Vicki Kahn: Wine Walk & Shop, passport to Dining

October used to be the time when locals left town and things slowed down a bit, but this year it’s turning out to be a busy month, socially speaking. Last week Sierra College hosted a preview reception for VIPs and supporters of the building project.

The building and location are just perfect

Dragonfly brought over the hors d’oeuvres for about eighty guests who came to check out the new campus including Bea and Roger Whittenberg of Boulder Bay, school board members Bev Ducey and Bill Kraus, Jennifer Montgomery, Theresa Duggan, Sue and Larry Kyler, NLRTA’s Steve Teshara, TTUSD’s Superintendent Steve Jennings, Lisa Dobey and Debbie Cole, Ted Owens, Barbara and John Wilcox, and Fred Ilfeld, Kerry and Rob Kautz, John Eaton, Chris Nelson, and Seana Doherty.

Passport to Dining

Later that same evening it was on to “Passport To Dining” at the North Tahoe Conference Center in Kings Beach. A night of food, wine, wet woodies and beer which drew approximately 250 attendees (many said they were taping the Biden/Palin debate to watch later). There was an abundance of good food and drink to sample from Blue Onion Café & Catering, Brutocao Cellars, CB’s Pizza & Grill, Cable Car Ice Cream, Caliente!, El Sancho Taqueria, 50/50 Brewing, Gar Woods Grill & Pier, High Pointe Event Catering, Hiro Sushi, Jason’s Beachside Grille, Java Hut, Lakeside Pizza, Lanza’s Restaurant, Las Panchitas, Lucchesi Vineyards, Moody’s Bistro & Lounge, Nevada City Winery, Pacific Crest Grill, Plumpjack Squaw Valley, Sobon Family Wines, Sol y Lago, Spirits of Tahoe, The Soule Domain, Tahoe Biltmore Lodge and Casino (my vote for tastiest offering of the evening), Twin Peaks Catering, and Xocai Healthy Chocolate. Proceeds from the event benefited the North Tahoe Business Association and the North Tahoe Family Resource Center.

Some of those tasting and sipping included Jennifer Merchant and daughter Madison, Leah Kaufman, Rene, Andy, Pete and Joe Deinken, Patti and Gary Boxeth, Joe Hennessey and daughter Ella, Maurine and Tom Turner of Gar Woods and Caliente!, Robyn Sills and Ed Coleman, Hiro Shi, Lindsey Garret, Lou and Lisa Camozzi, Liz Dugan, Louise and Bill Jensen, Shannon Fry, John Bergman, Russell Poulsen, Sylvie Doignon and Aline Vaca, Nileta and Dick Morton, and Patricia and Alex Mourelatos.

Wine, Walk & Shop

Last Saturday it was drizzling and cold, but Truckee folk are a hearty bunch who came out to participate in the fun Wine, Walk, & Shop event held that afternoon. The attire of the day included either a hood or a hat to shield one’s self from the mercurial weather which changed from rain to sun to clouds, to rain and finally clearing by the end of the day. Parking was free during the event (that’s a wonderful thing in Truckee), and more than 800 fun-seeking, shop ‘til you drop, wine-loving people showed up for the strolling event which offered 35 venues to visit in downtown Truckee.

The Special Friends program was this year’s non-profit beneficiary of the event, which the downtown merchants just LOVE. Kudos to Brinn Wellise and the Switchback PR team and their steering committee of Jen Eastwood, Katie Shaffer, Stephanie Rogerson, Sally Lyon, Amanda Freidrichsen and Patti Florian for putting on this signature event for Truckee.

It’s the political season

Election day is less than a month away and friends and loyal supporters of Jennifer Montgomery, who’s running against Bruce Kranz for District 5 Supervisor’s seat, organized a fundraiser at Stefanie Olivieri’s Jack Ass Ridge home last Sunday. Some of those supporting Jennifer included Randy Hill, Lucetta Swift, Ron Treabess, Penny and Bob Fink, Steve Kastan, Lynne and Gaylan Larson, Colleen and Art Chapman, Thom Grossman, Margaret Lewicki and Ernie Grossman, Pam and Dale Chamlin, Leah and Gary Kaufman, Gary Davis, Judi Tornese, Jerry Winters, Sally and Ron Grassi, Valerie Forte, Richard Peterson, Michael Halow and Pam and Tom Hobday.

— Vicki may be reached at vickikahn@sbcglobal.net