There are several programs coming up at the Tahoe Tallac Site.

Afternoon with Anita – Aug. 19, 1pm — Meet Anita Baldwin for some light refreshments while she tells you stories of the Tallac Casino and Resort.  She recounts her adventures as the daughter of the infamous Lucky Baldwin. Cost — $10.

Kitchen Kids – Aug. 19, Aug. 24, Aug. 26, Aug. 31, 1pm — An opportunity for children ages 6-12 to bake recipes from scratch that were available in the 1920s. Once they learn to bake it, they get to feast on their accomplishments. Cost — $10.

Vintage Vatican – Aug. 20, Sept. 3, 4pm — Imagine yourself as a guest of Mrs. Pope on a summer afternoon. Step back in time as you take on the persona of one of the movers and shakers of the 1920’s. Sit on the porch of this magnificent house and enjoy the view, sip refreshments, and sample period appetizers. Cost — $15.

Soiree at Sunset – Aug. 24, 7:30pm – Step into the shoes of a well-known 1920’s persona and join Mrs. Pope for an evening soiree, complete with music and dancing. Enjoy the sunset while tasting period hors d’oeuvres and bootleg Champagne. Cost — $35.

Tea and Scones – Sept. 10, Sept. 17, 1pm — Learn how to make scones from scratch at the historic Pope Estate. Indulge on your tasty accomplishments while sipping tea and enjoying the glorious view of Lake Tahoe from the porch of the Pope House. Cost — $15.

The Tallac Historic Site is at 1 Heritage Way, Camp Richardson. Tickets for most programs may be purchased online.  For more info, call 530.541.5227.

By Sarah Anderson, Deseret News

With millennials coming to dominate the workforce and baby boomers refusing to retire, crossing the generational divide at work becomes ever more of an issue.

The term “generational gap” was first used in the 1960s to express the belief that the old and the young had substantial differences in thought, AARP noted. And it’s a divide that has still carried over into present day, with generations separated under umbrella terms such as “millennials” or “Generation X,” and recent events such as the Brexit vote demonstrating there are differences between the old and young generations’ stance on issues, it continued.

The divide is perhaps even greater as millennials have come to make up the largest age segment of the American workforce, the New York Times noted. Many older employees now find themselves answering to a younger boss.

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Undergarments are on display at the South Lake Tahoe Museum. Photos/Denise Haerr

By Denise Haerr

When one walks into the lobby of the South Lake Tahoe Library, one sees something unexpected in the display case — underwear.

The Friends of the Library in partnership with the Lake Tahoe Historical Society are hosting a presentation titled A Brief History of Underwear.

Diane Johnson, president of the LTHS, has gathered various dainties, from the museum’s collection to showcase Tahoe’s historic unmentionables. Many of the pieces have never been on display.

This is an opportunity to find out the “wear and why” about underwear.

Some of the items are on display for the first time.

Jan Loverin, who will be giving a talk about the undergarments, said, “This lecture looks at the history of various forms and styles of undergarments worn by our ancestors. Starting with the Egyptians and going through the millennia, this PowerPoint program reveals fascinating facts about corsetry, drawers — panties and undershorts, petticoats, bustles, farthingales, and other undergarments people have worn throughout western civilization.”

Loverin knows her stuff. For more than 30 years she has been the curator of Clothing and Textiles at the Nevada State Museum’s Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Research Center in Carson City.

The free talk is Aug. 30 at 6pm at the South Lake Tahoe Library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd. The exhibit at the library ends the same day.

Improvements to the 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage make it an even more desirable car. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

With a starting price of less than $13,000, almost anyone can afford a new car, especially one that gets over 40 mpg and comes with a standard powertrain warranty of 10 years and/or 100,000 miles. Considering just that info, the Mitsubishi Mirage is a great deal. And the price has not increased from 2016 to 2017, even with the significant improvements, still a fin below $13K.

Obviously new for 2017 is the front end styling, much sleeker and more modern. It isn’t stodgy looking anymore. Even the co-efficient of drag has been reduced to 0.27. When I first saw the new Mirage, I was impressed with its new design to the point of remarking to a friend as to its newfound good looks.

While its wheelbase is the same, long 96.5 inches, its length grew by an inch to 149 inches, otherwise its dimensions remain the same with a width of 65.6 inches and a height of 59.4 inches. Even its ground clearance is still 6.3 inches. But mechanically the engineers have improved the suspension with changes in spring rates and damping along with a new front stiffener. In the engine bay the Mirage gets new lower friction, roller bearing camshafts (instead of plain bearings) and four more hp and for whoa power, larger front disc brakes and bigger rear drums.

Specifications
Engine 1193 cc DOHC 12 valve inline three cylinder 78 hp @ 6,000
74 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000
Transmission
Five speed manual
CVT automatic
Configuration Transverse front engine/front wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 96.5 inches
Length 149.4 inches
Width 65.6 inches
Height 59.4 inches
Ground Clearance 6.3 inches
Track (f/r) 56.3/56.7 inches
Fuel capacity 9.2 gallons
Passenger volume 86.1 cubic feet
Trunk capacity rear seats up/down 17.2/47.0 cubic feet
Tires 175/55/15
Turning circle 32.1 feet (wall to wall)
Weight (ES CVT) 2,117 pounds
GVWR 3,020 pounds
Performance
0-60 mph 10.28 seconds
50-70 mph 5.68 seconds
50-70 mph uphill (6%) 11.61 seconds
Top speed beyond sanity
Fuel economy EPA rated 37/43/39 mpg city/highway/combined Expect about 41-42 mpg in rural county driving; 45-46 on the highway at legal speeds.

New roller cams improve engine efficiency of the little 1.2L DOHC, 12 valve three-cylinder inline engine by cranking out 78 hp at the same 6,000 rpm (up four hp). Torque which is mostly a function of displacement (A good rule of thumb is a pound of twist per cubic inch of displacement and this mill has 73 cubes.) remains 74 pounds of twist at the same 4,000 rpm.

Transmission options are also the same, a five-speed manual or an efficient CVT, which is optional on the ES or SE models and standard on the top of the line GT. In my GT the CVT was the perfect application.

Performance-wise not much has changed but the tranny now lets the engine revs a little higher in the powerband from my last Mirage test. Zero to 60 mph times have improved marginally by a couple of tenths to 10.28 seconds and 50-70 simulated passes also had their times shortened with a 50-70 mph run taking 5.68 seconds and an uphill run dropped by more than a second to 11.61 seconds. As I reported before this little Mirage would blow the doors off a ’55 Chevy Belair V-8 with a Power-Pak making 180 gross up. So depending on your standards, this little Mirage scoots pretty good.

But beside its low price and diminutive size, the other main reason to acquire a Mirage is fuel economy. EPA rated at 37/43/39 mpg city/highway/combined, real world numbers during my test was about 5-10 percent better averaging 42 mpg overall and 45-46 mpg on a level highway at 70 mph in a two-way run. In a round trip from Placerville to South Lake Tahoe, which includes a 6,000-foot climb over the Sierra the little Mirage averaged 47.6 mpg. The drive included some full throttle passes but speeds were kept a max of 60 mph. On the negative size is the small 9.2-gallon fuel tank, limiting range to about 360 miles while still maintaining some fumes as a reserve. How about a couple of more gallons in the tank?

Suspension is MacPerson struts up front and a semi-independent torsion beam in the rear. Tweaks to spring and shock rates sharpened the handling slightly, but the Mirages have always been nimble. Remember the Mirage only weighs 2,117 pounds which makes it easier to change directions. Steering is quick and the electric power rack has a turning circle curb to curb of 30 feet. Add two feet for the wall-wall number. Tire and wheel fitment are upgraded on the GT to 15 inch alloys and wider and lower profile 175/55X15 tires.

Comfort has not been sacrificed.

Also surprising was the smooth and quiet ride. Because of its relatively long wheelbase the ride is anything but choppy. It is actually supple and compliant. The engine spins a low 2,200 rpm at 70 mph and the cabin is quiet and there is no wind and road noise.

Brakes are strong with a full complement of acronyms (ABS, etc.). Also contained in its suite of safety are active stability control, traction control and no less than seven airbags.

Inside is an upgraded interior. Seats are comfortable in front, but I didn’t check the rear bench. The instrument panel is complete with a tach and speedo plus a trip computer. The vertical stack is also complete with a four speaker stereo and A/C. Even the base model comes standard with full power, steering, brakes mirrors, and windows. Stepping up to the SE ($14,795) adds a rear view camera, Bluetooth and cruise control among a long list of standard features.

For such a small car, inside is quite big. There is 86 cubic feet in the passenger compartment which is only about seven cubes less than your average compact. In addition, when you fold down the rear seats it can swallow 47 cubic feet of cargo which is as big as some mini CUVs. With the rear seats up cargo capacity still exceeds most compacts at 17 cubes.  Surprisingly the Mirages payload is over 900 pounds as its GVWR is 3,020 pounds.

As stated at the beginning, a base Mirage starts at $12,995 plus $835 for the boat from Chonburi, Thailand. This is a true world car. With the GT, which stickers for $16,495 plus the $835 or an all-in price of $17,330, there are no factory options. Even heated seats and the fabulous HID headlights are standard along with the CVT transmissions. I found nothing wanting. This is a surprising good car that is actually shorter than a standard Mini-Cooper by 4 inches.

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.

Louise Feller, standing front right, with other volunteers in Rio. Photos/Louise Feller

One of the advantages to being a volunteer at the Olympics is getting an inside view of the country.

Louise Feller of Stateline is in Rio helping out. Besides being featured on Lake Tahoe News before she left, she is also reporting back from the Games.

Louise Feller with Jarrion Lawson of the U.S. who placed fourth in the long jump.

From Feller:

“Very busy at the sport center, but still had time for track and field and some time for touring. Our guide took us to Ipanema to a hippy market (flea market), had fun shopping.

“Then he took us to the favella, the Candagalo communities where mostly the poor people live. They have most services, but the sanitation goes directly into the ocean or streets. In some areas the garbage is high and smells really bad.

Beaches are a big deal in Brazil.

“In Ipanema the government is working with them to improve their conditions. They now have an elevator to take them to the top, which was really cool. We took it with our guide.

Poverty runs rampant in Rio.

“Had our first real dinner because we had no events; which was delicious. The stadium food is so bad we don’t eat anything except have a beer. I found a cafe that makes us sandwiches everyday which are great.

“Going to track and field tonight. Day off tomorrow; going to beach volleyball semifinals.”

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Mandy

Mandy is one of several Pug-Schnauzer mixes who came to Tahoe from a hoarding situation. Two of them have found their new homes, but Mandy and Phoebe are still waiting.

Mandy is 20 months old, very cute, and is working hard at house training. She is a snorty, playful girl and would like a home with another dog and no small children.

Mandy is spayed, microchipped, tested for heart worm, and vaccinated. She 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.

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 Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal

Burning Man was born 30 years ago as a bonfire beach party in San Francisco.

An 8-foot-tall wooden stick figure planted in the sand of Baker Beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge loomed in the background. Three dozen avant-garde souls surrounded the recycled lumber effigy as it burned, the attendees summoned by two vagabond comrades, Jerry James and Larry Harvey.

“It was like a second sun brought down to this earth, it was just … it transfixed us, but … that’s where the story begins, in fact. Because at the moment it was lit, everybody on that beach, north and south, came running,” Harvey would later say in a 1997 speech.

The burning of “the man” stuck, became an annual tradition and, after a few years, the free spirits traded sand for dust. They migrated to an ancient lake bed outside of the gun-toting, leave-me-alone, 200-person town of Gerlach in Northern Nevada. Over a bizarre three-decade evolution, the getaway would turn into Burning Man, a weeklong capital of nowhere inhabited by 70,000 fancy desert rats driven by mischief and mindfulness.

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By Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times

Reading books is tied to a longer life, according to a report.

Researchers used data on 3,635 people over 50 participating in a larger health study who had answered questions about reading.

The scientists divided the sample into three groups: those who read no books, those who read books up to three and a half hours a week, and those who read books more than three and a half hours.

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Performing the best of Cole Porter to Stevie Wonder, the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s 17-piece jazz band will present Music of the Masters — performance of blues, swing, and soul in Incline Village.

Award winning vocalists Jamie Davis and Clairdee will be with the orchestra.

There will be two performances — Sept. 2 at the Robert Z Hawkins Amphitheatre in Reno and Sept. 3 at Sand Harbor. Both two-hour shows start at 7:30pm.

Tickets are available online.

Signs of the Olympics are prominent. Photo/Louise Feller

Louise Feller from Stateline is in Rio volunteering at the Olympics.

She was featured in a recent story on Lake Tahoe News.

Many countries make it known where they are staying. Photo/Louise Feller

This is a dispatch from her at the Games:

“Had a great day but raining. The pictures are from inside the village. So many buildings, but USA doesn’t have any signs on their building so I don’t which is theirs. They have a game room with lots of things to do like video games, ping pong and comfortable seating. Look at the McDonald’s and the line even athletes eat it.

“My job is helping athletes in Taekwondo with training schedules, transportation, and general questions. They don’t have many volunteers. Most Brazilians want to be paid, which the government is doing. But I have met some volunteers from USA; they understand the meaning of volunteering.

“The language is a problem because if you aren’t a college graduate, they don’t know English at all. I used Uber which is working well. As long as your information is written down.”

Even athletes are willing to wait to eat at McDonald’s. Photo/Louise Feller