-third the cost of many traditional exchange programs, making them an exceptional value for families seeking a meaningful international experience for their child.

Families interested in becoming a host family or learning more about sending a student abroad can search online for Rotary Youth Exchange or contact local Rotarian Rick Sweeney at TahoeRickNV@gmail.com.

SUMMER 2026

Fundraisers and Community Events July 2-5

Local Heroes 4th of July Celebration

July 11

Classical Tahoe Gala

Sept 23-25

Washoe Tahoe Leadership Academy (IVCBA)

Sept 26

July 16

Rotary Best Ball for a Cause

July 21-24

Sheriff’s picnic

Lobster Dinner (IVCH Auxiliary) Lake Tahoe Dance Festival

July 23-25

CBC Gambler’s Run

Aug 13

TFS Shabby Chic

Aug 20

PEO Taste of Incline

Sept 20

Sept 26 Oct 1

Pet Network Barktoberfest

Oct 7

IVGID Puppy Plunge

Oct 17

IVCBA Fall Fest at Village Center

Oct 24

SCH Chocolate Festival

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Music Mashup

© ALIBI ALE WORKS

By: Kayla Anderson

There are many opportunities for bootie shaking in Incline Village/Crystal Bay this summer, whether it’s at the beach, the brewery, or the blackjack table. Here are all the different live music events coming up on Tahoe’s East Shore for the 2026 summer season:

Alibi Ale Works Tunes and accessible to all.

Now in its third year, Tunes on Tap is back and bigger than “You can never have too much stage space,” Drake adds. Bring ever with more chairs, firepits, and an extended stage. Thanks your own blankets/chairs and dress in layers because once that to receiving an Amex Shop Small grant administered by Main Street America, the Alibi Public House in Incline Village was able sun dips below the mountains, it gets a little chilly. All concerts to bolster its amphitheater space, making it a far better space to start at 7 pm. Here is the 2026 Tunes on Tap music lineup: • July 9th: The Nomads hang this summer.

• July 16th: Broken Compass Bluegrass When asked what he’s looking forward to the most this year, • July 23rd: Tim Snider & Wolfgang Timber Alibi Ale Works Owner Kevin Drake says, “The music lineup. The • July 30th: New Wave Crave diversity of musical styles and quality of the bands is absolutely • August 6th: Pipe Down top-notch. Also, we’ve added more comfy seating in our Beer • August 13th: Bread & Butter Band Forest and will have servers taking food and drink orders.”

• August 20th: Dirty Cello Drake explains that Alibi expanded the stage to better • August 27th: Blues Monsters accommodate bands and their equipment, making it much safer LIVE.WORK.PLAY.

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Citizens Concert Live at Cornerstone Community Church Over at 300 Country Club Drive in Incline Village, the Cornerstone Summer Concert Series kicks off with the Citizens Concert on June 6th. Pacific Northwest rock group Citizens (led by vocalist/guitarist Zach Bolen) emerged in 2011, bringing melody-driven and emotionally charged faith-based alternative rock to Christian communities everywhere. Tickets are $35 each and free for those ages 8 and under. Cornerstone will also be welcoming American folk artist Matt Papa on July 18th ($35 tickets) and a free singer-songwriter mashup on July 23rd.

Shows start at 7 pm.

• June 6: Citizens Concert • July 18: Matt Papa • July 23: New Song Cafe: Up and Coming Singer Songwriter Mashup

The Gambler’s Run at Crystal Bay Casino The Gambler’s Run at North Shore’s state line is also back July 23-25th featuring three days of music in the mountains, gambling, and more. The String Cheese Incident is kicking off as Thursday night’s headliner. Big Head Todd & the Monsters will be headlining the following night as Winter Wondergrass favorite Diggin Dirt plays Friday night’s afterparty in the Crown Room. And there’s so much more! All events are general admission, standing room only for ages 21 & up; buy tickets at www.crystalbaycasino.com/gamblers-run-music-festival The full lineup: • July 23: The String Cheese Incident • July 23: Octave Cat • July 24: Big Head Todd & The Monsters • July 24: Robert Jon & The Wreck • July 24: Diggin Dirt • July 25: Sicard Hollow • July 25: Chalk Dinosaur • July 25: A mystery guest(s) TBD

Tahoe Philharmonic For more than 20 years, Maestro James Rawie has been leading the Tahoe Philharmonic, conducting concerts all over Tahoe’s northeast shore. These are the series to keep on your radar; visit www.tahoe-philharmonic.com for more information: • May 31-June 7: Classics+ Enjoy Grieg’s lush Piano Concerto sparkling with Nordic fire while Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 carries us from darkness to radiant victory. Guest pianist Jennifer Savage and violinist Kevin Matheson will be playing with the Tahoe Philharmonic Orchestra for a night of timeless beauty and unforgettable melodies.

• July 1-8: Pops & Patriotic Songs Pops, patriotic, and classical favorites performed live by Tahoe Philharmonic’s orchestra, chorus, and soloists.

• July-August: Nightz at Tahoe Opera Enjoy Arias, Duets & The Magic Flute in English in the heart of Reno-Tahoe with soaring voices, fiery passion, and unforgettable opera music.

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Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor The LTSF is known for its plays held on a stage with Lake Tahoe as the main backdrop from July 3 to August 23, but some special musical performances will also be held as part of the Festival this year. To buy tickets, visit laketahoeshakespeare. com.

• Tuesdays, July 3-August 23, 7:30 pm: Macbeth and The Heart of Robin Hood

• • • • • •

July 6: A Tribute to Billy Joel July 13: Reno Philharmonic Orchestra: Back to the 80’s July 14: Keith Anderson: A High-Energy Country Hits Concert July 20: The Doo Wop Project July 28: Reno Jazz Orchestra: Trekkin’ Tahoe: A Jazz/Rock Odyssey July 29, 7:30 pm: Super Diamond

Classical Tahoe Music Festival Returning for its 15th season with four weeks of orchestral, chamber, and jazz music featuring more than 70 artists, Classical Tahoe is celebrating America’s 250th birthday by presenting high-quality music and performances that integrate organizations like the Lake Tahoe Dance Collective and the Brubeck Summit Sextet on certain nights. Performances will mostly take place at the University of Nevada, Reno, at Lake Tahoe, as well as at other venues throughout Incline Village. The entire festival runs July 11-August 9.

“Honoring our nation’s Semiquincentennial, we’ll feature American composers, past and present, throughout the festival. Beyond that, it’s not an exaggeration to claim that there will be ‘something for everybody’, including inspiring symphonies, hot jazz, chamber music spanning three centuries, classical ballet, internationally renowned guest artists, and educational family programming,” says Classical Tahoe Artistic Director Laura Hamilton. Get tickets at https://classicaltahoe.org/.

• July 11: Summer Gala/A Star-Spangled Soiree • July 12, 14, 16, 17: A series celebrating the legacy of jazz pianist Dave Brubeck • July 19: Beethoven Sonatas with Gilles Vonsattel • July 24: Classical Tahoe Orchestra Fire and Fantasy • July 25: Music in Motion with the Lake Tahoe Dance Collective • July 26, Aug. 2 & 6: Ron & Maureen Ashley Oasis Chamber Music Series: Landscapes in Sound • July 28: Free Chamber Connections show • July 31: Brahms’ First Symphony • Aug. 1: Family Concert and Music Maker’s Faire • Aug. 7: Classical Tahoe Orchestra The Classical Continuum • Aug. 8: Season Finale: Beethoven’s 7th

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The Tahoe Way:

Living and Performing at Your Best Katie Gollotto, DO, (Dr. Katie) is passionate about sports medicine and bringing quality care to athletes in the Tahoe region and beyond. Board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation as well as Sports Medicine, she is trained to empower athletes of all ages and abilities to continue pursuing sports and passions to the best of their abilities, decrease pain, and give peace of mind.

Why is sports & physical medicine important for our region?

Dr. Katie: Lake Tahoe is known for world-class recreation.

From the sports field to the great outdoors, there is a large population of active individuals, and many who participate in year-round, high-impact sports, which makes injuries inevitable. I have trained specifically in sports medicine because I am passionate and knowledgeable about what it takes to get an athlete back to the sport they love, not only safely, but quickly!

medicine physician is to keep the athlete safely active. We prioritize non-surgical solutions when available and look for other ways they can train and develop while still getting adequate rest and rehabilitation for their injury.

When should somebody see a sports medicine physician?

Dr. Katie: Exams can happen at any time, but I often see athletes directly following injury or to address specific pain.

For training and competing athletes, it’s good to establish a baseline of care and assess any underlying issues that increase their risk for certain injuries.

What is your favorite part about being a sports medicine physician?

Dr. Katie: Sports, and exercise in general, are often part of a person’s identity. As an athlete myself, I understand the mindset necessary and fulfillment one gets from pushing their body. I love supporting athletes in reaching their goals and enjoy working alongside the Lake Tahoe community to What sets sports medicine physicians apart in their care for keep my patients safe, active, and doing the activities that define them. athletes?

Dr. Katie: An injury doesn’t have to mark the end of an athlete’s training while they recover. The goal of a sports

Dr. Katie Gollotto is a board-certified sports and physical medicine specialist offering non-surgical orthopedics and sports medicine solutions from offices in Incline Village and Stateline. To make an appointment with Dr. Katie, call Barton Sports & Physical Medicine at 775.589.8915 or visit BartonHealth.org to learn more.

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North Lake Tahoe & Truckee

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