Tennis has a ways to go to be representative
Ben Shelton understands representation has mattered in his family’s tennis trajectory. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Representation matters. Seeing people who look like you matters.
It’s hard to grow up dreaming you want do something when you don’t see other people like you doing it. Whatever it is.
That’ why this year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament that ended last Sunday was historic. Kinda sad, though, that it’s 2026 and we are making this kind of history. But progress is still progress.
Historically, tennis has been a sport for white people with a certain income level. I grew up playing on public courts; mostly at the local high school. While my parents were middle class—not upper—I had the privilege to take private lessons. I didn’t know it was a privilege at the time.
As a kid, I saw women playing tennis on TV at the highest echelons. I thought it was normal that women competed at this level and were on TV. As a white girl, I was represented.
I also remember seeing Arthur Ashe, a Black man, play. I remember Yannik Noah and Zina Garrison, and later Chanda Rubin and Michael Chang.
I know I gave it zero thought about how few people of color were playing at this level or my level.
Taylor Townsend last weekend became only the third Black woman in the whole world to complete a career grand slam in women’s doubles. The other two are Venus and Serena Williams. This means they have each won the four grand slam tournaments.
When Ben Shelton walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sept. 13 he was the first Black American man to play in the singles finals since Ashe did so in 1972. In fact, Shelton is the Black American to make it to any grand final since 1996 when MaliVai Washington was in the Wimbledon finals.
Shelton after his semifinals win credited Ashe for paving the way for his dad, Bryan, to play, and therefore for himself to be where he was that day.
That semifinal against Francis Tiafoe was also historic. It was the first time two Black American men played in a U.S. Open semifinal.
Ashe won the U.S. Open in 1968. The stadium was named after him in 1997. It is the largest tennis-only venue in the world.
Ashe died in 1993 before he could see his name on the tennis facility. He died from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993 after contracting the disease from a blood transfusion.
No other Black man—not just an American Black man—besides Ashe has won the men’s singles titles at the U.S. Open or Australian Open or Wimbledon.
If you don’t think representation still matters, then maybe you should consider yourself privileged—and ignorant.
A chaotic world remains 25 years after 9-11
A generation is living in a world where they don’t know anything but life after Sept. 11, 2001.
I don’t know if the world was really better then or if it’s through rose-colored glasses that I see my younger self in a world that didn’t seem so rife with division. I feel like we have been at war with ourselves and some other country ever since then. Or maybe it has always been like this and I wasn’t paying attention.
It’s hard to believe this week marks the 25th anniversary of terrorists taking down the Twin Towers in New York City and ploughing a plane into the Pentagon, as well as another plane being thwarted by Flight 93 passengers who were able to steer it into a Pennsylvania field, thus saving who knows how many lives.
While the immediate aftermath of that horrific day brought people together, I feel like the divide between us today is almost unbridgeable.
I know the events of 9-11 helped lead to the state of politics today. But at the same time, we have choices. We can learn from the past, make different choices in our own lives, in how we treat others, and definitely in who we elect to office—be at the local or national level.
Five years ago, I wrote: “On this Sept. 11, let’s reflect on what we have lost. Because personally, I’m at loss as to what we gained from Sept. 11. I’d like to think we could gain perspective, compassion and understanding about why people could hate us so much to do what they did. If we don’t understand the ‘whys’ of any action, then we will forever be ignorant and on the defensive, and thus susceptible to future turmoil.”
For the 10th anniversary I was in Lake Tahoe, owner of Lake Tahoe News. We published a multi-day package of stories that still has relevance.
I wonder if people younger than me even think about Sept. 11. Maybe it’s like me with Vietnam; I was alive through most of it, but it had zero impact on me in any way that I’m conscious of today. Maybe it’s like me with World War II; something that has always seemed like ancient history even though it ended just 20 years before I was born.
It would be interesting to sit in a high school history class to hear how Sept. 11 is taught in the U.S. and abroad. What are they learning?
Maybe more important is what have we who lived through Sept. 11 learned?
A sadder world without Parton and Steinem
Certain deaths have a way of rocking one’s world. I didn’t know Dolly Parton or Gloria Steinem. Never met them. Was never in the same room with either one.
Yet, now that they are gone it feels like they were part of my life in ways I had not previously acknowledged.
Clearly, Parton’s voice echoed through whatever speakers I was listening to her songs with. Her presence was felt in my living room and theaters through her movies.
Steinem’s words are still in my home with her books and online in so many formats.
To think these two formidable women died days apart—Parton on Aug. 25 at the age 80 and Steinem on Sept. 2 at the age of 92—leaves me a bit speechless and definitely sad.
They changed the world in similar ways, albeit with different approaches. Parton seemed to cross all the aisles, while Steinem could be polarizing.
Both lived lives worth emulating. They were good people. They stood up for things I think we should all believe in and fight for. They left the world better than they found it.
The world needs more Dollys and Glorias.
Lake Tahoe Environmental Summit’s beginnings
Two states, five counties, one city. Thousands of residents. Millions of visitors.
It’s the reality the Lake Tahoe Basin has been working under for decades. While today the collective burdens foster a sense of collaborative stewardship, 30 years ago this was a recipe for chaos, infighting and finger pointing.
“Let me be candid — before the summit, California and Nevada were not exactly on the same page when it came to Lake Tahoe,” Gray Davis said. “At one point, California had actually withdrawn its financial support from TRPA and imposed its own stricter regulations. Nevada threatened to walk away from the compact entirely. We wanted stronger environmental protections; Nevada wanted more room for development. The 1997 summit changed all of that.”
The late Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, were instrumental in keeping the Lake Tahoe Basin on the radar of federal officials. (Image Kathryn Reed/2014)
Davis was lieutenant governor of California when the inaugural Lake Tahoe Summit took place in 1997. He was elected governor in 1998. Today he is of counsel at Loeb and Loeb law firm in Los Angeles and is co-chair of the Southern California Leadership Council.
The democrat was working alongside Gov. Pete Wilson, a republican. Wilson did not attend the summit, instead he sent Doug Wheeler, secretary of California Resources Agency, on his behalf. While the states were in disagreement, California was showing bipartisan synchronicity when it came to Tahoe.
At that time Nevada was under the leadership Bob Miller, a democrat.
“During the 1990s, there was noticeable erosion and a decline in the lake’s clarity and growing environmental concerns in the surrounding basin, which necessitated the attention of all stakeholders,” Miller said.
Today, Miller works at the consulting firm he started in Las Vegas.
Miller and Davis credit the summit with bringing the two states to the table to jointly and cooperatively work on issues pertaining to the basin.
“The first summit led to the establishment of an annual event and the creation of an environmental impact coalition. This has resulted in enhanced cooperation between federal, state, and local governments, as well as private interests,” Miller said.
The late Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is credited with spearheading the idea for the presidential summit. During Reid’s lifetime he was as advocate for the basin. Right alongside him, until her death, was Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Bruce Babbitt remembers getting a call from Reid saying he was concerned about the divide between the two states, and that federal intervention was needed and that it was imperative President Bill Clinton be directly involved.
“I said, ‘Harry I will recommend to the president that he put together a federal participation, but I’m not sure if you can get President Clinton, but you will get a federal presence’,” Babbitt recalled. He was secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior.
Babbitt was aware of the division between California and Nevada when it came to Tahoe, and foresaw the problems only becoming more exasperated if left unaddressed.
“I had always known about Lake Tahoe since growing up in the west,” Babbitt said. “I often thought in those years if I could rerun history, I would make Lake Tahoe a national park. It is one of the great ecological and scenic assets of the west.”
Babbitt was governor of Arizona prior to joining the Clinton administration. Forever involved in environmental causes, today he is working on issues pertaining to the Colorado River.
Clinton obviously was convinced by Babbitt of the need for the summit and had a desire to be an integral part of it.
“We have a shared responsibility to build on our commitment at levels to be sure the lake and its environs are protected,” Clinton said at that first summit.
Davis said the three most important things go come out of the summit were:
- “The creation of the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP): Bringing together state, local, nonprofit and private partners united under one coordinated restoration program was a game-changer. No more fragmented, agency-by-agency approaches.”
- “The massive investment commitment: Nearly $2 billion flowed into Lake Tahoe over the next two decades, including through substantial California bond funding. That kind of money doesn’t materialize without the momentum a presidential summit creates.”
- “The bipartisan model of collaboration: As President Clinton said, he came to show the nation a place where ‘everybody is working together in common cause.’ I saw that firsthand, and the trust built at that summit produced results for decades. The summit became an annual tradition.”
Clinton returned in 2007. Al Gore, who was vice president at the inaugural summit, gave the keynote in 2013.
“Here in Lake Tahoe an increase in air temperature means more precipitation that falls as rain and not snow. Snowsports are threatened. Ski resorts all over the world are threatened,” Gore said 13 years ago. He noted that the centerpiece of Lake Tahoe’s economy is tourism and that without snow and a pristine lake, that economy evaporates along with the snow and clarity.
All concerns that continue to resonate today.
In 2017, Babbitt returned to Tahoe for that year’s summit, where he was one of the speakers. At the time he was advising then Gov. Jerry Brown of California on environmental issues, and was asked by Brown to attend.
“I believe the summit’s legacy is best measured by results. Hundreds of projects completed — streams restored, 150 miles of bike and pedestrian routes built, 729 miles of roadways upgraded, tens of thousands of acres of hazardous fuels cleared. And most importantly, Lake Tahoe’s water clarity stopped declining and began to reverse. That alone vindicates the entire effort,” Davis said. “When I look back at my career in public service, Lake Tahoe stands out as proof that when leaders at every level of government align around a shared purpose, transformative conservation is possible. None of it happens without Harry Reid and Dianne Feinstein. Their vision and tenacity — they kept the summit going year after year and never let Washington forget about Tahoe. I’m proud of the role California played — and the role I played — in making that happen.”
Note: A version of this story first appeared in Tahoe In Depth.
SCOTUS knocks vote by mail option
In a truly democratic society it would seem like the powers that be would make it easier for people to vote instead of taking rights away.
The regime in the majority in the United States is hellbent on taking away rights. It makes me wonder if this is even a democracy anymore.
On Aug. 24, the Supreme Court in an emergency order upheld the president’s executive order to limit who can use mail-in ballots. This is likely going to affect the midterm elections in November.
NPR wrote: “Trump’s order calls for the Department of Homeland Security to develop state lists of adult U.S. citizens and for the Postal Service to obtain lists of eligible mail voters from states. According to the order, USPS is supposed to deliver mail-in ballots only to people on those lists. All election officials would also be required to have certain barcodes on their mail ballot envelopes.”
Elections are supposed to be run by the states, not the feds. How does the Supreme Court not know this?
More details affecting mail-in voting could be forthcoming from the Supreme Court in the days and weeks ahead.
I still don’t understand how all these elections throughout the country can be rigged when it’s Republicans who hold the majority. They seem to only have a problem if they lose, but not when they win. They are selling the American people a bunch of lies about our elections.
How is it that Trump can vote by mail, but he wants to pull that option from others? Just this month he voted by mail in the Florida Republican primary. He also cast a vote by mail earlier this year in a special election in Palm Beach County.
“Mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt,” Trump said in July.
There is zero proof of this.
I have been voting by mail for longer than I can remember. This is how I always want to vote. There is no reason not to vote by mail if one wants to.
While other states are following the orange man’s lead, as well as the court’s, to dismantle voters’ rights, California is taking aim to uphold them with several bills in the current legislative session.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to Monday’s ruling was: “The Supreme Court just let the Trump administration move ahead (for now) with its plan to disenfranchise voters across the country. California will be suing again to block these Orwellian rules from being implemented.”
Giants honor players from World Series era
Five players from the Giants World Series era join the wall of fame at the ballpark. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
When Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval took to the field at Oracle Park magic happened.
If only history would repeat itself.
For a brief moment earlier this month the five returned to this San Francisco ballpark. All were being inducted into wall of fame. The nice thing about the plaques is they are outside the stadium so everyone can enjoy them without paying for a ticket.
Since the Giants started this tradition in 2008 more than 60 names have been immortalized this way. Peter Magowan, Mike Murphy and Bob Lurie are the non-players on the wall. Mike Krukow has a plaque for his days (1983-89) as a pitcher for the Giants.
The plaque on the wall facing King Street in part says: “Baseball’s modern age began at Seals Stadium on Opening Day, April 15, 1958, when the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-0, in the first Major League game played on the West Coast. Since that historic date, San Francisco fans have witnessed the daily exploits of some of the game’s finest players, and a special bond was created in the spirit of ‘Once a Giant, Forever a Giant’. In our 50th anniversary season in San Francisco, the Giants inaugurate this perpetual tribute to our greatest stars. The plaques along this wall recognize Giants players whose records stand highest among their teammates on the basis of longevity and achievements. Those honored have played a minimum of nine seasons for the San Francisco Giants, or at least five seasons with at least one All-Star selection as a Giant. As of Opening Day 2008, a group of 48 Giants legends qualified for this distinction, forming the charter class of honorees.”
Reading each inscription would take a while. Their individual accomplishments are impressive.
Looking at the lineup the Giants have today it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Logan Webb having his name up there.
But when this band of five started the same might have been said. After all, the Giants lost 90 games in 2008. Two years later they won the World Series. This year’s wall of fame induction is a reminder that one season doesn’t necessarily foretell what the next season will bring.
The Giants have a good chance of hitting that 90 game loss mark again. Maybe that means winning the World Series in 2028. A girl can dream.
Most of all, though, this tradition of bringing back past stars to give them and fans an opportunity to reconnect, remember and reminisce is pretty special.
Giants games starting in 2027 will sound different
Next to being at the ballpark, listening to baseball on the radio is my favorite way to experience a game.
I’ve never met Mike Krukow or Duane Kuiper, but I feel like I know them. For the last 36 years they have been the voices of the San Francisco Giants. Krukow is retiring after this season because of health reasons.
Broadcasters who make you feel like you are at the park, offer insight you might not otherwise glean and tell it like it is make the sport all that much more enjoyable. In my car, living room, bedroom—wherever I’d hear them—it’s almost like they became friends.
If one were to total the number of hours I’ve listened to both of them—on the radio and TV—I’m pretty sure I’ve heard their voices more than I have any family member or friend. And I’m not a die-hard, listen to every game kind of fan.
In recent years they’ve done fewer broadcasts together because of health issues. Other broadcasters have been brought in. I’ve gotten used to them—sort of. To be honest, I don’t always recognize their voices. I can’t say that about Kruk and Kuip, or for Jon Miller.
Miller is in the National Radio Hall of Fame. Kruk and Kuip are sure to follow. Miller has also received the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award which is an annual award for a broadcaster who made “major contributions to baseball.” It’s hard to imagine Kruk and Kuip won’t join this elite group.
It’s going to be hard next season without Kruk part of the broadcast team. It feels even harder to imagine than when a favorite player gets traded away or retires; probably because Kruk and Kuip have always been there—at least as long as I’ve been a fan.
While I feel sorry for myself and other fans who will miss this dynamic duo, we will have Kuip—and Kruk, well, he more than deserves to retire. On the bright side, he’s already said he wouldn’t mind joining a broadcast or two or an inning or so next year and for however long.
No snow melts Vail Resorts’ coffers
Winter came and went in a blink of an eye. For Vail Resorts it was a black eye.
During the third quarter earnings call in June “challenging” was one of the most used words. Lack of snow translated to fewer people hitting the slopes, which meant challenging sales of most everything at the company’s properties.
Vail Resorts owns Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Northstar. Vail’s Colorado and Utah properties also suffered from receiving little white stuff.
Officials reported resort revenue for the quarter declining 7 percent compared to the previous year, saying it was “primarily driven by unfavorable weather conditions that impacted visitation and revenue for both local and destination guests, particularly at our resorts in the Rockies and in Tahoe.”
Visitation was off 15 percent, though lift revenues were only down 5 percent, which is attributed to season pass sales increasing 3 percent before the lifts started turning last November.
“When you look back over 40 years, the prior worst decline in visitation outside of Covid-related closures for the Rockies was down 8 percent in 2012, which illustrates the unprecedented severity of the conditions and the anomaly we just experienced,” CEO Rob Katz said.
Dismal conditions in 2025-26 are impacting pass sales for the upcoming season. In the earnings call it was noted through May 26 Epic pass sales were down 10 percent for 2026-27.
The Epic pass was introduced in 2008 as a way to reward riders by offering a cheaper alternative to daily lift ticket prices, while providing the opportunity to ski/board at any Vail property. For the upcoming season that pass costs $1,119. The Tahoe Local pass, which is what people who ski the Sierra tend to buy, goes for $699, provides access to Vail’s three resorts in the area. The $597 Tahoe Value pass comes with more restrictions.
“Looking back over the past several decades, U.S. ski market data indicates that visitation typically fully recovers following a season with poor conditions if the subsequent season has normal conditions,” Katz said. “And we believe we are well positioned to capture that visitation recovery with the pass and lift ticket product and marketing strategies we have developed. That said, given how unprecedented this past season was, it’s hard to know with certainty how any of this will play out.”
Note: A version of this story first appeared in the Tahoe Mountain News.
Chico one of the fastest growing cities in state
Bear Hole in Upper Bidwell Park offers a way to beat Chico’s summer heat. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
While much has been written about California declining in population, that’s not true of every town. In fact, Chico is one city in the state that keeps growing.
The San Francisco Chronicle analyzed data from the California Department of Finance from 2010-25. The state as a whole actually grew during that time period by 6.4 percent. Seven cities had population spikes of at least 20,000 people, amounting to a 25 percent or more overall increase. All seven now also have populations of at least 75,000 people.
“Since 2010, Chico has grown from about 86,000 residents to just over 108,000 in 2026—a 25 percent increase. The city also added 2,306 homes, apartments and condos in the last 10 years by annexing nearby land,” the Chronicle reports.
Dublin in the Bay Area had the largest growth spurt—63 percent. The other cities in the study included Irvine (50 percent population increase), Menifee (49 percent), Manteca (42 percent), Roseville (36 percent) and Clovis (35 percent).
I’ve always thought of Chico as a small town—probably because I first started visiting the city in 1974 when my oldest sister enrolled at Chico State. It’s also because the downtown and surrounding university still give it that small town feel.
But with more than 100,000 people, it’s not so small anymore.
Reasons vary for the growth in these seven cities. For Chico, it has a lot to do with the 2018 Camp Fire that reduced much of the town of Paradise to ashes. Overnight the population grew by about 20,000 people.
The Chronicle reports how Chico’s housing market was already under pressure, along with 20 percent of the population living in poverty before the fire.
“Today, rental vacancy rates remain dismal, around 1 to 2 percent, compared with a statewide average of about 4 percent, according to Taylor Bunch, executive director of True North Housing Alliance, a homeless services nonprofit. Chico’s median income is just under $67,000—less than 60 percent of the statewide average. Its population is about 66 percent non-Hispanic white, about 50 percent higher than the state overall,” the Chronicle reports.
The Chronicle didn’t delve into all the reasons people move to Chico. Let me share: It’s not the Bay Area for starters. Like I said above, it still has a sense of being a small town. Bidwell Park is an outdoor playground. And as the Chron noted, it’s three times the size of Golden Gate Park. The university is a big draw not just for students, but for locals wanting to take classes and attend events/performances. Plenty of beer is to be had—not just at Sierra Nevada. Chico is called the City of Trees, which is ideal for when shade is desired in the hot summer months. It would be hard to not find something to do in Chico on any given day/night. While housing prices are going up, they aren’t what you’ll find in other parts of the state.
Pet sitting next best thing to having a fur baby
Molly leads the way on a walk in Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
One of the best things for an animal lover who doesn’t have a fur baby is to pet sit.
I’ve been without a dog for more than four years. It feels like forever since AJ was sleeping behind me as I wrote. I still miss her.
Not long after she crossed the Rainbow Bridge I started volunteering at the Butte Humane Society. While that still brings me happiness, it’s pet sitting that is even better. This is because I get the opportunity to really bond with an animal. It’s not just minutes together, but days and days.
Until I watched Pigz I had no ideas cats would cuddle in bed. I’ve since learned Gabby and Novak will do the same.
It seems like I’ve done more pet sitting this year than ever before. Most of the stints are at the person’s home. This is what I preferred for my dogs—that the sitter stay at the house. This way the animal is home and for the most part has his or her routine intact.
Novak and Gabby take over the guest bed when the sitter is in town. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
As a sitter it’s great because I get to travel. Even if it’s to a place I’ve been before, it is still a change of scenery. I loved being able to explore Cloverdale earlier this month when I watched Molly.
Luckily I can do my real job from any location that has internet. That gives me a ton of flexibility.
My next gig will actually be at my house when Leo comes to visit for a few weeks. He’s my dog nephew. I need to start plotting places to take him and preparing for not having the whole bed to myself.
There really is nothing like a fur baby in your life, even if it’s temporary.
Amen!!
Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing ... I have no idea if we were near Likely! It was all new to me.
Well put.