By Howie Nave

Hello fans of the humor. Whatever your feelings regarding late night television I can tell you that comedians everywhere are enjoying the mess on NBC happening as you read this.

Whether you’re team — Letterman, Leno or Conan — NBC is the one looking like the biggest loser here.

One thing for sure, O’Brien will go down in TV history as the shortest reigning host of “The Tonight Show”. Whoever gets to be the new host one day better have the most iron clad contract in network history that’s for sure. Until then, comics will offer up the best (if a little mean and caustic) insights as this whole scenario plays out. Enjoy the latest comedic schedule.

Improv schedule at Harveys Stateline

Jan. 27-Jan. 31 Kivi Rogers and David Gee

Feb. 3-7 Vince Morris and Kyle Kinane

Feb. 10-14 Steve White and Graham Elwood

Feb. 17-21 Judy Gold and Gary Canon

Feb. 24-Feb. 28 Willie Barcena and Scott Henry

March 3-7 Will Durst and Jim McCue

March 10-14 Scott Kennedy and Erin Foley

March 17-21 Jackie Flynn and Kevin Flynn

Mar 24-28 Greg Travis and Steve Mazan

March 31-April 4 Billy D. Washington and Don McEnery

April 7-11 Rocky LaPorte and Jay Philips

April 14-18 Jeremy Hotz and David Gee

April 21-25 Mike Pace

April 28-May 2 Scott Record and Carrie Snow

May 5-9 Chris Spencer

Howie Nave is the host/emcee for all shows.

People traveling to Lake Tahoe are looking for a deal and have no problem sifting through data to get what they want.

It’s not that visitors to Lake Tahoe are unique in this respect; it’s just that a study about the basin was released this week.

Rentalo.com, the online lodging directory, performed what it calls an intensive market analysis on its database of 17,951 opted-in travelers who visited the Lake Tahoe area from July 2008 to January 201.

Lake Tahoe draws people to the region. Photo/Kathryn Reed

“In an effort to educate the travel industry, the lodging website has decided to perform and publicly share Lake Tahoe travel demand studies so experts and industry participants may fully understand the dynamics and consumer habits,” according to a press release.

The study shows 63.71 percent of the travelers looking for South Lake Tahoe vacation rentals showed an interest in comparing offers from other accommodation types like hotels and bed and breakfasts.

More than half (54.31 percent) also wanted to receive offers from nearby destinations like Kirkwood, Lake Tahoe, Genoa, Glenbrook, Tahoma, West Shore, Woodfords and Gardnerville.

Just less a third of those looking for South Lake Tahoe vacation rentals sent inquiries three or more months in advance of their stay, 42.37 percent did so within 30 days prior to the arrival date and 24.84 percent was looking one to two months in advance.

South Lake Tahoe is considered a destination for big groups because 49.64 percent of the inquiries were for groups of four or more people. Thirty-six percent were families with children, 11.98 percent were couples and there were no solo travelers.

North Lake Tahoe vacation rentals seekers also like to do comparison shopping, as 67.84 percent of those inquiring accepted to receive offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts. Truckee, Tahoe Vista, Kings Beach, Donner Lake and Olympic Valley were of interest to 37.44 percent of people planning a trip.

Last minute trips are popular in North Lake Tahoe as 53.50 percent of the inquiries for this destination were received 30 days prior to arrival, 21.77 percent were received three or more months in advance, while 22.14 percent were one to two months in advance.

Families traveling with children accounted for 42 percent of the inquiries while 18.01 percent were from couples looking for a romantic getaway, and 39.96 percent were for large groups with four or more people traveling.

Stats on Tahoe City reveal that 58.54 percent of travelers looking for Tahoe City vacation rentals were also interested in comparing offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts.

About 42 percent started looking for accommodations within 30 days prior to arrival, 28.21 percent three or more months in advance and 25.31 percent one to two months in advance.

Tahoe City can be considered a family destination as 46.10 percent of the inquiries were for families with children, 10.53 percent for couples and 43.15 percent for family reunions and big groups of more than four people.

On the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 52.28 percent of the travelers looking for vacation rentals also like to compare offers from hotels and bed and breakfasts. About 11 percent also inquired about nearby destinations like Tahoma, Gardnerville, Carson City, Tahoe City and others.

Those planning a trip a month in advance were 37.93 percent of the travelers, 33 percent planned three or more months in advance and 23.38 percent took one to two months.

According to this study, the East Shore can be considered a family vacation destination since 43.01 percent of the inquiries were from families with children. 21.83 percent from couples looking for romantic getaways and 35.07 percent are from people planning family reunions and larger groups with 4 or more adults and children.

KITZBUEHEL, Austria -– Alpine World Champions Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) and Lindsey Vonn’s (Vail, CO) race bibs from this weekend are up for auction. In a grassroots effort driven by the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup athletes. Both men’s and women’s race bibs from Kitzbuehel, Austria and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – two of the season’s biggest races – are now available to the highest bidder on eBay with all proceeds going directly to the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.

Bibs from Friday’s super G in Cortina, which was won by Vonn, are already up for auction at www.ebay.com (Keyword: cortina haiti), while men’s bibs from Saturday’s 70th running of the famed Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuehel, captured by Swiss Didier Cuche, go online at www.ebay.at (Keywords: haiti startnummer).

In early bidding, start numbers from U.S. skiers Vonn, Miller, and Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) are proving to be the most valuable.

“This is such a huge disaster and it just seems right to do something,” said 2006 Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), who spearheaded the auction on the women’s tour. “I’ve realized that little things can make a big difference. We’re living our dream and inspiring others to do the best that they can. So having a bib in a lot of ways is getting a piece of the excitement.”

Two summers ago, Mancuso and British racer Chemmy Alcott raised over $40,000 for Right to Play by raising money through an ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Each season, all of Mancuso’s bibs are auctioned for charity through her website.

“When you’re racing, you feel like there are so many things that you can control,” said Vonn following her super G win Friday. “But really, there’s so much in the world you can’t control and unfortunately those things affect a lot of people. It’s important for everyone to do what they can and I hope our little bit helps.”

For each side of the tour, there is an athlete working group made up of leaders from each national team. The men’s working group met Thursday and Downhillers for Haiti became the most important message of that voice.

“It’s really cool, it’s from the athletes,” said Scott Macartney (Crystal Mountain, WA), the U.S. Ski Team representative in the men’s working group. “We’re very far away and in a different world, but we’re all thinking about it and trying to do what we can to help support it.”

Each auction closes this weekend, so bid early and bid often.

“Kitzbuehel is the coolest bib we have all season. They’re already personalized with our names, but now they each have our signatures on them as well. Guaranteed, some of these guys are going to be Olympic gold medalists next month.”

Women’s bibs from Cortina are up now at www.ebay.com (Keyword: haiti cortina), and men’s bibs are online at www.ebay.at, (Keywords: haiti startummer). Auctions close Saturday morning.

By Denise Sloan Smart

Most of us take time to exercise, read food labels while grocery shopping and take the time to make good lifestyle choices to lead a healthier life. Now it’s time to make time to get the free H1N1 swine flu vaccine.

Choose Jan. 28 at Bijou Community School or Feb. 3 at South Tahoe Middle School to get your free H1N1 swine flu vaccine, courtesy of Barton Health in partnership with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, El Dorado Public Health Department and Hallador Legacy Fund.

Barton P\pharmacy techs, from left, Michelle Murphy and Tim Mattson are assisted by Barton pharmacy Director Barry Keil in separating the H1N1 vaccines into individual doses. Photo/Provided

These two vaccine clinics are open to everyone ages 6 months and older. It’s also a convenient time for children ages 9 and younger who need a second dose.

“During the holidays, we saw a decrease in the number of H1N1 flu cases,” said Roberta Stillwell, registered nurse and Barton’s Patient Safety Officer. “However officials are expecting the number of cases to spike again before spring and we want to make sure we vaccinate as many people as possible.

“Plus, the risks of being vaccinated far outweigh the risks of not being vaccinated and then catching the H1N1 virus.”

The H1N1 swine flu virus is most dangerous to children, teens, those who have chronic health conditions and pregnant women.

The H1N1 vaccine was manufactured and FDA approved in the same way that the season flu vaccine is created, so it’s just as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine.

Barton Health has not received any of the recalled vaccine doses.

The Jan. 28 clinic at Bijou School is from 4-6:30pm and the Feb. 3 clinic at STMS is from 3-6pm.

To prevent yourself from becoming ill, use everyday preventive actions: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because germs spread this way and avoid close contact with sick people.

For details on Barton’s H1N1 vaccine clinics, call (530) 543-5615.

Denise Sloan is the communications specialist for Barton Health.

By Michael Reis, Stone World

Like most fabricators these days, Perfection Connection in Carson City is facing more competition in the marketplace than ever before. To combat the presence of “discount fabricators” in the region, the company makes an effort to educate customers while also promoting the quality of its work.

“We’ve had excellent success in getting the client into our shop and educating them fully,” explained James Donaire, owner of Perfection Connection. “We offer them 10 projects to look at, and really, my

Muti-level granite tops are a specialty of the company's. Photo/Stone World

clients are my best salespeople. I want them to see why we cost more than a garage shop. I want them to see the equipment. That won’t work over the phone.”

Read the whole story

By Susan Wood

CARSON CITY — Taking a lead from one of his top skiers, Terry Orr is returning to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, in February — for what he says will be the last time in this particular role.

A legend of sorts to Lake Tahoe competitive and amateur athletes, the orthopedist who specializes in arthroscopic surgery and ligament reconstruction for Barton Health Care’s Tahoe Fracture and Orthopedic Medical Clinic will serve the more than 200 athletes of the U.S. Ski Team as one of 47 medical professionals for the third time.

Terry Orr

The first was in Torino, Italy, and the second in Park City, Utah. He’ll head the medical care at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort for the men’s Alpine downhill racing team.

He is hoping to only see Daron Rahlves on the slopes, not a surgical table.

Rahlves called Orr a “calming” force on the mountain when he’s competing.

“He’s treated me for a long time. And if I did go through a traumatic injury, it’s good to know I have him there by my side,” he told Lake Tahoe News. “With my security — I usually don’t think about my that, but it’s comforting to know I’m in the best hands.”

Lake Tahoe’s Rahlves is the most decorated U.S. downhill and super giant slalom skier. After retiring from that discipline in 2006, Rahlves returns to the Winter Games to negotiate the intense skiercross track set on Cypress Mountain outside Whistler.

Orr said he’s looking forward to the upcoming Olympic Games. He’ll not only run the men’s Alpine downhill care, he’ll assist 119 other doctors selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to provide coverage for other events. This commitment includes training runs.

Orr believes the downhill courses on Whistler may prove stimulating.

“It’s a windy course, and fast — not one you can see from top to bottom,” he told Lake Tahoe News during an interview at his Carson City office one week before the U.S. Olympic Committee announced his joining the team.

Like the athletes, Orr takes the competition and responsibility seriously. Medical care for ski racing has come a long way since the early days of doctors showing up with their own supplies.

In recent years, a medical clinic has been established at the Winter Olympics.

New to the Games are trauma packs that provide a centralized place for medical tools and equipment. Contents range from bandages to chest tubes. A physician education program requires instruction in medical care and involves lectures and field runs for on-the-hill triage. A complete Advanced Trauma Life Support system is put in place to help the doctors recognize certain injuries.

But aversion to injury is the name of the game for the U.S. Ski Team — with structure serving as the common denominator in keeping the athletes competitive and healthy.

“The big emphasis starts with conditioning. It’s a year-round commitment (to race),” Orr said, citing cycling, soccer and jogging as ideal cross-training sports.

But even with the best training and fitness, no one close to the action when a racer goes hurtling down a slippery slope at 50mph can possibly account for everything that may happen. Some incidents are stranger than others.

Orr recalled going to surgery in Torino for a skeleton competitor who had dislocated his spine. Still, his nervous system remained intact. He didn’t perform the surgery because spines are not his specialty, so he consulted with Lake Tahoe spinal specialist Mike Fry while an Italian team handled the operation.

Orr said athletes can be benched with a significant knee problem or head injury, requiring neurological tests. There are times athletes who train their whole lives may find it difficult to sit out a particular competition. But others want to do the right thing.

He pointed to an athlete who experienced a tear of a tendon that may have sidelined the average person for six weeks. The athlete was back out on the hill in three days.

“Sometimes they just need reassurance that they’re structurally fine and (the injury) is more of a bruise. The real decision is can they compete. We try to give as much leeway as possible,” he said.

It appears the U.S. Olympic Committee would agree.

“We feel that our medical professionals for the U.S. Team are the best in the world in what they do,” USOC Chief of Sport Performance Mike English said in a statement.

Publisher’s note: On Jan. 27, read about how Lake Tahoe wants to host the Olympics in 2022.

Publisher’s note: LTN is uncovering tidbits about the Winter Olympics while on assignment.

By Kathryn Reed

WHISTLER, British Columbia — It seems odd that the Inuksuit is the mascot of the Vancouver Winter Olympics when it’s the Indians who are protesting these Games.

Fairmont Chateau Whistler even makes Inuksuit out of delicious chocolate. Photos/Kathryn Reed

Talk on the street and slopes of Whistler is how the Indians who owned this land until the white Europeans came along are not happy the Olympics will be here in less than three weeks.

The Indian tribes claim they have never been compensated appropriately for their land that was taken from them.

The Inuksuit is a stone figure from the Arctic that the Inuit Indians created. It is said to be one of the oldest objects created by humans. It looks a bit like a person with outstretched arms. In some ways it’s even cairn like.

Even though the tribes of British Columbia have protested and plan to continue to, this is the first Olympics to partner with indigenous people to create an official licensed merchandise program.

A stone Inuksuit at the Fairmont Whistler.

“This will bring global attention to Aboriginal artists and businesses, and an investment in Canadian Aboriginal youth,” according to the official Vancouver Olympic website.

There is an Aboriginal cultural center-museum on Blackcomb Way in Whistler that is open daily.

By Nancy Oliver Hayden

The idea of having the 1960 Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley and Lake Tahoe began as a marketing ploy with no chance to succeed. It culminated with record performances and many firsts and put the Lake Tahoe region on the international map of world-class skiing.

In 1954 Alexander Cushing read a report in his morning paper about the Reno bid to secure the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. Cushing thought that a superior Squaw Valley could submit a credible bid and in the process gain wider public attention, even if the gambit ultimately failed.

However, rather than fail, the VIII Winter Games were an unqualified success and far exceeded the expectations of even the most jaded critics. For the winter sports industry, this was their catapult to stardom and the kick-start that alpine skiing received was immense.

In the Lake Tahoe region, a handful of struggling mom and pop ski parks exploded into a dozen major ski areas that gave the region the largest concentration of ski areas in North America.

The release of “Snowball’s Chance” by David Antonucci coincides with the 50th anniversary of the VIII Winter Olympic Games, which took place Feb. 18-28, 1960. Thoroughly researched and carefully organized, the book covers the history of the effort to win the Olympic bid, building the Olympic Village, designing and construction of the competition venues, and you-are-there accounts of all competition events.

The author’s interest in the 1960 Winter Olympic Games started with his research on the source of what appeared to be abandoned trails near his home on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. He determined that the trails were the remnants of the cross country ski courses of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Although most of the competitions were at Squaw Valley, the venue for the cross country events was 16 miles from Squaw at McKinney Creek on the West Shore, thus the trails near his home.

The 188-page paperback is full of interesting and little known facts. For example: when it became apparent that the Winter Games would require intense, but short-term demand for personnel and equipment, the Organizing Committee requested military assistance. With a mobilized force of 750, military personnel constructed drainage works for the temporary parking lot, laid communication wiring, constructed cross country courses and conducted snow removal operations. The most unusual use of the military workforce was the alpine course preparation crew. Officers marched 10 Marine platoons of 30 troops each in a V-formation down the alpine ski courses to boot-pack the snow. Skiing troops followed them to smooth the surface. This process occurred over 30 days in advance of the events to ensure the best possible conditions for high-level competition.

“Snowball’s Chance” provides anyone who was fortunate enough to attend or be involved in the VIII Winter Olympic Games an opportunity to relive the spirit and excitement of the event. The rest of us have a ringside seat as we vicariously participate in the pageantry created by Walt Disney and thrill to the heat of competition.

Of the 85 photos and illustrations that appear throughout the book, most are by official Olympic photographer Bill Briner and many appear here for the first time. At the end of each chapter, under the heading Epilogue, Antonucci includes interesting facts about what has happened to many of the planners, officials and athletes mentioned in that chapter.

Among the athletic highlights at the VIII Olympic Winter Games are: the American ice hockey team won its first gold medal, Americans Carol Heiss and David Jenkins swept the individual figure skating gold medals, and Norwegian speed skater Knut Johannesen set a world record for the 10,000-meter with a time of 15/46.6. Four other skaters broke the world record the same day.

The Olympic firsts included mechanized equipment used to compact and groom the snow surface, artificial ice created by mechanical refrigeration and Zamboni machines used to resurface ice rinks, athletes housed in a centralized facility, fully automated electric timing, a mainframe computer used to analyze and report results, extensive live TV coverage, and instant replay by videotape.

Antonucci has been a resident of the Lake Tahoe area for more than 35 years. He holds bachelor and master degrees in civil and environmental engineering and is a licensed professional civil engineer in California.

He founded the Olympic Trails Restoration Committee and worked closely with California State Parks and others to reopen the surviving trail system for public use. He also serves on the board of the Squaw Valley Olympic Museum Foundation and is a member of the 50th Anniversary Olympic Heritage Celebration Committee. An outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys skiing, snowshoeing, biking, skin diving, kayaking, golf, hiking and camping. He resides in Tahoma with wife Jenny and son Dominic.

“Snowball’s Chance” is available for purchase at several local bookstores and retailers. For a complete list, visit www.tahoefacts.com.

Nancy Oliver Hayden has been a journalist covering the South Shore of Lake Tahoe for more 20 years.

Publisher’s note: Terry Orr, Olympic team doctor from Lake Tahoe, will be featured Jan. 25.

Mark Williams, Lake Tahoe Community College music instructor, will be singing duets with some of the area’s best divas to raise money for a concert grand piano for the college’s music department. “It Takes Two: A Broadway Valentine” will be Feb. 6 at 8pm in the Duke Theatre.

Tickets will be a $20 donation.

“In trying to think of an idea for a fundraiser, I thought it might be fun to do an evening of duets with lots of my female friends with whom I have performed over the years,” Williams said. “I contacted 16 ladies from South Lake Tahoe, Gardnerville, Minden, Carson City, Reno, and Incline Village, the majority of whom have been my leading ladies in a show, or have performed leading roles in shows for which I have done the musical direction.”

Susan Boulanger “It Takes Two” (Into the Woods)

Sharon Kerrigan “As Long as You’re Mine” (Wicked)

Michelle Sennings “Come What May” (Moulin Rouge)

Joanie San Agustin “The Last Night of the World” (Miss Saigon) Dan Lancaster, alto saxophone

Cindy Sabatini “All I Ask of You” (Phantom of the Opera)

Moe Leonard Accompanist

Diana Evans “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (For the Boys)

Stephanie Grigsby “It Couldn’t Please Me More” (Cabaret)

Catherine Cook “Sue Me” (Guys and Dolls)

Liz Niven “How Could I Ever Know” (The Secret Garden)

Ania Helwing “Tonight” (West Side Story)

Salli Parker Accompanist

Olivia Hakel “Make Believe” (Show Boat)

Carolyn Lancaster “If I Loved You” (Carousel)

Suzie Tagayev “We Kiss in a Shadow” (The King and I)

Saundra Whitt “You and I” (Chess)

Sarah Pennebaker “You are my Home” (The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Stephanie Williams “Take Me as I Am” (Jekyll and Hyde)

Cindy Sabatini Accompanist

Finale (Company): There’s No Business Like Show Business (Annie Get Your Gun)

The Douglas County Partnership of Community Resources and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with local businesses, will be conducting a Prescription Drug Roundup this month.

The purpose of the roundup is to get unused and unwanted prescription medications out of medicine cabinets – where they can be stolen or abused – and safely dispose of them.

A majority of teens who abuse prescription medications secretly obtain them from medicine cabinets of friends or relatives.

Additionally, many people are unsure of how to dispose of old prescription medications, so they dump them down the sink or flush them down the toilet. These substances then end up in the water table, where they contaminate the water supply and the environment.

The Prescription Drug Roundup takes place:

Jan. 27 from 8am-12:30 pm at the Senior Health Fair – Carson Valley Inn;

Jan. 30 from 10am-2pm at Safeway, 212 Elks Point Road, Round Hill; Smith’s Supermarket, 1341 Highway 395, Gardnerville; Wal-Mart Supercenter, 3770 Topsy Lane, Carson City, TRE Volunteer Fire Station, 1476 Albite Road, Wellington; DCSO, 1281 Kimmerling Road, Gardnerville Ranchos.

Citizens can bring their unwanted or unused prescription medications to these locations and drop them off safely and confidentially, with no questions asked. Any identifying information on the pill bottle can be marked out.

Also available at the collection locations will be literature regarding the abuse of prescription medications, interaction dangers, suggestions on how to keep track of prescribed medications, and resources for additional help.