Winter holidays are a time for families and friends to get together and enjoy the season’s festivities.

Following a few simple tips will help to ensure a happy and fire-safe holiday season.

Preventing Christmas Tree Fires:

• Keep trees watered and away from all heat sources including fireplaces, stoves, and room/space heaters.
• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.”
• When the tree becomes dry, promptly discard it. Please consider using the Free Holiday Tree Recycling Program. This service will be availableDecember 22^nd through January 29^th, 2023. 
• Please note – the new location for tree drop off is the overflow parking lot across from Incline Beach.

Visit www.yourtahoeplace.com/publicworks or call 775-832-1203.

Lights & Candles:

• Please do not use candles on the Christmas tree.
• Place candles where they will not be knocked down and keep candles away from pets and children’s reach.
• Be extremely careful with candles that have leaves, flowers, pinecones, or other decorative items cast into them. These items can become wicks and ignite the candle in a way that the candle is not designed.
• Keep lights or candles away from anything that could easily catch fire (NFPA reports that half of home candles fires occurred when some form of combustible material was left or came too close to the candle). 
• Please do not leave holiday lights or candles unattended.
• Inspect all lights and cords before using them. Discard all lights with cracked or broken wiring and never overload circuits.

Holiday Decorations:

• Keep wrapping paper and ribbons away from heat sources. This includes candles, lights, fireplaces, stoves, and heaters.
• Wrapping paper and ribbon should be thrown away in trash containers, not fireplaces. Burning paper and ribbon could cause a chimney fire and can off gas toxic fumes when burned. 
• Put decorations high enough on the tree so your child or pet cannot reach them. Children can choke or cut themselves on ornaments or ornament hangers. 
• Holly and mistletoe are poisonous. Keep them away from children and animals.
• Use only nonflammable or flame-retardant decorations and place away from heat vents.
• If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame-retardant.

Watch What You Heat:

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking. Do not leave potholders on top of the simmering pots on the stove.
• If you are using a turkey fryer, please follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions, and remember that the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has chosen not to certify any turkey fryers with the UL mark because they consider them to be dangerous to use presenting numerous safety hazards to consumers.

Fireplace Safety:

• Check and clean the fireplace and chimney every year.
• Always put logs and newspapers on a grate inside the fireplace and use a fireplace screen.
• Please do not use gasoline, lighter fluid, or kerosene to start a fire and make sure the fire you build “fits” your fireplace (use an appropriate amount of newspaper and logs).
• Place completely cooled ashes in a metal container. Keep metal containers outside away from the house in a safe place. Add water to the ashes before discarding them.

McAvoy Layne is a 35-year Impressionist of Mark Twain

A very savvy businessman and longstanding pal, Dinger, suggested to me that I write about what I know about. For 24 years I have been writing about what I think about, yet 

the one thing I do know about, and perhaps the only thing I know about, is Mark Twain.

So, with Dinger’s sage advice in mind, I’m launching a podcast today, to answer tough questions from readers, first as Mark Twain, and also from his protagonist, yours truly… 

What Would Mark Twain Say?

Reader Question: “Is Joe Biden too old to serve a second term?”

Mark Twain: “No, Joe Biden is not too old to serve a second term. I have achieved my 188 years in the usual way; that is by sticking strictly 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.” 

McAvoy: “Yes, Joe Biden is too old to serve a second term. I speak only from experience, but confess that at 80 years of age myself, I could not effectively run a truck stop for more than four days, and Joe is older than I am.”

Reader Question: “Is Donald Trump fit to serve a second term?”

Mark Twain: “No, Donald Trump is not fit to serve another term as president. He was born hoggish after money, and today is effervescing the holy gas of pure unselfish patriotism. Well, the best of us would rather be popular than right.”

McAvoy: “Yes, Donald Trump is fit to serve a second term. If Donald Trump does in fact suffer from Mania Grandiosa, a sense of self-importance that surpasses all limits and is a documented mental illness, he could by all rights enter an insanity plea, walk freely out of court, and into the oval office.”

Reader Question: “Should we be preparing an Earthling epitaph?”

Mark Twain: “Epitaphs are cheap, and they do a poor chap a world of good after he is dead, especially if he had hard luck while he was alive. I have never seen what to me seemed an atom of proof that there is a future life. And yet I am strongly inclined to expect one. 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. Anyway, the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

McAvoy: “Sadly, noble folks with good intentions bequeathed us with weapons of defense and deterrence that in turn invite inadvertent escalation, and a possible Besom of Destruction.” 

Finally, it is befitting that we leave the last word to Mark Twain…

“No man is entirely in his right mind at any time. When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear, and life stands explained.”

Please join us next week for What Would Mark Twain Say? I’m McAvoy Layne.

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

REVISED – DECEMBER 17TH, 2023 | Originally Written and Published by KAYLA ANDERSON

Tis the season for holiday shopping, and what better way to celebrate your loved ones than by getting them something unique, original, and made or sourced in your own town. And from now until Christmas, there are dozens of events, shops, and promotions within Incline Village and Crystal Bay that are worth checking out. Here are a few options for finding gifts close to your holiday home:

Panache (930 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 204, Incline Village) next to Raley’s in Incline Village carries home décor items such as nice-smelling candles, Tahoe-centric coffee table books, and warm women’s clothing, everything from stylish activewear to Emu boots and slippers.

Clearly Tahoe in the Village Plaza (Starbucks) plaza is another great option. Shop unique, one-of-a-kind gifts, memorable gifts for the adventure seeker in your life.

You can also scoop up comfortable, warm second hand clothing at the Village Christian Thrift Shop (799 Southwood Blvd., Incline Village), Pet Network Thrift Store (760 Mays Blvd. Ste 9, Incline Village), and Tahoe Family Solutions (774 Mays Blvd. #13, Incline Village) all in and around Mays Boulevard. All these thrift stores have kitchen appliances, furniture, sports equipment, greeting cards, and an abundance of other good finds, so you can really stock up on gifts while saving money and supporting worthy causes. Tahoe Forest Hospice Gift & Thrift (893 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 1500, Incline Village) also has an amazing assortment of items, and its staff is super friendly. If you are in the Christmas Tree Village, be sure to stop in at The Village Pet Foundation thrift store.

It’s near impossible to spend any amount of time in the Lake Tahoe region without encountering the photography of Chris Talbot. Check out Talbot Fine Art Gallery for great gift ideas.

Karma Tahoe (868 Tahoe Blvd. Ste. 12, Incline Village) in Christmas Tree Village started out as a women’s clothing boutique but expanded to include children and men’s clothing. Find gently used boots, shoes, purses, and jewelry too.

Speaking of jewelry…if you’re thinking of taking your relationship to the next level, consider checking out specially sourced turquoise, stone, and metallic necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings at family generational business The Potlatch (930 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 401, Incline Village), or the glimmering Forever Rox jewelry store (930 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) to find priceless diamonds, also located in the Raley’s Shopping Center.

For things exclusively made in Lake Tahoe, Handmade at the Lake (865 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 104, Incline Village) sells quilts, kitchen and bath accessories, Lake Tahoe ornaments, bath sets, and pottery made right here in Tahoe. 

FOR THE FOODIE IN YOUR LIFE:

Raley’s (930 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village), Grocery Outlet (Village Center) and Happy Tiers Bakery (Christmas Tree Village, Incline Village) has you covered, with sweets, specialty breakfasts, and more. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s Tahoe Provisions (111 Country Club Dr., Incline Village) also has Tahoe made snacks and to-go treats that are made right here at the lake, and you may get to catch a glimpse of its impressive holiday gingerbread display. Sunshine Deli (919 Incline Way, Incline Village) sells delectable pastries, specialty donuts made inhouse, and other belly-filling yet healthy breakfast and lunch items.  And don’t forget to oder your handmade Tamales from Thania’s Juice Bar for your Christmas feast.

Alcohol makes a good gift for those ages 21 and older, and there’s no better place to find it than at Incline Spirits & Cigars (120 Country Club Dr. Unit 25, Incline Village). If you’re looking for more of a laidback wine night, head over to Glasses Wine Bar (760 Mays Blvd. Ste. 8, Incline Village) to grab a bottle to share with friends or pour your own glass our of one of its many wine dispensers.

FOR THE KIDS:

If you are shopping for young ones, The Potlatch has an entire kids books and games section. And while you’re so close, it’s worth meandering across the parking lot about two hundred yards away to cuddle up with the soft plush toys at Panache. To find a whole shop dedicated to kids, venture over to Village Toys (899 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) that’s now located next to Starbucks on the corner of Highway 28 and Village Boulevard. Buy an unwrapped gift for charity (Toys for Tots and others) and receive a 20 percent discount through the holiday season.

Have you checked out the new Bowl Incline (920 Southwood Blvd., Incline Village)? If not, consider buying a bowling session for your family for an experience you’ll never forget in the newly renovated building. There is something for everyone here, including three pool tables, a state-of-the-art arcade, cornhole boards in an outside enclosed patio area, and a fancy cocktail menu for adults. Learn more about the business’s reinvention in the Winter 2022 edition of Live Work Play magazine. 

FOR THE GARDENER/INTERIOR DESIGNER IN YOUR LIFE:

If you have that special person who takes pride in their yard and home, check out High Sierra Gardens (866 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) for a lovely variety of plants and their holders, or put together a nice fresh flower bouquet to bring to your party host. For a gift that lasts a bit longer, head over to Mountain Hardware and Sports (910 Tahoe Blvd. Unit 103, Incline Village) for tools, hoses, paint, appliances, barbeques, garden equipment, and now home and outdoor apparel.

Lisa Douglas Designs and Tahoe Gifting Co. are now located in the Christmas Tree Village. Definielty recommend heading into and checking out their new shop.

Bridget Giroux Design (Above Drink Coffee Do Stuff in Incline Village) mother/daughter team brings a fresh, modern take on how to design a mountain rustic home with aesthetic tastes close to the Holly Hunt brand. Every month, the design studio also hosts exhibits featuring local artists in its pop-up gallery and hosts a holiday shopping event open to the public in late November/early December. 

FOR THE SKIER OR SNOWBOARDER:

For all things outdoor-related, visit the Village Ski Loft (800 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) for socks, skis, snowboards, goggles, jackets, pants, and more. It also carries mountain bike and hiking accessories for the summer aficionado. If you have a four-legged that you like to explore the outdoors with, pick up some stocking stuffer treats for them at the newly expanded Pet Station (800 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) located underneath VSL.

Speaking of skis, check out the line of Praxis sticks made right here in Incline Village (848 Tanager St. Unit J, Incline Village). Take them up to our local, community-owned Diamond Peak Ski Resort (1210 Ski Way, Incline Village) and pick up a signature DP gift item at its shop within the base lodge. 

What is TART Connect
TART Connect offers curb-to-curb, on-demand service, for any trip within the defined service areas (check app for zones). 

How does TART Connect Work?
Download the APP, reserve your trip and you will be picked up in as little as 15 minutes. No app? Just call: (530) 553-0653.

Traveling outside of your zone?
Connect between zones or connect to TART bus service.

Additional Information:
North Lake Tahoe TART Connect allows service animals only. Truckee TART Connect Allows well-behaved pets in crates. TART Connect is ADA-accessible. 

PLACER WASHOE COUNTY TART CONNECT

Where Does North Lake Tahoe TART Connect Operate?
Placer/ Washoe County (North Lake Tahoe) TART Connect operates in five zones:
Zone 1: West Shore, Tahoe City, Dollar Point, Carnelian Bay
Zone 2: Carnelian Bay, Brockway, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Crystal Bay
Zone 3: Incline Village, Crystal Bay
Zone 4: Olympic Valley- Zones 1 and 2
Zone 5: Northstar- Zones 1 and 2

Dates: Winter service begins December 14, 2023 and runs through April 7, 2023.

Hours:  Zones 1, 2 and 3 operate from 8:00 am to midnight, daily. Zones 4 and 5 operate from 6:00 pm-10:00 pm, daily. 

*Between 6:00 pm–10:00 pm, passengers will be able to cross over the Tahoe City and Kings Beach zone without requesting a second vehicle at Carnelian Bay.

MORE INFO >

Written and Submitted to IVCBA By David Vomund

I recently saw an article from Business Insider titled, “An ‘Extremely Rare’ Stock Market Signal With a 100% Accuracy Rate is Flashing and Points to Record Highs in 2024.”  Here is a link:  https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-2024-new-highs-extremely-rare-signal-sp500-2023-12.

With a title like that I had to read on!  In truth, articles with similar titles are commonplace and I immediately become skeptical.  An “extremely rare signal” usually means it is statistically insignificant.  At other times the model just isn’t accurate.  With that in mind, I began testing the methodology to see if it works and to verify the recent bullish signal.

In the Business Insider article, strategist Ryan Detrick, on every business day, counts the number of S&P 500 stocks that close at a 20-day high.  A rare bullish signal occurs when 60 percent or more reach their 20-day high.  Detrick claims that since 1972 there were 15 signals and the S&P 500 was higher one year later every time with an average gain of 18 percent.

I reconstructed his model and found the last signal occurred on December 1.  Before that the signals were 11/10/22, 8/12/22, 6/5/20, 1/18/19, 10/31/14, etc.  As Detrick implied, the S&P 500 was higher one year after each of the above signals.  Sometimes there were tremendous gains, such as a 32-percent gain after the 6/5/20 signal.  Other times the gains were minimal, like the 3-percent gain after the 10/31/14 signal.  

Interestingly, the buy signals seem to come in clumps.  There were six signals in 2009-10 but none appeared in 2015-17.  By the way, 2009-10 was one of the best buying opportunities of our lifetimes.  No signals occurred in 2007, right before the devastating 2008-09 Financial Crisis.  

I can’t exactly duplicate Detrick’s analysis because my statistics are based on the current S&P 500 components.  Nevertheless, I’m happy to say that Detrick’s analysis seems to be accurate.  The December 1 signal is off to a great start.  

Why does this system work?  The best market environment occurs when the majority of stocks participate in the advance.  Until December, no signals were reported in 2023 because the gains were a result of just a handful of large-cap technology stocks.  But recent advances are broad-based.  Over the last month the S&P 500 is up 5 percent while the Russell 2000, a measure of small-cap stocks, is up 10 percent.  It’s easier to make money when most stocks are rising.  That is happening now.  Bottom line:  Odds are it will happen next year, too.

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.

Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune 12/19/2023, Submitted

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Tahoe’s trees are now draped in snow, and wildfire is not top of mind for most people. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, however, is taking action year round to protect lives, property, and the environment within the Lake Tahoe Basin from wildfire. This collaborative group formed in 2008 and includes 21 federal, tribal, state, and local conservation, land management, and fire agencies.

“One of the most important ways that we improve forest health and our community’s safety is by implementing priority fuel reduction projects such as thinning trees and conducting prescribed burns,” says North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection Division Chief Isaac Powning, Incident Commander of the TFFT.

In 2023, partners treated thousands of acres of forested and urban lots to reduce hazardous fuels. They made significant progress on many urgent Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) projects, such as NV Energy’s Resilience Corridors Project. The project is thinning forests around NV Energy utility infrastructure reducing hazardous fuels that could otherwise ignite a fire. Once complete, the project will create resilient forests adjacent to 28 miles of NV Energy utility infrastructure and will have thinned 290 acres.

READ MORE >

Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune 12/17/2023, Written by Katelyn Welsh

Richard Bothwell speaks loudly, so he can be heard over the howling wind and gives the conditions report for the day, capping it off with “A-plus,” he says. It’s always an A-plus day on the snow, unless there’s free coffee and cookies. Then it’s an A-plus-plus day. 

Bothwell hopes his new guidebook, Light Tours of Tahoe, will help others get out and have an A-plus day, perhaps even an A-plus-plus day of their own. 

He holds to his sunny outlook, even on these windy days and says in his social media videos, “if you like conditions like this, you’ll love the conditions today, A+.”

READ MORE >

A Holiday Program of Seasonal Experiences and Activities – Submitted by Dorthy Hornbeck (PR)

Incline Village, Nevada (December 1, 2023) – Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, a spacious resort nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of North Lake Tahoe, debuts “Festive,” a holiday program filled with holiday events and activities to help travelers and local residents celebrate the season.

The menu of experiences will include everything from holiday dining opportunities for Christmas and après pool parties, to a New Year’s Eve celebration and Polar Bear Plunge to ring in 2024. “As we officially enter the holiday season, we are very excited to turn our resort into a winter wonderland filled with sparkling lights, festive decorations, and a warm and welcoming setting that radiates the spirit of the season,” said Kressa Olguin, director of marketing at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. 

“Throughout the last week of the month, leading into 2024, our team will provide a robust menu of unforgettable seasonal activities the entire family will love in our magical winter setting.”

IN HOUSE GUEST ACTIVITIES

Starting on Friday, December 22, the resort will roll out a special holiday-inspired menu of activities. Families can enjoy “Storytime with Mrs. Claus” events, Christmas ornament-making classes, Snow Parties completed with snowman building contests and snowball fights, and Christmas pajama party movie nights showing The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, Elf, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and other classics. Families can document their holiday memories with family portrait sessions next to the resort’s oversized Christmas tree, as well as a photo booth that will be on-site throughout the season.

Additionally, DJ JOOLZ, a unique wellness experience curated by Julie Orblych, the resort’s director of spa and wellness, will be hosting après ski-style DJ pool parties in the resort’s heated outdoor pool on multiple evenings throughout the season. The DJ set will feature joyful holiday-inspired melodies with positive messages, focused on gratitude. Guests can also enjoy Holiday Disco Cardio Drumming, a festive take on the property’s new wellness experience that focuses on rhythm and coordination.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

On New Year’s Eve, the resort will countdown to 2024 with a special celebration at Lone Eagle Grille. It will begin with a welcome reception with champagne and canapes between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. followed by a six-course dinner at 7 p.m. The holiday menu begins with an amuse bouche of a roesti potato, quail egg, and osiettra caviar. The second course will include a selection of either an oxtail and morel essence truffle ravioli, or seared diver scallops with a squid ink risotto and Moroccan saffron foam. The dining experience continues with a salad option of an asparagus salad with a sherry vinaigrette and poached lobster or a braised winter endive with purple haze goat cheese mousse and port wine poached pears, followed by a serving of strawberry and champagne sorbet. Entrée selections include a seared prime beef tenderloin with a Tuscan ratatouille, a sauteed Chilean seabass with roasted beets, braised veal cheeks with sweet potato gnocchi, or a poached kohlrabi vegetarian option. The meal concludes with a choice of Valrhona dark chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut praline or a Tahitian vanilla and passionfruit parfait with cassis and tangerine sauce anglaise.

Following the meal, between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m., diners will have access to the fun-filled event at the resort’s Lakeside Ballroom, which is connected to Lone Eagle Grille. The family-friendly event will feature live music from a DJ and local band, party favors, a LED-illuminated dance floor, and multiple cocktails and hors d’oeuvres selections as guests countdown until midnight.

The New Year’s Eve dinner and celebration event is $240 for adults. A special children’s menu will also be offered for $50 for ages 6-12, and kids 5 and under are free. Reservations are required and can be made by visiting https://loneeaglegrille.com/.

On New Year’s Day, guests can start 2024 with a Polar Bear Plunge where they will gather on the resort’s pier and jump into the naturally-chilled waters of Lake Tahoe. Additionally, the resort will offer a special New Year’s Day football viewing party at its Cutthroat’s Saloon, complete with football-themed food and drink specials.

For more information or to book a holiday getaway to take part in the “Festive” experience at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234.