FREE
Tamara Wallace embezzlement update, p. 10
Serving Lake Tahoe’s South Shore Since 1994
Photo Heavenly Mountain Resort
Time to hit the slopes!
With 2026 off to a stormy start, we take the opportunity to look at Vail's performance as well as numerous other local stories from the schools to science and more.
a look inside a look inside
Guest
WWII Déjà vu
Since
Ski run goings on
Tahoe Guy
The Big Reveal Photo Courtesy Leon Malmed
LAKE TAHOE’S ORIGINAL
LOCALLY OWNED CANNABIS DISPENSARY & CONSUMPTION LOUNGE Consumption Lounge Open 2pm-9pm Daily
SPORTS SIMULATORS AT TH E CLU B H OUS E B A R & G R I L L
Golf, dine, and play over 130 courses worldwide GAMES FOR EVERYONE
NOW G OFFERIN S CANNABI INFUSED ES BEVERAG
Golf • Soccer • Bowling Footgolf • Disc Golf • & More
FAMILY FRIDAYS $
60 per hour for up to 6 participants
$
Book up to 7 days in advance Group and party packages available
40 per hour • Kids under 12 eat free with adult entrée
BOOK ONLINE
IMPROV NIGHT
Featuring the Lake Tahoe Improv Players Thursday, January 29, 2026 • 6pm $30 per person • Includes Italian Buffet Dinner SCAN THE QR CODE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
(530) 577-0788 ext. 2 | 2500 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
2 Mountain News
Mountain News 3
k a M
nvestment C I r u o o eY
un t
Remodel Specialists! Hablamos Español
New Construction • Remodels Residential & Commercial Handyman Services • Drywall We Work with Licensed Architects & Engineers
“We can take your project fom Concept to Turn-Key”
Call Joe at (530) 308-4764 (530) 577-5779 52joe@sbcglobal.net
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE MIND BODY PT TEAM!
Physical Therapy & Pilates for Total Wellness We’re grateful for the opportunity to care for our community, offering personalized, one-on-one support that helps every patient thrive. MOST INSURANCE BENEFITS RESTART JAN 1! Questions about your coverage or how to start therapy? Contact us today! 212 Elks Point Rd. Unit 332 / B 10785 Zephyr Cove, NV 89448
4 Mountain News
Welcome to 2026! I hope your holidays were happy and not too hectic and the new year ahead looms bright and hopeful. Last month, Tahoe Guy wrote about banning cell phones from certain celebrations and engaging with the real world. To mark this annual changeover, I tried to ban cell phones at various celebrations with only limited success. We all bemoan our children glued to their screens, but often the adults in the room are almost as addicted as their kids. Of course, every major development in how we relate to and understand the world has come with some degree of skepticism and alarm. Socrates criticized the written word (without which the Mountain News would not exist!) as leading to mental weakness— why work to know and understand something when you could just look it up in a book—and television was called the boob tube for supposedly encouraging mindlessness. The days when there were only three channels that went off the air overnight seems absolutely quaint. I am currently writing this away from my usual home office. My internet has been down for several days
The Tahoe Mountain News is a community newspaper serving Lake Tahoe’s South Shore. Distributed FREE everywhere in the community. One copy per person. No article may be reprinted without the permission of the publisher. Send all submissions to: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158. (530) 208-7671 • mountainnews2@gmail.com www.tahoemountainnews.net Copyright © 2025 Tahoe Mountain News CONTRIBUTORS PUBLISHER/PAPERGIRL Heather Gould Gary Bell
REPORTER
Kathryn Reed
COPY EDITOR Mike Filce
PRODUCTION
Joann Eisenbrandt
VISIT US AT OUR NEW WEBSITE!
Main: 530.541.7133 Fax: 530.725.4500
now and, well, the internet has its uses. Spectrum says the problem is mine—something wrong with my router or modem or indoor connection. I have reset, rebooted, unplugged, plugged back in countless times and still have no connection. Numerous roadblocks and complications have prevented me from getting through to a real live customer service rep who can actually help me. All this has made me wish I had kept my old CD player to provide something to listen to. As the situation stands now, I have to fill the silence at my house with my own a capella warblings. While I have enjoyed getting into the groove, my kids have not appreciated so much my old-school, off-key renditions of songs from my youth. Anyway, a shout out to Cuppa and the South Lake Tahoe Library for providing comfortable, welcoming environments in which to get my work done. This month, Tahoe Guy writes about community efforts to get stop signs installed at the corner of Lake Tahoe Blvd and Sawmill Road where youngster Giada Lancellotti was struck and killed by an automobile last summer.
Peggy Bourland Taylor Garcia David Hamilton Leon Malmed Gantt Miller Trish Tomer
We take a look at this potential shortfall in management of that intersection and other developments regarding the incident in this month’s issue. Ever wonder how TRPA decides on which fines to impose and how much and what they do with the money? Even if it’s a topic that hasn’t crossed your mind, Kae Reed’s story on the subject is both interesting and illuminating. In fact, Kae has written about a number of disparate topics this month in stories that run the gamut regarding what is happening in town. As a monthly, we are not able to cover all the news in town, but we take pride in writing the important stories which often dive deep and explore unassuming people and matters that may be obscure, but have an impact on the community nonetheless. For those who have questions we haven’t answered, we invite you to submit a query for our Since You Asked feature and we will try and find out the answer. It’s about us not just telling our readers what’s important, but also listening to what’s important to them. -Heather
FROM HEATHER.............................................................. 5 POLITICS WITH PEGGY.................................................... 6 SINCE YOU ASKED.......................................................... 7 MOUNTAIN NEWS LETTERS............................................ 7 MOUNTAIN NEWS STORIES............................................ 9 MOUNTAIN NEWS REPORTS ..........................10, 17, 18 NEWS BRIEFS........................................... 11, 19, 23, 27 We catch the (news) breaks
HEARD AROUND TOWN................................................12 MOUNTAIN NEWS UPDATE...........................................13 MIKE'S MUTTERINGS....................................................14 A new coat of paint is just the thing
GUEST EDITORIAL.........................................................20 COOKING WITH K .........................................................21 MOUNTAIN NEWS HEALTH...........................................22 TAHOE TRISH.................................................................24 TAHOE GUY....................................................................25 SPOKE JUNKIE..............................................................26 DAVE AT THE MOVIES...................................................28 PARTING SHOT..............................................................31
Text: 530.314.3249 Billing: 530.314.3971
mindbodytahoe@gmail.com mindbodyphysicaltherapy.net
Mountain News 5
“Does anyone know the identity of the mysterious owner of the property at the corner of Ski Run and Tamarack and know what the hell is going on here?”
Things Change
—Nick Esders Spoiler Alert: In case you’ve been under a rock and haven’t heard, City Manager Joe Irvin has accepted a position with the City of Malibu as their city manager. His last day will be February 17. At 8:00 AM on the last day of 2025, I sat down with Joe in a Barbara Walter’s style interview, looking for the good, the bad and the ugly. By the time we got through two pages of probing questions, I realized (shit!) we’re losing the best city manager we’ve ever had. He was given bonus points for being a Swiftie. When Joe interviewed for the job in February of 2020, the city was still rebounding from the sudden and unexplained departure of former City Manager Nancy Kerry that, to this day, remains a mystery. It was reported that she resigned, but that played more like a cover-up after she was fired to avoid her threatened litigation against the city. A parade of temporary and interim city managers followed that kept the city
in limbo until Frank Rush was hired (October 2018) by a lame duck council just one month before three new council members (Bass, Middlebrook and Wallace) were elected in November. Frank lasted all of a year before he split for Big Bear Lake to be their city manager. In Joe’s almost six years as city manager, he navigated a pandemic, a citywide fire-evacuation, the second most snow recorded in history (2022-23) that nearly paralyzed the city for weeks, and the Wallace embezzlement scandal that rocked the city and is still reverberating. The most asked question around town: When is Tami going to be arrested? With a dark cloud of publicity hanging over the city, Joe reminds people to get beyond the headlines. Joe is a young energetic professional who has spent the last six years in our city
putting Humpty Dumpty back together again, only better. He culled some of the “dead wood” in the staff, hired more qualified department managers who have elevated the city’s services and helped change the culture inside the city. Today we employ a staff that is more qualified and better equipped to serve the community. He has done the hard shit, the scary stuff, endured the low points and celebrated our victories. His reasons for leaving came in an unexpected moment of reflection and a desire for new challenges.
complain to the council and city manager about anything and everything, expecting them to have all the answers. People in construction have legitimately voiced issues with building permit delays and red tape. It is hard to please everyone. When asked what he will miss most about Tahoe, he talked about his management team and staff at the city and the many friends he has made outside of work. He has high praise for all the community members who work to improve the quality of life for our residents. Soon the search will begin to replace Joe. This decision will fall to the five council members with the aid of a headhunter. In
Saying goodbye won’t be easy, but he says he’ll be back to help celebrate the opening of the new Recreation Center in April. I didn’t ask Joe when all the streets are going to be fixed because that is never going to happen. Past councils had all but stopped funding roads as they struggled with the deficits and lack of revenue from the failed part of redevelopment known as “the hole-in-the-ground.” In the last several years, councils have redirected and prioritized funding for the roads, but the level of deferred maintenance (projected in the hundreds of millions of dollars) make it impossible to ever fully catch up. Some residents have made a sport of showing up at council meetings to
the meantime, Assistant City Manager Hilary Roverud has the experience to step in and guide the city until a new manager is hired. Irvin advises the next city manager to stay true to the profession. There is a sacred motto in the scouting world to “leave your campsite better than you found it.” This means cleaning up your own mess, taking responsibility for damage left by others, improving the space for the next person. It’s about giving a damn. It can be said, without reservation, that Joe Irvin will leave the City of South Lake Tahoe better than he found it. To be continued….
Josh Hepburn and Lynn Odvody, who are doing business as Mountain Men LLC, bought the properties at 1169 Ski Run Blvd. and 3672 Tamarack Ave. in South Lake Tahoe in May 2023 for $2,132,500. The limited liability company was formed in February 2023 as a real estate company for the sole purpose of acquiringdeveloping these properties. “We will not be commenting on
changed. While the structures are not much to look at, the history of some of the businesses is legendary. Thai on Ski Run was once Nepheles, which included several hot tubs that could be rented. Nepheles had a few run-ins with law enforcement over the years, as its nickname was “sniff-eles.” Café Fiore had the longest tenure at 39 years. It closed last April. The iconic
Photo TRPA
Old buildings at Ski Run Boulevard and Tamarack Avenue may be bulldozed and replaced with a fresh mountain look.
anything now,” Hepburn initially told the Mountain News. The buildings were occupied by Thai on Ski Run, Lake Tahoe Computers, Olga’s Barber Shop, Cowork Cabin and Café Fiore when the ownership
seven-top restaurant was a favorite to celebrate special occasions, feel like you were someplace other than a small ski town, with food that was memorable. In December 2023, Mountain Men, which then had a San Francisco mailing
address, was issued a permit from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to remove four trees from the Ski Run property. The permit is valid for three years. In January 2024, the bi-state regulatory agency sent Mountain Men a letter about the Ski Run property stating, “Based on our research, TRPA determined that the property does not appear to be historically significant, and the buildings and any accessory structures, if applicable, may be demolished or modified in accordance to TRPA and/or local jurisdictional review. Please be advised demolition of a building or structure over 50 years of age requires a qualified exempt review and approval or TRPA project permit.” That same month the property owners requested land capability and coverage verification from TRPA, with the agency providing a response six months later in July 2024. In August 2024, TRPA issued a permit for the verification and banking of land capability, coverage and development rights at the two properties, which is valid for three years. TRPA issued a revised site amendment this same month. Soil reports were the topic in September 2024. The original plan for the property was to redevelop the site, as in tear down what’s there and start over. The concept is a mini ski village with cabins, restaurants (not chains) and a place to play. The project is stalled because Mountain Men, and Thanya Starr and Supaporn Phillips, the former owners of Thai on Ski Run, are suing each other. Thai on Ski Run is gone and in its place under different ownership is Rice Thai Eatery. The entire case file documenting the lawsuit could not be accessed online and in-person requests for files were met with
a $1,500 copying fee by the court. Limited court documents have been obtained. A June 2025 El Dorado County Superior Court document says Mountain Men claims it was having “trouble renting several units on the premises, and suffered damage to their relationship with the city’s Building Department and prospective relationships with local contractors and suppliers” because of comments Starr and Phillips posted online. Court papers say the restaurant owners were operating without a valid certificate of occupancy and obtained an updated permit without Mountain Men’s knowledge, which goes against city protocols. Legal documents state: “Mountain Men claims it did not make any request or demand to the city that the building permit or certificate of occupancy be revoked. Nonetheless, a city employee acknowledged that ‘he had made a terrible mistake’ and indicated that both permits would be revoked because they had been obtained without owner consent.” In November, a Freedom of Information Request Act was filed by El Dorado County Superior Court with TRPA and a subpoena filed with TRPA by representatives for Ski Run LLC, doing business as Thai on Ski Run. Note: The Mountain News will have more about this topic in future editions.
GOT A QUESTION?
Email: mountainnews2@gmail.com Mail: P.O. Box 8974, South Lake Tahoe, CA 95618.
Hopeful about Measure T appeal
6 Mountain News
Dear Editor, My Al Tahoe Neighborhood has once again become a battle ground between residents and vacation renters who break the rules and the city that has promised and failed to protect our neighborhoods from the disruption of tourists. This is déjà vu all over again since council members David
Jinkens and Keith Roberts voted to bring back VHRs stating that strict enforcement will eliminate the problems of the past. I beg to differ. Between New Years’ and a few days after, a VHR was reported for parking in the street prohibiting snow removal and blocking a driveway. Two separate calls, two online written reports and a few days
later the offending vehicles were finally cited and moved. This is just what we feared would happen. Council members promising robust enforcement and then not being able to deliver. Allowing investors to operate their lodging businesses in our residential neighborhoods didn’t work before the voters passed Measure T and it is
not working now. I remain hopeful that the appeal to restore Measure T is successful so I and my neighbors can return to the peace and quiet we enjoyed during Measure T. Andrea Olsen South Lake Tahoe
Mountain News 7
TriTthe-re
Ethnic stores offer link to lives left behind Publisher’s note: This is one in a series of stories written about immigrants living on the South Shore.
705 Los Angeles Three bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home on oversized Al Tahoe lot. Quiet dead-end street, next to the meadow and close to the beach. Fully fenced backyard; two-car garage.
$670,000
1640 Cherry Hills Circle One-owner, 5-bedroom, 3-bath fully furnished home tucked in the trees. Twocar garage, decks for entertaining. Perfect second home or vacation rental.
$675,000
Call Brandie 775.901.2751
$3,800,000
Call Brandie 775.901.2751
1607 Southern Pines Drive
1346 Thunderbird Drive
Rare construction-ready spacious 17,700 sq. ft. lot. IPES score of 492 and 1% land coverage. Unbeatable opportunity for investors, builders or future homeowners.
Spacious 17,700 sq. ft. lot in desirable South Lake Tahoe neighborhood. IPES score of 404 offers great opportunity as an investment or future build.
$125,000
9080 Scenic Drive, Tahoma Ultra-modern lakeview home; 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths. Framed in. Buyer can choose siding, interior colors and finishes. Massive lakeview decks, 3-story elevator..
$125,000
Call Karen 530.307.0604
Call Karen 530.307.0604
Call Jim 530.613.1437
984 Desert Drive, Carson City, NV Three-bedroom, 2 bath home in Sunridge. New carpet and paint, fully fenced yard. Community park, central location close to shopping and restaurants.
$479,000
Call Brandie 775.901.2751
2028 13th Street
3754 Forest Avenue
276 Beach Drive
Build your dream home or vacation retreat. 11,000 sq. ft. lot in quiet, wooded neighborhood close to beaches, trails and restaurants. 30% coverage allowance.
Maintained and compliant 11-unit multi-family complex with shared courtyard. On two adjacent parcels. Sale includes a third parcel. On-site coin-operated laundry.
Elegant, stunningly remodeled 5-bedroom, 6-bath Tahoe Keys home. Designer finishes, modern gray palette, solar roof panels.
$240,000
Ann Truscott CA 02136075 NV S.0194874
$1,600,000
Call Mike 530.544.5395
Brandie Griffith CA 01961472 NV BS.0145628
Connie Lopez CA 00964008
Hailey Fuller CA 02162964 NV S.0198544
Jarred Uppendahl Jim Mathews CA 01958463
$3,798,000
Call Mike 530.544.5395
CA 01225636 NV S.0053818
Joel Dameral CA 01851946 NV BS.0145648
Karen Grant CA 01970498 NV S.0184740
Michael Phillips CA 01369810 NV B.0145615
Mika Dailey CA 02246759
For immigrant families in particular, mom-and-pop shops are lifelines. Every dollar spent helps keep food on the tables of families whose children attend schools in our district, while also preserving traditions carried across oceans. One such place, the A&J Oriental Market, has quietly served South Lake Tahoe for more than 20 years, standing as both a neighborhood grocery store and a cultural home for the Filipino American. Places like these helped connect my father back to a life he left behind. My father immigrated from Manila, Philippines, not just in search of opportunity, but out of necessity. As a young man, he found himself trapped in gang violence. The dangers in his teenage years escalated into matters of life and death. My lolo and he found himself in a lottery allowing them citizenship in the United States. When he came to the United States, he left behind family, familiarity, and the version of himself shaped by his homeland. He was discriminated against because of his accent, choosing to not teach his children
Tagalog, and like many Filipino immigrants, he carried the weight of responsibility early—working long hours, sending money back home, and learning how to navigate a country that often treated immigrants as invisible. He didn’t talk much about what he escaped, but it showed in the way he valued safety, stability, and community. He was determined that my brother and I would grow up far from the dangers he knew. This is why our local Filipino store, the A&J Oriental Market, mattered so deeply to my family. For many Filipino families in Tahoe, this was the place where immigrants could reclaim pieces of the lives many were forced to leave behind. It was a hub for my father to reconnect with friends. He would buy us a Royal Orange soda, one
of his favorite drinks from his time in the Philippines, while my brother and I picked out chips or sweets. Every Wednesday, the store would restock fresh goods from Sacramento for the locals to purchase. The store became a central meeting place for titos and titas, gathering over rice and bangus (milkfish) while finding comfort in familiar faces and maintaining cultural connections and traditions. The owner, along with her family, immigrated to Tahoe in 1982. They have been an integral part of the community, raising their children and grandchildren
here. They specialize in selling Filipino delicacies like Ube ice cream and familiar Filipino brands. Ethnic stores are more than just a store; they are a symbol of community and a reminder of the vibrant diversity that enriches the fabric of South Lake Tahoe. Now, as a father myself, I see how those sacrifices echo across generations. In my attempt to recreate my lola’s cooking, I found myself standing in the same aisles, searching for Filipino shrimp paste with my two-year-old in tow. She had just finished a full meltdown in the car after I refused to let her bring all six of her stuffed animals inside, her face still puffy and flushed from crying. A kind-hearted lola
noticed her and took the time to smile, joke about how adorable she was and took time to help cheer her up. At that moment, I understood what my father had been trying to give us all along. My experience with my daughter is generational. It is not unique to my family, but shared by many South Lake Tahoe residents and those who have community-based businesses to support their culture. The A&J Oriental Market is more than a store—it is proof that survival can turn into belonging, and that immigrant businesses and stories continue to shape the heart of every community.
Alignment & Suspension Specialists Front End Repair • Brakes • Shocks Four-Wheel-Drive Specialists Tires • Tune-Ups • Oil Changes Cooling System Service • Batteries
Your Satisfaction Is Our Number One Priority!
Complete Automotive Repair
Call Joel 530.545.8827
Molly Jordan CA 02142804 NV S.0195715
Trish Hall
CA 00995140 NVBS.0025568
(530) 544-1021 • 2143 Eloise Avenue 8 Mountain News
Mountain News 9
Feds join criminal examination of Wallace embezzlement The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation into embezzlement and other potential crimes committed by former South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace. The regional FBI office would neither confirm nor deny, officially, whether it is part of the probe, but people with knowledge of aspects of the investigation said the FBI has been asking questions and examining evidence. Since the state line runs through the community, any crimes that involved activity back and forth across the border could have flagged Wallace’s transgressions as possibly violations of federal law. The FBI is also sometimes brought in to assist on local cases as it has expertise and experience in handling specialized and complex matters. The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office also declined to confirm whether the FBI has been brought in or much of anything else. “The DA's Office takes the allegations of public corruption and embezzlement seriously. The investigation is ongoing. However, we cannot discuss details,” said DA Spokesperson Melanie Torres. In early October, Wallace publicly admitted to stealing money from the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, where she worked as church administrator and bookkeeper. About a week prior to her statement taking responsibility, Wallace had been fired from LTCPC due to “discrepancies” in her financial accounting. The embezzlement had been going on for over five years, she said. LTCPC originally estimated that Wallace had taken on the order of $300,000. Further examination of its finances has revealed a figure approaching $400,000, one church member told the Mountain News. This is around the amount of a loan LTCPC took out—which it is still paying off—to refurbish the church after a fire damaged part of the building several years ago. Neither Pastor Greg Hughes or LTCPC
People acquainted with Wallace have also stated she had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, issued by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. On more than one occasion as a public official, Wallace stated she had been the recipient of threats of violence or aggressive behavior. South Lake Tahoe Police Department Lt. Scott Crivelli said his agency has no documented instances of threats against Wallace.
severity was mostly lower in treated vs. untreated areas. • The widespread presence of unburned fuel piles led to higher-thanexpected fire severity and tree mortality in some areas. • The most effective fuel treatment was multiple entry mechanical and hand thinning plus mastication, without burning. • Hand thinning and fuel piling followed by pile burning was also an effective treatment. “Generally, the treatments were very successful at increasing the resistance of forest to wildfire, but the major hiccup at Lake Tahoe is the big backlog of unburned fuel piles,” Safford said in a statement. “The presence of thousands of fuel piles in the Caldor Fire caused higher fire severity than we expected to see.”
In her public letter admitting to her theft of funds from LTCPC, Wallace also revealed a suicide attempt in September as her crimes were coming to light. Under California law, a concealed weapons permit is almost always revoked from anyone who is a documented threat to themselves or others. Also, people taking certain medications can sometimes have their permit revoked.
Tamara Wallace Spokesperson Phillip Dunne responded to questions about how else church operations and programs were affected by Wallace’s financial transgressions. In 2024, Wallace also worked as a contract bookkeeper for Tahoe Investment and Stewardship Capital, management company for a number of Stateline businesses. TICS is overseen by Wallace’s former colleague, Councilmember Keith Roberts. Roberts told the Mountain News that an internal review of Wallace’s work turned up no misappropriation or wrongdoing and TICS would not be commissioning an outside audit as previously considered. People close to the investigation have also stated that search warrants in the case have been served. Generally, search warrants that have been executed are filed with the local court and are considered public record. Staff at the El Dorado County Superior Court Clerk’s Office in South Lake Tahoe could not locate any executed search warrants in this case. This could mean they haven’t been fully executed, were sealed by a judge, were filed in another court in the county or were filed by some other identifying designation rather than name or address.
Licensed Massage Therapist Relaxation • Sports • Deep Tissue 22-Strand DNA Activation
(775) 720-6922 South Lake Tahoe
10 Mountain News
The miracle of prescribed burns during Caldor Fire Most of the treated areas had been part of the South Shore Fuel Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project, which began in 2012. Treatments reduce the chances of a crown fire, produce lower intensity fires and flame lengths, and reduce spot fires. “Overall, our results add the Caldor Fire to the growing list of fuel treatment success stories in the Western U.S., but at the same time highlight the growing urgency of proactive forest and fuel management and the importance of resolving long-standing capacity constraints in the U.S. federal resource management agencies,” the report says. The study was funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Fund, UC Davis and U.S. Forest Service Region.
Photo Kathryn Reed
A study credits fuel treatments prior to the 2021 Caldor Fire for no structures being lost in the Tahoe basin.
Photo Heather Gound
Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church is suffering the impacts of embezzlement by former Mayor Tamara Wallace.
The Mountain News requested information on any concealed carry weapons permits issued to Wallace or her husband and was told by EDSO that records were being withheld due to a personal privacy exemption. Though certain portions of a concealed carry weapon permit or application may be redacted, such records cannot be exempted from disclosure in their entirety according to the First Amendment Coalition. The Mountain News has appealed the initial determination to not release the records and received a response from the sheriff’s office that our request is under consideration in conjunction with the county counsel.
This is not the first time Wallace has stolen money from a company. In 2006, Federal Insurance Company took her to court for “theft of funds” after it covered a loss due to Wallace’s actions on behalf of one of its clients. Wallace agreed to pay back $120,000 in installments. In 2021, after failing to keep up with the payment schedule, the company took her back to court and obtained a judgement for the $110,000 remainder. Several calls to the insurance company and the law firm which represented Federal Insurance Company to find out the current status of Wallace’s repayment plan and other details regarding the case have not been returned.
Fuel reduction projects work. That is the conclusion of a study of the Caldor burn area—specifically Christmas Valley and Meyers. Results of the research by Hugh Safford, a UC Davis forest ecologist, and Saba Saberi, a doctoral student in Safford’s lab at Davis, will be published in the March edition of Forest Ecology and Management. “More than perhaps any other USFS unit in California, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has been proactive in reducing fuels and forest density in and adjacent to the (wildland urban interface),” the report states. “… these
fuel reduction efforts were widely credited with the ‘miraculous’ events of Aug. 30 and 31, 2021, when not a single structure was lost when the Caldor Fire entered the (Lake Tahoe Basin) at Christmas Valley and Meyers. Firefighters recounted how fire intensities dropped markedly when the fire encountered treated fuels and how fuels conditions on the ground allowed safe and rapid response to embergenerated ignitions.” The study’s main takeaways about fuel treatments prior to the 2021 Caldor Fire include: • Trees were three times more likely to survive fire in treated areas; fire
Mark Darling Painting Commercial • Residential Exterior • Interior Serving Lake Tahoe Since 1974 Free Estimates
(530) 577-4271 Bonded & Insured, Ca. Lic #462487
Mountain News 11
M OUNTAIN N EWS B USINESS
We asked and we did not receive The Tahoe Mountain News is not alone in its long wait for public documents requested through the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.
Photo City of South Lake Tahoe
“Holiday Embers" by Grace Harding and family won first place in the 2025 Gingerbread House Competition last month.
California Office of Traffic Safety awarded a $45,000 grant to South Lake Tahoe Police Department for enforcement and education programs to help reduce the number of serious traffic injuries and deaths. Lake Tahoe Community College’s women’s soccer team continues to be a national powerhouse, finishing the season ranked No. 20. At one point the team was No. 5. Longtime LTCC women’s and men’s soccer coach Jeremy Evans is headed to UNR to coach the women’s soccer team. South Lake Tahoe residents can expect South Tahoe Refuse bills to go $4.38 per month. With the retirement of Chad Stevens, John McNamara is now chief at Lake Valley Fire Protection. Most recently he was division chief of emergency operations for Reno Fire Department. Liberty Utilities no longer has a physical office in South Lake Tahoe. Options are going online https://libertyutilities.com/ or calling 800-782-2506. This month Tahoe Transportation District bus routes on the South Shore changed.For real-time schedules, route updates, and trip planning go online: http:// www.tahoetransportation.org/transit/. Filling the vacant South Lake Tahoe council seat is Heather Horgan, an administrative nursing supervisor at Sutter Health. This month the council is expected to select a mayor and mayor pro tem for the year. In the inaugural 10-week run of the Emerald Bay Shuttle 4,930 people rode it. Vans will return in summer 2026. Winners of the second annual Lake Tahoe Gingerbread House Competition
12 Mountain News
were: adult division “Holiday Embers” by Grace Harding & Family; youth division “Old St. Nick Had a Farm G-I-N-G-E-R” by the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe Middle Schoolers; and people’s choice “Santa’s Haus” by Katelyn Oppegard. California Tahoe Conservancy wants input on the future of the Upper Truckee Marsh project that includes the old Motel 6 site. Take this survey: https://shorturl.at/ P5YBA. After more than five years as South Lake Tahoe city manager, Joe Irvin is headed to Malibu to lead that beach community. The town is half the size of SLT; the pay is 50 percent more. At the Dec. 18 meeting the Douglas County School District board issued an apology that in part said: “As your school board we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to our community for the past actions and Open Meeting Law violations that have occurred from this board. Please know we accept accountability and we are fully committed to rebuilding that trust by learning from our mistakes and moving forward with integrity.” On Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at LTCC will be a free community showing of “Push Physical Theatre” hosted by Tahoe Arts Project. The Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association is continuing to raise money for its various projects with a focus on the Bijou Bike Park. Goals include purchasing specialized maintenance tools, upgrading the park’s jump lines and preliminary planning and design work for a paved pump track. Visit tamba.org for more information or to donate. “Extreme whiplash” between wet
and dry conditions is more frequent than in the past, according to the California Department of Water Resources. After a mostly dry December, end-of-year storms brought the Echo Summit snowpack up to 50 percent of normal for this time of year. AARP Tax-Aide of South Lake Tahoe will be providing free tax preparation for local taxpayers of all ages (not just seniors) from February 7th through April 13th at the SLT Recreation Center. Pick up a tax packet there starting January 27, to complete before coming in for tax preparation. Beginning February 7, trained volunteers will be available Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. If you have questions, please contact SouthLakeTahoeLC@gmail.com for more information. Stew and Hillary Bittman, with a background in healing and spiritual growth, will be hosting Practically Spiritual, Thursdays at 3pm at Meyers Artisan Station, 3170 Highway 50. Each 45-minute session will include an inspirational talk and guided and silent meditation. Suggested offering, $10, though no one will be turned away or otherwise judged. Email bittmanbliss@att. net or text 530/318-2375 for more info. In affordable housing news, permits were issued for five accessory dwelling units—ADUs or granny flats—and one ADU was constructed in 2025. Sixty more units were occupied in Sugar Pine Village and Lake Tahoe Community College opened a 100-person dormitory for low income students. Saint Joseph Community Land Trust helped one local, moderate income family purchase and upgrade the home they had been renting for over a decade. Two residential units for staff of Van
Sickle Bi-State Park to occupy received construction approval. On January 28, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board will consider opening an environmental study related to possible regulatory changes designed to continue to encourage the construction of affordable housing. On February 11, the TRPA Advisory Planning Commission will take comment and consider the scope of such a study. The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe has closed its South Lake Tahoe office and will be transitioning to a local co-working space. All services are still available to local residents. Visit hstt.org for more info. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center is seeking donations to fund its internship program. Visit https:// www.givebacktahoe.org/story/3dkqwe. The Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger provided a full holiday meal last month to local Douglas County Sheriff personnel and court staff of the Tahoe Justice Court. Former Judge Richard Glasson came out of retirement to carve the turkey. The next meeting of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee, which monitors the expenditure of bond funds in the district, will be held on Feb. 5 at 5:30pm in the district board room.
“FOIA requests are generally required to be processed within 20 business days. But in recent years, federal agencies have faced larger volumes of requests and more complex requests, among oth-
er challenges,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office says on its website. “In FY 2022, the government-wide request backlog surpassed 200,000 requests for the first time.” This paper is seeking copies of the four applications submitted in 2023 to Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit for Camp Richardson Resort concessionaire. TMN submitted a FOIA request to the regional USFS office in Vallejo in January 2024 after LTBMU said it would not provide the documents. TMN received no response in May 2024 after asking for an update. In September 2024 a USFS worker said the employee with the information was away on a wildfire. An email sent last month to the USFS federal FOIA office came with the response: “We have forwarded your email to the Region 5 FOIA office for processing.” Region 5 is Vallejo.
“Unfortunately, delays by federal agencies in responding to FOIA requests are a chronic problem,” David Loy, legal director with the First Amendment Coalition, said. FAC is a nonpartisan nonprofit protecting and promoting a free press, freedom of expression, and the people’s right to know. While seeking a court order is an option—a costly, time consuming one—Loy
also suggested continuing to contact the U.S. Forest Service, which the TMN will do. The Mountain News is also awaiting documents requested in September from the Lake Tahoe Unified School District. Though some documents were provided surrounding the tenure of former Human Resources Director John Simons, numerous other documents are being withheld for the time being. Simons was investigated, then terminated, last fall after a district investigator substantiated an allegation of sexual harassment. (Simons denies wrongdoing). The district is continuing an investigation of Simons beyond the verified instance of misconduct that led to his dismissal. LTUSD Public Information Officer Teresa Schow told the Mountain News in an email that releasing additional information at this time could taint the investigation.
Got a community item for Heard? Email mountainnews2@gmail.com, subject line “Heard.”
Mountain News 13
Knuckleheads in abundance Happy holidays?
2030 DUNLAP AVE AT THE “Y” OPEN DAILY 9am-8pm (530) 541-7788
SCAN FOR OUR CURRENT SPECIALS
NATURAL FOODS MARKET Groceries, dairy, bulk food, organic beer and wine, coffee, energy bars, cereal, snacks, body care products PRODUCE DEPARTMENT One of the largest selections of organic produce at Tahoe NUTRITION CENTER Complete selection of vitamins, supplements & herbs
14 Mountain News
We left town for a few days to meet up with the kids for the holidays—you know, when it rained everywhere and finally snowed here? The days leading up to the trip turned into a flurry of activity as we were having the interior painted while we were gone. For one thing, there is a lot more stuff to remove from walls than you’d think. And then you’ll want to patch all those holes. And then you’ll start noticing all kinds of other dings and cracks that need patching. Before you know it, you have pox-looking walls everywhere and now you realize you’re going to need more primer. The next thing you learn is that you have way more light switch and outlet plates than you would have guessed, and so you bag them in an attempt at organization, stashing them in places you think are so logical that only a complete knucklehead wouldn’t easily find them afterward. Then there are the light fixtures, curtain rods and the list goes on. And then when it’s all done—and I’m beyond grateful not to have done it myself this time—you get the fun of putting it all back together. And remember those logically and knucklehead-proof stashed switch and outlet plates? Turns out, maybe not as logical and memorable as you thought at the time, or maybe knuckleheads are in abundance. All told, I probably wasted a couple hours just hunting for the carefully labelled Ziploc bags I had put these in and tucked away for ready retrieval. The challenge doesn’t end once you’ve found them—especially if someone else feels they all need to be cleaned before remounting to the walls. Not saying she’s wrong—just that I’m too impatient to want her to be right. And then it’s the battle with those blankety-blank tiny wall plate screws, constantly slipping out of your fingers, eliciting strings of linguistic creations better left out of this column. Eventually, you’re ready to put furniture back where it was . . . unless someone else feels that maybe it shouldn’t go back where it was and that maybe we should rethink the entire arrangement even though we haven’t slept in 48 hours—or something that feels like 48 hours. Again, not wrong—just maybe not the most exhila-
rating idea at the moment. I almost left out the most fun of all that happens when you’re gone and it snows and people drive repeatedly over both the snow on your driveway and berm in front. Yes, I realize I could have arranged to have someone come and scrape it, but that would have required forethought. So there you have it, all packed down into an icy mass that will require a full day of work using mostly tools that were only intended for removing linoleum and tile, roots and trees, or for digging foundations for a building. We’re not talking about a plastic shovel situation, and you start to wonder if DIY sells TNT. Happy New Year, everyone! ECHL and Tahoe Knight Monsters news If you’re not following the ECHL too closely, you might have missed the news of a players’ union strike that lasted roughly four days following Christmas. And for Tahoe Knight Monsters fans, it was easy not to notice since the two postponed games caused by the strike were not scheduled for the TBEC home rink but in Rapid City, SD. The gist is that players decided to strike on Dec. 26 due to stalled collective bargaining agreement talks. Details of the CBA are not released, but key issues from the players’ side included the salary cap, holiday breaks, travel and equipment. Regardless, the strike ended Dec. 30 with a tentative agreement, and later, the ratification of a new CBA, and games resumed in time for the New Year’s weekend homestand. Although the Knight Monsters have lost some key contributors from last year, such as Simon Pinard, Jett Jones and Bear Hughes, and although their win percentage is a bit under last year’s, the TKM are hanging in there, sitting fifth of 15 teams in the Western Conference as of this writing. As always, feel free to email mikesmutterings@gmail.com
Leona & Mark Allen Cindy Archer Sarah Benedict Leo Bennett Cauchon Jeanne Benin Peggy & Philip Blowney Louisa & Daniel Boone Don Borges Judy Breza Steve Brown Collen Bye Erin Calfee Ellen Camacho Cheryl Chambers Susan Chandler Laura Chappel Cathy & Bob Cliff Jason Collin Russ Dahler Rose Daiek Nancy & John Dalton Lisa Dearing Annette Doran Janice Eastburn Claudia Elkin Robert Erlich Corinna Faley Liz & Jim Ferguson Kiley Field Laurie Flesher Josh Foster Patrick Frega Michelle & Robert Fullerton Hayley Geoguson Virginia Glenn
Victoria R Gonzales Maya Gonzalez Andrea Green Carol Haase Vicki & Stan Hanes Robert Harms Cynthia Hertzog Kristin Hickey Tram Hong Deb & Anthony Howard Bret Howard Lisa Huard Sarah Kate Jorgensen David Kearney Kris Keesling Laurie Kemper Willow Knier Nicole Koller Margaret Kortes Lolly Kupec Karen & David Kurtzman Linda LaFavor Coyle Kay Levitt Carolyn MacRae Rosemary Manning Haley Marchini Roberta Mason Carolyn Meiers Cynthia Meiers James Meiers Ed Miller Jane Moore Aletha Nelligan Bob Niedermeier Steve Noll
John Norman Susan Norman Sue Novasel Tess & Matt Olivares Jose Olivares Nikolas Olivares-Laine Jamie & David Orr Larry Pedigo Eileen Phillips Frank Porter Heidi Proske Sonia Sumett Quillan Michelle & Larry Reilly Carl Ribaudo Barbara & Frank Riley Marcia Ringel Schultz Lydia Rogers John Ruiz Dena Schwarte Kristen Schwartz Sarah Serrano Mary Slater Lynn Spiker Rachael Sweeten Allyson Tabor Deborah Gay Thomas Lori Thorne Tere Tibbetts Anneliese & Matt Tillson Julia Ward Steve Weiss Cheryl Williams Les Wright Gretchen Zeller
Mountain News 15
M OUNTAIN N EWS C OVER S TORY
Vail’s strategies for success While Tahoe skiers and snowboarders perform snow dances, Vail Resorts is doing a dance of its own to appease shareholders and attract riders. The Colorado-based company
North American for this season fell two percent through Dec. 5 compared to a year ago. However, revenue from pass sales rose three percent because of a seven percent price hike.
Now in its 70th season, the views at Heavenly Mountain Resort never disappoint.
that owns Heavenly Mountain Resort, Northstar and Kirkwood Mountain Resort is trying to reach a younger market while at the same time keeping the books in the black and reversing the years’-long trend of declining stock value. Fiscal year 2026 first quarter results released in December for the period ending Oct. 31 show net revenues up four percent year over year. Overall losses totaled $186.8 million compared to a net loss of $173.3 million the prior year. The earnings report had an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) loss of $139.7 million for the quarter, which was similar to a year ago. The company has EBITDA projections between $842 million and $898 million for fiscal year 2026. This calendar year the company expects to spend more than $234 million in capital projects mainly in Europe, with nothing in Tahoe singled out in the earnings call. The number of ski passes sold in
16 Mountain News
“The decline in units is driven primarily by declines in our Colorado, Utah and Tahoe local drive-to markets as units from destination markets were only down slightly,” Vail Resorts said in a press release. A severe lack of snow in these regions was keeping people off the slopes at the start of this season. While the stock price jumped after the earnings report, it had been on a steady decline since 2021. The stock had a valuation of $376 a share in November 2021. It was at $145 before the current report, and then started to climb. A day before numbers were released, Vail Resorts announced a plan to lower lift tickets by an average of 30 percent for those planning ahead. This could equate to a savings of more than $100 a ticket if bought at least four weeks in advance. In Tahoe, the deal is available at Heavenly and Northstar. Other resorts include Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Park City, Whistler Blackcomb, Stowe, Okemo and
Mount Snow. "While we will always give the best deal to our pass holders, with this new discount our hope is to make the sport more accessible for guests who aren't
Photo Heavenly Mountain Resort
thinking about skiing and snowboarding until winter arrives,” CEO Rob Katz
said in a statement. Katz took over as CEO last May after having that job from February 2006-November 2021. Almost three-quarters of Vail riders, or 2.3 million people, have an Epic Pass or Epic Day Pass. This equates to about $1 billion in revenues. The other 25 percent purchase lift tickets, with less than two percent buying them the day they want on the mountain. In a post-earnings call with analysts, Katz said, “In addition to our new lift ticket product offerings, we are also looking to be more strategic in pricing across our individual resorts and time periods. We are implementing more dynamic pricing strategies targeted at driving off-peak visitation at certain resorts, which fulfills the dual purpose of pricing select resorts more competitively and incentivizing visitation in lower volume time periods." The company is pulling back from its email driven communications to put more emphasis on paid and social media, as well as working with influencers. Epic Friends, which replaces the buddy passes, is designed to lure friends of passholders with half-off lift tickets and an added benefit of turning that day pass into savings on a future season pass. Vail is making what it calls “significant investments” in the My Epic app to streamline resort experiences. Apple Pay and Google Pay will be integrated—a nod to those who carry neither cash nor credit cards. Ski-ride schools’ digital operations will also be expanding.
Criminal charges, civil lawsuit filed in Giada Lancellotti case The El Dorado County District Attorney’s office has filed misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against Karen Eve Goldberg, the woman who struck and killed 13-year-old Giada Lancellotti on June 7 as she was crossing Lake Tahoe Blvd at Sawmill Pond while
Photo Petal Kindness
The fallout from teen Giada Lancellotti's death continues.
Photo Heavenly Mountain Resort
A snowboarder kicks up some white stuff Nov. 25—Heavenly Mountain Resort's opening day.
travelling to the Optimist Fishing Derby. While the indictment states Goldberg was allegedly “driving a vehicle in commission of an unlawful act,” it does not specify what that unlawful act was. Generally, however, actions such as speeding or texting, talking on a cell phone, eating or other attention-impairing activities while driving could be considered underlying factors in determining criminal culpability. Goldberg is set to be arraigned in court on January 30. Charging documents indicate that Goldberg acted “without malice” and mentioned the prosecution intends to present testimony and evidence from child witnesses under the age of 12. A civil suit filed by Giada’s parents— Charles and Kelly Lancellotti—on behalf of themselves and their late daughter’s
estate also does not detail Goldberg’s actions that day—only supposedly that she “negligently and carelessly drove, operated and controlled” the vehicle. In addition to Ms. Goldberg, the Lancellottis are also suing her husband, Martin Goldberg, as the owner of the 2013 Acura MDX, who allegedly allowed his wife to drive the car with his “permission, consent, knowledge and authority.” In addition to the Goldbergs, the Lancellottis are also suing El Dorado County, the South Lake Tahoe Optimist Club and its parent organization, Optimist International. In the lawsuit, filed in the South Lake Tahoe branch of the El Dorado County Superior Court, the Lancellottis allege the county was remiss in its public safety capacity regarding that particular intersection. According to the suit, “the posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour, but has a known prevailing speed” of more than that. Neighbors in the area have asked the county to lower the speed limit along that stretch of road to no avail, according to the suit. Due to a number of factors, the design and function of that particular intersection was unsafe and the incident could have been foreseen, according to the suit. The flashing lights intended to alert motorists to someone in the crosswalk— as was Giada when she was hit—did not work “as intended” according to the suit. The lights either did not activate at all, activated intermittently or irregularly and when activated, only flashed for 30 to 40 seconds, not providing enough warning time for motorists to yield, according to the suit, which cited the experience of various local pedestrians. Even in instances where the pedestrian crossing lights were functional, traffic often sped through anyway, the suit stated. El Dorado County knew problems with speeding, flawed design and inadequate safety measures and traffic controls were an issue at the intersection, but failed to address the issues, resulting in “near misses” on a regular basis, according to the suit. In fact, the suit alleges, the county should not have located a crosswalk at the intersection at all without more robust controls such as a stop sign or a traffic light as it created a false sense of security for pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the road. Random crosswalks
without adequate warning measures in place create an unexpected obstacle for motorists, according to the suit, making collisions potentially unavoidable. The Lancellottis submitted a claim for damages to El Dorado County in October which went unanswered, according to the court filing, amounting to a rejection of their demands, and leading to the lawsuit. The South Lake Tahoe Optimist Club was named in the suit because it “planned, promoted and operated the (fishing derby) at Sawmill Pond, fully aware that minors would likely need to cross Lake Tahoe Boulevard—a road with known speed, visibility and warning-system limitations,” wrote the Lancellottis’ attorneys in their filing. Since the derby would attract
minors unaccompanied by parents or other responsible adults, the Optimist Club had a duty to ensure safe travel to and from the event by issuing warnings or providing supervision to attendees, the suit alleges. Optimist International was named in the suit as the governing body of the local club. The suit asks for unspecified damages, including attorneys’ fees, but states the Lancellottis are seeking in excess of $35,000. The defendants in the case did not file responses with the court as of the Mountain News deadline. This publication was unable to contact the defendants for comment by deadline. We will continue to follow this story in the coming months.
Mountain News 17
TRPA’s fees and fines The cost of building from scratch or renovating in Tahoe can add up. Most every entity that a person, business or developer interacts with will send a bill or demand money up front before a finger is lifted. With Tahoe Regional Planning Agency being the bi-state regulatory agency in the basin, its tentacles are the most prolific. TRPA levies fees on most every project in the area. When people fail to comply with its rules, fines are the norm and lawsuits possible. “Ensuring regional policies are effective is fundamental to the agency’s mission, which makes legal compliance an integral part of TRPA’s operations. Enforcement is an important part of that as a backstop when compliance breaks down,” TRPA spokesman Jeff Cowen said. “Most of TRPA’s processes and resources go toward compliance that limits situations when a violation could occur, from writing clear permit conditions, to holding securities, conducting pre- and post-project inspections, responding to reports of concern, and supporting local government partners who conduct thousands of additional site inspections every year.” Through the compact that was first approved in 1969 and then updated in 1997 and 2012, the scope of the agency’s purview has changed as well as what triggers a financial transaction.
Photo Kathryn Reed
Barton Health in 2025 agreed to pay TRPA $50,000 for a stormwater violation at its site in Stateline where it wants to build a hospital.
Today, fees are collected for permitting, mitigation and watercraft inspection. “The TRPA Filing Fee Schedule
process, such as land capability verification or development rights transfers,” Cowen said. “In addition, permit applications are subject to mitigation fees to support water quality improvements to offset impacts from development and to cover information technology costs.” While permit fees are designed to cover TRPA’s costs to provide the service, currently the general fund supplements the expense. Since 2018, the governing board has annually adjusted fees based on the Western Region CPI. “Application filing fees are looked
Amount of money
Amount of money
When to collect fees
collected by TRPA for permitting fees
School enrollment fluctuates across the South Shore
$207.13 per VMT for residential units, tourist accommodation units, and camping and RV sites. For commercial projects the cost is $23.01 per VMT. Someone building a single-family residence with 1,800 square feet of land coverage would pay $3,348 in water quality mitigation fees (1,800 x $1.86) and another $7,456.68 for the mobility mitigation fee (36 average daily VMT x $207.13). Excess coverage mitigation fees depend on the hydrologic areas the project is located in because the cost to restore land varies. “Water quality and excess coverage mitigation fees were adjusted more than a decade ago. The mobility mitigation fee is tied to inflation,” Cowen said. The watercraft inspection program is overseen in collaboration with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. Fees are reviewed annually. Most boats that never leave Lake Tahoe pay $50 annually, while others usually pay $115. Decontamination stickers are another $30.
lists all permit application filing fees and mitigation fees. The document is divided into categories, or schedules, by land use classifications, such as residential, commercial, or shore zone, and the type of
18 Mountain News
at as a whole through the budget process and can be updated annually in June with the start of the new fiscal year or in the fall based on inflation,” Cowen said. The board raised them in October for
Superintendent Frankie Alvarado, who has been with the district since summer 2024, told the Mountain News. “When we lose students, we lose the funding that supports classrooms, programs, and the services families expect. As we look ahead, we want to be clear about the financial impact and work with our staff and community to make responsible decisions that put students first.” With a $12.76 million deficit going into this fiscal year, the state is threatening to take over DCSD operations because of fiscal management. After two board meetings in December regarding the district’s future, the electeds in February are expected to make tough decisions, which could include having one K-12 school at the lake. Consolidation first occurred after the 2007-08 school year when Kingsbury
Photo DCSD
collected by TRPA for watercraft inspections • 2020—$772,000 • 2021—$1,072,000 • 2022—$919,000 • 2023—$937,000 • 2024—$896,000 • 2025—$1,006,000 • Six-year total—$5,602,000 Source: TRPA
The forestry and fire programs have experienced strong enrollment,” Thomsen said. “And we expect the CTE programs to continue to grow as students look for directly transferable skills into the local workforce.” He also singled out the Lake Tahoe Promise Program which offers free tuition to qualifying students in California as well as select ZIP codes in Nevada as a reason people choose LTCC. K-12 student numbers Douglas County School District enrollment dropped from 5,271 students in 2021-22, to 5,188 in 2022-23, 4,973 in 2023-24, 4,820 in 2024-25 and 4,655 in 2025-26. “Douglas County’s median age is 54.2 years, which suggests many residents are retired or empty-nesters, and fewer households include parents with school-
Students at Zephyr Cove Elementary School learn how to grow produce.
Photo Kathryn Reed
• 2020—$1,770,000 • 2021—$2,523,000 • 2022—$2,638,000 • 2023—$2,213,000 • 2024—$2,391,000 • 2025—$2,890,000 • Six-year total—$14,425,000 Source: TRPA
While Lake Tahoe Community College has seen a surge in enrollment in the past few years, this academic year it has dipped. Fewer students are also the norm at area K-12 districts. The college did not speak to the drop for this year but instead pointed to the growth of years past.
Human powered watercraft can take advantage of free decontamination stations.
inflationary reasons. “Mitigation fees are set by the projected costs of future environmental improvement projects and the projected level of project applications subject to the fees,” Cowen explained. “Cumulative accounting of mitigation fees is performed every four years as part of the threshold evaluation, at which time TRPA can look at the effectiveness of the fees.” Water quality mitigation fees are $1.86 per square foot and are based on land coverage. Mobility mitigation fees were once called air quality mitigation fees. They are based on how many net vehicle miles traveled a project creates. The price is
Fees cover about one-third of the boat program, with state and federal dollars making up the remainder. From 2022 through 2025, people paid $5,602,000 in fees. The fee structure was revamped last March. Where the money goes Permit fees go directly into TRPA’s general fund. In the last six years, that has equated to $14,425,000. Mitigation fees are put in a fund to later be passed to local government partners
TRPA
Continued on page 30
“LTCC has seen increased student enrollment because more students within and outside the basin are recognizing the value of starting their education at LTCC,” spokesman Mark Thomsen said. “LTCC's transfer partnerships, career pathways, and workforce programs continue to grow, and students are choosing LTCC because it offers high-quality instruction, personalized support, and an affordable option close to home.” The dorms, which opened in September, are another draw. While the housing facility is only for California students because of funding sources for the project, the 100-bed facility is about 95 percent full. “In a region with significant housing challenges, our on-campus housing also makes college more accessible and stable for students who might not otherwise be able to stay in the community,” Thomsen said. This academic year there are 8,036 students at LTCC, 11,248 in 2024-25, 10,505 in 2023-24, 9,459 in 2022-23, 6,927 in 2021-22, and 6,417 in 2020-21. “We have seen growth across faceto-face, online, rising scholars, and more.
Photo Angie Hall
The dorms, which opened for fall quarter at Lake Tahoe Community College, help attract students to South Lake Tahoe.
age children,” DCSD spokesperson Hailey Sebahar said. “At the same time, rising costs locally make it more challenging for young families to settle here or stay long term. On top of that, nationwide birth rates have fallen. Together, these factors shrink the pool of potential students for public school districts like DCSD.” Locally, Zephyr Cove Elementary School has seen a slight rise in student numbers. The K-5 school in 2021-22 had 149 students, then 150, 151,153 and 154 for this school year. ZCES is operating at 32 percent capacity. At Whittell High, which teaches grades 6-12, it’s an up-and-down trend with 160 students in 2021-22, then 152, 128, 138, and 137 for 2025-26. It is at 28 percent capacity. “Enrollment affects every part of our budget, and the decline we have seen over the past five years is significant,” DCSD
Middle School closed because of declining enrollment. Diamond Valley Elementary in Markleeville, part of ACUSD, has 56 students this year, 51 in 2024-25, then 62, 64, 63, 70 and 66 in 2019-20. At Bear Valley Elementary, enrollment this is year is 10 students, 7 in 2024-25, then 9, 9, 17, 21, and 4 in 2019-20. “During the Covid years, everyone left the city, so our Bear Valley numbers increased dramatically until families had to return to work, after which they stabilized again,” Bill Roderick, ACUSD interim superintendent, said. Lake Tahoe Unified School District this school year has 3,363 students. For 2024-25 there were 3,528 students, 3,604 students in 2023-24, 3,648 in 2022-23, 3,641 in 2021-22, and 3,725 in 2020-21. That’s about a 9.7 percent drop from 2021-22 to 2025-26, with no reason or
comments provided by the district office. At LTUSD’s individual schools, enrollment varied the last six school years: • Bijou Community School: 456 in 2021-22, 396, 420, 425, 422, 419 this year. • Sierra House: 362, 384, 410, 412, 418, 375. • Meyers: 362, 361, 360, 352, 334, 319. • Tahoe Valley: 346, 402, 414, 402, 395, 380. • Elevated Digital Learning Academy: 256, 84, 56, 76, 116, 54. • South Tahoe Middle School: 743, 790, 798, 765, 716, 721. • South Tahoe High School: 1,149, 1,156, 1,141, 1,108, 1,076, 1,032. • Mount Tallac High: 50, 68, 49, 64, 50, 63. Immigration a non-issue National immigration policies don't appear to be affecting local enrollment. While LTCC saw a drop in international student applications last spring, it has witnessed an uptick since then. DCSD cites national immigration issues having a “minimal direct impact” on enrollment. “Our numbers stay fairly consistent. As far as we can see, there has been no impact on the relationship to the national immigration issues in Alpine County schools,” Roderick said. Teresa Schow, public information officer at Lake Tahoe Unified, said the district neither has enough information to determine why enrollment is dropping nor data to know if fewer immigrants are attending. “The 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe established that denying undocumented children access to free public K-12 education violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution,” according to the National Immigration Law Center. Legal status is not something school districts in California collect information about. Even so, larger school districts in the country are feeling the impact of threats to non-U.S. citizens. “Across the nation, immigration raids and border restrictions have led to a drop in K-12 enrollment that appears to number in at least the tens of thousands, affecting Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami and elsewhere, based on figures provided by school district officials. The drop also reflects the lack of non-U.S.-born students, or ‘newcomers,’ entering the nation’s public school systems,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Mountain News 19
A valuable lecture, a night of entertainment, a festive dance, a nonprofit fundraiser, an art exhibit, a moonlight snowshoe trek
1 pan dinner overflows with flavor, not dishes
Leon Malmed
Scenes from my childhood on repeat This month’s guest column is by Tahoe resident Leon Malmed, Holocaust survivor, cancer survivor and nationally rated road cyclist in his age category. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered for their Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, the bishops issued a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. It marked the first time in twelve years the USCCB invoked this particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops, introduced as follows: “As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of
20 Mountain News
houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones. Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.” The U.S. Bishops’ 2025 Special Message on Immigration recalls for me my personal story of the Holocaust and its impact. My story centers on the moral imperative to protect vulnerable people in the face of state-led enforcement and the "climate of fear" that results from family separation. The historical contexts may differ—Nazi-occupied France versus
modern U.S. immigration policy—the underlying ethical themes are strikingly similar. 1. The Fear of Family Separation • My sister and I: In July 1942, French police arrested our parents in front of us. Our most vivid memory was the terror of being separated from our mother and father, who were taken to Drancy, near Paris, and later Auschwitz where they were murdered. • The Bishops’ Message: The U.S. Bishops explicitly state they are "grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school" and "try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones." Both cases highlight the trauma of the state breaking the family unit. 2. The Mandate to "Welcome the Stranger" and Protect the Vulnerable • The Ribouleau Family: Henri and Suzanne Ribouleau, our neighbors, made a split-second decision to take us, my sister and I, promising to care for us "until our parents returned." They acted on a moral duty to the "stranger" and the neighbor, regardless of the law. • The Bishops’ Message: The Bishops cite the biblical mandate to care for the "widow, the orphan, and the stranger". They argue that human dignity is "Godgiven" and not bestowed by governments or legal status, mirroring the conviction that led the Ribouleaus to ignore Nazi-era laws to save lives. 3. Opposition to "Indiscriminate" State Actions • Nazi-Occupied France: My sister and I were victims of "roundups"—
organized, mass arrests based on identity (Jewish) and legal status (foreign-born Jews). • The Bishops’ Message: The U.S. Bishops explicitly state, "We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people." They advocate for a system that balances national security with "mercy and justice," criticizing policies that profile or target individuals based on their origin. 4. The Courage to Stand in Solidarity • Individual Acts of Heroism: The Ribouleau family risked their lives for three years to hide my sister and I. Their actions stood in "strong contrast to the collaborations and moral weakness" of many others at the time. • Institutional Advocacy: By issuing a Special Message—a rare and urgent formal statement last used over a decade ago—the Catholic Church is positioning itself as a moral shield. They "reaffirm with one voice" that in the Church, "no one is a stranger," choosing to stand with the marginalized even when it is politically unpopular. 5. Rejection of Dehumanizing Rhetoric • My experience: I often speak about how the Holocaust began not with gas chambers, but with words—the vilification and dehumanization of a minority group to justify their removal. • The Bishops specifically condemn "dehumanizing rhetoric" and the "vilification of immigrants," noting that language which denigrates a person’s ethnicity is "incompatible" with the truth that every person is created in the image of God.
I’m a messy cook. Just ask anyone who has cleaned up after me in the kitchen. Even being the one doing the cleanup has not gotten me to change my ways. Food is on the counters, the floor, the stove; multiple dishes, pots and utensils have been used. Being a kitchen slob is one reason I love to make this dish. It only requires one pan and little chopping. Almost secondary is that it tastes so good, not to mention how healthy it is. Plus, there is lots of flexibility when it comes to the flavor profile as well as quantity. The size of your pan is what will dictate how much you can make. I’ve been using my non-stick pans with less frequency because of all the health dangers I’ve
been reading about. Pull back on or add more spices based on your heat tolerance. I tone it down a bit when cooking for mom—like eliminating the jalapeño last time. I don’t worry if I have fire-roasted tomatoes on hand. I’ve found any can of diced tomatoes works. This time of year fresh tomatoes from the grocery store have no flavor, so canned are my go-to. Same philosophy with the canned corn. Fresh isn’t even in the store right now. Sometimes it’s hard to find the smaller cans of corn so I used a 15.25 ounce can last time. I think adding more cilantro and avocado than asked for makes this entrée better, but you do you.
Ingredients 1 T olive or avocado oil 1 jalapeño, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained 1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 C yellow corn, drained 1 C quinoa 1 C vegetable broth 1 T red pepper flakes 1½ tsp chili powder ½ tsp cumin Pinch kosher salt Ground black pepper to taste 1 avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced 2 T cilantro, chopped
Directions Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté jalapeño and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, quinoa and broth as well as all dried seasonings. Cover and bring to boil. Then reduce heat to simmer until quinoa is cooked and little liquid remains. This can take about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
Mountain News 21
Doctor talks shouldering injuries While it’s not uncommon for ski- er people—as well from throwing baseers, snowboarders and mountain bikers to balls and footballs, and playing tennis and wind up with shoulder injuries when they volleyball. Jeff Cummings, physician with Tahoe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, recently gave a talk titled Understanding Common Shoulder Injuries. Instability, dislocation, labral tears, separations, impingements, tendonitis and arthritis are some of the common causes of shoulder pain. Fractures to the proximal humorous, clavicle and scapula are other reasons Cummings and team see people. While people talk about an injury to their rotator cuff, this actually involves four muscles in the shoulder complex. Tears to the rotator cuff can be partial or complete. Cummings cited a study that looked Jeff Cummings at 4,000 cadavers, with 60 percent showing a rotator cuff tear. In reviewing medfall hard and wrong, problems can also ical records of those 2,400 individuals, arise from any tumble—especially in old- only eight percent had seen someone for
It probably isn’t a stretch to say when it comes to animals in the Sierra, most people are interested in those on the land. Not so for Celia Symons. She is enthralled by the millions or
The shoulder has many parts to keep it functioning.
Find Your DREAM HOME with a Local Lender
DAVID GRECO
Loan Officer | NMLS #253713
530-318-2853
DavidG@GenevaFi.com https://www.genevafi.com/disclosures-and-licenses • www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org Copyright©2025 Geneva Financial, LLC, NMLS #42056 • All loans subject to qualifying factors. Not all applicants will qualify. Equal Opportunity Lender and Equal Housing Lender. 180 S. Arizona Ave., Ste. 310 Chandler, AZ 85225. 1-888-889-0009. AZ BK #0910215. WA Consumer Loan Company License CL-42056
22 Mountain News
Tiny organisms have a big impact on mountain lakes
shoulder pain, proving people function without knowing they have a tear. “So, the job of the rotator cuff is to keep the ball pivoting in the socket,” Cummings explained. “When the rotator cuff tears, it doesn't keep it in the socket anymore. The deltoid starts pulling it high. And over time you will develop arthritis and significant dysfunction; you will have weakness and won’t be able to reach overhead.” The good thing is some injuries heal on their own if the person stops using the arm by wearing a sling to prevent movement. Physical therapy can also help. Anti-inflammatories and cortisone shots are other alternatives before going under the knife. Sometimes shoulder replacement is the best route for certain diagnoses. Rods, plates and screws could be necessary. One issue with shoulder surgery is the long recovery. It can be six months before a person is back to doing what they were doing pre-surgery. Even then, doctor’s recommendations might be to avoid activities that could mean landing hard on the repaired bones-muscles-tendons and hardware. Something not in Cummings’ toolbox when he became a surgeon is reverse shoulder replacements. A traditional shoulder replacement mimics natural anatomy (ball on arm bone, socket on shoulder blade), while a reverse shoulder replacement flips these
Phytoplankton do “all sorts of things for the climate” like releasing chemicals in the ocean that seed cloud formation, she explained. Her talk focused on copepods and
increased by two degrees Celsius in the last 25 years, that same rise has not occurred in the water. “Snowpack is the really important variable in how lakes function,” Symons
Graphic Barton Health
parts (socket on arm, ball on shoulder blade), using the deltoid muscle for movement instead of the damaged rotator cuff. “This has really changed shoulder surgeries in the last 20 years. Prior to this we could only put in an oversized stem and oversized ball in here, but it wouldn’t really help you with your function down the road. If you could even reach up to shoulder level, that was a success,” Cummings said. “So, the reverse has really changed that. You don’t rely on the rotator cuff to get the shoulder to move. It’s relying on the deltoid, the bigger muscle in the shoulder, to get it moving.” A permanent drawback with reverse replacements is the restriction of lifting much weight. The clavicle, or collar bone, is the bone that breaks more than any other. According to the Cleveland Clinic, which Barton Health is now part of, “Your clavicles are long bones that support your upper body and play an important role in how you move. They hold your shoulder in place, allowing you to transfer weight from your upper body to your head, neck, back and chest.” Cummings said most clavicle injuries don’t need repair; a sling for four to six weeks should do. But he stressed it’s a slow process for full recovery, especially if contact sports are your thing.
Photo Provided
Celia Symons on a research trip in the John Muir Wilderness.
billions of creatures living in alpine lakes. Symons, an associate professor at UC Irvine, recently gave at talk hosted by Tahoe Environmental Research Center titled What Tiny Lake Organisms Reveal About a Changing Environment. She has been studying Sierra lakes since 2013. She studies zooplankton with the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory in Mammoth Lakes. Research is from 25 lakes that vary in elevation as well as whether they have fish. Symons explained the general definition of plankton is living things that float in water and can’t overcome currents. They are in oceans, lakes and puddles— and “even in your home at the bottom of your plants.” Phytoplankton is plants; zooplankton is animals. “They are really important. About half of the air we are breathing right now is produced by these plants, by these phytoplankton,” Symons said. “They are also responsible for the great oxygenation event that allowed organisms to come onto land.”
dust from the Central Valley—are all factors. Anything on the land can affect the lake as well, like changes in vegetation, nutrient cycling, as well as contaminated air from wildfires. Researchers are looking into daphnia’s response to fish stocking— an introduced predator that feeds on zooplankton. The zooplankton create defensible physical traits to enlarge their bodies so they don’t fit in a fish’s mouth. Ninety-nine percent of Sierra lakes above 5,900 feet were fishless until stocking began in the 1800s. Symons said fish have had a “detrimental” impact to the ecosystem. “They eat the larvae of a lot of the emerging insects. (When) there’s fewer emerging insects, there’s a reduction in birds and bats,” she said. “And because there are fewer amphibians emerging from the lakes, there’s also a reduction in snake populations. So it really kind of rewires the entire web.” Symons said fish introduced at higher elevations have a greater impact compared to lower elevation lakes in the Sierra. By taking water from the various lakes, scientists can run experiments to see the changes in zooplankton populations and what happens when fish are removed from lakes—which is happening in some locations. “Zooplankton play a really pivotal role in aquatic food webs. They are moving a lot of nutrients from algae to fish, but they are also really important in nutrient cycling and carbon sedimentation,” Symons said.
cladocerans. “(Copepods) are the most said, adding that the dramatic swings in dominant group of animals in the world by drought vs. super wet years is a big factor. What type of zooplankton is in a lake biomass,” Symons said. They are 1 mm to is dependent on the lake’s health—things 3 mm long. like pH, nutrient concentration, salinity, Cladocerans range in size from a half millimeter to about 4 mm. Daphnia, which can be found in Tahoe, is on the larger end of that range. It eats phytoplankton. “You can just think of them as cows of the lake, just grazing on everything,” Intention she said. They are credited Directed Breathing with contributing to Lake Philosophy Tahoe’s clarity. Symons and other Practice scientists are taking core Therapy sediments from lake bottoms Mindfulness to study changes through the Self Care years. One centimeter of sediment roughly equals one Healing decade. So, 30 cm is like Self Awareness looking back 300 years. PRACTICE REAL YOGA Lifestyle While air temperatures L A K E TA H O E Y O G A . C O M in the study area have
YOGA
or
FITNESS Physical Work Outs Sweat Repetitive Aggression Routine Conditioning Generalized Acrobatics Adrenaline
Mountain News 23
New year, same ol’ me This new year I skipped agonizing over a list of resolutions to be a better person. That would only make me unrecognizable to my friends, family and workmates. And I wouldn’t want to frighten anyone with my newly resolved, lobotomized obedience and social normalcy. For their sake, I’ll just keep being me. Because we can all agree, it’s a more realistic goal. At times, people (me) can be a little frightening. At least I’ve been told so by parents (mine). As well as neighbors in my childhood who feared I’d lead their children astray (I did). There was that elementary school principal who didn’t fully understand the purpose of Halloween (treats and tricks). And our family pastor, who revoked my church membership when, suspicious of the end game, I refused to drop my allowance in the tithing dish. Also my wedding pastor when I balked at the altar. Along with a Mexican federal who made an unreasonable (and ungentlemanly) request, which I felt compelled to reject with a combination Italian hand
gesture and swear-fest. And, of course, the humorless funeral director, as that is a requirement of the job. Oh! And my instinct to yell out in a crowd, “I like dogs more than people!” A bit frightening, but I promise it will clear the room. Honestly, sometimes I even frighten myself. Things sneak up on me. My reaction can be . . . unexpected. Especially to me. How else would I have ended up in Tahoe? I frightened myself by spending work hours imagining my future in Castro Vile-Valley. Dead end jobs. A dependably boring husband. The freeway cattle drive. Stymied daily by which tract house and kids are mine. Dazed from sniffing department store perfume. Grocery shopping in a Muzak-saturated, zombie land. Slow suffocation from stuffing my head in the complimentary plastic bags one too many times. Better to be a little frightened. Like I was when I went to Hawaii 38 years ago—my senses assaulted the moment I stepped off the plane. An airport with no walls. Sidewalks littered with a
riotous rainbow of voluptuous tropical flowers, crushed underfoot as we stroll, releasing their rich, sweet essence. Breezes carry the ocean inland, tickling the tops of palm trees, swaying in blissful contentment. We’re drunk on aromas as the air’s silky warmth wraps its arms around us. A snorkeling day trip on a lumbering boat. Coconut shellhued women hula their graceful dance of love and home. Native men, broad backs, feet spread wide and flat from a lifetime of walking bare in sand, tattoo totems wrapped around their arms. Weaving palm fronds into hats for the kids. Dolphins’ sleek bodies spray saltwater halos as they leap and race us back to port. Black lava beaches and a hidden green sand beach discov-
ered after a five-mile hike. A bay where immense sea turtles gather to breed and birth. They paddle and drift, ancient and calm. We enter the water and their wedgeshaped heads swivel, eyes warily watching. Stretching heavy wrinkled necks from mountainous shells, their faces with prominent beaks hover within inches of us. They stare contemplatively as we float, eyes locked in curiosity. Captured by their eternal wisdom, fear fades. Connected in a bubble of trust, lifted by the ocean’s buoyant spirit until we slip apart, surrendering to the surging current. A month passes. We find ourselves running for the plane to return home, hubby holding our three-year-old son’s hand, racing across the tarmac. The plane waits restlessly, eager to fly. My eyes cast over the metallic body, rigid and devious against the backdrop of empty sky. I stop. “Hurry!” he says. “we’re late!” My feet grow roots. They
fracture the tarmac, tangling to knot into the hard polish of blackened lava field. Frightened to leave. Yet frightened to trust the magnetic pull of the island. “We’re gonna miss the plane!” “I’m not going.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” he says. “I’m not going.” Our son looks up. “Is Mommy running away from home?” Hubby sighs and walks back to me. “You want to live here?” “Yes.” “Fine. But then we have to go home and pack our stuff.” Now, 38 years later, we’re returning. My dreams stir memories of luscious scents carried on tropical breezes. A body aching for the buoyant uplift of sun kissed water. Spirit pulled by a swirling current, heart captured by connection with the life that flourishes within ancient oceans. Frightening? Not anymore.
Serving the Greater Tahoe and Truckee areas since 2004
Protect your family & wildlife by using our proven "Bear Proof" NO BEAR CAN trash enclosure! Built locally in Carson City, NV. The No Bear Can has been tested in Yellowstone National Parks at the grizzly & wolf discovery center. We are proud to have earned the; Living with Wildlife Foundation & Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Certificates
Check us out online or call us today c a r s o n w e l d i n g i n c . c o m • 7 7 5 . 8 8 4 . 9 3 5 3 24 Mountain News
Photo Courtesy Gantt Miller
We need a stop sign, not more memorials Mr. Rafael Martinez Transportation Engineering Division El Dorado County Department of Transportation Cc: Brooke Laine (El Dorado County Supervisor) and all members of El Dorado County Traffic Advisory Committee: Brian Mullens (El Dorado County Department of Transportation), Commander Hatfield (California Highway Patrol), Sergent Pebley (El Dorado County Sheriff Department), Leion Esquenazi (El Dorado County Risk Management Analyst), Jim Hunnicutt (El Dorado County Traffic Superintendent) and Michael Bastian ( El Dorado County Senior Engineering Technician) Re: Request for Traffic Control Warrant Analysis — Lake Tahoe Blvd & Sawmill Rd Dear Mr. Martinez, On behalf of the undersigned South Lake Tahoe residents and regular users of the intersection at Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road, I respectfully request that El Dorado County Department of Transportation conduct a formal traffic control device warrant analysis at this
intersection pursuant to the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA-MUTCD) and county traffic engineering criteria. This request is supported by 119 unique signatures from residents who regularly travel through this intersection and have provided contact information and descriptions of how they use this crossing. A copy of the petition with signatures is attached. Safety Concern and Context This intersection currently operates without adequate traffic control devices to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. On June 7, 2025, 13-year-old Giada Lancellotti was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle while riding her e-bike at this intersection in a marked crosswalk. Giada was a student at South Tahoe Middle School. Her death has profoundly impacted our community and underscored the need for improved safety measures. Purpose of Warrant Analysis We request that El Dorado County perform the appropriate engineering investigation to determine whether a multi-way stop sign, yield control, traffic
signal, or other traffic control device is justified under the CA-MUTCD criteria, including but not limited to: • Crash history, including documented injury collisions at the intersection; • Pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular volumes and patterns throughout the day (with seasonal fluctuations due to snow accumulation in the winter and family traffic during summer months to Sawmill Pond for fishing); • Sight distance and speed characteristics of traffic approaching the intersection (with consideration for times of day and height of vegetation); • School crossing and high pedestrian activity, especially during the non-snow impacted times of the year and during morning and afternoon commutes; • Risk indicators such as proximity to schools, parks, and residential areas. According to CA-MUTCD guidance and standard engineering practice, intersections suspected to pose safety hazards should be evaluated using established traffic control device warrants
to determine if regulatory measures are appropriate. According to the 11th Edition, Section 2B.13-2B.17, “allway stop control may be installed at an intersection where an engineering study indicates that sight distance on the minorroad approaches controlled by a STOP sign is not adequate for a vehicle to turn onto or cross the major (uncontrolled) road” or where “the combined motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian volume entering the intersection” merits it, or where crashes occur “that were of a type susceptible to correction by the installation of all-way stop control.” During highuse times of year, throughout the spring, summer, and fall, the intersection at Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road meets these conditions. Documentation Submitted Attached to this letter, please find: 1. Petition signed by 119 residents (including classmates of Giada) who use this intersection, including contact information and usage descriptions.
TAHOE GUY Continued on page 27
Mountain News 25
Education pays off Out of the 360 K-12 districts reporting salary information to the state of California, Lake Tahoe Unified School District is No. 122 on the list with an annual payroll of $34,677,822. The 622 employees, which include part-timers and substitutes, have cumulative benefits of $11,792,100. These numbers released in December
“Transparent California is the state’s largest and most comprehensive salary and pension data base. Every year, we make over 2,500 individuall public records requests and post 2,000,000 records—more than even the state Controller’s Office,” Shelby Fleshood, director of records and citizen engagement, said. Lake Tahoe Community College does
Photo Courtesy Gary Bell
Where did I put my goggles?
Winter traffic better than the comedy channel Well, wasn’t that wonderful? The holidays are so festive and bright. People are so happy, friendly, giving and driving terribly! And that goes tenfold when we add the Christmas miracle snowstorm that we got—truly one of the best Christmas presents ever! But as we all know, a storm like that during the biggest holiday of the winter season brings some very ”special” gifts. People are excited and that is cool. Not just us locals but the visitors, too. It has not been a huge storm series but a big enough run to get the mountains fully open and make driving, well, something to avoid. But since that part
is impossible for a lot of folks out there, mayhem ensued. Stories of stupidly long waits on mountain passes, ridiculously long drive times just to come enjoy the magic of snow. Of course, 95 percent of those stupidly long waits are due to stupidly bad drivers, and they are everywhere. We got to experience one of those moments when we decided to drive over to Emerald Bay after a great cross-country ski with the dog on Christmas day. It had been snowing so everything was beautiful, and I really wanted to go up
Sierra Ski & Cycle Works Resort and Backcountry Gear since 1980 Sales • Service • Rentals 3430 Lake Tahoe Blvd, So Lake Tahoe • Next to Safeway (530) 541-7505 • www.sierraskiandcycleworks.com
26 Mountain News
there during a rare moment when it snowed but the road was still open. The drive actually wasn’t bad. Then we came to the Inspiration Point parking lot (which was, of course, closed). There were at least 15 cars just parked right in the middle of the lane! Not sort of on the side on the white line but right in the middle of the road with the people all out playing in the snow, not a care in the world. Unbelievable, it must be Disneyland, where nothing matters! We had to drive quite a distance into oncoming traffic to get around that stupidity. Oh well, the scenery was Christmasy beautiful. I really try not to get upset anymore; I have to look at it all as entertainment, really funny entertainment, sometimes better than what is on the comedy channel. If you really want enter-
tainment, go to a ski resort. And I am not just picking on the visitors, because stupidity can strike anyone, anywhere. One of my favorites, though, is skiers on a stormy, snowy day, squinting to see in the falling and blowing snow with their goggles on top of their helmets and hats. To be fair, there is a learning curve to wearing goggles, often times along with learning to stay warm and dry, oh yeah, and learning to ski. It is a huge amount of s*#t to get right. “My goggles just keep fogging up.” Oh, did you just get out of the car, gear up, put those expensive goggles on top of your wet, snow-covered hat, ride up the lift with them up there, and then put ‘em on your face, only to have them fog completely in the first ten minutes? Nice. Done for the rest of the day, “These goggles suck!” On this particular rather busy, beautifully stormy day, we must have seen 20 people trying to ski with their goggles on their heads and a couple folks with them hanging off the back of their helmets, the perfect snow collector. But our favorite was in
the morning getting ready in the parking lot. It is snowing hard when this couple walks by our car. They are decked out, the lady in this fancy new one-piece suit, you know, the fuzzy collar, mittens with matching fuzzy cuff, a thousand dollars’ worth of “kit.” He is carrying his board, she her skis and poles. She has her helmet and goggles hanging upside down from her onesie waist belt! You can actually see the falling snow filling her helmet and goggles. This might not be a great way to start your ski day. I foresee some time spent in the lodge today, but that outfit will look sweet, oh, and two fewer people in line in front of us. Such a perfect piece of equipment goggles are, but so easy to render them completely useless; it does take some practice, doesn’t it? I bet those two were parked up at Inspiration Point on Christmas day, no goggles needed, so entertaining! Oh look, it is snowing again—guess I will head out for a few laps. Gotta grab my goggles and gloves from our gear dryer. Let’s play
Photos Provided
LTUSD Superintendent Todd Cutler, left, and LTCC President Jeff DeFranco both have compensation packages worth more than $300,000.
by the state Controller’s Office are for 2024. LTUSD Superintendent Todd Cutler had a salary of $312,131, with retirementhealth benefits worth $64,908. The next highest paid person was the associate superintendent/education services at $182,649; benefits $46,958. A high school teacher came in No. 3 on the list because of $70,990 in other pay, which could be overtime, bonuses or something else. This person’s regular pay was $102,185, with benefits totaling $38,293. LTUSD has 56 other teachers with a base salary of more than $100,000 and another 16 who topped six figures when other pay was included. For this school year LTUSD has 194 classroom teachers. While the salaries and benefits paid to any government worker are public information, California law requires only cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state Controller’s Office. “SCO also maintains and publishes payroll data for state departments and California State University, as well as solicits compensation data voluntarily from superior courts, the University of California, community college districts, K-12 education, First 5 Commissions, and fairs and expositions,” according to the Controller’s Office. Alpine County and El Dorado County offices of education, as well as Alpine County Unified and El Dorado Union High districts were among the 1,523 entities not reporting to the state. Another entity collecting payroll data is Transparent California.
not provide the state with information but does respond to Transparent California’s public records requests. “That’s just the system LTCC uses for pay data,” LTCC spokesman Mark Thomsen said. “… my understanding is that it works for our needs.” A big difference between the two sites is Transparent California lists people’s names, not just titles. 2023 is the most current year for LTCC data on Transparent California. President Jeff DeFranco is the only person with a compensation package in excess of $300,000. His base salary was $295,612.08, other pay $7,500, benefits $52,462.98 for a total of $355,575.06. Three vice presidents—Russi Egan, Raymond Gamba and Michelle Batista— all had salaries topping $160,000, and all had packages totaling more than $200,000. Professor Larry Green had the highest total package for faculty—$173,049.40. That’s a salary of $134,159.42 and benefits worth $38,889.98. Scott Valentine was the highest paid faculty member at $142,560.80. In Alpine County Unified School District, 2023 data on Transparent California shows former Superintendent Ken Burkhart at the top with a total package worth $176,844.86. The only other ACUSD employee with a six-figure base pay was Jana Hanak, business manager—$126,851.58; benefits were $44,443.72, for a total of $172,795.30. Four teachers, the technology specialist, the now former director of human resources, and the fiscal services coordinator all had total packages of more than $100,000.
TAHOE GUY Continued from page 25 2. Written statements and observations from numerous local authorities and petitioners, including Supervisor Brooke Laine, Superintendent Todd Cutler, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Jim Drennan, El Dorado County Planning and Building Chief Deputy Director Brendan Ferry and others, all documenting safety concerns pertaining to this intersection. 3. Photographs showing conditions at the intersection. Requested Action We respectfully request that the county: 1. Acknowledge receipt of this letter and petition. 2. Initiate a warrant analysis within a reasonable timeframe. 3. Provide the petitioners with a timeline for evaluation and expected reporting date on findings and recommendations. 4. Consider interim safety measures if analysis findings are delayed (e.g., enhanced signage, reduced speed
limits, crosswalk enhancements, traffic calming). We appreciate the county’s attention to this urgent community safety concern and welcome the opportunity to meet with county traffic engineering staff to discuss this request in person. Sincerely, Gantt Miller That’s right, I’m Tahoe Dad or Tahoe Guy, in case you didn’t already know. For the past 15 years, I’ve written under the pen name MC Behm, a choice rooted in protecting my family’s privacy while we served as a foster home. Our family has been complete for the past three years since legally adopting two of our kiddos, and it finally feels like the right time to step out from behind the pseudonym. This formal request for a warrant analysis for a stop sign needs a real name attached to it (not just a nom de plume), so here I am. We have four kids, and every one of us has biked or walked through the intersection at Sawmill Road and Lake Tahoe Boulevard. What happened to Giada could just as easily have happened to any of us.
JESSICA
SWISS CHALET VILLAGE
JESSIE
BY COLD WATER BREWERY
SAMANTHA
OR CALL FOR A SAME-DAY APPOINTMENT
(530)541-7282
All Haircuts
$24
MEN
HEATHER
WOMEN
CHILDREN
Mountain News 27
El Dorado County residents in the Tahoe Basin can receive incentives of
$899 to $2,000* To replace a non-EPA-certified woodstove with a new efficient, cleaner burning, eligible EPA certified device!
Adam Sandler and George Clooney play a movie star and his assistant in Jay Kelly.
*$2,000 incentive available to low-income residents or residents of designated low-income communities
Pthot Netflix
Clooney and Pitt take to the screen in two very different films Well, we begin another year and what a past year it was. And as a sign of the times, we lost our only movie theatre up here. Though it’s been a rough year for the film industry, there is still art to be made and money to be had, and much like other industries, film will adapt. Hopefully someone will open a movie theatre up here that in some way can compete with the times. This is the time of year that everyone puts out their “best of” lists. I don’t see as many films as I used to and my best these days would simply be from the fewer films I watched. Looking back at my reviews for the year (both Mountain News and Lake Tahoe TV), I really liked some of the slower, more artistic films like the animated Flow (HBO), The Ballad of Wallace Island (Prime) and Train Dreams (Netflix). Being a big Wes Anderson fan, I loved The Phoenician Scheme (Prime). For quirky sci-fi comedy, I really liked Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox (Prime) and Timestalker (Prime). Best cinematography was Frankenstein (Netflix) and F1: The Movie (review below), and best
28 Mountain News
animation was K-Pop Demon Hunters (Netflix). Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk in Cunk on Life (Netflix) is probably one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. For action comedy, I really liked Deep Cover. I think the best film overall that I saw this year is Sinners (HBO). It was not my favorite but was the best amalgam of story, character, cinematography and music. I imagine it will be nominated for a few Academy Awards. For this month, let’s look at two big films starring two big movie stars. The first film has a big movie star playing a big movie star and that would be George Clooney in Jay Kelly (Netflix). Directed by Noah Baumbach, the film follows a famous movie actor, Jay Kelly, as he heads to Europe to attend a tribute in Italy in his honor but also to follow his 18-year-old daughter, who is taking a trip with friends, with hopes that they can spend some time together. He heads out with his devoted manager, Ron (Adam Sandler) and his entourage, which includes his publicist (Laura Dern), a personal assistant, and other people who keep him orga-
nized and on top. Prior to leaving, Kelly runs into an old friend from his college days (Billy Crudup), another aspiring actor who didn’t make it. What starts as friendly reminiscing gets heated as the friend blames Jay for blowing his big break. Later, the film will show Jay in flashbacks to that episode as well as other flashbacks to other important points in his life when his decisions have led him to where he is now—rich and famous but with an estranged family and no real friends. Jay Kelly is not a bad guy; he has simply put his work before everything and everyone else in his life, so the movie star has taken the place of the person. Clooney plays him with his usual grin and panache, though we see the cracks in the façade as Kelly is forced to introspection, realizing—perhaps too late—the emptiness he has created in his life. The film has comedy, though it is smoothly integrated. Even the more absurd elements, often found in the Meta Hollywood moments, seem to fit. A running joke is that every time Jay says he’s not always surrounded by people, his assistant
steps in, handing him a coffee. Overall, Jay Kelly is an examination of how far one might go to achieve stardom before they lose themselves and their connections to family and friends. In the long run, the film is more sad than funny. Teresa enjoyed it but didn’t see a lot of the humor. Next, F1: The Movie. If you didn’t get a chance to see it at the theatres, you can catch it on Apple TV. The film is all about the elite world of Formula 1 racing. It is high stakes and high dollars as the best of the best race at 200 mph across the tracks of the world. Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, who was Formula 1's most promising hot shot driver in the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he's approached by his former teammate, Ruben Cervantes, owner of a struggling Formula 1 team on the verge of collapse. He convinces Sonny to come back for one last shot at saving the team and getting back on top. He also wants him to mentor Joshua Pearce, the team's hotshot rookie who thinks he knows it all. But Sonny is there to drive and win.
He uses his experience and passion to slowly win over the team to let him race the way he thinks will work, to win. The film is completely formula (no pun intended) in how it moves forward. It is Top Gun: Maverick in race cars, which makes sense since the director Joseph Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda did both films. The fact that it is a formula plot really doesn’t matter as the cinematography of the racing as well as seeing all the technology that goes into FI is worth the price of admission. It is amazing how much science and technology are used for these cars. And the shots of the racing, from the driver’s perspective to the cars on the track, are fantastic. Brad Pitt fits well into the gruff “take no prisoners” persona of Sonny and the supporting cast work hard to elevate the story and script. Overall F1: The Movie is an adrenaline-fueled look at the F1 racing world, bringing you as close as it can to being in the cars, the pits and behind the scenes with a standard story. Teresa and I both had fun watching.
PREͲAPPROVAL IS REQUIRED BEFORE REMOVAL OF OLD STOVE For details and eligibility information, call:
(530) 621-7501
For information on other EDC AQMD grants and incentives, please visit:
Funding provided wholly or in part by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) through the Community Air Protection program, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). Mountain News 29
TRPA
Continued from page 18 for environmental improvement program projects upon their request and if approved by the governing board. In August the board received an update on mitigation fees. From 202125, all mitigation fees collected totaled $15,638,000, with most of that— $15,036,000—distributed for projects. Water quality money has been used by El Dorado County for the Meyers Stream Environment Zone/Erosion Control Project.
$15,638,000 collected by TRPA for mitigation fees from 2021-25 Water quality and moblity fee categories: • Water quality—$2,768,0 • Stream environment zone—$1,075,591 • Air quality (sunset in 2021)—$656,548 • Mobility mitigation (began 2022)—$1,127,645 • Operations and maintenance—$1,428,209 • Excess coverage mitigation—$8,582,117 Source: TRPA
30 Mountain News
any penalty. Cowen said most disputes are resolved outside of court through settlement agreements. “Because every violation is different, there is no formula or set schedule for calculating the monetary component of a settlement,” Cowen said. Factors the legal and compliance teams evaluate include: • The severity of the violation and environmental harm. • Comparable past settlements for similar violations. • The level of cooperation and responsiveness of the individual or company violating the rules, as well as history of violations.Corrective action already taken. • The evidence and likelihood of prevailing in court. • The value of achieving a prompt resolution versus pursuing a lengthy court action. “Where TRPA must resort to court
action to resolve violations, the compact directs the court to ‘consider the nature of the violation and shall impose a greater penalty if it was willful or resulted from gross negligence than if it resulted from inadvertence or simple negligence’ (Article VI(l)),” Cowen said. Instead of going to court, TRPA has used a “double fining fee” as punishment. This means the rule breaker pays twice the standard permit application fee. From 2020-25, TRPA collected $667,300 via settlement agreements and $338,419 in double filing fees. “Settlement agreement payments are used to support public education, outreach, special studies and reports, as well as compliance-related programs that help reduce future violations,” Cowen said. “Double filing fees, by contrast, are treated the same as other permit-related fees and go directly into TRPA’s planning account. These fees help cover the cost of processing applications and supporting planning services.”
9 enforcement cases Tahoe Regional Planning Agency calls “unique” that went to court • TRPA v. Marsha Elizabeth Hale U.S. District Court, E.D. California | 2009 WL 2031732 | July 8, 2009 Defendant engaged in illegal grading and soil disposal, failed to install BMPs, made unauthorized modifications to the natural contours of the land and violated TRPA’s cease and desist orders on two occasions. • TRPA v. Terrace Land Company Inc. and C.E. Metrailer, individually U.S. District Court, D. Nevada. | No. CV-N-87-502-ECR.| Dec. 17, 1992 Action for injunctive relief and civil penalties against developers who allegedly graded road and cut trees on environmentally sensitive parcel in violation of ordinances and permit requirements. • TRPA and appellant v. Bruce King, etc., et al., Court of Appeal, Third District, California.| Civ. C005345. | Sept. 6, 1991 Regional planning agency brought action for declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging three billboards were in violation of its sign ordinance. • TRPA v. Terrace Land Company Inc. U.S. District Court, D. Nevada. | No. CV-N-87-502-ECR.| June 17, 1991 TRPA brought action for injunctive relief and civil penalties against developers, who allegedly graded road and cut trees on environmentally sensitive parcel, over which they owned easement, in violation of planning ordinances and permit requirements enacted under authority of TRPA Compact. • TRPA v. Reziapkine, et al. U.S. District Court, E.D. California | July 2, 2025 | No. 2:24-cv-02862 Ongoing litigation: On Oct. 16, 2024, plaintiff filed a complaint against defendants Reziapkine, Zameyer, Oleg N Svanyuta Trust, and Faups LLC. (Doc. No. 1.) TRPA alleges defendants operate an unpermitted motorized watercraft rental concession in the waters of Lake Tahoe without authorization in violation of TRPA Code § 84.10.2. • TRPA v. Reziapkine U.S. District Court, E.D. California | May 7, 2025 | Slip Copy Ongoing litigation: A complaint against defendant Reziapkine alleging that defendants operate an unpermitted motorized watercraft rental concession in the waters of Lake Tahoe without authorization in violation of TRPA Code § 84.10.2. • TRPA v. Mountain Addiction LLC U.S. District Court, E.D. California | July 13, 2021 | Not reported in federal supplement An enforcement matter brought by TRPA for the unauthorized removal of trees on a California Tahoe Conservancy owned parcel adjacent to the defendant's property. • TRPA v. Wooldridge, Specialty Boat Rentals U.S. District Court, E.D. Cal | Dec. 6, 2021 | No. 21CV02244 Enforcement action for unauthorized mooring and motorized watercraft rental in the waters of Lake Tahoe. • TRPA v. Jacob Parker U.S. District Court, E.D. California| Jan. 18, 2023 | 2:21-cv-02243-TLN-CKD Enforcement action for unauthorized mooring in the waters of Lake Tahoe. Source: TRPA
Photo Courtesy of Joe Irvin
South Lake Tahoe City Manager Joe Irvin, right, daughter Michaela, South Tahoe High student body president, and wife Katie Irvin celebrate senior night at the school. The popular city leader and family are preparing to depart for Malibu where Mr. Irvin has taken a new position.
A
ini Stor M ag C B e
CONSTRUCTION & PAINTING CO.
Owned and Operated by The Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe 100% of Profits Benefit Tahoe Children
Units available now! Now Offering Summer Boat Trailer Storage
Please call for pricing and specials (530) 542-4463
One Call Does It All
Safe & Secure • Lighted Parking Year-Round Easy Access Tahoe’s Lowest Pricing
Carpentry • Remodels • Decks & Fences Drywall • Water Damage • Insulation Interior & Exterior Painting FREE Estimates • Senior Discounts
(530) 542-4463 HWY 89
South Lake Tahoe tapped the air quality mitigation funds for the Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt Improvement Project. Excess coverage mitigation dollars helped acquire Motel 6 for California Tahoe Conservancy’s Upper Truckee Marsh South Restoration Project. “Water quality fees and mobility fees are broken into multiple fund categories and each one is described on the cumulative accounting dashboard,” Cowen said. “The dashboard provides an overview of the objectives and performance of each mitigation fund, how the different fees are distributed to funds, and links to the mitigation projects page for each fund type on Lake Tahoe Info.” Cowen said a variety of factors play into how much money is collected each year—such as the economy, incentives for workforce housing and if people aren’t boating during wildfires. Enforcing the rules The board last heard an update on the compliance and enforcement program in April. “Because the TRPA Code of Ordinances is comprehensive—covering land use, water quality, shore zone protections, vegetation and tree removal,
construction practices, boating rules, scenic standards, and more—there is no single predefined list of infractions,” Cowen said. “Any action that violates the code or a condition of a TRPA permit can trigger an enforcement case.” Civil penalties can be up to $5,000, with another $5,000 per day the violation continues. TRPA can demand construction or other activity stop if proper permits are not in place or environmental damage is occurring. “TRPA has other administrative tools to address violations and ensure compliance. For example, TRPA may withhold review of new permit applications until violations are resolved. This helps ensure that compliance issues are addressed promptly and that new work does not proceed on a non-compliant site,” Cowen said TRPA doesn't actually fine anyone. The compact allows the agency to bring action against the alleged violator. It is then up to a judge to determine the outcome and
ABC SHAKORI
KASKA ST.
2372-2382 Kaska Tahoe Paradise
(530) 545-9280 Licensed, Bonded and Insured • CA License #752985
Mountain News 31
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT
HARDWOOD | CARPET | LUXURY VINYL TILE & PLANK | LAMINATE | CERAMIC & MORE
LET’S MAKE 2026 AN AMAZING YEAR IN OUR TAHOE COMMUNITY! 2212 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, CA 530-314-7852 | www.alpinecarpetonesouthlaketahoe.com
32 Mountain News