unedited Oct. Tahoe Mt. News story
By Kathryn Reed
Construction could begin in the spring to revitalize El Dorado Beach, including the pedestrian-bike trail and day use area.
This is the first phase of what has been known as the 56-acre project. It has been renamed Lakeview Commons. The dictionary definition of commons is “a tract of land belonging to or used by the community as a whole.”
The emphasis of the project since its infancy has been to create a place for locals that tourists might also enjoy. The initial phase is 4.7 acres, with 3.6 acres of that being touched by construction. The remaining acreage on the mountain side of the highway includes Campground by the Lake, library, city rec complex and other established uses.
One might say Lakeview Commons is in its toddler years as it begins to show real personality. Complete build out is anticipated for 2017.
What’s going on?
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency staff requested clarification on the original permit application that was filed Aug. 8. Answers were submitted earlier this month. The TRPA has 30 days to review that information.
California Tahoe Conservancy funded the planning phase and has set aside $8 million that could be used for construction. El Dorado County owns the two main parcels. South Lake Tahoe has a 55-year lease that expires in July 2023 for about 40 of the 56 acres. The lease can be extended if the use remains essentially the same.
The city owns more than 15 acres in the area. The lakefront area from Fremont Avenue to almost Rufus Allen is city property. A wedge next to it is owned by Inn by the Lake. El Dorado Beach is county property.
The initial phase of Lakeview Commons starts at Lakeview Avenue and goes to Rufus Allen Boulevard, and includes the shoreline to the highway.
An application is expected to be filed with the city’s planning department this month. Lahontan Water Board will be the next agency brought into the mix.
If permits are in hand, the plan is to go out for bid in late January or early February. The initial project could take one building season.
However, funds for the multimillion dollar project are not all in the bank. Grants will be sought as well as other revenue streams.
Caltrans is an integral player in this massive undertaking. The transportation gurus have for years had the Highway 50 project on the books. The Trout Creek to Ski Run Boulevard project, which encompasses Lakeview Commons, is in the design phase and should be in September 2009, with construction starting the next year.
The lakeside portion by El Dorado Beach is considered a water quality improvement project. Therefore Caltrans can’t dedicate dollars to sidewalk improvements there. The agency does have money for sidewalks and lights on the campground side.
Caltrans is responsible for the unsightly drain on the east edge of El Dorado Beach that transports unfiltered gunk from the highway into the Lake. The pipe is on city property and was put there via an easement.
As part of Caltrans’ 2010 construction project a water filtration system will be put in. One option is a Delaware Sand Filter. Caltrans spokeswoman Shelly Chernicki does not know if the old pipe will be removed, needed or replaced with something more aesthetically pleasing. Some sort of pipe will have to take the filtered water to the Lake.
Design elements
The concept on the lakeside is to have the area terraced from the retaining wall to the sand. Access to the beach will not be steep like it is now. In the future people in wheelchairs, using walkers or those who don’t like stairs will be able to get to the water.
The terraced area will have seating and mountain vegetation.
“Toward the east end we are still pursing a cantilevered walkway to open that area … to eliminate the conflicting use on the bike path,” said Peter Eichar, CTC program analyst.
No changes will be made to the parking area, nor improvements made to the boat launch. Bike racks will be added. A bi-level concessionaire building and restroom will be erected that will include storage for non-motorized boats for private individuals.
“The important message is this project will be a model of sustainability and green design,” said Deb Vreeland, project manager. “It reflects the forward thinking of the city and county. It will be the signature project to initiate a new generation of building on the South Shore.”
The CTC board in December will be asked for money to further the planning in the campground area of Lakeview Commons. Those plans have not progressed since January when the City Council and county Board of Supervisors approved the initial concept. Those plans call for an amphitheater, possibly removing some campsites, moving the city’s corporation yard and county’s vector control, and creating walkways.
One concept is to move the weekly summer farmers market to Lakeview Commons. On Sept. 9 the City Council viewed a video of the San Luis Obispo market which incorporates more than just fresh veggies. Something in this vein is likely to be what South Tahoe’s market evolves into.
Jim Coalwell, who runs the local market, said he is in favor of this location. He envisions being able to expand the market’s offerings. He prefers a covered area because the winds in Tahoe can wreak havoc on the canopies the vendors use today.
On a side note, Coalwell said the market will be back at the American Legion Hall in 2009.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Indian gaming and Reno
All lit up, but no one to serve by Ed Vogel , Las Vegas Review-Journal
Updated: December 1, 2008, 9:32 AM EST
LINCOLN, Calif.
On a sunny Monday afternoon in late September, the parking lots outside of the Thunder Valley Casino are jammed with cars.
Inside the Indian casino, dealers are doing a bang-up business with players anchored to most seats around the blackjack tables and slot players keeping most of the 2,700 slot machines busy.
A dejected Margaret McDonald, 67, mutters mild profanities as she waits outside the casino for the free bus to carry her from Thunder Valley, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, back to her Santa Rosa home. She has lost her gaming budget at the slot machines.
Jump ahead two weeks.
On an almost identical pleasant Monday afternoon in Reno, most parking spaces are unoccupied in the parking garages next to the Circus Circus, Silver Legacy and Eldorado hotel-casinos.
More than two-thirds of the blackjack and roulette tables in each casino are closed for a lack of players, and only a handful of gamblers sit in front of slot machines.
The Silver Legacy race and sports book has fewer players than the 17 TV sets tuned to the American League Baseball playoff game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox .
On the second floor of these casinos are dozens of shops where you can buy jewelry, ice cream and Harley-Davidson motorcycle souvenirs, or toss a coin on a plate and win a big stuffed animal.
The vast majority are devoid of customers.
Like the streets of Reno these days, the Silver Legacy, Eldorado and Circus Circus casinos are immaculately clean.
They offer far more amenities than Thunder Valley, Cache Creek, the Jackson Rancheria and other major Indian casinos in Northern California.
What they lack are players.
Indian gaming, coupled with the recession, has turned Reno into an afterthought for some gamblers.
A dozen players waiting for buses outside the Thunder Valley all said they dislike making the trek over the snowy Sierra Nevada in the winter.
Summer is fine for trips to Reno, they said, except this year because of higher gasoline prices.
If they have a weekday urge to gamble, it is just much more convenient to take a quick free bus trip to Thunder Valley than to waste three hours driving on Interstate 80 into Reno.
"I like Reno," McDonald said as her bus arrived to take her home. "But I won't drive there in the winter."
Back in Reno, 79-year-old North Dakota resident Brian Beckson stands along an almost pedestrian-free Virginia Street.
"Reno is nice," he said. "This is the first time I have been here since 1962. I wouldn't come here in the winter. It gets cold and snowy."
Silver Legacy officials declined comment.
Both Indian gaming and the severity of the recession have contributed to the downturn in gaming in Washoe County, said Ellen Oppenheim, president of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.
"People are staying closer to home and trimming their budget a little bit," said Oppenheim, whose organization recently laid off 16 employees. "Those who game may come here three or four times a year and also go to Indian casinos a couple of times. Ten years ago they didn't have the Indian casino option."
But Oppenheim said the convention authority's studies show only 15 percent of visitors come to the Re no area strictly because of gaming, but 90 percent end up playing in casinos. Visitor totals have declined "a little bit," but still approach 5 million a year, she added.
Gaming no longer is the "first hook" the convention authority uses to promote the area to visitors, she said. Instead the agency emphasizes special events, the area's scenic beauty, and 18 nearby world-class ski resorts.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, Washoe County casinos won $997 million, the first time in 11 years that the area's gaming revenue dropped below $1 billion. Gaming revenue continues to fall in the county, dropping 205 percent in September. Revenues are down 9 percent overall since the fiscal year's start.
The casinos in Douglas County along Lake Tahoe's south shore won $320 million, $25 million less than in 1990.
Reno's last new casino, the Silver Legacy, opened in 1995, although there since has been major expansion at the Peppermill and Atlantis.
Fitzgeralds had planned to lay off 475 employees in closing its downtown Reno casino in November.
In contrast, gaming has made the Auburn United Indian Community tribe, owners of Thunder Valley, richer than anyone could have dreamed five years ago.
Tribal spokesman Doug Elmets and the Indians won't release information on the casino's profits or the per capita shares distributed to the tribe's 255 members, of which five work at Thunder Valley.
"Put it this way: the kids can go to a tribal school, a private school or any college in the country," said Elmets, a Sacramento public relations company owner who began working for the tribe when it was broke. "They can go to Choate or Exeter," he said, referring to pricey private schools.
Tribal members receive per capita distributions of $300,000 to $500,000 annually, according to estimates.
Thunder Valley even spent thousands of dollars in the spring devising a way to move swallows that had been nesting under the casino's eaves. The birds now nest in a $500,000 birdhouse built at the edge of a parking lot.
Elmets remembers the 1990s, when many tribal members were living in squalor 20 miles away in the Auburn Rancheria reservation.
"It was the most abject poverty you ever could see," he said.
"They were barely getting by in terms of food. They were living in homes that had planks for roofs and plastic sheeting for windows."
He infuriated the Reno media and gaming industry with the comment he made when the tribe opened Thunder Valley in June 2003.
"My quote was, 'The beauty of Thunder Valley is that it is between San Francisco and Reno below the snow line where no chains are required,'" he recalled.
But winter road closures aren't as common as some people believe, California Department of Transportation spokeswoman Shelly Chernick said, although fear of a closure may factor into gamblers' reluctance to travel.
Last winter I-80 was closed 174 times, totaling 133 hours, as 420 inches of snow fell in the mountains, Caltrans statistics show. But only 10 closures lasted more than two hours. In the 2004-05 winter, the freeway was closed 350 hours.
With its opening five years ago, Thunder Valley quickly began to siphon off Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area gamblers who used to journey over the Sierra into the casinos of the Biggest Little City in the World.
The casino's interior, with 2,700 slots and 100 table games, was patterned after the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson.
Las Vegas-based Station Casinos operates the casino for the tribe for a 24 percent cut of gaming revenues.
Falling below $1 billion in winnings is symbolic of the troubles Reno casinos have experienced since Indian gaming emerged in Northern California, said Bill Eadington, an economics professor and the director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno.
In terms of real dollars, Eadington said Reno gaming winnings are off 35 percent since 2000.
The city no longer is a "signature market" for players, and the gaming will decline more as Indian tribes begin to construct nicer facilities that offer more than just gaming, he predicted.
That is coming soon.
The United Auburn Indian Community found sufficient financing to break ground ago on an estimated $600 million expansion project to Thunder Valley.
Thunder Valley planned to add a five-star 600-room hotel, a 3,000-seat performing arts theater and expanded gaming space to the existing casino. Completion was expected in 2010, but a tribal official announced Wednesday that the tribe will probably downsize the project when it is re-evaluated in three to six months.
Doug Elmets, a spokesman for Thunder Valley Casino, said the declining economy prompted the change.
Construction on the project had already been halted with just five of the 22 stories built.
However, the Red Hawk Casino is expected to open along U.S. Highway 50 near Placerville, Calif., late this year.
The casino, operated by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, will open with 2,000 slot machines, but has state approval to expand to 5,000 gaming devices.
The Red Hawk will capture traffic that now continues through the mountains or to casinos on the south shore of Lake Tahoe.
Eadington said gaming has "diminished in importance" to Reno, adding the city has done a better job than Las Vegas in diversifying its economy.
In September, Reno's unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, lower than Las Vegas' 7.4 percent.
But Indian gaming isn't the only thing threatening Reno's gaming industry. Elmets said the city is being hurt just as much by the recession and high gasoline prices.
"The recession has affected everyone in the casino business," he said. "People don't have the same discretionary income and are cutting back on visits. Nonetheless, this property is doing very well by virtue of its location and by virtue of the fact there is limited competition."
Eadington agrees that high gasoline prices and the economic downturn hurt Reno tourism this summer.
"But what is happening is a continuation of a trend," he added.
"Thunder Valley and Cache Creek are becoming true destination resorts. It is going to be difficult for Reno to overcome the challenge. Some will not survive."
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
Updated: December 1, 2008, 9:32 AM EST
LINCOLN, Calif.
On a sunny Monday afternoon in late September, the parking lots outside of the Thunder Valley Casino are jammed with cars.
Inside the Indian casino, dealers are doing a bang-up business with players anchored to most seats around the blackjack tables and slot players keeping most of the 2,700 slot machines busy.
A dejected Margaret McDonald, 67, mutters mild profanities as she waits outside the casino for the free bus to carry her from Thunder Valley, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento, back to her Santa Rosa home. She has lost her gaming budget at the slot machines.
Jump ahead two weeks.
On an almost identical pleasant Monday afternoon in Reno, most parking spaces are unoccupied in the parking garages next to the Circus Circus, Silver Legacy and Eldorado hotel-casinos.
More than two-thirds of the blackjack and roulette tables in each casino are closed for a lack of players, and only a handful of gamblers sit in front of slot machines.
The Silver Legacy race and sports book has fewer players than the 17 TV sets tuned to the American League Baseball playoff game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox .
On the second floor of these casinos are dozens of shops where you can buy jewelry, ice cream and Harley-Davidson motorcycle souvenirs, or toss a coin on a plate and win a big stuffed animal.
The vast majority are devoid of customers.
Like the streets of Reno these days, the Silver Legacy, Eldorado and Circus Circus casinos are immaculately clean.
They offer far more amenities than Thunder Valley, Cache Creek, the Jackson Rancheria and other major Indian casinos in Northern California.
What they lack are players.
Indian gaming, coupled with the recession, has turned Reno into an afterthought for some gamblers.
A dozen players waiting for buses outside the Thunder Valley all said they dislike making the trek over the snowy Sierra Nevada in the winter.
Summer is fine for trips to Reno, they said, except this year because of higher gasoline prices.
If they have a weekday urge to gamble, it is just much more convenient to take a quick free bus trip to Thunder Valley than to waste three hours driving on Interstate 80 into Reno.
"I like Reno," McDonald said as her bus arrived to take her home. "But I won't drive there in the winter."
Back in Reno, 79-year-old North Dakota resident Brian Beckson stands along an almost pedestrian-free Virginia Street.
"Reno is nice," he said. "This is the first time I have been here since 1962. I wouldn't come here in the winter. It gets cold and snowy."
Silver Legacy officials declined comment.
Both Indian gaming and the severity of the recession have contributed to the downturn in gaming in Washoe County, said Ellen Oppenheim, president of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.
"People are staying closer to home and trimming their budget a little bit," said Oppenheim, whose organization recently laid off 16 employees. "Those who game may come here three or four times a year and also go to Indian casinos a couple of times. Ten years ago they didn't have the Indian casino option."
But Oppenheim said the convention authority's studies show only 15 percent of visitors come to the Re no area strictly because of gaming, but 90 percent end up playing in casinos. Visitor totals have declined "a little bit," but still approach 5 million a year, she added.
Gaming no longer is the "first hook" the convention authority uses to promote the area to visitors, she said. Instead the agency emphasizes special events, the area's scenic beauty, and 18 nearby world-class ski resorts.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, Washoe County casinos won $997 million, the first time in 11 years that the area's gaming revenue dropped below $1 billion. Gaming revenue continues to fall in the county, dropping 205 percent in September. Revenues are down 9 percent overall since the fiscal year's start.
The casinos in Douglas County along Lake Tahoe's south shore won $320 million, $25 million less than in 1990.
Reno's last new casino, the Silver Legacy, opened in 1995, although there since has been major expansion at the Peppermill and Atlantis.
Fitzgeralds had planned to lay off 475 employees in closing its downtown Reno casino in November.
In contrast, gaming has made the Auburn United Indian Community tribe, owners of Thunder Valley, richer than anyone could have dreamed five years ago.
Tribal spokesman Doug Elmets and the Indians won't release information on the casino's profits or the per capita shares distributed to the tribe's 255 members, of which five work at Thunder Valley.
"Put it this way: the kids can go to a tribal school, a private school or any college in the country," said Elmets, a Sacramento public relations company owner who began working for the tribe when it was broke. "They can go to Choate or Exeter," he said, referring to pricey private schools.
Tribal members receive per capita distributions of $300,000 to $500,000 annually, according to estimates.
Thunder Valley even spent thousands of dollars in the spring devising a way to move swallows that had been nesting under the casino's eaves. The birds now nest in a $500,000 birdhouse built at the edge of a parking lot.
Elmets remembers the 1990s, when many tribal members were living in squalor 20 miles away in the Auburn Rancheria reservation.
"It was the most abject poverty you ever could see," he said.
"They were barely getting by in terms of food. They were living in homes that had planks for roofs and plastic sheeting for windows."
He infuriated the Reno media and gaming industry with the comment he made when the tribe opened Thunder Valley in June 2003.
"My quote was, 'The beauty of Thunder Valley is that it is between San Francisco and Reno below the snow line where no chains are required,'" he recalled.
But winter road closures aren't as common as some people believe, California Department of Transportation spokeswoman Shelly Chernick said, although fear of a closure may factor into gamblers' reluctance to travel.
Last winter I-80 was closed 174 times, totaling 133 hours, as 420 inches of snow fell in the mountains, Caltrans statistics show. But only 10 closures lasted more than two hours. In the 2004-05 winter, the freeway was closed 350 hours.
With its opening five years ago, Thunder Valley quickly began to siphon off Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area gamblers who used to journey over the Sierra into the casinos of the Biggest Little City in the World.
The casino's interior, with 2,700 slots and 100 table games, was patterned after the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson.
Las Vegas-based Station Casinos operates the casino for the tribe for a 24 percent cut of gaming revenues.
Falling below $1 billion in winnings is symbolic of the troubles Reno casinos have experienced since Indian gaming emerged in Northern California, said Bill Eadington, an economics professor and the director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno.
In terms of real dollars, Eadington said Reno gaming winnings are off 35 percent since 2000.
The city no longer is a "signature market" for players, and the gaming will decline more as Indian tribes begin to construct nicer facilities that offer more than just gaming, he predicted.
That is coming soon.
The United Auburn Indian Community found sufficient financing to break ground ago on an estimated $600 million expansion project to Thunder Valley.
Thunder Valley planned to add a five-star 600-room hotel, a 3,000-seat performing arts theater and expanded gaming space to the existing casino. Completion was expected in 2010, but a tribal official announced Wednesday that the tribe will probably downsize the project when it is re-evaluated in three to six months.
Doug Elmets, a spokesman for Thunder Valley Casino, said the declining economy prompted the change.
Construction on the project had already been halted with just five of the 22 stories built.
However, the Red Hawk Casino is expected to open along U.S. Highway 50 near Placerville, Calif., late this year.
The casino, operated by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, will open with 2,000 slot machines, but has state approval to expand to 5,000 gaming devices.
The Red Hawk will capture traffic that now continues through the mountains or to casinos on the south shore of Lake Tahoe.
Eadington said gaming has "diminished in importance" to Reno, adding the city has done a better job than Las Vegas in diversifying its economy.
In September, Reno's unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, lower than Las Vegas' 7.4 percent.
But Indian gaming isn't the only thing threatening Reno's gaming industry. Elmets said the city is being hurt just as much by the recession and high gasoline prices.
"The recession has affected everyone in the casino business," he said. "People don't have the same discretionary income and are cutting back on visits. Nonetheless, this property is doing very well by virtue of its location and by virtue of the fact there is limited competition."
Eadington agrees that high gasoline prices and the economic downturn hurt Reno tourism this summer.
"But what is happening is a continuation of a trend," he added.
"Thunder Valley and Cache Creek are becoming true destination resorts. It is going to be difficult for Reno to overcome the challenge. Some will not survive."
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Candace Gingrich writes to her brother Newt
Letter to My Brother Newt Gingrich
I recently had the displeasure of watching you bash the protestors of the Prop 8 marriage ban to Bill O'Reilly on FOX News. I must say, after years of watching you build your career by stirring up the fears and prejudices of the far right, I feel compelled to use the words of your idol, Ronald Reagan, "There you go, again."
However, I realize that you may have been a little preoccupied lately with planning your resurrection as the savior of your party, so I thought I would fill you in on a few important developments you might have overlooked.
The truth is that you're living in a world that no longer exists. I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as -- and we embrace what it can be. You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past.
Welcome to the 21st century, big bro. I can understand why you're so afraid of the energy that has been unleashed after gay and lesbian couples had their rights stripped away from them by a hateful campaign. I can see why you're sounding the alarm against the activists who use all the latest tech tools to build these rallies from the ground up in cities across the country.
This unstoppable progress has at its core a group we at HRC call Generation Equality. They are the most supportive of full LGBT equality than any American generation ever -- and when it comes to the politics of division, well, they don't roll that way. 18-24 year olds voted overwhelmingly against Prop 8 and overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. And the numbers of young progressive voters will only continue to grow. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, about 23 million 18-29 year olds voted on Nov. 4, 2008 -- the most young voters ever to cast a ballot in a presidential election. That's an increase of 3 million more voters compared to 2004.
These are the same people who helped elect Barack Obama and sent a decisive message to your party. These young people are the future and their energy will continue to drive our country forward. Even older Americans are turning their backs on the politics of fear and demagoguery that you and your cronies have perfected over the years.
This is a movement of the people that you most fear. It's a movement of progress -- and your words on FOX News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes.
Then again, we've seen these tactics before. We know how much the right likes to play political and cultural hardball, and then turn around and accuse us of lashing out first. You give a pass to a religious group -- one that looks down upon minorities and women -- when they use their money and membership roles to roll back the rights of others, and then you label us "fascists" when we fight back. You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of "traditional" marriage. And, of course, you've also mastered taking the foolish actions of a few people and then indicting an entire population based on those mistakes. I fail to see how any of these patterns coincide with the values of "historic Christianity" you claim to champion.
Again, nothing new here. This is just more of the blatant hypocrisy we're used to hearing.
What really worries me is that you are always willing to use LGBT Americans as political weapons to further your ambitions. That's really so '90s, Newt. In this day and age, it's embarrassing to watch you talk like that. You should be more afraid of the new political climate in America, because, there is no place for you in it.
In other words, stop being a hater, big bro.
I recently had the displeasure of watching you bash the protestors of the Prop 8 marriage ban to Bill O'Reilly on FOX News. I must say, after years of watching you build your career by stirring up the fears and prejudices of the far right, I feel compelled to use the words of your idol, Ronald Reagan, "There you go, again."
However, I realize that you may have been a little preoccupied lately with planning your resurrection as the savior of your party, so I thought I would fill you in on a few important developments you might have overlooked.
The truth is that you're living in a world that no longer exists. I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as -- and we embrace what it can be. You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past.
Welcome to the 21st century, big bro. I can understand why you're so afraid of the energy that has been unleashed after gay and lesbian couples had their rights stripped away from them by a hateful campaign. I can see why you're sounding the alarm against the activists who use all the latest tech tools to build these rallies from the ground up in cities across the country.
This unstoppable progress has at its core a group we at HRC call Generation Equality. They are the most supportive of full LGBT equality than any American generation ever -- and when it comes to the politics of division, well, they don't roll that way. 18-24 year olds voted overwhelmingly against Prop 8 and overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. And the numbers of young progressive voters will only continue to grow. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, about 23 million 18-29 year olds voted on Nov. 4, 2008 -- the most young voters ever to cast a ballot in a presidential election. That's an increase of 3 million more voters compared to 2004.
These are the same people who helped elect Barack Obama and sent a decisive message to your party. These young people are the future and their energy will continue to drive our country forward. Even older Americans are turning their backs on the politics of fear and demagoguery that you and your cronies have perfected over the years.
This is a movement of the people that you most fear. It's a movement of progress -- and your words on FOX News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes.
Then again, we've seen these tactics before. We know how much the right likes to play political and cultural hardball, and then turn around and accuse us of lashing out first. You give a pass to a religious group -- one that looks down upon minorities and women -- when they use their money and membership roles to roll back the rights of others, and then you label us "fascists" when we fight back. You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of "traditional" marriage. And, of course, you've also mastered taking the foolish actions of a few people and then indicting an entire population based on those mistakes. I fail to see how any of these patterns coincide with the values of "historic Christianity" you claim to champion.
Again, nothing new here. This is just more of the blatant hypocrisy we're used to hearing.
What really worries me is that you are always willing to use LGBT Americans as political weapons to further your ambitions. That's really so '90s, Newt. In this day and age, it's embarrassing to watch you talk like that. You should be more afraid of the new political climate in America, because, there is no place for you in it.
In other words, stop being a hater, big bro.
Angora Burn area closures in Dec. 08
ANGORA HAZARD TREE REMOVAL BEGINS, CLOSURES IN EFFECT
The Forest Service will begin work on the Angora Hazard Tree Removal Project as early as next Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. The contract to perform hazard tree removal was awarded to Smith Crane and Rigging Inc. The project involves removing hazard trees that are within striking distance of National Forest System managed roads and trails.
Forest Supervisor Terri Marceron has issued forest orders to temporarily close public access to the areas where the contractor is working, due to public safety concerns. As the contractor completes work in an area, the Forest Service will reopen it to public access. The contractor will begin working along Angora Ridge Road and Forest Road 12N31 near Tahoe Mountain Road. Closures will be in effect Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., beginning December 1 and ending December 31, 2008.
The total project area encompasses about 256 acres of highly used roads and trails within the 3,100 acre Angora Fire area. Approximately one hundred sixty seven acres will be treated through a combination of mechanical removal and hand felling of hazard trees, and the remaining 89 acres will be treated through hand felling and monitoring tree mortality for future removal.
Hazard trees removed will primarily be utilized as biomass but sawlogs and fuelwood may be available. Some trees will be left in place to provide habitat for wildlife. The project includes extensive measures to protect water quality, particularly in stream environment zones, as well as sensitive wildlife habitat.
The Decision Memo for this project is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects/. Specifics of forest closure orders will be posted on the web site.
The Forest Service will begin work on the Angora Hazard Tree Removal Project as early as next Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. The contract to perform hazard tree removal was awarded to Smith Crane and Rigging Inc. The project involves removing hazard trees that are within striking distance of National Forest System managed roads and trails.
Forest Supervisor Terri Marceron has issued forest orders to temporarily close public access to the areas where the contractor is working, due to public safety concerns. As the contractor completes work in an area, the Forest Service will reopen it to public access. The contractor will begin working along Angora Ridge Road and Forest Road 12N31 near Tahoe Mountain Road. Closures will be in effect Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., beginning December 1 and ending December 31, 2008.
The total project area encompasses about 256 acres of highly used roads and trails within the 3,100 acre Angora Fire area. Approximately one hundred sixty seven acres will be treated through a combination of mechanical removal and hand felling of hazard trees, and the remaining 89 acres will be treated through hand felling and monitoring tree mortality for future removal.
Hazard trees removed will primarily be utilized as biomass but sawlogs and fuelwood may be available. Some trees will be left in place to provide habitat for wildlife. The project includes extensive measures to protect water quality, particularly in stream environment zones, as well as sensitive wildlife habitat.
The Decision Memo for this project is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects/. Specifics of forest closure orders will be posted on the web site.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tahoe Big Meadow restoration
Date: November 4, 2008
Contact: Public Affairs, Cheva Heck 530-543-2608 or Rex Norman 530-543-2627
BIG MEADOW RESTORATION PROPOSAL SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT
South Lake Tahoe Calif.-- The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on the proposed action for the Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project. The proposed project would restore the ecological connections and functions between riparian corridors, aspen stands, meadows and adjacent Forest. Goals of the project include stimulating the growth of desirable native vegetation to sustain desirable plant and animal communities; reduce conifer encroachment, and reduce fuel loading to reduce the potential for high severity wildfires within the project area.
This project, it is currently in environmental analysis, and the Forest Service will be lead agency for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, and is in the initial scoping stage of analysis seeking public comment. If you have information the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues regarding potential effects of the proposed action, please send your comments to Raul Sanchez, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Dr., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.
Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, oral, and electronic comments concerning this project will be most helpful if they are submitted by December 3, 2008. The office business hours for those providing hand-delivered comments are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Oral comments may be provided during normal business hours via telephone (530) 543-2600 or in person. Email comments may be sent to: comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us with the subject line: “Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project.”
If you would like to review the proposed action and map, they are posted on the LTBMU website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects. For further information regarding this proposed action, contact Raul Sanchez, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, at (530) 543-2679, email rsanchez@fs.fed.us.
Contact: Public Affairs, Cheva Heck 530-543-2608 or Rex Norman 530-543-2627
BIG MEADOW RESTORATION PROPOSAL SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT
South Lake Tahoe Calif.-- The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on the proposed action for the Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project. The proposed project would restore the ecological connections and functions between riparian corridors, aspen stands, meadows and adjacent Forest. Goals of the project include stimulating the growth of desirable native vegetation to sustain desirable plant and animal communities; reduce conifer encroachment, and reduce fuel loading to reduce the potential for high severity wildfires within the project area.
This project, it is currently in environmental analysis, and the Forest Service will be lead agency for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, and is in the initial scoping stage of analysis seeking public comment. If you have information the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues regarding potential effects of the proposed action, please send your comments to Raul Sanchez, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Dr., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.
Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, oral, and electronic comments concerning this project will be most helpful if they are submitted by December 3, 2008. The office business hours for those providing hand-delivered comments are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Oral comments may be provided during normal business hours via telephone (530) 543-2600 or in person. Email comments may be sent to: comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us with the subject line: “Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project.”
If you would like to review the proposed action and map, they are posted on the LTBMU website, http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/projects. For further information regarding this proposed action, contact Raul Sanchez, Interdisciplinary Team Leader, at (530) 543-2679, email rsanchez@fs.fed.us.
Lake Tahoe ski resort openings
November 10, 2008
Partly cloudy skies will give way to sunny days later this week, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s and nights in the 30s.
Resorts and Towns' Update: The Lake Tahoe ski season is underway, with Boreal Mountain Resort opening last week on Donner Summit. Following are anticipated opening dates for North Lake Tahoe resorts:
Alpine Meadows – opening November 26
Boreal Mountain Resort – open
Diamond Peak – opening December 11
Homewood Mountain Ski Resort – no date
Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe – opening this Thursday, November 13
Northstar-at-Tahoe – opening November 22
Spooner Lake Cross Country – no date
Squaw Valley USA – opening November 22
Sugar Bowl – opening November 27
Tahoe Cross Country – no date
North Tahoe Arts offers handmade, unique holiday presents at Holly Art, opening Saturday, November 15 and running through mid-January. Visitors can peruse and purchase gifts at the North Tahoe Arts Center in the heart of Tahoe City, next to the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Center.
Squaw Valley Institute hosts A Toast to Tahoe Skiing with filmmaking legend Warren Miller as the master of ceremonies, along with local Olympians and high-profile athletes, Saturday, November 15, 6 p.m., at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley. Tickets are $85 per person.
A very “R” rated Tahoe Comedy North presents at Lakeside Pizza in Tahoe City Wednesday, November 19 at 8 a.m. Steve Brewer will headline, featuring Jon Ueberroth and Tonya Kaye as hosts, with special guest appearance by local Aaron Wilson. Tickets are $15.
Alpenglow Sports kicks off its Winter Film Series Thursday, November 20, 7 p.m., with Andrew McLean of Mountain Hardware, who will share his 10-year quest to ski the seven continents. The event takes place at Sawtooth Ridge Café in Tahoe City and is free.
The 32nd Annual An Elegant Affair, a black tie event featuring hors d’oeuvres and desserts from North Tahoe’s finest restaurants, is Friday, November 21, 6:30 p.m., at the Boatworks Mall in Tahoe City. Tickets are $65 per person.
Get your holiday shopping done early. The Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino in Crystal Bay hosts its inaugural Holiday Craft Fair and Flea Market Saturday, November 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mark you calendar as jazz is on the menu this Thanksgiving at the Holiday Jazz Fest, November 28-29, at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino in Incline Village.
The North Lake Tahoe Express daily airport shuttle service is available to and from North Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The shuttle runs from 3:30 a.m. until 12 midnight. Fees are $35 per person, one-way, and O$60 round trip. Discounts available for groups of two or more. Reservations are required and can be made four hours in advance.
For a snapshot of upcoming special events, as well as recreational activities of recent scenes, go to www.GoTahoeNorth.com and click on the web video for the North Tahoe Minute.
North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, two hours from the Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from the San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3286 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village.
The North Lake Tahoe Recreation Update is part of a partnership between the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. The combined efforts of both entities are aimed to further promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.
Partly cloudy skies will give way to sunny days later this week, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s and nights in the 30s.
Resorts and Towns' Update: The Lake Tahoe ski season is underway, with Boreal Mountain Resort opening last week on Donner Summit. Following are anticipated opening dates for North Lake Tahoe resorts:
Alpine Meadows – opening November 26
Boreal Mountain Resort – open
Diamond Peak – opening December 11
Homewood Mountain Ski Resort – no date
Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe – opening this Thursday, November 13
Northstar-at-Tahoe – opening November 22
Spooner Lake Cross Country – no date
Squaw Valley USA – opening November 22
Sugar Bowl – opening November 27
Tahoe Cross Country – no date
North Tahoe Arts offers handmade, unique holiday presents at Holly Art, opening Saturday, November 15 and running through mid-January. Visitors can peruse and purchase gifts at the North Tahoe Arts Center in the heart of Tahoe City, next to the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Center.
Squaw Valley Institute hosts A Toast to Tahoe Skiing with filmmaking legend Warren Miller as the master of ceremonies, along with local Olympians and high-profile athletes, Saturday, November 15, 6 p.m., at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley. Tickets are $85 per person.
A very “R” rated Tahoe Comedy North presents at Lakeside Pizza in Tahoe City Wednesday, November 19 at 8 a.m. Steve Brewer will headline, featuring Jon Ueberroth and Tonya Kaye as hosts, with special guest appearance by local Aaron Wilson. Tickets are $15.
Alpenglow Sports kicks off its Winter Film Series Thursday, November 20, 7 p.m., with Andrew McLean of Mountain Hardware, who will share his 10-year quest to ski the seven continents. The event takes place at Sawtooth Ridge Café in Tahoe City and is free.
The 32nd Annual An Elegant Affair, a black tie event featuring hors d’oeuvres and desserts from North Tahoe’s finest restaurants, is Friday, November 21, 6:30 p.m., at the Boatworks Mall in Tahoe City. Tickets are $65 per person.
Get your holiday shopping done early. The Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino in Crystal Bay hosts its inaugural Holiday Craft Fair and Flea Market Saturday, November 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mark you calendar as jazz is on the menu this Thanksgiving at the Holiday Jazz Fest, November 28-29, at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino in Incline Village.
The North Lake Tahoe Express daily airport shuttle service is available to and from North Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The shuttle runs from 3:30 a.m. until 12 midnight. Fees are $35 per person, one-way, and O$60 round trip. Discounts available for groups of two or more. Reservations are required and can be made four hours in advance.
For a snapshot of upcoming special events, as well as recreational activities of recent scenes, go to www.GoTahoeNorth.com and click on the web video for the North Tahoe Minute.
North Lake Tahoe is a 45-minute drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, two hours from the Sacramento International Airport and just over three hours from the San Francisco International Airport. For lodging reservations and event details, call North Lake Tahoe at 1-877-949-3286 or visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com. Visitor information centers are located at 380 North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City and 969 Tahoe Boulevard in Incline Village.
The North Lake Tahoe Recreation Update is part of a partnership between the North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus, the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. The combined efforts of both entities are aimed to further promote North Lake Tahoe as a premier, year-round destination.
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