By Mary Fenton, ESPN

Among the ranks of professional snowboarders, relatively few riders earn pro models. Factor in the female component, and for this year’s crop of boards, that number dwindles to precisely six: 2010 Olympians Torah Bright and Gretchen Bleiler, Dutch slopestyle sensation Cheryl Maas, Anne-Flore Marxer, Lisa Filzmoser, and the lady with the longest-running pro model, Barrett Christy.

This October, at long last, Christy will have company on Gnu with the release of the Ladies Choice by Jamie Anderson. It’s fitting: Not since Christy, the 10-time Winter X Games medalist, dominated the comp scene in the late-’90s and early ’00s has a female rider won with as much consistency and grace as Gnu’s newest pro (save Tara Dakides and Janna Meyen-Weatherby).

Just 21 years old in September, the South Lake Tahoe native has been a sponsored rider since she was 9 years old. Among her slopestyle accolades (a list that’s becoming so ridiculously long, it’s almost Michael Phelps-ian): the last two TTR World Tour overall wins, the last two Winter Dew Tour overall wins, a Burton Global Open Series win, a U.S. Open win, three Winter X gold medals (also: the youngest medalist and youngest female gold medalist in Winter X history), an Arctic Challenge win. And with two wins in New Zealand already this season — and the promise of Slopestyle on the Winter Olympic program come 2014 — it doesn’t seem like she’s slowing down anytime soon.

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By Kathryn Reed

Heat tape combined with brittle pine needles on a shake roof are being blamed for a fire at The Block hotel in South Lake Tahoe this afternoon.

South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe-Douglas firefighters arrived at the boarded up hotel near Stateline about 1pm Friday to find flames and smoke billowing from the back left corner of the roof.

Tahoe-Douglas firefighter Chris Peterson works The Block fire on Sept. 2. Photos/Kathryn Reed

South Tahoe Fire Marshal Ray Zachau told Lake Tahoe News about one-fifth of the roof was damaged.

While little evidence of the fire could be seen an hour after the call, the smell of smoke lingered in the air.

Firefighters from both agencies were knocking out shingles Friday afternoon to make sure no embers were below the roof lining.

The Block has been in the news in recent months with Eneliko “Sean” Smith again ordered to pay the outstanding hotel tax on the property.

The Block and Cedar Lodge, both on Cedar Avenue, were once his. BMR Funding LLC in Pennsylvania owns The Block and First Credit Bank owns the Cedar Lodge in Los Angeles.

Zachau has been trying to reach both owners to discuss the possibility of allowing the city to use them as training tools. The idea would be to light them on fire to give firefighters practical experience as well as rid the area of blight.

“These things are a disaster waiting to happen,” Fire/Police Chief Brian Uhler said standing in front of The Block. “They are a nuisance to the community. We have homeless people routinely here. They climb in behind the plywood.”

He said with the command structure of the fire department changing as well as the few number of structure fires in the city it’s important to get firefighters practical training in terms of being in charge of a multiple engine response and putting out a fire.

Heat tape started pine needles on fire at The Block.

As for the fire at The Block, the owners will be receiving a bill. For exactly how much has not been determined.

When Zachau was at the property late last year a sign was on the fence that the power was going to be turned off. Obviously it was turned back on. The city has the authority now to make sure Liberty Energy turns it off – primarily for safety reasons.

South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center’s 12th annual Sunset Gala Bali Bash fundraiser on Sept. 17 from 5-8pm at the Bali inspired home of Sean Degnan.

This year the women’s center will be using the home’s Bali design as a central theme for the gala. In addition to fine wines, hors d’oeuvres and desserts, classical guitar, and silent auction, the event will feature local fire dancers, tropical mixed drinks and a Most Fabulous Flip Flops contest.

Purchase tickets online for $50 each or stop by 2941 Lake Tahoe Blvd. to purchase tickets.

Overcome the challenges of planting and growing bulb flowers in Lake Tahoe. Local gardener Kathy Campion will discuss the many types of hardy, spring blooming bulbs available, planting times and techniques, companion plants, and the never-ending battle with bulb eating animals.

The talk is Sept. 27 at 2:30pm at the South Lake Tahoe branch library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.

The newest member of El Dorado County sheriff’s fleet is a Jet Ranger helicopter with the call sign Eagle One.

The helicopter owners, pilots Ed Rincon and Richard Moorehouse, have agreed to volunteer their services as reserve deputy sheriff’s, as well as the use of their helicopter for community service efforts. With volunteer pilots using their own aircraft, there is no cost to the taxpayers or the county. The fuel will be paid for through federal asset forfeiture funds.

The helicopter will allow deputies faster call response times. The helicopter can easily transport a few people in just minute’s time. Criminal marijuana gardens can also be easily detected from the air—making narcotics patrol easier, safer, more effective and more efficient, officials said.

Part of the multitude of events during the Lake Tahoe Marathon week is a free run for ages toddler to 12.

The Optimist Kids Fun Run begins at 2pm Sept. 24.

Kids get a finishers medal, drink and hot dog. If they register online, they will have their name printed in big letters on their race bib.

They will run from 25 yards to a mile depending on their age.

• Reno’s PBS affiliate has a special about the Thunderbird Lodge at Lake Tahoe.

• Tahoe Forest Health System appointed Dr. Ellen Cooper, specializing in general surgery, and Dr. Joshua Scholnick, cardiologist and internal medicine specialist, to its team of MultiSpecialty Clinic physicians.

• Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act supporters launched their campaign Sept. 1. The group’s website is live, too.

• Hien Larson, who was previously splitting her time as assistant principal for both Glenshire and Truckee Elementary schools, will now move to the assistant principal position for Alder Creek Middle School that was recently vacated.

• Nevada Forester and Firewarden Pete Anderson has issued a warning about fire danger for Labor Day weekend. He said there has been a 50 percent increase in human caused fires from a year ago.

• South Lake Tahoe is finally moving forward with improving Harrison Avenue. The bid process for design work has begun.

Grab your bike and join the Rotary Club of Reno Sunrise and edible Reno-Tahoe magazine for a bike ride like no other. Edible Pedal 100 is Reno-Tahoe’s newest fundraising bike ride celebrating the scenic beauty and culinary bounty of the region.

Riders will feast on local fare as they pedal their way through forests, meadows, farmland, quaint towns, and Lake Tahoe. The ride will take place Sept. 18, beginning at the historic Bowers Mansion in Washoe Valley, (15 miles south of Reno), and offers riders a 10-, 50- or 100-mile route.

While cyclists gobble up the beautiful landscape, they’ll also enjoy local fare proven to satisfy even the most discriminating palate.

The charitable ride includes all support and food and is $35 for the 10-mile route, $55 for the 50-mile route, and $65 for the 100-mile route. There’s also a commemorative bike jersey available for purchase.

Money raised will support local and international children’s programs, including Urban Roots, a Reno garden classroom program that assists Washoe County public and private schools in creating and maintaining edible school gardens. Other beneficiaries are the Virginia Palmer Elementary School in Reno, Rotary Youth Exchange, and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.

For more details, route maps, featured fare and registration, go online or email info@ediblepedal100.org.

By Ben Miller, Reno Gazette-Journal

Every year, a caravan made up of tens of thousands of people swarms the Reno area and heads north to create a small metropolis for a week with the Burning Man festival. But to suddenly create a city, its citizens need supplies — and the acquisition of supplies has a far-reaching and diverse effect on the economies of Reno, Sparks and other cities in Northern Nevada.

Mary Simmons, former chairwoman of the Reno Chamber of Commerce, said burners spend about $10 million in the area in the weeks before, during and after the event.

Brian Kulpin, spokesman for Reno-Tahoe International Airport, said the airport receives about 15,000 people from more than 30 countries for Burning Man.

“You realize how much they need out there in the desert for a week or 10 days, and they buy a lot of that in our community,” Simmons said.

The impact goes beyond the supplies burners purchase before they drive into the desert, she said.

Organizers donate to local entities as well. According to the Burning Man website, the group donated a 90-kilowatt solar array to Gerlach High School in 2007 that saves the school about $20,000 a year.

Another group that benefits from donations is the Reno Bike Project. Every year, Burning Man organizers pick up between 700 and 1,000 bikes off the playa after the event ends, said Noah Silverman, co-founder of the project. This year, they donated 500 of those bikes to the project so they could fix them up and sell them for cheap to burners on a budget.

“It’s basically our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Silverman said. “We expect to raise about $25,000.”

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Fall is here and so is the large accumulation of leaves and pine needles. It’s best to clear your roof and gutters now before the snow renders them inaccessible.

Heat tape under a buildup of leaves or needles can start a roof fire.

South Tahoe Refuse will pick up all bagged leaves and pine needles left at the curbside on nor-mal trash pick up days.

— Sallie Ross-Filgo, SLTFD