projects

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to several hundred Tahoe City residents on a warm summer evening in August. I was there for a celebration that has been a long time coming.

Residents gathered in the parking lot of the blighted Henrikson Building to take a ceremonial swing of the hammer — to say goodbye to an eyesore of a building whose useful life came to an end years ago. They were also there to celebrate what will soon take shape as Tahoe City’s first new hotel in more than 60 years.

In an effort to personally minimize the damage that single-use plastics are creating in our environment, Lake Tahoe Chapter DAR Daughters have accepted the National Society’s “No-Straw September” Challenge.

DAR Daughters everywhere - including members in the greater Lake Tahoe Basin - are eliminating plastic straws from daily routines and rethinking their purchases of single-use plastic items. All members are encouraged to skip using plastic shopping bags, and to participate in consistent plastic recycling.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Scheduled roadwork around the Lake Tahoe Basin is still in full swing before the winter hiatus.

For those wondering about the old Caltrans traffic camera at the Y: it is being replaced and when received there will be a lane closure coordinated for installation.

The camera at the new roundabout in Meyers can be rotated to analyze traffic needs and will not be aimed just at the roundabout for the time being.

The following are the Caltrans projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With summer over and the October 15 deadline for grading projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin, contractors are working to wrap up work on Sierra Boulevard and Highway 50.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Tuesday's City Council meeting will include several items including a closed session at 8:00 a.m. that includes Liberty Utilities' claim that a City snowplow damaged a light pole, causing $56,883.41 in damage.

On Oct. 13th the Meyers Community Foundation (MCF) will host the fifth annual Meyers Outdoor Gear Swap in the Westgate Center parking lot adjacent the Divided Sky from 10am-2pm.

Looking for some sweet gear? Shop until you drop for skis, snowboards, bikes, paddle gear, climbing gear, camping equipment, and other outdoor toys. Cash or credit cards will be accepted.

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are still almost two months left of scheduled roadwork around the Lake Tahoe Basin before winter hiatus. Most traffic-interfering work will be limited from 6:00 a.m. August 30 through 8:00 p.m. September 3 for Labor Day weekend. Exceptions may be granted depending on the work and route.

State Route 89 (Placer County): Motorists can expect intermittent short delays on State Route 89 at Sugar Pine Point State Park in Tahoma from 6:30-9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 24 and from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, August 25 due to the Lake Tahoe Triathlon.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After much discussion, the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted to sign Memos of Understanding (MOUs) with the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) and two developers to build affordable housing in the community.

Pacific Development Group and United Housing Corporation have identified properties, some which have already been purchased, to build housing for those who would be displaced by the proposed US 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project which would move the highway through the Rocky Point neighborhood off Pioneer Trail.

Heavenly Mountain Resort sponsored their 4th Bread & Broth Adopt A Day of Nourishment Monday Meal this year on August 12th. Mike Allen, Vince Arthur, Russell Carlton, Eric Davidson and Ted McDowell, all members of Heavenly’s Senior Leadership Team, volunteered and participated in the dinner hosted by Heavenly.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 23 years political leaders from the White House to state capitols have professed their commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe.

At the first Lake Tahoe Summit on July 27, 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore told of their commitment to keeping Tahoe blue after decades of erosion from roads, increased emissions from automobiles and boats, removal of wetlands and overgrown and dying forests were threatening its clarity.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The first day of school has been pushed out until September 9 for all of the students at Sierra House Elementary School. South Tahoe Now had spoken to the school district on Wednesday and at that time they were still hoping to have the school open by August 26.

South Lake Tahoe’s renewable energy leadership is providing the opportunity for the installation of substantive solar projects on the rooftops and properties of public buildings throughout the Sierra. The City took on this leadership role in May after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to become the lead agency for the Sierra under the Solar Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Fund, a not-for-profit program aimed to empower public agencies to evaluate and participate in regional collaborative procurement of municipal solar projects.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County Roadwork schedule for Caltrans projects.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Routes 28/89 (El Dorado and Placer County): Work is now complete on a $4.8 million project to remove dead and dying trees from State Routes 28 and 89 in various locations of El Dorado and Placer counties. Completion is expected this fall.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is just over a week left to answer a few questions on the Tahoe Prosperity Center's housing survey. They have teamed up with the South Lake Tahoe Endowment and numerous government jurisdictions, agencies and partners to better understand and plan for resident and employee housing needs now and in the future to support our community and economy.

The survey is only available online until August 15th so please complete the survey as soon as you can. They want to hear directly from residents and workers so they can learn things like:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Caltrans is in the middle of three major projects on the South Shore, with one of them changing their scheduled construction hours.

The $7.1M roundabout construction project at the intersection of US50 and SR89 in Meyers is moving from daytime work hours to a night shift from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. starting Tuesday, August 6. Flaggers will also be conduction one-way reversing traffic control as they finish up the roundabout. The completion is expected later this month or in early September and the nighttime work schedule will remain until the project is done.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County Roadwork schedule for Caltrans projects.

Most traffic-interfering work will be limited from noon Thursday, August 1 through 8 p.m. Monday, August 5 and noon Wednesday, August 7 through 8 p.m. Monday, August 12 for Hot August Nights.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Routes 28/89 (El Dorado and Placer County): Work continues on a $4.8 million project to remove dead and dying trees from State Routes 28 and 89 in various locations of El Dorado and Placer counties. Completion is expected this fall.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What do South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada; Bend, Oregon; Bozeman, Montana; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Flagstaff, Arizona have in common?

They are all mountain towns who have joined together to make it easier for tourists to open their hearts and wallets in support of wild places. They have taken steps to empower travelers to help protect the outdoor places where they recreate.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Since 1978 Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) has been serving the community with a facility inside the home of founders, Tom and Cheryl Millham. Their long history of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing Tahoe’s injured and orphaned wildlife has gained national attention.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The 23rd annual Lake Tahoe Summit will be held on Tuesday, August 20 at Valhalla in South Lake Tahoe.

Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the main program at 10:00 a.m.

Since the first Lake Tahoe Summit in 1997, the area’s congressional representatives have pledged to keep working together and with local, state, and private sector partners to restore Tahoe’s environment, improve forest health, and confront climate change.

Senator Dianne Feinstein dubbed those helping to keep the region pristine as "Team Tahoe."

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It will be a very long day for the City Council and City staff on Tuesday as they hold a budget workshop prior to the start of their regularly scheduled meeting on July 16 at 10:00 a.m.

The public is invited to attend

Their agenda:

1. Call to Order Mayor Laine

2. Public Comment Mayor Laine

3. Draft City Council Priorities Frank Rush
a. Review of priorities
b. Progress to date

4. General Overview of City Financial Position Debbie McIntyre
a. General Fund balance

7/9 UPDATE: This report has been updated to include lane closures that were added after press time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transporation (Caltrans) is working on roads at Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County this week. Here is a list of both long-term and short-term projects in the area.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Professional cycling legend Levi Leipheimer was in Lake Tahoe recently to promote the Lake Tahoe specialty vehicle license program of the California Tahoe Conservancy.

Leipheimer, a two-time U.S. national champion, Olympic medalist, and three-time Tour of California winner, has continued to use his role in cycling to advance good causes, including through his King Ridge Foundation, which supports programs serving at-risk youth across the country.

Welcome to summer! The solstice officially arrived Friday at 8:54 a.m., welcoming in the longest day of the year. As the snowpack melts away, and the lake fills above rim, we enter the warm and dry months that we relish after winter. As Lake Tahoe’s landscape begins to dry out, wildfire danger will grow.

Our respite from the seasonal dangers of wildfire here in the basin is coming to an end. With temperatures climbing, relative humidity lowering, and afternoon winds blowing across the lake, the basin will become susceptible to wildfire.

Are you ready for a garden re-do? Have the kids flown the coup or do you want to spend more time hiking and less time maintaining your lawn? Then this workshop is for you. UC Master Gardeners of Lake Tahoe are offering a planning and design presentation including a guided design activity where you will be stepped through the process of what to consider when designing your own garden. There will be time for questions about your individual landscape projects and lots of useful information.

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