Northern Italy Photo Exhibition by Dirk Yuricich Dec. 26-Feb. 16 at the Dirk Yuricich Photography Gallery, 171 Shady Lane, Stateline.

* 11am-5pm and by appointment

* closed Wednesdays and Thursdays

* also closed Jan. 27-Feb. 4

* Opening Reception: Dec. 26-27, 11am-5pm with Italian wines and cheeses

* Closing Reception: Feb. 12-16, 11am-5pm with Italian desserts.

The photo exhibition will feature images from Portofino to Venice, Florence to Milan, hill towns and lakeside villages, the walled cities of Lucca and Monteriggioni, vineyards and rolling hills of Tuscany, coastal Cinque Terre, all from the travels of Dirk Yuricich.

For details, call (775) 588.5816 or visit www.dirkphotoz.com.

Santa Claus on skis, Christmas carolers, movie nights, holiday parties, and the Christmas Eve torchlight parade are a few of the holiday events and festivities at Squaw Valley.

The marquee event of Holidays at Squaw is Christmas Eve — the torchlight parade. It can be seen from anywhere in the village or Squaw Valley base area.

Holidays at Squaw come to a crescendo on New Year’s Eve when parties (for every age and reveler) erupt all over Squaw Valley, from High Camp down to the Olympic House and base village bars. A fireworks display kicks off the New Year at 9pm on New Year’s Eve.

Starting Dec. 19, Squaw Valley opens for night skiing and riding.

Holidays at Squaw:

Dec. 19-Jan 2: Sierra Nevada Carolers strolling through the Village from 4-6pm.

Dec. 19: 18th Annual Snow God’s Ball benefit for the Squaw Valley Avalanche Awareness Education Fund. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $20 or in advance for $15 at the Ski Patrol Office or by calling (530)452.7260.

Dec. 23-25: Sierra Nevada Chorale performance in the base area from 3-5pm.

Dec. 19-24: Santa visits the village from noon-4pm.

Dec. 22-25: Santa and his elf hit the slopes.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade. Parade begins at dusk. (530) 583.6985

Dec. 26: Squaw Stocking Scavenger Hunt. Find one of the 100 red Christmas stocking hidden around the mountain and win free lift tickets and other great prizes.

Dec. 26-Jan. 3: Squaw Sessions Teen Ski & Snowboard Camp for 13- to 18-year-olds. (530) 452.7263

Dec. 26-Jan. 2: Ski with Jonny Moseley. Tours meet at the top of the Funitel at 1pm.

Dec. 26: Apres Ski Music in the village from 4-7pm.

Dec. 26: Jibbing for Jacksons. In this ‘best trick’ night jam session there are many winners, as riders are given a $20 bill (a Jackson) for every trick that impresses the judging panel of pro skiers and riders. The contest is open to skiers and snowboarder and is on Searchligh.

Dec. 29-30: Full Moon Snowshoe Tours guided by a knowledgeable tour leader and the light of the full moon, snowshoers trek to upper mountain vistas to take in spectacular views of the snow covered Sierra and Lake Tahoe. A mountaintop dinner at Alexander’s Restaurant, overlooking Lake Tahoe, can be included..

Dec. 31: Family New Year’s Eve Celebration at High Camp. Call (530) 452-7122 for more information.

Dec. 31: Fresh Tracks New Year’s Eve Extravaganza; Squaw Valley’s “mature” guests can choose from myriad New Year’s Eve celebrations including the biggest party on the North Shore in the Olympic House.

Dec. 31: Fireworks launched at 9pm from Exhibition.

Dec. 31: 50/60 New Year’s Eve Party in the Olympic House and kicks off at 9pm.

Jan. 1: Lift Operators’ Snow Sculpture Contest

Jan. 2: Yale’s Baker’s Dozen Sing A Capella.

Publisher’s note: Get in the spirit and share your idea for a gift valued at $20 or less. Click here for details.

This in from Denise Sloan of Barton Healthcare:

Here’s an easy, tasty one – the amazing, famous Barton Auxiliary Cheese Balls, which are still available, and whose secret ingredients are still secret. No one can keep a secret like an Auxiliary member.

I actually volunteered one year to help “make” the cheese balls, hoping to learn the secret herb or spice – but it was just that, making the balls: Rolling the creamy, cheesy, goofy stuff into a ball and rolling it in chopped nuts.

The Auxiliary Cheese Balls are $7.50, available the next two Wednesdays in the Barton Hospital Gift Shop from 1-8pm and new this year is a Cheese Ball Cook Book, also $7.50.

So many people have used the tangy cheese balls for more than an appetizer on a cracker that the Auxiliary members collected dozens of recipes in which the cheese balls are featured and made their own Cheese Ball Cook Book. For $15 you have a two-for gift under $20.

Someone, somewhere must have the famous Cheese Ball recipe written down. Surely, the dear Auxiliary members won’t take that secret to their graves?

Pearl Parks has been Cheese Ball chairwomen forever and she must have that closely held secret recipe in a safe deposit box. Pearl will agree with me, it’s not Christmas without an Auxiliary Cheese Ball at the buffet – and Christmas calories don’t count.

Publisher’s note: Get in the spirit and share your idea for a gift valued at $20 or less. Click here for details.

South Shore photographer Dirk Yuricich offers boxed sets of 10 notecards for $20. Each set contains 10 notecards with 10 different images. The notecard sets are grouped thematically, for example, the Cats notecard set includes cat images from all around the globe, or by location, such as Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Japan, Paris, or Croatia.

Each notecard is printed and hand folded by Dirk and his wife, Lisa, so giving a box of notecards is like giving 10 mini-photo prints.

The notecard sets can be ordered online at: www.dirkphotoz.com/notecards/notecards.html or at the Dirk Yuricich Photography Gallery/Studio at 171 Shady Lane, Stateline or by phone at (775) 588.5816.

Publisher’s note: Get in the spirit and share your idea for a gift valued at $20 or less. Click here for details.

It’s being billed as “The best-priced family-entertainment show at South Shore during the holidays.”

Sometimes the best thing to unwrap is a ticket to a performance.

Joseph Gabriel, awarded 2009’s “Best Stage Magician,” will entertain families Dec. 26-Jan. 3 at MontBleu in Stateline.

Tickets start at $12.95 for children (17 and under).

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster 866.448.7849, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or at the MontBleu Box Office 800.648.3353.

Jump into the action this winter with “DMA 131K – Special Topic: Action Sports Digital Filmmaking” at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Tahoe.

This ground breaking new class will explore the tips, techniques and digital filmmaking technology that makes it possible for anyone to make compelling, entertaining and even profitable action sports films. The class will be hands-on experience for students interested in learning more about this unique and popular specialty genre of filmmaking that is particularly appropriate for Lake Tahoe.

Classes will consist of weekly shooting sessions on the mountain during the day and editing sessions on campus at night. Sierra-at-Tahoe has made this class possible by offering a special lift access price of $100 for 10 shooting sessions on the mountain.

After the initial first week of in-classroom preparation, the on-mountain shooting classes will begin at 9 Tuesday mornings. After class ends at noon, students will be able to continue skiing, snowboarding and shooting on their own for the rest of the day with their special one day passes issued by Sierra-at-Tahoe. Students may also use their own Sierra-at-Tahoe season passes if they already have them.

Instructor Rob Armenti is an experienced filmmaker specializing in action sports and documentary filmmaking.

In addition to the focus on winter action sports, students will learn the craft of storytelling and reporting by creating short films pertaining to the various aspects of ski resort operation, winter life, scenic winter beauty and other stories taking place on the mountain. Students may use their own video camera equipment or use a limited number of compact Mini DV cameras available through the college.

Final Cut Express will be used to edit footage shot on the Tuesday morning shooting sessions. Editing sessions will take place on campus Thursday evenings on Apple Macintosh computers. Basic knowledge of computer use is advised along with intermediate skiing or snowboarding ability. PC users will learn the basics of how to apply their computing skills to the Macintosh operating system.

Snow riding ability will be accessed during the first on-mountain session. Class size is limited to 15 students.

Publisher’s note: Get in the spirit and share your idea for a gift valued at $20 or less. Click here for details.

The first Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care wall calendars are hot off the presses.

All pictures were taken by Dan Thrift, who has volunteered to make this his project and donation to LTWC. The design was donated by Svadhyaya Yoga Studio and the printing by a longtime volunteer of LTWC, Ken Konchalski who is now the owner of Pine Tree Printing in Stateline.

The calendars sell for $15, add another $5 if you want it shipped.

For more information, go to www.ltwc.org or call (530) 577.2273.

By Kathryn Reed

OLYMPIC VILLAGE — Growing up next door to Chris Nelson I knew he did something with music. But kids aren’t supposed to really know what the adults around them do.

It wasn’t until Sunday that I finally saw and heard him in action. It took 36 years after my family moved in next his in the Bay Area and years after we both had moved to the Sierra.

Nelson is one of three conductors of the Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus. He founded the ensemble in January 2002.

Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus

When he didn’t have the baton in his hand, he was singing with the group.

The community chorus is made up of students and more seasoned vocalists from the North Shore. It is affiliated with Sierra College.

The “Classically Christmas” performance was at the Resort at Squaw Creek on Dec. 12-13. The group also has a spring performance.

Non-traditional selections started the night – “Ding-a Ding-a Dong,” “Adoramus te Christe,” “Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day” and “Nanita Lullaby.”

Some songs had a piano accompaniment, others had a string ensemble, and others were sung a cappella.

The second half of the night the audience could sing along to tunes like “Jingle Bells”, “Rudolph” and “Silent Night.”

For more information about the choir, go to www.signttcc.org.

By Susan Voyles, Reno Gazette-Journal

Morgan Olson hasn’t been able to get leave her northwest Reno house for six days because of unplowed roads.

Because she lives on a cul-de-sac, her circle won’t be plowed at all, city officials say. Olson wonders how many other people are in her situation.

City spokeswoman Michelle Anderson said cul-de-sacs are not large enough for snow plows to maneuver without hitting vehicles or enough space to pile the snow. She said the storm hasn’t been bad enough to call for an emergency help from Associated General Contractors, whose crews must be paid during a severe budget shortfall.

Read the whole story

Publisher’s note: Get in the spirit and share your idea for a gift valued at $20 or less. Click here for details.

El Dorado Winery Association has an easy-on-the-budget holiday gift idea.

A weekend pass for the Jan. 30-31 Bring out the Barrel event is $20; Sunday only is $15; Designated drivers $5,

The weekend features wine tasting throughout El Dorado County, light food pairings, and the opportunity to purchase “futures” of limited quantity wines.

Purchase tickets here.