By John Schwartz, New York Times

The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy toward gay members of the military is unconstitutional, a federal judge in California ruled Thursday.

Judge Virginia A. Phillips of Federal District Court struck down the rule in an opinion issued late in the day. The policy was signed into law in 1993 as a compromise that would allow gay and lesbian soldiers to serve in the military.

The rule limits the military’s ability to ask about the sexual orientation of service members, and allows homosexuals to serve as long as they do not disclose their orientation and do not engage in homosexual acts.

The plaintiffs, challenged the law under the Fifth and First Amendments to the Constitution, and Judge Phillips agreed.

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The North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Human Resources Association are offering “The Art of Public Speaking: Crafting and Delivering a Winning Presentation” Sept. 14 from 8am-12:30pm at The Chateau at Incline Village, 955 Fairway Blvd.

The workshop teaches attendees how to prepare a presentation, while preparing themselves, and handle the audience in a low-pressure, encouraging and comfortable group setting. There will also be take away techniques that attendees can implement immediately to improve the structure of their next presentation.

Laura Moriarty of Tahoe Training Partners, a seasoned human resources executive and nationally known corporate trainer and frequent present of SHRA workshops, will present at the Art of Public Speaking workshop.

Registration is $69 for North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and SHRA members and $79 for non-members. Seating is limited.

To register and for more information about the workshop, call Moriarty at (530) 573.0224 or North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Manger Kym Fabel at (530) 581.8764. Attendees can also register online.

The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association has retained the executive recruiting firm SearchWide, headquartered in Minnesota and specializing in the tourism and travel industry, to identify and recommend potential candidates to take on the leadership role of executive director/CEO of the organization.

“SearchWide is assisting us in finding the best possible candidates to move the NLTRA forward in achieving world-class destination resort status,” NLTRA board President Alex Mourelatos said in a statement. “This individual will lead us in addressing the tourism challenges and issues that face our region as documented in our master plan and prioritized by the Board of Directors. This is an outstanding opportunity to continue the journey and great work that has been done in collaborating amongst a diverse stakeholder group in achieving sustainable prosperity in the region.”

Steve Teshara resigned last spring as the top man at NLTRA.

SearchWide specializes in tourism and travel industry related executive recruiting with an emphasis on executive positions for destination marketing organizations, hotel companies, convention centers and other community driven tourism organizations.

Interested candidates should send their resume and salary history (in confidence) via e-mail to Jim Carra at carra@searchwide.com or by visiting the SearchWide website.

The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association is the umbrella organization for the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the Tahoe North Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is a partner with the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau in the North Lake Tahoe Marketing Cooperative.

On Sept. 23, Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra will be hosting its 8th Annual SeptOberfest.

For $30, guests will have the availability of unlimited German food, five brands of beer (at least two will be German), and five wineries in attendance for wine tasting. The price at the door is $35.

There will also be three silent auction tables, a live auction and the famous envelope items, where every envelope has a prize with a minimum value of $5.

Derek Tarpey, The Lake DJ, will be providing music! $30 per person, or $35 The event is at MontBleu’s convention center in Stateline.

The Tahoe Sierra Kiwanians have identified local children as the beneficiaries for this year’s event. Last year, the club raised more than $10,000.

For tickets and more information, call Mike Foster at (530) 544.2864 or Phil Blowney at (530) 318.2912.

By Michael Doyle, McClatchy News Service

WASHINGTON — The rarely seen Sierra Nevada red fox could be the next candidate for federal protection, and perhaps political controversy, now that one has been photographed prowling around Sonora Pass.

State law currently covers the fox. The federal Endangered Species Act does not. As scientists pick up the animal’s elusive trail, regulatory and political choices will become more pressing.

Rare red fox. Photo/CDFG

“It looks like it may be an excellent candidate for listing,” Lisa Belensky, senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said Tuesday. “We’re considering it.”

John Buckley, director of the Twain Harte-based Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, agreed Tuesday that “there is justification for listing (the fox) and having a recovery plan.”

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• The Virginia & Truckee Railroad is extending its 2010 season to include “Colors in the Canyon” train rides through Dec. 18.

• Crater Lake is the only body of water in the United States to make BudgetTravel.com’s top 10 most beautiful lake list.

• The 16th annual Winter Fest gay ski week on the South Shore is March 6-11, 2011.

• Douglas County Manager Michael Brown said there are no discussions going on about his jurisdiction pulling out of the coordinated transit system known as STATA even though it has filed for bankruptcy and faces several lawsuits.

• Small business owners in Kings Beach have formed the Kings Beach Downtown Association.

• The environmental impact statement for the Boulder Bay project in Crystal Bay is out. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board is expected to vote on the project Oct. 28, with the APC hearing it first on Oct. 13.

• Click here for info about the West Nile virus in El Dorado County.

By Bob Shallit, Sacramento Bee

Here’s the latest sign of trouble in Lake Tahoe’s battered economy: a $25 million apartment complex built to house resort-area employees is now in default and will be sold for pennies on the dollar.

The 96-unit Sawmill Heights apartment project was completed in 2006 at the base of the Northstar Resort.

It’s nearly full in the busy winter months, says Gerry Flynn, who manages the complex. But occupancy falls below 50 percent the rest of the year, he says.

The result: Its owner – the Northstar Community Housing Corp. of Truckee – has been unable to meet debt obligations to project lender US Bank.

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The Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Annual Meeting & Volunteer Appreciation Celebration is Sept. 25 at Northstar-at-Tahoe at the Mid-Mountain Lodge.

The evening will include a silent auction, buffet-style dinner, meeting, presentation of volunteer awards and keynote speaker Adam Bradley, avid long-distance hiker/fast packer.

The meeting begins at 5pm with a silent auction and cocktail hour. After the cocktail hour, participants will have a buffet dinner, presentation of volunteer awards, and keynote speaker Adam Bradley. Space for this event is limited, so reserve a spot no later than Sept. 17.

The keynote speaker, Bradley, is a 38 year old long-distance hiker/fast packer who resides in Reno. Bradley first began long-distance hiking on Vermont’s Long Trail in fall 2002. It took just that one trip to turn walking into a way of life for him. Since then, he has traversed a number of trail systems within the US including, but not limited to, the John Muir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Tahoe Yosemite Trail, Appalachian Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail three times and once unsupported/unresupplied speed record.

Recently he has been dubbed an Eco Adventurer for his work with Nevada Wilderness Project on the SWIP Trip. NWP organized the SWIP Trip because they knew that the intersection of Bradley’s low-impact style of hiking with an impending renewable energy transmission line offered a unique perspective through which to explore some of the issues and opportunities facing conservationists. Bradley will take the audience along on his recent journey on the Tahoe Rim Trail through a stunning video of his adventure skiing around the Tahoe Rim Trail last winter.

The cost for the annual meeting/dinner is $35 per person $60/couple through pre-registration only. Those interested in the outdoors, recreation and the Tahoe Rim Trail and Association are invited and encouraged to attend. Registration for this event is available at www.tahoerimtrail.org or call (775) 298.0012.

By Lou Paulson

Every time an election rolls around, we Californians face a new stack of propositions. They sound enticing to the naked ear but have a lot of hidden consequences. That fine print often carves out set-asides for special interests at the expense of taxpayers and public services.

Such is the case with Proposition 22, the latest, deeply flawed attempt by cities to keep the state from shifting local revenue to balance the budget.

On the surface, the measure sounds seductive. Protecting local tax dollars makes sense – so much sense that voters did it four years ago by passing Proposition 1A.

That measure was balanced and reasonable. Prop. 22 isn’t.

Under the guise of “reform,” Proposition 22 locks a bulletproof shield around special pots of money for redevelopment agencies.

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Lou Paulson is president of California Professional Firefighters, representing more than 30,000 local, state and federal first responders. He lives in Walnut Creek, where he works as a fire captain. Lou Paulson is the president of the California Professional Firefighters.

Lake Tahoe watercraft roadside inspection stations and public launch facilities are preparing for the fall and winter boating season with reduced schedules.

Below are the current and proposed schedules for each location. Also click here for up-to-date inspection information.

Roadside Inspection Stations:

Spooner Summit: Closed for winter

Northstar-at-Tahoe: Open through Sept. 14

Alpine Meadows Road: Open through Sept. 29

Meyers: Open through Sept. 29. This site will remain open through the winter only for decontaminations by appointment and to test new, upgraded boat washing units for increased speed and efficiency in 2011.

Public launch schedules are subject to weather and water level.

Tahoe City, Lake Forest: Open through winter

Cave Rock: Open through winter

Incline Village, Ski Beach: Open through September, by appointment after Oct. 1

Sand Harbor: Closed for winter

Tahoe Vista, National Avenue: Closed because of low water

Kings Beach, Coon Street: Did not open because of low water

South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado Beach: Did not open because of low water

Contact private facilities or marinas directly for operating hours and fee information.