By Lake Tahoe News

Quagga mussels were found on a boat wanting to launch at Lake Tahoe this month.

The boat was being inspected at the Alpine Meadows station May 14. California Department of Fish and Wildlife quarantined the boat for several days, and Tahoe Resource Conservation District staff performed multiple decontaminations to ensure all invasive species were removed before the boat was released to the owner.

Quagga mussels like these on a boat prop leaving Lake Mead are what scares water managers elsewhere. Photo/TRPA

This is not the first time quagga mussels have been found at a Lake Tahoe area inspection station. In 2011 a boat with 37 mussels were discovered at the Spooner Summit station.

In 2016, there were 7,689 boat inspections, 2,689 decontaminations, with 39 boats intercepted. The last figure means a boat that had an aquatic invasive species. Eight of the 39 were mussel species.

A study done in 2015 by UNR and Desert Research Institute scientists proved that quagga mussels could survive and thrive in Lake Tahoe. To date, none has been found in Lake Tahoe or Fallen Leaf Lake.

Quagga mussels have caused billions of dollars in negative economic impact to waterways nationwide, including areas in Southern California and Lake Mead.

Once they enter a water body there is no way of eliminating the invasive species. They glom onto water in-take pipes, leave craggily shells behind and disrupt the ecosystem.

As part of increased prevention methods approved by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board this week, motorists towing boats in the Lake Tahoe Basin will be required to remove drain plugs from their watercraft after leaving the water. This is to help prevent the spread of existing aquatic invasive species within the lake.

Removal of drain plugs while traveling will assist boaters in arriving at boat inspection stations across the West clean, drained, and dry—an effective way to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Keith Willette

By Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee

A gymnastics instructor and professional photographer who has worked in Sacramento and El Dorado counties has been arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received a report on May 18 of child molestation that had occurred between 1999 and 2004. The victim said that her gymnastics instructor, Keith Willette, 54, of Cameron Park had sexually abused her for years.

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Placer County has scheduled two housing fee study workshops in June, one in Kings Beach and another in Auburn. The workshops will offer an opportunity to comment on two recently completed studies about fees charged to developers to help fund workforce and affordable housing projects.

The Kings Beach meeting will be June 6 from 6-7:30pm at the North Tahoe Event Center. The Auburn meeting is June 7 from 6-7:30pm at the Community Development Resources Center.

The studies look into workforce housing fees for the eastern side of the county and affordable housing on the western side of the county. They were done to establish the relationship between development and the housing demand it creates. The studies will also help determine what fees should be charged to developers.

In addition to the public workshops, comments can be submitted to the county prior to mid-July, when the issue is expected to come before the Board of Supervisors. Send comments to spurvine@placer.ca.gov.

By Wayne Parry, AP
 
Getting new customers involved in more interactive experiences is going to be a big part of the future for casinos in the United States and around the world, participants in a major gambling conference predicted Wednesday.

Casino executives, digital experts and payment processors at the conference in Atlantic City agreed casinos need to offer new experiences that directly involve the next generation. This involves new, non-traditional products such as competitive video game contests, skill-based slots, and daily fantasy sports and sports betting in states that allow it.

These would allow casinos to bring in new customers and revenue, the executives and experts said.

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·      Report from the Eldorado National Forest: Facilities above 6,000 feet in elevation that are expected to open in mid- to late June are Loon Lake, Bear River Group, and Silver Lake East. At over 7,000 feet in elevation, Kirkwood Lake, Caples Lake, Woods Lake and Wrights Lake will be the last to open, most likely in late June to early July.

·     This is the first Memorial Day weekend in a while that Sonora and Ebbetts passes are closed because of snow.

·     Bijou Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe is still closed because of all the water on it.

·     Susan Merdinger will be the guest pianist for TOCCATA in June. For details and to buy tickets, go online.

·     Due to unusually high water levels and rapid flows on the Truckee River, people are being told to refrain from swimming, rafting or otherwise entering the river until it has been declared safe and open for public use.

By Sean Whaley and Ben Botkin, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY — A bill that requires school districts statewide to offer dual credit courses to high school students so they can simultaneously pursue higher education degrees and certifications was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Sandoval signed Senate Bill 19 at Western Nevada College in the capital, where 89 high school students graduated on Monday through the college’s dual credit initiative called the “Jump Start” program.

The program allows students to take college courses while in high school and apply them to the credits needed for high school graduation.

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Carolyn “Callie” Clark Goodenough

A celebration of life for Carolyn “Callie” Clark Goodenough will be June 4 at 3pm at Camp Galilee in Glenbrook.

Callie died from Alzheimer’s complications on Jan. 9, 2017.

She was born on Aug. 27, 1938, in Albuquerque, N.M., to John and Nell Graham. She was the oldest of three children, and, according to her sister, the most mischievous.

The family moved around a bit, finally settling in Newport Beach. Callie earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from San Diego State University.

Callie married Phil Sutton in 1962 and had two children, Casey and Scot. She later married Ray Goodenough in 1974.

Callie left the busy city life of Southern California and moved to the beautiful mountains of Lake Tahoe. Once in Lake Tahoe, Callie and Ray founded the Sierra Council on Alcoholism. It was a residential facility where men and women struggling with alcoholism could go for camaraderie, strength, and support. Callie was extremely active in recovery in South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas.

In 1980, Callie and Ray were interested in fostering a child. That initial interest of theirs grew and developed into an idea for a group home called Tahoe Turning Point for adjudicated youth. Callie took on a new role as house mother. Callie and Ray offered them a stable environment, a chance to continue their education, and opportunities for outdoor adventure, travel, and lots of fishing.

Callie also worked in the elementary school system in the Primary Intervention Program. She worked one-on-one with children who were going through personal or educational struggles and also worked with teenagers at South Tahoe High School. She also worked for Choices, a local community program assisting mentally and physically challenged adults with general life needs and necessities.

Near and dear to Callie’s heart was her work with O.P.E.N. (Ordinary People meeting Extraordinary Needs). This nonprofit organization works tirelessly finding clients medical equipment, helping with medical co-payments, as well as transporting people to doctor’s appointments, many times spanning from all areas between Reno and San Francisco. Sometimes Callie was just there to listen, offer advice or a prayer and a shoulder to cry on.

Callie was named Soroptomist Woman of Distinction for her dedicated work in the community of South Lake Tahoe. In 2009, Callie and Ray were recognized as Distinguished Champions of the Disabled.

Callie is survived by her husband, Ray; sister Jenny (John) Parsons; daughter Casey (Craig) Watkins; son Scot Sutton; and  grandchildren Bailey, Haley, Wesley, Trevor, Parker and Riley; stepdaughter Kathy (Tom) Rem, and her bonus grandchildren, Sarah and Joshua Rem.

(Note: Carpooling to the service is recommended.)

By Kathryn Reed

Communication. It was a dominate part of Lake Tahoe Unified School District’s board of education’s discussion this week.

There are some board members who want to get their message out to parents and the broader community in a more proactive way.

Communication from the district, though, has usually been through the superintendent’s secretary who acts as the public information officer. An email is sent out to a large group (anyone may receive the email) that talks a bit about the upcoming meeting, school happenings, larger education topics and community events.

It is nowhere near the professional correspondence that Tahoe Truckee Unified sends out, nor as comprehensive in terms of being district specific.

LTUSD’s presence on social media is almost non-existent. The last Facebook post was on Feb. 14, and that was from a member of the public at a board meeting. LTUSD is random with its 241 tweets; and only has 179 followers on Twitter.

It has been the board’s policy to have the president speak for the five even though they are all elected officials with the same weight on the board. Lake Tahoe News finds this to be problematic when the president doesn’t return phone calls, even for a benign story like a feature on the new high school principal.

At the May 23 meeting it was agreed that other board members could start writing guest columns. There was talk of having them be vetted by the district office. It remains to be seen if this is for fact checking, substance, tone or some other reason.

This is the first board in more than a decade that has members who openly don’t want to be subservient to the district office and understand they are the boss of the superintendent, not the other way around.

The conversation Tuesday revolved around some members wanting to have a voice in the accreditation process, and to at least make it easier for the public to get information.

It was noted the information on South Tahoe High School’s website is not easy to find and what is there is not written in a manner that is simple to understand. Staff agreed to place it more prominently and have it written with less jargon.

STHS is in the middle of a two-year probation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This was the first time the school had not receive a six-year accreditation. Staff and administrators this last year have been making changes in hopes of securing that longer accreditation when evaluated next school year.

While the electeds can help disseminate information, their actual involvement in the WASC process is limited. They can monitor time lines and be aware of the scope of work, as well as set any policies that would help the school achieve its goals, but too much active involvement is a red flag to WASC officials.

Even so, the electeds agreed that they want their voices to be louder going forward – no matter the topic.

Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the May 24, 2017, Ventura County Star.

One of the news media’s most important functions in a democracy is to constantly remind public agencies about that “public” part of their name. Too often, government officials try to conduct the public’s business in private, and the results can be disastrous for taxpayers (just ask those in the city of Bell).

The California Public Records Act is a key tool in keeping public agencies public. Enacted nearly 50 years ago, the law assures all residents and the media have prompt access to most records — so we know what government is up to and can be involved in important decisions.

The act requires cities, counties, schools, water districts and others to make government documents and data available to the public within 10 days of a request in most cases.

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Mike Franceschini

Mike Franceschini, a 32-year veteran of Lake Tahoe Unified School District, died May 24, 2017. He was 85.

In 1956, Mike moved to Lake Tahoe. He taught grades four, five and six at Al Tahoe, Bijou, and Tahoe Valley elementary schools in South Lake Tahoe between 1956 and 1988.

He was president of the South Tahoe Educators Association for two years, patrol leader for the Heavenly Mountain Resort ski patrol for two years, and served as commodore of the Lake Tahoe Windjammers for two years.

Mike was born on Washington’s birthday in 1932 in Healdsburg to Myra and Mike Franceschini. His family moved to Newman in the San Joaquin Valley soon thereafter.  

In 1947, as a 15-year-old, Mike sailed to France to attend the World Boy Scout Jamboree in Brussels, Belgium, and while there, he saw the aftermath of World War II.

Mike skied on the College of the Pacific (UOP) ski team and majored in elementary education.

He served in the Army from 1954 to 1956 in Panama.

Mike moved to Ketchum, Idaho, upon retirement and skied daily until a few years ago. He was mentally sharp to the end, but his heart and lungs failed him. Mike died at Bell Mountain Care Facility in Bellevue, Idaho. 

Besides being an avid skier, rock climber, photographer, reader, conversationalist, and sailor, Mike was a soft hearted generous soul. 

Mike is survived by his younger brother, David Franceschini of Manteca; and niece Amy Franceschini of Oslo, Norway.

Mike’s ashes will be spread on Flying Squirrel on Mt. Baldy at Sun Valley.