opinion

I am lucky to have lived in South Lake Tahoe for 9 years and grateful to be raising my children in such a wonderful place. I received a Masters Degree in Land Use Planning from UNR and am currently a solution oriented AICP, Senior Planner at Midkiff & Associates. My commitment to community service led me to the Leadership Lake Tahoe program, board membership with the Tahoe Drug Free Coalition, the Chamber Government Affairs Committee and the fight against climate change.

Lake Tahoe was at a crossroads in 1997. The lake’s famous water clarity, once measuring 100 feet, was declining year after year because of stormwater pollution from roads and developed areas and erosion from streams damaged by logging and cattle grazing.

A home being built on Overlook Court near Heavenly Mountain Resort is the first one to be denied a Vacation Home Rental permit under the Planning Commission's interpretation of the new VHR guidelines created by the City of South Lake Tahoe.

During their monthly meeting at the airport on Thursday, the commission voted 2-2 to uphold the denial of the permit made by the zoning administrator, John Hitchcock. The fifth member of the commission, Shannon Eckmeyer, was not at the meeting due to another engagement.

1. Bargains. Admit it, that’s why we shop at thrift stores. We love bargains. At the new Goodwill store located at 1069 Emerald Bay Road in the former Pier 1 building, you’ll find 8,000 square feet of high-quality donated clothing, furniture and household items, as well as a wide variety of brand-new products at low prices. Don’t we all want our paychecks to stretch a little bit further? And if you’re lucky…

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler has written the following in response to an opinion piece written by South Tahoe High junior Noah Jackson that was posted on South Tahoe Now June 9 concerning massage parlors.

To keep Tahoe cherished and known for its beauty, locals try in their best efforts to “keep Tahoe blue.” Sadly, negative effects in our ecosystems come from humans which could damage the clarity of the lake and the air quality. Bad air quality comes from numerous sources, such as car emissions, uncontained fires, and contributors to toxic runoff into the forest; these sources of pollution must be stopped.

On September 12, 2001, advertising luminary Allen Kay coined the phrase, “If you see something, say something.”[1] In the wake of horrific events the day before, Kay recognized that no matter how well trained, equipped and staffed, law enforcement can’t do it alone. Within a relatively short period of time, the slogan was plastered on New York City transit vehicles. Over time, the Law Enforcement and Homeland Security slogan has become so well known it has been described as the equivalent of Nike’s “Just do it” advertisement.[2]

Although vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe have received a bad reputation in regards to loud parties echoing down our streets, and trash not being disposed of properly, they do help the local economy by bringing in tourist dollars. Even with all of the problems, the assets outweigh the liabilities for both tourists and town residents. For example, tourists will be given a sense of being at home, rather than hearing gamblers stroll the halls late at night.

Our home of beautiful South Lake Tahoe is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. With around 4.3 million visitors in 2011, as well as certain main events and holidays where our city's population doubles and even triples. With this nonstop tourism occurring throughout South Lake Tahoe, it only makes sense to have a “downtown” area, which is what the loop road will provide. Despite the concerns of how the loop road will hurt our community, there are a lot of long term social and environmental benefits involved in this project.

Location

The community is invited to Lake Tahoe Community College’s Annual Student Art Exhibition opening reception on Sunday, May 22 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Commons, located in the Main Building on campus. An awards ceremony honoring the winners starts at 3:30 p.m. There will be approximately 400 works of student art on display, ranging from digital art to printmaking and sculpture. All of the artwork displayed represents student production over the past year. Much of the work reflects the Art Department’s curriculum, but also includes work created independently by LTCC students.

To televise or not televise, that was the question in front of the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday, April 19. While live streaming of the Council meetings is not required by law, it is something the City has done on both the internet and television since May, 2007.

The agenda item was added after discussion arose during the April 5 meeting when Mayor Wendy David asked that they stop televising the public comment portion of the meetings. Her comment caught many by surprise, even by some of her Council members.

When people visit Tahoe for the first time, they marvel at the extraordinary natural landscape and fresh, clean air. At the same time, some are shocked at the dilapidated condition of the built environment: rundown buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and tired-looking development. The paradox is compelling. Despite TRPA’s mandate to harmonize the natural and human-made landscapes so that they blend together, outdated development that preceded environmental standards now serves as blight in our community.

It has been about 18 months since the Cal Tahoe JPA voted to spend $192,000 on badly needed EKG monitors for the nine ambulances that serve the South Lake Tahoe and Meyers area. As of March 31, not a dime has been spent due to a division between the two fire departments that are part of the JPA.

"I don't want public safety to get in the way of politics," said SLT City Councilman Tom Davis at Thursday's emergency JPA meeting. Davis is one of two Council representatives on the JPA board. The other is Mayor Wendy David.

Rarely do I use this space to comment upon political issues within our community. That said, with the “politicization” of the US Hwy 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project I felt the need to share some background and perspectives for consideration.

At Barton Health, we strive to provide consistently exceptional care for our patients and their families. But what can someone do before a hospital visit is needed or after being released?

Here are some safety tips to help you and your loved ones stay safe, healthy, and out of harm’s way.

Focus on Balance
More than a third of adults over age 65 fall each year. Injuries from falls can lead to broken bones, bleeding, and even death.
What can you do?

On October 27, 2015, Sue Novasel, the County Supervisor representing South Lake Tahoe, Meyers, Tahoma and Pollock Pines was served a “notice of intent to circulate a recall petition” by a group of citizens who said they are “tired of the corruption and cronyism that has plagued our county for years.” It wasn’t only Novasel, but all five of the County Supervisors, Shiva Frentzen, Ron Mikulaco, Michael Ranalli and Brian Veerkamp.

EDCTotalRecall is asked, "Why are you trying to Recall the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors?" I ask that you watch this video regarding contamination at El Dorado Trail, Placerville.

If the Supervisor Recall is to be successful we need signatures and volunteers.

There are about 4 1/2 weeks to go on the first two supervisors. The petitions are available to be downloaded and signed at EDCTotalRecall.org. If you wish to volunteer please send an e-mail to info@edctotalrecall.org.

Thank you,

The following is the ski, snowboard and weather report for Sunday, January 3, 2016 for South Lake Tahoe brought to you by Lake Tahoe SkiBum.

Weather - South Lake Tahoe will have a high of 37 and a low tonight of 21. Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. East wind around 5 mph. Tonight: A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

It has been and will remain the mission of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District to provide the highest level of public safety services for our community, its people, and the environment. As our motto states, it is “Because We Care “. Driven by these guiding principles, in 2001 the LVFPD entered into a partnership with the City of South Lake Tahoe to provide fire based ambulance transportation and advanced life support paramedic services throughout the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

City Councilwoman JoAnn Conner filed a lawsuit against the City of South Lake Tahoe and City Manager Nancy Kerry in El Dorado County Court on Wednesday, December 9, asking for the City Council's censure of her be withdrawn.

In a special meeting of the Council on October 19, Conner was censured for interactions she had with City staff which at times were described as bullying and creating a hostile work environment.

The recent reversal of sign ordinance fees reflects on the poor leadership of South Lake Tahoe’s government. After an eruption of dissent from the business community, the City had to reverse its onerous sign permit fees and acquiesce to the demands of the business community.

As El Dorado County prepares their three year strategic plan they are seeking input from the community on many different issues.

A survey is the first step, and can be taken here. This is the first step and it will be followed by local town hall meetings and focus groups. Information gathered will be presented to the County Supervisors and goal-setting teams.

There have been no meeting dates announced yet.

A review of Three Dog Night’s concert at the Montbleau Casino

In 1970, a young and talented piano player from England found himself as the opening act for a band that, according to www.ThreeDogNight.com “from 1969 through 1974 achieved more top 10 hits, moved more records and sold more concert tickets than any other band”, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin.

That’s just part of the story of the journey of Three Dog Night’s show last night at the Montbleau Casino in South Lake Tahoe.

Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe has run down restrooms, failing retaining walls and is not ADA compliant in many spots. Improvements at the park and beach are part of the recently completed Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and the City wants to know what the community would like to see here.