Flying under the Big Ice: Robotic submarines under Antarctic ice is a resentation by Alexander Forrest at UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center in Incline Village.

Forrest will have just returned from a research excursion using robotic submarines under the Erebus ice-tongue in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.

Learn about the unique physical characteristics of seawater under this ice shelf, the influence on the formation and growth of sea ice within the sound, and the affect on marine biology. By deploying a robotic submersible, known as an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), the international research team will map under-ice structure and ice thickness; document three dimensional convective and mixing processes; measure phytoplankton distribution; and, model the effect of ice-ocean coupling on water mass evolution, sea ice formation, and biological processes.

This AUV deployment embodies the use of a pioneering technology to make advances in Polar exploration that would not be possible otherwise.

Charting these processes is critical because our Polar Regions are rapidly losing ice cover. International collaboration by scientists and engineers in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology will help us to better understand these processes before the opportunity disappears all together.

Forrest is a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. He focuses on questions in physical limnology and works on under-ice applications of AUV technologies in a diversity of environments. He has extensive AUV survey experience from the Caribbean to the Caspian Sea.

Details:

Date: Dec. 8

Time: 5:30pm no-host bar. Program begins at 6pm.

Cost: $5 donation requested

Location: Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.

By Susan Ferriss, Sacramento Bee

No, your ballot has not been misprinted: For some Sacramento region voters, Assemblyman Ted Gaines really is listed as a candidate for two different races this election.

The Roseville Republican is seeking his third term in the Assembly and running to serve the remaining two years of the Senate term of Sen. Dave Cox, who died in July.

Ted Gaines

Running for two offices in the same election is usually illegal in California, but Gaines’ case prompted a rarely used exception to the rule.

Because the race for Cox’s seat is a special election, it’s distinct from the Nov. 2 general election – even though it’s being held the same day, said Shannon Velayas, spokeswoman for the secretary of state.

Read the whole story

El Dorado County Supervisor Ray Nutting has been in the timber industry since 1980. He operates his own sawmill.

In 1998 he wrote an article for “California Forestry Association’s California Forests.” He has

Ray Nutting

passed it along to Lake Tahoe News for readers to see that what was true then, is still true more than a decade later.

Click on article to read the original piece.

Truckee River Winery is having a pumpkin carving contest Oct. 30 from noon-4pm.

There will be an adult and child division.

Pumpkins will be provided for contestants, and carvers can take their pumpkins home. We will also have candy and treats for kids and adults.

RSVP: Must call ahead so there is a pumpkin waiting for you. (530) 587.4626

Collie Buddz from the isle of Bermuda has done something not impossible but something once seemingly implausible. He’s become the most buzz-worthy current reggae artist over the past few years.

He’s bringing his brand of music to MontBleu in Stateline on Nov. 12 at 8pm. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $15 in advance at the casino or $25 at the door.

In summer 2007, Buddz’ Columbia Records self-titled debut album stormed the charts entering the Billboard Reggae Chart at first position. The reggae singjay became an international star when this album then went on to debut across the world at the top of every chart from Japan to Germany.

Incorporating influences from hip-hop to soca, Collie’s music nevertheless has a rock-solid foundation in reggae — and its power to connect ghetto reality with the highest heights of human aspiration — that is a rarity even in Jamaica. But, to say he’s connected to the Caribbean community would be an understatement. Buddz, born Colin Harper, has become the Caribbean culture’s resident ambassador.

In spite of averaging an 11-month yearly touring schedule since 2007, Buddz is prepared to release a sophomore album.

Wanting to release music more frequently and with fewer restrictions, Buddz’s affiliation with Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment ended in 2008. He has since founded his own independent record label, Harper Digital alongside his brother, Smokey, and DJ Genie, while working with his longtime management group Mojiza Management.

To the publisher,

I support a “yes” vote on Douglas County Question 1-Airport Use Ordinance. This is an important issue for Douglas County residents.

I served on the Minden-Tahoe Airport Advisory Committee and participated in the more than 40 public meetings to craft the ordinance. We did this because the existing weight ordinance is “discriminatory” in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) opinion and unenforceable in the eyes of the district attorney. This is the case because the weights specified in the existing ordinance are arbitrary. The limits need to be based on objective engineering evaluation.

Residents need control to ensure the Minden-Tahoe Airport (in the Carson Valley) retains the area’s rural character. The goal of the use ordinance is to preclude expansion and pursue general aviation and sport recreational uses including soaring.

Most important, however, is that because FAA found the existing weight ordinance discriminatory there will be no further federal funding of maintenance or support of the airport unless the new ordinance is adopted. If Question 1 does not pass, approximately $1 million annual cost will reduce the already strapped Douglas County budget. The impact will be felt by parks and recreation, senior services and the library.

Please vote “yes” on Douglas County Question 1 to control and fund our airport.

Mike Bradford, Zephyr Cove

By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times

Fundraising for a ballot initiative to suspend California’s global warming law has flagged, but oil companies and other business interests are pouring millions of dollars into a separate ballot measure that could dry up funds to implement the law.

Proposition 26 would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, rather than the current simple majority, to enact any regulatory fees such as those imposed on tobacco companies to fund health-related programs, on industries for toxic waste cleanup and on alcohol retailers for law enforcement.

Rules under the global warming law, which would require companies to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, take effect in January and could be vulnerable to legislative gridlock over fees.

Read the whole story

Each year Ski magazine publishes what it thinks are the best resorts in the country. It’s divided by East and West. The 23rd annual edition is on newsstands now. Several Sierra Nevada resorts are mentioned in various categories.

On the last page of the compilation of stats are results for readers.

Here are the “local” Overall top 30 Western Resorts and what the magazine says about them:

Mammoth Mountain is known for its epic snowfall. Photo/Provided

• Mammoth, No. 12 – “Big and beautiful, underrated mountain. Not pretentious.”

• Heavenly, No. 13 – “Combo of Vegas nightlife and California weather rocks. Love the lake views.”

• Northstar, No. 15 – “Northstar has changed from a sleepy to a top-notch resort.”

• Squaw, No. 17 – “Best resort in Tahoe. Great mountain. Snow, sun and après fun.”

No regional resort made the Top 10 for lodging.

Terrain:

• No. 2 – Squaw

• No. 3 – Mammoth

• No. 10 – Kirkwood

Parks:

• No. 1 – Mammoth

• No. 3 – Northstar

Snow:

• No. 6 – Kirkwood

• No. 9 – Mammoth

Challenge:

• No. 3 – Squaw

• No. 9 – Mammoth

On-mountain food:

• No. 10 – Northstar

Grooming:

• No. 3 – Northstar

• No. 7 – Mammoth

Family programs:

• No. 4 – Northstar

In the reader survey no Tahoe area resort scored in the categories of Weather, On-mountain food, Lodging, or Dining.

Here is how the magazine’s readers scored the resorts:

Snow:

• No. 6 – Kirkwood

• No. 9 – Mammoth

Grooming:

• No. 3 – Northstar

• No. 7 – Mammoth

Terrain variety:

• No. 2 – Squaw

• No. 10 – Kirkwood

Challenge:

• No. 3 — Squaw

• No. 9 — Mammoth

Value:

• No. 7 – Kirkwood

Lifts:

• No. 1 – Mammoth

• No. 10 – Northstar

Service:

• No. 8 – Northstar

Access:

• No. 10 – Squaw

Après ski:

• No. 3 – Heavenly

Off-hill activities:

• No. 3 – Heavenly

Family programs:

• No. 4 Northstar

Scenery:

• No. 1 – Heavenly

Terrain parks:

• No. 1 – Mammoth

• No. 3 – Northstar

Overall satisfaction:

• No. 5 — Mammoth

By Susan Skorupa, Reno Gazette-Journal

Nearly three dozen local novelists and nonfiction writers are coming to lunch.

The Nevada Women’s History Project is staging its third authors’ luncheon Nov. 6 where book lovers can mingle with the writers they already appreciate and meet some new ones, all to benefit History Project programs.

This year’s keynote speakers are Range magazine publisher C. J. Hadley and Lake Tahoe writer and weather historian Mark McLaughlin. Jennifer Burton is the moderator.

Attendees can talk to their favorite authors, buy their books, get autographs, then talk to more authors during lunch and afterward. The event includes a silent auction and raffle.

Read the whole story

To the community,

Measure E has quietly sat at the end of the city ballots. I think it needs more attention.

When I was the South Lake Tahoe Chamber exec, the issue of fairness in the business license fees would come up from time to time. The reason is that there is an existing cap on how much the city can assess a high grossing business. In that sense a smaller business here pays a larger proportional fee on their gross sales than a large grossing business. As we looked at creating fairness the way the system is set up would end up really hurting mid-size businesses in the long run. Also, going from the current roughly $3,700 cap to $10,000 proposed would have been very hard on high grossing but low net businesses like hardware stores and gas stations and car dealers. Most people would still like to have larger grossing businesses pay more.

But measure E has a Trojan Horse hidden in the language. The initial 10 percent reduction in fees for smaller businesses looks good until the fine print is read. There is a 3 percent increase built in from there forward that is also compounded. So in three years small businesses would be right back where they are now and from there on in perpetuity they would see 3 percent increases automatically.

In 10 years, small businesses would have a possible 30 percent increase or more. The 50 large businesses would collectively pay about $100,000 more to the city to administer their business license. In my opinion, that would result in either $100,000 worth of more jobs lost or $100,000 in increased prices to the customers.

I found it odd that some of the candidates for City Council touted lower taxes and encouraged business to create jobs, but weren’t opposed to Measure E. One former councilman, did say he was very much against it. I think most didn’t see the hidden job killer inside the measure.

In any case, this is not the right time to raise taxes on any businesses for any reason.

Duane Wallace, South Lake Tahoe