The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit invites the public to Smokey Bear’s 68th birthday party at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center on Aug. 9 at 2pm.

“Sign Smokey’s birthday card, sing to Smokey and learn more about Smokey’s message and origin,” said Ranger Jean Norman. “Cake will be provided until it’s all gone.”

The party will be held on the patio at the Visitor Center.

The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. For more information, call (530) 543.2674.

El Dorado County officials are advising county residents that the California will soon issue Fire Prevention Fee bills.

Each property owner in state responsibility area where CalFire provides fire protection will be assessed an annual $150 fee per habitable structure. A $35 reduction applies if the property is also located within a local fire district.

The new state fee was approved was approved by the Legislature and governor last year. The State Board of Equalization is expected to begin issuing the first bills this month. Billing will proceed alphabetically by county name.

“Although El Dorado County is the 29th largest county in terms of population, we are the fourth largest in terms of fire fee bills due to the size of the State Responsibility Area,” Terri Daly, chief administrative officer, said in a statement. “This new state fee hits our residents hard, and has the potential to create a lot of confusion.”

Most of the populated areas of El Dorado County are already part of a local fire protection district. In most instances, local fire districts are the first responders to emergency calls. Neither the county nor local fire districts receive any additional funding through the State Fire Prevention Fee.

At a meeting in South Lake Tahoe this summer Kelly Keenan with CalFire explained the tax means $89 million for CalFire, but in reality the department’s budget from the state has been reduced by that same amount so the tax is not a net gain to the state fire agency. What people are paying for is unknown. The tax really goes to the general fund to be spent however the governor and Legislature want.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Truckee was named an All-America City by the National Civic League based on its ambitious plan to ensure that more children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Chosen from a field of more than 100 entries, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District’s plan was submitted by a community coalition that included the Excellence in Education Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Community Collaborative of Tahoe Truckee, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Placer County Health and Human Services and First 5 Nevada County. The community was one of 14 awardees selected from 32 finalists.

Beyond the award contest, Tahoe Truckee’s plan makes the region a charter member in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Communities Network, a national movement of local and state leaders, nonprofits, and foundations putting a stake in the ground on third-grade reading. That milestone marks the point when children shift from learning to read and begin reading to learn. Students who haven’t mastered reading by then are more likely to get stuck in a cycle of academic failure, drop out of school, and struggle throughout their lives.

The awards are given each year by the National Civic League for outstanding civic accomplishments.

By Jennifer Hardy, KOLO-TV

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe is warning swimmers about the lake water.

According to the tribe, there have been several recent reports of “swimmer’s itch” from people who either swam or waded in the shallow areas with warm water. North Nets, South Nets and Long Beach were mentioned as places more likely to have water concerns.

This is just an advisory, not a beach closure. All public beaches at the lake will remain open. You will see warning signs at the lake. If you do swim in the water, you are asked to avoid putting your head underwater, or swallowing the water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Swimmer’s Itch is caused by microscopic parasites. Exposure to these parasites can cause an allergic reaction mostly in the form of a skin rash. The CDC says most times these rashes do not require medical attention, but speak to your doctor if you do become infected to determine any necessary medical care.

If you or someone you know has gotten this rash from swimming in the lake, contact the tribe at 888.225.2668.

By Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee

A state appellate court has blocked the release from prison of a man who pumped nine bullets into an El Dorado County sheriff’s deputy more than two decades ago.

A three-justice panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento reversed El Dorado Superior Court Judge Suzanne Kingsbury’s ruling last year that denial of parole for Brian Keith Montgomery by the Board of Parole Hearings was not supported by the evidence.

Kingsbury threw out the September 2009 rejection of parole for Montgomery and sent the matter back to the board for a rehearing.

But the state appealed and the appellate panel said Thursday in a 26-page published opinion that there is ample evidence that Montgomery may still be dangerous enough to keep him locked up.

Read the whole story

• TJ Maxx in South Lake Tahoe is opening Oct. 14. (The stores are called TK Maxx in England.) There’s a good chance the company won’t advertise with Lake Tahoe News because this national corporation wanted favoritism at the expense of local advertisers. LTN‘s publisher said not a chance.

• The Carson Valley Inn is celebrating its 28th birthday Aug. 19-24.

• Trail runner Gary Gellin this month will attempt to break the speed record on the Tahoe Rim Trail. The record was set in 2009 by Spaniard speed runner Kilian Jornet who ran the entire 165 miles in 38 hours and 32 minutes. Gellin will begin his run Aug. 13.

• A submersible that is part of the Undersea Voyager Project lead by Capt. Scott Cassell is sitting in the lobby of Embassy Suites South Lake Tahoe. In September the Undersea Voyager Project will conduct a series of 60 submersible dives in 30 days using this submersible.

• Lake Tahoe Community Colleges’ Connect Ed is offering stand up paddleboard for kids and women this month. Go online for details and to register.

With one week left to file, only one of the six people who has pulled papers for the South Lake Tahoe City Council election has officially qualified for the Nov. 6 ballot.

That would be Austin Sass.

The people taking out papers are incumbents Hal Cole and Bruce Grego, and challengers Clinton Schue, JoAnn Conner and Stacey Wheeler.

The deadline to file is Aug. 10.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

To the community,

A Brush with Kindness is a program of El Dorado County Habitat for Humanity that helps low income homeowners by offering exterior home improvements. We completed three project sites this summer and would like to thank the following folks for their help with financial contributions, services provided and physical labor:

Ed Cook Tree Services, Doherty Landscaping, Hope Lutheran Church, Valspar Paint Co., and all the 20-plus on-site volunteers.

Volunteer teams partner with the homeowner and work to improve the condition of homes by painting, landscaping and performing minor exterior repairs at minimal costs to the homeowners. Habitat is now accepting volunteer and homeowner applications for A Brush with Kindness projects to be completed in 2013. Also, we are seeking retired tradesmen to help supervise projects. Please contact Carolyn at (530) 541.4654 or sltahoehabitat@gmail.com for more info.

Also, please mark your calendars and join us for our annual fundraiser Hike for Housing on Sept. 15 at Spooner Lake. This is a partnership fundraiser between Habitat for Humanity, El Dorado County Chapter and St. Joseph Community Land Trust, and co-sponsored by Nevada State Parks. Cost is $25 per family (up to five people), $15 per individual if you preregister by Sept. 10. Participation and sign-ups are also available on the day of the event. Bring the whole family and support this community event. Please call (530) 541.2551 or (530) 577.7762 for more info.

Habitat for Humanity, SLT A Brush With Kindness Executive Committee

The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet from 9am to noon Aug. 9 at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

LTFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe.

Items on the agenda include an update on Lake Tahoe Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act projects, a presentation from the Sugar Pine Foundation, and public comment. Members of the public interested in finding out more about the LTFAC are welcome to attend the meeting.

LTFAC consists of 20 members representing a broad array of constituencies.

For more information on the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee, visit the Forest Service website.

A life-long advocate for social change, Joy Rothschild never stopped fighting for what she believed in.

In her 63 years she inspired others to be part of the change she sought. She was not one who just talked a good game, but instead spent time and money supporting the issues that were important to her locally and nationally.

Joy passed away Aug. 2 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Joy Rothschild and her dog AJ.

A native San Franciscan, she was born Jan. 13, 1949. Growing up in the Bay Area at a tumultuous time inspired Joy to speak her mind, get involved and become an activist.

In the late 1960s, Joy traveled to New Orleans where she worked for the rights of farm workers alongside Cesar Chavez.

She worked on the campaigns of John Burton, Sala Burton and Dianne Feinstein. One of her proudest accomplishments was working on Feinstein’s 1984 mayoral recall campaign — in which more than 70 percent of the voters said yes to Feinstein.

Shortly after that campaign Joy moved to South Lake Tahoe with the intent of unionizing the culinary workers at the Stateline casinos. While that bid failed, what she gained was a love for Lake Tahoe. She called the area home ever since then.

In 1987, Joy began working as an instructional aide for Lake Tahoe Unified School District. While at Al Tahoe Elementary School she became involved in the classified union and served as its president for several years. In 1989, Joy transferred to South Tahoe Middle School where she worked as a “Challenge” class aide for grades 6-8. These were classes for youths who were smart, but not succeeding in school. Joy connected deeply with youth who were troubled, keeping in touch with many into adulthood.

“She was beloved by the kids for her compassion, humor, wit and kindness. She could get to the toughest kid. And she was so good at it,” Cindy Cowen, a teacher at STMS who worked with Joy, said. “She could make the kids laugh, cry, and be better human beings.”

Later Joy began working for the district’s truancy program and then the McKinney Vento program for homeless students at the district.

Joy and Cowen put together an instructional book titled “It is Our Business” that is used in part today in LTUSD and Alpine County.

She retired from the district in 2003.

Joy’s desire to help troubled youth extended beyond LTUSD. For many years she was a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates. She was also a staff member for CASA El Dorado County.

“Joy was an exceptional advocate for the most troubled youth who needed an honest, straightforward friend and advisor. She formed trusting relationships because she genuinely liked ‘her’ kids. Each youth that was touched by Joy, knew they had a friend for life,” Wendy David, former CASA site manager, said.

Much like there are trail angels for people doing long hikes, Joy took that concept in a different direction. She regularly gave scholarships to Mount Tallac High School students. Not one to want public recognition for her deeds, she would write checks to various organizations that needed help without the direct beneficiaries knowing where the money came from. They include, but are not limited to, Tahoe Magic, Zawadisha Fund, and Ally Club at South Tahoe High School.

“She has been my anonymous Ally donor for the past several years, and it is because of her that I was able to do much of the wonderful work we have with Ally. She is the reason we attended the gay prom, the reason we had snacks each week, and the reason that I felt I was doing the most good possible,” Bridey Heidel, Ally advisor and South Tahoe High School teacher, said. “Joy is also the reason I became a teacher. After seeing me substitute teach one day, she held my face and said, ‘This is what you must do. It’s what you were meant to do.’ I never planned on being a teacher … until that moment.”

She helped women and children locally and afar. She made several excursions out of the country as volunteer-vacations where she worked to improve the lives of women and children in those countries.

Joy participated in every local production of the “Vagina Monologues.” This year she was honored as the Vagina Warrior for her dedication to making the lives of women better.

Joy at times was an active member in the local Democratic Club and always a passionate Democrat.

She loved to hike and cross country ski throughout Lake Tahoe.

Joy is survived by her father, Rocky Rothschild of San Francisco; sister Teri Rothschild of San Francisco; several cousins; and an abundance of friends; and her beloved dog AJ.

A celebration of life will be Aug. 14 at 5pm at the home of Wendy and Kerry David, 1300 Keller Road, South Lake Tahoe. Please bring a favorite dish or bottle of wine to share.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CASA El Dorado County, 1354 Johnson Blvd., Ste. 2, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150; or South Lake Tahoe Cancer League, 1602 Cherry Hill Circle, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150; or Zawadisha Fund: Micro loans for women, P.O. Box 6602, Tahoe City, CA 96145.