This month's issue is all about public safety. We look at plans to establish a helitack base in Tahoe, a new home for local ambulances and a Whittell HIgh School class for future firefighters.
Photo Los Angeles County Helicopters like these could soon be a tool in Tahoe’s wildland firefighting arsenal.
Serving Lake Tahoe’s South Shore Since 1994
Our office manager Susan suffered a concussion while figure skating. Only years later was she diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) .
As well as consulting a physician after a head injury, physical therapy for TBI helps improve movement, balance, and strength. It can also help with cognitive and emotional challenges.
Contact us today to learn more and set up an evaluation!
BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH
In December, we wrote about the potential impact of mass deportations on the South Shore community following the election of President Trump and last month, we wrote about how local organizations that serve the immigrant and undocumented communities were preparing to address potential stepped-up federal immigration and deportation activities in Tahoe. But there was one group we haven’t heard from. The immigrants themselves. Who are these people? What are their stories? Starting this month, we introduce an ongoing feature introducing our readers to local immigrants in their own words. They will be talking about why they came to the U.S., how they came and their history and place in our community. If you are an immigrant, we’d like to hear your account of coming to the United States.
According to the latest US Census data for the South Lake Tahoe California-Nevada Urban Area, 16.9 percent of the 31,215 population are foreign-born residents, which equates to approximately 5,275 people. Some of those, of course, have attained US citizenship, but a significant chunk have not and could be subject to deportation or other enforcement action. Even some who were born in this country could be deported as the meaning of birthright citizenship is being debated and could
change. Something that could directly affects thousands of people here in our town is, by definition, news. This series is not intended to provide comprehensive coverage of the immigration issue, but to put a human face on the topic of immigration. And agree or disagree, we’d like to hear from our readers with their perspectives.
Jeff Bezos and I are worlds apart, but we do have one thing in common. We both own a newspaper. So I have been watching the recent changes at Bezos’ Washington Post. Any business owner has the right to run their business as they see fit. Here at the Mountain News, I retain for myself the prerogative to make the final call on what appears in our pages. But a newspaper is—or should be—more than just a business and I try to fulfill the larger goals of informing the community, facilitating discussion and debate about local matters and extending through our pages First Amendment rights to a broad swath of people. Bezos has been backing away from that a little.
Back in October, Bezos unilaterally scotched an endorsement of Kamala Harris for president prepared by his opinion staff. When we make endorsements here at the Mountain News I rely on a panel of staffers to inform our choices. The collective opinion of thoughtful people coming at an election from different angles, I think, represents
our voice more authentically and more credibly than the just the personal take of an individual.
Then, after accepting an ad criticizing Elon Musk, the Post backtracked somewhat. The advertiser wanted a “wrap,” an ad that goes around the outside of the paper. While I would never accept an advertising wrap— it makes it look like the whole paper is bought and paid for by the advertiser, in my opinion—not all publications think like I do and wrap ads are allowed by many publications, including the Post So why was this particular ad rejected? Was it due to the content and viewpoint? The Post isn’t saying, so we don’t really know, but it seems a bit suspicious.
Finally, Bezos has decreed that the Post’s opinion page will only print columns and editorials in favor of personal liberties and free markets. If readers want something different, they can go elsewhere, Bezos said. There’s plenty out there—and he’s right. But telling readers they will find only one-sided variations on a few themes and to just skip it if they don’t like it seems to me like a surefire way to drive down readership and credibility. Then again, I’m not a billionaire.
Tempting the nuclear option
Boomers remember what it was like growing up when one of the government’s priorities was creating a network of bomb shelters across the country. In 1961, Congress spent $169 million ($1.7 billion today) on shelters for Americans in the event of a nuclear attack. During the 1950s and ‘60s, schools in the U.S. practiced "duck and cover" drills where students were taught to get under a desk to protect themselves from a nuclear bomb. Like a desk was going to save anyone from an atomic blast.
In October 1962, Russia and the United States had each other in the crosshairs as the Soviets deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba. The crisis brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union close to a nuclear war that neither side could win. Fortunately, President Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev negotiated an end to the crisis.
Sixty years later, the game-changing February 28 Oval Office meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Trump was a diplomatic breakdown that had the appearance of a realignment of the U.S. towards Russia and a move away from our
“When is the tram at Heavenly going to be decommissioned?”
European allies. Ukraine is a democratic nation of 40 million people that has been invaded by Russia. Zelensky stands with his people against Putin, and the European Union (EU) is standing with him to save Ukraine from a communist takeover. Collectively, the EU has contributed $140 billion to Ukraine while the U.S. has provided $122 billion (not $350 billion that has erroneously been claimed).
BUDGET DEFICITS
Most federal employees work to provide services to the American people; they are not the “enemy within” nor are they “ripping off” the American people. There is a case to be made for government reorganization, improved efficiencies and downsizing, but demonizing Americans who work for the government while authorizing mass firings by the chainsaw method is not our best plan.
President Regan (1980-1988) made
downsizing government a campaign promise. During his presidency, the federal debt nearly tripled from $738 billion to $2.1 trillion. So much for “Reaganomics” and “trickle down” economics.
President Clinton (1992-2000) made “reinventing government” one of his top priorities and actually balanced the budget. The U.S. hasn’t had a balanced budget since that administration. Clinton’s reinvention plan was judicious and even included the unpopular decision to close 35 military bases.
We are living beyond our means. We spend about $2 trillion more than we bring in annually. We are spending $952 billion a year just to pay the interest on our $35 trillion debt. How much is a trillion (1,000,000,000,000) dollars? If you spent a million dollars every day, it would take 3,000 years to spend a trillion dollars.
Our national debt is an accumulation of years of bipartisan federal budget deficits. Trump (2016-2020) added almost $8 trillion to the national debt by cutting taxes on individuals and corporations. Biden (2020-2024)
instead exists to provide services like managing the national parks, air traffic control, the postal service, fighting wildfires, and building roads and bridges.
LOCAL STUFF
SLT’s Parks & Recreation Department, along with the school district, has announced the return of the 3rd grade swim program. All third graders in the district will receive free swim lessons as part of their school curriculum. Yeah!! The Rec Center was built (1974), in part, so Tahoe kids could learn to swim.
Responding to concerns from residents, the city has modified its policy to charge $500 when a fire engine is sent to accompany an ambulance. Under the new rules, the “Basic Life Support” fee can be waived by the fire chief’s office for persons relying on government sponsored insurance plans like Medicare, Medicaid and MediCal or for other financial reasons. Thank you to Councilmen Robbins and Bass for bringing this issue forward and Fire Chief Drennan for responding to the public’s concerns.
Delivering on their plan to Feed, Read and Lead, the Marcella Foundation has launched its Reading Pals Program at Tahoe Valley Elementary. Volunteer Julie Mittino
Most federal employees work to provide services to the American people; they are not the “enemy within” nor are they “ripping off” the American people.
added $8 trillion to the national debt through Covid recovery spending and infrastructure projects. Getting our financial house in order is no joke but needs to be approached strategically so we don’t disrupt the government's ability to deliver services. Government is not a business intended to make a profit, but
is excited to be helping young children love to read. In February, the foundation also gave 70 Kindle e-readers to second graders at Sierra House Elementary. Learn more about the Marcella Foundation and its initiatives at marcellafoundation.org.
To be continued….
Decades ago, when the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency issued permits to build the gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort, a condition was the removal of the tram at the California Base Lodge. The gondola at Heavenly Village opened in 2000. The tram is still operating.
By all accounts, it appears the tram is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
The initial plan was for a smaller lift to be built closer to the ground to replace the tram. It was to terminate near the top of Powderbowl chairlift.
Vail Resorts, when it bought the ski resort from American Skiing Company in 2002, inherited the already-built gondola as well as the master plan that must be approved by the U.S. Forest Service. The feds own most of the land the resort operates on.
The 1996 Heavenly Master Development Plan and the amended 2004 plan called for the removal of the tram, according the U.S. Forest Service. However, it was never a requirement of the USFS, only by TRPA.
“The Forest Service did not feel strongly one way or the other. The decision to remove the tram was between Heavenly and
– Face rat
the TRPA,” Daniel Cressy, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit public services staff officer, said. Cecilia Reed, winter sports permit administrator with the local Forest Service office, said,
“The tram is included in the current approved Master Plan for Heavenly Mountain Resort.”
The top of the tram is on Forest Service land.
What wasn’t considered by engineers and others in the design of the gondola was how windy it can get. It’s not unusual for the gondola to be out of service on wind hold. This can create a problem for downloading skiers and snowboarders on the California side because not everyone wants to ski The Face or even wind around on Roundabout.
Being a safe, enclosed alternative to the gondola is the main reason the tram still exists, and why it is likely to indefinitely remain a choice for Heavenly guests whether the gondola is running or not.
“It is being kept operational for safety reasons. The gondola cannot operate safely in high winds and the tram offers a downloading backup to get people off the mountain in bad conditions or emergencies,”
TRPA spokesman Jeff Cowen said. “The 2007 Master Plan update changed some of the lift and lodge configurations and kept the same resort capacity.”
The tram opened in 1962.
When it was completely re-
built in 1986, it became faster and larger. The new one doubled the number of passengers to 50. Two trams operate at once, each whisking riders up and down in six minutes, meaning 600 people can get on or off the mountain each hour.
The tram scares some people because looking at it from the base makes it seem high off the ground and also like it comes close to the ridge.
This vehicle in which people stand as they ride, and the gondola in which riders are seated, both deliver exceptional views from their respective windows. This alone makes them worth riding, though only the gondola is available for scenic excursions.
Heavenly spokesman Cole Zimmerman did not respond to inquiries. That means it is unknown if Heavenly has any intention of removing the tram and/or building a lift to replace it. Nor is it known how many people ride the tram each season, or neighboring Gunbarrel chair, or the gondola.
The city of South Lake Tahoe does not have a say about the tram because it is located in El Dorado County, not the city limits.
Email: mountainnews2@ gmail.com
Mail: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 95618.
Photo Kathryn Reed Skiers and snowboarders in February wait for the tram to take them to the top of Heavenly.
Publisher’s note: This is the first 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 his family.
I was born in Mexico in the state of Jalisco, a family of two sisters and two brothers. My parents always tried their best to give us a better life, but it was always hard. They never gave up and kept trying. By the age of six, we lost one of my sisters and that took a toll on my parents.
It took several years for my mother to ease the loss of our sister. By that time, I was 12 or 13. That’s when my father took the initiative to come to the United States in search of a better life and the American Dream.
Six months later, my mother, with all she had in her heart and the decisions of my father, decided to go as well to help my father bring us too.
It was heartbreaking for us staying with a relative, not knowing when we would see our parents again and be together.
Getting to the States
It was about eight months later, after working two jobs each to save enough money to bring us to the U.S. It was great news for my sister, brother and myself.
My uncle took the responsibility to bring us to Tijuana. It took us two days in that bus to get to Tijuana. Not the best transportation, honestly, but we were kids so it was an adventure. We arrived in Tijuana at another uncle's house, just waiting to get a call about when someone would pick us up to bring us to our parents.
Two days later my father called my uncle saying that a coyote was going to pick us up by 10pm My uncle was not too happy or confident in this coyote since no one knew anything about this person. But then again, who really knows anything about these people?
My father only knew this person by phone, as he was the one that got him and my mother across the border.
We got picked up that day by 11pm and got taken to a house where there were hundreds of people. By 1am, about 40 of us got put into a box truck and driven to another house where we waited for about two hours. By three or four in the morning the truck came back and about 60 people including babies got put in this truck, including us three—my brother (10), my sister (12) and myself (14).
It was terrifying, but we had no option. We were in this truck for hours. We had no idea for how long, but suddenly we felt the truck stop. We all got excited, hoping we had crossed and we had reached our destination.
But as hours went by and the temperature kept rising, and with no water or food, everyone started getting desperate. The babies were crying, including my brother and sister. All I could do as the oldest was try to calm them down, but it was too hot.
Someone in the group started saying that they had left us and that no one was opening the truck.
Inside that truck was chaos as the hours went by. All the adults started screaming and rocking the truck to get someone's attention. But nothing! By some miracle someone found a crowbar in the corner of the truck and started to break a side of
the truck's box. It took over an hour before they were able to open a hole big enough to open a side door from the outside so we could get out. By this time it was about 1pm. We were in that truck for about ten hours.
Once the side door was open, one person said, “Yes, they left us on the side of the highway. I'm one of the coyotes; I'm supposed to keep an eye on you here and they left me, too.”
Once everyone was off the box truck, we noticed a few people crying. Then we found out that a six-month-old baby had died. It was so sad and we were scared, but I had to keep strong for my sister and brother.
The coyote who was in the truck with us said he could guide us to the safe house from here. It's not close, but we can make it. Out of the group of 60, about 20 stayed behind by the truck hoping for someone to come help them, including the family who lost the baby. It was hard for me to make a decision either to stay or go with the coyote. I decided to go with the coyote because all I wanted was to be with our parents.
We started walking to some mountains; we walked the rest of the day with no water or food. We must have walked for about 12 hours when we finally reached
a beach and there was a water fountain. Everyone was so thirsty and hungry.
But when you have not eaten for so long and you drink a lot of water, your body automatically rejects it. Everyone started vomiting. The only thing we had in our stomach was just water. It was horrible seeing everyone sick. We continued walking for about another hour along the beach when suddenly, we were surrounded by police vehicles and a helicopter above us. Border Patrol had spotted us and started gathering the group in one spot. Hearing everyone screaming and crying, including us, was heartbreaking because we thought we had made it and were close to being safe. That was not the case.
Headed back to Mexico
We all got arrested and taken to a detention center and put in cells. I kept begging one of the officers not to separate us as the three of us were by ourselves and did not want to be separated from my sister as they had cells for men and women separate.
We were lucky to keep us close to my sister.
They kept us for the rest of the day. By this time my parents had no idea where we were. It had been more than two days. No one knew anything about us and of course I had no idea what to do or what was going to happen to us.
By 7pm or so, we got put into a bus and driven to the Tijuana border, then released with a group of about 50 people back to Mexico.
I had no idea what to do because I had no one's address or money. We were just looking around and scared when suddenly we heard a voice calling our names. It was my uncle. He had been at that same spot for two days looking for us.
My parents were losing their minds looking for answers about us, calling everyone they could think who might have some information about us. We felt a relief when we saw our uncle.
Just imagine having the responsibility of your siblings at the age of 14 in a city you know nothing about or lost in the mountains or in a country you have only seen in movies.
That night we got to talk to our parents. Our uncle was so angry at my parents, but he was an angel for us in the middle of thousands of people we did not know. He fed us and made sure we felt safe. Home in Lake Tahoe
We spent two days at his house and he would not let my parents look for someone else to get us across. He made sure to find
Barton getting special treatment from TRPA
To the editor,
The proposed Barton campus in Stateline, on the site of the old Lakeside Inn, directly and blatantly violates at least a dozen TRPA goals and directives—in addition to harming the community it serves.
plus over 1,000 emergency, patient, and clinic visits per day.
ceived 965 pages of comments on their latest scoping document. Only eight commenters unambiguously supported the move.
• It moves emergency services from the center of a community with 20,000 full-time residents, to one with 5,000. And into a state with lower per-patient staffing requirements.
• It places an 85-foot tower (taller than the new event center), and a 24/7 emergency helicopter pad, 500 feet from Jennings Pond and 120 feet from neighborhood homes.
• It places both the ambulance and parking entrances on a residential street, across from the Nevada Beach path parking lot.
• It provides just 270 parking spaces for, according to Barton themselves, 700 full-time job equivalents,
• Barton has drained and compacted the entire site without permits in order to claim that the site isn’t a swamp, and thus does not require a multi-year environmental impact study to determine what can legally be done with the groundwater. Apparently, the current plan is “just flood the neighborhood and dump the rest into the lake.” They have flooded the neighboring streets so badly, after less than two inches of rain, that the TRPA has been forced to issue Barton a cease and desist.
• Dr. Clint Purvance, CEO of Barton Health, has personally sicced the police on a local resident for taking pictures of the flooding from the sidewalk—which is obviously legal.
• See evil-genius.com/barton for my detailed report, and www.bartonstayinca.com for history.
The local community is united in opposition to this plan. The TRPA re-
Further, many of these deficiencies could easily be solved by locating emergency services across Highway 50, next to Barton’s existing urgent care and Douglas County’s emergency services. The existing plan already connects the two sides with a tunnel or skywalk.
Yet, despite these many violations of their own goals and directives; despite overwhelming community opposition, despite a clear alternative existing on land Barton already owns and despite Barton’s repeated violations and failed attempts to skirt the process—the TRPA’s Governing Board has not only attempted to rush Barton’s plan through, they’ve lobbied the Nevada Legislature in favor of it.
Sadly, this fits with the TRPA’s track record of rubber-stamping giant corporate developments—many so
ill-conceived that they’re incomplete 10-20 years later—and the fact that California’s AG is investigating the TRPA for failing to do the simple event center traffic studies they’ve required of themselves.
In summary: Based on the above deficiencies, I believe that if the TRPA’s Governing Board approves the current Barton plans, they prove themselves to be a failed agency that no longer serves its stated purpose. The TRPA can only disprove this by rejecting these plans and by requiring that future Barton proposals for their Stateline properties comply with the TRPA’s own goals and directives.
John Grigsby, Zephyr Cove
Bird-window collisions kill up to 1 billion birds each year. Join the Sierra Club Tahoe Area Group and Sierra Nevada Alliance on March 18 from 4pm to 5pm for a webinar with Dr. Christine Sheppard from the American Bird Conservancy. Learn how to prevent these bird deaths in both homes and commercial spaces! Visit tinyurl. com/BFBWebinar to register.
Douglas County has scheduled four budget hearings—March 24, March 25, March 31 and April 1 at 10 am at the historic Minden courthouse. These meetings will cover projected revenues, departmental expenditures, and potential funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
The city of South Lake Tahoe will be offering a Community Academy, covering a wide range of topics, including city planning, public safety, budgeting, and community services. Participants will have the chance to interact with city officials, tour municipal facilities, and gain insights into the decision-making processes that shape South Lake Tahoe. Academy sessions will be held on Wednesday evenings and some Saturday afternoons between April 16 and May 28. Participants must be at least 16 years old. Applications are being accepted through March 26. Visit cityofslt.us/CitizenAcademy to apply.
Barton Health will be hosting a diabetes prevention series, Thursdays April 3 to April 24, 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Medical professionals will discuss pre-diabetes and how to delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. Cost, $40. For more information, visit BartonHealth.org.
Baby and Me group, for parents and infants 0 to 12 months meets Tuesdays from 3pm to 4pm. Young Toddler and Me group for parents and infants 12 to 24 months meets Fridays from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Both hosted at the Barton Center for Orthopedics and Wellness. Connect and learn from other parents and childhood professionals.
The 21-member Tahoe Fire and Fuels team met recently and recommended residents harden their properties against wildfire risk (see https://readyforwildfire.org for tips), engage with neighbors on the importance of fire prevention, support fire departments and agencies engaged in mitigating wildfire risk, stay informed and engaged with community fire prevention plans and activities and sign up for alerts through https://placer.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=675c253a29f84aa8888422baf1ea7c89.
The Tahoe Conservancy is hiring for various seasonal restoration, forestry and land management jobs. Visit https:// www.tahoercd.org/restoration-forestry-and-land-management-jobs for more information.
Tahoe Chamber’s business expo is April 3, 5pm to 8pm at Tahoe Blue Event Center.
El Dorado County residents have until May 4 to apply for the 2025-26 grand jury Applications are online: www.edcgov.us/ GrandJury.
Fill out this form (https://shorturl.at/ u7Oxp) to volunteer for the 22nd annual Drug Store Project on April 1.
The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center has hired Stephanie Hampton to be its executive director. Registration is open online (https:// shorturl.at/xPMLv) for the Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s summer youth backcountry camps.
On March 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. TRTA is hosting the Wonders of Wildlife and Water with TINS at Sugar Pine Point State Park. Click here https://shorturl.at/ qjSqp for details and to sign up.
An upgrade to Kirkwood Mountain Resort’s food waste digester and expanded waste sorting should improve upon last season’s 12 tons of food waste that never reached the landfill.
After 30 years in various capacities
with South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Chief Dave Stevenson will permanently take off his badge June 6.
pect updates, celebrations and conversations about education. Light refreshments and free childcare provided.
Federal funding freezes could impact Pacific Crest Trail hikers this summer because the nonprofit that maintains the 2,650mile system with the U.S. Forest Service won’t have the money to do trail work. Valhalla Tahoe kicks off its season April 25-26 with Pick Your Poison—a murder mystery dinner theater. Buy tickets online: https://valhallatahoe.showare.com/.
TRPA has received 965 pages worth of comments regarding the scoping phase of Barton Health’s plans to move the hospital to Stateline. Read them here: https://shorturl. at/HvyOs.
A Nevada judge in February sided with plaintiffs in a public records request case, finding Douglas County School District must pay $166,081.16, with trustees Susan Jansen, David Burns, Katherine Dickerson and former trustee Doug Englekirk liable for $70,000.
The two South Shore chambers of commerce are hosting a fire forum April 17 at 6pm at South Tahoe High School’s theater. Douglas County’s population of 54,343 is 11,826 less than the projected population of approximately 66,169 residents by 2024.
Liberty Utilities wants to raise rates by 19.1 percent, which the company says is “driven by wildfire mitigation, insurance costs, and necessary grid improvements.”
Every Thursday from 3pm to 4:30pm, Zephyr Cove Library hosts Fiber Arts Hangout for adults of all skill levels to work on projects with other crafters. Yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks available upon request.
The Lake Tahoe Unified School District will be holding its third annual State of the District presentation on March 19 at the South Tahoe High Student Union, starting with a meet-and-greet at 5:30pm. Ex-
South Lake Tahoe ambulances finally have a forever home
The American Legion Post 795 is celebrating St Patrick's Day on March 17 at 5pm with dinner and music. Traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner is being offered. Adult $20, child $10 (12 and under), toddler free (under 3). Pre-sale tickets suggested; call Carol at 530/544-1306. Live music with The Cash Only Band ($10 cover without dinner).
AARP Tax-Aide of South Lake Tahoe continues to provide free tax preparation for taxpayers of all ages (not just seniors). Certified volunteers are available on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. No appointments; first come, first served. Pick up an information packet at the Recreation Center (1180 Rufus Allen Blvd) before coming in. Questions? Email SouthLakeTahoeLC@gmail.com.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is offering a total of $25,000 in scholarships to allow individual community members to learn about and be better positioned to participate in affordable housing initiatives and efforts. Full and part time residents as well as anyone who works in the basin is eligible to apply. This program is seeking applicants with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, interests and locations. For more information and to apply, visit www. tahoeliving.org/engagement-approach.
On the second Tuesday of every month in 2025, the Tahoe Prosperity Center will be hosting free roundtables where entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be can meet and find inspiration and practical solutions to moving forward beyond traditional networking. To register, visit www.tahoeinc.org.
Got a community item for Heard? Email mountainnews2@gmail.com, subject. Line “Heard.”
It’s two in the morning, the outside temp is in single digits, roads are sketchy so chains are necessary. Time is of the essence. Someone could be dying.
Chaining up in those conditions is stressful even when you aren’t a crew member on an ambulance.
That frigid scenario is no longer a reality because ambulances in South Lake Tahoe are finally parked inside. Nearly three years after the ambulance headquarters moved to the center of town, the entire $4.8 million facility is usable.
After years of ambulances being based at city fire stations, and then at people’s homes, the 18 full-time crew members and six per diem workers have their own home. The executive director and office manager are inside too, no longer in a separate trailer.
In mid-2022 the crew quarters were completed. Now the entire building is useable.
Three ambulances are parked in the bays, with standbys in the carport. (Lake Valley Fire also has a rig in Meyers.)
All that’s left is repaving the area in front of the bays when conditions allow.
New facility
Located next to the history
museum and senior center, and a stone’s throw from the recreation center under construction, the facility is on El Dorado County land in what some still refer to as the 56-acre project area.
Paramedics and EMTs sleep, eat, workout, learn and chill here.
“They are here for 48 hours. Recovery is a big part of what this building is about,” Ryan Wagoner, executive director of Cal-Tahoe, said. “There is a correlation between physical fitness and mental health. The gym is probably the biggest room except where the ambulances are parked.”
Decompressing after their calls is critical to their well-being.
A group of four seated around a kitchen table talk about their shift, and show off photos from the previous night’s meal—an entrée one of them made that looks like restaurant fare.
As construction was finishing up, paramedic Francesca Conforte was most looking forward to the gym because it would be good for morale and team building.
Paramedic David Mudrak is thrilled about the garage.
“Winter (could) be rough with the ambulances snowed in,” he said.
Mudrak shares how the medics driving the rigs were
always cold even though the vehicles were heated overnight. Heat kept things bearable for patients and ensured medicine was at a useable temperature, but didn’t warm the cab. Parking inside means a pleasant ride for everyone and no chaining up in the elements.
The “Zoom Room”—where classes can be taken and offered—has two big screens, a drop-down projector, rolling tables and chairs to allow for various learning scenarios.
A goal of Wagoner’s was to ensure infrastructure was in place to contend with future needs. If electric ambulances come along, the wiring exists. A generator is ready to power them and everything else on site.
Outside is a massive gas line that supports the generator, which also has a propane backup.
A living room off the kitchen with comfy
chairs and televisions provides another outlet to relax.
Hallways are no longer crowded with cabinets full of medical supplies; they have an appropriate home.
Nuts and bolts
The move cut down on response times, which ultimately means faster patient care. The contract calls for ambulances to be at their destination in 12 minutes; local crews usually arrive in eight.
In a 48-hour period each rig averages five calls. In 2024, Cal-Tahoe ambulance teams went on 3,422 calls, with 2,849 being medical and 573 inter-facility transfers. Eighty percent of calls were in the city limits.
Turnover is high, but Wagoner expects that since many of his employees want to become paramedics with a fire department.
Since
The
joint-powers authority was formed in 2001.
In California, counties are obligated to oversee ambulance services.
Members of Cal-Tahoe are the Lake Valley and Fallen Leaf Lake fire departments, and the city of South Lake Tahoe—not its fire department. The board consists of two reps each from Lake Valley’s board and the city council, and one from Fallen Leaf Lake’s board,
Continued on page 30
NATURALFOODS MARKET
Groceries, dairy, bulk food, organic beer and wine, coffee, energy bars, cereal, snacks, body care products
PRODUCE DEPARTMENT
One of the largest selections of organic produce at Tahoe NUTRITIONCENTER
Complete selection of vitamins, supplements & herbs
Photo Provided South Lake Tahoe Police Department Chief Dave Stevenson is retiring after 30 years with the agency.
2017, nine Cal-Tahoe crew members have been hired by the city’s fire department and another nine by Lake Valley.
formal name of the Cal-Tahoe ambulance outfit is California Tahoe Emergency Services Operations Authority. This
Photo Kathryn Reed
Cal-Tahoe ambulance crew members, from left, Cameron Spencer, Francesca Conforte, David Mudrak, and Cameron Poell, talk in the kitchen at the South Lake Tahoe facility.
Were we in San Francisco, or Canada?
There are two kinds of Tahoe locals, and people move back and forth between the two from year to year, depending on circumstances, money, or countless other variables. One group is the locals who are going to get their appointments with “Dr. White,” aka the snow-covered slopes. But the real winter sport for these folks is scheming and maneuvering to get their runs in when tourists aren’t flooding the mountain or to get parking amidst the whole reservation thing—or just to get free from work to get their backcountry runs instead. The other group is the locals who aren’t on the mountain for now, so they scheme and maneuver to get off the hill to warmer climes whenever possible. Both ambitions require strategic planning around weather predictions and of
course, traffic.
Being in the second group for now, Anne and I used our “ski week” or “Presidents’ week” to get away for a couple days in San Francisco. Most Tahoans find themselves in the Bay Area from time to time (some end up there by accident, it seems), so I thought I’d give the place a few words.
The goal for us was to do a fair amount of walking, specifically through Golden Gate Park, which we hadn’t fully explored. We were aiming for somewhere around ten miles a day, which is meaningless except as a way to rationalize the meals we hoped to indulge in. And through the magic of moleskin between the toes and other places, we mostly came close to our goal . . . and it turns
out there were some interesting treats, even aside from the food.
One fun fact is that you can actually do a little hiking in the city of San Francisco itself. Maybe you already knew that, but I didn’t.
Golden Gate Park itself is 3.5 miles long by a half mile wide, over 1,000 acres, and a lot of it is crisscrossed by trails through woods and such. One of its lakes has an island with a hill (called Strawberry Hill), then a small reservoir at the top that feeds a waterfall, and that water is then pumped back up to the reservoir to cycle back down. And no, it’s not Tallac or Freel Peak, (ok let’s be honest—it’s not even Round Hill) but this little island hill nonetheless has amazing views of the city, the ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge and more.
Before the park was developed, there were 14 native, “inter-dune” lakes; all but a handful were eventually filled in, and then some manmade lakes were added throughout the park (think more like “ponds,” though).
I also don’t associate “beach” with the city of San Francisco, but wandering all the way to the western edge of Golden Gate Park, you find yourself at Ocean Beach, a 3.5 mile stretch of beach that is wide and also devoid of high-rises. Sometimes, you can find soccer tournaments going on there, kite surfing and anything else you can imagine on a vast sandscape. But much of the time it’s relatively empty, which is also a pretty nice way to experience it.
One other cool little gem is the Wave Organ acoustic sculpture located at the end of a jetty that forms the small Boat Harbor in the Marina district of San Francisco—out past the St. Francis and Golden Gate yacht clubs. Maybe the coolest thing about it, the jetty itself was constructed from demolished material from a cemetery complex that once occupied the hills where the University of San Francisco now stands. Built into the jetty are 25 PVC and concrete “organ pipes” at different elevations, producing “music” by using the tidal flows and wave impacts. We found it totally worth the walk out there, especially at sunset.
If you’re wondering where all
the bodies went that were once interred around USF, most were apparently relocated to a new necropolis at Colma, Ca., and some were never accounted for.
But I have a bone to pick with the “City by the Bay,” which is that there seem to be way too many Canadians there—something we learned at a sports bar when watching the final Four Nations hockey game between the USA and Canada. At the overtime goal by Canadian Connor McDavid to crush our dreams of hockey domination (for now), nearly half of the bar erupted in cheers for Canada. I was gobsmacked. Maybe it was just regular Americans who were reacting against the current president—who can tell? And yes, I’m just sour over the loss . but we’ll get ‘em at the Olympics, right?
Speaking of hockey, it’s time for a little Tahoe Knight Monsters update.
Your Knight Monsters recently completed a mid-February road swing through Wichita, Kansas and Estero, Florida before returning to host the Americans from Allen, Texas (whose NHL affiliate is the Utah Hockey Club) from February 28 through March 2 at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The road trip posted a disappointing 2-4 record.
As of this writing, the home stand brought an exciting overtime win on February 28 and another close win by one goal the next night.
The Knight Monsters will host the Rapid City Rush from South Dakota (NHL affiliate, the Calgary Flames) from March 6 to March 9 before heading out on the road again (to Idaho and Oklahoma).
Standings as of March 2: the Knight Monsters are 10th (of 29 teams) leaguewide, 4th (of 15 teams) in the Western Conference, and 2nd (of eight teams) in the Mountain Division. And speaking of school .
Just kidding. I’ll give it a rest this month—except to say that my ninth graders are doing some good work. Kudos to their teachers before me. Check me in a month or so to see if I’m still sane.
As always, feel free to email mikesmutterings@gmail.com
LTWC’s strange definition of rehabilitation
To the editor,
In 1990, I wrote an article for the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Journal stating the need for statistical standardization in rehabilitation. That article created a joint venture between the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association and the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council to set standards for record keeping statistics.
Every professional wildlife organization defines a rehabilitated animal as: “Any animal that undergoes rehabilitation and is released back into the wild.”
An animal going through rehabilitation does not mean it has been rehabilitated.
I was appalled to see how Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care categorizes their statistics. I contacted several of my wildlife rehabilitator associates around the country and read the following from your (January) article. They were almost speechless. I say “almost speechless”
with a great deal of sarcasm since they were not.
You wrote: “LTWC’s response regarding numbers was murky, with board President Coralin Glerum emailing, ‛… in the wildlife rehabilitation industry, the term ‘rehabilitated’ refers to any animal that comes in the doors of the center. This is because all animals receive exams, documentation, and other procedures even if they arrive DOA. In the general public however, the term ‘rehabilitated’ does not have the same connotation and more commonly reflects a level of healing that ensures survival in some capacity. This is why that word is too loaded for us to use accurately in public settings.’”
I was appalled. First, in the wildlife rehabilitation industry, (note I have a problem with the word “industry”), we do not use the term “rehabilitated” to refer to any animal that comes in the doors of a facility.
“Rehabilitated” means to be re-
leased back to the wild.
I cannot justify an animal that is dead on arrival as being rehabilitated unless the center has the power to bring it to life. Nor can I accept died in clinic or euthanized on arrival or at any time in facility as being rehabilitated.
Transferred to another facility for further rehabilitation is another term that is debated. You can say you did rehabilitation on that animal, but it was further treated elsewhere for rehabilitation and possible release.
The article goes on to state: “That was LTWC’s explanation for why the numbers it provided for animal arrivals and those rehabilitated are the same.”
Doing statistics in that manner is a blatant way to up the release statistics of the facility. Anyone in a professional rehabilitation setting knows it is impossible to have a 100 percent (correlation between) the animals that are presented to their facility and those rehabilitated and
(released) animals which is what LTWC presents.
LTWC does have to comply (with) the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (regarding) all the individual categories of animals brought to their center. It is just a shame that they manipulate their data to give a better picture to the public. They are not being transparent nor are they helping wildlife rehabilitation.
Linda Wolf, DVM, C.A.R.E. for Wildlife
Publisher's note: From CDFW: "Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care applied for and received a wildlife rehabilitation permit from CDFW last month. That’s a general permit that allows them to rehabilitate native wildlife. They still need to apply for specialty permits allowing the rehabilitation of bears specifically and the rehabilitation of birds of prey as well."
To the editor,
In fiscal year 2024, the National Park Service's budget was approximately $3.8 billion, while the U.S. Forest Service's budget was about $7.4 billion. Combined, these agencies account for $11.2 billion in federal spending. To put that into perspective, the Department of Defense's budget for the same year was $841.4 billion ($2,473 per person). This puts the combined budgets of the NPS and USFS at 1.5 percent ($33 per per-
son) of the U.S. Defense budget. Given the invaluable services these agencies provide and the importance of maintaining our national parks, preserving natural habitats, and offering recreational and economic opportunities for Americans and international tourism, the cost to taxpayers is minimal.
How would those fires in and around the Lake Tahoe area have been different if there had been a dedicated regional helicopter based in the basin?
No one knows for sure.
But what officials do know is fire season is a year-round phenomenon, no longer limited to certain months. Fires are burning hotter, are more destructive, and take more resources to contain.
Those are some of the reasons that regional fire chiefs are working to develop a helitack base in the basin.
“Over 40 percent of wildfires in the Tahoe basin are caused by lightning and usually they are remote,” Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Chief Scott Lindgren said. “A helicopter gets over it and puts it out. An example of that not happening was the (2022) Tamarack Fire. It would have been easy to put out with a helicopter, but the Forest Service allowed it to burn and be monitored, and then it became the Tamarack Fire. (If we had a helicopter), we would have put it out and we would never have heard of the Tamarack Fire.”
Lindgren is spearheading the project that would bring aroundthe-clock helicopter fire and rescue capabilities here. He worked in CalFire’s air program for 28 years.
So far, he has buy-in from 20 agencies in the surrounding area.
“I think the concept is a good one. One of the things we struggle with up here in the basin is air resources,” South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Jim Drennan said. “The concept is really sound.”
A conceptual plan is in place to have the base in Zephyr Cove.
“Whittell High School sits on almost 60 acres, surrounded by Douglas and U.S. Forest Service property,” Lindgren said of why this location was chosen. “A helicopter base is like a fire station without big apparatuses. It’s just like a fire station, but instead it has helicopters.”
The CalFire helitack base in Vina in Butte County, which opened in 2020, is being looked at as a model, with the Tahoe base projected to be smaller.
It would include living quarters, kitchen, workout room, lounge area, a helipad, and hangar for the birds.
“I would love to see it come to fruition. From a rescue and fire standpoint it can save a lot of lives and property,” Lake Valley Fire Chief Chad Stephen said. Rescue and fire capabilities
For fire suppression, the helicopter will have a removable fixed tank underneath that intakes water through a snorkel from a lake or other source; it will also have a hook with a long-line bucket that allows for more precise water drops.
What it won’t be is an air ambulance though the helicopter will be equipped to transport people to ground ambulances or an agency like CalStar.
At the base in Vina, a truck follows the helicopter, carrying 1,000 gallons of jet fuel. The helicopter holds 362 gallons, allowing for about six hours of flying time. CalFire is working on another generation of fuel trucks which could be beneficial to the local operation.
The California Highway Pa-
acquire.
trol helicopter based in Auburn is most often the one used in rescue situations in the basin.
“Two summers ago, we requested a rescue helicopter in the Tahoe basin nine times and seven times we were denied because it was not available,” Lindgren said.
“We were denied by CHP because they were on other emergencies.”
Hiking in versus flying to someone in a medical emergency can turn it into a life-or- death situation.
Making it a reality
Lindgren wants the helicopters to be operational before the helitack base is built. He has a goal of limited operations this summer, then expanding hours, with a fully developed program as funding allows.
Money could be the most difficult hurdle, and it’s the part of the process that most concerns chiefs Drennan and Stephen.
More than 40 years ago, the Tahoe region set an ambitious target to restore 25 percent of the wetlands, meadows, and marshes that had been impacted by development. These sensitive areas protected the famed clarity of Lake Tahoe for millennia and restoring their natural function is a key goal of the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan. Partners hit that milestone in 2023 and the accomplishment is celebrated in the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) Draft Threshold Evaluation Report released last week. Many land management and water quality agencies contributed to the decades-long effort along with thousands of property owners through private land restoration and permit mitigation fees.
importance of every step toward Lake Tahoe’s restoration.
In 1982, TRPA adopted science-based environmental goals called threshold standards to guide protection, restoration, and development. Today, there are more than 140 standards across ten threshold categories, including water and air quality, soil, vegetation, wildlife, transportation and sustainable communities, and scenic quality. TRPA publishes a threshold evaluation report every four years, and for this evaluation we engaged the independent Tahoe Science Advisory Council to coordinate a peer review of the report to ensure the agency applied appropriate methods and used the best available science.
vasive species projects, and scientists and researchers bringing forward new information are all represented in the findings of the draft report.
online report at thresholds.laketahoeinfo.org and offer your input. The thresholds are goals for all who love Lake Tahoe and will help shape the next phase of our collective work to preserve and protect the place that we treasure.
He said the Tahoe base is looking to acquire two or three used helicopters until enough funding is secured for a new one.
A new Blackhawk helicopter like what CalFire flies costs about $26 million, while a military surplus refurbished chopper is closer to $3.5 million, according to Lindgren.
More than one is necessary to have a 24/7, 365-day operation. Maintenance requirements are
As the region continues to reconcile environmental impacts that began 150 years ago, new findings on Lake Tahoe’s geologic history provide a broader perspective on this work. Recent research shows the lake first took shape more than 2.3 million years ago, making it the oldest lake in North America and the third-oldest waterbody in the world. Within that time, the native Washoe people established a spiritual connection to Lake Tahoe that has stood for 10,000 years. Rather than diminishing the achievement of a 40-year goal, this knowledge underscores the
In addition to progress on wetland restoration, the report highlights decades of progress on air quality, scenic improvements, and reducing pollutant loading to the lake. During the most recent four-year reporting period, nearly 80 percent of measurable threshold standards were in attainment, and more than 90 percent were stable or improving. This progress represents the combined work of everyone. Homeowners completing defensible space and stormwater Best Management Practices, public agencies completing marsh and meadow restoration, forest resilience, transportation, and aquatic in-
The report also identifies new and ongoing challenges, including aquatic invasive species, regional wildfires, extreme weather, and seasonal lake clarity trends. TRPA is concentrating additional resources on these areas, including updated management strategies and enhanced monitoring. For the next few months, we are collecting public and stakeholder input on the threshold evaluation and priority focus areas going forward. The feedback will be summarized in a final report and recommendations will be presented to our Governing Board in June of this year. I encourage you to review the
Photo Kathryn Reed
A large hangar is required to fit this Blackhawk helicopter, which is like the one Tahoe officials would like to
Photo Kathryn Reed
Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Scott Lindgren is the point person creating the Zephyr Cove Helitack Base.
Dan Segan
Avalanche control—it's a blast
The Tahoe Mountain News caught up with Billy Newman, former Caltrans South Lake Tahoe maintenance supervisor, now acting area superintendent, to get some answers to the questions that many in the area seem to have.
Newman was in his previous role for about five years though he has been with Caltrans since 2011. He started as an operator (various heavy equipment, maintenance and so on), then pursued opportunities to get involved in the blasting program and became a licensed blaster, which requires three years’ experience and training certified through OSHA. He recently stepped into this new role with the retirement of longtime area superintendent, Bill Netto.
Aside from the SLT-Meyers maintenance station, Newman is now also responsible for the Kyburz and Placerville maintenance stations. Let’s get to it.
Why purposely trigger avalanches in the first place?
Simple math: holding traffic for controlled blasting generally takes less than an hour. On the other hand, if the snow comes down all at once rather than over days, it’s likely to result in closures of four to six hours. It’s that simple.
First tool in the arsenal
Although there are three primary tools in the avalanche control arsenal, there is a goto protocol that is considered the first line of defense—the Gazex-manufactured “exploder nozzles,” informally called “cannons,” developed in France in the 90s and upgraded throughout the years.
These Gazex cannons look somewhat like the old water filling arm you’d see a steam train use, except more stout and anchored to the hillside. They have a short downspout at their terminus to direct the blast down into the snowpack.
There are roughly a dozen of these cannons across Echo Summit, supplied by oxygen and propane tanks housed in three separate stations up along Echo Summit. These tanks feed lines (like water mains) down to the cannons, which are mounted on the hillside at intervals. This entire system is controlled remotely, by computer down at the Meyers Caltrans maintenance station. From there, Newman can check the propane and oxygen mixture for each line before firing, while maintaining radio contact with crewmembers who are “shot guarding” on the hill by holding traffic. After each blast, crew members confirm by radio before continuing to the next.
This Gazex system requires maintenance throughout the year—refilling tanks, checking lines, repairing connections, lines, and countless other components—but it is the mainstay and the most effective tool throughout the snow season.
Caltrans employs Gazex cannons near Carson Pass as well, and you’re also likely to find them in use at resorts like Palisades and Alpine Meadows
Nextdoor app chimes in: “Does anyone know what just blew up??!”
The blast you’re hearing—and sometimes feeling—is the explosion of those gasses from the mouth of the cannon. Between blasts, a time interval is required to bring the mixture back to required levels before charging the next cannon in line. Speaking of the “boom” and the concern that invariably arises for newcomers and visitors, many wonder why the concussions vary in volume and force, sometimes muted and sometimes rocking their house. This variance can be due to the mixture of oxygen and propane being a little off, but generally it’s determined by the snow conditions –
Easy comfort food on a work night
Pasta has been one of my favorite foods for as long as I can remember. However, in the last year I’ve been eating very little of it for reasons I may go into in another column. But sometimes you just have to say "yes" even when "no"is the healthier answer.
If you are looking for a healthy choice for dinner, stop reading. If you are looking for comfort food that is relatively easy to make, carry on.
There are so many things to love about this recipe. The sauce is light and fresh. The cheesy tortellini is melt-in-yourmouth magic. It’s filling without making you uncomfortably full.
My biggest complaint is it only makes two servings. Health-wise I knew it was better to have this a one-and- done meal. Usually I like a meal mom and I can have two days in a row. Bonus is when there are even more leftovers to freeze. Instead, we had a small helping of seconds on the same night.
This recipe may easily be multiplied to cater to whomever is around your table.
One of those plastic containers of fresh dill is perfect for this recipe. The ratio of fresh to dried herbs is 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon, or 3:1 in teaspoon parlance because 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor, which is why you need less of them. For this recipe, that would mean about 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of dried dill. Trust me, buy the fresh stuff and ignore the math.
Remember the unsalted butter you bought for last month’s recipe that you thought you’d never have another use for—read on.
Be sure to get all the prep work done before putting the tortellini in boiling water because fresh pasta is done in a flash.
Tortellini with Garlicky Dill Butter Sauce
(2 servings)
whether the snowpack is dense or waterladen, or light and powdery, the amount of snow in the blast zone, the amount of snow between your house and the blast zone, and so on. Snow mutes sound and force, and
AVALANCHE
Continued on page 27
8 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
4 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced Salt Pepper
½ C fresh dill, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Cook tortellini in pot of boiling salted water for about 2 minutes—less than package directions—until very al dente. Melt butter in medium or large skillet over low to medium heat until golden brown. Keep an eye on this because it’s easy to burn butter.
Remove from heat, stir in garlic, season with salt (kosher if you have it, skip all salt if you used salted butter) and freshly ground pepper.
With slotted spoon, scoop cooked tortellini into butter mixture. Turn heat to low, toss so tortellini is covered with butter concoction. Add a little pasta water to barely create a sauce.
Stir in dill and lemon zest, then squeeze juice of lemon into pasta mixture. Quickly bring to a simmer to heat everything through, and stir to make sure each tortellini is covered with sauce. Serve in shallow bowls.
Photo Kathryn Reed
Photo Caltrans
A motorist takes advantage of post-avalanche clearing to reach the destination.
Photo Caltrans
said. “For instance, the power companies use helicopters all the time for slinging poles and wire.”
strict, so the helicopters are periodically out of service.
Plus, pilots are limited in their flying time, so that will be a staffing consideration. A Blackhawk crew is usually 10-11 people, but it can fit 14.
The primary helicopter would always be available in the region, while the others could be deployed to fires elsewhere.
“Most of the money will come from donations in the region initially. Then from there, part of our business plan is to do a lot of contract work with other agencies, corporate sponsors,” Lindgren
Initial agencies interested in being part of the Zephyr Cove Helitack Base
Carson City Fire Department
Central Lyon Fire
Douglas County Sheriff’s Department
Eastern Alpine Fire and Rescue
Fallen Leaf Fire Department
Kirkwood Fire Department
Lake Valley Fire Protection Department
Meeks Bay Fire Protection District
North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection
Whittell High class all fired up
Deploy, deploy, deploy.
Those are some of the last words any wildland firefighter wants to hear. But in case that’s the command, they need to know what to do.
Shaking out the green mummy sack-like shields, the students scramble to completely cover themselves, putting their feet toward the make believe fire.
“Talk to each other. Make sure everyone is OK,” commands Matt Fogerty, wildland battalion chief for Tahoe Douglas
“I would love to see all the things you wouldn’t see (fighting) structures,” she said. After all, wildland firefighters get to travel.
Victoria Moore, 10th-grader, was surprised to learn wildland firefighters pay attention to wildlife and protect endangered habitat when it comes to fuel reduction and suppression.
Source: TDFPD
To date, Lindgren has secured about $2 million in donations, which are tax deductible because of the nonprofit established through the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation.
Federal and state grants are another potential revenue source, as is contracting with CalFire, the U.S. Forest Service and the Nevada Division of Forestry.
Eventually, a joint powers authority with a board of directors would be created to manage the helitack operation.
Still needed is formal approval from the Douglas County
School District for the helitack base to be built on their land. The county and Federal Aviation Administration will also have a say. An FAA spokesperson only said, “The FAA has guidance on heliport design and qualification which outlines how to construct a heliport that meets regulatory requirements.”
The sole FAA registered heliport in Douglas County is at Carson Valley Medical Center in Gardnerville.
Meg Ragonese with the Nevada Department of Transportation said, “Although we do not have approval authority over new aviation facility construction, we assist with the FAA approval application process, conduct on-site inspections to identify any hazards or obstacles that may delay approval, and offer valuable safety-related feedback to those planning new aviation facility developments.”
Permitting for a helipad
by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is necessary, with rules found in the Code of Ordinances. The bi-state planning agency would review potential impacts to the ten categories of environmental standards, which range from water and air quality, to soil, wildlife, and noise. Lindgren is shooting for April to have 30 percent of the design phase complete, with the permitting process starting soon thereafter.
Fire Protection District.
He is one of the firefighters teaching these Whittell High School students who are in the inaugural fire science class.
“If you follow the rules of engagement, you should never have to deploy the shelter,” Fogerty says. In the nearly 400 wildland fires he has battled, Fogerty has never had to deploy his shelter.
Still, it’s a necessary skill that can be the difference between life and death.
Eleven students are in the class. The goal is to offer a second level starting next year that will delve into extractions and traffic accidents, with the third year culminating in an emergency medical technician certificate.
“I’m learning a lot of skills. The knowledge is good to know in case I want to do this in the future,” senior Jeric Bayani said. Nursing is his No. 1 desire, but he’s keeping the possibility of a job in the firefighting world as a backup.
Sophomore Lily Davis likes the wildland fire training more than structure fires.
If the regional helitack base comes to fruition at WHS (see story Page 16), the high school program could grow exponentially.
“We could expand the fire science to have an aviation program at the high school,” Fire Chief Scott Lindgren said.
“We could have flight training where they get their pilot’s license, aircraft mechanics, aeronautical engineering.”
Talks are under way also for dual enrollment credit at Western Nevada College in Carson City and are already in place with Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno. Lake Tahoe Community College is not allowed to give credits across state lines.
“Whittell is a five-star school and platinum AP school. This also gives some students who might not have those academic future goals an opportunity to get experience and training, and get into the workforce, and give some an opportunity to stay in the area,” Principal Sean Ryan said. After all, this program will ideally be a feeder for local fire departments.
If each cohort of students numbers ten, the program will remain viable.
“As long as Tahoe Douglas is doing the instruction, they are covering our expenses,” Ryan said. Whittell received a $135,000 grant from the state for materials, with Tahoe
Douglas donating a ton of used equipment. Tools of the trade are everywhere in this classroom—including turnouts, helmets, boots, chain saws, shovels, axes, gloves, backpacks and oxygen tanks.
This is a rendering of where the helitack base at Whittell High School could be located.
Photo Kathryn Reed Whittell High School students get the feel for what it’s like to wear a wildland firefighting backpack.
Photo Kathryn Reed
The helitack base in Vina (Butte County) is the inspiration for what could be built in the Tahoe basin.
Photo Kathryn Reed
Under the guidance of Tahoe Douglas Battalion Chief Matt Fogerty students Carson Remington, from left, Liam Roper and Ali Lane deploy emergency shelters.
New Station 3 moving toward fruition
The city of South Lake Tahoe is in the process of purchasing prime vacant land near the Y for a new fire station.
The $940,000 deal for the lot between fire station No. 3 and BMO, formerly Bank of the West, on Highway 50 was tabled at the Feb. 25 city council meeting because of a deed restriction issue that did not surface when the preliminary title report was pulled.
BMO is the seller of the 73,108-square-foot lot, and the agreement is expected to be back on the council agenda in late March or early April.
“The deed restriction is related to the original sale of the property that the bank sits on back in the 1970s. At the time there were requirements that didn’t allow for anything over 30 percent coverage,”
City Manager Joe Irvin told the Mountain News. “The bank then purchased the
property adjacent to offset their coverage. Since then, the requirements have changed and it is allowed for up to 70 percent coverage.”
The city’s planning and legal teams are speaking with their counterparts at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to iron out the wrinkles.
“Ultimately it is a good thing that this was caught prior to authorizing the purchase,” Irvin said. “Our council and myself are very committed to moving this project forward.”
Station 3’s building dates to 1957 before the city was incorporated, with the original use being a gas station. It is no longer up to code, with structural, electrical and mechanical deficiencies.
The council in 2023 approved the construction of a one-story fire station on the vacant parcel for an estimated cost of
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$19.75 million, $1.1 million for LEED gold certification, and a flashing beacon on the highway.
Fire Chief Jim Drennan would like to break ground in 2027 at the latest. Several hoops besides the deed-coverage issue need to be jumped through—like design, permitting and financing.
“It will provide more storage for apparatuses, modern size apparatuses so we don't have to special order apparatuses to fit,” Drennan said. “It will meet all the standards for civil service.”
Today firefighters workout where the diesel engines are. The new building will include living quarters where diesel exhaust can’t be inhaled.
Health and safety concerns are integral to the entire design.
The current station will not be demolished. After all, in the last year the roof was sealed so no more water is coming in. The living and office areas have new floors and paint, the kitchen and dining area were remodeled, and the administrative waiting area modernized.
On the consent agenda at the Feb. 25 council meeting was the fire department’s annual report, which said, “While we
didn’t see any significant wildfires in the basin our department did respond to a record-breaking number of strike team requests in California, Nevada and Oregon. Some of those requests were nearby in the Washoe Valley while others were as far away as Southern California. From June through November we responded to 14 separate events providing fire protection and management to communities in need.”
The 2023-24 fire department budget was $12,554,222.
IMMIGRANTS
Continued from Page 9
someone he knew to get us across. By the third day we got picked up from my uncle's house at 11pm. This person took us to a house where we spent a couple of hours, then got taken to a spot along the border—a big metal wall.
We waited for about an hour then started walking. We probably walked for about an hour and got to a road where we got picked up by a car and taken to an apartment. We spent the whole day there and by the evening a lady picked us up and drove us to a house in Los Angeles where we waited for my father to come get us.
The following day a truck pulled up and it was my father with a friend who had come to bring us home. I say home because on July 6, 1990, South Lake Tahoe became home for all of us.
Our parents lived in a studio
that was no bigger than a hotel room. We did not care because we were together. They kept working two jobs each. We would stay at that studio all day until one of them would get off work. We were scared of just going out because of what we went through.
The school year started. I was so excited because all I wanted was to learn English. It was hard being in a school and back in the ‘90s there was not much help for English as a second language, so it made it hard, but not impossible.
In my eighth-grade year, I worked so hard to learn the language that by the time I graduated from middle school I was able to hold a conversation in English. Not perfect, of course, but I felt great.
I started high school with the same enthusiasm for the language
and becoming a help to my parents as I saw how hard they worked. That year as a freshman is when I met the greatest teacher that helped me see life and the potential that this country had to offer. I will always be thankful to this lady that for me was a second mother because she cared so much for immigrants and for everyone in general. She was the foundation for me at school.
Unfortunately, that year my parents separated and we stayed with my mother. By this time we had moved to a one-bedroom apartment. It was hard for my mother to keep up with the rent and bills, working two jobs at minimum wage, so I started working part time as a dishwasher and kept going to school.
Difficult decisions
I finished my freshman year
and by the following year I had to make a choice—stay in school and see how my mother would barely make it paying for everything or help her out so we would have a roof and food on the table. I chose to leave school and started working full time with a second job part time to help my mother and siblings.
When I decided to talk to my teacher about the situation, she was not happy but understood why I had to stop coming to school. She supported my decision and told me some of her story as an immigrant and urged me not to get lost in drugs or gangs like others. She told me that I had potential to be someone and to go back to school if the opportunity was there. Her words forever stayed in my mind.
This is my story as an immigrant. We came as kids. Our parents wanted to give us a better life. They did, but also this country and this beautiful town that now is home. We are not criminals; we love and support this town.
This 49-year-old writer has residency status and is in the process of becoming a citizen of the United States. One sibling is a citizen, the other does not have papers. His parents remain undocumented.
I am an adult now, working hard and with kids of my own who have never been in trouble. I have had a couple of my own businesses and I am not a criminal. I help and support the Lake Tahoe community as well as my brother and sister as we all have our own business in this town.
Photo Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe is in the process of acquiring land to the east of Station 3 for a fire facility.
Slammed
Well, we’re halfway through winter.
So how ya doing? Were you hoping for a glimpse of early spring and Punxsutawney Phil just slammed the door in your face?
That’s what you get for relying on a rodent. You should know by now that he wants to crawl back into his dark, damp hole and not come out until spring. Just like the rest of us.
Yet, I can tell we’re still in the grip of winter, without the use of a rodent. Instead, I simply glance in the mirror at my do-ityourself weed-wacker haircut and rapidly spreading butt cheeks.
Yes. Phil slammed the winter door in our face. But I’m used to that. And if you’ve been on Planet Ignoramus for over 15 seconds, so are you.
Because it’s starts early. Before we can even reach the pro -
verbial doorknob. As I learned at three, when I was throwing one of my more spectacular tantrums. And my mom took me outside, depositing me on the front porch. Then slammed the door.
Disconcerting at first, because I couldn’t get back inside to torture her some more. Then I noticed the neighbors, mowing lawns and shuffling groceries. And all were complete strangers. The very people we are warned to avoid. But I immediately recognized them for what they were.
My new audience.
Eldora Dunaphin raised her seven kids in that neighborhood. Apparently, none of them required the door slam treatment. Because when I saw her again, 50 years later, she said, “I remember the first time I ever saw you. Sitting on the curb in front of your house. You were having a fit, stomping
and screaming at the top of your lungs.”
And then she laughed. Probably relieved I wasn’t one of her magnificent seven. Soon my mother and I came to an agreement. The best place for me was outside. I began to wander and knock on new doors. And met a couple so old they could barely get out of their rockers. A trapped audience to my spontaneous singing, dancing and comedy show. I made sure to visit them regularly. Mostly for the reward of their laughter. And maybe a little for their oven fresh, cinnamon-sugar cookies.
nicity and suspect morals.
And that message was delivered clearly the afternoon I knocked on Two-Wheel Bernice’s door to ask if her son could come out and play.
Perhaps a slight misjudgment on my part. Bernice had earned her nickname by scattering children in terror, her car screeching around the corner on two wheels, at a very unmotherly speed.
So the afternoon Bernice opened her door, the lilting voice of Dean Martin singing about moons and pizza pie in the background, her smile dropped to her fiery red toenails. She raised her feather duster and shook it in my face. Then she slammed the door.
For a child, this can be scarring. But I chalked it up to her being mad at me for interrupting her date with Deano.
Other neighbors were less welcoming. Rumor of my adoption made the neighborhood gossip circuit, along with my questionable eth-
Despite Bernice, I felt my popularity was zooming when a schoolmate invited me to her birthday party. I begged my mom for a new party outfit. But definitely not a dress. That was a limb too far.
One bath and new cantaloupe colored blouse and shorts later, I was knocking on a stranger’s door. The Wicked Witch of
the West answered. Maybe not Dorothy’s witch, but surely her twin sister. Hunched over, gray teeth and scraggly hair hanging in limp clumps, one eye squinting, the other taped with a frayed muslin pirate patch.
“Whatta ya want!?”
“ummmm…I was invited to the birthday party…?”
“Get outta here! You’re dirty!”
Again. This could be scarring.
However, that day I wasn’t wearing my usual smeared horse manure and salamander hunting river mud, jeans and tee shirt ensemble, my hair highlighted with bits of straw from launching into haystacks. I had changed. and bathed. What I wanted to say was, “Well, you should have seen my last outfit!”
But, she slammed the door. Much like ole punky Phil just did to us. So, go throw a public tantrum. Or buy a fruit-colored outfit. And remember to dodge the speeding Bernices. But never, ever take a door slamming in your face personally. Just keep knocking. One will eventually open and offer you sugar cookies.
Vanderpump doesn't rule
is guest writing this month’s Tahoe
column. Michael is actually much more comfortable eating ramen while backpacking, but has been known to visit 3-star French restaurants. He will keep us periodically updated at which South Lake restaurant to celebrate your next anniversary.
There are only seven tables at Café Fiore in the winter, sometimes fewer when a big party of, say, six, makes a reservation.
Owner Nick Ashmore and his chef Gilberto have been serving up fine Italian food for nearly 30 years in the tiny space off Ski Run Blvd. My wife and I were directed there when we asked around about good restaurants to celebrate ten years of marriage. We fell in love with the food and ambiance and got to know the staff and Nick. That was nearly 15 years ago, and we have since celebrated nearly every major event of our lives there: our boys’ birthdays, graduations, celebrations with friends and family, and sometimes just because.
The small dark wood room feels warm. The decorations are all handmade art, many by the talented Chef Gilberto and we almost always bump into other locals or start a conversation with a neighbor about what they are celebrating, only to learn they, too, come for every anniversary.
Our next visit will sadly be our last; Café Fiore is closing after the sale of the property.
There are plans to demolish the 1950s era collective of shops, including offices, a former spa,
computer repair, hairdressers and restaurants only to put in what is rumored to be just another strip mall.
The menu hasn’t changed dramatically over the years but neither has the superb quality. The butternut squash ravioli appetizer is a great place to start if it’s fall and in season. Every meal comes with a family-style tray of sides and we have learned to ask for extra carrots. They are sautéed, then puréed with cream and, if you can imagine it, taste like a carrot- turned- crèmebrûlée. These are accompanied by seasonal greens, roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes.
We usually get the same things for a main course but sometimes venture into the specials, and the swordfish is always worth trying. The filets on toast are always tender, cooked perfectly and just lightly seasoned, a near-perfect steak. If you get a chance, ask about the secret menu. But hurry! You only have a few weeks left to enjoy this hidden gem in South Lake Tahoe. We will mourn its loss and wish all the staff the best of luck in their next endeavors. Please let us know where Gilberto and the rest of the staff end up so we can come visit!
In the meantime, my wife and I have begun our search for the location of the next decade’s worth of celebrations. Our misadventure began at Wolf, the Tahoe flagship restaurant for Lisa Vanderpump of RealHousewives-of-Beverly-Hillsfame, which should have been a clue. It got a lot of hype when it opened and we really wanted to try something new. Nothing could have been further from what we were looking for.
The space is cavernous, surrounded by cold concrete, blasting music, and feels designed by a Disney imagineer who also created decor for the line maze of a new Frozen ride.
Unfortunately, our two-top-table was bar height and my petite wife was uncomfortable with her legs dangling all night. We brought our own wine, a bold red, as we usually do and immediately put it away once we looked at the menu. It reads more like bar food than fine dining, with only three main dishes and tons of smaller plates. We started with the Wolf bread but couldn’t finish it because it was over seasoned. The ahi tartare tostadas were very good with a fine combination of flavors and just enough spicy
kick. I had the wagyu double smash burger, which was fine but would not have kept up to the wine we brought and my wife had a strip steak. The food was decent, well presented, but slow. It seems like the bar area gets the attention first and the tables were an afterthought, as we watched drink after drink being served to everyone but us. If you just kicked off your ski boots, have a party of ten on a boisterous bachelor/bachelorette trip and want some decent food, Wolf fits the bill. But if you want to talk or even just take off your jacket and sit a while, eat a fine meal with an attentive staff, keep looking.
We are still hunting for a dining experience in South Lake that prioritizes the food, a personal touch and is hopefully owned by, and full of, locals! Change is the only constant in life. The funky little shopping area housing Café Fiore was eventually destined for redevelopment. Some revival in town has led to new community gathering spots, like The Crossing at the Y, with lots of shops owned and operated by local families. Hopefully, whatever establishment ends up in the footprint of Café Fiore has space for community. And space for outdoor dining and friendly staff, full of quirky local art and maybe… just maybe a little nook housing an intimate Italian bistro worthy of generations of anniversaries and local celebrations where you can get an extra side of carrots.
Michael Habicht
Guy
A baggie is my secret weapon
Oh really? It’s doing it again. It has been that winter. Friggin’ La Nina! As we get on the lift at the bottom of the mountain, it’s raining in town and at the base of many of the local resorts. They told us we would be on the southern edge of many of the winter storms…ya think?!
It seems that almost every big cold winter storm, the ones originating in Alaska that we love so much, have been stopping at some strange imaginary line just north of us. Instead, we have been getting these atmospheric rivers, or as we used to call them and still should call them, “pineapple express storms,” which seems more expressive of what they are, but that must have been offensive to some fruits out there; surely, we vegetables didn’t mind at all!
So we get rain at lake level and unfortunately often quite a bit
higher. Fortunately, though, they have been producing a decent amount of snow up high. This does mean there has been almost no cross-country skiing at lake level, and you have to pick and choose where to start any back country skiing, mainly driving up to the higher passes, but once you get in there, it is really good.
Yeah, I know, I can hear those folks out there going, “Well, at least I don’t have to shovel my driveway.” Hey! Guess what? That comes with living in the mountains and when you have to shovel your driveway, town is so much more beautiful and magical, and yes, more challenging to get around. It’s funny, too, because half of the “I don’t want to shovel” crowd are the very ones going, “Yeah, I have not been
skiing because there is not really any snow.” Clearly the words of someone who hasn’t been on the mountain! Okay good, one less track in my line up there.
We get on the chair, which is totally wet, oh yuk. I am wearing my best and rather high tech and ridiculously expensive storm pants, but this is no way to start the day. There are going to be some wet butts on the mountain today—no worries, though, I have my secret weapon.
It’s days like this that remind me how lucky we are to have the gear we have. The hard gear is one thing, yes, amazing how that stuff has changed, but the clothing today is so good and yes, ridiculously expensive.
When you think back to the 1920s as skiing began to get more popular and something “normal” people could do—even though it was more a Nordic style of skiing as there were no chairlifts (wet from the rain) to sit on—most people were climbing up to ski down. Interestingly, the first sur-
AVALANCHE
Continued from page 18
there are many variables in that equation.
More Nextdoor app: “There have been flashes of light over our house – are aliens invading??!”
Similarly, folks have been concerned about the “flash of light” above their homes—or perceived to be above their homes. These would be homes out in Christmas Valley or the neighborhoods in the shadow of Echo Summit, and the flash is from those Gazex cannons
was sent when it was removed back in the ‘90s.
In its place in that gun tower is an 80-millimeter pneumatic cannon called the LoCAT (Lowcost artillery trainer), which is the next option when the Gazex cannons higher up either don’t work or don’t achieve the desired results further down the slope below Echo Summit.
Using compressed air, the LoCAT shoots a 4-pound projectile at pre-set coordinates and detonates in the air just before
face lift in the U.S. was a steam-powered toboggan tow built in Truckee in 1910. These skiers were hard core. To brave the cold, the best clothing had always been a thick, densely threaded burberry gabardine fabric straight out of the closet from going to work the week before, not waterproof at all but kind of warm. But then someone out there on a farm looked at all those comfy warm sheep and started shaving them to make wool ski clothing, leaving those poor sheep naked and cold and skiers much warmer, if not a little smelly. Wool took over as the ski wear of choice— men in thick jackets and knickers, warmer, a little more water resistant, and oh so sporty! Women were forced to wear ankle-length, or the more daring ones wore knee-length dresses of thick wool with knickerbockers underneath, not easy to ski in, and of course a stylish long scarf.
It was at the end of World War I that an interesting change in women’s ski clothing happened.
The people responsible for this change were the Land Girls. The Land Girls or the Land Lassies, as some called them, were a British civilian work force of women organized in 1917 to do the work on farms for the men who were away at war. These women designed clothing that wasn’t really acceptable at the time but made doing
their work so much easier and more comfortable. Long loose-fitting pants or overalls, unheard-of to wear in public but just right for workin’ the fields!
Well, guess who found out about this? Yes, the inspired American women skiers. No more full-length wool skirts, now they could really do some shredding in their new ski kits and show the men how to do this thing. Oddly enough, it was still not fully acceptable for women to dress this way in daily life!
We have changed our clothing a little bit since those days of wood, wool and leather. Waterproof, breathable, zippers, Velcro, colorful, fancy goggles, helmets, $$$—every decade has brought about crazy changes in our fancy, and in some of those decades, embarrassing, very high tech and effective ski fashion. And yes, wool has managed to stick around but usually beneath some synthetic layers or in our socks.
Oh yeah, my secret weapon on the wet chair days? I stick a plastic Safeway bag between my long underwear and my ridiculously expensive storm pants. No wet butt and nobody knows I have a baggie in my pants: high tech.
I wonder if the Land Lassies had plastic bags back then?
Let’s play
as they essentially belch out an explosive fireball.
Second tool in the arsenal
Some of you remember the Howitzer cannon that once was mounted in the gun tower below Echo Summit.
The Howitzer was, of course, a military weapon. Its shells had to be acquired from the military, which became more difficult over time; also, the firing produces gunpowder residue, shrapnel and sometimes “duds”—unexploded rounds that end up on the slopes and need to be tracked down and disarmed safely. And those unexploded rounds are highly unstable.
There were similar Howitzers years ago at Alpine Meadows and Mammoth, but they were eventually requisitioned back by the military. Ours was also reclaimed, though Newman did not know where the Howitzer
contacting the snow to create a controlled slide. One limitation is that the LoCAT can be used only for the two areas above that gun tower, not further to the left on Echo Summit where there are Forest Service cabins and Berkeley Camp facilities. That would require firing over a ridge and could risk unintended damage at that distance. Generally, it is for targeting the lower half of the mountain where operators have line-of-sight.
Moreover, at close to $200 per round, Caltrans needs to be judicious in using the LoCAT cannon. For perspective, 2022-23 was a winter for the record books and required about 40 projectiles; this past winter, 2023-24 required none. By contrast, the Gazex system is far cheaper to operate.
Third tool in the arsenal – up close and personal
If one or more of the
Gazex cannons go down or are misfiring, and they’re trying to reach an area inaccessible to the LoCAT, Caltrans employs a third resource and approach, which is to drive in by snowcat from Echo Summit, above the slopes to be treated, and deliver “hand-placed” charges. These are DYNO AP 2lb sausage-like charges, 16” x 2,” taped together in twos for a four-pound charge. And although they’re called “hand-placed,” they are actually tossed down to their target. At around $5 per pound, they are less expensive than LoCAT rounds, but only used when the other two tools can’t access an area, which is not often. For the record, the 203424 winter also required no handplaced charges, and the current winter has not called for them yet, either.
After the fun part
Once the blasting process is done, the crew moves to clear the highway of snow and any rock debris; they then bring traffic down behind a snowplow, sanding the road as they go, and do the same thing to bring traffic up and over Echo Summit.
Concerns among locals about structural damage
Folks also wonder if their home can be damaged from these blasts. Newman says the structures most vulnerable would be the Forest Service cabins up on top. If these cabin windows haven’t been boarded up, they can indeed break; generally, they don’t otherwise. It is possible for window damage to happen down below, but Newman can’t recall any recent incidents like that, and no damage of this kind has been reported or filed with them. I suspect, for most folks, it’s more about being startled by the first concussion and also about their pets’ reaction to the concussions.
Safety measures
Crew members wear earmuffs, eye,
hand and foot protection along with winter suits. During any avalanche control, Newman’s crew numbers five minimum and usually six or seven, stationed where traffic is held at both lower Echo Summit and upper locations. From these locations and other spots, they monitor blasts and communicate by radio with the South Lake Tahoe maintenance station in Meyers.
Miscellaneous Q&A:
Avalanche control, understandably, is the part of the job Newman looks forward to most. And who wouldn’t?
They also do boulder blasting at times, but Newman still prefers avalanche work. He speculates that the preference varies among other crew members.
Asked about mishaps over the years, Newman noted snowcat breakdowns (they always take snowshoes, avalanche packs, shovels and other gear when heading out by snowcat) but no dramatic car burials and the like. There have been occasions where motorists have gotten hit by an avalanche before controlled blasting has been done but not in
SLT—not recently, at any rate. Some have asked about the possibility of posting online information about expected blast times and locations. Newman said that the process is for him to notify the Caltrans PIO (Public Information Officer) John O’Connell, who then notifies agencies. The CHP usually posts on its Facebook about locations where avalanche control is imminent. When asked about the possibility of having a live cam so folks could watch the action, Newman pointed out that usually it’s happening during pretty heavy snowfall and visibility is almost nil. He would, however, love to get more video and drone footage to put out there so folks can understand what they do. He noted that he’d like people to see what Caltrans is about, partly because Caltrans often gets a “black eye” over potholes, plowing and such, and often when it’s about something not under their purview.
Photo skinewgen.com
OG slopestyle fashion
Photo Caltrans
A worker attaches propane and oxygen tanks to power the one dozen Gazex cannons across Echo Summit.
Real romances take center stage EDC Air Quality Management District
I caught up a bit more with best-picture Oscar nominees. Of course, by the time you read this, the awards will have already happened, so I won’t go on about what should win, especially since I still haven’t seen most of them.
I did finally catch up with Dune: Part Two the big, sci-fi blockbuster nominee. The film is epic and visually stunning, with all the spectacle you would expect. The acting is full-on drama and the story clear. So why was I bored, turning it off about a third of the way in? Even though I see and enjoy most all major sci-fi movies and have even read all the Dune books (though I did so about 40 years ago), this film just didn’t capture me. Maybe I wasn’t quite in the right mood for it. As I’ve said before, films are subjective and are filtered through our own perception. We usually stay fairly consistent in what we like and don’t like, but for me, this was a good example of how our own thoughts and feelings of the moment don’t always lend themselves to any given film. So a film you don’t enjoy today, you might find more watchable sometime later or vice versa. I will get back and finish
watching Dune: Part Two. It is a well-made movie and I’ll probably get pulled in.
Let’s move to another nominee that I did watch all the way through, Anora As of this writing, Anora was becoming favored for Best Picture and five other Oscar nominations. The film follows Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who is making a living but not rising above the lower working class. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets 21-year-old Vanya, the son of a Russian billionaire, who is staying in one of his father’s mansions. He hires her to come home with him and what starts as a series of business transactions evolves into a real attraction, and Ani begins to enjoy the life of the rich as the two fall for each other. When they travel with some of Vanya’s friends to Las Vegas, they impulsively get married and returning to New York, they attempt to begin their lives. However, when Vanya's parents catch wind, they send a couple of their henchmen to annul the marriage, which sets off a wild chase through New York.
One of the cool things about this film is that even though the
characters are clichés—sex workers, Russian henchmen, billionaire playboy—they are all grounded in reality. They are more the way people would actually be in these positions. This is not Pretty Woman and Ani is not Cinderella; she has rough edges that will not smooth and Vanya is a self-centered manchild who has no real ambitions. Likewise, the film does not reach for any of the standard Hollywood tropes. The whole thing is a grittier depiction of a romance story. The romance is not witty or cute. There are Russian henchmen, but they do not want any violence and do not even carry guns. And there is a comic undertone that pervades much of the film, which again, is grounded by the reality of the characters but creates some very funny sequences. The acting is very solid, and Mikey Madison, who plays Ani, deserved the Best Actress nomination.
Overall, Anora is a high energy romp that isn’t pleasant yet will still captivate you as you follow Ani and Vanya to an unexpected ending. Teresa enjoyed the film but was a little put off by the grittier aspects.
A film that was not nomi-
nated for any Academy Awards (though it has won a few awards from other groups) and yet I think it should have been, is Love Lies Bleeding (out on HBO Max). Love Lies Bleeding is basically a trailer park noir with touches of David Lynch.
The film starts with Jackie, played by Katy O'Brian, who has drifted into a small, New Mexico town in 1989 and is having sex in the back of a car with a guy named JJ, in exchange for a job waitressing at the local gun range. Heading to the local gym, she meets up with Lou, played by Kristen Stewart, the manager of the gym, and sparks fly. After a night of passion, the two fall for each other and after a short time, Jackie moves in to Lou’s apartment. Jackie has been working out most of her life and her goal is to get to Las Vegas to compete in a bodybuilding competition. But this town has a lot of secrets, and an unfortunate act of violence sets off a chain reaction that put Jackie and Lou at the center. Lou’s dad, played by Ed Harris (with the weirdest wig he has ever worn), runs the gun range and as we find out, a lot more, much of it illegal.
Chimney Smoke Reduction Incentive El Dorado County residents in the Tahoe Basin can receive incentives of
$899 to $2,000*
This film, from director Rose Glass, is a neo noir with beautifully designed set pieces that are art while at the same time creating the seedy reality of a backwater town. It is reminiscent of early Coen brothers and also has a very David Lynch vibe with Lynchian style close-ups of mundane objects; sex is violent and desperate, people are flawed and nobody is ever really happy. There are also sequences of surrealism, especially at the end, which reinforce the undercurrent of Lou’s and Jackie’s world. There is not a ton of violence in the film, but what there is, is intense, bloody and graphic. Having queer protagonists is a nice switch and Stewart and O'Brian both have the intensity and desperate passion to make the characters work well. This is the kind of film Kristen Stewart should have been doing for more of her career. Overall, Love Lies Bleeding is a visceral, well-acted neo noir love story, worth checking out. Teresa didn’t catch this one and would have hated the violent parts
To replace a non-EPA-certified woodstove with a new efficient, cleaner burning, eligible EPA certified device! (530) 621-7501
*$2,000 incentive available to low-income residents or residents of designated low-income communities
For information on other EDC AQMD grants and incentives, please visit:
Funding provided wholly or in part by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) through the Community Air Protection program, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).
Photo Neon
Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison star in the Oscar-winning Anora.
AMBULANCE
Continued from page 13
meaning only elected officials are on the JPA board.
As an integral partner, Barton Health employees often attend board meetings. Barton wanted a seat on the board, but the JPA in 2019 decided this was not a good idea as the health care entity would have a say in spending taxpayer dollars, resulting in potential conflicts of interest.
Future concerns
Multiple ambulance teams deliver patients to the hospital, not just the local crews.
“The decision of which ambulance service to use is made by local dispatch centers to ensure the most appropriate and timely response through coordination between local EMS agencies including JPA, South Lake Tahoe Fire, Lake Valley Fire, and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District,” Daniel Shocket, Barton’s EMS director and emergency department physician, said.
Barton Health’s desire to open a hospital in Stateline in the near future at the old Lakeside Inn and Casino will impact ambulance service.
“We have exclusive ambulance rights in our district,” said Scott Lindgren, chief of
Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District.
At a minimum, Lindgren said Tahoe Douglas would need to add one ambulance to operate around the clock and another to work a 12-hour schedule to accommodate ITFs, or interfacility transfers.
Currently, Barton Health has contracts with multiple ambulance companies for ITFs.
“In a rural region, these transfers are crucial for connecting patients to top medical centers throughout Northern Nevada and Northern California,” Shocket, said. “To balance the needs of emergency response and long-distance IFTs without compromising local emergency resources, Barton partners with Cal-Tahoe JPA and other ambulance companies for long-distance IFTs; these services are to ensure patients are transferred to appropriate care.”
El Dorado County is figuring out what the hospital relocation will mean.
“We are trying to anticipate
all the effects of a move if it does happen,” Sue Hennike, El Dorado County’s assistant chief administrative officer, said. “We are working with county counsel, looking at billing for Medi-Cal and whose patients are they. We are working with Barton. They understand a lot of discussions need to be had.”
Cal-Tahoe’s annual operating budget is more than $5 million, but El Dorado County could not provide a breakdown for income generated by ITFs.
The county is less concerned about loss of ITF revenues and more concerned about further reduction in reimbursements from the government for Medicare, Medicaid and Medi-Cal patients, especially with things in Washington in a state of flux.
“Legislation keeps coming down that further constrains (reimbursements). People are no longer accountable for medical debt because it can’t be reported to credit agencies,” Hennike said.
Photo Toogee Sielsch Bears have begun their springtime wanderings.
Photo Kathryn Reed Ryan Wagoner, executive director of Cal-Tahoe, in February shortly before construction is finalized at the ambulance headquarters in South Lake Tahoe.
