collaboration

When the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) didn't give South Tahoe High the results on their accreditation they wanted in 2016, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) and high school staff set on a path to change those results in 2018.

The high school was given a two-year probationary accreditation instead of the desired six year accreditation and they will be reevaluated this March when a new WASC team returns to South Tahoe High School (STHS).

The Community Action Council of El Dorado County is seeking an individual or agency to represent the interests and concerns of low-income people/families living in El Dorado County, with special attention on housing, nutrition and low-income program needs. The El Dorado County Community Action Council is looking to fill a vacancy on the Council within the Low-Income Sector Membership category. The Council meets monthly in Placerville.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Starting January 24, 2018, South Lake Tahoe Mayor Wendy David will be holding an informal monthly chat with anyone from the community who wants to stop by, say "hi," find out information or discuss whatever City topic they want.

For the past week, South Lake Tahoe's homeless have been able to get out of the cold at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, but come January 1 they will be moving into their new home.

The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless will open their warm room at 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd, the City owned property that once housed Unity at the Lake. Their operations will begin at 7:00 p.m. The will be open daily from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. until April 1, 2018.

The rural mountain lifestyle we all enjoy at Lake Tahoe is not isolated from the major urban areas nearby. On a typical holiday weekend, the Tahoe Basin turns into a recreation thoroughfare as tens of thousands of day and overnight visitors who sustain our local economy drive up from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Reno.

In their annual reorganization, the South Lake Tahoe City Council has voted in a new mayor and mayor pro tem for the year 2018.

Wendy David returns as mayor, a position she held in 2016. She was mayor pro tem during 2017.

Tom Davis returns as vice mayor for the fifth time.

"I want to thank the Council for your support," said Mayor David. "I want to look at how we want to move forward and focus on community conversation. It's what brings us together. Community conversation is the most important thing we'll do next year."

After a winter of historic snowfall and atmospheric rivers, what will 2017-18 have in store?

That has yet to be seen, but many resorts around the Lake Tahoe Basin are making plans for opening even without that "one good dump."

Planned opening days:

Heavenly Mountain Resort - Nov. 17
Kirkwood Mountain Resort - Nov. 22
Sierra-at-Tahoe,- mid-November
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows - November 17
Northstar - Nov. 17
Mt. Rose - Nov. 4
Boreal - Nov. 8
Homewood - Dec. 8
Diamond Peak - Dec. 14

Before that question can be answered, we need to understand what a mega fire is. To be a mega fire it needs to meet these five points:

1. Starts near or in a high fire danger area during approaching or actual red flag conditions,
2. Escapes the initial attack,
3. Develops into a campaign fire covering a large area,
4. Requires thousand of firefighters and extensive additional resources to bring final containment,
5. Often cause huge property and other cultural losses in addition to vegetation destroyed.

he Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Wednesday recognized 15 exceptional projects completed in 2016 with Best in Basin awards.

Now in its 27th year, TRPA’s Best in Basin awards program each year showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities.

Four brothers from San Francisco have been arrested in connection with the theft of an estimated $125,000 worth high-end mountain bikes from Truckee.

Starting in June, 2017, the Truckee Police Department began receiving theft reports of high-end mountain bikes from various locations in Truckee. The most common scenario happened with bikes on vehicle racks that were secured with the locking mechanism of the rack or a cable style lock.

Lake Tahoe’s extraordinary deep water clarity is attributed to its uncommonly clean water which allows sunlight to reach much greater depths than possible in most other water bodies. Fine sediments through stormwater runoff into the lake reduces this clarity.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Jeff Meston has been elected as president-elect of the California Fire Chief's Association (CalChiefs). The 925 voting members of the association voted for Meston during their recent election period that concluded August 4.

This is not only the first time a chief from South Lake Tahoe has been elected to the state's top spot, but also the first time anyone has from cities along the Sierra Nevada.

"I am rally humbled and very much thrilled," Chief Meston said of his appointment.

As new South Tahoe High School Principal Carline Sinkler is preparing for her first year at the helm she sent out a letter to the community and it is shared here:

Dear South Lake Tahoe Community,

It is a privilege to serve as principal of South Tahoe High School and I look forward to a highly productive year of forming lasting relationships, building teams and meeting challenges together that enable us to prepare our students for college, career and life.

Summer is not all beach and playtime for Lake Tahoe area kids, its also time to hang out with Shakespeare. For the second consecutive year, Will's Kids will take place at Valhalla inside Tallac Historic Site on Friday, August 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Will’s Kids is a collaboration between Live Violence Free, Tahoe Youth and Family Services, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, the D.G. Manchetti Young Shakespeare Program, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival to bring art to the children of the community.

This week, June 4-10, is Community Health Improvement Week. It is a national celebration to recognize the work and efforts of health professionals to improve their community’s health.

One thing you will hear from Barton Health professionals is that improving the health and wellness in our community takes collaboration and commitment. This can be seen in the actions taken in the last two years to address South Lake Tahoe’s most pressing health concerns.

On behalf of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH), I would like to thank our community for your support through the second winter of the South Lake Tahoe Warm Room project. Our organization received donations from over 200 different individuals and businesses and benefited from over 60 volunteers who provided over 1600 volunteer hours.

Clarity levels at Lake Tahoe in 2016 increased in winter and decreased in summer in 2016 according to a report released on May 17 by researchers from University of California, Davis.

They said the summer values were due to the continuing effects of climate change and were so large that they outweighed the improving winter clarity which were at their highest since 2012.

The Barton Foundation is giving $40,000 in grants to improve community health. Local non-profits, health organizations, schools, and public agencies are encouraged to apply for funding.

The Barton Health Grants provide funds for programs and organizations that positively impact the health of the South Tahoe community. In this grant cycle, projects and programs that address mental health, substance abuse, and access to healthcare services will be considered. These three issues were identified as the most pressing health needs in South Lake Tahoe’s 2015 Community Health Needs Assessment.

As we celebrate Earth Day this April, let’s remember how important environmental stewardship is to the health of Lake Tahoe, and how important our individual actions are.

Over the last two decades, public, private, and nonprofit partners have made significant progress conserving and restoring Lake Tahoe’s environment through the Environmental Improvement Program.

Wildlife survival, avalanche safety, snowmaking, and environmental restoration are all part of the curriculum at a unique outdoor classroom at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Nearly 300 fifth-grade students from Lake Tahoe Unified School District (TLUSD) took part in the EpicPromise Winter Adventure Program over five days in January and March. The program includes a ride up the ski resort’s Aerial Tram, snowshoeing, and getting hands-on learning experiences at a trio of educational stations.

Karen Rae Chapon, 47, of South Lake Tahoe was sentenced Tuesday for the crimes of insurance fraud, mortgage fraud and theft according to Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt.

Chapon is the owner of Tahoe Weddings and Events in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.

As a national treasure offering world-class recreation opportunities, Lake Tahoe is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in Northern California and Nevada. And sometimes, being popular has its challenges.

Tahoe’s limited roadways become congested during times of peak visitation, when thousands of people who live in nearby metropolitan areas get in their cars to drive up to our small mountain communities. Suddenly, a road system designed for 55,000 residents must handle four to five times that many cars on an average busy day.

The City of South Lake Tahoe now has a new vision statement to guide all of their decisions: "We will reflect the national treasure in which we live."

During a two-day long retreat and strategic planning session, the City Council and staff leaders met to discuss their strategies over the next two years, something they do right after every Council election.

City leaders will now get other agencies on the South Shore to join them in this mission, as well as the community. The vision will be reflected on City materials, a new logo, and be the "guiding principle in decision making."

It’s been great seeing all of my friends and acquaintances who have lived here for less than 10 years posting photos and sharing how Snowmageddon 2017 has blown them away. I did the same when I first moved to Tahoe back in the 70’s and storms like this were not uncommon. Back then playing was more important than clearing the snow. I had a big Dodge Ram 4x4 pickup and I j drove over the snow in my driveway and packed it down. I did not own a snowblower and can’t remember shoveling much. One year the packed snow was so high I could not get the truck under the carport.