·       U.S. Forest Service employees completed 553 prescribed fire projects in 2015 that treated 36,289 acres of national forests in California.

·      Reservations are being taken for the Placer County Sheriff Office’s Community Awareness Academy. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15. To reserve a spot, contact Kim Rivera at 530.889.6922 or krivera@placer.ca.gov.

·       Caltrans is installing retro-reflective signs, which the agency says provides a double bonus for the public – they’re illuminated by motorists’ headlights, making them more visible than traditional signage, and don’t require electricity. This reduces costs and staff time in the field, and increases safety for everyone.

·      Bill Dietz, president of Tahoe Luxury Properties, closed 2015 as the area’s top real estate agent, with $75,609,700 in sales in California and Nevada, according to dollar volume reported by Tahoe Sierra MLS and Incline Village MLS data.

·      Want to find out details about bike maps in the basin? Click on this link.

St. Theresa Catholic Church’s 22nd annual Crab Dinner is Feb. 12.

Doors open at 6pm. The dessert auction starts at 7:45pm.

Tickets are $45 in advance or $50 at the door. Purchase tickets at the Rectory Office at 1041 Lyons Ave. or Religious Education Office at 1081 Lyons Ave., both in South Lake Tahoe.

Proceeds benefit religious education programs and parish building maintenance.

Must be at least 21 to attend.

For more info, contact Danette Winslow at 530.544.4788 or the church office at 530.544.3533.

·      TRYP is having a networking mixer Jan. 13 from 6-9pm at Casey’s in the Round Hill Center and one on Jan. 19 from 5:30-8pm at Azzara’s restaurant in Incline Village. They are free to members, $10 for others.

·      Lake Tahoe-based High Fives Foundation has helped 100 athletes in recovery from life-altering injuries since it was established in 2009.

·       Truckee will host the second in a series of public meetings on the proposed Donner Pass Road streetscape improvement project known as Envision DPR on Feb. 3 from 5-7pm at Truckee Town Hall. The goal is to create a more pedestrian and bike friendly thoroughfare and to help improve traffic flow. The first phase, which includes connecting sidewalks and improved pedestrian crossings, will be built in 2017.

·      Here is information about El Dorado County’s third quarter sales tax collections.

·      Northstar’s 2016 Burton Mountain Festival is Jan. 8-10.

“From Big Walls to Big Hills, Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger’s Big Year” focuses on the couple’s 2015 quest to free climb Yosemite’s El Capitan and ski the 8,000-meter Himalayan giant Makalu together in one calendar year.

Their quest will be showcased Jan. 28 at 7pm as part of Alpenglow sports Winter Film Series at the Olympic Village Lodge at Squaw Valley.

Harrington’s life goal of free climbing El Capitan in Yosemite and Ballinger’s dream to ski Makalu, the fifth tallest peak in the world, presented some of the greatest challenges they’ve faced in their relationship together. Their experiences were rife with struggle, frustration, and failure that tested their partnership, but also poignant moments of intense joy and satisfaction that brought them closer together.

The event is free.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is offering a free safety awareness class for business owners, managers, and employees to help them keep their businesses and themselves safe.

The class will be Feb. 9 from 6-8pm at the Auburn Justice Center, 2929 Richardson Drive in Auburn. The presenter is Deputy Zach Poiesz, a problem-oriented policing deputy. He deals with chronic nuisance problems in the greater Auburn area and is offering this class in response to business and safety concerns.

Topics covered will include: how to safely open for business at the start of the day; front counter safety; attention during breaks and lunch; banking precautions; closing safeguards; and introduction to the “Run, Hide, Fight” philosophy.

South Lake Tahoe is putting on a design guidelines workshop on Jan. 21 from 3-5pm.

The purpose is to discuss how to improve South Lake Tahoe’s visual character.

The Planning Commission is hosting the event at Lake Tahoe Airport.

·      Barton Health’s Health & Wellness Directory has expanded. The directory is online.

·       Douglas County has received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Carson Water Subconservancy District for the preliminary design of a flood retarding structure east of Stephanie Way in the valley.

·      New Treatment Options for Cardiovascular Disease is the subject of the Feb. 4, 6-7pm free talk by David Young of Barton Cardiology. It will be in the board room at Lake Tahoe Community College.

·       The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps is offering an emergency preparedness and response training academy beginning Jan. 21. The training is free and trainees are not required to become a Citizen Corps volunteer to participate. To sign up for training, contact Shirlee Rhodes at 775.325.6928 or srhodes@washoecounty.us.

South Lake Tahoe is providing a new way to report snow removal and public works related concerns.

It can be done online.

Primary routes are plowed first when generally 3 inches of snow accumulates throughout the city. Initially, one lane is plowed to create a travel lane throughout the entire route. Plows will return to continue to push
the snow off the street. The city would like people to wait until the plows return for the final pass before contacting the city about any concerns regarding snow removal.

There is no way to avoid berms. The size of the berm fluctuates depending on conditions; number of driveways on the street, density of the snow, the amount of snowfall and snow drifts.

For concerns within the city, call 530.542.6030 and within the county call 530.573.3180.

According to an article in the Lodi News-Sentinel, symbols from Lake Tahoe were used by a canning company in the San Joaquin Valley in the first part of the 1900s.

Photo/Bill Kingman

Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Mt. Tallac labels on fruit crates appeared in about 1912 by L.M. Morse, who enjoyed vacationing at Tahoe.

Photo/South Lake Tahoe

The later Emerald Bay brand was copyrighted in 1922 by Morse’s son-in-law, John C. Skinner. They operated the Morse & Skinner Fruit Company of Lodi. Fruit crate labeling waned in about 1950.

L.M. Morse’s ranch house built in 1869 is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lodi Chamber of Commerce told Lake Tahoe News there is a developer in the same area called Morse Skinner (no “&”), but there no longer exists a Morse & Skinner Fruit Company.

— Bill Kingman

·      Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra is accepting applications that support programs and projects that align with the mission to “strengthen the lives of women and youth in our community and the world”.  The deadline to submit an application is Jan. 31. The application packet is available online.

·       The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department will be hosting a blood drive on Jan. 19 from 9am to 1pm at Fire Station No. 3, 2101 Lake Tahoe Blvd. There will also be a coats for kids drive. All donated coats will be given to local youth. To schedule an appointment, contact Kim George at 530.307.9596.

·       The 7th annual Ullr Fest to raise funds for the Diamond Peak Ski Team is Jan. 22-24. For more info, go online.

·       Here is the Caltrans roadwork schedule for the Sierra for the coming week.

·      Registration is open for a three-day mountain bike event that will take place in Carson City in June. Carson City Off-Road will be June 17-19. Races will be 15 35 and 50 miles. For more info and to register, go online.