By Kathryn Reed

I was often the envy of my friends when it came time for lunch – especially in high school. Mom made my lunch until I graduated. No cafeteria food for me.

One of my favorites was when the brown bag was filled with a piece of Dad’s leftover barbecued chicken. It’s been years since I’ve had a piece – such are the hazards of becoming a vegetarian. With Dad’s death in April, the chance to savor just one more bite won’t ever be possible.

I could cook some up this Father’s Day in his memory. But I won’t. I’d rather smile at the memories I have of him over the grill, peeking in the kitchen to check in with Mom to make sure the side dishes would be ready when he was.

Plus, I never did cook his chicken as well as him.

It wasn’t until talking to Mom a few days ago about the recipe that I learned she used to be the main barbecuer in the family. Dad took over the role when we moved to California in 1973. But I don’t remember Mom standing before the open flame.

Mom doesn’t remember how the famous barbecued chicken started. She thinks it could have been when we lived on the East Coast. When they were on a two-month road trip last fall they met up with longtime friends in North Carolina who cooked some of all of their favorite meals. Dad’s chicken was one of the entrees.

One of the things I loved is having the skin left on the chicken breast. A crispiness was created. I would eat it separately. The meat was so incredibly moist and juicy.

My stomach is growling.

Eventually, I started buying skinless chicken breasts. It wasn’t ever the same.

Oftentimes Dad cooked potatoes on the grill with the chicken.

Both recipes are simple, easy, and most important – yummy. Happy Father’s Day.

Dad’s Barbecued Chicken and Potatoes

Enough chicken to feed everyone at the table and to eat the next day

Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

6 medium red potatoes

Italian salad dressing

Season both sides of the chicken pieces with Lawry’s Seasoning Salt. Then cook them on the barbecue until done.

Partially cook the potatoes inside – boiling works. A fork should go in slightly. Then slice them about ½-inch thick. In a Pyrex bowl toss slices in Italian salad dressing. Place slices directly onto the grill. Turn once. They don’t take long to finish cooking.

Publisher’s note: Updated 11:40am.

By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal

Gwendolynn Ewasko, 19, was in the living room of her Incline Village home this morning when a truck crashed into it and exploded.

“There was a big crash and I saw these huge flames. I thought it was an earthquake,” Ewasko said. “Everything just came caving it. It was crazy. If I had been in my room or the kitchen, I would have definitely been badly hurt.”

Her father, Damon Ewasko, was at work when the accident happened. He watched as firefighters mopped up and said he was happy his daughter escaped unhurt.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

Hands covered in dirt, a trowel being passed around, plastic containers of tiny produce, laughter and learning. It’s all part of the recipe to create a community garden behind Mt. Tallac High School.

Dirt in five raised beds made of bamboo are gently being molded into rows. Miniature holes are dug with what’s called the tiny shovel. In go the spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, basil and cilantro.

Bijou and South Tahoe High students start a community garden. Photos/Kathryn Reed

A net covers the beds to prevent critters from munching on the veggies.

This is all part of the final project for a group of students in AP Environmental Science at South Tahoe High School.

Mostly, though, it’s eight students in the Friday Night Live club from Bijou Community School doing the work.

Danny Reyes, a junior at STHS, spearheaded the project to get the younger students involved. He and a few of his friends who were part of the planting project on Thursday are mentors to the FNL kids.

Once a week the older students do a team building activity with the FNL group.

Catheryn Linkul plants cilantro.

“I like making more things for the Earth,” Catheryn Linkul said. If the fourth-grader’s mom lets her, she hopes to be able to check on the garden this summer.

Dana Tumbaga said the idea is to get the community involved in the garden. People who help with it this summer will be able to have some of the harvest.

Reyes said the students are working it out among themselves on

Danny Reyes makes sure the work is getting done.

a rotating basis to ensure the garden is cared for.

By Austin Fay

STATELINE – Two years of work by Douglas County staff and the water districts in the county seemed to go down the drain Thursday when the commissioners on a 4-1 vote decided to forego consolidating the eight water systems.

“The problem in my mind is we’re asking one set of non-users (of water) to subsidize another set of users.” Commissioner Greg Lynn said.

Commissioner Greg Lynn makes a point at the June 17 meeting. Photo/Austin Fay

But all the work and time is not a waste.

Commissioners agreed to seek a modification of the consolidation and look into paying for another study to investigate the viability of the modification. The last consolidation feasibility study cost the county $100,000.

However, Commissioner Doug Johnson, the dissenting vote, asked, “If not now, how much longer do we wait? I don’t see how we’re going to succeed by kicking the can down the road.”

Also being considered is splitting the consolidation based on geography. Users who live close to Lake Tahoe would be consolidated into one system and those who live in the valley another.

For almost two years of deliberations at eight commissioner meetings the board has been trying to find the best solution, while complying with new federal water treatment standards to reduce arsenic levels in the water, and contending with a decline in new development in the county.

Implementing a water system consolidation would have affected 3,537 residential units.

In some cases consolidation is pitting ratepayers against each other. Residents at the lake like their flat rate, which could go away. Residents in the valley don’t want rates to go up in order to subsidize other water systems. Jobs Peak district gets the short end of the stick with 2-inch water lines because it would put them in a higher pay bracket.

About 50 citizens were at the meeting. Jack McQuirk, a Marla Bay resident and an economist by trade, said he was there to encourage “true economies of scale” and to keep the Douglas County commissioners in check.

“I think that the county commissioners and the county manager have not watched over what’s gone on in the county,” McQuirk said. “The water districts have not been run properly. They made a lot of money when they were independent and didn’t put a lot of maintenance money back into the system.”

Valerie Wharton of Minden was outraged by the proposal, but calmly read a letter she wrote to the commission. “I didn’t ask for the county to install a meter on my property and neither did my fellow neighbors. To say this is crazy would be an understatement.”

Residents of East Valley and West Valley would have bore most of the burden, as they are the most populated. Some said they are unfairly paying an average of $25 more per month to subsidize other water systems in the county. West Valley residents would have seen a $6 average monthly uptick in their water bill.

Support for consolidation tended to increase among the 1,097 residential customers at Lake Tahoe where rates for Cave Rock residents would rise from $181 to $303 a month without it. Under the proposal before commissioners on Thurs¬day, District 4 and Western District 5 residents (those who live near Lake Tahoe) would have to pay for the installation of meters. Their average rates would be $108 a month by 2014.

Customers of the largest water system operated by the county, East Valley, will find their base rate increased from $20.60 a month to $23.91 a month by July 1, 2013. Their monthly volume charge would more than double from $1.41 per 1,000 gallons to $3.44 for up to 8,000 gallons. All amounts are for a three-quarter-inch water line. East Valley residents using up to 24,000 gallons would see their use bill go from $2.26 per 1,000 gallons to $4.07 per 1,000 gallons in 2013.

West Valley water customers would see their base rate rise from $15.85 to $23.91 per month. Their volume charge per 1,000 gallons would triple from a $1.10 for the first 8,000 gallons to $3.44.

Rates in Douglas County will remain on their projected upward-sloping path until the County Commission finds a solution. By the time a decision is made, the commission might look different because commissioners Nancy McDermid and David Brady are up for re-election in November.

• Three South Lake Tahoe residents placed at the Nevada State Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships in Reno this month. Chris Minnes took second in heavyweights, Nickie Blackketter was fifth in short figure and Coolie Jaxson was third in lightweight.

Chris Minnes

• Lake Tahoe Community College expects to save $10,000 by not printing course descriptions in future schedules.

• South Shore luxury real estate professional Sue Lowe of Chase International has been chosen as one of seven agents to serve on the Advisory Board of Leaders in Luxury, an invitation-only educational and networking event for real estate agents who work in the million and multi-million dollar home and estate market in the U.S. and Canada.

• Squaw Valley is bringing a host of new activities to the mountain this summer. In addition to mountaintop ice skating, dining, swimming, tennis and hiking, guests will now be able to enjoy mountain biking, paintball, zip-lining and disc golf. The opening dates vary pending snow melt.

• Tracey Gilmore of Truckee will be going to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on a full scholarship.

• The Tahoe Resource Conservation District and community volunteers are developing a garden by re-vegetating and installing interpretive demonstrations to provide the community with conservation landscaping options on a property burned in the Angora Fire. If you are interested in volunteering to plant, install irrigation, create pathways or build an arbor, contact Courtney Walker at (530) 543.1501, ext. 118 or cwalker@tahoercd.org.

• Steve Weissinger, a former Douglas County commissioner, pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving under the influence. He was sentenced to 48 hours community service and must pay $897.

• Heavenly Mountain Resort says it has a business license from South Lake Tahoe to operate the gondola, but has not provided a copy of it to Lake Tahoe News as requested. The mayor says the city attorney is looking into the issue. The city attorney did not respond to an email inquiry by LTN about the issue. The city’s business license department says Heavenly doesn’t have a license for the gondola.

Leadership Lake Tahoe, a Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce program, started in 2003 with a mission of identifying and developing current and future leaders through a comprehensive program designed to increase knowledge and awareness of the issues and challenges facing our community.

This year’s graduating class included: Jaime Aust (Barton Foundation), Jason Collin (Barton Home Health), Michael Cullen (Barton Health), Anthony Davis (AD Sports), Mike Frye (Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority), Chris Hawken (South Lake Tahoe Parks & Recreation), Heather Henry (Heavenly Mountain Resort), Ted Johanson (968 Park Hotel and MontBleu), Kelly Lancellotti (Harrah’s), Julie Lowe (Family Resource Center), Isabella Mill (TahoeChamber.org), Shannon Norrgard (South Lake Tahoe Police Department), Dennis Oliver (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency), Lisa Ramsey-Simpson (Lakeland Village), Georgette Riley (Black Bear Inn), Steve Sweet (TRPA), Lindsay Townsend (Aramark/Lake Tahoe Cruises), and Dusty Wunderlich (ARVCO Financial).

The program is an intensive 10-month experience to provide information, strategies, contacts, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

By Alex Breitler, Stockton Record

Reel in a reality check: Your catch of the day might contain high levels of mercury or other contaminants, even if you’re fishing in what seems to be a fairly clean mountain lake.

Now there’s a user-friendly way to check before you cast.

The results from the largest survey of fish tissues from 272 lakes across the state are featured on interactive maps recently posted on the website of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Read the whole story

In addition to being once named “Top Female Vocalist of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music, Wynonna has also been referred as “the greatest country singer since Patsy Cline” by Rolling Stone Magazine. And this year she is making history at the Lake Tahoe Music Festival by being the first country music performer in 28 years to join the festival lineup.

“An Evening with Wynonna” takes place at Northstar-At-Tahoe July 31 as part of the season’s 2010 three-week concert series July 22–Aug. 7.

Known as one of country music’s most popular and well-respected artists, Wynonna will share her intimate and charismatic stage show with festival attendees.

“Adding a country star to our concert series is a first for us but we wanted to do it right and Wynonna fits the bill perfectly,” Lisa Krueger, chief executive officer of the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, said in a press release. “In the past five years we’ve booked our concert lineup based on feedback from attendees and in our last annual survey a majority of respondents asked for country music and we listened. Wynonna’s a talented and industry-recognized sensation who goes beyond country, offering a diverse musical range that we’re certain our attendees will embrace.”

Ever since her record-breaking, quintuple platinum debut solo CD, 1992’s “Wynonna,” which reached No. 1 on the country chart and loomed in the top five of Billboard’s “Top Albums” chart, the singer has remained a recognizable, yet unpredictable icon. Wynonna’s latest album, “Sing: Chapter 1” pays homage to country, rock, blues and soul-baring standards originated by legendary artists that have formed the unique soundtrack to her own life.

In addition to Wynonna, the Lake Tahoe Music Festival’s 2010 season builds upon the growth of the past two years and brings America’s 40th Anniversary Tour, Natalie Cole and Michael McDonald along with Broadway’s Best with Debbie Gravitte and Simply Sinatra featuring Steve Lippia. The festival also adds two “Strictly Classical” concerts July 21 and 28 featuring the premiere of the Orchestra Academy and guest soloists and Academy instructors Ariana Ghez, principal oboist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Jerry Grossman, principal cellist for the Metropolitan Opera.

Tickets for Wynonna are $42 for general admission and $54 preferred and are on sale online or by phone at 877-772.5425.

By Kathryn Reed

The 19-year-old Meyers Landfill lawsuit is over. Final approval is expected today or Monday, with all parties signing the agreement by June 23.

“Needless to say, I am happy to see that this day has finally arrived,” El Dorado County Supervisor Norma Santiago told Lake Tahoe News.

Access to the old Meyers Landfill will be fenced off soon. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The 26-acre site off Pioneer Trail that is easily accessed directly across from Elks Club Road has been sitting idle since it ceased being a landfill in 1971. Garbage from El Dorado and Douglas counties, and South Lake Tahoe were dumped on this parcel of U.S. Forest Service land beginning in 1947.

In 1991, after vinyl chloride was discovered oozing into the ground and threatening Saxon Creek, the Forest Service sued El Dorado County.

Vinyl chloride is a carcinogen created after household waste breaks down. Methane and other gases are also issues. The Environmental Protection Agency has deemed it a SuperFund site.

The county has been the main defendant all these years.

“At this point I can say we have negotiated a consent decree with the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Justice,” Tom Bruen, special counsel to El Dorado County, told Lake Tahoe News on Thursday. “It is being reviewed by top managers of the EPA and the Department of Justice. We are hoping for approval sometime next week.”

Third party defendants have included South Lake Tahoe, Douglas County, South Tahoe Public Utility District, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Raley’s, South Tahoe Refuse, Harrah’s, Harveys, Heavenly, Safeway, Hertz, Barton Healthcare, Tahoe Valley Pharmacy and Sierra Pacific Power Co. Most have settled.

But, still, South Tahoe PUD had a closed session item Thursday about the lawsuit. Spokesman Dennis Cocking said the June 17 meeting was likely to be the last time it’s on an agenda.

Main sticking points, during what at times has been a highly contentious battle, are who would pay for what. Because everything is not yet a public record, specific dollar amounts are not available.

But millions have been spent on lawyers, a cap that was put on in 1975 that didn’t work, studies, monitoring and re-use proposals. Millions more will be spent on a cap and continued monitoring.

Officials are estimating the cap will cost upward of $4 million. Three contracts are in place for the cap project: contractor, quality insurance agent, and remedial engineer to prepare the CERLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) reports for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Money will come from some of the third party defendants, some from the Forest Service, and the bulk from the insurance companies representing the defendants.

The county Board of Supervisors hired a contractor earlier this year to do the work. The Forest Service is having a meeting today to talk about the construction.

The cap will be on 10 acres of the site. Work will likely begin this month and take all summer.

“As a result, we will do closures of the landfill area and the road leading to it,” Forest Service spokeswoman Cheva Heck said. “This is not punitive in any way. It will not be safe to be back there.”

A fence will be put up around the perimeter of the work area. It will remain up for a couple years to allow for vegetation to take hold.

The Forest Service will release details next week of the exact area to be shut-off from the public.

Heck would not comment on specifics about the lawsuit.

“It’s still a legal issue,” she said.

But this is just the first phase.

“While we are pleased with this settlement, we have yet one step to go which relates to Operating Unit 2,” Santiago said. “This covers the area where the plume is currently traveling. Once the cap is on, there will be ongoing monitoring of this area to help determine how well the cap is working.”

How to deal with the groundwater will depend on how well the cap works. If the plume is leaving the site post-cap, then more will have to be done. What that “more” might be, is unknown. It’s possible a French drain could be installed to divert groundwater. Mother Nature might have other designs.

One day the site will be able to be used by hikers, mountain bikers and maybe snowmobilers. Talk of El Dorado County taking over the land have long been taken off the table. This means the many meetings and dollars spent on a feasibility study to relocate Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care to the site were for naught.

But Santiago isn’t quite ready to give up the fight. And with another four-year term starting later this year, she has a platform to work from.

“Regarding the land going to the county, I am still optimistic — perhaps the only one. However, any discussion would be premature at this point,” Santiago said. “Based upon my information, the process required to go down this path is very complicated and requires the patience of a saint. As always, I am up for the challenge.”

In an area that features some of Mother Nature’s finest work, Truckee homeownership has its joys and unique responsibilities.

Many live close to bodies of water such as Donner Lake, the Truckee River, and Donner and Alder Creeks. However, many of these properties may actually have a negative impact on the region’s water quality. The Truckee River Watershed Council and the Sierra Nevada Alliance have kicked off a River Friendly Landscaping campaign to help remedy the situation.

“Basically, the Watershed Council is asking homeowners to voluntarily install erosion control on their properties,” Andy Otto, director of Land Use Compatibility Programs, said in a statement. “When implemented correctly, these landscaping methods will help reduce soil erosion, prevent storm water runoff and stop pollutants from eventually making their way to the Truckee River. If they get to the water, the pollutants cause harm to the watershed and to the fish and animals that feed there.”

The Watershed Council and Sierra Nevada Alliance have identified neighborhoods where they hope homeowners will jump onboard the River Friendly Landscaping program. These neighborhoods are close to sensitive lakes and streams. The following property types are of special interest: homes on steep slopes, sites with highly compacted soil, and homes that are close to surface water. There are four identified neighborhoods: north shore of Donner Lake, Tahoe Donner, and the Truckee River corridor in Placer County, and along East and West River Streets. Evaluations will be given on a first come, first serve basis. While any homeowner in any neighborhood can participate in the program, homes in the focus areas will be given priority.

Interested property owners are encouraged to call (530) 550.8760 to schedule a free site evaluation. Based upon the assessment, an engineering consultant will design a plan with recommendations (free of charge) for the property based on erosion control issues. When the project is completed, River Friendly Landscaping staffers will once again visit the property. Upon certification of completion, the homeowner will be eligible for up to a $400 rebate.

In addition to reducing sediment and pollution in the Truckee River, a native plant/low maintenance landscaping makeover may increase property value and aesthetics.

The program has been funded by California through the State Water Resources Control Board.

An informational mixer is slated for June 19 from 4-6pm at the Truckee Donner Public Utility District’s Patricia S. Sutton Memorial conservation garden. Call (530) 550.8760, ext. 4 to RSVP to River Friendly Landscaping or just show up. You can also visit www.truckeeriverwc.org for more information.