·       Smart & Final is going in where Staples is in South Lake Tahoe. Smart & Final used to be in the Bijou Center where CVS is located. Staples is closing June 3.

·       A change of plans – the Ski Run Farmers Market is returning to South Lake Tahoe.

·      Boot Camp for New Dads is a father-to-father workshop designed to inspire and equip men to become confidently engaged with their infants, support their mates, and navigate their transformation into dads. It is May 12, 6:30-9:30pm at Sign up at 1077B 4th St., South Lake Tahoe. Cost is $20. Sign up online under Family classes or series.

·      This video from Caltrans shows what it takes to clear mountain passes after the winter.

·       Learn about having chickens in the Tahoe-Truckee area in a workshop on May 14 from 10-noon at Truckee River Sanctuary, Kayhoe Court, Truckee. Local laws, safety from predators, coop design, feeding and handling, and selection of cold hardy breeds will be part of the learning process.

The Citizen’s Climate Lobby is putting on a talk about the local snowpack, lake level, and how the future of of the South Shore depends on it. Enjoy free drinks, appetizers, raffle prizes as well as an optional discussion that will leave us all talking about climate change at the local level.

The Save Our Snow discussion will be May 12 from 5-6pm inside The Loft’s theater at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe.  Bonnie Turnbull and Nick Exline from the Citizen’s Climate Lobby will share data on the snowpack, lake level, and how the local economy could be affected by the predicted climate changes.

Exline, one of the founders of the non-partisan South Lake Tahoe Citizens Climate Lobby, looks to market driven solutions to combat climate change.

Following the talk will be a mixer for the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce from 6-8pm.

The event is $10 for chamber members and $20 for non-members. Space for the forum is limited. Register online.

·       It All Affects the Lake: Stormwater Pollution is the title of a talk on May 18 from noon-1:30
in the Aspen Room at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe.

·       Nevada Beach Campground on the South Shore is open.

·       The 16 annual Tahoe Truckee Snapshot Day is May 14 from 9am-noon. This annual event takes a picture of a moment in time of the Tahoe-Truckee-Reno watershed. For more info, go online.

·       Incline Village Community Cleanup Day is May 21 from 8am-noon. Volunteers are needed to help spruce up Incline Village and Crystal Bay by picking up litter and debris from along local streets, trails and streams. Meet at the Incline Village Recreation Center (980 Incline Way) for site assignments and tools. Participants of all ages are welcome, however an adult must accompany children under 18. Call 775.832.1284 for more information.

·       Douglas County planning commissioners on May 10 at 1pm will consider a tentative subdivision map for the Tahoe Beach Club to create 48 air space condominiums for the first phase of the residential condominium and beach club development project.

Is transportation going in the right direction will be the topic of two meetings being hosted by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Protecting Tahoe’s beauty while accommodating all who enjoy it is a balancing act. Projections show the number of annual visits increasing by up to 20 percent in the next 20 years, according to TRPA. What will the impacts be on air/water quality and transportation?

The agency wants people to share potential solutions for connecting Tahoe’s transportation corridors and improving access for residents and visitors. Input will help shape the update of the TRPA Regional Transportation Plan.

Meetings are:

• May 17, 5-7pm, North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach.
• May 24, 5-7pm, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, South Lake Tahoe.

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe awarded $21,000 in scholarships to students from Lake Tahoe Community College, and South Tahoe and Whittell high schools. Standing from left are: Quinn Kixmiller, Alec Jobbins, Noah Solomon, Antonio Benitez, Martin Sanchez, Corynn Bricker, Hunter Turney; seated from left are: Zoe D’Angelo, Annie Buchser, Tatum Whatford, Kelsey Kjer, Kylee Lyons, Nicole Kruczynski, Gizeh Martinez, Nemesis Ramirez, Sabrina Green, Bailey Barcellos; kneeling from left: Charlene Jones and Mariah Olson. Not pictured: Sarah DeVore, Satchel Friedman and Katherine Krolicki.

·       Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District board is having a public hearing May 14 at 8am regarding electricity and propane gas service charges. The meeting will be a the community services building, 33540 Loop Road, Kirkwood.

·       The 13th annual Truckee Day street cleanup is June 4. Neighborhood check-in stations open at 8am. Be there early to get materials and a T-shirt. The townwide block party starts at noon at Truckee River Regional Park. Go online for more info.

·       The Truckee The Planning Commission recommended approval of a development permit for construction of 77 apartments in the Truckee Artist Lofts, as well as minor amendments to the Railyard Master Plan. The Town Council will be acting on those recommendations on May 10.

·       Washoe County Sheriff’s Department has a  free app that allows people to report illegal dumping.

Higher education institutions in Nevada are using a five-year grant to develop infrastructure for health-related research and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education.

The National Institutes of Health gave the money to Sierra Nevada College, UNR, UNLV, College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, Nevada State College, University of Nevada School of Medicine; Western Nevada College, and Truckee Meadows Community College.

STEM is where students in the United States trail many other countries.

These partner institutions will use the grant to fund research centers, equipment, supplies, and faculty resources to conduct health research and train undergraduate and graduate students in science disciplines, with the goal of increasing the number of grant applications coming from Nevada to the National Institutes of Health.

·       Kevin Fabino as is now director of Development Services for South Lake Tahoe.

·      Vacasa, which employs several employees in Lake Tahoe, raised its minimum wage to $15 hourly nationwide — more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

·       Permanent restrooms will be built this summer next to the Tahoe Keys tennis courts on Ala Wai in South Lake Tahoe.

·       Here are the El Dorado-Tahoe and Sierra roadwork schedules for the week from Caltrans.

·       The Nevada State Board of Education in April lowered the score need to get a GED. It went from 150 to 145.

Beginning May 9, Truckee will offer a program for residential projects to be construction-ready sooner and not have the back-and-forth of resubmittals.

The program will be known as One & Done Mondays. Any residential project is eligible when submitted.  Once reviewed, that project may not be eligible based on the need for corrections.

The applicant can elect to schedule an appointment on a Monday with the Building and Planning divisions, have all the questions answered during the appointment, and the permit will be ready to issue. This program will allow for more efficiency.

The Food Bank of El Dorado County needs 10 volunteers for May 4 distribution in South Lake Tahoe.

Volunteers work from 9:30-11:30am to help with our Mobile Food Pantry by assisting in handing out food and signing people in.

For more info or to sign up, call 530.621.9950 or email volunteer@foodbankedc.org.

To contribute, send checks to Food Bank of El Dorado County, 4550 Business Drive, Cameron Park, CA 95682.

·       Zephyr Cove Tennis Club is giving players more reasons to join the club. Deanne Larsell, a USPTA pro, will be teaching cardio tennis on Tuesdays from 8-9am starting May 3. She will also be teaching coed 3.5-4.0 clinics on Tuesdays from 9:30-11am. For more info, email poplarsell@gmail.com.

·      Sugar Pine Foundation is having plantings on April 29 in Truckee, May 1 in Tahoma and May 5 in South Lake Tahoe. More info is online.

·       Caltrans is hosting an open house on May 4 about the proposed Highway 50 safety project in Camino. The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Camino Elementary School, 3060 Snows Road, with a brief presentation scheduled for 6pm.

·       St. Theresa Catholic Church is hosting a document shredding day on May 28 from 10am-2pm in the parking lot of the South Lake Tahoe church. Donations will go to the Religious Education Department.

·       There will be a forum for Incline Village General Improvement District board candidates on May 24, 6:30-9pm at the Tahoe Environmental Science Center.