·      WalletHub ranked Nevada the second best state for a road trip.

·      Classical music scores from the hit PBS TV-series “Downtown Abbey,” Hollywood classics “Sense and Sensibility,” and the Hitchcock masterpiece “Psycho” along with flamenco and dance-inspired symphonies will highlight the second weekend of Lake Tahoe SummerFest. Ana Vidović, premier classical guitarist of her generation, along with Jeremy McCoy, a critically acclaimed double bass player with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, are the guest artists Aug. 7-9.

·       The Granite Chief Wilderness Protection League had created a website and Facebook page to bring awareness to what the proposed Squaw Valley-Alpine gondola would mean to the Granite Chief Wilderness area.

·      SMC Contracting and Lake Tahoe Hard Rock have agreed to mediation regarding payment for the work done at the Stateline hotel-casino. Talks are scheduled for August.

·      Me and Bobby McGee will be at the Boathouse Theatre on the South Shore on July 15 at 7:30pm. For more info, go online.

The U.S. Forest Service has a new firefighting tool in its arsenal.

Tanker 118 on July 10 started flying wildfire suppression missions from Sacramento.

The Forest Service began using air tankers to drop fire retardant in the 1950s. For the past 35 years, the agency has used air tankers contracted from private industry. The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the transfer of seven HC-130H aircraft from the Coast Guard to the Forest Service for use in wildfire suppression.

The first HC-130H, known as Tanker 118, is currently located at Forest Service Air Station McClellan in Sacramento, which will be its base of operations for the next two years.

Tanker 118 has been located at the Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento since mid-June while maintenance, installation and testing of the Modular Airborne Firefighting System unit and contractor pilot and maintenance crew training have been taking place

Tanker 118 will only fly wildfire suppression missions within 500 nautical miles from its base so it can return there each night for maintenance by contract crews and support from Coast Guard crews.

The Forest Service, Coast Guard, and Air Force have been working together to complete the significant amount of work that is needed on all seven HC-130H aircraft before they can begin flying wildfire suppression missions. These modifications include demilitarization; performing wing and airframe modifications; designing, contracting for, manufacturing and installing retardant tanks; and equipping them with radios, Aircraft Flight Following, and other equipment. The work is expected to be completed by 2019.

The Forest Service now has of 22 air tankers available full time for wildfire suppression this fire season. The agency also has the ability to activate up to eight military C-130s.

National Football League hall of famer Steve Young and former head coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards will be addressing the Tahoe Douglas and South Lake Tahoe rotary clubs during the second annual Breakfast with Celebrities.

The July 15 event is at MontBleu in Stateline.

In addition to socializing, Young and Edwards will be fielding questions from those in attendance.

Tickets are $30 and include breakfast. They may be purchased online.

By J.D. Morris, Las Vegas Sun

Although Nevada casinos don’t make nearly as much money from slots as they did before the recession hit, the machines are starting to make a comeback.

Slot revenue dropped sharply in 2008 and 2009, much like the rest of the state’s gambling business, and still remains far below its peak from before the economic downturn. After a few years of more stable performance, however, recent financial indicators suggest that the situation is improving.

Through May of this year, statewide slot revenue increased 4.3 percent compared with 2014, according to Michael Lawton, senior research analyst for the state Gaming Control Board. On the Strip, which accounts for the bulk of Nevada’s total gaming revenue, slot revenue is up 6.1 percent for the calendar year.

Read the whole story

   By Kathryn Reed

Vandals have caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to newspaper racks in South Lake Tahoe and Meyers.

The two culprits have been caught on video, though positive identification has yet to be made.

“Every three to five years this happens, but this is the biggest damage that has happened,” Steve Anderson, who owns South Tahoe Newspaper Agency, told Lake Tahoe News. “They have some type of bar they are using. They put it between the door and racks. It’s about 4-feet-long.”

San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee racks are being targeted. The South Lake company, which has been operating since 1961, also handles the Reno Gazette-Journal, USA Today and Wall Street Journal racks.

Anderson is collecting the money from the racks each night, so the reward hasn’t been much for the thieves.

But the loss has been big for Anderson in other ways. Each of the 13 boxes that have been destroyed costs about $400. This type of box is no longer made so he will either have to refurbish old ones or take the sales of the papers into the businesses.

The vandals on Thursday and Friday hit racks at Ernie’s, Bert’s, Getaway Café, Tahoe Keys Liquor, Rite-Aid, Red Hut at Ski Run Boulevard, and Raley’s near Stateline.

Anderson said the two are driving a blue compact vehicle, and that they are middle-aged white men. The police are analyzing the video for a better description.

Anderson is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for the vandalism. Anyone with information, should call the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at 530.542.6100.

Lake Tahoe Historical Society is hosting a fireside chat with Roberta Mason and Tom Davis on July 15.

The free talk will be at Lake Tahoe Airport beginning at 7pm.

Mason will be talking about higher education and Davis about entertainers who have visited the South Shore. Mason last year retired from the Lake Tahoe Community College board. She was an original member and was instrumental in getting the college built. Davis is on the City Council. He many years working in the Stateline casinos.

For more information, call 530.541.5458.

The Nevada Department of Transportation will reduce Highway 28 eastbound entering the Incline Village roundabout from two to one lane in an effort to enhance safety.

Currently, two travel lanes are in place on Highway 28 east entering the roundabout intersection with Mount Rose Highway. Beginning July 14, temporary pavement markings will be placed to reduce the eastbound highway to one lane. The traffic configuration will be evaluated and, if effective, could be delineated with permanent roadway striping in the future.

“Traffic roundabouts such as this can be instrumental in reducing severe crashes and helping keep traffic flowing through an intersection,” NDOT District Engineer Thor Dyson said in a statement. “But, we continue to see signs of speeding or unsafe merging into the roundabout. Traffic safety and mobility are our top priorities. For safety, the reduced lanes will be tested as a way to slow speeds and help keep drivers in the roundabout safe and mobile.”

NDOT, in partnership with the Tahoe Transportation District, constructed the $2.4 million roundabout in 2012.

In October 2014, Then & Now highlighted Jack Van Sickle’s Crescent V Ranch near Stateline. Since then, I’ve come across remarkable photos of how fast areas like that can change.

An aerial view of South Lake Tahoe in 1940. Photo/U.S. Geological Survey

As early as 1940, the T-bone meeting of today’s Park Avenue at Highway 50 existed (just below center in the photo), as did the Pioneer Trail off-shoot seen to the right. The large blank area above Highway 50 was Jack Van Sickle’s Crescent V Ranch.

Development in South Lake Tahoe in the 1950s started changing the look of the area. Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Ten years later, that junction shows the historic Cecil’s Market facing what is now Tahoe Tom’s gas station, the round-roof quonset hut Lakeside Theatre to the right, as well as the original Tahoe Drive-In Theatre seen in snow on Van Sickle’s spread. Its entrance driveway became more of Park Avenue in the Crescent V Shopping Center.

The Park Avenue area of South Lake Tahoe in 2015. Photo/Google Earth

Today, Park Avenue above Highway 50 is renamed Heavenly Village Way and the Crescent V Center named after Jack Van Sickle’s ranch in 1962 now is named the Village Center.

Near Covina in 1940. Photo/Ed Crook collection

Near Covina in 1959. Photo/Ed Crook collection

For comparison, see how quickly development occurred in Southern California within only 19 years — 1940-1959 — near Covina.

— Bill Kingman

Horsetail Falls swooshes down through a wall of granite. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

If the drought continues for a number of years, one day it may be called “Ponytail Falls” instead of Horsetail Falls. But for now, the water is flowing as though there is no drought.

From a distance, especially driving west on Highway 50, the falls look like a horse’s tail – thus the name. It’s one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the area – from afar and close up.

This is one of those destinations where the end point can be anywhere one chooses because there are so many scenic vistas along the way.

There is designated a loop. While pretty, it doesn’t go up to the falls. But there also isn’t a sign saying when to get off this section of trail.

Pyramid Creek is either in view from or can be heard while on the trail.

Pyramid Creek is the early focal point. Downstream this water eventually ends up in the American River.

There was enough granite that AJ had booties on for the first time.

At times the trail is not well defined. Our group of 12 who was hiking there in June took a couple U-turns and crossed the creek before we finally found our way to the end point we all agreed to. There we sat on slabs of granite eating our lunch, watching the water descend in all its glory. Absolutely stunning.

The water tumbling down comes from Lake Aloha. It’s possible to hike there and to other lakes in Desolation Wilderness from this point. But this is only recommended for more advanced hikers.

Almost every year at least one person is seriously hurt or dies in this area because of climbing beyond his or her ability level, not respecting how cold the water is or the swiftness of the current.

Parking spaces fill fast, so go early – or don’t go on a weekend. Our trek was about 4 miles round trip.

—–

Several pools are inviting, though the snow-fed creek is quite chilly.

Getting there:

From South Lake Tahoe, take Highway 50 west toward Placerville. The trailhead is outside the basin. Parking is on the right at Pyramid Creek. There is a fee to park.