The Tahoe Transportation District is partnering with local, state, regional and federal agencies to host an open house on the South Shore and North Shore to discuss various transportation projects.

The South Shore event is Jan. 19 from 5-7pm at Lake Tahoe Community College in the Duke Theatre.

On Jan. 20 from 5-7pm the meeting is at the Tahoe City Public Utility District office at 221 Fairway Drive in Tahoe City.

For more information, call (775) 589.5500.

By Rocklin & Roseville Today

Retired Coast Guard officer and South Lake Tahoe attorney Matt Williams has filed the necessary papers with the Secretary of State to run for the 4th Assembly District seat recently vacated by Senator Ted Gaines. Williams, a Republican and two-time Olympic torch bearer, has pledged to cut his Assemblyman salary by twenty percent if elected. Williams’ campaign will focus on creating jobs, cutting government spending, and improving schools. In his contract with voters, Williams will hold quarterly meetings throughout the district to inform citizens of state government actions and policy.

Williams, a fourth-generation California, is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and has a master’s of public administration degree from Seattle University and a law degree from the University of Washington.

During his 20 years of military service, Williams was twice selected for Exchange Duty with the U.S. Navy and as a “Loaned Executive” to the United Way. While stationed in Louisiana, Williams coached Mike Fontenot, now of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Williams and his family moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1995, where he ran a Navy leadership program at South Tahoe High School and was inducted into Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He was selected to carry the torch for the 1996 and 2002 Olympic Games in recognition of his community service and leadership in numerous civic and youth organizations.

Williams recently returned to the legal profession where he provides services in trial litigation; business creation; landlord-tenant law; and estate planning.

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By Elizabeth Karam, U.S. Snowboarding

Five riders hailing from the United States qualified Monday for the snowboardcross World Championship finals scheduled for Tuesday in Spain. Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis of Stratton Mountain, Vt., qualified second, while two-time Olympic champion Seth Wescott of Sugarloaf, Maine, and six-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland of Squaw Valley were among the top 32 men to advance to the finals.

The snowboardcross finals are scheduled for Tuesday morning.

On the men’s side, 32 advanced including all four Americans with Holland leading the charge into Tuesday in 10th.

Official results, FIS World Snowboard Championship, Jan. 17, Snowboardcross Qualifiers

Men

1. Markus Schairer, Austria

2. Pierre Vaultier, France

3. Luca Matteotti, Italy

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10. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

12. Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, VT

16. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, ME

21. Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME

Women

1. Nelly Moenne, Loccoz, France

2. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT

3. Deborah Anthonioz, France

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17. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City

26. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK

Sun is the word for the day.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

People were in short sleeves in much of the region Sunday and are likely to be today as well as unseasonably warm weather settles in.

Record highs were recorded several places Jan. 17. In South Lake the 60-degree mark was hit, breaking the 1985 record of 55 degree. Markleeville hit 69, nine degrees warmer than the previous record set in 1934. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport hit 67, which broke the 1920 record of 64 degrees.

Sun in the Lake Tahoe region is expected all week. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The National Weather Service in Reno is expecting more records to drop today:

City                                     Forecast                                Record

South Lake Tahoe              58                                                58

Truckee                                54                                                55

Carson City                        65                                                65

Reno                                    66                                                 64.

No moisture is in the forecast for the entire week, just sun and warmth. What this may mean for snowmelt and potential flooding remains to be seen.

Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Kathryn Reed

ZEPHYR COVE – Douglas County School District is moving forward with plans to sell the former Kingsbury Middle School site.

Superintendent Lisa Noonan briefed the board at its meeting this month about her intention to begin tackling all the state statutes involved with selling school property as well as concerns the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency may have.

One issue the district will look into is whether the coverage at KMS can be transferred to other school sites in Lake Tahoe.

The old middle school is in its third year of sitting idle. Declining enrollment forced the district to consolidate the three lake schools into two, with Zephyr Cove Elementary becoming a K-6 and Whittell High a 7-12.

“I know this is not the best economic climate to sell real estate, but it is a unique piece of property,” Noonan told the board. “I would love to see its next life contribute to the community even if it is not a Douglas County School District facility.”

The plan is to have at least one forum at the lake to discuss the future of the KMS site.

In other action:

• Sharla Hales is president of the board, Tom Moore vice president, and Karen Chessell clerk.

• B Gorman, executive director of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, gave a presentation about the Prosperity Plan.

• The board gave the superintendent direction to speak with Jacks Valley Elementary parents about consolidation issues as well as possibly making the school a K-8.

By Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe Community College is creating a different kind of educational environment – a rail jam and more next month.

The nearly all-day event on Feb. 12 is being called the LTCC Winter Expo.

It is the brainchild of Kurt Green, interim dean of Instruction and Social Sciences.

Sierra, Kirkwood and Heavenly are sponsoring the rail jam that will be from 5-10pm that Saturday. The fee to enter has not been set, but signups will be just before the competition begins. Ages 9 and older may enter. Cash prizes will be awarded.

The festivities will begin at 2pm with local bands playing.

All of this will be in the parking lot near the Duke Theatre on the campus of the South Lake Tahoe college.

The night will wrap-up with a movie – possibly something from a local filmmaker – in the theater. It will start when the rail jam finishes.

College officials are hoping the event grow through the years to include more things to do.

Check the college website for updates.

By Robert Reich

Over the long term, the only way we’re going to raise wages, grow the economy and improve American competitiveness is by investing in our people – especially their educations.

Yet we’re falling behind. In a recent survey of 34 advanced nations by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, our kids came in 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading. The average 15-year-old American student can’t answer as many test questions correctly as the average 15-year-old student in Shanghai.

I’m not one of those who believe the only way to fix what’s wrong with American education is to throw more money at it. We also need to do it much better. Teacher performance has to be squarely on the table. We should experiment with vouchers whose worth is inversely related to family income. Universities have to tame their budgets for student amenities that have nothing to do with education.

But considering the increases in our population of young people and their educational needs, and the challenges posed by the new global economy, more resources are surely needed.

Robert Reich, former U.S. secretary of Labor, is professor of public policy at UC Berkeley and the author of the new book “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future.” He blogs at www.robertreich.org.

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St. Theresa School’s crab dinner is Feb. 4.

The dinner and auction are the South Lake Tahoe school’s major fundraiser.

Doors open at 6pm with a cash-only bar. The sit-down dinner is served at 7pm. In addition to crab served two ways, pasta, salad and veggies are on the menu.

There will also be silent and live auctions.

Childcare is available if arranged ahead of time.

Tickets are $40. The event sells out every year. Tickets may be bought at the school (1081 Lyons Ave.) or by calling (530) 544.8944. Drink tickets may also be bought in advance.

To donate cash, goods or services, contact Kelly Shanahan at crabdinnerkelly@hotmail.com or call the number above.

By Henry Fountain, New York Times

For meteorologists and climate scientists, the flooding that has affected the Australian state of Queensland has not been unexpected. It is seen as collateral damage from the current La Niña, a lowering of sea-surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean.

While a typical La Niña — the low-temperature side of the cycle known as the El Niño/Southern Oscillation — usually brings wet weather to the western Pacific, it also brings dry conditions to the Southern United States, including Southern California.

But since late December, Southern California has been hit by severe rainstorms, with some areas receiving nearly a normal year’s worth of precipitation in a few weeks.

“Clearly, to this point, the pattern has not been panning out for Southern California,” said Michelle L’Heureux, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Camp Springs, Md.

When La Niña is in effect, as strong easterly trade winds in the tropical Pacific push warmer surface water to the west, colder water rises in the eastern Pacific to replace it.

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