• Heavenly Mountain Resort started snowmaking Oct. 26.

• There will be a free reception for mixed media artist Charli Beck on Nov. 1 from 6-8pm at Bona Fide Books – 1069 Magua St., No. 4, Meyers.

• Check this video out about a private chairlift near Lake Tahoe.

• Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has updated its website so critical community information is now also available in Spanish.

• Gas prices are continuing to drop across the nation, with the national average just pennies-shy from dipping below $3 per gallon.

The Meyers Community Foundation’s fourth annual tree lighting is Dec. 5 at 5pm.

Santa will be arriving via a special sled.

The event is in the parking lot of Divided Sky/Downtown Café.

Popcorn, hot chocolate and other goodies will be available.

New this year is the South Lake Tahoe Children’s Choral will be singing.

The Truckee Community Christmas nonprofit organization is once again overseeing toy, food, and coat drives which provide staples during the holidays to local families and individuals who are struggling financially.

Residents who place donated items in collection barrels that are placed throughout the community between Dec. 1-18, and marked with the Truckee Community Christmas square red logo, can be assured that their contribution will directly help a local family in need.

The coat drive will be coordinated by Church of the Mountains UMC in downtown Truckee and Sierra Bible Church on Brockway Road. All collected goods are distributed to recipients who have undergone a thorough application and review process.

To help, go online.

For questions, call 530.587.2757.

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

• Bill Paxson of Gardnerville on Oct. 22 hit a $1 million jackpot at Casino Fandango in Carson City.

• This survey is about Tahoe Vista Recreation Area. Deadline to take it is Oct. 31.

• The draft environmental impact report for Canyon Springs in Truckee has been recirculated, with comments now due Nov. 20 at 5pm.

Ranching used to be a big part of Lake Tahoe.

But cows are no longer allowed in the basin for environmental reasons and only a few horses remain.

However, the history of the area is still visible. And names like Van Sickle have been immortalized through the bi-state park at the state line on the South Shore.

Here are photos from that area:

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

— Bill Kingman

El Dorado County’s Cultural and Community Development Grant Program is intended to encourage tourism, agriculture, and economic development  by supporting promotional, cultural, and community activities.

It is meant to facilitate smaller, discrete community projects and events rather than sustained marketing of the county.

The maximum individual funding award is $5,000 per cycle per applicant.

Applications are available online. They are due Nov. 21 at 5pm.

Full overnight lane closures of Highway 50, first in the westbound direction and then eastbound, are scheduled for next week to accommodate work on El Dorado County’s Silva Valley Parkway interchange project.

On Oct. 28 and Oct. 29, westbound Highway 50 will be closed from Bass Lake Road to El Dorado Hills Boulevard from 11pm-5am and the westbound on-ramp at Bass Lake Road will be closed from 10:30pm-5am.

On Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, eastbound lanes from Latrobe Road to Bass Lake Road will be closed from 11pm-5am and the eastbound on-ramp will be closed from 10:30pm-5am.

During the closures, traffic will be detoured via El Dorado Hills Boulevard, Serrano Parkway and Bass Lake Road. Motorists should expect an additional 10-15 minutes of travel time.

Here are the most recent campaign financial documents from the two candidates running for El Dorado County supervisor District 5:

Kenny Curtzwiler and Sue Novasel.

• Here is the agenda for the Oct. 28 9am El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting at Lake Tahoe Airport.

• Fodor’s picked Lake Tahoe as one of the top 10 places for a hot air balloon ride.

• The Truckee Town Council will receive an update about Ebola from Tahoe Forest Hospital System officials at the Oct. 28 6pm meeting at the airport.

• This flyer is circulating throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin depicting what people believe TRPA is doing when it comes to development.

• Incorporation: What Could It Mean for Your Business? is the title of a Nov. 19 9-11am workshop by Mann, Urrutia, Nelson CPAs and Associates at the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce office, 169 Highway 50, Stateline. It is free for chamber members, $10 for others. Reserve a spot by emailing emily@tahoechamber.org.

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra and Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe are collaborating to honor two local women with the Live Your Dream award.

Eligible applicants must be women who provide the primary financial support for their families, and are attending an undergraduate degree program or a vocational skills training program.

This award honors women who have faced a challenge such as poverty, domestic and sexual violence, divorce, the death of a spouse, or other life challenges, and had the courage and determination to turn their lives around.

Each recipient will receive a $2,000 to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or job skills including tuition, books, childcare and transportation.

Information and application forms are available on both club’s websites: SITS or SISLT. Completed applications are due Nov. 15.

For more info, contact Pam Barrett at zippygirl1@att.net.