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100% of the ballots from polling locations have now been counted in the El Dorado County and City of South Lake Tahoe elections. The following is the result pending some absentee ballots that still need to be counted.

County Supervisor Area 5

Sue Novasel - 59.92% 3529 votes
Kenny Curtzwiler - 39.58% 2331 votes

City of South Lake Tahoe City Council
Top 3 win a seat

Wendy David 18.00% 1205 votes
Tom Davis 15.56% 1042 votes

Once a year the Board of Supervisors trek over the summit to South Lake Tahoe for their scheduled meeting, and if the full house of citizens is any indication, more than one of their 41 yearly meetings should be held on the eastern slope.

One agenda item brought Shingle Springs residents to town while another brought in a lot from the Meyers community.

The campaign posters on Measures M, N and O that have plastered the west slope for a few months have now made their way to South Lake Tahoe. But, what are they all about?

Growth, to put it in one word.

On one side you have people who want to have control of growth in the county and not let it go to Sacramento. On the other side there is a grass roots movement to keep all growth out of the county unless Cal Trans says its okay.

California Proposition 46 is costly and deceiving to voters. It would increase costs for patients, deter doctors from practicing in California, and threaten patient privacy. The consequences are also higher for rural communities like South Lake Tahoe. I have been a physician in South Lake Tahoe for over 34 years and I’m asking our voters and patients to take a closer look; Prop 46 just doesn’t add up.

Why should we care about investing in higher education in our local, state and national communities? According to a 2013 report by the Economic Analysis and Research Network in Washington D.C., "States can build a strong foundation for economic success and shared prosperity by investing in education.

Wait, what? Safer? Yes! As a 20-plus-year South Lake Tahoe resident and a recently retired FBI agent, I have experienced Lake Tahoe Community College as a student, a guest speaker, and as an occasional criminal justice instructor. Over the years, these connections have proven to me just how essential LTCC is in giving our local youth a pathway towards a productive future.

Being touted as "The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act" by proponents, Proposition 47 will mandate misdemeanors instead of felonies for “non-serious, nonviolent crimes," unless the defendant has prior convictions for murder, rape, certain sex offenses or certain gun crimes.

The reason Prop 47 got this name is because a fund bearing it's name will be created by the estimated savings of $150M to $250M the state will receive by not having to prosecute crimes that would become misdemeanors.

This letter was given to South Tahoe Now for publication.
September 26, 2014

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, California 95814

Re: Support for SB 850 State Senator Block – Pilot Baccalaureate Program for
California Community Colleges

Dear Governor Brown:

I am writing to you to urge your signature into law of SB 850 (“The Bill”) by State Senator Block. The Bill as is valuable to our State’s future to increase the education and training of residents of our State.

First let me say that I respect my opponent in this race and consider him a friend. I also respect the other candidates for the other offices who were endorsed by the Nevada based Chamber. I and other candidates declined to participate. Here are my reasons.

Learn about Measure F which will be on the November ballot. The bond will bring in millions of dollars to Lake Tahoe Community College to create a new fire academy, upgrades of technology and many other necessary changes.

The meeting will be held in the Aspen Room/Board Room of LTCC on Thursday, September 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

College officials will be hand to answer your questions, discuss how bond money will be used, review the ballot question, and highlight oversight and accountability measures.

Bike trails in South Lake Tahoe received rehabilitation this summer with $250,000 of funds from Measure R. Trails inside city limits received new paving and are open and ready to ride. Planned restoration of the trails over bridges at Trout Creek and Upper Truckee Meadow are not completed yet and expected to be done this fall.

Guidelines for the operation of Bingo games in South Lake Tahoe are to be voted on during the City Council meeting on September 2. In an effort to clean up the city's code, City Attorney Tom Watson has been evaluating and updating all rules in the books, and the Bingo rules are part of this change.

Class 1 bike trails on the south shore are undergoing a month long rehabilitation project which includes new pavement, striping, two new bridge deckings and new signage.

2.6 miles of existing trails that were installed over 20 years ago are seeing new life thanks to a $250,000 contribution through Measure R funds and $475,452 grant funding through Caltrans Bicycle Transportation Authority.

Several stretches of bike trails in South Lake Tahoe will receive some much needed attention in July when 2.6 miles of trails are restored.

The Class 1 Bicycle Trail Rehabilitation Project will use funds from Measure R ($250,000) and $475,452 grant funding through Caltrans Bicycle Transportation Authority to fix the 20 year old trails.

July 7th will be the project's starting date and all is expected to be completed around August 9th.

The Board of Directors of California’s South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and myself want to thank South Shore residents for voting in the June 3rd primary. Voting is the opportunity for government to be brought into alignment with the wishes of its citizens. Voting is that precious American right to elect candidates to public office who will govern and shape the future of the community.

Updated at 12:05 a.m. Wednesday morning: 100% of the precinct's results are in.

County Supervisor District 5
The top 2 will face off in November.

Kevin Brown – 788 votes, 19.06%
Kenny Curtzwiler – 731, 17.68%
Gerri Grego – 499, 12.07%
Sue Novasel – 1135, 27.46%
Teresa Piper – 235, 5.68%
Angela Swanson – 737, 17.83%

Measure P

Yes - 1271, 68.41%
No – 587, 31.59%

Measure L
Yes - 2552, 78.52%
No – 698, 21.48%

There are several choices for South Lake Tahoe voters in Tuesday's primary election.

Local Issues and Offices
El Dorado County Supervisor: Kevin Brown, Kenny Curtzwiler, Gerri Grego, Sue Novasel, Teresa Piper, Angela Swanson

Assessor - Karl Weiland

Auditor/Controller - Michael Owens, Joe Horn

District Attorney - Judson Henry, Vern Pierson

Recorder Clerk/Registrar of Voters - Chris Amaral, Bill Schultz

Sheriff - John D'Agostini

Surveyor - Rich Briner

Treasurer/Tax Collector - Ron Briggs, C.L. Raffety

It always seems like every time we turn the corner someone wants more money, from the tax collector to the grocery store owner. There are many in our community that feel parking meters should go away, but I am not one of them.

Trust me, I don't like paying for things that used to be free, but I feel the benefits of having parking meters in place in South Lake Tahoe far outweigh the 'cons.'

The following is an opinion article and does not necessarily reflect the views of South Tahoe Now:

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for El Dorado County Supervisor. We will be posting them in the order received.

1)What do you see as the Number 1 issue facing residents of District 5?

I have been part of the Community since 1989 and am now a permanent resident. The South Lake Tahoe Library does more than just books and banks of computers, our library is a place where people gather to explore, interact, and imagine. It is a place where people come to know themselves and their communities. People go to the Library looking for information and find each other there.

Though late season storms have helped skiers and boarders enjoy Lake Tahoe resorts a bit longer, the snowpack measured at 38% of normal today during the monthly test at Echo Summit. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR)reported a statewide average of just 32% of average.

Surveyors from DWR trekked to several monitoring stations as they do annually to measure the water content in snow, as well as depth, to try and pinpoint the state's water supply this summer.

With support from California Proposition 84 stormwater grant funds, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) is leading the effort to measure pollutants in urban runoff at Lake Tahoe to help evaluate the combined effectiveness of pollutant control measures and consistently track and report monitoring findings. This effort, known as the Regional Storm Water Monitoring Program (RSWMP) is a collaborative program supported by regulatory agencies, local government representatives, and scientists in the Lake Tahoe region.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is letting the voters decide the future of paid parking in the city limits during the next election on June 3, 2014. Voters will be able to either approve or repeal the city's paid parking ordinance.

During Tuesday night's City Council session, several options were voted on that address concerns the public had on paid parking. They will go into effect immediately, well ahead of the election.