American Buddhist monk Venerable Sumati Marut returns to Mountain Yoga in South Lake Tahoe April 6 from 7-9pm with his talk “Aspiration and Acceptance: When to Work Hard and When to Relax in the Spiritual Life.”

Marut has been teaching in the Lake Tahoe area on a regular basis for more than five years. Marut will address the deeply intimate and often difficult relationship between discipline and relaxation in a spiritual practice.

Phone: (530) 542.5050

Contact: David Fishman at davidbfishman@gmail.com

Website: www.mountain-yoga.com.

Cost: By donation only

California Highway Patrol is offering a Spanish version of the Winter Driving Safety & Survival Class. Winter Driving Safety & Survival is aimed at helping educate all drivers about the hazards of winter driving. The class was created in an effort to preemptively reduce the incidence of injuries and deaths resulting from winter-related motor vehicle collisions and incidents.

With the use of still photographs and videos, the officer in attendance will address drinking and driving, winter preparation, snow tires, speed limits, snow chain installation, anti-lock braking systems, stopping distances, restraint use and more. This class will be conducted in Spanish and does not offer any behind the wheel training.

The class will be March 22 at Bijou Elementary School in South Lake Tahoe and is free. Class is from 6-8pm.

This class is highly recommended for new drivers, drivers unfamiliar with winter driving conditions and drivers wishing to learn more about driving during the winter season.

By Kathryn Reed

After being in the business of chronicling the lives of those on the South Shore since the 1960s, Laine Photolabs is about to close shop.

“It provided me, for 20 years, the lifestyle I needed. I needed complete control of my time,” Brooke Laine said. It meant being able to raise her kids without interference from a boss and serve the community as a member of the South Lake Tahoe City Council.

But it was also a business she inherited from her parents and not one she would have necessarily picked.

“Running a business I’m quite good at. Photography was never my cup of tea,” Laine said.

The 1982 South Tahoe High grad returned to town in 1990 to take over the business.

For the last three years she has been working at Bank of the West. This is something she will continue to do. What else the future holds for the 46-year-old remains to be seen.

The contract with Lake Tahoe Unified School District ends this school year. Laine will shoot America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride in June.

She said the decision to close was not difficult.

“I’ve been looking forward to it,” Laine said. “I’m totally excited about moving on.”

She said it’s not a coincidence the contract with LTUSD expires the same year her youngest son graduates from high school.

The retail end was shuttered in 2007. The agreement between she and her parents was the family name would not be sold, thus the reason for closing the business and not selling it.

The early years

Ed and Del Laine arrived here through different routes. He in 1957 with his first wife. After divorcing he stayed at the lake. Del started coming here as a toddler each summer with her family. She still spends her summers at the cabin off South Upper Truckee Road.

They met through a children’s theater project Del was spearheading. Ed volunteered to do carpentry work on the set. They got engaged, married and raised three daughters and a son here.

For a spell Ed was advertising director at the Tahoe Daily Tribune. Del wrote columns for the paper about skiing, hiking, bowling, fishing, gossip and other activities. In 1967 the couple left the Tribune to open Laine Associates.

“We did primarily advertising. Photography was a component of that. It evolved and Ed became more interested in photography,” said Del, who turns 80 Saturday. “The difficulty was the seasonality.”

In the early days the Laines made their money in seven months and ran up the bills the other five. Del often worked at home doing the books as she tended to their offspring. Ed supplemented their income by teaching photography for nine years at Lake Tahoe Community College.

“In the beginning I think it was rough. For some reason or another we made it. We were able to grow into wedding work and portrait work,” Ed, 78, said. “We put a studio together. The wedding business was our main stay.

“I never liked a lot of my work. I was never satisfied with it,” Ed said. “Maybe I was wrong in being overly judgmental. A lot of artists are like that.”

Changing direction

The one-hour photo business became a reality when they moved from South Lake to Round Hill in 1989. They incorporated and created Laine Photolabs Inc.

“Our lawyer made (Photolabs) one word, which was a mistake,” Brooke said.

They sold film, camera bags and batteries — but never cameras. In the late 1990s they began transitioning into digital photography.

The wedding business began to change as digital cameras cropped up. Everyone began to think they could take a picture as well as a professional and the business became diluted with wannabe professionals.

Brooke was more than ready to stop taking wedding photos. Cranky people and having to dress for the occasion are some of the reasons she was glad to move out of that genre.

“We decided we would transition from wedding to sports photography. That was my decision,” Brooke said. “I was a mother with kids. I wanted to be where they were. They were in sports.”

Her computer background made the digital work an easy leap. They bought a processing machine in 2000. Though the upfront costs were expensive, it didn’t take long to see a savings.

For a time father and daughter ran the business as equal partners. Then Ed worked a few days a week before calling it quits for good.

Brooke’s children have worked at the lab during the summer, but neither has a desire to carry on the family business.

“Brooke was the mainstay. She did one tremendous job in terms of public relations and fairness,” Ed said. “She is such a fair person. The business was respected from that standpoint.”

A collection of photos

It’s not just memories of vacations that came through the lab. Law enforcement had Laine Photolabs develop pictures.

Nothing was put in the trash. It was either destroyed or given back to the agency. This way no one could dig through garbage cans for evidence.

Confidentiality was a huge part of the business. Most of the crime work was done at night so a customer couldn’t walk in.

Brooke said she would try to inspect the photo for quality and ignore the image as best she could.

Easier photographs to deal with are from schools. Brooke approached LTUSD in 2003 about doing school shots. She bid on the project, got a one-year contract that turned into a multi-year contract.

Community events, lawsuits, weddings, the development of Tahoe Keys — it’s all part of Laine Photolabs’ history.

“We have a huge legacy of photographs which chronicle that era,” Del said of the city’s early years.

The family isn’t sure where the photos will go, but possibly one day to the local historical society.

For many youth growing up in South Lake Tahoe, being able to go snowboarding is only an item on their wish list. For five weeks, that wish came true for 24 sixth- through 12th-graders because of the collaborative efforts and generosity of SOS Outreach program, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, Vail Corporation, Matt Grodzik, Heavenly Ski and Snowboard School and Red Hut Cafe.

Zuleyma Martinez and Joselyn Rodriquez. Photo/Provided

Each week the participants were greeted by Heavenly coaches, SOS coordinator Cara Kauffman, and Boys & Girls Club volunteers to enjoy a day of riding and camaraderie.

The program was facilitated through the Boys & Girls Club and is just one example of the local club providing quality programs and services.

One of 4,200 clubs nationally, the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe is funded through local efforts including grants, donations and fund raising. All donations made to the local club support our local youth.

For more information contact www.bgclt.org.

By Kathryn Reed

Laramie, Wyoming, and South Lake Tahoe, California, have more in common than the latter would probably like to admit.

The populations are about the same. Both are small Western towns. Both have snowcapped mountains to look at this time of year. One relied on the railroad and now mostly ranching, the other had logging and now tourism as the economic heartbeat.

Panelists discuss "The Laramie Project" and hate in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Hate crimes is the sinister link.

Laramie, for what two men did in Matthew Shepard in 1998. They beat him to death because he was gay.

South Lake Tahoe, for what a local couple did to two tourists in 2007. Last week they were convicted of the brutal beating of the Indian-American man at El Dorado Beach.

Hatred is alive in Lake Tahoe. Ethan Niven has been a victim for years. It started when he was a freshman at South Tahoe High School. At 20, the homosexual taunts have continued in town.

He and six others were part of a panel discussion Sunday after the matinee performance of “The Laramie Project” at Lake Tahoe Community College.

(The play is based on how the town of Laramie dealt with Shepard’s killing.)

Joining Niven were Robert Autre and Alisa Bindel, both of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department; Lisa Utzig-Schafer of South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center; businessman and City Councilman Jerry Birdwell; FBI agent Chris Campion; and Matt Huckabay with the Center for Violence Free Relationships in Placerville.

“I was scared to try out for this play,” Niven, who is a student at LTCC, told the audience. He and the nine other actors each play a variety of roles.

Campion pointed to 2004 when Nazi graffiti littered Temple Bat Yam.

“We don’t want to think it happens in our community and it does,” Campion said of hate crimes.

Birdwell spoke of how when he was appointed as a judge in Texas that he and his partner had security living with them because they were openly gay. Death threats were multiple. Property was destroyed. Their home and work picketed.

“In 1969, when I started practicing law the hate in Dallas, Texas, was tremendous. We made progress just by working,” Birdwell said. “People were afraid of losing their jobs and they still are. When we moved here we didn’t see the hatred.”

Much of the afternoon’s discussion, with input from those in attendance, centered on the need for education inside and outside of the classroom.

“Think about the power of community. The bottom line is it really isn’t about being right, but the values we share as a community,” Huckabay said. “We can all agree it is not OK for kids to be unsafe at school.”

Utzig-Schafer spoke of the curriculum she takes into the schools, with this being the first school year an 11-week segment on violence is being taught to freshmen.

Niven didn’t have anything good to say about how his situation was handled at the high school – by staff, administration or law enforcement.

Alex Boyar, a friend of Niven’s who was in the audience, spoke to the need for educating youth as prevention so laws like the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crime Act that was passed in October don’t have to be used by prosecutors.

Apparently the education needs to start at the college. Unbeknownst to director Susan Boulanger until after Saturday night’s performance was a group of LTCC students taunting the actors.

Utzig-Shafer said that as enthusiastic as students are with what she has to teach, it has to continue at home.

“You need to talk to your kids. There are a lot of things going on at the high school,” she said.

Huckabay said, “Education is key, but we have to educate ourselves. If you really care, then you have to get involved otherwise the status quo continues.”

A white South Tahoe High School sophomore attending the play said he believes Hispanic students get more help with harassment.

To this, Autre said, “Our officers try to be racially sensitive.”

Jen Gurecki, an attendee, asked what was going to be done about the planned protest on March 19 by the Kansas Westboro Baptist Church followers.

The college has hired a police officer to be on duty. Peaceful protests are in the works starting at 7pm March 19. Campion said he doubts they’ll show, but said the First Amendment protects their right to protest the play. Huckabay called it an opportunity.

“They best thing is to fill this theater,” Huckabay said. “The thing you can do is be proactive. Have fun with them. It’s not new to use religion as a tactic to keep people down and oppressed. Show them the hypocrisy.”

A candlelight vigil is planned for March 20 following the performance.

“The Laramie Project” will be at the Duke Theatre at LTCC in South Lake Tahoe on March 18, 19, 20 at 7:30pm and March 21 at 2pm.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department will be conducting a DUI-driver’s license checkpoint on St. Patrick’s Day from 9pm to 1am along Lake Tahoe Boulevard.

In an effort to reduce the number of people killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.

Traffic volume and weather permitting, all vehicles may be checked on March 17 and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will be arrested.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The opportunity for citizens to submit their names for possible nomination for the 2010-11 Grand Jury is now available.

The grand jury acts as an investigative body to ensure that county, special district, and city government is being effectively run. The grand jury is not a jury for a trial. The judges of the Superior Court shall select names from those submitted, as well as other nominees, and currently seated grand jurors who wish to be held over, to be put into the jury pool. Nineteen jurors are then selected in a random drawing from this pool. Jurors serve for a period of one year. Final selection will take place the end of June and you must be present.

The El Dorado County Grand Jury generally meets two or more times per month to conduct its regular business. In addition to the monthly business meeting, members frequently meet in committee meetings to study particular concerns and problems. Each grand jury sets its own meeting schedule.

Jurors are also called upon to confer with government officials and other citizens in order to gain information and insight as to the matters that are under investigation. While being a grand juror is not a full-time job, it does require a substantial time commitment. This time includes attendance at the monthly business meetings and committee meetings, investigating, and preparing written reports.

Meetings are compensated at the maximum rate of $15 per day of meeting, plus a mileage expense is compensated at the rate payable to employees of El Dorado County for each mile actually and necessarily traveled for purposes of said sessions or committee work. No other compensation is provided.

The grand jury is an excellent vehicle for committed men and women to keep government close to and responsible to all of our county;s citizens. Applicants must be Untied States citizens, at least 18 years of age, have resided in the county for at least one year at the time of the swearing-in date, and cannot hold an elected office.

Qualified citizens who have an interest in this type of service may pick up an application form at the Superior Court, 495 Main St., Placerville. The application is also available online at www.edcgov.us/grandjury or call (530) 621.6451 and request an application/questionnaire to be mailed to you.

May 7 is the deadline for submitting your application for grand jury service. Submit to the El Dorado County Superior Court, attn: Holly Warren, Judicial Secretary, 495 Main St., Placerville, CA 95667.

Auditions for the musical “Footloose” are April 6 at 7pm at Duke Theater, Lake Tahoe Community College.

One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn’t prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise the control over the town’s youth that he cannot command in his own home. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges is of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score (the soundtrack album reached number one on the Billboard charts and has sold over 15 million copies!) and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, FOOTLOOSE celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

Performances are June-7-14.

By Jon Chown, Register Pajaronian

Boxes are used to store just about everything under the sun, so with the growing problem of plastic water bottles polluting our parks, ocean, beaches and communities, why isn’t water being sold in boxes?

The idea dawned on Watsonville resident Dean Bassi about two years ago and when he shared it with his wife, Michele, she agreed. Today, Michele is preparing for this weekends Natural Product Expo West in Anaheim, where she will unveil her new product H20 Box.

Read the whole story

Wrapping up its “America – 40th Anniversary Tour,” musical sensation America opens the Lake Tahoe Music Festival’s season July 22 at West End Beach at Donner Lake. Combining folk-jazz elements and slinky Latin-leaning percussions, America continues to please its loyal fan base while attracting new a generation of music lovers.

Leading off the festival’s 28th season, America is the first of the festival’s six concerts taking place July 22–Aug. 7 at scenic venues throughout North Lake Tahoe and Truckee.

Capable of transcending borders with its uplifting music and positive message, America, who has six gold and/or platinum albums, will fill the summer evening with its best-known tunes like “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister Golden Hair” – all staples on the ’70s Billboard charts.

Attracting first-, second- and third-generation fans, America’s extraordinary musical legacy of exceptionally crafted pop and rock songs trademark lush lyrical landscapes that will make for one of the summer’s most spectacular performances.

Tickets are $38.75 for general seating and $50.75 preferred. They go on sale March 15.

Additional concerts for the festival’s 2010 season highlight R&B, jazz, pop, Broadway, and orchestra. Tickets, ranging from $25-$63, are available for purchase online at www.TahoeMusic.org, by phone at (530) 583.3101 or at the Music Festival office, located at 10775 Pioneer Trail, Suite 210 in Truckee Monday through Friday 8am-5pm.

For more information about the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, click here or call (530) 583.3101.