TAHOE CITY, Calif. – Daniel Tosh of Tosh.0 fame put his Tahoe property up for sale last week, selling for $11.9 million. The lakefront property on the west shore has three distinct homes and is a gated estate.
The property on 1250 and 1254 West Lake Boulevard is a gated estate that Tosh originally bought for roughly $7 million back in 2018. The 1.6-acre property has 93 feet of Lake Tahoe shoreline, and was Tosh’s go-to place for vacations for years.
The estate is located between Tahoe City and Sunnyside and has several hideaways and two buoys. Kristina Bergstrand of Compass, who is representing the home, called it Tahoe chic. It features a renovated lakeside cabin that was previously an equipment shed, a funicular and plenty of amenities in the main residence: a stone hearth, billiards room, four-car garage and sauna.
Outside, according to the listing, are a hot tub, fire pit, as well as a bocce and horseshoe pit.
The backyard is also usable as its own ski resort, with a chairlift leading to a green run, two blue runs and one black diamond, according to Tosh himself.
With all the love Tosh has for Tahoe, Bergstrand noted, “(He) is not leaving the Tahoe area. He loves it here; he is just relocating to be closer to friends in the area.”
California is excited to announce its membership in the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement.
The NW Compact was created in 1998 and is one of eight forest fire fighting Compacts currently operating across North America. The purpose of the NW Compact is to promote effective prevention, suppression, and control of forest fires in the Northwest wildland region of the United States and Western areas of Canada. It provides an efficient way for member states, provinces and territories to cope with wildland fires that might be beyond the capabilities of a single member agency, through information sharing, technology and resource distribution.
The NW Compact is operated by member states, provinces and territories, who include:
Alberta
Yukon Territory
Saskatchewan
Northwest Territories
British Columbia
Alaska
Idaho
Washington
Oregon
Montana
Hawaii
And now, California and Nevada.
California’s landscapes face increasing wildfire threats due to climate change, invasive species and population growth. In recent years, hotter temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme wind events have intensified fire risk.
“California is proud to join forces with our northwestern neighbors to fight catastrophic wildfire. We’re all on the front lines of this worsening wildfire threat — and by joining our collective resources together, we will be even more effective in protecting our communities.” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Nevada has experienced a dramatic increase in average annual acres burned from wildfires in the most recent 20 years. The acres burned have doubled to 450,000 acres per year, on average, largely attributed to invasive annual grasses, increased wildfire fuel loads and the prevalence of human-caused ignitions. This year, the Cottonwood Peak Fire burned over 132,000 acres alone.
Nevada is joining the Northwest and Great Plains Compacts to bolster wildfire response resources in- and out-of-state in the most critical times of need. These compacts streamline the resource ordering and response to reduce response times and increase resources from a broader set of partners across the nation.
“Safe and effective wildfire response is built on a foundation of partnerships between local, state and federal entities, alongside the support of private contractors. With the ever-increasing wildfire occurrence across the United States, especially in the West, these partnerships become even more essential,” stated Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. “Partnerships are the Nevada way and these compacts offer additional tools for greater protection of citizens, visitors, properties and landscapes across this great state.”
Both states have a long history with several compact members already through separate mutual aid agreements, making this a great opportunity for them to build on old relationships and create new ones as well.
The two states’ decision to join the NW compact was due to the need for additional firefighting resources among agency members. The compact enables the exchange of resources with other compact members to improve wildfire response capacity in California and Nevada. It will allow wildland firefighters from these states to gain experience by assisting with wildland firefighting efforts on the North American continent while also allowing the state to call on assistance from other members in the compact, thereby benefiting all compact members.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Twenty-one high school students in the Washoe County School District (WCSD) have been named semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, including Incline High Student Chloe Greer. They are among more than 16,000 scholars nationwide who will compete for nearly $26 million in college scholarships to be awarded next spring.
The semifinalists from the Washoe County School District are:
Bringhurst, Eli – Damonte Ranch High School
Denton, Millie – Galena High School
Gowin, Griffin – Galena High School
Greer, Chloe – Incline High School
Hill, Lee – Reno High School
Ho, Olivia – Galena High School
Jackson, Daniel – Procter R. Hug High School
Lewis, Ronan – Reno High School
Mandeville, Ethan – Wooster High School
Moran, Konrad – Galena High School
Olson, Lydia – Wooster High School,
Peterson, Simon – McQueen High School
Prioreschi, Owen – Reno High School
Rajesh, Rithik – Galena High School
Ram, Mahika – Reno High School
Song, Claire – Reno High School
Telliano, Matthew – McQueen High School
Terrazas, Michael – Reed High School
Troescher, Andrew – Procter R. Hug High School
Turner, Kaitlyn – Galena High School
Vaidyanathan, Ashwin – Academy of Arts, Careers & Technology (AACT)
These students are among more than 1.3 million students in about 20,000 high schools nationwide who entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screening of program entrants. A nationwide pool of semifinalists—representing less than one percent of high school seniors in the United States—includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
To become a finalist and move forward in the scholarship competition, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application with information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. Each semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Based upon these submissions, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will choose approximately 15,000 finalists who will be notified of their selection in February 2026. These finalists will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit Scholarships ($2,500), about 830 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships, and some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarships for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Sugar Pine Village Phase 1 has been named the 2025 Best Real Estate Project of the Year in the Public-Private Partnership category by the Sacramento Business Journal, recognizing its innovative approach to community-driven development and regional housing solutions.
The award highlights the remarkable collaboration between Related California, one of the state’s premier developers of affordable and mixed-income housing, St. Joseph Community Land Trust, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), Lowney Architecture, Deacon Construction, and the City of South Lake Tahoe. Together, the partners have delivered a transformative project that addresses critical housing needs while preserving the character and natural beauty of the Tahoe Basin.
Phase 1 of Sugar Pine Village includes 68 high-quality affordable housing units, designed with sustainability, livability, and community connectivity in mind. Once completed, the full development will total more than 248 units, making it the largest affordable housing project in the history of South Lake Tahoe.
City Manager, Joe Irvin praised the project’s impact: “Sugar Pine Village is proof that thoughtful development can meet housing needs of our community while maintaining the environmental values our community holds dear. We’re incredibly proud to see this work recognized on a regional stage.”
The Sacramento Business Journal’s annual Best Real Estate Projects Awards honor developments that demonstrate innovation, overcome challenges, and deliver lasting value to the community. Sugar Pine Village Phase 1 stood out for its cross-sector collaboration, accelerated timeline, and ability to secure layered funding from local, state, and federal sources.
This recognition highlights the power of collaboration in delivering affordable housing quickly and effectively to the City of South Lake Tahoe. The dedication of the City Council and commitment to priorities outlined in its 5-year strategic plan has played a key role in the delivery of affordable housing. In addition, the city’s strategic investment to secure the outside grants, bonds, and equity investments has been essential to the funding of this project.
Sugar Pine Village exemplifies how underutilized state land can transform a community and opportunity.
Sugar Pine Village Phase 1 welcomed its first residents in Fall 2024 and continues to be a model for public-private partnerships tackling California’s housing crisis. Phase 2 is currently leasing while vertical construction is underway for the third phase. The project will ultimately consist of 248 units, which will provide high-quality affordable housing to approximately 800 residents.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Elevate Wellness Center has expanded its offerings with the addition of Elevate Wellness Lounge – a new IV therapy lounge, blending naturopathic care, group services, and community events into its long-standing wellness model.
The lounge, which quietly opened this summer, is a partnership with naturopathic physician Dr. Ha Dang, who has provided IV and naturopathic services at Elevate for several years. So, when the new space became available just a couple doors down from the Wellness Center, Elevate CEO Melinda Choy said the timing was right to create a dedicated center.
“We just didn’t quite have the space that we needed for her to really do a full operative IV therapy center, but it was always a dream of hers to be able to do it here,” said Choy. “It was perfect timing so that we could collaborate on opening up and taking this space.”
Under Elevate’s management services model, providers like Dr. Dang operate their own businesses while Elevate handles branding, marketing, and operations. This structure, common in hospitals and medical practices, allows practitioners to focus on patient care.
Provided / Elevate Lounge
The lounge offers a variety of IV and injection therapies designed for hydration, immunity, detoxification, longevity, energy, and even beauty-focused treatments. Services are available by appointment or walk-in, and patients don’t need to be enrolled in naturopathic care to receive IV therapy.
“We’re also able to accommodate larger groups,” Choy added. “Bridal parties, for example, can book pre-wedding hydration sessions to look and feel their best.”
In addition to IV therapy and injection cocktails, the lounge also hosts community acupuncture sessions twice weekly. The $50 sessions are offered in a group setting to make acupuncture more affordable and accessible, particularly for those without insurance.
he lounge offers a variety of IV and injection therapies. Provided / Elevate Lounge
“We’ve been trying to figure out how to bring this back since COVID and so having this lounge space is a perfect opportunity for us to be able to do it in,” Choy said.
The expansion has allowed Elevate to increase community programming for wellness events, including events that combine healing practices such as sound therapy, yoga and acupuncture. Upcoming offerings include “Breathe, Move, and Receive,” a group yoga and acupuncture event led by local practitioner Holly DeWitt.
Looking ahead, Elevate also has plans to introduce passive healing devices and group therapy offerings, including a women’s life transition group focused on perimenopause and menopause.
Choy said the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with both locals and visitors drawn to the open, modern design of the space.
“It’s about expanding access to holistic care in a way that feels personal and inclusive,” she added. “It really creates a welcoming environment that matches what people are looking for in wellness today.”
Elevate Wellness Lounge is located in The Crossing center at 2030 Lake Tahoe Blvd. The lounge is currently open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, with plans to extend hours as demand grows. For more information on all offerings visit them online at elevate-wellness.com or reach them by phone at 530-541-9355.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Secretary Wade Crowfoot joined the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) on Monday, Sept. 15, to see the work in the Tahoe Keys that started this September—a year ahead of schedule. The 43-acre mastication project is in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and contractor BurnBot and was able to start early through Gov. Newsom’s emergency proclamation to confront the ongoing risk of wildfires in the state.
Mastication is underway in the Tahoe Keys off 15th Street.Eli Ramos / Tahoe Daily Tribune
According to Chris Carney, communications director at the CTC, the project is their first one approved through the proclamation, though it kicked off over a hundred projects across the state. The opportunity to move in advance was exciting for all partners involved, who felt that the project was especially important to protect the neighborhoods and sensitive wetlands nearby.
The air was rife with the scent of pine trees being masticated—a term for grinding up small trees, brush and woody debris into mulch. BurnBot provided remote-operated masticators that chip vegetation and spread chips around the treatment area. This management clears out ladder fuels that would otherwise cause flames to leap into the canopy, improving forest health and reducing wildfire risks.
BurnBot representatives said that this on-the-ground work could help to address the rising insurance rates by providing more accurate models and data of wildfire risks. The machines they use are much lighter and less noisy than typical equipment. That, combined with the remote operation, allows them to operate on steeper slopes that are environmentally sensitive. The USFS and other agencies are likely to continue these kinds of partnerships in order to get fuel reductions work done on their many acres of land.
South Lake Tahoe Fire Department Chief Jim Drennan said, “In my years working here, I don’t know that we’ve ever seen cooperation and collaboration like this.” He emphasized the importance of the Good Neighbor Authority agreement and the mutual aid collaboration among fire departments, both of which allow agencies to prepare and respond to wildfires across jurisdictional lines.
Secretary Wade Crowfoot speaks with the California Tahoe Conservancy at the former Motel 6 site, which he also toured.Eli Ramos / Tahoe Daily Tribune
California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot said, “This project is a game changer. We need many more of them in the Tahoe Basin and across the state. It’s the first to use this early action funding, streamlined permitting and groundbreaking technology. And it demonstrates local, state and federal partnership.”
Crowfoot agreed with Drennan’s thoughts on working across jurisdictional lines, and was excited about the progress that he had seen since Newsom’s proclamation in March. “To me, this is the poster child for what we need to do across the state.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Barton Health has once again been recognized by Cal Hospital Compare on its Opioid Care Honor Roll, earning two consecutive years of “Superior Performance.” Barton is one of only 33 hospitals in California to receive this distinction, reflecting its commitment to addressing substance use disorders (SUDs) and supporting the health and safety of the Lake Tahoe community.
The recognition acknowledges Barton’s success across four critical domains of care:
Safe and effective opioid use
Identifying and managing patients with substance use disorder
Harm reduction strategies
Applying cross-cutting best management practices for SUD care
Substance use disorder affects one in seven Americans aged 12 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Locally, SUD has been consistently identified as a top health concern in Barton’s triennial Community Health Needs Assessment, underscoring the need for accessible programs for patients and families.
Barton Health has implemented a range of innovative strategies to improve treatment access and outcomes including:
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): Integrated into primary and behavioral care, recently expanded to also treat alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Substance use coordinators: Two dedicated coordinators guide patients through care, connect them to resources, and ensure consistent follow-up.
Opioid Stewardship Committee: A multi-disciplinary team advancing safe prescribing practices and offering non-opioid pain management alternatives.
Harm reduction and education: Community outreach, safe prescribing, and expanded access to naloxone (NARCAN® Nasal Spray) to prevent opioid overdose deaths.
“Addressing substance use disorder requires a collaborative, patient-centered approach,” said Dr. Jacob Marquette, board-certified addiction medicine specialist. “At Barton, we bring together medical providers, behavioral health specialists, and substance use coordinators to ensure patients get the right care at the right time. This multi-modal team approach helps our patients and their families know they don’t have to face recovery alone.”
Barton Health remains dedicated to building safer, healthier communities through evidence-based practices, compassionate care, and community-wide education.
For more information about substance use disorder treatment and recovery services at Barton Health, please visit BartonHealth.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif – The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) board of education met on Thursday to discuss the upcoming water restrictions, Measure U bond updates, the financial report for fiscal year 2024-2025 and receive a presentation on Sierra House Elementary’s school plans.
Board reports
Student board member Miri Lucksinger noted that students were excited for upcoming fall games for volleyball, soccer, cross-country and tennis. The school musical will be “Chicago” and shows will begin on November 7.
Superintendent Todd Cutler spoke on the student advisory council’s presentation at the Small School Districts’ Association (SSDA) conference, which happened earlier that day. “They did an amazing job sharing how they work together to share their concerns, their ideas and their thoughts about how our district is meeting their needs.
Cutler also acknowledged the impact of 9/11 and “all of the difficult things we continue to go through in our countries.”
During employee association reports, South Tahoe Educators’ Association (STEA) thanked the board for their collaboration during negotiation. “Your willingness to listen and work with us allowed for an increase to our healthcare cap that will help our members in sharing the burden of the rising healthcare costs,” said Nicole Mora, president of STEA.
Mora also acknowledged the victims of school shootings across the nation and asked the board to review their safety protocols.
Water restriction
Lauren Benefield, water conservation specialist at the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) spoke about the impacts of AB 1572. The legislation, which passed in October 2023, prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate non-functional turf on commercial, industrial and institutional properties. Benefield noted that STPUD only provides potable water in the community, as legally, they must send recycled water out of the basin.
Since LTUSD is an education institution, they must pass the amendments by January 1, 2027, and STPUD would be required to enforce compliance. Benefield said that the board and LTUSD staff would meet with the STPUD conservation team to evaluate the non-functional turf on the properties.
STPUD provides a turf buy-back program and water wise landscape consultation, which would help replace the turf on campuses. Each school site would qualify individually, making each site eligible for up to $5,000.
The city is also currently making efforts to remove turf, especially along Ski Run and U.S. Highway 50. They are cultivating their own plants to replace the turf—the board considered the possibility of doing that or buying excess plants from the city.
President Lauri Kemper was in high support of the upcoming work, as she worked for 30 years on the Lahontan Water Control Board. “I like to remind the public that when people first came to Lake Tahoe… they sat on the dirt and had picnics, and there was no such thing as turf. In general, it’s not necessary in my opinion… and our habitat and native species prefer less turf.”
Sierra House Elementary
Principal Karin Holmes presented on Sierra House Elementary School’s plans for the year. The school currently has 378 students, with 76 students receiving special services, 211 students who had turned in Fund our Future surveys and 69 English learners.
Holmes highlighted the pilot of Illustrative Mathematics, which the school included in its Single Focus plan, and their current work to increase attendance numbers for the school. She also highlighted the work of Mandy Miller, Kim Yuan and Casey Donahue in supporting social emotional support and learning.
The board expressed that they would miss Holmes, who said that this would be her last year as principal. They also praised her previous successes.
Budget items
First, Geroge Rojas of the Cumming Group provided updates on the Measure U bond work. The group had its overview done to ensure that bonds were only spent on the authorized uses. They plan to submit their designs regarding Tahoe Valley and South Tahoe High School to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) by the end of the month, complete the design development phase and complete the storm water pollution plan before November this year.
The board approved the proposal for the special education study for LTUSD in spring 2026, which would likely take place in February or March. Darrell Miller, chairman of the community advisory committee for special education, said, “We’re looking forward to working with SSC and providing feedback… I think that’s really important that it’s a collaborative effort in this process.”
Lastly, chief business officer Kelly Buttery presented the financial report from fiscal year 2024-2025. Their total revenue was $60.9 million, with 65.5% of those funds coming from the local control formula funds. The total expenditures was $62 million, of which salaries and benefits represent 83%.
The total revenues were lower than projected due to changes in the property taxes, federal, state and local revenue and local control formula funds factors. However, expenditures were lower in books and supplies, services and other operating expenditures. This resulted in an increase of the ending fund balance of $2.6 million. Buttery said, “A lot of the cuts we did make towards the end of the year really did pay off.”
The unaudited report was unanimously approved by the board.
Board policy updates
The California School Boards Association provided proposed updates to the board policies, including safety planning and wildfire evacuations, Title IX complaint procedures and technology plans among others. The board received the information and will make a motion in a future meeting.
The next school board meeting will take place on September 25.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe announced that Liberty Utilities has fulfilled their $55,000 pledge to the Building Bright Futures Campaign, helping make the Angel of Tahoe Clubhouse a reality. Their generous contribution sponsored the Collaborative Room, a space designed to bring students together for learning, teamwork, and growth.
The Collaborative Room is home to many activities from special meetings to our unique sewing program. In a way, it is reflective of its sponsor in the ability to collaborate with multiple entities when faced with challenges that one cannot tackle alone.
Provided
This is a safe space where Tahoe youth feel empowered to create and share. This collaborative space was made possible by a generous donation from our local Liberty Utilities.
“The community came together to fund the Angel of Tahoe Clubhouse and Liberty Utilities stepped up to sponsor the Collaborative Room,” said Aimi Xistra-Rich, Director of Development for the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. “We are so thankful for their support of our Tahoe youth and community. The Collaborative Room serves kids in the community from not only Boys & Girls Club, but also Mt. Tallac High School and the Independent Learning Academy.”
Two Lake Tahoe locals were rescued Sept. 13 after becoming stranded on the steep rock slabs of Flagpole Peak.
The hikers were unable to ascend or descend safely, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. The agency deployed its Search and Rescue Technical Rope Team and helicopter ECHO-1 to reach the pair.
ECHO-1 conducted a hoist operation to lift both hikers to safety.
Deputies reminded hikers venturing into difficult terrain to have a plan and be prepared to retrace their route.
Welcome back to Tahoe TAP — where Things, Adventure, and People come together to showcase life in the Jewel of the Sierra. Hosts Mike Peron and Rob Galloway are back behind the mic, kicking things off with the latest happenings and fresh stories making waves across the basin.
Then, we dive into a feature that’s been decades in the making: Tahoe Games. This mountain sports festival was dreamed up and brought to life by today’s guest, Rob Giustina, founder ofOn Course Events.
As the creative force behind one of Tahoe’s most influential event production companies, Rob has shaped the cultural and entertainment landscape of the region. From music and arts festivals to outdoor gatherings and community-driven experiences, his work has become a cornerstone of Tahoe’s lifestyle—blending mountain-town energy with world-class production.
With a passion for connecting people through creativity and experience, Rob continues to push boundaries and elevate Tahoe as not just a destination, but a thriving hub of culture, community, and adventure.
Tune in as we explore the origins of Tahoe Games, the evolution of On Course Events, and how one producer’s vision helped transform Lake Tahoe’s event scene into something unforgettable.
LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – To better understand how tourism and community needs intersect, Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is launching a resident sentiment survey in partnership with Longwoods International as part of their national survey initiative. The goal is to gather feedback from residents about the benefits and challenges of tourism while also identifying community priorities such as expanded transportation and transit options, downtown beautification projects, and other initiatives that improve quality of life for residents. Residents who complete the survey will be entered to win a $100 gift card to a local restaurant.
Residents of Crystal Bay and Incline Village can complete the survey by clicking on the link here.
“Tourism is a vital part of our economy, but it is also deeply connected to the quality of life here in Washoe Tahoe,” said Andy Chapman, President & CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “Our residents are the heart of this community. This survey gives us the chance to hear their perspectives not only on tourism, but also on the investments they want to see in areas like transit, infrastructure, and public spaces. Their input will help guide our work to ensure Incline Village and Crystal Bay remain a world-class destination and a vibrant place to live.”
The survey is now live and will remain open for two weeks. All responses will directly inform TNTNV’s future planning, helping shape investments that support residents while balancing the region’s role as a top travel destination. Survey responses are completely anonymous.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – September is Pedestrian Safety Month in California. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) would like to remind drivers to slow down and be alert for people walking on our roads. By always taking extra precautions, you can help protect pedestrians and reduce the risk of crashes and injuries. Walking should always be an easy and safe option for getting around any community.
According to projections from the Governors Highway Safety Association, 7,148 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes across the United States in 2024. In California alone, pedestrian deaths make up more than 24 percent of all traffic-related fatalities.
Every step we take towards greater pedestrian safety is a step towards saving lives. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department wants to remind everyone that safety begins with you, whether you’re behind the wheel or on foot. Small actions, like slowing down, putting away distractions and yielding at crosswalks can make a life-saving difference.
Pedestrians do not have the same protections as drivers and passengers. A difference of just 15 MPH (20 MPH to 35 MPH) significantly increases the likelihood that a person walking will be killed if struck by a vehicle.
To promote the safety of people walking, SLTPD will conduct traffic safety enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of pedestrians at risk. These violations include speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield and running stop signs or signals.
SLTPD offers safe driving and walking tips, including staying off the phone when behind the wheel or walking.
Drivers
Do not speed and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
Never drive impaired.
Avoid distractions such as texting or eating while driving. Keep your focus on the road.
Pedestrians
Be predictable. Use signalized crosswalks where drivers may anticipate foot traffic.
Look both ways and make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
Make it easier for drivers to see you at night – consider wearing bright colors, reflective material or using a flashlight.
Be careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night or on busier streets with higher speed limits.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
STATELINE, Nev. – To address hazardous vegetation in steep and remote terrain, NV Energy is utilizing helicopter-assisted operations to safely and efficiently remove trees and debris. This work is essential to reducing wildfire risk and improving electrical system reliability in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The work is being done at Heavenly Mountain Resort near the Nevada-California border by the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Heavenly Mountain Resort and NV Energy.
The tree felling phase will end on September 19. The helicopter logging and debris removal phase will begin on September 22 and run through October 3. The last phase, which includes heavy equipment operations and log hauling, will run October 6 to 25.
Needle Peak Road and Tramway Drive will have traffic control in place and portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail will be temporarily restricted.
Public Safety Notice: Expect helicopters, logging trucks, and heavy equipment in the area. Temporary delays may occur to allow crews to safely relocate equipment. Spotters will manage trail and road access—please wait for clear confirmation before proceeding. No power outages are anticipated during this project.
LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) will begin accepting entries for the annual mooring lottery on October 1, 2025. Under the 2018 Lake Tahoe Shoreline Plan, TRPA conducts an annual lottery to allow public agencies and lakefront property owners to apply for a limited number of new boat moorings, such as buoys and boat lifts, each year.
The Shoreline Plan placed a cap on the number of moorings allowed in the lake and the annual lottery helps manage the pace of permit applications for new moorings until the cap is reached.
Entries for the lottery can be submitted online anytime from October 1 through November 14, 2025. Under the lottery system, TRPA is only required to conduct a drawing if the number of eligible entries is greater than the number of allocations available for the year. If not, each entry will be reviewed and all eligible property owners will be invited to submit a permit application.
Only shoreline properties that adjoin the lake are eligible and single-family residential parcels are only allowed up to two moorings in total. Instructions and more information for all property types are available at LakeTahoeInfo.org/moorings.
RENO, Nev. – Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe announced that Jessica Jansen has joined the resort as its new Human Resources Director, and longtime resort employee Melvin Poncio has been tapped to lead the new Wildslide Tahoe snow tubing park that is slated to open Thanksgiving weekend, conditions permitting.
“We’re excited to welcome Jessica to the Mt. Rose team, and proud to elevate Melvin into his new role leading our new Wildslide Tahoe snow tubing park operations,” said Greg Gavrilets, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe general manager. “Both of these leaders have demonstrated a hands-on approach, ski industry knowledge, and dedication to fostering a strong internal culture closely aligned with our values. I have no doubt both of them will have a positive impact on our team and larger resort community.”
Jessica Jansen
A seasoned HR professional with a strong background in resort operations and employee engagement, Jansen brings more than a decade of hospitality and human resources experience to the role. She is responsible for all aspects of the Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe HR department, including developing and implementing HR policies, overseeing recruitment and talent management, and ensuring compliance with labor laws, while fostering a positive and engaging work environment. As part of the Rose Senior Leadership Team, she will address key HR challenges and opportunities, and assist with the resort’s overall business goals.
Melvin Poncio
Poncio has worked at Mt. Rose for over 10 years, most recently serving as the Parking Assistant Manager. A respected resort leader known for fostering the welcoming Mt. Rose culture, Poncio will oversee the day-to-day operations of Wildslide Tahoe, the largest snow tubing park in the West, including parking, lane grooming, conveyor lift operations and the guest experience.
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe is hiring for the 2025-26 season. View open positions online or attend the hiring mixer on Saturday, October 18 at 10 a.m.
STATELINE, Nev. – Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger has donated another $25,000 to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) for 2025.
Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, a nonprofit based in South Lake Tahoe, is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of orphaned and injured wildlife throughout the Tahoe Basin.
The timing of this donation is particularly meaningful, coinciding with the construction of LTWC’s new facility, which will significantly expand its ability to care for and release wildlife back into their natural habitats.
Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger is equally celebrated for its unwavering
commitment to community support. In a powerful demonstration of generosity and compassion,
Lucky Beaver has donated another $25,000 to
Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care.Provided
“We are truly honored by Lucky Beaver’s substantial contribution year after year,” said Catherine Mendez, Executive Director of Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. “Our ability to rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife relies heavily on the generosity of our community. Lucky Beaver is not only one of our favorite places to dine, but this gift provides an incredible boost to both our operations and our new capital project.”
Pat Farrah, co-owner of Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger, praised LTWC’s mission and highlighted the shared values of stewardship and community.
“Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care’s dedication is a beacon to all of us. Their tireless work inspires us to step up and give back in meaningful ways,” said Farrah. “Our staff is an amazing team that works hard to serve our guests while keeping community at the center of everything we do.”
This $25,000 donation builds on Lucky Beaver’s continuing legacy of generosity. Over the years, Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger has contributed more than $250,000 to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care and other local causes, underscoring its role as not only a destination for the area’s top food and gaming, but also as a true community partner.
Reflecting on more than a decade of community involvement, Farrah added, “Lucky Beaver is privileged to be part of the Stateline and Reno communities. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our patrons—locals and visitors alike—for their unwavering support, which makes it possible for us to give back at this level.”
For those interested in supporting Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care’s mission, please visit www.ltwc.org
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Frank Papandrea described volunteering at Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal, held at St. Theresa’s Gace Hall on September 8, as “a fun and rewarding afternoon of giving and serving our community.” Frank was participating as one of Liberty’s Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) sponsorship crew members at the early evening meal.
Liberty has been supporting Bread & Broth by sponsoring three to four Monday Meals annually since 2017, a partnership greatly appreciated by the Bread & Broth volunteers. Frank, an active AAD volunteer for over a decade, was joined by his fellow Liberty AAD crew members, Jennifer Guenther and James Martin, who have also volunteered at many of Liberty’s sponsorship meals. Jennifer also serves as Liberty’s liaison to Bread & broth, while James has served as a cook at the B&B’s Second Serving meals on Friday at the Lake Tahoe Presbyterian Community Church.
“Bread & Broth is such a wonderful organization,” shared Frank. As a frequent AAD volunteer, Frank has witnessed the positive effects that the full-course meals and the take home food bags have on the dinner’s attendees. The smiles and words of gratitude expressed are truly heartwarming.
Bread & Broth values the ongoing support from Liberty and its team members and congratulates Liberty for its policy for encouraging their employees to become involved in their community through volunteerism which is a great corporate model for community engagement.
In addition to providing sponsorship volunteers, Liberty also donated $350 to Bread & Broth to help the organization cover the costs of the evening’s meal, which served 123 dinner guests.
For more information about donations, volunteering, or B&B’s food programs, please visit www.breadandbroth.org or follow Bread & Broth on Instagram or Facebook.
The Incline Village General Improvement District is holding a meeting on Wednesday, September 17 at 5 p.m. The meeting can be viewed in person at 893 Southwood Blvd. Incline Village or remotely at https://livestream.com/accounts/3411104.
E. Public Hearing
SUBJECT: (For possible Action) Approve and Authorize the Board Chair and Secretary to Sign and Execute the Collective Bargaining Agreements between Incline Village General Improvement District and the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3, Skilled Workforce Bargaining Unit, Supervisors Bargaining Unit and the Superintendents’ Bargaining Unit, from July 1, 2025, through and including June 30, 2027. (Requesting Staff Member: District General Manager Robert Harrison)
I.General Business
1.SUBJECT: (For possible Action) – Review, discuss and possibly send a letter to Ms. Joy Gumz asking if she has received all the records she requested on PRR 24-116 (A request for the Rubin Brown work papers). (Requesting Staff Member: Director of Administrative Services Susan Herron)
2. SUBJECT: (For Possible Action) – Review, Discuss and Possibly Reaffirm and/or Amend the Prior Approval of the Added Alternates #1: Fire Pits and #2: Band Stand, for the Incline Beach House Project, CIP #3973L1302. (Requesting Staff Member: Project Manager Bree Waters)
3. SUBJECT: (For possible Action) – Review, Discuss and possibly provide Feedback regarding the District General Manager’s Plan for Outreach and Engagement of the Hispanic Community; and, Possibly Appoint a Board Liaison to Participate in the Focus Groups and Data Collection Process. (Requesting Staff Member: District General Manager Robert Harrison)
4. SUBJECT: (For possible Action) – Approve and Authorize the General Manager to Sign and Execute an Agreement with the Incline Ice Foundation for the Incline Village General Improvement District to Accept a Donation of an Ice Rink Package and a Grant of $50,000+ to Support the Ice Rink Activities. (Requesting Board Member: David Noble)
The Douglas County Commissioners will be meeting on Thursday September 18, 10 a.m. The meeting can be viewed at https://youtu.be/lEtF3lNdW7k.
Community Services
9. For possible action. Discussion to approve an amendment to a special use permit between the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and Douglas County for the operation and maintenance of existing bike paths, restrooms, parking areas and associated features previously authorized under Special Use Permits TOI100602 and TOI100609, and the new construction related to the Kahle Drive Complete Street Project. (Wendy Lang, Assistant County Manager)
The California Tahoe Conservancy will meet on Thursday, September 18 at 9:30 a.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC), 1 College Drive. The meeting can be viewed remotely at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88391349377.
7. Upper Truckee Marsh South Public Input Update (discussion only) Discussion and update on Upper Truckee Marsh South public input.
8. Upper Truckee River Restoration Update (discussion only) Discussion and update on Upper Truckee River Watershed restoration.
9. Grant Program Guidelines (discussion only) Discussion and update on the Draft Grant Program Guidelines for all Conservancy grant programs, including the Tahoe for All grant program.
10. Trail Network Improvement Grants (action) Consideration and possible authorization of Proposition 68 funding for the following grants:
a. Resolution 25-09-02.1 authorizing a grant of up to $115,000 to the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association for trail network improvements on USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) lands on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
b. Resolution 25-09-02.2 authorizing a grant of up to $115,000 to the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for trail network improvements on LTBMU lands on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
11. Trailhead Relocation Grant (action) (Resolution 25-09-03) Consideration and possible authorization of an implementation grant of up to $125,000 of Proposition 68 funding to the Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association to construct Phase 1 of the Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Lodge Replacement and Expansion Project.
The South Tahoe Public Utility District is meeting Thursday, September 18 at 2 p.m. at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe.
Items for board action
a. Purchase of New CASE Backhoe (Cliff Bartlett, Fleet/Equipment Supervisor). Approve the purchase of a new CASE 590SN Backhoe from N&S Equipment (CASE) through the Sourcewell Purchasing Authority, Bid Contract 032119-CNH-1 for the cost of $178,025.66, not including tax.
b. Purchase of New Pump for Luther Pass Pump Station (Chris Stanley, Field Operations Manager and Jemery Rutherdale, Field Operations Supervisor). Authorize the purchase of a new 1,000-horsepower pump for the Luther Pass Pump Station No. 3 position from Flowserve with non-witnessed performance testing, and startup assistance in the amount of $701,013.00, plus tax and shipping.
c. California Conservation Corps Sponsor Agreement – 2025 Vegetation Management Project (Laura Hendrickson, Associate Engineer). Authorize the General Manager to enter into a Sponsor Agreement with the California Conservation Corps in an amount not to exceed $482,000.
d. Lake Christopher/Golden Bear Sewer Rehabilitation Project (Mark Seelos, Water Resources Manager). Approve the Scope of Work from Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for Engineering and Planning Services Related to the Lake Christopher/Golden Bear Sewer Rehabilitation Project, and authorize the General Manager to execute Task Order No. 3 with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. in the amount of $199,577.25.
e. Aeration Blower Improvements Project (Brent Goligoski, Senior Engineer). 1) Approve the Proposal to amend existing Task Order No. 24 for Carollo Engineers, Inc., for additional engineering services for the Aeration Blower Improvements Project in an amount not to exceed $146,866; and 2) Authorize the General Manger to execute Amendment B to Task Order No. 24 to the Master Services Agreement with Carollo Engineers, Inc.
f. Wastewater Treatment Plant Ballast Ponds Evaluation and Alternatives Analysis (Brent Goligoski, Senior Engineer and Megan Colvey, Director of Engineering). 1) Approve the proposed Scope of Work from Water Systems Consulting, Inc. for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Ballast Ponds Evaluation and Alternatives Analysis; and 2) Authorize the General Manager to execute Task Order No. 7 under the Master Services Agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc. in the amount of $175,389 for professional consulting services to complete the Wastewater Treatment Plant Ballast Ponds Evaluation and Alternatives Analysis.
g. Sewer Modeling Support (Brent Goligoski, Senior Engineer). 1) Approve the proposed Scope of Work from Water Systems Consulting, Inc. for Sewer Modeling Support; and 2) Authorize the General Manager to execute Task Order No. 8 under the Master Services Agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc. in the amount of $89,432 for professional consulting services to perform Sewer Modeling Support services.
Several aces were hit at Incline Village Mountain Golf Course recently.
The first hole-in-one was hit on September 8 by Carmen Lazipone. He hit the 111-yard shot from the 11th Tee with his 7 Iron. Carmen was visiting from Texas.
Carmen LaziponeProvided / Incline Village Golf Courses
Incline Village resident Elizabeth Hestmark hit an 112-yard ace on Hole 4 with her Driver on September 11.
Elizabeth HestmarkProvided / Incline Village Golf Courses
Also, on September 11, Brianna Paquet hit a 175-yard shot from the 8th Hole with her 4 hybrid. Brianna was visiting from Southern California.
Brianna PaquetProvided / Incline Village Golf Courses
Keep Tahoe Blue, The Tyre Collective, and Desert Research Institute Launch Innovative Pilot Program
LAKE TAHOE
Keep Tahoe Blue, The Tyre Collective, and Desert Research Institute (DRI) announced a groundbreaking collaboration with the Emerald Bay Shuttle and its operator, Downtowner, that brings together science, technology, and alternative transportation to protect Lake Tahoe’s world-renowned water clarity.
The pilot program employs The Tyre Collective’s proprietary technology — discrete, compact devices affixed to a vehicle’s undercarriage — to capture harmful tire wear particles directly at the wheel.
Particles emitted as tire wear are a source of microplastic pollution in waterways and a contributor of small yet harmful particulate matter (PM) in the air. Additionally, research from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and CalEPA note that tire wear particles contain chemicals such as 6PPD and 6PPD-q, which are leaching into waterways and threatening aquatic species.
The month-long pilot project will analyze samples of transportation-related pollutants captured by the devices to better understand and quantify the impacts of:
Tire wear particles as a growing source of pollution in both the air and water
6PPD-q, a toxic chemical found in tires that can be lethal to many fish species and a concern to Tahoe’s aquatic life
Microplastics, which threaten water quality and lake clarity as they accumulate
Fine sediment particles — the leading cause of clarity loss in Lake Tahoe — that bind with other pollutants and worsen their impact
Together, these measurements will provide one of the most comprehensive looks at how emerging pollutants intersect with Lake Tahoe’s long-standing water quality challenges. The data will then help inform solutions, like alternative, lake-friendly transportation.
~ Keep Tahoe Blue press release
Fatal Collision off State Route 28
TRUCKEE
On Sept. 5 at approximately 11:23 p.m., a white 2014 Ford Explorer was traveling eastbound on SR-28, west of Rocky Ridge Road. The vehicle was being driven by a female, approximately in her 30s, from Tahoe City.
For reasons still under investigation, the Ford struck a Hispanic male pedestrian in his 60s, from Kings Beach, who was walking along the right-hand shoulder. The pedestrian sustained blunt force trauma to the head and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was pronounced deceased by the Truckee Fire Department.
The driver of the Ford Explorer was placed under arrest, as it is suspected that alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this collision.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Officer B. Samuels at the California Highway Patrol — Truckee Area office during regular business hours at (530) 563-9200.
~ California Highway Patrol – Truckee Area press release
Construction Underway on New Tahoe Meadows Access Ramp
INCLINE VILLAGE
Construction is now underway to build an accessibility ramp in the Tahoe Meadows off Mt. Rose Highway. This new ramp will help everyone, including those with mobility challenges, access more than half a mile of boardwalk trail.
Crews from Granite Construction will be working in the area for the next few weeks. During this time, the stairs to the boardwalks will be closed. Visitors can still access the Meadows via the Ophir Creek Trail, also known as the Tahoe Rim Trail Connector.
The Tahoe Fund partnered with the Tahoe Meadows Access Ramp Committee on a fundraising campaign to build an accessibility ramp. The NV Energy Foundation, the Keyser Foundation, and dozens of Tahoe Fund donors helped to meet a $75,000 match provided by Steven and Sandy Hardie to make this project happen.
TAHOE MEADOWS begins construction to add a ramp to its previously inaccessible boardwalk trail. The ramp will provide access to all recreators. Photo courtesy Tahoe Fund
The Tahoe Rim Trail Association and the US Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District are also working in this area to replace sections of the boardwalks that were due to be decommissioned. Together, these projects mark major improvements in the Tahoe Meadows that will help transform this area into a hub for outdoor accessibility in the Tahoe Basin.
The Town of Truckee announced the Truckee Community Block Party, the first event of its kind in many years, which will bring together community resources, local culture, and neighborly connection in the heart of downtown.
The event will take place outside the Truckee Train Depot in downtown Truckee on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m.
This family-friendly event will transform downtown Truckee into a hub of celebration, learning, and connection. Residents and visitors alike will enjoy an evening filled with:
Food trucks
Live music and performances
Local art displays
Raffles, games, crafts, and face painting (free)
Extended downtown shopping hours
Free neighborhood shuttles for easy access
A bike valet hosted by Truckee Trails Foundation
Opportunities to connect with more than 30 local non-profits, service providers, and community organizations
Mountaineer, the highly successful service that offers free, on-demand winter microtransit in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, is increasing its vehicle fleet size by 15% for the upcoming winter season to improve wait times. The transit service will also maintain the same operating schedule as last winter.
In addition to more vehicles, Mountaineer Transit Company is exploring other ways to reduce wait times, including working with its service provider on enhancements to the Mountaineer app technology and evaluating opportunities to expedite the flow of its vans within the Palisades Tahoe parking areas. A Palisades Tahoe transit center passenger queueing system is also scheduled to be implemented to more efficiently match passengers with their app-assigned shuttle during high-demand periods.
MOUNTAINEER VAN in the shuttle-service’s fleet of micro-transit vehicles. Photo courtesy Mountaineer Transit Company
Fifteen nine-passenger, dog-friendly vans equipped with ski/snowboard racks and one ADA van will operate between Dec. 6 and April 19, 2026 as follows:
Daily in Olympic Valley from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Thursday through Monday in Alpine Meadows from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., plus Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Dec. 24 through 25, Dec. 30 through 31, and Feb. 17 through 18, 2026.
Daily between Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows from 5 to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Eve service until 2 a.m. within Olympic Valley, within Alpine Meadows, and between the two valleys.
Passengers can request rides through the Mountaineer app, which is a free download..
~ Mountaineer Transit Company press release
What’s New at Palisades Tahoe for the 2025/26 Winter Season
OLYMPIC VALLEY
Palisades Tahoe is rolling into the 2025/26 winter season with multiple upgrades on and off the mountain, including new snowmaking investments, parking program enhancements, elevated après experiences, and a packed calendar of world-class events. The season is set to begin on November 26, weather and conditions permitting.
Eight fully automated fan guns have been installed on the Dance Floor trail at Alpine. These state-of-the-art machines automatically power on and off when conditions are right, making them more energy- and water-efficient than older models.
A new pipe and valve system has been installed near the Palisades base area, increasing the ability to make snow on both Mountain Run and the Snow King area. Additionally, two wells at Palisades have been rehabilitated, increasing water availability for snowmaking.
MAGNUS ANDERSSON brings world-class talent as he is welcomed as Alpine director of Palisades Tahoe Teams. Photo courtesy Palisades Tahoe
Palisades Tahoe welcomes Magnus Andersson to the team as Alpine director, bringing over 15 years of World Cup experience, including a decade as head coach for Sweden and the U.S., most recently leading the U.S. Women’s Team to podium finishes and top standings in Slalom and Giant Slalom.
This winter, Palisades Tahoe is introducing Carpool 4+ parking reservations as part of its expanded parking program. As a thank you for reducing traffic and supporting sustainability, carpool drivers will receive a $20 resort voucher.
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe Invests $6 Million Ahead of 2025/26 Winter Season
RENO
Continuing in its ongoing effort to enhance the guest experience, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe invested $6 million in the off-season to add to the recreational offerings at the resort. With the addition of the new Wildslide Tahoe Tubing Center and expanded snowmaking systems, resort guests can expect even more thrills at Mt. Rose this winter. The resort is also welcoming the return of high school and NCAA races, and introducing educational “Snow Days” field trips.
The largest tubing operation on the West Coast will feature up to 20 snow tubing lanes that are 750 feet in length and served by a dual conveyor lift. The Wildslide Tahoe Tubing Center will also feature a new lodge and ample outdoor seating that will be accessible by both tubing guests and those visiting the resort to ski or snowboard. Specific to tubing guests, a new 400 space parking lot will provide convenient access to the tubing lanes.
Tubing operations are planned Fridays through Sundays as well as throughout all holiday periods. Tubing sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be sold in two-hour sessions each day.
New this year, Mt. Rose is offering “Snow Days” field trips for K-12 students. Each field trip experience is aligned with NGSS and Nevada Academic Content Standards to give teachers an easy, engaging way to reinforce classroom learning with hands-on, real-world application.
The 2025/26 season will also welcome the return of Washoe County Nevada high school ski racing to the mountain with training and competitions starting in December.
Late summer’s beautiful golden light has us heading for the balance point of Autumn Equinox, when day and night will be of equal length on Sept 22.
Prior to this initiation into the fall season, Mercury conjoins the Sun in Virgo exactly, a powerful transit known as “cazami” — the Sun’s brilliant rays of light offering rebirth and renewal to the planet. In Virgo, we can look for themes of renewed interests in communication, organization, and general mental prowess. That said, with Mars opposing Chiron on Sept. 16 things could feel a little wonky, and it’ll be a good time to pause on things that are agitating you, giving them a day or two to run through your system as they will likely pass.
Also of note is that we will have a partial solar eclipse on Sept 21, along with a second Virgo new moon. This portal is a great time to consciously let go of unwanted clutter. Mars, then moving into Scorpio, will square Pluto in Aquarius Sept. 24, generating internal struggles and conflict; be careful on the roads and at your jobs, as it may cause collectively challenging energy.
With Venus conjoining the south node in Virgo on Oct. 4, this will be a good day of reflective astro vibes to think about what you value in your relationships. Lastly, the full moon in Aries will rise on Oct. 6.
NATURAL MAGIC
For Mercury’s rebirth with the Sun in Virgo, it’s a great time to connect with your world of thought, literature, and information. Start that book you’ve been waiting to dive into. Or maybe it’s time to begin a gratitude-journaling practice; upon waking and before laying down at night, writing out five things you are grateful for in your life. Further, if you have ever considered writing a book or simply writing creatively for joy, this would be a wonderful time to do so. It can also be fun to read a beloved novel again, this time out loud to yourself or with a dear friend – which can offer a fresh perspective and a more in-depth understanding of the artist’s words.
And then, on Oct. 6 with that fiery Aries Full Moon, consider stepping into your power with a ritual of release and renewal by connecting to Mars, the ruler of Aries, for protection and vitality. Do so by lighting a red candle to honor the planet. Then write down what no longer serves you – fears, doubts, stagnant patterns – and burn the paper and let the flames transmute the old energy. Finally, anoint yourself with cinnamon or rosemary oil for added determination and go outside to bathe in the radiance of the full moon. Stand tall, breathe deeply, and honor your inner fire by dancing freely and absolutely letting loose.
Editor’s note, Sept. 12: A statement on reasons for departing staff was updated.
The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation is a darling of the region.
A charitable nonprofit that, since its start in 1998, has pooled hundreds of millions in donations and investments to address local needs such as environment, education, housing, and more — it’s truly by, of, and for the people of Tahoe/Truckee.
LEGACY IN THE MAKING: The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation has received national recognition under CEO Stacy Caldwell’s leadership. Courtesy logo
Under CEO Stacy Caldwell’s guidance, TTCF’s assets have grown from $19 million to $43 million since 2012 and the team has raised more than $4 million for nonprofits since 2014. More than $1 million has been gifted in local scholarships. The foundation has partnered with and funded numerous organizations, agencies, and jurisdictions across the region, a tiny sample being: Nevada and Placer counties, KidZone Museum, Sierra Senior Services, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Town of Truckee, U.S. Forest Service, and Watch Duty.
“We are not a single purpose organization, say like the land trust or the watershed council, or the friends of the library,” said Kelley Carroll, board member since 2016 and current board chair. “We play in all the parks … The organization has gone through a very rapid growth period. Certainly, in the last five years, six years, where we have gone from this very, very small core staff to now plus or minus three times that size.
“Overall, Stacy has always had the full trust of the board in what she’s doing. She’s very good about keeping us informed of what’s going on. Especially to each of us in turn as a board chair. She’s the face of our organization and she’s the key to our success.”
Beneath the admirable mission and proven results, however, exists what some call a toxic environment — one enabled by a hand-picked leadership board that results in rapid staff turnover. Over the past three years, at least 13 staff members have left their positions at TTCF, which has a staff of 11. Such an atmosphere, former staffers allege, has impacted programs housed at the community foundation.
Caldwell declined to speak to the Ink for this story.
Moonshine spoke with multiple people connected to TTCF, including five former staff members who still work in the area. Because of fear over possible retribution, they are not identified in the article by name, though their connections have been independently verified.
“For those of us that care so deeply about this community and really care about the community foundation,” said one of the former staffers, who will be known as Bailey, “you recognize that it doesn’t matter how much money you’re bringing in or how good it looks from the outside, when you have turnover like that in a hostile work environment, something has to change. Somebody needs to do something.”
Overall, Stacy has always had the full trust of the board in what she’s doing. She’s very good about keeping us informed of what’s going on … She’s the face of our organization and she’s the key to our success.”
~Kelley Carroll, TTCF board chair
“When I was on the board, I saw staff and board members leave because of the culture that I thought Stacy brought to TTCF,” said Kat Rohlf, who served on the TTCF board from 2010 to 2019 and was on the hiring committee to bring Caldwell aboard. “I wasn’t willing to leave because I really believed in what we were doing … When you’re affiliated with the community foundation you have to make a choice: Are you willing to put up with the bad because the good is so great? It hurts my heart to see all the turnover. I know what it costs … to stay there. It’s a great organization that could achieve even greater things with different leadership.”
Behind the nonprofit curtain
“It is no secret,” noted a January 2025 piece from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, “that the reward and rigor of nonprofit leadership often comes with budget constraints and wage inequity, coupled with complex human and social issues and pervasive burnout.”
HOUSING REVIVAL: In July, California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss and her Deputy Secretaries visited Tahoe-Truckee, meeting with local leaders to address pressing housing challenges and explore innovative forest-to-housing solutions shaping the future of our region. Moss is pictured center right, with Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation CEO Stacy Caldwell second from the right, then TTCF Board Member Emily Gendron. Photo courtesy TTCF press release
Nonprofits are often associated with higher passion but lower wages than the private sector. However, such a reality has not necessarily deterred people from working for these organizations. A 2024 study calculated an 18.6% growth in nonprofit employment between 2007 and 2017.
“We have worked hard to build our culture and retain talent,” shared Ashley Beck, the foundation’s director of engagement and communications. “We offer competitive salaries and benefits for our sector and region. Our team believes so much in TTCF’s leadership and mission that we have had staff members return after leaving to do a second stint with us.”
Beck is a direct example of the previous sentence: She worked for the community foundation from 2016 to 2019, moved away, then returned in June 2024.
TTCF’s appeal in particular, former employees shared, included working with community partners, being responsive to local needs and priorities, launching exciting projects, and more.
“There was a lot of allure,” Parker, a former staff member, said.
“From the outside, you see a powerful woman at the helm,” Bailey echoed. “I had only ever worked under men and for the most part had had not great experiences. So, yeah, I was really drawn to a staff of all women for connection and community and what working with women brings versus working with men.”
Nonprofit Compensation Associates conducts annual surveys to understand compensation and benefits trends. A 2025 survey conducted with about 400 Northern California-based nonprofits (there are roughly 32,000 across the state) found that those with between six and 15 employees saw a 15% voluntary turnover rate for full-time employees (with a 5% involuntary rate) and 20% voluntary turnover rate for part-time employees (4% involuntary).
Across three years, TTCF has seen a 118% turnover rate, based on Moonshine’s research. Spreading that evenly over those years yields a 39% annual turnover rate. A majority of TTCF’s staff have full-time positions.
“Daniel Pink is a great author,” said a former board member who asked to remain unnamed for fear of retribution. “And he talks about how job satisfaction comes from autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Surely there’s purpose when you work for a nonprofit, any nonprofit, but the community foundation, absolutely. But the whole autonomy and mastery piece, it’s like those are not allowed if they don’t align with Stacy’s idea of what that is.”
That frustration was one expressed by the former staff members interviewed, specifically the inability to examine how something was done at TTCF. For example, one individual who questioned the wording of a strategic plan was subsequently pulled into a one-on-one and told that they were “undermining leadership and being disrespectful.”
Others were taken off certain projects or positions abruptly or without notice (locked out of certain systems) because their loyalties didn’t seem to be in the right place.
Parker pointed to staff members leaving without new jobs lined up or taking pay cuts just to get away. Another noted that when they told a fellow staff member some of the things Caldwell said to them, the other staffer cried and said they didn’t realize things were that bad.
“I would say I’ve never worked so hard and felt so undervalued,” Bailey said. “And the pay is better than all nonprofits in the region. I mean, the question is not pay. Yet they cannot keep staff. There’s only one through-line here; when you have such high turnover the only through-line is the leadership.”
Robin, a different former staffer, said, “There were multiple instances where Stacy reacted poorly to feedback and would see a lot of things as attempts to undermine her. At some point I realized that okay, there’s not a whole lot of openness to a team approach here.”
Such actions and their impacts were not contained to the community foundation’s inner workings.
“There were a growing number of instances that I kept uncovering around community relationships that had been compromised,” Robin continued. “Like, Stacy getting upset about us talking to X, Y, or Z community partner because of her own personal history with them.”
Former staffer Shannon said community partners brought this up more than once. “[Stacy] wants to put money behind [projects] and maybe she has good intentions, but she’s not the one that’s going to execute it in a way that has the most impact. That’s why she hires staff. But then she doesn’t let her program staff do things the way that they need to get done. It’s this thing of you have to be in control, and that’s not lost on partners. I had multiple partners come to me being like, ‘I noticed that you get overruled on a lot of things.’”
This approach was not lost on board members. “Stacy’s extremely visionary,” shared the former board member. “She’s always looking out with what’s best for the organization. There’s some amazing talent — there has been and there still is — at the community foundation. And when you hire amazing talent, you should empower them to do the job and use their professional skills and networks to do their work. The culture doesn’t do that. It’s very much an old-style sort of command and control, it seems like. You’re either marching to Stacy’s drum or you’re out.”
This has led to, some staff went on to say, more complex reasons for some of the foundation’s public-facing shifts.
Take the annual community grant cycle, normally opened each August, available for nonprofits for up to $5,000 each and intended to aid in various aspects of work. On Aug. 1 of this year, TTCF’s nonprofit partners were informed that the cycle would not open in order to “better align our efforts with our strategic plan and leverage funds to best serve our community needs,” according to an email. The promise was that by late September, TTCF would be in touch with more clarity and information.
Board chair Carroll explained the gameplan: “We have all these other organizations that are also doing funding cycles. The Martis Fund, the airport, the Tahoe Fund, on and on and on and on and on. And what we’re trying to do is coordinate system-wide with all those groups.”
There’s only one through-line here; when you have such high turnover the only through-line is the leadership.”
~ anonymous former staffer at TTCF
Other individuals familiar with the grant pause said the decision was made without insight from the staff directly in charge of it.
“Things can change or like happen at a whim’s notice,” former staffer Avery recalled, “where everything just gets shut down and certain projects get thrown off to the wayside.”
The Mountain Housing Council (MHC), a regional collaboration intent on accelerating solutions for achievable local housing that existed from 2017 to 2023, is another example given of a program departure with an unclear ending.
TTCF facilitated the cause, which was “wildly successful,” Bailey recalled. Indeed, MHC partners implemented housing policy, produced numerous white papers, launched 15 new programs, attracted over $80 million to the region, and aided the creation of more than 770 workforce housing units.
When it came time to discuss continuing the program, Bailey said TTCF wasn’t able to provide the clarity and transparency funders like local counties and the Town of Truckee wanted. Other options were considered to house the program or portions of it, but attempts went sideways.
“Ultimately it all died in the water,” Bailey said. “Conversations about sunsetting were ongoing during this time because there was lack of clarity around how it could continue (governance, funding, etc.) and after all of this, it was clear that sunsetting was really the only option.
“Mountain Housing Council I really think could still be powerful and active,” they furthered. “It is a nationwide example of a successful coalition. With capacity being built across other agencies, and the challenges that some public agency and paying members members had with the person at the helm, there was a lack of willingness to commit to the next round of what Mountain Housing Council could have become.”
Beck refuted this allegation, writing in an email, “The Mountain Housing Council was never intended to be a permanent fixture, but to jump-start conversations on the housing shortage, align strategies, and leverage resources. MHC laid the foundation for a more collaborative network of housing support.”
Former TTCF board chair Lauren O’Brien said similarly, “I don’t think we wanted to own things. We wanted to incubate and then let people take ownership as it evolved.”
The program ended in 2023, with the community foundation redistributing its roles to partners like The Housing Hub and Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency.
A separate example, Shannon said, was the Truckee Tahoe Airport District’s taking back its Agency Partnership Program, which was housed with TTCF from 2022 to 2024.
Airport GM Robb Etnyre told Moonshine this was part of a “shift into a different approach to community impact” and that “working with [Community Impact Officer] Phyllis McConn and her team at TTCF to administrate that program was excellent.”
He continued: “Instead of a handful of smaller grants with applicants who would solicit other public entities to co-sponsor programs/projects, we focused our efforts on larger impact items we now refer to as ‘strategic initiatives’ … [each with] a direct tie to the purpose of the airport district and the use of public funds provided to the airport district by residents of both Placer and Nevada counties within [our] boundaries.”
Internally, Shannon said there were mentions from the airport about the high administrative fee the foundation took to oversee the program (this was corroborated during article research). This person also suggested TTCF’s lack of inclusion in the airport’s Wildfire Mitigation Program spoke to deeper issues.
One of TTCF’s most successful stories is its Forest Futures campaign, which has raised $16.44 million and granted over $6.1 million to local organizations, implementing solutions to ensure healthy forests. The community foundation, though, is not included as a partner in the airport’s Wildfire Mitigation Program.
“You have a community foundation with a forest and wildfire focused program with millions of dollars that they’ve been giving out,” Shannon said, “and then you’re trying to plan a large project with all the agencies that have received funding from TTCF already, but you’re not going to involve them in this large project moving forward … I thought that was interesting.”
“We see our efforts addressing a different shortfall than those programs were designed to address,” Etnyre said to Moonshine’s inquiry, adding that he’s spoken with TTCF on the matter. “I see the landscape as a tapestry approach to address wildfire mitigation, forest health, and the ecosystem of businesses around a forest economy. We are all collectively building capacity for our community health.”
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation Staff Departures for Past Three Years
Position Upon Departure
Name
Start
End
Voluntary/Involuntary
Mountain Housing Council Director
Tara Zuardo
Jan./Feb. 2021
Oct. 2022
Voluntary
Executive Assistant
Timea Griset
June 2019
Dec. 2022
Voluntary
Communications Manager
Caroline Craffey
Aug. 2020
Jan. 2023
Voluntary
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Kate Frankfurt
July 2021
Feb. 2023
Voluntary
Community Collaborative Director
Alison Schwedner
Oct. 2008
May 2023
Voluntary
Administrative Associate
Tyra Frizelle
Dec. 2023
Feb. 2024
Voluntary
Forest Futures Director
Nicole Miller
Sept. 2021
March 2024
Voluntary
Forest Futures Program Coordinator
Anne Graham
Aug. 2022
March 2024
Voluntary
Resident Wise Woman
Deb Ryan
June 2019
Oct. 2024
Involuntary
Development Operations Associate
Terese Walsh
May 2022
Nov. 2024
Voluntary
Office Manager
Lilli Vo
Dec. 2024
Dec. 2024
Voluntary
Executive Assistant
Crystal Sumner
Dec. 2024
July 2025
Voluntary
Forest Futures Director
Erika Veidis
Nov. 2024
July 2025
Voluntary
Mixed messaging
Each former TTCF employee who spoke to the Ink confirmed they shared their situation and/or concerns with at least one board member (who varied) upon departure. Yet it’s unclear how seriously those experiences were taken. Current chair Carroll said there’s been nothing more than “non-specific comments” from staff about Caldwell’s leadership shared between board members.
“There have been circumstances I have heard about where people have run into people in town because it’s a small town, and yeah, things have been said [about Stacy’s leadership],” he continued. “Have I ever heard specifics? No. Have any of the board members ever taken it to the level of demanding that we do anything to look into it? Not really in a formal sense.”
Former TTCF board chair Wally Auerbach said claims of a contentious culture and rapid staff turnover were not his experience during the nine years he served on the board.
“TTCF’s leadership and especially Stacy has always been forward-thinking and aggressive in terms of responding to the community’s needs on various fronts,” Auerbach wrote in an email. “If that ‘get-it-done’ dynamic occasionally results in some staffing challenges, it would not be a surprise. Successful organizations all have their ups and downs. Certainly not newsworthy, though.”
“Our turnover rate is similar to that of other organizations in our area,” Beck added, adding that staff have left for a variety of reasons in the last three years.
Previous Chair O’Brien remarked that she witnessed a shift in Caldwell’s leadership style during her nine years on the board, particularly as Caldwell gained more influence in the community, but recognized it as normal in a company’s and leader’s evolution. She also confirmed hearing concerns from staff members, with personality clashing and control standing out as reasons for frustration. At the same time, O’Brien said she could see why other board members were so supportive of Caldwell. “The numbers don’t lie,” she added in reference to fundraising and impact reports. “And for the community foundation to make a $100 million impact, it takes focus and drive.”
O’Brien advocated for staff exit interviews, particularly around key departures. “I wanted to make sure we knew why people were leaving,” she explained. She was provided a summary of the interviews; nothing egregious, she said, showed up.
“[Stacy] is a little bit more driven than most nonprofit CEOs, but that’s probably why it’s been so successful,” O’Brien said. “You take your pros with your cons. I do know that she has taken it to heart when people do leave and tried to work on herself.”
Rohlf recalled Caldwell’s initial days, noting she especially appreciated how the new CEO “walked in knowing what she didn’t know and being very open … I will always say Stacy’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met. Her ability to think outside the box is really admirable.”
Boards typically only interact with their sole charge, the CEO (or general manager, executive director). They’re the ones who hire, fire, and so on the head position, with intentionally little correspondence with staff. The community foundation’s current approach to staff sharing concerns goes up the command chain (to someone’s direct supervisor, then the chief operating officer), and eventually to Kurt Hagen, a consultant who functions as human resources. Exit interviews are also supposed to route through Hagen, though Carroll did say this hasn’t always been the case.
The unnamed former board member said not once during their many-year tenure did the board receive exit interviews.
Caldwell receives an annual employment review each September. Standard practice is for board members and staff to complete a survey rating her as CEO. Every couple years, community partners will also take a similar survey. From there, the results are distilled and shared with Caldwell by the board.
As CEO, Caldwell’s most recent publicly available base salary is $208,000 as of Fiscal Year 2023/24. For context, Claudia Andersen, CEO of the Tahoe Community Foundation (formerly Parasol), saw a $201,650 salary for Fiscal Year 22/23. Tahoe Fund’s Amy Berry received $231,722 for 23/24.
O’Brien said that during her board tenure, comments from staff about Caldwell’s actions were “carefully and thoughtfully evaluated” between directors — “We did recognize potential areas for improvement in her leadership over staff based on these, but nothing out of the ordinary or egregious.
“I felt that there was strong contingency of very pro-Stacy and the results were there to prove it. I was quiet because I really didn’t have any foundational information to challenge this view.”
Multiple people speculated a curated board as one reason Caldwell hasn’t faced more criticism.
During Rohlf’s last year on the board, she presented Caldwell with “what I thought were really good suggestions” for her replacement, but was told Rohlf’s top choice would not be appropriate for the board. Rohlf later found out Caldwell didn’t like the individual because she’d once had a heated conversation with them.
Reflecting on her time as a board member (she’s still on the grants committee), Rohlf said it was a fun one to be part of, even with the stark differences to her current board position. “That was my first board experience,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s because I have had board experience that I’m not afraid to speak up [as part of the Truckee Tahoe Airport District board]. But if somebody has a problem, every one of us speaks up. We don’t hold back. But the culture in that [TTCF] board room … it’s not open to the public. You don’t know what other people really think about it.”
To Carroll’s mention of hearing only “non-specific comments” about Caldwell, the unnamed former board member said, “Then he’s not listening, he’s not paying attention. That’s all I’ll say. I mean, this has been a problem, and it’s been in staff surveys, it’s been in 360 reviews. He’s not paying attention.”
A different board member, they added, spoke out about Caldwell concerns and high turnover a couple years ago and asked for it to be investigated. In reaction, professional counseling was offered. “But it was very hush-hush,” they explained. “We didn’t talk about it in board meetings.” Still, this board member felt hopeful at the quiet attention.
But the turnover continued, as did complaints. “When staff surveys come back and they’re not looking good,” they said, “or there’s sort of a rush of people leaving and no one’s responding to it, it’s a huge red flag.”
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CENTRAL LOCATION: The bottom floor of the Truckee Artist Lofts building on the far east end of Donner Pass Road will become the new home of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation in 2026. The Town of Truckee Town Council overwrote a master plan to allow the admittance of an office/gathering space. Construction improvements will be internal only, as seen in the adjacent blueprints, and are being funded through a dedicated, private funder. Photo by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink, courtesy renderings
CENTRAL LOCATION: The bottom floor of the Truckee Artist Lofts building on the far east end of Donner Pass Road will become the new home of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation in 2026. The Town of Truckee Town Council overwrote a master plan to allow the admittance of an office/gathering space. Construction improvements will be internal only, as seen in the adjacent blueprints, and are being funded through a dedicated, private funder. Photo by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink, courtesy renderings
CENTRAL LOCATION: The bottom floor of the Truckee Artist Lofts building on the far east end of Donner Pass Road will become the new home of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation in 2026. The Town of Truckee Town Council overwrote a master plan to allow the admittance of an office/gathering space. Construction improvements will be internal only, as seen in the adjacent blueprints, and are being funded through a dedicated, private funder. Photo by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink, courtesy renderings
CENTRAL LOCATION: The bottom floor of the Truckee Artist Lofts building on the far east end of Donner Pass Road will become the new home of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation in 2026. The Town of Truckee Town Council overwrote a master plan to allow the admittance of an office/gathering space. Construction improvements will be internal only, as seen in the adjacent blueprints, and are being funded through a dedicated, private funder. Photo by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink, courtesy renderings
A new home
TTCF’s current office space is tucked next to NAPA Auto Parts on Donner Pass Road. It’s a tight space for staff and easy to miss for passersby. Now, a much more prominent location is on the horizon.
In October 2024, the idea was publicly floated by TTCF to the Truckee town council for a change in the Railyard Master Plan to allow for office and gathering space use where it currently wasn’t permitted — within the Downtown Extension District (from the eastern end of historic downtown Truckee and into the balloon track). Specifically, the community foundation had its eye on the ground floor of the Truckee Artist Lofts building.
After a series of starts and stops for Railyard development (retail, a grocery store, a movie theater), the Artist Lofts, which began housing residents in 2021, still stand alone.
There was pushback to the zoning change from some who wanted to keep the original intent of the Railyard Master Plan, which required ground floors on primary streets (such as Donner Pass Road) to be occupied by active, pedestrian-oriented uses, not offices. Still, council members unanimously approved the zoning clearance at the April 8 meeting, allowing in nonprofits and gathering spaces to the master plan amendment.
“I think what the community foundation has envisioned there is exactly what this space needs right now,” said Vice Mayor Anna Klovstad at the meeting. “I hope that you guys have a magnificent donor that shows up and you build an absolutely amazing facility in the near future. But until then, I really want to welcome you to the downtown community.”
Per Truckee development code, TTCF has four years to complete the project, which includes interior improvements only to the 3,462 square feet. The above blueprints show initial layout plans. According to Kelley, it’ll happen much more quickly: “We’re in the process of selecting the general contractor who’s going to do the work. The goal … is hopefully to move in the first half of 2026.”
At the April meeting, Caldwell explained to council, “We’ve been [in our current office] maybe 20 years now, something like that. It’s been a really good home for us, but we’re ready to step out and into the community and be a little more visible with what we’re doing, and we think this is a great opportunity. This is something we’ve heard from our donors often — why don’t people know what you’re doing? We’ve always been behind the scenes. We see this as an opportunity to evolve as a mission … Building community and bringing interesting conversations together and bringing un-likeminded people in a way we can solve problems.”
Funding for the construction and move is dedicated and provided by a private donor, Kelley said.
“We’ll be tying Truckee Artist Lofts in with the bigger community, because now we are there,” he continued. “We had some pushback from some folks who thought we weren’t going to bring enough foot traffic. But some foot traffic is a whole lot better than no foot traffic, which is exactly what they have right now. And the idea is we are not staying there forever. We’re like a hermit crab; we’re going to outgrow that shell, at least ideally, and we’ll move eventually into the dream vision of the community foundation: our own building.”
—
Beyond the physical dream, Beck shared that Caldwell hopes for TTCF’s continued contribution toward creating “a resilient forest that diversifies our economy and helps solve our housing issues. She wants to build up our disaster preparedness so we are better able to respond to challenges like potential wildfires … Her vision is inclusive of locals, part-time homeowners, visitors, and the broader network of state agencies and rural mountain communities.”
Concurrently to the community foundation’s ongoing goals, a group of former TTCF employees has quietly developed as a support system.
“I call it a sisterhood,” Parker said. “And it basically has, over time, because there are now so many of us, become a group that catches you as you spin out the other side.”
It’s not a formal thing, they continued. “We gather the troops, and we all have a beer or a bite or a kombucha or whatever you’re drinking. And we’re like, ‘Yeah, here we all are,’ and ‘Are you okay?’ and ‘You’re not crazy. We all went through the same thing.’ We take over an entire table now; there’s so many of us.”
It is a privilege to be a viewer of history’s atrocities rather than a victim. And it’s difficult to walk the line of spectating versus witnessing the suffering of others. There is a burden to opening one’s eyes to brutality, but it’s not so burdensome as to live caged, starving, sickened, and awaiting one’s own death at the hands of a people who wish to see them erased, as is happening in Gaza. The alternative is willful ignorance: a blind eye turned because it doesn’t affect you.
These days I wonder, what makes people feel? What is worthy of one’s emotion? What, if anything, makes violence justifiable? If it’s nothing, at what point is it necessary to stand against the perpetuation of violence?
I recently attended a talk in Reno by Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, an American trauma surgeon who has volunteered in multiple war-torn areas, including Gaza. He noted the unfathomable devastation in the territory. Though every tank, every bomb, every soldier is emblazoned with the Star of David, the Gazans he met held no animosity towards Jewish people. He plainly called it what it is: genocide. Gazan civilians are deliberately starved and brought into contact with the Israeli military so they can’t flee violence.
One of Sidhwa’s patients was a 29-year-old orthopedic surgical nurse who was shot, abducted, and tortured. When Sidhwa treated him, he thought the man was 80 years old because of how broken he was.
Everyone has causes they prioritize, and just because they don’t think about an issue every day doesn’t mean they can’t recognize its cruelty. But when we ignore atrocity, we’re all complicit in its devastation. What did Americans and society as a whole do to stop the genocide of Jews during World War II, and what were the consequences of delayed action? The decision by the Alliance to save Jews from the Holocaust was because we viewed them as human. Are Palestinians only worthy of death?
There’s no justification for killing innocent people and aid workers, for confining whole societies within closed borders, preventing them from even fishing in their sea, and dehumanizing them so thoroughly that they are killed arbitrarily and without remorse. It’s dumbfounding that an oppressed group can so quickly become the oppressor and justify atrocities due to its centuries-long experience of discrimination. Israel benefits from the world’s cognitive dissonance — the contradictory nature of a people who have always been known as the victims becoming the perpetrators of violence.
It’s dangerous business to start conflating distinct groups, mistaking one’s struggles for another’s crimes. But for some reason, genocide has people confusing anti-apartheid with antisemitism.
It’s willful ignorance or misguided incomprehension that there’s any justification for the many children showing up in the hospital with single, seemingly targeted gunshot wounds to the head. The people of a nation should not be condemned for the actions of their government or a terrorist organization.
An image of a desiccated child, all ribs and sunken-in eyes, cradled like a thread-bare rag doll, should be more alarming than it has become. It shouldn’t simply make you feel upset and remind you of your capacity to emote, it should compel you to act, to witness history unfurling, and to understand the context and the part you play.
Atrocity is not lessened by other crimes, and it should not be accepted as simply an unfortunate reality of life. A society is poisoned by the apathy and negligence of one’s moral conscience.
While Israel calls for the annihilation of Palestinians, the least we can do is bear witness and hold the perpetrators of genocide accountable for their crimes. We have more power than we think — protest, vote, write letters, boycott brands, run for office, speak up. If champions of atrocity remain unchecked, who will follow in their footsteps?
When the last journalist, the last child, and the last grandmother are killed, and the West Bank is next, nothing is going to get better.
In 2021, three enormous wildfires raged near Lake Tahoe. The Tamarack Fire surrounded and nearly destroyed Markleeville, the county seat of Alpine County; the Caldor Fire traveled from the foothills over the crest of the Sierra all the way to the outskirts of South Lake Tahoe; and the Dixie Fire, about 75 miles north of Truckee, was the largest single-source fire in California history, burned for over three months, and consumed nearly a million acres.
On Aug. 4 of that year, the Dixie Fire roared through the small town of Greenville in Plumas County, wiping out over 75% of the structures in the town, including almost all of the downtown commercial area of this charming, nearly 150-year-old city. Now, four years later, the much smaller population of the town is doing its best against tough odds to recover. What the people of Greenville are going through, like the town of Paradise before them, is a stark lesson for any of us living in the fire-prone Sierra Nevada.
Heading north on Highway 89 from Truckee you first pass through healthy forests of live pines and firs, but just a bit past Quincy you begin to see mile after mile of burned forest: the catastrophic impact of the Dixie Fire. Particularly jarring is the area around Lake Almanor and the eastern side of Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is now a seemingly endless stretch of incinerated trees. Near the southern edge of Dixie’s devastation lies the town of Greenville.
Not long ago, I rode my bike into Greenville through Indian Valley from the nearby community of Taylorsville. Indian Valley is a lush and lovely valley of ranches with scattered homes tucked into the forest at the meadows’ edge. My idyllic ride dotted with cows in pastures came to an abrupt end when reaching the charred remains of Greenville. Green trees were replaced by stark, black trunks, and houses were just bare foundations awaiting an unknown future. While there are new homes under construction, most parcels look forlorn and empty; it is hard to even imagine that a home once stood on these empty lots.
The paltry remains of several once prominent brick commercial buildings can be seen along the main street, but in a sign of hope, the first major new commercial building — the revival of a popular bar that was destroyed — is in the process of being brought back.
HEALING ART: Muralist Shane Grammer and his Hope Through Art Foundation use art as a tool for healing, empowerment, and community restoration. They brought murals and public art installations to Greenville after the fire. Photo by Sly Espinoza
Near this new building, an interesting little commercial enclave sprouted up soon after the fire, where the heart of the downtown once stood. Simply called The Spot, it features some of the first businesses to rise from the ashes in a pop-up format of trailers and tall metal awnings. Businesses include the Region Burger, The Way Baby bar and restaurant, and the Valley Grind, a coffee place. A tourist information booth was added to the mix.
Christi Hazelton is the owner, chef, and master of almost everything else for Region Burger. She is a hard-working woman with a mission to save this town that she loves, even though she realizes the odds are stacked against her.
“We are in survival mode, everybody is trying to work to come back,” said Hazelton. Greenville’s problem is that it was a fairly small town with many older, long-term residents. Wheneverything they depended on including hospitals, stores, and a pharmacy was wiped out, they decided to move somewhere else.
“People lost generations worth of their things. When they came back to the rubble, there were a lot of tears and they were brokenhearted,” said Hazelton.
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BEFORE AND AFTER: Before the Dixie Fire, Christi Hazelton’s business, Anna’s Cafe, was on the right next to the stop sign. Afterwards it was reduced to rubble. It is now the location of her pop-up business, Region Burger. Photos by Josh Edelson
BEFORE AND AFTER: Before the Dixie Fire, Christi Hazelton’s business, Anna’s Cafe, was on the right next to the stop sign. Afterwards it was reduced to rubble. It is now the location of her pop-up business, Region Burger. Photos by Josh Edelson
The population of Greenville is now about 200 as opposed to about 1,000 before the fire. Hazelton estimates that about 35 to 45 homes have been rebuilt, but a lot of foundations still sit fallow. The first year after the fire, the businesses and community received a lot of support, she said, but “by the third year, they don’t acknowledge the PTSD and trauma anymore. We are now in year four and people think we should move along now, time to get your business going. It doesn’t work that way. People are hurting still. We hope that the town comes back enough that we can stay. We want to make it work. We don’t want to be anywhere else.”
While Hazelton is realistic about the challenges the community faces, she is also quick to state why she wants to stay, describing Indian Valley as “a gorgeous valley, a mecca for birdwatching. There is tons of hiking, the fishing is still amazing, we have swimming holes everywhere.”
I was lucky enough while camping in Taylorsville at the county park, which doubles as the rodeo grounds and boasts pickleball courts, to experience the lure of the valley firsthand. Warm afternoons were spent languishing in the water holes and local teenagers rode their horses past the campground and nearby, at the rodeo grounds, more equestrians were training for the junior rodeo set for the following weekend (I also learned that even while on horseback, a teenager has to always be looking at their phone).
What’s next?
The sign of a recovering town is when brick and mortar businesses are rebuilt, showing a true long-term commitment to the town’s future. So far “everyone is still waiting to see what happens,” Hazelton said. “A lot of businesses are gone. There is a gas station being run out of a shipping container.”
One couple is making a big investment of money and faith by rebuilding The Way Station, the aforementioned well-liked bar that burned down, as a restaurant and bar with the few remaining bits of brick walls still standing from the prior building being incorporated into the design.
Kevin Goss and his partner Kira Wattenburg King bought the remains of the building after the fire. “Kira has wanted to own a bar and restaurant for quite a while, maybe 20 years. Both of our passions came together as we both love to cook and entertain,” said Goss, who also owned the pharmacy across the street, which is now a vacant lot. King and Goss met as the community came together to recover from the fire. He said that if any good came from the disaster, it’s that “it brought us together.”
While waiting for the Way Station construction to be completed in 2026, “We bought a food truck and bar at The Spot, and called it the Way Baby. It’s a ‘get-by’ kinda business, until we get the real one completed; a labor of love,” Goss said.
SUMMERTIME NOW: Local cowgirls after a swim in the creek heading home on horseback. Photo by Tim Hauserman
The period right after the fire was the most challenging time, according to Goss. Not only did he lose his business, but he is also a Plumas County Supervisor and had his hands full trying to provide help to a community in crisis. Local government had to get basic services up and running like water, sewer, and schools.
“We lost our library, town hall, and the sheriff’s station and are working to rebuild those,” Goss said. Housing was also a critical topic.
“[We recognized] our affordable housing shortage was substantial pre-fire and worse post fire,” Goss explained. In quick fashion, the county passed a regulation allowing people to live in campers or RVs full time until they’re able to rebuild their homes, and it also approved one of the first accessory dwelling unit ordinances in the state. It allows for quick and inexpensive approval of ADUs through the use of pre-approved plans.
Looking forward longer term, Goss said they hope to attract a younger population to the town that can work remotely while enjoying a slower, rural lifestyle. Exactly how that will happen is yet to be seen.
THE LUSH MEADOWS OF INDIAN VALLEY escaped the ravages of the Dixie Fire. Photo by Tim Hauserman
Help on the way
At the time of the Dixie Fire, Carol Franchetti, proprietor of Carol’s Prattville Café, was planning a 50th anniversary party for her iconic restaurant on Lake Almanor, 17 miles north of Greenville. Instead, she quickly evacuated to her sister’s in Napa for a month. “It was a disastrous thing, it happened so fast. I didn’t know if the restaurant would be here when I got back,” Franchetti said.
Her grandson, the fire chief for Prattville, was on the fire truck for 51 straight days working to save her community, she recalled. ”Every morning I would text him and get a thumbs up emoji. So many firefighters [were] doing all they could to keep the fire away from us.”
While her business and the town of Prattville escaped the fire (although thousands of acres all around them were scorched), she turned the anniversary party into a fundraiser to help the businesses in Greenville get back on their feet. “We raised $35,000. We had volunteer cooks, music, and an auction,” Franchetti said.
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ON THE SPOT: The businesses at this makeshift business center make for a low-key, relaxing place to hang out. (upper right) Greenville is looking for folks to visit the town and eat a burger. Photo by Christi Hazelton; (lower right) Region Burger in the early days at The Spot. Photo by Christi Hazelton; (above) Today, a tourist information booth, alongside the new version of the burger joint, provides details on the Dixie Fire. Photo by Tim Hauserman
ON THE SPOT: The businesses at this makeshift business center make for a low-key, relaxing place to hang out. (upper right) Greenville is looking for folks to visit the town and eat a burger. Photo by Christi Hazelton; (lower right) Region Burger in the early days at The Spot. Photo by Christi Hazelton; (above) Today, a tourist information booth, alongside the new version of the burger joint, provides details on the Dixie Fire. Photo by Tim Hauserman
ON THE SPOT: The businesses at this makeshift business center make for a low-key, relaxing place to hang out. (upper right) Greenville is looking for folks to visit the town and eat a burger. Photo by Christi Hazelton; (lower right) Region Burger in the early days at The Spot. Photo by Christi Hazelton; (above) Today, a tourist information booth, alongside the new version of the burger joint, provides details on the Dixie Fire. Photo by Tim Hauserman
Now in it’s 54th year, her café is still bringing in the crowds for her Sunday fried chicken specials. Franchetti says “a couple things have to happen to get people back. We have to have affordable housing. If people can move here, there are jobs. My main labor pool came from Greenville. We need more young people. We need something for them to do and someplace to live.”
She feels for the businesses and community of Greenville, and added, “They are struggling, they have given their heart and soul to the town. The future could be bright. We just have to wait and see. There are a lot of people who care about this place.”
Any community, especially small towns, has unwritten rules. Tahoe/Truckee is no exception. Examples include how to carry your skis (over your shoulder), respecting the environment (pick up trash and don’t flick your cigarette out your car window), and DO NOT, under any condition, light a campfire in the woods during summer.
Moonshine Ink asked readers for their own unspoken rules about living in Tahoe/Truckee.
Dave Ward, Loyalton Owner, Ward and Sons
Respect and enjoy this beautiful area, don’t assume that you’re more local than any other living thing.
Ben Hankinson, Kings Beach Tile contractor
Tip well if you can, the person helping you can barely afford to live here, or commutes from Reno.
Zali Hankinson, Dunedin, New Zealand Student, ski instructor
Everybody does the same sports, but as a woman, you’re instantly more badass.
Stoddy, Agate Bay Moonshine Ink mascot
One of the few communities where looking like a raccoon with your goggle tan is a sign of radness.
Shana Berger, Truckee Nurse
Snow tires are important, dirt unibrows are cool, and dancing is fun. Our area is expensive; you must appreciate the natural beauty or you’re missing the point. Respect the locals.
Once upon a time, applying to college was simple and straightforward: earn a 3.0 GPA, babysit the neighbor’s kids, and walk their dogs. Then, sit at a typewriter, fill out applications to anywhere from one to five colleges, and voilà! Much-awaited acceptance letters arrive via snail mail hand-delivered by Mike the Mailman to the metal mailbox at the end of the driveway.
THE AUTHOR with some of her happy, college-bound Tahoe/Truckee students. Courtesy photo
Times have changed.
As a parent, it’s become not only difficult but next-to-impossible to properly and effectively guide your child through the process of college acceptance. This is not for any lack of desire or motivation, but because over the last 25 years the college admissions landscape has transformed dramatically.
Take Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, for example. When I started working as a high school guidance and college admissions counselor in 2002, 85% of students who applied to Northeastern were accepted. Today, Northeastern accepts a scant 5.6%.
Just what, exactly, happened?!?
Well, it all started with the significant spike in population that began with the baby boomers. When they became parents, we had a large generation who wanted to give their children the opportunities they themselves may not have had. This meant that increasing numbers of college applicants were now competing for the same number of limited spots. Simply put, the laws of supply and demand started taking their toll on college admission rates.
Combine that with US News and World Report rankings alongside winning highly-watched football bowl games, and all of a sudden many formerly non-competitive colleges and universities — the kind you could once sneeze and get into — are now considered “Tier One” and “sub-Ivy” schools. And this trend has not slowed down.
So, what’s the secret to college admission in 2025?!?
Since I’m a fan of keeping it simple, here are 10 tips to help streamline the college admissions process for your family:
1. Find the Right Fit. Not every school is right for every student. Focus more on pairing students with appropriate colleges — based on academic, social, extracurricular, and personal needs — instead of on school rankings or comparisons with other students.
2. Start Early. Rather than endure a feverish race to the finish line, initial steps in the college process should be taken freshman year.
3. Discover a Niche. Every student is good at something; the key is finding what exactly that is (as early as possible). Students should sample various extracurricular activities beginning in middle school and throughout freshman year to hone in on their craft.
4. Pick and Stick. Once students find their area of expertise, they should give it their all. Commitment and consistency-over-time are highly regarded by college admissions officers.
5. Claim to Fame. Developing talents throughout middle and high school serves to highlight students and separate them from the pack during the admissions process. No one talent is more valuable than another; level of involvement and proficiency reign supreme. Whether an accomplished yodeler or the more traditional middle linebacker, each student has a gift.
EXTRACURRICULARS are an ever-important part of the college admissions equation.
6. Record Extracurricular Activities. Students should begin developing their résumés during freshman year and add to them periodically throughout high school.
7. Create a Transcript Identity. Selecting electives is yet another opportunity for students to stand out from their peers. Whether journalism, theater, engineering, or debate … consistency among elective coursework is the key.
8. Challenge Matters. While students should challenge themselves appropriately, they should not be afraid to take risks. Students should enroll in the most challenging curriculum available while still maintaining a healthy GPA, earning grades of A or B.
9. Maximize School Offerings.
Students are evaluated within the context of their own school. Just as no student is penalized in the admissions process for not taking calculus if it isn’t offered, students are expected to enroll in higher-level coursework when appropriate and to involve themselves in a rich extracurricular life.
10. There is No One-Size-Fits-All Formula.
Because colleges seek diversity among students, there’s no mathematical equation that determines admission.
The message? Be yourself, work hard and proactively, and the right colleges will emerge.
Compared to this time last year, the overall market is more active, though the median sales price has softened. From July to August 2025, the Tahoe Sierra MLS saw a strong increase in sales volume, along with a slight increase from this time last year. There was a decline in the median sales price both month over month and year over year, suggesting buyers are becoming more value-conscious. Specifically, month over month, Truckee experienced relatively stable pricing and days on market, while the Lake Tahoe Basin, CA experienced a decline in pricing and the average days on market increased. The Lake Tahoe Basin, NV also gained momentum from this time last year and month over month, with the sales volume over doubling. Lakefront properties saw limited but high-value activity, with sales volume and price increasing both month over month and year over year.
If you peek over the construction fencing surrounding Fanny Bridge, there is one thing you won’t see anymore — Fanny Bridge. Work on demolishing the 97-year-old bridge (read about its history) started before Labor Day Weekend.
Work on the $10 million project began in June when the contractor for the Federal Highway Administration’s Central Federal Lands Highway Division began diverting water away from the bridge as part of the dewatering process to allow for removal of the bridge’s piers and footings from the riverbed. This was timed with the lowest projected outflows from the dam. The water diversion process also included relocating fish downstream.
The scaffolding you see is a temporary sewer bypass as part of a sewer line replacement. It will be removed after construction is complete.
The project managers are not allowed to talk to the media, so the following information was relayed to Moonshine Ink via Caltrans spokesperson John O’Connell:
“The first phase of demolition included placing cobble under the bridge to act as a protective barrier to the streambed and keep broken concrete out of the river. Next the demolition subcontractor set up a containment system to catch any flying debris from the hydraulic hammer. Demolition began in the bridge’s center span using an excavator with a hydraulic hammer to break off the bridge rail and then the superstructure (bridge deck and girders) and as much of the piers as they could reach. The contractor is working from the center span to the two abutments, removing what they can by chipping everything and then trucking the concrete and rebar off site.
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bridge be gone: An aerial view of a partially demolished Fanny Bridge and the culvert pipes diverting water away from the bridge. Photo by Riley Bathurst/Special to Moonshine Ink
FANNY BRIDGE was built more than a decade after its neighbor, the Lake Tahoe Dam. Photo by Riley Bathurst/Special to Moonshine Ink
BIG TRUCKS: In mid-August, a crane and an excavator were doing the heavy lifting. Photo by Melissa Siig/Moonshine Ink
“Once the superstructure is out, the plan is to remove the rest of the piers and the pier foundation and partially remove the upper portions of the abutment and wingwall (a short retaining wall extending at an angle to direct water). The lower sections of the abutment and wingwall will be left in place to maintain the stream under the bridge. Once the bridge demo is complete, the contractor will then remove the cobble pad under the bridge and continue with riprap and girder placement.”
The new bridge, which is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, will be more pedestrian friendly. The single-span bridge — meaning no piers in the river — will be 15 feet wider than the old one and will feature sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides as well as a pedestrian crossing between businesses and recreational areas. The new bridge rail will match the old one, so people can gaze down at the river below just like they always have.
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