Last month, El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Gary Slossberg threw out Measure T following a six-year legal battle over the fate of VHRs in the community. Those opposed to the initiative celebrated while proponents worked to convince the city council to appeal the case (they were unsuccessful).
I can’t help but notice, however, that many of the reactions to Slossberg’s ruling seem to be based largely on one’s feelings about VHRs rather than a nuanced understanding of the underlying legal doctrines. While I make no assertions about whether Slossberg reached the “correct” decision (above my pay grade), I was a bit bothered by criticisms that seemed to imply he was biased or incompetent. I don’t know much about Slossberg, but he appeared a well-qualified candidate when he ran for office two years ago. There were assertions that Slossberg didn’t “understand” Tahoe, but he lived and worked in Tahoe— including as a court commissioner, assigned to hear certain cases by the governing court—before moving to Placerville when he was elected to the bench. Judges from all over El Dorado County are assigned cases from all
over El Dorado County. They don’t necessarily need to live somewhere specific to understand the legal issues at play, though a well-grounded knowledge of the community is generally an asset. Similarly, retired Judge Dylan Sullivan, who previously handled the Measure T lawsuit and, in contrast to Slossberg, largely upheld the initiative the first legal go-around, lived and worked in Tahoe as a court commissioner before also moving to the West Slope when she was elected. Additionally, there were claims that Slossberg favored Measure T opponents because one of his friends is a realtor. Judges, like most of us, have a variety of friends and colleagues, but most strive to consider a case strictly on its merits and are largely able to park their prejudices at the door.
I support the right of the public to scrutinize judges on any criteria they see fit, but the main defining motivation should not be, in my opinion, whether you agree with a particular decision. Disagreement with a judicial ruling does not mean a judge is unfit, just as agreeing with a decision does not automatically mark a judge as brilliant. Slossberg’s other notable Tahoe decision was blocking
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the application of pesticides to combat aquatic invasive species in the Tahoe Keys due to insufficient environmental analysis.
Since the South Lake Tahoe City Council has voted not to appeal Slossberg’s ruling, VHRs are set to return throughout town. On April 22, the council will begin considering how to craft a new ordinance governing their management. Even some who opposed Measure T concede that previous efforts to protect the community from the noise, trash and other threats to residential neighborhoods from disrespectful, ignorant tourists have fallen short. I have an idea: jail time. Seriously. A visitor to Yellowstone National Park was recently sentenced to two weeks in jail for leaving the designated boardwalk near the Old Faithful geyser. The punishment reinforces the serious danger and damage of such transgressions and compels visitors to take laws and regulations seriously. We need to set the house rules for our community and require our guests to abide by them.
Christina Frohlich PT, DPT, OCS
Who will protect our neighborhoods?
With the decision by the court to not allow the Severability Clause included in Measure T and instead overturn the entire Measure, the community finds itself heading back into the VHR Hell that dominated the years from 2015-2018 (and even before that) when the city and the council likely spent more time on this one issue than any other in our city’s history.
In those three years there were at least 17 special VHR city meetings, a $75,000 socio-economic study, and the formation of a VHR sub-committee. All this while locals were receiving 60-day eviction notices to make room for tourists. Since 2008, the city’s VHR ordinance has been amended seven times. Each ordinance change was an exercise in futility attempting to fix the unfixable. Zoning exists for a reason and allowing investors and their overnight customers into our neighborhoods was the issue that proved to be the undoing of three incumbent council members (Tom Davis, Austin Sass, and Wendy David) who were removed from office by the voters in 2018.
With this backdrop of chaos and vitriol, a citizen’s group came together to ask the voters (through the initiative process) to decide what the council and the city failed to consider: Do lodging businesses belong in residential neighborhoods? 3517 residents voted to ban VHRs in
“Why is there a road sign memorial on Highway 50 in Nevada for Gary Gifford?”
residential neighborhoods, expand VHRs into all commercially zoned areas previously not allowed by the city, and allow an exemption for permanent residents to rent their house for a total of 30 days annually. The superfunded opposition spent $500,000 trying to defeat the measure and came within 58 votes of doing just that.
Within days of the election the lawsuits began in an attempt to first stop and then overturn the measure. One lawsuit claimed that Measure T violated property rights and was unconstitutional. The court found those claims to be “Without Merit.” In other words, banning VHRs in residential neighborhoods is constitutional and does not violate property rights. It’s a zoning issue. Some of you may disagree, but that is now established law.
The legal challenges and appeals continued for years until the litigants used the obscure Dormant Commerce Clause to challenge the local’s 30-day rental exception. Further, the judge did not allow the Severability Clause that acts as a safety net or remedy if any part of the measure is found to be unlawful. Instead, he disqualified the entire measure. The council
has the authority to sever the unconstitutional piece and keep the remainder of Measure T, but that would require having the courage and principles to protect the voters’ decision.
On April 1, council members Cody Bass, David Jinkens, Keith Roberts and Tamara Wallace voted to not appeal the court’s decision and defend the vote of the people, but will instead follow the path of former councils and attempt to put a square peg (VHRs) into a round hole (neighborhoods) by returning VHRs to residential neighborhoods. Councilman Scott Robbins was the sole voice to appeal and defend the voters.
For a resort community with thousands of existing lodging units (condominiums, timeshares, hotels, motels and some houses) to find the need to come into residential neighborhoods to seek revenue is a failure of planning and zoning principles.
TIME SHARES IN THE HOOD Back in the 1980s, the city council prohibited the conversion of residential housing to timeshares believing these conversions would eliminate critically needed rental housing. In 2021, the
fractional ownership company Pacaso was discovered in SLT marketing three houses (3737 Terrace Drive, 3914 Saddle Drive and 783 Michael Drive) for sale as oneeighth share fractionally owned homes. The company’s way of describing their timeshares challenged the city’s existing ordinance language. A legal dispute evolved causing the city to settle with Pacaso allowing these three houses to remain as fractionally owned properties on the condition that Pacaso cease marketing fractional ownership properties in SLT. The city has amended the existing ordinance to include fractional ownership prohibition language. Pacaso has been sued in other California cities for violating local zoning laws.
RATS
Heavenly’s legendary Face Rats are one thing, but the rats that have taken over the town seem to be what everyone is talking about. Some “Tahoe Old Timers” say they have never seen a rat until the last couple of years. Well, they’re here now. This rodent invasion is no joke. Traps are available at local hardware stores. Happy hunting.
To be continued….
– Curious commuter
tow truck operators.”
All signs that were erected prior to the program’s launch will remain.
Requests for a sign may be made by immediate family members of the deceased, or someone from a first responder agency.
Other officers honored on Nevada highways include:
• NHP Trooper Micha David May who died by vehicular assault in July 2021: Marker on Interstate 15 near West Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas.
• NHP Trooper Benjamin Michael Jenkins who died by gunshot in March 2020: Sign on Highway 93 near the Highway 93 Alternate junction north of Ely.
• Bureau of Indian Affairs Capt. Jack Lee Spencer Sr. who died in a vehicle crash in September 1998: Interstate 80 approximately 20 miles east of Fernley directly east of exit 65 Nightingale interchange.
This fall marks the 50th anniversary of Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Gary Gifford’s murder near Cave Rock.
Gifford was killed with his own .375-caliber Magnum revolver. His death at the hands of a man who had just robbed a bank in Round Hill became a teaching moment for the department.
“Trooper Gifford’s death sparked changes to departmental procedures regarding traffic stops, particularly high-risk encounters,” NHP Lt. Matt McLaughlin said. “This tragedy also changed the way that troopers approach vehicles and address violators, specifically by having them stay inside the vehicle rather than having them exit to come speak with the trooper.”
Gifford pulled over a vehicle suspected in the robbery, but then thought he had the wrong car so he told his backup to move on, according to reports. But Gifford’s first hunch was correct—the driv-
er of the vehicle was the bank robber.
Gifford had the suspect, Kenneth James Meller, get out of the vehicle where they were parked opposite the Cave Rock boat launch. A fight ensued where Gifford’s gun was knocked to the ground. While Gifford lay unconscious, Meller fatally shot him.
Meller later surrendered in Kings Beach, but not before he had taken several people hostage.
His death sentence for first-degree murder and armed robbery was later reduced to life in prison. In 1989 Meller was killed by a prison guard after taking a doctor hostage.
The Nevada Highway Patrol is planning to recognize and remember Gifford on the 50th anniversary of his death—Oct. 14, 1975.
Gifford was 29 when he was gunned down. He left behind a then 5-year-old son, his parents and a sister. (He was divorced.) He lived in Incline Village. Gif-
ford was born in San Francisco, and served in the Navy before joining the NHP in July 1969.
According to McLaughlin, Gifford was the second NHP trooper killed in the line of duty.
Robert McGuire was killed by a drunken driver on May 16, 1961.
The Nevada Department of Transportation is responsible for approving all memorial signs on state highways such as the one honoring Gifford.
“In 2023, NDOT launched the honorary highway name program to establish a formal process to request approximate one-mile sections of highway be named in honor of first responders who lost their lives while conducting official business on the state network,” NDOT spokesperson Meg Ragonese said. “Nevada’s honorary highway names are an opportunity to honor Nevada first responders who have lost their lives, …including law enforcement officers, emergency services personnel, NDOT personnel, and
• NHP Trooper Carlos J. Borland died by gunfire in December 1993: Interstate 80 approximately one mile east of Lovelock near where I-80 crosses over the Humboldt River.
• Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer Creighton Travis Spencer died in a vehicle crash in March 2001: Interstate 80 approximately 10 miles west of Elko directly west of exit 292 Hunter interchange.
• Washoe County Sheriff’s Deputy Franklin J. Minnie Sr. died from injuries sustained while pursuing a subject on Interstate 80 in 1997: Interstate 80 near Boomtown exit.
• Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Police Officer Anthony
Email: mountainnews2@ gmail.com
Mail: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 95618.
Francone died while pursuing a subject on Highway 446 in 2023: Section of Highway 446 near Pyramid Lake.
Photo NHP Trooper Gary Gifford
Photo Tahoe Mountain News
A sign near Round Hill marks the stretch of Highway 50 honoring NHP Trooper Gary Gifford.
ABC Mini Storage
I will not be erased
Publisher’s note: This is one in a series of stories written by immigrants living on the South Shore. Names are being withheld to protect the individual who wrote the story and her family.
I have been called many things—illegal, criminal, dangerous, garbage, wetback, beaner, and system user. Words meant to shame me, to make me feel small, to tell me I don’t belong.
But I refuse to shrink. I refuse to be erased. Instead, I reclaim these words, transforming them into fuel for my fight, resilience, and power. I am not ashamed.
I am proud—proud of where I come from, proud of my journey, and proud to be a naturalized United States citizen.
arrived in America with little more than hope, only to be met with hostility, suspicion and hate. They were forced into backbreaking labor—cleaning streets, building railroads, and working in factories—doing the jobs others refused to do. They were called criminals and treated as less than, yet through sheer resilience they carved out a place for themselves.
Overcoming road blocks
History repeats itself
Like so many before him, he was denied entry—not for lack of character, but for lack
My father risked everything for the promise of a better life. In the early 1980s he crossed the river into the United States—not because he was a criminal, not because he wanted to break the law, but because the system was stacked against him.
of wealth. He wasn’t born into privilege. He wasn’t given a fair chance. But he had something more powerful than privilege— he had determination.
His story is not unique.
Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries faced similar hardships. They
My father, like them, did the jobs no one else wanted— scrubbing toilets, picking up trash—because he believed in the promise that hard work would lead to something greater.
When President Ronald Reagan signed the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act my father seized the opportunity to become legal. But the system, in all its cruelty, had a catch—my mother and I did not qualify.
I spent my childhood living in the shadows, terrified that one day immigration agents would tear my family apart. I was just a child, yet I had a survival plan—cash sewn into my school backpack, a memorized phone number of a relative in Mexico, and a silent, ever-present fear.
My mother, resourceful and fearless, found a way to get a visa. She brought me—her 9-year-old daughter—legally, shielding me from the dangers that so many immigrant children face when crossing the border. I was lucky. Too many children today are not. Too many still risk their lives, vulnerable to violence and exploitation in search of their families.
IMMIGRANTS
Continued from Page 9
At 14, my father was finally able to petition for us. I, like so many Dreamers today, waited and hoped. But the system is not kind. It is not fair. And it was not until I was 29 years old that I finally received my legal residency. Twenty-nine years old. Despite this, my family never took from the system. No food stamps. No housing assistance. No government aid. My parents worked two, sometimes three jobs, cleaning the messes of others while building a future for us. I joined them in the workforce at 16 while going to school full time; never asking for help. Their values had already become my values. Creating a future College was not an immediate reality for me, but I refused to let that stop me from building a better future. I worked myself to exhaustion, holding down two, three, and sometimes four jobs at a time. Through my sacrifices, my younger sister and my daughter both graduated from college.
I became a homeowner. I achieved my U.S. citizenship at the age of 34—a process that took 20 years, all because of
the country I was born in. Others, from wealthier nations, do not face such barriers. But I refused to be defined by limitations. I fought. I persevered. I won. As an adult, I went back to school and fulfilled my dream of earning my bachelor’s degree. The racial slurs, the discrimination, the ignorance—I wear them like armor. They do not break me. They fuel me. Today, I am a social justice advocate, fighting for those still trapped in a system designed to keep them down.
To those living in fear: Let that fear ignite you. Let it drive you. Let it push you beyond the labels they place on you. You are more than their insults. You are more than their hate. You are powerful. Even now, I still face discrimination. I still hear the slurs. But they do not silence me. They do not weaken me. They empower me because I know who I am. I know what I’ve built. And I know my place in this country is not just valid—it is earned.
I belong. I have fought for my place here.
I will never stop fighting for justice— not just for myself, but for every immigrant who dares to dream.
Provided
I share this picture because it captures more than a face; it tells a story—a legacy of resilience, sacrifice, and triumph. In this image I see my mother, whose strength carried us forward; my sister, who grew up alongside me in the struggle; my daughter, who stands as proof that our sacrifices were not in vain; and myself, a woman who refused to be broken by a system designed to keep me down.
This is not just a picture—it is a testament to generations of perseverance, a reminder that we are here, we belong, and we will continue to rise.
This picture was gifted to me two years ago, and today, more than ever, it holds profound meaning. It reflects the journey we have walked and the future we continue to build. I proudly display it in my office, not just as a personal keepsake but as a declaration of strength, love, and the unyielding spirit of immigrants who refuse to be erased.
This is our American Dream.
To the editor:
Measure T judgment ignores democracy
We have recently had a Superior Court strike down Measure T in South Lake Tahoe. It was approved by a majority of registered voters in South Lake Tahoe. This “wording issue” he wrote about certainly could have been addressed without striking down the whole measure because the intent of the measure is very clear. Judge Gary Slossberg who lives in Placerville, does
not appear qualified to make this extraordinary decision of dismissing our democratic rights. We refuse to let it stand and have requested state intervention. (Slossberg’s background has little civil law experience—his position seems realtor motivated.)
We have endured visiting idiots for decades and they clog our neighborhoods with thoughtless acts of noise at all hours, speeding through neighborhoods having open flame
pits and generally many are way too idiotic and dangerous.
In our approximately one block in the Bijou area, we had 11 vacation rentals who were problems for us all summer and disrupted our regular family life.
Slossberg appears to favor realtors (see his Facebook page), VRBO, Airbnb, developers and others who want to allow Tahoe to turn into “anything for a dollar.” My wife and I have owned this home for 44 years and have never seen such
poor and dangerous behavior.
Measure T did not eliminate all vacation rentals, but excluded residential neighborhoods such as ours and kept those rentals in commercial areas. (There are still thousands of hotel rooms available for visitors.)
We do not know how
Slossberg ended up with this case when in fact we have
To the editor,
Tom and I got a call from a local lady asking for us to help her. She had an injured pigeon. She took it to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) for help. They told her they would not help it because it was non-native.
LTWC gave her a list of other contacts that could help. She remembered my name so she called and we said, “Of course, bring it out.”
Superior Court Judge Leanne Mayberry here in South Lake Tahoe. (It seems very odd and we feel something is not right and we are investigating him.)
It is a healthy pigeon with a wound on both sides of its breast. It appeared to have been shot by a BB gun. I will always help birds or animals. That is why I started LTWC in the first place in 1978.
I currently work under the permits issued to Nor-Cal Bats and am covered by them to help care for infant or adult bats.
This is an attack on our civil rights and an attack on our democracy and we need intervention by the state of California to make it right and fair. We have requested an investigation on this decision and a return to our Measure T rights per our vote. We voted for it and majority rules in a democracy. Thank you.
So, if ever I can help with any domestic birds or animals or bats, please call me at (530) 573-2273.
Illustration
Steve Rose, Disabled Vietnam vet
Cheryl Millham, founder Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care
The South Tahoe Public Utility District has received four awards from the California Water Education Association, Sierra Section. Juan Marquez won Collection System Operator of the Year and Brian Chernago was named Laboratory Analyst of the Year. In addition, STPUD received Plant of the Year and Collection System of the Year.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department will be on the lookout for those who are in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
The U.S. Forest Service is accepting comments on its draft Caldor Fire Restoration Project through May 4. Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/ ltbmu/?project=65228 for more information and to provide input.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Environmental Improvement Program tracker provides information on the status of ongoing projects around the basin. Visit https://eip.laketahoeinfo. org/Results/EipProjectMap. Participate in a survey on the EIP at https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/M3C8LN3
The California Tahoe Conservancy is seeking input on its restoration project at the site of the former Motel 6. Take the survey at https://designworkshop.co1.qualtrics.com/ jfe/form/SV_6mzJKcNcU1x0fSS?utm_ medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. Day-use reservations at Sand Harbor State Park are needed from April 15-Oct. 15 for $5. Spots are available 50, 100 and 200 days in advance, as well as the same day. After 10:30am, unclaimed spots are first-come, first-served.
On the third Tuesday of every month from 3:30-4:45pm. Zephyr Cove Library hosts Artist’s Way Workshop. To register and for more info, call (775) 588-6411.
Douglas County received an AA+ long-term credit rating from S&P Global Ratings in recognition of its financial management and fiscal policies.
On April 16 from 6:45-7:45pm. Tahoe Learning Haven is hosting a free talk in South Lake Tahoe for grades 6-12 about playing sports at the college level. Register online: https://shorturl.at/m0bWg. April 22 is the deadline to apply for one of the two vacancies on the El Dorado County Community Action Council. For an application, contact Rebecca Johnson at (530) 621-6255 or rebecca.johnson@ edcgov.us.
Local nonprofit Clean Up The Lake has released a docuseries on YouTube (https://shorturl.at/lMBIF) showing all the trash found at the bottom of lakes throughout the country.
The Lake Tahoe History Museum in South Lake Tahoe is hosting the 22nd annual free Snowshoe Thompson Celebration on April 19 from 1pm to 4pm. Submit comments to South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (fireinfo@cityofslt. us) about the Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map (https:// shorturl.at/m62oe) created by CalFire.
For $150 individuals, families and businesses may buy a custom tile to be permanently displayed at South Lake Tahoe’s new recreation and aquatic center. Proceeds benefit the South Tahoe Parks Foundation. Purchase online: https:// polarengraving.com/southtahoeparks.
The Whittell and South Tahoe Boosters’ 37th annual golf tournament is April 26–27 at Edgewood Tahoe Resort. Register online: https://birdease. com/30020.
Every Tuesday from May 27-June 24 from 6-9pm. El Dorado County Sheriff’s officials will host a free Citizens’ Academy in South Lake Tahoe. Must be 18. Email recordspv@edso.org for an application.
Several trails in the Spooner Lake State Park backcountry are closed now through 2026 so crews can make critical repairs on the Marlette Dam. Tahoe Rim Trail and Capital to Tahoe Trail will remain open, as well as Hobart Reservoir and Ash
Canyon Road. For more info, call (775) 749-5980.
Saint Joseph Community Land Trust in collaboration with U.S. Bank and the South Tahoe Association of Realtors is hosting free financial literacy seminars May 20, June 17 from 5:30-7pm. Space is limited. RSVP to contact@saintjosephclt. org. Dr. Kimberly Evans has been named Barton Health’s physician of the year. Evans was instrumental in developing Barton’s trauma program and establishing the hospital as a trauma center.
Live Violence Free is hosting The Best of Purple Party (purple is the color of domestic violence awareness) on May 31 at the lakefront Villa Harrah. Guests can partake in the offerings of restaurants, bars and caterers and more. For more information, tickets, sponsorships and donations, visit LiveViolenceFree.org/Purple. On April 19 and April 20, Live Violence Free will be hosting a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Camp Rich. Cost, $10.
The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science will be hosting a presentation on rabbits and hares and their central role in the Tahoe ecosystem on April 23 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the South Lake Tahoe Library.
The city of South Lake Tahoe Parks and Recreation Department offers info, updates and more through its Facebook page and its Instagram acct (@SLTParksandRec).
Dr. Stephanie Hampton will be presenting her research and findings of the last two decades on freshwater ecology in a changing ecosystem due to climate change.
UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Incline Village, April 24, 5:30pm. Tickets, $15. Athletex Life and Sport Club has donated 42 annual gym memberships to South Lake Tahoe firefighters.
The community Earth Day Festival will be held on April 19 from 11am to 4pm at Lake Tahoe Community College.
Dr. Sarah Bourne Barton pediatrician, will be hosting a webinar on common topics regarding child health, when to see a doctor, developmental milestones, mental health concerns, healthy eating and more on April 24 from 5pm to 6pm. To register, visit BartonHealth.org.
The Republican Women of California – South Lake Tahoe meets every second Thursday at 11:30am. Last month it hosted Congressman Kevin Kiley. For more information, email sltrepublicanwomenofca@gmail.com.
The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation has spearheaded a multi-year donation program to benefit Bread and Broth, anchored by an anonymous donor passionate about the cause.
The Tahoe Art League is hosting a Paint and Sip with artist Kathy Dewey on April 24 from 6pm to 7:30pm. All ages and abilities welcome, materials included. Cost $30/$45 for two. Email yourejustducky@ gmail.com to register.
Kids Expo Tahoe 2025 will be held on May 17 from 10am to 2pm at Lake Tahoe Community College. Local resources, food, activities, performances and more. Free. Catalystcomm.org for more information.
Local’s Choice in the Swiss Chalet Village is celebrating 40 years in business. Haircuts for men, women and kids, only $20.
View the multi-agency, interactive Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan at https://tahoe-basincwpp-trcd.hub.arcgis.com.
The Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation is hosting a Celebration of Education on May 15, honoring Lake Tahoe Unified School District Hall of Distinction winners. Food, entertainment and more. Tickets, $20 at ltedf.org
Got a community item for Heard? Email mountainnews2@gmail.com, subject line “Heard.”
Photo Provided
Join the Tahoe Art League workshop on April 24.
Death and other sharp objects
You might wonder what brought on this morbid state of mind. I could say it’s because last spring I lost a sister-in-law—somewhat unexpectedly—and it threw me off the horse a bit. I don’t know if it’s because she passed before my mom or just that it’s the first in the family. Not the first death, but among the eight of us siblings, the first passing of a spouse, which is . . just something we hadn’t reckoned on yet.
But that’s the thing about death—it doesn’t respect our framework for how things should unfold—our sense of “appropriate” chronology. A little while ago, we lost a young man from our community in a highway collision; a while back, we lost some young people who took a risk and ended up dead from fentanyl poisoning; a bit before that, we lost a young man who took a risk and got killed by an avalanche. Likely, none of these people
thought they were that close to that much danger. Most of us have probably put ourselves in an equally dangerous position at some point in our lives, whether it’s climbing up a rocky peak in a lightning storm, driving a little too fast on ice, doing foolish things on ladders or rooftops, skating on questionable ice, arguing with our wives—the list goes on and on. And then, we can have parents or grandparents who hold on for years after their minds have mostly fled, while we can lose a child shortly before its birth; we can have a young man or woman die just as they exit high school and embark on the great adventure of their life, or a recent retiree who drops dead before they get to do all of that “stuff” they had worked so hard to have the time to do.
Don’t worry—I’m not going to dwell on this for the whole column.
I guess the reminder is simply that we don’t have
any control over what fate or God or Mother Nature or our own self-destructive impulses have in store for us. And instead of trying to manage that ungovernable reality, we need to make sure we are ready for it. That means—probably—doing a better job of sorting out who we are right now, what we really believe, and what we need others around us to know about that.
And even while I write this, I’m reminded that when someone of my vintage feels like offering advice, we should first remind ourselves that we were the ones who bought vinyl records, then cassettes—often of those same records . and then CDs, yes—of the same albums we had already purchased at least once in cassette form and maybe on vinyl—and then, later, probably bought them again from iTunes—and maybe now we’re paying a streaming service like Spotify for those same tunes.
So, what do I know?
Speaking of sharp things, it’s time for a Tahoe Knight Monsters update.
Since my last Knight Monsters update, the team picked up two wins in Boise, March 14 and March 15 against the Idaho Steelheads (Dallas Stars’ affili-
ate), two more wins March 21 and March 22 in Tulsa against the Oilers (Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate), then came back home to beat Idaho on March 26 and March 28 in the Tahoe Blue Event Center. TKM then took a couple of brutal five-goal losses on March 29 and March 30 to close out the homestand against the Steelheads.
The Knight Monsters head out to play the Utah Grizzlies (Colorado Avalanche’s affiliate) on April 4 and April 5, returning home to finish off the regular season April 9, April 11 and April 12 against the Adirondack Thunder (New Jersey Devils’ affiliate).
Standings as of March 30: the Knight Monsters have a 4022 win-loss record; they are 7th (of 29 teams) league-wide, 3rd (of 15 teams) in the Western Conference, and 2nd (of eight teams) in the Mountain Division.
Which is all to say, yes—it’s time to get ready for post-season play. “Let’s go Tahoe!”
As always, feel free to email mikesmutterings@gmail. com.
Boarded up. Vacant. Dilapidated. Occupied, but for sale.
Endless commercial buildings on the South Shore without thriving businesses are in a state of disarray.
Dec. 24, 2016, was the last day Chevys restaurant served food.
This was the same day the 30 or so employees learned they were without a job. That Lake Tahoe Boulevard building has been empty ever since.
Down the road, Denny’s closed in December 2023. A large For Sale sign is up on the corner. Recently a notice to apply for a license to sell liquor went up. The applicant—Save Mart Supermarkets.
Rite-Aid, also in the Al Tahoe Shopping Center, closed its doors that same December. A sign on its window is for a painting contractor who did not return a call.
South Lake Tahoe officials have no idea what is going on with either building because no applications have been submitted to the city.
“It’s not uncommon for a liquor license to be obtained for marketing of the property as a feeler,” Anna Kashuba, senior planner with the city, said.
Same goes for interior painting—it could all be to entice a renter, a buyer or developer.
South Tahoe Association of Realtors hasn’t been contacted about either location, but would like to offer input. Commercial real estate specialist and broker Scott Fair with NAI Tahoe Sierra did not respond to requests for comment. City making plans
Two documents are helping the city address commercial real estate—one is the Mid-Town Area
Photos Kathryn Reed
Plan and the other is a report completed last fall by CRE Consulting Corps. South Tahoe Association of Realtors obtained a grant from the National Association of Realtors for the consultants. That report touches on the area plan, as well as residential and commercial real estate.
The Planning Commission is set to discuss the Mid-Town Area Plan April 17, with it going to City Council on May 6. It is slated to be before the council again before final adoption. It could be on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency agenda in late summer.
“The driving factor for midtown is to capture commercial areas not already in an area plan,” Kashu-
ba said.
This could prove beneficial for developers who want density restrictions loosened and zoning uses opened up.
Hitching our wagon to history
This month’s guest column is by Carol Spreckelsen of the Highway 50 Wagon Train.
WAGONS HO! The shout will soon be heard as the wheels of the wagons begin to roll and the clatter of hooves echo along the canyon walls. Want to experience life and trials of western expansion? Then find a seat on one of the wagons as they follow along the trails cut by our early pioneers as they made their trek westward across the plains, rivers and mountains to make their homes along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
As early as the 1840’s, a trickle of humanity began the arduous journey toward the great Pacific and the freedom they saw in settling there. In 1849, the cry of “gold” from the foothills of the California Territory rocked the world. Instant riches were a lure too strong to ignore, and the little trickle of settlers adventuring Westward on wagon trains swelled to a mighty flood of gold seekers bound for California and the “Mother Lode.”
Of course, we all know that very few actually became rich from mining. Those entrepreneurs who recognized “gold” in providing necessities and services to the prospectors fared much better and became the business base of what is now the great state of California.
forced to wait for several days to have their turn on the road.
As early as 1946, almost 100 years after the first cry of “gold,” echoed around the world, a group of local citizens began to ponder the possibility of creating a wagon train to commemorate the vigilante struggles of early emigrants who found their homes in California via the Roaring Road. The organization for the wagon train gathered together a group of resort owners and businessmen from the American River Canyon and South Lake Tahoe to discuss solutions to their local problems along the highway. A group of 15 to 20 people were present, who advanced finances and formed the organization; the purpose of the organization was to promote the new Hwy 50, the first state road in California.
This state road was the route of the gold rush, the freight wagons to and from the Comstock Lode in Virginia City, Nevada, the Overland Express Stagecoaches, Snow Shoe Thompson (the famous mail carrier traveling by skis, i.e. “snow shoes “ during the winter months) the Pony Express and later the telegraph lines that continued east to Austin, Nevada.
success, but it had not been planned as an annual event so there wasn’t a wagon train event in 1950. Due to the Wagon Train’s overwhelming popularity, it was resumed in 1951 and has made its annual trek each year since its creation. What began as a fun-filled and exciting adventure has evolved into a true historic event, recognized as such in 1980 by the state of California and in 1981 by the state of Nevada. To date, the Hwy 50 Wagon Train is known as the only bi-state moving historic event.
In 1952, the new Hwy 50 Wagon Train Association was formed and ran its wagon train westbound one year and eastbound the next year, usually always beginning and ending in Round Hill, Nevada, and Placerville, California. The starting and overnight stops have changed throughout the years, but it is usually a weeklong moving campout.
The two original double-hitch freight wagons were original equipment used from the Gold and Silver Rush eras and have been with the Wagon Train from the beginning, and were donated to the Wagon Train by the Celio Family.
a supervising adult on Sunday, June 1, 2025, when the Wagon Train travels through South Lake Tahoe via Hwy 50 from 9am to 3pm. Students participating in wagon train activities, as well as their own concurrent history programs, have come away wide-eyed having had an experience of a lifetime.
Families and others are encouraged to join the Wagon Train, either by riding their own horse or being transported by a wagon. Waking up before dawn, savoring the rich aroma of coffee, bacon frying, mingled with the clanking of harnesses, the soft nickering of horses being readied for the day and the murmurs of wranglers and teamsters draws a person away from the pressures of today and back to a lifetime of excitement, anticipation and pure delight. Riding (a horse or a wagon) for only a day or for the entire trip, one appreciates the wonder of this great land, as one travels on the road at an average of three miles
per hour. Evening campfires and low-key entertainment round out the experience. Today, 76 years later, the Hwy 50 Association Wagon Train makes this trip each year to preserve and promote the heritage of Hwy 50, during the first week in June from Round Hill, Nevada, to Placerville, California. The event re-enacts life and travel in the 1850s, with emphasis on authenticity from equipment to attire. Please think of coming along with us for an adventure that you will never forget. For information on the Wagon Train please contact us at our website at www.Hwy50wagontrain.com. Also, on May 31, the day before the Wagon Train rolls through South Lake Tahoe, there will be a Western Days Jamboree kickoff party event at the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum, 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd., from 10am to 4pm.
The area plan also singles out an area-wide makeover along
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“Existing zoning in midtown is quite dated,” Kashuba said, adding how some uses are currently limited to industrial areas, thus creating a barrier for people to grow their business. “We have a lot of residents who make income off of being artisans, making homemade food. This will give entrepreneurs an opportunity to move out of their homes.”
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In the early 1850s, one of the major land routes to California, traversing what we now know as Echo Summit and the Hwy 50 corridor, became known as the “Roaring Road.” Travel was so heavy through this area, oftentimes wagon trains were
The first Hwy 50 Wagon Train was started in 1949 to commemorate the Centennial year of the overland gold rush of the 49ers to the goldfields of California and to bring awareness of the businesses along the American River Canyon. The wagon train was a resounding
The Hwy 50 Wagon Train hosts grammar school groups intent on reliving history. This year the city of South Lake Tahoe will be hosting and providing a one-day ride on the Wagon Train for one fourth grader from each grammar school in South Lake Tahoe and
The former Izzy’s Burgers building is not in good shape.
Chevys in South Lake Tahoe has been shuttered for more than eight years.
Carol Spreckelsen
Perfect soup for a cold spring day
One of the great things about Tahoe is that it’s almost always soup season. Maybe two weeks of the year soup becomes a nasty four-letter word because it’s hot out. The rest of the time, bring it on.
I could probably eat soup every night and not get tired of it because there are so many types of this liquid sustenance. For this reason I load up on broth when it’s on sale so I have it on hand year-round.
I always buy the low sodium version because I can always add salt. This goes for beans as well. For some recipes I use Better Than Bouillon, a concentrate that when mixed with water becomes broth.
ing—new discoveries.
This recipe can be adapted to what beans you have in the kitchen. White beans encompass several varieties like Navy, great northern, cannellini and baby lima. Garbanzo beans would be adequate, but a little heartier bean would be better.
If serving near the winter holidays, a can of red kidney and white kidney with the greens would be festive.
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, ginger, and a few grinds of pepper. Stir occasionally until vegetables are soft and onion is slightly browned; 8-10 minutes.
Add garam masala and turmeric, stir to coat vegetables, cook another 1-2 minutes.
For the greens I used spinach because it’s a favorite of mine. Get whatever you like knowing if you have extra, you will put it to good use. Options include kale, bok choy, mustard greens and cabbage.
This month’s soup is substantive and good for you. The spices are such a perfect combination that I didn’t use salt.
I’ll admit I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve used mustard seeds. Now I need to figure out how else to use them. That’s one of the fun things about cook-
If you don’t want to make the flavored olive oil mixture, use a premade one. I’m partial to McEvoy Ranch’s Organic Ginger Turmeric Olive Oil. Drizzle this or any flavored oil on top of the soup.
(Note: I am not compensated by any brand mentioned.)
White Bean Soup with Greens
(4 servings)
Add greens and stir until wilted. Add pepper, and salt if so desired. In small saucepan over medium heat remaining ¼ cup olive oil, lime juice, cumin and mustards seeds until mustard seeds begin to pop.
Divide soup into bowls. Drizzle with flavored olive oil mixture, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Add beans and broth, loosening any browned bits on bottom of pan. Bring to simmer, cook another 15-20 minutes. If using spinach, take off long stems; if using kale or other greens, remove ribs and stems. If necessary, tear or chop into bite size pieces.
Photo Kathryn Reed
M OUNTAIN N EWS C OVER S TORY
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Continued from page 16
Palmira Avenue behind the Tahoe Sierra commercial area.
Until the area plan is adopted, city planners cannot point to what if any of the consultants’ recommendations would be implemented.
“Redevelopment incentives will be a topic of discussion at the City Council meeting and the property tax abatement program,” Kashuba said. “They also recommended a land bank where the city acquires land and when an adjacent parcel goes up for sale then you combine them. I think this would be effective from The Hangar to Meek’s. A lot of those parcels are small, so for really impactful development it’s hard.”
The report also advocated for vertical
we are going,” Janine Haden with Coldwell Banker said of commercial real estate. Still, she remains optimistic.
Commercial real estate is picking up on the South Shore, especially compared to last year. Buyers and developers often are wary in an election year no matter who is on the ballot. Plus, people had mixed feelings about the economy.
Haden has the Izzy’s Burger site listed as a development opportunity. Descendants of the pioneer Springmeyer family own the land.
“They want someone to redevelop that building and make it useable,” Haden said. “Technically it is past its useful life. It should be torn down and rebuilt. I think that is somewhat of a challenge in itself with there being a lot of commercial vacancies.”
mixed use; a tactic often found in larger cities.
“It would be wonderful if we had more projects like that,” Zach Thomas, director of Development Services for the city, said.
“From the Denny’s area back to the post office would be a really prime location for that because there are a lot of big employers in the area and schools in the area.”
Agents have a say
“Everything after 2020 has just been so unpredictable. It’s really hard to gauge where
Peggy Eichorn, who works in the same office, has been the commercial real estate guru here for decades. After 40 years in the business, she now works part time, while wintering in Costa Rica.
She says the commercial market here is strong, that retail is picking up, as are office leases. Eichorn said it can appear properties are vacant, but there is movement behind the scenes, adding it can take a while for things to come to fruition.
Mike Dunn, vice president with Chase International, is also bullish on the local commercial real estate scene.
“The market is in an incredible position. People really like Tahoe. A lot of the things we are doing from a recreation and wellness perspective are turning Tahoe into a year-round town,” Dunn said.
“I’m working with lot of developers. All are talking about transit and workforce housing. Redevelopment will be a good tool for all things concerning to the community and environment.”
Dunn has the Lakeshore Lodge and Spa listing, which he says has seen a lot of activity. He envisions someone taking this South Lake Tahoe property and making it more interesting and desirable for today’s travelers.
“Tahoe is flooded with the same type of properties available for people who want to come to Lake Tahoe,” Dunn said. “Redevelopment on transactions like this with light modifications have the ability to expand on our product offering for different walks of life, demographics and income levels.”
He points to Desolation Hotel and Edgewood as being success stories of being more hip and refreshed.
While Edgewood is upscale, the trend in hospitality “focuses on experiences, wellness and recreation.”
Dunn also has the listing for the old Wells Fargo building in Stateline. The permits for what was then called Latitude 39 expire this fall, which is one reason the price has come down.
While permits call for upscale condos, Dunn says a developer could start from square one.
“The market is challenging in Tahoe because of the cost of construction and the ability to obtain money is not what it used to be,” Dunn said. “Challenges come with a lot of positives. The reality is we aren’t (paving over paradise).”
Numbers tell a story
While it’s easy to find information about residential transactions through MLS listings, the same set of data for commercial real estate isn’t readily available.
Nonetheless, South Tahoe Association of Realtors has some figures via the multiple listing service. From 2021 through March 21, 2025, STAR recorded 35 transactions on the California side with total sales of $69,184,500.
The largest in terms of square feet, lot size and dollars was the sale of the old Motel 6 property to California Tahoe Conservancy. (See January 2025 TMN: https://shorturl.at/ o8L9Z)
Continued on page 23
Mayor changes stance on Heavenly annexation
South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace appeared to back away from the city’s effort to annex Heavenly Resort’s Cal Lodge and adjacent on-mountain properties into the city limits at a March 26 El Dorado County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) meeting. In a brief comment at the end of the meeting, Wallace said the city would likely not be proceeding with the annexation process at this time.
In a follow-up interview with the Mountain News, Wallace said “in my opinion and mine alone we are beating our head against a brick wall and it’s not conducive to getting things done in the community. (Heavenly) is not coming to the table, it’s unlikely (El Dorado County) will agree, we likely cannot get something passed" by LAFCo.
In an end-of-year letter to the community published on December 31, 2024, Wallace indicated she was in favor of annexation. “It makes sense that the government that maintains (Heavenly’s) access roads, answers their police calls, and puts out their fires should be the one that collects the tax generated. I’m personally very much pro-tourism and fully recognize that Heavenly, along with Sierra, Kirkwood, and the many other ski areas around the Lake, are a prime wintertime reason for employment and economic benefit in this town. However, fair is fair. Vail should either be reimbursing the city fully for the actual cost of the many services we provide in support of their existence or allow the city to collect the sales tax rather than (El Dorado) County.”
Now Wallace said there are too many barriers and continuing with the effort is fruitless and a waste of city time and resources.
Currently, under direction previously
provided by the city council, the city is in talks regarding a tax-sharing agreement with El Dorado County before finalizing its application to LAFCo for annexation, said Assistant City Manager Hilary Roverud. LAFCo governs the formation and boundary changes to municipalities and special districts in the county.
El Dorado County Supervisor Brooke Laine said the county has not taken an official position on the Heavenly annexation. In general, said Laine, “We understand the county gets the revenue and the city basically provides the services and we don’t see the fairness in that.”
Even though the county remains officially neutral on the Heavenly annexation at this time, George Turnboo and Brian Veerkamp, the two El Dorado County supervisors who sit on the LAFCo board, have in the past voted against giving up territory to other jurisdictions due to the potential loss of what are known as ERAF funds, surplus state education dollars that are sometimes returned to local jurisdictions.
Present city policy on the Heavenly annexation was set before two new councilmembers—David Jinkens and Keith Roberts—joined the council last December. Jinkens told the Mountain News he is against trying to pressure Heavenly into annexation.
“Annexation should be a process where both parties have found mutual interests and mutual benefits, and when a city takes an annexation to LAFCo for approval it should be by mutual consent and agreement. Both parties need to be on good terms and happy about annexing. Annexation is akin in my mind to a marriage. Neither party in a marriage walks down the aisle making threats to one another. No one can force people to marry if one of the parties disagrees and does not see value in the marriage. Annexation is the same way.” The city council previously terminated Heavenly’s parking lease along Ski Run Blvd. in an attempt to get the resort to come to the table on annexation. Roberts told the Mountain News he is in favor of continuing to pursue annexation. “The city uses vast resources to support Heavenly, but all the tax money goes to the county.” Roberts wishes Heavenly would be more forthcoming about their specific objections. “I want to know why they’re saying ‘no.’ Give us something to work with. Just ‘no’ is frustrating.” In a previous interview with the Mountain News
Heavenly spokesman Cole Zimmerman said the resort objected to an additional layer of bureaucracy. But annexation would not add a layer of government, it would replace county jurisdiction with city jurisdiction. Zimmerman referred to other sticking points, but would not elaborate.
Now Wallace said there are too many barriers and continuing with the effort is fruitless and a waste of city time and resources.
Usually, an annexation cannot go forward if the property owners to be annexed do not substantially agree. Despite Heavenly’s stated opposition, the city’s application has not yet been submitted to LAFCo, so the resort has not had the opportunity to actually
formally object, said Councilman Scott Robbins, continuing, “Heavenly has been receiving the benefits of being in the city over the last 60 years and has contributed exactly zero dollars. Police, fire and roads are essential for their business to prosper. Every other business in town contributes to the functioning of the community through taxes except (Heavenly.) This one business and only this one business gets free services from the city.”
Councilman Cody Bass could not be reached for comment by press time.
Photo Kathryn Reed
The Ahern Rentals closure in South Lake Tahoe leaves the nearest location in Gardnerville.
Illustration City of South Lake Tahoe
The outlined area encompasses the Mid-Town Area Plan in South Lake Tahoe.
s Tamara Wallace
Making big bucks in El Dorado Co.
Neither the leader of El Dorado County nor the sheriff take home the largest paychecks. It’s the county mental health director and a psychiatrist who make the biggest bucks.
County Auditor Joe Harn said it’s not surprising mental health professionals are the two most highly compensated employees in the county because “MDs and psychiatrists are expensive and hard to hire.”
As part of the county’s desire to be transparent, Harn in March posted online the 100 highest paid positions for calendar year 2024. The totals include regular pay, overtime, lump sum pay, other pay like deferred compensation and longevity pay, CalPERS, and other benefits like health care.
No names are given, just job titles.
In the top spot for annual pay ($367,245) is the mental health medical director who also has the highest total compensation package at $495,784.12.
Second in both categories is the psychiatrist II position at $321,685 and $386,557.82, respectively.
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department overtime pay in 2024 for employees on the top 100 total compensation list
• Deputy sheriff II: $110,869
• Deputy sheriff II: $99,587
• Sergeant: $77,087
• Sergeant: $67,348
• Deputy sheriff II: $63,062
• Deputy sheriff II: $60,303
• Sergeant: $59,813
• Sergeant: $55,377
• Deputy sheriff II: $48,945
• Sergeant: $48,545
• Deputy sheriff II: $45,188
• Deputy sheriff II: $42,368
• Deputy sheriff II: $40,157
• Sergeant: $34,532
• Sergeant: $31,967
• Sergeant: $31,096
• Deputy sheriff II: $30,343
• Sergeant: $20,459
• Sergeant: $18,400
• Sergeant: $17,705
• Sergeant: $15,937
• Sergeant: $12,938
• Sergeant: $12,306
• Sergeant: $9,544
• Sergeant: $2,868
Source: Joe Harn, EDC auditor
They are the only two with base salaries in the $300,000s. The chief administrative officer is No. 3 for base pay ($285,858) and No. 9 for total package at $341,888.54. The sheriff ($384,348.12) and undersheriff ($375,517.90) come in at Nos. 3 and 4 for total package. The
Getting to the
Poor food choices, sedentary jobs, lack of exercise, and smoking are ingredients creating an unhealthy population.
sheriff’s base pay is $282,365, while the undersheriff makes $233,436.
Of those in the top 100 for total compensation, sheriff’s department employees racked up the most overtime pay for a total of $945,875.
The entire department, which includes 402 employees, paid out nearly $4.3 million in overtime during fiscal year 2023-34.
The sheriff’s department’s current fiscal budget which runs through June 30 is $106 million, with $80 million allocated to salaries and benefits. Within that budget is $3.2 million dedicated to overtime pay. As of March 14, the department had $116,177.40 left for overtime.
Last fiscal year the sheriff’s department spent nearly $1.1 million more in OT than budgeted, while fiscal year 2022-23 it was $1.25 million over budget for OT spending with a total of nearly $4.27 million spent on OT.
heart of the matter
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Continued from page 20
The El Dorado County Assessor’s Office would not provide information electronically about commercial transactions. The agency offers limited data in person at the Placerville office.
Douglas County Assessor’s Office on the other hand provided a detailed spreadsheet of commercial deals between March 1, 2020, and March 25, 2025.
The 32 transactions at the lake had a cumulative sales price of $150,812,692.
Most of the transactions involved Barton Health and its purchase of Lakeside Inn, which had seven parcel numbers.
Barton also had three transactions with Tahoe Retail LLC, which has since dissolved. This was an entity owned by Michael Laughlin who was a named partner in the Feldman Thiel law firm before leaving in 2018 when he was appointed a judge for El Dorado County Superior Court.
Movement under way
The old Kmart at the Y, which closed in summer 2021, is being transformed to house multiple retail entities like Sierra, Five Below, and Ulta Beauty.
Cascade Kitchens food hall should open this summer in the old Kmart garden center on Tata Lane.
Target in the old Raley’s near Stateline was slated to open on April 13. The city signed off on all the permits last month.
The second phase of Sugar Pine affordable housing with its 60 units is scheduled to be available this summer.
The city is working with another developer on a 75-unit affordable housing project on Lake Tahoe Boulevard between National 9 and 7-Eleven. It goes to the Planning Commission for design review on April 17.
City officials say a number of people have looked at the Chevys site but choose not to go forward. One reason given is the traffic impact fees TRPA assesses.
City planners are also working on closing a loophole that allows people to strip a building to its studs, remodel and not have to comply with ADA regulations or other sustainable building practices.
This in turn limits the use of the property when it changes hands. Changing the rules will be part of the Mid-Town Area Plan discussions.
As for the eyesore known as Sunray Tahoe Hotel, Thomas said, “The City Council has taken steps toward the receivership process and it is in that litigation process, the court process associated with that.”
David Young, cardiologist and chief medical officer with Barton Health, recently gave a talk about heart health. While many statistics were alarming, he stressed that other than genetics, individuals can alter the course they are on in order to have a healthy heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men, accounting for about 25 percent of fatalities in the United States. Young said every year about 785,000 people in the U.S. have their first heart attack, while another 470,000 people have another one.
The United States is on an unhealthy trajectory. Charts from
1994, 2000 and 2008 show rapid increases in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes as well as those who are obese. No state is immune to this trend.
“The heart is a muscle, and like any muscle it needs blood flow,” Young said. But many lifestyles are clogging arteries, thus creating heart disease.
First steps include reducing salt and alcohol consumption, getting to a healthy weight, exercising at least 150 minutes a week, quitting smoking, and eating a mostly plant-based diet that is low in saturated fats, Young said.
High blood pressure is the No. 1 risk factor for heart disease.
Because people tend to have higher numbers at a doctor’s office, Young recommends testing at home in a relaxed environment— ideally in the morning, pre-
caffeine. High blood pressure is not obvious, so it’s something to regularly monitor.
High blood pressure can lead to strokes, bleeding in the brain, impair vision and cause heart attacks and kidney failure. Other risk factors for heart disease that Young spoke about include:
• Sedentary lifestyle or obesity—sedentary jobs have increased 83 percent since 1950. Walking is the best first step.
• Diabetes—40 percent of those 40-years-old to 71-years-old are prediabetic, which is a silent condition.
• High cholesterol— Mediterranean and Pacific Rim diets are best; heart disease is 5080 percent less frequent in those regions.
• Family history—most at risk are people with a father
or brother who had a heart attack younger than 55 and those with mothers or sisters who had a heart attack younger than 65.
• Smoking—the problem is all the chemicals in cigarettes, not just nicotine. Second-hand smoke is also a killer. Young reported that one year after quitting cigarettes the risk of heart disease decreases by 50 percent, and that after 15 years the risk is the same as a lifelong nonsmoker.
Photo Barton Health David Young
What happened to the good old days when stealing something meant crawling home in a suffocating cloud of fear and spending a sleepless night tossing in stinky adolescent sweat and self disgust?
In my day, stores were a subtle training ground for becoming a normal 1950s angry, adult alcoholic. Ready to take on a pack of kids, an imitation wood paneled station wagon, your own personal clothesline and a husband who is thoughtful enough to disappear all day. Only reappearing at dusk for his dinner and bowl of bourbon, to a wife who’s satisfied if he recognizes the kids. My litmus test to adulthood was complimentary provided by Coonradt’s Five and Dime. This squalid little dive tried to hide from disobedient little girls by squatting in the midst of forty-eight other stores. However, by the age of five, a girl can smell candy from a distance of three miles. And Coonradt’s positively screamed to the sweet spot of my budget.
My true self
Naturally, as a preschool working girl with a heady tencents-a-week allowance, I skipped straight to Coonradt’s, ignoring my mother’s rule about not leaving the neighborhood.
This is not as easy as it sounds. First, I had to ditch Whirly, my clueless springer spaniel, who faithfully sat in front of every home or building I entered, like a complete tattletale. Then I had to sneak by a neighborhood full of blabbermouth, enemy spies disguised as innocent housewives.
Once arrived, I had to open Coonradt’s heavy wood door without ringing the entrance bell, which cheerfully serenaded the entrance of any five-year-old with a minor criminal background.
Next, I had to slip by Coonradt’s grim watchdogs—three scowling gray-bunned women.
At first, I tried to win them over shouting a cheery “Hi!” upon entering and slamming the door behind me. I even donated a minute of a five-year-old’s precious time
in my effort to figure out who was who. But by age ten, I gave up trying to tell them apart. They were stubborn fixtures—cranky, old and closing in on becoming historical buildings.
Yet, if you timed it right, you could slip by when they were befuddled with punching cash register keys. Lured into Coonradt’s depths by the drifting aromatic mix of lemon furniture polish, rose water cologne, vanilla talcum powder and a hint of black licorice. A dim, dusky cavern with rows of massive tables and tall cabinets filled with endless worn, wood cubbies. All possibly salvaged from the Mayflower and carried here on the backs of those three ancient women wearing
flour sack dresses, sensible shoes and a scowl.
I ambled the narrow aisles, dragging my fingers over the contents of every shelf and cubby. You never knew what your sticky fingers would run across in the chaotic assemblage of stuff— tubes of shocking red lipstick, a fishing reel, a pair of scuffed sneakers, a box of sixty-four colorful crayons. Always something to discover. And always the treasures resigned to waiting in their dusty, deserted cubicle for years, eventually becoming reliable, old friends.
And then comes the day when, and you can count on this, your wandering fingers or curious eyes discover something astonishing. Like the shock of seeing the first Barbie, towering high on the top shelf, cruelly positioned above the pilfering fingers of a fascinated prepubescent. There she perkily poses in all her bleached blonde beauty, wearing a strapless zebra striped one-piece and a superior smile. The formidable ideal of
feminine perfection, with her fantastical chest thrust beyond the edge of the shelf, collecting dust and dead flies.
My eyes magnetically locked on her, melting my sneakers to the concrete floor. Time stopped. I stood with my neck craned back, my mind calculating the mysterious physics involved in getting me from here to there. Finally, exhausted by the expectation of having to grow into that impossible mold, I came to my conclusion.
“Well…that’s never gonna happen!” and was freed from her grip.
And you know what? It didn’t.
So, the next time we go shopping for perfection and find ourselves tempted to steal a persona for society’s masquerade ball, let’s remember that no matter what the world is trying to tell us, we’re never gonna feel good or be our true selves posing in someone else’s strapless, zebra print bathing suit.
Another “mid” column
“I haven’t really received any hate mail for a few months,” I tell Wifey.
“Strange,” Wifey replies. “You should probably try harder.”
“‘Get in good trouble, necessary trouble,’ like Booker and Lewis.”
“Yeah,” Wifey smiles. “Just mention Hitler again, that should do it.”
“I suppose so,” I laugh.
“There is some Nazi-level B.S. going down right now. But that’s one of the problems with our polarization: too many of us believe the other side is evil or 100 percent wrong or elitist or uneducated or…”
“Orange,” Wifey adds.
“Exactly. Reality is less clear cut, less absolute.”
“Like ‘woke’ being dead. Why are we killing the opposition? When did we get so acrimonious?”
“If you’re not woke, then you’re by definition… asleep, right?” I ask.
“I’m not asleep. I’m totally fine with being woke. I feel like my eyes are wide open, but your column hasn’t talked about ICE kidnapping or DOGE debacles or guillotining the Dept of Ed or the exodus of academics or the local impact of USFS cuts or gutting public health. What do the kids think about all of that?”
“Uhm… They don’t. When I chatted with the kids individually about my next column, they all think my columns are ‘mid,’ whatever that means.”
“Really? Why just ‘mid’?”
“Well, they argue that even with the anonymity of the pen name and not giving any particulars about them, not even their age, or gender or ethnicity or anything, they don’t want the attention, the discussion, the… what did one of them say? ‘No one cares about your political opinions, Dad.’”
“Brutal,” Wifey laughs. “They’ll probably grow up to be MAGA just to spite you.”
“And themselves. That’s like being first in line for a yellow star.”
“Not true.” Wifey retorts. “There were plenty of Jews who hid, by pretending to be Nazis.”
“Yeah,” I acknowledge. “I guess I can see where they’re coming from. They just don’t want to make any waves. They want a normal childhood.”
“Normal. What does that even mean these days?”
“Normal got deported to a Gulag in El Salvador last month.”
“Totally.”
“I just wonder if this is what it felt like in 1934 Germany to be a reasonably average sort of German family with
different… you know, non-Nazi perspectives?”
“You’re worried that by not speaking out more, you’ll become the tacitly complicit bystander?”
“Honestly, I am. What’s that famous quote I used to put as an essay prompt on exams? ‘First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because...
been to ignore any emails that we receive,” one friend told me who works for a civilian naval defense contractor. “I’m fine now, but there’s going to be another round of cuts and we’ll see…,” said my cousin who works in D.C. and recently bought her first home. My mother and father-in-law are livid, “How can he do this? He’s gambling with our money,” as they watch their fixed retirement income plummet in the stock
I just wonder if this is what it felt like in 1934 Germany to be a resonably average sort of German family with different . . . you know, non-Nazi perspectives.
Then they came for the Jews…. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.’ It’s credited to a German pastor in 1946 and if there’s a list somewhere today, we’re not exactly at the bottom of it.”
Even our town, insulated as we are in the mountains of California, has been touched by the avalanche of executive orders “flooding the zone,” as Bannon would say. We’re all nervous about the cost of goods that we consume. We have friends and family who have had to deal with DOGE austerity. “Our policy has
market. These problems feel so much larger than our local issues. And the opposition feels so much more vitriolic and vigilante. “I can’t really speak up or even post anything. I’ll lose my job,” another long-time friend who lives in Florida shared with me.
The “Hand’s Off” protests across the country on April 5, felt empowering and hopeful. It is starting to seem like there is a resistance, and that resistance is strong and it is pissed off. Around the country there were 1,300 different protests with estimates well beyond 10 million people
participating. That’s over 4 or 5 times the popular “mandate” separating Trump’s votes from Kamala’s.
The average age of the remaining 80,000 or less Holocaust survivors living in America is somewhere between 85 and 90 years old. Let us not be bystanders this time. Let us show them we remember. Let us fight back.
Some of our kiddos have been obsessed with musical Alexander Hamilton and I can’t help but think of the similarities…
“Are we a nation of states? What’s the state of our nation?
I’m past patiently waitin’… I’m passionately smashing every expectation. Every action an act of creation… We’re gonna rise up.”
M.C. Behm is a full-time resident of South Lake Tahoe and author of “Once Upon a Quarantine” and “The Elixir of Yosemite.” Available locally and online. To learn more or respond to columns visit www.behmbooks. com or email mcbehmbooks@ gmail.com
Photo MC Behm
Recently I was having a conversation with a friend, a ski nut, a real mountain person, mountain biker, works to live not lives to work, you know the type but also just an inspiring person with some wacky ideas about life. We were discussing some backcountry ski line ideas for this spring, when one particular classic line kept coming up. It’s a beauty, not for everybody but a must do if you are the check-ski-trips-off-the-list type of skier or Boarder, yeah you gotta do that one. Then she asks, “Well how steep is it?” Uh, uh, well, I stammer a little, I know the easy answer, it’s a straightforward answer, it’s a number, it’s the degrees of angle of the slope! But that just isn’t the answer. Yeah, I give the answer that rolls off my tongue, my mind or somewhere
in the back of my mind, it’s almost too cliché, “It’s as steep as you think it is when you are looking down it thinking about that first turn!” That probably wasn’t the right answer, but it was the truth. Steepness in the mountains does that to us and that is part of the fun of sliding on snow. To one person steep is looking down their first blue square run at a ski resort, it may elicit feelings of pure knee-knockingmind-freezing terror because it is so steep, yet someone goes flying right by, one hand zipping up their jacket looking at the plume of snow blowing off the ridge in the distance, no sense of steepness at all. Ask those two different skiers at that moment, “How steep is it?”
They are going to give two very different answers and for sure neither one of them will give an answer as a number.
Have you ever had a particular slope change its steepness from one trip down to the next time? We all know the amount of snow covering the ground filling in the terrain can alter the steepness of the line you are in from
one day, week or season to the next. But that line you are standing at the top of looking at the valley below may feel like it’s going to be a giggly playful trip to the bottom today, not steep at all, I’ll go first, dropping! The very next time in the same spot, click in to your bindings, stomp the skis a couple times, a little squat into ready position, plant the pole downhill, a couple quick deep breaths and… nothing, something is stopping that first turn! Stomp stomp, pole out there, oh no, I can’t move! I skied this two weeks ago, it seems so much steeper today. Well truth is, steepness is very subject to other factors like the condition of the snow, or even whether or not you can tell
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what the condition of the snow is on that first turn. If you know for sure the snow is soft and fresh and super manageable, oh no problem, this isn’t that steep at all, let’s go. Two days later the wind has stripped the fresh snow off the surface and it looks like one mistake will leave you sliding helplessly out of control, that line looks a whole lot steeper doesn’t it? How narrow is the line you are going to drop in on? I believe in a very simple, non-proven formula. The closer the rocks and trees are on the sides of the line, the steeper it looks. Don’t get me wrong here though, that is some of my favorite skiing, steep rock lined chutes! I don’t need to “cheat death one more time”, or “get out without losing an arm or a leg,” but I like steeper terrain for how much it brings the moment into one very sharp point of focus and makes the rest of the world disappear. I also like terrain that makes you bring all your skiing skills to the table and that does include the skills of reading the constantly changing snow just in front of you. And what about the feeling at the bottom of that drop when it all comes together? And then when you have driven ten miles away and you can see the line from there? What a great feeling that’s hard to get elsewhere.
Let’s play
Photo Gary Bell
Facing down the mountain.
Award-winning animated film goes with
the flow
One category of the Academy Awards where I usually see most all the entries is in feature animation. I like animated movies, and though I don’t watch everything, I generally see the top films. As a category, it is fairly new, only existing since the 2002 awards (for films made in 2001).
Up to that point, animated features received special Oscars such as Disney’s Snow White in 1938 or Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1989 and Toy Story in 1996. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated in the Best Picture category.
The Academy wasn’t all that excited to create the category. It stipulated that there must be at least eight eligible films in any given year and initially only gave the Oscar to the director, though by 2012 they included one producer and up to two directors. They also didn’t allow motion capture such as that used in the Roger Zemeckis film A Christmas Carol (2009) or Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin (2011).
The current rule for animated film states, “(a)n animated feature film is defined as a motion picture with a running time of greater than 40 minutes, in which movement and characters’ performances are cre-
ated using a frame-by-frame technique. Motion capture by itself is not an animation technique. In addition, a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time.”
Prior to 2002, Disney dominated mainstream animation, but by the time they offered the Oscar, Pixar had taken over, winning 11 statues to Disney’s four in the last 24 years. Of course, Disney bought Pixar in 2006, so I suppose Disney is still the overall winner.
I’m happy to say that I have seen every Oscar-winning animated film since they started. I only recently caught up with this year’s winner, Flow (which you can catch on HBO-Max). Flow is a French and Belgian co-production directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis. It takes place in what seems to be a postapocalyptic world as there is evidence of humans everywhere, yet no actual humans are anywhere to be seen, but the world is full of aninmals, from standard dogs and cats to wildlife from several continents all mixed together. The film follows a small housecat who lives in an abandoned house. When a mysterious great flood eats up all
the land, the cat survives by jumping into a boat floating by. But the boat is not uninhabited as it also has a mellow capybara and as they float along in search of dry land, they eventually pick up a lemur, an African secretary bird and a dog.
The interesting thing about this film is that all the animals are realistic in that they look, move and sound like the real thing; they are not given human characteristics or personalities, yet they have the human ability to somewhat understand and empathize with each other to work together as well as an understanding of things like how to steer a boat.
The coolest part of the film is all the scenery. The animation verges on photorealism but with more artistic elements added. And it is interesting because all the animals are realistically rendered, in look and movement, but then not quite finished or detailed so they are more artistic versions of real animals.
The plot of the film is very simple: the animals must work together as they search for dry land and have various adventures along the way. And even though there is not a single spoken word, there is plenty of understanding and emo-
tional impact with a message of cooperation making Flow a very enjoyable film. The film is more like a Studio Ghibli film (which won the Oscar in 2023 for The Boy and the Heron) than something Disney or Pixar would make. And for something completely different, you might want to check out Timestalker, a trippy little film that just came out on Prime. Timestalker is a fantasy comedy written, directed and starring British actress Alice Lowe. The film follows a young woman, Agnes, through time as she repeatedly falls for the same wrong guy, dies a grim death, gets reincarnated and does it all over again, starting the cycle anew. Not only does she try to reunite with the guy she thinks she is destined for, but all the people around her are also reincarnated again as different characters as the stories play out.
In 1688, she’s a Scottish maidservant who falls for a heretical preacher; in 1793, she is a bored noblewoman who falls for a hesitant highwayman; and in 1980, in New York, she’s a groupie who has become a superfan-stalker of a pop star. There are also brief scenes with her as a magician’s assistant in Cleopatra costume in 1940 and even more
briefly an English school teacher in 1847 who is decapitated by a carriage wheel. And through all this, she’s the only one who remembers all of her past lives as she tries to find the man she loves.
It’s one story told over many periods, all with the same messy end, until she can figure out how to end the cycle. It’s a fairytale romance without the romance.
And the film is funny with a witty script, reminiscent of a slightly tamer version of a Monty Python film. As the film goes on, it gets a little more disjointed and doesn’t let on to where it’s going to end up, which is part of the fun. This is not a fairytale with a fairytale ending. Underneath, the film is about how we make bad choices and how we must move beyond them. There is a bit of blood and violence, but like Monty Python, it is all played for comic effect. Overall, Timestalker is a fun and unique comedy, a little different than what you may be used to. I have to say that Teresa didn’t see Flow yet, though I know she will love it and probably wouldn’t like Timestalker as she is not a big fan of farce.
when you re place your old gas powered lawn e quipment with zero em ission cordless e lectric lawn equipment.
Purchase a new cordless electric lawn equipment device from a store or order online.
Apply for the CLIP program at: EDCCleanAir.org
Receive your approved CLIP application via email. Print approved CLIP application.
INCENTIVE AMOUNTS:
• Leaf Blower - up to $100*
• Walk-Behind Lawnmower - up to $200*
• Chainsaw, Trimmer, Edger, Brush Cutter, “Weed-eater” - up to $200*
• Ride-On Lawnmower - up to $2,000 * *applicant must fund at least 15% of the total cost of the new equipment. Amounts shown are maximum incentives allowed.
Within 30 days of the purchase of the new lawn equipment, take the old gas powered lawn equipment and the approved application to an approved disposal site. Disposal site will sign application and return to you.
Deliver complete application and copy of receipt for new equipment to EDC AQMD in person or via email. (edcaqmd@edcgov.us )
In 4 to 6 weeks, receive a check from El Dorado County AQMD for your incentive!
Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements:
• Reside and use equipment in El Dorado County.
• Currently own and operate working gasoline or diesel powered lawn equipment.
• Purchase replacement new, cordless, electric lawn equipment.
• Replacement must be like-for-like (chainsaw for chainsaw, etc.)
• Application MUST be approved by AQMD before you dispose of old equipment.
• You must dispose of the old lawn equipment within 30 days of purchase of new lawn equipment
• Surrender old lawn equipment to:
El
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Illustration Dream Well Studio
Wordless film Flow communicates deeply.
Grand jury: Lack of drills an issue at jails
While the El Dorado County Grand Jury found the jail in South Lake Tahoe to be “exceptionally clean and wellmaintained,” it dinged the facility in a few areas.Neither the local nor Placerville jail is performing required drills. The last drill in Tahoe was in 2021.
“State law requires districts to implement multi-hazard practice drills—
e.g., fire, lockdown, active shooter, or evacuation drills—without requiring inter-agency coordination. Drills have not been completed at either jail per these requirements,” the report states. “These requirements apply to both adult and juvenile facilities.”
The Tahoe facility is understaffed, with about 50 percent of the positions vacant, according to the February report.
“Correctional officers stated the primary reason for the staffing shortage is because jails in surrounding counties pay higher wages,” the report says.
The report lists correctional officer wages in the county ranging from $28.80 to $38.47 per hour. Placer County pays $33.31 to $44.66 per hour, and Amador County staffers earn $27.56 to $37.17 per hour. Lack of female officers in Tahoe often necessitates female inmates to be transferred to Placerville.
The grand jury by law must inspect all county jails each year.
&
Photo Heather Gould
Knight Oliver and Princess Adeline out on a stroll with (God)mother Kate and Ninja.
Photo EDSO
El Dorado County jails mostly received high marks by the 2024-25 grand jury.
