By Kathryn Reed

Just more than two years to the date of filing a lawsuit to stop the 18-acre Sierra Colina project in Stateline from progressing, the League to Save Lake Tahoe lost its battle.

The winners are Steve Kenninger and Gail Jaquish who own the property and want to develop it, as well as TRPA.

The League had sued the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency – citing transfer of land coverage as its main issue.

Sierra Colina, outlined in orange, in Stateline won in court on Aug. 30.

U.S. District Judge Robert Jones in Reno on Tuesday ruled in TRPA and Sierra Colina’s favor.

“Judge Robert C. Jones’ decision heralds a significant victory by allowing responsible development which invigorates the economy and creates jobs to advance in the Lake Tahoe Basin without frivolous lawsuits tying up environmentally beneficial projects,” Kenninger said in a statement.

Rochelle Nason, executive director of the League, did not respond to a request for comment.

“We were confident throughout the whole process that the Governing Board made the right decision with the approval of the Sierra Colina project,” Julie Regan, spokeswoman for TRPA, told Lake Tahoe News.

The board approved the project in summer 2009.

Regan elaborated that the bi-state regulatory agency is extremely pleased the judge cited the numerous environmental benefits of the project in his 25-page decision.

The decision released Aug. 30, came 29 days after both sides gave testimony. At that time the judge wondered why the lawsuit was filed. Jones in his ruling cites much of what the final environmental impact statement says in terms of quantities of pollutants that will no longer enter Lake Tahoe if the project is completed, how the project goes beyond the environmental requirements, how bike-pedestrian trails will be improved, and the reduction of disturbances in stream environmental zones.

“The court spent a great deal of time walking through the various environmental benefits of the project and that was a factor in the decision,” Regan said.

Kenninger and Jaquish did not wait for the judge’s decision to begin environmental improvements. Work on Burke Creek is under way.

With the Lake Tahoe Basin having a limited time frame when dirt can be moved – May 1-Oct. 15 – the soonest ground could be broken is next year because building permits still need to be secured and the economy needs to help indicate when would be the time to build.

When built, Sierra Colina will include 41 market rate dwellings and nine moderate-income deed restricted places. Forty-two units will be in 21 townhouse-style duplexes, with eight being single-family homes.

The goal is to be the first neighborhood in the basin to have all units meet state of the art green sustainability criteria.

Here is the court ruling.

As part of its Chamber EDucation program, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Economic Development Corporation is hosting a two-day “QuickBooks” seminar Sept. 6 and Sept. 13 from 9am-4pm (sign in starts at 8:30am both days) at Granlibakken Resort, 725 Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City. Deadline to register is Sept. 2.

QuickBooks is one of the most widely used small business accounting software on the market. This seminar is geared for owners and/or financial managers of small businesses. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of the QuickBooks accounting software, how to set-up and understand the accounting system, the simplest way to track income and expenses and how to use financial reports to improve their profitability. Mac users are welcome and laptops are not required for the program.

This class will repeat Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach, California.

The cost is $225/person (payable in advance by mail or credit card) and includes 12 hours of instruction and handbook. To register, call the Sierra Economic Development Corporation at (530) 823.4703 or email info@sedcorp.biz.

Employees from California Technologies donated a weekend of time this month to help the Tahoe Rim Trail Association build sections of the Rim to Reno Trail System.

The TRT, which attracts more than 100,000 users annually, relies heavily on community volunteers like the Bay Area global IT management software and solutions company.

Bill Yee from California Technologies works the pickmatic to widen the trail. Photo/Provided

South Lake Tahoe has three trained Red Cross volunteers ready to help out in a disaster, whereas the North Shore has 40 and Markleeville 20.

That is why Red Cross has scheduled a Shelter Operations class on the South Shore for Oct. 8 from 9am-4pm.

Location is still being finalized.

Call (949) 291.9699 to reserve a spot or for more information.

By Bay City News

Three people were injured when a small plane crashed into the back of their car near Napa County Airport Sunday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Beechcraft A36 Bonanza lost engine power and crash landed on state Highway 29 near Airport Boulevard where it rear-ended a 2007 Infiniti around 12:35 p.m., CHP and Federal Aviation Administration officials said.

The driver of the Infiniti and the two passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center for treatment, CHP Officer John Short said. The two people in the white four-seater plane were uninjured, FAA Operations Officer Bruce Nelson said. The aircraft also knocked down a traffic signal pole, Short said. The CHP shut down that portion of Highway 29 for about 40 minutes after the crash.

The pilot, who flew from Lake Tahoe Airport in South Lake Tahoe, was planning to land at Napa County Airport before the power breakdown, Nelson said.

Read the whole story

By Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee

The name of a San Jose man who died from injuries suffered when he fell off a boat and was struck by the watercraft’s propeller at Lake Tahoe has been released.

He was identified as 46-year-old Stephen Joseph Keller. Placer County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Dena Erwin said five Bay Area men visiting the lake rented a boat and were attempting to dock at Chambers Landing on the West Shore about 4pm Saturday when the incident happened.

Keller died at the scene.

Erwin said the incident remains under investigation.

South Tahoe High School student Cody Higgins is seriously ill and his family is in need of financial support to assist with medical expenses.

His family’s friends and co-workers at State Farm Insurance, Jazzercise, and the Women of the Moose are having a fund raiser Sept. 8 from 5-7pm to help. The event will be at the South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge, 961 Eloise Ave., South Lake Tahoe and will include a spaghetti dinner, raffles, 50/50, silent auctions, no host bar, free lemonade and bottled water for sale.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

Donations may be made at U.S. Bank, Account No.: Cody Higgins, at State Farm, 3351 Lake Tahoe Blvd., No. 3, or Lake Front Wedding Chapel. For more information, call Tina Roybal at (530) 318.4135 or Barbara Prado at (530) 541.4100.

Updated Aug. 30 at 1:55pm:

Brian Ray Hearold was located hiding at a friend’s house in Douglas County.

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Investigators of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help in locating a missing/runaway juvenile.

On Aug. 17, 16-year-old Brian Ray Hearold was reported as a missing/runaway juvenile by his mother.

Hearold was last seen leaving his grandfather’s house on Village Way ub Gardnerville. Hearold resides on Plymouth Drive in Indian Hills, in north Douglas County.

Brian Ray Hearold

Hearold is known to frequent Lampe and James Lee Park skate parks in Douglas County. Hearold is described as: 16, approx 5-feet-5, approximately 145 pounds, blue eyes, medium-length brown hair, and gauged earlobes.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Brian Hearold is asked to call DCSO Investigator N. Chrzanowski at (775) 782.9907 or DCSO dispatch at (775) 782.5126.

The North Tahoe Public Utility District is putting on a recreation and parks community meeting Sept. 20 from 5:30–7:30pm at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach.

This Open House style meeting will provide residents with an opportunity to give input on priorities for the Recreation and Parks Department.

The Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe will also be in attendance as the district’s main recreation provider to give information on the programs they offer. Other recreation providers and partners are also being invited to attend.

In December 2010 the North Tahoe Public Utility District Recreation and Parks Commission was disbanded due to a lack of volunteers willing to serve on the commission. The commission was the link between the board and the community on matters of parks. In order to keep those connections with the community active, the board committed to providing an opportunity for residents to give input on projects, funding priorities and other items related to parks. This meeting will give residents an opportunity to comment on topics such as maintenance and capital priorities, launch ramp hours, to name just a few.

As part of its Chamber EDucation program, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Economic Development Corporation is hosting a “Grow the Green by Going Green” workshop Sept. 7 from noon to 1:30pm at the Tahoe City Public Utility District Boardroom, 221 Fairway Drive in Tahoe City. Deadline to register is Sept. 5.

Attendees will learn about what it means to be green and how to grow your business by being green. They’ll also explore green marketing techniques, including sustainability efforts and cost-effective social media to target new and existing customers. The class takeaway is a basic toolkit of checklists and resources to get started.

The cost is $55/person (payable in advance by mail or credit card), and participants need to bring their own lunch. To register, call the Sierra Economic Development Corporation at (530) 823.4703 or email info@sedcorp.biz.

This class will also be repeated Oct. 20 at Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista.