What Would Mark Twain Say?

Back when the Niners were training pre-season at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, I would ride my bike over there to watch them scrimmage. This was 1956 or so, and at 12 years old I quickly got to know their names by their faces…what fun!

One bright St. Mary’s morning our center, Frank Morze, knocked a contact lens right out of the eye of linebacker Matt Hazeltine. Play was stopped and we kids were invited out onto the field to look for that contact. Knowing exactly where it happened, I found it, and Matt Hazeltine insisted I join the team for lunch there at the college. Wow!

I sat between Matt and Frank, but it was Frank who took an interest in me and asked all kinds of questions about my grades, my girlfriend, even my bike. He was a true gentleman.

Fast forwarding 30 years, I was training for the Hawaiian Ironman, and in my exhilaration of beating my personal time racing up Mt. Rose on my bike, I threw my arms into the air like they do in the Alps, sailed off the road onto the rocks, and flatted both tires.

So I stuck out my thumb and was happy to accept a ride in the back of a pickup. The driver was a big guy who asked through an empty window, “What are you doing up here?”

I told him and he boasted, “I used to play football.”

“Oh yeah? What team?

“Forty Niners.”

“When did you come up?” I asked with growing interest.

“Fifty-six or so.”

“You came up with Frank Morze?”

He shot a look at me through the empty window, swerved a little across the line, and shouted back, “I AM Frank Morze!

Frank took me right to my front door while I rattled off the names of his teammates from those days so long ago.

“He shook my hand and said, “You remember more of my mates than I do, son.”

“And you were the best center the Niners ever had, Frank.” I extoled.

“Thanks, kid.” And he gave me a broad smile.

So here was a Forty Niner who showed a kindness to the same kid thirty years apart. Though Frank has since been promoted to the gridiron in the sky, I hope he will take comfort in knowing he is remembered as an all-star gentleman all these years later…

As is our custom, we shall leave the last word to Mark Twain…

“There are a few matters of peculiarity here on earth which I wish to describe.  One of them comes from the diary of Methuselah -on baseball: He that bore the club did suffer the ball to be flung at him divers times, but did always bend in his body and so save himself, whilst the others spat upon their hands. Yet he failed to avoid the next ball, which cracked his skull. I shall visit this sport no more, as the game doth lack excitement.” 

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

Originally Published in The Sierra Sun on 1/29/24, Special to the Sun

The September 1861 trip to Lake Tahoe stands as a pivotal moment in Samuel Clemens’ life, marking the first steps towards his transformation into the literary giant known as Mark Twain.  

Clemens, 25 years old and still searching for his place in the world, left his printing apprenticeship in the East and joined his brother Orion, the Secretary of the Nevada Territory, in the Nevada silver rush. 
Upon reaching Lake Tahoe, Clemens was awestruck by its beauty. He described the crystal-clear water reflecting the majestic mountains as “the fairest picture the whole earth affords.” This encounter sparked a sense of wonder and inspiration, igniting a lifelong love for the Sierra Nevada landscape. 

Driven by youthful ambition and the promise of timber wealth, Clemens staked a claim on the North Shore near present-day Glenbrook. His pioneering spirit sprinkled with a good dose of hilarious foibles foreshadows his later literary themes of independence and self-reliance. 

READ MORE >

Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune on 1/29/24, Written by Katelyn Welsh

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Lisa G. Heki says it’s rare in her career to see this much funding invested in national ecosystems. The biologist and project leader for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says, “That is a once in a lifetime focus,” and they’re working on making it count here in Lake Tahoe. 

The funds come from a $455 million pot through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for nationwide programs related to the Biden-Harris Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative. The goal of the initiative is to conserve 30 percent of land and water by 2030. 

In 2022, Tahoe partners began receiving $3.4 million each year. A total of $17 million is being allocated over the course of five years.

READ MORE >

Photo Credit: Clean Up the Lake

Submitted by Mary Danahey 01/29/2024

To Our Incline Community,

Marvin Cruz, Incline High School’s cherished custodian and Site Facility Coordinator, has recently faced a medical emergency. In times like these, our community comes together to support one another, and we want to extend our assistance to Marvin and his family during this challenging time.

To help Marvin cover medical expenses not covered by insurance, we have established a GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/ec55a711

Every contribution, no matter the amount, will make a significant difference. If you feel inclined to contribute, please consider doing so.

We deeply appreciate your kindness and generosity during this challenging time. Together, we can make a positive impact and help Marvin on his path to recovery. Your support exemplifies the strong sense of community that defines our school and our community. Thank you for being part of the extended family that cares for one another.

GoFundMe Page: https://gofund.me/ec55a711

Warmly,

The Incline High School Boosters Family

Submitted by Community Member and IVCBA Member David Vomund

When I began my career in the 1980s mutual funds advertised good performance and their insightful portfolio managers.  Some managers (Peter Lynch, for one) became celebrities.  At that time “low cost” funds were those without sales charges (called “loads”).  Indexing was in its infancy.  People thought it was crazy to own only an index rather than have a manager pick attractive stocks or do so themselves.  That was then.

The debate over active versus passive management appears to be over.  Thanks to their low fees index funds have outperformed most of their actively managed peers.  Last year only 38 percent of active managers outperformed their benchmark.  In fact, it’s been 15 years since the majority of active managers have outperformed.  That’s why total assets under management in passive ETFs, ETNs, and mutual funds ($13.29 trillion) just surpassed the assets with active management ($13.23 trillion).  

That wouldn’t have happened unless the market was efficient, or nearly so.  If analyzing a stock’s bullish fundamental or technical picture automatically would lead to outperformance, then actively managed funds would do better.  But if the analysis doesn’t lead to better decisions, then it’s best to keep costs minimal.  That’s where Vanguard comes in.

Vanguard is the market leader in index funds.  Since the funds simply track an index, they can have extremely low fees.  Vanguard’s S&P 500 Exchange-Traded Fund only charges 0.03 percent annually.  Other ETF providers like Schwab, SPDR, and iShares have joined the low-fee race.  

Of course, just because you own passively managed funds doesn’t make you a passive investor.  ETFs provide the flexibility to easily invest in specific areas of the market.  Momentum investors can buy growth ETFs like Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ) and quickly switch to defensive ETFs like Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility (SPLV).  

All this doesn’t mean that individual stocks shouldn’t be a part of your portfolio.  In my managed accounts, I hold both index ETFs and individual stocks.  For clients seeking income, I’m happy to own Ares Capital (ARCC) and selected preferreds.  I’m also overweighting healthcare by owning stocks like Merck (MRK) and Amgen (AMGN).

By holding a combination of individual stocks (no cost of ownership) along with some low-cost index funds, an investor can build an attractive portfolio that overweights specific sectors while avoiding areas that are less attractive.  And all that can be done while paying very little in fees.  That is to our advantage.  

David Vomund is an Incline Village-based Independent Investment Advisor.  Information is found at www.VomundInvestments.com or by calling 775-832-8555.  Clients hold the positions mentioned in this article.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.

Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune on 1/29/24, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – For 10 years, Coach Heather Fisher devised an innovative way to teach McQueen High School students the benefits of physical education and health.

Every year, the Department Leader got her 250 students to do a Flash Mob dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the Reno school’s foyer.

“What good teachers do is they find a variety of ways to teach students who have different learning styles and interests,” Fisher said. “So that hopefully something sticks and they take that into the future with them.”

READ MORE >

Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune on 1/27/24, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Deputy Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess will technically be appointed to the position of Interim Registrar of Voters on March 16 after Jamie Rodriguez’s sick and vacation leave have been exhausted.

“Cari-Ann Burgess is performing the duties of the Interim Registrar of Voters as of January 16,” said Bethany Drysdale, media and communication manager for Washoe County, Office of the County Manager. “She will be the Interim Registrar of Voters effective March 16 because that’s the date Jamie Rodriguez will officially no longer be with the county. That role will be empty.”

The Board of County Commissioners accepted Rodriguez’s resignation, effective March 15.

READ MORE >

Photo: Getty Images