I never really knew my own father. I was raised by a single mom and two wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me. And there are single parents all across the country who do a heroic job raising terrific kids. But I still wish I had a dad who was not only around, but involved; another role model to teach me what my mom did her best to instill – values like hard work and integrity; responsibility and delayed gratification – all the things that give a child the foundation to envision a brighter future for themselves.

That’s why I try every day to be for Michelle and my girls what my father was not for my mother and me. And I’ve met plenty of other people – dads and uncles and men without a family connection – who are trying to break the cycle and give more of our young people a strong male role model.

Being a good parent – whether you’re gay or straight; a foster parent or a grandparent – isn’t easy. It demands your constant attention, frequent sacrifice, and a healthy dose of patience. And nobody’s perfect. To this day, I’m still figuring out how to be a better husband to my wife and father to my kids.

And I want to do what I can as President to encourage marriage and strong families. We should reform our child support laws to get more men working and engaged with their children. And my Administration will continue to work with the faith and other community organizations, as well as businesses, on a campaign to encourage strong parenting and fatherhood.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned along the way, it’s that all our personal successes shine a little less brightly if we fail at family. That’s what matters most. When I look back on my life, I won’t be thinking about any particular legislation I passed or policy I promoted. I’ll be thinking about Michelle, and the journey we’ve been on together. I’ll be thinking about Sasha’s dance recitals and Malia’s tennis matches – about the conversations we’ve had and the quiet moments we’ve shared. I’ll be thinking about whether I did right by them, and whether they knew, every day, just how much they were loved.

That’s what I think being a father is all about. And if we can do our best to be a source of comfort and encouragement to our kids; if we can show them unconditional love and help them grow into the people they were meant to be; then we will have succeeded.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, and have a great weekend.

The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the development. Construction will start this summer on 27,868-square-feet of retail shops and restaurants. The City Council acted on recommendations from the South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission. This phase of construction is scheduled for completion within 24 months.

“The City Council demonstrated their ongoing commitment to the long-term economic and environmental viability of the community,” said Carol Chaplin, Executive Director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “This critical step is the first in a series that will put us back on the premier destination map and start this tourism economy humming again.”

With the international economic downturn, financing dried up in 2008.

Owens Financial will fund the retail/dining portion near the state line border in the center of the tourist area along U.S. Highway 50.

Owens Financial is confident to secure a developer for the final phases of the project, which includes a lodging component and convention meeting space.

“This decision brings new life to a project that will be a centerpiece of the revitalized downtown area,” said Brian Haines, Owens Financial. “Visible progress of The Chateau this summer will encourage additional investors.”

A poll among Tahoe Daily Tribune online readers found nearly 73 percent supporting the project’s approval.

Due to his speed on the rough roadway, he lost control of his vehicle as he attempted to negotiate the left hand curve. The vehicles rear tires began to slide to the right, causeing the vehicle to rotate across the roadway to the left. As the vehicle overturned the passenger Metlenko, (who was unrestrained in the vehicle) was ejected from the vehicle, causing him to sustain fatal injuries. Metlenko was pronounced deceased at the scene by CalFire personell

Alcohol was not a contributing factor in the accident.

From all of us at LakesideNews.net our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this accident.

Kelly Keenan, Amador-El Dorado- Sacramento Unit Chief of CAL FIRE, says residential dooryard burn permits will be suspended in the State Responsibility Area (SRA) of the Amador-El Dorado-Sacramento Unit of CAL FIRE beginning at 8 AM on Monday, June 17. The Unit includes Amador, El Dorado and a portion of eastern Sacramento counties.

Also on June 17, fire restrictions will go into effect in portions of the Eldorado National Forest in areas located generally below 6,000 feet, says Forest Supervisor Kathy Hardy. A map illustrating the exact boundary of the restricted area and the complete list of fire restrictions are found on the Eldorado National Forest website: www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado. Fire restrictions will go into effect in the remainder of the Eldorado National Forest on July 1.

Fire restrictions will also go into effect in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit on July 1, according to LTBMU Forest Supervisor Nancy Gibson. “As we enter the height of tourist season here in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the last two consecutive dry winters have left us with an increased potential for wildfire.” said Gibson. “By working together we can help protect our homes, the community and our public lands from wildfire.” Specific fire restriction information will be posted on the LTBMU website at: www.fs.usda.gov/ltbmu.

“Unsafe campfires are the leading cause of person caused fires in the National Forest,” said Hardy. “If you are planning to camp outside of a campground or other designated site after fire restrictions are in place, remember campfires and charcoal fires will not be allowed.”

CAL FIRE Unit Chief Keenan reminds residents that anyone who burns on or after June 17th will be in violation of the burn suspension and may be subject to civil or criminal action including cost recovery charges for a fire suppression response. Residents are encouraged to learn about defensible space on CAL FIRE’s website www.ReadyForWildfire.org or to call 530.644.2345 to receive your FREE defensible space information.

“The 3,100 acre Angora Fire in 2007 that destroyed 254 homes is a tragic example of the damage an unsafe campfire can cause,” said Gibson. “This year everyone living in fire prone areas shares the responsibility to prevent wildfires. Keep Smokey in your thoughts and fire prevention in your actions.”

Fire officials say homeowners can dramatically increase the chances of their home surviving a wildfire by taking the following action.

· Create a minimum of 100 feet (or to the property line) of defensible space around each structure on your property.

· Clear all needles and leaves from roofs, eaves, and rain gutters.

· Trim branches on tree trunks a minimum of six feet from the ground (but no more than 1/3 of the trees canopy).

· Remove branches 10 feet from all chimneys or stove pipes.

· Landscape with fire resistant plants.

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At about 08:30 am on Monday, June 10th, a School Resource Officer discovered information regarding adults selling marijuana to local school children. He passed this information on to patrol officers, who promptly followed up with an investigation. Officers learned local children were buying marijuana from someone named “Will”. Further investigation revealed that “Will” was actually William Anderson on Marjorie Street. Officers secured a search warrant and served this at Anderson’s residence. Officers located Marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in the residence.

Anderson admitted to selling marijuana to students. Hoehn also admitted knowledge of Anderson’s marijuana sales from their residence. Their two small children were removed from the residence and turned over to the custody of Child Protective Services due to unsafe living conditions in the residence. Anderson was arrested for selling marijuana to minors, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining drug house and child endangerment. Hoehn was arrested for maintaining a drug house and child endangerment.

Parents are urged to communicate with their children about these dangerous issues. Any information related to this case can be submitted to School Resource Officer Aaron Crawford or investigating Officers Jake Herminghaus and Officer Travis Cabral at the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

Buses will operate Saturdays and Sundays beginning the weekends of June 15-16 and June 22-23 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily operations begin Saturday, June 29 through Sept. 2 with service from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and run every 20 minutes on weekends. Hours of operation on the Fourth of July are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Roundtrip fare is $3 per person and $1.50 for children 12 and under, seniors and disabled passengers. Fares include admission to Sand Harbor. Passengers transferring from Tahoe Area Regional Transit pay $1 with submission of their transfer slip. The service uses a dedicated entrance to minimize traffic-related delays and drops passengers at the Visitor’s Center near the main beach. Parking inside Sand Harbor is $10 per vehicle for Nevada residents and $12 for out-of-state motorists.

The East Shore Express loops from the old Incline Village Elementary School on the corner of Highway 28 and Southwood Boulevard to Sand Harbor. TART passengers are able to connect to the East Shore Express at the TART stop located on Tahoe east of Village boulevards.

The goal of this Tahoe Transportation District service is to address traffic congestion and promote safety along the Nevada State Route 28 Corridor, while reducing environmental impacts. More than 70 percent of the pollutants contributing to Lake Tahoe’s clarity loss come from the existing transportation systems.

In its inaugural season, the East Shore Express shuttled 12,155 passengers between June and Labor Day 2012. The service was initiated by the TTD in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Division of State Parks, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Highway Patrol and Washoe County School District.

Funding of the two-year pilot program includes 60 percent from a Federal Transit Administration grant through NDOT, with the balance from the U.S. Forest Service under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The East Shore Express utilizes existing TTD buses, with parking provided at existing Washoe County School District parking lots within Incline.

More than 1 million visitors recreate annually in the State Route 28 corridor, but with limited parking in many areas, the situation has resulted in pedestrians crossing into busy travel lanes in both directions. In 2012, the Nevada Division of State Parks ended walk-in visitation. Drop-offs and parking are illegal along the highway at Sand Harbor. The no parking zone encompasses approximately 3/4 of a mile in both directions from the park’s main entrance and will result in a fine of up to $305.

The East Shore Express is a component of the SR 28 Corridor Management Plan, a community-based action strategy to preserve and promote the unique characteristics of this National Scenic Byway. It is designed to improve safety, access for emergency vehicles, alleviate congested roadways and reduce vehicle emissions.

The TTD is currently guiding multiple projects providing region wide connectivity throughout the Tahoe Basin:

The Incline Gateway, the Tahoe Basin’s first roundabout at Mount Rose Highway where State Route 28 meets State Route 431, was officially dedicated Oct. 17, 2012. The public/private partnership included cooperative efforts with the Nevada Department of Transportation, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Washoe County, Incline Village General Improvement District, Q&D Construction, and the Incline Gateway Committee, the public art organization that commissioned local artist June Towill Brown to create bronze replicas of native wildlife.
The first mile of the Nevada Stateline to Stateline Bikeway Project was completed in October 2012 extending from Kahle Drive to Elks Point Road providing access to Nevada Beach. The Nevada Stateline to Stateline Bikeway is a proposed 30+ mile segment along the east shore of the proposed America’s Most Beautiful Bikeway envisioned to circle the 72 miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.

For details on Tahoe Transportation District and its current projects, visit http://www.TahoeTransportation.org or call (775) 589-5500.