education

Some children live a life characterized by habit and routine. Imagine them being forced to leave their life behind all because there wasn’t enough space and funding. This is what foster children in Lake Tahoe are forced deal with. Primarily, SLT should pass a General Obligation Bond, and, though the cost of raising a child is exorbitant, this cost could be ameliorated by support from passing a General Obligation Bond measure.

Let’s transform South Lake Tahoe into one of the healthiest places for our children…a place where mental health issues are quickly identified and treated…a place where parents and caregivers are well-educated in recognizing the early warning signs. Let’s give the next generation the best chance possible at thriving.

In March we participated in the Mental Health Forum sponsored by Barton and the South Tahoe Unified School District. We were impressed by the passion presented by the many school-teachers, Barton ER doctors, and others that care deeply about Mental Wellness.

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.

Students, parents, educators, and the entire South Shore community are invited to a free screening of the documentary film 'First Generation' at Lake Tahoe Community College’s Duke Theatre on Friday, April 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The film tells the stories of four California high school students who are trying to break out of the cycle of poverty they’re in by pursuing a college education.

Let us start with a common interactive scenario for Lake Tahoe:

40 years ago a family came to Lake Tahoe, walked to the water’s edge of a very full lake (on that day in 1975, Tahoe’s surface elevation was at 6228 feet), and said, “What a beautiful lake! Look how clear it is!” and they spent the rest of their vacation not knowing the environmental direction that Tahoe was heading.

South Lake Tahoe locals Bryan Burnam and Jacob Hanneman were featured on South Tahoe Now in August, 2014 when their company, Bakpocket Products, released their first product, the Adventure Hammock, on www.kickstarter.com.

Heavenly's Epic Discovery project passed their biggest hurdle Thursday as the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's (TRPA) Governing Board unanimously approved the newest year-round recreational experience in South Lake Tahoe. With it, comes a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike. Epic Discovery will include new zip lines, sky cycle tree canopy tours, a mountain bike park and trails, ropes courses, and interpretive and educational tours to teach visitors about the Lake Tahoe Region’s cultural and environmental resources.

City Announces “Fix-Up 50” Initiative in time for Summer Tourism Season
Help improve our City’s appearance in preparation for summer guests.

Beginning in Fall 2015, California community college transfer students who meet certain academic criteria will be guaranteed admission to nine historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), thanks to an agreement the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and the leaders of the institutions signed at the board’s meeting this week.

The Lake Tahoe Community College Foundation and Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe are teaming up once again for the fourth annual “Off the Wall” Art Auction at LTCC. Participants can enjoy works of art created by locally and regionally known artists, bid on their favorites, and support local education and charitable organizations, all at the same time.

The artwork up for auction is being donated by a number of local artists, including nationally known artist and LTCC Art Department Chair Phyllis Shafer, David Russo, and many other Art Department faculty members.

An annual joint collaboration between the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra and the Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe Clubs recognizes women in the community with cash awards in three different categories. The award presentations are always in March, to align with the country’s Women’s History Month which highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society.

The Tahoe Art League preesnts “Change Your Point of View," a demonstration by artist Thaleia Georgiades.

They have invited the public to participate in the demonstration to learn how to add drama and interest to art works through changing your point of view. This dynamic event will be held as part of the league's monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 11, at 6:00 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center. It is free to the public.

TahoeChamber has partnered with Lake Tahoe Community College - Connect Community Education to bring you a three part QuickBooks Workshop.

Learn to use QuickBooks properly and with confidence from an Expert Instructor. Each class will be held at LTCC from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on each of the following days:

March 11
Beginning QuickBooks - Part One: Set Up
In this workshop, participants will learn how to create and customize a chart of accounts, enter and pay bills, use a check register, apply payments, make deposits, and reconcile bank statements.

March 18

Location

Tahoe Chamber was recently recognized at the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) Conference in Anaheim for their accomplishments in political advocacy and communications.

Dan Rix, affectionately known as “Papa Dan” to his family, passed away peacefully at his home in South Lake Tahoe on February 11, 2015 at the age of 73 after a brave and courageous battle with a long illness. Dan was born December 30, 1941 in Pueblo, CO to Dorothy Mae and George Robert Rix and spent his childhood growing up in Daly City (CA). He eventually moved to Tulare (CA) with his family where he graduated from Tulare Union HS in 1959.

The City wants to recover some of the fees involved in the enforcement of a state mandated stormwater program which requires them to ensure commercial businesses are not discharging waste or pollutants into the storm drain system.

Keeping grease, oil and other contaminants out of the system is the goal of the program. Jason Burke, the City's Stormwater Program Coordinator, told the City Council on Tuesday that he will provide outreach and education to the high profile businesses that use grease and oil on a daily basis.

When most of us hear the terms “domestic violence” or “relationship violence,” our minds immediately focus on adult relationships and marriages. The terms can often build the mental image of extreme attacks from one adult partner, stereotypically male, to another, a woman as the victim, but rarely do we consider that violence occurring between teens. Sometimes we may even think that teen relationships aren’t as serious as adult relationships, and therefore the circumstances that lead to violence don’t exist. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Last summer's flash floods in Douglas County caused $927,205 in damage, far below the federal minimum of $3,753,710 needed in order to receive federal assistance.

While Douglas County Emergency Management had requested that due to the close timing of these events (July 20, July 30, Aug. 6 and Aug. 11) the state consider combining all damage under one event, FEMA regulations do not allow for combining damage costs of multiple events.

All too often, we hear from people who have been victimized by some sort of scam. Before the internet existed these “confidence scams” were frequently perpetuated through direct contact and bolstered by a victim who is too trusting. With the internet and other technology, criminals have shifted their efforts so as to accomplish their rip-off over long distances and without direct contact. Unfortunately, local law enforcement has limited capacity to track and ultimately prosecute such crimes.

World Champions Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) and Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) headline a strong group of 26 athletes, 14 men and 12 women, named by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to compete in the 2015 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships Feb. 2-15 in Vail/Beaver Creek on home turf. Joining them will be five-time medalist Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) as well as Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill winners Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) and Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT).

St. Theresa Catholic Church is hosting the 21st Annual Crab Dinner on Friday, February 13, 2015. The event will take place at Grace Hall, on the corner of Highway 50 and Lyons Avenue in South Lake Tahoe, right next to the church.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with cocktails and a silent auction, the crab dinner starting at 7 p.m., followed by the dessert auction at 7:45 p.m. If that weren't already enough, there is a raffle and live auction beginning at 8:30 p.m.

A free, all day workshop about teaching science to children will be held at the UC Davis Tahoe Center for Environmental Science on January 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

They will present an overview of the Next Generation Science Standards, tips for becoming a better science teacher, sample activities to present the new standards, as well as tie-dying the scientific way.

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced a dramatic 20 percent drop in the number of students expelled in 2013-14 and a 15.2 decline in the number of students suspended. This marks the second year in a row of declines in both areas.

Numbers at Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) follow the same trend.

Free education "for those willing to work for it."

That's what President Obama said he would like to see in an announcement the White House posted to Facebook and Vine on Thursday.

He's proposing to make the first two years of community college free.