Artists are being sought for the 2017-18 California Duck Stamp Art Contest.

Submissions will be accepted from May 12-June 12.

The contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 or older as of March 7, 2017. Entrants need not reside in California.

The winning artwork will be reproduced on the 2017-18 California Duck Stamp. The top submissions will also be showcased at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s art show in July.

The artwork must depict a ruddy duck.

All entries must be accompanied by a completed participation agreement and entry form. These forms and the official rules are available online.

Young artists and future biologists are invited to enter the California Invasive Species Art Contest sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This year’s theme is Don’t Let it Loose!

Youths in grades 2-12 are eligible to enter. Entries should depict invasive species that might be released into California’s waters, parks and wildlands, along with appropriate messaging such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Releasing invasive species into the wild can harm the environment and California’s native plants and animals
• Description(s) of one or more species that are commonly released into waters, parks or wildlands
• Explanations or illustrations showing other ways to rehome unwanted pets or plants
• Drawings, paintings, animations, comic strips, videos, public service announcements are welome.
• Submissions must be received by May 5.

Winners will be chosen in three age divisions: grades 2-4, 5-8 and 9-12.  “Invasive Species Program Choice” Award.

Entry forms and more information are available online.

The 2017 Kia Soul is a fun vehicle to drive. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

Modern engineering and machines have allowed automakers to produce cars that are a bit out of the three-box mainstream design. While Kia may have started off with its less than exciting Sephia over 20 years ago, under its new president and chief design officer, Peter Schreyer, Kia has gone to the forefront in automotive design with the Optima, Cadenza, Forte and new Stinger due out in a few months. Within this new design philosophy came the Soul, which has been with us for about eight years and created a new kind of sub-compact utility vehicle.

Soul received more soul in 2014 with marginal one inch increases in length, width and wheelbase now measuring 163 x 71 and 101 inches, respectively. It also received structural enhancements with more bending and torsional resistance and minor design changes with a squarer front end and new taillight treatments. Overall it is still unmistakably a Soul, only improved in its design and utility. There is no question the hipster hamster contingency is happy with the new Soul and for 2017 several new additions and improvements might even dazzle a few humans.

New for 2017 and under hood of this new top of the line Exclaim (!) is a new high powered version of Kia’s 1.6L direct injected turbo four cranking out a whopping 201 hp at 6,000 rpm and a strong 195 pounds of twist from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. It is connected to a quick shifting and smooth seven-speed dual clutch automatic (also new for 2017) that transmits the energy to the front wheels. Kia does not offer an all-wheel drive option, but if it did it might eat into its compact CUV sales as the buyer demographics for the Soul are surprising, with the average buyer being a 41-year-old female, not a 23-year-old hipster. Maybe the 41-year-old female is a hot cougar. Whatever the buyer, the Soul is a smart buy in so many ways.

Specifications
Price
$15,896 to about $28,195
Engines
1.6L 16 valve DOHC (CVVT) inline four 130 hp @ 6,300 rpm
118 lbs.-ft. of torque @ 4,850 rpm
2.0L 16 valve DOHC (CVVT) inline four 164 hp @ 6,000 rpm
151 lbs.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission
Six speed manual
Six speed torque converter automatic
Seven speed dual clutch automatic
Configuration
Transverse mounted front engine/front wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 101.2 inches
Length 163.0 inches
Height 63.0 inches
Width 70.9 inches
Track (f/r) 61.4/61.9 inches
Ground clearance 6.5 inches
Weight (1.6/2.0) 2,714/2,837 pounds
Weight distribution (f/r) 60/40 percent
Steering lock to lock 2.85 turns
Turning circle 34.8 feet
Wheels (opt) 7.5X18 inch alloys
Tires (opt) 235/45X18
Fuel capacity 14.2 gallons
Cargo volume (rear seats down/up) 61.3/24.2 cubic feet
Passenger volume 101.0 cubic feet
Performance
0-60 mph 9.15 seconds
50-70 mph 5.34 seconds
50-70 mph uphill 8.67 seconds
Top speed Well into triple digits
Fuel economy EPA rated 23/31/26 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 27 mpg in rural country driving 32-33 mpg on the highway at legal speeds.

First is its performance, which is rockin’ with 0-60 mph times averaging 6.48 seconds. It could have been quicker but even with huge 235/45 series rubber, hook up was a problem and it would shift into second too quickly because of wheelspin. With a bit more experimentation it might have broken the six second barrier.

Passing performance backed up the 0-60 mph numbers with a 50-70 mph pass requiring just 3.74 seconds and the same run up a steep (6-7 percent) grade only slowing that time by a second to 4.79. There is a hint of turbo lag but once on boost it becomes a rocket sled.

Fuel economy is rated at 26/31/28 mpg city/highway/combined by the EPA. Interestingly, of the three Soul engines offered, a 1.6L 130 hp four, a 2.0L 161 hp four and this diminutive turbo powerhouse, the powerhouse returns the best EPA fuel economy numbers by about an mpg. Overall I averaged 28-29 mpg and on a level highway at 70 mph in a two-way run the Soul averaged 32.8 mpg with the engine spinning 2,200 rpm. A taller seventh gear might have improved that highway mileage by an mpg or two. While the fuel tank is 14.2 gallons, a bit bigger would be better.

Wheels are good looking 18 x 7.5 inch alloys shod with the aforementioned big rubber and while state of the art MacPherson struts are up front, a semi-independent torsion beam holds up the rear. Steering is an electric power rack with just 2.85 turns lock to lock. You might not think of the Soul with its tall 63 inch stature as a handler, but it is. It’s almost go-cart like as it has track of nearly 62 inches front and rear giving it the ability to make short work of the twisties. In fact, when examining the overall design, the Soul has little in front and rear overhangs as the wheels are located at its furthest most points. Turn in is crisp and understeer is quite mild. It may look like a mini ute, but it handles like a sports sedan.

Another enduring quality is the quiet and smooth ride. It exceeded my expectations with a very quiet engine, no wind and tire noise. When driving, you have to remember the Soul’s roots which are sedan based and not a truck.

Also for 2017 safety has been improved with larger front ventilated disc brakes now exceeding a foot in diameter. They are strong and of course all the acronyms are present like ABS, TCS, ESM, VSM and more. Also, new in the Exclaim (!) are standard HID headlights which are excellent in low and very good in high beam. Even the new well located (on the center console) starter button is a nice feature.

Because of its literal two box design, the Soul as a subcompact car has the volume of a large size car with 101.2 cubic feet in the first two rows and 24.2 cubic feet behind the second row. Behind the front seats are over 61 cubic feet of room for camping or the Home Depot. Having a Soul is not just spiritual thing, it’s way practical.    

And those front chairs are nicely done and quite comfortable in their leather and cloth trim. Sure, the interior is highly styled with the way the speakers are done, but the dash is about perfect with clear legible business like gauges consisting of a big tach and speedo divided by an info center and trip computer. The center stack is also easy to use.  Practical. Rear seating is also good for even three, thanks to Soul’s excellent shoulder room.

Now for the best part, the price. My top of the line tester with power windows, doors, locks, cruise, trick leather wrapped D shaped steering wheel and a whole bunch more stickers for a paltry $22,800 plus $850 for the boat from Korea. This is a tricked out, very practical ride that oozes with cool and style for the price of an ordinary econo-box. And it goes like a scalded dog on steroids while passing most gas stations. A paltry price, practical ride that you can park anywhere with style. And then there is the five year/60,000 mile overall warranty plus 10 years and a 100,000 mile warranty on the powertrain.

If your needs aren’t to run like a scalded dog and maybe just a nice retriever suits your needs, a base Soul starts at just $16,100 plus $850. Never has so little bought so much cool. You could sell your refrigerator and turn off you’re AC.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.

By Don Reisinger, Fortune

Drones aren’t always mentioned in the same breath as saving lives, but a report from one drone manufacturer says they should be.

Civilian drones have been used to save at least 59 people in 18 different incidents around the world since 2013, DJI, a China-based company that manufacturers popular civilian drones, said in a statement. The company added that 38 of those individuals were saved within in the last 10 months thanks to rescue teams and civilians employing their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to aid people facing life-threatening emergencies.

Now, DJI says a drone is saving nearly one person’s life a week on average.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

Secrets – everyone has them. What people know could destroy more than just themselves.

Your best friend goes missing at 18. Ten years later another young woman from the same small North Carolina town disappears.

“All the Missing Girls” by Megan Miranda (Simon & Schuster 2016) is full of suspense and intrigue.

This is what my book club read for March. Unfortunately, I can’t make it to the meeting so I don’t know what the others thought of it. We rank books based on whether we liked – which I did, but not a great deal; if we’d recommend it – I would to people who like this genre; and literary merit – not a high mark from me.

I would not have picked this book on my own. I’m much more of a non-fiction reader. While it dragged on in places, there were just enough twists to have me keep turning the pages. That’s always the sign of a good murder mystery.

I like how the story was told more than the story itself.

Miranda writes the story backward; in that over a two-week period the chapters go from the past to the present. When there were several days in between reading the book I was a bit lost at times – maybe I would have been no matter what I did. A little tighter editing may have made the format be cleaner.

By Melinda Myers

Container gardens allow you to easily dress up your balcony and patio, create a colorful welcome for guests and keep edibles close at hand for cooking and entertaining. They’re also a terrific way for new gardeners to get their start. Increase your success growing vegetables, herbs or flowers in a container with these tips.

Proper plant selection. Select the right plants for the container and growing conditions. Closely check the plant tags for this and more information to help with your decision. Create attractive combinations with plants that look good together and require the same growing conditions.

And don’t be afraid to mix flowers, herbs and vegetables. This is a great way to have both beauty and flavor on your patio, deck or balcony. Scour gardening magazines and the internet for free container planting plans like those featured on the Bonnie Plants website.

Selecting the right container. Further increase your success by selecting a container large enough to accommodate your plants. The bigger the pot, the more moisture it can hold, maximizing the time between watering. A small pot with a large plant will need to be watered several times a day during hot weather and fertilized more frequently.

Container gardens are an easy way to incorporate color, edibles and interest into the landscape. Photo/Bonnie Plants

Use a container with drainage holes made from material suited to your gardening style and climate.  Even if you could provide the exact amount of water your plants need, nature may intervene with an extra dose or two. Drainage holes prevent water from building up in the bottom of the pot, leading to root rot.

Those in areas with hot summers should avoid black and metal pots that can heat up in the summer sun and damage tender plant roots. Terra cotta pots are a traditional favorite. They are attractive, heavy and dry out more quickly than some other materials. Glazed pots are beautiful, but tend to be pricey and heavy to move. Plastic pots are affordable, come in a variety of styles and don’t dry out as quickly as terracotta. Then there’s the sturdy half whiskey barrel. This planter is a longtime favorite, but be sure to drill drainage holes in the bottom if it doesn’t already have them.

Potting mix. Next, invest in a quality potting mix that holds moisture, yet provides adequate drainage. These are usually a combination of peat moss, compost or coir to hold moisture, and perlite or vermiculite to aid in drainage. Leave garden soil in the garden where it belongs, not in containers.

Watering. Check the potting soil moisture in your container gardens at least once a day and more often if the pots are small or temperatures high. Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil is dry and allow the excess to run out the drainage holes.  This shows you have moistened the potting mix, top to bottom, encouraging a robust root system to develop.

Extend the time between waterings with the help of self-watering pots. Their built-in water reservoirs provide water to the plants as the soil dries. Fill the reservoir as needed and make sure there is a weep hole. This allows excess water to drain out of the reservoir instead of saturating the soil and leading to root rot.

Fertilization. Lastly, incorporate a slow release fertilizer into the potting mix at planting. This type of fertilizer provides small amounts of nutrients over a longer time period. Follow label directions and make additional applications as recommended on the fertilizer label.

As your container plants continue to thrive and you enjoy the flavorful vegetables and herbs and gorgeous flowers they provide, you’ll soon be looking for more spaces to incorporate container gardens into your landscape.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including “Small Space Gardening” and the “Midwest Gardener’s Handbook.”

By Teresa Welsh

It seems like you can’t go anywhere in public these days without seeing a child with his or her face glued to a screen. But despite the proliferation of electronic devices, kids still prefer reading actual physical books.

A study by researchers in Australia found that kids who had access to e-readers like Kindles and iPads tended not to use the electronic devices for reading. Even children who reported being daily readers didn’t use electronics as books.

The study also found that the more electronic devices a child had access to, the less they read in general.

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Alexander Hamilton is headed to Sand Harbor this summer.

Hal Bidlack will assume the persona of Hamilton in a Chautauqua-style encounter that brings history alive.

The intellect, wit, humor and humanity of this famous United States founding father will come to life in Tahoe.

The event is Aug. 14 at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $24-$69. For more info, call 800.747.4697.

Nathan Standing Bear

Richard Joseph Nathaniel Rouse, better known as Nathan Standing Bear, died Feb. 24, 2017. He was 67.

Born July 2, 1949, to Warren C. Rouse and Dorothea Joy (Kennedy) Rouse, in Lafayette, Ind., he died at Chi Saint Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, N.D.

Raised in a military family, Nathan grew up in Chapel Hill, N.C., where he expressed his dissatisfaction in the college prep-school culture of corduroy and cardigan uniforms. His nature and soul soared in the next environment he experienced when his father was transferred to the Kwajalein Marshall Islands . It was there he became acquainted with indigenous island natives and tribal culture. He would often reminisce about fishing in the reefs, boating to nearby islands, surfing coral reef waves, and cooking fish in open fires pits on pristine beaches with kind, indigenous natives who embraced and enjoyed his presence.

In his late teens he headed for the West Coast on his own. At one point in his journey, he became snowbound high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where he persevered through heavy blizzard conditions for four months, heating his cabin with wood chopped with an axe after the chain saw failed after the first week.

Nathan arrived in South Lake Tahoe in 1970, where he resided for a time in a teepee on the Amacker Ranch. Becoming a skilled carpenter specializing in log work, he made Tahoe his home for the remainder of his life.

He became an accomplished pen and ink/watercolor artist. He also managed several properties throughout the 190’s and early 2000,s on Jameson Beach where he resided on the shore of Lake Tahoe for about 18 years.

Nathan was the founder, creator, and organizer of a group known as One Earth Family. He drew together hundreds of people from all over the globe.

Nathan was an Earth and nature lover with an intense appreciation of birds and all living creatures. He respected Mother Earth as the source of life and rallied against those who view the Earth as a trove of resources to be exploited for profit at the expense of planetary well-being. He spent the last five months of his life on the front lines of Standing Rock, N.D.

Nathan is survived by his, mother, Joy Rouse and his sister Robin Rouse Caviness.

Services will be at later time.

The 12th WinterFest of Tahoe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (TOCCATA) continues with Bach: The Passion according to St. Matthew.

Performances will be:

April 9 – 3:30pm, St. Rose of Lima Church in south Reno

​​​​​​​April 11 – 7pm, St. Theresa Church in South Lake Tahoe

April 14 – 7pm St. Patrick’s Church in Incline Village.

Tickets are available online.