By Kathryn Reed

Patty Smith has a simple request – fly the American flag every day, not just a couple days a year.

Through tears, the South Lake Tahoe woman talked briefly about her son, Timmy, who died in the Iraq conflict. She talked about the need to remember and honor soldiers every day of the year.

Adam and Aaron Johnson at South Lake Tahoe's Memorial Day service. Photos/Kathryn Reed

The Smith family was in the front row Monday during the annual Memorial Day service at Happy Homestead Cemetery.

Under a mostly cloudy sky, the stars and stripes fluttered in the breeze. Gravesite after gravesite had a flag – symbolizing the vast number of veterans who have called South Lake Tahoe home.

More than 100 people turned out for the 45-minute tribute to the men and women in uniform who have died fighting for the United States. All ages were represented – some too young to even wear a Scout uniform, some old enough to remember Pearl Harbor.

Members of the American Legion Post 795 Stella Van Dyke Johnson spearheaded the festivities. As tradition would have it, Margo Asti was the soloist, the Junior ROTC presented colors, and the Black Bear Piper Band played Taps.

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Incline Village Community Clean Up Day is June 5 from 10am-noon at D.W. Reynolds Community Non-Profit Center, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village.

Participants of all ages are welcome, however children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. The Incline Village Community Clean Up Day is part of The Great Tahoe to Truckee Community Clean Up, a regionwide community clean up taking place in neighborhoods all over the Truckee-Tahoe North Shore on June 5.

For more information, call the Waste Not Hotline at (775) 832.1284 or email Wastenot@ivgid.org.

Tahoe Bike Day Parade & Festival is June 5.

To inaugurate this day, a family oriented Parade & Festival will be at Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe. Everyone is invited to ride in the parade – any age, skill level, type of bike, and decorated bikes are particularly welcome. The parade begins noon following the official ribbon cutting ceremony and travels 2.2 miles over a downtown loop.

The festival hours are 12:30–5pm.

Click here for more information.

The first Truckee Rib Fest, slated for Father’s Day (June 20) will be at Citizens Bank Plaza from noon–4pm.

This casual foodie event will provide attendees a chance to sample ribs and side dishes prepared by the best chefs in the area.

Event organizers have lined up a number of caterers and restaurants who will offer their creative variations on ribs, along with a specialty side dish. The event will feature judging by industry professionals for best ribs, best side dish and an award bestowed for best marriage of ribs and side category, along with a People’s Choice award.

Tickets are $20, which will provide three sample plates from the restaurants or caterers of their choice. A sample plate will include a two-rib “teaser” and one 2 ounce side dish. Additional tickets will be available for purchase for those craving more.

A beer garden, bounce house and free entertainment will round out the festivities.

Relay For Life of Truckee will be the event’s first nonprofit beneficiary. This year’s Relay For Life Truckee event is July 17-18.

Tickets may be purchased at: Citizen’s Bank, Sears Hometown Store, Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce and Switchback PR.

For more information or online tickets visit www.truckeeribfest.com; a nominal $2 service fee applies for online ticket sales. Those who order advanced tickets online will receive a complimentary Truckee RibFest beer mug at the event (first come first served). Sponsorship opportunities are also available for businesses and individuals and range from $150-$2,000.

Annual Highway 50 Wagon Train through the South Shore of Lake Tahoe is June 5-13.

This is a historical reenactment of the Great Western Migration. Take a step back through the portals of time and relive the adventures and rigors of the early pioneers as they forged their way west.

Lake Tahoe News would like to salute all the men and women who have died fighting for the United States of America.

You are what Memorial Day is all about.

Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice.

Eureka Productions of Truckee won six awards this month at the 43rd annual Worldfest-Houston International Film festival.

“We are delighted to say that your Remi Award assumes a very special significance this year, as more than 4,200 category entries were competing from 32 countries,” Hunter Todd, director of WorldFest Houston, said in a press release.

Eureka Productions’ awards include “how-to” instructional videos, a screen play and a documentary about world peace. The complete award list is below, and samples of Eureka Productions videos may be viewed on Youtube.

1. Platinum Remi Award: “Breath through the Pain” category 109A Television Live

2. Silver Remi “Forging a Cherokee Life” category 219 How to Instruction

3. Silver Remi “Tapping into the Collective Unconscious” category 307 documentary under 60 min.

4. Bronze Remi “ World Peace Tour” category 255 World Peace and Understanding

5. Bronze Remi “ A Pilgrimage Journey Three Generations” category 103 A Cultual

6. Bronze Remi “All American Boy” category 702 Biographical

Eureka Productions also has an office in Mendocino. The film company specializes in martial arts and social issues documentary videos. Martial arts production department focuses on cutting edge presentations of qigong, meditation, healing, and the internal martial arts.

Eating at Blue Angel Cafe today through June 5 comes with a bonus.

A portion of the proceeds from the South Lake Tahoe restaurant on Ski Run Boulevard will benefit Taste of Tahoe, the event raising money for the South Shore’s Relay for Life.

For more information about Taste of Tahoe, click here.

For more information about the Aug. 7-8 Relay for Life at Kahle Community Park in Stateline, click here.

By Laurie Brazil

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra hosted an early morning breakfast to award 16 scholarships and most improved distinctions to local students.

Students were represented by St. Theresa, South Tahoe Middle, South Tahoe High and Whittell High schools.

Some of the students honored by SITS.

The early risers attending last week included awarded students, family, faculty, administrators, counselors, local dignitaries and Soroptimist members. Each recipient had to be nominated, while the college-bound scholarships were based on applications submitted with academic achievements and honors, athletics, extra-curricular activities, community service, grade point average, letters of recommendation and national tests scores.

Meritorious awards went to most-improved: Steve Huerta, Wendy Cervantes, Ileana Peredo and Michael Pesci from STMS; Catherine Montgomery from St. Theresa, Kevin Shirley and Amy Fullbright from STHS and Corinne Novotny, Josh Peterson, Julian Washalesky and Phil Gielow from WHS.

Monetary scholarships were lauded to Victoria Lenstrom, Ashley Killeen, Sarah Breisacher and Melissa Ewing from STHS and Lauren Andrew from WHS. This last group of awardees were incredibly accomplished, gifted and well-rounded and will be attending colleges from UNR, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego and Saint Mary’s.

The annual Elegant Evening fundraiser is the event that garners the majority of the funding for these valuable and necessary programs for our youth.

For more information on any of the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra programs check www.sitahoesierra.org or become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com to be informed of all events and club happenings.

Laurie Brazil is a member of Soroptimist International Tahoe Sierra.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is seeking public comment on the proposed action for the Carnelian Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project.

The agency will host a public meeting on June 3 to share details of the proposed project activities, answer questions, and encourage comment on the project. The meeting will be at the North Tahoe Conference Center at 8318 North Lake Blvd. in Kings Beach from 5-7pm.

The proposed project area includes approximately 3,290 acres of thinning and fuels reduction treatments on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. The project is located on National Forest System lands within the wildland urban interface on the California side along the west and east sides of Highway 28.

The proposed treatments are intended to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and its impacts to commercial, private and public infrastructure, as well as preserve the ecological values along the lake.

A detailed description of the project, including a color map, can be downloaded.

For further information regarding this proposed action including requesting a paper copy or CD of the proposed action, contact Denise Downie at (530) 543.2683. Comments may be submitted until June 17.