Dear Friend,

A sincere thank you to all the Nevadans who are supporting my campaign and took the time to vote today.

This election presents voters with a clear choice on who will stand up for Nevada’s families.

I am working to create good-paying jobs by investing in clean energy resources. I have been leading the fight to protect consumers by taking on Big Oil and Wall Street. And I am proud of the reform we passed to help make health care more affordable.

Times are still tough, but we are now starting to see things beginning to turn around as the measures we have taken continue to work. I remain convinced that by coming together, the future still is as bright as it has ever been.

Harry Reid, Democratic U.S. senator from Nevada

By Las Vegas Sun

Gov. Jim Gibbons has been thrown out of office after a tumultuous term that was marred by a bitter divorce and allegations of infidelities.

The first-term Republican lost the GOP primary Tuesday to former federal judge Brian Sandoval. Rory Reid won the Democratic primary.

Brian Sandoval

The early returns showed Sandoval with 56.5 percent of the vote; Gibbons with 26.4 percent and Mike Montandon with 12.3 percent. Sandoval accepted the Republican nomination and spoke to reporters in Reno.

Read the whole story

Join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for volunteer trail building workdays in Stateline on the Daggett Summit Trail Project. Workdays are Tuesdays and Saturdays (9am to 4pm) in June.

Learn new skills, meet like-minded trail enthusiasts, and give back to your community by joining a volunteer trail crew. Volunteers of all skill levels and physical abilities are welcome and encouraged to participate—no prior experience necessary. To join a volunteer work crew, register at www.tahoerimtrail.org or contact Amanda at (775) 298.0239 or trails@tahoerimtrail.org. Groups are welcome. Registration is necessary to ensure enough crew leaders, tools and safety gear are in place.

This is the second trail building season of the multi-year Daggett Summit project, which will connect the Tahoe Rim Trail with the Van Sickle State Park, re-route the TRT off of paved roads, and provide views of Lake Tahoe to more people. Last year 3.8 miles of trail were built, with 9 more to go.

Volunteers should bring lunch and water, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, boots, work gloves, and bring sunscreen, bug spray, and a backpack. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will provide hard hats, trail building tools and expert crew leaders.

Trail Building Workdays:

June 12 at Kingsbury North Trailhead Stateline

June 15 at Van Sickle State Park (behind Harrah’s)

June 19 at Kingsbury North Trailhead Stateline

June 22 at Van Sickle State Park (behind Harrah’s)

June 26 at Kingsbury North Trailhead Stateline

June 29 at Van Sickle State Park (behind Harrah’s)

For more information about how to become a Tahoe Rim Trail member or volunteer, contact info@tahoerimtrail.org or (775) 298.0012, or visit the website at www.tahoerimtrail.org.

As part of the annual summer-long Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival, An Evening of Intimate Chamber Music at the historic Boathouse Theatre will be June 11.

Performers playing the works of Mozart, Bruch, Reger and Francaiz include David Brock, piano, Pat Crane, viola and Darrell Morre, clarinet. And, Maureen Leonard will perform Chopin on solo piano.

The show begins at 7:30pm and ticket prices are $15 for ages 18 to 54, $12 for ages 13 to 17 and 55+ (military and students too) and $5 for children 12 and under. The Boathouse Theatre is a structure dating two turn-of-the centuries ago, distinguishing it as one of Tahoe’s earliest preserved buildings.

Brock is a principal member of TOCCATA (The Orchestra and Community Choral Artists of the Tahoe Area) where he serves as organist, and continuo accompanist. Crane, performs in Nevada ensembles as well as regularly in local church services. Leonard performs solo works in voice, piano and organ with the Tahoe Choir and Toccata. She is the music director and organist at St. Theresa Church, South Lake Tahoe. Moore of Kings Beach acts, sings, and dances in Tahoe Mountain Musicals, Tahoe Players, Truckee Actors Guild and Tahoe Arts and is a founding member of TOCCATA.

The annual Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre festival is located on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe at the historic Tallac Site. For tickets and information, click here or call (530) 541.4975.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has opened a substation in the El Dorado Hills Town Center at 4354 Town Center Blvd. Ste. 112, next to the Mechanics Bank.

On June 11 at 5:30pm the department will host a grand opening celebration of the new substation.

The substation will provide area residents with information relating to crime reporting, crime prevention and various other processes. These services will be available when a deputy is present at the substation. The decision to open an El Dorado Hills substation stems from community input regarding the desire to increase deputy presence in the El Dorado Hills business and residential areas, and an opportunity for the sheriff’s office to expand outreach to the community and increase public safety awareness.

The department had a substation in El Dorado Hills, but chose to move locations to have a more visible presence as well as free rent, according to Sheriff Fred Kollar.

By Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee

A traffic lane on Interstate 80 near Donner Lake will be closed today to allow crews to dig out dirt contaminated by diesel fuel.

The fast lane on eastbound I-80 near Donner Lake is scheduled to be closed today from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. where a tank on a big rig flipped over and ripped open on May 26.

If necessary, the work could continue through Thursday.

Read the whole story

It’s election day in many states, with California and Nevada voting on governor on down to local positions.

El Dorado County Registrar of Voters Bill Schultz set up a special box in Placerville for people to drop off their vote by mail ballots. The white mailbox is in the parking lot at Building C, 2850 Fairlane Court at the Government Center. No stamp required.

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in partnership with ReCORK has launched an initiative to recycle thousands of its natural used wine corks.

Corks will be collected throughout the resort in an effort to help ReCORK in its recycling program. SOLE, a leading manufacturer of footwear products, blends the recycled corks into unique formations used in the production of eco-friendly “flip” sandals and packaging. With the flips available for purchase at Tahoe Provisions, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe will be the first venue to function as a ReCORK collection site for natural corks and a retailer of the SOLE flips.

Sponsored by Amorim of Portugal, the world’s largest producer of natural cork closures, and SOLE, the goal of ReCORK is to find reuse applications for as many corks as possible – and in the process, help communicate the value cork forests play as a sustainable natural resource that must be protected.

Beginning this month, ReCORK collection boxes will be stationed at Lone Eagle Grille and other resort venues, with the goal of collecting 30 pounds or more of corks.

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad has expanded operations to Friday–Sunday rides through Oct. 31.

Round-trip steam trains operate every Saturday and Sunday with tickets $48 per adult, $40 for seniors 65 and better, $30 for children 12 and under.

One-way steam train rides on Saturdays and Sundays are $29 per adult, $25 for senior, $20 for children.

Round-trip tickets on V&T diesel trains operating Fridays are $29 for adults, $25 seniors and $20 for children.

One-way diesel trains running Fridays are $17, $15 seniors and $12 for children.

The V&T Railroad’s 16 miles of track re-opened last August after 70 years of non-operation. Each 75-minute ride includes scenic vistas of the snow capped Sierra Nevada, passing through tunnels, by abandoned mine shafts, old cemeteries and offering occasional sightings of wild mustangs. The V&T travels the same silver path paved by the excesses of the Virginia City mines of the infamous 1860s Comstock silver boom.

In addition to the V&T’s Carson City-Virginia City 16-mile excursion, known as the “Sisters in History” route, the V&T also offers its popular 4-mile, 35-minute loop through Virginia City and Gold Hill, or the “Historic Route.” Here, the V&T has run since 1972 under the ownership of the Gray family who have preserved the railway’s heritage.

The Saturday round-trip train feature a 1916 Baldwin consolidation 2-8-0 steam engine pulling two 1914 Pullman cars displaying the distinctive yellow and green of the V&T. Private group discounted charters for 20 or more passengers are also available to organizations or businesses.

For more information on the “Sisters in History” route between Carson City and Virginia City, go to www.VisitCarsonCity.com and for details on the “Historic Route” between Virginia City and Gold Hill, visit www.VirginiaTruckee.com or call (775) 847.0380.

The best beards and moustaches in the nation were on display Monday in Bend, Ore., at the country’s first National Beard and Moustache Championships.

The 189 beardsmen marched from the hotel to the Les Schwab Amphitheater where they strutted their stuff on a catwalk before a cheering crowd.

Toot Joslin of Tahoe City has award-winning facial hair. Photo/Provided

Contestants were judged by their whiskers, costumes, and overall presentations by an eight-member jury. At the end of the day, five beardsmen were named winners.

* Best moustache: Larry McClure, Walnut Creek

* Best partial beard: Toot Joslin, Tahoe City

* Best full beard: Aarne Bielefeldt, Willits

* Freestyle: Willi Chevalier, Sigmaringen, Germany

Each won $1,000.

Chevalier won the “Best in Show: Dockers King of Whiskers” along with a year’s supply of Dockers pants.

The 2010 National Beard and Moustache Championships included live music, craft beer, food vendors and live music, and it coincided with the annual Balloons Over Bend celebration. Organizers estimate the events drew abut 3,000 visitors.

Phil Olsen, self-appointed captain Beard Team USA and a lawyer from Lake Tahoe, worked with Visit Bend to bring the event to Bend. He chose Bend, in part, because of its appeal as an outdoor recreation mecca, but also because of its many craft breweries. Bend is one of the top breweries-per-capita cities in the nation, with seven per 75,000.