Debbie and Bill Hirsch with fixings for breakfast at the 7 Seas Inn. Photo/LTN

By Kathryn Reed

This is the last day the 7 Seas Inn will be open as an outdated throwback to the 1960s era lodging establishments that South Lake Tahoe is known for. When it reopens May 1 it will be refurbished, modernized, with the management philosophy more like a boutique bed and breakfast.

Debbie and Bill Hirsch bought the motel last year for $1.2 million. This first phase of renovation will see an infusion of about $300,000 into the property on Manzanita Avenue near Stateline.

By the time they are done the goal is to have gone from a two star to a three star motel.

The rooms, which are no more than 200-square-feet, are cluttered with old furniture. While the mattresses and bedding were replaced at the get-go, now it’s time for the rest of the interior to be modernized.

Christian Oberhauser of Oberhauser Interiors came up with the rustic-modern theme. Wood will be common through out, from vertical slabs for the headboard to the vanity in the bathroom.

Floors will be vinyl designed to look like wood. This will prevent guests from scratching them with ski boots or sand.

Instead of pedestal sinks with no place to set items, the square sinks will be raised. While the plumbing will be visible, a bar will be installed there as a towel rack. A wood slab will be installed where toiletries may be placed.

The tired shower tile will disappear.

Electrical work will be extensive. Wires from the televisions will no longer be visible. Ample outlets to plug-in an array of gadgets will be installed. Light fixtures will also be replaced.

Works from a local photographer will adorn the walls.

“It won’t be like an old hotel anymore,” Oberhauser told Lake Tahoe News. “We’ll have more floor space so visually it expands the room so it creates a cleaner look.”

There are 12 king rooms, three doubles and one queen.

They already redid the manager’s quarters, which is where the Hirschs are living full time.

The reviews are already favorable since the couple took over, a testament to their desire to make the 7 Seas feel like a travelers lodge and not just an ordinary motel.

“People used to select a hotel based on location, price and brand. These days people are choosing based on location and reviews, and they are more flexible on the rate if the review supports it,” Bill Hirsch said.

Their breakfasts, which include pancakes and waffles in addition to fresh fruit and other items, has been well received. In the evening beer and wine are complimentary for guests, along with hors d’oeuvres.

The plan is to extend this area so it’s larger and a bit more cozy. The goal is to keep it open 24 hours as a place for people to chill.

The exterior won’t see much attention this month in terms of improvements, but plans are in the works  to make inviting outdoor seating areas. What used to be a tiny grass area for dogs to do their business will now be for people. Pets are no longer allowed.

The motel has a hot tub, too.

Guests have access to Lakeside Beach. The casinos and Heavenly Village are also within walking distance.

The fifth annual Mom’s Morning Out, which is for women of all ages, is April 30.

Mom’s Morning Out is an event just for women that unites the body and mind. It’s an opportunity to slow down, unwind, and be pampered.

Yoga starts at 8am, with other fitness classes throughout the morning

Most activities – including coffee and brunch – are scheduled from 9am-noon.

Barton Health medical providers will provide wellness lectures.

The free event takes place at Lake Tahoe Community College in the commons area. No RSVP is required.  All attendees must be 12 or older to attend.

Get more information by calling 530.543.5537 or by going online.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps is offering an emergency preparedness and response training academy beginning April 14.

The training is free and trainees are not required to become a Citizen Corps volunteer to participate.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy provides residents with the information to help save lives and reduce trauma in the event of an emergency. CERT Academy training includes disaster preparedness, emergency medical techniques, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism awareness education.

The CERT Academy offers six training sessions over two consecutive weekends. Dates are April 14 from 6-9pm, April 15 6-9pm, April 16 9am-4pm, April 21 6-9pm, April 22 6-9pm and April 23 9am-4pm.

All sessions are required to complete the training and receive a certificate. Training takes place at the Regional Public Safety Training Center located at 5190 Spectrum Blvd., Reno.

To sign up, contact Shirlee Rhodes at 775.325.6928 or srhodes@washoecounty.us.

Garrett Villanueva is co-owner of Sawyer Wooden Board Company. Photo/Susan Wood

By Susan Wood

It’s hard to imagine with his low-key style and everyday dad demeanor, but trails guru Garrett Villanueva is placing Lake Tahoe on the map – yet again.

Villanueva was promoted in December to trail and travel management leader for the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional office. The responsibilities encompass the entire state of California. Villanueva has already been diving in. He’s working on five environmental impact statements and three recreational components to Forest Service plans.

Some might buckle under the pressure. But this is just how the 46-year-old recreational enthusiast rolls.

He worked his way up with the Forest Service in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, arriving in South Lake Tahoe in 1998 from Arizona where he worked as a hydrologist for the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I never thought I’d work in government this long,” Villanueva said, while watching his 8-year-old son, Jace, hop over wooden platform jumps built by dad. The duo was having a father-son day that started with skiing out of Mott’s Canyon on Heavenly and ended with ice cream.

He snickered while reminiscing about the times in Arizona. He didn’t quite enjoy the job and couldn’t believe it half the time. He had to talk to property owners who wouldn’t think twice about pouring toxic chemicals into the ground about the importance of protecting the environment.

Some of these people were rough around the edges. He recalled going out on a field visit that turned into a little-too-close-for-comfort drug bust. He followed law enforcement at full speed on a back road. When they showed up at the house, their guns were drawn. Villanueva took shelter at his vehicle.

“They told me to keep my head down,” he said.

Since then, the agency decided to review its safety protocols.

Garrett Villanueva’s garage is full of toys to use in Tahoe. Photo/Susan Wood

So, coming to South Lake Tahoe in 1998 may have represented a walk in the park. He started out as a temporary employee in a job that monitored whether the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, an arm of the Forest Service here, was performing up to par since the first environmental summit that brought out President Bill Clinton.

Eight months later, he became a full time engineering technician. In 2002, he became a civil engineer – a position he kept through 2015.

“I have an affinity for seeing things in a three dimensional way,” he said of his long tenure with the Forest Service.

That well-rounded experience got him on board the Forest Service’s International Programs run out of Washington, D.C. He visited Israel and Brazil to go over land management practices designed to help spur tourism through trail building and sustainable environmental practices.

“People will travel for trails,” he told Lake Tahoe News, simplifying the missions. He contends building trails is an integral part of community health by using land for recreational purposes.

He’s had a lot of practice.

Villanueva was instrumental in designing the trails throughout the basin. Most notably, he cited the Cold Creek Trail out to High Meadows from Pioneer Trail as especially challenging but rewarding. It turned out the public was extremely persistent on having it along the river.

“It took more effort and cost a lot more, but it turned out more desirable,” he said.

And that made all the difference in the world.

The Corral Trail represents another locally driven project he was glad to work on. Then, there’s the Freel Trail, named after the dominant peak. The Camp Richardson Trail from years ago remains the most popular. And now, he’s very excited about the State-to-State project between California and Nevada as well as the Kingsbury “Stinger” from the Grade.

Villanueva also knows how to build bridges, figuratively and literally.

There’s the Ward Creek Bridge on the Tahoe Rim Trail.

Garrett Villanueva, left, with Mike Gabor and Jacob Quinn work on South Shore trail plans. Photo/LTN file

So, how is Lake Tahoe doing in terms of being on the frontline of mountain bike trail building?

“Lake Tahoe is an example in large part of sustainable trail systems. It’s an amazing community and has a lot of cohesion,” he said.

This declaration speaks to why he said he in part wouldn’t have taken the job if it meant moving away. So now he does a lot of remote work in checking in with the regional office in Vallejo.

He’s enjoying life, but still thinks about what would be his dream job. He’s also an accomplished paddleboard builder, making about a half dozen high-end boards for various people. He was working in the shop in his garage on his latest board for Phil Moulton to put up at Cold Water Brewery.

“He’s very smart, easy to talk to. I think he’s successful at anything he works on, and he’s got a great work-life balance,” Moulton said of Villanueva. “Our kids play together, a small town you know.”

Villanueva’s roots are not only deep in Tahoe, they’re engrained in his talents to build things. His father started him young, insisting they build a shed one day. At age 8, he decided to take the lawn mower apart. His father just shook his head when he saw his young enterprising son holding a piston in his hand, wondering what to do next, Villanueva recalled.

Villanueva’s buddy and fellow mountain bike rider Ben Fish isn’t surprised how his friend has moved up in the Forest Service.

The duo worked together on the popular city-run Bijou Mountain Bike Park, among other projects. The latest will be the Trails Summit, sponsored by the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association. The summit will highlight Tahoe’s prominence in the mountain bike world and is set for May 6-8.

For starters, TAMBA’s resurgence from years of dwindling down to a few members to now a few hundred speaks volumes on the growing popularity of the sport and the persistence of those like Villanueva who dedicate their lives to supporting it with a trail system.

“It makes me proud to see him go and be almost like a spokesman of Tahoe,” said Fish, who’s known Villanueva socially for a decade.

It’s all in the family of riding and sharing experiences. Their sons are good friends.

“He’s pushed all the buttons. We had six or seven years with no mountain bike organization. He helped get TAMBA back together,” said Fish, while manning a TAMBA booth at the Lake Tahoe Business Expo.

“These projects would have never happened without him,” he told Lake Tahoe News.

By Catherine Saint Louis, New York Times

Anterior cruciate ligaments often tear on the sports field, and after a complete rupture, they are notoriously hard to get to heal.

This month, doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital announced that they have succeeded in reconnecting ACLs in 10 patients using a novel technique.

Their preliminary results at three months suggest that healing an original ACL without the usual grafts may be a viable option in the future.

Read the whole story

By Nic Abelow

For many business owners, taking their company to the next level of growth is an exhilarating but stressful task. Deciding on a growth strategy — which areas of the business to fund, what pace of growth to aim for, whether investments should be allocated to short-term or longer-term needs — is just half of the equation.  The other equally critical part of the process is finding a funding source for their growth plan.

Focus on cash flow

Nic Abelow

Among the many criteria that banks and other financiers use to assess the creditworthiness of a business, cash flow — or the business’s ability to generate enough cash to service its debt, pay taxes and dividends, and make the down payment associated with any capital expenditures — often tops the list.

Other related factors that financiers typically look for include:

·       Prudent levels of debt and/or adequate capitalization

·       Positive trends in the company’s balance sheet and income statement

·       Management’s experience and track record of success

·       Its industry — how it is performing and projections for the future.

Needs-based financing options

When banks are the chief lender, the range of financing options is fairly broad, from lines of credit and term loans to real estate mortgages and Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs. To a large extent, the needs of the business will determine the type of financing option that is most appropriate. For instance, if a company has modest or stable growth, its short-term working capital, equipment, and real estate needs typically can be met with traditional bank credit products, such as lines of credit or term loans. For short-term needs, such as financing a temporary increase in inventory, a line of credit would be indicated. For longer-term uses, such as funding the purchase of equipment or real estate, term loans generally will fit the bill.

If, on the other hand, a company is experiencing rapid growth, the solution may be to move outside of traditional bank products to asset-based lenders and/or SBA government programs.

Funding caveats

Keep in mind that many lenders tend to avoid requests for financing that appear to be speculative in nature. For instance, if a business wants to expand its warehouse space to accommodate new inventory that it thinks it can sell but doesn’t actually have customers waiting to buy, that would be considered a speculative financing request. Another might be a request for funding to increase inventory in the short-term on the hunch that the business can make a quick profit by market timing.

Other “red flags” that could bring a funding request to an abrupt halt with a prospective lender include inadequate liquidity to service all cash needs (e.g., principal payments, taxes, and rent/mortgage), excessive debt, and an inconsistent earnings history.

Keep in mind that even though these or other caveats may put a funding request in jeopardy, with proper explanation and/or documentation, it is possible for such hurdles to be overcome. If, for example, a company lost money last year due to non-recurring expenses but presents legitimate reasons for the loss, it is possible that the lender may still consider the business owner’s request.

It has been said before, but it bears repeating: Cash management is the key to starting and running – and growing – a business. To manage cash effectively, you need to anticipate future cash needs and then ensure that you have the liquidity when you need it. A financial plan with revenue and expense projections is an invaluable tool in managing this essential part of a business.

Nic Abelow is a LPL financial advisor with Abelow, Pratt & Associates Financial Advisors and Wealth Management in Lake Tahoe.

The California State Fair is expanding the Youth Art Competition and Industrial & Technology Education Competition to create the California Student Showcase Competition.

California students from kindergarten through community college may submit works in the areas of fine art, science, creative arts, innovations and future economics, and industrial and vocational skills. Home school students, community clubs/groups and independent study students are welcome to participate.

Cash prizes and/or ribbons will also be awarded.

Accepted submissions will be on display during the 2016 California State Fair, July 8-24.

Competition handbooks are online. The deadline to enter is April 27. The entry fee is $9 per submission.

Classical Tahoe, formerly Lake Tahoe SummerFest, will bring together 40 nationally recognized musicians to Lake Tahoe for a three-week festival running July 26-Aug. 13.

Under the direction of Joel Revzen, the 11-concert series is designed to support Tahoe’s cultural growth while bringing together an all-star assembly of musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, LA Phil, Reno Phil and other orchestras throughout the world.

The name evolution from Lake Tahoe SummerFest to Classical Tahoe was completed to highlight the true focus and caliber of music performances this festival is noted for.

Concerts begin at 7pm and are at the Festival Pavilion at Sierra Nevada College and at the Cornerstone Church, both  in Incline Village. Full orchestra ticket prices are $25, $50, $75 and $100. Season subscribers get all 11 concerts for the price of six concerts. Meet the Musicians chamber concerts are $30 general admission. Student tickets are offered at a 50 percent discount off regular ticket pricing.

For tickets and more information, call 775.298.0245.

The Western Governors’ Association is sponsoring the Celebrate the West regional art competition for high school students.

Entrants must create original two-dimensional artwork inspired by their state or informed by living in the West. Students may draw ideas from a variety of sources, including state history, landmarks, natural resources, national parks and monuments, people, communities, and culture.

Winning artists will receive cash prizes and their works will be displayed at an upcoming WGA Governors’ meeting, as well as on the WGA website.

Students will submit a digital copy of their entry via email by April 30. The rules are online.

Don Henley will be returning to Lake Tahoe this summer — this time as a solo act.

Known mostly as one of the lead singers for the Eagles as well as the drummer for the band, Henley has been on his own for years. The band has sporadically gotten back together, with the last stop in Tahoe in 2014. With the passing of Glenn Frey this year, even if there were another reunion, it won’t ever be the same Eagles.

Henley will take the stage at Harveys Outdoor Concert Series on July 24.