Handmade wallets help save homeless petsWe would like to say thank you to all of the amazing kids in town who work so hard on behalf of the homeless pets in Truckee. Three young men are the most recent in a string of fantastic kids whose generosity is helping save lives. These young entrepreneurs, Bjorn Siebelink, Bode Siebelink and Jake Bullion, spent several hours constructing about 50 duct tape wallets of varying designs and colors and then sold them at a andamp;#8220;lemonade stand with a twistandamp;#8221; to help save the lives of dogs and cats. At this lemonade stand, the boys sold their wallets for $1.50 each, with a portion of the profits going to HSTT! And for every wallet sold, the lucky buyer got a glass of lemonade for free.We never cease to be amazed by the wonderful things people do to help pets. So again, a special thanks goes out to all the amazing kids, including Bjorn, Bode and Jake for the sweet, selfless acts of kindness they do every day. From all the people and pets of the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, woofs and purrs to you!andamp;#8212; Stephanie Jensen, executive directorHumane Society of Truckee-TahoeWine on the Water a great successOn behalf of the staff and the kids of the Boys andamp; Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe, I would like to sincerely thank all of the community members who attended the second annual andamp;#8220;Wine on the Waterandamp;#8221; at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. Thanks also to the many fine wineries and restaurants that provided such tantalizing fare and to the marvelous staff of the Hyatt who provided such wonderful support throughout the event. Add to this the generous silent auction. There was great music and beautiful weather and it was a truly memorable event. The Boys andamp; Girls Club serves the kids of this community on a daily basis and on this particular Sunday the entire community came together to support the Boys andamp; Girls Club, and we are most grateful.andamp;#8212; John Neary, board presidentBoys andamp; Girls Club of North Lake TahoeEverlovinandamp;#8217; Spoon CafeThe generosity of people in our community continues to amaze me. Every year I meet someone, usually more than one someone, who shares their encouragement, heart and financial resources with those in need. One of those people is Alise Pittman of Spoon Cafe on the West shore of Lake Tahoe. In the winter Spoon operates another small walk-up cafe at the bottom of the Subway chairlift at Alpine Meadows. Each year Spoon donates a portion of its income to Disabled Sports USA Far West in addition to providing a delicious breakfast and lunch menu to the staff and volunteers at Disabled Sports. If you ski at Alpine, park near the Subway chairlift and stop by Spoon Cafe for a coffee or sandwich.Thank you, Alise, for the yummy food you prepare at Spoon Cafe and for your continued support of Disabled Sports USA Far West.andamp;#8212; Cindy SmithDisabled Sports USA Far WestLook Ma, no cavitiesOn Aug. 27 the Family Resource Center of Truckee hosted free dental screenings and cleanings for local uninsured youth. The event, coordinated by local dental hygienist Natalie Brindos, RDHAP, was a great success, providing otherwise inaccessible services to 43 children aged 3-16. The children received dental screenings and cleanings and gained valuable knowledge about how to maintain healthy teeth. The kids also got a goodie bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste and flosser.We would like to thank the wonderful volunteers who donated their time and services: Terry Provasi, RDH; Ellen Richter, RDH; Saira West, RDH; Stacey Jacobs, RDH; Brigette Soto, RDA; Shannon McDuffey, RDA and Dr. and Mrs. Gosney. Also, special thanks to the donors who made this event possible: Kevin McKittrick with Proctor andamp; Gamble; the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation; Truckeeandamp;#8217;s Rotary Clubs; Dr. Bryan Pierce; Pamela Straley and Team Watters Real Estate with Chase International.andamp;#8212; Bojana VujevaFamily Resource Center, TruckeeStudent activity sticker enhances campus lifeThe Associated Students of Sierra College, Advisory Board, under the faculty guidance of Professor Scott Parker, would like to thank the diverse range of local businesses that graciously agreed to participate in the Truckee Campusandamp;#8217; student activity sticker program, introduced for the Fall 2011 semester. By offering discounts to students, these businesses promote student purchases of activity stickers, thus providing support to programs that enhance campus life, student leadership opportunities, and cultural enrichment. The generous local businesses include: The Backcountry, Donner Park Auto Repair and Exhaust, Dragonfly, Tahoe-Truckee Humane Society, Jeff’s Car Care Center, Los Altos, The Office Boss, Smileyandamp;#8217;s Tattoo, Smokeyandamp;#8217;s Kitchen, Thrill of the Find Thrift, Truckee Pizza and The Wagon Train.andamp;#8212; Geneva LewisVolunteers make beautiful musicThe Lake Tahoe Music Festival could not exist without the help of wonderful volunteers. In addition to those recognized in our recent ad, we want to thank the rest of the volunteers who assisted with our 2012 fund-raising event andamp;#8212; the Opening Night Gala.Our illustrious Masters of Ceremony and Auctioneers, Jim Porter and Jim Simon, did an outstanding job, and Jim Simon also introduced our concerts. Gala volunteers, headed up by Judy Kroger, included Dieter Kroger, Pat and Hank Vermissio, Jill McGovern, Bob Camarella, Leah and Gary Kaufman, Lee Dube, Charlie Consoli and Judie and David Stepner.Things would not have run so smoothly without the help of estate manager Brian Lee, who went over the top with assistance. The Gala Committee consisted of Schatzi Boyd, Pam Hobday, Roseann Parker, Jean Ludwick, Leah Kaufman, Joyce Grunauer, Sue Marnitz, Elizabeth Palmer and Trinkie Watson. This wouldnandamp;#8217;t be complete without our heartfelt gratitude to Mara Fritz who has given us her beautiful estate for this event over the past few years. andamp;#8212; Board of Directors,Lake Tahoe Music FestivalDear Editor:Thanks to all for making Dog Day in the Park a huge success. The Tahoe Vista shelter staff, along with WARF volunteers, and especially coordinator Pam Berger and her great team of helpers made it a fun day for our two-legged and four-legged friends. We had a great turnout and show of support for our local animal shelter. It could not have been done without all the sponsors, raffle donors, vendors and others who gave so generously. The much needed funds that were raised will be used to help the homeless and needy animals in our community. Sincerely,Connie NowlinWylie Animal Rescue Foundation (WARF)Turning up the volumeTruckee Elementary gives a great big thank you to our marvelous PTO for purchasing Radcat Sound Amplification Systems for all of our kindergarten teachers. This investment of more than $5,000 from PTO for our kids will help facilitate communication between our teachers and students. Says teacher Sherry Burns-Sullivan, andamp;#8220;This makes it seem like I am sitting right next to every student when I am speaking to the whole class. This system allows all children equal access to a discussion; not only the child with a hearing loss. The children have the opportunity to use a mic when addressing the class. It is fun but it really gets the kidsandamp;#8217; attention.andamp;#8221;andamp;#8212; Truckee Elementary School