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The City of South Lake Tahoe's vision to recreate a community that encourages revitalizing commercial and residential areas got one step closer today with the TRPA's adoption of the South Lake Tahoe Tourist Core Area Plan. The area involved is the Highway 50 corridor from Fairway Ave at Bijou, up and down Ski Run Boulevard, and up to the Stateline.

Outdated development and pollution in the core of South Lake Tahoe could be on their way out with the adoption today of the City of South Lake Tahoe Tourist Core Area Plan by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board.

Another group of locals successfully completed the South Lake Tahoe Citizen's Academy. The graduates were presented with certificates at Tuesday's city council meeting. The 16 graduates are Anita Boel, Brandi Bannister, Brooke Martone-Ballachey, Gia Richards, Greg Carlson, Jennifer Story, Jonathan Moore, Julie Stewart, Karen Kuentz, Mike Allen, Mike Peron, Peter Gochis, Peter Spellman, Rachel Roberts, Scott Fair, and Scott Weavil. Most are pictured here with Mayor Tom Davis.

A full agenda awaits the South Lake Tahoe city council on Tuesday, November 5 and contains key topics from a presentation on the parking meter situation to Mayor Tom Davis's State of the City Address.

Here are a few of the key agenda items:

State of the City Address
Public comment on items NOT on the agenda (3 minute maximum)
Presentation and update on the City's parking meter program
Citizen's Academy Graduates acknowledged
Authorize purchase of 1740 D Street for Public Works Street Division use

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s monthly lecture series continues with a presentation on water rights at Pyramid Lake on Thursday, November 14. Dr. Kate Berry, Professor of Geography at the University of Nevada, Reno, will discuss her research at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences.

Today the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted to approve the ban on single use plastic grocery bags in the city limits, duplicating their 3-2 vote from the first reading of the ordinance on October 1, 2013.

Council members Hal Cole, Angela Swanson and Brooke Laine all voted in favor of the ban. Tom Davis and JoAnn Conner against.

With a vote of 3 to 2 in favor, the City Council today voted to ban single use carry out plastic bags in the South Lake Tahoe city limits. This issue was passionately debated by council members and the 8 citizens that offered their comment during today's City Council meeting. The city council is expected to finalize the ordinance later this month. The ban will take effect in grocery stores and farmers markets three months after adoption and will apply to all retail establishments after one year. Pharmacies,restaurants, and non-profits are exempted.

The Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee is concluding a survey to discover what the public thinks are the most important actions people can take to help protect the Lake Tahoe region. Results of the survey will be used to inform the creation of a new Tahoe area Environmental Stewardship Messaging Campaign. Individuals have until 5 p.m. Monday, September 16th to weigh in and can take the survey online.

"We will never, never forget" were the words spoken by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, 4th District of California, as Gold Star Peak was dedicated in South Lake Tahoe today. A bronze memorial plaque commemorating the peak was unveiled during the ceremony held at Lakeview Commons. Mayor Tom Davis told the group gathered, "We're proud to be able to have a memorial we can view every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year." The plaque is placed near beach level with a clear view of Gold Star Peak.

Tension is high. Palms are sweaty. Beer is in the cooler and everyone in the room is armed with printed materials and pens. Weeks of studying, plotting and planning has all been in preparation for this one big moment. A barren banner spread along one wall with 8 empty columns is about to be marked upon over the next 4 hours.

The headers on each column are now filled in with the names Cheeseheads, Rabid, Go Deep, Rebel Dogs, Midgets Punching Clowns, Wide Right, Tahokies and East Coast Connection.

This folks is the beginning of a Fantasy Football Draft.

Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore said, in his speech to scientists, elected officials, environmentalists, business leaders, fire department officials, students and others in the audience of the 2013 Lake Tahoe Summit, that what we’ve learned at Tahoe can help inform the rest of the world to protect their resources and communities.

The numbers are in: Lake Tahoe Community College’s scholarship program had its most successful year ever in 2012/13, helping more students to reach their academic goals than ever before. In June 2013, the college handed out $81,000 in scholarship dollars: the most in the college’s history.

All of those dollars will help 66 LTCC students to continue their education, providing much-needed funds to cover the costs of tuition, textbooks, and other resources necessary to academic success.

The main mass of a rare meteorite that exploded over California’s Sierra foothills in April 2012 will be preserved for current and future scientific discoveries, thanks to the collaborative efforts of five U.S. academic institutions.

After years of limbo and uncertainty, the Chateau project at the corner of Highway 50 and Stateline in South Lake Tahoe will once again see the light of day.

The city of South Lake Tahoe issued a building permit Friday for the $400 million project, referred to as "the hole" by many locals, which has been stalled since 2008 after financing dried up.

“Thank you to City Council and staff for working extensive hours on getting this project started again and reinvigorating the local economy,” said Mayor Tom Davis.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Aug. 1-6.

Children are invited to spend the day with scientists on Saturday, August 10, learning about the unique ecology, function, restoration and preservation of Lake Tahoe. Children’s Environmental Science Day will be held at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village.

Join Dr. Sally Rogers, UC Davis MIND Institute, for a presentation on the latest findings on effects of intervention on the youngest children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on Thursday, August 22 at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences.

This lecture will discuss the need for intervention models for younger and younger children being identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and the effects of interventions that focus on this age group.

Date: Thursday, August 22, 2013
Time: No-host bar opens 5:30 p.m. Presentation begins 6 p.m.

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center releases the annual Lake Tahoe: State of the Lake Report on Wednesday, August 7. Director Geoff Schladow will present the most important factors that affect lake health at a public presentation at the Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village, Nevada on August 7 at 6 p.m.

Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Time: No-host bar opens 5:30 p.m. Presentation begins 6 p.m.
Location: Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV
Cost: $5 donation suggested

The Tahoe Fund, the first and only nonprofit in the Tahoe Basin dedicated to raising money for environmental improvement projects, announced Wednesday the appointment of Timothy Cashman as chair of the board of directors.

The Tahoe Fund is kicking off its 2013 fundraising season with the announcement of four 2013 Signature Projects that will help restore Lake Tahoe clarity and improve recreation in the Basin.

The projects include beach improvements at Sand Harbor State Park, Asian Clam control in Emerald Bay, a mile of bike trail along the West Shore, and a new bridge across Angora Creek in the Washoe Meadows State Park. Interested donors can learn more about these projects on the Tahoe Fund website here.

Rat poison used on illegal marijuana grows is killing fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada, according to a recent study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California, Davis, the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station, UC Berkeley, and the Integral Ecology Research Center in Humboldt County, Calif.

South Lake Tahoe has appointed Thomas Watson to serve as its city attorney. He begins work July 8.

“Tom Watson was the obvious selection as our new City Attorney based on his extensive experience as City Attorney for the cities of Visalia, Porterville, Lindsay, Farmersville, Mendota and Woodlake,” said South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tom Davis in a news release. “We are very pleased to have a highly qualified, experienced, and seasoned professional join our team and we welcome Tom to our city.”

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science will host the fourth annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival on Saturday, June 8, followed by the third annual Native Species Festival on Sunday, June 9.

Residents and visitors are invited to attend these free family events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89.

June 8 event:

Barton Health has partnered with the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center, a service of Tahoe Forest Health System, located in Truckee and an affiliate of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, to expand its oncology services for cancer patients who reside in the South Lake Tahoe area.

Using advanced technology through Barton’s Telehealth for Tahoe Program, cancer patients undergoing treatment at Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center can meet with their physicians via “real-time” videoconferencing.

Do you love Lake Tahoe and have an interest in learning more about the lake? Do you enjoy science, learning new information, and sharing your knowledge? Would you like to become a local expert on research taking place at Lake Tahoe?