California Tahoe Conservancy is hosting Doggie Day at Cove East Beach on Sept. 3.
The free event is from 11:30am-2:30pm.
Trail access to Cove East beach begins at the end of Venice Drive near Tahoe Keys Marina.
There will be games, education and dog competitions. Pet owners can learn about the Conservancy’s lands and will be given an opportunity to hone their pet etiquette skills.
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
Thursday’s $765-million settlement between the National Football League and 4,500 retired NFL players underscores two key facts about traumatic brain injury: that it is difficult to prove and measure — especially many years after the fact — and that its link to neurocognitive problems that appear years later remains an enigma.
A mediated agreement does not mean that the retired NFL players’ injuries were caused by football, or even that they could have proven as much, said former U.S. District Judge Layn Phillips, the court-appointed mediator who brokered the proposed settlement. Nor, Phillips added, does it mean they could not prove it.
What’s clear is that proof either way will take years of further research — and litigation. While evidence of a link between concussion and long-term cognitive and psychiatric consequences is mounting, it may take many more studies to clarify the relationship. And hard proof of cause-and-effect may remain elusive.
Luetta (Lue) Dressler Bergevin passed away peacefuly on the morning of Aug. 24 surrounded by her family. She was 91.
Luetta, a fourth generation Nevadan, was born on Sept. 6, 1921, on the Dressler Home Ranch, to Fred H. and Anna (Neddenriep) Dressler. Luetta was the last baby delivered by her great-great-aunt Dr. Eliza Cook, Nevada’s first woman physician.
She developed an early appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors, having spent the first years of her life on the family cattle ranch that encompassed parts of Carson Valley and Alpine and Mono Counties in California.
Luetta (Lue) Dressler Bergevin
At the age of 7, she boarded in Centerville at the home of John and Mildred Drendel in order to attend the Centerville School. Due to consolidation, she continued her education the following year at the Minden Grammar School where she graduated from the eighth grade in 1936 as valedictorian of her Class.
She graduated from Douglas County High School, where she was an active member of the class of 1940. Luetta served as secretary of the student body, editor of the Garminada, and was a member girls basketball team.
She continued her education at the University of Utah where she received her B.S. degree in nursing education and her degree as a registered nurse from St. Marks Hospital School of Nursing in Salt Lake City. She was a member of Delta, Delta, Delta sorority and was active in campus life.
During World War II, she worked as a U.S. naval cadet nurse at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Seattle. Following V.J. Day she returned to St. Marks in Salt Lake City, where she passed her state boards with honors, and was employed as the head nurse on the orthopedic floor.
In June 1946, she returned to Gardnerville and in August married her high school sweetheart, Louis Bergevin. Following their marriage they lived near Mesa, Ariz., where her husband was a captain in the Air Force at Williams Field. After his discharge as a major, they moved to Reno.
While in Reno, she worked as a head nurse on a surgical floor and then as O.B. supervisor at the Washoe Medical Center (now Renown). In time they moved to the Dressler Ranch and Carson Valley where they would raise their family.
After the move, Luetta did private duty nursing at the first Carson-Tahoe Hospital for Dr. Ontie Hovendon and Dr. E.G. Hand. She volunteered at health fairs and assisted in giving the first polio injections in Carson Valley. She served on the board of the first Carson Valley Emergency Medical Center. Later she served as a nurse at the Lake Tahoe 4-H camp.
Following her retirement from nursing, she revived her interest in art. She was a member of the Carson Valley Art Association and the East Fork Gallery, serving as president in each. She was also a charter member of the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City.
She loved to paint and worked in oil and watercolor with watercolor being her favorite. She was a self taught artist until her first painting lessons from Geraldine Lawrence. In 1981 she traveled to China with a group of artists who took every opportunity to sit down and paint or sketch while on the trip. They met with Chinese artists and exchanged ideas and techniques. It was an experience she never forgot. Over the years she painted numerous landscapes, florals and other varied subjects. She sold several of her works and her family members each have a favorite.
Aside from her paintings, Luetta was an avid gardener, an incredible cook and a beautiful seamstress. She enjoyed hiking, especially in the mountains of Alpine County and outlying areas of Nevada. On these hikes she would collect numerous photos that would later be inspirations for many of her paintings.
She was never inactive and her involvement in community life included membership in the Carson Valley Literary Club (past president), the Nevada State Cattlewomen (formerly Cowbelles) (past president), Douglas County Republican Women, Parent Teachers’ Association, 4-H Leader, 4-H chaperone on educational trips, and she was a lifetime member of the St. Mark’s nurses’ association. She also served on the Nevada Historical Commission, Nevada 4-H Foundation, Douglas County Historical Society Board and was chairman for the National “Beef for Father’s Day” campaign.
She enjoyed working with people and put in many hours assisting her husband in his many campaigns for the Nevada State Assembly. She was a lifetime member of Trinity Lutheran Church and was a substitute organist for Ruth Felten at the old church and often taught Vacation Bible School.
In April 2010 she moved to Merrill Gardens Gardnerville where she enjoyed much love, friendship and attention. The family would like to thank all of the wonderful staff at Merrill Gardens along with Linda from Gentiva and Brian from Vista Care Hospice for all of their kindness, efforts and care in making Luetta comfortable.
She is survived by her son Lee (Sharon) Bergevin and his family: Debbie Curry Flaherty (Amber and Chris Weller, Jordan Flaherty), Greg (Jennifer) Curry (Kaitlyn, Joshua & Julianna Curry), Lynda Curry, Shannon Bergevin (Al) Garner (Abigail and Genevieve Garner), Andrew Bergevin and Erin Bergevin; her daughter Jeanne (Todd) Russell and her family: Matthew (Carolyn) Russell (Nathan and Charles Russell), Timothy (Cassidy) Russell (Brynn and Larkin Russell); her brother Frederick Dressler; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
In addition to her husband, Louis, Luetta was preceded in death by her parents.
A celebration of life will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1480 Douglas Ave., Gardnerville on Sept. 14 at 10am. In lieu of flowers, Luetta would be happy to know that she inspired donations in her name to the Douglas County Historical Society, 1477 Highway 395, Suite B, Gardnerville, NV 89410 or the East Fork Gallery, 1503 Highway 395 N, Suite K, Gardnerville, NV 89410.
By Alex Hutchinson, Outside
At Nike’s Oregon Project, a training program for elite distance runners at the company’s sprawling Beaverton campus, athletes have access to pretty much every recovery aid imaginable: a liquid-nitrogen-fueled cryosauna, an antigravity treadmill, an inflatable pneumatic compression tube, and on and on. So when 24-year-old Jackie Areson, an NCAA champ from the University of Tennessee, joined the group last May, she was looking forward to the advantage she’d get from ramping up her postworkout routine with the project’s state-of-the-art techniques.
Instead, her new coach, exercise physiologist Steve Magness, told her to do exactly the opposite. “Whenever I’d mention things that I used to do in college, he’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, don’t do that anymore,’” says Areson, who will be chasing an Olympic spot in the 5,000 meters this summer. As Magness explained to her, “You want your body to learn how to recover on its own.”
That theory runs counter to the pill-popping, ice-tubbing, massage-getting habits of most amateur athletes. We’ve become addicted to enhanced recovery, obsessed with erasing as quickly as possible the pain, fatigue, and inflammation that come from a hard workout. But some top scientists and coaches have adopted a new line of thinking: stress is a good thing, because it forces the body to adapt, repair itself, and come back stronger.
By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News
Investigators searching for answers into what caused the massive wildfire burning in and around Yosemite National Park have made some headway, fire officials said Friday.
Most authorities are mum about the details, but one fire official in Tuolumne County offered a tantalizing clue when he recently told a community meeting that the fire was likely caused by marijuana growers.
“We don’t know the exact cause,” said Todd McNeal, fire chief in Twain Harte, a town that has been in the path of the flames. But he told a community meeting that it was “highly suspect that there might have been some sort of illicit grove, a marijuana-grow-type thing.”
“We know it’s human caused. There was no lightning in the area,” said McNeal, a former captain with the Sonora Fire Department who has fought fires for 23 years for the Forest Service, the National Park Service and other agencies in the Sierra Nevada.
His remarks, made on Aug. 23, were recorded and posted on YouTube in a video that has gotten surprisingly little attention.
Officially, authorities were saying little.
Updated 9:40am:
While the air is clearing in the Lake Tahoe Basin, that is not the case for the entire region.
A dense smoke advisory is in effect until 8 tonight for Douglas, Alpine, northern Mono counties.
The National Weather Service in Reno says, “The density of smoke will depend on day-to-day output of smoke from the Rim Fire which is uncertain. However, south of Interstate 80 and east of Lake Tahoe will see the greatest impacts from the fire through Labor Day. Chances for appreciable smoke are lower through Saturday afternoon north of Interstate 80 and in the Tahoe basin, but will increase by Sunday and Monday as flow aloft turns more southerly.”
The Sept. 1 Heavenly Mountain Run has been canceled because of the smoke.
The fire near Yosemite has consumed 219,277 acres and is 35 percent contained.
A spot fire crossed Old Yosemite Road on Friday night, which led to the expansion of the evacuation area in Mariposa County.
According to fire officials, “Continued warmer and drier weather is forecasted for the next several days, which will elevate control concerns and slow burnout progress.”
The estimated date of full containment is Sept. 20.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Lake Valley Fire Protection District is putting on a contractors workshop Sept. 9 for individuals wanting to participate in the Hazardous Wood Roof Replacement Grant.
The meeting is at 5:30pm at the fire station at 2211 Keetak St. in Meyers. RSVP to (530) 577.2447 or LVFPD@replaceshake.com.
The grant covers eligible homes in the Lake Valley and Meeks Bay fire protection districts.
The Hazardous Wood Roof Replacement Grant program is designed to encourage homeowner’s with hazardous wood roofs to replace them with a full Class A Assembly, non-combustible, non-wood roof.
Participation in the workshop is required for contractors who want to be on the list that will be given to homeowners currently approved for roof replacement.
By Kathryn Reed
TAHOE CITY – As Tahoe City celebrates its 150th anniversary this weekend, it’s not just one big party. Some serious philosophical discussions about the town’s future are going on.
Tahoe City was once the gateway to Lake Tahoe. It was the transportation hub. It used to have an active nightlife.
Now it is full of rundown buildings, with many of them empty. Tourists tend to stay in Truckee, Northstar and Squaw instead. And the nightlife, well, it’s lacking.
Bright spots, though, are the increasing number of bike-pedestrian trails and the excitement of what the now-city owned golf course could evolve into. Think cross country skiing and other winter recreation.
A rendering by Design Workshop of what Tahoe City could look like in the future.
A vision. That is what Tahoe City is creating. For about a year people have been meeting to define this area’s future. On Aug. 28 a group gathered at Granlibakken to find out where the plans are and to offer more input.
A concern many have is the height of future buildings. They don’t want the charm of the town to be eroded with high-rises or for tall buildings to further prohibit views of Lake Tahoe. Many people are concerned that future development would obscure views of the lake.
Some are also worried things are being done for tourists only – like the idea of putting a hotel along the water. While this keeps surfacing as an idea, it was also brought up that the beach could remain public.
An issue with doing anything – development or redevelopment – is that like Kings Beach many of the parcels are small. It will take adjoining property owners working together to have a significant impact.
But it was also noted that the majority of land is owned by a small number of people.
Integrating the golf course with other recreation was brought up.
Incorporating the Truckee River into the city is an idea. This could be done with a trail or promenade. And some would like to see the river and lake tied together in a manner that is easy for people to experience both.
With the rerouting of Highway 89 because the bridge over the river is no longer seismically safe, it may make the river-lake idea more of a possibility. The realignment of the highway is being studied now.
Design Workshop, which with Placer County planning officials has been leading the vision process, foresees creating side streets so it’s not just Highway 28 people are on, as well as having walkways so the golf course would be one of the views as people stroll.
Stephanie Grigsby with Design Workshop said at meetings people have talked about creating a world-class recreation-visitor center of a resort destination quality that locals and visitors would use.
Besides commercial interests, there is the realization of the need for housing, especially for young families. Truckee has done a good job in capturing that segment of the population.
Key obstacles to doing any of these things are all the agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Tahoe City residents feeling like their voices aren’t heard because the county seat is off the hill.
——
Notes:
• There will be a town hall meeting Sept. 11 at 6pm at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach that will be about the Tahoe City and Kings Beach plans and Placer County’s community plan for the areas.
• The Placer County Planning Commission will hear the Tahoe City vision in October.
Squaw Valley’s KT Base Bar will be the site for the world premiere of “CRJ – The Chronicle of a Freeskiing Icon.”
This event is free. The 20-minute film will begin at 7:30pm Sept. 14. Seating opens at 6pm. Lawn chairs, warm clothing and blankets are recommended.
This will be a celebration of local professional skier CR Johnson’s effect on the sport he helped shape during his heralded career.
The film, produced by 4FRNT Media (with help from Inspired Media, Level 1 Productions, Poor Boyz Productions and Teton Gravity Research), outlines Johnson’s rise to icon status in the world of freeskiing, documenting his career through film segments and insights from those who knew him best.
Charles Russell Johnson III, better known as CR or CRJ, was a pioneer in the freeskiing movement. At the age of 17 he rose to skiing stardom after landing a 1440 (degree rotation) at his home mountain of Squaw Valley. During his career, Johnson competed in the slopestyle and superpipe Winter X Games events, filmed with many top-tier ski film production companies, and returned to a professional level of freeskiing after a life altering and career threatening head injury in 2005. Throughout his highly public skiing career, Johnson’s passion for skiing and dedication to the sport set him apart.
Johnson died in a skiing accident at Squaw Valley on Feb. 24, 2010.
By George Runner
For the second time in as many years, California is mailing hundreds of thousands of fire tax bills to rural Californians who live in the so-called State Responsibility Area. The bills are hitting mailboxes even as the class action lawsuit I’m backing has finally received a green light to move forward.
As Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association is fond of saying, “the wheels of justice grind slowly.” Although I believe the lawsuit against the fire tax will ultimately prevail, it appears the trial won’t be until next year at the earliest.
George Runner
Delayed justice means that hundreds of thousands of rural Californians, whether they can afford it or not, must write another check for up to $150 per habitable structure to the state of California to pay this unfair and unjust tax.
Given the confusing and controversial nature of this tax, I’m sponsoring a series of regional telephone town hall meetings to give impacted taxpayers — many of whom are senior citizens living on fixed incomes in mobile homes—an opportunity to receive information and voice their questions and concerns. To date, more than 2000 taxpayers have participated. (See calfirefee.com for recordings and details on upcoming calls.)
Taxpayers are speaking out loudly and clearly. The following are just a few examples of what they’re saying:
“I live on only Social Security—that’s all I get, and its already very difficult for me to make ends meet.”
“I’m 81 years old, and I live on Social Security… I’m unable to work, and I can’t afford this… I don’t have the money to pay it.”
“I was so afraid from what the letters were saying that if I didn’t get it in right away, somehow I was going to lose my property… This year I don’t have the money… I understand from what I’m hearing that there are lots and lots of seniors that are in my position.”
Many taxpayers wonder who is responsible for this unfair and regressive tax. The answer is simple: the Governor and Legislature. And at the risk of sounding partisan, the bill was passed entirely by Democrats without a single Republican vote.
By now they could have repealed this tax, saving rural Californians another year of pain. It’s inexcusable they haven’t—especially now that the state is awash in billions of new voter-approved tax revenues.
As you may recall, the Legislature enacted the fire tax to backfill funds it raided from CalFire. They disguised the tax as a fee, passing it on a simple majority vote in direct violation of California’s constitutional two-thirds vote requirement for new taxes.
Not only have the governor and Democratic lawmakers passed up opportunities to repeal the fire tax, they’ve also failed to make even the most modest and common-sense reforms to this flawed law.
One stalled bill would have exempted low-income Californians, including most seniors on fixed incomes.
In addition to taxing its poorest citizens, the state is also imposing a 20 percent per month penalty on those who can’t pay after unsuccessfully appealing their bills. That’s not a typo — the interest is 20 percent per month.
Once the lawsuit prevails, taxpayers should get back every cent they’ve paid plus interest. But unfortunately the state won’t guarantee that outcome.
The judge presiding over the case has indicated that if the lawsuit prevails those who failed to file timely appeals may not be eligible for refunds.
So if you live in the State Responsibility Area for fire prevention, you should pay your bill and immediately file an appeal for your own protection. (For instructions on how to appeal your bill, see calfirefee.com.)
Paying and appealing not only protects your chance at a refund, it also protects you from government tax collectors. Those who don’t pay could face steep penalties and interest and other collection actions in the future.
I don’t like this tax either. But there are better ways to protest it than by not paying your bill. Support the lawsuit. Demand that the Governor and Legislature end this injustice. Contact your friends and family members and urge them to do the same.
And be assured, until the courts strike down this illegal tax, I’ll continue to fight it for the sake of all rural Californians.
George Runner represents more than 9 million Californians as a taxpayer advocate and elected member of the State Board of Equalization.