Council approves tobacco moratorium, Olympic torch relay

by n Eli Ramos Follown eramos@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 15, 2026 | Uncategorized

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – City council had a special meeting on Tuesday to extend the pause on approving new tobacco retailers. They also approved an agreement for the Olympic torch relay for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Consent agenda

The council briefly heard public comment on a communications site license between Placer County and the city, which would place radio equipment at the tower at South Lake Tahoe Police’s department. This new equipment would help Placer County’s radio communications, especially for search and rescue teams, as it would help avoid the communications shadow from mountains on the west shore.

While councilmember David Jinkens raised concerns about the project’s exemption from CEQA guidelines, new city attorney Sergio Rudin clarified that the installation of communications equipment like this is typically exempt from CEQA, and the motion to approve the license passed.

Tobacco retailers

In June, council placed a temporary moratorium on the approval of new tobacco retailers, in response to a new retailer opening at 3045 Harrison Avenue, which is near schools. The proposed moratorium would last 10 months and 15 days.

The two newest businesses would not open under the current rules—one of the two operators also lacks a city business license at this time.

The business owner of the site on Harrison said that the business was only open to people 21 and up, and that children would not be allowed inside. This prompted Mayor Cody Bass and councilmember Scott Robbins to discuss the black market of nicotine products, which is sometimes how children are able to access things like flavored vapes.

Bass indicated that he was not in support of the moratorium, as it would impact business retailers and their equal opportunity in the city.

Councilmembers Heather Horgan and Robbins were in support, especially regarding the health of the community and the current clustering of businesses, which Robbins said could be removed “through attrition.”

Mayor Pro Tem Keith Roberts suggested that city staff, during the moratorium, could compare the density of tobacco retailers to other cities of comparable size.

The motion passed with a no vote from Bass, enacting a moratorium while staff studies potential regulatory frameworks.

Olympic torch relay

Mayor Pro Tem Roberts communicated with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics Team (LA28) and expressed an interest in hosting the Olympic Torch Relay, where the Olympic Flame will travel across all fifty states before arriving in Los Angeles on July 14, 2028.

Roberts said that South Lake Tahoe was considered as one of the “final day” cities, where the city could also host a celebration and a lighting of the cauldron, in part owing to Tahoe’s history with the Olympics.

While LA28’s stipulations were strict, requesting event restrictions during the time and arranging a route, facilities and parking for those involved in the relay, there was excitement among much of city council. Horgan expressed concerns around the public safety aspects of the event, but eventually gave her support after police chief Jeff Roberson commented on the matter.

The council discussed potentially involving the Washoe tribe, Placer County and the Palisades site in the relay and celebrations. The motion to authorize the mayor to sign the LA28 Torch Relay agreement and designate Mayor Pro Tem Roberts and the city manager as points of contact passed unanimously.

Agenda planning calendar

Robbins introduced items for future agendas, including engagement with agencies around the Tahoe Basin to pay for a guiding and outfitting permit program through the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The payment for the program could help allow backcountry guides to operate, and would cost $150,000 a year.

Robbins also spoke about the prioritization of bike traffic at certain intersections, which would have to happen through a resolution. He also was interested in a resolution for preventing the use of plastics as part of beach revetment (as they were previously used at El Dorado Beach.) Lastly, Robbins asked for a discussion of the dissolution of the tourism district or to reappropriate their funds towards improving transit shuttles.

Horgan spoke and thanked the city staff, as well as the parks and recreation district for the 4^th of July celebrations.

City council then went to a closed session. The next regular city council meeting will be August 11.

Nevada Legislative Committee to meet in Lake Tahoe

by n Staff Report Follown editor@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

STATELINE, Nev. – The next meeting of the Nevada State Legislative Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Marlette Lake Water System is scheduled to be held this Friday, July 17 at 12:30 p.m. at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency office in Stateline, Nev.

The committee, comprised of eight state legislators, holds meetings every other year during interim sessions to discuss the work of TRPA, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, and Nevada state agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

During the July meeting, speakers will provide informational presentations to the committee on water quality and lake clarity, aquatic invasive species, and the latest scientific research taking place at Tahoe.

This is the fifth of six meetings scheduled through August of this year. Other priority topics that have been heard this year include transportation, housing, forest health, and wildfire. The committee webpage has all previous meeting materials and topics listed here. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or online and to provide input in writing or during scheduled public comment times.

Tahoe Bike Month sets new records

by n Staff Report Follown editor@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. – The 21st Annual Tahoe Bike Month reached new milestones this June, with record participation demonstrating the Lake Tahoe community’s continued commitment to biking for sustainable transportation.

Organized by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, Tahoe Bike Month celebrates bicycling as a healthy, fun, and environmentally friendly way to get around the basin. Through community events and a friendly competition, participants are encouraged to choose bikes for everyday trips whenever possible. Every ride helps reduce vehicle emissions, ease traffic congestion, support cleaner air and water, and advance a safer, more connected network of biking routes throughout the region.

This year, 547 riders participated in Tahoe Bike Month, completing 12,792 rides and traveling 95,591 miles—the equivalent of 1,327 trips around Lake Tahoe. Riders also climbed a combined 6,461,154 feet of elevation throughout the month.

Participation increased by 7 percent over last year, marking the highest engagement in the event’s 21-year history.

“Year over year, Tahoe Bike Month continues to grow,” said Kira Richardson, senior transportation planner at TRPA. “It’s exciting to see the community and our partners embrace biking as a sustainable way to get around the basin.”

The month-long celebration is part of broader regional efforts to expand transportation choices, reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, and support a healthier, more connected Lake Tahoe. Safe biking routes, improved trails, and multimodal transportation options help residents and visitors experience the basin while reducing impacts on the environment.

Participants tracked their rides on TahoeBikeMonth.org, competing for prizes donated by local businesses. Notable achievements included:

• Top Team: Ctrl-Alt-Elite earned 172 points.
• Most Rides: Tahoe Billy completed 288 rides.
• Elevation Leader: Robert Larsen climbed 95,542 feet.
• Distance Champion: August Sewell logged 1,391 miles.
• Biggest Ride: Druin Roberts tackled a 164-mile ride with 15,495 feet of climbing.
• Daily Riders: 47 participants biked every day in June.

“It’s always so fun to get out on the trail and see so many people riding bikes,” said Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition President Nick Speal. “Each ride that replaces a car trip is one step closer to a more connected and sustainable Lake Tahoe.”

Tahoe Bike Month is made possible through the support of regional sponsors and community partners who help encourage biking throughout the basin:

Outdoor Gear Lab, Northstar California Resort, South Shore Bikes, South Lake E-Bikes, PT Revolution, BioSpirit Spa, Keep Tahoe Blue, Blue Granite Climbing Gym, Tahoe Gear Exchange, Tahoe Brewfest, Visit Lake Tahoe, South Lake Brewing Co., Elevate Wellness Center, Sonney’s BBQ Shack, Lake Tahoe AleWorx, Cascade Kitchens, Three Pines Coffee Co., Natural Grocers, South Tahoe Refuse, and Shoreline Tahoe.

As summer continues, organizers encourage the community to keep the momentum going by biking, walking, or riding public transit. Learn more about sustainable travel in Tahoe at LinkingTahoe.com and explore the interactive bike map at map.tahoebike.org.

Tahoe Bike Month will return in June 2027.

The Getaway Cafe to be featured on America’s Best Restaurants

by n Staff Report Follown editor@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Local eatery The Getaway Cafe will host a visit from America’s Best Restaurants (ABR), a national media and marketing company, for an on-site visit as part of the ABR Roadshow.

America’s Best Restaurants travels the country spotlighting independent, locally owned restaurants that make a positive impact on their communities. During the visit, the ABR Roadshow team will highlight The Getaway Cafe on camera, featuring an extensive interview with owner and chef Diane Guth about the restaurant’s special place in the community.

Guth has always dreamed of owning a restaurant where friends and family would feel at home and where strangers would soon become friends. With a passion for cooking that began at age 14, she has been inspired by many chefs and diverse cuisines throughout her career. At The Getaway Cafe, everything is made fresh to order in a small kitchen, ensuring that every meal is crafted with care.

Guests are encouraged to relax and enjoy the ambiance, where the friendly banter of the attentive staff enhances the dining experience.

“We’re humbled and honored to be featured by America’s Best Restaurants,” said Guth. “We aim to set the standard for dining and hospitality in the Lake Tahoe region. We invite you to come experience our take on alpine comfort cuisine.”

The Getaway Cafe is known for its warm, welcoming atmosphere and consistently high-quality food, building a reputation as a true community hub. Regulars are greeted by name, first-time guests are treated like family, and no one leaves hungry.

The menu features a blend of American and Mexican cuisines, encouraging diners to be adventurous with their choices. Standout items include Chilaquiles with Chorizo, Coconut French Toast, Cream of Mushroom Soup, and a Triple Stacked Turkey Club.

America’s Best Restaurants will be on-site at The Getaway Cafe on August 11, 2026. The public and press are welcome to attend. The completed episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date. The premiere date will be announced on the restaurant’s Facebook page and featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website and YouTube channel.

The Getaway Cafe is located at 3140 U.S. 50, South Lake Tahoe, California 96150. For more information,
visit https://tahoegetawaycafe.com.

Tahoma man named California State Parks district superintendent for Sierra District

by n Staff Report Follown editor@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California State Parks announced the selection of Rich Adams as the new district superintendent for the Sierra District.

Adams’ State Parks career began in 1995 as a seasonal Park Aide at D.L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks. In 1996, he joined the Sierra District Natural Resources and Fire Management team, beginning a career that would span nearly three decades of service to the California State Park System.

After graduating from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources in 1998, Adams completed an internship under Department Forester Stephen Bakken and became a California Registered Professional Forester in 2002. He went on to serve as Sierra District Forester for more than 20 years before advancing to Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor. As a prescribed fire burn boss, Adams has led numerous prescribed fire projects throughout the district, helping protect natural resources and improve ecosystem health.

Adams began serving as acting Sierra District superintendent in April 2025, providing steady leadership and support for district operations.

A longtime resident of Lake Tahoe’s west shore, Adams lives with his wife and three children within biking distance of Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park. Together, they enjoy exploring the outdoors year-round, whether on the trails, in the water, or on the snow.

As he steps into his new role, Adams looks forward to supporting the Sierra District team, serving visitors, and continuing to enhance the state parks he has dedicated his career to protecting.

Tahoe from the cosmos: Former astronaut Jerry Linenger talks Lake Tahoe, PBS’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Space’

by n Victoria Mastrocola Follown vmastrocola@swiftcom.comn | Jul 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As Jerry Linenger looked out from his porthole window on the space station Mir, his eyes were searching for that familiar, turquoise landmark tucked inside the snow-clad peaks of the Sierra Nevadas below.

“[Lake Tahoe] is a very special place on the planet,” Linenger, retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon and former astronaut, told the Tribune. “I think people that live up here realize that. It’s hard to miss it.” 

Linenger, now an Incline Village resident, first became acquainted with the Lake Tahoe region during a formative summer between his junior and senior years through a National Science Foundation scholarship where he studied Environmental Science at the Foresta Institute.  

From Franktown Road in Washoe Valley to Lake Tahoe, Little Valley and Pyramid Lake, Linenger spent his summer backpacking for 12 weeks straight, studying limnology, aquatic ecology, and local watershed. 

“We had horses. So sometimes we’d ride horses up, we’d unsaddle, we would sleep under the stars and get on the horse in the morning and go further,” Linenger recalled. “It was a heck of an experience.” 

The program proved to be a pivotal time of self-discovery for him as he realized all the possibilities waiting outside of his hometown in Michigan, including pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. All the while, Lake Tahoe was making a permanent mark on his heart.

“That really changed my life,” Linenger said. “It gave me this confidence that, ‘Hey, I don’t have to stay in this Detroit suburb, blue-collar neighborhood, and I can do big things.'”

Little did Linenger know at the time, those ‘big things’ would consist of joining NASA and making history during his five-month mission aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1997.

In a four-part documentary series called “Once Upon a Time in Space” from acclaimed director, James Bluemel, the harrowing tale of life on Mir for Linenger and two Russian cosmonauts is examined while loved ones are left to watch from the ground, blending archival footage with raw accounts that tug on your heart strings.

From the worst fire ever recorded aboard an orbiting spacecraft to a failed docking test collision from an uncrewed supply cargo ship, the space station suffered a series of severe crises while Linenger was onboard, eventually leading to the inception of his praised book “Letters from MIR: An Astronaut’s Letters to His Son”. 

As the documentary unravels the chaos, viewers get to see astronauts as more than just heroes, but as vulnerable human beings adapting to the circumstances around them.

“I’ve been on Navy ships, been in the middle of the Indian Ocean, out there by myself – lots of different places, but I have never been so cut off, isolated and stuck with myself as I was during those five months,” he said. “I think the documentary tries to bring out some of that reflection that I had, some of the way it changed my life, the way I look at things differently, a shift in perspective.”

Between the turmoil of working around the clock, Linenger wrote letters to his son and found brief moments to gaze upon Earth at altitudes ranging from 184 to 262 miles. He even took a unique approach to shopping for real estate as he considered which regions of the country he thought looked the most appealing from space. 

While the Traverse City area became his top pick, his second was Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas, saying he had already spent time here and knew just how beautiful it was from the ground. 

“When we’d be flying over it, the computer would tell me, ‘Hey, the trajectory’s going over the top of Lake Tahoe.’ I’d set my little alarm and I’d go to a window no matter what I’m doing and I’d take a few photos of Lake Tahoe while I’m going over the top,” Linenger said.

After 132 days and a variety of obstacles, Linenger landed back on Earth, bringing his fresh perspective on life with him. 

“What a life we have on the planet – a carefree existence. The air is all around us. We don’t have to make it. We don’t have to measure the oxygen content every day, don’t have to worry about it rushing out in a rapid decompression and suffocating me,” he said as he touched on reacclimating to gravity during his first shower back on Earth, and how the color green and the rustling of leaves in his backyard left him in awe. 

Now, Linenger enjoys his time in Tahoe, embracing its winters by skiing at Northstar and Diamond Peak.

“I like high places, I guess,” he joked. “I get up on the top of Diamond Peak there looking out over the lake and it gives me a little bit of feeling of being back in space looking down at the planet.”

His advice for others is to take a step back and look at the big picture. If you’re having a bad day, take a deep breath and count the blessings around you.

“We’re in Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you’re not smiling every day of your life, something’s wrong.”

BBC and PBS’s “Once Upon a Time in Space” four-part docuseries premieres on Tuesday, July 14. You can watch by visiting pbs.org.

Shakespeare Ranch back on market for $125M, new ‘curated’ offering

by n Katelyn Welsh Follown kwelsh@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

GLENBROOK, Nev. – The Shakespeare Ranch is once again on the market, featuring its historic 1873 entertainment barn, lakefront cabana and a ranch house currently under construction, all for $125 million, making it one of the highest-priced private estate listings in Nevada history.

If it sells for that price, it would be among the largest Lake Tahoe transactions ever recorded.

Initially listed in 2024 under a previous listing at a higher asking price of $188 million, this prior opportunity also included an option to purchase individual parcels and residences starting at nearly $10 million.

This most recent listing is marketed as a new curated release of three particular parcels and excludes parcels offered in the prior listing, which had included another residence. In addition to the lakefront ranch house, cabana and historic barn, the three parcels include a 465-foot pier (one of the longest on the lake), 14 buoys, a rodeo compound and a parcel with 3 acres of meadowland with its namesake Shakespeare Rock in view, Glenbrook’s iconic granite formation.

The new main home, nearing completion at 7,713 square feet, is designed by award-winning architect Marc Appleton. The cabana is designed by Howard Backen. There are also Backen & Backen conceptual designs for the meadow parcel.

Additionally, the property features 425 feet of Lake Tahoe shoreline, a boathouse, multiple guest residences and cabins, garages and support buildings, and a collection of recreational and equestrian amenities.

“Shakespeare Ranch is one of the most unique properties I’ve had the privilege of representing in my 30-year career,” listing agent Christine Perry of Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno said. “You feel the history the moment you arrive at the gate. What makes it so special is the blend of old and new — the newly built ranch house and cabana offer the mountain-modern lifestyle so many buyers are seeking today, while being surrounded by the rich heritage of the rodeo grounds, horse pastures, and breathtaking views of Shakespeare Rock and Lake Tahoe.”

The private estate’s history runs over 150 years deep, with its 1873 barn being one of the oldest surviving structures on Lake Tahoe. The estate also hosted former President George Bush and the Glenbrook Rodeo with acts from Lionel Richie, Robin Williams and Jay Leno.

South Tahoe Public Utility District begins construction of 2 new drinking water wells

by n Staff Report Follown editor@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Tahoe Public Utility District (District) is investing in the future reliability of the community’s drinking water system by constructing two new drinking water wells this summer. The Sunset Well Replacement Project and the new Tanglewood Well Project are part of the District’s long-term asset management program to ensure safe, reliable drinking water for the South Shore for decades to come.

The District currently relies on 11 active drinking water wells to provide customers with high-quality Tahoe Tap. California regulations require water systems to meet maximum daily water demand even if their largest well is unavailable. The two new wells will strengthen the District’s ability to reliably serve customers during peak summer demand, emergency situations, planned maintenance, or unexpected equipment outages.

“These projects are about planning ahead,” said Mark Seelos, Water Resources Manager for the South Tahoe Public Utility District. “Our existing wells have served the community for many years, but replacing aging infrastructure and adding new production capacity ensures we can continue delivering safe, reliable drinking water when our customers need it most. Investing today helps protect our water system for future generations.”

The Sunset Well Replacement Project will replace an existing well drilled in 1990 that currently produces approximately 600 gallons per minute (gpm). The new well will be drilled on the same property to a depth of approximately 500 feet and is expected to produce approximately 2,000 gpm.

The Tanglewood Well Project will create an entirely new well site. Following successful test drilling completed in 2025, crews will drill a permanent production well this summer and conduct extensive pump testing to determine its final operating capacity. The new well is expected to produce between 800 and 2,000 gpm.

Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-July and continue through early November 2026. Because well drilling requires specialized equipment and uninterrupted operations, drilling and well installation activities at each site will operate continuously for approximately four weeks, including overnight hours.

“Drilling a municipal drinking water well is a complex process that requires continuous operation to safely install the well casing and complete testing,” Seelos said. “We understand overnight construction can be inconvenient, and we appreciate our neighbors’ patience as we complete these critical infrastructure improvements.”

The District anticipates completing engineering design for the well houses, pumps, electrical systems, and pipeline connections in 2027. Construction of the above ground well facilities and integration into the water system is planned between 2028 and 2030.

The total investment is estimated at $5.5 million for the Tanglewood Well Project and $4.4 million for the Sunset Well Replacement Project.

The District also continues to closely monitor the sustainability of the groundwater aquifer. Groundwater levels are measured at 40 monitoring wells twice each year, production wells are tested annually, and a sophisticated groundwater model tracks aquifer conditions. Monitoring has shown no measurable impact on groundwater storage, and the additional pumping capacity provided by these new wells is expected to have a negligible effect on groundwater levels.

Together, the Sunset and Tanglewood wells will improve the resilience of the District’s water system, increase production capacity where it is needed most, and help ensure the continued delivery of safe, high-quality Tahoe Tap for years to come.

To learn more, visit stpud.us/drinking-water-wells or attend the Public Meeting on Monday, July 20, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 942 Tanglewood Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

Sweepstakes Apps Face Growing Scrutiny as States Tighten Gaming Rules

by Sponsored Content | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

Sweepstakes platforms have expanded quickly across the US, to the point that players can use sweepstakes in 33 states as of 2026. However, the way these sweepstakes platforms operate blends promotional gaming with casino-type gameplay, and this is the main issue for regulators in some states.

Sweepstakes operators have drawn the attention of state regulators, lawmakers, and tribal gaming stakeholders, which has resulted in a crackdown across 17 states, and the most recent was California.

This state banned dual-currency sweepstakes under Assembly Bill 831 as of January 2026. This means that operators with these kinds of games can no longer serve California residents.

California’s tribal casino network also supported this resolution, in an attempt to keep traditional casinos the main focus of the players. That way, they get to keep the exclusive rights and reduce competition.

Texas is another state that tightens the rules around sweepstakes casinos. If such platforms want to remain compliant, they have to ensure that no purchase or payment is required to participate in the games.

Further discussion focuses on questions about how digital gaming products should be classified and regulated in a moment when mobile-first entertainment continues to expand.

Why Are States Cracking Down on Sweepstakes Apps?

Current lawmakers and regulators mainly focus on how the sweepstakes apps are structured. These platforms usually operate with two types of in-app currencies. One is used for entertainment, and another one gets distributed through promotional mechanisms that are tied to a prize redemption system.

Regulators have questioned whether these platforms provide games that resemble real-money casino games while actually operating outside of licensing oversight. Promotional incentives are also a part of the issue. Welcome rewards and sweepstakes app bonuses also make the experience resemble traditional gambling.

As a result, states like Texas and especially California are reviewing current legal definitions in order to enforce clear guidelines for these operators and local consumers.

Tribal Gaming Groups Push for Clearer Rules

When it comes to California, tribal gaming stakeholders also play a significant role in shaping the gambling industry. These gaming operators hold casinos, which play a key role in the local economy and the state’s gaming industry. Plus, they’re governed by the federal state and operate under specific rights and exclusivity arrangements.

Tribal leaders are pushing for greater oversight on sweepstakes platforms. With this approach, they’re trying to resolve potential overlap with their operations. They argue that sweepstakes aren’t meeting the same licensing, taxation, and regulation as tribal casinos.

What Could Happen Next?

Regulations for sweepstakes gaming will likely continue evolving. More states will probably review current laws and determine whether definitions fit this dual-currency gaming model.

States will continue to shape their own policies, instead of relying on national regulations. This might bring different levels of oversight across the US. State attorneys general are also getting involved to seek legal remedies where necessary.

Many operators have already started adapting their business practices. Some have also fully withdrawn from California, and other sweepstakes casinos have improved compliance, updated terms of service, and introduced better identity verification tools and processes.

Sweepstakes platforms could continue adapting and getting their business back to states that banned them.

Some groups have noted that, with evolving laws, sweepstakes companies might be able to seek licensing or partner with existing gaming operators – mainly tribal entities – and operate within established regulations.

Conclusion

Sweepstakes apps remain available in many places, but they’re operating in an increasingly scrutinized regulatory environment in California, Texas, and many other states. They present their business model as sweepstakes, but the way it’s designed blurs the lines with traditional gambling – and that’s exactly the issue.

This is why regulators, together with tribal leaders holding the majority of casinos, are looking for a way to clarify the status of sweepstakes operators.

Regulations could change to improve the position of sweepstakes casinos, but the companies should also focus on becoming more in tune with the laws in the state in which they wish to operate. Some platforms are testing new policies, ID verification, and other changes.

For now, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to operate independently or they’ll have to join existing tribal gambling entities to fit legal frameworks.

Swinging for mental health care: Golf tournament supports service member interventions

by n Katelyn Welsh Follown kwelsh@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – An organization providing mental health care assistance to service members raised funds for the cause during a round of golf at the Incline Village Championship Golf Course on June 15.

PTSD NOW! is an organization based out of Incline Village that advocates for solutions that support military personnel experiencing stress or depression during deployment or after. Interventions include immediate, no-cost access to mental health in its mission to reduce suicide and improve long-term well-being.

The organization raised over $100,000 at the 4th Annual Thank A Vet Golf Tournament. In doing so, it brought together sponsors, golfers, volunteers, and community partners.

“Every dollar raised directly supports programs that reduce barriers to treatment and provide hope to those who need it most,” Courtney Goodballet said, PTSD NOW! Executive Director.

The tournament consisted of 18 holes of golf with on-course contests and prizes, recognition of service members and a post-tournament reception and auction.

To learn more about PTSD NOW!, visit ptsdnow.org.

Market pulse: Second Quarter Review

by David Vomund | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

In the second quarter the war with Iran continued, oil prices remained elevated, inflation rose, and interest rates jumped higher. With those strong headwinds stocks surely fell. Right? Not so fast. Stocks had their best quarter since 2020 with the S&P 500 gaining 15 percent and the Nasdaq jumping 21 percent. How can that be?

There is the saying “can’t see the forest for the trees.” For stocks, oil prices, interest rates, and inflation are the trees while the artificial-intelligence (AI) buildout is the forest. Headlines pointed toward a bad stock market but the incredible amount of AI spending remained unabated, pushing the economy and earnings higher. In other words, it was all about AI.

With AI, there are those that do the spending (i.e. hyperscalers) and those that receive the money and provide the goods (compute companies). Semiconductor and memory companies performed best. Interestingly, the largest semiconductor company, Nvidia, badly lagged other chip companies with its 7.3 percent year-to-date return. Nvidia competition has arrived.

That is how the market works. When one company does very well competition on quality and price soon arrive. IBM, General Electric, AT&T, Coca Cola, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and ExxonMobil were all stocks that dominated … until they didn’t.

While AI was the dominant theme, the broader market also performed well. The Russell 2000, an index of small-company stocks, surged 21 percent in the first half of the year. That was its best in 35 years.

I’ve written many times that stock prices are about earnings and interest rates. Strong earnings have pushed stocks higher for several years. The net profit margin for S&P 500 companies is at its highest reading ever. Margins are high even when technology stocks are removed. That could be an early sign of AI efficiency. More efficient companies become more profitable. More profitable companies grow faster than slow ones and trade at higher P-E multiples. Bull markets have been built and sustained on less.

As for interest rates, new Fed chair Warsh made it seem that an increase in rates is more likely than a cut. Keep in mind that once rates change they continue in that direction for a while. Higher rates will soon give savers an opportunity to nail down higher yields. As long as the earnings outlook stays very positive with a growing economy the market will see better days even if interest rates rise. Corporate America will carry the day.

David Vomund is an Incline Village-based fee-only money manager. Information is found at www.VomundInvestments.com or by calling 775-832-8555. Clients hold the positions mentioned in this article. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.

Chief’s Corner: What is the Fire Service – Support Roles

by Brad ChisholmrnFire Chief - Olympic Valley Fire Department | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

For those interested in the fire service, there are many opportunities that might not come to mind. Behind every front-line firefighter is a network of specialized support roles that keep the department running efficiently, safely, legally, and financially. In an “all-risk” environment, these support structures ensure that crews are trained, equipped, and prepared to safely and effectively respond to whatever, whenever and wherever the emergency might be. The following are a few examples of the many important support roles that help ensure emergency services the community expects and deserves.

Key Fire Department Support Roles

1. Fire Prevention & Community Risk Reduction

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Nowhere is this more relevant than in the fire service. This division focuses on stopping emergencies before they start through mitigation, code compliance, and education.

· Code Enforcement Officers: Manage and enforce local fire and building codes, ensuring proper access, exit safety, and compliance with standards coeds and ordinances.

· Fuels Management Specialists: Coordinate vital fuels reduction initiatives to allow individual defensible space efforts to compliment community and regional efforts to address wildfire risks in high-hazard wildland-urban interface/intermix zones. Secure and manage grants to fund these efforts to minimize the burden on taxpayers.

· Public Education Specialists: Offer community outreach programs, provide education on wildfire and home fire safety, act as a liaison for community risk reduction campaigns, and teach community First-Aid/CPR/AED courses.

2. Fleet Management

Fire apparatus are critical and complex pieces of emergency equipment. They must meet strict industry standards and laws, safely and efficiently transport crews and equipment and perform while on an incident. This team manages and maintains these physical assets.

· Emergency Vehicle Technicians: Highly specialized mechanics who service a diverse, region-specific fleet—including large structure engines, nimble wildland engines, rescue apparatus, aerial trucks, water tenders, ambulances, and administration vehicles.

· Commercial Vehicle Technicians: Specialized mechanics that have a mobile work truck and/or a shop where more detailed and complex maintenance or repairs can be performed.

3. Facilities Management

While much of the daily care and repair is performed by firefighters, this team ensures stations, grounds, apparatus bays, living quarters and offices remain fully operational around the clock.

· While much of the daily care and repair is performed by firefighters, the facilities team ensures stations, grounds, apparatus bays, living quarters and offices are fully operational so crews can deploy instantly upon receiving an alarm.

· This can include snow removal and related equipment, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, appliances and fixtures, fuel stations and generators as well as building and structural integrity.

4. Public Information Officer (PIO)

In a fire department, the Public Information Officer (PIO) serves as the vital bridge between the agency, the media, and the community. Their primary job is to ensure accurate, timely, and transparent information flows ranging from daily operations to major incidents.

· On-Scene Spokesperson: Establishes media staging areas at major incidents to provide timely, verified updates to reporters and protect operational safety.

· Life-Safety Messaging: Coordinates the immediate dissemination of critical information, such as evacuation orders, shelter locations, and hazard alerts.

· Narrative Control: Monitors active situations to counter misinformation and ensure the department remains the definitive source of truth.

· Media & Press Management: Acts as the primary point of contact for news outlets, drafts official press releases, and prepares leadership for interviews.

· Digital & Social Media Presence: Manages the department’s social platforms to deliver real-time safety campaigns, fire prevention education, and community news.

5. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program directly compliments a fire department by acting as a force multiplier, particularly during large-scale disasters when professional emergency resources are stretched thin.

· Filtering the Workload: By assisting with logistical needs, CERT can help free up resources needed to address high-priority emergency incidents.

· Incident Support: CERT teams can assist with perimeter control, staff rehab stations for fatigued firefighters, staff radios and assist with communications, and aid in missing person searches.

· Pre-Disaster Outreach: CERT members often serve as ambassadors for the department’s fire prevention bureau, assisting in areas such as community safety events, smoke detector education, and wildfire preparedness education.

6. Finance & Budgeting

Operating a modern fire department requires strict financial oversight, balancing operational resources against public funding and ensuring fiscal solvency and accountability.

· Budget: Track, manage and balance funding with expenditures.

· Capitol: Navigate purchasing and forecast funding for high-cost capital assets, improvements and maintenance over the near, medium and long term. This can include fire apparatus, personal protective equipment, and facility maintenance and upgrades.

· Accounts Payable/Receivable

7. Human Resources & Health/Wellness

The fire service is uniquely demanding on both operational and administration personnel, requiring specialized oversight for safety and compliance.

· Recruitment & Training Coordinators: Help advertise, administer and access testing and promotional exams.

· Health & Safety: Manage workers’ compensation, document occupational exposures, and coordinate health screenings to protect firefighters’ long-term wellness.

· Labor & Compliance: Manage personnel files, labor agreements, and compliance with employment laws and department specific organizational policies and procedures.

8. Office Supervisors & Administration Assistants

Perhaps the most unsung of all the support roles. These individuals are the public facing entity of a department’s administrative staff. They manage all the daily administrative needs and act as liaisons between the department and the public.

· Scheduling and Coordinating: Schedule and coordinate inspections and events, receive and distribute permits and applications, schedule and prepare meetings.

· Billing: Ensure billing and collection is timely and accountable.

· Customer Service: Receive and accommodate the public/customer needs.

Operational Balance: Those noted above, and the many more components to this Support system, are critical to the effective operation of any modern fire department. Every role within a fire department is structurally linked to ensure reliable and professional emergency services.

Fire near South Lake Tahoe stopped at 1/4 acre Sunday afternoon

by n Staff Report Follown editor@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service is investigating the cause of a fire that started off State Route 89 near South Lake Tahoe on Sunday afternoon.

The Tallac Fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. near the Mt. Tallac Trailhead, sparking a response from U.S. Forest Service firefighters, the CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue.

Firefighters worked quickly to complete hand and hose lines around the fire.

Units stopped the wildfire’s forward progress, keeping it at approximately a quarter of an acre.

‘One of the top memories of my career’: Meet the pilots behind the ACC flyover

by Tahoe Daily Tribune | Jul 13, 2026 | Uncategorized

STATELINE, Nev. – As thousands of fans gathered around the 17th and 18th holes at the American Century Championship on Saturday, their attention briefly shifted from golf to the skies above Lake Tahoe. In celebration of the nation’s 250th, two United States Air Force T-38’s soared above in perfect formation.

Inside the cockpits were Jester and Nova, who asked to be identified only by their pilot call signs; nicknames assigned within their squadron that are used over the radio and displayed on their flight suits. Flying about 1,000 feet above the course at nearly 500 miles per hour, the pair kept just three feet between their wingtips. At that speed and distance, there isn’t much room for error.

“Trust is a big part of everything we do, and in every aspect of flying, whether it’s trust in the maintainers, the engineers, in our life support folks, and, in the cockpit, we absolutely trust each other,” Jester said. “We know we’re going to be safe because we trust each other.”

The two pilots have been flying together for more than 20 years.

“Nova actually taught me to fly back in the day at the Air Force Academy, so I’ve been learning from him for two decades, and I’ll continue learning from him as long as I can,” Jester said.

To fly that close to another aircraft, Nova said it takes “a little bit of math and a lot of athleticism.”

The math comes before takeoff, making sure all of the planning and assumptions are correct. The athleticism comes once they’re in the air.

“Air Force airmanship is a big part of what we do every day, with precision and speed, and this was no different,” Nova said. “It really helps us practice, trying to make it as perfect as we can.”

When asked if he had ever seen the American Century Championship from above before, Jester laughed.

“I’ve never seen it at 500 miles per hour,” he said. “That’s a first.”

For Nova, the flyover was also an opportunity to inspire the next generation.

“I got really interested in aviation while watching a flyover,” Nova said. “Hopefully maybe someone out there saw this and thought, ‘Maybe I could get involved in aviation.'”

Nova later described the experience as one of the top memories of his career.

Mardy Fish wins American Century Championship for 3rd time

by n Laney Griffo Follown lgriffo@tahoedailytribune.comn | Jul 12, 2026 | Uncategorized

STATELINE, Nev. – For the third time in his golf history, tennis champion Mardy Fish has been crowned the American Century Champion. 

Fish scored 72 points overall, 20 of which he scored on Sunday. 

Despite starting the day in the lead, it wasn’t clear that Fish would be the winner. He shot three bogeys in a row on holes 3-5, including a four-putt on hole 5, which he said he’d never done before. 

“That was a little jarring,” said Fish. “It took me a couple holes to kind of get it back. I drew a line on the scorecard after number 5 just to reset.”

He recovered well, shooting a birdie on hole 7. 

Last year’s winner, Joe Pavelski, was on Fish’s heels for most of the day. Pavelski ended the day with 66 points. 

When asked, when he knew he was going to beat Pavelski he said it wasn’t until, “Joe hit it in the water on his second shot was kind of when I thought, okay, he can’t make six, and I started doing the math.”

In addition to Pavelski, Fish was being chased by Stephen Curry, who ended the day in third with 59 points and Annika Sorenstam, who ended the day in fourth with 58 points. 

Fish first won in 2020, when there were no crowds allowed at the tournament due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He won again in 2024. 

This years’ win came with big prizes, including the crystal trophy, a $150,000 check and for the first time, a winners lab coat, modeled after the PGA Masters jacket. 

The lab coat is in recognition of American Century’s philanthropic corporate structure that allows the company to direct 40 percent of dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City.

“Contextually, for everyone, it’s a million-square-foot facility based in Kansas City, Missouri,” said Michael Turner, head of Avantis Distribution for American Century Investments. “We have over 500 scientists who have come over the globe to KC. There’s 20 individual labs that have distinct initiatives. And all of these folks, day in and day out, they come to the institute and they research cures for all types of gene-based diseases. To name a couple: Cancer, dementia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and the like.”

As per tradition, Fish took a celebratory jump in Lake Tahoe, with his father, son and caddy.

Humane Society Alum Deploys to Earthquake Response; 5,000 Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Released Into Tahoe; More

by Moonshine Ink Staff | Jul 10, 2026 | Uncategorized

Mountain Biking for Everyone

by Julian Bennett | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

“Hard to put into words how freeing it is,” Jimi Brenner said while taking a break from an afternoon at the downhill mountain bike trails. Brenner lives and works on an orchard around Auburn, he likes biking, he is into metal fabrication, and when he was 29, his car slid off the road into a big oak tree. He became paralyzed from chest down. 

Brenner found the hospital-provided wheelchairs not to his liking, so a year after his injury, he built his own. “I’ve always been the outdoorsy person,” he said. “I can’t get stuck inside much.” 

Three years after his accident, Brenner rode a bike again. The bike was adaptive to his injury, lent to him at the High Fives Community Bike Day, a fundraiser open to everyone.

High Fives was launched in 2009 after its founder, Roy Tuscany, overshot a ski jump and became paralyzed from the waist down. Tuscany received help from his community and started High Fives to “prevent life-changing injuries and provide resources and hope if they happen.” Since then, High Fives has served over 1,000 athletes in a multitude of sports and funded more than 1,900 grants.

After receiving a grant from High Fives and the Kelly Brush Foundation, whose mission is “to inspire and empower people with spinal cord injuries to lead active and engaged lifestyles,” Brenner was able to buy one of the bikes, which start at $15,000. But he didn’t know where to ride it. “Auburn has a lot of real tight single track,” he said. “It’s hard to ride independently.”

In 2021, High Fives collaborated with Sky Tavern Bike Park, located off Mt. Rose Highway, to build a trail suitable for adaptive riders. “We wanted to include several [adaptive specific] design features,” said Becca Lefanowicz, director of brand and creative for High Fives. For instance, “that it would be wide enough for adaptive bikes that have a wider and longer frame.” 

A High Fives adaptive trail must be at least 58 inches wide, a standard that unaffiliated organizations like Lee Canyon resort in Las Vegas have begun to copy. Because adaptive mountain bikes have a lower clearance than standard ones, the trail is also maintained to avoid what Lefanowicz calls “pinch points” — areas that would be too rocky for the low clearance of an adaptive bike. Brenner described the Sky Tavern trail as “super fun, super flowy.” It’s also one of two locations for the High Fives Community Bike Day in June, July, and August this year.

Since the Sky Tavern installation, High Fives has put in another adaptive-friendly trail at Sierra Vista in Reno. 

“Most trails are not too far off,” Brenner said, “there’s maybe just a little something on them [that makes them not suitable for an adaptive bike].” But on Brenner’s new-model Bowhead Reach with a tilting mechanism, he said that “98, 99% of the trails — I can ride on them.”

Brenner said it’s big news in his community when a new trail like this is put in. “It’s more open space you can get out and explore.” This, he said, is the point. And Lefanowicz added that the word she most commonly hears from people who use the adaptive trails is “independence.”  

Gambler’s Run Returns

by Jon Grant | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

There was a moment at the second-ever Gambler’s Run in 2024 when The Main Squeeze was covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” and it all kind of came together for Crystal Bay Casino’s production/marketing manager Sam Shear.

“It was right at dusk,” he said. “The golden hour light. The energy of the band, the energy of the crowd. It was epic. All the work we’d done, a lot of things had to line up to make that moment happen.”

Things did line up and that moment did happen. More moments happened last year and more moments will happen in 2026, the festival gaining momentum like some incendiary fiddle solo played against a devil down in Georgia. This year, the String Cheese Incident leads its biggest lineup yet, headlining three days of deep-pooled musicality with their Thursday night set.   

Formed in Colorado a good 30 years ago, the band has shredded strings and lit up audiences around the world with its bluegrass meets funky-country-rocky-jazzy-reggae-infused sound that offers a pinch of psychedelia and throws in a warm breeze
for good measure.

The band’s name stems from a cheese-heavy food fight the members had in a bar back in the ’90s. They’ll be coming off a two-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheater before rolling the dice in Crystal Bay as part of their five-month Just Keep Spinning tour. 

Red Rocks has a 9,500-person capacity, a typical venue size for the band. Gambler’s Run, on the other hand, is capped at 1,000. A faraway lawn seat won’t exist at the festival, and access to the front rows won’t cost $500-plus — so fans will see and hear and feel the cheese-grating up close.   

“String Cheese is about the biggest act we can get,” Shear said. “We’ve had them in the Crown Room, but this is a new time for a new setting.”

That setting is outdoors. That setting is intimate. That setting is Tahoe air and golden hour light and the mysteries of the night.  And visuals. 

“A lot of focus is also on the art, the eye candy of the festival,” said Shear, who was coy with details to not give away too much and spoil first-impression surprise and intrigue. “It’s an all-encompassing experience. We’ll transform the festival grounds as much as possible.”

Those adorned grounds will be played from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with the gates opening at 3 p.m. for food and craft vendors, and high-energy afterparties in the Crown Room raging until midnight or so. 

Big Head Todd and the Monsters headlines Friday’s lineup with its own sweet Colorado-born style that has continued to evolve and delight music lovers since its 1993 platinum rock album Sister Sweetly, featuring the decade’s iconic and seemingly immortal (for good reason) “Bittersweet.” The soulful sounds and rhythmic beat of The California Honeydrops will get Saturday night’s airs swirling and the dancefloor moving.

But Gambler’s Run isn’t just three consecutive big-name concerts; it’s a music festival that features eight hours of music per day and over 10 bands that run the gamut. Also performing are the Humboldt funk machine Diggin Dirt, the electronic-instrumental synthesis of the groovy Octave Cat (featuring Jessie Miller of Lotus), and the Nashville-based Grateful Dead-influenced punk rockers Sicard Hollow, among others.

Sicard Hollow’s guitarist Alex King shared his thoughts: “We love music festivals, casinos, and lakes. Gambler’s Run is a perfect place … because it crosses off all three of those boxes. Let’s party.”

Three-Pronged Event 

In addition to the intrepid tunes and dynamic art, Gambler’s Run also features a core contingent of activities and activism at its nonprofit village. 

The nonprofit tine is a who’s who of local ecological stalwarts: Keep Tahoe Blue, Sierra Nevada Alliance, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), UC Davis, Restoring My Lake; and, from Colorado, Conscious Alliance. Each entity helms an interactive booth and leads an engaging activity that ties back to its message. Festival-goers are provided a punch card; punches are earned by doing the activities; completing all the activities gains entry into drawings for signed posters and other rad prizes. 

A main component of the activism for the festival itself focuses on sustainability. “When we started Gambler’s Run four years ago now, we were like, ‘We are in Lake Tahoe, we should be as conscious of our environment as possible.’”

A main cog in that activism/sustainability wheel was to phase out plastic cups by phasing in aluminum ones. The CBC began doing so at the first Gambler’s Run in 2023 and it’s now become standard practice at every show it hosts. No single-use plastic cups, not one; stats showing the switch having already saved close to 100,000 plastic cups and thousands of plastic water bottles from ending up in landfills. 

That’s the type of action that helps the world keep spinning and the music keep playing. And summer music festivals right here in the Tahoe Basin, without having to undertake some distant drive in some super-hot direction, are a good thing too.  

“If you’re a local,” Shear concluded, “you know the Crystal Bay Casino; what we do is live music. This is our masterpiece — three days of music, art, activism. Come on over and hang out.” 

Ninety Days to One Bear Photo

by Wade Snider | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

Wade Snider, master photographer, believes that every photo taken should be planned for months. In accordance with his tight hierarchy of strict guidelines, he camped out for ages, waiting for this exact photograph. On day 90, lightning struck. The beagles lined up. The bear was there. All he had to do was hit the shutter. The world softened for a bit. The birds, awestruck, quieted their ritualistic song. When the day returned to focus and time resumed ticking, all that was left was a photograph. Seen here.

~ wadesnider.com

The Earth and Stars: 9 July – 12 August 2026

by Aurora Wellise | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

ASTROLOGY

With summer in full swing, the Cancer new moon on July 14 offers a welcome invitation to slow down, to rest, and to reconnect.

On July 18, Uranus in Gemini trines Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, an amicable transit that highlights both the tension and harmony between abstract ideas and collective technological transformations underway. Two days later, Jupiter in Leo forms a trine to Neptune retrograde in Aries, while also opposing Pluto — encouraging examination of values and relationships to the world’s changes. 

The sun enters Leo on July 22, followed by Mercury coming out of its retrograde transit on July 24. Expect a certain momentum to return to a plan of yours that’s been stalled. 

A major collective shift occurs on July 26 as the north node enters Aquarius and the south node enters Leo. This new nodal cycle will be playing out for 18 months and encourages us to participate more consciously in worldly happenings. 

Leo-season energies amplify on July 29 when Jupiter conjoins the sun during a full moon in Aquarius. With Pluto in conjunction to the full moon, this lunation brings expansive emotional and subconscious transformation. Pay attention to what needs to be released as well as what’s coming up that needs to be celebrated. 

Venus enters Libra on August 6. This will bring balance, a focus on beauty, and an inclination to socialize. August 7 and 8 may feel more reactive, with the Gemini moon transiting first Uranus and then Mars. To give yourself time to take in the full picture, endeavor to pause before responding to things.

On August 12, we have a powerful solar eclipse. The Leo new moon also joins the south node, with Jupiter and Mercury also in Leo. This day will illuminate old stories of identities and patterns that may surface for review. 

NATURAL MAGIC

There are many transits happening in this time that relate to collective change and how that is personally significant, highlighted by the nodal shift into the signs of Aquarius and Leo exactly on July 26; consider setting aside twenty minutes a day between July 19 and August 2 to honor both the transition and your own evolutionary growth. Begin with ten minutes of heart-centered meditation. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly, breathing slowly as you imagine your awareness dropping from your head to your heart. 

Then spend ten minutes reflecting and journaling. Consider these prompts: When I shift perception from my head to my heart, what changes within me?  What is my unique gift to the world? How can I use my creativity in service to something larger than myself?

The Buzz Around Our Native Bees

by Sarah Hockensmith | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

Bees. These remarkable bugs are more than just fuzzy visitors to flowers or “scary” insects that sting. They are vital pollinators who play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our mountain ecosystems and the planet as a whole. 

When most people think of bees, they picture the classic honey bee: living in its bustling hive, making honey, and serving the queen. However, honey bees are not native to North America and their highly social lifestyle represents only a small fraction of the world’s bee species. 

In fact, the vast majority of bees around the world and in the Sierra Nevada are solitary, up to 85% living quiet, independent lives that often go unnoticed by humans. In these species there are no queens, no workers, and no hives.

1 of 3

Rather, every female bee is essentially a one-bee construction crew, food gatherer, and parent all rolled into one. After snowmelt, they find or build suitable nests, collect nectar and pollen, and create a carefully stocked nursery for future offspring. After supplying the nest chamber with food, the female lays a single egg, seals the chamber, and begins the process of preparing the next chamber for another egg. Once her work is complete, her life cycle comes to an end and the next generation develops during the winter months to emerge in the spring. 

Meanwhile, male bees have a simpler life. Their lifespan lasts only a few weeks and equates to: emerge, compete to find a mate, reproduce, and that’s about it. 

Native Tahoe/Truckee bees come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some wear the familiar yellow-and-black striped patterns while others look like tiny flying jewels, shimmering in the sunlight with their metallic greens, blues, or bronze. When identifying whether an insect is a bee, a helpful clue is to look for yellow, dusty pollen clinging to its body. Female bees often carry pollen on specialized hairs attached to their legs called corbiculae (or “pollen pants”), and other species will tote it on the underside of their abdomens. 

Tahoe/Truckee Bee Diversity

One of the most interesting solitary bees around Tahoe/Truckee are leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.). These tiny architects carefully cut out near-perfect circles from leaves or other plant material and carry them back to their nests. They then use the leaf pieces to form the structure of their nursery chamber cells, and, like wallpaper, the leaf material lines and protects the chamber to promote growth of beneficial microbes. 

Gardeners sometimes notice the neat circular holes left behind by the leafcutters and wonder, “What happened?” Fortunately, it’s most often good news. The holes rarely harm the plant as a whole, and the “damage” is little more than a tiny rental fee, paid in exchange for excellent pollination services. 

Mason bees (Osmia spp.) include another type of solitary bee found in our area. These small critters have dark bodies and an often iridescent sheen, and can easily be mistaken for a fly. However, they are all bee: widely considered some of nature’s most efficient pollinators. A single female has been known to pollinate up to 2,000 blossoms in one day. 

Her pollinating power comes from how she carries pollen. Instead of packing it tightly on her legs, the mason bee female carries it loosely on the underside of her body, allowing her to transfer more pollen between flowers. Around Tahoe/Truckee you can find mason bees living in natural cavities such as hollow stems and holes in wood, but they will also readily occupy homemade bee boxes with paper or cardboard nesting tubes placed near flowering plants (a fun project for your yard). 

For other bees, that patch of exposed dirt in your yard or a downed log out back can be prime real estate too, so leave them be! 

Of course, no discussion of Sierra buzzers would be complete without mentioning bumble bees (Bombus spp.). The fuzzy giants of the bee world, bumble bees are larger, louder, and easier to spot than many of their smaller relatives. 

Unlike most of the area’s native bees, bumble bees are social insects, forming small colonies led by a single queen and supported by a female workforce. Their colonies, however, function very differently from honey bee hives. As fall approaches, the workers die off, leaving only the newly mated queens alive, seeking shelter underground where they overwinter beneath the snowpack. When spring arrives, each queen emerges to build an entirely new colony from scratch. 

Truckee/Tahoe is home to several bumblebee species, including the endangered Western Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis). Not long ago, at Sagehen Creek Research Station, Dr. Nina Sokolov of UC Berkeley found 23 Western Bumble Bees in just 45 minutes, a remarkable find given this species is endangered and difficult to find across the state of California. Perhaps Truckee is a hotspot for this species? More research and time will tell, but for now this is encouraging for Bombus occidentalis. 

Supporting
the Bees That Support Us

Bees play a critical role in maintaining our region’s biodiversity. Their services support the plants that provide food and shelter for countless other species, while encouraging outcrossing among the plants themselves, increasing genetic diversity and creating stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities of organisms. 

Sadly, not all news is good, and our bees face many challenges. Habitat loss, disease, pesticide exposure, and climate change all threaten native bee populations. Habitat loss from human development destroys both nesting sites and the flowering plants bees depend on. Pesticides may directly harm the pollinators or indirectly kill the plants they rely on. Climate change creates timing mismatches between flowers and the bees’ emergence. 

Fortunately, communities throughout our nation are recognizing the importance of protecting pollinators, and Truckee has an exciting opportunity to join that effort. The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is leading the charge to designate the Town of Truckee as an official “Bee City.” TINS and other partners through Bee City USA intend to protect native pollinators through education, habitat restoration, and conservation. While the designation is an important milestone, its true value lies in the community actions that follow.

Residents can help in surprisingly simple ways; planting native flowers and leaving patches of bare soil, dead wood, and dried stems all work to create nesting opportunities. Even participating in community science projects using iNaturalist, a free app that helps identify plants and animals while collecting data for science and conservation, can help researchers better understand local bee populations. In this way, every yard, garden, school, neighborhood, and human can become part of the solution.

So, the next time you hear a faint buzz while hiking a trail, walking through a meadow, or tending your garden, take a closer look and try to appreciate the bee for who it is and what it does.

These remarkable insects may be small, but their impact is enormous. Quietly and tirelessly, our native bees sustain the wildflowers, forests, and vibrant landscapes that make the Sierra Nevada the wonderful and biologically diverse place that it is.

New Bookstore Opens (Underground) in Tahoe City

by Megan Michelson | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

If you’re not looking for the Understory, it’s easy to walk right past it. Owner Annie Stefani calls it a hobbit hole — picture Alice falling into the rabbit burrow and coming out in Tahoe. Located in an underground cellar at the north end of downtown Tahoe City in front of urgent care, the Understory is North Lake Tahoe’s newest bookshop, which opened June 30. 

“That aspect of getting lost in a story has been a big part of my entire life,” says Stefani, who grew up in Tahoe City and has worked in education for 20 years, teaching middle and high school English and social studies. “Reading is a way to learn about another place. Especially in a bubble like Tahoe, books are a window into another world.”

Five years ago, Stefani obtained a master’s degree in library and information science and began working as the librarian at North Tahoe High School. When she took over that role, she completely redesigned the physical space of the school’s library. “When people asked me what I’d do if I wasn’t a teacher, I’d always say I’d be an interior designer,” she says. She discovered a designer who focused on home libraries, and she thought, “This is a thing? I can incorporate design and books and make them look beautiful and readable? Who knew?” 

Last year, she left her job at Tahoe Truckee Unified School District and launched Wonderwood Books and Library Services, a book-centric design studio for homes, hotels, and more. She designed and curated bookshelves at the new Apex Club at Palisades Tahoe — complete with books by local authors and ones based on Sierra Nevada ski history — as well as home libraries for several local residences. “When you walk into someone’s home, you look at what they’re reading,” Stefani says. “You want those shelves to not only look nice but also represent who you are.”

With the launch of her library design business, she needed a space outside her home to store books, so she began looking at storage facilities and commercial spaces around the area. A meeting with Christine and Andrew Ryan, who own the Tahoe Backyard in Kings Beach and operate a micro-business incubator, gave her a new idea: Find a space that could house her library design studio and also be a community bookstore.

“It seemed like a crazy idea in the Amazon-era of online book ordering to open a brick-and-mortar bookstore,” Stefani says. “But Christine and Andy gave me the confidence and encouragement that a bookstore could actually work.” 

Another serendipitous meeting with local architects Robb and Molly Olson, who recently purchased the Trading Post buildings in downtown Tahoe City, led Stefani to the so-nick-named hobbit hole. “They said they had a commercial space I might be interested in and when they stopped in front of that door into the underground, I thought, ‘Oh no,’” Stefani recalls. “But then we walked in and my answer was immediately: ‘yes.’ It’s much brighter than it looks thanks to the skylights, and the space has such a good quality.”

The underground store, which previously housed a law office and the office of the former property owners, the Dyer brothers, has been vacant for years. The interior and exterior were recently remodeled and landscaped in preparation for the Understory’s late June opening. 

At just 645 square feet, it’s not a huge space. The main room displays books for sale, and the two smaller back rooms offer a reading nook with a gas fireplace that can be rented out for book clubs or other gatherings and a conference room that can be used for private meetings. 

“The space is small, but because of that it can be carefully curated,” Stefani says. “I want this to be a community-based bookshop, so there will a rotating community shelf with reading recommendations.”

She doesn’t plan on focusing on outdoor guidebooks — Tahoe City’s Alpenglow Sports has that well covered — or competing with the vast collection at Truckee’s much bigger Word After Word Books. Her goal is to have a small, handpicked collection of fiction and nonfiction books that are switched out regularly, so you can always find something new. “I want everyone — locals, visitors, kids, adults — to be able to walk into the store and discover a book that invokes that sense of curiosity, joy, and wonder that you can find from a good story.”

The last bookstore in Tahoe City, called the Bookshelf, closed in 2012. Can this one fare better? “Tahoe is a very literary place, more than people may realize,” Stefani says. “I’m excited to create this space for our community around a shared love of reading and storytelling.”  

The Understory’s Summer Reading List

by Annie Stefani | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

After 20 years teaching English and as a high school librarian, I’ve learned that while reading is a deeply personal act, it also has the innate ability to build community through the simple act of sharing the books we’ve loved or what’s next on our list. While Joyce Carol Oates once said, “Read widely, and without apology. Read what you want to read, not what someone tells you you should read,” I also believe that one should never turn down an opportunity to share what’s on their reading list. So, here are 10 books for your summer reading adventures, with stories rooted in travel and place. 

1. Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins. The Eastern Sierra is magical this time of year and Wiggins manages to capture the beauty of the Owens Valley and create historical fiction perfection with this story about the building of Manzanar, the city of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and a family stuck in the middle. This is one of my favorite books of all time. 

2. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Eco-fiction, mystery, family drama all in one. A woman washes up shipwrecked on a remote sub-Antarctic island guarding a seed vault, and nothing about the family sheltering her is quite what it seems.

3. Playground by Richard Powers. While Powers’ The Overstory was part of the inspiration for The Understory, his novel Playground is a captivating shift to the ocean with this sweeping story about ocean exploration, tech oligarchs, and what it means to be family. 

4. The Land and Its People by David Sedaris. I first discovered the sheer genius of David Sedaris while reading Me Talk Pretty One Day on a study abroad trip to France. To this day, I have never felt so seen in a collection of essays about navigating life in another country with such sharp, tender wit. In The Land and Its People, Sedaris revisits those themes of travel, brotherhood, and friendship. 

5. Land by Maggie O’Farrell. This highly anticipated historical fiction piece will transport you to Ireland in the years surrounding The Great Hunger, from the author of Hamnet. 

6. Barbarian Days by William Finnegan. Much like skiing, surfing quickly turns into an all-consuming adventure. In this Pulitzer-winning memoir I come back to every summer, Finnegan shares stories of chasing waves around the world. Part travelogue, part coming-of-age-story, and part meditation on obsession in sport. 

7. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. In a past life when I worked for a surf camp in Mexico, my favorite colleagues were all from Tofino. This slow-burn romance set on the Canadian coastline is the perfect summer beach read. 

8. Saltwater by Katy Hayes. In this twisty, glamorous murder mystery filled with family secrets, the island of Capri is a character itself. Local Tahoe author Katy Hayes brings the same eye for atmosphere and intrigue that made The Cloisters a hit, making Capri’s sun-bleached cliffs and shadowy villas feel as vivid as anywhere in fiction this summer.

9. Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer. Italy, but make it chaotic. The Pulitzer-winning author of Less sends a young archivist to catalog a crumbling Tuscan villa for a 92-year-old baroness with one last love to track down. The other side of The Understory are library services, including archival work, so my inner cataloguer loves this premise.

10. Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead. This is going to be my personal challenge book for the summer, and it feels like good timing between the release of Spielberg’s Disclosure Day and the new Odyssey movie coming out in late July. Recommended by a friend who’s a sci-fi expert, this Hugo-nominated sci-fi novel is told entirely in verse, following a colony ship engineer who wakes from cryosleep to find her vessel transformed into a forest, ruled by the descendants of the crew. 

Flying High

by Laurel Lippert | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

I likely would not have become a pilot if I didn’t live in Truckee. Like many things we do in our natural mountainous setting — as you discover when backcountry skiing, biking, hiking, or exploring — flying a small, old airplane has some challenges.

When you take off in an old plane, there’s always some uncertainty. If you fly solo, which means alone, you have to solve problems on your own. What-ifs are part of the experience we choose to have.

I earned my private pilot certificate at Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK) in 1990, at age 42. In 1997 my husband Tom and I bought our first airplane, a 1946 Cessna 140,
a silver, two-seater, single-engine, tailwheel plane.

Because my flight training happened here in Truckee, I learned the limitations of flying in an old airplane, taking off at 5,901 feet elevation and climbing another thousand feet, or more, to clear the surrounding mountains around us, which wasn’t always easy. 

In July 2002, Tom, who became a pilot at age 54, and I decided to fly to Stowe, Vermont, where we had friends. We had also skied there when Tom had a photo assignment for SKI magazine. 

The flight required many airport stops along the way (17 in total) for fuel, food, and overnight stays. Pilots are required to keep logbooks of every takeoff and landing, so I have the proof. There was, and are now, over 5,000 public use airports in the U.S.

If you hike or climb in the Sierra, you know the magnificent views from up there, near or on the peaks. Flying over our beautiful area in a small plane is like that, giving us an even greater appreciation for where we live and why.

On our way to Vermont we encountered weather issues such as wind, clouds, rain, or approaching storms that meant we needed to land and wait them out. At small, remote airports, with no indoor option, there often wasn’t a way to get into town, so we just sat outside. Inevitably, someone driving by would spot us and take us into town, or, sometimes, even to their own home. I remember once being driven to a lovely house on a beautiful nearby lake.

With every landing at some remote airport, through people’s kindness, it didn’t matter who they were, or what they believed, Tom and I felt they were our friends. Most people assumed that Tom was the pilot and I was the passenger. I never corrected them.

Reflecting on that trip to Vermont, and others, since moving to Truckee in 1977, I continue to be grateful to live in a community where people naturally connect with locals and strangers and love adventure.

I decided to become a flight instructor in 1998, at age 50; not to make money, but to become a better pilot. Also, as a freelance writer, published in skiing and travel magazines, I believed I could get more aviation writing assignments as a certified flight instructor. 

For those of us who choose to take on challenges, it’s not unusual to say, “How am I going to do that?”

But I found a way and I did it, and as a CFI, I met Henry Levy, a pilot from Lodi who had a house in Northstar and an airplane hangared at KTRK. He asked me to fly him to Sun Valley, Idaho, in his Cessna 182, as he no longer had a medical certificate. I did that, and we became friends. 

Henry later got divorced and moved to Truckee full-time. Tom and I enjoyed his company and high spirits, and Henry became a close friend. One day, he gifted Tom and me his Cessna 182 that he had bought brand-new in 1981.

The people whom Tom and I met over the years through flying remain special. With assignments from national flying magazines, Tom and I flew around the country, seeing beautiful places and meeting interesting folks. 

I also interviewed pilots who were famous, including Arnold Palmer, Harrison Ford, Sarah Ferguson (the Dutchess of York), and Clint Eastwood. Like most who understand the risks of flying, these celebrities were humble and never bragged about being pilots. Just like we skiers know we shouldn’t brag about being “hot” as it can jinx our next run, the same goes for pilots. 

I tell you this because many of us in Truckee have had experiences and adventures that we will never forget, and that affect who we are. In one of my ipilot.com articles, I wrote about being stuck in Newcastle, WY, due to a scary airplane issue. I closed the story, saying, “We know there are angels in the air. Stay open.”

Stay open. Share your stories while you can, and keep smiling.  

Moonshine Ink Vintage 24 Nip 5

by Moonshine Ink Staff | Jul 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

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