TOCCATA — Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus — concludes the 2013 Tahoe Summer MusicFest with a concert series commemorating the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

The series features famed violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn performing Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin in D major Op.61 on the legendary Red Stradivarius Violin. The concert will conclude with Mozart’s symphonic choral masterpiece, Requiem, featuring vocal soloists and the Tahoe Symphony Chorus.

Concerts are:

Sept. 11 at 7pm at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Incline Village;

Sept. 13 at 7pm at St. Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe;

Sept. 14 at 7pm at Sierra of the Shepherd – Carson City;

Sept. 17 at 7pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Reno.

Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 seniors, and $5 students ages 19-23. Students younger than 19 are admitted free. Preferred seating is available for $40 adults and $15 students and may be reserved online. Tickets can be purchased by credit card online or at the door by cash or check 30 minutes prior to the concert.

For more information, call (775) 313.9697.

Longtime Fallen Leaf Lake resident Erica Clifton Drewes died July 21. She was 68.

Also known as Ceci, CE, Two, and Mac, Erica was a fifth generation San Franciscan.

Erica was born March 10, 1945, in Washington, D.C., to Robert Drewes and Caroline Clifton Drewes.

Erica was a proud San Francisco native, an accomplished artist, and a passionate liberal activist. She spent her childhood in Presidio Heights, cavorting through the city and every summer climbing the mountains of the Sierra. She attended Katherine Delmar Burke’s School and then UC Berkeley where she received a BA, and later an MFA. She continued to study art and architecture at the Accademia di Belle Arte in Rome and at Harvard University. She received a second MA in film from San Francisco State.

Erica Clifton Drewes

Her pride and joy was the East Bay Community Arts Project Inc., a nonprofit visual and performing arts school for juvenile prisoners that she founded in 1974.

Erica was a multifaceted artist who used any and every medium to create beauty. She sewed exquisite clothes for her nieces and nephew (and in turn their children), sketched treasured valentines, painted on clothing, built sculptures and bookcases, and restored chairs, teddy bears, windows, and cabins. Every letter or postcard she mailed was a little piece of art full of love, and warmth, personalized with her notes of good humor. Every tool she wielded left a broken something in near mint condition.

A true “flower child,” Erica loved a good argument about politics, culture, art, and literature. She compulsively read the New Yorker, New York Times, and the San Francisco Examiner, and was an avid independent moviegoer.

Every morning, for more than 35 years, she swam in the bay as a member of the Dolphin Club, which, after her death, flew its flag at half-mast in her honor.

She is survived by her brothers, Robert and Stephen; her sister-in-law, Gail; her nieces, Genevieve, Caitlin, and Jillian; nephew, Bartholomew; their spouses and children; and, her many old and dear friends.

Donations in Erica’s name can be made to Planned Parenthood.

By Kathryn Reed

Disturbing. Enlightening. Thought provoking. Gripping. Gritty. Sad. Troubling.

Those are some of the words that come to mind when describing “Get Out of My Crotch”, a book published by Cherry Bomb Books, an imprint of Bona Fide Books in Meyers.

It’s one of those books that can’t be read all at once. It’s too powerful and disturbing. There’s too much to think about and process.

It’s one of those books that probably won’t be read by the people who should and need to read it. They would be all the politicians who want to regulate women’s reproductive rights.

“Crotch” is a collection of 21 essays from 20 women and one man about life today in the United States when it comes to women’s reproductive issues.

If you think all women have access to safe abortions because of Roe v. Wade, well, you clearly don’t pay attention to the news.

We have politicians who think a woman who is raped has the power to control whether she gets pregnant. We have politicians who think there is never a valid reason for an abortion. Why they even think the government should have a say in what a woman chooses to do is mindboggling.

But “Crotch” isn’t a book about abortion, though it starts out that way. (Just keep reading the book.)

The stories are not unique. That is largely what is so sad about them. If they were isolated cases, the book probably wouldn’t have been published. It’s because these stories are the same stories your sisters, your friends, and your neighbors’ could tell you, but probably choose not to, that the words are so powerful. If you can’t hear it from them, maybe you can read what a stranger has to say.

These are stories involving discrimination, access to birth control, how race plays a part in how people are treated, what Congress is trying to do and has done. They are stories about women wanting to decide what’s right for them without interference from others.

It’s a book I sent to my two nieces earlier this year when they were 17 and 24. It’s a book that people need to read. It’s also a book you won’t want to read.

Tom Wendell will be remembered as a voice for recreation.

Long before economics dictated that recreation must be the focal point of the Lake Tahoe Basin, there was a man shouting from the mountaintops, the bike trails, the lake and everywhere he went that recreation is what Tahoe is all about.

That message will be carried on even though the original voice has been silenced.

Tom Wendell died Aug. 5. He was 62.

Mr. Wendell had been associated with recreation and environmental stewardship for most of the quarter century he called South Lake Tahoe home.

Born in Montreal on April 13, 1951, Mr. Wendell soon moved with his family to Southern California. He grew up in Los Angeles. The family started spending vacations in Lake Tahoe in the mid-1950s. They all fell in love with the Sierra.

Mr. Wendell’s environmental influence came in large part from his mother, Inge, who was from Germany. Besides being fluent in the language, Mr. Wendell learned about that country’s efficiencies when it came to transportation, cycling and recycling. He brought what he learned during his travels back to Tahoe.

It was rare to see Mr. Wendell on anything but his bicycle. And he had the scars to prove it. When he was a bicycle courier in the mid-1970s while attending Santa Barbara Community College he was in an accident that resulted in his first knee surgery.

That surgery is what led him to learn how to maneuver a mono ski. It was much easier on Mr. Wendell’s knees than the traditional two planks. And this was at a time when fat skis were not available.

Mr. Wendell was often seen skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort on that mono ski. Within the small community of mono skiers, his abilities were praised.

When Mr. Wendell first moved to South Lake Tahoe full time in 1987 he worked as a certified massage therapist at Lakeside Nautilus, where Sierra Athletic Club is now. He worked at Ridge Tahoe and other places as a CMT, but mostly had private clients.

He perfected an original massage move that with his long arm span went from the client’s toes to head in one fell swoop. And for those who experienced it, they remember it still today.

Mr. Wendell also worked for Sports Ltd. starting in 1992 and continued until 2012. He took some time off to care for his ill mother and when the store at the Y closed.

In the early 1990s, Mr. Wendell was the recycling coordinator for El Dorado County. A state law had been passed that required jurisdictions to reduce the waste being taken to landfills.

Mr. Wendell was proud to see people recycle in earnest. He was instrumental in removing the waxy, nonrecyclable material from phonebook covers.

In 2001, with the help of Bob Kingman, Karen Fink, Peter Fink, Jeff Miner and Gary Bell, TRAC – or Tahoe Region Advocates for Cycling – was formed. The goal of Mr. Wendell and others was to promote on- and off-road cycling, along with safety. Grants were secured to help with bike trail improvements.

This group eventually morphed into the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, of which Mr. Wendell was part.

Mr. Wendell was usually seen commuting to work and any destination on his hybrid bike. It was more of a road bike, but could handle dirt trails. Weeks would go by without him driving his car.

He had a separate mountain bike he used when he didn’t want to be around the masses and especially vehicles. Anywhere in the Cold Creek-Powerline area was a favorite of his.

Kayaking was another big part of Mr. Wendell’s life. In the last year he had also learned how to commandeer a standup paddleboard.

Mr. Wendell was on the South Lake Tahoe Sustainability Commission until the City Council’s recent disbanding of it. He also helped form Compost Tahoe.

At meetings around the basin he lobbied for more recreation opportunities, more and better bike trails, and for people to live a sustainable lifestyle.

Mr. Wendell’s voice of advocacy has finally been heard based on the direction the basin leaders say they want move. Perhaps one day there will be a bike trail named after Mr. Wendell and a plaque to acknowledge the efforts of this man who never stopped fighting for the words “recreation” and “Tahoe” to be synonymous.

Mr. Wendell is survived by his brother, Ted Wendell, of South Lake Tahoe and an army of friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Sustainable Tahoe, Barton Hospice, Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition or TAMBA .

Services are pending.

Business owners, employers and human resource managers and practitioners who need to leverage the talents and skills of today’s increasingly diverse, aging, and multi-generational workforce can learn how flexible work arrangements drive employee engagement and profitability to the bottom line at “When Work Works –Workforce flexibility as a Key Business Strategy”.

The workshop is Aug. 12 from 9-11am at the Chateau at Incline Village, 955 Fairway Blvd.

At this seminar sponsored by the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee Donner Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Human Resources Association, participants will learn how flexible work arrangements such as job sharing, flexible scheduling, phased retirement, and telecommuting can drive employee engagement productivity and retention.

Attendees can also expect to examine case studies of companies that have won the national Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility for their innovative programs and learn about new resources and opportunities from speaker Cassidy Neal, the Society for HR Management’s workplace flexibility program specialist.

For more information about the workshop or to register, call Laura Moriarty of SHRA, at (530) 573-0224 or Deanna Frumenti of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association at (530) 581.8764 or Patricia Barrett at (530) 587.8808. Laura@tahoetrainingpartners.com.

William and Benjamin

William and Benjamin are two of the 20 kittens currently waiting at the shelter for their new homes.

These boys are 5 months old, and are as playful and crazy as kittens can be. They are having fun with their kennel-mates right now, but they should get into homes as soon as possible. William and Benjamin are jet black, and the other kittens range from orange to silver to brown.

The shelter also has five nice adult cats, some of which have reduced adoption fees.

William and Benjamin are neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. They are 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 online 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.

— Karen Kuentz

The log has names of children from South Lake Tahoe who have died. Photos/LTN

Publisher’s note: The children’s memorial on Highway 50 and Wildwood Avenue in South Lake Tahoe will be rededicated on Aug. 9 at 6pm. Tahoe Production House is filming the ceremony as part of a documentary that will be available on DVD. The following is from the committee that has spearheaded the replacement of the log that contains the names of children in the area who have died. 

When and how was the Children’s Memorial founded?

Driven by the tragic death of her son, Rory, along with his two friends Sandy Haynes and Casey Wells in an automo¬bile accident, Sue Hrbacek-Miller hoped to place, in a public location, the tree that the car struck on the night of Feb. 2, 1991. City Manager Kerry Miller offered a resting place for the tree in its present location. Artist Dan Jones donated the design and work to create the tree that was dedicated on Oct. 2, 1994. When dedicated, the tree had plaques representing 36 lost loved ones. After Sue turned over the memorial to the city of South Lake Tahoe in 2003 it has managed the tree. The tree currently has 226 plaques, in remembrance of loved ones from 11 states and four foreign countries. The original tree endured 20 seasons of exposure and was no longer able to accomplish its purpose. The new tree will last permanently.

Why the new permanent tree and its dedication?

The Memorial Tree Committee could have replaced the original tree with another wood tree of similar size. However, the committee also recognized that doing so would necessitate again doing a replacement in another 20 years. The ability to repeatedly do that would be doubtful and artist Dan Jones was available now to re-create the tree in a manner consistent with the original. The new tree, recre¬ated with a concrete-polymer material, will be a permanent memorial.

What are the goals and plans of the Memorial Tree Committee?

Mission: First, to establish a tree that will be a permanent memorial to the loved ones recognized with plaques on the tree. Further, to establish a permanent Memorial Park that will be an asset for use by resi¬dents and visitors to our South Lake Tahoe community.

Funding: The permanent Memorial Tree and Memorial Park will be entirely funded by private contributions from individuals and organizations. The funding is overseen by the city of South Lake Tahoe’s GIFT (Great Ideas For Tahoe) program. This is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. To date, the committee has been successful in raising the funds to accomplish the tree replacement. The success of the tree replacement effort was heavily dependent on donated and/or at cost discounted labor and materials. The committee expects the Memorial Park part of the mission to also be accomplished with a large component of donated assistance. The city of South Lake Tahoe will maintain the tree and memorial park when they are completed.

What is the schedule for completion of the Memorial Park?

The committee is already working on the necessary permitting for construction in conjunction with the city of South Lake Tahoe to obtain the funds for the new Memorial Park of South Lake Tahoe. The goal is to have sufficient funding in place to begin work on the park in 2014. Complete park construction will be entirely dependent on the combination of funds raised and volunteer commitments of materials and labor for the work to be done.

How can you help make the Memorial Park a reality?

Funding: Please make contributions in whatever amount you can afford to GIFT Inc., Memorial Park and mail to: 1901 Airport Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. Your funds will be in the custody of the city of South Lake Tahoe who will maintain supervision of the program.

Volunteer Assistance: Visit the website to understand the work involved in the Memorial Park’s construction and establish in what ways you might assist.

By Elise Hu, NPR

It’s finally happening, folks. This year, the average time Americans spend with digital media each day will surpass traditional TV viewing time. That’s according to eMarketer’s latest estimates of media consumption among adults.

The average adult will spend more than five hours per day online and on non-voice mobile activities (read: texting, apps, games). That’s compared to an average four hours and 31 minutes each day of TV watching.

Daily TV time will actually be down slightly this year, while digital media consumption will be up nearly 16 percent. If you were curious, Netflix and Hulu viewing is considered digital media consumption, so all that binge watching of “”Mad Men on Netflix is clearly pumping up the digital media averages. But that doesn’t mean traditional TV is dead.

Read the whole story

Children are invited to spend Aug. 10 with scientists to learn about the unique ecology, function, restoration and preservation of Lake Tahoe.

Children’s Environmental Science Day will be at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village.

The 14th annual Children’s Environmental Science Day is a free event sponsored by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

More than 40 interactive science activities hosted by organizations around the region will be available for children ages 6 and up. The day will include interactive science demonstrations by UC Davis scientists, local agency and nonprofit organization staff, and AmeriCorps members. Hands-on activities are designed for the whole family.

Visitors will get up close and personal with fish and microscopic zooplankton from Lake Tahoe, learn about native species in the Tahoe basin, and test the water quality of a stream, along with many other science-based games and activities.

The Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences is located on the Sierra Nevada College campus at 291 Country Club Drive in Incline Village.

For more information, call (775) 881.7560.

Orphaned animals got a helping hand last month when the Truckee police officers cleared tables and waited on guests at the Wagon Train, donating 100 percent of their tips to the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

The officers raised $3,200.

Truckee police Officer Jeff Safford with Bear who helped greet customers at the Wagon Train. Photo/Provided

Mayor Carolyn Wallace Dee was also on hand, greeting and seating diners, and even taking half an hour to explain the HSTT to a customer. The diner then left a $1,000 tip.

The fundraiser was part of the Truckee Police Officers Association Tip-a-Cop program. The Wagon Train also donated a portion of sales from the July 20-21 event to HSTT.

Founded in 1994 by a group of volunteers, the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe has become the driving force of animal rescue and adoption for the Truckee-North Lake Tahoe area. Over the last decade it has evolved to a nationally recognized nonprofit organization with four employees and hundreds of dedicated volunteers, offering a variety of services and programs, including adoption days, fostering, public education, pet-assisted therapy, and community spay and neuter programs.

For more information, call (530) 587.5948.