LAKE TAHOE - The snow is falling, and with it comes chain and snowtire controls along many major roadways in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Controls are in effect along most major Tahoe roadways, including California and Nevada state routes 28 and California routes 89 and 267.
Below is a road update from the Nevada Department of Transportation, as of 4 p.m. Friday. Also included is an extended weather forecast from www.noaa.gov.
Stay tuned to www.sierrasun.com for weather and road updates.

Extended forecast
Friday: Snow after 10 a.m. High near 43. Very windy, with a southwest wind between 35 and 40 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Friday: Scattered snow showers, mainly before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 10 a.

TRUCKEE, Calif - Truckee Town Council on Thursday voted Thursday move forward with the Joerger Ranch development, though not without some dissent.
Plans for the 71-acre development have been bouncing around town in different iterations since 2001, said Associate Planner Jenna Endres.
Up to 426 homes and 485,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space could be spread on the project site, quartered by the intersection of Highway 267 and Brockway Road/Joerger Drive.
But with council member Joan Jones recused from the decision for conflicts, the vote was 3-1, with Council member Barbara Green resistant to moving forward.
"I have some discomfort looking at all this project with all the vacancies in town, trying to figure out what the need is," Green said.
She said she wanted to see a more detailed project plan and an economic analysis under way before the environmental review, and while other council members agreed that those things are important, they voted t

The economy may be starting to come around but it will be a slow process and the labor market will not be at the front of the wave. Unemployment is expected to remain high through 2010, so if you need a job, go after it now with the Truckee Library's resources.

The library has books, of course, but it also has computers with free Internet access, desktop programs and databases, newspapers with classified ads and a copier (sorry, no fax).

To help you find and use the resources available at the library, there is a free handout with useful websites and a list of where to find books on the subjects you need. For instance, there are books on interviewing skills in 650.13 non-fiction, and books on careers in the 658's. You can also find books on searching for a job, writing resumes, internships, freelancing, running a home-based business and volunteering.

Use the listed websites to search the job market. Look at business websites, job-listing websites, government agency

In the year 1960 enthusiasm rang across the nation.

The boom of the earlier decade continued its surge as John F. Kennedy declared his candidacy for president, Elvis returned from his oversea stint in the Army and in a place most Americans, let alone the world had never heard of, the VIII Olympic Winter Games began.

Squaw Valley had first tasted victory five years prior when a slim margin of two votes snatched the host city honors from the dominant European countries of Austria, Germany and Switzerland and brought the Games back to America for the first time since 1932.

It was a gutsy gamble staging a campaign for a global event considering the region was severely underdeveloped at the time with just one hotel and no concrete plans for further development.

However, with the announcement that the world was coming magic soon happened on the mountains.

Fifty years later the enchantment continues and Saturday Nov. 21 is the kickoff for Squaw Valley USA's "50/60 C

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Residents and commercial owners residing in the Truckee Donner Public Utility District will pay more for water usage over the next two years.
The district's board on Wednesday adopted increases in the form of 1.75 percent hikes for each of the next two years. The changes reflect rising operational costs, new zoning areas that charge according to how high or far water needs to be pumped and a state requirement to start metering water usage, and billing accordingly.
The increase in 2010 will add $170,000 to the districts revenue that year, and the 2011 increase will add $173,000, said Mary Chapman, administrative services manager, which will help combat projected future cost increases.
The board adopted the changes 4-0, with Pat Sutton absent.
The changes had to be sensitive to coming metered rates, said board President Ron Hemig, to make sure if a customer's usage changes, the district still gets enough revenue to cover costs.
"The thing th

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - Mt. Rose Ski Resort has been closed due to high winds in the area, mountain spokeswoman Kayla Anderson announced Friday.
"Mt. Rose is CLOSED today due to high winds. Set to re-open Saturday at 9 am," according to Anderson's message at about 8:20 a.m. Friday on Twitter.
The National Weather Service in Reno is predicting a significant snowstorm for Friday, and with it, high winds.
Winds averaging 35 to 40 mph should be the norm Friday, NWS reports, with gusts up to 60 and 70 mph at lake level, and up to 130 mph atop the Sierra ridges.

LAKE TAHOE - It appears this week's snowstorm is losing steam - or snow - with each passing hour.
According to the National Weather Service in Reno, the basin should see snow at lake level after 10 a.m. Friday, with daytime accumulations of 1 to 3 inches possible.
The heavier snow should fall this after, as the basin remains in a winter storm warning from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eight to 16 inches of the white stuff is expected above 7,000 feet, while 3 to 8 inches is forecast at lake level.
While there is a 100 percent chance of precipitation Friday, the prediction has dropped to 50 percent for Friday night.
According to NWS on Thursday night, 100 percent precipitation was in the forecast for Friday night.
Winds have been high, however, which could add to Friday's storm. According to NWS, south to southwest winds at 25 to 40 mph are expected throughout the day Friday, with gusts at times reaching 60 and 70 mph. Gusts up to 130 mph are expected on the Sierra ridges.
"

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. - Two proposals were received to run Nevada County's cash-strapped library system by the Thursday deadline imposed by officials.
As expected, Library Systems and Services of Germantown, Md., submitted a proposal to the six libraries. They are the largest known firm in the country that contracts with governments to run their library systems.
The other proposal was filed earlier by the Friends of the Nevada County Libraries. It calls for the group to run the Doris Foley Historical Library in Nevada City, but does not propose to operate the county's other five facilities.
Library Associates Companies of Beverly Hills recently visited Nevada County for a meeting about the proposals, but did not submit one by deadline, according to the county's web site.
A special committee of the Board of Supervisors is expected to look over the proposals to see whether they meet the county's performance requirements.
The tentative schedule is for the board to approve or den

For a long time we, the children of the Kings Beach Parents' Co-op, have enjoyed watching, learning and feeling the magic of the intelligent and social beavers that lived by the Kings Beach Library and Kings Beach Fire Department.
Just recently a call was made to "take care" of the beavers, though they were not, in any apparant way, a problem. They were killed. Their dam was destroyed and their home was destroyed. This is what we have to say:
Evan: Why did they kill them? Were they going to eat them?
Ty: How did they kill them? Where did they take the dead beavers?
Kalea: Killing's not okay.
Julianna: But why did they kill the beavers?
Oliver: Where are the beavers going to live?
Ace: I like the beavers.
Liam: I'm sad.
Evan: I'm sad too. We should tell them, "Don't ever do that again!"
Ty: We should say, "Don't kill the beavers!"
Evan: We should make a sign that says "Please don't kill the beavers".
We did make a sign and posted i

CHEERS: To the ski resorts opening up in the next week, including Sugar Bowl, Squaw Valley USA, Mount Rose and Northstar-at-Tahoe. We should start to see our towns filling up with the much-needed visitors and tourists, just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays.

CHEERS: To all the state champions and their families who returned last weekend, including the Truckee High School volleyball and girls' soccer teams. Congratulations. Those memories will last forever. From every resident, we say thank you for representing our region so well.

JEERS: To those who continue to drive down the hill to do all of their shopping. While we realize it can cost more to shop locally, it is worth it. Local stores employ your friends and neighbors, and help keep our area vibrant. By shopping local, you are not just supporting the local business community, you are supporting every person who lives in the region by contributing to the local tax base. Think hard this season before doing all your shopping

Thank goodness that our representative Tom McClintock voted against the nationalization of our health care system. Mr. Antonucci exaggerated when he called this a "bi-partisian" effort ("McClintock votes against health care bill," Nov. 13). The Democratically controlled house narrowly passed this bill 220-215. 39 Democrats and 176 Republicans voted against it. One lone Republican voted for it. Under this bill the government will sell insurance, competing with companies that must make a profit to survive.
No privately owned insurance company will be able to compete against a government-backed insurance institution for long. We will soon find ourselves with only the government choice. With a single-payer system, the one who pays the bills makes the rules. We will have no choice, the single payer will dictate who gets what treatment and when.
The proposed bill comes with a price tag of $1.2 trillion. If I paid you $1 million a day for a year you would have $365

Does it bother you when you return to your car, perhaps after shopping, and someone has placed a leaflet under your windshield wiper? Do you respond by saying to yourself, "How neat is that, someone left a political flier (or advertisement) on my car. I'm so lucky to live in a country that allows the exercise of free speech."
Or do you respond like I generally do, mumbling to yourself, "Who the heck stuck this paper on my car? Can they do that?"

Klein v. San Clemente
On June 2, 2007, Steve Klein and several others were distributing leaflets to passing pedestrians expressing their views on immigration policy. Then they started leaving leaflets under the windshield wipers of unoccupied vehicles parked along San Clemente streets. Deputies told Klein that "throwing" or "depositing" advertisements on any vehicles was a violation of San Clemente's anti-litter ordinance. When told he would be cited, Klein stopped distributing leaflets.

Don't expect either 3A power to take the other lightly in Saturday's state championship rematch. Both head coaches are far too cagey to allow such an arrogant mistake.
Aside from that mutual respect, however, no one is quite sure what to expect when Truckee puts its undefeated record on the line against two-time defending champ Moapa Valley.
"They (the Pirates) have several returners back from last year's state championship team, and obviously being two-time defending state champs, they know exactly what they need to do to prepare for Saturday's game to be successful," said Truckee head coach Bob Shaffer.
"They have some experience."
Last year the Pirates defeated Truckee 35-16 in Las Vegas to earn back-to-back state championships. It was Moapa Valley's third title since joining the 3A, and 15th total.
Truckee, meanwhile, which last won state in 2005, will look to add a sixth championship in the 3A, and ninth total.
"I've seen a little film on them.

Truckee senior Elaina Murphy received an athletic scholarship to play volleyball at William Jessup University in Rocklin.
"She's being recruited as a defensive specialist, and the reason she is, is because she moves well on the court," said Terry Stafford, head coach at William Jessup. "She's not afraid to go to the floor, and she does it easily.
"She brings balls up that are hard-driven, and we're looking for someone to help us do that at the college level."
Murphy signed her letter of intent in early November. In addition to her athletic scholarship, which covers about half of her tuition, room and board, Murphy said she also received an academic scholarship.
She's the second Murphy from Truckee to commit to William Jessup in the past two years, as 2009 Truckee grad Kati Murphy (no relation) just wrapped up her freshman season at the private Christian university. The Warriors - members of the National Association of In

TRUCKEE, Calif. - The first project in the Hilltop development in Truckee could be a senior living community.
FNC Communities of Truckee is proposing an 8-acre project named Pollard Station, which includes 153 units, both for sale and for rent, and a list of features designed to accommodate the senior community.
"Pollard's Station was a turn-of-the-century hotel, a train stop and a gathering place," said Phil Shapiro, managing member of Senior Traditions, hired by FNC to provide strategic planning. "That concept of gathering is a big deal for senior socialization."
Different units throughout the complex will cater to different age groups and levels of care, from cottages for those more independent and mobile to apartments specifically catering to those with physical or cognitive issues needing special care, Shapiro said.
Amenities range from gathering points and dining areas to an aquatic center and a stargazing deck, Shapiro said.
"I th

TRUCKEE, Calif. - After months of discussion on ways to close the academic performance gap between English-learner students and their native-English speaking counterparts, the school district has prepared a solution.
Nicole Sayegh, whom the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District hired earlier this month as its district-wide EL coordinator, is working on a revised EL master plan for school board approval on Dec. 9.
"(The plan) includes the implementation of the compliance side of things, and it also brings in a whole student assessment. And we're using data to find out how we can best meet the needs of a particular EL," Sayegh said.
The plan follows state laws more strictly, Sayegh said, in terms of monitoring students who have graduated to English fluency and in showing more fidelity to the Spanish waiver process.
Previously, the district allowed EL parents to waive their children out of English classes and into the bilingual classes without students first tr

TRUCKEE, Calif. - The following are reports from the Truckee Police Department for the week of Nov. 12-19.

Nov. 12
At 3:50 p.m. on Highway 89 South police responded to a two-vehicle non-injury collision inside the north roundabout.
At 7 p.m. on Donner Pass Road a person reported his ex-wife was allegedly in violation of a Sacramento County child custody order.

Nov. 13
At midnight on Royal Way a person reported her ex-husband had allegedly been sending e-mails and gifts to her children in violation of a restraining order.

Nov. 14
At 10:30 a.m. on Star Pine Road a person allegedly entered an unlocked vehicle and removed money from a purse.
At 8:30 p.m. on Deerfield Drive police stopped a vehicle for a tail light violation and the officer allegedly smelled marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search allegedly revealed a small amount of marijuana.

Nov. 15
At 3:25 p.m. on Waters Way officers observed a vehicle belonging to a person who had previousl

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - Of the varying opinions expressed this week at the first public hearing of Boulder Bay's draft eco study, perhaps the most important words were those of Tahoe Vista resident Ellie Waller.
"I don't know how anyone can commit today ... until I've read the entire document, I don't have a view one way or the other," she told the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board. "I encourage everyone and all of you to read the entire document. Let's not just make a global position on this."
Waller was among about 100 residents, business owners and local figureheads who attended Wednesday's meeting to observe the first public presentation of the 1,589-page Draft Environmental Impact Study that dissects the ecological and economic impact of Boulder Bay, the proposed project in Crystal Bay and Brockway aiming to redevelop the Tahoe Biltmore and Tahoe Mariner sites.
After hearing a project synopsis from project gurus David Landry (TRPA sen

TAHOE CITY, Calif. - Some see "Grant's gift" turning into a spectacular lake vista and public park for residents and visitors. Others see a performing arts center standing in the space occupied by fire Station 51. Others would like parking for Commons Beach.
Whatever becomes of the location when the North Tahoe Fire Protection District moves to its newly proposed home on Fairway Drive in Fall 2011, it will have to be the community's choice.
"It's ours to do with as we wish, depending on regulations," said Tahoe City Downtown Association President Dave Wilderotter. "And there's plenty of opportunity there."
Duane Whitelaw, chief of the North Tahoe fire district, said the North Lake Boulevard property, which was given to the "People of Tahoe City" by former President Ulysses S. Grant in the 1870s, can be very positive for Tahoe City.
"You don't get these kinds of locations often," Whitelaw said.
The Placer County Rede

The Phoenix Executive Building, Truckee's premier professional office building, has been awarded its LEED silver certification, the first of its kind in the area. Constructed by Geney Gassiot, it is located across from Truckee Tahoe Airport at 12277 Soaring Way. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification is based on a building's site/location planning, energy use, water management, materials used, indoor environmental quality and innovation in the design process.

The Phoenix Executive Building earned a silver rating by including features such as mechanical systems that optimize energy performance, water saving fixtures throughout the building, insulation and reflective materials which allow for efficient heating and air conditioning systems, on-site storage and collection of recyclables, use of recycled and low-emitting building materials, daylight and natural views in 75 to 90 percent of spaces, bike storage and a shower/locker room.

Many cu