Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 05/09/2024, Written by Katelyn Welsh

GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA, Calif./Nev. – For the first time in nearly five years, Lake Tahoe is expected to fill this spring. Although the water year continues through September, The Natural Resources Conservation Service is already confident about this year’s positive outlook. 

“It is a already a safe bet to pencil in a win on this year’s report card, especially for northern Nevada,” their report says. 

This is good news since once full, Lake Tahoe can typically provide enough water to meet demand for three years, even if consecutive snowpacks are below normal, according to their statement. The service expects most key reservoirs in northern Nevada and eastern Sierra will fill this spring as well.

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Photo credit: Tahoe Daily Tribune

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 05/08/2024, Submitted

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is proud to announce its partnership with Alibi Ale Works for the much-anticipated “Tunes on Tap” Sunset Concert Series. 

Launching on June 20 and running through August 15, the “Tunes on Tap” series will take place on Thursday evenings at Alibi’s Incline Public House, offering locals and visitors alike a mid-week escape filled with live music, craft brews, and the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Alibi Ale Works to bring this exciting music series to our community,” said Andy Chapman, president and CEO of TNTNV. “The ‘Tunes on Tap’ series not only adds another layer of entertainment for our visitors but also strengthens the relationship between TNTNV and local businesses, showcasing the culture and spirit of North Lake Tahoe.”

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Photo Credit: Alibi Ale Works – Incline Public House

New region-wide protocols in place to prevent the spread of New Zealand mudsnails

Lake Tahoe, Nev./Calif. —Lake Tahoe watercraft inspection stations are open for the season to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and boaters can now book an appointment for this summer online, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) announced today. With the discovery last year of invasive New Zealand mudsnails in Lake Tahoe, the agencies are urging boaters, paddlers, beachgoers, and anglers to learn how to prevent the spread of this new threat. 

Inspections are available without an appointment any time of the year, according to TRPA and Tahoe RCD who have managed the inspection program since its launch in 2008. During the peak season, an optional appointment can be scheduled online for a $15 convenience fee any day between May 15 and September 30, depending on availability. Book online at tahoeboatinspections.com/appt.

As of May 1, the Meyers, Calif. and Spooner Summit, Nev. regional watercraft inspection stations will be open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. daily. The Alpine Meadows, Calif. inspection station opens May 15 with the same operating hours. 

“Boaters can help keep the waters of the Tahoe Region safe from aquatic invasive species by arriving Clean, Drained, and Dry,” said Tom Boos, Senior Environmental Specialist at TRPA. “This is the number one way to reduce the risk of invasive species and it helps boaters get on the water faster.”

Boats and trailers are one of the largest potential sources of spread of aquatic invasive species in the Western U.S. Under Lake Tahoe’s program, every motorized watercraft is inspected or decontaminated before launch, and paddle craft can opt for free inspection and decontamination at any regional inspection station. Since 2008, staff have inspected 113,000 boats for aquatic invasive species, which can have devastating environmental and economic impacts.

A New Invasive Species in Lake Tahoe
In September 2023, the agencies confirmed the presence of a new aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe, the New Zealand mudsnail. It was the first detection of a new invasive in the region since mandatory inspections began in 2008.

“Now that Lake Tahoe is a higher risk to other waterbodies, it’s up to every boater, paddler, angler, and beachgoer to ensure they’re doing their part to limit its spread, within Lake Tahoe and throughout the region,” Boos said.

TRPA and Tahoe RCD immediately responded to the New Zealand mudsnail detection last year with updated watercraft inspection protocols and public education on the location of the mudsnails and how to limit their spread. Diver surveys showed the invasive species had infested a 3-mile area of Lake Tahoe’s South Shore, according to the assessment surveys.

Unrelated to the devastating Quagga and Zebra mussel, New Zealand mudsnails are about the size of a grain of rice (2-6-mm) and can rapidly reproduce. Densities of up to 10,000 snails per square meter were measured in the lake last year. First discovered in Idaho in 1987, they are currently found in 22 states including California and Nevada, and as close as the Lower Truckee River near Reno, Nev.

What You Can Do to Protect Lake Tahoe

• Be vigilant about Clean, Drain, and Dry. 
• Heed special instructions for boaters, anglers, and non-motorized users and paddlers at tahoeboatinspections.com.
• Paddlers can learn how to self-inspect and become a Tahoe Keeper at tahoekeepers.org.
• Download the free Tahoe Boating App at tahoeboating.org for an interactive map that shows location relative to the New Zealand mudsnail infestation, as well as no-wake zones, area attractions, bathrooms, and more.
• Look for mobile, solar-powered cleaning stations for kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes at popular recreation sites around the Tahoe Basin provided by the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.
• Look for and support roving inspectors at popular beaches and launch ramps this summer provided by funding from the Tahoe Fund and TRPA.

Learn more about these programs and more at tahoeboatinspections.com.

Image Caption: Boats can get on Lake Tahoe faster and safer by arriving Clean, Drained, and Dry at inspection stations. Credit: Generikal

Submitted by:

Jeff W Cowen (he/his)
Public Information Officer
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
775-589-5278 | jcowen@trpa.gov
trpa.gov|facebook|x|instagram

Submitted and Written By David Vomund of Vomund Investment Management

After last week’s Federal Reserve meeting investors were once again wondering what’s next for interest rates.  Will the Fed cut rates this year or will more data on sticky inflation force another hike?  While that debate continues, we can at least conclude that rates will eventually settle at a level much higher than just a few years ago.  The neutral rate (neither stimulative nor restrictive) is higher than previously thought.  What will that mean for investors?  Read on.

In my March 17, 2023 article titled “Good News for Savers” I listed several securities that work well in a rising rate environment.  They also work well when rates remain high, just as they are now.  I’ll list them again and give some new ones.

Few investors (and advisers) own or even know about adjustable-rate (or floating-rate) preferred securities.  Those securities yield more when rates rise.  U.S. Bancorp offers a Floating Rate Series B Preferred (USB-H).  The floating rate is 3.5% or 0.60% above three-month Libor, whichever is higher.  At its current price of $19.9 this security yields 6.8 percent, is rated BBB, and pays qualified dividends.

Other banks/brokerages also offer floating-rate preferreds.  The Goldman Sachs Series D (GS-D) yields 6.99 percent and is rated BB+.  The Morgan Stanley Series A Preferred (MS-A) yields 6.2 percent and is rated BBB-.

In my previous article I wrote about an adjustable security that I called a “special situation.”  The largest mortgage REIT, Annaly Capital Management, offers a 6.95% Series ‘F’ preferred (NLY-F).  The rate on this security is three-month LIBOR plus a spread adjustment of 5.25 percent.  That puts its current yield at 10.5 percent.  When this security was issued I doubt that management ever thought rates would be this high so they may call the security at its $25 par.  Because of a potential or even partial call, I would only buy it below $25.  It’s above that now.  

A better alternative is Annaly’s newer 6.75% Series ‘I’ Preferred (NLY-I).  It yields 6.7 percent but its dividend begins to adjust on June 30 so its yield will jump to 10 percent.  Annaly preferreds do not pay qualified dividends so they are best suited for IRAs. 

Of course a money market fund now yielding 5.2 percent is always an option and fixed-rate preferreds are attractive.  I’ll list my favorites in an upcoming article.  Whether you own adjustables or fixed-rate securities (or both!), it’s a good time to be an income investor.  

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.

Mark Twain was once given a pocket watch engraved, “Governor of the Third House.”

 Now unless you’re from Carson City, you might be wondering why. So I’m going to set out here to tell you why as best I can. You see, the Third House was a loose comingling of legislators, lawyers and journalists who would gather together at a groggery following a session of the Constitutional Convention away back in the early 1860’s to burlesque that day’s law making.  And Sam Clemens so enjoyed lampooning the legislators they made him Governor of the Third House. Here is a small sampling of his attentions…

“Mr. Youngs, how do you suppose anybody can listen in any comfort to your speech, when you are fumbling with your coat all the time you are talking, and trying to button it with your left hand, when you know you can’t do it?”

 Subsequently the Third House asked Sam to give a public talk to raise money for a new roof on the First Presbyterian Church. So he cobbled together his first public talk and had flyers printed up that were handed out in Virginia City & Carson…

The man lecturing has a very large nose and anyone whose nose exceeds its measurement will be admitted free.  All other noses must pay one dollar.

Well, two or three noses did get in free, but they raised $200 and put a new roof on that First Presbyterian Church.  One of the parishioners suggested that because it was Mark Twain who put a roof on their church, it would collapse and crush the congregation.  But it never has… 

I only wish we had a Third House in Washington today, as we Americans are getting better at throwing bricks than we are at laying bricks. I can just hear Sam following today’s Supreme Court hearing regarding immunity of a sitting president…

“Honorable Jurists, Complete immunity comes with knowing right from wrong.” (My words not Sam’s.)

As an impartial observer not living in a small corner of the internet, Sam might just go away from Washington today with a parting word, and yet another watch. 

“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no native American criminal class -except congress.”

Finally, as is our custom, we shall leave the last word to Mr. Twain…

“I covered the legislature for the Enterprise, and in all these years, nothing has changed. Never have I seen a body of men with tongues so handy and information so uncertain.  They could talk for a week without ever getting rid of an idea.  If any one of them had been on hand when the creator was at the point of sayin’, ‘Let there be light,’ we never would have got it. No, the legislature meets every two years for sixty days, when they ought rightly meet every sixty years for two days. When the Nevada legislature is in session, nobody is safe.”

Audio: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fhv4PrH1UuwlhbnTT23zO

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on 05/03/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Above Matchless Court in the First Creek drainage, new technology is chipping away at the vegetation and trees ecologically, efficiently, and safely.

Two remote-controlled BurnBots RCU75s showcased precision mastication Wednesday as part of a demonstration hosted at the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation by the Tahoe Fund and regional partners including the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, and the Martis Fund.

“This thing can do 10 times what hand crews can do,” said BurnBot CEO Anukool Lakhina. “BurnBots mission is to make destructive wildfires a thing of the past.”

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Photo Credit: Tahoe Daily Tribune – Brenna O’Boyle

Incline Village (May 3, 2024) – Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, a spacious resort nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and on the shore of Lake Tahoe, announces its Mother’s Day experience for guests and local residents. The resort will provide a special holiday brunch and dinner at Lone Eagle Grille. It will also feature a Mother’s Day spa special at Stillwater Spa. 

“We are thrilled to welcome our local community for an unforgettable Mother’s Day celebration,” said Kressa Olguin, Director of Marketing at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. “Guests can spend quality time with loved ones while enjoying delicious food, a pampering spa treatment, and our beautiful North Lake Tahoe setting.”

The resort’s Lakeside Lone Eagle Grille will feature a special Mother’s Day brunch between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each table will receive family-style servings of a seasonal fruit presentation, charcuterie board, and a freshly-baked pastry basket. Guests will be able select from several entrée options ranging from a white chocolate and banana-stuffed French toast and eggs benedict with king crab legs and salmon caviar to a Fulton Valley Farms chicken breast with wild mushroom raviolis and a vegetarian eggplant roulade.

The brunch will also feature various house-made desserts including raspberry rose macarons, hazelnut pate choux, lemon meringue tarts, and a mini tiramisu. The meal is $80 per person and includes the family-style starters, one entrée selection for each guest, and one dessert selection for each guest. A special kid’s menu will also be available with a “Decorate Your Own Cookie” dessert option.

Lone Eagle Grille will continue the holiday with a special dinner between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The menu will be served a la carte and will feature two salad specials including “The Best Mother’s Bouquet Salad” and a campechana grille Latin shrimp salad. Entrees will feature a butter-poached French dover sole, a seared five-ounce A-5 Wagyu striploin, and a baby spinach and burrata ravioli. It will also feature a special dessert of strawberry shortcake with Chantilly cream and strawberry coulis. 

Reservations for the Mother’s Day brunch and dinner are required and can be made by visiting https://www.loneeaglegrille.com/. 

Between May 12 and May 16, Stillwater Spa will feature a Mother’s Day special, the “Sparkle Bright” facial. The facial features luxurious hydration using products from the Skin Authority line, and is designed to provide brighter and glowing skin. It is $275 which includes a Facial Club Kit ($100 value) as a gift in order to take their self-care home. Reservations are required for all spa treatments and can be made by visiting Lake Tahoe Spa | Stillwater Spa | Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, or by calling (775) 886-6745. 

For more information or to book a meeting at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234.

Submitted by the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino

Photo from Hyatt Instagram

About Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino

Ideally situated on the pristine shores of North Lake Tahoe, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, a AAA Four Diamond Award winning resort, offers majestic lake and mountain views from its 422 guestrooms, including 32 suites and 24 lakeside cottages. The resort’s design evokes modern alpine luxury with exposed wood beams, rich leathers, and granite features throughout the property. Premium amenities include 500 feet of private beach featuring a 275-foot floating pier, a year-round heated lagoon-style pool and two hot tubs, a 25,000 square foot Grand Lodge Casino, and 50,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor flexible meeting and event space including the picturesque Lakeside Ballroom, Tahoe’s premier lakeside ballroom just steps away from the beach. Additional amenities include a 20,000 square-foot Stillwater Spa with 16 treatment rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, pet-friendly accommodations, a fully-equipped Hyatt StayFit gym, and an on-site Adventure program which provides guided activities led by the resort’s team of adventure specialists. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino has received numerous awards and recognitions including Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World, Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, Smart Meetings Smart Stars Awards, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hotel Awards, and more. 

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino is located on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, at 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV, 89451. For more information, visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com or follow the resort on Facebook or Instagram.

About Hyatt Regency hotels 

The Hyatt Regency brand is a global collection of hotels and resorts found in more than 200 locations in over 40 countries around the world. The depth and breadth of this diverse portfolio, from expansive resorts to urban city centers, is a testament to the brand’s evolutionary spirit. For more than 50 years, the Hyatt Regency brand has championed fresh perspectives and enriching experiences, while its forward-thinking philosophy provides guests with inviting spaces that bring people together and foster a spirit of community. As a hospitality original, Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts are founded on openness—our colleagues consistently serve with open minds and open hearts to deliver unforgettable celebrations, effortless relaxation and notable culinary experiences alongside expert meetings and technology-enabled collaboration. The brand prides itself on an everlasting reputation for insightful care—one that welcomes all people across all countries and cultures, generation after generation.
For more information, please visit hyatt.com