Steeped in gold rush lore, railroad history and the birth of a new western era, lies Truckee. Straddling the Truckee River which travels from the cold recesses of Lake Tahoe, nourishes the town of Reno, and ending at Pyramid Lake at what remains of the millenniums old Lahontan Inland Sea. Picturesque, historic, curious, vibrant and one of the 10 best places to live in the US, hides a vibrant sub structure: the people, who have chosen to live here.
They too, came for the charm of the Old Town and the outdoors activities but chose to stay for the freedom, individuality and energy the Town provides. Winters can be hard and even dangerous. Income can be unpredictable. Few have moved here to become wealthy but to awake to falling snow, clean water or bright sunlight and providing ones family with a new and healthy environment in which to live.
The Town bands together to help the community like no other Town I have ever seen. Last night began a Spaghetti Feed to aid the senior food program. Several hundred people came together for spaghetti and bingo. As I looked around the room, I felt awed by the turnout and support from the community and thought, “Not in many other towns”. Old people, young people and children were all there helping to fill a nitch, serving food, cleaning up and supplying assistance where needed.
The service organizations band together to supply funding and hands on support as needs arise. The Noon Rotary Club provides wood cutting, which delivers cut and stacked wood for shut ins or others in need. Soroptimists, Lions, Lionesses, Optimists, the Excellence in Education Foundation and others come together to provide food for families, or individuals, high school support, sports teams and a myriad of other projects . This is to say nothing about the ongoing support of the businesses that time after time are ready to lend a hand.
This pulling together as a town is difficult to find and hard to maintain as towns become more prosperous. Truckee has been discovered by the affluent and others seeking its’ secrets. The influx of new faces will add to its future. We are encouraged to see that some of the new companies arriving in Truckee are carrying on in the role of community advocates by supporting many community needs that arise. Notably, JMA Ventures who owns Alpine Meadows, Homewood Ski Resort and a soon to be built hotel in Truckee proper. It appears that the “support for the community” attitude has transferred even to it's newest residents.
Yes, Truckee is a unique place to live and put down roots.
