Wag, Waddle and Walk is today in South Lake Tahoe.

The on-leash walk starts at the Al Tahoe Post Office parking lot and finishes at Sierra Pizza on Al Tahoe Boulevard

Non-aggressive canines and people are invited to meet at the post office at 5:30pm July 20.

There will be a recall competition at 6pm for $5. This event will test contestant’s training of the “come” command.
Dog may be left in a “sit” or “down” position or held by assistant behind starting line. If the dog is left in “stay”, it may not change positions until owner calls.

The next Wag, Waddle, Walk on will be Aug. 17 at 5:30pm starting at Mireya Ortega’s dental office at 1060 Ski Run Blvd.

By Bethany Barnes, Las Vegas Review-Journal

As the state looks to improve education as a way to create new industry and jobs, some academics and lawmakers are asking a difficult question: Is Dan Klaich the right person to lead the state‘€™s higher education system?

The chancellor has been at the center of recent controversies involving the Nevada System of Higher Education, the latest of which has prompted an investigation. Rick Trachok, chairman of the Nevada Board of Regents, announced last week that he hired a consultant to look into concerns about Klaich‘s handling of a consultant‘s report.

The Review-Journal has reported that Klaich commissioned an out-of-state consultant to review the College of Southern Nevada and recommend a way for his office to continue governing the state‘s four community colleges. But emails among Klaich, the consultants and other state higher education officials, obtained through the state‘s public record law, show the chancellor didn‘€™t like the consultant‘€™s criticism of his operation and demanded a rewrite.

Read the whole story

A little bit of shaking has been going on in the Truckee area.

A 1.13 earthquake struck this morning at 6:24, 4.6 miles south of Truckee.

A 3.2 earthquake occurred at 6:36pm July 18, nines from Truckee and 24 miles from Reno. It was at a depth of 9.3 miles.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Kalani

Kalani is a 15-month-old pup who is friendly, bouncy, and full of energy. She likes to chase balls and loves to play and wrestle with other dogs. Kalani is sweet and well-mannered.

She was DNA tested and the results show she is Siberian Husky crossed with Staffordshire Terrier. Kalani is anxious to find a forever home. She is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated.

Kalani is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other cats and dogs that are waiting for their new homes. For more information on all the animals that are available at the Tahoe shelter, go to the Tahoe animal shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions.

Call Animal Services at 530.573.7925 for directions to the shelter, hours and other information on how to adopt your next pet.

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

— Dale Payne

Imagine Dragons’ lead singer Dan Reynolds at Harveys on July 18. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Susan Wood

STATELINE – Kids imagine slaying dragons. So why not have them join the fun with the band that slays the demons of the dull and mundane?

High energy was what Saturday night’s Imagine Dragons show at Harveys was all about. It was almost sold-out, with a twist on the attendance – more kids than usual.

One of them, Ashlyn Collins of Reno, was grinning from ear to ear before the show started. The 9-year-old had planned attending this concert six months ago. Her favorite is “The River,” one of the band’s sparse slow melodies.

“The minute she heard they were playing, she said: ‘Mommy, mommy, mommy, we have to go’,” her mother Kristi Collins said. “She heard them in the elevator today and almost lost it.”

Then, the keyboards’ slow buildup magnified the stage, and the mother said: “Oh, my God. Here we go.”

The indie, alternative rock band kicked off the night with its hit “It’s Time,” another fave of Ashlyn’s.

Ben McKee, left, of South Lake Tahoe is the bassist for the Las Vegas-based band led by vocalist Dan Reynolds.

The kid attraction may have to do with the contemporary hit band’s latest popularity on the Billboard charts. Or, it could be its high-energy play on stage. During the blockbuster hit “Radioactive,” the core four members of the rock band – three of them named Dan – were all simultaneously playing various drums. Drummer Daniel Platzman looked as though he would need a massage after every banging performance, especially for “Radioactive.”

The performance might have the attendance believe they were radioactive. This was the last song of the night. The audience waited in anticipation, but oddly the band never returned for an encore.

It turns out lead singer Dan Reynolds was getting over a cold and knew he couldn’t hit the high notes for his two planned encores.

In between, the men cranked out number after number of high energy tunes that prompted many in attendance to fist pump, dance and jump around – basically mimicking front-man Reynolds’ style.

The music was so electrifying with hot lights, Daniel Wayne Sermon’s hot guitar, Platzman’s throbbing drums and pulsating bass from South Lake Tahoe’s own Ben McKee that the sounds made the air vibrate.

The Las Vegas-based group – named the “biggest breakthrough band of 2013” by Billboard magazine is known for its up and down tempos. This performance with many songs off its “Smoke and Mirrors” album proved to keep that tradition.

“Shots,” “Gold,” “I’m so sorry” and “Friction” kept people standing – though the latter number felt like a song that screams at you if you’re not paying attention.

It was nearly a full house at the July 19 concert.

There weren’t many slow moments in the dozen-song set, with the exception of Reynolds opening up to the audience about his struggle with depression. The song “Release” depicts that challenge, with lyrics: “I’ve let me down” and “heaven talks but not to me.”

“For many years, I’ve struggled with depression. Many people do. I’m here today to stop you from not doing the things you love and are passionate about,” he told the captive audience. “Pursue your dreams. This isn’t the end all.”

From that, “Release” started with a sweet, sentimental-sounding guitar, a testament to how Sermon can mix up the night with hard-driving electric strings and sometimes a mandolin as with “It’s Time.”

Reynolds and Sermon worked off each other’s energy, with both Mormons throwing in occasional religious overtones. Take their mega hit “Demons,” which launched the audience off the chairs and singing.

This was ideal for Reynolds, who fought off a cold during the performance and even told bassist McKee with his signature deep voice that he should sing lead for the evening.

“I’ll be using you a lot,” Reynolds quipped to the audience early on in the show.

Reynolds engaged the concert-goers on occasion, with Tahoe-specific banter about the American Century Championship staged here for the week. He admitted to pulling for San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young, a fellow Mormon.

But it was Justin Timberlake, aka J.T. — a new attendee of the celebrity golf event, who occupied much of the banter.

Reynolds dedicated lyrics like “I keep coming up short” to celebrity participants who are not doing well.

“That song is for you J.T.,” he said, but later recanted that Timberlake may be doing fairly well. “And who doesn’t like J.T.?” (Timberlake finished the tournament tied for 34)

The unpredictability of Reynolds was present on stage, leading the audience in a yoga stretch at one point and in another a toast to embracing who you are – a common theme in Imagine Dragons lyrics.

“Can you drink to that Tahoe?” Reynolds bellowed.

Imagine Dragons has won an American Music Award for favorite alternative artist, a Grammy for best rock performance, five Billboard Music Awards and a World Music Award.

The Harveys Summer Outdoor Concert Series continues with Americana band Train on Tuesday, followed by country great Kenny Chesney on the following night.

By Larry Weitzman

Supervisor Ron “Mik” Mikulaco doesn’t always vote with the majority of the Board of Supervisors. His most important vote was a dissenting no vote on the last budget (FY 2014-2015 which had a large structural deficit), which happened to be the last budget submitted by ex-CAO Terri Daly.

Someone during this last grand jury term must not like Mik as this last GJ produced a report (GJ 14-15) that looked more like a political hit piece by a potential future opponent. Mik is up for re-election next year. And one of the most frequent, if not the most frequent visitor to this GJ, is none other than Terri Daly.

Larry Weitzman

In its opening background statement the GJ had the audacity to belittle Mik’s campaign style in his first election campaign commenting that he wore a “depression style” sandwich board sign on El Dorado Hills Boulevard asking for votes. Much to the chagrin of the GJ it worked. Who and in what place is the GJ to write a report on campaigning? It’s not within their charge or purview. This is just another reason why the GJ should be eliminated.

Penal Code Section 933.05(e) provides that if the subject of a GJ investigation is a department head or other official then it is mandatory that the subject be interviewed by the GJ. There is no question the subject of this investigation is Mik. Mik claims he was never interviewed by the GJ with respect to anything within the report. If that fact is true, and I see no reason why it wouldn’t be, not only is the report unfounded, but it is just another reason for its illegitimacy. This GJ of 2014-2015 may have been operating beyond its legal capacity.

But there is so much more. The GJ complained that Mik used his approximately $250,000 discretionary budget, which pays for assistants and office and other sundry expenses, was misused. Every supervisor gets such a discretionary budget. Mik spent about $25,000 of his budget on a second office in El Dorado Hills near Town Center. The GJ claims this wasn’t proper use of his discretionary budget. What doesn’t the GJ understand about the meaning of the word “discretionary”?

Perhaps the GJ needs a course in remedial English, which in the UC system is known as “dumbbell English.” Since the GJ obviously doesn’t know the definition of “discretion or discretionary,” let’s enlighten them. According to Webster the definition of discretion is: “1. the freedom or authority to make decisions or choices.” Discretionary is defined as “left to one’s own discretion; regulated by one’s own choice.” What does the GJ not understand about the supervisor’s having a $250,000 discretionary budget? Mik made the conscience choice to have an office in his district. It’s solely his choice and the GJ has no right or basis to say anything. Yet they make a big deal about the use of Mik’s discretionary budget. One could say the GJ’s claim is an oxymoron.

Of course, the other explanation for this oxymoron is the real purpose of the GJ report. When combined with the opening paragraph it should be considered a political hatchet job. It only further cements the argument that the BOS should abolish the GJ or in the least defund it.

In a final attempt to smear the independent thinking Mik, the GJ says his behavior is odd. He “can be moody or he terrorizes many female employees.” They claim this information was from testimony. Does that mean sworn testimony or from an interview? Since the GJ is allowed to conduct non-sworn interviews, such statements or answers to questions are nothing more than hearsay or gossip. According to the district attorney, much of the GJ testimony is nothing of the sort as it is not sworn and therefore not testimony or legal evidence as the GJ is a legal forum. Because grand juries are secret and considering the ridiculous and ludicrous things said in several other reports which were misleading or untrue, their claimed “evidence” has little, if any, weight. Mik denies all their allegations.

Even more telling is the GJ’s own admission that the other four supervisors “do not recognize Mikulaco’s aberrant behavior ….” Maybe it doesn’t exist so the GJ goes on to claim that the other supes “turn a blind eye to his antics ….” What kind of self-assuming GJ is this? That’s the kind of thinking that happens in Third World kangaroo courts like Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.

But wait there is more. One of the GJ members for the year 2014-2015 was Kenneth Steers.  According to a recent examination (July 7) of political contributions Form 460 for recently announced District I supervisorial candidate Beth Gaines, Steers contributed twice to her campaign coffers, an amount totaling $5,900. Gaines is running for the seat now held by Mikulaco who is the subject of this hit piece by the GJ of which Steers was a member. You can draw your own conclusion. Perhaps that tells the entire story of this civil grand jury.

Larry Weitzman is a resident of rescue.

By Adrienne Raphel, New York Times

In 2011, the British publishing house Laurence King asked Johanna Basford, a Scottish artist and commercial illustrator specializing in hand-drawn black-and-white patterns for wine labels and perfume vials, to draw a children’s coloring book. Basford suggested instead that she draw one for adults.

For years, she told her publishers, her clients had loved to color in her black-and-white patterns. The publishers were convinced, and ultimately ordered an initial print run for “Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book” of thirteen thousand copies.

Since the book’s release, in 2013, it has sold about 2 million copies worldwide; for a time earlier this year, “Secret Garden” and a follow-up, “Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Coloring Book,” were the two best-selling books on Amazon.

Coloring books for adults have been around for decades, but Basford’s success — combined with that of the French publisher Hachette Pratique’s “Art-thérapie: 100 coloriages anti-stress” (2012), which has sold more than 3.5  million copies worldwide, and Dover Publishing’s “Creative Haven” line for “experienced colorists,” which launched in 2012 and sold four hundred thousand copies this May alone — has helped to create a massive new industry category.

Read the whole story

By KXTV-TV

An orphaned baby bear cub is now safe thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers in Lake Tahoe.

The BEAR League, a non-profit organization in Lake Tahoe, said the orphaned cub named Bridger had been seen on his own without his mother, Jasper, for 10 days. Bridger’s sister had been killed by a car months earlier.

Read the whole story

By Marisa Agha, Sacramento Bee

Millions flock to the Southern California coast each year, often renting a cottage or condo for a respite by the sea.

But the explosive growth of online travel booking sites in recent years has prompted several coastal cities to consider tightening regulations on those who rent out their homes for short stays.

While proponents of the short-term rental industry say the additional income often is vital to property owners’ livelihoods and the local economy, city leaders and neighbors want greater oversight to protect residential neighborhoods, tax revenue and the availability of housing amid a booming industry.

Debates come as a state senator has proposed a bill that would require Web-based rental sites like San Francisco-based Airbnb to provide information about properties being rented to local governments.

But there has been pushback from Airbnb, its hosts and others in the short-term rental industry who say most renters are good neighbors whose dollars boost the economy.

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“I kept telling my caddie, ‘Keep me in the moment,’ because I kept thinking ahead a little bit. I couldn’t think straight. On 18 I thought I had to two-putt to win. When I missed that putt, I was so angry at myself,” Mark Mulder told NBC. Photo Copyright 2015 Carolyn E. Wright

By Susan Wood

STATELINE – Former Major League Baseball pitcher Mark Mulder threw a curve into the final round of the American Century Championship Sunday by winning the golf tournament for the first time.

With family in tow, Mulder won with 82 points (5-under 67 on Sunday’s final round) by edging out ex-Los Angeles Dodger Eric Gagne by one point and Jacksonville Jaguar kicker Josh Scobee by three.

Upon the last putt on the 18th hole, Mulder threw his arms up and his wife and three children soon joined him. They’ve been a steady presence throughout the tournament. Then, he held up the trophy and the crowd cheered.

“It feels amazing. I’m not going to lie. It’s something I think about all year long I guess, leading up to this,” Mulder said during the press conference where his son Xander joined him. It was like a Golden State Warriors Steph Curry post-game moment.

Mark Mulder for the first time hoists the ACC trophy. Photo/Susan Wood

Mulder practices through the year in Flagstaff where he feels the higher altitude will help his golf game here at Lake Tahoe. His odds here were 8:1, making it “a regret” he didn’t bet.

The ex-ball player appeared poised, dedicated and humble.

“It’s great to see a first-timer win,” NBC Sports spokesman Gary Quinn said, walking out of the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course clubhouse.

When asked by Lake Tahoe News whether he can relax now that’s he’s won despite admitting numerous times to feeling nervous, Mulder laughed and shook his head.

“I’m going to sleep so well tonight. To be honest with you, the last couple of nights I didn’t sleep (so) terribly. I just didn’t sleep that great. And people don’t understand, this isn’t what I or any of the other guys (do for a living). So you put me on the mound in front of 100,000 people, and I could (not) care less. You put me in front of a couple thousand people, and it’s a different animal. I see guys make fun of PGA Tour players when they hit a bad shot. People don’t understand how stressful this is and how difficult this is,” he told Lake Tahoe News. “It’s taken me a few years to kind of understand what it takes to win this. I played with ex-winners or previous winners in previous years, been paired with them. I’ve seen what it takes. So I think that’s all a part of that preparation for today I guess.”

Mulder had a point about the stress level of so many people staring at such a close distance. It seemed the whole spectator crowd had gathered at the 18th hole to watch Mulder, Scobee and Gagne duke it out. A hush came over the crowd, which was more subdued Sunday than the day before at the afternoon hour.

Josh Scobee took third after leading after Day 2. Photo/Susan Wood

Saturday afternoon featured a sombrero worn by Scobee’s caddie, a foot race between a sponsor and one-time center fielder Kenny Lofton and a mass autograph session that took almost an hour for entertainer Justin Timberlake to move off the course.

Mulder admitted Saturday at the end of the round that he “didn’t start out great but ended strong.” He just tried to stay consistent. Multiple winner actor Jack Wagner even gave a tip to his fellow leaders Mulder, Scobee and Gagne – focus on the putting, and in particular, the 4-footers.

Mulder had a 35-footer on hole 12 Sunday and way overextended with the ball ending up at the bottom of the green. He still pulled off a bogey, a rally that proved instrumental in his success.

Despite the occasional snafus and distractions associated with this golf tournament, Sunday was all about the business in hand. And Mulder had the upper hand. Even the crowd seemed to appreciate his family ties watching most every move.

When they weren’t watching the leaders, Florida friends Margo Roca and Sharon Popa took in their favorite part of the event – the scenery. They’ve attended three times.

“We like the scenery on this walk. We don’t have this in Florida. To see the beach on one side and the mountains on the other, it’s gorgeous,” Roca said.