trash

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

7/12
6:50 a.m. - Vacation Rental Noise - Susquehanna Drive - TRASH AT A VACATION RENTAL LEFT OUT AND ACCESSIBLE TO WILDLIFE. ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT VHR LOCAL CONTACT WENT
UNANSWERED. VIOLATION OF COUNTY ORDINANCE.

Hundreds of volunteers started cleaning the beaches of South Lake Tahoe after the July 4 fireworks celebration that brought an estimated 100,000-125,000 people to the area. The massive amount of trash left on the beaches in the past caused many local people, groups, agencies and businesses to help educate the public about not trashing beautiful South Lake Tahoe.

What began two years ago as an organized response to firework debris found on South Lake Tahoe beaches has turned into a major community wide trash pick up effort, gathering what beach goers left behind after the 4th of July activities.

But cleaning up beaches on the South Shore isn't anything new for long-time local Kenny Curtzwiler. One could call him the 'Godfather of Tahoe Beach Clean Ups."

Markleville residents are faced with the possibility of having to evacuate if the Washington Fire comes towards their town.

Skyland residents recently took part in a neighborhood fire drill, being told they had to evacuate their homes in 10 minutes.

What would yo take?

That plan should start now, before you are faced with that time of fear and panic.

Prepare a 'Disaster Preparedness Kit.' Items in this kit should last you and your family for three days:

Once again, an audience full of mainly Realtors and property managers filled the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers as the topic of Vacation Home Rentals (VHR) was on the agenda for discussion.

Renting a vacation home is being increasingly popular in South Lake Tahoe just as in other communities. Many tourists prefer to rent a VHR instead of a traditional motel or hotel room. There are many reasons from enjoying time with family to reunions and wedding parties.

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.

During the two weeks the Tahoe Bike Challenge is going on in Lake Tahoe, there are community events almost every day, including yoga, group rides and movies. .

Here is the full list from the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition:

Group Rides to Kick-off Party | North Shore | Free
May 30 | Noon - 1 p.m.

Douglas County homeowners have an opportunity to compost their residential yard waste early this fire season when TDFPD hosts a kickoff event for Compost Your Combustibles with coffee and donuts on Saturday, May 23 at 9am. The free annual recycling program which historically has started on Memorial Day Weekend is now open at Heavenly Mountain Resort’s Boulder Lodge Parking Lot.

Now that Spring is here, Douglas County officials want to remind residents of the basic code requirements for their properties. Not only does keeping care of one's yard and surrounding property help maintain the attractiveness of the area, it also helps reduce fire danger in a very dry year.

The majority of Tahoe locals and tourists lack knowledge of bear precaution, causing the growing presence of bears in South Lake Tahoe’s residential areas. In recent years, Lake Tahoe’s black bears have become problematic when outside their natural meadow and forest habitat. Because of human habits, bears have become attracted to local neighborhoods. Passing routines down to their cubs, bears remain dependent on the human food source left outside many residents’ homes.

There are many sides to the South Lake Tahoe Vacation Home Rental (VHR) situation. On one side are the locals whose peaceful lives have been disturbed because they are the neighbors of vacation home rentals that are reportedly out of control with excess noise and trash that come from inconsiderate renters. On another side are the people wanting to enjoy South Lake Tahoe from the comfort of a private home. Yet another side are the second home owners who want to earn money from their vacation home.

Beaches, parks, trailheads, campgrounds and popular Lake Tahoe viewing areas will start opening on April 1 for the 2015 season, almost two months ahead of schedule.

A mild winter has allowed the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) to start opening the popular areas but they won't be fully opened since they won't be fully staffed until closer to summer.

Letter to the Editor: Are you frustrated with the loss of community in your neighborhood due to weekend parties, disrespectful vacationers and trash at vacation rentals in your neighborhood? On March 24th the City of South Lake Tahoe will host a public meeting on proposed changes to the Vacation Home Rental Code.

This is an important opportunity for concerned community members to voice their opinions, challenges and frustrations due to the vacation rentals near your home.

Vacation home rentals are an everyday part of life in South Lake Tahoe, though during weekends and holiday periods their impact is much more noticeable. With the large number of visitors "living" in the area neighborhoods next to full time residents their impact has created tension over noise, trash and parking issues.

In the City limits there are currently 1,574 houses that have a permit to be operated as a vacation home. In comparison there are about 15-20% that number in vacation cities Santa Cruz and Napa.

When reflecting over the past year it's hard to remember all that happened in one's life, unless you're good at keeping a journal and you have time to re-read it.

As I look back at what happened in South Lake Tahoe over the last 365 days, a lot happened, but what may seem to be a top story to me may not seem as important to a reader.

I reviewed our analytics, the numbers that are kept to show how many people read South Tahoe Now stories at any given point, and drew from those numbers to come up with the "South Lake Tahoe's Top Stories of 2014."

Area fire departments respond to fires every year that are caused by people leaving their fireplace or wood stove ashes in a paper bag on their home's deck. These accidents can easily be prevented with correct handling of ashes.

"Can Your Ashes" is a campaign that informs the public of these inherent dangers.

Embers, often concealed in what appears to be cold ashes, can remain hot enough to kindle a fire for several days.

To safely dispose of ashes, fire officials offer these tips:

• Never store ashes in bags or boxes.

This past Sunday at Keep Sierra Clean Day, 300 people from Sierra-at-Tahoe’s loyal community collected nearly 1,300 pounds of trash from the slopes, including unique finds like an electric toothbrush, several snowboards and even a ski from Sierra Ski Ranch. Awards were given in categories such as the strangest find, oldest find and the best haul weight to body weight ratio. Participants reconnected and fueled up with an Italian-inspired lunch at the new Solstice Eatery, then kicked back on the Solstice Plaza listening to Reggie Hall.

Residents and businesses located in Nevada and California have joined efforts to remove graffiti and trash from Lake Tahoe which is known for its pristine water and incredible natural setting. On Sunday, October 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., organizers invite friends and supporters of Lake Tahoe to participate in this special multi-state effort. They will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Sand Harbor for a safety talk, graffiti and trash removal instructions and supplies.

It's the sign of a busy construction season in South Lake Tahoe: an overflowing dump. Even though exact numbers aren't yet available, the South Tahoe Refuse (STR) has seen more trash coming through this summer than in years past and crews cannot keep up with all of the extra garbage.

Since the refuse center recycles about 60% of what comes through it's gates, staff is kept busy sorting through the all the garbage and unwanted items that come in.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority would like to thank all of our community members, visitors, businesses and agencies who have helped keep our Lake Tahoe beaches clean throughout a busy summer season. Debris on Lake Tahoe’s beaches affects everyone’s enjoyment of the lake, and trash and debris on the beaches and streets can easily find its way to the lake and adversely impact lake clarity, water quality and wildlife.

Looking for a project you can help out with that makes a different? If so, the second Stewards of Stormwater event might be for you.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is inviting community members to help mark storm drains and prevent pollution from entering Lake Tahoe on August 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Tahoe Keys.

The League is hosting the event in partnership with the City of South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association.

Location

There is now a permanent drug-disposal bin located in the lobby of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department thanks to the collaboration between the Department and the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition. This bin is in a secure location for anyone in the community to properly dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs.

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.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe will host its annual Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Beach Cleanups at five locations throughout Lake Tahoe on July 5. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to join the effort from Tahoe City to Nevada Beach and South Shore.