Has agency conflict made the fire threat worse?
March 25, 2008
A number of local papers ran a story by the Associated Press Monday that argues bureaucratic infighting among land management agencies has seriously damaged efforts to prevent catastrophic fire in the Lake Tahoe basin (See: Records show infighting hurt Tahoe fire prevention in the Tahoe Bonanza).
Based on your own experiences and observations, do you think this is the case? Do you see evidence that the infighting is still going on, or do you think recent steps by the TRPA and others are improving the situation? What suggestions do you have for reducing the threat of major fire in the basin? Read more
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First meeting of BMPTalks highlights policy challenges
March 25, 2008
Participants in the first meeting of BMP Talks, a forum organized by the Reynolds School of Journalism to discuss ways to improve BMPs, identified concerns about effectiveness as one reason compliance with the landscaping regulations is so low throughout the Tahoe basin.
Click here to watch the highlights from the meeting. Read more
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Keeping Tahoe Green
March 16, 2008
Ten years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000—would you pay that price for a better view of Lake Tahoe from your house? Perhaps not, but many seriously consider it, and some actually do pay such a price. Patricia Vincent, a 58-year-old resident of Incline Village, is facing these steep fines after recently cutting down three trees on federal property—trees that were obstructing her view of the lake from her house.
But why are the consequences so drastic? Why would anyone choose to accept them? The answers to these questions might be as numerous as the trees around Lake Tahoe. Read more
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Participants named for “BMP Talks”
March 11, 2008
OurTahoe.org is facilitating a public dialogue about Best Management Practices beginning next Wednesday, March 19. BMPs are required on all Tahoe properties to prevent erosion and promote water clarity.
In this conversation, called BMP Talks, five officials, specialists who work and regulate BMPs will have a chance to work with five residents who care about the lake, but who have not implemented BMPs. Together, in several face-to-face meetings and online conversations, participants will try to find a way to make BMPs better for the community. Read more
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Preparing for the extreme
March 11, 2008
Just when Mike Weber, South Lake Tahoe’s, becomes convinced that global warming is going to forever change the mountain town he’s called home for 32 years, he reads something contradictory.
“What if it’s just a normal cycle the Earth is going through?” he wonders.
A recent Associated Press article painted this grim picture of California’s future:
“Abandoned ski lifts from Lake Tahoe to the fire-ravaged mountains of Southern California dangle above lonely trails that are now more suitable for mountain biking during much of the winter. The Joshua trees that once extended their tangled arms into the desert sky by the thousands have all but disappeared.”
Weber is not singular in his dilemma.
Jeff Mount, a scientist at the University of California, Davis who spoke recently at Sierra Nevada College, said communities are often reluctant to deal with the possibility of disaster.
Known as “Dr. Doom,” Mount addressed potential water crises in the Sierra, and urged community members to prepare.
He said communities often forget about previous problems once they’ve been resolved. Instead, he said, they live from “tipping point to tipping point,” managing a crisis as it occurs.
Preparing Tahoe
Although Weber is reluctant to subscribe to one particular scenario, he agrees the Lake Tahoe residents must prepare for unpredictable winters because unpredictable winters can mean an unpredictable economy.
With the state experiencing a budget shortfall, Weber said the city is taking a harder look at its own budget.
And much of it depends on snow: When there’s enough of it, tourists come to Tahoe.
When tourists come, they spend money on hotels, entertainment, food and recreation — all of which are taxed and those taxes feed the city and school budgets.
In years like last year when there’s not much snow, there aren’t many tourists, and the economy suffers.
Although this year is looking more promising, Mount says, this kind of snowfall will probably become more rare in the future.
He said last year’s winter will become more of the norm: more rain than snow and a shorter season.
But, it’s not necessarily doomsday, he concludes, contradicting his moniker.
“It’s not clear to me it’s going to be a disaster for these mountain towns,” he said. “It will mean winter recreation will decrease, but that just means there needs to be more long-term planning.”
And Weber is no novice when it comes to planning and adaptation.
A longtime businessman and former owner of the Camp Richardson resort and restaurants the Beacon and Fresh Catch, he banked his livelihood on it.
He built his business around cross-country skiing and snowshoeing recreation, but remembers one President’s Day weekend renting out bikes rather than skis.
Following the lead of “Old Mr. Ross” who ran the stables at Camp Richardson, Weber began keeping a weather diary.
He found that, on average, Tahoe would experience three winters with above-average snowfall, three below the four normal winters. He said he saw little variation in 30 years.
So even without the threat of global climate change, he said, it is still important for business owners to prepare for erratic winters.
He credits Heavenly Mountain Resort for capitalizing on snow-making technology, but says the community should do more.
A tourist destination
Snow is an obvious attraction for Lake Tahoe. The trick, Weber said, is to keep tourists coming even when there isn’t any.
“You always have to be ready to re-invent yourself,” he said.
Kirkwood has found ways to utilize the ski resort in summer months.
The resort has added a variety of summer activities, including climbing walls, Frisbee golf, swimming and hiking. The most popular may be mountain biking, where riders take the ski lift to the top of the mountain then ride down.
Weber said that kind of innovation needs to be part of the year-round mentality.
He said businesses should market to tourists from father away, like foreign countries. Ones who most likely won’t cancel a trip, even if there’s no snow.
“They will honor their vacation, honor themselves and their families,” Weber said.
If they can’t recreate in the way they had planned, Weber said, other options should be available. “It’s still an amazing site for people to behold,” he said. “They can still go on nature walks, parties, poetry and other events. There’s a combination of things.”
Weber says the community should host more special events, pointing to the Renaissance Faire that was initially met with skepticism, but ended up drawing upwards of 40,000 people over two weekends.
And there are less traditional ways of drawing people to the Tahoe Basin.
Weber is hopeful the new conference center being built will keep a steady flow of tourism dollars. It will keep people coming, regardless of weather conditions, he said.
“Eighty percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing,” he said.
Daniel Pistoresi, the Kirkwood’s marketing communications manager, said they are finding a way to bridge the gap between summer and winter offerings.
“Where we’re finding our revenue source is in our online offerings,” he said. “It’s definitely helped bolster our revenue during slow periods.”
The company offers a full-service retail shop online, including skis and snowboard bindings, winter wear and season passes.
A second economy
Kirkwood’s move to online commerce is a good one, Weber said. He’s also started an Internet business.
It’s a good way to keep funds in the economy, while minimizing the carbon footprint.
It could also encourage second-home owners to make Tahoe their primary residence, and run their business online, Weber said, giving a boost to the sagging real estate market.
To make the permanent move, he said, residents will have to see that Tahoe has a good school system and other amenities.
But for any of it to happen, Mount said, it will take the leadership of residents.
“We shouldn’t ignore the inevitable,” he said.
Related posts: [ Snow woes: Businesses cope with late snowfall ] [ Explore snow history at Tahoe ] [ Tough winters, tough people ] [ Getting to know you ] [ Hello and Welcome ]
Getting to know you
March 10, 2008
It’s Monday 8:53 a.m. The sun is just now peaking over the peaks of the snowcapped mountains, making the snow glow against the sky. Lake Tahoe is a steel blue in the morning light.
I’m trying to find Lisa Marsh’s house. After three phone calls and a trip up and back down a mountain I finally find the house. She is outside waiting with two of her three children, Devon, 4, and Lanie,6, on the front deck waving me in. Lisa is a very open agreeable person and for this I’m thankful.
It is hard to barge into someone’s life with two cameras and a voice recorder and still remain inconspicuous. It is hard to get someone to trust you because you say you want to tell their story. How do they know you will tell it right? How do they know they can trust you with their most intimate moments.
But sometimes a person will open up and when they do the stories you can tell are amazing.
After we drop the kids off at school Lisa goes to work at Hope Lutheran Church.
It is now around 10:30 a.m. Lisa is trying to help out a man named Michael. He has called the church office where she works, asking for money because his wife just had a baby, and through circumstances they are penniless. She has never met this man, but is visibly upset. She offers Michael advice with a shaky voice.
“I know, I’ve been there too,” she says to the phone receiver. Lisa is making frantic calls to the pastor, asking for $20 for gas so the family can make it down the hill to the homeless shelter in Placerville.
“If I had my pay check in the desk right now I would give them the $35 for the motel, for one more night, and $20 for gas, to hell with the electric bill this month, I’ll make a payment. Then I could save them just for one night.”
There is no shelter for such people at the lake.
“We are lucky to have the women’s center.” Lisa said. “It almost makes you wonder, this sounds horrible, but it makes you wonder if it is planned that way.”
The rest of the day is filled with errands; the post office, store, pick up Laney and then—a quick stop at the beach.
The view is always free.
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Explore snow history at Tahoe
March 9, 2008
Here at OurTahoe we have been experimenting with new ways to tell stories. This collage uses VUVOX to show how snow variability affects the residents and economy of Tahoe. Use your mouse to navigate left and right and roll over the hot spots for more information. Don’t forget to leave a comment, telling us how snow variability affects you and what you think the community might do to address these issues. Click here to read how community leaders are addressing snow issues. Read more
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In quest for gold, Olympic skier seeks to help Reno youth
March 7, 2008
Reno, Nevada- Though she is traveling the world chasing her Olympic dream, skier Shelly Robertson maintains close ties to her hometown of Reno, Nevada.
This spring, while she’s competing in Europe, Asia and across North America, Robertson, 28, will be working to give back to the Reno community by raising money to sponsor underprivileged kids to learn how to ski in the Sky Tavern Junior Ski Program. Robertson has partnered with LifeMoreNatural.com to put on a pledge drive based on her training and competitions with all money raised going to the local non-profit ski program.
“I want to give children the same opportunity that I was given as a child–the chance to ski,” Robertson, currently ranked fifth in the world and second in the U.S., said. “Skiing is an amazingly fun sport and we all know that it isn’t cheap. By sharing my story with children and offering financial assistance, I hope that I can get them as excited about skiing as I am and give them a safe, fun environment in which to set goals and achieve them.”
The Sky Tavern Junior Ski Program is an all volunteer-run snowsports program dedicated to teaching Northern Nevada children how to ski and snowboard. Sky Tavern operates at the City of Reno owned Sky Tavern Park Sky and is an 8 week program that starts the first weekend in January each year. Children receive a 2 hour lesson from certified snowsports instructors and then have the rest of the day to free ski or ride.
“Learning how to ski is so good for the kids,” John Morrow, a volunteer Instructor Trainer for Sky Tavern said. “When they first start the program they’re timid and unsure. By the end of the season they’re flying down all the main runs. It really helps there self-esteem and confidence and that’s something they take with them. It’s a great feeling to be a part of that.”
Sky Tavern first opened in December of 1945, and has been trying to represent the best of what skiing and community are all about ever since.
“I chose to help support the Sky Tavern Ski Program because I feel it is a great program that helps the children of Reno experience skiing and snowboarding in a safe environment,” Robertson said. “My mom instilled a deep desire in me for skiing when she taught me how to ski at age 3 and she continued to support my sister’s and my dream of competing at the national level. Ever since I was a kid I dreamed of going to the Olympics and with hard work and the support of others I plan on accomplishing this goal by attending the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. By sharing my story with children and offering financial assistance, I hope that I can get them as excited about skiing as I am and give them a safe, fun environment in which to set goals and achieve them. By providing children with the opportunity of sport I feel that they will gain a sense of accomplishment and a stronger self-esteem and may even pursue their own Olympic dream.”
Though teaching Reno’s youth to ski is what Sky Tavern is all about, safety and fun are what’s most important to the organization.
“With two doctors, a bunch of firemen and paramedics, we’re really one of the best ski patrols around,” Eric Lamberts, a local physician and Sky Tavern Ski Patroller said. “One of the great things about skiing is that you can do it till you’re 60, my age.” Lamberts began as an instructor at Sky Tavern 23 years ago when he first started bringing his daughters up to ski. “It’s such a good thing to do for these kids. It creates lasting memories, gets them out from in front of the T.V. and builds their self-confidence. Besides, it doesn’t make sense to not learn how to ski in Reno.”
“I like to ski with my dad,” Caleb Gardner, 11, of Spanish Springs said. “We come up here every weekend that we can. It’s fun to come up with my family. Sometimes the neighbors come too.”
For transportation, lessons and lift tickets the cost is $195. Through the pledge drive at LifeMoreNatural.com, Shelly hopes to raise money to send 15 underprivileged Truckee Meadows area kids to ski school.
“I love it,” Todd Carns, 14, of Reno said. “Every weekend, I can’t wait to get up to the mountain.” Now in his third year in the program Todd is one of the many children that gets picked up by Sky Tavern’s buses at one of six local schools. “I want to be a ski patroller one day,” he said.
People can donate to Shelly’s cause based on a per mile basis or on how she places at her competitions.
“I’m currently back on the circuit in Europe, where we will be going to the Czech Republic, Sweden and Italy,” Shelly said. “We will finish the season in Deer Valley, UT for National Championships (March 27-30).
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Hello Friends.
March 3, 2008
How are you doing today?
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Don’t label me
March 3, 2008
No one likes to be labeled. When people attach a label to something it is hard to think of that object, person, or situation in other terms. Labels like short, fat and stupid are hard to shake.
Labeling in class terms— upper, rich, lower, poor, homeless — can isolate a person or a group and serve as an excuse to dismiss them. “You don’t care about anything but money because you are rich or you must be lazy because you are poor.”
But society uses labels because they are convenient and sometimes necessary. We must put a name to a problem or conflict. We speak of “war, prejudice, poverty…” to give meaning and shape to the world around us.
Once labeled it can be hard to see yourself as anything else. I had a teacher in first grade who told me I didn’t have to do my homework because I wasn’t smart enough to complete it.
I remember the teacher telling me that my drawing of a flower was ugly because it looked like a scribble.
I remember having issues with completing homework until the third grade when the principal told my mother that if she didn’t make me do my homework I would be on drugs before I was 13. My parents pulled me out of the school and enrolled me in another one.
I had gone by my middle name until then but when I changed schools I wanted to use my first name. A new name for a new start. Once the “stupid” label was gone, I began to succeed in the classroom.
Now I know I’m not a genius rocket scientist, but I’m not stupid either.
So these labels that we use can confine us. They can limit the way we think about ourselves and those around us.
Over the next few weeks I hope to dispel some of the labels associated with the poor, those living in poverty or the working classes. Strip away the labels and what can we learn from each other? How can we look beyond surface appearances and really see what animates, brings joy to, oppresses, and challenges us as individuals and not just economic categories?
To do this, I plan to document with photos and sound the lives of those who live at the lake, putting a face to the numbers and the labels. If you have a story you want to share about making ends meet or being priced out of Lake Tahoe please email me, or leave a comment.
Also don’t forget to check back here for updates.
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Latest Headlines
- Hearing planned in Incline tree-felling case - The federal trial for an Incline Village woman charged with hiring a tree-cutting company to chop three Ponderosa Pines from her Lake Tahoe property has been canceled and a change-of-plea hearing scheduled May 1.
- Truckee man takes torch to North Pole - A Truckee man who reached the North Pole this week carrying an unlit torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games plans to discuss his experience and environmental issues Saturday by audio and video transmissions with participants at a Lake Tahoe festival.
- Quake pattern watched closely - As earthquakes continue to shake Reno, two reports released this month give new insight into the likely characteristics of a temblor at Lake Tahoe.
Winds are North at 6 MPH. The pressure is 30.17" and the humidity is 23%. The heat index is 75. Last Updated on Jul 5, 10:55 am PDT.
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