I went down to the 34th Annual Freaker's Ball at the Montbleu casino resort in Lake Tahoe for the 3rd time in a row this year to check out all the awesome costumes. There was a $1000 prize for best costume and everyone was dressed to the nines. I managed to get some great footage of the event. Check it out.
By far the coolest costume of the night: an Astronaut balancing on a huge moon rock
Elvis is still in the building.
Dog the bounty hunter and friends.
Fireman showing off his big hose.
Katy Perry and the guy from LMFAO... Party rockers in the house tonight!
I know I promised that the Fabulous Lake Tahoe YouTube channel would be a political ad-free zone this year, but I can't help giving a little advice to my blog readers about how I'd advise them to vote given that it's election season again. Though I'm sure you've made up your mind about the offices at the top of the ticket, you probably havn't thought all that much about the local offices.
Most of my voting life I've walked into the polling place, voted my party in the partisan offices and then been confronted with a long list of people I've never heard of in the minor offices. So, in the hopes of giving you something better than "He who has the most signs wins" or "Vote for the one with the funny name" I've taken the trouble to research our local candidates and tell you how I think they measure up.
To win my endorsement a candidate must:
support preserving Lake Tahoe's environment
stand up for travel, tourisim, and events in Lake Tahoe
have a sensible plan for what to do about redevelopment
not be an obstructionist who blocks everything he dosn't like
General Information
According to Lake Tahoe News Early voting in El Corado county is open 8AM to 5PM October 9 through November 5 at the Recorder-Clerks Office, 3368 Lake Tahoe Blvd., No. 108, in South Lake Tahoe; Truckee’s early voting is in the Town Clerk’s Department at Town Hall, 10183 Truckee Airport Road on weekdays from 8am-noon and 1-5pm from Oct. 9-Nov. 5. Californians can register to vote in person until October 22.
According to the Nevada Secretary of State's early voting page On the Nevada Side Early voting has been badly restricted to just THREE days in Tahoe: October 20th 10AM-4PM and October 27th and 30th 8AM-6PM at the Khale community center at 236 Kingsbury Grade. If you miss an early vote day in Tahoe you can also early vote in Douglas county at the county courthouse in Gardnerville just about any day from Oct 20-November 3. Nevadans can register to vote in person until October 16.
Dianne Feinstein has been one ot Tahoe's most vocal advocates in the US Senate for most of her Senate career. She was instrumental in over a billion dollars of environmental restoration money over the last two decades and has attended almost every Tahoe Summit since the original vice-presidential summit in 1997. Endorsement: Dianne Feinstein She has a long record of standing for Lake Tahoe and a lot of seniority and power in the Senate.
US CONGRESS CA-4: Tom McClintock vs. John Uppal
Tom McClintock is an obstructionist Republican who has no real adjenda other than voting the Republican party line. He has no real interest in Lake Tahoe: never goes to the Tahoe Summit, opposed the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, supported Nevada's terrible SB-271. Endorsement: John Uppal If you want a candidate who cares about protecting the Environment and actually representing Tahoe in congress DON'T vote for Tom McClintock.
CITY COUNCIL: CITY OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
Voting for city council is heavily dependent on your personal feelings about what's important for the direction of the city. Each of the candidates has local issues that may be important to you based on where you live or work. Tahoe Daily Tribune has a good candidate guide and the Lake Tahoe News endorsement page that I will be linking to throughout this section to help you have enough information to make up your mind.
Councilman and former Mayor Hal Cole is the instutitional memory of the City of South Lake Tahoe. He's been on the city council on and off since the late 1990s and was instrumental in the redevelopment of Ski Run, the building of Embassy Suites and Heavenly Village, and the recent re-building of Lakeview Commons. (On the minus side, he was also a big backer of the failed convention center at Stateline.) If you think that redevelopment is a good thing, you should probably vote to re-elect Hal Cole. If you don't like the constant road construction or disagree with the direction of redevelopment there are a lot of other candidates worth voting for.
Councilman Bruce Grego has never been a friend to Tahoe's environment. He was the instrumental California voice pushing SB-271, Nevada's terrible bill to pull out of the TRPA; and has used every obstructionist trick in the book to sabotage effective handling of environmental issues in Lake Tahoe. He was instrumental in the persecution of the town's medical marijuana industry and has been a total obstructionist who has been responsible for the recent acrimony on the city council. Vote for anyone but Bruce Grego.
Austin Sass is the strongest of the challengers in the field: he's an executive who's spent a lifetime in the local tourisim industry with major local employers like Heavenly Mountain Resort and Aramark (owner of Zephyr Cove resort). He has a background in city planning and actually has a clue about how complicated it is to get things done around here. If you want a pro-business, pro-tourisim councilman who actually understands what it takes to generate jobs in South Lake Tahoe, Sass would be a pretty good choice.
JoAnne Conner is another good choice if you're looking for a candidate who's strongly in favor of protecting the local environment and will be a strong advocate for small business, more sidewalks, bike paths, and big tourist events. If you're strongly against the loop road but don't want to vote for Bruce Grego, she's a good substitute.
Clinton Schue is a home builder who has barely been running for office. He hasn't collected a lot of money or talked to the press as much as the other candidates, but if you think that the environmental regulations should be tough on businesses and big projects but gentle on homeowners, he's your man.
Nevada Offices
US SENATE NEVADA: Dean Heller vs. Shelley Berkeley
From a Tahoe perspective I couldn't be more pleased with our choices for US senator this year. The Republican, Dean Heller, has served well as both a congressman and Senator for Tahoe and has a strong background in Tahoe issues having attended every Tahoe Summit since he was in congress, served on the board of the TRPA, and been a strong advocate in the Senate for Tahoe issues even when his party was against him.
The Democrat, Shelly Berkeley, has a long history of standing up for Nevada tourisim in congress, is endorsed by the league of conservation voters because she has one of the most pro-environment overall records in congress. Reccomendation: Both of these candidates would make excelent advocates for Lake Tahoe in the US Senate; vote your party.
US CONGRESS NV-4: Steven Horsford vs. Danny Tarkanian
Though this isn't a Tahoe area race I can't help but note that Steven Horsford has been a long-time advocate for Tahoe issues in the Nevada state legislature, and as majority leader in the state Senate was instrumental in the toning down of SB-271 into a reform bill instead of an immediate withdrawl from the TRPA. His opponent is a bankrupt son of a famous basketball coach who's been embroiled in very expensive lawsuits having his stuff reposessed by the bank in the middle of a campaign as he pledges to "balance the budget"...
Other Nevada Offices
I can't detail each and every Nevada state legislator here; but a quick way of knowing if I'd endorse your local candidate is to check the Nevada Legislature SB-271 Vote and the Nevada conservation league endorsement list. If your local official sponsored or voted for SB-271, I reccomend you vote for the challenger; otherwise vote your conscience.
October 03-07 Owen Banjamin / Frances Dilorinzo @ Improv at Harvey's October 03 Comedy night w/ Justin Rupple @ Crystal Bay Club October 04 The Hackensaw Boys @ Crystal Bay Club
Passport to Dining in Kings Beach, CA
JT Chevalier / Ike Marr @ The Fresh Ketch
Jesse Kalin and Cool Black Kettle @ Cabo Wabo October 05-14 Harvest festival @ Squaw Valley / Tahoe City October 05 Funky Miracle / Drop Theory / Huckle @ Crystal Bay Club
Danielle's birthday feat. Snake Oil peddlers TYMO & Ryme Uno @ Whisky Dick's October 05-06 Smokin Joe's @ McP's
Nothin Personal @ Cabo Wabo October 06-07Kokanee Salmon Festival @ Taylor Creek Visitor Center Lake Tahoe food and wine Festival @ Harrah's
October 06 Super Diamond @ Harrah's south shore room
Oktoberfest feat. german food, beer, and band The Bratworsts @ Montbleu
Oktoberfest @ Camp Richardson
Cool Black Kettle @ The Beacon
Jelly Project feat. 622 Symphony @ Whisky Dick's
Livin Livitz feat. Kings of Midtown @ Jethro's in Gardnerville
Tea Leaf Green, Jellybread, afterparty w/ groove session @ Crystal Bay CLub
October 07 Big Red Blues Band @ The Beacon
October 7-14 Lake Tahoe Restaurant week http://www.tahoerestaurantweek.com/
October 09 Point of View / Half Machine @ Whisky Dick's
October 10-14 James Stephens III / Tracey MacDonald @ Improv at Harvey's
October 10 Anders Osborne band feat. Robert Walter's 20th Congress @ Crystal Bay CLub
October 11-13 A Train @ Cabo Wabo
October 11 Traditional Celtic music feat. Sean Cummings and Anne Roos @ Murphy's Irish pub
JT Chevalier / Ike Marr @ The Fresh Ketch
October 12 Electro funk night feat. Juno What?!? w/ Sophistafunk @ Crystal Bay Club
October 12-13 Bentwood @ McP's
October 12-14 North Tahoe motorcycle tour
October 13 Dave Mason @ Harrah's south shore room
Whisky Dick's 7th annaversary party feat.
Dusty Miles & The Cryin Shame, Bandit, Molly Taylor @ Whisky Dick;s
Incline Village Oktoberfest
John Chevalier @ Naked Fish Sushi
Zepparella / Will Magid Trio @ Crystal Bay Club
October 13-14 Donner party commemorative hike @ Donner Lake
October 17-21 Allan Havey / Scott Kennedy @ Improv at Harvey's
October 18 Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitarist of the Jefferson Airplane) will playing High Sierra Brewing Co in Carson City
October 18-19 Haunted Truckee walking tours
October 19 Point of View / Half Machine (punk) @ Whisky Dick's Saloon
Zach Deputy w/ Peter Jospeh Burtt and the King Tide / afterparty w/ Acorn Project @ Crystal Bay Club
October 19-20 Smokin Joe's @ McP's
Auto Replay @ Cabo Wabo
October 20 Air Supply @ Harrah's South Shore room
Mountain Film Festival @ Montbleu
Beer pong and Costume Party @ Beach Hut Deli / Brother's Bar
Holy Water Buffalo w/ I'm Dirty Too and Molly Taylor @ Whisky Dick's
Kyle Hollingsworth band (of string cheese) @ John Brown's body feat. Mojo Green @ Crystal Bay Club
October 21 Oak Creek Band / 4 Piece Puzzle @ Whisky Dick's
October 14-28 Dat Phan / Marc Price @ Improv at Harveys
October 25 Ike & Martin @ The Fresh Ketch
Jesse Kalin and Cool Black Kettle @ Cabo Wabo
October 26-27 Jim McCall @ McP's
October 26 Who Cares / Ernie Fresh, IVJ & VinylRichie @ Crystal Bay Club
Incognito costume party feat. Club01, DJ JPEG @ Whisky Dick's saloon
Ike Marr @ Naked Fish Sushi
Halloween parade in Truckee 6PM
October 27 Leon Russel @ Harrah's South Shore Room
Conquorers of the WOrld, Ex Deo, Septic Flesh, Melechesh, Inquisition @ Whisky Dick's
Freaker's Ball feat. Pop Fiction (Just $25) @ Montbleu
Freaker's Ball pre-party feat. John Chevalier @ Naked Fish Sushi
Creeper's ball w/ Tainted Love @ Crystal Bay Club
October 29 Blacklight bash Halloween party @ Mo's Place in Tahoe
October 30 Andreilien Heyoka Irieys TYMK S1nth3sys and the Mindfull Massive crew @ Whisky Dick's
October 31 Horns and Halos haloween party @ Cal Neva
Exotic Haloween Bash @ Opal Ultra in the Montbleu
Whisky Dick's haloween party feat:
Ninja Slaughterhouse, Hung like a Beaner, Occupi
SUNDAYS: DJ Chris English @ Cabo Wabo
MONDAYS: Cash Only Band @ Cabo Wabo
TUESDAYS: Jesse Kalin and Mark Wilson @ The Fresh Ketch
DJ J-Bird @ Cabo Wabo
THURSDAYS: Live music @ Hard Rock Cafe in Harvey's
FRIDAYS: Niall MacGuinness and New World Jazz Project @ The Fresh Ketch
