LIVE.WORK.PLAY Spring 2023

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INCLINE VILLAGE CRYSTAL BAY COMMUNITY & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Rosie Webber: The Sanctuary Tahoe P. 6 Lake Tahoe School Celebrates 25 Years P. 20-21 The Next Generation Taking Over P. 26-29 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 5377 Incline Village Crystal Bay Association 885 Tahoe Boulevard Incline Village, NV 89451
SPRING 2023

STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Linda Offerdahl linda@ivcba.org

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, IVCBA.ORG, COMMUNITY EVENTS: Julie Malkin-Manning Sugar Pine Events & Marketing julie@ivcba.org

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER: Grace Hubrig grace@ivcba.org

FREELANCE WRITERS:

Kayla Anderson John Crockett

BOARD MEMBERS

CHAIR: Linda Offerdahl

TREASURER/FINANCE: Mike Young

BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE: Blane Johnson

COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE: Sheila Leijon

COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE: John Crockett

INCLINE SCHOOLS: Mary Danahey

COMMUNICATIONS: Lee Weber-Koch

FINANCE & PRO-BONO CPA: Craig Iverson

CONTENT ADVISOR: Mary Jurkonis

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. PUBLISHER: Kathy Slocum

PRO-BONO ATTORNEY: Alan Tiras

COMMUNITY LIAISONS

ENVIRONMENT: Amy Berry

INCLINE VILLAGE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL: Louis Ward/Karli Epstein

INCLINE JUSTICE COURT: The Honorable Judge Alan Tiras

INCLINE VILLAGE REALTORS: Kendra Murray

NLTFPD: Ryan Sommers/Tia Rancourt

PARASOL TAHOE: Laura Roche/Claudia Andersen

UNR AT LAKE TAHOE: Dr. Jill Heaton/Doug Boyle

TAHOE PROSPERITY CENTER: Heidi Hill-Drum

TRAVEL NORTH TAHOE NEVADA: Andy Chapman

WASHOE COUNTY COMMISSIONER: Alexis Hill

WASHOW COUNTY SHRIUFFS OFFICE: Sheriff Darin Balaam/ Captain Blaine Beard

WC CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD: Diane Heirschberg

CONTRIBUTORS

Richard Miner

Kayla Anderson

John Crockett

Mike Danahey

Hillary Abrams

PHOTOGRAPHY: Chris Talbot

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. DESIGNER: J. Lewis Falconer

PUBLISHING DISCLOSURE NOTICE

LIVE. WORK. PLAY. is the official publication of the Incline Village Crystal Bay Association (IVCBA). Cost to produce and distribute this publication is offset by advertising revenues and budgeted funds. The inclusion of advertising in this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by IVCBA or its Board of Directors of the projects, services or views contained therein.

FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES

Please contact Kathy Slocum at (775) 846-5656, kathy@justimaginemktg.com

COVER PHOTO: The Sanctuary Tahoe Owner Rosie Webber

Photographer: Chris Talbot

Printed

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 2 | SPRING 2023 8-9 4 VILLAGE CRYSTAL COMMUNITY BUSINESSASSOCIATION SPRING 2023 Rosie Webber Sanctuary 6 Lake Tahoe School Celebrates 25 Years P. 20-21 The Next Generation Taking Over P. 26-29 POSTAGE Village BayAssociation Boulevard Incline NV Executive Director’s Letter 3 BUSINESS PROFILE: Thania’s Juice Bar 4 Rosie Webber: The Sanctuary Tahoe 6 ARTS AND CULTURE: Rick Parsons 10-11 PROFILE: Geno’s Hope Fund 24 EDUCATION: Casey Jennings and Lake Tahoe Volleyball Academy 8-9 Lake Tahoe School Celebrates 25 Years 20-21 FAMILY HEALTH: Pediatric Ear Infections 22 Local Businesses and Organizations that Help Keep Tahoe Blue 12-13 IVCBA 15-18 Washoe County Update 23 The Next Generation Taking Over 26-29 HISTORY: Radio Daze and the Ghost of Mark Twain 30-31 LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 2 | 2023
on recycled paper with
soy-based inks.

incline village crystal bay

Greetings!

Welcome to the spring issue of LIVE.WORK.PLAY. This magazine has become our most popular and recognized publication. As with every issue, it is chockful of community information and features about our residents and businesses. It is one of the ways we work to Build Community, by helping you connect faces and names. Our mission is to Build community and grow cohesiveness for the sustainability of Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada. The centerfold of this issue highlights IVCBA’s accomplishments and its plans for 2023.

NEW WEBSITE

IVCBA.org has a brand-new look and feel. The calendar and business directory are just a couple of the resources for the community. We have curated information and links to popular areas of interest…education, community, the arts, wellness, recreation, kids, and the environment. New this year is a Jobs and Volunteer board.

NEWS

It’s easy to browse our community news blog on IVCBA.org, and find what you are looking for. We have links to regional newspapers as well. The Weekly SnapShot newsletter has a brand-new format that is easier to read. Get my “take” on the community in my blog, “The Local Lens”.

STRONGER BUSINESS PROGRAMMING

Look for more BizBuz mixers and networking events. Our businesses are looking for ways to connect with the community and generate more local business. How can we build our business core to meet the needs of our residents? The Merchant Map identifies all the shops, restaurants, and salons….all the places you can Shop Local and save gas.

POPULAR COMMUNITY EVENTS

IVCBA will continue to spearhead the marketing and promotion of all communitywide events, particularly Local Heroes 4th of July Celebration and the Northern Lights Festival. Committees are forming now!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION INITIATIVES

Whether it’s workforce housing, transportation, or Incline Village Main Street beautification, IVCBA is engaged. How can we work better with Washoe County and other regional agencies? Committees are being formed. Sign up on IVCBA.org.

PLEASE JOIN!

Whether you are a Community Supporter for $50, a business member for $150$1,000 or a Investor at $5,000, your membership and support matters! We are an association and the larger the base of support, the more we can accomplish.

OUR VISION

Please share our vision of a thriving community that supports and is supported by its agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and residents.

IVCBA.ORG | 3 | LIVE.WORK.PLAY.
Don Douglas Lisa Douglas

THANIA MEDINA

Thania’s Juice Bar

Walking into Thania’s Juice Bar on one of the warmer Incline Village afternoons, Thania Medina and her mom Julia are surrounded by fresh fruits and veggies that are just waiting to be blended up into smoothies, juices, or made into healthy meals.

Thania’s Juice Bar has been around for several years, opening before the covid pandemic in July 2019. Although the pandemic did hinder business, it was a time when people were looking for healthy sustenance to boost their immunity. With delicious drinks like the Detox (made up of carrot/beet/apple/celery) and Stamina Booster (pineapple/carrot/turmeric/orange), you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu if you need something to help get through the rest of the day.

Thania was originally born in Mexico and later emigrated to Carson City when she was a teenager to be with her mother. She attended Carson High School and Western Nevada College, then worked at Lupita’s for 10 years. Thania always wanted to work for herself, though, while staying in the service industry, so Julia encouraged Thania to open a Mexican-style juice bar.

It took Thania two years to remodel the space and get it open but then she ran into kind of an odd problem- she didn’t know how to explain to people what an authentic Mexican juice bar was.

“I wanted to serve traditional Mexican fruit snacks and aguas frescas with an emphasis on made-to-order, good-for-you, healthy food. I wanted to show off my culture because I’m proud to be Mexican,” Thania says. Customers that were coming in started suggesting items that were doable but not on the menu, so Thania paid attention, researched, and adjusted the menu to meet their requests.

“I listened to people coming in and saw that they loved the smoothies and the juices. They suggested acai bowls, avocado toast, and matcha drinks,” she says.

own homemade vegan organic dressing. Thania added food items that are gluten and dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian, crafting a menu that appeals to the locals.

Sipping on a creamy Chocolate Monkey smoothie, Thania explains that when she was growing up, her grandmother had papaya and lime trees, cactus, herbs, chickens, and the eggs that they laid. Her offerings at the juice bar are heavily influenced by her grandmother and time in Mexico and she hopes that the atmosphere will carry over, too.

“My grandmother believed in natural medicine. She had homemade remedies for everything. She would say, ‘You want to lose weight?’ And hand me pineapple, nopales, orange and celery blended together. And she had aloe vera to cure almost everything.

Thania’s Juice Bar

Gesturing towards the chalkboard on the wall, Thania says, “Everything on the menu, it’s like the customers said they wanted it, and I figured out how to make it my own.”

It’s obvious that she’s passionate about the food as she talks about how she came up with a protein bowl full of a green mix, cucumbers, shredded carrots, apples, and celery topped with her

“I want people to feel when they come here like I felt at my grandmother’s house, and to be able to cook and have a conversation at the same time. I want this to be their living room with their family, their second home away from home, and for them to remember our juice, and come back to Tahoe just for that.”

Thania’s Juice Bar is on 868 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 7 in Incline Village and is open Monday-Saturday from 8am-3:30pm.

www.facebook.com/thaniasjuicebar/

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 4 | SPRING 2023
BUSINESS
PROFILE

Tanya Soule’s Listing Voted Winner in the HGTV Ultimate House Hunt - Over 1.1 million votes cast in popular annual online promotion -

For an agent who stays on top of our local market and works beyond traditional strategies to meet your needs, call Tanya today.

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INCLINE VILLAGE, NV – A listing represented by Tanya Soule of Chase International has been selected as a winner in the HGTV Ultimate House Hunt 2022, a month-long promotion held annually on HGTV.com showcasing incredible real estate listings. More than 1.1 million votes were cast to determine the winners among 77 finalists in eight categories. This home in Incline Village’s Ponderosa neighborhood sold for $11,500,000 in June 2022.

ROSIE WEBBER The Sanctuary Tahoe

Step into The Sanctuary Tahoe, a community wellness center on Stateline Road in Kings Beach, and you can feel your pulse lower. The two-story wood frame building has been a yoga and massage studio for many years but the energy and vision of new owner Roseanna “Rosie” Webber is what transforms the space into something unique. “You immediately feel this warmth of positive energy…as you embark on a journey inward,” says Yoga Manager Brooke Haley.

The Sanctuary provides a full range of services and experiences including yoga, massage, esthetics, and acupuncture. But Rosie’s integrative approach to wellness combines her health and nutrition expertise with mindset counseling, homeopathy, and leadership training. What starts as a yoga class or massage is the first step on a personal journey to wellness.

“What I really want is people feeling what I feel in the Sanctuary and have been for twenty years. The greatest compliment is when someone says, ‘The minute I walk in here, I can feel it.’”

Rosie first came to The Sanctuary as a massage customer before offering health and wellness coaching part-time. Following her retirement after nearly 40 years as a surgical nurse and a desire to see The Sanctuary re-emerge following the pandemic, Rosie took the leap to acquire the business.

“This is what I really love and my vision is to bring more wellness to the community.”

With deep experience in the medical field, it wasn’t until a breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 that Rosie fully embraced integrative medicine. “I’m 8 years cancer free but this journey led to becoming certified in health and nutrition coaching. We can live such a better life through diet and exercise. I had many reasons to take my health into a broader space.”

A New York City transplant that arrived in Lake Tahoe in 1990, Rosie and the Webber family, proprietors of The Village Pub, are well-known in the community. She even teases a possible mayoral run if the opportunity presents itself. You may also see Rosie at Azzara’s Restaurant where she has been waiting tables for 29 years. “I keep trying to leave but it’s family.”

“She is a pillar in the Lake Tahoe community,” says Haley. “She is one of the hardest working women I’ve ever known and truly leads by example. She is always available to support

each and every one of her staff, students and clients,” including hosting the staff for a monthly “sangha” or gathering.

The Sanctuary offers yoga classes across all levels seven days a week. Try the signature Vinyasa Flow or a Slow Flow and Stretch après ski. Other new offerings include yomassage, a full body massage and yoga class all in one, as well as sound healing workshops. This summer Rosie will once again expand classes beyond the Sanctuary with yoga on the beach at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. An introductory special for locals features unlimited classes over 30 days for $75.

The Sanctuary will also soon offer yoga for those undergoing or in remission from cancer treatment. During her treatment, she remembers being desperate to stay in yoga classes. “I came out of class upset rather than rejuvenated, I was crying because I couldn’t do it.” Rosie recently became the first certified instructor in the area and the program uses modifications and props to accommodate students.

With the support of family and friends and her network of wellness professionals, Rosie has learned much from her journey. “If you can take something positive and give that to other people, then you should. One person can change things and that’s what I’m trying to do here in this community.“

Get the latest updates on the schedule and offers by signing up for the Sanctuary’s newsletter www.thesanctuarytahoe.com.

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 6 | SPRING 2023 sanctuary BUSINESS PROFILE

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Casey Jennings and Lake Tahoe Volleyball Academy

Launched in 2022, the Lake Tahoe Volleyball Academy led by local coaches Casey Jennings and Tacy Kelly provides a club team experience for local female athletes seeking to develop skills on and beyond the court. The academy is the first club team in North Lake Tahoe and is a chance for Casey to pass on his decades of elite team and beach volleyball experience to a new generation of athletes.

While local middle and high schools field volleyball teams, the school season is a sprint of just over 2 months, limiting practice time and competition. After coaching the Incline High team with Tacy and observing their progress and potential, they saw the need for a local club team.

Casey says the coaching he received as a teen had the most

impact on his future success. And that is what motivated him to start LTVA and work with youth. “I’m so excited to give back to that age group. The time is right and I’m excited for the future.”

A native Nevadan, Casey began playing team volleyball in his hometown of Las Vegas. Spending summers in Incline, he and his brother would play on the sand at Ski Beach from morning until dusk. As part of a state championship team, he credits high school coach Bob Kelly with instilling the discipline and accountability that set him on a path to future success.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank him enough for the lessons he taught me,” says Jennings. “I don’t think I would be where I am today, making a living and traveling the world, without him. Now it’s my turn to pass those lessons on.”

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 8 | SPRING 2023

Jennings’s resume includes winning a Junior College Championship at Golden West Junior College, the 1999 NCAA National Championship at Brigham Young University, an international gold and several silver and bronze medals on the FIVB World Tour, seven Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) beach volleyball tournament wins, and AVP accolades including Best Defensive and Most Improved Player awards.

Last fall, Casey and Tacy held well-attended tryouts and fielded teams for three different age groups. The club competes throughout the region with the season culminating in late April at the Far West Qualifiers in Reno. The LTVA staff is complemented by coach Grace Hubrig who works with the under 13 and 14 teams and manager Ryan Shuff.

The LTVA coaches want to instill fundamentals in their players but also the importance of a sport, school, and life balance. “If you don’t come to practice because you have piano lessons, school work, or another sport, tell your parents, ‘Good job.’ Stay involved in multiple activities because it makes their approach to volleyball that much better,” says Jennings. The coaches can also leverage their expertise by bringing in specialists in yoga, footwork, and nutrition.

“Casey is big at teaching life lessons,” says Shuff, a friend of Casey’s for 35 years. “He is so impactful on these girls that they will remember the skills and mindset they are learning for the rest of their lives. The coaches work so well together and provide a great experience for the team.”

Nevada is home for Casey and his wife Kerri Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and they are raising their three children in Incline Village. With all of his experience, Casey must know what makes a great partnership work. “It’s all about trust. When times are tough, you might feel like running away but that’s when you run towards someone, that’s when they need you. You can miss a practice or two but as long as you keep showing up, that’s how you know the commitment is there and you can succeed.”

IVCBA.ORG | 9 | LIVE.WORK.PLAY.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank him enough for the lessons he taught me. I don’t think I would be where I am today, making a living and traveling the world, without him. Now it’s my turn to pass those lessons on.”
- Casey Jennings

Rick Parsons sees a big part of his new role as Director of the Holman Arts and Media Center and Summer Artist Workshops at University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe as making the community aware of what the campus has to offer.

RICK PARSONS

“I see the university as the intellectual and cultural beacon of the lake…and the Holman is an incredible space in place for intellectual discourse,” he said.

Parsons has been teaching at what formerly was Sierra Nevada University - and is now UNR at Lake Tahoe - for 13 years, while working on his own art too.

“I’ve always been a teaching artist,” Parsons said.

Prior to coming to Incline Village, Parsons was a teaching assistant in ceramics/sculpture and then sculpture program coordinator at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado, where he oversaw summer workshops and winter residency programs. He received his BFA from Stephen F. Austin State University, an MFA in Sculptural Ceramics from the University of Dallas.

Parsons’ website (rickparsons.net) notes his own art “focuses on the effects of environmental pollutants on the body. He

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 10 | SPRING 2023
DR. JILL HEATON, SENIOR VICE PROVOST, UNR
“Rick deeply understands the value of having an institution of higher education in Incline and refers to
the UNR at Lake Tahoe Wayne L. Prim campus as the intellectual and cultural beacon of the lake.
Rick is a great public speaker, his presentation and call for arts and scientists to work together aligns perfectly with our institutional value of “collaboration between disciplines and programs and with community partners and stakeholders.”

uses materials as metaphor to address the looming impact of a culture dependent on diminishing resources.”

Parsons said growing up in Texas’s Gulf Coast in the 1970s and 1980s shaped his art.

“You don’t realize where you’re from until you move away,” Parsons said.

On his website, Parsons notes that in that part of the country “industrial and post-industrial infrastructures alter the landscape in dramatic ways” and which he explores in media as varied as tar paper paintings and crystallized sculptures made of clay and salt.

In turn, living in the Lake Tahoe region “provides an incredible barometer. With a forest on the edge of a desert, geological time moves quickly. It’s evident here that things change quickly,” Parsons said.

Music also plays a role in Parson’s art. He says he always has something playing when he creates, and has eclectic tastes, from traditional country to old school rap and jazz. He also uses “automatic writing” as part of his process, creating work formed by penning a stream of consciousness.

The creative process is something Parsons intends to make the public and students aware of through his new role and what the arts and media center will have to offer.

“We’ll be showing how artists think, how ideation works,” Parsons said.

To that point, in mid-October, sculptor, conceptual and installation artist Roman de Salvo was setting up his work in the Holman building. Parsons said people will be able to view how de Salvo goes about his work for about a month, then get to view the result for a month, through mid-December.

Parsons is also working to bring art from the extensive collection at UNR to the Lake Tahoe campus.

“We’re building art and what the arts will look like at the lake,” Parsons said.

Learn more at www.unr.edu/lake-tahoe/summer-artsworkshops/course-and-housing-info

Note:

The Univerity of Nevada, at Lake Tahoe Summer Arts Workshop, the partnership with Classical Tahoe, and the Writers in the Woods programs will continue at the UNR @ Lake Tahoe campus, as well as the new Talks@ Tahoe series. The campus will also participate in the IVCBA Northern Lights Holiday celebration this year.

IVCBA.ORG | 11 | LIVE.WORK.PLAY.
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Local Businesses and Organizations That Help Keep Tahoe Blue

For the people who live and work in Incline Village/Crystal Bay, we can’t help but want to keep Lake Tahoe and its surrounding environment beautiful, natural, and pristine. It’s the reason why most of us moved here- to be able to play build a snow angel in the backcountry in wintertime; walk along the edge of Big Blue on the East Shore Trail and peer down to the translucent water to its very bottom; or listen to the chickadees as you climb up the Flume Trail on your mountain bike, zipping through the pines and aspens. But what draws one of us here draws us all, leading to the region’s growing tourism and causing local businesses and visitors boards to try to find a balance.

Considering Earth Day is coming up, we’d like to share some local businesses and organizations who are keeping sustainability in mind in everything they do and welcome your support in the effort to keep this little slice of paradise exactly how it is for generations to come. find out more at www.yourtahoeplace.com/public-works/waste-not.

Mountain High Sandwich Co.

Kind Traveler recently released a list of destinations around the world where someone can book a stay at a participating “Kind Hotel” and a $10 contribution goes back to a local charity. Plumpjack Inn is a North Lake Tahoe participant, with proceeds of visitor stays going towards the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and Tahoe Fund’s Take Care campaign.

In its North Lake Tahoe description, Kind Traveler called out the Mountain High Sandwich Co. as a great place to get lunch, and for exceptionally good reason. Its menu is consciously created with preserving the people and planet in mind, and you can find sandwiches, salads, soups, sweets, and other delicious healthy meals made with organic, local, and environmentally friendly ingredients, all at an affordable price. Try the House Smoked BBQ Tofu sandwich- it’s made with all-natural slow cooked Small Batch Sauce created right here in Incline Village.

Sun Bear Realty & Management

Providing housing options for those who coming to Tahoe for a weekend or who want to stay indefinitely, Sun Bear is a full service property management company that works with customers in finding real estate, a vacation rental, or get into a long-term lease in Incline Village/Crystal Bay. Sun Bear also provides snow removal, yard cleanup, and housekeeping services of its properties to keep them clean, safe, and secure. Responsive, professional, and willing to accommodate, Sun Bear is also actively involved in community organizations and is always promoting responsible tourism through its civic duty with the Travel North Tahoe Nevada, the Fourth of July Sky Show (drone display), and the IVCBA. Find them at www.sunbearrealty.com

Diamond Peak and IVGID’s Waste Not

The Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) is responsible for managing our trash, sewage, and several recreational venues including the two golf courses, a recreation center, tennis center, three private beaches, and Diamond Peak Ski Resort. Therefore, IVGID is committed to keeping our water, wildlife, forests, and towns of Incline Village/Crystal Bay clean and free of trash and litter. IVGID’s Waste Not division is constantly providing education and outreach on its recycling and conservation programs, bear awareness, drinking Tahoe tap water, and sustainability measures.

Along with its Public Works services and trash mitigation, a few years ago Diamond Peak was the first ski resort in Lake Tahoe to become STOKE (Sustainable Tourism & Outdoors Evaluation Kit) certified for striving to achieve best practices in snowmaking, community development, and waste diversion. The designation earned them a place in Outside Magazine’s 10 Most Eco-Friendly Ski Resorts in America.

Sustain Tahoe

Everyone agrees that keeping Lake Tahoe healthy and clear is its key to long term survival, and Sustain Tahoe formed more than a decade ago with its mission to develop, facilitate, and promote the area’s unique ecological assets through adopted geotourism principles for sustainable travel. Some of the ways that Sustain Tahoe does this is through its Earth Walk program encouraging people to venture into the forest and become immersed in the silence of nature. One of its official Earth Walk trails is in Third Creek next to the Travel North Tahoe Nevada IV/CB Welcome

Center; buy an Earth Walk journal and guidebook inside or download a copy from www.sustaintahoe.org. As Sustain Tahoe states on its website, “an hour in nature can significantly reduce your stress levels that foster many illnesses”.

Travel North Tahoe Nevada Welcome Center

Speaking of the newly rebranded welcome center on 969 Tahoe Boulevard, it has started making a focused effort on fostering sustainable and responsible experiences in the Incline Village/Crystal Bay area. Its values include leading innovative, sustainable tourism practices; advocating for solutions to workforce development, retention, and housing; and creating the best visitor experience that causes the least impact to the environment.

In return, one of the ways that community members and visitors can take care of Tahoe is by taking the Traveler Responsibility Pledge. The Pledge includes six key points that strengthen environmental stewardship efforts and how to implement/ share them. The points touch on: being a steward of Lake Tahoe by taking public transportation, supporting local businesses; respecting the environment by “leaving no trace” on the trails and packing out what you pack in; staying up to date on travel advisories and emergency warnings; how to keep wildlife wild; how to prevent wildfires; and traveling with mindfulness and awareness (parking in designated areas, keeping noise down, etc.). Visit www.travelnorthtahoenevada.com to request a travel planner or to learn more about Travel North Tahoe Nevada’s mission, vision, and values.

Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS)

Connecting people of all ages to the wonders of Tahoe’s natural environment, the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science is a member-funded nonprofit science research center headquartered in Incline Village. Its goal is to create a community that understands the natural world around us so that we will be more inclined to take care of it. Scientific research is at the heart of the organization, and since its inception in 2010 TINS has participated in an annual bird banding project to track the post-breeding and migration patterns of Tahoe avians (they’ve banded 6669 birds at six different sites to date) as well as host kids on field trips and guide people on regular nature walks.

Last spring, I went to an early morning bird watching event at Aspen Grove and we walked through the woods with binoculars

as TINS founder Will Richardson pointed out at least 20 different species of tree-flitting singers. TINS will also be hosting an early morning snowshoe hike at Diamond Peak on March 26, 2023, as a preview to the resort’s annual Luggi Foeger Uphill Race. Learn more at www.tinsweb.org.

Tahoe Fund

Comprised of a volunteer 21-member Board of Directors who live and work in industries throughout the Tahoe basin in both Nevada and California, the Tahoe Fund has made great strides in its mission to use the power of philanthropy to improve or keep Tahoe’s environment for all to enjoy. Since the Tahoe Fund was founded, it has worked with local, state, and federal entities to see through important environmental enhancement projects by supporting them with privately raised donations. The most notably recent project that affected Incline Village/Crystal Bay guests and residents was the building of the East Shore Trail. The three-mile paved bike path starts in front of the Tunnel Creek Café and gently winds along the shoreline to Sand Harbor State Park. More than a million dollars was raised to build the 10-ft. wide path.

Along with its multitude of completed and in-the-works environmental enhancement projects, Tahoe Fund also facilitates the “Take Care” campaign and shares fun facts about the area on a weekly basis through its website, www.tahoefund.org.

Look for these upcoming Earth Day events coming up in April:

Incline Village Library Earth Day Wildlife Habitat Box

Creation: Celebrate Earth Day with the Incline Village Library by tuning in to what you see in nature and then crafting your own personal earth shrine filled with things that can further enhance your connection to it and remind you of the special environment we all share. This activity is available to people 10 years or older; pre-registration is required through the Washoe County Library System: www. washoecountylibrary.us.

Tahoe Truckee Earth Day Festival at Palisades Tahoe: Head over to the Village at Palisades Tahoe to enjoy one of the longest standing Earth Day celebrations in the Truckee Tahoe area. Comprised of a full day of environmental education activities along with live music and a fashion show, you are bound to learn something new about Tahoe at this special Earth Day celebration. For more information about this year’s activities, visit www.tahoetruckeeearthday.com.

IVCBA.ORG | 13 | LIVE.WORK.PLAY.

Tahoe Fitness Loft is a boutique fitness studio o ering small group classes, private and semi-private instruction for Pilates Group Reformer, Barre, TRX, Spin and Personal Training. We partner with you to set, achieve and maintain your personal fitness goals in a modern, clean and safe environment.

Classes are o ered 7 days a week. Current class schedule can be seen by visiting our website: www.TahoeFitnessLoft.com

Private sessions can be made by calling for an appointment. 775-548-5002

Single class and group class packages are available for purchase online. Personal consultations are complimentary.

TWO LOCATIONS

Incline Village at the Village Center 760 Mays Blvd. Tahoe City at the Boatworks Mall 760 N. Lake Blvd.

n JUNE 26-30, 2023

Phyllis Shafer

Chris Lanier

Susannah Israel

n JULY 17-21, 2023

Randy Brodnax & Don Ellis

Mary Kenny

Erik Burns

n JULY 10-14, 2023

Randy Brodnax & Don Ellis

Amanda Salov

n JULY 24-28, 2023

Sheri Leigh O’Connor & Rick Parsons

Sharon Virtue

Arthur Gonzalez Visit

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our website for more information unr.edu/lake-tahoe/summer-arts-workshops CO-UNRLT-0302-Mag-Ads-.indd 1 3/2/23 10:20 AM
Building Community Where You LIVE.WORK.PLAY. IVCBA is your local community and business association. Our mission is to grow cohesiveness for the sustainability of Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada. Incline Village Crystal Bay Community & Business Association @ivcba @ivcbaofficial ivcba.org
Pictured on the IVCB Veterans Club float: Bruce Townsend, Forest Lager and Jeff Poindexter
Join Us Incline Village Crystal Bay Community & Business Association Community Supporter Connect with Your Community • Open to EVERYONE! • Join committees and get involved • Receive member-only emails and opportunities $50 Business Member Increase Your Promotional Reach • Reach a greater local audience through our IVCBA website and media • Access to member-exclusive events and opportunities • Inclusion in Merchant Map and Tap into Tahoe Welcome Program $150 – $500 – $1k
Investors Empower IVCBA to Grow its Programs • Prominent advertising in our IVCBA newsletter, website, and media • Access to special VIP updates and exclusive leadership meetings • Support IVCBA and our local agencies and nonprofits $5k – $10k – $25k business.ivcba.org/join-ivcba Check out all of the member perks and join us!
IVCBA Get the Most Out of Get Involved • Inclined to Meet Town Halls • Workforce Transportation & Housing initiatives • Incline Village Main Street beautification and improvements Community Benefits • Local Heroes 4th of July Weekend and Northern Lights Festival • Tap Into Tahoe Welcome Program • Weekly SnapShot Newsletter – delivered straight to your inbox IVCBA.org • Community event calendar • Local news • Job and volunteer opportunities Build a Sustainable Community Build a Thriving Community Incline Village Crystal Bay Community & Business Association @ivcba @ivcbaofficial ivcba.org
IVCBA.ORG | 19 | LIVE.WORK.PLAY. Shahri Masters 775-831-8888 masters@inclineliving.com www.inclineliving.com NV LIC. #B1870 on for the beauty, the lifestyle, and the people. As a third-generation real estate broker, she followed the family path of real estate and construction. Shahri will bring to you a historical perspective as well as in-depth knowledge of the area, of TRPA and development, and of course –The Real Estate Market. E V E N T S J o i n t h e f u n i n 2 0 2 3 ! June 3 September 1 0 2 5 t h A n n u a l F u r B a l l T h e B i g P i c k l e B A R K t o b e r f e s t For detailed information: www.petnetwork.org Join us for an enchanted gala at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. Pet Network is proud to present the first ever charity Pickleball Tournament with IVGID. Beer, brats, and music, all for a fantastic cause Join us at the 3rd annual BARKtoberfest! (775) 832-4404 | info@petnetwork org P E T N E T W O R K H U M A N E S O C I E T Y October 1 2 Pet Network rescued and adopted over 700 animals to loving homes in 2022, thanks to the support of community members like YOU! unr.edu/talks-at-tahoe CO-UNRLT-0302-Mag-Ads-.indd 2 3/2/23 10:20 AM

LAKE TAHOE SCHOOL 25th Anniversary

Launched in 1997 as Incline Academy, this year Lake Tahoe School will celebrate its 25th anniversary as the premier independent K-8 day school in the region.

Founded with a mission of providing an articulated and highly academic course of study, the school continues to develop successful and balanced students with a focus not only on academics but also enrichment in athletics, the arts, and service. With a dedicated faculty and recent expansions to programs and facilities, LTS is poised to thrive as an educational leader in the community.

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From humble beginnings in a church basement the school moved to the current three-story facility on Tahoe Boulevard in 2002. Enrollment grew rapidly during and after the pandemic to a current student body of 235. However the teacher student ratio remains at 8 to 1 with about 20 students per grade and increased middle grade classrooms. The school also provides tuition support to 24% of students, about $1 million per year.

Fourth grade teacher and Performing Arts Coordinator Amory Bundy who has been with the school for all 25 years of its existence. “It’s exciting to be a part of the growth and see things come together,” Bundy says. “The school is always changing to support the needs of kids. I love that we offer a broad spectrum of programs and everyone has a place and can be seen.”

Now, the school’s focus is on enhancing programs, says Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions Kris Nugent. “We want to develop great students and even better people. We provide service learning opportunities throughout the year to ensure students appreciate their learning environment and give back to their community.” A new program for middle grades this year is Winterim. Students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade will travel to the Eastern Sierra, Washington D.C., and Costa Rica, respectively, to participate in service projects and experience the world outside their classroom. Spanish teacher Eric Harssema will lead the 8th grade group to Costa Rica. “Students will

learn about sustainable farming in a cloud forest, participate in three days of community service, and work with local schools.”

As a parent of an LTS alum and two current students, Board of Trustees Chair Rebecca Kassekert feels that the school thrives because of nurturing teachers and their mission to not just educate but instill a love of learning.

“Lake Tahoe School is what it is today because of the deep dedication of staff and faculty to the students and community as well as the support of families and parents, especially Dave and Cheryl Duffield,” says Kassekert.

With the recent completion of Duffield Hall as both a gymnasium and performing space, the school can foster their connection to the community by hosting speakers, workshops, and events. A new library will be installed this summer. LTS Librarian Aly Nugent is excited to work with teachers to support their curriculum and sees the new library as a centerpiece for the school. “It’s not only a place for students to hang out and explore their interests but we can also host community literacy nights and author visits.”

Looking forward, Head of School Robert Graves knows there’s still much work to be done. “Our school community is close and supportive of each other. It’s great when you see kids from different grades walking the halls together or 4th graders reading to the kindergarten students. And the Incline community is best served when all schools, both public and independent, are strong and working together.” Learn

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more at www.laketahoeschool.org

A Guide to Pediatric Ear Infections

Kids’ ear infections are a source of frustration for children, babies, and parents alike. They can be painful and persistent, making them a common reason families visit a care provider. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, by the age of 5, the majority of young children will have an ear infection.

Ear infections develop when bacteria or viruses get in the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum, responsible for transmitting sound. This infection causes congestion and swelling of the nasal passages, throat, and eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat. In children, the eustachian tubes are narrower and more horizontal, making them more prone to inflammation.

Identifying and treating ear infections in children and babies is important because hearing is a key element in speech development and other growth milestones. A child with an ear infection may have trouble hearing, and the problem could continue for several weeks after the infection clears.

Behavioral changes that may signal your child isn’t hearing well include: saying “huh?” or “what?” more than usual, not responding to sounds, having more trouble understanding language in noisy rooms, and turning up the television or radio louder than usual. Signs of ear infections in babies include fever, irritability, poor sleep, and pulling or tugging at ears.

Most ear infections will resolve without medical intervention or with a dose of antibiotics. But in some children, ear infections may become chronic.

To relieve the child’s pain, try applying heat to the outer ear, using a warm (not hot) compress. Pediatric versions of antiinflammatory acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also provide relief, but check with your pediatrician about the right dosing information.

If symptoms persist, or if your child continues to get regular ear infections, talk to your pediatrician about additional steps to treat and prevent them.

Antibiotics may be prescribed if the ear infection does not resolve with more conservative methods. If your pediatrician prescribes an antibiotic, make sure you administer the entire prescription. If you stop the medication too soon, some bacteria could still be present and cause the problem to recur.

If your child gets three ear infections in six months or four in one year, it may be time to consider ear tubes. Ear tubes are tiny cylinders that allow air to move into the middle ear. The tubes, which are implanted during a surgical procedure, provide ventilation and drainage that helps prevent fluid buildup in the ears. Although anesthesia is required, the whole procedure takes about 15 minutes. The tubes usually stay in place for six months to a year, and generally fall out on their own.

Risk of ear infections may be reduced by: breast-feeding, if a viable option; avoid exposing children to smoke, including wood smoke; do not let a child under age 2 lie flat while drinking from a bottle; and make sure your child gets all necessary vaccinations and washes their hands regularly.

Dr. Alex Manteghi is a board-certified ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist with pediatric ENT sub-specialization at Barton ENT. He offers surgical and non-surgical services for pediatric and adult patients by referral. Dr. Manteghi’s pre-recorded Wellness Webinar: “Pediatric Ear Infections” is available at BartonHealth.org/Lecture. To learn more about ear, nose, and throat care, visit www.BartonHealth.org/ENT.

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Bring Your Thoughts, YOUR SOLUTIONS FOR A

Hello Incline Village and Crystal Bay!

I am thrilled to chat with you about the good work that Washoe County is doing to invest in your community with our Washoe Tahoe Transportation Plan. We have been working with you on what you see are the most important multimodal transportation improvements that we should work on for SR 28, local roadways & parking, and walking, biking & transit, and you let us know! We held virtual public meetings in the summer of 2022 and received 243 survey responses and 289 map comments, followed by a great turnout at our Transportation Summit that we held in the fall. We also have been working with your Incline Village/ Crystal Bay Citizens Advisory Board to vet

BETTER

COMMUNITY

all the recommendations that will come to the Board of County Commissioners for approval.

The Washoe Tahoe Transportation website can be found at: https://tahoetransportation-plan-washoe.hub.arcgis.com/.

This report will go to the Board of County Commissioners in April of 2023 and then I will work with my fellow commissioners to budget for all of these roadway improvements for next Fiscal Year. I am committed to improving safety (including ZERO fatalities on our roadways), expanding connectivity for our residents, optimizing mobility & parking, and strengthening the Incline Village and Crystal Bay community’s vitality, and this plan and future investments will help Washoe County achieve this.

www.WashoeCounty.gov

Citizen Advisory Board Meeting Schedule 2023

You are invited to attend the monthly Washoe County Citizen Advisory Board meeting, serving Incline Village and Crystal Bay. We look forward to your participation and voice regarding community driven information and presentations from our local partners. Mark your calendars to attend in-person or via Zoom. Questions? Dial 3-1-1.

1 (*Date changed due to holiday)

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JAN JUL
03 05 FEB AUG 06 07 MAR SEP 06
APR OCT
MAY NOV 01 06 JUN DEC 05 04
Commission District
05
03 02
This schedule subject to change.
*
Incline Village
Crystal
*
Please visit www.WashoeCounty.gov/CABS to see meeting agendas. 5:30 p.m., Incline Village Library Meets 1st Monday of every month, 845 Alder Avenue, Incline Village (Zoom Option Available)
*
/
Bay
Alexis Hill Washoe County Commissioner District 1

GENO’S HOPE FUND

Community Member’s Gift to the Animals Cements Generous Legacy

With the support of our amazing Incline Village community, for over 30 years, Pet Network Humane Society has saved the lives of thousands of animals. In 2022, 700 animals were adopted to loving homes, but the road to “happily ever after” is more costly for some animals than for others. Veterinary care, transfer costs, retaining staff, and shelter upkeep are just a few of the expenses that go into saving lives. Thanks to the enduring legacy of Incline Village community member Geno Menchetti, Pet Network is able to bring hope and healing to animals from overcrowded shelters in desperate need.

Geno’s Legacy

A lifelong animal lover, and twenty-year supporter of Pet Network, Geno was rarely seen around town without his two German Shepherds.

Many Incline Village community members have had the privilege of knowing Geno, and how passionately he felt about animal welfare. His love for animals was only matched by his love of this community. Geno served on the Board of Directors at Pet Network and later as an emeritus board member, lending his time, legal expertise, and love to the animals, which has endured today.

It was his hope that Pet Network would continue to save lives and, with the community’s help, expand our capacity for critical care.

Through Geno’s Hope Fund, Pet Network is addressing urgent and chronic medical issues, giving animals the chance at a loving home they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten. Although Geno is no longer with us and is dearly missed, his generosity of spirit lives on in his gift to the animals. To learn more about Geno’s impact and the Hope Fund visit: www.petnetwork.org/hope.

Geno’s Hope Fund

Geno’s Hope Fund provides high quality, life-saving medical care to our most vulnerable animals. Every animal we rescue receives personalized veterinary services, increasing their quality of life for years to come.

Pet Network Humane Society focuses on growing partnerships with overcrowded shelters and local social service organizations, to make a greater impact on saving dogs and cats within our community and beyond. Thank you Incline Villagers, your support is an integral part of rescuing lives and growing families!

From the animals at Pet Network: we appreciate you for making an impact on each animal and person who have been saved by adoption!

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IVCBA.ORG | 25 | LIVE.WORK.PLAY. MIKE YOUNG 775.771.2391 MIKE.YOUNG@SIR.COM NV BS.29150 | CA 00784148 YOUR LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE ADVISOR

The Next Generation Taking Over

In Incline Village/Crystal Bay, there have been a few instances of people starting a great company as well as a family, prompting the next generation of those entrepreneurs to realize that there’s no better place than Lake Tahoe to continue to run the family business. Here are a few instances that show the next generation taking over.

MOFO’S WITH JUSTIN MORRISON

WWW.MOFOSPIZZA.COM

John Morrison opened MoFo’s Pizza in 1986 naming the restaurant to mean “Mo’ Fo’ Your Money” and his son Justin believes that MoFo’s is still the fairest priced pizza in town. In 2015, his dad sold the business to Justin and moved to Colorado Springs to open a restaurant there.

As the new owner of MoFo’s, Justin expanded its hours to serve lunch six days a week and dinner seven days a week, facilitated a remodel with new light fixtures,

furniture, art, and a revamped kitchen and bathrooms. With the changes that Justin implemented, the summer of 2015 proved to be one of its biggest years ever.

Unfortunately, his father John passed away in 2017 but through that he learned the origin of the family’s famous marinara sauce…it came from his grandfather Walter Morrison who was a P-38 pilot during World War II. He was shot down over Italy and lived with sheepherders in the mountains hiding behind enemy lines when he learned how to make the sauce. Justin plans to put together a map of Italy and family history of this story with more detail to promote in one of their pizzerias.

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Justin does say that the pandemic did affect them, especially in the first three months when they couldn’t be open.

“We went through most of our savings to keep our staff employed,” he says. However, that summer they became busier than they had ever been because of the onslaught of new homeowners that moved to Lake Tahoe.

“We had a killer summer with everyone remote working, and the community helped us a lot,” he says.

Then last December of 2021, Justin had the opportunity to buy a space in the Galena Junction Shopping Center. He opened a second MoFo’s and manages it with his sister, Melissa Negrillo. He says that they work together well and have the same ideas as to how most efficiently run the businesses. Justin is also now married, and his wife Keisha is intricately involved. Negrillo has two young children and when asked if he thinks they will ever take over MoFo’s, Justin replies, “We grew up in the restaurant, but her kids are a little too rambunctious so they’re never in there.

“I’m sure that will change when they get older,” he smiles.

INCLINE BOAT STORAGE WITH MARK MARELICH

WWW.INCLINEBOATSTORAGE.COM

David and Susan Marelich launched Incline Boat Storage in 1989 and their son Mark took over its operations in 2015. However, his parents are still very much involved in the business- Susan still comes in and helps with the financials and his dad pops in occasionally, to give Mark advice and/or to help him work through any issues.

“[The last few years] have gone very well. We had some hiccups because of the pandemic but it didn’t hurt us too much because people still found a way to boat,” Mark says about what’s been going on with the business in the last couple of years.

However, the labor shortage was tough for Incline Boat Storage, as they were down two people this past summer which is a lot for a seasonal job. Luckily, Incline Boat Storage’s mechanics have been with the business for 5-6 years, the yard crew have been there an average of 8-9 years, and the boat launchers have been with Incline Boat Storage for at least three years.

“We’re fortunate for the employees we do have, who’ve stayed with us for a long time. Having good employeesthat’s what makes the business work,” Mark says. He credits his stellar employee retention rate to giving them autonomy in their jobs, empowering them to make their own decisions.

Incline Boat Storage keeps around 200 customers, although the passing of the newest Ordinance 7 restriction last summer also impacted this family business. “We had a small percentage of boat storage owners who did not live in Incline and were able to use the boat ramp as our guests. But the Ordinance 7 restriction said that nonresidents couldn’t launch from Incline anymore, so a few of them sold their boats and left the area. The whole point of the Ordinance 7 revision was to reduce impact to the beaches, but our customers never used the beaches, they were out on the water.”

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Marelich Family Marelich Family

That was the biggest challenge that came with the pandemic, along with low water levels.

When asked if he feels if he is dealing with more challenges this day and age than when his parents started the business, Mark replies, “I think just different ones. It’s always been an issue finding employees being a seasonal business, and [local] bureaucracy always poses a threat in the background. But it is nice to deal with these issues with my parents around.

“And the community has always supported us; the Incline residents are our bread and butter. Despite the challenges, we can still operate our business efficiently and successfully. With my family growing- I have three kids now- I’m thankful that my parents established this business that allows me to live and work in this great place.”

LAKE TAHOE MORTGAGE WITH STEVE BENNETT

WWW.LTMORTGAGE.COM

A mix of having a growing family along with the pandemic caused Meredith Bennett to join Lake Tahoe Mortgage alongside her dad Steve, and now this fatherand-daughter team works together to help their clients secure the best rates on mortgage loans.

Meredith was living in Austin, Texas and working in the financial tech world (helping companies establish IPO’s and go public on the stock market) and had a baby in 2019. And then covid came.

“There was a big unknown of how long this [the pandemic] was going to last and when we could go [to Austin] to see the baby,” Steve says. His other son and daughter-in-law moved back to Incline Village as well and they all worked remotely together in Lake Tahoe- six adults and a baby.

Meredith saw how much fun Steve was having in collaborating with his clients and decided to join him. Lake Tahoe Mortgage is one of the only independent mortgage brokers in town, making it easier for them to offer the lowest interest rates in town.

Steve has been in Incline for 34 years and has had a long connection with real estate-related services. He worked

for First American Title for many years, even joining its computer committee in the early 1990s when the internet made its debut. He ran a couple of internetrelated companies of his own before opening his own mortgage company in 2016.

“In this business, there are large lenders; mortgage bankers have a warehouse of money to loan, but they are kind of limited on their expertise and what products they can sell. They either have a solution or not, while I have more flexibility and the background to find creative options. Meredith grew up around me seeing that; we both have MBAs and financial backgrounds, and can both create backup plans and navigate those harder transactions,” Steve says.

Steve has built up a solid reputation and core group of clients who know that they can always count on Lake Tahoe Mortgage to get the best deal for their needs and it’s also nice that it’s a family business, it being more likely that either Steve or Meredith will be around for the life of the loan.

“You’re always talking to just me or Meredith; you don’t get lost or handed off in the deal,” Steve says. It’s also not surprising to him that Meredith decided to join the business.

“She’s lived in Reno, San Francisco, and going to Austin was a good professional move at the time, but we’ll always be Tahoe people. We have a mantra of being fair to everyone, working hard, and looking out for people’s best interest to build wealth over time.

“I’m not pushy, I keep my head down and do the right thing. The role of the consultant is to tell the client what they need to hear and create a path to get there. And then when I pull a rabbit out of a hat, they’re like, ‘holy cow, how did you do that?’”

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Steve Bennett Meredith Bennett

Advertise in LIVE. WORK. PLAY.

For info on rates please call Kathy Hess-Slocum at 775-846-5656 or email kathy@justimaginemktg.com.

Spring/Summer

Summer/Fall

Weekend Hike Series

Ages 2-8

Location: North Tahoe from the meadows - Incline Village and Sand Harbor - we meet at various trail heads for a day of hiking, art, friendship and outdoor fun.

Hours: Full 9:30-4:30 Half day 9:30-1 or 1-4:30

Cost: $70 full day $50 1/2 day ($85 full day $65 half day -after May 1). snacks included *lunch not provided but can be purchased

Incline Village REALTORS® would like to congratulate Denise Bremer with Sierra Sotheby’s International Realty, who was selected as the 2022 REALTOR® of the year. Jeff Poindexter with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services was chosen as the 2022 Good Neighbor of the Year. And Michael Peyton with Peyton Insurance Agency was selected as the 2022 Affiliate of the year.

DENISE BREMER | REALTOR® OF THE YEAR

The REALTOR® of the Year award recognizes local REALTORS® who demonstrate professional excellence while providing exemplary service to their fellow REALTORS® and the real estate community. Denise Bremer was chosen for her commitment to Incline Village REALTORS®. Denise currently serves as President-Elect and sits on all IVR committees in that role. She also is the current Treasurer/Secretary for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. Denise volunteers weekly with the Sierra Community House and other local charitable organizations.

JEFF POINDEXTER | GOOD NEIGHBOR OF THE YEAR

The Good Neighbor of the Year award recognizes local members who make extraordinary commitments to improving the quality of life in their communities.  Jeff  Poindexter was chosen for his dedication to the Incline Village Crystal Bay Veterans Club, where he is a member of the Board and a past President. He supports Veterans in our local area and Veterans activities in the Reno and Carson Valley areas. Jeff retired as a Military Officer USAF after 22 years of service in classified Military and Intelligence Community Space Systems.  He is married to Peggy Poindexter, he is a father and a grandfather, and has a best bud in his Dog Turbo.

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LICENSED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL nancy.barton@corcorangl.com Cell: 415.302.3920 | Office: 775.831.8400 907 Tahoe Blvd. #20B, Incline Village, NV CA #1766612 | NV BS.0145569 Serving California & Nevada nancy.barton@cbrealty.com Cell: 415.302.3920 | Office: 530.583.5581 475 North Lake Blvd Unit 102 | Tahoe City, CA 96145
Nancy Barton

RADIO DAZE AND THE GHOST OF MARK TWAIN

On a warm Saturday afternoon on Kauai, Hawaii in 1968, 25-yearold McAvoy Layne was washing his car at the Kapa’a Sands Hotel and listening to radio station KTOH broadcast a football game between two local high-school powerhouses. Mac found himself increasingly annoyed by the sloppy play-by-play commentary of the sportscaster who—to add insult to injury—constantly mispronounced the local Hawaiian players’ names.

Fed up, Layne stalked into his office—he was managing the hotel— and called the radio station demanding to speak to the person in charge. He was soon talking to the station manager who asked Mac if he thought he could do a better job, to which ex-marine Layne replied, “Damn straight, I could!” The manager suggested he come to his office on Monday for a chat. By Monday afternoon Mac was the newest employee of radio station KTOH, hired to broadcast all the station’s sporting events beginning the following weekend.

McAvoy first laid eyes on the Island of Kauai in the summer of 1962. As a freshman on the University of Oregon’s swim team, he became a featured member of the team’s traveling “Water Circus.” The team was invited to Kauai on a publicity tour. Layne’s most amazing circus trick was performing a dead-man’s drop from the 10 meter board with a lit cigarette in his mouth, and emerging from the water with the cigarette still burning between his lips. Layne never forgot the beauty of Kauai and vowed to live there one day, and now he did.

It wasn’t long before McAvoy had become one of the most popular radio personalities on Kauai. He was multitalented—had a voice like butter—and became equally adept at calling play-by-play sporting events or hosting entertaining and informative morning shows. He was a skilled interviewer and created clever, off-beat contests that engaged listeners and sold advertising.

By 1970 his phone was ringing with job offers, and he bid farewell to Kauai for the bright lights of Honolulu. His career path took him to KIKI, KORL, and KHAI on Oahu, then to KHLO in Hilo on the Big Island, then to KNUI and KMVI, both on Maui. By 1975 he realized being a well-know radio personality didn’t necessarily translate into being well-paid. And working a morning show till

10am and then surfing and working out for triathlons for the rest of each day was starting to take its toll.

Mac’s brother was living at Lake Tahoe, and in 1975 when the opportunity arose, Mac joined KOWL in South Lake Tahoe. Following the money, he jumped back to KMVI in Maui, then to KESY in Monterey, CA, WOCB in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and back again to KOWL at Tahoe before returning to old standby KNUI in Maui in 1980. By this time, Mac’s father—a wellestablished Orinda, California optometrist—had given up that his number one son would ever outgrow his wanderlust and do something of value that would utilize his God-given talents. Even Mac was starting to wonder.

In the winter of 1983 McAvoy decided to cure a case of islandfever by joining his girlfriend at Lake Tahoe for some downhill skiing, which had been his second love—after swimming—since high school. Susan was a TWA stewardess who suggested they spend a ski week at her cabin in Tahoma on the West Shore. Mac packed his bags and arrived to learn that she had just been given

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a last-minute assignment to crew a flight to Europe, and had to leave immediately. So she dropped Mac off at the cabin and drove off. Without radio or TV Mac built a fire and went to bed early in anticipation of skiing every day until she returned.

The following morning he awoke to discover an overnight blizzard had dumped 5 feet of snow on the neighborhood. He opened the door to a wall of snow; he was trapped! The cabin was well stocked with food and firewood, so he settled down to play darts and read. On the coffee table was a volume entitled, “The Complete Essays of Mark Twain.” Over the next 5 days he read the book cover-to-cover, even memorizing some passages to spout to Susan upon her return. He began to realize this discovery could be the vehicle for both changing his life and bringing knowledge and entertainment to others as not even radio afforded. But how, and when?

Soon after returning to Maui he was back in Incline Village to do the skiing he’d missed on his last trip. On the chair lift at Ski Incline he struck up a conversation with the woman riding next to him who asked what he did professionally. When he told her he hosted the morning show at station KNUI on Maui she asked if he might be interested in doing the same thing at Lake Tahoe. They exchanged contact information, and within weeks he moved to Tahoe City to take a job at a new station soon to open there. But when he arrived to start work he discovered his new station was so new it still had to be built from the ground up! Nailing studs and hanging sheetrock was not what Mac had signed up for. So when he got an offer to join the also new but actually broadcasting station KLKT in Incline Village, he jumped ship and moved. From 1983 until 1988, McAvoy came to distinguish himself as one of the most popular and creative radio personalities around. In his spare time, he was consuming every bit of Mark Twain lore he could find, and practicing short presentations to himself while taking his afternoon jog around the village.

In 1987, Mac finally had the opportunity to showcase his newfound talents to his dad. The occasion was his father’s 75th birthday party at the La Playa restaurant in Carmel, California. It was the first time he donned the now-traditional white suit and powdered white hair. The presentation before a live audience was such a hit it astonished his father and confirmed to Mac that he might have found his calling. Soon

Mac was combining morning radio shows with afternoon Twain presentations in the local schools, having found them to be great laboratories for trying out interesting, amusing, and informative stories about Mark Twain’s adventures.

Soon Mac was in demand as a speaker at all sorts of meetings and public events where as the living Ghost of Mark Twain he reintroduced his audiences to Twain’s contributions to American literature and society. In 1988 when KLKT announced that it was moving to Reno, McAvoy took the opportunity to quit radio forever and devote the rest of his career to bringing Mark Twain to life for audiences all over Nevada, America and indeed the World. Incline Village lost a radio personality, but gained the opportunity to experience in person the wisdom and spirit of the greatest name in American literature, Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Carson City will be celebrating the First Annual Mark Twain Days Festival April 21-23 of this year. McAvoy will be guest of honor and headline several presentations. Mark your calendars. Details at www.marktwaindays.com

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Articles inside

RADIO DAZE AND THE GHOST OF MARK TWAIN

4min
pages 30-31

LAKE TAHOE MORTGAGE WITH STEVE BENNETT

3min
pages 28-29

INCLINE BOAT STORAGE WITH MARK MARELICH

1min
pages 27-28

The Next Generation Taking Over

1min
pages 26-27

Geno’s Hope Fund

1min
pages 24-25

GENO’S HOPE FUND

1min
page 24

COMMUNITY

1min
page 23

Bring Your Thoughts, YOUR SOLUTIONS FOR A

1min
page 23

A Guide to Pediatric Ear Infections

2min
page 22

LAKE TAHOE SCHOOL 25th Anniversary

2min
pages 20-21

Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS)

2min
pages 13-17, 19

Sun Bear Realty & Management

2min
pages 12-13

Local Businesses and Organizations That Help Keep Tahoe Blue

1min
page 12

RICK PARSONS

2min
pages 10-11

Casey Jennings and Lake Tahoe Volleyball Academy

2min
pages 8-10

ROSIE WEBBER The Tahoe Sanctuary

2min
pages 6-7

Thania’s Juice Bar

1min
pages 4-5

THANIA MEDINA Thania’s Juice Bar

1min
page 4

incline village crystal bay

1min
page 3

RADIO DAZE AND THE GHOST OF MARK TWAIN

4min
pages 30-31

LAKE TAHOE MORTGAGE WITH STEVE BENNETT

3min
pages 28-29

INCLINE BOAT STORAGE WITH MARK MARELICH

1min
pages 27-28

GENO’S HOPE FUND

2min
page 24

Bring Your Thoughts, YOUR SOLUTIONS FOR A

2min
page 23

A Guide to Pediatric Ear Infections

2min
page 22

LAKE TAHOE SCHOOL 25th Anniversary

2min
pages 20-21

Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS)

5min
pages 13-17, 19

Sun Bear Realty & Management

2min
pages 12-13

Local Businesses and Organizations That Help Keep Tahoe Blue

1min
page 12

RICK PARSONS

3min
pages 10-11

Casey Jennings and Lake Tahoe Volleyball Academy

4min
pages 8, 10

ROSIE WEBBER The Tahoe Sanctuary

2min
pages 6-7

THANIA MEDINA Thania’s Juice Bar

1min
page 4

incline village crystal bay

2min
page 3
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