By Lisa Huard and Wendy David

Ask any volunteer and they’ll tell you they get much more than they give. It’s one of the best jobs you could ever have. You pick your interest, the time and days you want to work, and you get to do things you’ve waited a long time to do.

Along with the work, you develop binding relationships based on a common cause. It’s better than a paycheck.

Joy Rothschild was the epitome of volunteerism. She came into this world set to accomplish things. She left this world doing the same. She loved to work with teen youth, in particular, those that have additional challenges or struggles. Her legacy continues her passion after her passing.

Darren Fisher and Cree Whitton

Recently, Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra awarded some of our youth with scholarships to publicly recognize their heart and hard work. Two individuals received the Joy Rothschild Memorial Scholarship from a fund Rothschild established before she lost her battle with cancer in 2012.

Rothschild, a volunteer while in this world, she continues to give back even today. Her love of kids and recognizing the inner most talents and drive of all has provided two more young people with a step up to their next adventure – college. As Mt. Tallac students, both Cree Whitton and Darren Fisher received $1,000 toward continuing their education.

LTUSD counselor Amy Jackson said, “Cree can be defined as the ‘perfect’ Mt. Tallac student; bright, articulate, and alternative. She enjoys a smaller setting with flexible teaching styles. Cree comes from a single parent home. She and her mom have worked hard as a team through the years. Cree has learned to be resilient and to love those in her life and appreciate each moment as she lost her stepdad just a month prior to graduation and she dedicates her diploma to him.”

Jackson notes that Rothschild always had a soft spot for at risk young men. Her honest, yet loving style attracted them to seek her wisdom. She gained their trust and always had their best interest in mind, and they knew it.

Rothschild would have been very proud of this young man.

Jackson said, “Darrin is a bright kid who was falling through the cracks of traditional high school. Not in trouble with the law nor a behavior problem, it was easy for him to fade into the woodwork. At Mt. Tallac he could not hide and he began to shine. Joy would have loved his free spirit and calmness. He wants to continue his education and has an interest in water quality.”

The Joy Rothschild Memorial Scholarship, designated for Mt. Tallac students, is a restricted fund, always open to receiving additional funds through Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra.

Contact Lisa Huard at sitahoesierra@gmail.com for more information.

Author Mark McLaughlin will present a multimedia presentation on his newest book “The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm” on June 18 at 6pm at the South Lake Tahoe Library.

This well-illustrated book chronicles weather conditions and storm events in Northern California and the mountains during the winter of 1847.

All books will be available for purchase and autographing.

The library is at 1o00 Rufus Allen Blvd. The event is free and put on by Friends of the Library.

By Robert Silk

This summer, many women and men will gaze in the mirror, asking themselves, “pants or shorts?” Yet when looking down, some may be reminded of their unpleasant varicose veins.

If you suffer from varicose veins – bulging, throbbing, aching veins – you are not alone. An estimated 25 million people in the United States suffer from a disorder called superficial venous reflux, or varicose veins.

What causes varicose veins?

Venous insufficiency is a common condition that forms when blood flow decreases from the leg veins up to the heart. This causes a pooling of blood in the veins. Normally, one-way valves in veins keep blood flowing toward the heart – against the force of gravity. When the valves do not perform their function, blood can flow backwards or reflux. The excess blood within the veins results in visible varicose veins at the skin surface.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of varicose veins may include aching, throbbing, fatigue and heaviness. Symptoms may worsen as the day goes on. People with venous insufficiency can have symptoms without visible varicose veins.

Can varicose veins be treated?

Varicose vein treatment can reduce symptoms and prevent complications. Home treatment, including exercising, wearing compression stockings, and elevating the legs, is the first and often best approach.

If home treatment does not help, minimally invasive treatment options are available at Barton Memorial Hospital. These include sclerotherapy or endovenous laser ablation.

An interventional radiologist, a doctor trained in the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of venous disorders, can diagnose and determine the best treatment. The assessment includes health history, a physical examination and in many cases, an ultrasound examination of your venous system.

Endovenous ablation is a minimally invasive outpatient treatment for venous insufficiency that is performed using an ultrasound. After applying local anesthetic to the skin over the vein, an interventional radiologist inserts a thin tube known as a catheter, about the size of a strand of spaghetti, into the abnormal leg vein. Through this catheter, laser is applied inside the vein and seals it closed.

Sclerotherapy, ideal for small veins, is a procedure where a chemical (sclerosant) is injected into a varicose vein to damage and scar the inside lining of the vein, causing the vein to close. Many insurances cover venous insufficiency treatments based on medical necessity.

Robert Silk is an interventional radiologist for Barton Medical Imaging.

Marty Brounstein, author of “Two Amongst the Righteous Few”, will be in the area scouting filming locations for a movie based on the book.

Brounstein and members of the production crew will be at Lake Tahoe Community College on June 6 at 6:30pm in the Duke Theater talking about the project.

The book is about how Frans and his wife, Mien, saved the lives of at least two dozen Jews in southern Holland during World War II. They were Catholics who led a simple life in a small town, but they took risks and displayed bravery to help others in dire need, instilling hope during one of the most horrific points of history.

Local actors will be needed.

To attend, RSVP to Toni Suttie toni.suttie@gmail.com.

By Seth Stevenson, Slate

You might wonder sometimes, perhaps after an especially inane quarterly job review, what it would be like not to have a boss. Or, after that same job review, not to be a boss. What if we were all workplace equals, with everyone possessing the same privileges and the same authority?

The truth is, there are all sorts of drawbacks to employing managers. (Note to my editor: Not you! You’re perfect! Never change!) More layers of management means paying more workers, and generally at higher salaries. It means introducing inefficiency, as each decision gets slowly passed up the chain for approval. In a hierarchical organization, decisions get made at the top of that chain by the people with the least connection to the facts on the ground. Meanwhile, the folks at the bottom, in the heart of the action, feel no agency over their work. In short: mo’ bosses, mo’ problems. So why not get rid of the management structure altogether?

A few workplaces have done exactly that. The California-based Morning Star Co. — the world’s largest tomato processor — has no titles, no promotions, and yes, no managers. As detailed in a 2011 case study by management guru Gary Hamel in the Harvard Business Review, Morning Star relies mainly on contract-style agreements between its workers. These agreements are called Colleague Letters of Understanding (CLOUs, pronounced “clues”), and each one is renegotiated annually. There are about 3,000 total CLOUs in effect at any given time, connecting workers in a web of shared responsibilities and expectations.

If you need an expensive new piece of manufacturing equipment to fulfill your CLOU, you go ahead and buy it without needing permission. If you need an additional worker to make good on your division’s promised output, you go ahead and hire her. This doesn’t mean you’re operating in a vacuum: You are still expected to consult widely with your colleagues to get their input before making any major moves. At the end of the year, each unit must defend its performance to its peers. And compensation is determined by a panel of co-workers that will carefully assess your worth to the firm.

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The Tony Award-winning musical “Man of La Mancha” will be at the Duke Theater at Lake Tahoe Community College from June 13-22.

“Man of La Mancha” is based on Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel “Don Quixote”. The musical contains a play-within-a-play, set in Spain at the end of the 16th century. It tells the tale of the mad knight, Don Quixote de La Mancha, and is performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. Joined by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, Don Quixote sets out on a noble journey to battle evil, right all wrongs, and win the heart of the Lady Dulcinea.

To help celebrate LTCC’s 40th anniversary and to recognize the theater department, a reception will follow the June 15 matinee performance.

Performances are June 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 at 8pm, and June 15 and 22 at 2pm.

Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 for seniors, groups of eight or more, students with a valid student ID and children under 13. Tickets may be purchased in advance at LTCC’s Bookstore Monday-Thursday. The box office will be open one hour prior to all performances.

This show contains some mature content and may not be suitable for children under 13.

For more information, call 530.541.4660, ext. 207.

By Diane Cardwellmay, New York Times

WOBURN, Mass. — Ever since government regulations began phasing out the traditional light bulb in 2012, the once-simple visit to the lighting aisle has become an exercise in navigating a dizzying array of choices and terminologies, especially for new kinds of compact fluorescents and LEDs.

Now, those choices are about to become even more complicated. Two start-up companies are poised to begin selling bulbs that use entirely different technologies — one borrowed from heavy industry and the other from old-fashioned televisions — but meet the new energy standards.

Whether they can capture customers who remain stubbornly wedded to incandescent light is anybody’s guess. But that both have come this far is an indication of how unsettled the consumer lighting market remains, despite years of promotion for the new energy-saving options.

“It’s going to be a really long putt to try to replace the incandescent,” said Mark Rea, director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “People hate change of any kind. We make light sources today that are better than incandescent by any metric at delivering the benefits you’re expecting from lighting. But it’s different.”

Read the whole story

By Scott Gold, Los Angeles Times

David Fiori, waist-deep in the chilly Kern River, braced against the current, stabbed a shovel into the ancient silt between his feet and tossed the muck downstream. His eyes, though, wandered to a potential prize — a spot on the opposite bank of the river.

To the uninitiated, it looked like just another leafy bend in the 165-mile-long Kern, which carries the snowmelt of the Sierra Nevada toward the sea. But prospectors have had a different sort of perspective in this stretch of California for a long time.

On the other side of the river, Fiori noted, the crystalline water roiled and turned white because it splashed over a cluster of underwater boulders. It’s the sort of geological quirk that abruptly slows the current, causing heavier elements to settle into the muck of the riverbed — namely, gold.

Read the whole story

By Cynthia H. Craft, Sacramento Bee

Pertussis is continuing to spread across California, public health officials said Friday.

However, in El Dorado and Placer counties it’s not so bad.

El Dorado County has reported only two cases so far this year, compared with last year’s total of four. And Placer County has confirmed 37 cases, less than half of the 85 cases reported in 2013.

Sacramento County so far this year has seen nearly double the cases it did for all of 2013.

Health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that peaks every three or four years and then settles down. It was so widespread in California in 2010 that officials made vaccinations mandatory before a child could attend public school – except in cases when parents opted not to get their kids immunized.

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Live at Lakeview kicks off the summer June 26 with Lake Tahoe’s Peter Joseph Burtt and the Kingtide.

This is the third summer for the Thursday night free concerts at Lakeview Commons in South Lake Tahoe.

Besides the music, there are food vendors, local

artists, a beer and wine garden, and a free bike valet every.

The last concert is Aug. 28. Concerts are from 4:30-8:30pm. The headliners usually start at 6:30pm.

The musicians are:

June 26 Peter Joseph Burtt and the Kingtide

July 3 Lavish Green

July 10 Tracorum Rock

July 17 Randy McAllister

July 24 Paa Kow’s By All Means Band

July 31 Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

Aug. 7 40 Watt Hype

Aug. 14 Mojo Green

Aug. 21 Scott Pemberton Trio

Aug. 28 Rocker T.