By Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times
People with high blood pressure are often told to eat a low-sodium diet. But a diet that’s too low in sodium may actually increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, a review of studies has found.
Current guidelines recommend a daily maximum of 2.3 grams of sodium a day — the amount found in a teaspoon of salt — for most people, and less for the elderly or people with hypertension.
Three people were pulled from Lake Tahoe on Monday afternoon near Nevada Beach after their personal watercraft became disabled.
“All three persons were nearly hypothermic, and the 13 year old complained of neck pain from the Jet Ski crash,” Douglas County sheriff’s deputies said in a press release. All three were taken to Barton Memorial Hospital.
Boat patrol officers came upon the Jet Ski about 1:30pm nearly one-eighth mile off the beach.
The names and hometowns of the three males are not being released. Ages range from 13 to 31.
They told deputies they crashed the watercraft and then lost the key. They had been in the water for about 25 minutes. All were wearing life jackets.
“It was a single vessel mishap/accident. They did not run into an object. I do not know if it was a rental,” Deputy Bernadette Smith told Lake Tahoe News.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Riley McDermid, San Francisco Business Times
AT&T is pushing a bill in the California legislature that would allow it to phase out landlines starting in 2020 if there is an alternative, like cell phones, available to customers.
Bill sponsor and San Jose Assemblyman Evan Low told local CBS affiliate KPIX that the bill will help the company cut costs by ending maintenance on expensive copper wires and routing stations, while making sure customers are still connected.
AT&T estimates about 4.5 million users in California still have landlines, though.
Davey “Doc” Wiser and Denise Sloan Smart are veterans on the annual Wagon Train. Photo/Projections Photography
By Denise Sloan Smart
Who inspires you to do crazy things? Such as riding on an annual wagon train for 30 years.
First would be my 4-H teacher who gave me a love of sewing at the age of 9, plus an incredible high school history teacher. Then my dad, who allowed me to drive alone 45 minutes each way every Saturday for a year into San Francisco at the age of 16 to a fashion design college. Years later, a crazy guy named Davey “Doc” Wiser mentored me on re-living American history in authentic attire to honor our California heritage.
At an early age, I began collecting and re-creating vintage clothing that ranges from the 1840s to the 1920s. Wearing any of the elaborate garments, you’ll find me volunteering at living history events and demonstrations from Great Gatsby to Gold Rush Days to Wagon Trains. I also demonstrate the delicate art of silk ribbon embroidery that was used as adornment on pillows, clothing and accessories of all manners, a craft that was immensely popular from the early 1800s to the late 1920s. I make all of my authentic 1800s garments.
It was the Highway 50 Wagon Train that gave me “gold fever” 30 years ago, when I was an editor at the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
I was on assignment to write about the 37th annual Highway 50 Wagon Train. I rode with Wiser and never stopped.
For the first couple of years it was a work assignment that usually stopped about the time the train rolled into Strawberry Lodge’s meadow for the halfway layover day, and I’d go back to work. By the third year I used my vacation days to ride the whole trip and the next thing I knew I volunteered to help the club with marketing and publicity.
I was honored as Highway 50 Wagon Train Queen in 1997.
A friend and former Highway 50 board member, Lynn Friesen, gave me an original 1850s dress that had some tiny stitching under the bustle. When I was in the process of constructing a pattern from the dress to make one for me, I did some searching and found there was a tiny pocket for a derringer hidden under the many layers of fabric. That was pretty exciting.
Getting involved in Highway 50 Wagon Train 30 years ago turned out to be a perfect combination of my love of history, historical clothing and sewing skills, and the desire to bring interesting, family friendly events to Lake Tahoe.
Those of us who possess a deep passion for Wagon Train keep this on the road for future generations so they will never lose our pioneer heritage.
Many of the Highway 50 pioneers and mountain men inspired me to keep coming back, but none more than Wiser. I’m so blessed to have been mentored and trained by him. He taught me that this “moving living history event” deserved total respect from start to finish. Once we leave home for Wagon Train, until the day it’s over we never change out of authentic attire, no matter what. You will never catch either of us in modern anything.
After riding together for so many decades, people ask, “Are Davey and Denise married?”
I always answer, “Of course, but not to each other.” However, we did create “The Firm of Smart & Wiser”.
Even though this is my 30th year on Highway 50 Wagon Train, it’s not old hat. Every year is just as exciting as the first. It’s not always pure fun, but it’s always an adventure.
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Notes:
By Amy Berry
Taking a page from the playbook of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, the Tahoe Fund has announced plans to create an Environmental Venture Trust to seed early stage environmental improvement projects at Lake Tahoe with philanthropic capital. Unlike traditional venture capital, the return on investment for the trust will be purely environmental and not financial. The Environmental Venture Trust will help kick-start projects with seed funding to reduce project timelines and to better prepare them for future investments.
This is a new initiative for the Tahoe Fund, which is focused on raising private funds for environmental improvement projects that help restore lake clarity, improve outdoor recreation, and inspire greater stewardship of Lake Tahoe.
“We see a lot of great projects sit on the sidelines because they can’t find the initial funding to get things started,” said Art Chapman, chair of the Tahoe Fund. “With this innovative approach to philanthropy, we think we can give life to a lot of great projects that will have a tremendous impact on the long-term health of Lake Tahoe.”
Traditionally, the Tahoe Fund supports late-stage projects to close funding gaps or act as a required match for public funding. For example, supporters of the Tahoe Fund leveraged a $12.5 million federal grant for a new bike path from Incline to Sand Harbor with more than $1 million in donations. These late-stage projects will continue to be the main focus of the Tahoe Fund.
The new venture trust program was inspired by donors who expressed interest in funding worthy early-stage projects that need help getting off the ground. For instance, donors provided the early funding for the regional stewardship campaign, Take Care, and for the early restoration work of the Incline Flume Trail. The Tahoe Fund acknowledges that the Environmental Venture Trust carries a higher level of risk than its standard funding model. Donors comfortable with this approach will be able to direct funds to the trust specifically for this purpose.
By providing seed funding to early stage projects, the risk exists that these projects may not make it to the finish line. It is a risk the board feels is worth taking.
“If we can take some small bets on a series of projects, we think we can see some significant gains for Tahoe,” said Tahoe Fund board member and venture capitalist Steven Merrill. “It is time to take this successful funding model from the business world to the philanthropic world to see how we can move the needle for our environment.”
The Tahoe Fund Projects Committee will identify projects and vet their potential and risk once the new Environmental Venture Trust achieves its initial campaign goal of $100,000 in donations. Information on how to submit a project for consideration will be made available at that time.
The Tahoe Fund will announce its 2016 Premier and Signature projects in early summer.
They will include opportunities for private donors to help acquire 200 acres of property on the Basin’s most impaired watershed, construction of a new overlook at the Basin’s most visited interpretive center, trail reconstruction on one of Tahoe’s favorite hiking trails, and a new section of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway.
Donors interested in contributing to the Environmental Venture Trust or one of the Premier or Signature projects can email info@tahoefund.org or call me at 775.338.1668.
Amy Berry is executive director of the Tahoe Fund. This article first appeared in Tahoe In Depth.
Random partners are about to face-off against unknown opponents at the 2016 inaugural Hump Day tennis soiree.
This monthly round robin doubles at Zephyr Cove Tennis Club is for adults of all ability levels. It’s a light-hearted, casual night of tennis.
Play starts at 5:30pm on June 15. Cost is $10 for ZCTC members, $15 for non-members, and $5 for spectators (meal only). Membership is $80 for the year. First time members who signup that night get to play at this Hump Day for free. Membership information is available online.
Participants are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert, as well as beverage of choice to complement what the chef will be barbecuing.
No advance sign-up is required.
A Reno man who was arrested Monday night faces charges in Douglas County and South Lake Tahoe.
Micah Flaherty
Micah Flaherty, 33, allegedly robbed the Kmart in South Lake Tahoe about 5:10pm May 30.
Deputies from Douglas County saw him driving in the Stateline area. The Volkswagen turned into Zephyr Cove Campground, where deputies apprehended him.
The items reportedly stolen from Kmart were located inside the vehicle, and the weapon found was an Air Soft gun. Sixteen items of drug paraphernalia were located inside the vehicle as well, according to deputies.
Flaherty was booked on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of stolen property. Charges from South Lake Tahoe are pending.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
A road rage incident Monday night sent a Stateline man to jail.
Jared Kaiser
Both drivers involved called May 30 just before 11pm to complain about the aggressive and possibly intoxicated driving of the other. The drivers were coming down Kingsbury Grade when one allegedly pointed a gun at the other.
Douglas County deputies located both vehicles. The investigation uncovered a weapon belonging to Jared Kaiser, 31, of Stateline.
Kaiser was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, driving under the influence, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, and reckless driving.
Deputies said Kaiser claimed he was a former police in Southern California, and possesses a valid permit for the weapon. Both weapon and permit were confiscated.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Ricardo Torres, Las Vegas Sun
Nevada prison guards will no longer use birdshot rounds and instead opt for less-lethal options when fights erupt, the agency said Tuesday.
The removal of all birdshot was ordered by new Department of Corrections Director James Dzurenda, with the full support of Gov. Brian Sandoval. It became effective Tuesday.
The agency has moved to implement less-lethal tools, such as rubber bullets, as well as update policies with new compliance measures and “more effective” defensive practices, the agency said in a news release.
· The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board will have a public hearing June 22 at 9:30am in Stateline about a proposed hockey academy in Meyers.
· Music on the Beach, the free concert series at Kings Beach State Recreation Area, kicks off June 17 from 6-8pm. It will continue every Friday evening until Sept. 2.
· The Douglas County Public Library is offering a Summer Saturday Family Movie series. “Brave” (rated PG) will be shown June 11 at 2pm in the library meeting room in Minden. The movie and popcorn are free.
· Bluesdays will take place at Squaw Valley on Tuesdays from 6-8:30pm, June 14-Sept. 6. Click here for a complete line-up.
· Truckee is having a free paper shredding event June 4 from 10am-noon at the airport.