South Lake Tahoe officials want to know what people thought of the SnowGlobe Music Festival.

The survey is online at the city’s website.

The Dec. 29-31 SnowGlobe music event was definitely controversial. Photo/LTN

Other opportunities to voice your opinion are in person at the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting Jan. 3 at 9am. Public comments on non-agenda items — which includes SnowGlobe — are taken at the beginning of the meeting.

City officials are also reading Lake Tahoe News, so comments may be left on the various LTN stories; or write and/or call the council or city official of choice.

• The Festival of Trees and Lights raised more than $135,000 for the Barton Foundation.

• Kasey La Foon is Washoe County Sheriff’s Office grant-funded victim advocate. La Foon will work directly out of the detective division to assist victims of crimes such as domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

• McDonald’s in El Dorado, Placer, Amador, Nevada, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, Solano (not including restaurants west of Fairfield), San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Colusa counties will be giving away coffee for two weeks starting Jan. 2. The two McDonald’s in South Lake Tahoe are not participating.

• El Dorado County increased park fees beginning Jan. 1. Here is the park fee resolution that was adopted.

• The Jan. 7 Fallen Leaf Lake board meeting has been canceled.

• Here is the Caltrans’ roadwork schedule for this week for El Dorado-Tahoe and the Sierra.

The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority is seeking applicants to the Bicycle Trail and Fields advisory committees.

The committees, part of Measure R, will each consist of seven members.

The deadline to apply is 5pm Jan. 13. Appointments are likely to be made at the Jan. 20 JPA board meeting at 9am at Lake Tahoe Airport. Applicants are encouraged to attend the meeting. If unable to attend, contact John Upton at (530) 541.0525 or rkupton@aol.com.

Application may be obtained from:

1. South Lake Tahoe city clerk, 1901 Airport Road, (530) 542.6004 or eapalazzo@cityofslt.us.

2. John Upton, (530) 541.0525, or rkupton@aol.com.

3. El Dorado County Board of Supervisors office, (530) 621.6577, or bosfive@edcgov.us.

One of the most common fires we respond to is a fire caused by hot ashes being placed in a box or bag and stored on the back deck. When you clean the ashes from your fireplace or wood burning stove, make sure to place them in a metal container with a tight fitting lid.

Place the container on a non-combustible surface like your concrete garage floor and leave them in the container for at least one week.

At that time they will be safe to discard in the trash.

— Sallie Ross-Filgo, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department

The U.S. Census Bureau projects the Jan. 1, 2012, population in the United States will be 312,780,968.

This would represent an increase of 2,250,129, or 0.7 percent, from New Year’s Day 2011, and an increase of 4,035,430, or 1.3 percent, since Census Day (April 1, 2010).

In January, one birth is expected to occur every eight seconds in the United States and one death every 12 seconds.

Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 46 seconds in January. The combination of births, deaths and net international migration results in an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 17 seconds.

• The Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association awarded Harrah’s Reno, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and Harveys for their sustainability efforts with the installation of low-flow showers, drought-tolerant vegetation and energy-efficient lighting.

• Placerville woman makes history with kiss.

• U.S. News and World Report ranks Sierra Nevada College in Incline as the fourth best college for winter enthusiasts.

• North American Freeskiing Championships are at Kirkwood Feb. 22-27.

• Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park will begin accepting 2012 group reservations at 8am Jan. 3.

Tahoe local Jenn Mendonca will share the details of her recent journey deep into the mountains of China’s Sichuan Province to visit a secluded panda sanctuary with her daughter.

Join members of the South Lake Tahoe branch of the American Association of University Women for this heartwarming glimpse into the lives of these rare and endangered animals on Jan. 14 at 10am in the Aspen Room at Lake Tahoe Community College. This event is open to the public.

An optional continental brunch will be available for a small donation and an RSVP is requested.

For more information, call Candy Kelly at (530) 541.2799 or email Christy Slocum at slocumsrus@msn.com.

And if you can’t attend the event, you can relive Lake Tahoe News’ experience with pandas from earlier this year.

BlueGo — the bus system on the South Shore — is altering service a bit on New Year’s Eve to help accommodate party-goers.

Here is the bus schedule. It is also posted in the buses and at the transit center.

Expect some delays because traffic that night can be a nightmare.

Also, the Stateline transit center will be closed Saturday night.

The Douglas County Public Library in Zephyr Cove will be closed Dec. 31 due to budget constraints.

The library will resume its regular schedule Jan. 4 at 11am.

For more information, call (775) 588.6411.

The forest supervisor for the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is cautioning New Year’s holiday visitors to leave their fireworks at home.

“The use of all fireworks is prohibited on all national forests and national grasslands. Regulations are enforced, and violation is punishable as a misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both,” USFS Supervisor Nancy Gibson said in a statement.

The ban on fireworks is year-round, regardless of weather conditions or holidays.