Greetings from Tahoe-Truckee

Hey, kids. I managed to sneak out of Los Angeles literally one hour before the earthquake hit. This week I’m lounging up at the north end of Lake Tahoe in the town of Truckee, CA, probably best known as being where the Donner party gave fresh meaning to the term, “having your family or dinner.”

Of course, politics as usual applies up in these resort towns as well. Here’s what’s going on:

• John McCain swung by Lake Tahoe on Tuesday for a private fundraiser. ““He remarked that anytime a person from Arizona gets to be by a lake, it’s a very special event,” resident Maryanne Ingemanson, who attended the function, told the Sierra Sun.
• A monolithic timber company’s rezoning of a large portion of forest north of Truckee is being challenged by an environmental group. The High Sierra Rural Alliance fears further development could harm the habitats of several endangered species. The Sierra Pacific Industry claims the rezoning merely gives them “more land management flexibility” and has no current plans for further development.
• A Tahoe City sheriff shot and killed an unarmed intruder blamed for a string of home break ins. Yep, a bear.
• The town may get a leg up on California’s green initiatives and pass the “Truckee Climate Action Plan” that would focus on “energy efficiency, alternative energy like solar or geothermal, site design encouraging clustered development, and improving transit.” Truckee is already known for exceeding state standards on reduced greenhouse gas emissions.