Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce is playing a hashtag game through March 15.

The #TruckeeMoments campaign encourages locals and visitors to tag their photos taken in Truckee and the surrounding mountains with #TruckeeMoments on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram. Each photo that is tagged counts as one entry.

Weekly sweepstake winners will receive gift certificates donated by local Truckee businesses.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is accepting public comment on the Off-Highway Vehicle Cooperative Funds grant application.

The OHMVR grant provides staffing for OHV education and information, law enforcement patrols, resource and use monitoring, and protection for both natural and cultural resources in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The 30-day comment period begins March 4 and ends April 7.

For more information about the grant and how to comment, go online or email Don Lane at dlane@fs.fed.us.

Lauri Kemper, assistant executive officer of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Board, will present information on current bacteria standards in the region, recent EPA standards and potential updates planned by the state Water Board on March 5.

She will delve into how this affect surface waters for fishing, swimming and drinking.

She will also describe opportunities for public involvement.

The Sierra Club meeting is at 7pm at Unity at the Lake Center, 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

• Sierra-at-Tahoe is having a party March 15 at the resort’s plaza to celebrate its Olympians – Maddie Bowman, Jamie Anderson and Hannah Teter. Details will be coming later.

• More than 300 search and rescue team members from around the state will be in the American River Canyon near Auburn for a mountain rescue team testing on March 1.

• Placer County’s Department of Child Support Services continues to offer free monthly information sessions for those interested in learning more about the Department’s programs and services. More info is online.

• Carson Tahoe Health and Prestige Care are partnering to provide a residential facility for patients with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

• North Tahoe Arts is putting on Photographing Your Artwork workshop next weekend. Learn how best to photograph your work and how to manage digital files of your work. Contact Pam Sutton at (775) 830.8388.

Project MANA, a hunger relief agency serving the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee communities, is trying to reduce the incidence of hunger for families and individuals in the region.

In order to do so, Project MANA has four weekly food distributions at the following times and locations:

In addition, Project MANA has a home delivery program called Food and Companionship Exchange for individuals restricted to their homes because of health, and who have limited access to food. Food is packed and delivered to their homes by Project MANA volunteers on a weekly basis.

Project MANA’s nutrition education program provides community members with tools to improve their health, wellness, and perspective through cooking demonstrations, food samples, and lessons on budgeting, smart shopping, food safety, and healthy eating.

Project MANA accepts food donations at 948 Incline Way, Incline Village Monday-Friday from 9am to 4pm.

For further information, call (775) 298.0008.

Today’s building.

The Lake Front Building today.

The four-story Villa Del Mar Motel & Apartments from the 1960s was perched on the beach at 3351 Lake Tahoe Blvd., directly across from the Bank of America in South Lake Tahoe.

The former motel investors purchased the

Fire destroys the building.

property in 1973 and renovated it as the Lakefront Professional Building.

The old motel.

In 1999, however, a late night fire gutted all floors, and the entire site had to be cleared.

Today’s replacement Lakefront building features several modern architectural improvements over its predecessor, including an elevator.

(Photo credits: The Villa Del Mar sign is from a “Congrats to Class of ’69” ad in the 1969 South Tahoe High School yearbook. It is courtesy of Bob Rockwell. All other photos by Bill Kingman.)

— Bill Kingman

• Placer County has redesigned its website.

• USA Today is calling the fireplace at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe one of best fireplaces to curl up by.

• The Bureau of Land Management is going to hire the first full-time manager for Burning Man.

• Barton Health is celebrating patient Safety Awareness Week on March 5 from 1-2pm in the Snowflake Lobby at the hospital.

• The notice of preparation for Squaw Valley has been released. Public comment ends March 14. They may be emailed to cdraecs@placer.ca.gov. Notice of Preparation for your review. The document can also be found at the following links on Placer County’s website.

The California Highway Patrol will deploy additional officers on Highway 50 from South Lake Tahoe, Placerville, and Sacramento offices March 14-16 in effort to reduce the number of fatal and injury traffic collisions attributed to aggressive driving, unsafe speed, unsafe passing, improper turning movements along with other moving violations.

The CHP is using a federally-funded grant titled Reduce Aggressive Driving Incidents and Tactically Enforce Speed (RADIATES) to pay for the extra patrol.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines aggressive driving as “when individuals commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.”

Data from the CHP show that from January 2010 through May 2013 (the most recent figures available) there were 2,008 collisions as a result of various speed violations on Highway 50 from South Lake Tahoe west through south Sacramento. Those collisions resulted in five deaths and 968 injuries.

The 60th annual Community Awards Dinner where individuals are recognized for dedication to North Lake Tahoe through services in business, community development and volunteer work is March 27.

The dinner is at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe starting at 6pm. The awards presentation begins shortly after the meal.

Tickets for the evening are $85 per person and may be purchased online.

The deadline to nominate individuals and business organizations is March 3. Businesses may also nominate employees and volunteers of the year.

For more information, call (530) 581.8764 or email Ginger Karl at ginger@gotahoenorth.com.

• Squaw Valley’s recently renovated Olympic Museum at High Camp is open.

• Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce raised $3,500 for Bread & Broth and Christmas Cheer in January.

• North Tahoe Public Utility District employees took home top honors in three categories at the annual California Water Environment Association – Sierra Section awards dinner this month. Chris Avery received Collection Person of the Year; David Berry, Electrical / Instrumentation Person of the Year; and Michael Thornton, Mechanical Technician of the Year.

• Porters Sports Lake Tahoe is closing its last store. When the goods are gone, the Truckee store will close.

• Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team’s March 2 Great Ski Race has been canceled.