To the community,

I was asked, “What did we want Meyers to look like?” After some thought, the things that matter to the people who live here are the things they care about like having a quiet, mountain neighborhood. The fact that people feel secure walking their dogs in the evening is a great part of living here. To know that you are safe in your neighborhood and that your neighbor will help you when you are in need are comforting; also, knowing your neighbors by name, everyone waving to each other as they pass by, and having spectacular views of the mountains and seeing stars above at night.

What else? A stoplight at the intersection of Apache and Highway 50 would be a great start. Why is it not even on the Capital Improvement Project list in our new draft Meyers Area Plan? Meyers residents like us have been asking for the signal light for more that 15 years. A traffic study was completed, funding was approved, and residents were even given a start date for the signal light. Now our request falls on deaf ears.

In one of the Meyers Planning meetings it was brought up again and had lots of residents support, but did not even make the top 25 on the list. Are they saying that giving away free Sierra juniper seedlings (Page 7-5 in Meyers Area Plan) is more important than the safety of our children trying to cross Highway 50 on a Friday afternoon to visit a friend or buy ice cream at Lira’s? To try to get across 50 now is like playing dodge and dash across to the other side. I have been told a stoplight costs about $150,000 and with about 3,000 people living in Meyers, it costs about $16 per person for three years. Is a child’s life worth that or do we have to have a body count high enough to meet the Caltrans requirements for a stoplight?

I am in support of a Meyers Community Hall, a building that would have multiple uses for the community, such as crab feeds, spaghetti dinners, or local fund-raising events. We need a place to have dances, community meetings and other social events. Yes, I would like to see a “Welcome to Meyers” sign and a facelift of the Highway 50 corridor.

I prefer locally owned businesses rather than corporations that really don’t have an interest in our local affairs. Why is it so hard for a local resident to build a small business here? Why does government make the process so convoluted?

On that note, have you looked at the new Meyers Area Plan yet? Don’t cross your eyes trying to figure out what Chapter 2 really says in the Meyers plan. Our government agencies should be looking at what the needs of the community are, not 45-foot-high buildings with high-density housing for tourists, multi-unit apartments, or a 477-space parking garage, or changing zoning boundary lines so that currently protected land could meet the condition for “incentive” projects. Why is the California Tahoe Conservancy able to sell taxpayer owned, conserved property for new land coverage projects? If that is your ideal vision, you probably live near state line.

With agencies such as the TRPA and entities like the MCAC talking about the MAP to the CTC with the new RPU, and trading ERUs or TAUs for CFA, and mixing CUP with just P’s only if you have footnotes (4) and (6) as a condition to build, and don’t forget the BMPs, you really get a feeling that something is not right in Meyers.

Joe Cardinale, Meyers

By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times

A study broadens a notion held by the earliest criminologists: Periods of higher temperatures — on an hour-by-hour or week-to-week basis — are likely to produce more crime.

The study by Matthew Ranson of Abt Associates, a research and consulting firm in Cambridge, Mass., suggests global warming will trigger more crimes including murders and rapes over the next century, with social costs estimated to run as high as $115 billion.

Between 2010 and 2099, climate change can be expected to cause an additional 22,000 murders, 180,000 cases of rape, 1.2 million aggravated assaults, 2.3 million simple assaults, 260,000 robberies, 1.3 million burglaries, 2.2 million cases of larceny and 580,000 cases of vehicle theft, the study published this week in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management says.

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By Jeremy Miller

“Don Jon” is Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s first stab at writing/directing while also playing the lead, with which I was very pleasantly surprised.

Also starring Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza there’s a perfect blend of talent. Jon (Levitt) is a cliché New Jersey middle class playboy. His routine consists of church, his pad, his car, his boys, hooking up with new girls every weekend and his real addiction – porn.

Via narrative, Jon expresses the “escape” he feels when watching porn, and fantasizes about a sex life comparative to that of his porn stars. Though he scores “10s” on the regular, he is constantly unsatisfied with a lack of willingness or exploration on the part of his partner. He’s had them all, seemingly, until he crosses paths with Barbara (Johansson) who is the perfect 10. They spark a rather forward relationship, and immediately she holds the power over him by withholding sex.

She comes from upper class, and certainly acts like it. Despite the fact that the film overtly objectifies women, Barbara is a power figure, insisting she meet his family, he start going to school, and upgrading his job before finally having sex with him. Once they finally do the deed, Jon is of course not 100 percent satisfied so he sneaks out for a late night movie in the living room. She catches him and threatens breakup until he lies his way out of it and promises never to do it again.

He pulls out the big guns to bail him out and drops the “I love you” bomb, which of course gets him out of trouble. Their relationship blossoms and despite the minor squabbles they seem like a pretty great couple. They each meet the others family and everyone loves everyone.

As the film progresses Jon is increasingly unable to meet the demands of Barbara, most notably her rule against him cleaning his own place. Come on Babs, the man just wanted a Swiffer! Enter Esther (Moore) who’s a middle aged and certainly troubled woman in his class. She also catches him watching porn and sparks up a casual conversation about it. Now Jon has two women on the line, each with a very different opinion of his porn addiction.

Jon tries to make his relationship with Barbara work, but finds his needs still aren’t being met and finds refuge in Esther’s openness on the subject. The story rolls on and characters evolve, and the ending is soft and genuine.

Overall, I thought it was extremely entertaining. I loved the humor, I thought it was quick and clever, and delivery was spot on. Tony Danza, who plays Jon Sr., really stole the show and was funny and lovable despite his foul mouth abrasiveness. Just based on the trailer and premise you know there’s a lot of sexuality in the film. There were a few awkward moments, but honestly I felt the way Levitt delivered took a commendable amount of courage and didn’t disgust me in the least. I wouldn’t drag your mom to this one, and it may be weird with your significant other, but still totally worth it.

As a first time director, Levitt really pushed the boundaries and demonstrated a refreshing sense of confidence. Why not a five? Well, unfortunately there were a few times where I thought Scarlett was a little too desperate to really capture the essence of an East Coast girl and it took away from her character. Lastly, there were some edits that tried way too hard to be as quick and clever as the dialogue and really made me worry about seizing up at any moment. Other than that, Levitt totally nailed it.

South Lake Tahoe resident Jeremy Miller has more movie reviews online.

By Jennifer Liberto, CNN Money

WASHINGTON — Americans dearly love getting their mail daily. But they can’t say what they’d miss if the U.S. Postal Service disappeared.

“People seemed to sense that the Postal Service disappearing would be a bad thing, but they had trouble articulating more specifically how this would affect them personally,” the report from the U.S. Postal Service Office Inspector General says.

The inspector general’s office commissioned the report, which posed questions to 101 people in 10 focus groups nationwide. It summed up the answers in the white paper called: “What America Wants and Needs from the Postal Service.”

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• The Feb. 23 snowshoe race at Camp Rich put on by the Tahoe Mountain Milers has been canceled because of lack of snow.

• There will be a meeting about Truckee Trails and Bikeways on Feb. 26 from 5-7pm at the airport.

• Sierra Nevada College is offering summer art workshops June 9-Aug. 1. Go online for descriptions, artist biographies and more detailed information.

• On Feb. 26 from 6-8pm the Meyers Area Plan will be discussed at a community meeting-workshop at the CCC offices on Apache Avenue in Meyers.

By USSA

ROSA KHUTOR, Russia -– John Teller of Mammoth Lakes skied strong in a competitive heat Thursday, but crashed during a pass attempt, finishing 28th in skicross at the Sochi Games.

Team USA’s sole skicross athlete was edged out of his heat by Jean Frederic Chapuis and Jonathan Midol of France, who went on to take gold and bronze, respectively. Arnaud Bovolenta rounded out the French sweep with the silver medal.

Teller spent most of the heat fighting from behind in third, trying to squeeze into the top two in order to advance to the next round. It the final banked turn he attempted a pass on the inside but slid out and did not finish the race.

“I would have liked to have a better start; it wasn’t the greatest. But you’ve got to try to refocus and work on getting into the top two positions so you can advance to the next round,” Teller said. “I was battling all the way down and trying to get up there, stuck in that third spot for most of the way. I set up the pass for the last bank and was running a really tight line. It’s tough to do in these soft conditions, so I spun out and that was the end of it.”

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will offer a free course for landscape professionals on March 17 from 8am-3pm at the Peppermill in Reno.

It will provide information on how landscaping design and materials play a crucial role in reducing the threat of wildfire to homes. The course is part of the Living With Fire Program, and is offered in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs Wildland-Urban Interface Conference.

Topics include an introduction to wildland and local fire behavior, the influence of residential landscape features on firefighting, ignition resistance of landscape building materials, good and bad plant choices for high fire-hazard areas and more.

Participants who complete the course will gain continuing education credits; those who pass a written exam will receive a certificate of completion in Living With Fire for Landscape Professionals, and will have their names posted on the Living With Fire website and on a list distributed at local events or upon request.

To rrgister for the course, contact Sonya Sistare at sistares@unce.unr.edu or (775) 336-0271 by March 9.

Updated Feb. 20 1:15pm:

A 22-year-old South Lake Tahoe man is behind bars on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an inhabited vehicle.

Bail for Angelo Anderson has been set at $100,000. More charges are possible.

The incident started Feb. 19 at 4:42pm on Fawn Way one block south of Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.

Officers said when Dennis McQuitty, 57, of South Lake Tahoe was leaving a friend’s home Anderson approached him. The two used to work together. Anderson allegedly began making inflammatory remarks toward the victim. McQuitty closed his door to avoid a conflict and started to drive away.

Several witnesses then reported to police that they saw Anderson raise a handgun and fire approximately three rounds at McQuitty’s truck as he drove on Fawn Avenue. At least one bullet struck the truck. Anderson then went back into his residence, a room at the A&A Lake Tahoe Inn with his girlfriend, Leslie Monroy.

She was detained, but later released without charges. Anderson was arrested. Officers recovered the firearm used by Anderson.

Witnesses should call Detective Jeff Roberson at (530) 542.6100 or Secret Witness at (530) 541.6800.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Maddie Bowman of Meyers celebrates her gold medal in the women’s ski halfpipe at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on Feb. 20. Photo/Charlie Riedel/AP

By AP

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — This one was for Sarah.

Braid spinning in the chilly mountain air, Maddie Bowman of Meyers soared to the inaugural gold in women’s Olympic halfpipe skiing, edging Marie Martinod of France in the final on a night the sport paid tribute to late Canadian freestyle skiing icon Sarah Burke.

Burke, a leading advocate to have several events — including halfpipe — added to the Olympic program, died following a training accident in 2012. Her parents, Gordon Burke and Jan Phelan, watched as Bowman made history.

The 20-year-old put together a pair of athletic runs in the finals. Stringing along dizzying series of spins and grabs, Bowman performed the two highest-scoring runs of the finals.

Her first one, an 85.80, put pressure on Martinod, who led qualifying. Bowman’s second run was even better. She clasped the side of her helmet in disbelief then sat and waited to see if Martinod or American teammate Brita Sigourney could top her.

Nope.

Sigourney, who washed out in her first finals run, appeared ready to threaten Bowman before her backside skimmed the snow with only one jump off the 22-foot halfpipe left.

That left Martinod, who retired in 2007 but returned to the sport in 2012 at the urging of Burke. The 29-year-old Frenchwoman was one of the oldest performers in the 23-skier field and her introduction included a series of outtakes with her young daughter.

Martinod was clean but not spectacular. Her 85.40 earned silver but didn’t really come close to bumping Bowman from the top of the medal stand.

There were several hard crashes during qualifying, the worst coming when Anais Caradeux slammed into the ice during her second run. The 23-year-old Frenchwoman lay motionless for several seconds before being tended to by medics.

Caradeux sustained lacerations on her face but managed to ski down the halfpipe to the medical tent. She qualified ninth but didn’t compete in the finals. Caradeux said afterward she blacked out for “10-15 seconds” and sustained some short-term memory loss.

Then again, Caradeux was hardly alone on a sometimes bruising night. Sigourney took a rough fall during her first finals run, with Bowman sprinting up the halfpipe to help her up. She recovered in time to take a second trip down the slope but it wasn’t nearly good enough.

Sigourney blinked back tears of disappointment, though they were soon cast aside during an event that served as a celebration of Burke’s legacy.

“A lot of girls were really pushing themselves,” said Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada, who finished seventh. “I wish (Sarah) could have won tonight if it wasn’t me.”

By Lisa Rein, Washington Post

As the Obama administration pushes to do more business over the Internet, finally seeking to close the technology gap with the private sector, the digital makeover is running into a dogged opponent called Consumers for Paper Options.

The group is working the halls of Congress in closed-door meetings, underwriting research favorable to its position and mounting a news media campaign in an effort to preserve Washington as the capital of paper — and slow the move away from printed checks, forms and other paper communication.

The lobbying group has had some recent victories, including language tucked into last month’s budget deal that requires the government to plan for resuming paper delivery of annual Social Security earnings statements to some of the nation’s 150 million future retirees. And it’s been claiming these wins in the name of the elderly and low-income Americans the Internet has left behind.

Except Consumers for Paper Options is a creation of the paper industry.

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