By Mary MacVean, Los Angeles Times

As if reducing the threat of skin cancer was not enough, scientists report that they have shown using sunscreen daily can slow the signs of aging skin — even into middle age.

Skin ages as people age, obviously. The sun is a major culprit in the skin’s deterioration. Signs include wrinkles, of course, but also deterioration in texture and an increase in visible blood vessels.

Scientists from Queensland Institute of Medical Research and other institutions divided 903 Australians 55 years old and younger into groups who used sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 daily — on face, neck, arms and hands — and those who did so at their own discretion. The first group applied sunscreen each morning, after swimming or sweating heavily and after a few hours in the sun.

After 4 1/2 years, members of the first group were 24 percent less likely to show signs of increased aging, the scientists wrote.

Their work was published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and the researchers said this was the first time sunscreen was shown to be effective against aging in humans.

To assess the state of the skin over time, experts looked at the back of the left hand. The daily sunscreen users also were evaluated every three months to ensure they were sticking to the program.

In 1992, at the start of the experiment, almost 60 percent of the participants had moderate skin aging, but the effect of daily sunscreen use did not depend on how much aging had already occurred, the researchers said. What did appear to matter was use of a liberal dose of sunscreen.

The scientists noted that people spend billions of dollars a year on treatments to retard wrinkles — many of them unproved.

The scientists also randomly assigned study participants to take B-carotene pills or a placebo. They found no evidence to indicate that B-carotene affects skin aging but said the study was too small to reach a conclusion.

By Kathryn Reed

“My goal here is when I leave your house it has a chance.”

A chance to survive a fire that is.

Tyler Jack is a South Lake Tahoe Fire Department captain who does defensible space inspections.

He likes the composite roof. But there are pine needles that need to come down.

The rounds of wood near the house are not so good.

South Lake Tahoe fire Capt. Tyler Jack marks a tree that needs to come down. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The prickly plant life on the other side of the fence that I considered California Tahoe Conservancy’s issue really isn’t. I suddenly realize a bunch of it is on our property line even though it’s on the other side of the fence. That’s going to have to go away.

At first I tried to cheat on my inspection. The day before Jack came over I moved stacked wood off the fence line and into the shed. But I came clean when he arrived. Something about lying to a firefighter seemed really wrong. And lying about the wood, well, he was going to figure it out.

The distances between our house, the fence and then the neighbor’s are ridiculously close. That’s the fence where the wood that doesn’t fit in the shed goes. It’s there for much of the fall, with most getting used up during the winter. There is no way to create the buffer like the defensible space guidelines suggest.

“We like gaps because it breaks up the fire spread,” Jack said. “We recommend mosaic landscaping.”

Next winter’s wood will be stacked in a longer row and not directly against the fence. Then it will be covered with fire-retardant tarps. Until the inspection I had no idea such tarps existed.

The wood against the old cinder fireplace wall is fine. That is not flammable.

Having some of our Tahoe Regional Planning Agency-mandated erosion control measures in place gives us that mosaic look Jack talked about. We have some rock by the house for the drip line before fire would get to the wood siding.

Our layer of wood chips is much thinner than what TRPA first had us lay down. Now it’s scattered – more to the liking of fire officials, and finally accepted by TRPA.

“Basically, we want a moat around your house,” Jack says as we look at where the chips and pine needles are. Some raking is needed.

He looks at the wood deck. Fortunately, nothing is stored under it. Some pine needles are in the gaps — those can be swept out.

One of the trees out back now has a red spot on it. It will be coming down. At least we didn’t have to pay for that tree felling permit. It’s over 14 inches, so a permit is required.

No violations are found, so Jack won’t have to come back.

These inspections are free and are done by local firefighters. It just takes a phone call to set things up. The purpose is to ensure your house is protected as well as it can be in the event of a fire; whether it’s a wildland fire or your neighbor’s place goes up and threatens yours. This article tells more from the firefighter’s point-of-view.

TOCCATA — Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus — is celebrating its eighth anniversary with the summer music festival July 7-14.

It includes the Mozart Coronation Mass, Saint Saen’s 2nd Piano Concerto, and Beethoven’s 8th Symphony. Guest artists Michael Angelucci, piano; Josue Casillas, flute; and Joy Strotz, soprano will be featured.

Performances are:

July 7 at 5pm at St Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Incline Village (341 Village Blvd.)

July 9 at 7pm at Trinity Episcopal Church in Reno (200 Island Ave.)

July 11 at 7pm at St. Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe (1041 Lyons Ave.)

July 14 at 7pm at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley.

Tickets are available at the door or online. General admission is $25 adults, $20 seniors, and $5 students aged 19 to 23. Preferred seating is $35 and $15 for youth/students. Youth under 19 are admitted free in non reserved seating.

For more information, email ToccataTahoe@gmail.com or call (775) 313.9697.

By Ted Long

We come to the end of our introduction of the sheriff’s department with an inspection and tour of the evidence room and a detailed description of a traffic stop. The evidence room is, to say he least, very crowded, mostly with guns and marijuana.

We were shown how evidence is received and processed. Great care is taken to ensure a chain of control, and availability for court.

If we could do something about the number and availability of guns, the job would be a lot easier. It all so speaks to the use of guns in crime. The legality of marijuana is also brought to question when you see the volume and the filling of our jails.

Ted Long

Traffic stops are not a major function of the sheriff’s office, as our instructors said on several occasions that are really the job of the Highway Patrol. However, they are expected to write some citations as a measure of “doing their job.”

The procedure has been worked out over the years. I can recall when the police stopped you, got out of the car, waked back and said hello. An effort to show your cooperation and friendliness, all designed to avoid the citation. Today you stay in the car, put your hands on the wheel while the officer approaches. Looking in the back seat, being careful not to walk between the cars and always ready for a surprise. We saw some amusing video of traffic stops, the angry driver and the dangerous one who when approached pulled a gun and shot.

The entire process of the academy was a pleasant one and informative. Our nation was founded on the principle of checks and balances and while many people think they are limited to the structure of government on the larger scale, with the executive, legislative and judicial branches, I firmly believe that the concept goes all the way to the local level. I encourage all of you to consider getting involved. It is the fact that when someone is looking it avoids most mischief, it being your children or the police.

I doubt very much that any military leader could pull off a revolt. The military is way too large and the leader is the president — a civilian. That is not true at the local level. The policeman on the beat has incredible power. He has a gun and the full force of a small army behind him and we all know that a judge is much more likely to believe him than you. It’s not the take over of the government I am concerned about it is the individual potential for abuse, the Rodney King incident at one end and the carrying out of a personal grudge at the other end. Let’s face it, even police persons are human and have emotions. Our constant “looking over the shoulder” assist them on doing the good job they intended in the first place.

Sign up for the next academy, take a ride along, show your concern and support, you will enjoy it and it helps to make our community a safe place.

Thanks for listening.

Ted Long is a South Lake Tahoe resident participating in the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Citizens Academy.

The Ventana Sierra Advanced Writers Workshop at Western Nevada College in Carson City is designed for young writers.

The free, daylong workshop on June 15 is for those ages 18 and younger. It is to help improve and promote writing through safe and social networking.

Four award-winning authors, including Ellen Hopkins, and a literary agent will lead separate topic sessions.

Grants from the Nevada Arts Council are enabling the teens to attend the 8am-4pm workshop at no cost.

Optional one-on-one critiques also are available to the young writers at a manuscript review rate of $100.

Topics will include “Keeping It Real: Making Fiction Believable When All (or none) of It Is Made Up,” “Building a Safe Social Networking Platform,” “Creating Compelling Characters,” “Create a Scene,” and “Humor ’em: Spice Your Writing With Humor.”

Register and learn more about the one-day youth writing workshop online, as well as the three-day advanced writers’ workshop June 14-16.

The Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series has released the lineup for the summer concert series that starts June 20.

Now in its second year, changes include a larger stage, larger beer garden, and a much larger free bike valet.

Vehicle parking is limited. Off-site parking is available at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center, 1601 Rufus Allen Blvd.

The bands are:

• June 20 – Jelly Bread with special guests 4 Piece Puzzle (funk and soul)

• June 27 – American Jubilee Feat Brian Lesh and special guests Tracorum

(Americana)

• July 11 – Naive Melodies (live talking heads)

• July 18 – Achilles Wheel with special guests Lonesome Locomotive (rock, world beat, and blues)

• July 25 – Vokab Kompany (electronic funk)

• Aug. 1 – Polyrythmics with special guest Holy Ghost Tent Revival (world)

• Aug. 8 – 40 Watt Hype (Latin fusion)

• Aug. 15 – The Congress with special guests The Weekenders (rock)

• Aug. 22 – Lavish Green Tahoe Family Reunion with special guest Screaming Meg (South Shore)

• Aug. 29 – Arden Park Roots with special guests Island of Black & White (reggae)

More information can be found online.

By Susan Wood

MONTEREY – Still evolving while turning 30 in 2014, that’s the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The Central Coast’s famed aquarium plans to go dark Labor Day weekend on one of its most popular exhibitions to date – the Secret Life of Seahorses. The 15 species of these elusive creatures and kin – the surreal-looking sea dragons and alligator pipefish — danced and fluttered in their tank, spawning “ooohs and ahhhhs” among many visitors on a recent Saturday visit to the 322,000-square-foot attraction located alongside Monterey’s Cannery Row.

“It looks pretty leafy,” one man declared, staring at one of the spindly sea dragons.

The exhibit gets more fascinating at every turn. When they court, sea horses lock tails – as shown in a beautifully-crafted silhouette display that looks more loving than erotic. The pot belly males may butt heads to vie for a female’s attention. But then their warrior instinct transforms into the nurturing as they also later give birth. Yes, the males give birth. From that, a visitor also learns the young sea horses eat constantly.

A white-spotted jelly at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Photos/Kathryn Reed

Many saucer-eyed children pointed and stood in awe alongside the adults. Beyond appreciating the sea life, all learned of the hazards these gentle creatures face – from the souvenir trade to fishing nets. An entire exhibit is dedicated to the perils of trash deposited in the ocean.

The aquarium is a kid’s paradise, with plenty of interactive displays such as a quiz that compares the number of baby bottles a young gray whale consumes in a day in contrast to a human – 2,000 versus six. Many displays are designed to pique children’s interest in the enjoyment and conservation of sea life along the Pacific Coast. And that’s no accident.

As public relations coordinator Mika Yoshida put it: “We start them young (with the message of protection).”

Moreover, the aquarium highlighting 35,000 creatures representing 550 species in 34 major galleries walks the talk by “greening” up the place. For example, plastic bags at the large gift shop are a no-no.

A big part of the aquarium’s conservation message focuses on its seafood watch – which comes with a handout of types of fish to avoid and others bearing no threat to overfishing or mercury content.

The Monterey Aquarium also backs up its signs in Spanish for a broader appeal.

Target marketing aside, the massive aquarium has brought in the masses, and apparently has shown no sign of slowing down during the recessionary years.

“We’re not seeing any impact because we usually end up getting a bump from locals and day trippers from San Francisco,” Yoshida told Lake Tahoe News in discussing any drop off of the destination visitor who may stay multiple nights.

Ken Peterson, the aquarium’s communications director, expanded the response.

“We’ve actually had a fairly strong attendance in recession years. For a lot of folks, Monterey and the aquarium are an affordable California vacation option in years when they aren’t going to plan a big cross-country trip,” he said.

Last year, the aquarium recorded 1.8 million visitors. Many have taken in the psychedelic “Jellies Experience,” which opened in March 2012 as one of three evolutions of jellyfish displays. The aquarium even built a laboratory to grown its own.

Each visitor could spend hours at the practically laid-out, airy site — taking in puffins and penguins swimming and waddling over their turf, capitalizing on special, behind-the-scenes tours or experiencing the magnitude of a three-story kelp forest benefitting by the aquarium pumping in a billion gallons a year of seawater from the bay.

It’s like having the ocean within walls.

One can even get up-close-and-personal by touching bat rays or starfish.

“They’re slimy,” was the common response when touching the rays.

The touching pools host large crowds around them.

“These are whatever we find in tide pools in the bay,” said Roberta, one of the aquarium’s 1,200 volunteers who support the 425 staff members. “They’re OK to touch, but just don’t move them. You wouldn’t want to be moved from your home,” she reminds a group.

Much of the aquarium’s recent activity has occurred outside its walls.

“We’ve had a lot of whale activity,” volunteer Fred said. He was managing transmitters on the patio overlooking Monterey Bay that record sightings of sea life. That morning, dolphins, seals, sea lions and sea otters made the list.

The sea otters are the stars of a new auditorium program launched this year.

Another star is of the culinary variety. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn has substantially upgraded the aquarium’s oceanfront restaurant. (Foodies will know her from Fog City Diner in San Francisco, Mustards in Yountville and her two other restaurants in St. Helena.) Menu choices follow the seafood watch guidelines and use many types of local produce, dairy and proteins.

If you go:

• Off Highway 1, south of the Bay Area

• Tickets: $35 adults; $31.95 students; $21.95 children; kids under age 3 admitted free

• Information: (831) 648.4800.

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Showcases house planner Jack Thomasson breaks ground at the Truckee site. Photos/HGTV

Plans for the HGTV Dream Home 2014 are well under way in Truckee.

The HGTV Dream Home 2014 is a custom-built, fully furnished home set in the Schaffer’s Mill community, with panoramic views of the mountains.

The 18th annual HGTV Dream Home is part of a grand prize package that will be awarded in March 2014. The official HGTV Dream Home Giveaway entry period will open in December 2013. Until then, information about the home’s location and features will be available online

as it emerges.

The 3,200-square foot home, under construction by Tanamera Construction, has three bedrooms and 3½ baths on one-third of an acre. Ward-Young Architecture blends traditional and contemporary forms. The house is designed with two wings: a living wing and bedroom wing with large expanses of glass and sliding door systems to create a transparent and direct connection between indoors and outdoors.

Bonzai

Bonzai is a very handsome German shorthair Pointer with unusual coloring. His spots are charcoal gray.

He is about 1 year old, very athletic and friendly, and his head is huge. He is a very strong, smart dog who needs a job, and with just a little training to channel all his energy he’ll make a great pet.

Bonzai is neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. He 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 online to see photos and description 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

Mormon Station State Historic Park is kicking off its Historic Speaker Series with three Chautauqua presentations: Anita Watson will portray Mary Oxborrow, a pioneer midwife and healer; Laurie Hickey will give a presentation on the life of Dr. Eliza Cook, one of the first female doctors in Nevada and Bob Ellison will speak on about the life of Orson Hyde, responsible for “the curse of Carson Valley” and naming the town of Genoa.

For an extra dose of history, visitors may check out the log cabin museum in between speakers.

The event is June 8. The first speaker presents at 11am, the second at 12:30pm and the third at 2pm.

The presentations are free. Museum admission is $1 for adults; children 12 and under are free.

No dogs are allowed.

For more information, contact the park at (775) 782.2590.

Chairs are provided, but feel free to bring your own, along with a picnic lunch.