Park your car and walk around
We live in Kings Beach. We walk in Kings Beach. We visit friends, grab a bite to eat, or relax by the lake. We also own cars, about 700,000 miles (not all ours) of which sits in our driveway. We are not very fond of the automobile, however they have become a near necessity to meet the expectations of our demanding society. This ‘necessity’ however should be evaluated be each and every one of us. As they say sometimes we need to ‘stop and smell the flowers’!
Modern cities and communities have been planned around the automobile, lacking basic goods and services historically provided nearby. We are a country plagued by pollution, poor health and care, and pseudo lifestyles. Most of us refuse to get out of our cars because of the daily ‘necessities’ that sculpt our lives. In the meantime thousands of people survive without their own automobiles, most in existing walkable communities.
There is this notion that driving is a right, not a privilege. That ever-increasing traffic can and should be accommodated. That poor planning and unsustainable lifestyles should be rewarded, and paid for with taxpayer money. What is lacking here is direct accountability of our actions for the good of society. Our actions tend to promote the excess rather than encourage moderation.
Kings Beach is and forever will be a walkable community. We have chosen to put our main street on a diet for your own benefit. We will reward you with safety and a better pedestrian environment and save you wear and tear on your automobile. Come park your car, smell the flowers and you just might like it.
~ Mike and Pam Lefrancois, Kings Beach
Required reading to understand local schools
As a Trustee for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for the excellent piece Terray Sylvester wrote regarding No Child Left Behind in the June/July issue. It was extremely well written and it captured the complexity of the issue and how it impacts our local educational system better than anyone has ever done. It was objective and fair and gave voice to several perspectives.
It should be required reading for anyone who really wants to understand the challenges and opportunities we face in our efforts to provide the best education possible to our children.
~ Bill Kraus, TTUSD Trustee
Need Non-toxic Home
I am moving to Truckee in order to live near my parents. My medical condition has made it very difficult for me to find housing adequate for my needs. I became disabled with Environmental Illness 10 years ago after a series of mold and pesticide exposures in Los Angeles. My illness makes me sensitive to small amounts of chemicals most individuals would not consciously notice. I need a place to live with concrete, tile, or granite floors, with good indoor air quality – non-toxic paint, insulation materials, etc. I need a structure older than five years old, unless it has been built to be non-toxic. It is also important for me to be away from any open gas or propane pilot within my living unit. Is there anyone in Truckee that might help me create such a space for myself? I am on disability, so my funds are limited, but I could pay up to $1,100 a month or so. Thank you for your concern. Contact me at suzannelippuner@yahoo.com.
~ Suzanne Lippuner
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