international

Dr. Mireya Ortega of High Sierra Dental Care was recently the honored recipient of the 2016 Ruby Award given by Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS). This award honors women who are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of other women.

Local curling and skeleton bobsled athlete, Larry Sidney, will be featured as a guest reporter for Mountain Resort Television and their Lake Tahoe News Line featured on South Tahoe Now and seen on KAME-TV, My21TV.

Larry, a South Shore resident, is a member of Lake Tahoe Epic Curling, competing internationally with the Israel Curling Federation, and a competitive skeleton bobsled athlete for the Israeli team.

The Amgen Tour of California South Lake Tahoe Organizing Committee is seeking 300 volunteers for the combined stages for men and women on Thursday, May 19, 2016.

The men’s elite race Stage 5 will begin in Lodi, Calif. at 10 a.m., and finish around 3:45 p.m. at Heavenly Mountain Resort’s California Base Lodge in South Lake Tahoe totaling 132.4 miles. The women’s Stage 1 will start at 10:50 a.m. and finish approximately at 2:00 p.m. at Heavenly, totaling 72.7 miles.

Members of Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) handed out checks to 22 different project that are created by non-profits to serve the women and children of South Lake Tahoe on Thursday.

The awardees:

A multi-million dollar remodel of the old Green Lantern Motel in South Lake Tahoe has been completed, and emerging out of the dust is the new and trendy Coachman Hotel.

Doors will open to the public on Wednesday, March 23.

The new owners of the hotel, Peter and Justin Watzka, bring with them years of hotel and hospitality management. Peter was the Executive VP of Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and VP of Marketing for Marriott Vacation Club International, while Justin was previously a director with Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Vacation Clubs in Florida and Asia.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will look at the new Master Fee schedule during the March 14 meeting, something they do annually. The proposed fees and charges for 2015-16 show no change for users of the recreation center or campground, a $2 to $3 increase in daily golf course fees, a $5 to $15 increase in golf course passes.

Experience Mongolia and the Alps with our 2 speakers.

Land of Blue Sky: Stories from Mongolia. Virginia Chandler will recount her 27 months in Mongolia while serving in the Peach Corps. She volunteered as a Youth Development Specialist in Mongolia, living in a remote town and working at a high needs secondary school. Virginia will share her experiences and photos with us.

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This is part two in a series of a look into Human Trafficking in South Lake Tahoe.

Human trafficking. Its not just a Third World problem, its not just a big city problem, and its not a poor or rich problem. There are millions around the world who are victims to human trafficking, a business that is estimated to be a $32 billion industry.

And its happening in our backyard.

The facts are sobering.

Former South Lake Tahoe resident and Lake Tahoe Community College graduate, Ryan Row (pen name: Alan Wor) has been officially announced as a winner in the "Writers of the Future" contest sponsored by L. Ron Hubbard. The contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions, is in its 32nd year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction.

Owens Financial, the owner of the mixed-use development project known as Chateau at the Village, is looking for a buyer, or buyers, for the 11.5 acre area in South Lake Tahoe once known as "The Hole."

Over 60 women, men and children took their message to Heavenly Village on Valentine's Day as part of an international campaign to end violence against women. For the past several weeks, those community members have been rehearsing the dance routine they performed in front of a crowd near the gondola.

Organizer Hillary Wilson Huff is already planning the 2017 event and said that anyone interested can email her at sltflashmob@gmail.com to get more information.

Tahoe Toastmasters, the local chapter of Toastmasters International, provides a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. Toastmasters is where leaders are made.

Join Tahoe Toastmasters as they compete for the Toastmasters International Speech Contest. Learn how to enhance your skills through Toastmasters. We provide a supportive and positive experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

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Just in the time for the biggest sports betting weekend of the year, MontBleu Resort on the South Shore has a new William Hill sportsbook. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday to welcome customers and celebrate the new operation.

MontBleu became the latest location to offer a sportsbook operated by the international company which is based in England. There are 104 other locations in Nevada including the operations at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe.

Community groups can now apply for grants from the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra club.

They are accepting applications that support programs and projects that align with their Mission to “Strengthen the lives of women and youth in our community and the world."

The deadline to submit an application is January 31, 2016.

The application packet is available on our website www.sitahoesierra.org.
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Soroptimist International of the Tahoe Sierra is holding their 27th annual Elegant Evening on Saturday, April 23, 2016 in the Harrah's Lake Tahoe Ballroom.

Since this is the group's major fundraiser of the year you can count on a silent auction, and this year the ladies are stepping it up by going digital, following in the footsteps of Tahoe Douglas Rotary's successful auction last year. Even though the event is still a few months away, people can view auction items and buy tickets on line.

Forty-nine year old Shawn Michael DeCosta is behind bars after being arrested Tuesday on suspicion of burglarizing the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in South Lake Tahoe on January 4, 2016.

A ski trip to South Lake Tahoe by a group of friends from the San Francisco Bay Area turned into a trip to the hospital after one of them fell while skiing on December 29, 2015.

Ski accidents do happens often, but the international attention the victim's accident got from a news source in Ireland gained attention from South Lake Tahoe locals following the photo and story on social media that the injury was from a bear attack.

To make way for "Star Wars," Disneyland is about to launch its largest expansion ever, which means shutting down a significant chunk of the Anaheim theme park.

In January, 10 attractions and eateries will close — some temporarily, some permanently — only a few months after the resort hiked the price of annual passes as much as 31%. This spring, Disneyland's biggest rival, Universal Studios Hollywood, plans to unveil a widely anticipated Harry Potter attraction.

Brooke Hernandez of Chase International’s Zephyr Cove office was recently honored as Realtor of the Year by the South Tahoe Association of Realtors. The award is based on a member’s community and industry involvement.

Hernandez, a South Shore native, has more than ten years experience in real estate and has been with Chase International for six years. She currently serves as the president of the association, in which she has been actively involved for several years.

The Lake Tahoe Grizzlies Peewee Team is the 2015 Pacific District Regional Silver Stick Champions in the Peewee B division which has earned them a spot at the International Finals in Ontario, Canada. In order to help the young boys and girls with travel expenses, the team has started a fundraising campaign selling "Tahoe Strong" T-Shirts.

All 14 team members have excelled not only on the ice, but in the classroom according to fundraiser organizer Tye Watson. They players come from South Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, Truckee, Reno, Carson City and Minden.

The South Tahoe High Sober Grad Night Task Force would like to thank the following businesses and individuals who helped make our annual event for the graduating seniors such a success! The kids loved the evening and it couldn't have been made possible if you weren't a part of it.

South Lake Tahoe Police and Fire departments, and the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office will be handing out stuffed moose to children they come across in their jobs who are facing times of stress, uncertainty and anxiety.

Members of Women of the Moose, and the Loyal Order of the Moose, Chapter 408 donated a box of Tommy Moose to the departments. Tommy Moose personifies one of the tenants of the Loyal Order of Moose: caring for children.

“The healing begins with helping kids at the scene of a serious event—starting right away makes good sense,” said Police Chief Brian Uhler.

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra and Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe are accepting applications for the Violet Richardson Award. Each year the two local Soroptimist clubs honor young women in the community ages 14-17 who are engaged in volunteer deeds such as fighting drugs, crime and violence; cleaning up the environment; or working to end discrimination or poverty.