Local Lens – The New IVCBA Website is Finally Here!

A THRIVING COMMUNITY is IVCBA’s vision. Although we may not all agree on the details, we can all agree that it’s a good idea. For instance, everyone wants the infrastructure to work, roads plowed and maintained, garbage picked up, electricity and internet that’s reliable 24/7. Full-time residents and part-time residents (aka our visitors) want a local business economy that meets their needs. Homeowners want their property values to rise. Employees want stable housing. Employers want a dependable workforce. Merchants want consistent business that makes their business profitable. Everyone wants work-life balance!  Hence, IVCBA’s tagline is Building Community Where You LIVE.WORK.PLAY.

The impetus for re-forming IVCBA two years ago were the threats to a thriving community magnified by COVID. We no longer had an active Chamber of Commerce or a local newspaper to promote businesses and nonprofits. We often felt that our views were not effectively heard in some of the government and regional agencies. Although we may fervently disagree on what we want, many of us argue vehemently on our right to some autonomy. Throughout 2023, IVCBA and the Local Lens will feature some of the “building blocks” that comprise the foundation of Incline Village Crystal Bay. For the next couple weeks, I want to bring to your attention to the ways that IVCBA is tackling this vision of a thriving community.

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS

The community website IVCBA.org has new features! I want to give a big shout out to Julie Malkin-Manning who masterminded the remake of IVCBA.org last year. It is truly the go-to website for everything related to Incline Village and Crystal Bay. Whether you are a full-time or a part time local, this is your best source of what’s going on in the Village. 

• COMMUNITY NEWS BLOG, as submitted by community members and aggregated from agencies, local organizations, and regional news sources. It is a carefully curated list of all of the local news to town, it even includes any local pieces from the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Sierra Sun, and Reno Gazette Journal. You can submit news or features about what’s going on in our community here.
• COMMUNITY CALENDAR is your best source of local events, all in one place! Please help us out by sending us your events.
• THE WEEKLY SNAPSHOT NEWSLETTER is our weekly aggregation of what’s going on, sent directly to your inbox. Great news, if you’re reading this now you’re already a subscriber! Pass this along to your friends so they can subscribe for free.  Or better yet, join IVCBA as a Community Supporter for $50.
• THE LOCAL LENS is mostly me, Linda Offerdahl, Executive Director of IVCBA. My tagline is “My glasses are always rose-colored.” I use this blog to give my personal take on events and issues and highlight what’s going on. 
• IVCBA MEMBER DIRECTORY is also newly redone on IVCBA.org. You can use this to find a local nonprofit, place to eat, and more! The directory now links directly to their websites. With close to 250 members listed, that’s a good start to a comprehensive community directory!
• LIVE.WORK. PLAY. our seasonal magazine, is arguably the most popular piece we publish. Thanks to Kathy Hess Slocum, our Publisher, it is the only magazine strictly dedicated to Incline Village and Crystal Bay residents, businesses, and community events. Look for the next one at the end of March. You can read our past publications here.
• @IVCBA SOCIAL MEDIA is a newly revamped way for you to get all of your local news and events. Follow us on Instagram and on Facebook to stay up to date on the happenings in town.

IVCBA also holds meetings. Stay tuned for next week’s Local Lens to hear more.

MY NEW BEST FRIEND is Cody, snowplow driver for Lariat Circle. We were both working at 5am this morning, only he was outside clearing Lariat Circle and I was inside on my computer. Thank you Cody. And the word on the Circle, is that the rotary plow accessory that he uses to make those nice sharp walls of snow, is broken. Parts coming from Canada.