To the community,

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office would like to make the public aware of an explosive hazard known as a “works bomb”.

Although the presence of these devices has not been reported in Douglas County, citizens should be aware of their danger.

A “works bomb” is described as a mix of water, aluminum oxide and sodium hydroxide (found in many chemical drain openers) enclosed in a container. The chemical reaction creates a volatile build-up of gases and subsequently detonates the container. The resulting explosion can be severe enough to mangle fingers, or cause second or third degree chemical burns or blindness from the dispersed liquid.

These types of mini bombs have been around for many years, but have recently seen resurgence in several U.S. states. In one instance, one of these devices was left in the yard of an unsuspecting person who luckily called law enforcement officers to investigate it. The bottle was found to be set as a boobytrap, so that anyone picking it up would cause the contents to mix, resulting in the inevitable explosion.

For further information on these incidents, citizens can check news stories from Washington Heights and Junction Park, NY; Eudora, KS; and Detroit and York Township, MI.

DCSO advises citizens that if they should find such a device, to leave it alone and call law enforcement to investigate it further.

Parents should warn their children of the dangers of crafting or playing with such devices.

In most states, including Nevada, it is a criminal offense to construct or set such a device. In the state of Nevada it is a felony crime punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for one to four years, with fines of up to $5,000.

Anyone with any information regarding persons assembling such devices is asked to call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at (775) 782.5126, or the Douglas County Secret Witness line at (775) 78.CRIME.

Ron Pierini, Douglas County sheriff

With the busy Fourth of July holiday approaching, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit asks residents and visitors to help protect public safety and our environment.

Keep wildfire prevention in mind during Fourth of July celebrations. Possession of fireworks of any kind, including sparklers, is illegal in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Campfires and charcoal barbecue grills are not permitted on Forest Service beaches or in the general forest.

This year, an additional safety concern is the volume of runoff from snow melt causing rivers, creeks and waterfalls to run high, fast and cold. Water that you may have crossed easily at one point in the day may not be crossable when you’re ready to return.

The annual alcohol ban will be in effect on Nevada Beach, within Zephyr Cove Resort and Zephyr Shoals (the former Dreyfus Estate). These areas will be patrolled by law enforcement personnel from the Forest Service, and Douglas County and Carson County sheriff’s deputies, and by private security staff. County and state laws also ban the possession or consumption of alcohol on the Truckee River from Tahoe City to Alpine Meadows over the holiday weekend.

If you’re parking on the side of the road to access Forest Service facilities, make sure you’re parked completely on gravel or dirt, not on vegetation. Parking on vegetation may result in a citation for resource damage, plus there’s a chance your car’s catalytic converter could spark a fire. Even better, consider public transportation if you’re going to the beach that day. The Nifty Fifty Trolley stops at Forest Service beaches along the South and West Shores.

Please keep in mind that in developed recreation sites, such as Kiva, Tallac and the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, parking is allowed only in designated parking spaces, not along the roadway. Do not park where you will block access or narrow lanes, which could impede response in an emergency.

Day-use fees for the Fourth of July at Pope, Baldwin, and Nevada beaches will again be $20 this year to cover increased security and facility maintenance costs on the holiday. The beaches have become increasingly popular for Tahoe visitors and locals on the Fourth of July.

Finally, please respect the rules on where dogs are allowed. Dogs are not allowed at designated swim beaches, including Nevada, Pope, Baldwin, Meeks and William Kent. If you are looking for a place to take your leashed dog, try Kiva Picnic Area from Valhalla Boathouse/Pier to Tallac Point in South Lake Tahoe, Echo Lakes on Echo Summit, Zephyr Shoals on the East Shore (the old Dreyfus Estate located north of Zephyr Cove Resort), Hidden and Chimney beaches on the East Shore, Coon Street Beach (at the boat launch) in King’s Beach, Kaspian and 64 Acres in Tahoe City.

For more information, visit the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit website at http://fs.usda.gov/ltbmu or call (530) 543.2600.

Bring your human and canine companions and join the California Tahoe Conservancy for fun and educational Doggie Day festivities at Cove East near the Tahoe Keys Marina in South Tahoe on June 30.

The event begins is from 4-7pm.

This is the first Doggie Day event hosted on CTC land.

The event is free.

Pet-friendly giveaways, costume and talent contests, games, pet health and safety information, grooming tips, and other information will be available. Pet owners will learn about the Conservancy’s public lands and be given an opportunity to hone their pet etiquette skills. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcomed; costumed dogs are encouraged and may win a prize.

Partners for the canine festival include El Dorado County Animal Control, Lake Tahoe Humane Society, Pet Station, Pet Supermarket, RSN, Sierra Veterinary Hospital, SLTPD K-9 Unit, Tahoe Keys Marina and other community members.

For information, contact Sarah Huntress or Hazel Birnbaum at (530) 543.6004.

By Kathryn Reed

A rebuke almost loud enough to wake the dead was issued by the El Dorado County Grand Jury against the Happy Homestead Cemetery District – its board of directors in particular.

In bold the document says, “The HHCD Board of Directors failed to respond to the Grand Jury.”

This civil grand jury, made up of 19 county residents, is tasked with investigating a slew of complaints. Seventeen investigations garnered a report by the 2009-10 El Dorado County Grand Jury. A story about the chaos in South Lake Tahoe can be read here.

Although names are not used in the report, titles are. Usually the person filing the complaint is not identifiable – not so in the case of the cemetery. The report says it was the county’s auditor-controller who had issues with the cemetery on Johnson Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe.

Joe Harn has not paid the bill in question because he doesn’t believe it would be legal to do so.

“The Happy Homestead Cemetery District seems to have an unusually intense desire to make payments to Substitute Personnel,” Harn told Lake Tahoe News. “We’ll continue to do our best to ensure we only make lawful payments for the Happy Homestead Cemetery District.”

A retroactive $2,272 payment to Coco Kelly as owner of Substitute Personnel, who provided a temporary worker to the district, and a latter $3,000 settlement agreement, are the issues.

“According to testimony received, both of the above actions were encouraged by the HHCD legal counsel,” the report says.

Not included in the report is the fact that the board agreed to pay the $3,000 out of the endowment fund.

The grand jury met with the five board members (Joe Tillson, John Poell, Del Laine, John McChesney and Linda Mendizabal) as a group. The district’s attorney, Dennis Crabb, is referenced quite a bit by title.

Neither Tillson, the chairman of the board, nor Crabb returned calls.

“The HHCD position with respect to these issues was received in a letter sent after the Board was interviewed by the Grand Jury. The HHCD letter cites two obscure court precedents in support of the contention that a retroactive pay increase should be permitted and that the settlement agreement should be paid,” the report says.

It goes on to say, “… retroactive claims that increase compensation are considered unconstitutional.”

An April letter signed by the grand jury foreman asked the cemetery board for three documents. The foreman asked to be called if the documents did not exist. No call was made. The board didn’t respond at all to the investigating body’s request.

The grand jury wants the cemetery board to explain by the retroactive pay is not an unconstitutional gift of public funds, prove the settlement agreement is legally justified, and why paying either claim doesn’t violate the state Constitution.

Other items covered in this year’s grand jury report:

• A recommendation for the Board of Supervisors to have all elections vote by mail.

• Extreme criticism of how the Board of Supervisors went about trying to obtain property for an animal shelter on the West Slope.

• A suggestion to review and update the county’s fee waiver policy.

• Have a comprehensive assessment of administrative services in county government.

• Each year both jails are looked at. In South Lake Tahoe, the recommendations are to provide better security and surveillance cameras, and a structural engineer should be called out to look at the cause of leaks. The staff was commended for the variety of programs for inmates and the culinary arts program.

• Having the multitude of special districts create websites so constituents can easily access information. Internet access in the county should be increased. The grand jury found 52 percent of households in the county have good to excellent Internet access; 39 percent have fair to good access; 5 percent have poor to fair access; and 4 percent have no access.

Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube will be in the house at MontBleu Resort in Stateline on July 17, enabling new and old schoolers to get down.

Known for his ultra-smooth, laid back raps and melodic rhyming, Snoop delivers iconic “double speak” lingo – adding “izzle” to his music. His success has spanned the last two decades in the rap music industry with multiple platinum albums, including hits like “Gin and Juice,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Signs” and “Beautiful.”

Ice Cube will bust out hits like “It Was a Good Day” and “Check Your Self.” His solo career in music launched after leaving the rap group N.W.A (comprised of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella) in 1989. He’s also been a successful actor, screenwriter and producer.

General admission tickets are $49.50 plus tax and available by calling MontBleu at 800.be.lucky and at www.ticketmaster.com.

Doors open at 8pm, and the show starts at 9pm.

“Lights on the Lake,” Lake Tahoe South Shore’s July 4th fireworks extravaganza, is one of the most popular Independence Day celebrations in the West with more than 100,000 onlookers. The event has received national media exposure.

Holiday weekend visitors can expect the fireworks show to explode into unusual and whimsical shapes such as jellyfish, stars, butterflies, and smiley faces around 9:45pm. This annual family tradition is choreographed to music and broadcast on local radio stations KRLT-FM 93.9 and KOWL-AM 1490. “Lights on the Lake” is sponsored by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.

The fireworks are launched from offshore barges and can be seen from all corners of town. South Shore offers convenient access to viewing areas via public transportation, paved bike trails, and nearby park and walk venues.

Numerous vantage points include:

· South Lake Tahoe’s two paddle-wheelers, the Tahoe Queen and M.S. Dixie II; both offer dining/viewing packages

· Nevada Beach State Park has a soft, sandy shoreline equipped with barbecues and picnic tables

· Regan and El Dorado beaches offer front row seating that fills up fast

· Bijou Community Park is set back from the shoreline and boasts many amenities such as a skate park, disc golf course, dog park, golf course, and playground to keep the whole family entertained while holding your ideal viewing spot

· The Tallac Historic Site, off Emerald Bay Road, has an east-view perspective with nearby Baldwin Beach and its picnic tables

· For the more adventurous, hike to the top of Mount Tallac for a bird’s eye view of the fireworks extravaganza, but don’t forget your headlamp for the trek back down

· A Fourth of July favorite is Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course’s 4th of July Celebration. This setting offers front-and-center viewing of Lights on the Lake from Edgewood’s private beach and an all-you-can-eat buffet.

A leaking sewer manhole is being repaired on Highway 28 at Secline Street in Kings Beach through midnight Wednesday.

Contractor Marques Pipeline is dong the work. Motorists can expect one lane of east and westbound lanes will be open through the work zone.

By Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee

C.J. Graham is a master multitasker. With less than a week to go before the Thursday grand opening of Thunder Valley Casino’s new hotel, spa and expanded gaming area, there is no time for otherwise.

He and the tribal owners have high hopes for Thunder Valley. The United Auburn Indian Community – with Graham as general manager – wants to transform the casino and surrounding amenities from a regional draw to a luxury resort that can compete with Lake Tahoe, Reno and even Las Vegas.

“I could drop this in the middle of the Las Vegas strip and compete with anyone,” Graham said.

Graham and casino owners want to persuade Bay Area gamblers to forgo a plane flight to Las Vegas or the drive to Reno or Lake Tahoe and spend their time and money at Thunder Valley.

Read the whole story

The Cash Only Band is coming to the South Shore’s historic Boathouse Theatre on July 1 at 7:30pm.

Founded by front man guitarist Davin Kangas in 2002, the Cash Only Band started out as a Johnny Cash Tribute band and is a musical interpretation, not an impersonation.

Other band members include South Lake Tahoe’s Nate Alcorn on upright bass bringing a Western swing and slap style and Raybob Bowman on pedal steel. He has performed for more than 30 years with the likes of Naomi and Wynona Judd. Lowell Wilson is on the keyboard and synthesizer with his honky-tonk piano style and rock organ type sounds, along with Tom Parodie on drums with an innovative style.

Tickets are $15 for adults (age 18 to 54); $12 for ages 13-17 and 55+; 12 and under are $5. Military and student discounts are offered.

The annual Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre festival is located on the shores of Lake Tahoe at the historic Tallac Site.

For the full schedule, call (530) 541.4975 or visit www.valhallatahoe.com.

By Kathryn Reed

Four members of the South Lake Tahoe City Council met from 11:15am-2pm on Sunday in closed session to interview two candidates for city manager.

No action was taken.

This came exactly one week after the elected officials interviewed two other men for the position. It is not known if the other candidates are out of the running or if the council was feeling the heat of public opinion for only interviewing two people for such a key position.

Councilman Bill Crawford did not attend either session.

It is not known if or when these two candidates would be interviewed by the public and two employee panels the other two faced. With the July 4 weekend days away and next week a short week, timing could be an issue.

As time draws on, the clock is ticking to find someone for the city’s top job before City Manager Dave Jinkens is expected to leave Aug. 7. Jinkens has told some city employees he would be willing to stay on longer.

One of Crawford’s issues from the get-go was that a process should be put in place for an interim city manager in case someone was not hired before Jinkens’ eight-year tenure came to an end. He also wanted the next council — three positions are up this November — to choose the next city manager. Crawford also took issue with only two people being interviewed. There was no evidence before last week’s interviews that more people would be brought in.

Without the public involved in the process to-date with the latest candidates, it’s unknown if different questions were asked of the latest candidates in light of the El Dorado County Grand Jury report coming out last week.