http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com Serving Lake Tahoe Fri, 24 May 2013 05:12:42 -0600 en 30 http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6641493-113/airport-plane-truckee-report http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6637862-113/county-crash-smith-truckee http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6624156-113/service-percent-passengers-shuttle KINGS BEACH, Calif. — The North Tahoe Public Utility District Board of Directors has decided the district has no obligation to maintain sewer lines and pumps within the private property of the Chinquapin subdivision near Dollar Hill. In a 5-0 vote, directors agreed the PUD will not accept ownership of Chinquapin’s sewer system — some of which it had agreed to maintain on an interim basis since 1987 — after a four-and-a-half-hour special meeting Wednesday at the North Tahoe Event Center. The Chinquapin Homeowners Association had requested the meeting to determine if the HOA ever offered dedication of its sewer system to NTPUD, and … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6637853-113/sewer-ntpud-chinquapin-board TRUCKEE, Calif. — Truckee High School senior Gustavo Cabrera played dead Wednesday morning, lying faced-down on the green crumpled hood of a Subaru Legacy after being involved in a mock head-on collision on the school’s premises early that morning. In on the act was the Truckee Police Department, with some of its officers rushing along Donner Pass Road to the accident scene in response to a recorded 911 call, the piercing sound of their cruisers’ sirens alerting everyone in the vicinity of their approach. Once on scene, officers checked on the youths involved in the accident before soon being joined … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6624029-113/truckee-accident-student-mock It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman. Wait — it’s Superwoman. On July 6 at the Truckee Tahoe Airport, the community can look up and watch a woman fly her shiny blue, black and silver Edge 540, and do barrel rolls around Superman — or, rather, her husband — while he freefalls in his wingsuit — an astonishing air show performance like nothing you have ever seen before. Melissa Pemberton, 28, is a champion aerobatic pilot who, with her husband Rex, will be giving spectators the show of a lifetime at the second annual Truckee Tahoe AirFair & Family … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6637844-113/melissa-aerobatic-tahoe-pilot http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6637838-113/block-april-subject-unknown TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Let’s get the technical garble out of the way: In the summer of 1909, on land donated by the Bliss family and under the direction of Bishop Moreland of the Diocese of Sacramento, the Chapel of the Transfiguration rose to life from “stones dug out of the hillside” and massive cedar logs supporting a shake roof. A summertime Sunday school had been meeting for nearly a decade, and after visiting the site just west of Tahoe City proper, Bishop Moreland decided a church should be planted. In September of ’09, Moreland installed Rev. Charles Lathrop to … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6636028-113/chapel-tahoe-transfiguration-cedar http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6636904-113/truckee-abuse-arrested-copeland http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6636786-113/plague-infected-activity-district http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6636057-113/corporations-sides-enjoy-public http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6635992-113/parking-truckee-customers-service We are all familiar with the phrase “one free dog bite,” which means that until your dog has shown dangerous propensities and has bitten someone, you as owner are not responsible for the dog’s bites. That’s no longer the law, but it’s a cool enough phrase that I thought I should throw it in this column. A Dog Named Blue I am a Lab owner, so this Pitbull v. Lab case caught my interest. Ninety-year old William Siemsen was sitting in a chair in his front yard in Santa Rosa when a strong young Pitbull named Blue got hold of … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6635989-113/blue-dog-siemsen-gonzales TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — If the topsy-turvy winter two years ago bummed you out with its lack of precipitation and water runoff, you might not want to read the rest of this article. Whereas the 2012 water year set records for lack of snow and rain in the first half of the season, 2013 has been a mirror image with a huge start in the first two months and nothing significant for the rest of the year. With resorts closed for the season and the bulk of the year’s rain and snow already in the bucket, it’s a good time to … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6630576-113/snow-winter-tahoe-season TRUCKEE, Calif. — Memorial Day weekend heralds the return of Spud’s fresh fruit and veggie stand at the far east end of downtown Truckee. “Spud” Pribble went in search of the perfect tomato more than 25 years ago, and is now a fixture weekends with his haul of seasonal produce, hand selected from more than 20 farms in the foothills and beyond. Granddaughter KayDee Meeko and employee / family friend Laurie Denham will be there, as per usual. Drop by Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. or Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The stand does not operate Memorial Day. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6630099-113/spud-stand-memorial-truckee 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/northshore/6623540-113/ivgid-incliners-according-epstein EDITOR’S NOTE: “Tip of the week” is a periodic feature running in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, in partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District, providing locals with various tips pertaining to the recreation opportunities and other services the district provides. Have you ever wondered how you can learn more about what your elected officials (the IVGID Board of Trustees) are taking action upon on your behalf? Or perhaps you have just been curious about what’s going on because you are hearing things from your friends and you don’t know where to go for factual information. This is where … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6623532-113/ivgid-bonanza-tip-week The Truckee Home & Building Show takes place this weekend, offering residents from across the Truckee/Tahoe region access to a multitude of business professionals and forums. The 21st Annual Memorial Day Weekend event takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Truckee High School and features the Truckee Home & Building Show, Regional Green Building Symposium, Sierra Health & Recreation Expo and Healthy Living Forum. A $6 admission covers all events, and the money goes to Truckee/Tahoe schools. For more information, speaker schedules and/or 2-for-1 tickets, visit www.truckeehomeshow.com or call 530-587-3477. TRUCKEE HOME & BUILDING SHOW Twenty … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6624280-113/building-truckee-health-living On May 9, students from Sierra Nevada College and CA State Chico attended and presented at the CA Trails and Greenways conference. SNC students Oliver Dicostanzo, Sharhesa Fife, Samatha Van Ruiten and Ashley White all partook in the conference. Nicole DeJonghe, senior program director for Sierra Business Council, who manages the Sierra Nevada Geotourism project and teaches a geotourism course at SNC, first gave an introduction. She explained geotourism, defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. Geotourism is a leading economic driver … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6623333-113/students-chico-geotourism-generation On May 16 and 17, Incline Elementary School partnered with the Parasol AmeriCorps Program to help connect our local students with their community. Part one of the IES Rocks service project took place in March when all 17 of the Parasol AmeriCorps team members were welcomed into the IES classrooms to present what is an AmeriCorps Volunteer. The students were educated on teamwork, community service, the four categories of service and the seventeen different roles that the AmeriCorps members of North Lake Tahoe fill in their community. This May, AmeriCorps members teamed up with the students and teachers of Incline … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6623329-113/americorps-community-members-service Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was first observed on May 30 1868, when the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery were decorated with flowers. In 1915, Moina Michael wrote the following poem in honor of Memorial Day: “We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies” After she penned the poem, Moina Michael conceived the idea to … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6622617-113/memorial-flag-incline-biltmore The Incline Village/Crystal Bay Republican Women’s Club held a fashion show on Tuesday, May 14, at The Chateau. The models represented many of the First Ladies of the White House, and several of the men portrayed the Presidents. President of the club, Joanellen Slocumb, talked about historical events during the term of each of the First Ladies represented and some of the causes they supported. Vice President Celine Nugent described the clothing as they modeled, some of which was authentic of their era. The models stayed in character. Monica Jay, the First Lady of Radio KKOH, was the keynote speaker for the event. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6622463-113/roosevelt-ause-slocumb-barbara 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/northshore/6610568-113/museum-donner-state-park http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6610545-113/truckee-smith-tahoe-according http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6546834-113/parking-percent-2011-district A few months back I wrote about how natural gas could play an even more important role in energy consumption going forward. There are several reasons for this. One, in the United States, we have an abundant supply of natural gas. In the United States we have enough natural gas to last 110 years at 2009 consumption levels. Another is that natural gas is very clean burning. According to the Department of Energy, if the transportation sector switched to natural gas, it would reduce carbon monoxide emissions by at least 90 percent. A third reason is that the price of … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6609021-113/gas-natural-price-energy … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6608968-113/story.html TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Ladies, have you ever asked your guy to go to Pilates with you? What was his response? “Pilates is for girls.” “Pilates is easy.” “Where are the weights?” “What the heck is Pilates anyway?” Heard any of these before? Or my favorite: “Real men don’t do Pilates.” Let’s shed some light on Pilates. Guess what guys … Pilates was invented by Mr. Joseph Pilates. Yes, a man. A strong, fit, eccentric, tattooed and cigar-smoking man! Today, professional athletes who use Pilates to improve and maintain their game include: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Jason Kidd of the … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6531341-113/pilates-body-professional-athletes Good news! Wicked is back in town. Wicked is the name of a Farr 36 sailboat whose glory days of racing on San Francisco Bay and Tahoe are behind her because of bigger, faster, more modern boats, but she is still a force to be reckoned with on her home waters of Lake Tahoe. Wicked has won many trophies, including a few first place finishes of the legendary Trans-Tahoe race. Wicked just returned from competing in the mid-winter sailing regattas on San Francisco Bay held by the Golden Gate Yacht Club, The San Francisco Yacht Club and the Corinthian Yacht … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6608932-113/wind-tahoe-sailing-wicked Elizabeth Carmel has joined the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board following her recent appointment by California Assembly Speaker John Perez, D-Los Angeles. According to a TRPA press release, Carmel formerly worked as a land use planner for Sonoma and El Dorado counties and for the town of Truckee, where she helped formulate the town’s first general and downtown plans. Carmel also worked in the 1990s as a land use planning adviser for the Truckee-based Sierra Business Council. “I recognize that I am joining the board at a critical moment as TRPA begins implementing an updated Regional Plan,” Carmel said … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6608593-113/carmel-board-planning-trpa TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Have you noticed that McIver Dairy is receiving a facelift? The work on McIver Dairy has started. During the late 19th century and with the completion of the transcontinental railroad new local industries started to emerge in Truckee. Two dairies are occasionally alluded to around historic Truckee. The Von Flue dairy was originally located on the south side of the Truckee River, occupying the lands around present-day River Street and the McIver Dairy located along Donner Pass Road just north of Interstate 80. Both were significant contributors to early community development and the economic growth of the … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6608164-113/truckee-dairy-mciver-project 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/northshore/6607761-113/students-graduated-graduate-college TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Don’t miss the Truckee-Tahoe Purple Party May 22 at Zano’s Family Italian & Pizzeria in Truckee. This event officially kicks off the community’s annual Truckee-Tahoe Relay For Life fund raising campaign. The American Cancer Society has designated purple the color for Relay For Life, to inspire hope. Everyone is encouraged to attend the event, wear purple and live it up. Admission is $15 at the door ($10 for children 10 and under), and will include delicious food graciously donated by Zano’s, entertainment by The Deckheads, and raffle prizes provided by various area Relay teams. Doors open at … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6598076-113/purple-relay-truckee-party TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — An exciting new opportunity for putting a team of trained naturalists on the ground to benefit local watersheds and community organizations is offered by Sagehen Creek UC Berkeley Field Station in Truckee. This 40-hour California Naturalist course combines outdoor classroom and field experience in science, problem-solving, communication and community service. Students are taught by experts on the topics of: ecology, geology, plant communities, interpretation, wildlife, energy, and others. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available. California Naturalist provides hands-on instruction and exposure to real world environmental projects designed to inspire adults to become active citizen scientists and enhance … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6563822-113/course-california-sagehen-naturalist Community bookshelves and “Little Free Libraries” and are popping up in neighborhoods around the country and Truckee-Tahoe is no exception. The idea is to promote literacy and community building through local book exchanges. The Little Free Library movement started as a solution to encourage free book access in small, rural communities that don’t have library access. Little Free Libraries are spreading all over the country — and even as far away as Germany, Ghana and Afghanistan. The Little Free Libraries are also a form of creative expression for communities, as most are handcrafted and some even resemble decorative dollhouses stocked … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6600430-113/community-truckee-book-tahoe http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6600402-113/gas-oil-fuel-higher With John Sibley on my mind, I thought I’d stop by the Veterans Hospital to get registered in case I might someday need their care. John was a brave machine gun squad leader who didn’t make it home from Vietnam. An Illinois republican, John used to quote Everett Dirksen, “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” Inside John’s chest, beneath his St. Christopher medal, beat a heart bigger than Illinois. As I entered the waiting room of the Veterans Hospital my heart sank when I saw the … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6600381-113/john-agent-orange-veterans The market keeps rolling along and there is no reason to believe the great bull run will end soon. In fact, it’s easier to make the opposite case. Still, there are a few naysayers. Some insist that stocks are overvalued, citing the speed with which the market has soared. Wrong. The market as a whole is not overvalued. The most traditional valuation measurement looks at the market’s p-e ratio. Near the 2009 market low the p-e ratio stood at 10, typical of a bear market bottom. Today’s p-e ratio based on next year’s expected earnings is 15, which is near its historical average. … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6600316-113/market-stocks-overvalued-rates Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval campaigned for office on a platform of attracting new businesses to Nevada and reforming public education. He’s earning high marks in both endeavors. Last year Henderson, Nev., had the second highest economic growth rate in the US at 7.54 percent and Reno was fourth at 7.15 percent. The governor has won numerous legislative victories implementing his education reform agenda even though both houses of Nevada’s Legislature are controlled by Democrats. In the 2011 legislative session Sandoval crafted a stunning reorganization of the state department of education in which a charter school authority was created totally independent … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6600147-113/nevada-education-state-schools Once again, cometh taxpayers before the Tax Court, trying to pass muster on what the government thinks are “fun and games,” and therefore losing the related deductions. Ed and Lydia Heinbockel are the latest to try their luck — dubbed by the Tax Court as “a happy couple possessed by entrepreneurial spirit.” Nice, but not quite enough to sustain some tax deductions — related to Ed’s airplane chartering business, Lydia’s personal shopping business, and the two of their purported vineyard business, and intra-family loan activities. Ed bought an airplane in 2004, ostensibly for business purposes. Unfortunately, his loan agreement indicated … ]]> http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6600072-113/business-taxpayer-lydia-tax 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/northshore/6563789-113/bear-healy-bears-inside http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6546988-113/tahoetoyourdoor-tahoe-grocery-service 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/northshore/6561563-113/smith-incident-driving-becker http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6559862-113/money-management-personal-principles http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6558767-113/percent-rate-nevada-state http://www.TahoeDailyTribune.com/northshore/6551067-113/truckee-plane-county-national 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/northshore/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/northshore/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/northshore/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/northshore/6547585-113/tahoe-lake-snails-invasive