Incline Village, NV, [September 30 ] 

 Cornerstone Community Church of Incline Village was recently honored by local veterans’ groups Military Officers Association of America – Lake Tahoe Chapter (“MOAA” ) and Incline Village/Crystal Bay Veterans’ Club (“Vets”) for its exceptional commitment and ongoing support to the local veteran community. The recognition, which took place September 15 at a special ceremony highlighted the church’s efforts in providing resources, hosting Independence Day celebration veteran events, and offering spiritual guidance to veterans and their families.

“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from the veterans’ groups,” said Brian McCaughey, Pastor of the church. “Our mission has always been to serve and support the entire community, and veterans hold a special place in our hearts. We will continue to provide whatever support is needed.”

Cornerstone Community Church has been an active supporter of veterans, hosting outreach programs, prayer services, and social events aimed at fostering a sense of community among local veterans. The veterans’ groups presented Cornerstone with a plaque describing the church as “Semper Fidelis to (local) veterans and surviving spouses”.

For more information on Cornerstone Church and its veteran support programs, visit www. cornerstonecommuity.net.

About Cornerstone Community Church

Cornerstone is a community-focused congregation located in Incline Village, NV. Known for its inclusive and compassionate approach, the church provides spiritual guidance, outreach programs, and services for individuals and families from all walks of life. The church is particularly committed to supporting local veterans, making a positive impact through various initiatives and partnerships.

---

Media Contact:

Jim Clark, President MOAA-LTC

tahoesbjc@aol.com

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 09/27/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

RENO, Nev. – Hawkeye, the bow-and-arrow-wielding superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers films, spoke to more than 700 Washoe County and Douglas County school districts’ middle and high schoolers Tuesday about deadly drugs. 

“This is a real talk, OK?” said Avengers superhero Jeremy Renner at the Northern Nevada Opioid Youth Summit at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. “I’m not just a guy on the screen as an actor that plays a superhero, right? I’m not just that. I have a brother, a son. I’m a father, and a man that died a year and a half ago. And I had to overcome a lot of obstacles and adversity.” 

Renner told the youth summit that included 50 Incline Middle School and Incline High School students. 

READ MORE >

Photo provided to The Tahoe Daily Tribune

Man can be awful cruel to man, and from time immemorial we continue to come up with new ways to exact our cruelty. The first novel ambush that caught my attention was described in the Odyssey, where Greek soldiers were able to take the city of Troy by hiding inside a giant horse parked at the city gates as an offering to the goddess Athena. What a surprise those soldiers of Troy had when they laid down their weapons to cheer and hug that humongous Trojan Horse. I was ten years old when I first read that story, and did not trust a horse for several years after…

Some ambuscades do not fare as well as the Trojan Horse. Mark Twain describes such a failed episode in one of Fennimore Cooper’s books…

“Chingachgook is able to divert a stream and uncover moccasin tracks!  He bends a sapling in the form of an arch over this narrow passage.  The Indians hide in the arch and wait for a 90-foot scow, moving at one mile per hour.  The first Indian that drops lands in the wheelhouse in the very stern of the scow.  The other five have a full minute to drop and all five drop astern of the scow into the water!”

But all the skullduggery in recorded history pales compared to the most recent advance in electronic sabotage. Some evil mastermind figured out how to load pagers, walkie-talkies, and hand-held radios with explosives that when detonated, drop their users like stones.

So what will we weaponize next? How many different ways can we conceive to dispatch one another? Well, there is a more natural demobilizing weapon that is most effective, though often overlooked, and it’s called, a pun. A good pun, or better yet, a bad one, can become an epiphany to an innocent interloper, and upgrade his disposition without harming him. 

So, my proposal is that all 195 countries in the world sign a treaty pledging to employ lighthearted puns in place of the heavier pursuits of war. This will cut the killing fields in half, and perhaps more, as there will be those lucky ones who will not try to understand a pun, and in feeling superior, will live a satisfied life ever after…

Now, if you doubt that this Ecumenical Pun Pledge will work, let us try a quick test on you, and find out if you don’t feel comforted, and above entertaining any thoughts of violence whatsoever…

                                 This is what I’m having for dinner tonight…

There! You see? If you figured it out you will feel grateful and benign, and if you don’t care to figure it out, well, you will feel peerless, and too erudite to harbor any thoughts of cruelty for the balance of a long and productive life…

I shall spend tonight drawing up our Ecumenical Pun Pledge, and shall get it in the mail to 195 countries first thing in the (Drumroll Please!) mourning… 

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

Originally published in Moonshine Ink, 09/12/2024, Written by Patrick Kratzer

September is Hunger Action Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about hunger in America. As Sierra Community House’s director of hunger relief operations, I often receive surprised reactions when talking about my work to people from outside of our area, like, “I never would think there is food insecurity in a place as nice as Lake Tahoe.” If you think of Tahoe as lakefront tech CEO mansions, private jet access, and recreation heaven, I can totally understand that thinking. But if you consider the housing crisis, the soaring cost of living, and the unpredictable nature of seasonal work, it becomes clear that food insecurity is much closer to our community than the glossy images of ski resorts and real estate ads might suggest. The truth is that our team feeds more than 290,000 meals to North Tahoe and Truckee residents every year, and a large percentage of those households include children under 18.

A traditional definition of food insecurity is: “The limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways which prevents individuals and families from living their healthiest, most fulfilling lives possible.”

READ MORE >

Submitted by IVCBA Member TRPA, 09/24/24

LAKE TAHOE, CA/NV – A partnership of Lake Tahoe agencies applauded Congress today for its passage of a bill to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (LTRA), which is the cornerstone of federal investment in theLake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), one of the most comprehensive and successful conservation programs in the nation.

The approval extends existing funding authorizations for approximately $300 million to 2034 and continues federal support for priority EIP projects to protect and restore Lake Tahoe. Since the EIP was formed in 1997, public and private sector partners have completed more than 830 projects including wetland restoration, bike trails, forest fuel reduction, and aquatic invasive species prevention and control. The federal commitment has helped leverage local, state, and private investments which together total more than $2.8 billion in environmental improvements.

Known as Team Tahoe, the EIP is a partnership of more than 80 public, tribal, and non-profit organizations.

“The Lake Tahoe Region is grateful to Congress for their leadership in passing this critical piece of legislation to continue the collaborative work to protect and restore Lake Tahoe,” Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Julie Regan said. “Extending the federal investment in the Environmental Improvement Program will leverage millions of dollars in state and local funding to implement the top priority projects for the lake and our communities.”

Rosalie Herrera, Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, said “USDA has testified in support of S. 612 as these federal funds will continue to allow work with states, local governments, and other public and private entities to provide for fuel reduction, erosion control, reforestation, watershed restoration, and invasive plant projects on federal and non-federal lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin”

Since LTRA was authorized in 2016, $122 million in federal funds have supported EIP partners in treating 21,000 acres of forest to reduce wildfire risk, restoring 342 acres of wetlands to protect biodiversity and the lake’s clarity, and inspecting 51,000 boats for aquatic invasive species. These federal funds have been matched by $500 million in state, local, tribal, and private matching funds. Additionally, the EIP supports an average of 1,700 jobs a year and every $1 million in spending generates $1.6 million in economic output.

“In the thick of election season, the successful bipartisan effort to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act is something the whole country can celebrate,” said Dr. Darcie Goodman Collins, CEO ofLeague to Save Lake Tahoe/Keep Tahoe Blue. “In every conversation we have with lawmakers, we hear nothing but commitment to protect this national treasure. Working together is how we’ll continue to Keep Tahoe Blue.” 

“We are thrilled about the extension of the LTRA, and are so grateful to the extraordinarily hard-working senators, congresspeople and staff members who represent us in Washington,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “An enormous amount of work goes into preserving this pristine natural treasure enjoyed by so many. Our champions in Congress and the resources provided through the LTRA continue to inspire our generous donors to contribute to the long-term health of Lake Tahoe.”

The Restoration Act will address the biggest environmental challenges facing the lake, including water quality, forest health, and the harmful spread of aquatic invasive species.

The bill is sponsored by Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA) in the Senate and by Mark Amodei (R-NV), Kevin Kiley (R-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Susie Lee (D-NV), Steven Horsford (D-NV), and John Duarte (R-CA) in the House of Representatives. The bill was introduced in March 2023 with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) as an original cosponsor.

Media Contacts
Jeff Cowen, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, (775) 589-5278,  jcowen@trpa.gov

Charles Clark, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, (520) 282-0020,Charles.h.clark@usda.gov

Chris Joseph, League to Save Lake Tahoe, (530) 541-5388, cjoseph@keeptahoeblue.org

Jess Weaver, JVP Communications, Tahoe Fund (530) 448-6981, jessica@jvpcommunications.com

###

In 1969, the U.S. Congress ratified the bi-state compact between the states of Nevada and California to create the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). TRPA leads the collaborative effort to protect and restore Lake Tahoe, and proudly leads the Environmental Improvement Program collaboration of more than 80 public and private organizations.

Attached Images:

Image: East Shore of Lake Tahoe
Caption: Looking across Lake Tahoe’s 190 square-mile surface from the East Shore of Lake Tahoe, Nev. The alpine lake spans the borders of Nevada and California. The USDA Forest Service manages nearly 80 percent of the land in the watershed. Image Credit: Drone Promotions
Credit: Drone Promotions

Image: South Shore Lake Tahoe Aerial2
Caption: Taylor and Tallac Creeks and Marsh and USDA Forest Service Visitor Center, South Shore of Lake Tahoe, Calif. 
Credit: Drone Promotions

Image: Lake Tahoe West Shore Aerial
Caption: West Shore of Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Credit: Drone Promotions

Originally published by Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council, 09/22/24, Written by Daniel Cressy

As we reflect on the busy summer season and look ahead to autumn and a quieter time of year, we’re excited to report that together, we’ve begun to make progress on actions supporting the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan. We’ve also realized some other benefits of our collaborative work, including the development of stronger relationships across the region and amongst different agencies that continue to enhance our collective effectiveness.

Although we’ve only just started, and there’s certainly a lot more work to do, this summer’s successes demonstrated to the Destination Stewardship Council that we are on the right path. Throughout the summer and particularly over the July 4 holiday, our partners achieved some success in efforts to better manage human impacts on the region, specifically at popular beaches and on trails. We have also begun to make progress on access and inclusion initiatives.

Many of these early wins are a direct result of the collaborative (“…to go far, go together”) approach that is being implemented throughout the region. From improved communication and coordination to the facilitation of expanded management and infrastructure in key locations, there’s a lot we can be both proud of and inspired by. These efforts will continue to improve the way people, communities, and the environment benefit from our thriving tourism and outdoor recreation economy.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the widespread support and momentum behind the Destination Stewardship Plan. Please continue reading to learn about some of the great work that has happened recently, and what’s to come.

LEARN MORE >