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“You’ve got to count to three.” Those were the words of advice attributed to Norm Woods one of the first five city council members. The Cityhood project in 1965 was spearheaded by the South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce with all five of that first council members coming from the Chamber Board ranks. Norm served as one of the first rotating Mayors and many times thereafter. His advice was offered to the citizens who were newly elected to subsequent councils.

Like many residents and visitors of Lake Tahoe, I have had the good fortune of running, hiking, swimming, skiing, dining, lodging and otherwise living in and around Lake Tahoe nearly all of my life. Tahoe has played a vital role in the development of my most treasured relationship, with my wife Lisa, where we both learned to care for much more than ourselves, and where we were married 25 years ago on the west shore.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Stay-at-Home orders as a result of the pandemic have been hard on everyone but the "Feel Good Movement" in South Lake Tahoe has been a force in the creation of joy.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Black Ice Theater Company's Children's Theatre Program is holding auditions for the virtual musical play, "Super Happy Awesome News." To audition for the March 2021 production, parents will need to submit a video of their young thespian singing their favorite song for at least 30 seconds. The song choice can be anything from "Happy Birthday" to "Jingle Bells."

Submissions will be accepted for children ages 8-14. Please include the child's name and the role they are interested in, if any, and email to info@blackicetheatreco.com by January 15, 2021.

It’s a mid-winter's day dream for birders. The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is hosting its annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. TINS took over local coordination of the national tracking operation nine years ago. The Lake Tahoe effort is part of a nationwide, single-day census of the country’s bald eagle populations. Spotters are stationed at 26 vantage points throughout the Tahoe basin, mostly on Tahoe’s lakeshore beaches, to get an accurate snapshot of eagle numbers.

Most of us might agree, 2020 was the annus horribilis of our lifetime. But just as the darkest cloud has a silver lining, 2020 has offered one thing about which we can all brag and be proud. I can't think of what that one thing might be just now, though it does occur to me that learning how to cut our own hair might be a thing to celebrate and be genuinely proud, unless of course you're a barber.

I should think that my being the first person in our village to grow moss on my face should amount to something to brag about, though my dear mother covers her eyes when she greets me.

Snow, a good slope and a sled in hand are the ingredients needed for a fun day around Lake Tahoe, but first responders are warning the public to only use official sledding locations or that fun can turn to a bad day very quickly.

Sledding is not as harmless as it looks, just ask the roughly 20,000 kids under age of 19 in the United States involved in sledding accidents annually.

As we prepare to bid the year of 2020 a fond farewell, we are celebrating Christmas as best we can during these unprecedented and uncertain times.

I could start with all the normal holiday greetings like Merry Christmas, May your holidays sparkle with joy and laughter, or I hope the magic of Christmas fills every corner of your heart and home with joy — now and always, but this year seems like so much more is needed.

It was a great honor to serve as a member of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees for the last four years. As previously reported, I am stepping aside to focus on my career and raising my beautiful baby girl. I said many times while I was on the Board that every family in the District was my family, and every child in the District was my responsibility. Now that I have a child of my own, I think the parents of LTUSD will understand when I say that I need to focus on my own family for the time being.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - A new "In God We Trust" display has been added to the wall of the Douglas County Board Chamber. In 2019, the County Commissioners passed a resolution supporting the display of the national motto in the chambers and after fundraising efforts the sign was created by the winning bidder, YESCO, LLC.

The new "In God We Trust" was installed during the commissioner's December 10, 2020 meeting.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An early morning fire damaged the second floor of a South Lake Tahoe home on Springwood Avenue Monday.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue received the emergency call just before 5:00 a.m. December 14. Upon arrival they found a home with heavy smoke coming from the second floor. The homeowners were able to get out safely after trying to extinguish the flames.

State health insurance exchanges, like Covered California and Nevada Health Link, are now in open enrollment - the time when we can sign up for coverage for the year ahead. It’s always a good idea to make sure you and your family have health insurance, and with the current surge of COVID-19, you don’t want to be uncovered. Luckily, there are many options for families and individuals to enroll virtually, including free, bi-lingual enrollment services offered here in our community.

Farwell 2020! We will always remember this year, but for most of us, we are also ready to kiss it goodbye with a swift kick to the curb. Our community, like all communities has been hard hit with lost income, closed businesses, stay at home orders, COVID and virtually learning at home. We have missed socializing, travelling, entertaining and being entertained, enjoying our extended family and cannot even see a friend’s smile behind their mask. We missed so much of 2020 and it has hurt, to be honest.

Over the past ten years, the South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge has donated 50 Christmas food boxes annually to local families, delivering the boxes in recent years to the South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center for distribution to families in need.

These boxes contained a complete Christmas Ham dinner for a family of four, plus enough extra food to last for several additional meals. But, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year the Lodge was unable to hold its normal fundraisers and food collections to put the boxes together.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - To our South Lake Tahoe Library Friends and Community, Thank you for your patience as the Friends of the Library have been working with Library staff and the El Dorado County Public Health Services to continue our book sale events at the Library. Unfortunately, due to weather and grounds concerns and also increasing Covid-19 virus cases in the area, we are canceling our Saturday, November 21 sale and suspending book sale events until the weather warms or we can go back inside. As conditions change, we will let you know and welcome your participation.

Time is a unifier of sorts, isn’t it, even during a pandemic. It keeps marching on, month by month, day by day and minute by minute.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The safety of patients and healthcare workers is Barton Health’s top priority. The health care system has operations in place to continue to meet the demand for medical services as COVID-19 cases surge across the nation and Lake Tahoe. After preparation for the anticipated increase of patient volume this fall and winter, aspects of Barton’s plan are being implemented to meet the needs for patient care.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Law enforcement has been busy this morning with vehicles stuck in the snow around Lake Tahoe and on the surrounding mountain passes. Meyers is reporting 12" of snow, South Lake Tahoe 9.5", Genoa 7", Alpine Meadows 7" and the Gardnerville Ranchos up to 14".

This is a good day to stay off the roads. If driving, follow all controls, give yourself distance from the car in front of you, and take your time. The storm is moving out of the area but there will be some lingering snow until around 1:30 p.m.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Long after the fire trucks have come and gone, the threat to a community impacted by wildfire remains. It’s a less obvious threat than a towering inferno destroying homes and ripping through forests and hillsides. It is a hidden threat that arrives with winter rains and California Conservation Corps Corpsmembers are helping communities stay safe from it—toxic runoff, including those from the South Lake Tahoe center.

Seasonal holidays like Halloween will be different this fall to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Finding safe ways to celebrate can create magical memories, and lower the risk of exposure to yourself, your family, and your community. The decisions we make on this one day can have a ripple effect beyond our own families. Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic is a chance for you and your children to get creative, and maybe even invent some new traditions for your family. It's also a great opportunity to model flexibility and a positive spirit.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - This Halloween will be like no other due to the pandemic. The annual Treat Street was canceled as was the Freaker's Ball, but there are still ways to enjoy holiday fun in a safe manner in South Lake Tahoe.

I continue to remark in several recent Road Beats, that Honda is on a roll, after testing this new Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring, I have to report that the roll is still accelerating and rather quickly, including its price. Here is a car with loads of utility, outstanding performance, great fuel economy, superb handling and good comfort for a sticker price not $22,380 with the boat ride from Swindon, Wiltshire, England, but $29,780. That’s right a price bump of about 30 percent for the Touring model.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - City Council made another attempt to create a Hosted Rental Ordinance but they decided at their meeting Tuesday to hand back to staff for some revisions.

After much discussion they decided to have staff clean up rules that could be potential loopholes for homeowners and/or tenants. This is the second time a first reading has been turned down for more fine tuning.

The following changes were added for Council to review October 20:

(1) Increase the required tenancy for a tenant to qualify as a hosted rental applicant from six months to two years;

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With the support of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR), the Al Tahoe neighborhood has begun the process of becoming a certified Firewise USA ® recognized neighborhood.

As part of the application process, SLTFR and Al Tahoe community volunteers will be walking in the Al Tahoe neighborhood October 27-30 and performing random wildfire risk assessment/evaluations on 20 percent of the 1520 properties from the street.

The volunteers will have bright yellow vests on so they can be easily identified