In The News – Celebrate North Lake Tahoe’s unique culinary experiences at ‘Passport to Dining’
October 31, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Sierra Sun, 10/24/2025, Staff Report
Get ready for a night of delicious discovery and community connection at the 18th annual Passport to Dining, taking place Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. This year’s event invites foodies on a culinary journey featuring nearly 25 tasting stations that highlight local restaurants, caterers, breweries, and wineries. Guests will enjoy unlimited tastings, live music, a silent auction, and raffle opportunities.
“Passport to Dining reflects the vibrant culinary scene, entrepreneurial spirit, and community-oriented ethos of North Lake Tahoe,” said Kerry Andras, Kings Beach District events manager. “From artisan bites and craft beers to fine wines and creative cocktails, the breadth of offerings promises an engaging experience for every palate, and a fantastic opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors.”
Traveling around Lake Tahoe means crossing invisible borders—one moment you’re in California, the next in Nevada. For residents and visitors accessing Lake Tahoe’s world-renowned outdoor recreation areas, the transition feels seamless, but behind the scenes, careful coordination is taking place.
The Tahoe Basin is managed by a network of overlapping jurisdictions, all of which play vital roles in caring for public lands, protecting the lake’s environment, and supporting the communities that surround it. To bring these voices together, the states of California and Nevada established the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) in 1969 through a bi-state compact, providing a framework for collaboration across the basin.
Through the Regional Plan and the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), TRPA works with partners at every level to advance projects that protect Tahoe’s natural resources while supporting outdoor recreation and community well-being.
One of the clearest examples of this partnership in action is Van Sickle Bi-State Park on Tahoe’s South Shore.
In The News – New Tahoe Meadows access ramp is now open to the public
October 26, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/26/2025, Written by Victoria Mastrocola
Completion of a new access ramp is cause for celebration in Tahoe Meadows at the trailhead of Ophir Creek, with a ribbon cutting ceremony taking place to commemorate a milestone for accessibility in the Tahoe Basin.
Tahoe Fund partnered with the Tahoe Meadows Access Ramp Committee (TMAR) to bring improvements to Tahoe Meadows through a project that took six years to complete.
Roberta Ross, one of the founding members of TMAR, noticed people out in Tahoe Meadows using canes and wheelchairs, and she couldn’t shake the thought of making the area more accessible.
In The News – Celebrating 15 years of science, stewardship, and connecting Tahoe to nature
October 26, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/26/2025, Staff Report
The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) invites the community to celebrate 15 years of connecting people with the natural world during its anniversary celebration at Rubicon Pizza in Northstar Village on Monday, Nov. 3.
Guests will enjoy live music, a raffle featuring local prizes, and an all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta, and salad buffet for $25 for adults and $15 for kids. All proceeds from the evening will directly support TINS’ research, education, and conservation programs thanks to Rubicon Pizza’s generous donation.
“This event is all about our amazing community,” said Will Richardson, TINS co-founder and executive director. “Our members, donors, partners, and friends have made TINS what it is today. This is a chance for us to celebrate with them and thank them for everything we’ve accomplished together.”
In The News – Take Care Tahoe encourages residents to store traffic safety yard signs for winter
October 26, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Sierra Sun, 10/26/2025, Tahoe Fund
With wet winter weather on the way, Take Care Tahoe is asking residents to bring in their “Take it Slow, Tahoe” yard signs for the season.
More than 1,200 signs were distributed earlier this year and proudly displayed in neighborhoods across the Basin, reminding everyone to take it slow and drive mindfully.
“We live in an incredible community, and the participation in this campaign has been inspiring,” said Jaclyn Tain, Outreach Coordinator for the Tahoe Fund. “As we requested earlier this year, we’re asking folks to be good stewards by storing their signs indoors for the winter and ensuring they don’t end up in the environment.”
The Sally Fund – Housing Security in North Tahoe-Truckee
October 21, 2025 | Member Submitted
THE SALLY FUND helps our neighbors stay securely housed in the North Tahoe region: Incline Village, Kings Beach, Tahoe City, Truckee, and all unincorporated areas. Launched by St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Incline Village, this community fund is a model of the collaboration needed to address our local housing crisis.
PLEASE ADD YOUR SUPPORT!
Why is The Sally Fund needed? We see the housing crisis escalating in our region: not only in the headlines, but in the stories of friends and neighbors who’ve been priced out or pushed out of their homes, jobs, schools, and communities by rising financial pressure. A bad weather season; a serious illness; a sudden jump in rent can upend lives and livelihoods. Without well-timed and well-targeted support, your neighbors may risk homelessness. The Sally Fund is a coordinated way you can help.
What does The Sally Fund do? Our two outstanding partners—Sierra Community House and Tahoe Family Solutions—both serve our community members struggling to enter housing or to stay housed. Their programs criss-cross city, county, and state lines because our workers and residents do the same. We have a regional housing problem.
By funding each agency equally, The Sally Fund is a two-way solution for housing assistance (financial aid to help individuals or families pay their housing costs, housing cost arrears, or utility bills so they can secure and maintain stable housing) and rapid re-housing (tenant-based rental assistance, security deposit, and services for 1–6 months, to help people obtain housing quickly, increase self-sufficiency, and stay housed). Our partners assess and assist clients; our donors fuel their work.
Who is Sally? Sally Jane Hammel, a beloved Tahoe neighbor for over 30 years, was well known as a bright, exuberant personality; an accomplished singer, artist, and thespian; and a longtime local U.S. Postal Service worker who always greeted us with spirit and a smile. A devoted member of St. Patrick’s, Sally willed her Incline condo to her church family on her passing in 2020; a portion of this generous bequest is the seed money for this fund. Her gift of a home, where she shared warmth and hospitality, inspires us to do the same.
How can you help? Please uplift our community, as Sally did, by giving to the fund established in her name (your tax-deductible donation is payable through the QR code below or with a check to St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 341 Village Blvd., Incline Village, NV 89451, with The Sally Fund in the Memo Line). Ask your church, temple, organization, or business to become an official co-sponsor/funder by contacting St. Patrick’s at 775.831.1418. Come to the fund’s launch Nov. 17, followed by future fundraisers. And spread the word!
North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Announces Conclusion of 2025 Curbside Chipping Season on November 5 and Availability of Defensible Inspections
October 21, 2025 | Member Submitted
The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) reminds residents that the 2025 Curbside Chipping Program will conclude on Tuesday, November 5, 2025.
As crews wrap up this year’s chipping operations, NLTFPD has observed many chip piles still sitting curbside throughout the community. The district encourages residents to submit an online request if they have not already done so to ensure their pile is scheduled for pickup before the season ends.
“Curbside chipping is an important tool in maintaining defensible space and reducing wildfire risk,” said Division Chief Powning. “We have seen a lot of participation this season, but there are still piles out there. We want to make sure no one misses their opportunity to be included before the program closes for the winter.”
Piles must be placed curbside and easily accessible
Branches should be no larger than 6 inches in diameter
Maximum pile size: 20 ft length × 6 ft height × 6 ft width
No stumps, roots, garbage, nails, lumber, or pinecones
Commercial piles are not accepted, these are piles created by a contractor or landscaping company, rather than by a homeowner
Chips will be left on site for residents to use safely
The program typically completes requests within one week, but timing may vary depending on fire assignments or staffing availability.
Defensible Space Inspections (DSI)
Residents may schedule defensible space inspections by calling (775) 831-0351 ext. 8130 after October 30. Please note: inspections are subject to weather conditions.
Final Reminder
Residents have until Tuesday, November 5, 2025, to submit a chipping request. After that date, the program will pause for the winter season and resume in spring 2026.
TRPA Honors Local Stewards with 2025 Lake Spirit Awards
October 21, 2025 | Member Submitted
On Wednesday, October 22, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) will recognize five individuals for their outstanding dedication to protecting and restoring Lake Tahoe as this year’s Lake Spirit Award recipients.
Established in 2011, the Lake Spirit Awards shine a light on individuals who go above and beyond to safeguard Lake Tahoe’s unique environment. Nominated by their peers, these community leaders embody stewardship through leadership, volunteerism, and everyday actions that make a lasting difference in the region.
This year’s awardees are:
Citizens
Tim Kosier – A decade-long volunteer with UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, and Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, Kosier has dedicated countless hours educating others about the science and stewardship of Lake Tahoe.
Sydney Morrow – As Glenbrook Homeowners Association Director and FireWise Coordinator, Morrow has shown exceptional leadership in protecting her community and Lake Tahoe from wildfire risk through proactive planning and collaboration.
Agency Representatives
Tom Berndt – Lead Roving Inspector with the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program, Berndt has been instrumental in protecting the lake from invasive species through community education and in-person outreach at popular beaches and paddle spots.
Kirstin Guinn – Marketing Director for North Tahoe Community Alliance, Guinn is an innovative communicator leading collaborative education and outreach in the regional shift to destination stewardship and helping create a tourism economy that gives back.
Lifetime Achievement
Jim Baetge – Jim Baetge’s leadership has left an enduring mark on Lake Tahoe. Having served as former Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency from 1994-2002, his lifelong dedication is deeply woven into the health of the lake. It was under Jim’s leadership that TRPA spearheaded the ban on carbureted two-stroke boat engines, cutting polluting gasoline compounds in the water by 90 percent—a landmark achievement for water quality. He was also the visionary of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), laying the foundation for decades of collaborative restoration surpassing $3 billion in investments to date. The EIP is now heralded as one of the most successful landscape-scale, public-private conservation initiatives in the United States. His vision, integrity, and unwavering dedication will continue to shape the Tahoe Basin far into the future.
“The Lake Spirit Awards celebrate the often-unsung champions of Tahoe,” said TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan. “Their efforts show us that caring for Lake Tahoe is something we do together, and that steady, thoughtful action can make an exceptional impact for the health of the lake.”
Agency staff will present a commemorative award to each recipient during a special recognition ceremony at the TRPA Governing Board meeting Wednesday, October 22. For more information about the recipients, join the TRPA Governing Board meeting or visit trpa.gov/awards.
Images
Tim Kosier: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Citizen, Tim Kosier explores the science behind Lake Tahoe’s protection with visitors to the Tahoe Center for Environmental Science. Credit: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
Sydney Morrow: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Citizen Sydney Morrow, Glenbrook Homeowners Association Director and FireWise Coordinator.
Tom Berndt: Photo: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Agency Representative, Tom Berndt, roving invasive species inspector with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. Credit: Clean Up The Lake
Kirstin Guinn: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Agency Representative, Kirstin Guinn, Marketing Director for North Tahoe Community Alliance.
Jim Baegte: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Lifetime Achievement, Jim Baetge, former Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 1994-2002.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment.
In The News – North Tahoe youth rowing team punches above weight in promising start to 2nd full season
October 21, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/15/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh
Tahoe Crew, an up-and-coming youth rowing team, is off to a promising season following its first two races this fall.
Based out of Incline Village, the team is fresh off the Head of Port Regatta, a competition in Sacramento, which took place Sunday, Oct. 5. The team brought home six gold medals in the following categories.
Boys U19 Single – Sebren Key (Galena)
Boys U17 Single – Alex Tippett (North Tahoe)
Boys U16 Single – Kai Copeland (Carson)
Boys U17 Double – Tippett and Kole Buckley (Galena)
Boys Novice Double – Copeland and Brecken Key(Galena)
Girls Novice Double – Katie Illg (Sage Ridge) and Kennedy Kelly (North Tahoe)
In addition to those six golds, U19 racer, Sebren Key, claimed a trophy awarded to the fastest single boat of the entire regatta, regardless of sex or age. The perpetual trophy will remain with Key until next year’s race. It has over two decades worth of names engraved on the side since its origination in 1999. Key, however, is one of just a few youth names to claim it.
In The News – New Tahoe institute brings win-win collaborative approach to solving sustainability locally and globally
October 21, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/20/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh
The Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability through the University of Nevada, Reno’s Lake Tahoe Campus is gaining momentum after its launch in early June with the goal of developing solutions to sustainability in the basin and worldwide.
“Lake Tahoe is not only the jewel of the Sierra Nevada,” said Sudeep Chandra, PhD, professor and limnologist at UNR, who has helped launch the new institute, “but it is an important marker for the globe for understanding environmental change and economic resilience.”
