“The Legend of Fred Beckey” premiers Jan. 6 at MontBleu.

Beckey is the original American “Dirtbag” climber whose name has evoked mystery, adulation and vitriol since the 1940s. Beckey’s stubborn, singular quest to conquer peaks meant a solitary life on the road, where he left a long trail of scorned climbing partners and lost lovers in his wake.

The groundbreaking life story of this rebel athlete, who inspired generations of climbers to head for the mountains with his monumental first ascents and eloquent books, is told for the first time in this exclusive documentary film.

Hailed as one of the most prolific, influential climbers of all time, Beckey’s adventures began in Washington’s North Cascade range with his brother Helmy in the 1930s. In 1942, the Beckey brothers cemented their place in climbing lore when the teenagers survived an incredible second ascent of Mount Waddington––considered the most difficult climb in North America at the time.

Still obsessed with the mountains and planning ambitious expeditions at age 94, the man who once bounded up granite and ice with graceful elegance and ease becomes challenged with the simplicity of everyday life. He slowed physically in his 90s, but his zeal for the outdoors never waned, and he continued steadfastly plotting new routes up undiscovered ranges for the next generation of climbers and explorers.

Director Dave O’Leske spent the past decade filming Beckey, getting to know the mythical man in the mountains of China, across North America and in his Pacific Northwest home. O’Leske partnered with a crew of award-winning filmmakers.

The $15 tickets are available online. The film starts at 7:30pm, doors open at 6:30pm.

For the second year in a row,  Truckee in partnership with local businesses has made getting into downtown easy with free shuttle service from area neighborhoods and Northstar.

Residents and visitors alike can help reduce congestion by leaving the car behind from Dec. 26-31.

Free neighborhood shuttles will be providing service to/from downtown Truckee between 6pm and 2am daily. The neighborhood shuttles will service: Donner Lake, Sierra Meadows, Brockway, Gateway, Deerfield, West River Street, Prosser, Tahoe Donner and Glenshire.

Connections between the neighborhood and resort shuttles can be made at the Truckee Train Depot.

Free nightly resort shuttles will be providing service to/from downtown Truckee and Northstar between 6pm and 2am daily. Connections between holiday shuttle routes and TART’s free night service can be made nightly at Northstar.

For additional information, go online.

By Associated Press

A Reno sign collector is trying to persuade city leaders to keep Reno’s iconic downtown arch neon instead of switching to LED lights during a planned makeover.

The city currently is conducting an online survey on a variety of possible changes to the arch on the main casino drag with the slogan, “Biggest Little City in the World.”

One of the options is to vote for programmable LED lights or neon lights on the “RENO” portion that tops the structure.

Read the whole story

By Lake Tahoe News

STATELINE — The South Shore in April will be home to the largest trade show of its kind for all things related to winter travel.

While this will be the 43rd year for the Mountain Travel Symposium, it is the first year this region has hosted it.

More than 1,200 people from 35 countries are expected to attend the April 8-14 event at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

While it is geared toward people in the industry, there will be sessions open to the public — for a fee.

Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is the host. That board received an update on the event this week.

Tony Lyle with LTVA explained how the week involves a traditional trade show and workshops targeting strategic issues.

It will be an opportunity to showcase what the South Shore has to offer. This location was picked in large part because of its rebirth, so to speak, in the last decade.

Board member Jerry Bindel more than once voiced a request that attendees not be limited to the Stateline/Heavenly Village area, pointing out that there is more to the region than just that hub.

For more information about the symposium, go online.

Tahoe Production House is looking for male and female hosts for instructional videos.

Applicants should be between late 20s and early 40s and Latina/Latino.

This is a paid position.

For more details, click here.

By Conor Dougherty, New York Times

Russel Lee and his wife spent the past few years going online to do the depressing math of how much less housing costs pretty much everywhere that isn’t California. They looked at Idaho, Arizona, North Carolina and Kentucky, but Lee, who was born in San Francisco and has lived in the Bay Area his entire life, could never quite make the move. Then the fires came.

In October, as the most destructive wildfire in state history swept through Northern California, Lee’s three-bedroom home in Santa Rosa was consumed by the flames. He lost everything. He used the insurance payment to buy a $150,000 home outside Knoxville, Tennessee, and will soon leave California for good.

For the half-century after World War II, California represented the epitome of middle-class America on the move. As people poured into the state in search of good weather and the lure of single-family homes with backyard orange trees, the state embarked on a vast natural engineering project that redirected northern water southward, creating the modern Southern California and making the state the most populous in the nation.

Those days are long gone.

Read the whole story

Charan Ranganath, director of the UC Davis Memory and Plasticity Program and professor of psychology, will give a talk in Incline Village on Jan. 18 about the cutting-edge of human memory research.

Recent discoveries in neuroscience have revealed significant insights into how we remember and how we can remember better. Evidence shows that the very act of remembering can sometimes help you retain information with important discoveries about why this happens. Research also shows the surprising ways that motivation and curiosity can influence memory. These studies lay the groundwork for practical ways to improve learning and memory in education and possibly in patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders that affect memory.

Registration for this event is required. The program will begin at 6pm, with refreshments and no-host bar from 5:30-6pm at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center on the campus of Sierra Nevada College.

A $5 suggested donation will be collected at the door.

By Thomas Moore, Las Vegas Sun

From the very beginning, slot machines — with fast-spinning reels and the sound of coins clattering into metal buckets — were designed to excite the senses and hopefully drive players to bet more. Today, slot makers are hoping new technology will make games even more immersive.

One example is IGT’s new 4-D Sphinx slot, placed on casino floors for the first time at a Las Vegas property last week.

Of course, 3-D, in which objects appear to float and move in space, isn’t new; 3-D movies were popular in the ’50s. The technology is not even new to gaming. IGT’s 3-D Sphinx game, which does not require glasses, went live on casino floors in 2014.

Read the whole story

Tahoe Activist Artists is hosting an appreciation party, artists talk and silent auction on Dec. 21.

The adults-only event is designed to be an intimate evening of art, ideas and inspiration.

Each artist will make a short presentation about their work in the exhibition. Admission is free, and sparkly beverages will be served.

It will be at High Vibe Society Artisan Collective on Third Street in South Lake Tahoe from 6-8pm.

The Honda Odyssey has been redesigned for 2018. Photos/Larry Weitzman

By Larry Weitzman

Honda for 2018 brings an almost entirely new Odyssey. Always ranked by most journalists at or near the top of this competitive class, this new Odyssey has to be second to none. About the only thing that didn’t change is the wheelbase which remains 118.1 inches. Everything else has changed, although curb weight is also listed at 4,593 pounds, which is down by 20 pounds from the prior generation.

One of the detractions of the prior generation was that the window line made it look perfect for a funeral home. Unless you are ghostbusting ala Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd (they used an old Cadillac Hearst), the styling always bugged me. But Honda has fixed that window line by giving it a smoother, edgier look. It does have an attractive look now and the new excellent front headlights give it a sporty, aggressive look

Overall footprint for the Odyssey remains virtually the same with a length of 203 inches and a width near 79 inches. Odyssey stands almost 70 inches tall. Although the size remains the same, interior volumes are slightly down, which may be the result of new measuring requirements. But the fuel tank is down from about 21 gallons to 19.5 gallons, but not to fret, fuel economy is up.

While the engine is dimensionally the same, Honda has gone from port fuel injection to a more expensive direct injection, meaning higher compression, more power and improved fuel efficiency. Horsepower jumps from 248 at 5,700 rpm to now a full 280 hp at 6,000 rpm and torque jumped by 12 pounds of twist to 262 at a lower 4,700 rpm. Also new is either a super slick nine speed or in their two top of the line Odysseys a 10-speeder. My top of the line Elite got the 10 speed. The Touring gets the same cog-swapper.

Performance is greatly enhanced as with that many tranny ratios, the engine is almost always at peak efficiency and it shows with a 0-60 mph time of just 7.07 seconds. My advice is not to choose off a new Odyssey at the traffic light Grand Prix. You will be in for a comeuppance. Hit it hard and you can smoke the tires a bit. This almost quickest of minivan times is backed up by excellent passing performance with a 50-70 mph run on a level highway taking just 3.48 seconds and the same run up a steep grade only slowing that time by just over a second to 4.76 seconds. While the nine speed Pacifica is a couple of tenths quicker to 60 mph, the Odyssey smokes the Pacifica is passing times by a half to a full second.

Specifications
Price $30,930 to $47,610
Engine
3.5L SOHC, 24 Valve V-6 280 hp @ 6,000 rpm
262 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,700 rpm
Transmission
Nine-speed torque converter automatic
10-speed torque converter automatic Touring and Elite
Configuration
Transverse mounted front engine/front wheel drive
Dimensions
Wheelbase 118.1 inches
Length 203.2 inches
Width 78.5 inches
Height 69.6 inches
Track (f/r) 67.3/67.2 inches
Weight 4,593 pounds
Weight distribution (f/r) 55/45 percent
Wheels 19 inch alloys
Tires 235/55X19 inches
Steering lock to lock 2.97 turns
Turning circle 39.64 feet
Fuel capacity 19.5 gallons
Passenger volume 160.1 cu ft
Cargo volume behind third row 38.6 cu ft
Tow capacity 3,500 pounds
Performance
0-60 mph 7.07 seconds
50-70 mph 3.48 seconds
50-70 mph uphill 4.76 seconds
Top speed Tires are rated for 130 mph continuous and I am sure it could do it.
Fuel Economy EPA rated 19/28/22 mpg city/highway/combined. Expect 23-25 mpg in rural country driving and 31-32 mpg on the highway at legal speeds.

Fuel economy as rated by the EPA comes in at 19/28/22 mpg city/highway/combined. On a level highway at 70 mph the Odyssey averaged 32 mpg and over the Sierra to Carson City it averaged 28 mpg. In overall driving of about 500 miles it averaged about 25 mpg. Pretty amazing fuel economy considering its size and performance.

Handling is another area of Odyssey improvement. Steering is much quicker at just 2.97 turns lock to lock, wheels are now 19 inches on the Elite and they are shod with lower profile 235/55 series rubber. While MacPherson struts still reside up front, a new improved compact trailing are set up now resides in the rear. Odysseys have also had decent handling, sharper than other minis, but this new version will downright surprise you right up to its limit. Turn in is crisp and its attitude remains reasonable flat for a mini and its cushy ride. It gets it done when the road bends and its 67-inch-wide track certainly helps.

Ride quality is super absorbent, and quiet, very quiet and Hondas aren’t known for their quiet until lately where they have done a great job on quelling road noise.  It rivals some near luxo models in quiet. There is no bobbing, weaving and certainly little if any float. Well done, Honda.

Brakes appear to be the same big ventilated discs in front and bigger solid discs in the rear. All the acronyms are present with ABS and a plethora of others. Lane departure warning, collision mitigation (which should help prevent future litigation), lane keep assist, adaptive cruise and the kitchen sink are all here, standard in this Elite edition. LED headlights are terrific.

Inside is a luxo leather interior with doors and dash done with top quality materials. Storage and cubbies abound. The Elite comes with the cabin watch system which puts on a screen what’s happening in the second and third row. Seats are comfortable if not a bit firm, so long haul comfort should be good and with that nearly 20-gallon fuel tank, maybe a private lav might be a good option with a near 600-mile range. Second and third row seating is comfortable and copious. Rear seats fold flat and the middle row is a snap to remove.

With a bit over 140 cubes behind the front row, going to Home Depot or Lowe’s could get costly.

My Elite tester stickers for $46,670 plus $940 for the train ride from the Odyssey’s Lincoln, Ala., assembly plant. Everything is standard and it doesn’t get any better than this model. A still well-equipped LX model sticker for $29,990 plus the obligatory $940 train ride and there are four models and prices in between each with increasing levels of features, but the base model will surprise you with its standard equipment list and the powertrain is identical, but even the base gets a great nine-speed cog-swapper.

Larry Weitzman has been into cars since he was 5 years old. At 8 he could recite from memory the hp of every car made in the U.S. He has put in thousands of laps on racetracks all over the Western United States.