Kaepernick wall art under your tree

The buzz surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick makes The Bee's poster tribute a suitable gift for Niner Faithful. The former Turlock resident and popular three-sport athlete at Pitman High has worked his way into the starting lineup, including for Sunday night's game against the host New England Patriots. Reprints can be purchased at http://modbee.mycapture.com/mycapture/category.asp?CategoryID=16041.

BEAR VALLEY OFFERS FREE DAY

Bear Valley off Highway 4 east of Arnold will open its season with a free ski/snowboard day next Thursday. Bear's Kuma, Koala and Cub chairs will be in operation that day. Meanwhile, Dodge Ridge near Pinecrest still awaits enough snow for its opening. Badger Pass at Yosemite National Park will open its cross country trails Saturday, thanks to the foot of snowfall it received on Wednesday, according to spokeswoman Lisa Cesaro. There is still not enough snow, however, to open Badger's downhill skiing/snowboarding area.

PREP WRESTLING TAKES OVER MJC

Wrestlers from 27 high schools will come to Modesto Junior College on Saturday for the MJC Invitational, one of the top early-season meets in the Stanislaus District. The tournament, formerly called the Western Invitational, will be contested at MJC Gym with Beyer High as the official host. Matches begin at 9 a.m., with finals scheduled for 6 p.m.