By Nancy Lindahl, Enterprise Record

Hanna and I got to witness the birth of a new business Sunday as Oliver Wong rolled his pristine blue and white cart out of its trailer, installed light posts and hung out a ladder of flavor signs for his new ice cream business, Spoons.

The cart is small, but the flavors are fresh, and big — like Holy S’Mochas — a mocha ice cream with s’mores thrown in, inspired by the good flavors from summer camping.

Ice cream entrepreneur making a stir in Chico. Photo/Spoons

Wong, a Chico native, attended Chico State University, McAllister College in Minnesota, and Columbia University in New York before he realized college was not where he wanted to go. He returned to Chico and found work at Red Tavern and Bacio where he could pursue his interest in all things food related. In his spare time he studied web design at Chico State and started experimenting with homemade ice cream.

Raised in a family of noteworthy cooks, Wong is the son of Jann Reed and Lester Wong. (He is the nephew of Lake Tahoe News Publisher Kathryn Reed.) He had always enjoyed being in the kitchen, and remembered making ice cream with rock salt and a hand-crank machine as a kid. Ice cream seemed simple, creative and a blank canvas for experimenting with flavors; a food category he could play with a long time before it got boring.

While researching the particulars of ice cream making, he discovered Penn State’s Ice Cream Short Course and Penn State Berkey Creamery, the largest university creamery in the nation. The Ice Cream Short Course teaches ice cream science from “cow to cone” and has been educating generations of ice cream professionals since 1892. About 120 students take the class every year, (Wong graduated fifth in his class of 120), and the student roster includes representatives from the big names in ice cream: Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s, and Dairy Queen as well as a few young start-up entrepreneurs like Wong.

Returning to Chico, Wong upgraded from the family White Mountain handcrank ice cream maker to an Emory Thompson made-in-the-U.S.A. batch machine that can produce six quarts of ice cream every seven to eight minutes by pressing a button. In-between test batches of ice cream, Wong found an ice cream cart on Craig’s List, a trailer for the cart and a freezer. He chose Straus Family Creamery from Tomales Bay for his cream, created his Spoons website and recruited his sister, Jacquelyn, to make signs for his ice cream flavors. In all, he’s worked for about a year towards his goal of scooping premier gourmet ice cream for the citizens of Chico. Wong’s long-term goal is to open a cafe called Spoons that serves food you can eat with a spoon; comfort food like soups, ice creams, puddings, risottos, but for now his focus is on ice cream and getting started.

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El Dorado County Animal Services is looking for caring local residents who can help provide temporary foster homes for new mother cats and their baby kittens over the next several weeks.

“Currently, we have three mother cats and their kittens at the shelter in Placerville who could benefit from temporary placement in a loving residential home, and we fully expect to get more mama cats and kittens in the coming weeks. We are only at the start of kitten season,” said Allison Lozoya, animal shelter supervisor, said in a press release.

According to Lozoya, it is generally much better for mother cats and their babies to be in a home environment during the first few weeks of life, rather than be kept in a confined, shelter situation.

“A home environment is less stressful for the mother and her nursing babies,” said Lozoya. “In addition, our volunteers are wonderful about caring for and socializing the animals. The kittens are more adoptable when they come back to the shelter to be put up for adoption.”

Volunteers of the Animal Services’ Foster Care Program are provided with all necessary supplies to care for the cats (including food, bedding, a litter box, litter, and other supplies), and can specify how long they would like to volunteer. El Dorado County residents interested in applying as a volunteer in the Animal Services Foster Care Program can learn by calling (530) 621.7631.

Meyers is hosting a Summer Solstice Celebration on June 23 from 2-6pm.

This family-centered event is designed to bring together the healing, artistic and recreational cultures of the Lake Tahoe Basin in a community street fair. Activities will include a parade, live music, art cars, food, children’s recreation and booths featuring local artists and healers.

The celebration is free and open to the public.

The theme of the solstice celebration is “fire,” to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Angora Fire and the community’s ability to unite.

Costumes, bicycles, strollers and all non-motorized vehicles will be encouraged around this theme. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume and join the 4pm parade at 3170 Highway 50.

For more information, call (530) 577.5433 or go online.

By Steve Kubby

Two weeks ago, I suffered a mysterious and traumatic onset of violent vomiting. The attack lasted for four days and left me with severe ribcage pains and an inability to take more than a half breath.

Apparently, the cartilage in my rib cage had been badly stretched by all the vomiting, creating an extraordinary level of discomfort. I could not sleep more than an hour and only then in a special position that did not push against my rib cage.

I conferred with my doctor, who diagnosed my issue as costochondritis, an inflammation of the ribs’ junctions to the breastbone or sternum that causes chest pain. No broken ribs, but because it was cartilage, I was told it would take much longer than a fractured rib to heal. Even worse, he diagnosed me with first stage pneumonia as a result of the restricted breathing in my left lung. I’ve had pneumonia three times in my life and each time I had to be hospitalized, so this new development really disturbed me. Worst of all, my cannabis had zero effect upon the illness and I had to endure constant pain and nausea the entire time.

Steve Kubby

Then, I remembered the non-psychoactive CBD lozenges being patented and developed by my biotech research company, KPAL, and decided to give them a try. I had no idea if they would work since smoked cannabis had already failed me.

Within a few hours my pain level went from intense to mild. I could actually sleep in a bed. My lungs, kidneys and bowels quickly returned to normal function. Since then, I’ve been steadily improving on one lozenge a day.

Just a few days after starting the CBD lozenges, I revisited my chiropractor, David Borges, who had examined me when my symptoms were still severe. Borges told me he was stunned by my amazing return to health.

In fact, as the scientific studies about marijuana accumulate, it’s getting harder to understand why CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, which is naturally found in marijuana, but can’t get you high, remains illicit. A growing library of data demonstrating the profound health benefits of CBD, including the ability to fend off cancerous tumors, prevent diabetes and epileptic seizures, protect nerve cells from degradation and ward off anxiety. However, it is as an anti-inflammatory that CBD is in a class of its own, because it has few side effects and is extremely powerful in reducing inflammation anywhere in the body.

The U.S. government is not only very aware of the lifesaving powers of CBD, it actually owns the patent. Instead of fast tracking the development of CBD medicines, they’ve taken it off the market and, even though it can’t get you high, the DEA lists CBD as Schedule One Controlled Substance, with “no medical benefits” and a “high potential for abuse”.

Steve Kubby is a resident of South Lake Tahoe and is CEO of Kubby Patents and Licenses (KPAL).

By ScienceDaily

Results of a new U.S. Geological Survey study conclude that faults west of Lake Tahoe, referred to as the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone, pose a substantial increase in the seismic hazard assessment for the Lake Tahoe region of California and Nevada, and could potentially generate earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.3 to 6.9.

A close association of landslide deposits and active faults also suggests that there is an earthquake-induced landslide hazard along the steep fault-formed range front west of Lake Tahoe.

Faults lines are dashed where approximately located, dotted where concealed, bar and ball on downthrown side. Heavier line weight shows principal range-front fault strands of the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone. Opaque white boxes indicate approximate segment boundaries and right steps in range front separating principal fault strands. Map/James Howle-USGS

Using a new high-resolution imaging technology, known as bare-earth airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), combined with field observations and modern geochronology, USGS scientists, and their colleagues from UNR; UC Berkeley; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have confirmed the existence of previously suspected faults. LiDAR imagery allows scientists to “see” through dense forest cover and recognize earthquake faults that are not detectable with conventional aerial photography.

“This study is yet one more stunning example of how the availability of LiDAR information to precisely and accurately map the shape of the solid Earth surface beneath vegetation is revolutionizing the geosciences,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “From investigations of geologic hazards to calculations of carbon stored in the forest canopy to simply making the most accurate maps possible, LiDAR returns its investment many times over.”

Motion on the faults has offset linear moraines (the boulders, cobbles, gravel, and sand deposited by an advancing glacier) providing a record of tectonic deformation since the moraines were deposited. The authors developed new three-dimensional techniques to measure the amount of tectonic displacement of moraine crests caused by repeated earthquakes. Dating of the moraines from the last two glaciations in the Tahoe basin, around 21 thousand and 70 thousand years ago, allowed the study authors to calculate the rates of tectonic displacement.

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A U.S. Forest Service “Greatest Good” film will be shown at Explore Tahoe on May 29 for 2-3pm.

This is part of Wildfire Awareness Week.

Smokey Bear will arrive at 1:30.

The movie is free.

Explore Tahoe is in the Heavenly Village near Embassy Suites.

By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee

Raley’s declared an impasse in its labor negotiations Friday, ratcheting up tensions with its unionized workforce.

The move could push the West Sacramento supermarket chain to its first-ever strike. But employees will continue to work under terms of their current contract at least through June 6, when the contract expires.

By declaring an impasse, Raley’s could implement its “best and final” contract offer when the current pact runs out. The United Food and Commercial Workers could either go along with the offer or strike. It’s also possible that negotiations could resume.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union, though, said it was “baffled” by Raley’s announcement, saying additional negotiating sessions are already set.

“We are not at an impasse,” the union said in a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, this is just another example of the completely erratic behavior of the Raley’s bargaining committee. … Raley’s must stop posturing and focus on bargaining.”

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Meyers residents and community leaders are invited to attend a “Community Identity” session on May 30 to help guide and enhance the Meyers Community Identity as a framework for the next steps in land use planning including establishing community design standards.

The session will be informal.

The term “community identity” means different things to different people. Community identity can be broadly defined as a community of interest or an emotional attachment or sense of belonging to a geographic area.

The session will be at the Lake Valley Fire Station, 2211 Keetak St., Meyers, from 6:30-8:30pm.

By Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee

One week after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed slicing state workers’ pay by 5 percent, the Democratic governor and legislators find themselves targeted for a “share the pain” salary cut.

Members of California’s Citizens Compensation Commission said Monday that a pay-cut proposal for statewide officeholders will be on the table when the panel meets May 31.

Commissioner John Stites II said he supports a 5 percent cut for elected officeholders, from the governor to lawmakers.

“I definitely think they should take the same hit – at least,” Stites said. “Whatever happens to the people who work for you, whatever conditions they live under, it’s incumbent upon you to live under those same conditions.”

Brown projects a $15.7 billion budget shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and has proposed to bridge the gap with tax increases and program cuts, including a shift to a 38-hour, four-day workweek for state workers.

When he unveiled his revised proposal last week, Brown said his administration “would do more than what we ask state employees to do,” suggesting he and others would voluntarily take pay cuts.

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Cooler weather helped fire crews completely contain the Topaz Ranch Estates Fire, that consumed 7,500 acres south of Gardnerville.

The fire will be monitored over the next few days to ensure that the fire perimeter remains extinguished. Smoke may be visible from the fire area, as islands of green fuels may continue to burn out.

No injuries have been reported.

The cost for fighting the fire to date is estimated to be $3.4 million.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report