There will be a Thanksgiving Dutch oven cooking demonstration at Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa on Nov. 21.

Park rangers will be cooking up a special Thanksgiving dish that onlookers will get to sample. Learn the basics of Dutch oven cooking and how pioneers used the same cast iron techniques to cook meals in 1850.

The free event is from 1-3pm on the lawn in front of the museum.

·       Caltrans has closed Sonora Pass (Highway 108) for the winter.

·      Derek Short has joined the Douglas County Sheriff’s office as a deputy.

·      The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is taking public comment on its nine draft companion plans, which will supplement the recently revised 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan. The public review period runs through Jan. 15. The draft companion plans and comment form are available online. Comments may be emailed to swap@wildlife.ca.gov.

·      Expect more ski coverage on TV now that NBC Sports Group acquired Universal Sports Network assets from World Championship Sports Network, including the rights to nearly all International Ski Federation World Cup events.

·      The annual Truckee Holiday Festival and Bud Fish Tree Lighting is Nov. 20. Festivities begin at 4pm. The lighting is at 5:30. Santa is planning to attend.

The California Highway Patrol has partnered with the California Office of Traffic Safety to implement the Children Held in Proper Place Every Ride campaign.

The CHIPPER campaign will run for one year focusing on reducing the number of children killed in traffic collisions throughout California. The CHP will host educational seminars, classes, and child safety seat inspections.

Officer will also be conducting enforcement operations concentrating on occupant restraint violations throughout the year with a special emphasis during the national “click it or ticket” campaign and national Child Passenger Safety Week.

Child passenger safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System recorded 198 unrestrained children (age 7 and younger) killed in traffic collisions throughout California in 2014.

·       The Douglas County Public Library in Minden and Zephyr Cove will be closed Nov. 26-27. Both libraries will close at 5pm Nov. 25.

·       North Shore’s Dead Winter Carpenters will be releasing their next album after the first of the year.

·       The STEM Building on the Douglas High School campus was dedicated to Lisa Noonan, former Douglas County School District superintendent.

·       There will be a public hearing Dec. 10 at 8am in the Tahoe City Public Utility District board room regarding the notice of intent to adopt a negative declaration regarding snowmaking at the Tahoe City Winter Sports Park.

The various crossings over the Truckee River in Tahoe City have evolved through time.

An early crossing of the Truckee River near Tahoe City in the 1800s. Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

In 1925, the Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company route from Truckee crossed the river approaching Tahoe City. Photo/Cherie Boulton collection

Fanny Bridge was built in 1928 parallel to the Tahoe City dam, which was built 15 years earlier. The dam became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Fanny Bridge in the early 1950s. Photo/Del Laine collection/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Directly north of the bridge was the original Tahoe City Y. Veering left is Highway 89 that leads to Truckee, veering right is Highway 28 and the heart of Tahoe City and other North Shore towns.

Fanny Bridge in 2015 with its expanded Y intersection and islands. Photo/Bill Kingman

The Tahoe Transportation District has acquired $33 million for the Highway 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project and Meeks Bay Trail Project. There will be a public presentation Nov. 18 at 5:30pm in Tahoe City. Proposed plans, photos, animations and details are online.

— Bill Kingman

·       Barton Health’s hospice will host a ceremony to honor people who have died. The event is Dec. 17 from 6-7pm in the North Room at Edgewood Tahoe. For further information or to share an honoree, call 530.543.5592 or email tbruess@bartonhealth.org.

·      Wind forced Heavenly Mountain Resort to be closed Nov. 15. It should be a powder day on Monday.

·      Three high school students were recognized at the Truckee Veterans Day celebration for competing in the town’s first Veterans Day essay contest. Kaitlynn Lake placed first, Ryan Murphy second and Aaron Bokinskie.

·       Diamond Peak expects to open Dec. 10.

·       Three seats are open on two citizen advisory groups charged with advising the Placer County Board of Supervisors on decisions affecting Squaw Valley. The vacant seats are on the Squaw Valley Municipal Advisory Council and the Squaw Valley Design Review Committee. The appointed positions are unpaid and do not have decision-making authority. Here is the application.

A print of the event made by Ken McNutt at Bona Fide in Meyers.

Santa’s sleigh (aka CalStar) will touch down in Meyers on Dec. 4 at 5pm for the fifth annual tree lighting.

Meyers Community Foundation is putting on the free event in the Divided Sky/Downtown Café parking lot. Popcorn, hot chocolate and other goodies will be available.

Lake Valley Fire’s truck decorated with Christmas lights will be there as well.

The winners for the 8th annual Blue Ribbon Awards have been announced.

Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce receive more than 150 nominations.

The following are the winners:

Experience Award:
Winner: Rock Tahoe Marathon, Epic Tahoe Adventures
Honorable Mention: Camp Richardson Corral

Tourism Award:
Winner: Summer Concert Series, Harveys Lake Tahoe
Honorable Mention: Lakeview Commons, City of South Lake Tahoe

Geotourism Award:
Winner: Heavenly Mountain Resort
Honorable Mention: Lake Tahoe Museum, Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Entrepreneur Award:
Winner: Brian and Angela Luke, Artemis Mediterranean Grill and Lakefront Café
Honorable Mention: Mike Leeper and Pat Farrah, Lucky Beaver Bar and Burger

Customer Service Award:
Winner: Salvador Delgado, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel
Honorable Mention: Eric Campbell, Bank of the West

Public Agency Service:
Winner: Janelle Thomas and Tony Angelopoulos, Nevada Department of Transportation
Honorable Mention: Katherine Miller, South Lake Tahoe Library

The Wendell Award for a Green Business or Program:
Winner: Lake Tahoe Golf Course
Honorable Mention: SUP Tahoe.

Free flu shots will be available for children ages 3 to 18 on Nov. 19 from 3-5pm at Barton Pediatrics. No appointment necessary and new patients welcome.

During this time people will have an opportunity to meet and visit with pediatricians Jennifer Ehmann, Kawika Lu, and Tracy Protell.

The office is located at 2201 South Ave., South Lake Tahoe.

The California Highway Patrol is proposing to relocate the existing Truckee office at 10077 Highway 89 to a 5.3-acre site bounded by Pioneer Trail, Donner Pass Road and an on-ramp to Interstate 80.

The existing office is located on approximately 1.7 acres of land. It does not meeting state seismic requirements.

The new and upgraded facilities would provide adequate work space, equipment storage and vehicle parking for an increasing number of employees assigned to this office. There are 38 employees now, but the office is expected to grow to 51.

The site would include construction of structures, auto service bays, a communications tower, secured and visitor parking areas, a citation clearance area, enclosures and storage areas, a fuel island and gas tanks, an emergency generator, utility improvements, and other ancillary improvements.

Comments on the draft environmental impact report are due Nov 16 at 5pm. For more info, go online.