Glen Plake, right, talks as fellow athletes, from left, Jamie Anderson, Hannah Teter, Maddie Bowman, Travis Cabral and Juan Torres listen. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

In some ways the athletes inducted into South Lake Tahoe’s Champions Plaza look ordinary. But wait. Listen to their accomplishments or watch them in person or on TV or look at photographs and the truth is crystallized. These are no ordinary human beings.

These 11 athletes, five could not attend the June 15 ceremony, have redefined their respective sports. Some were pioneers – doing things no one else was at time, while others reached the pinnacle of their sport in a more traditional path.

All, though, put in countless hours of training. They gave up normal childhoods and teen years. Their families paid in many ways. They reached heights that most people don’t even fantasize about.

After the 2014 Olympics, when the area had three medalists, South Lake Tahoe officials decided it was time to honor the area athletes in a permanent, public way. This is how Champions Plaza at Lakeview Commons came into being. But it’s not just about Olympians – all athletes are eligible if they meet the rigorous criteria.

A bronze statue was commissioned two years ago. On Friday the unveiling of the names of the inaugural 11 inductees was commemorated. The name of each person and a brief list of accomplishments is etched into a square paver that is embedded into the walkway right in front of the statue.

Large squares highlight the athletes’ accomplishments. Photo/Denise Haerr

In attendance were:

·      Jamie Anderson – Olympic gold medalist, Olympic silver medalist, X Games gold medalist – snowboarding.

·      Glen Plake – Three-time World Hot Dog champion, in U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame, pioneer of extreme skiing.

·      Maddie Bowman – Olympic and X Games gold medalist – skiing.

·      Juan Torres – World light welterweight champion, International Kickboxing Hall of Fame.

·      Hannah Teter – Olympic gold and silver medalist, X Games gold medalist, World Championships bronze – snowboarding.

·      Travis Cabral – Olympian, World Cup champion, U.S. Nationals champion – skiing.

Not in attendance:

·      Jonna Mendes – Olympian in 1998 and 2002, World Championships bronze medalist – skiing.

·      Kyle Smaine – World Championships gold medalist – skiing.

·      Elena Hight – Olympian in 20016 and 2010, X Games gold medalist – snowboarding.

·      Travis Ramos – U.S. Nationals champion – skiing.

·      Shawn Palmer – X Game gold medalist.

Park rangers will be giving guided tours of the historic bull wheel located near Incline Village on June 30.

The bull wheel was part of the Great Incline Tramway of the Sierra, and was used for logging during the Comstock Era. The tour will begin at 9:30am and end by 3pm.

Vehicles are provided. Be prepared for a 2-mile moderate hike, and be sure to bring food and drink for the day.

Reservations are required as group size is limited to 12. Call 775.749.5980 or email spooner.ranger@gmail.com to sign up. The group will meet in Incline Village.

By Case Keefer, Las Vegas Sun

The thrill of gambling can’t quite compensate for the lack of rooting interest in the World Cup.

With the United States failing to qualify for this year’s tournament, betting handle on the event may decrease locally for the first time in decades.

That doesn’t mean the World Cup won’t be the focus at sports books as the 32 competing teams play their opening matches over the next six days in Russia. It’s still expected to carry betting action over the next month during an otherwise slow period.

Read the whole story

By Lesley McClurg, KQED-TV

Gray wolves are trekking farther south in California. A 2-year-old female, known as OR-54, recently wandered through Nevada County in the northern Sierra Nevada. Until now, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had reported wolves only as far south as Lassen County.

“She’s made her way all the way down into the Sierra, and that’s so exciting because this is its prime wolf habitat,” said Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s an area that scientists have identified for a long time as being good wolf habitat.”

The wolf is collared with a GPS transmitter that allowed officials to determine her whereabouts just off Interstate 80, near Boreal Mountain.

Read the whole story

The Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra is partnering with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol and TRPA to put put on a Bike and Safety Rodeo in the front parking lot of South Tahoe Middle School on June 23 from 11am-2pm.

The purpose of the rodeo is to promote bicycle safety. Young riders will be moving through an agility course learning basic safety skills and the importance of being seen by motorists.

Bike inspections will be performed by Watta Bike and Sierra Ski & Cycle Works.

Each child will receive a free helmet while supplies last.

CHP will provide free car seat safety inspections. Kiwanis will give parents an opportunity to have your child’s digital fingerprints taken for identification purposes. All fingerprints are given to parents to store, prints are not retained by Kiwanis or law enforcement.

Volunteer Hersh Herschman helps Emma Stewart learn ground strokes. Photo/Provided

It didn’t take much imagination to envision a decade from now the next Simona Halep or Rafa Nadal being at the trophy ceremony of the French Open and saying how their days at Zephyr Cove Tennis Club laid the foundation for their success.

Hours after Halep won her first grand slam title on June 9, more than 30 youngsters were scattered about the courts at Zephyr Cove receiving two hours of free instruction from head pro Dave Nostrant and his cadre of volunteers from the club.

Divided into age groups, the youngest had an array of obstacle-course like apparatuses to use to get them acquainted with the various aspects of the sport.

On other courts the older kids were learning to volley with the simple reminder that the racket should high-five the ball. Ball control, forehands and backhands were taught on other courts. The youngsters switched from court-to-court to get a taste of each station.

This event was co-sponsored by Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department and the nonprofit Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation.

Nostrant will be conducting youth clinics in June and July. For more information or to register, go online. Nostrant may be reached at 702.496.6277or zctennisclub@gmail.com.

Placer County Board of Supervisors last week approved $413,000 in upgrades for North Lake Tahoe’s popular Speedboat Beach.

Improvements will include a permanent restroom to replace existing port-a-potties, reconstruction of the wooden staircase that provides access to the beach from Harbor Avenue, a new beach overlook, walkway improvements and signage.

The signage will include a welcome sign, an interpretive sign describing the local ecosystem and a regulations panel to identify beach rules.

The cost of the project also includes preservation of a complex drainage system to reduce sediment into Lake Tahoe, a new retaining wall and custom metal fabrication for the flight of stairs.

Construction is expected to begin in late July or early August and be completed in October.

Parking is still expected to be limited during the summer. TART’s bus stop on Highway 28 at the Tahoe Biltmore shelter is the closest to Speedboat Beach’s Harbor Avenue access road.

A Sacramento woman had to be airlifted out of Desolation Wilderness on Wednesday.

The woman, whose name has not been released, spent the night of June 5 in the wilderness with her dog after they got lost.

El Dorado County search and rescue personnel found them near Forni Lake. They were flown out by the California Highway Patrol helicopter. Their condition was not disclosed.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

https://www.facebook.com/CHPValleyAirOps/videos/1814096125322546/

By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal

Republican Sen. Dean Heller is seeking to leverage one-party control of Congress and the White House with an idea for a bill that would block future wilderness designations in Nevada.

Heller, who is running for re-election and considered the most vulnerable Republican in the Senate, says he plans to introduce legislation “within weeks” that would strip protections from potentially dozens of designated wilderness study areas.

A wilderness advocate who has worked with Nevada’s federal delegation on conservation legislation called Heller’s idea a “radical departure” from prior, bipartisan public lands bills. 

Read the whole story

A Nevada Department of Wildlife urban wildlife coordinator will teach people how to handle wildlife encounters, whether it be while camping, hiking or in your own backyard.

There will be lessons on what to do and how to react to wild animals; from raccoons and coyotes to bears and mountain lions. This family-friendly event is free, and park entrance fees will be waived for attendees.

The program will be at Spooner Lake State Park on June 12 at 7pm.

Sign-ups are encouraged, but not required, by calling 775.749.5980.