Spot News Briefs: Nevada County
TTUSD Places Measure on March Ballot
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District Board has voted to place a Measure A renewal measure on the March 2010 ballot. Measure A, first approved in 1998, provides funds for music, art, technology, physical and science education, honors and advanced placement classes, as well as college and job preparation. The funding, which is overseen by a citizen’s review committee, will expired in 2012 if not renewed. Info: ttusd.org
New Faces on the School Board
Truckee resident Gaylan Larson has been appointed to fill the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District Area 4 trustee seat vacated by Lisa Mohun. Larson will be seated on Dec. 8 with two other new board members for four-year terms. Kim Szczurek and Dee Dee Driller filed papers to run for their respective seats in the recent election, but an election wasn’t necessary since they were both unopposed.
Tahoe National Forest Has New Supervisor
Eli Ilano, currently serving as forest supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, has been hired as the new deputy forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest. He began his federal career as a planning/environmental specialist with the Bureau of Land Management in 2001. Ilano earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from UC Santa Cruz in 1995, a master’s degree in environmental policy and landscape architecture in 2001, and a master’s degree in city and regional planning in 2001, both from UC Berkeley. Eli, his wife, Eileen, and their 4-year old son, Prince, will be moving to the area soon.
Foundations and Funders Create New Network
The Nevada County Funders Network, a coalition of foundations and organizations that provide funding and resources to nonprofits in the county, was recently created. The collaborative includes funders such as Nevada County First Five, Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation, United Way, and Nevada County Health and Human Services. In addition, partners such as the Center for Nonprofit Leadership offer training and support for the regional nonprofits. The network will provide opportunities for information sharing, joint planning, workshops, and networking events. The aim of the network is to assist the voluntary sector and nonprofit organizations in navigating the diverse funding resources available within Nevada County by bringing together information in one convenient location. Info: nevadacountyfundersnetwork.org
Green Bag Program Extended Through November
The popular curbside yard waste collection available to Town of Truckee residents has been extended through the end of the month. Green bags full of pine needles, pine cones, lawn trimmings, garden waste, wood chips, and brush are collected weekly with the regular trash. Bags should be properly tied and weigh no more than 40 pounds each, with a limit of four per household per week. Collection service is provided by Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal and material collected through this program is sent to a biomass facility for energy production or used in local erosion control applications. The green bags are then recycled. Info: Nichole Dorr, (530) 582-2909, townoftruckee.com
Funds for Senior Housing Rehab
The Truckee Donner Senior Apartments will receive a much needed face-lift thanks to an $800,000 grant obtained by the Town of Truckee. The town’s Redevelopment Agency will also provide $250,000 in matching funds to help with repairs like new siding and walkways, painting, carpet replacement, and better access for disabled individuals.
The apartments are the only affordable senior rental housing in the area, and are in high demand for seniors living on fixed incomes. Info: townoftruckee.com
Spot News Briefs: Placer/Washoe County
TRPA Spokesman Dies
Dennis Oliver, the spokesman for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, died this month after battling a brain virus. He was 47.
TRPA officials say Oliver was hospitalized about three weeks ago at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in Carson City, where he died Nov. 3. TRPA Executive Director Joanne Marchetta says the agency is deeply saddened by the loss of an ‘extremely valued employee.’ He had worked there since August 2007. Oliver’s supervisor Julie Regan said: ‘His passion for this special place combined with his incredible sense of humor has left an indelible mark on TRPA and the entire Tahoe Basin.’
Placer County Saves Kings Beach Project from Foreclosure
At its Oct. 19 meeting, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a loan purchase agreement with Central Pacific Bank for $1.4 million plus closing costs not to exceed $10,000 on mortgage loans on properties owned by BB, LLC, located at 8611 and 8623 North Lake Boulevard. Known as the Kings Beach Town Center, the mixed-use development project includes seven buildings, a shared parking structure, 10 new employee/workforce housing units, 30 condominium units, 20 hotel units, and 10 timeshare units. BB, LLC, owns most of the approximate four-acre project site, and the Placer County Redevelopment Agency owns one parcel on Salmon Avenue. BB, LLC, also has a mortgage from Umpqua Bank for the properties. It is anticipated that a subsequent loan purchase agreement for an estimated $2.8 million (approximately 61 percent of the face value of the loan) with Umpqua Bank will be brought to the board for consideration in the coming weeks. If the banks had foreclosed on the loans, it was likely that the property would have been divided among multiple new owners, and the currently proposed mixed-use town center in Kings Beach might not be realized. In addition, TRPA’s Community Enhancement Program designation and its accompanying code allowances and reserved commodities of commercial floor area and residential units would have been withdrawn.
Cloud Seeding, DRI-style
The Desert Research Institute has spent the last 40 years researching the science of cloud seeding and has been operating a wintertime cloud seeding program aimed at enhancing snowfall in the Tahoe/Truckee region for more than 25 years. A form of weather modification, the winter cloud seeding program is aimed at enhancing snowfall in mountainous regions to increase the snowpack, resulting in more spring runoff and water supplies in the surrounding areas. Operated by the Division of Atmospheric Sciences in Reno, ground-based generators located throughout our region burn a solution of silver iodide, sodium iodide, salt, and acetone to release microscopic silver iodide particles, which can create additional ice crystals, then snow, in winter clouds. The generators are remotely operated and used during optimal weather conditions, though seeding aircraft are also used to augment ground generators. DRI scientists estimate that annual augmented snow water has averaged 64,000 acre-feet during the last 15 years at a program cost of $7 to $15 per acre-foot. DRI has provided more than 40 percent of the $1 million it has cost to run the state-funded program annually. The institute says there are no detrimental downwind impacts from cloud seeding operations. Info: dri.edu
