To the community,

Mere words cannot describe what volunteers mean to Barton Skilled Nursing Facility residents.

Barton Skilled Nursing volunteers wear many hats. They play inspiring music, bring communion, and call bingo. Volunteers turn an ordinary birthday party into a trip down memory lane with music from the past. Musicians share ukulele, piano, and organ music with our residents. They honor our vets. Some volunteers bring in their pets to lick faces and shower our residents with love. Other groups bring church to Skilled Nursing residents every Sunday.

In conjunction with the Barton activities staff, volunteers enhance our residents’ quality of life. Volunteers provide art classes every other week. One teacher brings her students in to read stories. Preschool groups visit and put big smiles on the residents’ faces. Other volunteers sit and listen to our residents’ stories and play a game of cards or dominoes. They wheel residents around for a change of scenery, and they even help take residents on outings in South Lake Tahoe. At times, volunteers are with residents when they breathe their last breath.

Thanks to their dedication and extra hands, volunteers make more experiences possible for our residents.

With much admiration and appreciation,

Maureen Froyum, activity director Barton Health Skilled Nursing

To the community,

Tahoe Arts Project would like to thank everyone who helped to make Dancing with the Tahoe Stars a huge success. A big thank you to MontBleu and staff for providing the showroom for the event. Dreu Murin of Dreu Murin Productions and Maddie Feldman of Prestige Productions did a fabulous job producing the show.

Our judges, Marcia Sarosik, Paul Middlebrook and Don Bosson kept the audience amused while doing their very important job of helping to select the winner.

Thank you to Lake Tahoe’s Shining Stars, Forever Dance and South Tahoe High School Drama Students for providing entertainment – you were all awesome!

Thank you to our professional dancers who worked so hard getting our “stars” ready for the big night. Of course, this event could not have happened without our “Tahoe stars.” Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Klaus Utecht, Sean Sweeney, Liz Niven, Jodi Stewart, Eric Taxer (People’s Choice winner), Chris Proctor, Amy Thompson, (the big winner), Frances Caro, Roberta Benvenuto and Tom Davis. You are so amazing for doing this for TAP.

Thank you to Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture, Tahoe Daily Tribune, Lake Tahoe News, Tahoe Mountain News, KRLT/KOWL and KTHO for helping us get the word out.

A big thanks to our volunteers, advertisers and the committee. A huge shout out to all of you who attended this entertaining community event. People are saying it was the most fun they’ve had in a long time.

Peggy Thompson, executive director Tahoe Arts Project

To the community,

As library users, we ask the community of voters to support Measure L to keep our South Lake Tahoe library open as many hours as possible during the week. We really enjoy borrowing many books from the young adult and graphic novel section.

Some of us who are home schooled use the library for research for history projects. We also have enjoyed Nanowrimo Writing Club. All of us have enjoyed the seasonal reading clubs and especially the summer programs, music, magic, wild animals and the Mexican culture.

Even as teens, we still come to the Lego Block Parties. We are all members of the World Explorers Pen Pal Club and we use the library for our meetings where we learn about different cultures, world geography and share our pen pal letters.

Sincerely,

Anthony Pedigo, Jessie Brown, Christian DeMichiel, Dylan DeMichiel, Jestina Pirhofer, Nick Fiegel and Alex James

To the community,

Thank you to Hope Lutheran Church of the Sierra and the really nice group of church members for their sponsorship and volunteering at Bread & Broth’s dinner on March 31.

Many of the members of the fifth week of the month B&B volunteer team members belong to Hope Lutheran Church and they were joined by fellow church members Jennifer Holland, Mort and Carolyn Meiers, Julia Martinez, Diane Martin and Paul Zaffiro.

“Tahoe has many strengths, but nothing better than the help our community gives people in need,” said Mort Meiers. “I am reminded of that when I volunteer to assist Bread & Broth with other members of Hope Lutheran Church.”

Hope Lutheran Church hosts two Adopt A Day sponsorships annually and their support is greatly appreciated by the Bread & Broth program.

Thanks to our community donors and sponsors, not only is Bread & Broth able to provide a Monday evening meal at St. Theresa Church’s Grace Hall, but also a soup and pasta supper on Fridays at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church. Bread & Broth would not be able to help ease hunger in our community without the assistance of community members as generous with their time and funding as Hope Lutheran Church of the Sierra.

To help B&B as a donor or sponsor, contact me at 530.542.2876 or carolsgerard@aol.com.

Carol Gerard, Bread & Broth

By Mark Bittman, New York Times

Julia Child, goddess of fat, is beaming somewhere. Butter is back, and when you’re looking for a few chunks of pork for a stew, you can resume searching for the best pieces — the ones with the most fat. Eventually, your friends will stop glaring at you as if you’re trying to kill them.

That the worm is turning became increasingly evident a couple of weeks ago, when a meta-analysis published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that there’s just no evidence to support the notion that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease. (In fact, there’s some evidence that a lack of saturated fat may be damaging.) The researchers looked at 72 different studies and, as usual, said more work — including more clinical studies — is needed. For sure. But the days of skinless chicken breasts and tubs of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! may finally be drawing to a close.

The tip of this iceberg has been visible for years, and we’re finally beginning to see the base. Of course, no study is perfect and few are definitive. But the real villains in our diet — sugar and ultra-processed foods — are becoming increasingly apparent. You can go back to eating butter, if you haven’t already.

Read the whole story

Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the March 30, 2014, Sacramento Bee.

Last week’s rain notwithstanding, the drought should act to concentrate Californians on water and how to create a reliable water system.

Instead, it is spawning isolated proposals with little attention to cost and who would pay.

In one direction, Gov. Jerry Brown favors a new “conveyance” with his proposed twin tunnels project. The capital cost of the two 40-foot-diameter, 30-mile-long tunnels around or under the Delta is estimated to total $19.9 billion in 2012 dollars. Borne by whom? People benefiting from the project, the water contractors south of the Delta? The comment period on this proposal ends on June 13.

In another direction, Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, favor an emphasis on storage. They propose congressional authorization of a new Sites offstream reservoir to store water pumped from the Sacramento River in Colusa County. This would require flooding the Antelope Valley and constructing two dams up to 310 feet high and nine smaller saddle dams.

Read the whole story

By Jeff Meston

Hot, dry drought conditions can create greater fire hazards than usual, and many people are unaware of just how easily a major wildfire can ignite. The city of South Lake Tahoe Fire Department wants you to stay safe, this summer, and offers these fire safety tips.

• Avoid outdoor burning, such as campfires, or any other open flame. Even grilling is not advised when extremely dry drought conditions exist.

Jeff Meston

• Dispose of cigarettes and other smoking materials into fire safe containers. Tossing smoldering cigarettes onto the ground should be avoided.

• Properly store flammable materials such as gasoline, alcohol, paint, lighter, and matches. These materials may reach their critical points during hot weather and can possibly result to fire.

• Be extremely careful when using and fueling chain saws, lawn mowers, weed eaters and other lawn care equipment. High heat conditions make ignition of the fuel vapors more likely. Find shade if possible and allow the machinery to cool if it has been running. Also avoid welding in dangerously dry conditions, as the sparks can easily ignite the dry vegetation around you.

• Be careful where you park your vehicles. The hot underside of a car or truck filled with gasoline parked over dead grass or leaves is an explosion waiting to happen. Be sure to park on concrete or solid dirt or gravel, especially during hot and dry drought conditions. Do not park where vegetation touches the vehicle.

• When traveling, be sure that vehicle, tires, and other moving parts (especially metal) are in excellent working order. Chains or other recreational trailer equipment must not drag or dangle from the truck, as these can become hot or create sparks causing not just one but multiple wildfires along your route. Look behind you as you’re driving to make sure all is well. It’s always a good idea to carry a fire extinguisher along on you trip.

• At home, create a “fire safety zone” around your house and other buildings. Fire moves more quickly up steep hills, so extend that zone in the event your hone is on a steep slope. Keep your entire landscape mowed, raked, and free of dead limbs.

• Before dangerous times arrive, take time to make sure there are fire extinguishers mounted in critical areas of the home, outbuildings, and all vehicles.

• Clear all needles and leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters, Trim branches 6 feet from the ground, Landscape with fire resistant/drought tolerant plants, that require little water.

Jeff Meston is fire chief of South Lake Tahoe Fire Department.

To the community,

Thank you to the many agencies, service clubs, public organizations, and volunteers who helped with the 11th annual Drug Store Project event on April 1 at Lake Tahoe Community College.

Drug Store Project teaches consequences of drug use. Photo/JCV Photography

Our 300 sixth-grade students had the assistance of 220 volunteers to send a clear message that they are valued. Teaching our youth about the dangers of drugs; marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, over-the-counter as well as prescriptive medications, gets more challenging each year as states provide new legislation and products such as e-cigarettes are packaged to entice minors.

The 50-plus groups that provided for this program strongly believe that a difference can be made for our kids. Collectively we believe that if youth are provided knowledge about what effects drugs have on the body, the mind, family and social life, productivity, and overall positive life experiences, that many more will choose not to experiment and not to participate in drug use. If we can collectively put off the “age of onset” experimentation, then we can see a difference for our youth. Less drug use means less demand. Less demand is less costly in lives and in all facets of economics.

I’d like to extend my gratitude to the following entities: Barton Health, Barton Health Foundation, California Conservation Corps, California Department of Health Care Services, California Highway Patrol, Calstar, Diamond Valley School, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Free Community Grant, El Dorado Community Foundation, El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, El Dorado County Mental Health, El Dorado County Probation, El Dorado County Public Defenders Office, El Dorado County Public Health, El Dorado County Search and Rescue-Tahoe Team, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, EDSO Sherriff’s Team of Active Retirees, El Dorado County Superior Court, JCV Photography, Joint Task Force Domestic Support-CD, Harrah’s Harveys Lake Tahoe, Harrah’s HEROS Program, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe Sunrisers, Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra, Lake Tahoe Community College, Lake Tahoe Resort, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Lake Valley Firefighters Association, McFarlane Mortuary, Narconon of Northern Nevada, Optimist Club of Lake Tahoe, Partnership of Community Resources, Pro Leisure, Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe, Sierra Community Church, Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe, Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, SLTPD-Explorers, SLTPD-K9, South Lake Tahoe Police Officers Association, South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition, South Tahoe High School, STMS Junior S Club, STMS Club Live, St. Theresa School, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Tahoe-Douglas Rotary Club, Tahoe Turning Point, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, Zephyr Cove Elementary, and community volunteers.

Thank you for your time and your effort.

Gratefully,

Lisa Huard, Drug Store Project coordinator

By Carolina Blatt-Gross, CNN

As a graduate student, I had the opportunity to observe a number of idyllic, progressive classrooms where students danced to the pencil sharpener or sprawled across beanbag chairs while completing their work. I read countless books and articles about research that supports physical activity as part of academic success. It made sense to me — theoretically — that children should be allowed to move their bodies. Asking them to do otherwise, I came to believe, could be detrimental to both the student and the teacher.

Then it got personal. I had two children of my own, two fearless boys who are so busy they don’t have time to stop for uninteresting activities like eating, sleeping or potty training. Our eldest son lobbed himself out of his crib at 10 months and hasn’t stopped climbing since. Putting clothes on our younger son currently involves a high-speed chase followed by a wrestling match and, if we’re lucky, ends with at least one piece of clothing partially in place.

Obviously, it takes more than a little mental and physical effort for them to keep their bottoms in a chair.

This doesn’t bode well for academic success in traditional classrooms, where sitting quietly is a prerequisite for nearly all instruction. I cringe in anticipation of the notes my sons’ constant motion and chatter will prompt future teachers to send home. I worry that their intellectual prosperity will be curtailed by the simple, but daunting, expectation that they sit still for hours each day.

Read the whole story

By Kindred Murillo

This year, Lake Tahoe Community College is celebrating its 40th year of serving the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding communities.

In my three years working at LTCC, it is clear to me that the college is here in this beautiful location because a group of dedicated people had a vision of higher education in Tahoe, and the determination to make sure it happened. We are now at a crossroads due to changes in funding, community college priorities, and statutes. In order to respond to these challenges, the leadership of LTCC conducted a visioning of what higher education and specifically LTCC should look like by the year 2020 and beyond.

Kindred Murillo

As we get closer to unveiling this vision, we continue to develop LTCC’s vital role in the sustainability of the entire Tahoe community.

The faculty, staff, and leadership of the college has been working diligently to not only meet the state mandates, but to focus on the needs and interests of our community. We have opened the college to organizations that provide our community with recreational, cultural, and educational events, as well as serve our community needs. We have developed partnerships and coalitions to leverage the limited funding of public agencies to provide better services to our students and community. State Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, and his team have been working with the leadership of LTCC to reinstate the Good Neighbor Policy, which recognizes the entire South Lake Tahoe area as one community, regardless of state borders. The college leadership has been rightsizing the organization to reflect our change in student enrollments, funding, programs, and learning modalities.

Based on the hard work of many at the state level, we now have an opportunity to consider offering baccalaureate degrees at LTCC, thanks to Senate Bill 850. SB850 is moving through the state legislature and will come up for a hearing on April 23. I firmly believe this is one of the most important pieces of legislation in recent years to help students access and attain quality four-year degrees at an affordable price. Those of us at LTCC hope our community will support the efforts of this bill, which would provide affordable higher education in rural communities.

If you are interested in supporting state Sen. Marty Block’s, D-San Diego, efforts to ensure student access to affordable and quality baccalaureate degrees, please contact my office at 530.544.4660, ext. 210 for further information.

Kindred Murillo is superintendent-president of Lake Tahoe Community College.