Topaz Lodge and Casino is back

The much anticipated reopening of Topaz Lodge and Casino has finally happened, much to the appreciation of the south county and northern Mono County. Our local place to congregate and enjoy entertainment and restaurants has taken on a new look. There are more games as 20 new machines have been added as well as more gaming tables and yet the interior seems to appear so much bigger.

Weekly entertainment will include Buffalo Country tonight and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Alan Moore & Company, the ever-popular Motifs and Dealer's Choice, will round out the entertainment for the month of July.

Management is planning a major reopening celebration when the downstairs buffet, restaurant and lounge are completed and reopened to the public. To everyone at the lodge from all of us that enjoy coming to the lodge - welcome back, we missed you.

-- For those of you that haven't already heard, The Record-Courier is going through a major transition. We have lost two employees, our publisher Janet Geary, advertising director Joanna Reeves and now our People editor, Jo Rafferty have made a mass exodus to Coos Bay, Ore. Jo will be leaving us in the middle of July to become a reporter for the Coos Bay World. We are all going to miss her a lot.

Jo has worked hard in this community and she has done so many things to help promote events and news interest in this county as well as Alpine and Mono counties. She has taught me a lot with her quiet, patient nature. She has given so much of herself and her private time to attend events while caring for her for family of three boys and husband Jack Carrerow, who works for our sister paper, the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza.

Our business reporter, Sharlene Irete, has been chosen to step into the People editor position. I am sure that Sharlene will offer the same quality that Jo has demanded in the B section of the paper, but she has some pretty big shoes to step into.

I, for one, will be sorry to see Jo leave us. She has been my mentor and given me chances to shine to say nothing of being a caring friend. To you Jo, make room in your guest room because you haven't seen the last of me.

-- As the temperatures exceeds the 100 mark, Topaz Lake has seen a tremendous increase in "water toys" of all shapes and sizes, ours included. The increase in activity also increases the odds of an accident. It's time to get out the boating regulations and refresh your memory, make sure all the safety equipment is in top working order, including enough life jackets aboard to equal the amount of passengers and above all else, thank the Douglas and Alpine County boat patrols for being there for information and help when needed.

Our boat hit the water last weekend for the first time after sitting idle for the winter. Having never driven a boat before, I had my first experience last Sunday. An eye opening experience for me as I quickly realized it wasn't as easy as it looked. I do have to say here that it handled like ... well ... like a boat, a b-i-g boat. I felt like I was trying to steer the Titanic. I'll get used to it and, yes, I will learn how to do this too as the boat will be back in the water again this weekend.

So, until next week, stay cool, enjoy our beautiful lake, and keep on keepin' on.

-- Jonni Hill can be reached through The Record-Courier at jhill@recordcourier.com or by calling 782-5121, ext. 213, or after hours at JHILL47@aol.com