TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. – Content for briefs is selected from e-mail submissions to Community Editor Amy Edgett at aedgett@sierrasun.com. Visit http://www.sierrasun.com to submit events for the online calendar. Please limit descriptions to 50 words. E-mail for print submissions may be 150-300 words. Items published in the print edition news space permitting.Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage collects more than 5,100 toys and 2,100 coatsColdwell Banker Residential Brokerage announced it collected 5,112 toys and 2,152 coats to benefit families in need throughout the region. The annual Toys for Tots and Operation: One Warm Coat collection campaigns this holiday season marked the 26th consecutive year Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has supported the efforts in partnership with the United States Marine Corps Reserve and several Northern California nonprofit organizations . “Thanks to the support of our agents, staff and the community, many children and their families were able to enjoy a warm and festive holiday season,” said Kris Vogt, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. In all, 45 Northern California Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices participated in the Toys for Tots campaign and 31 offices in Operation: One Warm Coat drive. The Tahoe-Truckee offices led all company offices by collecting approximately 2,600 toys. For more information about Coldwell Banker visit http://www.CaliforniaMoves.com or call 925-275-3085.Legal update seminar Feb. 8 in TruckeeThe North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association and the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Human Resources Association (SHRA) are offering “Legal Update for California Business Leaders and Managers” Friday, Feb. 8, 9 a.m.-noon at Cedar House Sport Hotel, 10918 Brockway Road, Truckee.Learn about new laws that take effect in 2013 and how they impact employers; California legislative update and California law updates; important U.S. Supreme Court and California rulings; significant agency regulations, opinions and trends to watch in 2013; and best practices and practical advice to prepare your organization for employment law compliance in the new year and beyond.The workshop will be lead by Mary L. Guilfoyle and Walter Stella of the Miller Law Group in San Francisco.Registration is $55/person for chamber and SHRA members and $65/person for non-members. Walk-in registration is $60/person for chamber and SHRA members and $70/person for non-members.To register and for more information call 530-573-0224 or 530-581-8764 or deanna@puretahoenorth.com. Attendees can also register online at http://www.sierrahra.com.Sierra College Insights “Emotional Intelligence: The other kind of Smart”With Christopher Old on Friday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. Emotional Intelligence (EI), the ability to recognize and control emotions, is a characteristic that affects our ability to succeed in all areas of life, including personal relationships, careers or school. During the Sierra College Insights presentation geared toward young adults and adults, Old will use small group activities to explore and discuss various components of emotional intelligence. The key components of EI include self and social awareness and self and relationship management. Teens, parents and grandparents are encouraged to attend together or on their own.Sierra College, Tahoe-Truckee campus located at 11001 College Trail in Truckee. Students, residents and visitors are welcome to attend. Complimentary refreshments and time for socializing precedes each event. Visit sierracollege.edu or e-mail kbateman@sierracollege.edu. One night interactive presentation, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, free. RSVP to 530-550-2290.Free Valentine’s bead stringing class A free kids bead stringing class will be held Sunday, Feb. 10, 2-3 p.m. at Artisans Market Place, 10382 Donner Pass Road in Truckee (the blue Victorian near Burger Me!). Artist Patty Lassaline is giving a class for children ages 8 and up on making a heart accent Valentine bracelet. Kids, come in and make one for yourself or someone you love. This is a drop-in event, no registration required, supplied are included.Sierra College Community SocialCommunity members of all ages are invited to Sierra College’s winter cocoa social Tuesday, Feb. 12, 5-6:15 p.m. on the Tahoe Truckee campus located at 11001 College Trail in Truckee. This is a great opportunity to find out about classes, programs and degrees as well as transfer options and socialize with current students and faculty. This event is free. For more information visit http://www.sierracollege.edu.Rotary to host Valentine Party and Crab FeedValentine Party and Crab Feed announced for Feb. 15, 6-8 p.m. The Rotary Club of Tahoe City will host an all-you-can eat crab feed Friday night at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. Dinner will include fresh Bay Area Dungeness Crab, pasta, salad, bread and dessert. Cost is $45 adults and $20 children 14 and under. For tickets (limited) mail check made out to Rotary to Mike Baffone, P.O. Box 218, Kings Beach, CA, 96143 or call 530-546-0378.Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project Open House announcedThe Placer County Department of Public Works will hold an Open House on Tues., Feb. 19, 5:30 p.m. at the North Tahoe Event Center, located at 8318 North Lake Blvd. in Kings Beach. A presentation will begin at 6 p.m. to be followed by a question and answer session. Attendees will hear an update on the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement project.The Open House will provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the project’s final design, right-of-way acquisition process, parking replacement plan, traffic management plan in the adjacent neighborhood, project funding and expected construction schedule.Attendees will be able to speak with representatives from Placer County Department of Public Works and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Project exhibits, renderings and maps will be available for viewing. Translation services will be provided.For more information visit KingsBeachCore.info.Tahoe Truckee FlyfishersTahoe Truckee Flyfishers are holding their general meeting Feb. 21 at the Truckee Community Recreation Center, 8924 Donner Pass Road, Truckee.The speaker will be Dan Le Count with a presentation on alternative species fishing in the Tahoe-Truckee area, discussing fish such as smallmouth, carp, and lake trout – fish other than rainbow, brooks and browns. This should be a very interesting presentation. Also, the Basic Skills class will be on leader construction and selection. The Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers is a nonprofit sportsman group dedicated to promoting the sport of fly fishing and protecting the trout rich waters of the North Lake Tahoe area. Visit http://www.ttff.net.Truckee Rotary Community Foundation seeks projectsThe Truckee Rotary Community Foundation is looking for community projects or needs upon which to bestow their annual donation. This year the foundation has $4,000 to donate for various projects. The Truckee Rotary Community Foundation provides funds for worthy individuals, organizations or projects within the greater Truckee community. The donated funds are generated from interest and profits made from investments during the year. The foundation looks for unique projects or individuals not of a social nature or being funded by other organizations.Any organization and/or individual who knows of a project or a need may submit an application by writing to the Truckee Rotary Community Foundation, c/o Steve Randall at P.O. Box 3236, Truckee, CA 96160 or by email steve@tdrpd.org. Applications should include: a short description of the project or need; amount requested; the name or contact person; telephone number and e-mail address. There is no formal application. Any questions should be directed to Steve Randall at 530-582-7720. Application deadline is Monday, Feb. 25, 2013.Special events grant applications due Feb. 22The North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association is currently accepting applications for the 2012-13 Special Events Grant Program. The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. Grant presentations are scheduled for Friday, March 15.The North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association currently has $14,000 available to award recipients to be used this fiscal year, July 2012 to June 2013, or next fiscal year, July 2013 to June 2014. The available funds are open to those with events planned for the Placer County/North Lake Tahoe region. The majority of grants awarded will be in the $500 to $2,500 range.The Special Events Grant Program provides marketing and promotional support to special events or projects and programs that bring visitors to the region, generate local and regional business revenue, provide local and regional media exposure, and opportunities for public relations. Grants cannot be used for capital investments, salaries, operational overhead, food and beverage, entertainment and supplies. Since the funding for this grant program comes from Placer County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), through the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association, the public revenue and other benefits generated must accrue principally to areas within Placer County.A Special Events Grant Taskforce will give recommendations to the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association Marketing Committee Tuesday, March 26. A presentation to the Board of Directors for approval is scheduled for Wednesday, April 3.For more information about the Special Events Grant Program and/or a Grant Funding Criteria and Application Form, call North Lake Tahoe Special Event Programs Manager, Judy Laverty at 530-581-8702 or via email at judy@puretahoenorth.com.For more information about the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association, visit http://www.nltra.org.Aloha Tuesday to benefit SOS OutreachJake’s On The Lake in Tahoe City is hosting Aloha Tuesdays, a Hawaiian-themed apres ski party March 5 starting at 4:30 p.m. Happy hour food and drinks are offered until 6:30 p.m. and specials on Mai Tais and Hawaiian pu-pu menu is offered until 8 p.m. Purchase raffle tickets to directly support SOS Outreach and a chance to win Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows ski resorts lift tickets, gear, and other cool prizes from sponsors like Breeze Ski Shop, Mountain Hardware, and many others. You don’t need to be present to win, but you must stop by to purchase your raffle tickets.Jake’s On The Lake is located at 780 North Lake Blvd. inside the Boatworks Mall.Donner Memorial State Park grooming trailsDonner Memorial State Park is grooming their 2 1/2 mile Lakeshore/China Cove trail for cross-country skiing. The cost is $8 per vehicle, which includes entrance to the Emigrant Trail Museum. The museum depicts the area’s history including Native Americans, the Donner Party, and builders of the transcontinental railroad. A variety of souvenirs, postcards, posters, books and maps about human and natural history are for sale. Maps of cross-country and snowshoeing trails are also available. Donner Memorial State Park is about two miles west of downtown Truckee on Donner Pass Road. Visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503.Tahoe Maritime Museum to host locals day second SaturdaysThe Tahoe Maritime Museum is currently showing its new exhibit Tahoe Twenties: A Story of Boats, Booze, & Business. In celebration of its success, the museum will offer Locals Day, a day of free admission to all Tahoe area residents on the second Saturday of each month through the winter season. The museum, located in Homewood on Lake Tahoe’s west shore, is now showcasing a number of 1920s boats. The museum is currently on its winter hours, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., last admission at 4:30 p.m. Visit http://www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org or call 530-525-9253, ext. 100.Lake of the Sky garden Club grants availableLake of the Sky Garden Club has grant funds available for community-related garden projects in the North Lake Tahoe area. To obtain an application call Emily Hatch, 530-582-8487, or email her at jimxem@sbcglobal.net. Applications must be received by April 1, 2013.Lake of the Sky Garden Club is a nonprofit organization and member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., Pacific Region, and California Garden Clubs, Inc., Golden Foothills District. The club’s goals are to promote an interest in gardening, with particular emphasis on the problems at high altitude, to support charitable, educational, and scientific works, as well as to initiate and participate in beautification and developmental gardening projects in the North Lake Tahoe region.Money for these grants comes from the club’s annual garden tour. On Saturday, July 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Lake of the Sky Garden Club will host their 25th annual garden tour, the Incline Village Garden Tour. Proceeds from this tour will fund scholarships to encourage study in landscaping, horticulture, forestry or environmental science and up to $6,000 in grants to local community projects.Past recipients have included Thunderbird Lodge, Tahoe City Historical Society, Watson Cabin, Gatekeeper’s Museum, Girl Scouts, Project MANA, as well as local schools and libraries. Tickets for this year’s garden tour will be available at local Truckee/Tahoe nurseries after June 15.The club generally meets on the last Monday of the month from March through October. For a meeting schedule and more information, go to http://www.lake-of-the-sky.org.Soup & Chili Showdown 2013 calling all cooksIt’s time for a warm evening with friends, neighbors, and the Tahoe City Recreation Department. The Tahoe City Recreation Department invites all amateur and professional cooks to show off their culinary talent in this year’s Soup & Chili Showdown on Friday, March 15 at Rideout Community Center, 6-8 p.m. Entry into the friendly competition is free, but pre-registration is required by Friday, March 1, 2013. This year’s event will feature a variety of different categories in both the soup and chili division, along with raffle prizes. For more information or to register contact the Tahoe City Recreation office at 530-583-3440.Warm up with Project MANA’s Stone SoupThis season’s Stone Soup, a weekly soup night in Truckee where everyone is invited to celebrate food, live music and community. Soup is prepared and served each Sunday evening through March 10, 5-7 p.m. at the Community Arts Center, 10046 Church St. in downtown Truckee. Take your own bowl and spoon and enjoy delicious soup and a good time. Donations are requested but not required.This year Project MANA is spearheading efforts to find different groups of volunteers from the community to get involved in Stone Soup. If you or your organization is interested in preparing soup or volunteering on Sundays, contact Project MANA at 775-298-0008.