To the commmunity,

The Tahoe Community Church Food Pantry would like to say thank you for the support from this community.

Thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe for their very generous donation of $1,000. Thank you to the Girl Scout Troop No. 238 for their donation of non-perishable food. Thank you to the Key Club at George Whittell High School and the parents of the Tahoe Douglas Christian Preschool for the donation of gifts for the children, who might not have received any gifts this Christmas if not for their generosity.

Thank you to the anonymous donors and all those who have generously given cash donations that support the Food Pantry at Tahoe Community Church. You help make it possible for us to help those in need in our community.

Kathy Pavich

By Kathryn Reed

The general manager and the 17-member management group of South Tahoe Public Utility District will not be getting a pay raise for the next 18 months.

Negotiations are continuing with the union regarding a one-year extension of their contract that expires at the end of June.

“The board has made it clear they want to get it buttoned up sooner rather than later,” STPUD spokesman Dennis Cocking said.

He said no agreement has been reached, but he does not foresee raises on the horizon.

The 18-month deal for the small group is so everyone’s contracts will be up at the same time.

According to Cocking, the management group does not believe now is the time to make adjustments to salaries and therefore agreed to the freeze. This is the third year in a row this group has not received a raise.

The utility has not implemented any furlough days or reductions in pay.

One thing that sets STPUD apart from cities and counties is the revenue sources. The district does not rely on sales, income or hotel tax. Instead it gets money from ratepayers, property taxes, reserves and borrowing.

Another thing keeping South Tahoe PUD solvent is not having unfunded debt in its retirement plan.

At the 2pm Jan. 6 meeting the STPUD board is expected to approve General Manager Richard Solbrig’s five-year contract. It is not known when the union’s contract will be on the agenda.

By JT Davis

Steve Kubby recently posted an op-ed piece, personally attacking me and my father. I am here to set the record straight once and for all. First, I have never made any threats to Kubby or his safety as a resident of Lake Tahoe. Second, just because I choose to work in a particular profession, I was writing my opinions as a concerned citizen of Lake Tahoe.

Last I checked Lake Tahoe is as much my town as Kubby’s. I was born and raised in the community, own a home, pay taxes and am raising my family in this community.

JT Davis

I am very concerned with what Kubby’s agenda is for Lake Tahoe. I do not want Lake Tahoe becoming the Marijuana Mecca and I am very uncomfortable with my children growing up and believing that getting high, smoking marijuana or engaging in the use of controlled substances is either acceptable or responsible.

I never made any comments regarding my profession and never targeted Kubby legally, yet he decided to write in his piece that he is very concerned because of the particular job that I do. Kubby also stated he was very concerned because the comments I made are accusations and have somehow mounted to a racial or ethical slander. Mr. Kubby, I am not a racist and think it’s very low and disgusting that you made such a claim. I guess the truth and facts hurt when they are not what you want exposed. You claim I made incriminating and inflammatory comments about you smoking 12 joints a day. Yet you admitted in your You Tube video entitled “The Steve Kubby Story Part 1” “there it is, 1.3 grams, the standard Kubby joint.” In addition to that, the article piece stated that you smoke up to one dozen [12] joints each day. You smile and brag about how your favorite strain of marijuana is a special blend from Ecuador.

Like I said I guess using your own facts and words are used against you, it’s too much to handle. But so the readers and you see that I’m not making anything up, and simply using your own words.  The comments are made at 3minutes and 18 seconds into the clip.

Kubby says he supports the First Amendment and doesn’t support personal attacks, yet he has turned around and personally attacked me knowing very little to nothing about who I am or what I do.

Mr. Kubby, discourse is a two-way street and it now seems that you support the First Amendment only when it benefits or paints you in a positive light.

My father and I never slandered or smeared you during the campaign. Last I checked our campaign focused on why Tom (Davis) was the right leader to lead on the City Council, we focused on his credentials, experience and vision for the community. Also you came in seventh or eighth out of 11 candidates, and lost by more than a small number of votes, so your conspiracy theory that we somehow ran a smear campaign against you can’t be further from the truth.

As I recall, it was Steve Kubby that continued to bring the marijuana issue up during the campaign and at the forums and linked every issue to marijuana.

Finally, you really don’t understand the law like you think that you do. First, it is still illegal in all 50 states to drive under the influence of alcohol, Rx drugs, marijuana and other controlled substances. Many of those who are medical marijuana patients feel that their status gives them the right to do what they want and even drive while intoxicated. Three in five DUIs are now marijuana and not alcohol related. Additionally, to prove a DUI, impairment must be observed and proven, simply having aged marijuana metabolites in your system will not prove DUI.

I take my profession very seriously and am very professional in what I do. If you lived in my jurisdiction and I was called to your residence to handle an issue or crime, I would treat you with the respect that all citizens deserve and would be thorough and professional in conducting my job.

Being a marijuana patient doesn’t give anyone the right to think they are above the law. Marijuana is illegal in Nevada and many other states and it is illegal to be in possession and to use the substance. As a libertarian your position should be to protect and respect states’ rights.

Lastly, I will not be censured as you emailed my dad and asked him to censure me. I respect and support the Constitution and the laws of the land, but I will point out and enforce the loopholes that people use to their advantage, or those that people abuse and/or take advantage of.

My dad is both very disappointed and upset regarding your comments. Yet, my dad has some other serious concerns with you but he is willing to sit down and discuss with you personally.

Now I hope the record is set straight.

JT Davis was campaign manager for his father, Tom Davis, who successfully ran for South Lake Tahoe City Council in November 2010.

Although it’s starting off a little chilly, a gorgeous day in the forecast. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee

Prosecutors in the Jaycee Lee Dugard kidnapping case are asking a judge for access to an audiotaped interview of kidnapping suspect Phillip Garrido, saying the tape made in the El Dorado County Jail two weeks ago is needed for them to prepare for an upcoming trial that will determine Garrido’s mental state.

The taped interview was conducted by Dr. David Glassmire, an expert appointed by El Dorado Superior Court Judge Douglas Phimister to assess Garrido’s mental competence. Jail officials taped his interview “on or about” Dec. 18, court documents released Monday indicate.

In the documents, prosecutors say they asked jail officials Dec. 20 to “turn over the audio recordings so that we could copy and discover the audio to the defense.”

But jail officials refused, citing a court order that had been issued Dec. 15 requiring the tape to remain sealed until Glassmire’s written report is issued, prosecutors said. The judge indicated when he appointed Glassmire on Dec. 2 that he expected it to take 60 days for a mental exam and written report to be completed.

Read the whole story

Performance Nutrition for Winter Sports is the title of Dana Lis’ program. The registered dietitian will speak Jan. 11 at 6pm at Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.

A no-host bar opens at 5:30pm.

A $5 donation is requested. With valid student ID it’s free.

Whether training for The Great Race or looking to maximize your ski pass, what you feed your body before, during and after exercise in cold environments can have a huge impact on your energy levels, hydration, performance and safety. This workshop will provide you specifics for fueling in cold, high and dry environments to optimize your winter sport performance.

Working in sport, Lis recognizes the individual and specialized nutrition needs of every athlete and ensures that her practice is based on leading edge, reliable research. Whether recreation, high performance or somewhere in between, what you feed your body plays an invaluable role in realizing your full potential as an athlete and healthy individual.

By Kathryn Reed

My sister, Pam, rolled her eyes and shook her head when I said I was going to try another new soup out on her. The last time I did this I nearly had to order out for pizza.

Things went better this time, but still not perfect. The recipe I’m printing is exactly as I made it, but not how I would make it again. As I wrote in the cookbook – add more spices. I would also let it simmer longer before serving. That probably can be said for most soups.

The flavors and heartiness of the soup called out to me. It seemed like the perfect concoction for the holidays – or any cold, winter night.

“Fields of Greens” by Annie Somerville is one cookbook I use over and over again. Usually, though, I’m turning to the pages I’m familiar with.

Somerville is the chef at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. It’s my favorite. To be able to order off the entire menu is such a rare opportunity as a vegetarian, and something that never happens in Lake Tahoe.

But I digress.

Below is everything Somerville has to say about her recipe.

Moroccan Lentil Soup

The rich, complex flavor of this soup are satisfying on all levels – they become very full and round as the ginger, the pungent spices, and the vegetables slowly simmer with the lentils. The cilantro adds a fresh, light touch.

1 C lentils, about 6 ounces

6 C cold water

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium-size yellow onion, diced, about 2 cups

Salt

Cayenne pepper

1 small carrot, diced, about ½ cup

1 celery rib, diced, about ½ cup

1 small red or yellow bell pepper, diced, about ½ cup

1 tsp cumin seed, toasted and ground

½ tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp turmeric

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 T grated fresh ginger

½ lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, about 1 cup, or 1 8-ounce can tomatoes with juice, chopped

2T chopped cilantro

Sort and rinse the lentils and place them in a soup pot with the cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender about 20 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium-size sauté pan and add the onions, ½ tsp salt, a few pinches of cayenne. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft, 7 to 8 minutes, then add the vegetables, another ½ tsp salt, and the spices. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two. Add the vegetable and tomatoes to the lentils and their broth. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend and deepen. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of cilantro.

Makes 8-9 cups.

Publisher’s note: This is from the September 1973 Lake Tahoe Historical Society newsletter.

By Lorene Greuner

A group of fortunate Historical Society members met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Whitney on Sunday evening, August 19th. They were fortunate because they experienced a guided tour of the former Camp Chonokis which was operated on the Whitney property from 1927 to 1953, and they later enjoyed refreshments and visiting in the Whitney’s charming “log cabin”, it is really a quite spacious rustic house, and every log and rock used in the building came from the adjacent land. Most of the furniture was made at the site, too. All the ironwork, including handmade hinges and latches, was fashioned by a Mr. Pigeon, now deceased, in the Meyers Blacksmith Shop – years ago.

When the camp began, Mrs. Whitney was Mabel Winter, a young California school-teacher. Her goal was to give young girls an opportunity to live in the out-of-doors and to develop a love and appreciation of nature. A more suitable location for the purpose would have been hard to find. Camp Chonokis was situated on a beautifully forested hillside behind the present Crescent V area. Huge boulder, flower-filled mountain meadows, and natural springs added to the charm, and just below – a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe.

First stop on the tour was the site of the main lodge, a large building destroyed by fire about ten years ago. The area has since revegetated, largely healing the scar of the “nightmare” which occurred during the Owners’ absence.

Next, the tour group walked through the “slumber yard”, then scrambled over rocks to find “seats” in the camp’s open air theatre. Where the girls had watched their plays and theatricals, Historical Society members watched an eerie sunset over Lake Tahoe, for it was one of the August forest fire days with the smoke haze turning the sun to a red ball of fire.

Next, a peaceful walk through “the lower pasture” full of wildflowers, shrubs, trees and grasses brought the group to a weathered turnstile and a path leading up to the house. By then, flashlights were in use and punch and cookies a welcome treat.

When the visitors left, they were given large Sugar Pine cones gathered from the Whitney property – a fitting reminder of a delightful evening, for “Chonokis” means “Sugar Pine”!

Orthopedic surgeon Terry Orr and physical therapist Chris Proctor will give a presentation about injury prevetnion, surgical options and sport specific conditioning on Jan. 26 from 6:30-7:30pm.

The lecture will be at Lake Tahoe Community College, Aspen Room, in South Lake Tahoe.

It is free and open to the public.

For more information, call (530) 543.5656.

Initial numbers show that 256 fatalities occurred on Nevada roads in 2010; 13 more than in 2009, which was the fewest state traffic fatalities in more than 20 years.

“These are so much more than numbers. Any rise in fatalities is truly tragic, and the loss and toll on individuals and families across the state is something no one should have to endure,” Traci Pearl, administrator of the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety, said in a statement. “Although these numbers are lower than Nevada’s high of 434 roadway deaths in 2006, we as transportation and safety professionals will continue working every day to make roads as safe as possible with engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency medical solutions. But the most important part is for all motorists to do their part by always driving safely and attentively and wearing seat belts.”

Since 2006, many safety strategies have been implemented on Nevada roads, including more than 2,000 miles of centerline rumble strips installed on state freeways, road safety audits to enhance traffic safety, continuing installation of pedestrian walking countdown timers at approximately 120 crosswalks throughout northern Nevada, Nevada’s first pedestrian safety action planning and child passenger safety training for all peace officers statewide, to name a few.

Many of the traffic safety initiatives are part of the Nevada Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Overseen by the Nevada Department of Transportation, the SHSP brings Nevada traffic and safety agencies together to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries with the ultimate goal of zero traffic deaths on Nevada roads.

Following these safety efforts and other factors, traffic deaths dropped from an all-time high of 434 in 2006 to 256 in 2010.

“One death on our roads is too many,” NDOT Director Susan Martinovich said in the same release. “That is why we’re asking all Nevadans to drive carefully every time so we can all get where we’re going safely. Buckling up, paying attention to the road and not driving under the influence can save lives!”