Today's meeting was opened by President Shelly, welcoming everyone to the meeting with guest speaker Stephen "Toogee" Sielsch.

Invocation: Lydia shared another great invocation on this second to last day of summer. Twice a year Equinox is a great time to renew and reflect on the change. This is a good time of year to let things go, like the leaves off a tree.

Our Guests included Vicki Morgan, Mary Strohm, Christine Cupaiuolo, Katherine Borges, and Louisa Boone. Thank you for coming by to visit ladies!

SPEAKER: Known through town as Toogee (pronounced 2G), the Hawaiian native has lived in South Lake Tahoe for 40 years. He is the senior vector control supervisor for El Dorado County but has become the urbanized black bear expert sought by magazines, interviews, and for bear speaking engagements. As you can see in the picture below, he even acts like bears at times! He is full of great bear information.

In the Lake Tahoe Basin, there are an estimated 400-500 black bears with about 40% of those on the South Shore. We are the epicenter of bear urbanization. He told us "conflict" is the word to use for our black bears that have learned to forage for food in our homes and cars, not "problem" bears.

80% of the bear diet are grasses and Lake Tahoe is full of a cornucopia of food sources like bugs, larva, pine nuts, berries, and rose hips. Bear are opportunistic eaters, and will go for the easy dumpster food any time when given a choice. They eat 8-10 hours a day in the summer for their 5,000 calories. This time of year they are in hyperphagia and eating 20,000 calories a day. They can forage 16-18 hours a day for this amount, or spend an hour in a dumpster.

Problems - trash unsecured, intentional feeding for photo ops, bird feeders this time of year, pet food outside, unlocked cars, and homes with windows and doors unlocked. Tahoe bears are 25% bigger than their wildland relatives.

All bears in Tahoe are born between the last week of January and the first week of February. They are very tiny when born! They spend 18 months with their mom before heading out on their own.

You can catch Toogee at local speaking engagements or various publications, or follow him on Facebook and Instagram - Tahoe Toogee.

BE BEAR WISE! https://bearwise.org/

SITS Member Items & Our Projects

• Healthy Women/Heathy World is announcing a community e-waste drive for Saturday, September 23 from 10 - 2 PM at the South Tahoe Refuse Center!

Ewaste includes:

• CRT devices including older televisions and computer monitors.
• LCD desktop computer monitors, laptop computers, and tablets.
• LCD televisions and smart displays.
• Plasma televisions.
• OLED-containing televisions.
• OLED-containing desktop monitors, laptop computers, and tablets.

The Technology Committee Happy Hour at the Tech Cafe

October 13, 5:00 p.m.

Laurie Flesher’s home.

Join us for happy hour, drinks and nosh! Get help with your tech questions, learn some new skills that we would like all members to master, play some games and spend time with your SITSters. Please RSVP to [email protected].

Save The Date:  Leaf peeping walking tour at Taylor Creek on October 19 with Lois and club members. Meet after our meeting at 9:00 at the visitor’s center.

Bob Baunhauser Excellence In Service Award

Our fabulous Joanne Shope has been nominated again!!  Congratulations!!

There are those among us at all levels of society who go beyond the call of duty in their service to humanity. The Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe partnered with the South Tahoe Chamber and put out the call for the unsung heroes in our community. Six amazing people were nominated for recognition, and there will be a celebration on Thursday, September 28 at 6 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Community College Duke Theatre.

The nominees:

Joanne Shope, Christmas Cheer

Larry Schussel, Live Violence Free

Glen Gerrard (Mr. Glen), Tahoe Valley Elementary

Miguel Correa, South Tahoe Middle School

Karl Koeppen, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue.

Marvin Buchmiller, Kiwanian, and special needs mentor will be honored Posthumously.

See full details here

NON-SITS Fun and Opportunities in Tahoe

There's actually so much going on so you're going to want to check out the EVENTS tab on www.southtahoenow.com, but here's a few to get you started!

Raising Support for Maui

SUPPORT MAUI: There are fully vetted charities on Maui that are collecting funds for those affected by the tragic Lahaina Fire. Visit HERE for a full list. Through our Soroptimist One Voice Committee, our club sent the Maui Soroptimist Sister Club $1,000. We continue to keep all of them in our hearts.

There will be a local SUPPORT MAUI event being spearheaded by a woman who is a member of Soroptimist of West Maui but also lives in South Lake Tahoe part-time. More on that soon but it looks like it will be at end of Sept.

Our club is also organizing a I Got Lei'd fundraiser. See above to get involved in the planning.

20th annual South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge Kid's Fishing Derby

Sept 23rd - Full details here

Annual Diaper Drive

- Sept 18th - 24th -

Full details here

Residents and visitors invited to “heal the land” at 26th annual Tahoe Forest Stewardship Days

Full details here

Dear Blood Donors,

 Please join us for the South Lake Tahoe community blood drive on Friday, September 22nd from 11:30a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Located at the South Lake Tahoe Parks & Recreation Gym, 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.

Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins will be accommodated if space allows.  

Please schedule an appointment click here

or go to donors.vitalant.org and use blood drive code SMFM062

or call Vitalant at 877-258-4825 and mention blood drive code SMFM062.

FIREFEST -

Sept 30th

Hardrock Casino

10-2

Full details here

From the amazing theater group, Black Ice Theatre Co., get ready for some spooky fun as they present House on Haunted Hill, a horror-comedy stage play based on the 1959 cult classic film! October 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 at 7:30 PM and Oct 8 at 2:30 PM at the South Tahoe Association of Realtors!

It's an evening of wine, snacks and spooky fun, supporting local theater – and a portion of ticket sales will go to the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® Barbara Kelly Scholarship Fund – so it's supporting our local kids as well! Tickets are available online at: https://www.blackicetheatreco.com/shopnow/

Adults: $25 each | Students: $20 each

October 11th Community Forum brought to you by the Tahoe Learning Haven. This FREE forum designed for the questions of high school students and their parents is called "Adulting 101" Learn more about TLH here and save a spot for the forum by signing up below!

DANCING WITH THE STARS!!!

It's that time of year again! Tickets are on sale!!.

Click Here to see the full flyer with all the details of all the STARS!

The next Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe softball field cleanup at Soroptimist Stadium at the South Tahoe Middle School is scheduled take place 12:30-4:30PM on Saturday, October 14. If there is inclement weather, we will plan for the following week. Feel free to bring your friends, family, and kids if they would like to help.

Scholarship Giving Circle - From now until Feb 1st 2024

JOIN the EDCF Scholarship Giving Circle TODAY! We are excited to announce a giving circle where anyone can contribute, and all funds collected will go towards scholarships at the each of the following EDC high schools (and you can choose which high school scholarship your funds are designated for): El Dorado High School, Ponderosa High School, Oak Ridge High School, South Tahoe High School and Union Mine High School. Click here for full details... or scan the QR code below

League to Save Lake Tahoe's Keep Tahoe Blue Volunteer Portal!

For all of those who want to help keep our Lake Tahoe prestene, here's a portal which you can now see the events and programs which are available to volunteer for! SHARE this with your family and friends! Portal here!

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless seeks community support in keeping people cared for.

Our South Shore community has been able to sleep better knowing that our homeless population has an indoor option. This winter season marked the seventh anniversary of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) providing warm beds to the most vulnerable in our community.

They are also in great need for clothing items and will accept donations at their office

The office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12-4 at the Red Lodge, 1137 Emerald Bay Rd.

More details here

Tahoe Learning Haven - Click here for all their information and a link to each month's newsletter.

Blood Donations are Needed!

Our Nation continues to have a blood shortage everywhere. Giving blood is giving life. So GIVE!

Vitalant Blood Donations. Click here to find a blood draw near you!

Vitalent dates:

9/21/23

Aspire Academy High School Bloodmobile

1680 Bently Pkwy

Minden, NV

Open 9am -2:15pm

9/22/23

South Lake Tahoe Community Gymnasium 

1180 Rufus Allen Blvd

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Open 11:30am - 5pm

9/29/23

South Tahoe Association of Realtors

Building Addition

2307 James Ave

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Open 9am - 1pm

9/30/23

High Sierra Fellowship - Gym

1250 Gilman Ave

Gardnerville, NV

Open 10am - 2pm

Many dates in September:

Carson City Vitalent Center

256 Winnie Lane

Carson City, NV

Open 7am - 4pm

Wed - Mon Carson City Vitalent Donation Center

256 Winnie Lane,Carson City, NV.

Click here to find more dates and locations

Sugar Pine Foundation

It's their busy time of the year! Check out the website for ALL the opportunities to do your bit to help!

Between Horses and Humans continues to grow! If you're a lover of youth and a lover of horses, this is a program for you! You can keep up on their information by reading their newsletters here! Volunteers and donations are always needed. BHH Update-they are soon relocating to the Amacker Ranch!

Food Assistance Guide for So. Lake Tahoe. If you know of anyone in need, please share this information. Click and print!