Anna Klovstad, Jan Zabriskie for Truckee Town Council
I am supporting Anna Klovstad and Jan Zabriskie for reelection to the Truckee Town Council. I consider them the “dynamic duo” of climate protection for Truckee. They have consistently shown themselves to be tireless supporters of climate action and they take their roles on the town council very seriously. They do their research and consider all sides of an issue before coming to a decision. Please vote for Anna and Jan!
~ Matt Tucker, Truckee, via letter
Anna Klovstad for Truckee Town Council
The last four years have been a particularly challenging time to serve on town council, but Anna Klovstad has served with a strong commitment to making Truckee the best it can be. The issues facing this town are complex, often have no simple solution, and sometimes have strong and divided opinions. Anna has consistently shown a sincere interest in hearing all sides and was particularly masterful managing these complex issues during her tenure as mayor. Anna has won “Best Government Official” three years in a row. I think this says something about an elected official who often finds herself on the receiving end of opposition to what many of us think is important for Truckee. She is tough and she is committed, and she is fair. Please vote to reelect Anna Klovstad this November.
~ Allison Pedley, Truckee, via letter
Deedee Driller for School Board
On Aug. 30, I had the privilege of welcoming our TTUSD students back into their classrooms on the first day of school for the 2022/23 year. Smiles, happy chatter, and positive energy filled the air! Such a momentous time and long-awaited.
Our TTUSD community has worked incredibly hard over the past few years to provide the best learning environment and support for our students amidst such unprecedented conditions. I think everyone heard the word “pivot” daily and everyone did just that! There was not a template to follow nor was there a clear path, but our teams created their own platforms that allowed TTUSD students to launch.
As a school board member, I am also impressed with how our greater community has so powerfully supported youth and families within our district. We have local service groups and businesses that provide scholarships and internships. We have amazing support systems, science classes, nurses, librarians, and much more in place at all our school sites thanks to the passage of Measure AA. It is clear that our community is involved and cares about our students and we are extremely thankful!
We are all so fortunate to live in such a wonderful place with such a connected community. Thank you all so much.
~ Deedee Driller, Tahoe City, TTUSD school board, via letter
Pat Mooney, Denyelle Nishimori, and Deedee Driller for School Board
The decision to run didn’t come easy. I watched in dismay last year when our trustees were verbally attacked and threatened by a loud, small, angry group at board meetings over Covid safety measures, distance learning, teacher staffing, and state orders. It was something I had never seen in my 33 years as an English teacher at Truckee High School. It seemed like the sensible (and possibly safest) thing to do would be for me to step away from all of this and retire.
But I have a 4th grader. He is attending a Tahoe Truckee Unified School District school, and there is an attack on his right to an unfettered and comprehensive public education. If we do nothing, those attacks will succeed. So, I decided I had to step up. For my 4th grader, and every other one of the students in our district. A teacher’s work is never done.
Most of us want the same thing for our kids — strong, quality public schools that give every student the freedom to reach their potential. Our school board must partner with parents and educators to expand, not limit, learning opportunities for students.
Your vote for the school board has never been more critical. Vote for experience. Vote for commitment. Vote for candidates who will protect our students’ rights to learn. Learn who they are and where they come from. Truckee is a small town and if we want our children to find their place in the world that lies beyond our town limits, we cannot restrict the learning that will help them find it.
Vote for Pat Mooney, Denyelle Nishimori, and Deedee Driller.
~ Patrick Mooney, Truckee, via letter
Mary Hetherington, Chris Henderson for Truckee Tahoe Airport District
I am writing to express my opinion on why our community needs to elect Mary Hetherington and Chris Henderson to the Truckee Tahoe Airport District board. Mary has served on the airport board for four terms and is consistently the most proactive board member supporting our community’s interests. Mary is committed to our community, combating noise, annoyance, and safety issues caused by the airport by all means possible. She is keenly aware of the dramatic increase in traffic, particularly large jets, and is actively working to direct these planes away from our neighborhoods. The TTAD receives more than $7 million in tax dollars annually, and much of this money goes to subsidize airport operations. It is time for airport users to financially support their own operations while generating income that can go back to our community. In 2021, Mary pushed for a financial study that highlighted several areas the airport is wasting our tax dollars to subsidize the luxury activities of a minority. Mary has proven that she will take the necessary steps to limit the airport’s impact, while ensuring it counters those impacts through supporting community initiatives.
Chris Henderson comes from a financial background and will bring that knowledge to turn the airport into an asset to the community. He’s spent the time to research the fiscal study championed by Mary and sees the inefficiencies that our tax dollars support. Chris is committed to shifting the financial burden of airport operations to those who fly in and out of Truckee, and away from those of us who live here. Additionally, Chris understands that constant air traffic over our homes is disruptive and represents a safety hazard. He will work with Mary to hold the airport financially responsible while working to shift air traffic away from our neighborhoods.
~ Collin Butcher, Truckee, via letter
Debate Positions, Not Human Beings
Personal attacks against local candidates have found their way into our regional elections, where I feel they have no place.
And I hope I’m not alone.
Instead of letting candidates debate honestly and stand on their own positions and ideas, we have seen organizations tilted up during an election cycle to pool money to oppose given candidates.
One local 501(c)(3) organization violated the requirements of its nonprofit status when its president emailed the membership urging them to vote for specific candidates.
There have even been personal emails from an individual trying to discourage others from supporting certain candidates, one of whom beat the email sender in a previous election.
Where does this end?
We must stop this bullying right now. Some of those who are watching rely on us to set examples.
Let’s not beat down those who advocate for our residents and our region. We can disagree on positions and maybe even priorities; but we are now manufacturing opposition simply because we have seen it work in national elections.
Let’s debate positions, perspectives, and ideas, not human beings. If you see an incumbent whose track record seems weak, or a new candidate whose ideas seem superficial or regurgitated, vote accordingly. But leave the human beings out of it. After the election is over, we all need to live together.
We will not solve the threats of wildfire, the effects of over-tourism, or the shortage of workforce housing by turning our elections into personal battlegrounds. Our regional elections should be about choosing who will best represent the interests of our entire community. They should never be about control, or personal vendetta.
~ David Diamond, Truckee, via letter
Why Strange Striping on Glenshire Drive?
It seems the team striping the newly paved Glenshire Drive has been reincarnated from the team that did State Route 89 between Truckee and Squaw a few years back. The strips aren’t straight; they zigzag around; turn lanes are a mess; and now a double white line for the bike lanes exists. Who is responsible for this as they have been painted over multiple times now? The road itself is great, but the stripes … well, not so great. What happened here?
~ Paul Bradshaw, Truckee, via letter
In response to High Cost of Speed
Slow Down; Save a Life
Thank you for the “High Cost of Speed” article in the September/October issue. I have lived here for nine years. During that time, and especially in the last few years, we have seen a pretty dramatic increase in speeding, particularly in our residential neighborhoods. We have had several dangerous incidents and many more close calls. Yes, Truckee is growing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean our community culture has to change. Thank you for being the voice of consciousness, and for keeping this issue in front of the community.
~ Brad Johnson, Truckee, via letter
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