After a pandemic-related hiatus, the Incline Star Follies are BACK !!!
For those of you new to town, The Incline Star Follies is a family cabaret filled with all LOCAL talent. Students, teachers and community members take to the stage to lip-synch great songs and dance their hearts out. This is an amazing community-wide event and “Friend Raiser” that creates cross-cultural and cross-generational relationships through the joy of dance and comedy.  

100% of the proceeds raised go to support our local Incline Village schools.They are currently looking for student cast members. ALL Incline 5th, 8th and high school students (9th-12th) are invited to apply. Application forms have been distributed at IES, IMS, IHS and LTS and are due back (to school) by this FRIDAY, JANUARY 26th. Sixteen students from each level (5th, 8th, high school) will be randomly selected from all eligible applications received. Students are eligible as long as they are students in good standing at their respective schools.

Please contact Kathie (775-220-0445 or inclinestarfollies@gmail.com) if you have any questions or would like an application form emailed to you.

Stayed tuned! Adult applications are coming soon!

Originally Published in IVCBA’s LIVE.WORK.PLAY, Written by Kayla Anderson

Tim Kelly, The Sports and Community Supervisor in Incline Village, is a seemingly simple man in the kindest and most beautiful way. Talking to Tim it is hard to not conjure up thoughts and feelings of a gentler time in the past, seemingly one with less noise, when it felt like, even if it were not true, that all mattered was your family, your community and your contribution to it. This is ‘all’ that matters to Tim and within five minutes of talking it is incredibly obvious that he cares hard and deeply. His world revolves around his family, his job, and his local community and what he is doing to make it better.  By certain modern societal standards of money, fame and recognition his aspirations are not ‘great’. There is absolutely no ulterior motive other than helping those around him. To Tim, his role is incredibly important and the responsibility could not be greater. Tim sees immense opportunity to shape the community around him and is currently living out his dream job in being able to do so through recreation. 

Tim is a big believer in what you do rather than what you do specifically for a living, luckily for him, in his life, he loves both. Tim grew up as an athlete and had an incredibly active youth. He went to Reno High for sports and went on to play basketball in college at Pacific Lutheran. Basketball, even more so than any of the other sports he has loved, has been a recurring theme throughout his life as both an athlete and a coach at the collegiate level and at Servite HS in Anaheim, CA, before moving to Incline. He still coaches youth basketball in Incline and attempts to instill strong moral character in his athletes even more so than athletic prowess. As a coach his six values are an attitude of gratitude, humility, courage, perseverance, enthusiasm and faith / belief. Listening to him talk, his passion for coaching and working with kids, is blatantly obvious, it is attached to every word. Being a mentor means more to him than any sport itself which is why he is also a youth minister. 

As the unofficial ‘athletic director’ of Incline Village Tim loves to do ‘all of the things’ His favorites are surfing, skiing, biking and playing basketball. Fortunately, Tim gets to do most of these things with his wife Maureen and their three kids. Team sports are generally his favorite for the camaraderie. Among the ones he gets to help provide and organize for his community flag football is his favorite but he is proud of every single sport and recreation program Incline offers, whether soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, basketball, dodgeball, pickleball or any of the many others. Tim is proud of all of the youth and adult sport programs offered whether team or individual and truly appreciates his cohorts in the parks department and those who make his job easier with facilities. Tim’s goal is for all Incline residents to be active in some way to live a healthy life. He believes that his role is not just to provide services to the community but to build community. 

Tim’s history as it relates to sharing his love of sport, coaching it, and providing it to others is vast. His whole life has been defined by these things as well as sharing the values that sport has taught him with his own family and his community who he considers extended family. Tim hopes to be at his desk or on the fields as the Incline Sports and Community Supervisor for at least another ten years. He is self-described, and accurately so, as ‘The biggest Incline fan I’ve ever met’.  Tim explained, “I do this for a loving, not for a living.” It is obvious it is in Incline’s best interest that this benevolent, sport loving, community man sticks around as long as possible. 

The local Rotary clubs raised money to buy medical equipment for Pet Network’s veterinary hospital. Please read here to learn about this great example of how our service clubs support the nonprofits in Incline.

Submitted by the Incline Village Rotary: In the heart of Incline Village, Nevada, a beacon of hope shines brightly for animals in need – Pet Network Humane Society. Pet Network envisions a society where all companion animals receive love and respect as valued members of families and communities. Since inception, Pet Network has rescued over 12,000 animals including 94 last month. Pet Network serves as a safe haven for homeless animals by providing them with comprehensive medical treatment and nurturing them with love and compassion, for as long as it takes for them to find a home. As an extension of their mission, Pet Network Community Hospital provides high quality and affordable medical care to animals in the Tahoe basin and beyond.

Pet Network is privileged to have two very highly skilled Veterinarians on their team – Dr. Marlène Tremblay and Dr. Nick Robl. Their dedication and expertise are instrumental in ensuring that both shelter animals and pets within the community receive compassionate, responsible and high touch care.

Dr. Marlène Tremblay with her extensive experience in various types of medicine, ensures that every rescue animal admitted to Pet Network has a thorough health exam, individualized treatment plan and high quality care. Dr. Tremblay received her D.V.M from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013 followed by a Public Health & Epidemiology Research Internship and doctorate. Dr. Tremblay has worked at a variety of shelters across Utah including Best Friends Animal Society in Salt Lake City and Kanab. In addition to shelter medicine, she has special interests in critical care, emergency and specialty surgery, and behavioral health.

In July 2022, under the supervision of Dr. Nick Robl, Pet Network launched a Community Veterinary Hospital. The Hospital provides routine care, specialized surgeries, and urgent veterinary care to adopters, as well as pet owners in need of quality and compassionate care. The hospital has provided care to over 1200 patients since its opening.

Dr. Nick Robl completed his D.V.M from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013. He has experience practicing veterinary medicine in a variety of settings including private practice, sanctuaries, shelters and low-cost clinics across Arizona, Utah and Nevada. He has a strong background in veterinary surgery, dentistry, and internal medicine in domestic, exotic, and wildlife species. Dr. Robl has extensive wildlife and conservation experience including serving as the primary veterinarian at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, Arizona from 2013-2016 where he remains active on their Board of Directors.

The (Rotary Club of Tahoe Incline) and the (Rotary Club of Incline) teamed together after identifying a pressing need. They then proposed a grant and received additional District 5190 matching funds to purchase medical equipment allowing Pet Network to expand medical services to shelter animals and the broader community.

Thanks to the grants impact and clubs’ generosity, Pet Network received the following much needed medical instruments:

• Cryoprobe: The cryoprobe has enabled the Pet Network veterinarians to perform cryotherapy, a treatment that uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissue, reducing the time an animal is under anesthesia and recovery.
• Diagnostic EKG: EKG diagnostics are especially important in emergencies to detect life-threatening arrhythmias prior to anesthesia and surgery, and allows better characterization of heart diseases in shelter and community pets.
• Loupes: Loupes are magnifying glasses that allow a surgeon to be more precise in surgery and dentistry.
• Vet Tome: An atraumatic tooth extraction system that greatly reduces extraction time and saves bone. This allows the team to perform a higher number of dental procedures in a day while reducing anesthesia time for each patient.

Dr. Tremblay and Dr. Robl also took the time to demonstrate to the Rotary Club of Tahoe how the new equipment would help them provide even better care to the shelter and community animals.

The combined efforts of Rotarians from these clubs have made the days at the shelter much brighter for the animals. Over 40 Rotarians are currently supporting Pet Network in a meaningful way – through volunteering, walking dogs, preparing surgical packs, donating financially, donating supplies and attending fundraising events.

Some Rotary Club of Tahoe Members posing for a photograph at a Pet Network hosted morning meeting – from left to right: Pet Network Board Chair Denise Menzies, Dr. Nick Robl, Co-President Mike MCCallum, Francesca Bero, Key Lehr, Co-President Bryan Foertsch and Pet Network Executive Director Simi Balter

Of course there is always more work to be done and we need your support! Please visit www.petnetwork.org to discover the many ways you can get involved!

If you need to book an appointment at the Community Hospital please call 775-298-2715 for assistance.

About Pet Network:

Pet Network truly embodies the spirit of compassion and dedication, making a significant difference in the lives of both animals and their adoptive families. Whether an animal is sick, injured or just in need of refuge, the staff ensure every animal receives the best possible care. Staff and volunteers pour their hearts into providing a safe and nurturing environment for the animals, showering them with love and affection, while they wait patiently for a home. Their tireless efforts have resulted in connecting animals to loving homes for over 30 years.

Through Pet Network Community Hospital the broader community now has access to the same high quality, high touch medical services provided to the shelter animals everyday.

 Holman Arts and Media Center invites artists of all skill levels to Lake Tahoe for its annual Summer Arts Workshops. Attendees will spend five days in an intensive creative experience led by internationally recognized sculptors, painters, videographers, photographers and mixed-media artists.

Workshop participants will leave having expanded their creative skillset while in a stunning natural setting. Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada have long been sources of creative inspiration for artists of all mediums. The Holman Arts and Media Center is within walking distance from the shores of Lake Tahoe and situated amidst miles of hiking and walking trails in the Sierra Nevada.

Save the date! Registration opens January 22 at 10:00 a.m. Workshops fill quickly.

MORE INFO & REGISTRATION >

PHOTO CREDIT HOLMAN ARTS AND MEDIA CENTER

Originally Published in The Sierra Sun 01/22/24, Written by Brenna Boyle

One lawyer is among the three candidates that met the filing deadline to run for Incline Village Justice of the Peace to replace retiring Judge Alan Tiras.

Melissa Mangiaracina and Hans Keller of Incline Village, and Alexandra Profant of Crystal Bay have varied backgrounds.

According to Mangiaracina’s candidate filing with Washoe County Registrar of Voters, she has a Bachelor’s of Art in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. Mangiaracina is also a trained Mediator, Arbitrator, Administrative Hearing Officer and Settlement Judge. Mangiaracina mediates appellate cases for the Nevada Supreme Court, civil cases for the Second Judicial District Court of Nevada, and child protection cases for the State of Nevada. She also sits as a Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore in Incline Village as needed.

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• Photo Credit Canva.com

Originally Published in the Reno Gazette-Journal on 1/20/24, Written by Dana Gentry

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, charged since 1969 with protecting Lake Tahoe from overdevelopment, has lost sight of its mission and lacks accountability, according to a number of California and Nevada residents, including Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a member of the TRPA’s governing board.  

Aguilar is the only member of the 15-person board to vote last month against sweeping regional development changes designed to increase density near town centers in the name of providing housing to workers at all income levels, according to Nevada Current.

The TRPA says the changes could result in 40% savings on rent by allowing unlimited density, buildings up to five stories, and exemptions for standard parking requirements in certain areas. 

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Photo Credit: gandsconstructiontahoe.com

By the time I had reached twenty years of age, I had managed to crash a motorcycle, a car, even a friend’s hydroplane, not to mention surviving a skydiving accident and missing the pool as a clown diver. I was an accident looking for a place to happen, and did not expect to see thirty. But God looks out after children and idiots, and I’m here today to talk about longevity…

Rule #1: Stick to a Mediterranean diet.

What would Mark Twain say? “Stick to things that do not agree with each other’s company and let them fight it out on the inside.”

Rule #2: Drink in moderation.

Mark Twain: My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine. Everybody drinks water. Oh, and whatever a man’s age, he can reduce it several years by putting a brightly colored flower in his buttonhole.  

Rule #3: Don’t smoke.

Mark Twain: “I came into the world asking for a light, but I’m smoking in moderation now, I never smoke more than one cigar at a time. No, it’s easy to give up smoking, I’ve done it thousands of times.”

Rule #4: Exercise daily.

Mark Twain: “Exercise is loathsome. I’ve never seen any advantage in being tired. Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I go lie down somewhere until it passes away. Oh, and never put off until tomorrow what you can put off until day after tomorrow.”

Rule #5: When angry count four.

Mark Twain: “There are times when profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer, and when it comes to pure ornamental cursing, the average American is gifted above the sons of men. Oh, I used to be able to utter an oath that would knock the dust up where it struck the ground. When angry count four. When very angry, go ahead and swear, it’s the people’s poetry.”

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

 “I have achieved my 188 years in the usual way; that is by sticking to a scheme of life that would kill anybody else. You cannot reach old age by another man’s road. My habits protect my life, while they would assassinate you. The important thing, the essential thing, is that we endeavor so to live, that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry. 

Our dear friend, ally and thirty-year housekeeper, Katy Leary, wrote about me in her book, ‘Mr. Clemens swore like an angel, not like real swearing, but gay.’  

Now I promised you some etiquette on getting into heaven. Upon arriving at the Pearly Gates, don’t speak first. Let St. Peter speak first. And don’t try to take a selfie with him, hell is full of people who have tried that. And don’t take your dog.  Heaven goes by favor, if it went by merit your dog would go in and you would stay out.”

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

Originally Published in KOLO 8 on 01/17/2024, Written by Karlie Drew

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Off of Old Mount Rose Highway, Nevada Nordic, a local nonprofit, is making cross-country skiing accessible to all. Despite a slow winter season, the community involvement remains strong as groomed paths provide an outdoor fix for enthusiasts.

Nevada Nordic thrives on community donations rather than trail fees and welcomes everyone to experience the joy of cross-country skiing on their multi-use trails. The organization’s goal is to make the sport exciting and accessible, emphasizing the wide-open spaces that set it apart from downhill skiing.

The next frontier for Nevada Nordic includes plans for proper parking and the dream of a lodge. Grateful for community support, they encourage everyone to give cross-country skiing a try, touting its cardiovascular benefits and low impact.

As a volunteer-based nonprofit, Nevada Nordic invites individuals to contribute by teaching cross-country skiing or assisting in trail maintenance. To get involved, visit nevadanordic.org.

READ MORE >

Photo Credit: Canva.com

Originally Published in IVCBA’s Live Work.Play Magazine, Written by Richard Minor

Thirty five years after beginning his stage career as The Ghost of Mark Twain Incline’s McAvoy Layne rang down the curtain at Virginia City’s Piper’s Opera House on the evening of September 30 with what he claimed to be his final stage performance. Mac’s amazing career spanned three and one half decades and over 4000 performances for audiences across the USA and around the World. His penultimate performance was staged just a week earlier with an outdoor performance for locals at St. Patrick’s Church which was also a standing room only affair. For those of you who missed my article in the Spring Edition of Live.Work.Play about how a local radio morning show host became famed author and humorist Mark Twain’s meme you can read all about that at the following web address: https://issuu.com/articles/21009152

Over the course of attending his performances over the years many of you have said that if they had the chance they have questions they’d like to ask McAvoy. Some of these questions recur regularly so I’ve asked Mac some of the most frequently raised ones and here are his answers.

The Famous White Suit: McAvoy always performed as Twain wearing a beautifully tailored white suit so to start down that thread (nice pun, that) I asked him when did the historical Mark Twain first start wearing white in public? McAvoy responded that historians agree Twain first started wearing white suits upon the death of his beloved wife Olivia in 1904. But it was his appearance in 1906 in an address to the Library of Congress on the occasion of their consideration of new legislation regarding changing the provisions of the copyright laws that marked the first time he began wearing white any time he appeared in public. Twain, according to McAvoy, called his all white attire “my I don’t give a damn suit.”  Mac’s first public appearance in white came while he was still working as the morning show host on Incline radio station KLKT and trying out his Mark Twain stories in the afternoons for local elementary school children. For what he regarded as his breakout performance he decided to make a surprise appearance as Mark Twain at his father’s 75th birthday party at the LaPlaya restaurant in Carmel, CA. For the occasion he ordered a tailored white suit from a Carson City seamstress named Josephine Baldassare. At the time Mac was also training for the Iron Man races in Hawaii and for the bicycle portion of that event he was riding round trips on SR 50 from Carson City to Spooner Summit and back. “I’d ride downhill, have a fitting with Josephine and then ride back up to Spooner.” How’s that for a training regimen?

After his performance for his dad and his dad’s long time business friends and social cronies McAvoy decided he’d found his niche and the white suit became his attire for all subsequent performances including his visits to area schools. Over the course of the next thirty plus years Mac admits to having had at least a dozen white suits made to order, three or four by Josephine and after she passed (Mac spoke at her funeral) three or four more ladies stepped up to the task and made the rest. He currently admits to having seven white suits with accessories, “…six in the closet at home and one I keep in the car so I can still go to work in case the house burns down.” For years McAvoy’s suits have always been lovingly cleaned and pressed by his friend Mike Trute’s Incline Cleaners.  Mike, for his own part, also has a thespian streak and now performs as Snowshoe Thompson in venues around the Wasach, in no small part encouraged by his friendship with the Ghost of Mark Twain himself.

McAvoy’s Twain Monologues: Among many others, I have always wondered how many different Mark Twain stories McAvoy has had in his repertoire over the years and whether each one is an exact copy of Twain’s text on the subject or if they are edited or rearranged to fit the circumstance of each show. Mac replied that he probably has mastered some 400 Twain monologues that are combined, lengthened or shortened from the original text, to suit the audience or occasion. As an example he mentioned that his rendition of 1601 which was the grand finale of his final Piper’s appearance on September 30 was a good example of this kind of adaptation. Walking over to the book case he pulled off a rare copy of that story which he explained was written by Twain just to amuse his good friend the Reverend Joseph Twichell of Hartford, CT and was originally not published and had never been performed, at least in public, to McAvoy’s knowledge. Mac was gifted a bound copy on a trip to Germany many years ago and set about seeing if it could be condensed for verbal performance. That slight and beautifully illustrated volume easily runs to twenty or more pages of text with exquisite calligraphy—enough material to easily comprise an entire half of a normal Ghost of Twain stage presentation and contains Twain’s not for public language which would make even a constable blush. So Mac shortened the text to something like 10-12 minutes and delivers it in flawless period English to the rare audiences who are probably hearing Twain’s words for the first, and perhaps only time they ever would otherwise. And similar editing is required for much, if not most, of every monologue McAvoy has performed over the years as Mark Twain.

His original presentation in Incline Village elementary school classrooms usually ran the likes of the classic Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County to excerpts from Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Fin. For his coming of age performance for his father’s 75th birthday party he worked his first version of Twain’s “The Cure for the Common Cold.” His real breakthrough came when Carol Piper Marshall heard about his achievements with local school children and asked Mac if he’d be interested in performing at her fabled opera house in Virginia City. McAvoy was still hanging on to his morning radio job but had afternoons off and with a baby son on the way needed the extra income. He agreed to do two shows a day at one an three PM six days a week for four months and it not only forced him to develop new material but also gave him the opportunity to perfect his “Twain Voice” as well as discover what worked with live audiences and what didn’t. It also allowed him to finally quit his job in radio and devote full time to becoming the Ghost of Mark Twain.

McAvoy notes that Mark Twain had a rhythm of writing that Mac came to call “American Folk Song” echoing the kind of Peter, Paul and Mary cadences of the time and notes that “…once I could get into that space it made memorizing passages of text much easier for me.” 

Perfecting Twain Speak: “I was 45 years old when I started perfecting my notion of how Mark Twain must have sounded in his 60’s and 70’s when speaking publicly back in the day. Now I’m six years older than when Twain died so I sure don’t need to sound old anymore. If anything, I need to sound a little bit younger than I actually am!” As a matter of fact, no recording of Mark Twain actually speaking exists today because the only known one was made by Thomas Edison on a wax cylinder which was subsequently melted in a fire at Edison’s studios. “I have to give a big hand to Hal Holbrook,” says McAvoy. “Holbrook was the consummate actor and Twain impersonator before I came along. However Hal effected a voice for Twain that was just a little too “southern” for my thinking.” Scholar William Dean Howells said this about Sam: “He was the most desouthernized southerner I ever knew.” Mac continues, “By the end of his life Sam pretty well had shucked the Missouri accent and from what his friends have said he pretty much spoke the King’s English.” As a final comment on whether Twain’s writings should be strictly followed when turned for use in stage performances Mac suggests Twain long since answered that question by saying “Literary work must be broken up for a listening audience.” I’ll let Sam have the final word on that subject.

I conclude by mentioning several more questions that folks have asked McAvoy over the years.

How many performances as Mark Twain have you given over the years? Probably over 4,000.

How many Twain stories have you memorized and performed? At least 1000.

What is your favorite Mark Twain book? Roughing It.

What is your favorite Mark Twain story? “Wheresoever she was, there was Eden…..”

What was your most gratifying performance? Piper’s Opera House, September 30, 2023.

Bonus Question: If you did just one more performance, something you’ve never done before, what would it be? I’d perform “The Diaries of Adam and Eve” with my old high school and college sweetheart, Tina Cole, in period costumes (Twain’s period, not Adam’s) here in Incline Village for charity.

Bonus Story: Some years ago the Western Governor’s Conference was hosted in Carson City by then Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and it had been arranged that the visiting governors and some of their staffs would be transported to Cave Rock on the south shore of Lake Tahoe for a history lesson with Washoe Indian tribal officials. McAvoy Layne dressed as Mark Twain was invited to accompany the dignitaries to enliven the journey. When their chartered bus pulled up to the entrance to the boat harbor below Cave Rock the driver was ordered to stop by the guard who informed him that the parking lot was full and they must turn around and come back another day. The driver protested saying that he was carrying Governor Sandoval and the governors of several other states to an important meeting and they must come in. The guard was resolute and said show me the governor. The driver invited the guard to step into the bus whereupon he spotted McAvoy Layne dressed in his whites seated behind the driver. The guard looked at Mac smiled and exclaimed to all within earshot, “That’s not the governor, That’s Mark Twain!” 

PS: They were allowed to come on in….

READ MORE AT LIVE.WORK.PLAY