• Mount Rose opens Dec. 9.

• Placer County is seeking applications from residents interested in serving as the county representative on the Placer Mosquito & Vector Control District’s Board of Trustees. For application forms or more information, call (530) 889. 4020 or go online. When the webpage appears, hit the “Apply to serve on a Committee or Commission” link under the “Quick Links” section at the right side of the page.

• Incline Village General Improvement District Chairman Ted Fuller faces legal consequences if the state Attorney General’s Office finds him in violation of the state open meeting law again. Senior Deputy Attorney General George Taylor said cutting off two public speakers – once on July 27 and the other time Aug. 10 – was in violation of the individuals’ right to speak based on the opening meeting law.

• “Top Chef Masters” finalist Traci Des Jardins will host a special four-course tasting at her Manzanita restaurant inside the Ritz-Carlton, Northstar on Dec. 10, 5-10pm.

• Justice of the Peace Tom Perkins will seek election to a full term as justice of the peace for East Fork Township. Perkins was appointed in 2010. The East Fork Township includes all of Douglas County except Lake Tahoe.

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is looking for gift ideas that are less than $20. Find out how to make a suggestion.

Imagine buying your friends the gift of time. You can do that when buying a gift certificate for services provided by Big Blue Concierge.

They will run errands, do shopping, address Christmas cards, wrap gifts, clean house, entertain kids, do filing and bookkeeping or whatever else a personal assistant can do for them.

Normally a one-hour gift certificate is $25, but Lake Tahoe News readers can get a one-hour gift certificate for only $15 when buying two or more. Call (530) 307.0909 or email info@bigblueconcierge.com.

Winter is the theme of a mini parade being organized by the California-based South Shore chamber.

The Dec. 17 event will begin at 10am at Grocery Outlet in South Lake Tahoe and end about a mile later at the American Legion Hall.

The deadline to register is Dec. 9 at 5pm. Contact Steve Rozier at (530) 721.1001 for more info. And there is a fee to participate.

Eat at Freshies (3330 Lake Tahoe Blvd., No. 3, South Lake Tahoe) on Dec. 7 from 6-9pm for $10 to help raise money for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care.

LTWC is an animal rehab center that returns critters back the wild.

Freshies owner Melodie Ulman is on the board of LTWC.

The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association is accepting applications for three seats on its Marketing Committee. These are three-year terms, January 2012 to December 2014.

The NLTRA Marketing Committee is made up of two board members, nine appointed lay (community) members and a Placer County CEO representative. Lay members are selected based on their relevant marketing experience, geographic area and industry representation. The NLTRA Board of Directors will appointment the committee members Jan. 4.

Individuals for consideration need to submit a letter of interest and resume to NLTRA Tourism Director Andy Chapman by Dec. 27, 5pm via email, Andy@PureTahoeNorth.com, or by mail at Attention: Marketing Committee Application, P.O. Box 5459, Tahoe City, CA 96145.

The NLTRA operates the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the Tahoe North Convention and Visitors Bureau, and is a partner with the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau in the North Lake Tahoe Marketing Cooperative. The NLTRA also serves as a partner with Placer County and other public agencies in the development and funding of infrastructure, transit and community mobility projects designed to enhance tourism and community quality of life for the benefit of all in the North Lake Tahoe region.

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is looking for gift ideas that are less than $20. Find out how to make a suggestion.

Buy your friends a membership for the Friends of the Library.

It not only helps support the El Dorado County Library, but also gives members early access to great book sales.

It is $10.

More information is online.

• “Ski Town Soups” is a cookbook that will be out in late 2012. Freshies of South Lake Tahoe has its vegetarian chili in it.

• The 3D movie “Lake Tahoe in Depth” won the “Best of the Fest” award at the 2011 3D Film Festival in Los Angeles.

• Christmas trees cause approximately 240 house fires each year in the U.S., resulting in $16.7 million in property loss.

• Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority made a subtle, though substantive, change to its agendas by posting the dollar amount involved with proposed action items. Here is the LTVA agenda for the Dec. 8 meeting.

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

• Lakeside Inn in Stateline has a deal for people who prove they’ve been skiing that day – first beer is free from 4-7pm.

South Lake Tahoe’s Deb Howard has been named Resort and Second Home Property Specialists of the Year by the National Association of Realtors and its Resort and Second-Home Real Estate Committee.

This award honors a person for her community involvement, innovative marketing techniques, and RSPS-related accomplishments.

Deb Howard

Howard has more than 25 years of experience in South Lake Tahoe resort and second-home real estate. She has also held the RSPS certification since its inception in 2006 and has been voted Realtor of the Year twice.

Howard owns Deb Howard & Co. Real Estate based in South Lake Tahoe.

It’s that holiday time of year and the SLTFD would like to encourage everyone to think of those less fortunate members of our community. At all the city fire stations you can drop off any new or like-new condition used toys into the Christmas Cheer barrels. Any donations will be gratefully forwarded to needy households this holiday season.

Also, the city fire department will again be handing out candy canes from the decorated fire truck driving throughout the community. Starting on Dec. 10t through Dec. 23 each night, the holiday truck will make its way through specific sections of the city. For times and dates to see the fire truck in your neighborhood, Lake Tahoe News will have them when the department finalizes the schedule. These scheduled dates will be dependent on the weather, and may be changed due to driving conditions or emergency responses.

The South Lake Tahoe Firefighters hope to see many of you on our routes this holiday and would like to wish everyone a safe and joyous season.

 — Sallie Ross-Filgo, South Lake Tahoe Police Department

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is looking for gift ideas that are less than $20. Find out how to make a suggestion.

Stop by the Historical Museum of Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Art League, which are side by side near the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center on Highway 50.

There are great gifts at both locations and you support local artists and a nonprofit. You can share a bit of Tahoe in your gift.

Of course there are some beautiful things that are much more, but you’ll find some cool stuff for $20 or less. The Art League will be open 10am-5pm until Christmas and, after this weekend, the museum is only open on Saturdays.

For exact gifts under $20 there are hand-painted note cards, ornaments, a very cool hand-painted wine glass holder and hand-painted wine glasses and jewelry and much more at the Tahoe Art League.

At the museum there are great, hard to find local history books as well as books on hiking trails, maps, note cards and many other unique choices.

— Paula Peterson