To the community,

The staff and golfing guests at Lake Tahoe Golf Course joined together on a community day at the golf course where all course fees collected went to support local nonprofits.

The Rotary Club of Tahoe Douglas was recently presented a check for $620 as a result of those donations.

The American Golf Corporation, concessionaires of Lake Tahoe Golf Course, has a foundation where their mission is to promote the game of golf through education, charity and community service.

Their philanthropic efforts are appreciated by charitable causes and the Rotary Club of Tahoe Douglas would like to thank them for their generosity.

The Rotary Club of Tahoe Douglas has been serving the South Shore community since Sept. 7, 1962. Rotary, a global network of community volunteers, is one of the largest and most influential international humanitarian service organizations worldwide. Founded in Chicago on February 23, 1905, today over 1.2 million members belong to 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

Rotary members, as volunteers, conduct projects to address today’s humanitarian challenges, including illiteracy, disease, hunger, poverty, lack of clean water, and environmental concerns while encouraging high standards in all vocations. Rotary members strive to build goodwill and peace, and provide humanitarian service in their communities and throughout the world.

Paula Peterson, Rotary

The trustee sale scheduled for Oct. 24 of Embassy Suites South Lake Tahoe did not take place.

For the time being, the hotel will stay open and continue to be owned by Ken Corp. in Japan.

However, the details of what has transpired are unknown.

Embassy Suites in South Lake Tahoe not sold. Photo/LTN file

“I won’t make any comment. I would rather not continue this conversation,” Max Saito with Ken Corp. told Lake Tahoe News.

He confirmed his company still owns the property and it will remain open under the Hilton flag.

A hotel official told Lake Tahoe News that staff was unaware of the pending foreclosure until Lake Tahoe News wrote about it earlier this month.

Elder Options is convening a Community Focus group on Nov. 7 to discuss what issues face individuals who have responsibilities caring for an older adult.

The meeting is from 11am-1pm in the upstairs conference room, 82 Main St., Placerville.

Elder Options is hosting the lunch to begin the community discussion on care-giving issues facing many families today.

A few spaces remain for this event open to those family members who are or have been caregivers. To RSVP, call (530) 626-6939.

By Laura S. Bly, USA Today

Contrary to the assumption that cash-strapped tourists flock to U.S. national parks during a recession, a University of Georgia study ties a decline of nearly 10 million visitors since 1998 to a lousy economy.

Though overall park visitation has dropped to about 280 million, the decrease hasn’t been uniform, note researchers at UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Catholic University of Korea’s department of economics.

For example, visits to Yellowstone and Yosemite were up sharply between 2000 and 2011. But the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the United States’ most visited, saw a 7 percent decrease in visitation over the same time period.

The increases for Yosemite and Yellowstone could be credited to their “high international recognition,” said Michael Tarrant, a Warnell School professor and director of the study abroad program Global Programs in Sustainability.

And even as visitation at such iconic parks is up, time spent per visit has declined nearly 15 percent systemwide over the past two decades, a USA Today story noted this summer.

At Yosemite, the average park visitor spent nearly 27 hours inside the national park in the early 1990s. By 2011, that was down to less than 17 hours. Many of the nation’s largest parks have seen similar declines — in Wyoming’s Grand Teton, the hours the average visitor spent in the park dipped from 10 to about 6½ over the past two decades. At Grand Canyon, hours spent were down 10 percent, and at Cape Hatteras, N.C., that figure had dropped more than 19 percent.

“Visitation to some national parks may be incidental to tourism,” Tarrant said in a release. “For example, U.S. Highway 441 is the only main road in the Smokies and receives substantial non-tourism and thoroughfare traffic. Consequently, reduced visitation to such parks may be a function of lower vehicle miles traveled in the past decade. National transportation statistics show that traffic on U.S. 441 has had a reduction from 3.03 trillion in 2007 to 2.96 trillion miles in 2011.”

The UGA study suggests that when faced with tighter budgets, consumers will cut out non-essential goods and services and visit local city or neighborhood parks rather than drive to national parks. Another potential factor: while national parks are a bargain compared to theme parks, “they don’t offer the same kind of recreation experience,” the study says.

Some researchers speculated that when money is tight, people would turn to national parks for cheaper recreation options. But that does not seem to be happening, or the substitution is perhaps limited to national parks of national and international reputation, the study said.

By Harry Bradford, Huffington Post

Got five Benjamin Franklins stored under the mattress? You’re doing pretty good then.

Nearly half of Americans don’t have more than $500 saved up, according to a recent study by CreditDonkey.com, a credit card comparison company. Of the roughly 1,100 Americans polled, 41 percent reported having less than half a grand of readily-accessible savings at hand.

With the country struggling to recover income lost during the recession, the study isn’t the first to make clear the desperate state of so many Americans’ finances. Back in March, it was estimated that less than a third of American workers had savings of $1,000 or less, according to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

That lack of savings means most Americans have little in the way of a backup plan when things get tough. Indeed, over two thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a survey by the American Payroll Association found last month.

Perhaps that explains the retirement anxiety, which has begun to afflict some people still in their thirties. Many Americans have even more pressing concerns: 45 percent told CreditDonkey.com that they fear they’ll never be able to save much money at all.

Each November members of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association elect and/or re-elect members of the board of directors. This year there are three open seats, including large lodging, restaurant and retail.

The filing deadline for interested candidates is Nov. 5 at 5pm.

Those interested in running for a seat must be an owner or manager of an active member in good standing or the designated representative of that member, of the membership category that he/she represents. According to the organization’s bylaws, one business may not have more than one board seat at a time, regardless of the number of membership categories for which that member may qualify.

For election purposes, consistent with the bylaws, a qualified board candidate must be from a business, which has a primary office or location within the Placer County portion of the North Lake Tahoe membership area. The business must also have a Placer County business license.

The large lodging seat is open to any single hotel property with more than 100 rooms. The restaurant seat is open to any business selling restaurant/food and beverage services. The retail seat is open to any business selling retail items.

Ballots will be mailed to voting members by Nov. 12, and are due to the CPA office of McClintock Accountancy Corporation by no later than Dec. 4. The results will be Dec. 5 at the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association Board of Directors meeting at 8:30am, at the Tahoe City Public Utility District Board Room in Tahoe City.

For more information about the election or to file for nomination of a board seat, email Jessica@PureTahoeNorth.com or call (530) 581.8727.

By Jay Hamburger, Park Record

A delegation from Park City is scheduled to visit the Lake Tahoe region this weekend with an itinerary that includes stops at two mountain resorts in an effort to learn about an action-sports camp and development trends.

The travelers are scheduled to leave on Saturday and return on Sunday. The trip had not been publicized prior to Monday, when City Hall issued a statement about the itinerary attached to the agenda for a Thursday Park City Council meeting. The statement was required since a majority of the City Council is scheduled to attend.

Four of the five city councilors early in the week were planning to travel. Jon Weidenhamer, who manages City Hall’s economic development programs, said City Councilor Cindy Matsumoto will not attend. Mayor Dana Williams will not make the trip, either, Weidenhamer said.

Weidenhamer said City Hall staffers scheduled to travel include himself, Chief Building Official Chad Root and Nate Rockwood, a key figure in the budget office. The delegation involves seven people. Weidenhamer said the trip is anticipated to cost between $2,000 and $3,000.

The itinerary calls for the group to stop in Truckee, Northstar and Boreal Mountain Resort. There could be a stop in Squaw Valley as well.

The group especially wants to learn about an action-sports camp at Boreal Mountain Resort called Woodward Tahoe. There has been interest on the part of Park City Mountain Resort parent Powdr Corp. in the possibility of developing a Woodward location in Park City. Powdr Corp. owns Woodward. It also operates Woodward locations in Pennsylvania, Colorado, China and another spot in California.

Weidenhamer said City Hall wants to learn about the potential economic and community benefits of a location in Park City for Woodward. He said there are prospects of a Woodward facility being built as part of the redevelopment of the PCMR base area. He said there is interest in the year-round activity of a Woodward facility and the action sports that would be its focus.

Weidenhamer said the Park City group plans to meet executives from Boreal Mountain Resort and Woodward Tahoe.

Jenni Smith, who is the president and general manager of PCMR, and Tim Brennwald, the senior vice president of development at Powdr Corp., will address the travelers.

Meanwhile, the delegation wants to research a high-end hotel at Northstarand the wider redevelopment of the resort. A Ritz-Carlton is situated on the slopes of the resort, providing an opportunity to learn about the operations of a midmountain hotel.

He said the visit to the Ritz-Carlton is not related to the ongoing discussions between City Hall and the Treasure partnership about the development proposal on the slopes of PCMR overlooking Old Town. A member of the Sweeney family side of the Treasure partnership once said there had been talks with Ritz-Carlton about developing a property in the project. The statement was made in mid-2010, but it is not clear what sort of interest there is now. There has been little made public about the Treasure negotiations over the past year.

Weidenhamer said the Truckee stop will provide an opportunity to learn about the community’s downtown, redevelopment projects and lodging properties.

The trip resembles in some fashion the annual City Tours, which travel to different communities each year to learn about the inner workings of those places. The City Tours, though, involve a much larger group from the wider Park City area in addition to a roster of government officials. The City Tour in 2006 visited the Lake Tahoe region.

It is rare, though, for City Hall to send a delegation the size of the one traveling this weekend to an out-of-state location.

Update: The KGID meeting is canceled.

• The American Legion Auxiliary Rummage Sale is Oct. 26-27 at the American Legion Post No. 795 on Lake Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe from 9am-5pm.

• There is a KGID candidates’ forum at the Eagles Nest on Oct. 24 at 5:30pm starting with a meet and greet. The forum starts at 6pm.

• Squaw Valley is having a one-day Welcome Winter Fundraiser on Oct. 25 in celebration of the significant preseason snowfall and to help raise funds for the newly formed Squaw Valley & Alpine Meadows Teams Foundation. Searchlight chairlift will run from 10am-2pm for $20.

• Truckee Meadows Community College will be closed Oct. 26 in observance of Nevada Day.

• While no one anticipates needing to be airlifted out of the Lake Tahoe Basin, it happens all the time. A CalStar membership can make the ride a lot cheaper. Go to the website for details.

The deepest and most profound loss is that of your child.

Our beloved son — Derek Gabriel “Zippy” Penaranda — departed his broken vessel and has set sail on his journey of eternal and everlasting life, where he will remain forever young and beautiful.

Born six weeks premature on our ninth anniversary at 4 pounds, 8 ounces on May 19, 1982, he was our greatest gift from God. We were there when he took his first breath, and we were there when he took in his last on Oct. 17, 2012.

There is no measure of words that can profess the joy and unrequited love that Zip brought to his family. He loved and embraced life and lived it to the fullest.

He was a positive individual and a genuinely happy person.

His enduring smile, beautiful eyes and handsome face will always be a beacon of comfort to us.

There were so many things in life that Zip enjoyed and too many to mention. However, the most important things were his love of family, friends, work and community.

His father and him were the best of friends.

They would scour the city neighborhoods, and swap meets looking for the perfect find, a term affectionately known as “paling around”. He was an avid motorhead and

together they shared their passion of VWs, vintage vehicles and anything fast and furious.

Under his fathers tutelage he became a master mechanic and Jedi of VWs. On any given day you would find them working together and wrenching on their vehicles.

He took great pride in building his knowledge and ability to make his engine roar.

He also enjoyed his love of aviation. His brother, Marshall, taught him the love of antique aircraft and shared with him his incredible wealth of knowledge and the beauty of taking flight. As children and through adulthood we toured the airshows, fleet week and all things related to these beautiful machines. Last year he won a free flight on a Beech 18 at the Colombia Airport. He was so happy to present this to his Dad on Father’s Day. Together, with his brothers and girlfriend Katie, they all shared in the joy and excitement together. He took his last flight on his 30th birthday in South Lake

Tahoe in a Piper Archer, together with his brothers and friend Billy. Billy was so inspired that he is working towards achieving his private pilot’s license.

Another passion he shared was his love of music. As a family we would attend many concerts together. His brother, Patrick, and him would spend hours enjoying their many shared interests. Patrick would write and compose many songs that would reflect upon

his brother and family. He would sit with him during his time in the hospital and play them for him. Zip also liked to DJ with his friend Adrian. They would love to share the joy and inspiration that it brought to others.

Zip loved the holidays. He shared this with his Momma and he so enjoyed the love of food, lights and decorations. He always looked forward to Thanksgiving and would present me with a lighthouse to add to the Christmas collection he had begun for me.

The number grew large through the years and he would love all the beauty of light and colors it brought to our home. He loved to cook and prepare meals and most of

all enjoy eating them. His Grandma’s “snicker doodles” were his all time favorite cookie and said that the best ingredient was “love”.

Derek’s soul mate was Katie Musselwhite. Together they shared their life of love, laughter and promise for four years. He took pride in providing for her needs. They

shared their home together in Ripon. They could be found on their couch sharing their love of movies and cinema together. He encouraged her to fulfill her college

education in becoming a teacher. He loved her deeply and they had planned to marry and raise a family together. She stayed at his side during his entire stay at Renown Medical Center in Reno. We will always be eternally grateful for that.

Friends were another big part of Zips life. He had so many that loved and adored him.

He was endearingly known as “Papa Bear”. He began a tradition of “Friends giving”, a prelude to the Thanksgiving holiday, whereby all his friends and family would gather to celebrate the onset of the holidays with joy and merriment. He also was a founding father of the “Folkswagen Club” where his friends would gather to meet and share their love of Volkswagens and driving machines.

Work was a rewarding and fulfilling experience for him. He was a “certified energy analyst” for California Living and Energy. He loved his job and respected and admired all those he worked with. He felt blessed to be a part of their family. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks and debt of gratitude to Bill, Anita and their daughter Lexine for all of their contributions to his fundraisers and for turning his calendar on a monthly

basis in hopes of his recovery and return to work.

Zip loved his community of Ripon. He lived here his entire life. He would love to attend the street fairs, citywide garage sales, Almond Blossom and Karaoke at the Ripon Inn.

The community embraced him as well. We will always be eternally grateful to the Hendricks family, Carolyn, Mandi and Breanna for the extraordinary and successful effort they put toward his fundraiser. It was nothing short of amazing. To all those who attended and gave their support, prayers and words of encouragement we will always be forever grateful.

We extend a special “thank you” and our heartfelt gratitude to his Auntie Cindy. She would visit him in the hospital daily to work with him and provide him with her love and support.

Derek is preceded in death by his Grandpa Ed Dikos, Vovo and Papa Penaranda, Uncle Sergio Penalver.

He is survived by his parents Wayne and Debbie Penaranda, brothers Marshall and Patrick Penaranda, Grandma Rose Dikos, Aunties Rebecca Rodriquez and Cynthia Mojedh (David), cousins Amanda Rodriquez, Stephanie Sapiens (Al), Talmage and Kim Borrero, andVindi Minnie (Kevin).

Services are at Ripon Grace Brethren, 734 West Main St., Ripon, on Oct. 26 at 10:30am, with a luncheon to follow.

— Wayne Penaranda