Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune 12/17/2023, Written by Katelyn Welsh

Richard Bothwell speaks loudly, so he can be heard over the howling wind and gives the conditions report for the day, capping it off with “A-plus,” he says. It’s always an A-plus day on the snow, unless there’s free coffee and cookies. Then it’s an A-plus-plus day. 

Bothwell hopes his new guidebook, Light Tours of Tahoe, will help others get out and have an A-plus day, perhaps even an A-plus-plus day of their own. 

He holds to his sunny outlook, even on these windy days and says in his social media videos, “if you like conditions like this, you’ll love the conditions today, A+.”

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A Holiday Program of Seasonal Experiences and Activities – Submitted by Dorthy Hornbeck (PR)

Incline Village, Nevada (December 1, 2023) – Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, a spacious resort nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of North Lake Tahoe, debuts “Festive,” a holiday program filled with holiday events and activities to help travelers and local residents celebrate the season.

The menu of experiences will include everything from holiday dining opportunities for Christmas and après pool parties, to a New Year’s Eve celebration and Polar Bear Plunge to ring in 2024. “As we officially enter the holiday season, we are very excited to turn our resort into a winter wonderland filled with sparkling lights, festive decorations, and a warm and welcoming setting that radiates the spirit of the season,” said Kressa Olguin, director of marketing at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. 

“Throughout the last week of the month, leading into 2024, our team will provide a robust menu of unforgettable seasonal activities the entire family will love in our magical winter setting.”

IN HOUSE GUEST ACTIVITIES

Starting on Friday, December 22, the resort will roll out a special holiday-inspired menu of activities. Families can enjoy “Storytime with Mrs. Claus” events, Christmas ornament-making classes, Snow Parties completed with snowman building contests and snowball fights, and Christmas pajama party movie nights showing The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, Elf, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and other classics. Families can document their holiday memories with family portrait sessions next to the resort’s oversized Christmas tree, as well as a photo booth that will be on-site throughout the season.

Additionally, DJ JOOLZ, a unique wellness experience curated by Julie Orblych, the resort’s director of spa and wellness, will be hosting après ski-style DJ pool parties in the resort’s heated outdoor pool on multiple evenings throughout the season. The DJ set will feature joyful holiday-inspired melodies with positive messages, focused on gratitude. Guests can also enjoy Holiday Disco Cardio Drumming, a festive take on the property’s new wellness experience that focuses on rhythm and coordination.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

On New Year’s Eve, the resort will countdown to 2024 with a special celebration at Lone Eagle Grille. It will begin with a welcome reception with champagne and canapes between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. followed by a six-course dinner at 7 p.m. The holiday menu begins with an amuse bouche of a roesti potato, quail egg, and osiettra caviar. The second course will include a selection of either an oxtail and morel essence truffle ravioli, or seared diver scallops with a squid ink risotto and Moroccan saffron foam. The dining experience continues with a salad option of an asparagus salad with a sherry vinaigrette and poached lobster or a braised winter endive with purple haze goat cheese mousse and port wine poached pears, followed by a serving of strawberry and champagne sorbet. Entrée selections include a seared prime beef tenderloin with a Tuscan ratatouille, a sauteed Chilean seabass with roasted beets, braised veal cheeks with sweet potato gnocchi, or a poached kohlrabi vegetarian option. The meal concludes with a choice of Valrhona dark chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut praline or a Tahitian vanilla and passionfruit parfait with cassis and tangerine sauce anglaise.

Following the meal, between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m., diners will have access to the fun-filled event at the resort’s Lakeside Ballroom, which is connected to Lone Eagle Grille. The family-friendly event will feature live music from a DJ and local band, party favors, a LED-illuminated dance floor, and multiple cocktails and hors d’oeuvres selections as guests countdown until midnight.

The New Year’s Eve dinner and celebration event is $240 for adults. A special children’s menu will also be offered for $50 for ages 6-12, and kids 5 and under are free. Reservations are required and can be made by visiting https://loneeaglegrille.com/.

On New Year’s Day, guests can start 2024 with a Polar Bear Plunge where they will gather on the resort’s pier and jump into the naturally-chilled waters of Lake Tahoe. Additionally, the resort will offer a special New Year’s Day football viewing party at its Cutthroat’s Saloon, complete with football-themed food and drink specials.

For more information or to book a holiday getaway to take part in the “Festive” experience at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234.

I was delighted recently to receive a video of my 13-year-old granddaughter, Avery, executing a floor routine in a gymnastics meet, culminating in a full layout back-somersault that dropped my jaw…

My father was a gymnast, and I was a springboard diver, yet neither of us could ever have imagined executing a full-layout back-somersault on the ground.

Add to that amazing improvement in family stock the fact that Avery is getting good grades when my father used to give me a dollar for every C that I brought home on my report card. It’s heartening to see family stock improve so. Now we have to wonder why it is that the human family is not improving as quickly as the consanguineal family.

How is it that we still resort to warfare to solve our differences? This month’s Reagan 2023 National Defense Forum is studying, “The Future of Warfare,” and I imagine the delegates emerge from each day’s session with their hair standing straight up on end, because as we all know and dread, our next World War will rid the Earth of everything but cockroaches and a possible return of Beach Blanket Babylon. I guess the picking up of swords has always been, and will always be, easier than the laying down of swords.

Personally, I’m going to take a cue from Mark Twain when the next big war begins, and head for Cincinnati, because Cincinnati always has been, and always will be, twenty years behind the times. Old age has its advantages. Any rage that might be residing within the folds of our ancient brains is gradually replaced by folds of kindness and goodwill. I could no more kill a person for a perceived good reason today than I could tear a New York City phonebook in half. Do they have phonebooks in New York City?

My one claim to fame came to me in New York City while visiting there with a lady friend twenty years ago. I was waiting for an elevator when I overheard the hotel manager instructing a interior designer to change the upholstery on the furniture in that room to a more subtle, quieter blend. An hour later I found myself waiting for that same elevator with my lady friend and exclaimed to her that I thought the upholstery in that room was too noisy, and that I would suggest to management to change it to a more subtle, quieter motif. She commented that she didn’t know I was so in tune with interior design, and I accepted the compliment.

A few months later we returned to that same hotel, waited for the same elevator, and she was surprised to see that the furniture designs had been toned down. 

“Honey, look! They changed the room just like you had suggested.”

She might have some unkind words to say about me now that we are no longer together, but I imagine she might close with, “But boy, he sure does know his interior design!”

Audio: https://anchor.fm/mcavoy-layne

Submitted by Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort and Spa: Dorthy Hornbeck (PR)

Incline Village, Nevada (December 13, 2023) – Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, a spacious resort nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, announces its Christmas brunch at Lone Eagle Grille. The menu will feature a variety of brunch favorites, mimosas, and a special kid’s menu with a “Decorate your own Cookie” option.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the Christmas holiday with our guests and local community by offering a delicious meal at Lone Eagle Grille,” said Istvan Erdos, executive sous chef at Hyatt Regency Lake

Tahoe’s Lone Eagle Grille. “Diners can enjoy an incredible menu of delicious brunch dishes all while

spending time with family and loved ones in our gorgeous Lake Tahoe setting.”

The brunch will be available on Monday, December 25, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The menu will feature table-served dishes including a lakeside quiche, avocado toast, buttermilk pancakes, and vanilla overnight oats. It will also include fresh seafood selections ranging from sustainable smoked salmon and butter-poached giant shrimp to Dungeness crab eggs benedict.

Additional dining selections include steak and eggs, grilled lamb chops, and house-made potato gnocchi. Each table will receive a family-style serving of seasonal fruits, freshly-baked pastries, and local cheese and charcuterie. Guests can also enjoy a wide selection of dessert, as well as a special a la carte menu for children.

The holiday meal at Lone Eagle Grille is $70 per person plus tax and gratuity. Guests will have the option to add a mimosa package to their dining experience at an additional cost. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by visiting https://www.loneeaglegrille.com/.

For more information or to book a getaway to Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit

Hyattregencylaketahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I have been honored to have had the trust and faith of our community for the past 17 years that I have served as Justice of the Peace in Incline Village-Crystal Bay.  I appreciate the special opportunity that has been provided me.

Further, it has been an honor and a pleasure serving this community in various capacities over the 33 years Natalie and I have lived here.

I have truly enjoyed my service and definitely consider it to be the highlight of my working life.  Thank you.

As with everything else, there comes a time when things must end and others must take their turn in service.  This is that time.

Accordingly, after much discussion and contemplation, I have decided that I do not plan to file or run for re-election as the Justice of the Peace for Incline Justice Court.  This decision has been a long time coming and is the culmination of considering a number of different reasons, some of which are private and some of which are public.

I hope that the person who follows me will enjoy the position as much as I have.

Best personal regards,

E. Alan Tiras

Justice of the Peace

Justice Court of Incline Village-Crystal Bay Township

ABOUT JUDGE E. ALAN TIRAS

Judge E. Alan Tiras was elected as the Incline Village – Crystal Bay Justice of the Peace in 2006 after having served as a Judge Pro-tem for twelve years.

Alan received his JD and MBA from the University of Houston, and his BBA from the University of Texas. He is licensed to practice law in Nevada (1991) and is a member of the Nevada State Bar, the American Bar Association and the Washoe County Bar Association. He is a current member and past President of the Incline Village Bar Association. 

A former Professor of Business Law at Sierra Nevada College, Judge Tiras has served as President/Chairman of the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Chamber of Commerce, Incline High School Boosters Club, Incline Village Citizen’s Advisory Board and the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline. In addition, he has served as a member of the Boards of the Incline Schools Academic Excellence Foundation, CYMBAL and Incline Star Follies. In recognition of his community service, Judge Tiras was honored as an Incline Village “Local”. Alan is a former City Councilman in Seminole, Oklahoma and was honored as that town’s Citizen of the Year in 1985. 

The 2013 President of the Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction, he is highly committed to serving the citizens of Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Washoe County and the State of Nevada. Judge Tiras was honored to be named “Judge of the Year” for 2013 by the Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction.

Judge Tiras served on several judiically related committees including, most recently, the State Bar of Nevada’s Access to Justice Commission and the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada Technology Committee.

A frequent speaker at law and judicial conferences, Judge Tiras has presented on such diverse topics as Victim Impact Panels, Probable Cause Determinations for Marijuana DUI Arrests, Legislative Impacts on the Courts, Artificial Intelligence in the Law, the Projected Impact of Autonomous Vehicles on the Courts and Government, Implementing Virtual Courts, the Future of Courts Post-Pandemic and Judicial Wellness.

Judge Tiras was highly rated by the Washoe County Bar Association and had a 100% retention rate in the most recent Judicial survey.  He was re-elected in 2012 and 2018, both times running unopposed.  On December 7, 2023, he announced that he will not be running for reelection for an additional term and will be leaving office in January 2025. 

Originally Published in The Sierra Sun 12/01/2023, Submitted

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Pet Network is excited to announce an initiative in partnership with the Gately Family Foundation that promises to bring immense joy and happiness to both pets and potential adopters during the holiday season.

For the entire month of December, all adoptions at Pet Network will be graciously sponsored by the Gately Family Foundation. This generous sponsorship means that there will be NO adoption fees for any of the animals looking for their new homes. Additionally, as part of this incredible gesture, the Gately Family Foundation is providing a Peace of Mind voucher for veterinary care at Pet Network Community Hospital, ensuring the well-being and health of the adopted animals.

“This sponsorship from the Gately Family Foundation is a game-changer for us and for the animals in our care,” says Katie Millonzi, Director of Operations at Pet Network. “Their generosity allows us to facilitate adoptions without the financial barrier, enabling more families to open their hearts and homes.”

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Photo Credit: Pet Network Humane Society Instagram

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