NLTFPD Press Release.

Celebrated nationally during the third week of May, this special week acknowledges the outstanding services performed by our first responders nationwide “Our front line personnel are truly where emergency services and care begin, and we would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank them for their service” said Fire Chief Ryan Sommers.

This year’s theme, “Where Emergency Care Begins” recognizes our first responders who provide emergency medical services in our communities across the country. This 48th annual event brings together local communities and medical personnel acknowledging our first responders not just during this week, but every day as they rise to the challenge of every call.

Whether in populated cities, small villages or less populated rural areas, these individuals answer the 911 call no matter what or where the circumstances.

The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) will be celebrating National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week at the Incline Elementary School over the next few weeks conducting ambulance tours with the students, educating them about the Emergency Medical System, how to recognize a medical emergency, the importance of calling 911, as well as safety and prevention tips.

For more information on Emergency Medical Services Week, please visit https://emsweek.org/.

People sometimes ask, “How have things changed for Mark Twain in the past 35 years?” (For the first-time reader I’m winding down a career of portraying Mark Twain for the past 35 years.) And I am happy to report, one thing has changed dramatically, and it is in fact, a pleasant thing.

Perfect strangers are more apt to skip small talk and enter into a meaningful conversation with today’s impressionists of historical characters. This is a good-natured transition, and how has it happened? Well, my guess is, it’s a backlash to a soul-searing internet, a scorched-earth political landscape, and the jarring arrival of artificial intelligence, all together creating a deep-seated desire for communications of the heart.

As an example, I had a couple approach me as Mark Twain in Genoa yesterday, and ask right off the top, about Mark Twain’s travels in the Holy Land. Thirty-five years ago my first question in Genoa more likely might have been, “Mark, who’s dead in the cemetery?”

People are interested today in discovering some secrets of the heart that Mark Twain might be holding. In truth, he uses his humor like the wheel on an opera glass, to focus our attentions on more serious matters at hand, so it is always a welcome moment when I am asked about matters of the heart. Twain’s kindness, for example, is couched in humor: “Always do right, this will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.”

One engaging couple invited Mark Twain to dinner yesterday in Genoa, to finish a conversation about Joan of Arc. That cordial invitation might not have been as forthcoming back in 1988. So, to my mind, it is a good sign for all Chautauquans, that people are becoming more eager to talk face to face, eye to eye, with living history characters about history, yes, and matters of the heart.

When I left the idyllic Hawaiian Islands after fifteen years of living in those restful Islands, I brought with me a promise gleaned from the Hawaiian natives, “Whenever possible, think with the heart.” This has served me well. I don’t suppose artificial intelligence will ever be able to accomplish that. Moreover, AI is a wide-open field where bad actors can have a field day. While we humans remain stuck in slow-motion evolution, AI isn’t, and could quickly pass us by. Hollywood writers are rightfully demanding protection against AI in their strike.

Personally, I have an easier time today getting to know such great characters of living history as One-Eyed Charley Parkhurst, and that angel of mercy, Julia Bulette, than I ever could have hoped for thirty-five years ago. (Thank you, Kim Harris.)

Close mental intimacy is the new gold standard in acquiring knowledge, understanding and compassion. I would rather get cussed-out by a man I admire, than blessed by artificial intelligence. Sorry AI, but if I have a question, I’m going to ask a librarian, or an octogenarian, or the first smart person I run into…

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

The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District is gearing up for fire and fuels reduction activities for the 2023 season.

The District will begin conducting defensible space evaluations and curbside chipping services on May 15, 2023. For more information on these services and to register online, visit www.nltfpd.org.

For curbside yard debris collection dates and information, visit https://www.yourtahoeplace.com/events/yard-waste-collection

Defensible Space Evaluation requests will be contacted within two weeks to schedule an evaluation date. Chipping requests are taken as they are received and completed as crews are available, keeping in mind they respond to wildfires and may not be able to get to your chipping pile right away. Please provide all requested information on the online form to the best of your knowledge, so that we can maintain these free services.

Please ensure you are taking every precaution to protect your home from wildfire by getting a defensible space evaluation. The fire district can issue free tree removal permits for fire hazard trees, but their removal must accompany complete defensible space treatments.

5-Star Snow Removal pivots into a year-round property services company.

Girls in 7-12th grade are invited to STEM Trek: Exponential Growth in Nature, organized by the Tahoe Basin and Carson City branches of the American Association of University Women. It will be held on Saturday, June 3rd at the Tahoe Science Center at UNR Lake Tahoe.

There will be three speakers and hands-on activities. Lunch will be provided. The theme will be explored through presentations on fisheries, forests and watersheds from women who are experts in these areas.

Details and registration at https://tahoe-nv.aauw.net/stem

Meet us at one of our Community Concerts where you’ll hear inspiring performances by today’s top young musicians who will be in residence in Incline Village from all over the world. Our Community Concerts showcase the talented musicians of our Academy Fellowship program and the Brubeck Jazz Summit. 

On July 14, the Brubeck Jazz Summit Student Showcase is the culmination of a week of jazz study for talented students ages 15-18. On July 27, the Community Concert features chamber music performances by the Academy Fellows with works by Harris, Reger, Bunch, Mozart, and Martinů. 

Ticket sales go towards supporting the growth of our professional development programs: Classical Tahoe Academy and Brubeck Jazz Summit. Tickets are $15. Student discounts available for all Pavilion concerts (50% off).

Tickets and more details: https://classicaltahoe.org/events/

Are you looking for an engaging and enriching activity for you and your child this summer in Lake Tahoe? If so, then Musikgarten may be the perfect fit for you! Classical Tahoe offers a special six-week Summer Music and Movement program for families with children birth to 5 years old. The program offers more than just a fun and easy way to introduce your child to music. Musikgarten provides dedicated time each week when you can bond with your child free from distractions and watch them grow into a confident, independent, and expressive young person.

Musikgarten classes are offered in Incline Village, Kings Beach, and Truckee. Classes are free with registration. Registration is required. Class size is limited to 10 children, and there will be a waitlist. We ask that you commit to the entire six-week session to get the full experience of the classes.

Classical Tahoe’s Musikgarten teacher, Rita Whitaker Haun, is a professional cellist with over 40 years of experience in music education.

Learn more and register: https://classicaltahoe.org/musikgarten/

Help our Incline Village & North Lake Tahoe businesses win! Vote daily through May 17th on the Tahoe Daily Tribune’s voting page: https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/best/#//

Join the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District’s Community Blood Drive on Friday, May 5th. Food and beverages provided by the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa & Casino and Mofos Pizza! To make an appointment you can call 775-329-6451 or visit www.donors.vitalant.org and use code N1323.