The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 10 tonight through 5pm Friday.

Four to 8 inches of snow are expected at the lake, with up to a foot above 7,000 feet.

Wind will be a big factor. It already has been. For one commuter going over Spooner Summit on Thursday morning it felt like her truck was being blown up the highway as she descended into Carson City.

Mother Nature is making it hard for flowers in Tahoe to survive. Photo/LTN

There won’t be much difference between the high and low temperatures on Friday – 31 and 23 degrees, respectively.

The weekend will be a mixed bag. A chance of snow Saturday with a high of 42 in South Lake Tahoe, and mostly sunny Sunday with temps reaching 47.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Kathryn Reed

The Lahontan Water Quality Control Board has hired an executive director from outside the agency to replace Harold Singer who is retiring.

Patty Zwarts will be leaving her position with CalRecyle where she works in the Materials Management and Local Assistance Division. She was not available for comment.

Patty Zwarts

It’s possible she will be at the Lahontan staff meeting next week.

The board made the decision Thursday morning. Board President Don Jardine did not return a phone call.

Singer told Lake Tahoe News he does not know when his last day will be. A start date for Zwarts has not been set either.

Lake Tahoe News first reported about Singer’s impending departure in December.

Asked April 12 if he had anything to say about his long tenure with the water board, Singer said he would have to think about it. He did say he plans to spend more time with family and friends, and enjoying Tahoe.

Zwarts has experience working with the state water board. And with CalRecycle and the water board being under the CalEPA, she is quite familiar with the parent organization.

Zwarts grew up in the Salinas area, then went to CSU Sacramento where in 1983 she earned a degree in government.

Before going to work for CalRecycle she was deputy secretary as well as assistant secretary for Policy and Legislation with CalEPA. Zwarts was the director of legislative and external affairs at the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Zwarts previously served as legislative manager and legislative analyst at CIWMB and the state Water Resources Control Board.

Who will take over the old Kingsbury Middle School is still an unknown.

No written bids came in before the April 10 Douglas County school board meeting and none was verbally delivered that evening. The asking price is $4 million. State law doesn’t allow for negotiating the price. Rules also limit the type of future uses.

Superintendent Lisa Noonan told Lake Tahoe News the item will be on the July agenda, with the idea it will be before the board every three months until it’s sold.

Noonan said it would take the property in Stateline being on the market for a year for her to get discouraged. Plus, she is hoping with the weather changing, perspective buyers can see the parcel without it covered in snow, and see the potential it has.

— Kathryn Reed

The Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus is celebrating its 10th year with two concerts.

The first is April 21 at 7pm and the second is April 22 at 2pm. Both are at the Resort at Squaw Creek.

Tickets are $15 for adults. Children are free.

The program will include highlights of past concerts and includes a wide variety of styles: Broadway, light opera, pop, gospel, classical, and contemporary music.

The Diablo Valley Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany the chorus.

The 4th annual Carson Valley Days Grass Volleyball Tournament is June 10 at Lampe Park in Gardnerville.

Adults play 4 on 4, youth (under 18) play 6 on 6. Adult categories are Open, Coed, or Women; youth are grouped by school grades.

There is a guarantee of three matches in pool play, plus elimination playoff in each division. Some divisions may be combined to maintain competitive numbers.

Cost is $15 per adult team member; $5 per youth team member.

Click here for an entry form or call (775) 782.9828 for information.

The Spring Mixer Tennis Tournament in Carson City is May 20.

This is more of a social event to meet and play tennis with people you may not know. People will be paired with different players to play doubles all day.

All ages are welcome. Entry fee is $10.

Send application request to carsontennisclubnv@gmail.com.

Caltrans starting Thursday morning will be testing its avalanche devices near Echo Summit.

People living and working in the Christmas Valley and Meyers areas should expect to hear loud booms.

Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative is looking for members.

The group wants to coordinate sustainability efforts and help define and implement a sustainability action plan. This is a new group facilitated by Michael Ward.

The deadline to apply online is April 19. For information, call (530) 686.5510.

Woodcutting permits for the Tahoe National Forest may be purchased beginning May 2.

The price for permits is $15 per cord with a two-cord minimum and an annual 10-cord maximum per household.

Permits can be obtained at all TNF Ranger Stations, the forest headquarters or by mail. Applications for mail-in permits can be found online under “Passes and Permits”. Firewood season will extend into the fall, until rain and snow traditionally make the roads impassable.

In general, the woodcutting permit allows removal of dead and down wood on TNF system lands unless otherwise designated. It does not allow cutting on private land. Trees may not be cut if marked with paint, wildlife signs, boundary signs, other official signs or in areas closed to woodcutting.

Wood cutters are also reminded that they are required to keep a serviceable shovel at least 46 inches long and an approved fire extinguisher (2 pound dry chemical or 1 pound foam type – ABC or greater) within 25 feet of where saws are being operated. All gasoline-powered saws and other internal combustion engines such as motorized splitters must have a USFS approved spark arrester installed. Transportation load tickets will be issued along with the permit.

For more information on the woodcutting program and the woodcutting hotlines, call (530) 587.2158.

By Sarah Jones

Water is a limited resource that is vital to our everyday existence. By participating in a Water–Wise House Call your household could save thousands of gallons of water per year. Not only are you helping the environment by using water more efficiently, these water savings translate into money savings on your water bills.

Upon request, a water efficiency specialist will visit your home, assess your water usage and give you customized water savings tips. By participating in this program you are eligible for free water savings devices and rebates for up to $500 per household.

A Water-Wise House Call consists of inspecting indoor and outdoor living areas. The first item to address is identifying leaks. This can be done by checking the water pressure and meter. Leaks can be responsible for wasting thousands of gallons of water per year. A leaky toilet alone can waste 74,000 gallons of water in a three-month period. Appliances are inspected such as the clothes washer, toilets and faucets. Each customer receives an indoor water conservation kit that includes low flow showerheads, faucet aerators, dye test, toilet flapper and a flow measurement bag.

A trained specialist will:

· Check meter reading and water pressure.

· Check toilets and other plumbing fixtures for leaks.

· Provide toilet flapper valves if needed.

· Measure showerhead flow rates and provide free low flow showerheads upon request.

· Measure faucet flow rates and provide faucet aerators for kitchen and bathrooms.

· Evaluate the efficiency of your irrigation system and provide an appropriate irrigation schedule.

· Assess irrigation sprinkler uniformity and water runoff characteristics.

· Analyze irrigation and drainage systems and provide maintenance, repair or replacement recommendations.

· Provide water conservation program materials, rebate applications and water-wise home and landscaping tips.

By participating in a Water-Wise House Call you will be eligible for rebates for water efficient appliances such as clothes washers, high efficiency toilets and hot water on demand systems. By installing more efficient water fixtures and checking for leaks, households can reduce daily per capita water use by 35 percent. On average, customers who have received a Water-Wise House Call have saved more than 45,000 gallons of water annually

Rebates available to South Tahoe Public Utility District customers:

(Terms and conditions apply)

High efficiency toilets: Receive 50 percent up to $100 rebate for replacing your older (pre-1992) with a new 1.28 gallon per flush model or a dual flush toilet 1.1gpf/1.6gpf. Go online or look for the Watersense label.

Water efficient clothes washers: Receive a $200 rebate for purchasing and installing a high efficiency clothes washer with a water factor of 5.0 or less. Before you buy, view a list of qualifying washers or visit STPUD online to find out more information.

Hot water demand system: Receive a $100 rebate for installing an approved hot water demand system. This is not a tankless water heater rebate. Call for details.

Irrigation efficiency rebate: Based on the recommendations of the Water Efficiency Specialist you may be eligible to receive up to $400 for upgrading your irrigation system with new, high efficiency equipment. The program covers 50 percent of eligible parts and 25 percent of the labor to install them.

For more information contact me at (530) 386.3830 or sjones@stpud.dst.ca.us.

Sarah Jones is a water conservation specialist with South Tahoe Public Utility District.