By Kathryn Reed

It’s hard to believe a picture book about Lake Tahoe could be disappointing. But “Emerald Bay and Desolation Wilderness” by Peter Goin (Arcadia Publishing, 2018) was just that.

Many of the pictures are repetitive and few are ones I have not seen before.

It would even be hard for me to recommend this to someone wanting to learn about the history of the area because the redundancy and the poor quality of so many of the black and white photos. While Goin can’t be faulted for the photos especially since many date back to the early 1900s, he did choose them.

Clearly for some people there will be historical information that might not be known, so the book could be educational.

One of the photos I found most interesting was of the slope above Emerald Bay prior to the slide in 1955. That scar is still such a focal point along Highway 89.

The book is divided into chapters about Emerald Bay, Fannette Island, Vikingsholm, Cabins and Retreat, Emerald Bay Camp, “Rose Marie” the Movie, and Desolation Wilderness.

Had the book been produced by one of the area historical societies it would have been easier to recommend just to support their cause. As a private individual simply using photos procured from elsewhere just adds to a reason to say this book should only be thumbed through at the library if you really want to see it.

By Susan Wood

“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both,” wrote C. Wright Mills, an American sociologist and intellectual.

Mills, who taught at Columbia University right up to his death in 1962, was concerned with the citizens’ responsibilities in post-World War II society – a milestone in the modern world. Knowledge and power: He believed that knowledge was the crucial element to social change, and critical thinking was the means of obtaining this crucial knowledge.

In other words, introspection can help us learn from our mistakes, advocate for what worked and know more about ourselves in the given time period. 

It’s the reason preserving our history is critical.

And in our little microcosm of a world in the Sierra Nevada, it’s the reason to support the Lake Tahoe Historical Society in its quest to hold onto the artifacts and writings of the region.

This year, the society celebrates a half century of peering through that looking glass. For the monumental occasion, a major fundraiser called Chautauqua at Lake Tahoe featuring Duane L. Bliss, George Whittell and Lillian Virgin Finnegan is slated for 7pm Aug. 18 at Lake Tahoe Community College.

“We all want to know where we came from, and why we’re here,” said South Lake Tahoe resident Carol Olivas, who’s lived here for about five decades.

Diane Johnson is key to preserving South Shore’s history through the Lake Tahoe Historical Society. Photo/Susan Wood

Truckee historian Chaun Mortier agreed.

“As a people, we are curious about our roots. A vast majority of Americans are American because they were born here, but their ancestors are from many other countries. We can understand our bloodlines because of preservation,” she said.

Mortier believes preserving history is “preserving a timeline of our own selves and those that came before us.” 

The evidence can be good and bad.

Our history is everywhere

Still standing are murals dotting the landscape, tables and shelves holding hundreds of books about Tahoe and walking tours provided by curators of oral history. At the museum off Highway 50, there’s the Osgood Toll House marking the oldest commercial building in South Lake Tahoe.

And still around is a founding board member, 96-year-old Betty Mitchell.

Mitchell believes wholeheartedly in the mission to preserve the history of her town, her region and her country. 

“The simple way to put it is: If you don’t know where you’ve been, how will you know where you’re going?” she asked Lake Tahoe News while relaxing on the deck of her home with a million-dollar view of Heavenly Mountain Resort.

“I don’t know if we do, as I look back. We seem to make the same mistakes as we go to war. Taking up arms I guess is the easy way out,” she said. “Those things are important, but I’m reminded, the nonsensical things are important.

“I’m proud of the Lake Tahoe Historical Society. There was probably a lot more we could have done, and they had a lot they wanted to do,” Mitchell said, declaring she got involved because she was “a history buff.”

“I just stuck my nose in there,” she said with a giggle. She sat back in the lounge chair, gazing over the landscape with a pensive glance.

What was the memorable time relative to the preservation of Lake Tahoe’s history – redevelopment, political climate, tourism?

“Those early years,” Mitchell said, not missing a beat.

The South Shore has endured and conquered its share of challenges during its evolution. The city, for one, celebrated its own 50th anniversary a few years ago. So did Barton Health. Lake Tahoe Community College (not quite 50) started in a hotel room – appropriate for a tourism-based place. The winter of 1951-52, in which residents were snowed in up to their second-story windows, became the testament to a community banding together.  

There was something about the 1950s leading into the civil uprising of the 1960s. The nation tried to regenerate after a civilization-defining war that preserved our way of life, only to enter into another that divided us and challenged our trust in government.

To the society’s Executive Director Diane Johnson, our history is the best learning tool. It grounds us and forces us to evaluate the vehicle that delivers our chronology.

A reference for the ages

What’s important is more than a reference. It’s a reference we can believe in.

 “Everybody has a voice now. Some have a megaphone, but does that make it right?” she asked.

When someone brings in a piece to donate to the museum, Johnson finds she studies it with a more discriminating eye. She’s part historian, part administrator, part fact checker. 

“I don’t know who would use it in the future. I don’t make that assumption. Still, to actually have it as a source (is necessary) because you never know when possibly we need it again,” she said.

The museum is filled from floor to ceiling with valuable artifacts and writings that define us as a people.

Johnson recoiled as she was reminded one man came into the museum and questioned whether James Beckwourth (who happens to be black) should be taking his place alongside the likes of Jedidiah Smith in the display commemorating notable mountain explorers. The notion of singling out a minority stuck with her.

What does this say about us?

“I’m concerned we’re leaving people out and creating a one-sided history,” she said, referring to the disenfranchised.

Truth in diversity is not always shared.

She applauds activists preserving the online pages taken down by the federal government because it doesn’t suit the current agenda.

“Our history is in danger. For example, will we ever return to common decency and compassion?” she questioned.

A new pier at Kings Beach would be designed to be used during high and low water years. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

KINGS BEACH — One person doesn’t want a dog use area, another longs for the days of his youth when there was better fish habitat and the beach went up to the road.

Those were the only two public comments during the June 27 Tahoe Regional Planning Agency meeting regarding the Kings Beach General Plan amendment and pier relocation presentation. The bi-state agency later this fall will vote on the pier, while State Parks has oversite on the General Plan.

The pier rebuild is expected to be the first project after the General Plan is approved. The environmental documents are being studied simultaneously. The California Tahoe Conservancy has a role in all of this as well because of land ownership.

The pier falls under TRPA’s recreation threshold as well as scenic and fish resources.

“The focus is access to the water and off water to the town center,” Tiffany Good, TRPA planner, told the board on Wednesday.

Even though the regulatory agency is also going through the shorezone plan now, staff assured the board the Kings Beach plan has been designed to fit today’s standards and the preferred action plan for the new shorezone document.

Three locations were studied for where to put the pier, with the east end being the preferred. In total it will be 488-feet long. Of that, 213 feet will be fixed, with an 80-foot-transition, and then 215 feet of floating pier. Some of it overlaps, which is why the numbers don’t add up.

Most of it will be 12-feet-wide, with 36 feet being the widest.

Rails will be put on the fixed portion. The pier will be single pilings.

During high water 18 boats could be tied up to the floating section. At no time will there be overnight mooring.

Overall, State Parks wants to make this hub of Kings Beach more user friendly. Parking will be changed to flow better. According to State Parks, 20 percent of the park is dedicated to parking. That will be reduced by 11 percent. Drop-off areas within the parking area will be added.

The motorized boat ramp will be removed, the basketball court will be relocated, a non-motorized storage area will be added, more picnic facilities are coming.

June 29 is the last day to comment on the pier and General Plan environmental documents. State Parks Commission is expected to vote on the General Plan amendment in October, with TRPA taking action later in the fall.

John Paoluccio is confident in his creation to rid invasive plants with UVC light. Photo/LTN file

By Dennis Zabaglo

Ten years ago, when a new threat to Lake Tahoe from invasive species emerged, TRPA stepped up to tackle the challenge.

That challenge, now known throughout the West, was to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, especially quagga mussels. TRPA took the initiative to lead the collaborative partnership to fight invasive species, which is now a national model of success.

Beyond local partnerships, TRPA has expanded relationships at the national level, seeking new methods to prevent a quagga mussel introduction and to prevent and control other species.

TRPA works with the boat industry to develop new components and encourage new thinking when it comes to designing and building boats. For instance, Wake Worx LLC of Florida has developed a filter in collaboration with TRPA, UNR and others. The filter is designed to prevent quagga mussel juveniles and other species from entering ballast tanks on wakeboard boats. Due to the large amount of water that these tanks can hold, invasives could easily be transported to another water body. This innovative filter significantly reduces the risk of transport.

Also helping to prevent the spread is Volvo Penta, which manufacturers boat engines. Starting with model year 2017, stern-drive engines come outfitted with a hose quick-connect designed to simplify and increase effectiveness of hot water decontaminations. The boat industry is embracing work to combat invasives and is committed to partnering with TRPA and others to find new solutions.

To help control invasive species already in the lake, a new technique is in the testing phase. Inventive Resources, Inc. from the Central Valley of California, has invented a method using ultraviolet light to help control aquatic invasive plants. “When I hear ‘it will never work,’ it kicks me into high gear, and makes me even more passionate about using innovation to solve problems. Everything can be improved upon,” said John Paoluccio, owner of Inventive Resources Inc. The project, overseen by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, is showing promising initial results, and the partnership is eager to continue the pilot project with post-monitoring in 2018.

Another new method, called laminar flow aeration, will be tested at two locations with the most dense and complicated aquatic invasive plant infestations at the lake—Ski Run Marina and the Tahoe Keys. Laminar flow aeration injects millions of tiny air bubbles from the bottom to the lake surface, producing constant, parallel layers of flow, with no cloudiness between the layers. The resulting oxygen-rich environment enhances the consumption of the organic layer at the bottom, which plants use for food. If there is less food, then it becomes less likely the plants will survive.

Plants are not the only invasives needing to be controlled. The invasive Asian clam is also a problem at Lake Tahoe. Rubber barriers can kill these unwanted creatures, but the process leaves behind dead shells that are a nuisance. The decomposing shells are visually unappealing and may also add concentrated levels of calcium that make areas of the lake more suitable for other potential invaders like quagga mussels. Here too the private sector is seeking solutions. Aqua Treasures, LLC of Canada has developed equipment that will harvest the clams from the lake bed. Additional development on this invention is still needed, but plans are in the works to test the equipment this fall at Lake Tahoe.

As the adage goes, “you can’t build a house with a hammer alone,” but with continued investment in innovation, the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program will have the tools to continue the success of the past 10 years.

Dennis Zabaglo is Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s aquatic resources program manager. This article is republished from the summer 2018 Tahoe In Depth.

By Kathryn Reed

Fear. It’s a sensation that has defined a large extent of Laurie Ault’s life. Fear of an unknown killer. Fear another family member would become a victim. Fear she would be a target if she spoke out.

The South Lake Tahoe woman’s life was rocked in 1980 when her aunt and uncle were murdered. Ault was 23. Nothing has been the same since then.

The arrest this spring of Joseph DeAngelo on multiple murder charges has brought some peace. But it has also produced more unanswered questions for Ault and presumably all the family members whose lives were upended by the man known as the original Night Stalker, the East Area Rapist and the Golden State Killer.

“How many other people did he murder or rape?” Ault asks.

That’s a question for law enforcement. Or maybe the suspect himself will confess. For now, he is alleged to have committed 12 murders, 45 rapes and more than 150 break-ins from 1976-86. The 72-year-old was arrested at his Citrus Heights home in April.

Ault also wants to know why her relatives, Lyman and Charlene Smith of Ventura, were targeted. At the time, her 43-year-old uncle was expecting to be appointed to a judgeship by Gov. Jerry Brown. Semen found on her aunt was consistent with DNA found at the site of the Contra Costa County crimes, according to court records. However, it wasn’t until 2000 that detectives started linking many of crimes.

The 48-page arrest warrant says, “Lyman was found nude lying face down on the right side of the bed. Both his hands and feet had been bound. Charlene was found nude from the waist down, lying face up with her hands bound behind her back. Her ankles were also bound. Both victims died as a result of blows inflicted to their head by a wood log the offender had procured from the firewood pile outside the house.”

Laurie Ault thumbs through her book “Murder on His Mind” about the serial killer known as the Golden State Killer. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Ault only shared her family’s secret with the men she married and her sons. That is until now. Now she is ready for the world to know what it is like to live with such sadness, such uncertainty for decades.

Lyman Smith was her grandfather’s son, her mom’s step-brother. Family was family no matter the exact connection. Her grandparents were incredibly close to her – almost like second parents.

It was Ault’s grandparents who introduced her to South Lake Tahoe. They had a cabin here. She has been a full-time resident since 1985.

Some of the anxiety that had gripped her when she lived in the Sacramento area evaporated after moving to the lake. Still, though, an uneasiness prevailed, as did a sadness for those close to her.

Watching her grandfather suffer was emotionally overwhelming.

“I was a shy, naïve 23-year-old. You didn’t talk about it. You stocked it away as far away as you could,” Ault told Lake Tahoe News. “I never said a word in 35 years. I kept it to myself.”

With the silence came a form of post-traumatic stress. Feelings range from grief to depression to anger.

She tried to blend in, to not call attention to herself.

“I tried to make myself not be a target,” Ault said. “I was always on guard.”

Not knowing why her aunt and uncle were killed created an uneasiness. She was living in a perpetual state of anxiousness. Blinds were closed at dusk. Parking garages were avoided whenever possible. Her behavior went beyond the normal safety precautions. The killings weren’t something she could overcome.

“I had let fear interfere with some of my freedoms,” Ault said.

Ault was living blocks from where the suspect lived when he started his crime spree. She was 19 when he first struck. People were scared. They didn’t know who would be next. He terrorized the area for a good two years.

“My gut told me he was always there,” Ault said. “There were so many red flags on this guy. The whole time he attacked he was a cop. Back in the day they didn’t look at their own in the same way.”

In January 2017, Ault published a book about the case under a pen name. Cops warned her not to reveal her connection to the case. Her desire was to stir memories in others in hopes a new piece of evidence would lead to an arrest.

Getting her thoughts down on paper as well as facts helped Ault get a handle on her fear.

Then in November 2017 she released a different version. “Murder on His Mind” was published under the name Anne Penn. She admits in that book to being a family member of a victim.

Part of the reason to write it was to honor all the victims.

Ault wishes the suspect were younger so “he’d be punished longer.”

Today Ault continues her investigation as she writes another book about this man who she consistently refers to as a “creep.”

Protesters almost canceled Attorney Jeff Sessions’ talk on June 25 in Reno. Photo/Linda Fine Conaboy

By Linda Fine Conaboy

RENO – Attorney General Jeff Sessions stayed true to the party line Monday as he defended the president’s policy on immigration saying children are the target of MS-13, an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Sessions gave the keynote address June 25, opening the national gathering of school resource officers who are in Reno this week attending their convention. NASRO, the National Association of School Resource Officers, evidently approved and appreciated that Sessions was at their meeting, handing him two standing ovations.

As the gathering of more than 1,000 got under way inside, a group of protesters loudly showed their disapproval outside. Horns honked, a group of Native Americans chanted and drummed, and a mariachi band in full regalia added their support to the protest.

Jeff Sessions

Not to be deterred by protesters, the keynote address proceeded as scheduled with Sessions’ opening remarks giving a nod to his audience as he mentioned that research shows many young people are turning to the law now as a profession.

Why? “Because they know someone in law enforcement and consider it a noble profession, just like in the Department of Justice,” he said. “When there’s a tragedy, we believe it’s important to be there and have your back.”

He also announced that the DOJ was allocating $2 million for Las Vegas after the October shooting and $1 million to officers in Broward County, Fla.

Although he was expected to stick to the topic of school safety, this was not the case. Reading from his prepared speech, he minced no words as he got right to immigration, saying children bear the burden of a broken immigration system. Safety of children is important, he said, adding that our government spends large amounts of money on children brought to the U.S. illegally.

“If we refused to prosecute adults, it would be a disservice to people in the U.S. It will also encourage people to bring more children illegally.” He also stated that the president advised that “we will avoid separating families. It’s a great effort .…”

Moreover, he added, adults are being arrested because they refuse to enter the United States at a port of entry. “There would be no crime or arrests if they entered at ports of entry. This should not be happening in the U.S.” He said he has spent days, months and years trying to develop ways to enforce these laws, but he said Congress needs to help.

He said the United States is seeing an increase in children coming here alone. Sessions said often they’re watching as adults get involved in drugs; he added that the vast majority of drugs come here across borders, which are not secure. Open borders are radical and dangerous and not good, he declared.

“The president has made it clear that we need a relationship with our partners in the south. Think about this. In just four days at the end of March, Customs and Border Protection apprehended five juveniles who were allegedly smuggling fentanyl. The killer drug. Between the five of them, they allegedly had more than 35 pounds of fentanyl—enough to kill millions of people.”

He said MS-13 is a particularly violent group, adding that if someone unlawfully comes into our country who committed acts against children, they should be deported, not protected by sanctuary policies. He highlighted what he said were examples of children being victimized by undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.

He also said MS-13 is recruiting children who were sent here as unaccompanied minors, saying some are brought to help replenish the gang and that they are terrorizing immigrant schools and communities all across the country.

Sessions said free speech and assembly rights will be protected, but criminals will be prosecuted.

“We will invest and continue to invest in law enforcement.”

He offered kudos to what he called the unsung heroes and thanked them for committing their lives to protecting the most vulnerable among us.

Bobby Brooks Wilson, center, et al will be at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe through Labor Day. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Susan Wood

STATELINE – A new summer show at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe not only returns audiences to the roots of soul with rhythm and blues, but it even takes back the performers.  

“Solid Gold Soul” staged in the South Shore Room features an ensemble of accomplished singers accompanied by a five-piece band of highly-skilled musicians.

Leading the pack is Bobby Brooks Wilson, who is the son of the late soul-singing star – Jackie Wilson. This is something the younger Wilson found out later in life. He was given up for adoption before landing in South Carolina foster care homes in a Dickens-style account of his childhood.

While he was entering the music industry, those working with him couldn’t help but notice his moves and voice resembled his father in an uncanny way. That’s what led him to discover his roots.

The music industry often comes full circle.

Bobby Brooks Wilson is singer and showman in “Solid Gold Soul.” Photo/Kathryn Reed

The young Wilson recounted being assigned to a doo-wop group called The Love Notes by the father of blockbuster singing sensation Bruno Mars.

Wilson consequently signed with Motown Records.

“That gave me my chops,” Wilson told Lake Tahoe News during a media event last weekend.

The record label welcomed the young Wilson to the world chosen by his father, who he credits for building Motown’s stellar reputation. 

“It was 1959. It all started that year,” Wilson said during the opening of the Harrah’s show. About 100 people were clapping and cheering as he appropriately opened with his father’s mega hit “(Your Love is Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.”

“Welcome to the show. We’re here to have a good time,” Wilson declared. Even though he has his own music — most recently recording his “It’s About Time” compilation – one could say he was born to carry on the performances of his legendary father. 

Plus, the audience appeared hungry to return to the days of great dance music, lyrics of innocent love and the aura of the social consciousness of the 1960s.

“This music is a part of our relationship,” Sandy O’Conner told LTN. The Arizona woman, who owns a cabin here, calls the genre “our time,” when the tunes on the radio were “uplifting.” 

Listening to the music it was hard to know these weren’t the “real” Supremes. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Other performers beyond Wilson graced the stage with their renditions of the music by Otis Redding, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Martha Reeves and Sly and the Family Stone.

Denita Asberry rocked the house with her flattering rendition of Aretha Franklin’s timeless hit “Respect.” No one in the crowd was sitting down.

“I think Aretha was amazing. We liked it all,” Fred Padilla of San Carlos said, while still like his wife Sandy, was grinning from ear to ear afterward. They were bumping during the 80-minute show, which featured some of the biggest hits of Motown producer Berry Gordy’s era from “Sitting at the Dock of the Bay” and “Baby Love” to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “What’s Going On.”

The 24-karat party will last through Sept. 3.

This is a home in Homewood selling for $17.9 million. Photo/Linda Fine Conaboy

By Linda Fine Conaboy

Who doesn’t enjoy a day at Lake Tahoe? And who would balk at combining that day with a specially-prepared lunch at a multi-million dollar home in a setting so beautiful it could quite conceivably cause you to catch your breath? Oh, and throw in a jaw-dropping Lake Tahoe summer’s day, and you’ve got yourself a ticket to paradise.

Lake Tahoe News was recently invited to participate in Chase International’s annual home tour showcasing 26 luxury properties peppering the circumference of the lake. On this perfect summer day, the most difficult part of the trip was deciding which homes to tour and which ones would need be left to just the imagination.

Our journey began in Glenbrook at a home located at 1868 Glenbrook House Road, listed for $4,950,000. The toughest part of the Glenbrook portion of the tour was finding the targeted homes and then locating a parking spot—there were lots of people with paperwork in hand, making their way to and from the properties, all vying for limited parking space.

The outstanding feature of the Glenbrook House Road abode was not to be found inside, but rather outside, in the form of Shakespeare Rock. Realtor Susan Clemons described it as the prime geological feature of Glenbrook—besides Lake Tahoe, she added.

Shakespeare Rock sits directly south of Glenbrook and was named by a woman who in 1862 was sketching mountain backdrops. She claimed the rock offered a close approximation of William Shakespeare carved into its lichen-covered face. Now, it’s a favorite of hikers and rock climbers.

The fixture over the dining table in a home on Jameson Beach. Photo/Linda Fine Conaboy

The home’s builder seemed to be enthralled with the rock’s grandeur too, incorporating views of it into nearly every south-facing window. The tall front door is so situated that its casing offers a perfect frame for the rock’s overwhelming majesty.

In the living room, the rock looms through the three-story picture window. “In the afternoon, when the sun sets, Shakespeare Rock glows,” Clemons told Lake Tahoe News.

Wide plank flooring gives this home the feel of “old Tahoe,” but the appointments within remind one that this is not really old at all, but perfectly appointed proffering the latest amenities available. For example, there’s a huge natural stone fireplace in the living room that offers a taste of rusticity, but the modern, sleek kitchen, highlighted by a very large Viking gas stove and stainless steel appliances by Miele and Subzero, surrounded by grey and black counter tops, all point to the fact that this is a modern house—with outstanding views.

The dining room, kitchen and some of the bedrooms upstairs all view a terraced backyard that leads to the forest beyond. Elevator access originates at the lower garage level and services the entire home.

In the master bedroom on the ground floor, stands a closet large enough to accommodate both mom and dad, backlit by twin multi-paned windows. The giant floor-to-ceiling shower, his and hers sinks, a commode with both a bidet and a toilet and a deep, jetted tub topped with a television, allow the inhabitants a comfortable life style.

Glenbrook provides homeowners a sandy beach, a buoy field with valet service, a community park, gated and guarded entry and hiking trail access. This home includes a golf membership with an accepted offer with the understanding that the buyer pays the $15,000 transfer fee.

Glenbrook also played host to the second home we chose to tour—at 202 Pine Tree Lane called Horseshoe Lodge at Glenbrook. This beauty is a horse lover’s delight with a fully-fenced equestrian pasture occupying a portion of its 11.46 acres.

With six bedrooms, seven baths, two half-baths, a five-car garage, a separate and private club house, a large lap pool with a detached spa, this house can be purchased for $9,980,000. Taxes are $26,795.

The very private setting is even more so because it borders Forest Service lands and is accessed through a gate-guarded private drive.

The home has been on the market less than two weeks, Cliff Chase, the listing agent said.

“Everyone who lives here has the option to join Glenbrook Golf Club, the oldest course in Nevada. It was built in 1926,” Chase said. “The setting is exceedingly private, which is so unusual for Lake Tahoe. It’s a private retreat, if you will. Horses are OK here, which is also rare at the lake. And the views are A-plus,” he said, pointing to the stunning expanse of Lake Tahoe, available from all south-facing rooms in the home.

“Additionally, the tennis court is so big, you could land a helicopter on it.”

Scoping out beautiful abodes creates an appetite, and fortunately, a gourmet lunch was available at Clear Creek Tahoe’s beach retreat, at 853 Stateline, close to Edgewood golf course. Access to this grass and sand beach and club house is available to all who purchase a home in the growing community of Clear Creek Tahoe, located on the eastern slope of the Carson Range. Clear Creek encompasses just over 2,000 acres surrounded by national forest land.

A house at Jameson Beach selling for $6,750,000. Photo/Linda Fine Conaboy

Craig Cibulsky, a Chase Realtor, explained there are close to 400 available lots, with 171 in the development’s first phase. “Just under 40 percent are sold,” he said. “The cottage lots are one-third to about 2 acres, while estate lots vary in size from one-half acre to close to 5 acres.”

He also said that purchasing a lot gets you social membership opportunities excluding access to the golf course, unless you purchase golfing privileges.

After an excellent lunch, it was on to the beautiful beachfront abode at 3115 Jameson Beach, selling for $6,750,000 and represented by Robert Stiles.

This is a unique property in that it is fronted by an unimposing two-story guest home out front, with the grand house sitting on the beach. The private, gated pier is 100 feet in length and features access to two buoys. Stiles explained that the property has been for sale for almost two years.

In total, the two residences are 6,234 square feet on about 1 acre of land. The two homes were constructed in 1991, with remodeling of the main residence taking place in 2014. Lake frontage totals 125 feet and access to the property is private through a gate on the road.

Vaulted ceilings in the main home, which is 4,796 square feet, add depth and glamour to the place. There are three ensuite bedrooms, a family room and a chef’s kitchen with a Viking range. The five-car garage even has room for the boat.

And finally, biding adieu to the East and South Shores, we found ourselves in Homewood, touring a magnificently large home with so many extras, it’s difficult to recap them all.

Starting with an amazing 100 feet of pristine shoreline, this old-style Tahoe house is on the market for $19,950,000. What else do you get for nearly $20 million? How about four buoys, a shared pier, a lakeside gas fire pit and a lush lawn bordered by many old-growth cedars.

That’s just for starters. The dining room sports 20-feet of folding glass doors, overlooking the lake. A culinary artist would love the open kitchen as well as the radiant heat throughout. Then there’s the stately granite boulder fireplace. In fact, granite plays a large roll in this home’s exterior as well as the interior.

It was constructed by Tahoe’s Bruce Olson in 2009 with architectural design provided by his daughter and son-in-law who own the firm of Olson-Olson. The home is constructed on a double lot. All of the unique furnishings and art works will remain with the property; all except for some of the owners’ favorite pieces of art.

The wood plank flooring was imported from France and the large downstairs bar top is of solid pewter. The four bedrooms downstairs all face the lake and are reminiscent of old Tahoe-style bedrooms in that they are small and intimate rather than large and impersonal.

In a small library room downstairs with a double-sided rock fireplace, is a Sherlock Holmes door—a hidden door on swivels masked by library shelves full of books. This leads to the corkage room where there’s room for myriad bottles of wine, all temperature controlled according to their contents.

In the mechanical room towers a huge array of equipment used to control the sound throughout the home. Even the dock has its own sound control box. And at this lower level is a mother-in-law unit with a fully functioning kitchen.

This home first went on the market last year with an asking price of $24 million. Judging from the substantial price reduction, Realtor Kelli Landman allowed as how the owners are now quite motivated to sell.

While we were able to only preview a few of the 26 homes on the tour, it goes without saying, that the others must be equally spectacular.

By Kathryn Reed

KINGS BEACH – Voters earlier this month infused the California Tahoe Conservancy budget with $27 million.

This was through Proposition 68, which in total is a $4 billion bond for parks, environmental protection and restoration, water infrastructure, and flood protection.

The CTC board on June 21 received an update about Proposition 68 at the meeting in Kings Beach. This came after approving its 2018-19 program budget authorization.

There are some strings attached with the new bond money. Language in the initiative says 20 percent of the money must be allocated to communities with a household income of less than 60 percent of the statewide average of $39,980 in 2016. In CTC’s jurisdiction, South Lake Tahoe and Kings Beach qualify as disadvantaged communities.

Board member Lynn Suter said, “I think we need to pay attention to this in a big way.” She said the Legislature is adamant that disadvantaged communities be paid attention to.

As such the Conservancy staff has come up with a revision to the mission statement that says, “All communities have equitable access to the lake.”

It remains to be seen how this will look in terms of future projects using Proposition 68 dollars.

In Proposition 68 the focal areas are:

·      Acquire open space and create greenway corridors

·      Outreach to diverse populations

·      Mentoring diverse new leaders

·      Creating new partnerships to expand access

·      Implement improvements to increase access

·      Expand use of appropriate educational materials

·      Promote youth engagement and empowerment

·      Identify possible staff liaisons.

Key projects the Conservancy plans to work on in this next fiscal year that starts July 1 include:

·      Restoration of the Upper Truckee River Marsh

·      South Tahoe Greenway, phase 1b/2

·      Tahoe Pines Restoration project

·      Lakeview Lookout/Connelly Beach.

CTC has $15.4 million in capital outlay and local assistance funding. This comes from just more than $9 million in bond funds, about $1.87 million in special funds dedicated to the Conservancy, and $4.56 million in grants from the Federal Trust Fund and other reimbursements.

There is another nearly $7.93 million in continuing “baseline” funding from various bonds, special funds, and revenue sources dedicated to the CTC.

The state agency based in South Lake Tahoe spends about $3.4 million on personnel, with $3.2 million for other operating expenses.

By Susan Wood

Interim City Manager Dirk Brazil sat across the table from citizens Wednesday for a fireside-type chat where he heard topics as diverse as the ones he’s faced in the two weeks of being on the job.

South Lake Tahoe Mayor Wendy David introduced Brazil, who replaced former manager Nancy Kerry after a whirlwind of events, to the gathering of 15 people at the senior center June 20. This was David’s fifth such “conversation” she stages each month to get up-close-and-personal with the citizenry.

South Lake Tahoe interim City Manager Dirk Brazil and Mayor Wendy David talk city issues with the public on June 20. Photo/Susan Wood

Topics ranged from dogs off leash, television reception and broadband expansion to vacation home rental permits, snow clearing and beautification of town. It might have been a welcome sign to Brazil, who rattled off a list of interesting issues that have crossed his desk in half a month.

A small sampling includes Lime bike safety, lake erosion, a murder, a clerk’s sudden resignation, parking problems, solar power issues and even offensive public art. The crowd giggled, but no one asked for the background on the last one. Perhaps that stays under wraps.

Brazil has been keeping his eyes and ears open since coming out of retirement from his post in Davis, something he initially didn’t expect he’d do.  

“The right people asked. I don’t know if it’s an addiction, but it certainly is a calling,” Brazil said about returning to government. CalPERS retirement guidelines allow him to work half the year once retired.

“It’s pretty nice to be here. I’ve never worked somewhere where there’s an ice arena, lake and airport – one that I work in,” he said.

This doesn’t mean he hasn’t been around. Besides his three-year stint managing Davis, the government official worked in Yolo County in administration, California’s Legislature under former Gov. Gray Davis and for the Fish and Game departments in this state and Washington.

Brazil knew that whatever post he might fill in for he’d see three constants every city manager in California must deal with: homelessness, vacation home rentals and cannabis.

Getting an update from Tahoe Prosperity Center’s director Heidi Hill Drum on upgrading sketchy cell phone reception through the use of new towers and microcell sites put a whole new dimension on where he’s landed.

He seemed fascinated about the patchwork nature of town, along with its unique quality and cultural character.

The latter is what Melissa Wong said she would like discussed and addressed more.

This message blended nicely into common courtesy when a woman who lives in the Bijou neighborhood expressed concern about dogs off leash that may look menacing.

David appreciated the comment, having shared her own experience.

“I’m glad you brought that up. We’re paying a lot for (animal control),” she said. At Tuesday’s meeting, the city was forced to grapple with a more than 50 percent increase in fees for its portion it pays El Dorado County for the service.

Governance is not easy and for the faint of heart.

One attendee even asked if Brazil would stay on, but he can’t. Brazil is filling in until a permanent replacement is found.

“He reminds me of Kerry Miller,” Carol Olivas said, rather smitten with Brazil. The 40-year Tahoe resident was referring to the former city manager from the 1980s.

When asked by Lake Tahoe News what he does in his leisure, Brazil told the gathering he likes to run, play golf and cook (though he humbly kept his specialty to himself). The adrenaline rush of running comes in handy after enduring long City Council meetings.