science

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) approved two grow domes to be installed at Sierra House Elementary School. Ground is being broken on the project area this weekend and the project is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Scott Valentine will explore Lake Tahoe's geological past in a free lecture and slideshow on Friday night. Valentine, an Earth Science instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College, will explain how a number of sometimes violent forces transformed the Basin and Lake Tahoe over the centuries.

"The Geology of Tahoe: A Story of Earthquakes, Glaciers and Volcanism" will be presented at the college's Duke Theater on October 10 at 7 p.m.

Honorable Dylan Sullivan was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to fill retiring Judge Daniel B. Proud's seat on the El Dorado County Superior Court. She won the June primary to become the Judge for Office 5, so this announcement moved up her start date by four months.

Judge Sullivan has been specifically assigned to department 7 by Presiding Judge Suzanne N. Kingsbury, due to her training and experience, to assist the Court in effectively implementing criminal justice realignment in El Dorado County. She was sworn in by Kingsbury on September 19.

The first week of school in South Lake Tahoe is in the books, and the early numbers show that enrollment is up for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District's seven schools.

Many students had to miss the first day of school since they didn't have their paperwork and immunizations completed, which are both required to attend local schools.

Angie Keil, the Public Information Officer for LTUSD, said that it was a hectic first week of school but so far the enrollment numbers show that there are 3,877 students in school. This is up by 156 from the end of school figures from June.

Jennifer Quashnick, local author, will introduce us to the first novel from her new Mountaingirl Mysteries series, "The Sierra Nevada Trail of Murder." When chased by a killer, Rachel Winters, her dog Bella, and Private Investigator Luke Reed must uncover a deep-rooted environmental conspiracy stretching across multiple state lines.

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Sustainable business leaders, entrepreneurs, active residents, acclaimed writers and science gurus will gather for Sierra Business Council’s 20th anniversary conference. “Peak Innovation – The Next 20 Years” will be held at Granlibakken in Tahoe City from October 8-10. Peak Innovation brings together thought leaders and practitioners who are designing and implementing cutting-edge solutions to challenging social and environmental issues.

Children and their families are invited by U.C. Davis to visit their Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences on Saturday, August 9 for a day of hand's on activities.

The 15th annual event is free and sponsored by the Tahoe Environmental Research Center. Children's Environmental Science Day includes more than 30 interactive science activities hosted by local organizations, all aimed at children ages 6 and up.

In a matter of moments, Madden Casto of South Lake Tahoe found herself in possession of two autographed golf balls and a $20 bill.

The third grade student at the Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School, decked out in a tutu and flowers in her hair, was picked out of the crowd by comedian Ray Romano at the 17th hole at Edgewood Tahoe. He said he'd give someone $20 if he made it onto the green with his tee shot and Madden became that "someone."

Lucas McNamara, 7, was hiking around Griff Creek near Kings Beach Fire Station last week with his family when he saw a black, spiny fish, about 1-foot-long, lying dead in the creek. He ran up the creek bed, yelling, “Dad, you need to look at the big crazy fish!”

Lucas’ parents, Steve and Jen McNamara, decided to make this a teachable moment for their son, who already shows active interest in science and the environment.

“I told Lucas that this fish is not normal for Lake Tahoe and may be harmful to the other fish and animals in the lake,” Steve said.

The South Lake Tahoe branch of the El Dorado County Library has a full schedule of kid's entertainment for the summer.

Entertainers, for children of all ages – Fridays at 2:00 pm

June 20th MAD SCIENCE: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT H2O?
Children will make a splash as they dive in and learn about the amazing elements of the water cycle.

June 27th PUPPET ART THEATER: THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF!

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for Douglas County Sheriff. We will be posting them in the order received. This is the second of three to be received.

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department?

A coalition of all counties present at the lake along with residents, environmental groups, legislators and business groups were behind the Tahoe Regional Plan and urged its adoption in 2012. Since that time, the Sierra Club and "Friends of the West Shore" have sued (in February 2013) to oppose the plan, lost their motion (April 2014) and now, as of May 7, have filed an appeal to the court's decision to uphold the 2012 Lake Tahoe Regional Plan.

Carthage alumnus Dr. Gregory Bergner ‘71 was granted the 2014 Carthage Beacon Award on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

For centuries, beacons have served as a source of guidance and light to individuals all over the world. To celebrate this spirit of leadership, the Carthage Alumni Council grants the Beacon Award to recognize alumni who provide a light to their communities through a specific accomplishment, act of service, professional or personal achievement, event or program.

The Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School (LTESM) was selected as a 2014 California Distinguished School, an award given to just 5% of the state's schools.

“We are very proud of our programs and we are excited to be recognized as one of the top elementary schools in the state," said LTESM Principal Joel Dameral. "Our students, teachers and parents have worked hard to earn this Distinguished School recognition.”

Scott Valentine, local Earth Science Instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College, will tell the captivating story of earthquakes, glaciers, volcanism, and how our famous Lake Tahoe was created.

Presented by the Friends of the Library, this program will be at the South Lake Tahoe Library on June 3rd at 6 p.m.

Join us for this free and interesting event.

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The Lake Tahoe Humane Society and SPCA thanks South Lake Tahoe for the great turn out at their open house and ribbon cutting on February 25, 2014 in honor of “World Spay Day”. TahoeChamber was present to officiate the ribbon cutting and Mayor Hal Cole cut the ribbon. It was a great turn out and a good start in the Lake Tahoe Humane Society’s mission to let the community learn about all their fantastic services, such as spay and neuter vouchers, emergency pet medical care assistance and an emergency pet food bank.

In a community where the economy and weather affect jobs and business levels, perhaps no better indicator is the number of South Lake Tahoe school students who are dependent on the free or reduced cost school lunch program.

Currently, 61.8% of all students are on these programs in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, ranging from a high of 81.3% of the students at Tahoe Valley Elementary to a low of 19.3% at the Environmental Science Magnet School.

The Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School in Meyers is now taking names for the Fall 2014 line-up of Kindergarteners. Be sure to stop by the school before March 28 at 3:00 p.m. to get your child’s name into the lottery which will be held April 1st. Your child must be turning five years of age on or before December 2, 2014.

Students can live anywhere in South Lake Tahoe (not just Meyers) to apply. The school is located at 1095 East San Bernardino Avenue, at the end of Apache, off Hwy 50 in Meyers.

Will Richardson from the Tahoe Institute of Natural Science will be speaking on Winter Wildlife Behavior at 7 pm on January 22 at the Unity at the Lake Church located at 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd in South Lake Tahoe.

Do Bears really hibernate in the Winter?

Where do the birds go?

Will's presentation will answer these questions and more. Join us for a fun and interesting evening. All are welcome.

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The 2014 monthly lecture series from UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center begins January 28 with a presentation on the dangers of radon. Eric Matus of the Nevada Radiation Control Program will lead a public lecture titled “Radon: What you don’t know could hurt you” beginning at 6 p.m. at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences.

Are you, or do you know, a high school student that is interested in learning more about science? Would you like to add a great experience onto your college resume while having a great time?

High school students interested in science can apply for the Youth Science Institute (YSI) program by January 10th, 2014. This afterschool program is offered on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village beginning January 22nd and running through May, 2014.

Join novice and expert birders alike for the South Lake Tahoe Christmas Bird Count (CBC), Dec. 14, sponsored by the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS). The Christmas Bird Count, begun in 1900, is widely regarded as the largest and oldest citizen science project in the world.

The CBC makes a valuable contribution to conservation, collecting critical data on bird population trends and building a database. The Audubon Society and other organizations use the CBC database to assess the health of bird populations — and to help guide conservation action.

Thanks to a new, streamlined transfer program developed by the California Community Colleges and California State University systems, students at Lake Tahoe Community College now have access to more degrees for transfer in a wider variety of disciplines, making it easier for them to transfer to CSU schools and earn their bachelor’s degrees within two years. So far, LTCC is offering eight new transfer degrees, with another five slated to be launched in June 2014.

Scientists today presented research findings and recommendations to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board that address Lake Tahoe’s aquatic nearshore environment and the heightened interest in understanding factors contributing to its apparent deterioration.