Gilman Avenue was closed at Highway 395 Friday afternoon after a roughly 80-foot pine tree was toppled by high winds and crashed into adjacent power lines, sparking fire in the tree's branches and showering the street below in sparks.
The teetering tree knocked out power at the stoplight in front of Sharkey's Casino and in surrounding areas of Gardnerville.
Pat Gage, owner of Horsing Around Western Gifts and Collectibles, the property from where the tree fell, said she had just left the small gift shop to have chowder at Sharkey's. While there with some friends, she said she heard an announcement over the intercom that a tree had fallen near the rear of the property.
"My convertible was parked right under there," she said. "We started walking towards the car to move it and everything exploded - the power lines just lit up. We turned around to run but fell to the ground and tripped over each other."
Gage said she and her friend escaped the shower of sparks. Fortunately, Dougla

Rescuers responded to a report of a flying greenhouse that blew into some wires in the vicinity of Aspen Mobile Home Park on Centerville Lane. The wires are not electrical, but Gardnerville is getting some power blinks.
With winds clocked at 80 mph this morning in the foothills and and are blowing about 45 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph, according to the Minden-Tahoe Airport automated weather station.
A tree fell across Centerville earlier this morning and was cleared by the Nevada Department of Transportation.
The wind is also setting off burglar alarms in town.

A coalition of town, county, state and federal resources pulled together to pull weeds from the dormant Minden Gateway Center that greets visitors at the intersections of highway 88 and 395.
After months of negotiations with owners of the bankrupt project, workers began pulling weeds Nov. 4 at the 13-acre site.
The crew, put together by the Carson Water Subconservancy District, is expected to work for two weeks clearing and hauling weeds in Town of Minden trucks to the compost heap at Bently Agrowdynamics.
The property had become infested with kochia, puncture vine, Russian thistle, and had become a fire hazard.
The weed-clearing was not without controversy at the Minden Town Board.
"I'm disturbed by the process it took to get this going," said board member John Stephans at the November board meeting.
It took several months for Minden Gateway developer Jeffrey Lowden and his attorney to establish legal parameters to allow cleanup crews on the site.
"(Developer

Chris Ault was absolutely giddy about his Nevada Wolf Pack defense last Saturday afternoon.

"This defense has arrived," said Ault after the 52-14 victory over Fresno State. "This is the best this defense has played in a year and a half."

It was difficult to argue with the Pack head coach. The Pack defense, after all, forced five turnovers (four fumbles), knocked the nation's leading rusher (Ryan Mathews) out of the game with a concussion, shut out the Bulldogs over the final three quarters and physically dominated a team for the first time in recent memory.

"They were definitely fun to watch," quarterback Colin Kaepernick said of the Pack defense. "They were flying around, hitting everyone. (Free safety) Jonathon Amaya was all over the place, hitting everybody on the field. That was fun to see."

And they did it all against one of the top offenses in the nation. This week? Well, forgive the defense if it looks like a

EDITOR:
H1N1 is in all the news but I havet seen that Baxter International Inc. (BAX) on Aug. 28, 2007 filed a patent for producing a long list of viruses including H1N1 before the infection was known world wide.
On March 5, 2009 BAX patent was granted just in time for production of a vaccine against H1N1 swine flu virus, a virus that had never been known to exist.
On April 25, 2009, WHO announced it was working with BAX to develop a vaccine to stem an outbreak of deadly swine flu in Mexico.
U.S. Secretary of Health Services Kathleen Sebelius signed a decree granting vaccine makers total legal immunity from any lawsuits that result from any new "swine flu" vaccine.
Question 1: Why ask for a patent on a vaccine more than a year before anyone knew of H1N1?
Question 2: If the vaccine you develop is safe, why do you need immunity from lawsuits?
What better way to get people in line for vaccinations than keep repeating that there is a shortage? (Remember, shortage of TP,

EDITOR:
Does anyone really believe that millions of Americans who demonstrated in tea parties across this country have all been wrong?
Under this administration we have in less than one year increased our debt more than all of our 233 years as a country.
We have not only mortgaged the future of our grandchildren, we are relying on communist China to finance our debt.
We are now printing money faster than we can spend it, as a result our dollar is nearly worthless. Just look at the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro.
What can we do to change this?
Throw out all incumbents from both parties. They are a part of the mess we are in, by setting their own salary, their own health care, and by ignoring the will of the people.
Take our country back to its foundation: The American Constitution.
Our present left-wing government is not the answer, it will only speed up our way to socialism.
Remember Thomas Jefferson: "When a government gets so big as to give you all you w

EDITOR:
What kind of woman finds time to raise four girls; be an excellent wife and mother; be a Brownie and Girl Scouts leader; be president of Easter Seals for four years; star in a musical - "Mr. Wonderful" in 1963 in Lake Tahoe; be president of the Carson Valley Women's Golf Club; square dance; play softball - pitcher at 65; help with the Douglas cheerleaders and never miss a game - home or away; help with the Douglas Dolfin Swim Team for six years; when we were between coaches, take over; handles the books at Silver State Title; host great parties, preparing all food herself; help my brother-in-law with wood-cutting (he sees she's wearing my dad's gloves and gold tennis shoes); has sons-in-law who never refer to her as the outlaw; always sets a nice table whether we are having steak or hamburgers (all condiments go in glass bowls with spoons).
This woman is our mom, Ann Owen. She is 82 years old and even though I am sitting on the

EDITOR:
On Nov. 13, Lorrene Palmer, president of the Douglas County Republican Women, wrote an opinion letter consisting of five paragraphs, touching on several subjects. Among other things, I was shocked to read her say: "Why is it OK for any religion but Christianity to be celebrated? Christians are citizens of this country. As a matter of fact, all the arguments made about church and state are twisted today." I did not realize that it wasn't "OK" to celebrate Christianity inasmuch as there are both radio and television stations devoted exclusively to Christian programming. Nor was I aware that church and state arguments are "twisted today." To what arguments is Ms. Palmer referring? I am at a loss, inasmuch as she offered no examples to support either of her assertions.
I would welcome the opportunity to become educated on this sad state of affairs. I assume that there are others, like me, who were not aware that it wasn't "OK&

EDITOR:
My heartfelt thanks to all of the wonderful people who helped make the Genoa candy for our Candy Dance.
Especially Betty and Carole for the peanut brittle, Joyce for the 300 mint balls and 300 Genoa gems "special made" for NACO. To Sandi without whose daily gentle guidance and marvelous sense of humor we could not have met our goal; to John, Dick, David, Bill and all the men who managed the copper fudge kettles; to Marty for his English toffee expertise; to the ladies who came loyally from Reno; to the candy makers who presented a plaque and four dozen roses to me on packing day; to all of the 84 people, plus the Key Clubbers who helped make and sell candy, each one of you is important to our success; to the staff for their assistance when needed; and to the Town of Genoa who honored me with a commemorative plaque at the volunteer dinner, I am humbled and filled with gratitude for these expressions of appreciation.
It has been a wonderful 10 years of guiding the

The people who pulled the weeds at the Minden Gateway Center are not employed by the owner, who is in bankruptcy. Stimulus money went to pay them to clean up someone else's property.
An argument could be made that the site poses a public nuisance, and cleaning it up could prevent the weeds from catching on fire and then catching something else on fire.
The clean-up of the Minden Gateway Center is a metaphor for what has happened on the national stage.
There was a time in this country when the penalty for failure in business was that you had to pull your own weeds, but no more.
Last year we saw that no matter how reckless you are with other people's money, the bigger you are, the less responsible you have to be. If the stockholders can't come up with the money, let the taxpayers. Remind them that their pensions are tied up in Wall Street. If a tumbleweed catches fire, it might blow across the road and burn down your retirement.
Better get the gloves and garbage ba

Nevada's unemployment rate leveled out a bit in October, at 13 percent.
The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said Friday that a dip in the state jobless rate from September's record high of 13.3 percent was the first month-to-month decline since November 2005.
A state economist cites a shrinking work force and some stabilization in employment.
The report says the jobless rate dropped to 13 percent in the Las Vegas area, 12.2 percent in the Reno-Sparks area and 11.7 percent in Carson City. Those numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
That's an improvement from a month ago. But Nevada still outpaces the national unemployment rate of 10.2 percent in October.
A year ago, Nevada's statewide jobless rate was 7.7 percent.

Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Saturday in Russellville, Ark., for Russellville resident Beulah Tucker, 84, who died Nov. 18, 2009, in Dardanelle, Ark.
Born Nov. 13, 1925, in Mississippi County, Ark., she worked at International Shoe Co., until they closed. She did domestic work, but her joy was working as a senior companion with Area Agency on Aging.
She was preceded in death by her parents; son Robert Lee Tucker; brothers Hayes and Doyle Fulford; Iva Dennis, Pauline Tillery and Doris Parton.
Mrs. Tucker is survived by son Billy Joe Tucker and wife Lisa of Gardnerville and several nieces and nephews.
Burial is at East Point Cemetery under the direction of Humphrey Funeral Service. There is no visitation. Memorials may be made to American Lung Association, 211 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR, 72205-1539.
Internet obituary and online guest book are available at www.humphreyfuneral.com.

Kaley Robin Hagopian
Gardnerville residents Jess and Brooke Hagopian are the parents of a daughter, Kaley Robin Hagopian, born Nov. 8, 2009, at Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe.

Gabriel Riley Vega
Wellington resident Jessica Haglund and Fernley resident Samuel Vega are the parents of a son. Gabriel Riley Vega, born Sept 11, 2009, at St. Mary's Hospital in Reno. Gabriel weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces at birth.

The Carson Valley Trails Association has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the Bingham Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada to support the Genoa Foothill Trail System project.
In 2008, CVTA received a $396,378 Question 1 grant from the Nevada Division of State Lands to help fund required environmental assessments, land surveys and construction of the first two of three phases of the Genoa Foothill Trail System, to be located in the foothills of the Carson Range west of Genoa. Construction is expected to begin Spring 2011.
When completed, the Genoa Foothill Trail System project will:
Follow the Douglas County Comprehensive Trails Plan/Map
Create public access to national forest land
Construct non-motorized linear and loop opportunities
Connect Carson Valley to the Lake Tahoe Basin and Tahoe Rim Trail
Provide spectacular Carson Valley views
Establish a portion of the greater Carson Valley Trail
Occur simultaneously with The Nature Conservancy̵

Blustery day today
Today will be a good day to get somewhere and stay there as a high wind warning for Western Nevada kicks off this morning at 7 a.m. and will last until 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Winds will be blowing 25-40 mph, with gusts of up to 70 mph. The strongest winds will occur between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to the Weather Service. It's going to be tough driving highways 395 and 88 due to strong cross winds. Out in the deserts, blowing dust will reduce visibility to a mile or less at times.

Gardnerville vandoff preliminary today
A preliminary hearing in the case of the man who wouldn't come out of his van, forcing authorities to close downtown Gardnerville, is this morning in East Fork Justice Court. Prosecutors will have to prove they have enough evidence that John Hansen, 54, of Clearlake, Calif., was driving under the influence on Oct. 15. This is not a trial. That would come later. Should he be convicted, and at least two of

A Johnson Lane man is in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail on multiple counts of fraud related to the sales of automobiles.
William Wilkins, 54, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant issued by East Fork Justice Court on six counts of obtaining money by false pretenses and being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Wilkins allegedly rolled back the odometer on four vehicles and misrepresented that two vehicles were in good condition, when they were actually salvaged.
The Department of Motor Vehicles opened an investigation into Wilkins' activities after receiving a complaint in July.
A check of the DMV database revealed that Wilkins sold seven vehicles in a year, according to the information provided in support of a search warrant of his home. According to the state, a dealer's license is required if more than three vehicles are sold during the course of a year.
The investigator contacted several of the people to whom Wilkins sold vehicles. In one case

Sentencing for a 31-year-old Indian Hills man who admitted to felony driving under the influence will be Jan. 12.
Michael Brian Proctor asked to participate in a diversion program for repeat drunken driving offenders that would prevent him from going to prison for the 1-3 years being recommended by the prosecutor. The maximum sentence for third DUI is six years in prison.
Proctor was arrested on Aug. 1 at the intersection of Mica Drive and Highway 395 after he pulled out in front of another car and nearly caused an accident.
Proctor is facing trial on two domestic battery charges stemming from an Oct. 20 incident where he allegedly hit his girlfriend's 6-year-old son with a ketchup bottle during an argument.
Gamble set a $25,000 bail on the DUI case.

Staff Reports

Gingerbread on display
The All Things Gingerbread display of handcrafted ginger houses, gingerbread cookies, decorations and instructional material on the making of the houses is featured at the Douglas County Public Library in Minden during November.

Gingerbread class
Turia Todd of Grace and Ida's Cookies offers a class on building gingerbread houses, 10 a.m. Saturday, at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center.
The class is offered to adults and children with adult supervision to encourage participation in the gingerbread contest.
There is no entry fee for the class, but each participant must bring their own store-bought gingerbread kit; average cost per kit is $10.
Information, Dennis Little at CVGingerbread@aol.com or 267-5634.

Enter contest by Dec. 4
Applications for the Carson Valley Arts Council's fifth annual gingerbread house decorating contest are available at the CVAC office in the Copeland Cultural Arts Center, the Douglas Co

A Gardnerville man faces up to a year in jail after he admitted to using a company gas card to fill his personal vehicle.
Seth Walter Johnston, 30, is accused of spending $37.24 on the card. He said he was fired immediately after the incident.
"That is a number I will never forget, because all of the pain and suffering it has caused me and others around me," he told Judge Michael Gibbons. Sentencing in the case was set for Jan. 4.

The winner of the Douglas County Historical Society's November photo contest will be chosen at the end of the month. Last month we had so many entries that judging was really difficult.
The annual Holiday Gala on Saturday, Dec. 5, is the day when we open up the Gardnerville museum and throw a huge party.
Start early with the cookie walk and buy as many cookies as you want without having to heat up the oven. Come early for the best selections. We sell you a container and you choose the cookies you want.
Be sure to bring the kids, the grandkids or anyone else you want in the photo with Santa, who will be on the front porch of the museum with his photo elves for pictures with your family. We'll take the photo, print it and put it into a card suitable for Christmas giving. The processing takes a few minutes.
While you are waiting, why not tour the museum? There will be gingerbread houses to see and vote for your favorite. There will be decorated Christmas trees located