At the good old age of 16½, retired South Lake Tahoe police canine Buddy has passed away.

Buddy served as the canine partner for now retired SLTPD Officer Brian McGuckin between the years of 1999-2005. As with most canine/handler teams, Buddy and McGuckin had a strong connection.

Buddy had a tremendous work drive and was among the most athletic dogs employed by the department. Buddy had an extraordinary ability to leap over tall obstacles in his job performance. McGuckin was occasionally teased by fellow officers that Buddy should have been equipped with a Superman cape as part of his uniform.

Buddy

Buddy was particularly skilled in narcotics detection, building searches, apprehension of fleeing felons, and master/officer protection.

Buddy was originally purchased through the voluntarily sponsorship of the South Lake Tahoe community. In July 1997, when an SLTPD German Shepherd named Kris was hit by a car during off-duty hours, the department turned to the community for financial help filling the void. There was no budget to replace Kris. Learning of the need, the people of Lake Tahoe’s South Shore generated approximately $10,000 to replace this valuable asset. The money was used to bring Buddy to the police department, who served the community and the canine unit faithfully for just more than six years.

After his retirement, Buddy enjoyed family life with his similarly retired partner McGuckin. According to McGuckin, who now resides in another Northern California city, Buddy always seemed to miss police work. He had a true love for it.

Although he will miss his long-time companion and faithful partner terribly, McGuckin notes that Buddy enjoyed a comfortable long life and left a strong working legacy for the police canine program at the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

Records are made to be broken and a Guinness World Record was likely shattered thanks to the help of kids in South Lake Tahoe.

On March 22, more than 120 members of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe joined their peers from more than 1,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing “jumping jacks” – or “star jumps.”

Mercadies Gentry, foreground, and Paula Peterson help set a jumping jacks record. Photo/Provided

As part of National Boys & Girls Club Week (March 20-26), Boys & Girls Clubs of America embarked on this initiative with its clubs across the country through the organization’s Triple Play program. This program, supported by founding sponsor, Coca-Cola, and the WellPoint Foundation, encourages kids to eat healthier, become more physically active and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships.

“Young people living healthy, active lifestyles puts them on a pathway to a great future,” said Kelly Garrity, program coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, said in a press release. “By jumping their way into history, they proved that you don’t have to have fancy equipment or a gym membership to get active and be healthy. Fitness can start with something as simple as a jumping jack.”

To break the current record, more than 278 kids needed to complete the attempt. While the official verdict will come from Guinness in a couple of weeks, all indications are that the record has been broken.

Nearly one-third of children and teens in the U.S. are obese or overweight, according to multiple studies. Children and adults can avoid these devastating diseases by adopting and maintaining healthy habits early on.

Jumping jacks are called star jumps in some countries, because the arms, legs and head form a five-pointed star. The record is defined as, “the most people star jumping simultaneously at multiple venues for two consecutive minutes,” according to Guinness World Records.

Six skiers were rescued Sunday just outside Heavenly Mountain Resort’s boundaries.

At approximately 1pm, Douglas County Search and Rescue was called out for a lost 16-year-old snowboarder in the Palisades area, off Lower Kingsbury Grade in Stateline. The subject had called 911 via cell phone after unintentionally snowboarding out of bounds at Heavenly when his visibility was reduced due to heavy snowfall. He had become lost and did not know how to extricate himself from the area.

DCSAR responded with 18 members consisting of several snowshoe and snowmobile teams, and a tracked Sno-Cat to search the area where the subject was believed to be lost. After approximately an hour of searching, DCSAR located the lost 16-year-old, as well as four other lost and disoriented skiers/snowboarders. All five subjects were transported to safety.

Later that same day, at approximately 5pm, DCSAR was called out to search for a 19 -ear-old skier trapped on the mountainside near the Heavenly gondola. The skier had intentionally skied out of bounds, and had mistakenly run into a tree well, causing his skis and legs to become entangled in branches, trapping him to the point that he was unable to free himself. The skier called 911 via cell phone to request emergency assistance.

This was a high-priority call for DCSAR due to continued heavy snowfall, a rapidly approaching nightfall, and the potential of having a fallen skier lying wet and injured in the snow throughout the night.

DCSAR quickly remobilized their rescue team and began a new search. DCSAR was able to access the area only by snowshoe. The teams located the subject, and began extrication and providing emergency medical aid. Due to potential injuries sustained by the subject, DCSAR transported him off the hill in a rescue toboggan. The subject was later transported to Barton Memorial Hospital.

Tahoe Valley Elementary School is having a family night March 25 at 6pm.

The move “How to Train Your Dragon” (rated PG)will be shown.

Advanced tickets are $3 at the school office or $5 at that door. It includes one bag of popcorn per person.

Bob Dog Pizza will be selling pizza. Sodas, water and ice cream will also be for sale.

Bring your sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.

Parents must accompany children.

This is sponsored by Tahoe Valley Second Grade and Tahoe Valley Parent Club.

April 27 6-7pm: “TRTA Rim to Reno Project” at the Reno REI store.

In an effort to connect the Tahoe Rim Trail to southwest Reno, the TRTA is joining forces with the U.S. Forest Service and the Great Basin Institute to construct 25 miles of single track trail passing through Mt. Rose Wilderness. Join the TRTA and REI for this informative presentation and learn how you can be part of this momentous undertaking.

April 20 6-7pm “Navigating in the Backcountry” at the Reno REI store.

Are you interested in learning the principles of navigation from an experienced teacher? Or are you just a little rusty with your compass skills?

Join REI navigation guru Dave Hess and learn the fundamentals of backcountry navigation and get the skills to keep yourself “found” on the Tahoe Rim Trail this summer.

April 13 6-7pm: “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hiking and Backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail” at the Reno REI store.

TRTA volunteer and author of the “Tahoe Rim Trail” guidebook, Tim Hauserman, divulges the secrets of the Tahoe Rim Trail. Learn where to find water on the trail, where to photograph the best wildflowers, how to plan a backpacking trip and what shuttle options are available for day and through-hikers.

Join Tahoe Rim Trail Staff on an interactive tour that will engage your senses and introduce you to this incredible resource in our backyard.

TRTA staff will present the audience with all of the trail use programs, maintenance and construction projects, and volunteer opportunities in 2011.

Meeting is April 6 from 6-7pm at the Reno REI store.

The celebration of life for Mike Cocores will be April 2 from 2-6pm at the Flight Deck restaurant at Lake Tahoe Airport.

Cocores always liked to stop there during a storm to watch the lightning show.

The Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Coordination Committee is hosting a public forum on April 5 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the U.S. Forest Service building, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

Brief presentations will focus on aquatic invasive species prevention and control projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin, including the Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program, invasive aquatic plant and Asian clam control efforts, and nonnative fish removal.

The evening will conclude with a question and answer period.

Presenters include scientists, research professionals and agency personnel from UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, TRPA, the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe RCD and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.