By Kathryn Reed

What was designated a workshop on South Lake Tahoe’s Tourist Core Area Plan turned out to be little more than a normal presentation by staff.

At the July 2 special City Council meeting the electeds were briefed by planner John Hitchcock about the process. The CEQA document and TRPA environmental checklist were supposed to be released today, but instead will be delayed until later this month.

Ski Run Marina is part of the new area plan in South Tahoe. Photo/LTN file

This in turn has pushed back the time line to get the document approved. It is slated to go before the Planning Commission July 11 and possibly again at a special meeting Aug. 22, to council Sept. 3, the TRPA planning board on Oct. 10 and then to the TRPA Governing Board Oct. 23.

Area plans are something that have evolved out of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s latest Regional Plan.

This particular one has the same boundaries as the current Stateline-Ski Run Community Plan. It goes from the Stateline area, but does not include Lakeside, along Highway 50 and from both ends of Ski Run Boulevard.

It is designed to complement the city’s General Plan and TRPA’s Regional Plan.

The document says what can be done, but not will be done. Specific projects will go through scrutiny as they come forward.

City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News after the meeting that with more local control it should spur revitalization in areas that need it.

There is now wiggle room with tourist accommodation units and commercial floor area – two items the TRPA has turned into commodities to regulate growth, but really stifle the free market.

“The Regional Plan update allows for conversion of equal TAUs to CFA,” Kerry explained.

The abundance of hotel rooms in South Lake Tahoe was brought up by more than one of the five public speakers. The idea is owners of rundown motels could retire those TAUs and have them become commercial square footage to be used elsewhere. Then blight gets torn down and redevelopment begins.

Council members JoAnn Conner and Tom Davis have concerns about the height of buildings being allowed to be taller under the Regional Plan. While it is permitted, it does not mean the council or staff would have to approve it.

Laurel Ames, who has lived in town since 1947 and was on of the players involved with getting the city incorporated, is worried views will be blocked if buildings go up.

Conner also said she would like to see more than one tourist area, and not have everything concentrated in one spot.

By Beth Brown

It’s important for people to understand the difference between heat exhaustion and dehydration, especially if you are exercising in high temperatures and even high altitudes, such as Lake Tahoe and our surrounding areas.

Heat exhaustion is a condition, where symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It’s one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.

Beth Brown

Heat exhaustion is preventable. Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity and strenuous physical activity. Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion may develop suddenly, or over time, especially with prolonged periods of exercise.

Possible heat exhaustion symptoms include:

• Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat

• Heavy sweating

• Feeling faint or dizzy

• Fatigue

• Weak rapid pulse

• Muscle cramps

• Nausea

• Headache

Without immediate treatment, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition. Some things you can do when you start to feel heat exhaustion symptoms: stop activity and rest (in a comfortable and cool spot, like under a shady tree); slowly drink cool water and/or sports drinks with electrolytes. Seek help immediately if you think you are experiencing heat exhaustion.

Staying cool on a hot hike is important. Photo/LTN file

Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. Anyone may become dehydrated, but young children, older adults and people with chronic illnesses are most at risk. If you don’t replace lost fluids, you may get dehydrated. Common causes of dehydration include intense diarrhea, vomiting, fever or excessive sweating. Not drinking enough water during hot weather or exercise also may cause dehydration. You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs immediate medical treatment.

The safest approach is prevention. Monitor your fluid loss during hot weather, illness or exercise, and drink enough liquids to replace what you lose. Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause: dry sticky mouth, feeling tired or sleepy, fatigue, feeling thirsty, not urinating, unable to make tears, dry skin, headache, constipation, dizzy or lightheaded feeling.

Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, can cause: Extreme thirst, irritability, lack of sweating, no urination, shriveled and dry skin, rapid heart rate and rapid breathing, hot skin, confusion. Unfortunately, thirst isn’t always a reliable gauge of the body’s need for water, especially in children and older adults. A better indicator is the color of your urine: Clear or light-colored urine means you’re well hydrated, whereas a dark yellow or amber color usually signals dehydration.

 When to see a doctor. If you’re a healthy adult, you can usually treat mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, such as water or a sports drink (Gatorade, Powerade, others). Get immediate medical care if you develop severe signs and symptoms such as extreme thirst, a lack of urination, shriveled skin, dizziness and confusion. (Mayo Clinic, 2013)

Barton wants you to have a safe and happy summer and the best prevention is education. So, whether you’re running, hiking, cycling or even boating be sure to keep the above warning signs in mind.

If you feel as though you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to call 911 or visit Barton Memorial Hospital’s emergency department, located at 2170 South Ave., South Lake Tahoe. Questions, call (530) 541.320.

Reference: Mayo Clinic, July 2, 2013, Heat Exhaustion.

Beth Brown is director of nursing for Barton Emergency Services.

Placer County sheriff’s deputies are trying to find three women who are accused of using stolen credit cards in Tahoe City and Truckee.

Deputies say the three were caught on video using the cards. The vehicle they were in was also photographed.

The cards were taken from a vehicle and then immediately were used, authorities say.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective John Riella at (530) 581.6325.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Mary MacVean, Los Angeles Times

Much of the recent debate over serving milk to children has been about flavored milk: Should it be distributed in schools? Or should the only milk given to children be of the unflavored, reduced-fat variety?

Two Harvard scientists known for questioning the conventional wisdom are challenging the idea of making lower-fat milks the only milk options available to children.

They note that guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and many health organizations recommend limiting the consumption of beverages that contain calories – such as soda and juice – “except reduced-fat milk, of which people in most age groups are encourage to consume three cups daily.”

David Ludwig and Walter Willett question “the scientific rationale for promoting reduced-fat milk consumption at these levels.”

They suggest that until there are additional studies, guidelines for milk consumption should designate a range of perhaps zero to three cups, avoid recommending low-fat over whole milk and focus on limiting consumption of flavored milks.

One problem, they say, is that there have been few randomized trials of the effects on weight gain of reduced-fat milk compared with whole milk and that current guidelines presume the lower-fat milks will decrease total calorie intake.

But studies show that a “primary focus on reducing fat intake does not facilitate weight loss compared with other dietary strategies,” they wrote Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

It might seem counterintuitive at first. But the scientists explain with an example. What if a child who usually eats two 60-calorie cookies and drinks a cup of whole milk for a snack instead drinks skim milk? A cup of whole milk has around 150 calories, a cup of skim about 90. But if that child feels less full by consuming less fat and to compensate eats another cookie, Willett and Ludwig say, “this substitution of refined starch and sugar for fat might actually cause weight gain.”

The scientists said there’s evidence that high-glycemic-index carbohydrates – such as refined grains, sugary beverages and desserts like the cookies – are associated with weight gain while whole milk is not.

Much of the public conversation about milk, particularly in schools, has come in light of high rates of childhood obesity and efforts to improve the nutritional profiles of cafeteria foods. The debate over flavored milk often centers on the idea that kids don’t like low-fat milks but will drink them if they’re flavored with chocolate. But children generally like the taste of whole milk, which rarely is served in schools.

One reason is that whole milk contains saturated fat, which raises what’s called “bad” cholesterol, the kind that’s a risk factor for heat disease. But Willett and Ludwig say the picture is more complicated when compared with refined carbohydrates.

Reduced-fat chocolate milk reduces saturated fat by 3 grams but raises sugar by 13 grams per cup, the scientists wrote.

While people can get the calcium in milk from other sources, milk also provides protein and other essential nutrients – especially for people who have a generally poor diet.

Ludwig said 2 percent milk is “probably a reasonable compromise” between whole and 1% or nonfat milk.

“The issue is not to focus single-mindedly on fat reduction, and then condone lots of added sugars, as in chocolate milk,” he wrote. “The bottom line is that reducing fat has not proven to be an effective approach to obesity, whereas there is very good evidence for the adverse effects of added sugars,” especially for children.

Placer County Sheriff’s Office is offering a free class to help business owners protect their businesses and themselves.

The class will be Aug. 19 from 5:30-8:30pm at the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in Auburn. Topics to be discussed include: identity theft and counterfeiting; dealing with transients; high-tech crimes; business security; crime reporting and arrests; internal theft; and trespassing and parking concerns.

RSVP by Aug. 15 to attend. Call CSOs Amanda Rogers or Kim Rivera at (530) 889.6922, or email arogers@placer.ca.gov or krivera@placer.ca.gov to reserve a spot or for more information.

By Kathryn Reed

Title to the South Lake Tahoe parking garage is in the name of the non-existent city Redevelopment Agency. It’s supposed to be owned by the South Tahoe Joint Powers Parking Financing Authority.

A contract was signed in 2002 by then City Manager Dave Jinkens to make that happen. But the title was never filed.

Even so, the city has been in the habit of listing the parking garage as a Redevelopment Agency asset.

When the state did away with redevelopment agencies it forced jurisdictions to unload those holdings and give the state the money after debts were paid. This would technically mean the city would have to sell the garage, the bondholders would be on the losing end and could potentially sue the city, and that there would be no guarantee the garage remained a garage. Though the city could buy it.

But what the city wants is for the state to acknowledge the original intent of the agreement and allow the title to be filed 11 years after it was supposed to happen.

The council members acting as the Parking Authority board voted July 2 during a special meeting for this to happen. Late in the afternoon the oversight board (which handles redevelopment issues) seconded that vote. El Dorado County Supervisor Ron Mikulaco was the lone dissenting vote.

Now the motion goes to the Department of Finance for a ruling.

“It is unfortunate the city administration did such sloppy work in the early and mid-2000s to put the city in this no-win situation,” El Dorado County Auditor Joe Harn told Lake Tahoe News.

The city has asked Harn to leave the parking garage off the due diligence report that he expects to have prepared by the end of the summer. If it were on there, the state would say sell it. The city expected the DDR late last year. There is disagreement between the auditor’s staff and city staff regarding whether the necessary documents have been sent to Placerville for the DDR to be written.

The DDR is a document California came up with when it decided to abolish redevelopment agencies.

Once the DDR is signed off by the state, the successor agency, which is comprised of the City Council members, must devise a Long Range Property Management Plan for the remaining assets that the state eventually would vote on.

Also caught up in the paperwork is the sale of the lot on the corner of Highway 50 and Ski Run Boulevard that the city’s Redevelopment Agency once owned. A buyer has been waiting in the wings since last year.

The other thing the council did while acting as the parking board was to authorize going forward with the next step to have the bonds on the structure be refinanced. They cannot be refinanced until the deed is filed as it was supposed have been done in 2002.

There is no longer money to cover all the debt, so refinancing is imperative. What happens if the state says no to any of this, would be the subject of future meetings.

To the community,

I’m holding citation No. LT10000849, a parking ticket issued on June 29, 2013, in the Venice East paid parking area. The parking meters are up and ticking. Chaos has started in the good old summertime in America’s year-round playground. Have fun.

It appears that the ticket was thrown away by a motorist, no doubt an unhappy camper. The tariff for the violation is $55 mailed to a processing center in Newport Beach. An appeal can be sent to the center, online of course.

Bill Crawford

The latter operation is a divorce created by the city between citizens and city government. Bureaucracy at its best. Also, there is no signage informing the public that there is paid parking on Venice East. One vehicle had paid. Attached to the vehicle was a boat trailer. Apparently, the boat trailer was covered by the parking fee paid for the vehicle. So, the question is, can boat trailers be parked on Venice East? Also, the street isn’t stripped for paid parking. What about RVs?

The city in haste to pick the pocket of visitors and locals lives up to its knack for creating chaos and mistrust.

Bill Crawford, South Lake Tahoe

PS: On July 1, the city painted black paint over the parallel white lines on Venice East, lines that are there for the safety of walkers, joggers, and cyclists. The lines were “erased” to mark space for paid parking. Priorities do change.

By Peggy Bourland-Madison

With last Friday’s fierce thunder and hailstorm, the Race the Lake of the Sky’s 8:30am start on Saturday was in question. Happily, by 6am the June 29 the sun was peeking over Heavenly’s ridge, glinting light on the calm shores of El Dorado Beach under clear blue skies. The SUP gods had delivered the perfect day.

For centuries the Washoe natives inhabited these waters and called Lake Tahoe the lake of the sky because the blue sky was mirrored in the lake’s waters. Last Saturday and Sunday these waters belonged to the SUP riders.

From 30,000 feet the world may appear blue and green, but up close on June 29, Lake Tahoe’s South Shore was a montage of color, as more than 300 paddleboards and their riders assembled to test their skills on the 5-mile course.

Hundreds gather at El Dorado Beach for last weekend’s stand up paddleboard races. Photo/By Peggy Bourland-Madison

For the uninitiated, SUP (standup paddling) is a relatively new sport that requires an upright human standing on a board to self-propel him or herself through water using a single paddle.

The pros make it look effortless. In fact, it is a high level workout that engages most of the body’s muscles with intense cardio demands.

SUP has its roots in the Hawaiian Islands and the surf world, where rivalries exist between SUP surfers and traditional surfers. With its rebel cache, it is reminiscent of the 1980’s clash between boarders and traditional downhill skiers.

Saturday’s events included the Five Mile Race, where the fastest board and rider finished in less than one hour, the SUP Cross (a sprint event with heats), the Grom (surfer slang for child) Race and the awards ceremony, where etched glass trophies designed by local craftsman and SUP competitor John Thomaselli were presented.

The event categories are timed by length of board, type of board, age, gender, prone style, elite competitor. It is a little confusing. Throngs of volunteer board caddies in neon yellow shirts lined the finish area to move the boards out of the way as the finishers came roaring onto shore before a foot race to the finish on the sand. The accurate timing is accomplished with computer chips attached to the riders’ race number and the professional services of event timer Jim Kline.

Adding to the weekend’s family vibe, world-renown surf artist Drew Brophy was set up in a tent on the beach to teach kids to draw. Lots of “grom” hands were busy making art with Brophy.

Adding to the Tahoe vibe was local photographer, Jon Paul’s signature Tahoe image on the race poster and all the race numbers worn by the competitors.

Dreu Murin of Wake Up Tahoe was on hand as the official announcer. Alpine County resident and race board innovator and builder Mike Day was there to compete both days. This is a homegrown event that Chris Brackett (CEO of South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle) asked many of his friends to be part of. Brackett’s eldest son, Jared, worked tirelessly as the events co-director.

By Sunday the event was finding its groove as the 14.4-mile race to Emerald Bay and back was queuing up for the 8:30 start. More than 100 male and female adventurers from all age groups set out across the water under clear skies and light wind. The boat wakes across the lake would prove to be the big challenge. Spectators on shore watched as the riders disappeared into the distance.

Just 2 hours, 23 minutes later Thomas Maximus from San Clemente arrived at the finish line on an unlimited class board (no length restrictions). Maximus rides for co-event sponsor Riviera Paddlesurf.

For some the race will last more than four hours.

Sunday’s other activities included “Best Sweet Move” contest sponsored by Sean Sweet of Sweet Water Wear of Hawaii and the Team Relays. After the awards ceremony a live band entertained everyone on the beach while Danny Chavez from Lake Taco served his famous shrimp tacos.

With participants from as far away as Hawaii and South Carolina, Race the Lake of the Sky is fast becoming the darling of the SUP circuit.

Elite rider E.J. Johnson from San Diego summed up the event for Lake Tahoe News in two words – “friggin awesome.”

Update 9:25pm:

Eastbound lanes of I-80 are open. Motorists are moving at 25 mph with a CHP escort. Westbound lanes are estimated to open at 11pm Tuesday.

—-

A major mudslide triggered by severe thunderstorms late this afternoon closed Interstate 80 about 1.5 miles west of the California-Nevada border.

Caltrans crews said the football field-sized mudslide is covering the lanes in both directions.

It is estimated the mud and debris is 3 to 8 inches deep.

It is not known if any vehicles were caught in the July 2 slide.

Eastbound traffic is being directed off the interstate at Hirschdale Road in Truckee. Westbound traffic is being turned around at the state line. Motorists should use alternate routes.

Eastbound big rigs are being routed on Highway 89 through Loyalton to Highway 395 in Nevada. Westbound big rigs are being routed to Highway 395 through Loyalton to Highway 89 to Truckee.

There is no estimated time for the opening of the interstate. Dump trucks and loaders are already trying to clear the mess.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Flames were shooting high into the air early Tuesday morning in Incline Village.

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District personnel are still trying to figure out how the brush fire started.

It was reported at 3:17am July 2 at 400 Fairview Blvd. Firefighters were able to contain it to about one-half acre.

Firefighters said the neighbor’s defensible space helped keep the fire from spreading farther.

Anyone with information is asked to call Assistant Fire Marshal Mark Regan at (775) 461.6200.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report