Ride quality of the Veloster is firm with good compliance over the rough stuff. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

Veloster, which is still in its first generation starting life as a 2012 model, got a shot in the arm recently with the installation of the new Hyundai 1.6L direct injected turbo and a new seven-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission.

Veloster is hard to categorize, it is a three door with two right side doors and a single driver’s door on the left. It is in reality a sub-compact car at just 167-inches long, but it rides on a compact car wheelbase of 104 inches and it is in effect a wide 71 inches. While looking like a wind cheater, its co-efficient of drag is 0.33.

By comparison the excellent Hyundai Elantra compact car which is 180 inches rides on a 106-inch wheelbase, only 2 inches longer than the Veloster. Other dimensions are in effect identical leading one to believe that the Veloster rides on a channeled Elantra chassis as the Veloster also uses the Elantra suspension components. But the Veloster’s body is anything but an Elantra with a very sporty, low slung body that catches everyone’s eye.  The question is will it meet a driver’s expectation of what it promises?

Yes, would be the short answer, especially with this new power train which appears to be also identical with the new Elantra Sport tested a few weeks ago. The Veloster however doesn’t get the Elantra Sport’s unique independent rear suspension but instead gets a coupled torsion beam semi- independent set up used in most other Elantra sedans.

Under that longest hood is the answer to the promise of the body, a 1.6L turbo, direct injected, DOHC, 16 valve inline silky smooth engine that belts out a big 201 hp at 6,000 rpm and 195 pounds of twist from 1,750-4,500 rpm. Without the turbo, the same 1.6L engine produces 132 hp at 6,300 rpm and 120 pounds of twist at 4,850 rpm which while more than adequate (it is 200 pounds lighter) will feel like the emergency brake is on when compared to the turbo.

Specifications
Price $22,6o0 to about $27,000
Engine
1.6L DOHC, 16 valve direct injected turbo inline four 201 hp @ 6,000 rpm,
195 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,500-4,500 rpm
1.6 DOHC, 16 valve, direct injected inline four 132 hp @ 6,300 rpm
120 lbs.-ft. of torque @4,850 rpm
Transmission
Six speed manual
Seven-speed dual clutch automated manual
Configuration
Transverse mounted front engine/front wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 104.3 inches
Length 167.3 inches
Width 71.1 inches
Height 55.1 inches
Track (f/r) 60.9/61.4 inches
Ground clearance 5.6 inches
Fuel capacity 13.2 gallons
Trunk capacity 15.5, rear seats down 34.7 cubic feet
Passenger cabin volume 89.8 cubic feet
Weight 2.877-2,998 pounds
Steering lock to lock 2.78 turns
Turning circle 34.12 feet
Wheels 18X7.5 inch alloys
Tires 225/40X18
Coefficient of drag 0.33
Performance
0-60 mph 6.34 seconds
50-70 mph 3.00 seconds
50-70 uphill 4.12 seconds
Top speed Well into triple digits
Fuel economy EPA rated at 25/33/28 (manual) mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 30 mpg in rural country driving with some stop and go. 34-35 mpg on the highway at legal speeds.

Performance is strong with the Veloster knocking down 0-60 mph in an almost world class number of 6.34 seconds. Passing performance is equally outstanding with a level 50-70 mph simulated run requiring exactly 3 seconds and the same run up a steep grade (6-7 percent) slows that time to 4.12 seconds. Those are very quick times, virtually identical to the times posted by the Elantra Sport with the same power train but with about 150 pounds less weight. Performance like this makes the Veloster turbo into a real sports car especially when considering the handling.

But there is no guilt penalty for all this performance. It is EPA rated at 25/33/28 mpg which is about two to three mpg better than the Elantra Sport (E. Sport) EPA numbers with the exact same power train with about that 150 less pounds. But the reality is that the Veloster actually returned while exceeding the EPA numbers, three to four less mpg than the E. Sport which actually exceeding the EPA numbers by at least five-eight mpg.  Veloster averaged 32.6 mpg in my Placerville to Carson City and back Sierra round trip. On the highway at 70 mph on cruise control in a two-way run the Veloster averaged 34.6 mpg. Overall fuel economy averaged 30 mpg. I have no reason to understand the E. Sport’s better fuel economy although their fuel economy was identical as measured by a fill-up at about 200 miles in Carson City which included vehicle testing and almost identical driving for both cars. Interestingly the fuel tank of 13.2 gallons is about a gallon smaller than the E. Sport.

We already know that the Veloster doesn’t get the fully independent rear set up of the Elantra Sport, but the fact is that after experiencing the well-tuned coupled beam semi-independent holding up the rear with huge 225/40 x 18 series tires on 18 x 7.5 inch alloys the difference between to two is imperceptible even in hard, aggressive driving. Wheel track of 61 inches is also identical to the E. Sport. The electric power steering rack has as with the Elantra Sport, excellent feel although it is a bit slower with 2.78 turns lock to lock instead of the very quick 2.6 turns on the E. Sport. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Veloster Turbo on Club and higher racing circuits in numbers soon if not already. Veloster is water through a hose in doing the twisties. With a 34-foot turning circle, small, tight maneuvers are a snap.

Ride quality is firm with good compliance over the rough stuff. As with the E. Sport, it has identical gear ratios with the engine turning a bit high 2,700 rpm at 70 mph. But is still quite quiet with respect to interior noise with no engine, tire or wind noise except for the raucous and racy exhaust when hard in the throttle which most buyers will welcome, if not desire. It does sound good when the driver gets aggressive.

Besides the usual acronyms such as ABS, ESC and more, the Veloster uses the same four-wheel disc brakes found on the Elantra Sport which are powerful. It also comes with driver’s blind spot monitor and a backup camera with rear sensors. Projector headlights are very good in low and high beam.

Inside is bathed in leather with some trick two tone seats done in black perforated leather seating areas plus orange trimmed (Hyundai calls it Vitamin C as is the exterior color) that is embroidered with the word “turbo.” The IP is well done with a large tach and speedo separated by an information center/trip computer. The center stack was easy to use and included a 7-inch nav screen which doubled for radio and other functions.

That right side rear door is quite big and allows great access to the rear seating which is certainly adequate for two adults even in a trip for a few hours. I wouldn’t make a habit of that, but for short half hour rides, no problem. And then there is the hatchback cargo area which has 15.5 cubic feet with the rear seats up and turns into a minute 35 cubes with the rear seat down.

Pricing starts for this good hippest of sports car at about $18,100 and the value edition which has all the stuff this Turbo has for $21,350. But the Turbo and its engine makes this car and delivers the promise of its looks and starts at $22,600 which is only a $1,250 premium, a small price. Get the seven-speed dual clutch while you add it for an about an additional grand plus you will pick up a couple of mpg along the way. Total for my six-speeder manual with the Tech Package of $2,700 which added nav, a huge panoramic moon roof and more and the total with the obligatory carpeted floor mats ($125) and the boat trip from Ulsan, Korea, ($835) and my total was $26,260. That’s a lot of sport for the money.

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.

Mental Health Awareness Month kicks into gear on May 1.

Barton Health is involved with the following events:

• 4th Annual Mental Health Forum
  May 9: 8:30-11:30am
  Student Union at South Tahoe High School
  Join the South Lake Tahoe Community Mental & Behavioral Health Cooperative for updates and conversations about the state of mental health in South Lake Tahoe. Parents, caretakers, educators, coaches, therapists, clinicians, and volunteers are encouraged to attend.
• What is Mental Illness — presentation by Saul Zelan of Barton psychiatry
  May 10, 6-7pm
  Board room at Lake Tahoe Community College
  Learn more about the historical and current understandings of mental health along with how developing coping skills are critical in maintaining a healthy mental state.
• Suicide Support Group hosted by the Suicide Prevention Network
  May 25, 6pm
  2092 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Suite 400, South Lake Tahoe
  Find a safe space and healing support for coping with the shock and grief that accompany the loss of a loved one to suicide. This group meets monthly. New participants are welcome.
• The Connection Between Physical and Mental Health town hall hosted by Tahoe Regional Young Professionals
  May 31, 5:30pm
  Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe
  Learn how stress affects the body and find out non-pharmacological ways to improve mood and decrease stress. Parent
• Leadership Program Series
  May 6, 13, 20, and 27 (every Saturday in May) – 9am-12:30pm
  A Balanced Life, 2100 Eloise Ave., South Lake Tahoe
  A workshop designed to help parents build protective factors for their families using the evidence-informed Strengthening Families approach.

All events are free and open to the public. The 31-day challenge also features individual goals and activities. They range from leaving the cell phone at home on May 21 to practicing forgiveness on May 26.

The challenge’s full schedule can be found online.

Animal Coalition of Tahoe spay-neuter vouchers will be available at the El Dorado County Animal Services Shelter in Meyers beginning May 1.

An application, proof of local residency, and $25 check or money order must be submitted before a voucher that can be used at local veterinarians will be issued. Details are available online or by calling 530.307.3638. Applications are also available at Round Hill Animal Hospital, Alpine Animal Hospital, and Sports LTD.

Animal Coalition of Tahoe is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, founded in 2003, and run entirely by volunteers. ACT’s purpose is to raise funds to assist South Tahoe residents with the cost of spaying/neutering their dogs and cats, with the goal of reducing the number of unwanted pets in local shelters.

ACT also uses 10 percent of all funds raised to purchase much needed items for the Meyers animal shelter. Items including a washer and dryer, a bench for prospective adopters, and fencing for a dog run have been purchased.

ACT operates on donations, and sponsors fundraisers throughout the South Tahoe community to continue these programs. The next fundraiser will be Bowl for ACT on May 10 at Tahoe Bowl. Details available at ACT’s Facebook page or by calling 530.400.4766.

By Denise Crosby, Aurora Beacon-News
 
They came to see the survivor, of course.

The Little Theatre at East Aurora High School on Tuesday afternoon was overflowing with students from the Survivor Literature classes who wanted to hear firsthand how Jaycee Lee Dugard lived for 18 years as a prisoner in the backyard of her kidnapper and rapist.

Of how she gave birth to two daughters — not only managing to live through almost two decades of imprisonment and, at times, unimaginable sexual torture, but to later find forgiveness and normalcy.

First, however, Dugard wanted to hear from the East Aurora kids.

Read the whole story

By Kim Wyatt

“Commonwealth”

By Ann Patchett

HarperLuxe, 464 pages

One-line review: Dreamy scenes and strong characters illuminate family, human nature and how we become who we are.

In Ann Patchett’s sixth novel “Commonwealth,” a blended family struggles to survive marriage and childhood and make sense of it. The commonwealth in the title doesn’t refer to a nation or state, but to the family as a political unit with factions and truces and ceasefires and surrender. A skilled storyteller, Patchett lays honest sentences one on top of another making scenes that unfurl like flowers. I would recommend this book for the opening scene alone, in which adult desires shoot through a baby’s christening party like a bullet. Children and adults mingle until the ever-present Southern California oranges are juiced for cocktails and poured into small paper cups that kick the story into motion for generations to come.

Patchett is a compassionate author: She understands people and finds them mostly good, sometimes funny and often complicated. Parenting isn’t always easy. On a car trip, one young child’s annoying personality “fills the car like mustard gas.” Parents neglect to cut down an orange tree that fills with bees each spring, even though the son is allergic. Siblings give Benadryl to the youngest so he will go to sleep and they don’t have to watch him; it is these same siblings who later in life provide each other the greatest comfort.

The book begins in the 1960s and spans fifty years. The six step-siblings are shuttled back and forth between California and Virginia, and they display resiliency in varying degrees. The greatest pleasure in its pages comes through the interactions of the children—how they withhold, forgive and surprise each other over time. A nonlinear structure enhances the complicated pull of family, mimicking the film that nostalgia lays over memories—we don’t always remember things in order, nor do we recall events the same way. We do, however, remember the sting of emotions, and that is what drives this family to resolution.

The oranges resurface with a tragedy befalling the oldest child. Although this was handled in another one of Patchett’s dreamy extended scenes, one false note got me wondering about the efficacy and half life of a certain drug, but wasn’t enough to keep me from finishing. (And what would Chekov say of the gun that may or may not go off?)

“Commonwealth” will make you think of your childhood—the wondrous and the horrifying, the generosity and the missteps. After reading, I wanted to see my flawed but loving family and give each of them a hug. A neat trick from a seasoned author, and a satisfying read.

Kim Wyatt is the owner of the independent press Bona Fide Books in Meyers.

Participants in El Dorado County wellness center programs will have a chance to show off their artistic skills in the Each Mind Matters art exhibit hosted by the Tahoe Art League. 

The exhibit will take place at Lake Tahoe Community College May 1-5, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. 

The art that will be on display has been created through Art Angels, a program of the Tahoe Art League. Each Friday Charisse Sotto, a volunteer with TAL, teaches wellness center participants various techniques in artistic expression  Funded by the El Dorado Community Foundation and Barton Foundation, the program not only develops artistic skills, but also allows participants to focus on a positive, creative process that builds confidence and pride in their accomplishments.

The exhibit will be a juried event with renowned local artist and Lake Tahoe Community College art director Phyllis Shafer serving as jurist.

A public artists’ reception and awards ceremony will be May 1 starting at 6:30pm in the commons area of the college.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on April 26 gave Lake Spirit Awards to four people who have shown exceptional commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe by fostering a spirit of collaboration in their work and volunteer time.

This year’s winners are:

Exemplary Citizen North Shore: Karen Mullen-Ehly retired from a career with Washoe County Parks to bring her “get-it-done” attitude to numerous projects at Lake Tahoe, according to Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry, who nominated Mullen-Ehly.

South Shore: Karen Fink was a founding member of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, and continues to work on improving transportation and biking, as well as the amount of affordable housing at Lake Tahoe. She was the inspiration behind parents’ group Small World to engage busy parents to create a more peaceful, sustainable planet for all children, according to Rebecca Bryson, who nominated Fink.

Agency Representative/Environmental Scientist North Shore: Forest Schafer has worked for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District since 2003, working his way up from wildland firefighter to the district’s forester. Among his many responsibilities, Schafer serves as the incident commander for the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, which coordinates fuel reduction, fire prevention, and community engagement for 18 local, state, and federal entities in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

South Shore: Nicole Cartwright has been a part of Lake Tahoe’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program since it began in 2007 and has helped build it from a volunteer program into the “gold standard for prevention,” according to TRPA Aquatic Resources Program Manager Dennis Zabaglo, who nominated Cartwright.

Richard Jones

Richard T. Jones III passed away on April 23, 2017, at the age of 64.

He was a loving husband of Nora and they shared 40 years of marriage.

He moved to Tahoe because of his love for the beautiful lake. He made a point of seeing it every day. What he would say is, “I never get tired of looking at that lake.”

He was recognized in town by his white Dodge truck and his signature white long pony tail.

He is survived by his wife, Nora; son Richard IV (Brittney) Jones; daughter Caitlin (Floyd) Miller; and eight grandchildren Nya, Graham, Landon, Zadan, Rylen, Cru, Liam, and one boy coming in July; as well as his sister Lynn (Ken) Rodgers.

A visitation is scheduled at McFarlane Mortuary from 5-7pm on April 28. The funeral Mass will be said at St. Theresa Catholic Church on April 29 at 9am, with the burial to follow at Happy Homestead Cemetery.

State Sen. Ted Gaines, R-El Dorado, is hosting a video contest for high school and college undergraduates who reside in his district.

The theme is How American Exceptionalism Made California Golden.

Participants must create a two- to five-minute video using the theme. The videos may feature live people, stills, animation – whatever best conveys the message. The contest encourages students to reflect on California’s history and ponder what’s in store for the future.

Videos are due May 26. Two winners – one high school and one college – living in or attending school within the 1st Senate District will be selected by Gaines. Each receive a $300 cash prize and be invited to the state Capitol for a meeting with the senator and a VIP tour of the building.

All details about the contest, including the rules and entry form are available online.

Gary William Knight

Gary William Knight died April 19, 2017. He was 68.

Gary was born on Feb. 1, 1949. He grew up in Atascadero, where he made many wonderful lasting friends in the area.

He moved to South Lake Tahoe after serving in the Marines and spent several years working at Harveys. It was there that he met his wife, Susan. He also met and came to know many people from all over the world.

Living in Tahoe wouldn’t be complete without skiing. The couple did so with friends and their son, Brian.

Living on such a big beautiful lake inspired Gary and his wife to acquire a sailboat. Not knowing how to sail, their first outing on this boat involved an instruction book on how to sail with him reading the instruction to “let out the mainsail” before almost beaching the boat. Not content with these adventures, Gary and Susan started traveling and were fortunate to make it to several countries. Their son accompanied them on a few of these trips, including one of their favorites, a trip to Fiji.

Gary had a wonderful memory and was an avid reader, particularly enjoying historical writings. As age advanced, it became apparent that their skiing days were over, so Gary and Susan retired to the Carson Valley area. It is here that Gary passed away with his family by his side and the snow-capped mountains out his window.

A graveside remembrance will be on May 1 at noon at the Genoa Cemetery on Jack’s Valley Road. A potluck get-together of friends and family will immediately follow at the Knight home. Please call Susan at 775.392.0625 for directions.