Mia is a beautiful Lynx point Siamese, just more than 2 years old, with spectacular blue eyes.

She has been at the shelter since early December, and would love to go home. Mia is friendly and affectionate.

Mia is spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated. She 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

By Claudia Buck, Sacramento Bee

At a Sacramento job fair last fall, the polished, well-dressed woman went from booth to booth, recruiter to recruiter, passing out résumés, asking about job openings. Not for herself, however. For her son.

“‘He just graduated. He has a degree. He’s sharp. He doesn’t know what he wants to do, but I think he’d be good at HR (human resources),’ ” recalls Preet Kuar, a Manpower company recruiter who spoke with the mom.

For baby boomer parents, who have diligently – some would say obsessively – followed their children from diapers to diplomas, that encounter was perhaps the next logical phase of so-called “helicopter parenting.”

Clearly, parental hovering doesn’t end at college graduation but continues well into the job hunt. According to a recent survey of more than 3,000 employers by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute, or CERI, based at Michigan State University, about a third – 31 percent – of companies report that parents are more involved in their son’s or daughter’s career search than prior to the recession.

Mom and dad are chatting up their kids’ credentials with company officials, pestering college career staff, handing out their kids’ résumés at career fairs, even showing up at job interviews.

“It’s happening quite a bit, actually,” said Kuar, executive recruiter with Manpower’s Gold River office. “We see a lot more parent involvement,” everything from setting up job counseling appointments to forwarding their kid’s résumé.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

What can’t Tahoe Production House do?

So far, it can do everything anyone has asked. TPH can do simple things like converting a VHS into a DVD. It can also be a full service production house that writes scripts, shoots them, edits them and delivers the final product.

Most production houses – like the ones in Los Angeles – are broken into specialties. Brandi Ledbetter Brown, owner of TPH, wanted to develop a one-stop shop to meet the needs of clients so they didn’t have to go all over the place.

Brandi Ledbetter Brown is putting Tahoe on the map with her production house. Photos/Kathryn Reed

Her five-year plan involves companies from outside the Lake Tahoe Basin coming here to have their commercials shot or other video or recording needs met.

In the back the roll-up door allows a car or large boat to come into the studio via the loading dock. That kind of accessibility allows for a diverse clientele.

While some may question why South Lake Tahoe needs such a sophisticated enterprise, others are saying why did it take so long.

With 2,300-square-feet of space, the non-descript storefront on Highway 50 near Tahoe Keys Boulevard belies what lies inside. Equipment is state-of-the-art. A small blue box – the encoder – allows live productions so the studio can be turned into a radio or television studio.

The encoder is what led Chris Minnis, who produces the bodybuilding Tahoe Show, to hire TPH. Already in the can are the 30-second commercial and sponsorship piece for Tahoe Show. What the encoder will allow is for the August event to be broadcast on the Internet. This in turn will be a revenue stream for Minnis.

A massive server in the control room will allow the Tahoe Show to sell digital downloads.

“We can rent space on the server for video hosting,” Brown says of the cloud-based server that has 16 terabytes of online storage.

This is the brains of the studio.

While TPH is all about cutting edge technology, it’s also about creativity and having fun.

Walking in it’s more like being invited into Brown’s living room. Comfy furniture, a big TV and a foosball table makes one forget this is a business.

But this is part of the business. The television can be used to preview client’s work, conduct a virtual meeting, have a CD release party or some other venture someone envisions.

On the other side of the building Candy McCart is adjusting the lights before photographing Dave Corti for the cover shot of his golfing book.

Brown talks to McCart about the soft box lights. The patch panel allows McCart to adjust the built-in lights without having to go into the control room.

She is renting the studio space by the hour, with the bulk of the equipment her own. McCart picked TPH because no place else in the basin or Reno has what TPH has.

On Saturday, the TPH gang was working with a guy backed by Sony who needed a green screen for a shot for his music video.

Tim Whaley is down the hall. Jokingly, he is referred to as Brown’s work husband.

He’s in the Mac edit suite working on a promo for the South Lake Tahoe Wedding & Honeymoon Association. It’s about showing people what a wedding in the area could be like, as opposed to the traditional method of telling them. The short footage Lake Tahoe News sees is edgy, innovative and captivating.

“He is old school and says, ‘This is how we do it in LA.’ And I say, ‘This is how we do it on an iPhone’,” Brown says of their business relationship. She says they complement each other well.

Whaley is the technical half, Brown the people person.

She has a slew of independent contractors working for her – from sound engineers to photographers to grips.

Since the start of the school year she has been going to South Tahoe High School to help students working in the new digital arts academy.

Brown is very much a local. Her family has long roots here. She graduated from Incline High School, then went to Loyola Marymount University where in 2006 she earned a bachelor’s in TV and film production.

Her start in the business was on the other side of the camera – being part of Cinderella pageants and 16 years in Harrah’s Lake Tahoe’s “Ebenezer Scrooge” production.

Brown spent every Saturday for her four years in high school doing a five-minute spot for the now defunct KMTN-TV.

It was at a summer film academy during her junior year where she discovered what she wanted to be when she grew up.

“That’s when my love and passion for production of things came into play,” Brown said. “I started looking at schools and realized I could go to school and do this for a living.”

After college she spent a few months back at KMTN before working for RSN for four years.

Last year she started figuring out a way to create a production house in Tahoe – where she and her husband want to make their home. Now it’s a reality, with 2012 being the first full year Tahoe Production House is mixing up the sounds and images people want to create.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on images to enlarge.)

Poetry slam champion Denise Jolly will emcee the April 26 poetry slam at Lake Tahoe Community College.

The event will begin at 8pm in the college’s Aspen Room. Jolly is a performer, writer, educator, and community builder, who has served as executive director of Seattle Youth Speaks, and co-host and facilitator of the Seattle Poetry Slam. Jolly was also the 2009 San Francisco Grand Slam Champion.

Denise Jolly

This is part of the college’s Writers’ Series.

The slam is free and open to students and the community. The cost to compete is $5 and competitors should prepare two poems. Competitors may sign up 15 minutes prior to the start of the event.

For more information, contact Suzanne Roberts at (530) 541.4660, ext. 708.

By Yun Long, Reno Gazette-Journal

When you’re trying to sell your product, exposure is key. And attracting that attention has become easier with the rise of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Reno resident Barbara Read’s online business increased after she started posting her listings on websites and on the Facebook and Twitter feeds of friends and other potential buyers.

“It’s about the exposure and the fact that you can deliver what you say you can,” Read said. “It’s about having satisfied customers. Because if you don’t have satisfied customers, people are going to hear about it. Somebody is going to post it somewhere.”

Read, 57, has been selling her crocheted items on eBay, Etsy, Yardsellr and other online marketplace websites to supplement her family’s income after she lost her job in 2007.

“I don’t make a lot,” she said. “But I do make some, and it does help out.”

Connections provided by websites, such as San Francisco-based startup YardSellr, which lets users post listings on almost anything on its site and sellers’ Facebook pages, have increased sales.

“I had a few people go, ‘Hey, can I put your stuff up on my Facebook page?’” Read said. “… I think that is why I have gotten more business.”

Yardsellr founder and CEO Danny Leffel, 32, started the company in October 2009. Before launching the website, he spent five years at eBay working on product strategy centered around a community of people who shared passions about a type of product. He left the online auction and shopping giant a couple years ago to work at another Silicon Valley startup before venturing out on his own.

Read the whole story

Do you have a project you’ve been working on lately and now don’t know what to do with it? Enter it into the fair.

South Lake Tahoe entries will be picked up from library the week of May 8. There are some exceptions, for example, floriculture entries and baked items, need to be brought to the fair on their respective receiving days.

Entry guides for the “Grapest Show on Earth” — the 2012 El Dorado County Fair — are available online. Whether you’ve just begun a project or are looking to pick up a new hobby, browse through the entry guides.

Most entry forms are due on or before 4pm May 11. There are a few exceptions such as floriculture and the special contests. For more information on entry guides and forms, go online or call (530) 621.5860.

The fair is June 14-17 in Placerville.

By Mandy Kendall

I seem to be spending a lot more time these days running up and down the stairs going back to fetch something I’ve forgotten. Don’t get me wrong, the exercise is doing me good, and I’m not finding the car keys in the fridge (yet), but I am a little concerned about my brain’s seeming inability to multitask.

So, I decided to spend a little time looking into what can be done to keep the old gray matter ticking over.

Mandy Kendall

As we age, if we are not careful, our bodies will generally start to decline. Our brains are no exception, but like a muscle, the more we use it, the longer it will remain stronger and fitter.

Studies have shown there are numerous ways to help stave off the “senior moment syndrome” as well as much more chronic and devastating diseases like Alzheimer’s, and it seems the earlier you start the better.

Daniel Amen (physician, psychiatrist, teacher, and author from Southern California) has scanned more than 70,000 brains and is a huge advocate for brain health. His studies show that as weight increases, brain size decreases, and that brain damage can be caused by abuse of bad foods and toxic substances (and alcohol is included in that category too I’m afraid). The good news is that brain function can be dramatically improved by following a few simple steps.

Be kind to your brain — Limit toxic substances. I know it might be easier said than done, but when I think about my brain deteriorating, it makes it a lot easier to say no to more wine.

Feed your brain — If we asked ourselves “is this good for my brain” before eating something, most of us, if we were being honest with ourselves, would know whether we should be eating it. Try and aim for maximum nutrition with minimum calories. Researchers found that seniors whose blood had high levels of nutrients found in fish, fruits, nuts and leafy greens were less likely to suffer from memory problems and brain shrinkage which can be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s.

Rest your brain — As well as a good night’s sleep, your brain will thank you for an occasional rest throughout the day. Meditation is a great catnap for the brain and doesn’t need to take long to be beneficial. There are plenty of apps you can download onto your phone or iPad to guide you.

Increase your brain size — Studies are showing that decreasing midlife obesity can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in old age as well as increasing the size of our brains. So now we know that as well as helping our hearts, weight loss also helps our brains.

Exercise your brain — Socializing, learning something new, changing routines, using your left hand if you are right handed (and visa versa) and being creative with craftwork all help to flex your brain muscle.

Watch less TV — A study showed that children’s brains showed more activity when they were sat in front of a blank wall compared to when they were watching TV. Enough said.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to protect your brain I can thoroughly recommend Amen’s book “Use Your Brain to Change Your Age”.

Until next time.

Mandy Kendall operates Health Connective in South Lake Tahoe. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email at healthconnective@gmail.com, visit us on Facebook, or keep an eye out on Lake Tahoe News for regular Qwik-e tips on how to make healthy changes one Quick and Easy step at a time.

In Nevada, every eight hours, six minutes someone is raped.

Throughout the month of April, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office will be supporting the Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence campaign that promotes Sexual Assault Awareness in Northern Nevada.

Sexual assaults can happen to anyone: children, students, wives, mothers, grandmothers, the rich and poor, boys and men. The assailants can be anyone: classmates, co-workers, or a total stranger although often a friend or a family member.

The most predominant form of sexual assault in Washoe County is alcohol or drug related.

The sheriff’s office offers the following recommendations on ways to reduce risk of a sexual assault:

1. Avoid Dangerous Situations

Don’t let alcohol or other drugs cloud your judgment. Most law enforcement calls on sexual assaults occur at parties involving drugs and alcohol.

Trust your instincts — if a situation or place makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, leave.

Be aware of your surroundings. Knowing where you are and who is around you may help you to find a way to get out of a bad situation.

Try to avoid isolated areas or being alone. It is more difficult to get help if no one is around.

Walk with purpose. Even if you don’t know where you are going, act like you do.

2. Safety Planning

Make sure your cell phone is with you and charged and that you have money.

Don’t leave your drink unattended. If you leave your drink alone, get a new one. Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know or trust.

Have a code word with friends or family so that if you don’t feel comfortable, you can call them and communicate your discomfort without the person you are with knowing. Your friends or family can then come to get you or make up an excuse for you to leave.

Be conscious of exits or other escape routes.

Think about options for transportation (cab, car, bus, train, etc.)

Avoid putting music headphones in both ears so that you can be more aware of your surroundings, especially if you are walking alone.

3. Your Home

Make sure all doors (don’t forget sliding glass doors) and windows have sturdy, well-installed locks, and use them. Install a wide-angle peephole in the door. Keep entrances well-lit.

Never open your door to strangers. Offer to make an emergency call while someone waits outside. Check the identification of sales or service people before letting them in. Don’t be embarrassed to phone for verification.

Be wary of isolated spots — apartment laundry rooms, underground garages, parking lots, offices after business hours. Walk with a friend, co-worker, or security guard, particularly at night.

Know your neighbors, so you have someone to call or go to if you’re uncomfortable or frightened.

If you come home and see a door or window open, or broken, don’t go in. Call the police from a cell phone, public phone or a neighbor’s phone.

4. Outdoors

Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night. Stay in well-traveled, well-lighted areas.

Wear clothes and shoes that give you freedom of movement.

Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions; if you answer, keep your distance from the car.

Have your key ready before you reach the door-home, car, or office.

If you think you’re being followed, change direction and head for open stores, restaurants, theaters, or a house with its lights on.

5. Your Car

Look around and under your car and in the back seat before you get in.

If your car breaks down, lift the hood, lock the doors, and turn on your flashers. Call police on a cell phone, or use a Call Police banner or flares.

If someone stops, roll the window down slightly and ask the person to call the police or a tow service.

Don’t hitchhike, ever. And don’t ever pick up a hitchhiker.

6. If the Unthinkable Happens — Your Goal is to Survive

Scream and make a scene. Be rude, Make noise to discourage your attacker from following.

Alert those around you if you are threatened.

If you become a victim of a crime and you should call the police. The sooner you tell, the greater the chances the rapist will be caught. But if you are uncomfortable about calling the police, contact a rape crisis center.

Soroptimist International South Lake Tahoe wrote two $10,000 checks on Wednesday to local organizations.

Tahoe Youth & Family Services received a grant for its Tahoe Collaborative Mentoring Project with Lake Tahoe Boys and Girls Club, a project that will offer site-based, academic focused mentoring services in a variety of areas to all Lake Tahoe youth.

Live Violence Free (formerly South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center) received a grant for the Girls Empowerment Retreat, a two-day all-inclusive program designed to provide confidence and skills to girls in transition from elementary to middle school, and middle to high school.

Much of Soroptimist’s annual Community Grants Program is possible because of the money generated from the annual wine tasting in November.

Barsotti Books and the Barsotti family have release an updated version of Joan Barsotti’s book “Okei-san: A Girl’s Journey, Japan to California, 1868-1871″.

Written by Joan Barsotti, the book will be the focus of the inaugural El Dorado READS program. The program will be available to all fourth-grade classrooms in El Dorado County. The “El Dorado Reads Okei-san” project will run from April 9 through May 30.

As part of the program, all schools will have the opportunity to apply for grant funds from the Joan Barsotti Foundation Fund at the El Dorado Community Foundation for a field trip to visit the Wakamatsu Tea & Silk Colony Farm – which is the site of the Okei-san story. The Wakamatsu Colony Farm, recently acquired and now managed by the American River Conservancy, is located in the Gold Hill area, a mile south of Coloma and the Marshall Gold State Historic Park. The farm was settled by Japanese colonists from Aizu Wakamatsu in July 1869, and is believed to be the first Japanese colony in North America. t also contains the gravesite of Okei Ito, the first Japanese woman buried on American soil. It is the birthplace of the first naturalized Japanese-American, and is the only settlement established by samurai outside of Japan. In large part to its significance in Japanese-American relations, the site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the property, students will be able to walk in Okei’s footsteps. Events will include touring the farm house where Okei lived, hiking up Okei’s favorite hill, and learning about the variety of swords used in Japan during the period before Okei left her home for California. Students will also learn about the art of calligraphy. Additional presentations are being planned.