Zephyr Cove Resort is having a special Thanksgiving feast.

The Tahoe Queen paddle-wheeler is having special Thanksgiving dinner cruise from 5:30-9:30pm.

St. Theresa School is have a Baked Potato Bingo fundraiser on Nov. 21 to raise money for eighth-graders to go to Washington, D.C.

The event is being emceed by comedian Howie Nave.

The potato bar opens in Grace Hall at the South Lake Tahoe church at 4pm; with the first game of bingo starting at 5pm.

There is a $10 minimum buy-in for Bingo Packet which is good for 10 games; its $2 for Kid Bingo

More than $500 in prizes have been donated from local businesses.

Raffle items include a 19-inch flat screen TV.

Beer and wine are not included in the price.

Tickets are available from any eighth-grade student, at the front office of Saint Theresa School at 1081 Lyons Ave., or at the door.

For more information, call (530) 544.8944.

By Margaret Williams

Smoking cigarettes is the No. 1 preventable cause of premature disease and death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Great American Smokeout, which is an annual nationwide celebration on Nov. 19, challenges smokers to give up tobacco for 24 hours in hopes that they will stop smoking for good.

“The health benefits of quitting smoking are significant,” said Christy Kessler, supervising health education coordinator for the El Dorado County Health Services Department. “A smoker who quits reduces his or her risk of developing smoking-related heart disease, stroke, cancer and emphysema.”

An estimated 14 percent of Californians are smokers. According to Kessler, most smokers have thought about quitting at some point in their lives. Taking part in the Great American Smokeout is a good starting point for smokers who want to quit.

Kessler recommends the following techniques for quitting:

* Deep Breathing – Take a few deep breaths by inhaling and exhaling slowly to help the body relax and relieve stress.

* Drink Water – Drink eight glasses of water every day to help rid the body of harmful cigarette toxins.

* Do Something Else – Distract yourself by taking a walk, reading a book or chewing on sugarless gum, cinnamon sticks or a straw.

* Delay – Wait! The urge to smoke will pass within 5-10 minutes and will become weaker over time.

* Discuss – Talk to a friend to get support and encouragement.

Kessler acknowledges that quitting smoking can be challenging, and advises that people who want to quit not give up.

“Sometimes it may take several tries before you are able to quit smoking for good, but taking that first step is critical,” said Kessler.

A number of resources are available to assist people who want to quit tobacco. The California Smokers’ Helpline, 1-800-NO-BUTTS, offers free over-the-phone counseling and online support at www.californiasmokershelpline.org. The American Cancer Society also has stop smoking resources on their website at www.cancer.org. For additional educational resources please visit the El Dorado County Tobacco Use Prevention Program website at www.edcgov.us/publichealth.

Margaret Williams works for the El Dorado County Health Department.

By Drue Chapman

The following is an update from the first few Student Council meetings at Zephyr Cove Elementary School.

Newly Elected Student Council at ZCES for 2009-10:

Top row L-R: Caroline Krolicki, Jah’nessa Morris, Kate Krolicki and Drue Chapman. Bottom row L-R: Nick Buchholz, Trent Dingman, Anna White and Lacey Robinson.

Kate Krolicki, President

Jah’nessa Morris, Vice President

Drue Chapman, Secretary

Caroline Krolicki, Treasurer

Nick Buchholz, Historian

Lacey Robinson, Artist

Trent Dingman, Representative

Anna White, Representative

October/November Meeting Report:

Red Ribbon week: At Red Ribbon week, we handed out wax lips to every student and said “Kiss unhealthy choices goodbye.” Then on Tuesday, we handed out paw tattoos and asked our classmates to “Paw your way to healthy choices.” On Wednesday, we handed out bubbles and requested that everyone “Float away on healthy choices.”

Update:

The Student Council members are working on delivering on their campaign promises such as implementing a suggestion box, annual yearbook, snack schedule changes and green ideas. For the “Caught in the Act” program, there is a student of the week and class of the month.

Additional Events:

– Crazy Hair Day was on Nov. 7

– Class Door Decorating contest Nov. 20

– Coat Donation program Nov. 17 hosted by the Kiwanis Club

– Sharing Fest Nov. 25 where the whole school will have potluck lunch together

December events

– 4, 5, 6: Festival of Lights

– 7-11: Candy cane sale

– 15,16,17: Giving Tree Wrapping

Contact Jenay Aiksnoras (Miss A.) for more information: jaiksnoras@dcsd.k12.nv.us

Drue Chapman is Student Council secretary at Zephyr Cove Elementary School.

Email adam@snowbomb.com with your mailing address to get a free “Keep Tahoe Bomb” sticker.

Pisano’s Pizza is not going to rebuild after a fire destroyed the Homewood eatery earlier this fall.

July 15-18 is going to packed full of golf in 2010 – the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament at Edgewood Tahoe in Stateline and the PGA’s Legends Reno-Tahoe Open are at the same time.

Sierra-at-Tahoe’s Huckleberry Canyon is featured in Warren Miller’s latest film which will be at MontBleu in Stateline on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5.

A Zephyr Cove law firm has added a partner (Mike McLaughlin) and changed its name to Feldman Shaw and McLaughlin LLP.

What’s new and going on at the ski areas in the greater Lake Tahoe area for the 2009-10 ski season?

Lake Tahoe News has the answers and then some beginning Monday. Nine of the region’s downhill resorts will be featured Nov. 16-20.

Northstar-at-Tahoe makes snow Nov. 13. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe News will be a source of information about the ski industry throughout the season.

Road conditions are available 24 hours a day via the Home page.

Check out the Events page to know what is going on as well.

The U.S. Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has begun seasonal closures at recreation sites and forest roads.

Effective today, Forest Service gates will be closed and locked, and wheeled-motorized access will be prohibited for the winter.

Seasonal road closures allow for winter road maintenance, soil protection and increased public safety.

The public will continue to have non-motorized access, as well as access to snowmobiles where permitted and in accordance with regulations.

A complete list of closure dates and locations is available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/conditions/closures.shtml.

By Dennis Myers, News & Review

The notion has been creeping around elite circles for months, though there has been little public discussion of it. And the state demographer—the person who keeps track of noses in Nevada for the state government—has nothing about it on his Web site. But still the talk goes on that Nevada may not be growing anymore, that indeed it may be losing population.

The idea is almost a contradiction in terms. Nevada has always been defined by its growth.

Read the whole story

Letter to community,

The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce wants to thank, Danny Freemon, owner of Pine Cone Acre Motel, KOWL and KRLT radio, city of South Lake Tahoe Fire and Police Departments of their help in Halloween Night Treat Street.

Many individuals and business that participated in Treat Street 2009 were Bob Attinger – Attinger Insurance, David and Karen Borges, D.C. – Borges Chiropractic, Leteicia Hansen – Mary Kay, Wendy David – LTSUD School Board, Pete McRoberts – Holiday Inn Express, Sue Novasel, STPUD, Duane and Tami Wallace – High Country Lodge and LTUSD, Scotty’s Hardware, David Kurtzman, Grocery Outlet, Sierra House PTA, Tahoe Valley PTO, Tahoe Pool Service, Eric Schafer – STPUD, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra, JoAnn Conner – Pre-Paid Legal and ID Shield, Food Bank, Mike Doyle and Staff, Kandee – Staples and Tahoe Discount Mattress, STAR volunteers and Mark Johnston of Bolero Innovations Web Site/Business Developer.

South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce