By Troy Hawks, Liftopia

If it’s true that you are what you eat, then I’m also hoping it’s true that you are what you read. And if that’s the case, then I just got a whole lot cooler.

I mean, just check out the titles of the hottest new ski books to hit the shelves: “Higher Love, Skiing the Seven Summits,” “The God of Skiing,” and “Powder, the Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet.”

These are titles that are sure to leave an impression on anybody snooping through your bookshelf or coffee table. Here’s a closer look at the recently published works of Kit DesLauriers, Peter Kray, and Patrick Thorne, with a bonus shout-out to Louise Hudson and Dr. Simon Hudson who also recently published “Winter Sport Tourism: Working in the Winter Wonderlands.”

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By Lena H. Sun, Washington Post

Woman sitting on sofa and crying with therapist taking notes (Bigstock)
The demand for mental health services is growing nationally, and comprehensive mental health legislation is gaining momentum in Congress for the first time in years. But both forces could run up against a counter-force: a shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and therapists in much of the country.

More than half of U.S. counties have no mental health professionals and so “don’t have any access whatsoever,” according to Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

The implications are significant.

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Mark Maynard, who grew up in Incline Village, will be awarded the 2015 Silver Pen award in November.

He is the author of “Grind”. Maynard is the program coordinator the Nevada Humanities Reno Literary Crawl, and the co-founder of the Sierra Literary Alliance. He lives in Sparks.

Laura McBride, author of “We Are Called to Rise”, is also receiving the Silver Pen award.

The Silver Pen Award is given to emerging and mid-career writers of promise.

Ellen Hopkins, author of 11 bestselling novels, numerous stories and more than 20 children’s nonfiction titles will be inducted into Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.

Hopkins has been living in the Tahoe-Reno area since 1985, settling near Carson City in 1990. In 2012, she founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative, as a way of helping young people in need. She also mentors other writers through her position as a regional adviser for the Nevada chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Former Friends of the University Libraries President Marilyn Melton conceived the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. She envisioned two purposes: an annual event honoring Nevada’s finest writers and a stimulus to encourage excellence among emerging writers in the Silver State.

The names of the authors who have been inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame are displayed on a wall of honor in the Leslie Harvey and Robert George Whittemore Tower Entry and Reception Gallery of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center at UNR.

Honorees are selected based on their body of work, critical recognition and a strong connection to Nevada through the themes of their writing or residence in the state.

The reception and silent auction begin Nov. 19 at 6pm; followed by the program at 7pm. Tickets are $40. For more information or to make reservations, contact Breanne Standingwater at 775.682.6022 or bstandingwater@unr.edu.

Alllington and Akero

Alllington and Akero are Poodle/Bichon Frise mixes, about 12 pounds each. They are 2 years old, and appear to be related, but they do not need to go home together. Both little boys are very friendly and love to play with other dogs, but they cannot go to a home with cats.

They arrived at the shelter very matted, a kind volunteer cleaned them up. They will need regular grooming.

Allington and Akero are neutered, microchipped, heart worm negative, and vaccinated. They are 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 Jordan Weissmann, Slate

Forcing waiters and waitresses to survive on tips from customers rather than normal wages is a pointless, gross, and uniquely American custom that, in the past several years, a handful of progressive restaurant owners have attempted to do away with, often with positive results.

On Wednesday, one of the most famous names in the dining business says he’s about to join their ranks. Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, has announced that he plans to gradually eliminate tipping at the company’s 13 restaurants and charge higher menu prices in order to pay staff fairly. Diners won’t simply be discouraged from leaving a gratuity; their checks won’t even include a line to write one in.

What, exactly, is wrong with tipping? As Brian Palmer has explained at Slate, more or less everything. To start, leaving a waiter’s pay in the hands of fickle customers reeks of classism. But in theory, handing restaurant patrons the power to tip is at least supposed to motivate better, more attentive service. This fails in practice because humans turn out to be pretty arbitrary about their tipping behavior.

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Cartoons and Hollywood animated movies may be catering to children, but they often come with an adult message. The same can be said for the book “Spooner the Bear”.

Jake Willers of Reno penned this children’s book that has a message for parents, or whatever adult, might be doing the reading.

It’s all about garbage bears. While Lake Tahoe is never mentioned, it is hard not to believe this region is what Willers had in mind when he was writing.

The book is written from a bear’s point-of-view. The story about how he goes about educating another bear on the need to stay away from human food.

This is Willers’ first book. H recently produced a film for Washoe County Health District titled “Urban Bears: Keeping Nevada’s Bears Wild”.

The illustrations by Lainie are colorful and fun, and tell the same story the words convey.

This is one of those books that is educational, but is bound not to strike young kids that way. They are more likely to see a fun, colorful bear who is all about doing what’s right – including educating other bears.

— Kathryn Reed

“Death of a Salesman” is coming to Lake Tahoe Community College in November.

Arthur Miller’s famous play circles around traveling salesman Willy Loman, who finds himself at the end of his career and the end of his rope. Tortured by his own sense of failure and his crushed hopes that his sons will achieve greatness, Loman’s mind slips more and more into the past, where the future still held great promise and achieving the American Dream seemed possible. Willy’s family struggles to keep him in the present, even as relationships are strained and forgiveness seems impossible.

Susan Boulanger, director of theater at LTCC, in a press release, said, “I have almost completely done away with a standard set. I don’t want to give it all away, but I think what we are doing is going to be unique, surprising, and will serve the play very well.”

The cast includes familiar as well as new faces to the Duke Theatre stage. Chris Taylor plays the iconic Willy Loman, with Aletha Nelligan as his devoted wife, Linda; Matthew Ault as his estranged son, Biff; and Thomas Lopez as his self-absorbed son, Happy.  The cast also includes Ryan Adams, Bailey Anderson, Stephanie Grigsby, Kurt Munger, Shana Noel, Frank Riley, and Chris Scott.

Performances will be Nov. 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30pm, and Nov. 15 and Nov. 22 at 2pm. Post-show discussions with the actors and director will take place after the first Sunday matinee, and by request.

This play contains some strong language and adult subject matter, and is not recommended for audiences younger than 16.

Tickets are $10 general admission, and $5 for seniors, groups of eight or more, and students with a valid student ID. Tickets may be purchased in advance at LTCC’s Bookstore starting Nov. 2. LTCC’s Box Office will be open for ticket sales one hour prior to all performances.

High school students may attend the Nov. 19 performance for free with a valid student ID.

By Chris Kudialis, Las Vegas Review Journal

Millions of casino chips have been taken out of Nevada resorts this year by tourists and local visitors. Hundreds of thousands more expire when a casino ,like the Las Vegas Club, closes.

But while the final destination of the casino chips in the hands of tourists is anybody’s guess, the fate of expired chips, or ones from casinos on the way out, is more specific.

Casino chips are most often sent to their vendors and ground to pieces by large industrial machines, said Karl Bennison, chief of enforcement at the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

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By Amanda Horn, Reno Gazette-Journal

Ascending the stairs to the second floor of the Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E. L. Wiegand Gallery fuels anticipation for the visual symphony playing in the galleries above. A leftward glance through the glass into the second floor hallway reveals a stunning cerulean canvas flanked by whimsical golden flowers. The bold, colorful, 6-foot-5-inch painting dances on the wall, an affirmation that “Tahoe: A Visual History” evokes a mellifluous tone.

The eye-catching painting seems oddly familiar. Though you may not recognize the vista, the sentiment conveyed by Phyllis Shafer’s Above Cave Rock resonates at a subtle level. Shafer, one of 175 artists represented by 400 artworks in the Nevada Museum of Art feature exhibition, “Tahoe: A Visual History,” is part of a select group of Tahoe-based contemporary artists included in the museumwide show.

Since 1994 Shafer has taught art at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe. The job prompted her relocation from the San Francisco Bay Area. This beloved artist has called Tahoe home ever since. She now co-chairs the art department and directs the college’s art galleries.

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By Emma Brown, Washington Post

Julie Lythcott-Haims noticed a disturbing trend during her decade as a dean of freshmen at Stanford University. Incoming students were brilliant and accomplished and virtually flawless, on paper. But with each year, more of them seemed incapable of taking care of themselves.

At the same time, parents were becoming more and more involved in their children’s lives. They talked to their children multiple times a day and swooped in to personally intervene anytime something difficult happened.

From her position at one of the world’s most prestigious schools, Lythcott-Haims came to believe that mothers and fathers in affluent communities have been hobbling their children by trying so hard to make sure they succeed, and by working so diligently to protect them from disappointment and failure and hardship.

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