Truckee has established a graffiti abatement team in response to a rash of graffiti in the area.

These individuals will work to remove graffiti in and around the Truckee area.

To have graffiti removed, call 530.582.7804.

• Whittell High School student Melissa Petty won the sixth annual Gene Upshaw Scholarship at this year’s American Century Championship. Petty’s essay was about her hard work in the classroom, sports, faith and goodwill. NBC Sports and Edgewood Companies contributed equally to the $5,000 scholarship.

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

• Wendy David is he first person to turn in papers to run for South Lake Tahoe City Council.

• June Lake Loop Mountain Music Festival is July 25-27.

• To sign up for reverse 911 notifications in El Dorado County go online, then click on the image of the phone, cell phone and “@” symbol to fill out the form. Here is a link for Douglas County residents to sign up.  South Lake Tahoe residents may signup here for various alerts.

A California Conservation Corps member from Meyers is one of nine in the state to be selected for the 2014 work exchange with Conservation Volunteers Australia.

Julia Predmore

Julia Predmore, 23, has been with the CCC’s Tahoe Center since January.

The CCC contingent will leave Aug. 20 for Melbourne to work in the states of Victoria and Queensland until Oct. 17. Projects will likely include tree planting, non-native plant removal and habitat protection for several endangered marsupials.

A group of Australians is expected to visit in November to work in California at several CCC locations.

CCC participants pay their own airfare; room and board is deducted from their Corps salaries

Candidates for Douglas County manager will be meeting the public Aug. 4 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Carson Valley Inn’s Valley Ballroom.

During the reception, each candidate will briefly discuss her or his qualifications for the position and converse with the public. Each candidates’ qualifications may be reviewed online.

Seventy-one people applied for the position. The top seven candidates will visit Douglas County on Aug. 4-5 for a series of interviews, a tour of the community, and the reception.

Candidates will be interviewed by commissioners at a special meeting on Aug. 18.

A wood burning ban is in effect in South Lake Tahoe because of the drought.

The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department issued the following warnings:

• Avoid outdoor burning, such as campfires, or any other open flame and even grilling is not advised.
• Dispose of cigarettes and other smoking materials into fire safe containers. Tossing smoldering cigarettes onto the ground should be avoided.
• Properly store flammable materials such as gasoline, alcohol, paint, lighter, and matches. These materials may reach their critical points during hot weather and can possibly result to fire.
• Be extremely careful when using and fueling chain saws, lawn mowers, weed eaters and other lawn care equipment. High heat conditions make ignition of the fuel vapors more likely. Find shade if possible and allow the machinery to cool if it has been running. Also avoid welding in dangerously dry conditions, as the sparks can easily ignite the dry vegetation around you.
• Be careful where you park your vehicles. The hot underside of a car or truck filled with gasoline parked over dead grass or leaves is an explosion waiting to happen. Be sure to park on concrete or solid dirt or gravel, especially during red flag days. Do not park where vegetation touches the vehicle.

There will be a blood drive in South Lake Tahoe on Aug. 4 from noon-6pm.

Walk-ins are welcome. Blood drive participants will receive a parking validation for Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel at the blood drive check in.

Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be at least 17 years old (16 with a signed BloodSource parental consent form) and be generally healthy. There is no upper age limit for blood donations. Donors must bring a photo ID and should drink plenty of fluids before donating.

For more information, call 800.995.4420.

Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 7th annual Blue Ribbon Awards.

The awards focus on businesses and individuals that have made significant contributions to the South Shore economy and community through their unique programs, exceptional customer service, entrepreneurship and otherwise.

The following categories are open for nominations:

Geotourism: Providing an authentic Tahoe experience

Tourism: Innovative program, promotion or product for our visitors

Experience: Business providing compelling and captivating experiences

Entrepreneur: An innovative individual who assumed the risk of starting a new business

Customer service (business): An individual who consistently provides quality service

Customer service (public agency): Quality service from a public employee

Small green business (less than 100 employees): Business that is minimizing its impact on the environment

Large green business (more than 100 employees): Business that is minimizing its impact on the environment.

Nominate a business or individual by going online clicking the Blue Ribbon Awards banner on the homepage. The nomination period closes Oct. 3. Winners will be announced Nov. 13.

Squaw Valley wasn’t always a world-class ski resort. Like most, it had humble beginnings.

Somewhat blurry frames from my ancient home movies (before Super-8) filmed about 1950-52 show what the resort was like back then. Also pictured, at left, are me and my sister getting off the chairlift.

In the early 1950s there was the single original chairlift based at the original Squaw Valley Lodge main building. That main building burned down in 1956.

According to the San Mateo Times dated Aug. 30, 1956, “The main building housed the dining room, lobby, bar and shops. … It was destroyed in less than an hour. A truck from the Tahoe City Fire Department, nine miles away, was the first to arrive at the scene. … Other fire trucks from nearby Truckee, Kings Beach and Forest Service firefighting stations arrived a short time later. They pumped water from the lodge’s swimming pool to prevent surrounding buildings from burning.”

Squaw Valley succeeded in hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics less than four years later.

The aerial tram was constructed in 1967.

The tram being built in the 1960s. Photo/Squaw Valley Ski Resort

Squaw Valley village looking toward the mountains. (The opposite view of photo 2.)
Photo/Bill Kingman

Squaw Village is looking to expand its current village.

— Bill Kingman

Dilapidated sections of Highway 89 in Meeks Bay will be repaired starting Monday in conjunction with a Caltrans water-quality improvement project.

Work started in May on a $20 million project from Meeks Creek to just north of Emerald Bay, about a seven-mile stretch of the highway.

The project also calls for an asphalt overlay of the highway. Sections of the existing roadway are in need of repair prior to the resurfacing. Delta Construction was awarded the $923,000 contract to do that work.

The pavement work, scheduled for Scenic Drive in Rubicon Bay to Meeks Creek, will be Monday through Thursday from 6am-5pm. It will require one-way traffic control. It’s expected to be completed in mid-August.

Work on the water-quality project is taking place from 6pm-6am Monday through Friday. It will continue into mid-October. It will be finished in fall 2015.

• Pharrell Williams is no longer the special guest touring with Bruno Mars. Nico & Vinz will be with him at the Aug. 14 show at Harvey’s Outdoor Concert Series.

• There will be a Tahoe Valley Area Plan workshop July 21 at 5:30pm at Lake Tahoe Airport.

• An online petition is up for people to sign regarding the Upper Truckee Marsh.

• Placer County Board of Supervisors will have a workshop about the Squaw Valley redevelopment project on July 21 at Base Camp in the village.

• Douglas County residents may register cell phones with reverse 911 by going online.