TAHOE CITY, Calif. – The Incline High School girls golf team had an outstanding second place finish in their first tournament of the year on Aug. 29 at the Tahoe City Golf Course.

Shooting a team score of 204, the Highlanders only trailed their rival North Tahoe High School by six strokes. The five Incline golfers outlasted Sierra Lutheran, Virginia City and Coral Academy of Science on the day.

With 36 golfers in the field that played 9 holes on the day, the Highlanders had three top 10 finishers. Chloe Greer led Incline, earning second place overall while shooting a 41.

Ashley Siminov shot a very solid 48 on her way to a fifth-place finish and Sophomore Chase Crutchfield finished in eight place shooting a 52. Rounding out the Highlander 5 were Katie McKean with a 63 and Georgia Stembridge with an 81.

Incline traveled to the Northstar Golf Course on Wednesday before taking the trip down to Carson City on Sept. 10 to compete at the Eagle Valley Golf course.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Incline Middle School students have created an anti-litter campaign, called Love Our Lake.

After reports of trash left on beaches after holidays, local students in the middle school’s Exploratory Class felt called to action.

“We love where we live,” one student campaign spokesperson says, “It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Let’s keep it clean. All of us pitching in, and not onto the ground, or into the water.”

With the help of the school’s jazz band, students created a rap song for the campaign along with a music video and public service announcement to be released in the near future on the school’s Facebook page.

The rap song begins by painting a picture. “More than a lake, for real, a genuine treasure, but ya’ll just treating it like whatever. Peaks and waterfalls are our blessed view, but your garbage all around just won’t do.”

The campaign took on a slogan incorporating Lake Tahoe’s famed monster. “Don’t mess with Tessie,” Love Our Lake’s slogan reads.

A student art contest cultivated the campaign’s designs.

Love Our Lake has big plans to spread the message discouraging litter by recruiting student ambassadors at area campuses.

The effort also plans on providing merchandise with their designs to help spread the message.

One campaign spokesperson, Isabella Medina Fernandez, recites the chorus of their rap song, “‘Love Our Lake, let’s keep it clean and pure. Preserving for the future, may its beauty forever endure.'” She says, “Hopefully it inspires all of us to enjoy heaven on earth, and to care for it.”

Anyone interested in getting involved with the campaign can email contact@dontmesswithtessie.org.

A ketogenic (keto) diet consists of a high fat (70% to 80%), medium protein (10% to 20%) and low carbohydrate (5% to 10%) intake (Feinman et al., 2015). Beef, poultry (skin on), fatty fish, eggs, high fat dairy, oils, fats, nuts, seeds, and avocado characterize the fat and protein components. Non-starchy vegetables like cruciferous and leafy greens characterize the carbohydrate component.

Being low in carbohydrates, this diet keeps blood glucose levels low. This forces the body into ketosis wherein the liver converts fatty acids into ketones. Ketones provide an alternative fuel source for tissues, including the brain (Westman et al., 2007). The moderate, as opposed to high protein intake, also contributes to low blood sugar as little dietary protein remains to be converted into glucose.

Advantages

Weight/Fat Loss

Normally, glucose is stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen. Glycogen is converted back into glucose when energy is needed. On the keto diet, glycogen stores become depleted, and adipose (fat) tissue is converted into fatty acids and ketones for energy.

Additionally, insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels and fat storage, decreases in response to lower blood glucose. Low insulin levels allow even more adipose tissue mobilization (Paoli et al., 2013).

Further, the satiating effects of higher dietary fat and the maintenance of stable blood sugar levels suppress appetite (Johnstone et al., 2008).

All this contributes to the keto diet’s documented weight loss (Bueno et al., 2013).

However, much of the weight lost, particularly at the onset, can be from water that was associated with the muscle and liver glycogen depletion (Volek & Phinney, 2011).

Diabetes

A ketogenic diet can lower blood glucose levels, decreasing the need for insulin, the production of which is impaired in those with diabetes (Alarim et al., 2020).

Epilepsy

The ketogenic diet can reduce the frequency and intensity of epileptic seizures, particularly in children resistant to medications (Kossoff et al., 2009). The diet’s anticonvulsant effects are thought to arise from enhanced ability to stabilize neuronal excitability and reduce oxidative stress (Masino & Rho, 2012).

Disadvantages

Kidney-Stones

The diet’s high fat content and potential for dehydration have been linked to an increased risk of kidney-stones (Krause et al., 2005).

Deficiencies

Prolonged reduction of carbohydrate-rich foods including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains increases the risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues due to low fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium (Harvey et al., 2019).

Part of Diet Culture

Being restrictive, the keto diet may cause disordered eating or exacerbate existing eating disorders (Willi et al., 1998).

Mixed Results

Liver Health

Liver health improvement may depend on individual dietary and health conditions. For example, in metabolic syndrome, the ketogenic diet can lead to improved liver fat content and liver function tests (Browning et al., 2011). However, excessive fat intake may exacerbate liver issues in susceptible individuals, especially for those eating poorly (Sanyal et al., 2001).

Lipid Profiles

While some studies suggest improvements in lipid profiles, others report increases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (generally harmful), and total cholesterol, particularly in individuals predisposed to hyperlipidemia (Mansoor et al., 2016).

Conclusion

While the keto diet may help some manage weight, diabetes, and epilepsy, using it for liver health and to improve lipid panels may not work. Further, prolonged use may result in kidney stones, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and low fiber, increasing the risk for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues.

Prior to going keto, consulting with a registered dietitian (RD) and medical team is recommended. RDs have extensive education, training, and authorization to develop a tailored, sustainable approach to eating, helping clients reach their desired health outcomes without necessarily going keto.

Patrick Traynor, PHD, MPH, RD, CPT is a registered dietitian with an insurance-based practice, MNT Scientific in South Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Minden, and does telehealth. Inquiries and appointments can be made by phone (530)429-7363 email, info@MNTScientific.com or website, MNTScientific.com.

Two months ago I lamented how the market advance had been mostly driven by a handful of technology stocks.  That could be a problem because the most common characteristic of market tops is poor market breadth.  Is breadth still a problem?  Is a major top forming now?

 Poor market breadth means that fewer and fewer stocks participate in the market’s final advance toward the top.  The internet bubble in 2000 was a classic case.  The day the market topped in March 2000, nearly 60 percent of the stocks had already fallen 20 percent or more from their yearly high!

Last May and June we also saw similar action.  Nvidia and some other large technology stocks were rising while most other stocks fell.  Thankfully that changed in July and August.

To measure market participation, or market breadth, analysts look at the number of stocks advancing on the NYSE versus the number declining.  Here’s the problem:  Close to half of the securities traded on the NYSE are closed-end bond funds that are tied to interest rates, ADRs, and bond ETFs.  For more accurate results, I ignore those “irregular” issues and crunch the numbers on the 1500 stocks in the S&P 1500 index.  With this data, an Advance-Decline line is created after each day’s activity. 

How’s market breadth today?  As the chart shows, the AD Line fell in May and June showing that most stocks were falling.  But in July money flowed away from tech to other sectors and the AD Line rose even as the S&P 500 fell. 

Now the S&P 500 has returned to its high but the AD Line reached several new highs.  Instead of indicating a market top, this indicator shows that most stocks are advancing and as they say the trend is our friend.  There are no signs of a developing market top.  Bottom Line:  It’s a bull market.   

David Vomund is an Incline Village-based Independent Investment Advisor.  Information is found at www.VomundInvestments.com or by calling 775-832-8555.  Clients hold the positions mentioned in this article.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.

It’s no secret, Incline Village is a huge tourist destination, yet local homeowners bear much of the expense to operate and maintain our many former “community amenities” that are now tourist attractions.

Why does this unfair burden fall on us? Because Washoe County approved a GID, a public agency, and in 1965 IVGID was given the power of public recreation, putting local owners on the hook. So even though many owners only live here part of the year (and cannot vote here), and many just moved here for the bounty of “natural” recreational amenities that require minimal funding/equipment (hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, cross-county skiing, etc.) all are burdened not just with supporting capital-intensive facilities, but also subsidizing mismanaged operations.

Back in 1965 Harold Tiller, one of the early IVGID Trustees, was onto something when he assured the economic feasibility of the District’s acquisition of the beaches: “All of the recreational facilities[1] except the park properties (including the two beaches) are, or will be, privately owned and operated. The assessed value of Incline Village General Improvement District, together with its expected growth, will readily finance the acquisition and operation of the two beaches.” He recognized that it would not be economically feasible for IVGID to support all these amenities. Property taxes, not facility fees, were supposed to cover the cost of acquiring and maintaining the beaches. But that was before IVGID invented its facility fee a few years later.

The board-approved so-called facility “fees” circumvented the need for the usual method of financing public projects – taxes assessed to re-pay voter-approved bonds. They enabled the District to acquire the beaches, the golf courses, the ski area, build the rec center, and as we have seen, run these amenities at a loss with little or no internal controls. 

Our GID, like most governments, is horribly inept at running business-like operations. Many privately operated Tahoe basin golf courses, ski areas, bars and restaurants do survive; some actually make a return on investment.

For years IVGID has not funded positions necessary to effectively manage a District with so many diverse business units, like a professional buyer, a contracts manager, an internal auditor nor has it successfully implemented systems to track finance, food and beverage, retail, and maintenance operations.  The fairly well run ski area has huge capital expenses looming (Snowflake Lodge, Ski Way repaving, replacement of aging ski lifts) that will exceed the “profit” it has used to prop up the other money losing venues. IVGID never advised Trustees to restrict funds for replacing its aging infrastructure.

Any mention of outsourcing or relinquishing any of IVGID’s recreational venues brings sharp criticism. Yet clearly the cost of operating and maintaining/replacing these aging amenities will be much greater than ever before. At a time when families are struggling just to meet inflated costs for food, housing and insurance. it would be unconscionable to increase mandatory fees just to subsidize golf, tennis and other glorified IVGID venues that are now so filled with tourists many of the locals avoid them.

Ask Trustee candidates how they will meet the enormous increases in costs. Increasing facility fees and the “portfolio” approach will do nothing to address the “loose internal control culture”[2]. These practices only encourage reckless spending and a lack of accountability. Why bother monitoring expenses if some other department will make up the loss?  IVGID continuously promotes policies favoring their ardent supporters (like golf clubs whose members, many non-residents, still receive the bulk of prime tee times, realtors who salivate over the marketing draw of “community amenities” and staff who get to use almost all this stuff for free).

IVGID has had more than half a century to become adept at operating these venues with proper internal controls, and responsible financial management, They failed miserably, requiring ever-growing subsidies, while many similar private operations succeeded.

IVGID gets roughly $4M in taxes to support our parks and basic recreational needs. It’s time for Trustees to make the tough decisions to reduce, if not eliminate, subsidies for those amenities better suited to be privately owned and/or operated.

[1] there will be two great golf courses; the finest tennis facilities in the world in the Tahoe Racquet Club; & major ski development; riding stables with event areas for activities such as trails to the very crest of the mountains and to remote places for evening and all-night cookouts, both by horse back and wagon hay rides; gaming and related night club entertainment and a cultural center with related youth programs.

[2] P.21 https://www.yourtahoeplace.com/uploads/pdf-ivgid/2024-0828_BOT_Agenda_Packet.pdf

RENO, Nev. – Even though the sun wasn’t up yet, Cindy Heinrich and her launch team were at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park setting up her balloon, Chromatica, to be one of the first to ascend at the 43rd Great Reno Balloon Race. 

“After the national anthem, they’re allowing the women in aviation to launch next,” said Heinrich. “So, we kind of get a little bit of the spotlight since we get to take off before everybody else does.” 

This year’s theme is Women in Aviation. 

“I hope to inspire girls to know that they do have a place in aviation,” Heinrich said. “And you can do it when you’re young. It’s possible.” 

She said the key is to find the right mentor. 

“I think ballooning is amazing,” Heinrich said. 

Currently, there are a growing number of women in aviation. There’s a new pilot in the Reno area and three or four other women student pilots in ballooning. 

“It’s super awesome we’re getting recognized this way,” said Heinrich as Chromatica ascended with the other female-piloted balloons. “It’s cool to look around and see ‘these are the women in ballooning right now.’ It’s pretty special.” 

At 26, Heinrich is special herself. 

She started coming to the Great Reno Balloon Races at 8 ½ months old. It is the world’s largest free hot air balloon event.

“I fell in love with ballooning coming to this event,” Heinrich said. “I haven’t missed a single one my entire life … I’m 26 years old. This is my third year flying this event. This is my 26th year here.” 

Heinrich balloons for fun. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2020 with a double major in electrical and biomedical engineering. 

Then she got her commercial pilot’s license. 

Heinrich does private balloon rides mainly near Prosser Reservoir in the Tahoe National Forest, Gardnerville, and Carson Valley. 

She charges $300 a person and does 30 rides a year. 

In addition to her technical skills, Heinrich is a tour guide in the sky. 

“Ballooning is a sport to share. I love sharing it with my loved ones, my friends, and my family,” Heinrich said. “I’m so excited to be sharing it with you.” 

Heinrich’s Chromatica is one of about 100 in the Great Reno Balloon Race this year. Chromatica is the former Olympus Camera balloon. 

“When we’re flying around this many balloons, we have to keep an eye out for each other,” Heinrich said. “So, if you see a balloon below me starting to climb up toward me, let me know. Even if you’re not sure, I’d rather see it than not see it.” 

Then Heinrich explained how she uses Chromatica’s shadow as one of many tools to help gauge safety. 

“I don’t see a shadow balloon right over me …” Heinrich said. “There’s probably no balloon right above me right now.” 

Heinrich explained the rules of the sky. 

“I have the right of way over balloons above me, but you don’t want to cut them off or anything and have them have to climb super fast,” Heinrich said. 

She has three rules for her passengers. 

“Rule No. 1, don’t get out of the basket,” Heinrich said. “Whether or not we’re in the sky or on the ground … because if I lose a bunch of weight unexpectedly, I’m going to start climbing super fast. And that could be dangerous for everyone involved.” 

“Rule No. 2, when we come in to land this thing … I’ll have you take care of yourself.” 

In calm weather, riders can hold on to the edge of the basket and the uprights with both feet on the floor, knees slightly bent and face the direction the balloon is going. 

During a fast landing, riders should hold the handles inside the basket or the tanks. 

“Rule No. 3, ballooning is a sport to share,” Heinrich said. “If you see something cool, point it out because I want to see it, too. If you see something that scares you, let me know. I want to be afraid right along with you.” 

Heinrich encouraged riders to enjoy the scenery and point out power lines. 

“So, if I’m flying low, please feel free to point them out to me,” Heinrich said. “I’m 99.999999999999999% most likely already seen them, but I’d rather see them twice than not at all.” 

At that, Heinrich flew Chromatica at 4,940 feet near Peavine Elementary School. 

“They’re all out there cheering for us,” Heinrich said waving back to the students. “It’s cute.” 

Throughout the flight, Heinrich continually turned the propane tank on and off. 

She said this circulates the propane to the burner, which allows it to expand into vapor. When it hits the pilot light, it creates a flame that controls the altitude. 

Then Heinrich heard, “Good morning!” 

She looked down at people gathered in the street. Heinrich returned the sentiment. 

“You don’t get that flying around in a plane,” Heinrich said. “This is a special type of aviation.” 

At that, Heinrich heard a familiar voice. 

“Hi Cindy, thanks for dropping by to say hi,” said a balloon pilot next to her. 

As they exchanged greetings, Heinrich scouted out a place to land. She needed an open area that the ground crew could access in addition to being clear of power lines, light poles, and big trees. 

Heinrich pumped hot air in short bursts to descend slowly and land smoothly. 

At that, Heinrich’s crew was at Jester Court and King Edward Drive as she landed Chromatica. Laura Heinrich, Cindy’s mom, and the rest of the crew followed the balloon on the Glympse app. 

“This looked like a nice place to land,” Heinrich said. “And people came out and had friendly faces.” 

Resident Billie Irvin said this is the 5th or 6th year a balloon has landed outside her front door. 

“It’s so exciting,” said Irvin. “And usually there’s a lot of people in PJs and robes. But I’m the only cat, who cares!”

To contact Heinrich, email EarlyBirdBallooning@gmail.com.

Stella Van Dyke Johnson American Legion Post 795 of South Lake Tahoe invites the Lake Tahoe community and visitors to join members of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and the Sons of the American Legion for a ceremony to remember the victims of September 11, 2001. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. on Wed., Sep. 11, 2024, at the American Legion Hall, 2748 Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Live music will be provided by local favorite, Cash Only Band’s Davin Kangas with soloist, Jill Sharlow. Light refreshments by Tacos Por Favor Catering. 

“This year marks the 23rd Anniversary of 9/11,” said Post 795 Commander, Tom Millham. “It’s important to continue to remember the innocent victims and first responders who died on that terrible day along with the brave men and women who continue the fight for freedom every day.” 

The ceremony will also honor local first responders who serve our communities every day, selflessly protect our citizens, and dedicate their lives to preserving freedom and democracy. Guest speakers include El Dorado County District V Supervisor, Brooke Laine, City of South Lake Tahoe former Mayor, Cristi Creegan, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief, Jim Drennan, and Daughters of the American Revolution Regent, Jini Becktell. 

Agencies invited include Lake Valley and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection Districts, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, CAL FIRE and the USDA Forest Service. 

Also performing, Bagpiper, Mario DeLallo and South Tahoe High School Bugler, Peter Causing. 

For more information about the 9/11 ceremony or about becoming a member of the American Legion, contact Commander Millham at 530-308-5215. 

Before I fell in love with Lake Tahoe, I couldn’t have told you what a stream environment zone was (Meadows! Marshes!) or why the arrival of tiny little clams could have such a big impact on lakes. But over the last decade, I’ve eagerly learned about the important wetlands that filter out sediment from the 63 tributaries flowing into Tahoe, contributing to its famed clarity, and followed updates on projects that aim to reduce the populations of several aquatic invasive species. Sure, it’s interesting, but more importantly, I want to learn about it because I care about that big lake and the environment around it that has provided me with countless hours of swimming, sunset gazing and trail romping. 

Harnessing a love for Tahoe is a way to fuel an interest in the environment — and one that organizations around the basin are capitalizing on to get kids engaged in science. From an augmented reality app on climate change to volunteer tree planting days, there are numerous ways to get your little ones thinking more deeply about the beloved place where they wakeboard and mountain bike, whether Tahoe is your home or your favorite place to visit. 

Dive deep in science

It’s an all-ages learning experience at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village where you can discover different facets of Tahoe’s natural environment through interactive exhibits. Study the underwater topography of Lake Tahoe’s depths, examine native and non-native fish in the center’s aquariums, explore a virtual research vessel that gathers crucial data on Big Blue’s water quality, conduct experiments to see how fine sediment and algae impacts lake clarity, and buff up on botany at the tree exhibit. Reserve a slot for a paid guided tour for $5-10 a person (www.tahoe.ucdavis.edu) or drop in for a self-guided tour. 

Outside of the lab, the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center team gets kids involved in environmental science with their Find Tahoe Tessie app, which employs augmented reality technology to help users capture photos of Tahoe Tessie out in Lake Tahoe while learning about the impacts of climate change. In the app, users become scientists and discover tools for experiments, explore Tahoe through excursions, and use scientific knowledge to find Tahoe Tessie. 

Keep Tahoe clean

The League to Save Lake Tahoe organizes dozens of community litter cleanups at beaches and trails, not to mention the numerous volunteer teams they support in adopting areas to keep trash-free year round. This summer, grab the kids and join hundreds of volunteers for annual post-holiday cleanups at beaches around the lake on July 5th and Sept. 2. Alternatively, organize your own cleanup while out playing on the beach and teach the kids what it means to be a “citizen scientist” through the league’s app (www.citizensciencetahoe.com), which allows you to input the type of trash and where you found it — crucial data that can be used to impact regulations and funding. The app also allows users to input where they spot aquatic invasive species, polluted runoff or poor water quality. 

“Today’s young people are Tahoe’s next generation of environmental stewards,” said Marilee Movius, senior community engagement manager for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. “The League’s events are geared for anyone and everyone to leave Tahoe better than they found it, no matter your age, ability level, or where you’re from.”

Find out more about the League’s volunteer opportunities at www.keeptahoeblue.org. 

Pay it forward

After a wildfire destroys hundreds of acres of forests, like the Caldor Fire did in 2021, replanting native tree saplings in the burn scar helps to speed up the process of regrowth, which could take more than 500 years to get back to what it once was. Since its inception in 2005, the Sugar Pine Foundation has planted 215,393 trees and restored 3,667 acres. The small-but-mighty organization has the help of more than 1,000 volunteers who pitch in annually to plant 3-inch saplings that will one day grow to nearly 200 feet. Planting days take place in the spring and fall, while volunteer watering days to support their growth are held throughout the summer. 

“Kids love planting baby trees. Not only do they get to create the future forests, but they also get to play in the dirt, run around, touch and find things and explore the natural environment,” notes Maria Mircheva, executive director of the Sugar Pine Foundation. “Watering trees in the summer is similar to an Easter egg hunt. Adults and kids practice finding and identifying tree seedlings, then water them to help the baby trees grow.” 

Find out about the next Sugar Pine Foundation volunteer day at www.sugarpinefoundation.com. 

Nature books

Pair Tahoe’s beautiful scenery with the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science’s activity books to get kids engaged with the natural environment around them. With two age levels —  kindergarten to second grade and third through fifth grade — the books feature Tahoe flora and fauna-themed drawing and coloring opportunities, puzzles, and more. 

“Our goal at TINS is to connect children and their families to nature to encourage greater appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of Tahoe’s natural resources for generations to come,” explains Katie Stegemerten, education manager at TINS. “These activity books were crafted with this precise goal in mind. Tailored to specific age groups, each book features a diverse range of enjoyable natural science challenges designed to facilitate discovery and learning about the abundant wildlife and flora surrounding Tahoe.”

The nature activity books can be downloaded at www.tinsweb.org or have a hardcopy mailed to your house for just $5. 

This summer, TINS has also partnered with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association to offer youth backpacking trips for groups, ages 12-14 and 14-16. With no prior experience required, participants will learn wilderness survival skills, Leave No Trace ethics, map and compass navigation and local ecology and geology. Alternatively, day camps, including a Bug Camp for the creepy-crawly enthusiasts, are available in South Lake Tahoe and the Truckee-North Shore area for younger kids. 

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Each September, National Preparedness Month reminds us to prioritize family and community disaster planning throughout the year. By taking these three essential steps, you can be better prepared for emergencies:

1. Make a Plan
2. Stay Informed
3. Assemble a Kit

Being prepared can help you navigate emergencies with greater ease and less stress.

1. Make a Plan

Begin by ensuring your family is well-informed about potential hazards and community response plans. Consider the following when developing your Emergency Plan:

• Identify potential disasters and know how to respond to each.
• Discuss how to handle power outages and personal injuries.
• Know two escape routes from every room in your home.
• Identify two family meeting places – one near home and one farther away.
• Post emergency telephone numbers in a central location.
• Understand evacuation procedures and how to shut off utility services.
• Plan for special needs within your household.
• Make arrangements for your pets.
• Stay Informed

In a crisis, local public safety officials use various methods to alert the public:

• DORA: Dashboard of Regional Agencies has current emergency information for Washoe county.
• Emergency Alert System EAS: Broadcasts messages via radio and television.
• Wireless Emergency Alerts WEA: Sends alerts to your cell phone via text and voice.
• Reverse-dial: Delivers a pre-recorded message to your landline.
• Email: Sign up for CodeRED to receive notifications by email.
• Social & Traditional Media: Follow updates through trusted media channels.

3. Assemble a Kit

Prepare an emergency kit with these six basic items:

• Water: A three-day supply, with one gallon per person per day.
• Food: A three-day supply of non-perishable items.
• First Aid & Supplies.
• Clothing, bedding, and sanitation supplies.
• Tools: Include an emergency preparedness manual, battery-operated radio, flashlight, cash, mess kit/plastic utensils, can opener, signal flare, maps, whistle, and matches.
• Special items: Consider needs for infants, elderly, or disabled family members.

Be Ready to Evacuate

If evacuation becomes necessary, the more prepared you are, the faster you can respond. Have your kit or “go bag” ready, including documentation of your home inventory and important information. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately—do not wait. Know your evacuation routes and stay informed. Learn more about what to expect in an evacuation scenario and how you can be prepared at washoecounty.gov/em/response/.

For up to date emergency information in Washoe County scan QR code below.

Additionally, there is still time to request a Defensible Space Inspection and Chipping services. To sign up for a Defensible Space Inspection visit defensiblespacereport.org/northlaketahoe. To sign up for Chipping service, visit reserve.chipperday.com/northlaketahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A recent audit shows that 82% of audited businesses in the City of South Lake Tahoe are abiding by the single-use water bottle ban that just went into effect on Earth Day this year.

The ban applies to the sale of single-use plastic water bottles less than one gallon at commercial locations within city limits, with an exception for emergencies and flavored or sparkling water.

“Having this pretty rapid acceptance of this ordinance and compliance with it has been super exciting, and we’re hoping to serve as a model for other communities and municipalities that want to also combat litter in their areas of natural beauty.”

That’s from Darby Creegan, Public Policy Intern at the League to Save Lake Tahoe, who conducted the audit this summer and spent 46 hours in the field talking to businesses along with volunteers.

Of the 106 businesses audited, 19 were not in compliance.

Creegan says one common reason for lack of compliance were misunderstandings about the minimum size of plastic water bottle the ordinance allows businesses to sell, which is one gallon. “Some businesses thought it was either a liter or a single serving, and I found those misunderstandings to be fairly reasonable.”

Another common reason, some businesses just weren’t aware of the new regulation. “There was an incredible amount of outreach that was done,” Creegan says, “but some businesses simply did not get it.”

Between December and March, volunteers with the League and the City of South Lake Tahoe visited around 131 businesses informing them about the ordinance. They also sent informational postcards to all businesses within the city that explained the ordinance.

Creegan highlights that of the businesses not in compliance, only 42% of them were visited in the prior outreach attempts. “So more than half of the businesses not in compliance never received a visit, which shows the importance of this very time-consuming, laborious style of outreach.”

She notes the initial outreach phase did not provide a dedicated Spanish speaking person, while this summer audit did and says it’s possible a language barrier could be one reason for noncompliance. Although all their outreach materials were produced in Spanish, “that only goes so far if you don’t have someone who you can ask questions to.”

“At no store,” the public policy intern says, “have people been like, ‘no, I don’t care. I’m just going to keep doing this.'” She adds, “Everyone has been willing to engage in a conversation, which is very nice.”

The audit reveals small grocery stores had the lowest percentage of compliance at about 55%, while supermarkets had around 100% compliance. She said this could be due to big chains having the legal teams that mom-and-pop shops don’t.

Creegan says South Tahoe Refuse may have some promising data in plastic reduction since the ban. The company has collected less number one plastic from May through June compared to March and April, before the ban was in effect.

“However, it’s not statistically significant yet because we don’t have a large enough amount of numbers, so stay tuned for future data on that,” she says.

Examples of compliance looks like fridges filled with aluminum can and cardboard alternatives. With around 20-30 different brands of plastic alternatives, there are options at different prices points.

“It’s great to see that the market has kind of responded to interest from cities like ours and from environmentally minded customers that there are a lot of people who want alternatives to plastic,” Creegan says, “which is just amazing.”

Although cardboard alternatives are better, the League discourages them over aluminum because they are still lined with plastic. She says they are technically recyclable, but not in South Lake Tahoe.

Business owners have said tourists are the ones they receive most questions from. “Those are the customers who they’re having to explain to 10 times a day, 15 times a day, why they don’t have plastic anymore,” Creegan explained to the City of South Lake Tahoe’s City Council in a presentation.

In her auditing this summer, she said there was confusion over why only plastic water bottles were banned and not sodas or other plastic distributed beverages. Creegan says chief among the reasons for the water bottle ban is the quality of Tahoe’s tap water.

It also comes down to what jurisdictions are willing to pass. “This was something that the city council was willing to do. It’s just baby steps,” she says and adds, “This was already super radical.”

Another factor is the fact that water already has many plastic alternatives. Creegan suggested the city meet this question by publicizing material on why only plastic water bottles were banned.

Creegan also suggested the city tighten what she described as a loophole in the ordinance that allows stores to sell large packs of plastic water bottles because they’re flavored water. “It’s kind of crushing to see [these] big packs of almost water.” She says those too have plastic free alternatives.

At council, Creegan also addressed the need for a lake-wide ban. “It’s great that you can’t buy plastic water bottles here in South Lake,” Creegan explains, “but you can just literally walk outside of city bounds, find a store, and buy plastic water bottles there.”

Some businesses, Creegan notes find it frustrating when their Nevada location can sell the plastic water bottles but across the state line, cannot. “We have one lake,” Creegan says, “one watershed.”

She explains passing something like this at the county level is usually difficult. “You can’t only have an ordinance in part of the county.”

However, Placer County is different since they have precedence in housing regulations for only the eastern Tahoe district and has expressed interest in a similar water bottle ban.

With Truckee’s recent ban, the League’s Policy Director, Gavin Feiger, describes water bottle bans around Tahoe as a patchwork approach.

This patchwork has the League and City of South Lake Tahoe City leaders looking to one agency who might be able to make the ban lake-wide. “I do think that the TRPA is really who needs to take this on at a basin wide level,” South Lake Mayor Cody Bass said at the Aug. 13 city council meeting.

Feiger told council, “We haven’t seen them take a real strong stance on litter yet.”

The Tribune reached out to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on their stance on a lake-wide water bottle ban. Jeff Cowen, TRPA Public Information Officer, says the agency is highly concerned about recent studies showing unusually high concentrations of microplastics in the lake. However, the source of water quality impacts is important when shaping policies, he says. “As single-use plastics relate to Lake Tahoe’s water quality, we would like to see more Tahoe specific research to understand what types of plastics are in the lake.”

While the TRPA could not say whether or not it may create regulations for a lake-wide water bottle ban in the future, the TRPA is working with Destination Stewardship on strategies to reduce litter and improve the management of outdoor recreation areas.

“We will continue to look closely at issues around micro plastics and litter,” Cowen says, “to clarify some of the unknowns.”

The League to Save Lake Tahoe has the audit report on their website.