By Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

Late-season storms did wonders for California’s snowpack, fluffing those white drifts in the Sierra Nevada to 143 percent of average as of Friday. A month ago, the total stood at 106 percent of normal.

The readings came in the season’s final snow survey on Friday by the California Department of Water Resources. This last survey is often used to firm up water delivery projections for cities and farms, for whom snowmelt is the most important supply. State and federal agencies both expect to do so, perhaps as soon as early next week, and the

Lake Oroville is 71 percent of normal on April 30. Photo/Kathryn Reed

allocations will likely be increased.

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Unity at the Lake is having a murder-mystery fundraiser on May 14 from 6-9pm at Embassy Suites in South Lake Tahoe. Click on Unity for more details.

Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society will be hosting its tri-annual blood drive June 10 in the Aspen Room, next to the library, from 10am-3pm at Lake Tahoe Community College.

No appointments needed.

LTCC is located at One College Drive in South Lake Tahoe.

For more information, or questions, contact BloodSource at 800.995.4420.

On May 14 from 8am-4pm at Green Valley Community Church in Placerville the public is invited to learn about Alzheimer’s disease – its warning signs, who’s at risk, what treatments are available and how to cope with the unique behaviors associated with the disease from the top experts in the field.

Because of a grant from Marshall Foundation for Community Health, the registration fee is just $10 ($20 at the door) and includes a continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and all conference materials.

Five hours of continuing education units are available for most professions for only $10. To arrange for free respite care of your loved one, please contact the Family Caregiver Support Program at (530) 621.6151. Registration brochures are available by calling El Dorado County Senior Day Care Services at (530) 621.6180 or Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center at (916) 971.0893.

By Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bee

Sacramento State officials are considering whether to declare the campus “impacted,” an action that would make it harder for students outside the region to get in.

An impacted California State University campus is one where more qualified students want to enroll than the university has funding to accommodate. The designation allows campus officials to control enrollment more tightly than is normally allowed. They do that by giving priority to local students and asking students from other regions to meet higher admissions criteria.

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By Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal

Real Quiet is right where he belongs — at a farm in Pennsylvania in the company of mares.

The bay thoroughbred is 15 now, 12 years removed from what some have called “the toughest beat in all of sports,” the whisker loss to Victory Gallop in the Belmont Stakes that denied Real Quiet the elusive Triple Crown — a sweep of horse racing’s biggest events, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont.

“Real Quiet took me on the ride of my life in 1998,” owner Mike Pegram said last week while sitting in Bodines, the Carson City casino he co-owns.

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By Lenita Powers, Reno Gazette-Journal

The sixth annual Spring Powwow, which provides Northern Nevadans an opportunity to enjoy American Indian dancing, singing, food and crafts, will be this weekend at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The alcohol-free event is open to the public and charges no admission.

The cultural celebration is held by UNR’s Center for Student Cultural Diversity, the Native American Alumni Chapter and Native American Student Organization.

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• Riley Chapman of Stateline is playing Louisa in the “Sound of Music” at the Carson Community Center in May. Capt. Von Trapp is played by August Stoten, who grew-up in Zephyr Heights and graduated from Whittell High School. Chapman performs May 14 at 7:30pm, May 15 at 7:30pm and May 16 at 2pm. Tickets may be purchased by calling (775) 445. 4249.

• Animal Planet is coming to South Lake Tahoe this summer to study and film Coll McCreagh’s adventures with the BEAR League. She is a workability assistant at South Tahoe High School.

• ALLY is collecting prom dresses, shoes, and accessories and men’s formal wear and shoes for the South Tahoe High School’s prom in June. Contact Bridey Heidel at (530) 541.4111, ext. 263 or bheidel@ltusd.org.

• Day of the Young Child — a fun-filled day with free activities — will be June 19 at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Tahoe from 10am-2pm.

• One segment of Leadership Lake Tahoe is partnering with various groups on the South Shore to provide 1,000 reusable water bottles to local youth athletes.

Letter to the publisher,

I would like to apologize for an article I wrote last month entitled, “Hats Off to S.T.P.U.D.”. The words I used in the article were misleading. I wrote, “The District is in a position to give its customers another zero percent rate increase.” What I failed to say was, “They may or may not give us another rate freeze this year.”

The purpose of that article and this article is to praise South Tahoe Public Utility District. The district is a $50 million organization and their financial management is “AAA”. There is not a better-run organization in the basin and that is why it would be very easy for them to freeze the rates again.

As you know, the district gave us some relief last year with a zero percent rate increase. They did it because the economy and the unemployment rate were bad. Well, things are still bad and I am hoping they will give us another break. I will be at the public meeting on May 6 to voice my opinion.

Capital improvements projects (CIPs) are put on hold when the rates are frozen. If the district does not get a 4 percent rate increase, then one or two of the 11 current CIPs will be put on hold. Some of these CIPs include: three BMP and erosion control projects, a 12-inch water line on Lake Tahoe Boulevard, two booster station upgrades and two water tanks.

Some of us would like to see the Iroquois Booster Station project put on hold along with the Grizzly Mountain Booster Station project and the Cathodic Protection Assessment project for a total budget reduction of $2 million. If this were to happen, then the STPUD board could vote for a rate freeze.

The water district told me that a 4 percent rate increase would raise the average bill by less than $10. This doesn’t sound like much by itself, but when we add the increases for food, gasoline, electricity and gas, the number get real ugly real fast.

When I was on the board last year, we froze the rate in 2009 with plans to increase the rates in 2010 to 4.5 percent. We did this because we thought the economy and the unemployment rate would be better in 2010. It looks like we will have to wait another year for the economy to rebound. Another rate by the STPUD board would be a clear message that they sympathize with our community.

Please join us on May 6 at 6pm at the public meeting at the water district.

Ernie Claudio, South Lake Tahoe

By Maggie O’Neill, Reno Gazette-Journal

Hurry and take your boat in for a free safety inspection offered by the U.S. Coast Guard this Sunday in the Reno-Sparks area.

Otherwise, you might end up driving your vessel to a boat ramp at Lake Lahontan, Pyramid Lake or Lake Tahoe in search of a free inspection. Nobody wants to do that when they can have their vehicle inspected for free by the North Lake Tahoe Coast Guard Auxiliary and stay in town.

This Sunday’s check could be the last Coast-Guard sponsored event offered in Reno-Sparks this spring.

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