Publisher’s note: This is from the November-December 1972 Lake Tahoe Historical Society newsletter.

By Marie Walsh

Some 100 persons turned out to hear Tahoe’s fabled ‘Winter of 1952’ described at the October meeting of the Lake Tahoe Historical Society.

Lake Tahoe Historical Society

“It started to snow on the 11th of January and then it just didn’t quit,” recalled Mrs. Bernhardt. “Even today it’s hard to visualize how deep the snow really was, but to give you an idea – you couldn’t see the houses from the streets, and people were actually skiing off second-story roofs!”

When it first started snowing, Mrs. Bernhardt said that the locals’ main concern was keeping Echo summit open. “We sent the rotary plow up there, but that was to no avail because it got stuck, and Echo was thus closed indefinitely. We then were left with only once plow in the entire South Tahoe area – a push plow—and this was used to keep Hwy. 50 plowed from the Tahoe Sierra Market at the Y, to the Kingsbury Grade intersection. None of the side streets were open during this time, nor was Kingsbury, because that just would have been impossible!”

“With all roads into and out of the basin closed,” she added, “we didn’t have any fresh bread, milk, produce or vegetables. Most of the shelves were bare, but despite this, there was no panic – we didn’t rush off to the store and buy everything in sight like we tend to today because in those days we always used to stock up well in advance of winter. And, no one went hungry because the women baked bread everyday and, most of all, everyone shared. We did a lot of cross-country skiing that winter!”

Among those in the audience who stressed how helpful and cooperative people were that winter was Marie Plimpton, who told of the time that a local resident was thought to have had appendicitis, Mrs. Plimpton said that after Dr. Neff had skied over to the home of his patient, and had found her condition to be serious, he notified the Coast Guard – it was then that 150-200 residents all went out to beat down a path out to the lake so that Betty Hogan could be transported to the waiting plane in a toboggan.

Del Laine mentioned that “people on the outside were more nervous than those stranded at the lake.” She said that one of Bob Wakeman’s favorite stories of that winter concerns the time that several of the locals were down a Fenn Barkley’s market when, all of a sudden, they saw a plane circling overhead. After a packaged bundle was dropped in the woods behind the market, those that ere there put on their skis and took off to see what it was, thinking perhaps that it might be fresh meat. “It wasn’t meat at all, but bundle of the Lake Tahoe News [which were then printed in Minden, Nev.] telling us we were snowed in.”

And Ann Celio, who was one of those actually ‘snowed-out’ during those 28 days, spoke of the time that she and her husband were told that Echo was finally going to be opened. “We made it as far as Frog Pond, to about where Echo Creek crosses the highway, and found that the plow hadn’t opened the road any farther east. Norm go out of the car and asked the snow plow operator if he could ride with him to our home so that he could get his plow and help clear out more of the area. When they reached the corner of Sawmill Road and Highway 50, they came across 16 or 17 cars buried in the snow, an filled with half-frozen people.”

“Evidently,” Mrs. Celio continued, “quite a few residents had been stranded inside Ethel’s Pie Shop that snowy afternoon, and when the fuel oil inside the building had run out, they’d all gotten into the cars and turned on the motors to keep warm. By the time the two men had found the cars, though, the snow had just about buried the cars and the gasoline was exhausted. Norm said the visibility was zero, and that it took from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. to get those cars out.

“Many still ask if we were frightened that winter,” said Mrs. Bernhardt. “There were a great many hardships, I’ll admit, but I guess we were just having too much fun to worry.”

“As I look back on it, I remember it as a time of sharing, real neighborliness and a time of getting together and doing things with all our friends. Sometimes it takes a catastrophe to get people to live this way, but of course a winter like this would never happen again because of our modern snow plow equipment.”

By Carlos Alcalá, Sacramento Bee

Matthew Boger, Tim Zaal and Davida Wills Hurwin will make a rare joint appearance in Placerville Jan. 29.

Boger and Zaal are the nationally known anti-hate speakers whose bizarre and inspiring story began when Zaal participated in a punk group that nearly beat Boger to death.

The two men later became friends at the L.A. Museum of Tolerance after Zaal abandoned his violent life. Hurwin turned their stories into a novel for young adults that was featured on Oprah.

Read the whole story

Brian Hannink became the newest officer with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department on Jan. 10.

Hannink joins the force after serving as an officer in Manteca for 1½ years.

South Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler, right, on Jan. 10 swear in Officer Brain Hannink. Photo/Provided

A highlight of the ceremony included Hannink’s father, Bruce, “pinning on” his son’s badge.

Hannink graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in history from Dordt College in Iowa. Despite living in relatively flat places, Hannink is a snowboarder.

Hannink’s first week includes a variety of administrative tasks. Next week he’ll begin working the streets with field training Officer Ric Martinez.

Applicants are being sought among Nevada high school seniors for the annual $1,000 June Stannard Memorial Scholarship to pursue a college degree that will lead to a career in the tourism industry.

The scholarship was created in 2008 to honor the memory of June Stannard, a longtime operations manager for the Winnemucca Convention Center and avid supporter of Nevada’s tourism industry

Deadline for submitting applications is March 11 and the forms and instructions are online at www.cowboycountry.org. The Cowboy Country Territory Advisory Committee, which manages the scholarship program, promotes tourism for northeastern Nevada and is affiliated with the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a Nevada resident and high school senior graduating in June who has chosen to seek a degree in the hospitality, travel or other tourism-related industry at an accredited college or university. The scholarship is intended to be used for academic purposes such as tuition, educational fees, room, board or books.

Applicants must describe in 500 words or less their reasons for pursuing studies in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. The winner will be announced April 7 following the annual awards dinner at NCOT’s Rural Roundup conference, this year at the CasaBlanca Resort & Casino in Mesquite. The scholarship program will cover expenses for the winner and one chaperon to attend the dinner.

Applications by mail should be addressed to:

June Stannard Memorial Scholarship, attention: Sheree Tibbals, 50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445 or e-mailed to fairgrounds@wmca.net.

Questions about the scholarship should be addressed to Sheree Tibbals by e-mail at fairgrounds@wmca.net, or call (775) 623.2220.

Moonie is a nice older Lab-terrier mix who is 8 years old. She has lived with small children and other dogs, though she does like to be in charge and would like to meet your dogs before she can go home.

Her last owners let her roam the streets and never claimed her when she came to the shelter.

Moonie is still very energetic and would make a good pet for an active household.

Moonie is spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated.

She is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes.

Call (530) 573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet. For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go to online.

— Karen Kuentz

Douglas County Sheriff’s Department and Reno Police Department are partnering to support the Crime Prevention Conference for area property owners, managers, and law enforcement officials.

This is an innovative, law enforcement based crime prevention solution designed to help “Keep Illegal Activity out of Rental Property”.

The free conference is Jan. 13 from 8am-5pm at the Carson Valley Inn, 1627 Highway 395, Minden.

The program was developed in 1992 by Tim Zehring, a retired 22-year veteran of the Mesa (Ariz.) Police Department.

The program consists of three phases that must be completed under the supervision of your local law enforcement agency. Property managers can become individually certified after completing training in each phase and the property becomes certified upon successful completion of all three phases.

The anticipated benefits are reduced law enforcement calls for service, a more stable resident base, and reduced exposure to civil liability.

When drug criminals and other destructive tenants operate out of rental property, neighborhoods suffer and owners and landlords pay a high price. That price may include:

• Decline in property values — particularly when the activity begins affecting the reputation of the neighborhood.

• Property damage arising from abuse, retaliation, or neglect; property damage from police raids.

• Fire resulting from manufacturing or growing operations. Civil penalties, including temporary closure of the property — or even property seizure. Loss of rent during the eviction and repair periods.

• Fear and frustration when dealing with dangerous and threatening tenants. Increased resentment and anger between neighbors and property managers.

• The loss of other valued tenants.

To reserve a spot, call Melanie Arnold at (775) 790.6694.

By Carlos Alcalá, Sacramento Bee

Imagine a gold nugget the size of a small fruitcake.

Fred Holabird, a mining geologist, doesn’t have to imagine, because a gold prospector brought one into his Reno office in 2010.

Holabird remembers shouting, “Oh, my God!” or something similar, but unprintable in a family newspaper.

“I made some exclamation that was very, very loud,” Holabird said Tuesday.

Holabird will auction what is now dubbed the Washington Nugget in March.

The stunning piece of gold was literally turned up from the ground near the town of Washington in Nevada County. It weighs nearly 100 ounces.

Read the whole story

Mother, wife and community volunteer Michelle Feeney is known for dedicating her extra time in the Lake Tahoe community – from poverty to nutrition, she is devoted to making changes in the area.

She has worked for Barton Health at the Community Clinic, Barton Family Medicine and is now joining Dr. Jennifer Ehmann at Barton Pediatrics as a nurse practitioner.

Michelle Feeney

“Dr. Ehmann has been our [family’s] pediatrician and I know what an excellent provider she is,” Feeney said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to collaborating with her to provide great continuous medical care for her patients.”

Feeney emphasizes the importance of building strong relationship between the medical provider, the patient and their parents.

“Consistency is very important to detect the subtle changes in children as they grow and develop,” she said. “This long-standing relationship helps provide the best care for the child.”

Feeney obtained a bachelor’s degree in human biodynamics from Cal and soon after became a registered nurse. She earned a master’s in nursing, specializing as an FNP from the University of San Francisco.

Reno’s National Automobile Museum will be featured on the Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum” next week. The show takes a look at the strange and curious remnants of America’s past, often accompanied by scandal, mystery, and intrigue.

On Jan. 11 Travel Channel will be airing two all-new episodes of “Mysteries at the Museum” beginning at 8pm and will feature some of the nation’s most revered museums, including the National Automobile Museum.

Also featured in the show are:

Sterling Memorial Library: An old letter, accidentally discovered in Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library, describes a crime of horrendous sacrilege, purportedly carried out by a group of Yale students in the days of World War One. What unspeakable scandal does this letter describe and did the members of this Nation’s most powerful secret society actually pull it off?

Museum of Science and Industry: Inside the Museum of Science, a mechanical relic is also at the center of a shocking story. It’s a prototype of an early electric motor and it sparked a war between two of the world’s greatest inventors, each racing to become the FIRST to distribute electricity to millions of homes across America. Who won “the war of the currents”? And how did this motor utterly transform our world?

National Automobile Museum: One of the coolest cars at the National Automobile Museum of America, is an ultramodern sports car best remembered for its starring role in the 1985 Hollywood blockbuster, Back to the Future. But the real-life story of the DeLorean is more dramatic than any movie. How did one of the most anticipated, most hyped become one of the biggest blunders in automotive history?

Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum: The most interesting exhibits inside The Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum are related to this legendary warships own service at sea. In its collection are 4 mysterious objects. At first glance, they look like mere mechanical debris, but these are actually the twisted remains of one of the most dreaded weapons of World War Two — one that nearly destroyed this very ship.

Museum of History and Industry: The Museum of History and Industry tells the story of Seattle’s rise to prominence. Of the numerous items on display, a simple 120 year-old pot played a bigger role in shaping Seattle’s history than any other — but, in doing so, it had to destroy the city first.

The Henry Ford Museum: In Dearborn, Mich., the Henry Ford Museum specializes in trains, planes and automobiles of all kinds. But one of the most important machines on display is an old wooden airplane called a Curtiss JN4. How did this primitive plane launch one of the most bizarre chapters in aviation history and help revolutionize air transportation along the way?

Publisher’s note: This is from the September 1973 Lake Tahoe Historical Society newsletter.

Speaker at the August meeting was Joan Benner, Ranger for the California State Parks and Recreation Department at Lake Tahoe. Joan gave a delightful talk on the history of Sugar Pine Point from the development in 1903 of the I.W. Hellman summer estate to its present use as a State Park.

Mr. Hellman’s daughter married Mr. Sydney Ehrman and the term “Ehrman Mansion” is still used to describe the large home. The building was designed by Walter Danforth Bliss who also did the Tahoe Tavern. The Ehrman family used the property as a summer residence and employed a large household staff. The grounds were beautifully kept with native plants and large lawn on the lakeshore. Eight gardeners were employed to tend the grounds. Outbuildings include the “Phipps Cabin” near the outlet of General Creek, built in 1870, caretakers cabins, two boat houses, a carriage house, a water tower-residence building, bath houses, and a smaller three bedroom home near the tennis court.

Guests breakfasted in their rooms but dining was served formally. The original table in the large dining room seated 30. The first floor of the home is cold with the only heat originally from fireplaces in the dining room and living room. The second floor had heat only in the two end bedrooms, which have fireplaces. As electricity was installed heaters were used and in later years an elevator was installed from the first to the second floor for Mrs. Ehrman’s use.

The State of California acquired this property in the 1960s with a total of 1,925 acres with 7,700 feet of lakeshore. The property is in two parcels with approximately 235 acres between Highway 89 and the lake and the remainder west of the Highway bordering General Creek. The State recently opened the General Creek campground on the property west of the highway and now maintains the lakeside property as a day use facility. The mansion is open for tours afternoons through the summer with the cooperation of the Advisory Committee to the Tahoe State Parks. The Phipps cabin is open when possible and has been restored to its original condition, furnished with pieces appropriate to its use.

We are fortunate to have this beautiful property available to State Parks visitor and grateful to Joan Benner for her informative talk.