By Howie Nave

One thing for sure at this year’s 89th Academy Awards ceremony, there is way more diversity than at last year’s Oscars show (and the year before that).

In fact, having nine nominations in the Best Picture category alone offers up quite a diverse selection of films ranging from the human struggle, life in a musical and all things extraterrestrial (involving an alien that doesn’t get political). No doubt there will be acceptance speeches with a political tone to them as it seems to be the norm at any Hollywood awards show lately.

Will comedian/host Jimmy Kimmel set the stage for things to come by being political? He has vowed that he won’t, but I can tell you from experience comedians tend to go off script after feeling the room out. I mean, I thought Chris Rock did one of the best jobs ever addressing the elephant in the room at last year’s Oscar for the lack of minorities nominated. It was brutal and well, for me, the highlight of the evening. This Sunday should be an interesting one with Kimmel as he has such a wide range of topics to cherry pick from given the spectrum of movies nominated this year.  

That said let’s see who’s going to win, or more important, who should win. In the Best Picture category we have nine, count’em nine movies in the running that include: 

“Arrival”
“Fences”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“Hidden Figures”
“La La Land”
“Lion”
“Manchester By the Sea”
“Moonlight”

There’s no shortage of color at this year’s event with contenders “Hidden Figures,” “Fences,” “Lion” and “Moonlight.” Obviously being the biggest science fiction geek in this universe I’d like “Arrival” to be the upset, but sci-fi never gets the top prize. (“ET: The Extra-Terrestrial” I feel still should’ve won back in 1983 even though it was nominated). “La La Land” with its 14 nominations (the most ever tying with “Titanic”) is the favored, but personally I think it’s overrated. Still, it does represent total escapism from the ugly reality of the real world so yes, I’m going to say “La La Land” wins for Best Picture.  

In the category for Best Actor we have: 

Casey Affleck, “Manchester By the Sea”
Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling, “La La Land” 
Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington, “Fences”

The odds are that it’s going to go to Ben’s younger brother, Casey Affleck and, yes, he did a remarkable job (and was nominated for an Oscar in the Supporting Actor category for the 2007 flick, “The Assassination of Jesse James). He has a good shot and if Casey wins this Sunday he and Ben will become the 16th Oscar-winning sibling pair in history. Denzel Washington could be the spoiler as he was brilliant (and wore several hats also directing “Fences”), but I’m going with Casey Affleck for Best Actor. 

In the category for Best Actress we have: 

Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Ruth Negga, “Loving”
Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
Emma Stone, “La La Land”
Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”

Hollywood has a way of making love to its own and odds are Emma Stone is going to win and, yes, she was very good and won several of the other awards that lead up to the Super Bowl of motion pictures so she’s probably going to snag it. I don’t think anybody saw “Elle” in part because it is a foreign film. As much as I enjoyed Natalie Portman’s performance in “Jackie” it’s all about Emma. It’s worth noting here that Meryl Streep (who was hilarious in “Florence Foster Jenkins”) has been nominated now 20 times (winning three in this category), but it’ll be Emma Stone for Best Actress. 

Moving on to the category of Best Supporting Actor we have: 

Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
Jeff Bridges, “Hell or High Water”
Lucas Hedges, “Manchester By the Sea”
Dev Patel, “Lion”
Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals” 

I’m slightly biased on this one being a huge fan of actor Jeff Bridges (who won an Oscar for Best Actor at the 2010 Oscars for “Crazy Heart”) and had him on my morning radio show and podcast. His movie, “Hell or High Water” is also up for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Bridges said his flick “shines a light on why the election went the way that it did.” The favorite though seems to be leaning toward both Mahershala Ali for “Moonlight” and Lucas Hedges for “Manchester By The Sea,” but I’m still going for Jeff Bridges to win for Best Supporting Actor.

In the Best Supporting Actress category we have:

Viola Davis, “Fences”
Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
Nicole Kidman, “Lion”
Octavia Spencer, “Hidden Figures”
Michelle Williams, “Manchester By the Sea”

I love Viola Davis! Not just her acting, but if you ever get the time research her personal life, she is one amazing woman. I know all actors have had their personal struggles to get where they are, but I’m just so impressed with Davis who was nominated in 2009 for Best Actress in “Doubt” and in the supporting role for 2011’s “The Help.” Viola Davis will win an Oscar for her brilliant portrayal of wife and mother Rose Maxson, who is the bedrock in the family opposite Denzel Washington as her husband (and up for Best Actor) in “Fences.”  

We’re at the halfway point here with Best Director that includes:  

Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Mel Gibson, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester By the Sea”
Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”

Again, wouldn’t it be nice if just once, a director would win for their mind-expanding helmsmanship beyond this planet in a sci-fi epic like “Arrival” on this planet? No? All right, but as you may have guessed “La La Land” is going to take home a treasure trove of awards and will give itself a pat on the backside by giving the statue to Damien Chazelle. And it must be mentioned how much of a survivor Mel Gibson is after being shamed for being such a Jew hater that his work is being recognized in this category? I forgave him a long time ago what with the “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” verse from the bible. “Hacksaw Ridge” is an amazing and beautiful piece of filmmaking, so Gibson should be nominated. If you haven’t seen his movie, you are really missing out. But for now it’s “La La Land” all the way here with Damien Chazelle getting the nod for Best Director. 

Let’s get a fun category and that is the nominees for Best Animated Feature: 

“Kubo and the Two Strings”
“Moana”
“My Life As a Zucchini”
“The Red Turtle”
“Zootopia”

Remember earlier when I said that politics will definitely be part of the agenda at this year’s Academy Awards? Well, try weaving the current attitude going on in our country subliminally in only a way an animated flick can pull it off while at the same time entertaining the entire family and you’ve got “Zootopia” folks. And this is a Disney flick too! Say what? Who know the folks from that legendary studio could tell a message so subversive involving race, drugs and policy all centered around cute furry creatures? Well, they did and some might find that uneasy, but I have always felt sometimes one can get away with a lot more when you infuse animation into the picture and “Zootopia” does that. I am hoping that it will win for Best Animated Feature. 

It’s all about the story and up for Best Original Screenplay we have: 

Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filipou, “The Lobster”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester By the Sea”
Mike Mills, “20th Century Women”
Taylor Sheridan, “Hell or High Water”

Screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester By the Sea” was also directed by him. Truth be known I wasn’t too familiar with him. I am now, though. Wow, what an incredible output of creativity. He should win. It’s no coincidence his words couldn’t have taken shape as his vision from the written page to being behind the camera has given us a Best Actor nominee in the way of Casey Affleck, a Best Picture nod, Best Supporting Actor (Lucas Hedges), Best Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams) not to mention himself as Best Director. This is literally an East Coast vs. West Coast with Lonergan’s movie taking place in New England in the namesake town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts with “La La Land” taking place in well, you get the picture and so will “La La Land” for Best Original Screenplay. 

In the Best Adapted Screenplay the nominees are: 

Luke Davies, “Lion”
Eric Heisserer, “Arrival”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, “Hidden Figures”
August Wilson, “Fences”

Please, oh please, let it be Allison Schreoder and Theodore Melfi for the story based on what really happened at NASA and tuned into a heartwarming and inspiring movie, “Hidden Figures.” Am I grateful “La La Land” wasn’t nominated? Yes! I wouldn’t mind either if Barry Jenkins took home an Oscar for his story (also based on real experiences) for “Moonlight.” Again, very inspiring. I wish it was a tie. Both amazing stories and a testament to the human spirit. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that both movies, “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight” will win. It’s just too close folks for this category. 

In the Best Foreign-Language Film category the nominees are:

“Land of Mine” (Denmark)
“A Man Called Ove” (Sweden)
“The Salesman” (Iran)
“Tanna” (Australia)
“Toni Erdmann” (Germany)

Full disclosure, I only saw three of these because it’s not easy getting access for screenings (especially living in the high Sierra of Lake Tahoe). I was able to see “Toni Erdmann” through another film critic/friend and loved it. This German gem is a comedy that clocks in at almost three hours. After watching it my accent changed some. Also saw Sweden’s “A Man Called Ove” because it actually played locally (at the Fandango in Carson City). It centers around a retired gentleman who is isolated from society visiting his wife’s grave, has decided to give up on life (man, this sounds familiar except for the dead wife part) and develops an unlikely friendship when he least expects it. I’m hoping this one wins but I think it’s going to go to “The Salesman” from Iran again because of political reasons. Writer/director Asghar Farhadi said he won’t attend this year’s Academy Awards to protest President Trump’s ban on Muslim countries, so how much you wanna bet the Academy will award the Oscar as a statement against the current administration? Exactly.  

For Best Documentary Feature the nominees are: 

“Fire At Sea”
“I Am Not Your Negro”
“Life, Animated”
“O.J. Made in America”
“13th”

 I love documentaries (when they’re done right) as they convey the filmmaker’s opinion so explicitly, especially on a budget. These films are a definite backlash against last year’s all white nominations and are all pretty darn good. Standouts include “I Am Not Your Negro” threading I feel the civil rights movement from the 1960s to the Black Lives Matter movement in our current time in history. That said and because of America’s undying fascination with the trial and outcome, I’m giving the Oscar to “O.J. Made in America” hands down. 

Music always plays an integral part to any motion picture and this year’s Best Original Score nominees include: 

Nicholas Britell, “Moonlight”
Justin Hurwitz, “La La Land”
Mica Levi, “Jackie”
Thomas Newman, “Passengers”
Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka, “Lion”

Let’s be realistic here, OK? Since the entire movie is one long musical, Justin Hurwitz wins this one hands down. It would be a major upset if “La La Land” didn’t take home the Oscar in this category. 

For Best Original Song the nominees are: 

“Audition: The Fools Who Dream,” “La La Land”
“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” “Trolls”
“City of Stars,” “La La Land”
“The Empty Chair,” “Jim: The James Foley Story”
“How Far I’ll Go,” “Moana”

Again, “La La Land” will win in this category for “City of Stars” which is very catchy. But how about this for an upset? Justin Timberlake’s mega hit, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” is from the movie “Trolls” and that my friends could be one of the night’s biggest upsets. 

In one of my favorite categories because it is the canvass for the movie, the nominees for Best Cinematography are: 

Greig Fraser, “Lion”
James Laxton, “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto, “Silence”
Linus Sandgren, “La La Land”
Bradford Young, “Arrival”

Again, creating something literally out of this world isn’t easy because we as humans have seen it all, so to see Bradford Young’s epic science fiction fantasy “Arrival” is without doubt an amazing piece of imagery. But it’s going to go (the Oscar) to Linus Sandgren’s brilliant piece of cinematic artwork for “La La Land.” I mean, just that opening sequence with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling cinches it right there. So enjoy the after parties “La La Land” you’re going to be hungover the next morning with Oscar love and all your agents will be asking for a much higher fee when your next movie comes around.

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. He has been reviewing movies for years. They may be heard on four other stations each week where he does “A Jew Doing a Movie Review,” and he occasionally writes reviews for Lake Tahoe News.

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE – Free transit throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin, integrated between the shores, and with service every 30 minutes. That’s the goal by 2021.

Morgan Beryl, senior transportation planner with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, on Feb. 22 went over the highlights of the draft 2017 Regional Transportation Plan with the Governing Board.

Technology has allowed transportation officials to get a better handle on how many people are actually coming to the basin – 24 million a year, in 10 million vehicles.

Beryl showed two pictures – one of gridlock (today), the other open streets (the future). The goal of the plan, she said, is to create the future.

Unlike so many planning documents, this one isn’t just ideas. It has some how-to components, with achievable short-term goals, and loftier long-term goals if money were not an obstacle. Managing congestion, free bus service, bike paths that connect to places people want to go, and alternative fuel infrastructure are the immediate goals. (Yes, resuming service to Meyers is in the plans.)

Beryl told Lake Tahoe News the free bus service is attainable with current federal funding and grants. What is collected at the fare box isn’t a large part of the revenue stream. When BlueGo, the South Shore bus service, offers free rides through spare the air days, people take a seat, proving there is a local desire for free transit.

The problem is the funding needed to keep the system operational is not guaranteed. That needs to be worked out before free bus service is offered. Officials are studying how other areas pay for free transit. Many locales have some sort of tax so there is a more defined revenue stream.

If buses came more often – it’s every hour now – the thinking is more people would get on board. If buses went to more recreation areas, more people are apt to forego their personal vehicle. If buses allowed more bikes or had storage underneath like Greyhound does for personal items, people might not drive themselves. If BlueGo and TART – the North Shore system – were linked, it would mean the ability to commute as well as play throughout the basin.

Whatever is created needs to be flexible to handle the fluctuation in demand bases on the influx of tourists.

Creating parking areas for people is something else that is being talked about. This would be a 180-degree policy change for TRPA. This bi-state regulatory agency has a penchant for approving projects with inadequate parking with the thinking it would get people out of their cars. The problem is people have nothing else to get into because bus service is abysmal.

Park and rides are common in larger areas. But even finding a spot to park at a public transit hub can be difficult as anyone who has ridden BART in the Bay Area knows.

Board member Shelly Aldean suggested areas with large lots might be encouraged to add space, albeit coverage would be an issue, that would be dedicated to those using transit. This would be for people who don’t have immediate access to transit, but could drive to a stop.

More long term goals include working with regional partners – Sacramento, Bay Area, Reno – to integrate ways to get tourists to Tahoe without them all driving. Rail is one idea. Having them park at an airport and come via bus is another. Or if they are flying into the region, to then have reliable shuttles to the basin.

It was acknowledged, though, that the basin needs to provide reliable public transit before regional transit solutions are solidified. Technology will help with that in being able to provide real-time information to customers and transit providers.

The TRPA transportation document was first approved in late 2012 and per federal law must be updated every four years.

Missing in action at Wednesday’s meeting was half of the basin’s local representation on the board. Neither El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel nor Douglas County Commissioner Nancy McDermid were in attendance.

Today the Governing Board will convene for its annual strategic planning session. More detail about the transportation plan and how to fund aspects of it are expected to be discussed.

—–

Notes:

·      Comments on the draft plan will be taken until March 24; email them to mberyl@trpa.org.

·      The plan is available online. 

·      The TRPA Governing Board is expected to approve the final plan on April 26.

Part of Highway 50 near Bridal Veil Falls has fallen down the hillside. Photo/Caltrans

By Brad Branan, Sacramento Bee
 
A section of Highway 50 crumbled farther down the hillside early Tuesday near Bridal Veil Falls, offering the latest dramatic reminder of how vulnerable Sierra highways have become in this winter’s deluge of rain and snow.

Though the damaged road did not result in injuries, it prompted the closure of both westbound lanes and will reduce traffic to one lane in each direction for months to come. Crews will work on stabilizing the slope and fixing the highway, according to Caltrans.

“It’s going to be a long-term closure,” said Caltrans spokesman Steve Nelson. “The contractor is still figuring out how to fix the road; but whatever they come up with, it’s going to take at least a few months.”

Read the whole story

By George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
 
You hear this every time there’s a drought or deluge in California: “Why haven’t they built more dams?” Truth is, they’ve built a bunch. And they’re about done with it.

Tally them up. There are more than 1,400 dams in the state. At least 1,000 are major and 55 can hold 100,000 acre-feet or more of water. One acre-foot is enough to supply two average households for a year.

There are 36 reservoirs that can contain at least 200,000 acre-feet. Eleven can hold 1 million or more.

Read the whole story

Sierra-at-Tahoe isn’t ready to stop having patrollers be in charge of avalanche control. Photo/Provided

By Susan Wood

The idea of having drones deliver avalanche charges at ski resorts may one day fly with regulators, but major roadblocks now hinder movement in that practice.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is looking into the initial concept as a way of keeping ski patrollers who conduct this duty even more safe.

The high-flying practice is illegal right now. But that hasn’t stopped some who monitor the nation’s ski resorts and accidents from looking into it.

The turn-about in the snow patrol world appears to raise more questions than answers — from resort chiefs and ski industry pros to forest officials and aviation regulators.

Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone regulations ban them from being flown over crowds or dropping anything – much less explosives from the sky. A drone is deemed an aircraft under federal law as it is “capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere,” according to FAA statute.

The U.S. Department of Defense uses drones for reconnaissance and air strikes over foreign land. U.S. airspace is not allowed.

“Anyone who wants to drop something from an aircraft must take steps to ensure that doing so won’t endanger people or property on the ground,” FAA Pacific Northwest spokesman Ian Gregor explained to Lake Tahoe News.

The ski industry is keeping a close eye on the suggestion.

“The federal government would need to allow the delivery of explosives from a drone first. The FAA prohibits it at this time, so that is a major obstacle. Until that changes, I don’t see much movement in this area,” National Ski Areas Association spokeswoman Geraldine Link said.

Lake Tahoe ski resorts may now use an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), aka drone, for advertising and snow monitoring purposes under special use permits, according to the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Dropping charges for avalanche control is yet another matter.

No ski resorts have sought a permit yet, LTBMU spokeswoman Heather Noel indicated. If the request meets the screening criteria, the Forest Service may allow for the flight under the discretion of its authorized officer.

“It can be an amazing technology or a detriment,” Noel said.

And there lies the bane and the blessing of using drones.

The video footage coming out of these devices is amazing and often useful. Take the recording made during the last series of wet storms that produced major flooding in the Carson Valley.

Hence, a picture – or in this case a track, is worth a thousand words.

However, drones have also come under fire for flying into areas where crews are fighting wildland blazes. In some circumstances, they have already hindered firefighting air operations.

Still, if managed well, drones may bring a whole new dimension to avalanche control safety as well as pilot programs to film skiers.

“This is certainly an idea worth considering, but there are so many things to think about,” California Ski Industry Association Executive Director Michael Reitzell said, listing a whole set of questions:

·      How would the drone be programmed?

·      Who would operate the drone?

·      How will it deliver the explosives?

·      How would the explosive be lit?

·      In hard snow conditions, how will the drone make sure the explosive does not slide all the way down the hill?

Reitzell, who is an attorney, noted a major case would have to be made that this technology is safer than current methods. He pointed to the recent fatality of a Squaw Valley patroller, but defined the tragic incident as “extremely rare.” (Squaw officials declined to comment on the drone topic.)

Then, what happens when one malfunctions? After all, it is a computerized device.

“A resort would have to be pretty much 100 percent certain that it will always have control over the drones. They also would need to withstand the significant weather as well,” he told LTN. “

Moreover, should we take out the human factor in judging the safety of a slope?

“I would also imagine that many patrollers would say there is a bit of an art to avalanche hazard mitigation. It would probably be much more difficult for them to feel comfortable that a slope is stable if they were using drones,” Reitzell added.

At least one Lake Tahoe ski resort head expressed cautious optimism in terms of considering new technology as an alternative to snow safety patrol.

Sierra-at-Tahoe General Manager John Rice told LTN he believes drone technology “would be worth looking at” if crucial factors are considered.

“I feel that drone technology is still in development stages, as we have seen they can sometimes drop out of the sky or be affected by other signals,” he said. “The placement of hand charges in avalanche control work is very precise to achieve desired results. If the GPS accuracy could be dialed in to the degree of military use, and drones could be operated in high wind and storm events, then it might be an alternative. But I don’t believe the current drones can operate successfully in such conditions as they currently exist.”

Heavenly and Kirkwood mountain resorts’ spokesman Kevin Cooper declined to comment for this story.

A block of Tahoe Keys Boulevard near Venice Drive in South Lake Tahoe is off-limits Feb. 21 because a tree is across the road. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

Roads remain a mess in the greater Lake Tahoe area as another storm system pummels the already saturated mountains.

The main closure is on Mount Rose Highway because a wall of snow, 20-feet deep fell there on Monday. No time has been given when it might reopen. It is closed at the Galena Creek Visitors Center.

“It was ugly up there,” Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Highway 50 in the American River Canyon is washed out near Bridal Veil Falls. Photo/CHP

Along Highway 50 near Bridal Veil Falls the side of the road has collapsed. According to the California Highway Patrol, the No. 2 lane is buckling.

The onramp at Interstate 80 and Highway 89 in Truckee is closed because of flooding.

Highway 89 around Emerald Bay is closed, as is Highway 88 getting to Kirkwood. The Carson Spur is also closed. Caltrans has no estimate when any of them will be open.

Check with Caltrans or NDOT for current road conditions, or click on the state icons on the home page of Lake Tahoe News.

A commuter to Carson City said visibility on Spooner Summit is horrible.

South Lake Tahoe crews will be out Tuesday assessing storm drains and water levels.

“Actually, all is not too bad. The snow level stayed just above the lake so run-off from the mountains wasn’t much at all,” Jim Marino, assistant public works director, told Lake Tahoe News.

Local firefighters have been dealing with downed trees and power lines.

There are widespread power outages on the West Shore. The lower mountain and lodge at Alpine Meadows don’t have electricity. Liberty Utilities crews hope to restore power by noon Tuesday unless further damage occurs.  

Avalanche danger and weather are making damage assessment difficult, according to Liberty. Customers in some locations should plan on multi-day outages.

A large swath of NV Energy customers on the South Shore also have no electricity.

Incline Village schools have decided to have a longer school day and stop early-out Wednesdays in order to make up for all the snow days.

According to the National Weather Service in Reno, 1 to 3 feet of snow could fall above 6,500 between now and Wednesday morning, 3-5 feet above 7,500 feet and torrential rain below 6,500 feet.

Stowe Mountain is considered the premier ski resort on the East Coast. Photo/Stowe Mountain

Vail Resorts today announced it has acquired Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont.

Mt. Mansfield Company, a subsidiary of American International Group, sold the resort for $50 million. It had been under the same ownership since 1949.

This is the first resort on the East Coast that the Broomfield-Colo.-based ski behemoth has purchased.

Vail Resorts is acquiring all of the assets related to the mountain operations of the resort, including base area skier services (food and beverage, retail and rental, lift ticket offices and ski and snowboard school facilities) at Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Other facilities such as the Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe Mountain Club, Stowe Country Club and certain real estate owned and held for potential future development will be retained by MMC.

Vail expects to retain the majority of employees.

“With the investments in both mountain infrastructure and base area facilities that AIG has made over the years, Stowe Mountain Resort has become the premier, high-end resort for East Coast skiers and snowboarders. We look forward to working with AIG to continue enhancing the guest experience and to ensure the resort’s long-term success,” Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, said in a statement.

Stowe Mountain Resort is expected to be part of the Epic Pass for the 2017-18. This gives skiers access to Vail Resorts’ ski areas in California (Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar), Colorado, and Utah. Also to be added to the pass next ski season is Whistler, which Vail bought last year.

Stowe is also home to the Trapp Family Lodge. For those familiar with “The Sound of Music,” this is the family who escaped Nazi occupation in Austria. They are the ones who opened this lodge in Vermont, with family members to this day operating it.

STHS senior Hawley Jarrett sets up one of the 3D printers to start printing an object. Photo/Jessie Marchesseau

By Jessie Marchesseau

Students in Cliff Smith’s AutoCAD class at South Tahoe High School are printing out more than just term papers. Since fall 2015, students have had the opportunity to not only design three dimensional objects with the computer aided drafting software, but watch their creations come to life with the help of in-class 3D printers.

On a recent winter afternoon, the trio of printers was busy cranking out a space ship, a three-dimensional chess board and a set of working gears. A single object can take anywhere from 30 minutes to more than 24 hours to complete, depending on its complexity.

Meanwhile, students were working on their final semester projects: action figures containing at least two types of working joints.

Cliff Smith, STHS career tech education and math teacher, holds a model of a prosthetic hand he printed with the 3D printers in his classroom. Photo/Jessie Marchesseau

In place of ink cartridges, the printers have spools of polylactic acid filament. It basically looks like the spool of weed whacker line. PLA is a thermoplastic, meaning when you heat it, it melts, and when it cools it becomes solid again. So essentially, the printer melts the PLA and “prints” it in the desired form where it cools.

The melting process is especially obvious in the classroom graveyard of misprinted objects (which they are trying to figure out a way to recycle). It’s not uncommon for a student to send an object to print one day, then come in the next day to find a plastic blob where their design should be.

“It’s funny to watch other people, but it’s super-frustrating when you keep failing,” said Jessie Brown, a junior in Smith’s 3D AutoCAD class. She was laughing with a classmate whose gear project had misprinted 14 times so far. “It’s just luck,” she said, “a lot of luck.”

Brown explained that every time someone’s project fails, they have to figure out why and add it to a running list of printer tips and instructions. Sometimes it has to do with the design, sometimes it’s the printer. For example, they discovered wiping the plate with alcohol helps the plastic stick, thereby reducing mess ups, and how needles and unfolded paperclips work wonders for cleaning a clogged tip.

Smith insists the students repair and maintain the printers.

“The more toys they get to play with, the more ways they can come up with to solve problems,” he told Lake Tahoe News.

STHS students have printed a variety of objects on the classroom 3D printers, including fully-functioning gears and chess pieces. Photo/Jessie Marchesseau

For example, when a part broke on one of the printers, the students designed a new part to fix it, and then printed it with one of the other printers.

Smith said problem-solving is his No. 1 goal for his students. “To me, that’s the key, is allowing them to troubleshoot, problem solve, but in a fun way. Whether they go into engineering or not, they’ll be good problem-solvers.”

And it sounds like it’s working.

Most of the class projects are fairly broad, allowing students to be creative with their designs. They’ve created dice, chess pieces, various working gears, functioning joints, and puzzles. And once students have finished the required projects, they are free to create and print their own designs. Smith has seen a Star Trek badge, a Harry Potter wand, Lake Tahoe keychains and a smartphone stand to name a few. One student even purchased a special type of filament in order to print out custom skateboard wheels.

“You come up with a problem, and you find a way to fix it,” Brown said of objects she has created for family and friends.

Other students, like Hawley Jarrett and Sam Satin, both seniors, are less focused on the problem-solving aspect, and more into just creating cool stuff. Jarrett said his favorite part of the class is having the opportunity to design and create new things. Satin, an aspiring architect, enjoys designing and working with the CAD software, calling the 3D printers “the icing on top.”

Though he may not be consciously focused on problem-solving, Satin said, laughing, that he wasn’t sure anyone had anything work the first time around all semester, an indication that problems are being addressed and solved by nearly everyone on every project.

And the experimental printing and designing doesn’t stop with plastic. The 3D printers can also print a type of dissolving filament which, when placed in water, will disappear, creating voids within the plastic part of the printed object. Students can also hop across the hall to the laser cutter/etcher/engraver which can create intricate designs on and out of wood. Figuring out what kinds of wood and what thicknesses work has been a problem-solving experience in itself. Pieces of burned and cracked wood in the printing room are evidence of the experimentation.

Though not all of these students expect to be using this type of technology in their future careers, the rate at which 3D printing technology is advancing makes it nearly impossible to tell what we may be printing a year or 10 years from now.

But even if they never use a 3D printer again, at the very least they have gained some problem-solving skills … and printed some cool stuff.

By Howie Nave

Most everyone knows about the annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (also referred to as the Oscars) celebrating Hollywood’s best, but what about Hollywood’s worst movies? I mean, c’mon, how many times have you seen a movie and wished that the theater had a refund table set up in the lobby so you could get your money back if the movie you just watched was universally deplorable?

There have always been bad movies, but until John Wilson came along there was never a platform to acknowledge those movies and give out an award to show how much their work was admired. This Saturday marks the 37th annual Razzie Awards celebrating the worst that Hollywood has to offer. And just like the Oscars there are categories to highlight individual achievements (or more accurately lack of).

Howie Nave, left, with Razzie creator/producer John Wilson. Photo/Provided

The Razzies has your basic main categories such as Worst Picture, Worst Actor/Actress, Worst Supporting Actor/Actress, Worst Director and Worst Screenplay and a couple of bonus categories too such as Worst Screen Combo and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.  

Every year I look forward to chatting with Razzie creator Wilson. He’s been on my morning radio show now for 15 years. If you want, you can tune in to hear our chat this Thursday morning by going to KRLT 93-9 FM or online (in real time) at KRLTFM.com. John said the Razzie Awards (originally called the Golden Raspberry Awards) wasn’t really planned, but got its start in his living room back in 1981 with some of his friends over mocking the Oscars and his friends given ballots that they filled out with the movie, “Can’t Stop the Music” winning what would be the very first Razzie for Worst Movie. Now the event has taken on such a life all its on it has become as much of pop culture as the annual Oscars show. 

Over the years some of Hollywood’s elite has actually embraced the Razzie Awards. “Showgirls” (which received a record 13 Razzie nominations, a record that still stands) director Paul Verhoeven appeared in person to accept his Razzie for Worst Picture of 1995. Wilson said, “He sat through the entire ceremony and then got up at the end and said, ‘Obviously my film has entertained you, but not in the way I intended it to.'”

In 2005, Oscar winning actress Halle Berry made national headlines when she not only accepted her Razzie, but took it one step further when she parodied her Academy Award acceptance speech (for her Best Actress nod for “Monsters Ball”) taking home the Razzie for Worst Actress award for her performance in “Catwoman.”

My favorite though (and Wilson’s) was the year actress Sandra Bullock won a Razzie for Worst Actress in 2010 for her performance in “All About Steve” and then the following night won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in “The Blind Side” making it a first to win a Worst and Best Actress in one weekend. What made the event more memorable (and showing she has a wicked sense of humor) not only did Bullock accept her Razzie, but came out on stage pulling a red wagon full of DVDs of “All About Steve” taking her Worst Actress trophy along with the Worst Movie award for “All About Steve.” After winning her Oscar the next night Bullock said, “You know, nothing ever lets me get too full of myself.” She promised to keep both her Razzie and Oscar trophies prominently displayed in her home. “They’ll sit side by side on a nice little shelf somewhere,” she said. “The Razzie maybe on a different shelf … lower.” 

Sandra Bullock was a good sport about her worst actress Razzie. Photo/Copyright 2017 Razzies LLC

Wilson said he wishes Hollywood would make more original movies and not so many turkeys so he wouldn’t have to nominate so many. I not only agreed, but I’ve exalted on my radio show that Hollywood seems lazy making remakes and sequels that are just lame. Wilson piped up saying, “Howie, we created a category with that in mind.” It’s my favorite category too. In fact, there are some pretty selections in the Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel category. This year’s worst are:

“Alice Through the Looking Glass”
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Fifty Shades of Black”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
“Zoolander No. 2.”

I’m hoping they all tie. But if I had to choose just one I’m going with “Independence Day: Resurgence.” Why an actor the caliber of Jeff Goldblum would return to be part of that horrific movie still baffles me. At least Will Smith had the dignity to pass on it so the filmmakers made it known that his character had been killed off; that’s why he couldn’t be in this vomitfest of a movie. 

There are so many hilarious stories that Razzie creator Wilson has told over the years when he’s on my radio show the week before his show, but one that I never heard before was when Donald Trump “won” a Razzie award playing himself back in 1990 starring opposite Bo Derek in the fantasy crime turkey film, “Ghosts Can’t Do It.” In one scene he tells Derek, “Be assured Mrs. Scott, that in this room there are knives sharp enough to cut you to the bone and hearts cold enough to eat yours as hors d’oeuvres.”  The movie would go on to win for Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director and Worst Supporting Actor, Trump. 

Here are the categories for this year’s Razzie nominations:

Worst Picture

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Dirty Grandpa”
“Gods of Egypt”
“Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Zoolander No. 2”

Worst Actor

Ben Affleck, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Gerard Butler, “Gods of Egypt” & “London Has Fallen”
Henry Cavill, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Robert de Niro, “Dirty Grandpa”
Dinesh D’Souza, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Ben Stiller, “Zoolander No. 2”

Worst Actress

Megan Fox, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
Tyler Perry, “BOO! A Medea Halloween”
Julia Roberts, “Mother’s Day”
Becky Turner, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Naomi Watts, “Divergent Series: Allegiant” & “Shut-In”
Shailene Woodley, “Divergent Series: Allegiant”

Worst Supporting Actress

Julianne Hough, “Dirty Grandpa”
Kate Hudson, “Mother’s Day”
Aubrey Plaza, “Dirty Grandpa”
Jane Seymour, “Fifty Shades of Black”
Sela Ward, “Independence Day: Resurgence”
Kristen Wiig, “Zoolander No. 2”

Worst Supporting Actor

Nicolas Cage, “Snowden”
Johnny Depp, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”
Will Ferrell, “Zoolander No. 2”
Jesse Eisenberg, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Jared Leto, “Suicide Squad”
Owen Wilson, “Zoolander No. 2”

Worst Director

Dinesh D’Souza & Bruce Schooley, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Roland Emmerich, “Independence Day: Resurgence”
Tyler Perry, “BOO! A Medea Halloween”
Alex Proyas, “Gods of Egypt”
Zack Snyder, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Ben Stiller, “Zoolander  No. 2”

Worst Screenplay

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Dirty Grandpa”
“Gods of Egypt”
“Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Suicide Squad”

Worst Screen Combo

Ben Affleck & His BFF (Baddest Foe Forever) Henry Cavill, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Any 2 Egyptian Gods or Mortals, “Gods of Egypt”
Johnny Depp & His Vomitously Vibrant Costume, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”
The Entire Cast of Once Respected Actors, “Collateral Beauty”
Tyler Perry & That Same Old Worn Out Wig, “BOO! A Medea Halloween”
Ben Stiller & His BFF (Barely Funny Friend) Owen Wilson, “Zoolander No. 2”

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel

“Alice Through the Looking Glass”
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
“Fifty Shades of Black”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”
“Zoolander No. 2.”

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.

Sierra-at-Tahoe and other area ski resorts could be impacted if fewer tourists come to the United States. Photo Copyright 2017 Carolyn E. Wright

By Christopher Muther, Boston Globe

 President Trump’s travel ban targeting nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries may not have held up in court, but it appears quite successful at keeping plenty of other people out of the United States.

Trump’s order brought with it a swift decline in the number of worldwide tourists and travelers looking to visit the United States, say people in the tourism industry. Some say it could be as damaging to the U.S. tourism sector as the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Online booking websites reported that flight searches from international points of origin to the United States were down anywhere from 6 percent to 17 percent since Trump signed the executive order on Jan. 27. But experts say what’s more alarming is the icy message it sends to the world.

Read the whole story