By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee

The Silver Legacy was supposed to rejuvenate Reno’s ailing casino market. Instead, it became one of the biggest victims to date of the Northern California Indian gaming. The mammoth 17-year-old casino filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last week after a deal to restructure its $142.8 million in debts fell apart.

The 37-story, 1,700-room resort will stay open. In a letter posted on the resort’s website, chief executive Gary Carano promised “business as usual.”

But the Northern Nevada market remains deeply troubled, and Reno gaming consultant Ken Adams said one of Reno’s casinos could close. “Long term, there are too many casinos in the market,” he said.

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The El Dorado County School Boards Association and the El Dorado County Office of Education will conduct a workshop for prospective school board members on June 4 at the El Dorado County Office of Education. Registration is at 5pm, with the workshop taking place from 5:30-7pm.

The purpose of this workshop is to inform prospective school board members of the duties and responsibilities of school board members.

Local board members and superintendents from various school districts will be on a panel to discuss topics such as time commitment, the Brown Act, policy development, budget responsibilities, and the general role that school boards have in public education today.

Contact Janet Maruniak at (530)295.2217 or email jmaruniak@edcoe.org by May 31 to register for the workshop.

Motorcyclists of all types are invited to join the Brotherhood MC for Bike Night every Friday starting June 15.

Dinner is $6 per person. Drinks are extra.

Meet at the American Legion Post 795, 2748 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe at 6pm.

The Bike Nights will run through Aug. 31.

The South Lake Tahoe library is not just about books.

Friends of the Library in conjunction with Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe are putting a series of events for youth.

June 16: Henna tattoos, origami and snacks.

June 30: Duct tape crafts, and snacks.

July 7: “Muppets” movie and snacks. Create yarn creatures and Gocks.

July 14: “Hugo” movie, snacks and Cubee creations.

Each program begins at 2pm. All are free.

South Lake Tahoe Branch Library is at 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd. For more information, call (530) 573.3185.

By Kathryn Reed

KINGS BEACH – As the public starts to sift through the thousands of pages of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Regional Plan update and the accompanying environmental documents, common questions are being asked.

Wednesday was the third of four sessions this week for people to give comments and ask questions. The open houses on Monday and Tuesday – one on the North Shore and one on the South Shore – combined had more than 75 people asking questions and going to various information stations.

TRPA board members on May 23 discuss the Regional Plan. Photo/LTN

At the May 23 Governing Board meeting in Kings Beach 12 people gave comments during the public hearing about the Regional Plan, while a handful were allowed to speak at the beginning of the meeting instead of waiting for the board to get to the agenda item.

Alex Leff, conservation director for Friends of the West Shore, is concerned about what he called the countless land use planning exemptions.

“The sheer amount of exemptions is poor planning,” Leff told the board.

Developing land designated for recreation has people concerned. Several believe this will create an urban feel in areas.

An example staff used where this would be allowed is putting condos or a hotel on a ski hill. The theory is this is better to keep people where they want to be instead of traveling to the slopes.

Arlo Stockham, TRPA regional planning coordinator, said, “It can’t change the character of the recreation area.”

How development would not change the character was not explained by anyone at TRPA.

“This is how sprawl happens,” Ann Nichols, a resident of the basin, told the board of putting commercial or residential structures in recreation areas.

Board member Nancy McDermid, who is also on the Douglas County Commission, envisions the change being beneficial because a trail currently cannot be built on land designated conservation. This means her county cannot turn the Pony Express Trail into a hiking trail in the Stateline area because the land it would go through is deemed conservation. She pointed out a skeet shooting range is allowed on conservation land.

Board member Clem Shute, though, said 90 areas in the basin would be affected by changing the rules, not just the land Edgewood Companies owns. For that reason he believes there is plenty of room for debate.

Nichols is also concerned about increasing the height limit to 197 feet.

TRPA wants that allowance for select areas, primarily the Stateline casino core where the buildings are already that tall. Until those structures comply with standards, they cannot be renovated. Grandfathering them in doesn’t work, so the rules have to change to meet their current height. It’s not like the building owners can lop off a few floors to come into compliance.

Another hot button issue has been what are called “bonus units” that people who have development rights in sensitive areas might be able to tap into so construction doesn’t occur on those plots but would instead be in the town centers.

Stockham did not explain where that second, or bonus, parcel would come from.

Pat Davidson, with a contractors association in Truckee, praised staff for answering questions at the open house. However, she said her group would be submitting formal comments that pertain to the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and air mitigation rules.

Dave McClure with the North Tahoe Citizens Action Committee and Steve Teshara with Tahoe Transportation District disagreed about whether California’s SB375 is relevant when it comes to sustainable practices. McClure says it’s not applicable to Tahoe, while Teshara says using it is the only way to meet green house gas emission requirements.

Shute said a group of Nevada and California stakeholders have been having informal meetings to try to work out details that had divided the Regional Plan committee. These meetings are not open to the public.

While there is a preferred alternative in the environmental impact statement – No. 3 – it is not something the board members all agree on; that is why more behind-the-scenes dialog is going on. Part of the discussions deal with Nevada Senate Bill 271.

SB271 was passed nearly a year ago by Nevada. It calls for changes in the TRPA Compact or the Silver State would withdraw.

Shute said the goal is the people in his group want consensus in July, and before the August environmental summit. At the 2011 summit it was essentially promised to Govs. Jerry Brown and Brian Sandoval that the TRPA would have a Regional Plan in place by the end of 2012.

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This morning at 9:30 the Governing Board will resume the May 23 meeting at the Stateline office. This is another opportunity for people to comment on the documents related to the Regional Plan update. The last day to comment on the environmental impact statement is June 28.

Two workshops a month are likely to be put on in July-September. The topics will be ones that seem to be generating the most public interest.

Groups that want to meet with TRPA staff regarding the plan are welcome to set up a meeting. Executive Director Joanne Marchetta mentioned how the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Nevada Conservation League have sat down with staff.

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Dates to know:

• May 24, 9:30am: TRPA Governing Board meeting public hearings, TRPA office, 128 Market St., Stateline.

• June 11, 9:30am: Advisory Planning Commission public hearings, TRPA office, 128 Market St., Stateline.

• June 27, 9:30am: TRPA Governing Board public hearings, North Tahoe Events Center, 8318 North Lake Blvd., Kings Beach.

• June 28, 9:30am: TRPA Governing Board public hearings, TRPA office, 128 Market St., Stateline.

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Other vital info:

The public comment period runs through June 28 for the environmental impact statements for the draft Regional Plan update and Regional Transportation Plan. Send comments to regionalplancomments@trpa.org or to mobility2035comments@trpa.org for the Regional Transportation Plan.

All of the documents are on the TRPA website. Fact sheets that summarize the key elements are also on the website.

Comments on the Regional Plan (not the environmental documents) will be taken until the board votes in December.

May is 31 tidbits about Lake Tahoe News month.

LTN tidbit No. 24:

Each Monday a picture of a dog or cat is on Lake Tahoe News. Each one is looking for a home.

The words and photo are courtesy of Karen Kuentz, a volunteer at the animal shelter in Meyers. She provides this service to Lake Tahoe News readers for free.

We are incredibly grateful for her doing this week in and week out.

Be sure to catch Tahoe Tails each Monday. Plus, there is a link each week showing the other animals who are in need of a home.

Here is information about becoming a paid subscriber.

Soroptimist International South Lake Tahoe handed out several awards on May 23 to area students.

Honorees from South Tahoe High School include Erica Aquino, Jocelyn DeLeon, Ryan Tepper, Samuel Bray, Jason Reum, Kira Smith, Ana Tikhomirova and Tina Tu.

The three honorees from Whittell High School are Eric Ward, Sabrina Swoger and Jenner Felton.

Also five honorees from Lake Tahoe Community College were recognized — Nina Aegerter, Savannah Amos, Truong An Dao, Anna Jones and Brianne Luce.

By Paul McHugh, Sacramento Bee

California must have some of the hardest-working water in the world. Our mountains scrape abundant snowfall out of the sky to offer a playground for skiers and snowboarders.

Then, as snow melts in spring, runoff gushes down river canyons and provides thrills to rafters and kayakers.

Ultimately, of course, the stuff offers habitat for fish (and anglers), generates hydro power, gives us working showers, irrigates farms and provides so many other blessings into the bargain.

Each whitewater season has its own profile. For 2012, late spring and summer river-running looks to be benign, filled with sun and fun, reasonably safe, and of surprisingly long duration. Especially if you compare 2012 with last year, when a double- deep snowpack created an embarrassment of riches. Too many rivers ran too cold and too high for too long. It was mid-summer before recreational users could really enjoy their sports. In contrast, this year the watchword is: Get out there right now, and begin enjoying yourself.

“Last season, all our whitewater outfitters had a pretty slow start,” said Dan Crandall, who runs Current Adventures kayak school and The River Store on the popular south fork of the American River at Coloma. “But this year, many rivers that have little or no dam control, like the Carson, are sweet and runnable right now. And other drainages that are metered with dams and reservoirs, such as the south fork and the Trinity, have enough water to provide good recreation all summer long.”

Known whitewater runs are divided into classes, based on the difficulty of their rapids. Class II-III runs provide suitable fun for beginners and families; Class III-IV runs are better reserved for those with some experience; and Class IV-V drops are best left to experts.

Read the whole story

By Michael Reagan

Sheep and chickens.

That’s what America’s greatest corporations have become.

Whether it’s in California or nationally, it’s the same sad story.

America’s best and biggest companies — the banks, the energy corporations, the computer giants — are refusing to stand up to the bully governments in Sacramento and D.C.

Michael Reagan

The men and women who run California’s corporations know that high taxes, over-spending, excessive regulations and foolish energy policies have turned the state from one of the best states to do business in to one of the worst.

But when bad law after bad law is passed in California, the corporations don’t fight back, they cower or run.

Their executives are afraid to speak up, or buy ad time, or join with those of us who are trying to reverse the death spiral of a state that’s been wrecked by four decades of Democrat misrule in Sacramento.

For example, I know that many business leaders support the “Citizen Legislature Act.” That’s the ballot initiative that, if it gets on the fall ballot, will give voters in California the chance to turn the state legislature into a part-time wrecking crew instead of a year-round one.

But many of the corporate execs in California are afraid to join the ballot initiative drive, which I chair, because they fear retaliation from Sacramento.

They have good cause to fear retaliation from the Democrats. But that’s no excuse not to fight for what they know is right. Fighting is the only way they’ll ultimately strip the Democrats of their power to retaliate.

We have the same problem nationally — a flock of corporate chickens.

Why is it that the only voices we hear fighting against Washington are talk radio and Fox News?

Where are Exxon and Apple and Ford and Wells Fargo? Why aren’t they standing up for what’s left of free enterprise in America?

Imagine if Microsoft or Verizon or even Facebook spent just a pittance of their profits to fight against those who are slowly strangling the system that made their financial success possible.

Why aren’t their CEOs pointing the finger of blame for our economic miseries where it belongs — at the Obama administration?

Why aren’t they blasting away at the liberals in Washington for their constant business bashing and attacks on the rich? They’re afraid of retaliation from Washington. But again, the solution isn’t to cower or run, it’s to fight.

Unfortunately, California’s sheepish companies would rather move to Nevada than stay and fight the Democrats in Sacramento. America’s chicken companies would rather move their operations overseas than stay and fight Washington.

It’s time corporations start standing up for themselves. Talk radio and Fox News’ 4 million viewers can’t save a bunch of sheep and chickens. No one can.

There’s a scene in the “Avengers” movie where the people are told to kneel down to show their subservience to their ruler. But one brave man stood up and said he refused to kneel any longer.

That’s what our businesses have to do if they are to survive. Get off their knees. Fight for what’s right. They’re not going to be saved by Captain America or Captain Romney or anyone else. They have to stand up and save themselves.

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of Ronald Reagan, is heard daily by more than 5 million listeners via his nationally syndicated talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show.”

By Susan Wood

With international and U.S. Olympic officials paving the ski trail this week for future bids in the States, organizers of a bi-state coalition to bring the 2022 Games to the Tahoe-Reno region solidified their dedication to the monumental effort.

It’s early, and there’s a lot to do. But great feats don’t happen overnight – and resolution is always within reach to those who go for the gold. The International and U.S. Olympic committees agreeing on a revenue sharing plan in Quebec City after a two-year quagmire may serve as proof to that.

The Olympic flame may be reignited in 2022 in Lake Tahoe. Photo/LTN

The last time the United States hosted the Olympics was 2002 in Salt Lake City and before that 1996 in Atlanta. In the last decade, the nation was perceived to have been snubbed.

The two entities were debating over a 1996 pact in the level of sponsorship revenue and broadcasting rights. The IOC believed the U.S. share was excessive. In the end, the USOC would take a lesser percentage after 2012 and absorb $20 million in Games costs, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Further details will be available next week, Lake Tahoe-Reno regional coalition Chief Executive Officer Jon Killoran, who was in Canada for the meetings, told Lake Tahoe News. He deferred comments to Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows Chief Executive Officer Andy Wirth. Squaw was home to the 1960 Winter Games, an event made possible by the insurmountable persistence and vision of the late Squaw founder Alex Cushing.

Wirth, the interim chairman for the Lake Tahoe Winter Games Exploratory Committee, told Lake Tahoe News “any kind of progress” is a good thing for the ambitious effort.

“It’s a great day for the U.S. Olympic Committee and Olympic movement,” Wirth said.

“On one hand, it’s great news. On the other hand, we have a lot of work to do,” he said. “And regardless of this news, our effort really hasn’t changed.”

The introductory stages for Tahoe-Reno have included filling out a board of up to 25 members. The panel is currently 20 members – full of high-powered talent. Among the members are Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, former Squaw owner-executive Nancy Cushing, Vail Resorts co-President of Mountain Operations Blaise Carrig, Reno Tahoe International Airport chief Krys Bart and Olympian Daron Rahlves, one of the greatest men’s downhill racers of all time.

Now the coalition wants to organize an environmental standards committee to handle some of the biggest concerns surrounding the Reno-Tahoe bid. Denver and Salt Lake City are also vying for the 2022 Games, with Bozeman, Mont., joining the quest.

“This could be the most intriguing part – to have an environmentally sensitive Games,” Wirth proposed.

One board member would lead the to-be-formed environmental committee, which is described by the Squaw head as one of “the most tangible things” the Games coalition has worked on.

The effort to bring the Games back to Tahoe started in 2001 with Reno sports commissioner Jim Vanden Heuvel, who died three years ago. The drive has enlisted the assistance of California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, and a San Francisco Bay Area sporting event group.

The USOC could decide to focus its attention on the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Either way, a layer of tension has been lifted with the May 23 news.

“It’s good if we have an agreement because this has created difficulties in the relations with USOC,” Swiss IOC executive board member Denis Oswald said early Tuesday according to an ESPN report.