By Kathryn Reed

A bear was captured in Glenbrook on Monday by the Nevada Department of Wildlife and released the next day near Mount Rose.

According to Linda Bradley, manager of the Glenbrook Homeowners Association, the last time the state was asked to trap a bear in their neighborhood was in 2008.

She told Lake Tahoe News this particular yearling was not scared off by loud noises as other bears are. She also didn’t want to run the risk of it entering a home, when then the consequences for the bear could be fatal.

Bears in Tahoe neighborhoods is a fairly common thing. Photo/LTN file

Bradley said she spoke with the BEAR League this week about policies at Glenbrook and invited the animal organization to speak at a community event to make people more bear-aware.

Two to three other bears consider these 750 acres home, Bradley said.

Chris Healy with NDOW said there are two traps in the general Glenbrook area still.

“They have bears that are doing some property damage,” Healy told Lake Tahoe News. “People have concerns the bears are not afraid enough of humans.”

Glenbrook has community bear-proof dumpsters for people to leave their trash in, which is encouraged if they are vacation renters or leaving before trash day.

The rumor that the homeowners are trying to get rid of beavers is not true, according to Healy. He said the last time Glenbrook HOA asked for a depredation permit was in 2008.

However, two active beaver permits have been issued to Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. And there is an ongoing permit for Incline Creek.

With beavers being large rodents, they cannot be trapped and relocated. This is true for all regions of the country.

“Is the life of that one animal worth all the damage that is happening?” – that is one criteria of whether a permit will be issued, Healy explained.

With the controversial permit for Incline that was first issued last year, the beavers were impacting a sewer line, which could lead to a messy spill that would have the potential of reaching Lake Tahoe.

Healy said beavers are an on again, off again issue in the basin.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department marine units will be actively involved in California law enforcement officers Operation Dry Water June 28-30.

Officers Steve O’Brien and Dave Gottlieb on the SLTPD boat. Photo/LTN file

Operation Dry Water is an annual nationwide effort to highlight the risks and dangers of operating boats under the influence. The stepped up enforcement raises awareness of operating boats under the influence of alcohol or drugs in advance of the Fourth of July holiday.

Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effect of cold-water immersion. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion – “stressors” common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs and some prescription medications.

In California, it is against the law to operate a boat with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more. A person with a BAC less than 0.08 percent may also be arrested if conditions are deemed to be unsafe.

A youth soccer camp is coming to Kahle Community Center in Stateline.

Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department with Steve Maltase and former Whittell High School soccer players will be offering a weeklong youth soccer camp from July 8-12. This is for ages 4-14.

For more information or to register, call (775) 586.7271.

Players will need to bring a lunch, water bottle, wear sunscreen and have cleats & shin guards.

Play is from 10am-1pm for ages 4-6 and cost is $125. Ages 7 and up play from 10am-3pm; cost is $145.

Personal fireworks are banned from the Lake Tahoe Basin.

CalFire is encouraging everyone in El Dorado County to celebrate Independence Day by attending one or all of the following local events.

June 29, Cameron Park Lake, Cameron Park from 2-10pm. Fun and games for the entire family. Fireworks in the evening.

July 3, El Dorado Hills Towne Center, El Dorado Hills from 6-11:30pm. A jubilee of entertainment for the whole family ending with a fireworks program.

July 4, El Dorado County Fairground, Placerville from 4-10pm. Fireworks show, music, food and fun.

July 4, South Lake Tahoe Lights on the Lake Fireworks Display. Show begins at 9:45pm.

Every year CalFire responds to wildland fires caused by safe and sane fireworks, putting people’s lives and property in jeopardy. There is “zero tolerance” when it comes to the use or possession of fireworks in El Dorado County by CalFire, local fire districts and the local law enforcement agencies.

South Lake Tahoe Recreation Department is partnering with the Tahoe Tri Club to host a kids’ triathlon June 30 at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex. Registration for the event is $35.

The Tahoe Kids Triathlon is for ages 3-13.

The triathlon course includes the recreation complex swimming pool, parking lot, and greenway that surrounds the campground.

A post-race party, barbecue and awards will follow the triathlon.

Arrive at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex by 2pm to pick up race packets and have time to set up your transition area. Races will begin at 3pm.

The Recreation Complex is located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.

For more information, contact Jason Collin at (530) 307.3316.

It’s Olympic Day at the South Lake Tahoe BMX track on June 28.

The single point race is free. No USA BMX membership required to participate

All ages and abilities are welcome.

Registration is from 4:30-6pm, with races to start immediately after that.

The track is at 1180 Lyons Ave., South Lake Tahoe.

For more info, email jason@usasa.org.

By Kathryn Reed

Leon Abravanel wonders where the two best players on his high school team might be today if they would have had the opportunity to play soccer after graduation.

“The repercussions of something like this are huge – not just for (kids) right out of high school, but for the whole community,” Abravanel told the Lake Tahoe Community College board of education Tuesday night.

The something was the unanimous approval of women and men’s intercollegiate soccer programs. The first games should be played in fall 2014.

While the LTCC college board on June 25 was voting to approve an intercollegiate soccer program, an adult league used what will be the home field for the college team. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Abravanel came up from Southern California to tell his story to the board on June 25. He’s a native of South Lake Tahoe, having graduated from South Tahoe High School in 2004. He was part of the soccer team in 2003 that won the first state championship for the Vikings. That was the year they were ranked 19th in the nation. He played Division I collegiate soccer and was a professional player for four years. Now he coaches fulltime.

“There’s not a lot of opportunity here, especially for the Hispanic community,” Abravanel said of soccer. “Many had no opportunity to go farther than high school.”

His two teammates he wonders about; they are in jail.

Tuesday’s staff report says, “A recent (California Community College Athletics Association) study on student-athlete academic performance, moreover, showed that athletes transferred at higher rates to four-year postsecondary institutions, achieved higher GPAs and were about twice as likely to earn a degree or certificate than there non-athletic counterparts. This same study indicated that athletes graduate at higher percentages than the general population — 77 percent to 61 percent – and earn higher salaries than their non-athlete peers once in adult life.”

One of the goals with the creation of what will be LTCC’s only intercollegiate sports programs is to attract more Hispanics to the college. It is also in line with the quest to be a destination college.

To play, the athletes must take a full load of classes.

Next up is for the college to make a formal request to the Big 8 Conference, which has eight women’s teams and five men’s. Colleges in the conference include American River, Consumnes River, Diablo Valley, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Sierra, Sacramento City and San Joaquin Delta.

When LTCC had a soccer program years ago it was part of the Golden Valley Conference, which has schools farther north.

By October, LTCC expects to hire Tim Johnson as athletic director and finalize who will be the coaches. Johnson, who is a physical education teacher at LTCC, has been the main force behind the soccer proposal.

It’s expected each team would have about 20 players and play 18 to 20 games in the fall. LTCC would use the field next to the college.

The start-up costs are estimated at just more than $10,000 for the program. The entire program is expected to cost about $100,000 each year. However, net revenue of about $40,000 is anticipated based on projected increase in enrollment.

Rob Wheatley works on a volley drill with a youngster. Photo/Provided

More than 20 youngsters participated in a two-day free tennis clinic at Zephyr Cove Park.

The June 15-16 event was put on by Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department, Hersh Herschman of Tahoe Tennis Classic, Rob Wheatley of Zephyr Cove Tennis Club and sponsored by Capisce restaurant.

Each session consisted of 90 minutes of instruction from Herschman and Wheatley, along with volunteers from the Zephyr Cove tennis community.

The participants were treated to pizza each day from Capisce.

Every participant also received tennis gifts from the USTA.

Some of the attendees included: Ava Campbell, Zachary Brooks, Cameron Brooks, Dana Merriam, Reagan Merriam, Dylan Demicheal, Christian Demicheal, Emmett Allen, Jaelen Allen, Lori Ramm, Charlie Ramm, David Ramm, Isaiah Abel, Makenna Abel, Sequoya Fillmore, Trent Fillmore, Jaralyn Plympton, Juliah Schultz, Machenzie Nealis, Maureen Brennan, Moorea Davision, Breck Nealis, and Lily Johnson.

Adult volunteers included Derek Barraclough, Ross Rittiman, Holly Rittiman, Adam Matzkin, Jeff Hayes, John Gianotti, Carolyn Wright, Suzi Allione, Kathy Wharton and Neil Trebotich.

Beginning July 1, fire restrictions will go into effect in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Campfires and charcoal barbecues will be restricted to designated recreation sites, and other fire-related activities will be prohibited until the end of fire season.

“Weather patterns this winter and spring are similar to conditions in 2007, the year of the Angora Fire,” Fire Prevention Officer Beth Brady said in a statement. “Even with the rain we have received, at this point, it won’t alleviate this summer’s high risk of wildfires.”

During fire restrictions, certain activities are not allowed. Prohibited activities include: building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire except within the stoves and fire rings provided in designated recreation sites; smoking on National Forest land, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or within a designated recreation site; welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame; and operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed and maintained in effective working order.

Fire restrictions are intended to reduce the possibility of human-caused wildfires over the summer season.

Campfires are prohibited in all semi-developed sites such as Luther Pass, Blackwood Canyon, and Watson Lake, as well as in all dispersed recreation locations, such as the Meiss backcountry area on Luther Pass.

Forest users should obtain specific information about restrictions and the area they are visiting before venturing out.

For additional information regarding fire restrictions, call (530) 543.2694.

By Kathryn Reed

Keep the umbrellas handy today, but have the sunscreen within reach because a record high is possible by the end of the week in Lake Tahoe.

“It’s certainly unusual for this time of year,” is how Shane Snyder, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno, described the rain that has been soaking the Lake Tahoe Basin and points east and west.

If it’s going to be wet, usually it’s isolated thunderstorms. Not so with this cold system that is moving in from the Pacific. It’s more reminiscent of a winter storm pattern.

Wet weather is going to stick around for another day in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The rain hasn’t been enough to wash away the D word. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture designated all counties in Nevada, except for Storey County, natural drought disaster areas. All California counties along the Nevada border have been given the same designation.

According to the National Weather Service, “Near record dryness has prevailed since January. Precipitation from January to May 2013 has ranked in the lowest 10 percent on record in most of Western Nevada and Northern California.”

The West Shore has been getting most of the rain. That is expected to continue through much of Tuesday.

“We’ll start to dry out for good Tuesday night and onward for a while,” Snyder said.

The rain is doing a couple things – washing away all the pine pollen and lessening the risk of fire.

But with temps expected to soar again by the end of the week, the fire danger will return.

Snyder said temps could be 10 to 15 degrees above average starting on Friday and lasting through the weekend. Locations closer to the lake will be in the 80s, while outlying areas like Truckee are expected to be closer to 90 degrees.

The record in South Lake Tahoe for June 28 and June 29 is 87 degrees. The former was set in 2010, while the latter was set in 1972. Truckee’s record high of 92 for June 28 was set in 1915, and the June 29 record of 91 was set in 1956.

All of those, Snyder told Lake Tahoe News, could be broken.

And expect warmer than usual weather for July 4.