Keith Hansen, former National Intelligence Council official, will be the featured speaker at the Fireside Chat on March 24 at 7pm in Sierra Nevada College’s Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, rooms 139/141.

Given recent WikiLeaks arrests and controversy, Hansen will discuss this topic from a policy and intelligence perspective. Host Andy Whyman will lead this community dialogue addressing the question, “How does a democracy balance the public’s right to know against the need to preserve national security?”

Fireside Chats — a concept that grew out of the Seniors Conversation Café — are an ongoing series of evening discussions with some of Incline Village’s most interesting community members. It represents a partnership between Sierra Nevada College and the IVGID Senior Programs. Refreshments will be served.

Hansen joined SNC’s International Studies program as a visiting professor in fall 2010. He teaches courses on Global Issues and U.S. National Security Issues. Deeply involved in negotiations on the disarmament of nuclear weapons, as well as on a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing, he served for more than three decades with the government in military and civilian assignments. In Washington he served in various positions, including as the National Intelligence Officer for Strategic Programs and Nuclear Proliferation, where he supported the treaty ratification and counter-proliferation efforts of various administrations through the intelligence community’s efforts to produce national estimates on nuclear and proliferation issues.

Now retired from 35 years of government service, Hansen is a consulting professor of international relations at Stanford University. He and his wife live in Incline Village, but volunteer with various organizations in the United States and overseas. He is the author of several books about nuclear test bans and intelligence technologies.

For more information on the event, contact Shelia Leijon at (775) 832.1310, shelia_leijon@ivgid.org, or Debi Noonan at (775) 831.1314, ext. 7420, dnoonan@sierranevada.edu.

By Jason Hildago, Reno Gazette-Journal

The legal battle between actors Kevin Costner and Stephen Baldwin over oil-spill technology may sound all Hollywood.

But it’s an oily mess that recently spilled over into Northern Nevada, much to the chagrin of business owner Bret Sheldon.

An engineer by trade, Sheldon owns Carson City-based centrifuge company CINC Industries. That would be the same CINC Industries that was originally formed by Costner nearly two decades ago as the Costner In Nevada Corporation.

The link to Costner landed Sheldon and his company in a Los Angeles Times story about the lawsuit earlier this month.

Although Sheldon is more than happy to talk about his company, the Costner-Baldwin dustup is one sticky situation he’d rather not step into.

“That lawsuit is something that doesn’t involve us directly so I prefer not to comment on it,” Sheldon said. “It’s really between Ocean Therapy Solutions and the people who filed the lawsuit.”

Read the whole story

The North Lake Tahoe and the Truckee Donner chambers of commerce in partnership with the Sierra Human Resources Association are offering “Time Management for Busy People” March 17, 8:30-11:30am (registration at 8am), at Cedar House Sports Hotel, 10918 Brockway Road in Truckee.

This time management workshop includes updated information about prioritizing time to deal with the urgent and important, assessing work-life balance and carving out time for meaningful activities that will make a positive change, as well as 50 high impact tips to beat the clock.

The workshop speaker is Laura Moriarty, president of the SHRA and co-founder of Tahoe Training Partners, a human resources and management-training solutions consulting firm in Lake Tahoe.

Registration is $49 for North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and SHRA members and $59 for non-members if registered before March 11. Last-minute registration runs $59 for North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and SHRA members and $69 for non-members. Seating is limited.

To register and for more information about the workshop, call (530) 573. 0224 or at (530) 581.8764. Attendees can also register online.

By Kathryn Reed

When the 2010-11 budget was passed, the South Lake Tahoe Redevelopment Agency was expected to end the year with a deficit of more than $600,000. It’s even more now that the state is demanding a check for $426,210 by May 10.

The state came up with that figure based on the city’s 2006-07 gross tax increment.

Last fiscal year Sacramento took $2.07 million from South Tahoe’s Redevelopment Agency to balance its books.

Compounding the local problem is tax increment revenues are coming in $1.2 million below what was budgeted.

The value of the timeshares at the Marriott and Diamond Resort are dropping rapidly, especially with many being foreclosed on. This all means less revenue for the city in terms of property taxes. The county assessor decreased their value by 15.7 percent.

“Timeshares nationally have lost value. That is a discretionary expense, usually a vacation home,” City Manager Tony O’Rourke told Lake Tahoe News.

He said things will change, but he estimates it will take a number of years.

O’Rourke said taking money from one city fund to fill another is not an indication the Redevelopment Agency is not solvent.

“We would not file bankruptcy. The Redevelopment Agency is in sound shape,” O’Rourke said.

The money the agency collects primarily goes to paying debt – on bonds and another $500,000 to the general fund each year to repay the $7.2 million that was surreptitiously taken to pay for construction at Heavenly Village.

South Lake Tahoe city councilmembers, who also act as the Redevelopment Agency board members, at their meeting last week approved the transfer of $1,034,000 to take care of most of the shortfall.

The Housing Authority is loaning the RDA $426,210, which will be paid back without interest over five years. Another $365,000 is being taken from the tax increment generated from the bankrupt convention center project. Another $201,000 will be saved from not having to pay other entities based on Assembly Bill 1290. The remainder comes out of reserves.

Taking money from the housing fund will not affect the first time homebuyer program because that is funded by state grants. Nor will it affect the Aspens, the affordable housing project on Pioneer Trail, because that has already been budgeted.

As for the money from the convention center, earlier this year city staff had wanted to spend that chunk of change on a pedestrian walkway.

“We are re-examining that whole situation. We are meeting with Caltrans and looking at less expensive alternatives,” O’Rourke said after the council meeting.

The original RDA budget called for $12,859,758 in revenues and $13,477,636 in expenses for a deficit of $617,878. The housing budget was $4,111,334, and was balanced.

Finance Director Christine Vuletich provided Lake Tahoe News revised numbers for the Redevelopment Agency. They are:

The money transfer issue was originally on the council’s consent agenda, which means it’s up for a vote with a series of other items. However, Councilwoman Claire Fortier pulled it for discussion.

The council on a 4-0 vote (Tom Davis had left the room prior to the vote) approved the transfer of money. When Councilman Bruce Grego made the motion he said, “I plan to pay it, but under protest and with further review.”

Vuletich explained to the council, “You could claim hardship, but then you have to take the money from the general fund.”

Three redevelopment agencies sued the state over last year’s take-away. City Attorney Patrick Enright said he would update the council on the status of that litigation at the March 15 meeting.

By Ted Parkhill

This past weekend the Tahoe Grizzlies Pee Wees (ages 11 and 12) played the Cupertino Cougars in Cupertino. The Pee Wees had never won on Cupertino ice. It was an exciting game and was tied 2-2 in the third period.

The Grizzlies broke the streak with Matt Newberger, No. 87 center, of South Lake Tahoe scoring with 50 seconds left in the game. From the slot Newberger used his solid wrist shot and fired the puck into the goalies blocker side upper corner of the net. The Cupertino goalie was clearly their MVP; stopping a barrage of Grizzly shots. On Sunday they played their last regular season game against the San Jose Junior Sharks. The Sharks just returned from winning gold at the California State Winter Games in San Diego.

It was a close game and the Grizzlies’ Reiss Jensen, No. 9 center, from Reno was on fire and scored a natural hat trick.

However, Jensen’s three goals were not enough. The game was tied in the third period 3-3.

Once again the Grizzlies showed their desire and Spencer Lloyd, No. 24 of Reno, scored with a beautiful shot with just 37 seconds remaining in the game.

With the two wins on the weekend the Pee Wee Grizzlies rounded out the season with a league leading record of 11 wins, three losses and two ties. They will be playing next at the NORCAL youth hockey playoffs in Vacaville March 19-20.

The Tahoe Grizzlies Squirts (ages 9 and 10) recently played at in the California State Winter Games in San Diego where they won the silver medal. Over this past weekend they also faced the Cupertino Cougars on Saturday. It was a physical game and one of the Cougars was tossed out for punching one of the Grizzlies who stepped in to defend his teammate after he was illegally checked into the boards.

Despite the powerplay at the end of the game the Cougars remained ahead 4-3.

On Sunday the Squirts played the Roseville Capital Thunder and it was their last opportunity to clinch first place in their division. The Thunder rolled in and over the Grizzlies and Roseville won 2-1. The Squirts ended the season in second place overall with 11 wins and five losses. They are also headed to the NORCAL playoffs in Vacaville on March 18–20.

Ted Parkhill is with the South Tahoe Amateur Hockey Association.

KidZone Museum is hosting an après ski fundraising event called “Bump ‘n Jump Ski Party” on March 12 from 7-11pm for adults only.

It will be at the Truckee Airport Hangar. The party will include live music, dancing, a costume contest, Wii games, and auction.

Tickets can be purchased online.

This 10th annual spring fundraising event supports the KidZone Museum’s Mission to inspire learning through creative play and discovery.

By Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento region grew by 353,000, or 20 percent, from 2000 to 2010 and now has 2.15 million residents, according to census figures released Tuesday.

Most of the region’s growth came from its Asian and Hispanic communities, which both saw population increases of roughly 55 percent. Whites no longer make up the majority of Sacramento County’s population and barely make up the majority of the region’s population.

The Placer County town of Lincoln grew faster than any other city in the state, adding 30,000 people for a growth rate of nearly 300 percent. Placer County was the second-fastest growing county in California during the last decade; its 40 percent growth rate barely lagged behind Riverside County.

The federal government divvies funds to areas based on their population, and a few cities are likely to be disappointed by the new figures. Both Citrus Heights and South Lake Tahoe lost residents (23,609 to 21,403) from 2000 to 2010 – a fact that could cost them millions of dollars over the next decade.

Read the whole story

By Amanda Finnegan, Las Vegas Sun

Gary Loveman took home about $5.9 million in 2010 in his role as Caesars Entertainment chairman and CEO, slightly less than the compensation package he received in 2009.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Loveman’s compensation package included a base salary of $1.9 million, $2.7 million in non-equity compensation and $1.27 million in all other compensation, which mainly included security, use of the company aircraft and lodging.

The Sun calculates total compensation based on an executive’s base salary, bonus, non-equity compensation, change in pension, all other compensation, options exercised and stocks vested. The Sun does not include stock and option awards until the stocks vest or options are exercised.

Read the whole story

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability.

Take the opportunity March 10 from 5:30-7:30pm at South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe to become connected and rejuvenated at your local support group.

Refreshments will be served. Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers. Pre-authorization is required for respite services.

For information, call (530) 621.6151.

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability.

Take the opportunity March 10 from 5:30-7:30pm at South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe to become connected and rejuvenated at your local support group.

Refreshments will be served. Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers. Pre-authorization is required for respite services.

For information, call (530) 621.6151.