Project Wild & Wild Aquatic Educator Training workshops will be March 26 and April 7 form 9:30am-4pm at the U.S. Forest Service Office at 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

The cost is $15 fee.

The Tahoe Resource Conservation District and USFS are partnering to host the workshops. Project WILD provides resources and activity ideas to promote wildlife awareness and education.

The 6.5 hour training will offer participants background information for presenting standards-based education programs to K-12 students in a fun, engaging way.

To register, contact Sarah Ford at sford@tahoercd.org.

By Bill O’Driscoll, Reno  Gazette-Journal

Ashley Gonzales is all of 23 years old, but she has mapped out a clear future. She plans to open her own business, a teen center, in Carson City.

First will come night classes this fall leading to a business degree. Then, she said, she’ll be ready to pursue a haven for Carson-area teenagers.

“I want to see youth succeed rather than get into trouble. I saw it firsthand,” she said. “The way society is going, with gangs and drugs, I fear for children. I really want to do this.”

Gonzales’ drive to control her future is reflected in a recent nationwide survey by Reno-based Employers insurance showing nearly half — or 46 percent — of Generation Y Americans ages 18-25 plan to start their own business in the next five years.

Of the next age group, Gen Xers ages 26-45, about 35 percent stated the same goal, according to the survey.

The do-it-yourself spirit doesn’t surprise local entrepreneurs, especially in the face of economic recession. In the greater Reno-Sparks region, unemployment topped 13 percent in all but one of the past 12 months.

Read the whole story

Lake of the Sky Garden Club March meeting is at Gar Woods restaurant in Carnelian Bay on March 28 from 3:30-5:30pm.

Local artist Cornelia Kallerud’s will give a hands-on demonstration of basket weaving.

Lake of the Sky Garden Club meets monthly from March to October.

On July 30 from 10am-4pm, Lake of the Sky Garden Club will host its 23rd annual garden tour, the 2011 Truckee Garden Tour. Proceeds from this tour will fund scholarships to encourage study in landscaping, horticulture, forestry or environmental science and up to $6,000 in grants to local community projects.

Last year’s Lake Tahoe West Shore Garden Tour sold out at 500 tickets.

Truckee Garden Tour tickets are $20. Mail check to Lake of the Sky Garden Club, P.O. Box 1827, Tahoe City, CA 96145.

Lake of the Sky Garden Club has grant funds available for Lake Tahoe community-related garden projects and student scholarships. To obtain an application, contact Sharon Gayat sharongay@hotmail.com or call Emily Hatch, (530) 582.8487, or email her at jimxem@sbcglobal.net. Applications must be received by April 15.

By Kenny Curtzwiler

The problem with the TRPA now is they have gotten so far from their original mandate that even they don’t remember what it was.

I am really surprised Mayor Hal Cole has not jumped on this as he is a contractor and has several firsthand nightmare stories with them.

Kenny Curtzwiler

I do feel we need the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, though, but only in the capacity of enhancing water clarity, i.e.: BMPs, runoff controls, free transportation system and bike paths. No need to be redundant with the city, county, state and federal agencies that are implementing most of the same policy and standards not to mention the League to Save Lake Tahoe and Sierra Club.

I got an award for Best in the Basin a couple of years ago and the following is what I read to the board as an acceptance speech and I don’t think it’s gotten any better.

Thank you for your recognition and award for the building. This project was the first of its kind in the Tahoe basin and El Dorado County in over 25 years and I honestly hope it will be the last.

There was not one agency I dealt with, and I dealt with over 25 of them through the county of El Dorado alone, that had a clue as to how to go about creating, developing or moving this project forward. That was left up to me.

Only after I submitted something would the agencies begin their mitigation, litigation and extortion of the project. Two agencies, TRPA, specifically Norma Santiago and Dave Landry, and the Meyers Community Plan folks, were the only ones who were proactive in helping me through this project as they showed they cared and were willing to try and get through this nightmare.

Every other agency, specifically El Dorado County and Sierra Pacific Power, I had to deal with all had the same initial reaction and statement — “I can put a stop to this because” and “What a great idea, this is what we need up here” in that order. Due to the overwhelming power of total oversight of all aspects of construction and myriad regulations, it would be easy to put all the blame on the TRPA, but I really want to share the nightmare equally amongst them all. The TRPA has created a monster all their own through the continued overseeing of every phase of the construction and implementation of all county, city, state and federal rules and regulations. Every phase and fee of this project was doubled due to the fear of the TRPA and all the regulations that could put a stop to my project at any time, the other agencies wanted to be the one to save the environment and damn the TRPA.

The petty squabbling and backstabbing put me in the middle every time I had to deal with it; my lips are sore. To truly understand what I went through and understand my reasoning to never want to see another project like this. I would like the TRPA Governing Board to purchase a lot and build a multi-use, multi-family, commercial and residential property, only in this way can you see the actual effects all your regulations are having on the destruction of this place I call home. We can’t have it both ways. Either we save the environment and destroy the local economy up here or we continue development and destroy the lake.

To add a little icing to this cake I am zero and 13 on getting a commercial loan and will probably lose the building anyway. (I did lose the building to foreclosure as my lender was unwilling to work with me on a 11 percent loan.) I could not have picked a worse time in history or location to build a future. My sympathies to Randy Lane.

If the true goal of the TRPA is to maintain and increase the clarity of the lake it should take the following steps.

1. Declare a permanent moratorium on all new construction

2. Get out of the construction business and back into the environmental business

3. Place a limit on the number of boats allowed on the lake.

Once again, thank you for this award .

Kenny Curtzwiler owns and operates K&K Services in Meyers.

Michael David Cocores passed away suddenly at his home in Gardnerville, Nev., on March 17, 2011.

He was 45.

Mike was born Jan. 24, 1966. He was raised in South Lake Tahoe. He attended Tahoe Valley Elementary, South Tahoe Middle School, and graduated from South Tahoe High in 1984. Mike took all honors classes, but was best known for his music ability. He was awarded Best Musician his freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years.

Mike Cocores

Mike also loved basketball, and played until his junior year when a knee problem forced him to quit.

Mike was instrumental in getting his childhood friend his first guitar and taught him how to play bass. That person is Chuck Garric — the current bass player for Alice Cooper.

Upon graduating high school Mike spent a year at the Musicians Institute of Technology, where he met and tutored a student who later became Michael Jackson’s bass player. During his time in Los Angeles, his rock group was named the No. 1 “underground rock band.”

After a few years, Mike returned to South Lake Tahoe and went to work with his Dad, Pete, and became the third generation to join the business. He worked for more than 20 years at Ted’s Electric.

He continued to play his music with many bands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and was written up several times regarding his outstanding ability. Mike’s love of music never left him, but did take backstage with the birth of his son, Taylor Michael Cocores.

Mike eventually moved to Gardnerville, and commuted to the lake each day for work. He spent all his leisure time watching Taylor learn to motocross, and taking him to various competitions in Nevada. Taylor loves his dirt bike, but also took after his Dad’s love of music and plays guitar. Mike was so proud of Taylor’s accomplishments and many times the phone would ring and all you could hear was the sound of dirt bikes and Mike yelling into the phone reporting how Taylor was doing in the race.

Mike is survived by his 14-year-old son Taylor Michael Cocores of Gardnerville; parents Pete and Peggy Cocores of South Lake Tahoe; brother John Cocores (Cheryl) and his sons Christopher and Ryan of South Lake Tahoe; sister Heather Cocores-Thomas and her children Sierra, Aaron, and Rachel Thomas of South Lake Tahoe; and his faithful dogs Coda and Stitches.

The family plans a celebration of life in the next couple weeks and will announce the date as soon as possible. Any questions may be directed to Mike’s sister Heather at (505) 944.5729, or Mike’s brother John at (530) 544.2918.

We will always miss you Mike.

Your Loving Family.

Zephyr Water Utility District plans to replace water lines this summer that at times leak 50 percent of the water being pumped.

The district provides drinking water to the Zephyr Cove area.

The proposed project would replace pipes on Lakeview Drive and Lakeview Court. The project also would include replacement of the ozone generators at the treatment plan. One of the two generators doesn’t work. Both are 14 years old, with replacement parts not available. That is why officials are proposing to replace both generators.

The district plans to use $1 million from Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Assistance.

That agency is taking comments on the project. Contact Adele Basham at (775) 687.9488 or abasham@ndep.nv.gov.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

As the flakes continue to fall in the Lake Tahoe Basin and berms left by snowplow drivers are chiseled away, there will be little time to let go of the shovel.

A couple more inches of snow are expected today, Tuesday will be drier, and Wednesday may bring 1 to 2 feet of snow. Snow is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, too.

A snowboarder waits March 21 for a bus on Highway 50 in South Tahoe. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Here are snow totals from the NWS as of 10am March 21 for the last 24 hours:

• South Lake Tahoe – 21 inches

• Truckee – 18 inches

• Carson City – 2.5 inches

• Gardnerville – 4.5 inches.

This morning troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol responded to and investigated nearly two dozen weather-related fender benders. From just after midnight until approximately 10 this morning, 23 accidents were reported on the highways in Northern Nevada.

Nineteen of the crashes were property damage only, with the remaining four events having some type of injuries sustained. Most of the injuries observed this morning were either self-reported or minor in nature.

Twenty-one of the accidents were reported in Washoe County, while only two took place in Douglas County.

Speed too fast for conditions was the primary cause in all of the unplanned events this morning.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Douglas County sheriff’s, South Lake Tahoe police and Carson City sheriff’s are offering a free training called Crime Free Multi-Housing Program April 11 from 8am-5pm.

It is being offered to all local multi-family housing, manufactured housing, vacation rental owners, managers, and property management companies.

It will be at Lakeland Village in South Lake Tahoe.

A second training will be April 12 from 8am–5pm at Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Building, Minden.

Preregister by calling (775) 790.6694 or email laketahoecrimefreeprograms@msn.com.

Princess is 6 years old and loves to cuddle.

She came to the animal shelter wither her grey and white friend Grable when their owner moved away to college and her grandparents could no longer look after us due to their ill health.

They have never been outside and have never been apart, so they are looking for an indoor only home where they could be together.

They have lived with children, but no other cats or dogs.

They are is spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated. They is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes.

Call (530) 573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

– Susan Baumflek

The snow has not stopped falling.

Roads are still messy.

Lifts are likely to have some issues as resorts dig out and winds affect operations higher up.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.