Valhalla is putting on a double header of music on Aug. 5.

Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band, and Houston Jones play starting at 7:30pm in the Boathouse Theatre.

Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band has been likened to the classic British bands Pentangle and Fairport Convention, blending classic folk music with rough-edged stories of tragedy and fate, all with orchestral arrangements sounding like chamber music gone folk. This is a lush newgrass Americana folk fusion quintet presenting gorgeous eclectic blends of mountain folk and exciting new grassy and Celtic-inspired originals, all with the remarkable voice of Susie Glaze.

Houston Jones’ musical virtuosity and storytelling ranges from the myths of ancient Greece to the red dirt back roads of Waskom, Texas. Houston Jones is a high octane Americana quintet.

For tickets and more info, go online.

Kiki and Scoobie are 10-year-old male cats that are anxious to find their forever home — and they want to be adopted together.

They are curious, friendly and loving. These sweet fellows are on the chubby side, and need to find a new friend to adopt them that is savvy about cat diets and exercise so they can transform back into the svelte boys they once were. Kiki and Scoobie are also declawed, so they must live indoors. Their adoption fee has been sponsored to the right home. These guys are neutered, microchipped and vaccinated.

Kiki and Scoobie are at the El Dorado County Animal Services Shelter in Meyers, along with many other cats and dogs that are waiting to be adopted into their new homes. For more info on all the animals that are available at the shelter, go to the Tahoe Animal Shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions.

Call Animal Services at 530.573.7925 for directions to the shelter, hours or other information on how to adopt your next pet.

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

— Dale Payne

By Terra Breeden

Tahoe and tourists are almost synonymous. This isn’t anything new. It was even in the case in the 1920s, though at that time it was mostly the upper echelon of society who summered here.

To capture what life was like here in the 1920s, a group of history buffs started the Great Gatsby Festival in 1985 as a tribute to the South Shore’s heritage.

“The reason we started this festival 30 years ago is for living history,” Tallac Historic Site Director Jackie Dumin told Lake Tahoe News. “We wanted to have a living history festival here at the Tallac Site, which is a 1920s era site, and what makes you think of the roaring ’20s more than the Great Gatsby?”

The tea is one of the highlights of the Great Gatsby Festival. Photo/Provided

Many of the buildings at the Tallac Historic Site were built in the 1920s. During this era, South Lake Tahoe was an elite vacation destination only available to those who came from privileged families, namely the Bay Area’s upper-crust society. In the 1920s roads had not yet been built around the lake and the only way to reach South Lake Tahoe was by boat. Those who could afford the expensive journey often stayed at the Tallac Historic Site buildings where they experienced pristine beaches and mountain serenity at these luxury estates.

“The Baldwin property was built in 1921 by Dextra, the daughter of the infamous South Lake Tahoe forefather Lucky’Baldwin, when she was only 19 years old,” Dumin said. “The Pope Estate next door was established in the 1920s, and the Heller family built Valhalla in 1923, so all of our buildings at Tallac Historic Site are 1920s era.”

Now celebrating its 30th year, the Gatsby festival is a longstanding Tahoe tradition that has become a highlight of the summer for many attendees and volunteers alike.

“The volunteer support is what has made this event so successful,” Dumin said. “It a lot of work, but it’s even more fun.”

Grab a feather boa and snap on those suspenders because the Great Gatsby Festival is free to attend. And people are encouraged to show up in period costume. The festival runs from 10am-5pm on Aug. 8 and 10am-4pm on Aug. 9.

For those who want to fully experience the lifestyle of the South Shore in the 1920s, a high-class tea party is at Valhalla on the Sunday afternoon of the festival. Guests are served tea and gourmet snacks on vintage China by “maids and butlers” in period costume. Afterward, there is a fashion show with this year’s theme being the “grit and glamour” of the 1930s.

“We have living history tours of the Pope House every 20 minutes,”  Tahoe Heritage Foundation Director of Operations Mikan Gosuico said. “We have volunteers in character and in costume so guests are able to go through the house and meet a lot of characters from the Pope family.”

Outside of the Pope House, a jazz band will play on the lawn where people are welcome to dance and enjoy a beverage from the nearby speakeasy.

“Well, we are in the 1920s of course when alcohol is illegal,” Dumin said. “And the speakeasy really provides that immersive historical experience.”

Silent, black and white movies will be shown in one of the cabins and lots of pre-World War II vintage cars will be placed for viewing around the property. There will also be vendors selling vintage clothing, and food and drink.

Don’t forget to bring the kids. Games and crafts that are 1920s era appropriate like a watermelon seed spitting contest are part of the festivities.

Besides the high tea on Sunday there will also be a silent auction throughout the weekend to help raise money for the Tallac Historic Site. Profits from the Great Gatsby Festival are used to benefit this historic area.

—–

Notes:

·       Parking is limited at the Tallac Historic Site. Parking is also available at the Taylor Creek Visitors Center, which is a 5-10 minute walk. Or park at the Y and take the Nifty 50 Trolley. Here is the trolley schedule.

·       Tickets for the tea party and fashion show are $65.

·       For more information about the festival or to buy tea tickets, go online.

By Ananya Bhattacharya and Heather Long, CNNMoney

Jordan Gallacher hasn’t had a job in three years. Many employers reject him with a form letter or email, but one said outright: “We don’t hire blind people.”

Gallacher, 28, is a computer expert. He has a bachelor’s degree in management and entrepreneurship from Louisiana Tech University. Yet most employers don’t give him a second glance when they learn he’s blind, even though he is able to operate a computer just fine with a screen reader.

Gallacher is one of nearly 57 million disabled people in America.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), a civil rights act passed in 1990 to fight discrimination against the disabled.

Read the whole story

The Dry Diggings Festival in Placerville is billed as a music, camping and beer festival.

Music groups reflect the unique nature of the West Coast reggae style music genre that has attracted capacity crowds at their sister Cali Roots festival in Monterey each May. The lineup includes Tribal Seeds, Collie Buddz, Nahko and Medicine for the People, JBoog, Don Carlos, Zion I, Through the Roots, Josh Heinrichs, Hirie, Makua Rothman, Seedless, Thrive, Inna Vision, Leilani Wolfgramm, Mystic Roots, Arise Roots, Element of Soul, Skanks Roots Project, Brodi Nicholas with more artists to be announced in August.

The Dry Diggings festival will be at the 6,000 capacity El Dorado County Fairgrounds on Sept. 25-27.

Attendees have the option of camping on site.

The event will feature 30 vendors and a beer garden. Sierra Nevada Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing, Altamont and Firestone Walker will all feature a variety of beers to taste.

To purchase tickets, go online.

A Toast to Die For: An Evening of Mystery is coming to the South Lake Tahoe Library on Aug. 23.

An aura of mystery will pervade the scene, both inside and out. There will be special library mysteries to solve.

Friends of the Library is hosting the 4-7pm fundraiser at 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.

There will be appetizers, beverages and a silent auction, along with music, readings and book sales.

Reno author, Mark S. Bacon, whose writing career has included newspaper reporter and copywriter, recently published “Death in Nostalgia City”. Local mystery authors Sue Owens Wright, Kathi Daley and Cindy Sample will also be on hand.

All proceeds benefit the South Lake Tahoe Friends of the Library to enrich programs and resources. Tickets are $45 and are available at the library. For more info, call 530.573.3185.

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency is offering back-to-school immunizations for children beginning school this fall.

Public health can provide all childhood vaccinations required for school entry, as well as other vaccinations recommended to keep children healthy.

Kindergartners need a total of five DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), four polio, three hepatitis B, two MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and one varicella (chickenpox) shot. Students entering seventh grade need to show proof of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine before starting school.

Parents who do not have a health care provider or are unable to access their provider and wish to have their child vaccinated through a scheduled appointment at public health may call 530.621.6100 in Placerville or 530.573.3155 in South Lake Tahoe.  Vaccinations are charged at cost for those who have private insurance. Children on Medi-Cal, or who are uninsured, are eligible for low-cost immunization services. A $10 administration fee is charged per shot, though no child on Medi-Cal or who is uninsured will be refused a vaccination due to inability to pay.

Collaboration ends with a winning sports car. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman and Mitchell Weitzman

This is one I’ve been waiting for a long time. Ever since its release a couple years ago as both the FR-S and Subaru BRZ (they’re identical, save the badge and name), a joint sports car collaboration between Toyota and Subaru, I’ve wanted to drive one. Badly. The basic idea: longitudinal engine up front, rear-wheel drive, cheap, and a penchant for drifting.

The name FR-S does mean front rear sports, after all. So, when I finally had the keys to one thrown at me you could imagine it got my blood boiling a bit. It is, in design, a modern version of the heralded 1980’s “Scarface”-era AE86 Corolla, a classic synonymous with drifting and the anime show “Initial D”. On paper, this is my kind of car. Does it live up to the ideal? Nearly.

Specifications
Engine
Horizontally opposed 2.0L, DOHC, 16 valve four cylinder 200 hp @ 7,000 rpm
151 lb-ft of torque @ 6,400 rpm
Transmission
Six speed manual
Six speed torque converter automatic
Configuration
Longitudinal front engine/rear wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 101.2 inches
Length 166.7 inches
Width 69.9 in inches
Height 60.6 inches
Track (f/r) 59.8/60.6 inches
Ground clearance 4.9 inches
Turning circle 36.1 feet
Steering lock to lock 2.48 turns
Fuel capacity 13.2 gallons
Trunk capacity
Seats 4
Weight (m/t/a//t) 2,758//2,806 pounds
Wheels 17X7 inch alloys
Tires 215/45X17 Michelin Primacy HP summer
Co-efficient of drag 0.27
Performance
0-60 mph 6.81 seconds
50-70 mph 3.82 seconds
50-70 mph up 6% grade 5.79 seconds
Top Speed Plenty fast (130 mph plus plus)
Fuel economy (MT//AT) EPA rated 22/30/26//25/34/28 mpg. With the M/T expect 30 mpg in rural county driving and 37 mpg on the highway at legal speeds.

From the outside, things are off to a good start because in true sporting nature, this is a good looking car. It’s small, measuring only 167-inches long, but gives generous interior room and actual four-seat capabilities with its long 101-inch wheelbase that belies the shrunken outside. It’s also low and wide, giving a muscular and purposeful stance with pronounced haunches and tapered nose. As far as sports cars go, it makes a 370Z look cumbersome. Showing homage to the original 86, the FR-S boasts a side emblem with 86 emblazoned upon it. The inside is nicer than expected for the cheap price point, nearly matching its more expensive rivals from Japan and South Korea. If you spec the NAV system option, one of only a few options available, it will likely come pre-programmed with several addresses, including Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway (Sears Point).

Let’s get the hard numbers out of the way. Laying low in the engine bay is a Subaru 2.0 liter flat four producing 200 ponies at 7,000 rpm and a 151 foot-pounds of torque at 6,400 rpm. Why a flat four? Because it’s short, as is the nature of a boxer engine having the cylinders opposed, allowing the engine to sit lower and bring the center of gravity closer to the ground. And when I say it sits low in the chassis, I mean it. It’s under the there like a bomb shelter.  But keep in mind this engine is no nuclear reactor, making its modest power quite high up in the rev range. However, the old AE86 was no firecracker either in terms of performance. The Scion, like the classic Toyota, is focused first and foremost on handling. The car only weighs just less than 2,800 pounds too, which, in the modern world of overweight supercars, is a godsend.

Acceleration runs reveal decent performance with 0-60 mph taking 6.81 seconds and 50-70 mph passing runs level and up a 6 percent grade requiring 3.82 and 5.89 seconds, respectively. Fuel economy is way above the EPA numbers of 22/30/25 and 25/34/28 mpg (manual/automatic). On the highway at 70 mph with the engine spinning 3,000 rpm the FR-S averaged 37 MPG and overall, including 50 miles of crawling traffic and performance testing, an astonishing 30 MPG was delivered. Maybe the EPA tests were done with the emergency brake on.

This all means almost nothing though. What matters with the Scion, and any sports car, is how it drives. This is a driver’s car, one designed for the enthusiast. So does it deliver? Yes, for the most part. On the road, the chassis feel is superb; the super quick, almost race car steering (2.48 turns lock-to-lock) has a little more weight than expected given the car’s mass, but it feels spot-on. Steering responses are very sharp and quick too, giving the sense of supreme agility with sublime feedback coming from both the front (MacPherson struts) and the rear double wishbone setup behind. The six-speed manual, an increasing uncommon sight in cars now (49 percent of FR-S have the manual thankfully), is a welcome addition, giving a positive if notchy feel with a slight overly sprung clutch. It’s not bad, just takes a little adjusting. A few miles in and heel-toes become a legal obligation. The driving position itself is perfect too, sitting low with great support from the super comfortable bucket seats.

Grip is huge, despite the diminutive 215-width rubber worn. Understeer is non-existent and the trademark oversteer is there when seriously provoked. I was expecting the tires to slip early, but it needs to be pushed very hard still. The best bet is to literally chuck it into a corner and pin the power. Do that, and you can hold slides until your next paycheck, which will be surely spent on new Michelin Primacy HPs. Mid-corner adjustability is fantastic too, being able to tighten or broaden your line with ease without any kicks from the rear that vintage 911 owners will tell you horror stories about. The engineers did their homework here for sure.

Even with its stiletto-sharp handling, the ride is quite compliant and extremely smooth on the highway. Being such a lightweight machine, it benefits from not needing to be oversprung or with stiff shocks to control the mass. The result is a smoother ride. And at light throttle pressures, it is reasonably quiet, too. It was a great road car for a 300-mile road trip to San Francisco until traffic came to a mandated dead stop 30 miles too soon. It’s why I don’t live there.

Comfort has not been compromised.

Yes, there is a but, and it’s a rather large one: that engine. An appliance might be a better word actually since it sounds and feels like a blender with the cap off. It’s not so much a power issue as it is a character and smoothness factor. A car like this doesn’t need a cavalry of horsepower anyway, as it would dilute the precision of its chassis. Down low in the revs it’s never gutless either thanks to short gearing, but from 4,000-5,000 RPM there seems to be a flat spot in the powerband in what should be the meat of its midrange and key accomplice in mountain tackling. From there on it picks up again, but by 6,500 it feels all out of breath with another 1,000 RPM to go, such is the unpleasantness of the noise and roughness. It doesn’t race to the redline the way an inline-4 from the Civic SI does, a smoother and much more exciting motor that offers the same power from the same displacement. Most probably won’t notice, but though the engine doubtlessly aids in the FR-S’ supreme cornering ability, it’s largely humdrum and uncultured, and without a noise worthy of its drifting talents. Maybe the help of an aftermarket exhaust or intake will help mask and cover up the sound, but the engine I can see as being a deal breaker for some. Years of driving a silk-weaving smooth inline 6 have perhaps spoiled me.

All together, the FR-S is a great car. It’s inexpensive (sticker for this well equipped FR-S is $24,900 plus $770 for destination, auto will add $1,100), fun to drive, gets great gas mileage, and it looks ace too. The FR-S is all about the chassis though, and it shines brightly in the evening sky. However, it’s the engine that almost spoils the party. Hopefully it might have just been this particular example, showing wear from its time relegated as an abused press car by other journos.  Advice? Absolutely give it a try. If you want one of the most focused and uncompromised sports cars on sale today, you just might love it.

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. Mitchell Weitzman has been around cars most of his life, and has hundreds of hours of lap track experience. He is a recent graduate of UC Santa Barbara, with a degree in  English.

Kenny Chesney had people on their feet all night July 22. Photo/Taylor Flynn/Tahoe Mountain News

By Susan Wood

STATELINE – Country music great Kenny Chesney rocked a packed house of American kids, their parents and other beach-loving party music enthusiasts Wednesday night at Harveys casino for its outdoor summer concert series.

Along the way, Chesney enlisted some high-profile help on stage. He was joined by red rocker Sammy Hagar and singer Uncle Kracker near the end of the show, keeping an engaged audience on their feet and screaming.

Chesney, who has also played the Lake Tahoe arena in 2009 and acts like he has fun doing so, provided quite a show with signature hits from his 15 albums. The Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year for four years transported concert-goers to a beach scene with videos of pearly white sand, tanned bodies and libations like Corona, the Big Revival Tour sponsor, along with other concoctions. While the Americana band Train that played the night before has its own wine and Hagar touts his signature tequila, Chesney promotes his own rum – Blue Chair Bay.

Opening with the song “Reality,” the veteran country artist took most in attendance away from that. He played and sang hit after hit after hit as the beach balls flew in the audience and the bras flew on stage. The singer-guitarist added three to his collection on display attached to a pole in front of drummer Sean Paddock.

“Impressive,” Chesney quipped at the size of one of them.

Kenney Chesney creates a party atmosphere at Harveys. Photo/Taylor Flynn/Tahoe Mountain News

Chesney, who spent most of the concert smiling and complimenting the Tahoe crowd, was there to impress the “No Shoes Nation,” a following that has made the term beach bum upscale and fashionable.

“I like the nature of his songs. It’s island music, so it’s laid back with no shoes,” said Steve Mussell of Sparks, who wore a Chesney concert shirt from the 2009 tour in which he saw the artist at Harveys.

Mussell wasn’t alone in his sentiment.

During his second number, “Beer in Mexico,” someone up front thrust a sign high that read “½ Wild Child, ½ American Kid,” named after two Chesney songs.

Chesney often acknowledged the crowd’s enthusiasm.

“We are so happy and thrilled to see your faces,” he bellowed. “We’re here for one simple reason – because you guys are here.”

Upon wrapping up “Til It’s Gone,” a woman yelled: “How about that?”

Then, he launched into yet another hit “Summertime,” while occasionally pushing out his tongue from those pearly white teeth.

Most in the audience joined him in song.

Sammy Hagar and Kenny Chesney turn the show into pure rock for a few songs. Photo/Taylor Flynn/Tahoe Mountain News

“You sound amazing,” he said. Then, he slowed the hard-driving rock performance a tad for his sultry, sexy mega hit “Somewhere With You.”

With one bra flying on stage at that time, Chesney laughed and admitted to forgetting the lyrics.

It all soon returned though as Chesney cranked out the nostalgic “I Go Back” off his first album. The lights came up and everybody sang. The band got the love and fed off of it.

He labeled his next song, the blockbuster tune, “You and Tequila,” as one of his favorites and geared it for those who feel addicted to someone.

Chesney and his six-member band – Clayton Mitchell, Kenny Greenberg and John Conley on guitars, Paddock, Wyatt Beard on keyboards and bassist Harmoni Kelley, who took the lead on “Whole Lotta Rosie.” This is not your grandmother’s country. The rock song rivaled anything Robert Plant pumped out with Led Zeppelin.

And all this was even before Hagar joined the stage. Right before, concert-goers got in the mood dancing through the jumpy new hit “American Kids.”

“Any night that I can make music with this guy is a good night,” Chesney said. And on came Hagar to the stage with drinks for the duo.

“You’ll like these. I call them Sammy’s red, white and blue,” he said, further admitting to having four or five to make sure “they were all right.” He was so relaxed, Hagar kicked off his shoes on stage.

From there, Hagar had the audience roaring with old rock hits “I’ll Fall in Love Again,” “Finish What Ya Started,” from Van Halen fame and his hard-driving “I Can’t Drive 55.” The latter represented a perfect song for Tahoe’s summer tourism traffic on U.S. Highway 50 from Nevada to the Y. He even changed the lyrics to be more Tahoe specific.

When Chesney and Hagar weren’t singing and drinking, they hugged, showing their closeness.

Chesney even told the audience how he rode a horse on the beach to Hagar’s beach house in Cabo San Lucas. The woman with Chesney told him: “That man has Sammy Hagar hair,” Chesney recalled.

“He thought I was some tourist,” Chesney said, laughing.

The male bonding didn’t end there.

“You never know who’s going to share the stage,” Chesney yelled out.

Then, singer Uncle Kracker came to the stage for duets of “Follow Me” and “Drift Away.” The crowd almost drowned out the singers.

It was one big party.

“We’re not done yet,” Chesney said before bringing on more romance with “How Forever Feels.”

His encore brought out opening act Chase Rice to the stage for “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”

Chesney changed the lyrics to his top song: “she thinks Chase is sexy.”

Rice put on an entertaining opening act. He has a history of entertaining being a University of North Carolina linebacker and having a stint on the “Survivor” show.

But it was his boyish charm that got the attention of a woman up front named Michelle. He brought her on stage and created a song just for her. She was wearing a “I’m gonna ride” T-shirt, so Rice tailored the lyrics to accommodate the display on her chest. Lots of flirting was going on.

“Look, empty hand,” he yelled to the crowd, while holding up her left arm.

Then, Rice – a lyricist initially — involved the whole crowd with the song he wrote: “Cruise” recorded by Florida Georgia Line.  Music to the ears, the entire arena filled with singers – the ultimate compliment.

The Harveys Summer Outdoor Concert Series continues with rock singer Jackson Browne on Aug. 7, legendary superstar Elton John the next night, Dierks Bentley on Aug. 23, Sammy Hagar on Sept. 5 and Dave Matthews on Sept. 9.

More people commuting and recreating by bicycle has led to increased activity on Nevada highway and traffic bicycle lanes. This increase has led to a number of major injury incidents involving bicycles in the last several years. So far this year, there have been seven bicycle related fatalities in Nevada.

The following tips from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office for cyclists:

• Cyclists must obey all laws pertaining to driving, including all signs and signals, as if they were operating a motor vehicle.
• Always ride on the right and as far to the right side of the roadway as possible.  While cyclists may use the travel lane, it is encouraged that they use a designated bicycle lane or to ride single file in traffic as a courtesy to other roadway users.
• Cyclists may not ride more than two abreast except on parts of roadway set aside for cyclists (bike lanes, cycletracs, buffered bike lanes, shared bike/bus lanes, etc.).

In the same manner, drivers in motor vehicles should remember to be aware of motorcycles and cyclists. Operators of motor vehicles should keep in mind that cyclists have the same rights as other drivers in Nevada.

In addition, drivers of vehicles should keep these safety tips in mind:

• When passing a cyclist you must move into an adjacent lane to the left, when possible. If changing lanes is not possible, you must allow at least 3 feet of clearance between your car and the bicycle.
• At intersections, yield to cyclists as you would pedestrians or other vehicles
• Do not drive or park in designated bicycle lanes or paths unless needed for an emergency.

For more information and regarding bicycle safety and Nevada’s laws concerning cycling go .