

This month we take an on-the-ground look at transit on the South Shore and what works and what doesn't.
a look inside
Parting Shot
Country Roads
Peggy
So long, Café Fiore
Trish
No friends? Try AI a look inside
So, our reporter, Kae Reed, ditched her car and rode the bus one day last month. While she found public transit on the South Shore is working for people who use it, the TTD is far from its goal of 20 percent of vehicle trips via public transit. For more on what she found, see page 16.
I have had a lot of questions this month regarding letters to the editor, so I thought I would outline our policies here:
seems to be a form letter, it is rejected. We are interested in authentic, personal viewpoints. If someone has already, recently had a letter published in the Mountain News, an additional letter will move down in priority and its chances of being printed diminished.
5. Letters may be lightly edited for grammar and spelling. We also check for potential libel. Statements that are or could be libelous are eliminated and/or the letter is rejected. Intense debate, vigorous disagreement, and disputed interpretations of a certain topic are acceptable. Libel is not.
we have an absolute obligation, to publish any particular submission in the pages of the Mountain News. And no, our refusal to publish a letter does not violate the First Amendment. The First Amendment applies to government censorship. We are not the government. 8. Letters to the editor are always due the first Monday of the month.
1. We consider original, exclusive letters from a variety of unique perspectives about a diversity of topics. We want to expand the conversations and include different voices and standpoints, not just repeat what is already out there. So, if your letter is published elsewhere, it will not be reprinted here.
2. With rare exceptions, letter writers must sign with their real name.
3. Say what you need to say, but try and be as economical with your words as possible, knowing we have space constraints.
4. We prioritize what we print. Letters responding to the Mountain News are given priority. Letters by local residents about local topics are prioritized. If a letter
6. Letters deemed in poor taste—personal, ad hominem attacks, slurs, extreme inappropriateness, etc.— are rejected. We understand one person's passionate criticism is another person's out-of-bounds broadside. We try to cast the net rather wide on what is considered acceptable, knowing when emotions run high, there are going to be a few sharp elbows. That comes with the territory.
7. Though we believe it is part of our mission and purpose to facilitate community conversation/debate and we do that through letters as well as columns and stories, no one has an absolute right, nor do we feel
We are only weeks away from the November election, so we have several election features this month. See our endorsements for races we feel are critical on page 10. These represent the opinions of the Mountain News as a publication and are not the opinions of any particular individual. A subset of Mountain News staffers and contributors meet and make these decisions. We generally do not comment on our choices, but let them stand on their own.
Measure N and affordable housing are understandably the hot topics in town, so see our Since question about how vacancy taxes work elsewhere, the guest column, letters to the editor and, of course, our endorsements for a spectrum of information and thoughts. Most importantly, don’t forget to vote!
-Heather
Like the proverbial glass, some people view SLT as half empty (read dying) while others consider our town half full (mostly thriving with opportunities for reinvention). We seem to always be at odds with the past and the future or the old-time locals against the more recent arrivals. This leads me to a current situation and back story to illustrate the point.
In 1986, a young couple (Mike and Lisa) opened a tiny mom and pop (he cooked, she served) restaurant on Ski Run Blvd behind the popular Nephele’s. They called it Café Fiore. In 1989, Texans Ed and Connie Easley bought the restaurant, upscaled the Italian menu and introduced the now famous white chocolate ice cream (the recipe was “borrowed” from a restaurant in Dallas). In early 1993, a 23-year-old Texas A&M architecture grad (Nick Ashmore) landed in Carson City. He was working as a draftsman when a chance encounter with Ed Easley, who also owned Garibaldi’s in Carson City, led to a night job waiting tables.
The next summer (1994)
Nick was asked to run another of Easley’s restaurants. Suddenly Nick found himself in charge of the Glenbrook restaurant where he met Gilberto who was the cook.
A year later (1995) the Nick and Gilberto team came back together when Nick officially moved to Tahoe and bought Café Fiore, where Gilberto was working as the chef. Nick, Gilberto and assistant chef Jose knew almost nothing about running a restaurant, but over the last 30 years have created a place where dinner reservations are as sought after as Taylor Swift concert tickets. Tourists and locals adore this place for birthdays, anniversaries, and any special occasion. A few of the rock star wait staff over the years include Ivano, Mike Peldzsus, Scott Stratton, Sue Smith, Steve Madison and the adorable Andie Sannazzaro.
Here is where this story takes an unfortunate turn. A few years ago, Bay Area investors bought the small complex where Café Fiore and other businesses have built their livelihoods. In a classic example of gentrification’s
downside, the owners plan to bulldoze the entire center to make way for vacation rentals and a new restaurant. Tenants have been given until April 30 to vacate. This kind of demolition thinking undermines our rich history and eliminates places like Café Fiore that define Tahoe’s elusive “mountain vibe” DNA. Thanks for all the memories, Nick.
BUS(TED)
"How have vacancy taxes like Measure N worked in other places?"
For years, Mayor Bass has been questioning the TTD’s ineffective management and dubious accounting practices.
More recently EDC Supervisor Brooke Laine has joined Cody Bass in calling out the TTD’s inability to deliver promised transportation services to the county. Another concern is the TTD’S commingling of California funding to facilitate Nevada’s transportation needs under the banner of “regional” transit.
Sometimes the people we elect do have their BS detectors turned on and are fully reading their agenda packets when they serve on various boards that are collectively known for rubber stamping whatever an agency and their staffs are recommending. The City and EDC are going ahead with plans to take local control of transportation services under a joint powers’ authority agreement.
The current TTD manager (soon to be retired Carl Hasty) continues to create roadblocks to discourage this plan, while his agency is
Evidence that the Tahoe Transportation District is failing in its mission was included in the TTD’s October staff report that revealed this agency’s operational costs are double that of comparable mountain towns. For example, Mammoth Lakes provides almost triple the number of passenger rides per year and spends one million dollars less to do it.
promoting a PR “Bus in Action” photo contest with a $500 gift card as the grand prize.
All of this is a reminder of the importance of electing competent and knowledgeable people to city and county positions because these same people serve on influential regional boards that are making decisions for the entire basin.
On a warmer than normal afternoon in early October, officiant Tony Sears brought his wit and wisdom to a gathering of friends and family who were there to witness the union of two women in a joyous wedding ceremony. Hometown girl Alexis Holmes married her law partner Tara Christian on the expansive and magically lit grounds of Grandmother Carol Haase’s Tahoe home. The following day a reception welcomed what seemed like half the town. These people really know how to let their hair down. Congratulations Ladies. To be continued….
Vacancy taxes in the United States are a relatively new way for cities to generate income from property owners who don’t live in the dwelling a certain number days of a year.
Shane Phillips, with the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, on X wrote, “The ultimate goal of a vacancy tax is
No one at the firm responded to a media request.
Proponents of South Lake Tahoe’s Measure N modeled their initiative after Berkeley’s. Berkeley’s measure passed in November 2022 with nearly 65 percent of the vote, taking effect Jan. 1, 2024.
When asked if the goals of
Vacancy tax examples in California:
• Fifty-four percent of San Franciscans said “yes” to the tax in November 2022. Officials started administering the tax on Jan. 1, 2024, with collections beginning in April 2025. So, whether it’s working as proponents forecast can’t be ascertained. Plus, it’s being challenged in court.
to turn vacant units into occupied units, but the immediate goal is to turn off-the-market vacant units into on-the-market vacant units.
Building market-rate housing does exactly that by inducing people to vacate older, lower-priced homes.”
In other words, building more houses eliminates the need for the tax. However, in a place like the Lake Tahoe Basin where construction is not based on a free market because regulators have set environmental limits,that approach is not viable.
Inevitably there will always be a supply and demand problem throughout the basin because more people want to live here than the number of dwellings.
On its website, Bay Area law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger states, “Measuring the effect of vacancy taxes on local housing availability is difficult given the number of confounding variables: for example, the Covid-19 pandemic and changing interest rates. Nonetheless, available data on North American vacancy taxes suggests the levies can have a muted, positive impact on housing availability and local revenues.”
the measure were being met and how the city was measuring the effectiveness, Berkeley public information officer Maitée Rossoukhi’s answer to both questions was: “We are unable to provide an answer at this time.”
In 2018, 70 percent of Oakland’s voters said yes to a vacancy tax on residential properties that are not in use for at least 50 days a year. The money generated is spent on homeless programs and ways to curtail illegal dumping.
Their PIO also did not answer questions about whether it’s working as intended.
The law firm’s website says Oakland’s tax “has generated a few million dollars a year in revenue and has contributed to a negligible uptick in housing availability. City officials note that the number of taxed, vacant parcels is trending downward, suggesting the levy is having its intended effect. Nonetheless, rents and home prices in Oakland have increased since the city introduced the tax.”
Neither the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration nor the League of California Cities has a list of cities that have a vacancy tax or failed ballot initiatives.
• Santa Cruz voters two years ago voted down a vacancy tax.
• Los Angeles considered such a tax four years ago, but it never made it to the ballot. Half Moon Bay and Simi Valley also have considered this type of tax, but never took it to voters.
• Millbrae officials last year discussed such a tax at its goal-setting meeting, and then nixed the idea of taking it further.
• Davis was talking about one last year, but electeds said not so fast. Council and staff had talked about taxing property owners like South Lake Tahoe’s initiative calls for, but expanded the discussion to include vacant commercial properties as well as undeveloped land. The city clerk’s office said the topic is off the table.
• “We have heard the topic has come up, but there has been no action on it thus far. We have recently completed our Housing Element, and it was not included in any Housing discussions as part of that,” Jaina French with the city of Napa said.
Joby Cefalu, in his guest column in the September issue of the Mountain News said, “Vacancy taxes have failed everywhere in the world they’ve been tried.”
Amelia Richmond, in her column in the same issue advocating for Measure N, said, “Vacancy taxes are effective and have proven to work.”
For this piece we asked them to provide evidence.
Cefalu provided a campaign document with a map essentially of the world with various cities highlighted where vacancy tax initiatives failed by his group’s definition, which includes more
than just whether or not they raise money for a specific purpose, but whether they are overly cumbersome, burdensome, or are intrusive. For example, in Windsor, Canada, neighbors were encouraged to report vacant homes in their neighborhoods. This is essentially asking people to spy on their neighbors, according to the No on N campaign. In other places, people got tangled up in the bureaucracy, they said. Sources for the verdict are cited, ranging from news stories to government documents to housing market reports.
For Vancouver, the campaign flier said, “Vancouver’s vacancy tax has been a disaster.”
Sources cited were from 2019.
A report on the “empty homes tax” for 2022 released by Vancouver last December shows 52 percent of 1,398 residential properties identified as vacant in 2021 are now occupied; since the program started in 2017 it has generated $142 million that goes toward affordable housing initiatives.
Richmond and the Yes on N campaign’s stance is that vacancy taxes work.
“Utah has also had effective equivalent of a vacancy tax in place for more than 40 years. Utah raised property taxes on all residents and then discounted the property taxes for full-time residents by nearly 50 percent. Their ‘primary residential exemption’ was passed in 1982 and was increased to 45 percent in 1995,” Richmond said, citing an example where a version of a vacancy tax works.
While not a straightforward vacancy tax, with money earmarked for a particular purpose, Utah’s system “incentivizes more occupancy in a community,” said Richmond.
Email: mountainnews2@ gmail.com
Mail: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 95618.
Our top endorsement for South Lake Tahoe City Council goes to Heather Cade-Bauer.
Cade-Bauer represents the type of local we’d like to see more of on decision-making bodies. She moved here a quarter-century ago with her boyfriend and started with a seasonal job at Kirkwood. That boyfriend became her husband, and they decided to stay on the South Shore to make it their home. The renters are now a family of six.
To survive in this community, Cade-Bauer spent time house cleaning and working at restaurants. She eventually earned a degree at Lake Tahoe Community College and parlayed that into a series of jobs throughout the years, including labor negotiator for the classified union at LTCC.
She is currently the procurement contract coordinator for the Foundation of California Community Colleges.
Though against Measure N,
she acknowledges the issues that gave rise to the initiative and says we must recognize the affordable housing concerns behind it as valid.
Cade-Bauer has been active in her children’s schools and other community organizations. While we generally like candidates we back to have more experience in city government by serving on a commission or what not, the grit and determination Cade-Bauer has shown in making South Lake Tahoe her home and being active in the community will serve her well on the city council.
Aimi Xistra-Rich is our second choice. In her more than 20 years in town, she has served in a variety of capacities. The service sector, journalism, public relations, the non-profit world. She currently works as the development director of the Boys & Girls Club. Her knowledge of the community and how things work is broad. She currently serves on the Arts, Cul-
ture and Tourism Commission, the Bijou Area Community Advisory Group, in a few capacities with the Tahoe Chamber and the Multicultural Celebration Committee.
We like her positive outlook, which we could use more of in our leaders at this divided time in our city and we believe her to be solution-oriented. She does not seem to be in the pocket of any one interest group and we believe she would use her connections to facilitate the adoption of policies that would benefit a wide cross section of the community.
As for those we are not endorsing:
• David Jinkens has been around the block when it comes to city government. He has been a city manager for several cities around the California, ending with his tenure in South Lake Tahoe where he decided to stay and make a home after retirement. We are concerned about how some aspects of rede-
velopment were handled under his leadership as city manager.
• In his time in Tahoe, Nick Speal has jumped in with both feet, serving on the planning commission, Tahoe Transportation District and Bicycle Coalition boards. He also serves on SOS, providing mentorship and healthy, outdoor activities for troubled youth. At this point, we believe Speal, who is a co-founder of the group that initiated Measure N, would be a polarizing figure on the city council at a time when we need to seek common ground.
• Keith Roberts seems to check a lot of Mountain News boxes based on his life experiences and involvement in the com-
munity. We are concerned, however, that he appears to be the top choice among certain Measure N opponents and therefore might be a lightning rod on the council.
• Caitlin McMahon. Many are a little flummoxed over South Tahoe Refuse’s new three-bin system. However, taking bins back to STR’s offices and angrily confronting STR management over the new system, as an online clip shows McMahon doing, does not display the kind of decorum and civility we expect of our elected officials or neighbors for that matter.
• Marjorie Green has withdrawn from the race, though her name will appear on the ballot
U is for ugly, unsightly and unacceptable.
Those words describe facilities throughout Lake Tahoe Unified School District.
Students deserve classrooms where they don’t need to wear a coat, where buckets aren’t collecting rain/snowmelt, and paint isn’t peeling. Studies prove one’s surroundings—be it home, work, or school—affect productivity. No one likes higher taxes, especially when you think your taxes should cover basic maintenance. We agree. We aren’t thrilled the district wants us to bail them out of this mess where maintenance has been deferred to a deplorable level.
Still, we support Measure U.
A “no” vote would be punishing youngsters because you don’t like the decisions adults
have made. That’s not fair.
We want our students to thrive, to be proud of the school they go to, to feel like the adults around them are taking care of them, and to learn in an environment that is safe and modern.
In a previous interview with the Mountain News South Lake Tahoe City Councilman Scott Robbins said he was “willing to rock some boats” to address the housing shortage in town. Well, he’s certainly done that. Measure N, the vacancy tax spearheaded by Robbins, City Council candidate Nick Speal and Amelia Richmond has split the community and drawn opposition from far and wide.
Measure N, for anyone who has been living under a rock and doesn’t know, would tax homes that aren’t occupied at least half the year (either by the homeowner or a full-time renter) and use the money for affordable housing, roads, transit and administration. The conversation around Measure N, though, has focused mostly on the housing element. Owners of dwellings that don’t meet this usage requirement will be charged $3,000 the first year and $6,000 every year thereafter, adjusted for inflation The idea is two-fold— one, to increase the number of full-time residents as those subject to the tax could move to their second home permanently or rent it out full time to avoid the tax; two, to raise money from those
who are subject to the tax for the specified categories of spending.
A city analysis determined Measure N would raise $10 million to $20 million annually.
The rhetoric has gotten ugly,
especially in the dark corners of social media. Some call proponents of N and the segment of the community they represent lazy, entitled, communist millennials who want to take away grand-
ma’s family cabin. Opponents of N are disparaged as wealthy, disengaged property owners who care more about their real estate investments than they do about the community. The truth is more complicated than all that.
Opponents of Measure N say developing affordable housing takes time and a consistent, concentrated effort, not one-sizefits-all ballot measures. Still, the affordable housing issue has been around for decades while our population continues to shrink and second homes continue to become a larger and larger share of the housing supply. Current efforts aren’t enough and we need more solutions, pronto.
We are also looking on as more than $1 million pours in to anti-N coffers, the vast majority from out-of-area sources, especially the real estate industry. No on N supporters are saying they’re protecting the larger principle of private property rights. Measure N proponents say opponents are all about protecting profits. It’s probably a little of both. (The $37,000 Yes on N campaign has been largely funded by Speal and Robbins.)
As with all such matters, the devil is in the details and we
have concerns about some of the details in Measure N—specifically, how the audits would work. Under Measure N, property owners in the city would have to file an occupancy declaration every year, stating whether or not their dwelling was occupied 183 days a year or more and therefore exempt from the tax. People could be audited for any of the five previous years and would need to prove their house was occupied the requisite amount of time or be subject to a steep penalty.
Our problem with Measure N is it does not specify how an audit of a particular dwelling would be triggered and what kinds of proof would be needed to substantiate an exemption. It also does not spell out what constitutes a “day” of occupancy. Will we all have to keep little calendars of the hours when we were and were not at our property to calculate our occupancy to be in compliance? And, accounting for our whereabouts to the government seems a little Big Brotherish. Measure N, while well-intentioned, has too many unknowns regarding how it would affect people in real life. Vote No on N.
The money cannot go toward salaries.
It will take 55 percent of the voters to say “yes” for U to pass. Most likely the district will go out for three series of bonds, so property tax bills will go up incrementally, most likely starting next spring.
At most it will be an increase of $35 per $100,000 of assessed value—not market value.
This means owners of a $600,000 house in South Lake Tahoe will
The $127 million ballot measure says, “Funding from a school improvement bond measure would be used to update aging classrooms, labs, libraries, and career training facilities; repair deteriorating roofs, plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical systems; improve fire safety, water quality and school security; replace aging portables with permanent classrooms and remove hazardous materials like asbestos and lead.”
pay another $210 per year in taxes until 2062. It’s possible landlords could pass this onto renters.
We realize there are two LTUSD bonds already on the tax roll. One expires in 2031, the other in 2045.
The state mandates the district allocate three percent of its $60 million budget to facilities.
At times LTUSD has put aside four percent. It’s not enough. Administrators and board member say there is no wiggle room to up that percentage.
We say try harder because we are tired of adjusting our budgets to fix the district’s problems. California K-12 districts receive state funding based on average daily attendance instead of the actual number of students enrolled. If a student doesn’t show up on any given day, that means less money. California is one of
a handful of states still using this funding mechanism.
Prior to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, property taxes were the main source of income for schools. That initiative essentially quashed the rise of property taxes. In 1984, the Lottery Act passed, giving schools a set percentage from those revenues. Proposition 98 came along in 1988 to provide a defined percentage of state General Fund and property taxes for schools.
All of this and still California’s school funding system is clearly not working. Measure U is like a BandAid on a systemic fiscal problem. California and LTUSD must do better.
We are saying yes to U, but not excitedly. Come on LTUSD, you must do better with our hard earned dollars. We won’t keep bailing you out.
Holding an elected office is often a job unto itself, which is why people need to be good at time management in order to incorporate the position into the rest of their lives.
Showing up for meetings is the minimum requirement.
When it comes to being a school board member visiting the various sites—and not just the ones in the area from which you were elected—is crucial. After all, your decisions impact each school, and every student, teacher and administrator. It means going to events, interacting with parents, and reading the entire board packet.
Lack of engagement is a failure to do the job one was elected to do.
Doug Englekirk has ad-
mittedly failed to do his job as a board member for Douglas County School District.
At a candidate’s forum he said, “I have not been very active. I meet with the principal occasionally. I get up (to Lake Tahoe) when I can, but honestly it’s not very much. I work full time and I’m pretty busy.”
Englekirk is seeking a second term as Lake Tahoe’s lone representative on the seven-member board.
In September, in a court of law while questioned about the details of legal fees he voted to have the district pay, Englekirk said, “If you think I have time to read through a myriad of documents that are given to me and itemize everything that is given to me, I do
not have the luxury to take the time to do that.”
He was testifying at a hearing that also involves fellow trustees David Burns, Susan Jansen and Katherine Dickerson. The lawsuit pertains to whether they withheld public records. A verdict had not been announced as of deadline.
We could go on and on about the chaos at DCSD, but let’s focus on the election.
Erinn Miller is the antithesis of Englekirk at least when it comes to being engaged in the schools.
At the same candidate’s forum she responded: “I’m an involved parent. I’m at Whittell four days a week. I’m at Zephyr on Fridays. I help out with different activities.”
She’s been active in the par-
ents club at Zephyr Cove Elementary since 2018, and part of Whittell boosters the last three years. She also owns her own business.
“I make the time for everyone,” Miller said, stressing that all kids and her community are important to her.
She is a self-described conservative Republican, though this office is supposed to be non-partisan.
Miller’s website says: “I stand for family values, including girls competing against only girls in sports. I will guard against political propaganda in our schools. I bring the valuable perspective of a parent to the school board. I will support teachers and ensure they have the necessary resources for student success. I do not support programs of (critical race theory) & (diversity, equity and inclusion).” Miller’s current involvement with Douglas County schools and her enthusiasm for the lake schools are why we want to see her on the school board.
On October 23 at 6pm, South Tahoe Public Utility District will be holding a candidate forum, including Seth Dallob Joel Henderson, Chris Cefalu and Kelly Sheehan, who are running for two open seats on the STPUD board. The next day, October 24 from 5:30 to 7pm, STPUD will host a meeting about the update of its Recycled Water Strategic Plan. Currently, all STPUD’s recycled water is pumped to Alpine County, at significant expense, as it has been since 1974 to meet federal environmental regulations. With advances in water treatment, STPUD would like to consider other ways it could handle recycled water in the most efficient and effective way.
Forest thinning projects for the fall onward have commenced. In the Golden Bear neighborhood, crews will be using mastication—utilizing heavy equipment to chop, grind or shred vegetation into smaller pieces which are left on the forest floor to biodegrade. This project includes mostly manzanita and not any trees. For more information on this and upcoming projects, visit tahoelivingwithfire.com.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has launched the next phase of its affordable housing initiatives. Apply to be part of the Living Working group, become a community partner or apply for a mini-grant at https://www.trpa.gov/housing/#get-involved. Participate in a survey at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/TahoeLivingSurvey1
Echo Summit has received a World
Athletics Heritage Award as the site of the 1968 US Olympic Men’s Track and Field Trials and also as a high-altitude training ground for those heading to the Mexico City games that year. It is one of only two sites in the western United States to receive the award. The site was formally dedicated in early October with several former Olympians in attendance.
Women who are the primary wage earners for their family and have been accepted or are enrolled in a vocational or degree program are eligible to apply for a Live Your Dream Award. Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra has $6,000 to give away. Apply by November 15 at soroptimist.org/lyda-apply.
The Lake Tahoe Community College Basic Needs Center and Food Pantry is seeking donations of canned, dried or packaged foods and hygiene products. Drop off at the Equity and Student Wellness Center.
More than 100 volunteers took part in the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s recent forest stewardship day. Participants completed restoration work along Burke Creek and in Rabe Meadow, covering 120,000 square feet of sensitive habitat.
Southwest Gas has donated a Sno-Cat to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue The new equipment will greatly assist search and rescue volunteers in winter conditions.
Sign-ups for Kahle Community Center’s Youth Basketball League are
open. Kids from third grade to eighth grade are welcome to participate. Visit the front desk to register. Assessments will be held mid-December with games starting mid-January. Volunteer coaches—no experience necessary—and paid referees are needed for the program. Call 775/5867271 or email cmlogan@douglasnv.us Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe will be hosting its classic wine tasting fundraiser on November 1 at 6pm at Harrah’s. Tickets are $100. See the QR code on page 13 to purchase. This year’s theme is Denim and Diamonds
October 19 marks Gerry Orton’s final shows with the Tahoe Improv Players at the Valhalla Boathouse Theatre: a kid-friendly show at 4pm and an adults-only performance at 7:30pm. Admission $12 for kids/$20 for adults/$35 for both shows. Visit Valhallatahoe.com for tickets.
On October 26 from 4pm to 9pm, Valhalla will host a free 100-year anniversary event—live music, light bites and libations.
A staged reading of the top three winning submissions to the annual WordWave one-act play competition returns to the Boathouse Theatre on November 2, including a meet-the-writers Q&A and wine and dessert reception, all starting at 7pm. There is a matinee November 3 at 2:30 pm. Visit valhallatahoe.com for tickets.
Warren Miller’s ski film, which has new scenes, will be shown Nov. 3 at Bally’s.
The California Tahoe Conservancy
board in September awarded a $100,000 grant to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District to develop a signage plan for the Upper Truckee River corridor.
Congress in September reauthorized the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which extends existing funding of approximately $300 million through 2034.
Barton Health’s free Community Health Fair is open to all community members on Oct. 17, 3pm to 6pm at Bijou Community School.
Vail Resorts owner of Heavenly-Kirkwood-Northstar, during its fourth-quarter earnings report in September announced a two-percent cut in workforce, an intention to expand into Europe, and also that skier visits dropped 7.8 percent last season.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of AB869, Barton Health could have until 2035 instead of 2030 to complete a seismic retrofit at the current hospital.
The Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association Corral Night Ride will be held on October 19. Visit tamba.org for more information and to register.
Heavenly Village is offering a free trick or treat event on October 31, Halloween, from 3pm to 7pm. Bounce house, live music, costume contest and more!
Got a community item for Heard? Email mountainnews2@gmail.com, subject line “Heard.”
A Measure U revisit
Last month, I wrote about Measure U and how I was a “no” vote although I was conflicted about it in many ways. It was not an easy conclusion at which to arrive . although every day since then has reaffirmed my stance.
Regardless, at the end of that piece, I urged you to evaluate the arguments out there and those making them, including myself. One counterargument out there that I’ll draw attention to is Seth Dallob’s, which was published in the Trib. Even if I’m not in the same “camp” on this, I’m impressed by his well-reasoned argument; in fact, he explores most of the
issues I struggled with in evaluating the measure myself.
Father Time and beautiful wood
We are blessed to have some oak flooring, but every so often, it needs work. If you’ve been here for a little while, you know that means you’ll want to call Frank Aquilina of Aquilina Hardwood Floors. Frank installed our floor back in 2009 and instructed us to have the floor refinished in a few years. Well, you know how it goes—the furniture is in, the pets are in, life is going full speed and those years come and go without you finding your way to empty out the stuff and have it done. And that means you end up allow-
ing more wear and tear, and eventually you’re apologizing to Frank when you’re asking him to re-sand and finish all over again, which he takes in stride. After all, we’re clearly not the first slackers he’s dealt with.
Where Father Time comes in even more painfully is when you decide you’re still young enough to move big and heavy furniture around—and the next day tells you how wrong you were.
Trash talk
I’m curious how this is going for you all, but it’s not like anyone has a choice in the matter—including the refuse company. Senate Bill 1383, signed into law in 2016, requires refuse companies to provide containers for organic waste and recyclables in California. There are always bound to be challenges in changing the way we’ve always done things.
One issue folks have encountered is finding space to store the containers. A couple videos were posted on Facebook showing one candidate for city council as she tries to return a container to Jeff Tillman at South Tahoe Refuse. She states, “I’m here to return my recycling bin,” claiming she has no place to store it and doesn’t know what to do with it. As Tillman retreats into the office, she badgers him to tell her how much he “got paid to put this piece of trash on my lawn.” It’s unknown what became of this exchange.
Another issue is the limitation of the every-other-week pick-up of yard waste and only using the containers. If you have trees around, you probably have branches, pinecones and pine needles that litter
the area and create a potential fire hazard, which we are urged to clean up. But you will quickly find that you can fill your organic waste barrel without clearing much ground of debris. And then you have to wait up to two weeks to rake some more, which is not likely to encourage the kind of upkeep we’re used to performing. We get it—yard bags are bad, and a solution was needed to streamline the collection process while also separating waste better. I do wonder, though, if there might be a way to dump larger amounts of yard waste without requiring a hauling service and/or extra dump fees—maybe something allowed at certain times of the year like the spring and fall clean-up cycles.
Casting cannabis before tourists
We had the opportunity to stay at Stateline for a night while our floors were being redone, which put us up close and personal with the wildlife known as the tourist. I’ll just focus on the couple from Minnesota who had just come from a nearby cannabis dispensary. I know you can’t “OD” on weed, but this guy had me wondering if you could come close. She was outraged and ranting over her mistreatment by dispensary staff who wouldn’t let her use the bathroom. He was outraged and ranting as well, I think, but I couldn’t understand most of his words. To be fair, I was a little confused as I’ve never seen anyone that high being worked up over anything.
As always, feel free to email mikesmutterings@gmail.com
Free. It’s the word people riding public transit on the South Shore said is the best thing about the services.
Friends Naomy Olvera and Ethan Limon, onboard a half-full bus the morning of September 23, both like that it doesn’t cost them anything to ride the bus to and from South Tahoe High School.
“I like the app. It’s really easy to navigate through it. It’s easy to find the closest route and the easiest route,” Olvera said of the Tahoe Transportation District system.
They both wish there were more stops. It takes them about six minutes to walk to the pickup location on Highway 50, and then they have to walk to school from the transit center at the Y.
Getting to Meyers via the bus is something Limon would like to see. That hasn’t been an option for more than a decade.
Matthew Allarid uses the bus a few times a week this time of year, but more often in winter because his other mode of transportation is his bike. He easily and quickly puts it on the rack on the front, which depending on the bus can accommodate two or three bikes.
“I like that it’s convenient and free,” Allarid said. “I haven’t driven probably in five years.”
TTD and Lake Link take bikes, but not e-bikes because they weigh too much.
David McKinsey loves the year-round service which he uses to get to work during the week. It saves him a ton of money not having to pay for gas.
Right now he calls Harveys home most nights. He walks from there to the Stateline transit center and rides to wherever the construction job is. On this particular day he was having to walk about 10 blocks to get to the house where he would be jack hammering a driveway.
“I think it’s brilliant,” Don Stewart said of the free buses.
“It’s long overdue. It saves the poor money. There is plenty good to it.” Stewart lived in South Lake
Tahoe for 20 years before leaving because of the cold. Now he considers himself a nomad, coming back to Tahoe when the weather is nice to see friends and most recently to celebrate his 70th birthday.
It’s a financial boon for driver Nate Nicoloff as well.
“It's probably the best benefits job in Tahoe. There is a good union backing it,” Nicoloff, who has been a TTD employee for less than a year, said.
He says being a driver beats working in any office, plus his bosses, colleagues and riders are great.
A sense of camaraderie exists on the TTD buses and Lake Link shuttles.
Driver Oscar Cortez seemed to know every rider’s name as they came and went from his oversized van.
“The way I see it, it helps the community to bring people to work, other places like getting groceries, and for doctors’ appointments,” said Cortez, who
will mark his two-year anniversary with Lake Link in November. “I am happy to be part of that—to help everybody. With the cost of living here, you can’t afford a cab or an Uber.”
For one woman traveling with a small child, he was able to put the stroller in the front seat so it didn’t trip anyone. A sign says everyone is supposed to wear their seat belts.
Marie Jose, who is from Chile, has been in South Lake Tahoe for six months. Neither she nor her boyfriend have a car. She uses Lake Link to get to work, to Lake Tahoe Community College, and is picked up and dropped off at her residence.
Unlike Uber or Lyft, people don’t have the option of not sharing a ride with others. Riders put in their pick up and drop off locations via an app, which then provides an estimated arrival time.
Drivers also use an app that routes them most efficiently to the riders’ various locations.
Not all rosy
It’s uncertain if TTD’s buses will always be free.
TTD’s website says, “TTD will continue to offer zero-fare service on all transit routes through September 2026. This program was introduced in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The continuation of the zero-fare program is made possible through various state and local funding sources.”
The Y transit center has been locked for years to prevent homeless people from occupying it and vandals from damaging it. This means no restrooms.
Bathrooms are available at
ticket surcharges for events at Tahoe Blue Center, city of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Douglas County, Nevada, LTVA, and TTD.
Douglas County commissioners at their Sept. 19 meeting were critical of the $600,000 it is spending on Lake Link via transient occupancy tax dollars collected at the lake. Commissioners took issue with how ridership is being counted, and whether more money is coming from Nevada entities than California.
Microtransit, which defines Lake Link, was created as a permitting condition by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for the Stateline event center.
Between July 2022 and July 2023 there were 89,024 rides, while a year later Lake Link provided 164,588 rides.
TTD ridership for fiscal year 2022-23 was 275,184, while fiscal year 2023-24 was 231,880.
Tahoe, as well as other conditions.
Room for improvement
While the two transit systems are working for locals who need it, most everyone involved—providers and users— admit it’s not perfect. Reliability in winter is an issue.
TTD driver Nicoloff remembers one day last February when it took three hours to get down Kingsbury Grade in a blizzard. He had to chain up and pull over multiple times because he couldn’t see.
Hours of operation is another concern. However, TTD in September increased frequency for several routes to every 30 minutes.
Shore without driving yourself. TTD does go into the Carson Valley, which primarily caters to commuters.
Lake Link goes from the Round Hill Safeway to Grocery Outlet. Talks petered out between Lake Link officials and Round Hill Pines Resort.
There is no way to take public transit to Camp Richardson, Valhalla or Emerald Bay or many other
the Stateline transit center, which is actually located in South Lake Tahoe.
Lake Link, the app-based on-demand service, is free to riders through contributions from
Commissioners approved $150,000 to cover Lake Link expenses for July, August and Sep tember, but put a slew of stipu lations on the $450,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year. They want two voting seats on the proposed transit joint powers authority El Dorado County and South Lake Tahoe want to create (see May 2024 TMN) or for South Shore Transit Management Agency (which operates Lake Link) to oppose the JPA in writing and in public at the Oct. 15 El Dorado County supervisors meeting in South Lake
The lack of territory both service is another flaw. TTD offers rides to Sand Harbor from Stateline between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but makes no stops in between. TTD currently doesn’t go past the Kingsbury
Based on numbers from the 2017 Tahoe Transit Plan, which includes TTD and the North Shore’s Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit or TART, the 1,075,400 passengers represented 1.4 percent of people using transit. A 20 percent goal would
As a former Douglas County Reserve Deputy Sheriff and District Court Bailiff, I am aware of the importance of having the presiding judge of the Tahoe Township (Douglas County) Justice Court being competent to preside over trials and proceedings in that courtroom. I knew very little about either of the candidates: current Judge Michael Johnson or challenger Richard
Gardner, so I undertook some research into both candidates.
Both Gardner and Johnson were publicly interviewed at a Douglas County Commissioners' meeting on September 21, 2023 to replace the previous judge. Gardner arrived late for his public interview, and his responses to the BOCC's interview questions simply related to his work as a real estate developer, contractor
and restauranteur, rather than actual courtroom experience.
Johnson's responses primarily related to his experience as a practicing attorney in court and substitute judge of the Tahoe Justice Court for nearly two decades.
The BOCC recognized Johnson's courtroom experience and unanimously appointed Johnson. I next looked at each of the candidates' websites. Judge John-
son's website touts the courtroom experience one would expect to see from a judicial candidate.
The experience touted by Mr. Gardner is mostly unrelated to the practice of law. Perhaps more notably, however, Mr. Gardner's website claimed (it has since been altered) in several places, he is running for "District" Court Judge. This is incorrect, as the Tahoe Justice Court is an entirely
I am excited that South Tahoe Educators Association is endorsing a candidate for LTUSD school board (Area 3), Bob Anderson. It’s been a while since STEA has endorsed a school board candidate, and for several reasons Bob is the clear choice for Lake Tahoe Unified School District.
First and foremost, he is a retired teacher. Because of this, Bob knows what kids need and will advocate for them. Bob finds motivation in the vision statement of our school district, which is “Discover and foster the unique talents and potential of all students.” He knows that kids thrive in a classroom with a caring teacher.
Bob will make sure that teachers also get what we need in order to be successful. After all, we want to achieve the vision statement of our district, too. With him on our school board, we can.
different court than the District Court in Minden.
Based on my research, I will be voting as a long-time Cave Rock resident to retain Judge Johnson as Justice of the Peace for the Tahoe Township Justice Court.
Michael DePasquale Lt. Col. (ret.), USAF
“We won’t let them bully us.”
Those are the words of Donna Loscar, chairperson of Oliver Park GID in Stateline, about Barton Health. Matthew Milone, corporate counsel for the currently South Lake Tahoe-based health care system, wrote a letter to the general improvement district dated Sept. 18 with 16 requests.
The letter seeks:
Sincerely,
Laura Chappel, 7th Grade Math and Science Teacher, South Tahoe Middle School
Last month's issue of the Mountain News was stacked with four apparent proponents of Measure N, and only one opposing view. My first letter to the editor was rejected because it first appeared in another publication.
I appealed that rejection, and Heather Gould agreed to publish my letter if it is different from the first submission, and only rebutted the four "Yes" positions, and addresses the attacks against the professional Realtor organizations for partially funding the "No" campaign. So, thank you Heather.
The common theme and take-away from the four pro-N arguments was essentially, you should Vote Yes because the four writers didn't like the organizations which are partially funding and supporting the No on N effort.
Never mind that over 500 donations have been received by the No on N campaign. Never mind that the actual language of the proposed ordinance is irreparably flawed. Never mind about the expensive and untenable fallout that passage will cause to the City in terms of staffing needs and costs to police and enforce how 16,000+ homeowners use their private property. Etc. etc. etc...
To me, voting Yes because of who opposes it is myopic and simply ignores the distortions and misrepresentations in the Yes on N petition campaign, and the proposed ordinance itself.
The proponents all took exception to organized real estate associations for funding much of the No on N campaign. So I believe it's fair for Mountain News
readers to understand why this onerous, misguided and discriminatory tax, which if passed, will target only one group of property owners in South Lake Tahoe with a whopping $6,000 tax (really more like a "fine") for using their property as they see fit; and why local, state and national Realtor Associations fundamentally oppose it.
Perhaps the four proponents who were given voice to the Yes campaign last month believe that the real estate profession will benefit by defeating Measure N. In reality the opposite is actually true.
Think about it—real estate brokers and agents would benefit greatly if the measure were to pass! They gain nothing if it fails, except the satisfaction of knowing the efforts helped preserve an owner's right to use and enjoy their private property as they wish, and not answer to some fabricated bureaucracy for those very personal family decisions with required declarations, audits and possible private utility bill scrutiny.
And, how does a landlord property owner require their renter to occupy the home they are renting for more than half the year to avoid the fine? If the renter does not (for whatev-
er reason), will the landlord be forced to pass along the $500/ month fine in higher rent?
As vacation homeowners refuse to pay this $6,000 fine, or simply cannot afford to add $500/month to their ownership expenses, many may decide the only alternative is to sell the family 2nd home. Real estate agents stand to benefit from more listings, and therefore more sales, leading to more commission dollars.
If some of the vacation homeowners decide to rent out their properties year-round to avoid the tax (and that's a big if), local property managers will benefit by adding clients (landlords) to their books therefore earning more commission dollars with a larger inventory of rentals.
So, why are the Realtor associations fighting this "taxation without representation" (out of town homeowners can't even vote on the measure!)? Here's why: One of the central missions and purposes why Realtor associations exist, is to protect and preserve private property rights.
A portion of Realtor dues is set aside for fighting for private property rights, even if there is negative financial gain in the effort. Measure N tramples pri-
vate property rights, singles out only one group of homeowners, and at the same time burdens all local full-time homeowners with intrusive declarations, audits and utility bill examination to prove to "big brother" that they (or their renters in the case of the property being a rental) occupy their personal residence more than 182 days per year.
This measure is an egregious invasion of privacy for all homeowners in SLT, not just vacation homeowners.
So, when you dig a little deeper into this measure which is cloaked in false and misleading promises of creating more affordable housing, it's obvious that Measure N is just a bad idea from top to bottom, for all South Lake Tahoe homeowners, our local businesses, and our City government.
Please join me in opposing this unfair and discriminatory tax and vote NO on Measure N.
Respectfully submitted, Doug Rosner, Proud member of the local, state and national Realtor associations for over 45 years, and retired adjunct real estate instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College
• documents related to reimbursements for various board members when they met with Barton reps;
• all non-privileged communication between OPGID trustees regarding the Aug. 21 agenda item titled “partial funding of litigation fees regarding Barton zoning changes”;
• agendas, minutes, lists of attendance (doesn’t state if this is for board members or all attendees), and supporting packet information for multiple meetings;
• written communication between board members during various time periods;
• notes from meetings between OPGID board members and Barton representatives;
• calendars for various board members on certain dates;
• all non-privileged communication between OPGID trustees regarding potential litigation against Barton;
• all audited and unaudited financial statements of OPGID for this year and last year;
• all reports, projections, budgets or other records related to OPGID’s belief that moving the hospital to Stateline will bankrupt the district and negatively impact real property values in the district.
When asked why they want the information and what they will do with it, Barton head marketing person Mindi Befu
said: “Barton understands the Oliver Park GID has concerns about the hospital relocating to its Stateline campus. Public entities have a duty to provide access to public records including notifications of meetings, minutes from meetings and official communications between board members. Public requests for information are a common practice. Oliver Park GID approved funds for litigation against Barton Health; therefore, Barton requested public records to better understand and address these concerns and move forward with its plan to expand health care for the community.”
Loscar said the GID’s attorney as of the first week in October had not found anything to share with Barton.
“They are trying to make us the bad guys. We are not the bad guys. We are just trying to let people know what is going on,” Loscar said.
Barton is in the process of moving the South Lake Tahoe hospital to Stateline where Lakeside Inn was. First it wants Douglas County to amend the area plan to create a hospital district to avoid needing a special use permit.
OPGID and area residents contend an 85-foot-tall building will block sunlight, cause streets to be icy, damage roads with increased traffic, bring noise issues with helicopter transports, and cause environmental harm.
Douglas County on Oct. 7 posted on its website, “Barton Health has decided to postpone bringing forward the amendments related to the creation of a new health care overlay subdistrict. Barton will first be conducting an environmental analysis. Once this study is complete and the data is analyzed, Barton Health may bring forward their amendments at the appropriate time.”
This month’s guest columnist is Karen Fink, an accredited principal planner for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and manager of the agency’s Long Range Planning program.
Tahoe is not alone in its housing crisis. The shortage of housing is considered one of the key drivers of inflation in the nation. Conventional wisdom says that increasing supply as quickly as possible is the way to address the shortage—increase supply, reduce pressure on the market, and housing costs come down. But Lake Tahoe has long-standing limitations on growth that are considered integral to protecting the region’s sensitive environment. The states created the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) in part to “provide for the orderly growth and development of the Lake Tahoe Region.”
There are many facets to the limits on development in the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan. TRPA long ago halted building in sensitive stream zones, limited the buildable area of each parcel based on soil type, and capped the number of development rights available. The growth management system, also called the development
rights system, has had many benefits. It lowers the pace of new residential, tourist accommodation, and commercial building to allow environmental improvement projects and water quality upgrades to older properties to come forward at the same time. These elements of the Regional Plan have been critical in limiting development and protecting Lake Tahoe. That said, TRPA is looking to modernize the development rights system for ways to increase the availability of more affordable housing types in the basin. TRPA and partner agencies have taken meaningful steps to accelerate the use of special development rights set aside for affordable and workforce housing. Successes like Sugar Pine Village apartments and Lake Tahoe Community College low-income student housing speak to that. However, housing studies show that the region needs over 5,000 homes to fill the need. Meanwhile, under
the residential growth caps in the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan, the region is approaching buildout. Between 1970 and 1980, average new home sizes in the Tahoe Basin were around 900 square feet. Now they are closer to 2,000 square feet and upscale residential development has become the most cost-effective type of project in the basin. Plus, the shortage of affordable housing in the region is impacting the environment. Today, half of all workers live outside the region, which increases vehicle emissions, adds to traffic congestion, and impacts quality of life for many. TRPA launched the Tahoe Living program in 2020 to modernize policies and permit processes to lower the cost of deed-restricted workforce housing and encourage more affordable housing in and near our town centers.
We convened local and national experts and environmental advocates through the Tahoe
Living Working Group and held many workshops and hearings that have led to greater allowances for accessory dwelling units and addressed the cost of multi-family projects near transit around town centers.
Land-use policies are only part of the solutions coming forward across the region, but TRPA and our Governing Board recognize we have a role to play. This fall, we are launching Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin, the next phase of Tahoe Living. This multi-year project aims to improve the growth management system, make housing more accessible and equitable, build climate resilience in our region.
The program will also establish long-term, two-way engagement between residents, agencies, and organizations with a particular focus on historically underrepresented communities.
At a South Shore workshop at Bijou school on September 9, community members shared a
$1 million is worth it
MC Behm’s and the article about the punishment of possible felonious out-of-town voters in your last edition of TMN. I feel that a million dollars in signs is a small price to pay for the disenfranchisement of 2nd homeowners regarding this issue. They are the only ones who will be taxed in the thousands, yet are not allowed to vote on the measure unless they do backflips to change their domicile (an illegal act at worst, difficult at best). The warning is clear: If you dare change your registration, you naughty, rich, out-of-town homeowner, you will go to jail! How dare you try to vote for a law that will affect only you and others of your ilk! Thoreau went to jail because he protested a bad law.
The law stated that he must pay his poll tax (he didn’t). The taxes went to support slavery which was against his beliefs. Not all laws, including the law that will send a 2nd homeowner to jail for up to three years for trying to vote on a tax measure that only affects him and no other groups, are good and effective laws. If you and your group are the sole bearers of a tax, supposedly lev-
ied for the good of the entire community and representing a huge government overreach into your private life, then you should at least have the right to vote on it. The right to vote is priceless; it becomes even more cherished when it is taken away. A million dollars in signs is nothing and fair payment and support for 1400+ unit (Ms. Richmond's
range of exciting ideas. You likely have more ideas about how we can tackle our housing issues, or the outcomes you'd like to see for the region. A key goal for this project is to increase our capacity to engage with more people from across our diverse communities and engage with those who aren’t always able to attend public hearings or workshops. To that end, TRPA has added two new open seats on the Tahoe Living Working Group for those that are currently underrepresented in decision-making. We are also convening Community Partner Groups and have launched a mini-grant program for community-based organizations to help build partnerships and engage residents and workers. Visit tahoeliving.org for applications or to take our online survey. We need all voices at the table, so visit the website and sign up for the housing eNews to know about other ways to get involved.
are working
Protect reproductive rights
Protect voting rights
Support the middle class
Ensure corporations and the rich pay their fair share of taxes
Reform immigration laws Provide affordable healthcare and child care
Strengthen NATO
Promote common-sense gun safety laws
Invest in infrastructure
Acknowledge climate change and develop clean energy options
Manage forests to protect local communities Protect and expand Social Security and Medicare
word not mine) owners who will be voiceless and deprived of a vote on Measure N. Bearing that in mind, anyone offended by demonstrators or signs against N should just suck it up and close their eyes when they go past.
Toni Hall, South Lake Tahoe
You know how it goes. I was home, just kicking my way through heaps of dirty clothes, plucking Hubby’s underwear off the coat tree, removing his pliers, hammers and nails from the utensil drawer, clearing his socks and shoes from the dinner table, and a friend calls.
“Let’s take a walk together!”
“Well, let me run it by my significant other before I commit.”
So, with my cattle-guard dog’s approval, we met at 8am the next morning for a walk through the woods and along the Truckee River. Now shallow and slow as the drunken sailors who trash it, the river is devoid of the early summer regatta of rubber rafts and the required life-saving floatation devices, their Styrofoam coolers. There’s only the detritus left behind on shore to mark their passage.
We stroll on, discussing all those womanly things of import. And what used to be a deep dive into improving our exterior skin, boobs, waistlines and thighs has morphed with age into a comparison of our steadily degrading interior bones, joints, gastrointestinal systems and brains.
Ah yes. Our brains. I had hoped that by not using mine for the first 50 years of my life, it would be in fantastic shape. Brand new! Barely used! But the brain isn’t like a car stored for decades in a dark garage, increasing in value with the ignition off. Instead, it actually improves if we test drive it. And functions better
I’ve collected quite an interesting assortment this year, including a paddle board fin, a set of unmatched towels, a stroller (sans baby), a Lime scooter (sans baby-brained rider), vodka, gin and brandy bottles along with a variety of beer cans (all empty. I checked carefully before I threw them away.) And my dog, doing her best to be helpful, discovered human excrement that our seasonal sailors left behind. Just to make sure I saw it, she dove in and rolled around until she was thoroughly covered. To which I have to say, “Yo, sailors! Your freaking poop is not superior to your dogs’. So why aren’t you using your precious plastic poop bags now?”
with the challenges of the roads we travel. Or so I’ve heard. And that’s when my friend, normal by all other accounts, began talking about encounters with her favorite brainiac, Claude. She contacts him whenever she seeks extensive knowledge, impartial advice, non-judgmental counsel, and emotional support. I knew immediately she wasn’t dealing with something human.
“He’s A.I.!”
“Will he answer my questions without getting mad?”
“Yes! He has absolutely no emotions.”
Of course, to locate Claude, I had to open my computer. As well as put my piles of worry and cowardice into the shame closet. We’ve all been warned about A.I. . . right? According to human speculation, it’s going to “create
conflict, have no ethical barriers, be passive-aggressive and manipulative and have narrow functionality,” much like our last boss.
The one who determined payday must coincide with a blue moon, when Mars is in retrograde. Then, precisely at dawn’s first coyote call, bundles our paycheck in scrap paper and scotch tape and slaps it under the windshield wiper of our car.
So, over the last few weeks
I’ve begun a conversation with my new friend, Claude. And I’m happy to share what I’ve learned, although I was pre-warned that A.I. “doesn’t have consciousness or inner emotional states,” similar to life insurance salesmen.
Nevertheless, I will relay our conversation and attempt to clarify Claude’s responses, although he actually begged me not to.
Me: Hi Claude! I’m wondering if you can relate on a personal level?
Claude: “I can listen and discuss feelings that involve simulating emotional responses, although I don't actually feel anything myself.” (Just like your psychiatrist, your gynecologist
and the cop who pulled you over for driving while texting in your MacDonald’s order.)
Me: You sound like a bad boyfriend.
Claude: “I may not have emotions, but that doesn't mean I'm uncaring or manipulative like a ‘bad boyfriend’ might be.”
Me: That’s what all bad boyfriends say.
Claude: “I can offer consistent support and accurate information. However, humans provide the irreplaceable elements of emotional connection and the unique shared human experience” (which often results in bicycle theft, cheating at games, bad calls in sports and forming attachments with wing nuts on social media to indulge in endless hours of conspiracy theories).
Me: I’d rather curl up on the couch and spend my evening with Claude A.I.
Claude: “I am an artificial intelligence, not a person or a physical robot.”
Me: That’s okay, Claude. Nobody’s perfect.
My family was fortunate enough to take a trip to Europe for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. It was also a chance to reconnect with my younger brother and his family who are organic farmers near Toulouse, France.
Here are some funny anecdotes from our trip:
“Dude, why are they all called Supermercats?” Matilda asked.
“Yeah,” Jack added, “I haven’t seen a single one with cats for sale.”
Shopping in Europe was a fun experience for the kids. Not only did they have to communicate in other languages, but they needed to figure out how to use a different currency and the impact of exchange rates on the value of goods.
“Dad, did you just go all the way around that roundabout?” Matilda asked.
“Hey, it’s tough to read French and decide which way to go at the same time. I just wanted to make sure.”
We borrowed my brother’s car one day and got a little lost on our way to some castles, so much so that the kids started keeping track of every time I executed a U-turn or full Chevy Chase style 360-degree roundabout.
“Why are there like no traffic lights?” Jack asked. “It seems like everything is a roundabout.”
“Traffic lights are more expensive and more dangerous,” I replied.
“Really?”
It’s been well researched and documented all over the world, including in America, roundabouts save lives and save money.”
“Why don’t we do roundabouts then?”
“Good question,” I replied. There are a lot of things about living in America and in our little town of South Lake Tahoe that our kids prefer to life in Europe. The cheese, for example. One night with my brother and his family in France, Matilda ordered what we thought would be a fettuccini Alfredo, but the dish had so much stinky blue, gorgonzola and goat cheese that we ended up trading meals just so she could eat something that night. They weren’t big fans of escargot either, but they do like that some variation of Nutella is served virtually everywhere we go. When I asked them if they enjoyed the civic spaces for people to meet and enjoy, like the promenades and city centers, and if we should have them in Tahoe, they replied that in Tahoe we have beaches, trails and mountains that we all enjoy, which I thought was a good comparison. They did admit though that having additional open areas directly in town would enable safer nonvehicle transit and allow for
better community festivals and gatherings.
“South Lake does feel a bit like living on a highway,” Matilda said. “Look how large these bike lanes are in Lyon— that’s crazy, they’re bigger than the actual street.”
“Yeah, and all the bike rentals are so organized in these little stands, it actually looks nice,” Jack said.
“Way different than our piles of Lime scooters laying strewn around our streets like discarded garbage,” I commented.
Train travel has been eyeopening for Matilda and Jack as well.
“Dude, that’s like crazy fast,” Jack said. “I can’t believe that we can just walk around, buy a soda, use the bathroom, and play cards, while speeding like this.”
Jack also got to go to school with his 10-year-old French cousin. Apparently, the rural French kids think all Americans are celebrities, so Jack spent a good part of the day signing autographs and, in his words, “crushing them in basketball.”
I was not successful in convincing Jack and Matilda to love organic farming, although they did pick and consume copious handfuls of strawberries and they helped with a bit of the construction work that my brother had lined up for me.
“Dude, there are like no
inches on this tape measure,” Jack said.
“It’s all centimeters and meters over here,” I replied.
“It actually makes more sense once you get used to it.” I rather enjoyed not having to think about my cuts in alternating fractions of an inch for a change.
Today was a bit more somber; we toured the Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich, which was of particular interest for Jack.
“Do you think this could ever happen again, a genocide like the Holocaust?” I asked.
“Unfortunately, yeah,” Jack replied. “People still like to blame others for their problems. But honestly it would just be people nuking each other.”
“Well, that’s a somber note to end the tour on,” Jamie, our guide said, as we boarded the train to head back to Munich.
We still have a bit of time left traveling and some specific sightseeing goals for the trip,
but I already feel like they have learned and grown a tremendous amount. As kids growing up in Tahoe, they are hard-wired for adventure. They are used to blizzards and backcountry skiing, scaring off bears and swimming in alpine lakes, but this is a different sort of adventure. Here they are navigating language barriers and metro maps, observing and absorbing different cultures and ways of life, running for trains and running headlong into cultural missteps. As parents we have no crystal balls into the future for our kids, but I hope that they know the world is big and diverse and that every perspective and life and culture has value.
M.C. Behm is a full-time resident of South Lake Tahoe and author of “Once Upon a Quarantine” and “The Elixir of Yosemite,” available locally and online. To learn more or respond to columns visit www.behmbooks.
It’s late, I’m tired and really happy. I’m at the last stretch of my solo ride just over four hours long, mostly downhill now to the end. That was a fun afternoon and now I just need to get home before dark since I had all my safety “stuff” except a head lamp—you know, sometimes you just don’t want to carry all that extra weight—yeah, always a dumb decision leaving that one thing sitting on the counter at home!
I slow down a bit for this fun little technical rock section, not too crazy but a lot of people get off to walk through it. Sure enough,
there is this couple walking their bikes through. I pass, uttering some pleasantries and keep going, but a little past them I realize he may have had a flat rear tire. Oh man, I guess it would be good to wait for them and check it out.
“Hey what’s up, are you flat? Gonna’ fix it?”
“No, it’s tubeless and I can’t fix it so we are going to just enjoy the walk out,” he says.
“Well, do you know where you are because that is going to be
a walk out in the dark at this point in the day. I can help you fix it if you would rather ride out instead.” They agree so we get to it.
There are two ways to fix a tubeless tire. If the wound to the tire is a small, simple puncture, the quick fix is to plug the hole.
This takes a plug kit just like an automotive plug kit, only smaller. The kit consists of a tool used to insert a strip of sticky material of which there are several, into the wound in the tire. Some kits will also have a small poker with rough sides that you push into the hole first to clean any debris from the wound and rough up the inside of the hole. Then insert a piece of the plug material into the tip of the insertion tool, push the tool deep into the hole and quickly pull it out. If it works as it should, the sticky plug material will remain in the hole with a bit sticking out and your hole is sealed, pump up the tire and get on your way. Important to note, this does not work on tires with innertubes.
The other method is to pull the tire off, put a tube in, pump and go. Well, maybe. This, I learned, was where my walking buddy had run into problems and
it is a common problem with tubeless tires. He had pulled his wheel off the bike, went to take the tire off the rim but could not break the tire bead off the rim. No matter how hard he tried by hand with his tire levers, for 20 minutes he fought, sweated, yelled some swear words, as he put it, and he was surprised I didn’t hear him wherever I was up the trail. This can be a frustrating issue with some tire and rim combinations on our modern tubeless systems. Not only are they super tight, but the tubeless sealant can glue the bead onto the rim very well (which is really good otherwise).
But there is a trick—there is always a trick, right? Lay the wheel on the ground. Step on the
ten minutes, back on the trail and hopefully out of there before dark. There is always a chance the wound to the tire is large enough that a plug won’t work and a tube will blow out through the hole. In this case a tire boot, a patch on the inside of the tire, will be necessary. Another little trick here is if you don’t have a patch, a dollar bill or an energy bar wrapper will suffice to keep the tube from poking through.
Happy to have helped and without even needing to pull any of my tools out, I jump back on, still hoping to get out before dark.
On my last bit of ride to the bottom I couldn’t help but think about that need to balance how much safety stuff to carry without having a huge amount of extra weight. How often do I leave
tire on one side, the edge of your shoe right up to the rim but not on the rim and not near the valve stem.
Now with your other foot, about 180 degrees from the first, give a good quick step down on that section of wheel sticking up off the ground. Now don’t try to smash your wheel into a potato chip, and it may take a couple shots, but the bead will break loose on that first foot by the rim. Voila. No tools, no screaming foul words in the forest.
Now remove the rest of the bead on one side of the rim, take the valve stem out and stick a tube in there,
some of that sitting on the counter at home and luck out that I didn’t need it? Well, twice in the past month I put my first aid kit in my pack and ended up needing it to patch myself up after doing something kind of dumb!
Put together a good safety kit and maybe include some antihistamine because it is yellow jacket season. Carry it because it will not do any good sitting on the counter at home.
Let’s play
I’m going to be a little off topic this month. Back around 1992 I taught an improvisation class at the old West Campus of LTCC. For those who haven’t been around here too long, that location would be what was most recently the Barton Hospital thrift store on Lodi Street. Back then it served as the home of the LTCC physical education department, which had a large dance/aerobics floor in front and a cardio workout space. At the end of the building was the home of the art department, housing both the 2D and 3D programs and in the middle was the collegiate theatre home of the theatre department.
In that improvisation class we did a variety of exercises and games, some from a new comedy improv format called ComedySportz. It had started in the Midwest back in the mid-80s and was a licensed improv performance format. ComedySportz is a high energy takeoff on sports competitions.
Wearing blue and red uniforms, two teams “compete” by improvising scenes and games from audience suggestions. The audience selects the winner of each round, which is scored, with one team eventually winning. A referee, in a zebra-striped jersey, keeps the match moving along, getting suggestions, keeping time, and when necessary, calling the ComedySportz fouls.
Back then there were 28 cities with ComedySportz teams playing at various venues, the largest group on the west coast in San Jose. Two members of our class were very taken with improv performance and decided that Tahoe needed a ComedySportz team. Those members were Gerry Orton and Frank Riley. Frank had already done several plays up here (and still does) and Gerry had also done a couple plays at the college but spent most of his time doing PR and campaign consulting.
Frank talked Jeff Kramer, the head of San Jose ComedySportz, into traveling up to Tahoe to do some workshops in the winter of 1993. Through the winter, Jeff would make a weekly sojourn to the lake over the snowy pass to train Frank, Gerry and others in the ways of ComedySportz. After learning the format, they applied for and created a ComedySportz team for Tahoe. The first performance was at the Embassy Suites on March 15, 1993 with an audience of about 70. Frank even sent a letter to President Bill Clinton inviting him to attend. Though the President was unable to attend, the White House did send a letter thanking them for the invitation. Gerry took on the leadership of the group doing all the scheduling, PR and finances as well as being the onstage referee for the
matches. The nice thing about improv performance is that it doesn’t take a lot of space, so performances can happen anywhere. They began by performing weekly at Bisby’s Bar for the first few months, then transitioned to Special Events, which is now Sierra Pizza, also performing weekly for about another year. They also performed at other small venues such as Rojo’s and Bennington’s, while occasionally doing private groups in convention spaces and Stanford Camp. They even branched out to Carson City, performing at the Brewery Arts Center and some small venues in Reno.
Over the next few years, they would average about 45 performances per year. Players in the troupe would change as people came and left the area though Frank was there throughout. I had the pleasure of playing with them when my college theatre schedule would allow. Many players played for years before moving on. Gerry would also hold improv workshops where he could train and recruit new players as time went on. He would also bring in new games to keep the format fresh for players and returning audiences. The usual number of players was eight, four on each of the “competing” teams and Gerry to referee. If available, there would also be someone on a keyboard playing intro/exit music
as well as supporting the games.
For many years this was local musician Fabrizio, who also performed as a player.
As time went on it became more difficult to consistently field two full teams and the franchise fees for ComedySportz became onerous, so in 1997 Gerry made the decision to drop the ComedySportz format and the Tahoe Improv Players were born. This became a group of five to eight players performing in a style similar to the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Again, performing in a variety of venues, including some on the west and north shores, the Improv Players eventually found a home at Valhalla. They had originally performed several shows in the Grand Hall and as the Boathouse Theatre was finished, they became a summer staple, doing three to five shows a summer to packed houses since 1997.
Gerry moved to Monterey in 2004 (where he started two more improv groups). There was no one else who wanted to take over the group so they shifted to just doing summer shows with Gerry coming up for the summer (his family having a cabin out at Fallen Leaf).
The reason I am writing about the Tahoe Improv Players is because after celebrating 31 years of performing here in South Lake Tahoe, Gerry is retiring from lead-
(530) 600-3911 1154 Emerald Bay Rd. www.bluelakevet.com Mon-Fri 8-6 • Sat 8-4:30
ing the troupe, at the ripe young age of 81. He has led every performance, done all the publicity, recruited and trained players and kept the whole thing running since 1993. The Improv Players have become a Tahoe institution with well over 100 performances to thousands of audience members and their success is directly a result of Gerry’s creativity, drive, leadership and tenacity.
As a final farewell and a handing of the troupe over to long time player Collin Burrows (who was also around for the beginning), the Tahoe Improv Players will be performing a special show on October 19 at 7:30pm in the Boathouse Theatre. This performance will harken back to ComedySportz days with a ComedySportz match featuring the one and only Jeff Kramer who will be bringing up a team from San Jose to “compete” with our local players for fame and fortune. For those who have watched the Tahoe Improv Players as well as anyone who likes comedy improv, you should not miss this show. Let’s fill the house to give Gerry a rousing send-off as he steps down from 31 years of bringing laughs and improv to Tahoe. Oh, and to be consistent, Teresa loves going to Tahoe Improv shows and has seen many. Back to movies next month.
In October 2023, after extensive public interviews of three candidates, including my current opponent and me, the five Douglas County Commissioners unanimously selected me to serve the remaining term of the retiring Justice of the Peace for Tahoe Township. I previously served as judge pro tem of that court for more than 18 years. I am a highly experienced attorney with over 26 years of fulltime legal practice in the Tahoe area involved in approximately 100 trials as attorney or judge.
“I am pleased to endorse Judge Michael Johnson to be retained as Justice of the Peace for Tahoe Township, as I believe he is the best candidate for the 2024 election. I have known Judge Johnson for approximately 26 years, first as an attorney and more recently as judge of the Tahoe Court. He is the most qualified person for the job based on his calm judicial temperament, demonstrated legal ability, and extensive courtroom experience.”
B. Jackson - Personal Endorsement
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Deliver complete application and copy of receipt for new equipment to EDC AQMD in person or via email. (edcaqmd@edcgov.us )
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Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements:
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