To the community,

Since May 7, 2010, the California Highway Patrol has suffered the loss of five officers in the line of duty. The CHP appreciates the assistance and outpouring of support it’s received from throughout the nation, which gives us comfort during this difficult time.

“No words can describe the loss felt by our department and the families of these fallen heroes,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “As we mourn their recent loss, our brave and dedicated officers vow to honor the memory of their fallen comrades by continuing to carry out the CHP’s mission of providing the highest level of safety, service, and security to the motoring public.”

For more than 80 years, CHP officers have put their lives on the line to make sure our roadways and communities are safe. During that time, 220 uniformed members of our organization have made the ultimate sacrifice in their efforts to make California’s roadways some of the safest in the nation.

“It’s times like these that re-emphasize how dangerous this profession is and it strengthens the resolve of the men and women of the CHP,” said California Association of Highway Patrolmen President Rob Nelson. “It is imperative that the loss of these officers serve as a reminder to the public to be cautious when approaching emergency incidents on the highway.”

In 2007, the Move Over, Slow Down law went into effect in California. This law requires a person who is driving a vehicle on a freeway and approaching in a lane immediately adjacent to a stationary authorized emergency vehicle that is displaying emergency lights, or a stopped tow truck that is displaying flashing amber warning lights, to move out of that lane when legal, safe and practicable, or slow to a reasonable and safe speed.

“Many of these tragedies involving our officers and other highway workers and emergency personnel could be avoided,” added Farrow. “While the department is committed to the highest level of training for every officer, it is every motorist’s responsibility to drive attentively and exercise caution on the roadway.”

Jeff Gartner, CHP South Lake Tahoe

Dear Publisher,

One specific question I asked Austin [Fay] was if he would give a fair review of what transpired at the Friends of the West Shore meeting 7/2/10. He seemed taken aback at my question, however, after reading his article, it is both unbalanced and unfair to all who attended.

There were at least 8-10 people at the meeting of approximately 20, who are very much in favor of the [Homewood Mountain Resort] project. Several of those people spoke and all are full-time homeowners and taxpayers, concerned about the environment and economic sustainability of this community. In fact, economic sustainability was discussed several times, not just regarding JMA’s ownership of HMR, but the impact to the entire West Shore businesses and not mentioned in Austin’s article in that context.

Additionally, I never made a public comment about NIMBY’s or CAVES. That was something that came out of a “private conversation” with Austin on the sidewalk as he was about to get in his vehicle.

So, my thoughts about lack of fairness came true, much to my disappointment.

Sincerely,

Rob Weston, West Shore business owner

To the community,

I wanted to let you know Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS) and CalFire will be hosting and open house on July 8 from 10am to 3pm. t will be at our fire stations in Meyers at 2211 Keetak St.

We want to show off our pretty little fire engines and cool equipment.

Leona Allen, Lake Valley Fire Protection District

To the community,

My project has been approved in The Good Idea competition and now I need your votes. My project is aimed toward creating a sustainable future for Tahoe.

Click here to vote.

Search: The Tahoe Project

Or go to: Planet section for $50,000

The Overview:

Three greenhouse projects within the local school district provide access to used bikes for cheap, flexible and human powered transportation. Provide bike carts to locals for free use to and from grocery stores as well as any other needed use. Creation of a high altitude cold climate seed bank. Use recyclable clothing to create usable shopping bags; ultimately eliminating the use of plastic bags within our community. Create community composting projects for education; and through demonstration prove that waste from restaurants and home kitchens can, through time, create soil. Provide venues for, and teaching of, alternative classes such as: yoga, cooking, nutrition, composting, permaculture, bike maintenance, plant propagation, etc. Building 101 would incorporate permaculture ideals; teachings would include improving basic carpentry skills and building: wood stoves, cob ovens, compost showers, and greenhouses, all of which would be from recycled materials.

Thank you so much,

Aria Benham, South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe News would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July.

Maybe for a day we could put aside the negativity and instead celebrate that we actually have the right to express our opinions. It was the extreme forward thinking of individuals more than 200 years ago who granted us these rights.

Lake Tahoe News does not take lightly its freedom and the inherent responsibilities bestowed upon it via the U.S. Constitution.

We never take freedom of expression for granted. So many countries still do not allow the media to publish or broadcast the truth, but instead only allows its citizens to know what the government sees fit. The United States of America, though not alone, is to be commended for the freedoms it grants its citizens, and in turn the media.

Let us not forget with freedom comes responsibility. And let us not forget that all actions come with consequences.

We thank all of the people who have commented on Lake Tahoe News. This site has been criticized for allowing people to use a screen name, so to speak, instead of a full name. To which, the response is, anyone could say they are Jane Doe. That is no different than putting up Local or some other moniker. There are times when anonymity is necessary, but strength comes from putting a name to your words and thoughts.

It is all of you who symbolize what Independence Day is all about. We live in a country that allows independent thought. That is certainly something worth celebrating.

On a local note, Lake Tahoe News would like to remind everyone fireworks are illegal throughout the basin. Lake Tahoe has suffered the consequences of unintended fires in recent years – most notably the 2007 Angora Fire that destroyed 254 houses on the South Shore when an illegal campfire was not completely extinguished.

Let freedom ring, but let it ring responsibly.

Happy Fourth!

Publisher’s note: This is the July 4, 2010, editorial from the Reno Gazette-Journal.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness “‘ That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed…

There you have it. In this fragment of a sentence from the Declaration of Independence, written 230 years ago, is everything we, as a nation, believe in. It is the chain that binds tonight’s flashy festivities to our history. It is the reason we celebrate “‘ the reason that we can celebrate and the reason that we must celebrate.

It was a remarkable passage to be committed to paper by a group of men who unquestionably knew they were signing their own death warrants on July 4, 1776, as surely as they were planting the seeds of a new nation.

Read the whole story

To the community,

With the 4th of July quickly approaching, Sheriff Ron Pierini and members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office wish to take a moment to remind and educate our residents and guests that the possession and or discharge of fireworks in Douglas County is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

Persons found in violation of the fireworks ordinance face criminal penalties, including fines of up to $1,000 and/or confinement in the county jail for a period of up to six months.

Please, do not risk life or property by the personal use or display of fireworks. There are many community firework displays planned in our area in which you can take part without risk of criminal or civil penalties.

Additionally, as is the case each year, the possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages on Nevada Beach on the 4th of July is unlawful per Douglas County Code 9.28.010. This ordinance came about to reduce the many acts of drunkenness and violence associated with alcohol consumption that were experienced on the beach in previous years. Douglas County Ordinance 9.28.060 deems any violation of this provision an infraction, punishable by a fine up to $1,000.

Signs pertaining to the ordinance will be posted at the entrance to Nevada Beach on the 4th of July. The entrance, as well as the beach itself, will have a heavy presence of law enforcement personnel. Any cooler, backpack, bag, purse or other container that reasonably could carry a vessel containing an alcoholic beverage is subject to inspection and or seizure anywhere inside Nevada Beach Park.

Elks Point Road will be closed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 no later than 4:30pm. At that time, no vehicles will be allowed to enter lower Elks Point Road unless proof of residency or proof of campsite occupancy is established. Elks Point Road will remain closed until the completion of the fireworks display.

Heavy congestion in the areas of Nevada Beach, Round Hill, Zephyr Cove, Lower Kingsbury Grade and the Stateline casino core are expected. Lower Lake Parkway may be closed to ingress traffic after the fireworks display should the volume of traffic dictate the need for such a closure. Motorists are cautioned to anticipate delays while traveling in these areas.

The U.S. Forest Service will be enforcing a “No Alcohol” policy on the 4th of July, between the hours of 10am and midnight in the Zephyr Cove Beach Resort and Campground. Designated areas for the possession and or consumption of alcoholic beverages shall be established at specific locations at or near the resort. Anyone found in possession of or consuming alcoholic beverages outside of these established areas on federal lands shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $5,000.

Law enforcement has adopted a zero tolerance enforcement approach for those individuals who choose to disrupt the festivities by drunkenness, quarreling, fighting or the possession or discharge of fireworks. A heavy law enforcement presence will be monitoring the celebrations throughout the Stateline casino area, on Nevada Beach, and around the Zephyr Cove Resort areas.

Criminal offenses that will be strictly enforced include:

9.24.010 Disturbing the peace.

It is unlawful for any person to maliciously and willfully disturb the peace of any neighborhood, person, or family by loud or unusual noises or by tumultuous and offensive conduct, threatening, traducing, quarreling, challenging to fight, or fighting.

9.24.020 Provoking commission of breach of peace.

It is unlawful for any person to willfully provoke, or attempt to provoke, by word, sign or gesture, another person to commit a breach of peace.

9.24.030 Disorderly conduct.

It is unlawful for any person to lie or sleep on any of the sidewalks, streets, alleys or in public places within Douglas County; or to disturb the peace and quiet of any person, family or neighborhood by drunkenness, or by making loud or unusual noises, or by loud, violent, or offensive language, or by boisterous, tumultuous, or offensive conduct, or by threatening, traducing, quarreling, or offering or challenging to fight, in any other way or manner whatsoever.

8.16.10 Discharge, possession, storage or sale of fireworks.

It is unlawful for any person, persons, firm, company or association, within the limits of Douglas County, to possess, store, sell, discharge or set off any rocket, squib, firecracker, or other fireworks of any kind or description.

9.24.040 Penalty for Violations.

Any violation of these provisions constitutes a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by no more than six months of confinement in the county jail and or by a fine not to exceed $1,000.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Publisher’s note: The following is a letter South Lake Tahoe City Manager Dave Jinkens sent to Tahoe’s congressman on July 2, 2010.

Dear Representative (Tom) McClintock,

I am writing to express the concern of the mayor and council of South Lake Tahoe of any federal legislation that would undermine the ability of our city to fully collect local transient occupancy tax (TOT) from online sales. The City Council already has adopted policy to ensure that business operators are treated fairly and equitably in the collection of TOT and that all TOT owed the city is collected. We are seeking a level playing field in the application of this important local revenue source.

Online travel companies such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity and others collect TOT on the price the customer pays for the room but only remit the tax to the city based on the discounted wholesale room rate the online travel company pays to the hotelier. These online travel companies retain a portion of the tax they collect in the city’s name, claiming that it’s part of the fees they collect on their sale of the hotel room.

I am advised by the League of California Cities that in their latest attempt to avoid paying cities the full amount of TOT owed, the corporate association of online travel companies launched a misleading website www.travelersfirst.org, which encourages travelers to take action against proposed increases on fees and taxes. The website misleads travelers into believing that local governments are attempting to levy additional taxes on travelers and encourages them to send a form to their senator. In reality, the online hotel companies are retaining tax dollars that are owed to local agencies, and are lobbying hard to get pre-emptive legislation to protect themselves against ongoing lawsuits.

The city of South Lake Tahoe receives approximately $11 million annually from TOT with approximately $5.6 million going to the general fund. The remainder of TOT revenue collected by the city is pledged revenue to debt retirement. These funds are very important to our community and support vital local services. In these challenging budget times, these revenues are even more critical.

Our city government is fiscally prudent, has strong financial policies in place, has a 25 percent general fund unallocated reserve, but it also has had to make indicant reductions in expenditures due to a poor economy and state takeaways. The city has successfully negotiated compensation and benefit reductions from employee groups and more reductions are underway. The city needs general fund revenues to support the provision of essential public safety services. I respectfully ask for your strong opposition to any effort by special interest groups to undermine our local revenues by legislative action. The legal dispute over the duty of online companies to remit the full amount of TOT owed to local agencies is already in the courts. That is where the issue should remain.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Dave Jinkens, South Lake Tahoe City Manager

To the community,

The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department would like to remind you the sale, possession or discharge of all fireworks, including safe and sane, are prohibited in all portions of El Dorado County.

Even though the Tahoe basin experienced significant precipitation over the winter, the chances of a damaging wildland fire from illegal fireworks is extreme. Remember that you can be cited for using fireworks in El Dorado County and you can also be held liable for the cost of fighting any fires that you or your children start.

There will be a public fire works display at 9:45pm July 4 for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Please be careful, be responsible and enjoy your Independence Day.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Department

To the clients and patients of All Paws House Calls,

June 30 marked the day I closed the office door for the last time here in South Lake Tahoe. After practicing veterinary medicine here for the past 15 years, it is with mixed emotions that I look forward to my new life in Santa Barbara and the new clients and pets I will meet.

When I became a veterinarian 16 years ago, I never really imagined the degree that the lives of both my patients and their owners would intertwine with mine. There has been heartache and joy over the years. But mostly I have felt honored to have been entrusted with the care of so many great animals.

I thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to know and care for your pets as if they were my own.

I also want to thank all who made a great going away party even better by attending and bringing their dogs to Cindy Anderson’s house on that Sunday. A special thanks to Cindy and Steve Anderson for providing their home for such an invasion.

Any clients seeking copies of records will find them at Sierra Veterinary Hospital here in South Lake.

Much thanks to all of you again for 15 wonderful years. Think of me when the snow flies and the roads close. I’ll be at the beach. J.

Sincerely,

Kelly Doria, DVM All Paws House Calls