http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com Serving Lake Tahoe Thu, 23 May 2013 01:14:29 -0600 en 30 INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Nevada Commission on Ethics will hold a hearing to determine if a pair of former district trustees violated state law by allegedly failing to disclose conflicts of interest and accepting improper gifts regarding votes they made 20 months ago in favor of discounted meals for a group of residents. Findings from a two-commissioner investigation in April concluded that former Incline Village General Improvement District trustees Bea Epstein and Ted Fuller admitted to not disclosing their membership with The Incliners, a well-known group of residents 49 years of age or older that exists under the umbrella … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6623540-113/ivgid-incliners-according-epstein Paddlers from all over the state will compete in the 5-mile Donner Lake race May 25. The event, now in its third year, marks the start of the competition season, during which dozens of races are held throughout the region. Lake Tahoe is home to numerous paddleboard events, including weekly and annual races that attract both locals and national competitors. The O’Neill Tahoe SUP & Paddleboard Race Series was started in 2011 and consists of a series of three races held throughout the summer. The Donner Lake race is followed by the 6-mile Jam from the Dam on July 13 … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6613122-113/lake-race-tahoe-donner Director J.J. Abrams delivers his second “Star Trek” installment, this one with a punishing plot and headache-inducing noise. Between explosions we explore favorite characters Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) — but something is missing. This franchise reboot, consisting of two prequels to Gene Roddenberry’s 50-year-old television series, is mindful that Kirk, and especially Spock, are much-beloved icons. Karl Urban returns as Enterprise doctor Leonard McCoy. Sadly, he’s no longer a member of an all-important triumvirate with Kirk and Spock. Their radically different viewpoints have engendered interesting debates. Spock relies on logic, Kirk goes with his … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6612344-113/kirk-peter-weller-spock As far as the Dead Winter Carpenters are concerned, May has been a quiet month. Of course, “quiet” is a relative term. For the Carpenters, it meant headlining a night at Las Vegas Jam Band Society’s Freako de Mayo music festival and playing the group’s first ever show at San Francisco’s famed Great American Music Hall. The North Tahoe Americana-rock quintet is looking forward to another first this weekend: The group’s first-ever two-night appearance on home turf. Dead Winter Carpenters will play Crystal Bay Casino’s Crown Room Friday and Saturday nights. “Leading up to these Crystal Bay shows, that kind … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6609845-113/carpenters-dunn-winter-band Memorial Day is the first busy boating weekend in California and with it comes a slough of preventable accidents. The U.S. Coast Guard is urging boaters entering Lake Tahoe to be cautious. Between the cold water and collisions, boaters are susceptible to a number of hazards in Lake Tahoe’s early season waters. But boaters can take precautions to reduce the risk. “Boater education is always good,” said Executive Petty Officer Travis Fraser, spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe. “Take the time to look at your boat, go over it and look at the engine, especially if you … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6609564-113/boating-coast-guard-cold http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6624290-113/poland-federal-according-statement About 250 to 300 extra people showed up for a murder trail jury summons at the El Dorado Superior Court Tuesday due to a computer glitch, court administration said. The system, which is designed to shut down and reboot nightly, failed to restart, according to El Dorado Superior Court Executive Officer Tania G. Ugrin-Capobianco. When running properly, the system can be accessed either online or by phone and will alert people summoned to the court of cancellations, postponements or changes in time, she said. Court personnel was not aware of the problem until the morning. “Because the system was locked … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6608712-113/court-jury-tuesday-morning Members of the Bijou Bike Park nonprofit hope to break ground on the project this fall, but first they need city approval. Parks and Recreation Chairman Peter Fink presented an overview of priority projects to the South Lake Tahoe City Council Tuesday. He stressed the importance of the proposed Bijou Bike Park, an undertaking he said won’t cost the city any money. “If you don’t give kids a good opportunity to have healthy recreation, they don’t always make good choices. If you don’t provide good recreation opportunities, they’re going to find something else to do,” Fink said after the presentation. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6611639-113/park-bike-track-bijou TRUCKEE, Calif. — The keys to a newly constructed Donner Memorial State Park visitor center are days away from being turned over to California State Parks, but more work is needed before the building and its new museum will open to the public. “Now, we’re starting the process of all the exhibit work,” explained Scott Elliott, supervising ranger of the Sierra District Campgrounds for California State Parks, standing in the bare room Tuesday where the new museum will be housed. The museum at the state park located just east of Donner Lake will feature exhibits on the Donner Party, regional … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6610568-113/museum-donner-state-park http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6546834-113/parking-percent-2011-district BOSTON — The NFL will celebrate its 50th Super Bowl in northern California, where its newest, most high-tech venue is being built. That makes South Florida, in the midst of a spat over expensive stadium renovations, a loser for the 2016 game. And Miami took a double defeat when Houston was awarded the 2017 championship game. In two separate votes, NFL owners Tuesday went with the both San Francisco Bay Area and Houston on the first ballot at their spring meetings. The 49ers’ new home is set to open next year in Santa Clara, and will host the first Super … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6609680-113/super-bowl-stadium-nfl Bail is $27,000 for a Wellington man accused of starting last year’s 7,500-acre TRE fire, and now facing four new felonies of grand larceny and burglary in a new case. Steven Walter Cozad, 30, is to appear Wednesday in East Fork Justice Court with his attorney, Kris Brown. He and his mother, Kim Carlin, were charged with failure to guard or extinguish a fire, after the May 20, 2012, fire which authorities say started on their property from a burn which got out of control. Cozad failed to appear for trial May 9 on the fire charge; Carlin is due … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6609834-113/fire-cozad-suspect-accused http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6609311-113/officials-benghazi-civilian-evidence http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6609128-113/million-budget-county-tax http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6608991-113/shulman-groups-irs-general INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — On a glorious Tahoe spring Saturday, Sierra Nevada College held its 43rd Annual Commencement, fittingly outdoors under trees and sunshine. Graduating students received diplomas in front of about 600 friends and family members. SNC President Lynn Gillette welcomed students and guests, and then addressed graduating students. “I am extremely proud of you. We all are. You were great — and being great is fun,” he said. Anna K. Jarschke gave the Valedictory Address, aptly encouraging attendees to, “gaze upon one of the most beautiful places you may ever see.” She raised a cheer when she announced … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6607761-113/students-graduated-graduate-college http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6607760-113/dead-including-oklahoma-elliott http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6607741-113/transfers-order-percent-state http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6596170-113/nba-deal-johnson-sacramento http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6596138-113/data-researchers-calories-companies As a journalist, I am not supposed to admit this, but: I sympathize with the Obama administration’s frustration over national security leaks. After a spate of leaks last year — notably, The Associated Press’ reporting that national security officials foiled an underwear bomb 2.0 attempt last May ­— Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein joined Republicans to denounce the Beltway’s proclivity for leaking classified information. “This has to stop,” quoth DiFi. “When people say they don’t want to work with the United States because they can’t trust us to keep a secret, that’s serious.” Feinstein was concerned about possible harm … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6562260-113/holder-department-information-justice http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6564258-113/river-fork-american-carson Bob “4-Wheel Bob” Coomber has climbed some of California’s tallest peaks, not on foot, but in his wheelchair. The legendary hiker, now 58, has new plans. He’s training for a 30-mile Sierra Nevada crossing later this summer. Coomber took a few minutes to talk about his life and his passion for hiking. Q; How did you end up in a wheelchair? Coomber: I was a juvenile diabetic and one of the complications it caused was bone degeneration from the hips down. I was walking around Lake Almanore in 1990. All of a sudden my left leg just blew up, broke … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6563542-113/coomber-trail-trails-chair http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6562465-113/wildlife-snow-according-cover Suspended over an 80-foot granite face with her hand touching the metal anchor, Andréia Christenson let out a victory shout and pumped her fist in the air Wednesday. She’d just completed her first climb as fellow members of the local Chicks Climbing group yelled encouragement from the forest floor below. For Christenson; who’d just returned to the South Shore from her hometown in Brazil where wannabe outdoor recreationists contend with dense, Atlantic jungle and sweltering temperatures; the climb was part of her new, Tahoe lifestyle. “I want to be tougher,” she said. “You don’t have this much fun or freedom … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6533813-113/climbing-chicks-group-lemay INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Wildlife wardens killed a 3-year-old male black bear overnight at Lake Tahoe after it entered the home of a 92-year-old woman who left her garage door open, an official confirmed Friday. Shortly before midnight Thursday, deputies with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a bear inside a residence on Miners Ridge Court in Incline Village, said Chris Healy, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The 350-pound bear got inside the home after entering through the open garage, Healy said. The woman — the only person inside — came across the bear as … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6563789-113/bear-healy-bears-inside INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — A Northern California man could face up to 6 years in prison for his role in a fatal pedestrian crosswalk incident on New Year’s Eve weekend 2011 on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. On Monday, Christopher Torii Smith of Grass Valley, Calif., pleaded guilty to two felony counts of reckless driving causing death in connection with the Incline Village incident, Michael Bolenbaker, a deputy district attorney with Washoe County, said Friday. Smith will be sentenced at a hearing Aug. 12 in Washoe County District Court in Reno, Bolenbaker said. Each felony is punishable by 1 … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6561563-113/smith-incident-driving-becker http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6558767-113/percent-rate-nevada-state http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6548620-113/court-employees-percent-reduced Around the South Shore hulls are being scrubbed, drain plugs are being screwed in tight, crew members are being interviewed and boats are being plunked in the water. Once again, it’s boating season at Lake Tahoe. “A lot of what we’re doing right now is making sure everything is as good as we left it,” said Ted Moorhead, general manager of Ski Run Boat Company. “The majority of what we do is get the boats in the water and see that they’re equipped with everything they need for Coast Guard inspection.” Between Easter and Memorial Day, marinas in South Lake … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6548377-113/tahoe-boating-boats-accidents Despite wet and gray weather, hundreds turned out for the third annual Slow Rollers Bicycle Club’s Spirit Parade in South Lake Tahoe. Colorful costumes and bikes of all different shapes and sizes rolled slowly down U.S. Highway 50 Thursday afternoon. “We were going to be road warriors, but I threw on my yeti costume instead,” said South Lake Tahoe resident Aria Benham. “We did have to modify our costumes a little bit because of the weather.” A light rain fell on the cyclists, but with cheers, smiles and beers rippling through the crowd, the mood was defiantly jovial. Riders young … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6551774-113/tahoe-south-lake-parade http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6551067-113/county-sierra-office-sheriff The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in helping solve a rash of vehicle burglaries that occurred last month on the North Shore. Three subjects — an older man, a younger man and a woman — are “persons of interest,” according to the sheriff’s office, in a series of auto burglaries that occurred on April 20 on Highway 89 between Tahoe City and Truckee. On Thursday, the sheriff’s office released three surveillance images of the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact PCSO Det. John Riella with the Tahoe Investigations unit at 530-581-6325, or email jriella@placer.ca.gov. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6551248-113/pcso-images-surveillance-burglaries TRUCKEE, Calif. — Coming off another low crime year for the town of Truckee, its police department is looking to keep those numbers in check while improving community relations for the rest of 2013. In 2012, the Truckee Police Department made 502 arrests — 100 adult felonies, 340 adult misdemeanors, 10 juvenile felonies and 52 juvenile misdemeanors, according to recently released statistics. That number is slightly up from 2011, when 479 arrests were made, and lower than the 563 arrests made in 2010 and 604 in 2009. “We continue to be fortunate that we have an exceptionally low crime rate,” … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6508436-113/2012-truckee-department-police A mandatory watercraft inspection program for vessels entering Truckee water bodies for the 2013 boating season has been put on hold. On Tuesday, town council unanimously adopted the suspension after questions were raised on whether aquatic invasive species, specifically quagga and zebra mussels, are a potential risk in Donner Lake. “The concern was whether or not there was enough calcium levels detected in Donner Lake for the mussels to establish and infest the lake, and the science wasn’t very supportive,” said Dan Olsen, animal services/code compliance manager. Most studies indicate the mussels establish in waters with calcium levels of 10 … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6538715-113/donner-lake-mussels-truckee Another invasive species is encroaching on Lake Tahoe Basin waters. Three New Zealand mudsnails were found in the Truckee River near Reno earlier this spring, increasing the chances the invasive species could migrate to the basin. “It’s certainly bad news,” said Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Senior Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Patrick Stone. “Any time the proximity of an infestation moves closer, the risk of that animal making its way into the region increases.” The tiny mudsnails compete directly with other wildlife in the ecosystem, threatening fisheries by depleting the nutrients the fish depend on to survive. They reproduce quickly — Stone … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6547585-113/tahoe-lake-snails-invasive Charles Fleischer You think you have voices in your head? Try being Charles Fleischer. Not only does he have hundreds of voices in his head, but he gets paid when they get to speak. On top of that, he’s also very cosmic. He once told me, “I’m thinking the universe is either a dodecahedron or a cheeseburger and for me, that’s a win-win.” Closer to home (Earth) Charles has not only starred in numerous motion pictures but has voiced animated features as well. The movie that broke things wide for Charles was voicing the lead character in 1988’s “Who Framed … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6520502-113/brant-charles-fleischer-book The compromise legislation repealing Nevada’s threatened withdrawal from the TRPA will be passed out of the Assembly Government Affairs Committee Thursday, Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick said. The measure containing amended language developed between Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and California Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers from both states not only pulls back Nevada’s threat to withdraw from the bistate compact, but agrees that both states will work to implement new regional compact rules developed over the past 18 months and partner into the future on protecting Lake Tahoe — while also committing to include economic conditions in developing and adopting rules at … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6532517-113/lake-plan-tahoe-states The California-Nevada compromise bill to modify operation of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is headed for a floor vote in the Assembly. SB229 was approved by the Assembly Government Affairs Committee Thursday, the day after the governor’s office, Senate and Assembly leadership presented the compromise designed to repeal Nevada’s threatened withdrawal from the bi-state agency. The withdrawal language was passed by Nevada lawmakers two years ago to force California to negotiate changes in the agency. Gov. Brian Sandoval threatened to veto the original bill. But he and California Gov. Jerry Brown helped bring lawmakers from both states and others together … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6547066-113/lake-tahoe-nevada-states http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6536816-113/bmw-california-chase-orr http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6536503-113/crash-plane-canyon-kings http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6532510-113/price-average-nevada-gallon http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6532339-113/percent-million-win-casinos While Lake Tahoe isn’t exactly known for its bountiful produce, farmers markets are springing back to the area to fill the demand for regionally sourced food. The summer farmers market season at the South Shore is underway, with some markets already operating and others slated to open in coming weeks. The Friday Evening Farmers Market at Kahle Community Park, the smallest of the farmers markets at the South Shore, was doing brisk business on its opening day May 3, with a steady stream of people filtering in to purchase citrus, leafy greens, organic strawberries and cherries, among other regional products. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6522481-113/market-farmers-june-tahoe White knuckles and straining biceps are all a part of this show. The West Coast’s best arm-wrestlers will take over the Tahoe Biltmore Saturday and Sunday in the 2013 Western States Armwrestling Championship. “The Biltmore is bringing arm-wrestling back to Tahoe,” said Bill Collins, the event’s promoter and owner of National Armwrestling Promotions. “You’re going to have guys with national and world titles come over.” Competitors, both amateur and professional, will weigh in Friday and Saturday with competition beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners of each division. Divisions include right … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6521255-113/arm-tahoe-collins-wrestling With all the bouncing, whirling and smiling, it’s not hard to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are having a good time on stage. Floored by the band’s wall of sound, audience members often aren’t far behind. After all, having fun is infectious. The 10 members of the Los Angeles-based group will march into MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa May 23 before launching into a four-month summer tour. The band will also release a new self-titled album July 23. The band’s accordionist Nora Kirkpatrick, who is also an actress, took a few minutes to speak with Lake Tahoe Action. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6520372-113/kirkpatrick-edward-sharpe-album F. Scott Fitzgerald’s semi-autobiographical tome is adapted into a fairy tale of tragic proportions. The film can be rightly accused of delivering Fitzgerald’s characters as one-dimensional flirtations or of bad judgment in adding contemporary rap to a soundtrack set in the Roaring ‘20s. We may also balk at director Baz Luhrmann’s wildly-imagined visuals – but he is never dull. Luhrmann, who works in tandem with his talented costume and production designer wife Catherine Martin, displays an attraction to the garish that often exceeds his considerable attraction to elegance. Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is our conduit into, and narrator of, Gatsby’s … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6520485-113/gatsby-carraway-luhrmann-daisy Members of the Lake Tahoe Water Trail Association are inviting the public to take a day trip around Lake Tahoe’s shore. Paddlers will gather near Homewood Mountain Resort on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore before setting off for a trip to Sugar Pine Point for a picnic lunch. The event is free and open to anyone. Necessities include a paddle-powered vessel, a life jacket, lunch and sunscreen. Dogs are not allowed on the beach at Sugar Pine Point. Rental kayaks or stand-up paddleboards are available from numerous locations around the lake, including Kayak Tahoe, South Tahoe Standup Paddle, Tahoe Paddle & … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6521319-113/tahoe-lake-paddle-trail http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6523039-113/county-nissensohn-case-court http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/news/6522398-113/plan-deal-regional-tahoe