My little girl ran to the back of the campervan, crying. She rolled onto the bed on her belly, and like a ninja in slow motion, she glanced at me to ensure I wasn’t following. I stood my ground, and she stood up and ran. But she couldn’t escape. She was cornered in the back of the van. I raised up her swimsuit, and she shouted, “NO!”
ONE FISH, TWO FISH: A small brook trout from the Yosemite high country.
It’s a hot Friday afternoon, and we arrived at Ellery Lake, a first-come, first-served campground, praying for a spot. We wanted to get here earlier, but a bear swiped my pre-made dinners and forced me to re-pack late into the night. Plus, with toddlers in tow, a 4-hour car ride easily turns into 7 hours of nagging, “Can we go fishing yet?”
Somewhere in my mom-toolbox rests a trick for handling situations like this, but I’m too exhausted to recollect. Instead, I slipped one of my toddler’s legs into her suit while she used her other leg to kick me in the gut. The stomp of her foot shook the camper van, and her shrill scream covered the canyon, but she’s dressed.
Thankfully, dad appeared, so I disappeared. In camp, trees crouched nearer and barely let in the light. Finally, my head cooled, and I wondered why I did that? My husband handed me a fishing pole and said the thing he always says to get me out of a slump, “Let’s go fishing. It’ll be good for all of us.”
We meandered into Tuolumne Meadows, where tall green grasses waved and murmured. Their quiet motion held small whisperings. A red-tailed hawk followed us down the trail, and when it perched in a tree near the water, we decided to follow it. My family found their place among swirling eddies, floating foam lines, deep pools, and, in my daughter’s case, muddy banks.
I cast toward the inside seam and listened to the water roll on, and my daughter giggle in dirty delight. Two casts in, I lost my fly and perhaps the last of my pride. I plucked a Purple Haze fly from my fly box. It resembles my go-to generic brown bug pattern – a Parachute Adams. But a Purple Haze shimmers purple and has a reputation for being the Yosemite high country hero.
GOT MUD? The mud pit serves as a sacred altar for the writer’s family.
While sitting and twisting a size 6X tippet fishing line around a size 18 hook, I forgave myself. Every day, I try to teach my kids that it’s okay to feel angry, sad, or embarrassed. However, some behaviors associated with those emotions are not okay. And today, I didn’t tell my daughter, “It’s okay to feel angry, but it’s not okay to kick me.” Instead, I forced a swimsuit onto her. I could’ve walked away, but I didn’t.
Deep breath, cast again to the same inside seam, drift, and hook set. Thanks for understanding, Yosemite. I guided a 7-inch brook trout into my net. It’s the first brook trout I’ve ever caught, so it felt special. After releasing him, he hung by my feet for a few seconds in suspense, completely camouflaged next to the dirt and stones. Soon, his slow wiggle side to side turned into a mad dash away from me. With relief, I headed for the mud pits.
My daughter is naked, smiling, and doused in mud from her hips to her toes. She formed a ball of mud into a flat disk. I offered her some crushed-up, vanilla-scented pine needles and suggested they’d make excellent sprinkles. She extended her mud pie, and I added my sprinkles and howled, “Daughter, I am so sorry, I should have listened to you and trusted you. I shouldn’t have lost my temper on you. Can you forgive me?” This time, I am the one crying. With her tiny muddy hands, she squelched my cheeks together, locked her eyes with mine, and said, “It’s okay, Mommy, don’t cwy. I wub you.”
WILD CHILD: The writer’s kids are happiest when covered in mud.
We played in the mud until the setting sun radiantly transformed earth, air, stone, and water. First, golden colors, then pinks and purples, until darkness edged in. With many threads gathered up and relationships rounded, we’re ready for the many adventures planned for tomorrow.
John passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at Western Slope Health Care, Placerville CA. He trusted Christ as his savior on January 20, 2025.
Born to Paul and Katsue Kovaly in Torrance, CA. John is survived by a sister, Susan Stout (Husband Jeffrey Stout) of Fremont, NC and a brother, Victor Kovaly (wife Karyn Kovaly) of Auburn, CA. Also surviving are his many nieces and nephews.
John worked as a limo driver in the Lake Tahoe area and enjoyed keeping his customers happy. He had a good sense of humor and was an extremely talented artist who excelled in pencil and ink drawings and oil painting.
John is missed so much by his family and friends. There will be a memorial service for family and friends at First Baptist Church of South Lake Tahoe, CA., on Saturday May 31st at 11 am, pastor Alan Morse is presiding.
Marilyn Colette Dedmon passed away on March 27, 2025, at her home in Gateway. Marilyn was born on September 6, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois.
Marilyn’s parents were Rudolph and Mary Fahrberger.
She was preceded in death by Marilyn’s husband Rick Dedmon, her parents, and three brothers.
Marilyn was a dedicated member of the Assumption Catholic Church of Truckee.
She was a loving Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother.
Her leadership and wisdom will be greatly missed by her loving family.
Marilyln was a valued member of multiple women’s organizations in town.
As a longtime resident of Truckee, she was involved in the banking community,
as well as a local business owner.
Funeral Mass will be held on May 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Truckee Assumption Church.
Burial and Celebration of Life to follow at Truckee Cemetary at 11:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Senior Citizens Organization of Truckee.
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District Board of Education last night agreed to pause its earlier decision to move to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) for school sports after hearing profound concerns from parents, students, and coaches.
The district, with less than 24 hours left before a final decision was due, opted to delay implementation of the change to give itself more time to better study the impacts. The decision does not come without possible legal risks.
“We haven’t figured it all out, we haven’t created any equity in this because we’ve talked about challenges with individuals not being able to do multisports [and] specific sports being left out of the conversation because of logistics, the cost,” said TTUSD board member Denyelle Nishimori. “There’s so many things that have been thrown at our community over this discussion, and I think a 1-year delay gives us time to have additional community conversation. I’m hoping that we can work on the not-leaving-people-behind part of the conversation. I think that’s a huge component of this that we haven’t really resolved.”
TTUSD announced on May 2 that it was moving to the CIF after the NIAA changed its bylaws in early April restricting student-athletes to play on the team that matches their biological sex at birth. This conflicts with California state law, which recognizes gender identity and gender expression as part of anti-discrimination laws. However, the change would greatly impact TTUSD sports by requiring teams to travel over Donner Summit in winter, and moving soccer to winter and tennis to spring.
At its May 7 meeting, the school board directed staff to explore waiver options with the state of California. The NIAA has already stated that waivers for the four California school districts in the same predicament, including Lake Tahoe Unified School District in South Lake Tahoe, regarding the new pre-participation physical form would not be considered. Since the NIAA changed its bylaws, the form now requires medical providers to identify a student’s birth sex and whether they are eligible for girls or boys sports.
Originally, TTUSD Superintendent Kerstin Kramer reported that Tahoe Forest Hospital told her that medical staff would not be allowed to sign the new form due to HIPAA privacy concerns. However, Kramer said the hospital may have come up with a solution.
“Tahoe Forest Hospital is continuing to work with their legal counsel, and they have come up with an explanation that they feel they can attach to the form, then the medical staff will sign the form,” she said. “Tahoe Forest Hospital is going to be in conversation with NIAA to see if this will work and meet the eligibility needs that NIAA has set forth.”
According to Kramer, the district submitted a waiver inquiry to the California Department of Education regarding staying in the NIAA, but has not yet heard back. She said she was able to share with Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction David Schapira that the immediate implementation of moving to CIF is challenging for the school district.
“They listened and they took note of the initial inquiry and they’re having conversations about that,” Kramer said.
Legal Risks
There are three legal risks of staying in the NIAA and not complying with California law, which protects transgender student-athletes and privacy rights. One is that the California attorney general could pursue an investigation into TTUSD. According to Kramer, this can take up to 5 years and could come with a financial cost. The state could also set corrective action, which, at an extreme, could include suspending TTUSD’s athletic program. A second risk is that the district’s insurance provider could cancel its liability coverage since the district would be in violation of California law. Lastly, the school district could face lawsuits from students or parents harmed by the decision to remain in the NIAA for next school year.
Board member Patrick Mooney acknowledged the difficult bind the district is in and possible legal consequences.
“The NIAA broke up with us,” said Mooney. “They imposed a policy on us that they knew damn well was going to put us in a situation where we are now having a moral dilemma. Which kids are we going to protect? And I hate being in this position because … our responsibility and our care is for every single solitary student in this district. And I hate being put in a position where it doesn’t matter what we decide here, kids are going to get hurt whether we stay with the NIAA or whether we go to CIF, and I blame the NIAA for this … I would like to see us stay in the NIAA, but we have legal ramifications if we do that. We have to be willing to face possible interference. I am hoping that should we decide to stay with the NIAA for a year, that they [California Department of Education] will see we are making a concerted effort to try to make things work for our students, and they will work with us.”
Winter Facilities
In preparation for the possible move to the CIF, the district explored options for building winter facilities that would allow teams to practice and play outdoors. One option is a dome structure. However, according to TTUSD Assistant Superintendent Chief Business Officer Todd Rivera, a dome structure would not clear the Division of the State Architect, which must approve all school construction. Another option, a fabric fieldhouse structure, could meet snow load requirements, but comes with a cost of $20 million and would take up to 2 years to construct. A third option, installing artificial turf, allows for snow removal but would cost around $3 million and presents the district with dilemmas of snow storage, added staff time, and turf maintenance.
STAYING PUT: TTUSD soccer is one of the sports that would be most impacted by the move to CIF from the NIAA, since this would change soccer to a winter sport. The district decided to delay the change by 1 year at its May 14 emergency board meeting. Photo courtesy Truckee High School
League Placement
Another added benefit of delaying the move to CIF is league placement. As part of the Sac-Joaquin Section, the best fit for Truckee High School, a Division 3 school, would be the Pioneer Valley League, which includes similarly sized schools in Colfax and Marysville. However, Truckee High School Principal John Neuberger said that the CIF informed him that for school year 2025/26, it only has room for Truckee in the Foothill Valley League, which has much larger schools that include Lincoln and Placer. Pushing TTUSD’s move to the CIF to the 2026/27 school year would place Truckee in the Pioneer Valley League.
“I think we could lose participation when students realized the juggernaut they are facing in the Foothill Valley League,” said Mooney. “I would be much happier waiting when we can join the Pioneer Valley League.”
North Tahoe High School, a Division 2 school, would be integrated in the Sierra Delta League.
A major concern of parents and students is that soccer is a winter sport in the CIF, making practice, home games, and travel challenging, as well as forcing some students to choose between that and other winter sports, like skiing or basketball. Neuberger noted that the San-Joaquin Section has a Division 7 soccer league for boys in the fall and girls in the spring. However, there are no regional or state championships.
The decision to remain in the NIAA did not require a vote, but all five board members agreed. Kramer said she would notify the NIAA by today, the May 15 deadline, that TTUSD would not be leaving for next school year. In making this decision, TTUSD is taking the same approach as LTUSD, which opted from the start to stay in the NIAA for at least 1 more year.
“We felt like it would not be in the best interest of our students to just automatically make a determination and jump,” LTUSD Superintend Todd Cutler told Moonshine, noting that the district is putting in an application with CIF for school year 2026/27. “We’re staying right now. One of the things that I always believe in is not making a hasty, quick decision. Let’s take our time looking at all of these things. In the end, we want to do what’s best for our students. That includes all students.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism (ACT) Commission announced two important updates highlighting its continued commitment to supporting the local creative community: the launch of the 2025 ACT Microgrants Program and the opening of a new public art exhibit at the Lake Tahoe Airport.
2025 ACT Microgrants Now Open
The ACT Commission is now accepting applications for its 2025 Microgrants Program, which will award up to $20,000 in total funding for arts, culture, and tourism-related projects within the city. Grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 are available to support publicly accessible initiatives including visual, performing, and literary arts, as well as cultural events.
Applications will be accepted from May 12 through June 20, and awarded projects must be completed by September 30, 2025. The program is intended to provide seed funding or support for creative efforts that engage the community and enhance South Lake Tahoe’s cultural landscape.
The ACT Commission is proud to announce the opening of a new art exhibit at the Lake Tahoe Airport titled “Into the Blue and Beyond” by local artist Blair Latos. The exhibit was selected through a previous call for airport art proposals and received a $3,000 grant from the City of South Lake Tahoe to support its creation and installation.
The exhibit will open with a public reception on Thursday, May 22 from 4:00–6:00 p.m., featuring light refreshments and the opportunity to meet the artist. The installation will remain on display at the airport through September 15, 2025.
“The ACT Commission is committed to expanding access to the arts and supporting creative expression throughout South Lake Tahoe,” said Aimi Xistra-Rich, Commission Chair. “Whether through microgrants or curated exhibits, our goal is to celebrate local talent and make arts and culture part of everyday life in our community.”
STATELINE, Nev. – Following an incredibly successful inaugural season that featured a playoff berth and a first-round sweep, the Tahoe Knight Monsters, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights have released their schedule for the 2025-26 season.
The 72-game slate begins with Opening Knight on October 17, 2025, a 7:00 pm home date against the Idaho Steelheads and the first of a three-game series to kick off the season. The first road game of the campaign is in Tulsa on October 24, one of a two-game set that concludes on October 26.
All home games are scheduled for 7:00 pm, with the exceptions being Sunday 3:00 pm games and a 10:30 am start for School Day against Savannah on Thursday, November 20.
Tahoe will face off against five new teams this season as well: The Greensboro Gargoyles, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Bloomington Bison, Toledo Walleye, and the Cincinnati Cyclones. The trip to Greensboro will be a matchup of two of the newest teams in the ECHL, while the contest in Bloomington on January 28 will be between the two expansion teams from this past season.
On January 23, following the All-Star Break, the Knight Monsters will get a chance at revenge on the Kansas City Mavericks, the team that eliminated them in the postseason, in the first of a two-game series at the Cable Dahmer Arena.
Mountain Division Breakdown.
Nine vs. Idaho (Six Home, Three away). 7-5 record last season.
Eight vs. Tulsa (Three Home, Five Away). 7-1-1-1 record last season.
Fourteen vs. Rapid City (Six Home, Eight Away). 4-1-1 record last season.
Five vs. Wichita (Three Home, Two Away). 1-4-0-1 record last season.
Five vs. Allen (Three Home, Two Away). 4-1 record last season.
Nine vs. Utah (Six Home, Three Away). 6-4 record last season.
Seven vs. KC (Three Home, Four Away). 2-3-1 record last season.
Total: 57 games (30 Home, 27 Away). 31-19-3-2 record last season.
1645 club season ticket memberships are available for the 2025-26 season. And if you are interested in bringing a group out to a game, please fill out this form. The Knight Monsters tested the waters in their inaugural season, and now in year two it’s time to descend.
STATELINE, Nev. – Many public comments expressed their approval for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) increased transparency in their Wednesday scoping meeting for the Barton Hospital site in Stateline. Though neighbors still expressed concern on evacuation routes, parking, and the impacts of the site, the upcoming environmental impact statement will be addressing concerns brought up in public comment.
The scoping meeting was scheduled after the TRPA deemed it necessary to upgrade to an environmental impact statement, the highest level of review, for the Barton Hospital project. It took place during the Advisory Planning Commission’s meeting time, where they opened the floor to public comments and also had a presentation on the impacts of the site and information available to people.
John Grigsby, a local resident who has attended multiple meetings, said, “You’ve done the right thing here and you’ve restored a significant amount of faith in the TRPA and its process. So, thank you. I know you don’t hear that much, but we appreciate it.”
Grigsby did go on to detail other specific concerns, many of which have been shared by neighbors since the early days of the projects—increased travel for California residents, inadequate parking, and lack of workforce housing. “What’s in it for the neighborhood? Where’s the benefit? Where’s the employee housing? Where’s the benefits to the lake? Right now, we’re just sort of arguing about how bad it’s allowed to get. So, we want you to understand why there’s pushback going forward and how to solve that.”
The noise impacts from the proposed helicopter pad, effects on wildlife, crowded parking, and inadequate road access have been major concerns for those in the surrounding neighborhood. Another top concern has been around why the California campus couldn’t simply be retrofitted or maintained.
During the presentation and public comments from those affiliated with Barton, they’ve confirmed that they are committed to a dual campus model and moving the acute care services to the Nevada campus, which would also be able to provide more services than the current California campus alone.
Barton also plans to work with US-50 and Kahle Drive improvement and water mitigation projects, as well as potentially partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to clean up and maintain Rabe Meadow. Two physicians also spoke to the hope that the hospital would bring improved care, more jobs and families, and better healthcare access to the community.
The project has now garnered the support of the South Tahoe Lodging Association, as represented by Jerry Bindel. “We’re in a rural community. To have a hospital of this nature is unbelievable,” said Bindel, citing the health improvements and access to both residents and guests as reasons why their board unanimously approved support of the project.
More information about the Barton Hospital project and where to submit comments can be found on Barton’s project page. Public comments can be mailed to the TRPA office or emailed to [email protected]. The deadline to submit comments is June 6, 2025.
When Brad Kearns, professional triathlete, speed golf champion and Tahoe-based health author started his fitness career, he thought running and intensive exercise were some of the primary keys to fitness, as many others do.
However, as he continued in his fitness career, winning medals and competitions, he found that intensive exercise, despite having several positive impacts, was negatively impacting his health in certain ways. After nearly a decade of intensive competition, he shifted gears into pursuing a career in the health and fitness industry.
His new book, “Born to Walk,” co-authored with fellow fitness author and triathlete Mark Sisson, aims to dispel the idea that running is the main component to health, and promote walking and gentle movement as an alternative. Kearns and Sisson argue, using research and their own life experiences, that humans are actually “born to walk,” per the title, not “born to run,” and that a lifestyle of consistent movement is healthier than intensive and sometimes physiologically stressful running. Kearns and Sisson have co-authored several books together, including the New York Times bestseller, the “The Keto Reset Diet,” and “The Primal Blueprint.”
Brad Kearns holds a copy of his new book “Born to Walk,” co-authored with Mark SissonLeah Carter / Tahoe Daily Tribune
Q&A:
Q: Can you tell me a little bit more about your background as an athlete?
A: I’m a former professional triathlete. So I raced on the pro circuit when I was a young person. I was national champion twice and number three in the world back in the day. But then I pursued a career in health and fitness after that. So I’ve been working in performance nutrition, writing books, hosting my podcast. It’s called the B.rad podcast.
Q: What inspired the book “Born to Walk: The Broken Promises of the Running Boom, and How to Slow Down and Get Healthy – One Step at a Time”?
A: I was a pro triathlete for nine years, so I lived and breathed endurance training. I was so hardcore and pushed my body so hard, and then when you finish and you look back and you realize, hey all that crazy stuff we did it’s not really healthy at all.
In fact, it’s extremely unhealthy for the body to go to that extreme. So I was like a super fit guy when I was young but I wasn’t overall very healthy and it’s actually a way to accelerate the aging process in the body when you push yourself to that extreme.
It’s no different than someone who is super stressed and doesn’t sleep that much. I might as well have been a rock star partying for 10 years of my life. It has a similar impact on your overall health and well-being so that’s kind of my message about extreme endurance training and the problem today is that you know marathon running is so popular.
Q: What is the main message in “Born to Walk”?
A: There’s the Tahoe 13-mile and the Ride Around the Lake. And all those things are nice to see that people are getting out there and enjoying nature and challenging their bodies. But most people are doing it in a very ill-advised and overly stressful manner. So the book is trying to convince you to pursue your endurance goals the right way without all the extra stress on the body.
Q: What are the repercussions of putting too much strain on the body while exercising?
A: The breakdown and the burnout are a worst kept secret of running scene, people don’t really lose weight, which is probably the number one goal of people out there putting in the mile is they wanna look good and they wanna lose body fat. And it doesn’t work. And it’s been proven by modern science.
There’s an area of research called the compensation theory of exercise, where if you push yourself too hard with your workouts you get lazier and you eat more food for the rest of the day. It’s the body adjusting to the extra stress of exercise with to the extra stress of exercise with slowing down other mechanisms and turning down the dials that make you an active, alert, energetic person.
Q: Are there any favorite trails you recommend for locals in Tahoe?
A: I love the Rubicon Trail of course, and a great hike for sightseeing is Castle Rock. The Lam Watah trail is great for jogging/walking, and I recommend going all the way to Nevada Beach, take a swim and hike back to the parking lot.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Catalyst Community is bringing back their free community event formerly called Day of the Young Child, now called Kids Expo 2025 to South Lake Tahoe. The free community event will be held at Lake Tahoe Community College on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The event was previously held in Placerville but has expanded to South Lake Tahoe. There will be 35 vendors, including local non-profits and businesses related to childcare.
The event will include a DJ, free food, and free hands-on activities for children Several large vehicles will be parked at the event for children to explore including a garbage truck and a fire engine. In addition, it will help connect parents with the resources they need.
If you would like to be a part of the event or for any questions, please contact Catalyst Community at 530.541.5848.
2024 Kids Expo in Placerville.Provided / Sarah Abram
NORTH TAHOE, Calif./ Nev. – Music and movement have long been shown to play a positive role in early childhood development, something Rita Whitaker Haun has seen evidence of in children right here in North Tahoe.
“They moved much more easily. They sang much more easily. They were more expressive,” Haun said of kids who went through her early childhood program (for ages birth through five years old), and went on to excel in her music class at Truckee Elementary School.
“It blew my mind,” she stated.
The program, called Musikgarten and provided by Classical Tahoe, exposes kids to movement and music in early childhood when the brain is forming. Her class strategical pairs rich melodies of bassoons, French horns, violas, and harps, to creative movements in a fashion that is not only fun and engaging, but also enriches brain development.
“All of the things that I’m doing are purposeful,” she explained.
Marching to the beat of loud and strong music nurtures the limbic system of the brain, which is involved in emotion, memory and behavior.
Bouncing stimulates the front lobes. Even subtleties such as changing movement when the music changes instills the concept of musical phrasing.
The activities not only nurture the growing brains, but also utilizes music to engage parents with children and visa versa to build the parent-child relationship.
With over 30 years teaching this program and over 40 years teaching music, the practice is second nature to Huan who can introduce new movements and activities on the fly in the 30 minute classes.
“I’m really passionate about it,” she said, “and I’m always getting new ideas.”
Activities are also intended to build independence, awareness, balance, and motor skills. The gentle way Haun demonstrates the care with the wooden sticks or scarves used in class instills a subliminal message for instrument care.
The class framework remains similar with the same kids over the six-week course, which allows children to feel familiar and comfortable. It also introduces community to both the child and parent.
“These people make friends with each other because they’re new parents,” Haun said.
Musikgarten is provided for free through Classical Tahoe, a summertime music festival in Incline Village that also offers community engagement and education programs throughout the year. These community programs are made possible by the Spirit Burns Fund in memory of Tim Burns, who had a desire to provide the Truckee and Tahoe-Donner community with access to personal musical experiences.
The program is offered during spring and summer breaks and is intended to reach children who haven’t had the opportunity or exposure to such a program.
Classes are offered in the Truckee, Kings Beach and Incline Village.
The upcoming summer program starts in June with classes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings.
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
When you write about food as much as I do, you tend to see a lot of different and unique foods so very rarely do I come across something that is completely foreign to me. Enter this week’s feature. Spanakopita is essentially a Greek spinach pie and although I had never heard of it, I surely won’t forget it.
I think starting with the phyllo dough makes the most sense – it’s the vehicle that everything is riding around in. Its perfectly crispy and buttery layers are bringing their A-game when it comes to textures. But inside the phyllo is where the party is. There’s enough spinach to send Popeye into orbit and it’s combined with feta cheese and spices like nutmeg that make for a savory and slightly sweet dish. It’s garnished with a little more feta to really ratchet up the saltiness which helps to balance out the earthiness of the filling.
It doesn’t feel more home-y than this. It’s like this came right out of your grandmother’s oven and on to your plate. And if you really want to ramp up the flavor, you must have it with a side of their house made hot sauce. That tangy bit of heat adds just the right amount of punch to the palette that truly rounds out the dish – at least for me.
This is one of those dishes that might have you questioning what it could be, at least on paper. But to truly get a sense of the experience and flavor, it really is a must try.
Artemis Lakefront Café is located at 900 Ski Run Blvd Ste. 111 in South Lake Tahoe. For complete menu offerings and general information visit them online at artemislakefrontcafe.com or reach them via phone at 530-542-3332.
1:30 p.m., Lake Tahoe Yoga, 290 Kingsbury Grade, Stateline. “The Svadhyaya Project is a collaborative workshop designed to help you engage in practices and learn techniques to become more aware of your self and financially responsible so that you can build wealth. Pre-registration required. 135 For more information, visit www.laketahoeyoga.com or call 775-580-7224.”
The Listening Room
6 p.m., South of North Brewing Company, 932 Stateline Ave, South Lake Tahoe. “The Listening Room at South of North Brewing Co. is a cozy, community-driven music experience that brings together some of the area’s most beloved singer-songwriters for a night of raw, heartfelt storytelling through song. Set in a warm, intimate venue designed to prioritize attentive listening, this event invites guests to unplug, settle in, and connect deeply with the music and the artists behind it. Each songwriter takes the stage in a stripped-down format sharing not only their original songs but also the stories and inspirations behind them. Free. For more information, visit www.southofnorthbeer.com or call 530-494-9805.”
Live Music at McP’s Taphouse Grill
8-11 p.m., McP’s Taphouse Grill, 4125 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. “McPs Taphouse at Stateline in South Lake Tahoe, CA has been a beer and entertainment staple for over 31 years with 40 beers on tap, full bar of craft cocktails, live music, and never a cover charge. Being family owned and operated, our motto is: children welcome, adults tolerated. We’re not just “Pub Grub” at McPs… our full restaurant offers traditional Irish dishes along with our modern California classic lighter options. For more information, call 530-542-4435.”
Karaoke Nights
10 p.m., Rojo’s Tavern, 3091 Harrison Avenue, South Lake Tahoe. Get jiggy with us on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with some killer karaoke! Free For more information, call 530-541-4960.
Friday, May 16th
Blues & Booze at the Shedcat Distillery
7:00 – 10:00 p.m., Shedcat Distillery, 3668 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California 96150. “Come to Shedcat Distillery on the corner of Ski Run Blvd and Lake Tahoe Blvd to kick back and enjoy some smooth blues, even smoother cocktails. We’re hosting a live 4 piece fusion blues band every Friday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. You can expect to see various top-notch musicians from all over the region. We’ll rotate groups to keep things fresh, but rest assured, only the best will perform at Shedcat.” More information at https://shedcattahoe.com/.
Couple’s League
4-8 p.m., Golf Lodge Bar & Simulators, 530 S Carson St STE 1, Carson City. “Team up with your significant other or your bestie and join us for our First Ever Couples League at The Golf Lodge! Each week, you’ll play a different course on our state-of-the-art simulators — perfect for some friendly competition and lots of fun!The league runs from April 28 through June 16, with time slots available from either 4–6 PM or 6–8 PM. Games take place on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays, giving you plenty of flexibility to fit it into your weekend plans. Ticket purchase required. $195 per person. For more information, visit thegolflodge.com or call 775-546-3725.”
Parents Night Out
5:30 p.m., 1735 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. “We’re so excited to bring Parents’ Night Out to Appleseeds Academy! Join us for a fun-filled evening your kids will love—while you enjoy a night off!How to secure your spot: RSVP, pay for your spot, sign up on the check-in list. This event is open to the community, so feel free to invite your friends! Spots are limited and fill up quickly, so be sure to reserve yours as soon as possible.We can’t wait to see you there for a night full of fun! Pre-registration required. 50/ child for potty trained, $60/child not potty trained. $25 per each additional sibling. For more information, visit Appleseedsacademy.org.”
DJ Pastor Ryan
6-9 p.m., AleworX at Stateline, 31 US-50 #105, Stateline. “Come out for a night of music with DJ Pastor Ryan. For more information, visit laketahoealeworx.com or call 775-580-6163.”
Iolanta | Opera in Concert (Incline Village)
6:30-8:30 p.m., Cornerstone Community Church, 300 Country Club Dr., Incline Village. “Lose yourself in the drama of Tchaikovsky’s breathtaking one-act opera about love, self-discovery, and destiny. Tahoe Symphony’s concert presentation brings this masterpiece to life with a cast of exceptional opera artists from across the U.S. and our local community.Experience the sweeping melodies and emotional depth of one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest operatic achievements— an unforgettable experience of music and storytelling awaits. For more information, visit toccatatahoe.org or call 775-524-2175.”
Saturday, May 17th
Lego Saturdays
10 a.m., South Lake Tahoe Library, 1000 Rufus Allen Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. “Young builders, join us for our Lego Block Party every other Saturday! We supply the bricks and your creations will be put on display. Duplo blocks will be available for little builders! For more information, visit eldoradolibrary.org or call 530-573-3185.”
Kids Expo Tahoe 2025
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lake Tahoe Community College, 1 College Way, South Lake Tahoe. “Kid’s Expo Tahoe is a free outdoor event designed for families and children of all ages. Enjoy an afternoon full of fun, food, and community connection at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe.Kids can enjoy free food, hands-on activities, and interactive experiences, while parents and caregivers explore local resources and services from community partners.If you would like to be a part of the event or for any questions, please contact us at 530-541-5848. For more information, visit www.ltcc.edu or call 530-541-4660.”
Bubbly Brunch
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Cocktail Corner, 2042 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. “Join us Saturday & Sundays for Bubbly Brunch! Two entrees and a bottle of bubbly for ONLY $40! Enjoy one of Chef Sean’s unique and delicious brunch creations such as Chilaquiles, Chicken & Waffles, and Strawberry Belgian Waffles. $40. For more information, visit tahoecocktailcorner.com or call 530-600-2751.”
Live Music at Camp Richardson Resort
1-5 p.m., Camp Richardson Resort, 1900 Jameson Beach Rd, South Lake Tahoe. “Live music with acts like The Trey Stone Band, Cash Only Band, Heavenly House Band, Arizona Jones, The Beach Cowboys, Whiskey and Wolves, Acustagruve, Winter Light Band, and Bluesberry Jam. For more information, visit www.camprichardsonresort.com or call 530-494-2228.”
Sierra Speaker Series: Lansford Hastings and His Association With the Donner Party
4:30-6:30 p.m., Sierra State Parks Foundation, 1295 North Lake Blvd, Tahoe City. “Join us at Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center to learn and engage! Doors open at 4:30 pm, and the presentation is to follow at 5 pm. Light refreshments will be available. Parking is free after 5 pm. No registration is required. Admission is a suggested $5 donation. For more information, visit sierrastateparks.org or call 530-583-9911.”
Tahoe Club Crawl
7:45-11 p.m., Golden Nugget Casino, 50 U.S. 50, Stateline. “Tahoe Club Crawl is the perfect way to celebrate your bachelor party, bachelorette party, birthday party, corporate buyout and more. We hit all the best bars and nightclubs South Lake Tahoe has to offer. Ticket purchase required. $50.”
Live DJ
9 p.m., HQ! Bar, 55 US-50, Stateline. “Bally’s HQ! nightclub hosts nationally and internationally known DJs on Saturday nights. For more information, visit www.ballys.com/lake-tahoe.”
Sunday, May 18th
Sip & Swap
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Idle Hour, 3351 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. “Sip and swap your gently used items for something new! Swap until you drop and head to brunch after at The Idle Hour! All shapes and sizes are welcome! Ticket purchase required. $20.”
Mad Hatter Tea
2 p.m., Soroptimist of Tahoe Sierra, 3050 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. “The 2nd annual Mad Hatter Tea Party was at the Valhalla Grand Hall and was a huge success. Attendees came dressed in their favorite costumes – Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, March Hare, and even the Grand Duchess! Everyone had a great time, enjoying the food bites, tea, and champagne; flamingo croquet, games of corn hole, and the new photo backdrop! All proceeds are going to support women and youth in the community in the coming year. For more information, visit sitahoesierra.org.”
Iolanta | Opera in Concert (Reno)
3-5 p.m., St, John’s Presbyterian Church, 1070 W Plumb Ln, Reno. “Lose yourself in the drama of Tchaikovsky’s breathtaking one-act opera about love, self-discovery, and destiny. Tahoe Symphony’s concert presentation brings this masterpiece to life with a cast of exceptional opera artists from across the U.S. and our local community.Experience the sweeping melodies and emotional depth of one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest operatic achievements— an unforgettable experience of music and storytelling awaits. For more information, visit toccatatahoe.org or call 775-524-2175.”
Monday, May 19th
Abstract Explosions by Meghan Leal-Gring
6-8 p.m., BFF Tahoe, 2540 Lake Tahoe Blvd Suite 2, South Lake Tahoe. “Join us for the opening reception to Abstract Explosions, a vibrant showcase of mixed media abstract artwork by Megan Leal-Gring at BFF Tahoe. Ticket purchase & pre-registration required.”
Tuesday, May 20th
Tuesday Night Trivia
7 p.m., South of North Brewing Company, 932 Stateline Ave, South Lake Tahoe. “Question: Where can I flex my brain muscles and drink beer while doing it? Answer: South of North Brewing Co. Trivia Tuesdays!!! We are stoked to announce Trivia Night every Tuesday at 7 PM. So gather your squad, grab a pint and let the games begin. You just need your phone to play!First round starts at 7 PM and second round starts a little after 8 pm. Compete in round one, two or both and win some prizes! For more information, visit www.southofnorthbeer.com or call 530-494-9805.”
Wednesday, May 21st
Geology of the Lake Tahoe Basin
6-7 p.m., Lake Tahoe Community College, Aspen Board Room, 1 College Dr, South Lake Tahoe. “Unlock the secrets of Lake Tahoe’s geological history in this immersive presentation from local author David Antonucci’s latest publication “Geology of the Lake Tahoe Basin: History and Features”! Delve into the millennia-long saga as he unveils the tectonic upheavals, glacial advances, and volcanic eruptions that created the Lake Tahoe Basin. Whether you are a geologist or simply a lover of breathtaking landscapes, this presentation has something for everyone! Free. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org/mother-lode/tahoe or call 415-977-5500.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — At just 25 years old, Autumn Segraves is already steeped in entrepreneurship. The Sierra Valley transplant and longtime barista took over Westside Coffee & Chai in November, transforming the beloved local shop into a creative hub for community, connection and innovation.
“My first job was at a coffee shop in my small hometown,” said Segraves. “Since then, I’ve worked in restaurants and coffeehouses, and I always dreamed of having a place of my own.”
Javier Silva / Tahoe Daily Tribune
After moving to South Lake Tahoe post-high school, Segraves found herself regularly frequenting Westside Coffee & Chai. She eventually joined the staff and worked her way up to manager. Two and a half years later, the previous owner approached her with an offer: Would she like to take over the business?
With no formal business background—but a decade of hands-on service industry experience—Segraves embraced the challenge. “There’s so much I didn’t know, but I’m learning as I go,” she said.
Since taking the reins, Segraves has added housemade syrups and chai to the menu, launched a creative brunch program with “eclectic, seasonal bites,” and introduced coffee specials inspired by trends she’s observed in cities and places she has traveled to like L.A. and New York.
“It doesn’t have to just be white mochas and chai,” she said. “I want to create drinks and food that are exciting, that feel fresh and fun.”
Segraves has added housemade syrups and chai to the menu.Javier Silva / Tahoe Daily Tribune
Her menu includes unexpected offerings like ricotta toasts with olive tapenade or candied walnuts. With help from her husband and one employee—both also in their 20s—Segraves makes nearly everything in-house, emphasizing quality and craft over convenience.
But Westside Coffee & Chai is more than just a place to grab a drink. It’s a third space—a community gathering point for locals and visitors alike. On any given day, customers might spot a table of teenagers hanging out after school or a visiting couple returning for a second round after discovering the shop earlier in the week.
“There’s a regular I’ve gotten to know really well. We’re so different, but we’ve had so many conversations and found common interests—and now she’s one of my best friends,” Segraves said. “That’s the kind of connection this place creates.”
While growing the business, Segraves is leveraging her natural fluency in social media and digital culture. She posts frequently to Instagram and encourages customers to tag the shop, which has led to a surge in word-of-mouth traffic.
“I grew up with this stuff,” she said. “It’s second nature. People want to see authenticity—they want to know who’s behind the brand.”
That transparency is part of what sets Westside apart in a town filled with coffee spots. Segraves acknowledges the seasonal challenges of operating in a ski resort community, as well as the steep learning curve of owning a business. But she says the support from customers makes it all worth it.
“When people leave happy and come back again, that’s how I measure success,” she said.
Her short-term goals include fine-tuning the menu, hosting community events and earning a livable wage. Long-term, she hopes to expand—whether that means opening a second location or moving into a space with a full kitchen.
Until then, she’s focused on building a strong foundation and creating something meaningful.
“When you support Westside, you’re supporting three young people just trying to figure it out,” she said. “We don’t have investors or corporate backing—it’s just us.”
Westside Coffee & Chai is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow them on Instagram at @westsidecoffeechai to stay updated, and just like their bio says: “Swing by, sip slow, stay awhile.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe and Visit Lake Tahoe are proud to present the 2025 Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series, returning fo its twelfth season of free Thursday concerts on the beach.
This year’s series brings a powerful mix of genres to Lakeview Commons—highlighting everything from reggae and folk to funk, Latin fusion, and Americana. South Lake Tahoe locals and visitors alike can look forward to live performances by False Rhythms, Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters, Max Minardi Band, Object Heavy, and many more throughout the summer.
“We’re incredibly proud to bring this beloved tradition back for Season 12,” says Rob Giustina, Owner & Producer of On Course Events. “Live at Lakeview is all about building community—supporting local artists, local businesses, and giving everyone a reason to come together by the lake each week.”
Live at Lakeview is a free concert series hosted every Thursday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lakeview Commons in the heart of South Lake Tahoe. The series kicks off June 19 and runs through August 28, with no show scheduled on July 3.
Each event features two live performances, local vendors, food trucks, and a beer & wine garden with panoramic lake views. Local beer will be served on tap inside the beer & wine garden, courtesy of South of North Brewing Company. Please note that no outside alcohol is permitted within Lakeview Commons Park.
Proceeds from the beer & wine garden will support The Smaine Fund, a charity committed to providing support and assistance to up-and-coming athletes in outdoor sports. Come prepared with a valid ID and some cash to support.
Parking is limited, but community-minded options including biking, walking, carpooling, and ride-shares are strongly encouraged. A free bike valet is offered weekly and operated by a different nonprofit organization each week—100% of tips go directly to their cause.
For details on the full summer lineup, visit liveatlakeview.com and connect with @LiveatLakeviewCommons on Facebook and Instagram.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Incline High School and the Incline Village community are celebrating the completed expansion and renovation project at the school. All are invited to hear brief remarks before touring the new learning and activity spaces.
The event will begin with the official ribbon cutting at the new JROTC entrance at the southwest corner of the school, in back. We will then move to the new student/community collaborative hub on the third floor for brief presentations, followed by public tours of the new space.
The ceremony will be held at Incline High School (meet outside at the southwest corner of the school), 499 Village Boulevard on Thursday, May 15 at 3 p.m.
The Incline High School project, generously funded by the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, includes a 12,000 square foot, three-story expansion, a student/community collaborative hub, dance studio, culinary kitchen, and JROTC classrooms. During this project, interior upgrades and improvements to security and audio/visual equipment in the existing building were completed.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Barton Memorial Hospital has once again earned a place on Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list, marking the fifth consecutive year the hospital has received this international recognition. Compiled by Newsweek in collaboration with respected global data research firm, Statista Inc., the list evaluates hospitals based on quality and safety metrics. This continued recognition reflects Barton Health’s commitment to quality care through leading-edge practices, medical expertise, and advanced technologies to the Lake Tahoe community.
“At Barton, our promise is Consistently Exceptional Care,” said Dr. Clint Purvance, Barton Health President & CEO. “Every day, our dedicated physicians, care teams, and staff uphold this commitment by delivering high-quality care and embracing innovation. While we aim our impact to be felt in every exam room, operating room, and rehabilitation space, this consistent recognition reinforces the strength of our mission and the trust of our community.”
The World’s Best Hospital’s ranking is a result of a rigorous evaluation process that includes an international survey of thousands of medical experts—physicians, hospital administrators, and healthcare professionals—along with analysis of patient experience data, hospital quality metrics, and the PROMs Implementation Survey. Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are standardized, validated questionnaires completed by patients to assess their functional well-being and overall quality of life.
Hospitals are evaluated across 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and others, selected for their high standards of living, population size, healthcare infrastructure, and data transparency.
May 11-17 is National Hospital Week, a time dedicated to recognizing the vital role hospitals and healthcare workers play in keeping communities healthy and strong. More information about Barton Health’s quality and patient safety recognition is available at BartonHealth.org.
RENO, Nev. — At its regular public meeting, the Washoe County School District (WCSD) Board of Trustees heard a presentation from Chief Financial Officer Mark Mathers, who provided detailed information about the district’s challenging budget forecast for the next two fiscal years. Like many public agencies, the district is facing cuts to state and federal funding and is taking a variety of steps to keep the cuts from directly impacting students and classrooms.
Following the presentation, the Board of Trustees approved most of the budget recommendations that will be incorporated into the district’s final budget, but acknowledged that fiscal challenges lie ahead, partially as a result of a slowing economy and federal policy changes that reduced anticipated funding for education.
“We are facing long-term challenges in funding, as the Economic Forum is predicting a decrease of $191 million in the state budget,” said WCSD Board President Beth Smith. “Nevada was already one of the lowest-funded states for per-pupil funding – which will remain far below the national average in the next biennium— and we will continue to face unstable federal funding. I am grateful to our Chief Financial Officer Mark Mathers, his budget staff and finance team, and our district leadership for their hard work in tackling these budget challenges while doing our best to keep these cuts from having a direct and detrimental impact on our students and classrooms.”
“Our district is confronting these fiscal challenges while leading with integrity, collaboration, and an unshakeable determination to protect our students,” said WCSD Chief Financial Officer Mark Mathers. “This is not a spending problem; it is a revenue problem tied to broader economic trends. Our expenses are rising only modestly, but the state’s funding hasn’t kept pace, and we are exploring every option and opportunity for keeping these cutbacks away from our classrooms and students.”
The district is projecting a $9.7 million shortfall. Previous Board actions so far this year have lowered the deficit to $6.5 million. Tuesday’s Board action further lowered the deficit to $4.1 million. Among the measures the Trustees approved:
Streamlining its workforce by consolidating positions and eliminating a majority of positions that are currently vacant
Reducing travel and training budgets for Central Office staff, and utility budgets across the district
Restructuring departments – including Finance, IT, and Communications— and reallocating duties to increase efficiency without directly impacting students.
Trustees voted to delay consideration of an additional recommendation to eliminate four School Police Officer positions as they wait for further information about state funding.
As a result of the Board members’ vote, the district has reduced its budget shortfall to $4.1 million and staff will continue to look for ways in which to cut costs while maintaining critical classroom services including class sizes, instruction, transportation, meals, and student supports. The district must send an amended final budget to the state by July 2.
“We are committed to being responsible stewards of public funds,” said President Smith. “Every decision we make is grounded in our mission to serve students and families with integrity, transparency, and purpose. Even in the most challenging times, our focus remains on supporting our 60,000 students.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – For one of their two annual visits to South Lake Tahoe, the board of supervisors for El Dorado County met to receive updates from the Department of Transportation and the Planning and Building Division on their fiscal years—an important topic given the county’s major budget cuts.
Snow removal
Snow started to fall outside city hall during deputy director Brian Mullens’ presentation on snow removal updates for the Tahoe Basin. El Dorado County provides snow plowing for 10 different zones, covering Tahoma to Meyers to Strawberry.
Staff shortages were a major issue brought up at the Meyers’ snow meeting, and Mullens said that this past year, they had a shortage of eight full-time positions, and that their 10 extra help positions have not all been completely filled for over a decade. However, Mullens also added they were interviewing candidates in the summer, along with beginning recruitment in June or July for the extra help positions.
This past winter, the six extra help staff worked until April 4, receiving a daily cash incentive of $230.77 for each pay period worked. Luckily, there were no catastrophic equipment failures, though three of the four snow blowers they use are from the 1970s. Lastly, the four rental loaders they utilized were funded through the discretionary transient occupancy tax (DTOT) funds totaling $250,000.
In the coming year, the department wants to secure snow rental houses due to the low staffing success and replace a snow blower through Measure S funds—Mullens mentioned that the replacement was thankfully not going to be subject to tariffs, which would have inflated the cost significantly. Lastly, the department will also be looking to review the no parking ordinance before winter comes.
For the fiscal year of 2025-2026, the proposed budget items include an additional mountain blower to be received in 2026 and two replacement graders with plows and gates, all funded through Measure S. The department will also use $250,000 for the loader rental program, $250,000 for two replacement sanders and two replacement plows, $337,000 budgeted for extra help, and $481,000 budgeted for sand, salt, hauling of sand and salt, rental houses in South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma, snow stakes, beet juice, chains, cutting edges, and plow guards.
Mullens made a note that the closest state supplying sand to the region is Utah—the Nevada Department of Transportation allocates its own sand in Nevada and the Bay Area is not supplying Tahoe.
Supervisor Brooke Laine thanked the local crews and said they did “a tremendous job this winter,” as many locals gave glowing reviews of the snow plowing for this winter. She inquired after the 11 unfilled full-time positions and suggested a potential pool of qualified drivers for the city and county to hire from, which Mullens said they would look into.
Supervisor George Turnboo asked about the housing issues in the area. Mullens said they have a Tahoma location secured, but that they are looking for housing in South Lake Tahoe, which has posed more of a challenge. He added that some drivers indicated their preference for simply renting an AirBnB or finding other lodging when necessary, though the department wants to have housing to provide faster snowplow response times.
Planning division
The planning and building department presented a fiscal year update for 2024-2025, also adding a few more items of discussion for the board.
In the past fiscal year, the department achieved major accomplishments in discretionary planning, permit centers, and their long-range planning goals, including updating the initial studies template for CEQA, establishing the Tahoe permit center and reviewing nearly 1,800 building and grading permits, and making headway on the 2024 housing element and general plan.
For this fiscal year, the department plans to prioritize process improvements, state compliance, and working on the Tahoe El Dorado Area plan, among other items. They also plan to improve customer service and response.
During public comment, some attendees expressed their irritation with the changes to the long-range planning matrix, which they felt helped the department remain transparent with the public. Sue Taylor voiced her concern with the focus on state compliance rather than the general plan and county goals.
Supervisor Brian Veerkamp brought up the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) changes they’d made with regards to parcel sizes, and emphasized the importance of code enforcement, “especially if we are going to be a heavily tourist economy,” Veerkamp said.
Veerkamp and Supervisor Lori Parlin went back and forth on the topic of setbacks, which was another item brought by the department, especially as Parlin used to serve on community groups that discussed the issue while Veerkamp was serving on the board.
Ultimately, the board motioned to direct staff to look into the ADU ordinance, to bring back to the board research into setbacks and cannabis ordinances, on rezoning the two Dickson parcels, and providing an update on Pinehill Preserve properties and ancillary items.
The next time the board of supervisors will meet in Tahoe will be September 30.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif.— Nico Ambra, the chef and owner of Gastromaniac in South Lake Tahoe, has reason to celebrate — his restaurant has officially earned a spot in the internationally recognized Gambero Rosso guide as a Top Italian Restaurant for 2025.
The Gambero Rosso guide, often described as the “Michelin Guide of Italy,” evaluates restaurants using a fork rating system — one to three forks — to recognize excellence in traditional Italian cuisine. What began as a wine rating publication more than two decades ago has since grown into a global food authority, with curated listings in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and now, Tahoe.
Nico Ambra, the chef and owner of Gastromaniac in South Lake Tahoe earned a spot in the Gambero Rosso guide as a Top Italian Restaurant for 2025.Provided / Nico Ambra
During a Gambero Rosso event in San Francisco last year, Ambra took a bold step by personally approaching the guide’s president and suggesting that Gastromaniac deserved to be included in the next edition. Although the move was met with surprise, Ambra stood by his belief that his South Lake Tahoe restaurant authentically represented traditional Italian cuisine and was worthy of recognition.
Ambra followed up with the Gambero Rosso team, sending details of his carefully curated wine list — made up of 95% Italian wines — and showcasing his commitment to authentic cuisine. That bold approach paid off. The guide’s president visited Gastromaniac in October, and by February, Ambra received the official word: the restaurant was awarded and included in the 2025 guide.
“Having worked in the industry my whole life… I was like, ‘Wow, this is getting real,'” Ambra said.
Gastromaniac is the only restaurant currently listed from the Tahoe region, putting South Lake Tahoe on the map alongside culinary capitals like San Francisco, Paris, and Hong Kong. Ambra sees this as validation for his mission: to bring a true slice of Italy to the Sierra.
“When I started the business plan six years ago, I really believed there was a gap,” he said. “There’s a lot of Italian restaurants, but I felt like there was a misunderstanding — a little more American-Italian. I was like, ‘I want to do something that really represents Italy. Very simple food, all ingredients from Italy.'”
Ambra’s approach combines casual counter service with high-quality offerings: handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, and recipes passed down from his grandmother. Nearly all ingredients are imported from Italy or sourced from organic, biodynamic producers in the U.S. “There is not really anything that is not made from scratch,” he said.
Wine is also at the heart of Gastromaniac’s identity. Ambra prides himself on his range of Italian bottles — from $35 to $200 — sourced from small, regional producers. “They loved it when they came here,” he said of the Gambero Rosso reviewers. “They were like, ‘Wow, you have an amazing wine list… I don’t think anybody in the area has such specific Italian wines like you.'”
This recognition is a full-circle moment for Ambra, who once worked in the culinary scene in San Francisco and has poured himself into his restaurant through the challenges of COVID and beyond. “Of course I’m so happy–these are the things that really make all the sacrifice and hours and research for ingredients and food really worth it,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ambra says he’s proud to have elevated Tahoe’s presence on the international culinary stage. “If I’m not the one trying to reach out, nobody’s going to come,” he said.
Gastromaniac is located in South Lake Tahoe and remains a local favorite for handmade Italian food, regional wines, and now, international acclaim. Check out Gambero Rosso at https://www.gamberorossointernational.com/restaurants/
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Curiosity, creativity, and STEM exploration take center stage at the 2nd annual Discovery Night, a free community event hosted by Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC), Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD), and Tahoe STEM Academy. Families are invited to attend on Friday, May 16, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at South Tahoe Middle School.
Designed for kindergarten through 12th grade students, Discovery Night offers an evening filled with interactive exhibits, robotics demonstrations, hands-on tinkering stations, and more — emulating the dynamic environment of a discovery museum. Food trucks will be on site, and attendees can win raffle prizes throughout the evening.
“As educators and community leaders, we understand the importance of nurturing an early interest in STEM subjects,” said Adam Eynon, LTCC’s Director of Dual Enrollment. “Discovery Night provides a platform for families to come together, explore, and ignite that passion for science and discovery.”
LTCC’s TRiO, Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and Dual Enrollment programs proudly support Discovery Night as part of a broader effort to expand access to high-quality STEM education opportunities.
“We are excited to collaborate with LTUSD and Tahoe STEM Academy to bring Discovery Night to fruition,” Eynon added. “This event perfectly aligns with our mission to enhance STEM education in our community.”
Families across South Lake Tahoe are encouraged to attend for an evening of exploration, innovation, and fun.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce (Tahoe Chamber) announces the finalists for the 2025 Blue Ribbon Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions to the South Shore business community. Winners will be revealed during the celebratory Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the magnificent Edgewood Tahoe Resort.
At the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony, presented by Heavenly and Kirkwood Mountain Resorts, we will honor excellence in eight meaningful categories. After careful consideration of a very impressive group of nominees, the following businesses and individuals have been selected as finalists:
Excellence in Business Award, presented by Harrahs & Harvey’s
ReliaPro Painters
Gaialicious
Fox & Hound Smokehouse Grill & Bar
Volunteer of the Year, presented by Creegan Builders
Kelly Tillson
Roberta Strachan
Kelly Escobedo
New Business of the Year, presented by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Tahoe Ridge Resort
Tahoe Knight Monsters
Bruschetta
Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic
Innovation in Business Award, presented by The Idle Hour
PT Revolution
ECO-CLEAN Solutions
Ryan Carr, Barton Health
Customer Service – Business Award, presented by Vail Resorts
Carole Melzer, Barton Health
Chris Proctor, Barton Health
US Bank team, South Lake Tahoe branch
Customer Service – Public Agency Award, presented by SaaS e Solutions
Devin Henderson, Clean Tahoe
Jeff Cowen, TRPA
Diana Cervantes, STPUD
Community Enrichment Award, presented by South Tahoe Refuse
Haen Constructors
Barton Health
Marcella Foundation
Sustainable Tourism Award, presented by Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Zephyr Cove Resort
Sun Snow Event Company
Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters
“These finalists represent the best of South Shore’s thriving business community,” said Cristi Creegan, CEO of the Tahoe Chamber. “This is such an impressive group of people working to benefit our community so that we all have the ability to feel the effects of a vibrant and sustainable economy. We look forward to celebrating their achievements at our annual Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony.”
The Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at Edgewood Tahoe Resort. The evening will include networking opportunities, delicious dinner hosted by Edgewood, and the awards presentation. Tickets for this impactful event are limited and are available through the Tahoe Chamber website at https://business.tahoechamber.org/events/details/2025-blue-ribbon-awards-24145. The dress theme is Pines and Pearls, so dress in your best green!
The Tahoe Chamber extends its gratitude to presenting sponsors Heavenly and Kirkwood mountain resorts for their continued support of this important community celebration, as well as sponsors Barton Health, Edgewood Tahoe Resort and Zephyr Cove Resort. We appreciate their acknowledgement that it takes the participation of all of our businesses, large and small, to work together for a sustainable economy.
RENO, Nev. – Ten swimmers will represent Incline High School at the state championships after a competitive performance at regional championships on Friday and Saturday, May 9-10 at the Moana Springs Community Aquatics Center in Reno, Nev.
That’s where the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) 3A Northern Regional Championships took place, sending the top four performers from each event to the NIAA 3A State Championships on Saturday, May 17 where they will compete against the top four qualifiers from the south.
The championships offers another opportunity for each Highlanders’ team member to support each other as the team has demonstrated throughout the season. It’s a major contributor to this season’s success, according to coaches Meagan Ballew and Ken Reese.
“As a result,” Reese said, “everyone continued to improve their individual times contributing to the overall team success.”
Senior co-captains Ava Hane and William Arrison lead the charge for the Highlanders at regionals, each qualifying for individual as well as team relay state competition events.
Hane secured state positions in two individual events and two team relays. The individual events consisted of the 100-yard breaststroke with a second place finish, and 200 individual medley with a third place finish. Hane placed third in the 200 medley relay along with team members Sady Kelly, Olivia Kranz and Willie Dukes. The women’s relay team of Hane, Kelly, Katie Ferrall, and Kelly Kratz placed third in the 200 freestyle.
Katie Ferrall, Ava Hane, Sady Kelly, Kelly Krantz with coach Meagan Ballew at the regional championships May 9-10. IMG_4897
Arrison also qualified for two individual events when he placed third in the 100 yard breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley. He anchored a second place finish in the men’s 400 freestyle relay, which he completed along with Jayden Mendoza, Alan Murillo, Grant Safford, sending them to state.
Boys 400 Freestyle Relay: Jayden Mendoza, Grant Safford, William Arrison, Alan Murillo at the Nevada regional championships May 9-10. Provided
The Highlanders will face other Tahoe teams, including South Tahoe High School, North Tahoe High School and Truckee High School at the state finals, in addition Southern Nevada teams.
The May 17 finals will be held at Moana Springs Aquatics Center starting at 10 a.m. where the team plans on focusing on the details that have made the Highlanders successful all season. Reese says those details are: “Good starts, good finishes with a supportive team behind every swimmer.”
Rep. Kiley Secures Crucial Funding for Utility Districts to Fight Wildfires
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Representative Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) secured millions of dollars in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for Lake Tahoe utility districts, helping them complete necessary infrastructure projects that will benefit all its residents and improve its wildfire response capabilities.
North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD) received $1.25 million in community project funding, which will be used for the Kings Beach Watermain Replacement Project. The project will provide an overhaul of its wildfire resistance program by adding new fire hydrants and upgrading and replacing waterlines. That project will break ground in early June and will be completed before Oct. 15, which is the end of Lake Tahoe’s construction season.
South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) received a $1.3 million Hazard Mitigation Grant for its Al Tahoe and Bayview Well Backup Project. STPUD will install backup power to its two largest producing wells, which will help keep the water flowing for firefighters and residents during power outages. That project will also be completed before the construction season ends.
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CONSTRUCTION CREWS work to install new watermains in the Kings Beach community as part of North Tahoe Public Utility District’s long-term effort to help create wildfire-resilient communities in Lake Tahoe by replacing old and undersized water pipes and installing new fire hydrants to provide adequate wildfire suppression water supply during an emergency. Rep. Kevin Kiley helped secure funding to make these projects happen. Photos courtesy, NTPUD
CONSTRUCTION CREWS work to install new watermains in the Kings Beach community as part of North Tahoe Public Utility District’s long-term effort to help create wildfire-resilient communities in Lake Tahoe by replacing old and undersized water pipes and installing new fire hydrants to provide adequate wildfire suppression water supply during an emergency. Rep. Kevin Kiley helped secure funding to make these projects happen. Photos courtesy, NTPUD
CONSTRUCTION CREWS work to install new watermains in the Kings Beach community as part of North Tahoe Public Utility District’s long-term effort to help create wildfire-resilient communities in Lake Tahoe by replacing old and undersized water pipes and installing new fire hydrants to provide adequate wildfire suppression water supply during an emergency. Rep. Kevin Kiley helped secure funding to make these projects happen. Photos courtesy, NTPUD
“Ensuring the Lake Tahoe region is fully equipped to fight wildfires while providing the necessary water infrastructure to its residents and visitors, is a key priority of mine,” Rep. Kiley said. “That’s why I worked with FEMA to make sure Lake Tahoe’s utility districts received the money they needed to complete these necessary projects. I will always do everything in my power to provide the essential resources local communities need to prevent and fight wildfires.”
~ Rep. Kevin Kiley press release
Boating Season Kicks Off with Stronger Protections
LAKE TAHOE
Lake Tahoe watercraft inspection stations, boat launches, and marinas are opening for the 2025 boating season and aquatic invasive species management agencies are encouraging boaters and paddlers to stay up to date with strengthened procedures to protect the lake from the spread of aquatic invasive species. Changes this year include mandatory decontaminations and additional processing time for motorized boats traveling from other areas, as well as more roving non-motorized inspectors at popular recreation areas.
A WATERCRAFT INSPECTOR sprays an incoming boat with high pressure, high temperature water at an aquatic invasive species inspection station. Photo by McKenzie Koch
As of May 3, all three regional watercraft inspection stations, at Meyers, Spooner Summit, and Alpine Meadows, are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Boaters are encouraged to take advantage of the optional appointment system, at tahoeboatinspections.com/appt. Walk-ins and appointments are accepted until 4:30 p.m.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD), which manage the Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program, have enacted the mandatory decontaminations in response to the discovery of invasive golden mussels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Boaters should also be aware of varying restrictions throughout California waterways.
In addition to standard Tahoe AIS sticker fees, boaters can expect a minimum decontamination fee of $30 for all visiting motorized watercraft. Arriving “Clean, Drained, and Dry” can limit time at the inspection station and help avoid increased decontamination fees.
For access to boating information, the appointment system, fees, or Clean, Drain, Dry protocols, visit tahoeboatinspections.com. For inspections and program information, contact [email protected] or (888) 824-6267.
~ Tahoe Regional Planning Agency press release
Senate Fix Our Forests Act Gets Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C.
U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Curtis (R-Utah), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) applauded the progress of their Senate version of the Fix Our Forests Act, as it received a legislative hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The bipartisan legislation would help combat catastrophic wildfires, restore forest ecosystems, and make federal forest management more efficient and responsive.
The senate bill reflects months of bipartisan negotiations to find consensus on how to best improve forest management practices, accelerate processes to protect communities, advance watershed restoration, and strengthen partnerships between federal agencies, states, tribes, and private stakeholders. The senate bill would also bolster coordination efforts through a new Wildfire Intelligence Center, which would streamline the federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combating wildfires.
Read more about the Senate Fix Our Forests Act here. Find provisions impactful for California here.
The American West has long been prone to wildfires. Wildfires today are more catastrophic — growing larger, spreading faster, and burning more land than ever before. Nationwide, total acres burned rose from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024, a 231% increase.
The status quo is simply unsustainable, and responding to the scale and magnitude of the crisis on the ground is essential to keeping California communities safe.
California’s 2020 fire season, the worst on record, emitted enough greenhouse gases to erase nearly 2 decades of progress on emissions reductions in California. Addressing this wildfire emergency is critical to ensuring that our climate progress is not undermined by the devastating impacts of these fires.
More information on the hearing is available here.
~ U.S. Senate press release
TOT-TBID Dollars At Work Contributed $9 Million to Workforce Housing
NORTH LAKE TAHOE
To address workforce housing challenges, the North Tahoe Community Alliance is leveraging tourism-generated funding to support initiatives to unlock more housing options for local workers. Through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program, nearly $9 million has already been invested in housing initiatives that are helping people secure housing in the community.
Some of the short-term programs getting people into homes as quickly as possible include:
Lease To Locals offers cash incentives to homeowners to rent their homes to the local workforce, keeping rental costs down.
Sierra Community House works with landlords and utility companies to help members of the local workforce attain and retain housing. To date, the nonprofit has helped over 100 families with rental assistance, utility assistance, and resource navigation services that enable local families to retain their housing. These are families who directly contribute to North Lake Tahoe’s essential workforce, without whom the community would become unlivable.
Medium-term projects generate new housing or support unmet needs and include:
Placer County’s Workforce Housing Preservation Program provides direct financial support to local homebuyers.
Tahoe Housing Hub’s ADU Accelerator program helps local homeowners navigate the entire process of building an ADU to house members of the local workforce.
Long-term projects will result in the construction of new housing for members of the local workforce. One example is Dollar Creek Crossing. The county will now move forward with a developer agreement to complete the planning, design, and construction of the fully affordable project.
The next Annual Grant Cycle launches in August. Learn more about the workforce housing projects and programs here.
~ North Tahoe Community Alliance press release
Transportation District Adds Two New Electric Vans to Paratransit Fleet
STATELINE
The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) has placed two new all-electric vans into active paratransit service, replacing aging vehicles with a modern, sustainable, and more adaptable solution for local mobility needs. These fully electric vans represent the latest investment in TTD’s efforts to modernize its fleet, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and improve service for the region’s most vulnerable riders.
Each van is outfitted with a modular floor system, a first-of-its-kind upgrade for TTD. This system allows staff to adjust the vehicle’s seating configuration quickly and easily, offering space for up to 10 passenger seats, three wheelchairs, or a customized combination of both.
The new vehicles are now in service and already support daily transportation for seniors and individuals with disabilities across TTD’s service area. As demand for paratransit continues to grow, TTD’s investment in cleaner, more adaptable vehicles ensures long-term improvements to access, comfort, and reliability.
For more information about the Tahoe Transportation District and its ongoing projects, visit tahoetransportation.org.
~ TTD press release
Tahoe City Downtown Association 4th of July Entertainment Grant Program
TAHOE CITY
Celebrate the spirit of Independence Day with the Tahoe City Downtown Association’s 4th of July Entertainment Grant Program!
Funded by the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work initiative, this exciting opportunity supports local businesses, nonprofits, and community groups in hosting fun, family-friendly events. From lively fireworks viewing parties to engaging post-fireworks entertainment, this grant helps bring the community together for a memorable holiday.
With a 50% matching grant of up to $1,000, the downtown association is empowering locals to create joyful experiences that light up the night.
These celebrations are part of the TCDA’s 77th Fireworks Celebration and marks the return of the fireworks for the first time in 5 years.
Eligible activities include fireworks viewing parties, post-fireworks events, and family-friendly entertainment & activities.
Submit an email to [email protected] describing the event with name, business name/group name, phone number, and logo by May 31 to be considered.
Applicants will be notified by Monday, June 2, by email.
~ Tahoe City Downtown Association press release
5K for Pride: Walk, Run, Roll at Truckee Pride Week
TRUCKEE
Tahoe Expedition Academy’s second annual Rainbow Run, Rock & Roll returns on Sunday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., celebrating Truckee Pride Week. This family friendly community event invites attendees to participate in a 5K fun run/walk/roll on the Truckee River Legacy Trail.
The Rainbow Run is accompanied by a free festival on the Chief Truckee Lawn at the Truckee River Regional Park with live musical performances, local vendors, informational community booths, food trucks, games, raffle prizes, and more. This event has something for everyone and is a perfect way to launch Truckee’s second annual Pride Week.
Registration for the Rainbow Run, Rock & Roll is now open and Tahoe Expedition Academy (TEA) invites the community to sign up here before prices increase on May 14. Early registration also guarantees an event t-shirt and extra raffle tickets.
The free community festival kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on June 1 and lasts until 1 p.m., featuring performances from InnerRhythms, David Mack DJ, TEA Rock Bands, Sour Crush, and Steel Sparrows. Food will be available at Super Swirl and Lumbre & Dulce Gula food trucks. Vendors and booths include Woodward Tahoe, Riverside Art Studio, New Moon, Sierra Community House, and more. Check out the full list on the website.
National Building Supplier Acquires Truckee Tahoe Lumber, Local Leadership to Remain
TRUCKEE
Builders FirstSource has acquired Truckee Tahoe Lumber Co., a family owned business founded in 1931 and based in Reno, Nevada.
Truckee Tahoe Lumber serves the Northern Sierra Nevada region through locations in Truckee (including a design center) and Tahoe City; and in the Nevada locations of Reno/Sparks and USA Parkway.
“We joined forces with them to better serve our customers and employees, and because BFS is going to invest in our growth and long-term future,” shared President and CEO Andrew Cross in an email to Moonshine. “My whole family is behind this decision, and I am staying on to run TTL but with a new title of ‘market manager’ (meaning Northern Nevada/Tahoe Market). The acquisition is extremely exciting for myself, my family, and everyone at TTL.”
Cross, along with Ira Cross, vice president, represents the fourth generation of the Cross family in the business.
The acquisition, terms of which were not revealed, expands on Builders FirstSource’s presence in the Reno market. The nation’s largest prodealer made two nearby acquisitions in 2024. It acquired Reno Truss in August; and it acquired High Mountain Door & Trim in October.
~ HBS Dealer press release, AH
NV Energy Prepares for Upcoming Fire Risk Conditions
NEVADA
NV Energy’s Power Safe NV team is prepared for the 2025 wildfire season and is working to create a stronger and safer electrical system. During Wildfire Awareness Month, customers are encouraged to prepare for potential power outages due to summer fire risks.
During the summer, the public can expect to see NV Energy crews working on various prevention projects including:
Clearing vegetation around infrastructure to reduce fuel load and ignition potential.
Rebuilding overhead power lines with fire-resistant materials and equipment.
Undergrounding selective portions of power lines to reduce risk.
While prevention projects help, they do not eliminate fire risks. NV Energy uses a system of advanced weather stations and wildfire cameras to detect wildfire starts. This system notifies NV Energy and first responders, enabling quick and effective responses.
During peak fire months, NV Energy employs three protection tools, which significantly reduce the risk of ignition, however, they can require power outages:
Power lines in high-risk areas are switched to sensitive settings, automatically tripping and turning off if interference is detected to reduce the risk of fire. Crews must then inspect the full power line before restoring power.
NV Energy proactively takes power outages in the most extreme fire risk conditions as a last line of defense. Customers are informed in advance, and outage end times are predicted based on weather conditions.
If an active fire is near NV Energy equipment, power lines are de-energized to protect first responders and reduce the risk of secondary ignitions.
Liberty Incentivizing Homeowners to Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Heat Pump Systems
LAKE TAHOE
Liberty is helping homeowners save energy by offering financial incentives to upgrade existing electric heating and water heating systems to advanced, energy-efficient heat pump technology.
Heat pumps are a modern solution that extract and amplify heat from natural sources like the air or ground, providing a highly efficient way to heat homes and water. Unlike traditional heating systems such as electric furnaces or boilers, heat pumps use significantly less energy and may be more economical to operate.
Liberty’s new incentive program provides up to $4,000 for upgrading electric heating or cooling systems to heat pumps, and up to $900 for replacing electric water heaters with energy-efficient heat pump water heaters.
33rd Annual Cushing Crossing Pond Ski Returns to Palisades Tahoe
OLYMPIC VALLEY
Palisades Tahoe is excited to announce the return of the 33rd Annual Cushing Crossing, the original pond-skimming contest widely regarded as the best event of the spring season. On May 10 at 1 p.m. (weather and conditions permitting), join in for a day of fun, laughter, and spills as participants attempt to ski or snowboard across Cushing Pond in their craziest costumes. Unlike most pond-skimming events, Cushing Crossing takes place on a naturally formed pond, adding to its unique and iconic character.
PALISADES CUSHING CROSSING returns May 10. Photo courtesy Palisades Tahoe
In addition to the adrenaline-pumping pond-skimming action, attendees can look forward to a panel of local celebrity judges and two of the best emcees in the business. Category winners will receive prizes from our sponsors, including Yeti, Smith, GoPro, and Darn Tough!
Space is very limited, and registration is first-come, first-served. Registration starts at 8 a.m. on the day of the event at the KT Deck. The registration fee is $20, payable in cash only. Admission to view the event is free, and everyone is encouraged to dress up in their wackiest costumes.
In addition to all the action, Palisades Tahoe will be holding a raffle during the event to support the Palisades Avalanche Dog Program. Guests will have the chance to win a variety of great prizes, with all proceeds going toward the care, training, and equipment for the resort’s hardworking avalanche dogs.
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District’s announcement on May 2 that it would be leaving the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) next school year sent shock waves through parents, students, and coaches. The decision was made quickly after TTUSD learned in early April that a recent policy change at the NIAA regarding transgender athletes put TTUSD in conflict with California law, which protects transgender students as part of anti-discrimination laws.
In other words, TTUSD is both physically and metaphorically caught between a red and blue state.
At a packed board meeting on May 7 attended by around 250 people, Superintendent Kerstin Kramer recognized that the email announcing the district’s change in interscholastic athletics affiliation caught everyone off guard.
“I do want to acknowledge that the announcement was sudden and unexpected,” she said. “There are feelings of anger, disappointment, and support for some. This was a difficult announcement for the community.”
This decision is especially impactful because a quite large percentage of TTUSD students play school sports. According to the district, 67% of North Tahoe High School students participate in at least one sport, and 59% at Truckee High; a good portion of students also participates in multiple sports. TTUSD has been affiliated with the NIAA since 1986, almost 40 years.
The NIAA’s April 2 decision to restrict student-athletes to play on teams that match their biological sex at birth impacts TTUSD in two ways. The first is that it violates California law, which protects gender identity and gender expression. The second was that the NIAA changed its physical evaluation form to reflect its new policy. This form, which has always required a physical and a doctor’s signature, now has boxes to be checked by a physician that say, “medically eligible for girls sports” or “medically eligible for boys sports,” as well as a line for the physician to identify the student’s “birth sex.” The form goes on to explain: “‘Male’ means a person belonging to the sex intended to produce the small reproductive cell; ‘Female’ means a person intended to produce the large reproductive cell.”
Kramer said that after conferring with Tahoe Forest Hospital, she learned that the hospital’s legal team reviewed the form and found that it violates HIPAA privacy protection laws. According to Kramer, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Evans told her that he directed his staff not to sign the form. Students cannot participate in school sports without it.
“If we continue in the NIAA we are required to use this form for eligibility of students, and we would be asking students to violate their privacy rights,” she explained. “That’s our conflict, and that’s why we are here.”
Kramer added that TTUSD asked the NIAA about a waiver, but the association stated there are no exceptions. The school district had to act fast since both NIAA and CIF schedules are already set for next school year.
A KICK TO THE GUT: With the school district’s decision to move from the NIAA to CIF for next school year, soccer will be especially impacted since it will change to a winter sport. Parents and students say this will have dire consequences for soccer teams. Photo courtesy Abby Edwards
“Once we saw this, we were worried,” she said. “You see how important athletics are. We need to have an athletic program next school year … We did not see another path forward. We needed to switch to CIF out of necessity to comply with California state law … The decision was fast because we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss out on an opportunity for next year’s sports.”
The district reached out to CIF, which agreed to fit all TTUSD sports into the schedule for the Sac-Joaquin Section, although the specific league has not yet been decided.
The move to CIF will impact TTUSD in many ways, but parents, students, and coaches expressed their concern about two main issues: safety traveling over Donner Summit in winter and the shift in soccer from a fall to winter sport. A petition urging the district to stay in the NIAA received almost 1,300 signatures in 24 hours.
“If it’s snowing out there, who’s going to be liable for those kids? If there’s an accident and we lose one of those students, who’s going to be liable for that?” said Cristina Martinez, whose son will try out for Truckee High JV football next year. “In 1981, they made that decision [to join the NIAA] for a big reason … How are we supposed to get to games in the winter? I’d rather drive 5 hours to Elko … than be stuck on 80 for 7, 8 hours.”
Truckee football, whose program was quite successful in the NIAA with 14 state championships, will be impacted by facing more competitive teams in the CIF.
However, the fate of soccer was the biggest topic of discussion in public comment. Even in her presentation, Kramer said “we need a miracle for soccer.” Changing soccer to a winter sport would mean that teams would not have outdoor practice facilities, would not be able to host home games, and would be in conflict with other popular winter sports such as basketball, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, and Nordic skiing. For multi-sport athletes, this would force them to make a difficult decision.
STAY IN NEVADA: Parents, students, and coaches voiced their concerns at the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District board meeting on May 7 about the district’s recent decision to leave the NIAA for the CIF for school sports. Photo by Melissa Siig/Moonshine Ink
Abby Edwards, whose daughter is on the varsity soccer and snowboard teams at North Tahoe, said 90% of girls on the NTHS soccer teams also participate in winter sports like skiing or basketball.
“They will have to choose one sport over another,” Edwards told Moonshine Ink. “I only know a couple girls who will choose soccer … We have a really big soccer community here, other than skiing it’s the most popular sport … I am hurting for these girls.”
Another parent echoed her concerns.
“We all understand how detrimental moving soccer to winter is — it’s going to be catastrophic,” Amanda Conk, mother of a Truckee High soccer player, told the board. “The real tragedy is with kids who don’t play club soccer, they rely on the high school season to learn team sports. Transitioning to a winter sport will eliminate that. How can TTUSD not have realized this when they made the decision? I am disappointed.”
TTUSD only has until May 15 to give final notice of withdrawal to the NIAA.
“We are making a decision without the benefit of time to fully understand the impacts,” said TTUSD Board member Denyelle Nishimori, who suggested the district directly approach the California attorney general. “What if we could say, ‘Look, we can’t comply in 6 months. We might not be able to comply fully in a year. We have to build field houses. We have so much that we have to address with the logistics of potentially driving over the summit.’”
Board member Kirsten Livak argued that the district was unfairly being penalized for its geographical location of being sandwiched between two states with different views on transgender athletes, and that it needs to fight harder for its students.
“It’s ridiculous to expect us to comply in such a short period of time. We are the ones being punished because of where we live and that’s not fair,” she said. “It’s this incredibly huge, complicated dilemma. On one side we are saying that mental health is so important, yet this will destroy the soccer program or at least put it at risk — it’s going to hit really hard. We should not have to suffer because of where we live. We should not be discriminated against because of where we live. We should advocate for our community.”
Three other school districts in the same predicament, including Lake Tahoe Unified School District in South Lake Tahoe, have opted to remain in the NIAA. Moonshine Ink will explore this further in another story.
The board will meet again on May 14 to further discuss the issue.
Proposed legislation by the California State Assembly has re-floated an environmental topic oft visited over the years: the increasing overlap of humans and black bears, and what to do about it.
Assembly Bill 1038 was recently authored and put forth by State Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick, whose district spans the entire northeast region of California, down south to just past South Lake Tahoe and Eldorado National Forest. The bill recommends reintroducing the use of dogs in pursuit of, but not to injure or kill, bears during certain seasons, as well as allowing the Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish the use of dogs during bear hunting season if it so desires.
In Nevada, dogs are legally allowed to be used to pursue bears and mountain lions during the appropriate seasons (Sept. 1 to Dec. 1 for bears, March 1 to end of February for mountain lions) and with the correct tags. Further, Nevada Department of Wildlife biologists use dogs to assist in hazing bears.
“It’s a pretty no-nonsense bill,” Hadwick said. “We’re not changing hunting quotas or harvest limits … It’s for hazing, not for hunting. It doesn’t create a hunting season or anything, doesn’t mandate a hunting season. It would just give CDFW the opportunity to bring dogs back for hunting if they wanted to. We really want to keep bears wild.”
On April 29, the bill went before the state’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. Support and opposition were divided between many hunting, sport, and law enforcement groups (in support) and animal and environmental groups (in opposition). After the bill did not gain enough backing to proceed, short by one vote, Vice Chair Jeff Gonzalez requested reconsideration, meaning the bill will be revisited in committee in 2026.
According to Hadwick’s chief of staff, Casey Dunn, the plan is to continue rallying support between now and then.
It’s a little bit of tough love, and it’s a pretty short-term uncomfortable experience for the bear, but it’s for a lifelong lesson.”
~ Becca Carniello, NDOW urban wildlife biologist
Those in opposition to the bill claim its passage would open the door for “carnage,” setting sights on animals who “should be able to live in peace, take care of their young, and survive,” as put by Ann Bryant, CEO of the Bear League, a Tahoe-based nonprofit.
The Bear League, as well as other environmental and animal welfare groups against the bill, point to a 2011 survey by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, in which 83% of California voters opposed the practice of bear hounding. The poll was quickly followed by the 2012 passage of Senate Bill 1221, which made it unlawful to use dogs when hunting big game.
“What [AB 1038] is, plain and simple, is a way to bring back hounding for the hunt,” Bryant said. “That door was shut in 2012. We want it to main remain shut, closed, bolted, and sealed up forever. We are not going to take any chances in allowing this to even be opened in the slightest.”
TREE TIME: Mother bears with newborn cubs tend to emerge from their dens in April, which was when these three were spotted. The Bear League, a Tahoe-based nonprofit, estimates there are no more than 200 bears living in the Basin. Photo by Dave Fleishman
State of bears in the bear state
It was 101 years ago that the last known grizzly bear was spotted in California, in Sequoia National Park. The species’ statewide extinction came about due to human/grizzly conflicts, habitat loss, and hunting for sport or capture to be used in bear and bull fights.
Though the feature animal of the California state flag is no longer reported to roam the lands, the grizzly’s cousin, the black bear, continues to do so.
CALIFORNIA FOOTPRINT: This map was developed in 2024 by California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department’s black bear conservation and management plan states, “More recently, black bears appear to have expanded into other areas of California where they were previously rare or absent, such as the Warner Mountains in Modoc County and the Mayacamas Mountains of Sonoma and Napa counties.” Courtesy map
AB 1038’s timing is augmented by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan, released April 14. Particularly notable is the department’s estimation of 59,851 black bears (with 90% probability) living in the state. This number is a significant hike since CDFW’s last bear management plan, released in 1998, which estimated between 17,000 and 23,000 black bears to be living across California — though such a rise, CDFW claims, has more to do with contemporary methodology than an actual increase in the population.
What’s more, that 60,000 number has been roughly the same for a while. “We believe the black bear population to be stable for the past 10 years or so,” CDFW information officer Peter Tira wrote in an email to Moonshine, “though we also know black bears have expanded their range into new parts of California — notably into Modoc County and north of the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Determination of the count comes from advanced methods, technology, and scientific tools: “We now have 130 GPS-collared black bears in the state providing data,” Tira explained. “We’re using fecal DNA analysis, hair snares, den checks, and other methods to arrive at these populations estimates, which no doubt will be refined regionally over time with more data.”
Bryant questions such a large number. “The population claims are completely off the charts bizarre and have no basis in reality,” she said. “There’s never been a [population] study done in California. Never. They pull a tooth here and there and they try and grab some hair. What’s that going to tell you? Nothing. They have no clue how many bears there are.”
In some cases, she added, individual bears pictured on camera don’t distinguish well and might be counted multiple times.
Bryant said she wants to see a formal bear population study done, which would be a costly but necessary effort. “We don’t know how many bears are in California,” she said, “but you can’t just throw out that there’s 60,000 … and then decide you’re going to start hounding them.”
To this allegation, Tira said he would argue the advancing methodologies currently underway counts as such a study.
While some question CDFW’s count, there is general consensus over a rise in human/black bear interactions.
“It used to be very rare to see a bear,” said Hadwick, who grew up in Siskiyou County and now lives in Modoc County. “I have friends that are game wardens that used to see a bear once a year. Now they see them every day … I’ve seen more bears in the last 3 years than I have my entire life.”
More than 1,000 human/bear encounters have been reported to CDFW each year since 2017. The Tahoe Basin is a hot spot for such interactions. Reasons behind this rise, the department states in its bear management plan, is an “increasing spatial overlap between people and black bears (i.e., increased human development and recreation in black bear habitat and expansion of black bear distribution).”
Much overlapping involves human food and garbage, and a lack of education on proper storage. A recent incident revealed just how deadly, though extremely rare, this can be. In 2023, 71-year-old Patrice Miller was killed in her Downieville home by a male black bear. It was the first-ever reported human fatality caused by a black bear in California. Reports revealed Miller would leave cat food on her porch to attract local ferals, and this could have been what drew the bear.
“Bears are getting more comfortable with us, they’re comfortable enough to hibernate right under our feet,” Bryant said. “They are evolving much faster, much quicker around our presence than humans will ever be able to do around them, because we hold fear and misconceptions and laziness. We don’t do what we need to [to] avoid having a problem. People feed them and people won’t lock up their trash, and they want to put the bird feeders out.”
Educational resources like the Bear League, county websites, and BearWise explain what it takes to be bear aware, including securing garbage, never approaching or feeding bears, and cleaning grills and smokers. Further, there are tips for bear-resistant barriers (like electric fences and unwelcome mats) and deterrents to keep bears out of buildings.
HAZED AND CONFUSED: Research has shown that the use of Karelian bear dogs can have the longest impact in keeping a black bear away from heavy human-populated areas. “To us, success is being able to keep that bear away as long as possible so that we can then go around to that community and make sure that the [bear] attractants are secure,” NDOW’s Carniello said. Photo by John Axtell
Dog and bear
Hadwick and other proponents of AB 1038 allege current deterrents aren’t enough and, through AB 1038, are pressing for more “proactive” methods to keep bears out of towns.
Currently, when a bear exhibits undesirable behavior, such as property damage or accessing improperly contained human food, hazing will be utilized. These techniques, such as pyrotechnics, noise makers, and paintball guns, are meant to immediately modify the bear’s behavior.
CDFW implemented its Lake Tahoe Basin Black Bear “Trap/Tag/Haze” Pilot Management Program in 2022 and continues this work today. In this program, bears showing habituated behaviors “such as raiding trash cans, breaking in cars or houses, or entering campsites” are captured, tagged, then released under hazing conditions. From there, “the department will evaluate the data from the trap/tag/haze project … to determine if the management methods show an indication of deterring habituated behaviors or not.”
Tira told the Ink the trap/tag/haze program is scheduled to take place this spring and summer in state parks and popular campgrounds prior to their opening to the public. Since its start, Tira added, “We now have a robust and growing DNA database of 343 individual Tahoe bears.”
Dogs are often utilized as another bear-hazing technique across the world — more specifically, Karelian bear dogs. This canine breed is recognized by the American Kennel Club as “bred to hunt large, aggressive game by himself, his build reflects his duties. He is a silent hunter, and only barks once the game is stopped or treed. Working with an experienced hunter, he communicates the type of animal he has located by the sound of his bark.”
“We are considering them,” Tira said. “We’ve had biologists use them in the past in Lake Tahoe. They were personal dogs belonging to one individual biologist who no longer is in that role. Nevada joins us with its Karelian bear dogs on trap/tag/haze efforts when their availability allows.”
Dogs can be used to haze bears in California if done for scientific research purposes.
Across the Basin, Karelians have been utilized by NDOW staff since 2001 as non-lethal management tools to haze black bears — one of the first state agencies to do so in the U.S.
“These dogs are really special because they don’t want to attack the bears,” furthered Becca Carniello, an NDOW urban wildlife biologist and human companion to Badger, her 3-year-old Karelian bear dog. “My co-bear biologist [Carl Lackey, who has two Karelian bear dogs] always puts it best: They’re not trying to attack the bear. It’s really the happiness of pursuit.”
Ninety-nine percent of Carniello’s job is with the black bear population; the remaining 1% is for mountain lions or bucks. She first began her work with black bears during her undergrad, working on a genetics project for the species. This led to a position with CDFW, researching the bears in Modoc County. After a stint as a biologist in the Bay Area, including work with bobcats, she began her position with NDOW.
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN: This table from CDFW shows the average estimated black bear population sizes in nine bear conservation regions (across California between 2020 and 2024. 90% CI refers to “90% credible interval.” Courtesy table
“I never really liked working with other species as much as I liked working with bears,” she told Moonshine. “I was actuallyof bears, growing up … [Now] I definitely have a healthy respect for them. I go into crawl spaces with them and everything.”
At NDOW, Carniello’s (and Badger’s) interactions with black bears are for research or human/bear conflict. “The work can look differently depending on the day, but I’ll do site visits … [and] lots of education,” she said. “We go to community events and elementary schools and high schools and give lots of presentations, too.”
The dogs come into play if people are crowding a black bear and danger could develop, if there’s a bear in a house, or if there’s a bear wandering a beach with lots of people. However, if a crawl space is too tight, for example, for a dog to enter, a paintball gun (the balls filled with capsaicin or baby powder) will be used to flush the bear out. Yelling, too, is an oft-used method.
Mostly, however, Carniello explained, she utilizes Badger when NDOW is preparing to release a captured bear. Upon release, the dogs — ideally multiple, though one is still effective — chase the bear away.
A 2018 dissertation titled Spatial and temporal patterns of a generalist urban carnivore; American black bears (Ursus americanus) at Lake Tahoe (CA) described the method: “Specifically, prior to release, an object (e.g., rock or branch) was placed 20 to 30 feet from the trap and functioned as a visual cue such that the dogs were let loose when the bear reached this marked location. This translated into giving the bear a 2- to 5-second head start, after which the two dogs initiated their chase. The dogs barked and nipped at the bear and often forced bears to retreat to a tree.” At that point, the dogs would be called back.
The idea behind employing dogs in this way, Carniello said, is turning positive experiences the bear had (for example, gaining access to human food) into negative ones. “It’s a little bit of tough love, and it’s a pretty short-term uncomfortable experience for the bear, but it’s for a lifelong lesson,” she said.
The dissertation noted the effectiveness of Karelian bear dogs hazing black bears. “In my study, treatment with dogs kept bears away from the capture and release sites for the longest period of time, which was consistent with other studies,” author Jan Mario Kornelis Klip wrote. “Dogs also had the greatest effect on all behavioral proxies examined and bears treated with dogs seemed to become more nocturnal, less winter active, and spent less time in urban areas. These impacts of bear behavior may ultimately reduce the level of conflict with humans.”
Gone huntin’
While heavy emphasis has been placed on the hazing aspect of AB 1038, the mention of the possible reintroduction of dogs (any dogs, not specifically Karelian bear dogs) to pursue bears during hunting isno issue at all with state wildlife biologists and intelligent, sensible state employees using trained KBDs to try and encourage bears to avoid human habitat,” Bryant said. “The houndsmen who would benefit from a bill such as AB 1038 are nothing of the sort and clearly have ulterior motives nothing like those of wildlife biologists and state employees who are legitimately concerned for the well-being of the bears. It’s impossible to speak of the two in the same context.”
Between 2006 and 2011, there were 192 reported incidents in California involving dogs and bears or bobcats. Examples included poaching, abandoned bear carcasses, and the mutilation of cubs.
A bill analysis of AB 1038 by the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee noted, “Because the dogs are often out of sight of the hunter, there is the potential for violations of several … laws including: 1) trespassing on private property; 2) pursuit of a big game mammal during the closed season on such mammal; 3) pursuit of a fully protected, rare, or endangered mammal; and 4) pursuit of any mammal in a game refuge or ecological preserve if hunting within that refuge or preserve is unlawful.”
Bryant shared one example of a dog going rogue around bears in Tahoe several years ago: “A mama bear just came out of the natal den with her one little cub. He was probably, oh, maybe 10 pounds. And a dog grabbed him and shook him and broke his neck and killed him right in front of people. So can you imagine packs of hounds?”
Hadwick, a hunter herself, said she’s aware of standout bad examples but cautions that there are those in every sector. “I have family that raises hounds … I’ve been around it a lot,” she said. “I don’t have the same fear in it as the Bear League, but I understand and respect their passion for it.”
A Tahoe Basin resident who asked to remain anonymous due to harassment he’s received over the years for hunting bear, said he has friends who enjoy running dogs while hunting. “It’s a huge benefit because when you have them treed, you get up there and say, ‘Okay, that’s a 4-year-old bear. I’m not looking to harvest that. We’ll let that one go.’ You’re targeting specific age groups and sex of the animal … There’s a lot of benefit to that.”
This individual has hunted black bear just outside of the Basin (hunting is prohibited within the Tahoe Basin), and said he enjoys eating the meat after reporting his harvest to CDFW. He doesn’t hunt as much in California anymore, however, because of rising restrictions and inundation of people in the backcountry.
CDFW’s bear management plan spells this out: “Recreational trapping was prohibited in 1961, the bag limit was reduced to one in 1968, harvest of cubs or females with cubs was prohibited in 1972, a quota limiting the number of black bears harvested annually was initiated in 1990, and the use of dogs to hunt black bears was prohibited in 2013.”
Statewide interest in hunting has declined since the 1970s; while California is reported to have the largest black bear population in the contiguous United States, it also has one of the lowest harvest rates of black bears.
The table above breaks down annual harvest rates of different bear hunting and non-hunting regions across California. As shown, the Northern Sierra region, which includes Truckee/North Tahoe, sees a 2.1% to 3.5% harvest rate of black bears each year. CDFW reports the maximum sustainable annual hunting rate for black bears to be nearly 16%.
“As a society, we’re busier than we used to be,” Hadwick said. “We used to make time for those things, and not everybody does now. And the cost is a lot, but I also think that people sometimes don’t understand that all of that money that hunting puts into the state for those tags goes back to conservation. And that’s a huge chunk of how we conserve and manage our wildlife.”
Over the past decade, the purchase of black bear tags has generated a total of $13.3 million to CDFW. On top of that, federal taxes on firearms and ammunition sales generate between $10 million and $30 million for wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation.
Per the bill analysis, research shows that “hunting does impact black bear populations and could alter [human-bear conflict, or] HBC, but there is no guarantee that it would decrease black bear population or decrease HBC … Data from Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario all demonstrated an increase in nuisance complaints upon an increase in bear harvest. Research in other regions revealed no correlation between bears harvested and the number of HBC incidents the subsequent year.”
Hazing and aversive conditioning, however, have been shown to reduce human-bear conflicts.
An adjacent hazing effort is found in Senate Bill 818, which is making its way through California Legislature and proposes a 5-year pilot program in El Dorado County known as “Tree and Free.” The program would allow permitted private hound people to haze mountain lions considered a public safety threat.
While the Bear League sees AB 1038 falling short of advancement as a victory, Bryant says it and other wildlife nonprofits are already planning to continue their united front against the bill.
As for Hadwick and her team, the plan is to continue bill education with the hope of change down the road. “That’s the hard part about these bills, right?” she said. “If they shoot this bill down, my district’s the one that has to deal with it. And it’s only going to get worse. We have to do something, this is a proactive approach with minimal harm.”
If you’ve been awaiting news about long-delayed expansion plans at Everline Resort and Spa in Olympic Valley, you can officially stop holding your breath. Though the resort has maintained permits for a massive phase two of development dating back decades now, owners of the resort have confirmed with Moonshine Ink that construction plans are not likely at this point.
“Phase two is not going to happen anytime soon, if at all,” said Ivan Ting, the Hong Kong-based controlling shareholder of Everline Resort. “Construction costs make a project of that size cost-prohibitive at this time. It’s safe to say this construction is not happening now.”
Formerly known as the Resort at Squaw Creek, the 405-room hotel was originally built in 1990, with the first environmental impact report dating back to 1985. At the time, Placer County also approved a phase two of development that provided a conditional use permit to essentially double the current size of the hotel. Phase two, which was mapped out in three subsections, called for the construction of an additional 221 condo units — totaling 460 bedrooms across three buildings — as well as 24 single-family townhomes, a parking garage, commercial spaces, and employee housing. It also included realignment of the existing access road and reconfiguration of a section of the parking lot.
In 2015, Everline began completing the conditions of the permit with Placer County to start construction on the first part of phase two, but that process was never finalized. A required design site review agreement with the county expired in August 2024, and according to Placer County records, a new application has not been submitted. Meanwhile, a water and sewage service agreement between Everline and the Olympic Valley Public Service District dating back to 2008 was not renewed by the developer and expired in November 2024.
“The developer has requested six extensions to the original 2008 agreement,” said Charley Miller, general manager of the Olympic Valley Public Service District. “The agreement was scheduled for a seventh extension in November 2024. However, for unknown reasons, the developer allowed it to lapse. Should they choose to proceed with the phase two project in the future, a new water and sewer service agreement would need to be renegotiated.”
Ting explained, “Water has always been a real issue with possible development there. When you add that to the construction cost, it just doesn’t make sense anymore.”
EVERLINE: The 405-room hotel was originally built in 1990. At the time, Placer County approved a phase two of development, which would have nearly doubled the resort’s size. Courtesy image
Everline is operated by a hotel management company called CoralTree Hospitality and is franchised under the Destination by Hyatt brand. But the resort is owned by a consortium called Everline Associates and the primary shareholder in that consortium is the Ting family from Hong Kong. Their family business, Kader Holdings Company Limited, is known mostly for producing children’s toys and model railways. Everline is the company’s primary real estate investment and only hotel property. Condos in the property are owned by individuals, while the Ting family owns the surrounding resort.
Water has always been a real issue with possible development there. When you add that to the construction cost, it just doesn’t make sense anymore.”
~ Ivan Ting, Everline controlling shareholder
According to Kader’s 2023 annual report, Ivan Ting controls 62% of Everline Associates’ shareholding. (Ting says he visits the Tahoe hotel property three or four times a year and when he’s there, he likes to ring the bell in Sandy’s Pub to signal that he’s buying a round of drinks for everyone in the restaurant.)
When he was a child, Ting and his parents would travel from Hong Kong to California’s Bay Area to visit family, and from there, they’d take trips to the Lake Tahoe area to go skiing. Ting’s uncle knew one of the original developers at Perini Land Development Company, which first built the hotel property in Olympic Valley that became Everline. Ting’s family became minority partners in the business, and over the years, they bought out other partners to become the majority shareholder. Ting says the family has not considered selling the business. “We love going there, so we want to make it work,” he says.
Before Everline was built, the Sierra Club and other organizations filed a lawsuit against the hotel’s original developer, citing environmental concerns and a lack of environmental impact reporting, but an agreement was reached in 1985 that involved the developer meeting 128 environmental conditions to protect the valley. Still, the hotel earned the nickname “The Death Star” by local opposers because of its shiny black resemblance to the Star Wars space station.
Several community benefits were built into the resort’s phase two development plans, including a community benefit fee, Washeshu Creek restoration work, and updating the resort’s dated and noisy HVAC system, which was first built in 1992 and has been the source of noise complaints from Olympic Valley residents for years now. Those community benefits will not see the light of day if phase two never materializes.
LOVE THE PLACE: Ivan Ting (left) with his wife, Angie, has been coming from Hong Kong to ski at Lake Tahoe since he was a child. “We love going there, so we want to make it work,” he said. Courtesy photo
The hotel currently has 405 condo-style rooms with ski-in, ski-out access to Palisades Tahoe’s Resort Chair, as well as a spa, five restaurants, a heated outdoor swimming pool, 47,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, and an 18-hole golf course.
In the valley, Everline is known for being a respectful, though somewhat penny-pinching neighbor. Residents have stated at public meetings that the resort has not reinvested in the property or kept up certain areas, like the golf course. Ting said the hotel has no major upgrades currently planned, but they are continuing regular maintenance, including road paving and fence restoration.
“This property has been tough to operate the whole time. Between droughts and other financial shocks, it’s a never-ending story. But we stuck it through,” Ting says. “We don’t have deep pockets, but we have pride in operating the place.”
At a recent Good Morning Truckee focused on wildlife management, Will Richardson of Tahoe Institute for Natural Science shared that rattlesnake sightings around the Truckee/North Tahoe area in recent years are not, in fact, a new phenomenon. We asked him to help us sssssset everyone sssssstraight.
~ AH
Are rattlesnakes new to the Truckee/Tahoe area? How long have they been here, and what brought them to the mountains?
The first rattlesnake in the Lake Tahoe basin showed up 10 years ago, on June 9, 2015, when the El Dorado County Animal Services was asked to remove a large rattlesnake from underneath the porch of a home in the Bijou neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe, just a few blocks from the lake itself and smack in the middle of the city’s population center. This was not only the first rattlesnake call received by the agency, but this animal represented the first documented rattlesnake within the Lake Tahoe Basin that we at TINS, or anyone in the Tahoe Biologist Interagency Group, is aware of. It is important to consider that biologists have been scouring the Tahoe area, at times quite thoroughly, since the late 1800s.
This 2015 Bijou record marked the beginning of increasingly common rattlesnake reports as the reptiles expand their range over the higher mountain passes from the west. I had always assumed that rattlesnakes would come into the Basin from lower passes and drier habitat to the east, in particular the Kingsbury Grade and Spooner Summit areas, but records for the Nevada side of Tahoe are only just starting to appear in the last 2 to 3 years. However, the last decade has produced a stream of rattlesnake observations from along the Sierra Crest, in particular around the Pyramid Creek Trail, Lost Corner Mountain, Barker Pass, and Donner Summit. I predict that the Velma Lakes area will be next, and am a bit surprised that we haven’t seen any observations from there yet. The Loch Leven Lakes area lies well outside the Lake Tahoe Basin and has had rattlesnakes as long as anyone can remember, but there too they are on the increase, and in 2017 a dog was bitten there.
All of these records fit nicely into a steady pattern of increased rattlesnake sightings at higher elevations, driven by climate change and the trend toward longer, warmer summers. Last summer a baby rattlesnake was found near Fallen Leaf Lake, which clearly demonstrates that they are reproducing and expanding their footprint in the region. In 2023, I hiked up General Creek one day to see if I could find a rattlesnake, and within a few hours I had. If you are familiar with their behaviors and preferred habitat, one can find rattlesnakes around Boca Reservoir in the right conditions. At this point, one should be aware of the possibility of encountering a rattlesnake just about anywhere around Tahoe.
Thankfully, rattlesnakes just want to be left alone, and you are most likely to walk right past them without noticing. If you do get too close, they will give you a courtesy buzz. Note that if we kill the conspicuous ones, the population is more likely to stay silent and not give that warning that serves our best interests! Rattlesnakes are much maligned and feared, but they do serve a very important role in helping keep rodent populations down. Here at Tahoe, we have very high prevalences of bubonic plague, relapsing tick fever, and hantavirus — terrible, consequential diseases, all carried by rodents. These snakes can help knock down the rates of those diseases. They also are fascinating creatures with highly evolved social behaviors, pose far less danger than you might think, and deserve a place in Tahoe’s changing environment.
~ T. Will Richardson, Ph.D., executive director, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science
JON SARRIUGARTE’s famous Burning Man snail art car called Golden Mean, which will once again be at the Truckee Maker Show this year. Photo courtesy Form and Reform
If you live in North Tahoe, you probably know somebody who is an artist, a crafter, a tinkerer, a woodworker, a quilter, or maybe a silversmith.
The local maker movement is alive and well, giving our community its uniquely creative character with opportunities to learn something new. For the maker-curious, it’s intimidating to learn a new skill on your own, so where does one start?
A good place is the ninth annual Truckee Maker Show on June 8, a celebration of art, creativity, and ingenuity in our community. It’s about bringing together all the creative outlets in our region while giving attendees the chance to dabble, experiment, and discover a medium that ignites their passion. At the maker show, you are the maker.
SHANNON O’HARE of Obtainium Works preps a robot for the Robot Rumble, where people make robots out of trash and then have the robots battle. Photo courtesy Obtainium Works
The Truckee Roundhouse began hosting this event in 2013 as a fundraiser to launch the nonprofit space in 2016. It’s still its largest fundraising community outreach effort of the year. “Making things is not only a practice of connecting deeply with one’s own creative self, but also a practice of connecting deeply with others,” said Truckee Roundhouse Executive Director Karyn Stanley.
More than 50 community partners and individual makers will be hosting hands-on activities, demonstrations, show-and-tell exhibitions, and workshops, many of which have creative programs of their own. “It’s great exposure for local artists and arts organizations, and shows our community where they can seek out meaningful enrichment opportunities,” Stanley said. “When we share our creativity with one another, we can see new solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.”
Attendees can try woodturning, candle making, screen printing, glass fusing, making a tin-can robot with Roundhouse volunteers, or making tiny creatures from foraged natural materials with Mez Solin from the Martis Camp Day School. Community partners such as the Civil Air Patrol Cadets, North Tahoe High Art Club, Sagehen Creek Field Station, Sierra Watershed Education Program, Sustain Tahoe, the Tahoe institute of Natural Science, and Sierra Community House are participating by hosting activities related to their programs.
CHRIS ‘MOZE’ MOSELY of MozeArt Designz demonstrates glass fusing. Photo courtesy MozeArt
The Wild River Waldorf School will return with its community weaving project and a cozy storytelling space. Trails & Vistas is also coming back with a willow weaving sculpture project, where attendees learn basket-weaving techniques. Tahoe Ability Program will host a good old-fashioned Shrinky Dinks activity. Josh Buchanan of Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal will teach 3D printing with recycled plastics. Laika Press will be stationed inside the Roundhouse, where folks can screenprint a bandana.
Obtainium Works is returning with Robot Rumble, a challenge in which remote-controlled robots made from upcycled materials battle it out. To participate, teams of kids and adults should attend the robot making workshop scheduled for May 17 at Truckee Roundhouse.
New for this year is a dark room where guests can look through microscopes provided by the San Francisco Microscopical Society, make LED wearable art with California Steam, check out light-up clothing from Blue Moon Designs, and remotely drive an underwater search robot courtesy of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.
FRED BESCH on his art bike next to Obtainium Works’ RC Robot, Recycletron. Photo courtesy Truckee Roundhouse
Truckee Roundhouse members, students, family, and friends volunteer to make the show happen. Fred Besch, a metal instructor who volunteers and mentors for Roundhouse youth programs, will cruise the show on his giant art bike. In the Workshop Lab, attendees learn things like soldering with Roundhouse tech volunteers Andy Crahan and Neil Lugovoy, create alcohol ink art with artist Nancy Holiday, or learn mandala drawing with Nicole Sterling, owner of Chickadee Art Collective in Kings Beach.
This year’s show-and-tell exhibitions are huge — literally. The BurnBot RX Machine is a giant remote-controlled vehicle used for prescribed burns and fire prevention that uses propane torches, water spray nozzles, and a heavy roller. The Truckee Tahoe Airport will have an experimental airplane on display. The Golden Mean, a steampunk snail art car that breathes fire and is well-known at Burning Man, will also be at the show.
Reno’s Bridgewire Makerspace is returning with its air-rocket activity and giant etch-a-sketch, plus demonstrations of its robot, which competed in the FIRST Robotics competition in Las Vegas this March. Metal artist Juan Sotomayor will exhibit his large-scale metal sculptures, and artist Sherry Tobin will perform an art car painting demonstration.
Dozens of local and regional vendors will be selling their handmade jewelry, art, ceramics, candles, clothing, accessories, homewares, and skin care. Longtime Roundhouse supporter Luca Stevens of Mountain Water Canvas will be selling her sturdy bags and textile art made from recycled sails. Kings Beach woodworker Andrew Cline, who is rebuilding his business after a shop fire last year, will also be there with his one-of-a-kind furniture.
Some vendors will also host hands-on activities or demonstrations. Piper J Gallery and BrasileArt will offer painting activities, jewelry making can be explored at Magpie Vintage, and Emerald Mosaics will teach mosaic.
Food trucks from MogRog, Tommy’s Eats, and Casa Baeza will be on site, along with Pacific Crest Coffee, Tahoe Pops popsicles, plus ice cream and a beer and wine booth.
Year after year, the maker show continues to pull people together. “As we face community issues like mental health and wildfires, the more connected and emotionally resilient we are, the more we will be able to face challenges creatively, together,” Stanley said.
May 12 is marked by the Scorpio Full Moon, known as the Wesak Moon in Buddhist tradition. This moon honors when Buddha was born and his journey into enlightenment and is the highwater mark of spiritual blessings. The sun will be in Taurus until May 20; this Venus-ruled fixed-Earth sign offers the sensual embodied energies available in mid-spring. Just after the sun moves into the mutable air sign of Gemini, Saturn will change signs for the first time in over two years, transitioning from late Pisces over into Aries. The last time Saturn was in Pisces was in the early 1990s when we had the grunge music era, and now we have pop stars flying into the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. The first degree of Aries marks the start of the zodiacal cycle and this time around, Saturn is coming into conjunction with Neptune. Saturn is the planet of boundaries, personal development, and achievements, while Neptune is the collective hallmark of dreams and imagination. These two giants together bring a real charge of fire to the dreams within your ambitions and offer a cosmic reset in the psyche. The sun in Gemini is light-hearted and we will see a new moon in this Mercury-ruled sign with both Mercury and Jupiter in Gemini as well, hinting toward a need to communicate and share with others.
NATURAL MAGIC
With the moon marking the birth of Buddha, count your blessings and call in more. A wonderful way is to make leaf boats. To do this, go near your favorite river, stream, or lake and find a beautiful leaf (or even a light stick), and place small pieces of sand, sticks, pine needles, and the like onto the leaf, naming each as a blessing you are grateful for as you do so. Release the leaf boat onto the water under the light of the full moon or near it and signal to the universe that you are ready to receive more blessings. Do this magical activity with family!
You can also work with fiery Saturn and Neptune by doing fire magic. Write your current accomplishments on the top of a piece of paper, this connects you to Saturn and the physical world he rules. Then take a moment to meditate and think of what you would want if you knew your dreams would come true, connecting to Neptune, the planet of dreams. Write this dream down on the bottom of the paper, and then naming the dream out loud, burn the paper in a fire (safely!).
Also, the time is right to pick dandelions for tea or food! You can eat and drink the whole plant including root, stem, leaf, and flower for your liver tonic tea this spring, and it’s a great way to connect to the season for deep cleaning.
