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2009-09-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

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PR -- Nevada receives federal energy grant

2009-08-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release: August 12, 2009

Carson City - Governor Jim Gibbons today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Nevada a $438,573 grant. The grant comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package). The Governor’s Energy Advisor, Dr. Hatice Gecol, applied for the grant. The money will be used to hire or retrain people and expand state-level capacities to address challenges to Nevada’s electricity system, including readiness for emergency situations such as blackouts or service interruptions due to natural disasters or other infrastructure failures. “Nevada must be prepared for any emergency or disaster,” Governor Gibbons said, “And that includes making sure our power distribution system is studied and plans can be created to make sure Nevadans have continuous electric service.”This grant program follows a pledge from the U.S. Department of Energy to make America’s electric grid more reliable.

PR -- Sierra-at-Tahoe and TransWorld Snowboarding team-up

2009-08-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - August 12, 2009 - Sierra™ Resort, Forum, Snow Park Technologies and TransWorld SNOWboarding photographer Ian Ruhter worked together on Environmental Awakening, a video and photo shoot submission for TransWorld SNOWboarding's first-ever Team Shoot Out.

The Team Shoot Out was a secret competition between four of the best teams in snowboarding hosted by four of the elite resorts in the west. The innovative project focused on creativity - but not just snowboarding creativity. "As media leaders, TransWorld challenged the invited board teams - Burton, DC, Forum and Rome - to produce the ultimate terrain park shoot and document it in video and photos to showcase the visual possibility in snowboarding," - from the TransWorld Team Shoot Out web site.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Sierra's segment - Environmental Awakening.

The Concept:
Photographer Ian Ruhter had the vision to create a submission that was both artistically edgy and had a powerful message to benefit the snowboard industry. Environmental Awakening is meant as a wake-up call to riders everywhere that actions have consequences. Litter, air pollution, green house gas emissions, and forest fires - they all impact the environment where we ride.

Once the concept was established, Forum brought a team of incredible riders to the table and began to conceptualize actual features. Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort and Snow Park Technologies built all of the features, turning the vision into reality. "It was awesome to be part of the Forum team and to be able to work with Sierra Resort. Sierra has one of the best park building teams in the industry and Ian's vision was a perfect match for the values of the resort. It was a great partnership all around," said Mike Bettera, SPT Senior Project Manager.

The Features and Riders:
The appliance jib was one of the first features shown in the video and symbolizes the accumulation of used equipment for which we have no disposal plan. Thirty dishwashers, laundry machines, dryers and more were stacked up to create a take-off for the riders. Most of the appliances were acquired from dumps, garage sales and used appliance stores. The back of each appliance was then drilled out and a light installed inside to create a visual effect for the shoot, which was done entirely at night. Nic Sauve is featured on the appliance jib.

The pond skim to pole jam was a rider favorite. A pond was built on the deck of a jump and an old lift tower protruded from the front of the pond so riders could skim across the pond, rail slide the old lift tower and drop to the landing. Dry ice was put inside the lift tower for effect. The litter that is in the pond was generated by the riders and crew during the week-long shoot. The whole feature was a metaphor for industrialization and the degradation of our natural environment. Daniel Ek was featured on the pond skim to pole jam.

The dry ice wall ride was one of the most visually stunning features and produced the single best image from the entire shoot. The infrastructure for the wall ride was recycled from an old park feature at Sierra Resort. The blocks of dry ice measured 1' x 2' x 4' and weighed 300 pounds each. There are 45 blocks in the wall ride, which were stacked up and then carved out to create a quarter pipe. The wall ride was lit from behind for visual effect and symbolizes the melting polar ice caps. Pat Moore, Cameron Pierce and Nic Sauve were all featured on the wall ride.

The burning trees were also a visual thriller. This particular feature hit close to home for a lot of Sierra Resort locals as a reminder of the recent Angora fire that burned close to 3,000 acres and destroyed 254 homes in South Lake Tahoe. The Sierra and SPT crew collected old christmas trees from South Lake Tahoe and staked them out on the deck of a jump. With professional forest firefighters close by, the trees were ignited. A winter storm at the resort made this shot particularly challenging for the film crew (hitting a jump through burning trees is nerve-rattling enough without high wind and blowing snow). Cameron Pierce was featured on this jump.

It was awesome to be part of the Forum team and to be able to work with Sierra Resort. Sierra has one of the best park building teams in the industry and Ian's vision was a perfect match for the values of the resort. It was a great partnership all around.

Press Contacts:
Kirstin Cattell530.543.3132kcattell.st@boothcreek.com
Jessica VanPernis530.562.3866jvanpernis@boothcreek.com
Kristin Mettler775.831.4422kmettler@malenandmettler.com

The Superpipe is one of Sierra Resort's signature terrain parks and the Forum team was excited to incorporate it into the shoot. Oil barrels were stacked along the deck of the Superpipe, filled with scrap wood, and set on fire. Dry ice and targeted lighting also helped create the visual effects. The Superpipe feature symbolized the air pollution from green house gas emissions. Pat Moore was featured in this segment.

To create Environmental Awakening, the film crew worked 16 to 24 hours per day for seven straight days. The filming and photography took place at night and the concept and builds were kept top secret to maintain the integrity of the contest.

TransWorld's vision to rethink the typical snowboard video, making it about more than just great tricks and riding, has created a new paradigm of what snowboarding videos can be. It will be interesting to see how skiers and riders respond to the new artistic standpoint - that it's about the actual image produced.

The entire Team Shoot Out video is available for download on iTunes while the photos created are featured on page 80 of the September issue of TransWorld SNOWboarding.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort: Keepin It Real

Recognized by Transworld Snowboarding as a "Best Value" and a "Best Vibe" resort and known for its wind-protected slopes, incredible tree skiing, family programs and parks and pipes that are among the best in the nation, Sierra Resort is a bastion of the authentic California ski experience. Easy to get to and always laid-back, Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort welcomes skiers and snowboarders to escape from everyday life and enjoy the simple pleasure of winter in the mountains. Sierra Resort and the Eldorado National Forest are partners in recreation.

The closest major resort to Sacramento, Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is located just 12 miles west of Lake Tahoe and receives an annual average of 480 inches of snowfall. For more information, visit www.SierraAtTahoe.com or call 530.659.7453.

Food -- Olive oil -- a new gold rush in El Dorado County

2009-08-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Autumn Cruz / acruz@sacbee.com
Annette Schoonover refills a bottle of olive oil for a customer at her Winterhill Farms shop in Placerville. With 33 acres planted in El Dorado County in 2008, olives moved from the "minor and miscellaneous crops" category to a listing of their own in the county's annual crop report.

By Cathy Locke clocke@sacbee.com

Published: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 - 12:00 am Page 2B

Annette Schoonover invites patrons to "bring your own bottle," but what she pours at the tasting bar is for dipping, not sipping.

Winterhill Farms' shop on Placerville's Main Street represents El Dorado County's nascent olive oil industry. Since 2000, a handful of olive orchards have been introduced into the foothills agricultural scene.

With 33 acres planted in 2008, olives moved from the "minor and miscellaneous crops" category to a listing of their own in the county Agriculture Department's annual Crop and Livestock Report.

Although the total value of the olive crop in El Dorado County was $38,000 last year, far below the $5.8 million for apples and $5.2 million for wine grapes, olive growers see theirs as an up-and-coming industry.

Like many of the county's vintners, the olive growers came to agriculture from other professions. And like winemaking, producing a quality olive oil is a mix of science and art.
Schoonover and her partner, Richard Wolf, planted olive trees six years ago on 40 acres in the Somerset area. After 30 years as an art director for a South Lake Tahoe advertising agency, Schoonover said she wanted to get back to the earth.

She attributes her interest in raising olives to her Italian heritage.

"I have relatives still living in Sicily," she said.

In addition to 300 trees on their El Dorado County property, she and Wolf manage two orchards in the Oroville area. Not wanting to inconvenience neighbors on their privately maintained road, they decided to forgo ranch marketing and instead sell their oil at farmers markets and area wineries.

Two years ago, they opened the Main Street shop, featuring Winterhill olive oil, imported balsamic vinegars, and an array of jams, glazes, honey, teas and salves, as well as arts and crafts by area entrepreneurs whose farms and workshops are off the beaten path.

As in a wine-tasting room, patrons can sample varietals and flavored olive oils, dipping bread cubes into cups of the amber liquid, progressing from the mild to more robust. The oil is sold by the bottle and in bulk. Customers who bring their own bottles receive a 40 percent discount.
Herbalist Laura Owens developed teas made with olive leaves, as well as an all-natural, DEET-free, insect repellent containing olive oil, eucalyptus and lemon grass. Chris Lee's Bees supplies honey, and Betty Albert provides chutney and breads.

"Our theme is products with passion," Schoonover said. "We seek out the people that love what they do."

Bob and Amy Day share that passion. After traveling through Europe, they imported more than 3,000 olive trees, including 28 varieties from France, five from Italy and one from Spain. They planted them among the oaks on their 150 acres on the Georgetown Divide and market olive oil under their Mad Dog Mesa label.

Bob Day is a former management consultant, and his wife is a financial analyst. Most of what they know about raising olives they learned from books and the Internet, he said. They and other growers process their olives at mills outside the county, but Day said he hopes to install the first local mill.

Olives typically are harvested in November and December and pressed within 24 hours after they are picked. Unlike wine, the oil is best when fresh and should be used within two years.
Day sells his oil primarily at farmers markets in El Dorado County.

Education is key to the marketing process, growers say. "The American palate is not used to extra-virgin olive oil," Schoonover said.

Touted for its health benefits, olive oil is gaining popularity. Studies of extra-virgin oil indicate that its low acidity creates high antioxidant levels.

Day credits John Tillman of Gold Hill Olive Oil Co. for giving a public face to the industry in El Dorado County. Tillman's orchards, tasting room and farmhouse-turned-retreat-center are prominent along well-traveled Gold Hill Road.

Tillman, whose weekday job is general manager of Sierra Disposal, said he has closed his tasting room for the summer because of the poor economy. But the retreat center continues to draw visitors seeking a rural getaway, and who are eager to sample the region's oils as well as its wines.

News -- Dismal gaming revenue report; South Shore in the cellar

2009-08-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

by Geoff Dornan, R-C Capitol Bureau

Statewide $10.78 billion -13.72%
Carson Valley $105.9 million -9.88%
South Shore $263.9 million -17.42%
North Shore $31.5 million -16.8%
Washoe County $867.2 million -12.99%
Reno $628.8 million -12.8%
Clark County $9.1 billion -14%
Las Vegas Strip $5.65 billion -15.27%

Nevada casinos suffered their worst year on record in Fiscal 2009 with total gaming win finishing 13.7 percent below the previous year.

Frank Streshley, chief of tax and licensing at the Gaming Control Board, said the $10.8 billion statewide win is the lowest total in five years. Three of those previous years , he said, raked in more than $12 billion.In fact, the largest previous drop in fiscal year win was 2002 following 9/11 at just 3.7 percent.

As a result, Budget Director Andrew Clinger said gaming tax collections, which make up 30 percent of revenue to the state General Fund, are already $2.17 million short of the projections used to build this fiscal year's budget.

The area hardest hit was Mesquite in southern Nevada where win fell 18.9 percent.That was followed by South Lake Tahoe at 17.4 percent for the year but Streshley said south shore's problems are more complex than just the economy. Win there was down just 8.9 percent the first six months of the year but fell dramatically — 27.3 percent — the second six months. The difference, he said, was the opening of the Redhawk Indian casino on Highway 50 in California. Total win for south shore over the year was just $263.9 million.

The Carson Valley Area, which includes valley portions of Douglas County, saw a 9.9 percent drop for the year to $105.9 million in winnings. It was Carson's third straight year of declining win.North Shore casinos reported a 16.8 percent decline for the year to just $31.5 million. That follows a 13.2 percent drop the year before for a total reduction in casino win of 30 percent in just two years.Streshley said two thirds of total statewide win came from slot play — $7.2 billion.

The remaining $3.5 billion was from game and table play.Altogether, gamblers wagered a total of $147.1 billion — $118.7 billion in slots and the $28.4 billion on games. Those totals were down 10 percent and 8 percent respectively.

The Las Vegas Strip was down 15.3 percent to $5.7 billion in win, its lowest total in four years.

The picture was worse in Washoe County which, like south shore, is competing with major Indian casinos in California. There total win fell 13 percent to $867.2 million, the lowest reported win for Washoe in 15 years.

The June numbers which finished the fiscal year mirrored the rest of FY2009 with total win down 13.8 percent from the previous June. Total win was $949.3 million with nearly all reporting areas in double digit decline.

That also matches the gaming tax collections reported by the state which totaled $45.68 million — a 13.5 percent decrease.June numbers weren't helped by the fact there were no major events to draw tourists during the month.

Commentary -- City manager speaks about Kelly Ridge opening

2009-08-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

The following are the comments made by South Lake Tahoe City Manager Dave Jinkens at the Aut. 11 opeing of Kelly Ridge at 1447 Herbert Ave.

GOOD MORNING:

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT AND MAKE THEM HAPPEN. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS PROOF OF THIS SAYING.

KELLY RIDGE IS APPROPRIATELY NAMED FOR A KIND AND GOOD MAN WHO HAD A VISISON TO HELP OTHERS AND THROUGH HIS VISION, COMMITMENT, AND FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT BROUGHT TOGETHER OTHER GOOD PEOPLE, DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, AND FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS WHO WORKED COOPERATIVELY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. IT ALL STARTED WITH DAVID’S CONCERN, GOOD IDEA AND FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT. DAVID, THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR CONSCIENCE ON THIS IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO SEEING IT ACCOMPLISHED.

THE BENEFICIARIES OF KELLY RIDGE ARE THE NEW RESIDENTS WHO CAN NOW LIVE IN A HIGH-QUALITY LIVING ENVIRONMENT. THE COMMUNITY ALSO BENEFITS BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE OUR PART TO HELP OTHERS, AND WE HAVE AN ATTRACTIVE SITE AND DEVELOPMENT THAT IMPROVES THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ALL WIN BECAUSE WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANT NEED FOR QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE MADE IT HAPPEN.

THINK OF ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE CAN DO WHEN PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL LIKE DAVID KELLY WORK TOGETHER TOWARD ACHIEVING A COMMON GOAL AND PURPOSE BY FOCUSING ON SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THINK OF WHAT WE CAN DO IN CREATING MORE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, ECONOMIC GROWTH, QUALITY JOB DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOODHOOD IMPROVEMENTS, AND REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE IF WE STAY FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANT. WE HAVE WITHIN OUR COLLECTIVE POWER AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE IF WE HAVE THE COMMITMENT AND FOCUS DAVID HAD IN MAKING THIS HOUSING COMPLEX HAPPEN.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE PART OF THIS IMPORTANT CELEBRATION.

PR -- USFS prepares to restore Tahoe's aspen stands

2009-08-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Date: August 11, 2009

South Lake Tahoe, Calif.-- The Forest Supervisor for the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has approved a project to restore aspen stands at moderate to highest risk of loss throughout many areas of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

The Aspen Community Restoration Project will address approximately 2,391 acres of National Forest System Lands, and include both aspen stands and surrounding areas.

The project will proceed in phases as funding becomes available. Aspen stands are found throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin with the largest number of stands in the watersheds along the west shore. Other areas include the northeast slopes and several areas near the south and southeast shores.

Natural aspen stand regeneration has declined due to factors like historic grazing and most importantly, decades of fire suppression. Over time conifers encroached on aspen stands and came to dominate the canopy and severely suppress aspen regeneration.

Today, 65% (by area) of aspen stands on the LTBMU are at moderate to highest risk of loss.

The loss of aspen stands greatly diminishes plant and animal species dependent upon healthy regenerating aspen communities. In order to reverse the loss of aspen and promote regeneration, the project includes removal of encroaching conifers both mechanically and by hand crews. Treatment also includes some aspen removal and other methods to promote root stimulation and stand regeneration.

Prescribed fire will also be used for fuels reduction and restoration goals where appropriate. In some cases, treatments may extend beyond the perimeter of an aspen stand to prevent remaining, adjacent conifers from shading the aspen stand and suppressing aspen regeneration. The woody material from the treatments will be processed on-site (e.g., chipped, masticated, lop-and-scattered, or piled for burning) or removed from treatment areas.

No permanent roads will be constructed for this project, and all temporary roads will be restored after treatments are completed. Some areas may experience temporary closures for public safety. The overall project will be conducted over several years as conditions and funding allow. Implementation may begin as soon as conditions permit.

A full description of the project can be found in the decision memo posted on the LTBMU website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects/ under Aspen Community Restoration. The decision memo is also available for viewing at the Forest Supervisor's Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. The office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the phone number is (530) 543-2694.
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Info -- Heavenly does what it can to prevent fires

2009-08-11T22:30:00.001-07:00

Heavenly Mountain Resort has installed mesh screens in its gondola cabins after two fires this summer burned small swaths of land. Although the cause of the fires has not been officially determined, it’s highly possible that like in 2002 when more than 600 acres burned, a cigarette was tossed from the gondola. Heavenly will use signs in the cabins and around the base area, as well as having eco rangers stationed at each terminal, to educate people about fire prevention.

PR -- Taylor Creek open house Aug.12; permanent stucture possible

2009-08-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Taylor Creek Visitor Center may become a permanent structure if the U.S. Forest Service gets approval.
The two temporary rental trailers on the Highway 89 site past Camp Rich would be replaced by a 3,800-sqare-foot center. Such a building has been talked about since the 1960s.
About 100,000 people visit the center each summer, rendering the current structures inefficient and inadequate.
An open house at Taylor Creek Visitor Center patio will be Aug. 12 from 4-7pm.
Aug. 28 is the deadline to submit comments. For information, contact Jackie Faike at (530) 543-2600 or go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects.

Event -- Lake in the Sky Air Show Aug. 29

2009-08-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Press Release
Aug. 11, 2009

(South Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) The 20th Annual Lake in the Sky Air Show takes flight at Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL), Saturday, Aug. 29, featuring some of the world’s top aircraft and aerobatics performers as well as new radio-controlled aircraft demonstration, Navy H-60 Seahawk helicopters and an Air Force C-17 Globemaster static aircraft display.

The affordable, family-friendly event complements the natural spectacular beauty of the lake, a plethora of outdoor recreation, headliner entertainment and comfortable summer temperatures to make for a memorable getaway to South Lake Tahoe (http://www.BlueLakeTahoe.com)...

News -- El Dorado County woman dies from swine flu

2009-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
August 11, 2009

A 52-year old El Dorado County woman has died after being hospitalized with the Novel H1N1 flu virus (also known as swine flu), El Dorado County health officials confirmed yesterday. Pre-existing medical conditions were a factor in the woman’s death. She is the first person in El Dorado County to die from the H1N1 virus.

”We would like to extend our sympathy to the family of this individual,” said El Dorado County Health Officer, Olivia Kasirye, M.D.

To date, there have been 19 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection including this one in El Dorado County; however only hospitalized cases are being tested at this time. The California Department of Public Health reports 892 hospitalizations from H1N1 flu virus and 92 related deaths statewide as of August 5th. Dr. Kasirye notes most of the cases of H1N1 infection in El Dorado County have been relatively mild.

“The good news is that most people who become sick with H1N1 do recover. Unfortunately, for a smaller percentage of individuals with underlying medical conditions, the virus develops into a life threatening illness.”

El Dorado County officials continue to see unusual flu activity for this time of the year, and recommends the community continues taking steps to prevent catching the flu.

Everyday actions such as frequent hand washing and avoiding sick individuals are simple but highly effective in preventing respiratory disease, according to Dr. Kasirye.

“Individuals who become sick with flu-like symptoms should stay home from work or school, and avoid contact with others. People who have severe flu symptoms, and especially those individuals who begin to have shortness of breath or difficulty breathing should speak to a healthcare provider right away. Pregnant women who become sick with flu-like symptoms are also advised to speak with their healthcare provider.”

Everyday steps to prevent H1N1 infection include:
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissue in the trash.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you are sick with flu-like illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone (without use of fever-reducing medicine) except to get medical care or for other necessities. Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

Officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated that they have developed a new vaccine to prevent H1N1 infection, which is now being clinically tested. Distribution plans are being discussed to make sure that high risk individuals are able to receive the vaccine first.

El Dorado County health officials are continuing to monitor local, state and national H1N1 activities. Information on H1N1 (swine) flu has been posted on the El Dorado County Health Services Department website at www.edcgov.us/publichealth.

News -- Reno-Tahoe bid for Winter Olympics pushed back

2009-08-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

Monday, Aug. 10, 2009

By Sports Network - The Sports Network

The United States Olympic Committee deflected media reports that other American cities are hopeful to put forward efforts to land future Olympics by saying its main focus was to have Chicago host the 2016 Summer Games.

"While it is always encouraging to see enthusiasm for the Olympic Movement, the USOC has been on record for more than two years in proclaiming that there will be absolutely no consideration of any future bids - winter or summer - from the U.S. while Chicago is on the international stage," said USOC CEO Stephanie Streeter.

"Let me reiterate that position in the most adamant terms. Chicago is not only our current bid city, it is our only bid city, and it is the sole focus of our efforts," she said. "We are now 52 days from the decision on the 2016 host city. All of our hopes and dreams for bringing the Olympic Games back to the United States are anchored in Chicago 2016 and the IOC decision on October 2."

U.S. Olympic Committee leaders have reiterated their support for Chicago's bid to land the 2016 Olympics, saying it is the federation's sole focus.

USOC CEO Stephanie Streeter released a statement Monday in the wake of recent reports that Pittsburgh might explore a bid for the 2020 Summer Games.

Also, the deadline for submitting formal proposals for the 2018 Winter Olympics is in October, and cities such as Denver and Reno, Nev., have been mentioned in the past as possible candidates.

Bid process gets underway for 2018 Winter Olympics

The International Olympic Committee launched the bid process for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in 2018 on Friday.

Potential host cities will have to submit bids for the games by October 15, 2009, and the IOC will decide by the end of June, 2010 which bids have been accepted.

Over the following year, the IOC Evaluation Committee will assess each bid and decide on a host city on July 6, 2011 in Durban.

USOC closer to staying in Colorado Springs

The U.S. Olympic Committee moved closer to keeping its headquarters in Colorado Springs on Thursday when the board signed off on revised terms of a deal with the city.

The board agreed to give the USOC management team permission to extend its commitment to stay in Colorado Springs from 25 to 30 years in exchange for having the city take responsibility for $16 million in improvements to the Olympic Training Center.

The $16 million is part of a $53 million agreement that also includes building a new USOC headquarters and new offices for a number of national governing bodies. The original deal fell apart when the lead developer dropped out.

IOC opens bidding for 2018 Winter Games host

The International Olympic Committee launched the search Friday to find a host for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The winning city will be chosen on July 6, 2011, by IOC members meeting in Durban, South Africa, according to a timetable published by the IOC on Friday.

Potential candidates include Annecy, France; Munich, Germany; and Pyeongchang, South Korea, which is entering for a third straight time.

USOC honors 2 Oklahoma training sites

What once was an empty ditch south of downtown Oklahoma City is now recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as an official training site for rowing, canoeing and kayaking.

USOC acting CEO Stephanie Streeter announced Tuesday that the 2,000-meter race course and National High Performance Center along the Oklahoma River had received the designation.
The site hosted the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials for canoeing and kayaking.

While Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are finalists to host the 2016 Olympics, the deadline for cities to formally submit proposals to host the 2018 Winter Games is October 15.

"With less than two months to go before the IOC's decision in Copenhagen, two months in which it is essential for us to capture the attention of the global Olympic Family, it is equally essential that the USOC sustain a 110 percent focus on the needs of Chicago 2016," said Streeter. "So, with all due respect to those cities that are dreaming about one day bidding for the Games, now is not the time. This is Chicago's time."

Pyeongchang, South Korea; Munich, Germany; and Annecy, France; have been the cities confirming bids to host the 2018 Olympics. Denver, Reno-Lake Tahoe, and Salt Lake City previously announced interests in hosting the 2018 Winter Games, but those efforts have essentially been pushed to the 2022 Olympics.

News -- Bear problem or people problem?

2009-08-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Aug 9, 2009 12:37 pm US/Pacific

(CBS 5 / AP) ―

After a wet spring that kept bears in the backcountry, bruins are again making their rounds in Lake Tahoe neighborhoods in search of food. California and Nevada authorities said 13 black bears have been euthanized so far this season after breaking into homes or causing other problems -- 10 in California and three in Nevada.

Ann Bryant of the BEAR League said her bear advocacy group has been getting five to 10 calls daily about bear break-ins around Tahoe. She blames the problem on tourists and residents who fail to stow garbage properly and fail to discourage bears from coming into neighborhoods.

Bryant said bears are becoming so bold that they're beginning to crawl under people's decks for use as daytime beds. The bruins also are starting to figure out how to turn door knobs, testing to see if doors are locked, she said.

"They're showing signs of being more intelligent than residents and visitors, and that's how we lose the battle," Bryant said, adding people should throw rocks, make a lot of noise and let bears know they're not welcome in neighborhoods.

On the Nevada side of the lake, bear activity is still relatively slow compared to past years, said Carl Lackey, a Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist. He attributed the slowdown to a wet spring that produced a lot of natural food for bears, and the recession that has kept many tourists away from Tahoe.

"It's picked up but nothing compared to past years," Lackey told Truckee's Sierra Sun newspaper.

But on the California side, bear activity started picking up in July, said Jason Holley, wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game.

"It's ramped up to be relatively busy with lots of calls," Holley said.

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons last week declared August as Bear Awareness Month in northern Nevada, and urged residents to take precautions to reduce human-bear conflicts. Among other steps, Gibbons said residents should not stash their trash until the day of pickup and not leave their pets or pet food outside.

While a smaller number of human-bear problems have been reported in Nevada so far, there still have been some problem areas such as Caughlin Ranch residential area in Reno and Incline Village on Tahoe's north shore.

Travel -- 54 links in one day? Yes, in Tahoe

2009-08-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Susan Fornoff, Chronicle Travel Editor
Sunday, August 9, 2009

The golf season is short all around Lake Tahoe, which provides the golf nut a fine excuse to play 36 holes in a day: Do it now to make up for all of the golf one cannot play with the snow falling in December.

Besides, think of the money one would save. Rather than play golf two days in a row, thus requiring two nights' lodging, and rather than spending nongolfing time, and, thus, money, in casinos, one can totally immerse oneself in the chase of the dimpled white ball.

OK, now that the rationalizing is complete, pack up the clubs and come along - preferably with three other like-minded golf nuts.

Getting there

If you're nuts enough to play 36 in a day, surely you're inclined to take a break during the drive up to the lake and play 18 en route. There are plenty of options in the Sacramento area. Check out the golf pages at http://www.visitcalifornia.com/ for some ideas.

A perfect day of golf immersion

5:50 a.m.: Slather on sunscreen, get in the car and head over the Kingsbury Grade down to Genoa. Bring an energy bar, unless you're staying at the Black Bear, where inn co-owner and South Tahoe Mayor Jerry Birdwell got up to serve me coffee, fruit and a muffin. The snack bar is not likely to be open at the golf course at this hour.

6:30 a.m.: Tee off ahead of the crowds and walk your way around Genoa's Lakes or Resort courses. The Lakes, designed by Peter Jacobsen and John Harbottle, is considered the better of the two choices; the Resort, once a fine alternative, underwent some detrimental tweaking a few years ago to make room for houses. They're both well cared for, with good clubhouses and friendly service, and early morning is the time to beat the heat and the wind - and there's a discount if you play both in the same week.

10 a.m.: Oh, there's a bonus hole - No. 19. We're heading for one of the most gorgeous anywhere - get back in the car and drive just over the hill to Edgewood Tahoe.

10:30 a.m.: Settle in at Brooks' Bar and Deck, one of Golf Digest's top 19th holes in the United States, and enjoy the lake and golf course views with breakfast (lunch, if Jerry cooked for you this morning) and a breakfast cocktail.

11:30 a.m.: Take half an hour to work on whatever part of your game gave you trouble in the morning. Edgewood is a much tougher test than any other course in the area, and the greens confound even the members.

Noon: Tee off at Edgewood. Take a cart this time - a round of golf here in high season at this time of day is bound to take at least five hours. Enjoy the scenery, the service, the company. And when you get to the signature hole - No. 17, a lakeside par-3 that outshines even the big stars at the annual American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament - take a few photos to remember the day.

5 p.m.: Play that 19th hole, or, if we're counting properly, the 38th, with adult beverages and snacks wherever you're staying. This would be the time to soak in the hot tub and take a refreshing shower.

7 p.m.: A great day like this one deserves a fine meal at the end. It's doubtful that even the best cook in the foursome feels like standing in the kitchen: We had spectacular fried green tomatoes, pasta and fish at Cafe Fiore (save room for the house-made white chocolate ice cream). If opting for one of the north lake pairings and staying up at Truckee, I'd go into town for fine dining at Moody's or perhaps try the new Moody's spin-off at Northstar's Village, Baxter's.

9 p.m.: There's still time for some miniature golf at Magic Carpet! But hurry - the last start time at the Carnelian Bay course is 9 p.m., at South Lake Tahoe, 9:30.
Heading home

How about a quick nine at Old Brockway in Kings Beach on Tahoe's north shore before you hit the road? It's a full nine with two par-5s and boasts of being the site of the first Crosby in 1934 - that's the tournament that eventually became the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. It remains busy enough to charge $45 for nine, $75 for 18 this time of year.

If you go
Play 36
We paired Edgewood at sunrise - gorgeous! - with Genoa's Lakes course in the afternoon - hot! - and learned that this pairing would best be enjoyed in reverse. Other pairings would probably be great in any order: Edgewood and Incline (views all day, with swift putts breaking to the lake) with a west or south shore base; Coyote Moon (with no houses and lots of wildlife, this is not to be missed on the north side) and Old Greenwood in Truckee; Northstar and Timilick (new, meant to be private, but taking paying customers in a tough economy) in the Martis Valley.

Prime-time, high-season green fees for these courses start at $80 for Northstar and top out at $220 for Edgewood Tahoe, with some discounts to be found for afternoon golf and also for lodging packages. Check http://www.golfthehighsierra.com/ for details on and links to all of the courses above except Northstar ( http://www.northstarattahoe.com/) and Timilick (http://www.timilick.com/). Or go to the state's tourism Web site, http://www.visitcalifornia.com/, and navigate to the golf section, where the official 2009 golf publication can be accessed.

Stay
If you're part of a foursome with two sleeping-together couples, the Hyatt Residence at Northstar is a great new option, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence with full kitchen and living room, plus a couple of outdoor hot tubs. Rates this time of year begin at around $350 a night. (888) 298-3156, http://www.northstarattahoe.com/.

On the South Shore, I enjoyed the hospitality, serene gardens and outdoor hot tub at the Black Bear Inn, which has three cabins, one of which could be shared by two couples. With only one bathroom, this could feel crowded; the lodge also has individual cabin rooms, and guest rooms in the beautifully designed main building. Rates begin at $210 for a room, $455 for the two-couple cabin. 1202 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. (877) 232-7466, tahoeblackbear.com.

Eat
Cafe Fiore. Dinner nightly, expensive. 1169 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. (530) 541-2908, cafefiore.com.

Moody's Bistro and Lounge. Dinner nightly, expensive. 10007 Bridge St., Truckee. (530) 587-8688, http://www.moodysbistro.com/.

Baxter's. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun., expensive. In the Village at Northstar, Truckee. (530) 562-3200, http://www.northstarattahoe.com/.

Good to know
In high season (mid-June to mid-September), most courses will accept paying customers at first light - as early as 6:15. So it might be possible to play 54 holes in a day.

E-mail comments to travel@sfchronicle.com.

PR -- Northstar-at-Tahoe's summer fun

2009-08-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

Summer may be flying by but there is still plenty of time to get your vacation in gear. Head up to Northstar® Resort where adventures, premier summer and fall events, and fun family activities abound in a beautiful alpine setting.

Signature Events for All Your Senses

You haven’t experienced all that Lake Tahoe has to offer in the summer until you’ve taken part in these signature Tahoe events:
Autumn Food & Wine FestivalMark your calendars for the premier Lake Tahoe wine and food extravaganza September 11 - 13. Toast to three full days of grape stomping, wine walks, seminars, cooking demonstrations, mountain chef cook off competition, grand tasting, the Tahoe Plein Air art show, and more! Buy your tickets today for the best savings.

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Reserve your seats for the best of the bard on the beach, set in one of the most scenic venues in the world! Northstar Resort is a proud sponsor of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival featuring Much ado about Nothing and Measure for Measure through August 23. Receive 25% off all seating levels for Shakespeare shows Tuesday-Thursday: NSTARSHAKES. Or 50% off all seating levels for their Monday night music shows: NSTARMUSIC. Type in the discount code at LakeTahoeShakespeare.com.

8/15
Northstar Mtn. Trail Run
8/21-22
Tahoe Star Tours
8/29
Wine Walk
8/29
Cooking Class at Baxter's
9/5-7
Street Fair & Sidewalk Sale
9/11-13
Northstar Tennis Open
9/19
Big Blue Adventure Race
Tues.
Retro Skate Nights
Thurs.-Sun.
Free Guided Hikes
Thurs.-Sun.
Free Guided Bike Tours
Fri.
Kid's Adventure Program
Fri.-Sun.
Live Music

A Village like No Other
The Village at Northstar™ is overflowing with delicious treats, shopping bargains and a feast of fun activities. Here are some of our favorites:
TGI Thursdays - From $3 fish tacos at Big Wave Burritos & Wraps to 3 course menu for $34 at Baxter’s Bistro Lounge, there is a tasty deal for all taste buds every Thursday night thru October 8.
Outdoor Movie Nights - Enjoy family classics and top blockbusters on the big screen under the stars with your friends & family every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night through August 27.
NEW Village Specials - 15% off select stores in the Village with hiking/biking pass or round of golf or earn $5 Butterbox Bucks with $20 purchases.
Friday Art Walks - Savor fine art & epicurean delights at the new Friday Art Walks.
Freebies for Our Lodging Guests
Tempting deals on our lodging packages make alpine action even more alluring. Spend two nights at Northstar Resort now and get the below for FREE:
3rd night stay
Scenic lift ride tickets for hiking and sightseeing (2 tickets per stay*)
Balls for the driving range (1 bucket per stay*)
Free roller skating and complimentary skate rentals
Access to the Recreation Center with outdoor pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, game room & more!
» Check Availability
*Request at front desk when checking in.
Sharpen Your Riding Skills
Been wanting to learn or sharpen your mountain bike riding skills? Partake in one of the below programs based on your level, interest and ability.
WHAT
WHEN
WHO
Giant Women's Ride & Retreat
Aug. 14-16
Try this two day weekend of mountain bike skills sessions, thrilling rides, hanging out with cool girls and relaxation in beautiful Lake Tahoe!
BetterRide Downhill Mountain Bike Camp
Aug. 14-16
For racers who would like to shave off minutes from their race times, Greg Minnaar, one of the fastest racers in the world, is ready to show you how by focusing on core skills, course inspection, finding the fast "pro" lines, and mental preparation. Only a few spots left!
Luna Chix Downhill Mountain Bike Clinic
Aug. 22

Aug. 23
Join Team Luna Chix Tahoe and LUNA Pro Marla Streb for a women's only downhill mountain bike clinic to learn the technical skills needed to improve your riding ability.

Private Mountain Bike Lessons
Anytime
For one-on-one personal attention, private bike lessons are available at Northstar Resort with professional mountain bikers, who will use elite-level coaching and training methods.
Need a bike? Score top-of-the-line men's and women's GIANT demo mountain bikes at deep discounts at Plaza Bikes Gear + Rental Shop's annual summer GIANT Demo Bike Sale.
» See what's on sale
See you soon!Your friends at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort

Event -- Geotourism workshops this week

2009-08-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

The El Dorado Geotourism program has two meetings coming up this week.

KIRKWOOD...Searching for authentic sense of place... the snow, the stars, the ﬂowers and pioneering history

Event Details:
Date: Thursday August 13th
Time: 3-4:30pm
Location: KCA Meeting Room
Call: 209-258-8181 or Email: raejeanfellows@gmail.com
Refreshments

On Wednesday, August 12
from 8 am to 10 am
at the Cary House Hotel
Downtown Placerville

YOU are invited to join community members of Placerville to a map quest to learn
how to:
~ Identify assets: sites, events, activities and stories that make your
community special
~ Develop sustainable tourism to protect what you love most
~ Nominate El Dorado County geotourism assets at
www.tahoechamber.org

Facilitated by the GeoSierra team of:
Jacquie Chandler, Penelope Curtis & Peter Brumis

Brought to you by: El Dorado County’s Geo/Eco Tourism program

RSVP: geotahoe@gmail.com or call 530.798.5955
What do you treasure in Placerville ?
What makes this place worth visiting?
Program sponsored by: El Dorado County & Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce
What makes El Dorado County special?

Politics -- Lt. Lovell tapped as undersheriff by sheriff's candidate

2009-08-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release Contact: Kevin Reikes
August 7, 2009 530/759-0995

El Dorado County Sheriff candidate and retired CHP Chief Stan Perez has announced Sheriff’s Lieutenant Les Lovell as his choice for Undersheriff if elected.

“I believe in a ‘no-surprises” style of command structure, and ensuring that our county has the most qualified personnel in positions of leadership and responsibility will be a priority if I’m elected Sheriff,” said Perez who as a CHP Chief was responsible for over 1,100 officers and staff throughout 13 counties.

After speaking to law enforcement leaders locally and regionally, and community leaders throughout El Dorado County, Perez found Lovell to be uniquely suited to the position of Undersheriff – who works directly with the Sheriff in areas of policy, command strategy, and management.

“Throughout my years as a Military Police officer, and my 26 years with the California Highway Patrol I’ve believed in service and selflessness,” Perez said. “Les Lovell has demonstrated those characteristics throughout his nearly three decades of frontline service, and the continuity he will bring to the Sheriff’s Department will be invaluable.”

Like Perez, Lovell began his career as a line level peace officer wearing a uniform and protecting his community. “Having a range of experience within the ranks of law enforcement and demonstrated leadership is ultimately what makes good officers. It’s that type of experience that makes great organizations,” Perez concluded.

- 30 -

PR -- Camp Rich opens coffee-confection shop

2009-08-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Aug. 6, 2009 (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) – Summer just got sweeter with Camp Richardson's new Coffee & Confectionary Shop, (http://www.CampRichardson.com) featuring gourmet coffee & espresso drinks, desserts, pastries, and barrels full of "old-time" candy, treats, ice cream floats made with the old-fashioned sodas and coffee related accessories and gifts. Kiva White Carmel, Valhalla Tuxedo and Mt. Tallac Mocha are a few of the creative concoctions available along with organic coffee and iced coffee.

The Coffee & Confectionary Shop offers old time favorites like salt-water taffy, Grandma’s Fudge, Dad’s Root Beer, cream sodas and the Mt. Pluto Espresso Sundae – vanilla ice cream topped with a shot of espresso. The hickory colored bar stools, wooden floors and counter tops complement the resort’s generations of history and tradition. The coffee shop is located next to the Ice Cream Parlor and is open daily at 6:30 a.m. A Tahoe favorite of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Camp Richardson’s own old-fashion ice cream parlor provides generous helpings to satisfy sweet tooth cravings for kids of all ages.

Since the 1920s, families have visited Camp Richardson Historic Resort & Marina on the south shore of Lake Tahoe to celebrate life and nature. The resort’s lively summer events, charming lake front lodging and favorable weather make it a popular vacation destination. The summer season continues with live music and theater, cultural events and outdoor activities that make for an affordable Lake Tahoe getaway in today’s economy. Lakefront cabins, hotels rooms and the Richardson House are still available for Labor Day Weekend, call 800-544-1801 for reservations.

Throughout summer, the full-service marina operates with boat, jet ski and stand up paddle board rentals, fishing and sailing. Family activities include hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, biking, live music and relaxing beachside.

Camp Richardson’s popular lakefront restaurant, The Beacon Bar & Grill, offers a comfortable dining atmosphere with breathtaking views, with lunch from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.; brunch on the weekends from 10:20 a.m. – 2 p.m.; limited lunch menu 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to close. Wild Wednesdays offer The Beacon’s infamous Rum Runner all day long for $5 each. Live music is featured Wednesday - Sunday throughout summer. Parking is free when guests dine at the restaurant; otherwise parking is $7. Reservations are accepted after 5 p.m., call 530-541-0630. In addition, the General Store is open daily and offers snacks, breakfast and deli sandwiches before hitting the trails or lake.

California's rich and famous built their elaborate summer estates in the late 1800s and the early 1900s in the secluded woods along the beaches of the Tallac Historic Site. The Valhalla Boat House Theater and Grand Hall are a part of the Tallac Historic Site and throughout the summer both venues offer film nights, open mic nights, live music and theater. For event details, dates and times visit www.valhallatahoe.com.

To celebrate Indian summer, Camp Richardson is heating up with a variety of lodging deals. To receive alerts on exclusive lodging packages sign-up for Camp Richardson’s e-specials. Save the date for Camp Richardson’s Annual Oktoberfest, October 3-4. Book early for fall vacations with rates starting at $65/night.

For real time updates on Camp Richardson events, promotions and news, follow the resort on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CampRichardson.

For information on summer recreation, lodging and packages call 800-544-1801 or visit: www.CampRichardson.com.

PR -- TY&FS expands counseling services to Gardnerville

2009-08-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Tahoe Youth & Family Services is bringing counseling services to Gardnerville:
• Alcohol and Drug Outpatient treatment for youth ages 10-17
• Individual, family and group counseling
• Supportive services for runaway and homeless youth, throw away
youth and youth at risk of homelessness and exploitation.

The new office is located at:
1422 Mission St., Gardnerville
It's behind Aladdin Flowers in the old Carson Valley Accounting Building next to Enterprise.

Prior to the official opening, TYFS has a great need for all types of office supplies and furniture.
Call or email to donate.
Contact Julie at (775)782-4202 x 104 • (530)541-2445 x 104 • julie@tahoeyouth.org

Event -- 12th annual Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day Sept. 12

2009-08-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

VOLUNTEER FOR THE 12TH ANNUAL TAHOE FOREST STEWARDSHIP DAY SEPT. 12 AT ED Z'BERG SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARKON THE WEST SHORE OF LAKE TAHOE

JOIN HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS TO HELP RESTORE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, ALPINE MEADOWS, CREEKS AND STREAMS, AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.

LEARN ABOUT FOREST AND FIRE ECOLOGY, DEFENSIBLE SPACE, WILDLIFE, INVASIVE SPECIES, AND HYDROLOGY.

VOLUNTEERS AND TEAM LEADERS NEEDED.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO VOLUNTEER OR BE A TEAM LEADER CONTACT FLAVIA SORDELET AT (530) 541-5388 OR BY EMAIL AT events@keeptahoeblue.org

League to Save Lake Tahoe
955 Emerald Bay Rd.
South Lake Tahoe, California 96150(530) 541-5388 - info@keeptahoeblue.orgwww.keeptahoeblue.org

PR -- Bringing artists to life through video

2009-08-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Mark Wright (www.videoloca.com) recently completed a video profile of award-winning photographer Bill Jackson, a close friend of his who he calls an intriguing artist. You can check out the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm4lkvwdvJo.

This is the first of a series of video profiles Wright plans to do about emerging artists in and around the Bay Area. If you have a likely candidate whose work you find interesting -- painters, sculptors, musicians, what have you, as long as it is visual or audial -- let Wright know. (mark@videoloca.com)

PR -- Bicycle Achievement Award nominations sought

2009-08-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition wants to recognizes those whohave made significant contributions to the advancement of cycling in the region. The categories are: Business, Agency (public), Organization (nonprofit), and Individual.

Last year's winners were: Tahoe Daily Tribune, California Tahoe Conservancy, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, and Curtis Fong.

Submit nominations in any or all categories. Include a biography, press clippings, and/or description of the contribution(s) your nominee has accomplished to advance cycling in the region. Photos are also encouraged. Send your nominations to BikeTahoe@aol.com or mail to: LTBC, PO Box 1147, Zephyr Cove, NV 89448.

The deadline is Sept. 4.

Meeting -- LTUSD board meets Aug. 11

2009-08-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe Unified School District board of ed meets Aug. 11. Agenda is at http://ltusd.csbaagendaonline.net. Chief Financial Officer Deba Yates will give an update on the 09/10 budget; Facilities Director Steve Morales will bring the board to speed on the current construction projects at the high school, and financial advisors Charlie Feinstein and Joanna Bowes will explain the process for applying for a $10 million bridge loan which will tide the district over until the dtate releases the matching funds for construction which are currently frozen.

PR -- Best in Basin nominations sought

2009-08-07T15:56:00.001-07:00

For Release Immediately August 7, 2009

Lake Tahoe, CA /NV – The nomination period has opened for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s 2009 Best in the Basin awards program, which annually recognizes the best designed, planned and implemented projects in the Tahoe Basin that also stand out as environmentally compatible.

The Best in the Basin program calls attention to projects of all categories – from natural restoration to commercial or residential construction – that carry with them environmental net gains for Lake Tahoe and its communities.

For two decades, the Best in the Basin program has recognized those property owners, contractors, architects and planners whose work and investment should be held up as examples to follow.

“We are privileged to enjoy Lake Tahoe ’s natural beauty as a backdrop for our day-to-day lives,” said Dennis Oliver, Best in the Basin program coordinator. “With this awards program, we recognize those whose stewardship is reflected in their work and who set an example for us all.”

The nomination period ends Friday, September 18. Categories are:
􀂃 new residential
􀂃 residential modification
􀂃 rebuild projects
􀂃 new commercial
􀂃 commercial modification
􀂃 commercial rebuild
􀂃 shorezone
􀂃 green building
􀂃 public service
􀂃 erosion control
􀂃 restoration
􀂃 BMP retrofit
􀂃 defensible space
􀂃 mixed-use project
􀂃 green remodel.

To qualify, projects must be complete or near completion. For an entry form and information about last year’s winners, go to www.trpa.org.

Winners will be selected by a panel of area professionals in the fields of architecture, landscaping, planning, engineering, and resource management.

Those selected to receive awards will be publicly honored by the TRPA Governing Board in January 2010. Photographs and summaries of the projects will be displayed in the public meeting area of the TRPA administration building at Stateline until the following year’s winners are chosen.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency cooperatively leads the effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region now and in the future. For additional information, call Dennis Oliver at (775) 589-5235 or email to doliver@trpa.org.
###

News -- SLT woman dies in Mendocino County

2009-08-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

The Times-Standard
Updated: 08/06/2009 01:15:24 AM PDT

A 21-year-old woman who had been attending the Reggae Rising music festival last weekend was found dead early Monday morning, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Lt. Rusty Noe said Molly Donovan, of South Lake Tahoe, was found dead shortly after midnight Monday morning in her camp, which was located near the festival and just across the Mendocino County line.

Noe said the festival's medical team was first called to the scene, but quickly determined that Donovan was deceased, and called the Sheriff's Office.

Noe said Donovan's cause of death hasn't been determined, and likely won't be known for some weeks, pending toxicology test results.

Calls made to Reggae Rising organizers were not immediately returned Wednesday.

PR -- Gov. Gibbons applauds Reno airport improvements

2009-08-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2009

Carson City - Governor Jim Gibbons toured the new air traffic control tower at Reno-Tahoe International Airport yesterday. “ I am very impressed with the new tower facility,” Gibbons said, “When it is operational, air travel to and from Reno-Tahoe International Airport will be safer and more efficient.”

Governor Gibbons toured the new tower with Nevada Homeland Security Director Rick Eaton
and the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Lynn Hettrick. Reno FAA Administrator Donald Brooks conducted the tour.

The new tower at RTIA is three times the height of the tower presently in use. This new height advantage will provide air traffic controllers with a much better view of the airport and the approach areas around the airport. The new tower will also house new highly upgraded equipment. All this will provide greater safety for the flying public. According to FAA officials, the new tower will likely be ready for use within 6 month to a year. Some equipment is already being moved into the new facility.

“Clearly, this new tower will provide a new measure of safety at Reno-Tahoe International Airport,” Gibbons said, “As a former airline pilot, the level of visibility will improve sightlines for air traffic controllers and the electronic equipment will bring the technology of the tower into the 21st century.”

Governor Gibbons was an enthusiastic supporter of the efforts to fund and build the new control tower while he was a United States Congressman.

PR -- Romantic Tahoe hotels

2009-08-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release

NORTH LAKE TAHOE HOTELS SET THE SCENE FOR LOVE(NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nevada) – With the grand peaks and serene forests embracing blissful blue waters, it’s clear that North Lake Tahoe completes the scene for love stories big and small. Lovers can fulfill their storybook escapes at intimate inns, grand resorts and chic lodges, all as unique and individual as love itself.

The Shore House at Lake Tahoe in Tahoe Vista is the epitome of a romantic inn. Ask any North Lake Tahoe local for a good romantic inn and the Shore House is sure to come to mind. Guests are treated to a gourmet breakfast and lakeside wine and appetizers in the evening. On-site massages are also available.Each of the nine guestrooms is encompassed with knotty pine walls and adorned with custom-built log furniture with private outdoor entrances and gas log fireplaces. The inn’s grounds, with lakeside hot tub and river rock fireplace, are just as inviting. The location is ideal for small weddings, with owners Marty and Barb Cohen personally performing more than 750 weddings at the Shore House.

The sleek design of Truckee’s Cedar House Sport Hotel gives lovers the opportunity to experience the sophisticated side of mountain romance. The European-style hotel fuses innovative architecture with contemporary design while promoting green living and sustainable development. Rooms have an open, modern feel with a merlot and camel color scheme, emphasizing functionality and an organic edge geared toward comfort. The property also features a full bar and outdoor spa. Couples can bond over food with the hotel’s hands-on Stella Cooking Club. Evenings at Stella, multi-course meals paired with wine and accompanied by chef commentary and demonstrations, are also scheduled throughout the summer.

With expansive views of Squaw Valley’s towering peaks and peaceful meadow, the Resort at Squaw Creek’s fireplace suites are set to host the perfect rendezvous. Guests can spoil each other at the full-service, on-site spa then linger over a romantic dinner at Six Peaks Grille. The Resort’s signature Romance in the Sierra Package includes accommodations for two in a fireplace suite, room service breakfast for two, dinner at Six Peaks Grille and a “sparkles and sweets” champagne amenity.

With a private beach, lakeside fire pits, grand casino, upscale dining at the Lone Eagle Grille and luxurious Stillwater Spa, couples can indulge completely at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village. Amour Packages are available and include full breakfast, champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and late check out. Spa specials include a Couples Fireside Romance (footbath rituals, calm mind treatments, warming tea service, mulled spice herbal body wraps and extended Stillwater massages in a fireplace suite) and Couples Stillwater Romance (side-by-side massages and candlelit aroma-bath).

For a more intimate lakeside tryst, there’s the West Shore Inn. Boasting a sophisticated atmosphere, the suites feature fireplaces and private balconies offering sweeping views of Blackwood Ridge, Sugar Pine Point and Mount Watson. Continental breakfast is included and the exquisite menu from the adjacent West Shore Café is conveniently available for in-room dining. Lovers opting to leave their room can enjoy their meals in the café’s craftsman-style dining room or on a pier overlooking the lake.Romance also exudes from the Chaney House, a historic lakefront stone home exemplifying Old Tahoe with a private beach on the West Shore.

Sunnyside’s Cottage Inn features fireplaces in every room, private entrances, sauna, a private beach and is steps away from Tahoe City’s shops and restaurants. The Shooting Star Bed and Breakfast in Carnelian Bay prides itself on comfortable luxury and casual elegance and pampers guests with homemade fare from original recipes.For a complete list of lodging options in North Lake Tahoe, from large scale properties to romantic inns and budget-friendly accommodations, click to the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus’ website at www.GoTahoeNorth.com.

North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations, recreation and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3296 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village. The North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, work together to promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.# # #

Outdoors -- Scenes around Tahoe

2009-08-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

The whacky weather of late has provided for some interesting photo opportunities. The shot of Emerald Bay was taken from a moving vehicle in the late afternoon of Aug. 6. Storm clouds dumped a dusting of snow at the higher elevations, and rain/hail/sleet at lake level.

It's still cold today, but temps are supposed to be back in the 70s this weekend.

The meadow/mountain shots were taken this morning (Aug. 7) at Squaw Valley.

I was not quick enough with the camera to get the bear when he/she was on her hind legs trying to get into the garbage container at Camp Rich. The bruin walked in front of the truck, almost right across the pedestrian walkway. Then she sauntered off behind the buidlings. I'm sure some of the campers were in for a surprise.

PR -- El Dorado County names health officer

2009-08-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
August 6, 2009

The El Dorado County Health Services Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Olivia Kasirye to the position of Health Officer for El Dorado County. Dr. Kasirye will provide medical expertise and oversight on a variety of community-wide public health issues impacting El Dorado County residents, including communicable disease control. She will also actively work with local doctors and other healthcare providers on public health clinical, preventive and policy issues. Dr. Kasirye is both a physician and an epidemiologist, and is board certified in public health and preventive medicine. She holds a masters degree in epidemiology from UC Davis.

“I’m delighted to be here and look forward to working with all of our community and agency partners,” said Dr. Kasirye. Before coming to El Dorado County, Dr. Kasirye served as the Medical Director for Sacramento County’s Maternal Child and Adolescent Health, and Child Health and Disability Prevention programs. She also served as the Communicable Disease Controller for the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services. She is currently an active member of the Sacramento Sierra Valley Medical Society.

California law requires that all health departments maintain a health officer to enforce health and safety codes and to provide medical direction and oversight. According to Dr. Kasirye, the field of public health offers unique opportunities for physicians such as herself. “I enjoy working in public health because I like to engage with the community and to have a variety of projects that can positively influence the health of our residents,” said Dr. Kasirye. “I have seen first hand how public health prevention and intervention activities can make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives.”

Dr. Kasirye, who is originally from Uganda, has lived in the United States for over twenty years. She is a current resident of El Dorado County and is married with two teenage children. She can be reached at (530) 621-6156 or via email at Olivia.kasirye@edcgov.us.

Weather -- Summer temps expected to retun this weekend

2009-08-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

Rain has been spotted throughout the Lake Tahoe region and into the Carson Valley today. It's time to put the tops up on convertibles. Gray skies are the norm. About noon in South Lake Tahoe a mix of sleet/hail came down and the temps plummeted faster than the stock market did last fall.

From Zephyr Cove resorts:
Zephyr Cove Marina will be closed today due to high winds - We will resume operations tomorrow morning at 8AM.
The Tahoe Queen will be Off-line for minor repairs.

From www.weather.com:

Forecast for South Lake Tahoe, CA
Aug 6 Tonight
Windy with scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 37F. WSW winds at 20 to 30 mph, diminishing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Aug 7 Tomorrow
Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 68F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Aug 7 Tomorrow night
Clear skies. Low 38F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Aug 8 Saturday
Mainly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the low 40s.
Aug 9 Sunday
Abundant sunshine. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 40s.
Aug 10 Monday
A few clouds. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 40s.
Aug 11 Tuesday
Sunshine. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 40s.
Aug 12 Wednesday
Sunshine. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the upper 40s.
Aug 13 Thursday
Sunshine. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 40s.
Aug 14 Friday
Abundant sunshine. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 40s.
Aug 15 Saturday
Sunshine. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 50s.

News -- Tahoe woman resigns as head of California Fish and Game Commission

2009-08-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

By Matt Weiser mweiser@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009 - 1:14 pm

The president of California's Fish and Game Commission has resigned on the eve of a critical vote to approve new marine sanctuaries, possibly throwing that vote into deadlock.

Cindy Gustafson filed her resignation letter Friday and it was effective immediately. It came in response to an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office, which Gustafson requested, finding that her job conflicts with her role on the commission.

Gustafson is general manager of the Tahoe City Public Utilities District, which provides water, sewer and recreation services for a portion of the Lake Tahoe community. Her job is defined under state law as an "officer" of the organization, which creates a "conflict of loyalties" with her appointed post on the Fish and Game Commission.

According to the Attorney General's opinion, Gustafson said, this conflict of loyalties is more difficult than a simple conflict of interest. It prevents Gustafson from simply recusing herself from individual votes that conflict with her work.

"I want everyone to know I raised this question myself," Gustafson said. "It's a huge disappointment. It was definitely heart-wrenching to leave."

The Fish and Game Commission, at its meeting tomorrow in Woodland, is scheduled to vote on whether to create 30 new marine protected areas between Santa Cruz and Mendocino. The project, which aims to protect marine habitat and restore fish stocks, has been in the works for two years.

Gustafson's absence means the decision may deadlock in a 2-2 vote, as commissioners Dan Richards and Jim Kellogg are known to have concerns about adopting more marine sanctuaries in the midst of a state budget crisis.

News -- Leadership change at Nevada Seismological Lab

2009-08-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Aug 4, 2009 08:36 PM PDT
www.ktnv.com

After 11 years as director of the Nevada Seismological Lab, John Anderson has stepped down from the position to focus on teaching and research. "I never meant this to be my last job, to be director for life,' he said. "It's part of my long-term plan; it's someone else's turn now."

The new director, Graham Kent, is settling in after arriving two weeks ago from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where for the past 13 years he's been a research geophysicist at their Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. More recently, for seven years he has been director of the Visualization Center at Scripps. He is now a professor of geophysics in the University of Nevada, Reno's Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering.

"I predict that he'll be a fantastic director for the lab, and look forward to collaborating with him when I get back to Reno next summer," Anderson said.

Anderson, who has been part of the University's Seismology Lab and the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering for 20 years, is currently working on a project with the prestigious University of Tokyo, one of the leading seismology universities in the world. The project seeks to improve seismic hazard evaluation techniques utilizing their extensive earthquake recording networks.

Anderson said he enjoyed his tenure as director, and despite some landmark seismic events, such as the Mogul swarm, the 2008 Wells earthquake and the very unusual and historic deep earthquakes under Lake Tahoe in 2003, Nevada was unusually quiet during his tenure.
"Those have been some scientific highlights for sure, but we had extraordinarily low seismicity while I was director," he said. "We went for 14 years without a magnitude 6 earthquake, which is very unusual. We expect one every three or four years."

Anderson is proud of the work the department has done in expanding the monitoring and reporting of earthquakes and he's proud of the work done by the lab during the Mogul Sequence of over 1,500 earthquakes last year.

"We can learn more about earthquakes now than we could 10 years ago," he said. "But after foreshocks early on in the Mogul-Somerset area, we concluded that the message to get to the public was preparedness. It wasn't a prediction, but a reminder that this is a seismically active area and we don't know when they will happen."

Kent is well-known to researchers in Nevada. He's been studying the tectonics of western Nevada for 10 years, including earthquake fault hazards in the Lake Tahoe Basin (including Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake) with sonar profiling. Kent and his colleagues from Scripps developed the field of underwater paleoseismology at Lake Tahoe, which has now been applied in several locales, including the Salton Sea, the Great Salt Lake, San Diego Bay and the Borderlands of California. His research interests also include the Walker Lane, a geological region roughly aligned with the border between the states of California and Nevada.

He studied geophysics at San Diego State University, where he graduated and was Valedictorian of the Class of 1985. Soon thereafter, he entered graduate school at Scripps Institution of Oceanography receiving his PhD in 1992.

"I'm excited to be here. There's a lot of opportunity for answering grand science questions in this region, which requires a variety of different seismic techniques," Kent said. "I'm a hi-tech geek at heart and hope to bring the ability to work on some of the larger National Science Foundation-driven science questions, such as formation of the Sierra Nevada mountain range."

"Researchers tend to rely on computers and satellites. Maybe we're losing the ability to go out and measure, to go out on a boat or in a four-wheel drive and see things in the field up close. And, we can find things unrelated but profound, such as when mapping at Fallen Leaf Lake where we found the submerged ancient trees that yielded valuable climate data. We have to go out and make observations."

News -- FBI arrests South Tahoe man

2009-08-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, Aug. 05, 2009
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- An attorney has been arrested and charged after authorities say he accepted $53,500 in cash so he could instruct his client to lie to a grand jury investigating possible immigration fraud.

FBI agents arrested Alfred Nash Villalobos of South Lake Tahoe late Tuesday at a law office in Century City. He was charged with obstruction of a grand jury proceeding and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

It wasn't immediately known if Villalobos had retained an attorney.

Prosecutors say Villalobos was paid the bribe from another lawyer who represented a person being investigated for possibly providing false employment records to help immigrants obtain work visas.

Authorities say Villalobos, who represented one of the immigrants, planned to have his client lie to the grand jury.

PR -- Fire restrictions by USFS in Lake Tahoe

2009-08-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Date: August 4, 2009

TAHOE BASIN FIRE RESTRICTIONS TAKE EFFECT AUGUST 6South Lake Tahoe Calif.-- The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin fire restrictions on National Forest Lands on Thursday, August 6, 2009 and will maintain restrictions until further notice.

Campfires and charcoal fires will be limited to developed-fee campgrounds and developed day use recreation sites only. Such fires or charcoal fires must only be made in forest service-provided campfire rings or grills.

Fires including charcoal fires will be prohibited in all other semi-developed sites such as Luther Pass, Blackwood Canyon, and Watson Lake, as well as in all dispersed recreation areas. Forest users are urged to get specific information about the area they are visiting before venturing out. Call (530) 543-2694.

Fire restrictions limit conditions for smoking on National Forest Lands. Unless smoking takes place at a developed campsite or recreation site, all other smoking will be restricted to inside closed buildings and vehicles, or while stopped in areas cleared of burnable material at least 3 feet in diameter.

All residential burning in the Lake Tahoe Basin was suspended on July 15.
The restrictions will remain in effect until conditions moderate.Persons with valid fuelwood permits may continue to operate according to the terms of their permit, but are urged to use extra caution given the high fire danger. Permitted recreation residence owners may use charcoal or propane grills with a valid campfire permit and within the conditions of their special use permit. Organizational camps and resorts are exempt within the conditions of their special use permit. State and local regulations make the possession and use of all fireworks illegal within the Tahoe Basin year-round.

Full details of the restrictions and exemptions can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/. For more information, call (530) 543-2694.
###

Event -- Relay for Life on South Shore, Aug. 8-9

2009-08-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
READY, SET, RELAY FOR LIFE THIS WEEKEND, AUGUST 8-9

Aug. 5, 2009 (South Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) The South Lake Tahoe’s Relay For Life is ready to hit the ground running – or walking – to celebrate those who’ve beaten cancer, remember those we’ve lost to cancer and fight back against this disease that takes too much. The all-night party begins Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. at Kahle Community Park. Live music, including Lavish Green – a local favorite, karaoke, fire dancers, dunk tank donated by the Children’s Museum of Carson City, food, games and fundraisers will continue throughout the night.

The Pre-party is at Fox and Hound Friday, Aug. 7, from 7 p.m. – close, with food, drinks and live music from Deep Fyed Mojo. Erik Watada State Farm Agency team arranged for 10 percent of all sales during the Pre-party to be donated to Relay For Life

The committee has reached their goal of 40 registered teams and hopes to surpass it and raise more than $100,000 in the fight against cancer. Heading into the event the community has raised more than $20,000. Donations are collected on site with all types of unique fundraisers; in fact, Tahoe’s relay raises most of the funds that day, making our relay the top event in the northwest based on our size of the community. Teams can raise money until the end of August that count toward this year’s fundraising goals.

2009 marks the 25th Anniversary for Relay for Life events, and South Tahoe is celebrating its 4th Annual. The all-night event will be at Kahle Community Park Sat. Aug. 8, beginning at 4 p.m., concluding around 7 a.m. on Aug. 9. Teams, 10-15 members, take turns walking around the track throughout the event to symbolize that cancer never sleeps. Live music, food, activities, Canine For a Cure Dog Walk, Luminaria ceremony to remember those who we’ve lost to cancer and more are part of the event.

Presenting Sponsor is Harrah's/Harveys; Media Sponsors include Tahoe Daily Tribune, KRTL/KOWL, KTHO-AM, RSN-TV; $500-$1,000 Sponsors include: Apres Wine Company, Barton Health Care System, Horizon Casino, MontBleu Casino, Eric Watada State Farm, Life More Natural, Dog Dog Cat, Alpine Carpet One, Emerald Bay Center for Women’s Health, Soroptmist, The G Team, Rotary International, Weidinger Public Relations; additional Sponsors include Naomi and Shelly Zimbler, Boys and Girls Club South Lake Tahoe, Tony Naccarato Chiropractic, Tahoe Fire Dancers, Bank Of America, Push Fitness, The Shop Experiment And The Children’s Museum of Carson City.

South Lake Tahoe Relay For Life Schedule
12 pm – Registration opens for teams that want to come by early and get their campsites set up.
4 pm – Opening ceremony
4:15 pm – Survivor lap
4:30 pm – Caregiver Lap
4:45 pm – Everyone else starts walking
5:30 pm – Live Music begins with Karaoke between sets
6:00 pm – Survivor dinner
7 – 8:00 pm – Canines For a Cure dog walk (No dogs after 8:15 p.m. per Kahle’s rules)
8:50 pm – Silent Auction ends
9:00 pm – Luminaria Ceremony
All night fun, games, dunk tank, music and fundraising!!!
6 – 7:00 am – Breakfast and closing ceremony

*All times are approximate. If teams want to announce honorary laps for loved ones you can let the event chair or an American Cancer Society staff member know at Relay and it’ll be announced.

For more information about the South Lake Tahoe Relay For Life event, to register a team, ways to get involved visit: www.sltrelay.com or click here to donate.

To view images from past events, fundraisers and activities click here: Relay For Life.

Contact: Jenn Boyd at boydjen@gmail.com or 702-278-1932 or Allan Warren at allan.warren@cancer.org or 775-828-2203.
###
About the American Cancer SocietyOne in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people across the country each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much.

PR -- Northstar prepares for 2009-10 season

2009-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Aug. 5, 2009 - In advance of the 2009-2010 winter season, Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort is sharing an early look at the new offerings that will be available to visitors this winter. Highlights include the opening of Lake Tahoe's first five-star caliber hotel located slopeside at the resort, new lifts, learning programs and beginner teaching terrain.

"The variety of on-site lodging options, on-mountain terrain, and shopping and dining experiences available in the Village at Northstar were designed to provide our guests with the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family and create the personalized experiences they desire," said Julie Maurer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort. "With the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Highlands hotel this winter, as well as new learning programs and the completion of on-mountain improvements that are designed to enhance the ski and snowboard experience, we look forward to continuing to offer our guests the boutique mountain resort experience that only Northstar Resort is offering in the Lake Tahoe region."

Situated at mid-mountain at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort, The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe will open on December 9, 2009 featuring ski-in, ski-out access, mountain valet services, Manzanita, the resort's signature restaurant created by renowned San Francisco celebrity chef Traci Des Jardins, and a 17,000 square foot spa and fitness center. The year-round destination includes 170 guest rooms, 23 private Ritz-Carlton Residences and 25 Ritz-Carlton Club fractional ownership units.

New Lifts Provide Ski-In, Ski-Out Hotel Access
The Highlands Gondola, a new fixed grip pulse gondola featuring 8-passenger cabins was erected this summer and will provide a direct connection between the Village at Northstar™ and The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe. The addition of this new lift brings the resort's lift count to 19.

The Bear Paw double lift accessing the resort's beginner teaching area has been replaced and realigned. The new fixed grip quad chairlift now provides ski-in, ski-out access to and from The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe from the mid-mountain area of Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort and greatly improves access to Northstar Resort's beginner teaching terrain.

New Teaching Programs and Terrain Offer Improved Experience

Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort's beginner teaching area has been expanded and redesigned to include more of the sculpted smart terrain™ that the resort has successfully demonstrated helps improve the learning curve for beginning skiers and snowboarders. This increase in terrain (three times the size of the previous teaching area), as well as a new ski trail providing access from The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe to the mid-mountain area of Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort brings the resort's ski trail count to 90, and its total skiable acreage to 3,000 acres.

New this year, the Burton Snowboard Academy will feature instruction for children under the age of 13. In addition, the Academy will introduce the Northstar Training Lab, a season-long development program that will follow a structured process that supports the foundations, skills and tactics that all riders need to become creative and push the limits of their riding and the sport.

Northstar Resort will also introduce a new Development Race Team Program that will feature almost 300 hours of ski training. The development race team program is suited for ages 5-18 and trains weekends and school holidays, all day, all season for just $1,199 ($4 per hour).
With the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Highlands hotel this winter, as well as new learning programs and the completion of on-mountain improvements that are designed to enhance the ski and snowboard experience, we look forward to continuing to offer our guests the boutique mountain resort experience that only Northstar Resort is offering in the Lake Tahoe region.

###

Event -- LT Shakespeare Festival winding down

2009-08-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This is an incredible setting to see Shakespeare. Bring a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine ... and go early

Via email notice:

Only two weeks left of Shakespeare...make sure you enjoy the whole season!Thank you for seeing one of our shows! We invite you back and receive 25% off your next Shakespeare play of either, Measure for Measure or Much Ado About Nothing, or 50% off one of our remaining performances of the Urban Village Monday Night Music Series.Use code: 25%OFFTWOWEEKS to get 25% off your tickets to Much Ado About Nothing or Measure for MeasureUse code: 50%OFFTWOWEEKS to get 50% off Latin Funk artist Omar Alexander on August 10 and electric violinist Karen Briggs on August 17.Click on the video at right to see what you missed on Monday night at Sugaray!d Tickets!

Enjoy a late summer evening with Dierberg Estate Vineyard and Lone Eagle GrilleChef De Cuisine, Mark May, and Sommelier, Kristi Snyder, will pair a four course dinner complemented by wines by Dierberg Estate Vineyard on August 23 at 6:00 p.m.~$200 per personFor reservations and more information, please call 775-886-6899

The Mountain Course at Incline VillageBring in your ticket voucher or order confirmation e-mail and receive $10 off your green fee at The Mountain Course in Incline Village. (7 day advance reservations, not valid Fri-Sun, may not be combined with any other discount offer). Call 775-832-1150 to reserve your tee time todayThe Mountain Course at Incline Village located in beautiful Lake Tahoe continues to rank as one of the Top 10 Short courses in the country. This locals' favorite designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. is recognized as one of the finest layouts of its type in the world. Friendly for all levels offering shorter distances for novice golfers yet challenging for even the most experienced golfer. Join us for one of our great programs to help you learn the game, improve your game, or just have fun playing the game.

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a 501 C (3) non-profit organization established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to our region. We strive to plan, produce and advocate the finest cultural events at Lake Tahoe while educating future generations on the importance of including theatre, music and art in their everyday lives. This email was sent to: kworld1@yahoo.com. Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival 948 Incline Way Incline Village, Nevada 89451800-74-SHOWS (74697)

Weather Alert -- Snow in the higher elevations?

2009-08-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Below is the weather forecast from www.weatherunderground.com. Some outlets are calling for snow at the 9,000-foot elevation and higher. Time to bring in plants/produce that might freeze or toss a sheet over them.

Lake Wind Advisory in effect until 10 PM PDT this evening...

Tonight
Windy. Partly cloudy. Lows 43 to 53. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 40 mph. Ridge gusts up to 55 mph.

Thursday
Breezy. Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 56 to 66. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Ridge gusts up to 50 mph.

Thursday Night
Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening...then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers after midnight. Lows 36 to 46. West winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.

Friday
Partly cloudy. Highs 60 to 70. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Lows 33 to 43. West winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Saturday
Sunny. Highs 69 to 79.

Saturday Night
Clear. Lows 40 to 50.
Sunday through Wednesday
Clear. Highs 74 to 84. Lows 41 to 51.

Event -- Celebrity Golf at Lake Tahoe

2009-08-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

What are you doing in July 2010? Maybe a trip to South Lake Tahoe for the 21st annual American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament should be on your to-do list.

Top photo is the beach on the 17th Hole. It's party headquarters with people frolicking in the lake, playing music -- having a good time as 80 plus celebrities whack a little white ball just feet from the beach. Make sure you are paying attention when Charles Barkley goes by -- his shots are less than straight.

This year Barkley donated $90,000 for survivors of the 2007 Angora Fire that destroyed 254 houses just outside the city limits of South Lake Tahoe. He had already given $100,000.

Next photo is one of NBC's many cameras. The network televises the event each year. It's a little golf, a little travelogue, a lot about Lake Tahoe. If you can't make it in person, it is worth turning the TV on.

Former Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino returned to the links this year. He was often mobbed by fans seeking his autograph.

PR -- Passengers flock to reopened Virginia-Truckee Railroad

2009-08-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

August 4, 2009 (Carson City, Nev.) – Public support for the reconstructed Virginia & Truckee Railroad (www.VTRailway.com) route from Carson City to Virginia City has met with immediate success and overwhelming popularity as tickets for the first train, Saturday, Aug. 15 sold out in just five days. The 140-passenger train will offer rides every Saturday through October.

Nearly 17 years in the making, the V&T Railroad is once again generating revenue for the region, originally with the silver from the Comstock Lode, and 150 years later with local passengers and visitors.

Seats are available Sunday, August 16 and every consecutive Saturday through Oct. 31. Trains leave Carson City from Eastgate Siding on Flint Drive at 10 a.m., arriving in Virginia City at 11:30 a.m. The train departs the F Street station in Virginia City at 3:00 p.m., returning to Carson City at 4:00 p.m. Roundtrip tickets are $48 per adult, $36 for children 12 and under and $40 for seniors 65 and older. One way tickets will be available for $29 adults, $23 for children and $25 for seniors. To reserve tickets, call 800-NEVADA-1 or visit www.VisitCarsonCity.com and click “buy tickets.”

The 60-90-minute train rides will include scenic vistas of the “old west” countryside, views of the Carson River, two tunnels and occasional sightings of wild stallions. Commemorative plaques with slices of historic track will be available to riders for $20 during the opening weekend with proceeds benefitting the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway.

The V&T Railway, the richest short-line in American history, originally operated during the raucous silver strike era of the infamous Comstock Lode from 1869 to 1938. When completed in 2011, the reconstructed track will trace all 16.7 miles of the 19th century route between Carson City and Virginia City and is expected to serve as a major tourism attraction to the area. The Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau and Carson City have pledged $21 million and Storey County has contributed $2 million to the $54.9 million project.

The Gray family began to reconstruct the tracks between Virginia City and Gold Hill in 1972. Since then, they have run trains daily between the two cities, keeping the V&T alive. Their involvement through the years has helped make the reconstruction project between Virginia City and Carson City possible, http://VirginiaTruckee.com/.

PR -- Tahoe paddle-wheelers' August schedule

2009-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Please see the attached schedule for the month of August. Note there has been an amendment on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of August. The Tahoe Queen will be Off-line for minor repairs. Thank you for your patience and understanding. *************************************************************************************************************Today's Cruise Schedule is as follows: MS Dixie: There is an Emerald Bay Sightseeing Cruise that departs Zephyr Cove Marina at 11:30AM and 2:30PM.There is a Captain's Dinner Dance Cruise that departs Zephyr Cove Marina at 6:00PM.Tahoe Queen:There is an Emerald Bay Sightseeing Cruise that departs Ski Run Marina at 11:00AM and 2:30PM.

There is a Sierra Sunset Dinner Cruise that departs Ski Run Marina at 6:30PM. This cruise is nearly sold out - Please call to inquire about availability.

Zephyr Cove Marina Current Rates attached. This is a great opportunity to create a memorable experience for your guests. Zephyr Cove Marina will be open from 8AM - 6PM, please call 775.589.4901 for more information and to make your reservations.

Marina Mondays Take Advantage of this Great Offer on Monday, August 10th!*$40 an hour off on Wave Runners and Power Boats rented before 10:30AM. $100 off Half Day Rate on Weekender Boat and $200 off Full Day rate. $10 off solo parasailing and $20 off tandem parasailing all day. Extra half hour free for every hour rented on beach boats. Plus...Early Bird Pricing for Wave Runners, Parasailing and Power Boats after 10:30AM - $25 an hour off Power Boats and Wave Runners. $10 off solo parasailing and $20 off tandem parasailing all day. Extra half hour free for every hour rented on beach boats. At the Sunset Bar, $5 Mojitos and specialty Bloody Marys all day. 20% Off your entire ticket at Zephyr Cove Restaurant for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner with receipt from Dixie, Sunset Bar or Marina shown. AND 10% off any retail item with a receipt from Marina, Dixie, Sunset Bar or Restaurant!!

Event -- BlueGo open houses Aug. 6

2009-08-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Oliver, BlueGO Communications, 775-589-5235

For Release Immediately August, 4 2009

BLUEGO SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE EVENTS FOR RIDER INPUT

Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV –- The South Tahoe Area Transit Authority, which operates BlueGO, has scheduled two open house events on Thursday, August 6, to inform riders of existing services and receive their input on potential improvements.

The open house events will occur at the following times and locations:

1 p.m. to 3 p.m., South “Y” Transit Center ( US Hwy 50/State Route 89 junction).
4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Stateline Transit Center (US Hwy 50, at Heavenly Gondola/Explore Tahoe center).

The information provided and input received will be integrated into a short range transit plan being developed for BlueGO by LSC Transportation Consultants. Participants will learn about the existing transit services and potential service alternatives to improve the efficiency of the system. There will also be an opportunity for participants to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the system and where improvements could be made.

To learn more about the open houses, contact Kristina Svensk at (530) 583-4053 or kristina@lsctahoe.com.

BlueGO is a service of the South Tahoe Area Transit Authority, which consists of members representing the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Douglas County, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Transportation District, The Ridge Resorts, Harrah’s, Harveys, Lakeside Inn, MontBleu, Horizon and Heavenly Mountain Resort. Collectively, these partner agencies provide a coordinated transit system to reduce vehicle miles traveled on the south shore of Lake Tahoe and to improve the quality of life through the implementation and management of innovative transit solutions.

PR -- Black Bear Inn recognized for romanace

2009-08-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 29 June, 2009
Contact: Kevin Chandler at Black Bear Inn
(530)544-4451 or info@tahoeblackbear.com

South Lake Tahoe’s Black Bear Inn bed and breakfast has been named one of the top inns in the country for romance.

Last week the travel website ILoveInns.com announced their new “Travelers’ Choice for Romance” award, presented to 14 bed & breakfasts and country inns across the country. The staff at iLoveInns.com compiled and analyzed the individual reviews posted on the site by guests regarding romantic celebrations, and tallied which inns drew the most ardent attention from guests for the quality of romance. This is the first year for this new award.

Owners Jerry Birdwell and Kevin Chandler opened Black Bear Inn on Ski Run Boulevard 10 years ago and the property has received many accolades over the years. It was named one of the Top 10 B&Bs in California in 2005; it has twice been featured on the ABC television program The Bachelor; it was featured in an HGTV travel show called Vacation Living; and it has spent several years as one of Fodor’s Editor’s Top Picks. To learn more about the property, check the inn’s website at www.tahoeblackbear.com.

The contact person at ILoveInns.com is Barbara Naylon at (949)481-7276.

-30-

Event -- Sept. 11 free health check-up

2009-08-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Barton HealthCare System

What: FREE Medical Health Checks
For the Entire Family
When: Friday, September 11, 2009
3 – 7pm (No appointments. Walk-in only)
Where: South Lake Tahoe Airport, CA

We Will Never Forget!
Celebrating Health & Emergency Preparedness Awareness

Questions, call 530.543.5615

Partners:
South Lake Tahoe Airport
City of South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe Fire
Department
Emergency Management
Community Coalition
American Red Cross
CalStar
El Dorado County Public
Health
Tahoe Youth & Family Services
Robert Rupp, MD
Barton Emergency
Department
Barton Home Health
Barton Community Clinic
Barton Auxiliary
Barton Financial Services
Kahle Community Center
California Public Health
Department
Barton University
Robin Tomita, MD
South Lake Tahoe Police
Department
Barton Community Clinic
Barton Public Relations
South Lake Tahoe Humane
Society, SPCA
Barton Foundation
California Highway Patrol
BlueGo

More than two dozen free medical screenings

Family Workshops for Emergency Planning
Attend at either 4 p.m., 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers, inside the Airport.
Bring the entire family for free expert information and instructions on how to organize your family’s emergency disaster plan, then break into family groups and design your personalized disaster plan and escape route with help from American Red Cross and Emergency Management Community Coalition members.

Free orthopedic screenings by Dr. Robert Rupp
Free “Check Your Check” screenings by Dr. Robin Tomita
Explore a CalStar helicopter
Learn emergency pressure dressings and slints
Free CA radon test kits and info

Tour a fire truck
Tour the Emergency Command Vehilce and a Police Car
CPR & AED hands on instruction
Dog & Cat first aid and CPR training
Paws & Claws pet safety
Treat exercise induced asthma & COPD screenings
K9 unit demonstration
Blood Pressure screenings
Fitness activities for children
Financial assistance/Advance Directives
Learn “Safe Places” in our Community
Emergency Backpacks & Disaster Guides
Flu prevention/handwashing activities
Children’s crafts and activities
Special BlueGO routes to airport

Outdoors -- Wildflower season

2009-08-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Fields of lupin are common this time of year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This particular patch is near Fallen Leaf Lake. Bring plenty of bug spray because the mosquitos are swarming.

PR -- Tahoe Maritime Museum

2009-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Tahoe Maritime Museum
August 2009

View our NEW displays and take a CRUISE in the BOAT SIMULATOR when you visit this month.MUSEUM MEMBERS (at the $100 level and above) can sign up for a wonderful ride on MISS TAHOE on Thursday evenings or Sunday mornings. Call (530) 525 - 9253 to schedule your ride - please leave your name and a mobile phone number when you make your reservation.

Summer 2009 at a GlanceMore than 3,000 people have passed through our doors since Memorial Day weekend and we're expecting this month to offer more fun times, insightful moments and great family memories for new and returning visitors.The Museum Store offers a variety of unique maritime themed gift items, high quality logo wear and an outstanding selection of books.We hope you'll bring your friends and family to the Museum between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursdays through Tuesdays and check out the right hand column for special event information.

NOTE OF THANKS
Volunteers and donations help make programming a success. THANK YOU from the Tahoe Maritime Museum staff to Al Le Bel, Tracy Neher, Kathy and Paul Schultz, Denise and Captain Ron Kirby, Michelle Schei, Nancy Cunningham, Carol King, Warren Fallat, Tahoe House Bakery. Your contributions to Museum programming in July 2009 are greatly appreciated.Grants combined with individual and corporate support provide for Museum operations and educational offerings. A sincere note of thanks to the Teichert Foundation for supporting the Schools Program in 2009 / 2010.

SAT., AUG. 15 Final Truckee Annex Open House of the Summer10am - 5pmTruckee Annex10434 River Park Place $5 admission. FREE for members.

News -- 40th annual Saks Fifth Ave. fundraiser for the League

2009-08-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

by WWD Staff
Posted Monday August 03, 2009
From WWD.COM

A chic crowd of more than 650 guests gathered beneath the pines on the Fritz family’s estate in Lake Tahoe Saturday for the 40th annual League to Save Lake Tahoe/Saks Fifth Avenue luncheon and fashion fund-raiser.

Guest of honor Oscar de la Renta staged a show of his 2010 resort collection, continuing a tradition started beside the lake in 1969 by his pal Bill Blass in collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue.

“I can’t believe Bill founded it 40 years ago. It’s extraordinary,” said the designer, as he greeted pals such as Barbara Brown and Sally Debenham and posed for iPhone portraits. “I love this event because it’s like family, so relaxed.”

There to enjoy the al fresco lunch and show were Mara Fritz, Emmy and Dolph Andrews, Suzanna Allen, Sally Swing and Alexis and Trevor Traina. Trevor’s mother, Dede Wilsey, was obviously taken with what she saw coming down the runway, ordering several gowns for San Francisco’s winter social season.

And despite the absence of big client Google executive Marisa Mayer, a stalwart de la Renta fan, all the other ladies were in shopping mode — at 4 p.m., Boaz Mazor was still knee-deep in tulle as he supervised fittings.

“Doomsday is over,” he proclaimed happily, just in time for the upcoming openings of the fashion house’s stores in Moscow and London.

As for de la Renta, he is taking a Zen approach to the current retail climate.

“My fashion wisdom comes from gardening,” explained the designer. “This is a difficult time for many, but I am not in crisis mode. Like the seasons of gardening, there is a time to plant and a time to harvest, and now is a time to weed. This will pass.”

Event -- Aug. 8 animal adoption on South Shore

2009-08-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

By Cathy Locke clocke@sacbee.com

Published: Monday, Aug. 3, 2009 - 1:03 pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- El Dorado County Animal Services and the Lake Tahoe Humane Society and SPCA will sponsor a Mobile Animal Adoptions event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in South Lake Tahoe.
Potential adoptive families can get acquainted with animals that need homes. The society's mobile adoption trailer will be set up at 1221 Emerald Bay Road, behind Snowshoe Thompson Ski Rental.
"The adoption event will showcase cats and dogs from the El Dorado County Animal Shelter that are recent victims of circumstances beyond their control," Dawn Armstrong, Lake Tahoe Humane Society executive director, said in a news release. "Most of the animals were brought to the shelter because their owners lost jobs or homes. Others got lost and were never reunited with their families."
A pet chosen through the mobile adoption event will be put on hold while the process is completed at the El Dorado County Animal Shelter in Meyers. In many cases, the animals can go to their new homes the same day.
All pets offered for adoption at the event will have received their vaccinations and microchip and will have been spayed or neutered and temperament tested, according to Lt. Robert Gerat, supervising animal services officer.
For more information about the event, call the Lake Tahoe Humane Society, (530) 542-2857. Information about El Dorado County Animal Services, including shelter location and hours of operation, is available on the Web site at www.edcgov.us/animalservices, or by calling (530) 573-7925.
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Breaking News -- Highway 28 open

2009-08-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

According to the Nevada Department of Transportation's website, State Route 28 at Highway 50 that leads to Sand Harbor and Incline Village, opened Monday night.

A sewage line that erupted this weekend forced the closure of the East Shore artery around the lake. No effluent reached the lake, according to reports.

PR -- Recreation this week on the North Shore

2009-08-03T18:16:00.001-07:00

NORTH TAHOE NIGHTLIFE GIVES VACATIONS A SECOND WIND(NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nevada) – North Lake Tahoe is all about fun in the sun in the summertime, but travelers making the most of every vacation minute know that things are just picking up when the sun is going down.Travelers can kick off their evening at one of several new, upscale eateries, such as Baxter’s Bistro and Lounge or the Chocolate Bar in the Village at Northstar. Classic restaurants, such as Gar Woods Grill and Pier, Jake’s On the Lake, Sunnyside Resort and the Lone Eagle Grille are also noteworthy stops, serving up fine food and lively evenings.Wine bars have made their mark on the scene in recent years. The Pour House and Trio Wine Bar (both in Truckee) and Uncorked in the Village at Squaw will get guests through the early hours while Spindleshanks in Tahoe Vista is also known for its flights of wine, in addition to a full bar and bistro.A trip to North Lake Tahoe isn’t complete without a roll of the dice or a hand of blackjack as a handful of casinos can be found nestled among the Crystal Bay and Incline Village shoreline. The Cal-Neva Resort, Crystal Bay Club, Tahoe Nugget and Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino are surrounded by towering pines, while the tables and slots at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village sit within a grand, Old Tahoe setting.The Breeze at the Tahoe Biltmore and the Crystal Bay Club both host an eclectic and popular lineup of performances throughout the year, with the Crystal Bay Club featuring live entertainment most days of the week, with many shows free to the public.The Village at Squaw keeps things lively with the Auld Dubliner, an authentic Irish pub, which hosts live Irish entertainment on a regular basis, with local and touring Irish bands performing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.For a signature Lake Tahoe evening, there’s the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, which presents nightly performances (except Monday) of “Much Ado About Nothing” or “Measure for Measure” under the night sky from July 11 through August 23. The Sand Harbor venue also hosts a world music concert series on Mondays through the duration of the festival.The Lake Tahoe Music Festival fills the summer nights with melody Thursdays and Saturday evenings from July 23 through August 8. Featured performers include Fourplay, Huey Lewis and the News, the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, Boz Scaggs and The Yellowjackets. Concerts take place at scenic venues such as West End Beach at Donner Lake, Old Greenwood, Tahoe Donner and Homewood Ski Resort.Entertainment is also found throughout North Lake Tahoe’s other venues from the jazzy sounds of live music at Moody’s in Truckee to free, evening concerts on the beach in Tahoe City and Kings Beach. For a complete list of summer entertainment, click to the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus’ event calendar at www.gotahoenorth.com/events-and-activities/event-calendar.North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno Tahoe International Airport, two hours from Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations, recreation and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3296 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village. The North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, work together to promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.

Arts -- Tahoe Tallac Association turns 30

2009-08-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

By Kathryn Reed • Special to the RGJ • August 2, 2009

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE -- What started out as a smattering of local musicians and artists showing off their talents has grown into an annual festival that brings international performers and an audience from far outside the Lake Tahoe Basin.
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This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the Tahoe Tallac Association, the nonprofit organization responsible for the Valhalla Arts and Music Festival.
While arts and culture are still the focal points of the Tahoe Tallac Association, the current board of directors' goal is to make the lineup more diverse. This includes targeting a younger audience and having more ethnically diverse offerings.
"It's not hard to get people to book because they all want work," said Steve Farnsley, executive director. "In general, we deliberately tried not to repeat things we had last year so we keep it fresh."
But not everything is new. Tom Delaney was one of the original jazz performers, and he was part of this year's festival in June.
Judy Tijselling and Pat Amundson started the quilt exhibition that is still a staple of the arts program. This season's exhibit is Aug. 10-14.
Before the festival got off the ground, the U.S. Forest Service was contemplating destroying all of the buildings at the Tallac Historic Site. This stretch of the South Shore just outside South Lake Tahoe was once home to sprawling estates with multiple buildings. The Forest Service bought the land in 1965 for lakeshore access.
"Initially, the Forest Service was just thinking having beach access was the priority," explained Allie Wenzl, USFS site director for the 74-acre Tallac Historic Site. "Later on there was an analysis done by the recreation side (of the Forest Service) and the local community really emphasized they wanted to keep the buildings."
Carol Spain, who is credited with forming the Tahoe Tallac Association, said she got involved when the Forest Service in the late 1970s invited the public to suggest recreation ideas for the property.
"When I saw it, I was blown away by the potential of the site. Up to that point it was gated, fenced, no admittance signs were all over the place," Spain said. "I was so excited by the potential in terms of incorporating arts at this historic site and the combination of history, recreation and arts."
A coalition of community members came together to submit a plan to the Forest Service. Once the Tahoe Tallac Association got going, about 500 people were on board.
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Today the association leases from the Forest Service the Valhalla Grand Hall, Boathouse Theatre, and twin cabins that house the gift shop and artists in residence.
One aspect of the agreement with the Forest Service is 20 percent of the association's gross must go toward restoration of the site. Modifications like a new roof can be made, but modernization must comply with federal historic regulations.
Leo Buscaglia, who lived in Glenbrook until his death in 1998, was instrumental in transforming the old boathouse into a theater. He was the headliner of many fundraisers. Another $40,000 was given to the boathouse upon his death.
TTA board members like Diana Evans and Dave Hamilton also participate in some of the local productions.
"It's not a great theater for actors because there is really no backstage or dressing room," Evans said. However, she added, "It is my favorite place to be on stage. It is so intimate. You look out and really connect with everybody."
Like most endeavors, an eye always is on funding sources. The federal stimulus package will bring money to the Tahoe Tallac Association. The Leo Buscaglia Foundation has donated cash, as well as the Nevada Arts Commission, the Carol Franc Buck Foundation on the North Shore and US Bank.
Other sources include memberships, tickets sales and rental of the Grand Hall for weddings and other activities.
"What continues to be challenging is to get an audience because there are so many options for entertainment," Farnsley said.

Outdoors -- Sand Harbor boat launch closed

2009-08-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2009 ... Reno Gazette-Journal

Low water levels will force closure of one of the more popular boat launches at Lake Tahoe, officials said today.

The launch at Sand Harbor will be closed to motorized vessels on Aug. 5, said Bob Conrad, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The launch will remain open to kayaks and other carry-in boats, Conrad said. Inspectors will remain at Sand Harbor to inspect those vessels for invasive mussels, with those inspections free of charge, Conrad said.

PR -- High Meadows restoration

2009-08-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

Date: July 30, 2009

FOREST SERVICE ISSUES DECISION ON TRAILS AND RESTORATION FOR HIGH MEADOW South Lake Tahoe, Calif.-- The Forest Supervisor for the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has issued a decision memo for the High Meadow Restoration Project area near South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Alternative 3 addressed public comment that wanted the unclassified (user-created) Upper Cold Creek trail (ford up to the meadow) location rather than the proposed action trail location. In order to meet the purpose and need of establishing a sustainable trail system that included water quality and resource protection measures, the unclassified Upper Cold Creek trail will be re-routed in seven locations with six of these in the general area of the existing user trail. This will address water quality effects and still provide an experience for multiple users including hikers and mountain bikers. A decision regarding options for the lower portion of Forest Road 12N21 will be delayed due to ongoing discussions with a private land owner who shares a road easement with the Forest Service.
This decision will provide for dispersed recreation, maintain current camping, OHV and over-the-snow vehicle closures, provide access for forest management and restoration activities, access to the main power line to South Lake Tahoe and protection of restored resources. Trail work for hikers and mountain bikers will maintain a high quality experience while addressing water quality concerns.
The decision will implement watershed and ecosystem restoration activities. Vegetation treatments include removal of encroaching lodgepole pine through mechanical treatment of 113 acres and hand treatment of 165 acres. This includes removal of conifers to encourage regeneration of aspen stands. These treatments would be followed by a prescribed underburn in the meadow complex (approximately 350 acres). Watershed restoration work will address over a century of land uses including grazing in the meadow, constructing approximately 8,700 linear feet of new channels and floodplain along the East Fork, and North Fork of Cold Creek within High Meadow. This work will use existing on-site materials and will include re-vegetation of restored streambanks. Beginning this fall, a short-term forest order will close a portion of the project area. The extent of the closure will depend on visitor use and the timing of fuels treatment. This decision is subject to administrative review (appeal) pursuant to 36 CFR Part 215. Individuals or organizations who provided comments or otherwise expressed interest in the proposal by the close of the comment period are eligible to appeal the decision pursuant to 36 CFR part 215 regulations. The notice of appeal must meet the appeal content requirements at 36 CFR 215.14. More information including the full decision memo can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects/ or at the Forest Supervisor's Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. The office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Column -- Defensible space stops spread of fire

2009-08-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Note: The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team is a partnership of federal, state and local agencies working to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and promote fire defensible space at Lake Tahoe. On the team are fire organizations, representatives of the USDA Forest Service, the Nevada Fire Safe Council, agencies including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and state organizations. This is part of a series of articles from the team advising residents and visitors on how we can learn to live with fire while still protecting property, public safety and Lake Tahoe ’s environment.

By Norb Szczurek , Incident Commander, Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team

The surge of defensible space work carried out in our communities following the Angora and Washoe fires in 2007 was relatively easy to sustain without encouragement. So fresh in our memories were the towering firestorm, showers of ash and evacuations that few of us needed prodding. Recently, the rush to thin trees and brush and to move stacks of cordwood has faded. Like a trendy health remedy, defensible space at Lake Tahoe is slowly moving to the back of the medicine cabinet.

Perhaps this is only human nature, but our communities and our renowned environment deserve more. This place deserves the sustained commitment of everyone to reduce the threat of wildfire—even if it takes a reminder citation to keep the momentum going.

Defensible space is more than good sense, it is also state law in California and was recently adopted into law in Nevada . In California neighborhoods this summer, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ( CAL Fire) is working with local fire agencies to carry out area-wide inspections and cite non-compliant properties. In Nevada communities this year, although a legal framework is available for the first time, fire districts are remaining focused on education and the steady volunteerism coming from property owners. In both states, the law requires that properties with structures on them have defensible space to 100 feet or the property line, whichever is nearest.

For fire fighters, defensible space around homes can never take a backseat. Good defensible space allows firefighters to protect your home safely without facing unacceptable risk to their lives. Research and experience have shown that fuel reduction around buildings increases the probability of it surviving a wildfire. Seventy-five percent of the homes that survived the Angora Wildfire had defensible space.

Perhaps some property owners are “on the fence” regarding defensible space. They see it as a good thing, but are unsure what to do. Well, now more than ever at Lake Tahoe , excuses for not doing defensible space are scarce. Agencies have worked together to make sure defensible space guidelines are seamless and supportive. The Living With Fire Guide for the Tahoe Basin is available on video and in print at any fire house and online at www.livingwithfire.info. This guide is all one needs to get started. Efforts to educate property owners and to offer free assistance continue all around the lake with free evaluations and tree permits, free curbside chipping, free dump days. The Nevada Fire Safe Council has brought important funding to Lake Tahoe and is again offering homeowners who complete their defensible space rebates of 50% of the cost of vegetation management up to $1,000. Please contact your local fire district to sign up for a Defensible Space Evaluation to get started. These are important tools for fire fighters, but no less important than enforcement of existing codes. What Lake Tahoe has right now is a great support system for full time residents and second homeowners to achieve defensible space. All we need is to keep moving people through that system at a pace that equals the threat.

Home improvement needs rarely come with good timing. In good economic times or bad, wildfire equally threatens us all. If you feel that you can’t afford the time or the expense, remember that you live in a high fire hazard area. Defensible space must be a high-priority use of your spare time. Many activities in the Living With Fire Guide require little or no money to complete. Moving forward now also ensures that you can implement defensible space on a schedule that works for you. Waiting for a citation from the fire district puts you on a more rigid schedule for completion. Please also remember that the objective of enforcement is not to collect fines. Firefighters would rather see homeowners putting their resources toward defensible space than paying fines and as long no one ignores the first citation, no one will pay a fine. Issuing violation notices is only a tool to keep momentum moving forward on defensible space.

Even though the wave of activity on private properties is subsiding, your fire agencies continue to encourage property owners to take action and to think beyond their property lines. There is more at stake than just one person’s home. The health of Tahoe’s forests is inescapably related to the health of the watershed and to the communities residing under the forest canopy.

For more information visit www.fire.ca.gov or download the Living With Fire Guide at www.livingwithfire.info.

Norb Szczurek is Incident Commander for the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and Fire Chief for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District in Incline Village, NV.

PR -- Hiking at Heavenly

2009-08-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

Explore Heavenly with a Guided Eco-Walk
The Heavenly Gondola is your ticket to family adventure at Lake Tahoe this summer! It all starts with a 2.4-mile ride on the Heavenly Gondola and a stop at the Observation Deck for incredible views of Lake Tahoe, the Desolation Wilderness and the Carson Valley. Then, it's on to Adventure Peak where a world of high-alpine fun awaits! We've got the Spider Climber, a climbing wall, hiking trails, Adventure Peak Grill and, of course, the Heavenly Flyer ZipRider®! And debuting this season, you can take your experience to new heights with our new Summit Ticket and the Summit Ticket Eco Walk. There's a ton of summer action going on at Heavenly, so beat that summer heat at 9,100 feet!

PR -- Historic railroad reopening mid-August

2009-08-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

HISTORIC VIRGINIA & TRUCKEE RAILROAD ROUTE RE-OPENS, AUG. 15-16 Multi-Million Dollar Project Connects Virginia City and Carson City Public Rides Saturdays Through October Railfest Weekend Kicks-Off Celebration July 30, 2009 (Carson City, Nev.) For the first time in more than 70 years, a magnificent steam train will make its way between Carson City and Virginia City on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad (www.VTRailway.org ), Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16, 2009. The rumble of wheels steel on steel, the melodic tempo of a train highballing down the track, the steam whistle cutting through the air all signal the near completion of a project 17 years in the making. An inaugural run features a ceremonial ride for VIPs, dignitaries and politicians along a 12.8-mile reconstructed portion of the 16.7-mile original route between Nevada¹s sister cities, Friday, Aug. 14. Beginning Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16 and every consecutive Saturday through Oct. 31, the public can ride the rails. Trains leave Carson City from Eastgate Siding on Flint Drive at 10 a.m. arriving in Virginia City at 11:30 a.m. Then depart the F Street station in Virginia City at 3:30 p.m. to return to Carson City at 4:30 p.m. Roundtrip tickets are $48 per adult, $36 for children 12 and under and $40 for seniors over 65. One way tickets will be available for $29 adults, $23 for children and $25 for seniors. To reserve tickets, call 800-NEVADA-1 or visit https://www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/cccvb/. The 60-90-minute train rides will include scenic vistas of the ³old west² countryside, views of the Carson River, two tunnels and occasional sightings of wild stallions.. Commemorative plaques with slices of historic track will be available to riders for $20 during the opening weekend with proceeds benefitting the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway. The V&T Railway, the richest short-line in American history, originally operated during the raucous silver strike era of the infamous Comstock Lode from 1869 to 1938. When completed in 2011, the reconstructed track traces all 16.7 miles of the 19th century route between Carson City and Virginia City and is expected to serve as a major tourism attraction to the area. Train rides will be packaged with lodging stays and award-winning restaurants to link the area¹s fabled past to the present and shape its promising future as a prominent vacation destination. The Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau and Carson City have pledged $21 million and Storey County has contributed $2 million to the $54.9 million project. The 1860¹s V&T was privately funded and featured the finest appointments with the most luxurious interiors money could buy, including gold-leaf and brass-adorned locomotives to wooden coaches. The line brought entrepreneurs, gamblers and aristocrats to the Comstock. Along with these characters, the train carried the Mother Lode¹s gold and silver to Carson City and lumber from Lake Tahoe to build the mines in Virginia City. The timing of the V&T route re-opening appropriately coincides with Railfest, an annual celebration of the V& T Railway observed that weekend in both cities with a plethora of railroad activities. In addition to the V&T¹s newly re-opened route, steam engines in both towns will also offer shorter rides along existing track. In Virginia City where the V&T has run for more than 30 years under the ownership of the Gray family, the popular 5-mile route to Gold Hill will also be in full operation. In Carson City, ³steam-ups² will take visitors along the 1-mile route that surrounds the Nevada State Railroad Museum, adjacent to Highway 50 downtown. The Gray family began to reconstruct the tracks between Virginia City and Gold Hill in 1972. Since then, they have run trains daily between the two cities, keeping the V&T alive. Without their help, the reconstruction project between Virginia City and Carson City would not have been possible, http://VirginiaTruckee.com/. Silver Line Express tickets, a city pass for savings on train and trolley rides, merchant discounts and local attractions around Virginia City and Gold Hill, are available at visitors center, 86 South C St. Various options are available, including trolley tours, admission to the Ponderosa Mine, Historic Radio Museum, the Mark Twain Museum at the Territorial Enterprise, The Way It Was Museum, the Fourth Ward School, Chollar Mine and Comstock Gold Mill. A 1914 Pullman car and a Railway President¹s 1907 gentlemen¹s car will be on display. Other activities include historic railroad memorabilia displays, free face painting, a balloon magician, bounce house, and children¹s games. Call 775-847-4386 or visit www.VisitVirginiaCityNV.com . As part of Railfest weekend in Carson City, the Nevada State Railroad Museum will feature live music at the Depot. In conjunction with KNPB-TV and the Carson City Arts & Culture Coalition, the museum will screen The National Parks: America¹s Best Idea, a film by award-winning director Ken Burns, outdoors on the side of the Jacobsen Interpretive Center at the museum at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Call 775-687-6953 or visit www.VisitCarsonCity.com . Allll aboard! ###

PR -- North Lake Tahoe happenings

2009-08-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

August 3, 2009Clear, sunny skies in North Lake Tahoe are predicted for this week, with highs in the low 70s.Resorts and Towns’ Update: Only three more weeks left to enjoy the best in Shakespearean performances lakeside at Sand Harbor State Park under Tahoe’s starry nights. Or, catch the festival’s new Urban Village Music Series Monday nights, which features a different artist each week.The Tahoe Biltmore Lodge and Casino in Crystal Bay hosts the Hot Tahoe Cruizin’ Car Show (as well as trucks and motorcycles) Wednesday, August 5 through Sunday, August 9 along with a poker run.The Tahoe Environmental Research Center hosts the 10th Annual Children’s Environmental Science Day Friday, August 7, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., when kids ages 8 and older are invited to spend an interactive day with scientists learning about the unique ecology, function, restoration and preservation of Lake Tahoe.Stargazers unite! Tahoe Adventure Company is offering a sunset kayaking adventure followed by a brilliant tour of the night sky with astronomer Tony Berendsen Saturday, August 8 at the Tahoe Vista Recreation Area.Northstar-at-Tahoe in Truckee is the perfect venue for the tooth rattling, downhill challenge Mountain Bike Race Sunday, August 9, noon to 5 p.m., with more than 20 divisions for men, women and juniors, beginners through open class.As part of its free, outdoor movie nights, Tahoe City hosts “Journey to the Center of the Earth” Wednesday, August 12, 8:30 p.m., at Commons Beach. Bring low back chairs, blankets, sleeping bags and flashlights.Make your reservations now for the popular Thunderbird Lodge Winemaker Dinner Series, which features the Crystal Bay Club and Michael-David’s Wines Sunday, August 16. The historic property is located just outside of Incline Village. Cost is $195 per person.Save the date (the weekend of August 15-16) for the Brews, Jazz & Funk Fest at the Village at Squaw Valley. Dogs are welcome too as the event is an annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.Work on hiking trails and enjoy the Tahoe outdoor lifestyle at the Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Backcountry Camp scheduled for the weekend of August 15-16. Families are welcome, and children’s camping equipment is available upon request. Food will be provided.James Beard award-winning chef Traci Des Jardins, and owner of San Francisco’s renowned Jardinière, is among the celebrity chefs featured at this year’s Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival, September 11-13 in the Village at Northstar. Free cooking demonstrations, along with ticketed wine tastings and luncheons round out the three-day culinary extravaganza.The North Lake Tahoe Express daily airport shuttle service is available to and from North Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The shuttle runs from 3:30 a.m. until midnight. Fees are $35 per person, one-way, and $60 round trip. Discounts are available for groups of two or more. Reservations are required and can be made four hours in advance.For a snapshot of upcoming special events, as well as recreational activities of recent scenes, go to www.GoTahoeNorth.com and click on the web video for the North Tahoe Minute.North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, two hours from the Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from the San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3286 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village.The North Lake Tahoe Recreation Update is part of a partnership between the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. The combined efforts of both entities are aimed to further promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.

PR -- Residential burn ban in affect

2009-07-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

Date: July 9, 2009 Contact: Public Affairs, Cheva Heck 530-543-2608 or Rex Norman 530-543-2627
RESIDENTIAL BURNING BAN TO TAKE EFFECT IN THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN South Lake Tahoe, Calif:-- The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit's Forest Fire Chief will suspend residential burning, also known as "dooryard burning" effective, July 15. These residential burn bans will include both California and Nevada communities throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin. Warm and dry weather has finally moved into the basin this season, and fire protection officials made the move to end dooryard burning due to increased risks in and near residential areas. This burn ban is for residential burns only, and does not prevent federal, state and local fire managers from conducting needed prescribed fire work for fuels reduction on public lands. Prescribed fire work is conducted by fully equipped professional wildland firefighting crews, under favorable weather conditions. The residential burn ban will remain in effect until temperatures, winds and humidity allow for safer conditions.
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PR -- Ward Creek watershed project ideas

2009-07-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

Date: July 10, 2009 Contact: Public Affairs, Cheva Heck 530-543-2608 or Rex Norman 530-543-2627
COMMENT SOUGHT ON WARD CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION
South Lake Tahoe, Calif.—The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on a proposed action for the Ward Creek Watershed Ecosystem Restoration. Ward Creek is located on Tahoe’s West Shore north of the Homewood area. The purpose of the project is to correct effects from old land uses that are causing erosion and impacting water quality, and to promote a higher level of ecosystem function. The proposal consists primarily of breaching and re-vegetation of an old ditch berm in 2 to 3 locations within a roughly 70 foot reach. This will help to re-establish natural drainage patterns. In addition, a series of hand constructed features called “water bars” would be placed on an old logging road to re-establish more natural drainage and reduce erosion. The due date for comments on the proposed action is July 31, 2009. The full Proposed Action Description is available for review at the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe Calif., and on-line at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects

PR -- Meeks Meadow proposed restoration

2009-07-10T23:17:00.001-07:00

Date: July 10, 2009 Contact: Public Affairs, Cheva Heck 530-543-2608 or Rex Norman 530-543-2627
COMMENT SOUGHT ON MEEKS CREEK MEADOW RESTORATION
South Lake Tahoe, Calif.—The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on a proposed action to restore Meeks Creek Meadow. The purpose of the project is to correct effects from past land uses, including grazing. The project would result in the restoration of the meadow and aspen stands, while maintaining existing recreational opportunities. The proposed action consists of re-opening Meeks Creek Meadow by removing dense stands of encroaching small diameter lodgepole pine across 77 acres of the project area. The lodgepole removal would be conducted using both hand treatments and low impact mechanical treatments. The project area includes stream environment zones (SEZ). SEZs that are determined to be suitable for ground-based equipment may receive low impact mechanical treatment. All other SEZs would be treated by hand crews. Lodgepole removal may be followed by low intensity prescribed fire known as a “broadcast burn.” Aspen reforestation efforts would be conducted on 6.5 acres of the project. Lastly, the project would remove structural debris in the western portion of the meadow from the former “Camp Waisu,” a Girl Scout camp that was abandoned in 1965. To provide for public safety in this popular day-use recreation area, temporary closures can be expected when heavy equipment in use. The due date for comments on the proposed action is July 31, 2009. The full Proposed Action Description is available for review at the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe Calif., and on-line at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects

Annual Tahoe celeb golf tourney to benefit local charities

2009-07-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

20TH ANNUAL AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP
TO BENEFIT LOCAL NON-PROFITS

Tahoe Celebrity Golf Tournament to Help Feed the Hungry,
Aid Struggling Families and Support Local Children’s Programs

(South Lake Tahoe, Nev.) – Three South Lake Tahoe area non-profits will receive much needed funding to continue their work in the community from the American Century Championship (http://www.tahoecelebritygolf.com/). Officials of NBC Sports, the owner of the event, announced that Tahoe Youth & Family Services, Bread & Broth, and the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe will realize support toward specifically requested needs for the coming year. The celebrity golf tournament, July 14-19 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course has raised over $3 million for national and local charities since its inception in 1990.

“We made the decision to use the American Century Championship every year as a vehicle toward real impact on important causes and we’ve pledged to always contribute to local community service initiatives,” said Jon Miller, Executive Vice President of NBC Sports. “The residents of the Lake Tahoe area are as much a part of this event as the players themselves.”

Now in its 20th year, the American Century Championship has evolved into a local and national institution. The combination of two decades of memories plus sports and entertainment superstars including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Tony Romo, Ray Romano, Mario Lemieux, Dale Jarrett, Dan Marino, John Elway and Jerry Rice, has made it network television’s longest running celebrity golf tournament. NBC Sports will televise the second and final rounds of the event live on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 from noon-3 pm PT/ 3-6 pm ET both days, with Friday’s opening round on ESPN2, 4-6 pm PT/ 7-9 pm ET.

Funds raised by the American Century Championship will provide for approximately 20-25 weeks of meals for the hungry through the Bread & Broth program. Bread & Broth has provided hot meals to those in need every weekly for the past 20 years. Due to difficult economic times, the number of people served each week has increased, stretching the program’s community outreach budget to its limits.

Individual, family and group mentoring and outreach programs offered by Tahoe Youth & Family Services will get a lift by the Tahoe celebrity golf tournament with charitable funds going towards a new passenger van.
The community support group provides professional and affordable help for youth and families to support families experiencing the effects of homelessness, alcohol and drug use and teen pregnancy.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe offers programs and services to promote and enhance the development of South Lake Tahoe youth via educational and recreational activities. Local BGCLT kids can expect new computers from tournament donations.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) is the official charity of the American Century Championship. The tournament will also help build awareness of the LIVESTRONGâ Global Cancer Campaign, while raising funds for the LAF’s cancer survivorship initiatives. Collaborating again with the LAF on the 2009 tournament is a natural fit for American Century Investments, as that more than 40 percent of the asset management firm’s profits go to fund research for the prevention and cure of gene-based diseases.

Tickets are available in advance and daily at the gate. Prices are $15 each day for the Lake Tahoe Celebrity-Amateur on Tuesday, July 14, the practice round on Wednesday, July 15, and for the American Century Celebrity-Am on Thursday, July 16; and $25 for each tournament round, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A Season Pass for $60 provides admission for all six days of the event. Kids 10 and under are free with a paid adult. For tournament tickets, information and lodging packages, visit: http://www.bluelaketahoe.com/.

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For further information, contact:
Phil Weidinger
Weidinger Public Relations
http://us.mc388.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dinger@weidingerpr.com
(775) 588-2412

Washoe event in July

2009-07-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

Long before the white man called Lake Tahoe home, Washoe Indians lived here in spring and summer, while calling Gardnerville home as the temperatures dropped.
Washoe live here and in the valley year-round now. Some tribal members were born on the shores of Lake Tahoe 85 years ago.
Now in its 19th year, the Washoe people celebrate their culture at the Valhalla estate near Camp Richardson is a type of living history. The event showcases tribal living, the past and the present.
Wa She Shu It De is free from 10am-4pm, July 25-26. It will include basket making, traditional singing, dancers, drums, flutists, food and games.
“The festival is to educate the general public that indigenous people are still here,” said Wanda Bachelor of the Washoe Tribe. “The Washoe Tribe is still strong. We have been around for thousands of years. We are trying to preserve and protect who we are.”
At the festival, pictures should only be taken if permission is granted by the tribal member.

South Shore real estate numbers

2009-07-10T22:57:00.001-07:00

Homes selling for less than $1 million are boosting the Lake Tahoe real estate market, according to a mid-year report released by Lake Tahoe-based Chase International. Sales of homes priced more than $1 million were up 7 percent in the basin, with homes more than $1 million down 41 percent from this time last year. While sales volume around the Lake was down 19 percent, units sold stayed relatively level with a 2 percent decrease from this time last year. The average price of a home in Lake Tahoe is $886,045 (down 6 percent) and the median is $540,125 (down 24 percent). South Lake Tahoe showed the biggest increase in homes sold for less than $1 million (15 percent) with units sold jumping 11 percent. Volume sold fell 15 percent and homes sold for more than a million were down 75 percent. The average home price in South Lake Tahoe is down 23 percent to $375,565 and the median price is down 20 percent to $318,000.

Celebrity Golf Tourney July 14-19

2009-07-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

7/09 tahoe mt. news

Between Guy Fieri of Food Network fame shooting pork sandwiches to the crowd and Charles Barkley hamming it up on the links, this month’s 20th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament is destined to be the antithesis of The Masters.
Serious golf will be played at Edgewood Tahoe from July 14-19, but it’s not always what the crowd is most interested in.
Barkley remains the crowd favorite, largely because he interacts with the throngs who descend upon the Stateline golf course. The week before the tournament he donated $90,000 to the survivors of the Angora Fire. This brings his total to $190,000 to aid the 254 households who lost their home in the June 2007 wildfire.

More than 80 athletes, Hollywood types and politicians are signed up to whack the little white ball. As of July 1, 20 newbies are on the docket. They range from former NBA all-star Alonzo Mourning to Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt to actor Oliver Hudson of “Rules of Engagement.”
Tickets prices are: Lake Tahoe Celeb-Am Tournament on Tuesday, $15; practice round on Wednesday, $15; Celeb-Am on Thursday, $15; American Century Championship, Friday-Sunday, $25; season pass, $60; ages 10 and under are free with a paying adult, two children per adult.
For all the details, check out www.tahoecelebritygolf.com.

Barton health grants

2009-07-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

In an effort to impact the health of everyone on the South Shore, the Barton Foundation is accepting applications for its inaugural health grants. The goal is to provide funding to programs and organizations that benefit underserved groups of people and/or can have the greatest impact on the health of the entire community.
Deadline to apply is Aug. 31. Grantees will be notified in September and awards given at the first Barton Philanthropy Luncheon in November.
Submit proposals at www.bartonhealth.org/grants or 2092 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Ste. 600, South Lake Tahoe. For more information, call (530) 543-5612.

Beach fees increase in Tahoe

2009-07-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

It costs more money this summer to visit most Lake Tahoe beaches.
At Pope, Baldwin, Nevada and Meek's Bay beaches, the electronic fee stations are gone. Entrance kiosk attendants will be available from 8am-9pm most of the summer to collect fees, make change and provide information. The attendants will screen canoes and kayaks for quagga mussels and other invasive species to prevent them from being introduced to Lake Tahoe.
Day-use fees will increase to $7 per vehicle to cover the cost of these services and the increasing trash removal expense and other beach maintenance. These fees also contribute to the construction of handicapped accessible restrooms at Pope and Baldwin beaches. This is the first fee increase in 10 years. Season passes to the beaches are $70. Camping fees have increased at Nevada Beach (now $28, $32 for premium sites), Fallen Leaf ($28), Meeks Bay ($23) and William Kent ($23) campgrounds. Campers no longer have to pay the $9 reservation fee. For information, contact Bob Becker at (530) 543-2600.

Barton trying to address community needs

2009-07-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Barton Healthcare System’s Community Advisory Committee was formed to identify unmet health needs of the communities served by Barton Memorial Hospital.
The CAC will help select this year’s $25,000 Barton health grants recipients; the Spirit of Philanthropy winner; and give input into Barton’s Community Benefit Report.
The CAC’s 15 volunteer members are: Paul Killpatrick, Lake Tahoe Community College president; John Williams, CEO Barton Healthcare; Judy Cefalu, Barton Auxiliary; John Collins, SLT Senior Center; Kindle Craig , Barton Foundation; Terry Daniels, SLT police chief; Adrian Escobedo, Lake Tahoe Unified; Michelle Feeney, Barton Community Clinic; Hector Reyes, El Dorado County Public Health; Margaret McKean , LTUSD nurse; Mike McLaughlin, attorney; Kelly Neiger, CPA; Dan Norman, doctor; Dena Schwarte, Barton Healthcare Board; Sue Shannon, principal of Whittell High School; Delicia Spees, Family Resource Center; and Michael Ward, consultant.

Van Sickle park ready to break ground

2009-07-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Despite the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s objections, every entity having a role in starting work on the Van Sickle Bi-State Park says the environmental group’s complaints are not valid.
The latest to do so was the California Tahoe Conservancy board on May 29 with its unanimous approval involving its role in the 725-acre project.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and South Tahoe Public Utility District boards said yea to the project in April.
At the CTC meeting the League’s representative, Flavia Sordelet, mostly talked about a court case involving the California Environmental Quality Act and equestrian use. Of the seven audience members who spoke that day, she was the only one against it.
A manager with Forest Suites Inn is for the park, but wants to make sure trespassing and potential vandalism issues are addressed as things progress.
The CTC’s legal counsel said the League’s belief about the CEQA ruling is flawed and not relevant.
Francie Cole, an avid equestrian and local resident, spoke to how this area that starts under Heavenly’s gondola has long been popular with those on horseback.
Mark Kimbrough, executive director of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, said mountain bikers do more damage than horses.
TRT, a nonprofit, will fund the upkeep of the trail while the Nevada Division of State Parks struggles financially.
Kimbrough said a big issue with TRT users is restrooms, and that this project will add another service for people.
Work is expected to begin near the old barn this summer and be completed in phases, with the first section open July 4, 2010. Most of the park is in Nevada – 575 acres, with 150 in California. Jack Van Sickle donated the Nevada section in his father Henry’s name in 1988. CTC owns the California portion.
This is the only bi-state park in the country.

Bond money working at STHS

2009-07-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

It’s a hole in the ground with an end in site – despite a soggy spring.
South Tahoe High students are expected to be learning in two new buildings in the 2010-11 school year, if not sooner.
The November ’08 voter approved $64.5 million facilities bond is paying for the work.
Joe Stewart, one of the owners of SMC Construction Co., is the general contractor. He expects about one-third of the subs to be local.
His office is alongside Herback General Engineering’s trailer in the lower parking lot of the school. Massive earth moving equipment dots the landscape where about 300 trees once stood.
Each day the terrain changes. Bigger holes are dug. More supplies brought in. Sewer lines worked on. It’s all about underground work right now.
On Day 2 of construction a sewer line was found to be 9 feet higher than it was supposed to be. Little surprises like that are normal in this business.
Besides what local property owners are paying for, the state will supply $15 million in matching funds for the high school buildings. It’s expected to arrive in district coffers by the end of the year.
This month the district should find out if it is receiving a $3.8 million joint use grant with the city of South Lake Tahoe for shared use at the high school.
Another $4 million may be in the pipeline for South Tahoe Middle School to ease overcrowding. It’s been determined the school qualifies, now it’s still a matter of winning approval for the funds that would replace 10 classrooms.
Even though construction had begun at the high school long before the ceremonious May 15 groundbreaking, that day was reserved to recognize the numerous people who helped get the district to this point.
The late Teri Allmeroth was credited with being the guiding light. With a doctorate in curriculum, Allmeroth knew facilities would create programs that would provide an education for local students that could be on par with much larger districts.
“She was the conduit, the vision,” STHS Principal Ivone Larson said.
Praise was handed out to several people that day, including the electorate. Former school board member Angela Swanson was given her due for helping secure the grants.
Teachers Frank Kovac, Nancy Dalton and Phil Williams spoke about being excited to have been in at the architectural design phase and watching a dream come true.
“This is about giving the gift of learning,” Williams said.

State budget issues crippling Tahoe entities

2009-07-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Fubar doesn’t even begin to describe California’s budget fiasco.
At last glance, Sacramento was claiming a $24 billion deficit. The number keeps growing. The biggest leap came after voters on May 19 nixed all of the propositions the governor wanted to use to help bridge the gap.
This comes after a much delayed budget for 2008-09 that dealt with a $42 billion deficit.
Even though the electorate sent a resounding message to lawmakers for them to do their job – balance the budget -- whatever decisions are ultimately made are likely to affect each person living in and visiting the Golden State.
Every state park in the Lake Tahoe Basin could be impacted.
For a governor like Arnold Schwarzenegger who boasts about understanding tourism and who has been in promotional campaigns, his decisions to cutoff access to pristine land and historical structures in this region and other locales seems at a minimum to be contradictory.
His state website says, “Travel and tourism expenditures total $97.6 billion annually in California, supporting jobs for 924,000 Californians and generating $5.8 billion in state and local tax revenues.”
If there is a silver lining, it’s that the closures of 220 of the 279 state parks would occur after Labor Day.
Regionally, the state parks proposed to be shuttered are Grover Hot Springs in Markleeville, Bodie, D.L. Bliss, Emerald Bay, Donner, Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point, Mono Lake and Washoe Meadows (home to Lake Tahoe Golf Course).
A state park official told the Tahoe Mountain News last summer the Meyers golf course makes about $950,000 a year for the state parks system. It ranks between Hearst Castle and Morro Bay when it comes to generating dollars. The latter is home to the only other golf course on state park land.
This makes the proposed closing of Washoe Meadows even more curious.

South Lake Tahoe

The state is threatening to take away about $800,000 in property tax dollars that South Lake Tahoe had been counting on.
“Under Proposition 1A passed by the voters (in 2004) to protect local revenues from state take-away, the state can borrow local revenues, but must pay them back within three years. They can do so twice in any 10-year period,” explained Christine Vuletich, South Lake’s director of finance.
The city is not resting idly, though. It has applied for federal stimulus money:
$5 million for Lakeview Commons, $3.5 million for the Al Tahoe erosion control project, $6 million for the El Dorado Beach to Ski Run bike trail, and an $85 million loan for the convention center.
“Currently these projects are part of a Regional Economic Recovery Work Plan that we are now a part of. While we won’t see direct funding from this work plan; it is being sent to Washington, D.C., as a tool to see where the need is in the state of California,” Vuletich wrote. “We have heard that there may be a potential second round of stimulus and we are hoping this list may steer the direction of where funding is allocated.”
About a dozen city officials on May 29 met with Rep. Tom McClintock, the Republican who represents the California side of the Lake in Congress. Neither the public nor the press was invited to the meeting at Lake Tahoe Airport.
When Mayor Jerry Birdwell asked the congressman about the letter he wrote Jan. 30 about projects in the city that are shovel ready and ideal for stimulus money, McClintock “looked like a deer in headlights”, according to Birdwell. It’s unknown whether McClintock’s staff didn’t share the letter or the congressman chose not to read it.
However, considering an aide to McClintock met with the mayor earlier this year asking what the congressman could do for South Lake Tahoe, it seems odd McClintock didn’t know the city’s position. A copy of the letter was also given to McClintock when he was here last month.
Birdwell’s assessment is the federal official’s only interest is possibly helping the city secure some of the $6 millions needed to fix the dilapidated asphalt from the runway to the airport terminal.
McClintock’s office was not available for comment as of press time.
For the time being, the city has no intention of curtailing police, fire or snow removal services. Those were the three big issues that led to the city to being incorporated in 1965 and seem to be off-limits.
The city has cut the capital improvement budget by about $1 million. This means the roads will stay riddled with potholes.
A reduction in staff through layoffs and early retirements is under way. Further staff cuts are likely as revenues keep missing their market. After all, the council during a recession in October approved a budget with anticipated revenue growth. Each month Vuletich updates the council on revenues and expenses – with more red than black in the report.

El Dorado County

The Board of Supervisors is having workshops for the 2009-10 budget on June 8, June 10, June 11, June 15, June 17 and June 18, with adoption tentatively scheduled for June 23. Each meeting is at 9am at 330 Fair Lane in Placerville.
"The failure of the propositions was no surprise. They failed to address the structural problems within the state budget," Supervisor Norma Santiago said. "Nonetheless, the county is faced with ongoing challenges in balancing its budget. And, in my opinion, the county has already made significant cuts in its work force. Any additional cuts would only lead to further degradation of the delivery of services and programs that the state mandates we deliver. The challenge before us is how the county can make operational improvements to reduce costs."
Supervisors are expected to look at their own salaries.
About 200 positions have been cut in the county, hiring freezes are part of the mix. Mandatory and voluntary furlough programs are in place.
Although future cuts are not known, consolidation of offices is having a ripple affect. Social service agencies in the basin are up in arms that Child Protective Services is for the most part moving to Placerville this month. Tahoe sheriff’s deputies may be cut. That department, like many others, is already bare bones. The state threat to take away more money is just as real for El Dorado County as it is for the city. “We are not only concerned about the short-term impact of a Prop. 1A suspension, but also concerned about the long-term impact given the state's track record of paying back what it has swept from local governments,” Mike Applegarth, the county’s senior administrative analyst, wrote. “A Prop. 1A suspension could result in a $6.3 million dollar hit to El Dorado County's general fund. It is conceivable that if the Legislature exempts certain categories of local government from a Prop. 1A suspension, the impact to El Dorado County could be even greater.
“While a Prop. 1A suspension has the potential to significantly compound local government financial difficulties and compromise local public services, it does nothing to permanently improve the state's long-term fiscal sustainability. It amounts to another fiscal Band-Aid on a state's hemorrhaging budget.”
Lake Tahoe Unified

The school board has drawn a line in the sand – keep class size reduction, music and physical education.
“That is kids,” LTUSD Superintendent Jim Tarwater said of those programs. “We are not going to give that up.”
In February, the state took away $1.2 million from the K-12 school district. In May, another $800,000 was rescinded.
The $1.2 million is for this school year and next. Cutting just more than four full-time positions and reducing categorical funds by 20 percent addresses that budgetary setback.
“When they give us flexibility in all the restrictive programs, what they said is ‘we don’t care about those programs’,” Tarwater said. “We know they won’t reinstate those programs.”
Further staff cuts are possible. It may mean fewer instructional aides, custodians, vice principals and/or counselors.
Staff account for about 82 percent of the district’s budget. Some districts put personnel at 85 percent, so LTUSD believes it has wiggle room.
The $800,000 the district has to cut will be backfilled with the $1 million in federal stimulus money it was to receive. But this is a one-time fix and won’t help if the state keeps cutting or continues to fund at May 2009 levels.
Tarwater knows the district could do without painting or repaving for a year to save a couple hundred thousand dollars. Bus routes could be changed, though some students already ride for quite some time.
Kids are being impacted immediately with much of summer school going by the wayside.
Looking at ways to cut the utility bill are possible, but when the district office and others are more than 40 years old, inefficiencies abound and are costly to fix. A savings on things like utilities is likely once the bond money is spent on new buildings and upgrades to others.
Although classified and certificated unions agreed to a two-year contract without a pay increase, it’s unknown if a reduction in pay may have to be talked about down the road. The steps and ladders pay hikes are intact. As is normal in K-12 districts, automatic raises are given based on the number of years of experience and education level. So, even though a contractual across the board pay raise is not part of the equation, some employees of the district are continuing to see their paychecks increase.

Community college

The governor’s latest idea means Lake Tahoe Community College would have to cut $362,346 from this year’s budget and $1.3 million from the 2009-10 budget.
“These cuts would come out of the following areas: basic skills, Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE), counseling, placement and assessment, disabled students programs and services, extended opportunities programs and services, instructional equipment, part-time faculty compensation, and scheduled maintenance,” the college said in a press release.
The budget, like at the K-12, city and county levels, is likely to be a regular agenda item for this board of education at each meeting.
Students should expect by the fall to see fewer course offerings, larger classes and possibly higher fees. Fees are set by the state and currently are at $13 per unit. The Legislative Analysts Office has tossed out the possibility of $60/per unit.
How colleges are funded, a student’s fees don’t cover the cost of a class, so raising fees or offering more classes are not the easy solutions.
Many courses limit the number of students – like labs – which can only function with a finite number of people.
The College Council, which consists of faculty, classified staff, administration, and students, met May 29 about the budget dilemma. Eventually they will make a recommendation to the board.
Another state take-away may be how PE is funded. The state is considering funding at the noncredit rate, which is much less than the credit rate. LTCC, which has a massive phys ed program, hasn’t even crunched those numbers.
Slashing programs is hard to do.
“You can’t just eliminate programs with students in midstream,” college spokeswoman Christina Proctor said.
Plus, doing so could affect the base mission of community colleges, which is to prepare students to transfer to a four-year institution.
The idea of being closed Fridays has been talked about. Its doubtful night classes will be curtailed based on LTCC’s student population.
Even though a 1.5 percent pay increase for staff is still on the table, the board has the ability to yank that based on what the state does. It’s plausible to see boards across the state begin renegotiating contracts.
The irony is that when community colleges are growing in numbers, the state cuts are projected to affect enrollment. The Community College League of California estimates a loss of 9 percent or 623 full-time students at LTCC.

Lakeview Commons shovel ready

2009-07-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news
By Kathryn Reed

When the dozen property owners deeded what is now known as Lakeview Commons to El Dorado County, three stipulations were made: no private commercial use, restrooms will always be free and no new buildings on the east side of the property within 750 feet of the centerline of Highway 50.
“I’m here because I made a promise to the group of people who bought the property in the 1920s. Those people put up the money because they wanted a place to get away from the heat in Placerville,” explained Bill Johnson.
Johnson, a member of one of the South Shore’s pioneer families, splits his time between South Lake Tahoe and the West Slope.
Those dozen people, with Johnson being one of them, bought much of what is the 56-acre project from the Bliss family for about $12,500 in the 1920s. Now the county owns it. South Lake Tahoe has a 55-year lease which expires in about 14 years.
“I think in the next 14 years the city will gain ownership. It should be city property,” Johnson told the council May 19. His parents once owned much of the South Shore, and he along with his brother and sister still are large land owners.
Johnson attended the City Council meeting because Lakeview Commons was on the agenda. Besides ensuring the original intent of the agreement is upheld, Johnson gave the council and audience a history lesson that captivated all who were listening.
Johnson touched on how this land was mired in controversy between the county and city when he was on the Board of Supervisors in 1968.
Even though food will be sold and non-motorized boat storage available for a fee, Johnson said because the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will run them it does not conflict with the no commercial use clause.

Moving forward

Lakeview Commons is expected to be on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency agenda June 24.
The California Tahoe Conservancy may approve more money for Lakeview Commons at its July meeting. But with state bond money frozen, it’s not known when allocated dollars will begin flowing to their destinations.
Project manager Deb Vreeland hopes to have permits, including Caltrans and Lahontan, in hand later this summer. Permits are for the first phase that mostly encompasses lakeside improvements – a fraction of the entire 56-acre project.
Caltrans is in most discussions to coordinate its upcoming projects with ones that overlap with Lakeview Commons. Drainage from Highway 50 is a big issue.
“If we could make this year’s construction season, it would be glorious,” Vreeland said.
The beach will have access for people with disabilities, terraced landscaping, a cantilevered walkway and improved bike trail from Lakeview Avenue to Rufus Allen Boulevard.
A plethora of bathrooms near El Dorado beach may occur because Lakeview Commons’ is planning a two-story facility in the general area -- part toilets, part non-motorized boat storage. It may be a platinum-rated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design latrine.
Vreeland told the City Council in March that those bathrooms are going forward no matter what the city does.
South Lake Tahoe has a $520,000 grant from the Department of Boating and Waterways to build a restroom facility in the area. This spring DBW agreed the city could move the restrooms to the city’s second choice which is to the other end of the triangular piece of property out of the view corridor.
The city is also going after a $200,000 DBW grant from non-motorized boating money. Lakeview Commons could benefit is if part of the DBW grant could fund the boat storage building.
To aid with the lack of parking dilemma, the city is in the preliminary stages of drawing plans for about 50 spaces on a parcel it owns adjacent to the boat trailer parking lot at El Dorado Beach. Coverage issues with TRPA need to be addressed.

Lake Tahoe Museum gets make-over

2009-07-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

It was definitely more than a typical spring cleaning.
Lake Tahoe Historical Museum is like a brand new facility thanks to the countless hours historical society volunteers put in as well as the couple thousand hours of work provided by members of local Carpenters Union 1789.
Work started in January on the building next to the senior center in South Lake Tahoe. Artifacts were stored for safe keeping. Inventory was taken.
By April the mostly female museum crew began tearing down walls.
The goal was to have new flooring, walls and refurbished exhibits in place for when the museum opened its doors Memorial Day weekend. And most of it was.
But it wouldn’t have been ready for the public without those eight carpenters (Roger Thomas, Robert Samorano, Chad Brunyan, Henry Smart, Blaine Johnson, Paul Monio, Leo Collins and Tom Guziejka) who donated their time and tools to restore apart of Lake Tahoe’s history for generations to come.
Peggy Bourland, Diane Johnson and Lynne Bajuk are three of the major players at the museum. Walk in and one of them is likely to be working – for free. It’s the work of volunteers that has kept this often overlooked gem of the South Shore humming along since 1968.
Walking through the old building is like walking back in history – only now the floor is new, the walls are refurbished, paint is fresh and lighting is better. It had been more than a quarter century since significant improvements had been made.
“We will add what was not out on the floor before,” Johnson said. “We will increase storytelling – the story of Tahoe.”
The Celio Ranch exhibit remains the largest display. A bit of the old dairy farm is there for all to see. A four-page handout tells how the family first arrived in the Lake Valley area in 1857.
Exhibits will rotate. Before now things had been rather static. Plus, with the carpenters’ assistance, rolling platforms were built to more easily move pieces.
An exhibit on camping is planned. In the late 1800s and early 1900s men wore ties and women dresses around the campfire.
Computer software that the Smithsonian uses has been installed to help categorize items. Everything that can be scanned will be so the history is in digital format. This also allows the public easier access to Tahoe’s history. A website is in the works.
Movies play on the new flat screen television, giving visitors a deeper experience.
The bookstore has been expanded to include works about Tahoe as well as Bodie, Nevada, Placerville and other nearby towns.
With donations continually rolling in, showcasing more items will be easy to do.
On May 23 the museum received a call from a couple who had bought the Evans’ log cabin on Tamarack Avenue in the Bijou area. That cabin was built with logs from the Baldwin Estate cabins at Fallen Leaf Lake that were disassembled by the U.S. Forest Service.
The new owners brought in hats from the 1940s, a notebook the museum hopes to return to the family, Owen Evans’ uniform from the Forest Service and other relics of days gone by. Evans died in December. His widow, Esther, still lives in South Lake.
Lake Tahoe Museum has information going back to when the Washoe were the predominant residents. The Lake’s rich boating history is told through artifacts and on film. Old lodging establishments like the Tallac Hotel come to life. Sterling silver from the era shines in glass cases.
What the museum group wants is to expand on the region’s political history, the notorious winter of 1952, the airport, churches, schools, the environment, clear cutting – Tahoe’s story. More on Snowshoe Thompson is planned. The museum has an original letter of his.
An August celebration is planned to mark the 150th anniversary of Osgood’s Toll House, which has been placed behind the museum. Originally it was located at what is known today as North Upper Truckee Road and Highway 50. Nemi Osgood charged 5 cents per animal and a fluctuating rate for people to pass his gate.
This summer the museum is free. Another goal is to be open year-round. For more information, call (530) 541-5458.

R&D firm working on propulsion system

2009-07-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

By Kathryn Reed

When Greg Stevenson moved to Lake Tahoe full time in 1990 he heard stories about automobile emissions contributing to the Lake’s declining clarity. Then he asked what watercraft does to the purity of the water.
“That stirred a hornet’s nest,” said Stevenson, who is president of GSE Inc., an experimental research and development firm based in South Lake Tahoe. “I made a White Paper describing all the propulsion systems on Lake Tahoe and identified the rate for emissions per rate of horsepower. Jet Skis were way off the charts.”
This led to the ban of two-stroke motors on the Lake. However, today two-strokes are cleaner than four-strokes.
What irks Stevenson to this day is that everything else in the paper was ignored. His research shows wooden boats are horrible when it comes to emissions.
“We keep having endless studies from UC Davies about water quality, but almost no proactive solutions,” Stevenson said.
He’d like to see regional universities have a marine craft competition to see who can design the most efficient, low emission vehicle.
“A lot of practical things can happen. I think the consumer is willing to go along if you give them options for things with better performance,” Stevenson said.

Overcoming obstacles

Stevenson has been operating out of the 15,500-square-foot former Barkley Meats building on Industrial Avenue since August 2007 after moving from Incline.
The mechanical engineer who grew-up in the aerospace business formed GSE in 1983, incorporating in 1994 to focus on heavy fuel engine development for the military.
He’s back butting heads with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency – this time over the pitch on the roof of his building. The agency and city are requiring he have a multi-pitch roof, which he says has tripled the cost.
With his attention and financial resources focused on the roof, work has slowed down. Disgust fills his voice.
“We were going great guns last fall,” Stevenson said.
Between TRPA and the Obama administration, his workload has diminished.
Much of the work he and five employees did was R&D stuff for the Defense Department. GSE develops propulsion systems for unmanned aircraft.
Even though a slew of government programs have been approved, they are in their infancy and bids are not being sought.
“The new administration is putting funding into renewable energy instead of defense oriented. It is a significant change in the baseline of what we were doing,” Stevenson said. “But it’s all in the right direction in extracting the utmost energy.”
With education outreach likely to be a significant component of future state and federal contracts, GSE is positioning itself to be a player by talking to area schools now.

Nuts and bolts

The focus of GSE is research and development on advanced propulsion systems.
“There are an awful lot of companies in the Bay Area inventing different means of renewable fuels, but almost no one in the commercial side optimizing the combustion process,” Stevenson said.
He said the need now is to get the most efficiency out of renewables. His proposal before the California Energy Commission would provide clean energy off the grid.
“Ultimately, every time you have a controlled burn you could make it into energy and not have it go into the atmosphere,” Stevenson explained. Cogeneration is a big part of what his company is focusing on.
With projections being that in the next 10 to 20 years California will use twice as much electricity, the race is on to find a new way to provide that energy. Combined heating and power (CHP) technology is one way. Biomass is an example of this. Instead of controlled burns, incinerate trees by controlled combustion, extract the energy and have smokeless emissions.
When it comes to automobiles, Stevenson said the quandary is emissions standards in California, which are the strictest in the nation, are in conflict with the most efficient engines being developed in Europe.
Another issue is that when scientists do figure out how to extract energy from a renewable fuel seldom has an engine been designed that can use the energy.
Stevenson thinks some of the military applications he has been around could make life on the frontline for firefighters better. He said the basic diesel equipment firefighters use is 6 to 8 pounds per horsepower, while the military shoots for 1 pound.
This means a 40 horsepower water pump could weigh 300 pounds. If it were converted to military standards, a mobile 40 to 50 pound device could be created – allowing firefighters to be deployed with water on their backs to fight fires.
“We have made breakthroughs on the military side that should show up eventually in the commercial sector,” Stevenson said. “I always had in mind that a lot more efficiency could come out of today’s propulsion systems.”
Stevenson gives specifics about the equipment in his facility and their applications on his website, http://gsehfe.com/.

LTUSD's healthy kids survey

2009-07-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe’s kids aren’t so healthy. And they don’t feel safe.
Results from a statewide survey taken last fall show an increase in tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use by some Lake Tahoe Unified students.
Students in grades five, seven, nine and 11 take the survey every other year. It’s a way for districts to know what problems students are facing and identify what programs might need to be put in place to address those concerns.
Lisa Huard, the safe schools coordinator whose position will be eliminated this summer, believes students are honest with their responses based on information the schools have, as well as the number of suspensions, expulsions and arrests.
In 2004, 5 percent of the seventh-graders said they regularly smoke tobacco, in 2006 the ninth-graders (so the same class) had 14 percent say they were users, while in 2008 as 11th-graders 22 percent were lighting up.
More members of the class of 2010 are drinking alcohol and smoking pot as they get older. As seventh-graders, about 10 percent were imbibing, 32 percent at ninth-graders and 44 percent this school year.
When it comes to marijuana, 7 percent of next year’s graduating class took a hit as seventh-graders, a quarter of them did as ninth-graders and 36 percent do today.
“Those same children report a decrease in caring relationships with a teacher or other adults at the schools over the years, a decrease in high expectation from a teacher or other adult at their school, and a decrease of opportunities in meaningful participation at their school,” Huard said.
Huard says the way to stop the escalation in drug use and risky behavior is to start the education at an earlier grade level. She would like to see schools be less test oriented and more student oriented.
“Schools in general are focusing on the test scores and not focusing on the life scores of our youth,” Huard said.
South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Terry Daniels also believes teaching kids sooner rather than later is important. “Energy needs to go to preventive programs,” he said, adding that he supports efforts being made in the schools.
From the 2008 survey:
51 percent feel safe at school all of the time;
40 percent of seventh-graders, 31 percent of ninth-graders and 22 percent of 11th-graders are afraid of being beaten up;
79 percent of fifth-graders, 68 percent of seventh, 53 percent ninth and 55 percent 11th-graders ate breakfast on test day.
According to the report, “Students who attend school hungry or malnourished may experience compromised health, well-being, and school performance.”
Huard believes it takes the entire community to set an example and be responsible for youth. Why didn’t you call the cops when the kids down the street had a party? Why didn’t you talk to the parents? Why did you give a dirty look to the kids congregated on the corning smoking cigarettes instead of telling them about lung and throat cancer? Why did you buy a six-pack for your kid brother? Those are questions Huard is asking. When she doesn’t have to ask them anymore, the survey results are likely to change.

SLT General Plan seems uninspiring

2009-07-10T22:14:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

None of the above. That was the option of the nearly two dozen interested residents who spent a Thursday night figuring out what the blueprint for South Lake Tahoe should like for the next 20 years.
Three alternatives were presented at the May 21 meeting. All groups nixed the first option, which is essentially the status quo. Some of the six groups wanted a hybrid of two of the alternatives.
Choice No. 2 is to focus on the Y and Stateline, with little attention paid to the entire town that exists between those five miles.
Option three spreads out the commercial floor area throughout the city. (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency rules use CFA instead of traditional zoning like commercial and residential.) Social gathering areas would also be interspersed in this scenario.
Everyone seemed to agree the town needs to be more pedestrian and bike friendly.
Not all agreed on the need to boost the permanent population.
Discrepancies occurred over the need for affordable housing, despite state law.
Larry Mintier with Mintier Harnish is the consultant doing the general plan update. He and his associate clearly favored alternative No. 3 during their initial presentation. Information provided in newsletters is slanted toward that option, too.
The May meeting was the last public meeting before the City Council votes on its preference this month. The next step is to prepare the environmental documents. Those will come back for public comment. The final general plan is expected to be voted on late this year or early 2010.
The city wants to adopt its general plan before TRPA figures out the regional plan. The thinking is the city then has leverage over the federal agency.
More information is at www.sltgpu.com.

Lori Gaskin leaves LTCC for South Bay

2009-07-10T22:13:00.003-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

For the past year, Lori Gaskin has been the consummate professional. That’s not to say she wasn’t the previous 16 years. It’s just that the vice president of academic affairs had to work for the man whose job she wanted as well as for the board that denied her that opportunity.
President can now be inserted before her name. Gaskin takes over the helm of West Valley College in Saratoga on Aug 3. Her last day at Lake Tahoe Community College is June 19.
The Silicon Valley school, with 12,000 students, is about four times larger than LTCC.
“They have a lot of strong programs … a lot of innovation, vibrancy,” Gaskin said. “It will be a fun place to work. It seems along the path of life this is the next right step.”
The move will mean living closer to her son, who will be a senior at Stanford University in the fall. It also means a temporary separation from her husband, David, who will keep his job with the state of Nevada.
“I have the best family in the world. They understand the need for me to grow and pursue professional opportunities,” Gaskin said.
She foresees the day when they sell their Tahoe house. Gaskin already knows she won’t miss the snow. It’s the people she expects to miss the most.
Instead of taking credit for accomplishments during her 17-year tenure at LTCC, Gaskin said achievements like the growth in programs is to be shared with the entire institution.
Taking over for her will be Susan Middleton who is dean of student services. Middleton plans to retire at the end of next school year. This gives the college a year to figure out if it can live without the dean position, having those duties absorbed by others with a cost savings of more than $100,000.

Recipe -- El Dorado County's winning wines

2009-07-10T22:12:00.001-07:00

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“As for awards, it’s worth noting that despite El Dorado region’s size, wines made from grapes grown here win a significantly disproportionate share of medals from the California State Fair Wine Competition and others,” said Jolaine Collins, spokeswoman for the El Dorado Winery Association. “El Dorado wineries consistently bring home medal winners from competitions throughout the state and beyond. As you know, our region has long been noted for producing reds that thrive in warmer climates, especially Zinfandel – and, increasingly, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Barbera.”
I sipped several of these award winning wines during Passport Weekend in April. Many of them are still available in tastings room. If you can’t find it at the winery, I was told people are selling winning vintages on eBay. However, a new crop of award winners is bound to be forthcoming after the Aug. 21-Sept. 7 California State Fair.
That event along with the San Francisco Chronicle competition, are two worth bragging about. In 2008, El Dorado County wineries won 19 medals at the Chronicle competition – 4 percent of the total.
Sue and I sampled Jodar Vineyard’s 2005 Cabernet that was a double gold medal winner in this year’s Chronicle event. The $22 bottle is worth every penny.
At Miraflores, besides awards at competitions, the 2005 and 2006 Zin each earned 90 points in Wine Spectator, and the 2005 Syrah Methode Ancienne earned 92 points from Wine Enthusiast. These are trade publications whose rating systems are well regarded. In July ’08, Miraflores was featured in the Enthusiast after being written about by Spectator the previous month.
“Methode ancienne” means the grapes are stomped by foot, not machine.
Tasting the 2005 and 2006 Zins side-by-side, we found the younger one to be much bigger. But both (each is $22) would be good to have in your personal cellar.
Conti Estate, Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards’ 2006 Fair Play Reserve Barbera earned best of California double gold at the 2008 state fair. Unfortunately the winery is sold-out of it. During Passport weekend, barrel tasting of the 2007 was offered. It should be available in the bottle this month.
A barrel tasting we particularly liked was the 2007 Zin at Latcham. That, too, should be in bottle form this summer.
Vintner Margaret Latcham served a dip that day which included her wine. It’s perfect for any summer gathering – especially with an El Dorado County wine in hand.

Latcham Vineyards’ Sun Dried Tomato Spread

1 lb. cream cheese
½-3/4 C sun dried tomatoes
½ C sour cream
Latcham Barbera or Zin
Pine nuts

Soften cream cheese in mixer. Slowly add enough wine until cheese is light and fluffy. Add tomatoes and continue to blend. Top with roasted pine nuts and serve with crackers.

Fireworks back on for Labor Day

2009-07-10T22:11:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe isn’t reason alone to travel to the mountains. People come for special events. Just ask a hotel manager.
To ensure people keep visiting the South Shore during Labor Day weekend, the South Lake Tahoe Tourism Improvement District voted to allocate the $65,000 needed to keep the fireworks show.
The unanimous decision came a few weeks after the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted 4-1 to not fund the pyrotechnic display. The city had never funded this specific event before.
After that meeting, LTVA Executive Director Carol Chaplin questioned whether the council understands how large of a constituency the lodging properties are in the city.
The TID was formed a few years ago by lodging operators and vacation rental agencies in South Lake Tahoe. Nevada properties are not part of the group. Guests pay $2/night at hotels and $3 at vacation rentals.
Last year about $1.5 million was raised. This year that figure is estimated to drop to $1.1 million.
Part of the money is given to Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, part is budgeted as needed for last-minute advertising and some goes to special events.
Jerry Bindel, chairman of the TID board, pointed out at the April council meeting when the fireworks funding was nixed, that fireworks aren’t just a tourism event – that locals are on his beach at Lakeland Village on July 4 and Labor Day.
Tom Davis, part owner of Tahoe Keys Resort and marketing employee at Horizon-MontBleu, told the council, “Special events are measurables.”
Chris Minnes said the hotel he managed last year was full during Opening Days Lake Tahoe in 2008. The weekends before and after had a 40 percent occupancy.
The TID board is expected to go before the City Council soon to seek approval to raise the per night fee by 50 percent, or $3 for hotel guests and $4.50 at rentals. The board would also like to bring vacation rentals by owners into their mix.
“We will assess our own and take care of ourselves,” Bindel said. “With the city decreasing or eliminating LTVA funds altogether, we need to cover that hurdle. What is at-risk is special events.”
Raising the rates would fill coffers in lean times. It also means this money from guests goes to the tourism board and not into the city’s general fund.
The money collected from guests via the transient occupancy tax goes directly to the city. TOT, which is down 36 percent or nearly $1 million from what was budgeted this fiscal year, is one of the city’s main revenue sources.

Resolution in wrong felled tree caper

2009-07-10T22:10:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

Righting the wrong of the felled 30-foot fir tree has come in the form of a nearly 12-foot mountain ash.
Gareth Harris took it upon himself on behalf of and at the expense of the Rotary Club to replace the tree that was wrongly cut down by his group. Harris is also fire marshal for Lake Valley. The Christmas Valley residence is in his fire district.
“There were mistakes made, no question about it,” Harris said. “There was no intent to do anything wrong on anyone’s part.”
Rotary spent a Saturday helping seniors and disabled people with defensible space issues by cutting down trees and limbs that posed a fire threat.
Billie Jo and Paul McAfee were mistakenly on that list because they had helped with the senior wood project as volunteers. Even so, they don’t believe the tree posed a fire danger.
But the couple is happy with how Harris made amends. They are also complimentary of Jason Arnold with the Nevada Fire Safe Council who stopped by to express his regret for the error.
Gareth said his chipping crews will be out this month to finish up the Rotary’s project.

Seasonal farmers market on South Shore

2009-07-10T22:09:00.001-07:00

By Kathryn Reed

Cherries, peaches and a slew of greens are being harvested on West Slope farms and elsewhere in California for the annual farmers’ market that opened June 2.
With the American Legion not replacing its building this season, it means the fresh fruits and veggies are being sold from the usual spot on Highway50 from 8am to 1pm each Tuesday until Oct. 13.
Even though many farms south of Stockton are fretting over the amount of water being allocated, most of the growers who come to South Lake are not in that bind. Many of the local providers get their water from El Dorado Irrigation District.
“I was a little surprised they are not cutting us back. They watch the water and tell us when to irrigate,” explained Jim Coalwell, who runs the market and owns the Red Shack in Placerville with his wife, Lois.
For years EID has used a gauge about 3-feet deep on farms to measure the water content of the soil. Regulators then dole out water and tell farmers when to irrigate.
Just like last year, an April frost hit the Placerville area crops. Last year pears were hit hard. This year cherries and peaches were affected by the spring freeze.
“It was more severe that we first thought,” Coalwell said in May.
Cherries will still be available, but not in the abundance that was planned. Fewer El Dorado County peaches may make it to market as well. Some pears are expected to have some visible damage from the cold temps.
“They have frost rings, which are rust looking. A lot of them won’t be as good looking, but it won’t have anything to do with flavor,” Coalwell said of the pear crop.
With how frosts settle in, often it’s the trees at the lower elevations on a farm that get hit harder than the ones on top of the hill.
Vegetables were not affected by the spring weather. Farmers who lost tomatoes have replanted, so it means a couple weeks delay before the produce is ready to sell.
As is true each season, what comes to market is based on the growing season. Tomatoes are likely to show up mid-month. Corn will be after that.
Overall, Coalwell said last summer’s market was good despite a slow down. He blames the economy and layoffs for fewer sales. He has high hopes for this season.
“Generally speaking if people look around at these markets, there are good deals,” Coalwell said.
Plus, the product is far superior to any grocery store.
“At least you know where it’s coming from,” Coalwell said. “The main thing is you need to know your grower. If you don’t trust them, you shouldn’t buy from them.”
Most people shopping in a grocery store don’t realize how far produce is shipped in from. Most countries don’t have the stringent rules about chemicals that California has.
Pete Weed, a local chef, is serving barbecue pork and chicken this year. The crepe people have a new vending vehicle which should be better for them and their clients. Coalwell said other additions may be incorporated, but for the most part the same growers are setting up their tables.

Improvements at Explore Tahoe

2009-07-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news unedited

By Kathryn Reed

Where’s the tallest mountain in the basin? Where’s that mountain with the cross of snow? Where are the tributaries of Lake Tahoe?
With a push of a button the answer will light up.
Before the throngs of visitors start arriving on the South Shore, Explore Tahoe expects to have a three-dimensional map of Lake Tahoe installed on the floor. It will be about 6 feet by 12 feet.
“We decided when we opened to not spend all the money,” explained Gary Moore, director of South Lake Tahoe Parks and Recreation. “We need more touch feely stuff for adults and we need more for children.”
Explore Tahoe opened in July 2007 as an urban trailhead in a city owned building that was originally designed to solely be a transit center. It’s a partnership the U.S. Forest Service and Heavenly.
For A few years the Heavenly Village property sat empty. Still, the city was paying about $160,000 a year to cover Park Avenue Development Management Agency costs and utilities. The cost of heated sidewalks adds up.
Some contend the building is not really a transit center. Those who are involved in running and funding the site say just the opposite.
“It is definitely used as a transit center,” said Nick Haven, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency transportation guru. “From my viewpoint it is a transit center and a very effective transit center. It gets locals to work and provides visitors interpretive information and points them to transit to explore Tahoe.”
California Tahoe Conservancy came up with the initial $1.4 million grant to get Explore Tahoe off the ground. The new displays, outside signs and flagpoles are costing the agency about $141,000.
South Lake Tahoe officials met with California officials before construction began to ensure state transportation dollars could be used in this manner.
“We think it’s a better use of the structure because it wasn’t trying to be a single function,” said Ray Lacey, CTC deputy director.
BlueGo buses are a regular fixture in the transit area. Tickets for the local bus system are available at Explore Tahoe. Amtrak buses pick up and drop off riders there. Ski shuttles and Nifty 50 Trolley are seasonal transit options.
Forest Service permits are sold there. Information is provided to people about how to access trails, beaches and other destinations via public transit.
It costs $128,000 to run the facility that is open 364 days a year. This covers one full-time employee, two part-timers, utilities, maintenance, outreach to schools, ranger and interpretive programs, special events, wireless services, supplies and other items.
Explore Tahoe generates about $91,000 a year in revenues from renting the upstairs to Heavenly Mountain Resort, leasing seven parking spots to Cecil’s Market, selling products and donations
At the May 5 City Council meeting, the partnership with Tahoe Heritage Foundation was canceled. Now Parks and Rec is completely responsible for all merchandise sold at Explore Tahoe, which could mean more revenues.
For more information about Explore Tahoe, go to http://www.recreationintahoe.com/explore_tahoe.

Do It Center disturbing status quo

2009-07-10T22:07:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

On June 16 the City Council is expected to resolve the Do It Center dilemma.
The Planning Commission said go ahead, move into the building that housed South Shore Motors. Robert Cosmi and Peggy Cocores, who own neighboring Scotty’s Hardware, have appealed that decision.
Competition is not a reason to deny the special use permit, according to city officials. Scotty’s and Ace Hardware already operate on Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Meek’s has a store in South Lake and Meyers. Other hardware stores exist within a short drive.
Councilman Bill Crawford finds a bit of discrepancy between Do It Center and Broc’s Puppies when it comes to emotion and practicality being part of decision-making.
“The Planning Commission approved the ordinance to close the pet shop. This is a matter of conscious and everyone says so,” Crawford said. “Broc’s and company had all the business licenses. They conform.
“Something is wrong with the procedure that on one hand you can’t exercise judgment if we have too many hardware stores, and then on the other you exercise moral judgment about puppy stores.”
The Planning Commission heard the Do It Center issue because it requires a special use permit. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is the keeper of the rules. This parcel’s allowable uses are at http://www.trpa.org/documents/docdwnlds/PAS/110.pdf.
Councilman Bruce Grego questions whether traffic will be an issue for the proposed chain hardware store.
Special use documents say a car dealership and hardware store attract similar numbers of customers. If that were true, the car dealership might still be in business.
“I think everyone votes their conscious,” Grego said. He said if Do It Center were so cut and dry, then staff could approve it. “I think we are going to have an interesting discussion if we have land use discussion on both sides telling us the law and what we can and cannot do.”
At the Planning Commission, Lew Feldman of Feldman Shaw in Zephyr Cove represented the out of town Do It Center owners. Michael Johnson of the South Lake firm Rollston, Henderson, Crabb & Johnson filed the appeal on behalf of Scotty’s.

DCSD has a full plate

2009-07-10T22:06:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Seventeen Nevada K-12 superintendents are expected this month to decide the fate of athletics throughout the state, as well as the entire South Shore.
With South Tahoe High being part of the NIAA (Nevada Interscholastic Athletics Association), its fate and Whittell High’s are tied together.
California schools in the NIAA are not represented in the superintendents’ roundtable discussions.
After the May superintendents’ meeting, Douglas County School District’s Carol Lark said she wanted to consult with her principals and athletic directors about the potential realignment of athletic divisions before voting on consolidation.
Donny Borges, STHS athletic director, advised the LTUSD school board last month the reduction of divisions could bode well for the Vikings. However, particulars about how it might affect junior varsity sports have not been forthcoming.
The NIAA, like all educational entities, is trying to save a few bucks. Reduction of referees at games, fewer games and varying travel distances are all being discussed. The elimination of sports, so far, has not come to light. However, with the California budget crisis, that is a potential reality for many schools.

Whittell High

No matter what the superintendents and NIAA board decide, Whittell will be without a vice principal in the fall. Dan Wold’s job has been eliminated. He is likely to be working in the valley.
“What we did is we changed that position from a vice principal to athletic director,” Lark explained. “It’s related to the budget.”
As of press time, the district was interviewing for the AD job. The AD can discipline students, but cannot supervise staff.
It’s unlikely the high school will go to a four-day school week in the fall. The issue was pulled by Lark from the May 20 school board agenda. She said this was because the proposal had two calendars; one similar to what was presented to the board earlier in the spring and a hybrid “that was more complex.” Lark said it’s possible a no-Friday school week could be implemented in spring 2010.
“We still need to survey the entire community. It would affect families at Zephyr Cove as well,” Lark said.
Random drug testing of all DCSD high school students involved in sports and activities outside the classroom like band and speech will start in the fall. Parents of students who would not be tested can request their child be tested. The urine tests will not be done on the two lower grades at Whittell.
Lark said with 34 expulsions in the 2008-09, administrators decided something had to be done to deter drug use since the bulk of expulsions were drug related.
“One that keeps coming up is ecstasy, but an increasing number of kids are abusing the medicine cabinet and over the counter (drugs). Kids are drinking NyQuil and Robitussin,” Lark said.
The tests can also reveal if alcohol and nicotine are being used.
“The whole idea is not to be punitive. It is designed to provide our student with a deterrent,” Lark said. “They need to know we care enough to monitor.
It costs about $27 per test, with donations from athletic organizations funding the bulk of the program. Tests will be done at least every other week.
With some of the November bond money being spent this summer to replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Whittell, fingers are crossed it will eliminate the persistent radon issue at the school. Problem rooms will be retested after the HVAC system is in place.

County messing with CPS

2009-07-10T22:05:00.001-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news unedited

By Kathryn Reed

A flurry of meetings has resulted in Child Protective Services caseworkers not being relocated to Placerville.
A May 21 letter dictated most South Lake Tahoe-based CPS employees work out of Placerville as of June 20. That letter created an outcry the West Slope clearly heard.
“I have notified people from welfare, union stewards and CPS we are rescinding the letter (on June 8), but it is not off the table,” El Dorado County Supervisor Norma Santiago said. This gives the county an out in case the financial situation deteriorates.
Santiago met privately with about a couple dozen Department of Health Services employees the night of June 3 . Acting director of DHS, Jan Walker-Conroy, has also been meeting with staff to clarify the situation. Walker-Conroy did not return calls.
Workers are staying for now, but that doesn’t mean everyone is happy with the work they do. Tahoe Victims of CPS has a permit to protest in front of CPS offices on Silver Dollar Avenue on June 12 at 1pm. Permits are being sought for a July 1 8am-noon protest outside family court at the Tahoe branch of the El Dorado County Courthouse.
“We have numerous individuals come to us about abuse of children and who have been recklessly endangered,” said Kim Cotter, a concerned activist.
Ernie Claudio, another activist and former Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer, said the necessary papers have been filed for the grand jury to investigate CPS.
Claudio told the Board of Supervisors on June 2 about CPS issues.
“My plan is to go to every Board of Supervisors’ meeting and bring people who have horror stories,” Claudio said.

Employee issues

Santiago said the consolidation of county offices at the Lake is necessary to save money. That’s why CPS workers were told to work from Placerville. The county rents or leases a number of offices in South Lake. Now the county will look to have departments share space in Tahoe instead of moving to Placerville.
However, Mark Contois, acting assistant director of DHS, said the reason the seven people -- four social workers, a supervisor, office assistant and case aide – were being transferred was to better distribute the caseload and that money had no role. He did not provide the number of CPS cases for either side of the county.
Although it’s not an employer’s issue where people live, one person who was going to have to commute to Placerville lives in Dayton and another is in Gardnerville. Caseworkers even offered to give up their Tahoe differential of about $250/month to remain headquartered in the basin. To them it is about the people they serve.
Contois’ statement about money not being part of the equation also contradicts the El Dorado County Child Welfare System Improvement Plan that went into effect the day after the May 21 letter was sent.
That document, which is required by the state and has been in the works since last fall, says, “The current global economic decline and state budget cuts have impacted the county and created uncertainties relative to future funding availability. The concurrent increased need for services exceeds available resources.”
Another money issue exists -- more staff is needed. About six social workers were let go in the 2008-09 fiscal year because of cuts from the state.
An employee, who didn’t want to be identified, said, “The way the economy is we are overwhelmed in the welfare department.” This person said it is impacting children and the services provided.
“We understand and appreciate the need for these services. The one thing we do not want is to cut any additional social workers,” Santiago said.
With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposing to slash CalWorks – the welfare to work program – that could be devastating to the county. Forty-five people work in that program just in El Dorado County. Santiago questions the governor’s motives with that proposal, saying, “… you are going to keep people on welfare.”
The supervisor admits the county’s decision to relocate CPS workers to Placerville was not well thought out and called it poor communication.
Department of Human Services employees were upset with management before the CPS relocation came to light. Concerns are related to the decisions management is making – promotions for Placerville workers, but not Tahoe; the Board of Supervisors not being informed; personnel issues in Tahoe not being addressed.
Another county worker confirmed the information supervisors receives from staff contradicts what management says.
A person of authority outside the county who works with children said of DHS, “The leadership over there is ridiculous.”
Some speculate Walker-Conroy and Contois may soon be out, especially as key positions are filled. This month a human resources director comes on board.

Local reaction

Child advocates on the South Shore could not find any good reasons to ship caseworkers to Placerville and were most distraught about what this would mean to children and families in South Lake Tahoe.
Leanne Wagoner with the South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center, Alissa Nourse of Tahoe Youth & Family Services, and Wendy David of Court Appointed Special Advocates are the local representatives to the county’s Child Abuse Prevention Council. They were a united front in condemning the decision to uproot the social workers.
Wagoner in a letter to Walker-Conroy dated May 27 asks, “How is this decision ensuring a best possible outcome for children living in South Lake Tahoe?”
She went on to remind the DHS acting director what the goals are for CPS as well as quoting back to her details from the improvement plan that outline how difficult it is for the county to retain social workers and that an increase in neglect and abuse is predicted as the economy goes south.
Nourse said the contradictory information coming from the county compounds the issue. She said information from Santiago’s office is different from DHS.
“Part of the other issue is we are not in those conversations. We serve those families too. Nobody ever came to us and asked ‘How will this affect your families?’,” Nourse said.

Convention center stalled indefinitely

2009-07-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

6/09 unedited tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Randy Lane is not running to bankruptcy court. In fact, he’s not sure he’ll ever end up there.
As the face of Lake Tahoe Development Company – the firm which owns the property known locally as the hole in the ground at the state line – Lane remains optimistic.
On June 4 the South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously agreed to deny the sale of Mello-Roos bonds that were designed to partially pay off LTDC’s debt.
Four notices of default have been filed against the developer by investors. The first was filed April 1 for nearly $1.6 million, the next was May 8 for almost $2.5 million, two on May 29, one for about $1.2 million and the other for approximately $7.5 million.
The legal notices give the developer three months from the date filed to satisfy those debts before foreclosure proceedings would begin.
“We definitely will continue to move the project forward. We have several good things in the hopper. We are not throwing in the towel,” Lane told the Tahoe Mountain News the day after the council said no to the early sale of Mello-Roos bonds. “We own the property. They may have debt against it, but we own it.”
At the June 2 public hearing, where the first three rows of council chambers were filled with consultants for the city and developer, much talk was how the bonds would save LTDC. Ultimately the council decided the risk to the city was too great of a gamble.
“I voted no on the Mello-Roos bonds because I felt that there was no plan from LTDC for continued construction and that eventually there would be a default on the bonds,” Mayor Jerry Birdwell said. “And the default would leave a black mark on the city of South Lake Tahoe’s rating in the market place. I feel badly for the people who may lose money as a result of him going into bankruptcy, but I must look to what I think is best for the overall community.”
Mello-Roos bonds have always been part of the process, but they were to be sold once the project was complete. The early sale would have bought Lane two years.
Lane said, “It was not a rescue plan for Lake Tahoe Development Company. If it was, we could have filed for bankruptcy several months ago.”
Prior to this month’s meetings, Lane spoke at length with the Mountain News.
“… we are talking to others who would cure the default, the existing debt. We have some opportunities,” the Zephyr Cove developer said. “This is legitimate, valid. It’s not smoke and mirrors. We are talking a partner or sale. It’s no people you would recognize in the hospitality industry because most of those people are upside down. These are people who know the business. They normally own the asset and do the same thing we do.”
One thing in Lane’s favor is the 29 parcels were just appraised at $100 million. He owes about $55 million. LTDC has about $90 million of the $144 million spent to date invested in the $410 million project – the largest development in South Lake Tahoe’s history.
“It’s not like it’s 11 acres of raw dirt. It has gone far beyond that. That creates some challenges,” Lane said. “Everyone will get paid in my opinion.”
The $20 million raised in condo sales a couple years ago was returned to buyers when it became evident the project was indefinitely stalled. It’s unknown if these people would be interested in owning at the Lake in the future.
Even though Lane said he will do everything he can to stay out of bankruptcy, he doesn’t speak of it as the death nil to his project.
“Everyone thinks that (bankruptcy) is a four letter word. It’s not,” Lane said. “At this moment nor ever has it been our preferred alternative. But if we had to use it to preserve our equity or to fend off someone, we would use that tool. But we don’t think we need to.”

City’s stance

Ta-hole. That’s how Gene Palazzo, South Lake Tahoe’s redevelopment manager, described the non-existent convention center during the May general plan meeting.
It’s a concrete slab with rebar sticking out of it and a wood fence around the perimeter.
Questions have been raised about the structural integrity while it sits exposed to the elements year after year. City staff and the developer assured the council all necessary tests will be done to ensure the materials in place are intact for when the next phase of construction begins.
Councilman Hal Cole, who helped negotiate the contract between the city and developer, said he was surprised LTDC was allowed to proceed without all the financing in place.
“He must have shown the council he had the money. I wasn’t there,” Cole said. (After serving on the council for 12 years, he was off for two years before being re-elected last November.)
Palazzo said the council at the time OK’d construction to begin with just a letter of credit from a San Francisco bank. However, letters of credit in this town have a history of being useless. Such was the case when American Ski Company, which used to own Heavenly Mountain Resort, secured such a letter to build the gondola. That letter, too, never produced cash and ASC sold the ski resort and filed for bankruptcy.
Lane said he was confident enough with the letter to start work in 2007, less than a year after the owner participation agreement was signed in July 2006.
“We went forward with the work because we didn’t think there was any issue with the loan,” Lane said. That September the bank rescinded the promissory note. “We had spent more than $25 million and we owed $22 million. We had to pay the contractors.”
The money to do so was secured at a higher rate of interest than what the San Francisco bank had offered.
Another issue is that the final map for the property has never been recorded. It was approved by the City Council on Oct. 31, 2007.
Palazzo said the final map, which would consolidate the properties into five parcels, can’t be filed until the lien holders give their OK or are paid off and therefore not involved.
The city’s redevelopment manager further said it is “not typical” to begin construction without recording a final map.
For the time being, the city has little recourse but to be mocked by residents for allowing another hole in the ground to fester. Most officials believe the hole is better than the rundown hotels that were there.
Plus, the property is valued higher now than when it had buildings on it. Even though Lane is not paying his property tax bill, the city is receiving it’s share through the state Teeter law.
The hotel tax collections are also up in this area since the demolition of the old hotels, while sales tax is down throughout the city. So this points to the city making the correct decision financially – at least as of today – to go forward with the convention center, hotel-condo, retail development.
But the big question remains – When will it no longer be a hole?

South Tahoe two city attorneys onboard

2009-07-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

6/09 unedited tahoe mt. news

For 19 days, South Lake Tahoe will have three city attorneys.
Jacqueline Mittelstadt and Patrick Enright came onboard June 1. City Attorney Cathy DiCamillo retires June 19. She is hanging on a couple weeks to help the newbies get up to speed.
Mittelstadt, who most recently worked in the private sector but has 14 years experience as a city attorney in San Diego, is the city’s official city attorney.
Enright, who worked for a private firm in San Luis Obispo, is filling a position the council created May 19, the same day both were officially hired. His title is redevelopment counsel/deputy city attorney.
Both earn $128,000 a year and signed a two-year contract.
In a staff report, City Manager Dave Jinkens wrote, “It is anticipated that the hiring of a Redevelopment Counsel/Deputy City attorney will have up to 50% of their salary paid from savings in the legal reorganization and savings from use of outside legal counsel.”
No figures are available for how much the city spends on outside special counsel.

Charter Cables' woes

2009-07-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

Charter Communications, the local cable and Internet provider, is in a world of financial hurt. The company hasn’t made a profit this century, according to reports.
For now, the city is not worried Charter has filed for bankruptcy.
“They have assured us they will continue providing service, paying the franchise fees and operating the system here,” City Manager Dave Jinkens said.
Manny Martinez, Charter’s vice president-general manager for the Sierra Nevada region, said service should be status quo. This includes airing KCRA out of Sacramento and not broadcasting San Francisco’s KGO to the approximately 12,000 Charter subscribers in the South Lake Tahoe-El Dorado County area.
Martinez is now the voice for Charter because George Jostlin, who earlier this year spoke before the South Lake Tahoe City Council, is no longer with the company.
Not everyone is thrilled with the status quo.
One Charter customer wrote the Tahoe Mountain News, saying, “So aren't we glad we have KCRA and the reception is lousy. I've emailed them twice. One day it’s a picture that breaks up like a jigsaw puzzle, (one) Friday it was silent every fourth word.”

Broc's Puppies raided

2009-07-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

6/09 unedited tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Broc’s Puppies may be allowed to stay in business as long as the current owners want.
Even though the city voted to enact an ordinance to ban retail outlets that sell dogs and cats, the original plan was to allow the lone store selling puppies to do so for two years before having to close.
An April 20 letter from Michele L. Giguiere, a Sacramento attorney representing Broc’s owner Dennis Frank, threatens the City Council with a lawsuit.
With a search warrant served on Broc’s June 2, Giguiere has more work to do for her clients and the future seems less clear.
Lt. Robert Gerat with El Dorado County Animal Control is sifting through boxes of evidence that was seized from the South Lake Tahoe store. He expects to go through it in a couple weeks and then send a complaint to the district attorney’s office.
“It has nothing to do with quote unquote puppy mill puppies or where the animals came from,” Gerat said. He had no comment when asked if the investigation has to do with the number of sick puppies reportedly sold by the store.
No animals were taken and the store is open during the investigation.
In May, the City Council met behind closed doors to discuss the potential litigation from Broc’s in relation to the ordinance. Sources told the Tahoe Mountain News the council voted 3-1, with Kathay Lovell the nay vote and Hal Cole absent, to allow Broc’s to operate indefinitely. The caveat is owners would not be allowed to sell the business.
Attorney Giguiere’s letter in part says, “My client is prepared to bring legal action against the City Council and the City of South Lake Tahoe at this time …. (Frank) is also prepared to have the ordinance challenged as to its constitutionality and recover all damages, including attorney’s fees and court costs occasioned by the acts of the City and City Council. As a compromise, I would suggest that the City exempt my client from the ordinance and grandfather him in since his store was established prior to the ordinance.”
When contacted May 20, Giguiere said she was not aware of the council’s closed session vote. That day she said the ball was in the council’s hands. She did not return calls before deadline for a June update.
Mayor Jerry Birdwell refused to comment on Broc’s because it’s caught in litigation. He deferred to City Attorney Cathy DiCamillo, who did not call back.
Issues brought up by the store’s attorney include the lack of definitions of puppy mill and kitten factory, the state and federal constitutional validity of South Lake’s ordinance, and whether more emotion was used than fact in crafting the law.
Giguiere questions whether council members Hal Cole and Kathay Lovell should have voted on the ordinance because they have bred dogs. Cole’s Malamute had puppies 30 years ago – that’s the extent of his breeding experience. Lovell’s last successful breed was 19 years ago. Her dog was neutered after his last attempt three years ago.
“I will always consider myself a breeder,” Lovell said. “I’m a mother but not having babies anymore is my analogy of it.”
Cole said he cast his vote for the ordinance “as much for moral and ethical issues” as for legal.

Firewood -- $20 a cord

2009-07-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Firewood permits are available now through Oct.31 from the U.S. Forest Service.
Permits cost $20 per cord with a two cord minimum purchase and maximum of 10 cords per household for the downed dead wood. Permits are available at 35 College Drive in South Lake Tahoe, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm. For more information, call (530) 543-2694.

Grants for Tahoe business owners

2009-07-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

South Lake Tahoe small businesses have the opportunity to tap into a $300,000 grant the city was awarded from California Housing and Community Development.
A business with no more than five employees is eligible to get free assistance to create a website, marketing plan or financial advice.
This grant helps the city continue the Microenterprise Assistance Program it stared in 2006 with a similar $500,000 grant. By February 2009, the funds had been used by 30 participants who received financial advice, marketing assistance, and help with creating logos, flyers and business brochures. Nine websites were created
To participate, contact Nancy Kerry, who helped convince the state of Tahoe’s worthiness, at (530) 542-6043 or Nancy Ficco at (530) 542-7413.

Angora -- 2 years later

2009-07-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

6/09 tahoe mt. news unedited

By Kathryn Reed

Gardner Mountain -- it almost seems to be the forgotten part of Angora.
Although no houses were lost in this area during the June 2007 firestorm, the forest was ravaged. Those who live in the neighborhood and use the trails wonder why it seems this section of the 3,100 acres that were destroyed two years ago is not getting its just due.
The U.S. Forest Service as the land owner believes the acreage is being treated fairly and appropriately. Trees behind Gardner Street within about 150 feet of backyards were taken out right after the fire.
What’s left is evidence machines were used to log the area. Dirt is disturbed. Chunks of limbs of various sizes are strewn about. It’s called the lop and scatter method. New vegetation is scarce. Aesthetically it’s a bit of an eyesore – even more so than the charred forest.
USFS forester Duncan Leao scans the area, noting firs still need to be removed. But he defends what is left behind, reiterating this was a hazard tree removal area, not a thinning project.
“We do leave some of the slash on the ground for cover,” Leao said. “From a fuels perspective, this is what’s prescribed. There are less fuels on the ground now then when we had the fire.”
To the lay person, it looks more like a bonfire ready to be lighted. But because much of the debris left behind isn’t twigs or entire trees, it does not present a fire hazard, according to the Forest Service. Little sticks used for kindling pose the greatest threat to starting a fire, and then the big logs that burn hot and long that sustain a fire.
Beginning later this month and into July the trail extending off Panther Lane will have trees removed as a safety precaution. Even though the area is lush with an abundance of new green growth, some of that will succumb to the machines that will remove the towering dead pines and firs that pose a liability for the Forest Service.
Holes riddle many of the trees – evidence insects are nibbling away at the bark and birds are going after them. This behavior further destroys the trees that stand hundreds of feet tall.
Even grander views of Lake Tahoe are sure to be a result of the logging. Two years ago a hiker or mountain biker could not see the Lake.
The Forest Service uses mechanical and hand crews on dry ground for about 95 percent of work like this. Some work was done during the winter over the snow in Angora proper. Leao said that type of work is good for the ground, but it means having to go back in later to deal with large tree stumps and debris under the snow that wasn’t touched.

The burn area

It’s been two years and still no arrests have been made in the fire that was started by an illegal campfire at Seneca Pond on June 24, 2007. It was fully contained July 2. It caused more than $150 million in damage and cost about $23 million to fight.
Through May 2009, about 35 acres of U.S. Forest Service land have been reforested. The federal agency owned the bulk of the 3,100 acres that were charred.
Students from Zephyr Cove Elementary to the Environmental Magnet School helped plant some of the 7,275 trees. Most of the Jeffery pine, red fir, incense cedar and sugar pines were year-old saplings. Three-year-old seedlings also were planted by groups and individuals.
Now the Forest Service is working on maintaining the little trees by getting people to volunteer to keep them watered when Mother Nature isn’t doing so. The problem is saplings have a mortality rate of 50-100 percent. In the past, the success of planting in the basin has been dismal.
By mid-summer the USFS expects to release an environmental assessment of the area for final public comment. This will dictate how further restoration measures are carried out.
Funding for projects will be an issue no matter what is decided. Although heli-logging has been proposed for Angora Ridge and parts of Gardner Mountain, it may prove to be cost prohibitive.
The current plan is to remove the trees from Angora Ridge and let it return to chaparral – which is what pictures show it looked like in the 1930s.
Erosion control measures throughout the burn area – on all public and private land -- held during the winter and are continuing to with these unusual spring rains.
Not all contractors in the burn area are being conscientious about the environment. Two local contractors were cited for trespassing on National Forest land. A press release from the U.S. Forest Service said the contractors are accused of causing ruts, driving over seedlings and uprooting boundary markers.
Names of the companies are not being released per a federal law the Forest Service cited. Once the $250 fine has been paid the names will be public record.

Residents recover

Of the 254 houses that were destroyed in the Angora Fire, 184 are in some stage of being rebuilt – which may just be the permitting process.
It’s a mish-mash out there – with more lots bustling with activity than stagnant. A couple lots still have the county checklist out front.
On Cliff Road an asphalt driveway and cement stairs lead to a lot full of old wood chips and charred tree stumps.
From Elk Point Circle it looks like a new subdivision is being built.
On Pyramid Circle John Mauriello’s old lot remains empty. (Read about how Mauriello is doing in the July Tahoe Mountain News.)
At the Angora Garden, aka the labyrinth, on Lake Tahoe Boulevard a drip irrigation system is in place. Trees are growing. A bird house is stocked for the songbirds chirping nearby.
It’s hard not to be at this oasis amid the ruins without being contemplative. Behind the fence is the natural vegetation – yellow mule’s ear and purple delphinium bloom beneath the charred pines. Life and death – it’s a constant juxtaposition in the burn area.
Life does go on, but headaches remain. Tara Brennan and Tony Colombo still have insurance issues. Their court date with State Farm is scheduled for June 22.
Brennan is losing her job at Pier 1 Imports. Colombo just got laid off from BlueGo when the bus agency cut routes. It was his fourth job since the fire.
“I’m running out of career options in Tahoe,” he says half in jest.
Still, they say they are glad they rebuilt.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. But I sit on my back deck and say it is good to be home,” Brennan aid.
She says this even after the garage flooded in the winter because of the high water table.
Water – it’s an issue plaguing so many in the burn area. Considering an adult conifer can absorb about 80 gallons of water a day, the water has to go somewhere now that the trees are gone. The liquid just rises. Sump pumps are being put in at residences that never had them before.
“We are trying to get as much vegetation and trees in to hold the water,” Brennan said.
The couple also wants more mature trees to help with wind and shade.
The irony is the abundance of water has allowed aspen stands to flourish.
A series of meetings this year resulted in a landscape plan being developed by Susie Kocher, a natural resources advisor with UC Cooperative Extension. The document is a guideline for residents. It’s available at http://ucanr.org/angorareveg/.
Paula and Larry Lambdin live around the corner on Pyramid Circle. They’ve noticed how much more natural vegetation is coming back this year compared to a year ago.
“I think it gets better every day. It’s still hard to look at the ridge,” Paula Lambdin said.
She said when emergency vehicles were streaming to Angora Lakes Resort on May 20 it was jarring. She said the arson at the cabin “generated a lot of anxiety” for those in the burn area.
(Transient Peter Benjamin Manista, 31, is the suspect in the arson, burglary and vandalism.)
What perks the Lambdins up is seeing more people move back to the neighborhood. Lights are on at neighbors; port-a-potties are taken off the street. A sense of normalcy is returning.

Relief center

The Community Disaster Resource Center is using the last of its donations to help anyone who has at least applied for a building permit by giving them a voucher for about $1,360. The home owner has the choice to open an account with Tahoe Outdoor Living or Aspen Hollow.
People have until July 6, 2009, to open the account and until July 1, 2010, to spend the money.
The roughly $250,000 in vouchers will essentially bring the balance to zero for the nonprofit that was created after the fire. The offices will close in July.
Carrie Reiter, administrative director for CDRC, said the last day for survivors to turn in applications for underinsurance assistance is June 30. She said estimates are that collectively the households of Angora were underinsured by more than $12 million.
Her group collected just shy of $1 million in the less than two years it has existed.
Reiter had 237 cases. A case is each renter in a house, a child older than 21 living at home or a family/couple. About 90 of the cases were renters, Reiter said.
Reiter credited her board of directors for making some tough decisions – decisions not all survivors have been happy with.
“You get to see the best and worst of everybody in this situation,” Reiter said. “I’ve had some harass me for a year because they were not getting (money from CDRC) for a waterfall or barbecue and others who won’t apply (for help). Everybody had a different way of handling things.”

Things to know

Assemblyman Ted Gaines is hosing a discussion about Angora two-years later on the anniversary of the fire. The June 24 discussion from 6-9pm is at South Tahoe Middle School’s multipurpose room. He is expected to have members of the bi-state Blue Ribbon Commission on hand to talk about what, if anything, is being done with that report.
Tahoe Area Sierra Club is having Jessica Mahnken from the Sierra Nevada Fire Safe Council speak June 18 at 6:30pm to explain how residential lots can be improved to increase fire safety. She will delve into how much defensible space is necessary, and what kinds of ground cover and plantings can be close to a house.
Mahnken will also explain the various forms of assistance available to homeowners, BMPs, and Lake Valley’s chipping service.
The meeting is at the Round Hill Fire Station on Elks Point Road.
The reverse 911 system for El Dorado County has been operational since mid-April. It allows people to be notified about an emergency as it happens. The system can send alerts to landlines, cell phones and via email.
Isolated locales can be notified with an evacuation message, while outlying areas could be given a broader message. It can make 1,000 calls per minute.
A $140,000 Homeland Security grant paid for the system.
The system also allows people to call in to get recorded information during an emergency. That number is (530) 470-5001.
This summer a test message will be sent to people who are in the system and notifications sent via the media for people to add their info or more methods of contact to the database.

Firefighting capabilities

Despite a scary state budget situation, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last month renewed his commitment to make state resources available to local jurisdictions consumed with fire.
“Last summer when California was engulfed by 2,000 fires, California’s brave and hard working firefighters beat back every one of those fires, but it was not without great sacrifice and great cost,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “A third straight year of drought only heightens the danger we face this summer, and we need every firefighting tool on ready alert, so we can spring into action when disaster strikes. This Executive Order directs CalFire to immediately mobilize more personnel and equipment, which means more crews, more engines, more helicopters and more planes to ensure our firefighters have the tools they need again this year to keep us safe.”
His directive calls for departments like Emergency Management Agency, National Guard, California Conservation Corps and state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work with federal and local agencies when it comes to fire prevention and firefighting.
Local Forest Service firefighting budgets have not been cut. The bad economy has seen more people signup to be on-call firefighters with the Forest Service. At the beginning of June, 61 people had gone through the training and another 12 were wrapping up their paperwork.
“(There are) no budget impacts to our ability to hire on firefighters, or to our partners (that we’re aware of),” said Cheva Heck, USFS spokeswoman.

USFS creating a recreation plan for Tahoe

2009-07-10T21:57:00.001-07:00

5/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

“What we want to communicate is there are going to be tough decisions to be able to maintain these facilities with decreased budgets and increased demand. We have some challenges ahead of us.”
Daniel Cressy, landscape architect and recreation planner with the U.S. Forest Service, voices these sentiments when it comes to providing locals and tourists with functioning, modern, non-dilapidated recreation sites throughout the basin.
With about 2.5 million people a year visiting the national forest in the basin, the land and infrastructure is for the most part being used to capacity. What worries the Forest Service is that projections are for that number to increase by 50,000 every year for the next 20 years – so by 2029 3.5 million visitors will be tallied in a single year.
A five-year recreation plan was signed into action in July 2008. One of the main goals is to have 20 percent of the deferred maintenance needs met within five years. Ninety percent of the needs are supposed to be met in 15 to 20 years.
“The recreation facility analysis was a guiding document looking at the recreation demand in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” Cressy explained. “We also are looking at where our facilities are in relation to meeting the demands and deferred maintenance associated with those. We have a big backlog of maintenance that we have not been able to get to over the years. Some are in dire need of maintenance.”
He said restrooms at day use sites and beaches are a good example of structures that have outlived their original lifespan. Many don’t meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Tiles are broken, plumbing is so-so.
It’s expected to cost at least $23 million in today’s dollars to fix the mess at the recreation sites. This does include roads or administrative facilities.
Any project that relates to water quality improvements could tap into money from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. Where the rest of the cash will come from is unknown. The Forest Service is open to a public-private partnership where appropriate.
Increasing fees has been talked about, but is not imminent. Before that happens the public would have a chance to weigh-in.
Several projects will get under way this summer or at least the analysis will be performed. Already the Logan Shoals vista has been upgraded.
Signage throughout the basin is an issue, as is the replacement of picnic tables.
The plan this summer is to replace two restrooms at Pope Beach and one at Baldwin Beach.
After Labor Day, work at Fallen Leaf Lake campground will begin. It’s in the environmental analysis stage now.
“We plan to remove some of the roadways and campsites in the stream environmental zones. We will relocate those campsites on higher capability land in the campground,” Cressy said. The number of campsites will not decrease.
The Valhalla Pier – the one by the boathouse theater – will be extended so people with disabilities may use it.
“There will also be some work to provide some accessible paths to the pier so people don’t have to go down a steep slope to get down to the pier,” Cressy said.
Part of the five-year plan includes replacing some electrical work at Zephyr Cove Resort and improve other infrastructure there. Improvements to the Tallac Historic Site are also on the agenda.
Camp Richardson improvements, which are in the environmental analysis phase, are partly included in the five-year plan. Restrooms will be improved, utilities put underground. The water system is being replaced and upgraded.
Some of the 40-plus-year-old cabins have leaking roofs and walls.
“The buildings don’t meet current standards. That is an example of maintenance that is overdue,” Cressy said.
As time goes forward, Cressy knows that prioritizing what gets fixed first based on the dollars available will continue to be an agonizing process for his agency.

Exploring the depths of Lake Tahoe

2009-07-10T21:56:00.001-07:00

5/09 tahoe mt. news unedited

By Kathryn Reed

Only time will reveal whether scientist Scott Cassell and his 14-member exploratory team end their month-long exploration of the depths of Lake Tahoe by uttering something like, “The world isn't ready for what was down there.”
Supposedly that’s what famed undersea voyager Jacques Cousteau said after his visit here. But considering no definitive proof has come forward proving Cousteau was in the emerald water, the validity of his quote is even more suspect.
Nonetheless, conspiracy theorists were overheard jibber-jabbering about what the Undersea Voyager Project may uncover as Lake Tahoe is studied like it never has been.
Cassell and company launched the bright yellow, odd looking pontoon-like, bubble vessel from Tahoe Keys Marina on April 30 with the intent of studying the seven fault lines on the floor of the Lake, the ecosystem, sunken ships, water quality issues, soil toxicity and pollution.
After his first dive of 50 feet, Cassell remarked he was able to see the surface. The vessel can go down about 150 deep. The Lake is 1,645 feet deep, with an average depth of 989 feet. Scuba divers can make it about 200 feet down. With a remotely operated vehicle, the scientific team will be able to reach the bottom.
Third-graders from Lake Tahoe School in Incline were captivated by the team in their orange jumpsuits.
“I might just have found a job for when I grow-up – to drive a submarine,” student Sadie Hart said as the vessel puttered out of the marina.
Classmate Sarina Baratta said her class has been learning about the dangers of zebra mussels and algae stuck to the bottom of boats.
“It’s not going to be a pure Lake anymore if we don’t learn to stop it,” Sarina said.
One thing that is supposed to be beneath the surface is the stonefly. That is something the crew may uncover. Fly fishermen like to use manmade ones.
Something else to study is the underwater forest off Kiva Beach. At the end of the month when the gang heads to Fallen Leaf Lake, the emphasis there will be on the submerged trees.
Jim Kleppe, a UNR professor who lives at Fallen Leaf Lake, is credited with discovering the underwater forest there.
By taking a core sample of a tree it is said historic weather patterns can be revealed. Plus, studying the trees will provide geological history about the basin.
Theories abound whether Coustean, assuming he said the above quote, was talking about some sort of undersea monster or floating bodies. Legend has it the mob dumped bodies in the Lake on a regular basis. Chinese laborers also were supposedly cast into the freezing water.
Even though the Lake preserves bodies fairly well, over time human tissue even in Lake Tahoe would decompose and fish would gnaw away most components. Adipocere could occur. That is when a brown fatty, wax-like substance forms on dead animal tissues in response to moisture. This means it is possible parts of long discarded human remains could exist in Lake Tahoe.
Cassell will release preliminary findings from his dives at a May 29 seminar at Lake Tahoe Community College. He’s working with the Scripps Institute, which will assist in analyzing the data he collects.
Deadlines got in the way of reporting on his May 7 talk at the Tahoe Maritime Museum in Homewood.
Cassell is scheduled to return to Lake Tahoe in October with a different submarine. For more info, go to www.underseavoyager.org.

Wrong tree cut down

2009-07-10T21:55:00.001-07:00

5/09 tahoe mt. news unedited

By Kathryn Reed

Not being elderly or disabled, Billie Jo McAfee is still trying to figure out how her house got on a list for tree removal.
She and her husband returned home on Saturday this spring to find their 30-year-old fir tree cut down and left in chunks in the drainage ditch next to their driveway.
McAfee was told this was part of the Rotary Club’s stewardship day. The California Tahoe Conservancy employee is not seeing this act as good stewardship.
“I was ready to (call) the insurance company because I thought it was vandalism,” McAfee said. “I called the sheriff. They said nothing really happened here, it’s not a crime.”
About 30 properties were part of the Rotarian Work Day, with a handful being CTC lots. Addresses of the private residences were supplied to Rotary from the Nevada Fire Safe Council’s senior wood program. All residents were supposed to be notified about the work day.
McAfee, who said she and her husband should not be on that list, also said they never received a letter or phone call.
South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Lorenzo Gigliotti, who is in this Rotary group, said trees were removed for defensible space reasons and if they were not healthy.
“It was a tree that was half dead and we considered had ladder fuel,” Gigliotti said. “The tree itself would have been a contributor to fire spread.”
McAfee begs to differ.
“It was in perfect health,” she said of the tree. “It sheltered us from noise from the road and across the street. It was a shady spot for the dog.”
The Christmas Valley residents have been offered a sapling to replace the 30-year-old tree that was felled without permission. McAfee said that’s not enough.
“It is still vandalism,” McAfee said.

Tahoe Keys flood insurance quagmire

2009-07-10T21:54:00.002-07:00

5/09 Tahoe Mt. News unedited

By Kathryn Reed

An eight-month ordeal that cost some South Shore residents thousands of unnecessary dollars, and countless hours of phone calls and research should be resolved this month.
Thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency entering the computer age, the July 3, 1978, flood zone map for the 900-plus Tahoe Keys homeowners was altered as it was scanned into digital format.
The Sept. 26, 2008, map ended up showing Venice Drive drifting into the meadow, Texas Street ending in a canal and other properties submerged or with great potential to be during a major flood.
What seems to an innocent mistake that could easily be fixed by comparing the paper maps of 1978 to the digitized 2008 version and then having the latter match the former has been anything but simple to correct.
A revision to the September map should be on the books this month.
Homeowners were the first to figure out something was amiss. Federally insured lenders require homeowners to have flood insurance if their property resides in a 100-year flood plain.
John Nemes received a letter from Bank of America on Dec. 13, 2008, saying his Kokanee Way house that he’s owned since 1983 needed to have flood insurance because of the September FEMA map.
“Low-risk flood insurance is very inexpensive. High-risk flood insurance is a premium. They put a lien on my house. They charged me interest on the lien,” Nemes said. As of press time he was still wrestling with BofA to get his money back.
Before FEMA decided it had made a mistake, Nemes along with others in the South Lake Tahoe neighborhood paid civil engineers for a certificate of elevation to prove their property was not at risk of flooding. The lowest point on Nemes’ property is 4.5 feet above the threat of flooding.
Nemes is mad at the city, mad at FEMA and mad at BofA.
Eric Simmons, senior engineer with FEMA in Oakland, said city officials, including then Mayor Mike Weber, saw the September map before it became official.
Weber said this is not true.
“To my knowledge, former Mayor Weber was never involved in meetings on this matter and I never participated in them as well,” City Manager Dave Jinkens said.
Jinkens wrote Simmons on March 13 seeking a revision to the September map. A March 25 response said the agency would see what it could do.
Christian Svensk, associate planner with the city, has been the point man to clean up the mess. He says FEMA did notify the city the maps were being digitized, but nothing more.
“… it wasn’t a revision. They said they were not changing the flood plain so there was no formal review period or notice for these maps,” Svensk explained. “FEMA is responsible for the incorrect map. We did not seek that map and force it upon people. There is no sign-off. They don’t follow-up and say are you good with this. It put us in a bad position.”
On April 9, Simmons toured the Keys to see for himself how the September map didn’t reflect reality. He also met with several homeowners. After that meeting, Keys owners were given until May 8 to comment on the draft revise.
The one beneficiary of the September map seems to be Dover Street, which had been in the flood zone before. Bob Henderson had to have flood insurance when he refinanced a handful of years ago. The 1978 map showed the meadow coming to Tahoe Keys Boulevard, which means his house would be in that meadow.
His lender has refunded his flood insurance premium.
Colorado Court still is at risk, according to FEMA, from the Upper Truckee River, not Lake Tahoe.

Tahoe Maritime Museum

2009-07-10T21:54:00.001-07:00

Living history – it’s the tagline of the Tahoe Maritime Museum in Homewood.
Most of the vessels on display continue to ply the waters of Lake Tahoe. Miss Tessa, a 1930 Dodge, was on display when the 5,800-square-foot facility opened a year ago this month. In 2007, it churned the waters during the annual Concours d’Elegance.
The exterior of the building is reminiscent of an old boat house. The interior of the two-story structure next to Homewood Ski Resort is open and airy.
Watercraft on display is rotated. Boats not in Homewood are stored at the museum’s annex in Truckee.
It’s an ideal outing for families because of the rich history depicted in seeing old vessels, as well as the display cases that change to keep the museum fresh, the simulator that demonstrates commandeering a boat on Tahoe, the motors filling one wall, activities corner for kids, old tools and other exhibits.
A 1922 Chris-Craft called “Godfather” was the sixth boat produced that year. It’s part of the museum collection. History about Gar Wood and Chris Craft are on display.
Two hydroplane boats are on a wall. Racing those boats used to be a big sport at the Lake. A rowing skiff from the 1960s is propped against one wall looks like it would have been one of heck of a workout to power it across the water.
For information, go to www.TahoeMaritimeMuseum.org or call (530) 525-9253.

Never a dull moment with SLTPD

2009-07-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

5/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

It’s 11:47 on a Friday night. The handcuffs are taken off the 16-year-old South Lake Tahoe girl and she places her hands on her head like she’s told to. The guard at the Juvenile Detention Center searches her.
The teen removes her shoes and socks. Earrings are taken out. She struggles to remove the nose ring.
“Do you have any piercings I can’t see?” the guard asks.
“No,” the girl says.
The guard re-reads her her rights.
The girl must remove her jacket and belt before entering the holding cell – prevention so she doesn’t hang herself.
She will be spending her first night in juvi because officers could not track down her parents to release her to their custody after she was cited for contributing to the delinquency of minors.
It doesn’t matter the age of the supplier – give a minor alcohol and a crime has been committed.
At 10:23pm South Lake Tahoe police Officers Doug Sentell and Robert Autre show up at the girl’s house in the middle of town. A caller had reported a party was going on and said a chemical smell was detected.
A handful of the girl’s friends are in various stages of drunkenness.
“I don’t do anything wrong except I drink,” the girl said. She never seemed to comprehend what the big deal was.
Officers confiscated the half empty booze bottles and a pipe with suspected marijuana in it.
“That’s my dad’s (pipe). That’s not fair. He didn’t do anything wrong,” the girl stammered. The pipe was found in her pocket. Her fluttering eyelids signaled to Sentell she had been smoking weed.
The teens told the officers they got the alcohol by “shoulder tapping” – literally tapping a person on the shoulder and asking them to buy booze.
“So many kids end up in Barton. Some with a 4.0,” said Sgt. Shannon Norrgard. The legal limit for an adult is a blood alcohol content of 0.08.
Parents of the underage drinkers were called to pick up their offspring.
Norrgard, who has a 14-year-old, never wants to be in their shoes. She said it would be her worst nightmare come true.
Some of the kids sound like they’ve made this call before. Some parents thank the officers for the call. Most are visibly upset with their kids.
One of the boys is sober. He doesn’t have parents to call. He’s a couch surfer – a kid whose home is whatever couch he finds that night. It’s a form of being homeless.
First stop for the underage party hostess is Barton Memorial Hospital for a fit for incarceration exam. She’s worried her stomach will be pumped. Her inebriated state isn’t that bad.
“This is actually kind of fun,” she says while sitting in Room 3 of the ER.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sentell tells her.
“I’ve never been to the hospital,” she replies. After a slight pause she says, “Juvi is going to suck.”

On the streets

Sentell has been working the streets of South Lake for four years. He was on Clear Lake’s force for two years.
He says morale is improving. The father of four little ones says the switch from 12-hour shifts to 10-hour ones has made a dramatic difference. Plus, he hasn’t had any forced overtime in months.
But not everything is copasetic. Some officers, speaking off the record, say morale is still an issue.
Police Chief Terry Daniels said, “Morale was never as dark as people made it sound.”
He points to the worst time being during negotiations and he was on the city’s team which pitted him against his department’s five unions.
Capt. Martin Hewlett points to the need to “take care of our people.” He offered the tragedy in Oakland earlier this year as an example. “I told the sergeants to talk to the young guys and see how they are and how their spouses are dealing with it.” He bristled at the mention of morale not being good.
Even though staffing has increased significantly in the last year, not always does the scheduling seem logical. Some officers complain not enough vehicles mean officers aren’t always on the streets.
Today full staffing is 44 sworn officers. The department has 42. Testing to hire more officers occurred last month. But with the revolving door of retirements and transfers, it is doubtful staffing will consistently be full.
In the 1980s the department had 57 officers – eight assigned to detectives.
Today there are 27 patrol officers. During the recent lean times that number fell to 18. The department employs 65 employees – not all are sworn officers.
Officers aren’t happy they have to tell burglary victims the crime won’t be investigated because there isn’t a detective to do it.
Daniels said he wants detectives to be fully staffed as soon as possible, which means four officers. One position is not filled, but that equates to being down 25 percent. It wasn’t long ago that detectives was stripped to one person.
Daniels is content he fulfills the department’s obligation to the South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team, especially knowing El Dorado County had to pull its sheriff’s deputy last fall.
If Daniels could have a wish, it’s to have a stable budget and never return to the days of being understaffed.
Hewlett, who runs the patrol division, wants his officers to eventually spend half of their time “dedicated to the needs of the community.” This includes K-9 presentations, working with youth and neighborhood watch programs.
The idea, according to Daniels, is to be proactive instead reactive.
Officers respond to about 36,000 calls a year. Last year crime dropped by 10 percent in the city. Even though property crimes tend to increase in bad economic times, Daniels said that has not been the case here.
“There are only a finite number of criminals in a small town,” Daniels said, adding that segment is about 4 to 5 percent of the population.
Domestic violence and drugs are the issues Sentell says he runs up against most often – with the two often being tied together. He said the biggest abuse he’s seeing is with the prescription med Oxycontin. It’s nickname is “hillbilly heroin.”
“We do have a significant drug problem. Anytime you have a place next to you that gives away alcohol 24/7 you will have alcohol problems,” Daniels said.
He acknowledged the increasing domestic violence problems here. Daniels said the partnership with South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center helps.
He also said he won’t be surprised if when the 2009 crime stats are tallied that drug-alcohol-domestic violence incidents have risen. The economy will be partly to blame.
Another issue out of officers’ control is the influx of people in town, especially during the summer. Staffing is set for the 25,000 residents, not the 60,000 occupants during summer.

Altering course

Hewlett said after a hiatus of a couple years cops will be returning to bicycle patrol this summer. The four to six officers will primarily work the beaches and campgrounds on mountain bikes
The boat program is set to go, as well.
Two officers will be on motorcycles.
“One goal is to reduce traffic accidents in 2009 through focused enforcement,” Hewlett said. “Last year we had DUI enforcement. Arrests increased and traffic accidents and fatals at night decreased.”
A goal of Daniels’ since he took the reigns of top cop a few years ago was to bring back the Police Activities League. Nearly 20 kids – boys and girls – are in the boxing program. Some are gearing up for competitions, other have the potential to box at the collegiate level.
Through the bike program kids are repairing two-wheelers that they’ll eventually be able to pedal.
PAL volunteers took kids to a basketball game at UNR. Fishing, sledding and skating are other activities.
The department is an integral player in the Youth Task Force (www.tahoeytf.com), a coalition of community groups whose focus is all about kids in the community. Information about PAL and a community calendar are on the website.
Daniels said the goal is to get kids involved in something positive, show them parts of the area they’ve never seen and expose them to activities that help them set positive goals.

Union concerns

Robert Autre, president of the SLT Police Officers Association, isn’t thrilled with some of management’s decisions. The seasoned officer who crossed the state line a couple years ago after retiring from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, is not shy about voicing his concerns.
He shakes his head when talking about the training and vehicle budgets being cut. Autre said it will be two years before SLTPD gets new vehicles.
Autre said cutting the training budget can make a city liable when an officer is sued for some incident.
“There is no excuse for a department our size to be in the predicament it’s in,” Autre said. “It’s all about money. They are refusing to properly man, they are failing to properly train and they are failing to properly equip.”
Autre said if what happened in Douglas County recently when three officers were shot in an eight-month period were to have happened in South Lake at the same time, the department would not have had the coverage to handle it.
“What the community fails to see when they see four cop cars and think it’s a waste of manpower is that we get paid for what we might have to do,” Autre said.

Troubled times

Sgt. Jeff Regan is on administrative leave following his DUI arrest in Nevada on April 17. This is not the first time he has been on the other side of the law. In 2005 he was accused of domestic violence, though those charges were dropped.
Officer Johnny Poland, who is on paid administrative leave while the city challenge’s his reinstatement, had his April 29 Superior Court date canceled.
Poland said he and his attorney have until May 15 to respond to the city’s appeal.
May 29 is the next date to watch for. As of press time it was not known if both sides would be in court if a decision would be made then.
Poland was spending the end of April and early May composing documents for the El Dorado County grand jury.
“There were plenty of things said and done that will create a hostile work environment. I need that addressed. I need the grand jury to say that it is wrong,” Poland said. “I can’t expect the city manager or police chief to look into it.”
Poland was fired in June 2007 after a November 2006 incident at South Tahoe High. A three-person arbitration panel last fall ruled he should be given his badge back. The city is appealing that decision without the unanimous consent of the City Council.
“We have put out a gag order. We don’t talk about (Poland),” Chief Daniels said.
Daniels has heard the rumor that Poland’s personnel records have been leaked to the Tahoe Daily Tribune. A copy is kept at the department and one with human resources at city offices. It is a misdemeanor in California to publish such files of peace officers.
If the Poland case is strung out another year, he would have to go through police officers standard training again.
One officer who spoke off the record isn’t worried about Poland coming back. “What worries me more is some other officers. Some of whom are getting promoted and have some black marks against them like totaling cars and others covering for them,” the veteran officer said.
In another incident, Jim Smith who owns Nik-n-Willies Pizza reportedly has gone to the Department of Justice seeking an investigation into Daniel’s behavior from several years ago.
Supposedly Smith has a recording of Daniels making a less than professional call to his business.
“I’ve never called him, so that’s a lie,” Daniels said.
Smith said, “I’m not talking to anyone at this point. I have been advised by my legal counsel not to talk to anyone.”

SLT budget troubles

2009-07-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

5/09 unedited tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

In a $1.2 million cost-saving maneuver, South Lake Tahoe is eliminating seven positions and accepting the early retirement of five others. The proposal has been bandied about several times this spring, with the final decision May 5 for layoffs to be effective July 15.
Accusations were flying and didn’t stop once the decision was made.
Mayor Jerry Birdwell and Councilman Bill Crawford want the Houston Group eliminated from the payroll. They question what the lobbyists do for the city.
City Manager Dave Jinkens and Councilwoman Kathay Lovell are definite supporters of the agency. Jinkens is supposed to bring the council a proposal at the May 19 meeting to trim the lobbyists’ retainer by one-third to $30,000 a year.
Crawford was vehement with his displeasure to keep a firm whose work has not been proven, especially while making city employees eligible for unemployment benefits.
He also raised issue with the city’s 25 percent or $8 million in reserves, in addition to an unrestricted contingency fund that is in the millions of dollars, when pink slips are being doled out. Councilman Bruce Grego also wondered if the rainy day fund should be tapped now.
Crawford also questioned Jinkens’ leadership and decision-making.
“If we’re going to eliminate positions, why were they created in the beginning? I don’t think anyone has an answer,” Crawford said. “I’m not happy with the city manager’s performance in this area.”
Two of those positions are the economic development manager and her assistant. That department has been misunderstood since Jinkens developed it the nearly seven years he’s been here. Statistics are supplied, but no measurable economic development.
Councilmember Bruce Grego lobbied hard to get the layoffs to be delayed until Sept. 30, saying that would give the city time to see if the summer economy improves.
Originally pink slips were to be effective June 12.
Grego seemed to miss the nuance of why some of the positions are on the chopping block and the fact that the council has wanted to reorganize staff.
With construction practically at a standstill in town accept for what the school district is doing, a permit technician in the building division and a senior building inspector aren’t necessary. The people will go, though the positions stay on the books.
The two assistants to the city attorney will be off the books. This is because the current city attorney is being replaced by two attorneys, one specializing in redevelopment. Speculation is when that attorney is on board it’s possible the Redevelopment Agency will be reorganized.
Two other possible jobs being eliminated are engineers. Their jobs will fall by the wayside if grants are not secured by Sept. 30.
Those opting for early retirement are the community development director, purchasing manger, fleet manager, loan program specialist, and park supervisor/lead parks maintenance worker. They will be leaving between now and Aug. 4.
Later that day, Crawford said of Jinkens, “In a nut shell I’m ready to fire his ass.”
Jinkens’ contract expires in August 2010. If he were let go before then, the city is obligated to pay him a large portion of what is left on his contract.

Rubicon Trail strife

2009-07-10T21:49:00.001-07:00

5/09 unedited tahoe mt. news

For now, the world-renowned 4x4 Rubicon Trail will stay open. But that may change if things don’t soon improve.
After more than six hours, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board on April 23 put El Dorado County and the Eldorado National Forest, a branch of the U.S. Forest Service, on notice.
A water quality protection plan must be formulated by October 2010, with a long-term management plan ready six months later.
At issue are erosion along the trail, vehicles leaking liquid contaminants and humans defecating in the forest.
More than 300 people attended the meeting. Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, who represents Lake Tahoe, is an advocate of keeping the famed route open.
“Any sort of closure would devastate rural economies throughout Placer and El Dorado counties, causing an irreversible job loss not only in the off-roading industry but for the restaurants, hotels and gas stations thousands of outdoor enthusiasts flock to each year,” Gaines said in a press release after speaking at the hearing.
Also at the meeting was off-road hall of famer Mark A. Smith, founder of Jeep Jamboree USA.
The water board also wants the land owners to measure usage along the trail and consider limiting the number of vehicles in the future.

Automated parking garage coming

2009-07-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

5/09 tahoe mt. news

By Kathryn Reed

Even though the city’s parking garage at Heavenly Village will be automated by August, the employees are staying put.
“As for jobs, there are no plans to cut jobs. The reasoning is that one attendant, which is the amount generally there at any given time, is likely still needed to assist customers with the machine and ticketing,” said Nancy Kerry, South Lake Tahoe redevelopment and housing manager.
The automation will allow the garage to be open around-the-clock. Currently, parking is permissible from 6am to 11pm.
When the council approved the plan there was no mention of hiring people to work during the extended hours.
It’s estimated the city could see a $30,000 increase to the bottom line with the pay-on-foot system. This is in part from being open longer, having tighter control over money coming in and the increased use in credit cards.
Machines will be mounted to a wall, near where people come from the shops into the garage. Drivers insert the parking ticket and pay by cash or credit card. The “paid” ticket lets them get out of the garage.
Validation from merchants is still possible.
Only one firm bid on the project earlier this year. At a council meeting last month the elected body agreed to have William D White Company do the work for $176,235. This firm installed the current parking system nearly six years ago.
“The financial end has no impact on the city’s budget because there is $204,766 left over from the bonds issued for the project – the proceeds from the bonds have to be used on improvements in the area, and the bond contracts require that all the funds be spent,” Kerry explained.
Another $18,250 was allocated to cover signs, lighting upgrade and security camera.
In the staff report for the April 7 council meeting, it says, “It is recommended that any moneys remaining upon completion of this project be used to make an additional payment back to the City’s General Fund CIP (capital improvement project), for public improvements.” The general fund took a $7.2 million hit to make Heavenly Village a reality and now the city’s Redevelopment Agency is paying off that loan of sorts in $500,000 annual payments.