Airplane has lots of miles on it ... all on the ground

For an aircraft that has never flown, Jim Morris' Compair 8 kit plane has traveled a lot of miles.

The Chambers Field resident and owner of Lake Tahoe Accommodations has been working on the plane for the last six years.

"We went back to Florida and built the wings and the major part of the fuselage, put it in a truck and brought it out to Gardnerville," he said.

After finishing the fuselage, Jim towed the plane from his home to the Minden-Tahoe Airport in June.

"The plane is waiting on the FAA to approve the maintenance program," he said. "Once that's approved I can get my airworthiness inspection."

The side of the plane features a Wolfgang Kohlz photograph of Lake Tahoe.

"He's just a great guy," Jim said. "He does our cards and calendars."

Besides the joy of flying, Jim is using the aircraft for his fly2tahoe.com promotion, encouraging pilots to visit Tahoe and stay.

"I think both the Tahoe and the Minden-Tahoe airports are good places for that," he said.

Jim has been in the news recently as an advocate of windmills. He also has recreated the 12th hole at Augusta as part of a four-hole golf course on his property.

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Linda Hiller's assessment of the pelican population boom in Carson Valley was dead on, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Donna Withers, manager of Pyramid Lake's Anaho Island Wildlife Refuge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said that the dry year has actually contributed to pelican numbers.

"It's been the primo year for pelicans," Withers said. "They started nesting early and they were able to take advantage of two good years of water around Lovelock and down into Lahontan."

The wet years allowed fish to mature and then this year's dry winter kept the waters shallow so the pelicans could feed.

"Going into the first year of a drought makes it good for the pelicans," she said. "As it started to dry the waters stayed shallow enough and the fish are more concentrated and the pelicans have an easier time feeding."

The pelicans have left Anaho Island for the season on their way elsewhere.

"Once the juvenile birds start flying with their parents, they totally disperse," she said. "They don't stay here, they go flying around looking for food."

The pelicans will be out looking for food before they fly south for the winter in October or November.

Withers estimated there were 8,000 juveniles and 16,000 adult pelicans on Anaho Island this season.

"That's a lot of birds," she said.

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One sure sign that school is coming up is the start of the 2007 marching band season.

Douglas High School Fighting Tiger Band Director Bill Zabelsky said anyone in the band or who wants to be show up for the 9 a.m. Monday meeting at the school.

"It is imperative that anyone who is in the band or wants to be, shows up to learn the music and to get a spot in the show," he said.

For more information, visit www.douglasmusic.net or call 782-5136 ex 1102.

The fall semester for high and middle school students begins Aug. 27. Elementary school students are due back on Aug. 22, according to the school district's Web site.

-- Kurt Hildebrand is editor of The Record-Courier. Reach him at khildebrand@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 215