By Danielle Priem

For years, the nation’s pediatric experts have advised parents to ban screens before age 2 and limit older kids to two hours daily. These rules from the American Academy of Pediatrics, however, date to 2011—just after the release of the first iPad.

Danielle Priem

Now, 30 percent of kids touch their first screen while still wearing diapers. Three-fourths of teens have smartphones. These policies require an update, the organization admits. At a recent meeting of researchers, educators, and doctors, experts recognized the realities of today’s digital world and offered these key points to guide parents through it.

For infants and toddlers: Children ages 2 and younger do not reap many benefits from technology. What’s more, plunking toddlers in front of a TV or tablet reduces chatter with parents that’s critical to brain development. Studies show even just having the TV on in the background reduces the number of words parents speak, meaning less learning for little ones.

That said, a total ban isn’t necessary, the panel noted. Instead use screens for interaction and to enhance communication. For instance, video chats with a traveling parent can boost language development in very young children.

For school-aged children: Once kids are a bit older, educational TV and apps can help kids learn, provided you choose wisely. Organizations like Common Sense Media review apps, games, and programs for educational quality.

Kids at this age should spend most of their time offline. Make a point to allow unplugged, unstructured playtime each day. This type of play helps kids develop creativity.

For teens: Allowing adolescents on social media can help them develop and form their identities. Teach your teens about appropriate online behavior. For instance, explain that sending suggestive messages or photos puts them at risk.

Create profiles yourself, or ask teens to show you what they do online. That way, you’ll know what’s happening in their virtual world. Take action if you see signs of cyberbullying.

At all ages: Setting smart limits on media usage can prevent harms, from obesity to troubled sleep to problems at school and home. One way to do it: create a family media use plan. Together, draft a document that lays down basic rules.

Consider:

•  No screens in bedrooms.

•Unplugged family mealtimes.

• A “media curfew” before bedtime. Pick a time to plug all devices into a central charging station—and leave them there for the night.

• Sticking to age-appropriate content, consulting movie, game, and TV ratings.

Model proper media use yourself. For instance, put your phone away during family dinners. And take advantage of digital tools to teach the same lessons and values you’ve always imparted on your kids. Skip violent TV programs in favor of those that foster empathy, kindness, and tolerance.

Danielle Priem recently joined the pediatric team at Barton Pediatrics.

Cali

Cali is a 10-year-old calico girl who came to the shelter when her owner went into a nursing home. She is beautiful, soft and sweet, with pretty long hair.

She qualifies for our seniors for seniors discount. Cali has been at the shelter for almost two months and would love to go to her new home soon.

Cali is spayed, microchipped, tested for FIV, and vaccinated. She is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes. Go to the Tahoe animal shelter’s Facebook page to see photos and descriptions of all pets at the shelter.

Call 530.573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet. For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

— Karen Kuentz

By Paul Szydelko, Las Vegas Sun

Those who are adept at avoiding zombies improve their chances to win in one of the skill-based games expected to be introduced on Las Vegas casino floors early next year.

Games of chance continue to dominate casino action, but games in which skill plays a factor, an effort to draw younger players into casinos, will get a lot of attention at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), Sept. 27-29.

One of the games is the popular “Into the Dead,” California-based Gamblit Gaming’s partnership with PikPok, which has had more than 60 million downloads since it was launched in 2012 by PikPok.

Caesars Entertainment is among the first operators to agree to place Gamblit’s machines in Nevada in field trials, pending regulatory approval. After the field trial, Caesars anticipates placing 125 Gamblit gaming positions into multiple Nevada properties.

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This is a small replica of what will be at Champions Plaza. Photo/Provided

“Elements of spirit” is what artist Gareth Curtiss calls the figures leaping from the flames toward the ring of glory.

He has been commissioned to create the art piece that will be the focal point of South Lake Tahoe’s Champions Plaza near El Dorado Beach.

While the sculptures he presented at the City Council meeting last week showed three men, one with his hand on the ring, Curtiss has since agreed one of the figures will be a woman.

The city for a few years has been talking about creating a public area to recognize high caliber athletes.

The bronze statue will be 10-feet high, 5 feet at the widest, with the ring being 18-inches in diameter.

Curtiss expects to pour the bronze in the spring, with the statue being ready to be erected in the summer.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Linda Fine Conaboy

RENO – As Gloria Steinem, a diminutive figure clad in black and surprisingly glamorous for a woman of 82, glided onstage at UNR’S Nightingale Hall, the packed house erupted with noise, clapping loudly as they all rose as one body and awarded her a Nevada-style welcome fit for a queen.

To many, Steinem is a queen. Queen of women’s rights, including reproductive freedom, domestic violence, sexual violence and injustice toward people of color, toward members of the LGBTQ community and equal pay for women. Steinem, it would seem, is the champion of the underdog, not only in the United States, but globally.

“I’m an entrepreneur of social change,” she said. “I talk. I write. I tell stories. I want to do justice to the women I meet.”

On this night, her audience consisted of not only women who were on board Steinem’s feminist train in the late ’60s and ’70s, but also young people, in between people and a surprising number of men. Clearly, Steinem has remained a visible and vibrant presence through the years and has kept her audience intact while inducting large numbers of new recruits to her causes.

There are those who remember quite clearly a younger Gloria Steinem and stood in awe of what she was able to accomplish is the name of women’s equality. But of course, there are some from the turbulent era of the Equal Rights Amendment, and even now, who consider her a blowhard.

She came to Reno at the invitation of several organizations including the Holland Project and Sundance Bookstore. Her speaker’s fee was donated to the Holland Project, an all-ages arts and music initiative by and for young people.

What started as a typical lecture-type talk morphed into what Steinem called a chat around a campfire with numerous audience members pitching their causes while extolling the positive effect Steinem has had on them and their mothers.

“We need to say what concerns us,” she said. “Now women deeply understand the basic reason for women’s secondary position. Men have always controlled women’s reproductive bodies.”

She added that it is not possible to be a feminist without being an anti-racist. “Everything is connected,” she said.

Gloria Steinem is continuing to spread her feminist message. Photo/Ms. Foundation for Women/file

Steinem believes we are going through a time of great danger. “There’s a huge identity crises going on,” she said, adding that in a short time there will no longer be a majority of white people in the U.S. This is a good thing, she said.

“We’ll become connected to the rest of the world; we are on the cusp of great change. Now we must be careful to take care of each other. A woman is in most danger when she’s about to be free and now women are in danger because we are about to be freed.”

Heavy words to be sure, but Steinem has spent years honing her message and has pretty much stuck to it throughout the decades. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in 1956, and over the years became a writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organizer. In 1972, she founded Ms. Magazine and continues to be a consulting editor for the publication.

Her activities have earned her numerous awards and there have been various documentaries produced about her.

In 2000, at the age of 66, she married David Bale, father of actor Christian Bale. Unfortunately, Bale died after only three years of marriage to Steinem, at the age of 62.

A continuing thread in her talk was connections and their power. “Bias is based on sex and race and is connected. The bias against transsexuals and gays is connected. We are linked not ranked. Each of us is a combination of heredity and environment. There is something unique in each of us, but we all share our humanity. It’s simple,” she said laughing, launching into more thoughts on her favorite subject.

“Women have power, but we must remember to listen instead of talk. Simple daily things will get us where we want to go. You can’t destroy a village to save it; the ends don’t justify the means.”

As the house light went up, many eager people couldn’t wait to have a chance to voice their opinions. Audience members talked freely about politics, sex, gay and lesbian issues, and equality in the workplace.

Sensing that millennials made up a good part of the audience, Steinem voiced her enthusiasm for all young men and women. “I just had to wait for some of my friends to be born,” she says of her millennial friends.

She continued the age topic saying it’s OK to be older. “Feelings about age are tied to reproduction. We women are more valued for our wombs than for our brains, but once the reproductive roll is finished, you are free and can become a feisty girl again.”

Steinem believes the old and the young are connected by their opinions—they are natural allies. “The old and the young understand each other because they are closest to the unknown.”

Dropping a few of her tried and true gems, Steinem said that women aren’t trying to be better than men, they’re just trying to be equal. “Cooperation beats domination every time.”

On feminism, she said: “There is no definition, but there is a full circle of characteristics.”

She also aired her assessment of the workplace: “Equal pay starts with discussing how much each of us makes in the office. All productive work must be recognized [paid for], from taking care of the elderly to taking care of kids and aids patients,” she said, commenting that simply recognizing the hours spent on these tasks and compensating for them monetarily would be a big boost to the economy.

As everyone rolled out of the auditorium there was lots of chatter about Steinem and what her messages are.

Janice Hoke, a Reno resident, enthusiastically shared her take on the evening’s message with Lake Tahoe News. “Gloria was intellectual, genuine and inspiring. Her message is to recognize the connections between people rather than the barriers, do all that you can but realize that you won’t succeed every time.  She said feminists must naturally be anti-racism as well since it’s the same patriarchal systems that are against both groups. And she believes the small things we do every day are the most important actions that will make progress in the world.”

Carol Raphel, another Renoite, said, “Her message transcends gender and race. We are humans first.”

By Kathryn Reed

If only it were as easy to concoct a cure for cancer, as it is to mix a cocktail to raise funds for the expansion of Barton Health’s cancer wellness program.

The cancer program is free for people living in the South Shore area; funding comes from donations. The goal is to expand services to include things like massage, exercise, psychotherapy, and nutrition classes. The idea is to recognize the various needs a patient has during his or her cancer journey.

Cocktails for a Cause is Barton Foundation’s annual fundraiser; each year – this being the seventh – there is a different beneficiary.

Bartenders from seven South Shore establishments on Sept. 21 came up with a libation featuring Tahoe Blue Vodka. A different spin this year was tying the drink to cancer. Many of the bartenders have a personal connection to the cancer they chose to represent.

A panel of five judges did a blind tasting. They were critiquing originality, use of Tahoe Blue Vodka, taste, presentation and how well the bartender tied it to their cause. Judges were this reporter, Meghan Burke, Mike Peron, Howie Nave and Troy Matthews.

LewMarNels is the 2016 winner of Barton’s Cocktail for a Cause contest. Photo/Molly Coolidge

Taking top honors was LewMarNels with Krista’s Cure. The South Lake Tahoe restaurant embraced brain cancer in honor of local Krista Carson who is battling the disease. Bartenders for the night were Gary Gramprie and James Olson.

The drink was not the most attractive, but that’s what happens when it is grey to go with the theme. For judges Peron and Nave this drink topped their list. The banana in the drink made it like a smoothie with vodka, they said.

The blue ribbon made out of a cucumber as garnish on the English cucumber cocktail from Azul Latin Kitchen made it standout with the theme and presentation. Bartender Hannah Fridholm came in second with her creation that was representing colon cancer awareness.

Third place honors went to Whitney Gielow from the Chart House who came up with a drink honoring melanoma. Some judges thought it tasted a bit like mulled wine. It was one of the least sweet drinks, almost with a dry finish.

The winning cocktail will be featured at the Barton Foundation’s gala in December, which is now tied to the Festival of Trees and Lights.

The most congenial bartender of the night award went to Jacob Craig from Cold Water Brewery. This honor was based on his $313 in tips – the most of all the bartenders. Brewmaster Ryan Parker was at the event. Their cause was esophageal cancer in honor of Parker’s wife, Rose, who was diagnosed with this cancer six weeks ago.

Other bars participating were Heavenly, Riva and Boathouse.

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News asked candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council, Lake Tahoe Community College, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Douglas County School District, South Tahoe Public Utility District and Lake Valley Fire Protection District a series of questions. We are running the responses in the order received. All profiles may be found under the Special Projects listing and then the 2106 November Candidate Profiles category.

Troy Matthews, while running unopposed for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District’s Area 4 board seat, asked to answer the questions for the public to get to know him.

Name: Troy Matthews

Age: 32

Job/profession: Nonprofit management

What boards, commissions, or other experience, including volunteering, do you have?: I am a graduate of the Leadership Lake Tahoe program and sit on the board for the Tahoe Regional Young Professionals, the Progress For Tahoe Steering Committee, and I am project director for the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition.

Why are you seeking this position?: I am running to fight for every child, regardless of background, because I believe a good education is a human right.

Why should voters vote for you?: I don’t have an axe to grind as I don’t have children in the district and I have never worked for the district. I am a fresh young voice. I love this community and am the best choice to fight for every child, because I am only running to serve all youth and families to the best of my ability.

What distinct experience or competency makes you uniquely qualified to lead effectively as an elected official?: Education is in my blood. Both of my parents were teachers and my mother was a high school principal for 14 years. I grew up going to school board meetings with my mom. I was a substitute teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District and then got a permanent teaching job in an inpatient treatment center for adolescents. From my very first day of teaching, I fought for students that traditional schools had given up on. I got my Master’s Degree while teaching full-time. Currently, I work for Tahoe Youth & Family Services. I have dedicated my life to working for disadvantaged and at-risk youth. Fighting for quality educational opportunities for all youth is my life’s passion, and this is what I carry with me to the LTUSD board.

Public agencies have been under scrutiny the last few years for lack of transparency and accountability. What will you do to ensure both?: The Brown Act goes a long way to ensure transparency. Public schools belong to the community. I will make sure that the LTUSD continues to be an open book that seeks positive constructive feedback from the entire community. I want to be an open pipeline for parent and community contact with the district. I will always be available to discuss new ideas and hear concerns.

What stands out for you in the current budget that you support and that you would change?: I support CTE programs and AVID. I would like to see more support from the district for local pre-K and after school programs as well arts education for younger students.

Do you support current legislation for $15 minimum wage? Please explain: I do support the $15 minimum wage. I understand why people are opposed to it, but the fact is wages have not kept up with inflation over the past 30 years. According to research from Pew Charitable Trusts, 80 percent of Americans are in debt. It’s not a mystery as to why: the cost of living is way too high and people don’t earn enough income. South Lake Tahoe exemplifies this issue even more than most locales, unfortunately. It is simply not possible to live on $9 per hour in this community. A wage of $15 per hour for 40 hours per week means a yearly salary of about $31,000 before taxes. Even that is not enough to support a family of four in California. Many parents cannot take an active interest in their child’s schooling because of the amount of hours they have to work to make ends meet, and this negatively impacts student performance, and, at last count, nearly 250 youth in our district were homeless. Higher wages means more discretionary spending which boosts the economy, and that means we all benefit. At the same time, local regulatory agencies have got to make life easier for our small businesses. We have to create an environment where paying employees more does not amount to an existential threat to local businesses.

Do you support Proposition 55? Please explain: I do support Prop 55. Prop. 55 is an extension of Prop. 30, passed in 2012, which is set to expire in 2018. South Lake Tahoe schools greatly benefit from this measure at no cost to the vast majority of people who live here. Prop. 55 will prevent billions of dollars in cuts to California schools while ensuring local control of funds.

Describe three attributes for a successful board: Compassion, transparency, and cooperation

What are your thoughts about public employee defined benefits?: Public employee benefits are essential to attracting and retaining qualified teachers and administrators. Teachers are often unfairly scapegoated for economic issues in the state due to their benefits. Teachers deserve every benefit they receive and the success of Prop. 30 proves that there are solutions to protecting funding for schools besides cutting wages and benefits for public workers.

Please explain your position on contracting out work normally done by staff: I do not support contract work that undercuts the wages and benefits of regular staff.

What is your 10-year vision for the school district?: I would envision that we have one of the highest graduation rates in the state; work with Douglas County and Placer County and Washoe County schools to promote lakewide educational cooperation and success; continue to grow CTE, AVID, and college readiness programs; continue to enhance the LCAP to include student wellness programs; promote civics education and the humanities to develop well rounded citizens of the nation and the world; develop environmental science and fire science programs utilizing the amazing natural resources all around us; become a hub for arts education with award winning music, culinary, studio art, and theater programs; become a hub for athletics, physical fitness, and sports science programs to fit our recreation destination and athletic community; have the majority of LTUSD students fluent in another language by the time they graduate; be known statewide as a community with some of the best schools in the country; continue to promote STEM education and integrate “STEAM” education adding an arts component; establish a K-14 education culture in Tahoe; work to promote a four-year university in Tahoe and develop a strong partnership between the university and the LTUSD to keep local students local.

What one vote in the last four years that the current Board made do you disagree with and why?: While not every board decision has been perfect, I support the current direction of the board. I don’t have a specific decision that I strongly disagree with. I do think the board needs to be more proactive in its governance and, as a board, establish a clear vision for the district moving forward.

How many meetings have you attended this year for the board you are running for?: Three meetings, including the most recent LTUSD board retreat.

What do you know about the strategic plan, finances, debt, goals of the school board?: I support the current direction of the district to foster growth of the whole student as well as provide continual educational opportunities to EL students and disadvantaged youth. The vast majority of funding for all California schools comes from the state level, which is why Prop. 55 is so important. School district budgets in California are incredibly complex, but the gist is: we need to increase spending per pupil to compete with other states. California is well below average in per-pupil spending despite the high priority the state puts on public education.

Being on the school board means working as a team. How will you work with the next board for the greater good of the community?: Myself and other members of the board will without doubt have disagreements, but the students of the district must always remain the focus for the board. I will do what I can to voice my opinion and fight for what I believe in, but once the board has voted, that is the decision of the board. I will support it even if I voted against it.

What should be the three main priorities for the board?: Increase parent involvement, attract and retain great teachers, increase graduation rates.

What do you know about Common Core? What is your opinion about it?: Common Core is a new set of standards for K-12 English and math competency established by the U.S. Department of Education. States may choose to opt in to these standards. California is one of 46 states to have opted in to Common Core. My thoughts are: the jury is still out. Teachers in LTUSD are still transitioning to Common Core, so it may take a couple years to know if they are successful or not. I believe the intent behind Common Core is good, but I also believe in local control of education. Every school district is unique. I will oppose Common Core if it proves to be a detriment to our students. I will oppose any test score requirements tied to school funding.

How can the school district partner with the city to improve high school graduation rates?: The city and the LTUSD can work together to increase parent involvement in the schools, and that means creating an economy where parents aren’t forced to work three jobs and never see their kids in order to feed their kids. The 61 percent poverty rate for our students is a tragedy. I do not accept it. The city should also focus on fostering the growth of available and affordable housing in our community. The LTUSD can hire great teachers, but that won’t matter if they have to leave Tahoe because they can’t find a place to live.

What is your opinion about career and technical education at the high school level?: I strongly support it. I believe CTE has transformed education as we know it and made South Tahoe High a unique success story in California. Our students have learning opportunities few in other districts have.

Do you support the expansion of charter schools? Why or why not?: I support heavily regulated charter schools with identical standards to regular public schools. I believe charter schools that go unchecked pull money away from public schools while not necessarily providing their students with a quality education. They can be essentially private schools that receive public funding. However, I do support innovation in education, and this is where charter schools can be very successful.

What are you thoughts on the accreditation status at STHS?: It is an unfortunate situation that needs to be remedied quickly.

Tell us something about yourself that people may not know: I’m terrified of flying, I love to cook, and I am a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, unfortunately.

By Elizabeth Zach, High Country News

As a young infectious diseases physician in San Francisco in the 1990s, Javeed Siddiqui could easily treat local patients suffering from HIV. As drugs became more effective, he would often simply need to check in with his patients, ask how they were doing both physically and emotionally, and refill prescriptions.

But there were also patients who traveled hours from their homes in northern rural California, taking a day off from work. By the early 2000s, he began wondering what he could do differently, via electronic communications.

Siddiqui, now 50, is today the medical director of UC Davis’ telemedicine program and also of the California Institute for Science and Innovation at UC Berkeley.

The use of telemedicine is widespread and expanding, said Siddiqui.

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By Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal

Whether it comes to sports or outdoors or style, there always seems to be a line drawn in the sand between Nevada’s North and South.

When it comes to art, however, that line is beginning to fade.

The Reno-based Nevada Museum of Art in the past year has made it clear that it is the state art museum, not just reserved for Northern Nevada. In August, the museum opened its Nevada-proud exhibition, “Tilting the Basin,” a collection of contemporary work created by in-state artists from either end. The exhibition, co-curated with Las Vegas-based art adviser Michele Quinn, lasts through Oct. 23.

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By John M. Glionna, Las Vegas Review-Journal

BAKER — In 1977, when Highway 50 was still the road less traveled, just another anonymous stretch of asphalt traversing the American West, Denys Koyle’s life took an unpredictable turn.

At age 28, she moved her young family from Huntington Beach, California, to this windblown frontier town on the state line between Nevada and Utah. She founded the Border Inn and scratched out a living tending to the occasional motorist who passed her ramshackle spread that baked under a relentless sun amid skittering lizards and prickly desert scrub brush.

To squeeze out the day’s last dollar, she would stand on the empty roadway well after dark, gazing up a 19-mile grade east into Utah: If she saw headlights descending, she’d stay open. Most times she closed.

That was before Highway 50 became famous.

It was an unlikely stroke of luck for Koyle and countless merchants along this meandering two-lane road that bisects Nevada’s midsection like an unadorned cowboy belt: In 1986 – three decades ago this year – the old highway became known as “The Loneliest Road in America.”

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