Lake Tahoe News has a variety of advertising options for all sizes of businesses.

The rates are staying the same for 2011 – meaning reasonable and affordable. The longer you sign up for, the less expensive it is.

Everyone has a limited number of advertising dollars. That’s why it is important to spend them wisely and effectively. Look at where you are putting your money now. What is the return on investment? When a customer comes in, do you know how they found out about your business?

Internet is the most common answer. (The phonebook is obsolete. It’s all about Internet searches.) But how did they get to your website?

If the URL for your business is not on websites that are being crawled by search engines, you might as well be advertising in print, which gives you no connection to the masses.

What Lake Tahoe News has is content that is changing daily. This is exactly the kind of site search engines are looking for. This is important because it means every time the search engine is probing LTN, it is hitting every URL on the site. For advertisers, this means two hits – once with the display ad and again with the directory listing. These hits then propel your business’ listing to the top of the pack when customers are doing Google searches and the like.

Clicking on a display ad brings readers-customers to your website. This allows you to provide much more information than any print ad ever could.

If you are ready to get started, contact Lisa Huard at (530) 318.5356.

Going to the top of the page allows you to access all the ad rates and sizes of ads. Click on the word “advertise” and then download the price sheet.

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is looking for ideas for gifts that cost less than $20 to share with readers. Read this for details.

2011 calendars of the Sierra Nevada by Dirk Yuricich are only $12 each. There are 13 images in the calendar, including Lake Tahoe and the Eastern Sierra. Plus, giving this calendar supports a South Shore photographer. The 2011 calendar may be seen on Yuricich’s website.

Yuricich also has boxes of 10 assorted notecards for $20 a box. There are 17 different sets of Lake Tahoe notecards: Tahoe in Winter, Tahoe Sunsets, Fallen Leaf Lake, Tahoe East Shore, Tahoe Trees in Snow, to name a few. There are also more than 50 notecard sets of cities and countries around the world; you can give a gift of 10 images of Italy, Paris, Croatia, Germany, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, and more.

Calendars and notecards are available at Dirk Yuricich Photography Gallery/Studio at 171 Shady Lane on Kingsbury Grade in Stateline. It’s best to call to confirm when the gallery/studio is open.

By Tony Hazarian, Auburn Journal

The Amgen Tour rolls through town in 168 days, bringing thousands of cycling fans and a world television audience in the millions. Is Auburn ready?

The Olympic flame will burn brightly in the Sierra in 4,091 days, if Jon Killoran has anything to say about it. The region should be ready, Killoran said, because the benefits are as broad and deep as the high mountain powder that jump-started this year’s ski season.

“This is a game-changing event, and a way to rebrand this entire area,” Killoran said Tuesday at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s weekly public affairs forum. “And no, it’s not too early to be talking about it.”

Killoran is referring to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. As chief executive officer of the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition, Killoran is on the road these days sharing his passion and drive to bring the Games back to the Sierra after a 62-year wait.

More importantly, he wants people to understand the 12-year window between now and 2022 is much narrower than it looks.

In fact, the Reno-based coalition has only two years to submit its proposal to the U.S. Olympic Committee, which will decide whether to forward the bid to the International Olympic Committee. The IOC deadline is in 2013, with a final selection made in 2015.

Read the whole story

Dec. 6 begins the two weeks during which community members may come into Zephyr Cove Elementary School to choose an ornament off the Giving Tree.

The Giving Tree is an annual event that gives the community a chance to support one another. The gifts listed on the ornaments are for children within the community whose parents are unable to provide them with gifts.

Zephyr Cove Elementary Principal Nancy Cauley with the Giving Tree. Photo/Tracy Owen Chapman

Each ornament has three parts, each with a gift listed on the backside. All of the ornaments are numbered and should be attached to/returned with the gifts purchased.

All gifts are due back to the school by Dec. 16.

North Tahoe Public Utility District General Manager Curtis Aaron is resigning effective Dec. 17.

He is relocating back to Southern California due to family concerns. Aaron joined the district in March 2007.

An Open House will be Dec. 9 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach to bid farewell to Aaron.

“Curtis has made significant contributions to the District in his short time here,” Lane Lewis, president of the board of directors, said in a statement. “In addition to the significant capital projects that have been completed in his tenure, the district has reduced spending and improved administrative operations. He will be missed.”

Paul Schultz, Planning and Engineering manager, has been named the acting general manager. The board will discuss the next steps related to their search for a new General Manager at the Dec. 7 meeting.

By Susan Wood and Kathryn Reed

Hear those bells? Then you are a believer.

Ty Loughlin not only believes in Santa Claus, he has lived the Polar Express story. A year ago he tied the silver bell to his backpack — but it disappeared. Because the 8-year-old boy’s family owns the book and movie he knew somehow it would turn up — with or without a hole in his pocket as the main character had in the story.

He found his bell in time for the second annual Polar Express on Dec. 5 as he got dressed in the afternoon in his snowboarder pajamas. And just in case he had not found his bell from 2009, Santa had plenty of shiny new ones to hand out.

Children surround Mrs. Claus as she reads "Polar Express." Photos/Kathryn Reed

Hundreds of South Shore children boarded the Polar Express on Sunday to be whisked to the North Pole for a dose of Christmas magic. The signature event of the Festival of Trees and Lights wrapped up the three-day fund-raising event for the Barton Community Clinic.

Some kids admitted to having been in their PJs all day. It was the preferred outfit – even for many adults. One father of three in a purple robe getting refreshments said he wished he could dress this way for work every day.

Also aboard the Dancer train car (which closely resembled a big yellow school bus) was Ralston Johnson. The South Lake Tahoe lad, who was born weighing in at an equivalent weight (9.2 pounds) as the elevation (9,200 feet) of the significant peak on the South Shore that he is named after, knew who the star of the day would be. His eyes lit up when asked what he would ask Santa for — a Blackhawk 2 Nintendo game.

He stood up in his polar bear pajamas and said so at the urging of conductor John Marchini, who donned a train conductor uniform and gold pocket watch.

“Doesn’t he look like Tom Hanks?” Ralston’s grandmother Louise Mitchell whispered. The actor played the lead role in the 2004 movie. Marchini had the role down to a science as he kept the bus entertained.

Buses with famous names like Vixen, Dasher, Prancer and Dancer left the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex at 3pm and 6pm, with a stop at the Red Hut Café on Ski Run where elves brought hot cocoa on board for all to sip.

Jude Stackpole, 7, sat with 5-year-old brother Jake for the second year in a row. Jude’s favorite part is the hot cocoa. Last year the Stateline family (dad Patrick was sitting in front of them) boarded the buses in Nevada.

An only-in-ski-country line was overheard describing the Tumbleweed Gymnastics performance in the parking lot of the Red Hut – “the aerialists” is the phrase that was used – much like what these girls see in terrain parks.

Continuing along Highway 50 the bus didn’t go the most direct route to the North Pole. It kept with the storyline by skirting the lake. (An exciting scene in the movie shows the train riding its tracks over a large body of water.)

Despite it being his first time, Ralston looked quite at home at the North Pole’s Festival of Trees at MontBleu in Stateline. His school, Sierra House Elementary, won first place for the best decorated tree with the Peace Tree, which included a peace sign at the tree topper.

Paul Kushner and his Tahoe Belles choir kept the holiday mood going with songs that young and old could sing along to.

As Mrs. Claus read the “Polar Express,” children clamored onto the stage to be close to her in an impromptu way only children can get away with.

Her “husband” was certainly the star of the event — especially because he ordered each child get a silver bell. The significance of which is revealed in the book.

Although the event was designed for the young, there were moments when it was hard to tell who was having more fun — the children or adults.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The Family Resource Center in South Lake Tahoe is seeking community members to adopt kids from age 4 months through 16 years old for Christmas.

This year the need is dire. Kids are asking not for electronics or toys, but warm clothes. There are 26 boys and 22 girls still needing adopting.

Contact the FRC at (530) 542.0740.

By U.S. Ski Team

BEAVER CREEK – Reigning World Cup giant slalom champion Ted Ligety of Park City brought the Colorado crowd to their feet Sunday with a stunning Audi Birds of Prey GS victory, 0.80 over Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud. Austrian Marcel Hirscher was third.

“It’s nice to have this kind of support from the home crowd,” said a beaming Ligety, marking his third podium at Beaver Creek in the last five years. “I’ve been close a lot of years and it feels awesome to finally get it.”

With family, friends and two busloads of young racers from the Park City Ski Team in the stands, Ligety produced an incredible first run, putting him 0.36 ahead of the field. Americans Bode Miller and Warner Nickerson, both of New Hampshire, and Tim Jitloff of Reno also made the second run with Jitloff finishing 23rd, Nickerson 24th and Miller 27th after losing all his speed in a patch soft snow at the top of the course

“Conditions are the best I’ve ever seen at Beaver Creek, hands down,” said Jitloff. “I feel really comfortable here. I think we’re getting around to having five guys that are consistent in the world cup. A lot of credit goes to our coaching staff and they way we’ve prepared.”

Just minutes before the second run, Ligety was cheered on by teammate Lindsey Vonn in an impromptu phone interview with Beaver Creek race announcer and World Championships downhill medalist Doug Lewis over the Red Tail stadium speakers.

Official Results, Audi Alpine FIS World Cup, Beaver Creek, Dec. 5, Giant Slalom

1. Ted Ligety, Park City, UT, 2:37.67

2. Kjetli Jansrud, Norway, 2:38.49

3. Marcel Hirscher, Austria, 2:38.91

4. Romed Baumann, Austria, 2:38.94

5. Askel Lund Svindal, Norway, 2:39.04

–

23. Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV, 2:41.13

24. Warner Nickerson, Gilford, NH, 2:41.19

27. Bode Miller, Franconia, NH, 2:46.35

–

DNQ: Tommy Ford (Bend, OR), Will Gregorak (Longmont, CO), Nolan Kasper (Warren, VT)

By U.S. Ski Team

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta – Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn of Vail returned to the top of the Lake Louise podium Sunday with a commanding super G victory over Maria Riesch of Germany. Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley was third as six Americans finished inside the top 25.

“Today I dropped the hammer a little bit more and believed in myself,” said Vonn, who barely escaped a near-crash on Saturday. “For me the bottom line is never giving up.”

Vonn (1:20.72) crushed the field by nearly a second, just under an hour before teammate and fellow Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety of Park City won the Audi Birds of Prey giant slalom in Beaver Creek. It was the first time since 2006 that two Americans won World Cup races on the same day.

“I was really happy with my run today, I wanted to end the weekend on a positive note and really take advantage of the opportunity,” said Vonn during a live call broadcast over the stadium speakers between giant slalom runs in Beaver Creek. “I skied with aggression and passion and had a great inspection and really nailed the line. I’m extremely happy with the win.”

Sunday’s win marked Vonn’s 14th podium and eighth win in Lake Louise over the course of six years. It was second podium finish in Lake Louise for Mancuso, who stamped an exclamation mark on the incredible skiing she produced throughout the week.

“I just went out of the gate charging. I was psyched to be on the podium,” said Mancuso. “It’s nice to have been skiing really well and consistent in the downhill, so to finish it off with a third place and my best super G result there is refreshing. I’m excited and I think it will just get better through the season.”

Stacey Cook of Mammoth, Laurenne Ross of Klamath Falls, Ore., Alice McKennis of Glenwood Springs, Colo., and Leanne Smith of Conway, N.H., all scored World Cup points, taking positions 20-23.

The next stop on the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup tour is St. Moritz, Switerzland, Dec. 9-12.

Official results, Audi Alpine FIS World Cup, Lake Louise, Dec. 5, Super G

1. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 1:20.72

2. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:21.55

3. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:21.61

4. Anna Fenninger, Austria, 1:21.83

5. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria, 1:22.34

–

20. Stacey Cook, Mammoth, CA, 1:23.78h

21. Laurenne Ross, Klamath Falls, OR, 1:23.79

22. Alice McKennis, Glenwood Springs, CO, 1:23.83

23. Leanne Smith, Conway, NH, 1:23.84

–

31. Chelsea Marshall, Pittsfield, VT, 1:24.51

34. Julia Ford, Plymouth, NH, 1:24.82

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability. Take the opportunity Dec. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center (3050 Highway 50) to become connected and rejuvenated at your local support group.

Refreshments will be served. Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers. Pre-authorization is required for respite services. Questions? Call (530) 621.6151.