There’s No Home-Place Like a Hometown Newspaper
The Tahoe Sierra is my “home-place,” both literally and figuratively. As such, I value the role and commitment of Moonshine Ink to provide information for residents and passers-through, to foster community and to create a forum for communication and ideas.
My introduction to this publication was via my daughter’s job for several years as a Moonshine Ink writer and editor, contributing to inspiring stories, interviews, multimedia content, the TAP calendar, and other features. Even after she left Truckee, I have continued to enjoy the free newspaper as a supporting member and reader.
Since moving to Northern California in high school, I have visited, played, lived, worked, hiked, camped, backpacked, skied, swum, fished, kayaked and loved the North Lake Tahoe area for over half a century (maybe not for you … but hard for me to believe!).
Now living in Davis, CA, I am a second homeowner in Soda Springs and a shareholder in a recreational camping spot near Truckee/Frog Lake, giving me a wealth of opportunities to spend time in this area, a privilege that I value deeply and do not take for granted.
I have visited and recreated in North Lake Tahoe through four seasons — sun, frost, snow and melt, and have enjoyed the changing scenery and experiences. I revel in the wildflowers and native trees/plants, birds and animals. I have experienced the mountain culture, Truckee shopping and restaurants, and relished the many trails and the wilderness.
In my early years, I worked in Tahoe City as a maid, in a sandwich shop, and other seasonal jobs. I then worked on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency transportation study doing field work to monitor trips in and out of the area, leading to the 1975-80 Transportation Short Range Element and ensuing recommendations for environmental improvements and traffic-related mitigation.
This early work informed my education and career trajectory as a landscape architect and planner. This year I retired as the City of Davis sustainability manager. Therefore, I have professional and personal concerns and convictions about the impacts of climate change, including wildfires, changing precipitation patterns and increased temperatures, all of which impact people, jobs, and habitat. I encourage each of us to become familiar with ways we can act locally to have a global impact. For me, information like that found in Moonshine Ink, is indispensable for this awareness. Without a forum to share thoughts and ideas, our collective understanding and connection would suffer.
In June, I celebrated my 70th birthday at Serene Lakes and Truckee with friends and family. My three daughters and three grandsons continue to grow a deep connection to this mountain region. Just like his mom and aunts, the eldest grandson, Christopher, age 10, is a budding naturalist and fisherman, with vast science knowledge and facts to share. His brother, Matt, 7, is a creative and enthusiastic explorer, with an imaginative approach to all he sees, hears, and touches. Their cousin, Aziel, 5, loves everything wherever he goes! Kayaking, sandcastles, snow angels and sledding, splashing in the rain and the lake. I feel so fortunate to share this wonderful mountain home with them.
As a second homeowner, I feel a particular responsibility for Tahoe’s stewardship, and staying informed through quality journalism like Moonshine Ink is absolutely fundamental to that commitment. I believe that the North Lake Tahoe region is a treasure, and that we all need to value and preserve its beauty, habitat, and environment, for now and for generations to come.
