News Briefs
Teenager Dies in Skiing Accident at Alpine Meadows Amid Six Incident Responses that Day at Palisades’ Two Locations
OLYMPIC VALLEY
Sunday, Feb. 13, at around 2 p.m., two teenage skiers collided on Yellow Trail on the Alpine side of Palisades Tahoe, resulting in the death of 16-year-old North Tahoe High School sophomore Scotty Lapp. The incident was one of six that the Olympic Valley Fire Department responded to that Sunday at Palisades resorts, three at Alpine Meadows and three at Palisades Resort, OVFD chief Allen Riley told Moonshine Ink. He added that the resorts are part of the North Tahoe Fire Protection District’s jurisdiction, but that the OVFD provides mutual aid.
The other teenage boy in the collision, 16-year-old Jude Nolan, was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno via Care Flight and is said to be recovering there, both the OVFD and Palisades (in a statement) confirmed. Scotty was a member of the Palisades Tahoe Big Mountain Competition Team and Jude is a member of the Olympic Valley Freestyle and Freeride Team.
“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the deceased and injured, as well as the entire Team Palisades Tahoe community,” reads a statement from Palisades, which continues to explain that “a crisis counselor was on-site yesterday to comfort the boys’ teammates, and we will continue to provide services and resources to help those who are grieving.” Alex Spychalsky, public relations manager at Palisades, confirmed that the Summit Chair lift was closed at around 2 p.m. for a short time during and following the accident.
OVFD’s Riley confirmed that the other resort call the department assisted with at Alpine Meadows on Feb. 13 was responding to a 16-year-old girl who suffered head and neck injuries. The three responses Riley said occurred at the Palisades mountain location involved adults aged 28, 49, and 54 with a head injury, a wrist injury, and a head and neck injury, respectively.
Palisades’ Spychalsky said that Scotty’s death was the second fatality at the resorts this year, with the first death occurring Jan. 26 at 12:47 p.m., when Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol found a 74-year-old Olympic Valley man unconscious at the bottom of the West Face trail off the KT-22 Express chair lift. Preliminary findings by the ski patrol’s investigation indicated the man suffered a trauma-induced cardiac arrest. He was not wearing a helmet and likely suffered significant head trauma from high-speed impact with at least one tree. The man was transported to the base area via troop carrier, while ski patrol and OVFD personnel continued to administer CPR and life-saving efforts. Under medical direction from Tahoe Forest Hospital, the man was pronounced deceased at 1:22 p.m. at the base area.
A public gathering to celebrate Scotty Lapp’s life was held Friday, Feb. 18, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Olympic Valley Lodge. A GoFundMe campaign has been created by Mark Holmstrom, a friend of the Lapp family, in Scotty’s name to help fund a skate park in Tahoe City which will be “a place for many to reflect, to learn, to move, to make new friends, and to be inspired,” he wrote on the page.
Holmstrom has been in contact with the family about the skate park project, and expressed in an update that the Lapps said they are “honored” with the outpouring of support (with an original goal of $60,000, the GoFundMe has as of this publication raised $198,810 of a current goal of $200,000). “I love the fact that there are so many kids who are giving what they can at any amount,” wrote Holmstrom in the update.
~ BL
Drones Will Replace Fireworks at 2022’s Independence Day Celebrations
NORTH TAHOE
Incline Village and Crystal Bay will debut a new way to celebrate the 4th of July this year, with a drone ‘SkyShow’ lighting up the night sky in celebration of the holiday. The decision to tackle the innovative approach was made in consideration of fire and environmental risks posed by a pyrotechnic fireworks display. The celebration, dubbed the ‘Incline Village Crystal Bay July 4th SkyShow,’ is a joint effort between Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau, the Incline Village General Improvement District, the Incline Village Crystal Bay Community & Business Association, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, and the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation.
The SkyShow is part of a larger 4th of July celebration being planned that will include a traditional parade and various community events. Final details about the festivities are being finalized in the coming weeks.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year. Other marquee events, including Super Bowl LII, have begun to adopt drone show shows as an alternative to traditional fireworks displays. The change has drawn support from local fire officials and community organizations.
“The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District is here to protect and assist our community. With that, we support pivoting to a safer celebration program for the 4th of July holiday with the Incline Village Crystal Bay SkyShow,” said Ryan Sommers, NLTFPD fire chief. “As we all experienced and witnessed the effects of the Caldor Fire, we know there is no such thing as fire season, it is year-round; we need to be vigilant with our fire prevention measures not just during the summer months, but all year long.”
Learn more by visiting ivcbskyshow.org.
~ IVCBVB press release
Board Confirms Redistricting Map
WASHOE COUNTY
On Feb. 9, in a second hearing to revise the county ordinance related to voting districts, the Washoe County Board of Commissioners adopted the recommended district map. Per Nevada state law, the county must review voting districts after the decennial census in order to ensure comparable populations among districts. Washoe County’s population grew by about 65,000 residents from 2010 to 2020. Find proposed new district boundaries on this map.
~ Washoe County newsletter
TDPUD Authorizes Sale of Carbon Credits, Acknowledges Legacy Trail Extension Project
TRUCKEE
During its Feb. 2 meeting, the Truckee Donner Public Utility District Board of Directors authorized staff to sell California Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits to fund the district’s existing and planned electric vehicle charger rebates and programs. The initial sale is expected to raise about $150,000 to support TDPUD programs and customers. The sale of LCSF credits must be used on transportation electrification programs.
Brian Wright, TDPUD’s general manager, also acknowledged the Town of Truckee council and staff for the collaborative effort to move forward on an extension of the Truckee River Legacy Trail across from Truckee Hilltop, which includes crossing TDPUD property.
~ TDPUD update
Washoe County Eliminates Office of the Constable
INCLINE VILLAGE
After a review of duties and responsibilities of the office of constable in Incline Village, Washoe County’s board of commissioners voted 3 to 2 to abolish the office. Other constables’ offices in Washoe County were abolished in 1998 as their roles in civil cases became obsolete with the expansion of local law enforcement. Most duties of the constable are routinely conducted by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, including executing warrants, arresting offenders, and issuing citations. The former role of constable also collaborated with the Incline Village Justice Court to monitor and administer substance abuse tests to pre-trial defendants and conduct civil services such as evictions, temporary protection orders, and red flag legislation.
The office will close when the current constable’s term expires, Jan. 2, 2023.
~ Washoe County newsletter
Business Briefs
Truckee-Based Coffeebar Opens Eighth Location
RENO
Coffeebar opened its third Reno location on Feb. 7. The popular coffee hub has been a Truckee institution since Greg Buchheister opened the first location there in 2010, and now the company has eight locations, including two in Truckee, one in Olympic Valley, three in Reno, two in Menlo Park, and one in Redwood City.
Visit coffeebar.com/pages/origin to read the story of the evolution of the eight stores and the personal journey, including the tragic loss of a son and tough business times due to Covid-19, that has led Buchheister to the success story Coffeebar is today.
Coffeebar sells wholesale beans and offers the option to order online at coffeebar.com. The new Reno location is at 9620 S. McCarran Blvd., open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reach the cafe at (775) 384-2671.
~ BL
WinterWonderGrass Announces Expanded Shows After Tickets Sell Out
OLYMPIC VALLEY
WinterWonderGrass is set to return to California from April 1 to 3 at Palisades Tahoe resort. On Jan. 19, the festival shared its larger-than-ever Grass After Dark late night series, offering 10 distinct shows over five venues throughout the weekend. Tickets to all separately-ticketed late night shows are on sale now. Weekend passes, single day Friday and Saturday tickets, and VIP passes to the festival have completely sold out, but fans can still join the waitlist for re-sale tickets via the festival’s official fan-to-fan ticket exchange, powered by Lyte.
This season, Grass After Dark will take place across five venues throughout the North Lake Tahoe region — Olympic Village Lodge, Moe’s Original BBQ, Plaza Bar, Alibi Ale Works, and Tahoe National Brewing Co.
Get tickets for Grass After Dark, and limited festival tickets, here; see full line up here.
~ WinterWonderGrass press release
