Tahoe Talk - 1/5/21

Tahoe TAP

From around the globe to out your backdoor, here are the topics to keep you relevant and up-to-date!

Regional News:
- Mt. Baker has received up to 84 inches (7 feet) of snow in the last 8 days, and another 4-5 feet of snow is forecasted over the next 10 days! Seems like the PNW is the only region benefitting from La Nina
- West Virginia was one of the few states without a National Park, but that is expected to change after the COVID-19 relief bill passed in Congress last week. The New River Gorge is the nation’s newest national park. The park is highlighted by the absolutely massive New River Gorge Bridge that spans 3,031 feet, and 876 feet above the New River. The area is extremely popular amongst rock climbers, rafters, and hikers.
- The remains of a wooly rhino were discovered in Siberia, and scientists believe that the creature had been preserved by permafrost for more than 20,000 years! The rhino was preserved with its fur, limbs, tusk, and most of its organs. Discoveries, like this rhino, are becoming more common with the thawing of permafrost due to climate change
- The Great Gatsby is among a number of classic works copyrighted in 1925 that have entered the public domain. Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. Sold fewer than 25,000 copies before Fitzgerald died. It has since sold nearly 30 million. Now, there’s chatter of all sorts of remakes of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic.
- Planning a trip in 2021? Southwest just launched a fare sale with tickets starting at $29 one way. As with all airline sales, there is fine print galore, but SW has an easy “low fare calculator”
- 17% of US restaurants have closed due to the pandemic as of Dec. 1st. That's more than 500K restaurants of every type — from independent, to franchise, and chain — that have gone under.
- January is named after the Roman god Janus, whose two faces allowed him to look simultaneously into the past and the future (deep)
- Wed. 1/6 = Nat’l Take Down Your Christmas Tree Day

Local News:
- Region’s ICU capacity keeps Greater Sacramento region in “Stay at Home Order”
- Mellow NYE at Stateline in South Lake and first time Hwy 50 has been open to thru-traffic since 1980s
- NHL announces two regular season games will be played outdoors at Edgewood Tahoe in February. Las Vegas Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins
- New business, Ladles by the Lake, now serving bread bowl soups
- Volunteer opportunities: Tahoe Institute of Natural Science needs help with their annual eagle survey and a six week B-level movie video shoot in February