By Paul Rolly, Salt Lake Tribune

Homophones, as any English grammarian can tell you, are words that sound the same but have different meanings and often different spellings — such as be and bee, through and threw, which and witch, their and there.

This concept is taught early on to foreign students learning English because it can be confusing to someone whose native language does not have that feature.

But when the social-media specialist for a private Provo-based English language learning center wrote a blog explaining homophones, he was let go for creating the perception that the school promoted a gay agenda.

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 By Laura Smith, Slate

In January, a 13-year-old patient named Kelssi came to Dr. Robert Zarr’s office at Unity Health Care, a community health center in Washington, D.C. Kelssi had struggled with her weight for as long as Zarr had known her and was now obese. But during this visit, she looked at Zarr and told him she was finally ready to do something about it.

Zarr told me that exhorting patients to “get more exercise” was too vague. Last year, he decided to start trying something different. He stopped asking his patients, “Do you move?” and began asking “Where do you move?” He discovered that many spent very little time outdoors, and he began prescribing time outside for conditions as wide-ranging as ADHD, high blood pressure, asthma, obesity, anxiety, diabetes, and depression.

With Kelssi, Zarr figured out that she could squeeze outdoor time into her commute. Kelssi lives in Northeast D.C. but goes to school in Northwest. Every day, she takes a bus to a train, and the commute lasts about an hour each way. Zarr and Kelssi decided she would get off the bus to school four stops earlier and take a walk through a park.
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At Kelssi’s next visit, she was no longer obese; her weight was within the “overweight” range, a feat that Zarr described as no small victory. But perhaps even more strikingly, she seemed much happier and more positive. “It’s working,” she told Zarr.

Why don’t more doctors prescribe nature? They used to do so regularly. The practice gained popularity in the mid-19th century as cities rapidly expanded. In Your Brain on Nature, Eva Selhub and Alan C. Logan explain that sanitariums, or health resorts, gained popularity during the Industrial Revolution as concerns increased about overstimulation, noise, and smoke in cities. Doctors began prescribing their patients visits to more hospitable climes such as the Swiss Alps or the Adirondacks for afflictions from tuberculosis to mental health issues. A thriving industry of sanitariums sprang up with names like the Pines, Lake View, and River View.

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Children’s Environmental Science Day is Aug. 9 at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village.

The 15th annual event is free from 1-4pm.

Children’s Environmental Science Day includes more than 30 interactive science activities hosted by local organizations, all aimed at children ages 6 and older. The hands-on activities are designed for the whole family.

Visitors will get up close and personal with fish and microscopic zooplankton from Lake Tahoe, learn about native species in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and test the water quality of a stream, along with many other science-based games and activities.

In addition, free ice cream will be provided from 2-4pm by Susie Scoops of Incline Village.

The Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences is located on the Sierra Nevada College campus at 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.

For more information, call 775.881.7560. To volunteer or participate, email Kylee Wilkins at knwilkins@ucdavis.edu or call 775.881-.7560, ext. 7474.

By John Przybys, Las Vegas Review-Journal

It’s where ranchers fight over water rights, demons prowl the Las Vegas Strip, Basque sheepherders reconnect with family back home and rural residents live out ordinary daily dramas. A place where storytellers with a bit of imagination can craft anything from a Western to a techno-thriller to a spy story against the backdrop of everything from wide-open desert to neon-filled urban clutter.

It’s Nevada, which, thanks to its demographic, geographic and cultural diversity, serves as the setting for stories in just about every genre of literature — even if its roster of homegrown authors with widespread literary acclaim is, frankly, a bit shorter than it ought to be.

Maybe, Sally Denton figures, it has something to do with the Eastern literary establishment’s jaundiced view of the American West.

“I’ve always been kind of struck by this kind of anti-Western bent in general,” said Denton, a fourth-generation Nevadan who grew up in Boulder City and whose works of narrative nonfiction include “The Money and the Power: The Making of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America.”

“It seems to me there was always this sense of the American West as kind of a poor relation to the Eastern literary elite,” Denton said. “And Nevada seems to be, even, the bastard child of the Western group. I never could understand why.”

Yet, “I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been contacted by Eastern fiction writers who want to write about Las Vegas,” Denton added. “But you can’t crack Las Vegas if you haven’t really lived it.”

The truth is, Nevada — the real Nevada — can serve as “a setting for some really evocative literature,” Denton said, “and I think that’s one of the things Mark Twain captured.”

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Bruno

Bruno is a classic American bulldog — stocky and strong-looking.

He weighs about 80 pounds, but since he’s only 10 months old, he will probably put on another 20 pounds. He is a friendly, social and active dog who will do best in a family where he receives a high level of attention.

American bulldogs bond strongly with their owners. Bruno will do well with good training, exercise, and socialization.

Bruno is neutered, microchipped, tested for heart worm and vaccinated. He 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

Acclaimed performers from Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Bay Area and Tahoe-Reno region will perform as the sun goes down during Trails and Vistas World Concert at Sand Harbor on Sept. 6.

Performers include SambaDá, Scarlet Rivera, flutist Ann Licater, 30-piece San Jose State University Symphony Orchestra, Emily Tessmer and Kurt Beckering.

The evening will also include InnerRhythms Dance Theatre and aerialists from Tahoe FLOW Arts Studio. Artist Susie Alexander will be doing several performance paintings inspired by the evening’s music.

World Concert is a fundraiser for Trails & Vistas, a Truckee nonprofit organization that produces creative art experiences in nature. This year Trails & Vistas will present art hikes at Spooner Lake on Sept. 6-7 as well as Art in Nature field trips for more than 300 third-grade students.

World Concert tickets start at $23. They are available through the Shakespeare Festival Box Office (948 Incline Way in Incline Village,  or call 800. 747.4697 or go online. The concert is at 6:30pm, gates open at 5:30pm.

Pat Monahan and Jimmy Stafford founded the San Francisco band Train. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Susan Wood

STATELINE – It didn’t take long to realize Americana rock band Train would transport its audience through time during Friday night’s outdoor summer concert series at Harveys.

After a notable, guitar-driven opening act by Striking Matches – which with one album out already has songs featured on the show “Nashville,” a train whistle launched the 20-year-old San Francisco-based band onto the stage.

People immediately rose to their feet with the opening number and 2003 mega hit “Calling All Angels.”

The enthusiastic crowd sang “I won’t give up if you don’t give up” with such zeal, it may have been heard at the top of Heavenly Mountain Resort.

The high-energy show July 25 never let up or down.

The song “Save Me San Francisco” kept people on their feet.

The 2009 hit was written after what lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford described to Lake Tahoe News as a three-year slowing down for the band, which he and lead singer Pat Monahan founded in San Francisco. Their tenure together has produced eight albums.

Jimmy Stafford brings the crowd to its feet with his guitar riffs.

“We felt like we wanted to get back to our Bay Area roots because we didn’t know if anybody cared about us any more,” Stafford said.

The move paid off. It became their second career top hit, and the doubt about the band’s popularity disappeared.

With “Get to Me,” and its lyrics of whether to “parasail or first class mail,” Monahan threw his head back in complete abandon with a perfect segue to the band’s second Billboard top 20 hit “Meet Virginia.” Monahan sang it like a slam poet.

Stafford, with his heavily tattooed arms, commanded the stage at one point for a noteworthy guitar solo.

Train has proven to stand the test of time and lived up to its think-outside-the-box, diverse reputation. Beyond the rock-pop sound, the band also gave the audience a taste of a little Latin with its popular number “50 Ways to Say Goodbye.”

During that rhythm-induced tune, Monahan said Stafford asked to say goodbye to several Train T-shirts. In throwing them out, Monahan even hinted to having “an arm like Tim Lincecum” — referencing the Cy Young award-winning San Francisco Giants pitcher.

With its known ability to write songs of a different genre and play a variety of instruments ranging from ukulele for Stafford and saxophone for Monahan, the band has never seemed confined to being pigeon-holed in one music category. Band members seem to thrive on the unexpected – even while the fans expect a sound they follow and revere.

“We pride ourselves on that,” Stafford told LTN.

In the early days, Train played in small venues at Lake Tahoe while staying at the late singer Donna Summer’s house and enjoying Bloody Mary’s at Rosie’s in Tahoe City, according to the 50-year-old Illinois musician. And, the band hasn’t given up experimenting with varying arena sizes or trying out different genres.

Along the lines of his garage-band roots, Monahan even provided a sampling of the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin with his distinct interpretation of lead Robert Plant’s bellowing voice. Later he channeled no less than Bob Marley for a taste of Reggae. And for one of the encores, the band belted out “Dream On” of Aerosmith, which is coming to town next month.

But for the most part, it was all about Train and its songs.

Several women are invited on stage to sing and take selfies with Pat Monahan.

Many from the excited multi-generational crowd at Harveys danced, swayed, fist-pumped, screamed and mouthed most of the lyrics to their numerous hit songs. And, the Grammy award-winning band was more than accommodating to get the audience into it — even in pictures, as Monahan admitted to going “crazy a little bit” at taking selfies with cameras from the front.

If that wasn’t enough for being up close and personal, Monahan brought more than 30 women on stage to dance and sing the “Mermaid” song from the 2012 album “California 37” – named for the Bay Area highway.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life. You girls were hunting me down like I was the last garment at the mall,” Monahan joked later.

Major fans Laura Edgar, 48, of Mill Valley and her two daughters Erin, 12, and Chelsea, 14, described a freeing experience when they blast the band’s music while they’re riding on Highway 37. The trio painted their fingernails with mermaids for the occasion and didn’t miss a beat when it came to celebrating the show, which offered a trip down memory lane.

“It’s happy music we can sing to in the car,” the mother said, adding: “It’s clean – they’re genuine and authentic.”

Edgar likes that Monahan sings about his life and means what he sings. Evidence of that was proven with his heart-filled “When I Look to the Sky,” one of Monahan’s self-proclaimed favorite songs that serves as a dedication to “anybody who has ever lost anyone.” (The line: “something tells me you’re here with me” reduced this writer to tears.)

After all, Train’s biggest hit “Drops of Jupiter” was written as an emotional tribute to Monahan having lost his mother to cancer, according to Stafford.

“(Monahan) woke up from a dream and felt strongly she had come to him. He had a vision of her floating in space,” Stafford said.

The band has just sold its 1 millionth bottle on its wine label that supports “Family House,” a Bay Area nonprofit to benefit children with cancer.

Train further showed its heart with a rather poignant version of “Marry Me.” Stafford, who closed his eyes playing most of the song, earlier told Lake Tahoe News that some in the audience through the years have either proposed or gotten married on stage to the 2010 hit tune. (Drummer Drew Shoals is an ordained minister.)

The band’s musical ability has always transcended, as shown with Monahan helping Shoals on the drums during one of their earliest recordings “Free.” And the members show no sign of slowing down. They served up their latest “Angel in Blue Jeans” off their soon-to-be-released album. The song has a hint of the new band Of Monsters and Men with their “Little Talks.”

The audience was certainly receptive to Train’s latest tune, which resembled music one could ride a horse to.

But then again, it was the signature older numbers that got the biggest response. The screams were loud and long near the end of the show during “Hey Soul Sister” off the 2009 “Save Me San Francisco” album. And Monahan appeared to work so hard on stage to entertain, he seemed out of breath. But then he picked up the pace further with the bouncy hit “Drive By.”

When the band left the stage, one man could be heard saying: “Drops of Jupiter.” Train didn’t disappoint when it served up its biggest hit for the encore.

“These are the songs that still put smiles on people’s faces, and that’s why we do them,” Stafford, who admitted to living his dream as a child, said in the interview.

—-

Notes:

Harvey’s Summer Outdoor Concert Series continues with:

• July 30 Journey, Steve Miller Band

• Aug. 2 Lady Gaga

• Aug. 3 Boston, Doobie Brothers

• Aug. 8 Aerosmith, Slash

• Aug. 14 Bruno Mars

• Aug. 16 Sammy Hagar and Friends

• Aug. 24 Rascal Flats, Sheryl Crow

• Aug. 29-30 Eagles.

The Comstock History Center will feature 22 artists at the One Is Silver, the Other Is Gold: Celebrating 25 Years of Nevada Folklife Apprenticeships exhibit.

Each recognized master is encouraged to work with one or more dedicated apprentices so their traditional art forms and personal contributions endure.

The artists come from a range of tribal, ethnic, cultural, and occupational groups found throughout Nevada. They include artists from among the indigenous Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe peoples and ranchers, miners, loggers, and railroad workers. They also include more recent immigrants from all parts of North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The exhibit is Aug. 1-Sept. 28 at the Comstock History Center, 20 N. E St.,Virginia City. It is open Thursday-Sunday, 11am-4pm. It is free.

“Tahoe Ghost Boat” is the 12th and latest installment of the Owen McKenna mystery series.

Lake Tahoe author Todd Borg is releasing the book this summer.

It is about a 15-year-old girl named Gertie O’Leary. She has a messy bird’s nest of red hair, a serious softball pitch, and a dream to be a movie director. She also has a $2 million price on her head.

When Gertie is kidnapped as part of an extortion plot, Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna gets involved. But McKenna finds himself up against his toughest opponent yet, a killer the FBI calls Mikhailo The Monster.

Here is Borg’s signing schedule for “Tahoe Ghost Boat:

• July 26, 3pm  Signing at Geared for Games, Boatworks Mall, Tahoe City
• July 30, 6:30pm Talk and signing at the South Lake Tahoe Library, Rufus Allen Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe
• July 31, 5-7 pm Signing at Truckee Thursdays downtown Truckee at The Bookshelf tent
• Aug. 1, 6:30pm Talk and signing at Shelby’s Bookshoppe, 1663 Lucerne St., Minden
• Aug. 3, 8:30am Signing at the Red Hut on Ski Run Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe
• Aug. 9, 8:30am Signing at the Red Hut, 4385 S. Carson St., Carson City
• Aug. 10, 8:30am Signing at the Red Hut, 3480 Lakeside, No. 1, Reno
• Sept. 6-7 Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, Mountain View
• Sept. 27-28 Candy Dance Festival, Genoa
• Oct. 15, 4:30-6:30pm Signing at the Minden Library, Minden.
• Oct. 18, 3pm Talk and signing at the El Dorado Arts Council’s gallery space at the Fausel House, 772 Pacific St., Placerville.

The Lake Tahoe premiere of “Last Weekend” will be a free showing Aug. 9 at 8pm in Tahoe City.

Writer and co-director Tom Dolby will be in attendance.People are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to Tahoe City Golf Course starting at 7pm. Food and drink will be sold at the event.

The movie is not yet rated.

“Last Weekend” unfolds over the course of a long Labor Day weekend at the end of the summer at Lake Tahoe. Matriarch Celia Green (Patricia Clarkson) is at a crossroads. She and her husband, Malcolm (Chris Mulkey), are the founders of a fitness empire and among San Francisco’s wealthiest citizens. They have been coming to Lake Tahoe for more than 30 years, but Celia now feels that something in her life is missing. She gathers her two adult sons (Zachary Booth and Joseph Cross) and their partners for a rare weekend together. As the holiday begins, Celia finds herself torn between the house — and the past that it represents — and her desire to move forward with her life.

As the weekend progresses and tensions rise, the four members of the Green family are joined by an eclectic assortment of houseguests and drop-ins, young and old. On Saturday morning, an accident threatens to unhinge Celia’s meticulously devised weekend: the Greens’ longtime caretaker, Hector Castillo (Julio Oscar Mechoso), is electrocuted as he is fixing a broken light on the dock. When he is airlifted to a nearby hospital, the Green family goes along with him, and the guests on the property are forced to fend for themselves.

Amidst this catastrophe, Celia must decide whether she is ready to let go of the house.