To the community,

The U.S. Forest Service has begun implementing plans to “improve” the Camp Richardson area north of Highway 89. The purpose of this plan is to meet standards for water quality and universal access.

Campsites and roads are being reorganized. The campground will get a new entrance. The bike path that is now along the edge of the highway will be moved away from the road. These plans include the removal of 250 beautiful trees from the camp.

This article protests the removal of so many trees. People come to Tahoe to be closer to nature and to camp amongst the trees under a starry night sky. Tall Jeffries, Ponderosa’s and firs give Tahoe an identity that is different from the populated lowlands. It seems everywhere we are losing trees for one reason or another, to widen roads, to clear lots for housing, to reduce fire hazards, to disease and bugs, or they simply die from lack of water. The USFS should endeavor to improve the campground in a less destructive fashion by trying to accommodate as many trees as possible while achieving their goals. For instance they could make entertaining, little curvy camp roads that go around trees and also slow people down.

Deforestation is a global problem contributing to climate change happening not just in some far off place, but also at Tahoe. The USFS has already ruined many forests in the Tahoe basin with their excessive mandate of fuel reduction and reckless burning of slash. We need to protect and appreciate trees. A 100 year old tree is a marvel. No amount of money can buy it back once it is cut down. It will take 100 years to replace it. Climate change is a concern because it appears to be causing extremities in weather that makes life uncomfortable for people, such as extreme heat and drought, flooding and more severe storms. It will have a profound effect on agriculture. We need to help, preserve and plant trees.

There are many benefits to trees. They play an important role in the global carbon cycle. A tree can absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year. This amounts to 1 ton in 40 years. One large tree can provide a supply of oxygen for 2 people. Trees provide shade, lower evaporation and reduce air conditioning needs around buildings. They reduce storm water runoff. They provide wildlife habitat and beautify our environment.

For the first time ever, the CO2 level in the atmosphere has reached 400 ppm (parts per million). Pre-industrial concentration around 1800 has been estimated at 260-270 ppm. According to the Department of Energy, the average American produces annually 17.2 tons of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels and cement production. Each gallon of gasoline burned produces 20 pounds of CO2. If we assume about half of human generated emissions are absorbed by the world’s oceans and other plant life, then 344 trees are needed by every American every day to offset his personal CO2 production.

The trees at Camp Richardson are to be be prized and treated with care. The destruction of so many trees in order to “improve” the campground is terribly disappointing. Camp Richardson is visited and loved by many people. The USFS could do much better to preserve the beauty and character of this special place while achieving their goals. They are leaving a legacy we will be living with for decades to come.

Liana Zambresky, South Lake Tahoe

·       South Lake Tahoe is hosting a public meeting July 28 from 5:30-7:30pm for the community to review three initial design concepts for future improvements to Regan Beach. The meeting is at the Recreation and Swim Complex in the Gym located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.

·       Tahoe Donner teamed up with the Tahoe Donner 4 Wheelers Club to create the Sierra 4×4 Trails and Ales event this month. In total, $2,165 was raised for the Tahoe Donner Giving Fund.

·     The Lowell Fire is sending smoke into the Truckee area on Monday night. Experts recommend people. limit outdoor activities in smoky conditions. The fire poses no threat to Truckee.

·       Here is the El Dorado-Tahoeroadwork schedule from Caltrans for this week.

It took more than a week for South Tahoe PUD to shut the water off at a vacation rental in El Dorado County that had a leak. Photo/Provided

By Kathryn Reed

All weekend water ran from a South Shore vacation home rental into the gutter and down a storm drain – with the knowledge of the rental agency and water company.

South Tahoe PUD crews determined the leak at the Muskwaki Drive house in the unincorporated area of El Dorado County was on the customer’s side of the meter – meaning it’s the owner’s responsibility to fix it, not the district’s.

“Why we didn’t turn the water off to the vacation rental is what we understood from the rental company is they couldn’t relocate the tenants,” Richard Solbrig, general manager of STPUD, told Lake Tahoe News. “We would be putting people out of town if we insisted on turning the water off. Based on the leak it wasn’t going to affect our conservation target.”

Solbrig described the leak as minor, not causing erosion issues, and not posing a health and safety concern.

When asked if a full-time resident would be allowed to let a leak go all weekend, Solbrig paused.

“It’s a judgment call,” he said.

The person would likely get a written warning for wasting water and might be allowed to wait until Monday to fix the problem to avoid the cost of a plumber on a weekend. STPUD has no written policy about when non-serious leaks merit the water being shut off.

However, the case in the county wasn’t just about this weekend.

A neighbor said on July 19 he called the leak into the Tahoe Keys Resort – the rental agency. He said South Tahoe PUD crews came out various times during the week.

“So it has soaked through the slope, draining into the gutter and also has gone under the gutter and street and is coming up in the street in a crack,” the neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, told Lake Tahoe News.

As of 5:20pm July 27, the neighbor said, “It looks like it has the last several afternoons, where the water in the street dries, but the water continues to flow in the gutter.”

Tahoe Keys Resort said no one was available to talk about the issue and would not take a message for a manager to call back.

Solbrig said the water was turned off July 27 by his employees. STPUD will be in the loop about when the leak is fixed because at some point the water company will be asked to restore service.

Nearly 200 tennis players will be competing in 11 divisions of doubles during the Tahoe Tennis Classic, July 30-Aug. 2.

This is the first year the 32-year-old event has been four days. Action begins at 7:45am Thursday at Zephyr Cove Tennis Club.

Bring a lawn chair or sit in the new bleachers – for free – to watch the most competitive tennis on the South Shore. Food and beverages will be sold for a nominal fee.

Mark Peterson and Randy Houston are the top seed in the Men’s Century. This event requires the combined ages of the team add up to at least 100 years.  South Lake Tahoe’s Ryan Johnston and Tad Yukawa of Palm Desert will team together to defend Johnston’s title in this category.

Tournament officials say the best team in this division is likely Dick Johnson, recently named to the National 70 team, and Terry Ward of St. Louis, Mo. However, locals Zeke Straw, director of tennis at Northstar, and Chris Beye will be a factor.

Mitch Rittiman goes for a volley in the 2014 Tahoe Tennis Classic against brothers Jim and Dennis Thorne. Photo/Carolyn E. Wright/Copyright

The Mixed B division has Stateline’s Ray Fugitt and Tricia Ward as the top seed, with the Zephyr Cove mother-son team of Holly and Mitch Rittiman as another strong team.

Fugitt also will team with Darryl Whittaker, who splits his time between Park City, Utah, and Lake Tahoe, in the men’s b as a top seed. Reno’s Dennis Diehl and Jim Kumpel also will be contenders for the title in that contest.

The Mixed C division will field several competitive teams. Past champions Judy and Marc Spellman, who are from Florida but spend their summers on the South Shore, are back. Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation President Carolyn Wright and her partner R.J. Gardner fill the top seed; they won the event in 2013.

Ernie’s Coffee Shop owner Paul Bruso and his partner from Carson City, Carel James, will be formidable opponents. Pinewild’s Melissa Jester and Reno resident Heck Meta, along with Grant Thompson and Lorraine Segala of the South Shore, also will be playing in the Mixed C division.

Some of the most competitive play comes in the Men’s A division. Tahoe Donner Tennis Club tennis Director Ian Mindell returns with Ryan Johnston, while Reno’s Kevin Strawn and Tony Matkulak are the top seed.

Partnered with Julie Chan, Sacramento’s Nancy Bui-Thompson will celebrate her birthday by playing in the Women’s A division. Defending champs and the mother-daughter team of Carol and Holly Tretten will again be the favorites in this division.

The Mixed A division will feature Kim Iliffe of Mill Valley with Ty Yarbrough of Texas. Iliffe’s partner last year, Blake Beavers, also of Texas, is partnering with Reno’s Holly Tretten. Andrew and Ann Stanley return after a long absence to try to dominate the Mixed A. ZCTC member John Wlcek teams with Sacramento’s Cynthia Reddick to be likely title contenders.

In the Women’s B division, South Shore’s Joyce Youngs and Reno’s Carol Tretten are the top seed. The tandem of local Sally Huttenmayer and Becky Smothermon from San Jose will be competitive. Denise Hallerbach from Reno will team with newcomer and Las Vegas resident Laurie Sabol.

The Women’s C division could be interesting. Former champion Carolyn Wright and last year’s consolation round winner Becky LeBuhn are the top seed. They will be hard pressed by Sheryl Herschman and Carel James. Melissa Jester and Judy Spellman will be a strong factor.

The Men’s C will be competitive with returning champions Bart Tretheway from Chicago and his brother, Ray Tretheway, from Sacramento. Last year’s consolation round winners Heck Mata and Frank Blankenship are anticipated to give the Tretheways a good fight. Long-time participant Rich Brown and partner Bill Gephart, both from Vallejo, merit strong attention in this division.

There also is the spirited Super Century event, in which the combined ages of the team must equal a minimum of 130 years. Founder of the Tahoe Classic, Hersh Herschman, will pair with Tournament Director Bob Beutenmiller to vie for the No. 1 spot this year. David Lee of Rancho Mirage will team with Dick Johnson of Ballwin, Mo. Jim Bilicki of Rancho Mirage will partner with Ron Moore of Seal Beach, who was a semi-finalist in the Super Century Division last year. Bob Valdez and Lee Ruch represent the Reno-Carson area and are long-time Classic participants.

Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation runs the tournament. Complete info about the Classic is online. The club is on Warrior Way off Highway 50 in Zephyr Cove.

By David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle

Even the greenest, most eco-friendly politicians rarely utter the words Gov. Jerry Brown spoke at the Vatican’s climate change symposium last week.

To prevent the worst effects of global warming, one-third of the world’s known oil reserves must remain in the ground, Brown told the gathering of government officials from around the world. The same goes for 50 percent of natural gas reserves and 90 percent of coal.

“Now that is a revolution,” Brown said. “That is going to take a call to arms.”

It’s an idea widely embraced among environmentalists and climate scientists.

Read the whole story

Truckee police officers arrested a man early this morning who is believed to have stolen multiple vehicles.

A sergeant noticed a suspicious vehicle about 1am July 27 that appeared to be casing businesses on Donner Pass Road. As the officer followed the vehicle out of the parking lot the driver sped onto Donner Pass Road and then Pioneer Trail and Comstock Court, where he was detained.

Officers said Dustin Ball, 26, claimed to be looking for a place to stay, but could not explain his driving behavior.

Ball was not the owner of the vehicle. It had been stolen from the Truckee area, but had not been reported to the police. Ball was also in possession of a switchblade knife and several unopened pieces of mail that did not belong to him, officers said.

While checking the area where the first vehicle was stolen from, officers located another stolen vehicle from the Oakland area. In it were several items that connected Ball to that vehicle. There were also several pieces of mail from the Reno area.

Ball was booked into jail on two counts of motor vehicle theft, possession of stolen property and possession of a switchblade knife

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Daniel Rothberg, Las Vegas Sun

The real-world applications for drones are nearly limitless: Police could use them for search operations; businesses could use them for delivery or marketing.

But unmanned aerial vehicles have critics, too, who worry the technology could undermine civil liberties. Are you protected if a drone peeps through your window? Or if a neighbor flies a drone over your yard?

With such concerns in mind, a number of state legislatures have passed drone-specific laws to protect privacy. Nevada, which hopes a drone test site designation could be an economic booster, is one of them.

Read the whole story

By May Ortega, Las Vegas Review-Journal

A collection of biological codes sits in a library at UNLV. Much of the focus is learning how the codes can help cells fight off HIV. Researchers hope this work can be used to develop drugs much faster.

A library of biological codes sits inside the Schiller Laboratory of Applied Informatics in UNLV’s Juanita Greer White Life Sciences building.

Like any special collection, this is a place where research takes place.

And like any scientist looking for a discovery, UNLV students and teachers want their work to be known.

Read the whole story

The Kyburz Fire burning in the American River canyon is 98 percent contained. Full containment is expected within days.

The fire, which started last Thursday reportedly from a car axle causing a spark on the pavement, has burned 75 acres. It is  located in the canyon of the South Fork of the American River, west of Kyburz. The fire is east of Whitehall on both sides of the American River. The fire does have a line around it.

Three firefighters sustained knee injuries.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

An emergency closure order has been issued for roads and trails in the Tahoe National Forest because of the Lowell Fire.

This order provides for fire suppression and support personnel safety, as well as public safety and resource protection.

The closure is on the south side of the Yuba River Ranger District and generally includes Tahoe National Forest lands, roads, and trails between Highway 20 and Interstate 80.

A detailed map of the closure area and more information, including the closure order is online.