Tahoe TAP

Tahoe Talk - 5/20/21

Quick-hitting news bits from around the globe and inside your community to keep you up to speed with the world! LOCAL NEWS:  - Exciting announcement coming out yesterday on the entertainment front – we talked about this a few episodes ago that with Douglas County opening up to 100% on the NV side, perhaps it would mean things like events and concerts could start to come back and we got not only the announcement that the summer concert series was going to be a go, we also got an initial glimpse at the lineup, which got pretty roasted on social media  - Pretty cool story about the efforts to reduce plastic waste around the basin features students from environmental clubs from 4 high schools around the region (North Tahoe, Truckee, Incline & South Tahoe) – as they learned abut the effects microplastics had on the lake they surveyed their local Raley’s stores and brought their findings to the Raley’s executive team on Earth Day – highlighting areas for improvement which Raley’s will be committing to improving  - As more and more drought talk happens, more and more fallout is likely to occur – one of them being the boat ramp at El Dorado Beach will not open this year due to the low water levels from the dry winter. As of now this is the only boat ramp that we’ve heard of, but if you were planning on launching their on the south shore, you will need to find a different point of entry – you can hit up TahoeBoatInspections.com for locations. - Governor Newsom is proposing a $5.1 billion drought response package that will expand drought emergency actions to 41 counties – should have more on this as more details become available  - As the summer starts to creep in a few notes on some road trip routes – Highway 108 over Sonora Pass has reopened for the season – Tioga pass over to Yosemite is still closed at time of this recording but chance that gets opened I’ve heard maybe even by this weekend, but we’ll wait to hear officially, and Ebbetts Pass still closed but still on track to be opened by Memorial Day weekend.  NATIONAL NEWS:  - “Coin Crowding" has arrived — and it's not just a Bitcoin trend. Crypto "mainstreamification" has reached a level that goes far beyond just Bitcoin. 14% of the US population now invests in cryptocurrency, and American crypto owners could double in 2021. This year, Bitcoin has nearly 2X'd in value – and altcoins have seen even bigger rallies: Ethereum is up ~400%, and Dogecoin has soared 13,000%. According to a Gemini survey: two-thirds of US adults who don't own crypto are "crypto curious.” - Officials from California’s Sequoia National Park made a disturbing discovery while conducting a survey to determine the effects of the 2020 Castle Fire…a giant sequoia in the area known as Board Camp Grove was found still smoldering and emitting smoke months after historic wildfires devastated the region last August. The Castle Fire, which was ignited by a lightning strike last summer ended up burning down 270+ square miles of land before it was contained in December. - CA Gov. Newsom, who is facing a recall election later this year, announced a plan to send almost $12B dollars back to taxpayers. If approved, California would give $600 checks to workers who earn up to $75,000 annually, with $500 bonuses for tax filers with dependents and undocumented families.  That’s about 80% of the state's workers and two-thirds of all residents would benefit from the plan. He also unrolled a slew of other funding proposals:  • $5.2 billion in federal funding to help low-income renters stay housed.  • $2 billion to help Californians pay overdue water and utility bills.  • $1 billion in college grants to help employees whose jobs have been decimated by the pandemic find better work. - The COVID-19 pandemic has done what more than a century of past plagues, recessions, crime waves, droughts and earthquakes couldn’t. It shrank California’s population by 182,083 people in 2020. That’s the first time that annual statistic has come with a minus sign since data collection started in 1900. Just 0.4% in case you are trying to do the math in your head. - After falling for nearly 12 months straight, the US unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 6.1% in April. 266K jobs were added last month — economists were expecting 1M (womp). Millions of Americans are unemployed, but companies in industries like construction, manufacturing, and restaurants still can't find enough people to hire. Potentially holding workers back: child-care burdens, Covid fears, and boosted unemployment benefits - Just 4% of iPhone users in the U.S. and 12% overall have opted in to app tracking after updating their phones to Apple’s new iOS 14.5, which introduced new privacy features. That is exactly what companies like Facebook were worried about. - Colonial Pipeline, a major system that delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast was hit with a ransomware attack and halted all operations to deal with the threat. This breach underscores the vulnerabilities of crucial infrastructure, not just banks and IT. Biden is expected to issue an executive order to bolster security of federal and private systems in the next few week.

Tahoe Talk - 5/11/21

Quick-hitting news bits from around the globe and inside your community to keep you up to speed with the world!  NATIONAL NEWS: - Want to hit all 47 national parks in the lower 48 in the most efficient path possible? No room for roadside attractions deviations on University of Penn researcher Dr. Randal Olson National Parks Service map but if you have 14,498 miles worth of gas money and roughly 2 months you can hop on this circuit from anywhere in the country and come home seeing everything the NPS has to offer (LINK) - It’s official - Caitlyn Jenner is running for CA Governor and released her first campaign commercial on Tuesday with her own name misspelled in the video! - Out of control Chinese rocket heading for earth. It is too early to say with a high degree of certainty where the rocket or its debris will ultimately crash, but forecasts show if an impact were to occur in the United States, the eastern U.S. would have the highest odds of seeing impact. - This week, we’ll be treated to one of spring’s best stargazing events as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower lights up the skies. You’ll want to set your alarm for before dawn on Wednesday, May 5, as that’s when the greatest number of meteors at about 10 meteors per hour at its peak. This is all debris from Halley’s Comet. Halley was last seen in Earth's skies in 1986.  It will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the Sun - The Red Hot Chili Peppers are selling their song catalog to Hipgnosis Songs for upwards of $140 million, sources confirm to Variety, making them the latest heritage artist to benefit from the intellectual property gold rush that has seen Bob Dylan sell his songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing for more than $300 million and Stevie Nicks sell hers to Primary Wave for $100 million. Drummer Chad Smith recently confirmed that the group has been working on a new album - Mikaela Shiffrin calls Squaw Valley home for spring ski training along with some of the top alpine skiers in the world and Olympic hopefuls. LOCAL NEWS: - The Tahoe Trout Farm was one of the stories about local businesses this past week – but unlike the new businesses that were featured on the south shore (Clearly Tahoe & The Lemon Drop), the Trout Farm is celebrating its 75th anniversary – one thing I didn’t know was that if you don’t want to take your fish, you can donate to the homeless with Christmas Cher of to feed the bears at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care  - A reminder that residential burn permits are required starting May 1, so no burning unless you have a permit  - Speaking of wildfire, Nevada County just launched a new zone-based evacuation technology – so basically in an emergency situation, this will help you to know where to go based on the zone you are in – you’ll want to check that out at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/KnowYourZone  - If you’re a boater, some good news as beginning Saturday the Sand Harbor and Cave Rock bot ramps were officially open – but, just a as a reminder, you have to complete all TRPA watercraft inspections before using. - Staying on the water, if you’re in the Incline Village area, one thing to note is fees (for just about everything, really) will be increasing this year – guest beach passes, kayak & paddleboard storage, daily boat launch fees & season pass watercraft launch fees – all these changes go into effect this month - Also on the recreation and entertainment front most golf courses on the south shore will open by this week, with exception to Bijou, and in Incline the courses are slated to open by end of May – old Brockway is already open. - Starting this week, construction for the Tahoe South Events Center will get rolling – construction is slated to last 2 years & when completed expected to host up to 130 events each year  - Maybe on a sadder events note – North Tahoe joined Incline Village in cancelling their fourth of July events which leaves South Lake as the only holdout – still has not been decided, but most likely, the anticipation will be that it too, will cancel  - Best of Tahoe & North Lake Tahoe finalist voting is open – don’t forget to vote

Tahoe Talk -5/4/21

Quick-hitting news bits from around the globe and inside your community to keep you up to speed with the world!  LOCAL NEWS: - Douglas County commissioners passed their plan the week before last that would have most businesses reopen to 100% capacity by May 1. That plan was reviewed Thursday last week by the NV COVID-19 task force and it was passed. So, beginning this Saturday, the first county surrounding the Lake will get back to normal – although masks will still be required (although I’m not sure how much of that will actually be getting enforced) - casinos will still continue to be regulated by the gambling board – this seemingly could pave the way for events like 4th of July fireworks and (possibly) the summer concert series at Harveys – all of NV is supposed to be open with only a mask mandate by June 1 – CA target date is June 15 - Governor Newsom tweeted yesterday that CA’s positivity rate is at 1.2% - lowest in the country, but also the lowest it has been in a year, so it looks to be on track - Over the weekend we had a little seismic activity when on Sunday morning a little 3.8 quake centered about 5 miles west of Dollar Point shook the basin –There as also an additional 3.2 magnitude quake just after midnight in the same area Monday morning, but I was out cold for that one – but the quakes centering in the lake bring up the discussion of a tsunami - Looking ahead to May 14 – that is the day that Clean Up the Lake will be launching their effort (& possibly the largest effort ever) to remove trash from Tahoe – we’re not talking about the beaches, we’re talking about all 72 miles of shoreline underneath the surface – the plan is for the team to dive 3 times a week cleaning roughly 1 mile per day at a depth of up to 25 feet – so this is planning on going almost through the end of the year  - On somewhat of a controversial topic, the USDA forest service has released a new proposal that would build new trails and expand access on existing trails for e-bikes – according to forest service officials, about half the people approve and half don’t – As of now e-bikes are considered a motorized vehicle so they’re basically limited to specific trails and roads – this proposal would look to expand that by about 120 miles of new e-bike accessible trails - Couple of traffic notes – as of next week, Country Club Drive in Incline Village the street that basically runs from the lake (by the Hyatt and Lone Eagle Grille), past the college & up around the backside of the championship course will go from 35 MPH down to 25 MPH and if you are planning a trip over HWY 80 between today and Thursday – you will be detoured as the road will be closed from 8pm – 8 am for partial bridge over-crossing demolition - News from the west slope, the city of Placerville has directed staff to lose the noose in the city’s logo. Public comments were pretty harsh in its backlash – the noose has been incorporated into the logo since the 70s. Vice mayor Taylor was quoted as saying “our job at the city is not to fight change, but to navigate it” the motion passed with a 5-0 vote but it wasn’t without people not wanting to give into the cancel-culture movement  NATIONAL NEWS: - China-US scientists create world's first human-monkey 'chimera' embryo amid an ethical storm. A joint research team from China and the US created the world's first embryo that was part human, part monkey as a source for organ transplants that some critics say could "open Pandora's Box" - NASA picks SpaceX to land Next Americans on Moon by the end of the decade. That was the initial goal but has since been supercharged with an ambitious target of 2024. The project is named Artemis which is name after the Greek Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, chastity, and (fittingly) The Moon.  (Side Note: Elon Musk hosting SNL May 8th stirring controversy) - Apple is updating its iPhone software and letting users decide if they want to be tracked for targeted ads. The current default allows such tracking. But starting this week if you upgrade your operating system to iOS 14.5, there will be a pop-up that requires an opt-in to be tracked. This is expected to cost Google and Facebook ~$25B in ad revenue and severely disrupt the  $400B overall industry. - Google Maps will now default to the “greenest route” (AKA most fuel efficient) for its navigation. People in a rush may be disappointed, as the former default was the “fastest route.” It will take in factors like inclines (more work for the engine) and traffic congestion (more idling) to help reduce environmental impact along with displaying air quality and weather of expected destination. - Amazon is equipping a Seattle Whole Foods store with its Amazon One palm-scanning device that lets customers pay by...scanning their palms. Amazon reportedly has plans for a broad rollout - Never has it cost so much to buy a house in California. The median price for a single-family home shot up to a staggering $758,990 in March — a nearly 6% increase from the previous record of $717,930 set in December and a whopping 24% increase from March 2020. Meanwhile, housing production has strayed farther and farther from Gov. Newsom’s campaign goal of building 500,000 units annually as the state’s homeless population swells to record levels

Tahoe Talk - 4/27/21

Quick-hitting news bits from around the globe and inside your community to keep you up to speed with the world! National News: - A Cancer Surviving Girl Scout Broke the Record, Selling over 32K Boxes of Cookies… Now that’s a lot of dough.! Proceeds will go to childhood cancer research and to an organization that feeds the homeless. Lilly didn’t just conquer America, she conquered the world. In addition to selling cookies in all 50 states, her customer base spans Canada, England, Spain, Paris, Rome, and as far away as Egypt. - The Rock will pay for your quac! 5/1-5/5 Dwyane Johnson will foot the bill for your order of guacamole, but there’s a catch, you have to order his tequila “Teremana” - Jersey Mike’s Donated 100% of Sales From 1,900 Stores in Their Biggest ‘Day of Giving’ in 11 Years. With a company goal of raising $8 million, Jersey Mike’s Subs blew past that mark during their Annual Month of Giving to raise an incredible $15 million to help more than 200 charities nationwide. - “Base-to-Base” Gondola From Squaw Valley to Alpine Meadows, CA Confirmed. Alterra announced on Monday that the long-anticipated construction will happen this summer! $60M, 8 passengers, 16 mins, 1,400 ppl per hour, 4 terminals, 3 on/off points, and making it the 3rd largest resort in North America! - 4/15: Normally tax day, but also Natl High Five Day, but also Natl That Sucks Day - so, sounds like the perfect time to pull the fast one on your friends!  Local News: - Gov Newsom tweeted yesterday that CA positivity rate is 1.5% - lowest in the nation and lowest in CA since the beginning of the pandemic - Last week El Dorado County was able to push into the orange tier but up on the north shore and Truckee, Placer and Nevada counties are still in the red – gov also announced some tweaks to the color tiers and said that a county will only move back into a more restricted tier if hospitalizations among vulnerable residents, including those vaccinated, significantly increase – case and positivity rates must also show a “concerning increase” to move backward – like through most of the pandemic, we don’t really know what “significantly and concerning” increases mean - But on the brighter side, they also announced CA getting totally open by June 15 (masks will most certainly stay, but I think we can all live with that for a bit longer) - One of the bigger stories that happened as we headed into the weekend was the rockslide that happened early Friday morning east of echo summit on highway 50 that shut the highway down completely for most of the day. There was an SUV that got caught in the slide, but thankfully no injuries.  - As we head into the summer months and you folks that enjoy boating on the lake, might want to take note of the new law that went into effect on April 1 that says boat drivers must wear a lanyard that is attached to the engine so that if the driver leaves, the boat shuts off – the kill switch law is for boats with 3 or more HP and less than 26 feet in length – fines up to $100 for a first offense and $500 by the third but coast guard says working on more of an educational approach the first year

Tahoe Talk - 4/13/21

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date! NATIONAL NEWS: - Genesis, the Hyundai-owned auto brand, just set the Guinness World Record for most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (aka drones) in the air at the same time. It sent 3,281 drones into the Shanghai night sky on March 29 to promote its entrance into China. China out the video online! - Forbes' annual world's billionaires list includes a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos topping it for the fourth consecutive year. This year's billionaires are worth a combined $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion last year. Investor and business tycoon Warren Buffett fell out of the top five for the first time in over two decades. 493 newcomers. - Survey of 2,000 kids in UK and US show that 30% want to be YouTubers when they grow up. Other results = 25% teacher, 21% athlete, 18% musician, 11% astronaut  - Once the world's third-largest smartphone maker, LG said it's powering down its 12-year-old smartphone business to focus on more profitable areas, like smart home devices and electric vehicle parts. Last year LG shipped just 23 million phones to Samsung's 256 million, iPhone’s 218 million - Wed. 4/7 = Nat’l Beer Day LOCAL NEWS: - The Wells Fargo bank in South Lake Tahoe was robbed Thursday – told the teller he had a gun and sped off on a BMX bike – SLTPD still looking for the man - We also had the story about an armed robbery back on March 21, but police have arrested a fourth individual in that case who used to be a star baseball player at Incline High School - Also had the sentencing take place for a man who beat his female roommate to death with a piece of firewood back in 2019 – the man was sentenced to 25 years to life for first degree murder - On Friday in Incline Village a 5-year old ran out of a residential drive and into the street and struck by a Ford SUV – appears the boy will live but did sustain some intense injuries  - Somewhat of a strange story regarding abnormalities being found in some bears that have researchers baffled – Apparently the bears in question are found with somewhat of a glazed over look, and have traits similar to dogs where they’re overfriendly – they’re typically malnourished, have tremors,  and have their head cocked to one side. The concern is that this could lead to bears getting killed but definitely something to look for as bears come out of hibernation – the disease is pretty rare and Lake Tahoe Wildlife care is aware of the disease – although researches still do not know what’s causing it – if you see a bear acting strange you can call LTWC or the Bear League - The 7th annual Mothership Classic at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows raised a whopping $181k, shattering their record set in 2018. Last year they raised their lowest total since 2015, but combining the traditional competition with a virtual aspect. Most of the funds raised will be directed to the High Fives’ March Empowerment Fund cycle and grant recipients will be announced May 1   - Speaking of Squaw, you also had the Red Bull Raid take place on Friday which featured 60 local athletes competing for titles in skiing and splitboard  - Lastly, Best of Tahoe/Best of N Shore & Truckee nominations have started so if you have a biz favorite, be sure to nominate the for the finals 

Tahoe Talk - 4/6/21

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date! LOCAL NEWS: - Early last week Vail (Heavenly, NStar, Kirkwood) announced that they were slashing season pass prices by 20% across the board. You can get a Tahoe local pass for under $500 – Also, - Mammoth officially announces they stay open until at least Memorial Day. Spring skiing in the Eastern Sierra is tailor-made for the realities of COVID: Shorter/ non-existent lift lines, More availability – no sold-out dates, Discounts on lodging and F&B and warmer temps! Especially important with lodges closed 2021-22 Ikon Pass holders (including those who deferred their 20-21 passes) can also use them THIS YEAR at Mammoth, starting April 12 - The Truckee fire district is considering a wildfire prevention measure that would crease a dedicated local source of funding. Additional resources are needed to help clear fire hazards and help with emergencies and I’d have to imagine you’ll see more and more of these types of things as we continue to see larger and more destructive fires  - It’s not unusual for a Californian to say to hell with the state, I’m moving to Nevada where taxes aren’t out of control – but, when that person is the front man for an iconic band like KISS, well that’s a different story – The place he bought sits on 4 acres in Incline – most Tahoe properties don’t come with a large amount of land but regardless, maybe we’ll see him with his guitar in the corner of Glasses Wine Bar one night  - Speaking of new residents, we did have a story over the weekend that talked about all the new residents and helping them to understand what it means to coexist with wildlife – a lot of the people that have moved here over the course of the pandemic have been calling local wildlife organizations to remove animals such as bears for simply walking through their yard  - On an event note – the annual elegant evening held by the Tahoe Sierra Soroptimist group on April 23rd – this will be the 32nd annual – will be virtual again this year, but there are some killer auction items every year at this – you’ll get some music from local artists and all money raised benefits education and service opportunities for women and youth in the south shore community NATIONAL NEWS: - White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that they will look to the private sector to take the lead on verification of COVID-19 vaccines, or so-called vaccine passports, and would not issue a federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential. >>> Starting Friday, New Yorkers will be able to pull up a code on their cellphone or a printout to prove they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the virus that causes it.The first-in-the-nation certification, called the Excelsior Pass, will be useful first at large-scale venues like Madison Square Garden, but next week it will be accepted at dozens of event, arts and entertainment venues statewide. It already lets people increase the size of a wedding party, or other catered event. - Over one-third of adults (about 95 million people) have received at least one shot, according to the CDC. Almost 53 million are fully vaccinated. And within three weeks, President Biden says, 90% of adults will be eligible to receive the vaccine within five miles of their home.  Yesterday, the CDC also reported that the first "real world" study of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 90% efficacy and that they help prevent asymptomatic infections. - Microsoft, Facebook, Uber Plan To Reopen Offices. May is the target date for FB and Uber/Microsoft began yesterday. This is likely a key indicator at what other companies will model their structure after as we saw during the closures a year ago. - California’s Water Conservation Project To See Reduced Allocations Due To Below-Average Winter. The project supplies water to 29 contractors who provide water for 27-million Californians and 750,00-acres of farmland. The state Department of Water Resources announced that it would only deliver 5% of the requested allocations following the below-average precipitation across the state. That number is down from the original 10% they promised in December. - Uplifting science: America’s bald eagle population has quadrupled since 2009, thanks to conservation efforts. The birds -- which can have a 7.5-foot wingspan and can dive at up to 99 mph -- are now 300k+ strong.

Tahoe Talk - 3/30/21

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date!  National News: - Vail Resorts is not planning on using a reservation system for guests next season. CEO Rob Katz states that the system was only created in light of COVID-19, and he plans on it not being needed for next season. Also announced was a Kit Lender partnership providing head to toe rental ski/snowboard gear. - Disney says its two California theme parks will reopen on April 30 - at 15% capacity. One catch - no screaming allowed on any rides or roller coasters - Outside Lands is officially scheduled to happen this year, on Halloween weekend, Oct. 29-31 in Golden Gate Park, SF! Headliners include: Lizzo, Glass Animals, The Strokes, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala and more!  - Amazon becomes the #1 clothing retailer in the US, unseating Walmart. We're talking $41B+ worth of apparel sold in 2020. This represents a highly impressive 11%-12% share of all apparel sold in the U.S. and 34%-35% share of all apparel sold online. To put this in perspective, Amazon sold almost 7x as much apparel/footwear as the second largest player online (Macy’s) - Anyone who shows a vaccine card at a participating Krispy Kreme gets a free glazed donut. The "best" part? The offer is valid until the end of 2021, so a vaccinated person could theoretically obtain a free glazed donut every day for the next 284 days. Brands have struggled to strike the right tone throughout the pandemic. But supporting the vaccine rollout so everyone can return to normal life is like saying you love fluffy puppies—not particularly controversial! - Partly as a result of hiring Blue Shield to run vaccine distribution, California’s COVID-19 response will cost $2 billion more than projected, with the state estimated to spend more than $15 billion through 2022, according to figures released last week by Newsom’s Department of Finance…. California appears to be the only state to have hired a health insurer to run its vaccine distribution — and it seems Blue Shield may have been chosen largely because of its lengthy relationship with Newsom. Over the past 16 years, Blue Shield has given nearly $23 million to the governor’s campaigns and special causes Local News: - Had some crazy activity the past week for the SLTPD – Sunday morning a stabbing suspect was arrested but this was after he smashed a police car window with a claw hammer. The stabbing victim said he was hanging at the redbox when someone jumped on their back and stabbed them with a metal drywall saw – this was on the heels of an incident that happened Friday morning where on Orangevale man shot at SLTPD officers with an assault rifle. The man was spotted trying to break into a room at the Three Peaks Resort – the suspect was shot, but does not believed to be life threatening  - Everyone’s dream scenario happened this past week at Harrah’s – a person from Orangevale sat down at the three card poker table and on their first hand drew a straight flush and won a progressive jackpot worth $251,175  - The TRPA released the final draft of the transportation plan and based on the projects that need to be done vs. the amount of budget there is to do them, the gap is a whopping $1B – keep in mind this is over the next 25 years and there are some pretty aggressive goals. The TRPA will be holding public meetings so people will get the opportunity to learn more but it will go to vote on April 28 & will include an additional member of the Forest Service so that the TRP can push federal funding into Tahoe Basin transportation projects. - In a feel-good story from last week, a Washington state couple that had come to Tahoe to tie the knot, were doing so out on the pier at Sugar Pine Beach and when it came time to pull out the ring, it fell through the cracks of the pier – but, not to fear, local scuba diver Phil Abernathy came to the rescue and was able to find the ring being guarded by a crawdad 

Tahoe Talk - 3/23/21

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date! Local News: - Beginning yesterday on the NV side, businesses are able to up their capacity limits to 50% and public gatherings and events are now able to operate at 50% of their capacity or 250 people – whichever is less. For larger venues, they can submit a form to the Dept. of Business And Industry to get a variance and go bigger  - In somewhat of a surprise decision last week, Incline Village decided to cancel their 4th of July fireworks this year citing high visitation last summer and current coronavirus trends   - Last week we mentioned the decision coming from the Tahoe Transportation District on whether or not they will be purchasing the old elementary school in Incline Village and they ultimately decided to move forward with that purchase – despite concerns from some folks in the community around safety.   - Something that we talked about around the office when it was happening back in 2018 is the idea of eliminating the time change – back then, the bill stalled in CA before the full Assembly could consider it but a bill was introduced on the NV side late last month that would eliminate the time change, but, they are hitching it to CA so whatever is decided, we won’t run into this type of issue   Good News: - 52% of Americans Surveyed Say They Volunteered for the First Time During the Pandemic. 1) delivering food to essential workers 2)helping the elderly maintain homes 3) volunteering at food pantry - Since vaccine distribution began in the U.S. on Dec. 14, more than 109 million doses have been administered, reaching 21.4% of the total U.S. population. The U.S. is currently administering over 2.4 million shots a day. Weather News: - Airpocalypse: China’s worst dust storm in over a decade  is effecting tens of millions of people - grounding flights, closing schools, and halting everyday life - Denver’s 4th Biggest Storm Ever: Xylia. Denver’s airport picked up 27 inches 3/13-14 and double that at the resorts like Vail, Breck, and Keystone (same system that delivered 40 inches to Kirkwood & Squaw ) Making History: - Beyonce becomes most decorated woman in Grammy award history! 28 Grammys in total. The only person that tops her is the late conductor, Georg Solti, at 31. —  Side note: viewership this past Sunday was down to a record low 8.8M views. 53% down from 2020. - Iditarod 2021: Dallas Seavey ties record for most-ever wins. 5 titles since 2012. 830 miles in 7 days, 14 hours Other News:  - Netflix to begin cracking down on password sharing. Testing out a new two-factor authentication processes which emails or texts you a code to enter upon entering a binge sesh. - The University of California, Davis is offering students an incentive to staycation for spring break instead of traveling. The Healthy Davis Together Spring Break Grant will award 500 applicants $75 to spend during the March 22 to 25 break in the Davis, California area. The idea is to spend the money on local businesses rather than somewhere else. 

Tahoe Talk - 3/16/21

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date!  Local News:  - This coming Friday the Tahoe Transportation District board will vote on whether or not to purchase the old elementary school in Incline Village with the intent to turn it into a mobility hub. There’s been a lot of tensions between the community and TTD on this project so I’m certain there will be a lot of eyes on this decision. The main concern from the residents is traffic and safety. - Looks like the event side of things is picking up a bit of steam – we talked last week about the rocky mountain oyster fry in VC still taking place, and last week the announcement from both CA & NV saw some easing of event restrictions – and yesterday, Mike, you pointed out the concert listings on Harveys website, starting with Kenny Chesney on June 30/July 1   - Very unfortunate accident that happened late Sunday where a 3-car collision on highway 50 near Zephyr Cove claimed the life of one and sent another to the hospital via careflight. Impairment is suspected and the NHP said they’ve seen far too many crashes due to impairment over the past week  - Speaking of auto accidents, yesterday morning a driver on Highway 89 lost control of their Subaru between Tahoe City & Alpine Meadows and eventually came to rest in the Truckee River. The driver did suffer minor injuries and the car had to be pulled out with a tow truck  - On the weather front looks like between today and Thursday we could see as much as a foot and a half of snow at the higher elevations – possibly 6-12” at lake level.  - A reminder on Saturday evening to bump those clocks up an hour as daylight savings time takes hold.  National News: - Carson City voted best city to visit during pandemic by Forbes. Criteria considered:  CDC COVID DataTracker, the Harvard-Brown COVID Risk Level Map, TripAdvisor reviews, and also considered other factors like current case counts, population density, average weather, public health guidance, proximity to outdoor activities and drive times from big cities - Sunday is Pi Day(Papa John’s:order one large pizza, you’ll get a second for just $3.14… 7-Eleven large pizzas for $3.14 each, local restaurant deals - Last Friday, the media biz got some new competition from women who made careers out of competing. Sports stars Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim launched TOGETHXR, a new media + commerce company. The pitch: Men's athletics kind of hog the limelight—a 2018 UN report found that only 4% of total sports media coverage focused on women's sports. To combat that asymmetry, TOGETHXR will produce original content and partner closely with social media platforms, serving an audience of girls and young women. It also plans to ink licensing deals and sell merchandise - 63%… That’s how much viewership for Sunday’s Golden Globes award show declined from last year’s broadcast. Only 6.9 million viewers tuned in. Ratings for the NBA Finals, the NHL finals, the Kentucky Derby and the Super Bowl also plummeted during the pandemic.   - Streaming services have surged in popularity over the past year, and more than three-quarters of U.S. consumers subscribe to at least one, according to a recent survey. In fact, American subscribers now maintain an average of five streaming services — up from three last year.   -  Amazon is about to make a big bet on sports.  The e-commerce giant is set to pay as much as $1 billion a year for the exclusive rights to stream the NFL’s Thursday night games on Prime Video. (It’s a bold move, given that Thursday games have been a money-loser for television networks in recent years.)  What to Watch: - The America’s Cup sailing race begins on Wednesday. First held in 1851, it’s the oldest international sports competition in existence - 63rd Annual Grammys on Sunday hosted by Trevor Noah. Headliner performances include Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Post Malone, Billie Eillish and more - Man fights off two polar bears with sticks in Quebec (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ign-ywFG4Dc)

Tahoe Talk - 3/9/21

National News: - Largest storm system ever! The old Mount Shasta Ski Bowl in northern California holds the record for the most snow received from a single storm system. A total of 15.75 feet (189 inches) of snow was measured Feb. 13-19, 1959. …   That led me down a rabbit hole of research and sent me to the top amount in a single HOUR which was 12 inches in Copenhagen, New York, Dec. 2, 1966. That same location also picked up 6 inches in 30 minutes during the event. — Side Note: Top 3 Largest snowpacks in North America right now: “267 @ Snowqualmie, WA… “225 @ Mount Hood, OR… 204” Mount Baker, WA -6 Dr. Seuss books won't be published anymore because they portray people in 'hurtful and wrong' ways. He has authored 45 books total that have sold 650 million copies  worldwide dating back to the 1920s -Iceberg on the loose! Los Angeles or NYC sized glacial break off of 490 sq. miles! Experts don’t think this is due to global warming and will not contribute to rising sea levels - It’s a great day to be worth $49m! Sen. Elizabeth Warren One is proposing an extra 2% wealth tax. Billionaires would be hit with 3%.  This would affect ~100,000 households and raise an estimated $2.8 trillion over 10 years, which could support child care, early education, and infrastructure. - What stretch of road is arguably more iconic than Route 66? The PCH! Caltrans just announced that 23 miles of this beautiful stretch of Highway 1 is set to reopen May 1st after a huge landslide washed it out and collapsed a massive portion of the road. Local News:  - On Friday last week, a vaccine distribution for high risk folks aged 65 & older - effort was a joint effort between Barton and El Dorado county and was held at the community college. They started the day with 1600 doses and by the end of the day only 1 was wasted - Lots of people donated time and energy to help make it a success, so kudos to all you folks - Be sure to tune into the online auction this Thursday through Saturday for all things old Lakeside Inn casino – some things you have to have a license to bid on, like day 1 is for casinos only (slot machines), the other 2 days are general public - The hits for Edgewood keep on coming – after the successful NHL games at the resort, they followed it up with an announcement that the US Open will have Edgewood host one of its qualifying rounds on May 10. To be eligible, you must have a handicap index not exceeding 1.4 - less than 10% of golfers have handicaps below 5 – and the total % of men who have a handicap index between 1.1 & 1.9 is 1.1%.  - On a similar note, US News & World report recently released their “best resorts in Lake Tahoe” – results are a combination of reputation with professional travel experts, guest reviews & hotel class rankings - the top 3 has pretty equal representation around the basin: 1-Ritz Carlton, 2-The Landing, 3-Hyatt Regency; Hyatt’s Stillwater Spa also recognized among the top 100 spas of 2020.  - Stay tuned! A story is being worked on about snow fleas and scorpion flies in Lake Tahoe

Tahoe Talk - 3/2/21

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date!  National News: - Apple will introduce 217 new emojis in its next iOS update, 14.5. These include a heart on fire, exhaling face, and gender options for the people with beards. Also included in this update is a vaccine-friendly syringe emoji, and support for couples with a mix of skin tones - England's Jasmine Harrison, 21, becomes youngest woman to row solo across an ocean. 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes 3,000 miles across Atlantic Ocean. The first attempt ever was a pair of Norwegians who successfully rowed from Manhattan to France in 1896. Since then there have been about 900 attempts - Only two-thirds have been successful. - Avalanches have killed at least 30 people in the U.S. this winter, the most in years. The Pacific Northwest is on high alert for more this season. 23 last year was the total last year and 27 is the average. - Walmart (America’s largest private employer) is raising wages for 425K workers, bumping its employee average to ~$15/hour (up from $14). But it's keeping its starting wage at $11. Of course this announcement is on the heels of record sales of $152B last quarter, as we stocked up on groceries and goodies. In 2020, Walmart filled 7X more online orders than in 2019 - Final Note: Snowiest place in America ever: Mt. Baker 98-99 winter = 1,140” of snow or 95 feet! Snowiest state on average per day: Vermont with every sq inch of the Green Mtn. state receiving 89” per winter Local News: - There’s some anticipation this week in CA for what the governor called last week “a substantial number of counties” could possibly move into the red tier – he has typically saved his announcements for Tuesdays, but the general consensus for the counties around Tahoe is probably not this week – I think there’s a good chance the trends point us that way maybe next week.  - Fresh off what I think most people would call a very successful weekend of NHL hockey in Tahoe, I saw a lot of response to the article that talked about the present that the NHL left behind…a used Zamboni! - On a much sadder note, an apartment complex caught fire in South Lake Tahoe yesterday claiming the life of one person – the fire department rescued several victims and were ale to limit the fire to 4 apartments, so luckily it wasn’t worse  - For those of you who have been super bummed about events getting cancelled, I have a bit of good news for you – the 30th annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival in Virginia City is a go this year – March 13th, which is a combination St Patty’s Day celebration, they will have a restructured event to accommodate all the current guidelines - Limited amount of tickets ($45), but it’s an event Mike, a real true event! - On the weather front, looks like more of the same through the end of the week and month – my truck said 50 degrees outside yesterday, it was gorgeous…Not sure if we’ll hit that high again this week, but looks to be close with some lows at night into the teens – I saw one snowflake toward the end of next week, but that’s way too far out to excited about – but we’ll see. - One side note, our Mutt Madness photo bracket will begin March 1 – 2 separate contests for the north and south shores, but almost 500 submissions!

Tahoe Talk - 2/23/21

We hope you enjoyed the long weekend, whether you were celebrating the joyous Lunar New Year (FYI: Year of the Ox), Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, President's Day... or just this 4-day week!Regional News:- Perseverance, NASA's most sophisticated rover to date, is expected to land on the surface of Mars on Thursday, February 18, around 3:55 p.m. ET. The rover has been traveling through space since launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at the end of July. When it reaches Mars, Perseverance will have traveled 292.5 million miles on its journey from Earth. The rover will explore Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake that existed 3.9 billion years ago, and search for microfossils in the rocks and soil. Along for the ride with Perseverance is an experiment to fly a helicopter, called Ingenuity, on another planet for the first time- Back in 2012, the FAA anticipated 30,000 drones operating by 2020. But, like the current temperature in Texas, that was wayyyyy too low. According to data from the government, there are at least 1,746,248 registered drones in the US, and likely many more unregistered ones.- In Bloomberg’s annual ranking of innovative countries, America has fallen outside the top 10. When the index first launched in 2013, the U.S. took the top spot. (South Korea came in at No. 1 this year.) According to the analysis, the country is falling behind in terms of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates, advanced degrees and workers in research and development. A 2020 report from the National Science Board sounded a warning about the U.S. being “no longer the uncontested leader” in science and engineering.- Jeopardy’s late Alex Trebeck donates wardrobe to The Doe Fund, an organization that "provides paid work, housing, vocational training, continuing education and comprehensive social services to underserved Americans with histories of addiction, homelessness and incarceration,"- What happens when you mix the world’s richest human and the #1 downloaded podcast in the world? Find out by listening to Elon Musk and Joe Rogan. 3:24Local News:- In an announcement last week, NV governor Sisolak announced that beginning yesterday, most NV businesses will be able to move into the 35% capacity range and in another month possibly back into the 50% capacity range. It also pushes large gatherings into a 200 or 25% (whatever is less)- CA governor Newsom might be on the hot seat as the petition to recall him says they have the amount of signatures needed for the campaign to happen. - Sunken boat off of Pope beach still not pulled out of Tahoe's water- In Incline Village – thanks to a grant from the Duffield Foundation, the sheriff’s office will be fully staffed this summer – something that hasn’t been done in over 20 years. - If you’re a cross country skier – or just want to hit up something different without the lines from the lift, cross country trails have been groomed and ready to roll up at Spooner Lake - Only sight of weather on the horizon is possibly Friday and potentially into the weekend, but looks like could be rain at lake level and snow at the higher elevations 

Tahoe Talk - 2/16/21

Here are some conversation starters from around the globe and within your local community to add to your social toolkit. Regional News:- 6 more weeks of winter. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania. Hilarious that we still celebrate a rodent meteorologist tradition that start back in 1887. Then, it took until 1993 to become an adjective of something happening over and over again, thanks to Bill Murray. - Russia’s Anti-Corruption Foundation’s leader, Alexey Navalny, release a video which uncovers Vladimir Putin’s $1.3B, 190,000 sq ft palace which includes a sea port, vineyard, church, casino, underground hockey rink and toilet brushes costing $850 each- Lionel Messi's leaked contract was published by the Spanish paper El Mundo, and it's...astonishing. The deal the soccer star signed with FC Barcelona in 2017 works out to $674 million over four years. Largest in world history. $3.7M per 90 minute game.- Six people arrested in LA after replacing the W and D with a B on the iconic Hollywood sign. (Rob can you solve the puzzle?)- United Airlines warned 14,000 employees they could be furloughed once payroll support from the government expires April 1. Huge indicator for travel trends.- Target announced that it will give all of its hourly workers a $500 bonus as a thank-you for their effort amid COVID. - Kraft Is Introducing ‘Pink Mac & Cheese’ for Valentine’s Day. Only 1,000 boxes available and you have to register online. Here’s the kicker: it’s actually candy flavored!- New York City restaurants can open for indoor dining at 25% capacity on Valentine’s Day, as long as current Covid trends continue, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Restaurant workers still aren’t eligible for vaccines and many in the restaurant industry are expressing concerns of safety.- 6 more weeks of winter. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania. Hilarious that we still celebrate a rodent meteorologist tradition that start back in 1887. Then, it took until 1993 to become an adjective of something happening over and over again, thanks to Bill Murray. - Russia’s Anti-Corruption Foundation’s leader, Alexey Navalny, release a video which uncovers Vladimir Putin’s $1.3B, 190,000 sq ft palace which includes a sea port, vineyard, church, casino, underground hockey rink and toilet brushes costing $850 each- Lionel Messi's leaked contract was published by the Spanish paper El Mundo, and it's...astonishing! The deal the soccer star signed with FC Barcelona in 2017 works out to $674 million over four years - Largest in world history which works out to $3.7M per 90 minute game.- Six people arrested in LA after replacing the W and D with a B on the iconic Hollywood sign. - United Airlines warned 14,000 employees they could be furloughed once payroll support from the government expires April 1. Huge indicator for travel trends.- Target announced that it will give all of its hourly workers a $500 bonus as a thank-you for their effort amid COVID. - Kraft Is Introducing ‘Pink Mac & Cheese’ for Valentine’s Day. Only 1,000 boxes available and you have to register online. Here’s the kicker: it’s actually candy flavored!- New York City restaurants can open for indoor dining at 25% capacity on Valentine’s Day, as long as current Covid trends continue, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Restaurant workers still aren’t eligible for vaccines and many in the restaurant industry are expressing concerns of safety.Local News:- Jamie Anderson sets a record for most Xgames gold medals with two in Colorado last weekend- Eagles & Ag in Carson Valley last weekend and this week- Loop Road being discuss again in SLT City Council- City events canceled through April 2021- NV Gov. Sisolak order flags at half mast for Siegfried of Siegfried & Roy- More snow on the way then clearing for the weekend

Tahoe Talk - 2/2/21

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