The storm last Saturday didn’t prevent a lot of people from coming out for the Jingle and Mingle Holiday Shopping Event …our businesses thank you! I hope  you could find most everything you needed without going down those slippery roads to Reno or Carson. Those businesses still need your support. Here are some last-minute gift suggestions:

GIFT CARDS!

Especially…Happy Tiers, Mofo’s, and Koi Sushi have been shut down for nearly two weeks due to Christmas Tree Village plumbing problems. You can still support them by buying gift cards and placing special orders. 

“BEST-KEPT SECRET” PLACES TO SHOP

THE GIFT SHOP  at the Incline Village Community Hospital has great bargains and cute stuff! It is run by the North Lake Tahoe Community Health Care Auxiliary.

THE WELCOME CENTER at 969 Tahoe Blvd. If you think it’s just for tourists, think again. They have great T-shirts and other Lake Tahoe logo’d items that make great gifts.

HIGH SIERRA GARDENS: Yes, you can still get your Christmas tree there, but they have a really cute gift shop too!

LOCAL IN-DOOR RECREATION: Not everyone skis, and if the weather outside is really frightful, head to Iron and Woods indoor golf in the Country Club Center. Don’t forget that Bowl Incline has more than bowling/ PLUS they have an adult-oriented new restaurant upstairs, Lounge 19. 

THE HYATT: I could speak about the Hyatt in many categories; certainly, their gift shop is fun too. A Stillwater Spa gift card will make Santa a very popular guy. But DID YOU KNOW… they are serving ‘HIGH TEA” on the weekends? Everything you expect like scones, savory tea sandwiches, selection of teas and even champagne or a cocktail. Check out their gingerbread display at the same time.

THANK YOU TO ROBIN GLASGOW 

Long-time Executive Director Robin Glasgow is retiring. Thanks for your years of service!

CHRISTMAS AND HANNUKAH SERVICES

Go to the Northern Lights page to get a list of all the services, but if you have kids, don’t miss the “A Very Cornerstone Christmas” on December 21!

I am off to my happy place, Minnesota , tomorrow. Thanks to all of my loyal readers. I will be back with the Lens in January!

Tahoe Film Fest Celebrates 10 Years!

The Tahoe Film Fest may be the best-kept secret event in Tahoe! Seriously, if you have never been to one of their films, this is the year to try it. Opening night is Thursday, and multiple films are shown each day through Sunday. Thank you to Robert Roussel for his “labor of love” and close connections to Hollywood and New York for this amazing and accessible film fest. Need another reason to go? All proceeds benefit the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center right here in Incline on the campus of UNR@Lake Tahoe. 

Lake Tahoe School Winter Holiday Market 

I just got back from Vienna and their fabulous Christmas Markets. Julie and I have dreams about putting on such an event here. Lake Tahoe School has the next best thing because it is indoors…their Winter Holiday Market this Friday night, December 6. They manage to find unique vendors that will help you find something for that person who is impossible to buy for. Take those gifts you bought to Glasses on Saturday night, December 7 to have them gift wrapped, courtesy of WARF. And drink some wine while you’re there! 

DECK THE HALLS 

Don’t miss out on what has become the best-ever Christmas show in Incline. It’s called Jennifer Street Parade of Lights, but it is so much more than just lights. It is set to music as well. Thanks to the Harrells for this annual production! But don’t be discouraged from doing your own lights at your home or business. Although we are not technically calling it a contest, we plan to scout the streets and post photos of the best displays we see! Hot tip: Lakeshore Realty ALWAYS has a display worth driving by. And, if you are out driving at night, why not go see the unofficial “Community Tree,” You can see it on Incline Way, just past the Rec Center in the middle of the forest leading to UNR@Lake Tahoe.  

CANDY CANE LANE  

I have to mention it…it’s THIS Saturday from 2-4. This is Incline’s community tree lighting (kind of, because it’s already on) and holiday celebration. Santa is delivered by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, and the cute little kids from Incline Elementary School will sing. EVERY (I’m exaggerating) social club and nonprofit will be there to greet you, hand out goodies to kids or have activities for them to do. Get your informal photo with Santa! Oh, park the car at the Rec Center, write a letter to Santa at the Rec Center and walk through Candy Cane Lane to get to the Village!  

GIVING TUESDAY 

It was just yesterday, so I guarantee you it’s not too late to make a donation to your favorite charity and it will probably be matched by some magnanimous local anonymous donor! Thank you to everyone who gives generously of their time, talent and treasure to our community. 

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So much to be grateful for this season, but I want to focus on those that address food insecurity in our community…

• Sierra Community House and its many volunteers who made sure that goody bags, complete with a turkey, reached homes throughout North Tahoe/Truckee, including Incline. 
• The Village Church with its always on hand food boxes, St. Frances with its Food Ministry, and St. Patrick’s and Cornerstone who serve many families in need.
• Food Bank of Northern Nevada works behind the scenes by being a major supplier for Sierra Community House, and Raleys and Grocery Outlet donates surplus food.

SHOP SMALL SATURDAY

After the mobs of shoppers in Reno on Black Friday, chill out on Saturday and keep it local!

High Sierra Gardens….The place to get a fresh Christmas tree and their gift shop is still open!

The Potlatch…Go for the jewelry at 10% off, but those cutesy holiday hostess gifts sell out early and their selection is the BEST!

Karacotta Ceramic Studio…is offering an ornament-making workshop

Mountain Hardware and Sports….make it a family experience…something for everyone… DIY guys, affordable sports clothing for kids, holiday and housewares, and Christmas lights!

The Village Ski Loft…all those brands you love…either make someone happy or make your own list!

Not a shopper? Don’t feel bad, go visit one of the newest businesses in town, Iron and Wood in Country Club Center. Yes, it’s a golf place, kind of like TopGolf where everyone can hang out and spend a few hours bonding over your golf swing. They encourage bring drinks and food over from nearby Fumo, Austin’s, Incline Spirits, and Bak’d.

GIVING TUESDAY

This is your chance to give to the myriad non-profits that make our community so supportive. Whether it’s the family advocacy organizations like the ones mentioned above and Tahoe Family Solutions, Incline Education Fund for the schools, or Shakespeare and the many cultural non-proifts, BE GENEROUS!

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IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot!  If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help! JOIN HERE

Are we all glad the election is over, and our emails and phones won’t get blown up with political messages?!  A big THANK YOU to all of the candidates who were brave enough to run.   Hopefully, we can all turn our attention to Veterans Day by next Monday, when we honor those who take civic duty to a whole other level by serving our country in the armed forces. 

Incline Village is fortunate to have four groups devoted to Veterans. 

INCLINE VILLAGE VETERANS CLUB

This group is dedicated to helping Veterans in the area, but it is also integral to Incline and the myriad community events, like the Local Heroes Celebration on the 4th of July. They meet every third Thursday at the Chateau and welcome everyone to come and join, even if you are not a veteran. 

MOAA (Military Officers of America Association)

The Lake Tahoe chapter works closely with the Vets Club. They have a speaker series here in Incline. The next one is November 20 at  Parasol. The speaker is Mr. Rick Hatton, Founder of the 10 Tanker Air Carrier.  Contact John Hoffman at jhoffman@cognitive.exchange to reserve your seat.

ONWARD OPS FOUNDATION

The Onward Ops Foundation (HQ is in Incline Village) received a $1.75 Million Grant from USAA’s “Face the Fight” in 3Q 2024 to help members of all branches of military service transition into new civilian lives with zero suicides. The Onward Ops Foundation is focused on kicking off the first National Guard Pilot with the state of Nevada and the new TAG Brigadier General Dan Waters. Contact John Hoffman for more information.

PTSD NOW!

Craig and Julie Rauchle and PTSD Now were singled out for an honor and a proclamation for service to the Nevada National Guard by the incoming and retiring commanding generals at a change of command ceremony in Reno. PTSD is a huge problem for Vets, and their work in saving Vets from suicide has been incredibly meaningful. 

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

This event honors those who have served and are now deceased across the country. This year’s event is held on Saturday, December 14. Local Rotary clubs also participate in it.

Take a moment to honor our veterans this Veteran’s Day – 11/11/24 (Monday)

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IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot!  If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help! JOIN HERE

How many of you have a story about our beloved Incline Village Community Hospital? Broken leg from skiing, a child’s ear infection in the middle of the night, or an allergic reaction to a bee sting….we all can probably tell at least one story where it was SO NICE to have our local hospital with its emergency department and upstairs health center. For me and Richard, we remember the appendicitis attack, the infection from a root canal, a bladder infection that caused mental confusion and numerous trips when the kids were young.  Trips to the ER for loved ones are often emotional experiences and can be filled with long waits in busy, crowded waiting rooms. We have been spoiled by having this wonderful resource in such a small community. 

Because of the generosity and determination of community members, the Hospital opened its doors in September of 1981. It had just the basics, but hospitals are expensive to run. After the hospital closed two times in the 80s, Marianne and Larry Ingemanson set out to save it financially. Several locals, including us, “invested” in this critical facility that allowed many elderly people and young families to live here, knowing they had quality health care close to home. In 1996, the Hospital became a proud part of Tahoe Forest Health System. Now IVCH is the place that we all know and love: an incredible ER with faces that many of us have grown to know and love, the second-floor Health Center with primary and specialty physicians, the brand-new Diagnostic Imaging Suite (now with 3D Mammography), a wonderful lab for any of your lab work needs, and just recently a walk-in clinic that meets the needs of all of our residents.

Tahoe Forest is one of the top 100 critical access hospitals in the country. It has achieved notable quality measures that demonstrate the highest patient safety standards and consistently exceeds patient satisfaction ratings. The Cancer Center is world renowned, the Women’s and Newborn Care center is state-of-the-art, and many of our local babies are born there. Many surgeries, like my appendectomy and my broken wrist, are easily accommodated. We have much to be thankful for, and we congratulate them on serving our community for the last 75 years!

SHOUT-OUTS

• Louis Ward is Incline Hospital’s Administrator and interim CEO for the entire Health System. He is visible in our community and looks out for our interests.
• Karli Epstein is the Executive Director of both hospital foundations. She is a familiar face and name in Incline. She and the IVCH Foundation are behind the fabulous Beach Boys (and other) fundraisers that raise several hundred thousand dollars for our hospital alone. Because of these funds, we have state-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging equipment like 3D mammography, the 128-slice CT, and the new fixed X-ray. Many of the hospital’s upgrades are thanks to incredible community generosity and support. 
• The North Lake Tahoe Community Health Care Auxiliary works behind the scenes, raising money for scholarships and hospital equipment needs from its annual lobster feed in the summer and golf tournament in the fall. It also runs that cute gift shop!

Tahoe Forest Health System is celebrating its 75th Anniversary on Friday night. When you see a local health hospital employee, nurse, physician, or provider, thank them!

LET ME JUST SAY, THERES A LOT of DRESSING UP  to do in the next couple weeks! And I’m not even thinking about cold-weather dressing, but I will get to that too.

TRAIL OF TREATS AND TERROR THIS THURSDAY NIGHT!

IVGID puts together this (not really) scary family event for Halloween. This is the “costume parade” of Incline families all decked out for trick or treating before it gets dark. Your ticket is either a child who is attending or volunteer for one of the many organizations that decorate a table on the trail. Or just come down to the Village Green, in costume of course, to watch the fun. Donate to it through ITF

CHILI COOK-OFF ON FRIDAY NIGHT

The taste and smell of chili are in the air…. As local restaurants prepare for this year’s Chili Cook-off and Beerfest on Friday at the Chateau, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline. Cowboy boots and hat are not required, but dressing up makes it more festive.  Thanks to Rotary fundraisers, over $30,000 is invested in education and youth programs, along with family advocacy organizations.

Friday night is a popular night for Halloween events too….yet another chance to wear that costume. Boys and Girls Club has their annual Harvest Festival in Kings Beach and DID YOU KNOW…Sand Harbor has outdoor movies on Friday night? It’s called Spooky Harbor. This Friday is a Kids Fall Festival, as well as a showing of Trick or Treat Scooby Doo.

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?!

No one is leaving the dogs out, especially not WARF!

October 26: A local animal rescue organization is hosting  a Halloween event and dogs are invited! Doggie costumes please! (Don’t you wish there was a costume store in Incline?)

KUNR IN INCLINE!

More local journalism is needed in the region, but especially in Washoe Tahoe, aka Incline Village and Crystal Bay. With the trend moving away from print, radio and podcasts have become an important news source.  Find out more tonight at a reception on the UNR campus here in town. (Some of us still call it Sierra Nevada College)

WINTER WARMTH AND WELLNESS

The local churches join forces with Sierra Community House to hold a clothing and “necessities” drive to be sure that local families are ready for winter. Volunteers are needed. If you or someone you know, is among the needy, the “Giveaway” is this Saturday at the Kings Beach Events Center. Contact Lorena Herrera at St. Francis for more information LorenaA@sftahoe.org.

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IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot!  If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help! JOIN HERE

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Libraries today are not what they used to be. They are so much more! My first job at age 14 was shelving books in the local library. I loved it because I was a bookworm. Remember the card catalog? Now, there are so many more ways to search for information and books.

Libraries have become a resourceful place to learn, not just from books, but a gathering place in the community. They manage programming at the Community Center, the old library building next door that also houses the Incline Justice Court.  If you need a private room for a Zoom, try the library. Do you need dedicated IT help with your phone? Book a Librarian. Virtual Reality, 3D printing, yes!  The Incline Village Library, under the direction of John Crockett, is exceptional, and I want to give a big shout-out to its staff. Not only are there many events at the library, but they were also at the Sheriff’s Picnic with the Book Mobile last Saturday! 

Carrying on with how valuable the library is…

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Tahoe Talks has a town hall format to discuss relevant issues. Voting Access is the theme on Tuesday,  October 8. Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and two professors from nearby community colleges will be on hand. Incline Village Library is also the location for voting in the election on November 5. 

By the way, last night, John Crockett was the moderator at the IVGID Candidate Forum, hosted by IVCBA and the IVCB Community Forum. Six candidates were present and the crowd at the high school was very civilized. Thank you!

BEAUTIFICATION

The weather is so beautiful right now that no one has an excuse not to be out cleaning up their yard or the Village. Upper Tyner neighbors….join Trevor Smith’s major clean-up this weekend.

Trash to Treasures is an on-going special interest group at Incline Middle School. Their latest project is painting art on bear boxes!  Maybe we all should…or better yet, find out if they can do mine!

CALENDAR

There are too many things to mention, so please go online to IVCBA.org/calendar. But the only fundraising Oktoberfest-style event (that I know of) in Incline is tomorrow’s Barktoberfest at Pet Network. Hope to see you there!

Our Weekly Snapshot is taking a Holiday with all the students next week. Expect to see all the Community News and Events on Wednesday, October 16th.

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IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot!  If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help! JOIN HERE

My husband Richard and I just had a conversation about how safe from crime we feel in Incline Village. Break-ins tend to be related to bears, neighbors look out for houses of friends who are out of town and speeders are going 45 mph, not 80 mph. We give a lot of kudos to the Incline Substation of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Thanks in part to the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, it is fully staffed with competent deputies and officers who keep the crime rate low. When a crime is committed, it is dealt with quickly and efficiently. 

The Substation is an integral part of our community. Officers are accessible and are regular attendees at the Friday Community Forum, IVCBA events, and other community happenings. They can be found helping elderly homebound residents with shoveling snow and volunteering at fundraising events for nonprofits. Even Sheriff Balaam is well-known in Incline and was here for the Community Fair over the 4^th of July. He will be in attendance on Saturday for the SHERIFF’S PICNIC at Aspen Grove…Come to shake his hand…and stop by for the FREE FOOD! This is a great family event; bring the kids to see the K-9 unit, the horses and all of their “toys”. It’s a great chance to get your kids an ID and to learn about other community resources.

BEAUTIFICATION

Rotarians were hard at work fixing up and painting the bus shelters, finishing up the last one a few days ago. They are responsible for installing them many years ago. Thank you!

IVGID Curbside Yard Debris Recycling Program 

This program runs October 1-October 29. Stickers are mailed to you or you can drop off debris at the Sweetwater Transfer Station. Defensible space starts with picking up those pine needles and pinecones. (And you really don’t want to do it all next spring.) Anyone know teens looking for work?!

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

CERT is looking for able-bodied YOUNGER people to get certified in Emergency Response Training. There’s a lot of practical knowledge everyone should know, like CPR, but why not do it to be a trained volunteer at community events?

IVGID Candidate Forum next Monday, September 30 at Incline High School at 6pm. All 6 candidates will be there.

TOP PICK FOR FUN EVENT THIS WEEKEND

Denim and Diamonds fundraiser for Tahoe Connection For Families is Friday night at the Chateau. Wear your jeans and some bling and support a good cause.

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IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events, and produces the Weekly SnapShot!  If you are a subscriber and regular reader, please join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help! JOIN HERE

Where do all those pine needles come from? One good blast of wind and all the raking that was done seemed like it was all for naught. There is always one blast of cold weather that reminds us that winter is coming, but I promise September and October are beautiful months.

IVCBA’s Main Street focus has been beautification. Please help keep up the momentum from spring/summer to the Fall Clean-up in your yard/neighborhood and within the community. The fall regional clean-up campaign (Great Sierra River) is on Saturday, September 21. The Sierra Nevada Alliance organizes this regional event. Meet up at the Rec Center to get clean-up supplies provided by IVGID’s Waste Not program. MORE INFORMATION

Fall is not normally the time one thinks about daffodils and tulips, but these early spring bloomers are bulbs that must be planted soon!  Consult with our very own High Sierra Gardens about what and how to plant.

FIRE SAFETY:

Our fire district (NLTFPD) collaborates with agencies around the Lake to protect us in case of fire or evacuation. They were part of the Davis fire team that handled that fire so effectively. Here are ways for YOU to be actively involved with fire prevention:

PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY with defensible space.

ORGANIZE A NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN -UP through the Tahoe Network Fire Adapted Communities. See their calendar for upcoming Upper Tyner events.  Why not make it a bi-annual event in coordination with the spring and fall clean-ups in Incline, like the one this Saturday?

ATTEND THE FIREWISE USA WORKSHOP on Thursday, September 19 in Southshore. Learn more at https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa.

Here’s what Tia Rancourt, Public Information Officer has to say:

“The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District has been at the forefront of Defensible Space and Fuels Reduction & Mitigation efforts since the mid-1990s. We support the Firewise USA program by collaborating with the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities to provide essential resources, such as free Defensible Space Inspections and Chipping Services. These services are available annually from spring through fall, and the last day to request them for this season is October 27, 2024.”

KNOW THE EVACUATION PLAN

We had a wake-up call last week with the Davis fire. We each need to be prepared for an evacuation and understand the plan. There is a newly developed regional plan that includes Incline Village and Crystal Bay. It is a living document with time for you to ask questions or make a comment. The plan is currently located at: laketahoeregionalevacuationplan.pdf (ca.gov). See the NLTFPD press release about it here: http://ivcba.org/community-news/new-lake-tahoe-regional-evacuation-plan/

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: H9MECOMING

If you haven’t been to a football game since you were in high school, go this Friday night! And watch for the parade on local streets at 2pm.  Hotdogs and refreshments, cheerleaders, a homecoming court, and oh, there IS a football game against West Wendover! Girls’ volleyball is playing Silver Stage.

CIVC ENGAGEMENT

CAB MEETING

Every month Washoe County organizes a CAB (Citizen Advisory Board) meeting. The next one is Monday, September 23. 

IVGID Candidate Forum

Local politics DO matter. There are 6 candidates running for 3 positions on the IVGID board. IVGID is the general improvement district that handles water, sewer trash and all of the recreation facilities. That “private club vibe in a public setting” is what many of us moved here for. We are outdoor and recreation-oriented. There is a public forum for the board of trustees candidates on September 30th at Duffield Theater.

CALENDAR

Sept 21: IVGID Waste Not clean-up day in conjunction with Great Sierra River

Sept 22: Golf From the Heart golf tournament, a fundraiser for the Hospital; Auxiliary

Sept 27: Denim and Diamonds for TCF, Tahoe Connection for Families

Sept 28: Sheriff’s Picnic at Aspen Grove

LIKE WHAT YOU READ?

IVCBA is the Community and Business Association that promotes our local businesses and nonprofits, organizes community events and produces the Weekly SnapShot!  If you are a subscriber and regular reader, plies join as a Community Supporter for $50. If you are not a subscriber, do for free! Go to IVCBA.org. We are financially supported by our local agency “investors”, and our business community and residents. Please help! JOIN HERE