The Local Lens – Honoring our Veterans

Take a moment next Tuesday to honor the men and women who wear a military uniform to serve our country in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day originated with Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I. Incline Village/Crystal Bay has several organizations serving veterans, all of whom invite the general public to attend their meetings, events, and fundraisers. Perhaps the largest is the Incline Village Veterans Club, which meets monthly on the last Thursday at the Chateau for lunch. The Military Officers of America Association has a speaker series. The upcoming leadership series is on November 20 and features District Attorney Chris Hickman as the speaker. President of the Lake Tahoe Chapter, John Hoffman, is also Chairman of the Onward Opps Foundation, a nationwide group that offers mentoring and other support for vets, both active and inactive. PTSD Now! focuses on suicide prevention in Nevada (and other states) National Guard with a program called “Purple Resolve”.  Rotary Club of Incline Village celebrates Veterans Day at their lunch on Monday, November 11. If you are interested, reach out to Speeslaw@aol.com.

National Wreaths Across America Day is December 13, 2025!

Join the Incline Village Crystal Bay Veterans Club at Eastside Memorial Park in Minden or the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline at Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City.

Donate here.

HUNGER RELIEF

There’s a lot of buzz around town right about the potential increase in food insecurity due to  cuts in the government SNAP “digital food stamps” program. Among the numerous groups ready to help, Sierra Community House is the first line of support. They are connected to our local markets and have the best buying power with sources like Northern Nevada Food Bank, so better to donate money than food. Walk-up food distribution in Incline takes place on Thursday from 2-3:30 at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church. For more detailed information on all of their food-related services and to donate, visit: Hunger Relief – Sierra Community House.

How to help….lots of people are asking. In addition to Sierra Community House,

• Tahoe Family Solutions’ family resource center is the “boots on the ground” for SNAP recipients. They are busy finding additional ways to help.
• Tahoe Community Foundation is connecting people with programs across the Tahoe Basin
• Sierra Senior Services delivers Meals on Wheels in Incline Village, funded by Washoe County.  Kristin, give URL
• Food Bank of Northern Nevada supports us locally through Sierra Community House and the Vincent DePaul branch at St. Francis Catholic Church. (give URL)
• Faith-based: every local church offers assistance to those in need! 

Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History!

As you can imagine, I relate to this phrase quite a bit. I may not make any history book, but I am doing my best to share my time, talent, and treasure with this community! I am not alone. I have been reminded of this phrase recently with the passing of two strong women who made a difference, not just in Incline Village but also across the country. 

Nancy Siebens Binz and her family’s foundation were passionate about small private colleges and many other institutions like the Mayo Clinic.  As a longtime resident, we benefited from her generous and regular support of  Sierra Nevada College( before it became a part of UNR.) Nancy was feisty and spoke her mind. Everyone knew where she stood. She passed away in October, just a month shy of turning 94. She moved to the Cayman Islands a number of years ago and pursued her lifelong passions of travel and deep-sea fishing. 

Peggy Poindexter passed away suddenly in October, and many of us gathered to celebrate her life and support her husband, Jeff, and two daughters on Sunday at Burnt Cedar. Peggy had an illustrious career with the Department of Defense before she turned her talents to making Incline a better place. I cannot do her biography justice, but I can tell you from firsthand experience that she was an outstanding cook and shared this talent with AAUW and its garden party fundraisers and cooking clubs. When she was President of AAUW, she started a program at the high school to steer students toward vocational education and to develop skills and trades.  As her daughter said, Peggy could be “prickly”, which to me is just another way of describing a strong woman who knew her mind and made stuff happen. Thank you Peggy!

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