Many people experience unpleasant physical effects from scented products, such as perfumes and colognes. Sometimes it might be a headache or nausea when passing by a department store’s fragrance counter or riding in an elevator with someone wearing a certain fragrance.

However, there is a growing number of people who suffer more severe reactions to these and many other types of products and chemicals. This condition is known as multiple chemical sensitivities and involves people who have developed an acute sensitivity to various chemicals in the environment.

People with MCS experience a range of debilitating physical reactions, some even life-threatening, to chemicals used in a variety of products, including fragrances and personal care products, deodorizers and cleaners, pesticides, wall and floor coverings, and building materials. It’s a complex issue with a variety of triggering agents and physical reactions. Different people are affected by different products in different ways. The common factor is that the reaction, whatever the type, is very strong and disabling.

To better understand what drives people to use (or not to use) fragranced personal care products, a group of UC Davis researchers conducted a nationwide survey on this and other emerging environmental issues. They will share the results of the survey, what science can tell us about fragrance chemicals and environmental and human health, and where you can go to learn more about the ingredients in your favorite personal care products.

Fragrance chemical research will be presented Jan. 26 from 6-7pm by UC Davis graduate students Carmen Cortez, Jessica Abbott, Jennifer Balachowski, Susan Chen, and Meredith Niles of the UC Davis Responding to Rapid Environmental Change Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (REACH IGERT) program, a multidisciplinary group of graduate students who work on issues related to rapid environmental change.

A $5 donation is requested. No host bar opens at 5:30pm. Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences is at 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.

The California Highway Patrol South Lake Tahoe area will conduct a Child Safety Seat Check-Up event Dec. 17 from 11am-3pm.

Certified car seat technicians from the CHP will be available to show parents how to properly and securely install a child safety seat in their vehicle.

National studies show three out of four car seats are not being used correctly, making children at risk of serious injury or death.

A California law that takes effect Jan. 1, extends the length of time a child must use a child passenger restraint or safety seat by two years while riding in a motor vehicle. The new law means child passengers must ride in either a car seat or booster seat until the age of 8 or until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall.

The CHP will also be collecting toys, non-perishable foods and new or lightly used jackets as a part of their annual CHiPs For Kids Holiday Drive. tems donated will be kept locally and given to Christmas Cheer for distribution.

The event is at the Y in South Lake Tahoe in the Raley’s/Kmart center.

The Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop is  Oct. 6 from noon to 4pm.

This annual favorite brings more than 1,000 locals and visitors to historic downtown Truckee to sip wine, taste scrumptious food samples and enjoy shopping.

The event, which has steadily grown since 2004, not only benefits the community through marketing efforts and a boost in tourism during the shoulder season, but also benefits a different local nonprofit each year. In years past, $3,000-$5,000 has been donated to the chosen nonprofit partner. Past beneficiaries have included Girls on the Run Sierra, Sierra Senior Services, Tahoe Women’s Services, Truckee and Glenshire Elementary Schools’ Special Friends Program, Truckee High School music program, Truckee-Tahoe Humane Society, Lake Tahoe Music Festival and InnerRhythms Dance Theater.

For more information, call (530) 550.2252.

“Vagina Monologues” will be performed Feb. 24-25 at 7pm at the Blue Angel Loft in South Lake Tahoe. Tickets are $15.

Country pop music singer Karla Robinson will be at Sugar Bowl ski resort for free Dec. 17-18 from 2-5pm.

The South Shore community has again been granted the privilege of producing the Eve Ensler production “The Vagina Monologues”.

A casting call and volunteer meeting for all men and women interested in participating is Dec. 19 at 6:30pm at the South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center, 2941 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

For those who are interested, call Natalie Yanish at (775) 843.7142 or email natalie@realtordeb.com for more information about how to get involved and what to expect at the casting call, as well as performance dates and details.

V-Day is a worldwide organization spreading awareness, raising money for local organizations, and fighting violence against women and girls.

People are needed to:

Act

Publicity and marketing

Art coordinator

Volunteer coordinator

Production team

Volunteers: If you do not have much time, but would like to help in the production and fundraising, help would be appreciated.

Five reasons why men should participate in the production:

Your mother, sister, girlfriend, wife and daughter.

V-Day’s three core beliefs:

Art has the power to reach, transform, and inspire to act.

Empowered women are unstoppable leaders and lasting social and cultural change is spread through their experience.

You cannot end violence against women without looking at the intersection of poverty, racism, the environment and war.

V-Day dreams of a world in which women and girls will be free to thrive, rather then merely survive.

Elegant Evening is Soroptimist International Tahoe Sierra’s annual fund raiser.

It is April 21 from 6-11pm at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

Tickets are $50 and may be purchased online.

Young the Giant plays at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on Jan. 21 at 7:30pm.

Tickets are $29.50. Must be 21 to attend.

More information is at 800.786.8208.

El Dorado Winery Association’s Bring Out the Barrel is

Jan. 28-29, 11am-5pm each day.

For tickets, go online. A weekend pass is $35.

Alpenglow Sports has partnered with Alpine Meadows Ski Resort to put on the 5th annual Alpine Touring and Telemark Demo on Jan. 7 form 9am-3pm.

The event provides a forum to perpetuate the enthusiasm for all aspects of in-area and backcountry skiing. Free to all, the event will showcase the latest and greatest in telemark and Alpine touring equipment.

Participating vendors include Black Diamond, Dynafit, G3, Scarpa, Garmont, Rossignol, Volkl, Marker, Moment, Ski Logic, and DPS. Valid lift ticket or season pass purchased from Alpine Meadows/Squaw Valley required, along with a driver’s license and credit card for deposit.

For more information, call Alpenglow Sports at (530) 583.6917 or email brendan@alpenglowsports.com.