opinion

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.

I have read a number of candidate statements and articles about their hopes and aspirations for our community. I applaud each candidate that is running for local office; the challenge is getting their messages to voters.

I must say, however, despite all of the objectives that the candidates seek to achieve while in office, they are missing an important point. It is not only what you want to accomplish, but how to do so.

My history of involvement has spanned decades in our community and the positions that I have taken are of public record.

South Tahoe Now reached out to all nine candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council and provided the same list of questions to each one of them. Once a day their answers have been published in the order received. Today is our final candidate.

Today's candidate is Stacey Ballard

Profession: Artist/Author

How many years in SLT: I have lived in Tahoe on and off since 1997, over 16 in total.

South Tahoe Now reached out to all nine candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council and provided the same list of questions to each one of them. Once a day their answers will be published in the order received.

Today's candidate is Keith Roberts.

Profession: Executive Chef

How many years in SLT: 5 years

In an all-new vehicle in what can be considered a new size class for SUVs, Lia’s new Telluride has hit a Grand Slam (Salami, if you are Italian or a Yankee Fan), but not an ordinary Grand Slam, but this one landed on River Avenue or Waveland Avenue if you’re a Cubby. I used those exact words about Kia’s sibling, the Hyundai Palisade. It is flat out one of the two best SUVs I have ever driven with performance, ride, handling, quiet, comfort and economy levels that put it immediately at the top of its class and almost every other class. Telluride is also simply a Class act.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will be conducting special meetings on May 26 and 27, 2020 to discuss the possible adoption of the FY 2020-21 Final Budgets for Douglas County; Douglas County Redevelopment Agency; the Towns of Gardnerville, Genoa, and Minden; and the Tahoe-Douglas Transportation District.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and anticipated $3M shortfall in revenue, the County will discuss reductions in personnel, service, and supplies across all departments.

The ultimate mission of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) is to help youth thrive. Sadly, it is our students - not we, adult, decision-makers - who will most suffer climate change. LTUSD must also support the future health and well-being of our students.

So, in 2017, the School Board formally resolved to:

Increase reliance on clean, renewable energy sources to power the District’s facilities, in line with and in collaboration with, the City of South Lake Tahoe’s recent pledge to power 100 percent of our electricity use with renewable energy by 2030.

The annual SnowGlobe Music Festival is fast approaching and local residents should plan accordingly. There are changes in the noise requirements and the sound will be shut off at 10:00 p.m. the first two nights and will be required to meet the averaged noise limits defined in the Bijou/Al Tahoe Community Plan for the hours after 10:00 p.m. on the final night.

We participated in the recent climate strike and were moved and inspired by the large crew of South Tahoe High students that hiked the four miles from the High School to Lake View Commons with a clear and unified demand for climate action. It is also encouraging to live in a City that has resolved to transition the City’s entire electrical grid to clean energy by 2032, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below baseline by 2040.

Last week, a local motel owner told guests there would be no housekeeping because they didn’t have enough staff due to the local housing shortage. However, the issue is fast becoming not only one of supply, but also one of quality. Many homes that fit the "local's" price range are older buildings - built in the 1970s or earlier. Just like our roads, some of these older buildings are in a state of disrepair and as we know with our roads, patchwork repairs only last so long.

Tonight we had eight cars in the VHR across the street. The house is rated for four cars with a maximum of ten people. We reported it this time. We usually do not report violations because it makes us anxious… no one wants to be the “BAD” guy. The call was simple enough and the response was surprisingly quick. Roughly 20 minutes after our call the officer arrived to view the cars parked in the driveway, in the street, in the front yard and along the side of the house.

Chautauquan Kim Harris will portray Lizzie A. Borden on Wednesday, July 10, at 6:30 pm, and historian Mark McLaughlin will speak on “Lake Tahoe and the Comstock Era; Stories, Facts and Fun” on Saturday, July 13, at 10:00 am, at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

Lizzie Andrew Borden was tried and acquitted in a court of law for the axe murders of her father and stepmother in 1892, in Fall River, Massachusetts. The court of public opinion sentenced her to a life of public scrutiny and branded her a social pariah.

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The well-known phrase “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” has a personal meaning to Sami Steigmann.

Steigmann, a Holocaust survivor and motivational speaker, is coming to the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel on Sunday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. Steigmann will share his story about life in a Nazi labor camp, the medical experiments he was subjected to, how he survived and the many lessons he’s learned throughout his life.

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The following is a letter from Duane Wallace, past president of the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce to the Tahoe Transportation District Board. He outlines the concerns their Chamber has expressed about the US 50 South Shore Community
Revitalization Project (Loop Road) EIR process and content.

"It is on the fastest track I've ever seen," he said of the Loop Road project.

Dear Chair Teshara and Commission Members,

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council have answered the same ten questions given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses have been shared in the order received.

Today is the ninth and final candidate. Cody Bass gives his responses as he makes his first bid for a seat on the South Lake Tahoe City Council:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council answered the same ten questions that were given to them by South Tahoe Now. For each of the next nine days the candidate's responses will be shared in the order received.

First up is Wendy David, the current mayor of South Lake Tahoe. She is seeking a second term on the Council.

By a unanimous vote, the South Lake Tahoe City Council approved a new policy and set of procedures that will allow for the rare occasions where a street can be renamed after a prominent person who has achieved prominence as a result of their significant, positive contribution to the county or community.

With Mrs. Lisa Maloff's significant financial contributions to the community over the past few years in mind, the Council was asked to look into a policy that would pave the way for street name changes requests in special circumstances.

The annual Lake Tahoe Summit held this week at Sand Harbor State Park marked the 22nd time government officials, public agencies, non-profit environmental groups, the public and other groups came together to renew their focus and commitment on preserving the beauty of Lake Tahoe.

UPDATE 5/22 8:35 a.m.: El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel has arranged for a call between the County, City and Charter Cable people this Friday. "We need KCRA for South Tahoe (it’s a public safety issue in my opinion) She, along with others, remember when Charter tried to discontinue California services in 2008.

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News that KCRA will be soon be removed from the Charter Communications lineup for South Lake Tahoe is not being taken well by many locals.

There are four people running for El Dorado County Supervisor for the 5th District on June 5: Incumbent Sue Novasel and challengers Kenny Curtzwiler, Norma Santiago and Jeffrey Spencer. The 5th District covers Pollock Pines to South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma.

South Tahoe Now asked each candidate the same questions, and here are all of their answers, exactly as they were presented to us.

Sue Novasel
Occupation: El Dorado County Supervisor – District V
Past political history:
2015 – Present: County Supervisor, District V

We recently received talking points from a local public relation firm relating to how we could handle the adverse publicity which occurred due to the CBS morning show about the draconian VHR ordinance and subsequent $1000 fine enforcements. We, as property managers and owners, have been requesting support from the Chamber of Commerce, LTVA, and the Lodging Association in helping us fight the selfish attitudes of some locals regarding their entitlement to Lake Tahoe without visitors to their neighborhoods.

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler has asked the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office to look into allegations made by Councilwoman Brooke Laine in her opinion piece published on South Tahoe Now on April 15.

Uhler was asked by acting city manager, Fire Chief Jeff Meston to look into the content of Laine's disclosures. "I asked for that [the investigation] to occur to ensure transparency under my authority as City Manager," said Meston.

On April 14th, Brooke Laine, a fellow South Lake Tahoe City Council member, publicly brought forth serious accusations and allegations against our City leaders. Because of the gravity of Ms. Laine's allegations, I, as Mayor, believe I have a duty to ensure that the claims that the City Council, City Clerk, previous City Manager, Acting City Manager, previous City Attorney, Interim City Attorney, and indeed any city employee has violated the law are fully and adequately investigated.

(The following was send to the SLT Mayor and City Council members and South Tahoe Now)

Dear Honorable Mayor David and Council Members:

I am writing as a follow-up to my email communication of March 6, 2018 regarding the regulation of cannabis within the City limits.

I once again applaud the City Council for studying the issue carefully. It is an important issue and the decision on it will impact the type of community we become well into the future.

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