By Carl Lackey

When Gov. Brian Sandoval proclaimed July as Bear Logic Month in Nevada he challenged Nevadans to think like a bear.

That is what Bear Logic is all about, thinking like a bear.

Homeowners, vacationers and even day visitors need to think about their property and even their campsites as a bear would think about those things. Remove items that a bear would find attractive and bears will not become conflict bears.

A number of items can peak a bears “culinary curiosity” including bird feeders, pet food, barbecue grills and of course, trash. You cannot leave these things out in bear country and expect the bears and other animals to ignore them.

The battle to keep bears alive and wild is highlighted in July, but is actually a yearlong challenge. I have worked with homeowners associations and other property management concerns in the Lake Tahoe Basin and across the rest of western Nevada to educate residents about the advantage of using bear logic in their neighborhoods. To reward those neighborhoods that do their best to avoid attracting bears, NDOW has started recognizing some of these communities as Bear Logic Communities.

The Caughlin Ranch Homeowners Association on the west side of Reno and the Tahoe Village Homeowners Association in the Kingsbury area of Douglas County are the first two “communities” recognized under the program.  These two neighborhoods have stood out in their ongoing efforts to educate their property owners on the importance of following bear logic practices. They have taken a consistent proactive approach to removing garbage and other food sources that attract bears to their neighborhoods.

“We are proud to be recognized by NDOW as a Bear Logic Community,” said Lorrie Olson, general manager of the Caughlin Ranch Homeowners Association. “NDOW has recognized our efforts to educate our residents on bear awareness and safety in dealing with this important issue.”

The Tahoe Village Homeowners Association located atop Kingsbury Grade was one of the first neighborhoods on the Nevada side of Tahoe to recognize the emerging bear/garbage problem in the early 2000s and work toward solutions.  Bear proof garbage containers were installed and continuously improved and residents are continually reminded of their duty to protect the bears by removing attractants.

“The bears were here first,” said TVHA maintenance supervisor Mike Paulson. “We owe it to the bears to manage our trash properly.”

The challenge at Tahoe Village is a big one. There are over 1,000 units and 29 garbage receptacles that Paulson and his crew are responsible for. To complicate matters, many of the condominium units are rentals and during the summer the population of those units turns over bringing a whole new group of people each week.

The work of protecting the bears is ongoing. The key to success with any of these efforts is consistency. The bears will take advantage of any slip up by residents and communities so being vigilant is important in these bear logic efforts.

I’m excited to add more communities to the list and wants residents or homeowners who want to know more to contact ndowinfo@ndow.org with the subject line of “Our Bear Logic Community.”

Carl Lackey is the black bear biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

By Elaine Glusac, New York Times

Run or fight? That is the question prompted by a series of recent animal attacks on humans, including an alligator that dragged a 2-year-old to his death in an Orlando lake earlier this month. Last weekend, CNN reported that a mountain lion in Colorado attacked a 5-year-old boy, who was saved when his mother pried away the child from the animal.

While both of those incidents were rare events, travelers seeking to watch wildlife or spend time in national parks and preserves should maintain a safe distance from any animals encountered, say experts.

“You’re safer in a national park than you are in any city if you use respect and allow the animal a comfort zone,” said Jack Hanna, the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium who has hosted several television series devoted to wildlife.

Read the whole story

Artist and poet Ziggy Rendler-Bregman will be leading a poetry, prose and writing workshop in Hope Valley in August.

She is the author of “The Gate of Our Coming and Going”.

Bring a journal or sketchbook and pencils, as she takes guests to some of her favorite spots in the region.

There will be a welcome and orientation on Aug. 26 at Sorensen’s Resort in the evening, with the workshop from 9-11:30am and 2-4:30pm. Cost is $60 for guests of Sorensen’s, $95 for others. To register, call 530.694-2203.

Tony Magliari

Former Lake Tahoe Unified School District Superintendent Anthony J. “Tony” Magliari passed away at his home in Ridgecrest, Calif., on June 14, 2016, at the age of 85.

Born in Los Angeles on Oct. 5, 1930, Mr. Magliari, the son of an Italian immigrant, graduated in 1948 from George Washington High School, where he served as student body president.

While attending Los Angeles City College, Mr. Magliari enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and was called into active duty during the Korean War in 1951.  Honorably discharged three years later, Mr. Magliari resumed his studies at UCLA where he earned his bachelor’s of arts degree in 1955.  That same year he married Dorilee June Woodworth and moved to Torrance, Calif., where he began his career in public education as a fifth-grade teacher at Peter Burnett Elementary School.

After receiving his master’s in education from UCLA in 1959, Mr. Magliari relocated the following year to Riverside where he taught sixth grade at Arlanza Elementary in Arlington before serving three years as the principal of Wells Intermediate School.

In 1964, Mr. Magliari moved to Tahoe Valley, an unincorporated community that soon became part of the newly formed city of South Lake Tahoe. There, Mr. Magliari became principal of South Tahoe Intermediate School (1964-65) and then performed double duty as associate superintendent of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District while serving as principal of South Tahoe High (1965-66).  In 1966, Mr. Magliari became the district superintendent and, five years later, earned his doctorate in school administration from USC in 1971.

During his 14-year tenure as superintendent, Mr. Magliari presided over the construction of the current South Tahoe High School campus as well as the opening of Al Tahoe, Meyers, and Sierra House elementary schools. He also led the district’s successful $7 million school bond campaign in 1971 and secured voter approval of three school tax increases in 1970, 1974, and 1977.

Mr. Magliari served as the Region II president of the Association of California School Administrators and as chairperson of the Community College Study Committee that resulted in the founding of Lake Tahoe Community College in 1975.

Always engaged in civic affairs, Mr. Magliari was an active member of the South Lake Tahoe Rotary Club and a charter member of the Lake Tahoe Community Concert Association.

After leaving South Lake Tahoe, Mr. Magliari served as superintendent of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District in San Diego County (1980-83) and the Sierra Sands Unified School District in Ridgecrest (1983-91).

Mr. Magliari was preceded in death by his parents, Fortunato “Frederick” Magliari and Jennie Tecca, and sister Esther.

He is survived by his wife, Dorilee; brother John; sons Michael (Karen Nissen), Gregory (Cindy), and Dana; daughter Diana (Tom Campbell); and his four grandchildren, Dominic, Jesse, Monica, and Dante.

A funeral Mass will be said at 11am July 30 at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, 446 West Church Ave., Ridgecrest.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to a favorite charity.

By Ian Whitaker, Las Vegas Sun

A top-to-bottom reorganization of the Clark County School District. A program that allows the state to take over struggling schools. The most sweeping school choice program of any state in the country.

Nevada suffers no shortage of programs concocted by lawmakers to improve education, but will any of them make a difference? Not if Nevada continues to see some of the worst child poverty in the country, argue some experts.

Even though the Silver State did manage to rise out of last place in this year’s Kids Count education rankings, the state is faring even worse when it comes to the number of children living in poverty.

Read the whole story

Magic Dan will appear at the Douglas County Public Library in Zephyr Cove on July 27 at 1:30pm.

He brings a fast-paced program that is educational and fun. He fills his performances with positive messages that reinforce reading and self-esteem. Magic Dan has entertained thousands of children of all ages.

He will then be at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center in Gardnerville at 6:30 that night for the final show to celebrate the summer reading finale.

The Lake Tahoe Branch Library is located at 233 Warrior Way in Zephyr Cove.

For more information, call 775.782.9841.

Tahoe Outrigger (Kawai’ulu ‘O Tahoe) Canoe Club is having a canoe blessing ceremony on July 9.

Hawaiian and Native American elders will be in attendance.

Local Hula Halau has prepared a special ceremonial dance, including hula dancers and ukulele players.

Potluck and canoe rides will follow ceremony. The event is at 10am at Lakeview commons in South Lake Tahoe.

By Science Daily

Droughts in California are mainly controlled by wind, not by the amount of evaporated moisture in the air, research has found.

The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, on June 30. The research increases the understanding of how the water cycle is related to extreme events and could eventually help in predicting droughts and floods, said lead author Jiangfeng Wei, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences.

“Ocean evaporation provides moisture for California precipitation but is not the reason for droughts there, although the ocean evaporation is slightly lower during droughts,” Wei said.

The researchers analyzed 30-year data sets that recorded precipitation, ocean evaporation, surface wind speed and atmospheric pressure on and near the west coast of the United States. These are all factors that influence the water cycle in California. One of the difficulties of studying the water cycle, Wei said, is that the water sources for precipitation cannot be directly observed, so the team also used a mathematical moisture-tracking method and high-resolution model simulations.

Read the whole story

The California Highway office in Meyers is conducting a car seat check-up event on July 16 and July 18.

The law states child passengers must ride in either a car seat or booster seat until the age of 8 and the only exception to the law is if the child is 4 feet 9 inches tall. Effective Jan. 1, 2017, children under the age of 2 must ride rear facing in an appropriate child safety seat.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to check car seats for proper installation and advise parents and caregivers how to install them properly in their vehicles. Children are encouraged to be at the inspection.

The Saturday event is from 10am-noon and the Monday one is 9-11am.

The office is at 2063 Hopi Ave.

·       Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care on July 5 received three bear cubs that were orphaned when a car in Yosemite struck their mother the day before. Two are only 8 pounds and one is 10 pounds, but are otherwise healthy.

·       Northern Nevada’s largest event supporting the inherited bleeding disorders community, the Reno Hemophilia Walk & 5K, is Sept. 17 at Bartley Ranch Regional Park. To register, go online.

·       Illanta Wines, a boutique wine brand made in Tahoe City, opened in May. The first vintage, a 2013 Zinfandel harvested from Napa’s Howell Mountain, is now available.

·       Waterman’s Landing Beach Café is partnering with SUP PUPS on July 16-17 so dogs and owners can learn how to enjoy the sport of SUP together. Trainers certified in animal behavior modification use positive reinforcement to help owners teach dogs how to stay on the board. Reservations are required; call 530.546.3590.

·       Thunderbird Lake Tahoe is having winemaker dinners on July 16 and Aug. 20; both at 5pm. Tickets are $250 per person, of which $150 is a charitable contribution benefiting the programs of the nonprofit Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society. For tickets or more info, email Reservations@ThunderbirdTahoe.org