Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club

03/30/2026

It is well apparent to Tahoe locals that tourism is the lifeblood of the local economy. Tahoe’s greater economic fortunes are dependent upon the ebb and flow of wandering travelers. From day-trippers to short term renters, each tourist makes a contribution to our economy that cannot be overlooked. Thus, the greater South Lake Tahoe has created multiple agencies to inspire more tourism. This past Friday, the Rotary was lucky enough to be visited by the current President of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and the past president of the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority: Carol Chaplin.
A Tahoe local for several decades, Carol Chaplin is an intrinsic and well established member of our community. Her work at the LTVA to “Drive awareness of Lake Tahoe and to drive overnight stays and commerce in Tahoe” has led to incredible results. Some of which include substantial yearly increases in the number of visitors seen in Tahoe and additional increases in the quantity of lodgings purchased. Although the LTVA has an extensive advertisement campaign, it has other instruments that it employs to foster Tahoe Tourism. The most prominent of which is the annual American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament.
Recently, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority has started a new campaign to expand their reach titled “Awe and then Some.” This campaign aims to market Tahoe as an amazing location, that can also be a treasured experience.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is an incredibly powerful force that serves to shape the economy of South Lake Tahoe. To hear more about the LTVA, visit:https://ltva.org/

The Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club is incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to hear from incredible speakers from our community and beyond. To learn more about the club, visit:https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8368/speakers

The mission of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is to lead cooperative efforts to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. Established....

03/30/2026

The mission of the Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club is to strengthen the South Lake Tahoe community. Though this mission takes many forms, we are pleased to announce the success of our most recent endeavor in which we worked with the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless.
Though homelessness is not as apparent in our community as more urban areas, we still cannot afford to turn the other way. That is why our rotarians have matched a grant to provide the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless with basic goods that can be distributed to those in need. Whether it be clothing, shampoo, bodywash, or even razors, our rotarians have helped to provide it to those down on their luck. In the end, the rotary contributed $1,000 worth of goods. It is heartwarming that our community was able to come together and make such an impact.

If you would like to contribute to eliminating homelessness in South Lake Tahoe, visit: Home - Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless

The Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club strives to help our community every day, to hear more about our mission, visit: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8368/speakers

03/20/2026

3/17/26
On Tuesday, the Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club was honored to host Dave Gallagher for a Polio and Iron Lung presentation.
Many in the room were introduced to an unfamiliar part of history– and for many, this was their first opportunity to not only see but touch an iron lung in person.
It was a powerful and tragic representation of the lives of those affected by Polio.
However, it is also a success story- with 99.9% eradication of Polio globally, with great thanks to Rotary International’s work and continuing efforts.
Altogether, Dave’s presentation, the personal anecdotes shared by our community, and the iron lung painted an unforgettable picture of Polio and Rotary International’s battle against it.
Thank you Dave for the powerful presentation.
To learn more about our club and events like this, visit our club page at
https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8368

02/28/2026

Are you interested in sitting down for an emotionally moving documentary in picturesque South Lake Tahoe? Then look no further and purchase a ticket to the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival. Yesterday, Friday, the 27th of February, the Tahoe Douglas Rotary was lucky enough to be visited by the Executive Director of the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival, Michelle Aguilar-Ficara. The club is grateful to have learned more about the mission of this fledgling film festival and what they offer the community. Though the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival is only entering its second year, it has taken on a grand and inspiring mission to “Foster connection, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the world through documentary film.” The film festival will take place from August 17-19 and will showcase over 70 films in three separate screening rooms within walking distance of each other. Furthermore, many of the filmnakers will be attending the festival speaking throughout panel events. Along with their expansive selection of films, the film festival is also able to provide a diverse range of perspectives and even cultures. This makes the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival an incredibly revolutionary event that everyone should attend and support.

If you would like to support the festival, there are a variety of options to do so. The most basic ways to help the festival are attending and sharing the festival with friends and family. However, there are more hands on options like volunteering in exchange for a free ticket or sponsoring the event to help keep costs for patrons down.

Learn more about the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival at: www.ltdff.org

Thank you to Michelle Aguilar-Ficara for being our guest speaker!
We, at Tahoe-Douglas Rotary Club, are incredibly grateful to get to hear from speakers who are devoted to their mission. Click on our calendar to find future speakers! Don’t forget to check out our website: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8368

02/15/2026

Great article in Southtahoenow.com

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Rotary Clubs of Tahoe Douglas and South Lake Tahoe will host a special evening presentation to the public at […]

02/05/2026

This photo is hard to look at, and that is the point. Not long ago, iron lungs were everywhere.
On March 17, we will have a real iron lung on site at Bally’s Lake Tahoe, along with a presentation on polio and the progress the world has made through vaccines and Rotary’s End Polio Now effort. Rotary has been in this fight for 35 years. Almost is not victory.
Tuesday March 17, 6:00 pm. Guests welcome.
https://portal.clubrunner.ca/.../fc3dcf39-ea3f-4d2d-a6e9...

01/13/2026

When local women wanted to save the historic Hellman-Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park from being torn down, Sierra State Parks Foundation was born. Now they run visitor centers, museums, and offer educational programs to the millions of people that explore Tahoe-Donner State Parks every year.

January 9, 2025

Michael Myers, the executive director of Sierra State Parks Foundation, joined us for our first meeting of 2026! We had the opportunity to learn how this nonprofit works alongside state parks to further improve and care for our precious historical and natural monuments around Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake. Myers further explored their focus on preservation, restoration, education, and advocacy.
Myers encourages everyone to invest in our community.

Check out what you could do through their website: https://www.sierrastateparks.org/

Thank you to Michael Myers for being our guest speaker!
We, at Tahoe-Douglas Rotary Club, are incredibly grateful to get to hear from speakers who are devoted to their mission. Click on our calendar to find future speakers! Don’t forget to check out our website: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8368
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A husband-and-wife team came up with first aid for mental health on a dog walk. They want you — yes, you — to join this global movement

12/29/2025

12/13/25
On December 13th, Uncle Lonny came by to speak about his fight for dignity through mobility. His volunteer organization, Hope Haven West carries out around 8-10 projects every year across 30+ countries! So far they have provided over 27,000 wheelchairs.
Their wheelchairs are customized for every individual and are capable of growing alongside children.
In some cases, people are unable to support their head or trunk, their wheelchairs are capable of tilting backwards to aid them.
As Hope Haven West changes the lives in the future of children by giving them the ability to voyage out in the world, Uncle Lonny asks you to take part– and it starts with joining Hope Haven West’s mailing list.
To learn more about Hope Haven West, check out their website: https://hopehavenwest.com/
We, at Tahoe-Douglas Rotary Club, are lucky to have this amazing opportunity to hear from incredible people!
See who else we get to hear from:
https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8368/Speakers

Uncle Lonny, thank you so much for joining us!

12/15/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GUoescAET/

Declining Enrollment

12/13/2025

Please note: We do not think of this as a Valley vs Lake Argument. This is a 100% unique rural county needs versus urban numbers problem. While the n new funding model sounded good in practice, it needs refinement ASAP.
During the last board meeting, several community members shared their thoughts, including some suggestions to close the Lake schools. While it might seem like a straightforward fix, shutting down one or both schools could have serious negative effects on the Lake Community, Douglas County, and the entire School District. It would most likely cause students to leave the district altogether, which would further strain our budget. Plus, restrictions on the deed may prevent us from selling the schools for extra income, and maintaining empty buildings or restoring the parcels could actually end up costing the district even more. Instead, we believe in building on the successful Lake Schools model to improve efficiency and quality across many district schools. By combining this with some carefully planned budget adjustments, we can give rural districts and especially Douglas County, the time needed to work with the state on the funding system. This way, we can create a stronger, more sustainable future for our entire school community. As we have stated before, the board needs to find solutions that have the least amount of impact on the fewest number of students.

DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING CRISIS.

Community Briefing – December 2025
Overview
Douglas County School District (DCSD) is facing a significant budget deficit due to Nevada’s per-pupil funding model adopted in 2019. A substantial portion of Douglas County’s locally generated revenue is now redistributed to other counties—primarily Clark and Washoe—leaving DCSD with far less funding than it historically received.
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/opinion-a-tale-of-two-nevadas-and-the-urban-rural-funding-gap

State Oversight
On December 10, 2025, DCSD appeared before the Nevada Department of Taxation’s Committee on Local Government Finance. The Committee initiated heightened oversight due to the seriousness of DCSD’s financial condition.
https://tax.nv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLGF-Meeting-Exhibits-December-10-2025.pdf

Potential School Closures
The Board of Trustees is expected to decide on school consolidation options in February 2026. Options under consideration include closing one or both Lake Schools beginning in the 2025–26 school year.

Closing Lake Schools would significantly impact:
• Local businesses and workforce stability
• Property values and long-term residency
Families’ daily transportation and access to education
• The overall strength and cohesion of our community

What Happens Next
• Now–January 2026: DCSD develops proposed cuts and consolidation options.
• February 2026: Board vote on closure proposals.
• Spring 2026: Implementation planning for approved changes

How the Community Can Engage
• Review DCSD Board agendas and public notices
• Contact trustees to express concerns and ask questions
• Businesses should assess potential workforce impacts
• Attend DCSD meetings to provide input before decisions are final

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/opinion-a-tale-of-two-nevadas-and-the-urban-rural-funding-gap

Board Members:

Email all 7 board members here [email protected]

Superintendent
Frankie Alvarado
[email protected]

More Information and Meeting info: https://www.dcsd.net/about/school-board

NEXT BOARD MEETING:
December 18, 2026
Regular Board Meeting Subscribe to Calendar Alerts
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Airport Training Center, 1126 Airport Rd., Building G-1, Minden, NV 89423,

12/08/2025

Tahoe Douglas Rotary had its annual Children's Christmas Party this last Sunday Dec 7th. The event would not have been as successful as it was without the tremendous help and support of the Loft in the Heavenly Village. The evening featured fantastic food and entertainment that everyone enjoyed. Over 40 kids of all ages attended. Hard to tell who had more fun, the kids or the Rotarians.
If you have friends or family in town over the holidays, be sure to catch a magic show if you can.