In The News – Not your typical ad: Billboards donated to raise awareness of Tahoe’s latest threat
August 7, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 08/07/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh
Whether you arrive to Tahoe via Interstate 80, Interstate 580, or Highway 50, if you pay attention, you’ll notice billboards that differ from a typical ad. Rather than marketing a good or service, the billboards appeal to the desire to protect Lake Tahoe against its latest threat.
“STOP GOLDEN MUSSELS,” one such billboard reads in Reno, Nev.
Over the years, the Lake Tahoe basin has successfully prevented the introduction of other invasive species such as quagga and zebra mussels, in large part due to strong policies and inspections, but the golden mussel is new player, spotted for the first time in North America in October.
As wildfires grow more intense across the West, the North Shore of Lake Tahoe faces an urgent reality. Our community is surrounded by forest, beauty, and risk. But with action, collaboration, and local leadership, we can protect our homes, preserve our safety, and remain an insurable mountain town.
That’s why the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD), with support from the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) and other agencies, launched a community-led initiative to help neighborhoods become more fire-adapted.
What Is a Fire-Adapted Community?
A Fire-Adapted Community (FAC) is one where residents understand wildfire risk and take responsibility – individually and collectively – for reducing hazards. Neighborhoods and HOAs are encouraged to first become a Fire Adapted Community with support from the Tahoe RCD and NLTFPD. This unlocks access to resources like home evaluations, year-round chipping, defensible space guidance, educational materials, and help organizing clean-up events.
Once organized and actively engaged in fuel reduction, communities can apply for national recognition through the FireWise USA® program, which formalizes wildfire preparedness efforts and can help neighborhoods retain or even improve insurance coverage and premiums.
Lessons from Local Leaders: Success in Action
At The Village at Incline HOA on Country Club Drive, residents took on a major challenge. Their 30-unit complex, nestled in a forested, park-like setting, was surrounded by dense vegetation and over 200 highly flammable junipers. After consulting with an arborist and fire officials, a core group of homeowners – Shawn O’Hara, John Costa, Lauren Accinelli, and David Hoffman – developed a long-term fuel reduction plan. They cut the number of junipers in half, cleared vegetation within five feet of all buildings, and launched regular pine needle cleanups to maintain defensible space.
With support from the Tahoe RCD and NLTFPD, they became Incline’s first FireWise-recognized group in 2022, a step that helped maintain insurance and even earned premium discounts for some homeowners.
In Upper Tyner, residents Tom Millhoff, Caroline Peck, and Myles Riner developed a three-year plan to track yard waste, document defensible space work, and host clean-up days in their neighborhood of 370+ homes. Their efforts earned recognition as both a FireWise neighborhood and an official Fire Adapted Community – the first in Incline Village to achieve both.
These communities didn’t just protect their homes, they created templates others can follow. They’re even offering to share fuel reduction plans, data-tracking tools, and neighborhood survey templates with new leaders.
Where Fire Risk Is Rising
Fuels experts point to neighborhoods with south-facing slopes between 10–20 degrees as especially vulnerable, due to faster vegetation drying and higher ignition potential. Identifying leaders in these areas is a top priority this year for the NLTFPD.
But every homeowner can take immediate action. The most critical step? Clear your Ember Resistant Zone (ERZ) – the first 0 to 5 feet around your home. This area should be free of pine needles, flammable plants, stacked wood, or mulch. Instead, use gravel or other non-combustible materials. Post-fire studies show that homes with a maintained ERZ are far more likely to survive. It’s one of the most important steps any homeowner can take right now.
What You Can Do
You don’t have to go it alone. FAC and FireWise programs are built on community action. Whether you lead a cleanup, knock on doors, or help a neighbor clear brush, your efforts matter.
Here’s how to get involved:
Become a Fire Adapted Community or FireWise Leader. Tahoe RCD and NLTFPD will help organize, train, and connect you with other volunteers.
Educate neighbors. Pick up free emergency info fridge magnets at the fire station for community distribution and placement in vacation rentals.
Download the Smart911 App. Get emergency alerts and evacuation notices from Washoe County and Tahoe Alerts.
Host a yard clean-up day. Invite neighbors to clear pine needles, trim trees, and improve defensible space.
Track your progress. Metrics like hours worked or bags of debris help qualify your area for FireWise recognition.
Building a Safer Future
Wildfire resilience isn’t just the job of firefighters, it’s a community-wide commitment. From removing flammable landscaping to hosting block parties that build neighborly trust, small actions add up.
Hotel operators and short-term rental owners have a responsibility to help guests understand local fire conditions, safety expectations, and evacuation plans. Clear communication, through signage, welcome materials, or digital guides, can make all the difference in an emergency. We all play a vital role in keeping both visitors and the broader community safe.
If you want to help protect our mountain town, and keep it livable and insurable for generations to come, now is the time to act. Be the neighbor who sparks change.
To learn more or sign up as a neighborhood leader, contact the Tahoe RCD at 530-543-1501 x104 or visit www.tahoercd.org.
Tahoe Philharmonic Presents “We Remember” – A 9/11 Memorial Concert Series Honoring Service, Unity, and Reflection
August 6, 2025 | Member Submitted
The Tahoe Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus proudly presents We Remember, a powerful 9/11 memorial concert series that honors the lives lost, the bravery of first responders, and the enduring spirit of service in our Northern Nevada communities.
This year’s program features Mozart’s Requiem, one of the most profound and spiritually intense choral works ever written to honor the dead. A Requiem—from the Latin requies, meaning “rest”—is a musical setting of the Catholic Mass for the dead, traditionally performed to remember and reflect. Mozart’s Requiem expresses grief, reverence, and transcendence through its unforgettable choral and orchestral writing.
Also featured is Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, a Romantic-era favorite known for its emotional lyricism and dramatic flair. The concerto will be performed by acclaimed guest violinist Jennifer Choi on the world-renowned “Firebird” Stradivarius, made in 1718. Its sweeping melodies and expressive beauty offer a moving contrast to the solemnity of the Requiem.
History of the 9/11 Memorial Concert
In the wake of 9/11, Maestro James Rawie was deeply moved to honor first responders through music. On September 11, 2002, he led the Puerto Rico Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra in three memorial performances of Brahms’ Requiem in San Juan, Ponce, and Guaynabo—concerts that also featured Beethoven’s immortal Fifth Symphony.
Maestro Rawie went on to found TOCCATA Tahoe Symphony in Lake Tahoe in 2006, where he continued the 9/11 Memorial Concert tradition for 19 consecutive years, beginning with Mozart’s Requiem. In 2024, Rawie founded the Tahoe Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, and now carries forward the tradition with this new ensemble. Each year, Maestro Rawie selects from among the four great Requiems—by Brahms, Verdi, Fauré, and Mozart.
For 2025, the first full season of Tahoe Philharmonic and the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, he has once again chosen Mozart’s Requiem.
Concert Dates & Locations:
Sunday, September 7, 4 PM – Reno Christian Fellowship, Reno
Wednesday, September 10, 7 PM – St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Incline Village
Friday, September 12, 7 PM – St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral, Reno
Sunday, September 14, 4 PM – St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Reno
We offer free admission as a heartfelt gesture of gratitude to those who dedicate their lives to the safety, health, and well-being of our community. From emergency personnel to medical teams, and from military members to veterans, these individuals embody courage, selflessness, and service. This concert series—rooted in remembrance and reflection—is our way of saying thank you.
“The 9/11 memorial concert is a tribute not just to memory, but to community,” says Debbie Sessions, soprano soloist. “Through music, we reflect, heal, and come together.”
In The News – IVGID appoints trustee to panel for new Director of HR
August 6, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 07/31/2025, Written by Leah Carter
Incline Village General Improvement District board members met to appoint a trustee to the interview panel for the Director of Human Resources, which is set to be filled over the coming months. Michelle Jezycki was unanimously approved for the role by all trustees present, but abstained. “I feel like it’s like voting for myself so I’ll abstain,” said Jezycki.
Trustee Mick Homan praised Jezycki’s human resources qualifications in the human resources field. “I would make a motion to appoint Michelle,” said Homan. “I think it’s pretty obvious to me she’s an HR professional and is equipped to do it.”
IVGID additionally hosted a community open-house, specifically regarding capital improvement projects including the Incline Beach House, effluent export pipeline, effluent storage tank and Snowflake Lodge.
Exciting News – Welcome Our New PIO, Andreina Quiroz!
August 6, 2025 | Member Submitted
Submitted by Tia Rancourt, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, 08/04/2025
We’re excited to share that Andreina Quiroz has officially stepped into the role of Public Information Officer for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District!
Andreina has been part of our NLTFPD family since 2019, serving as our Executive Administrative Assistant and Board Secretary. Her strong communication skills, in-depth knowledge of the District, and passion for community engagement make her the perfect fit for this new role.
She began her PIO journey on July 29th and will be working side by side with me until August 22nd, which also marks my retirement date. During this transition, we’ll be working closely together to ensure a smooth handoff of all PIO duties.
Please join us in congratulating Andreina on her well-earned promotion and help give her a warm welcome as she takes on this exciting new chapter with NLTFPD!
Big Changes and Local Perks: What’s Happening at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
August 6, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the IVCBA Magazine, LIVE.WORK.PLAY. Summer issue – Written by Kristie Wells
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is undergoing a significant transformation, with a full property redevelopment planned for completion by the end of 2027. While construction continues, the Hyatt remains committed to serving the Incline Village community by offering a variety of local experiences and maintaining community connections.
Among the current highlights is a wine dinner series hosted at Osteria Sierra, showcasing a selection of wines previously featured at the former Lone Eagle Grille. These dinners focus on evolving menus and thoughtful wine pairings, with the culinary team inviting feedback from attendees to refine future offerings.
Cutthroats Restaurant continues to provide a welcoming environment for locals, including a longstanding discount for IVGID pass holders. This summer, the restaurant will offer Happy Hour from Monday to Thursday (3–5 pm) and live music performances on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings (6–8 pm).
The Hyatt will also participate in the upcoming Independence Day celebrations, joining the Local Heroes Parade and hosting a complimentary barbecue at Incline Beach from 12–4 pm on July 4th.
Whether you’re interested in live music, fine wine, or simply supporting a local business during a time of change, the Hyatt has something for you this summer.
In The News – IVGID outlines next steps for fireworks barge investigation
August 5, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 08/05/2025, Written by Leah Carter
The investigation into the exact details and impact of the Incline Village fireworks barge is still underway, but water quality is now deemed safe around the beaches where the incident occurred.
Diamond Peak General Manager Mike Bandelin offered an outline of what has taken place so far, and what staff expect to see next during the July 30 Incline Village General Improvement District board meeting. Staff have been compiling the cost of the clean-up and debris removal efforts, with total costs nearing $10,000 so far. They are still compiling data on the cost of closures of food and beverage operations on the beaches.
“The report also includes narratives related to the environmental aspect of the incident,” said Bandelin. It looks at “debris, cleanup efforts at the beaches as well as a non-regulatory water quality monitoring plan specifically targeted at detecting perchlorate, a chemical found that may be of concern to public drinking water systems,” he said.
In The News – Fox Cultural Hall Closes as Arts for the Schools Returns to Schools
August 5, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in Moonshine Ink, 08/05/2025, Written by Luke Zinn
Fox Cultural Hall, a nonprofit and community culture hall that opened in 2023 in Kings Beach, closed its physical venue and is transitioning back to its former name, Arts for the Schools, as of Aug. 1.
Originally started in 1984 with the mission of providing art and culture to rural schools that lacked robust arts programs, Arts for the Schools provided arts funding; took performers, music, and art into classrooms; and put on cultural assemblies for Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District schools. The opening of Fox Cultural Hall venue gave Arts for the Schools a new way to achieve their mission by sharing culture at a community hub.
The organization merged its name with the hall while still providing arts education to the schools by bringing students into a culture-filled space. According to newly appointed Executive Director Linday McIntosh, a lack of funds, growth in the Tahoe Basin, and age-old troubles with bus transportation caused the success and accessibility of Fox Cultural Hall programming to waver.
The task of building Artificial General Intelligence is said to be on a scale similar to the Manhattan Project. Sam Altman, head of OpenAI, made reference to the Manhattan Project when his company was developing the now famous ChatGPT product (did he notice the irony in that analogy?). AI will dramatically change how we live and work.
In her book, Empire of AI, Karen Hao details her view that one consequence of AI is that the gap between the powerful and everyone else will widen. The power/influence of the largest technology companies (i.e. the hyper-scalers) will continue to grow. Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft will spend approximately $320 billion this year on AI. These hyper-scalers are spending more money on AI data centers than all the others combined. And they are hiring the best talent from the smaller upstart companies. Good luck to those trying to compete with them!
Their investments are working. The market capitalization of these four companies ranges from $1.8 trillion to more than $3 trillion! As a comparison, the market-cap of Walmart is $760 billion.
The gap between today’s powerful leaders that run the AI companies and to the rest of us is also widening. Those running the hyper-scalers see their wealth growing at the same time that many others struggle to pay their rising utility bills thanks in part to AI’s need for energy and water. This year, electricity bills for some 67 million customers are projected to surge by over 20 percent in 13 states from Illinois to New Jersey, the region with the most AI data centers. Closer to home, NV Energy is expanding their infrastructure to provide power for two Alphabet data centers. Will Nevada residents be competing with Alphabet for electricity?
And what about jobs? Many workers, especially entry level white color workers, are at risk of being replaced by cost-saving AI tools. Look no further than to Microsoft, which has laid off 15,000 employees this year without seeing a drop in their strong financial performance. While they say efficiency gains from AI were not a predominant factor in the layoffs, they acknowledge that over the long term AI will reshape jobs at Microsoft and everywhere else. AI will boost productivity and profits, but are most people better or worse off? I wonder.
When it comes to AI there is another kind of power: the power needed to run AI. Remember when the public was concerned that crypto currency mining required too much energy? Even Elon Musk worried about its environmental impact. We no longer hear about that. Why? The energy required for crypto currencies pales in comparison to what is needed to run Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers.
My last article focused on the power of the AI companies and those who run them. Now we’ll cover a different type of power – the power needed to run AI. The energy required for AI data centers is expected to grow 50 percent a year through 2030 and in just three years it is expected to consume 13 percent of electricity demand. Efforts to fight global warming be damned.
This column is about investing and when it comes to investing, in AI there are the usual suspects. AI chip designer Nvidia leads the pack. Then there is Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet. But those are already well owned. What are the best under the radar AI stocks? That’s hard to know. In early internet days companies like AOL and Ask Jeeves seemed unstoppable … until they were stopped.
Instead of trying to choose who will benefit from AI, I prefer the more predictable approach of investing in the companies that are needed to build and power the AI data centers. Most of those stocks have already rallied, but the need for more power is in a grand supercycle.
The most direct AI power play might be GE Vernova (GEV). It is the leading provider in natural gas turbines and it also has exposure to small modular nuclear reactors. GEV is the second-best performing S&P 500 stock in 2025 so Wall Street understands its attractive position, but the general public isn’t aware, not yet. Speaking of nuclear, Vistra Corp (VST) is the second-largest nuclear operator in the U.S. and it also supplies natural gas, solar and battery storage facilities. Knowing which nuclear stock will benefit the most is difficult so I’m happy to simply own VanEck Nuclear and Uranium ETF (NLR).
One of my largest client holdings is Williams Cos. (WMB). Unlike the volatile choices above, Williams has a steady income stream and an attractive 3.5 percent yield. Williams is the prominent pipeline company that transports one-third of U.S. natural gas, which is then used to generate electricity for power centers and other uses. Last month regulators approved a Williams 400-MW natural gas-fired power plant in Ohio to serve a Meta Platforms data center. Their pipelines serve others, too.
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.
Submitted by IVCBA Member, Barton Health, Written by Dr. Zachary Child
Your back plays a vital role in nearly every movement you make, but it’s easy to overlook until pain strikes. Once discomfort sets in, you may wish you’d paid more attention to protecting your back. While you can’t undo the past, you can adopt habits now to safeguard your back and maintain an active, pain-free lifestyle.
Back pain is one of the most common causes of disability, and it can stem from a variety of factors. Poor muscle tone, excess weight, and improper lifting techniques can strain your back muscles. Aging also increases the risk of injury. Sometimes, though, back pain occurs without a clear cause.
The good news is a strong, healthy back is within reach. Regular care and strengthening exercises can help your back function efficiently and with fewer complaints. Strengthening your core and back muscles through consistent exercise reduces the likelihood of injury and improves overall stability.
Follow the steps below to strengthen your back and prevent discomfort:
Practice good posture: Stand tall with your weight evenly distributed on both feet. When sitting, choose a chair that supports your lower back or place a small pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back for added support.
Exercise regularly: Engage in activities that strengthen your back, abdominal, and leg muscles. Low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, or stationary biking improve circulation and reduce the risk of injury.
Always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.
Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight puts added strain on your back. Your healthcare provider can offer guidance if weight loss would benefit your back health.
Lift objects properly: When picking up items — even small ones — bend at your knees, not your waist, and keep your back straight. Hold objects close to your body to minimize strain on your back muscles.
Listen to your body: If you feel pain or discomfort during an activity, stop and rest. Ignoring pain can lead to more serious injuries.
By adopting these habits, you can help your back stay strong and support you through your daily activities. Investing in your back health today will pay off with better mobility, comfort, and overall well-being.
Dr. Zachary Child is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon with Tahoe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, practicing at Barton Health’s orthopedic offices in South Lake Tahoe and Carson City. To learn more about expert orthopedic spine care, call 530.543.5554. And join Dr. Child for his free webinar, “Summer Strains: How to Prevent Back Injuries in the Warmer Months,” on Thursday, July 10 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Details can be found at BartonHealth.org/Lecture.
