Carlos Mencia will perform in Stateline, Nev., on Nov. 29, 2025.Provided / Stars of Comedy
STATELINE, Nev. — When Carlos Mencia steps onto a stage, he steps into the one place in his life where the rules never quite applied.
“I discovered comedy as the one place where my mother couldn’t tell me, ‘Not here, not now,'” Mencia said. “It was where I realized I could talk about all the absurdities and stupidities of life.”
Mencia’s first show was in 1988 at Las Vegas’ Laugh Factory. When he delivered his first joke and heard the audience erupt, he knew instantly he had found his path.
“It was like the heavens opened up,” he said. “I literally quit school and quit my job the next day.”
From that moment on, he devoted himself to examining the world through humor. He became a regular at The Comedy Store, performing nightly, and after breaking out on the Los Angeles comedy circuit, he was named the International Comedy Grand Champion on Buscando Estrellas, the Latin version of Star Search. That success led to appearances on In Living Color, The Arsenio Hall Show, and An Evening at the Improv.
Mencia’s stage presence blends sharp observation with cultural irony — something he said comes naturally. He is best known for his raw and unfiltered style of comedy, which he has showcased to great success on comedy stages, and in television shows and movies.
But some of his comedy also comes from navigating his own life.
Born in Honduras but raised by a Mexican mother, Mencia grew up steeped in Mexican culture and often felt suspended between belonging and being an outsider.
“I was always the Honduran in the Mexican world,” he said. “I’m an American who was born in Honduras. You’re accepted — but always kind of.”
That duality shaped him as a person and as a comedian, giving him a lens for the contradictions and absurdities he sees in the world.
As he prepares to take the stage in Stateline on Nov. 29, Mencia said he isn’t chasing a message or a theme — just connection.
“I want people to laugh with me or at me,” he said, smiling. “When you come to see Carlos Mencia, you’re going to laugh at yourself and laugh at others. You’re going to realize that you — your life, your experiences, your mind — are incredibly interconnected with everybody else.”
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
If you’re one who hasn’t dove into the world of crêpes, then you have the perfect opportunity this week (and beyond) to eat through some fascinating options at Bearry Sweet Crêpes. From savory to sweet and everything in between, we focus this week on one of their most popular sweet options. And any time you have a menu item named after the business, you know you’re in for a treat.
The crêpe batter is scratch made and perfectly griddled before getting formed into a cone shape to allow to be filled with a mixture of fresh berries, crushed Oreo cookies, pecans, and vanilla bean ice cream. If you can picture a fairly normal ice cream cone, this crêpe is about two to three times as big – it’s gigantic.
The mixture of berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries) offers up a complex layer of tart and tangy that accent the richness of the ice cream perfectly. And not only do you have contrasting textures between the ice cream-berry combo and the pecans and Oreos, you also have contrasting temperatures. The warm enveloping crêpe gives your tastebuds a huge hug and adds in an additional sweet and savory component.
The only thing you have to figure out is how you’re going to attack it. You can dive right in and figure it out as you go or go a little more delicate approach with a spoon or fork. My best advice is to spoon it at first to ensure you get a little bit of everything and biting the crêpe as you go, but when you get down to the bottom, put the pedal to the metal and just go for it.
If the pumpkin or pecan pies don’t do it for you over the holiday, try this dessert instead for something a little different. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Bearry Sweet Crepes is located in the Ski Run Marina at 900 Ski Run Blvd Ste 118 in South Lake Tahoe. For more information follow them on Instagram at bearrysweetcrepes or give them a call at 530-237-1779.
Alibi’s 11th Anniversary Weekend: Beer + Events – 11 a.m., Alibi Ale Works – Incline Public House, 931 Tahoe Blvd. We’re turning 11! Celebrate all weekend with us. Friday 11/28 – we’re kicking off the weekend by freshly tapping our 11th Anniversary Beer: Czech Dark Lager. Saturday 11/29 – 80s Retro Ski Party with New Wave Crave at Alibi Incline, 9PM. Sunday 11/30 – Mustache & Beer Pairing Competition at Alibi Truckee, 5PM Winners will win gift cards, merch & more For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1852508482008061/.
DJ DELO in the Mix – 9-11:30 p.m., AleWorX Stateline. For more information, visit https://laketahoealeworx.com/event/dj-delo-in-the-mix/2025-11-28/.
DJ DUBFYAH at HQ – 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Bally’s Lake Tahoe Casino Resort, 55 Highway 50. Catch a vibe with DJ DUBFYAH here at HQ Cent er Bar on November 28th! For more information v isit lateniteproductions.com Additional dates: 11/28, 11/29. For more information, visit https://casinos.ballys.com/lake-tahoe/events-calendar.aspx?date=11/28/2 025&display=event&eventid=2460345.
Dueling Pianos at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe – 8:30-10:30 p.m., Harveys Casino Resort, 18 Hwy 50. Join us at the Mountain Bar located on Caesars Republic casino floor for a free show you don’t want to miss. Put your favorite song request in, grab a drink at the Mountain Bar and enjoy the fun! Playing Friday and Saturday at 8:30 PM. Dueling Pianos. Van Walraven and Guest. They play your favorite sing-alongs and are very appealing to the happy crowd. Van is a Guinness World Record Holder for the longest piano marathon: 39 hours, 976 songs. Proceeds went to VH-1 Save the Music Foundation. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/dueling-pianos-at-caesars-republic-lake-tahoe/2025-11-28/.
Gas Station Sushi – 4-8 p.m., AleWorx at the Y, 2050 Lake Tahoe Blvd. For more information, visit https://laketahoealeworx.com/event/gas-station-sushi-7/.
Heavenly Village Tree Lighting – 6 p.m., Visit Heavenly Village Lake Tahoe, 1001 Heavenly Village Way. 2025 Heavenly Village Tree Lighting. Come celebrate the lighting of our 65 foot Holiday Tree. Event is Free. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1069539868585132/.
Jose “Manny Maze” DJ Meza – 11 p.m.-1:30 a.m., Noel’s Coffee and Apothecary. For more information, visit https://tahoemusic.live/?page=5.
Kids Karaoke at Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe – 5-7 p.m., Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd,. Let the little stars shine! Join us over Thanksgiving and Christmas from 5:00 – 7:00 pm as the Lobby Bar transforms into a mini concert hall where kids can grab the mic and belt out their favorite tunes. We’ll keep them fueled with a rotating kids’ dinner buffet featuring all their favorite fun bites. Then from 7–10 PM, the spotlight shifts as we return to our regularly scheduled vibes with live local artists and drink specials just for the grown-ups. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/kids-karaoke-at-margaritaville-resort-lake-tahoe/2025-11-28/.
Live Music on the Patio at Saltgrass – 6-10 p.m., The Patio at Saltgrass Steakhouse, 50 Hwy 50. Our patio is the perfect spot to enjoy great food, refreshing drinks, and breathtaking mountain views. With cozy heated seating and the sunset as your backdrop, it’s the ultimate place to relax and unwind. Come for the steak, stay for the atmosphere, only at Saltgrass. Enjoy live entertainment every Thursday–Saturday from 6:00–10:00 pm! For more information, visit the website here. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/live-music-on-the-patio-at-saltgrass/2025-11-28/.
Magic After Dark: Robert Hall Unfiltered – 9-10 p.m., The Loft, 1021 Heavenly Village Way. Fridays at 9:00 pm. Magic After Dark offers an unfiltered, adults-only magic experience for those seeking something edgier. Step into the tantalizing, witty, and sometimes twisted world of award-winning magician and comedian Robert Hall. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/magic-dark-robert-hall-unfiltered/2025-11-28/ or call (530) 523-8024.
Tahoe Knight Monsters v Tulsa Oilers – Wizard Weekend – 7 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. Ages 2 and up require a ticket for entry
Saturday, November 29
Carlos Mencia – 8 p.m., Bally’s Lake Tahoe, 55 Highway 50. Comedian Carlos Mencia is best known for his raw and unfiltered style of comedy, which he has showcased to great success on comedy stages, and in television shows and movies. He has recently gone back to his comedic roots on his No Hate No Fear comedy tour, sharing his newest material with smaller, more intimate audiences. As a comedian who finds the hilarious irony in both the day-to-day and the newsworthy events, Carlos is never lacking in material; he recently shot two stand-up specials due out later this year. Carlos will also reprise his role as Felix Boulevardez in Disney+’s “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” the revival of the groundbreaking animated series “The Proud Family.” The show is heading into its second season.
Jelly Bread – The Last Waltz – 8 p.m., 14 State Route 28. Jelly Bread – The Last Waltz. On Thanksgiving Day of 1976, while most people were cozied up in their homes with a turkey leg and gravy-soaked mashed potatoes, some of the most iconic musical talent of the past few decades gathered onstage at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco to celebrate The Band’s farewell concert appearance, The Last Waltz. Today, all across the country, this show is re-created in celebration of good music and the holidays. For Tahoenians, this means Jelly Bread. The Reno-based rock-funk band has headlined and organized the annual Locals Last Waltz at the Crystal Bay Casino. It is an evening Jelly Bread looks forward to as it is a night of local music for the locals. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1146151561056602/.
DJ Montague – 9-11:30 p.m., AleWorX Stateline. Additional dates: 11/29, 12/4. For more information, visit https://laketahoealeworx.com/event/dj-montague-5/2025-11-29/.
Holiday Markets at South Lake Brewing Company – 12-5 p.m., South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. South Lake Brewing Company’s Indoor Holiday Market is making a return for 4 dates! The market will start at noon and run until 5 PM. Different vendors and food trucks will be present for each date. For more information, visit https://www.southlakebeer.com/brewery-events or call (530) 578-0087.
Live Music at Casey’s – 5-8 p.m., Casey’s, 212 Elks Point Rd #101. Mudd Bonz live on the second Saturday of every month at Casey’s in the Round Hill Center next to Safeway. Dog friendly patio with water bowls and a treat for your four-legged friends. Monday is open mic night with Dennis McMasters from 5:00-8:00 pm. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/live-music-at-caseys/2025-11-29/.
Live Music at the Grove on the Lake – 4-6 p.m., The Grove at Camp Richardson Resort, 1900 Jameson Beach Rd. Live music at the Grove. Live music with acts like The Trey Stone Band, Cash Only Band, Heavenly House Band, Arizona Jones, The Beach Cowboys, Whiskey and Wolves, Acustagruve, Winter Light Band, and Bluesberry Jam. Come have a Rum Runner cocktail and check out the view while you enjoy some live music at Lake Tahoe! For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/live-music-at-the-grove-on-the-lake/2025-11-29/.
South Lake Brewing Co’s Holiday Market – 12-5 p.m., South Lake Brewing Co, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Enjoy your holiday shopping this season at the South Lake Brewing Company’s indoor Holiday Market on four Saturdays – 11/29, 12/6, 12/13, and 12/20. The market will be open from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. on each of those dates. The event is free to attend and will be held at South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/south-lake-brewing-cos-holiday-market/2025-11-29/.
Tahoe Club Crawl Fall/Winter 25/26 – 8-11 p.m., Tahoe Club Crawl, 31 US HWY 50. Tahoe Club Crawl is an organized VIP nightlife tour of the Tahoe South. With the purchase of your ticket, you will receive a welcome shot at 3 out of 4 stops, appetizers, free indoor games at Tipsy Putt and VIP entrance into Peek Nightclub, Lake Tahoe’s hottest Club! You will meet amazing people and have the night of your lives. We meet every Saturday at 8:00 PM Golden Nugget Casino Center Bar, unless told otherwise. For more information, visit https://tahoeclubcrawl.ticketsauce.com/e/tahoe-club-crawl-fall-winter-25-38?aff=cityspark.
Tahoe Knight Monsters v Tulsa Oilers – Wizard Weekend – 7 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. Ages 2 and up require a ticket for entry
Sunday, November 30
Tahoe Knight Monsters V Tulsa Oilers – 3 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. Ages 2 and up require a ticket for entry
Blu Egyptian – 8 p.m., Crystal Bay Casino, 14 Highway 28. or call (775) 833-6333.
Tuesday, December 2
American Soul – Art by James Gayles – 9 a.m., bff tahoe, 2540 Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Step into the vibrant and soulful world of American Soul, a captivating art experience showcasing the work of renowned artist James Gayles. This in-person exhibition invites you to explore the essence of American culture through expressive color, emotion, and storytelling. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-soul-art-by-james-gayles-tickets-1956746594739?aff=oddtdtcreator or call +1 530-725-9296.
Wednesday, December 3
Learn Tarot with Sarah – 6-7:30 p.m., bff tahoe, 2540 Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Join us with Sarah at bff tahoe for astrology birth chart and tarot readings designed to inspire reconnection, empowerment, and insight. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-tarot-with-sarah-tickets-1730769942489?aff=oddtdtcreator or call 1-305-857-5913.
Wind Down Wednesday: Watercolor Holiday Cards – 3:30-5 p.m., Incline Village Library, 845 Alder Avenue. Join us for a festive art session and create your own hand-painted holiday cards! Learn simple watercolor techniques, experiment with festive designs, and leave with beautiful cards to share or display. No experience necessary! Supplies provided by the library. Due to limited supplies, registration is required. For more information, visit https://events.washoecountylibrary.us/event/15663052 or call 775-832-4130.
Tahoe Knight Monsters v Rapid City Rush – Faith & Family Knight – 7 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. Ages 2 and up require a ticket for entry
Tahoe Line Dancing at Cascade Kitchens – 7:30-9:30 p.m., Cascade Kitchens, 1030 Tata Ln. Description Dust off your boots, it’s time to dance! Starting 10/8, we’re hosting Line Dancing every Wednesday, 7:30-9:30 PM. No cover, all ages welcome, and beginner-friendly! We’ll sprinkle in a few lessons so everyone can join the fun. Come kick up your heels with us! For more information, visit https://business.tahoechamber.org/events/details/line-dancing-12-03-2025-24743.
Thursday, December 4
11th Annual Tahoe Film Fest – 5:45 p.m., Incline Village, Northstar Village, Crystal Bay , 901 Tahoe Blvd. Tahoe Film Fest is back December 4–7, with screenings at Incline Village Cinema, Village Cinemas at Northstar, and the Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room. This year’s lineup has something for everyone. Big-name premieres include Jay Kelly with George Clooney and Adam Sandler, Dead Men Walking: A Knives Out Mystery, Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?, Song Sung Blue, and Wicked: For Good—plus international award submissions from Norway, France, Spain, and Brazil. Festivalgoers can also enjoy Teton Gravity Research’s new ski film Pressure Drop, inspiring documentaries like Nobu, Love + War, and A Life Illuminated, along with two new films from local alum Jennifer Tiexiera. Indigenous stories shine throughout the program with Remaining Native, Free Leonard Peltier, Courage, and Yanuni. More info here: https://tahoefilmfest.com/ For more information, visit https://tahoefilmfest.com/.
MEYERS, Calif. – On Friday, Dec. 5 the Meyers Community Foundation (MCF) will hold the fifteenth annual Tree Lighting at 5 p.m. in the Divided Sky parking lot. Join us for a magical evening filled with community spirit and festive delights.
The MCF will be offering complimentary popcorn and hot chocolate, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for all attendees. The highlights of the evening will be the attendance of the Lake Valley Christmas fire truck and the enchanting arrival of Santa via the CALSTAR helicopter (subject to weather and circumstances). Sierra at Tahoe will be present to join in the festivities.
Attendees will have the chance to capture cherished moments with Santa and Mrs. Claus, who will be available for photos and to hear holiday wishes. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public, fostering a sense of community and marking the perfect start to the holiday and winter season.
As we come together to celebrate, let us also appreciate the wonderful community we have. The event serves as an ideal occasion to kick off the festive season and revel in the spirit of togetherness.
The Meyers Community Foundation (MCF) is a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to enhancing the quality of life in Meyers, California, by supporting and promoting creative and sustainable local projects and community-enhancing events.
For more information about the event, please contact David Reichel of the Meyers Community Foundation at (530) 545-3055.
TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Community Pet Financial Assistance Program provides financial support for necessary veterinary care to pet guardians living in Truckee, Sierra County, Eastern Placer County, Eastern Nevada County, Southeastern Plumas County, Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe.
“Pets are family, and they belong with the people who love them,” said Kara Carstensen, HSTT’s outreach programs manager. “There are dozens of circumstances that prevent pet owners from accessing necessary veterinary care. This service provides needed support to low-income, senior, disabled, and other community members, so their pets receive the care they need without entering the shelter system.”
Grant funding is provided for non-emergency veterinary care and is based on medical urgency, financial and circumstantial need. Grants cannot cover ongoing chronic treatment, cosmetic procedures or previously incurred veterinary bills.
Eligibility Requirements Include:
Applicants must reside within HSTT’s service area.
Pets must require necessary veterinary care with a positive prognosis.
All participating pets must be spayed or neutered, if medically appropriate.
Funding must be pre-approved and will be paid directly to veterinarians.
HSTT encourages pet guardians to reach out early, noting that timely care often prevents more serious or life-threatening conditions.
“By providing better access to vet care, we hope to not only support the health of community pets, but also empower families and strengthen our community,” Carstensen said.
This program is made possible through generous support from regional grant funders, including the El Dorado Community Foundation (South Lake Tahoe), Lahontan Community Foundation Fund, Latrobe Fund (South Lake Tahoe), Martis Camp Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, and the Tahoe Women’s Community Fund at the El Dorado Community Foundation.
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – On Friday, November 21, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra (BBBSNS) united with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and other local partners to allocate 1500 turkeys to local charities and community members throughout the county, with 500 of those turkeys distributed in South Lake Tahoe, for their annual El Dorado County Community Turkey Drive.
Volunteers, partners and officers of El Dorado County assembled to feed families for ThanksgivingProvided/El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office
“Our community truly came together in the most heartwarming way, distributing hundreds of turkeys to brighten the holidays for local families,” said Dina Gentry, Director of Development at BBBSNS.
With the support of Kings Meats who provided turkeys for the drive as well as many community members who have been purchasing turkeys for months, the El Dorado County Community Turkey Drive was a major success.
“We are incredibly pleased with the outcome. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office served as the central hub, and their volunteers and officers worked side-by-side in an extremely efficient assembly line to load turkeys into vehicles with care and genuine kindness,” Gentry said. “It was inspiring to witness.”
Sgt. Kyle Parker with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said, “We’re in a community that truly looks out for one another. A community we’re truly blessed to serve, and to be a part of. When it comes down to it, that is the key thing. The community as a whole will make this season, and every day of the year, better.”
Over 1500 turkeys were distributed with the help of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s OfficeProvided/El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office
Among the support for the drive were High Sierra Industries, the El Dorado Community Foundation, Stacie Walls of Toys for Tots, and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Association. “Their collaboration made this event truly special,” added Gentry.
BBBSNS, the nation’s largest non-profit youth mentoring organization, proves to be a staple for communities including El Dorado County. Through events like the Turkey Drive and Giving Tuesday, they aim to nurture a stable financial foundation. “While the day was a tremendous success, the biggest challenge we continue to face is sustaining family engagement activities like this throughout the year. That’s why Giving Tuesday is so important for us. We’re working toward a $100,000 goal to ensure our mentoring programs and family events can continue to thrive,” Gentry said.
“We’re deeply grateful for this community and hopeful that, together, we can keep uplifting local families — not just during the holidays, but all year long,” said Gentry.
To learn more about BBBSNS, their mission, or to donate, go to bbbsns.org
TAHOMA, Calif. – Kerry Seaman and her husband, Tim, have opened their very own TK Cafe inside the space at Cult Burger, offering delicious breakfast and bakeshop fare.
TK Cafe is open Friday through Monday every weekendVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Seaman has been in the hospitality industry for over twenty years, and if there’s anyone who knows the ins and outs of running a restaurant business, it’s her and her husband. “We met in South Florida, working together in a restaurant,” Seaman said.
The pair bought a camper van in 2000, and traveled across the country for five months, backpacking, sight-seeing and checking out the national parks while deciphering where they wanted to settle down. They had both Colorado and California in mind.
After a friend insisted they check out Tahoe, they headed down the pacific coast from Washington and arrived in town. “That’s, kind of, when our money was running out, so it was perfect timing. We arrived in September, not really understanding the area and how seasonal it is, and back in those days, 25 years ago, it was much more seasonal. Luckily we still had money to hold on until we got jobs at ski resorts.” Thus, the Seamans began making a life here, and fell in love quickly.
From casual to fine dining, there’s not much left they haven’t experienced when it comes to working in the restaurant industry. “My husband always had a passion for cooking, even though we were both mainly front-of-house people. As time progressed, he got more and more into baking,” said Seaman.
Being from Florida, Seaman was used to many East Coast style foods, such as New York style bagels and pizza. Her husband took it as a challenge and began honing in on the needed skills to successfully whip up his wife’s favorite dishes.
Eventually, the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, including hospitality. The pair then started a local, baked good delivery business called Timmy’s Tahoe Treats.
Seaman noted that although it was fantastic for them, it wasn’t sustainable as the world began stirring after the shut-down, and they still had their brick and mortar dream.
With the hope of one day owning their own place, Seaman began working at Syd’s Bagelry in Tahoe City, with her husband even providing baked goods to the cafe. She was there for four years before the owner of Syd’s passed away, leaving his staff unemployed for a period of time.
“When I found out the news, I started scrambling, trying to find out how we could pivot. I lived on the west shore for a lot of those 25 years, so I knew about Cult Burger.”
The owner of Cult Burger, Quinten Frye, made the decision to close the burger joint for the winter season, giving Seaman the opportunity to sublease the property.
Currently, TK Cafe is ready and open for business this winter season. “We’re keeping our menu small and limited so that we can do everything really well, that’s our goal,” Seaman added. They want to keep prices reasonable and affordable for the local workforce. “It’s nice to go somewhere where you don’t feel like ‘that was a crazy price for two sandwiches or two bagels’ and on top of that, it being delicious and outstanding, not something you can find everywhere.”
TK Cafe offers breakfast sandwiches with your choice of housemade bagels or housemade English muffin. Some of the signature bagel sandwiches include “The Lox”, with smoked salmon from Sierra Gold Seafood, purple onions, capers and creamcheese, and a “Garden Galore” bagel which has cucumbers, sprouts, pickled onions, mixed greens, shredded carrots and hummus. Customers can also order breakfast burritos, as well as homemade pastries and treats.
In addition, their menu includes smoothies, iced chai, and Blind Dog Organic coffee.
After their soft opening, Seaman said, “I was extremely happy. The local support was fantastic. People that stopped by were so welcoming, so nice and so excited that we’re here.”
TK Cafe invites everyone to enjoy a tasty treat while on the west shore. They’re located at 7000 W. Lake Blvd in Tahoma. They are open Friday through Monday, from 6 a.m. – 1 p.m.
STATELINE, Nev. – The Reno Dance Company is bringing the holiday classic The Nutcracker back to Bally’s Lake Tahoe on Monday, Dec. 22, and Tuesday, Dec. 23. A popular performance, early ticket purchases are recommended and available now on Ticketmaster, starting at $42.80.
Set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, the glittering performance by Reno Dance Company will whisk audiences into Clara’s whimsical world of toy soldiers, swirling snowflakes, the Land of Sweets and her Nutcracker Prince. Complete with elaborate costumes, graceful choreography and a cast of talented regional dancers, the performance showcases classic ballet technique with enchanting storytelling. For more than two decades, Reno Dance Company has captivated Northern Nevada with its annual performances of The Nutcracker, delighting audiences with its artistry and a touch of holiday magic. Ideal for families and holiday visitors, new or experienced ballet fans, this year’s performance promises an unforgettable experience.
Performances often sell out, and advance ticket purchase is recommended. For more information, visit ballyslaketahoe.com and follow Bally’s Lake Tahoe Casino Resort on Facebook, Instagram and X at @BallysLakeTahoe.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Jennifer Tiexiera, a graduate from Incline High, is showing “SPEAK.” and “Rebbeca”, two documentaries at the 11th Tahoe Film Fest this year. Both films explore culture, underrepresented voices and a sense of belonging—all themes that are close to Tiexiera’s heart.
Tiexiera grew up in Oakland, but moved to Tahoe when she was eight years old. “My dad had a dream of raising us here, and to this day, it’s still one of the most beautiful places in the world to me,” she said. Tiexiera attended Incline High and said she felt so much love and support from her community her. In fact, she and her partner still own businesses here, including the cocktail bar Gaviota, which she says they made as a place for locals.
Still, Tiexiera said she was conflicted. Leaving Oakland and coming to Tahoe did raise questions for her, especially around her identity. “I left and didn’t look back for a really long time.” As a filmmaker, her work has typically been in films that follow themes of cultural identity and social justice. She is one of the co-founders of Lady & Bird, a female-led documentary production company focused on telling stories from underrepresented voices.
She directed two films showing at the Tahoe Film Fest: “SPEAK.” and “Rebbeca.”
“SPEAK.” follows five high-schoolers in competing in national oratory championships and premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Tiexiera said, “I have a five-year-old, and I’d really made nothing that she could enjoy. When I saw these oratory competitions, I had this sense of, ‘It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna be fine.’ They’re so passionate and inspiring.”
“SPEAK.” has shown at about 80 festivals and took nearly 75 days of shooting during the school year. “It was hard to be away from my daughter for that time. And I hope that there’s a legacy of this world that we’re fighting for, for her, in this film,” said Tiexiera. “In that process of being away, though, I gained five new families. Those kids and their families are my everything. And I really loved Nora’s pig. One of my favorite parts,” she added with a laugh.
“Rebbeca” was a surprising directorial work for Tiexiera, as it follows Becky G, a Latin music popstar during her debut Mexican regional album. The Tahoe Film Fest is the only place other than Tribeca Film Festival that “Rebbeca” will be playing, which Tiexiera thanked Live Nation for.
“Becky G is a performing powerhouse, but she’s also a complex and brilliant girl,” said Tiexiera. “Her understanding and what she’s giving to the Latinx community, and that vernacular around addiction, trauma and all those things—I didn’t think I would ever make a film about a popstar, but it made so much sense when I met her.”
The connecting thread between both films that Tiexiera said she resonated with was the sense of not belonging. “Especially when I was younger, in high school, there was that shame. You really want to fit in at that age,” she said. “I saw a picture of myself where I was wearing makeup three shades too light, with lightened hair—I just want to hug that girl. There’s an importance of representation.”
“It’s very dangerous if we don’t see ourselves. When you erase people’s history, it creates a world of instability, a world of hate, versus a world of celebration and joy. If you don’t see yourself, it creates risks to your mental health, unrealistic standards and a difficulty in loving yourself,” said Tiexiera.
She worried especially about what all that could mean for her young daughter. “Even in my own industry, I struggle with imposter syndrome. Am I enough to be representing Asians as a Filipino? Am I enough to be representing Latinos as a Mexican, as someone who didn’t get to grow up speaking Spanish?”
But filmmaking is a way for her to bring representation on the screen. Tiexiera worked primarily as an editor, which she still feels is one of the most fascinating parts. “There’s an immediacy to filmmaking—to see ourselves right away. You can cut through all the noise by seeing someone like you,” she said. “You can become immediately curious, angry, wondering or spurred to action by seeing.”
Robert Roussel, organizer of the Tahoe Film Fest, originally reached out to Tiexiera in 2022 to show her film “Subject” and has since seen and supported her work. This year, Tiexiera also partnered with the high school to bring students to see the film “Rebbeca.” It’s especially poignant, as the high school is now 40% Latino.
“Tahoe has shaped who I am in so many complicated and beautiful ways. I love it despite how much it’s changed, and it’s a sacred place that’s so ingrained in me,” said Tiexiera. “I hope that what people will see, especially the high schoolers, is how wonderfully big the world is. And how lucky you are to grow up in this scared space, but how much of the world awaits you.”
“Rebecca” will be playing at Incline Village Cinema on December 5 at 9:30 p.m. and “SPEAK.” will be playing at Incline Village Cinema on December 6 at 6:45 p.m.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Embrace the enchantment of the winter season in Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada. The beloved Northern Lights Festival is back for the entire month of December, bringing festive cheer, family fun, and a vibrant lineup of holiday events that light up our mountain town from now through New Year’s Eve.
Northern Lights is our community’s signature winter celebration, featuring a full calendar of heartwarming, family-friendly, and arts-focused events for all ages. This year’s festivities begin with an unforgettable Opening Weekend, kicking off the first week of December with traditions old and new.
Opening Weekend Highlights (Dec. 4–7)
The 2025 season officially begins with a packed slate of events that showcase the best of winter in Tahoe:
Diamond Peak Opening Day & Kickoff Party (Dec. 4 & 5) – Weather permitting, the mountain opens for the 2025–26 ski season with first-chair festivities, followed by the Season Kickoff Party at Alibi Ale Works on the 5th.
North Tahoe Community Choir Holiday Concert (Dec. 4 & 6) – Under the direction of Donna Axton, this beloved community choir performs its annual holiday show at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, a treasured tradition for locals and visitors alike.
Tahoe Film Fest (Dec. 4–7) – Hosted across Incline Village Cinema, Village Cinemas at Northstar, and the Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room, this four-day event celebrates independent films and environmental storytelling.
Lake Tahoe School Christmas Market (Dec. 5) – Shop local artisans and seasonal treats during this annual indoor market, 5–8 PM at Lake Tahoe School.
Tahoe Family Solutions Brunch with Santa (Dec. 6) – A local favorite at The Chateau featuring breakfast, holiday activities, and photos with Santa.
IVCBA Northern Lights Community Celebration at UNR at Lake Tahoe Prim Library (Dec. 6) – The beloved tradition once known as Candy Cane Lane + Village has evolved into the Northern Lights Community Celebration & Giving Tree Event, hosted by IVCBA, UNR at Lake Tahoe, and IVGID.
This festive gathering brings the community together in the spirit of giving, featuring the new Giving Tree Forest—a beautiful display of decorated trees from local nonprofits and service clubs highlighting ways to give back. Families will enjoy Santa and Mrs. Claus’ fire-engine arrival, crafts, and a scavenger hunt, while teens and adults explore interactive tables and “Cocoa with the Captain.” The event concludes with a joyful tree lighting and Giving Tree contest awards.
Reno Jazz Orchestra presents Home for the Holidays (Dec. 7) – Enjoy an uplifting holiday performance by the Reno Jazz Orchestra. Swing into the sounds of the season as the Reno Jazz Orchestra shares the stage with some of the most talented hometown stars in Reno.
The Celebration Continues All Month
Following Opening Weekend, the holiday magic keeps going with:
IVCBA Jingle & Mingle Holiday Shopping Day – Saturday, December 13 Cornerstone: A Night in Bethlehem – Friday, December 12 Tahoe Philharmonic’s “Messiah” – Friday, December 19 Light Shows, live music & Santa Events – All through December Holiday services from all our local churches – December 24 & 25 New Year’s Eve gatherings throughout the Basin – December 31
From twinkling lights to live music, community giving, artisan shopping, and winter traditions, Northern Lights offers something special for every resident and visitor. December in Incline Village and Crystal Bay is simply magical. Come experience the season with us.
Even though 2025 is almost behind us, there is still time to slow down and take it all in here in the Sierra Nevada mountains. With rockin’ concerts, scenic trails, and local ski areas open, there’s no better place to enjoy the holidays than December at Lake Tahoe.
1. Light Up Some Smiles in the Heavenly Village
Christmas Tree in Heavenly Village
The 65-foot tall Christmas tree in the Heavenly Village will light up Tahoe’s south shore every day at 5:30 pm. With a smorgasbord of restaurants and shops nearby, you and your family will surely find something special to bring home, or something delicious for supper.
A skier at Heavenly Mountain Resort | Photo: @polevaulterchar.
Heavenly Mountain Resort is scheduled to open on Friday, November 21, 2025. Kirkwood Mountain Resort is scheduled to open Friday, December 5, 2025, and Sierra-at-Tahoe, recently added to the Ikon pass, is scheduled to open Friday, November 28, 2025. Storms permitting, December will be a lovely time to come for snow!
The Loft, located next to the ice rink in Heavenly Village
Magic Fusion is a perfect blend of intimate magic and comedy that the whole family can enjoy. Eat dinner, watch a show, and enjoy world-class magicians from around the world. Visiting on a budget? Buy one adult ticket and get one children’s ticket for free on Sundays at 4:30 pm.
Looking for an unforgettable magic experience? Magic After Dark is an irresistible window into the edgy, sophisticated, and sometimes sick mind of award-winning magician-comedian, Robert Hall. This 75-85 minute journey of unique magic, hilarious comedy, and adult mind games is reserved for everyone 18 and up.
5. Meet Your Favorite Characters
Heavenly Holidays; meet your favorite characters in the Village
Take photos with your favorite characters from Mario & Luigi, Mini & Mickey, and more! You might catch a few characters on skates at the ice rink, with more roaming the Heavenly Village to meet you. This event runs from 2:00 to 5:00 pm every Saturday in December and runs daily from December 26 through 30.
6. Take a Ride Around the Ferris Wheel in the Heavenly Village
Ferris Wheel in Heavenly Village
Enjoy spectacular views of the most wonderful time of the year high up in the mountains on the Giant Ferris wheel at the base of the Heavenly Gondola from December 26 through 31. The photo opportunities can only be matched by the memories. Admission is only $5 per person.
7. Find Yourself on Santa’s “Nice List” Over Breakfast
Breakfast with Santa
If you’re worried that all you are getting for Christmas this year is a lump of coal, there is still time to smooth things over with the big guy in red over a hearty breakfast at Fire and Ice Restaurant.
Fireworks and Gondola Drop at the Heavenly Holidays event | Photo: Considine Media
Enjoy a rockin’ New Year’s Eve lineup from 2:00 pm – 9:30 pm at Heavenly Resort, with a range of acts to be announced. Don’t miss the gondola ball drop and fireworks!
This December 12 & 13, enjoy this free market-style event with live music, light displays, hot drinks and food, Santa’s house, winter carriage rides, local vendors, and more at the Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum. Come from 4:00 to 8:00, and in the spirit of holiday giving, bring a new unwrapped toy to drop at the Toys for Tots booth. This free event will be held at the museum parking lot at 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
10. Peek Nightclub inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
If you’re looking for a late night, loud music, and a lovely club atmosphere, you should head to Peek Nightclub inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. Open on Friday and Saturday nights, this is the place to go when it’s late, and you simply need to dance it all out. VIP tables are available for whichever special event you have in mind.
Bonus: Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride
Sleigh Ride in South Lake Tahoe – Jamie Kingham / Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Embark on a nostalgic sleigh ride in the snow as the jingling of bells fills the air. Sleigh rides through the alpine scenery are truly unforgettable, with powerful draft horses pulling ornately decorated sleighs through snow-covered fields and past pine-filled forests near Lake Tahoe.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unitis scheduled to continue the following prescribed fire operations this week, pending all required approvals. We estimate this work will continue through the fall and winter as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Prescribed fires planned for the area include:
Tahoe Hills Urban Lots Rx, 36 Acres, El Dorado County, Highway 89, Tahoe Hills/Rubicon Bay, West Shore
Fallen Leaf Lake Admin Piles Rx, 1.1 Acres, El Dorado County, Highway 89, Fallen Leaf Campground, South Shore
Cascade 132 Rx, 15 Acres, El Dorado County, Highway 89, Spring Creek Tract, South Shore
Cascade 118 Rx, 70 Acres, El Dorado County, Highway 89, Spring Creek Tract, South Shore
Lilly Lake BE 01 Rx, 5 Acres, El Dorado County, Benwood Meadow, Echo Summit, South Shore
Those areas may close to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.
Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to AirNow online or download the app. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.
We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.
Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through our forest website, social media channels and the Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team Prescribed Fire Map. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins.
STATELINE, Nev. – Barton Memorial Hospital has earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. This national recognition showcases hospitals in the nation who are committed to safe, high-quality care.
“As a top-performing hospital, our entire team works diligently to keep patients safe from preventable harm and potential errors,” says Dr. Kandra Yee, Barton’s Chief Medical Officer. “This national recognition shows Barton Hospital is implementing the highest safety standards and that our physicians, nurses, and staff are working collaboratively to provide consistent, exceptional care.”
Leapfrog assigns an A, B, C, D, or F letter grade to hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Barton Memorial Hospital made a true commitment to put patient safety first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, clinicians, nurses, staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers that all play a role in this achievement.”
The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization whose main initiative is to assign letter grades to hospitals based on specific data, which illustrates a record of patient safety. This brings awareness to patients and consumers regarding hospitals’ commitment to quality and safety.
To explore Barton Hospital’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. Connect with Barton Health or The Leapfrog Group on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to locate an 11-year-old-boy who was last seen walking in the area of Village Blvd. and Anderson Dr. in Incline Village, Nev. around 8:00 p.m.
Security footage of Cody who was last seen in the area of Village Blvd. and Anderson Dr. in Incline Village around 8:00 p.m.Provided / WCSO
The male juvenile may go by the name “Cody.” He was last seen wearing black pants and a long-sleeve shirt, which may not be suitable for the low temperatures.
Deputies are actively searching for him to check on his welfare.
The provided photo is a still image from recent security footage.
The sheriff’s office says he may avoid contact, and if you locate him or have any information regarding his whereabouts to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at (775) 785-WCSO (9276)
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Celebrations were in order on Friday, November 21, to honor a completely remodeled softball field at South Tahoe Middle School, with a ribbon-cutting event signaling the start of a new chapter for women and girls who play the sport of softball.
SISLT cuts ribbon to commemorate new and improved softball field at South Tahoe Middle SchoolVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe (SISLT), an organization striving to create equal opportunities and accessibility for women and youth, have dedicated their time, energy and funds to turn a battered amenity into a fully-equipped softball facility to be proud of, with upgrades such as a new dug-out, ADA accessible parking lot, new bleachers and more.
In addition to Soroptimist and community donations, funds were provided from a voter-approved local ballot measure called Measure U, passed in November of last year, making it the first project of Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) classroom repair measure.
“It takes everyone to come together to have a great school district, to have a great city, a great community, and so that’s what we’re doing,” said Superintendent of LTUSD, Todd Cutler, Ed. D. “I just want to share how incredibly thankful I am, our district is, for the partnership with Soroptimist.”
SISLT was looking for a major project to assist with, and because softball is made up of women and girls, the softball field operation was chosen. SISLT’s softball committee chairperson, Rose Marie Ottman, said “It’s an empowering program,” and she’s looking forward to seeing large usage of the field now that the 5-year project is nearing full completion. “The middle schoolers benefit from it, the adult league benefits from it, High Sierra Softball, junior varsity and varsity play here before the snow melts, and hopefully we’re going to get Club Softball going again.”
New fencing and bleachers among project work completed for Soroptimist softball fieldVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Assisting with coordination of the hefty project was Cumming Group’s project manager, Roy Benge and Senior Project Manager, Jamie Brown. “We kind of had to work really quickly to get everything started,” said Benge, “and be able to perform the work in the TRPA grading season,” which goes from May 1st through October 15. “We got through that, we got some weather in October and November, and those were some of the challenges we had to work through.”
When discussing the before and after of the project, Benge said, “If you had seen it before, nothing drained in the parking lot, it was super eroded, so there have been storm water improvements.”
“It’s much safer for kids and grandparents, and everybody to come, watch a game, and safely park,” added Brown.
New ADA accessible parking lot allows for safer and more efficient access to softball field Victoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Varsity softball player at South Tahoe High School, Skyelach Nichols-Shipley, said she plans on spending every day at the field once the season starts. “It’s really exciting getting to have new facilities. When we used to come, we’d look at the boys’ stuff and we’d be like ‘that looks so cool’, but now we get all of our new stuff and it’s really fun. We’re all excited.”
With only a warm-up area and batting cages left to add, the Soroptimist softball facilities are sure to provide necessary amenities and overall fun for years to come.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Now that the former Motel 6 building, restaurant, and parking lot have been demolished from the Upper Truckee Marsh in South Lake Tahoe, planning is underway to bring this wetland back to life. To support the next phase of this project, the Tahoe Fund announced “A Million for the Marsh” campaign to raise the first $1 million of private funds to help secure the public funds the California Tahoe Conservancy will need to revive this area and bring significant improvements to Lake Tahoe’s clarity.
“California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot called the acquisition and demolition of this site ‘the most important in a generation to protect Lake Tahoe,’ and we couldn’t agree more,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “That’s why we’re launching this campaign—so that our donors can show that taking the next step to restore this marsh matters to our community and to the future health of Lake Tahoe.”
The former Motel 6 property, which included 31 acres total, was acquired in March 2024 by the California Tahoe Conservancy with funding from the Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Tahoe Fund and the League to Save Lake Tahoe.
Last year, contributions from dozens of Tahoe Fund donors and major gifts from the Latrobe Foundation and the Robert S & Dorothy J Keyser Foundation brought in over $200,000 to support the demolition of the buildings on site, which was completed by the Department of General Services this fall.
“This project represents a once-in-a-generation chance to return a developed property to a thriving wetland that will actively protect Lake Tahoe,” said Jason Vasques, executive director of the California Tahoe Conservancy. “Restoring this site will improve water quality, expand wildlife habitat, and help secure the long-term resilience of the lake we all love.”
In addition to restoring the watershed and the native habitat, this project further advances the 2012 Lake Tahoe Regional Plan and Environmental Improvement Program by removing aging development from sensitive land and retiring or transferring development rights to town centers.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – An 18-year-old is dead and others are injured following a crash on U.S. Highway 50 Sunday night, just east of Camp Sacramento.
According to the collision report, the initial investigation indicates a Ford truck hauling a 32-foot fifth wheel travel trailer was heading west and traveling at an unsafe speed when it entered a curve. The driver lost control of the trailer the truck was towing.
The trailer crossed over the centerline and collided with a Jeep Compass that was traveling east.
The front passenger of the Jeep, an 18-year-old male, sustained fatal injuries at the scene. Other passengers of the Jeep were injured, including a 16 year old male who received major injuries and was treated at Barton Memorial Hospital.
The deceased’s identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification.
Any witnesses with information regarding this traffic collision are asked to call Officer Heitzman at the South Lake Tahoe CHP Office at (530) 539-9500. At this time, the cause of the traffic collision and sequence of events are still under investigation.
MINDEN, Nev. – Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue conducted a backcountry rescue of a lost hiker, Nov. 23, 2025. The hiker, who started at the Castle Rock trailhead off Kingsbury Grade on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, became disoriented and spent the night between the Castle Rock Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue was activated to locate and assist the individual. He was found and successfully rescued. He was then transported to Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe, California, via Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District ambulance for evaluation and treatment for exposure.
“There is no doubt in my mind that this individual would have died or suffered serious injury if he hadn’t been rescued,” said Sheriff Dan Coverley. “The Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team are truly the unsung heroes for their incredible dedication and hard work.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – With over 20 inches of snow in the last week at Heavenly Mountain Resort and cold temperatures for snowmaking, Mother Nature flipped the switch to winter and Heavenly will open for skiing and riding on Monday, Nov. 24. Break out your favorite retro ski fits and cue up those throwback playlists because Heavenly is getting the party started for its legendary 70th anniversary season, pairing high-energy events with some of the best on-snow views anywhere in Tahoe.
Over on the north side of the lake, Northstar California Resort continues to assess conditions day-by-day, making snow at every possible opportunity to prepare for opening day (TBA) and to welcome skiers and riders back to the mountain for their favorite winter traditions. Rounding things out for resorts on the Epic Pass in Lake Tahoe, Kirkwood is set to bring its big mountain adventure and no-frills-here-for-the-skiing vibe back starting Friday, Dec. 5. Whether you’re loyal to one or a sampler of all, the Epic Pass is the best deal on skiing and riding in Lake Tahoe and beyond, and Dec. 4 is the last chance to lock in a pass this season.
Heavenly Mountain Resort Opening Day
On Monday, Nov. 24 at Heavenly, lifts will start spinning for the season at 9 AM with access to skiing and riding from the California side of the mountain via the Gunbarrel Express and the Tram. A DJ will be spinning tunes at Stein’s to set the vibe for Opening Day from first chair to après.
“For 70 years, Heavenly has been a staple of the community and the Lake Tahoe ski experience, bringing people together with incredible skiing, some of the best views on skis anywhere in the world, and high-energy events,” said Shaydar Edelmann, Vice President and General Manager at Heavenly. “While the resort has grown from its humble beginnings back in 1955 with one single chairlift, the same heart, soul, and energy of this ski community continue to thrive. Our team at Heavenly can’t wait to celebrate this milestone season with our ski community from near and far.”
In addition to skiing and riding, the Heavenly Gondola is open in the Village for sightseeing, and the Ridge Rider Mountain Coaster located at the top of the Gondola will operate as conditions permit.
Starting Monday, Heavenly will be open daily for skiing and riding and will continue to make snow at every opportunity to work towards expanding terrain and lift offerings throughout the early season. Stay tuned for more information on opening day plans at Northstar coming soon, plus details on Kirkwood as we get closer to their targeted opening day on Dec. 5.
There is a lot to look forward to this winter season across Lake Tahoe.
Heavenly’s 70 & High-Energy Events Lineup
This season, Heavenly is dialing the vibes way up for its 70th anniversary. With panoramic views everywhere you turn, and après opportunities galore both on the mountain and in South Lake Tahoe, round up your crew because every day is a chance to make your ski trip dreams a reality. Kick things off with Heavenly’s 70th Anniversary party on Dec. 20 and throw it back through the decades. From there, send it into the season in style with a lineup of buzzworthy events including, Toyota Air and Après, Brews and Views, Pond Skim, Gunbarrel 25, and live music and DJ sets featuring Foster the People, Vandelux, Dombresky, SkiiTour, and more this season. High-energy events, jaw-dropping views, one of the best ski towns in the world. Stop dreaming, start booking. This is Heavenly.
Northstar Winter Traditions
From traditions as classic as your first time on skis or grabbing first chair on a powder day, to those that celebrate (Tōst) or make life a little sweeter (S’Mores in the village), Northstar is the place where moments become memories and winter magic comes to life on the mountain and in the village. With diverse and approachable terrain for skiing and riding, ice skating and shopping in the village, and a variety of culinary experiences for every taste, step inside the snow globe that is Northstar for an idyllic winter resort escape in Lake Tahoe.
Kirkwood: Old School, No Frills, All Fun
With deep freeride roots and a tight-knit community, Kirkwood delivers an authentic, no-frills ski and ride experience where the focus is always on the mountain. Skiers and riders flock here for the exceptional snow, reliable operations, and terrain that invites exploration at every turn. For those who value adventure over luxury and quiet over the hustle of Tahoe or the Bay, Kirkwood is a hidden gem that keeps skiers and riders returning year after year. With uncrowded slopes and minimal lift lines, every day offers the chance to lap the chairs from bell to bell. Simple, straightforward, and endlessly fun—this is Kirkwood at its best. No frills. All of the fun.
Make Your Trip to Tahoe EPIC – Last Chance to get an Epic Pass is Dec. 4
Dec. 4 is the last chance to lock in your Epic Pass before they go off sale for this season. Epic Pass unlocks access to Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe, plus some of the best mountain resorts in the world like Whistler Blackcomb, Vail Mountain, Breckenridge and more. With a variety of season-long and 1-7 Day Pass options available, Epic Pass offers the best value on skiing and riding in Tahoe and beyond. Epic Pass Holders also get the best benefits including 20% off on-mountain food and beverage, lodging, group ski and ride school lessons, equipment rentals and more with Epic Mountain Rewards. Plus, with new Epic Friend Tickets, it’s easier than ever for season-long Epic Pass Holders to share the joy of the mountains with 50% off lift tickets for friends and family. Plus, what they pay can be applied as credit toward a 2026-27 Epic Pass, turning this year’s gift into next year’s adventure. Rally your crew to Tahoe this winter and make it Epic. Learn more about Pass options and benefits at www.epicpass.com before they go off sale.
Stay Connected
With the My Epic app, your phone is now your access to the slopes with Mobile Pass and Lift Ticket technology. In addition, the app also provides alerts and real-time information, lift line status, interactive trail maps, and more.
Skiers and riders can also follow the resorts on social media for updates and information throughout the season:
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As new technologies emerge to address intensifying wildfires, regional partners saw an opportunity in Incline Village to put these new innovations to the test.
“Can we take all this new technology,” Tahoe Fund executive director, Amy Berry, said, “and use it to identify the mitigations that would matter the most in the neighborhoods, to try to keep neighborhoods as safe as possible?”
The question became the impetus for the Fire Smart Community Pilot in the Tyrolian Village neighborhood to understand how to create more fire ready communities.
The program started in the spring and has already produced promising results that other wildland urban interface communities are replicating thanks to a step-by-step guide, called the Fire Smart Community Pilot Playbook.
The pilot used modeling programs, called Vibrant Planet and Xyloplan, to assess the Tyrolian Village neighborhood and pinpoint wildfire risk as well as suggested mitigations.
“Five years ago we couldn’t have done this,” Berry said, “because none of the technology even existed.”
Another program, called Fire Aside, aggregated the community’s defensible space inspections in a model that identified which homes were most vulnerable, shedding light on where to target efforts.
“It’s changed how decision making gets done,” Berry said, explaining that in doing so, it has also made efforts more efficient.
“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of work that needs to get done, and we don’t have enough money to do everything,” Berry said. “So we really need to figure out what mitigations matter the most—like where’s the best bang for your buck?”
The pilot program, pulling together the new technologies, local fire districts, wildfire researchers and willing homeowners, then shifted from efficiently identifying and prioritizing mitigations, to implementing them.
Although this project is neighborhood and parcel focused, Berry explained, the concept builds on the decades of work local agencies have done on public lands. For example, in the Incline Village region, that includes North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District’s fuels reduction and Nevada Energy’s utility corridor clearing.
The pilot program went a step further and ultimately brought these mitigations to Tyrolian Village’s front doors.
One of these mitigations is the BurnBot, an asset that has already been on the local fuels mitigation scene for some time now. This pilot was the first time the BurnBot was used here in a neighborhood.
The machine removed fuels on 34 of the 61 treated acres in just under one week, saving hand crews from the back-breaking work.
The pilot program and playbook’s impacts go beyond the Tyrolian Village neighborhood.
The Mccloud Condo Association, around three miles away, received a 33% reduction on insurance following the mitigations in Tyrolian Village. It’s promising amid rising premiums and dropped policies.
Similar projects to the Incline Village pilot are planned in Glenbrook, Carnelian Woods and eventually South Lake Tahoe.
The playbook is gaining traction beyond Tahoe’s border after partners announced it at the Red Sky Summit on Nov. 4.
Other communities considering the playbook are located in Grass Valley, Calif., Santa Clarita, Calif., and Washington.
The Tahoe Fund, NLTFPD, BurnBot, Vibrant Planet, Xyloplan and Fire Aside are just a few names on a long list of partners.
“In order to do something like this [that’s] never been done before,” Berry says, “you need to bring a big group of partners to the table.”
The pilot team also includes the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the Climate and Wildfire Institute, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, UC-Boulder, NV Energy, Wildfire Services Group, RockRose Risk Insurance and Dr. Mahmoud with Vanderbilt, as well as the Tyrolian Village HOA and its homeowners.
“By treating our forest, hardening our homes and stepping up together, we’re showing that real change happens when a community decides it will defend itself. We’re sharing our lessons so that other communities can learn what we learned,” said Greg Erfani, President of the Tyrolian Village HOA.
Communities that want to replicate Tyrolian Village’s success can review and implement the playbook. Berry says key players to make the playbook successful is fire chief, a community champion and a convening organization like the Tahoe Fund to bring partners to the table.
For more information on the playbook, visit tahoefund.org/.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – With only one major item on the agenda, city council met to interview the many applicants for the seat, although the night ended with a stalemate. Council also discussed homeless youth outreach, prevention and education month as well as the city seal.
Proclamation and public comment
City council officially proclaimed November as Youth Homelessness, Outreach, Prevention, and Education Month, also called Youth HOPE Month. Tahoe Youth and Family Services received the proclamation, which noted approximately 4.2 million young people between the ages of 13 to 25 experience some sort of homelessness in the United States each year.
Homelessness in youth can be caused through family conflicts, being asked to leave home, abuse, neglect and financial issues. Providing services to unhoused youth can help them get housed earlier and at a critical point in their life, as well as help them gain independence and life skills that they may be missing due to the difficulties of being homeless.
During public comment, Kathi Zollinger of the BEAR League submitted a complaint about the newer garbage carts being tipped over by bears and suggested that the city and South Tahoe Refuse implement locks on the blue recycling cans.
Larry Petigo came with the second part of a public comment from last meeting, where he pointed out that councilmember David Jinkens was city manager at the time that the Le Chateau project was underway—and ultimately stalled, leaving the infamous Hole in the Ground.
Petigo said, “The lack of bonds cost our city time, jobs and money… You’re not the hero of the Hole, [Jinkens], you’re the villain. You are not the answer to our problems with your outside money and willful ignorance.” He said Jinkens and councilmember Keith Roberts both received funds from Republican groups, such as the Republican Women’s Group in the city.
Jinkens sent the Tribune a city council approved response from 2010, regarding accusations from the grand jury that Petigo previously cited. In the response, signed by Jinkens acting as city manager at the time, the rebuttal to claims of intimidation and tampering with witness testimony were that Jinkens was acting in good faith to amicably resolve the case and gave witness memorandums in a manner similar to any other testimony or deposition.
A complaint about the asphalt plant and noise issues, as well as reductions in property values, was also heard by council.
City seal
The second reading regarding the new city seal came up, which would update the border line on the city seal to more accurately reflect the California-Nevada border.
City clerk Susan Blankenship was emotional during the first reading, which Mayor Cody Bass said made him consider the issue more thoroughly.
Blankenship spoke again this time, and said that after her re-election, she represented the constituents that voted for her. “I am the guardian of the records which formed our city and I am the custodian of the historic city seal. I’m the only employee allowed to use the city seal. This city seal has been used by every city clerk that came before me.”
Melissa Soderston and Erick Asbury, along with another attendee gave their support to maintaining the current seal. Robert Erlich called in to express his support to update the seal, which also does not reflect some of the beaches that are within the city’s property.
Councilmember Scott Robbins, who previously brought the motion to amend the city seal, argued that it was more accurate and otherwise did not change the character of the seal. Bass again acknowledged the historical value of the seal. City council came to a 2-2 vote on the motion to update the seal, which failed.
Calendar
Though Jinkens said he was interested in regularly scheduled meetings and not taking a break in July and December, Bass said that those breaks were the only times he could make plans to go out of town.
Public comment noted that it was a detriment to consistently run over time and to have meetings at the airport rather than somewhere in town. On behalf of John Messina, Asbury also said that Tuesday tends to conflict with the El Dorado County board of supervisors meetings.
Robbins said that he was interested in holding some meetings at the new rec center in the future, which the city would potentially begin thinking about for 2027. In addition, Bass noted that the Tuesday meetings are not always in the daytime, which allowed for people to attend the board of supervisors meetings on those days.
The motion to approve the calendar unanimously carried.
The next city council meeting will take place on December 9. To read about the city council applicant process, you can read the Tribune’s recap here.
About 30 years ago, I came here from Australia on a ski instructor exchange. I still remember flying over the lake after the season wrapped up and knowing deep in my heart I’d be back.
And come back I did.
I married Ben, who I met teaching skiing in Australia, and together we raised two amazing, outdoors-loving kids in Kings Beach. I’ve worked countless jobs to afford the dream, spent 20 years behind the camera as a professional photographer, and taught skiing at Alpine Meadows through last winter. I guess I can finally claim local.
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Rainbow over Tahoe from Tahoe Vista, photo by Danielle Hankinson.
Danielle shredding the goods at Alpine Meadows, photo by Randy Salzman.
Sunset at Middle Velma Lake, photo by Danielle Hankinson.
Danielle and her husband, Ben,
on a hike.
Surfing in Kings Beach, photo by Nina Miller
Recently, I checked off a long-time goal: surfing Lake Tahoe. It was freezing, wild, and a little insane, but that’s who we are. We love a challenge, especially when nature’s in charge.
Now it’s time for a new adventure — we’re moving to New Zealand. What I’m taking with me from Tahoe is simple:
Live fully. Play hard. Age is irrelevant. And doing crazy things keeps you alive.
There’s a professional sports team in the Tahoe Basin. They play “AA” minor league hockey down in South Lake. They’re called the Knight Monsters and they’re damn good.
Heading down to opening night on a Friday back in October was a true Get Out & Go experience. I was driving through Cave Rock and arriving at Stateline’s Tahoe Blue Events Center before I could say “Alexander Ovechkin scores again” five times fast.
Parking wasn’t bad, and I soon found myself amid a sea of teal-clad fans as we converged upon the arena like some sort of hydra-headed Tahoe Tessie, people erupting out of the restaurants and casinos, the home-team hoots and hollers bellowing louder with each step.
Walking into the stadium the buzz grew, the excitement, the vibe, that hum of humanity you feel at big events as tangible as a powder turn. You know it when you’re in it, and a Knight Monsters game has it.
You grab a dog and a drink and you take your seat, looking around at the 4,200-person capacity arena to realize there’s not a bad seat in the house, everyone in the stands so close to the action that you’re all part of the action.
FACE-OFF: The action on the ice is up close and personal. Photos by Mike Montalbano
The lights dim and the player introductions ensue, the P.A. announcer’s voice like Michael Buffer and we’re all ready to rumble — the sternum-vibrating sound system and the laser-light show making you think you’re at some $500 concert when your ticket costs less than a tenth of that.
The puck drops, and so ensues the chaotic and gladiatorial symphony on ice that is a pro hockey game. The skating — deft grace and power, extemporaneously choreographed — borders on a Baryshnikov-like dance. The checks into the boards come at you fast and visceral and loud, the hits clanging with way more intensity than anything a football game, with its far-from-the-field seats, is able to offer.
The players jeer, and the players jest. The players fight. There is bad blood and there is good will, and the game skates on. You are in it, the moment, off your living room couch and out of your house, rubbing elbows with other human beings as you cheer for
the home team and talk mess to the refs, together.
FANS IN FRENZY: The crowd stands from their seats to celebrate a Knight Monsters goal.
Then the Knight Monsters score, a one-timer to the back of the net and the teal-clad crowd rises up as one big uproarious being. You smile and high-five the stranger next to you as a chant erupts, and though it’s your first game it’s a chant you’ve somehow always known:
“Let’s! Go! Ta-hoe!!!”
Da-da da-da-da.
“Let’s! Go! Ta-hoe!!!”
The league and a player
The Knight Monsters are in their second season of play in the ECHL — the westernmost team in what used to be called the East Coast Hockey League, but which now goes simply by the acronym to reflect its growing reach. The team is an affiliate of the Las Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, and being “called up to the big club” is every skater in a teal jersey’s dream. Many players you’ll watch will be in their early 20s, just starting out their pro careers not unlike the Hanson brothers in the classic minor league hockey flick, Slap Shot.
But the Knight Monsters also have, in 36-year-old team captain, Luke Adam, their own Reggie Dunlop, Paul Newman’s character in the film — the aging star playing the game for as long as his body will let him. Adam is now in his 18th year of pro hockey (in addition to four in Canada’s ultra-competitive junior leagues). He was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft, yet, in all, has played only 90 career games in the NHL, the equivalent of just over one full season in “The Show” during that time.
Then, as the game goes on, you come to see that Adam is truly great at what he does. His skating, his knowledge of the game, his ability to anticipate — to see things that other players simply cannot and do not see — becomes evident.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Knight Monsters captain Luke Adam accepts player of the game honors after the home opener.
He scores two goals in the home opener and does a bunch of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet as he leads his team to a 6-3 victory. When called back out onto the ice after the game for being named a player of the game, he cradles his son under one arm, skating around the ice and waving to the crowd with the other.
And while the rest of us hop in our work trucks to go to work, or put on our ties or dress pants to go to work, or stare at our laptop screens to go to work, Luke Adam still gets to put on shoulder pads and skates to go to work — and then show a roaring crowd what grace and power look like, what excellence looks like, when a human being is doing what he is truly meant to be doing.
In many ways, Adam is what minor league hockey is all about. I’d encourage you to get out & go watch him and his fellow Knight Monsters play.
Upcoming home games:
Nov. 20-22
vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates
Nov. 28-30
vs. Tulsa Oilers
Dec. 3, 5, and 6
vs. Rapid City Rush
Visit knightmonstershockey.com for ticket rates and packages, and more details.
Driving south on Schaffer Mill Road in Truckee, navigating between wealthy communities such as Schaffer’s Mill, Martis Camp, and Lahontan, a small offshoot provides access to Hopkins Village, a 50-unit affordable housing project with quite the storied history.
To purchase in the single-road neighborhood, one must fit the buyer requirements: household income at 180% or lower Area Median Income (in 2025, this is $152,190 for one person) and working an average of at least 30 hours a week for an employment site within Tahoe Truckee Unified School District boundaries. The units — three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom half-plexes — currently sell for $615,000 to individuals and market rate to employers looking to house employees. As of press deadline, two units remain for sale.
But the affordability aspect has sputtered since the neighborhood’s completion. The Hopkins Village Homeowners Association faces a $76,582 deficit, and the first residents to move in have seen their HOA dues rise by 146%, from a quarterly $420 in December 2022 to $1,037. This in addition to supplemental tax bills after a delay in parcel reassessment. Now, to shore up a projected operating loss, residents are required to pay a special assessment to the tune of an additional $1,500 per unit by Feb. 1, 2026.
“This [special] assessment is intended to cover,” stated a notice sent to all Hopkins residents in August, “the cost of the California Fair Plan fire insurance for 2025, offset accumulated operating losses, and begin repaying reserve funds that were borrowed over the past two to three years to manage rising operating expenses.”
“I could afford this when I moved in,” a current resident told Moonshine. “My theory was, well, I’ll progressively make more money and maybe the interest rates will go down, or as I pay more off the mortgage, I’m going to be lowering my payments. I felt pretty confident going into it and had no idea all of these other things could come so quick, so expensive. I truly feel for the people who are here with kids on fixed incomes. What are they supposed to do?”
Placer County Tahoe Housing Specialist Tim Cussen said Hopkins Village residents are experiencing the same financial pains others are. “I wish insurance wasn’t so crazy in California,” he continued. “And I certainly feel for them. That is a sharp increase, especially if they were at all borderline comfortable with the cost and then all of a sudden they go up [and residents] had to absorb not only the monthly, but the special assessment … I think all homeowners associations in California, especially in the Basin or in Tahoe in general, Truckee, Placer, Nevada County — they’re all feeling the same crunch.”
A recently released U.S. Census Bureau study found that the average monthly payment for California condo/HOA households in 2024 was $278. Hopkins residents’ monthly payment is $345, plus the $300 special assessment per month from October 2025 through February 2026.
“How do we best prepare people for the total cost of home ownership?” asked Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “Partly, it’s these unseen costs. Insurance, there’s no cap on it. [Residents] can predict their mortgage, their utility bills are going up, mostly out of their control … but fire insurance … it is incredibly expensive for all of us.”
A NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLETE: All but two of the 50 units in Hopkins Village are filled with local workers. The project, which started in 2003, took quite a bit of effort to cross the finish line nearly 20 years later. “Do I regret it? No,” said developer Dan Fraiman, who considers the project a financial loss. “Because I’m still alive and I have a great family and I learned a ton. It has been an amazing learning lesson and it has been a stepping stone for me in my business and personal careers. I’m here seven years after starting that thing, still learning lessons from it.” Photo by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink
Hopkins Village’s complex history began when the Martis Camp development was approved back in 2003. On condition of its approval, the Placer County Board of Supervisors required the construction of 50 workforce housing units. Thus, Hopkins Village.
The first 10 units were constructed by the original developer, DMB/Highlands Group, in the early 2000s. But the Great Recession’s impact on market-rate homes stalled further progress, and DMB/Highlands was allowed to let the rest of the project languish.
It wouldn’t be until 2020 that forward progress on the remaining 40 units was made, when DMB/Highlands, Placer County, and local developer Dan Fraiman signed a contract for DMB/Highlands to give Fraiman the Hopkins Village land so he could bring the project across the finish line.
Even that final leg faced hurdles. Fraiman told Moonshine in 2023 the project faced, as reporter Julie Brown wrote, “millions of dollars in losses, much of which stacked up when unavoidable global challenges stymied the construction industry from the outset of the [Covid-19] pandemic: supply-chain delays, skyrocketing prices for materials, truck driver shortages, repairing damaged modular units, and other issues.”
After a back-and-forth with Placer County, the Hopkins Village price per unit for qualifying workforce residents was increased from $550,000 to $615,000.
As a homeowners association in California, Hopkins Village is not explicitly required by statute to maintain financial reserves, though maintenance of such is generally recognized to be a sound practice within the Davis-Sterling Act and other California court decisions. For example, Civil Code § 5550 requires an HOA board to conduct a reserve study to inspect “the accessible areas of the major components that the association is obligated to repair, replace, restore, or maintain.” The reserve funding plan lays out how the HOA expects to fund such components.
I think all homeowners associations in California, especially in the Basin or in Tahoe in general, Truckee, Placer, Nevada County — they’re all feeling the same crunch.”
~ Tim Cussen, Tahoe Housing Specialist, Placer County
Hopkins’ reserve fund balance has dwindled over the past two years, according to the HOA’s 2025 budget, which was shared with Moonshine Ink by a resident. The HOA’s total budgetary forecast for 2025, which includes anticipated dues, reserve fund replenishment, fund losses from previous years, fire insurance, and expenses puts it $76,582 in the hole. With the special assessment being levied, that loss goes down to $1,582.
Some of the largest 2024 expenses, of a total of $156,211, were insurance at $62,750 ($45,000 was budgeted) and snow removal at $37,500 ($30,000 had been budgeted).
The most expensive anticipated 2025 line item is insurance, at $82,500 (a 31% increase from 2024). Other notable expenses: Snow removal at $40,000 (6.6% increase); management at $31,947 (equal to 2024).
Hopkins HOA board members declined to comment.
One major point of consternation over the budget is the claim that the large deficit is due in part to “a previous decision by the builder, who held the majority vote at the time, to not sufficiently increase HOA dues to cover the rising operational costs.” This is an excerpt from a public comment submitted by Hopkins Village resident Andrea Buxton in June (and undersigned by other residents and HOA board members).
Cussen said he has not seen anything to substantiate the claim.
Fraiman stated, “I paid the dues for years. What happened is you didn’t have all the costs. The insurance was less because there weren’t 20 more buildings sitting there, there weren’t 40 more driveways to plow. All the costs were much lower … We started finishing units and then somebody would be like, ‘Oh, I need to get my roof shoveled,’ and the HOA would go shovel the roof … All of a sudden you had a lot of people there who all had needs.”
He also wonders if the HOA reserve was being paid into while Martis Camp owned the property, since Fraiman didn’t acquire the land until 2020.
“I would guess that there’s probably a lot of HOAs that are finding themselves in a pinch where construction costs have gone up. They have not been saving enough money, and now they’re hit with these maintenance costs and they have to do these assessments.”
MBK Chapman, a California-based legal practice of real estate attorneys, noted in a 2026 fact sheet, “Years of underfunded reserves are now colliding with the real costs of repairing roofs, roads, elevators, pools, and façades. More and more associations that failed to save responsibly are resorting to special assessments in the $40,000 [to] $60,000 range per unit.”
“Boards that neglected to save gradually are now resorting to one-time demands that devastate homeowners financially,” another MBK Chapman article stated. The law office added that HOAs in general have raised regular assessment dues as well.
Buxton became a resident of Hopkins Village in August 2024. She considers the fact that she had a down payment from a residence she’d just sold in Tahoe City the only reason she was able to afford to live there in the first place.
Buxton has been vocal about her affordability concerns by making the aforementioned public comment to Placer County, applying for a North Tahoe Community Alliance grant to cover the deficit (which failed), and compiling a letter of support from fellow Hopkins Village residents.
I personally believe people have to hope they can own a piece of this area. You’ll rent for a while; we all did … with the hope you can purchase. I’m committed to solutions that give that hope to that future workforce that they can grow roots here.”
~ Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, Placer County District 5
One solution Buxton suggested was requesting that Placer County take on road maintenance and snow plowing to eliminate about $40,000 from the HOA’s budget. “Why should the low-income housing development have to pay for their own road maintenance and snowplowing when (some) rich neighborhoods don’t do that?” she asked.
Cussen said such a request (which has been made many times by more developments than Hopkins Village) is unlikely, as it would set a precedent. Furthermore, he added, feasibility is an issue: “There aren’t any county-maintained roads anywhere near Hopkins Village … [The closest is] a few miles away … State Route 267 is maintained by the state, and Schaffer Mill Road is a private road maintained privately by, I think, the collective of golf course communities.”
While Placer County created the Hopkins Village condition of approval for the Martis Camp development, the jurisdiction has no connection aside from ensuring the deed restriction is met.
“Placer County is not affiliated with the HOA in any way,” Cussen said. “We don’t have any legal obligation or ability to step in. We are not a property owner there, so we really have no formal affiliation with the homeowners association. We have been asked by the homeowners association to provide funding, which we had explored, but have not provided for fear of the precedent that it sets.”
Sup. Gustafson said she did reach out to residential communities adjacent to Hopkins, asking if they could incorporate the 50-home neighborhood into their snowplow coverage area. “I have not heard back,” she said. “It is certainly something that we could look for partnership from those groups. But if we take care of Hopkins snow removal, what about [the other affordable housing neighborhoods?]”
Multiple workforce housing projects in Truckee/Tahoe function as tax credit projects, such as Coldstream Commons, Kings Beach Housing, and Truckee Artist Lofts — with more on the way.
“All tax credit projects are rentals,” Cussen explained. “You don’t have homeowner’s association dues, per se. But when the jurisdiction is doing for-sale and ownership opportunities for lower income or income-restricted units, they do have kind of a calculation method where the maximum cost of ownership, including the homeowner’s dues, cannot exceed a certain place in relation to that income level.”
Hopkins Village is the only deed-restricted for-sale project in Eastern Placer County.
The Martis Fund provides down-payment assistance to qualified working families in Eastern Placer and the Town of Truckee. Hopkins Village residents can qualify, though the fund did not have a specific amount that’s been dedicated to them. Placer County has its First-Time Homebuyer Loan Program, though applications are not currently being accepted because of a high volume of submissions.
“I personally believe people have to hope they can own a piece of this area,” Gustafson said. “You’ll rent for a while; we all did … with the hope you can purchase. I’m committed to solutions that give that hope to that future workforce that they can grow roots here. [Hopkins Village] may give us ideas of how we ensure they’re adequately prepared … I’m very hopeful because I think these people just bought at a time when the insurance just went off the charts and hopefully it’ll come back down.”
Fraiman was asked in May 2023 if he regretted the project. Then, he said everything was still up in the air as it wasn’t yet completed.
Now, he says: “The chips are still falling. I haven’t actually sold all the units yet with that, and I’m still paying taxes, insurance, water bills, heating bills. I would say I don’t regret the project. For Truckee and a landmark project as one of the first, if not the only for-sale deed restricted project around … I have had people who bought units call me and thank me for such an amazing, affordably-priced house and how thankful they actually are to own a home in Truckee. Imagine that [for the] evil developer.”
Financially, though, Fraiman said the project is a failure.
“The construction cost is more than what we’re selling the units for,” he said. “And now the cost to still carry the [unsold] units. When I started, I thought those things would be sold in two years. … [But] I have six bedrooms, two units, and zero calls on ’em. The insurance is insane for an unoccupied finished unit.”
Further, Fraiman is frustrated by the lack of interest by employers amid an employee housing crisis that’s plagued the Truckee/North Tahoe region for years. He said he’s spoken with Tahoe Forest Health System, the Tahoe Truckee Workforce Housing JPA, Alterra and Vail ski resorts, golf courses, local small businesses, and more.
“I could not get one entity, one business in Truckee to buy one unit,” Fraiman said. “Everyone says, ‘Hey, we need housing for our employees.’ This is why this project is such an enigma for me, as I thought what we were building was something that was in high demand.”
While employer-owned housing in Hopkins Village is allowed to be sold at market rate, Fraiman said he’s willing to offer the $615,000 price to interested parties.
Current Hopkins homeowners can resell their homes at market rate.
“If the bottom falls out and they have to sell for other changes in their life, they can sell for market rate,” Gustafson said, “but we don’t want to see that. We want to keep these people in our community.
You may know it as a go-to in Tahoe/Truckee’s yoga-verse or for its growing music scene, but Mountain Lotus in downtown Truckee is also fast becoming a haven for your next delectably healthy and affordable meal out.
A big step in the metamorphosis happened last June when it brought on Rich Selden, experienced know-your-farmer culinarian/restauranter, as executive chef and director of food and beverage.
A MAN IN HIS ELEMENT: Rich Selden came aboard as Mountain Lotus’s executive chef and director of food and beverage in June. Photos by Wade Snider/Moonshineink.
“With Rich in place, we are ready to become a wellness destination, a true healing-arts studio: mind, body, stomach,” says Alex Rey, Mountain Lotus marketing manager. “We have some great-tasting restaurants in town, but there is something about a homecooked meal. And with the organic ingredients we offer, the nutrition we offer, it really feels like you’re getting a homecooked, nourishing meal at a really good price point.”
In a time when the $30 burger seems to have become the norm at many area restaurants, at The Café, Mountain Lotus’ plant-based, Pacific-Rim-themed restaurant, both versions of its Bahn Mi still ring in at $17. You can get three (damn good) breakfast options for under $13; and the shiitake miso soup, which fills you up more than some $20 meals in these mountains, only runs you 10 bucks.
A life in food
Selden has been entwined in the region’s culinary scene since he started Electric Blue Elephant, his farm-to-table vegan food truck in Incline Village, back in 2011. He eventually moved the operation down to Reno where he then ran two hip-and-healthy restaurants, Café Deluxe on Wells Avenue and The Deluxe at the Biggest Little City’s vegan mecca, West Street Market. For three-plus years before his hiring by Mountain Lotus, Selden was at the Tahoe Food Hub, the renown slow-food market.
But Selden’s experience in, and love for, food goes way farther back than his time out West.
“I come from an Italian and Jewish household in Long Island, and my mom and grandma were always cooking,” he says. “I was exposed to a diverse food culture from a very young age, and we were always going around the city; to Flushing, to Queens, eating amazing Chinese, Japanese, all kinds of ethnic food. That’s when I kind of fell in love with Asian food in general.”
Selden moved to Reno to finish college in 2003 while also being pleasantly introduced to Vietnamese food and unpleasantly introduced to the absence of the mom-and-pop eateries he loved so much in New York.
THE CAFÉ at Mountain Lotus in Truckee is open for breakfast and lunch, serving Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
After graduating, Rich moved to Tahoe to pursue skiing full time and “found an itch to scratch with food.” That’s when he broke into the food truck scene, and his winding culinary path led him straight into the open petals of Mountain Lotus.
He plans on changing The Café’s menu with the seasons, creating apex dishes based on what’s available from the local food shed and paired for the essence of the time of year. Summer’s light and fresh Cali bowl, for instance, has been replaced by fall’s yaki bowl, a hearty serving of teriyaki chicken or tofu, jasmine turmeric rice, shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, persimmons, and sauteed seasonal veggies, including winter squash.
It’ll stick to your ribs and help you take on the cold. Plus, it just tastes really good.
It’s all about who you know and why you do it
One of the great strengths that Selden brings with him to Mountain Lotus is his decade-plus-long relationships with area farmers and producers. Forged from his time in Reno that afforded him the oppprtunity to work intimately with its Great Basin Community Food Co-op; from his experience with the sustainable- and giving-oriented Tahoe Food Hub; and his foremost fervor for finding the finest of naturally farmed foods, Rich’s relationships allow him to buy direct — keeping ingredients organic and fresh, and price points low.
He’ll regularly buy from five to eight different farms each week, ranging into the Grass Valley/Nevada City/Penn Valley and Capay Valley to the west.
FROM THE FARM to the plate to your table; Selden serves up another order of Mountain Lotus’s hand salad.
A husband and a father entrenched in the Tahoe/Truckee community (his wife, Mary McCallam, owns and runs Mountain Song in the herbal medicine sphere, and his son is a student at Tahoe Expedition Academy), Selden takes his ingredients seriously. He explains that, “‘Organic’ has a USDA definition of essentially being food that is produced either without pesticides or with pesticides that are approved by the USDA.”
Rich Selden’s definition of organic goes further than that. “We [Mountain Lotus] serve food that is never touched by pesticides and is completely non-GMO,” he notes. “All of our farmers are vetted by California Organic, certified, or they are utilizing organic procedures that they have communicated and that we have seen firsthand.”
Mountain Lotus’ food is also completely seed-oil free.
Selden discourses on the restaurant industry’s widespread use of seed oils — canola, peanut, soybean, sunflower, et al. — and how, despite their having been touted as “healthy oils” since the ’70s, they are actually heavily refined, produced using a high-chemical extraction process.
That’s why Mountain Lotus uses avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and, on occasion, animal fats such as tallow or gee in its food preparation. “Our seed-oil-free menu fits the overall athletic and wellness ethos of our mountain community,” Selden says.
As a self-proclaimed “label fanatic,” if there is something the chef may be considering to use in his kitchen but can’t buy directly, Selden will “dive really deeply into that product’s producer to make sure they have transparency and are using whole foods.”
The culinary troubadour also speaks of a sort of philosophic manifesto, one that he encourages diners to take with them wherever they look at a menu: “There is nothing wrong with asking questions about where your food is coming from,” he states. “They [the restaurant] should be able to tell you who their producers are and where their food is coming from.”
Seems like an obvious enough statement, right?
“But the list of restaurants who cannot is long,” Selden laments, his voice singed. “Longer than we think. Most of the time they are buying their food from large food distributers. I think that needs to change in restaurants. I think restaurants need to be operating at a higher level of integrity.”
ALL ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS: Selden’s relationships with area farmers allow him to get the freshest, most organic offerings.
To witness the revolution of integrity in food — how it is procured and how it is prepared — look no further than Mountain Lotus. Take a hot vinyasa class or see the studio’s next Afrolicious or Rambo Party show. And let its natural, from-the-farmer-who-Rich-shook-hands-with-a-day-and-a-half-ago food give your body, your mind, and your soul the fuel it deserves.
The Café at Mountain Lotus is open from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; elixirs and adult beverages are available in addition to food. Mountain Lotus also offers full-service and bespoke catering through Provisions, its 4×4 food truck. Go to mountainlotusyoga.com/food for menus and more details.
Ever since DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) fired thousands of federal probationary employees without cause in February 2025, I have lived in a state of dread. This was just the opening salvo of actions taken in the name of reducing costs and improving government efficiency that have, instead, created an unprecedented level of chaos, inefficiency, and outright fear among the government workforce.
The motivations are murky, but it doesn’t take a lot of critical thinking to determine that these moves were driven by an astounding lack of knowledge and expertise at the highest levels of government, political retribution, and potential for grifting by those currently in power. Transparency has been non-existent, and the evidence is flimsy for how current efforts to reduce and reorganize our government institutions will lead to improved outcomes.
Since this all began, I have closely followed this assault as it impacts public land management agencies. I worked as a hydrologist for the US Forest Service in the Lake Tahoe Basin for almost 30 years. Through my connections with former colleagues in the Forest Service, I know how extremely damaging the threatening messaging and ongoing chaotic efforts to reduce the government workforce and spending have been to hard-working, highly qualified individuals and to the agency overall.
Because federal employees are prohibited from talking openly, there has been little visible evidence of the destruction that has occurred in our federal land management agencies. But it is there, and the cracks are turning into ravines; we will likely feel the impact for decades. The pipeline of research, planning, and implementation to address fire risk, control invasive species, protect water quality, improve forest health, and maintain recreation infrastructure has been severely compromised. Coupled with workforce reductions are numerous assaults on legislative guardrails like the proposals to rescind the Roadless Rule and the Public Lands Management Act, and budget cuts for critical public land management programs.
Just to be clear, I do not think everything should go back to the way it was before Trump was elected. There is always a need for continuous assessment of government efficiency. During my career, a large-scale reorganization of the Forest Service, including major workforce reductions, occurred under Clinton/Gore, but the process was transparent and civil servants were treated with dignity.
The Trump administration is betting that most people buy into a general assumption that government agencies and employees are inefficient and wasteful. It also knows that most of us have very little knowledge about how specific government agencies work.
During my 30-year career, I worked with colleagues who often performed beyond their pay grade and were passionate about their work and our agency’s mission. From my perspective, this administration is not taking meaningful steps to improve government efficiency; it wants to break it. And it needs to know we are watching.
What terrifies me now is the level of threat I perceive does not seem real to so many. And because of that, not enough people will rise above the overwhelm to take action. But there are things you can do to fight back.
Join one or two advocacy groups that are working for public lands. Sign up to give them a small, automatic monthly donation and then take two minutes to sign and send their form letters when they appear in email messages or social media posts. Better yet, take a couple more minutes to personalize your message to identify a specific place on public lands in Tahoe or elsewhere
that you are concerned about, and why it matters to you and your family.
I have chosen to support Outdoor Alliance and the Natural Resources Defense Council based on my research on their organizational effectiveness, understanding of the issues, and ability to craft timely and on-point messaging.
This administration has embarked on a flood-the-zone strategy for dismantling the infrastructure that manages public lands, which has taken decades to create. It needs to be met with a tsunami of resistance. I hope you will join the wave.
~ Sue Norman lives in Tahoe and currently serves on the Sierra Nevada Alliance Board. She recently published her memoir, RISK, A Life Saved by the River, and is working to help others amplify the power of the written word to protect public lands. Learn more at susannormanauthor.com.
Hyperbaric therapy is Tahoe’s newest health treatment.
Tahoe Hyperbaric, located inside Kensho Wellbeing by Camp 1 fitness in Truckee, has found its niche in Tahoe/Truckee’s growing wellness community. It even caught the attention of a world-class super middleweight boxer, who made a pitstop while visiting the gym.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) makes use of oxygen’s healing capabilities. Although only FDA-approved for a select few diagnoses, Tahoe Forest Health System Chief Medical Officer Brian Evans states that breathing near 100% oxygen (the air we breathe only contains 21%) while in a pressurized hyperbaric chamber increases oxygen delivery throughout the body and can improve wound healing and injured tissues.
PEACE AND SERENITY: Tahoe Hyperbaric patients can relax in the chamber for their 60- to 90-minute sessions, taking a nap, doing work, or even watching a movie. Photos by Wade Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink
Tahoe Hyperbaric owners Michael and Jessica Canon began the business after their own positive experiences using hyperbaric therapy for neck stenosis and Lyme disease. Michael, who didn’t want to use Botox and pharmaceuticals, said he and Jessica turned to naturopathic answers.
“Beneficial outcomes (when used for appropriate indications) include faster wound healing, reduced risk of limb loss for severe diabetic foot ulcers, improved outcomes after certain radiation injuries, and reversal of pressure/embolic injuries,” said Evans.
Though Tahoe Forest does not provide HBOT services, Evans recognized the positive clinical evidence for approved medical uses, such as for treating skin grafts. He further noted that there is limited evidence for non-FDA-approved uses.
The Canons said they felt the positive impacts of HBOT early on in their own treatments, and the lack of HBOT treatments in the Tahoe area encouraged the couple to provide a solution rather than continue driving to Reno.
TAHOE HYPERBARIC’S chamber is a single pod patients sit in for treatment while monitored by an attendant.
“We feel that even though there’s a relatively small number of disease processes that are approved for treatment, we feel there’s a lot of evidence that it helps with a much wider range of health issues,” said Michael.
Being claustrophobic, it helps Michael that the chamber they purchased is roomy enough for a comfortable chair and an ottoman. The chamber also delivers oxygen through a mask rather than filling entirely with the gas, which reduces the risk of sparks. Tahoe Hyperbaric’s chamber generally increases the atmospheric pressure to the equivalent of two of Earth’s atmospheres (2.0 ATA), allowing for greater oxygen absorption in the blood.
“We’ve been doing research on it for a year and it’s amazing how many things it helps,” Michael said. “[The treatment’s] just been kind of guarded and hidden in the background in hospitals for severe burn victims, radiation victims, surgical victims, because it repairs skin really quickly.”
JESSICA AND MICHAEL CANON are the proprietors of Tahoe Hyperbaric. Initially hoping for HBOT therapy closer to where they lived, they decided to expand HBOT treatment to Truckee/Tahoe themselves.
Part of the couple’s hope for Tahoe Hyperbaric is to make the treatment more accessible to the Tahoe community. Michael said that by June, barely four months after opening, they reached 100% occupancy and now plan to expand from their singular chamber.
“We want to be able to give back a little bit and help people out,” Jessica said.
The Canons aim to open their second location in Incline Village in January 2026. Additionally, they’re working to make an ADA accessible chamber, and they don’t bar entry to those who can’t afford it, providing discounted and even free sessions for some.
Joe Miller, a 78-year-old Tahoe Hyperbaric patient, has had multiple traumatic brain injuries throughout this life. He commented that his family seems susceptible to traumatic brain injuries, and was encouraged by his paramedic and firefighter son to try hyperbaric treatment. To prevent further neurological degradation, Joe and his wife committed to HBOT.
“Both of us just feel more lucid,” Miller said. “You feel kind of more aware — I guess just greater level of awareness and greater level of connection to this experience that we call ‘just living moment by moment.’”
The Millers now go to Tahoe Hyperbaric regularly, with plans to complete 30 sessions each over two months. Miller emphasized that it makes sense that hyperbaric treatment works. Having worked developing medical rehabilitation centers, Miller said traumatic brain injury patients generally had to learn to live with their condition. Perhaps things are different now.
Though traumatic brain injuries aren’t FDA-approved for treatment, Tahoe Hyperbaric’s telemedicine consulting doctor, chiropractor Dr. William Buhram, said hyperbaric treatment is great for brain injuries because of its anti-inflammatory nature.
“We’re treating the body for the inflammatory process because the hyperbaric medicine — with going down 2 ATA — has the ability to create an endogenous effect on the body,” Buhram said. “The arteries are able to carry 10, 20 times more red blood cells to every tissue in the body, including the brain.”
Miller said that while the treatment’s functionality is subjective, he believes he and his wife have felt improvements to their brains’ executive function because of their hyperbaric treatment.
His most recent brain injury was sustained on Aug. 2 while riding his bike to Coffeebar on Jibboom Street, where he hit an improbable crack in the road. Though he does not remember the crash, he reportedly went over the handlebars. Miller recounted four severe concussions throughout the years, which left him unconscious or with amnesia, and how he has noticed a difference in his cognitive function.
“It’s now 10 weeks post-injury and we’re now three weeks post-initiation of the HBOT,” he said. “Things simply feel more clear to me.”
All of the patients Moonshine spoke with felt some kind of effect from their treatments, whether it was reduced pain, stronger immune systems, or improved ability to rest. Birgit Johnston, who fractured her tibia in a downhill ski accident, noticed that she was experiencing quicker recoveries after workouts and better sleep after her HBOT treatment. She said her Oura ring (a smart ring used to monitor activity and sleep) also tracked a lower resting heart rate, which she attributes to HBOT.
“It made it easier to get back to doing the activities I love doing — which is great for mental health,” Johnston said. “As you know, we all love being outside in Tahoe!”
While Johnston has now resigned herself to Nordic skiing, another patient, Sean Reagan, dreams of making it to Alaska in the spring. He suffered an injury after taking a ski to the knee last February. He managed to get back out on the slopes at the end of the season, powering through on mostly one leg, but hopes to use his continued treatment to get back to 100% strength and go on the trip up north.
“I felt like I was months ahead on my knee recovery,” Reagan said. “The original diagnosis was, like, six to 12 months before you can get on skis.”
Reagan also considers his sessions a potential preventive measure for dementia. In fact, medical doctors see more clinical evidence for the effects of hyperbaric therapy on dementia and Alzheimer’s.
“Preclinical and small clinical studies have explored HBOT for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s-type pathology and have shown some promising signals in limited trials,” Evans said. “But the evidence is preliminary.”
He also noted that, while promising, HBOT is currently not a medically accepted treatment for Alzheimer’s. However, Buhram emphasized that hyperbaric treatment is still in its infancy. Even though there haven’t yet been enough clinical trials, that does not mean it doesn’t work. Buhram also spoke of the power of pharmaceutical companies when it comes to diagnoses and treatment. He sees HBOT as an alternative to pharmaceutical treatment, believing it can treat “pretty much everything under the sun.”
“[It’s] been really exciting to say we brought something, we offered it up, people are trying it and it’s actually helping,” Jessica said.
