future

I am writing this letter in support of Annie Davidson for the LTUSD Board. She is mother to two LTUSD students and knows firsthand the challenges that our school district, educators, and students face. She has no political ties that might sway her in one direction or another in regards to what is best for our community.

As the South Shore moves from an economy focused on casinos and gambling to one focused on recreation, new ideas are emerging on how to succeed and live in the area.

A panel of successful entrepreneurs will be on hand during the next Tahoe Talks, a monthly feature offered by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and their transportation arm, Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO).

As the election nears I feel compelled to write a quick note expressing my endorsement for Randy Vogelgesang’s reelection to the STUPD Board.

When one sees a vacant lot in the Lake Tahoe Basin with a California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) sign placed on a tree within its borders, it normally that means the parcel will remain vacant.

And in most cases, that is true.

In the basin, CTC owns 4,780 parcels of land totaling 6,400 acres, many of those parcels are about 1/4 acre in size. In the 1980s and 1990s, most of these smaller lots were purchased due to their being deemed environmentally sensitive. If a lot, or a portion of a lot, was once considered to be sensitive, they are permanently protected and cannot be built upon.

The Board of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce (Tahoe Chamber) has announced its position on seven local ballot measures in the City of South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County.

Yes on Measure P

Boys and Girls Clubs from across the country will be having "Lights on Afterschool" on Thursday, October 20 as a way to highlight the importance of a safe place for kids to go after school.

From 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the students who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe (BGCLT) will show how they feel about the club by designing the future building that will house them.

The South Lake Tahoe chapter of the Citizen's Climate Lobby recently asked all ten of the candidates their views on climate change, green buildings and our carbon footprint and how they can make a change if elected.

The Citizen's Climate Lobby is an organization focused on national policies to address climate change, and the South Lake Tahoe chapter is one of 354 in the United States and abroad.

Patricia Sussman of the local chapter said just five of the candidates responded to their questions.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - Highway 89 reopened at noon on Monday, October 17 after being closed since Friday due to the Emerald Fire.

Fire and road crews have been working to complete containment of the fire as well as clearing debris and fallen trees after the weekend's fire and heavy rains.

Also, all evacuation orders have been lifted.

Traffic will be metered through the fire area by Caltrans. The Highway will be subject to future closure as repair work and tree removal continues and debris is removed from the highway.

This summer,the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association (TKPOA) has been both combating aquatic invasive weeds while also testing out methods for future eradication of the pesky plants from their channels. They will be hosting a public meeting to update the community on their ongoing efforts on Tuesday, November 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the South Tahoe Public Utility District board room.

A new deputy was sworn in on Monday for Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Mariah West was sworn in by Sheriff Ron Perini during a ceremony attended by many of West's family and friends.

She grew up in Douglas County and attended Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania after graduating from Sierra Lutheran High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

The ceremony was a culminating event for a long term goal of becoming a deputy sheriff.

For a 90-day trial period, the City of South Lake Tahoe will hire an outside security firm to assist with enforcement of the Vacation Home Rental (VHR) ordinance.

Many complaints have been voiced at City Council meetings about the lack of enforcement and the fact that part of the justification of the increase in fees for the vacation home permits was to go to staffing that department.

The Lake Tahoe Basin saw continued environmental improvement over the last four years, but faces major challenges from climate change, according to a draft 2015 Threshold Evaluation Report released by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

The report offers a detailed assessment of the health of Lake Tahoe and its treasured natural environment as indicated by 178 threshold standards in nine categories: Air quality, water quality, soil conservation, vegetation, fisheries, wildlife, scenic resources, noise, and recreation.

This letter is for anyone interested in seeing students in Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) get the best opportunities possible.

The Lake Tahoe Golf Course will be hosting their annual Wedding Open House on Sunday, October 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Besides local wedding vendors being on hand to share information about their services, there will be a Tahoe Wedding Flea Market.

Future brides and grooms can shop for wedding items that will be available at great prices.

Organizers are renting flea market tables for just $10. People are invited to bring wedding items to sell to the brides, grooms, bridesmaids, and moms who will be attending.

The announcement this week of a buyer for the undeveloped portion of the Chateau at the Village has been met with excitement over new investments in South Lake Tahoe.

Owens Financial announced Kawana Meadows Development, LLC entered into a purchase agreement for $42.5 million for eight acres of the project, leaving the 3.5 acres currently home to the Zalanta and completed retail Chateau portion in the hands of Owens.

It was 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28 in the year 1926. Fire had broken out at the Jack Smith Ranch at the base of Clear Creek Canyon above Carson City, Nev.

Flames were high, and the fire traveled up the canyon rapidly, getting ever so close to the source of timber for all of the state's mines at Glenbrook. The fire also burned several ranches. Strong winds fanned those flames, and caused the fire to reverse itself and come down Kings Canyon. Again, it reversed itself and raced up Kings Canyon one more.

At the Lake Tahoe Summit last month, we saw the power of what we can accomplish when we work together. Progress over the last two decades was showcased when President Obama made his first-ever visit to Tahoe and said conservation and restoration efforts like ours are more important than ever as the nation works to adapt to a changing climate and create a more resilient environment.

Social media was abuzz this week as South Tahoe High came is as the seventh most beautiful high school campus in the State of California according to the Texas based national driver's education company, Aceable.

California’s Salton Sea and state-straddling Lake Tahoe would receive funding for environmental restoration under a bill set for Senate approval Thursday.

More controversial water-related efforts remain stuck in Capitol Hill limbo, however.

Put simply, California’s diverse water ambitions face a complicated future in what remains of the 114th Congress.

The trip from Lake Tahoe to Reno will be a shorter one once the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) completes the final leg of the I-580 Carson City Freeway. As of Thursday, construction is 50 percent completed.

Those making the trip down Highway 50 to Carson City have seen almost one million cubic yards of earth excavated to make way for the future roadway that will be completed in 2017.

The excavation was needed to lower the elevation of sections of the freeway to bring the road below existing overpasses and reduce traffic noise.

"I've never been here," President Obama told the crowd at the 20th annual Lake Tahoe Summit on Wednesday. "Its not that I didn't want to come, but nobody invited me."

The President said he'd be sure to be back. "I'll be coming here more often through my transportation won't be as nice," the President said to a crowd appreciative of his humor.

"I'll be back not because its beautiful, not just because Godfather II happens to be my favorite movie, but because this place is spectacular because its one of the highest, deepest, purest lakes in the world," said the President.

The focus of the 20th Anniversary of the Tahoe Summit is on the environment. And there is much to celebrate as lake clarity has improved; collaboration among agencies is strong and numerous restoration projects have been completed. But 20-20 hindsight also means that if only we had thought more about the impacts that focusing solely on the environment would have on our economy and community, we could have accomplished much more. Now, twenty years later, we find ourselves trying to play “catch up” on these other two areas.

For those that were on the South Shore on August 27, 1980, they'll be able to tell you exactly where they were, or what they were doing when law enforcement detonated a bomb that had been left inside Harvey's Resort casino in Lake Tahoe.

Three men planted a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of dynamite inside a machine they delivered to the second floor. Successful landscaper, John Birges from Clovis, Calif., the mastermind behind the bomb, was attempting to extort $3 million from the casino, claiming he had lost $750,000 gambling there.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe has launched a program that recognizes Tahoe-based businesses taking action to protect Lake Tahoe.

So far, nine local businesses have pledged their commitment to Keep Tahoe Blue: Azul Latin Kitchen, Ernie’s Coffee Shop, High Sierra Gardens, Lake of the Sky Outfitters, RISE Designs, Tahoe Blue Vodka, Tahoe Sports & Entertainment, Tahoe Training Camps, and The Free Bird.