Tahoe Valley Elementary School teacher Seth Martin was one of many honored in Sacramento today by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Sept. 17 event was to recognize the winners of the 2010 Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Spotlight Awards that is presented by the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation to organizations, events, park programs, parent associations and schools that positively impact the physical activity, fitness levels and well-being of California children.

Franklin Elementary School (Santa Barbara), Charles W. Eliot Middle School (Altadena) and Katella High School (Anaheim) were announced as winners of the 2010 Governor’s Challenge Competition as the council’s elementary, middle and high schools of the year, respectively. The three schools will each receive new fitness activity centers.

They were selected from more than 2,400 schools and more than 1.3 million students who engaged in physical activity 30-60 minutes a day, at least three days a week for four weeks during the previous school year.

The other honorees are:

• Teacher – Seth Martin, Tahoe Valley Elementary, South Lake Tahoe

• Principal – Jason Romero, Sunset Elementary, San Ysidro

• Nonprofit Organization – 100 Mile Club, NorcoEvent – Summerfest 2010, VenturaPark and Recreation Program – Fun on the Run – City of San Clemente

• Parent Association – Overland Avenue Elementary Parent Teacher Association, Los Angeles Schools –

• County of the Year – Orange County

A full listing of the gold, silver and bronze medalists, plus the eleven regional award winning schools in the 2010 Governor’s Challenge Competition can be found at www.CalGovCouncil.org.

Photographs of your beloved rescued or adopted dog or dogs enjoying the good life are wanted for the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe’s 2011 Calendar Photo Contest.

Whether your dog’s mug is playful or pensive, goofy or grateful, snapshots of all personality types are encouraged. Photos must be taken in the great outdoors of the Truckee-Tahoe area. The top 12 dogs will be featured in this year’s “Rescued Dogs of Truckee-Tahoe” calendar.

Submit up to five favorite photos of your dog along with a completed Official Entry Form and a $10 entry fee to dale@hstt.org. Include a short story about your rescued pet(s) to include if your photo is chosen. All submissions will be judged by HSTT.

For more information on this contest, click here. All entries must be submitted by Oct. 1.

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe is dedicated to saving and improving the lives of pets through adoptions, community spay/neuter services and humane education programs in the Truckee and North Tahoe area. To meet adoptable dogs, go to HSTT’s Adoption Day, every Saturday from noon to 2pm at the Town of Truckee Animal Kennel, or call (530) 581.3199 to schedule an appointment. To learn more about HSTT, call (530) 587.5948 or visit www.hstt.org.

An opening reception for artist Carole Sesko is slated for Sept. 23 from 4:30-6pm at Elijah Bleu’s House of Coffee & Good Eats in Truckee.

The Truckee artist said this collection of work was influenced by the coffee shop’s colorful, Cajun atmosphere. Sesko’s work includes figurative and abstract images.

Elijah Bleu’s is located at 10115 Donner Pass Road in Truckee.

For more information on Carole Sesko, visit www.carolesesko.com

By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee

The weak economy prompted Cache Creek Casino Resort to suspend a big expansion project Wednesday, shelving plans for an event center, parking garage and other amenities.

The announcement by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which owns the casino in rural Capay Valley, provides further evidence of the struggles in the gambling industry. Tribal casinos in Northern California, plus the commercial operations in Reno and Lake Tahoe, have imposed layoffs and made other cutbacks in the past two years.

“The outlook for the economy, both locally and across the U.S., just made this decision necessary,” said tribal spokesman Greg Larsen.

The tribe said it will continue with the renovation to its 200-room hotel. But a 2,200-seat event center has been put on hold, along with a 900-vehicle garage and expanded gambling and restaurant space. The project was supposed to begin construction next year.

Read the whole story

Bijou Community School is having a walk-a-thon to raise money for the South Lake Tahoe school. It started at 9:30 this morning and continues until 11:30.

It’s not too late to help the K-5 school raise money that will go to the “extras” for the students.

Bijou walk-a-thon on Sept. 17. Photo/Madonna Doyle

Todd Offenbacher, world-class climber and Resort Sports Network host, will be speaking at Sierra Nevada College Sept. 28 in the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, rooms 139/141, from 7-9pm.

Widely known for founding and hosting the Tahoe Adventure Film Festival, a high-energy event in its eighth season that showcases 10-minute clips from the best adventure sports films of the year, Offenbacher is also intensely devoted to rock climbing in some of the world’s most remote and challenging terrain. This passion led the South Shore resident and three other climbers to a remote region of Pakistan to attempt a first ascent on the colossal, unclimbed granite face of Shingu Sharpa. The expedition was unsuccessful. Undeterred, the climbers journeyed back to the region, one year after a massive land slide had destroyed the nearby village of Kande.

Recipient of the Mugs Stump Award and the Lyman Spitzer Grant from the American Alpine Club, Offenbacher’s presentation “A Return to Pakistan” recounts the tale of a climbing epic that includes a broken leg at 5,500 meters, natural disasters, Taliban road blocks, and a mountain culture based on religion, honor, and respect. Long before the world was introduced to the acclaimed book “Three Cups of Tea,” Offenbacher and his fellow companions worked alongside Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute offering aid to the people of Kande whose lives had been ruined by the natural disaster.

For more information on the presentation “A Return to Pakistan,”contact Library Director Betts Markle at (775) 881.7511 or emarkle@sierranevada.edu.

The premiere of Matchstick Production’s “The Way I See It” is Oct. 2 at 8pm at the MontBleu theater in Stateline. Cost is $15.

• The Washoe Meadows Community is having a meeting about the future of Washoe Meadow State Park, Lake Tahoe Golf Course and the Upper Truckee River on Sept. 23 from 5:30-7pm at El Papagayo restaurant in Meyers.

• Harrah’s Lake Tahoe is hosting Tahoe Tech Talk Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Here is a list of the speakers and details.

• The regional United Way, which includes El Dorado County, has kicked off its workplace-giving program. For more info, visit here or call (916) 368.3000.

• French and Russian language screens will be added to the entire network of Wells Fargo ATM machines.

• Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Granite Bay, was named a Taxpayer Hero by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste for his 2009 voting record. McClintock received a 99 percent rating and was the highest rated congressman in California.

• Meyers Community Roundtable Committee meets Sept. 22 at 5:30pm at Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School.

• Water rates in Douglas County are going up Oct. 1 for most residents at Lake Tahoe based on a decision by commissioners on Thursday. The interim increase will last until July 1, 2011, by which time officials hope to have a consolidation plan in place.

The Town

Rated R

4 bagels out of 5

By Howie Nave

There’s a lesson I would like to share with future filmmakers: if you can’t star in a successful movie, try writing and directing one yourself. Maybe that’s what Ben Affleck should have done a half dozen movies ago. I mean he directed (and co-wrote) 2007’s “Gone Baby Gone” (receiving good reviews) but this time he has gone completely Eastwood staking out just about every aspect of movie writing, directing and starring in his latest adaptation, “The Town.”

He brought home the Oscar for co-writing (along with friend/actor Matt Damon in 1997’s “Good Will Hunting” so it just took a few crappy movies before taking matters into his own hands. And just like that movie, Affleck has kept this one close to home in the northern Boston neighborhood of Charlestown.

What works immediately in this movie (adapted from Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves”) is the depth of its characters. From the opening scenes you find yourself absorbed into the setup of the story, the intense action and realize that some of the people on the good side of the law don’t always equate to them being the good guys.

Ben Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a bank robber who is the son of a criminal following in his dad’s footsteps. Doug’s father (played briefly but exceptionally by Chris Cooper) had been in the family business until being convicted of killing his victims winding up in prison. Doug’s close friend, Jem (played by Jeremy Renner from last year’s Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker”) shares a similar story to that of his friend. Doug’s mother split when he was 6, so the backdrop is set up revealing how impossible it is to break the cycle of crime in this rough and tumble neighborhood of Boson.

Turns out Charlestown is a hotbed for turning out bank robbers and is rated No. 1 in the country. I bet the Charlestown Chamber of Commerce loves that honor, eh?

Although the original story took place in the ’90s, the movie has been updated to take place in the present. What is so gripping is that someone who was raised in such an environment where it was easy to break the law wants to throw that away and make an attempt to go straight. But when you’re in a tight-knit group that includes your friends who know your torrid past it’s like a reverse peer pressure effect where it’s comfortable in an odd way remaining where you are but knowing it’s just a matter of time before the outcome could be devastating. I do have to say that I’ve never seen bank robbers make zombie apparel look so fashionable for committing their crimes. The nun look was kind of creepy too.

Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner in "The Town." Photo/Provided

In one of his coolest roles ever, AMC’s “Mad Men” lead character Jon Hamm easily slips into his role as that of FBI Agent Frawley who is a jerk. Not an overt one, but I found myself cheering for the bad guys here because deep down it’s Affleck’s character that ultimately is the good guy. Maybe that’s because we see a side of him that is brought out when a hostage (Rebecca Hall) situation gets more personal than usual (and not just with Doug either).

Rounding out the impressive plot line are some impressive action sequences to balance out the human element. What would an action movie be without some explosive grinding steel in your face?

Kudos to Ben Affleck for tackling all his jobs behind the camera without sacrificing where it counts in front of the camera — playing it cool, subdued and not over-the-top.

“The Town” is rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use with a running time of 2 hours and 5 minutes.

Howie Nave is host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys. You can hear him Monday-Friday 6 to 10am on KRLT FM-93.9.

Half of consumers say they would like more practical tips to eat right and are interested in a personal nutrition consultation. Thanks to Moderation Nation, a program sponsored by the American Dietetic Association and the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition, Lake Tahoe residents looking to improve their health can receive two hours of free nutrition counseling with Amber Wilson, registered dietitian and founder of NewLife Nutrition.

Moderation Nation is a consumer awareness campaign designed to help people achieve a sustainable healthier lifestyle through balance and moderation. The program emphasizes the importance of registered dietitians as a critical resource for diet and health and who are specialists in teaching consumers to enjoy all food in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Amber Wilson

As part of the promotion of Moderation Nation, consumers may download a certificate for a complimentary initial consultation with a registered dietitian to get more consumers to see registered dietitians and benefit from the knowledge and insight they provide.

Wilson will provide two additional complimentary follow-up nutrition consultations for individuals with a Moderation Nation certificate.

Additionally, Wilson will donate $25 to local health-related charities for each person who follows through with a complimentary consultation.

For more information or to set up a complimentary consultation with Wilson, contact her at a.wilson@new-life-nutrition.com.