Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 04/18/2024, Written by Katelyn Welsh

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Hyatt’s cozy lodge styled Sierra Café known for serving up a varied American menu for breakfast and lunch has transformed into the chic, elegant Osteria Sierra, with the same mountain views and patio. 

The revamped restaurant hosted an afternoon sampling on Friday, April 12. There, Hyatt General Manager Pascal Dupuis explained inspiration for decor and cuisine came from northern Italy. 

The resort decided to create a new concept for the space around 6-7 months ago. Creators sought to combine traditional Italian charm and alpine allure with fresh pasta made in-house, steaks, seafood, and desserts accompanied with a carefully curated wines and cocktails.

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Michael Lucido, raised at Tahoe by sterling parents, is now CEO of a Reno advertising agency, “Eighty 8 Studios.” Michael recently asked me to portray a fictitious character, Mr. Bundox, King of the Kingdom of Bocce. Michael’s objective is to promote the sport of bocce ball within the lavish courts of Reno’s Renaissance Hotel. So off we went, with his creative crew of six talented technicians, to focus the attentions of the world on the regal Sport of Bocce.

In full disclosure, I have never played bocce ball before. I cannot even spell bocce ball, but that has never deterred me, as, given an opportunity, I am always ready to pretend to be king of just about anything. And thanks to the art of special effects, I can do things with a bocce ball that nobody has ever been seen before, like spinning a bocce ball on my finger, and rolling a bocce ball around on my arms like a Harlem Globetrotter rolling a basketball, I can even pull a bocce ball out of my hat!  

Promising me that my wide-brimmed Panama hat will hide my face, Michael asked me to hop up onto the longest bar in Nevada and do a bocce ball dance. These television commercials are due out next month, and I sincerely hope Michael is right about that hat, for those who criticize my writing never saw me dance.

So what does the King of Bocce do when not coaching bocce ball? Well, most responsibly, he uses his bully pulpit as king to declare cease fires in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan. Who can say no to the King of Bocce? Here is his declaration…

DECLARATION

As King of the Kingdom of Bocce, and Pro Tempore Sovereign of the World, I, Mr. Bundox, do issue this Decree: All parties involved do hereby Cease and Desist Hostilities in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East, while allowing the United Nations to author Articles of Sustainable Truce and Lasting Peace. 

In order to tap the brakes on an escalatory path toward dire straits, I shall fly to the United Nations myself tomorrow and deliver this decree. The time has come in this year of our Lord 2024, to put violence on the dustheap of history as a means of solving problems.

Once the cease fires are firmly in place, I shall humbly step down as Pro Tempore Sovereign of the World, and return to my calling as Renaissance coach of the great sport of Bocce Ball…  

Your humble servant and dedicated middleman,

Mr. Bundox,

King of Bocce

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

Originally published by NTBA (North Tahoe Business Association) Newsletter

Every day is Earth Day in North Lake Tahoe

April 22 marks the 54th Anniversary for Earth Day, a day created to inspire everyone to protect our planet. Earth Day was founded in 1970 and is now observed by over 190 countries and more than one billion people. Today, Earth Day is more important than ever and NTBA encourages you to celebrate globally, locally, and all year long! Here in North Lake Tahoe we are lucky to have some of the most impactful environmental non profit organizations that work hard to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin, promote environmental stewardship and education. Explore ways to celebrate, plus check out some local change makers, and see how you can get involved!

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Photo credit: NTBA

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 04/17/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As part of Gov. Joe Lombardo and the legislature’s recently approved $16.7 million American Rescue Plan Act, the Boys and Girls Club in Incline Village will receive $500,000 to secure a location for a preschool.

“What we see is the real need is to serve the younger age groups (in Incline Village),” said Mindy Carbajal, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe. “These funds are to support our Nevada community and to really help and support working families.”

The goal is to expand service for infants through 5-year-old children in Incline Village, Carbajal said.

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Photo: Boys and Girls Club North Lake Tahoe

What Would Mark Twain Say?

While waiting in line I always carry along a little Kipling, mainly to call upon this one little snippet to sustain me, “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting.” I do love his epic little poem, “If.” That poem has helped me to maintain my balance on more occasions than I can count…

“If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.” 

Yes, Mr. Kipling has allowed me to push the punchbowl away and avoid irrational exuberance, and on other occasions, allowed me to rise from the ashes of adversity with dignity, yes, and even joy.

Upon meeting Twain, Kipling wrote, “Blessed is the man who finds no disillusion when he is brought face to face with a revered writer.  The landing of a twelve-pound salmon is nothing to it.”

Kipling would write home to London, “Ihave seen Mark Twain this golden morning, have shaken his hand, and smoked a cigar — no, two cigars with him, and talked with him for more than two hours!  Once indeed, he put his hand on my shoulder. If hereafter, in the changes and chances of this mortal life, I shall fall to cureless ruin, I will tell the superintendent of the workhouse that Mark Twain once put his hand on my shoulder; and he shall give me a room to myself and a double allowance of paupers’ tobacco.”

Here again, I admire the economy of Kipling’s words, “We laughed with sheer bliss of being alive.” 

Twain, meanwhile, at age 70, is addicted to Kipling’s works. He rereads Kim every year, “And in this way I go back to India without fatigue.… I am not acquainted with my own books, but I know Kipling’s books. They never grow pale to me; they keep their color; they are always fresh.” 

In 1903 Kipling, would avow in a letter to Frank Doubleday, “I love to think of the great and Godlike Clemens.  He is the biggest man you have on your side of the water by a damn sight. Cervantes was a relation of his.” 

Kipling and Twain received honorary degrees at Oxford in 1907, about which Kipling would write, “When Mark Twain advanced to receive the hood, even those dignified old Oxford dons stood up and yelled.  To my knowledge he was the largest man of his time, both in direct outcome of his work, and, more important still, as an indirect force in an age of iron philistinism.  Later generations don’t know their debt, of course, and they would be quite surprised if they did.”

As is our custom, we shall leave the last word to Mr. Twain, “Kipling and I represented royalty as well as we could without opportunity to practice.  Some of those old Oxford dons maintained that between Kipling and Twain, we knew all that could be known; Kipling knew all that was worth knowing and I knew the rest.”

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

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 04/15/2024, Staff Report

CRYSTAL BAY, Nev. – The former Tahoe Biltmore and Casino project in Crystal Bay, Nevada, announced today that it is in the process of restructuring the project financing. The project developers remain committed to the property’s future, and continue to invest in the project.

According to a press release, “the financial restructuring is a necessary step in delivering a successful project on the iconic Tahoe Biltmore site.” 

The financial plan was originally split into multiple phases.

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