Community

There were two workshops held on Thursday at South Tahoe Middle School to help identify the safe and unsafe routes students take to school each day on foot or on their bikes. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., school officials, staff from Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Mobility group and members of the public were stationed at locations on the streets around the school to monitor traffic, car speeds and safe routes the students were taking to get to school.

My name is Dr. Frederick “Fritz” Wenck, DDS, and I’ve been closely involved with Lake Tahoe Community College since its beginning in 1974, when I was elected one of the first LTCC Board of Trustees members. I’d like you to consider, just for a minute, what would happen if the college’s Measure F bond effort failed to pass this Election Day.

Bears apparently found the food pantry at Christmas Cheer All Year too good to pass up on Monday night. Board Member Tom Davis reported that bears broke into the food pantry and helped themselves to the food used to feed those community members in need.

Christmas Cheer All Year is asking for the community’s support with food and monetary donations as they begin to restock their shelves.

Douglas County Commissioners may decide to raise the water rates for the County's Lake Tahoe customers by 25% during their meeting at the lake on Thursday.

The October 16th agenda is full of items pertaining to the South Shore, including a possible decision to merge the Zephyr Cove Water Utility District, the Cave Rock/Uppaway Water Systems, and Skyland Water System and establish the Lake Tahoe Water Utility Fund effective November 1.

Four Business and Economics Majors at Chapman University are working to change the lives of millions of people around the world. One of the young men who started ‘Health 2 Humanity' is from our area. John Cefalu is not only a South Tahoe High School grad, the 19-year-old entrepreneur is now also a soap-making expert.

On August 26, 2014, South Lake Tahoe resident Matthew Marhefka was in a serious dirt bike accident and suffered a broken neck which resulted in his being paralyzed from the neck down.

He recently had neck surgery and the results were successful. His spine is now stable but due to the severe spinal cord injury he remains paralyzed from the neck down. According to family friends, the doctors have hope that he could possibly regain feeling and or movement to his hands and arms.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) approved two grow domes to be installed at Sierra House Elementary School. Ground is being broken on the project area this weekend and the project is expected to be completed by the end of November.

The fourth annual Lake Tahoe Home and Garden Show will be held April 24, 2015, from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm, and Saturday, April 25, 2015, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex and Gym. Vendors will offer information on gardening in Tahoe, furnishings for the home and garden, plants and home decor items, clothing options, toys, and health related information and goods.Attendees can enjoy a variety of food vendors and live music will be available.

Residents and businesses located in Nevada and California have joined efforts to remove graffiti and trash from Lake Tahoe which is known for its pristine water and incredible natural setting. On Sunday, October 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., organizers invite friends and supporters of Lake Tahoe to participate in this special multi-state effort. They will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Sand Harbor for a safety talk, graffiti and trash removal instructions and supplies.

"Inspiring youth to make positive decisions for healthy and successful lives." With a mission statement like that, how could you turn down a chance to be a part of the organization, SOS Outreach?

They are looking for positive adults to be mentors for the youth of South Lake Tahoe. The mentors, known as Sherpas, work closely with a group of youth by being active in their lives and act as a positive role model, promoting healthy decision making.

Tahoe Youth and Family Services is holding their Color Blast Run this Saturday at Lake Tahoe Community College. This fun, fundraiser is a 5k walk/run around the LTCC campus, and it's not just any 5k walk/run! Participants get doused with color around the course so when they cross the finish line they're covered from head to toe in color!

The original run was postponed to October 11 due to unhealthy air in September from the King Fire. This weekend will be a great fall day for the event and it's not too late to sign up.

Halloween fun at the Divided Sky in South Lake Tahoe! The progressive bluegrass quartet from Portland, Student Loan Stringband returns to the Meyers hot spot for an evening of groovy, quirky, and lively genre-buster of a show.

Join the band at Divided Sky for a special night full of original tunes, favorite covers, and toe-steppin, boot-stompin jams!

Wear a costume, get a treat! Doors open at 8 p.m. and the cover charge is $10.

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The South Lake Tahoe City Council recently voted to offer reduced parking tickets to businesses in the Heavenly Village in order to get more of them on board with offering validation to their customers.

Businesses can now pay one dollar for an hour of validation. The movie theater pays $.35 per hour for their tickets. They previously offered free validation to movie goers for four hours of parking but that will now be reduced to three hours.

The city is looking for ways to advertise participating businesses on signage in the city owned garage.

Be an informed voter this November! An educational forum featuring all the candidates on the ballot running unopposed will be held at Lake Tahoe Community College on Thursday, October 9.

The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, KTHO Radio and Lake Tahoe Community College are jointly sponsoring the Candidate's Forum in the Aspen Room, which is in the college's library building, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

As part of National Fire Prevention Week, the South Lake Tahoe fire stations will open their doors to the public for a day of information, activities, contests and gifts.

Even though the leaves haven't all changed color, nor has winter arrived, but organizers of the 2015 Lake Tahoe Home and Garden Show are already planning their April, 2015 event.

The 4th Annual event, which is always the last full weekend in April, will once again be held at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center on April 24 and 25. 1000 people attend this event annually which is spread through the center's gym, hallways and classrooms.

My wife and I bought a retirement home in Tahoe in 2002, in part because there was a college in South Lake Tahoe. I have been on the LTCC Foundation Board since 2009. I am writing to urge everyone to support Measure F to modernize Lake Tahoe Community College and increase the educational opportunities offered there.

From quality shopping, accommodations, recreation and dining options to the myriad service providers and businesses, the Blue Ribbon Awards honor all that business should be. This important awards program salutes those businesses that are making significant contributions to the South Shore economy.

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is expected to allocated $2.3M to communities in the form of grants that fit the categories of community facilities, planning and capacity building, economic development, micro enterprise programs, and low/moderate income development.

People are now able to apply for the Community Development Block Grant program in Douglas County. The public is invited to provide ideas, comments and potential projects.

Editor's note: This is part of a series on all of the change going on in South Lake Tahoe. We'll be updating you with photos and news.

What was once a run down trailer park, and sometime homeless camp, will soon be a three story, 28 unit condominium complex named Tahoe Woods Condominiums. In an area at the southern end of Cedar and Manzanita Avenues, seven separate buildings are currently being constructed amidst the trees. The northern tip of the property is a pathway that runs adjacent to the Tahoe Meadows community.

A collegiate Division 1 hockey player and pro prospect was named the new General Manager and Coaching Director for Tahoe Sports and Entertainment, Inc (TSE), the operators of the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena.

Michael Findorff joins TSE after working for Vail Resorts, most recently as Assistant Manager in Products, Sales and Service. Prior to that Findorff spent two years pursuing a professional hockey career with the New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes organizations.

Novelist Josh Weil and Poet Travis Mossotti will be at Lake Tahoe Community College October 8 to present their lastest works. They will read selections from their works, answer audience questions, and sign copies of their books which will be available for sale.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded $150,000 to the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) to create a new, interactive public exhibit at the Tahoe Science Center, located in Incline Village. The exhibit will merge the results of citizen science with TERC’s new, real-time monitoring network that is being installed around the lake to understand and improve the clarity and health of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.

American Legion Post 795 is going through a time of positive change, and we ask you to bear with us through the transition. We have elected an energetic new Board, created a full House and Grounds Committee, and are adding new members almost daily to the Legion Post and Auxiliary. With more involved members, we have found much to be done. A visit from our District Commander brought other requirements to light that must now be accomplished.