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Dear Henry,
I am a business owner can you please explain the situation with “Service Dogs,” what is considered a service dog and what do I have to allow in my place of business which is a restaurant. I don’t want to get in trouble with ADA or the Health Department.

Thank you, Bob

Great question Bob!
This is an issue we get calls on all the time. I am going to be answering this question with information directly from the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and Disability Rights Section.

There will soon be a new ordinance in the City of South Lake Tahoe that will regulate massages, massage establishments and massage therapists.

"We will be raising the level of standards to legitimize the industry," said Mayor Wendy David.

There are currently 125 licensed massage therapists in the City, and an unknown number of people who are not. The new ordinance will be in place to make all comply and be licensed therapists in 90 days, or they cannot conduct business.

The new craze "Pokémon GO" has become the top grossing app for smart phones, and its only been a few days since it was released. South Lake Tahoe isn't immune to to the popularity of this geocaching game where you find and capture Pokémon characters at various locations in the community.

Warning though, it can be harmful to your health, or safety.

Thinning of trees for fuels reduction and forest health will resume on Thursday, July 7 on approximately 178 acres of National Forest System lands on the northeast side of Highway 267, north of Lake Vista Road above Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista. Mechanical whole tree removal will take place off Forest Road 16N52 over the next several months and the area will be closed for public safety.

During Tuesday's El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting they quietly voted to change the ordinances regulating vacation homes in the Lake Tahoe portion of the county (Meyers and all unincorporated areas on the South Shore). Missing was the heated public comments from the Vacation Home Rental owners as seen at South Lake Tahoe City Council meetings.

The changes for VHRs in the Tahoe side of the County (the Board of Supervisors at a duly noticed meeting shall have the authority to impose additional standard conditions applicable to vacation home rentals as necessary):

The City of South Lake Tahoe will be hosting this year's 4th of July parade, and a large turnout is expected for both the parade and the post-celebration activities at the American Legion.

Community members, clubs, groups are all signing up to take part in the parade on Monday, July 4, starting at 10:00 a.m. So far, there are 50 entries and 150 walkers participating.

The route goes from the Crossing at the "Y" to Al Tahoe Blvd, at the Rite-Aid parking lot so travelers can expect travel delays on the road during the duration of the parade.

The popular historical walking and biking tour through the Al Tahoe neighborhood in South Lake Tahoe has taken a big step forward and is now easy for everyone to participate.

Joining forces, the City of South Lake Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Historical Society have placed permanent posts in nine locations through the neighborhood, all in spots where history took place.

"History Lives Here!" was rolled out in the summer of 2015 as part of the City's 50th anniversary celebration. Now with the posters placed on permanent posts, the historical spots are not only fun to find, but easy to see.

Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows made a donation to the High Fives Foundation in the amount of $150,000 to commemorates Memorial Day and honor U.S. military veterans.

The foundation's “Military to the Mountains” program will receive the donation so injured veterans can be trained on the slopes. The program, a partnership between Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, High Fives Foundation, Achieve Tahoe (formerly Disabled Sports USA Far West) and Adaptive Training Foundation, hosts and trains injured veterans of the United States armed forces on the slopes of Squaw Valley.

There will be a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m. at the Happy Homestead Cemetery in South Lake Tahoe to remember those who have died in service to our nation. The American Legion Post 795 is hosting the ceremony and has invited the public to attend both the remembrance and for refreshments at their hall afterwards.

Close to 600 flags will be placed at Happy Homestead Cemetery by the South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge on Friday morning, and they'll remain throughout the holiday weekend. The cemetery is the final resting place to more than 560 veterans.

Sheriff Ron Pierini has announced the recent graduation of two Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies from the State of Nevada Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Law Enforcement Academy.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Jose Guerra and Bruce Jacobsen graduated from the academy on Thursday, May 12 after attending the academy at the State of Nevada Stewart Training Facility in Carson City for four months.

Taking advantage of favorable burning conditions, the Lake Valley Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service have planned to conduct prescribed fire operations next week on the South Shore beginning Monday, May 16, 2016.

Burning operations are scheduled to take place in four locations:

Northeast of the Lake Tahoe Airport near Barbara Avenue
Off Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road
Off Panther Lane near the west end of Gardner Mountain
Off Santa Claus Drive and West River Parkway near Christmas Valley

NFL Hall of Famers, former Major League Baseball players and other sports celebrities will gather July 17-18 to once again pay tribute to the former Oakland Raider at the 8th annual Gene Upshaw Memorial Golf Classic at the Schaffer’s Mill Golf & Lake Club in Truckee, Calif.

Upshaw, who often played in the Celebrity Golf Tournament in South Lake Tahoe, died of pancreatic cancer in 2008 at Tahoe Forest Hospital.

A three-month long tree removal project off of Fallen Leaf Lake Road near the campground will start around May 15, 2016. Due to the heavy equipment needed, the Forest Service will issue a forest order closing the project area (units 1 and 148) to pedestrians from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

There was once a time when having a beautiful lake, spectacular scenery and non-stop action and gambling was enough for the tourist to visit South Lake Tahoe and the South Shore.

This is no longer the case and the community needs to become future ready.

Carl Ribaudo, owner of Strategic Marketing Group, spoke at the Future Ready Tourism Forum at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel on April 26, 2016.

While change is always tough Ribaudo said, South Lake Tahoe needs to be prepared as the tourist shifts from making a transaction when coming to Tahoe to wanting an experience.

Charles Barkley, Justin Timberlake, and Steve Kerr and Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors lead a group of 90 sports and entertainment stars coming to South Lake Tahoe for the 27th annual American Century Championship, July 19 – 24, 2016. Many were hoping to see Steph Curry on the list, but with the Olympic Games in Rio just after the tournament, speculation is that he had to skip the stop in Tahoe.

A Washoe County Sheriff’s Deputy investigating the recent phone scam of an elderly Sun Valley woman worked with the United States Postal Inspection Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police to recover $9,000 in losses for the victim. The details of this case provide important warning signs for all residents.

Weather permitting, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service have scheduled prescribed fire operations again this week, starting April 25.

East Shore: Near Spooner Summit, Camp Galilee and on Kingsbury Grade near Edgewood Drive.

South Shore: Near Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road, Panther Lane near South Tahoe High School, off Highway 89 near Spring Creek, and off Santa Claus Drive and West River Parkway near Christmas Valley.

The annual 4th of July parade in South Lake Tahoe has undergone changes and will be organized by the City of South Lake Tahoe this year.

In honor of the local American Legion Post 795, the parade will feature everyone, from vets to clubs, kids and organizations. The Legion will also serve as the parade marshals.

Prescribed fire operations are scheduled to continue around the Lake Tahoe Basin on Monday, March 21, weather permitting.

The areas on the map scheduled to be burned, weather permitting:

A) Burton Creek State Park between North Tahoe High School and Rocky Ridge Properties, 35 acres of hand piles to be burned by California State Parks starting 3/21/16.
B) Sugar Pine Point State Park - Hwy 89 across from General Creek Campground, 12 acres to be burned by California State Parks starting 3/21/16.

Prescribed fire operations are set to continue this week in the Lake Tahoe Basin, as long as the weather allows burning. California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service have projects planned near Burton Creek, Sugar Pine Point and D.L. Bliss state parks. On the East Shore, operations are scheduled to take place on Spooner Summit and near Camp Galilee. On the South Shore, operations may take place near Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road, Panther Lane near South Tahoe High School and off Highway 89 near Spring Creek.

The American Legion Auxiliary Post 795 of South Lake Tahoe will hold a rummage sale this Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, 2016. The rummage sale will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, at the American Legion Hall, 2748 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.

Hundreds of items will be for sale including clothing, toys, electronics, antiques, household items and much more!

For more information, contact American Legion Auxiliary President, Carol Olivas at 530-307-0132 or 530-544-1306.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Explorers just finished a week-long detail in Pebble Beach, California working the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament to earn money for their POST.

Thirteen DCSO Explorers handled pedestrian control, traffic control and security details in and around the famous 17 mile drive in Pebble Beach. They saw golf professionals like Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh as well as amateurs like Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, Carson Daly and Larry The Cable Guy.

At Lake Tahoe, we know our natural resources are one of our most valuable assets, and that’s why we have worked for decades to conserve and restore them. The natural wonders of the Jewel of the Sierra and the opportunities they afford are why we live here, and why millions of visitors travel here to enjoy the Tahoe Basin each year.

The public once again had the opportunity to participate in the planning of the US50/South Shore Revitalization plan (also known as the Loop Road) during a meeting held at South Tahoe Middle School Wednesday evening. About 100 people took advantage of having the opportunity.

A panel made up of three representatives from the project, Tahoe Transportation District's Carl Hasty and Russell Nygaard, and the Project Manager Mark Rayback from Woods Rodgers.