Lake Tahoe Community College is ushering in the holiday season with an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale “A Christmas Carol.”

The play will be presented in LTCC’s Duke Theatre from Nov. 12-20.

Written by LTCC theater director Susan Boulanger, she said this adaptation tells the Dickens masterpiece with humor and poignancy.

Twenty actors, including seven children, will play a multitude of characters. Local favorite Dave Anderson of Gardnerville plays the iconic character Scrooge. Other actors are Chris Scott, Russ Williams, Matthew Lee, Alicia Agnew, Amber Smith, Astraea Marion, Ellen Martin, Riley Mitchell, AnnaMaria Dixon, Tessa Dixon, and Wanda Smith, all from South Lake Tahoe. Joining them will be Fritz Schlottman of Dayton, and the children’s roles are played by Maddy Evans, Sam Evans, Sage Smith, Aspen Smith, Gilberto Aguirre, Kendall Wilson, and Yona Abiko, all of South Lake Tahoe.

There will be a holiday party before the matinée performance on Nov. 19 at 1pm, and the performance starting at 2pm. Patrons are encouraged to buy tickets in advance, or arrive early to purchase tickets for this special performance.

Thursday through Saturday shows start at 7:30pm; there are matinees Nov. 13, Nov. 19 and Nov. 20 at 2pm.

Tickets are $10 general admission, and $5 for seniors, groups of eight or more, children under 13, and for local students with a valid student ID card. Tickets may be purchased in advance at LTCC’s bookstore starting Nov. 7. LTCC’s Box Office will be open for ticket sales one hour prior to all performances.

By Daniel Goldstein, MarketWatch

If home ownership is the first cornerstone of the American Dream, then a quiet cabin by the lake (if not a beach house with a view of a breathtaking sunset) in the mountains as far away from a Wi-Fi hot spot as possible probably runs a close second.

When people think of a cabin, they usually want a certain rustic look and that look is often heavy timber. Heavy-timber construction with exposed beams and columns as big as 6 to 8 inches wide often are a feature in cabin design, but are also more expensive than ordinary construction.

Sue Lowe, a senior vice president and broker with Chase International in Zephyr Cove, — where the median home value is $392,700, up 9.2 percent in the past year and forecast to rise another 5.6 percent in the year ahead — says prices for winter vacation homes in her market range from $100,000 to $10 million , and it’s typically because of strong demand and tight supply.

Read the whole story

The Plates for Powder program is back. Individuals who purchase a new Lake Tahoe license plate in either California or Nevada receive two free lift tickets to one of 10 Tahoe resorts participating in the program.

Plate sales and renewal fees generate proceeds that go directly to the California Tahoe Conservancy and Nevada Division of State Lands to fund hiking and biking trails and watershed restoration projects. The Tahoe Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for environmental improvement projects that support lake clarity, recreation and stewardship in the TahoebBasin, is organizing the program on behalf of the public agencies.

Participating resorts include Diamond Peak, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, Northstar, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley|Alpine Meadows, Tahoe Cross Country, and Tahoe City Winter Sports Park.

Information on how to purchase a plate and redeem free tickets is available online.

Medication safety is the title of a free talk on Nov. 7 from 1-3pm at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel in South Lake Tahoe.

Staff from Barton Health will address safety issues regarding prescriptions, offer questions to ask a pharmacist, and provide information about proper storage and disposal. It is free.

According to the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition, prescription drug abuse is a growing problem across the United States, with opioid related deaths quadrupling since 1999. In addition, every year more than 34,000 U.S. children go to the emergency room for accidentally ingesting prescription drugs.

The coalition is working to combat these deadly trends by handing out free prescription drug lock bags. To obtain a bag or to find out more information, contact Kelsey Magoon at kmagoon@tahoeyouth.org
or 530.541.2445.

John Nemes

A special fund has been established with Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra in the name of John Nemes.

Nemes was a long-time elementary school teacher in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District who died Oct. 2.

More than anything, he encouraged children to read by not only teaching reading, but by giving away many books.

The service club gives all children in grades K-3 on the South Shore on book as part of the summer reading program. In Nemes’ name they’d like to give each student two books.

To contribute, send checks to: SITS, PO Box 18727, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151.

Lake Tahoe Community College’s adult education consortium, Advance, is partnering with local workforce development specialists to launch shared informational sessions.

Participants in these sessions may work toward getting their high school equivalency, or sign-up for workforce readiness programs, or explore individualized career and educational pathway planning, or all of the above.

The first session is Nov. 9 from 10am-1pm in LTCC’s Aspen Room (library building). At this session participants may connect to work-based learning opportunities including financial assistance for workforce training, as well as learn about educational and other supportive services. Participants can determine which programs are most relevant to them and their pathway, and take the next step in finding the best fit. At the conclusion of each session, participants will be able to schedule follow up appointments or begin the pathway building process.

For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Alexis Foley at adfoley@ltcc.edu or 530.541.4660, ext. 192.

Lilly

Lilly is a 10-week-old kitten who is available for adoption now. How can you resist that face?

She is a brown tiger and white shorthair cat who is very beautiful, and of course energetic and playful.

Lilly is spayed, microchipped, tested for FIV, and vaccinated. She is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats (including other kittens) 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.

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

By Hang Nguyen, San Diego Union-Tribune

It’s like a big Airbnb house you’d share with friends except it’s specifically for workers.

About 18 months ago, Emmanuel Guisset created Outsite, a place where people can go to work remotely, share a home with other professionals, stay overnight and play. He picks beautiful locations with a lot of stuff to do outdoors. Its first house was in Santa Cruz, where the business is headquartered. Outsite also has houses in Lake Tahoe; Napa Valley; Stinson Beach, and Costa Rica.

Guisset came up with the idea partly after staying in a hacker house while working in San Jose.

A hacker house is “like a hostel for developers and entrepreneurs,” he said. “They fit eight people in a dorm. It was dirty and I was traumatized. I wanted to create an upscale place where (people) can work and live and also be close to nature and the beach without the stress of a big city.”

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

NAPA – With 10 pools, two hot tubs, two PGA championship golf courses, 10 lighted tennis courts, three bocce ball courts, a spa, three restaurants, and a market why would anyone leave?

Wine would be the No. 1 reason.

The Silverado Resort is in the heart of Napa, just off the famous Silverado Trail. It’s a sanctuary nestled into what can be a chaotic world of tourists.

A toast to relaxation. Photo/Kathryn Reed

A calmness seems to permeate the grounds – even during a tennis lesson. Quinn, one of the tennis pros, keeps the clinic moving at a fun, adrenaline-pumping pace. He sprinkles in compliments with tips.

While Silverado is more known for its golf – especially with hosting the PGA Safeway Open earlier this month – tennis is also a big deal. Tennis Resorts Online regularly lists this as one of the top 50 tennis resorts in the world. Programs are offered daily – for guests and residents, as well as camps and tournaments throughout the year.

Driving in it’s almost like being transported to the South. The “big house” as I called it, looks like it belongs on a plantation. Construction of the mansion began in the 1870s by a Civil War general.

A variety of tennis programs are available at Silverado. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Today the Silverado is owned by hall of fame golfer and lead NBC analyst Johnny Miller and partners. He was instrumental in redesigning the North Course in 2014.

Being on a bottom floor unit was perfect because it meant walking right onto the golf course. There was no fence – so it was green lawn as far as the eye could see. I don’t really play golf, and didn’t intend to on this weekend visit. But there is something about walking the grounds with a glass of wine in hand that is so relaxing. Golf courses really are beautiful.

Scattered about are seven housing complexes making up the 1,200-acre Silverado community. Four of them are part of the condo rental program. Most of the 380 rooms were renovated two years ago.

While the area is sprawling, there is a free shuttle service via golf carts. It also didn’t take long to figure out how to walk to the various destinations.

The main building at Silverado was a private estate in the late 1800s. Photo/Kathryn Reed

A future destination will be the 30,000-square-foot events center that will include a 5,000-squre-foot pavilion, stage and small vineyard.

The only air of pretentiousness was at the spa. As a massage therapist I really don’t understand this uppity attitude that so many resort spas have. While the massage was adequate, what left a sour taste was the automatic 20 percent gratuity. This feels like stealing in a way. Pay the therapists more or raise the rates – just be honest with the price.

Being at the Silverado is relaxing in itself, especially with the numerous pools. The main one has food and cocktail service seasonally.

The market at the resort offers fresh baked goods and more substantive choices, along with a nice wine selection. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Tranquility was also found in the condo. The plush robe was perfect to lounge in while enjoying the comforts of what felt like home for a couple days. While there was a full size kitchen, not much cooking was taking place.

Being at the Silverado you are away from the hustle and bustle, and yet still close enough to partake in whatever might be going on off property. Uber is an excellent choice to get to downtown Napa where there is an abundance of restaurants and shops.

Wine tasting is walking distance, with William Hill Estate Winery on the same street. It, like so many wineries in the Napa Valley, requires reservations for tastings.

Tennis, wine and relaxation – not a bad birthday weekend.

By Andrew Lachman, Santa Cruz Sentinel

John Laird

For John Laird, California Secretary for Natural Resources, a commitment to conservation is a natural outgrowth of fishing at Bodega Bay and hiking along the Russian River as a child as well as exploring the backcountry above the family cabin nestled between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park.

“When you are up in the High Sierra mountains you just know you have arrived when you have been there long enough that you are constantly hearing the wind before it gets to you,” Laird said.

His dedication to public service emanates naturally from parents who moved from the Midwest to California and eventually settled in Vallejo where they strived to advance the civil rights and opportunities of all its residents.

Read the whole story