At the Lake: One dead, one alive

A 35-year-old woman from Half Moon Bay survived a plane crash near Round Lake, which straddles El Dorado and Alpine counties, but a man was found dead, authorities said.

The identities of the woman and man were not released pending notification of relatives. She was transported to Renown Health Care in Reno for multiple bone breaks. The man, with few visible injuries, had to be extricated from the plane, according to those at the scene.

The aircraft was found intact and inverted in snow near the lake at more than 8,000 feet.

The plane was a small, experimental craft that refueled and took off at Lake Tahoe Airport on Sunday at 4:30 p.m., according to El Dorado County Sheriff's Sgt. Bruce Rosa.

A satellite picked up a signal from the plane's emergency locator transmitter and the sheriff's department was notified around 7 p.m. The satellite makes a rotation every hour and a half.

Search-and-rescue crews from Alpine and El Dorado counties joined in the search as well as three helicopters. Rescuers noticed footprints going away from the crash site and searched for a potential survivor. A chopper with a five-person crew from the Naval Air Station in Fallon located the woman sitting on a rock around 1 p.m. about a mile from the crash. A medic was dropped to give her aid and then the helicopter transported her to Reno, Rosa said.

Searchers located a backpack dragged by the woman from the crash site. The slow-moving plane, perhaps a Bulldog 706X training aircraft, and backpack contained children's clothes, causing authorities to worry children may have been involved. None were found and indications were the two adults, likely just friends, were the lone occupants of the plane, Rosa said.

Search crews accessed the crash site through Big Meadow trail head, Hawley Grade and by helicopter.

Sophie Tatlow, a 21-year-old search-and-rescue volunteer, was up at 4 a.m. Monday morning and was not stirred awake by the 6 a.m. call-out for a rescue effort. A volunteer since August, Tatlow said Monday represented the biggest rescue effort she participated in.

"I'm going to sleep for a long time," said Tatlow, a snowshoer assigned to a dog team looking for clues.

Airport Manager Rick Jenkins knew little about the plane or its occupants. Experimental planes are common, he said, and include many different types of crafts such as former military machines.

"Typically just because it's called experimental does not (mean it) jeopardizes safety," Jenkins said.

The National Weather Service in Reno reported mild weather conditions Sunday around 4 and 5 p.m. with winds between 10 and 12 mph. The cloud ceiling was reportedly high.

Two separate investigations are underway: One regarding the plane crash and the other determining how the person died.

Rosa said at times the woman appeared to walk circles in the snow as if she were doing doughnuts.

Under the circumstances the ending was a good one, authorities said.

"One out of two in a plane crash ... That's not bad. That's not bad," Rosa said.

A building at South Lake Tahoe's main fork in the road could turn into a satellite office for the Food Bank of El Dorado County in the next two months.

Talk over the last five years of opening a facility that would assist the food pantries such as Christmas Cheer and the Family Resource Center has culminated into the Placerville-based private non-profit signing a lease at the "Y" where the AAA auto club was located.

Plans are in order to transform the empty 800-square-foot space into a satellite office and distribution center in the parking lot where South Shore charities will pick up their once-a-month food allotments. In the last few years, the Food Bank has made hauls with a 48-foot truck to eight local charities, including: Bread & Broth, Christmas Cheer, Family Resource Center, South Lake Tahoe Women's Center, Boys & Girls Club, Sierra Community Church, Sierra Recovery Center and South Lake Tahoe Christian Fellowship.

"I'm sure anything that opens more doors is a great thing," said Family Resource Center Executive Director Delicia Spees, who manages 95 bags of groceries a month to needy families.

In 2006, the organization distributed 150,000 pounds of food to South Lake Tahoe charities. The Food Bank, which was established seven years ago, doled out 1.8 million pounds of food to El Dorado County's emergency food closets, soup kitchens, maternity homes, low-income children's programs, women's centers, drug and alcohol treatment places and senior facilities. On the West Slope, there are 40 non-profits who depend on the service.

The goal is to be a full service food bank to the South Shore and work with the charities that serve this community, Food Bank Executive Director Mike Sproull indicated.

"The need for assistance has been growing on a steady basis," Sproull said. He explained the establishment of a South Lake Tahoe location is "a first step" in that direction.

"We need to work with the community to better understand the need and make informed decisions," he added.

Sproull appears to have some assistance from South Lake Tahoe City Councilman Ted Long, who serves on the Food Bank board. In particular, the space where the satellite facility is intended to go was leased by Paul Whitcomb to campaign central for Long, who ran for county office as Tahoe's District 5 supervisor and lost to Norma Santiago.

Joanne Shope of Christmas Cheer said she likes the concept "if they can arrange

access." She wants to hear more about the details.

Information may be obtained at www.foodbankedu.org.

Distribution of Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act funds will be the focus of a public hearing hosted by the U.S. Forest Service on Thursday.

The act became law in 1998, allowing federal land sales around Las Vegas to benefit certain types of projects, including many in the Lake Tahoe Basin. In 2003, the act was amended to direct $37.5 million per year until 2011 for implementation of the federal Environmental Improvement Program. "It's been a pretty extraordinary funding source, but it will eventually go away," said USFSspokesman Rex Norman.

New projects recommended for SNPLMA funding include BMPs for public resorts and trails, restoration of new reaches of the upper Truckee river, implementation of an aquatic invasive species management plan, conservation of the Tahoe yellow cress on private lands, preliminary stages of the Highway 50/Stateline corridor project and a water quality improvement project along Highway 207.

Projects not recommended by the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee are Phase 2 of the Northern Goshawk Nesting Territory Restoration Project and the development of a mountain yellow-legged frog management plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The preliminary recommendations can be viewed at www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/local/ snplma/round8/index.shtml

In other USFS news: The agency will be conducting prescribed burns at Tahoe Mountain throughout the week, pending favorable weather. Residents can expect to see smoke from the area and should not be alarmed.

South Shore golfers are itching to get the season in motion " so much so that some players have been trespassing at Bijou Municipal Golf Course.

Bijou won't open to the public until mid-April. Yet, players have been sneaking onto the course, playing unauthorized strokes and damaging the turf.

"It's a public course, but only when it's open is it a public course. When it's not open, it's trespassing," said Bijou manager Stan Bobman. "Poaching sets us back a little. It actually does a lot more damage to the turf if it doesn't have a chance to recover."

When Bijou does open, residents will find that nine-hole rounds will cost the same as last season " $15. Twilight rates will also remain $12.

Overanxious golfers can actually head to Lake Tahoe Golf Course on Friday to get in a legal round of golf. The 18-hole course outside of Meyers has reduced green fees to $39 per round throughout April. The fee also includes use of a cart.

"We'll adjust rates as the course and conditions improve," said LTGC General Manager Jeff Stange.

Stange is pleased with how his course came out of the mild winter. Outside of a few damaged greens, the course is dryer than usual and, consequently, almost ready for play.

The driving range could open as early as Tuesday if conditions allow.

Players can book tee times 60 days in advance by going on line to laketahoegc.com.

Meanwhile, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, the host of the American Century Championship, has pinpointed May 9 as its opening date.

"It's looking like it should be a good year," said Chris Holmes of the Stateline golf course. "When the weather is 70 degrees everything turns green."

Local golfers should put several Edgewood dates on their calendar: May 5-6 is the annual Booster Club Tournament that benefits Whittell and South Tahoe high schools and May 8 is Locals' Day.

Tahoe Paradise, an 18-hole par 3 and par 4 golf course in Meyers, has set a tentative opening date of May 1.