South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler was unaware his adult daughter went to El Dorado County traffic court on an infraction issued from a different agency.

He let Lake Tahoe News know about this on Saturday. His boss, City Manager Tony O’Rourke, knew none of the facts until after chastising Lake Tahoe News for inquiring about the issue.

O’Rourke continued to personally to attack this reporter through a series of emails for her initial question to Uhler: “Can you tell me anything about why your daughter was in court on a speeding ticket?”

Uhler told Lake Tahoe News his daughter wanted to handle this without him knowing about it. It was a basic speeding ticket.

Instead of the city trying to “spin” this into how this police chief does not ask for special treatment for his offspring, O’Rourke made it a story by denying the media public information. That was the story. For a city manager that continues to boast about being transparent, he muddied the waters.

The public has a right to know people with connections are treated the same as someone without – especially when this town has a history of favoritism.

— Kathryn Reed

Tough Mudder, a military-style obstacle course and one of the most difficult events in the country, has been nominated by readers of SportsTravel magazine for a SportsTravel Award.

The event is at Squaw Valley Sept. 17-18.

Criteria for nomination and voting include superior organization of and attendance at the event, an excellent experience for the competitors and/or spectators at the event, and how the site or venue served to enhance the event. Final balloting is open through Aug. 15, with the winners announced at the TEAMS ’11 Conference & Expo Oct. 3-6 in Las Vegas.

Vote online.

For the first time since its inception five years ago, KidZone Museum Family Camp is offering families the opportunity to join in on guided nature walks, art projects, science exploration, entertainment and home-cooked meals for just a day, skipping the overnight camping.

Family Camp is each year at Sagehen Creek, UC Berkeley’s field station where researchers are stationed to study the unique natural science that is found in the area. The station is 8.5 miles north of Truckee. Camp festivities start Aug. 12 and end Aug. 14. The cost for the weekend is $180 for adults and $80 for children; Saturday only camp cost is $45 for adults and $15 for children; evening programs run $25 for adults and $10 for children. Kids under 2 years of age are free.

At Family Camp, UNR scientists share their knowledge of the natural world with hands-on exploration of bugs, snakes and fish.

To sign-up to attend, call the Kidzone Museum at (530) 587.5437 Tuesday through Friday from 9am-1pm.

Homewood Mountain Resort officials will give a presentation on the proposed project Aug. 11 from 6-8pm in the Tahoe City Public Utility District board room. (221 Fairway Drive, Tahoe City)

This is an opportunity to learn more about the project and make your opinions known.

Additionally, there will also be some discussion during the meeting on the development of Community Plans by Placer County for the West and North Shores of Lake Tahoe. Placer County is developing the process and setting up local committees to work on the plans.

On Aug. 10, the South Lake Tahoe AAUW will host a summer get-together between 4:30 and 6pm at the Rotary

Gazebo at Bijou Community Park, 1201 Al Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

AAUW is a national organization which supports equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. Potential members are welcome and information about the local branch, including monthly speakers, interest groups and sponsorship of scholarships and camperships will be available.

Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact kmhende@charter.net or (530) 544.5150.

TAMBA’s Aug. 20 trail day will be work on the Christmas Valley trail. Work will include rounding turns, enhancing flow, bashing down square edge rocks, and fixing drainage problems.

Lunch and post work barbecue with drinks will be provided to all volunteers — plus some goodies to give away.

Meet at 9am at the lower parking lot on South Upper Truckee in Meyers.

By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe is running out of time to approve a medical marijuana ordinance. The two-year moratorium allowing the three collectives that operate here expires in November.

The City Council on Aug. 2 got a little closer to telling staff what they want – even though the discussion has been going on for years. On this particular day three hours were devoted to the topic.

If the city doesn’t approve an ordinance, the situation returns to pre-November 2009.

“Anyone could ask for a business license and open up shop,” City Attorney Patrick Enright told Lake Tahoe News after the meeting as to what happens if the council stalls.

While it doesn’t sound like any of the five council members is enthralled with the collectives being in town, they support the concept of medicinal marijuana. But more to the point, they don’t want more shops opening.

The major sticking point Tuesday was whether a collective could be sold or how a successor would take over or if that should even be allowed.

At the Aug. 23 meeting the electeds will likely have two scenarios presented by counsel – prohibit the transfer of operations or allow it under defined circumstances.

Chris Ziegler was at the meeting this week. He has tried to be the fourth dispensary – Mountain Collective. He hired former City Attorney Jacqueline Mittelstadt to represent him. However, the city is trying to deny that case from going forward by having her removed instead of fighting the case on its merits.

The issue with Mittelstadt is similar to what she went through (and won) with the State Bar when Councilman Bruce Grego and then Mayor Kathay Lovell tried to have her sanctioned.

Enright said the city is able to limit the number of pot shops because of secondary issues associated with them – namely the federal government doesn’t recognize marijuana as a legal drug under any circumstance.

What the council did decide was the collectives should stay in their respective locations and not be moved to the industrial area.

• CalStar’s helicopter based in South Lake Tahoe gets praise in an industry magazine.

• LakeTahoeLuxuryCruises.Com’s luxury charter yacht Francesca has switched to bio-diesel to be more environmentally sensitive.

• Lake Tahoe-Virginia City was ranked the fifth best place in the country by DogFriendly.com to travel with a dog.

• The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority will meet Aug. 10 at 9am at Lake Tahoe Airport to further discuss Measure R.

• California State Parks campgrounds will close after Labor Day.

By Vicki Barber

As the doors open to a new school year, more than 3.5 million children in the United States will enter kindergarten. Yes, really, that many. Kindergarten entry means schools all over the country are readying themselves for a new generation of learners. Just think, this will be the graduating class of 2024.

Getting a child ready for kindergarten is a large project. For some it may feel like it starts this month with the purchase of new clothes, pencils, and a ruler. But getting ready for kindergarten truly begins the day a child is born. Just breathing is a new experience. So is hearing and seeing. A first step is new. So is a first word. Any and all of these new experiences help children get ready for kindergarten.

Vicki Barber

I recently spent a few days with a 2½ -year-old little girl. She’s gaining words every moment. “What’s that?” “Where are you going?” “What are you doing?” She is curious about everything. She wants to attach a word to every item and event within her world. Her parents talk with her and encourage the questions. Although, I did notice a time or two when they requested a break, it is important they recognize that she is getting ready for kindergarten in her own way.

Preschool provides a marvelous opportunity to expand learning. Where else can a child learn about bunnies, goldfish, and sand play all in one place? Where else can a child make cookies and share them with friends in the same hour? Those friends may speak the same language or they may come from families speaking different languages. Over cookies, the language doesn’t matter a great deal. At the end of the day, they’ll all know the event was a tasty one and each will have words to describe the experience. They’re getting ready for kindergarten. From age zero to 5, every childhood experience is setting the stage and now we’ve arrived. It’s time for kindergarten.

This year the schools in El Dorado County are using a new screening tool. It’s called the KSEP, short for Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile. The information is used to help the teachers in the schools learn about the words, experiences, and thoughts a child brings to this new world of school. It helps school staff decide how to help each child take the next step into learning.

Education in the next 13 years will bring with it a great deal of excitement and learning. Like the first steps and the first words in the first five years, these years will bring more firsts, opening up an exciting world that includes reading, mathematics, science and social studies. Just as the first five years readied students for kindergarten, these next years will ready them for their lives — all 3.5 million of them.

Ready or not, here they come.

Vicki Barber is superintendent of El Dorado County Office of Education.

South Lake Tahoe Police-Fire Chief Brian Uhler’s daughter was in court this week on a traffic charge.

However, the city will not release information about the case to Lake Tahoe News.

Uhler did not respond to inquiries.

City Manger Tony O’Rourke in a series of emails Friday evening concluded the dialog by saying, “If she committed murder it warrants a story. Otherwise it does not rise to public relevance. Let me know what you find out.”

Preceding that comment Lake Tahoe News told O’Rourke that Kristen Uhler’s run-in with the law does not necessarily constitute a news story, but not releasing public information is a violation of the law by the city – and that does necessitate a story being written.

With it being after hours on a Friday, the court records through El Dorado County were not accessible.

— Kathryn Reed