Chef

• Former Placerville resident Timothy Hollingsworth was named a “rising star chef” in the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards. He is a chef de cuisine at the French Laundry in Yountville.

• Tahoe Youth & Family Services is offering substance abuse treatment services to adults of all ages in the Gardnerville office. For more information, call (775) 782.4202.

• Apparently people can’t afford to put on the Ritz. The Lake Las Vegas Ritz-Carlton has closed after seven years.

• Zephyr Cove marina is open for boat rentals.

Some people say winter and road work are the two seasons in the Lake Tahoe region. Both are going on this week.

The northbound lanes of Highway 395 north of Jacks Valley Road are being widened. Expect delays during the week through October.

The highway will be reduced to one lane at night through May 21.

Kingsbury Grade on the Tahoe side will also be down to one lane during the day. That will be for just this week.

Douglas County has released the Internet Mapping Application (IMA) which provides free 24-hour access to an assortment of property data for Douglas County residents and businesses.

IMA is available online at www.douglascountynv.gov and clicking the Mapping Application link under online services on the left side of the page. The tool provides access to parcels, aerial photography, land use, zoning, flood plain, public lands, street centerlines, trails, contours, hydrology, county commission districts and voting precinct information.

Users will be able to perform property data searches based on street address, assessor parcel numbers, or the owner’s name. Data and maps may then be exported as PDF files. The application is user-friendly, but training sessions will be made available for any Douglas County resident or business that needs extra assistance.

Douglas County’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division developed this application using open-source software, which greatly reduced the cost to the county when compared to developing a similar tool with proprietary internet mapping engines. This being the first step in a phased implementation, there are already plans for enhancements, including, but not limited to, expanded access to Assessor information and other public spatial information important to Douglas County residents.

For more information about the application, or available training sessions, visit www.douglascountynv.gov/sites/GIS/disclaimer.cfm or call (775) 782.9894.

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 preemptively 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. 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.

The next class will be May 18 from 6-8pm at the South Tahoe High School Library. All classes are.

This will be the last Start Smart Class of the 2009-10 school year.

To reserve a space in this Start Smart Class, call (530) 577.1001.

Mark Twain is the focal point of the June 12-13 Wild West Weekend. Zephyr Cove Resort and Lake Tahoe Cruises will host the weekend which begins at 10am Saturday with a line-up of family-friendly activities including a pie eating contest, bald faced liars contest, Western shootout and music, and a chili cook-off.

Admission is free and all competitions are open to the public though the number of entries are limited.

First to enter is the first with a chance to win. Visit the website for rules and entry forms.

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability. Take the opportunity on June 10 from 5:30-7:30pm, South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe to become connected and rejuvenated at your local support group.

Refreshments will be served. Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers. Pre-authorization is required for respite services. Questions? Please contact Penny with the Alzheimer’s Association at (530) 541.2304 or the Family Caregiver Support Program at (530) 621.6251 or (530) 621.6151.

Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society will be hosting its tri-annual blood drive June 10 in the Aspen Room, next to the library, from 10am-3pm at Lake Tahoe Community College.

No appointments needed.

LTCC is located at One College Drive in South Lake Tahoe.

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

Smart Marketing Strategies for Tough Times No. 2 is May 21 from noon-2pm at MontBleu in Stateline. The lunch will be followed by an optional social media workshop, from 2-3:30pm at no extra charge for any businesses interested in one-on-one help with Facebook and Twitter.

Featured guest speaker, David Thiemann, returns for a second installment of last year’s Smart Marketing Strategies for Tough Times with Digital Marketing Demystified. Attendees will learn how to take advantage of interactive ways to target customers, including social media marketing, video, online advertising and directories, search, mobile, email blasts, e-newsletters and more.

Thiemann is publisher for Windsor Now and Sales & Marketing Director for Northern Colorado Communications Group based in Greely, Colo.

Reservations are required by May 14. Fees are $30 for Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce members and $45 for non-members (materials and lunch included). To make reservations, call (775) 588.1728 or go to www.tahoechamber.org.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews expect to conduct prescribed fire operations near Kings Beach beginning May 10.

The project would continue through May 12 if favorable weather conditions persist, with the goal of completing 5 acres.

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

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

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.

Baffled what to do for your mom this Mother’s Day? Help her relax or at least chill out at the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena.

With a single paid admission mothers skate free Sunday from 12:30–5pm.

For more information, call (530) 542-6262, or come by the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena at 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd.