By Kathryn Reed

Although citizens concerned about the heavy equipment being used for the thinning project at Washoe Meadow State Park thought it was all over, that was not entirely the case on Wednesday.

The contractor was back at the South Shore site Dec. 8. This time it was to haul out the logs he had cut a year ago.

State Parks officials said all work was to be finished Dec. 8.

“He was on the existing road right at the park boundary and not entering the meadow,” according to Rich Adams, fuels reduction specialist for State Parks. “He is aware of the guidelines to not cause significant rutting.”

Adams is going to the site Monday with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials to look at the entire project area.

Concerns were raised last weekend about the over the snow project when the temperatures began to rise and the snow began to melt.

Sierra Avalanche Center is having a benefit party at the Divided Sky in Meyers on Dec. 10 at 6pm.

Door prizes, old school ski/ride flicks, beacon games, and music. The $10 cover charge benefits Sierra Avalanche Center.

Sparkling Wines & Champagne tasting Dec. 28 at 6pm at Après Wine Company in South Lake Tahoe.

Cost — $30 advance, $35 at door. Includes five wines and appetizer pairings. Discounts on wines tasted.

RSVP to (530) 544.9463.

Big Holiday Reds, Tasting Tuesday at Après Wine Company in South Lake Tahoe on Dec. 21 at 6pm.

Cost — $30 advance, $35 at door. Includes five wines and appetizer pairings. Discounts on wines tasted.

RSVP to (530) 544.9463.

A Wine Wonderland with Sommelier Diane Guth, Tasting Tuesday at Après Wine Company in South Lake Tahoe on Dec. 14 at 6pm.

Guth will show you how to make your holidays wine and food pairings sparkle

Cost — $25 advance, $30 at door. It includes five wines and appetizer pairings. Discounts on wines tasted.

RSVP to (530) 544.9463.

Updated Dec. 8 5:18pm:  Internet connection, landline telephone and cell phone, including 911, connectivity has been restored to most of Douglas County. There remain sporadic areas of landline coverage in the Jacks Valley area of north Douglas County that are not yet fully functional via landline telephone.

This morning at 11:13 a fiber optic cable was severed in the location of Heybourne Road north of Stephanie Lane, in the Johnson Lane area of Douglas County in the valley.

The line was mistakenly cut by contract crews working on a water line project in the area.

A widespread service outage resulted effecting telephone and cellular services, including 911 communications capability in all of Douglas County and parts of Lyon County, Carson City, and Alpine County.

Notices regarding this critical service outage were made using the Emergency Alert System.

Crews from Frontier Communications responded to the location of the severed cable and began to effect repairs at approximately 12:50pm Dec. 8. Work to restore primary communications impacting 911 services has been made a priority.

All East Fork and Tahoe Douglas Fire Stations were staffed with additional personnel, as the public was informed to go to the nearest fire station to report any emergencies. Additional law enforcement staff was summoned from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and extra roving patrols were instituted.

Communications between critical infrastructure, such as medical facilities, schools, banks, and some industrial sites were maintained through radio communications or an available phone line which still allowed for direct access to Douglas County Communications. Douglas County Amateur Radio Team (DCART) also assisted with making communications connections with Lyon County and some local facilities.

As of this notice, crews are still working to effect repairs. Further updates will be provided as they occur.

Sierra Avalanche Center is having a benefit party at the Divided Sky in Meyers on Dec. 10 at 6pm.

Door prizes, old school ski/ride flicks, beacon games, and music. The $10 cover charge benefits Sierra Avalanche Center.

By Gus Thomson, Auburn Journal

The power shift in Congress has positioned Rep. Tom McClintock to take over as chairman of the House water and power subcommittee.

And that will also mean he’ll be positioned to advocate for an Auburn dam.

Tom McClintock

McClintock, R-Roseville, has served as ranking Republican on the subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee since being chosen by committee Republican ranking member Doc Hastings in July 2009.

He’s made no secret before and after his initial election in 2008 to Congress that he’s a proponent of building the Auburn dam – a long-delayed project estimated to cost as much as $10 billion that his predecessor John Doolittle was unable to convince Congress to fund over his 18 years in office.

McClintock said that as ranking GOP member of the water and power subcommittee, he hopes to continue as chairman with the changeover to the Republican majority in the House next month. The decision rests with the Republican House conference steering committee, he said.

Read the whole story

By Marty Scheuerman

The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department has been alerted to two potentially costly scams from individuals fraudulently representing themselves as members of the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department or their Firefighters Association.

The first scam involves individuals representing themselves as Fire Department inspectors targeting commercial businesses. They enter the business and “perform” an inspection and send a bill for as much as $8,000 for this inspection. Only uniformed fire personnel with valid departmental identification can perform any fire inspections.

If you have any questions, call (530) 542.6160.

If you feel uneasy or suspicious, contact local law enforcement at 911.

If you receive a bill for fire inspections and it is not for the city of South Lake Tahoe, do not pay it, and bring it to the Fire Department headquarters during normal hours at 2101 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

The second scam involves phone solicitations from individuals claiming to be with the Lake Tahoe Firefighters Association. The association does not solicit funds in this manner. If you get these calls, do not give any private information. Get as much information from the caller as possible and relay all information to law enforcement or the Fire Department headquarters.

In the latest phone scam, the call sends a package via UPS and requests a COD check. Always be suspicious, contact the Fire department at (530) 542.6160.The association does conduct fundraisers for specific purposes and will be glad to provide proof requested.

If there is ever any questions, contact the Fire department at (530)542.6160.

Marty Scheuerman is a division chief with the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department.

By Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee

What a difference a year makes for water supply. Battered by November storms, the growing Sierra Nevada snowpack and major reservoir storage haven’t looked this healthy in at least four years.

Only a year after experiencing an extended drought, the state is starting to prepare for possible flooding.

“The November storms have saturated the soils and streams are flowing again,” said state hydrology chief Jon Ericson, based in Sacramento. “It’s quite a start.”

But water experts know the season could turn dry very quickly. That would mean less water for east Valley farmers and probably additional water cutbacks for west-side growers who face limited water deliveries come rain or shine.

West-siders get water from Northern California rivers. The water must pass through the troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where water pumping has been limited to protect dying fish. A wet year would boost their water supply, but even then farm officials still expect below 60 percent of contractual allotments.

Read the whole story