TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. – Community briefsContent 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.CATT invites you to a membership orientationThe Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe (CATT) is pleased to announce a membership orientation for prospective members, new members, and existing CATT members. This orientation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 28, 4-6 p.m. at the CATT Office located at 12313 Soaring Way, Suite 1G in Truckee. Light appetizers will be served.The membership orientation is open to all design and building professionals who want to maximize their promotional efforts while also being kept up to date on the latest local building codes, fees, remodel trends, and more.New members who join CATT by April 5 will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad Mini (valued at $459).Questions about the membership orientation, contest details, or joining CATT should be directed to Kim Cross at 530-550-9999 or memberinfo@ca-tt.com. Visit CATT online at http://www.ca-tt.com.Kick-off SnowFest! party announcedGar Woods Grill & Pier, Carnelian Bay, Thursday, Feb. 28, 5-8 p.m., $25 donation at the door. Support SnowFest! and help kick off the next 10 days of SnowFest! Live DJ music provided by TerryMane. Raffle, beads, pocket calendars … event information, and SnowFest! fun. Food and drinks provided by Gar Woods Grill & Pier … the Wet Woody, beer, wine, heavy appetizers. Auction items to include: Schaffer’s Mill golf for four, with gift for all; Homewood 2013/14 full season pass; two-night stay at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Pt.; John Force Racing (15 time Funny Car Race Champ) signed pistons and hat. For the updates and information, friend SnowFest! on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tahoesnowfest or visit http://www.tahoesnowfest.com.Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerceto host mixer at Truckee River Business CenterThe Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Thursday, Feb. 28, 5-7 p.m., at the newly remodeled Truckee River Business Center at Martis Village, 10015 Palisades Drive, Ste. 10, above Blue Coyote Bar & Grill. The event is free to both chamber and non-chamber members. Attendees can learn about the commercial space’s renovations including hardwood flooring, high-speed Internet capabilities, new LED lighting, security cameras, and more. Local contractors involved with the project will be on hand. Crest Caf & Catering and building tenant Blue Coyote Bar & Grill will provide food, with drinks from 7-11. New owner Ted Laliotis invites the community to see this commercial space option in Truckee.For more information call Patricia Barrett, membership manager, at 530-587-8808 or Patricia@Truckee.com.The Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce is a business membership organization of more than 560 members. Visit http://www.TruckeeChamber.com or call 530-587-8808.”Oh, the Thinks you can Think!”at the Kings Beach LibraryJoin the fun on Saturday, March 2, to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Wear a crazy hat and wacky socks, have some birthday cake and settle in to hear Kay Fox read some of Seuss’ classics. On Feb. 28, 2-3 p.m., Carl Leblanc of Tahoe Tech Group will teach a class about online security. These free technology classes are offered twice a month at the library. Call to sign up for these fantastic classes taught by local experts. Stop by to check out the rotating local artist display. This month Abby Meyer’s watercolors are featured. The adult literacy program is going strong. Call or stop by if you would like help passing the GED or improving your reading or writing skills. Be sure to look for the Kings Beach Library in the SnowFest! Parade. Kings Beach Library is located at 301 Secline St., Kings Beach. Call 530-546-2021 for information.Aloha Tuesday to benefit SOS OutreachJake’s On The Lake in Tahoe City is hosting Aloha Tuesday, 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. Tahoe’s Connection for Families announcesPreschool Information NightIf you have a child ages 3-5, it’s time to learn about preschool options in Incline Village, Nev. and Kings Beach. Tahoe’s Connection for Families (TCF) is pleased to host a preschool information night on Tuesday, March 5, 5-7 p.m. This event is free and open to all parents, including non-TCF members. Learn about five local preschools: Incline Village Nursery School, Kings Beach Parents’ Co-op, Lake Tahoe School, Tahoe Expedition Academy, and Village Christian Preschool.Teachers and program directors from each preschool will deliver a 20-minute presentation about curriculum, activities, philosophies, tuition, and application deadlines, with time for questions. This is an adult-only event – please leave children at home. TCF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building a strong community of families in the North Lake Tahoe area.TCF is located in the Village Shopping Center at 754 Mays Blvd., Ste. 12 in Incline Village, Nev. Call 775-832-8230 or email info@tcfkids.com for information.Creekside Charter School announces information nightCreekside Charter School will host its 2013/14 Enrollment Information Night on Tuesday, March 5, 5:30 p.m. at the Rideout Community Center, 790 Timberland Lane, Tahoe City, followed by Observation Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m. at both the Rideout and Fairway during March. Creekside is a California public charter school choice in the Tahoe area, serving grades kindergarten through eighth with an individualized, innovative and involved learning model, incorporating blended classrooms, flexible scheduling and Friday enrichment classes to support students’ academic development and pursuit of passions. For more information or to request admission, visit http://www.creeksidecooperative.org or call 530-581-1036.Tree Top Co-op and Forest Charter Schoolannounce informational meetingForest Charter School and Tree Top Co-op will hold an informational meeting for the 2013/2014 school year for prospective fifth and sixth-grade students, Wednesday, March 6, 5-6 p.m. at Forest Charter School, in the Pioneer Center, directly across from Full Belly Deli, on the second floor of the Sierra Building in Truckee. Tree Top Co-op supports individualized learning styles through community engagement, a safe and positive school environment, interactive approaches to standards-based education and nurturing instruction to increase the students’ love of learning. The small, site-based class size allows for creative instruction through thematic units, outdoor, and experiential education. Visit http://www.forestcharter.com or call 530-550-7205.American History and PoliticsAn engaging discussion with Sierra College InsightsHistory instructor Taylor Tiraterra will present “The Use of Icons of American History in Modern America” Friday, March 8, an interactive presentation at Sierra College, Tahoe-Truckee. Arrive at 6:30 p.m. for refreshments, program runs 7-8:45 p.m. Seating is limited. RSVP to 530-550-2290. “Having just come off of another major presidential election, one of the most common debates in American politics is how our history has shaped our political scene. Were the Founding Fathers liberal or conservative, Christian or non-Christian? Was there really a grand moral cause behind the American Civil War, or was there truth in the pro-Confederate portrayals which have shaped much of recent history?”What were the actual economic results of programs such as the New Deal, Reaganomics, and the variations of our income tax rates? These issues and more will be discussed as we try to sort out fact from spin in the ways that modern media use American history,” said Tiraterra.Tiraterra, a history instructor at Sierra College, has a deep appreciation for differing viewpoints of historical events. He has a Master’s with an emphasis in American History from Sacramento State.For information on Sierra College happenings in Tahoe Truckee, visit http://www.facebook.com/SierraCollegeTahoeTruckee.Tangled Roots Writing:Spring 2013 schedule announcedIndividual Coaching: Business writing, creative writing, college essays, applications. Call Karen Terrey at 530-386-3901 to talk about your goals.Monday Night Creative Writing Workshop six-week series. A fun, productive generative workshop. Craft, examples, discussion and lively prompts for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Learn how to find inspiration rather than waiting for it to strike (otherwise known as procrastination). Cost is $140, March 4-April 8, 6-8 p.m.Write a Better Blog! What do your readers need? How can you grab their attention and keep them returning? This workshop will help you develop your blog purpose, audience, and polish memorable posts with fresh energy. Cost is $40 or two for $75, March 14 and April 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m.Feedback Workshop: Shaping and Revising your Project. In this ongoing three-part workshop series develop drafts through feedback in a small dedicated group of writers. Cost is $155 or $55 per class, March 19, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; April 14, 1-4 p.m.; May 9, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; and June 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m.Poetry Workshop, March 26. New ways to approach language and craft. Even if you don’t “get” poetry, get crazy new ideas for your writing and process. Cost is $40, 5:30-8:30 p.m.Contact Karen Terrey, MFA at tangledrootswriting@gmail.com, 530-386-3901 or http://www.karenaterrey.blogspot.com.Truckee Tahoe Republican Women meeting announcedRosie’s Cafe, 571 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, March 19, 11:15 a.m. Truckee Tahoe Republican Women Federated general monthly luncheon meeting. Cost is $20. Guest speaker is former Nevada County Superior Court Judge Anders Holmer. All interested Republican women are welcome. Email cherylastull@sbcglobal.net or call 530- 587-2042 for information.Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to studentsFar West Academy in Squaw Valley California admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.Individual and small size classes are conducted once a week for one hour, January through May for Spanish, math, English, and biology. Individualized classes are conducted at the student’s home, small size classes were conducted at their rental space at 1850 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, and are now conducted in a private home at no cost at 445 Squaw Peak Road, Olympic Valley.Individual and small sizes are academically stimulating, sparking curiosity and establishing life long knowledge by connecting new information to what the students are doing. The activity is funded by tuition. Scholarships are available, 15 percent of the FWA time is devoted to classes during the winter season. Call 530-378-4SKI for information.Annual Science Expo to be family funFamily Science Expo, open to the public on March 20, 4-6 p.m. at Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nev. UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), together with Tahoe Expedition Academy, other community partners, and with sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline, will host the eighth annual Science Expo March 18-21.The Science Expo is open to the general public on the evening of Wednesday, March 20, for children of all ages together with their families. Ice cream will be provided by Susie Scoops of Incline Village. Admission is free. The event will feature dozens of hands-on, interactive science experiments, activities and demonstrations emphasizing physical science concepts such as physical and chemical properties of matter, density, energy, electricity, magnetism, light, and sound,Students from Kings Beach, Incline Village, Tahoe City, Truckee and South Lake Tahoe will attend during the school days. High school students participating in the Youth Science Institute will facilitate science investigations with the younger students. UC Davis AmeriCorps volunteers and docents will staff some of the activity stations. Volunteers and parents in the community are asked to participate. Additional volunteers are still needed. To volunteer, contact UC Davis TERC AmeriCorps member Hannah Leigh at 775-881-7560, ext. 7474 or hkleigh@ucdavis.edu. All volunteers will be trained and will have all activity materials required for a 2 to 3-hour shift. A science background is not necessary. For more information or directions call 775-881-7566, or visit http://terc.ucdavis.edu/calendar/.Grants available from Lahontan Community FoundationMarch 1, 2013 is the closing date for grant applications to be considered for funding during the 2013 Lahontan Community Foundation grant cycle. Grants typically are in the range of $5,000-$10,000.Lahontan Community Foundation is generally broad-based in its funding interests and will accept applications in the following areas of interest: Arts and culture and civic life; education and youth development; environment, recreation, and animal welfare; and health and human services. The application is an online process. Visit http://www.ttcf.net for more information, email at phebe@ttcf.net or call 530-587-1776. Turnaround time is approximately six weeks.