96146 News

Mountain Living. Natural Wonders. Community Spirit. July 2026

Welcome to the 12th issue of 96146 News - our first full year!

What began as a simple effort to keep Olympic Valley neighbors informed continues to grow into something more useful, more meaningful, and more connected.

We do our best with each monthly issue to share local updates that matter: community news, Firewise information, pedestrian safety progress, Stewards of the Valley engagements, upcoming events, and some scenic reminders of the hyper-local magic that makes our Valley such a remarkable place to live.

Thank you for staying with us as 96146 News continues to evolve, including as you see here with this new format on BlueWolfGallery.com.

The goal is simple and it has remained the same since our first issue: to build a true local news hub for Olympic Valley... one that helps keep residents informed, engaged, and connected to the place we call home.

Community

Come join us for one of Olympic Valley’s favorite summer traditions: Olympic Valley Property Owners Association’s (OVPOA’s) annual July 4th BBQ at the Chapel. Good food. Good people. A beautiful setting under Tram Face. And a chance to gather as neighbors, friends, and family at our beloved Olympic Valley Chapel, one of the most iconic and historical places in the Valley.

We’ll be celebrating Saturday, July 4th, from 5–8pm, with food, community, and that small-town mountain spirit that makes Olympic Valley so unique.

Tickets are available at OVPOA.com/events.

Hope to see you there!

Local News

Incorporate North Tahoe (INT) / July Update

INT continues exploring the possibility of creating a town as a way for North Tahoe to have more local say in key community decisions.

The incorporation application is now under review by Placer LAFCO, and INT has launched a new website and communications channels (listed below) to help keep residents informed and part of the conversation.

Community support continues to build. More than 240 people have contributed to the effort so far. The mission is simple: share clear information, encourage thoughtful dialogue, and help residents make informed decisions about North Tahoe’s future.

INT Community Auction Underway

The first Incorporate North Tahoe Community Auction is now live, featuring a three-night stay at the historic Frog Lake Huts, generously donated by community supporters.

Winning bids help fund outreach, public education, and the independent analyses required during the LAFCO review process.

The current auction closes July 12, with more donated experiences being added throughout the summer. You can help by bidding, sharing the auction, and following Incorporate North Tahoe on Instagram or Facebook.

This initiative continues to be powered by neighbors helping neighbors. Every bid, share, and new supporter helps move the conversation forward.

Learn more and stay informed at: townofnorthtahoe.org

Firewise / July Update

Thanks to your efforts, Olympic Valley is an officially recognized Firewise USA community. Our community first earned this national certification in 2020 and has held it ever since, through your active wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts

To maintain this Firewise Community certification, the program requires community members to document the hours and funds spent on home hardening and defensible space, a small ask for reducing the risk of wildfire spreading within our community...

Along with possible discounts on your home insurance premiums.

That said...

Please update your information

on the Olympic Valley Firewise Page HERE.

During Green Waste Disposal Days monitors will collect this information from you as well.

Note: The next drop-off day is Sunday, July 12th, from 9am - 4pm

Calling All Stewards of the Valley

As mentioned above, the next Green Waste Disposal Day is Sunday, July 12th, and we could use a little help from our community.

We’re looking for 7 volunteer monitors to cover 7 one-hour shifts between 9am and 4pm at the empty lot across from the Olympic Valley Fire Department. Volunteers help staff the gate, check proof of residency, collect a little information, and make sure materials are green-waste only.

It’s an easy, meaningful way to support wildfire safety, defensible space, and the neighbors doing the work to keep Olympic Valley safer.

To volunteer for a one-hour shift, please contact me, Michael Kennedy, at (530) 608-9150, or shoot me a text, or email at: Michael.kennedy999@gmail.com. The sooner, the better. I'll send reminders out as we get closer to the 12th. Thank you for helping take care of the Valley we all love.

Pedestrian Safety / July Update

On Thursday, June 25th, we had an important pedestrian safety meeting at the intersection of Olympic Valley Rd and Christy Hill Rd (see photo above). It's a location many of us have expressed concerns for the lack of a crosswalk. I'm happy to report progress was made!

In attendance was Placer County District 5 Supervisor, Cindy Gustafson, along with members of her staff, members of Palisades Tahoe, locals David and Judie Stepner, Scott Zeilinger, of Olympic Valley Ski & Bike, Sergeant Dave Ward of the California Highway Patrol, Nicola and myself. It was a small, but excellent cross section of our community.

The Outcome

Ms. Gustafson confirmed the county will create a temporary pedestrian safety measure as soon as possible while a final solution is worked out. The challenge facing a permanent solution is that crosswalks are used where they're determined to have proper sight distances for both vehicles and pedestrians (sight distance is determined by considering speed as well as road characteristics). That's why you may have noticed digital speed collecting devices along Olympic Valley Rd in both directions.

Everyone attending the meeting understood that to do the right thing, right, will require more design and consideration before a permanent project is executed. Ms. Gustafson and her staff expressed their sense of urgency to make this a priority among their many other obligations.

Good Footage

Palisades Tahoe hosted two world class running races - Broken Arrow Skyrace and Western States Endurance Run - during the last couple weekends of June. Here are a few photos from these insane events.

Palisades Tahoe / July Update

This just in from Patrick Lacey, Public Relations Manager, Palisades Tahoe:

New this season, Palisades Tahoe is bringing back its Midweek Season Pass for the first time in more than 10 years, offering unlimited Monday through Friday skiing starting at just $699.

The return of the pass gives skiers and riders an affordable new way to make skiing part of their winter routine while enjoying the unmatched experience of weekdays on more than 6,000 skiable acres. With the pass returning after a decade and launching at this price point, we thought it was a story worth sharing.

Click on the link below to see all the exciting things happening in the Village.

Palisades Tahoe Events & Activities Calendar

Palisades Press

Check out the Early Summer e-Edition HERE. Also, the paper edition is in newsstands now.

Thanks for reading. See you out there!

Michael

All photographs by Michael Kennedy (unless otherwise noted) / BlueWolfGallery.com

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I’m Michael Kennedy, a resident of Olympic Valley, CA (in photo above). I’m a photojournalist and I love exploring nature and getting lost along the way. We live in a world that demands our attention and I just want to say thank you for your attention. If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend. For more photos and stories visit BlueWolfGallery.com.