I have a hundred-page file in my laptop just bristling with short phrases and quips that I hope might spruce up a column someday, and that file has been most helpful over the past 26 years. But today I was struck by the novel idea of writing a column backwards. That is to say, why not start a column with a random bunch of locutions, and try to weave them into a single subject matter to make a point. So what the hell, let’s splatter some haphazard words onto this page, then see if we can make some sense out of it all. Here we go…

I have found there are times when it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than it is for me to write a column that is not high-sounding rot. Cervantes reminds us, “The best end aimed at in all writing is to instruct and delight.” I don’t see it! I can write a column to instruct, or I can write a column to delight, not both!

I believe I could write a column about her, but then I am only a dwarf star in her Milky Way, who could not run a successful tattoo parlor that also sells ammo and kitty-litter. But I feel too much delicacy to speak about it…

At the moment I am feeling nothing but tears and flapdoodle, soul butter and hogwash, and lunacy leavened by a cynicism to make no end of trouble.

In the fullness of time I shall write about a topic so provocative as to produce a desire for the consolations of religion. For as everyone who lives south of the North Pole knows, a journalistic journey of a thousand miles begins with the first wrong turn, just as internet feedback loops lead to self-fulfilling prophesies.

However, it has just occurred to me with great force that whosoever commands the seas commands the trade of the world, and whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world. The only difference between countries lies in their ability to swear musically.

What we need most now is a movement of humanity toward greater unification. But

the internet is keeping us from becoming a cultured people. Even movies are merely, “Kiss-Bang-Crash!” And internecine war is about kids on both sides getting killed. And too, in this general aura of badassery, one beautiful lady I know of is accepting remuneration as a spokeswoman for Xeomin, a brand of injectable Botox alternative that she says makes her look “less pissed off.”

Meanwhile, peace, progress and human rights remain our three inextricably linked goals. And when all is said and done, at the end of a 500-word opinion column written backwards, this bitter Earth is not so bitter after all…

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

One of our newest IVCBA members, the League to Save Lake Tahoe (also known as Keep Tahoe Blue), is working on a bill in the Nevada Legislature, SB324 (Scheible), that would limit the sale of single-use plastic water bottles smaller than a gallon on the Nevada side of the Lake Tahoe basin. They have great news that this bill has successfully passed the Senate and is now moving to the Assembly in the Nevada Legislature.

From their data, they have found that plastic bottles are one of the main sources of litter on Tahoe shores. And the plastic water bottle ban in South Lake Tahoe that went into affect exactly one year ago, on Earth Day last year, has already shown tremendous success (see more info here: Plastic water bottle ban shows good results in South Lake Tahoe – CBS Sacramento).

They are asking businesses on the Nevada side of the lake to sign this letter to show their support for this legislation. If you are able to show your support, please fill out this form before Friday, May 2nd.

Feel free to reach out to Hailey Hawkins at the League is you have any questions. Her email is hailey@keeptahoeblue.org.

Submitted by TRPA

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is reminding Lake Tahoe residents, property owners, and project managers that the grading and digging season for permitted projects in the Tahoe Basin begins May 1.

Grading and digging work are confined to drier months to protect Lake Tahoe’s famed water clarity from sources of erosion and sediment. Working in dry conditions prevents soil compaction and stops loose soil and mud from washing away from project sites or into roadways, storm drains, waterways, and the lake.

During the grading season, May 1 through October 15, soil work can proceed in dry conditions but is prohibited when a project area is covered with snow, when the ground is saturated, muddy, or unstable, and during periods of precipitation. 

Although all grading is prohibited in wet conditions, not all digging requires a permit. More information is available at trpa.gov/applications-forms under Grading.

Images credit TRPA

Caption: Grading and digging in the Tahoe Basin is confined to drier months to protect Lake Tahoe’s famed water clarity.
Credit: Generikal

Upper-Truckee-sediment-plume

Caption: Widespread erosion and sediment-laden runoff can flow into Lake Tahoe during storm events and when soil is saturated.

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 04/25/2025, Staff Report

Effective May 1, 2025, Seasonal Open Burning (wood, slash, or needle piles) will be closed for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, NV.

Recreational fires (wood or charcoal fire within a non-combustible container with a 1/8″ mesh screen) are still allowed with a permit.

Barbeque grilling is still allowed, with the following guidelines:

All grilling appliances shall be used within the manufacturer’s guidelines and recommendations.

Follow these simple safety tips when using solid-fuel, charcoal, or propane grills.

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