March 16, 2008


A view of Tahoe's West Shore from above Kings Beach

I recently moved from Truckee over Brockway Summit back into the Tahoe Basin. In the 6 1/2 years that I have lived in the area, half of the time I have lived in Truckee and the other half I have lived in Kings Beach. I moved in the fall of 2004 to Truckee be closer to work however I continued to spend most of my free time back at the lake.

I really enjoyed living walking distance to work (from Sept 2006 until March 2008.) The drive to work was 1.0 miles, riding my bike on a dirt road reduced the distance to 0.75 miles, and walking across the golf course reduced the distance to only 0.5 miles (10 minutes.) Alternative commuting wasn't without it's problems. I had numerous confrontations with neighbors who didn't approve of my alternative commute. Most of the problems involved my dog who I let run off-leash. In the summer I would ride my bike past one unpleasant neighbor whose German Shepherd was very agitated by my dogs presence. When the golf season ended, I had a great short cut across the golf course. The homeowners who lived along the golf course didn't enjoy me walking on "their" golf course. I was even told by one homeowner that they cooperated with the golf course to patrol the course and keep trespassers out. I met the general manager of the golf course out walking his dog on the course and he clarified that they don't mind people walking on the course as long as it isn't interfering with anyones game.

I keep myself busy volunteering for the Sierra Green Building Association(SiGBA.org,) currently serving as president. The production of our 2008 Resource Guide has dramatically increased membership in the organization. The surge of membership is giving the organization some much needed funds to allow us to expand our programs as well as hire professionals to help improve the administrative infrastructure in the organization.

My full-time job at MWA, Inc has given me great opportunities to work with some really talented architects and engineers. I am getting more exposure to commercial projects as well as more high-end custom homes. I am helping market our green building services to bring in clients who want to incorporate more environmentally responsible practices in their projects.