By Kara LaPoint, Reno Gazette-Journal

Gasoline prices continue to inch up in Nevada, rising 4 cents statewide in AAA Nevada’s monthly survey, which was released today.

Nevada’s average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline rose to $2.97 this month, which was 11 cents above the national average and the fourth highest average price in the continental U.S.

In Reno and Sparks, the average price rose to $3.16 per gallon — up 5 cents since July, according to the survey.

Prices rose 6 cents in Carson City and 17 cents in Elko since last month.

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The second round of project proposals for the Nevada and Placer County Resource Advisory Committee are due Sept. 1. The RAC is looking for potential projects to benefit National Forest System land in both counties. These projects need to meet the legislative requirements of Public Law 110-343 including:

• Improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure;

• Implement stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems; and

• Restore and improve land health and water quality.

The funds may be used for projects that enjoy broad based support and have objectives that may include:

• road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration;

• soil productivity improvement;

• improvements in forest ecosystem health;

• watershed restoration and maintenance;

• the restoration, maintenance, and improvement of wildlife and fish habitat;

• the control of noxious and exotic weeds; and

• the re-establishment of native species.

Project proposal forms are available from RAC members, the Forest Service and on line at www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe along with a cover letter explaining more about the project application process. Project proponents need to ensure that the form is filled out correctly. Letters of support for the project are strongly recommended. Project proponents must contact the District Ranger on the district where their project is located and obtain a letter of support, confirming that the project will benefit the National Forest.

“The RAC will have the following amount to allocate this first year: Nevada County – $108,957 and Placer County – $378,324. The amount of funding available is based on the amount of acres of National Forest land in the county, recommendations by the Boards of Supervisors, and past receipts from the sale of National Forest goods and services. Additional funding will be available in the future through 2011,” Joanne Roubique, designated federal official, said in a statement.

Submitting Project Proposals: Project proposals need to be mailed to Joanne Roubique, DFO, Truckee Ranger Station, 10811 Stockrest Springs, Truckee, CA 96161 as well as emailed to jroubique@fs.fed.us. It is important projects are mailed both in hard copy form and electronic form.

For more information, call Joanne Roubique at (530) 587.3558, Jennifer Montgomery (530) 889.4010, or Ann Westling at (530) 478.6205.

Hear the “Tales of Picket Pin of the High Sierra” on Aug. 14-15 from 10-11am or 12:30-1:30pm.

Author, illustrator, and master storyteller Carol Timmerman will share her book about a Belding squirrel’s journey through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Along the way he learns about the history and geography of the area, meets animals named after historical figures and learns why gold miners called these little squirrels picket pins.

Meet the author at the Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum, 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe.

For reservations and questions, call (530) 541.5458 or email laketahoemuseum@att.net.

The author will sign your purchased book on the days of the event. She has given the museum a special price on the sale of her book with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the museum.

This free event is sponsored by The Lake Tahoe Historical Society.

Parasol Community Collaboration presents “It’s 2010. Is Your Business Social?” on Oct. 7 from 9am-noon.

RSVP: pcc@parasol.org or (775) 298.0119

Description: Learn how to use social media in your marketing mix and how to effectively listen, engage and measure your social media efforts with real-life examples specific to non-profits and small businesses.

Topics include:

-The power of social media

-Social media strategy

-Content management

-Case studies

-Measurements, benchmarks, and ROI

Instructor: Milena Regos

Location: DWR Center, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village

Parasol Community Collaboration is offering three-part grant writing training class.

Sept. 22 — Developing Your Idea Into A Fundable Plan

Sept. 29 — Researching Funder Matches For Your Plan

Oct. 6 — Customizing Your Proposal To Funder Specs

Instructor: Phil Johncock has a 92 percent success rate. His students received more than $1.2 billion in grants in the first 2.5 years applying the system you will have access to in this three-part training.

He designed Nevada’s first and longest-running college online course in grant writing in 1997 and the 10-credit Grant Writing Certification program at Truckee Meadows Community College in 2001.

Location: DWR Center, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, Event: Grant Writing Mega-Success, PCC Nonprofit Training Series

Time: 4-5:30pm

RSVP: pcc@parasol.org or (775) 298.0119

By Queenie Wong, Sacramento Bee

State lawmakers on Monday sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a measure to delay an $11.1 billion water bond from the Nov. 2 ballot until the November 2012 vote.

Schwarzenegger and supporters of the water bond asked weeks ago for the measure to be delayed because they’re concerned voters will reject it in the face of a $19 billion budget deficit and a struggling economy.

Supporters say the delay will help lawmakers eliminate any imperfections in the bond, called Proposition 18, which would fund programs for drought relief, groundwater protection, water recycling and water conservation.

“What greater opportunity would you have to improve it than to delay it for two years?” said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, addressing critics of the bond who wanted to kill it altogether.

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Award-winning Nevada schoolteacher Janet Bremer will give a Chautauqua presentation of Comstock socialite Marie Louise Mackay at a free event at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

Mackay came to Nevada during the “Rush to Washoe,” but her husband’s drug and alcohol addiction left her a widow with a young child. In 1867. she married John Mackay, one of the four “Silver Kings” of the Comstock and her fortune changed. Her husband’s mining success made fine living and world travel possible and Mrs. Mackay became a wealthy socialite who lived in Virginia City, San Francisco, Paris and London. The Mackay family endowed the University of Nevada’s School of Mines in 1908.

What: Chautauqua presentation of Marie Louise Mackay

When: Aug. 14, 10am

Where: The park is located at 1450 Highway 88, Minden, one-half mile south of the Carson Valley Swim Center. A map and further information can be found at parks.nv.gov/hr.htm or by calling (775) 783.9417.

Who: The event is open to the public and is a part of a speaker series offered by Nevada State Parks.

Cost: This is a free outdoor program.

Contact: Mark Jensen, (775) 783.9417, dangbergranch@parks.nv.gov

More: Janet Bremer, a resident of Henderson, is a retired educator who has been named Nevada Social Studies Teacher of the Year and Mining Teacher of the Year. She helped create the “McCaw School of Mines” at Henderson Elementary School and remains involved with the school on a volunteer basis. She is also a board member of the Clark County Museum Guild. She has been researching the life of Marie Louise Mackay since 1994.

Chairs and shade shelters are provided by the park. Visitors are welcome to bring lawn chairs and encouraged to bring water. Pets should be left at home.

By Rob Sabo, Northern Nevada Business Weekly

A team of six Douglas County economic development officials last week descended on a large outdoor and recreational trade show in Salt Lake City to pitch Douglas County as a great place to locate companies that manufacturer outdoors and leisure products.

The value of Douglas County’s scenic outdoors was identified as one of the county’s key benefits in a recent economic vitality action report. The team from Douglas County, the Northern Nevada Development Authority and Heavenly Mountain Resort found the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake the perfect forum in which to tout the benefits of relocating businesses to Douglas County.

Lisa Granahan, economic vitality manager, says the Outdoor Retailer expo is the world’s largest sports industry trade show, with more than 1,000 brands represented and 21,000 attendees.

“This trade show in particular is very important to our efforts,” Granahan says. “We saw it as our best opportunity to get a lot of these people in one place and reach out to them.”

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Four distinguished wineries – Chalk Hill Estate, Kuleto Estate, Three Rivers and Sebastiani – are on board for the Shaw Family Farm’s Feast in the Field dinner, slated for Aug. 21 in Truckee.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will go to support Slow Food Lake Tahoe, a grassroots movement that links the pleasure of food with the commitment to community and the environment.

Three of the wineries are Northern California natives and one comes from an up and coming Washington wine region.

“Winery representatives will be present at the event to share the passions and inspirations behind the varietals selected,” explained event organizer Scott Corridan, adding that wine will be available for purchase, as well as wine club memberships.

The evening commences with a 4pm wine reception and tour of the Shaw Family Farm in Glenshire. Guests will then proceed to a dinner featuring a selection of seasonal and farm grown specialties, prepared by Barbara Mills of Back of the House Catering, which will be paired with selections from the above four wineries.

Tickets are $150 per person and include a four-course dinner served in the Pine Meadows followed by dessert and dancing.

Feast in the Field takes place at the Shaw Family Farm located in Glenshire at 12654 Samuel Drive, Truckee. For more menu details or to purchase tickets, call (530) 550.2252.

Longtime South Lake Tahoe resident and businessman Robert “Bob” Kimball passed away July 23 at age 76 in Pukalani, Hawaii, where he had lived for the past eight years.

Mr. Kimball and his twin brother, Don, owned and operated the M.S. Dixie and Zephyr Cove Resort until the sale to Aramark in December 1999.

Bob Kimball

Mr. Kimball was active in the South Lake Tahoe business community and served one term as president of the Tahoe Douglas Chamber of Commerce.

He is survived by his wife, Marlu’ twin brother, Donald; sister, Janet; three children; three step-children; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.