I spend a lot of column space talking about equities (stocks). Whether U.S. or international, large cap or small cap, or value or growth, equities are a way of buying a small ownership in the future profits of companies. For investors, these shares of various companies are a key part of their portfolio.
A second very common part of most investment portfolios is bonds. So, what are bonds, and why are they generally considered to be such an important part of investment portfolios? Simply put, a bond is a loan that you make to a business or government, and in return you get the promise of two things: periodic interest payments (perhaps monthly or quarterly, as examples), and your money back at the end of the deal term.
As an example, let’s say that today I can buy a hypothetical $10,000 bond from Apple with a 4% coupon, paid semi-annually for 5 years. Here’s how this would work. First, I would send Apple $10,000 to purchase the bond. Then, every 6 months, Apple would send me an interest payment of $200 (half of 4% of $10,000). At the end of 5 years, I would receive a payment of $10,000 from Apple, the exact same amount that I paid for the bond originally.
When the dust settles at the end of my 5-year bond investment example, I would have received a total of $12,000 (ten $200 semi-annual payments plus the $10,000 bond payout) in exchange for my initial investment of $10,000. That kind of investment income won’t make me a millionaire, but it’s a fair return for the level of risk in the investment (I’ll talk more specifically about those risks in a future column).
We all know that it is not uncommon to lose money on an equity investment, especially in the short run. It is also possible to lose money on a bond investment! If the company or government entity you’ve lent your money to sees a change in their financial situation, that can affect the short-term value of the bond (in more extreme cases, the long-term value). But even in that case, as long as the entity isn’t in bankruptcy or financial restructuring, you are likely to get your full payment at the end of the bond term. Interest rates changes can similarly affect the short-term value of your bond.
Bonds are generally thought of as having a lower level of risk and lower expected returns when compared to stocks. That makes perfect sense—nobody would sign up for a lower rate of return if you still had to take the same amount of risk! It also makes bonds a nice compliment to stocks, and enables investors to personalize the level of risk that they take in their portfolio.
My next column will take a deeper dive into bonds and how to position them in your investment portfolio.
How ever you choose to use bonds in your portfolio, invest smartly and invest well!
Larry Sidney is a Zephyr Cove-based Investment Advisor Representative. Information is found at https://palisadeinvestments.com/ or by calling 775-299-4600 x702. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell securities. Clients may hold positions mentioned in this article. Past Performance does not guarantee future results. Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.
Our Health Insurance Costs Could Increase by 800% if the ACA Health Care Premium Subsidies Expire
I read with horror the letter outlining next year’s health insurance premium cost. From $315 a month, it’s set to skyrocket to $2,200 a month. And that’s for a plan with catastrophic coverage. Our deductible is $7,000 each for my husband and me. While basic annual tests are covered, anything above that comes out of pocket until we meet the $7,000 deductible.
In the past two years, both my husband and I separately suffered injuries that required surgery. We maxed out those deductibles because we needed the procedures, and now we’re facing even higher costs. The prospect of paying $26,400 a year just for premiums, plus another $14,000 in deductibles, is pushing us to reconsider our options. And when we factor in the rising costs of homeowners and auto insurance, utilities, and food, it doesn’t seem sustainable in the long term.
From a different perspective, I worked as a paramedic for 27 years. Before the ACA, I responded to the home of a self-employed man who was having a heart attack. His biggest concern wasn’t about dying—it was that he didn’t have health insurance. The cost of his care could literally bankrupt him and his family. No one should have to face a choice between life and death, or between getting necessary care and losing their home and financial security—especially in the richest country in the world.
As a paramedic for a public system, I treated every patient the same, regardless of their financial situation. The cost of their care was shared across the community. It worked, but so many times, I’d hear patients express concerns about what would happen once they got to the hospital. I always had to tell them the hard truth: “It’s a matter of life and death. You need to go to the hospital and get the care you need.”
So, when will we demand a single-payer healthcare system, or at the very least, the extension of ACA premium subsidies until we can implement a more comprehensive solution? We are the richest country in the world. We can do better than this.
Lisa Parsons South Lake Tahoe
To the Editor,
I attended the city council meeting this evening,11-18-25. I was very impressed by the council members and also the public who showed up regarding the filling of the vacant council seat. There were many very qualified citizens.
The reason I write is just to say this: History tends to repeat itself, many times in a negative light.
I simply ask those responsible in this endeavor, please do a thorough background check on all the candidates. Our city doesn’t need another Operation Snow , or another incidence like we just had with our recent Mayor. It’s just embarrassing.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif.—The California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) invites residents and visitors to participate in the next round of public workshops on the Upper Truckee Marsh South project. The Conservancy looks forward to sharing concepts—informed by community engagement earlier this year—for potential restoration and access and recreation improvements on state land that includes the site of the former Motel 6.
In-Person Public Workshop | 5–7 pm on Monday, December 8, 2025 at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) Meet in the LTCC Board Room (L104), located in the Roberta Mason Library building.
In-Person Public Workshop | Noon–2 pm on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, also in the LTCC Board Room
Spanish interpretation will be available for all meetings.
The Conservancy acquired the Upper Truckee Marsh South property in 2024, and removed the former motel and restaurant development in 2025. The 31-acre property includes 25 acres of wetland and meadow, and four acres of fill where the former motel had been built atop a wetland. It also serves as a key link between hundreds of acres of protected floodplain upstream and downstream. One of the most heavily used shared-use trails in South Lake Tahoe, the South Tahoe Bikeway, crosses the property. As such, the Upper Truckee Marsh South project presents an opportunity to restore an extraordinary natural resource, benefit the community, and enhance connections for people and wildlife.
In April, the Conservancy began public outreach to seek ideas for restoration and public access improvements at the south end of the Upper Truckee Marsh, including the site of the former Motel 6. The Conservancy has also been working closely with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, and Lake Tahoe Basin partners on planning the project.
In the December meetings, the Conservancy will present updates on concepts for the project’s restoration elements and opportunities to improve public access and recreation, and will continue to seek public feedback and input.
The Conservancy will offer additional online opportunities to review project materials and provide feedback beyond these meetings.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Black Bear Lodge has donated over $5,000 this year to the environmental nonprofit organization Keep Tahoe Blue, reinforcing the hotel’s longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable hospitality in the Tahoe Basin.
“It’s so hard to sum up my passion for protecting the lake and our collective responsibility,” said Rachel Carlson, owner of Black Bear Lodge. “Lake Tahoe is the reason we’re here — it’s our home and our inspiration. We’re proud to support Keep Tahoe Blue and do our part to keep this place as beautiful as it is today.”
As a boutique, family-owned lodge rooted deeply in the natural beauty of South Lake Tahoe, Black Bear Lodge places sustainability at the core of its mission. This year’s contribution supports Keep Tahoe Blue’s critical work to preserve the clarity, health, and resilience of the lake for generations to come.
“We’re proud to work with Black Bear Lodge, and many other businesses around the lake, through our Blue Business program,” said Hailey Hawkins, strategic partnerships manager for Keep Tahoe Blue. “This program gives businesses like Black Bear Lodge an outlet for their passion for Lake Tahoe’s environment and the community we love.”
Black Bear Lodge’s donation is part of a broader commitment to responsible tourism and fostering a meaningful connection between visitors, locals, and the natural environment. The lodge integrates eco-conscious practices throughout its operations — from waste reduction and energy efficiency to sustainable landscaping and community partnerships.
“We’re grateful for Keep Tahoe Blue’s tireless efforts and for the opportunity to contribute to their mission,” Carlson added. “Our hope is that everyone who visits Tahoe feels inspired to care for this special place.”
Keep Tahoe Blue is the donor-funded, science-based organization of environmental experts and Tahoe-lovers who have led the protection and restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin since 1957. Using innovation, advocacy, and community engagement, they keep Tahoe beachable, bikeable, hikeable, boatable, skiable, and enjoyable for all. For more information about Keep Tahoe Blue and the Tahoe Blue Business program, visit keeptahoeblue.org/bluebusiness.
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters defeated the Savannah Ghost Pirates in their return to Stateline on Thursday, Nov. 20 by a 2-1 final score.
In the first period, the new kid in class, Jordan Gustafson, received a beautiful feed on the doorstep from Devon Paliani to tally his first professional goal in his first professional game to make it 1-0 Knight Monsters after the first.
In the second, Tahoe extended their lead thanks to a power play goal from Trent Swick, who used his long reach to wrap one past Michael Simpson on the far side and put the Knight Monsters up 2-0 headed into the third period.
In the final frame, Savannah gained some momentum with a power play goal from Nicholas Zabaneh in the final six minutes of regulation. But in the end, it was Knight Monsters’ goaltender Cameron Whitehead who earned an A+ on his report card, stopping 44 of 45 Ghost Pirates shots to give Tahoe a 2-1 victory.
The Knight Monsters return home on Friday, November 21, to take on the Savannah Ghost Pirates at Tahoe Blue Event Center for Sustainability Knight. Puck drop is at 7:00 pm, with pregame coverage on the Knight Monsters broadcast network beginning at 6:50 pm. Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are now available. For more information, visit www.knightmonstershockey.com
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif – The City of South Lake Tahoe has completed several key infrastructure and stormwater improvement projects this past construction season. These projects demonstrate the City’s ongoing commitment to public safety, transportation, and environmental stewardship.
The City is providing an overview of the City’s major projects and their progress during the 2025 construction season.
Pioneer Trail Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) The Pioneer Trail HSIP at Pioneer Trail and Edna Street–Glenwood Way included upgraded traffic signage, updated pavement markings, improved drainage, and widened lanes. These enhancements are designed to make the intersection safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The project, contracted to Globe Engineering Development LLC, is now complete, with no further work expected.
2025 Road Rehabilitation and Drainage Replacement The 2025 Road Rehabilitation and Drainage Replacement Project brought significant upgrades to Upper Bijou Neighborhood. This project in coordination with the Upper Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project follows the installation of a new drainage system to improve water quality. After completing the drainage replacements, the roads on Walkup Road, Herbert Avenue, Warr Road, Red Lake Road, Hobart Avenue, Aloha Road, and Woodland Road were repaved. This project, contracted to All American Construction LLC, is complete, and no further work is expected.
Road rehab projects were completed by the city. Provided / City of SLT
Pioneer Trail Pedestrian Improvements Phase II During the 2025 construction season, B&M Civil LLC completed key infrastructure upgrades in the northbound lane of Pioneer Trail which included installing waterline and stormwater pipes, lighting foundations, and new curbs and gutters. Temporary asphalt repairs were also made to ensure safe travel through the winter. Construction will continue into the 2026 season, completing the curbs, sidewalks and lighting in the northbound lane and completing all infrastructure in the southbound lane, followed by full street repaving. These improvements are designed to provide safer, more accessible conditions for pedestrians and drivers.
Upper Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project The Upper Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project advanced significantly this season through two key subprojects:
Rockwood to Blackwood Drainage Improvements Project: F.W. Carson Co. installed a critical storm drain from Rockwood Drive to Bijou Park Creek, restoring the Stream Environment Zone and reducing persistent flooding. This project contracted to FW Carson Co. is now complete, and no further work is expected.
Aloha Basin: In coordination with the 2025 Road Rehabilitation and Drainage Project, two new storm drains were installed under Herbert Avenue, improving drainage and providing water quality treatment. This project is complete with no further work expected.
F.W. Carson Co. installed a critical storm drain from Rockwood Drive to Bijou Park Creek.Provided / City of SLT
Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt Improvement Project: Phase I and Phase II
For Phase I, stormwater and water quality systems were upgraded in the Bonanza neighborhood and downstream of James Avenue. The basins have performed well over the past year, with further monitoring of the storm drains planned for this winter. This water quality project further enhances flood protection and water quality as well as protecting the lake. This phase was completed this September by Herback General Engineering.
Tahoe Valley Phase 1Provided / City of SLT
Phase II consists of recreational and active transportation improvements to the Greenbelt behind The Crossings. Significant progress has been made, including land preparation, graded trails, operational stormwater system, rock walls, and partial boardwalk structures. Construction will continue into the 2026 season, with pedestrian railing installation expected to continue in 2025 as weather allows. Trails will remain closed through the 2025-2026 winter season. This critical water quality project treats runoff from developed urban areas before it gets to the river or lake, protecting Lake Tahoe and enhancing safety and recreational access for the community.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On June 1, 2023, South Lake Tahoe PD was contacted by a local family-owned construction company after discovering one of their employees had been embezzling money from the business. The company identified their employee as Kami Power of Gardnerville, Nev. South Lake Tahoe PD Officer Neumann began the investigation, which was later forwarded to South Lake Tahoe PD Detective Webber.
Detective Webber began his investigation and learned the initial reported stolen money found by the construction company was only the tip of iceberg. Detective Webber’s investigation quickly grew to a large scale, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional collaborative effort. Over the course of the investigation, over $1.4 million was found to have been embezzled by Power between November 2019 and May 2023. During that time frame, Power used the embezzled money to purchase two houses, several new cars, ATVs, a horse, and a $29,000 Hawaii vacation.
Ultimately, the case was picked up by the U.S. Department of Justice, who issued an arrest warrant for Power. Power was arrested and transferred to Sacramento in federal custody. On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Power was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Dhruv Sharma.
According to the press release issued by the DOJ, Power is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Coggins on Feb. 27, 2026. Power faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
South Lake Tahoe Police Department would like to thank Officer Neumann, Detective Webber, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for all their work on this case.
Chris Thorne, 75, passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife of 51 years, Kathy, daughter Alicia Darrow, and son Turner Thorne, on April 17, 2025 at his home in Driggs, Idaho.
He was born on January 22, 1950 in San Jose, California to Joyce and Walter Thorne. They moved to Lake Tahoe in 1954 where Chris grew up with his brother, David Thorne and sister, Laurie Mason. He was an avid skier from age 6, a member of the U.S. Far West Downhill Ski Team while attending South Tahoe High School, and worked as a professional ski patrolman at Heavenly Ski Resort after graduation in 1968. Recognizing his natural ability, unique style, speed and grace, his fellow ski patrolmen entered him in a National Freestyle Skiing Championship event that was held at Heavenly in 1973. He captivated the crowds and the interest of sponsors and that experience launched his career in the growing new sport of freestyle skiing. He consistently finished in the top three in mogul events and in 1975 he won the World Freestyle Mogul Championship at Snowbird, Utah.
He retired from competition in 1978 and created and operated the Western Professional Freestyle Tour for two years. In 2011, he was inducted into the Freestyle Skiing Hall of Fame as a “Pioneer of Freestyle Skiing”. Chris remained in the ski industry, in retail management, at the Outdoorsman and Heavenly Ski Resort’s Heavenly Sports stores in South Lake Tahoe for the remainder of his career.
Retiring in 2013, he and Kathy moved to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where they worked and lived for five years, until settling in Driggs, Idaho, the backyard to Grand Targhee Ski Resort and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. He was a volunteer Mountain Ski Host at both resorts. Chris had an insatiable passion for skiing and lived his dream retirement years skiing 100+ days in the winters and riding his mountain bike almost every day in the summers. He also loved hiking, camping, kayaking and gardening.
He was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in June 2024. This hideous disease slowly left him unable to move any muscles in his body, however, with his mind crystal clear and sharp, he gracefully accepted every loss with determination, resilience and humor.
Chris was a quiet, humble man who intensely loved his family and friends. His gentle spirit, huge heart, strong will and kindness touched the lives of everyone he met. A private family memorial service was held on June 28, 2025 and his ashes were spread in the beautiful Teton Mountains.
He is survived by his wife Kathleen Thorne, daughter and son in law, Alicia and Justin Darrow, son, Turner Thorne and fiancee, Sara Meotti, grandsons, Wesley and Camden Darrow, brother and sister in law, David and Sherrie Thorne, sister Laurie Mason and numerous nieces and nephews.
Rest in peace, we love you and miss you. Fly like the eagles in your beloved mountains.
RENO, Nev. – Thanks to early season storms and cold temperatures that have allowed the resort’s robust snowmaking efforts to begin in earnest, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe is getting the 2025-26 winter season underway on Friday Nov. 21, 2025.
“Every year, one of our goals is to be the first Tahoe area resort to open, and to offer one of the longest ski and ride seasons in the region,” said Mike Pierce, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe marketing and sales director. “Thanks to the recent storms combined with the highest base area elevation at 8,260′, we’re excited to offer folks the ability to get on snow for some of their first turns of the season.”
For opening day, planned lift operations include the Lakeview Express from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering access to long intermediate level trails on the Main Lodge side of the mountain. Open trails will include Kit Carson Traverse, Kit Carson Bowl, and Ponderosa.
No beginner terrain will be available on opening day, but is anticipated to open in the coming days as snowmaking continues and conditions permit. Terrain park features in the Pondo Park are expected to come online beginning Saturday, Nov. 22. Skiers and riders should anticipate early season conditions and snowmaking operations in progress.
All parking will be available at the Main Lodge, and services open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include the Lodgepole Cafe, Higher Grounds Coffee Bar, and Timbers. Equipment Rental and the Tuning Center will be open and private instruction will be available starting Saturday, Nov. 22 for those interested in taking a lesson. Advanced online lift tickets are available at skirose.com. Wildslide snowtubing will not be available until snow conditions and snowmaking allow for lane construction. Please visit Wildslidetahoe.com for updates.
Additional terrain and resort services are expected to open as snowmaking operations continue at every opportunity that conditions permit.
Visit skirose.com for snow, terrain and lift operations reports, and to purchase lift tickets or a 2025-26 season pass.
STATELINE, Nev. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and other emergency responders were called to an incident off Kingsbury Grade on Wednesday, Nov. 19. An 87-year-old man and woman sustained minor hand injuries when a bear entered their home while searching for food. NDOW is reminding those living in bear country to follow safety guidelines to help keep bears wild and prevent similar situations.
According to NDOW game wardens, a male homeowner entered his garage at approximately 4:30 a.m. and unexpectedly encountered a bear that had been searching for food. As he backed away, the bear scratched his hand and followed him into the house. At one point, before leaving the home, the bear also scratched the 87-year-old female homeowner. The bear ultimately exited the home. Both individuals were treated by medical personnel and released from the hospital.
“We are grateful that these individuals sustained minor injuries and are okay,” said Shawn Espinosa, Game Division Administrator for NDOW. “Bears are still experiencing hyperphagia, or a phase where they build up as many calories as possible before going into their dens for winter. To ensure bears make their ways to their dens, it is important that residents secure attractants.”
NDOW is reminding those living in bear country to follow these safety guidelines to help keep bears wild and prevent similar situations:
Secure your garbage. Around 90% of bear incidents start with unsecured trash. Carson City, Washoe County and Douglas County all offer bear-resistant garbage cans that can be left outside. Contact your local waste management to obtain a wildlife-resistant trash cannister.
Remove other attractants from your yard (examples include bird feeders, bird seed, pet food, clean dirty barbeques, trash, and all other food and scented items.)
Remove food, trash, and other scented items from vehicles. Do not leave coolers in truck beds and keep vehicle windows up and doors locked when not in use.
Secure doors and windows when you are not home, or in unoccupied rooms overnight. Screen doors are no match for a curious bear.
Install electric fencing around beehives and chicken coops.
If you see bears near your home, scare them away: From an open window or safe distance, yell loudly and/or bang pots and pans to scare the bear away. Yelling things like “Hey bear!”, “Go bear!”, “Get out of here bear!” alerts those around you to what’s going on. You can also trigger your car alarm to scare them off as well. These methods can help “negatively condition” bears to humans and houses and teach them that it is not okay to enter these areas.
For additional information on coexisting with bears, visit BearWise.org.
To report bear incidents, call 775-688-BEAR (2327).
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores, and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. Find us on Facebook, Instagram or visit us at www.ndow.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Get ready for one of South Lake Tahoe’s most anticipated holiday traditions, Valhalla Holiday Faire. Taking place from November 21-23, the Valhalla Estate is hosting a magical, three-day holiday event, featuring a craft fair with new and returning local craft vendors, Borges Sleigh and Carriage Rides, live music and an opportunity to meet Mr. and Mrs. Clause.
“It’s a really fun three days for the community,” said Executive Director of Valhalla Tahoe, Meg Peart.
Valhalla Holiday Faire event schedule is packed with fun activities for all agesProvided/Valhalla Tahoe
With this year being the 29th year for the event, the turnout is sure to be a big one. “On average, we have about 1000 people that come throughout the day. This year,” said Peart, “I wanted to add extra activities so families have something to do once they get out there and have already checked out all the vendors. We want people to feel like they can hang out, relax and enjoy the holidays with us.”
Activities consist of face painting, ornament making and, “We’re also going to be showing holiday movies in the boathouse theater,” added Peart. “They’ll be playing all the time so people can pop in and out.”
Dwight Borges with Borges Sleigh and Carriage Rides will add to the whimsy, offering free carriage rides from Valhalla Estate to the Tallac Historic Site and back.
The decorations are sure to dazzle this year, with the help of a stunning, 22-foot Christmas tree. “It’s a really magical space to be at during the holidays.”
Valhalla Holiday Faire to host a number of amazing craft vendorsProvided/Valhalla Tahoe
Something to keep in mind while planning to attend is demand for parking. Once the Valhalla Tahoe parking lots are full, people will need to park on Emerald Bay Rd and take a short walk to the venue.
Valhalla Tahoe invites everyone to come and enjoy their mystical event taking place from 4-8 p.m. on November 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 22nd, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 23rd. For more information about the Valhalla Holiday Faire, visit valhallatahoe.com.
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.
I like to refer to raviolis as Christmas pasta – each one is like its own individually wrapped present. So, when you get one that was a family recipe developed by the Eldorado Resort Casino back in the 80s and is still one of the best-selling items on the menu today, you know you’re in for a true gift. Such is the case with this week’s feature from the Carano family via the Sapori Italian Kitchen.
Starting with the stuffing, a trio of mushrooms (porcini, cremini and oyster) are combined and cooked down with some secret ingredients that I am, unfortunately, not family enough to know. A whole egg pasta is rolled out and cut and once stuffed, cooked to order. Before serving they are tossed in an amazing cream sauce that is accented with a little porcini powder and fresh thyme then topped with roasted wild mushrooms (cremini and oyster) before the shaved garnish of Parmesan Reggiano is added.
The dish is a showstopper – especially if you are a mushroom lover. The synchronization in flavor with the earthy and rich mushrooms partnering with the light and creamy sauce is what makes this dish magic and one of my favorite ravioli dishes ever. Yes, ever.
The pasta is tender and the perfect purse for the layered mushroom flavor. Add in the nutty, salty and savory notes from the cheese and floral notes from the thyme and you’re looking at a perfect bite of food.
The dish eats light, so you won’t be leaving the table feeling overwhelmed, which is direct result of the balance of ingredients. Speaking of ingredients, whatever those secret ones are, they sure do pull their weight.
Sapori Italian Kitchen is located inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe at 15 Highway 50 in Stateline. For more information and menu items you can reach them online at caesars.com/harrahs-tahoe or via phone at 775-586-4964.
Ales for ALS Beer Release – 5-8 p.m., South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. South Lake Brewing Company will be releasing our Ales for ALS beer with a portion of proceeds going to the ALS Therapy Development Institute. The event will be held at our Brewery location at 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. For more information, visit https://www.southlakebeer.com/brewery-events or call (530) 578-0087.
Design & Wine- Decorate Your Own Wreath – 3-5 p.m., Talie Jane Interiors, 255 Kingsbury Grade, Suite C. Get into the holiday spirit with us at Talie Jane Interiors! Join our Decorate Your Own Wreath event on Friday, November 21st from 3–5 PM — a festive afternoon of creativity, laughter, and beautiful holiday décor. 255 Kingsbury Grade, Stateline, NV Spots are limited and filling up fast — RSVP today @ admin@taliejaneinteriors.com $30 per person. For more information, visit http://www.taliejaneinteriors.com or call 8558254352.
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/2025-11-21/.
DJ DIVERSITY at HQ – 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Bally’s Lake Tahoe Casino Resort, 55 Highway 50. For more informati on visit lateniteproductions.com Additional dates: 11/21, 11/22. For more information, visit https://casinos.ballys.com/lake-tahoe/events-calendar.aspx?date=11/21/2 025&display=event&eventid=2460343.
Igloos on the Terrace – Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd,. Holiday/Festive, Winter/Ski. Experience cozy luxury in a heated igloo. Enjoy drinks, appetizers, and sweet treats in a private winter retreat. Starting on 11/21/2025 and ending on 04/30/2026 For more information, visit https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-resort-lake-tahoe/things-to-do-in-lake-tahoe/events/igloos-on-the-terrace.
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=2.
Knight Monsters vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates – 7 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. Knights Monsters vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates – Regular Season Home Game For more information, visit https://www.tahoeblueeventcenter.com/events/detail/knight-monsters-vs-savannah-ghost-pirates-251121.
Thanksgiving in Tahoe – Intro to Modern Western Square Dance Party – 6-8:30 p.m., South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd.. Carson Valley Squares is hosting another Introduction to Modern Western Square Dancing. This is a great family friendly event! (Ages 12 and up. Younger kids are possible if parents think they can dance.) Come join caller Scott Olson as he introduces you to Modern Western Square Dancing! For more information, visit http://CarsonValleySquares.com or call 916-761-0894.
Sky Tavern Ski swap – 5 p.m., 21130 Mt Rose Hwy. Your favorite ski swap returns on Nov. 21 & 22, and this year it’s AT the mountain! Join us on Friday, Nov. 21, 5 pm – 9 pm, and Saturday, Nov. 22, 9 am – 3 pm. Shop from a huge selection of new items and local used gear like skis, boards, boots, apparel, and accessories. Clean out the garage and drop your used gear at Sky Tavern, and support community-funded programs. Drop your gear off on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday before the event. Questions? Email info@skytavern.com. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1374515664233536/.
Saturday, November 22
DJ Montague – 9-11:30 p.m., AleWorX Stateline. Additional dates: 11/22, 11/27. For more information, visit https://laketahoealeworx.com/event/dj-montague-5/2025-11-22/.
Knights Monsters vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates – 4:16 p.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. Knight Monsters vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates Regular Season Home Game For more information, visit https://www.tahoeblueeventcenter.com/events/detail/knights-monsters-vs-savannah-ghost-pirates-251122.
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-25-37?aff=cityspark.
Melvin Seals & JGB – 8 p.m., 14 State Route 28. Keeper’s of the Flame ~ Melvin Seals & JGB Return to the Crystal Bay Casino’s Crown Room on Sat. Nov. 22nd! Doors: 7pm Show: 8pm Tickets: $35 ADV/DOS Tickets: https://tixr.com/e/153386 For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1373790237650347/.
When Doves Cry – The Prince Tribute Show – 8 p.m., Bally’s Lake Tahoe, 55 Highway 50. When Doves Cry, the Prince Tribute Show, is a dynamic and multi-talented 9-piece band that puts the integrity of the music Prince left us above all else. Formed in late 2015 in California, the band taps into the heart of Prince’s music like no other. We leave it all on the stage, every time we perform as audiences demand of his music. When Doves Cry – the Prince Tribute Show performs the iconic “Purple Rain” and 1999 Albums in its entirety & in order. Also performing all of his greatest hits as well as many songs other tributes won’t touch. With a songlist of over 80 Prince songs (and growing), we can guarantee there’s something in our show for both the casual and the die hard fans of Prince. We’re proud to bring a live Prince tribute show that will take you through the illustrious career of one of the most prolific songwriters and performers that we will ever know. If you love Prince’s music, this is a must-see show. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1310396197091535/.
Tuesday, November 25
Mannheim Steamroller – 7 p.m.-10 a.m., Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50. The holiday tradition continues! MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS by Chip Davis has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for 40 years! Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. The program includes 15 musicians playing more than 20 instruments against a backdrop of dazzling multimedia effects – capturing the spirit of the season in an immersive yet intimate setting. For more information, visit https://www.tahoeblueeventcenter.com/events/detail/mannheim-steamroller.
Wednesday, November 26
Kids Karaoke Takeover at the Lobby Bar – Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd,. Holiday/Festive, Family Friendly. Let the little stars shine! From 5-7 PM, the lobby bar transforms into a mini concert hall for kids. Starting on 11/26/2025 and ending on 01/04/2026 For more information, visit https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-resort-lake-tahoe/things-to-do-in-lake-tahoe/events/kids-karaoke-takeover-at-the-lobby-bar.
Thursday, November 27
Thanksgiving Dinner – 12-8 p.m., Riva Grille, 900 Ski Run Blvd, Ste 3. Celebrate Thanksgiving in style with an unforgettable lakeside dining experience. Savor a Traditional Feast Menu, thoughtfully crafted as a three-course culinary journey, paired with breathtaking Lake views. Reserve your table today — limited seating available. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1547870753237214/.
Lake Tahoe School Turkey Trot – 9-11 a.m., Description Lake Tahoe School Turkey Trot 2025 Strut your Stuffin’ – 5K course (stroller-friendly) – $25 per person (age 5+), under 5 run free!* This is a beautiful course that takes you around the heart of Incline Village. Start and Finish are both at Lake Tahoe School. Thanksgiving-themed costumes are encouraged! Run, walk, or help volunteer along the course! The beautiful Incline Lodge is offering discounted room rates for this event! That&’s right, a discounted hotel room in Tahoe for the week of Thanksgiving! Use the coupon code FALL20 when booking! *Fee is nonrefundable in the event of cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. All proceeds go to the Lake Tahoe School Tuition Assistance Program. For more information, visit https://business.ivcba.org/event-calendar/Details/lake-tahoe-school-turkey-trot-1539398?sourceTypeId=Hub.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Cutthroat’s Saloon – 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Cutthroat’s Saloon at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive. Cutthroat’s Saloon at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe will serve a hearty, traditional Thanksgiving plate featuring roasted and brined turkey breast with dark meat and mushroom ragout, mashed potatoes, green bean cassoulet, sage and apple stuffing, turkey gravy, and orange cranberry sauce. The Thanksgiving plate will be available throughout the day, offering guests a relaxed and welcoming way to celebrate the holiday in Incline Village.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Osteria Sierra – 5-9 p.m., Osteria Sierra at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive. Osteria Sierra at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe will offer a festive Thanksgiving dining experience blending Italian traditions with classic holiday flavors. The special holiday menu will be served alongside the restaurant’s regular offerings and features dishes such as risotto de zucca con pancetta corcante with crisp pork belly and roasted butternut squash, tacchino arrosto with roasted turkey and focaccia and sausage stuffing, and a pumpkin spiced cheesecake with amaretti cookie crust. Reservations are required and can be made at opentable.com/Osteria Sierra/booking For more information, visit https://www.opentable.com/booking/restref/availability?lang=en-US&correlationId=8bcfdcf3-1283-4265-9058-1a56e5a78daf&restRef=1055665&otSource=Restaurant%20website or call (775) 832-1234.
Douglas County School District’s significant financial challenges could result in the possibility of state intervention.
The district is preparing for a meeting with the Department of Taxation to discuss potential oversight and receivership, officials said at a Nov. 13 meeting. In response to these challenges, the district plans to engage with state representatives to explore finding solutions and address the root causes of financial instability.
Over the past five years, the district has seen a decrease from 5,221 students to 4,691 students resulting in a loss of over $5 million in revenue.
Teachers and parents expressed concerns about the impact of financial constraints on teacher retention and student success. Some teachers reported taking pay cuts due to salary stagnation and increased healthcare costs, while others highlighted the potential loss of essential staff positions.
Last week’s meeting, attended by district employees, parents, and community members, highlighted the impact for the county’s aging population on school enrollment. With a median age of 54.2 the county is increasingly becoming a retirement destination, which poses challenges for attracting new students.
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School board trustees discussed the need for data-informed decisions and transparency in addressing budget reductions. They acknowledged the issue of declining enrollment and the lack of available waivers or exceptions to mitigate financial losses.
Moving forward the board plans to collaborate with school administrators to update the staffing matrix and explore solutions to stabilize enrollment and financial health.
The discussion further revealed that the district is facing financial constraints due to a 7.2 percent decrease in student enrollment over the past two years. This decline has necessitated budget adjustments across various categories, impacting the district’s financial stability.
Participants stressed the importance of careful financial management and transparency to maintain community trust and support.
To further address these issues, a special meeting is scheduled for Dec. 3 to discuss audit findings. The district is committed to continuing public engagement and transparency efforts regarding budget decisions.
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) governing board met to recognize Laurie Hockenberry’s service and to conduct a workshop on Phase 3 of Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin, which aims to update housing codes.
Public comment
Previous public comments have expressed a desire to have the public comment process changed, which was brought up again during this meeting. Generally, public comments occur at the beginning and end of meetings, rather than near discussion items. Nick Speal, Alan Miller, Melissa Soderston and Ellie Waller all expressed that this limits the level of engagement the public can have with governing board agenda items.
Father Jorge Herrera of St. Francis of Assisi in Incline Village called the governing board to support housing in the area. “Lake Tahoe shouldn’t be for just a few people,” he said.
Several public comments addressed affordable and achievable housing. Soderston said, “Achievable does not mean affordable,” while Waller said that the “cookie-cutter approach” to town and tourist centers would not work, and that without an income cap, amendments to the code would not provide significant relief to the workforce.
Speal thanked the TRPA for their efforts to lower barriers to development, which was echoed by Robb Olson. Speal did ask them to address the loophole of tourist accommodation units and full-time vacation home rentals (VHRs), which he said should not count as housing.
Olson and Erin Casey of the Tahoe Housing Hub voiced their support for the proposed amendments.
Laurie Hockenberry
The TRPA honored Laurie Hockenberry for her 35 years of service and congratulated her on her retirement. She was a receptionist, IPES and land capability planning technician, executive assistant for the Environmental Improvement Program, Primavera project manager and records coordinator.
Hockenberry managed their file room and reportedly had an “uncanny ability to detect and bust certain employees trying to sneak files out of the file room without checking them out.” She also modernized the records system and entered information for much of the TRPA Parcel Tracker and prepared thousands of records for scanning.
Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin
Phase 3 of the Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin project is anticipated to begin the environmental impact statement (EIS) phase in January 2026. In preparation of initiating this section, the governing board had a workshop on the different proposed items.
The items were sorted into three general categories: reducing costs and barriers for smaller housing types; combining water quality improvements and workforce housing; and increasing housing choice.
In public workshops that were conducted, south and north shore residents expressed interest in development standards and zoning options, as well as deed restrictions. People also noted differences in housing rights, quality of life and a potential need for rent control. Lastly, people expressed concerns over VHRs and other speculative property buying, as well as integration for increased density in existing neighborhoods.
During the workshop for the governing board, similar concerns cropped up around ensuring actual affordability, rather than incentivizing people from out of town to buy up newly available properties. Others also expressed their concerns about the environmental factors that the TRPA has been charged to protect.
Overall, there was support for expanding what kinds of housing could use bonus units, along with adding a monitoring aspect to ensure the policy was working. Another supported aspect was scaling development rights based on size or environmental impact of the unit. While it could impact the growth cap, it was something that was deemed of interest for the environmental analysis.
There was major support for scaling fees for larger and smaller units, as well as allowing a junior accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to be included in homes with the primary resident, rather than requiring a new development right.
In terms of water quality, there was support for studying the water quality standards and coverage limits in relation to workforce housing types. There were suggestions to look at multi-benefit projects as well as looking into how local projects could tie into area-wide stormwater improvements to increase efficiency.
For town centers that have coverage, there was also support for allowing incentives for coverage on market rate projects in those areas.
There was very little support for waiving fees in their entirety, but reducing fees for workforce housing or charging higher fees for larger projects or projects closer to the lake had some interest. Lastly, there was support for updating the soil maps and creating a system to keep them continually updated with the best science.
With regard to increasing housing choice, there was support for removing barriers around ADUs under 750 square feet, such as removing coverage limits and mitigation fees. This came with the caveat of creating deed restrictions against short-term rentals in those ADUs. Some also wondered whether the 750 square feet restriction should be increased to 1,000 square feet or something in between.
Next, there was support for local jurisdiction policies and standards with regards to duplexes and fourplexes. Local jurisdictions were also prioritized in conversations about expanding town center boundaries. Vince Hoenigman suggested that the TRPA also look at their policies regarding conversion of old commercial buildings to residential buildings to streamline that process—which people in Incline Village and other parts of north shore have been interested in.
There was mixed support regarding local governmental control on height and density, which would remove the maximum set for town centers in the code, allowing local jurisdictions to set their own maximum through area plans. This has been requested in South Lake Tahoe for example, and there was some support to do a pilot program there, though executive director Julie Regan said they would need to still put restrictions in place.
Lastly, there was major support for establishing a funding source for deed restricted housing.
Some board members also suggested looking into environmental improvements that could be done after the EIS, as well as a potential amortization schedule to help eliminate fees for affordable housing.
The governing board will hear about Phase 3 again in January.
The next governing board meeting will take place on December 17.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe City Manager announced the appointment of Dr. Mohammad Qureshi, P.E., T.E., aka “Dr. Q”, as the new Director of Public Works, effective December 29, 2025. Dr. Qureshi brings more than 30 years of experience in transportation engineering, public works management and leadership to the role.
Dr. Qureshi holds a doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a registered Civil and Traffic Engineer in California and has served in public works and engineering leadership roles with Glenn County, Monterey County and San Bernardino County. With Glenn County, he oversaw operations involving airports, engineering, flood control, roads and bridges, solid waste, surveying, and transit. Dr. Qureshi most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Project Manager for Lin Consulting, Inc., where he has been a leader in consulting and government practice.
Dr. Q
Dr. Qureshi’s career spans academia, private consulting, and public sector leadership. He has served as a faculty member at the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science & Technology) and Jackson State University, teaching transportation engineering and directing university-based research centers. His expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of civil and transportation engineering, with accomplishments including improved proactive maintenance of infrastructure and building strong teams to provide stability and leadership for communities. He is recognized for his ability to work with diverse stakeholders, develop consensus, and deliver innovative solutions to complex challenges.
A recognized leader in the engineering community, Dr. Qureshi serves as a Program Evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and as an emeritus member of National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) committees. He was vice President for the Western Zone of NCEES from 2022 to 2024 and served on the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists from 2014 to 2023, including as President during the 2018-2019 fiscal year. He has also been active in professional organizations such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and Transportation Research Board (TRB).
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Q to our leadership team,” said City Manager, Joe Irvin. “His depth of experience and dedication to public service will be invaluable as we advance our public works initiatives and serve our community.”
Dr. Qureshi will begin his role as Public Works Director on December 29, 2025.
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City of South Lake Tahoe
The City of South Lake Tahoe is a general law city in El Dorado County, CA, that was founded on November 30, 1965. Located 190 miles northeast of San Francisco, CA and 60 miles southwest of Reno, NV in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, South Lake Tahoe boasts one of the most unique settings in the world, at the edge of an alpine lake of great natural beauty and environmental value. The city limits encompass an area of approximately 16 square miles with an average elevation of 6,200 feet above sea level and a population of 22,525.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – In an on-going effort to meet the health care needs of the Lake Tahoe community, Barton Health is expanding its medical services into Incline Village. The multi-specialty practice will feature cardiovascular care as well as a plastic and reconstructive surgery and aesthetics service line.
The expansion reflects Barton Health’s latest commitments to local patient care. In July, Barton Health joined Cleveland Clinic Connected, a global network of top-performing healthcare organizations focused on best practices and innovation. Cleveland Clinic’s top ranked heart care team will consult with Barton Health to enhance future opportunities to provide new treatments and therapies to patients, as well as explore cutting-edge technologies and techniques in cardiovascular care that will accelerate advances in treatments.
“Though Tahoe is a smaller community, our residents deserve access to specialty medical services and exceptional care,” says Dr. Kandra Yee, Barton’s Chief Medical Officer. “The new medical practice in Incline Village opens access to care close to home while adhering to the high standards Barton has been acknowledged for.”
In addition, Barton Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery will offer patients personalized care in Incline Village for their reconstructive and aesthetic procedures. This service line offers effective solutions to improve bodily form, soften signs of aging or disease, and improve appearance and self-esteem. Options include non-surgical rejuvenations such as injectables; aesthetic surgical treatments such as brow lifts and Mommy Makeovers; and reconstructive surgeries such as breast reconstruction and scar minimization.
The multi-specialty facility is located at 925 Tahoe Blvd in Suite #105 in Incline Village. To schedule an appointment with Barton Cardiology, call 530.543.5497. Appointments for Barton Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery are currently available by calling 530.543.5799. For more information, visit BartonHealth.org.
Barton Health has plans to provide additional specialties at this location. Look for announcements about additional medical services coming to Incline Village in the upcoming year.
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters announced the following changes to their schedule for the 2025-26 ECHL season.
The Knight Monsters game originally scheduled for Thursday, January 15, on the road against the Wichita Thunder at 5:05 pm PT, will now be played on Saturday, January 17, with puck drop at 4:05 pm PT (6:05 pm in Wichita).
In addition, the Knight Monsters’ home game originally scheduled for Sunday, February 8, against the Utah Grizzlies, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 4, with puck drop at 7:00 pm PT. The Wednesday contest will still be part of the Knight Monsters’ Retro Weekend series.
The Knight Monsters return home on Thursday, November 20, to take on the Savannah Ghost Pirates at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Puck drop is at 10:30 am, with pregame coverage on the Knight Monsters broadcast network beginning at 10:20 am. Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are now available. For more information, visit www.knightmonstershockey.com
STATELINE, Nev. – The Kingsbury General Improvement District (KGID) Board of Trustees announces a vacancy due to departure of Trustee Sandy Parks, effective November 10, 2025.
Pursuant to NRS318.090, the Board will appoint a qualified elector of the District to fill the vacancy at the December 16, 2025 meeting, or at a later special meeting, at 160 Pine Ridge Dr., Stateline, NV.
The appointee will serve until a successor is elected and qualified at the next biennial election, if the term extends beyond that date.
Letters of interest from registered voters residing within the District must be received by November 21, 2025, unless the deadline is extended, at:
Kingsbury GID, PO Box 2220, Stateline NV 89449, or emailed to derek@kgid.org.
For details, call (775) 588-3548 or visit the KGID business office at 160 Pine Ridge Dr., Stateline, NV 89449
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees is moving toward reinstating beach access for employees after a lengthy discussion during its Nov. 12 meeting.
The move would reverse a January 2023 decision to remove beach access for out-of-district employees.
When the board removed access in 2023, trustees said the policy violated the beach deed and could put the district at risk of lawsuits.
Trustee David Noble met with outside legal counsel on the legality of reinstating the rule and found it was permissible. To address deed restriction concerns, 500 community members said they would support sponsoring employees to allow them access.
Noble and Chair Michaela Tonking were the only trustees to vote against removing beach access in 2023. Trustee Ray Tulloch supported the removal. Since then, the board’s makeup has changed with the additions of Trustees Michelle Jezycki and Mick Homan, leaving Tulloch in the minority on the issue.
Staff said that before 2023, beach access had been an employee privilege for at least 40 years.
Tulloch compared the situation to smoking, saying that years ago the meeting room would have been filled with cigarette smoke, but the longevity of a practice doesn’t mean it should be reinstated.
One public commenter argued that employees living outside the district don’t financially contribute to the community because they don’t pay district taxes and fees or shop locally.
“I could not disagree with that more strongly,” Jezycki said. “Our employees are front-facing to our community.”
She added that employees are often the first people residents interact with when accessing the beaches.
Jezycki also emphasised that reinstating the rule would not overcrowd the beaches.
“If you look at the past numbers, the use has been de minimis at best. It was like 1 to 2% of all beach access,” she said.
While most of the board supports reinstating employee beach access, trustees said they need to clean up language in the ordinance, especially regarding who can be an employee’s guest and whether those guests may visit the beach without the employee present. The ordinance is scheduled to return to the board on Dec. 10, 2025.
Other items
The board unanimously approved a grant agreement between IVGID and the Michael Gross Family Charitable Fund for the installation of a war memorial in the Village Green. The memorial is scheduled for completion in 2026.
The board also unanimously approved the creation of a “super senior” rate, which will reduce rates by 30%.
In addition, trustees approved a contract with Hometown Health Providers Insurance Co. Inc. to provide employee medical insurance coverage from Jan. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026.
The board heard end-of-season presentations from community services, which will be covered in a future article.
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.
Last fall, somewhere between one class ending and another beginning, I noticed an email titled: “I Have News,” with the request I call. That evening, after I’d given my corrections and handed out the last pair of fresh pointe shoes, I picked up the phone and called. Two kind voices told me something astonishing: I’d been chosen as the recipient of the Jeff Hamilton Legacy Fund’s Juniper Award for my commitment, imagination, and fearlessness in the performing arts.
It took a moment to sink in. The words award and fearlessness rarely appear in the same sentence as snow tires, but as I soon learned, Jeff Hamilton thought they should. His wife, Carolyn, explained that during Jeff’s cancer treatment he wanted to honor ordinary people who make a difference — not through grand gestures, but through steady devotion. “He wanted you to be able to buy a new set of snow tires if that’s what you need,” she said.
That made me laugh, because it was perfect. For most of my adult life, I’ve been balancing on the edge — not in the cutthroat ballet clichés of television and film portrayals, but in the quieter suspense of figuring out how to pay rent, make rehearsal, and still show up for my restaurant shift. You learn to keep your balance on very uneven ground, both financially and emotionally.
Now, as the sole full-time employee of Lake Tahoe Dance Collective, my days are a swirl of spreadsheets, grant applications, and costume fittings, wedged between 29 hours a week of teaching and rehearsals. Head to the grindstone, I move from barre to balance sheets to backstage. The rhythm of keeping it all afloat leaves little time to pause, let alone for applause. So, when that call came, what struck me most wasn’t the money — it was that someone, somewhere, had noticed.
Because here, in a mountain community celebrated for its outdoor recreation, art is not the obvious priority. The majesty of nature surrounds us, but it can also make an artist feel very small. Creation happens indoors, in silence — not on a ski slope or trail. That isolation runs deep, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if what you’re building matters beyond the studio walls.
That’s why this award felt so meaningful. It wasn’t a popularity contest. It was a carefully curated recognition — not about visibility or social standing, but about quiet, consistent commitment. Someone took the time to see what happens behind the scenes, in the long hours and invisible labor that make beauty possible.
One of my mentors, the Balanchine ballerina Deborah Wingert, once told me:
“Do what you do, because you do it well. The people who understand will come.”
She was right. Support isn’t about persuasion; it’s about integrity and trust. In dance, “support” is literal — the partner’s quiet strength beneath your leap, or the choreographer who makes sure to use your “good side.”
Over the years, that invisible hand has taken many forms: donors, sponsors, volunteers, and foundations who believe in the work not because it’s trendy, but because it’s true. Eighteen years in, our little organization has become a home for artistry in the mountains — a place where young dancers can take risks knowing there’s a net of trust beneath them.
I think back to 2006, when I nervously applied for a $500 grant from the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation to bring my New York company here for a week. After a phone interview with Phyllis McConn and her volunteer committee, we received an enthusiastic yes. That moment planted a seed — and the foundation has remained a dedicated supporter of Lake Tahoe Dance Collective from its founding to this very day. It wasn’t just funding; it was faith that has grown alongside us, season after season.
Jeff Hamilton understood this. “What am I if I’m not helping?” he asked while establishing his legacy fund and going through chemotherapy at the same time. Helping isn’t about grandness — it’s about steadiness.
And so, no — I didn’t buy snow tires. I bought a plane ticket. I took a trip to Europe to fill my soul with art, landscapes, people, and food — to stand in the birthplace of creativity and refill my sense of wonder. I came home carrying that joy back into my classes and productions, ready to support my dancers with a renewed sense of fearlessness, commitment, and imagination — the very tenets of the award that made me feel seen.
To be all alone and realize who you have at your back — that’s support. If you want someone else to feel the support I have, nominate them for a Juniper Award and let them feel the warmth of the spotlight.
To nominate someone for a Juniper Award, or to support this fund that annually awards individuals throughout the community, visit jeffhamiltonlegacyfund.com.
~ Christin Hanna is a dancer, teacher, and lifelong arts advocate. In 2008, she founded Lake Tahoe Dance Collective to bring professional dance and education to the Tahoe community —something she longed for as a young artist growing up here. She’s the recipient of the 2024 Jeff Hamilton Legacy Fund Juniper Award for Arts and the Performing Arts and was named an Arts Icon of Placer County in 2023.
Living in the mountains teaches you to plan ahead. Whether it’s preparing for winter storms, dry summers, or wildfire alerts, people who live in mountain towns know how to stay ready. The same kind of planning applies to personal finances, especially when your income changes with the seasons.
As a Lake Tahoe local and someone who works closely with communities across the region, I’ve seen how common it is for people to earn more in one season and less in another. You might be a ski instructor in the winter, a construction worker in the summer, or a small business owner whose income depends on tourism. When your paycheck varies, budgeting and saving can feel frustrating or out of reach.
But here’s the good news. With a few intentional habits, it’s possible to build a financial cushion that supports you through slower months and helps you work toward bigger goals like buying a home, saving for college, or retiring with confidence.
The first step is to take stock of your income and expenses over a full calendar year. Look at when you’re earning the most and when things slow down. This simple exercise helps you understand your financial rhythm, which is key for planning ahead.
Once you understand your income rhythm, the next step is to set aside some money during your busy months to help cover expenses during your slower months. Think of this as a seasonal savings cushion. It’s not the same as a long-term emergency fund or retirement savings. This is short-term savings you can tap into when work slows down.
You don’t need to save a huge amount all at once. Even $50 to $100 a week during your higher-earning months can add up. One way to make this easier is by setting up automatic transfers from your checking account to a savings account. Keeping this money out of sight can help reduce the temptation to spend it.
UPS AND DOWNS: Living in a tourist economy often means that incomes can fluctuate with the seasons. There are steps you can take to ensure your budget stretches the whole year. Designed by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
Having this financial cushion gives you peace of mind. It means you’re not scrambling or relying on credit cards when work slows down. You’re simply using money you already allocated and set aside.
The next step is creating a monthly budget. When doing so, base it on the income from your slowest month. This might feel overly cautious at first, but it helps prevent shortfalls later. If you earn more than expected, that’s great. You can use the extra to grow your savings fund or pay off debt. Planning for the minimum gives you a stronger foundation.
If You’re Self-Employed, Take These Extra Steps
Many mountain residents work for themselves or combine multiple seasonal gigs. If that’s you, a few extra habits can go a long way. Start by separating your business and personal finances so you can clearly see what you’re earning and spending. Some people even pay themselves a set “salary” each month to help normalize their income and stick to a consistent budget.
Also, remember to plan for quarterly tax payments and set aside a portion of your earnings during peak months. It’s easier to stay on track when you don’t have to scramble during the off-season.
And when you receive a larger-than-expected check or a seasonal bonus, take a moment to pause. Instead of rushing into a new expense, think about whether those funds could give you breathing room later. A savings fund, debt payment, or contribution toward a long-term goal may be more valuable than a short-term reward.
Think Like a Long-Term Investor
Unpredictable income is its own form of volatility. Much like the ups and downs of the financial markets, your paycheck can shift depending on weather, tourism, or industry demand. When income becomes uncertain, it’s tempting to react emotionally. Many people spend quickly when money is flowing or panic when it dries up.
But seasoned investors are often reminded to stay the course during market swings. The same mindset can help with personal finance. Instead of reacting to the highs and lows, focus on consistency. Save steadily when you can. Stick to your plan during slow months. Know that financial progress often comes from small, repeated decisions over time.
Shift From Surviving to Thriving
Living in a place as beautiful as Tahoe can be a gift. It can also come with financial pressures, especially when it comes to housing, transportation, and childcare. The goal is not just to get by, but to feel confident and prepared for what’s ahead.
Financial literacy is not about having all the answers. It’s about having the tools and mindset to make decisions that fit your life. For parents, it might mean teaching your kids to save their allowance. For young adults, it could mean building credit slowly and responsibly. And for all of us, it means staying grounded during uncertain times and preparing for what we know lies ahead, even if we do not know exactly when.
There are great local resources to help you take control of your finances, including U.S. Bank, where we provide free financial wellness tools and workshops. These services can help you learn how to budget, set goals, and use banking tools that support your seasonal lifestyle.
Living in the mountains has taught me to appreciate the quiet, prepare for the unpredictable, and lean on community when needed. Financial planning works the same way. It’s not about predicting every bump in the road. It’s about being resilient, thinking ahead, and taking steady steps that give you peace of mind.
If you are navigating seasonal income, you’re not alone. Start small. Ask questions. Use the resources around you. And remember, just like prepping for winter, financial preparedness is something we can all get better at with practice.
