DONNER LAKE

PROPERTY OWNERS’

ASSOCIATION

March 2011 www.dlpoa.org

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

by Gardner Combs

Snow is flying and chains are required as this is

being written but in the blink of an eye we will be

going to the Beach with rakes, shovels and

wheelbarrows to clean the dead fall and debris of

winter. Beach Clean Up Day is Saturday May 28th

,

weather permitting. Please plan to come down and

help speed the task along with your participation.

We are pleased to have Jim Saunders and his lovely

wife returning to the position of Beach Manager.

As a returning veteran of the position Jim will be

our “boots on the ground” for the implementation

of the new card entry system for Beach access. As

you have read in prior newsletters the Board has

instituted a new procedure for Beach access so as to

simplify the gate keeper‟s job. The new cards will

be available at our new membership office at the

gate. We are planning to staff this office from the

Beach Clean Up Day through the summer so please

come in early and pick up your card and have your

picture taken. You can read a further restatement

of the procedures and rules that apply to the

issuance of the cards in this newsletter.

As always we encourage sons and daughters of our

family members to apply for positions on the Beach

staff. Jim always needs young people to help with

the maintenance and staffing of the gate as well as

the daily routines on the Beach of cleaning and

policing the grounds. Please have a valid driver‟s

license if you are going to operate our ATV and if

you are applying and under 18 a work permit

endorsed by your school. We will do our best to

accommodate the school and other schedule events

that make our staffing very fluid.

Once again I would like to encourage our general

membership to participate in the governance of the

organization by considering volunteering for a

position on one of our standing committees or

running for the Board of Directors. This all

volunteer organization is dependent upon the

contribution of time and effort of those that have set

aside some time and effort to the affairs of the

Beach and membership. So please consider being

involved. May 1st is the deadline for filing for

election to office. Please send them to our office

for inclusion in the mailing of the ballots.

In closing I would like to direct your attention to

our summary financial statement and discuss our

legal expenditures of last year and the first quarter

of this year. In December of 2009 DLPOA was

named as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging our

by-laws prohibiting the membership of owner of

lots created by subdivision of the original eligible

parcels as set out in our deed and articles of

Good Morning Donner Lake!

Continued on page 3

2

Since the adoption and recordation of our new by-

laws in 1998, the honor system has been the only

method we have used to form the list of individual

family members that make up the DLPOA. For years

members have complained to the Board or staff that

certain members are falsifying their member family

list and your Board felt that with the new entry

system, this would be the time for the membership to

correct some past indiscretions or mistakes. Sadly, it

has come to the Board‟s attention that several

membership renewal applications appear to have

non-family members listed as family members which

leaves your Board in the unenviable position to

question the accuracy of all applications. For now,

we are requesting that all members revisit their 2011

application and if necessary call our office @ 530-

273-3545 and correct your family list, no questions

asked.

ADDITIONAL STEP: When you go to the beach for the first time this

season, you are required to show identification to

receive your new ID entry card but because of our

concerns for family list accuracy we will require an

additional step. The new entry system will provide

ID cards to those listed as immediate family

members; to insure only those eligible receive the

new cards, it will be necessary to verify the accuracy

of those listed; this will be done by requiring any

person listed to sign a statement attesting to the

accuracy of that person‟s relation to the Member and

acknowledging that if it is later determined that

someone purposefully falsified a person‟s

membership status and wrongly listed a person who

is NOT a member of the immediate family, the

Board will begin the process of revoking the entire

membership of the family in question. To protect

your membership in DLPOA, it is imperative that

you insure your family listings are accurate.

Please folks, we have over 750 families that belong

to the DLPOA and the beach is not getting any

bigger. We must have your complete cooperation to

avoid the unpleasant task of revoking some

memberships from the DLPOA. As a reminder the

following is the DLPOA‟s definition of Immediate

Family: immediate family is defined as the

ENTRY SYSTEM UPDATE

Member’s spouse, the parents of the Member, the

parents of the Member’s spouse, the Member’s

children, the spouses of the Member’s children, and

the grandchildren of the Member. Examples of non-

family would be, the spouse of a Member's

grandchild, a Member's great grandchildren, a

member‟s brothers, sisters, distant relatives etc.

Please correct any and all mistakes on your

applications before opening day.

Here is how you will gain access to the beach: You must have your card with you every time you

enter the beach; no card, no entry, no exceptions.

You will hand your card to a staff person at the gate

and they will scan the card and your picture will

come up on a computer screen. If it is you on the

screen you will be allowed in; if it is not you, the

card will be retained by staff, the person is not

granted access, and the Member is called to report

the attempt of access by a non-member. If the

incident was a deliberate attempt to deceive staff the

matter is documented and it becomes a Board matter.

If there is a car load of members with guests only

one card needs to be scanned to gain entry. We are

assuming that every member will keep their cards at

their cabin but if for some reason you have lost or

forgotten your card you must get another photo taken

and pay a $10 replacement fee for the new card.

When you enter and you are expecting to have guests

arrive later without you, you will be required to sign

in your guest; just as it has been for over 10 years

now, you or a member of your immediate family

must remain with your guest for the duration of their

stay on the beach.

This new entry system has been time tested at Tahoe

Donner for years and we are confident that it will

make things run much smoother, but your Board

cannot emphasize enough that we will need your full

cooperation (DLPOA eligible family tree data) and

patience to make the transition into the new

electronic system. Your Board thanks you.

3

In June of 1957 the Development Company erected a

fence around the Beach and intended to charge a toll to

use the Beach. This triggered the formation of our

Association which soon had 65 members, increasing to

over 160 by the summer of 1958. The dues were $5.

In the summer of 1958 the bylaws were amended

including a limit of two terms for any elected position.

In the fall of 1958 the idea of adopting Beach rules was

suggested, including a requirement that dogs be kept on

a leash.

In 1959 a Beach Committee was formed, which included

the fathers of two current board members.

Also in 1959 an initiation fee of $5 was adopted for new

members; annual dues remained at $5.

In 1960 dogs were prohibited on the Beach.

In 1961 the annual dues were increased to $10. There

were complaints about this increase.

In 1966 our current rule that a married couple gets only

one vote was adopted, the intent being fairness to single

members.

In 1968 the annual dues were $15, and the initiation fee

was $10.

After the Annual Meeting on the Beach July 6, 1968 hot

dogs, beer and soft drinks were served.

In the fall of 1973 the foundation for the original

restrooms was poured. It was “a raw, cold day.”

In 1976 the initiation fee was $85, and the annual dues

were $25.

And so it goes . . . .

This Day in DLPOA History by Tom Murphy and Robert Farnsworth

incorporation. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit were

persons who had subdivided and sold lots that were

not eligible under our revised by-laws. This

challenge to our ability to amend our original by-

laws and to set guidelines was ultimately dropped as

our legal arguments left little doubt as to our standing

and ability to formulate the rules for membership.

All litigation is expensive and we are fortunate that

we had sound advice during the by-law revision and

voting of the membership for the revisions. We also

had excellent representation in this matter and now

have a body of law to cite and reference should this

ever become an issue in the future.

I hope to see all of you at Beach Clean Up and

throughout the summer on the Beach.

President’s Column continued…

Here‟s a heads-up if you‟re low on bread or beer

and need to drive to Truckee on the dates below.

These events are exciting and fun if you‟re

involved or just a fan, but they can mess with

your plans for a normal day.

On Monday, May 16, Stage 2 of the Tour of

California bicycling race will be starting at

Squaw Valley, going past Donner Lake and up

over the Summit on the Old Highway, and then

on to Sacramento.

On Sunday morning, July 17, the 30

th Donner

Lake Triathlon will be happening with

swimming at the public beach, biking up over

the Summit, and running around Donner Lake.

Events That Clog Donner Pass Rd by Tom Murphy

4

DLPOA Board Elections Coming Up by Juanita Schneider

Want to be a member of the Board of Directors or

an Officer of DLPOA?

For those interested in running for Board of

Directors or for one of the three officer positions in

DLPOA you will need to let us know of your

intention to do so by May 1 if you want your name

to appear on the ballot. If you wish to have a

candidate statement included with the election

package that is sent with ballots to each member,

you will need to send that to us by May as well.

Please note that only members may run for these

elections: individuals in the immediate family of

Members are not eligible.

As this year's Chairperson of the Election

Committee, you can contact me for more

information, or to send your notice to run and your

candidate statement. I can be e-mailed at

JuanitaSchneider@suddenlink.net or feel free to

send your notice to run to info@dlpoa.org.

There are (8) openings for 2011, for (2) year terms.

There are (3) openings for Executive Board

positions. Executive Board positions are (1) year

terms.

Carnelian Bay is in the "banana belt" but we too are slowly

getting buried this year. (see page

TRUCKEE, CA, MARCH 8, 2011:

In the last week we have had 2 propane and one

natural gas leak within the Truckee Fire District

boundaries that have had a common

denominator. They had put multiple homes and

lives at risk. At least 2 of them had been

detected for up to 2 days prior to being reported.

These incidents had the potential to level

multiple homes had the gas found its way into a

home and found an ignition source. All 3 leaks

were on the outside of the homes and making

their way underground and or through the snow

to adjacent residences. Given a little more time

they could have accomplished this and the

results could have been catastrophic.

It is very important to report the rotten egg odor

of natural gas or propane immediately when you

detect it. Let the Fire Department and the gas

purveyors decide if it is a nuisance odor or a

deadly hazard. The difference between disaster

and safely evacuating a residence is the timely

reporting of a leak. If you smell gas inside of

your house, evacuate it immediately. Do not

turn on or off any light switches or appliances

on your way out. Go to a neighbor‟s house or a

safe distance away and report the leak. Do not

stand in front of your home in a potential blast

zone. If you smell gas outside, do not start any

vehicles, leave them where they are and walk to

a safe location to report the leak.

If you are walking through a neighborhood and

smell gas, take note of the nearest address while

turning around and heading away from the leak.

When you can no longer smell gas, call 911 to

report the incident. Be sure to leave your

contact information if you are calling on a cell

phone in case your call gets dropped. Stay on

the line with dispatch we may need your

LP and Natural Gas Hazards by Gene Welch

Continued on page 13

Truckee Fire Protection District

www.truckefire.org

5

Unlock Our Gate! by Thomas Murphy

My brothers, both DLPOA members, were

planning on barbequing on a nice evening at the

Beach last September. But, no, the gate was

locked. The next morning they were scolded

like nine-year olds because they were on the

Beach too early. Only fishermen and water-

skiers are allowed to be on the Beach during

off-hours and then only to cross the Beach to get

to their boats. They better not linger on the sand.

Some of us DLPOA members would like to

enjoy the Beach for more than just the three

months of summer, but the Board of Directors,

at least a few of them, want to lock the

pedestrian gate in the off-season. September

and October are usually nice-weather months,

and a good time to walk or sit on the Beach, or

otherwise enjoy a quiet day at Donner Lake.

But you know that. It‟s amazing to me that

some Board Members would deny us this

harmless pleasure. Our Beach is also an ideal

place to enjoy the Perseid Meteor Showers after

midnight in early August.

There was an article in the March 2010 edition

of this Newsletter that was full of bizarre

arguments in favor of locking the walk-through

gate for the entire off-season. Valid concerns

center around dogs and potential vandalism.

Most dog owners that I encounter on the Beach

in the fall have plastic bags in their pockets, and

when I‟ve volunteered for dog poop pickup,

normally the day before the Beach opens in late

May, we‟ve been disappointed and pleasantly

surprised that there isn‟t much to pick up.

(Geese are a bigger problem.) As far as

vandalism goes, the worst occurrence was a few

years ago when somebody lined up our picnic

tables to form a ramp, perhaps for some

nefarious purpose such as snowboarding.

We‟ve foiled that one by chaining all of the

picnic tables to trees for the winter. Our

restroom building could be vulnerable to

energetic vandals, but it‟s built like a brick . . . .

And of course locking our pedestrian gate

doesn‟t prevent hordes of evil-doers and their

dogs from entering our Beach from the north,

east or south. (It might actually help to keep out

non-members if a member or two were on the

Beach.) It makes sense to lock the gates if an

outside contractor had equipment on the Beach

during a project, but that‟s a rare occurrence.

Greg Henderson suggested that we poll the

membership on the gate locking issue like we

did with regard to smoking on the Beach a few

years ago. I agree and I intend to ask the Board

of Directors to include a question on June‟s

election ballot to determine where the

membership weighs in on this. Another

possibility would be to sell gate keys to any

members who want them, not just fishermen

and water-skiers.

In the meantime, the Board needs to hear your

opinions on this or any other Beach-related

issue. The easiest way to contact the Board is to

email our office staff, Ray and Sharon Hapai at

manager@dlpoa.org. They will forward your

emails to all Board Members. Or you can email

individual Board Members using the email

addresses in Beach Tracks, our Membership

Directory.

Lots of snow shoveling this year…

6

Donner Lake Property Owners Association

BOARD of DIRECTORS MEETING

October 23, 2010

Final Minutes

A regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors

of the Donner Lake Property Owners Association

(DLPOA) was held on Saturday October 23, 2010 at the

Cedar House Sport Hotel, 10918 Brockway Road in

Truckee, California.

Call to Order / Introductions

Gardner Combs called the meeting to order at 1:09 PM. It

was agreed that items might be taken out of order.

Board members present: Gardner Combs (President),

Scott Denny (Vice-President), Barry Silberman

(Secretary/Treasurer), Tom Murphy, Dorothy Dube, Sue

Adkerson, Greg Henderson, Juanita Schneider, Bill

Faustine, Chet Eccles, and Ed Meyer. A quorum was

established.

Board members absent: Robert (Rob) Spies, Sally

Sweatfield, Dorothy (Dot) Burden, and Robert

Farnsworth.

Others present: Chief of Operations Raymond Hapai,

Sharon Hapai, and Recording Secretary Judy Friedman.

Approval of Minutes of September 3, 2010 Board

Meeting

It was moved by Ed and seconded by Scott to

approve the minutes of the September 3, 2010

Board meeting. Motion carried with abstention

from Tom.

Secretary - Treasurer's Report

Barry Silberman

Barry reported there is $17,000 in checking and

$58,000 in savings, as of October 19, 2010.

Approximately $47,000 in the savings account comes

from initiation and new member fees. Once the

outstanding checks have been cashed, there will be

approximately $10,000 in checking.

Barry said the unapproved September 4, 2010

General Membership meeting minutes will be printed

in the November newsletter. If anyone has changes,

please let him know right away.

Chief of Operations’ Report

Ray Hapai

Ray reviewed his written report, noting

membership, boat registrations, and other fees

collected. There are currently 748 members and 9

openings.

Beach Manager Report

Greg Henderson

Greg distributed Beach Manager Jim Saunders‟ end-

of-the year report. Jim thanked the membership and

staff for an enjoyable summer. He also made some

suggestions for next year regarding operations and

facilities. The Beach Committee will review Jim‟s

letter and make recommendations to the Board.

Greg reported on the projects completed, including

the new shed, the re-done bike rack area, and

replacement of anchors in the volleyball area. Greg

explained the $1,500 refund expected from the

kayak rack manufacturer.

Budget Committee Report

Scott Denny

Scott distributed the DLPOA Budget Worksheet he

and Tom compiled. The Board reviewed specific

line items and discussed the pros and cons of

increasing membership fees, renter card fees, and

day use fees for renters.

It was moved by Scott and seconded by Greg to

raise the initiation fees for new members from

$2,300 to $2,400.

AYES: Barry, Bill, Chet, Dorothy, Ed, Greg,

Juanita, Scott, and Sue

NOES: Tom

Motion carried.

It was moved by Tom and seconded by Dorothy

to raise the renter card fee from $125 to $150.

AYES: Barry, Bill, Chet, Dorothy, Greg, and

Tom

NOES: Sue, Juanita, Scott, and Ed

Motion carried.

7

DLPOA Board of Directors Meeting – October 23, 2010

It was moved by Dorothy and seconded by Tom to

increase the day use fees for renters from the

current fee of $5 for everyone 18 and over, to $8

for ages 7 and older, and $3 for children under 7,

so that our fees are equal to what the other private

beach on Donner lake (Tahoe Donner) charges.

The motion was amended to raise the fees to $6 for

those over 12 and $3 for children 12 and under.

AYES: Greg, Dorothy, and Tom

NOES: Sue, Juanita, Scott, Ed, Barry, Bill, and

Chet

Motion failed.

The Board continued to discuss the budget and

considered specific line items, expenses, and revenue.

It was noted that although it is the intention of the

Board to adopt a break-even budget, there could be a

deficit because of some extraordinary expenses,

including legal fees. Gardner will address this in the

President‟s Column in the newsletter. Tom and Scott

will make the requested revisions to the proposed

budget and the vote to adopt the budget will be done

electronically.

Another issue to be considered is the boat storage

area. Scott explained the options available and

discussion followed regarding the pros and cons of

replacing the boom or developing more of a marina

with boat slips. This discussion will continue when the

budget has been adopted and potential revenue is

clearer. The President asked the Beach Committee to

prepare the necessary documentation, including fees

and environmental impacts, to consider filing for a

permit for a revised breakwater combination including

a 20 slip marina. A motion and vote on the issue can

be done electronically.

Old Business

1. Update on new beach entry system

Gardner Combs

Gardner reminded the board that the new entry system

was selected after a review of available systems that

would meet our needs. He instructed Ray to contact

Jeremiah Cottrell, who operates the Tahoe Donner

system and a contract was developed to purchase the

system, integrate the data base, install the software,

and train staff to use it. The costs for all the

equipment, set-up, and training will be

approximately $13,000. Gardner suggested

charging a one-time fee of $5 per card and a lost

card replacement fee of $10. Discussion followed

regarding the process for getting cards,

implementing the system, and the information the

system can provide. Greg was asked to purchase

neck lanyards for the ID cards.

It was moved by Scott and seconded by Barry

to retain Jeremiah Cottrell to develop, install

and train staff on the new beach entry system.

Further, to charge $5 per card and $10 for

replacement cards. Motion carried

unanimously.

New Business

1. Paddle Boards

Greg Henderson

Greg advised the Board that paddle boards have

become very popular, but they take up as much

beach space as kayaks. Because they do not have

stickers, staff cannot determine if the paddle

boarders are members. Discussion followed.

It was moved by Greg and seconded by Sue to

adopt the same rules for paddle boards as for

kayaks as far as requiring membership in the

Association and stickers on the boards. Motion

passed unanimously.

2. Discussion of Renter/Guest policies

Dorothy Dube

Dorothy asked the Board to consider the policies

regarding guests and renters. Discussion followed

regarding the current Rules and Regulations, how

to enforce them, possible revisions, and how the

new gate entry system may help control

trespassing on the beach and identify those who

are not respecting the rules. The Board considered

how additional regulations may impact those

renting their homes. There was consensus to see if

the new entry system solves some of the problems

regarding renters adhering to the beach rules.

3. Discussion of purchasing a defibrillator for

the beach Dorothy Dube

Dorothy proposed that a defibrillator be purchased

…continued from page 3

8

DLPOA Board of Directors Meeting

to be kept at the beach, and recommended that one

that can also be used on children be considered. The

costs range from $2,500 - $3,000 and the training

module costs about $300. Discussion followed

regarding the application of the unit and how it will

be secured. It was noted that the equipment will be

locked up at night.

It was moved by Greg and seconded by Sue to

purchase the defibrillator with child capability

and the training module. Motion passed

unanimously.

4. Discussion and approval of ongoing legal

expenses Tom Murphy

Tom asked if the funds spent on the recent legal

issues were approved by the Board. It was noted

that action on legal issues was taken in Executive

Session.

Gardner announced he has received the Filing for

Dismissal of the complaint and cross-complaint in

the suit with Creekside Woods Owners Association.

The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning

Creekside Woods cannot refile.

5. Consider ending ban of glass bottles on the

Beach Tom Murphy

Tom asked the Board to consider ending the ban of

glass bottles on the beach, primarily because the

rule is so difficult to enforce. He noted that Tahoe

Donner allows glass bottles on their beach.

Discussion followed regarding the pros and cons of

ending the ban and enforcement strategies.

It was moved by Tom and seconded by Dorothy

to end the ban of glass bottles on the beach.

AYES: Tom

NOES: Sue, Juanita, Scott, Ed, Barry, Bill, Chet,

Greg, and Dorothy

Motion failed.

6. Allow off hours access to the beach to all

members, not just fishermen and skiers Tom

Murphy

Tom recommended selling off-hour keys to any

member who wants one, not just fishermen and

water skiers. Discussion followed and it was noted

…continued from page 4

that fishermen and water skiers are supposed to

access their water craft and leave the beach,

although there may be times when owners want to

come down and watch the meteor showers or to just

sit on the beach. It was agreed that a proposal

regarding this issue needs to be fine-tuned.

Remarks and Criticisms Tom noted that at the July General Membership

meeting, it was mentioned that the pedestrian gate

would remain unlocked this winter. The gate will be

unlocked.

Date, time and location of next Board meeting

The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is

Saturday May 28, 2011 at 1:00 PM at Cedar House

Sport Hotel, 10918 Brockway Road in Truckee,

California.

Adjournment There being no further business to come before the

Board, the meeting was adjourned at 4:03 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Judy Friedman

Recording Secretary

THE PAPER TRAIL SECRETARIAL & BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

9

10

…continued from page 9

11

For Your Information:

In 2011, The Picnic Committee is only ordering 350

meals. First come, first get! I must have a FIRM

number order with the caterer. No more

guesstimations - I guessed wrong for 2010!

Smokey‟s BarBQ is once again cooking for our BIG

July 4th

Celebration to be held on Saturday July 2nd

at

12 noon, immediately following the DLPOA General

Meeting.

ADULT MENU $7.50

Ribs, chicken, salad, beans and cornbread

CHILDREN’S MENU (under 10 yrs old) $5.00

Hot dog, mac „n cheese, and chips

Drinks: BEER $1 SOFT DRINKS $.50

Tickets will be sold BEFORE THE MEETING and

after.

Hope you can join us for the good food and a fun day

on the BEST BEACH and ASSOCIATION in

California.

Go DLPOA!!

Yes, we are kicking off another Home Tour.

Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 12-5pm. Cocktails

will be served at 5:30pm at one of the homes.

There will be unique, lovely homes to enjoy, plus

wine, and lots of good knibbles. Meet at The

Beach at 11:30-Noon to purchase your tickets.

Price of the tickets are $15 per person. You will

receive a stamp for your hand and a map to the

various homes. You may enjoy the homes in any

order you wish. We hope many of you join us for

a great afternoon of fun, beautiful homes and

friendship.

If you would like to volunteer your home for this

tour or a future tour, call Sue Adkerson 925-370-

1122 or 530-587-4339.

Fourth of July Picnic by Sue Adkerson

HOME TOUR by Sue Adkerson

12

2011 Tahoe Winter Update 3-2-11

It's been one month since my last Tahoe Winter

Update so here's the latest dope from the slopes.

Skiing has been awesome with a deep snowpack

and consistently good powder to packed powder

surface conditions since storm activity resumed

on Valentine's Day. Speaking for Squaw Valley

where I have my pass, it rarely gets much better

than this.

Good news on the water front too. Results from

the March 1 snow survey verified that the water

content in California's mountain snowpack is

still well above average despite a very dry

January and first half of February. Recent

storms contributed materially to our regional

snowpack here in the Central Sierra and water

content is currently running at 121 percent of

normal for the date. We're still on target for a

healthy runoff this spring.

Tahoe's major resorts are making headlines with

epic conditions. Squaw Valley picked up 12.5

feet of snow in the last two weeks of February.

Kirkwood has been buried with more than 43

feet so far this season, but the big winner is

Alpine Meadows where the mid-mountain

snowpack is 18 feet deep from an impressive 44

feet of snowfall to date.

An interesting anomaly has developed regarding

this winter's storm pattern. Conventional

wisdom and climatology associated with the La

Nina event occurring in the Pacific Ocean

would suggest drier than usual conditions in

Southern California and wetter than average as

you move toward the Oregon border. However,

at this time everything is topsy-turvy with much

of the southland much above average and from

Tahoe north barely above normal.

Anecdotally I remember a few years ago during

an El Nino event when So Cal was expecting a

wetter than average rainy season they actually

experienced record dryness. Go figure.

Tahoe Nuggets are now archived at

www.thestormking.com

Tahoe Nugget #200 by Mark McLaughlin

thestormking.com

On March 1, a California Conservation Corps crew from Sacramento was brought in to shovel the roof of the museum at

Donner State Memorial Park.

A few days ago I went cross-country skiing near the

California-Nevada border up to an old fire lookout; a steep

but short climb that offers killer views.

Lake Tahoe is so beautiful that it makes endless snow

shoveling palatable. Even so, next year I'm getting a snow blower so of course Murphy's Law suggests an extended

drought is coming!

13

assistance in determining where to begin our

search.

Just as important as reporting a gas leak is the

maintenance of your Propane tank and piping to

prevent a leak. It is important to keep your

Propane tank (above ground or underground

tank) and piping cleared of snow to reduce the

pressure exerted on it by the weight of the snow,

and to give you access to shut off the gas flow

to your residence in an emergency. Your

propane tank location needs to be identified by a

snow stake that should project above the

anticipated snowfall for your area regardless if it

is an aboveground or underground tank.

Sometimes this may mean adding an additional

stake to increase its height during heavy snow

years. If your tank is buried in the snow and is

not marked, it will be very difficult for

emergency crews to locate it. Once they have

located it, if it is not dug out, it will be difficult

and hazardous to dig down to it to shut off the

gas. Emergency workers might be forced to

work in an environment that could potentially

be lethal. The extended time to dig out the tank

could be long enough for the gas to find an

ignition source and destroy your home while

putting emergency workers at risk of injury or

death.

There should be a shut off valve where the gas

line enters your residence, but if the break in the

piping is prior to that valve it will not stop the

flow of gas. Where the gas line enters the

building there should be a sign attached to the

wall above the piping and above the anticipated

snow depth to aid in finding the shut-off valve.

These are available from your purveyor.

If you can shut off the gas quickly, do so, but

not before someone has called 911 to report the

emergency. If you cannot safely reach the shut

off valves quickly move out of harm‟s way and

await the response of emergency personnel. For

more information on how to deal with a gas

emergency contact your local fire department,

Gene Welch at Truckee Fire Protection District,

530-582-7635, or your local gas vendor. If you

are ever in doubt about whether your situation is

an emergency or not, please call 911 and let the

professionals decide. We don‟t mind being

called out when it is not necessary, but we don‟t

like to be called too late to prevent property

damage, injury, and or death. Stay vigilant

about your gas service and stay safe.

LP and Natural Gas Hazards Truckee Fire Protection District

…continued from page 4

14

2011 DLPOA CALENDAR

April 1 Last day to renew membership without late fees

May 1 Renewal stickers and cards mailed to members

Deadline for Officer and Board candidates to submit their candidate

statements to DLPOA for the election mailing, and to have their names

placed on the ballot

May 9 May Newsletter mailed

Saturday, May 28 Beach Cleanup, beginning at 9:00 am

Beach will be open, BUT ONLY AFTER Cleanup is declared finished by

the Beach Manager, until 6:00 pm

Boats are not permitted to be stored, on land or in the water, until the

Beach Cleanup is complete, as determined by the Beach Manager.

Board Meeting: 1:00 pm at the Cedar House Sport Hotel in

Truckee

Sunday, May 29 Beach opens for summer with limited hours of 10 am – 6 pm

June 1 Election Ballots mailed to members

Saturday, June 4 Beach is open for regular hours of 8 am – 9 pm

Sat/Sun, June 25/26 Dumpster Days: for members only

Sat June 25 thru Sun July 10 Renter/Guest Card users not allowed access to the Beach

Friday, July 1 Board Meeting 1:00 pm at the Cedar House Sport Hotel in

Truckee

Saturday, July 2 Sand Sculpture Contest; sign-in at 8:30 am

General Membership meeting, 10:00 am at the Beach

Deadline for voting for Officers and Board Members 10:30 am

Members Picnic (after the meeting – about 11:30??)

15

Monday Evening, July 4 Fireworks -- Members must bring their membership cards for Beach access

during the evening fireworks

Friday, July 29 Horseshoe Tournament

August 1 August Newsletter mailed

Saturday, August 6 DLPOA Home Tour

Sat/Sun, August 20-21 Dumpster Days: for members only

Friday, September 2 Board Meeting 1:00 pm at the Cedar House Sport Hotel in

Truckee

Saturday, September 3 General Membership Meeting 11 am on the Beach

Sat, Aug 27 thru Sun, Sep 11 Renter/Guest Card users not allowed access to the Beach

Monday, September 5 Labor Day (no DLPOA events)

Thursday, September 8 Daily Beach hours reduced to 10 am to 6 pm until closing date

Date TBD Beach closes for the season

Date TBD Last day to remove boats and trailers from the Beach without incurring a fine

(See Rule 2000-2)

Date TBD To lock or unlock pedestrian gate

Saturday, October 22 Board Meeting 1:00 pm at the Cedar House Sport Hotel in

Truckee

November 15 November Newsletter mailed

NEED TO CONTACT US?

DLPOA: P.O. Box 8387 Truckee, CA 96162

info@dlpoa.org 916-451-6883

President: Gardner Combs

gardnercombs@msn.com

Chief of Operations: (Office)

Raymond Hapai P.O. Box 8387 Truckee, CA 96162 manager@dlpoa.org Phone: 530-273-3545, Fax:530-274-8976

16

Published Four Times per Year

DONNER LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 8387, Truckee, CA 96162

info@dlpoa.org

530-273-3545

www.dlpoa.org

Spring is coming!