“Remember, remember the 5th of November” is a slogan commonly heard on the streets of London at this time of year. It refers to the tradition of Bonfire Night, in celebration of the foiled gunpowder plot in 1605 by the revolutionary Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. However, some call him “the last man to enter Parliament with honest intentions.”

The Tahoe Activist Artists had decided on this theme before the devastating fires started ravaging California.

Rising from the Fire is a continuation of the Tahoe Activist Artists’ mission to bring an empowering message to the community

The artists are building on the success of their first exhibition, We the People: Tahoe Artists Visualize a World of Conversation and Connection, which took place at Tahoe Mountain Lab in September. The artists raised more than $2,500 for local and national charities.

There will be an opening night reception on Nov. 5 from 5pm-midnight, with live music, fire dancers, food and beverages from MoonHouse Brewhouse. Admission is free with tickets from Eventbrite and child-friendly. It will be at High Vibe Society on Third Street in South Lake Tahoe.

The artists will be donating proceeds of their sales to help relief efforts for the Northern California wildfires, Live Violence Free, and Bread and Broth 4 Kids.

Liberty Utilities has made two new improvements to its website to benefit customers.

The company said the real-time outage map has been improved to show greater details so customers have more information about unplanned and planned outages. The map will show if a crew has been dispatched or if they are assessing/working on the problem. Customers can also zoom in to see the outage area, including nearby streets. Specific addresses affected by an outage are not shown for security reasons.

Estimated restoration times will be shown. The website is also accessible via portable devices.

Information about Liberty Utilities’ efforts to reduce its carbon footprint is also online.

By Larry Weitzman

One aspect of being an American is the right to choose and that right is in serious jeopardy. In other parts of the world, there is no protection from government intervention in your life as provided by the United States Constitution which limits and delineates the power of government. No other country in the world has these protections as evidenced by recent edicts, mandates and fiats issued by the governments of China, Norway, Netherlands, France, Britain and soon by Germany. Within the next eight-23 years, it is those governments’ intention to ban the sale of cars with internal combustion engines, which has been the motive force of over 99 percent of all automobiles since about 1910.

Larry Weitzman

But you had to know some knucklehead, pandering and controlling legislator would soon follow suit in California. And it is in the form of a left wing assemblyman named Phil Ting, from of all places, San Francisco. It is the same guy who tried to subsidize Tesla in his recent Assembly Bill 1184, which we can thank the heavens for its demise in the California Senate. It was essentially a $3 billion giveaway to rich people that would pay to each buyer of a Tesla about $25,000-$30,000 in the form of a rebate, no matter their income. Great, the average annual income of Tesla buyer is $320K. A $3 billion wealth transfer from the poor and middle class to the rich (former President Barack Obama said anyone making more than $250K annually is rich).

Democrat Ting said on Sep. 29 that he vowed to introduce legislation that would ban the sales of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2040, saying, “California is used to being first, but we are trying to catch up to this.” This is like being first to jump off a high cliff. Sometimes it is better to be last or in this case maybe never or at least not until a safe way down is developed. When government gets involved in dictating to the private sector of what to manufacture, it by classic definition called fascism. Look it up, instead, I’ll save you the trouble:  Fascism /ˈfæʃɪzəm/ is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and control of industry and commerce, that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Does this definition make Ting a fascist?

If EVs were so great and demanded by the public, there would be plenty of different models from many different manufacturers for sale. That is how the free market works. But there aren’t. What EVS that are for sale are because of government edicts and regulations. They simply don’t sell. Even Tesla, who brought to market the Model 3, is having claimed problems in production, building only 260 cars between July and September when it said it would build more than 1,500 cars for the same period and be producing 5,000 cars a week by the end of this year. Model 3 is a losing proposition. You can’t lose money on every car you sell and make it up in volume. The Model S is proof of that as they are losing about $15,000 on every Model S they sell. Just look at their financial statements. Teslas total loses even with government subsidies for the last five years now total $2.4 Billion through the second quarter of 2017. Third quarter losses have been projected to grow by about another $330 million.

Perhaps the intended purpose of Ting is to take away the public’s freedom of personal transportation and the freedom of travel. EVs have limited ranges and their refueling time is long and arduous. So even if their range is 200 miles, your radius of operation is about 100 miles. Yes, there are such things as superchargers which can give you an alleged 80 percent in half an hour, but battery life becomes questionable and who wants to stop two times for half an hour or more when going from Placerville to Los Angeles. I have made that trip several times in a conventional car and it is nonstop with absolutely no range anxiety. And refueling takes just three minutes or less. EVs will severely limit our mobility.

Second is the cost of EVs. Sure, Chevy sells a $36,000 Bolt, but it costs them a reported $52,000 a copy to manufacture. A base Tesla Model 3 will cost about the same to manufacture. The real sales price of a car costing $50,000 to build should be at least $75,000 to make any profit considering general and administrative expenses. In fact, the usual rule of thumb is to double the manufacturing costs. How many people can afford even a $50,000 car? The average compact car sells for about $20,000 and returns 35-40 mpg. Compact CUVs sell for about the same transaction price up to about $25,000. And manufacturers still make a small profit, while making huge profits on $40,000 to $50,000 trucks as they don’t cost that much more to build.       

EVs face several problems before public acceptance and with all the hype about EVs, the public isn’t buying them as they are less than one percent of the total market even with huge subsidies and sales are not increasing. If there were no government subsidies, as in Hong Kong, where subsidies were slashed to zero recently, sales followed suit. EVs are at least double the cost of conventional cars, if not more. Secondly batteries have limited range and huge refueling issues. Gasoline has about 100 times the energy density of batteries and an amazingly simple refueling process. But because of engine efficiency differences, the I/C energy advantage is about 25 to 0ne. The energy cost per mile for EVs is about the same for a conventional compact car. No benefit for EVs there, as well.

And while “they” claim there is progress being made in EV technology, there has been little progress with battery chemistry, not progressing at all over the last decade. However, technology progress with conventional cars has been amazing with huge improvements in both performance and fuel economy. Interesting of how reality works. And I/C technology is still improving with the recent accomplishment of the compression ignition gasoline engine by Mazda which is slated for production next year (2019) with claimed fuel economy improvements of 20-30 percent. Nissan is about to produce the first variable compression engine with similar claims. Yet battery technology remains the same and electric motors haven’t changed significantly in 100 years. Yet we are going to ban the progress of I/C technology to become Luddites of the early 20th century, when EVs ruled personal transportation. Brilliant.

The reasoning for Luddites like Phil Ting is to save us from nonexistent or insignificant global warming. That’s why environmentalists resemble watermelons as they are green on the outside and red on the inside. The whole environmental movement is nothing more than a socialist movement as the solutions are bigger government, more laws and regulations, more taxes, less choice and freedom. I wrote 20 years ago with respect to the original Kyoto Accords environmental agreement that it had nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with politics, namely socialism. EVs are only the first salvo of your limitation of rights and freedoms, next will be the size and/or location of your home, the food you eat and/or the clothes you wear. It’s coming.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.

China and Sunflower

China and Sunflower are 3-year-old bonded brothers who need a home together. They were loved in their previous home, but their owner cannot keep them. Their adoption fee has been partially paid.

China and Sunflower are neutered, microchipped, tested for FIV, and vaccinated. They are at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes. Go to the Tahoe animal shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions of all pets at the shelter.

Call 530.573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet.

— Karen Kuentz

Bill Schultz is an institution within El Dorado County. Photo/Provided

By Susan Wood

When you’re a county dealing with record voter turnout as El Dorado did last year, you turn to a career record-keeping shoe-in to maintain order in this unpredictable world of government and politics. That is, until you can’t anymore.

El Dorado County Registrar of Voters Bill Schultz, 84, has become a guru in local government since his humble beginnings decades ago with the county. So much so, it’s going to take more than a year and probably more than one person to gear up for his leaving and to fill his shoes.

Schultz, who also serves as the recorder clerk and the Veteran Affairs director, is retiring in January 2019 – but not before leaving his mark as a fixture to county government. Essentially, he’s opting out of re-election next year.

“The big thing is I’ve been working since I was 12 years old. It’s going to be interesting to be out of a job,” Schultz said, further insisting he’s placing “relaxing” on a to-do list. “I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do. It’s time to spend some time with my family and friends.”

Schultz said he’s looking forward to retirement, but the question remains: Will he stay busy enough to satisfy his insatiable need to serve, judging from the long list of accomplishments he’s racked up through decades of ambitious programs and forward-thinking projects? 

Perhaps the kind of service he’ll provide is on the tennis courts – another passion beyond work and family. Schultz received a gold medal in the sport at the Northern California Senior Olympics. 

Tennis is one of Bill Schultz’s passions — so is winning. Photo/Provided

If county government could hand out medals for overachievement in the area of employee ingenuity, Schultz would probably get one.

He began employment with El Dorado County in 1974 in a post called the service unit supervisor, which meant overseeing functions such as micrographics, printing and communications.

From that post, he became a jack of all trades as the county purchasing agent, general services director, interim welfare director, sheriff’s administrative assistant, communications director, 911 installation coordinator and even the airport director to the three regional airports in Placerville, South Lake Tahoe and Georgetown.

Knowledge of so many disciplines in county government came in handy when he worked as the records management coordinator. It took him more than a year to sort through all of the county’s records in storage and converted space underneath the library into an organized facility capable of holding 17,000 boxes of records. He modeled the program after the state’s.

In between, he took a break from the county from 1980 to 1990 when he became an operations manager for XeneX Computer Systems, a data processing firm for the financial industry. After all, he had a background in banking upon moving to Placerville in 1972 after serving in the Navy.

Dedication to service is engrained in Schultz. He served four terms during the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1969. 

His dedication to the military, which was embedded as a child since his father was also in the Navy, stayed with him during his tenure starting at 2004 as the county registrar – the chief of the elections department.

It was in this role Schultz admits he performed an accomplishment he’s most proud of. In 2012, he applied for and received a $1 million grant from the Federal Voting Commission to better assist military voters overseas.

Still, Schultz has not rested in his ambitious goals. He volunteered the county as one to help the state implement a statewide Voter Registration System before 2017. The prior year, the deadline was met. His meticulous record-keeping skills netted $87,000 to the county for its participation.

And timing is everything, depending on one’s perspective.

As it turns out, the 2016 presidential election churned out more registered voters than ever in El Dorado County. It’s one of the first in the state to start online electronic recording due to Schultz’s efforts. Voter turnout was a record 83 percent last November.

This year, Schultz and his staff are busy preparing for yet another election. South Lake Tahoe, in particular, has a key roads initiative on the ballot — Measure C.

Next year, the elections cycles continue. To replace Schultz would seem like an insurmountable task. For one thing, it may take three people to fill his three jobs. The next recorder-clerk will be elected either in June or November of 2018. The registrar position will be appointed by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors. 

“OK, so what are we going to do? Our superman is leaving,” county Supervisor Sue Novasel said, recalling her reaction to the news.

​Bill Schultz is a 40-year member of the Fleet Reserve Association. Photo/Provided

The county is currently trying to figure out constitutionally how to separate the recorder-clerk and registrar positions, along with the Veteran Affairs chief, because “it would be very difficult to fill all three positions with one person,” Novasel told Lake Tahoe News.

“He’s done an amazing job for the county and is really going to be missed,” she said, calling Schultz “a wealth of information.”

One of the aspects to Schultz’s personality that Novasel mentioned as being refreshing to those who work with him is his soft, cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor.

Linda Webster, the registrar’s assistant for four years, knows firsthand what it’s like to work for Schultz, whom she commended for taking the elections department from hand-stamping to computer electronics.

First, Webster noted she’ll miss his passion about his responsibilities as well as his management style.

“He’s not a micromanager. He very much recognizes employees’ abilities and strong points. He clears obstacles to allow us to do our jobs and makes sure we have all the tools to conduct our business,” she told Lake Tahoe News.

The end result amounted to a close-knit elections department.

“I’ve known Bill for a long time. He really turned this department around in several ways. He’ll be well-missed by the county in general and hard to replace,” elections systems coordinator Joe Zitzelberger said.

The data-crunching guru added that unlike other department managers Schultz provides an office atmosphere absent of stress – a notable feat considering the fast-paced elections environment.

But most of all, it’s Schultz’s folksy, even-keel, respectful temperament that those familiar with his work ethics and management style say are rare in the working world.  

“I don’t feel like I’m working for him, I’m working with him,” Zitzelberger said.

It’s hard to find much to complain about with the Mazda CX-3. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

Mazda is about the only auto manufacturer that has a real DNA in its entire product line. Every vehicle has killer style (Kodo-Soul in Motion), tight handling, incredible fuel economy coupled with outstanding performance, great build quality, an upscale, premium feel coupled with reasonable (low) pricing.

Mazda CX-3 is just another example of that DNA, design philosophy. Except for perhaps the entertainment system, Mazda’s are some of the best all-around vehicles in production in their respective categories and class. You can’t buy a bad Mazda, they are all great and once you master the entertainment/GPS system they get even better. I took me a few weeks, but now I live with the process of changing radio stations. In some respects, there is a bonus where you can go to different media sources directly, i.e. AM to FM or XM with one click and be on the new source and channel selected without further ado. Perhaps that is the Mazda thinking behind it.

CX-3 is a small vehicle. It is only 168 inches long or a foot shorter than your average compact car. But it is wide at 70 inches while standing tall at 61 inches.

But when it comes to the actual drive quality, Mazda has the top spots. There might be equals (Honda Civic v. Mazda 3), but they are few and far between.

CX-3 for 2017 is virtually unchanged, following the philosophy of don’t fix was isn’t broken. Powering up the subcompact CUV is the fantastic Skyactiv DOHC, 16 valve, direct injection, Atkinson ability, long stroking inline four that in similar configuration powers the Mazda 3. Belting out 146 hp at 6,000 rpm and a bottom dwelling 146 pounds of twist at just 2,800 rpm means the in this configuration along with the six-speed auto cog swapper, responds beautifully at any speed or situation.

Specifications
Pricing
$19,960 to about $29,500
Engine
2.0L DOHC 16 valve direct injection inline four 146 hp @ 6,000 rpm
146 lb.-ft. of torque @ 2,800 rpm
Transmission
Six-speed torque converter automatic
Configuration
Transverse front engine//FWD/AWD
Dimensions
Wheelbase 101.2 inches
Length 168.3 inches
Width 69.6 inches
Height 60.9 inches
Track (f/r) 60.0/59.9 inches
Ground Clearance 6.22 inches
Curb weight (FWD/AWD) 2,809/2,952 pounds
Turning circle (curb to curb)34.8 feet
Fuel Tank capacity (FWD/AWD) 12.7/11.9 gallons
Cargo volume (second row down/up) 44.5/12.4 cubic feet
Wheels (std/opt) 16X6 inch steel/16X6.5-inch alloy opt/18X7 inch alloy opt
Tires (std/opt) 215/60X16/215/50X18
Performance
0-60 mph 7.91 seconds
50-70 mph 4.27 seconds
50-70 uphill 6.89 seconds
Top speed (according to Mazda) 119 mph
Fuel economy EPA rated 29/34/31 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 31-32 mpg in rural /suburban driving and 38 mpg at 70 mph on a level highway.

Knocking off 0-60 mph in just 7.91 seconds and 50-70 mph passing times of 4.27 seconds and an uphill run of 6.89 seconds mirrors almost exactly the same numbers produced by my 2016 test (7.89, 4.45 6.86 seconds) demonstrates the incredible build consistency of Mazda as well as its very good performance. It is responsive at any speed and full tilt boogie is rarely required. In high altitude passes the CX-3 was impressive although for safety’s sake full throttle was the rule.

Now here is where it gets even better, the CX-3 in my usual fuel economy test of about 210 miles was remarkable achieving an average of 37.6 mpg going over the Sierra with no freeway constant speed driving and passing at every opportunity which means about 18 applications of full tilt boogie for several seconds at a time. Economy compact cars don’t fare as well.  EPA numbers are 29/34/31 mpg city/highway/combined. Overall the CX-3 averaged between 31 and 32 mpg while achieving an average of 38 mpg on the highway at 70 mph. One negative is the small fuel tank of just 12.7 gallons limits the CX-3’s range and in the AWD model which will cost you about an mpg the tank is even smaller at 11.9 gallons.

More positives relate to the superb handling of the CX-3. It simply goes where you point it. Eighteen-inch alloys shod with 215/50 series rubber hangs on like a vice grip with a hint of play left for the skilled operator to deal with and create the smiles by the mile as the fun begins. CX-3 is a blast when the road bends. If you’ve had a bad day and need a confidence boost, the CX-3 will deliver in spades and it’s a CUV, not a Miata, always ready for a quick run to the Depot. Turning circle is a scant 34.8 feet.

Ride quality can be described as firm, not harsh and on smoother roads it is remarkably smooth handling minor bumps and undulations perfectly with no float. Sharper and larger road defects are more noticeable. It’s not a Rolls Royce, but I like a firmer more controlled ride like the CX-3. Engine spins 2,400 at 70 mph and is very quiet as is tire, wind and road noise.

In this class of vehicles, CX-3 offers a buffet of safety. Get the GT Activesense package for $1,170 which Smart braking, lane departure warning, high beam control and more which compliments all the other safety acronyms including blind spot warning. LED head lights with AFS are fabulous. Night tennis anyone?

Mazda interiors are more like a premium done with the best materials, comfortable seats done in leather good for the long haul. Instrumentation is Mazda perfect, big center tach, heads up for speed and cruise as well as the south-east quadrant of the tach, trip computer in the right hole and other ancillary info in the left hole. Then there is the center stack as mentioned above, if there is a Mazda weakness, it is the entertainment system. Too many steps and not direct enough with too much complication. And I am not a fan on the screen simply stuck in the flat surface of the upper central IP. It’s too distracting, although it has one simple step of going direct to your band/channel. But you have to be in a certain mode to do that. If you listen to your own medium, no problem, but I like AM/FM/XM.

Cargo capacity is not huge, 45 cubic feet with the rear seats down and 12 cubes with them up. A foursome with clubs won’t fit comfortable. You certainly don’t want to be sitting on your driver (double entendre intended, and I was going to say driver’s shafts). I could go on with the jokes but I’ll stop here. And talk about wedges. Oy.

Pricing is relatively inexpensive with this premium Grand Touring stickering for $24,990 plus $940 for the luxury suite for the ship coming from Hiroshima, Japan.  The aforementioned pack plus a couple of other hundred-dollar items brought the total to a reasonable $27,300. AWD will bring that to about $28,500. Base models start at about $20 large.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.

Tahoe Arts Project is bringing the Missoula Children’s Theater back to Tahoe from Oct. 23-28.

Auditions for the production of ‘Beauty Lou and the Country Beast” are Oct. 23 at South Tahoe Middle School’s multipurpose room from 4-6pm. Those auditioning should arrive at 4pm and plan to stay for the full two hours.

Some of the cast members will be asked to stay for a rehearsal immediately following the audition.

There are roles for up to 60 children. Among the roles to be cast are Beauty Lou, Imaginary Friend, Beast, Dusty and Slim the farmhands, Fleabite Clyde the dog, the Younger Daughters, the Older Daughters, the Country Folk and the Barnyard Critters. 

Assistant directors will also be cast to aid in rehearsals throughout the week, and to take on essential backstage responsibilities. Students in kindergarten (must be 5) through 12th grade may audition. No advance preparation is necessary. There is a possibility that not everyone who auditions will be cast.

Rehearsals will take place all week from 4-8:30pm, depending on the role. All children who are cast must be able to attend all rehearsals for their role.

“Beauty Lou and the Country Beast” will be presented on Oct. 28 at South Tahoe High School theater at 3 and 5:30pm. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors.

Auditions are free. If cast, there will be a fee of $50 per child to participate. A limited number of scholarships are available. For more info, call Peggy Blowney at 530.542.3632.

Trail connectivity in Park City is good for dogs and people. Photo/Susan Wood

By Susan Wood

PARK CITY, Utah – When the kids go back to school, Park City goes to the dogs – or hikers, cyclists, foodies and thrill seekers searching for solace from the crowds.

At 7,000 feet, the Utah ski town is best known for its monumental winters. It’s home to Ski magazine’s No. 1 ski resort Deer Valley, now owned by KSL Partners, which also has Squaw Valley in its investment portfolio. It’s also home to Park City – which ski giant Vail Resorts has made the largest U.S resort by combining it with Canyons.

Park City is also considered a bedroom community for skiers and boarders venturing out to Little and Big Cottonwood canyons outside nearby Salt Lake City. Snow riding options abound in these two canyons – home of Snowbird, Alta, Solitude and Brighton mountain resorts.

More important, Park City was placed on the global map in 2002 by co-hosting the Winter Olympics with neighboring Salt Lake City. The big advantage here is the assortment of adventure-sports venues left for visitors and residents alike to use.

Outdoor entertainment comes in various forms. Photo/Susan Wood

In summer, visitors flock to Park City for the mild climate and outdoor adventure. But summer and winter aside — when fall rolls around, visitation drops off when kids are in school.

This leaves miles of trails and empty seats on activity rides, restaurants and bars.

“The Park City Chamber/Bureau does do extensive work to attract guests to visit our destination year round. Since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, we have seen the shoulder seasons (aka spring and fall) dwindle,” Park City Chamber/Convention & Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Rachel Buhler told Lake Tahoe News. “Park City was once known as a winter-only destination, but now it has earned a reputation for visitation at any time of year.”

Buhler listed the foliage as a mainstay for visitors to come out in the fall.

Park City and Canyons, the mountain operations with an alpine coaster and slide, zip line and mountain bike venue, closed at the end of September. 

But the Utah Olympic Park remains open on the weekends for those seeking a thrill in three adventure courses, two zip lines at the tower and, better yet, the Comet bobsled that can transport a rider up to 3Gs (70mph) on a course that twists down the mountain. It’s a thrill a minute. It closes Oct. 22.

Fall colors are low to the ground and high in the trees. Photo/Susan Wood

To slow things down, a visitor can enjoy the solitude of utter beauty by hiking or sauntering on trails. The aspens turn a vivid yellow in some groves, with spots of red sprinkled in. Wide open, expansive views reveal mountainsides with shades of rust- or orange-colored trees against the green landscape marked with patches of white snow.

Park City is a lot like Lake Tahoe in the fall. One day may bring on 70-degree, pleasant temperatures. Another may portray an early winter, as it did leading into the last week of September as summer came to a cold end.

The scenery is exceptional at Park City this time of year.

Plus, there are more than enough places to take woman’s best friend.

AJ became an Olympic dog-for-the-day when the sun came out and beamed down on the foothills atop the ridge overlooking Olympic Park.

Hikers can drive to the facility where the Alf Engen Ski Museum, training pool and adventure activities are located to pick up the Welcome Center Trail. From there, the scenery only improves as the switchbacks climb up the Nordic View Trail that leads to the ridge at Peak Plaza where the top of the ski jump comes into full view. The aptly named Legacy Ridge Trail veers off into a particularly quiet part of the mountain where it meets with the Iron Bill Trail for the descent leading back to the base at the Nordic Plaza. Not a soul was in sight.

The hike is a feast for the senses. The smell of autumn permeates the trails, with wet leaves scattered about.

If the approximately three miles doesn’t fill up one’s day, a hiker can just hop in the car and venture down the Olympic Park Road to pick up a system of trails in the Basin Recreation Area.

With a four-legged friend, there’s a special place to stop right off the main road.

The 2-mile Run-A-Muk Trail is specifically designed for canines. It’s fenced in, hence the name for dogs that love to go off leash. At the gated trailhead, poop bag dispensers have been installed. Cute signs along the way make the walk entertaining: “If your dog poops, you must scoop.”

Across the road, a trailhead for a more ambitious trail awaits. Park City gets an A-plus for trail connections. A hiker can pick up the Overland Trail from the growing civilization at Kimball Junction outside of the historic town and climb up to a beautiful grove of aspens where the two trailheads intersect. The trail promises views and comes equipped with lights for night walking, along with a bench to take a break. AJ thoroughly enjoyed the endeavor.

From the main intersection at mid-mountain, hikers and riders such as the large Park City High School Mountain Bike Club may ambitiously climb up to the base of Olympic Park. It would be easy to spend the whole day in just this one section of Park City.

It’s obvious based on the offerings and the activity out and about where people spend their time in Park City. Miles and miles of trails dot the landscape from the foothills to the high reaches of the mountaintops spanning more than 10,000 feet at the top of Guardsman Pass.

This massive recreational offering and change of scenery is what gets one Tahoe couple to return year after year with their mountain bikes, paddleboards, dirt bikes and tennis gear.

They enjoy starting at Stein Eriksen Lodge where they’re sure to see wildlife. Sure, Lake Tahoe comes with that bonus. But when’s the last time you’ve come up to a moose out on a hike or bike ride?

Park City has also captured the visitor seeking a unique experience indoors as well – jumping on the foodie tourism bandwagon.

Entrees like the steelhead trout at Twisted Fern rival big city restaurants. Photo/Kathryn Reed

A restaurant experience at a different level

The Twisted Fern offers a refreshing approach to dining in this recreational paradise.

This eatery on Snow Creek Drive provides that delicate balance between plentiful nourishment and an explosion of flavors at adequate prices with a lovely atmosphere.

“Park City has a significant food scene. There is a large variety of blends in town, but many people are focused on local, organic and sustainable sourcing,” Buhler, the town’s spokeswoman, said. “Many chefs in town are award-winning and bring in a heightened sense of creativity to offer foods that are new as well as old classics with a spin to the ingredients.”

She couldn’t be more right about chef-owner Adam Ross’s Twisted Fern.

For starters, the elote appetizer billed as gluten free gets the taste buds going as the combination of fried corn, fingerling potatoes, shishito peppers and cherry tomatoes to replace the off-season heirloom variety represents a perfect melding of flavors. (Warning: the corn on the small cob is a bit awkward to eat.)

To wash it down, the Delusional Donkey cocktail is a zesty vodka-ginger beer-mint concoction, while the Wasatch Smash named after the local mountain range is a smooth libation made up of spiced whiskey, lemon, rosemary and simple syrup.

Many choices fill the chef’s entrée menu – without clogging it up. And these are no ordinary meal options. Highly recommended is the chicken fried portabello mushroom – a unique take on a common comfort meat dish.

Chef Adam Ross is happy to not be on Main Street in Park City. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Christy, the waitress, was more than happy to go over the ins and outs of the menu. She seemed genuinely excited to work for a restaurant and chef who care about sustainability and takes part in the farm-to-fork movement. It’s a level of understanding she said she didn’t get in her home state of Pennsylvania.

The pan-seared steelhead trout, albeit from British Columbia, tasted like it jumped on the plate. The savory vanilla oats mixed alongside the arugula pesto, asparagus and pecan granola provided ideal complements to the main ingredient of the dish.

The décor in the restaurant that opened in June is as delightful as the food. There’s a lighted bar off to the side of the open floor where 13 tables are adequately spaced. Outdoor seating doubles the occupancy. It’s nice the restaurant has the corner space in the strip mall to provide a view of the hill outside the window. Some seating offers views of the Park City mountain itself to remind diners and even the chef himself why they are here.

Chef Ross came out 11 years ago to go snowboarding. He has never looked back.

He frequents the farmers market every week, scours the meat and mushroom channels from Idaho, Washington and Montana on a regular basis and can come up with creative ideas at any time.

“I wanted to fill a niche that no one else was doing,” Ross told Lake Tahoe News.

Hard Rock Lake Tahoe is rocking a propertywide push for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, turning its exterior lights pink and urging employees and guests to join in support of the South Lake Tahoe Cancer League.

Throughout the month, a portion of the proceeds from sales of limited edition “Pinktober” T-shirts, pins, and the Hard Rock’s signature Pink Hard Lemonade drinks will benefit the non-rofit, and guests can also give by purchasing a $50 upgrade to a “Pinktober” room with a lakeside balcony.

Hard Rock employees will be having a breast cancer awareness door decoration competition, as well as making donations in exchange for merchandise and the chance to leave their handprints on a “Love All, Serve All” wall.

Now in its 37th year, the South Lake Tahoe Cancer League is a 100 percent volunteer organization offering no-cost resources – including transportation and limited financial assistance grants – to cancer patients who are in active treatment. All funding for its programs comes from individual and business donations.

Kyle Swanson is honored for his military service at the Minden Airshow. Photo/Molly Hucklebridge Coolidge

Local doctor Kyle Swanson was recognized this month for his military service and medical accomplishments.

During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Swanson served in the Army and performed surgeries on soldiers and Afghan civilians injured during the conflict. He is now an orthopedic surgeon with Barton’s Tahoe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Carson City and South Lake Tahoe.

During the Minden Airshow he was selected as a Hometown Hero. His reward? A ride in an F-16 Fighting Falcon.

He was given four hours of training, which included special breathing techniques and emergency preparedness.

The flight took off from Minden-Tahoe Airport and lasted 60 minutes with pilot Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh. Walsh said it was a “maximum flight” with “maximum turns.” In one instance, the pair completed 9.3 rotations. 

Hometown Heroes are selected from around the world with usually one hero and one flight chosen per an airshow.