By Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee
Say what you will about Gilbert Maines — and plenty of people have, recently — but no one can say he’s not a fighter.
The embattled former attorney for Nancy Garrido plans to return to court today in yet another bid to get back on the case.
“I’m doing what my client has asked me to do,” Maines said Friday. “I don’t have a choice.”
Lodging properties at Lake Tahoe receiving a Four Diamond designation from AAA for 2010 are Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village and Resort at Squaw Creek. Ciera Steak + Chop House at MontBleu in Stateline is the one restaurant to earn that designation.
Weidinger Public Relations in Stateline hits the 25-year mark this year.
With a March deadline approaching, only one candidate remains in the field to replace retiring Placer County District Attorney Brad Fenoccio – that’s Placer County Assistant District Attorney Ronald “Scott” Owens.
On Jan. 27 the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is expected to vote on an affordable housing project for Kings Beach.
Hot August Nights, usually a Reno car gig, is expanding to the South Shore. For more info, go to www.hotaugustnights.net.
Publisher’s note: This is reprinted with permission from the January 2006 issue of the Tahoe Mountain News. The Black Bear Inn now has a cookbook for purchase full of breakfast recipes.
By Kathryn Reed
Living in Tahoe provides for some spectacular weekends — like the one just before the holidays arrived. How can you beat 10 bucks to ski at Kirkwood without crowds and on snow that was in stellar condition because of the bitter cold temps? Two days later I’m wolfing down the best breakfast I’ve had on the South Shore, wishing I had it before my day on the slopes.
That’s one thing Kevin Chandler and Jerry Birdwell, owners of the Black Bear Inn on Ski Run Boulevard, take into account when they whip up one-of-a-kind concoctions in their kitchen — what will stay with skiers and boarders as they schuss through mounds of powder?
As delicious as breakfast was this particular Sunday morning, it’s a shame you have to be a guest at the bed and breakfast (or write a food column) to be able to experience it. I spent a little more than an hour watching them create a breakfast that I’ve never seen here before.
They arrive in the kitchen about 6 each morning. Each is wearing a white chef coat with his name stitched beneath the Black Bear emblem. Breakfast is served to guests from 8:30 to 9:30am. Those staying in the cabins have the option of breakfast being delivered to them. People in the lodge eat at one of the downstairs tables.
The way they work in tandem it’s hard to know they’ve never had any formal culinary training. They’ve learned on the job since opening the inn March 5, 1999. The commercial kitchen has one sink just for hand washing, one for food washing, one for dish washing. Pans hang over the island. Bins of utensils (more whisks and spatulas than most people would know what to do with) sit above the gas range.
Each day of the week something different is served so their guests (the inn has 10 rooms, each accommodating two people) don’t ever indulge in the same dish twice. They graciously accommodate any dietary restrictions or food allergies.
On this particular morning eggs Benedict is being whipped up. Birdwell’s special orange hollandaise sauce is like none I’ve had. The coffee cake is so moist. Chandler assembled a topping for his baked tomato that the party of seven next to me raved about. This was something I would have never thought of for breakfast, but turned out to be a perfect complement to rest of the meal. The fourth item was a poached pear that melted in my mouth.
If you can’t take a vacation in Tahoe and stay at the Black Bear Inn, here is one recipe to make you feel like you’re there.
Jer’s Pears
10 Bartlett Pears
½ pound butter
¾ to 1 Cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
Brandy to taste (optional)
Peel pears. Thinly slice bottom off so pear will sit upright in pan. Use melon baller to core pears.
In skillet, add all ingredients except pears until butter is melted and everything is mixed together. Pour some of the mixture inside each pear. Pour the rest on the outside of each pear.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
The thing about these pears is that not only do they make for an unusual breakfast item, but they would be ideal with any meal of the day. And just think what they’d be like with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream for dessert.
For more information about the inn, go to www.tahoeblackbear.com.
By Kathryn Reed
Every year the South Lake Tahoe Parks and Recreation Department writes checks for about $140,000 to cover its utility bills. That’s about to be cut by 40 percent.
With the approval this month by the City Council to spend $797,461 to retrofit the city’s swim complex that was built in 1975, the city expects to see a savings in the first year.
Lighting at the 55,000-square-foot building will be replaced with high efficiency low wattage electronic ballasts. T8 extended performance fluorescent lamps are also part of the changes.
Installation will take place outside of normal business hours so the work doesn’t disrupt the operation of the swim center.
Another major change is to the boilers and how the system will generate electricity to enable the nearby ice rink to operate off the grid.
A trench will be built this spring to link the pool and ice rink. A driveway separates the two buildings.
The turbine being installed to heat the pool will create electricity. That electricity will then be used to operate the ice rink.
Aircon Energy out of Sacramento was selected to do the work. Seventeen companies were considered. The process started two years ago, with the council selecting Aircon in April 2008.
“The Aircon Energy design includes improved lighting and energy efficiency, building heating systems and air handlers, swimming pool water heating, movements and filtration, also the pools air structure [bubble] blower and air heating exchanger,” Gary Moore, Parks and Rec director, wrote in his Jan. 12 staff report. “The greatest component of the project is the install of a Micro-turbine which will produce the electrical power to run the Ice Arena while capturing 100 percent of the heat for usage. All systems equipment is premium high efficiency in relation to energy savings.”
The city is paying for this through $100,000 from the Rec Department’s capital improvement fund, with the remainder being a 3 percent 15-year loan from the California Energy Commission.
Projections show the energy savings will more than pay for the loan. Moore expects to have a net savings of $1.4 million during the 25-year life of the equipment. Energy savings will be more than $2.26 million in that time or more than $90,000 a year.
“It is a huge savings, but think about the 200 tons of carbon — the pollution — we are eliminating on those two facilities,” Moore told Lake Tahoe News after the council OK’d the expenditure.
The city looked into solar and wind power, but neither would work well at the recreation complex off Rufus Allen Boulevard.
With the pool and ice rink in high demand seven days a week, Moore knows it will take a coordinated effort to make sure patrons are not too inconvenienced as the work commences this summer.
What: “Snowball’s Chance” author David Antonucci presents a complete account of the preparations, pageantry, ceremonies, competitions and epilogues of the historic VIII Olympic Winter Games. Books will be available for purchase following the presentation.
This program is free and refreshments will be provided.
Where: Explore Tahoe: An Urban Trailhead, 4114 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in the Heavenly Village next to Cecil’s Plaza.
When: Jan. 28, 6pm
For more information, contact Lauren Thomaselli at (530) 542.4637 or lthomaselli@cityofslt.us.
By USSA
LAKE PLACID — The last stop for freestyle athletes to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team touches down in Lake Placid Jan. 21-24 for three days of excitement with aerials, moguls and ski cross competitions at the Nature Valley Freestyle Cup.
“Lake Placid is a pivotal event for our athletes with the final chance to qualify for the Olympic Team,” said U.S. Ski Team Freestyle Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen. “The battle is especially intense in both men’s and women’s moguls where we still have a large number of athletes who have a chance to get on the podium and possibly grab an Olympic spot. I expect to see an amazing competition in Lake Placid.”
The Nature Valley Freestyle Cup kicks off Jan. 21 with moguls, where the likes of World Champion Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and Olympic contender Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) will each be fighting their way down the bumps for a World Cup win.
Even being the last event in Olympic selection, there will still be a large number of athletes who can hit it big and qualify for the Team so competition is expected to be intense.
On Friday night a huge crowd is expected at the Intervale Jump Complex as the focus then shifts to aerials at its finest – under the lights. There, Jeret “Speedy” Peterson could attempt his famous “Hurricane” jump, and teammate Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) hopes to lock in her trip to Vancouver.
Known for the grueling training regiment he puts down each summer in Lake Placid, World Champion Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) is looking forward to competing in his home away from home.
“Coming back to Lake Placid is awesome for me because it feels basically like a home base,” St. Onge said. “I train there five to six months out of the year and for me to get to back and compete there, it’s almost a home court advantage.”
Aerials finals begin at 8pm with qualifying earlier in the day.
The weekend wraps up that Sunday with a ski cross race during which fans can catch X Games gold medalist Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA), and up and coming female crosser Caitlin Ciccone (Littleton, NH) in their last stop before the sport’s Olympic debut. Rahlves narrowly missed a World Cup win, finishing second earlier in January.
“Lake Placid is a great place to showcase the newest Olympic sport of ski cross,” said Coach Tyler Shepherd.
Qualifying is set for Saturday beginning at 10:15 with
“We anticipate another amazing event in Lake Placid, with Olympic spots on the line every day,” said USSA Vice President, Events Calum Clark. “Lake Placid is a great partner and fans can expect to see the best athletes in the world putting on quite a show each day.”
The 2010 Olympic Freestyle Team will be named Jan. 26.
South Tahoe Public Utility District’s board of directors will meet Jan. 21 from 11am-2pm to discuss policy issues related to state mandated water meter law.
The meeting will be at the district’s board room located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe.
Issues to be discussed will include the water meter installation program, water meters for new construction, water conservation legislated mandates, and a time line for a future metered rate study.
While a quorum of the board may be attending the workshop, there will be no action taking place on their behalf. This meeting will include a working lunch for board members and designated staff. A pre-arranged lunch can be purchased by contacting Susan Rasmussen at (530) 543.6216 or srasmussen@stpud.dst.ca.us at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
South Tahoe Public Utility District’s board of directors will meet Jan. 21 from 11am-2pm to discuss policy issues related to state mandated water meter law.
The meeting will be at the district’s board room located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe.
Issues to be discussed will include the water meter installation program, water meters for new construction, water conservation legislated mandates, and a timeline for a future metered rate study.
While a quorum of the board may be attending the workshop, there will be no action taking place on their behalf. This meeting will include a working lunch for board members and designated staff. A pre-arranged lunch can be purchased by contacting Susan Rasmussen at (530) 543.6216 or srasmussen@stpud.dst.ca.us at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
By Eddie Pells , Canadian Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Snowboarder Danny Davis won’t have a chance to dedicate his Olympics to a fallen friend after a season-ending back injury suffered when he crashed his four-wheeler into a closed gate outside a house in Utah.
Davis, who is good friends with injured halfpipe rider Kevin Pearce, was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday to repair a vertebrae in his lower back. A message on his Facebook site said Davis would not be competing in remaining snowboard events in 2010.
The Summit County sheriff’s department in Park City, Utah, released a statement that said Davis was leaving a housing development at around 3:30am Sunday, after celebrating his victory in a Dew Tour halfpipe event, and was knocked unconscious when he crashed his four-wheeler into a closed metal gate on a private driveway.
The South Lake Tahoe Friends of the Library invites current and potential members to its next meeting at noon Jan. 21 at the South Tahoe Branch Library conference room at 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.
Proceeds from book sales and projects support the library year-round with children’s programs, guest speaker programs, book and technology purchases and more.
For more information, call Gail Kolb at (530) 545-9195.