Sierra Sun News

Tilly Mezger Lake Tahoe Truckee Realtor Serving Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Northstar, Lahontan, Old Greenwood, Grays Crossing, Tahoe Donner, Donner Lake & Donner Summit neighborhoodsWanderlust 2010 kicks off; big weekend of yoga, music in store

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. - Concertgoers at 2009's inaugural Wanderlust had an eye-opening experience. Yoga can make people very fit.<br />"There's the other fringe benefits of levitating and astral projections and enlightenment and all of that stuff," said yogi Schuyler Grant. "You can really get some nice abs while you're being about the enlightenment thing."<br />The first festival at Squaw Valley celebrating yoga and music was more successful with the former than the latter. So the music - and the ticket prices for it - has changed for the second Wanderlust, and there are a few minor tweaks for the yoga.<br />This year's event opened Thursday and runs through Monday.<br />Wanderlust was created by a high-profile couple from Brooklyn - Grant, who heads the New York City's Kula Yoga Project and yoga retreats throughout the world, and Jeff Krasno, owner of Velour Music Group who helped put together Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits Music Festival.<br />The yoga </div></div></div>

Fishing success varies by the year in Baja

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>Editor's note: This is the second installment in a series about fishing off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.<br /><br />Our first morning in La Ribera, we went beach fishing after breakfast. We were looking for Roosterfish and were encouraged by the fact that Fred Wickman of Tahoe City had landed a small Roosterfish on his first cast while blind casting on the night we arrived.<br /><br />We drove to a spot that had fished well on previous trips for Roosterfish. Two of us began walking in one direction and the other pair in the other direction along the beach. We were trying to spot fish, but the windy conditions made it difficult. We could see well in the direction the wind was blowing, but it was difficult in the windward direction.<br /><br />After spotting several fish and having a couple of excellent shots at them, I was a bit frustrated. It was obvious the fly I was using was not quite right. While I got a couple of fish to turn on the fly, they refused to eat it. Other fish would just go around the fly.<br /></div></div></div>

Boat inspections fail to keep mussels out of Lake Minnetonka

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>LAKE TAHOE - Despite boat inspections and outreach efforts during the past decade, zebra mussels have found their way into one of Minnesota's largest lakes, according to a Wednesday statement from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.<br />But the ineffectiveness of inspections at Lake Minnetonka does not doom Lake Tahoe to a similar fate, said Jeff Cowen, spokesman for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.<br />A resident of the Lake Minnetonka area discovered a small number of zebra mussels at the Minnesota lake earlier this week and reported his findings to the Department of Natural Resources, according to the statement.<br />Department staff do not know how widespread zebra mussels are in the lake, but the age of the zebra mussels suggest a reproducing population has likely been in the lake for a least a year, according to the statement.<br />"For many years, the DNR has worked closely with the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District and others to inspect boats and educate l</div></div></div>

Election 2010: School district, other boards still in need of candidates by Aug. 6

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>TRUCKEE/TAHOE, Calif. - With the Friday, Aug. 6, filing deadline fast approaching, a number of races are still without enough candidates - and some have none at all.<br />Hopeful candidates have until next Friday to pick up forms in Nevada County at either the Nevada County Elections office in the Eric Rood Administrative Center at 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City, by appointment at the Truckee Town Clerk's Office, located at 10183 Truckee Airport Road or online at mynevadacounty.com/elections. In Placer County, they are available at the Nevada County Elections office at 2956 Richardson Drive, Auburn, or online at www.placerelections.com. For El Dorado County, call the elections department at (530) 621-7480 for information on how to file.<br />Within the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, according to the Placer County Elections office Candidate Watch, there are still no candidates who have applied for the three trustee seats available, seats 1, 4, and 5, currently held by P</div></div></div>

Truckee police reports, week of July 21-28

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>TRUCKEE, Calif. - The following are Truckee Police reports from the week of July 21-28.<br /><br />July 21<br />At 1 p.m. on Bridge Street police responded to a non-injury vehicle accident.<br /><br />July 22<br />At 11:50 a.m. on Highway 267 police responded to a three-vehicle traffic collision with complaint of pain.<br /><br />At 9:15 p.m. on Donner Pass Road police arrested a person involved in a collision for allegedly driving under the influence.<br /><br />At 10:50 p.m. on Donner Pass Road a person allegedly violated the terms of his probation.<br /><br />July 23<br />At 12:20 a.m. on Alder Creek Road police stopped a vehicle for code violations and arrested the driver for allegedly driving under the influence. The driver was subsequently released.<br /><br />At 1:05 p.m. on Spring Lane a person found an unopened bottle of vodka in his yard. Police recovered the bottle and returned it to the store it was taken from the previous night.<br /><br />At 2:30 p.m. on Village Way police took a report regarding the violation of a court order.<br /><br />A</div></div></div>

Letter to the Editor: The myth of manmade climate change

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>The article "Tahoe Climate Change" in the July 23 issue of the Sierra Sun newspaper, written by Mark McLaughlin, perpetuates the myth of manmade climate change. It is a manmade fraud created by selectively choosing supporting data, outright lies, corrupt politicians, and biased reporters. <br />Specific to Lake Tahoe, pages 53 and 54 of "Climategate," written by award-winning Bay Area meteorologist Brian Sussman, point out the defects causing higher temperature readings from the Tahoe City USHCN weather station. Anyone interested in the facts rather than the hysteria of climate change should read his book before we further cripple our nation with the disastrous Cap and Trade legislation.<br />Ray Froess<br />Saratoga, Calif.<br /></div></div></div>

Letter to the Editor: Stop the waste

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>The bridge to nowhere in Alaska was super waste spending. The sidewalk to nowhere in Truckee is super waste spending. The new sidewalk at the new recreation building looks like it should be in Newport Beach. What a circle - when will it end, the super waste? We all know that there is a need for the government to take care of some of the daily operations of the country, state, county and city. But when all the operations are a wasteful mess it makes most of us normal taxpaying people sick. I am not against government - I am against waste. If everyone in the government started to take charge and get on with the job we would all be better off. Government workers say they are not getting paid like they would if they were in the private sector. But if people ran things in the real world like they do in the government, they would all be out of business. Cost effective is not what the government is but it is what it should be. Waste needs to be eliminated from all the government a</div></div></div>

Letter to the Editor: Regional Plan Update must be clarified

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>The community plans must be fully developed in concert with the Regional Plan Update process. The current proposal of only an environmental checklist in advance of adopting the new regional plan, then fleshing out the details of community character after the fact with the counties in the lead position is a process doomed for failure for the local communities.<br />Who will decide what our community character is? The TRPA? The county? The neighbors with a two-story home? We've heard a disturbing new description of community character from TRPA officials, they call it "local conditions." What is local? In the case of the North Stateline Community Plan is it: Brockway, Crystal Bay, is it Placer County, Washoe County, the neighbors, the general area, State of California, Nevada, or is it Incline Village or Kings Beach? Does that mean that existing local conditions, many of which are outdated and out of touch, will determine the direction of new development? The North Statelin</div></div></div>

Gabrielle Burton to read and sign Tamsen Donner books in Truckee

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>"After writing about Tamsen Donner (the pioneer heroine of the ill-fated Donner Party of 1846) off and on for 37 years," author Gabrielle Burton said, "I won the writer's lottery, publishing two books about her in one year."<br />Burton will be read and sign her new novel, "Impatient with Desire: The Lost Journal of Tamsen Donner," and her acclaimed memoir, "Searching for Tamsen Donner" July 30 and 31. <br />"I chanced upon the Donner Party by accident," she said. In 1972, at Bread Loaf Writer's Conference, writer William Lederer told her he dreamt she was going to write a book about people eating each other to survive. He said most people eat each other to survive and she would write a book that showed a better way.<br />Burton had absolutely no idea what he meant. Months later, while talking with her husband about geography for a story she was writing, he mentioned Donner Pass. "You know," her husband said, &#82</div></div></div>

TRPA wraps discussion on Regional Plan Update, process goes on hold for six months

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='picContainer'><img src='http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SS&Date=20100729&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=100729903&Ref=AR&MaxW=314&maxh=314' style='border:1px solid #c3c2c2;'></div> <div id='story'>KINGS BEACH, Calif. - The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has wrapped up the first phase of discussion over the proposed regional plan update that aims to dictate the pace of development and growth in the Lake Tahoe Basin for at least the next 20 years.<br />The agency's governing board reviewed the fifth and final milestone - conservation - during an all-day meeting Wednesday at the North Tahoe Events Center, a discussion that elicited the least amount of debate or contention from the public of any milestone.<br />Debate focused on whether updated soil surveys that will be incorporated into the land capability map - one of the more prominent tools TRPA uses to determine a land parcel's capacity for development - will supersede previous soil surveys and maps developed in the 70s and 80s.<br />The agency currently uses two systems - Bailey's land capability system and Individual Parcel Evaluation System - to ascertain the percentage of a parcel capable of co</div></div></div>

Jim Porter: Automatic red light cameras questioned

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>We have all seen them. Devices at congested intersections in select cities that automatically take photographs of drivers running red lights. I've only seen them in Europe. Which shows how cool I am. Who runs a red light anyway?<br />How do you defend yourself when the municipality presents a date-stamped photo of you driving through the intersection after the light has turned red? Let me tell you how.<br /><br />Red light camera<br />Tarek Khaled ran a red light in Santa Ana on Aug. 2, 2008. A photograph of the alleged violation was taken by an automatic camera manufactured and maintained by a private company who sent the digital photographic information to the City of Santa Ana, who charged Khaled with the violation. <br />At the hearing, a police officer testified about the general area depicted in the photograph, but of course knew nothing about the incident or the specific violation, nor did the officer take the photograph or process the photograph or disseminate it to Santa Ana, nor did he kno</div></div></div>

My Turn: Why you should run for the TTUSD board

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>I am writing this column to encourage local registered voters to seriously consider becoming a candidate for local public office. The Office of Elections for Placer County is recognized as an excellent resource for potential candidates. The county publishes a Candidate Guidelines booklet designed to provide answers to common questions and give a timeline of local filing requirements. These filing dates started July 12, and they end Aug. 6.<br />Hopefully, many of you will volunteer to be a candidate with the wide variety of local offices that will have positions open this November. Local board positions include Fire Protection District, Hospital District, Public Utility District, Sanitary District, Water District, Airport District, Placer County Board of Education, Sierra College Board and three trustee positions for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District.<br />Why do something like this? Speaking from personal experience as a trustee for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (1999-2006</div></div></div>

Water Ski Weekend at Obexer's a splashing success

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='picContainer'><img src='http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SS&Date=20100729&Category=COMMUNITY&ArtNo=100729906&Ref=AR&MaxW=314&maxh=314' style='border:1px solid #c3c2c2;'></div> <div id='story'>TAHOMA, Calif. - The sport of water skiing is only 88 years old. Tahoma's Les Bartlett is 75 years old. The two got together along with 20-somethings and others to put on a show for the Tahoe Maritime Museum's first-ever on-the-water water skiing exhibition. Septuagenarian Bartlett demonstrated how "not to learn to water ski" by skiing hunched over, dropping his derriere repeatedly into the water. A crowd of 100-plus watched the July 23 morning precedings from Obexer's Marina pier. Another 70 or so crowded into 17 boats to survey the demonstrations of slalom skiing, wakeboarding, wakeskating, kneeboarding, trick skiing, double skiing, wakesurfing and aquaplaning. Ten-year old Amanda Shepherd of Homewood concluded the day's exhibition on an aquaplane by being the youngest "skier" on the oldest piece of equipment: the 1940s aquaplane.<br />Event coordinator Warren Fallat called the Water Ski Weekend "a great success" and said </div></div></div>

Over the summit to historic Big Bend Visitor Center

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>Big Bend Visitor Center is the site of California state registered historic landmark 799-2 on the California emigrant trail, located 10 miles west of Donner Summit on Interstate 80, 49685 Hampshire Rocks Road. The first group of emigrants to cross the Sierra Nevada with covered wagons wintered here in 1844-45. Find information on recreation activities in the Tahoe National Forest and nearby areas, area maps to help interpret and enlighten your understanding of this area, and interpret the early emigrant and transportation history that helped California develop as a state in the museum.<br />Take the Rainbow or Big Bend exit and follow the Ranger Station signs along old U.S. 40. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day - 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Call 426-3609 for information. <br />Down the Rocky Road, Walk the Emigrant Trail at Big Bend<br />Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Join rangers for a walk along the Emigrant trail to California, as well as the first paved road across the Sie</div></div></div>

Excellence in Education Second Annual Luxury Home Tour at Martis Camp

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='picContainer'><img src='http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SS&Date=20100729&Category=COMMUNITY&ArtNo=100729908&Ref=AR&MaxW=314&maxh=314' style='border:1px solid #c3c2c2;'></div> <div id='story'>TRUCKEE, Calif. - Spend an afternoon exploring six remarkable one-of-a-kind custom homes in Truckee's Martis Camp and help raise money to benefit local schools during the second annual Excellence in Education Luxury Home Tour Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.<br />Excellence in Education has partnered with the Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors for this unique event that showcases a group of distinct homes. Discover many of the latest trends and creative ideas in luxury home building as envisioned by several of the region's premiere architects, builders, designers and landscapers. <br />"From the beginning our goal has been to invite participants to enter a world brimming with inspirational architecture, lavish interior design and creative landscaping," explained Lil Schaller, Excellence in Education Board Member and Home Tour Chair. "We are pleased that Martis Camp so willingly agreed to partner with us this year and we know that this year's tour promi</div></div></div>

Social Scene: Gobs of guests at Gatekeeper's gathering in Tahoe City

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='picContainer'><img src='http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SS&Date=20100728&Category=COMMUNITY&ArtNo=100729909&Ref=AR&MaxW=314&maxh=314' style='border:1px solid #c3c2c2;'></div> <div id='story'>TAHOE CITY, Calif. - History repeated itself with another successful North Tahoe Historical Society fundraiser. The annual dinner and auction is a tradition that morphed from potluck dinners hosted at private homes of the founding historical society members to an event now drawing close to 200 guests on the Gatekeeper's Museum grounds. The al fresco affair had guests mingling at the lakeside venue next to Fanny Bridge, where the cold waters of Lake Tahoe spill through the dam, the only natural outlet, to become the Truckee River starting point. The Gatekeeper's Museum is a reconstruction of the original gatekeeper's cabin - once home of the water master who controlled the flow of water out of Lake Tahoe. The museum now houses much Tahoe history, from its native inhabitants through the logging era and the establishment of the tourism industry - including an extensive Native American basket collection.<br />Guests enjoyed refreshments and passed hors d'oeuvres before dinner</div></div></div>

Truckee development: Railyard work to start small - and perhaps soon

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>TRUCKEE, Calif. - Plans for the 75-acre Railyard development could start small - and soon, too.<br />Ultimately the project planned for the eastern end of downtown could bring residential units, commercial space, a movie theater and even move Donner Pass Road and the railroad's balloon track. But Holliday Development is starting small, proposing to knock down the old garage next to the Carmel Gallery and replace it with a two-story building - commercial below and residential above.<br />"This will start moving the Railyard east from the existing downtown," said Rick Holliday, owner of the project.<br />Holliday said that while the garage is at the back of a historic Victorian home on Church Street, it itself is not historic.<br />The Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, which reviewed the proposal on Wednesday, decided in a split vote the garage is a Category D "nonessential" historic structure, and were generally supportive of Holliday's pro</div></div></div>

Celebrate Living History Day with free fun for all ages at Sugar Pine Point

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='picContainer'><img src='http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SS&Date=20100728&Category=COMMUNITY&ArtNo=100729911&Ref=AR&MaxW=314&maxh=314' style='border:1px solid #c3c2c2;'></div> <div id='story'>TAHOE - All performances and activities at the event are free, and park visitors only need to pay the parking fee of $8 to enjoy a memorable day of outdoor fun at the California state park.<br />Prepare for this day by splashing on the sunblock and packing a bathing suit, towels, beach toys, and a picnic basket. There is plenty of water fun on this two-mile stretch of white, sandy beach. Remember to bring walking shoes to join the guided nature strolls or a hike to the former site of the "highest lighthouse in the world" as guides identify flora and fauna in the Ed Z'Berg Nature Preserve. <br />Non-hikers will enjoy listening to the bluegrass melodies of The Wronglers led by Warren Hellman, descendant of the banking family that built the mansion. Other relaxing activities include historical lectures and movies.<br />A special treat is a tour of the mansion, with local residents in period costumes acting out the elegant lakefront life of the early 20th century. <br />Pine Lodge, also </div></div></div>

Truckee eats up Cannibal Cruise

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='picContainer'><img src='http://www.sierrasun.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SS&Date=20100728&Category=COMMUNITY&ArtNo=100729912&Ref=AR&MaxW=314&maxh=314' style='border:1px solid #c3c2c2;'></div> <div id='story'>The Truckee Optimist Club's 20th Annual Cannibal Cruise Classic Car Show, held July 9-11 at Truckee Regional Park, was a very fun event and netted approximately $18,000 to go toward programs, sponsorships, grants and college scholarships for area youth.<br />"Attendance was down a bit this year due to the economy and competing activities in the Truckee/North Tahoe area," said Norm Nicholls, event spokesman. "However, we were very pleased with the feedback from the car owners, vendors and attendees which indicated that everyone had a great time. We are beginning to gear up for the biggest and best Cannibal Cruise ever next July 8, 9 and 10."<br />The Truckee Optimist Club wants to thank all the sponsors, participants, and local community members who helped make this event happen.<br />- Submitted via aedgett@sierrasun.com<br /></div></div></div>

Join the newest Truckee Toastmaster Club

<div id='bodyContainer'><div id='mainBody'> <div id='story'>TRUCKEE, Calif. - Survey after survey shows that presentation skills are crucial to success in the workplace. Many people pay high fees for seminars to gain the skill and confidence necessary to face an audience. Toastmasters provides an option that is less expensive and held in high regard in business circles. This organization has been around for more than 85 years and offers a proven and enjoyable way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.<br />You will:<br /> Learn to communicate more effectively <br /> Become a better listener. <br /> Improve your presentation skills <br /> Increase your leadership potential <br /> Become more successful in your career <br /> Build your ability to motivate and persuade <br /> Reach your professional and personal goals <br /> Increase your self confidence.<br />How you do it:<br /> Build speaking and leadership skills with time-tested methods <br /> Focus on areas of interest in our self-paced curriculum <br /> Receive suggestions for improvement through construct</div></div></div>

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