Opinion

WALLACE! WALLACE!! Washington. Lincoln. FDR. When there has been a need for leadership in the USA, the right person arose, sat in the right seat and took constituents into the right direction.

We shape our community when we come together to care for the whole and trade problems for possibilities. Right now, sentiments in the Lake Tahoe Region around the deepening impacts of the housing crisis reveal a concern for the very wellbeing of our communities, and understandably so. While more and more of Tahoe’s homes sit vacant for much of the year, some of Tahoe’s stewards struggle to live and raise families here. The very individuals who provide an outstanding visitor experience and who help protect our beaches, forests, and lake lack equitable access to the Tahoe dream.

On Bingo’s last night, we cuddled on the floor so he could more easily get up and walk the two feet to his water bowl, which he visited frequently, but had stopped drinking from.  That was one of the indications that this sweet old kitty was not much longer for this world.  I felt his soft purr and thanked him for teaching me so much in the two short weeks that he’d spent with me in foster.  
 

When it comes to weather, normal has become an elusive term. On the ground here in Tahoe, it feels like the only things that can pierce our prolonged drought are occasional debilitating storms. Trees weakened by drought can falter under layers of ice and snow from wet storms, causing widespread power and communication outages that can last for days. Meanwhile, “surreal” winter wildfires near Big Sur and Laguna Beach remind us that fire seasons don’t really end anymore.

The following was presented to the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Duane Wallace, the presenter and CEO of South Lake Tahoe Chamber submitted it in its entirety for publication.

The past four months are not soon to be forgotten. After having seen the city roads come to a standstill during the Caldor fire evacuation, our city responded to a very predictable overload of cars due to the I-80 closure and Highway 50 reopening by doing exactly what?

Are we to continue to understand that the City of South Lake Tahoe has no control of the roads through our City and no means of contacting those who do have control of our roads when the town is overrun?



Not only was 2021 a chaotic year in South Lake Tahoe for a number of reasons, but we also experienced a record number of bear/human conflict issues. I've heard a number of people opine that this was due to the Caldor Fire, but that is not only an over-simplistic view. The fire actually had little effect on the activities of our local "urbanized" black bear population other than giving them free reign in neighborhoods around town, and in some of those areas for up to three weeks, during the Caldor Fire evacuation.

Acts of kindness like volunteering, donating to charities or offering emotional support to a loved one often bring about a warm, fuzzy feeling, especially during the holidays. This happiness and satisfaction we get from gift-giving make us feel good, but there are also real health benefits to helping others.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to own a home in the Tahoe Keys and share a boat with a few friends. In those two decades, I’ve seen a lot of change from the view out of my backyard.

The watery cul-de-sac where the boat is parked during the summer, while never as crystal clear as the Lake itself, has become more murky and unattractive each year. Every time I take the boat out, I spend more time with a gaff pushing long tentacles of green, underwater plants off the hull and untangling them from the prop.

While the past year and a half has proven remarkably challenging, it has also demonstrated how incredibly lucky we are to call Lake Tahoe home. Having immediate accessibility to outdoor recreation was critical to providing some sense of normalcy during several COVID lockdowns, and being able to return safely to our homes after evacuation from Caldor Fire has made me more appreciative than ever.

It was easy to say "thank you" after firefighters saved our town during the Caldor Fire. It was easy to say "thank you" to law enforcement for patrolling our streets and protecting our town after we all evacuated as the fire quickly headed to Lake Tahoe. It was easy to say "thank you" to all of the utilities and agencies and their staff for staying in town to keep things working. It is also easy to say "Happy Thanksgiving" as we celebrate the one day each year set aside to celebrate friends and family and give thanks for what we are blessed with.

I’ve been thinking a lot about thanksgiving since coming home from the Caldor Fire evacuation. Driving down the West Shore after dark September 10, I wondered what I would see in the morning. I noticed mostly fire and law enforcement vehicles, and most businesses were shuttered. What would I see in daylight? Would there be ugly fire scars on the hills, bears in my kitchen, smoke stink in my closets?

My name is Jesse Kilow-Nieto. I work as a clinician at Tahoe Youth and Family Services, a private nonprofit community-based organization. I was born in South Lake Tahoe and have lived here for most of my life. I have a deep understanding of the struggles that our community has faced over the years, and the struggles we continue to face.

Today I introduced the Illegal Immigrant Payoff Prohibition Act of 2021. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan are principal co-sponsors.

The legislation will prevent the Attorney General from making settlement payments to individuals and families who entered the United States illegally. It is a direct response to reports that the Biden Administration is proposing to pay as much as $450,000 per person to compensate families that unlawfully entered the United States.

The snow and colder weather setting in across the Tahoe Basin is a welcome gift for those actively managing the stubborn, two-month-old Caldor Fire. While containment lines are no longer being threatened, the extreme drought conditions that helped the fire consume more than 220,000 acres will keep the fire active until a heavier snow or rain soaks through. As welcome as that will be for the fire, it also has us bracing for potential post-fire impacts from ash, sediment, and debris.

It takes a village … and even more to protect one. I am so grateful for the people who stepped up to serve during this crisis. From those with dedicated emergency response roles to those whose gestures, like expressing their thanks through a heartfelt sign, you have each done your part.

he Caldor Fire was a whirlwind. We anticipated it for weeks, seeing & smelling smoke. We watched as our entire town was evacuated one area by one in a matter of days. We packed our cars, we checked in with our loved ones, & we scattered. To Carson, to Reno, to Sacramento, to Mammoth, to Santa Cruz. We waited for news of our friends + family fighting the fire, our homes, our businesses. It seemed like our lives came to a stop while we waited & the rest of the world went on.

As I gaze out the window from my Lake Tahoe home into the smoky abyss that has engulfed our usually crystal-clear sky, I wonder how we came to the current pyrogenic apocalypse and if it could have been prevented? I certainly understand the current drought conditions that precipitated the possibility of dangerous fire conditions, but I have a hard time understanding why our elected representatives failed to prepare for the catastrophic wildfires that now are ravaging our forests and polluting our air.

It’s easy to panic.

It’s easy to lose hope.

But we will not.

We need to evacuate South Lake Tahoe. The haze and smell of smoke are constant reminders of the wildfires raging miles away and the peril that now faces our city.

But panic is not what we want.

We all must take strength from our beautiful community. As Jews we draw inspiration from our forefathers and their trust in G-d — despite what it may superficially seem.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. El Dorado District Attorney Vern Pierson said he is outraged at the discovery that dozens of prisoners have been released early from state prison after being convicted in El Dorado County, including two who have since been arrested and convicted for committing new violent crimes.  
 
One of the released prisoners threatened violence against law enforcement officers who contacted him after he re-offended. 
 

On July 4th, lightning struck a tree in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Alpine County, California, igniting a small fire that smoldered for days in a quarter acre of rugged terrain. According to Sheriff Rick Stephens, California’s fire-fighting agency, CalFire, dispatched a crew to put it out. But they were told to “stand down” by the U.S. Forest Service, which proceeded to “monitor” the fire instead. That is to say, they did precisely nothing.

It is certainly the best business model I have ever seen. Pure Genius.

All over South Shore we see these cute little lime green scooters. We see them at bus stops. We see them at street corners. We see them in parking lots. All set up in little rows waiting for tourists to wave their phones at them and off they go.

So, what is the problem with that?

Well………there are quite a few problems with that.

As scorching heat waves bombard the Western U.S. and Lake Tahoe breaks records of its own, climate change impacts are being felt throughout the watershed. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center last week released a report of Tahoe’s annual clarity measurements in which the effects of escalating temperatures were front and center.

We have to remember we are a tourist town first and foremost. Residents pay the bills of this community with tourist dollars. We do not have an industry that can support us and our lifestyle here without tourism. Every single business up here is directly related to tourism. Yes, we have to cater to them, yes, we have to clean up after them, and yes, we have to make them feel welcome in our community. Sucks for sure.