Preserve Thunderbird Lodge
A gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society has brought the fundraising campaign over the halfway mark in the $10 million campaign, an effort to permit the historic site to remain open for public tours for generations to come. 775-828-3536, ThunderbirdLodge.org.
Sierra Business Council Recognizes Excellence
On March 19, Sierra Business Council presented their annual Vision 2020 Awards in Sacramento to recognize and encourage leadership in the Sierra. Bringing the Vision 2020 celebration to Sacramento was a step to help bridge the divide between rural and urban communities in California. This year’s winners included Gary Romano from Sierra Valley Farms, Mark Estee from Moody’s Bistro and Lounge, John Wentworth from Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access, Phil Carville from the Loma Rica Ranch Project, and Paul Hardy from Feather River Land Trust. sbc.org
Meet the New TRPA Executive Director
April 16
The Tahoe Area Sierra Club (TASC) hosts Joanne Marchetta at their upcoming meeting. Marchetta, who has been the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s General Counsel since June 2005, was unanimously selected on March 25 to replace John Singlaub as Executive Director. Come hear her philosophy and approach to protecting Lake Tahoe. 6:30 p.m. at the Round Hill Fire Station. 530-577-2000 or 530-401-1397.
KVMR Benefit: Amy Goodman
April 17
Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman returns to Grass Valley, along with her brother, investigative journalist David Goodman, in a fundraiser for KVMR Community Radio. Amy and David provide a look at who wields the greatest power in America: ordinary citizens who take a chance and stand up for what they believe in. They explain, ‘great change begins with small steps taken at home.’ Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Hall, 255 South Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. $21 ($16 for members) in advance, $25 ($20 for members) at the door. Tickets at Briar Patch Community Market and at KVMR. kvmr.org, 530-265-9073.
The Big Burn
April 18
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe hosts The Big Burn.- The resort’s Slide Lodge is literally going up in smoke, as part of the resort’s overhaul, when the Sierra Fire Protection District conducts its live fire exercises. Flame heights of 60 feet are expected. Spectators are welcome outside of the designated burn area. 2 p.m. 800-SKI-ROSE, mtrose.com.
Build It Green
April 24 and 25
The Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe (CATT) is hosting a Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP) training session on at the Village at Northstar. The training is open to all California building professionals involved in the design and construction of single and multi-family residential buildings and to others that support and develop the market for green building. The two-day, 16-hour course is based on the principles of green building and the systems approach to the design, construction, and operation of homes. At the conclusion of the course, participants who pass the exam will be will be certified as a CGBP and listed on the BIG website. Learn more at builditgreen.org/cgbp.
TTCF and Nature
Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation (TTCF) awarded over $80,000 in Nature Fund grants to six local environmental organizations. According to TTCF CEO Lisa Dobey, the Nature Fund is comprised of contributions from individuals and businesses that care about the environment. Truckee Donner Land Trust, the Sierra Watershed Education Partnership, Truckee Trails Foundation, Truckee River Watershed Council, Turning Point-Tahoe, and Sugar Pine Foundation all received grant money for projects and land acquisition. ttcf.net.
McVey and Berry Become Paul Harris Fellows
The Truckee Sunrise Rotary Club has named members Jim McVey and Scott Berry as Paul Harris Fellows ‘in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world.’ McVey is Senior Financial Analyst at the Tahoe Forest Health System; former Truckee Police Chief Berry currently provides security training for Christian missionaries. The Fellowship was established in honor of Rotary founder Harris, to express appreciation for significant contributions to the humanitarian and educational programs of the Rotary Foundation. truckeesnrserotary.org.
Call to Theater Lovers
May 7
The Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District (TDRPD) and Arts and Culture Council of Truckee Tahoe (ACCTT) will hold the second of two workshops to collect community ideas about a local Performing Arts Center. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Truckee Community Center, 10046 Church Street, tdrpd.com and acctt.org, 530-582-7720.
Raising Healthy Children Worldwide
April 29
The American Red Cross Global Measles Initiative, the I AM Foundation, and Humanity Unites Brilliance (HUB) collaborate to present a program featuring University of Nevada, Reno, Professor, Dr. Robert Ostergaard, an expert in Africa’s culture and politics; and Leslie Brown, Operations Director for the I Am Foundation. Children will receive a copy of The
I AM! Affirmation Book, ‘Discovering the Value of Who You Are!’ Enjoy music and dessert. Proceeds from raffle ticket sales will support the Red Cross’s Global Measles Initiative and The I AM Foundation. Free. From 7 to 9 p.m. 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, iamfoundation.com. 530-386-7032.
Trusts Give Parcels to Tahoe National Forest
Through the hard work and substantial funding from several groups, 1,825 acres have been donated to the Tahoe National Forest (TNF). The parcels are located along the ridges overlooking Independence Lake, about 10 miles northwest of Truckee. The donation is valued at over $3 million, and has taken years to fully complete. The Trust for Public Land and the Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT) acquired the parcels from Croman Timber in 2006, and TDLT held the land until the Forest Service could take legal ownership. Info: Ann Westling, Tahoe National Forest, 530-478-6205.
Sierra Green Businesses
Keep the Sierra Green (KSG) is a new program designed to recognize business leaders focused on sustainable ecological and economic practices in the North Central High Sierras and Foothills. KSG is a self-certifying, voluntary checklist of various waste reduction, pollution prevention and energy conservation measures. The Program offers free, non-enforcement, technical assistance to help meet criteria. To receive recognition participating businesses must certify that they are in compliance with regulatory standards and meet the voluntary measures on checklist. Exemplary business will receive additional recognition at an annual luncheon. KSG is a partnership between Nevada and California agencies including North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, Town of Truckee, Incline Village General Improvement District, Placer County, Nevada County and the Sierra Green Building Association. Applications accepted year round for area businesses. Keep the Sierra Green.org, 530-581-6900.
Wells Fargo Extends $51 Billion in Credit
Wells Fargo and Company extended $51 billion in loans and loan commitments to its customers in January, bringing the total credit extended to customers to $144 billion in the last four months. The Company said that is nearly six times the $25 billion capital investment the U.S. Treasury made in Wells Fargo last fall. ‘Wells Fargo has remained ‘open for business’ throughout the credit crises, and continues to prudently extend credit to creditworthy consumer and business customers throughout the United States,’ said Chief Financial Officer Howard Atkins. See monthly lending reports at wellsfargo.com.
New Website for North Tahoe Event Center
The North Tahoe Event Center has a new website with information about the facility’s options for weddings, conferences and other special events. ‘The site provides an easy way for people to learn about the North Tahoe Event Center’s capacity for any type of occasion, and with a beautiful view, as well,’ said Kathy Long, park and facilities manager of the North Tahoe Public Utility District. Local marketing and graphic design firm SmallPond Studio designed and developed the website. northtahoeevents.com.
High-Tech Curves
Curves Tahoe City has invested in CurvesSmart™ technology, the world’s most advanced training system. ‘We invested in this equipment so women can lose more weight and more quickly,’ said Curves Co-Owner Linda Lee. Clients will receive a CurvesSmart ID tag pre-programmed with personal data and a customized program that is inserted into workout stations. Real-time feedback displays heart rate, exertion levels, range of motion, and strength levels. After workouts, tags are read at a kiosk that displays 3-D information about the workout, such as calories expended and which muscle groups were exercised. See details at tahoecurves @att.net or 530-581-4895.
I-80 Roadwork Season
The California Department of Transportation has announced nighttime closures on I-80 from now through November 30. The closures will be in effect between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. (10 a.m. on weekends), and may occur seven days a week. Detours – one for passenger vehicles, another for large trucks, RVs, and buses – will be clearly marked. For details see GetAcross80.com.
Swingin’ in the Park
The North Tahoe Public Utility District’s (NTPUD) Recreation and Parks Commission and community members have kicked off a fundraising campaign through the Friends of the Park Fund to purchase and install new children’s playground equipment at the North Tahoe Regional Park. The NTPUD Board has approved the use of $25,000 from the Parks Reserve Account as seed money for the project, which is estimated to cost $140,000. Raffle tickets for a variety of great prizes from local businesses – see the list of prizes at ntpud.org – are available at the NTPUD offices, the North Tahoe Event Center, and from any of the District’s Recreation and Parks Commissioners. The drawing will take place on April 16. Make tax-deductible donations through the Friends of the Park Fund at the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation. Info: ntpud.org/friendsofthepark, or call Kathy Long at 530-546-7249.
Truckee Trails Launches Brockway Trail
‘The gap in paved trails between the Regional Park and The Rock requires pedestrians and cyclists to brave the 45 to 50 mph traffic along Brockway Road, and we felt strongly that this needed to be fixed as soon as possible,’ said Nancy Woolf, Truckee
Trails Foundation (TTF) Board President.
TTF has announced the choice of Lumos and Associates to undertake the studies and design work for a paved, off-road pedestrian and bike trail along the Brockway Road corridor between The Rock commercial center and the Truckee River Regional Park. Construction of the first phase could be completed as early as this year. Since last fall TTF has received more than $50,000 for the project as part of its Brockway Road Trail campaign, including a $25,000 challenge grant from the Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation and matching grants from the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation/Nature Fund, the Alpine Winter Foundation, and the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District. David Yardas, at 530-559-0885 or dyardas@pacbell.net, or visit truckeetrails.org.
CALL TO ACTION Raises $85,000
Under the leadership of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation (TTCF), nearly 250 volunteers called on their neighbors on March 15 to help others in the community. Local businesses and nonprofit organizations in 24 different locations throughout Truckee, North Tahoe, and Incline Village donated their phone lines for the effort. Theresa May Duggan, volunteer chair of CALL TO ACTION and a TTCF board member, said, ‘Our whole community is hurting and our whole community came to the rescue. Isn’t that the kind of community everyone wants to be a part of?’
TTCF CEO Lisa Dobey noted, ‘I think every volunteer…talked with someone who needed help of some kind. Households where someone was unemployed, families facing foreclosure, or parents worrying about paying utility and food bills.’ Donate at ttcf.net/give.
Help Emergency Workers Find You and Your Business
During recent routine commercial inspections, Gene Welch of the Truckee Fire District visited businesses that did not have their street address clearly posted. ‘Time is an enemy when it comes to fire, law enforcement, and medical emergencies. If you have ever had a problem with a delivery person finding your residence or place of work, you should be concerned,’ Welch said. Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road during the day and at night. If your building is far off the road, post a sign with address by the driveway.
Kidde Recalls Fire Extinguishers
There is a voluntary recall of Kidde XL Fire Extinguishers and consumers should stop using them immediately. The pressurized cylinders in the recalled fire extinguishers could lose pressure and fail to operate. The recall involves model numbers FX340SC, FX340H, FX340GW, XL5MR, FX210R, FX340SC-2, FX210W, XL2.5TCZ-4, E-340-3 manufactured between October 2007 and April 2008. (‘Kidde’ and the model number can be found on the label on the front of the extinguisher; the manufacture year is on the bottom.). Info: Kidde, 888-345-4407, 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Mon. thru Fri., or Kidde.com.
Lake Clarity Holds Steady
The waters of Lake Tahoe were clear to an average depth of 69.6 feet in 2008, according to UC Davis scientists. That keeps the clarity measurement in the range where it has been for the past eight years. Last year UC Davis reported that data since 2001 suggested lake clarity was not declining as fast as it had been. That encouraging finding is supported by the 2008 average, which is nearly identical to the 2007 average of 70.1 feet.
Easter at Truckee Lutheran Presbyterian Church
Truckee Lutheran Presbyterian Church Pastor Ed Hilton announces Easter Worship service at Sierra Mountain Community Education Center, 11603 Donner Pass Rd, at 9 a.m. on April 12, followed by Fellowship Time at 10 a.m. Childcare provided. pstor@tlpc.org, 530-582-4243 or http://tlpc.org.
Funding for Tahoe Vista Rec Area
The California State Boating and Waterways Commission has approved a $300,000 grant for Phase 2 construction of Tahoe Vista Recreation Area. This funding – a small portion of the estimated $1.732 million project cost for the parking area and associated infrastructure -– is earmarked for permitting, construction drawings, and documents. The District hopes to secure additional grants in order to complete Phase 2 during the 2010 construction season.
Truckee Day is Coming
June 6 is the day to help with the sixth annual Truckee Day neighborhood clean up. Last year over 800 volunteers removed 6.5 tons of roadside litter from our streets. To participate, slather on the sunscreen and bring work gloves to the check-in station for your neighborhood, starting at 8 a.m. Each participant will also receive a free t-shirt while supplies last. The Town-wide ‘Block Party’ at Regional Park begins at noon, with free lunch for all volunteers. Local nonprofits and agencies interested in a table or booth at the Block Party, contact Steve Randall at the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District. truckeeday.org.
Recognize Those Who Inspire
The Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2009-2010 Linda Brown Fellows Awards and the Star Award. Fellows Awards recognize outstanding teachers and staff of the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD). The Star Award recognizes classified employees who positively impact the lives of the students. Fellows Award recipients each receive $2,000 to enhance educational work within the district. Both Fellows Award and Star Award recipients receive $1,000 for personal use. Nominations may come from parents, community members, and TTUSD faculty or staff. Nomination forms – available at all district schools, the district office, and at exined.org – must be postmarked or delivered to the Excellence in Education office at 11071 Donner Pass Road in Truckee, by May 7.
