A major set of storms is hitting the Summit. Although we got lots of rain, this storm didn't turn out to be that bad. None of the bridges were closed, and there was only minor flooding reported (so far). NWS is calling for heavy snow over the next few days.

Update 1/2/06 at 9:30am:

The rain finally stopped last night and snow started to fall. We've had 9-11" of new snow so far and it is still snowing. Not a big storm, especially if it ends later today as predicted. Looks like most of the moisture fell south of Hwy 50.

Here are some videos of the Yuba river from Rainbow to Soda Springs:

• The bridge at PlaVada
• The bridge at South Yuba
• The Rainbow Lodge
• Driving up from Rainbow (big)
• Washout along Hwy 40
• Soda Springs Parking Lot (big)
  

Update 12/31/05 at 4 pm:
Here are some pictures of the houses along the Yuba near Rainbow Lodge and the bridge at PlaVada. I'll try to upload some movies shortly. Snow has tapered off to a light misty rain/snow mess. An inch or two of new snow/slush has fallen since the rain. CalTrans is plowing the slush.






Update at 1 pm:

Heavy snow is starting to fall instead of rain. Temperature is 33.3 and falling a few points in the last hour. Winds are strong, but not severe.

Older:

It has been raining heavily since the storm started two days ago. Occasional sleet and hail currently (11am). Looks like it will keep raining tonight and turn into snow tomorrow. NWS is calling for heavy snow over the next four days.

The bridges into Serene Lakes and PlaVada appear to be open. Now that snow has started to fall, it is unlikely that they will close. A number of homes along Serene Lakes have reported basement flooding.

I80 is closed east of 267 towards Reno due to a mudslide. Reports are that I80 will remain closed for two days between Truckee and Reno in both directions. Also, Hwy 89 north between Truckee and Sierraville is closed as well. The Mt. Rose highway is closed due to accidents, so there is no way around the lake or down to Reno.

Power is still on in Serene Lakes, but we are getting flickers and brown outs relatively frequently.

We held our winter membership meeting this past Thursday, December 29th. We had 38 people show up, which was fantastic considering the weather and treacherous driving conditions. Many more have apologized for not being able to make it.

Here is the PowerPoint presentation from the meeting. The presentation lasted about 45min and included additional information on the train crossings and Amtrak presented by Tom Appelbaum and a summary of the Donner Trail School situation from Susan Phoebus. We had a constructive discussion after the initial presentation focused on how to move forward on our Community Development Plan, grant submissions, and our discussions with Foster Enterprises in early January.

All the details will be posted in the next few days when the full meeting minutes are finished.

We're seeing a huge increase in membership over the past couple of weeks! Thanks to all our new members. If you still haven't joined, try out our online membership page, or simply send us a check at P.O. Box 674, Soda Springs, CA 95728.

Many thanks to all who helped out with the meeting, especially Suzi Phoebus, Gary Rhodes, Ron Kolbe and the rest of the board.

Our next membership meeting on Thursday, December 29th at 6:30pm at the Donner Trail School. We encourage anyone interested in joining or helping the DSAA to attend. Please come and hear a status report on our progress.

The board will be updating the community on various issues of interest, including:

1. The sale of Royal Gorge, Ice Lakes Lodge, and the surrounding land to Foster Enterprises.
2. Progress on the Community Development Plan
3. Donner Trail School update

Come out and help build our community! Tell all your friends!

November 3, 2005 – 6:30 P.M., Donner Summit Lodge

Attending: President Dan Wexler, Treasurer Ron Kolbe, Secretary Pat Malberg;

Board Members Sara Taillon, Jim Thomson, John Kirrene

Guests: Charlie Houtz, Maria Montano, Bob Montano, Emily Wexler,
Don Malberg

Approval of Minutes: The Board unanimously approved the minutes of the Working Meeting of October 6, 2005, as submitted.

1. Status Updates

A. Bank Account

Tax exempt status will be the next project, with the lawyer,preferably sooner than later. The account is ready to be opened, Pat will fax a copy of her driver’s license to Dan. Dan purchased a new file box to keep all the DSAA information.

B. Insurance

No news on this, as yet.

C. Logo Contest

There are three new entries, and the contest is officially closed. Sara passed around copies of the submissions and the pros and cons were discussed. It was suggested that the runners-up might be honored by publishing their entry or printing them on a tee-shirt, as a thank-you and to raise funds. DSAA needs letterhead on file which can be made available for correspondence.

D. Donner Trail School

The last parent group meeting was a big success with Maria’s power point presentation on the demographics of the Summit area. It was viewed by the District Subcommittee composed of the Glenshire Elementary Principal and a parent, Truckee Elementary representative, Dennis Williams and Pat Gibbons-Johnson, who is on the Education Board. The DSPUD sphere of influence study is the basis for concluding growth trends at the summit. Once the sewer restriction is resolved, the 600+ lots that are currently unbuildable will change status. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of Summit area students at the school, now up to 43% of the 67 students. The replacement on the Board for Cindy Gustafson played devil’s advocate during the demographics presentation and her questions about finances need to be considered seriously. Dennis Williams has visited the school and he acknowledges that there has been significant growth. Maria will email the demographic information to Dan for posting on the website and the powerpoint program will be presented to parents in the near future. It would be good to know how many of the area’s children are home schooled or attend elsewhere.

The turkey dinner fundraiser will help pay for the teaching assistant, whose salary amounts to about $14,000/year. Some of the money also has to pay for janitorial services. The fire department has contributed $2000 to the school. The school is not an evacuation site, and is not obliged to be one. The hope is that should the school be considered for closure, at least 12 months advance notice would be given to the community.

DSAA can help by getting the word out about the high quality of the school and the fact that the more locals who attend, the better chance it has of continuing. We can also involve students in DSAA activities and be involved in theirs. One fundraiser idea is a rummage sale at DSL.

2. Membership Meeting

A. Charlie Houtz requested that he be called to let him know about future
meetings. It was agreed that meeting announcements should go
out earlier, at least 14 days before the meeting date; posting at the store and post office for working meetings, email and US mail for membership meetings.

B. Next Working Meeting is scheduled for December 1

Next Membership Meeting is scheduled for December 29, 6:30 – 8:00. Place: -- Donner Trail School

Removal of snow may be an issue; Maria will contact Gary Rhoades to
put him in touch with Dan – his work would be tax deductible.

Attendees can park at DSL and carpool.

Committees: *Notification/mailings to all interested: John, Jim, Sara (include an email blast to all on the list)

*Day Of: Don, Pat, Ron, Dan, Jim (tables, chairs)

Additional chairs are available from Sugar Bowl (Steve Beattie) – Ron can haul in his truck.

Publicity: Ron will write a press release; Jim will send it out to everyone for

their editing/approval.

­Historical: Suggested it be chaired by Norm Sayler, to get it going.

*Committees should meet before the next working meeting.

Not to forget to have a membership table at the meeting.

Agenda to include: School update, Summary of key issues,

Organizational Status, Introduction of logo and letterhead.

3. Membership Drives and Fundraising

Ideas for fundraising discussed: local bands to play locally (DSL was offered as a venue);

Small parties (movies/cocktails); ski movie, slide show – eg., Norm Sayler’s slides of the Summit and its history.

Tamara Lieberman is a contact for fundraising. The Tahoe-Truckee Community

Foundation will help DSAA search for grants; contact Phoebe Bell. Their maximum
is $5000.

Again, the grant areas to be considered are: Community Development Plan;

Demographic Study; Newsletter. The Board agreed the first subject should be our priority.

*Emily is willing to apply for grants; one can also apply for an umbrella fund to help in
making grant applications. She will also contact Amy Horne in Truckee regarding the Community Development Plan. Information about demographics can be obtained from the census and from other reports.

4. Royal Gorge Update: Terry Tuggey talked to Bob Moore at USFS. Bob stated USFS has had a request to renew the special use permit, and that the sale of the property does not affect the business’s status. USFS is also aware that there is some interest in developing some of the purchased property next to the National Forest Property with discussion about the need for more property near the sewer station and the proposal to swap land; these topics will be of great interest to the surrounding community and Bob has informed his supervisor that they should be addressed in a town hall or community meeting. The areas discussed are those going toward Crow’s Nest and the sewer plant off old Highway 40, the latter being on leased USFS property. A decision on land swapping might be made by the local county, so it would be good to be in touch with Nevada/Placer County officials to see if they have any ordinances regarding this. The Forest Service is not supportive of land swaps. On the subject of trail maps, any questions or concerns should be addressed to the Nevada City USFS office.

5. Water Board and DSPUD positions

Any candidate for the DSPUD open seat needs to be a Soda Springs/Norden resident, but not a Serene Lakes resident. There is also an open seat for the Serene Lakes Water Board and it was suggested it would be good to find and support a qualified candidate for each of these positions.

Emily will research and report at the next meeting the situation with property owners and eligibility for votes, and the number of votes, in water board elections. The state legislation that covers this appears not to be viable any longer.

6. Crosswalk Report

John contacted Nevada County Traffic Department; his request for a crosswalk at the store was denied, but there is the possibility that a sign could be posted notifying drivers that pedestrians cross at that point, on one that states it is a populated area. This is another demographic statistic that might be researched – how many cross at that point, how many people walk along the highway in the area.

7. UPCOMING MEETINGS:

Thursday, December 1, 6:30 P.M., Working Meeting, Donner Summit Lodge

Thursday, December 29, 6:30 P.M., General Membership Meeting, Donner Trail School

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 P.M. The Board expressed their thanks to Maria and Bob Montano for their offer of the DSL for our meeting.

Notes respectfully submitted by Pat Malberg, Secretary.