Employees from Heavenly and Kirkwood mountain resorts spent a day working at Lakeview Commons.

Through Vail Resorts Echo Day on Sept. 8, 179 resort employees, friends and family members planted trees and shrubs, laid sod, installed park benches, picked up trash, and redistributed sand to even out the beach. Volunteers also conducted a neighborhood cleanup around the area.

Launched in August 2010, VR Echo Day is an annual, companywide volunteer day for Vail Resorts employees and their families. Focused on projects that are meaningful in the local communities where the company operates, VR Echo Day hosted seven events for employees and their family and friends last weekend.

Eight awards will be presented at the 5th annual Blue Ribbon Awards Ceremony & Dinner at Embassy Suites on Nov. 15.

Award categories include the Geotourism, Tourism, Experience, Entrepreneur, two Customer Service awards, and the large and small Green Business awards.

Nominations for this Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce event are being taken until Oct. 5 at noon. Nominations may be made online and then click on the Blue Ribbon Awards icon.

• The speed training season is officially under way in South America as the women’s U.S. Ski Team, including Olympic gold Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley and medalists Lindsey Vonn of Vail are in their second week in Portillo, Chile. The World Cup season opens Oct. 27 in Soelden, Austria.

• Bike Habitat in Carson City is hosting a free Women’s Bike Maintenance Clinic on Sept. 25 at 6:30pm.

• Tahoe Youth & Family Services is having a grand re-opening party Oct. 11, 4-6:30pm, 1021 Fremont Ave., South Lake Tahoe.

• A memorial service for Lucille Holmlund will be Sept. 15 at 3:30pm at Sierra Community Church in South Lake Tahoe.

• Did you miss this year’s Tour de Tahoe bike ride? Then check out this video from First Tracks Productions.

Washoe Meadows Community will be participating in the annual Great Sierra River Cleanup event Sept. 15 from 9am to noon.

Meet at the Lake Tahoe Boulevard entrance to Washoe Meadows State Park to pick up instructions and supplies. Wear comfortable trail walking shoes, bring something to drink, and use sunscreen.

The first 80 volunteers that show up at Regan Beach will receive a T-shirt.

An optional volunteer appreciation party will take place at Regan Beach from noon to 2pm.

All volunteers must sign a liability waiver form. All participants under 18 must have a form filled out by a parent or guardian.

For more info, email info@washoemeadowscommunity.org or call Krissi at (530) 307.1357.

The Gold Rush created a demand for crossings of the seemingly impassable Sierra Nevada range so Americans could reach the gold field. John Calhoun Johnson surveyed and opened the route to traffic in spring 1852.

Learn about this man whose name is on Johnson’s cut-off near Echo Summit on Sept. 18 at 7pm.

The full length of the trail will be divulged.

The free event is sponsored by the Lake Tahoe Historical Society is at the lodge at Camp Richardson.

• Here are Caltrans’ El Dorado-Tahoe and Sierra roadwork plans for this week.

• Lake Tahoe Forest Supervisor Nancy Gibson on Sept. 5 signed off on Heavenly Mountain Resort’s desire to expand summer offerings.

• Northstar has begun accepting applications and started hiring for the more than 1,200 seasonal positions that will be available at the resort for the winter season.

• Live Violence Free’s Sunset Gala is Oct. 21 from 5-8pm at Edgewood Tahoe.

• There will be a Pirate Party at the South Lake Tahoe branch library (1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.) on Oct. 20 at 2pm. Dress in you best pirate duds, and come aboard for stories, games, crafts and more.

Two forums are being put on this month for residents in Truckee to find out about issues that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The Sept. 20 6-8pm event is a chance to learn about Measure J, the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park measure, and who the candidates for Truckee Donner Public Utility District are.

The Sept. 27 6-8pm gathering is to hear from candidates for Truckee Town Council and Truckee Tahoe Airport District.

Both meetings are at Truckee Town Hall, 10183 Airport Road, second floor.

For more information, call the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce at (530) 587.8808.

South Lake Tahoe police Officer Tony Broadfoot is trading in a blue uniform for a brown one as he becomes a deputy with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department.

Broadfoot has been one of the longtime K9 officers in South Lake Tahoe.

His partner Duke will be retiring.

While Duke is a police dog, he is friendly with the firefighters, too. Photo/LTN file

• The League to Save Lake Tahoe is part of this year’s Chase Community Giving program. This fall, Chase is granting millions of dollars to organizations all over the country, and the League is among the groups on the list. But to win a grant, people need to go to the Chase Community Giving Facebook page and type “League to Save Lake Tahoe” in the search box to cast a vote.

• Two more South Lake Tahoe businesses want their signs to be considered unique so they don’t have to replace them – Tahoe Valley Professional Building and Burger Lounge. Planning commissioners will discuss the matter Sept. 13 at 10am at Lake Tahoe Airport.

• An Ironman Lake Tahoe volunteer meeting is set for Sept. 17, 7pm at the North Tahoe Event Center, 8318 North Lake Blvd., Kings Beach. The event is in September 2013.

• The first flake of snow hasn’t even fallen and Northstar is sending press releases that the resort will open for skiing on Nov. 16.

• River otters unite.

El Dorado County students in grades 8-12 are invited to participate in the juvenile justice system through the Teen Court program.

Volunteer training will be Sept. 27 from 5-7pm in El Dorado County Superior Court, at 1354 Johnson Blvd., Department 4, in South Lake Tahoe. Upon completion of the mandatory training, teens will serve as court personnel for real cases where a minor has committed an offense, admitted the offense, and chosen to be judged by his/her peers.

Youth interested in joining Teen Court must attend the volunteer training. Arrive no later than 4:45pm. Students must be El Dorado County residents and enrolled in grades 8-12; private school students and homeschooled students are also welcome.

Teen Court hearings in South Lake Tahoe will begin Oct.18 and continue through May 2013. Hearings will generally be the third Thursday of each month at Superior at 5pm.

For more information about Teen Court in South Lake Tahoe, or the volunteer training, contact Jorge Orozco at (530) 573.7964.