May is 31 tidbits about Lake Tahoe News month.

LTN tidbit No. 8:

Anne Knowles is Lake Tahoe News’ Nevada correspondent, though she is well versed on matters in California as well.

She has been a reporter for more than a quarter century. She covered the high-tech industry for 15 years in Boston and San Francisco for various technology publications including PC Week and Electronic Business before moving to Nevada.

For Lake Tahoe News, Knowles also fills in as editor when the publisher is taking a day or two or week off.

Here is information about becoming a paid subscriber.

What do writers have to say about Lake Tahoe? Find out at the “Tahoe Blues” reading at Lake Tahoe Community College on June 8 at 7pm.

Join Bona Fide Books and LTCC in celebrating the release of the latest Bona Fide book, “Tahoe Blues”.

Writers will dive into their tales — tall and true alike. This is part of the LTCC Writers Series.

The inaugural “Tahoe Blues” reading will be at LTCC’s Ledbetter Terrace, and will include several LTCC alumni who are featured in this collection.

Other events are planned throughout the summer around the basin and in Reno, Truckee and Placerville. The book will also be available in several local outlets around town. For more information about “Tahoe Blues”, go online.

Books will be on sale and authors ready to sign them.

The reading is free.

• Douglas County School District board of education is having a budget meeting May 17 at 5pm at Douglas High School.

• Every Wednesday in May is $3 skating at the South Lake Tahoe ice rink from 1-5:30pm for all Lake Tahoe Unified School District Students. Fee includes skate rentals.

• Eric Campbell has taken over as manager of Bank of the West in South Lake Tahoe.

• Primo’s restaurant is open in the Hill’s Center of South Lake Tahoe.

• Jade Garden is the current name of the Chinese restaurant at the corner of Highway 50 and Tahoe Keys Boulevard in South Tahoe.

To the community,

On May 1, I addressed the City Council. I said to the council that the city manager had screwed up the ice rink contract. The city manager took exception to my statement. But the facts support what I said. Examples are many.

The first contract was trashed because it violated federal tax laws. Presently, the rink is operating under a contract that expired on Feb. 1. On May 1, the city manager pressed the council to accept a new contract that would be for 20 years. The council rejected the deal because the contractor has not presented a business plan to the council. And the contractor has not shown any capital improvement money up front. An argument was made by Councilmember [Tom] Davis that the contractor needs a 20-year deal to carry to a bank to borrow money.

Bill Crawford

Davis’ argument suggested that the contractor isn’t rolling in dough, doesn’t have the necessary finances to operate under a 10-year contract that the council would support. The argument is fallacious. If a borrower can show a bank character, capital and capacity, borrowing shouldn’t be a problem.

Bottom line is the council sent the request for a 20-year deal back to staff. The city manager lost the argument after he made a loud contentious statement for the contractor that revealed just how impetuous he is; a character flaw for sure.

Bill Crawford, South Lake Tahoe

PS: Where will they put the second sheet of ice? The county owns the nearby land.

On May 24 from 7:30-9:30pm there will be a free curling clinic at the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena.

Participation is limited to the first 20 people who reserve a spot.

Participants should dress in warm clothes, clean, close-toed, athletic rubber soled shoes and gloves.

For more information or to sign up, call (530) 544.7465.

By Kathryn Reed

When those in education take a stance against colleagues – as in administrators vs. unions, K-12 v. community colleges, classified vs. certificated – the message the public hears is disenfranchisement among the ranks.

“We are more defined by what separates us than what binds us,” Dean Vogel told a group of educators Monday night at Lake Tahoe Community College.

Vogel, who has been president of the California Teachers Association for nearly a year, was invited to speak by the college’s Classified Employees Union and Faculty Association. The former just unionized and joined the CTA.

CTA President Dean Vogel speaks May 7 at Lake Tahoe Community College. Photo/Kathryn Reed

“What we don’t do enough of is coming together and talking in groups like this,” Vogel said.

An array of people was in the college theater – from K-12 teachers to LTCC’s president to a college board member.

Vogel said it’s time people in the profession start having conversations with parents and the community as a whole so they know what is going on, so they understand what is happening in the classroom, the impact of decisions by people who are far removed from the classroom, and what funding cuts mean.

“I’ve yet to meet a teacher who says all this testing stuff makes good sense,” Vogel said.

But he says when he meets with Arne Duncan, U.S. secretary of Education, and others in Washington the talk is all about testing.

“They don’t understand they have the capacity to stop this,” Vogel said of the nonstop testing of students. “The argument always is you have to assess kids. They don’t understand what that means.”

Computer based assessment of students could be a federal mandate in 2015. But the technology is not there for everyone.

Vogel added that policymakers have talked about funding universities based on how students test out. He touched on how a degree from a CSU or UC used to be within reach for a middle class family. Now it can be $35,000 – what Stanford used to cost.

Money and testing are the two words that permeate discussions about education. Students and learning seem to have been lost in the conversation.

That may not change as another election season gets under way.

Vogel said it’s critical the education community tap into the 73 percent of voters who are happy with their schools. Vogel said it’s important to look at people who have voted in the past five elections. Those are solid voters.

With Gov. Jerry Brown expected to release the May revised budget for 2012-13 next week, all eyes are on Sacramento. But already those in education know the coffers will be diminished if voters say nay to the governor’s proposal on the November ballot. That is money to keep funding levels – not something to add to the bottom line.

By Joshua Fenton

When it comes to our health, no one likes to be surprised. Cancer can strike anyone at any age, and breast cancer is most common among women. Although most abnormalities detected in the breast are not cancerous or life-threatening, most breast cancers are invasive, which is why early detection through screening is important. Think about this:

•  230,480 cases of invasive breast cancer in the U.S. were estimated to be diagnosed in 2011 in women and 2,140 in men. And 95 percent of the new cases will occur in women 40 years of age and older.
• According to the California Cancer Registry, 310 new breast cancer cases are expected in 2012 in Placer County and 150 in El Dorado County.
• According to the National Cancer Institute, there is strong evidence that mammography (X-ray of the breast) screenings for women between the ages of 50 and 69 lower the risk of breast cancer by 30 percent, and for women in their 40s, the risk of breast cancer is lowered approximately 17 percent.

However, studies on mammography have shown that false positives (when mammogram results are abnormal but no cancer is present) occur commonly. Meanwhile, the benefits of mammography are similar whether mammograms are performed every year or every other year. Over time, however, women getting mammograms every other year experience fewer false positives. Experts still agree that regular screenings are important for early identification before cancer spreads beyond your breast.

Although radiation exposure is a potential risk of mammography, keep in mind that one mammogram exposes you to roughly the same level of radiation as flying across the U.S. on a commercial jet.

How can you take charge and reduce your risk of breast cancer?

•  Know your family history, and share it with your doctor. If your mother or a sister had breast cancer, let your doctor know so they can factor that into recommendations for you. Eat healthfully, be physically active, and drink moderately (no more than one drink per day on average).
• Ask your doctor to thoroughly explain the risks of taking hormones, like estrogen and progestin, if you’re considering this treatment option for menopause.
• Take advantage of breast screenings. Talk with your doctor about how often you should get screened, and ensure the plan is tailored to your particular risks and age. Screening recommendations are based on several factors: age, genetic background or risks, family/personal history and breast density. Current evidence supports the following recommendations:
• If you’re between 40 and 50 years old, the decision to begin breast cancer screening is a personal one that should be based on your underlying risk and personal preferences. Your doctor can help you may make the right decision about initiating screening.
• If you’re between 50 and 74 years old, get a mammogram approximately every two years. Your doctor may also recommend a screening clinical breast examination prior to the mammogram.
• If you’re older than 74, screening may still be beneficial if you are in good health. Ask your doctor whether continuing with mammography makes good clinical sense for you.

While the benefits of breast screening are clear, women can also decrease their breast cancer risk by maintaining an active, healthful lifestyle.

Joshua Fenton is assistant professor in Family and Community Medicine at UC Davis and a member of the National Cancer Institute-designated UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Bert’s Cafe in South Lake Tahoe is having a spaghetti fundraiser for Tahoe Arts Project on May 17 from 5:30-7:30pm.

For $10 people get pasta, Caesar salad, garlic bread, soda and coffee.

Call TAP for a ticket — (530) 542.3632.

Jacob Quinn from the U.S. Forest Service will present information on the Fallen Leaf Lake project on May 16 at 6:30pm at the South Lake Tahoe branch library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.

He will provide details about the goals of the project and a proposed timeline for for its completion.

To help residents manage vegetative waste, Truckee is expanding its free fire safety yard waste drop-off program.

From June 1-16, Truckee residents may drop-off up to 6 yards (approximately 40 bags) of vegetative material for free at the Eastern Regional Landfill at 900 Cabin Creek Road, Monday–Saturday from 8am-4pm.

In order to participate, people must live within the town limits and be able to prove residency with a photo ID or an out-of-town photo ID with a utility bill.

If yard waste is transported in bags, you will be required to empty the bags to take advantage of free disposal.

Multiple trips are permitted.

Questions and comments may be directed to Nichole Dorr at (530) 582.2909 or ndorr@townoftruckee.com.