The last year of pandemic pandemonium has left all of our lives turned upside down, including for us at the Tahoe Weekly. So much so, in fact, that I failed to recognize our 39th anniversary in our February edition. The last year has brought a lot of ups and downs that I would have never guessed possible when we celebrated our 38th anniversary in 2020. Visit issuu.com/TheTahoeWeekly if you want to read our first edition from Feb. 18, 1982.
One of the things I always like to celebrate on our anniversaries are the positive changes and this year that’s the wonderful and amazing staff and contributors at our small, local business – Anne Artoux, Alyssa Ganong, Priya Hutner, Sean McAlindin, Katrina Veit, Tim Hauserman, Kayla Anderson, Mark McLaughlin, Lou Phillips, Geolyn Carvin, Michelle Allen and Justeen Ferguson. All of them have been amazing handling changes to our business, our magazine and our working environment (we’ve gone to permanent remote working during the pandemic). I appreciate each of them deeply and am blessed to work with such amazing people. Thank you.
A new contributor joining Tahoe Weekly with this edition is South Lake Tahoe resident Brenda Simpkins. Brenda is the creator and author of “Cocktails on Brenda’s Balcony,” a project born out of the pandemic shutdown. Brenda will now be sharing her yummy creations with our readers in each edition featuring recipes from her first book (she’s already at work on her second book). Try Brenda’s Cherry Lemon Drop in our Eat & Drink section in this edition, which will pair nicely with Food Editor Priya Hutner’s Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing.
The pandemic and a summer filled with wildfires caused delays on many fronts, including delaying Forest Service districts in the Tahoe Sierra from releasing plans for OSVs (over-snow vehicles) like snowmobiles and snowcats. Sean McAlindin has been covering this public access issue for many years and reports in this edition that plans for several of our Forest Service districts are near completion. Read more in his feature “Forest Service nears decisions on snowmobile use.”
For those that read every edition of Tahoe Weekly, you’ll notice that our features since the shutdown last March have focused on under-the-radar and less-crowded outings to enjoy. We’ve stayed away from writing about more popular locations and focused on trying to “spread people around,” as I often tell the writers in response to our massive tourist influx in the last year.
In this edition, Tim Hauserman heads snowshoeing to Carson Pass and the beauty of Winnemucca Lake while Priya Hutner shares some of her favorite spots off-the-beaten-path to cross-country ski and snowshoe.
Remembering Clint Peetz
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Clint Peetz, owner of Fat Cat and Chub’s Subs, in early March. Clint cared deeply for the Tahoe community and was always willing to lend a hand to those in need and supported many local nonprofits. I will always cherish memories of Clint’s large smile and big hugs whenever I saw him. Clint leaves behind a wife, two small children, co-workers and many, many friends. A GoFundMe fundraising campaign has been set up to aid his family.
