INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) may conduct pile burning during the week of October 19, 2026, weather and fuel conditions permitting. NLTFPD expects pile-burning operations to continue through the winter, with burns conducted only when weather, moisture, humidity and fuel conditions are favorable.
Residents and visitors may see smoke in the area during these controlled burns. NLTFPD will share the location of planned burns through its social media platforms and the Prescribed Fire Notification/Smoke-Sensitive email groups.
If you see smoke from a burn announced by NLTFPD, please do not call 911 to report it. If smoke appears to be from an unannounced fire or there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 911.
To join either email group, send a written request to Public Information Officer (PIO) Andreina Quiroz at aquiroz@nltfpd.net.
Follow the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District for burn location updates and other community information:
Facebook: @North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Expedia named South Lake Tahoe as the top trending destination worldwide for 2027.
The city saw a 195% jump in searches for flights and accommodations on the online travel agency’s website since last year, the most of any city in the world. The next highest increase was just 95%.
“These places might not be dominating mainstream travel content just yet, but they’re gaining attention,” Expedia’s website said to introduce the list.
Next on the list was Hyogo, Japan, with a 95% increase in searches, known for its feudal castle, hot springs and, of course, food. After that was Punta del Este, Uruguay, a coastal city with beachside art installations that saw a 65% increase.
Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said notching the top spot on Expedia’s list is a “great honor” and speaks to the organization’s marketing efforts.
“It was very unexpected,” Chaplin said. “It just really validated what we’ve been trying to do over the years is to increase the awareness of the destination.”
She attributed the increase to a combination of potential factors: the American Century Championship, Caesars Republic outdoor concert series, events from Heavenly and other partners and the docuseries LTVA released in March, Beyond Awestruck.
Across all platforms, including social media, Beyond Awestruck content garnered 19 million views and 1.7 million viewing hours, according to spokesperson Ryn Muat. Each video prominently featured South Lake Tahoe, and the series centered on research about the awe-inspiring feelings Lake Tahoe can produce and the connection that follows.
Chaplin called Expedia a “very, very trusted brand” for travelers and said their analysis bodes well for the tourism industry going into 2027.
“It could really give us a lift, especially in this marketplace where we see that there’s some global pressures, exterior pressures on us,” she said.
Expedia named Heavenly and Sierra-at-Tahoe as major draws in the winter and said watersports on North America’s largest alpine lake keep people coming all summer long, calling South Lake Tahoe a year-round destination.
Here’s the full list of the most trending destinations worldwide, according to Expedia’s flight and accommodation searches:
South Lake Tahoe, California, United States (+195%)
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters were defeated by the Wichita Thunder on Sunday afternoon by a score of 4-3 in overtime.
Wichita got the scoring started courtesy of Jordan Biro in the opening two minutes of the first period to make it 1-0 Thunder. Just over three minutes later, Tahoe forward Cam Hausinger scored his first goal of the season on a wraparound shot to tie the game at 1. Late in the period, on a power play, rookie forward Kooper Gizowski scored his second goal of the weekend to give Tahoe a 2-1 lead, and their first power-play goal of the season.
In the second period, the Knight Monsters extended their lead thanks to the second goal of the afternoon from Hausinger after a lengthy review to make it 3-1 Knight Monsters. However, Wichita would storm back with a power-play goal from TJ Lloyd at the 11:16 mark to make it a one-goal game, and then Michal Stinil scored in the closing moments to tie the score headed into the final 20.
Knight Monsters v Wichita ThunderProvided / Knight Monsters
Both goaltenders shut down the game in the third period as Pavel Moysevich for the Knight Monsters and Yaroslav Korostelev from the Thunder both stopped every shot they faced, and the two teams both earned a point as they headed to overtime.
In OT, after the Knight Monsters took a penalty, Wichita capitalized thanks to a deflection goal by Ethan Scardina, and the Thunder completed the comeback and earned a two-game sweep over Tahoe to open the season.
The Knight Monsters travel back to Stateline to take on the New Mexico Goatheads at home on Friday, October 23, Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25. Puck drop for Friday’s contest is at 7 pm PT.
The Knight Monsters open the 2026-27 season at home on Friday, October 23, as they take on the New Mexico Goatheads at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Season tickets and ticket packages for the 2026-27 season are now available. For more information on becoming a 1645 Club Season Ticket Member, visit knightmonstershockey.com.
Dear Editor, This November, El Dorado County voters face Measure S, a countywide 0.375% sales tax hike. While proponents push this as a critical safety measure, the wildfire prevention claims are entirely hollow. Only a tiny fraction of the generated funds goes to non-profits, with absolutely zero mandates or guarantees that even a single acre of forest land will actually be treated for fuels reduction.
Beyond these misleading safety claims, Measure S acts as an unfair siphon that will extract vital capital from the Tahoe Basin to fund projects on the West Slope. Having served as an El Dorado County Supervisor between 1993 and 2001 representing the Meyers community, Christmas Valley, and North and South Upper Truckee, I know how critical it is to preserve fair county allocations.
Yet, under this measure’s strict formulas, a massive share of the revenue will benefit a private health system in Placerville. Because basin residents rely on local healthcare like Barton Memorial Hospital rather than traveling over the Sierra Nevada crest, their local tax dollars will effectively leave their community.
Furthermore, the City of South Lake Tahoe already shoulders a heavy sales tax burden. Piling another countywide tax on top pushes local rates to a restrictive high, hitting working families and starving the city of future “tax room” to pass its own localized infrastructure measures. This deep dissatisfaction is why local political leadership stands united: every candidate running for the three South Lake Tahoe City Council seats opposes Measure S.
Voters should demand transparent measures that actually protect our forests rather than a 30-year tax that raises the cost of living while draining Tahoe’s tax base. Please vote No on Measure S.
Sincerely, Ray Nutting Co-Chair, California Taxpayers Protection Committee
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – As community members struggle to put food on their tables, St. Theresa’s Bread & Broth continues to welcome anyone in need of a full-course, hot meal. The organization serves its Monday Meal from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at St. Theresa’s Grace Hall and its Friday Second Serving Meal from 4 to 5 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church.
Bread & Broth’s ability to provide twice weekly meals is made possible by the generosity of local stores, donations made by individuals, families, and organizations, and Adopt A Day of Nourishment sponsors. With all of these generous funding sources, Bread & Broth has been able to serve up to 170 dinner guests at the Monday Meal and up to 60 dinner guests at a Second Serving Meal.
In an effort to promote the inclusion of as many members of the community as possible in the Monday Meal dinner service, Bread & Broth implemented the Adopt A Day of Nourishment in 2011. Currently, the sponsorship donation fee is $350, and sponsors provide an Adopt A Day crew of up to five people to support the B&B Volunteers with the meal’s setup, serving, and take down/cleanup.
Liberty is one of the community businesses that has been supporting the Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) program by hosting up to 6 dinners a year. Liberty’s latest sponsorship was on Monday, October 12th and the AAD crew representing Liberty included Breanna Kelly, Program Manager; James Martin, Billing Analyst; Kevin Newmark, Facilities/Fleet; and Eric Oiler, Vegetation Management.
“It was fulfilling working with the Bread & Broth volunteer team, many of which I had just met, to achieve a common goal by helping the community,” shared Eric. “Everyone I met had a smile on their face and was in good spirits. It felt good to be a part of that and hopefully contribute to making some one’s day.”
Based on the dinner guests’ smiles and appreciative words, Eric and his fellow Liberty team members definitely made a meaningful contribution to the evening. Bread & Broth appreciates the commitment of Liberty to support the organization’s efforts to ease hunger in the community and expresses its thanks to all of the Liberty team members who have given of their time and effort to participate in feeding B&B’s dinner guests.
To learn more about Bread & Broth, donate, sponsor an Adopt A Day of Nourishment, or volunteer, visit www.breadandbroth.org or follow Bread & Broth on Instagram and Facebook.
Jayden was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at age 8.Provided / Anahid Mendez
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Single mother Anahid Mendez and her 10-year-old son, Jayden, have started a GoFundMe to ask the community for help purchasing a wheelchair-accessible van for Jayden.
Diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in 2024 at age eight, Jayden can no longer walk and is bound to a wheelchair for mobility.
As a progressive, genetic neuromuscular disorder, DMD is caused by mutations to the DMD gene, resulting in the dysfunction or absence of the dystrophin protein. Without dystrophin, progressive muscle degeneration and weakness occur, making it difficult, and in some cases, painful, for children to walk, run, or jump.
“Jaden’s a very happy-go-lucky 10-year-old. He doesn’t let his Dystrophy affect him as a person,” Mendez said. “I remember the first time he got his manual wheelchair, he said, ‘Mommy, my legs don’t hurt anymore.'”
Mendez took a job at Incline Village Elementary as an aide to another special needs child so she can be close to her son and assist him while he’s at school. However, due to the size of her 1992 Nissan Sentra, Mendez cannot fit Jayden’s power wheelchair in her car and must leave it at school every day, requiring him to transition to a manual wheelchair while not at school.
Middle school is fast approaching for Jayden, where he and Mendez will no longer be located within the same vicinity throughout the day. With the help of a wheelchair-accessible van, transportation to and from school, doctors appointments and family outings in Jayden’s power wheelchair would be possible.
Jayden at school in his power wheelchair.Provided / Anahid Mendez
“I just want to give him every opportunity to have the independence and freedom he deserves,” said Mendez.
Mendez has her sights set on a four-wheel-drive Explorer van that can get around safely during winter months.
As of Friday, October 16, the GoFundMe has raised 25% of its $40,000 goal and stands at $9,678.
Last week, the final Summer Free Farmer’s Market was held in the St. Theresa parking lot, with nearly 100 individuals and families picking up boxes of fresh vegetables, fruit, and essential grocery items. This was the fifth Free Farmer’s Market held this summer.
These foods are delivered by the Food Bank of El Dorado County, and throughout the summer, these events have been financially supported by Bread & Broth, the Marcella Foundation, and the Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe. With escalating food prices, many of the recipients are so grateful for access to the fresh food.
Many thanks to those who came out to volunteer and support families in South Lake Tahoe and help them have access to nutritious, fresh and healthy food. Providing volunteers to pack and distribute the food at the events include the Family Resource Center, employees from Whole Foods, employees from the City of South Lake Tahoe, the Kiwanis Club, the Marcella Foundation, and Bread & Broth.
Special thanks to Roberta Strachan, Bread & Broth Chairperson of Food Coordination, who facilitated these events each month along with the Food Bank of El Dorado County.
STATELINE, Nev. — Kahle Community Center is launching a new teen program that gives middle school students opportunities to explore the outdoors, try new activities and connect with their community. Designed for students in grades 6–8 throughout Douglas County and surrounding areas, the program will offer recreational, educational and cultural experiences on select Fridays.
Registration is now open for the first three outings, with additional activities planned in the coming months.
The inaugural outings include:
Friday, November 6, 2026: A guided 2.9-mile hike with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, introducing participants to Leave No Trace practices and the beauty of the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Friday, November 20, 2026: A teen pool day at Carson Valley Swim Center, offering swimming and an opportunity to connect with peers.
Friday, December 11, 2026: An indoor climbing experience at Badger Mountain in Gardnerville, where teens can scale the walls, make friends and build confidence.
Future outings may include snowshoeing, curling, Nordic skiing, theatre arts, candle making, kayaking, museum visits, sailing, backpacking, archery, art courses, flying remote-control airplanes and ice fishing.
The program aims to introduce teens to activities they may not otherwise experience, encourage the discovery of new interests and help participants develop skills while exploring opportunities throughout the region.
Through partnerships with local businesses, organizations and recreational providers, Kahle Community Center hopes to expand access to unique experiences that encourage learning, personal growth and community engagement.
Local Businesses and Organizations Invited to Partner
Kahle Community Center welcomes local businesses, organizations and recreational providers interested in partnering on future teen activities. Opportunities may include hands-on instruction, behind-the-scenes tours, performances, recreational activities or other experiences that introduce young people to new skills and interests.
Organizations interested in collaborating are encouraged to contact Kelly Edmundson at kkedmundson@douglasnv.us to discuss partnership opportunities.
Registration Now Open
Families can view program details and register for the first three outings online at:
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, a spacious resort nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, announces the return of its annual Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The family-friendly event will bring together resort guests and the local community for an evening of Halloween festivities. One hundred percent of proceeds will benefit Incline Education Fund’s STE(A)M program, which supports science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education for local students through hands-on learning opportunities.
The Halloween Carnival will take place on Saturday, October 31 between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the resort’s Regency Ballroom. Guests of all ages can enjoy an assortment of Halloween activities and entertainment including carnival games, a bouncy house, a photo booth, and classic treats like popcorn and cotton candy. DJ Joolz will provide spooky beats, with a dance floor available for guests to join in the Halloween celebration.
“Our Halloween Carnival has become one of our favorite traditions at the resort, and there’s nothing quite like seeing the ballroom fill with costumed families from Incline Village and beyond,” said Hilde Di Domenico, director of marketing at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. “We look forward to welcoming our neighbors back for a night that’s as meaningful as it is fun”.
Entry is a $10 donation to Incline Education Fund and includes five tickets for games and activities, with additional tickets available for $1 each. Validation will be provided for the resort’s self-parking lot.
Proceeds will support Incline Education Fund’s STE(A)M program, which has funded a makerspace program at Incline Elementary School, a robotics program at Incline Middle School, and an engineering and entrepreneurship program at Incline High School through community support and recently awarded grants. For more information about the program, please visit https://www.inclineeducationfund.org/programs/.
For more information or to book a getaway to Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234. About Hyatt Regency Lake
Looking for a very own live teddy bear?! Look no further; meet Monty, the sweetest, most lovable companion! This adorable boy looks just like a giant teddy bear, and his gentle, affectionate personality makes him every bit as cuddly as he looks.
Monty may be a little shy when you first meet him, but in no time at all and with a little encouragement, you’ll get to see his wonderful personality shine. As he gets comfortable, his ears perk up, his playful side comes out, and his sweet nature takes center stage. He loves nothing more than being close to his people and nestling his head into his person.
One of Monty’s favorite things is spending time with other dogs! He enjoys canine companionship and has an easygoing personality that makes him a joy to be around. He’s the kind of dog who just makes you smile, and we think he has so much love to give to a family willing to help him build his confidence.
Monty may need a little patience as he settles into his new home, but we know that with kindness, reassurance, and plenty of love, this sweet boy will blossom into a wonderful best friend. If you have room in your heart for a gentle, playful teddy bear who loves other dogs and would make an excellent cuddle buddy, come meet Monty. He might just be the missing piece your family has been looking for!
Stop by the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe to meet this incredible companion! Feel free to stop by to meet him or call/email one of HSTT’s Adoption Specialists for more information, 530-587-5948 or adoptions@hstt.org.
Monty is neutered, vaccinated, and up to date on his vaccines. To view more adoptable pets or to learn more about the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, visit, www.hstt.org.
Psst! I don’t bother with sugary, high-fat pumpkin fudge or fake-flavored lattes anymore like I used to. Nowadays, I’d much rather snack on crunchy pumpkin seeds mixed with heart-healthy nuts or grab a simple slice of whole grain pumpkin bread. Fall is still a huge pumpkin celebration, but the best part is that it actually makes you feel good and healthy!
Recent published findings in 2026 by food and nutrition researchers reveal that every part of the pumpkin (flesh, seeds, and peel) contains valuable nutrients such as beta carotene, fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, magnesium, and zinc. These compounds have health perks, which make pumpkin the new versatile superfood….
Forget the sugary pumpkin fudge and pumpkin cookies. It’s the season to change it up with whole-food pumpkin to maintain a strong immune system while the air is cooler and we gather indoors more. As the author of The Healing Powers of Superfoods (Kensington), I did include pumpkin! Here’s a new list of pumpkin favorites with a unique Tahoe Edge.
*Chunky Warm Pumpkin Soup: Real pumpkins are loaded with Vitamin A and essential for keeping your respiratory and intestinal linings healthy–—which serve as the body’s defense against airborne germs and cold-weather viruses. The Tahoe Edge: Savor a warm bowl of spiced pumpkin ginger soup helps guard your respiratory system against the elements. (Find it at a local restaurant or Google a DIY recipe online.)
*Cold & Creamy Pumpkin Smoothie: Pumpkin flesh contains vitamin C, a disease-fighting antioxidant that stimulates the production of white blood cells to help guard against cold and flu season. The Tahoe Edge: In the morning or afternoon, enjoy a smoothie made with organic canned or puréed pumpkin. (Google a recipe that is healthful and yummy.)
*Savory & Sweet Pumpkin Pie: When crafted with antioxidant-rich pumpkin spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) and topped with roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), scones deliver vitamin E and healthy minerals that quell a sweet tooth without too many calories. The Tahoe Edge: Enjoy a slice of pie–storebought or homemade with less sugar. (Buy a slice at Safeway bakery.)
*Hot Pumpkin Spiced Tea/Coffee: Sipping black or herbal teas with real pumpkin spices (cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom) provides polyphenols and anti-inflammatory compounds that enhance your immune and heart health. The Tahoe Edge: Brew a cup of pumpkin spiced tea with a drizzle of honey to warm your body and spirit. (Forage online or local grocery store.) CAL OREY, M.A., is a bestselling author-novelist specializing in topics such as adventure, health, nutrition, and science. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in English (Creative Writing) from San Francisco State University. Currently, her new release The Healing Powers of Honey, Revised is available at all bookstores. Her website is http://www.calorey.com.
Healthcare Quality Week (October 18-24) is an opportunity to recognize the people, systems, and daily efforts that help keep patients safe and ensure high-quality care across our health system. While patients most often see physicians, nurses, and other caregivers, many team members work behind the scenes every day to help our organization deliver reliable, effective care.
Quality in healthcare means providing services that are safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and centered on the needs of each patient. It also means continually evaluating how we serve our community, learning from data, following best practices, and looking for ways to improve.
At Barton Health, quality and patient safety are part of every role and every department. Teams throughout the organization regularly review outcomes, monitor performance measures, and work together on improvement efforts designed to enhance care and reduce risk. Whether someone works directly with patients or supports operations behind the scenes, each person plays an important part in helping us maintain high standards.
The impact of this work is reflected in national measures of hospital quality and patient safety. This year, Barton was named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list for the sixth consecutive year, received an ‘A’ Grade for Patient Safety from The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade, and CalHospital Compare has given us another consecutive award for Substance Use Disorder care.
While these recognitions are meaningful, they represent something much larger. They reflect the dedication of employees across our health system who are committed to doing the right thing for patients, improving processes, and fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous learning.
Here in Tahoe, where neighbors care for neighbors and trusted local healthcare matters, that commitment helps ensure patients and families can feel confident in the medical care available locally.
During Healthcare Quality Week, I am proud to recognize the leaders, physicians, nurses, clinicians, pharmacists, laboratory staff, imaging staff, support staff, and operational teams whose dedication makes this work possible each day.
Reinhard Garcia, MBA, BFA, RN, CPHQ, CPPS is the Director of Quality & Patient Safety at Barton Health. Learn more about Barton’s quality and patient safety initiatives at BartonHealth.org.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Community Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to the environmental nonprofit Keep Tahoe Blue to expand its science-guided programs that empower residents, visitors, students, and volunteers to play an active role in protecting Tahoe.
Keep Tahoe Blue was selected as one of four nonprofit organizations recognized through the Community Foundation’s special anniversary grant initiative celebrating 30 years of philanthropy and community impact.
“Protecting Tahoe takes a village. We’re incredibly grateful to have a generous and forward-looking partner in Tahoe Community Foundation,” said Keep Tahoe Blue’s CEO Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD. “Their continuing support allows us to do the multi-year work required to transform science into solutions, so we can conserve what we all love about this natural treasure.”
Through programs such as Eyes on the Lake, Keep Tahoe Blue continues to address the most pressing ecological threat facing Tahoe today: aquatic invasive species. The organization’s efforts are wide-ranging and collaborative, matching the scale of the challenge. In-person outreach to recreators, training for marinas and recreation-based businesses, public education campaigns, and the installation of free cleaning stations for non-motorized watercraft are helping prevent invasive species, like the golden mussel, from turning the lake’s clear water a murky green.
The grant is also helping Keep Tahoe Blue shape the next generation of environmental stewards. Through its Tahoe Blue Schools program and Spurlock/Evers Environment & Education Center, students gain a deeper understanding of Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem and their role in protecting it. Throughout the year, thousands of students and visitors participate in field trips, educational programs, and hands-on lessons that connect science with action.
At the same time, Keep Tahoe Blue activates community volunteers to do far more than pick up litter. Through cleanup events and the Tahoe Blue Crew program, participants record the types and amounts of trash they remove, set an example of good stewardship for fellow lake users, and help report environmental threats. The resulting citizen science data helps guide Keep Tahoe Blue’s work to prevent problems at their source, by pushing for policy change like bans on single-use plastic water bottles and investing in ground-breaking scientific research into the sources of microplastics.
For Tahoe Community Foundation, supporting Keep Tahoe Blue reflects the belief that a healthy environment is fundamental to a thriving community. By investing in organizations that engage residents, educate future generations, and create long-term environmental solutions, the Community Foundation helps ensure Tahoe remains resilient for decades to come.
As Tahoe Community Foundation celebrates 30 years of connecting generosity with community impact, investments like this recognize nonprofit partners whose work protects the resources that make Tahoe extraordinary. Together, Keep Tahoe Blue and Tahoe Community Foundation are helping ensure that more people have the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to protect the lake they love, creating lasting benefits for Tahoe’s environment and future.
Although the average for a gallon of regular gasoline in California fell for a second straight week, down 11 cents to $6.23, Californians are paying $1.58 more per gallon compared to last year, according to the AAA Weekly Fuel Report.
Nationally, prices dipped slightly to $4.33. Gas prices remain elevated as crude oil prices hover near $100 per barrel.
“The national average has stayed above $4 per gallon since late July and is currently more than a dollar higher than it was this time last year,” said Doug Johnson, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group. “The fall months typically bring lower gas prices, but volatility in the oil market has led to seasonal record highs this year.”
Fuel Prices Around the State:
San Francisco: $6.34
Oakland: $6.28
San Jose: $6.18
Sacramento: $6.20
Fresno: $6.23
Stockton: $6.09
Modesto: $6.09
Oil Market Dynamics
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 8.76 million barrels per day to 8.40 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 204.7 million barrels to 208.3 million. Gasoline production decreased from 9.34 million barrels per day to 9.23 million barrels.
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose 95 cents to settle at $95.09 per barrel. The EIA reports that U.S. crude oil inventories decreased 8.6 million barrels to 415.6 million barrels, 3% below the five-year average.
EV Charging
The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 41 cents. In California, the average per kilowatt hour of electricity is 47 cents.
State Stats
Gas
The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($6.23), Hawaii ($5.63), Washington ($5.42), Nevada ($5.42), Oregon ($4.97), Alaska ($4.96), Idaho ($4.85), Utah ($4.82), Illinois ($4.69), and Arizona ($4.66).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are North Carolina ($3.70), Georgia ($3.77), Texas ($3.83), Tennessee (3.88), Indiana (3.89), Louisiana (3.90), South Carolina (3.90), Mississippi ($3.91), Arkansas ($3.93), and Alabama ($3.94).
Electric
The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hourare Hawaii (54 cents), West Virginia (52 cents), Louisiana (49 cents), California (47 cents), Alaska (46 cents), New Hampshire (46 cents), Arkansas (44 cents), North Dakota (44 cents), Arizona (44 cents), and Nevada (43 cents).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hourare Kansas (32 cents), Missouri (32 cents), Iowa (33 cents), Nebraska (34 cents), Maryland (35 cents), South Dakota (35 cents), Utah (35 cents), Vermont (36 cents), Minnesota (37 cents), and New Mexico (37 cents).
STATELINE, Nev. –Bigfoot is hitting the dance floor. Saxsquatch, the seven-foot-tall, saxophone-playing electronic music artist, is bringing his Conspiracy Theory Tour to Blu Nightclub at Bally’s Lake Tahoe Casino Resort on Friday, March 19.
Part Bigfoot, part saxophonist, part electronic music producer, Saxsquatch has built an online following of more than 3 million with a sound that blends live saxophone, original electronic music, remixes and plenty of crowd participation.
The North Carolina-based multi-instrumental artist has collaborated with musicians including John Oates, Billy Ray Cyrus and WAR, as well as electronic music label Monstercat. His music has also found its way into the gaming world, with theme music created for “Rocket League” and tracks featured in “Fortnite.”
His television appearances include “That’s My Jam!” with Jimmy Fallon and “Tosh.0.” Onstage, he has performed alongside acts including Tedeschi Trucks Band, Goldfish, Andy Frasco, Here Come the Mummies, Sam Bush and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.
Saxsquatch’s 2024 “Bigfoot Rave” tour brought a full laser show to the dance floor, while his follow-up “Footprints” tour sold out 27 shows across the country, wrapping up with a sold-out performance at Denver’s Cervantes Ballroom.
Now, the elusive forest-dweller is heading to South Lake Tahoe.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 16, and will be available online.
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – Measure S is a 0.375% sales tax whose revenue will be distributed to Marshall Hospital in Placerville, fire prevention districts across the county and a fire prevention education nonprofit.
Here’s everything you need to know about it before casting your vote.
Where will the money go?
Half of the money will go to Marshall Hospital in Placerville.
5% will go to a nonprofit focused on wildfire risk reduction and education, likely Firewise.
The remaining 45% will be split up among 13 fire districts in the county, proportional to how many full-time fire engines operated in the county in November 2025.
While the measure’s language may seem vague, saying that 50% of the revenue will go to “eligible local hospitals,” this is because California’s constitution prohibits measures from naming specific private entities to benefit from tax measures.
Instead, the language singled out Marshall by limiting the eligibility to hospitals licensed to operate at least 100 general acute care beds as of Jan. 1 2025. Barton Memorial Hospital only has 63 acute care beds, according to a 2024 release.
“The only facility eligible to receive funding under the Measure is Marshall Hospital,” the board of supervisors’ analysis said.
Similarly, Schneider said the language around the nonprofit was targeted to fund Firewise, but the measure’s language once again cannot legally specify and the county will solicit requests for proposals from any eligible nonprofits.
How much will I end up paying?
Here’s an oversimplified example: If you spend $100, the Measure S tax will add another 37.5 cents. The total sales tax on that purchase would then be $9.13 instead of South Lake Tahoe’s current sales tax of $8.75.
If you spend $100 on taxable purchases (excludes most groceries) every week for a year, that extra Measure S tax will add up to $19.50. And if you kept that rate of spending up for its full 30 year span, with a steady 2% inflation adjustment, you would pay $687 total.
Within South Lake Tahoe, consumers are already taxed at 8.75%. Measure S would push that up to 9.125%. That means the sales tax added to your receipt will go up by 4%.
How much money will the tax generate?
Over the tax’s 30 year lifespan, Measure S projected that it will bring $603.8 million, but the county’s Chief Administrative Office said it will only bring $541.1 million in its analysis that was requested of the board of supervisors. The CAO based its adjustment on recent data that wasn’t available at the time Measure S’s estimates were performed, it said.
In the first year, Measure S predicts the sales tax will generate $13 million, while county staff predicts a half million more than that, at $13.5 million. By the time the tax sunsets in 2057, Measure S predicts it will have generated $29.5 million per year. County staff predict it will generate only $23.6 million for 2056, roughly $6 million less.
The county’s Auditor-Controller Joe Harn said he agrees with the CAO’s analysis over the Measure S analysis in a written public comment to the board of supervisors.
How much of the money will end up in South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue will receive 5.4% of the total share. Plus, a portion of the 5% dedicated to nonprofit fire prevention education will be spent in the city, since it is required to be evenly distributed throughout the county.
In 2029, the city’s fire rescue will receive $788,570, the CAO analysis predicts. By 2056, the year before the tax sunsets, the department is predicted to receive close to $1,232,000.
Why doesn’t Barton Health benefit from the tax?
Barton discussed the possibility of being included in the measure with Marshall in 2025 but decided not to participate “after careful review,” according to Mindi Befu, public information officer for Barton Health. Schneider also mentioned Barton’s initial engagement.
When asked whether Barton Health supported or opposed Measure S, Befu wrote: “While Barton has no official position on the initiative, we recognize and respect the importance of emergency preparedness, wildfire mitigation, and healthcare modernization across the region.”
Befu said Barton Health is addressing issues of modernization and seismic upgrades by proposing a new hospital at its Stateline campus, and it intends to fund the project through direct investment and philanthropy.
What will the money be used for?
Marshall Hospital may only use the funding for capital improvements, meaning anything related to updating or renovating its facilities. The funding may not be used on salaries, clinical operations or any day-to-day costs.
Essentially, Marshall Hospital will take out a loan against the predicted sales tax revenue to renovate its facilities, then pay off that loan over the 30 years using the tax’s funds, Schneider said, likening it to a mortgage.
In trying to meet the state’s 2030 deadline for earthquake code compliance, Marshall has sunk over $70 million into the seismic infrastructure with more than $40 million to go, Schneider said. If Marshall doesn’t meet that deadline, the state could revoke its license, essentially shutting the hospital down.
Schneider also said Marshall needs to modernize the rest of the facility that has been neglected as funding went toward meeting the state deadline.
There are no restrictions on how the fire districts may use the funding. Individual districts have elected boards that will allocate the funding based on each district’s need, Schneider said.
The 5% earmarked for nonprofits will be given to a nonprofit that assists with and educates people on fire prevention methods such as defensible space and home hardening.
How many votes does it need to pass?
The measure was introduced as a citizens’ initiative, which means it needs only 50% approval to pass. If a government agency proposes a new tax, it would need two-thirds of the vote. The citizens initiative also requires the tax to encompass the whole county, rather than a specific jurisdiction.
Who supports the bill?
Everyone who will receive funding supports the tax, obviously. Marshall Hospital is the top sponsor supporting the measure, and Schneider said it has spent over $600,000 promoting it. That includes the “Strong strong, El Dorado” lawn signs along streets in town.
The coalition of fire districts that would receive funding and Firewise are also big supporters.
Others who are listed as endorsing the measure on the “Yes on S” website include:
Mayor of Placerville
Executive Director of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce
El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools
El Dorado County Fire Safe Council
Hospital Council of Northern and Central CA
Economic Development of El Dorado County
Several current and former Placerville city councilmembers and county supervisors
Who opposes the bill?
South Lake Tahoe City Council voted unanimously to oppose Measure S at its special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Council members cited that every member of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors said they opposed Measure S at a previous meeting to discuss the measure, though the board did.
The group that has spent the most money opposing the bill is Patriots of El Dorado County, who sponsored the “No on S” signs along Highway 50.
Co-Chair of California Taxpayers Protection Committee Ray Nutting wrote an op-ed against Measure S in South Tahoe Now; he is also a former El Dorado County supervisor.
No Kings IV will be held at Lakeview Commons on Saturday, Oct 17 at 1 p.m.Victoria Mastrocola / Tahoe Daily Tribune
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A No Kings IV Vote Early march and rally is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 17, at Lakeview Commons Plaza.
The rally will begin at 1 p.m., followed by a march from Lakeview Commons to the ballot box at 3 p.m. Organizers encourage attendees to bring their completed ballots to the ballot drop box at the El Dorado County Library – South Lake Tahoe branch.
“The specific goal for this event is to get people mobilized, get them outside, get them joined up with fellow people that think the same way, and really just show that there’s people that care about democracy and are willing to stand up and march for it,” said Beck Machin-Ward, founder and chairman of the Young Democrats Committee at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC).
Voter registration and voter status checks will be available at the event, in addition to daily voter registration events occurring at LTCC every day through Monday, organized by the Young Democrats Committee.
“One thing we’ve noticed, just because of how large California is and how spread thin all of the election boards are, there’s not too many natural opportunities for people to check their status and to register online or register through filling out one of the paper registration forms,” added Machin-Ward. “So every opportunity that we have to give that to the people in South Lake, we’re definitely gonna take.”
Due to the ongoing El Dorado Beach/Lakeview Commons improvement project, the Commons parking lot may be closed. Construction is anticipated through October 15 but may potentially extend depending on progress, weather, and permitting. Attendees should plan to park legally on surrounding neighborhood streets and walk to Lakeview Commons.
The event, hosted by 50501 Tahoe, Tahoe Resistance Alliance, Young Democrats Committee of LTCC and South Lake Tahoe Indivisible, marks the fourth No Kings rally seen in South Lake Tahoe, with previous rallies drawing in hundreds.
Natalie Lynn Spandau, 62, passed away on August 7, 2026. Natalie grew up in Diamond Bar, California and spent her youth playing soccer and driving race cars. She then followed her love for skiing to South Lake Tahoe, California. Missing the desert she grew up playing in, she made her way back to Anza Borrego State Park where she spent her evenings off-roading and taking sunset photos. She is survived by her brother, Chris Spandau, and daughters, Kelsi Buts and Janelle Spandau-Buts. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Virginia and Theodore Spandau, and brothers, Scott, Mark, and Kevin Spandau. A celebration of life will be held, details to follow.
Sue was born in Detroit, MI to Margaret and Leo Bolger, and grew up in Wyandotte, MI. She was one of five children, as well as an identical, mirror twin, as she would always say. She graduated from St. Patrick High School in 1956. She moved to Los Angeles, CA in the 1960’s, and worked for Union Oil. She met Paul Hrbacek through a computer dating service, and they were married in August 1969. Their son, Rory, was born in 1975, and daughter, Stephanie, in 1978. They lived in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of LA until 1979 when they moved to South Lake Tahoe. Sue loved sewing, and playing the piano. She sang with the Tahoe Choir, and made some of her lifelong friends through the Montessori School carpool. She began working for STPUD in 1985, and retired as Contracts Administrator in 2001. In the same year, she met Don Miller. They married and moved to Florida to begin retired life together, eventually settling in Mesquite, NV. Sue passed away at the age of 88 in Mesquite.
When tragedy struck the family in 1991, with the death of Rory, Sue made it her mission in life to support other parents whose children had died by founding The Children’s Memorial. With the help of artist Dan Jones, the memorial was created using the tree that Rory, Sandy and Casey had crashed into on Pioneer Trail. The Memorial’s forever home is on Hwy 50 at Wildwood Ave. The memorial will live on as a testament to her faith, and determination to help others. “Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
Sue is survived by husband, Don Miller, daughter Stephanie Hrbacek, brother Rory Bolger, granddaughter Chandre Pero, and eleven nieces and nephews. Sue is preceded in death by her son Rory Hrbacek, twin sister Dorothy Johnson, sister Maryann Seguin, sister Paddy McEntire, and former husband Paul Hrbacek.
Sue will be interred with her son Rory at Happy Homestead Cemetery.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Lake Tahoe is in for a windy evening. The National Weather Service has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for the Greater Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding areas for Thursday, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday.
The advisory warns of winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph that could drive two- to three-foot waves on Lake Tahoe.
“Gusty winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft,” the service said.
It is advised to check lake conditions before heading out and to be prepared for sudden increases in winds and waves, or to postpone boating activities altogether.
Who doesn’t love that cozy autumn feeling of walking to your mailbox, or a drop box, or an in-person voting center to cast your vote for local, state, and national leadership?
2026 is a midterm year, meaning no voting for the U.S. president and vice president. With that spotlight off, local races receive more, much-deserved attention. Ideal, since that’s where voters have the most power to effect change. But without presidential candidates on the ballot, there tends to be considerably less participation. In 2022’s midterm election, 36% of California’s voting age population cast a ballot compared to 53% in 2024’s general. In Nevada for those same years, 41% bumped up to 58%.
The irony isn’t difficult to spot: Rules and codes over local development, utility rates, transportation options — these and hundreds more decisions happen in your neck of the woods and are made by the people you vote into office. But it doesn’t have the same drama or them-versus-us vibe, so it might not feel as critical to participate.
We hope reviewing the answers provided by candidates in the following pages adds a reason to your pros and cons list about voting on or before Nov. 3. There are very real issues at hand and critical decisions being made, and who you vote for could turn the tide one way or the other.
For our election coverage in our October edition, we took a methodical approach to the jurisdictions and special districts featured: Those we questioned in person as part of the Truckee Candidate Forum on Oct. 8 — Truckee Town Council, Tahoe Forest Hospital District, and Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District — were not included in print. (You can re-watch those forums, which took place Oct. 6 and 8, at ttm.ompnetwork.org.
A North Shore Election Forum took place Oct. 6, where state candidates participated in a Q&A. Find the recording at firsttuesdaybreakfastclub.com.
Incline Village Crystal Bay Business Association is hosting an IV-CB Community Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Duffield Theater at Incline High School. It will be broadcast live and available afterward at youtube.com/@iv-cbcommunityforum9730.
We also touch on Measure P, which goes before all voters within the TTUSD boundaries.
You’ll find three district-specific questions asked of the candidates, who were allowed no more than 125 words in response per answer. Please sit with their answers and mull over who you believe would best fill an empty seat on a board, then responsibly fill out your ballot and cast your vote by Nov. 3. A healthy democracy depends on participation.
For uncontested races and other information, view our 2026 Election Tracker at tinyurl.com/5f4w5j4c.
Residents must register to vote by Oct. 19. Same-day voter registration is possible, but must be done at a county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Visit caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov for a list of early voting locations.
Residents must have registered to vote in person or by mail by Oct. 6. Same-day voter registration is possible and must be done in person at a polling location. Visit tinyurl.com/mrfcsc7p for a list of early voting locations.
Two years ago, the Incline Village General Improvement District was in a precarious spot. Fraud allegations, financial issues, failed recalls, and a general manager spot that couldn’t seem to be kept filled — interim GM Bobby Magee, who resigned after three months, followed by Kent Walrack, who lasted a similar length of time before being terminated by a new board. That same month, January 2025, the still-current GM, Bob Harrison, was put in place.
Earlier this summer, Trustee Mick Homan wrote a piece for Moonshine saying that at long last, things are looking up. “With key hires in HR and finance to supplement the existing team, focus shifted to three priorities,” he wrote. “Improving organizational health, restoring financial discipline, and advancing long-term capital planning.”
The shape of that progress looks different to different people. There are three candidates running for two seats on the IVGID Board of Trustees, with only one incumbent running for reelection: David Noble. That means there’ll be at least one newcomer, either Harry Swenson, who ran in 2024, or Ryan “RB” Brooks. The candidates touch on cost discipline, transportation, and utility management.
Candidates were limited to 125-word responses per question, and they have been edited for style and clarity. Order of replies determined by a randomizer.
1. Public transportation has been identified as a critical option to reduce traffic, lower pollution, expand mobility, and more. December 2025’s cancellation of TART (Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit) Connect’s microtransit services and the Aug. 1, 2026, discontinuance of IVGID’s Senior Transportation Program have created a gap in public transportation needs across Incline Village/Crystal Bay. What do you see as the most critical way(s) IVGID can support or encourage expanded public transportation options?
Brooks: The end of these programs left us without on-demand transit for the residents who depend on it most: seniors, workers, and people without a car. As I see it, IVGID’s most critical role is to restore service quickly and on solid legal footing. IVGID’s counsel has advised that [Nevada Revised Statute] 318 doesn’t allow the district to operate transportation directly. Rather, we should let a local 501(c)(3) run the service and receive state and federal funding directly, including [Nevada Department of Transportation’s] [Federal Transit Administration] Section 5310 and Older Americans Act funds and Washoe County senior service contracts. IVGID’s role would be to convene partners and help prepare grant applications. Any direct financial support would be reviewed by legal counsel first, so we don’t trade one lawsuit risk for another.
Editor’s note: Words in brackets were added by editors and do not count against word count.
Noble: IVGID representatives have been in discussions with county representatives since April to strongly encourage restarting/funding TART, which would assist all residents, including seniors. Those discussions have included the use of at least some of the taxes generated from STRs in unincorporated Washoe County (over 90% of those revenues come from STRs in Incline Village and Crystal Bay), which currently go to the county, Travel North Tahoe Nevada (formerly the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau), and the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Unfortunately, IVGID is prohibited from providing public transportation service, unless it is tied to at least one of IVGID’s recreation venues.
Swenson: I would work with the board and amend the long-standing contract with Washoe County to ensure senior transportation services are fully funded by the county and are consistent with services offered in other towns/districts of the county. For instance, the county provides discounted Lyft rides and taxi services for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income residents. We need to ensure our community is aware of the services available.
IVGID has the responsibility of providing transportation according to the contract with Washoe County; therefore, the elimination of services was wrong. The problem appears to be budgetary and due to the services provided by IVGID going beyond what the county provides in other communities. Services should have been reviewed and refined rather than eliminated.
2. IVGID provides essential utilities while also operating an extensive recreation system. How would you determine which responsibilities should take priority when the district faces competing financial, infrastructure, and community needs?
Swenson: Maintaining and updating our water and sewer infrastructure is critical. Much of it is still original and in state of disrepair. We’ve had too many water main and line breaks. We need to budget and execute on a plan to get it upgraded and properly maintained. At the same time, we need to make the maintenance of our existing facilities, such as the recreation center, a priority. We should budget for these things first and then determine what additional projects can be accomplished. Only projects that can be delivered should be contained in the budget that results in your beach and recreation fees. This would resolve the over-collection of fees from our community while keeping our facilities in good repair.
Brooks: Tier 1 – Public health, safety, and legal obligations. Water, sewer, and effluent systems come first because they protect residents and the lake, and regulations aren’t optional.
Tier 2 – Taking care of what we already have. Before paying for anything new, IVGID should fully fund the repair and replacement of its existing pipes, pumps, facilities, and equipment.
Tier 3 – Core recreation at the heart of our community. Each IVGID facility should be evaluated on cost, usage, and how close it comes to covering its expenses. But keep a holistic approach.
Tier 4 – Wants. New amenities, expansions, and nice-to-haves come last.
Three rules would guide me in how I apply this:
Keep the money where it belongs.
Plan on a five- to 10-year horizon.
Show our work.
Noble: Water and sewer services take priority over all recreation venues because those services are essential to daily life. IVGID recently completed the effluent export pipeline project under Highway 28 — a $62 million-plus project finished a year ahead of schedule and $13 million-plus under budget. Looking forward, I believe reinvestment in IVGID’s water service and ski area should be priority. Wildfire preparedness measures (pipe replacement, backup generators, etc.) need to be accelerated for our water delivery system to be better prepared for future wildfire events. Diamond Peak is the only venue that generates a profit for the community ($1 to $5 million/year), yet no meaningful investments have been made in nearly 20 years — lodge, lift, and snowmaking upgrades are long overdue to address declining skier visits.
3. The past few years have seen ups and downs in the facility fee amounts district property owners pay annually. For example, in the fiscal year ending 2023, residents paid $780. In 2024, that amount dropped to $455. In 2026, due to impacted district finances, the annual fee went up to $1,375. The current IVGID board said the latest increase will help ensure district financial stability and the ability to manage current and future capital facilities. Do you think the board and staff have handled the financial instability well? How would you seek to maintain or improve district financial management moving forward?
Noble: The facility fee was kept flat from 2010 to 2023, while construction, labor, and food prices rose considerably over that period. The fee went up to $1,375 to begin addressing years of deferred maintenance and capital projects that languished due to analysis paralysis. I led the effort in early 2025 to hire IVGID’s new GM, who has rebuilt the finance department. We now have the right personnel in place for IVGID to comply with all applicable fiscal and accounting protocols, resulting in a clean (no exceptions or disclaimers) [Fiscal Year] 2025 audit. IVGID will be removed from the state’s fiscal watch list once the anticipated clean audit for FY 2026 is filed in November, which will enable IVGID to access additional financing tools for future projects.
Swenson: IVGID is collecting money for projects without the ability to complete in the budgeted year for many years; it’s resulted in excessive cash reserves. The excessive cash build-ups have also allowed your money to be used where it wasn’t intended or budgeted. The lower-fee years were during a time when the board linked the fees to the ability to deliver projects and services; they didn’t over-collect but collected for what was achievable. Last year’s capital improvement plan was for $30 million of projects and barely executed on $6 million. Now, with the tripling of fees, they’ve collected another $40 million out of your pockets. The board needs to budget and collect only for projects and services it can deliver, nothing more. Apply proper fiscal management!
Brooks: The current board and staff faced the problem honestly. They built a long-term capital plan, ranked the most critical projects, and stabilized the general fund. The effluent pipeline replacement finished a year early and under budget. That’s real progress.
Going forward, I would:
Instead of raising fees, pursue cost savings and revenue generating opportunities. For example, we have a $400,000 line item for the replacement of golf carts. Let’s solicit sponsors like Titleist or Nike to brand and sponsor the golf carts.
Index the fee to construction costs every year with a published formula.
Autumn Color Reflected in the Twilight
Caples Lake, Calif.
Fall is here, and for photographers, it’s the most exciting time of the year. Grab your gear and head to the mountains. Great images may seem easy, but capturing world-class ones is not as simple as it appears. I have five key elements that I look for in a single image:
1. Color: The sky and landscape should be bursting with color. Brilliant blue skies, glowing sunsets, and vibrant fall foliage make images pop.
2. Water: I prefer a one to three-second exposure to soften the water into a creamy flow of motion. Reflections double the foliage and sky color, creating beautiful, mirrored compositions.
3. Strong Compositions: Find a solid center point, such as an is
olated tree or a splash of color. Your eye should wander around without being led out of the frame. S-curves and diagonals make images more dynamic.
4. Old Things: Ghost towns, dilapidated buildings or barns, and remnants of bygone eras are not only enjoyable to discover, but they are often weathered, rusted, or in disrepair, captivating viewers.
5. Weather: Clouds, snow, and rain can all enhance an image. Cloudy days reduce the contrast of shadows. The first snowfall of the year is a must-see, and a gentle rain to wash away dust is always welcome.
I haven’t yet captured a photo that incorporates all five elements, but I’ll keep trying!
It being a midterms year, Moonshine Ink sought to create a political education column, speaking with academics on the state of politics in the country. In this edition of the Politics Brief, Moonshine spoke with Teaching Assistant Professor Owen Fite, Ph.D., from the University of Nevada, Reno’s political science department. Answers were lightly edited for style and clarity.
You teach a class on political philosophy, so I’m wondering if you can define democracy and tell me about how it has evolved since its creation? Why didn’t the founding fathers go with a direct Athenian democracy?
To give the general synopsis of what Athenian democracy was, it wasn’t monolithic, it wasn’t static. It changed over different years in which it existed. But the most radical take … that I think is worth juxtaposing from today is a democracy in which you had 6,000 citizens who showed up to the Pnyx — the assembly. It’s this hilltop in Athens. And the first 6,000 citizens that showed up there got to be essentially congress members for the day.
Those citizens would be voting yea or nay on the various proposals that were submitted by [a] council of 500. This was still restricted to Athenians, even if there were other city-states and areas that were under Athenian rule. This was still a very exclusive form of citizenship that also did not include women or children or slaves. But these people also were paid.
As a way to make this more accessible even to the poor, you could get paid essentially a day’s wage to show up and do your citizenry duties. And so you had a form of citizenship that allowed for such participation and allowed for real engagement, whether it’s because you were picked by lottery to be one of these more deliberative council members in this smaller body of 500, or you always having this right to show up early to this assembly with 5,999 other folks and vote yea or nay on these various proposals. I don’t think I need to explain to you how different that is from democracy today.
Aristotle gives you a theory as to three noble forms of government — what are pure, virtuous forms of government: benevolent kingship, aristocracy, and polity, or what also might be translated to a constitutional polity of sorts.
The perverted forms, or the forms of government that end up taking shape if the noble ones end up being corrupted, are: tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. Democracy is seen as mob rule, rule of incompetence, rule of those who are subject to material needs. In other words, people are selfishly going into these assemblies looking for what they can get. If they don’t have their needs met, they’re going to be even more desperate and selfish instead of deliberating and thinking of a collective communal good.
And it isn’t until we get to John Locke and what we would call the introduction of liberal democracy that we get kind of this 180, where we get essentially the English Civil Wars, and we get this re-understanding that government is based on consent, individual’s agreement to enter into a social contract and accept legitimate authority.
[The founding fathers] had a lot of liberal ideas to pull from, they draw from Lockean philosophy, and so they have the basis of a liberal democratic government, but one that is still supposed to be based on rationalism, that is still supposed to exclude women, those who are not educated enough, like children, those who are supposed to only be property owning. In other words, still this idea that those who can’t provide for themselves are going to corrupt a public body, seeking their own selfish good if they don’t have their own material sustenance met.
And what one could clearly argue as real skepticism of the everyday citizen, the fact that the Senate was not able to be elected until we get to the 1900s shows that the founding fathers didn’t want everyday people in charge of affairs. The fact that the electoral college existed meant another layer of insulation in which individual people could not express their concerns. By just keeping it in the House of Representatives, it allowed some sort of representation based off citizens, which is still a very exclusive circle.
Not everyone could be a citizen … that would be specifically capped by a Senate. It’d be capped to really make sure that all these warnings made by political philosophers over the last thousand years [about] a tyranny of the masses, a tyranny of the uneducated, would never really take shape.
ZOON POLITIKON: Politics isn’t simply Congress or voting, says Owen Fite, it’s the network of relationships and decisions that shape how we live together. File image
As politics becomes wrapped up in every facet of life, what would you say to somebody who says that they’re not political? How does this tie into Aristotle’s idea of the zoon politikon?
Zoon politikon translates to political animal.
And this is an assumption made by Aristotle that people are political creatures. In other words, politics is not something we should avoid. Politics is the very essence of being human.
The fact that humans have ideas of what is good and bad, what’s better and worse, what is righteous, what is sincere, what is emotion, these are all very human things. And all of this has to do with politics. In order to understand this you have to have a more capacious definition instead of an institutional definition of politics just being Congress or voting.
But politics at its origins is the practice of compromise, of agreeing. Well, that’s what it’s like to be a person. The only way one could avoid politics would be living out on an island by themselves with no interaction with anyone else.
But even that is still the consequence of politics. For example, [if] some different treaties or different governments agreed not to populate this one island,[then] even if someone avoids all politics, the very absence of politics … requires politics elsewhere. And so that’s a different answer, though, to how someone who tells me they’re not political, how I’d respond to them.
I would do a long Socratic kind of back and forth if I had all the time in the world and I was invested in really getting this through. I would ask, ‘What does it mean to not be political?’ I’d throw it on its head. And if someone said, ‘Oh, it’s just I like my job and I like watching my TV.’ I’d ask, ‘Well, how do you have your job? What are the economic forces at play? What are the facts of insurance, the subsidies, the workplace protections, the fact that you have a home, the zoning, the roads that get you from here to there, the fact that you have TV, that you have internet connection here and there, that everything that leads to you being a part of another’s world, that’s political.’
It is interesting because I feel like some of the people I’ve talked to think it’s pointless. They think that they don’t have influence, or maybe they think that there’s no point in voting in the presidential election because they think that the only potential power that they have is within local elections.
What I would call a meaningful distinction of what you brought up is the difference between having agency and influence versus control and masterdom. Yeah, people in the U.S. right now do not have control over their politics.
They do not have a masterdom over politics unless they are one of those few exceptions of a political party elite or Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos-type billionaires. That doesn’t mean someone doesn’t have influence. If I were to have a conversation with individuals, I would probably take it as local, scaled down as possible to think of what influence have you had on friends, on family, on the community, and I would interrogate them or challenge them to say, how is that apolitical? You convincing a friend to watch a certain show over another, going to this event versus another, joining this club, spending their time doing this and that.
Whether they’re subtle or not, they have interconnections with ideas of what is better, what is worse, what are ways that we want to associate, we want to cohabitate, we want to live together, what institutions we want to make, whether they’re formal or informal.
What I problematize about the definition that you cited is that it’s really restricted by an institutionalist type of thinking that, yes, if you only work with institutions and you expect institutions to completely reflect what you want, it’s going to feel like you have no agency, but that’s only one avenue of politics.
The most radical changes over history, the biggest political change happens outside of formal institutions. It creates new institutions over time. You as an individual are not going to do that. You don’t have that control or masterdom, but that’s where you don’t get these big critical junctures until it actually takes up across a large group, a large mass of people.
We go back to the heart of it, which is politics only exists with others. You as an individual are not going to change everything in politics by yourself. It’s all part of a collective action problem, a collective effort.
Three seats of the five seats on the Truckee Fire Protection District board are up for the midterms, but none of them are seeking reelection, which means come Jan. 1, 2027, there’ll be three new faces overseeing the fire district’s budget, policies, and overall services for the community. This is especially notable considering the district’s current legal battle against Placer County over property tax allotment, such impending capital projects as a new headquarters fire station, and the recent union formation.
Candidates were limited to 125-word responses per question, and they have been edited for style and clarity. Order of replies determined by a randomizer.
1. Truckee Fire says a decades-old property-tax allocation problem in Placer County has cost it roughly $40 million since the 1970s. What is your understanding of the district’s claim, and what role should the board play in pursuing a resolution that supports reliable fire and emergency medical services while considering the impact on other taxing agencies? (Read more on this situation at moonshineink.com: Truckee Fire Sues Placer County Over Decades of Unpaid Property Tax.)
McThorn: Unfortunately, there is a confidentiality clause with the legal case, and I do not have all the factual information. Once on the board, I can better understand the issue. From what I know, this should have been addressed many years ago by prior chiefs and boards.
I am not for taking from other special districts within Truckee. This appears to be the threat from Placer County and am not sure that is legal. If the case is won, it should come from the Placer County general fund and not our special districts. Moving forward, the funds should be allocated appropriately to Truckee Fire. If elected, I will share all factual information that is legally allowed so we can move forward responsibly.
Rintala: The district has not been receiving funding from the fire service taxes paid by residents in a portion of Placer County. The district has spent many years trying to resolve this with Placer County. The fire taxes other district residents pay should not have to make up for the funding removed from our region. As a community member, I am not convinced that our local agencies are overfunded by the taxes collected for the TFPD, as the county suggests. The board should seek out and review available information and pursue the case with the entire community we serve in mind. The district should also be ready and willing to engage with other agencies to understand potential impacts.
Witherspoon: Truckee Fire deserves fair, durable funding without destabilizing schools, healthcare, sanitation, or neighboring districts. I reviewed the Zone 7 tax-area records, and the allocation snafu locked into place after Proposition 13 is there for anyone to see. The sanity check is whether Placer County or Northstar [Community Services District] would provide fire protection with those allocations. Quite simply, they wouldn’t. Correcting this historical imbalance will have a financial impact on the county and/or our local special districts. The board should protect the district’s legal position while making settlement the priority. I would require transparent reporting on legal costs, verify the service-cost analysis, and bring Placer County and affected agencies into structured negotiations.
Brown: The lawsuit is active against Placer County by Truckee Fire. This case should be guided by fairness, fiscal responsibility, and what is legitimately owed to our fire district. We have been pursuing a fair resolution with Placer County for decades; with better communication this could have prevented the lawsuit. While retroactive funding may not be recoverable, we should establish a fair path forward. Our emergency services remain unchanged for these areas while local taxpayers bear the costs. I believe there are sufficient resources to reach an equitable solution without negatively impacting other agencies. The court should make a ruling and Truckee Fire will acceptingly move forward. If settlement is needed, I would support collaboration, transparency, and a fair outcome for all involved.
Golden: I completely agree that we cannot take resources away from our schools or healthcare district. A zero-sum fight between local emergency services and education is not the answer.
At the same time, we have to be honest about the problem. Billions of dollars of development have occurred in the Martis Valley, creating more people, more homes and more fire risk, while Truckee Fire remains understaffed. I believe Placer County needs to be part of the solution. We should work toward a long-term agreement that better recognizes the cost of protecting these communities.
My goal would be simple: make sure the tax revenue generated here is helping provide the services needed here, while working with our neighboring agencies rather than taking resources away from them.
2. Significant capital projects are on the horizon for Truckee Fire, including Station 90, a new headquarters fire station, and a regional training facility for Truckee and its partner agencies. What are three specific ways the board of directors might hold the line on fiscal discipline during the planning and implementation of these and other projects?
Golden: Fiscal discipline doesn’t mean saying no to every major project. It means making sure we’re building what our community actually needs and getting the most value for every taxpayer dollar.
I’m particularly supportive of seeing the regional training facility through because I believe it can make Truckee and our neighboring agencies better prepared while sharing cost and resources. I would work directly with partner agencies to make that happen.
Training matters. Firefighters cannot be expected to perform at their best during a structure fire if they can’t regularly practice those skills. Technology, equipment, and fire behavior continue to change, and we have to keep our firefighters current. I would expect strong budgets, accountability, and regular oversight while investing in training that keeps our community safe.
McThorn: The new station 90 is still in the early phase and changes can be made. From what I know, there is not a definitive funding plan. There should be a collaborative effort moving forward with all stakeholders, Transient Occupancy Tax, and community input. Fiscal responsibility is always a priority with public funds. It is a good plan with an attached fire station from what I have seen.
The need for a regional training facility should be a priority. Our goal should be to keep our firefighters within or close to our district when training. Training is a top priority, and Truckee is one of the most uniquely challenged areas in the country. Our firefighters need to be ready at all times.
Rintala: With three new board members, the prospective capital projects should be reviewed starting with a thorough needs and benefits analysis as we look to modernize and grow with our community. The district is healthy and should explore accessible funding options while prioritizing the most important capabilities we can afford to pursue. These are high-impact projects that can improve capability and service quality if well planned. A fire station is a large investment. Community-supported funding must be considered in the context of overall community needs, aging infrastructure, and resource availability. The board needs to honor and protect the existing partnership with voters that brought us wildfire risk reduction through Measure T funding and plan to build forward in concert with other community providers.
Witherspoon: Representing taxpayer interests starts well before construction. Station 90’s 18,000-square-foot concept carries a preliminary estimate of about $24 million. At that scale, the district must validate and prioritize needs, compare smaller and phased alternatives, identify external funding, and show that construction will not weaken reserves or service levels. Any capital plan must address upgrades to aging stations and prioritize the highest needs. For greenlit projects, I would require updated cost estimates and public board approval at design milestones, bid awards, and significant change orders. For a regional training facility, each partner’s capital contribution, operating share, governance rights, maintenance obligation, and exit terms should be documented before Truckee commits. We should fund what crews need, what population growth demands, and what the tax base can sustain.
Brown: I believe a new fire station can be an important investment in our community’s safety, but we need strong safeguards before committing significant taxpayer dollars. I would support a thorough feasibility study, independent cost estimates, realistic construction timelines, and a clearly defined project scope. The board should establish a firm budget with appropriate contingency reserves, require competitive bidding, and have any significant scope or cost changes return to the board for approval.
We should also evaluate long-term operating and maintenance costs, secure outside funding where possible, and regularly review the project against established milestones. Most importantly, the community deserves transparent reporting throughout the process. Good planning means anticipating challenges before they become expensive problems and ensuring we build what Truckee needs while protecting taxpayers.
3. Earlier this year, Truckee firefighters joined the Sierra Nevada Firefighters Local 3800 union. What changes, if any, have you observed in the district’s internal communication, collaboration, or service delivery since then? As a board member, how would you support a constructive working relationship among executive staff, the board, and union members?
Brown: I respect the employees’ choice to go union and encourage good collaboration. The transition and relationship are new and priorities should be open communication to build trust, accountability, and a strong working relationship. We can work together to build a problem-solving partnership and I’m positive the union relations will continue to develop. Since the unionization, the board has approved a change in service for the better with regard to daily minimum staffing levels. The staffing levels are now increased by two personnel, making a mandatory of 10 personnel. This is an important improvement from the previous minimum staffing of eight. There is always room for revision and conversation to increase these levels in the future based on district needs and fiscal availability.
Golden: I believe the most important thing is that everyone remembers we’re on the same team. Our firefighters, executive staff, and board may have different perspectives, but we all have the same responsibility: providing the best possible fire and emergency medical service to our community.
Since firefighters joined Local 3800, I believe the board should embrace that relationship, not treat it as an obstacle. I would make a point of listening to our firefighters and understand what they’re seeing on the ground, while also respecting the responsibilities of the chief and board.
Good organizations communicate openly, address problems directly, and hold each other accountable. I would work to build that relationship: one that’s based on respect, transparency, and a shared commitment to the people we serve.
McThorn: Since unionizing, the internal communication seems to be strained. With my experience in labor and management communications and negotiations, I will bring stability, open lines of communication, and straightforward discussions. I have learned over my career that such communication will always prevail. It will unify and gain trust among labor and management and build a stronger fire district. The firefighters and prevention officers are front line and have the best insight for positive change. As a board member, I would like to see monthly labor and management meetings with set achievable goals, and a monthly report to the board. To be a truly effective union it takes the labor group to be proactive and communicate factually. We must work together to better serve our community.
Rintala: The union relationship is new and all parties still have to learn how to work with each other under a new system. Attending board meetings over the last year and listening to firefighters, I’ve observed difficulty from all sides while individuals remain mission-driven and strive to deliver outstanding service to our evolving rural community. TFPD’s extraordinary firefighters, staff, and leaders work with many response partners for rapid, scalable, and reliable emergency response. The national advocacy from the union promises to bring guidance to our team that helps keep our firefighters, residents, and visitors ever safer in emergencies. The board should actively guide respectful engagement from the boardroom to the front line putting our community and our Truckee Fire team ahead of turf battles.
Witherspoon: I am not inside the organization and will not claim firsthand knowledge of private workplace dynamics. Public statements surrounding the unionization suggest employees wanted a more consistent voice in district decisions. I have seen no evidence that unionization has diminished service, and I support employees finding a constructive way to be heard. I welcome the perspective a regional union can bring from peer fire districts. As a board member, I would support scheduled labor-management meetings, anonymous employee climate surveys and more transparency with staff, e.g., livestreaming board meetings so employees can follow them remotely. The board should respect collective bargaining and the chief’s chain of command while ensuring employees can raise concerns safely. Constructive labor relations are necessary to sustain excellent public service.
Inventory levels are down from 2025 in nearly all Tahoe submarkets. In September 2025, there were 327 homes listed for sale in the Tahoe Sierra MLS compared to 272 in 2026. The homes that sell are moving faster than last year, with average days on market dropping across every market except for the NV Tahoe Basin, where days on market jumped from 70 to 146 along with a 37% rise in median sold price year over year. This suggests a smaller pool of higher priced sales rather than a cooler market. Month-to-month, most submarkets saw sales volume increase into September where prices decreased slightly, consistent with the overall trend of sellers adjusting pricing to move inventory as we move into the shoulder season.
Enter a stand of aspens and all of the senses awaken. Leaves flutter in the slightest breeze, brilliant shades of green fill the canopy in summer, and glowing yellows and oranges emerge in autumn. The forest understory carries the earthy scent of saturated, nutrient-rich soils, while temperatures drop within these pockets of moisture and life. Surrounded by Tahoe’s conifer forests, an aspen stand can feel like an entirely different world, and in the fall, these forests become especially striking, showcasing a vibrant display of seasonal transformation.
Aspens carry a lot of significance for Tahoe, both metaphorically and ecologically. As one of very few deciduous trees native to the region, their dramatic color shift each fall is a reminder of summer’s closure, capturing memories made in the warm months. The transition through autumn prepares us for the cold temperatures and snowfall ahead. Ecologically, aspen habitats are refuges of utmost importance scattered throughout our dominant evergreen forests, creating biodiversity hotspots that support an abundance and diversity of plants, animals, and other organisms.
Meet the Aspen
Quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) are the most widespread native tree in North America. Their name comes from the way their leaves shimmer and quake in the wind. An aspen’s round, heart-shaped leaf attaches to its flattened leaf stem, called a petiole. This structure helps sunlight penetrate deeper and more evenly into the tree canopy, prevents heat stress, makes it harder for fungal spores to settle, helps shake off insect pests, and even reduces the risk of damage to the tree on windy days.
BACK SCRATCHER: Black bear claw marks scar the trunk of a quaking aspen along the Legacy Trail in Truckee. Photo by Sarah Hockensmith
Some aspen stands consist of genetically identical trees, or clones, connected by a shared root system. Although we don’t have the enormous clones found in Utah or Colorado, pockets of these trees in the Tahoe Basin can also be a combination of individual trees that make up one large organism, spreading through the landscape through new shoots, or suckers. Each new shoot grows from the parent root system and shares identical DNA, creating a genetic clone. Aspens can spread sexually by seed, but most aspen in the western United States reproduce primarily through these connected root systems and clonal suckering. In fall, aspens with the same DNA typically change color synchronously, exposing genetic relationships within a stand to sharp-eyed observers.
From afar, aspens may look as if they have white bark, but a closer look reveals that the outer layer has a greenish tint. That is because the bark contains chlorophyll, green pigments that allow the tree to perform bark photosynthesis, even when leaves are absent in the cold months (so long as temperatures allow water to remain liquid). Unlike most local trees that grow thick, woody outer bark, aspen bark is soft and sensitive, and even a small scratch can create scarring. When visiting aspen stands, look for evidence of bear scratches on the trees and try to ignore the human-caused scars. Aspen trunks tell stories of history and wildlife, holding clues about the animals that live among them, from Tahoe’s largest mammals to smaller creatures like birds, insects, and caterpillars.
Aspen’s Unique Ecological Roles
I spent a summer studying nesting songbirds in quaking aspen stands, and that experience gave me a deeper appreciation for just how much life this habitat can support. Although the Tahoe region is home to a variety of plants and wildlife, large aspen groves are important for the variety of microhabitats they create. Unlike dense evergreen forests, aspens have a canopy that allows more sunlight to reach the forest floor. Their leaves decompose relatively quickly and produce less acidic litter than evergreen needles, helping create nutrient-rich soils that hold moisture better and support a lush understory of grasses, forbs, and wildflowers. Together, these conditions create a mosaic of food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for an impressive range of species.
Aspen communities can be alive with activity. Look closely and you may find mountain beaver burrows beneath the forest floor, incisor marks from American beavers along the trunks, or a sapsucker drilling neat rows of rectangular holes into the bark. During the spring and summer, the leafy canopy provides cover for nesting songbirds such as warbling vireos, dusky flycatchers, and thrushes. The abundance of flowering plants that thrive on the forest floor among the aspens attracts insects, which are an important food source for birds and other wildlife throughout the summer season. Even the bark itself has sugars that provide carbohydrates and quick energy for feasting mammals such as deer, porcupines, and hares.
QUACKING ASPENS reach their full fall glory at Page Meadows, a popular viewing place, where entire stands transform into shades of yellow and orange. Photos by Jennifer Coon
Aspen are highly susceptible to heart-rot, a fungal disease that decays the inner heartwood at the center of a tree, and woodpeckers move right in. Many species excavate a new home each year as the heart-rot climbs higher, and over time large aspens become natural apartment complexes for wildlife that depend on cavities. Old woodpecker holes in aspen are reused by our smallest owl and duck species, swallows, bats, flying squirrels, and many other cavity-nesting birds. In this way, an aspen stand continues to provide habitat throughout the life and death of its individual trees, making these forests some of the most dynamic wildlife places in the Tahoe region.
From Green to Gold: Why Some Trees Change Color
So, what makes aspens turn from green to gold? Chlorophyll is the green pigment that allows most plants to photosynthesize, and when a leaf is packed full of chlorophyll, it appears green. While conifer trees retain their needles through winter, deciduous trees, like aspens, shed their leaves. As days become shorter and temperatures drop, aspens begin preparing to drop their leaves. The tree forms a barrier, called an abscission layer, between the leaf and the rest of the tree, gradually cutting off the flow of water and nutrients. As chlorophyll degrades and new chlorophyll is no longer produced, the green color disappears, revealing other pigments and their colors that have been present in the leaf all along.
The yellows and oranges of autumn come primarily from pigments called carotenoids. These are present in aspen leaves throughout the life of each leaf, but are masked by the sheer volume of chlorophyll during spring and summer. Once the green fades, these hidden colors emerge, creating the gold and yellow hues that make aspen stands so striking.
Bright reds are less common in Tahoe’s aspens. When they do appear, they come from a different pigment called anthocyanin. These red pigments can form when sugars become trapped in the leaf as the tree seals it off from the rest of the plant. Under the right conditions, those sugars trigger chemical processes that produce red and sometimes purple pigments. In many places, the strongest reds develop when sunny days are paired with cool temperatures and at least a little bit of moisture to keep the tree trying to cling to the growing season. Those conditions may be less consistent in Tahoe’s high-elevation climate, which could help explain why our aspens are more often golden than red.
Eventually, the leaves fall to the ground, allowing the aspen to enter a dormant state and conserve energy through the coldest months.
Where to Find Fall Color
For those hoping to experience the brilliant fall colors of aspen, there are plenty of places around the Tahoe Basin and surrounding Sierra to explore. The best place to look for them? Tributaries and water’s edge. On the South Shore, Taylor Creek is a great place to see aspen changing color, with easy, flat trails and beautiful views along the creek. For a more adventurous challenge, some of the largest aspens at Tahoe can be found along the Upper Truckee River in between Christmas Valley and Meiss Country. On the West Shore, Blackwood Canyon and Page Meadows offer excellent opportunities to wander through aspen groves and catch the seasonal transition. On the North Shore, head to Spooner Lake, North Canyon, or Marlette Lake, where some of our largest aspen stands provide a spectacular contrast against the surrounding evergreens and mountain landscape. North of Truckee, most of the Little Truckee watershed has stringers of aspen lining the watercourses, although most of the trees aren’t very large. South of the Basin, Hope Valley, Monitor Pass, and the Eastern Sierra extending further south offer countless additional opportunities to see aspen turning shades of yellow, gold, and orange. Wherever you go, fall is a wonderful time to slow down, explore a familiar trail from a new perspective, and enjoy one of the Tahoe region’s most beautiful seasonal changes.
~ A naturalist and adventure seeker, Sarah Hockensmith finds inspiration in wild places. Whether hiking a rugged trail or wandering through a meadow, she slows down to observe the flora and fauna around her. She enjoys researching and sharing the stories of nature’s often overlooked treasures.
What does the midterm election look like through the eyes of young voters in the Tahoe region? We asked five Gen Zers, ages 19 to 23, about whether they plan to vote, the issues that matter most to them, how well political parties represent them, and how they feel about voting in California and Nevada. Their answers reflect a generation that is engaged but not necessarily aligned, with concerns ranging from the cost of living and housing to international conflict, data centers, healthcare, and the economy. Respondents are listed alphabetically, with the order rotated throughout the Q&A.
Ella Brandt, 23
From Tahoe City
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Female
Registered as: Democrat
Ella Brandt is a Cal Poly alumnus currently working at a marina on Lake Tahoe.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
Yes, I will be voting. I think it’s a pivotal and impactful time to be able to utilize and exercise my right to vote and take part in our democracy, especially given where I stand on who controls the House and Senate.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
Cost of living and health care are two of the biggest issues in this midterm. The propositions on our ballot could bring real relief on housing, health care, and taxes. This is largely important to help the well-being of families and workers across California.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
I think the Democratic Party ultimately represents me better than any alternative. When I weigh my options, the party aligns more closely with my values, particularly environmental sustainability, access to health care, and Congress holding the President accountable.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
It’s hard to sum up all Californians in one way, and voting is how every part of the state gets heard. I like being Californian overall, but living in Tahoe, I think I may have a different perspective than most Californians. For instance, we deal with seasonal crowds and a housing market that’s hard for locals to afford.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will likely vote in person.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I am in full support of this. Individuals with that much wealth and accessibility to money should contribute to the communities around them. It would bring a meaningful influx of money to those who need it.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
I am not currently following any specific local race.
Brenna Ritchie, 21
From Incline Village
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Female
Registered as: Democrat
Brenna Ritchie is a Rangeland Ecology and Natural Resources Management student at Montana State University.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
Yes, of course, they are still important votes because it changes options for the primary elections: if you have an opinion in the primaries, then you should have a vested interest in the midterms.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
Economics and cost of living and also data centers! Data center policy is something that every American citizen can rally behind, regardless of party, because they affect so much of our future and use of resources. Specifically, our future water use and land use are drastically impacted by data centers, and these are the two most important things for American agriculture — which is ultimately what keeps us all alive.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
Not super well — both are quite polarized on issues. Neither party tries to see the perspective of the other- and both are losing followers because they are so far leaning. I think there is a huge hole in American politics for someone who is middle ground on issues to collect voters from both parties due to their evenness and views for both sides.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I love being a Nevadan — I love being part of a swing state where your voice actually matters — especially in a contentious time right now with data center controversy.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will be voting by mail, and no I don’t have any reservations about using it — I trust the mail service to send packages, cards, and more, and I see sending a ballot as the same thing. I have faith in our hardworking citizens to deliver it, and for people counting them to act as upstanding Americans and do the right thing- as long as it gets counted, I don’t care through which avenue I vote.
6. What local election are you following, if any?
I am not following many local elections because I am not currently living there, but I do hear and keep tabs on the IVGID elections from my dad.
Hazin Burtt, 19
From Truckee
Ethnicity: Mixed
Gender Identity: Male
Registered as: Independent
Hazin is a professional rock climber.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
I will be voting in the midterms because I believe that one vote can make a difference.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
I believe the most important issue is our president and getting him impeached. If we cannot loosen the control of the Republicans in Congress, then we will have to suffer the consequences of his actions.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
They represent me well, but they don’t cover all my opinions on things. But that is to be expected. They represent me more than the Democrats and much more than the Republicans.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I don’t feel terrible about it because while Gavin Newsom makes some terrible decisions, he does some good for the environment.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will be voting in person, I like the sticker and the small trip out to vote at a poll.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I am in support of this but I do wish the percentage was higher. It would allow so many people to live their lives with what should be the basics, but who currently cannot.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
I am not following any local races currently.
Emmett Roberts, 22
From Olympic Valley
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Male
Registered as: Independent
Emmett is a Tufts University Alumnus currently working as an electrical engineer.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
I will vote in the midterms. I mostly want my vote to reflect how I feel the president is handling his term by voting on congress members. So while I will be voting for state government and propositions, my main motivation is to vote for congress members.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
The biggest issue for me is the international conflict and the US’s involvement. I am very against the conflicts, and our government is not only funding Israel with weapons and money, but also making little diplomatic progress towards a ceasefire with Iran.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
I am nonpartisan so I feel it represents me pretty well. I have ideals that align with multiple different parties, and even if most of them are more aligned with the Democratic Party, I don’t think its current image is one I fully support or agree with.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I feel good about being Californian, the people in California share mostly the same important social and political viewpoints as me.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will be voting in person.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I think it is a good idea if implemented correctly. I will be voting for it, but I don’t want the money used improperly and I don’t want to drive billionaires out of the state, which could severely decrease state tax revenue and have other economic consequences.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
None.
Luke Bracco, 23
From Truckee
Ethnicity: White
Gender identity: Male
Registered as: Independent
Luke Bracco is a mountain guide and from Alamo, California. He has lived in Tahoe on and off for his entire life.
1. Will you vote in the midterms? Why or why not?
Yes, definitely. Midterms decide who’s in Congress and who sets policy at the state and local level, and those decisions affect day-to-day life more than people realize. Skipping them means letting other people choose for me.
2. What do you think is the most important issue in the midterm election and why?
The economy and unemployment are issues that have my attention. Housing and healthcare are equally important, but hinge on the stability of a consistent paycheck. Holding work is critical to being able to build a life, and for people my age, that’s a huge source of uncertainty.
3. How well does your political party currently represent you and why?
I lean Democrat and it’s the closest fit, but not a perfect one. I agree with the party on a lot of social and policy priorities, but I don’t always feel it puts enough focus on jobs and affordability, which are important issues to me.
4. In a national (political) context, how do you feel about being Nevadan or Californian?
I have mixed feelings living here. California is a leader in innovation, climate policy, and culture, but it also falls victim to political issues seen at a national level. It’s frustrating that critical issues like cost of living and housing fall behind more divisive social issues. We spend too much time fighting over ideas that affect a relatively small portion of the population and ignore ones that truly affect the lives of everyone.
5. Will you be voting by mail or in person? If by mail, do you have any reservations about using this method?
I will vote by mail. It’s convenient and I have no reservations about it.
6. On the ballot is a billionaires tax, a one-time tax of 5% on the wealth of individuals worth over $1 billion. The tax is meant to subsidize healthcare, education and food assistance for Californians. Are you in support of this and why or why not?
(Editor’s Note: This question was asked only of Californians.)
I’m torn on the billionaire tax. I like the goal of funding healthcare, education, and food assistance, and I think the ultra-wealthy can contribute more, but I worry about the application. Whether it’s a true one-time tax, how wealth gets valued, and if the money actually reaches those programs are some questions I’ve raised. It also strikes me as a headline political move, another easy to support or protest idea that keeps us from talking about long term, harder to address issues.
7. What local election are you following, if any?
I’m not following a specific local race. Honestly, I haven’t seen much coverage of local issues, and I think that’s a gap in how elections get covered.
