Before I became Mark Twain and embarked upon a thirty-five-year journey, I was Jim Thorpe, Member of the Sac & Fox Nation, and the best athlete in the world. But let me explain…
In the fourth grade I went to the Orinda Theater with my brothers to see “The Jim Thorpe Story” starring Burt Lancaster. In that movie, a young Jim Thorpe misses his school bus, and races that bus to school. He runs over hills and dales and beats that bus to school by a full minute.
I was very impressionable in the fourth grade, so the next morning I hid in the bushes at our bus stop, waited for our bus to come & go, and took off running down a cow trail toward Del Rey Elementary. I could see the bus as it stopped to pick up more of my classmates, while I ran steadily ahead. Then the bus would pull ahead of me, and it was game on! As the bus turned into Lost Valley I lost sight of it, but ran gallantly on, as Jim Thorpe.
When I arrived at Del Rey I discovered the bus had already arrived, unloaded my classmates and was parked comfortably in the yard. I’ll never forget the look on the secretary’s face as I entered the school office all flushed, hot & sweaty. She pushed her glasses up onto her nose, put her hands on her hips and asked, “Well, who do we have here?”
“Jim Thorpe, Ma’am.”
“Well, Mr. Thorpe, you got yourself a tardy slip.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She made out my tardy slip and handed it to me like it was the Magna Carta or something. Actually, it was my Declaration of Independence, for suddenly it was official. It said right there on my tardy slip that I was Jim Thorpe, and I walked down that empty hall toward my classroom with a spring in my step. I might have lost my race with our school bus, but for that moment in time I was the world’s greatest athlete, and my heart was big as a basketball.
That same day I checked “The Jim Thorpe Story” out of the school library and read it under the covers with a flashlight after my mother had kissed me goodnight.
I remember how it made me smile to read that Stockholm’s King Gustav had placed an Olympic Gold Medal around Jim’s neck and declared, “You’re the world’s greatest athlete, Jim Thorpe.” To wit Jim replied, “Thanks, King.” And I made a mental note to say thanks when I was awarded an Olympic Gold Medal. I’m still waiting for that opportunity.
I guess it goes without mentioning, that the next book I would check out of our library at Del Ray Elementary was, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
As a Chautauquan you can never fail, for it is a success to be one…
In the News: Washoe school district to host another meeting regarding Incline schools; Input sought in advance
April 24, 2023 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on 4/21/23. Written by Staff Report.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Washoe County School District has notified community members that they will be holding another meeting to gather input about changes to Incline Village schools, including the potential closure of Incline Middle School.
The meeting will be held from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, at Incline High School in Duffield Theatre.
WCSD Board of Trustees President will be in attendance, although Trustee Jeffrey Church, who represents Incline Village, will not be due to prior plans to be out of town. Church said he notified the board of this but the meeting was not moved.
In the News: IVGID hopes to ease tension at meetings, discusses budget, contracts for effluent pipeline project
April 24, 2023 | Miranda Jacobson
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on 4/23/23. Written by Miranda Jacobson.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Village Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, April 12, began with a statement from Chairman Matthew Dent regarding the tense atmosphere that has recently surrounded the board meetings.
“We are a board to represent the entire community,” said Dent. “Not special interests, not the dog owners, not the golfers, not the skiers, not the pickle ball players, but the entire community. We all work very hard and listen to the perspectives of all, and yes, we listen to special interest groups, because we must make decisions that will sustain our venues for years to come.”
Many of the examples that Dent brought forward included community members reporting ethics violations of trustees and the general harsh comments that have been brought forward by some of the public commenters both in person and online.
In the News: TRPA Governing Board to discuss Waldorf Astoria project
April 24, 2023 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on 4/24/23. Written by Staff Report.
CRYSTAL BAY, Nev. — The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board will meet no earlier than 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, to discuss the Waldorf Astoria project, formally known as the Tahoe Biltmore.
TRPA staff are recommending that the Governing Board approve the required findings that show no significant effect and approve the proposed revisions of the project, which would be a major step forward moving into construction season.
Currently being discussed by the agency is a plan revision to what was previously the Boulder Bay Project, which already has an approved permit as a part of the TRPA Community Enhancement Project Program that was granted in April 2011.
You have officially been entered to win. One winner will be randomly selected on Monday 5/1/23 to receive a free one-year subscription of the Tahoe Weekly!
Local Lens – Engage to Build Community Where We LIVE.WORK.PLAY.
April 19, 2023 | Linda Offerdahl
Incline Village has a few community issues to address this month and your engagement is needed!
MOBILITY HUB
The location of an Incline Village Mobility Hub has generated mixed opinions. It is important for Incline Village to be a part of the regional solution for transportation and to support workforce transportation solutions from Reno and Carson. Additionally, reducing the number of vehicles on the road is a goal, and providing visitors with the opportunity to leave their cars behind is one way to encourage sustainable travel and tourism. To help direct the conversation about community needs, residents can participate in a survey about what the mobility hub should entail and/or attend a mobility hub workshop on April 20.
Public schools play a critical role in the Incline Village community, and the community is being asked for input on two issues. One is a policy revision of an Administration Regulation (7087) that removes local input from the process for school closures within the school district. The public comment period has been extended until April 27 to hear from educators, parents, and community members. Click here for more information and ways to submit your comment.
The other issue involves the Washoe County School District’s long-term plan to modernize all district school facilities, which could lead to the closure of Incline Middle School. The district is requesting community participation in an online survey in advance of a second community meeting on May 3 at Incline High School.
Earth Week is also being celebrated this month, with Earth Day falling on April 24. The Take Care Tahoe organization has a lot of ideas for celebrating at the Tahoe Earth Week Challenge, and visitors can also find ways to be a steward of North Lake Tahoe by visiting the Travel North Tahoe Nevada website or participating in Sustain Tahoe’s Incline Village Earth Walk, available year-round.
There are a number of community meetings that take place monthly at which you can learn more about community issues and how to get involved, including the Community Forum the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at the Incline Library and the Washoe County Citizen Advisory Board (CAB) Meeting on May 1 at 5:30 at the Incline Library or on Zoom.
New Member Welcome – Corman Group | eXp Realty Luxury
April 19, 2023 | Grace Hubrig
Jeffrey Corman is the CEO of Corman Group eXp Realty, a real estate company based in Incline Village, Nevada. He founded the company in 2013, and under his leadership, it has become a leading player in the local real estate market.
Jeffrey has a wealth of experience in the industry, and is known for his expertise in both residential and commercial real estate. He has a reputation for being a skilled negotiator and has helped countless clients buy and sell properties in the Incline Village area.
Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation Welcomes Newest Board Members
April 19, 2023 | Member Submitted
Kendra Wong offers an extensive background in finance and accounting, as well as community involvement as our newest member of the Community Foundation Board. She is currently the Principal Accounting Officer at LENSAR, Inc and has served in a variety of consulting and advisory roles. She is a Certified Public Accountant and an Associate Professor Emeritus at University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe, formerly Sierra Nevada University. Kendra received a BS in Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis and an MBA from Arizona State University. She and her family reside in Incline Village where they love being close to their favorite activities: golfing, hitting the slopes of Diamond Peak, or hanging at the pool or beach. Kendra supports the Community Foundation because of the immense support they provide to non-profits in the community. By investing in the Community Foundation, she feels her time and donations have a greater impact by benefiting several community needs.
Mark Holmlund brings his expertise in investments to the Board here at the Community Foundation. He and his wife are full-time residents in Glenbrook where together they own Alaethes Wealth, LLC, an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor. He previously worked for Merrill Lynch in Los Angeles and Daiwa Securities in San Diego selling fixed income securities to institutional investors. Subsequently he worked for Pacific Life Insurance Company in Newport Beach. Mark has earned his BA in Economics from Willamette University, his MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and his MA in Historical Theology from Westminster Seminary. Like many, he and his wife arrived in Tahoe for the winter and stayed for the summer! They enjoy skiing, golfing, and the many cultural activities available in Tahoe and Northern Nevada including the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Classical Tahoe, and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. Having previously served as chairman of the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, Mark understands and believes in the value a Community Foundation brings to our local community.
April is National Poetry Month, an entire month geared toward celebrating all forms of poetry such as limericks, ballads, acrostic, sonnets, and free verse. It’s a beloved form of literature that allows for freedom of expression and emotion. What better way to take part in poetry month than visiting your local libraries and perusing their collections. Prim Library, UNR at Lake Tahoe, has its own unique collection of more than 3,000 volumes of poetry in its Poetry Center.
If diving into poetic literature isn’t enough to tickle your enthusiasm, then join the Incline Village Library and the Prim Library on April 25, 2023, 6-8 pm for their first Tahoe Poetry Night event! It’s a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the art form and the community. To register as a participant or an audience member visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tahoe-poetry-night-tickets-551601634337
It’s officially summer camp sign-up season! Here are some local summer camps to keep an eye on designed to engage, inspire, entertain, and educate your young ones while they’re out of school! Be sure to bookmark this page so you can visit it again, as we will update this page with updated details.
IVGID
The Incline Village General Improvement District’s recreation venues offer all kinds of fun entertainment for kids and teens, ranging from multi-day golf, tennis, basketball, and volleyball camps to skateboard, paddle, lifeguard, and leadership camps. Summer camp season at IVGID basically kicks off in the final weeks of June and many of the sessions run through August. There are different camps for different age groups appealing to kids and teenagers 5-19 years old.
Seven weeks of summer camp to choose from! Ages 5-14. 6/19-6/23 – Community Service Week 6/26-6/30 – Happenchance Sports Week 7/10-7/14 – Around the World Week 7/17-7/21 – Endurance Sports Week 7/24-7/28 – Individual Sports Week 7/31-8/4 – Team Sports Week 8/7-8/11 – Balance Sports Week
Multi sport – rock climbing, mountain biking, community service, outdoor education, Dance, martial arts, rugby, fencing, soccer, fitness, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, power boards & more!
Full week & or individual day registration available.
The Incline Village Library kicks off summer with its first ever Block Party and Summer Reading program on June 3rd. From 11am-2pm, sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge and claim a free book, play some cornhole, and enjoy hamburgers, hotdogs, and more with your friends, fellow librarians, and neighbors. In early June, Teen Movie Nights will also start to be held at the library every other Tuesday (June 6, June 20, July 11, and July 25) where they can watch a blockbuster movie at the library while snacking on free popcorn at 4pm. Be sure to check out the IVCBA Community Event Calendar for upcoming library events.
On June 20-22nd, kids can participate in the All Together Now Summer Cooking Camp. In this multi-day camp, kids ages 10 and up will learn how to follow a recipe, measuring out ingredients, basic knife skills, kitchen and food safety, and basic cooking techniques to create healthy and delicious meals. The All Together Now Summer Cooking Camp takes place from 1pm-2:30pm all three days; registration for this camp opens on Tuesday, May 23rd.
Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe (BGCNLT)
The Boys & Girls Club runs several daily and multi-day specialty camps at its locations throughout North Lake Tahoe, as well as manages the Duffield Youth Program summer camp in Incline Village that runs for seven weeks in the summer. It usually starts at the end of June or a week or two after school gets out. Get all the details here >
Tahoe Family Solutions Camp Explore
Tahoe Family Solutions also holds Camp Explore summer sessions for five weeks starting at the end of June and running through the beginning of August. In these 5-day/4-night camps, participants go out into the wilderness and learn valuable life skills. TFS admits kids in the 3rd-8th grade and 30 participants are accepted each week. Since these camps are free, they fill up extremely fast. Registration opens in late April or early May.
Lake Tahoe School Summer Camps
Lake Tahoe School offers a whole slew of summer camps that run June 19th through August. In Fairy Fest Camp, kids hear stories and make fairy-related crafts in the woods while the older kids in grades 4-6 make bath soaps and essential oils using natural materials that they can then take home to their families. Storybook and Bobcat Adventure camps incorporate all sorts of activities that are so much fun that the kids won’t even realize that they’re learning.
For the more active students, the Nike girls volleyball camp for ages 10-18 to be held June 26-29 help athletes practice skills and fundamentals allowing them to reach their full potential on the court, and the Nike Basketball Camp held July 10-13th is for both girls and boys where they will practice their footwork, shooting, defense, and offense skills. Tennis and sports camps held June 19-23 and August 7-11th are taught by Incline favorite LTS teachers and coaches Mr. Kris and Mr. Jon and attendees play soccer, lacrosse, basketball, capture the flag, tennis, and more.
Last month, Tahoe Tutoring (located on Southwood Boulevard in Incline Village) launched a survey asking parents with kids in grades K-5 what they’d like to see in its summer academic camps. You can take the survey here! Its summer program usually launches at the end of June and are held for the following eight weeks.
North Tahoe Arts
North Tahoe Arts, Kids Art Camp, is a summer day camp for kids ages 5-12, designed to expose campers to a variety of styles of art and different mediums. They lead hands-on fun in a supportive environment where campers get creative alongside their peers, lead by experienced, kind, and warm staff of art teachers. Campers will explore all kinds of art making, including ceramics, drawing and painting, sculpture, collage, and more!
Saturdays in Tahoe are made for adventure! We will meet at a trailhead each Saturday and have an awesome day filled with wonder and adventure. With the Lake Tahoe Basin as our classroom, we will learn and grow together. All classes will help us learn in some way, how to care for ourselves, our friends, and our environment. Ages 2-9, Saturday 9 am – 4:30 pm.
Tahoe Trail Blazers’ Saturday camps include snacks and enrichment classes such as yoga, tai chi, and local flora/fauna specialists.
Cornerstone Church is offering 2 exciting a fun summer camp this year!
Ambassadors Soccer Camp is back! Cornerstone Community Church is excited to partner with Ambassadors once again to bring this wholesome and unique camp to our community in Incline Village. International coaches will travel to Incline Village to bring a camp that will sharpen your soccer skills, promote good character, deepen your knowledge of the gospel, and spark new friendships.
Vacation Bible School is also back! Cornerstone Kids and Village Christian Church are bringing you 4 days of summer FUN solving the mysteries of the parables told in the Bible. Get ready to put your detective badges on and find clues as we play epic games, create beautiful art, munch on snacks, and make new friendships!
