• Carl Ribaudo, who runs Strategic Marketing Group in South Lake Tahoe, has been appointed to serve a four-year term on the Tahoe Resource Conservation District board.

• The December issue of Sunset magazine has a blurb about the Spooner cabins being a great peaceful get-away.

• El Dorado County Board of Supervisors is having a public hearing Dec. 14 at 10am in Placerville to consider raising fees on Animal Services. If it passes, the fees go up Jan. 1.

• The Boulder Bay project hearing before the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board has been delayed again by the applicant. This means the December Advisory Planning Commission meeting is canceled and the Governing Board meeting will be one day only, Dec. 15.

• Squaw Valley has hired Heath Nielsen as vice president of Commercial and Hospitality Operations and Monty Waugh will be chief financial officer.

• Choices for Children has supplies for families who need them. For more details, click on supplies.

The Spanish Connection Parents Club at Zephyr Cove Elementary School had a celebration of winter on Dec. 2.

Hula hoops are part of the fun. Photo/Tracy Owen Chapman

The event was designed for all families to participate in games, smashing of pinatas, music, dancing and eating traditional Mexican pastries, tamales and beverages.

It’s partly cloudy in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Wind may be an issue. Heavenly first thought it would have to open with some lifts on wind hold, but was able to have them all going.

With a storm on it’s way, skiing in the morning is probably the best choice.

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

By U.S. Ski Team

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta – Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn of Vail made spectacular athletic recovery Saturday to finish second in downhill again at Lake Louise leading a pack of seven Americans into the top 25. Audi FIS Alpine World Cup leader Maria Riesch of Germany earned back-to-back downhill wins as Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley posted another solid result with sixth.

On a critical left turn midway down the course Vonn’s skis released from the snow sending her sailing through the air sideways. The three-time World Cup downhill champion then landed hard on her left hip, immediately bounced up, regained her tuck and continued to charge missing the win by a mere 0.10 seconds.

“I realized I was on my hip and thought I was going into the fence and I just kept thinking ‘get back up, get back up, get back up,'” said Vonn, who attributed the save to her rigorous off season conditioning program. “Somehow I caught my edge and was able to stand back up. Once I was on my feet again I just kept thinking ‘make up time.'”

Mancuso continued to show she’s a contender landing in the top 10 in her last three World Cup downhill races.

U.S. women close out racing in Lake Louise on today.

Official Results, Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, Lake Louise, Dec. 4, 2010, Downhill

1. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:29.60

2. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 1:29.70

3. Dominique Gisin, Switzerland, 1:30.38

4. Daniela Merghetti, Italy, 1:30.44

5. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 1:30.64

–

6. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:30.65

14. Chelsea Marshall, Pittsfield, VT, 1:30.99

15. Alice McKennis, Glenwood Springs, CO, 1:31.03

15. Leanne Smith, Conway, NH, 1:31.03

19. Laurenne Ross, Klamath Falls, OR, 1:31.39

25. Stacey Cook, Mammoth, CA, 1:31.53

–

42. Julia Ford, Plymouth, NH, 1:33.00

The Sierra Ballet Theatre Company will be performing Madeline’s Christmas at MontBleu in Stateline on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 at 7pm.

A Stateline man was arrested by South Lake Tahoe police officers on a slew of chargers in what started as a road rage incident.

A 911 called was placed Dec. 4 at 8:55pm that turned into a handgun brandishing. The caller said a green Chevrolet pickup had been tailgating him until he stopped at a light on Highway 50 near Stateline.

“That was when the tailgater pulled up next to him and pointed a handgun at him,” Sgt. Shannon Laney said in a statement.

Officers located the green Chevy on Lake Tahoe Boulevard near Silver Dollar Ave and conducted a high risk traffic stop. All traffic on Lake Tahoe Boulevard was stopped temporarily while officers took the suspect into custody.

William Coaker was arrested with a .38-caliber handgun and ammunition, more than a pound of marijuana, a machete and a Marine “Ka-bar” knife in his truck, according to Laney. Officers said Coaker admitted to the brandishing and stated he was “in fear for his safety” when he showed the victim the gun.

By Kathryn Reed

The rain and drizzle that have soaked much of the Lake Tahoe Basin for the past few days is expected to turn to snow today.

This will be welcome news for ski resorts that have endured rain and snow in the latest system.

Plenty of room on Upper Powderhorn at Sierra on Dec. 4. Photos/Kathryn Reed

Although the texture of the snow at Sierra-at-Tahoe on Saturday pointed to rain having fallen on the white stuff, the groomers did a great job.

A few bare spots are starting to show, but for the most part the coverage remains good. People could be heard whopping it up in the trees, though most people stayed on the runs where it is safer this time of year.

Snowboarders hike a bit to catch a jump under the Grandview chair.

“A low pressure system developing off the coast of California will impact the Sierra and Western Nevada late Sunday into Monday morning. The low will move inland bringing snow to the Sierra, with mainly rain in the western Nevada valleys,” according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Forecasters are calling for snow levels to start about 7,000 feet before falling to 5,000 feet by Monday morning. Accumulation projections are 8 to 14 inches above 7,000 feet and 4 to 8 inches in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Tuesday’s forecast is for mostly sun, with snow returning that night and continuing into Wednesday.

Daytime highs will be in the upper 30s to low 40s, with overnight lows in the upper 20s.

Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night will keep the Postal Service from delivering the holidays. Between now and Christmas Eve, the Postal Service will deliver 15.8 billion cards, letters and packages across the country and around the world.

The Postal Service expects to deliver nearly 3 billion cards and letters over the holidays and there are more than 3 billion holiday stamps available to handle the volume. This year, a snowman and the words “Happy Holidays” will appear in the upper right-hand corner of greeting cards and letters mailed during the month of December.

During this holiday season, the Postal Service also expects:

* 97 million customers to visit a post office

* 30 million pounds of mail to be delivered to overseas military installations, including Iraq and war zones in Afghanistan

* 4.7 million shipping labels to be printed using Click-N-Ship

The busiest mailing day is set for Dec. 20. More than 800 million cards, letters and packages are expected to be mailed on that day alone, compared to 559 million on a typical day. Dec. 22 will be the busiest delivery day. Staff at the National Operations Center work 24/7 to help navigate mail movement around the world.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The IRS has money to give away — $164.6 million.

This money is the total of refund checks that were undeliverable.

Go online under the “Where’s My Refund?” to see if you are owed money. You will be asked for your Social Security number, filing status and amount of refund shown on your 2009 return. Or call 800.829.1954 to check on your status.

The IRS does not contact taxpayers by email.

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.

You’ll find a large number of great books for adults and young people under $20 in the Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum shop at 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

It is open Dec. 11-18 from 11am-3pm.

For more information, call (530) 541.5458.