By Ryan Sabalow, Sacramento Bee

It wasn’t just generous spring rains filling north-state reservoirs that had California’s urban water districts pushing back so hard against mandatory water cuts this year.

As water use plummeted because of the statewide conservation orders implemented last summer, many water agencies found themselves struggling to cover operating costs. Less water use has meant lower monthly utility bills, and for most utilities, there has been no correlating decline in basic operating costs, such as payroll, debt obligations and maintenance of pipes and treatment plants.

Water board chair Felicia Marcus acknowledged the revenue issue played a role in the decision to relax the state’s regulations, but said it was not the primary factor.

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By Drew Himmelstein, J Weekly

When Corinne Hindes was 11, she saw a man in her hometown of Walnut Creek wearing nothing but a T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans on the coldest day of the year. She had started to notice the homeless people in her area that year, but seeing this man enduring the cold without warm clothes stuck with her.

She was also pretty sure she knew how to help.

Hindes, now 16, had been an avid skier since her parents taught her the sport at the age of 4. She was a member of the ski team at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, and she had noticed that high-quality parkas, gloves and cold weather gear routinely sat in the resort’s lost and found, left behind by tourists unlikely to return and claim them. She and a fellow ski team member, Katrine Kirsebom, asked if they could donate the items to the homeless; thus, Warm Winters, a nonprofit that engages youth volunteers and ski resorts in 12 states to donate their lost-and-found items to the homeless, was born.

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Larry Ford will become Virgil Earp in a Chautauqua event July 20 at the Dangberg Ranch in Minden.

Earp and his brother, Wyatt Earp, arrived in Tombstone, Ariz., in June 1881, where Virgil was appointed city marshal. This is where the gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place. In 1904, the brothers joined in the boomtown of Goldfield, Nev.

Tickets are $5 for adults, free for 16 and younger and are available online. Unless sold out, tickets will also be available at the gate. The show starts at 6:30pm.

Other Chautauqua performances include “Stephen Tying Mather: First Director of the National Park Service” Aug. 10, “John Muir in Person” Aug. 24, and “Mary Pickford” Sept. 7.

By Seth A. Richardson, Reno Gazette-Journal

Several of Nevada’s top Republican elected officials are skipping the Republican National Convention this year, including the entire GOP congressional delegation and Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Many Republicans nationwide have declined to attend the July 18-21 convention in Cleveland, some of whom outright cite presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump as the reason. Several in Nevada are also avoiding the affair, which usually draws lawmakers from all walks.

Sandoval, often considered an up-and-coming star in the party, held a prime time speaking slot in 2012. The governor initially endorsed Trump – although not by name, referring to him only as “the presumptive nominee” – after he was the last candidate standing. Trump said in June a Hispanic judge overseeing a lawsuit against the real estate magnate had a conflict of interest because he was “trying to build a wall.” Shortly after, Sandoval said his vote for Trump wasn’t for sure.

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·       Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club’s 23rd annual golf tournament will be Oct. 10 at Edgewood Tahoe in Stateline. The first tee-off will be at 8am with a shotgun start. Breakfast and dinner will be provided for all players. Dinner tickets are available for purchase for friends and family. For more info, email kongoy@bgclt.org or call 530.542.0838.

·       Kyle Thornburg has been promoted to the role of head golf professional for the Championship Golf Course in Incline Village.

·       The 44th annual Concours d’Elegance Boat Show will be at Obexer’s Boat Company in Homewood Aug. 12-13. Judges from throughout the United States evaluate the restoration of classic boats, including judging the level of authenticity as though directly shipped from the original factory. Details are online.

·       Here are the El Dorado-Tahoe and Sierra roadwork schedules from Caltrans for the coming week.

·       The public has until Aug. 31 to take this survey from the El Dorado County stormwater team.

Nevada law enforcement agencies statewide will be focusing on distracted drivers from July 22-Aug. 6.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be working diligently to urge motorists to keep their eyes on the road and put away cell phones or other items that cause distractions.

“Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded,” deputies said in a press release.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s, in 2014 in the United States 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

JoJo Conroy

Longtime South Lake Tahoe resident Johanna “JoJo” Conroy died July 9, 2016, after a 3½-year battle with brain cancer. She was 65.

She was born July 24, 1950, and grew up in Alhambra as the youngest of four children.

The summer before her senior year of high school JoJo lived in Tahoe with her sister and brother-in-law. This was the start of a love affair with the area. That following school year is when her love for her future husband, Jay, began to blossom.

The couple moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1973.

For most of the 40-plus years JoJo lived in Tahoe she was involved in helping youth.

When her children were in school she volunteered in their classroom, including being president of the parents club.

In 2007, she joined the board of Tahoe Arts Project. She was also a board member of the South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center. She spent countless Mondays as a volunteer at Bread & Broth. She taught baptism classes at St. Theresa Catholic Church, and volunteered for the Outreach Program at Our Lady of Tahoe.

JoJo worked in the summers as a banquet waitress at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and in the winter managed Rainbow Mountain Ski & Snowboard.

When she wasn’t busy helping others JoJo could be found in her garden, which she tended to until her final days.

She was also a devout San Francisco Giants fan, often going to games in person.

She loved the outdoors and was an avid hiker, biker, skier, and tennis player. JoJo was a member of Zephyr Cove Tennis Club’s 3.5 team that won the national championship in 2010.

She is survived by her husband Jay; daughter Casey (Bobby); son Kyle; sisters Francie and Mary; and brother Robbie.

Services will be July 27 at 10am at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 1041 Lyons Ave., South Lake Tahoe.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tahoe Arts Project (PO Box 14281, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151) or to the Family Resource Center (3501-B Spruce, Ave., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150).

By Susan Wood

The American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course could be called a quasi battle of the sexes this year.

That’s because the women golfers are coming out in full force this year when the premier golf tournament is in play July 19-24.

Three big guns in the world of golf will be on hand to compete.

Heather LeMaster, the 2013 Women’s World Long Drive champion, will make her first appearance in a big way by trying to establish a Guinness Book of World Records mark for the longest drive by a woman at an elevation above 6,200 feet.

Blair O’Neal, a former member of the LPGA Symetra Tour and Golf Channel television host, is also taking a shot at the record in her inaugural run.

Lisa Cornwell is returning to the ACC tournament next week. Photo Copyright 2016 Carolyn E. Wright

Lisa Cornwell, who hosts “Golf Central” on Golf Channel, played collegiate golf and hopes to improve in her third attendance at the championship.

It’s one thing to have the U.S. Women’s Open, the premier event for female golfers, return to Northern California after last being held in 1982 in Sacramento and now for the first time in the Bay Area at CordeValle Golf Club in Santa Clara. But it’s quite another to have such a showing for women in a typically male-sanctioned event as the American Century Championship.

Having such high-profile female competitors following in the footsteps of soccer great Brandi Chastain in addition to Tahoe local and former pro golfer Annika Sorenstam is gaining notice from tournament stakeholders. U.S. women’s soccer team Olympic star Abby Wambach will be the latest soccer phenom to try her hand at driving a ball instead of kicking it.

The American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament will attempt to establish a Women’s Long Drive at Elevation record as part of a competition involving champion long ball artists Heather LeMaster and Blair O’Neal. The competition will take place July 19 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in advance of the 27th annual American Century Championship. LeMaster’s winning drive in the World Long Drive competition in 2013 at Mesquite was 306 yards. The tournament has consulted with the Guinness Book of World Records and there is no category for long drives at an elevation above 6,000 feet. Therefore, the longest drive of the competition will be submitted for consideration to the Guinness Book of World Records in London, with evidence of authenticity.

“The great thing about the American Century Championship is that the field is diverse in many ways and creates interesting dynamics. With a record number of women playing this year, it’s surely one of the more diverse player lists we’ve seen and will prove to be a source of competitive fun for both players and spectators,” Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority Executive Director Carol Chaplin told Lake Tahoe News.

That’s what Gary Quinn, NBC Sports’ vice president of Programming and Owned Properties, is counting on. Quinn has said the network has tried for years to “get as many female celebrities as it can,” but the quest has been “a bit challenging.”

Persistence pays off. The golf tournament has traditionally tuned in a viewership profile made up of about 65 percent men and 35 percent women. These percentages could change with this year’s dynamic.

“It could be one of the most entertaining golf events,” Quinn told Lake Tahoe News.

When asked how the men who don’t play, say up to par, will handle getting beaten by women who play professionally or competitively, Quinn projected the egos should be in check.

“If these guys come out and participate to play in front of 40,000 fans, they’ve got enough confidence in themselves,” he explained.

Ninety competitors in the tournament’s 27th year are celebrities in their own professional sport – football, baseball, basketball, hockey or are stars in the world of entertainment.

This year’s gender profile just might make the event more exciting to watch – especially when there’s a record to beat.

“It’ll be interesting to see how far Heather (LeMaster) hits the ball,” Quinn said.

With the higher the elevation and thinner the air, the more the ball travels.

“Believe it or not, if my calculations are correct, I can expect to hit a golf ball over 380 yards, possibly over 400 yards. This will not only be my personal best, but so much fun. I’ve always wanted to show the world that girls can go far too. I like to call it #ladylong,” LeMaster told Lake Tahoe News.

Beyond being a nine-time world equestrian champion and African safari enthusiast, LeMaster’s golf game is in her blood. Her grandmother played golf with Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias.

Brandi Chastain in 2015 played with the fans on the 17th hole. This year it will be fellow Olympian Abby Wambach’s turn to trade a soccer ball for a golf ball. Photo Copyright 2016 Carolyn E. Wright

Aside from the bloodlines, LeMaster will carry a distinct strategy to compete against the men at Edgewood.

“Although long off the tee, I make sure I still have a full shot into the green. This course won’t be playing very long, so I feel that our wedge shots could be landing closer because we can use the full swing, as opposed to (having) to try and finesse the swing to produce the correct distance,” LeMaster told LTN.

The pro golfer quickly lightened up though with a quip implying perhaps the women’s advantage lies in “when we walk up onto the tee box our natural beauty and sweetness might distract (the men.)”

Cornwell added to the tongue-in-cheek responses on the subject of women’s golf game advantages by declaring confidence is her competitive edge.

“I am confident that I can beat Charles Barkley and Larry the Cable Guy,” she said of the basketball star and comedian. They are notoriously the cellar dwellers.

The sports stars have varying talents beyond golf, as in the case of Cornwell, who told LTN she also sings and plays guitar — but only around people she knows.

She’d like to add getting on a boat on the lake and ziplining in the forest as outdoor activities to take in while visiting Tahoe this month.

“I always say (the championship is) my favorite week of the year for so many reasons,” Cornwell added.

Fun and friendly competition aside, the women golfers added to the list this year expressed the event is also about advancing the golf world for more female competitors.

“In many ways, golf is still a man’s world, but thankfully, it’s getting better. Augusta (Georgia) now has female members. The LPGA tour is in a very good place. Hopefully, the ladies out on tour will continue to get more and more exposure because they are so incredibly talented,” Cornwell said, adding: “I always tell the men that if they want to get better by watching, watch the ladies. They get more out of their swings than the guys because their tempo is so good.”

Ditto from O’Neal.

“Amateurs often tell me that they learn more from watching professional female golfers than they do from the men. They like watching the smooth tempos,” said O’Neal, who also can claim modeling to her list of talents.

The television host admits it’s a tough balancing act between her public image and golf game, but insists she’s been “fortunate to blend” them.

By Vern Pierson

In 1972, Phillip Garrido drugged and raped a 14 year old girl in Contra Costa County. In June 1976 in South Lake Tahoe, Garrido talked his 19 year old victim into his car, then handcuffed her and raped her. On Nov. 22, 1976, at approximately 6:30pm in South Lake Tahoe he talked his 25 year old victim into giving him a ride and put a handcuff on one of her wrists. Luckily, she jumped out of the car, alerting neighbors, and escaped. One hour later that same day in South Lake Tahoe, Garrido talked another victim into his car, kidnapped her, took her to a storage shed in Reno and sexually assaulted her. In 1977, Garrido was sentenced to 50 years in prison for that crime.

Vern Pierson

In 1988, Garrido was released early from prison after only serving 11 years of his 50-year sentence. The parole board noted at the time that Garrido could be certified “as not contributing to menace to health, safety and morals of society.”

A few months later, Garrido visited his last victim who was still working up in South Lake Tahoe – telling her “it’s been 11 years since I had a drink.”  The victim was shocked to find that he was released from prison 39 years early and immediately reported it to Garrido’s parole Aagent – who responded by noting in his file “to subject [Phillip Garrido] to electronic monitoring would be too much of a hassle based on the hysteria, or concerns of the victim ….”

From 1988 until 1991, Phillip Garrido stalked children at parks and neighborhoods … just waiting for his chance.

On June 10, 1991, he found his next victim — 11 year old Jaycee Lee Dugard — who was kidnapped from Meyers and taken to Antioch, where she was sexually assaulted and imprisoned for the next 18 years.

On Aug. 26, 2009, Jaycee was finally discovered. Two days later, Garrido was charged with multiple felony counts of kidnap and rape. On June 2, 2011, Garrido pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 431 years in prison to life. Under the law in 2011, this meant that Garrido was ineligible for parole until 2440 – 431 years from the date he was arrested.

However, on May 25, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office was given notice by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that Garrido is now eligible for parole on Aug. 26, 2034.

How is this possible?

It is possible due to the misguided efforts of Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Legislature along with their apparent desire to release more and more prisoners back to the streets of our communities. The little known law that allows Garrido to reduce his sentence by 406 years is called the Elderly Parole Program. Thus, Garrido could be back on the streets of California after only serving 18 more years of a 431 to life sentence.  The efforts of Brown and the Legislature are not limited to only helping provide for the early release of offenders like Garrido.

Further, this November, Proposition 57 will be on the California ballot. Brown has noted in his support of the initiative that it “invests in proven public safety strategies that work” and “saves taxpayers dollars by reducing wasteful spending within our corrections system” and “keeps the most dangerous offenders locked up.”  The proposed law can be found online.

The California District Attorneys Association, which strongly opposes the bill, noted in its analysis of the initiative, that it would drastically change California sentencing laws by ignoring sentencing enhancements for use of a deadly weapon, gang crimes, prior prison terms,  and would reduce prison time for those who committed multiple crimes and allow broad authority to release murderers and rapists early. The CDAA analysis also finds that Proposition 57 would significantly undermine more than four decades of criminal justice laws and policies approved by California voters that were designed to enhance public safety and protect the rights of crime victims.

The CDAA analysis states, “The proposal conflicts with other constitutional and legislative provisions, including the use of enhancements mandated by the Victims’ Bill of Rights (Proposition 8), the truth-in-sentencing provisions of Marsy’s Law, the treatment of serious juvenile offenders provided in Proposition 21, the human trafficking laws, and the Three Strikes law.”

We urge the citizens of California to look beyond the title of the proposed law and see what it actually says and means. Read the law. It will, under either sides analysis, lead to the early release of prisoners. Early release of violent criminals from prison has proven to be a bad idea time and again. As George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Vern Pierson is the district attorney for El Dorado County.

By Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee

Being a California gun owner just got more complicated.

Bolstering a body of firearms laws already considered among the nation’s strongest, Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a half-dozen bills to regulate ammunition sales, ban large-capacity clips and quick-reloading devices and clamp down on lending weapons, among other things.

Some hunters and shooters have reacted with a mix of dismay and confusion, wondering what they will have to do to remain law-abiding citizens and asking if they will need to change their habits.

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