Barton Health is offering wellness lab panels and screenings at a reduced cost.

Draws are Jan. 10, Jan. 21, Feb. 7,  and Feb. 18.

Lung cancer CT screenings and electrocardiograms (EKG) tests are the first and third Saturday of each month.

Depending on the test, lab draws range from $40 to $50, EKGs are $50, and CT screenings are $199.

All lab draws and screenings require a doctor’s referral and scheduled appointment — go online or call 530.543.5615.

• The pool and locker rooms at the South Lake Tahoe swim complex will be off limits Jan. 7 from 12:15-3:30pm and Jan. 9 from 1:30-6:30pm while repairs are made.

• More than 50 vendors and experts will be on hand at the free Bridal Faire at Olympic Village Lodge in Squaw Valley on Feb. 7 from 11am-3pm. For more info, go online.

• Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce is putting on Social Media: A Different Kind of Networking on Jan. 14 from 9-11am. Go online for more info.

• There will be a free demo day at Royal Gorge on Jan. 2 from 9am-3pm at Summit Station. Skiers may test out new gear and talk to equipment experts about the latest cross country ski products. A trail pass is required to participate.

• TOCCATA’s 10th anniversary Brrroque Masters starts Jan. 4. For concert dates/locations, go online.

• South Lake Tahoe snowplows are deployed when 3 inches of snow have accumulated. When snow conditions, snowplows have the right of way on streets and vehicles left unattended in the streets are subject to citation and/or tow.

• There will be a blood drive Feb. 2 from noon-6pm at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel in South Lake Tahoe.

• Sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease is the subject of a free lecture on Feb. 12 from 6-7pm at Lake Tahoe Community College. David Young with Barton cardiology is the speaker.

• January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard month. Go online to find out about deals on the North Shore.

• Lone Eagle Grill at the Hyatt in Incline Village is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Jan. 10.

• Join fellow book artists for an afternoon of free book making on Jan. 4 from 3-5pm at Bona Fide Books, 1609 Magua St., No. 4, Meyers. No experience necessary, but a love of books helps.

• Tahoe City Cross Country is open.

• The U.S. Coast Guard still hasn’t finished its investigation of when the Tahoe Queen ran aground in August.

• Here is the Caltrans roadwork schedule for the week for El Dorado-Tahoe.

• The Winter Holiday Anti-DUI crackdown resulted in three driving under the influence arrests from local routine traffic enforcement and special Avoid the 6 DUI overnight deployments in El Dorado County Dec. 12-28. Over the course of the next week of the campaign extra DUI saturation patrols will be deployed in Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, and the unincorporated parts of El Dorado County. The CHP is deploying all available officers between Dec. 31 at 6pm and midnight Jan. 1.

The business community and town of Truckee are providing a free ride home for people who need it New Year’s Eve.

Buses will leave the train depot at 12:15am, 1:15am and 2:15am on Jan. 1. Drivers will drop people off  at Sierra Meadows, Northstar, Glenshire, Prosser, Tahoe Donner, Squaw Valley, Donner Lake and Donner Summit, and Boreal.

The TART buses will have extended service until 2am New Year’s Day on some routes.

A 1908 hand-colored postcard of the Tallac House. Photo/Private Collection

The same card postmarked at 5pm Aug. 4, 1908. Photo/Private Collection

Elias “Lucky” Baldwin opened his opulent Tallac House and Casino near Mount Tallac on the South Shore in 1899. It stood 3½ stories.

Boasting steam heat and electricity, this year-round favorite of the wealthy included a ballroom, a pool room, bowling alley, boathouse, and spectacular view.

Ballroom
Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Billiards room
Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Baldwin was adamant about protecting this forest land and he prohibited any logging. The tallest trees on the South

Bowling alley
Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Shore are on that land. Besides his Tahoe property, Baldwin’s imprint remains today on his Southern California properties which include Baldwin Park, Baldwin Hills, Santa Anita, Montebello, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, and Monrovia. He also built the Baldwin Theatre and Hotel in San Francisco.

Boat house
Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Baldwin died in 1909 at age 80 at his Arcadia ranch.

                                View from the Baldwin estate.                                       Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

By 1927, the Tallac House was deteriorating and Lucky’s daughter Anita ordered its destruction and then restoration of the site. The land was deeded to the U. S. Forest Service and is open to the public with seasonal historical tours, activities and exhibits.

— Bill Kingman

• Mark Novak, assistant fire chief for Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, is going to be the No. 1 guy for the Vail Fire Department starting in February.

• Fifty-Fifty Brewing in Truckee is considered one of the best ski town brewpubs by Outside magazine.

• Fishermen, skaters and others are being told to be wary of venturing on ice because most of the lakes in and around the basin don’t have a thick enough layer to hold people.

• Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District is planning higher caliber of performances now that the Community Arts Center is renovated.

• Sharkey’s casino in Gardnerville is closed.

• According to the EPA, paper makes up almost 30 percent of America’s waste each year. All the more reason to get your news only online.

• Randy Vogelgesang is now president of the South Tahoe Public Utility District board and Kelly Sheehan is VP.

• The Douglas and Gloria Rumberger Foundation sent a $2,500 grant to the Washoe County Honorary Deputy’s Association earlier this month on the condition the money be used to provide gifts to the homeless.

• Rick Normington, dean of Business and chair of the Siebens Entrepreneurship Program, retired from classroom teaching at Sierra Nevada College at the end of the fall semester.

• Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation has donated $250 to the Safeway Foundation for its partnership with local food banks to provide $10 dollar food bags to those in need.

• Lake Tahoe is considered one of the 17 most beautiful travel destinations of 2014. Check this out to see the other 16.

• Jenni Charles and Jesse Dunn of the Dead Winter Carpenters are playing for free Dec. 27 at 9pm at Moe’s BBQ in Tahoe City.

• South Lake Tahoe Police Canine Association, with help from Pet Station, are making a few pets’ Christmas a little brighter by dropping off a large box of dog toys, multiple shampoos and conditioners, dog and cat treats, cat litter, and more at the animal shelter in Meyers.

• According to WalletHub, Reno is the eighth best place for singles.

• Nevada state Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, plans to introduce a bill allowing dogs in stand-alone bars assuming the business wants to allow the four-leggeds.