Lake Tahoe News subscribers Rich Fisher and Sandy Myron and their respective guests are going to be enjoying some El Dorado County wine in April thanks to LTN.

The annual Passport wine event is two weekends of fun where the wineries offer deals and food pairing with what they are pouring.

As subscribers, Fisher and Myron had the opportunity to vie for the two pairs of tickets. 

Isn’t it time you became a Lake Tahoe News subscriber? For $10/month or $100 year you get to comment on stories, receive breaking news alerts, know that you are supporting the only news source providing seven-day a week coverage about Lake Tahoe, and you get to be part of contests involving give-aways like the wine tickets.

Subscribe today by going online or send a check to Lake Tahoe News, PO Box 13406, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151.

“I’m a Lake Tahoe News subscriber, and read the LTN every morning. Thanks for your good work,” Fisher said. “My wife, Sheri, and I are wine club members in two El Dorado wineries, David Girard and Boeger. We’re long time El Dorado County residents and have really enjoyed watching the development of vineyards and wineries around the county. Sheri, with her degree in landscape architecture, did the original design for the David Girard Vineyard and it makes us very proud to see how it has developed into such a wonderful property.”

Myron said, “LTN: Great coverage, seven days a week, updates and reliable. El Dorado County wines: Great wine, small wineries with and a mom and pop feel, close to Tahoe, proprietors are knowledgeable and friendly and their wines are affordable. We love the area so much we purchased a place right off of Fair Play Road.”

Alpenglow Sports’ fourth and final installment of the 11th annual Winter Film Series will be Feb. 23 at 7pm at Squaw Valley’s Olympic Village Lodge.

Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards will present Everest No Filter: Success and Failure Climbing Without Oxygen to the Roof of the World. In May 2016, Ballinger and Richards embarked on an oxygen-less ascent of the world’s tallest peak, 29, 320-foot Mt. Everest. Their story, documented in real time on the social media platform Snapchat, is a tale of success, failure and personal growth.

Ballinger, owner of Alpenglow Expeditions, initially achieved high-altitude mountain-fame as the only American to ski two 8,000-meter peaks. He is also the first person to summit three 8,000-meter peaks within a three-week period. Richards, a climber and visual storyteller, was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2012.

By Robin Opsahl, Sacramento Bee

Dealing with winter in the Sierra Nevada isn’t easy, but a new exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum shows visitors how the railroads have kept trains moving year-round.

“Clearing the Way,” which is on display through March, features a 251,000-pound rotary snowplow – a trainlike machine with a large set of circular blades that cuts through snow and blows it up and away from the tracks. The snowplow on display was built in 1920 and was donated to the museum by Union Pacific in 2008.

Read the whole story

By Nic Abelow

Money. It’s hard to get and easy to lose. It doesn’t take long for the wealth you’ve accumulated to disappear if you don’t manage your money well or have a plan to protect your assets from sudden calamity.

Nic Abelow

Snares like the ones mentioned below could easily threaten your financial security. Planning ahead can protect you and your loved ones from getting caught.

Undisciplined spending

The more you have, the more you spend — or so the saying goes. But not paying close attention to your cash flow may prevent you from saving enough money for your future. Manage your income by creating a spending plan that includes saving and investing a portion of your pay. Your financial professional can help identify planning strategies that will maximize your savings and minimize your taxes.

High debt

With the easy availability of credit, it isn’t hard to understand how many people rack up high credit card balances and other debt. Short-term debt will become long-term debt if you’re paying only the minimum amount toward your balances. If you can’t pay off your credit card debt all at once, consider transferring the balances to a card with a lower interest rate.

Unprotected assets

Your life, your property, and your ability to work should all be protected. Life insurance can provide income for your family if you die. Homeowners and automobile insurance can help protect you if your home or car is damaged or destroyed and provide liability coverage if someone is injured. Disability insurance can protect your income if you’re unable to work.

Unmanaged inheritance

A financial windfall is great, but it also can be dangerous. Without solid advice on managing and investing the money, you could find that your inheritance is gone in a much shorter time than you would have thought possible. Your financial professional can help you come up with a plan for managing your wealth. Setting aside a portion of the money to spend on a trip or other luxury while investing the rest may be one way to reward yourself and still preserve the bulk of your assets.

Neglected investments

Reviewing your investments to make sure they’re performing as you expected — and making changes in your portfolio if they’re not — is essential. But it’s also essential to periodically review your investment strategy. You may find that your tolerance for risk has changed over time. You’ll also want to assess the tax implications of any changes you plan to make to help minimize their impact.

Retirement shortfall

If you’re not contributing the maximum amount to your employer’s retirement savings plan, you’re giving up the benefits of pretax contributions and potential tax-deferred growth. Maximizing your plan contributions can start you on your way to a comfortable retirement — hopefully with no traps along the route.

Nic Abelow is a LPL Financial Advisor with Abelow, Pratt & Associates Financial Advisors and Wealth Management. 

Dakota

Dakota is a 3-year-old boy who loves to swim, play fetch and go hiking. He is a cattle dog mix, about 55 pounds, and has lived with older children. Dakota walks nicely on the leash, and seems pretty mild-mannered.

Dakota is neutered, microchipped, tested for heart worm, and vaccinated. He is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes. Go to the Tahoe animal shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions of all pets at the shelter. (Probably due to the weather, very few animals at the shelter have found new homes in the past week. Please consider adopting your new best friend this week.) 

Call 530.573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

— Karen Kuentz

South Lake Tahoe resident Gregory Baghdikian was part of Cal Poly’s team that created “the most beautiful float built and decorated by volunteers” at this year’s Rose Parade.

This was the parade’s only float built entirely by students. It was awarded the Founders’ Trophy for its eye-popping appeal and visual effects. The winning work reflects a time-honored collaboration between students at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and their counterparts at Cal Poly Pomona.

The 52-foot long float, called “A New Leaf,” featured three giant chameleons exploring their tropical world.

Baghdikian is studying computer engineering. He was the engineering and hydraulic lead on the float.

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless has struggled to assist guests with basic hygiene — specifically a shower.

A community member has donated $1,500 of the approximately $3,000 needed to purchase and install an ADA shower unit.

The portable unit could be moved to the South Lake Tahoe warm room’s next location.

Further donations will be matched by a board member. Donations are being accepted online.

The ability to keep the body clean is important to health as well many chronic maladies of the skin and hair can occur when one does not bathe regularly. Sometimes infection can set in, leading to major medical conditions and health care needs.

Additionally, showering provides some dignity to those who may already feel outcast.

By Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times

When people get up and move, even a little, they tend to be happier than when they are still, according to a study that used cellphone data to track activities and moods. In general, the researchers found, people who move are more content than people who sit.

There already is considerable evidence that physical activity is linked to psychological health. Epidemiological studies have found, for example, that people who exercise or otherwise are active typically are less prone to depression and anxiety than sedentary people.

But many of these studies focused only on negative moods. They often also relied on people recalling how they had felt and how much they had moved or sat in the previous week or month, with little objective data to support these recollections.

Read the whole story

David Kelly

South Lake Tahoe’s main advocate for the disabled has died.

David Joseph Kelly passed away in his sleep at his South Lake Tahoe home on Jan. 31, 2017. He was 73.

Kelly is the man behind Tahoe Senior Plaza, Kelly Ridge (named in his honor), and Sky Forest Acres. These three South Lake Tahoe developments are affordable housing for seniors and those with disabilities.

He was born Feb. 19, 1943. Though he lived with post-polio syndrome and was told he would not live a long life, he proved many doctors wrong.

He used to be a regular at City Council meetings. His involvement led him to being named an honorary firefighter by the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department.

In the early 1980s Kelly believed people were being mistreated locally. That’s when he started to become involved in local issues.

“I do it because it needs to be done,” Kelly told Lake Tahoe News in 2013.

For years he was the force behind the Tahoe Area Coordinating Council for the Disabled. He was also on several other boards related to the disabled. When businesses were being sued by an out of town attorney for ADA violations, Kelly worked with the locals.

His activism was noted by the many awards he received such as the Betty Davis Award for his exemplary service to the community, the Ellie O’Toole Humanitarian of the Year Award, as well as the ABHOW Presidential Citation Award.

Kelly’s legacy is evident by the housing he got built, as well as his family, whom he could never say enough about.

He is predeceased by his father, Lloyd Dunham. 

Kelly is survived by wife Coco; mother Patricia; sisters Patti (Dennis) and Debi (Bob); children Patty (Jimmy), Debbie (Myk), Joey (Scott,) and Jason (Allison); 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. 

Services will be at St. Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe on Feb. 4 at 1:30pm. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to the family may be made to the family’s Fundly account to help cover costs of services.

Maria Barrows-Crist

The 33-year owner of Kindertown day care, Maria Rose Barrows-Crist, died unexpectedly in her sleep Jan. 22, 2017. She was 64.

She was born Jan. 18, 1952.

She had retired last year from Bank of the West, where she worked on and off for more than 30 years. In that brief period she had been spending time with her children, grandchildren, extended family and friends.

Maria spent four years in the Army. She was at many of the Memorial Day and Veterans Day services in South Lake Tahoe.

She moved here in the mid-1970s, got married and started a family.

About 7,000 children passed through the doors of Kindertown between the time Judy Kurtzman opened it in July 1, 1973, and Barrows-Crist closed it in late 2011. She was the third owner.

Maria is survived by her children Cory (Chelsea) Crist, Adrienne (John) McSwain, Thomas Crist and fiancé Lauren Curry; grandchildren Ian, Emma, Ellie; mother Filomena Maria Morlando Barrows; siblings Matt (Nan) Barrows, Michele (John) Moelder, Annette Barrows, Steve and fiancé Michelle Tasber, Angela Sorrentino (Myra Sparks), Nina (Ray) Sylvester; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. She also leaves behind her dear friend, Sherry Perasso and family.

A celebration of life will be on Feb. 11 at 11am at Sierra Community Church in South Lake Tahoe. There will be a nursery for children 3 and younger.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Crist Family Memorial Fund at Bank of the West, 2161 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.