By Kathryn Reed

That iconic swoosh, those orange boxes the shoes come in and even the company’s name were all a bit haphazard in how they came to be. The Nike brand of today is much different than when the company was just starting.

While Phil Knight knew he wanted to change the running shoe world, his path to being a force to be reckoned with was fraught with financial insecurity, family strife and international struggles.

Knight, the founder of Nike, in 2016 published his memoir “Shoe Dog” (Simon and Schuster).

It’s a book that will appeal to most people, not just athletes or business owners/entrepreneurs.

For me, the Nike brand seems to always have been a part of my life. Like many businesses I’ve never given much thought to how they started. This was a journey that seemed honest in how it was told. Knight acknowledged his short-comings and fears. He was slow embrace the need to advertise, which today seems impossible to believe.

Knight’s drive and determination took a toll on some of his relationships. While he touches on that in the book, it’s more on the periphery.

His vision and the tenacity to stick with his dream are more than admirable. He could have given up. He had an accounting background to fall back on. But he was consumed by this crazy idea.

Surrounded by people who believed him and a growing running community who embraced the changes he brought to the shoe world, Knight persevered. Clearly, it paid off.

Even though the book is 400 pages, in many ways it’s just a snapshot of the company and the man. It ends when Nike went public. And while this made him a millionaire many times over, his charitable contributions are extensive.

This was my book club’s April book. We all gave it high marks for likeability and would eagerly recommend it to others.

By Todd Prince, Las Vegas Review-Journal

The hospitality industry is facing a shortage of passionate workers and the need to upgrade appearances more frequently, according to a panel of hotel chain executives at an industry conference in Las Vegas.

“Talent is something that does keep me awake at night,” Bill Walshe, chief executive officer of Viceroy Hotel Group, told attendees at the Hospitality and Design Expo in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Wednesday.

“I think it is going to be increasingly hard for us to find people who want to work in our industry because they have a passion for hospitality,” he said.

Read the whole story

By Angela Schilling, KTVN-TV
 
Sunscreen is a must this time of year, especially if you plan on heading up to Tahoe.

“Taking care of your skin is so important especially because we’re at a higher altitude,” said Kristen Power of the Nevada Cancer Coalition.

The closer you are to the sun, the more radiation you’re exposed to, raising your risk for cancer. The valley is about 4,500 feet, while the beaches at Lake Tahoe are over 6,000 feet.

Read the whole story

The 5th annual Made in Tahoe Festival  returns to the Village at Squaw Valley for Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-28.

This event celebrates all things local and hosts an array of offerings that are made in or inspired by the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee areas. Local artisans, businesses, culinarians, organizations and entertainers will come together to celebrate music, food, art, clothing, and more.

Festivities will take place from 11am-7pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

Festival attendees may explore more than 100 vendor booths and enjoy performances by Tahoe Flow Artists, Truckee Dance Factory and Tahoe Truckee School of Music Students & Youth Choir and more throughout the weekend. In addition to listening to live music from local bands and musicians, guests can enjoy aerial performances and workshops by Tahoe Flow Arts Studio. New this year, the Tahoe Flow Arts Studio and the Creative Space will showcase a “Wizard of Oz” production, hula hoop workshops and blues fusion dance workshops. On Sunday, guests will learn about Truckee history through a musical performance by singer Richard Blair.

All proceeds from all drink sales will benefit Tahoe Food Hub.

For more info, go online.

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE – Ships ablaze and sinking fast. Winning poker hands with only four cards showing. Fast, fun and competitive.

These machines are part video game, part slot machine. It’s definitely interactive because they can’t be played alone. While they are considered skill-based, fast reaction time is the biggest asset to winning.

And, yes, it is all about gambling.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe is the first casino in Northern Nevada to have skill-based gaming. The two machines just arrived and are near where the escalator to/from Harveys is located.

It’s easy to see how these games could be addicting in the same fun manner that a video game can be. The difference is that those games often take a quarter to play and these are $2 a pop. (Harrah’s can raise or lower the minimum bet, but not players.)

“We want to be at the forefront of new and exciting gaming. We want to stay current and competitive,” Nick Breaux-Fujita, Harrah’s regional vice president of marketing for Northern Nevada, told Lake Tahoe News.

Interactive gaming is the latest rage in the casino industry. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The devices came to Tahoe before Reno because this is a bigger tourist market when it comes to gaming. And that means people are not usually solo gamblers, as is the case with locals.

Two to four people may play at a time on each machine. It can be friends or strangers. Everyone stands, which makes it different from any slot machine and many table games. The social nature of the games sets them apart from any other games in the casino — even craps. They really aren’t like anything else on the casino floor.

The amount players can win is randomly chosen by the machine, though there is always a chance to recoup at least a little more than the $2 bet. The maximum win increases with the number of players, with $480 being the most per game if four are playing.

Gamblit Poker is a bit like Texas Hold’em. While understanding poker is not necessary, it does help. There is a cheat sheet each player may use to know the various poker hands, but the game moves too fast to look at in the moment. Each player is given two cards from a single deck. A card is turned over in the center and players “grab” it to add to their hand. Once a player has five cards then the game speeds up to the final seven or 11 cards (depends on the number of players). It’s a race and gamble to know which card to take. Best poker hand wins.

The skill involved is knowing which cards to select, being able to react fast, knowing what opponents have in order to “steal” a card they’d want, and deliberately filling out the hand to speed up the game.

Remember, this is all electronic. It’s touch screen action. No one is actually dealing the cards.

Cannonbeard’s Treasure is similar to blackjack in that players are trying to reach a certain number and if they go over they bust. The difference is the game’s computer decides what the number is and if players will get three or four cards. Cards 2-10 are face value, jack-queen-king are 10 points, and aces are one or 11. The machine does the counting – at least the total. Players need to be able to add what’s in their hand and the card being dealt.

Again, speed is important. And when a player has the maximum number of cards the dealing goes faster with a limited number of cards until the game is over.

The winner’s ship shoots cannons at the losers. With enough of those cannon balls, the ship eventually sinks.

Both are manufactured by Gamblit, which has other games in the production line. Gamblit launched the machines five weeks ago at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. They are at five properties in Vegas, one in San Diego and now in Stateline.

Little touches to the machines include drink holders and USB ports to charge a phone.

The machines will be on the casino floor at Harrah’s in Stateline for the summer. If they are popular, Harrah’s plans to create an interactive area with the focus being “the casino of the future.” It would mean leasing more machines, maybe putting in Ping-Pong and air hockey and the like, along with food and beverage service.

While the thought was these games would cater to millennials, casino managers are finding that age is not a factor in those who want to have some fun.

By Cecilie Rohwedder, Wall Street Journal

When Joshua Bryan leaves his apartment to go to work, he travels up three stories, to the 40th floor of his building in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. There, he settles into a workspace with television screens, a kitchenette and sweeping views of Lake Michigan.

For meetings, Bryan books a first-floor conference room with teleconference equipment and interactive white boards for presentations. The building also has a fifth-floor “Makerspace,” a shared office area with personal computers, a 3-D laser printer and a computerized milling machine for cutting and shaping metal or wood.

“The communal workspace is pretty much the reason I chose this building,” says Bryan, who is 37 and owns the Chicago franchise of Poop 911, a company for dog-waste removal.

One of today’s most practical amenities in residential buildings: shared office space equipped with the latest tech and communications equipment. With more Americans working from home, architects and developers are designing spaces that spare residents from conducting business at a Starbucks.

Read the whole story

Plenty of reasons why the 2017 Honda CR-V Touring is the bestselling SUV. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

Honda has some great selling cars, the new Civic, which now outsells every other compact and the new CR-V which is also the best-selling compact CUV. In the past year, Honda has introduced a bunch of new rides and they are all fantastic.

The new Civic blew me away with performance, handling, phenomenal fuel economy and fabulous looks. Now the CR-V is in the spotlight. And it almost duplicates its Civic’s attributes (CR-V means Civic Recreational Vehicle). While the new Civic has an awesome design, the new CR-V while clearly the best-looking CR-V ever, still needs some work to its new body. Such as lightening the front end and more aggression. But when compared to the first, second and third generations it’s light years ahead. The prior fourth generation was a big improvement and this new fifth generation is another big step in the right direction.

The biggest improvement is in the window line. No longer does it look like a bridge arch. That is the extent of any negative. The new high compression (10.3:1), 1.5L DOHC 16 valve, turbocharged direct injected four is a pure gem.  With 18.5 pounds of boost pressure this new mini-mighty knocks out 190 hp at a low 5,600 rpm while generating 179 pounds of twist anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm meaning it pulls like a freight train from off-idle to near peak hp, especially with the new CVT tranny that drives and feels like it is actually shifting. Best CVT in the business. Turbocharging also means no loss of performance at high altitudes as in the mountains.

Size wise, the CR-V is the perfect compact CUV at 181 inches in length plus a generous width of 73 inches while standing 67 inches tall. It rides on a 105-inch wheelbase which is average for this class.

Performance is outstanding considering its diminutive 1.5L inline four. Ah, but the miracle of turbo charging takes what would normally be an engine of about 120 hp and perhaps 100 pounds of twist at 4,500 rpm to the huge numbers above by using the exhaust gases to spin up a turbo to a maximum boost of 18.5 PSI. That’s a big number. But it works well pushing this 3,500 pound CUV to 60 mph in a quick average of 7.82 seconds. It also runs a 50-70 mph simulated pass in just 4.19 seconds and the same run up a steep grade (6-7 percent) in 6.29 seconds. It does have some turbo lag (most drivers won’t notice) and the reality is that it feels quicker than the actual numbers and once on boost the CR-V feels quite responsive.

The benefit of the small turbo engine is improved fuel economy. EPA rates this CR-V at 27/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined. During my 460 miles of varied driving with almost no time on a four-lane highway, the CR-V averaged 29.3 mpg. On the highway at 70 mph in a two-way run it averaged 34.8 mpg. A two-way run from Placerville to Carson City averaged 29.2 mpg.  Those are better than average numbers for this class and great numbers considering the CR-V’s performance numbers.

Handling is excellent because of its great engineering. Steering is an extremely quick 2.3 turns lock to lock. Track is a wide 63 inches. Tires are 235/60 series surrounding 18X7 inch alloys. I have seen better looking alloys (oops, another negative). Suspension is a state of the art trick independent set up with MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone system holding up the rear with stab bars at both ends. And does it corner. Steering is nicely weighted, grip is excellent while when pushed hard the attitude remains reasonable flat. It is a delight when the road bends when doing the fast tango in the twisties. The new CR-V even made the front cover of Consumer Reports April, 2017 annual auto issue. Honda has also given the CR-V good weight distribution with the AWD model at 57/43 percent front and rear. Except for a small photo of a Mazda MX-5, in the upper right hand corner, it was the only vehicle, front and centered on the cover.

Specifications
Price $24,945 to $34,595
Engine
2.4L DOHC, 16 valve, direct injected inline four 184 hp @ 6,400 rpm
180 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,900 rpm
1.5L turbocharged, DOHC, 16 valve, direct injected inline four 190 hp @ 5,600 rpm
179 lbs.-ft. of torque @ 2,000-5,000 rpm
Transmission
CVT
Configuration
Transverse front engine/FWD/AWD
Dimensions
Wheelbase 104.7 inches
Length 180.6 inches
Width 73.0 inches
Height 66.5 inches
Track f/r AWD 62.9/63.5 inches
Ground clearance 8.2 inches
Weight 3,512 pounds
Weight distribution f/r 57/43 percent
Tow Capacity 1,500 pounds
Wheels 18X7 inch alloys
Tires 235/60X18
Steering lock to lock 2.30 turns
Turning circle 37.4 feet
Cargo volume seats up/down 39.2/75.6 cubic feet
Total volume 142.1 cubic feet
Performance
0-60 mph 7.82 seconds
50-70 mph 4.19 seconds
50-70 mph up a steep grade 6.29 seconds
Top speed Who cares but well into triple digits
Fuel economy EPA rated at 27/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 29 mpg in rural suburban driving and 34 mpg on a level highway at legal speeds.

New found fuel economy is one of the reasons CR put the new CR-V on the cover and why vehicles in the compact CUV (SUV) class have become the new practical family vehicle. This CR-V as reported above has class leading fuel economy numbers of 27/33/29 mpg. Where the average mid-size car has a 100 cubic feet of passenger volume and perhaps a 12-cubic foot trunk, this foot shorter CUY has a passenger volume of 103 c/f with a cargo capacity of an additional 39 c/f and about 76 c/f with the rear seats folded down.

And it still rides with that mid-size quality of extreme smoothness and quiet. There is little head tossing. Quiet is promoted with its low rpms at 70 mph of 2,000. And the body is vault tight.

Since there is no second place with respect to safety, my CR-V top of the line Touring had every safety feature, never mind the usual acronyms. Standard in the EX, EX-L and touring are advanced features such as Forward Collision Warning, Land Departure Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Auto High-Beam Headlights and Blind Spot Information along with Cross Traffic Monitor. Headlights are also terrific.

Inside is a comfortable leather interior with soft touch materials everywhere. Instrumentation is complete and clear with a trick trip computer and three different mileage computers and readouts. A weakness is the touch screen to control the radio and HVAC. Simple push buttons and knobs are more accurate and easier to use. I have commented on this issue before.

Seating is very comfortable and multi-adjustable. It is suitable for all day travel and rear seating is good for three. Cargo space is a winner for Home Depot and Lowe’s shopping. I easily put two 4 x 4 wooden pallets in the rear cargo area. Could have added three times that amount.

Honda has a great way to price their models in four trim levels of options with the top three models getting all the safety equipment mentioned above and from the EX model and above the same 1.5L turbo powerhouse instead of the LX model’s 2.4L normally aspirated unit is rated at 184 hp and 180 pounds of twist. The turbo engine has almost identical peak power numbers in an engine of 60 percent the size and it achieves better performance with an almost 10 percent boost in fuel economy. But with turbocharging there is no loss of performance as the elevation climbs. It’s perfect for the Sierra or the Rockies.

Pricing for the Touring model AWD begins and ends at $33,695, plus $900 for the train/truck from Alliston, Ontario, Canada. There are no factory options, it already has everything. An LX FWD starts at $24,945 and AWD will add $1,300 to all FWD models. Drive one and you will understand with this CUV is dominating sales.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.

“Saving the Donner Party” by Richard F. Kaufman tells the story of how the storm of the century in 1846 trapped 81 men, women, and children in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and how they were saved.

Focusing on the rescue of the Donner Party, Kaufman will join the Sierra State Parks Foundation for a free evening at Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center on May 13 where he will speak about his research and book “Saving the Donner Party”.

A $5 donation is suggested.

Doors of the Donner State Park Visitor Center will open at 5pm, with the program starting at 5:30pm. For more information, call 530.583.9911.

By Terence P. Jeffrey, CNS News

Four decades ago, in the mid-1970s, young American adults–in the 18-to-34 age bracket–were far more likely to be married and living with a spouse than living in their parents’ home.

But that is no longer the case, according to a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau.

“There are now more young people living with their parents than in any other arrangement,” says the Census Bureau study.

The No. 1 living arrangement today for Americans in the 18-to-34 age bracket, according to the Census Bureau, is to reside without a spouse in their parents’ home.

Read the whole story

By Nic Abelow

Getting kids involved in college planning may be an excellent way to teach responsibility to young people — a lesson that could reap benefits well beyond their college years. Children can earn money, learn about sources of financial aid, research potential colleges and take other steps that may relieve their parents of some of the responsibility of college planning.

Starting early

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the best time to introduce children to college planning is when they are in middle school, typically grades six through eight.

Nic Abelow

You may want to initiate discussions about college, explaining the importance of developing good study habits and instilling the idea that your family supports higher education.

You may also want to encourage your children to begin thinking about the career they would like to pursue, which is likely to influence their choice of college, as well as to establish a savings account that could be earmarked for education expenses. In addition, you can teach basic lessons about compounding, investing and other money management issues.

When students are in the latter part of middle school, they can also start planning to make the most of high school experiences with an eye toward college. Remind your budding scholar that success in high school depends on skills and attitudes that are developed in middle school or earlier. You can help your child plan for college by assisting him or her with developing a realistic budget.

The chart below gives a general idea of the average current annual cost of attending a four-year public versus four-year private college.

Match involvement to age, grade level

Young people can assume varying levels of responsibility for college planning depending on their age and interests. Consider the following if you are looking to get a middle or high school student involved.

6th to 8th grades

·      Continue good study habits

·      Enhance computer and internet skills

·      Participate in arts activities or sports

·      Start saving money

9th to 10th grades

·      Enroll in college-preparatory classes

·      Establish high academic standards

·      Research careers that match personal aptitudes

·      Learn about college costs

·      Identify prospective colleges

·      Research financial aid and scholarships

·      Set aside money from babysitting, yard work, or other odd jobs for college expenses

11th to 12th grades

·      Get a part-time job and continue saving for college

·      Visit colleges of potential interest

·      Take the Scholastic Aptitude Test and/or the ACT assessment

·      Enroll in advanced placement classes, if available

·      Apply to colleges and for financial aid.

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