Ansel White, a father of two young boys, a South Shore business owner and South Tahoe High graduate was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on May 28. He remains in critical condition at Renown Medical Center in Reno.

A fund-raiser dinner, including raffle and silent auction, will be June 19 at 5pm at Eagles Nest (472 Needle Peak Road, Stateline).

All proceeds will go to help with his overwhelming medical bills and recovery.

Tickets may be purchased ahead of time for $20 for adults and $5 for kids under 12. Contact Jamie (530) 318.6100, Val (530) 318.9882 or Sam (530) 545.2405 for tickets. A limited number will be sold at the door.

If you are unable to make it to the fund raiser you can donate at any Wells Fargo Bank into the Ansel White Donation Account.

Dragonfly Restaurant and Sushi Bar’s second annual Cooking Outside the Box benefit dinner is June 13 from 6-8pm.

All proceeds from this fun, informative event will go directly to Slow Food Lake Tahoe. The evening will feature locally grown produce, locally raised meat and sustainably produced bio-dynamic and organic wine pairings.

Attendees will get to solve the mysteries contained in CSA veggie boxes by visiting food demo stations, trying their hand at rolling rice paper spring rolls and enjoying food and wine pairings. Guests will go home with all the recipes used for the evening.

Representatives from Mountain Bounty Farm in Nevada City and Sobon Winery in Plymouth will talk about what it’s like to be a local producer. Truckee River Winery will also be participating. Meats provided by Trimmer Outpost Valley of Genoa will round out the evening’s menu options.

Slow Food is a global grassroots movement that links the pleasures of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who support a farming operation where growers and consumers share the benefits of locally grown food production.

Dinner for the Cooking Outside the Box benefit is $35 for Slow Food members and $40 for non-members. Call (530) 587.0557 to make reservations.

Dragonfly is located upstairs at 10118 Donner Pass Road, in the heart of downtown Truckee.

David C. Bartholomew passed away at the age of 71 on Feb. 13, 2012, in Sun City, Ariz., after a year and a half battle with cancer.

He was born in Geneva, Ill., on May 13, 1940, and grew up in Oswego, Ill.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; son Chris of Novi, Mich.; daughter and son-in-law Carey and Tim Dahlstrom and three grandsons of Litchfield Park, Ariz.; and sister and brother-in-law Sue and Marv Worthen of Sun City, Ariz.

Dave Bartholomew

An alumni of the University of Nevada, Reno class of 1963, Dave was an English teacher at South Tahoe High School from 1965 to 1988. He was also the assistant football and basketball coach and athletic director. Dave also ran a construction/remodeling business in South Lake Tahoe for many years.

A celebration of life will be July 7 at 3560 Ralph Drive, South Lake Tahoe. Please email Carey Bartholomew-Dahlstrom at careyd@cox.net or call (623) 523.1412 to RSVP for the service.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to South Tahoe High School Boosters Club, P.O. Box 14303, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 or the Lake Tahoe Education Foundation, P.O. Box 14387, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151.

The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet from 9am until noon on June 14 at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline.

LTFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe.

Items on the agenda include confirming the LTFAC Vision, updating and planning for the Tahoe Environmental Summit, and public comment.

Members of the public interested in finding out more about the LTFAC and applying to serve on the 2013-15 committee are welcome to attend this meeting. An open house where interested individuals can ask questions of the current LTFAC members, chairperson, and/or designated federal official will follow from noon until 1pm.

information on the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee, go online.

South Lake Tahoe Neighborhood Service Team Area No. 4 (Al Tahoe, Bijou Pines and Pioneer Village) has a meeting June 13 at 6pm at the senior center (3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd.).

South Lake Tahoe is partnering with resident to help increase communications with neighbors and help facilitate improvements in neighborhoods.

For more information, call (530) 542.6093 or email tfranklin@cityofslt.us.

By Jennifer Medina, New York Times

THOUSAND OAKS — When new redistricting maps changed the boundaries of this Congressional district to give Democrats a slight edge for the first time in decades, party loyalists were elated.

But now it seems possible that come November there will not even be a Democrat on the ballot. On Tuesday, for the first time, California voters will participate in a nonpartisan primary. Instead of the top candidate from each party advancing to the general election, the two candidates with the most votes will be placed on the November ballot, regardless of party affiliation.

This year will be the first test of a new kind of election aimed at breaking the partisan gridlock that has seized Congress and state legislatures all over the country. When the change was presented to California voters by a ballot initiative in 2010, advocates said it would usher in a new era that embraced politicians who would be more pragmatic than ideological.

“The elected officials in Sacramento are often on the far left and far right and certainly not reflective of the majority of people in the state,” said Aaron McLear, who worked on the change as an aide to Arnold Schwarzenegger, then the governor, and is now a political consultant. “What we wanted is a lot more candidates coming in even if they are not anointed by the party. It may take a few cycles to manifest itself, but you will have wild cards who can make some real change in the Capitol.”

How the changes will play out on Election Day is still unclear. Much will depend on how many people vote and who those voters are. Many analysts expect that turnout will continue to be low and will largely consist of the party faithful, so it remains to be seen whether candidates who get the voters to the polls are simply the most partisan of the pack.

Read the whole story

Julie Howes is starting her summer reading with “Tahoe Blues” — the book published by Meyers publishing house Bona Fide Books.

Howes had the winning caption, and correct location, in the latest Lake Tahoe News contest. Her caption was: “West Shore Cafe and Inn – where your peace of mind begins and your memories stay forever.”

For those wanting a copy of “Tahoe Blues” they are available online. Or attend tonight’s book launch, reading and signing at 7 at the Ledbetter Terrace at Lake Tahoe Community College.

By Mandy Kendall

Do you ever notice that some days you leap out of bed looking forward to the day and other days not so much?

It could be that your purpose for that day was the reason you had that feeling of anticipation and, dare I say it, excitement.

Asking someone what their purpose in life is can fill some people with dread, whereas others seem to know exactly what their purpose is and, if they are really lucky, they are in the process of fulfilling it.

Mandy Kendall

The word “purpose” can be a multipurpose term used for a number of purposes (case in point) but generally is used to describe; the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc. as well as; to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself.

If you don’t already know what your purpose in life is, it can be quite a daunting prospect to try to figure it out. Where do you start? How specific or general do you have to be? How big or small should it be? The answer is, there is no right answer.

Your purpose should be what makes you happy. It should be the thing that has you leaping out of bed in the morning. It should give you the reason to go forward when everything seems to be pushing you back. It should be as grand or simple as makes you happy. It should be your thing.

Now I know we all have responsibilities that might stop us from totally engaging in our purpose, our passion in life, but that shouldn’t stop us from finding out what it is and at least acknowledging it. Sometimes just recognizing and embracing our purpose can open up doors to opportunities we may never have seen.

Your purpose should give you great joy and be derived from what you most value. It is not meant to be a life sentence where you give up things you enjoy for things that seem more worthy.

Your passion, your purpose should be your own. It might not be obvious immediately, it might be somewhat elusive, but it might be as plain as the nose on your face if you just look for it.

As the late Steve Jobs stated; “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

So here are a few Qwik-e tips to help set you on the path toward finding your passion.

Write a list of all the things that interest you — Think about all the things you do in your spare time, and at work, that you love doing, i.e. what kind of books you read, what articles you are drawn to in magazines, what do you look forward to doing most, what gives you that ‘I’m glad to be alive’ feeling? Take time on this as you may be surprised by some of the things on your list. Then ask yourself why they interest you. Digging deeper into what is it about these things that interests you will take you closer to figuring out your purpose?

Find your genius — Make a list (yes another one) about all the things you do naturally without thinking about them, or things that are enjoyable and effortless for you. (It’s a good idea to ask other people too as they often see skills in us that we don’t necessarily see in ourselves). These talents can be used to help determine and fulfill our purpose.

Design your purpose — By combining things from the “what do I love doing” list with talents from the “genius” list our purpose can manifest itself and appear pretty obvious (and sometimes the more the obscure the combination the better).

List everything you want to achieve in your life — Try not to let reality limit this list. Don’t worry about the how. Dream big. Imagine there were no limits, what would you spend your time doing? Then ask yourself why you want to do these things. This can give you real insight into what it is you really want to achieve and this understanding of why can give you powerful motivation to follow your purpose.

Until next time.

Mandy Kendall operates Health Connective in South Lake Tahoe. If you have any questions, would like some advice, or would like to request some Qwik-e tips on any health and wellbeing topic, please feel free to drop me an email at healthconnective@gmail.com, visit us on Facebook, or keep an eye out on Lake Tahoe News for regular Qwik-e tips on how to make healthy changes one Quick and Easy step at a time.

By Cal Thomas

On Sept. 2, 1945, aboard the battleship USS Missouri at the end of ceremonies marking the unconditional surrender of Japan and the formal end of World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur spoke for a world weary of war and hoping for peace: “Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.”

That prayer was not answered as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and a host of regional and tribal conflicts have preserved war, not peace, as the means by which too many attempt to settle their differences.

Cal Thomas

With U.S. combat operations in Iraq effectively over and Afghanistan in the process of winding down (for us, if not for the resilient enemy) there will be little rest between wars as Iran now appears to be the next target.

Politicians start wars, generals plan strategy to wage them and soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen (not to mention civilians) die in them. Since the beginning of the human race, people have sought ways to prevent wars, but every attempt at bringing lasting, or even short-term peace, has failed.

At the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., there are some who are now asking the hard questions about America’s role in warfare. Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times wrote about it in a story with the headline, “West Point Asks if a War Doctrine Was Worth It.”

The discussion, even debate, at West Point is first about the effectiveness of counterinsurgency in places like Afghanistan. Col. Gian P. Gentile, director of West Point’s military history program, is quoted as saying that counterinsurgency could work in Afghanistan if the United States makes a multi-decade commitment: “I’m talking 70, 80, 90 years,” he said. With many countries, including France, pulling out of Afghanistan (in France’s case earlier than previously expected due to orders from the country’s new president) and with shattered economies in need of rebuilding, including our own, this leads to a larger question: Can America afford to virtually “go it alone” in defense of the liberty of others who are not willing, or able, to bear the burden and pay the price for their own freedom?

I’m not sure there is a satisfactory answer to the question but it is a question that needs to be debated since we always seem to be the ones who pay the highest price. “Is it worth it?” How will we measure worthiness? These are questions at the heart of the debate.

Former President George W. Bush said, “We’re fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here.” But we are already fighting them here as demonstrated by Sept. 11, 2001, the Fort Hood shootings and numerous other successful and unsuccessful attacks.

Somewhere between “come home, America,” which would lead to isolationism and intervention in every conflict there is a pragmatic approach to war that America should consider. This ought to be an issue in the upcoming election, but it won’t be unless journalists ask the right questions and demand answers from those who have, or are seeking, the power to start or join wars and send our sons and daughters to fight and perhaps die in them.

Perhaps a return to the constitutional principle that only Congress has the power to declare war would help. That is what Rep. Ron Paul argued for during the presidential primary. He raised an important issue, one that should be discussed now, before the next war starts and American leaders decide another generation of young people should fight it.

Cal Thomas is co-author (with Bob Beckel) of the book “Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That is Destroying America”.

By Bill O’Driscoll, Reno Gazette-Journal

London-based William Hill PLC, assuring gaming regulators there would be no loss of jobs, won a unanimous recommendation Thursday to take over Lucky’s, Leroy’s and Club Cal Neva sportsbook operations in Nevada.

The Gaming Control Board’s blessing of the $53 million acquisition, first announced a year ago, now goes before the Nevada Gaming Commission on June 21 for final approval and licensing.

William Hill officials told regulators they hope to begin putting their brand on 164 sportsbooks and kiosks statewide before month’s end, including 26 Leroy’s Sportsbook and 31 Cal Neva locations in Northern Nevada along with Lucky’s Race & Sports Book operations in John Ascuaga’s Nugget, the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino and Casino Fandango in Carson City.

James Henderson, director of retail sales, sought to dispell any concern over closing sites and eliminating jobs.

“The answer is a simple ‘No,’” Henderson told the three-person board. “We plan to keep them all and most certainly look to increase them. There are huge opportunities to grow these businesses. We see Nevada as an entry point to other U.S. opportunities as they arise.”

Ralph Topping, William Hill CEO, told regulators that 92 percent of his company’s revenues are generated in the United Kingdom, where the company is the biggest operator, and he is looking for opportunity beyond those borders.

“The United States is most interesting to us,” he said.

Sports betting is currently limited to a handful of states led by Nevada, which last year took in $2.3 billion in sportsbook revenue, the most in the past five years, according to Gaming Control Board data.

In his testimony, Topping said the Lucky’s, Leroy’s and Cal Neva sportsbook staffs will be welcomed into William Hill, which offers “extensive” training in customer service.

“For us, highly motivated, energized employees are the best asset of any company,” he said. “There’s no room for complacency in our company. It’s not a fluke we have highly motivated, creative people, and people who live by these principles are rewarded accordingly.”

An Internet search found a report by the London Evening Standard that William Hill pulled out of Italy in 2008 after just two years and, according to an Irish Times report, closed 14 sportsbook locations in Ireland in 2009, resulting in 53 lost jobs.

Additionally, the company in 2010 cut 150 jobs at its centers in the United Kingdom cities of Leeds and Sheffield, according to proactiveinvestors.co.uk.

William Hill executives Thursday declined to speak beyond their testimony before the Gaming Control Board. In a written statement released to the media afterward, Topping said, “We now look forward to our hearing with the Gaming Commission. Nevada regulators have been extremely fair and detailed in their assessment of our entry into the state, and we are grateful for their decision today.”

Reno gaming analyst Ken Adams said he expects there will be no cuts in Nevada by William Hill.

“The sportsbook employees will be just fine. (William Hill) didn’t pay $50 million thinking they didn’t have a business opportunity here,” Adams said. “And besides, they see the possibility of being on the ground floor with Internet gaming in the U.S.”

As a sports-betting company begun in 1934, William Hill brings “a broader table of opportunity” to Nevada, Adams said, adding, “They’ve got a lot of experience. They know what they’re doing.”

Topping said William Hill will establish state headquarters in Las Vegas with Jeff Siri, CEO of the Club Cal Neva in Reno, stepping down from that post to become chief operating officer of William Hill in Nevada.

William Hill PLC is traded on the London Stock Exchange, and on Thursday, executives outlined the company’s finances and breadth, including:

• 16,000 employees worldwide.

• $1.3 billion in revenues in 2011.

• 25 percent share of the United Kingdom market, where William Hill is the biggest bookmaker with 2,350 locations.

• $183 million in cash on hand at the end of 2011.

Topping told regulators that profits were held down last year by tax increases, as well as the fact that 2011 was compared with 2010, the year of soccer’s World Cup, a major betting event. But Topping told Nevada regulators his company has been successful with its innovations, including a growing online business, mobile sportsbook launched last year and a betting app this spring.

William Hill would not be the first foreign business to enter the gaming industry in Nevada, according to the Gaming Control Board. Several other foreign companies are already in the state, including Crown Casinos of Australia and Dubai World in Las Vegas, and gaming manufacturers Lottomatica of Italy and Konami of Japan.