A broad cross-section of the regional culinary scene will throw down the competitive gauntlet at the second annual Truckee RibFest slated for Father’s Day, June 19, at Citizens Bank Plaza from 1-6pm.

Those participating in this good-natured grudge match include Men Wielding Fire Fine Food Catering, PlumpJack Café, Sunnyside Restaurant, Smokey’s Kitchen, Char Pit, Six Peaks Grille, and Truckee Pizza, which will offer some kid-friendly options.

Last year an estimated 500 people got their oink on at the inaugural event.

Event organizers have lined up a number of excellent caterers and restaurants that will offer their own creative variations on ribs. The event will feature judging by industry professionals for best ribs in addition to a People’s Choice award.

A beer garden, children’s activity area, free entertainment and more will round out the festivities.

Truckee High School Boosters Club was selected to be the event’s nonprofit beneficiary.

Adult admission is $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the event. Admission includes entry, plus two food tickets. Each two-rib sampler costs two tickets. Sides can be purchased for one ticket. Admission for children 12 and under is $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the event. Children’s tickets include entry, access to a fun activity center, plus one special food ticket that can be redeemed for hot dogs, pizza and other kid-friendly options. Additional food tickets are available at $5 for two tickets.

For more information or tickets go online.

The Truckee RibFest is a fundraising event produced by Switchback Public Relations + Marketing Inc. For more information, call (530) 550.2252.

By Amanda Finnegan, Las Vegas Sun

After two years of declining revenues, the U.S. casino industry showed more stable results in 2010, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the American Gaming Association. Gross gaming revenue from commercial casinos totaled $34.6 billion in 2010, a nearly 1 percent increase from 2009.

The AGA this morning released its “State of the States” results, a survey that looks at how the commercial casino industry was affected last year through national and state economic data, as well as public opinion results. The 2010 survey combined the 22 states with commercial casinos and those with racetracks, which AGA President and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf said gives a more accurate depiction of the industry.

Stateline casinos have suffering in recent years. Photo/LTN

“Clearly, a 1 percent increase is not indicative of a complete recovery. This recovery is going to be slow and laborious, particularly because the national economy is still struggling to fully emerge from the recession. As consumer discretionary spending goes, so goes our industry. We’re not out of the woods yet, but this modest increase coming after two years of declining revenues is significant,” Fahrenkopf said on a conference call Wednesday discussing the results.

Consumer spending at Nevada casinos increased slightly in 2010 to $10.4 billion from $10.39 billion in 2009. Of the 21 states that had commercial casinos or racetracks in 2009, 14 saw increases in consumer spending during the year-over-year period, the report indicated.

Read the whole story

By Matt Weiser and Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee

Repairs to a Placer County water canal destroyed by a landslide could be at least a month away, water officials said, likely requiring mandatory water rationing for many customers starting next week.

A section of the Bear River Canal slid off a mountainside near Colfax on April 19. The canal, owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., is a crucial water source for the Placer County Water Agency, which serves 57,000 customers ranging from suburban residents in Roseville to farmers in the foothills.

The agency has been able to meet demand with other sources and stored water, avoiding harm to customers so far. But the agency’s board will consider declaring a water emergency at a special meeting Tuesday.

This would result in a mandatory 25 percent water rationing order for treated water customers in the Auburn and Bowman areas, while other areas of the county would be asked to reduce outdoor water use by 10 percent on a voluntary basis and to water only on alternate days.

The cuts would be deeper for untreated irrigation water customers. Small farmers around Auburn would see a mandatory 50 percent reduction, while the cut to commercial farms and golf courses would be 25 percent.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

The start of regular twice-weekly phone calls between Caltrans and Lake Tahoe officials began this morning.

South Shore folks are most concerned about the message that is being delivered by the media outside the Lake Tahoe Basin.

A KTVU-TV anchorwoman on the 10pm May 4 broadcast mentioned the closure over Echo Summit that begins May 11, but then erroneously added how there will be horrendous delays for weeks when the road is subject to controlled traffic.

The truth is this route in and out of the South Shore is wall-to-wall vehicles on any busy weekend – any season. What is different now is there is no snow to contend with, which means the other routes to get to the Bay Area and Sacramento will be an easy drive.

Caltrans is still not placing ads with local media outlets despite the fact that people outside the basin go to Lake Tahoe websites to get information about what is going on in Tahoe.

Caltrans has contacted media in Reno that has been delivering erroneous information.

Another meeting is scheduled for May 6 about outreach.

Mike Cook, local Caltrans project manager, told people during the May 5 conference call that contractor C.C. Myers has been mobilizing equipment. The pre-grade inspection with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is Friday.

Although there is a chance for rain May 9, that is still the date slated for initial delays, with full closure beginning some time May 11. The road will be closed for 10-14 days, with motorists rerouted via Highway 88 past Kirkwood into the South Shore. It adds a scenic 35 miles to the drive to South Lake Tahoe.

Caltrans is planning to have a press conference in Placerville May 11. Another one – more like a party – is planned for the day the work on the rock wall is done and traffic resumes over Echo Summit.

Here is the contractor’s Echo Summit schedule.

Here are Echo Summit closure facts.

• El Dorado County is hosting a meeting May 19 from 6-8pm at Lake Tahoe Airport to discuss redistricting issues that are likely to affect supervisorial representation of the South Shore as well as throughout the county.

• Tahoe Area Coordinating Council for the Disabled is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

• Denise Long, a former probation officer in South Lake Tahoe, has written “Survivor Kid.” It’s a book to help teens and younger kids to protect themselves.

• Lake Tahoe Unified School District received a $210,800 grant from the state to purchase notebooks for students in grades 4-8.

• AT&T is putting $216,000 worth of equipment into South Tahoe High School to bump up the broadband and WiFi connections to 4G at the school.

• The Truckee hotshot firefighting gang has been in Texas fighting the massive wildfire.

• Here are specifics about roadwork being done by Caltrans  in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

By Reno Gazette-Journal

The Reno Bike Project now is collecting art for the “We heART Bike” gallery that it will present at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort on May 14-15, in conjunction with the Amgen Tour of California bike race.

Submissions are open to everyone and are due on May 11.

Every item featured in the gallery will be for sale, of which 50 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Reno Bike Project.

Read the whole story

To the community,

Kathryn Reed reported that Bruce Grego and Kathay Lovell complained to the State Bar that Jacqueline Mittelstadt, former city attorney for the city, was guilty on two counts of misconduct. The Bar dismissed the complaint.

The Bar reported that Grego and Lovell filed “… the complaint in their official capacities as council member and mayor of the city of South Lake Tahoe.” Thus, Grego and Lovell are guilty of misfeasance. They acted as city officials without having the authority to do so from the city. Three members of the council had no knowledge that they filed their complaint. But it would appear to an outsider that the city had filed the complaint. That is false.

Bill Crawford

Grego’s complaint is the second time he has used his position as council member to mislead others to believe he was speaking for the city. He used the city’s letterhead when he spoke before Nevada’s state Legislature.

It is clear that Grego places himself above other council members. That’s especially so when he complained to the Bar. I say again that he and Lovell hadn’t the authority from the city to do so.

It is clear that the City Council must discipline Grego. He is not a free agent who can on any occasion speak for the city. As a former council member, one of the three kept in the dark, I look forward to the council tethering Grego’s bull before he destroys the credibility of city government.

Bill Crawford, South Lake Tahoe

By Kathryn Reed

Former South Tahoe High School security guard Larry Brown pleaded guilty last week to felony transportation of marijuana and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Brown, 64, was arrested in November 2009 in an incident involving marijuana and a 16-year-old female student. His employment with the school district was terminated shortly after his arrest.

Brown faces 45 days in jail and three years probation. He also must pay a $1,000 fine.

Other requirements per the settlement agreement include: staying off the premises of STHS unless present with advance written consent of school administration, no contact with the victim, and not being in a vehicle with any female between ages of 14 and 18 unless another adult is present or he is related to the person he is with.

“We spent a considerable amount of time and effort trying to come to the right outcome here. I met with the defense several times and also spoke with the victim and investigating officer, as well as listening to the audio recording of the incident made by the investigating deputy sheriff at least three times,” Hans Uthe, El Dorado County assistant district attorney, told Lake Tahoe News. “We gave significant consideration to the victim’s thoughts and to the absence of prior convictions of the defendant, but also factored in the need to address the conduct at hand, which we considered to be reasonably serious. Mr. Brown appears to be extremely remorseful about what appears to have been some bad decisions he made at a difficult time in his life, which decisions resulted in very serious personal, professional and legal consequences for him, all of which were also taken into consideration.”

Celebrate Amgen’s Tour of California  and support the students of St. Theresa School with several fun events:

May 14 3-5pm: Bicycle Poker Run, $10/hand, registration 1:30-2:45pm at Grace Hall corner of Lyons Avenue and Highway 50.

May 14 5-8pm: spaghetti dinner, $10 adults, $5 kids 12 and under, beer and wine available, Grace Hall.

May 15 9am- noon: pancake breakfast, donation basis, Grace Hall.

St. Theresa will be a prime viewing spot for the race — both as it heads out and then returns for its second pass through the South Shore.

By Kathryn Reed

The money train known as SNPLMA (or Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act) is making its final run to the Lake Tahoe Basin.

What this means is the millions of dollars that have floated to the region in the last decade will cease to exist after the round 12 dollars are allocated this summer and then distributed early next year.

More than $300 million has been spent in Lake Tahoe from the sale of federal land in Southern Nevada. The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee is taking comments until May 9 on proposed projects for the last round of money.

Fuels reduction projects are part of SNPLMA money -- with the idea of not having another Angora burn area. Photo/Kathryn Reed

These millions of dollars have gone toward the environmental improvement program that was started in 1997 after then President Bill Clinton’s visit to Lake Tahoe. That also launched the annual summer environmental summit.

Many of the 25 proposals received for round 12 funding are the same or similar in nature to previous requests. The themes are: forest health, watershed, water quality and habitat restoration, air quality and integrating science.

Here is some information about investments from 1997-2010.

The concern going forward is how the various agencies in the basin and local governments will come up with the necessary dollars to do the work required of them in the EIP.

“We’ll get pretty creative as partners,” said Jeff Marsolais, deputy forest supervisor for Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Although Marsolais has been in the basin for less than a year, he is finding people willing to work together for the common good and not being territorial. Part of this change to be more collaborative and cooperative was the result of the devastating 2007 Angora Fire that leveled 254 houses.

Fuels reduction projects are a huge component of SNPLMA funding – especially in recent years. The preliminary recommendation is to spend $3 million of the $34.1 million total in round 12 on the Carnelian Hazardous Fuels Reduction & Healthy Forest Restoration project. These types of projects around the lake could be funded in round 12.

“I don’t think we enjoyed that support or focus pre-Angora because of some of the political winds blowing at the time,” Guy LeFever, fire chief of Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District, said of fuels reduction projects. “Things totally changed 180 since then.”

Marsolais uses the example of the basin fire chiefs who were unable to get SNPLMA money for a white pine project being able to work with the Forest Service to get money to demonstrate creativity.

He and others are saying partnerships like that is what will keep money coming to Tahoe.

With reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act languishing in Congress and odds the California water bond on the November ballot will fail, the money well is dry.

Marsolais said it’s time to stop looking at one entity as the provider of money.

But specifics about where the millions of dollars are going to come from to keep up with state and federal mandates cannot be provided by anyone because the money isn’t there.

Marsolais also pointed to everyone needing to tie projects together in order to leverage dollars.

However, that isn’t exactly happening on the South Shore. The much talked about South Shore Hazardous Fuels Reduction & Healthy Forest Restoration project was stalled a bit under the previous LTBMU regime. Environmental documents on the project should be released by the end of this summer.

It calls for 10,000 acres to be treated in 10 years.

While the $1 million requested for the South Shore project in SNPLMA round 12 was not recommended by the Federal Advisory Committee in April to be funded, the Forest Service has socked away $16 million for the project for whenever it starts.

Had the wheels of government spun slightly faster, though, this project could have been done while South Lake Tahoe worked on its projects in the center of town – including the Lake Christopher project.