• The February issue of Sunset magazine mentions Tahoe a few times – 968 Park Hotel in South Lake for being green, Northstar for a nighttime snowshoe, Truckee as a runner-up for a place to own a vacation home, and Lake Tahoe as third runner-up as a year-round playground (Bellingham, Wash., Bend, Ore., and Boulder, Colo., beat Tahoe).

• Tahoe has been selected for an International Mountain Bike Association Subaru Trail Care Crew visit this year.

• High Altitude Medicine & Biology has published a study linking suicides and people living at high altitudes.

• South Lake Tahoe’s Rosemary Manning writes about her Iron Girl experience for Marlo Thomas’ website – yes, That Girl.

• WinterFest, Lake Tahoe’s Gay/Lesbian Ski Week, is March 6-12.

• Did you know Lake Tahoe News had more than 100,000 pageviews in the last month from people accessing the site from nearly 100 countries and more than 2,600 cities? Ready to advertise? Contact Lisa Huard at lisahuard@sbcglobal.net.

The Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society is hosting a blood drive on March 15 form 10am-3pm in the Aspen Room at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe.

No appointments needed.

For more information, or questions, contact BloodSource at 800.995.4420.

The El Dorado County Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is looking for volunteers who are interested in becoming certified long term care ombudsmen.

Certified ombudsmen are advocates who visit residents of long-term care facilities, identifying complaints and concerns. They investigate any complaints and work with the staff of the facilities to resolve problems; advocating from the resident’s point of view.

There are more than 40 Long Term Care facilities in El Dorado County.

The program is currently recruiting participants for the training course that begins in May.

To find out more, call (530) 642.4860.

The Lake Tahoe Community College Theatre Arts Department is offering up a romantic cabaret Feb. 11 with “Loving You: A Musical Valentine.”

The musical cabaret will feature songs of love from Sinatra to Sondheim sung and danced by some of Lake Tahoe’s most talented performers. A variety of desserts will be served beginning at 7:15pm. Entertainment will begin at 8pm.

This is a fundraiser for the upcoming Theatre Department production of “Chicago.” Tickets are $20 and include a dessert buffet. Tickets will be available for advance sale from the Theatre Department and performers, as well as at the door.

Tahoe-Reno is positioning itself to submit a proposal for the next opportunity to bid for hosting rights of a future Olympic Winter Games. Learn more about the vision and how individuals and businesses can join the effort during a presentation at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village on Feb. 4 at 2:30pm.

Aside from hearing more about the work being done to prepare for a potential bidding opportunity, attendees will also learn how they can become directly involved with the project by becoming a member of the “Founder’s Ring.”

The meeting is on the SNC campus (999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) in the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, Room 139.

Avalon Lodge in South Lake Tahoe is is going through a major remodel. Owners Katy and Deb of Clé Hospitality have donated beds and furniture to Classy Seconds, the income producing thrift shop for Advocates To End Domestic Violence. This nonprofit serves the Tahoe-Reno area.

“Avalon Lodge donated 21 rooms of very nice furniture and like new beds which sold as fast as we could get them in” Lisa Lee, Advocates director, said in a press release. “They could have easily sold the furniture for thousands of dollars, but chose to help a good cause, instead. They also donated to some families in our neighborhood.”

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will be conducting prescribed fire operations on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe in the Echo View Drive area Jan. 28.

The project off Sawmill Road is approximately one-third of an acre.

Residents and visitors can expect to see smoke from prescribed fire project areas. Smoke management is part of every prescribed fire burn plan, and efforts will be taken to reduce actual or potential smoke impacts on community areas.

This and other prescribed fire projects are designed to reduce wildfire risks to communities and critical resources.

State and local fire management agencies may also be conducting prescribed fire work during this period.

• Puppy Kindergarten Class begins every Wednesday at 6:15 pm at Tahoe Best Friends, 2197 Ruth Ave., in South Lake Tahoe. Call (530) 542.2336 for more information.

• Dominik, a bichon frise owned by Laura Rosio of Lake Tahoe, won best of breed at the annual Winterfest All-Breed Dog Show in Ventura County this month.

• Versus, the network that has televised the Amgen Tour de California, has seen viewership grow from 1.5 million to 3 million in 2010.

• Julie Mauer has left Northstar-at-Tahoe to become Squaw Valley’s vice president of marketing and sales.

• Michael Lipkin, South Lake Tahoe chiropractor, is offering a deal through Feb. 17 to patients that involves giving some of their fee to benefit the Washoe Meadows Community Legal Fund. For more information, call (530) 544.8495.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will be conducting prescribed fire operations in the North Upper Truckee area starting Wednesday and possibly lasting through Friday depending on weather conditions.

Crews are looking to accomplish approximately 2 acres each day.

Residents and travelers can expect to see smoke from prescribed fire project areas.

State and local fire management agencies may also be conducting prescribed fire work during this period.

This and other prescribed fire projects are designed to reduce wildfire risks to communities and critical resources. Smoke management is part of every prescribed fire burn plan, and efforts will be taken to reduce actual or potential smoke impacts on community areas.

• Happy Homestead Cemetery District on the South Shore has a vacancy to fill with Del Laine declining another four-year term that would have started this month. Contact Judi McCallum if interested — Judi.McCallum@edcgov.us.

• Soroptimist International Tahoe Sierra’s Elegant Evening is April 2 from 6-11pm at Harrah’s. Tickets are $50 each. Click here for more info.

• The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Advisory Planning Commission is having a public hearing on the draft EIR/EIS for the Homewood Mountain Resorts Master Plan Community Enhancement Program Project on Feb. 9. The meeting starts at 9:30am at TRPA offices on Market Street in Stateline.

• SnowBomb.com just bought LiftTickets.com.

• Whitesnake will release its album “Forevermore” on March 29 in North America. Much of it was recorded, produced and mixed in Lake Tahoe.

• Tickets are on sale for the annual Passport Weekend at El Dorado County wineries. Cost is $65.  Dates are March 26-27 and April 2-3.