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LAKE TAHOE — A new, cutting-edge Hebrew reading crash course is taking the Jewish world by storm. The flashcard based language course developed by the Jewish Learning Institute, promises users that they can learn to read Hebrew in only five weeks if they follow the program. Beginning Monday August 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Rabbi Mordey Richler of Chabad at Lake Tahoe will conduct the five sessions of the new course, Read it in Hebrew, at the Ski Run Marina.

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Friday will be the last day on the job at South Tahoe High School (STHS) for Principal Chad Houck. He, his wife and five children are headed to Ridgecrest where he'll be the Dean of Instruction for Cerro Coso Community College starting June 5.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) didn't give South Tahoe High and the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) the results expected after a WASC accreditation team visited South Lake Tahoe in the Spring of 2016.

Instead of an expected six-year term they received a two-year accreditation which goes through June of 2018. On March 19 and 20 of that year a team of educators will return to the campus and evaluate recommended changes.

Members of the California Teacher's Association (CTA) and California Federation of Teachers (CFT) across the state brought out the posters and wore red on May 1 to advocate for public education and immigrant students.

South Lake Tahoe teachers joined in and greeted parents and students as they arrived for school Monday, displaying posters and letting students know they all had a right to quality and free public education, and asking all to take the pledge (as seen below).

There is a one-day workshop on May 1 for Lake Tahoe area restaurant owners on how to predict profits with accuracy.

WHAT: Most independent restaurant owners use their “gut” to run their restaurants instead of the real numbers. They might as well gamble for a living. This approach risks a restaurant’s success, employees’ stability and their family’s livelihood. Restaurant Prosperity is a full-day workshop teaching independent restaurant owners how to manage and control two of their biggest expenses in their restaurant — food and labor costs.

Even though the United States Supreme Court declared in 1982 that local school districts have a constitutional mandate to educate all students residing within their jurisdictional boundaries, regardless of their immigration status, actions of President Trump have caused concern among the Latino population of South Lake Tahoe and many other communities.

"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.

Leave No Trace is a national program that teaches and inspires people to enjoy the outdoors while also helping to protect it.

While protecting the outdoor environment and keeping it clear and free of trash and debris should be commonplace, it isn't.

The Leave No Trace team was recently in South Lake Tahoe on a vacation but stopped by South Tahoe High to talk to members of Generation Green. Many may remember the team as community members who left last year to travel the country and teach and train along the way.

What does a member of the Blue Man Group, a Los Angeles musician and music teacher, and an actor and YouTube video star have in common?

They are all graduates of South Tahoe High School (STHS) and returning for a week of variety shows at local schools culminating with a special Friday night performance at MontBleu on February 3. 2017.

Brothers Nick and Chris Smith will make the way back to South Lake Tahoe from Hollywood with Sean Pawling as part of the Tahoe Arts Project's Tahoe Boys Variety Show.

Jim Antti started off working as a firefighter/paramedic for Tahoe Doulgas Fire Protection District 24 years ago, and today he is their new assistant chief.

Antti was hired in June of 1992, promoted to captain in February, 2003, and to battalion chief in June, 2013.

Dear Voters,

I am writing to endorse Annie Davidson for LTUSD School Board. As coach of my daughter’s soccer team, Annie showed true devotion to her athletes and was an incredible teacher and mentor for the girls she coached. She showed true patience and skill in coaching nine 7-year-old girls. I got to know Annie during this time and was impressed with her enthusiasm for our youth and our community.

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.

Larry Reilly is the most qualified candidate for the LTUSD School Board. He has dedicated his life to education in the Lake Tahoe basin, holding the same teaching position at George Whittell High School for over 30 years. As one of his colleagues at Whittell and a concerned LTUSD parent, I can vouch for Larry Reilly's clear understanding of educational policy and his ability to communicate and work with both school administration and the community.

The first South Tahoe Middle School convention was complete with delegates, platforms, debates and slates. Every state was represented and the students spent the day Friday much as a participant at the national convention would.

Since the school year began, teachers James Seider and Andrew Losk have been teaching their eighth grade students about civic responsibilities and duties, what it means to be a citizen of the United States and about the political process.

Dr. Annie Davidson should be the next LTUSD School Board member from Trustee Area #1. Since coming to Lake Tahoe, she has jumped into the community with great energy and commitment. For example, she is an adjunct faculty member of Lake Tahoe Community College and co-teacher at Tahoe Parents Nursery School with Aileen Yure and Jennifer David. She served as member of the Sierra House Elementary PTA Board as a co-grant coordinator, classroom volunteer, and also volunteers with the Coalition for the Homeless and Warm Room Advisory Council.

To the South Shore community: My name is Troy Matthews and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 4. My wife Rae and I honeymooned in South Tahoe and decided not to leave. We have fallen in love with this community and have taken active roles in many different local organizations. I work for Tahoe Youth & Family Services, one of the oldest local non-profit organizations in the region serving at-risk and underprivileged youth in South Lake Tahoe.

Brad Deeds has been hired as the new Dean of Workforce Development and Instruction at Lake Tahoe Community College where he will manage the college’s various Career and Technical Education programs. Deeds will be over the Fire Academy, Culinary Arts, Commercial Music, Allied Health, the new Adult Education program, and other vocationally-focused departments on campus. He will also oversee workforce development and select instructional programs at LTCC.

The LTCC Board of Trustees gave approval for the hiring at their meeting on Tuesday night.

The UC Davis Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village holds monthly lectures and other special events throughout the year. Here is a list of upcoming lectures open to the public:

Dr. Annie Davidson filed Thursday to run for school board member of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District serving Trustee Area 1.

A reception was held Tuesday for those retiring from the Lake Tahoe Unified School District this year. The 11 retirees have worked a total of 299 years in education.

Cynthia Cowen, Teacher – 37 years
Martha Brown, Sr. Accounting Assistant - 33 years
Sandra Moulton, Teacher – 30 years
Norman Nold, Bus Driver/Trainer – 30 yrs
Sydney Brown, Teacher – 29 years
Joan Romero, Sr. Accounting Assistant, Food Service Department - 27 yrs
Steven Hall, Speech Therapist – 27 years
Renee Gorevin, Teacher – 24 years
Francis Fortier, Warehouse Assistant – 24 yrs

The UCCE Master Gardeners of Lake Tahoe, local volunteers working on behalf of the University of California Cooperative Extension in Davis, will once again hold the June Day Jamboree and Plant Sale on Saturday, June 11th, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Community College Demonstration Garden.

Update:

Stanford has hired Jerod Haase as its next head coach, the school announced Friday.

Haase, 41, has been the head coach at UAB the past four seasons. He was 54-46 heading into this season, but the Blazers went 26-7 in 2015-16 and won the Conference USA regular-season title before falling in the conference tournament.

The very popular Sports Medicine program at South Tahoe High School just got a new counterpart, a Strength and Conditioning program and center. While Sports Med teaches students how to help athletes after injuries occur, the strength and conditioning program will teach students how to train in a way to prevent injuries.

At Tuesday's Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board meeting, the board voted 4-1 to add the Strength & Conditioning center with accompanying classes at STHS.

Soul and funk supergroup Tower of Power will headline the 2016 Concert Under the Stars, a fundraiser for the Greenhouse Project in Carson City. The concert outside of Cafe at Adele’s, will be July 14. Ticket sales will be announced soon, said Adele’s owner Charlie Abowd via his Facebook page.