fireworks

The aftermath of the thousands of people who flocked to South Lake Tahoe's beaches last Fourth of July was a ghastly sight. South Lake Tahoe made headlines around the world for the embarrassing amount of trash left on the beaches. It took hundreds of volunteers days to pick up the thousands of pounds of garbage left on the beautiful beaches.

There's a new show in town, and tens of thousands of people will get to see it for the first time on Independence Day.

While many South Lake Tahoe fireworks fans might not even notice, this year's stunning "Lights on the Lake" pyrotechnical performance is now being created by world-renowned 'Fireworks by Grucci' out of New York.

Grucci is a sixth-generation family owned company who owns two Guinness World Records and have been putting on fireworks shows around the world since 1850. They are known as the "First Family of Fireworks."

1. It is SO much cooler than the valley. With nights in the 40s and days in the 70s and 80s, it’s the perfect spot to cool off!

2. Yes, our beautiful lake is a little lower, but with a depth of 1,644’, a loss of one foot over the next 4 months really isn’t that much. There is still lots of water left to play in!

3. This is a great time to explore the other water sport options since it may not be perfect for motorboats and jet skis. Plenty of places to rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.

Locals and visitors can join #teamfireworks, a large effort to remove all debris from South Lake Tahoe's beaches following both the 4th of July and Labor Day fireworks shows.

Over 100,000 people enjoy the fireworks and anytime an area gets that many people, trash is sure to be an issue. Last year's beach clean was originally meant to make sure the debris from the actual fireworks was not left floating on the water or strewn along the beach. While not many parts of fireworks were found, hundreds of pounds of trash was collected.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to from May 25 to May 31, 2015. They responded to 208 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

5/25
DUI at River Drive and Lake Tahoe Blvd
DUI in the 2300 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public at Wildwood Ave and Lake Tahoe Blvd
City Ordinance "other" in the 1900 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Trespassing in the 1000 Julie Lane
DUI in the Ski Run Blvd and Paradise

5/26
"Other" misdemeanor in the 2000 block of Lake Tahoe Blv

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of December 26, 2014 to January 1, 2015. They responded to 204 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

12/26
no arrests

12/27
Stalking in the 3600 block of Rocky Point Rd
Drunk in Public in the 900 block of Park Ave
Hit & Run in the 900 block of Modesto Ave
DUI in the 900 block of Edgewood Circle
DUI in the 3300 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Domestic Violence - Battery in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

Heavenly Mountain Resort received 11-14” of new snow in the last 24 hours, allowing the resort to expand terrain and open the California side of the mountain on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31.

Heavenly will now offer three access points to the mountain, including the Heavenly Gondola at Heavenly Village, Stagecoach Lodge in Nevada, and California Lodge off of Ski Run Blvd. With the extra two mountain access points now open, the heavy crowds that have been at the Gondola all week should dissipate.

Heavenly Holidays reach their zenith on New Year’s Eve, when fire, lights and music fill the air. The Fire Groove fire dancers will be adeptly twirling rings of flame, while a photo booth, games and face-painting will be open to all. Live Band will perform an outdoor concert that will get the audience moving, and the “Fear-No-Ice” sculptors will get their saws buzzing for a special New Year’s Eve exhibition.

The 7th Annual Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony was the biggest yet, with 300 people at Thursday's banquet and 175 nominations of local businesses, employees and experiences.

Here is the list of winners:

Experience Award – Sponsored by Marriott Grand Residence & Vacation Club

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to between August 23 and September 4, 2014. They responded to 418 calls during the 13 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

8/23
Drunk in Public in the 4100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Unlicensed Driver in the 3900 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant at Herbert Ave and Lloyd Ave
Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Petty Theft in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant in the 2000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

Visitors and locals alike will find a variety of activities to enjoy in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, August 31.

The highlight of the day will be the Annual Labor Day Fireworks show. The show features a simultaneous music broadcast that can be heard on local stations KRLT-FM 93.9 and KOWL - AM 1490. Show begins at 8:30 p.m. The fireworks are visible from all over town.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to between July 21 and July 31, 2014.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

7/21
DUI in the 100 block of Bellamy Ct
Drunk in Public in the 2100 block of South Ave
Drunk in Public in the 2100 block of South Ave

7/22
Under the Influence of Drugs in the 1300 block of Gilmore Lake Rd
Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License at Sierra Bl & Palmira Ave
Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License at Pioneer Tr & Markofer Way

Lucas McNamara, 7, was hiking around Griff Creek near Kings Beach Fire Station last week with his family when he saw a black, spiny fish, about 1-foot-long, lying dead in the creek. He ran up the creek bed, yelling, “Dad, you need to look at the big crazy fish!”

Lucas’ parents, Steve and Jen McNamara, decided to make this a teachable moment for their son, who already shows active interest in science and the environment.

“I told Lucas that this fish is not normal for Lake Tahoe and may be harmful to the other fish and animals in the lake,” Steve said.

Thousands flocked to Lake Tahoe beaches for the 4th of July and left behind thousands of pounds of trash. Several groups have been participating in the Adopt a Beach cleanup program that is getting volunteers out to clean up the mess, both trash and fireworks debris.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe had over 120 volunteers participate in their annual Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Beach Cleanup. They cleaned at Commons Beach in Tahoe City, Nevada Beach and Zephyr Shoals on the East Shore, and Kiva, Regan and El Dorado beaches on the South Shore for a total of about 3 miles of shoreline.

Volunteers are scouring Lake Tahoe beaches and waters, looking for fireworks remnants and other trash.

In response to the lawsuit filed after large amounts of fireworks debris was found on the beach at Pinewild last summer, local service clubs, employee groups and other volunteer teams formed by local agencies joined in beach clean up efforts.

As is tradition, Kings Beach held their July 3rd Fireworks celebration Thursday night.

They had food and beer vendors, games, souvenirs and music.

Thank you to Jon Peckham II of www.tahoeshooter.com for the photo. This was the view of the fireworks from Sand Harbor looking west.

WOW! This is probably the busiest concert month since I've been keeping a blog.

#4thofJuly events include parades and fireworks on both ends of the lake in #LakeTahoe plus Billy Ray Cyrus in Incline Village and Sinbad at the Montbleu on July 5th, Black Star Safari, 4-piece puzzle, and Groovebox at the American legion July 4th, Red White & Bass feat. Love and Light, Muppet Punk, Gurbtron, Trevor Selby, Tre Tuna, DJ Chango at Lakeside at Night and Stylust Beats, Subtropixx, Aux, IJV at Tahoe...

July 01 Unauthorized Rolling Stones @ Harrah's

The busy 4th of July holiday is just a week away, and with Lake Tahoe's increased crowds, excess traffic, fireworks and dry conditions, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) are asking everyone to use caution.

The Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority has passed on the proverbial fireworks torch to the Tahoe Douglas Visitor's Authority.

In a move created by last year's fireworks lawsuit, the LTVA board was advised by legal counsel to seek an alternative sponsor and acted on that advice according to LTVA Executive Director Carol Chaplin.

The TDVA begins sponsorship this year.

Between May 29 and June 5, 2014, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 178 calls.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

5/29
Warrant at LaSalle Ave & Lake Tahoe Blvd
Battery in the 4000 block of Manzanita
Petty Theft in the 1700 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Burglary in the 3800 block of Bridle Rd

5/30
"Other" Misdemeanor at Cedar & Friday Avenues
Drunk in Public in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Resisting in the 1000 block of Sonora

5/31
Drunk in Public in the 2600 block of Elwood Ave
Warrant in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd

Labor Day weekend in South Lake Tahoe has been known as the place to be for wrapping up the summer with a firework's show and, for the last four years, Sample the Sierra.

Spend Labor Day Weekend sampling the region's best food & wine at Bijou Community Park on Sunday, August 31, 2014 from noon to 5 p.m.

For the two weeks from March 27 to April 10, 2014, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 319 calls.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

3/27
Battery in the 900 block of Lodi
Warrant in the 3800 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Unlicensed Driver at the corner of Paradise & Maple Ave
Driving on Suspended or Revoked License at Young & Marjorie Streets
Assault With a Deadly Weapon in the 2900 block of Sacramento

3/28
DUI at O'Malley and Martin Ave
Resisting in the 3700 block of Blackwood
DUI at Heavenly Village Way & Lake Tahoe Blvd

3/29

As we all know, the economy and our environment are fundamentally intertwined. If we ever doubted the connection, those doubts should have been erased through the impacts of the Great Recession on our local economy. We need revenue from tourism to sustain our economy, which in turn helps to fund environmental projects that protect the natural beauty, which draws millions of visitors every year. We cannot have a thriving economy without protecting the environment and we cannot have a beautiful natural environment without money to protect and properly sustain it.

A lawsuit brought against the Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority (LTVA) and Pyro Spectaculars may put an end to the decades old 4th of July fireworks tradition in South Lake Tahoe.