In response to The Golden Years of Tahoe Donner
Fond TD Memories Stirred
Our little family moved to TD in the summer of ’79. It was a wonderland to raise our sons there and [our] community of friends was very special. The Tahoe Donner Babysitting Co-Op had 18 families and was so much fun for kids and families … a very dynamic group.
Our family used every facility offered. We went swimming all the time, and made an effort to go very early on Sunday mornings when we had the pool to ourselves. We played tennis. Kids learned to ski at the Ski Bowl and were in little race team there. We kept a horse at the stable (me and the kids loved to be there). We cross-country skied the open hillsides and sledded them too. Dad and the kids played lots of golf. We loved the little Prosser stream area and camped a few times in the campground. And the Clubhouse is where we held our company Holiday Party. We ran our general contracting business, Western Mountain Construction Co. from the DeliMart complex for over 20 years. We lived there until 2007 (with a few years on acreage out by Prosser). I will always have the fondest of memories of Tahoe Donner.
~ Teri Lindsay, Truckee, via Facebook
In response to coverage of trash, plastic, and the environment
Waste Solutions
Recently, I have been putting all my food waste in paper bags with some newspaper. By separating the smelly stuff from regular trash, it has been surprising how much further regular trash goes without taking it out. It’s a sort of way to compost without having to dig it in the ground.
It still blows me away that it’s been since the ‘90s that we know that plastics are a problem. Especially near a lake. We still have grocery stores like Raleys and others where they still offer plastic bags, and this is the norm. It’s all about convenience, right? One-time-use water bottles still seem to be the norm as well. We need to campaign in a bigger way to have our visitors work toward alternatives, like offering Tahoe permanent water bottles and getting the message to them somehow so next time I see a tourist come out of the store, I don’t see the typical case of water and 11 plastic bags worth of goods. If only they would not manufacture this stuff in the first place!
~ Kurt Kalinna, Incline Village, via letter
In response to No Housing, No Employees in the June edition
Crucial Coverage
Great work by [author Melissa] Siig and the whole Moonshine Ink team.
~ Jason Paladino, Truckee, via Instagram
In response to Hospitality Needs to Work Both Ways, a My Shot by Alicia Barr originally published online on July 21 and reprinted in the August edition
Focus on Housing
Honestly, the largest problem is housing. Many long-term residents have been forced out of their housing due to the property owners wanting to sell in this market that has increased property values beyond what they ever thought they might sell for 10 years from now. Hourly workers need housing, and the affordable housing either [requires a] waitlist, is far beyond affordable, or has contingencies that some hard-working residents do not meet.
I know many people that commute from Reno daily, and I have seen many walk out of jobs here due to rude customers. [They feel] helpless because they have done all they can and are yelled at while understaffed, overworked, and not being able to do anything but show up and try to put a smile on. It wears on you mentally. So, that being said: Be patient, be understanding, and show appreciation with words and adequate compensation. Thank you!
~ Susan Wahl, Truckee, via Instagram
In response to climate change and natural disasters
Heat Waves, and Climate Change, and Wildfires … Oh My!
The heat we are experiencing, while not nearly as record-breaking as what the Northwest is currently enduring, is a reminder that climate change is not some future threat but is happening now. The serious consequence of this heat: It compounds the wildfire danger by drying out our vegetation and soil. Meanwhile, the entire West of the U.S. (including the Tahoe region) is also in the grip of a multiyear mega drought that has dramatically increased the risk of wildfire. Of course, we’re all concerned about the risk of wildfire to our community and ourselves, but even if disaster doesn’t strike our immediate vicinity this year we will almost certainly experience a far worse-than-normal smoke season.
Not only does this limit our ability to enjoy the outdoor recreation activities for which many of us moved to Tahoe/Truckee, it detrimentally affects the health of the young, the old, and those of us with breathing issues, and also reduces tourist visitation, directly impacting local businesses. The good news is that there is a practical solution to climate change. Putting a federal price on carbon at the source and returning the revenue to households in the form of a dividend would quickly reduce our country’s carbon emissions, create jobs, improve the economy, and save lives from air pollution (not only by reducing the pollution resulting from the burning of fossil fuels but also by lessening the risk of wildfire and the associated smoke). Please consider writing or calling your senators and congressperson today to ask them to support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR2307) which would do just that!
~ Matt Tucker, Truckee, via letter
In response to Joe Biden is No Radical, But …
Thanks For Highlighting Rationality
I wanted to thank you for producing the misinformation-busting column on Biden’s proposals. I was really impressed with the calm description of Biden’s plans with comparison of Democratic versus Republican takes on these issues. I still frequently see people, policies and institutions described as “communist,” and appreciated the humorous way that Mr. vonKaenel kept highlighting the unlikelyhood of socialist ideology being the motivating factor behind common-sense proposals.
Maybe Mr. vonKaenel could write something about the Covid vaccine that would motivate some of our unvaccinated neighbors to consider the good of the country as a whole by contributing to vaccinated herd immunity instead of their narrow self interests, often based on misinformation propoganda.
~ Rick Needham, Tahoe Vista, via letter
In response to Glenshire tree removal
How Loud Must We Cry to Be Heard by Town Staff and Council?
The roadway vegetation management project, currently underway in Truckee, is leaving a trail of sad, irreparable damage in its wake. Over 500 residents have signed a petition asking for re-evaluation using fire science and expert opinion. We want our neighborhoods to be as fire safe as possible. We also want to be environmentally conscious. I, along with many other residents, have pleaded with town council to reassess the project since it began in April. We have written letters, commented at council meetings, and begged to have this on the agenda for discussion and proper study to be done for thinning trees and removing true ladder fuels that would impede egress in the event of disaster. Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Glenshire has lost too many mature, healthy trees to count. What is left behind is cheat grass, low lying shrubs, and dead fallen trees along roadsides. Roads, houses, and yards are now hotter and will need to use more water and will be needing air conditioning. The town 10-foot right-of-way is now dry and ugly. We have spoken with experienced fire professionals that say this is not the right approach and has done nothing to improve the defensibility of the properties who have lost so much. Nevada County is doing a similar project cutting all low-lying shrubs, weeds, and grasses, and thinning smaller trees. They are not clear cutting everything within 10 feet of the road. The decision makers on this project are not qualified to make these decisions for all of Truckee’s residents. The damage will be irreparable in our lifetimes. Please write to council at townoftruckee.com/government/town-council or comment before the next town council meeting August 10 (townoftruckee.com/government/town-council/guide-to-town-council-meetings) or in person at 5 p.m. on the same date before it is too late.
~ Stacie Smith, Truckee, via letter
