‘No Name’ Valley to Alpine Gondola Officially Announced
OLYMPIC VALLEY
As part of a $207 million capital improvement project investment by parent resort mountain company Alterra, the B2B (Base-to-Base) Gondola slated to connect Alpine Meadows and what’s now called Squaw Valley (the resort announced last June it will be changing its name, but has yet to officially state a new one) will begin construction this summer. Other resorts under the Alterra umbrella set to receive part of the investment are Steamboat in Colorado, Deer Valley Resort in Utah, and Mammoth Mountain in California.
Alterra describes the Squaw/Alpine gondola as “state-of-the-art and highly anticipated,” and explained in a release that it “will take skiers and riders between the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows bases in approximately 16 minutes, currently a seven-mile drive.” The gondola will feature 8-passenger cabins and provide the capacity to move 1,400 people per hour between resort base areas. The project’s $60 million construction budget includes two main terminals, two mid-stations, and additional base area improvements.
~ BL
Hacienda is No More
TAHOE CITY
In what’s described on their website as “an abrupt change,” North Shore Mexican restaurant Hacienda del Lago shut its doors unexpectedly on April 29. Restaurant owner Rhonda Gramanz-Kearns told the Ink that the establishment “was not given a reasonable renewal” of their lease and made the difficult decision to close down.
MJD Capital Partners owns the Boatworks Mall where Hacienda was located, and transition appears to be on the horizon for the whole property. Gramanz-Kearns said “words cannot express” the level of appreciation and gratitude the Hacienda team has for its community.
~ BL
Businesses Raise $1 Million for Tahoe
TAHOE CITY
The Tahoe Fund’s $1 initiative is fueled by guest-driven donations, collected by partner resorts, restaurants, and other local businesses. Funds surpassed the one million dollar mark as of April 6. The $1 for Tahoe program was started to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Tahoe’s extraordinary environment. Participating local businesses collect single dollars from their guests through their purchases of lift tickets, hotel accommodations, food and drink, and other items. Donations collected are then contributed to the Tahoe Fund’s efforts to support hiking and biking trails, watershed restoration projects, and environmental stewardship programs, among other aims.
$1 for Tahoe partners include: Alpen Sierra Coffee, Bar of America, Big Blue Adventure, Blue Angel Cafe and Catering, Caliente, Edgewood Tahoe, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, Julia Szendrei Jewelry, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Lakeside Inn and Casino, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, Lake Tahoe Yoga, Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa, Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, Native To This Place, Northstar California Resort, PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, Raley’s, Riva Grill, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Tahoe Exclusive Vacation Rentals, Tahoe Getaways, Tahoe South, West Shore Cafe, and WinterWonderGrass.
Learn more about this program and the Tahoe Fund at tahoefund.org. If you are a business that is interested in joining the $1 for Tahoe program, contact Amy Berry at aberry@tahoefund.org.
~ Tahoe Fund press release
All Hail the Queen, On Draft Now
INCLINE VILLAGE
When Alibi Ale Works opened Incline Public House in 2019, the owners quietly installed two beehives on the roof. Former Alibi brewer and longtime Tahoe beekeeper Christopher Tuck, aka the bee whisperer, helped set up the hives and continues to teach the ways of the bees. Alibi now has four hives.
While excited to be able to generate their own honey from the bees and native plants around the pub, Alibi was just as stoked to do its small part to combat the global collapse of bees and other pollinators, which the company recognizes as one of the biggest crises of this century. There was also great interest in creating a line of beers 100% fermented with wild yeast and bacteria native to their home base in North Lake Tahoe.
Alibi took advantage of the fruits of the bees’ labor, collecting samples of things like raw honey, honeycomb, pollen, and even dead bees from the hives. They were added to unfermented beer, called fresh wort, and became six mini fermentation tests. After much trial and error, the end result is The Queen — 500 gallons with the aromatic properties of a Hefeweizen and the acidic profile of a wild farmhouse ale. The Queen is described as tart, yet round, with aromas of raw honey and a touch of banana and bubble gum — and she’s only available on draft for a limited time at all Alibi Ale Works locations.
~ Alibi Ale Works press release
Alpenglow Gives Back to Books
TAHOE CITY
Alpenglow Sports announced the Community Book Initiative for the month of May, during which 100% of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit organization Little Free Library. In collaboration with 10 community- and environmentally-minded residents, the Tahoe City shop has assembled 20 titles that are designed to motivate, educate, and inspire, as well as foster dialogue and engagement. Topics include environmental, social, and adventure-related issues.
Alpenglow Sports’ Tahoe City location has existed in the space for 42 years, often putting on events like the Winter Speaker Series and Mountain Festival. “Since the shop has only allowed five customers into the shop during Covid, there is oftentimes a line outside,” the release explained, adding that their focus on events while also offering retail has made this time difficult.
Simultaneously, the store’s own staff was struggling with the many polarizing and divisive issues gripping the country. As they attempted to cope, understand, and learn “in order to become better community members and humans,” Alpenglow’s book buyer and lead boot fitter Jason Layh came up with the idea for the new Community Book Initiative.
The fundraiser will continue each spring, with a different charity chosen annually. This year’s benefit will run through the month of May, and the recommended titles are available for purchase both online at Alpenglow’s website and in-person at the store in Tahoe City.
~ Alpenglow press release
Alpine Parrot Brings Hiking Pants to the People
COLORADO/TAHOE
Alpine Parrot is a company working “to make outdoor clothing available in sizes worn by more than half the population, featuring models that span the races and ethnicities that call our planet home.” The new company’s kickstarter explains that 68% of American women wear a size 14 or up, with the average size being a 16/18. “And yet, as of spring 2020,” the site continues, “less than 10% of the clothing sold in outdoor retail stores is available in these sizes. The outdoors is our happy place, but it can be hard to access when technical clothing that fits is hard or impossible to find.”
Alpine Parrot’s mission is to create outdoor clothing that encourages and celebrates underrepresented people in the outdoors, namely people of size and people of color, starting with its first product, the Ponderosa Pants.
~ Alpine Parrot materials
Sprouts Opens at Public Market May 12
RENO
Sprouts Farmers Market will open its first store in 2021 and third store in the Reno-Sparks area at 299 East Plumb Ln. on Wednesday, May 12 at 7 a.m., part of the redeveloped Reno Public Market retail center.
The first 200 customers will receive 20% off their total initial purchase, and every shopper on opening day will receive a free reusable shopping bag. Local patrons can also enter to win a $500 Sprouts gift card by visiting the Reno store location page. Sprouts is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
~ Sprouts press release
Sugar Bowl Launches Design Contest
DONNER SUMMIT
Draw. Paint. Sketch. Illustrate. Crayons. Chalk. Stencil. Pencil. Digital art. Whatever the method or the media, creatives of all experience levels ages 13 and up are invited to submit their best original design for next season’s Sugar Bowl X Coal Headwear passholder beanie contest. The goal? Win over the judges, become the fan favorite, turn your custom artwork into an exclusive beanie design and win an unrestricted 2021/22 Sugar Bowl Resort season pass or $500 cash and a $100 Coal Headwear gift card.
Sugar Bowl Resort kicked off the Header Designer Beanie Design Contest in April and will accept submissions through June 11, 2021. All entries will be reviewed and voted on by an expert panel, including Coal’s lead designer Mat Savage and Corey Smith, founder of Springbreak Snowboards, to narrow down the best 6-10 designs. Artwork submitted by the finalists will be shared online at sugarbowl.com/beanie for the public to review and vote, with the winner to be announced on July 1, 2021. The winning design will be featured on Sugar Bowl and Coal digital platforms including blog posts, social media, and websites.
~ Sugar Bowl press release
CCMedia Turns 30
RENO
CCMedia is a female-owned media buying and publishing company, founded by Laura Partridge in Reno and Truckee in 1991. When the company began, the only media options were print, TV, radio, and outdoors, such as billboards. The agency incorporated digital advertising over a decade ago, and now purchases media of all types locally, regionally, and nationally. CCMedia currently also publishes five area homeowner’s association magazines including ArrowCreek, Incline Village, Tahoe Donner, NorthStar, and Glenshire.
“Surviving through the past year of the pandemic was not easy, but the company is now thriving, having just added additional staff members, rounding out a team of 14 incredible individuals,” stated a press release. Contact CCMedia for inquiries at (775) 327-4200, on their site at cc.media, or email Partridge at Laura@cc.media.com.
~ CCMedia press release
Moving In, Moving On, Moving Up
Visit Truckee-Tahoe Hires Brand and Stewardship Communications Manager
TRUCKEE
Truckee local Siobhan Kenney joined Visit Truckee-Tahoe in February 2021 as brand and stewardship communications manager. In this new role, Kenney will help shape a new vision for sustainable and responsible tourism.
Originally from coastal New Jersey, Kenney headed west after graduating with a bachelor’s in geology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon moving to Truckee in 2016, Kenney quickly became immersed in the community, working for local restaurants such as Truckee Tavern & Grill and The Pub at Donner Lake, and then as an outdoor gear specialist and marketing director for Tahoe Mountain Sports for four years.
Kenney embodies the Truckee spirit as an avid backcountry skier and trail runner, and has completed several supported and unsupported ultra-marathons in recent years. She currently lives in Glenshire with her partner, a ski patroller at Sugar Bowl Resort; her dog, Kaya, a rescue from the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe; and her cat, Luna.
~ Visit Truckee-Tahoe press release
North Tahoe Public Utility District Welcomes Recreation and Community Event Supervisor
KINGS BEACH
The North Tahoe Public Utility District has announced the addition of Matt Davis as the district’s new recreation and community event supervisor.
In this role, Davis will lead the development of the district’s major recreational programs and specialty offerings such as senior, adult, and youth recreation activities, active sports, special events, and fitness classes available at the North Tahoe Events Center. He will also oversee local neighborhood engagement, capacity building, and general promotion of the district’s recreation activities and community events.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join this unique district,” said Davis. “I look forward to learning what residents and visitors want to see and experience, and I’m excited to create recreation programs that serve the community.”
Davis can be reached via email at mdavis@ntpud.org or by phone at (530) 546-4212.
~ NTPUD press release
Pet Network Humane Society Announces New Executive Director
INCLINE VILLAGE
After a comprehensive nationwide search, the Pet Network Humane Society board of directors announced the hiring of Simi Balter as executive director.
Balter comes to Pet Network after working with Canine Companions for Independence, where she served as the executive director of the Southwest Region in Oceanside. Her development and operations experience and exceptional leadership skills set Balter apart, and the organization hopes she will bring guidance to Pet Network’s plans to expand its life-saving capacity and increase the support it provides to the local community.
~ Pet Network press release
