Pam Taylor and Dave Anderson star in “On Golden Pond” at the Boathouse Theatre. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Kim Wyatt

CAMP RICHARDSON – The Boathouse Theatre is one sweet place to see live theater. It’s charming and intimate, like the production of “On Golden Pond” that debuted July 2 at the Tallac Historic Site. Playing to an appreciative and almost full house, this iconic play drove home all that is wonderful (and awful) about family.

The 2015 Valhalla Art, Music & Theatre Festival kicked off its 35th season with the play penned by Ernest Thompson in 1979 that won a Tony and then three Oscars for the film adaptation featuring Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn.

Ethel and Norman Thayer have spent 43 summers together at a home on Golden Pond. In a testament to her youthful appearance or good genes, Pam Taylor’s ebullient Ethel hardly looks 69 years old as she swats back bugs that threaten their idyll. Norman, skillfully played by Dave Anderson, is a good decade older than his wife, and he acts like it. Even so, his curmudgeonly outlook made for the best and longest laughs of the night.

Pam Taylor and Stephanie Grigsby are adept at capturing mother-daughter angst.

When their daughter Chelsea visits with her fiancé Billy Ray and his son Billy Ray Jr., the father-daughter relationship rankles — Chelsea is hanging on to some major childhood baggage, and is still seeking approval from her distant father.

The men in the play shine in the first act, likely because they have the best lines. The women get their chance in the second act, revealing their characters’ interior lives. The familiar tenor of the fight between Ethel and her daughter made me squirm. And when Chelsea, played by Stephanie Grigsby, opens up to her withholding father, I winced at his continued rejection. They are each wanting to connect, but their inability to be vulnerable makes it impossible. A vulnerability, that when it comes full circle at the end, gives us hope for the family, and maybe all families.

The appearance of Billy Jr. added a bright note to this production. Thomas Rayo did a crackerjack job as a 13-year-old boy who adds spice — and purpose — to an old man’s life, which leads to the healing of his fractured family. Ryan Adams and Jody Paslov rounded out the cast nicely as Chelsea’s current and former suitors.

Co-produced by the Dakota Organization, a theatrical organization based in Minden, the tender drama was directed by Ethan Niven, who is also on staff as the festival assistant.

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Notes:

·      “On Golden Pond” will run: July 3 and 5, July 9-12 and July 16-18.

·      Find ticket information online.

Kim Wyatt is the owner of the independent press Bona Fide Books and the co-founder of Tahoe WordWave, to debut Oct. 9 at the Tallac Historic Site.

El Dorado County Animal Services is advising pet owners to not leave dogs, cats or other pets unattended in vehicles during hot weather.

California law allows animal services officers to take swift action to help an animal that may be in danger, including those left inside vehicles on a hot day. People could face fines up to $500 and/or up to six months in jail, including possible felony charges if the pet is severely harmed or dies.

“Last week alone, 13 calls came into Animal Services about pets in hot vehicles in El Dorado County,” said Henry Brzezinski, chief of Animal Services, said in a statement. “Anyone who sees an animal in distress in a hot car should write down the vehicle license plate number and state of the plate, the make, model and color of the vehicle, and the type of animal, and call us immediately. Our officers will respond and attempt to locate the owner. If the animal is in immediate danger, our officers will remove the animal for its safety. If necessary, the animal will be transported to a veterinary hospital.”

When it’s 80 degrees or higher outside, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach 120 degrees or more in 10 to 20 minutes, even with the windows opened slightly. Heat stress or stroke, irreparable brain damage and death can follow shortly thereafter.

To report a pet in distress, call 530.621.5795 on the West Slope or 530.573.7925 in South Lake Tahoe.

Movie Mondays in the Park will move to Tahoe Vista Recreation Area this summer.

Movies will starting at dusk (about 8:30pm) and run from July 6-Aug. 17.

The movies are free, however parking is $5 per car without a valid North Tahoe Public Utility District resident sticker.

Movie schedule:

July 6: “How to Train Your Dragon 2”

July 13: “Penguins Movie”

July 20: “Earth to Echo”

July 27: “Big Hero 6”

Aug. 3: “Into the Woods”

Aug. 10: “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Aug. 17: “Maleficent”.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office’s next S.T.A.R. Academy is Aug. 3-14.

The training is Monday–Friday from 9am-noon, with an afternoon driver proficiency training and law enforcement support visits.

The training will be at the Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. Academy training is diversified with instruction and interactive participation provided by experienced senior S.T.A.R.s and deputies. The academy will conclude with a formal uniformed graduation on Aug. 14.

S.T.A.R.s are the “eyes and ears” of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. They patrol the highways and byways of El Dorado County in specially marked vehicles.

Duties involve patrolling the county roads looking for bear break-ins, checking trailheads for cars that may have been broken into, vehicle abatement, manning roadblocks for downed power lines and trees, assisting in search and rescue operations, participating in school lockdown drills, and traffic control; during forest fires, at accident scenes, for emergency helicopter landings, and checking on homes while the owners are on vacation.

S.T.A.R.s assist at community events with parking or traffic control, participate in local parades, the Drug Store Project, Sober Grad Night, Day of the Young Child, Treat Street, and the annual Air Fest.

Applicants must be 50 years or older, have a good driving record, no criminal history, a physical clearance from a doctor, and pass an oral interview and background investigation. Mandatory participation requirements are: volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month, attend a monthly station meeting, and purchase a uniform.

For more info or an application, call 530.573.3005.

The 2015 Mazda CX-5 excels in looks and performance. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

If there were a stealth car company in the world, look to Mazda. While their product line for the last 10 years has been at or near the top of their respective classes, until the last couple of years, you could say they have been flying under the radar. But they have been found out and sales are growing like bad weed in a rainstorm. And there is a reason; Mazda has proven itself as the best cars in the small sports car, compact and mid-size sedan class. Now they can claim best of class honors from the Road Beat in the small CUV/SUV class, which has been dominated in the past by the Subie Forester, especially since it went to a CVT.

For 2016, Takeri design philosophy has made the CX-5 by far the best looking small SUV, which has been so successful in the Mazda 3 and 6. It has a new aggressive look from its gorgeous front end to its clean rear end finish. It looks smaller than it is and its smooth lines are minimal yet purposeful. In the looks department alone, the CX-5 is the clear winner in this class.

Size wise, the CX-5 is true compact size with a length of 179 inches on a 106-inch wheelbase. Its beamy 72-inch width allows its wide track of 62.5 inches. While its sleek design disguises its height, it is 66-inches tall without the roof rack or shark fin antenna. It will swallow a mammoth 65-cubic-feet of cargo behind the front chairs. Its interior is definitely not compromised by its high style. Co-efficient of drag is 0.33.

Specifications
Price $22,675 to about $34,000
Engine
2.0L inline four 16 valve, DOHC 155 hp @ 6,000 rpm
150 ft-lb of torque @ 4,000 rpm
2.5L inline four 16 valve, DOHC 184 hp @ 5,700 rpm
185ft-lb of torque @ 3,250 rpm
Transmission
Six speed manual
Six speed torque converter automatic
Configuration
Transverse front engine/ FWD/AWD
Dimensions
Wheelbase 106.3 inches
Length 178.7 inches
Width 72.4 inches
Height 65.7 inches
Track (f/r) 62.4/62.5 inches
Ground clearance 8.5 inches
Weight 3,433 pounds
GVWR 4,409 pounds
Steering lock to lock 2.7 turns
Turning circle (wall to wall) 38.4 feet
Wheels 19X7 inch alloys
Tires 225/55X19
Cargo capacity (second row up/down) 34.1/65.4 cubic feet
Fuel capacity 14.8 gallons
Co-efficient of drag 0.33
Performance
0-60 mph 7.17 seconds
50-70 mph 4.17 seconds
50-70 mph uphill 6.56 seconds
Top speed (mfg) 127 mph
Fuel economy EPA rated 26/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 28-29 mpg in rural country driving. 32 mpg on a level highway at legal speeds.

Two engine choices are available, a spunky 2.0L Skyactiv inline direct injected super high compression (13:1) DOHC, 16 valve four knocking down 155 hp at 6,000 rpm and 150 pounds of twist at 4,000 rpm which engine is found in the Sport edition. Stepping up to the 2.5L inline four with the all the same Skyactiv bells and whistles improves its output to 185 hp at a low 5,700 rpm and 185 pounds of torque at a remarkably low 3,250 rpm which resides under the hood of the Touring and Grand Touring edition. These are the exact same powertrains used in the Mazda 3 and 6 right down the six-speed manual (Sport only) and six-speed auto cog-swapper (Sport, Touring and Grand Touring). As the numbers will reveal, both are among the most powerful and efficient powertrains in this market segment today.

Two drive systems are available with FWD (all models) and AWD Touring and Grand Touring only.

Getting to where the rubber meets the road, my FWD, 2.5L tester is a veritable rocket ship in this class. Zero-60 mph times splits the difference between a Mazda 3 and a Mazda 6 with times averaging 7.17 seconds (the 3 ran 7.1 and the 6 ran 7.3). Nothing else in this class ever broke into the sevens, let alone the low sevens. When I performed the two way runs, I didn’t believe the chrondex when it stopped at 6.97 seconds on the first run. The traction control was switched off requiring careful launches to prevent wheel spin at full tilt boogie launches. Phenomenal.

Passing rimes are also top of the class with 50-70 mph runs lasting just 4.17 seconds on level ground and 6.56 seconds up a 6 percent grade. Nothing else in this class comes close unless you opt for a Subie Forester Turbo which is an absolute flyer.

Fuel economy is also excellent as with the Mazda 3 and 6. EPA rates the 2.5L FWD at 26/33/29 mpg city highway combined. The 2.0L will net you 2 more mpg on the highway with the manual, but the combined mpg prediction is the same at 29 mpg as with the 2.0L auto. There is no mpg benefit according to the EPA. AWD is predicted to cost you a couple of mpg.  But what about real life? My 2.5L AT FWD averaged about 28.8 mpg mostly in hilly country driving with max speeds of about 60 mph. In a two way level highway run fuel economy 70 mph run settled in at 31.8 mpg. But it’s the overall mpg number that is so good, a real 28.8 mpg.

But it is not just performance and fuel economy that shines. CX-5 is a bright star in all aspects.  Besides the CX-5’s wide track, everything else is state of the art. Suspension is fully independent with coils in all four corners and stab bars at both ends. Steering is an electric rack that is very quick at 2.7 turns lock to lock. Wheels in the GT model are 19X7 inch trick alloys and they are shod with 225/55 lower profile tires. Consequently this extraordinarily tuned design has predictable super quick turn-in and minimal body roll when pushed hard with moderate understeer. It is extremely well balanced allowing for very sporty, aggressive driving. Mazda’s new ad campaign “Driving Matters” is so appropriate to this brand as it is obviously evident in the five models tested recently by the Road Beat. These are driver’s automobiles.

Ride quality doesn’t suffer as a result. It is quiet, very smooth with a firm, but supple and compliant ride that handle big bumps well with no head tossing. Yeah, sure it’s a small crossover SUV, but it acts like a sport sedan. The engine spins at 2,200 rpm at 70 mph with no noise except for some tire noise on coarse roads, but remember this thing is shod with some semi-performance tires (225/55). That shorter top gear (2,200 rpm at 70 mph instead of 2,000 rpm at 70 mph) may answer the question of why the CX-5 is so quick and its highway mileage is not a Mazda sedan like 40 mpg. But then again, no conventional compact SUV comes close to 40-mpg highway. Even though its CD is a low 0.33, it still is taller and that adds to drag overall.

Those wide tires plus good size four-wheel discs with the fronts being ventilated do an excellent job at arresting forward progress from 40 mph in 41 feet. As with most other (if not all other passenger vehicles in production), it has every electronic safety system in autodom like stability control, ABS and BA plus enough airbags to float the Titanic. It also has the aforementioned superb handling which equates to good accident avoidance.

The interior looks like it belongs in a higher-end model.

In another surprise, the CX-5 comes with an interior that looks like it came right out of the top of the line Mazda 6.  Done in a contrasting sporty off white and black leather trim, the design is almost identical (if not identical) to the Mazda 3 and 6. It is beautiful to look at and even better on the backside.  Well done. The IP (instrument panel) is a simple three-hole binnacle with the appropriate tach, speedo, ancillary gauges plus complete trip computer. If there is a downfall with the CX-5, it is the radio, too confusing and difficult to use. It could be done better, but maybe after some time one could become adept. Maybe I am old fashioned as I bang this story out on my IBM Selectric that just replaced a Smith Corona manual.

Rear seating is excellent for three reasonable sized adults, while cargo room is good at 34-cubic-feet behind the second row (about twice the volume of a Lincoln Town Car trunk) and 65-cubic-feet of volume with the second row folded flat. If you want a third row, you will need a trailer.

Pricing starts for a FWD Sport with a manual cog swapper at $21,795. The six-speed auto unit adds $1,400. An AWD Sport auto stickers for $24,445. My FWD Grand Touring was $28,220. AWD only adds $1,250, a bargain and probably fully recoverable on resale. My tester had a few options bringing to total to $32,010 plus $880 for the cruise ship from Hiroshima, Japan.

Two of the packages were the GT-I-Activesense pack that includes radar cruise, smart braking, lane departure warning and a high beam control for the excellent headlights, $1,500. The Grand Touring Tech pack at $1,505 offers Nav, LED headlights that are adaptive, plus LED running lights, fogs and more. And then there were the fabulous seats. Mazda is looming large.

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 Kathryn Reed

Three barges loaded with an array of canisters will make their way this morning from Tahoe Keys Marina to a secure holding area near Stateline. Then a small vessel will deliver a slew of pyrotechnics to the barges in anticipation of Saturday’s fireworks display on the South Shore.

An 18-wheeler carrying empty canisters of varying sizes was being unloaded June 30, with the materials transferred to the barges.

“With three barges, what we look for is the ability to have movement, some animation to the show,” Joseph Mercante, project manager for Fireworks by Grucci, told Lake Tahoe News. “Instead of lifting three of the same or red, white and blue we can move from one side to the other or all at once with a lift so the audience sees the relationship of the three barges.”

Employees of Grucci load the barges June 30 at Tahoe Keys Marina with canisters that will be filled with pyrotechnics. Photos/Kathryn Reed

His company is well versed in creating displays with a water setting. This allows for more creativity. Red strobing dahlias are a flower shape, with the deep red reflecting off the water like a strobe. Mercante said at some angles the reflection on the water has a triple effect.

The kamuro shell from Japan is one Mercante only uses on water.

“This willow shell is just like the tree. It will break out wide and will dip almost to the ground,” Mercante explained. “It’s something we would not want to do in a land-based area where that might touch the ground.”

Grucci was one of the first companies to sync its display with music. They did in 1976 for the country’s bicentennial. Arthur Fiedler was conducting the Boston Pops. Since that time technology has evolved so it’s not just music playing during a fireworks show.

Grucci created the score for Saturday’s show, with the blessing of the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority – the entity paying for the event. Mercante said it is patriotic in nature, with other music selections.

What will be new for Tahoe is the ability to hear the music without radio access. Grucci has an app for 99 cents that allows people to access the music on their iPhone or Android.

Grucci manufacturers its fireworks, so there is more control over the material used. This means less superfluous material – which is a boon for when it comes time to clean up the mess that night and in subsequent days.

This is Grucci’s first time to work in Tahoe. And it’s the first time in decades that there is a new operator of the annual show. Fireworks by Grucci – which is based out of New York – was awarded a contract to put on the July 4 and Labor Day weekend shows by the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority. The more than $100,000 July 4 show is costing about what it was with the other vendor.

The company has been around since 1850.

Various sized canisters are needed to accommodate the multitude of fireworks.

“At the end of the process the TDVA board decided that Fireworks by Grucci was a better overall value, and as one of America’s oldest and largest companies the experience of shooting top tier shows globally was an important factor,” Mike Frye, who handles events for Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, told Lake Tahoe News.

Grucci has two Guinness World Records – one for the largest fireworks display. The company has worked seven consecutive presidential inaugurations; and the Olympic Games in Beijing, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Lake Placid.

“This is a world renowned company that has set world records. They have a good safety record and are environmentally responsible. We anticipate a safe clean firework show that will please the audience,” Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas fire marshal, told Lake Tahoe News.

In addition to being permitted by the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, the company has permits from the U.S. Coast Guard and Nevada Division of Wildlife.

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Other info:

There are other sanctioned fireworks shows in the basin. However, all personal fireworks are illegal – even the ones that are labeled “safe and sane.”

As of today fire restrictions are in affect. The U.S. Forest Service is only allowing propane or gas-type grills on beaches. Fires are only allowed in established campgrounds with permanent fire pits

July 4 display details:

·       Number of days to install – five

·       Number of hours to choreograph – 25

·       Number of pyrotechnicians – 12

·       Number of man hours to set up – 720

·       Largest firing aerial shell – 10 inches

·       Show starts at 9:45pm and lasts 25 minutes.

·       The barges are in Stateline, near the California border.

By Matt Saccaro, Salon

The American worker is overworked, underpaid, and suffering from severe burnout.

This sentiment isn’t populist rhetoric, there are numbers to back it up. A study from WorkPlaceTrends — an HR-focused research firm — and  Staples Advantage polled over 2,500 workers and reached troubling results. According to the data, 53 percent of American workers report feeling burned out at work.

With current working conditions, it’s easy to see why. A 2012 study concluded smartphones and tablets enable employers to further colonize a worker’s time to the tune of two extra hours a day since they can be reached at all hours. In 2014, Gallupestimated the typical American workweek was 47 hours, not 40; the American worker was toiling for almost a full extra day. Of the workers this recent study polled, more than half worked a day longer than eight hours.

“This isn’t the workplace of 10 years ago,” Dan Schawbel, founder of WorkPlaceTrends, co-author of the study, and author of the New York Times bestselling book “Promote Yourself”, told Salon. “There’s a lot of pressure. And it’s competitive in the sense that anyone in the world could take your job for less money, so you have to work harder.”

Read the whole story

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps is offering an emergency preparedness and response training academy beginning July 9. The training is free and trainees are not required to become a Citizen Corps volunteer to participate.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy provides residents with the information they need to help save lives and reduce trauma in the event of an emergency. CERT Academy training includes disaster preparedness, emergency medical techniques, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism awareness education.

The CERT Academy is 25 hours of training during six sessions over two consecutive weekends.

Academy dates are:

July 9, 6-9pm

July 10, 6-9pm

July 11, 9am-3pm

July 16, 6-9pm

July 17, 6-9pm

July 18, 9am-3pm.

Training takes place at the Regional Public Safety Training Center located at 5190 Spectrum Blvd., Reno.

No special skills are required. Children 12-15 may participate with parent’s supervision, teens 16-17 with parent’s permission. To sign up for training, contact Shirlee Rhodes at 775.325.6928 or srhodes@washoecounty.us.

Publisher’s note: This is one in a series of stories Lake Tahoe News will be running leading up to the 50th anniversary of South Lake Tahoe on Nov. 30.

They buried Norma Thayer on a Saturday afternoon in May. She died in November 2014. She was interred with 17 friends and relatives remembering her and her 64 years at South Shore.

They gathered to lay her in the ground next to her daughter, no fuss, sharing memories of the extraordinary woman she was, but they left out one groundbreaking mention. Thayer was the first woman to run for the South Lake Tahoe City Council.

Norma Thayer

In the initial election in 1965 19 men ran for office, the top five each serving six-month terms as mayor. In 1967 the election was conducted for the first full four-year terms. Fifteen men and Thayer were on the ballot. Thayer didn’t succeed in her effort, but she didn’t come in last.

Nine years passed without a woman candidate. In 1974 Pat Lowe was elected. Lowe displayed a very practical turn of mind. It was her idea to set out left turn lanes in the neighborhoods and to place dry wells throughout the city to drain the annual floods. She went on to election as supervisor of El Dorado County, unfortunately succumbing to cancer before she could complete her second term.

As her colleague Laurie Ames recalls, “Pat spoke truth to power.” Today a portion of the bike trail is dedicated to her memory.

Del Laine as mayor of South Lake Tahoe. Photo/City of South Lake Tahoe

Del Laine was elected in 1976, serving two terms. Other women serving two terms were Neva Roberts (1982-1990), Margo Osti (1990-1998), Judy Brown (1996-2004), and Kathay Lovell (2002-2010).

Brooke Laine was elected to one term in 1998 and appointed to fulfill the two years remaining (2013-2015) on Claire Fortier’s term (2010-2012).

Lovell served three terms as mayor. Del Laine, Roberts and Brown all served two terms as mayor. Osti, Brooke Laine and Fortier served one-year terms as mayor.

Angela Swanson was elected to a term, retiring in 2015. JoAnn Conner (2012-2016) and Wendy David (2014-2018) currently serve.

Several other women stepped up to run, including Joan Currie, Gail Sanders, Linda Mendizabal, Joy Curry, Adrian Gooch, Elizabeth Hallen and Alice Jones. And Norma Thayer.

If you add those candidates up, 19 women have been willing to serve, of which 11 were elected, while 103 men ran the race, of which 33 were elected.

But it isn’t just numbers that matter, it’s what contributions were brought about. Neva Roberts initiated the competition that gave us the city flag, but what she more reveres are the people who came to her when they felt unheard by others. Her strong advocacy gave a handicapped woman a variance from CTRPA strictures and put a stop sign in Al Tahoe to provide a sense of safety for a neighborhood.

Margo Osti is proud of getting the Clean Tahoe program established, as well as working on affordable housing issues.

Standing fast for the gondola redevelopment plan and the vacation rental ordinance are tops on Judy Brown’s list of “yes!” Now after her council terms she continues to offer strong guidance as a member of the city’s Planning Commission.

Brooke Laine is proud the ice rink is an asset for the city, something she fought for, and she values her commitment to the public ownership of the city parking garage, which will be a financial asset for the city within a decade.

Kathay Lovell, then mayor of South Lake Tahoe, speaks during an Angora Fire meeting while state and federal officials look on. Photo/Kevin Chandler

Kathay Lovell, the only woman to serve three terms as mayor, worked hard to bring about Lakeview Commons, standing tall every hour to push for its completion. She was also the voice of calm during the tragic Angora Fire in 2007.

Claire Fortier delayed retirement until she could cast a strong vote for the revised Regional Plan update – a plan long in negotiation and diligently guided to fruition with her support as chair of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board.

JoAnn Conner takes pride on helping to revise city regulations to be friendlier in maintaining and attracting businesses, and to helping improve recreational facilities regionwide.

Wasting no time carving out an area of strong interest is Wendy David who has stressed mental health and community well being as her focus.

— Compiled by Del Laine

By Jane E. Brody, New York Times

Pardon the cliché, but it happens to be particularly apt in this case: In trying to tame the nation’s obesity epidemic, an ounce of prevention is decidedly worth a pound of cure — considerably more than a pound, in fact, according to the findings of a five-year collaborative research project.

Not only can several popular strategies help children achieve and maintain a normal weight and, in the future, reduce adult obesity, they can also save the country many health care dollars and, in a few cases, generate revenue to support further weight control efforts.

The project, initial results of which were published recently by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, is called the Childhood Obesity Cost-Effectiveness Study, or Choices. It examined in exhaustive detail the costs and benefits of four possible approaches to curbing childhood obesity: placing an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages; ending the tax write-off for advertising on children’s television; increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity in schools; and fostering healthier habits (more physical activity, better nutrition and less screen time) in preschool settings.