On April 20, 2010, one of the largest accidental marine oil spills in the history of petroleum industry occurred, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It is estimated that 210 million gallons were discharged and multiple efforts to contain the flow failed.

Ronald Tjeerdema counseled on the response to the spill and its aftermath and will discuss what happened behind the scenes at a talk at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village on May 19.

Tjeerdema has a focus on marine and freshwater systems. His areas of expertise range from chemical fate in the environment, sensitive lifestage bioassays and biochemical mechanisms of toxicity, and he has worked extensively with pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, dispersants and marine algal toxins. He has pioneered the new field of environmental metabolomics via the use of nuclear magnetic resonance, and his research on oil spills and dispersants resulted in the development of the widely-used standardized CROSERF methods for toxicity assessment.

The program will begin at 6pm, with refreshments and no-host bar from 5:30-6pm.

Seating is open at 5:30pm to guests who have pre-registered, open seating starts at 5:50pm. A $5 donation will be collected at the door. Register online.

Jamie Orr will discuss the potential and possibilities of 3-D printing for the fields of technology, art, medicine, and more at Lake Tahoe Community College on May 25.

She’ll explore what 3-D printing is, how it works, and what sorts of items can be created via a 3-D printer – even a homemade pizza.

Orr is an entrepreneur, physicist, and educator with expertise across a range of technical fields. She is a co-founder and CEO of Mountain Lab, South Lake Tahoe’s co-working space and innovation hub. Orr received her bachelor’s in physics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She also earned a master’s in experimental condensed matter physics, studying the fabrication and characterization of magnetic nanostructures. She earned her doctorate in theoretical physics from UC Davis. As an instructor, she developed research and curricular programs in renewable energy technology and efficiency, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and 3-D printing.

The free talk starts at 6pm in the college’s Aspen Room.

The Douglas County sheriff’s Explorers POST No. 2105 earned first place in DUI investigations, first in written examinations, third in individual female obstacle, third in team obstacle, and fifth place in 10-man team tug-o-war at the Central Valley Law Enforcement Explorer Competition in Tulare County.

The Explorers competed against 24 California law enforcement agencies over the course of two days.

A California Highway Patrol officer told DCSO Explorer advisors that a DUI investigation was handled perfectly by Explorers Chelsea Osborn and Taylee Pickering.  He was impressed with their level of knowledge and skill level.

Osborn received a $900 scholarship and a laptop computer.

North Lake Tahoe honored local leaders and businesses during the 62nd annual Community Awards Dinner at the Resort at Squaw Creek.

Numerous awards were bestowed to community members who have excelled in multiple areas throughout 2015. Awards included the hospitality award, ambassador of the year, distinguished community service, regional marketing award, and more.

The winners included

Best place to work — Auerbach Engineering

Citizen of the year — Patti Boxeth

Public servant of the year — Mike Brown

Best new business — Moe’s Original BBQ

Nonprofit organization –Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue

Business of the year — Bridgetender

Regional marketing award — Resort at Squaw Creek

Hospitality award — Trunk Show

Distinguished community service award — Kay Williams

Ambassador of the year — Ambera Dodson.

Pete MacRoberts

Longtime South Lake Tahoe hotelier Peter Belyea MacRoberts died April 22, 2016, in Fresno. He was 78.

He was born in Cambridge, Mass., on July 12, 1937.

In his growing years, Pete achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He was an officer in the Navy in the 1950s. After completing his service to the Navy, Pete attended Cornell University and graduated in 1959.

Many will know him from his work in hotel management. Pete and his wife, Patricia, lived in San Diego for 25 years before they moved to South Lake Tahoe, where they lived for 20 years.

In 2014 they moved to Dunlap, retiring to live on a horse ranch.

Pete is survived by his wife, Patricia; brothers David, Paul and Stuart; sons Patrick, Brandon and Shawn Brooks; grandchildren Victoria, Brandon, Aaleah and Vanessa.

Pete’s service was May 7 at the Dunlop Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be given to Dunlap Baptist Church, P.O. Box 578, Dunlap, CA 93621.

A Douglas County woman was crowned Miss Nevada last week.

Bailey Gumm, a 2013 Douglas High School graduate, became the third county resident to have the statewide title.

Gumm will compete in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City on Sept. 11.

Gumm started her ascension in the beauty pageant world by becoming Miss Douglas County’s Outstanding Teen in 2010, then Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen in 2011, and Miss Douglas County 2013.

Her sister is following close behind. Carli Gumm, a sophomore at Douglas High, was first runner-up in the teen division at the state competition this year.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

There will be a candidates forum May 16 for those running for office in Douglas County.

The non-partisan Good Governance Group of Douglas County is hosting the event from 6-9pm at the Carson Valley Inn, 1627 Highway 395, Minden.

The program will include a formal Q&A for county commissioners candidates, and an opportunity for other candidates to introduce themselves and state the reasons they are seeking elected office.

Jerry Evans of KKFT- 99.1 FM will moderate the forum.

Doors will open at 6pm to give candidates and voters an hour to mingle. From 7-7:30pm, candidates for the school district and other countywide offices will introduce themselves and state why they are seeking office.

All five commission candidates will then respond to several Good Governance Group questions.

South Lake Tahoe Friends of the Library is putting on two programs this month centered on science and Lake Tahoe.

Bonnie Turnbull will give a climate change talk entitled Our Climate is Unhealthy — But We Have the Power to Heal It on May 21 at 1pm. This talk is focused on what is going on locally with climate change and what can be done.

On 31 at 2pm author Michael J. Makley will discuss of his scholarly book “Saving Lake Tahoe”. It chronicles the ongoing battles amongst scientists, citizens, lawyers, governments, environmentalists, tycoons and entrepreneurs over how best to serve and utilize Lake Tahoe. Annoyed at TRPA? Read this book to understand the backstory of this bi-state regulatory agency.

Both talks are free. The library is at 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

United Blood Services is having a blood drive May 18 at Tahoe Douglas Fire Station 23.

Donations have declined since mid-March and the demand has escalated, dropping the available supply of type O-Negative and type O-positive to extremely low levels. Blood center officials have concluded that an increase in Zika deferrals after spring break travels has caused a decline in donations.

Donors with type O (positive or negative) who are currently eligible are being urgently asked to donate at their nearest center, or blood drive; or to donate as soon as they become eligible. Those with other blood types are asked to keep to their routine schedule of donating three times per year, in order to maintain an ample and steady supply.

The blood drive at the Elks Point fire station will be from noon-5:30pm. Donors are asked to make an appointment by contacting Kate or Casey at 775.588.3591. Walk-ins are welcome.

Mickey George of Stateline put his scientific skill to work during the Shell Eco-marathon in Detroit, a three-day event where a car’s performance is based on energy efficiency, not speed.

George served as his college team’s manufacturing lead. Achieving 1,215 mpg, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo’s gasoline-fueled prototype vehicle was the top-scoring American entry and placed third overall at the 10th annual competition.

The event drew more than 1,000 students and a record 124 teams from seven countries to see which ultra-energy-efficient vehicle would travel the farthest using the least energy. First and second place were claimed by Canadian teams, the Université of Laval in Quebec and the University of Toronto.

Teams entered one of two vehicle categories. The Prototype class, which is for futuristic, streamlined vehicles, such as Cal Poly’s entry, and the UrbanConcept class, which focuses on fuel-efficient vehicles aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers. On the track, the cars were driven 10 laps, for a total distance of six miles, at an average speed of 15 miles per hour.

Cal Poly Supermileage team members credit their use of telemetry, a technology used to transmit data in real time, for much of their success this year.

Members of the Cal Poly Supermileage team also included Dorian Capps, mechanical engineering senior, president and powertrain lead; Sean Michel, mechanical engineering senior, treasurer; Chad Bickel, electrical engineering graduate student and testing lead; Eli Rogers, mechanical engineering graduate student and chassis lead; Lucas Rybarcyzk, mechanical engineering junior and steering lead; Kevin Bickers, aerospace engineering senior and aero lead; and drivers Laura Kawashiri and Zoe Tuggle, both mechanical engineering majors. Faculty advisors for the team are Joseph Mello, professor of mechanical engineering, and Art MacCarley, professor of electrical engineering and in bioresources and agricultural engineering.