The Douglas County Public Library is having a book sale Nov. 14 from 9am-5pm and on Nov. 15 from 9am-2pm.

A special members-only preview for Friends of the Douglas County Public Library will take place Nov. 13 from 4-8pm. Join the Friends at the door to attend.

The sale will be at the Carson Valley United Methodist Church located at 1375 Centerville Lane in Gardnerville.

Thousands of used books and audio books will be for sale; DVDs and music CDs will also be available. Cash purchases only.

Friends of the Douglas County Public Library and anyone who joins the Friends during the sale will receive a 10 percent discount.

·      Lake Valley Fire Protection District this month swore in apprentice firefighter-paramedic Dylan Yuzbick.

·      Cork & More in South Lake Tahoe is staying open for now because potential buyers have come forward.

·      Lake Valley Fire Protection District honored attorney William Wright with a proclamation upon his retirement after serving the district for 25 yeas.

·       Local restaurateur Matt Grime and local business owner Erik Watada are creating Neighborhood Burgers on Lower Kingsbury in Stateline. It will open in December.

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

Other than the Tahoe Valley Y, the intersection of Highway 50 and Ski Run Boulevard reflects perhaps more changes more often since the 1950s than any other South Shore intersection. Photos taken in the area demonstrate the transformation best.

This photo likely was taken about 1956, as Heavenly Valley opened in 1955, and shows the two-lane Highway 50 toward the Nevada state line. The photographer likely took this image from where today would be in the middle of a Ski Run Boulevard turn lane next to today’s Red Hut. Photo/South Lake Tahoe archives

The photo above shows that there were no stoplights in the early 1950s. The Lawrence’s Department Store sign (left-center) fronted the same building which was remodeled and now houses Chevy’s restaurant.

Development came rapidly in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

This photo must be later 1960s, as the Echo Motel sign boasts “Master Charge” which was introduced in late 1966. (Master Charge changed its brand to MasterCard in 1979). Photo/South Lake Tahoe archives

The photo above was taken from an elevation equal to the second-story window behind the Echo sign, at about where a driveway now enters today’s Chevron station on that site. That distant green pickup carrying the aluminum boat atop the camper shell is approaching Highway 50 at the same fire hydrant corner as shown in the 1956 photo.

Del’s Market and the Ski Run Lodge were replaced by the Ski Run Center showing where the Burger Bar fronted Highway 50, approximately where today Kentucky Fried Chicken stands. At right, the southeast corner of the intersection shows the “3 Swiss Motel and Cottages” and sign, behind which is seen Effie’s Dress Shop with its display window atop the mound on the corner.

This is the Ski Run Center as it stood in October 2007, shortly before being razed. Photo/Bill Kingman

As I recall, in the 1960s there was a section between the KFC and the adjacent Video Maniacs 2 which was an open-air covered patio for Burger Bar diners.

The Ski Run Center as it looks today. Photo/Bill Kingman

In 2015, Highway 50 is a five-lane thoroughfare, the Ski Run Center is totally rebuilt, a Chevron station occupies the Echo Motel site. Redevelopment also brought new landscaping, including the currently vacant southeast corner where Effie’s and the 3 Swiss Motel disappeared long ago.

This 2014 Then & Now article with its posted comments tells about the other corners of the intersection.

— Bill Kingman

There will be a financial workshop on Nov. 3 designed to help nonprofits, small business owners and entrepreneurs better understand their financials and prepare for the next year.

It is being presented by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Bank and Mann, Urrutia, Nelson, CPAs.

It is designed to help individuals understand the importance of tax planning and year-round communication with their accountant and bank, as well as the importance of incorporating a business. Workshop attendees will also be taught how proper business financials help grow a business and how it may lead to potential tax benefits.

The workshop is from 3:30-5:30pm at the chamber offices at 169 Highway 50, Stateline. It is free for chamber members, $15 for others. RSVPs are encouraged by calling 775.588.1728, ext. 300.

·      Gogobot ranks South Lake Tahoe among the top 10 eco-friendliest cities in the United States.

·      Energy retrofits at Granlibakken in Tahoe City are expected to save the resort 43 percent in energy use annually, which would equate to $44,000 a year.

·      There will be a Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 11 at 11am at the Victory Plaza in Truckee. A light lunch reception at the Veterans Hall will follow.

·       An application to build the Rail House Theater, a mixed-use building with retail shops and restaurant spaces on the ground floor, a six-screen movie theater on the second and third floors and residential condominiums was recently submitted as part of an amendment to the Railyard Master Plan in Truckee.

·       Do you want to get breaking news alerts from Lake Tahoe News? If so, fill out this paid subscriber form. Subscribers most recently were the first to learn about the Tour of California returning to Lake Tahoe. Paid subscribers also qualify for special deals like tickets to Giants games. Subscribers are helping to ensure Lake Tahoe News continues to be the only place to get news about Lake Tahoe seven days a week.

·      The draft EIR for the Martis Valley West project is online. Comments are being taken until Dec. 7.

·      The second Brewer’s Cup at Cold Water Brewery & Grill in South Lake Tahoe is Oct. 28. Sampling and voting will take place from 5-7pm. For more info, go online.

·      Austin’s House, which provides emergency shelter and compassionate care for up to 10 children between the ages of birth to 18, is on a fundraising kick. For more info or to donate, go online.

·       Guy Yeaman will be teaching a dog obedience class Nov. 5-Dec. 17 at Kahle Community Center in Stateline. Each dog needs a choke chain and fabric or leather lead. Dogs must be at least 4 months old. Cost is $80. For more information or to register, call 775.586.7271.

Lake Tahoe Community College sociology and anthropology instructor Scott Lukas will present The World Expo and the Future of Culture: Reflections from World Expo 2015 Milan on Nov. 3 at 7pm.

Scott Lukas

The free talk will take place in the college’s board room.

Lukas’ presentation will focus on his experiences at the 2015 World Expo in Italy. The specific focus of the talk is the importance of the world exposition in terms of its showcasing of culture, technology, and architecture, its overall effect on culture and politics, and some of the controversies that impacted the Expo.

The presentation will include images and videos from the 2015 World Expo that highlight its many sights, sounds, and experiences. The talk will also include a consideration of the “future of culture” in terms of how the world exposition and related spaces and events, such as the Olympics or the World Cup, may provide a blueprint for intercultural communication and cooperation between cultures.

·       Northstar ski resort expects to open Nov. 20.

·       Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley is skipping the 2015-16 Audi FIS Ski World Cup opener this weekend in Soelden, Austria, to continue resting a nagging hip injury.

·       The U.S. Grand Prix, the longest running winter action sports tour, returns to  Mammoth Mountain Jan. 21-24.

·       Diamond Peak resort has a Dec. 10 projected opening date.

·       On Oct. 13, the North Tahoe Public Utility District board voted to make the change to at large elections beginning in November 2016.

Comments are being taken on the draft initial study and mitigated negative declaration and notice for the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Master Plan.

The plan is a coordinated effort between the city and El Dorado County to enhance recreation facilities and services.

Comments will be taken through Nov. 20. The documents are available online.

The Planning Commission will be having a public hearing Nov. 12 at 3pm in the City Council Chambers.

·       Douglas County Parks and Recreation is hosting a free Halloween Carnival at Kahle Community Center in Stateline on Oct. 31 from 4-6:30pm for all ages.

·      Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District’s board meets Oct. 22 at 6pm at the park.

·       Author Luis Alberto Urrea is part of the Writers in the Woods series at Sierra Nevada College on Oct. 23-24. He will give a free reading Friday from 7-9pm, and conduct a workshop Saturday from 9am-noon. The cost of the workshop is $50. Go online to register.

·      Tahoe Arts Project, which is in season 29, is having an online fund-raising drive.

·     A memorial service for South Lake Tahoe police Officer Mark Hounsell and his wife, Jeanne, will be Oct. 24 at 11am at LifePoint Church, 1095 Stephanie Way in Minden.