By Lake Tahoe News

Another former Sutter County employee is about to be on the payroll for El Dorado County.

Marco Sandoval has been Sutter’s risk manager since 2008 and will have the same title with El Dorado County. Prior to being hired by Sutter County Sandoval was in the private sector doing the same type of work.

Sandoval and Larry Combs, interim CAO for El Dorado County, worked together in Sutter County.

Combs started with El Dorado last summer in what was supposed to be a stint for less than one year. It wasn’t until January that a company was hired to find a permanent CAO. These searches often take several months.

Combs brought in Shawne Corley this year to be assistant chief administrative officer. She had that same title at Sutter for 13 years.

It was Pamela Knorr as acting CAO who recommenced Combs to the Board of Supervisors. Knorr is the human resources director for El Dorado. They knew each other through a statewide association of counties.

There was never any background check done on Knorr. She had been fired as CAO in Alpine County before getting her job with El Dorado County. She was the one responsible for doing the background check on her friend Combs.

Sutter is a really small county so even though it may seem like a lateral move with these jobs, this is a promotion because of size and complexities of issues.

Combs actually came out of retirement for this position. El Dorado County is the largest county he has worked for.

Seismic activity is normal throughout the Sierra. Map/UNR Seismology Lab

By CBS News

In March 2011 the world watched in awe and horror as a colossal tsunami ravaged eastern Japan — the result of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

Entire cities were washed away; millions were stranded without power or water; 15,000 died.

It was an otherworldy event that happened thousands of miles away. Thank goodness, many Americans thought, it couldn’t happen here. But it could happen here.

In fact, scientists say it’s a question of when — not if — a devastating earthquake, followed by a huge tsunami, strikes the continental United States, right in the Pacific Northwest.

“This would be like five or six Katrinas all at once, up and down from California to Canada, would be the closest thing I can think of,” said Chris Goldfinger, a paleo-seismologist at Oregon State University.

Read the whole story

The annual mental health forum hosted by Barton Health is April 7 at Lake Tahoe Community College.

Mental health clinicians, law enforcement, social service groups, school staff, and community members are invited to attend this fourth forum.

Attendees will hear recent accomplishments in the community, new and evolving services Mental Health Collaborative members are working on and which mental health issues need attention.

The forum is from 8:30-11:30am in the board room. No charge to attend.

By Tony Bizjak, Sacramento Bee

California highway officials last week launched a clean water campaign, “Protect Every Drop” aimed reducing the amount of pollution that flows off of people’s cars into streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean.

“Clean water is essential for our quality of life in California, and it’s important to ‘Protect Every Drop’,” said California Department of Transportation Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Every motorist needs to do their part to keep California’s waterways clean.”

Caltrans operates storm drain systems along more than 15,000 miles of the state highway system. Roadway pollution flows through ditches and pipes into city or county storm drain systems, or directly into watersheds.

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By Trevon Milliard, Reno Gazette-Journal

Nevada’s emergency change to teacher licensing simplifies hiring in a state short on public school teachers, but it also opens the door to those who don’t meet basic expectations.

An emergency regulation – approved a month ago by Gov. Brian Sandoval – allows the state to immediately license teachers who’ve never taught in a classroom or tested competent in their subject matters, both of which Nevada usually requires to be a licensed teacher.

The regulation lets Nevada ignore up to a dozen of its own requirements per teacher, including that applicants show mastery of “principles and methods of teaching” and basic reading, writing and math skills.

Read the whole story

Publisher’s note: The following letter was sent to South Lake Tahoe City Councilmen Hal Cole and Tom Davis on March 6, 2016. It is republished with permission.

Dear Hal and Tom,

I watched your meeting of March 1 of this year and heard comments about me stopping a member of the City Council from being in the Fourth of July parade. First and foremost, the American Legion does not get involved with politics whatsoever, second I have not and will not try to stop anyone from being in the parade, as I do not have anything to do with the parade so how could I stop someone from being in it? I think JoAnn [Conner] misspoke when she said I and Curt Emrie did not want a member of the City Council in the parade. The only issue we would have with the council is the elimination of the craft fairs that we the American Legion received proceeds from for letting them use our parking lot.

I would like to invite the City Council to the American Legion Post 795 on St. Patrick’s day of the 17th of this month and be free to talk to the veterans, have dinner and enjoy the evening. I would like to answer any questions you might have about the American Legion, I would also like to say that we have been getting different stories about the City Council and what has actually taken place, so you are not the only ones that are confused! I would like to mend the differences that we have and let us all get along together. If this is something you would like to do also, then please call me and I will arrange to meet with you.

Thank you,

Matt Panks, commander Post 795 American Legion, South Lake Tahoe

Kate Rutherford will complete Alpenglow Sports’ 10th anniversary Winter Film Series.

Rutherford will present The Year of the Leaning Towers, which will showcase her life weaving together the threads of new routes in remote mountain ranges on distant continents, art, and fun big walls at home in California.

Rutherford attributes her love of climbing to the childhood trapeze in her rural Alaskan cabin. Without electricity or running water, she had lots of time to climb and dangle. She officially learned to climb while attending Colorado College, but a visit to Yosemite changed everything. Today, free climbing long crack systems is her passion, which she augments with making jewelry and stints as a fly-fishing guide.

The free event will be March 17 at 7pm at Squaw Valley’s Olympic Village Lodge.

·       Tahoe Donner’s annual Taste of Truckee gourmet food and wine event is March 20 from noon-3pm. Buy tickets online.

·       Here are the El Dorado-Tahoe and Sierra roadwork schedules from Caltrans for the week.

·       Wine on the Water – a sold-out event for the last five years – returns June 12 from 1-5pm. The food and wine tasting at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village benefits Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe. Prices are $200 for VIP admission and $100 for general admission. For more info, call 530.546.4324.

·       Douglas County hired Sherri McGee as chief technology officer to lead the Technology Services Department.

·      Grand Ole Opry star Emi Sunshine performs at the Crystal Bay Club on May 8 at 8pm. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 that night. Must be 21 or older to attend. For more info, call 775.833.6333.

Duke

Duke is a really cute little beagle mix who’s been at the shelter for almost a month, and we can’t figure out why. He’s a very happy little boy who loves to go for walks. Duke is 5 years old and gets along well with other dogs. He needs a secure fenced yard or to be on a runner when outside.

Duke is neutered, microchipped, tested for heart worm, and vaccinated. He is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes. Go to the Tahoe animal shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions of all pets at the shelter.

Call 530.573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

— Karen Kuentz

Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District’s board is creating a master plan for the park with the public’s help. Photo/Jessie Marchesseau

By Jessie Marchesseau

MEYERS – After years without anything even resembling one, Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District has put together a master plan for Tahoe Paradise Park. Well, at least a draft of one.

The plan sets forth a number of goals and objectives not only for the purpose of managing the park more effectively, but also making it possible to apply for grants. The board presented this draft to the public at a workshop on Thursday evening where board members were looking to get input, reactions and suggestions from the community.

Large yellow posters stating the seven main goals and specific objectives relating to each were plastered on the walls of the upstairs meeting room of the California Conservation Corps. building.

The main goals are as follows:

1.     Increase community involvement, activities, and programs

2.     Conserve, protect, and enhance the park’s natural and human-made features

3.     Enhance park maintenance and appearance

4.     Enhance park governance and management

5.     Enhance financial accountability and transparency

6.     Increase revenue

7.     Establish a project development and implementation plan.

Beneath the posters were tables covered with sheets of paper, one titled with each of the 60 objectives and room for comments to be written in below.

However, with only about a dozen people in attendance March 3, the number of people offering input was significantly less than board members had anticipated and by the end of the evening, many sheets remained blank. But even with the meager turnout, it did appear both sides of the issue were represented, though perhaps not the middle ground.

Mark and Jenny Goldstein who live about a block and a half from the park attended to share their sentiments against making any changes to the park. They are concerned that the surrounding infrastructure, specifically the roads near the park, is not in good enough condition to accommodate increased traffic in and out of the park.

They also cited lack of parking, which forces cars onto nearby streets, and noise issues as reasons to curb increased usage of Tahoe Paradise Park.

“We’re trying to keep people out of our neighborhood, not bring them in,” Jenny Goldstein told Lake Tahoe News.

Mark Goldstein concurred, explaining they chose to live in Meyers because of its small-town, quiet atmosphere. If they wanted to see a band or experience traffic, they would go into South Lake.

He wants the park to stay just as it is, and feels most of the changes the board is proposing are simply a waste of time and money. He thinks erosion control, forest thinning and making the bathrooms open to the public would be the best uses for park funds.

Not everyone at the meeting, however, shared this attitude for leaving the park as is. John Dalton, a Meyers resident who also grew up in Meyers, remembers playing at Tahoe Paradise Park as a child. He would like to see it returned to what it was back then.

“I think they’re on the right track, just trying to get people back in the park,” he told Lake Tahoe News. “I don’t see anything I oppose; I’m sure there’s more that could be added,” he said of the plan’s goals and objectives.

Nina McLeod also supported the draft plan with no objection and is already planning to volunteer her time helping with implementation. She is especially fond of the idea to encourage more kids to fish in the park, especially fly fish.

“To me, it’s all good. I think the community can really benefit by being able to get out there and get to the beach,” she said.

McLeod also pointed out that even though Lake Tahoe is very close, it can be crowded in South Lake and the beaches full of tourists. Tahoe Paradise Park is “our own place,” she said, a place for people in Meyers to enjoy a day at the lake and on the beach without the crowds.

None of these attendees had opinions to offer about any of the specific goals or objectives in the plan. Rather, they had overall feelings about the plan as a whole, either good or bad. Board member Peter Nelligan said the only item he’s specifically had people comment on is the objective to start allowing dogs in the park. While the majority seems to be in favor of dogs in the park, with clean-up baggies available, others are still adamantly against it.

Some of the other objectives include building a sand volleyball court, developing a community garden, creating a park website, ensuring facilities meet ADA standards, protecting the natural environment and reviewing the master plan on an annual basis.

Nelligan said the park has been “very isolated and underutilized” for years. He is hoping the implementation of this master plan will once again make “Meyers’ best-kept secret” a family-friendly place for the community to gather and enjoy the outdoors.

The board is anticipating approval of the master plan at the next TPRID meeting on March 31, but they still hope to gather and address more community feedback in the meantime. The plan may be viewed online. Comments and suggestions may be emailed to TahoeParadisePark@gmail.com.