Industry showing how casinos help small businesses

By Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Review-Journal

The American Gaming Association is starting a series of road trips Tuesday to explain how commercial and tribal casinos help small businesses across the country.

Representatives of the Washington, D.C.-based association will meet with Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., at Eastern Food Services in Laurel, Md., to raise awareness of the casino industry’s influence on small business and the economy.

The association completed a report in February showing that casinos support 350,000 small-business jobs in the United States and are responsible for $52 billion in revenue across several employment categories.

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Lane changes at bottom of Spooner in Carson

Expect new lane shifts on Highway 50 near South Carson Street as reconstruction of the future Carson City Freeway intersection continues.

Beginning the evening of April 25 through early May, lanes will remain reduced to one in each direction, but will be shifted slightly to the north. Motorists are advised to follow all posted construction signs and speed limits.

The work is part of the approximate $42 million Carson City Freeway project which will open the last approximately four miles of the freeway between Fairview Drive and the Spooner junction. The project is expected to complete in late summer.

The project is aimed at increasing traffic mobility and safety.




NFL awash in gambling contradictions

By Ken Belson, New York Times

 Los Angeles Rams guard Jamon Brown (68) competed against Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Howard Jones in an arm wrestling event at the MGM Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip in April. Credit Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal
When N.F.L. owners voted overwhelmingly last month to move the Raiders to Las Vegas, some of them went out of their way to say the city was no longer the corrupting influence they believed it once was and now very capable of supporting a franchise.

The Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, a prime backer of the move, said the city most closely associated with gambling “is not your father’s Las Vegas.” Even the NFL’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, who continues to oppose legalized sports gambling, admitted that Las Vegas was “not the same city it was 10 or 20 years ago.”

But the decision to leave Oakland and embrace Las Vegas presents conflicts for a league that has long stood vehemently against gambling.

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Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival looking for memories

As the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival embarks on its 45th anniversary season, the organization wants to celebrate its history.

To this end, festival organizers are asking people to share a story about their first or favorite visit and/or memorable moments at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival over the years.

Perhaps you were in the company of good friends and family or maybe you were on a first date.

Submit responses online.




Gary Knight — 1949-2017

Gary William Knight

Gary William Knight died April 19, 2017. He was 68.

Gary was born on Feb. 1, 1949. He grew up in Atascadero, where he made many wonderful lasting friends in the area.

He moved to South Lake Tahoe after serving in the Marines and spent several years working at Harveys. It was there that he met his wife, Susan. He also met and came to know many people from all over the world.

Living in Tahoe wouldn’t be complete without skiing. The couple did so with friends and their son, Brian.

Living on such a big beautiful lake inspired Gary and his wife to acquire a sailboat. Not knowing how to sail, their first outing on this boat involved an instruction book on how to sail with him reading the instruction to “let out the mainsail” before almost beaching the boat. Not content with these adventures, Gary and Susan started traveling and were fortunate to make it to several countries. Their son accompanied them on a few of these trips, including one of their favorites, a trip to Fiji.

Gary had a wonderful memory and was an avid reader, particularly enjoying historical writings. As age advanced, it became apparent that their skiing days were over, so Gary and Susan retired to the Carson Valley area. It is here that Gary passed away with his family by his side and the snow-capped mountains out his window.

A graveside remembrance will be on May 1 at noon at the Genoa Cemetery on Jack’s Valley Road. A potluck get-together of friends and family will immediately follow at the Knight home. Please call Susan at 775.392.0625 for directions.




K’s Kitchen: Maple syrup stars in cheesecake

By Kathryn Reed

Decadence awaits with this dessert. It’s rich, creamy and wonderful.

In case you are one of those who doesn’t read all the directions until you are cooking, know that the cheesecake needs to be refrigerated for a few hours, so it might need to be a two-day process, but definitely not a last-minute thing.

While it was difficult to truly taste the maple syrup, it was obvious there was something different about the cake itself – but in a good way. The whipped cream is where the syrup came across much more. Be sure to use a good quality syrup.

Invite people over – there’s so much to share.

Vermonter’s Cheesecake

Crust:

¾ C flour
3 T brown sugar
¼ C butter
¼ C walnuts, chopped

Cheesecake:

24 ounces low fat cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 C brown sugar
½ C pure maple syrup
¼ C half-and-half
2 T flour
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, room temperature

Whipped cream:

2 C heavy whipping cream
½ C pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, brown sugar and butter. Then add walnuts. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Beat cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in mixer until smooth. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, half-and-half, flour and vanilla. Mix well, then add the eggs.

Pour cheese mixture over cooled crust.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the cheesecake is set and the middle jiggles just a little. Cool for 15 minutes. Use knife to loosen edge before removing ring. Let cool, then chill in refrigerator for at least four hours.

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form; then add the maple syrup and vanilla. Spread frosting on cake.




Record snowpack makes for wild whitewater rafting

By Brad Branan, Sacramento Bee
 
The Meat Grinder rapid on the South Fork of the American River looks like a cauldron of bubbling soup, its contents rising and falling, splashing and swirling along its one-third of a mile stretch.

For intrepid whitewater enthusiasts, the rapids on the American’s South Fork should bring plenty of fun this summer. For the uninitiated, this season’s high-river flows could bring great risk.

River use has increased in wetter years on the South Fork of the American River. In 2011, a relatively wet year that preceded five dry years, almost 80,000 people used the South Fork, according to statistics collected by El Dorado County.

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Nevada loses its lead in driverless car arena

By Jason Hidalgo and Seth A. Richardson, Reno Gazette-Journal

On a sunny July day in Carson City about six years ago, Gov. Brian Sandoval literally found himself in the driver’s seat of a hot, new technology.

Sandoval’s turn at the wheel of the Toyota Prius hybrid car, however, was mostly symbolic. Thanks to modifications that included a laser sensor married to an array of cameras, radars and other gizmos, Google’s robot car did most of the driving for him. The automotive exercise in Nevada’s capital would make Sandoval the first governor to test an autonomous Google car. It also served to drive a key point across for the state.

Fast forward to today, and the Silver State finds itself playing catch up to other states in the field. As places such as Texas, Michigan and Florida jostle toward the front of the pack, Nevada is now working to tune up its laws for driverless cars.

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Snippets about Lake Tahoe

·      Douglas County plans to start towing vehicles parked on Cave Rock Drive. Signs will go up soon. This is a poplar locale for hikers, especially at sunset.

·      The Minden Library is showing “Sing” (rated PG) on May 6 at 2pm. The movie and popcorn are free. The library is located at 1625 Library Lane.

·      Chef Mark Estee and his partners are opening the Union, a restaurant-brewery, in Carson City this spring where the Lake Tahoe Brewing Co. used to be.

·       Donner Lake Triathlon is July 22-23. Go online for details.

·      The 6th annual Tahoe Blue Bloody Mary Festival at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe will be Aug. 6.




Tahoe Tails — Adoptable Pets in South Lake Tahoe

Luigi

Looking for a mature, calm, yet active companion? Luigi is a handsome 7-year-old German shepherd and hound mix.

He is in the prime of his life, without those crazy puppy habits, yet he is still quite playful. Luigi will make a great addition to just about any household.

Luigi 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