By Anne Knowles

In the end, it may come down to the difference between wish lists and must haves.

The Fields Advisory Committee of the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority meets today for the final time before making its recommendation on how to allocate money to fix up South Lake Tahoe fields used for baseball, softball and soccer.

Dugouts are just one issue with the softball field at South Tahoe High School. Photo/LTN file

The committee meets at 4pm at Lake Tahoe Airport, where members will discuss how to spend $500,000 of Measure R funds on all or some of the fields at South Tahoe Middle School, Al Tahoe, Sierra House School, Meyers Magnet School, and the South Tahoe High School softball field. The committee’s recommendation will be delivered to the JPA at its meeting on July 27.

On a public field trip to the various sites July 2, there seemed to be committee consensus that the priority should be finishing the high school softball field first, although there was a difference of opinion on how extensive the work should be there.

From $40,000 to $60,000 more is needed to complete construction of the field and to add permanent fencing, a flagpole and a public address system, said Sue Novasel, a Lake Tahoe Unified School District board member.

Those additions, Novasel believes, would bring the city into Title IX compliance.

“Those are the three things I think that are needed to put the field on par with the boys,” said Novasel.

So far, construction on the field, including dugouts, has cost about $154,000, said Novasel, and the school board at its last meeting approved up $160,000.

During the field trip, committee member Marilyn Breisacher and Steve Morales, facilities director for the district, locked horns over a “wish list” of additional items for the high school softball field.

Breisacher presented a rendering of the field that included shortening the dugout to give people sitting in the bleachers better visibility of the bases as well as a plan to raise the floor in the announcers’ booth.

“I couldn’t justify it,” said Morales, referring to the changes in the dugout. “I believe we created line of sight.”

The committee also visited several other fields and discussed plans for them that included overhauling the Al Tahoe Fields with a new, full-size baseball field, upgrades to the two Little League fields, and a replacement T-ball field as well as a scorer’s booth and bleachers at the South Tahoe Middle School softball field.

The fields committee will make its final recommendation at the JPA meeting on July 27 at 9am at Lake Tahoe Airport.

By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times

California already licenses furniture upholsterers, private investigators and recreation guides.

Now it wants to regulate pet groomers.

In a state that leads the country in the number of professions requiring a license, a bill moving through the Legislature has struck a nerve among those who clip Fido and Fluffy.

Sen. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego), author of the proposed legislation, wants to provide pet owners “peace of mind” by creating a voluntary certification program. Groomers would have to complete about 900 hours of training and pay an as-yet unspecified fee to be certified by the state — a designation that amounts to a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Vargas says the measure, known as SB 969, is intended to protect pets from untrained groomers. He said he drafted the bill after learning about lacerations, broken bones — and in one case, death — that some animals suffered during trips to their barbers.

“The pets really are the silent victims,” Vargas said. “They can’t tell you what happens.”

Vargas’ initial aim was to force California’s pet groomers to obtain a state license that would have required them to pass an exam and carry insurance. But that proposal lost much of its bite after facing opposition from small-business groups. A similar bill stalled in 2005.

But even the watered-down version has some groomers growling. They fear that voluntary certification is just a precursor to eventual licensing that would snag California’s estimated 11,000 pet barbers in more red tape.

“I want the government out of my salon,” said Johnny Ray, co-owner of the Dog House in North Hollywood. “It’s just a money grab.”

Read the whole story

By Rob Hotakainen, McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — After buying a new chunk of land 50 miles north of San Francisco, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria just broke ground on a new, Las Vegas-style casino. It will be the largest in the Bay Area, with 3,000 slot machines, 200 hotel rooms, a spa, bars, restaurants and parking for more than 5,000 cars.

In New York, the Shinnecock Indian Nation is considering Long Island as a site on which to build the Big Apple’s first tribal casino.

And in Washington state, the Spokane Tribe of Indians wants a new 13-story casino and hotel next to the Fairchild Air Force Base, prompting fears that the city will become “Spo-Vegas.”

The plans are extraordinary for one reason: In all three cases, the tribes want to build their palaces on new land that’s not part of their original reservations.

The expansions are the latest twist in the nation’s Indian casino wars, and they mark a major shift for the tribes, which already run 385 casinos and bingo halls in 29 states.

Read the whole story

During July, August and September, the public is invited once each month to gain insight on area history, facts and adventures.

North Lake Tahoe Historical Society’s Third Thursdays monthly speaker series is at the Gatekeeper’s Museum in Tahoe City.

July’s topic is Take Me to the River: Fly Fishing and Why It’s So Cool. On July 19 at 6:30pm, famed fly fishing guide Matt Heron will reel in the audience with the appeal and adventure of fly fishing. In the last portion of the program, Heron will offer a casting clinic to give attendees a hands-on experience.

August will feature Weather Thou Goest: Sierra Weather Facts & Fancy with Storm King Mark McLaughlin. A noted local author and weather expert, McLaughlin will educate listeners about the Sierra’s changing weather patterns. McLaughlin will explain how apparent changes in local climate relate to the hot topic of climate change. He will also explain how “normal” weather patterns are determined. The event is Aug. 16 at 6:30pm.

On Sept. 20 at 6:30pm, the topic is Breaks, Brains and Balls with author David Toll discussing the life and adventures of Mustang Ranch founder Joe Conforte. In Conforte’s own words, he went from being, “a street-smart kid in New York City to owning the Mustang Ranch east of Reno, putting millions into a Swiss bank account and thumbing my nose at the IRS all the way.” Toll, Conforte’s biographer, will spill details of the infamous ranch and the equally infamous Nevada businessman who started it all. Copies of Toll’s book will be sold at the event and the author will be signing.

Each Third Thursday speaker series event is free for NLTHS members, $10 suggested donation for non-members.

For more information, call (530) 583.1762.

By Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee

University of California medical researchers slipped an ingredient in chili peppers beneath the skin of marijuana smokers to see if pot could relieve acute pain. It could – at certain doses.

They monitored patients with AIDS and HIV as they toked on joints or placebos to determine whether marijuana could quell agonizing pain from nerve damage. It provided relief.

They tested a “Volcano Vaporizer” to see whether inhaling smokeless pot delivered healthier, low-tar cannabis. It did.

Over a dozen years, California’s historic experiment in medical marijuana research brought new science to the debate on marijuana’s place in medicine. State-funded studies – costing $8.7 million – found pot may offer broad benefits for pain from nerve damage from injuries, HIV, strokes and other conditions.

California’s famed Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research – established by the Legislature to answer the question, “Does marijuana have therapeutic value?” – has now all but completed America’s most comprehensive studies into the efficacy of pot.

Read the whole story

By Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee

California’s election turnout last month set a record low for a presidential primary in the state, with more than two of every three registered voters opting not to cast ballots.

Oddly, in light of the dismal turnout, more Californians than ever before voted by mail – with 65 percent of ballots cast coming via the Postal Service, the secretary of state’s office said Friday.

The previous high for vote-by-mail was 62 percent, set in May 2009.

“Given the ease and convenience that voting by mail offers, it’s not surprising to see more and more people choose to cast their ballots from home,” Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a written statement.

Bowen gave no explanation for the massive numbers of registered voters who sat out this year’s election altogether, however.

Turnout statewide was 31.1 percent, shattering the previous record low of 41.9 percent for a presidential primary, recorded in 1996. State figures track balloting since 1914.

Mark DiCamillo, Field Poll director, predicted bare-bottom turnout – he pegged it at 35 percent – shortly before ballots were cast.

There were few fireworks on this year’s ballot: California was insignificant to the Republican presidential contest, President Obama had no challenger among Democrats, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein faced no serious opposition, and there were few hot-button issues to bolster turnout.

Neither Proposition 28, involving changes to legislative term limits, nor Proposition 29, a proposed tobacco tax, was likely to drive up turnout significantly, DiCamillo said last month.

Though worst for a presidential primary, this year’s turnout did not scrape bottom for any statewide election in California. The all-time low – 28.2 percent of registered voters – was set in June 2008, state records show.

Counties with the highest turnout in last month’s election were Sierra, 59.2 percent; Alpine, 58.6 percent; and Amador, 57.1 percent. Voter participation was lowest in the counties of Los Angeles, 21.8 percent; San Bernardino, 23.7 percent; and Orange, 26.5 percent.

All four capital-area counties topped California’s 31.1 percent voter turnout. El Dorado’s turnout was 46.2 percent; Placer, 45.7 percent; Yolo, 37.7 percent; and Sacramento, 35.6 percent.

By Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee

The Robbers Fire in Placer County continued to grow Saturday and was blamed for destroying its first structures – one home and three outbuildings – but firefighters were making progress at getting a handle on it.

The fire had burned 1,950 acres by Saturday night and still was threatening 170 homes in areas near Iowa Hill, Foresthill and other communities. Officials could not pinpoint the location late Saturday of the burned structures.

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said the fire containment had grown to 20 percent from 10 percent on Friday night.

More than 1,900 firefighters and a huge amount of equipment, including 15 helicopters and 36 bulldozers, were battling the stubborn blaze that broke out Wednesday afternoon.

Read the whole story

By Chris Dolce, Weather Channel

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its state of the climate report along with a separate article explaining some of the extreme events of 2011 from a climate perspective.

“2011 will be remembered as a year of extreme events, both in the United States and around the world,” said Deputy NOAA Administrator Kathryn D. Sullivan. “Every weather event that happens now takes place in the context of a changing global environment. This annual report provides scientists and citizens alike with an analysis of what has happened so we can all prepare for what is to come.”

NOAA says back-to-back La Ninas (cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean) affected regional climates and influenced many of the world’s significant weather events in 2011.

Read the whole story

Volunteers are needed for the 23rd annual Lake in the Sky Air Show on Aug. 24-26.

Four hour volunteer shifts are available from 7am-11am, 11am to 3pm and 3pm-6pm on Aug. 25. Volunteers completing four volunteer hours will receive a free meal and admission to the event.

Shift assignments will be designated closer to the event.

Call (530) 542.6058 or go online to find out more.

The Tahoe Truckee region was named an All-America City by the National Civic League recently based on its program the Tahoe Truckee Read Campaign 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’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.