VOL. 14, No. 7
Welcome
JuLY 2013 EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION STAFF Alyson Stetz Brinn Talbot Gretchen Sproehnle Jenny Kendrick Tom Lawrenson
President’s Message
BOARD OF DIRECTORS President
Tom Johns, btjtd@aol.com
Vice President
Jim Stang, jcstang@sbcglobal.net
Treasurer
Steve Miller, stephen.m.miller@wellsfargoadvisors.com
Secretary
Dick Gander, rwgander@yahoo.com
Director
Courtney Murrell, 2courtneymurrell@gmail.com
Board of Directors
board@tahoedonner.com
Postmaster Send address changes to Tahoe Donner News, 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee, CA 96161 (530) 587-9400, Fax (530) 587-9419
comdep@tahoedonner.com
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By now, we have elected a new board for 2013/2014. I am sure this new board will be able to carry on the outstanding achievements of the last four or five years, which was one of the busiest and most productive periods in our 40-year history. More on that in a moment. I especially want to thank this year’s outgoing board members for the great contributions they made to the association during their tenure on the board; Suzy Knisley, Jay Lempinen, and Ron Wulff, one of our longest serving board members. Their service, foresight, and dedication to the improvement of Tahoe Donner cannot be questioned. They implemented numerous new programs, approved the 2030 General Plan and began the much-needed process of replacing our 40-year old infrastructure. They did an outstanding job! If you were unable to our attend our 2013 annual membership meeting, where I outlined all the accomplishments of the past few years, allow me to be a little redundant and go over those accomplishments briefly. Adoption of the 2030 General Plan
This is an invaluable long-range plan that outlines our way forward as we modernize our outdated and inadequate facilities and infrastructure in order to meet current and future needs of our membership. Buchman – Sinclair land purchase
Through a unique partnership between the Town of Truckee, Tahoe Donner Association and the Truckee Donner Land Trust, we were successful in protecting this 240-acre greenbelt with its scenic qualities and potential connectivity to the Donner Lake Rim Trail. McGlashan Springs land purchase
This 160-acre parcel of land located on the southern side of Tahoe Donner will greatly benefit members both in providing for recreational purposes, such as allowing for the expansion of the existing 35 miles of recreational trails throughout Tahoe Donner,
and for further protection to homes from the threat of wildfires. Euer Valley purchase
Surely a crowning achievement for our association was the purchase of the Euer Valley 482 acres. This spectacular land adjacent to Tahoe Donner will now be permanently available for many generations of our homeowners for our unique recreational four-season enjoyment. Amenity and wayfinding signage
New signage has been installed at each amenity and major intersection in Tahoe Donner. The new signage was designed with a combination of wood, steel, and aluminum built to withstand snow removal and extreme weather conditions here in the mountains. In addition to the practical use of the signs to successfully navigate to and from each amenity, they also greatly improve the visual aesthetics. Snowplay/driving range improvements
The main impetus behind this project was to improve the extremely popular Snowplay operation which generates a considerable amount of revenue. A gradual berm was created in some areas that allowed for superior Snowplay operations during periods of low moisture. Our professional golf course designer, Cary Bickler, designed the berm, which resulted in a more visually stimulating and better functioning driving range. New forestry facility
Tahoe Donner now owns a 20-acre parcel on the fringe of Tahoe Donner property which contains a large building that houses the needs and operational requirements of the forestry department. The interior of the building was recently remodeled with offices and restrooms that meet current American Disabili(Continued on p. 31)