The 2015 Nevada Radon Poster Contest is open to students 9 to 14  enrolled in public, private, territorial, tribal, Department of Defense and home schools.

Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that comes from the ground. It accumulates in homes and can cause lung cancer. This type of lung cancer is preventable, and the only way to know if a home has elevated levels is to test for it.

The poster contest is part of the Nevada Radon Education Program and is sponsored by Cooperative Extension, the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Kansas State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Posters in this year’s Nevada Radon Poster Contest should convey one of these messages: 1) What is radon? 2) Where does radon come from? 3) How does radon get into our homes? 4) Radon can cause lung cancer, and 5) Test your home for radon. Posters will be judged on content accuracy, visual communication of the topic, reproducibility and originality. They can be created with crayon, markers, paint, collage, pencil, photographs or computer graphics. There is no fee to enter, but each child is limited to one entry. Entries must be received at 4955 Energy Way in Reno by Oct. 31.

Cash prizes for the top five entries are $75 for first place, $60 for second, $45 for third and $25 for fourth and fifth place. The top three entries are also awarded cash prizes for their teachers or sponsoring organization’s representative and are entered in the national contest. National contest winners receive $1,000 for first place, $600 for second, $400 for third and $400 for special online voting recognition. National winners will receive recognition, and the posters will be reproduced and distributed nationally to promote radon awareness.

Sly Park Road will be closed to through traffic at the Highway 50 undercrossing due to bridge demolition work this week.

The work is part of a $15.1 million project to replace the existing structure that was built in 1964 and has shown signs of deterioration. The new bridge is being constructed with precast and prestressed girder. The project will also add sidewalks and curb ramps to both sides of Sly Park Road and improve sight distance for motorists on Highway 50.

Completion is expected late this year.

During demolition work this week, Sly Park Road is scheduled to be closed to through traffic overnight from 9pm-5am through Friday and 10pm Friday to 5am Saturday. Marked detours will be in place.

• A record $780,000 was raised Aug. 2 at the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s annual Oscar de la Renta fundraiser in Incline Village.
• Vail Resorts, owner of Kirkwood Mountain Resort, is opening a retail shop at the resort.
• Placer County Water Agency’s water use through July is down 17.5 percent from a year ago.
• Tahoe Regional Young Professionals is having a mixer Aug. 12 from 6-9pm at Brothers Bar in South Lake Tahoe. It is free for members, $10 for non-members.
• On Oct. 12, Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe will celebrate the change of season with the return of its annual Harvest Fest. The family friendly event including a candy apple bar, pumpkin patch in the woods (pumpkins available for purchase), complimentary pumpkin decorating, s’mores roasting with the marshmologist, hot cocoa and apple cider tasting and a children’s costume party in the backyard of the resort from 1-5pm.

Tahoe Arts Project is having an evening of music on the beach on Aug. 21 from 7-9pm.

Pat Ronan, owner of Tahoe Lakeshore Lodge and Spa, is hosting this benefit for Tahoe Arts Project. It will feature the music of Niall McGuinness, Trey Stone and John Shipley.

Bring blankets, low back chairs, food and beverages, but no pets. Soda, water and baked goods will be available for sale and there will be a raffle.

A suggested donation of $10 per person will support Tahoe Arts Project’s mission of bringing professional performing arts into the schools and community of South Lake Tahoe.

The hotel is behind Heidi’s restaurant in South Lake Tahoe off Highway 50.

Call 530.542.3632 for more information.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) allows property owners in South Lake Tahoe to borrow money, usually on a 20-year term, and repay it with a special property tax assessment that won’t require a cash down payment or inhibit the businesses ability to borrow money for operations in the future.

The financing program approved by the City Council creates an assessment lien on the property. It is repaid as semi-annual installments on the property tax bill. The goal is help residents to use clean energy.

Property owners may look up their property online to find out if they qualify.

• The 2013 salary, benefits and other compensation data for 20,428 Superior Court judges and employees is online.
• Sage Francis and Lord Grunge plus special guest Logic One from South Lake Tahoe will be at Whiskey Dicks in South Lake Tahoe on Aug. 17 at 9pm. Must be 21 or older to attend. Tickets are $16 at the venue or go online.  Price goes up to $20 that night.
• The second annual Harvest Beer Dinner at Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe is Oct. 12 from 5:30pm to close at Manzanita. There will be a three-course dinner inspired by fall with select pairings of seasonal beers for $59 per person. Call 530.562.3000 to make a reservation.
• The Oct. 11 Fall Festival is one of Tahoe Donner’s biggest events of the year. There will be arts and crafts vendors, doggie dip, seasonal beer offerings, pumpkin patch, kids’ carnival with games and food, a rock climbing wall and more at the Northwoods Clubhouse from 10am-5pm. Cost is $15 for an unlimited wristband or $1 per ticket. For more info, call 530.587.9413.

• Here are this week’s Caltrans roadwork schedules — El Dorado-Tahoe and Sierra.

An aerial view of Stateline in 1962. Photo/UNR Special Collections Department

The early aerial photo, above, was taken over the Nevada side of Stateline circa 1962 shows South Shore’s first high-rise hotel just finishing construction at Harveys. Across the street (left) from Harveys is Barney’s Casino (opened in 1961) and Tahoe Harrah’s (now Harrah’s Tahoe). The empty area in the upper left on the California side was becoming the Crescent V Center, including Raley’s and Lawrence’s Department Store.

Stateline in 1972. Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

About 1972, the left side of Highway 50 included First National Bank of Nevada, Barney’s Casino, and Harrah’s. The lake side of the highway had Harvey’s and the Sahara Tahoe, which opened in 1965. Entertainers listed on the Sahara sign include Jack Benny, singer Rouvaun, The June Taylor Dancers, The Modernaires, The Original Caste, Buckley & Collins, and musician Page Cavanaugh. Behind the camera and near Kingsbury, the new Harvey’s Inn was under construction. In 1973, it burned to the ground the day before its opening. It is now the Lakeside Inn and Casino.

Stateline looking west in 2014. Photo/Bill Kingman

Today’s view is from the same position as the 1972 photo. MontBleu has replaced the bank, multiple businesses have replaced Barney’s, and all the casinos now have hotels.

— Bill Kingman

Global Transformation Network is trying to bring awareness to the high number of suicides among veterans.

The goal of a daylong expo on the South Shore on Sept. 6 is to bring awareness to Lake Tahoe-Reno-Carson City and the surrounding areas about healing brain injuries with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

A free wellness expo will be offered to show the advanced treatments and products for support of brain injury, PTS/PTSD, and depression that lead to mental illness and suicide. Frank Irwin, a hyperbaric oxygen technician expert from North Lake Tahoe, will give a talk at 3pm.

That evening there will be a stage production. “Forever Dreams for Veterans” is described as a live production with a circus feel and a touch of Broadway.

For more info or to buy tickets, go online.

Truckee Police Department is putting on a Citizen Police Academy in September.

Participants will learn ways to protect themselves and their property against crimes such as identity theft and burglary, as well as being prepared for emergencies.

This eight-week academy is designed to provide our citizens with an overview of the police department’s functions and operational procedures.

The first class begins Sept. 11, 6-8pm. It is free. People must be 16 and have no prior felony or serious misdemeanor convictions, and live in Truckee.

If you are interested in applying, call 530.550.2323.

There will be a six-week dog obedience class at Kahle Community Center in Stateline from July 31- Sept.

The Thursday classes will be from 7-8pm.

The cost is $80.

Instructor is Guy Yeaman uses a light handed approach to help dogs obey commands like heel, sit, stand, stay and recall.

Each dog needs a training collar and a fabric leather lead. Dogs must be at least 4 months old. Bring a copy of the dogs shot records to the first class.

To register or for more info, call 775.586.7271.