Truckee New Years a shoe-in at Jackass Ridge Ranch

In what has become a 20-year tradition, Truckee hometown girl Stefanie Olivieri invited friends (and their dogs) over on New Year’s Day to snow- shoe on the expansive grounds of her Jackass Ridge Ranch home before gathering inside for a potluck cocktail party. Guests brought some of their family’s traditional recipes for all to enjoy. Everyone brought good wine (as Stefanie says, “life is too short to drink bad wine!”), and there was much merriment and camaraderie to bring in 2009. There was singing by Truckee’s acapella singing group Mountain Belles and much talk of what the next year will hold in store for our Sierra commumity.

Enjoying the pistol-packing Olivieri’s hospitality were Linda and David Brown, Schatzi Boyd and Randy Hill, Rick and Phyllis McConn, George Koster and Carol Savory, Diane McCormack, Pam and Tom Hobday, Greg and Bev Hovorka, Ron and Patty Florian, Sally Lyon, Ernie Grossman and Margaret Lewicki, Veronica and Dr. Ben Kaufman, Amora Higbee, Bob and Penny Fink, Lisa Dobey and Deb Cole, Celia Lombard, Marty Woods, Lisa and Michael Krueger, John and Elizabeth Eaton, Carla Stokes, Barbara Green and Mike Sabarese.

LOCAL HERO…North Tahoe High School graduate Jake Dutton recently graduated from the New York Fire Department Academy. Jake was also awarded a medal in June from Mayor Bloomberg on the steps of New York City Hall along with other members of the New York Fire Department for his valor while in the line of duty at his previous job as a NYFD paramedic. Lifetime friends and mentors Kelly and Victor Hernandez from Truckee, as well as North Tahoe firefighter Jamie Sheppard and Jake’s mom Michelle Homan and family, were in attendance for Jake’s graduation.

— Vicki Kahn can be emailed at vickikahn@sbcglobal.net