a look inside
a look inside
News Briefs
Destination Stewardship not there yet
Tahoe Dad
Darth Vader and the ducks
Spoke Junkie Stop!
Update: Upper Truckee River Restoration, p.22
Youth hockey players line up to take their shot.
Serving Lake Tahoe’s South Shore Since 1994
FREE
2 Mountain News Mountain News 3 3 $3 $ 2 2 F O R F O R 5 5 llb b / /99 99 4 4 llb b / /99 99 llb b / /99 799 7 llb b / /99 9918 18 Bacon Max. 3 lbs. Each Max. 3 lbs Each New York Steaks Beef Stew Meat 4 4 llb b / /99 99 Ground Beef Frozen Max. 3 lbs Each Crab Cakes llb b / /99 699 6 4 4 llb b / /99 99 Max. 3 lbs. Each 8 8 llb b / /99 99 Pork Shoulder S P E C I A L S O C T O B E R S P E C I A L S O C T O B E R F r e s h W i l d S e a f o o d T u e s d a y & F r i d a y r e s h W i l d S e a o o d T u e s d y & F r d y Meatloaf 8 8 llb b / /99 99 ALL SEAFOOD FRESH TODAY ALL SEAFOOD FRESH TODAY Service & Repair • Independent Specialist (530) 544-6311 1748 D Street Next to “UPS” Licensed and Insured • Factory Trained ASE Technicians Windows • Doors • Moulding • Door Hardware Glass Work of All Types - Showers, Skylights, Mirrors We Have a Full Service Door Shop We Have a Full Service Door Shop! Installation • Repairs Custom Sizes Doors of your Dreams Full LIne of Hardware Visit Our Showroom at 1790 D Street • South Lake Tahoe (530) 541-2691 www.southshoreglassanddoor.com
4 Mountain News Mountain News 5 SCAN HERE TO VISIT US ONLINE! mindbodytahoe@gmail.com mindbodyphysicaltherapy.net Call: 530.541.7133 Fax: 530.725.4500 212 Elks Point Rd. Unit 332 / B 10785 Zephyr Cove, NV 89448 Mandie Dickie SPT LEARN ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION (BFR) TRAINING! Contact us today to schedule an evaluation & learn more!
for:
• Tendon/ligament injuries •
•
stress
JOIN OUR FREE SEMINAR
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a strengthening technique used to help gain muscle function after an injury or surgery. BFR can be effective
Soft tissue injuries
Fractures
Bone
injuries
DELI SUBS TAHOE KEYS DELI 530.544.1335 2301 Lake Tahoe Blvd. • So Lake Tahoe SINCE 1984 Online ordering now available at tkdeli.com Conquering Hunger Since 1984 Complete Automotive Repair (530) 544-1021 • 2143 Eloise Avenue Alignment & Suspension Specialists Front End Repair Brakes • Shocks Four-Wheel-Drive Specialists Tires • Tune-Ups • Oil Changes Cooling System Service • Batteries Your Satisfaction Is Our Number One Priority!
Implants? Dr. Ortega and “Goose” (530) 541-7040 1060 Ski Run Blvd. Digital Implant treatment can bring back quality of life with more comfort and aesthetics. We utilize 3D digital technology with surgically guided implant placement that permits a minimally invasive technique that decreases bleeding and swelling without raising a gum tissue flap in most cases. Interested? Call for our Promotional Implant Consultation including a CT Scan for $199. Disclaimer: The promotion is limited to the consultation and CT scan only. It does not include and bone grafting or restoring the implant and does not include any other examinations, xrays cleanings, fillings, crowns or any other dental services
Please join us on Wednesday, November 29 at 4:00 PM to learn more about BFR training benefits!
Considering
Sleepy Hollow Farm sounds quaint and picturesque. And it is quaint and picturesque. Located in Pomfret, Vermont, with its rustic buildings and spectacular fall foliage, the estate is a picture of New England autumn charm. And that picture is the problem. Spurred on by Instagram, TikTok and other social media, this private property and surrounding neighborhood have been absolutely mobbed by tourists in recent years, so much so that this year, the town’s Select Board closed roads, rerouted traffic, towed cars and warned trespassers. But there were only so many public resources it could devote to the problem, leaving residents to start a GoFundMe campaign to finance additional, needed enforcement.
anything illegal and aren’t public lands for, well, the public?
years. It plans on hiring staff next month. One thing I was hoping to see, but which has not been committed to, is public meetings. We’ll see how much the transparency Destination Stewardship has promised pans out. Given that these are mostly public agencies spending mostly public funds, a public process seems like it should be paramount.
Over the summer, I was walking in my neighborhood and into adjacent public lands when I saw a man wearing expensive hiking gear. He was talking into his phone, which he panned around him, gesturing at the scenery, touting one of Tahoe’s “lesser known gems” and giving exact driving directions! I immediately had visions of what would befall Pomfret and considered approaching the man and asking him not to post and potentially invite hordes of people into my quiet quarter. But, what would I say? He wasn’t doing
Groups of visitors roam near my home on a regular basis and a fair number of cars—many from out of state—seem to find what limited public parking there is at the end of the road. I have never begrudged any of them their right to recreate—except for whoever took a four wheel drive through a fragile spring meadow several years ago—or been unaware that I am exceedingly lucky to live where I do. But there are limits. It’s just a law of nature. (Doing some research into the topic, I have discovered that many marginalized groups see Instagram and other online forums a way to open up our wildlands to previously excluded segments of the population, so there’s that ugly complication.)
I asked trusty reporter Kae Reed to provide an update on the Destination Stewardship plan. See her report on page 18. The campaign was only launched in June, but seeing as it took nearly two years to come up with a plan for how to plan, I wanted to see how much progress had been made. So far, the Destination Stewardship Council has met and selected co-chairs as well as secured $200,000 in funding from its various members which it hopes will fund its work for the coming two
The initial Destination Stewardship document mentions the economy, the community and the environment of Tahoe, sounding vaguely like the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s “triple bottom line.” But given that we wouldn’t have much of an economy or a community without our spectacular environment, it seems like that should come first as well as the fact that Tahoe is one part of our planet’s fragile, global ecosystem.
Oh, it seems my erstwhile influencer wasn’t very influential, after all, because crowds of people have not materialized where I live, but it’s always a possibility.
Pomfret has around 800,000 Instagram posts. Tahoe? Almost three million. Find that and other fun facts in Heard Around Town.
Time to go enjoy Tahoe’s own autumn charm -Heather
restaurants
and
541 0200 $775 000
RE/MAX GOLD 530 541
0200 $ 1
#401 B and new home- ea ur ng 2 bedroom 2 ba hs this we ma ntained homes hat s move in eady Space rent s $775/mo +
RE MAX GOLD 530 541 0200 $730,000
Rose
David
Trish #414 Recent Pr ce Reduc ion! Lovely home n one o he most des ab e areas of Mon gomery Es a es Great 3+ bedroom and 2 bath oom home s ts on a eve o w th m es o USFA and Dave Fischer 530 307 8915 $829 000 #480 The k tchen d n ng & v ng oom al bene t rom he a ge picture window o er ng na ura gh and v ews & the back deck whe e you can en oy ou doo l v ng and Tahoe sunsets RE MAX GOLD 530
$3 977
•
Pat
brera
6 Mountain News Mountain News 7
PUBLISHER/PAPERGIRL Heather Gould COPY EDITOR Mike Filce PRODUCTION Joann Eisenbrandt CONTRIBUTORS M.C.Behm
Bell
Bourland
Gary
Peggy
Friedrich
Hamilton
Reed
Tomer The Tahoe Mountain News is a community newspaper serving Lake Tahoe’s South Shore. Distributed FREE everywhere in the community. One copy per person. No article may be reprinted without the permission of the publisher. Send all submissions to: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158. (530) 208-7671
mountainnews2@gmail.com www.mountainnews.net Copyright © 2023 Tahoe Mountain News FROM HEATHER ............................................................. 7 POLITICS WITH PEGGY................................................... 8 SINCE YOU ASKED ......................................................... 9 HEARD AROUND TOWN ............................................... 12 MIKE’S MUTTERINGS 14 What's in a name? COVER STORY ............................................................... 16 LETTERS ....................................................................... 17 NEWS BRIEFS .................................................... 18 & 22 GUEST COLUMN ........................................................... 20 TAHOE TRISH ................................................................ 24 Road trip! TAHOE DAD ................................................................... 25 SPOKE JUNKIE.............................................................. 26 DAVE AT THE MOVIES .................................................. 28 PARTING SHOT 31 Remax @RemaxTahoe #436 Ra e 1 06 acre o s oca ed n a qu e cu -de-sac w h the benef s o Nevada v ng Th s parce o ers a new ypography map ve f ed cove age o 4 200SF & a u i es al eady on si e RE/MAX Rea ty Today 775 588 0700 $999 000 #486 This except ona home o fers convenience and versa i y w th he ease and comfor of downs a rs v ng w th an addi ona ami y room upsta rs Er n May 530 318 257 $799 000 CA O f ce RE/MAX GOLD 2568 Lake Tahoe B vd S Lake Tahoe CA 96150 CA DRE #01460681 NV Of ice RE/MAX Rea ty Today 182 H ghway 50 Zephyr Cove, NV 89449 NRED #144093 (530) 541-0200 (775) 588-0700 #463
L
530 5450811
Kathryn Mo ly Blann 530 545 0282 $923,500
The Parad ce Mote oca ed has one of the bes oca ons n South Lake Tahoe C ose o cas nos go , beaches + more 13 ho e uni s + 2 sepa a e v ng qua ters
oyd Aronoff
000
#484 Classy contemporary Mon gomery Es a es home is mmacu ate and comes u y urn shed Open oo p an w th he k tchen dining a ea and spac ous v ng room on he uppe leve
shopping Rhonda Roth 530 208 6507 $589 900
#487 This th ee bedroom one and a hal ba h home en oys a p me oca on n the hea t o South Lake Tahoe us a stone s hrow away f om Lake
Tahoe
Many
200 000
#489 Th s townhouse n Lake and V age s ocated n the Tour st Core whe e sho t erm vaca on renta s are perm ted
amaz ng HOA amend es
#446 Th s we ma n a ned home has a abulous locat on su rounded on 3 s des by governmen and w th excel ent p vacy Newe w ndows f oors & more
l es Pa ty Bal bre a 530 318 8035 $230 000
u
Ba
530
#400 B and New 2 bedroom 2 ba h 1 200 SF home oca ed in the c y o Lake Tahoe Open concep k chen Covered f on porch Space rent s $775 mo + u i es
y
318 8035 $225,000
Pa ty Bal brera 530 318 8035 $185 000
#390 Th s USFS t adi ona cha m cab n has a p vate secluded ee tha s ocated on a o ested cu -de-sac S eps away rom he Ame can R ver Newer oo s ins a ed
The September 26 city council agenda set off alarms, causing locals to show up to voice their “Hell No” objections to five new taxes being proposed for the 2024 ballot. After many objections were heard during public comment, the council culled the list down to two. A consultant ($$$) will now be hired to poll the community.
The two taxes being considered: A TOT tax increase on lodging, and a change from our current status as a “general law” city to a “charter city” that would allow for broader local governing rules and the collection of a transfer tax on real estate. Councilwoman Tamara Wallace was the lone vote against any new taxes.
The dilemma: Most people living here expect more services than the city says they have revenue to provide. Since you can’t have it both ways, we must either accept just basic services (police, fire and roads) requiring no new taxes or ask the city to provide expanded services that will require more revenue.
The elephant in the room is the $500M the city says we have in unfunded obligations and planned projects. This has caused the council and city management to constantly look for new ways to raise taxes, often before looking to increase revenue without raising taxes. If only the “Hole” could be completed, we could stop talking about more taxes every election cycle.
SCUTTLEBUTT
On September 28, SFGATE (once part of the San Francisco Chronicle) ran an Op-Ed (“Tahoe’s Abusive Relationship with Tourism Must be Reformed”) written by SLT Councilman Scott Robbins. The piece discusses Tahoe’s over-tourism and is getting some attention. CBS News in Sacramento picked up the story and was in town the same day for an on-camera interview.
Robbin’s story didn’t reveal anything that hasn’t already been said by people living here or reported by the Mountain News and other news outlets, but for some reason the CEO
of the South Tahoe Chamber (Duane Wallace) has come out swinging on social media against Mr. Robbins. Wallace starts his comments with: “What a steaming smelly pile of crap.”
He goes on to claim that Robbins has failed as a council member and should be recalled. There is no evidence that Mr. Wallace has filed a recall petition. He says, “Seniors on fixed incomes should be very afraid of the extra inflation our town will have as a result of his wild socialist efforts.”
The high inflation the entire country is experiencing has exactly zero to do with Scott Robbins.
Wallace adds, “Wake up Lake Tahoe. This petulant hateful
man if allowed to foment such hate and lies will single hand idly [sic] destroy our community. He isn’t a true local, but he is truly loco.” I didn’t find any reason to believe that Scott Robbins is trying to destroy our community, nor did I find anything that fits the description of hate and lies, but read the column and decide for yourself at sfgate.com.
Add the above to an incident that happened in August at a city council meeting where Duane’s wife, Councilwoman Tamara Wallace, placed a book titled How Not to be an Asshole on Scott’s chair before the meeting. Her book delivery set-off a major scene outside the council chambers. The Wallaces seem to have strong feelings about Mr. Robbins.
Maybe it’s time to challenge Duane to write his own column for SFGATE and let the readers decide who’s telling the truth.
Speaking of tourism, the Tahoe Blue Event Center’s first big show (Pitbull on September 29) got off to a cluster-F*$% start—people
held up outside for most of an hour, traffic backed up in all directions and the cost to park, a major gouge at $45. Welcome to Tahoe!
DON’T ACT YOUR AGE
Old people are amazing, and none more than soon-to-be 80-yearold Dianne Rees. Her work in the community to protect residential neighborhoods from VHRs led to her involvement with Measure T. In 2021 she succeeded at making Al Tahoe the first recognized Firewise neighborhood in the city. She remains a tireless fire prevention and education advocate. The fire department loves this woman. What you don’t know about Dianne is her celebrity status starting at age two (1945), performing as a dancer with famous big bands at the Bohemian Club and entertaining the troops at USO shows. Herb Caen even featured her in his column in the San Francisco Chronicle. Happy Birthday “young” lady.
To be continued
John Anderson
Progress is being made when it comes to bringing Sacramento TV stations to residents in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
DirecTV said on Sept. 21 that it let the FCC know it would technically be possible to provide KCRA-TV to El Dorado County residents in Tahoe. The request for DirecTV to conduct the technical feasibility came from the county.
At issue is El Dorado County’s West Slope receives California stations while Tahoe residents are watching Nevada channels. The latter is a problem because Californians in Tahoe are unable get state news, election coverage, weather and other relevant information.
“Over the years, Sacramento has demonstrated they pay a lot of attention
mento stations (or any station for that matter) when at home in the basin. But people want the convenience of it being on their TV and not on a smaller device or figuring out how to mirror their computer to their TV.
The FCC assigns every county in the U.S. a designated market area (DMA).
Sometimes counties get split, which creates an “orphaned” county—meaning part of it is in one DMA, part in another. That’s why the FCC has designated El Dorado County an “orphaned” county.
John Anderson, who in addition to asking this month’s question, has been researching the issue.
fairs, political information, and emergency information. This so-called ‘orphan county’ problem can be addressed via a petition to the FCC to modify, upon the request of a television station, cable and/ or satellite operator, or county government, a particular commercial television broadcast station’s local television market to add or delete communities to better reflect market realities.”
ers. DirecTV has until the end of October to make a ruling.
The next step is for the county to proceed with a market modification petition, though it’s possible that would not happen until DirecTV finishes its current study. The FCC has the final say on the petition.
The FCC contends because of the lack of consumer complaints and the process working well for decades, that there has been no reason to change how cable market modifications are made. At least that was the thinking nearly a decade ago.
So, will Charter/Spectrum initiate the change? No.
“The local broadcaster is the appropriate entity to file a market modification petition at the FCC in this situation. A market modification petition to add a station to a market is typically filed by a broadcaster,” Bret Picciolo, spokesman for Charter, said. KCRA, the station most locals pine over, did not return multiple calls.
This leaves the remote in the county’s hands, at least to push the appropriate buttons to seek change for satellite carriers and to work on changes to FCC policies.
to what happens in the basin,” Supervisor Brooke Laine said. “Their coverage of the (2021) Caldor Fire was mostly watched on KCRA. They were reporting on the fire. During the Caldor Fire, Reno news was reporting on how bad smoke was in Reno. KCRA was flying helicopters in the area, giving real time information. KCRA has great coverage of our area. Reno doesn't.”
So, how were people watching KCRA when evacuated? Streaming.
And streaming is how to watch KCRA and other Sacra-
In April, the Federal Communications Commission emailed Anderson saying, “In
Anderson provided that info to county PIO Carla Hass, but had not heard from her so he reached out to the Mountain News. That FCC email was finally shared with Laine in September.
While the email makes it sound like the county could take action to remedy the situation, the FCC’s Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization Act of 2014 says not so fast.
This document says:
“Who Can File a Market Modification Petition?
• Cable market modifications: Commercial broadcast TV stations and cable systems; and
certain multistate DMAs, cable and/ or satellite subscribers located in out-of-state counties within a DMA are sometimes unable to receive in-state broadcast television stations, and therefore may lack access to in-state news, sports, public af-
• Satellite market modifications: Commercial broadcast TV stations, satellite operators, and county governments.
• Note: Individuals cannot file petitions.”
Simply, the county may petition the FCC for a satellite company to change the DMA, but not for a cable provider to do so.
Laine believes that is illogical and said it may be time to get Congress involved to help change that rule.
The county, according to DirecTV, has also asked for the company to study the feasibility of other Sacramento area stations to be accessed by Tahoe custom-
That could be a problem considering Hass says she has been working on the issue since 2018. This month’s question asker and
this publication have shared FCC info with Laine, who moved it up the ladder to CAO Tiffany Schmid.
Laine and Schmid last discussed the issue Sept. 22. Next step, according to Laine, is for the county counsel to get involved. She also intends to review the franchise agreement the county has with Charter-Spectrum to ascertain whether that document might provide the county leverage in its desire to give all of its residents access to California television stations.
8 Mountain News Mountain News 9
“Why does Spectrum not include Sacramento television stations in its cable package for South Lake Tahoe as many residents would prefer?”
–
GOT A QUESTION? Email: mountainnews2@gmail.com Mail: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 95618.
TAHOE PIANO SERVICE Since 1987 • Tuning • Repairs • Appraisals Steve Kurek ~ Piano Tuner/Technician (530) 577-5067 tahoepiano@gmail.com
In September, KCRA-TV delivered a weather update about the South Shore.
10 Mountain News Mountain News 11 An entire month of community exposure Issues distributed to popular South Shore locations Read by both local residents and visitors Advertising rates that beat the competition Jim Mathews CA 01225636 NV S.0053818 Brandie Griffith CA 01961472 NV BS.0145628 Ann Truscott CA 02136075 NV S.0194874 Connie Lopez CA 00964008 Karen Grant CA 01970498 NV S.0184740 Michael Phillips CA 01369810 NV BS.0145615 Trish Hall CA 00995140 NV B.0025568 Joel Damera CA 01851946 NV BS.0145648 Jarred Uppendahl CA 01958463 Molly Jordan CA 02142804 NV S.0195715 Hailey Fuller CA 02162964 NV S.0198544 3370 Janet Drive Vacant lot in the heart of South Lake Tahoe. Close to Heavenly and El Dorado Beach. Build here or purchase with 3374 Janet Drive. $160,000 Call Karen 530.307.0604 3374 Janet Drive Mid-century modern 3-bedroom, 2-bath home. Timeless design; modern amenities. Vaulted ceilings. Vacant adjoining parcel available. $660,000 Call Karen 530.307.0604 530 Wintoon Drive Spacious flat, level Meyers lot; backs to Conservancy parcel. Perfect area for a mountain retreat in the Upper Truckee area. $249,000 Call Ann 530.307.8300 1855 North Upper Truckee Fully remodeled 3-bedroom, 2-bath charming starter home or perfect Tahoe getaway. On large sunny lot. Move-in ready. $599,900 Call Hailey 314.348.4023 2262 Colorado Avenue Contemporary 3-bedroom, 2-bath home. Updated throughout including the kitchen. Spacious living area; abundant natural light. $725,000 Call Joel 530.545.8827 1870 Minniconjou Drive Carefully mantained family 4-bedroom, 2-bath home. Original superior craftsmanship. Tiered landscaping; backyard with deck. $759,000 Call MIke 530.544.5395 896 Lakeview Avenue Welll maintained triplex! New metal roof, all units occupied. bed/2 bath in each unit, two with lake views and steps from the water. $1,395,000 Call Brandie 775.901.2751 2675 Hank Monk Four bedroom, 3-bath county home. Kitchen has walk-in pantry and granite-topped island. Dining area with sitting nook. $1,179,000 Call MIke 530.544.5395 1108 Juniper Avenue Cozy 2-bedroom, 1-bath centrally located cabin. Inviting fireplace, fenced backyard. Two structures in back for workshop or studio. $699,000 Call Hailey 314.348.4023 760 Colorado Avenue Cozy 3 bedroom, 2 bath Tahoe Keys home. Exposed wooden beams, open-concept living. Great natural light; expansive deck outside. $799,000 Call Jarred 530.307.2950 576 Emerald Bay Road Desirable location steps from bike path and beaches. Over 1,300 sq. ft. of coverage. IPES score of 783. Great spot for your dream home. $149,500 Call Brandie 775.901.2751 TriTthe Fall Into Reset sprinklers Water needs of plants dramatically decrease in the fall. Plant in the fall Fall planting encourages plants to thrive next summer. CONSERVATION Add compost and mulch Compost feeds your soil and mulch saves water. Blue Lake Animal Care Center looks forward to providing quality, compassionate care for your furry friend. (530) 600-3911 1154 Emerald Bay Rd. www.bluelakevet.com Mon-Fri 8-6 • Sat 8-4:30 Hablamos Espanol Dr. Neil Powell • Dr. Ellen Sears
The Saint Joseph Community Land Trust recently received $20,000 from the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation and the CM Charis Fund for predevelopment expenses such as engineering reports and architect fees. This past year, St. Joseph’s sold three of its affordable homes in the Al Tahoe neighborhood to families making 120 percent of the area median income or less, which is $136,680 annually. St. Joseph’s is currently searching for sites in the Lake Tahoe Basin that would be appropriate for its next affordable housing development.
The El Dorado County Senior Nutrition Program is seeking delivery driver volunteers for its meals-on-wheels program. Call Tina at 530-573-3130.
According to the Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation
Tahoe Arts Project Presents
which operates the six courts in Douglas County at the lake, Design Workshop is working on a feasibility study for two covered courts.
Bob Hassett, current operator of Camp Richardson Resort, made a presentation to the Forest Service on September 26 appealing the agency’s decision to award the concession to an out-of-basin company. A decision is expected by the end of October.
The last Valhalla play of the season is Of Good Stock, playing at the Boathouse Theatre October 25 through October 29 and November 2 through November 5 at 7:30pm, billed as a weekend “filled with dramatic confrontations and surprising confessions,” helped along by good Scotch.
Tickets at valhallatahoe.com. Includes profanity, so maybe
with the
SATURDAY OCTOBER 14, 2023 BALLY’S
6:30 PM - DOORS OPEN AT 5:30
Tickets Available Online at tahoeartsproject.tix.com or by calling Tahoe Valley Lodge (530)
leave the little ones at home.
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will be holding a meeting at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s offices on October 19 An item concerning vacation rentals will be heard at 1pm at the earliest.
The US Forest Service has released a draft environmental assessment for its basin-wide trails project, specifically with regard to e-bikes. Project work would include constructing new routes, upgrading road and trail crossings over streams and wet areas, installing directional and interpretive signs, and developing and upgrading trailheads, parking areas, and access points. The Forest Service is accepting comment through October 28. Visit https:// www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54566 to provide input.
Seventy volunteers turned out for the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s semi-annual Forest Stewardship Day on September 28. Participants revitalized Saxon Creek in Meyers and a meadow near Baldwin Beach and removed litter. “The land and water here in the Basin are linked together so closely. We can’t have a healthy Lake without healthy forests, streams and meadows,” said Marilee Movius of the League.
Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry earned America's State Parks' Rockefeller-Udall Award
for her dedication to enhancing state parks.
Local bike advocate and South Lake Tahoe Planning Commissioner Nick Speal has been appointed to the board of the Tahoe Transportation District by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Barton Health will be hosting a community health fair on October 19 from 3pm to 6pm at Bijou School.
The South Lake Tahoe Senior Center is hosting Hand and Foot, a fun new game, Wednesdays through November 8 at 7pm.
Instruction provided. Cost, $10 to go toward prize money for each week’s winner. The Senior Center is also hosting an ice cream social on October 15 from 2pm to 4pm. Those 50+ are invited to come and bring a friend.
TEDx South Lake Tahoe returns to Lake Tahoe Community College on October 14 from 5pm to 9pm, featuring local speakers Larry Sidney, Bridey Heidel and Devin Middlebrook, joined by speakers from outside the basin.
Tickets are $85 and can be purchased at tedxsouthlaketahoe.com
The Nevada Division of State Parks has announced the launch of a new app for visitors to connect with nature and access information about parks and trails from their mobile devices. Powered by OuterSpatial, the mobile app is free and enhances access to
the entire Nevada State Park system with real-time updates about on-the-ground conditions, including wayfinding tools, interactive maps, park guidelines, visitor photos, points of interest, events, a digital passport challenge and more. To download, visit https:// outerspatial.link/nevada.
Rotary Youth Exchange is seeking host families for this school year and next. Three to four month commitment. Email Guy Lease at g.lease44@gmail. com.
The El Dorado County Elections Department has moved to a new “transparency focused” space at 3883 Ponderosa Road in Shingle Springs. It will be hosting an open house on October 18 from 3pm to 6pm.
South Tahoe High student Rose Friedrich has been named the student representative on the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Storyboards has named Lake Tahoe the most picturesque landscape in America based on Instagram data.
Have a community announcement for Heard? Email mountainnews2@gmail.com, subject line “Heard.”
12 Mountain News Mountain News 13 M OUNTAIN N EWS B USINESS
A community volunteer takes part in the League to Save Lake Tahoe's Forest Stewardship Day.
SHOWROOM
541-0353 MELODY LEVITT Tahoe Blue Vokda Co-Owner Dancing with Adrian Escobedo SANDRA SANTANE Cuppa Tahoe Owner Dancing with Erik Baker ARICA DAVIS Yummy Fixins Owner & Chef Dancing with Heather Coleman RYAN WALLACE South Tahoe High Wresting Coach/The Champutee Dancing with Izzy Preston GIANNA AVENI Blue Granite Climbing Gym Owner Dancing with Julz Lozovaia JEANETTE RIVA Mom & Entrepreneur Dancing with Scotty Sinkay KYLE SWANSON, MD Orthopedic Surgeon Dancing with Briann Baker DR. SCOTT VALENTINE Lake Tahoe Community College Dancing with Robyn Rasmussen JOE IRVIN City of South Lake Tahoe City Manager Dancing with Cristie Tibbetts DAVID RAINEY Azul Latin Kitchen Bartender Dancing with Cassidy Marchini
of Ceremonies: Sara Pierce with Special Guests Judges: Rhonda Keen, Tom Callahan and Liz Niven Join our 10 couples as they dance their way around the world! Trumbly Tattoo Removal Removing the past with less pain and discomfort Robert Trumbly, CLS 775 781-5500 1520 Highway 395 N, Gardnerville bob@trumblytattooremoval.com Q-switch Aesthetic Lasers
Master
As you all know, we have an East Coast Hockey League (professional) team coming to SLT (well, Stateline, anyway) in the fall of ’24. Some of you no doubt submitted name suggestions for the team, but as of this writing, it’s still in the hopper, awaiting a reported November reveal ceremony of some sort.
So, what do you want in a pro hockey team name?
Something, yes, that will lend itself to a logo, mascot, marketing and surely, the all-important shortened nickname. And ideally something intimidating or at least stalwart sounding.
And I really do sympathize with those people who managed to submit a name as well as those with the team who ultimately must decide on one. Given the locale, it’s not an easy one to come up with; I tried, and as you’ll see below, probably did worse than you.
But let’s first look at some of those out there, with apologies to any younger contributors:
Tahoe Tessie: ouch. I know, I know, if you don’t have a good suggestion, you shouldn’t criticize, but . . ouch. Let this one slip back into the depths.
Tahoe Trees: yes, trees are tall and strong; they usually bend in the wind but don’t break. They have roots and bark and other “tough” features. They are ubiquitous
here . for now. It’s easy to picture them in a logo or other imaging. Except . doesn’t it seem like they’re getting cut down way too easily these days? Ultimately, let’s put this suggestion in one of the thousands of “prescribed burn” piles out there—or just give it the ax.
Tahoe Blizzard: I feel like this has been used in the Pacific northwest, but it’s not bad. I mean, we do get blizzards and they can be brutal. Also, the white towel waving routine can be cool. The Winnipeg Jets have been known for their “whiteout” since 1987 or so, and it is something to see.
Tahoe Whitecaps: This one just doesn’t ruffle the surface much for me. Sure, you have the “’Caps” shortened nickname, but that’s about it. What’s that logo going to look like from 300 feet away? A bunch of lint or cotton fluff. I guess I’d put it in the running right behind Blizzard.
Tahoe Lakers: already exist as a U.S. Premier Hockey League team, so . no.
Tahoe Blue: only if they’re giving out free sponsored beverages at every game.
Tahoe Neon: at first, I couldn’t even guess at the connection, but then I realized it’s winking at casinos. Brutal. Even with the nod to gambling, it’s really pointing more to Reno, which is itself pointing even more to Vegas. Seems like a stretch, and is “neon” what we’re really about? May the roulette gods help us if so.
Tahoe Bronze Knights: the entire point of this is to cultivate affiliation with the Vegas Golden Knights while announcing ourselves as third best (i.e., bronze medal) from the outset. No knights, no bronze. I don’t see it.
Tahoe Zephyr: ok, we get it. The seasonal wind thing and the association with flight or speed. Not horrific like some of these. But it’s a bit of a tough wrap-around in terms of mascot or even nickname to get behind: the “Zephs” or “Zeps”? Maybe just the “Z’s.” But then it sounds like a sleepy-time breeze.
Tahoe Turquoise: this one is just trying way too hard, and I don’t even want to think about what you’re going to do for a logo, mascot or really anything. I guess you partner with Mountain Dew and the Baja Blast?
The Dot got in on the action by suggesting the “Hot Shots” as a nod to the Tallac Hot Shots based in Meyers, aka God’s Country. I don’t think she’s aware of the drug-related connotation the term has, or I hope not, but it seems potentially problematic. Let’s keep the Hot Shots on standby for now.
To commemorate Tahoe’s checkered history—we could go with the Lake Mobsters.
I’ve also heard a bunch of suggestions that have no discernible connection to the region, or even the continent in some cases—Tigers, Timberwolves, T-Rexes, Ptarmigans, Tarpon—ok, at least one of those I put in there for fun, but you get the idea.
Then there’s the Tahoe Trout (not mine), which— ok, we have trout—but they’re not exactly a symbol of hardiness or dominance, are they?
So, sticking with the whole alliteration thing, what other “T” things do we have?
The Tahoe Taxes has an intimidating ring, and we have Toxic Algae Blooms; we have plenty of Trails, and many that are quite challenging . . . but none of these are quite there.
We have plenty of THC to go around, not to mention Tied-off Bags of Dog Turds.
Hey, we have Thunder as a regular summer thing, though hockey isn’t a summer sport. But not the worst idea. I’m moving this one just ahead of Blizzard. Although, again, hard to depict something that’s more auditory than visual. Moved it back behind Zephyr and Hot Shots both.
What about the Tahoe Talon or Talons—if you go toward the owl or eagle (i.e., not the damned stellar jay, woodpecker direction, although you do get the nicknames, “The Jays” or “The P– ” – oh wait, never mind). Actually, the talon idea isn’t too bad, now that I think of it. I mean, nobody wants to get ripped open by one.
Mind/Body Fitness
But we also have some truly terrifying “T”s that we haven’t considered: why not the Tahoe Traffic? Very daunting . . . and on-brand.
Or even more intimidating, the Tahoe Tourists.
But all kidding aside, I am looking forward to pro hockey in SLT and watching the Tahoe Terror-TOTs or Tee-Shots or whatever they are. Hopefully we locals can afford the ticket price.
As always . . . feel free to email MikesMutterings@gmail.com
14 Mountain News Mountain News 15
Strength - Flexibility - Alignment GROUP MAT CLASSES Tuesday 10:30 - 11:30am Saturday 10:30 - 11:30am Kahle Community Center, Nevada Rose Marie Ottman Certified Instructor • Prevent injuries and back pain with proper form. • Also certified in Gyrotonic¤ Call for more information. (530) 577-4044 (530) 577-4044 PilatesTeacherTips.com ZOOM Option Available am authorized to do business in the states of California and Nevada. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; NV Mortgage Company #1141; Guild Mortgage Company; NMLS #3274; Equal Housing Opportunity; www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. All information, loan programs & interest rates are subject to change without notice. All loans subject to underwriter approval. Terms and conditions apply. Always consult an accountant or tax advisor for full eligibility requirements on tax deduction. The Payment Advantage program a promotional primary purchase offer on a Conventional 1-year lender-paid temporary buydown on locks from 11/10/2022 to 12/29/2023. The promotional offer will temporarily reduce the rate by 1% for the first year of the conventional mortgage on conforming and high balance loan limits. The lender-paid credit will fund the buydown escrow account, and the funds will be dispersed out of the buydown escrow account during the first 12 months of the loan. Protection program full terms and conditions, visit www.guildmo Lower for With the Payment 1% of your interest •Lock in a Conventional mortgage, and we’ll pay 1% of your make your payment • Predictable payment increase after •Refinance at a later Protection program* With Payment Advantage, you can:
PILATES
While the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena is no longer the facility city officials dreamed about more than two decades ago, the goal is to renovate the building and offer more opportunities for the public to use the ice, beyond the robust hockey program.
“The rink is a great asset for the city and community. We want to revitalize the building, turn it back into a hub for everyone—and not be hockey or figure skating centric,” said Michael Lewis, general manager of Tahoe Sports and Entertainment (TSE), the company that runs the city-owned facility.
(Van Oleson, who started TSE with Chris Cefalu, owns the company and Cefalu is no longer involved.)
Today, when walking into the building, there isn’t the energy there used to be—on or off the ice. It’s quiet much of the time, almost uninviting as employees don’t always acknowledge visitors.
While Lewis has ideas how to draw people to the rink, it’s hard to want to invest much money when operating on a month-to-month lease. This has been the situation for more than a year. The original 10-year contract expired in 2022, though it was amended in February 2020.
City Manager Joe Irvin expects a longer contract with TSE to be in place within a year. The original contract called for a 10-year extension if a certain financial criterion was met, and it was.
Irvin said it’s a matter of the city and TSE working on performance standards.
“The relationship is healthy,” Irvin said of the city and TSE. “It’s a two-way street. We need to do our part, but they are the operator so we want to make sure it is presentable. When it comes to taking care of fixtures and nuts and bolts maintenance, we need to do our part, and they need to make sure it looks like a visiting team would want to travel here. We want it to be
Twenty years after opening, the city ice rink is starting to show wear.
an inviting atmosphere for our youth and our families.”
Irvin wants to ensure the next contract is iron clad so all parties understand the expectations. Most of this has to do with upkeep of the building.
“We want to see enhanced maintenance,” Irvin said. “Ideally, there will be an ongoing operation and maintenance fund for this building.”
Therein lies a big problem. Measure S, the bond voters approved in 2000, paid for the $4.2 million building that opened in 2002, but no money has been set aside by the city for its maintenance responsibilities.
“I think the city has started taking a harder look at obligations for maintenance and operations, and is prioritizing them and putting in improvement plans and operation strategies,” Irvin said.
An example that lessons have been learned is the $70 million recreation center that should be completed in two years has maintenance and operations built into the financing plan. It includes hiring a dedicated maintenance technician for the facility.
The ice arena needs a new roof, which Irvin said will likely come with a $1 million price tag. That responsibility is the city’s, also known as the taxpayers.
It’s an allocation of funds the council will have to make, but one that was not in the latest budget year that started Oct. 1. The council will also say “yea” or “nay” to any future ice arena contract.
Financial issues
The city sought a private operator of the rink because it had been losing about $100,000 a year for a few years on the then nine-year-old facility. The original contract signed in 2012 called for TSE to pay the city $2,000 a month in rent for the first year, $3,000 a month after that. Beginning Oct. 1, 2012, three percent of gross rev-
enues above $600,000 would be paid by TSE to the city, four percent the next year, and capping at five percent starting Oct. 1, 2014.
The city in fiscal year 2011-12 took out a loan with the state Department of Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for $657,461 to upgrade the ice arena’s chiller, interior and exterior lighting, and data center server cooling control.
With an interest rate of three percent, the loan should be paid off in June 2026. Money to pay for it comes from energy savings and the general fund. A year ago, according to the most current financial documents available, the outstanding balance was $224,712.
The ice rink has been all over the board in terms of being a financial asset or liability. Some of the loss recently was
This includes cleaning up the bathrooms, new stalls, more efficient lighting, and renovating locker rooms.
“I want to build out the café area and turn it into where it’s warm—where you have coffee and WiFi,” Lewis said. “I want to eliminate reasons not to come to the rink; to give parents amenities to hang
Other ways include third-graders in Lake Tahoe Unified School District participating in a once-a-week skate program starting in November. This month through June all students in the district have access to the ice for free at certain hours after school on Wednesdays. On Oct. 11, the Litttle Sharks program sponsored by the
ing shutting down the rink just for them, maybe starting with a Friday Night Lights for middle schoolers. Halloween and holiday skate nights are also on the drawing board.
Other than hockey, adults are also missing from the action. Mostly they are there as spectators. Lewis said adult skating lessons have been offered, but then interest wanes so the next level of classes are not available.
He said curling went by the wayside when the person who spearheaded it left.
When an ice rink opened in Reno in January 2021 this decimated the figure skating program because many of participants were from there, according to Lewis. The coaches also left.
Lewis’ affiliation with the rink started in 2016 when he launched the hockey academy based in Meyers. The city rink is used for practice, with games throughout the U.S.
will bring more awareness to the city’s facility.
“Things that require two sheets of ice we can partner with them,” Lewis explained.
Already bids have been sent to secure events needing two sheets of ice, but none has come to fruition, Lewis said. “The goal is to keep putting things out there.” The ice rink is supposed to spend two percent of gross revenues on marketing and promotion.
When the initial contract with TSE was in the works, building a second sheet of ice was part of the conversation. While room for one is part of the 56-acre master plan, until ice time is unattainable at the city arena, a second sheet will remain an oval on a piece of paper.
due to the pandemic when the facility was closed, then closure a year later in 2021 because of the Caldor Fire, and last winter’s snow created more days when the doors were locked and ice skating was the last thing on people’s minds as they had to keep digging out.
“We are making money, but there is a way for us to make more money,” Lewis said. “The biggest thing in order to make money is . . . to give a product that is worth it. That is why revitalization of the building is necessary. We need a facility that warrants the price.”
Lewis is encouraged by the amount of
out—to eat, watch TV—to create a hub. Maybe there will be a meeting space in the café.”
One way youth are introduced to the rink is through birthday parties, which continue to be popular.
NHL team in San Jose starts for ages five to nine years old who are new to hockey.
Lewis acknowledges more emphasis needs to be placed on bigger kids, which is why he’s talked with youth leaders at the middle and high schools. He’s contemplat-
The Lakers are an under-20 hockey team, with many players hoping to make it to the collegiate level. The Tahoe Grizzlies has three teams based on age. Girls play on these male-dominated teams.
“I keep telling people I would love an all-girls team,” Lewis said. “We do a large summer camp and the girls are clamoring for their own.”
Lewis hopes collaboration with the recently opened events center at Stateline
Also discussed way back when was a conversion kit for the city arena so other types of sports, such as indoor soccer, could be played there. Lewis said there is no storage room for such an apparatus, so that will not be forthcoming.
Irvin said the city has no interest in running the facility.
“I think they are doing their best right now to make sure the facility is open and available to our public,” Irvin said.
ice being booked for the last quarter of this year and into the second quarter of 2024.
Looking forward
“If we get this right with the contract, we can get the building to where it is modern again,” Lewis said.
It was so nice to read M.C. Behm’s article in last month’s paper, titled “Mission accomplished,” regarding the Critical Mass ride that took place on the streets of South Tahoe at the end of August. It is great to know that cyclists were able to take control of the streets for a short period of time, to show motorists we are out there and deserve their attention on safety. I also agree we certainly do not need to increase the speed for motorists on any of
our Tahoe roads, if anything we probably need to go the other way on many. However, as an avid cyclist myself, one who is on the road almost every day, whether it is as a commuter or a recreational rider, I think the mission needs just as much work on the cycling side.
Mark Darling Painting
Every day, I see so many people on their bikes who are not abiding by the “rules of the road” or laws, whichever way you want to put it. According to the laws of the States of California and Nevada, cyclists whether on self-powered or Ebikes, are required to comply to the same rules as motor vehicles, with a few exceptions. This means riding with the flow of traffic, stopping at stop signs/lights, cruising under the speed limit (now a significant problem with motorized bikes), wearing helmets, using turn signals (motorists could remember this too), yielding to pedestrians, etc. I am amazed at how many times I have to avoid oncoming bike traffic while I am cycling on the righthand side of the road, or see pedestrians on the sidewalks having to get out of the way for any type of bike or powered scooters.
So, when former City Manager David Jinkens says, in a letter to the editor in the other local paper, that we need to build more segregated pathways for all, this is true in many instances. However, this will take time and money, and even when completed there will be plenty of areas where all forms of transportation are going to mix together. But with a bit of education, it can be done much more safely.
So in conclusion, safety for all will require educating all on the proper rules of the road. Maybe to start, if they are not already, The Tahoe Bike Coalition, TAMBA and others should start with educating our younger riders in the schools. I remember something called “Bike Rodeos.”
Some helpful website links:
DMV Bicycle Rules, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/ portal/driver-education-and-safety/special-interest-driver-guides/bicyclists-pedestrians/ CHP Ebike Information = https://www.chp.ca.gov/ Programs-Services/Services-Information/Bike-and-PedSafety
Mark Hoefer
16 Mountain News Mountain News 17 M OUNTAIN N EWS C OVER S TORY M OUNTAIN N EWS C OVER S TORY
The ice rink provides spectator options.
Local youth hockey players take to the ice.
Commercial • Residential Exterior • Interior Serving Lake Tahoe Since 1974 Free Estimates (530) 577-4271 Bonded & Insured, Ca. Lic #462487
Before the wheels of Lake Tahoe’s economic drivers (tourism and recreation) could irreparably tear up the environment and make life here unbearable, those in control created the Lake Tahoe Stewardship Plan.
“The heart of the plan is not more people, but better management of people in our watershed,” Julie Regan, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency executive director, said.
Until now collaboration between tourism agencies (Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is the biggest in Tahoe) and the U.S. Forest Service (the basin’s largest land owner; more than 85 percent of the basin is public lands) was a foreign concept.
The pandemic drove home that too many entities were operating in their own space; sometimes at odds with one another and not necessarily working for the greater good.
In summer 2020 it was hard to know California was shut down based on the number of people in Tahoe-Truckee. On Forest Service land something was obviously amiss as trash piled up because those lands were supposedly closed. LTVA for the first time told people not to come.
Even though that year actually saw fewer travelers in Tahoe, overtourism had become an issue not just here, but at other destinations in the U.S. and aboard. Areas keep being crushed by people; many who have no regard for behaving appropriately.
“I think LTVA’s best use of work in this sustainability or stewardship group will be messaging. It will be different,” Carol Chaplin, LTVA executive director, said. “Come have a good time, but this is how you should do it. And here is what else you can do besides going to Emerald Bay.”
She expects LTVA to broaden its reach to those in the basin as well. While the basin’s population is constrained by the lack of developable land, Northern California and Northern Nevada are growing, with Tahoe serving as people’s backyard playground. More triple digit days in the flatlands is literally driving people to the mountains. Whether they come for the day or overnight, they leave
to see litter on the beach.”
But people are stuck in traffic and garbage is a problem.
The powers that be want to resolve those issues and others that negatively impact life for locals and the experience for visitors.
“This is not green washing for us. This is not looking at what we are doing and just say we love tourism and we care about everybody and everything,” Chaplin said. “This is
different than other documents produced by basin agencies.
“The No. 1 priority when this group came together was to take action and not to develop another plan that would sit on a shelf. We discussed that at length,” Regan said.
The entities that created the plan have since formed a council, with Chaplin and Daniel Cressy, public services staff officer for the
build that shared identity around the values we care about. Caring about the environment, caring about our community, and caring about our economy; those are the three major pillars that come together through appropriate stewardship,” Cressy said.
Others involved are: California Tahoe Conservancy, city of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, North Tahoe Community Alliance, Placer County, Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Prosperity Center, Travel North Tahoe Nevada, Visit Reno Tahoe, Visit TruckeeTahoe, Washoe County, and Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.
More players may be brought in.
The council expects by November to hire someone to implement plan strategies, identify projects, and organize work committees.
More than $200,000 has been secured from working group members to pay for what should be two years’ of salary and cash to do an unidentified project. Twenty thousand dollars was the most any one entity contributed. Consultants were paid about $200,000 by members to develop the plan.
Officials hope the council will continue indefinitely, with ongoing funding for staff and projects still to be resolved.
SCAN FOR OUR CURRENT SPECIALS
their economic and environmental footprints.
Without management, Regan said, “We could ruin Lake Tahoe and ruin the experience. No one wants to sit in hours of traffic. No one wants
about balancing visitation with the actual place.”
Action would make the 126page Lake Tahoe Stewardship Plan, which was released this summer after two years of development,
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the co-chairs. Tahoe Fund is the fiscal agent.
“We have a dynamic group of agencies and partners, and we are working with the (Washoe) Tribe to
NATURALFOODS
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
While the public had an opportunity through surveys and meetings to participate in the plan process, how they could contribute going forward remains to be seen. Meetings won’t have to be public. With that said, officials say they want transparency and inclusion. The plan and more info is available online: https:// stewardshiptahoe.org/.
18 Mountain News Mountain News 19
The impacts of overtourism are clear to the naked eye.
2030 DUNLAP AVE AT THE “Y” OPEN
DAILY 9am-8pm (530) 541-7788
MARKET
SELECTED PRODUCTS
ONE - GET ONE FREE!
3000 MG CBD TINCTURES
SLEEP DREAMS CBN
3000 MG DELTA
THC VANILLA & PEPPERMINT TINCTURES DELTA 8 THC SHATTER SELECT PRE-ROLLS & MORE! BUY ONE - GET ONE FREE! YOUR ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR EVERYTHING CBD & DELTA 8 THC! CARTRIDGES WWW.TAHOECBD.COM
LOCATIONS!
CIRCLE
CENTER) 530-544-6666
530-600-3600
3000 M
300 VANILLA PEP
CA W WW.T ELSE ONS! E D CIRCL CENTER 666 ASINOS) 600 LEC TED PRODUC TS R)
BOGO SALE ON
BUY
1500 &
IMMUNE PLUS CBG & CBD
1500 &
8
2
987 EDGEWOOD
(DOMINOS PIZZA
3816 PIONEER TRAIL (1/4 MI. FROM CASINOS)
1500
P
PR
TRPA: stop endangering Tahoe's future
This
As if operating in a parallel universe, TRPA acknowledges threats from climate change, aquatic invasive species and wildfire while at the same time pushing for increased building height and density with little to no parking for new structures, modifying thresholds for scenic standards and exemptions to groundwater interception. Why? To entice developers and pack more people into a basin already straining under the weight of some 25 million visitors.
Adding insult to injury, TRPA and NDOT want to reduce Highway 50 (Spooner Summit to Stateline) from four to two lanes with a large bike, multi-use path and occasional turning lanes. Who bikes in the winter? Or to Costco? TRPA has long promoted this folly. If these agencies truly cared about evacuating people or road safety, they would not promote lane reductions on a major highway corridor that, among other things, would delay emergency vehicle response time.
At a TRPA governing board meeting, El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Deputy Greg Almos and Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Scott
Lindgren pulled no punches describing today’s wildfire and evacuation challenges.
“Our west shore is very vulnerable. There’s only one way in and out and getting people out to the South and North—depending on the time of year—is challenging,” Deputy Almos said.
“We have a long way to go to protect the Tahoe Basin and our citizens with fuel reduction and evacuation planning,” Chief Lindgren added. “Nobody’s worried about fire until there’s smoke in the air, but we need to be thinking about it year-round 24/7/365 and making sure we’re planning appropriately. We got lucky during the Caldor Fire. We got a break in the weather; we had some really good, aggressive firefighting, and we got a break in the topography. It all aligned and stopped at the right time, but it could have been a lot worse for us.”
In a moment of candor, TRPA board member Shelly Aldean raised the lack of visitor preparedness for wildfires. “Educating residents is one thing,” she said, but “educating visitors coming up for the day is entirely different.” Aldean turned to TRPA COO John Hester: “If somebody’s
on the beach with their family and there’s a conflagration a few miles away—you alluded to an alert app—can you actually contact people about an emergency within a certain geographical area, somebody visiting for the day?”
Hester equivocated, “That’s something we could work on.”
Bingo. Did everyone hear that?
There’s no evacuation system to alert hundreds of thousands of visitors hiking, biking, or camping around Tahoe’s vast, mountainous terrain or parked, often illegally, along narrow two-lane roads.
And here’s a “Fun Fact” from the Tahoe Fund concerning forest management: there are 750,000 combustible burn piles around the Tahoe Basin waiting to be cleared. In what world is that fun?
What else is not fun? Watching TRPA representatives and the Placer Planning Commission downplay and ignore residents’ concerns about dangerous congestion and development-fueled wildfire. Following several hours of respectful, enlightening public comment, the commission voted unanimously to amend the
Tahoe Basin Area Plan. A journalist contacted a North Tahoe Public Utility District board member who told him, “There is not enough infrastructure for fire hydrants if too many projects are developed all at once.”
As for Washoe County’s touted “evacuation exercise?” It in no way resembled a real-life evacuation. Some Incline Village residents were told to “evacuate” to the recreation center. At a Placer County Office of Emergency Services Kings Beach town hall (attended by TRPA governing board chair and Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson), there were more evacuation questions than answers.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. While Nevada and California "build relationships" toward a unified, cross-jurisdictional command structure, confidence remains low about how agencies with differing software and communication modes will function under duress.
Is it any wonder those affiliated with Sierra Club Tahoe Area Group, North Lake Tahoe Preservation Alliance, Friends of the West Shore, TahoeCleanAir.org, Tahoe East Shore Alliance, and Tahoe Neighborhoods Group oppose new, ill-conceived, urban development plans as climate-driven fire dangers increase?
It makes zero sense to reduce lanes and add more buildings and people to Tahoe when local fire chiefs, deputies, and TRPA officials admit we don’t have reliable systems and plans in place to ensure the safety of those already here. The risks are obvious, which is why it’s so frightening Tahoe’s policy makers are eager to add fuel to an already precarious tinderbox. Failed TRPA policies that favor tourism over the environment and development over conservation must end.
20 Mountain News Mountain News 21
Tahoe tourist traffic dangerously congesting and narrowing Hwy 28 toward Hwy 50.
month's guest column
on
Tahoe environmental
M OUNTAIN N EWS G UEST C OLUMN Licensed Massage Therapist Relaxation • Sports • Deep Tissue 22-Strand DNA Activation (775) 720-6922 South Lake Tahoe Come visit the beautiful Ski Run Center located only one mile from the casinos at the corner of Highway 50 and Ski Run Blvd. Enjoy unique shops, great restaurants, and convenient services with plenty of free parking! Great People...Great Location! 800 222-7228 (530) 542-2216 (530) 542-2789 We Deliver! Michael Dupree, CPA (530) 600-3777 Accounting and Income Tax Services Ski Run Coin Laundry All Our Pizzas Are Hand-Tossed with Fresh Dough and Toppings Made Fresh Every Day. Dine In • Delivery • Take Out (530) 544-6609 State-of-the-art Machines Full Wash & Fold Service Tahoe’s Largest and Most Complete Ski & Snowboard Rental Shop Since 1994 (530) 542-1031 (530) 544-1595 Space Available Please Call (530) 600-3777 (530) 541-8100 www.SkiRunCenter.com • Corner of Highway 50 and Ski Run Boulevard SKI RUN CENTER SKI RUN CENTER BUBBLE TEA Featuring premium Boba Tea drinks A Lake Tahoe Hair and Wedding Salon Free Bird Chai Chai Tea & Espresso (530) 721-0426 • Suite F (530) 600-4200 Train Like a Pro with Coach Elliott! Personal and Group Sports Training Tahoe’s Largest and Most Complete Ski & Snowboard Rental Shop Since 1994 (530) 542-1031 Design • Surveying • Agency Coordination • General Contractor New Home Construction • Remodels • Kitchens • Bathrooms “Taking your project from concept to completion” CA General Contractor Lic. #802806 (530) 542-2001 • www.gsconceptstahoe.com
is
behalf of a consortium of
organizations.
Overflowing riverbanks might look like Mother Nature is out of control, but the reality is this is what’s supposed to happen. At least in a healthy eco-system.
After millions of dollars were poured into restoring the Upper Truckee River watershed, the projects were tested this year like never been before because of all the moisture that fell along with the runoff.
“We have been monitoring all of our projects and it looks like things worked well,” Chris Carney, spokesman for the California Tahoe Conservancy, said.
The CTC owns five of the nine project areas along the Upper Truckee River that have
Upper Truckee restoration holds its own
been or are slated to be revamped. Tahoe Resource Conservation District, city of South Lake Tahoe, U.S. Forest Service and California State Parks own the other sections.
While the entire river is about 24 miles, the restoration area is roughly the 9 miles from the Highway 50 bridge in Meyers to its mouth at Lake Tahoe.
One of the more visible parcels to be renovated was the Upper Truckee Marsh at Cove East, which is accessed at the end of Venice Drive in the Tahoe Keys.
Even with the record snowfall, irrigation pipes remain in order to irrigate as needed to ensure plants thrive and take
hold, according to Carney. This is similar to the approach taken on the first project at Cove East about 20 years ago. Today, there is no active management, which will be the case with the marsh one day as well.
“The biggest thing with restoring the Upper Truckee Marsh was the opportunity to create wetlands,” Scott Carroll, with the CTC’s Watershed Program, said. “Most of the time, once wetlands have been destroyed by development, such as happened near the mouth of the river, it’s gone for good. Now, between the project 20 years ago and the most recent restoration, we have over 20 acres of wetland habitat back.”
Following the science
As the largest tributary to Lake Tahoe, the Upper Truckee River’s health is of great importance. This watershed, though, is more than the river. It includes all of South Lake Tahoe (the basin’s most populous area), forest, meadows, and wildlife habitat, making for an intricate eco-system.
Key benefits, according to the CTC, for restoring the area include:
• Enhanced meadow systems that capture more carbon;
• Reduced wildfire risk by thinning unnaturally dense forests;
CTC and the city of South Lake Tahoe that was approved in 2022. It’s expected to be completed next year.
The city will get about 7.3 acres of lakefront recreation land next to El Dorado Beach and other parcels, while the Conservancy will acquire about 180 acres of environmentally sensitive land along Trout and Cold creeks. (More details are available here: https://tahoe.ca.gov/wp-content/ uploads/sites/257/2022/09/6_ CityConservancyExchange.pdf)
Johnson Meadow project
Tahoe Resource Conservation District in 2018 finalized the $8.315 million purchase of the 206-acre Johnson Meadow, which at the time was the largest private land holding in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Now the nonprofit is in the process of creating environmental documents that could be released to the public in October.
function. When we get big, crazy years, that meadow can function as a wetland. It can filter water and not take all the sediment downstream,” said Andrew Schurr, TRCD’s restoration program manager. “(The river) is going to be different, but you will still be able to boat it and float it. You will still be able to go from Elks Club down to the lake.”
TRCD is looking to reconnect the floodplain, while the eastern side of the meadow next to neighborhoods continues to be an active channel.
An option includes filling in the route known at Gulley Channel, an old irrigation ditch that after flooding in 1997 has remained an offshoot of the Upper Truckee River. This channel gets deeper each year and has eroding banks that add to the environmental degradation of the area.
Schurr would like to go out to bid in mid-2025 or the following year, with “all things being perfect” construction wrapping up before 2028.
New bridge in the works
Locally known as Hospital Bridge, the concrete structure collapsed in winter 2016-17.
It was a popular connector for outdoor enthusiasts going from Barton Memorial Hospital to the Pioneer Trail side of the river.
It sits on the edge of the Johnson Meadow land owned by TRCD.
The concrete that remains to this day will be removed and a new bridge built farther upstream. It will be a steel-trussed bridge without a middle support, like the recently installed Trout Creek bridge that is part of the Greenway bike path.
the river dynamics and alignment. This (location) will be least impactful to the river,” explained Donaldo Palaroan, senior civil engineer with El Dorado County and the project manager.
The county oversees the bridge project, which is part of the larger 1.2 miles of Class 1 South Tahoe Greenway. The shared use path will begin at the south end Winnemucca Avenue, go onto the TRCD’s Johnson Meadow parcel toward the Upper Truckee River, cross the river and follow the trails toward the completed Greenway at Sierra Boulevard and Barbara Avenue.
• Restored wetlands that naturally filter pollutants to protect Lake Tahoe’s clarity;
• Increased groundwater storage;
• Wetter ecosystems that improve habitat for native, sensitive, and endangered species;
• Expanded equitable access to outdoor recreation opportunities.
In March 2022, a document titled “Greater Upper Truckee Watershed Restoration: Accomplishments and Opportunities” was released by the CTC and other agencies in the basin.
“Rivers have lost their natural functions. Altered stream channels have lower groundwater levels, drier meadows, more channel erosion, and prevent sediment-laden flood flows from being filtered across the river floodplain,” the paper says. “Meadows are drying and have lost habitat. Development has eliminated over half of the meadows and riparian areas that provide critical wildlife habitat in the greater Upper Truckee watershed.”
The above are all reasons river restoration projects began more than two decades ago.
There is no estimate when all the projects will be finished, but most are in the works at some level—even if that means they are just being talked about. Money is the main obstacle in getting them
off the ground, that and what can be an arduous permitting process in the basin.
Through the years, land managers and those tasked with designing and implementing the projects have learned from the work of previous projects.
Continual monitoring of the completed projects provides a road map for future endeavors.
One surprise has been carbon capture.
A study published by UNR researchers in the scientific journal “Ecosystems” in 2020 revealed that meadows acting as wetlands remove carbon from the atmosphere. On the flip side, meadows that are soil with minimal vegetation emit carbon from the land into the atmosphere.
Researchers discovered that one acre of meadow may retain as much carbon as six acres of forest.
Still to be resolved
While land managers are more than satisfied with the various river projects, not everyone is.
Residents on the Al Tahoe side of the marsh are suing the CTC in El Dorado County Superior Court because of flooding.
Another issue to be resolved is the land exchange between the
“The goal with Johnson Meadow is to improve the
Plans will include continued access to South Tahoe Public Utility District’s lines that are in the meadow.
“It will be where the river alignment is more linear. It is more efficient for a bridge crossing so as not to impact
Environmental documents are underway, with the mitigated negative declaration likely available for public review
and comment in spring 2024. Construction may start in summer 2025. The project is estimated to cost $7 million, though by the time it starts it could be higher. Funding is still needed.
22 Mountain News Mountain News 23
Tahoe Resource Conservation District is devising plans to restore a section of the Upper Truckee River that runs through the 200-acre Johnson Meadow.
This bridge near Barton Memorial Hospital that collapsed seven winters ago will be replaced upstream from here in the near future, pending funding.
carsonweldingin c.com •775.884.9353 Protect your family & wildlife by using our proven "Bear Proof" NO BEAR CAN trash enclosure! Built locally in Carson City, NV. The No Bear Can has been tested in Yellowstone National Parks at the grizzly & wolf discovery center. We are proud to have earned the; Check us out online or call us today Serving the Greater Tahoe and Truckee areas since 2004 Living with Wildlife Foundation & Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Certificates
Water fills the recently renovated Upper Truckee Marsh in June, following recordsetting precipitation last winter.
So you’re going on vacation. Well, let me warn you about trying to schedule fun. It’s completely impossible. Because fun is everything that happens when your travel plans careen off road, your to-do list flies out the window, the mental seat belt busts, and your brain is thrown free of restraint.
But every once in a while, a wild and reckless gene, the very one that drove me out of suburbia into this high mountain wilderness adventure park, comes a-knocking. And that suppressed, but always simmering, wild gene has me saying, “Let’s go!”
All it took was a call from a couple of my high school buddies.
“We’re planning to ride the Mickelson Rails to Trails in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Come with us!”
And before you know it, they pierced my thin veil of reason and practicality and I signed on for a 100-mile bike ride.
Hubby, who was born without a thin veil, had the motorhome packed before I got off the phone.
The Mickelson Trail was named in honor of a former South
Dakota governor who crusaded for the trail to be built but died in a plane crash before he had to ride it. This is a classic avoidance technique. After all, it is a ride of a 100 miles over crushed limestone in temperatures ranging from “Oh Hell It’s Hailing” to “Having a Heatstroke.”
Online reviews describe the trail as “hills easily managed if you have a motor . well maintained . . except the cow dung is really bad . . wonderful rest areas with clean bathrooms . .”
Let me set the record straight here. I’ve seen the Rockies. And the Sierras. There are no “hills” in South Dakota. But there are some rolling mounds of cow dung. And the “bathrooms” are spotless. Meaning, they’re hard to spot. However, we located them at rest stops, behind the kiosk. Simply find a patch of weeds, remove your pants and crouch.
Between rides we visited The Black Hills Institute. This museum displays dinosaur bones scientifically proven to be almost as old as mine. The sign by the front door assured us that inside
the museum was “Everything Prehistoric,” so our group of 70-plus-year-olds were allowed to enter and roam freely.
Over the course of ten days, we traveled through endless vistas of desolate grasslands. We stopped for gas in Round Up, Montana, and out of sheer spousal exhaustion, I went into the convenience store looking for estrogen and signs of emotional intelligence. As anyone would, I struck up a conversation with the pink-and-green-haired cashier. This wasn’t easy, as she had a mouthful of lip rings, an assortment of vaguely threatening tattoos and glared at me like I was just another heifer she wanted to throw in a headlock and hogtie.
But after asking her opinion on the various bags of junk food on
display she said, “You have to go to The Backporch! It was voted the best restaurant in the state of Montana!”
It’s a 2023 James Beard nominee, so we were curious. But we had to meet friends 250 miles north at The American Prairie Reserve. This three-million-acre conservation effort was spearheaded by the Mars family, I suspect because it resembles the planet named after them.
The American Prairie Reserve provides a glimpse of “the harsh living conditions and extreme isolation” that caused many pioneers to experience “prairie madness.” Symptoms included “depression, withdrawal, changes in character, and violence,” which explains much of my behavior at camp that day.
Next morning, Hubby and I sat gazing out at miles of dead grass, dirt mounds and irate prairie dogs.
“Didn’t we just drive across 2,000 miles of prairie to get to this prairie?”
“Yep.”
Within the hour we were headed south for breakfast at The
Backporch.
I don’t know about you, but I have a guardian angel that sits on my shoulder. Actually, I have two. Righty tells me, “Don’t do that.”
And Lefty tells me, “No, really. Don’t do that! ”
So, when the gentleman at the register informed us they were out of potatoes, I wanted to scream, “We just drove 150 miles to eat here and you’re out of potatoes?” Instead, I heeded my guardians and walked meekly back to our table. Then I turned to Hubby and screamed, “We just drove 150 miles to eat here and they’re out of potatoes?!”
Hubby said, “I’ll take care of this,” and marched up to the counter to place our order.
A wife’s brain translates this to mean, “Honey, I’m gonna make sure you get your potatoes.”
However, my breakfast arrived missing the bacon, sausage, ham and potatoes. On my plate, in a vast sea of white porcelain, sat one lonely egg and a triangle of toast.
“Where did my breakfast go?”
“I told them you were a vegetarian.”
“Well, they should have put it on my plate anyway. I could have at least looked at everything.”
“Not everything. They’re out of potatoes.”
“Don’t they know they live next door to Idaho? It’s the potato state.” Then both guardian angels agreed I should eat Hubby’s pancake.
So here’s another warning for anyone contemplating a vacation. Your flexibility of mind will be challenged. And your patience and tolerance tested. You’ll endure growing pains from growing curiosity. But it’s the opportunity to make new friends and renew old friendships. And, along the way, you might rekindle the fire of exploration. When you embrace the spirit of travel, you’ll find everything you ever wanted.
Except potatoes.
Once upon a time, Clucky McCluckerFace needed to be rehomed. Clucky, it turns out, was a rooster and he knew his days were numbered with us.
You see, I wanted to teach our kiddos about where all the chicken they consume actually comes from. I learned how to do it on a farm in Colorado and even got a refresher in the bleed, boil and pluck process when a friend had to get rid of his flock.
Lucky for Clucky, Wifey and the kids made a cute Facebook post and one day I handed Clucky off to his new owners. Now Clucky can cock-a-doodle-doo to his heart’s content.
We’ve had chickens for over three years now and this past spring we got a new set of baby chicks and even two ducklings. They are fun to play with and cuddle and the fresh eggs are great when they happen.
I attribute our poultry success to a few critical initial steps. Rather than building an outdoor chicken
coop that required heat and predator protection to which we’d have to tromp through the snow for eggs, I just built a little enclosed pen and nesting box in our garage and made a small chicken door to our jail-style side yard. The boiler provides enough heat in the garage so that chickens (and now ducks) can happily come and go. We also put a little hatch in the fence to our side yard where neighbors can put in their leftover veggie scraps to feed our flock, which is another cool benefit of having chickens: reduced waste. They eat everything. Wifey even gave them half of a large blue birthday cake once that we just didn’t want to finish (because of which, her sister later disqualified any future eggs as being “organic”).
But back to the saga of Clucky McCluckerFace. He and his 11 sisters (at least we hope the rest of them are female), joined our older birds this spring. At first, we kept them separate, only letting them mingle in our backyard
briefly to get accustomed to each other. We also just had them in a small enclosure (or “brooder”) with a heat lamp in the garage. Until one day when we had a visitor.
While Wifey was unloading groceries, a bear discovered our cute little ducklings and chickies. He put his massive, tagged head into the brooder and chomped down on some baby foie gras with a side of hot wings. Wifey and Matilda screamed and yelled and banged anything they could get their hands on until eventually Bad Bear #52 sauntered off.
We replaced the chickens and ducks, and this time were much more militant about immediately shutting the garage door. I also expanded the side yard enclosure so that we could have a faster comingling of the old birds and the new.
It seemed like we were going to be okay; the bears had lost interest and the birds had gotten faster and hopefully more able to outrun any predators. But we didn’t anticipate that our adorable Labrador mix, Darth Vader, would have a sudden instinctual urge.
“I don’t understand,” Wifey said. “Momma Vader is normally so protective of the chickens.”
She feels really bad about it,” I said. “Just look at how she’s cowering. Poor Darth Vader, you didn’t mean to chomp a chicken.”
As the school year started back up, we probably got a bit too cavalier about letting the
chickens romp around unattended in the backyard. One day the same bear with the same tag returned, jumped the fence and got one of the old delicious birds, “Velociraptor #3.” Fortunately, Darth Vader started barking from inside the house, alerting me to Velociraptor #3’s demise. Darth and I burst out the back door and Bad Bear #52 quickly leapt back over the fence into the woods. Rather than leaving completely though, Bad Bear #52 must have realized that he forgot to bring the carcass of Velociraptor #3 with him over the fence, so he turned around and faced Darth Vader and me, determined to wait us out.
I grabbed a shovel and banged it against a rock. Darth Vader barked and growled her most ferocious snarls and Bad Bear #52 did something I’ve never seen a bear do in my 20 years of living here. He sat down on his haunches and said, “Hrrrummpf.” Which I imagine is bear-speak, for “Hey buddy, that’s my lunch.” Or “I can do this all day.”
I tied the laces of my shoes tighter, looked at Darth and asked, “You ready, Vader?” With one hand on my shovel, I opened the latch on our back gate and we rushed the bear. I’ve yelled at bears before and honked my horn, but this was definitely the first time I’ve ever run full speed toward an animal five times my weight with large claws and teeth. I’ve often lamented with friends and neighbors that, “the bears just
don’t seem to be afraid of humans, like they should be.”
“Well,” I thought to myself, “this will only go one of two ways.”
Fortunately for us, Darth Vader and I were able to scare or at least annoy Bad Bear #52 through a few hundred yards of the forest and across a stream. We haven’t seen him back here since. With all the extra headaches, I think I might be done with chickens. We’re also five months into this tumultuous saga with the new birds and no eggs yet. Even the kiddos are starting to wonder when we’ll finally get eggs out of those darn squawky squatters living rent-free in their custom chicken castle, with the meanest chicken of all, McNugget, at the helm. The research indicates that they should really start laying any day now. So, ask me in a month or two when the bears are hibernating (hopefully) and the chickens are producing. Maybe by then I’ll be more pro-chicken and less proteaching my kids about the cycle of chicken life. At any rate, at least we have some crazy stories.
MC Behm is a full-time resident of South Lake Tahoe and author of “Once Upon a Quarantine” and “The Elixir of Yosemite.” To learn more or respond to columns visit www.behmbooks.com or email mcbehmbooks@gmail.com.
24 Mountain News Mountain News 25
Owner William Probst Works His Craft William Probst ISA Certified Arborist (530) 542-6278 • (530) 318-5124 www.arborgreentahoe.com ISA Certification #WE-7889A Contractor’s Lic. # 904864 • Insured & Bonded Since 1993 ARBORGREEN TREE CARE CARING FOR TAHOE’S TREES Call Us Today! We Know Trees.
I might describe myself as “old fashioned with a touch of new tech.” Basically, I am old enough to appreciate some stuff from the past, especially if it has always worked well. But I also really enjoy new technology if it is not just trendy and especially if it works well. I drive a 20-year-old car because it suits my needs, and I can service most of its needs myself (and I don’t have a car payment every month). I don’t use the latest cell phone because it simply doesn’t matter. I do ride the latest skis and bikes, uh, because they are fun!
This is where I run into that weird blend of old tech/new tech. Those who know me know that I like telemark skis, old style, new tech gear. My bikes are a very similar thing. I like a high-tech bike with the latest “stuff” on it, but some of that “stuff” I choose is, well, kinda older new tech or new old tech; I’m not quite sure which it is, retrotech?!?
Let me first describe my reason for this deviation from the norm. For quite a few years now, we have been using some hydrau-
lic components on bicycles, dropper seat posts and brakes. We have gotten to where these items are pretty much on everybody’s bikes. Dropper seat posts go up and down with the touch of a button, very smooth, very effective and once you have ridden with one, you really can’t ride without it. Our hydraulic brakes are amazing. They are very powerful, like power brakes on a car or truck, and you would never drive a vehicle these days without power brakes. They modulate extremely well, meaning it is easy to apply light pressure for a little slow down or get on the brake a little harder for some instant control or grab ‘em hard and get a good “oh sh*t” kind of stop.
These hydraulic systems work pretty well . until they don’t, and when they don’t, they really don’t. Failures in hydraulic systems usually come in the form
of a leak somewhere in the system. But they can also experience contamination of the fluid by dirt or even water—a problem specific to brakes using the dreaded DOT fluid as it can absorb water even through the enclosed system, a problem you don’t have to deal with when using the more benign mineral oils. Any of these issues can leave you grabbing for a handful of brake during that “Oh sh*t” stop and the brake does nothing, leading to an “oh f…” moment, if you know what I mean.
I can hear the question, “Why doesn’t this happen with our cars and trucks?” Well, the biggest reason is that all the com-
ponents in the brake systems of our vehicles are so overbuilt as they are not built to be light and sleek. And very seldom does your car fall over and slightly damage some component of your brake system. Any of these problems means the brake needs to be repaired and bled. Then it needs fresh fluid in the system—mineral oil or that nasty DOT fluid that is part of my disdain for these systems. DOT fluid is caustic, poisonous stuff that will damage almost anything it comes in contact with, and it doesn’t belong in bikes!”
Many of the dropper post manufacturers have moved away from overly complicated hydraulic systems and are using cable actuated levers instead, so much better and right for bicycles. Brake manufactures used to be primarily cable actuated until hydraulic took over. Now we are seeing some brake manufactures making some good cable-actuated brakes again. I have had a chance to ride a few of the new crop and have decided
that my bikes are all going to have the Paul Component Klamper cable brake and Paul Love Lever.
Why? Let me count the ways: designed and made in Chico, California; very well thought out, they basically can’t fail while riding unless you break a cable, which you can replace on a mountainside in about four minutes; they won’t overheat and boil the brake fluid; they are very powerful, smooth and have great modulation; they are completely rebuildable, initial setup is very easy (no tiny hydraulic barbs, olives, pistons, seals, syringes, rubber gloves…), easy to adjust with the turn of a knob if a brake pad rubs; they come in cool colors, are simple, use a common SRAM brake pad—no more bleeding hearts I mean brakes!
Are there cons? Of course. They are a little bulkier; they are handmade in California, so they are expensive, and I’m not out riding them right now.
If you rode some of the earlier cable brakes like Avid BB7 or Tektro, don’t judge from that experience because there is no comparison between these units. If we had these back then, hydraulics would have had a harder time taking over. Yes, they feel a little different than hydros, so they aren’t for everyone. And yes, there are other new, really nice mechanical (cable) brakes out there. I do also like Paul because they have been making quality bike parts for over 30 years, so they know what’s up. New old tech rules.
Let’s play!
26 Mountain News Mountain News 27
Tune Ups & Service Parts & Accessories New & Used Bikes Real Mt Bike Rentals SANTA CRUZ • JAMIS COVE BIKES SKI & CYCLE WORKS (530) 541-7505 • 3430 Lake Tahoe Blvd • Next to Safeway South Shore 9 to 5 www.sierraskiandcycleworks.com 3879 Pioneer Trail • laketahoedentists.com Jerard Trombka, DDS (530) 494-6469 • (775) 588-2949 Make Your Investment Count New Construction • Remodels Residential & Commercial Handyman Services • Drywall We Work with Licensed Architects & Engineers Remodel Specialists! Call Joe at (530) 308-4764 (530) 577-5779 52joe@sbcglobal.net Hablamos Español “We can take your project fom Concept to Turn-Key”
Why do I have hydraulic brakes on my bike?
Pixar is still considered one of the kings of animation. From their first feature, Toy Story in 1995, they led the way in both computer animation and stories that captured the hearts of the audience.
As they moved forward, Pixar had hit after hit and could do no wrong. They weren’t quite on the level with the Disney powerhouse, but they do have four of the top 10 animated films of all time and they are known to break new ground, even if the films do not top the box office. They have been nominated twice for best picture (Up, 2010 and Toy Story 3, 2009) and have the only animated films nominated for best screenplay with seven nominations. They had an occasional miss (i.e., Cars 2 or The Good Dinosaur), but as we entered the 2020s, things seem to take a turn for the worse and Pixar has not had its usual success.
Part of the problem was the pandemic. They had just released Onward in March 2020, just a few weeks before theaters shut down and successive releases, Soul Luca and Turning Red did not have theatrical releases. You might also tie
THE EL DORADO COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT OFFERS INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO RESIDENTS OF EL DORADO COUNTY TO IMPROVE LOCAL AIR QUALITY.
The Chimney Smoke RIP offers $899 to $2,000 * to replace a non-EPA certified woodstove with a new efficient, cleaner burning, eligible EPA certified device.
*$2,000 incentive available to low -income residents or residents of designated low -income communities
The Clean Lawnmower Incentive Pr ogr am (CLIP) offers up to $200 to replace a gas powered lawnmower with a zeroemission cordless electric mower.
Pixar’s loss of momentum back to the buyout by Disney in 2006, followed by the exit of John Lassiter, one of Pixar’s founders and main creative forces behind their early films in 2018. It could even go to Disney’s new management putting less energy into animated features in general over the last few years. Also, Pixar’s competitors have been getting better at finding a larger audience, i.e., Universal’s The Super Mario Bros Movie released this year which crossed the global $1 billion mark on April 30. Perhaps even the Pixar formula for mixing unique worlds with heartfelt character stories doesn’t appeal the way it used to. But I wouldn’t count them out. Though they may start relying on some reboots like Toy Story 5 and Inside Out 2, I’m sure they will be back in the thick of it.
With that in mind, let’s look at Pixar’s latest release, Elemental. The film had a dismal (by Pixar standards) $30 million opening weekend. Considered a “flop” by critics, the film kept chugging away until it passed $150 million domestic and topped $480 million worldwide. Respectable, though
not top Pixar numbers. The film didn’t get any special treatment for release, which played into the mediocre opening. It got good reviews, but not great. So, is it worth seeing? Well, now that is it on Disney+, it is at least a good value.
Elemental is set in Element City in a world where fire, water, earth and air-residents live together. Here we find Ember, who is fire. She’s smart, quick-witted, and yes, fiery. Through a near disaster at her father’s fire food store, she begins an unlikely friendship with Wade, a fun, sappy, go-with-theflow guy who happens to be water. Since fire and water don’t mix, the beginning relationship will have more than its fair share of hurdles as Ember and Wade develop greater feelings for each other.
In the Pixar tradition, the film has deeper emotional levels than what we see on the surface. Each element is its own culture and having elemental differences amplifies the culture clash young people can face, being true to their families and traditions while exploring their own identity and connecting with others outside their culture. It’s about love,
self-determination and community. This film is a basically a Romeo and Juliet romantic comedy with characters all based in fire, water, earth and air.
True to form, the visuals are fantastic. Pixar’s animators manage to construct this world of elemental beings and have it make sense, much like the emotions in Inside Out. Element City, where everyone lives, shows that Pixar animators still have unlimited imaginations. The logic of this world is difficult, but mostly handled well enough to suspend your disbelief.
The film starts off with a typical formula, getting to know characters and getting used to the elemental world. It goes through the numbers, but as the plot thickens, it allows the characters to deepen, providing the emotional core of the story which speaks through the metaphor of elementals. The immigrant aspect can be a bit heavy handed, but it still pulls you in.
This is also a film that has conflict and action without a bad guy. The events that cause distress are not triggered by any evil
or malicious characters, which makes a nice change. It’s not about power or control but stays focused on the individual characters. There is a bit of elemental racism as the culture clashes are at the heart of the story, but even that is toned down. There also is not a lot of topical humor, or the typical punchlines trying to appeal to adults. It has a generally light tone and the emotional impact is solid. With well dispersed action sequences, the pace and energy stay at a good level.
Overall Elemental is not a Pixar classic. It is quite original and unique in its premise, though more traditional in its execution, but still a solid contribution to the Pixar cannon. Perhaps moving forward, they will, once again, create something outside the box that will put them back on top. For someone who has enjoyed all their films, I hope so. Oh, and sorry, Teresa didn’t catch this one yet, but she generally likes the Pixar films.
COMING SOON: Incentives for residential electric weed eaters, blowers, trimmers, ride -on mowers, etc!
The new CHar ge At your Residence and Go Electric (CHARGE) incentive program offers plug -in car owners and lessees a $300 incentive to purchase and install a home EV charger.
The Drive Clean! incentive program offers El Dorado County residents a $599 incentive towards the purchase or lease of an eligible electric, plug -in hybrid, or hydrogen vehicle.
FOR DETAILS, CALL OR VISIT:
(530) 621-7501
28 Mountain News Mountain News 29
Elementa is Pixar's latest fantasy foray.
30 Mountain News Mountain News 31
One Call Does It All Carpentry • Remodels • Decks & Fences Drywall • Water Damage • Insulation Interior & Exterior Painting FREE Estimates • Senior Discounts Licensed, Bonded and Insured • CA License #752985 (530) 545-9280 CONSTRUCTION & PAINTING CO. Corner of Third and Eloise • South Lake Tahoe Great News. Thurs-Sat 3pm-9pm Sunday 2pm-8pm Now Open Monday 3pm-9pm Our tasting room is now open 5 days a week! Men Women Children Same Day Appointments & Walk-ins Welcome! Modified Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm (530) 541-7282 2540 Lake Tahoe Blvd./ By Coldwater www.LocalsChoiceHaircutting.com Tahoe’s Original ~ Swiss Chalet Village Haircuts $15 Jessica
Toben Hood fetes girlfriend, musician Hannah Kelso, at her public debut at the Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation's open mic fundraiser last month.
Michelle M Jessie
32 Mountain News 2212 Lake Tahoe Boulevard (530) 541-6171 • (775) 588-9896 WE MAKE IT SIMPLE TO FIND THE FLOORS YOU’LL LOVE Scan & Save