Tahoe Donner News - April 2013

2013APRIL

FEATURES

18 Keeping Green From recycling to forests

24 2013 Snowman Contest See all the great entries!

26 Josh Routh Extraordinary humanitarian

28 USSA SuperTour Meet the athletes

TAKE NOTE

17 Back in the Saddle Equestrian Gears up for summer

31 Become a Ski Patroller Volunteer your time wisely

DEPARTMENTS

02 President’s Message TD happenings

03 Monthly Calendar A glance at April events

04 General Manager’s Message From Robb Etnyre’s desk

06 Board of Directors Election Outgoing directors’ thoughts

10 Let’s Get Together April events

30 Taking Care of Business Board Meeting Minutes

32 Where in the World is TD News? TD News Travels the World

28

WELCOMEVOL. 14, NO. 4APRIL 2013

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION STAFF

Alyson Stetz Brinn Talbot Gretchen Sproehnle

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Tom Johns, [email protected]

Vice President Jim Stang, [email protected]

Secretary Jay Lempinen, [email protected]

Treasurer Steve Miller, [email protected]

Director Ron Wulff, [email protected]

Board of Directors [email protected]

Postmaster Send address changes to Tahoe Donner News, 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee, CA 96161(530) 587-9400, Fax (530) 587-9419

Email [email protected]

Advertising Sales Tahoe Guide is the exclusive advertising representative for the Tahoe Donner News. Call (530) 448-3065 or (530) 587-1393.

Publishing InformationTahoe Donner Association holds the exclusive service mark right to “Tahoe Donner.” Any unauthorized use of such will be regarded as an infringement of that service mark right and is prohibited. The inclusion of advertising in this publication does not constitute an endorse-ment or recommendation by Tahoe Donner Association or its board of directors of the products, services, or views contained therein.Tahoe Donner News (ISSN 1550-6061) is the official monthly publication of Tahoe Donner Association, which is located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee, CA 96161.

Each membership parcel receives one sub-scription to a domestic address. Additional subscriptions are available at the cost of $25 each. Cost to produce and distribute this publication is offset by advertising revenues. Periodicals Postage Paid at Truckee, CA, and additional mailing offices. Member letters to Tahoe Donner are published in the Members section of tahoedonner.com, where publishing guidelines are available.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As president, this is the second time within a year that I have had to announce a board resignation. We have sent out an email announcing the resignation of director Jay Lempinen due to health reasons. I want to take this opportunity to thank Jay for the outstand-ing service he has provided on the board. Although I was not acquainted with Jay prior to his election, Jay has become a great friend through our board efforts and conversations and his counsel and insight will be missed. Jay is at home now and is thankfully doing very well.

As I hope you noted in last month’s Tahoe Donner News, we are excited that the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center was selected to host the USSA SuperTour Finals and Distance Nationals, April 4 through 11. The SuperTour Finals are 30k and 50k distance races, and we are expecting elite, world-class athletes to compete in this event. Tahoe Donner’s Cross Country Ski Center will be a major host for two of the six finals with events held on April 10 and 11. Other venues are the Auburn Ski Club and Sugar Bowl. This is a real opportunity to put Tahoe Donner’s Cross Country Ski facility on the map. We are con-tinuing to move forward with the development of the new Cross Country Ski Center. You can view the proposed floor plans created by Dale Cox Architects for this exciting new project online at at Tahoedonner.com/major-projects.

Summer camp registration is in full swing. In addition to adventure and swim camps, and due to popular demand, we are bringing back equestrian day camps. The association’s diverse camp programs sell out quickly, so check your calendar and sign up while there are still openings available. If there is enough demand, staff will consider adding additional camps.

The Trails Master Plan has essentially been completed. It features plans for enhancing our

great trail system over the next 20 years with volunteerism as a key component. The plan encompasses the Euer Valley, the McGlashan and Bucknam tracts as well as the trail system throughout Tahoe Donner. The Trails Master Plan is available on our web site at tahoedon-ner.com/trails.

The Lodge Restaurant & Pub renovation is moving along on schedule. As part of the reno-vation, we are remodeling and enlarging our kitchen facilities in order to provide even more excellent food and beverage services, along with sorely needed additional seating capacity. While the kitchen is under renovation starting April 15, The Lodge will be closed for a few weeks. However, Pizza on the Hill will be open every night.

The Lodge also has a new three-course children’s menu with set pricing. Since its introduction, this has become a very popular item.

Tahoe Donner’s Golf Course season passes will be on sale in the near future at last year’s prices. We hope to have our championship course open on time this year, and as always intend to open as soon as the course is dry.

The 9th Annual I-Did-A-Run was held on Sunday, March 10 at the Tahoe Donner Down-hill Ski Area. This was the largest turnout on record for this event, with 43 dogs in the race; $1,900 was raised for the Truckee Tahoe Humane Society. Congratulations to the win-ners: Mauja, Ariel, Chloe, and Diogi!

Two of the five seats on the board of direc-tors are up for election this year. If you have a desire to give back to our Tahoe Donner com-munity ensuring that it continues to be a great place to live, please consider running. Service on the board is critical to the association’s future. Think about it… but not too long—the deadline for applications is May 1, 2013.

TOM JOHNS | BOARD PRESIDENT

tahoedonner.com | 3

April14 APRIL

6 APRIL

1 APRIL

FOR A FULL CALENDAR OF APRIL EVENTS SEE LET’S GET TOGETHER ON PAGE 10.ALL

Burger and a Beer Month

April is Burger and a Beer month at the Lodge Restaurant & Pub. Enjoy a burger and a beer for $12.25 from Monday, April 1 through Sun-day, April 14. This special is valid anywhere and anytime in the restaurant. Beer choices include Bud, Bud Light and Coors Light bottles. Open daily at 5 p.m.

Spring Evening Ski Party The sun is still up and we are going to keep Eagle Rock open a little later. Enjoy a BBQ, live music and special bar at the top of the Rock. Skiing will be extended until 5:45 p.m. All attendees will be entered into a free drawing to win a 2013-14 season pass.

Downhill Dummy and Rail Jam Join us for our annual end-of-season bash! En-joy food and beverage specials, bounce house, live music, plus the popular Boxing Match Rail Jam and traditional Downhill Dummy event where teams build unique dummies to send sliding down the hill off our massive jump. This year’s theme is Places around the World. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: best design, air and crash. Pur-chase a full-day lift ticket at the half-day rate.

2 APRIL

Fast and Female Champ Camp On April 2 at 1:30 p.m., U.S. Nordic Ski Team members Kikkan Randall and Liz Stephen will lead young women on a cross country ski adventure. The camp is open to females ages 8 through 19 who can classic ski or skate a beginner trail, and includes on-snow tours, motivational speeches, healthy snacks and a souvenir. Sign up in advance at fastandfe-male.org. Note: This event has been moved to Auburn Ski Club.

ALL OUTDOOR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE,

CONDITIONS PERMITTING.

VISIT TAHOEDONNER.COM FOR UPDATES.

4 | Tahoe Donner News | April 2013

FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER’S DESK

Forty-two years old and still growing! Since the inception of Tahoe Donner in 1971, the association has slowly developed from units 1 through 11, now amounting to 6,471 assessed properties. There have been continuous utility, road, and amenity infrastructure improve-ments along the way; not to mention constant neighborhood home con-struction, particularly during the 1990s. Of the total private lots within Tahoe Donner, there are 785 single family home lots still undeveloped, along with the potential of 70 multi-zoned (townhome/condo) property lots yet to be developed. At present, we have just over 25,000 mem-ber identification cards issued to your fellow owners. This represents an average of almost four membership cards issued per property. Of course, each property is eligible to have four membership cards, along with two guest cards, and also has the ability to purchase up to four additional cards for larger families. These numbers suggest that our membership base has tremendous potential to grow even more—if not eventually double—particularly as we continue to see undeveloped lots built on and utilized on a full-time or part-time basis. Given the owner-ship dynamics between part-time and full-time residents, we certainly expect to continue to improve our amenity capacity, services, and ability to serve and accommodate not only our 6,000 full-time resident members, but the 19,000 part-time resident members on weekends, summers, and peak holiday periods.

In past months, I’ve written about the changing dynamic of the com-munity over the past several years with a surge in property transfers and sales, an average ownership age decreasing, and part-time owner-ship interest increasing. As a recreational service provider, keeping track of these trends is important as we consider new amenity service offerings in balance with financial performance, and focused capital infrastructure investments in line with amenity utilization growth to benefit the membership. There is a clear overall trend with the existing owners and members utilizing the amenities in greater numbers every year as members are unmistakably voting with their feet by showing up in greater numbers, and voting with their pocketbook by purchasing

more goods and services in our user-based amenity model. This overall membership utilization growth and the continued membership growth potential as the remaining undeveloped lots are built upon, along with a growing trend of multi-generational family use of homes in the commu-nity, continue to direct our planning with an eye on future membership capacity. Annually, we see almost half a million visits to our amenities between the three categories we track—member, guest, and public, with excess public amenity capacity sold amounting to approximately 15 percent of overall visits. Of course, the public utilization is only at public amenities—as originally designed by the association in 1971—and even then, the vast majority of that overall 15 percent utilization is at our Downhill and Cross Country amenities that generates a significant positive revenue contribution to the association.

A fairly new trend we are seeing is the reduction of Tahoe Donner homes available in the market for sale. While we have traditionally seen an annual turnover or transfer rate of homes in the 4 to 5 percent range, the current sales market has contracted considerably, with a very low inventory of homes in Tahoe Donner on the market, but with stabiliz-ing average home values. Thankfully, this is coupled with an extremely low annual assessment delinquency rate of fewer than 2 percent for the entire ownership base. Surprisingly, our association’s annual election voter participation rate is still below 25 percent of owners participat-ing. Our low voter turnout may have something to do with our overall

The Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce will hold its 21st Annual Business Expo and Chamber mixer Wednesday, April 24 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Resort at Squaw Creek. The Business Expo, designed to be part expo and part business social event, will showcase over 80 different businesses, demonstrating the strength and variety of our local economy and fostering a positive business environment.

Truckee Chamber members can exhibit for as little as $200, and exhibitors who reserve and confirm space by April 10 will be featured in a special section to appear in the April 24 issue of the Sierra Sun. In addition, the event will be publicized in Moonshine Ink and pro-moted on 101.5 FM Truckee Tahoe Radio.

Attendance to the Business Expo and mixer is free and consid-ered by many a must-attend event for anyone doing business in the Truckee-Tahoe area. There will be door prizes and giveaways at the exhibitor booths, and a silent auction as well. 101.5 FM Truckee Tahoe Radio will be broadcasting live from the venue, including on-air interviews with exhibitors and attendees. The crew from Tahoe TV will be filming the event and will produce a special video segment that will air online and on their TV network around the region.

Space is limited and reservations are on a first-paid, first guar-anteed basis. For more information, contact Patricia Barrett at the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce at [email protected] or call (530) 587-8808.

TRUCKEE DONNER CHAMBER COMBINES ANNUAL BUSINESS EXPO AND CHAMBER MIXER

tahoedonner.com | 5

TAHOE DONNER CONTACTS

Member Communications (area code 530) Member Services 587-9400 [email protected]

General Manager 587-9431 [email protected]

Contact Member Services to be transferred to other administrative departments.

AmenitiesAlder Creek Campground 587-9462 [email protected]

Beach Club Marina 587-9460 [email protected]

Cross Country Center 587-9484 [email protected]

Downhill Ski Area 587-9444 [email protected]

Equestrian Center 587-9470 [email protected]

Forestry 587-9432 [email protected]

Golf Course 587-9443 [email protected]

The Lodge 587-9455 [email protected]

Pizza On The Hill 582-9669 [email protected]

Recreation Info Hut 587-9413 [email protected]

Tennis Center 587-9474 [email protected]

Trout Creek Rec. Center 587-9437 [email protected]

Tahoe Donner Association Committee ChairsArchitectural Standards, Jason Wooley [email protected]

Covenants, Al Noyes [email protected]

Elections, Nan Carnal [email protected] Finance, Jeff Bonzon [email protected]

General Plan, Dick Gander [email protected]

Tahoe Donner Association Chartered Club PresidentsBridge Club, Diane Rowe [email protected]

Friends of TD Trails, B.R. Levine [email protected]

Rowing Club, Dot Mace [email protected]

Senior Alpine Ski, Michael Sullivan [email protected]

Tahoe Donner Green, Sue Sorensen [email protected]

Tennis, John McGregor [email protected]

9-Holers, Barb McCabe [email protected]

Mens Golf, Bob Heath [email protected]

Women’s Golf, Diane Kalliam [email protected]

Hiking Club, Robin Reese [email protected]

Quilt Club, Linda Brush [email protected]

low ten-year compounded annual assessment growth rate of 4.9 percent ($936 in 2003, $1505 in 2013); with 2 percent attributed to operating fund assessment increases and the other 2.9 percent as capital fund increases over the last ten years. The capital fund increases are directly attributed to a deliberate effort to increase our percent funded in our replacement reserve account while also saving in the development fund for future amenity expansion and building replacement; both are an effort to avoid future special assessments.

Synthesizing this vast array of facts, figures, trends, and opinions on membership requests is often the difficult part of planning for the future, but something that is regularly done between the various feedback mechanisms of our common interest development and mutual benefit association and your elected board of directors. In all, I believe the future is very bright for Tahoe Donner with amazing recreational opportunities and expanding amenity capacity and services to meet our ever-growing utilization and increasing membership base.

ROBB ETNYRE | GENERAL MANAGER

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The draw for our family to move to Truckee in 1987 was the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center! Twenty six years later, TDXC is not only going strong, but continues to excel in the world of cross country skiing. Congratulations on all of the advancements that have been made over the years and especially this year, hosting the (USSA) SuperTour Finals April 4-11!

Well Done!! This is a terrific sport at all levels and TDXC supports them all!


With the upcoming Board of Directors election, in which two new directors will be elected to fill the positions you will be vacating as your current terms end, the elections committee is seeking your perspectives on serving as a board member and any advice you might offer prospec-tive new board members. Tahoe Donner Association relies on owners volunteering to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors to provide governance and accountability to the organization in accor-dance with the association’s bylaws, CC&Rs and California laws.

EC: GIVEN THIS RESPONSIBILITY, WHY DID YOU DE-CIDE TO SERVE ON THE BOARD ON BEHALF OF YOUR FELLOW OWNERS?

SUZY: “To get involved on a community level and to meet and connect with the members and staff in a meaningful way in addition to my goal of securing the Euer Valley for Tahoe Donner.”RON: : “For the last six years it was to see that Tahoe Donner kept moving in the positive direction that started when I first got on the board in 2001.”

EC: WHAT, FOR YOU, WERE THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECTS OF SERVING ON THE BOARD?

SUZY: “Professional training and learning experience on the rules of engagement for serving on a Board of Directors on a corporate level; education and legal training on purchase agreements, contract law, land use law and other laws that apply to associations with the added

2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION: RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS SUZY KNISELY AND RON WULFF SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES

The elections committee (EC) recently interviewed outgoing board members who, at the conclusion of the 2013 election, will have served the maximum of two consecutive three-year terms on the Tahoe Don-ner Board of Directors. Suzy Knisely resigned for personal reasons earlier this year, a few months shy of the end of her second term (Jim Stang was appointed to serve the remainder of her term) and Ron Wulff will retire from his board position upon conclusion of the 2013 election.

The elections committee hopes the following will be instructive to owners who are considering running for the two open board positions in the 2013 election and, in general, informative for all members.

benefit that it could also apply to other areas of one’s life. Also the professional training board members received for hiring an executive level employee and gaining an understanding of employment law were interesting.”RON: “Being involved in planning for the future of Tahoe Donner, both in what should and should not be part of the General Plan. Many ideas are brought forward by staff and members that have to be looked at realistically.”

EC: EVERY EXPERIENCE HAS ITS REWARDING MOMENTS. WHAT WERE YOUR MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES WHILE SERVING AS A TAHOE DONNER DIRECTOR?

SUZY: “The day I signed the purchase agreement for the Euer Valley and serving as president of the board twice and helping to direct and make decisions on improvements that will benefit Tahoe Donner far into the future. Working hand-in-hand with an excellent staff.”RON: “Being part of the first and second purchases of the Euer Val-ley, the expansion of Trout Creek, and the relocation of our Forestry Department.”

EC: LIKEWISE, EVERY EXPERIENCE PRESENTS ITS CHALLENGES! WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT OR INTERESTING CHALLENGE YOU FACED DURING YOUR TERMS ON THE BOARD?

tahoedonner.com | 7

SUZY: “Efforts to make improvements in the way we communicated to our members including the introduction of email blasts and more meaningful articles in the TD News in a manner that fully informed members of the direction the board was taking and the supporting documents and reasons for our decisions.”RON: “The replacement of the general manager — and by that I mean letting one go and finding a replacement.”

EC: WHAT MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT(S) OF THE BOARD DURING YOUR TWO TERMS DO YOU FEEL ARE MOST SIGNIFICANT?

SUZY: “Purchase of the Euer Valley, turning The Lodge financials from a large negative to a positive and hiring a professional search com-pany as part of the process to bring a high level of experienced business management to Tahoe Donner.”RON: “The most difficult time was the replacement of the general man-ager — and by that I mean letting one go and finding a replacement.”

EC: WHAT MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT(S) OF THE BOARD DURING YOUR TWO TERMS DO YOU FEEL ARE MOST SIGNIFICANT?

SUZY: “Purchase of the Euer Valley, turning The Lodge financials from a large negative to a positive and hiring a professional search company as part of the process to bring a high level of experienced business management to Tahoe Donner.”RON: “The addition of open space, which is the number one concern of our members. We obtained the Euer Valley, the Bucknam Tract, and McGlashan Springs.”

EC: BEING A DIRECTOR IS A DEMANDING RESPONSI-BILITY. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR AN OWNER WHO IS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR THE BOARD AND ASSUMING A LEADERSHIP ROLE AS A DIRECTOR FOR TAHOE DONNER ASSOCIATION?

SUZY: “Participate at board meetings and/or committee meetings, keep up to date on current issues and get involved in a positive man-ner. Take advantage of—and enjoy—all the amenities offered at Tahoe Donner in order to be aware of all the needs of the association. Look for answers to your questions from fully informed sources.”RON: “Listen to the membership. You will get pro and con viewpoints on everything that comes up and on each decision that your board makes. Some may lead in a different direction than you were taking. This is what occurred with the Forestry Building replacement.”

Note that applications for candidacy for the two open board positions will be available in the Members Services office in Northwoods clubhouse beginning April 1, 2013 or can be mailed upon request; call (530) 587-9431. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m., May 1, 2013 to the elections committee lockbox in the Members Services office.

See the accompanying article on page 8 for election procedures and more information on the upcoming election.

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MARCH 23 | The board adopts a proposed set of stand-alone Board of Director election rules. The board approves the 2013 Elec-tion Procedures, appoints the Inspector of Election, authorizes the engagement of an accountancy firm (subject to ratification by Inspector of Elections) for ballot counting services, and establishes May 1, 2013 as the record date for this election.

APRIL 1 | Candidacy applications will be made available in the Member Services office at Northwoods Clubhouse.

APRIL 27 | The board of directors approves the pending suspension of member-ship rights for failure to pay outstanding amounts due the association (assessments/fines/etc.) or for failure to comply with a duly issued corrective-action requirement. (Member hearings, if any, will be conducted at this time.)

MAY 1 | Deadline for submittal of applica-tion for candidacy, proof of ownership (copy of recorded deed), and conflict of interest statement. Close of nominations by 4 p.m. MAY 1 | Elections committee and staff meet to verify the eligibility of those candidates whose applications were timely received, and candidates are advised as to their quali-fications to run.

Candidates are invited to submit a candi-date’s statement (not to exceed two 8.5- by 11-inch pages), which will be mailed, as submitted, to the membership along with the election ballot. Candidates’ statements shall only be reviewed for compliance with the size limitation—no review of content shall be per-formed, and the association shall not be liable for their content. If any statement received fails to comply with the size limitation, the

author is advised that such statements will not be accepted. MAY 9 | Candidates’ statements must be received at the Member Services office no later than 4 p.m. No electronically transmit-ted (facsimile, e-mail, etc.) statements will be accepted, except for those transmitted via e-mail in pdf format to [email protected]

MAY 19 | As provided by Article VII, Sec-tion 5 (d) of the Amendments to the Restated Bylaws, if two, but no more than two, eligible candidate(s) have submitted their timely application(s) for the two available seats, the board of directors declares those candidate(s) elected and the director elec-tion concluded. JUNE 8 | Candidates’ Night at Northwoods Clubhouse, from 7 to 9 p.m.

JUNE 21 | At 9 a.m. Board convenes an open meeting for the accountancy firm to commence tabulation of ballots; person-ally delivered ballots shall be accepted and replacement ballots shall be available during this meeting until its adjournment at 5 p.m.

JUNE 21 | Deadline for receipt of direc-tor election ballots mailed or personally delivered directly to the accountancy firm is 5 p.m.

JUNE 23 | The annual membership meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. Personally delivered ballots are accepted at the annual membership meeting from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at which time voting in the direc-tor election shall conclude. Replacement ballots shall be available until the conclusion of voting.

2013 BOARD OF DIRECTOR ELECTION PROCEDURES

Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, the results of the election will be announced unless less than 25 percent of the voting power of the association (quorum requirement) has submitted valid ballots. In such case, the failure to achieve a quorum will be announced (but not the vote tally), and the meeting, along with the culmination of the election, will be adjourned to the following morning.

JUNE 24 | As a result of a failure to achieve the 25 percent quorum requirement, the annual membership meeting is reconvened at 10 a.m., at Northwoods Clubhouse for the purpose of concluding the annual election of directors in accordance with a reduced 15 percent quorum requirement. The election results are announced and posted at Northwoods Clubhouse, and published in Tahoe Donner News, following certification by the Inspector of Election.

CONTENTS OF ELECTION PACKAGE

Article IV, Section 6(e) of the restated bylaws requires that the ballots used in the Director election, at a minimum, indicate the names of the candidates determined eligible by the Elections Committee, provide space to vote for other (write-in) candidates, and indicate the time by which the ballot must be received in order to be counted. Ballots are to be accompanied by the candidates’ statements.

Article IV, Section 6(g) requires that, at a minimum, the election package also must indi-cate the number of responses needed to satisfy the quorum requirement for a valid election, the time by which the ballot must be received in order to be counted, and the address for return of the ballot in person or by mail. If the balloting period is to be extended in the event of a failure to achieve the required quorum, this must also be indicated in the balloting materials.

The restated bylaws further provide that returning a ballot marked to be counted toward the quorum requirement only is permitted, that no cumulative or proxy voting is permitted, and that the board may impose additional rules that are reasonably intended to ensure the secrecy of, and absence of voting irregularities in, the election. Toward this end, and while ballots shall not be marked by the association with any identifying informa-tion, the outer return envelope provided in the election package shall be marked with the

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name and address of the record owner and the designation (unit/lot) of the separate interest owned. Owners returning ballots in person will be required to present identification. No electronically transmitted (facsimile, e-mail, etc.) ballots will be accepted.

METHODS OF VOTING

To be acceptable, the director-election bal-lot shall be marked to indicate no more than one vote being cast for one candidate. Bal-lots solely marked to indicate that it is to be counted toward the quorum requirement only are also acceptable. Further, the outer enve-lope in which ballots are returned must, at the very least, indicate the owner’s name and the Tahoe Donner property which the ballot represents, and must be signed by the owner in order for the ballot to be acceptable.

Once marked and folded, the ballots must be inserted into an envelope that is then sealed; this envelope is then inserted into a second envelope that is then sealed and upon which is indicated the owner’s name and the Tahoe Donner property being voted, and includes the owner’s signature.

Director-election ballots may then be mailed to the accountancy firm, but must be received no later than 5 p.m., June 21, 2013, in order to be counted. Such ballots may also be personally delivered to the accountancy firm, but must meet the same deadline for receipt. Ballots may also be delivered to the special board meeting on June 21, 2013, between 9 a.m., and 5 p.m., or to the annual membership meeting; in either case, the ballot must be personally delivered by an owner of the prop-erty represented by the ballot. At the annual membership meeting on June 23, 2013, ballots will be accepted between 10 and 11:30 a.m. Replacement ballots will be available until the

conclusion of voting at 11:30 a.m.

BALLOT COUNTING

All ballots will be verified, opened and tal-lied by the accountancy firm under the super-vision of the Inspector of Election, whose decision as to the validity of any ballot will control. The content of each individual ballot will be kept confidential and all ballots will be retained, with the approval of the Inspec-tor, by the accountancy firm for nine months following the election, at which time they shall be transferred to the association and retained in a secure place for no less than one year from the date of the election. The tally of ballots counted will be kept confidential until the final election results are announced.

RECOUNT PROCEDURES

A director-election recount may only be initiated by a candidate whose name appeared on the election ballot as distributed, or by the board of directors. A recount will only be per-formed if the difference between the number of votes cast for a successful candidate and the number cast for an unsuccessful one is less than 20. A candidate initiating a recount must post a $500 deposit with the association at the time of the request. Should the results of the recount fail to alter the ultimate outcome of the election (the same candidates win), the initiator of the recount will be responsible for all costs associated with the recount, and the deposit will be applied toward those costs. If the recount results alter the election outcome, no such responsibility applies and the deposit will be refunded.


offering the same prices as last year’s early rate, so this is by far the best deal around. Check our pass prices online at tahoedonner.com/downhill-ski/rates/season-passes. Rates valid through April 30, 2013.

Spring Evening Ski Party The sun is still up, so we are going to keep

Eagle Rock open a little later. On April 6 enjoy the BBQ, live music and a special bar at the top of the mountain. Skiing will be extended to 5:45 p.m. Attendees will also be entered into a free drawing to win a 2013-14 season pass.

Downhill Dummy Contest and Rail Jam Join us on Sunday, April 14, for the annual

end-of-season bash! Enjoy food and beverage specials, bounce house, live music, plus the

popular Boxing Match Rail Jam and tradi-tional Downhill Dummy event. Teams build unique dummies to send sliding down the hill and off a massive jump. This year’s theme is Places around the World. Prizes will be awarded for best design, best air and best crash. You can also get full-day lift tickets at half-day rates. Don’t miss it!

Safety TipsYou’ve arrived. You’re geared up and have a

lift ticket. Now what? Go get a trail map at the base lodge or lift ticket window. Take a few minutes to check it out. The lifts and the trails are marked on the map. The colored symbols next to the trails are the keys to enjoying your first few days on the slopes. Their shape and color indicate the difficulty of the trail.

LET’S TOGETHER

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JOIN A CLUBApril is here and that means spring skiing!

Come on out—we have some great deals and events planned for the Downhill Ski Area in April. Please note, all events and operations subject to conditions. Please call ahead to confirm. For more information call (530) 587-9444 or visit tahoedonner.com/downhill-ski.com

Early Bird Season Pass for 2013-2014 on Sale Now

Purchase your 2013-2014 ski pass now for the best rates! You can use it the rest of this season as well as all of next season. We’re

tahoedonner.com | 11

Here is what they mean:

GREEN CIRCLE: Easier

BLUE SQUARE: More Difficult

BLACK DIAMOND: Most Difficult

DOUBLE-BLACK DIAMOND: Most

Difficult, use extra caution

ORANGE OVAL: Freestyle Terrain

You’ll find them on trail maps and posted on signs on the mountain. The same trail symbols are used at every resort in the country, but as Albert Einstein must have said, “It’s all relative.” Remember—pick the right trail for your ability and don’t challenge yourself before lunch or at the end of the day

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Join us!

Kayak Storage LotteryStarting April 14 at 6 a.m. through April 21

at 12 a.m., we will open the lottery for kayak storage at Tahoe Donner Beach Club Marina. This lottery of 96 spots will be available online at our ShopTD site, tahoedonner.com/shop. Forty-two spots are located closest to the lake and will cost $150 for the season, while 54 additional spots are located at the far end of the parking lot by the exit gate and will cost $100 for the season.

This year, there is no need to stand out in the cold on opening day. Spot assignment will be determined by the order in which the member’s name is pulled from the lottery. For example, if you sign up for a lakeside spot and your name is pulled first, you would be on rack one in slot A. Those who receive a spot but choose not to take it will be charged a $15 cancellation fee. Lottery winners will be noti-fied, by email, with spot assignments the week of April 22. Opening day for the Beach Club Marina is scheduled for Friday, May 24.

Remember, kayak storage registration will not be available on ShopTD until April 14. See tahoedonner.com/beach-club or call (530) 587-9460 for further information.

ALI KOVACH | BEACH CLUB MARINA MANAGER

when you might be fatigued. (More informa-tion can be found on the National Ski Areas Association website at NSAA.org.)

If you’re interested in volunteering on our National Ski Patrol, please give us a call at (530) 587-9448 or email us at [email protected]. It is a great team which includes perks, training, and giving back to the Tahoe Donner Community. See the article on page 31 for more information.

ROBERT MCCLENDON | DOWNHILL SKI AREA MANAGER


April will be an exciting month for the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center, with athletes arriving from all over the country to compete in the final races of the USSA/FIS SuperTour, and for the National 50k/30k Championships.

Throughout the first two weeks of April, many fun and inspiring events, slide shows and talks will be offered to help celebrate the week. See right for detailed information.

You can buy a special $99 SuperTour Spring Pass to get access to skiing for the rest of this season and to get up close and personal with these elite athletes. Or, with the Early Bird 2013-2014 season pass deal, buy next year’s pass now and you can ski the rest of this season for free! See all pass prices online at tahoedonner.com/cross-country/rates/season-passes. Rates valid through April 30.

SALLY JONES | CROSS COUNTRY SKI CENTER MANAGER

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RACE DAYS

Only athletes and coaches are allowed to ski on the race courses on competition days. A discounted day pass is offered to spectators on race days for just $15, or ask for a free “foot spectator pass.”

Note: The Euer Valley trails will be unaf-fected by the race, and will be open for regular skiing until 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 US WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPION-SHIP 30K MASS START CLASSIC, 15K JUNIOR WOMEN’S RACE | 9 a.m. start.

THURSDAY, APRIL 11 US MEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 50K MASS START CLASSIC, 20K JUNIOR MEN’S RACE | 9 a.m. start.

Awards, BBQ and live music will follow (open to all!). Meet and mingle with the ath-letes to celebrate the week’s accomplishments.

SuperTour races taking place elsewhere are the 3.3k Freestyle Prologue Race on April 4, the 10k and 15k mass start Classic on April 5, and the Classic Sprint on April 6, all at Auburn Ski Club; as well as the Freestyle Hill Climb at Sugar Bowl on April 8.

SUPERTOUR EVENTS AT TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTRY

ALL OUTDOOR EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. AUBURN SKI CLUB AND ROYAL

GORGE WILL BE BACK-UP VENUES. PLEASE CALL (530) 587-9484 OR VISIT TAHOEDON-NER.COM/SUPERTOUR-2013 FOR UPDATES.

ALL LISTED EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE AT TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTRY

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.

Please note: some locations for SuperTour events have changed. Visit Tahoedonner.com/supertour-2013

or call Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center at (530) 587-9484 for updated information.


OFFICIAL TRAINING DAYS Tuesday and Wednesday, April 2 to 3, and

Tuesday, April 9 are official training days at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center. Race courses will be closed to the public from 8 a.m. to noon, and after 3 p.m. for re-grooming. Please observe race course closures and note Home Range and Sunrise Bowl restrictions. Euer Valley trails will be unaffected by the race, and will be open for regular skiing until 5 p.m.

ON-SNOW EVENTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 2: FAST & FEMALE CHAMP CAMP, 1:30 TO 4:30 P.M. Open to girls ages 8 through 19 who can classic ski or skate a beginner trail. The afternoon includes on-snow tours with Fast & Female ambassador athletes (including Olympians), motivational speeches, group activities, healthy snack and a t-shirt. Cost is $25 and includes a trail pass. Participants must register in advance at fastandfemale.com. *This event has been relocated to Auburn Ski Club.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9: DOWNHILLS AND CORNERS CLINIC, 9 A.M. Acclaimed Olympic skier and mountain biker Katerina Nash will teach techniques on downhills and corners and share tips on how to improve. Trail pass required. $20, $10 for passholders.

TAHOEDONNER.COM/SUPERTOUR-2013 | SUPERTOURFINALS-TAHOE2013.COM

MEET THE ATHLETES

TUESDAY, APRIL 2: MEET THE ATHLETES BBQ, 4:30 P.M. Your chance to meet and mingle with Olympic level skiers. Cost is $10 including choice of chicken, steak, burger or veggie options and a salad.

THURSDAY, APRIL 11: NATIONAL DISTANCE AWARDS, BBQ AND LIVE MUSIC, 11 A.M. Open to all. Meet and mingle with the athletes to celebrate the week’s accomplish-ments.

EDUCATIONAL

TUESDAY APRIL 2: FAST & FEMALE WISDOM FOR PARENTS AND COACHES, 1:30 P.M. Part of Fast & Female Champ Camp, this $5 seminar is geared for parents of girls in any sport–but open and useful to parents of boys too! Betsy Taylor, nutritionist and sports psy-chologist, and Melissa Price, head coach for UNR’s women’s soccer team, will present to parents. Afterward, parents can ski with the champs and choose to join in an optional BBQ ($10 extra) at the end of the day. *This event has been relocated to Auburn Ski Club. FRIDAY, APRIL 5: HYDRATION AND NUTRITION FOR SKIING, 6 TO 7:30 P.M.

Dr. Andy Pasternak of Silver Sage Sports Performance Center is a specialist in sports conditioning and an avid nordic skier as well

ALL OUTDOOR EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS. PLEASE

CALL TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTRY SKI CENTER FOR UPDATES (530) 587-9484.

Photo courtesy THE GELSO FAMILY.

as a sponsor of the SuperTour Finals. He will talk about hydration and nutrition for ski rac-ing. This is a free presentation; donations are welcome to help Tahoe Donner Cross Coun-try sponsor its Far West Farm Team athletes.

SUNDAY, APRIL 7: TECHNIQUES OF THE PROS, 6 TO 7:30 P.M.

Using the latest in sporting video review technology (Dart Fish), Silver Sage Sports Performance Center’s Julie Young will be joined by Sugar Bowl Academy’s coach Jeff Schloss and Olympic biathlete Glenn Jobe to review and discuss footage of the some of the top athletes’ technique during the races. Free event.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9: OFF-SNOW STRENGTH AND MOVEMENT CONDITIONING, 6 TO 7:30 P.M.

Join avid cross country ski racer and six-time cycling world championship team member Julie Young and physical therapist Ryan Solberg to learn how smart summer conditioning can help your skiing next winter, whether you race or ski just for fun. Free event.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10: HEALTHY COOKING DEMO, TROUT CREEK RECREATION CENTER, 6 P.M.

Join us for a healthy cooking demo by local nutritionist Betsy Taylor. Cost is $15.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13: THE OLYMPIC SPORT OF BIATHLON, 1 P.M.

Olympic Biathlete Glenn Jobe will intro-duce us to the sport of biathlon with a talk and demonstration. Free event.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CROSS COUNTRY SKI RACING WITH JIM TAYLOR, PHD, 6 P.M.

Internationally recognized expert on the psychology endurance sports, Jim Taylor, Ph.D., will present at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center. Suitable for athletes of all ages, parents and coaches. Special thanks to Sugar Bowl Academy. Free event.


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With temperatures warming up, we hope that Mother Nature cooperates so we can open the golf course at its scheduled time on May 24. Early reports indicate that the golf course—and our greens—have fared well during the winter months and barring any surprises, the course should open with nor-mal early season course conditions. We are especially excited about the 2013 golf season as we have a lot to look forward to, including a newly remodeled golf pro shop, an expanded snack bar with a new hot grill, a new fleet of Club Car golf carts (our 4-year lease was just renewed), and a new beverage cart for the course.

As far as golf fees are concerned, daily fees and season golf pass rates will remain the same as 2012. Season golf passes and golf multi-play packs will be available for sale starting April 1. Go to tahoedonner.com and click on ShopTD to take advantage of available early buy discounts. You will want to purchase your passes by April 30 as season pass rates increase on May 1.

Starting this year, the Tahoe Donner Golf Course will reserve a block of tee-times dedi-cated for 9-hole play on Thursday mornings, from 7 a.m. to 7:50 p.m., throughout most of the season. We believe this will provide a valu-able service to our members who wish to play only 9 holes in the morning as well as generate some additional revenue for the course.

Also, we are offering an early season group golf special. From May 24 through June 14,

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At Trout Creek, for 2013 we are on a mission to motivate, inspire, and educate our members and guests to live healthy and active lives. Join us this month on Wednesday evenings for our lineup of programs to keep you at your best!

Yoga for Weight Loss by Nancy Wise-mann

April 3, 6 to 7 p.m. , $8 per person

Healthy Cooking by Betsy TaylorApril 10, 6 to 7 p.m. , $10 per person (food is

extra.)Registered dietician Betsy Taylor will show

us how easy it is to prepare and serve healthy and wonderful tasting meals. Participants will get hands-on instruction and of course the pleasure of tasting the creations made in class. Don’t miss this program if you love to cook, need some inspiration, or want to learn. Spin-a-thon!

April 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m., $10 per personDon’t miss this introduction to spinning.

This program will be for the novice and expert alike. Our team of spin instructors will be

joining together to keep you focused, moti-vated, and challenged. Try it for a few min-utes… or challenge yourself to go the whole 90 minutes! Whatever you chose, you will enjoy this varied and high energy workout!

Health Assessments and Fitness Testing #2

April 24, 6 p.m., $20-$170 per person (priced according to services selected.)

This is a must-do program for those of you who participated in the program in February. Participants will receive a baseline assessment or comparison to their February results of

morning tee times are $70 and afternoon just $60. Space is limited; email [email protected] to reserve.

ED LEINENKUGEL | DIRECTOR OF GOLF


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Tahoe Donner Quilt ClubOur quilt group holds meetings on the

first and third Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the conference room in the Northwoods Clubhouse. In the summer the meetings will change to 6 to 9 p.m. since there is so much to do at Tahoe Donner in the daytime! Contact Linda Brush at [email protected] or Marilyn Dundas at [email protected] for more information.

Tahoe Donner Senior Alpine Ski Club

Tahoe Donner senior skiers, we have the perfect year-round club for you! That’s right, we’re not just a winter club!

In the summer we are a great group of ski-ers who like to do other fun activities in the

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off-season. Once the snow melts, our off-sea-son activities include kayak trips, tennis and golf tournaments, BBQs, fall ski conditioning classes at Trout Creek, the Halloween Party at the Tahoe Donner Ski Lodge, a wine and cheese event at Granite Chief, and our holiday party at the Lodge Restaurant & Pub (mark your calendar for December 6).

In the winter why ski alone? Do you want to ski with people of your ability and enjoy reduced rates at Alpine Meadows, Squaw Val-ley, Northstar, Homewood, Heavenly, Kirk-wood and Sugar Bowl? We also have ski and race clinics at Tahoe Donner Dowhnill and a cross country ski day at the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center. The Far West Ski Association (FWSA) organizes a ski travel week each year; the group is going to Beaver Creek, Colorado in 2014. Sign up now!

Join our group! This fun active club welcomes all Tahoe Donner alpine skiers, 55 years and above, who ski at an intermedi-ate, advanced, or expert level. Membership information, forms and schedules of winter and off-season activities can be accessed on our website tdski.com (select join us). We’re accepting renewals and new applications now.

Attention Tahoe Donner Women Golfers!!

The Tahoe Donner Women’s 9-Holer Golf Club invites you to play with us at our pre-season games at Ponderosa in May. If you are thinking of joining our club, but not sure if it is a fit for you, this is an opportunity to meet our members without an obligation to join. We are a fun group and enjoy golf in a non-pressured environment. If you are interested, please contact the club president Barbara McCabe at [email protected].

current health and fitness levels. Assessments will range from the basic blood pressure, heart rate, BMI, body fat, and fitness testing for cardio, flexibility, agility, and strength up to a full VO2 max assessment. Participants will receive a summary report of their results the following week. Please call (530) 587-9437 or email us at [email protected] to register for the program.

If you frequent Trout Creek and haven’t already signed up for our Century Club Chal-lenge, it’s not too late! Members who make it to Trout Creek 100 times before September 30,

2013 will be inducted into the Century Club at a special celebration where we will also honor our Mega-Centurions (150 visits) and Super-Centurions (250 vists). A special presentation will be made to the member who visits the most this year.

LISA HUSSAR | RECREATION MANAGER


The Lodge Restaurant & Pub Open daily at 5 p.m. through April 14. Enjoy artisan-crafted cuisine

and spirits. For more information call (530) 587-9455 or visit tahoedon-ner.com/the-lodge.

WEEKLY PROMOTIONSWildER Wednesdays*

Enjoy Happy Hour specials all night long in the entire restaurant! With 25 percent off small plates, soups, and salads, plus drink specials.

Happy Hour every day in April*Drink specials and 25 percent off small plates, soups and salads from 5 to

6:30 p.m., every day through April 14. Happy Hour discounts valid in The Pub only.

No Corkage Tuesdays*Bring in a special bottle of vino from home to savor in the dining room

and we’ll waive the corkage fee!

*Offers listed are only valid during non-holiday periods and are not valid with any other promotions or coupons.

Pizza on the Hill

Pizza on the Hill will be open seven days a week, for the entire month of April from 5 to 8:30 p.m.! Call (530) 582-9669 or visit tahoedonner.com/pizza-on-the-hill for menu offerings. Offers listed below are only valid during non-holiday periods and are not valid with any other promo-tions or coupons.

PROMOTIONSHappy Hour

A great way to quench the thirst! Get $3 Coors Light drafts and house wine by the glass for $4 at Pizza on the Hill’s Happy Hour from 5 to 6 p.m. every day in April.

Thursday Night Trivia Trivia buffs: Show off your knowledge and win prizes. Trivia Night is

held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Prizes include gift certificates for free pizza.

Friday Family Movie NightKids and adults—bring a favorite pillow and blanket to Northwoods

Clubhouse, kick up your feet, and enjoy both classic and new movies. Movie nights begin at 6:30 p.m. and the films are rated G and PG. Call ahead to the Recreation Center at (530) 587-9437 to find out what’s playing.

Saturday Night BingoEvery Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m., enjoy a fun evening of bingo at

Pizza on the Hill in the gathering room. Win cool prizes! All ages are welcome.

DINING OPTIONSThe Lodge Restaurant & Pub will close for remodeling from April 15 through April 30. Pizza on the Hill will be open seven days a week for the entire month of April for your dining convenience. We are excited to reopen on May 1, with a new covered pub deck, new sun deck, pro shop and snack bar expansion, kitchen improvements. We’ll also have a new spring menu, so be sure to come check us out in May! In the meantime, April is a nice time to come up for a quiet meal or to relax in the Pub, and we are of-fering the following specials through April 14.

The Market is Changing

Bill/Sandy Watters530 448 9967 530 550 2464

[email protected]@chaseinternational.com

More Sales. Less Inventory. Now is the time.

SPECIAL EVENTSBurger and a Beer Promotion

Check out our Burger and a Beer promotion at the Lodge Restau-rant & Pub! Enjoy a burger and a beer for $12.25 from Monday, April 1 through Sunday, April 14 . This special is valid anywhere and any time in the restaurant, and beer choices include Bud, Bud Light and Coors Light bottles. Open daily at 5 p.m.

April is $10 Pizza MonthAll pizzas are $10 for the entire month of April!


Our real estate market in Tahoe Donner is booming! As of March 8, 2013, there were just 30 homes listed

for sale with 52 homes in escrow, pending sale! At this time we are working with several Tahoe Donner buyers and we need more homes to sell! The Sharp Team sold 64 properties in 2012 using our cutting edge marketing

tools and techniques. We would love the opportunity to offer them to you! Call us today!

530.587.8574

DRE#01908304

www.TheSharpTeam.com

Now in her twentieth summer at the Tahoe Donner Equestrian Center, manager Holly Cain can honestly say there has never been a dull moment.

Of course, working with 1,000-pound creatures can be challenging. Every animal has a unique personality and disposition, making each day a new experience. “Getting to know the horses’ likes, dislikes and quirks is always entertaining,” Cain says. One horse in particular, Cain explains, named Buddy, is almost too intelligent for his own good. “When he gets bored, he unties himself and then goes around and starts pulling on other horses’ ropes and halters until they too come loose,” she says with a laugh. “Some are affectionate and sociable, oth-ers are standoffish; some are opinionated, but they are all hard work-ers and like their routines,” Cain adds.

And then there are the horse enthusiasts. Whether youth or adult, employee or guest, Cain enjoys working with them all.

“That’s the one thing that never changes. We get a great crop of kids every year, and they all are so enthusiastic,” Cain says. She explains that being around horses and learning to communicate with them helps children learn self-confidence and responsibility. “Even very shy kids come out of their shell when they get around horses,” she says.

Cain prides herself on running an operation that is sensitive to the horses’ well-being and that gives horses safe, happy homes. “At a lot of other riding stables the horses work 6 to 7 hours a day; ours go 4 to 5 hours per day, plus they have two days off per week,” Cain says.

With scenic guided trail rides for ages 7 and up for either one or two hours, pony rides for children ages 2 through 6, equestrian day camps (back this summer by popular demand!), and family BBQ events throughout the summer, the Tahoe Donner Equestrian Center prom-ises an unforgettable experience.

Reservations are required for all rides; the reservation office opens on June 1. See tahoedonner.com/equestrian for more details. Ques-tions? Call (530) 587-9470 or email [email protected] for more information.

BACK IN THE SADDLE TAHOE DONNER’S EQUESTRIAN CENTER GEARS UP FOR SUMMER

All the horses at the Equestrian Center have their own trading

cards. Collect them all! Buddy, one of the friendliest horses in our

stables, is also an escape artist and can untie any knot. Buddy

works as a camp and trail horse. Image courtesy TAHOE DONNER.


FEATURE

FROM TRAILS TO RECYCLING TO FORESTS: TAHOE DONNER ASSOCIATION CONSERVES

BY MELISSA WILLIAMS

Few communities have the natural beauty of Tahoe Donner Association. More than 7,000 forested acres and extensive trail systems are maintained by the Association, along with world-class recreation centers and amenities. Naturally, sustainability and conservation are a vital component of the

community’s operation. While it has become fashionable for organiza-tions to jump on the “green” bandwagon, Tahoe Donner homeowners can take pride in knowing that Tahoe Donner really does walk the talk.

Annie Rosenfeld, Director of Facilities and Risk Management, is happy to talk about the conservation programs Tahoe Donner has built and continues to maintain. Pointing out of her office window in the Northwoods Clubhouse to a wildlife snag adjacent to the tennis courts, she says, “A lot of people ask why we don’t remove the dead tree. It’s because the tree is an established habitat for woodpeckers, squirrels, and other bird species.”

Rosenfeld explains that Bill Houdyschell, renowned forester for Tahoe Donner, is in charge of evaluating all of the trees in Tahoe Don-ner for forest and habitation health, but the association also regularly

consults local archaeologists, wildlife biologists, and botanists in early stages of development planning to ensure that they are considering what is best for the environment. Tahoe Donner management has also teamed up with the Truckee River Watershed Council and the Sierra Wildlife Coalition to help improve conservation efforts.

Under Houdyschell’s direction, Tahoe Donner boasts one of the most successful forest conservation programs in the country. Houdyschell is esteemed in his field, and communities from across the Sierra to Colo-rado have sought advice from him and his team on how to design and implement fire and forestry management plans similar to the one he has developed for Tahoe Donner.

Joanne Drummond, executive director of the award-winning Fire Safe Council of Nevada County has nothing but praise for Houdyschell. “Bill has done a lot of great stewardship work as well as fuel mitigation improvement, both for Tahoe Donner and as a volunteer consultant for the county,” Drummond says, adding that she has known him for 20 years since the two served together on the Society of American Forest-ers. “Bill really has done remarkable work with Tahoe Donner. I highly


commend Tahoe Donner for realizing the need for a comprehensive fire and forestry management plan and hiring a professional manager to design and implement it.”

Some of the benefits of Tahoe Donner’s forestry program are obvi-ous; as we live in a high fire danger area. There have been more than 150 fires around Tahoe Donner in the past 35 years—so fire safety is a top concern for homeowners. The fuel breaks, or fire reduction zones, that Houdyschell designed in Tahoe Donner have aided firefighters in containing forest fires (the two most recent both near Glacier Way) before they could cause widespread damage to the forest and proper-ties. The bulk of the fire reduction zones that Houdyschell and his team of foresters create are on the West or Southwest side of Tahoe Donner, because fire travels in a northeast direction 99 percent of the time due to prevailing winds coming from a southwesterly direction. The next major fuel break project will be on the slope coming up from Armstrong Tract.

Houdyschell actively applies for grants to help defer the costs of fire safety programs. Partly because of the reputation and success of his fire

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!This month, Tahoe Donner joins a nationwide effort to celebrate Earth Day by supporting our local festivities to be held at the Village at Squaw Valley. In addition, Tahoe Donner is celebrating closer to home, with the christening of a new Forestry facility.

NEW FORESTRY FACILITY RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONYWHEN: Thursday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. WHERE: 10500 Teton Way; to minimize impact on neigh-borhoods, take one of three routes (all starting from the Northwoods light): • Left on Northwoods Blvd., left on Skislope Way and left on Teton Way.• Left on Northwoods Blvd., left on Christie Lane, left on Skislope Way, and right on Teton Way.• Left on Northwoods, left on Davos Drive, left on Skislope Way, and right on Teton Way.WHAT: Homeowner tour and ribbon cutting event.

TAHOE TRUCKEE EARTH DAY

WHEN: Saturday, April 20 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Village at Squaw Valley WHAT: Free music, entertainment, and kids’ activities as well as educational booths on the topics of watershed health, forest health, pollution prevention, alternative energy, waste management, local art and more. Stop by Tahoe Donner’s booth and say hello!

TAHOE DONNER TRAILS DAYJUNE 22 KICK OFFVolunteer on a work crew along with Forestry staff! Stay tuned to tahoedonner.com/trails for details on dates and projects. Volunteers are encouraged to bring water, sunglasses, work gloves, sunscreen, bug spray and a hat; and wear long pants and sturdy shoes.

(Continued on p. 20)

management program, he has secured more than $600,000 in federal and state grants since 1990 (see inset).

Reforestation and clearing brush are also key parts of the fire and forest management plan. Fire spreads four times faster through brush than healthy forest, so Houdyschell and his team evaluate the forest and then set to work replanting in fire damaged areas as well as clear-ing brush and limbing low branches of trees in high fire danger areas.

In addition, some major reforestation projects are still underway to address damage from the 1960 Donner Ridge fire and subsequent unsuccessful plantings, where trees were planted that didn’t survive. Under Houdyschell’s direction, all Tahoe Donner seedlings now derive from trees in the area. The seeds are collected, stored and sent to nurs-eries and then returned to the forest as seedlings. Plantings are done twice a year: in the spring as soon as the snow clears and also in the fall


right before it snows, so that new trees may lay dormant for the winter and “wake up” to start growing in the spring.

To complete the cycle, the Tahoe Don-ner Forestry Department reduces waste and repurposes as much as possible. Dead trees and those thinned on homeowners’ properties to promote forest health are either chipped for energy generation or cut and sold as firewood to Tahoe Donner members at low cost.

Tahoe Donner’s successful defensible space program is another component of the fire and forestry management plan. Tahoe Donner’s

first four-year defensible space program concluded in 2011 with 99 percent compliance among properties, earning recognition from the Firewise Communities USA program. Houdyschell credits homeowners for the suc-cess of this initiative. In fact, he said that the program stemmed from the collaboration of homeowners and the Tahoe Donner Board of Directors and management after the Angora and 80 fires in 2007.

Tree removal consultation is a large part of the Tahoe Donner eight-year defensible space plan that includes inspection of newly purchased properties as well as a reinspection

program. “Foresters have a weird eye. A forest is not a static environment,” explains Houdys-chell. “A forester can look at your property and your trees and see what will happen to those trees in 10-20 years. Meeting with homeown-ers is an opportunity for them to talk about their own individual little forests. We can give them advice on how to help maintain their forest health,” he adds. Indeed, because Houdyschell and his team have such a wealth of knowledge to share, Rosenfeld feels that the Forestry Department consultation service is an extremely valuable resource for Tahoe Donner homeowners

Houdyschell holds a degree in Forest Resources Management from Humboldt State University and has devoted many years of work in forestry. Before starting at Tahoe Donner in 1993, he worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protec-tion (CAL FIRE), a timber company, and the U.S. Forest Service. He was also one of the founding members of the Fire Safe Council 14 years ago and still serves as a board director. Along with Houdyschell, the Tahoe Donner Forestry Department consists of ten forestry professionals, including assistant forester Ben

TAHOE DONNER FIRES 1960 | DONNER RIDGE FIRE: Truckee’s biggest fire—burning 44,800 acres. 1977 | FLASH FIRE ON SKISLOPE WAY: The reason homeowners on the southern border now have a view of Donner Lake. 1994 | ARMSTRONG TRACT FIRE: Started at the water tanks and moved forward toward Tahoe Donner. 2003 | DONNER FIRE: Spread into Tahoe Donner property. 2007 | 80 FIRE: Spread from I-80 up toward Tahoe Donner but stopped by a successful fuel break made by Tahoe Donner Forestry Department and Donner Fire years earlier.

HISTORY OF GRANTS RECEIVED BY TAHOE DONNER FORESTRY

CALIFORNIA FOREST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMCALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION1990-91 | $9,790.50

FORESTRY INCENTIVES PROGRAMNATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE1994 | $9,799.20

FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMCALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION1998 | $14,022

FORESTRY INCENTIVES PROGRAMNATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE2001 | $4,725

NATIONAL FIRE PLAN/COMMUNITY PRO-TECTION GRANTUNITED STATED FOREST SERVICE2002 | $121,639

FOREST RESERVE FUNDSNEVADA COUNTY2003 | $23,786

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAMNATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE2002 | $20,700

(continued from p. 19)

tahoedonner.com | 21tahoedonner.com | 21


CALIFORNIA FOREST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMCALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION2007-08 | $49,973

PROP. 40 WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACECALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION2005 | $3,948





PROP. 40 WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACECALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION2007 & 08 | $20,000


CALIFORNIA FOREST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMCALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION2009 | $49,857


STATE FOREST ASSISTANCE GRANTFUNDED BY US FOREST SERVICE, ADMINIS-TERED BY CALIFORNIA FIRE SAFE COUNCIL2009 | $39,465

COOPERATIVE FIRE PROTECTION (EMER-GENCY SUPPLEMENTAL) GRANTUS FOREST SERVICE, ADMINISTERED BY CALIFORNIA FIRE SAFE COUNCIL2010 | $76,280

CALIFORNIA FOREST IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMCAL FIRE2011-12 | $49,992

TOTAL $603,228.70

Gwerder, who has worked for the Tahoe Don-ner Forestry Department since 2000 and holds a degree in Forest and Rangeland Manage-ment from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Houdyschell and his team are in the process of moving into a new Tahoe Donner Forestry facility after many years of discussion and planning on the part of the board of direc-tors, committees and management. According to Rosenfeld, an excellent suggestion came from an association member at a town hall meeting about potential sites to relocate the department, which led the association to begin negotiations with the owners of an adjacent 20-acre parcel at the end of Teton Way.

Forrest Huisman, Director of Capital Projects for Tahoe Donner Association, agrees that the new site is ideal for the Forest Department’s needs. With the acquisition of the Teton Way site, Tahoe Donner was able to permit and remodel an existing commercial operation and private residence into a com-mercial forestry facility that now includes 8,841 square feet of new office and storage space for efficient operations. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone. We aren’t taking up open space with the new facility; we’re adding

to our open space. It’s a beautiful site,” says Huisman.

TAHOE DONNER TRAILS AND OTHER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES

Tahoe Donner has more than 40 miles of single track and fire road trails (hiking, eques-trian, and mountain bike) connecting to the Donner Lake Rim Trail, the historic Emigrant Trail, and Hole in the Ground, among others. Rosenfeld says that they are also working with Tahoe Area Transit and the Truckee Triangle Coalition to improve transit connections in the Truckee area in the future. In addition, she says, they are working to create links to the Town of Truckee trail systems so that there are alternatives available to get around other than driving a car. Many residents are eagerly awaiting the development of the Town of Truckee’s Trail 13, which is slated for envi-ronmental permitting in 2013. Its completion would connect Tahoe Donner to downtown

(Continued on p. 22)


Truckee with a Class 1 bike path. Tahoe Donner currently offers shuttle service from the school parking lots to the Beach Club Marina during holiday periods, and will con-tinue to work with members to improve utilization of these services to meet transportation needs and to reduce traffic and parking congestion during peak holidays.

Tahoe Donner uses its own wells to pump approximately 75 percent of the water used on the golf course and Tahoe Donner members participate in recycling and green bag landfill reduction programs on a daily basis. In addition, 50 percent of products in Tahoe Donner facilities and nearly 90 percent of office products are green-related, according to Rosenfeld. She adds that Tahoe Donner vehicles are converting to using 100 percent biodegrad-able hydraulic oils and that the association is ahead of schedule in replacing big emission, Tier 1 vehicles.

Tahoe Donner Golf Course has been fully certified in the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program since 2003, demonstrat-ing environmental stewardship with protected wetland and wildlife habitat areas, sound water conservation systems, and all electric golf

(continued from p. 21)

carts. The Golf Course was also able to decrease water usage by 30 per-cent over the past two years by installing pressure-reducing valves.

(Top left) Annie Rosenfeld, Director of Facilities and Risk Managment; (top right) Bill houdyschell, Forester, and Ben Gwerder, Assistant Forester. Images courtesy TAHOE DONNER.

NEW FORESTRY FACILITY RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY A homeowner tour and ribbon cutting event for the new Forestry Facility at 10500 Teton Way is planned for Thursday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. All Tahoe Donner members are invited and encouraged to come learn more about our robust Forestry program.


BULLETINBOARD

Are you looking to build a new house or add to your existing one? Every year, at about this time, we get calls from folks looking to submit plans for their addition, garage, or new home. Most submittals are appropriate for this environment, but we still get designs for houses and additions that don’t fit our particular weather conditions. If you are considering building and are still in the design process, please consider the uniqueness of the high Sierra. Yes, snow load has a definite impact on how houses, decks, and all exterior structures should be built. As you might imagine, the design of the roof is also critical.

The designers and architects in this area are familiar with building in this environment. For those few of you that may be considering build-ing here and using resources from other areas, listed below are a few items to consider.

1. Since Tahoe Donner’s terrain and elevations are varied, the Town of Truckee Building Department suggests you check with them during your initial design regarding snow load requirements.

2. Locate entry doors on the ends of your house, under covered walk-ways, or below dormers, since the dumping of snow and ice from roofs is a hazard and you don’t want to be continually clearing snow and ice in order to get in (or out of) your house.

3. Construct a mud room at outside entrances in which to take off snow gear. (Helps the carpet.)

4. Stay away from roof designs that would allow snow and ice to unload in front of the garage, near exterior doors, or onto decks or handrails. Many decks and railings have been torn off or damaged by roofs shedding snow and ice onto them.

5. Install a drain in your garage and slope the floor so that all the snow and ice that melts off your car won’t damage anything stored in your garage.

These are just a few design elements you might want to consider when planning your house, your addition, or your deck. If you have any questions about what would or would not be approved, or would like to discuss your plans, give us a call at (530) 587-9407 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

ENID LONGO | ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS MANAGER

The Architectural Standards Committee did not review any plans in March 2013.

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE...Lots of thought and creativity when into all entries this year. It was so hard to choose, but after poring over all the submissions and much deliberation, we have selected TWO WINNERS!

The Kylberg Family’s Walter the dog and The Berg Family’s beach party, pictured below, will both receive a $25 gift certificate to Pizza on the Hill. Congrats!

SNOWMAN CONTEST

SADIE ALMGREN + ROXIE THE SNOW HAMSTER


BLYTHE BAUER + SNOWY THE SNOW BEAR

ZOE FRANGIEH (8) + KARLY FRANGIEH (6) + TYLER

ROLLER (6) + NATE ROLLER (8) + SNOW MOUSE

THE BISHOP FAMILY

THE LO FAMILY

THE BIONDI FAMILY

(SNOW) DAD + TOMMY + (SNOW) KATE + (SNOW)

OLLIE O’TOOLE

THE PELSTER FAMILY


PROFILE

Josh Routh is no ordinary Tahoe Donner homeowner. Yes, like many others, it’s his second home. And sure, he has his own house in the Bay Area with a stable job to wake up to every day.

But it’s how he spends his free time that sets him apart. Josh is 33 years old. He lives by himself in San Ramon and works

at his local Nob Hill Foods store as a cashier 35 hours every week. He spends another two days a week volunteering at an elementary school. As if that weren’t enough, he and his father, Don Routh, raise tens of thousands of dollars for charity foundations and visit orphanages. Then each year, the two of them hand deliver hundreds of wheelchairs to South America.

As mentioned, he does not care to inch his way up the ladder of social mobility, because for Josh, standard ambulatory mobility is difficult enough. He lives with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy—a condition that does not allow him to stand or walk independently. Nevertheless, he has committed his life to human service.

When Josh was born, doctors suggested that he would be quadriple-gic and unable to speak clearly. He defied those diagnoses with 15 years of intensive physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Now he uses a manual wheelchair when outside and walks with the assistance of railings indoors. His persistence has opened other doors to him as well: in public school he first attended special education classes before being mainstreamed into regular classes whenever possible.

In 1996, the Routh family purchased a second home in Tahoe Don-ner, attracted by the playground of the Sierra Nevada. Josh, already an enthusiastic sports fan, enrolled with Disabled Sports USA Far West, a non-profit organization that teaches skiing and snowboarding to disabled individuals. The organization has offered adaptive ski instruc-tion since 1967 and has recently expanded from their program center at Alpine Meadows to offer lessons at both Squaw Valley and Northstar ski resorts.

With his Cerebral Palsy, Josh was able to adapt to skiing using a bi-ski tethered by his instructor. “Josh excels at pushing himself to accom-plish goals beyond what society perceives for him,” said Disabled Sports director, Haakon Lang-Ree, who is also a Tahoe Donner homeowner. “He has epitomized our motto, ‘If I can do this, I can do anything!’”

Disabled Sports helps individuals develop the skills to ski indepen-dently, and supports students who otherwise cannot ski on their own. These recreational opportunities are also used to build health and confidence.

“Disabled Sports provides opportunities for Josh that we otherwise wouldn’t have,” Josh’s father Don said. “I’m not a skier so I can’t take

Josh skiing, and I don’t know enough about what it takes to get the proper kind of sit-ski and equipment and instruction.”

Disabled Sports also offers Josh other adventurous experiences through their assortment of summer events and activities. With Dis-abled Sports, he has gone camping, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, and hand-cycling near Donner Lake, and whitewater rafting on the Ameri-can River.

“It’s amazing to be able to do things like this and to see what I can accomplish out there,” Josh said. His favorite activity with Disabled Sports is the annual 4-Wheel Drive Backcountry Adventure. Experi-enced drivers take Disabled Sports participants in a caravan of spe-cialized off-road vehicles on a three-day expedition along the historic Rubicon Trail. Josh says it’s the first thing he puts on his calendar every year, making sure to schedule time off from the grocery store.

It is programs like Disabled Sports that provide meaningful oppor-tunities for Josh Routh and other participants. It gives them healthy, adventurous activity and promotes confidence and skill-building. In

TAHOE DONNER NEIGHBOR

JOSH ROUTH: EXTRAORDINARY HUMANITARIANBY LUKA STARMER

When Josh and Don Routh, above left and center, arrived at their hotel in

Lima, Peru, Augusto, above right, was outside on his hands and knees selling

his handicrafts. Although he wasn’t on their list of recipients, they always

bring a few extra wheelchairs for just this reason. When the Rouths checked

out a few days later Augusto gave them a ship in a bottle. The ship was flying

a Peruvian and a U.S. flag. Photo courtesy DON ROUTH.

“IF I CAN DO THIS, I CAN DO ANYTHING.” -DISABLED SPORTS USA MOTTO


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turn, Josh has embodied his positive influences and has chosen to take on major human service projects—the kind of projects that change the lives of individuals and communities.

Josh volunteers two days a week at the School of Imagination (SOI), an inclusive pre-school for both disabled and non-disabled children in Dublin, Calif. Known as “Mr. Josh” there, he helps organize snack time and reads stories. “He’s a staple here, everybody knows him,” said Charlene Sigman, co-founder of SOI. “He’s inspirational to the families and to the kids.”

Each year Josh and his father take on a larger project, volunteering for the Wheelchair Foundation based out Danville, Calif. They raise money to buy new wheelchairs and deliver them to people in need who cannot afford their own. The duo gives presentations to schools and organizations to raise awareness about the 100 million people worldwide in need of wheelchairs. They mobilize local communities to donate and hope to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the foundation.

Over the past seven years they have personally delivered over 6,400 wheelchairs on 20 trips to eleven countries in Latin America; their goal is to eventually deliver wheelchairs to all 21 countries there. This year they went to Mexico and Belize in March and will go to Guatemala in June, delivering 280 wheelchairs each time. They assert that everyone in the world is entitled to the basic human right of mobility. “Mobil-ity provides dignity and freedom which transforms into hope for the future,” said Don.

“Delivering wheelchairs is very emotional and wonderful, and it changes lives forever,” Josh said, “I know what it’s like to be in a wheel-chair, so it’s great to help those people.”

Josh also helps support an orphanage in Baja, Calif. For the past eight years he has traveled to Valle de Trinidad to deliver Christmas presents and food to about 50 children each December. With the orphanage, Josh and his father do a work project which has included building a solar-powered well, library, computer lab, and a soccer field.

What Josh does for the local and global community takes human strength, courage, and empathy, and those character traits have been inspired and cultivated throughout Josh’s life. With the support of Josh’s family and community organizations like Disabled Sports USA Far West, Josh continues to realize his potential. Now as a result, he is an exemplary leader for us all.

More information can be found at the following websites:

• Disabled Sports USA Far West: disabledsports.net

• School of Imagination (SOI): soi4kids.org

• The Wheelchair Foundation: wheelchairfoundation.org


WHAT NUTRITIONAL ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE DEVELOPING ATHLETES?

Treat your body like a race car engine. The better fuel you put in, the better performance your engine will give you! Treat yourself every now and again to keep it fun, but stick to the basics: whole grains, lean protein and lots of fruits and veggies!

DO YOU EVER GET STRESSED OUT WHEN YOU ARE TRAINING FOR THE OLYMPICS?

Yes. There is a lot of pressure to win medals. When I get nervous or find myself thinking too much about the pressure, I imagine the but-terflies in my stomach flying in formation (like ducks or geese). I also think of all the hard work that I have done, and the little steps that help me get better every day.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH FAST AND FEMALE? I am the lead U.S. Ambassador for Fast and Female, an empowerment

workshop program for young girls. The program is reaching hundreds of young girls and I help recruit other elite athletes to share their own experiences with young girls. I am really passionate about sharing the message of empowerment through sport alongside my good friend and Canadian Olympic champion, Chandra Crawford, the Fast and Female founder.

LIZ STEPHENAGE: 26HOMETOWN: EAST MONTPE-LIER, VT. AND PARK CITY, UTAHNORDIC DISCIPLINES PARTICIPATE IN: ALL, BUT MOSTLY DISTANCE EVENTSOTHER SPORTS: ALPINE SKIING AND RUNNING

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN CROSS COUNTRY SKIING?

I started cross country skiing as a cross training activity for my run-ning.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT?

I would have to say my biggest accomplishment was just last month, when I was fifth at the World Championships in the 10k individual skate race. I would love to win a medal at the Olympics or the World Championships in a relay with my team. I cannot think of anything more amazing than being able to share such a special moment in a career and a life with the people who all helped one another to get there.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS IN YOUR TRAINING?I have fun. I think that along with hard work, having fun is the most

important key to success in sport. Cross country skiing is a sport that takes many, many years to master and if you are not enjoying it, the sacrifices you make, and the hard work you put in do not seem worth it.

FROM WHAT DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION?

When the SuperTour Finals hit the Tahoe Donner Cross Country trails, so will some of the best Nordic skiers in the U.S. and Canada. Liz Stephen and Kikkan Randall will both be involved in the Fast and Female event on Tuesday, April 2 that aims to empower young girls through sport, and both Matt Gelso and Russell Kennedy have local ties to the Truckee region. Read on to learn more about these unique individuals and catch them in action during the SuperTour Finals.

KIKKAN RANDALLNICKNAME: KIKKANIMAL

AGE: 30

HOMETOWN: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

NORDIC DISCIPLINES PARTICIPATE IN: SKATE AND CLASSIC

OTHER SPORTS: CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING, TRACK, SOCCER

HOW ARE OUR PROSPECTS FOR MEDALING IN SOCHI FOR CROSS COUNTRY? ARE YOU GUNNING FOR THE GOLD?

We are definitely gunning for medals in Sochi! I think we’ll have sev-eral individual medal chances as well as some outside chances at some of the team events. It’s going to be the most exciting Olympics for U.S. cross country skiing ever!

WHO AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BE A CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER AND SKIER?

I am the niece of two cross country Olympians, so it’s in my blood! Growing up I tried lots of different sports. As a runner, I turned to ski-ing as a way to continue my training in the winter.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE ALL THE MILES THAT YOU HAVE TO SKI?

I build myself up to the longest distances, starting small and getting longer each time. With the help of my coach, we plan out the progres-sion and monitor the steps to make sure I don’t get injured or too tired along the way.

TAHOE DONNER TO HOST

SUPERTOUR PRESTIGIOUS OLYMPIC QUALIFYING NORDIC RACE COMES TO TRUCKEE

FEATURE

MEET THE ATHLETES


RUSSELL KENNEDY AGE: 21HOME LOCATION: TRUCKEE, CALIF. AND CANMORE, ALBERTANORDIC DISCIPLINES PARTICIPATE IN: COMPETE IN ALL DISCIPLINES, CLASSIC AND SKATE RACES, DISTANCE AND SPRINTOTHER SPORTS: RUSSELL WAS A DOWNHILL RACER UNTIL 2006 WHEN HE QUALIFIED FOR JUNIOR NATIONALS IN BOTH ALPINE AND CROSS COUNTRY.

WHAT DO YOU CURRENTLY DO IN YOUR TRAINING THAT HELPS WITH YOUR SUCCESS?

The two things that I have been working on most over the past couple of years are strength and recovery. Strength I have just been doing more consistently. Recovery is something every athlete can always work on the faster you recover, the faster you can go hard again.

WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONAL ROLE MODELS?I used to be inspired by Lance Armstong, however he is no longer the

man I knew him to be as a kid. My other inspiration was Shane McCon-key. He had so much fun while doing his job.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN CROSS COUNTRY SKIING?When I was in sixth grade, my mom would take me out skiing before

school while she got her workout in. One of my first real races was The Great Ski Race but I really started to find out what it was all about in sixth grade when I joined the school Nordic program.

AS A TRUCKEE LOCAL, ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE RACING AT HOME?

I am very excited to be racing at home! The Truckee-Tahoe area has some world class skiing, it is good to finally get some bigger events hap-pening here. It should also play to the advantage of the locals although at this level of racing it really comes more down to how fit you are.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?These races are a lot of work to put on and I would like to thank

Tahoe Donner, Far West, Auburn Ski Club and everyone else who is putting efforts into making this the best event it can be.

I draw energy and inspiration from my team, the people around me, working hard each and every day, pushing me, me pushing them. The ups, the downs, all of it. It’s part of the process and it is a process I love.

AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE FAST & FEMALE ORGANIZATION, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO MENTOR YOUNG/TEEN GIRLS THROUGH YOUR SPORT?

Sometimes sport can seem very selfish and this is a great way to give back and pass onto the next generation of young women what it means to be a strong, healthy, and confident woman who knows how to set and ultimately achieve their goals. Whether you become a professional athlete or not, these are the same values that are important in all of life’s pursuits.

MATTHEW GELSOAGE: 24HOMETOWN: TRUCKEE, CALIF. AND KETCHUM, IDAHONORDIC DISCIPLINES: DISTANCE, SKATE AND CLASSICOTHER SPORTS: SWIMMING, CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING

WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS?The main thing to keep me focused and skiing well is to have fun. I

keep my training methods and activities extremely varied. This means not necessarily forcing myself into the accepted “standard training” protocol.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN CROSS COUNTRY SKIING? IN RACING?

My mother started skiing with one of her friends and then I began skiing with her. There are many local skiers that taught in this program through the years and invariably some of them helped me as I learned to ski.

AS A TRUCKEE LOCAL, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE RACING AT HOME?

I officially learned how to cross country ski in the local weekly recreation program at Tahoe Donner Cross Country—a program that is still going strong. I am very excited to be racing back in Truckee. Tahoe Donner Cross Country has world-class skiing and it will be great to expose others to all the resort has to offer. Sun, blue sky, great trails, and good snow are the norm. I have skied many enjoyable kilometers at Tahoe Donner Cross Country through the years!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT IN THE SPORT OF CROSS COUNTRY SKIING?

It is all about having fun and figuring out how to ski. When I started, my friends and I would build ski jumps on the practice hill every day after skiing. It was fun and provided us with more time on our skis, which is the best way to improve. If you can “work” on your skiing without thinking about it, and without it feeling like work, that is a great place to be. As skiers turn to racers and get more serious, still remember to have fun and explore what skiing has to offer. Know that there is a lot of opportunity to develop yourself through skiing and a lot of good experiences to be had.


TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

These summaries are intended for general information purposes only. The minutes are available at tahoedonner.com, upon request in the General Manager’s office or by calling (530) 587-9431. A copy of the minutes and current agenda are posted outside the Member Services Office in Northwoods Clubhouse.

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REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES SUMMARY

February 23, 2013

• Consent Calendar: Approved 3-0 (Directors Lempinen and Miller absent)• Patio General Plan Committee Resignation (Costello) • General Plan Committee Appoint-ment (Werchesky)• Covenants Committee Alternate Appointment (Thomas)• John Deere Loader #26• LaRue Snowblower Attachment• Bobcat 763 Skid Steer and Imple-ments

• ASC Fine Schedule (45-day mem-ber comment): Approved 3-0 (Direc-tors Lempinen and Miller Absent) The board approved the adoption of a new fine schedule.

• Rowing Club Charter and Per-sonal Water Craft Storage: Approved 3-0 (Directors Lempinen and Miller Absent) The board approved

• Preliminary Golf Rates: No action Discussion took place regarding the 2013 rates.

• Trails Master Plan: No action Discussion took place regarding the current status of this plan.

• Homeowner Property Inspection Program: No action

Discussion took place regarding this association program.

• Director of Finance and Account-ing Report: Approved 3-0 (Directors Lempinen and Miller Absent) The board approved the unaudited preliminary January financials.


Alison Elder530 582 [email protected]

eldergrouptahoerealestate.com

CA DRE #01388951

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VOLUNTEER

Tahoe Donner is seeking new members for its volunteer ski patrol.

As the leading authority of on-mountain safety, the National Ski Patrol (NSP) is dedi-cated to serving the public and outdoor rec-reation industry by providing education and accreditation to emergency care and safety service providers. The organization is made up of more than 26,000 members serving over 600 patrols, including Alpine, Nordic, and auxiliary patrollers. Members work on behalf of local ski and snowboard areas to improve the overall experience for outdoor recreation-alists.

WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN THE TAHOE DONNER VOLUNTEER SKI PATROL?

1. As you serve you will have the satisfac-tion of making a difference.2. You will learn new skills that will enhance the safety of your family, friends, and outdoor community.3. Your skiing will improve significantly.4. You and your family will be able to ski free at Tahoe Donner.

BECOME A SKI PATROLLER

SKI PATROL PERKS INCLUDE:

1. Complimentary season ski pass for yourself, your spouse and dependents plus a complimentary voucher and a $5 rental voucher for each day you volunteer. 2. Cafeteria lunch voucher, for $12, valid on the day you volunteer.3. Unlimited coffee and hot chocolate from the cafeteria.4. Access to Trout Creek for yourself, your spouse and dependents. 5. Ski lessons for $5 for your immediate family (space-available basis).6. End-of-season awards dinner, spon-sored by the Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area.7. Retail shop discount of 25 percent off; pro-form products as available.8. Uniform subsidy of $100 for NSP vest, jacket, pants or backpack, upon comple-tion of season-long ten-day NSP obligation

For more information, please contact Ski Patrol Director Bill Hatfield at [email protected].

WHAT MUST I DO TO JOIN THE TAHOE DONNER SKI PATROL?

1. Be able to demonstrate that you can ski in a stable manner on the Tahoe Donner mountain.2. Be willing to learn how to transport injured skiers in a toboggan.3. Take the National Ski Patrol Outdoor Emergency Care First Aid Course.4. Be willing to serve 10 days per season as a patroller.5. Contact Bill Hatfield, the Patrol Direc-torm, to learn further details and how to get started on training.


FRANCEKaren and John Pereira at Mont St. Michel, France in October 2012. Happy to have one sunny day for a great picture during a rainy week!

SWITZERLANDKaren and Steve McDonald on the

Jungfraujoch (Grindelwald,

Switzerland) at 11,400’, vacationing

June 2012. Amazing views, hiking,

and rail trip up through the Eiger!

NEPALMark Richardson hiked from Lukla, Nepal, to Everest Base Camp. Pictured next to Buddhist prayer flags on Kala Patthar summit at an altitude of 18,330 with Mt. Everest in the background and Khumbu Glacier below.

NEW JERSEY

Amy Schonfeld in front of one of several trees in

her front yard in central New Jersey toppled by

Hurricane Sandy.

Email your “Where in the World” photos to: [email protected]. Please

submit only .jpeg files of 300 dpi or higher for printing. Photos must include a copy of TD

News. Please list the names of everyone in the picture, where and when it was taken, and

a short description of your captured experience.

back: Dave Donnelly, David Wright, Pete Griffin, Bob Colquhounfront: Jessica Ferguson, David Hipkins, Bruce Watkins

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CA DRE numbers - Back row of photos: 01249637, 06885077, 0168250, 01723953 Front row of photos: 01741357, 00850796, 01074875

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Documents

Tahoe Donner News - April 2013