A winter weather advisory is in effect in Lake Tahoe from 1pm today through 4am Saturday.

Three to 6 inches of snow is being called for at the lake, with 8-14 inches above 7,000 feet. Winds will be from the southwest from 20-30mph, gusting to 50mph. Along the ridges, the gusts could hit 100mph.

Lake Tahoe Community College students don't let snow stop them from going to school. Photo/Kathryn Reed

A wind advisory has also been issued by the National Weather Service for the Reno, Carson City and Carson Valley areas.

Don’t be surprised when the chain and 4-wheel drive requirement on the mountain highways are put up. Blowing snow could impact visibility.

The low tonight is slated to be 21 degrees, 18 on Saturday, 21 again on Sunday and a balmy 30 on Monday night.

The high today may hit 45, with 39 on Saturday, 49 and plenty of sun on Sunday, and 57 on Monday. Those are all for Lake Tahoe.

By Kathryn Reed

“On the run” is about to steamroll through the South Shore as those involved with promoting Ski Run Boulevard use that tagline on all future marketing material.

Events will use it as a marketing tool. The whole area will be branding itself that way. Another way to brand the street is create a logo via a contest.

Consultant Lani Lott records Don Huggins' comments. Photo/Kathryn Reed

In a two-hour workshop on Wednesday at the Blue Angel Cafe Loft, more than 40 people broke into four groups to solidify plans how to ensure the street that runs from Lake Tahoe to the mountains becomes the focus of South Lake Tahoe.

The four board members of the Ski Run Business Improvement District led a group. Barbara Tenney handled marketing, Shannon O’Brien the events, Don Huggins beautification and Brian DesRochers business development.

Before the groups were formed, consultant Lani Lott reminded everyone, “This is for the long term, not something you do for two years and you’re done. This is not a city committee. This is a private organization that will work in partnership with the city.”

That partnership was evident with having a city staff person at each table.

The marketing team talked about being a multi-generational destination, needing to have a good energy, and be the heart of South Lake Tahoe.

The events gang is ready to start farmers markets every Thursday night in the summer, with the first one possibly leading into Memorial Day. Alex Mellon who started the Meyers market last summer plans to run this one from 4-8pm.

Creating new events isn’t the only focus, but tying into existing ones is also a goal. With the Great Lake Tahoe Sternwheeler Race on June 13, it’s logical to be part of that since the Tahoe Queen is docked at Ski Run Marina and is one of the two participating boats.

Though specific events were not mentioned, it was acknowledged that having things to do in the shoulder seasons is imperative.

In the winter, Santa could be at various businesses ‘on the run’ and on New Year’s Eve a family event with a snowflake drop instead of a glittery ball could be staged.

When it comes to sprucing up the street, committee members want to enlist the help of property owners who have let their buildings become blighted and others that allow 3-foot tall weeds to grow.

Consulting with owners of vacant lots was also mentioned so they could be turned into a better use — parks, green areas or developed.

Hanging baskets like the ones Black Bear Inn puts out seasonally were praised and others were encouraged to follow suit.

Having signs on Highway 50 and Pioneer Trail alerting people the boulevard is not just another streetlight was talked about.

Parking and land use issues are big concerns for the business development team. So is having a mix of uses.

“We want it so on every lot there is something to do and it’s eye-catching,” DesRochers said.

The entire group plans to meeting again on April 7, with the committees meeting more often.

By Kathryn Reed

It took about one hour Thursday for a jury to find Joseph and Georgia Silva guilty of a federal hate crime that took place in South Lake Tahoe in July 2007.

The Silvas split their time between the South Shore and Fairfield when the incident occurred at El Dorado Beach. The couple, both in their 50s, were found guilty of the racially motivated assault on Vishal Wadhwa of San Francisco. They were found not guilty of the same charge on his then-fiance Ayesha Wadhwa.

The extent of her injuries did not meet the criteria of the charge, the jury found.

The victims are Indian American. They were visiting Lake Tahoe when the crime occurred.

“When one of the victims attempted to call the police, Georgia Silva assaulted the victim, knocking him to the ground. Joseph Silva then struck the victim and kicked the victim in the head. As a result of this attack, the victim suffered fractures to his facial bones and other bodily injury and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital,” a press release says.

U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez heard the four-day trial in Sacramento where a slew of witnesses took the stand. One of the witnesses was Gary Moore, director of Parks and Recreation for South Lake Tahoe. He was there to explain the beach is public and added that he was a lifeguard there 30 years ago.

Prosecutors found a number of neighbors in Tahoe and Fairfield who had run-ins with the Silvas. One from Fairfield was allowed to testify about the fight involving Joseph Silva wielding a baseball bat and uttering racial slurs at the Hispanic woman and her biracial daughter.

Sentencing will be June 1. They face multiple years in jail and fines.

Aflac Iron Girl Lake Tahoe South Shore Women’s Triathlon Event

September 19

Location: Lake Tahoe South Shore

Women’s Sprint Triathlon

800 Meter Swim – 24K Bike – 5K Run

7:30am race start

By Mark Glover, Sacramento Bee

El Dorado Hills-based Vicom Wireless said Tuesday that it has deployed its first fire-detection system for the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Over two years, Vicom Wireless designed and built a forest fire surveillance and detection system for use throughout El Dorado County.

Read the whole story

Start Smart is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers become aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California driver. The program was created in an effort to preemptively reduce the incidence of teen injuries and deaths resulting from motor vehicle collisions.

Teen drivers and their parents/guardians are cordially invited to attend and participate in a Start Smart class. Recent statistics have shown that in California teenage drivers are injured and are dying in automobile accidents at an alarming rate. Through candid conversations, officers in attendance will address these facts and provide examples of driving tendencies that put young drivers at risk. This program will help you understand that driving is serious and a poor choice behind the wheel of a car can put your life and the lives of others in jeopardy.

The class is March 16 from 6-8pm at the South Tahoe High School Library. All classes are free.

To reserve a space in this Start Smart Class please contact the California Highway Patrol at (530) 577.1001.

California Highway Patrol is offering a Spanish version of the Winter Driving Safety & Survival Class. Winter Driving Safety & Survival is aimed at helping educate all drivers about the hazards of winter driving. The class was created in an effort to preemptively reduce the incidence of injuries and deaths resulting from winter-related motor vehicle collisions and incidents.

With the use of still photographs and videos, the officer in attendance will address drinking and driving, winter preparation, snow tires, speed limits, snow chain installation, anti-lock braking systems, stopping distances, restraint use and more. This class will be conducted in Spanish and does not offer any behind the wheel training.

The class will be March 22 at Bijou Elementary School in South Lake Tahoe and is free. Class is from 6-8pm.

This class is highly recommended for new drivers, drivers unfamiliar with winter driving conditions and drivers wishing to learn more about driving during the winter season.

The Women’s Opportunity Awards program aids women seeking to improve their economic status by gaining additional skills, training and education. The program helps women who, as the primary wage earners for their families, must improve their employment status by entering or returning to the work force.

Women’s Opportunity Awards applicants have faced severe hardships that have prevented them from pursuing and achieving their educational and professional goals. The Women’s Opportunity Awards helps these women rebuild their lives through improved employment opportunities.

The Women’s Opportunity Awards program was created in 1972 by popular vote of the Soroptimist membership. Because of their interest in “upward mobility for women,” members voted overwhelmingly for the creation of an award for training or retraining that would enable women to obtain higher-level jobs.

Since the program’s inception, Soroptimist has funded almost $5.5 million in Women’s Opportunity Awards and has assisted about 1,640 women. In total (including local club activity), approximately $15 million in Women’s Opportunity Awards has been disbursed to about 25,000 women since the program began in 1972.

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra awarded Michelle Harvey this honor this morning.

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe honored Nicole Stimac with the award Wednesday.

Both clubs also recognized their Violet Richardson award recipients this week. The award is in honor of the president of the first Soroptimist club, Violet Richardson, a woman of action, whose indomitable spirit and sense of personal responsibility were demonstrated by her lifelong commitment to volunteering in her community.

Young woman between the ages of 14 and 17 who volunteer in their community or school can apply for this award.

The afternoon club on Wednesday paid tribute to Shanon Piazzo, Melissa Ewing and Alexis Holmes.

The morning club honored Gloriana Pillsbury, Ashni Patel, Hannah Elder and Krisha Penollar on Thursday.

Holmes and Pillsbury will be going on to the regional competition. At the regional level one finalist will be chosen among 28 winners for an additional award.

It’s a bluebird day in Lake Tahoe. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Kathryn Reed

On a 7-0 vote Tuesday, the Douglas County school board agreed Whittell High School should continue with its four-day school week next school year.

This is the first year the 7-12 school in Zephyr Cove has had the shortened school week.

“I think it’s a really good example of a school making structural changes to meet the needs of the community. (With) 80 percent of students in sports and traveling long distances, those are all the reasons we felt a four-day school week was the appropriate structure for our school,” Principal Sue Shannon said.

The board was hoping to have some concrete data in terms of test score performance, but that information isn’t available. Standardized tests are being taken this week, with results available in June.

In April, the board is expected to rule on two modifications Whittell would like to implement next school year. One is to have school on the Fridays of the weeks that include a Monday holiday so classes are in session four days. This will occur five times in 2010-11.

The other change is to take the five days in June for snow days and incorporate them as needed into the April and May calendars.

Surveys of teachers, students and parents were taken to see what they think of the schedule.

The school met with parents before the board meeting. Although only a few showed up, those who did were in favor of keeping the status quo.

“Will we cover the same curriculum? That was my biggest question,” Shannon said.

Seventy percent of the teachers said they are at the same place they were a year ago, while 30 percent are ahead of schedule. Shannon said teachers are able to go deeper into the content because the students are in class. Whereas in the past, so much time was spent on review to account for those who had been absent because of a sport.

On average, students missed 35 periods last year because of athletics. That average is down to seven this school year.

Of the students surveyed, 98 percent said stay with the four-day school week.

The statistics class conducted the survey. One of the questions was whether grade point averages had changed. Fifty percent said it had gone up, 7 percent reported a decline and 43 percent said there was no change. Of course all the variables involved in those changes are not accounted for.

The board is still calling this a pilot program. Even if the board were to make it permanent, the district needs to apply to the state each year for the alternative calendar.