The Weekly turns 28

By Katherine E. Hill

The Weekly marked two milestones this winter when we celebrated our 28th year in publication and the 13th anniversary of ownership by the Good family.

The Weekly debuted on Feb. 18, 1982, as the “North Tahoe Week” and featured a photograph by Vance Fox of a skier cliff jumping near the horse trails in Squaw Valley. While the cutting-edge 80s garb the skier donned is old-hat, the photo of a cliff jump has set the standard for The Weekly for the last 28 years.

From the start, our goal has been to capture the spirit of Tahoe in each issue that appeals to the things that make Tahoe one of the top destination resorts – the boundless recreational opportunities, local events and festivals, entertainment, dining, the arts and lots of information our readers need to have fun.

We’ve continued that tradition for nearly three decades, and we strive with each issue to make it better from the editorial and advertising to our covers. As I look around the walls of our office, covers from the 80s and 90s reflect the evolution of The Weekly, and of fashions that have come and gone (thank goodness the 80s are dead). Today, when we pick our cover shots we look for photos that embody the Tahoe lifestyle, that capture the reader’s attention and that speak to what’s happening in Tahoe-Truckee and in each issue.

For the last 28 years we’ve been providing our readers – locals and visitors alike – with coverage of entertainment, events, the arts, recreation and dining in North Tahoe, Truckee and Squaw Valley. Flipping through that first issue, I found that the look of the magazine has changed, but many of the same features are still in every issue of The Weekly. We’ve never wavered to that commitment, and we never will. We’ve always been distributed free throughout the community – something we’re also proud of.

David Mogilefsky founded the magazine in 1982 and ran it until Dale and Shirley Good purchased The Weekly on April Fool’s Day 1997.

“It’s one of the best things we’ve ever done,” says Dale. “We always enjoyed coming to the lake with our family. We have a great appreciation for the lake, especially the North Shore.

“We owe a great deal of thanks to Patrice (Parsons) and all of the people that have worked at the magazine. David Mogilefsky started the magazine and succeeded in giving it it’s presence.

“Patrice knew everyone and everything about Tahoe and guided us through the early years,” Dale said of Parsons, who was Associate Publisher for 22 years before retiring in 2004.

“We’ve enjoyed being a part of (Tahoe) – it’s a wonderful place. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s been our family summer place and our daughters (Chelsea and Mackenzie) have worked summers (in Tahoe.)”

While Dale and Shirley live in Valley Center near San Diego operating The Valley Roadrunner newspaper, Tahoe has been their summer home and a place for family gatherings and vacations, family weddings and holds a special place in their hearts. “It’s like the 1950s movie ‘Summer Place,’ that’s what it means to me,” Dale said.

As we celebrate our anniversary this winter and a new look with this edition, the staff at The Weekly shared a little bit about themselves.

Charlie & Jenna Good, Publishers
Charlie and Jenna Good along with their daughter Breanna moved to Tahoe almost six years ago to become publishers for The Weekly. Since moving to the Lake, their family has grown to include Zachary, 2, and Sydney, 5. They also have a two-year-old German shepherd, Emma, and a cat, Nemo. The Good’s have made it a point to enjoy all that the lake has to offer since they arrived from Tucson, Ariz. Charlie is an avid skier who loves the outdoors and virtually every type of winter or summer activity. As for Jenna, she loves being on the water whenever possible, as well as spending time with friends and relatives. The Good’s are passionate about The Weekly and plan to keep it in the family for many years to come.

Katherine E. Hill, Associate Publisher & Editor
After receiving my master’s degree from Old Dominion University in Virginia, I decided to pack whatever could fit into my car and head out west to the Bay Area in search of new adventures. After a few short weeks of looking for a job, I came to Tahoe to interview for a job at the Tahoe World. I took one look at Lake Tahoe and knew this was the place for me.

I worked at the World for several years before becoming Editor at The Weekly in 2001. The call of a daily newspaper drew my away from Tahoe for four years, but the lake’s siren call was stronger and I returned in July 2007 with my cat Boo (a Tahoe native) and my two rescue dogs, Sierra and Noel. That summer also marked my return to The Weekly as Associate Publisher and Editor.

I enjoy working at The Weekly, which affords me the opportunity to enjoy all of the great things about Tahoe.

Lisa Brannum, Sales Representative
After spending 28 years on the East Coast, I finally decided to take to risk and follow my heart out to the West Coast. I just knew that something was out there waiting for me to discover and I could not keep waiting anymore. I sold everything I had and scraped up enough money for the journey and the move.

I landed in Tahoe City the summer of 1996 and instantly fell in love with the lake. One look at that big, blue clean lake and I knew I had made the right decision to leave the coast of Florida.

I worked at the Tahoe World for many years, then opened Doggie Love Daycare and took care of beautiful dogs for seven years. After moving to Idaho for a few years, I missed the lake so much that I dreamed about it at night. It surprised me how much this lake has become a part of who I am and moved back in July 2007.

Then I fell in love, again, this time with a fabulous man, I moved to Reno to start a nice life with him and my dogs – Bodie and Grizzie. Lake Tahoe is a big part of our lives and always will be.

Abigail “Abby” Gallup, Art Director
A Bay Area native, Abigail moved to Tahoe to snowboard for the winter of 1996-97. Falling in love with the area and the lifestyle she continued to spend her winter breaks working and riding at Sierra-at-Tahoe. Upon receiving a bachelor of art in Art Practice from UC Berkeley she moved to Tahoe full-time in 1998. After a five-year stint as a custom picture framer, she pursued a freelance career in graphic design. She relocated to the West Shore in 2006 and soon after became the graphic designer for The Weekly, promoted to Art Director in 2008. She shares her life with her dog Cash and her cat The Wookie.

Joy Michiel, Entertainment Editor & Sales
Joy Michiel has been with The Weekly off and on since 1991 and is the most visible staff member since she has had speaking parts in movies and on television, as well as performing locally as a singer/comedienne. After working off Broadway in New York, Joy returned to the West Coast and met her husband of 22 years, Steve Caswell (aka Steevie Weevie). Caswell had always loved Lake Tahoe and the duo made the decision to make it their permanent home in 1990.

Joy is a devoted “mom” to their cats – Lilac, Molly Jones and T.C., all of which were rescued. She enjoys performing, as well as going out to support other musicians and actors in their craft. She and her husband also perform together in RRCB Rock ‘n’ Roll Comedy Band. During her spare time, Joy uses her graphics talents to create shameless self-promotional gifts. For more information, visit her Web site at www.bigjoy.com.