To the community,

Bueno Kettlesen of Bert’s Café recently hosted a spaghetti night fundraiser for Tahoe Arts Project. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by many.

All of us at Tahoe Arts Project would like to thank Kettlesen and the cooks at Bert’s for helping to make this fundraiser a success. The spaghetti was delicious.

A big thank you to all of you who had dinner with us that evening and to the volunteers and TAP board members who served our guests.

Tahoe Arts Project is a nonprofit organization that brings professional performing arts into the schools and community of South Lake Tahoe. Event proceeds will benefit over 4,500 K-12 students who see our programs.

If you would like to know how you can support Tahoe Arts Project, please call 530.542.3632.

Thank you.

Peggy Thompson, executive director, Tahoe Arts Project

To the community,

Second Serving, a South Lake Tahoe food program, celebrates its fifth year May 16.

Every Friday since 2009 guests at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church have been served soup generously donated by numerous area restaurants and bread every week from Lake Tahoe Pizza Company.

Second Serving is an extension of the Bread & Broth at St. Theresa Church in South Lake Tahoe, where volunteers who serve a hot cooked meal every Monday also prepare pastas and sandwiches to accompany the Friday fare.

The organizers would like to thank the participating restaurants and acknowledge their generosity while encouraging area residents to patronize these community-minded supporters:

Lake Tahoe Pizza, Levon Touryan

Freshies – Erik & Melodie Ulman

Wildman Café – Rami Merrikh

Blue Angel Café – Rosie Cowen & Glenn Simpson

Café Fiore – Nick & Shandi Ashmore

Fresh Ketch – Bill Blair

Nepheles – Tim Halloran & Mark Vassau

Ridge Tahoe – Steffen Moise

Riva Grill- Scott Craig

Rockwater Grill – Keith Simpson

Teps Villa Roma – Sheldon & Dan Tepper,

Bill Horning, Second Serving

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News convened an editorial panel of six South Shore residents to decide on this endorsement for the June primary.

Politics in judicial races can be troubling because those wearing the revered black robe are on the bench in what is supposed to be an impartial role. They are there to follow the law, not political biases.

Judges should not be taking out ads to support the Second Amendment. They are there to uphold the entire Constitution. Judges need a moderate perspective to handle the wide range of issues they hear. It is important that people who come before them are given their due process.

Voters in El Dorado County on June 3 will be asked to replace two retiring judges. Both slots are being contested.

Lake Tahoe News recommends voting for Dylan Sullivan to replace Daniel Proud and Vicki Ashworth to take Doug Phimister’s seat.

Sullivan is essentially doing the job today of a judge in her role as a court commissioner for El Dorado County. She has had that job since fall 2011. This experience will allow her to step into the judgeship without having to endure a learning curve.

Those who have been in her court describe Sullivan as fair, open minded, respectful, efficient with time, knowledgeable and versed in the topic before her.

Joe Hoffman is her opponent. We question his ethics, especially in how he represented himself to voters. He also lacks substance.

For all of these reasons Sullivan is unequivocally the best person for El Dorado County Superior Court Office 5.

Ashworth is a veteran in the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. She has handled every type of criminal case there is. And while she would likely not hear criminal cases at the get-go because of potential conflicts of interest, we have no doubt she will be adept at learning the other types of legal matters that will come before her.

In such a small county the judges must be versed in all aspects of law and don’t have the luxury of specializing.

Successfully prosecuting high-profile criminal cases takes research, patience, intelligence, knowledge of the law, a realization of knowing lives will be forever changed from the trial’s outcome, tenacity and a drive to ferret out the details.

Ashworth embodies those traits each time she steps into the courtroom. We believe she will do the same from the other side of the bench.

She is running against Joe Weinberger and David Combellack. The bulk of Weinberger’s experience is as a personal injury attorney, which we don’t believe qualifies him for the complexities of being a judge. We question the reasons Combellack would wait so long in his career to attempt to be a judge. And with Judge Steve Bailey being an advisor to his campaign and Bailey wanting to be the presiding judge, we cannot support Combellack.

Without reservation we support Ashworth for Office 1 of the El Dorado County Superior Court.

When selecting the two people to endorse Lake Tahoe News also took into consideration the overall makeup of the court, which has branches in South Lake Tahoe, Placerville and Cameron Park. There are eight judges and one commissioner. And unfortunately a bit of politics is going on inside those hallowed halls.

We are in favor of Judge Suzanne Kingsbury remaining the presiding judge. With a belief that not only will Sullivan and Ashworth do the job well, we believe they will support Kingsbury.

To the community,

It was recently brought up that the California Tahoe Conservancy seat must be held by the elected supervisor. Well, as I recently corrected the same mistake about the TRPA seat by posting the actual section of the bi-state Compact clearly showing my earlier statements were correct, I will do the same for the CTC.

Kevin Brown

This came directly from the county website and is from the California Legislature. The Board of Supervisors has the final say on who is appointed:

CHAPTER 3. Organization [66906- 66906.5] (Chapter 3 added by Slats. 1973, Ch. 1064.) 66906.1. The governing body of the conservancy shall be comprised of seven voting members and one ex officio nonvoting member. The voting members shall be as follows:

(a) One member appointed by the City Council of the City of South Lake Tahoe.

(b) One member appointed by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Placer.

(c) One member appointed by the Board of Supervisors of the County of El Dorado.

(d) The Secretary of the Resources Agency or his or her designee.

(e) One member appointed from the general public by the Senate Committee on Rules.

(f) One member appointed from the general public by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(g) The Director of Finance or the director’s designee.

The members appointed or designated pursuant to subdivisions (d) to (g), inclusive, shall not be residents of the region.

The members of the governing body of the conservancy shall serve at the pleasure of the respective appointing authority.

A representative of the United States Secretary of Agriculture shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the conservancy.

 It is at the discretion of the board to appoint. The Placer County Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery does not hold her seat either.

Kevin Brown, El Dorado County District 5 supervisor candidate

To the community,

I’m reading and hearing quite a lot of questions about how Measure P would affect the maintenance funding of the Lakeview Commons. In February, the city made some changes to the paid parking program. These include a local’s annual pass (M-F) for $40, the removal of paid parking on Venice Drive (which is mostly used by locals), shortening the hours to 8am-8pm.

Pete Fink

In the current budget, all money collected from kiosks at Lakeview Commons and the boat ramp goes to maintenance and improvements of the commons (boat launch fees are already dedicated to boat launch expenses). What the result of attaching the paid parking revenue directly to the commons means is that maintenance funding will not come from the general fund and thus, it will not be in constant threat of being cut to fund other programs as the budget fluctuates. Maintenance of the commons is critical to keeping it a stellar spot for visitors and locals alike.

When the various groups are all asking for the city to spend money on more police, recreation, bike trails, roadway maintenance, and many other things that all come from the General Fund, things like park maintenance don’t look so glamorous and can too easily be cut.

Please vote no on Measure P to ensure maintenance funding for the commons.

Pete Fink, South Lake Tahoe

To the community,

For many of us, the library was a magical place when we were children. There were so many books to enjoy, certainly more than our parents could afford to buy. Our own children learned to love the same books and were introduced to many more through patient librarians during countless story hours.

Now our visiting grandchildren select both old and new favorites from the shelves while also playing with local children in the housekeeping section and building architectural masterpieces at Lego parties. As our family has grown and changed, so has our wonderful South Lake Tahoe Library evolved into a true media center with many ways to deliver both good reading and needed information, including those nifty i-Pads that can be checked out and taken home.

On June 3, our South Shore community has the opportunity, and I believe, the privilege, to show support for this vital community resource by voting yes on Measure L. This measure continues the parcel tax that has been in place for 20 years, at a reasonable rate of $20 per parcel per year, with a small increase allowed each year for 12 years based on the Consumer Price Index.

Just as the library has been there for us, so do we need to make sure it is still there for the next generation. We can do that by voting yes on Measure L.

Jeanne Benin, South Lake Tahoe

To the community,

Tahoe Douglas Rotary wishes to thank the Red Hut Cafe for once again hosting our popular Burger Night fundraiser. This year, with the generous support of the Ski Run Red Hut Café, Rick and Kelly Gardner as well as their friendly staff, we were able to raise enough money for two additional vocational scholarships and one additional academic scholarship for our students this year at Whittell and South Tahoe high schools.

We’d also like to thank the few hundred South Lake Tahoe community members who attended Burger Night.

Burger Night was a fun and successful event, and our long standing partnership with the Red Hut Café continues to encourage community participation in our schools and is greatly appreciated.

John McDougall, scholarship chair Tahoe Douglas Rotary

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News convened an editorial panel of six South Shore residents to decide on this endorsement for the June primary.

Paid parking at beaches on the South Shore has been the norm for decades. It’s about time South Lake Tahoe caught up.

We believe the city needs to find ways to increase revenues. Continuing with the paid parking program is a logical way to fill coffers because it is a user fee. Only people who are using that area to park have to pay. In other words, it’s a choice to park where it costs money.

Tourists have discretionary money for incidentals like parking. And locals know where to find free parking if they don’t want to pay for the premium spots that are closer to the venue.

Keep paid parking; vote “no” on Measure P on June 3. Photo/LTN

Voters in South Lake Tahoe on June 3 will be asked if they want to keep the kiosks at Lakeview Commons and Lakeside Beach. A “no” vote keeps the meters in place indefinitely. And that is exactly how Lake Tahoe News is recommending voters vote.

Since the parking program at these locations started last summer (June at Lakeside, July for Lakeview Commons), $190,000 has been collected in parking revenue through April.

The city is projecting all kiosks – this includes Bellamy Court and Transit Way – would bring in $300,000 per year.

Fines are in addition to those figures. There has been a 98.5 percent compliance rate at the kiosks, so relatively few tickets are handed out. And as people become more familiar with the program the city anticipates the number of citations to go down 10 percent each year.

The annual expenses are practically nil. The kiosks are $48,000 for the next four years – whether they are used or not. They are solar-powered. The only expense that could go away if the program vanishes is the costs associated with one-quarter of an employee. Even then, that person could be assigned to other work.

We like that the money generated is going back into the area where it’s collected. Maintenance and operation costs are seldom considered when projects are built. This is why so many entities end up with deferred maintenance expenses that are rolled over from one budget year to the next, and why facilities become dilapidated. If we can help prevent this, especially at someplace as new as the $65 million Lakeview Commons, we owe it to ourselves to do what we can. Supporting paid parking is one of the things we can and should do.

Once we lose a revenue source, it is near impossible to get it back again.

It is time to move beyond how poorly the whole program was sold to the public and then rolled out.

We like that the city is willing to make changes. It is good that there is a $40 locals’ pass, that hours have been changed and citations have been reduced to $35.

However, if people continue to get cited because signage is lacking and kiosks aren’t obvious, then shame on the entire city – electeds and staff. Aggressive behavior is not warranted, either. Citing someone when a kiosk ticket is placed upside down on a dashboard is inane. How hard is it to tell someone walking away from their vehicle that they need to pay instead of waiting until they are gone to write them a ticket?

We realize the city has a temporary permit from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency that allows for parking at Lakeside on the dirt. The caveat was that money raised from that area would fund the asphalt, other infrastructure improvements and realignment of the street. But the city has tabled the paving project until at least after the election.

This is wrong. The city and TRPA should be models for environmentally sound practices. It’s hard to believe fine sediment reaching Lake Tahoe is the primary source of the decline of lake clarity when parking on dirt – and paying to do so – is allowed. The duplicity of this policy is mindboggling.

For that reason, Lake Tahoe News puts an asterisk next to the “vote no on Measure P” endorsement. We also say “no to any parking on dirt.” Lakeside should be roped off until it is paved and not contributing to the degradation of Lake Tahoe.

Just as the city deserves to generate money from parking, the lake deserves to not be ruined because of it.

By Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Agencies

With record drought conditions in the West, preparing your home for wildfire is more important than ever. May has been designated Wildfire Awareness Month in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

This year’s theme is Prepare Your Home For Wildfire, with a focus on creating and sustaining fire adapted communities.

A fire adapted community is a community located in a fire-prone area that requires little assistance from firefighters during a wildfire. Residents of these communities accept responsibility for living in a high fire-hazard area.

They possess the knowledge and skills to:

• Prepare their homes and property to survive wildfire.

• Evacuate early, safely and effectively.

• Survive, if trapped by wildfire.

As part of this year’s theme, the Tahoe basin fire chiefs are encouraging residents to work with their local fire districts and host neighborhood block parties during May and throughout the summer. These parties create an opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other, meet their fire district and agency representatives and learn what it means to become a fire adapted community.

“We have to shift our way of thinking from being reactionary about protecting our homes once a wildfire starts, and instead, start proactively preparing our homes to survive a wildfire before one begins,” said Fire Chief Gareth Harris of Lake Valley Fire Protection District. “When whole communities work together for this goal, they become fire-adapted.”

Things you can do to become more fire adapted include:

• Talk to your local fire department about how to prepare for a wildfire, situational awareness before a fire, when to evacuate, and what you and your community should expect during a response.

• Your local fire department to conduct a risk assessment on your property.

• Create a plan to address issues in your property’s defensible space zone, including:

• Maintaining a noncombustible area around the perimeter of your home;

• Managing vegetation along fences;

• Clearing debris from decks and patios, eaves, and porches;

• Selecting proper landscaping and plants;

• Knowing the local ecology and fire history;

• Moving radiant heat sources away from the home (i.e., wood piles, fuel tanks, sheds);

• Thinning trees and ladder fuels around the home

• Develop a personal and family preparedness plan.

• Support land management agencies by learning about wildfire risk reduction efforts, such as using prescribed fire to manage local landscapes.

El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson and county Supervisor Ray Nutting have long been adversaries.

Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the May 9, 2014, Sacramento Bee.

What does a political prosecution look like? Depending on your perspective, it might look like a peace protester thrown in jail for marching in the street. Or an evangelical Christian convicted of trespassing at an abortion clinic. Even the impeachment of a president for lying about cheating on his wife.

It also could look like Ray Nutting. Though the conservative four-term El Dorado County supervisor and timber rancher probably wouldn’t enjoy the comparison, he is on trial for transgressions so common among elected officials that they are usually dispatched with a slap on the wrist and a fine.

His real crime appears to be occupying the wrong side of a political divide in this county – one that has deepened with the overzealous and politically motivated prosecution by District Attorney Vern Pierson. The three-week trial has resulted in untold costs to the defendant – whose political career has been injured, perhaps fatally – the county, the jurors, the taxpayers and even the DA’s own credibility. No one is going to win here, no matter the ultimate verdict.

Read the whole story