By Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal

For the first time in its 38-year history, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival will run a season without a play penned by William Shakespeare. That doesn’t mean, however, that the 2010 event will lack Bard-isms because he festival, running July 9 through Aug. 22, has built its year around the three-person comedy “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).”

“Abridged” parodies all of Shakespeare’s works in notably condensed form, and the actors are encouraged to include at least some improvisation. It will run five days a week during the summer festival with the remaining dates — Mondays and Fridays — filled by concerts. The musical offerings will cover a variety of genres, ranging from classical to blues, and all shows will run in the organization’s popular outdoor theater at Sand Harbor State Park on the east shore of Lake Tahoe.

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By Jeanne Lear

While decreases in state subsidies have resulted in many state certified recycling centers throughout California closing down, or reducing hours of operation, programs are expanding in South Lake Tahoe. More and more people are recycling their beverage containers, gaining some cash while reinforcing the recycling ethic in our community.

In 2009, the number of beverage containers recycled at the STR Recycling Center increased by more than 360 tons, or 28 percent.

In order to meet the increased demand, and to lessen the wait and traffic congestion at the Recycling Center at 2192 Ruth Ave. in South Lake Tahoe, South Tahoe Refuse opened a “satellite” recycling center at 2127 Ruth Ave., designed to handle large loads by appointment and walk-ins (customers without vehicles). This facility is open Monday through Friday from 8am-2:30pm. Now recycling is available in South Lake Tahoe Monday through Saturday.

State certified buy-back recycling centers are the collection points for California Redemption Value (CRV) beverage containers. The CRV program, which is commonly called a “bottle bill”, causes some confusion between California and Nevada residents. Although many residents shop at both California and Nevada stores, only California stores charge the 5 and 10 cent recycling fee for beverage containers. The recycling centers pay customers their CRV back and are subsequently reimbursed by the state for those payments.

To add to the confusion, cans and bottles bought in Nevada stores may still have the “CA Cash” logo on them.

The California program limits Nevada residents to a $50 per day reimbursement for CRV material. This leads to frustration by Nevada residents as the goal of recycling seems to get lost in the California regulations. Simplification of the state program would go a long way to solving this local dilemma. This seems unlikely as California’s budget blues continue to grow while CRV revenues steadily decrease.

Call (530) 541.7526 for further information or go to STR’s website at southtahoerefuse.com.

Jeanne Lear is director of Human Resources at South Tahoe Refuse.

Country music mega-star Tim McGraw brings his “Southern Voice Tour” to Lake Tahoe May 30. This will kick-off the 2010 Lake Tahoe Summer Concert Series at Harveys Outdoor Arena in Stateline.

Hot new country stars Lady Antebellum are also on the bill, along with opening act Love and Theft.

McGraw had 11 consecutive albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard albums charts. Twenty-one singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country 100 chart. Three singles became the No. 1 country song of the year. He has won three Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association awards, 10 American Music Awards and 3 People’s Choice Awards.

Tim McGraw

The multi-talented McGraw recently co-starred with Sandra Bullock in the Oscar nominated film, “The Blind Side,” and is currently filming his latest project, “Love Don’t Let Me Down,” in Nashville with actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

McGraw’s 12th studio album, “Southern Voice”, was released Oct. 20 and led by the single, “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You.”

Tickets will be available through Tickemaster soon.

Nina MacLeod will talk about Snowshoe Thompson and the history of long boards at the Lake Tahoe Historical Society’s quarterly meeting on Feb. 9 at 7pm in the Lodge of Camp Richardson.

MacLeod, a native of Oslo, Norway, and Lake Tahoe resident, is a ski instructor and an expert in cross country.

The talk is free.

By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News

Watch out, Smokey. Keep your head down, Yogi.

Saying that California’s black bear population has quadrupled in the past 25 years, state Fish and Game Department officials are drafting new rules that could increase the number of black bears killed by hunters each year in the state by 50 percent or more.

The proposal also would allow hunters for the first time to use global positioning system devices on the collars of hounds that they use to track bears, along with automatic triggers that alert hunters when their dogs have treed a bear.

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Utah won the Travelocity Gnome contest on Facebook by 64 votes over Lake Tahoe.

Of 285,482 votes, 142,709 (49.98 percent) went to Lake Tahoe and 142,773 (50.01 percent) to Utah.

Join volunteer outdoorsman Bill Holt and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for a one-day winter skills workshop. This class will be offered Feb. 20 and March 6.

The class will begin with classroom time in the morning and outdoor navigation in the afternoon. Your map and compass will be provided; bring lunch and winter clothing suitable for an afternoon of snowshoeing.

The class will include: challenges of winter navigation, using a map to navigate, handson exercises and using compasses.

Location: DWR Nonprofit Center, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village

Cost: $25

Register in advance, as space is limited to 12 participants.

For more information or to sign-up for this class, call (775) 298.0012 or email programs@tahoerimtrail.org.

Coyote Grill will donate proceeds from bowls of chili sold on Feb. 4 from 5-10pm to the Lake Tahoe Museum.

The restaurant is near Safeway in Round Hill.

Start Smart is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers become aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California driver. The program was created in an effort to preemptively reduce the incidence of teen injuries and deaths resulting from motor vehicle collisions.

Teen drivers and their parents/guardians are invited to attend and participate in a Start Smart class. Recent statistics have shown that in California teenage drivers are injured and are dying in automobile accidents at an alarming rate.

Through candid conversations, officers in attendance will address these facts and provide examples of driving tendencies that put young drivers at risk. This program will help attendees understand that driving is serious and a poor choice behind the wheel of a car can put a person’s life and the lives of others in jeopardy.

The next class is Feb. 9 at 6pm at the South Tahoe High School Library. All classes are free and last approximately two hours.

To reserve a space in this Start Smart Class, contact the California Highway Patrol at (530) 577.1001.

Lavish Green at Divided Sky in Meyers on Feb. 5 starting at 10pm.