science

"I'm looking for opportunities to build strategic relationships and leverage resources, and not duplicating what we already have," Craig A. Schmidt said after being on the job for five days at the Tahoe Chamber. "That is what excites me about the South Shore."

Schmidt is the new Chief Executive Officer for the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, a job vacant since July 1, 2016 when "B" Gorman left to develop her coaching business.

During the last meeting of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Trustees, discussion about neighborhood schools and theme schools surrounded the proposed STEAM Academy at Al Tahoe Elementary when it reopens. STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics - would be the focus of all students at the school, much as the themes surround all other local elementary schools.

At the request of the board, LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Jim Tarwater will present the demographic data from each school in relation to where they reside.

Tahoe's Natural Diversity: Lakes Edge to Summit. Join Sarah Hockensmith of the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) as she introduces attendees to the diverse landscapes of the Tahoe region from lake level to the tops of the mountains.

To celebrate the Tahoe's natural history, TINS is hosting the Tahoe Nature Chase during 2017. The presentation will cover how different flower, tree, bird, and mammal species adapt as they go up in elevation and what unique creatures you can find around specific elevations in the area.

Free and open to all.

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The annual television meteorologist's conference, Operation Sierra Storm (OSS), couldn't have happened at a better time to bring the national spotlight to early January's storms fondly nicknamed Snowmageddon and Januburied.

Jim Cantore and Paul Goodloe, leading correspondents at The Weather Channel, both broadcast live from Heavenly Mountain Resort and showcased South Lake Tahoe’s powder-filled ski conditions for two days, eight hours each day during the historic snowfall January 10-13, 2017.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - The January 7, 2017 storm that hit the Sierra Nevada and brought with it over 5 inches of rain before several feet of snow, also brought along some records, too.

During this storm event the Tahoe Resource Conservaton District (TRCD) Stormwater Monitoring Program measured the highest flows ever recorded at all eight of their monitoring locations since monitoring began in 2013. The Tahoe Valley site, located off Tahoe Keys Blvd., measured 1.5 million cubic feet of flow, nearly 90 percent of the flow that was observed throughout the whole 2016 water year!

While climate can be an important factor controlling lake temperatures, in many lakes, water temperatures are responding differently than air temperatures. Through decades of climate and water temperature data from Sierra Nevada, Dr. Steve Sadro was able to illustrate the magnitude of warming taking place and demonstrate the role of winter snow-pack in regulating lake temperatures. Sadro and his findings will be featured at the next UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) discussion on February 9. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. with refreshments and no-host bar from 5:30 p.m.

The conversation has started on what to do at the former site of Al Tahoe Elementary School after the passage of Proposition 51 in the November election which will create $9 billion in funding for the state's schools. During a study session at the Lake Tahoe Unified School District's (LTUSD) Board of Trustee meeting Tuesday, staff and trustees starting looking the future function of the school that closed in 2004 due to declining enrollment.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is looking for new Pipe Keepers, their citizen science program that addresses the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe.

They will be holding a "fun and interactive" Pipe Keeper Intro training on February 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the League's Education Center located at 2608 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.

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Did you know that throughout the calendar year, our planet's orbit and tilt causes shifting weather patterns, movements and migrations of animals, emergence and disappearance of various plants and wildlife, and a host of other natural history phenomena? Learn about a wide variety of these natural history topics, track the ebb and flow of the Sierra's seasons, and catch a sneak peek at some of the wildlife you may want to watch for in the coming year at The Tahoe Natural Year: A Journey through the Seasons.

The South Lake Tahoe Endowment Cabinet awarded $50,000 to South Lake Tahoe area non-profits and schools during a recent reception at South Tahoe High School.

Wendy David, the Cabinet Chair, awarded the grants to an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd.

Private donors fund the Foundation with money to be given back to the community in the form of grants.

The four finalists for the position of Lake Tahoe Community College's Superintendent/President have been announced, and the public will have the opportunity to meet them in a forum on November 17 in the school's Aspen Board room at 9:00 a.m.

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Tamara Wallace, 46, Retired Businesswoman/Chamber Exec

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

Pipe Keepers is a citizen science program to address the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe. Runoff from rain storms and snowmelt is the largest source of pollution that degrades Lake clarity. League staff will train you to survey local neighborhoods and collect stormwater samples during rain and snowmelt events. More info at keeptahoeblue.org/events.

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Enjoy a Friends of the Library presentation done with a mixed-up Aussie and Brit accent – a John Hindmarsh special presentation. John writes Science Fiction and Thrillers, sometimes with crossover. Well, he claims you need a thrill in your Science Fiction and an occasional touch of science in your Thrillers. John originates from Australia [via Thailand plus ten or so other countries], and now lives in South Lake Tahoe where he is writing full time.

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Mya Rossi, a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, has won the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Scholarship. The middle schooler is passionate about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and wanted to attend the Science Camp of America: Air and Space in Hawaii so she applied for the prestigious scholarship.

“I can’t believe that they chose me!" said Mya. "I am so excited to explore this opportunity in Hawaii, thanks to the Hank Aaron Scholarship.”

Our world is rapidly changing, including the coastal and inland waters. Conservation is essential in order to preserve these areas and the fish that live there but water conservation is a complex subject. Find out what is being done and the issues California's coast and inland waters are confronted with at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center on Thursday, November 3.

Join Dr. Nann Fangue to learn how we can conserve our imperiled fishes and find solutions by understanding physiological specializations that allow animals to survive and thrive in complex environments.

For more than a decade, Branch has been writing about life in Nevada’s Great Basin Desert with an audacity, lyricism, and wit that is uniquely his own, and on Thursday, October 20, he brings that humor to Lake Tahoe Community College at 8:00 p.m.

The LTCC Writers' Series event with Branch will be held in LTCC’s Roberta Mason Library. This event is free and open to students and the community.

Almost four million American teenagers have just started their freshman year of high school. Can they learn better ways to deal with all that stress and insecurity?

New research suggests they can. Though academic and social pressures continue to pile on in high school, teenagers can be taught effective coping skills to skirt the pitfalls of anxiety and depression.

One of the most globally acclaimed scientists of the brewing industry will share his knowledge at the next UC Davis lecture in Incline Village.

Sherry L. Rupert will speak on preserving the Stewart Indian School, in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, September 24, at 10:00 am.

For ninety years, Stewart Indian School fulfilled a federal commitment to pursue Native American education in Nevada. Located three miles southeast of Carson City, the school grounds encompassed 240 acres.

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Monday is the first day of school, and most parents will get several forms to fill out for each of their students, but there is one form that many may skip over if they think their children won't utilize it.

Not only does the National School Lunch Program Form give qualifying students free or reduced cost lunches and breakfasts, but it can also mean a few million dollars for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) annually.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District recently received an energy efficiency rebate check from Liberty Utilities in the amount of $5,054.10, the largest given out this year.

“We’re always happy to reward customers with a rebate whenever they install energy efficient measures that reduce their electric use, especially when it’s a public entity like a school,” stated Randy Kelly, Liberty Utilities’ Operations Manager.

Research on the science of gratitude continues to accelerate rapidly. However, questions still remain: What are the functions of gratitude in the economy of human social behavior? What mechanisms are involved in the expression and detection of gratitude? Experiments and recent neuroimaging studies offer important clues as to why gratitude matters, how it works, and how we can collectively capitalize on its promise and potential.

Wine is a major industry in this part of the country but with the ongoing drought how can production become more sustainable? UC Davis has created a new center to develop these technologies in order to address this issue. Learn how this industry can change while tasting and learning about what they are producing.

The Science of Wine will be discussed at the UC Davis TERC Center on August 24, starting with 5:30 p.m. no-host cocktails and the talk from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.