we can

Hiking and exploring aren't just summer sports in Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) will show you how to enjoy those activities as part of National Winter Trails Day on January 10.

They will guide snowshoers through the historic Van Sickle Bi-State Park after meeting at Explore Tahoe Urban Trailhead where participants will learn about the park.

Generation Green of South Lake Tahoe will join the leaders from TRTA as they guide people through the three mile round trip trek, highlighting a variety of winter, forest health, and fire ecology along the way.

Tahoe Youth & Family Services is hosting their fifth annual Night of Giving 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at their South Lake Tahoe office at 1021 Fremont Avenue.

The night is used as an opportunity for the community to learn about what TYFS does and to help them out both financially and with items needed by the homeless youth they serve.

There will be light refreshments.

The administration team at South Tahoe High School met this weekend to prepare for the return of students on Monday, the first day of school after the death of their classmate, freshman Dejon Smith.

Principal Chad Houck sent out a phone and email message Sunday evening to all parents to inform them of the plan for Monday.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in South Lake Tahoe may not be opened yet, but they've been busy becoming a part of the community.

On Monday, November 24, their Executive Chef Jonathan Snyder delivered 48 turkeys to Sierra Community Church, who will serve them in their community kitchen and distribute the rest to local families in need for Thanksgiving.

As the keynote speaker at last month’s National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation in Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell emphasized the central role collaboration must play for America to protect its natural resources, balance economic needs, and address emerging environmental challenges such as climate change.

“We are moving into an era of epic collaboration,” Jewell said, explaining that regional partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries are more important than ever for the federal department that manages 20 percent of our nation’s land.

Join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) for a night dedicated to our grand celestial sphere. The Geminid Meteor Shower will be making its appearance during this time, and it is expected to see many shooting stars throughout the night.

You will be taken into a snow covered Tahoe Meadows to relax and gaze at the sky and TINS staff will illuminate the mysteries of the night.

This event is perfect for sharing with your whole family! It is free and only open to the first 30 signups.

I have worked at Lake Tahoe Community College for over 21 years as a classified employee. In those years, I have seen a lot of changes – many good, some not. I wanted to address something that I haven't seen touched on yet regarding the college’s bond measure, and that is what happens at LTCC if Measure F does not pass.

"After a mistake late in the second half by our goalkeeper, the LTCC men's team found themselves down 2-0 with 6:46 seconds left to go in the game. Coyote players lay on the pitch with their hands over their faces in shock that we had let in a SECOND goal, and defeat seemed imminent.

And then something happened.

THE CROWD STARTED CHEERING!!!

I thought to myself on the sidelines, "Wow, that's a nice gesture since their team is being beat 2-0." Everyone on the bench and on the field thought the game was most likely over.

Almost 2,000 elementary students from South Lake Tahoe completed the WeCan! fitness and nutritional program on Friday, October 10.

Students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade at Bijou, Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet, Sierra House and Tahoe Valley Elementary Schools participated in the four week program.

The students participated in weekly challenges that focused on fitness and nutrition goals. Challenges included eating fruits and vegetables of a particular color, drinking more water, stretching, exercising and trying new healthy foods.

To Our Community,

Our journey toward Measure F began in May 2013, when Lake Tahoe Community College enacted “Investing In Our Future,” a fiscal stability plan to ensure the sustainability of LTCC for the next 40 years. The first step in this plan was to build a shared vision of the future. In September 2013, LTCC leaders brought community members, faculty, staff, students, K-12 educators, and elected officials together to develop that shared vision.

(http://www.laketahoenews.net/2013/09/ltcc-engages-locals-pave-future-path/)

We ran a story in June about Cody Matthews, the 23 year old El Dorado County man missing from his family's home near Ice House Reservoir.

The family was faced with another tragedy this week. Here is a story that ran this week on www.kahi.com:

Dear voters,

I’m hoping you will send a message by voting for me to work for you on the South Tahoe Public Utility District Board. I’ve been a local 40 years, through droughts, storms, power outages and great sunny powder ski days.

At 21, I opened Happy Steak Restaurant and owned it for 16 years. I was CEO of the California based South Lake Tahoe Chamber for 12 years and I taught Business and Personnel at LTCC. I have a BA in business administration and I’m a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management. I’m a past STPUD Board member.

The Bijou Community Playground represents a community effort and shows what we can do when we all come together and each do a little. "Many hands make for light work" is a true phenomenon here at Bijou School. Since 2007, with the inception of the Two Way Immersion program, and our forced volunteering program, the parents, staff and community members have consistently been spending time, funds, and those blood, sweat and tears we always talk about at this school. The new playground, as well as the field and park behind it, is a tangible representation of the volunteer force here at Bijou.

Summer months can be very challenging for our community blood program, so roll up your sleeves and show your support. To meet local hospital commitments blood banks need the help of about 125 donors per day.

On June 17, 2014, the City Council held a workshop regarding the City’s five-year financial forecast and the overall economic forecast for the local community. While the forecast has improved, we need to attract substantial capital investment over the next ten years to grow the economy, meet the community’s needs and fund projects protecting the natural environment.

Why do bad things seem to stick in our minds so much longer than the good things? Is there anything we can do about it? Dr. Alison Ledgerwood will hold a lecture on Thursday Evening, July 17th at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Arts. Her behavioral science research suggests that negative thoughts are cognitively “stickier” than positive ones— but with some effort, it seems we can retrain our brains to focus on the upsides.

The California Highway Patrol, Nevada Highway Patrol and Douglas County Sheriff's Office will be joining forces over the holiday weekend in South Lake Tahoe by conducting sobriety, car safety and driver's license checkpoints on both sides of the state line.

The California Highway Patrol will have their checkpoint in Meyers on Saturday, July 5 on U.S. Highway 50 between Pioneer Trail and State Route 89. It will be staffed by officers who are trained in the detection of alcohol and/or drug impaired drivers.

The Cold Water Challenge. Unless you're still in hibernation you've probably heard of someone in South Lake Tahoe taking the Cold Water Challenge.

But What is it?

Someone takes a video of themselves jumping into a body of cold water (such as Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River or Trout Creek). Once they emerge from the water they record themselves saying the names of people they are challenging to jump in cold water as well, and within 24 hours.

Everyone is talking about it! Can we grow food up here?

We can. And it's fun, too! But... Which plants to choose? And when to plant them? What to do about our terrible soils and crazy weather?

Location

"On Our Way" grants totaling over $550,000 were awarded this week by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). Six projects that aim at sustainability and improved mobility options around Lake Tahoe will now be able to move forward due to the grants.

It's long been joked that South Lake Tahoe has two seasons: winter and road construction.

Get ready for the latter as it's time to begin the South Lake Tahoe projects.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Jim Marino, the City's Assistant Public Works Director, outlined all 13 different projects happening within city limits this year.

On the photos in this story you'll their locations, and which ones are deemed to create the heaviest traffic as a result of closing intersections or reducing travel to one lane.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is inviting the public to its first Pipe Keepers Public Forum on April 17 at the Blue Angel Café in South Lake Tahoe, featuring five regional experts who will discuss stormwater problems and solutions in the Tahoe Basin. The event will feature free food and drinks, a free raffle, expert presentations and a question and answer session.

The message to Joseph and Joan Truxler is simple and clear: Meet with us, come up with a solution and drop your lawsuit by April 4. If the suit isn't dropped by then the South Lake Tahoe 4th of July Fireworks display will be canceled.

Lake Tahoe is one of California’s greatest natural treasures. It is a beauty to behold, with forested mountains surrounding the deep blue shimmering surface. It is famous for many recreational activities- snowboarding, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing, and sunbathing. But the clear blue waters of Tahoe are in trouble. Invasive species, climate change, and sedimentation all threaten the unique ecosystems of the lake.