Stan Perez, a veteran and candidate for El Dorado County sheriff, is sponsoring a free Medical Health Fair for all veterans on Wednesday from 2-4pm at the American Legion Hall, on Forni Drive in Placerville next to the county fairgrounds. Veterans Memorial Hall, 130 Placerville Drive, is next to the County Fairgrounds gate, near Raley’s and the Shell gas station.

Medical doctors and staff will be at the hall to provide medical promotion, blood pressure testing, health information, and consultation.

No appointment needed, just stop by the hall on Veterans Day.

It is hosted by American Legion Post 119.

For information, call (916) 502.5784.

Sierra Nevada College is presenting the exhibit “Robert Cole Caples: Rooted in Nevada” through Jan. 1. The exhibit highlights the lifelong work of Robert Cole Caples and his deep connection to the landscape and its original inhabitants.

Curated by Nevada Museum of Art, the exhibit is part of the Nevada Arts Council’s Nevada Touring Initiative, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces Initiative.

“Robert Cole Caples: Rooted in Nevada” will be on display in the college’s Prim Library and features works from the Nevada Museum of Art’s permanent collection. In addition to newly acquired drawings, paintings, pastels, notes, and studio materials, this exhibition reveals the interests, inspiration, and character of Robert Caples, whose creative spirit was rooted in Nevada.

Caples is best known for his legendary Indian charcoal drawings from the late 1920s and early 1930s. In these drawings, he portrayed distinct individuals performing everyday tasks. The drawings were reproduced years later in two portfolios published by the University of Nevada Press. However, for Caples, true inspiration stemmed from the landscape that had awed him since 1924 when he arrived in Nevada. He briefly studied at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League of New York, and the Santa Barbara Community School of Art. It wasn’t until his involvement with the 1930s Federal Arts Project, which brought him into contact with a diverse range of painters and printmakers, that Caples began to evolve and expand his work in new directions. Soon after, his work in Nevada’s rural towns and vanishing mining camps was said to reflect stylistic elements of Edward Hopper, Stuart Davis, Thomas Hart Benton, and Grant Wood.

A program of the Nevada Arts Council, the Nevada Touring Initiative supports the work of artists and increases access to cultural events and experiences at the local level, particularly in communities that have typically been underserved. The Nevada Arts Council is a division of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.

Library Hours:

Monday-Thursday – 8am to 10pm

Friday – 9am to 5pm

Saturday – 10am to 4pm

Sunday – 2pm to 10pm

Library hours during the winter semester break will vary; check the website for open hours: http://www.sierranevada.edu.

For more information or to schedule a group visit, contact Library Director Betts Markle at emarkle@sierranevada.edu or (775) 881.7511.

Publisher’s note: To find out where Warren Miller’s film will be shown in Nevada (which includes Lake Tahoe locations), click here. To find out where the film will is in California, click here.

John Shevchuk, Daily Campus

The Bushnell was pushed to capacity at six o’clock Saturday night with skiers and snowboarders alike. A typical snowless November in Connecticut kept the crowd more than anxious as it has been at least six months since the end of last season. But the lack of snow did not keep Warren Miller Entertainment from building up the winter mood.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Warren Miller Entertainment and its annual ski film. Each year, Warren Miller Entertainment travels across the nation to a select number of theaters to show its films to the most avid skiing fans to ease their skiing withdrawal symptoms. This year’s “Dynasty” is being presented in multiple showings at 85 venues, ranging from Maine to Arizona and even Alaska. The company produces an original film each year, bringing its professional skiers and snowboarders to some of the most remote and picturesque locations in the world. Last year’s “Children of Winter” incorporated some unique skiing opportunities. But, that film did not meet the high expectations typically achieved by the Miller productions. “Dynasty” covered the usual beauty of places such as Lake Tahoe and Mt. Rainier. It also showed an alligator snowboarding and a school bus fish tailing, it’s fair to say Warren Miller is back on track.

Read the whole story

Publisher’s note: The following is from Placer County.

Tahoe area residents may be experts dealing with snow, but travelers who visit and find themselves in a sudden storm may be caught off guard. How many stories have you heard about people being stuck on the freeway for hours waiting for the roads to clear? Some of us have certainly been there.

Here are a few tips for those less experienced with snow conditions.

Before you go, have an emergency plan in place and tell someone your itinerary.

Check with the National Weather Service or go online to check on weather conditions for the area you’ll be visiting. It’s also very important to check with snowCaltrans on road conditions. Call (800) 427-ROAD (7623). Snow conditions will require chains, especially if your vehicle isn’t a four-wheel drive with snow tread tires. It isn’t uncommon for weather conditions to cause spin-outs and accidents, especially on major highways such as I-80 and Hwy. 50. Be prepared for road closures. A variety of weather-related storm conditions, such as zero visibility, high winds or avalanches, can cause road closures.

Make sure your car is stocked with extra water, food, blankets and dry clothes. The gas tank should be at least half full and your tires should be checked before you leave home. Tools in your trunk should include a shovel and scraper. Use windshield wiper fluid that does not freeze. A bag of sand or burlap bags will give traction to tires mired in snow.

Be aware of snow plows, which push large amounts of snow onto road shoulders with heavy force. Snow berms block visibility, so don’t park your car or stand near one in order to remain visible to the snow plow operator. And, snow blowers hurl snow, ice, rock and other debris at high speed. Stay away when in use.

Dress for snow by wearing layers of loose-fitting, lightweight warm clothing. Include mittens, which are warmer than gloves, and a hat and scarf to protect your head and lungs.

Foothill residents should be prepared for an occasional snow storm and storm-related power outages. Pets should be brought inside. Check on your neighbors, especially those who are elderly. Make sure your family’s emergency kit is stocked with flashlights, extra batteries, candles, a battery-operated radio, extra blankets and warm clothes.

Be aware of potential dangers, such as carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is clear, odorless and deadly. Make sure vents, chimneys and flues are not blocked or clogged and that there are working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in the house.

Don’t use portable kerosene or gas heaters or charcoal briquettes for heating within an enclosed area. Electric space heaters can be used for heating small areas, but can be dangerous if they become overheated, get knocked over, or come in contact with flammable materials. Fireplace ashes not properly disposed of can cause fire. Homes have burned down when ashes were put into containers that were not metal. Don’t store warm ashes in garages, decks or trash cans.

One of the best defenses against an unexpected situation is to be prepared and use common sense. Drive slower in bad weather. Leave earlier. Make a checklist of things to do to winterize your car or home. Write an emergency plan with your family. Stock up on emergency items.

Having trouble seeing South Lake Tahoe City Council meetings?

If you believe it’s a Charter Communications issue because it’s not clearly coming across on cable Channel 21, call the 800 number on your bill.

If it’s a glitch on your computer, call Tina Shannon at the city — (530) 542.6016; or your Internet service provider.

City officials say they are doing all they can on their end to ensure a clear transmission the day of council meetings and afterward.

By Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is making a concerted effort to leave the blue world behind.

The multimillion dollar “blue world” ad campaign never quite had the ring to it that tourism officials had hoped, and certainly not the buy-in from the South Shore community that it was intended to promote.

LTVA is changing its marketing to emphasize activities. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The 2010 summer ad campaign will be the first from Duncan Channon.

A subtle change that not everyone is apt to notice is the change in website addresses. Ads in Ski and Skiing magazine are using www.tahoesouth.com.

“We are stepping out of the blue as this point,” LTVA Executive Director Carol Chaplin said.

She won’t go into detail about the new campaign, but said it is more activity oriented.

“We are trying to capitalize more on — everything you want to do is right here,” Chaplin said. Gaming is still part of the message, but doesn’t dominate it like years past.

She won’t divulge the new tagline for the ad campaign just yet, but one thing the LTVA board has wanted to emphasize is differentiating between the South Shore and North Shore.

The new URL does just that — it clearly indicates the link is going to provide information about the south end of Lake Tahoe. The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association uses www.gotahoenorth.com.

For people still using www.bluelaketahoe.org, it directs them to the LTVA’s main webpage.

The entire campaign will be ready for the public to see after the first of the year. The ad agency was in the area in October shooting footage — stills and video.

Internally, LTVA expects to have its strategic plan in place in the next month.

Not only are website addresses changing, but the entire LTVA website is going to be revamped.

The current www.ltva.org will be more for community partners seeking industry information, with password-protected destinations. Chaplin called it a “resource site” and “internal tool”.

When the ad campaign is more solidified Chaplin expects to show it off to small groups in February and then to the broader community at April’s tourism conference. By May, it will be on the airwaves.

The $800,000 campaign is geared mostly to the broadcast mediums in the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley.

CASA El Dorado is having a fund raiser on Nov. 18 from 5-7pm at Ernie’s Coffee Shop.

Owners, Paul and Judy Bruso and their amazing Ernie’s Coffee Shop staff have generously offered up their famous burger, soda and fries meals for the night.

Proceeds from the fundraiser go directly to your local Court Appointed Special Advocate program. CASA El Dorado, a nonprofit organization, recruits, trains, and matches volunteer advocates with abused or neglected children that are part of the court system through no fault of their own. CASA volunteers are appointed directly by a judge and attend each court hearing, advocating for the best interests of the child. CASA is a national organization serving in counties throughout the United States. CASA El Dorado has served more than 400 children in the last 12 months alone, speaking up as a voice for children.

Ernie’s Burger Night tickets are $10 per person (gratuity not included) and can be purchased in advance by calling (530) 573.3072 or e-mail kelly@casaeldorado.org.

By Kathryn Reed

When the South Lake Tahoe City Council meets in a week it is expected to discuss the possibility of creating a moratorium on medicinal marijuana collectives.

Most of the councilmembers have said the three collectives in town are more than enough.

Cody Bass with the Tahoe Wellness Center told the council on Nov. 3 he favors a moratorium as well.

“We are slow. I don’t think we need a fourth (collective),” Bass said.

The irony is that same day the council heard the appeal on the Do It Center. Free market dominated — let good service and pricing dictate which business survives. It doesn’t matter how many hardware-like stores are within walking distance — at least city code is written that way.

Apparently when it comes to a more controversial subject like medicinal marijuana, a free market system is not what the council wants to have.

Clearly, the conflict between state law which allows the sale of pot for medical use and the federal ban on it presents all California cities with a dilemma. But it is hard to understand how South Lake Tahoe can regulate the number of one type of business and not others.

Some of the discussion last week centered on whether the collectives could be regulated by where they are located. No one mentioned the possibility of treating them like the medical entity they are purported to be and therefore mandating they fit the criteria all medical offices do.

As it is now, none of the collectives has a business license.

Bass said when his dispensary tried to renew its license it was denied.

Business owners sign a statement acknowledging, “No use that is illegal under local, state, or federal law shall be allowed within the city of South Lake Tahoe.”

Bass said staff in the business license department wouldn’t give him the license because of that statement.

Council will also need to decide who regulates the collectives. Police Chief Terry Daniels had wanted to craft an ordinance earlier this fall that would give the police department oversight. Police have jurisdiction over taxi cab drivers and massage therapists.

The entire matter could be a moot point and another waste of taxpayer money because California keeps pushing toward legalizing marijuana.

The council meets Nov. 17 at 9am at Lake Tahoe Airport.

By Rose Marie Ottman

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe’s biggest fundraiser of the year — “An Evening of Food and Wine Tasting” — will be at Harrah’s Tahoe Convention Center on Nov. 13 from 6-9pm.

SISLT’s event is considered one of the “go to” social events of the year by many locals and features food and wine from more than 50 restaurants and wineries. With all the new wineries attending this year, you can save yourself the drive and do all your tasting locally.

In addition to having an excellent time catching up with friends, participants can feel great knowing that all the proceeds will be funneled back into the local Tahoe community through educational scholarships, environmental programs, arts education, youth activity sponsorships and social service projects. With funding slashed for so many programs, it is up to our close-knit community to support each other and invest in our own future.

This year 21 grants were awarded to programs including Elementary Arts Education, Parks & Recreation Equipment, Special Olympics, CASA and The Women’s Center. With about $50,000 contributed each year, there is bound to be a friend, neighbor or relative who has benefited from this philanthropy.

The food and wine are delicious, laughing with friends is fabulous, but the satisfaction of building a vibrant and healthy community is priceless.

Call 866.801.8652 for more information. A complete list of restaurants and wineries can be found at www.sislt.org along with ticket information. Credit card orders are available.

Rose Marie Ottman is a member of Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe.

Do you owe child support? To learn more about the Compromise of Arrears Program and to receive assistance with the application process two meetings are scheduled:

Nov. 18 from 10am-noon, South Lake Tahoe Library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe;

Dec. 18 from 10am-noon, 550 Main Street, Ste. A, Placerville.

Call 866-901-3212 to sign up for the workshop and to obtain the application packet.