While it might appear things never change, photographs prove otherwise. The state line are of South Lake Tahoe has had significant changes in the last 12 years.

Caltrans for years said Friday Avenue-Highway 50’s flashing light was sufficient . Photos/Bill Kingman/2003

A stoplight was installed to help get people across Highway 50.

A pedestrian crosswalk on Highway 50 at Friday Avenue provided access to the new Heavenly Gondola. It became the scene of several vehicle-vs-pedestrian incidents, prompting the installation of a stoplight.

Poplar Avenue and Highway 50 in 2003.

Poplar at Highway 50 is now a driveway to parking.

The 76 gas station on Highway 50 at Poplar Street had just completed remodeling when eminent domain forced it to be razed and become a driveway for the Chateau project. Regular gas there was $1.79 in 2003.

The Travelodge in 2003.

Park Tahoe is now where the Travelodge was.

A Travelodge was built on the original Lakeside Theatre site in mid-1960s, where long stood one of the biggest pine trees at Stateline. Park Tahoe Inn replaced the Travelodge.

— Bill Kingman 

The first phase of Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care’s new home is coming to life. Photos/LTN

By Kathryn Reed

Building cages for animals takes more than just putting up four walls. In some ways, the amount of infrastructure needed is the same as a house.

The sites for the 12 cages on the 27-acre home of what will be Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care are equipped with water, sewer and a ton of cables to provide webcam access to all the critters. Enough infrastructure is being put with the idea is will sustain the animal rehabilitation center as it grows.

Tom and Cheryl Millham, who started LTWC in 1978, are building their dream rehab facility on the corner of Al Tahoe Boulevard and Pioneer Trail.

Hal Cole, who is the general contractor for the project, called it “Cherry Hills on steroids” – a reference to the Millhams’ current location.

“We are designing each cage specifically for each animal,” Cole told Lake Tahoe News.

Predators can’t be next to prey, bears need a substantive enclosure, and birds need netting.

Underground utilities are in place at the animal cages.

While the new LTWC will be in the center of South Lake Tahoe the site feels very much like it is in in the middle of the forest. As many trees as possible have been saved.

“Even when the building is done, unless you really look for it you won’t know it’s here,” Cole said as he walked the property.

The site did not have any utilities so all of that work has taken place in the last few months. The foundation for the caretaker’s unit is poured.

However, not enough money is in the coffers to continue work past the Oct. 15 grading deadline that Tahoe Regional Planning Agency mandates.

“We are happy to get the rehabilitation center done and move things away from our house and to the new location,” Tom Millham told Lake Tahoe News.

The property is owned by Marjorie Springmeyer. A lease with an option to buy was signed last year.

LTWC is on a fundraising campaign to secure the $3.5 million needed to complete the caretaker’s unit and cages. The goal is to have those facilities done by 2017.

Denise Upton, a longtime volunteer and current director of animal care, will be the initial caretaker. Her quarters will be about one-third of the nearly 10,000-square-foot building that is under way. Another third will be used for LTWC equipment, a generator, as well as for a mini animal hospital. Veterinarian Kevin Willits is slated to continue his work for the center. The remaining third of the structure will be upstairs housing for college interns.

The front of the building will be where people can drop off sick or injured animals. That will be the only public access.

The cages are being built on a loop road. Just like today the public can’t interact with the animals. This is because the whole goal is to keep the animals wild so they can return to their natural environment.

Down the road the plans are to build an education center that will have classrooms, gift shop and other amenities. That part of the project is a long ways off because of funding. Plus, it will require environmental review, which will cost more than $1 million and will take at least 18 months. This in part is because the property is not zoned for that type of facility.

Everyone working on the project is trying to keep costs to a minimum – including Cole, Jim Ferguson (excavator), Chuy Caro (masonry) and Ed Cook (trees).

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Notes:

·      More information about Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care may be found online. There is a button on the website that will accept donations.

·      LTWC has taken in more than 24,000 animals, returned 15,000-plus to the wild, and has trained more than 2,000 people to help care for these animals.

·      LTWC is California’s only rehab facility for bear cubs.

By Fran Clader

Traffic collisions are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in the United States, ending more young lives every day than cancer, homicide, and suicide combined. To bring awareness of the dangers facing young people when they drive, the California Highway Patrol will participate in National Teen Safe Driver Week, Oct. 18-24.

“Among all drivers, teenagers are at the greatest risk for a collision and are more prone to distraction than any other age demographic,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “A national study from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety has shown that teenagers are distracted almost a quarter of the time they are behind the wheel.”

In 2013, the California Department of Motor Vehicles reported that California had 864,974 licensed drivers aged 15-19. The CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System showed that more than 19,000 of them were involved in fatal or injury collisions. The teenage driver was at fault in 12,622, or 66 percent, of those collisions. This is a slight improvement from 2012, when more than 20,000 California drivers age 15-19 were involved in fatal or injury collisions, in which 13,424, or 67 percent, were at fault.

“Although national data shows a decline in the number of young drivers involved in vehicle crashes over recent years, they are still at greater risk than any other age group. The CHP will always be dedicated to promoting safe habits for California’s young drivers,” Farrow said.

The CHP has its own teen driver programs and works with the California Office of Traffic Safety and Impact Teen Drivers to educate young drivers about the dangers and responsibilities behind the wheel.

Impact Teen Drivers is a non-profit program focused on saving teen lives through education.

“Parents are the strongest influence on their teens’ driving attitudes and behaviors. By the time they drive, your children have been watching, listening, and learning from everything you have been doing behind the wheel for the past 15.5 years. As a parent, when you model safe driving behaviors, you could save your child’s life,” Kelly Browning, executive director of Impact Teen Drivers, said.

Every 15 Minutes is a two-day CHP program focusing on high school juniors and seniors. It challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions, and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and others.

Another CHP program is Start Smart, a two-hour class for teen drivers and their parents/guardians. Start Smart educates teenagers and parents about the responsibilities they face and teaches them how to stay safe on the road. Classes are free and usually hosted at a local CHP office.

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California.

Fran Clader works for the California Highway Patrol.

By Mary Brophy Marcus, CBS News

Bad reactions to dietary supplements are sending tens of thousands of Americans to the ER every year, a study shows.

More than 23,000 visits to emergency rooms occur annually due to complications from taking dietary supplements such as herbal or complementary nutritional products, vitamins, and minerals, according to scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who coauthored the study. About 2,154 of the visits resulted in hospitalizations, the scientists reported.

The research, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, used surveillance data collected from 63 emergency departments across the country between 2004 and 2013.

Read the whole story

The $100 million Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe expects to be open in summer 2017. Photo/Edgewood Tahoe

·      The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe includes 154 new hotel rooms and 40 fractional residences, lodge, health spa, bistro style restaurant and bar, and conference and event center.

·       There will be a Mental Health Awareness Workshop on Oct. 21 from 6-7:30pm at Lake Tahoe Community College’s Creekside Room. The workshop is free for TRYP members and $5 for others.

·       WinterWonderGrass Tahoe Festival is returning for its second year at Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows on April 1-3. More info is online.

·      An online survey about Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe is being conducted to gather the public’s preferences.

·       The Loft is the name of the entertainment venue being built about the movie theaters at Heavenly Village.

By J.D. Morris, Las Vegas Sun

Arcade-style gambling machines with video game controllers attached to them.

Casino games that play like “Pac-Man” or a first-person shooter, in which a player’s performance can materially influence the outcome.

A hotel with space devoted to competitive video gaming, and a casino floor that highlights technology geared toward similar customers.

These are some of the ways the Nevada casino industry’s recent focus on arcade and video game-like technology is beginning to play out in practice.

Read the whole story

The premiere of the High Fives Foundation’s safety education documentary “Choices” will be Oct. 23. Also to be shown that night are two other local films: Grant Korgan’s “Full Cirlce” and “Call of the Mild” by JonBob productions.

“Choices” is a documentary-style film highlighting safety education and the smart decisions any athlete can make to enjoy a lifetime of activities in the mountains and on the snow. This documentary is the fifth installment of the BASICS Program Service. BASICS is an acronym standing for Being Aware Safe In Critical Situations.

Each year High Fives produces a film on a safety topic and tours the film with an educational presentation across the country for schools, ski clubs, and industry professionals. The goal is to instill safety as a priority when on the mountain.

The event is from 6-10pm at CA89 Apparel Store, 10156 Donner Pass Road, Truckee.

Donations will be accepted at the door. Food and beverages will be available.

To the community,

The mission of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is to market the South Shore of Lake Tahoe as a world-class, year-round resort destination. Their main focus is the well-being and economic development of the South Shore community. In addition to this major goal, the folks at LTVA also wanted to have an impact on the lives of those in the community who are in need of an act of kindness. So on Sept. 28, LTVA hosted an Adopt A Day of Nourishment at St. Theresa Church Grace Hall.

“We appreciate the opportunity to serve in our community and to be a part of something that matters,” wrote Mike Frye.

He and his fellow LTVA team members Ann Sutterfield, Georgette Hartley, Sue Baron and Joanne Lilly showed up at their Bread & Broth AAD sponsorship dinner ready to jump in and serve their community. This energetic group worked alongside the Bread & Broth volunteers for the three hours needed for the dinner’s setup, serving and cleanup. Hartley even stayed and mopped the kitchen floor.

Thank you to the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority for providing all of the funds needed to provide the 128 meals served and the caring members of their sponsor crew. They were a fun group and their smiles and kindness helped make each of our dinner guest’s day a little better. B&B commends LTVA for the great job they are doing to help the Lake Tahoe South Shore Community and their concern for those in need.

Carol Gerard, Bread & Broth

How Gratitude Heals, Energizes, and Transforms Lives is the topic of a Nov. 17 talk at Sierra Nevada College.

Robert Emmons is a professor of psychology at UC Davis. His research on gratitude and happiness has been featured in dozens media outlets including the New York Times.

Research has shown gratitude generates a positive ripple effect through every area of ones lif, potentially satisfying some of people’s deepest yearnings — the desire for happiness, pursuit of better relationships, and ceaseless quest for inner peace, health, wholeness, and contentment.

This presentation is part of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s monthly lecture series. Refreshments and no-host bar open at 5:30pm, presentation begins at 6pm. The cost is $5.

Nevada Department of Transportation has launched a website designed to provide people with information on road construction improvements and projects.

It includes details and maps of major near-term and future transportation construction and transit projects. The site provides project and funding overviews of NDOT and regional transportation projects.

The site allows users to search projects according to categories such as location, agency, project type and more. County-by-county maps provide a geographic look at the projects.

It also includes transit, rail, pedestrian walkway and bicycle facility projects.