The building in the middle of the parking lot in 2000 in its final days. Photos/Bill Kingman

This booth stood alone in the Crescent V Center parking lot near Stateline for more than 30 years.

Its peculiarity made it a bit of a local identifying landmark such as, “Oh, it’s by that funny little A-frame.” Standing until about 2000, it had housed numerous businesses including banking, travel agency, tourist maps and coupons, and time-share sales among others. Here, in its final days, behind is seen the new Heavenly gondola.

No building means more parking spaces and a better view to Heavenly’s gondola in the distance.

Redevelopment and renaming as the Village Center provided parking spaces today where the A-frame had stood. The gondola is still visible above the Heavenly Village Cinema and the Wyland Gallery.

— Bill Kingman

Tahoe Douglas firefighters were out in force March 13 supporting their colleague; from left are, Nathan Johnson, Chris Lucas, Bill Romanowitz, Ben Pratt, Nick Robidart, Juan Serrano, Scott Vandover and Chad Baker.                Photos/Denise Haerr

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE – Service above self is the philosophy of Rotarians worldwide. Tahoe Douglas Rotary took that mantra a step further on March 13 by honoring those who embody that philosophy on a daily basis.

This was the first year the South Shore Rotary club honored first responders during the annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser in what was called the Community Hero Awards.

“We wanted to add more meaning to the night,” Rotarian Erik Watada told Lake Tahoe News. “A lot of people are familiar with Rotary, but are not sure what they do. We wanted to draw a better connection to what we do.”

In doing so, the club was able to sell out the event at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe for the first time in its 47-year history.

Leaders within the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department selected one person from their department to honor. Videos of each of the recipients and their bosses were shown to the crowd during the dinner. The only disappointing aspect of the night was the disrespect shown by some attendees who talked during the entire presentation. Each honoree had $1,000 donated to a charity.

Rotarian Todd Poth, from left, with honoree Sgt. Greg Almos and El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini.

The outstanding honorees are:

• “Capt. Ralph Jones was selected because he has proven to be a highly professional, dedicated, and devoted firefighter and bomb technician. Throughout his career he has focused on serving the residents and visitors of our community.” – Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Ben Sharit.

Charity recipient: Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation.

• “Our community is safer thanks to the hard work and leadership of Sgt. Ron Elges.” – Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini.

Charity: Douglas County Sheriff’s Advisory.

• “Al (Martinez) was selected by his peers based upon his outstanding efforts with public education. He is a caring employee who wants to educate the public in all facets of fire and life safety.” – South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Jeff Meston.

Charity: H.E.R.O. Scholarship.

• “Michael (Anderson) exemplifies the fire district’s mission, vision and values in his performance as a firefighter/paramedic. He is well known for his positive, can-do attitude.” – Lake Valley Fire Chief Gareth Harris.

Charity: Live Violence Free.

• “Officer Ross Molesworth’s commitment to this community as a police officer, volunteer, and kids’ coach is commendable. He has demonstrated the ability to take actions that are beneficial to all in our community.” – South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler.

Charities: South Tahoe National Little League and South Lake Tahoe SWAT.

• “Deputy Greg Almos demonstrates a sincere commitment to serving the residents of our community. He devotes great attention to how to make the South Lake Tahoe Basin safer and more enjoyable.” – El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini.

Charity: El Dorado Search and Rescue Council.

Besides adding the first responder honoree component to the night, the Rotary club also became the first nonprofit on the South Shore to have its silent auction be paperless. To participate people had to use their smart phone or a computer to bid on items. This allowed people who didn’t attend to bid on items and for bids to be made before the event.

It also meant not having to hover over a table and elbowing one’s competitor to get to the sheet. When someone was outbid on an item that person received a text and could then enter a higher bid.

Before the festivities began the Rotary club had more than $30,000 pledged in the silent auction.

This format also sped up the process for checking out at the end of the evening.

The total proceeds are still being calculated. Money raised is then returned to the community through various projects and scholarships.

Watada also said rotary is looking at possibly expanding first responder recipients in future years.

Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the March 9, 2015, San Jose Mercury News.

California is in the midst of its fourth consecutive drought year, and based on a new study by Stanford scientists, it appears to be a long-time weather pattern. The December downpours were just a nice distraction.

The state has to get serious about conserving water. Suggestions are not enough.

Emergency regulations proposed earlier this month by the State Water Resources Board staff would be a start, but permanent regulations are needed, and communities, at least region by region, need to be on the same page as to how to accomplish goals. Regulation by the state can help enormously by shoring up local programs like the one the Santa Clara Valley Water District is discussing this month.

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Lake Tahoe Community College Foundation and Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe are hosting the Off the Wall Art Auction in the Haldan Gallery/library building this month.

All of the art up for grabs is created and donated by local and regional artists. Proceeds support student scholarships and academic programs at LTCC, and will help the Rotary Club support its various charitable efforts.

The action starts March 23 with a free kickoff celebration from 5-7pm in the Haldan Gallery. Art viewings in the Haldan are available all that week from 3-6:30pm each day. The auction takes place March 28 in the Haldan Gallery with a live and silent auction. It’s $10 at the door to bid on the art.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is accepting public comment for the Off-Highway Vehicle Cooperative Funds grant application submitted to the state of California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division.

The OHMVR grant provides staffing for OHV education and information, law enforcement patrols, resource and use monitoring, protection of natural and cultural resources and maintenance of OHV trails and trailheads on the LTBMU.

Comments are due April 6. For more information about the grant and how to comment, go online or email Jacob Quinn at jmquinn@fs.fed.us.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service may conduct prescribed fire operations around the Tahoe basin beginning March 16, weather permitting.

Operations may take place southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Edgewood Canyon on lower Kingsbury Grade and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore. Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size. Agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitors weather conditions closely prior to prescribed fire ignition. They wait for favorable conditions that will carry smoke up and out of the Basin. Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed how smoke will travel.

Before conducting prescribed fire operations, agencies may post road signs around affected areas and make email or phone notifications. The Forest Service updates the local fire information line at 530.543.2600, ext. 6.

By J.D. Morris, Las Vegas Sun

The American Gaming Association is again using a major athletic event to draw attention to sports betting, this time estimating that Americans will wager upwards of $2 billion through more than 70 million brackets on this year’s March Madness college basketball tournament.

The Washington, D.C.-based trade group for the casino industry announced its predictions in research released today.

Beyond just the amount bet through brackets, the association expects the total amount wagered will reach $9 billion, including $240 million bet at sports books in Nevada.

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The Truckee Donner Land Trust and the Access Fund, a national climbing advocacy organization, have signed an agreement with a private landowner to purchase a significant climbing area on Donner Summit.

The 10-acre acquisition will protect the popular and historic Black Wall, Peanut Gallery, and Road Cut climbing areas, as well as the access trail to the popular Space Wall, Shark Wall, and Grouse Slabs, all easily accessible from Old Highway 40.

The climbing routes were established more than 50 years ago and range from deep chimneys and low-angle slabs for beginners, to overhanging test pieces for experts, and splitter cracks and sport routes for all skill levels.

The property has been privately owned since the mid-1800s, but concerns about liability have led to the current owner’s need to sell the property. The Land Trust and the Access Fund are working with the landowners to protect this climbing resource and landmark forever. Truckee Donner Land Trust has a purchase and sale agreement to fundraise and acquire the property by December. Access Fund has a lease agreement to address liability concerns raised by the private landowners and assist in stewardship.

An adjacent 65-acre parcel owned by the Land Trust will also provide access to Black Wall and adjacent crags as part of Truckee’s trail network. The parcel has a creek that typically flows year-round and will be part of a multi-use non-motorized recreational trail from Donner Lake toward the climbing wall and continuing up to the summit area.

With support from the Access Fund and local climbers, the Land Trust will steward and provide public access to the property, minimize environmental and visual impacts from climbers, build new trails and trailheads, provide informative signage, and protect nesting peregrine falcons in the area. The Land Trust and the Access Fund will work with the local climbing community to create a volunteer climber coalition that will help implement a recreation and stewardship management plan for the greater Donner Summit area to ensure best practices.

The Land Trust has raised $50,000 toward the total fundraising goal of $280,000.

A celebration of life for Kevin Murnane will be March 15 at 1pm outdoors at Tahoe Cross Country in Tahoe City.

Seating is extremely limited; bring a chair. The service is expected to last about 45 minutes.

Kevin Murnane

While street parking is allowed for this celebration, people are strongly encouraged to park at the high school, and take a shuttle bus to the Nordic Center.

A remembrance piece of organic material for Murnane has been started at Tahoe Cross Country in the area adjacent to the yurt; add a favorite rock, pine cone, flower or something else — creativity welcome and encouraged — with a message or a heart with a ‘K’, any item that means something to you.

Bring a bottle of wine to share. There will be lemonade, water and beer available.

A memory book is being compiled for Valli, Lily, and Kai. Write your favorite memories of Murnane on a piece of paper; photos or hand drawings can be included, too. All memory pages will be scanned and placed in an online book. Entries can be emailed to grockwell436@gmail.com; mailed to P.O. Box 1431, Tahoe City, CA 96145; or dropped off at the memorial.

By Ian James, Desert Sun 

Some lawmakers are raising questions about the impacts of bottled water companies on water supplies in California after a Desert Sun investigation found little government oversight of the amounts of water being tapped or the effects on the environment.

Despite the drought, no state agency has been tracking exactly how much water is used by industries such as the state’s 108 bottled water plants. The Desert Sun also found that the U.S. Forest Service has been allowing Nestle Waters North America to keep using a pipeline to transport spring water out of the San Bernardino National Forest even though its permit expired in 1988.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said the Desert Sun’s report raised important issues that should be addressed.

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