South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena is conducting sign-ups for skate school and hockey school sessions.

Adult hockey players can sign up for Fall League, which will have divisions for all ability levels. Place your name on the “Free Agent List” if you don’t know of a team to join.

For more information come by the arena at 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe or call (530) 542.6262.

Police are looking for man who tried to snatch a 10-year-old boy from the Y area of South Lake Tahoe while he was on his bike.

The youngster was riding with two friends about 6pm Friday near Eloise Avenue and Third Street when the suspect drove his truck in front of the boy and tried to block his path.

The victim stopped and immediately began to back up and turn his bicycle around. The suspect got out of his truck and lunged at the boy in an attempt to grab hold of him, according to a press release.

The victim was able to pedal his bicycle away from the suspect, who had unsuccessfully grabbed the back of the boy’s shirt. The suspect returned to his truck and tried to overtake the boy on his bicycle. The victim escaped by riding his bicycle off the roadway and through various alleys and business parking lots, police said.

“We are working on what we have,” Sgt. Josh Adler told Lake Tahoe News Sunday afternoon. He said there is no reason to doubt what the boys are saying.

The victim and his two friends told officers the suspect drove around the area for a few minutes.

The suspect is described as a thin white male adult with a tan complexion, about 5-feet-9 inches tall, medium length brown hair that is spiked in the front, and a trimmed goatee.

He was driving a white full size pickup, late 1990s model, with an extended or crew cab and a black bug shield.

The three boys told police they did not recognize the man.

If anyone has information, contact the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at (530) 542.6100. Reference case No. 1001-1246.

By Lindsey Sine, USSA

PARK CITY -– The first leg of Heather McPhie’s (Park City, UT) Olympic dreams were achieved Saturday night as she finished second at the Visa Freestyle International to lock her spot on the 2010 Olympic Team. McPhie was joined on the podium by teammate Michelle Roark (Denver) who threw her name in the Olympic running, finishing third.

The clear winter night belonged to McPhie who, only two days earlier, had her first World Cup victory. There was electricity in the air for the Park City resident as she took in the feeling of World Cup success, and more importantly, a future as an Olympian.

“Amazing. My season just keeps building. It’s been really, really awesome. Working with the coaches and the support staff has been awesome and I’ve been able to lay it down,” McPhie said. “My biggest goal for this event was to find that next gear. I didn’t know how to quite turn the dial and I did it two days in a row.”

McPhie and Roark led the way for the U.S. to take four of the top five spots with Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) finishing fourth and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) fifth.

While her spot on the 2010 Olympic Team is assured, McPhie isn’t planning on slowing down any time soon as she competes her hardest day to day.

Also nearing another Winter Games is Roark, who with her third place finish is happy to have the momentum back in her skiing. And it came on the same venue where a win four years ago sent her to Torino.

And Roark’s skiing was elevated thanks to some help from some special friends – Olympic medalists Toby Dawson and Jonny Moseley, as well as Jeremy Bloom.

“I went back this summer and interviewed a bunch of athletes that had been successful – Johnny Moseley, Toby Dawson Jeremy Bloom – and they all gave me some advice,” Roark said. “I went back and read the rule book and realized a good turn is a nice carved turn, not a sliding turn. So I was like, ‘alright what do I have to do to change my turns,’ because I was a good slider.”

In only his second appearance in a World Cup competition, Jeremy Cota (Steamboat Springs, CO) led the way for the U.S. men, finishing seventh. Guilbaut Colas of France won, followed by Australia’s Dale Begg-Smith in second and Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada in third.

While his 14th place finish wasn’t a big deal for him, with two second places on the World Cup this season, Wilson also essentially locked in his ticket to Vancouver with one competition left to go in the season.

With the Visa Freestyle International wrapped up, the freestyle world moves along to Lake Placid for the final World Cup competitions prior to the 2010 Games Jan. 21-24.

Olympic moguls spots are still up for grabs in Lake Placid. On the men’s side, Deneen has a spot from Olympic Trials, while Wilson has virtually locked his spot on the basis of a pair of seconds last month. Nate Roberts (Park City, UT), who crashed in qualifications both days at Deer Valley, is the only other man with a podium. The USA will name up to four men.

In women’s moguls, Kearney has the Olympic Trials spot with McPhie clinching her berth. Both Roark and Bahrke have third place finishes.

The Nature Valley Freestyle Cup at Lake Placid opens with moguls Thursday afternoon.

Park City, Jan. 16, 2010, Moguls

Men

1. Guilbaut Colas, France, 26.80

2. Dale Begg-Smith, Australia, 26.21

3. Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada, 25.95

4. Mazime Gingras, Canada, 25.20

5. Nobuyuki Nishi, Japan, 25.19

–

7. Jeremy Cota, Steamboat Springs, CO, 24.90

9. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA, 24.77

11. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, CO, 24.72

14. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 17.41

(16 make finals)

17. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA, 23.30

23. Shane Cordeau, Sun Valley, ID, 22.74

24. David Babic, Washington, VT, 22.51

30. Joe Discoe, Ridgway, CO, 21.33

48. Dave DiGravio, Farmington, ME, 11.20

58. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT, 0.00

Women

1. Jennifer Heil, Canada, 25.59

2. Heather McPhie, Park City, UT, 24.93

3. Michelle Roark, Denver, 24.91

4. Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT, 24.89

5. Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City CA, 24.88

–

12. Shelly Roertson, Reno, NV, 22.52

13. Eliza Outtrim, Steamoat Springs, CO, 22.05

16. Laurel Shanley, Squaw Valley, CA, 4.23

(16 make finals)

36. Heidi Kloser, Vail, CO, 13.20

45. Emiko Torito, Denver, 0.00

By USSA

MARIBOR, Slovenia — Austria’s Kathrin Zettel won for the second consecutive day as the U.S. Ski Team was unable to land a finalist in Sunday’s Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom in Maribor, Slovenia.

“Today was just a tough day all around,” said U.S. women’s head coach Jim Tracy. “They were out there competing and it just didn’t happen.”

Zettel trailed compatriot Marlies Schild by more than a second after the first run, but Schild skied out to meet the same fate as Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), Megan McJames (Park City, UT) and Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO).

“The conditions were pretty tough, but it’s an outdoor sport,” Tracy said. “We just didn’t get it done today.”

Two-time defending overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) lost her World Cup overall lead with an uncharacteristically slow run, while rival and friend Maria Riesch of Germany gained a 28-point advantage by taking third behind Slovenia’s Tina Maze.

The U.S. women now move into two consecutive weeks with speed events in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy and St. Moritz, Switzerland with Vonn currently leading the World Cup downhill, super G and super combined standings.

The only remaining technical event before the Olympic selection is a giant slalom Jan. 24 in Cortina.

Maribor, Slovenia, Jan. 17, Women’s Slalom

1. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 1:42.98

2. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 1:43.69

3. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:44.26

4. Susanne Riesch, Germany, 1:44.34

5. Sandrine Aubert, France, 1:44.70

–

DNQ: Kaylin Richardson, Edina, MN; Kiley Staples, Park City, UT; Sterling Grant, Amery, WI; Hailey Duke, Boise, ID; Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO

DNF1: Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, CA; Megan McJames, Park City, UT; Sarah Schleper, Vail, CO

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

By Susan Wood and Kathryn Reed

TAHOE CITY — Medals won decades ago, patches that show little wear despite being 50 years old, ski bibs from the eighth Winter Olympiad — they were all in vogue Friday night at the Nordic Legends Dinner.

Some of these athletes, groomers, patrollers and other participants from the 1960 Squaw Valley Games seemed to have the bravado that would allow them to compete next month in Canada if they wanted to.

Nordic Legends Dinner at Granlibakken in Tahoe City on Jan. 15. Photos/Kathryn Reed

But on this particular night it was all about Squaw — what it meant to these men and women.

Granlibakken, which had a rich history before these nearly 250 people came together, was full of chatter as people recalled what it was like to bring the Games to the North Shore. The dinner was just one of many events during Olympic Heritage Week, which ends today, in honor of Squaw Valley’s 50th anniversary of hosting the Games.

The dinner featured various stations dishing out international food and a heavy-hitter lineup of skiers, competitive athletes, groomers, coaches and volunteers sharing stories about an event steeped in history, unity and goodwill.

Three large screens depicted still photos and film shot at the VIII Winter Olympics as well as crews making it all a reality.

Here are a just a few of the people from the dinner and their stories:

Chummy Broomhall

It’s hard to believe Chummy Broomhall was born in 1919. His enthusiasm for Nordic

Chummy Broomhall

events is practically contagious. He didn’t compete in the 1960 Games, instead, he is credited with designing the cross country trails for those Games and 20 years later in Lake Placid.

But he knows a thing or two about the sport. He competed in the 1948 and 1952 Games, and was in the 10th Mountain Division during World War II.

Squaw’s owner, the late Alex Cushing, brought Broomhall out to determine where best to put the cross country course. Broomhall had it all figured out — the valley between Squaw and what is now Alpine.

“I told the Olympic Committee they used up all my terrain,” Broomhall said after he came back to Squaw and saw the development in preparation for the Games. He came up with Plan B — near McKinney Creek in what is now Sugar Pine Point State Park.

Broomhall told Lake Tahoe News after the dinner he’s excited to see the Olympics return to the West.

“I’ve heard they have nice facilities, but bad weather can jinx the Games,” he warned.

He should know. Broomhall is known for his uncanny ability to battle the weather and move snow around with one of the earliest grooming machines.

Broomhall is a saint of sorts among the sports competitors. He was considered the “chief of the course” of the 1960 Olympic Games.

Mother Nature aside, Broomhall beamed when he spoke of how skiing and working at the Olympics changed his life forever. That’s why he admitted to feeling so connected to the people in the room — even if he didn’t know everyone. Dinner attendees swarmed him like they do a rock star.

He put the attendees in stitches with his colorful stories and his rendition of a cautionary ode to skiers.

Although cross country skiing doesn’t receive the attention in the United States as it does in Europe, Broomhall isn’t convinced it’s a dying sport. He’s comforted by the youth taking it up. A group tried out the course he originally groomed for the Squaw Games, the first to test the restored tracks near Tahoe City.

Hart Axley

Hart Axley, a member of the 1960 Winter Games ski patrol, launched the dinner with a toast, wearing his original ski patrol jacket and distinctive hat.

Hart Axley

Its 105 pins on one side are dedicated to Rocky Mountain destinations, with one noting he’s a member of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame. The Coloradan rarely misses the tight-knit National Ski Patrol reunions in Winter Park, Colo. On the other side of the hat, a row of Olympic pins made it obvious why the evening was important to him. The rest mark ski resorts from everywhere beyond Colorado, including one of Heavenly Valley.

In addition to working on the ski patrol of the Tahoe Olympics, Axley managed the flag detail.

He’s also a heck of singer — he led the audience in a rousing rendition of “God Bless America.”

Joe Pete Wilson

Joe Pete Wilson competed on the U.S. Nordic team in 1960 and says Squaw is still special to him.

“The Olympic Field House was awesome. It provided part of the mystique of Squaw Valley,” Wilson said. “Squaw Valley set the standard for all future Winter Olympic sites.”

He remembers Walt Disney choreographing entertainment every night. Disney also created the Opening Ceremonies.

He said the media was great, joking that, “Even the New York Times could locate California.”

Camaraderie was a huge part of his experience in 1960 and later as a coach.

After Wilson laid out a beautifully crafted story of the experience of the 1960 Winter Games at Squaw, he told Lake Tahoe News the event and subsequently this dinner were “the high point of my life.”

Laszio Fono

At age 81, competitive skier Laszlo Fono recalled escaping war-torn Hungary with

Laszio Fono

wife Paulette and two pairs of cross country skis in pursuit of a better life in the United States. He won the National Nordic Championships in 1959. He wore that medal Friday night.

“It’s my love. It’s in my blood,” he said of skiing, as images from 1960 flashed behind him.

Fono donated those 210cm wooden Nordic skis for the Olympic museum that will be built near the Ehrman Mansion on the West Shore.

“It’s the memory of this,” he said of why he came.

He remembers going to the gold medal hockey game and losing his voice as he cheered for the U.S.

The Fonos ended up in Atherton, south of San Francisco. They have maintained a 69-year friendship with fellow skier and Hungarian Martin Hollay of South Lake Tahoe.

A cast of hundreds

Hollay, who helped design the Nordic trail, was at the dinner, saying he enjoyed seeing his old friends.

U.S. Olympic hockey team right wing Weldon Olson agreed.

“We always like to see each other,” he said.

It was the 1960 hockey team that is the true Dream Team — having beat Russia at a time when it was only amateurs on the ice.

Olson came to the dinner wearing his Olympic team jacket.

Paul Johnson, another member of the gold medal hockey team, remembered the stadium was almost empty by the time the final game was over because it was played so late at night.

People affiliated with Sierra Nevada College got many of the jobs in 1960. One dinner attendee talked about being responsible for keeping the women from using the sauna that was on the men’s side and the funny stories associated with that.

Candace Cable, Chummy Broomhall, Martin Hollay

Candace Cable, a well decorated Paralympian, has a wealth of praise for Broomhall. She reminded the crowd that it was 1960 that the Paralympics started to be staged in the same city as the Olympics, though that didn’t happen until the 1970s for winter sports.

She made sure sit skis were on the Nordic trail the next day when many from this gathering re-enacted the biathlon race (with lasers, not guns) at Sugar Pine Point.

Peter Lahdenpera, who was on the Nordic relay and competed in biathlon, talked about having two left skis waxed just before he was to ski the anchor lap. A screwdriver was found at the last minute so bindings could be changed.

Mac Miller, a fellow teammate, said it was incredible to walk into the stadium, just being there to represent your country.

Bill Lindemann, interpretive specialist with the Sierra District of the California State Parks, emceed the event.

He said the tiller Broomhall used to groom the Nordic tracks should be restored by this summer. It was the state parks system that inherited much of what was built for the Olympics.

That evening it was mentioned that only 1 in 500,000 U.S. residents will become an Olympian. That makes Lake Tahoe all that more special with the contingent that is likely to descend upon Vancouver, British Columbia, next month.

Thirty flags hung in the dining hall to honor each country that had been at Squaw. Lindemann reminded the audience that the five rings making up the symbol of the Olympics represent the continents coming together in peace for peaceful competition.

Publisher’s note: On Jan. 20 read about the memories one South Lake Tahoe resident has from running the Olympic torch in 2002.

Happy new year, Bona Fide friends,

You’ve probably heard of the slow food movement, created in response to fast food ubiquity and the loss of local foods and traditions. In 2010, I’d like to support a slow read movement, one that encourages a deep engagement with reading. This isn’t an anti-technology screed — I’m all for anything that keeps people reading. But I’d like to encourage a commitment to valuing the transformative power of storytelling, and to enriching communities through storytelling. To that end, Bona Fide Books is deepening its commitment to stories that are often shut out of the faster-moving stream. Mountain people & fringe dwellers, send us your news!

Thanks for reading,

Kim Wyatt, editor & publisher, Bona Fide Books

South Lake Tahoe officials and the South Tahoe Public Utility District will meet Feb. 18 regarding redevelopment.

A South Tahoe PUD official plans to be at the Feb. 2 El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting when the city speaks.

For more information about the issue, click here.

The utility district had $845,000 in property tax redirected from Project Area 1 in fiscal year 2008-09 and it will be $886,000 for this fiscal year.

By Kathryn Reed

Time to make a run on the grocery store shelves. It’s that kind of weather forecast.

A series of storms is lined up in the Pacific. They are predicted to hit Lake Tahoe this afternoon.

Snow removal equipment will be put to good use this week. Photo/Kathryn Reed

A winter storm warning has been called for from 4pm Sunday to 4am Tuesday.

Snow levels are expected to reach 5,000 feet on Monday night. Monday night’s storm is likely to have significant winds with it – with ridges hitting 100mph.

Several feet of snow at lake level are in the forecast by the time the week is over.

This means the highways in and out of Tahoe will be closed at different times. That’s why it’s a good idea to stock up on food and candles now because the trucks may take some extra time getting to the basin.

The National Weather Service says, “Travel may become hazardous along Interstate 80 and highways 50 and 89 due to heavy snow and gusty winds Monday and Monday night.”

High temperatures will be in the low 30s most of the coming week, with lows in the high 20s.

Even the Tahoe National Forest issued a warning.

“Travelers and recreationists need to be cautious of rainy, snowy and windy weather all week,” Ann Westling, TNF spokeswoman said in an email. “If heading into the backcountry, check the following website for avalanche conditions: www.sierraavalanchecenter.org.”

South Lake Tahoe officials have sand bags ready. Bring a shovel to either the Rufus Allen Corporation Yard at 1160 Rufus Allen Blvd. or the intersection of David and Ruby lanes to fill a bag.

Placer County Department of Health and Human Services will have free, public H1N1 vaccine clinics through the month of January. Clinics will be offered as follows:

* Jan 19, Placer County Clinic, 8665 Salmon Ave., Kings Beach; 9:30-11:30am and 1-4pm;

* Jan 26, Placer County Clinic, 8665 Salmon Ave., Kings Beach; 9:30-11:30am and 1-4pm;

* Jan. 26, William Jessup University, 333 Sunset Blvd., Rocklin, from 2-6pm; and

* Jan. 28, Adventure Christian Church, 6401 Stanford Ranch Rd., Roseville, from 2-6pm.

The community clinics, which in some cases are in coordination with cities, are open to Placer County residents. There is no cost for any of the vaccinations. Children who need a second dose may also attend the community clinics, or may hear from their schools that clinics have been planned for them.