Ah…summertime. The days get longer and we get some breathing space back in our lives. Extra time is the ultimate incubator for one of man’s most prized possessions: ideas.
In the end, though, a good idea is only as good as the effort put behind it. This edition of Moonshine Ink features concepts that are getting serious traction due to local sweat equity.
I’ve rounded up a few quotes to inspire your creative juices and tied them to Moonshine stories that highlight good homegrown ideas. Bon appétit!
Eau de Tahoe
“You get ideas when you ask yourself simple questions. The most important of the questions is just, What if…?” ~ Neil Gaiman, author
Move over Grey Goose, here comes something cleaner. Tahoe Blue Vodka, the brainchild of South Lake Tahoe resident Matt Levitt, was inspired by Lake Tahoe’s purity. Gazing at the clear water, Levitt asked himself if he could tie that clarity in with quality liquor. The result is a product that’s spreading like firewater in a dry county. See story, here.
Fundraising, Five Ways
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” ~ John Steinbeck, author
Like most business owners, Cedar House Sport Hotel proprietor Patty Baird does a lot to support local nonprofits. But she sought to develop a fundraising event that went beyond the usual format of donated silent auction items and schmoozing time. Her ideas started multiplying like bunnies: she converted Tahoe into a verb, launched the #HowDoYouTahoe hashtag campaign, and linked it all to a speaker series. See story, here.
Land Swaps 2.0
“The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.” ~ Alfred Whitney Griswold, educator
Land swaps, a development concept that involves a “trade” of land, usually private for public, are controversial and onerous. Case in point: a landowner wants to trade some of his Ponderosa Ranch land for a Carnelian Bay public easement piece. A Pandora’s box of questions ensues. Meanwhile, a similar but less controversial idea has taken root, but involves a switch of the intangible — a transfer of development rights. See story one here, and story two here.
~ What’s your bright idea? Let me below.
