More than two dozen law enforcement agencies throughout Nevada will be joining forces to crack down on drivers exceeding speed limits or driving aggressively through July 30.

Speeding is a contributing factor in approximately one-third of fatal crashes on the nation’s roadways. Exceeding the speed limit is considered aggressive driving just as weaving in and out of traffic, passing in emergency lanes or along the shoulder and failing to yield to other motorists.

According to officials, the consequences of driving too fast include:

·       Greater potential for loss of vehicle control

·       Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment

·       Increased stopping distance when the driver perceives a danger

·       Increased degree of crash severity leading to more debilitating injuries

·       Unexpected economic and psychological implications of a speed-related crash.

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe’s dog descriptions read less like a list of stats, and more like a friendly dating site, thanks to a recent move to drop breed labels.

Potential adopters may find that Lily is a “fun-loving and energetic girl with a lot of love to share,” while Sherman’s favorite activity is “going on long nature hikes with you.” But what they won’t find are specific breed labels.

The goal is to make sure adopters are picking dogs that are the right fit for them and their families, regardless of breed.

The majority of dogs in shelters are of mixed breed.

For more information about adopting a dog or cat from the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, go online.

The 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport is fun to drive. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

I remarked in several recent Road Beats that Honda was on a roll. After testing this new Honda Civic Hatchback Sport, I have to report that the roll is accelerating and rather quickly.

Here is a car with loads of utility, outstanding performance, great fuel economy, superb handling and good comfort for a sticker price of $22,135 with the boat ride from Swindon, Wiltshire, England. (Don’t they have some great names in England?)

Not only was the new Civic Hatch Sport built in England, the engine comes from Thailand and the 6-speed manual cog swapper was assembled in India. It’s a world-class car right out of the box.

Civic’s new design is its best yet; sleek and stylish with a long character line emphasizing its muscle and strong flanks. The grille is a little big, but the car’s substantial width of 71 inches not only improves handling, but enhances its aggressive stance.

Powering up this Hatchback Sport is a more powerful version of its new 1.5L DOHC, 16 valve, direct injected turbo inline four. Belting out 180 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 177 pounds of twist from 1,900-5,000 rpm, it bests all Civic engines by at least 6 hp and 15 pounds of twist. It is also more powerful than the 180 hp more expensive and top of the line Sport Touring model in that the Sport gets its peak hp 500 rpm earlier and retains the 15-pound torque advantage. However, the Sport when equipped with Honda’s superb CVT (instead of the manual six-speeder in my tester) has the identical engine output numbers as the Sport Touring model.

Specifications
Engine
1.5L turbocharged, direct injected, DOHC, 16 valve inline four cylinder 180 hp @ 5,500 rpm
177 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,900-5,000 rpm
Redline 6,500 rpm
Fuel requirement both engines regular unleaded
Transmission
Six speed manual
CVT
Configuration
Transverse mounted front engine/front wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 106.3 inches
Length 177.9 inches
Width 70.8 inches
Height 56.3 inches
Track (f/r) 60.5/61.1 inches
Weight 2,871
Weight distribution (f/r) 60/40
Fuel capacity 12.39 gallons
Trunk capacity 22.6 cubic feet
Passenger volume 97.2 cubic feet
Wheels 18X7.5 inch alloys
Tires 235/40X18W
Steering lock to lock 2.11 turns
Turning circle 37.8 feet
Performance
0-60 mph 6.99 seconds
50-70 mph 3.80 seconds
50-70 mph up a 6-7 % grade 5.07 seconds
Top speed 130 mph easy
Fuel economy EPA rated at 30/39/33 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 36 mpg overall and 45 plus mpg on the highway at legal speeds.

Performance for the Hatch Sport was excellent for a compact with a 0-60 mph time of 6.99 seconds and 50-70 mph passing times (level and uphill) of 3.80 and 5.07 seconds. But here is where it gets interesting, the 180 hp CVT tranny model does better as it posted times of 6.48, 3.42 and 4.63 seconds, an improvement of about half a second in each category. The engine is incredible smooth and quiet, at least on the inside as it has, centered under the rear bumper, a set of menacing paired exhausts. But there is more.

Civic sips fuel and through a narrow straw at that. EPA rates the Sport manual at 30/39/33 mpg city/highway/combined. As usual, those numbers are very conservative as in 350 miles of driving, including all performance testing, it averaged 36.6 mpg. On a level highway with the cruise set at 70 mph its two-way average was 46.1 mpg. A round trip over the Sierra to Lake Tahoe averaged 41.6 mpg. But here again, the CVT outperforms the manual with an overall average of 38.5 mpg and a highway average 50.7 mpg. Fuel capacity for the new Civic is smaller at 12.4 gallons, but even with that small tank, highway range is a comfortable 400 miles, when most people need a pit stop anyway. Unless you crave right arm, left foot exercise, spend the grand or so for the CVT. My test numbers clearly demonstrate the efficiency of new Honda CVT tranny. Best CVT in the business.

Civic Hatch Sport gets the same big meats as the Sport Touring Civic, 235/40 mounted on some good looking 18 inch blacked out alloys. Suspension is small car state of the art MacPherson Struts up front and a multilink system in the rear with stab bars at both ends. Track is a wide 61 inches front and rear while the steering is a go-kart like 2.1 turns lock to lock. And, yes, it goes around corners and changes directions like water in a hose. Civic Hatch Sport tips the scales at less than 2,900 pounds and the CVT adds less than 70 pounds which also helps in all aspects of handling. Feedback and feel are near perfect with a very crisp turn-in and great off and on center feel. It definitely rivals the Mazda 3 and then some.

The ride is very smooth, quiet and supple. You could do some serious traveling in this ride. More on that later. The CVT brings another advantage, lower rpms at cruise as the manual spins 2,700 at 60 mph and the CVT spins a very low 1,900 which makes the CVT perhaps a skooch quieter and improves the highway fuel economy as reflected above.

Safety is standard on the Hatch Sport as in all Hondas with four-wheel disc brakes, ABS and all the other acronyms, plenty of airbags, backup camera, LED DRLs and more. But things like lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, auto high beams are not available. Most of these items are optional or standard on other model Civics. This is a driver’s car.

Inside are some comfortable seats and a surprising amount of room. The trunk of the hatchback has a volume of over 22 cubic feet and with the second row folded flat that volume more than doubles. In fact, when you combine the 97.2 cubic feet of passenger volume, this Civic is less than a half a cubic foot shy of a large car volume as defined by the EPA and giving the Civic awesome utility.

Instruments are all business, big tach, with a digital speedo inset, flanking graphic ancillary gauges and a trip computer. Perfect. Materials are all first rate as you would expect from Honda and the rear seating is good with the four doors.

But the Civic Hatch Sport is more basic. It has everything you need and not much else. Power windows and mirrors are standard of course as is the AM/FM fine sounding stereo with media connections and Bluetooth with steering wheel controls. No Sirrus/xm, no Nav. This Hatch Sport is geared more to the enthusiast driver who is looking for an inexpensive, entertaining daily driver.

Civic Hatch Sport does it all while being very entertaining in the drive, offering good comfort, great performance, fabulous fuel economy and its utility and roominess.

Pricing for the Civic Hatchback Sport is one size fits all, $21,300 plus $835 for the Atlantic crossing. Floor mats and a full tank of gas are part of the deal. Don’t ask for less and you don’t need more. This Civic moves (quickly at that) to the top of the class.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.

South Lake Tahoe will be hosting the 2nd annual Public Safety Appreciation Day on Sept. 7 from 5-7:30pm at Lakeview Commons. 

Festivities will include a local live band, barbecue, a thank you card making station and blue ribbons to tie around the trees at Lakeview Commons as a visual way to say thank you.

This is a multi-agency event including:

·        Calfire

·        California Highway Patrol

·        Douglas County Sheriff’s Department

·        El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department (including STAR and search and rescue)

·        Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Department

·        FBI (South Lake Tahoe Division)

·        Lake Valley Fire Protection District

·        South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue

·        South Lake Tahoe Police Department

·        Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District

·        U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

By Barbara Pidermann

Mental noise can affect the ability to concentrate and often contributes to anxiety. This continuous inner conversation in your head can be particularly bothersome at bedtime or when waking in the middle of the night.

Here are a couple tricks to calm or turn off mental noise when trying to sleep.

1. Plan ahead. Before going to bed, grab a pad of paper and write down anything that is bothering you right then or that you think may be of concern if you wake in the middle of the night. Even the smallest things seem out of proportion at 3am as you toss and turn. 

If you do wake up at 3am or have difficulty falling asleep, remind yourself that the list is there, it isn’t going anywhere, and you will tackle it in the morning. Say to yourself: “That problem is on the list and I will take care of it in the morning.”

2. Tame your monkey mind. Buddha described the human mind as being filled with off-the-wall monkeys jumping around from tree to tree and chattering endlessly. He named it the monkey mind.

To quiet mental noise, try to tame your monkey mind. Befriend your monkey and ask it to complete a task.  For example, say to your monkey mind: “Hello monkey, please watch my breathing. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.” Or put your monkey in charge of progressive relaxation. If your monkey mind is busy with a job assignment, it won’t keep chattering.  

Practice both techniques. You can do them anytime you need to turn off the mental noise and focus.  Sweet dreams. 

Barbara Pidermann, DNP, FNP is a primary care provider at Barton Family Medicine in South Lake Tahoe.

By Kathryn Reed

Seeking justice isn’t what Joe Talbert was after. He just wanted an interesting subject for one of his college classes. He got that and then some when he chose convicted child murder Carl Iverson.

As a former defense attorney Allen Eskens has an authenticity with the criminal details that many writers struggle with.

“The Life We Bury” (Seventh Street Books, 2014) isn’t your ordinary crime novel. There is depth to it on multiple levels. The title is apropos in that most people are more than what appears on the surface; we all have a past, just some are more interesting than others.

Relationships are one of the key aspects of this book. Some are developed better than others, but all have relevance.

The book starts out full of clichés and is a bit overwritten, but then Eskens settles in to a good rhythm. The ending is a bit rushed; where it seems like the author just wants to be done.

But the meat of the book is well written and intriguing. There is enough substance to keep wanting to turn the pages.

“The Life We Bury” was July’s book club book. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the meeting to know what my friends thought of it.

While this genre won’t be for everyone, it is a good, fast read.

By Alene Dawson, Los Angeles Times
 
The sizzling summer sun doesn’t have to keep you from enjoying California’s great outdoors, but be smart about it.

Even though there’s growing awareness about the damage sun rays can cause, the rates of melanoma have been rising for the last 30 years, said David Andrews, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit agency that specializes in research and advocacy.

One factor is that sunscreen’s efficacy isn’t just about using it — but how you use it.

Read the whole story

Truckee Cultural District has been selected as one of California’s premier state-designated cultural districts.

Truckee joins 13 other districts that will launch the innovative new program highlighting thriving cultural diversity and unique artistic identities within California.

A cultural district, as outlined by the program, is a well-defined geographic area with a high concentration of cultural resources and activities. The 14 districts that comprise the program’s first cohort were selected with variety in mind, intended to help tailor the program to meet the complex needs of a state kaleidoscopic in nature. 

The Truckee Cultural District is organized by a partnership between the town of Truckee, Truckee Public Arts Commission, Truckee Chamber of Commerce, with support from Truckee Arts Alliance and the Nevada County Arts Council. 

Over the years Truckee has attracted and grown a vibrant, entrepreneurial, artistic community which has birthed over a dozen art galleries and exhibit spaces, created continuous year-round artistic and cultural events, inspired numerous public art pieces across town, and most recently created the 3,000 square foot makerspace that offers the community a place to learn, build and practice a wide variety of art and creative skills. As part of the application process, the partners created an online inventory which highlights over one hundred existing cultural assets, including venues, organizations, activities, events, and historic sites. T

Truckee Cultural District will receive the designation for  five years per state legislation. Designation, under this pilot launch of the program, includes benefits such as technical assistance, peer-to-peer exchanges, and branding materials and promotional strategy. The California Arts Council has partnered with Visit California and Caltrans for strategic statewide marketing and resource support.

The 16th annual Brews, Jazz and Funk Fest returns to the Village at Squaw Valley on Aug. 12-13.

There will be craft beers from breweries located in California and beyond.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, a nonprofit dedicated to saving and improving the lives of animals. Last year more than $13,000 was raised.

The festival will take place from 2-8pm each day; cost is $5 to enter. Tickets for 16 ounce beers are also $5 each.

By Kathryn Reed

The lake or the pool? This should be the most difficult question to answer on vacation.

Out the window I could see both. After a hot hike it was time to cool off, but not freeze. The pool was the answer.

While this particular get-away was just for a night, it was still a mini vacation for me and AJ. We’re pretty much of the philosophy that if a hotel room is involved, it means work is secondary. 

She was perfectly content to rest on the large bed provided for her by Hotel Azure. She even had a bowl in the room with treats when we came in. (Dogs are $25/night extra.)

The pool at Hotel Azure is open year round. Photo/Kathryn Reed

This centrally located hotel in South Lake Tahoe recently underwent a $3.5 million renovation to provide guests with a more contemporary look and features – such as plenty of plugs for electronic gadgets. Reclaimed redwood covers one wall, giving it a woodsy feel. The grey-blue-brown color scheme is relaxing.

While the hotel is not right on the water, Lake Tahoe is directly across the street. It was wonderful to be able be in the room at sunset to see the colors dance across the lake. Rooms come with a balcony or patio; I was too lazy to go there.

Minor things that hotel designers often overlook were not at Hotel Azure. It’s actually possible to read in the bath tub because there is a light overhead. And a full length mirror is always appreciated (not always supplied).

It was nice to grab the comfy robe and head to the pool, which is heated year round. The hot tubs are like two in one with how the water from the upper one tumbles into the lower one. An added perk is that it’s accessible until 11pm, an hour later than most hotels.                                                 

A multi-million dollar remodel at Hotel Azure included making the rooms contemporary. Photo/Kathryn Reed

I thought staying above the pool/hot tub area might be excessively noisy, but on a Thursday night that was not the case.

With no glass allowed in the pool area, it would have been nice to have had plastic cups in the room. The front desk was able to supply me with a paper coffee cup and they opened my bottle of beer since I forgot to bring an opener.

Most people think of the Stateline area as the place to stay if you don’t want to get in your car again. Hotel Azure is proving it can offer that same amenity.

Nearby are several restaurants to choose from. Dinner at MacDuff’s was delightful on the patio, while breakfast on the lawn at Bear Beach Café was also good.

The hotel owners, who are from the Bay Area, also own the land where the café is located, as well as the bowling alley on the same street. They have had the property since 1976. The rooms in the building near the pool were added in 1985. All together there are 99 units.

It’s possible to walk to Lakeview Commons or even Ski Run Marina. For those who want to get places a little faster, bikes are available for free at the hotel. (Snowshoes are provided in winter.) This mode of transport expands the offerings even further. (There is bike and ski storage for those who bring their own toys.)

A workout room as well as a game room offer other ways to spend time on property.

The 3,850-square-foot event center that opened in March 2003 has never had many bookings because of its size – a capacity of 100. Going forward the hotel owners will not be taking reservations for this facility after October. They are still deciding if it will be leased to someone or be sold. (Prior to being an events center it was a Pizza Hut.)

It’s nice that there are no hidden extra costs, as in resort fees. Plus, parking is free.