Lake Tahoe Posts - Incline Village & Crystal Bay

As the temperature drops outside and we think about using our fireplaces and heating stoves, it is important to remember a few safety tips and precautions. Heating equipment and improper ash disposal are leading causes of home fires during the fall and winter months.

Be warm and safe this season and consider following these safety tips:
Have heating equipment, chimney, and stove inspected and cleaned by a certified chimney sweep every fall just before the heating season.
Allow ashes to COOL before disposing of them. Four days or 96 hours is the minimum recommended cooling period for ashes.
Place completely cooled ashes in a covered metal container. Keep the container at least 10 feet away from the home and other buildings. They should NEVER be disposed of in a plastic garbage box or can, a cardboard box, or a paper grocery bag. Never use a vacuum cleaner to pick up ashes.
The metal container should be placed away from anything flammable. It should not be placed next to a firewood pile, up against or in the garage, on or under a wood deck, or under a porch.
After sitting for a week in the metal container, check them again to be sure that they are cool. If so, the ashes are then safe to dispose of in your trash.
As a safety precaution keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from a fireplace, wood stove, or any other heating appliance, and create a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires. It is important to make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying, and never leave a fire unattended, particularly when children are present.

To obtain a free ash can, residents may fill out an application. If the required criteria are met, an ash can will be provided. Inside each ash can, residents will find instructional flyer on how to properly dispose of fireplace ashes. Ash cans will be provided to qualifying residents on a first come, first serve basis.

Oracle Co-Founder Larry Ellison has purchased the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino in Incline Village. Incline Hotel LLC, a branch of Lawrence Investments, Ellison’s investment firm, purchased the lakeside resort for $345 million, according to the Washoe County Recorder’s Office.

In partnership with ICS, we have officially published the 2021 Baseline Report for the Tahoe Basin: Living and Working Today in and around the Tahoe Basin. The report measures demographic and economic conditions in the basin that are impacting employment, household earnings, housing, tax revenue, and community services, among other aspects of life in the Tahoe Basin. The report is intended to establish baseline conditions that will inform discussions and planning around diversification strategies to help Tahoe’s economy recover from the pandemic and, more recently, the Caldor Fire, and become more resilient to economic disruptions. Please share and let us know if you have any questions or comments!

Following a massive early-season storm that delivered 10.5 inches of precipitation in just 24 hours — and three and a half feet of snow at upper elevations — Palisades Tahoe will open almost a month earlier than planned, on Friday, Oct. 29. This will mark one of the earliest openings in the resort’s history. This will be only the third time in 72 years of operation that the resort has opened in October. The last time was 2004.

PILE BURNING TO BEGIN WEEK OF NOVEMBER 1, 2021

Weather and fuel conditions permitting, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District anticipates pile burning in various locations throughout Incline Village, including the Diamond Peak Ski Resort area and east of the Ponderosa Ranch area beginning next week. Smoke resulting from the pile burns will affect the surrounding areas for approximately 48-72 hours. People that are smoke sensitive are advised to please stay inside and close their windows and doors as much as possible until the smoke dissipates. We thank the community for your patience and understanding with the short-term smoke impacts, realizing that improving forest health and fire safety are the long-term benefits. For further information, or to be added to the district’s smoke sensitive notification list, please call the Fire District at 775-831-0351, ext. 0 to speak with someone in person or click the link below to visit us online.

Tahoe Forest Hospital District Board of Directors Appoints New Member. Tahoe Forest Health System is pleased to welcome Robert E. Barnett as the newly appointed member of the Tahoe Forest Hospital District Board of Directors. A resident of Olympic Valley, CA, Mr. Barnett fills the vacant seat, effective October 1, 2021.

Prior to moving to Olympic Valley 6 years ago, Mr. Barnett served as a trial lawyer for 45 years with an office in Fairfield, CA, and a practice that covered San Francisco to Sacramento, and Napa to Stockton. Mr. Barnett’s practice included extensive medical-legal work where he handled over 6,000 personal injury cases with close scrutiny to medical care. Mr. Barnett is now actively involved in projects and groups that focus on building the Tahoe community.

Mr. Barnett is a graduate of Occidental College where he received his Economics degree with honors. He received his Law degree from the University of California, Berkeley Law.

Mr. Barnett’s appointment to the Board of Directors seat will be effective through December 2022. Learn more about the members of the Tahoe Forest Hospital District Board at the link below.

Like most people I keep a list of expressions and phrases that I can lay my hands on and bootleg at first opportunity. But then like most people, I never quite get around to employing such an invaluable resource. This moribund inventory has grown to 103 pages, and that’s not counting Mark Twain expressions that I do use. So today I am determined to examine this rich mine of literary ore and share a few nuggets with you…

The Incline Village Library welcomed their newest children’s area on Wednesday when artist Ben Rupert installed his long awaited galis dungal, finishing the cozy area just in time for the winter. “My primary goal is to help out a cultural identity to show the tourists and locals of Lake Tahoe that this is Wašiw (Washoe) land,” Rupert said. “This was a very sacred place to the Wašiw people.”

The general improvement district board meeting has been postponed from today, Tuesday, Oct. 26, to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3. The district’s audit committee will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 and will discuss revisions to Policy 15.1.0 which establishes the roles and responsibilities of the committee.

Washoe County Sheriff's Office HOPES Team
Alexis Hill had the opportunity to do a ride-along with the Sheriff's Office new HOPES Team this last week. Here's what she had to say!

"This team was created in collaboration with the City of Sparks’ HOPES Team this July. I was very impressed with this new three-person team headed up by the very compassionate and experienced Sgt. Shatawana Daniel.

Their primary objective is to offer services and assist those experiencing homelessness through a boots-on-the-ground approach. During HOPES outreach and engagement with an individual, needs are assessed and then aligned with a number of field-based services and local Medicaid resource partnerships. I advocated during the most recent budget cycle to add two social workers to the team to support the Sheriff’s Office with additional resources. The team also will be housed in the same office space as our Homeless and Housing Team created during this budget cycle so they can collaborate on realistic policy and practices to ensure that we are aligning our work with the actual needs on the ground."

October Newsletter
I am writing this as I watch the rain fall outside. It’s beautiful to look at and exciting because we need this moisture to help us through the drought we currently are experiencing. However, it makes me worry for our community members without shelter. As you’ve heard me say and seen in my newsletters, I think that as a region we have done significantly more for our houseless residents than we ever have previously, but that doesn’t mean that we are doing all that we could on this issue. I am troubled by the number of people who are on the CARES campus as it nears capacity every day. I have directed staff to pull together a more comprehensive staffing plan for case workers and mental health workers which I hope will be coming to the Board of County Commissioners for approval in the next month.

We have more than 300 transitional housing beds where we should be able to move many of our CARES campus members for the next step in their housing journey -- we just don’t have the needed staffing to get them to the right location. Once staffing is in place, I know this can be resolved and more capacity will be created.

I have heard from many of you about your concerns regarding how the County and our partners will be handling the challenge of keeping these vulnerable members protected during the winter. This is also a concern for me. As I discussed in my last newsletter, we have a winter plan and are moving forward with more substantial housing for our Safe Camp residents with a product called ModPods that will be installed at the campus in November. Additionally, anyone who needs warmth, regardless of bed availability or whether they want to stay at the CARES Campus, can go to our warming center that officially opened this last week at the CARES Campus.

WINTER WEATHER SAFETY TIPS: It is a good time to make winter preparations in your home and for your vehicle(s). We hope the following winter weather safety tips help you to be prepared.
Home preparedness tips:
Test all smoke alarms. Do this at least once a month. This way you will know they are working. Install carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Test the alarms.
Plan two ways out of the home in case of an emergency.
Clear driveway and front walk of ice and snow. This will provide easy access to your home.
Make sure your house number can be seen from the street. If you need help, first responders will be able to find you.
Be ready in case the power goes out. Have flashlights on hand. Also have battery-powered lighting and fresh batteries.
Stay aware of winter weather. Listen to the television or radio for updates.
Watch for bulletins online.

Check on your neighbors. Check on others who may need help.
Generators should be used outdoors. Keep them away from windows and doors. Do not run a generator inside your garage, even if the door is open.
Stay away from downed wires. Report any downed wires to authorities.
Be ready if the heat stops working. Use extra layers of clothes and blankets to stay warm. If you use an emergency heat source, follow manufacturer’s guidelines, and keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away.
Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room and turn them off when you go to bed.
Know where your gas meter is located and keep it clear.
Have your furnace inspected and serviced by a qualified professional.
Have your chimney cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional. Not cleaning your chimney is the leading cause of chimney fires from built up creosote.
Have a covered metal container to dispose of cooled ashes. To obtain a free ash can, residents may fill out an application, available at the Fire District Administration Office, 866 Oriole Way, Incline Village. If the required criteria are met, an ash can will be provided. Please visit our website for more information on our Ash Can program.

Travel Tips (if you must travel):

Store emergency supplies in your car (blanket, change of clothes, flashlight, food, water).
Carry a charged cell phone.
Keep ice scraper/snow brush.
Keep gas tank full.
Check national weather service, state department of transportation or local media prior to travel.
Allow extra time and expect delays, road closures or detours.

If you are caught in winter storm and/or stranded:

Stay with your vehicle and wait for help.
Display a sign of trouble to let people know you need help.
Occasionally run the engine to keep it warm. Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow to prevent deadly carbon monoxide fumes from entering the car.
If more than one person is in the car, take turns sleeping.
Layer clothing to trap body heat in order to keep warm.

Helpful Contact Phone Numbers/Websites:

NV 511 Traveler Information System - Call 511 within Nevada or 877-NVROADS outside of Nevada, www.safetravelusa.com/nv
CAL TRANS Road Conditions – Call 800/427-7623, http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/
Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) Public Works - Call 775/832-1203, https://www.yourtahoeplace.com/ivgid
Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) - Call 775/328-3001, https://www.washoesheriff.com/
North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) – Call 775/831-0351, www.nltfpd.org
Southwest Gas (SWG) Emergency Dispatch - 800/772-4555 (Northern Nevada and California), https://www.swgas.com/
NV Energy - Call 775/834-4100, https://www.nvenergy.com/
Liberty Utilities – Call 800/782-2506, https://libertyutilities.com/

IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911

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No matter breakfast, lunch or dinner...we've always got a tasty meal waiting for you!

We've gone LIVE on the following podcasting platforms:

Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Our Weekly Broadcasts and MindSpace will appear on these different platforms throughout this next week, except for Google which may take up to 10 days.

Please subscribe to Human Whisperers Radio on your favorite platform (or visit our website https://humanwhisperers.com/radio/) and stay tuned for our upcoming episode, "If You Can Talk, You Can Sing", focusing on Fear, and how we can channel our fears into Power and Creativity. We'll be featuring Alexander Starz, a music and language teacher based in Austria, as well as our own Petra Amasreiter, who is a musician and composer, based in Germany.

The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners and the Carson City Board of Supervisors will appoint a resident of Senate District 16 to fill the senate seat following the resignation of Sen. Ben Kieckhefer earlier this month. Per state law, the appointee must live in the senate district and have lived there as of Sept. 29, 2021.