U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews are scheduled to resume prescribed fire operations on Kingsbury Grade near South Shore and on the West Shore near the Tahoe Heights area today.

Both project areas are small, approximately 2 acres. Operations may continue through the week.

Residents and visitors can expect to see smoke from these prescribed fire project areas. Smoke may be visible on Kingsbury Grade and on Highway 89 on the West Shore. The Forest Service strives to minimize the impacts of smoke on local communities. Smoke-sensitive residents should consider staying indoors and keeping doors, windows and outside vents closed.

To directly receive prescribed fire updates, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us.

Paula Peterson of South Lake Tahoe and a guest are going to Friday night’s annual wine tasting put on by Soroptimist International South Lake Tahoe.

Peterson is one of the many people who eloquently commented on why service clubs are important. Her words won her two tickets to the Nov. 11 event.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Lake Tahoe News contest.

Tickets may be purchased for $65 each from a SISLT member or downloaded a fax order form for credit card orders.

You must be 21 to attend the event.

• Mammoth Mountain opens Nov. 10.

• The 2012 Tahoe Rim Trail through-hikes are Aug. 4-8 and Sept. 18-22. Register online starting Nov. 21. Call Jaime at (775) 298.0231 for more info.

• People are invited to get involved with the Lake Tahoe Prosperity Center. The North Shore event is Nov. 15; South Shore is Nov. 16. Click on flyer for more details.

• Big Blue Concierge is a mobile concierge service that recently opened in the basin.

• Organizers deem the inaugural Tahoe Expo a success as outlined in the summary report.

Win your holiday turkey at Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe’s Turkey Bingo on Nov. 12 from 3:30-5:30pm.

This event for kids of all ages is at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center on Rufus Allen Boulevard.

Admission is free and bingo cards are 25 cents per card per game. More than 20 turkeys will be given away along with pies as second prizes.

Proceeds to be donated to the South Tahoe High School football lights project.

It’s Election Day.

One of the key things that separates the United States from so many countries is the right to vote.

While it is a right, it is also a duty that should not be taken lightly.

Lake Tahoe News applauds all those who run for office or bring their issue (or opposition to an issue or candidate) to the people’s attention. It’s not easy to be a candidate. They don’t hide behind monikers on news sites like this one or others. They are the real deal — like them or not.

Next time you don’t like what is going on, ask yourself what you have done to try to change the situation. It takes a group effort to make things work — whether it’s a group of five board members or a group of concerned citizens. But it starts with one person. Be part of the solution. It starts with voting.

The El Dorado Community Foundation is accepting grant applications for the $72,000 it has to award various groups.

The El Dorado Community Foundation targets its philanthropic investments to partners and programs that achieve meaningful outcomes and measurable results in specific areas within each of our funding priorities. Grant applicants are required to report on outcomes and results. Grant funding is available in several categories including but not limited to:

• Arts and culture

• Youth and family

• Senior services

• Homelessness

• Education

• Animal welfare

• Health and wellness.

Access an application and learn more about the foundation, its mission, its donors and its community leadership by going online.

For more information, call (530) 622.5621. Grant applications are due by 5pm Nov. 21.

Ready to sample wine from 30 vintners and food from about 20 restaurants?

It’s time for the annual Evening of Food & Wine Tasting put on by Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe. This is the group’s big event to raise money that is then given back to the community.

Lake Tahoe News is partnering with the service club to give-away two tickets to the Nov. 11 6pm event at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

Soroptimist wine tasting is Nov. 11 at Harrah's in Stateline. Photo/LTN file

The winner will be randomly chosen Nov. 9 from the people who write a comment below about why service clubs are important.

The contest is open to everyone who is part of Lake Tahoe News’ special NEWS subscriber list. All you have to do is send $40 to LTN, then you are added to the subscriber list, you will be sent a T-shirt as our thanks, and you qualify for this and other great promotions.

Send checks to Lake Tahoe News, P.O. Box 13406, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151 or pay via credit card through PayPal on the website at the bottom right of the home page.

Please include your email address so we can ensure you are subscribed to receive the daily digest. To receive the daily email, which lists what has been posted in the last 24 hours, enter your email address at the bottom right of the home page.

Please don’t forget to include your mailing address and shirt size – S, M, L, XL or 2X.

If you don’t win the two wine tasting tickets, they may be purchased for $65 each from a SISLT member or downloaded a fax order form for credit card orders.

You must be 21 to attend the event.

“Consider the Conversation” is a documentary done by Terry Kaldhusdal, a teacher and filmmaker from Wisconsin as well Mike Bernhagen, the director of community outreach and care partner relations at Rainbow Hospice in Wisconsin.

Together they joined forces to create a documentary exploring the American struggle with communication and preparation for the end-of-life. This film explores multiple perspectives on end-of-life care and includes information from medical personnel, patients, family, clergy, and national experts from around the country. Featured is Martin Welsh, a physician from Placerville and his challenges with ALS.

The film will be shown for free Nov. 17 at 1pm at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

• Tahoe Rim Trail volunteers this season put in more than 12,000 hours to build 2.4 miles of new trail on the Daggett/Van Sickle State Park project and 1.75 miles of new trail on the Rim to Reno project.

• On Nov. 28 from 4-6pm will an early care and education/transitional kindergarten/kindergarten articulation training at the Lake Tahoe Unified School District’s board room. The flyer has more info.

• Switchback PR + Marketing is donating $4,000 to Girls on the Run-Sierra, the nonprofit beneficiary for this year’s Downtown Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop.

• Improvements at South Tahoe High School are featured in the October newsletter of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing.

• Here is the El Dorado-Tahoe road work schedule for Caltrans for this week, as well as the Sierra schedule.

Start Smart is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers become aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California driver. The program was created in an effort to pre-emptively reduce the incidence of teen injuries and deaths resulting from motor vehicle collisions.

Teen drivers and their parents/guardians are invited to attend and participate in a Start Smart class Nov. 8 from 6-8pm at the South Tahoe High School library.

Recent statistics have shown that in California teenage drivers are injured and are dying in automobile accidents at an alarming rate. Through candid conversations, officers in attendance will address these facts and provide examples of driving tendencies that put young drivers at risk. This program will help you understand that driving is serious and a poor choice behind the wheel of a car can put your life and the lives of others in jeopardy.

To reserve a space in this Start Smart Class contact the California Highway Patrol at (530) 577.1001.