Sierra Nevada College is expanding the fall literary lineup with the introduction of Writers in the Woods, readings and workshops offered by a cast of luminary literati. Nevada Writers Hall of Fame author Joanne Meschery will kick off the series with a reading on Sept. 24, followed by a Saturday morning fiction workshop.

Catherine Brady will present a reading Oct. 22, and lead a nonfiction workshop Oct. 23; and Brian Turner will give a reading Nov. 19, then lead a poetry workshop the next day.

The Saturday workshops — 9am-noon — are open to the community for a $50 registration fee, as well as to SNC students, and may be taken for credit or non-credit. This group of writers offers something for a wide range of interests — from history to science, drama, politics, comedy and, of course, literature. The Friday night readings (7-9pm) remain free and open to all.

Writers in the Woods: The Lineup

Sept. 24-25: Joanne Meschery

A long-time resident of Truckee, Joanne Meschery was born in Gorman, Texas; spent her early childhood years in Boston, moved with her family to Modesto, and went to high school in Fallon. She is the author of three novels: “In a High Place” (1981); “A Gentleman’s Guide to the Frontier” (1990), which was nominated for a Pen/Faulkner Award; and “Home and Away” (1994), recently reprinted by the University of California Press as part of its California Writers Series. She is currently working on a novel set in Nevada. Her work has been awarded two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with numerous other prizes. She studied at the University of Iowa Workshop and was a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. She is a regular presenter at the Squaw Valley Writers Conference and a member of the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.

Oct. 22-23: Catherine Brady

Catherine Brady’s biography about Elizabeth Blackburn — one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2007 — tells the story of molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn’s life and groundbreaking work on telomeric DNA, which launched the field of telomere research. (Blackburn made headlines in 2004 when she was dismissed from the President’s Council on Bioethics after objecting to the council’s call for a moratorium on stem cell research and protesting the suppression of relevant scientific evidence in its final report). The journal Science magazine wrote of Elizabeth Blackburn and the Story of Telomeres: Deciphering the Ends of DNA, “Catherine Brady’s Elizabeth Blackburn and the Story of Telomeres offers a commanding account of an inspiring effort to overcome gender bias along with advice about doing science, conquering academic politics, and taking responsible positions on science policy.” Brady’s most recent collection, “The Mechanics of Falling & Other Stories”, was published in 2009. Her second short-story collection, “Curled in the Bed of Love”, was the co-winner of the 2002 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction and a finalist for the 2003 Binghamton John Gardner Fiction Book Award. Brady’s first collection of short stories, “The End of the Class War”, was a finalist for the 2000 Western States Book Award in Fiction. Her stories have been included in Best American Short Stories 2004 and numerous anthologies and journals.

Nov. 19-20: Brian Turner

Iraq veteran soldier/award-winning writer Brian Turner most recently published “Phantom Noise” (Alice James Books) in 2010. Turner’s “Here, Bullet”, a collection of poetry about a year he spent deployed in Iraq, has garnered a number of literary awards, including the 2006 PEN Center USA “Best in the West” Literary Award in Poetry, the 2007 Poets’ Prize, and selection in The New York Times “Editor’s Choice.” Here, Bullet, writes the New Yorker, “is more sandy than muddy, has plenty of blood (as well as ‘grease guns, pistols, RPGs’) … and offers its share of sweetness, in the form of date palms, chai tea, and off-hours prostitutes observed through the lenses of high-powered binoculars.” Said Carolyn Forché on Turner’s latest effort, Phantom Noise, “With courage and an uncommon willingness to see the world as it actually is, Brian Turner returns in Phantom Noise with a bullet-borne language in which helicopters hover like spiders over a film of water.” Turner was featured in a profile on Page A1 of the New York Times this past February and joined SNC’s English faculty on a full-time basis beginning fall 2010.

The literary lineup will continue in the spring with standup comedian Steve Hofstetter performing on March 4 and leading a comedy writing workshop on March 5.In April, the ever-popular annual slam competition will return, offering contenders a chance to win the coveted title of Tahoe Slam Champion 2011.

For more information on the series, contact June Saraceno at jsaraceno@sierranevada.edu or at (775) 831.1314, ext. 7514.

By Reno Gazette-Journal

Eastern Sierra Engineering, P.C. recently announced it has integrated JWA Consulting Engineers, Inc. into the ESE Corporation.

JWA has provided civil engineering services to both public and private sector clients in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin for more than 25 years. The current staff will continue to provide those services with added technical and administrative support from ESE.

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To the community,

The amber alert system has become a powerful tool for the community and law enforcement when it comes to protecting our children. One of the main criteria in order to “activate” the system is an abduction actually has to occur.

There are no procedures to use the system when an actual abduction has not occurred. I copied the below text from the CHP webpage which lists the criteria:

“Criteria for activating an AMBER Alert

Law enforcement agencies ensure these conditions are met before activating an AMBER ALERT:

The investigating law enforcement agency confirms an abduction has occurred.

The victim is 17 years of age or younger, or has a proven mental or physical disability.

The victim is in imminent danger of serious injury or death.

There is information available that, if provided to the public, could assist in the child’s safe recovery.”

We waited to release the information to the press about last month’s attempted abduction until we had the composite sketch completed. We wanted there to be a picture to go with the words so the public would have a better idea of what to look for.

We did notify surrounding law enforcement agencies when the incident occurred, and they assisted us with our initial investigation and search for the suspect.

In the future we’ll work to get the preliminary information out to the press more timely.

The safety and protection of members of our community — especially our children – is something the South Lake Tahoe Police Department takes very seriously.

We appreciate and are very thankful for the assistance provided to us from the community when these types of incidents occur.

Thank you,

South Lake Tahoe police Lt. David Stevenson

By Kathryn Reed

MEEKS BAY — Only 172 more miles and we would have been in Tuolumne Meadows. It’s a good thing we never intended to go to Yosemite National Park.

Plenty of people with the proper equipment were headed out of the wilderness with full packs. All ages, and many families had clearly spent at least one night under the stars.

Instead, this particular Sunday in August we spent the afternoon visiting the first five lakes out of Meeks Bay along the 180-mile Tahoe-Yosemite Trail. The entire trek ranges in elevation from 5,200 feet to 10,000 feet. Between the end points it crosses the Eldorado and Stanislaus national forests.

Stony Ridge Lake along the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail. Photos/Kathryn Reed

What sets this apart from so many routes in Desolation Wilderness are the abundance of ferns and other lush vegetation. Many West Shore routes are best accessed later in the season because the snow lasts longer here.

A few wildflowers are still in bloom. (This was before last weekend’s freezing temperatures.) It’s the array of flora that is captivating.

With a good portion of the trail not being riddled with roots or rocks, it allows hikers to take in the beauty without worrying about tripping and falling.

Don’t be fooled by how the trail starts. It’s wide enough for a vehicle, flat and lulls one into believing this is an easy hike. I imagine the meadow is hiding a bevy of animal life that has taken cover with the plodding footsteps of humans.

Not far up, the trail juts to the right and becomes single-track. The hiking really begins. It’s not hard – it’s just not flat and wide.

Still, the mix of plant life in this section is mesmerizing. We are thankful for the tree canopy. Without it we would have created puddles of sweat.

Much of the time Meeks Creek can be heard rumbling nearby as it tumbles over rocks in its path. On occasion, it even comes into sight. It eventually flows into Lake Tahoe at Meeks Bay.

First stop is Lake Genevieve. The tranquil water beckons. Sue dips her hat to keep her head and therefore rest of her body cool as we carry on to the other lakes.

If you only have time for a short hike, this is a perfect spot to stop, have a bite to eat, even wade in to the alpine water.

Next up is Crag Lake. The rock island with a tree growing out of it makes me marvel at how Mother Nature works.

We skip Hidden Lake. It’s a hike down. And what goes down must come up. We didn’t want anything to do with that.

Shadow Lake is the least appealing of the five we came across. The plant life in it makes it seem unapproachable.

It was Stony Ridge Lake that called to us. After traipsing across downed logs we came to the east side. The manmade rock wall that looks like a dam of sorts is not crossable.

A slight breeze sends ripples across the lake. Sparkles of sunlight dance across the water. The clarity is stunning.

Perfect lunch boulders had us sprawled out as we soaked in the sun and scenery. The heat got the better of us and in the water we went. And I thought Lake Tahoe was cold. Sue was braver and went all the way under.

It was our secluded lake at least for one summer afternoon.

To get there:

From the South Shore, take Highway 89 to Meeks Bay. Just past the fire station that is on the right, there is parking on the left in the dirt. A small paved lot exists where the actual trailhead starts. Be sure to fill out the free Desolation Wilderness permit.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The chilly night air lit up like it was the Fourth of July on Sunday. It was the annual Labor Day weekend fireworks extravaganza.

The pyrotechnic display shot off from a barge off the South Shore of Lake Tahoe can be seen from various locations. The fireworks are set to music to make it all that much more fun.

Creating designs with fireworks.

A variety of colors light up the night sky.

Fireworks from Lakeside Marina. Photos/Howie Nave

By Frank X. Mullen Jr. and Sean Collins West, Reno Gazette-Journal

As the planet’s clockwork ticks towards fall, the extended Zuck family is making the most of summer’s last hurrah at Lake Tahoe.

Family members from Elk Grove, Calif., and Dallas gathered at the lake on Labor Day weekend in a ritual dating back to 1976. Sailing, boating, hiking, eating, biking, climbing, swimming and relaxing on the beach were on the agenda.

“It’s a little bit of heaven here on earth,” said Dwight Zuck of Elk Grove, whose family has owned a cabin on the lake for more than three decades.

Parasailing is popular at Lake Tahoe. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Dwight’s brother Dave, from Dallas, said sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.

“The beauty and serenity, the peacefulness of nature is all around you,” he said. “This is our last shot at summer. After this, it’s back to work and school and back to the grind.”

Thousands of holiday visitors took advantage of mild weekend weather at the lake. Traffic crawled from Tahoe City to South Lake Tahoe on Sunday. Diners waited a half-hour for a hamburger at the Char Pit in Kings Beach, where the customer line went into the parking lot. Parking was scarce.

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Barton Foundation’s second annual Festival of Trees and Lights has a multitude of activities for all ages Dec. 2-5 at MontBleu casino in Stateline.

The money raised benefits the community health clinic.

Click here for more information.

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability. Take the opportunity on Sept. 9 from 5:30-7:30pm, South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe to become connected and rejuvenated at your local support group.

Refreshments will be served. Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers.

Pre-authorization is required for respite services. Questions? Contact the Family Caregiver Support Program at (530) 621.6151.

Rock Sugar at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on Oct. 30 at 7:30pm.

Tickets for the general admission show are $25. Must be 21 years old.

For more South Shore Room information, show times, ticket prices and reservations, call 800.786.8208  or purchase tickets online at www.SouthShoreRoom.com.

The Fab Four at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on Nov. 27 at 7:30pm.

For more South Shore Room information, show times, ticket prices and reservations, call 800.786.8208  or purchase tickets online at www.SouthShoreRoom.com.