An off duty ski school instructor at Sugar Bowl Mountain Resort has been missing for nearly 24 hours.

Carson May, 23, was last seen at the resort on Thursday afternoon.

Resort officials were notified about 10am Jan. 15 that May was missing.

John Monsoon with the resort off Interstate 80 told Lake Tahoe News the Placer County sheriff’s search and rescue team as well as Tahoe Nordic Team has been scouring the area. The focus of the search is on the backside of the mountain.

The sheriff’s department said May’s belongings were still in his locker at the resort.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Carl Rubino, the Winslow professor of Classics at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., will discuss the ancient mythological roots of the perennial Star Wars films in this free lecture on Feb. 6 at 7pm at Sierra Nevada College.

Rubino’s teaching and research interests include ancient Greek and Roman literature, comparative literature and literary theory. In 2011 he published the article, Long Ago, But Not So Far Away: Another Look at Star Wars and the Ancient World, and discussed the films’ roots in mythology in Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed a Lucasfilm documentary that has aired on the History Channel.

A long-time collaborator with the Nobel laureate physicist Ilya Priogine, Rubino is known for his work on the connections between science and the humanities, with a focus on complexity theory, the problem of time, and the impact of the theory of evolution on ethics. He has been president of the Classical Association of the Atlantic States, and has a doctorate from the University at Buffalo.

By USSA

WENGEN, Switzerland – Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah) was the top placed American in Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup Alpine combined event, but like the rest of the team, he chalked this one up as another training run for Saturday’s main event – the Lauberhorn downhill.

“Today was a good day, just like another training run all the way down,” Goldberg said after finishing 12. “I felt good, I was charging out of the start. Overall, I skied balanced and I’m ready for the next one.”

Norway took the top two steps of the podium with Kjetil Jansrud taking his first career World Cup combined victory, and Aksel Lund Svindal in second. France’s Adrien Theaux was third. Svindal remains second in the overall World Cup standings, but is now only 85 points behind Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not compete inFriday’s event, and is not scheduled to race in Saturday’s downhill.

For the rest of the Americans, Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley) was 22, Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) was 32 and Tim Jitloff was 36 (Reno). Ted Ligety (Park City) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) did not finish the slalom portion. However, Weibrecht was 17 in the downhill portion and Ligety was 38.

Learn Something New Every Day at the Douglas County Public Library will increase people’s knowledge of myriad things.

Every day the library will share a bit of interesting information mined from one of the many books and other materials in the library’s collection such as the first recorded to climb on a snowcapped peak was by a Japanese monk who climbed Mt. Fuji in 633.

Check the library’s posts on Facebook and Twitter to learn something new each day. Watch the digital screen at the library for the Learn Something New Every Day post while checking out books.

The Douglas County Public Library is located at 1625 Library Lane in Minden and 233 Warrior Way in Zephyr Cove.

By Scott Smith, AP

The names of iconic hotels and other landmarks in the world-famous Yosemite National Park will soon change in an ongoing battle over who owns the intellectual property, park officials said Thursday.

The luxurious Ahwahnee Hotel will become the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, and Curry Village will become Half Dome Village, said park spokesman Scott Gediman.

The move comes in an ongoing dispute with Delaware North, the company that recently lost a $2 billion bid — the National Park Services largest single contract — to run Yosemite’s hotels, restaurants and outdoor activities.

Delaware North demands to be paid $51 million for the names and other intellectual property. The New York-based firm filed a lawsuit last year, saying that when it won the contract in 1993, the park service required the company to buy the former concessionaire’s assets.

Park officials are making the name changes to avoid any disruptions to visitors with hotel reservations during the transition to a new concessionaire on March 1, when they go into effect, Gediman said. He said the park service is fighting for the rights to the original names.

“We’re clearly in disagreement with Delaware North,” he said. “We’re taking this action to ensure the seamless transition.”

The Yosemite Lodge at the Falls will turn into Yosemite Valley Lodge; Wawona Hotel will become Big Trees Lodge; and Badger Pass Ski Area will be called Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area.

Yosemite National Park — another name which is also claimed by Delaware North and remains in dispute — will stay put, Gediman said.

National Park Service says the names and other intellectual property are worth about $3.5 million, according to the government’s response to a lawsuit that Delaware North filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite Inc., a subsidiary of Delaware North, said in a written statement that it was “shocked and disappointed” that the park service is using the beloved names as a “bargaining chip.”

The company defended its demands, saying that it hopes Yosemite and the new concessionaire decide not to change the names. “All we want in this is fair and just treatment,” the company said.

Justice Department attorney John Robertson wrote in court papers that the company “wildly inflated” the value of the trademark names. He added that Delaware North has “breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing,” a claim the company denies.

The trademark dispute at Yosemite is similar to disputes at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas and the Grand Canyon in Arizona and with other iconic pieces of Americana owned by the U.S. government, such the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

The park service says it belatedly learned of the trademark issue when it prepared to open bids for the concessionary operation. Yosemite awarded a 15-year contract to Aramark last year.

Delaware North also runs concessions at the Kennedy Space Center and has a trademark application for “Space Shuttle Atlantis,” government court papers say.

Delaware North “apparently embarked on a business model where by it collects trademarks to the names of iconic property owned by the United States,” Robertson wrote.

The name changes don’t sit well with park admirers like John Lenau, an amateur historian and president of the Conference of California Historical Societies.

Now 76, he’s visited Yosemite since childhood and says when somebody mentions Curry Village he can picture it in his head. That will be lost with the change, he said.

He also worries about stripping away the Native American heritage by turning the Ahwahnee to the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and the Wawona Hotel to Big Trees Lodge.

“I don’t see the advantage of dong that,” Lenau said, speaking for himself rather than the society. “I’m just a little bit against changing something that has been around for so many years.”

To the community,

January is National Mentoring Month. Here in South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Youth & Family Services supports a mentoring program and is in need of more adult mentors for children in this community.

I have been a part of this program for over seven years mentoring the same girl and occasionally her older sister. It has been a positive and fulfilling experience for me and, I hope, for them. Mentoring allows children to be exposed to new and different experiences beyond what they might receive at home, broadening their awareness of the world and giving them additional support from other adults.

I have enjoyed sharing my passions – this includes nature walks, museums, theater, dance, library visits, standup paddle boarding, camping, and skiing. They, in turn, have shared their interests with me including love of animals (especially dogs), music, fashion, family and friends. They have shared their challenges and frustrations and I have listened and discussed potential solutions. They have shared accomplishments and we have celebrated.

They have taught me so much about acceptance, flexibility and adapting to life’s losses and disappointments. And because they are children, they remind me of the importance of play and the simple joys and pleasures of life. I have become part of their family and they have become a part of mine. I have observed their increased confidence and improved communication skills. Both girls plan to attend college and are working to succeed in school.

I hope you will consider volunteering as a mentor. Tahoe Youth & Family Services requests a commitment of four hours per month. The choices of how you spend your time are up to you and your mentee. What is important is the time you spend dedicated to a child. Many children do not receive much one-on-one attention when parents work long hours and there are other children in the home. Research has found children are more likely to stay in school and avoid drugs and alcohol when they have mentors or other adults in their life in addition to their parents.

For more information about becoming a mentor, or how to have a mentor for your child, contact Tahoe Youth & Family Services at 530.541,2445.

Lauri Kemper, Meyers

The future of the Joann Conner vs. city of South Lake Tahoe case remains in limbo.

Conner wants someone other than El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Steve Bailey to hear the case. However, Bailey has said he is capable of making an unbiased ruling.

Now it will be up to a judge in neighboring Placer County to decide if Bailey is to hear the case or if someone else will. When she will make that decision is not known. It is likely she will do so without the need for a hearing.

Conner, a city councilwoman in South Lake Tahoe, last fall sued the city and City Manager Nancy Kerry because she believes she had been unfairly censured and should not have been banned from speaking with city staff.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Residents in Meyers on Jan. 15 are blowing more than a foot of snow from driveways. Photo/Provided

With 18 inches of white stuff dropping overnight on parts of the Tahoe basin, Lake Tahoe Unified School District and Incline Village schools are closed today.

However, the Friday night performance of “Cinderella” is still going on.

Zephyr Cove Elementary and Whittell High schools are on a one-hour delay and buses will run main stops only.

Sierra Nevada College is starting at 10am.

Lake Tahoe Community College and Tahoe Truckee Unified schools are open.

Areas of Meyers and Christmas Valley are snowed in. Reports are that no plows came through these areas of El Dorado County. At least one foot fell since 7pm Wednesday to 7am Friday.

Plows in South Lake Tahoe have been running much of the night, with main streets being cleared before side streets per normal operations.

The Sierra Avalanche Center is reporting “considerable” danger of avalanche in the backcountry.

There is a chance of rain or snow in the basin through next Thursday. The warmer storms are dropping Sierra cement.

Highs will be in the high 30s to low 40s, with lows hovering around freezing.

Roads are mess. For highway conditions, click on the state icons on the home page of Lake Tahoe News.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

·       Here is a video of Caltrans blowing up the boulder that blocked Highway 50 earlier this week.

·       A whimsical float called Sweet Shenanigans won the Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy for the most beautiful non-commercial entry at the 127 Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. It was constructed by students from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and their counterparts at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. The float was designed and built by students from the two universities, including Gregory Baghdikian from South Lake Tahoe, a computer engineering major at Cal Poly.

·       Late Nite Productions is sponsoring a free show with an evening of live electronica from San Francisco featuring NVO. It will be Jan. 23 at Whiskey Dicks Saloon in South Lake Tahoe for those 21 and older. Doors open at 9pm.

·      The El Dorado County Senior Nutrition Program in South Lake Tahoe needs drivers to help deliver lunchtime meals to homebound seniors and other vulnerable people. Call 530.621.6160 for info.

·       The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association canceled the Audi FIS Skicross and FIS Snowboardcross World Cup at Squaw Valley in March because of the overall cost of event production.

By Linda Fine Conaboy

TRUCKEE – It’s always better to deliver good tidings to an enthusiastic crowd, and judging from the attendance (standing room only) and the attitude of the recent Good Morning Truckee crowd, they were ready to hear what’s new in Truckee.

Rick Holliday, owner of Holliday Development headquartered in Emeryville, easily captured the positive vibe as he delivered the inside scoop on his company’s efforts to expand and streamline the historic downtown core with a project called the Truckee Railyard.

The Railyard will sit on the city’s historic but long-vacant railyard, a 75-acre site just east of downtown’s Commercial Row. It has been vacant since a lumber mill closed in the 1980s. In the works for a number of years, the project suffered a blow in 2010 when its redevelopment money became unavailable due Gov. Jerry Brown eliminating redevelopment agencies statewide.

Truckee is making a concerted effort to redevelop properties to enhance the experience for locals and visitor. Photo/Linda Fine Conaboy

Holliday said the project is back on track with secure infrastructure funding, which will allow an immediate construction start.

“The most important thing people told me is don’t leave the old town behind,” Holliday said.

Working in partnership with the railroad, plans are to change the traffic pattern, add a new maintenance facility and move the balloon track, among several other things.

Amid the many amenities to be included in the first phase of the project is a grocery store; in fact, Holliday reported, they recently signed a letter of intent with upscale Nugget Markets, a family-owned and operated grocery based in Northern California and named one of Fortune magazine’s top 100 companies to work for.

Additionally, there will be the Truckee Railhouse Theater, a mixed-development project to include a second-floor, six-screen movie theater, a performing arts space, 27 owner-occupied residential units and a ground floor retail area. The four-story building even calls for a dog wash.

“There won’t be zillions of square feet of retail,” Holliday said. “But enough to enhance downtown.”

And the 700 new parking spaces will go a long way toward alleviating Truckee’s parking woes. Holliday calls this “a huge reservoir of parking.”

Also slated for the first phase is rented, affordable housing, a roof deck, courtyard and brew pub coming late in 2016-17. Buildout, according to the master plan, should occur by the end of 2018, with three districts on tap. They are: the Downtown Extension District, Industrial Heritage District and Trout Creek District.

Cassie Hebel, the executive director of Truckee’s Downtown Merchants Association touted her organization’s past achievements and gave a brief overview of things to come in 2016.

She said there’s a big push now to increase the area’s visibility via social media with the goal being more pedestrian visits.

“We want to bring people downtown; we like foot traffic,” she said, citing a few of the special events that make Truckee a memorable experience for locals and tourists. Activities such as the Halloween Parade, Downtown Holiday Event and the Truckee Follies are must-attend, according to Hebel.

The railroad is an integral part of Truckee. Photo/Linda Fine Conaboy

In summer 2016, the goal is to lure at least 30,000 folks to Truckee Thursdays.

Like any downtown, a zesty and flourishing core is a goal worth aiming for. And with this in mind, the third and last presenter on Jan. 12, Becky Bucor, Truckee’s engineering manager, discussed the work completed in the past as well as the ongoing efforts to make the west end of Truckee as vital as mid-town.

An all-out effort there, called Brickelltown, consumed many engineering and construction hours in 2015, resulting in new sidewalks connecting both town segments and eliminating the previous sea of asphalt and winter mud that could make the west-end trek uncomfortable.

In addition, a new intersection at Spring Street and Donner Pass Road enhances visual appeal.

Bucor said the goal of Phase 2 is to extend Brickelltown even farther west to what is known as the McIver Roundabout. Bike lanes, guardrails and retaining walls are in the offing, all to be constructed with as little traffic disruption as possible, while increasing customer visits to the western outpost.

“So far, so good,” said Jessica Thompson, senior engineer. “Seems like there are a lot more people in the west end of town, especially at the new intersection. We want to make downtown Truckee a much more pedestrian-friendly area,” she told Lake Tahoe News.