The inaugural Sustainability Film Festival is a collaborative series of films designed to generate awareness, conversation, and debate around current issues in sustainability.

The festival at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village includes visionary documentaries that explore issues of social justice, food, environment, sustainability in business, and an afternoon of films appropriate for families and children ages 7-12. Film topics will be facilitated by local academics and community leaders who will lead discussions to present and exchange ideas on current and local trends in sustainability.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted during the Nov. 2-3 festival.

Contact Betts Markle at emarkle@sierranevada.edu or (775) 881.7511 for more information and the full schedule of events.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District Performing Arts Department presents A Veterans’ Musical Tribute at South Tahoe Middle School’s multipurpose room.

This free concert on Nov. 8 from 7-8pm features South Tahoe High and Middle school bands, orchestras and choirs.

By Chris Hurn

It’s not a question of if, but when most business owners should think about owning commercial property.

Owning your workplace is a path toward long-term wealth – one that doesn’t rely on constantly bringing in new income.

Once they’ve established their business, usually after about three to six years of operation, they should look into property ownership – owning their store, office, or other workspace.

The smartest way to do that is through the SBA 504 – a little-known loan program administered by the Small Business Administration. It offers long-term financing at below-market fixed rates, which businesses generally can’t get through banks.

Whether or not business owners qualify for the SBA 504, they will benefit by knowing the “five Cs” lenders look at when considering loans.

• Collateral: Lenders – usually banks – will want to know that the property in question is worth the loan. The property to be purchased is the lender’s collateral, so it must have the potential to cover the loan if for some reason owners can’t. Lenders will consider the age of a property and other factors, including whatever equipment may be involved.

• Cash flow (or capacity): The lender will look to see how much cash the business generates along with the amount of existing and proposed debt. In other words, they’ll want to know the cash available to service the total debt. A lender will also consider current rental payments, plus noncash expenses such as depreciation, amortization and interest costs.

• Credit analysis: This reveals the business owner’s history of making good on debts and other obligations. The higher the credit scores, the better. Lenders generally shy away from credit scores lower than 650, however, they will often listen to credible explanations on lower scores.

• Character: Numerous late payments, for example, suggest that owners do not manage debts responsibly, which will likely be indicated in a credit score. Factors that determine character judgment are largely subjective. An applicant can supply evidence in his or her favor.

• Conditions: What are the conditions in the industry and the economy? The better those conditions, the more likely lenders are to give applicants a plus in this bracket. Conditions are often out of a borrower’s control, which makes a positive showing of the other four factors that much more important.

Chris Hurn is CEO and co-founder of Mercantile Capital Corp. based in Orlando.

A series of free business planning workshops is being offered for very small businesses in El Dorado County. Start-up and existing small businesses with five or fewer employees, including the business owner, may attend the workshops at no cost.

Certain income requirements apply. Businesses must be located in the unincorporated area of El Dorado County.

Topics include: business survival skills, communication tools and organization, market analysis and marketing strategies, operations and financing, cash management, licensing and permits, forecasting and more.

The workshops will be conducted by professionals from the Northeastern Small Business Development Center. Funding for the workshops is provided by a Federal Community Development Block Grant administered locally through the El Dorado County Housing, Community and Economic Development Program.

The 12-week workshop series will be offered in several locations:

South Lake Tahoe: Every Thursday, beginning Nov. 1, from 9am-noon at the El Dorado County Library, located at 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.

Placerville: Every Tuesday, beginning Oct. 30, from 9am-noon at the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, located at 542 Main St.

Cameron Park: Every Wednesday, beginning Oct. 31, from 9am-noon at Burke Junction, located at 3300 Coach Lane, Suite A-9, (in the All Aboard Room).

For individuals who are unable to clear their calendars to attend the first session of the workshop, arrangements may be made for a separate session to cover the information at a later date. In addition to the workshop series, small business owners may also be eligible for no-cost one-on-one business consulting.

Space is limited at the workshop series. Preregistration is required. To enroll in the workshop series, or to learn more about the program and its requirements, please contact Clarissa Correa at (916) 563.3210 or send an email to info@sbdc.net.

By Dina Kupfer, KRNV-TV

Whether you rent or own, regularly servicing the heating equipment in your home is the best way to keep up with the sudden change in temperature.

“Just like a car, [a home] has to have preventative maintenance done to it to run efficiently,” says Chad Piekarz, Energy Consultant with NV Energy.

Piekarz says due to the windy, dusty conditions in Northern Nevada, it’s a good idea to change your air filters once a month during the heating season to keep the air flow moving.

Next, look for leaks or spaces where warm air can escape. Check the weather stripping around doors and windows, and look for gaps in floor vents.

“Make sure the duct boot is sealed between the floor — silicone, even caulking will work very well. If you have a large gap, you can use the expanding foam,” explains Piekarz.

Piekarz says the real hot spot for problems in the home are manual thermostats.

“These older ones can be knocked out of calibration and they can run when they’re not supposed to, they heat above the temperature settings.”

Chad says programmable thermostats are the way to go. They allow you to preset when you want the heat to run and for how long.

“If you’re heating, try not to go above 68 degrees. Every degree could add about 2 percent to your bill. When you let it taper off, don’t really let it go below 58 degrees.”

Piekarz says to run the system two items a day. Those peaks and valleys, will allow the system to take a break.

Finally, if you can avoid them, Piekarz says to say goodbye to those costly space heaters. They could cost you up to $30 a month if ran five days a week, eight hours a day.

If you have an NV Energy Smart meter, you can check your energy consumption online at NV Energy’s website, just click the “My Account” tab.

By Howie Nave

Oh, how we love Halloween up here in Lake Tahoe – elevating it to holiday status. And just like Christmas, what would any traditional holiday be without those classic movies encapsulating the spirit of that holiday?

And not just classic mind you, but movies that are cheesy fun, which can only be acceptable during Halloween.

My love for all things scary dates back when I was just a kid staying up late on a Saturday night watching “Creature Features” on KTVU Channel 2 (before it became a Fox affiliate) growing up in the Bay Area. It was my first introduction seeing the likes of Lon Chaney Jr., Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price in those classic black and white flicks. There are so many good ones (and a few great ones, too) and your taste obviously may differ from mine, but here are a few of my personal favs not just from back then, but some recent horror flicks that still generate a scream when I least expect it.

Many of these I have on DVD and when the world gets weird I’ll close the curtains, pop in a disc and crank it up to cover my screams just in case anybody might be nearby.

Halloween, R (1978)

What better way to kick off any Halloween Horror Fest than the namesake that would spawn more than 20 sequels? “Halloween” is director-writer John Carpentaer’s horror masterpiece and introduced us to the new Queen of Scream, Jamie Lee Curtis long before she was regulated via Activia. “Halloween” set the sci-fi horror standard in which other movies would soon copy. Starring the late, great Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, “Halloween” had it all didn’t it? A psychotic murderer The Shape (later to be known as Michael Myers in subsequent sequels) who loved to slash his victims, a terrifying music that sticks to your soul and by far one of the most frightening experiences I have ever had in a theater. There were some equally scary sequels. but nothing that captured that first scream as the original.

The Cabin in the Woods, R (2012)

As a fan of horror movies and one who has pretty much “seen it all” when it comes to predicting the storyline (I can usually tell you what’s going to happen within the first 15 minutes of the feature) it’s refreshing when a movie comes long like “The Cabin in the Woods” that isn’t as formulaic as one would expect. Let’s just that you’re not going see this one coming. Oh sure, the movie starts out with the requisite college students, each with its own stereotypical character centered on a cabin where horrific things are happening. But wait, these undead wanting to kill the living (by the way why do they always crave college-aged students?) don’t just show up randomly. They appear to be controlled by scientists. Say what? Yes. Beneath the cabin is a basement, and beneath that basement are where Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford hash out their dastardly schemes, but what’s in it for them? I ain’t tellin’, but there is a surprise ending that reminded me a little of “The Hunger Games” meets John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. Survival of the fittest, but when those controlling the outcome are themselves upstaged. That’s when things get really interesting. “The Cabin in the Woods” was produced and co-written by Joss Whedon (creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) and directed by Drew Goddard (writer of “Cloverfield”).

Alien, R (1979)

To this day when you witness that alien bursting out of John Hurt’s stomach, you know that director Ridley Scott’s terrifying flick has you captivated. “Alien” and its sequel “Aliens” (1986) are still two of the better sci-fi horror flicks out there even though their version of high-tech by today’s standards looks antiquated. The aliens are still some of the creepiest and scariest I have seen in a movie, which by the way were based on the work of H.R. Giger (for which he received an Academy Award under Best Visual Effects category).

The Exorcist, R (1973)

It would forever typecast its little known actress Linda Blair. After this flick it was tough for Blair to get any real serious roles forever typecast as that possessed girl who spit up pea soup. Of course it was supposed to be barf but soon everyone found out it was pea soup and then people would always imitate her making a mess. One of the scariest and psychologically tinged movies ever, “The Exorcist” caused a sensation when it first premiered, including religious protestors that of course only made me want to see it more. And yes, there were countless sequels and prequels, but none of them holds up to the mother of all satanic movies.

Hellraiser, R (1987)

Clive Barker knows a thing or two when it comes to messing with people’s minds and this to me is one of his best in that department and one of the most original, too. Originally titled, “Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave,” Barker (who wrote, directed and produced) must have been on some sort of medication (or stopped taking it) when he came up with this classic horror gem. The character of Pinhead, the lead Cenobite, is truly one of the more original icons in horror. You’ll never play with a Rubik’s Cube again if you haven’t seen this classic. Go ahead, I dare ya!

The Grudge, R (2004)

Based on Takashi Shimizu’s Japanese movie, “Ju-On: The Grudge”, the American version is just as good. Why? Because someone out there in Hollywood was smart enough to let Takashi Shimizu do a remake from his own movie. How about that? The original creator gets to do his own work and wow-the results are impressive. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as an American nurse living and working in Tokyo, she discovers (and is exposed) to a mysterious curse that causes a person to experience an uncontrollable rage before taking their life. The part that still creeps me out is that of images of zombied looking kids in this waterlogged black and white image with freaky noises that stay with you long after the movie has ended. You’ll never want to enter an uninhabited house again unless accompanied by an army of eyewitnesses.

Shaun of the Dead, R (2004)

Got a have a funny horror flick and nothing says, funny better than a Simon Pegg movie, especially when it involves zombies. The British horror comedy, “Shaun of the Dead” makes scary sexy. By treating the genre as a joke Pegg gets plenty of mileage with his dry wit making this satire one of the best comedy/horror one of the funniest I’ve ever seen outside of “An American Werewolf in London”. When zombies start descending on London the media declare it “Z-Day” in the U.K. Pegg, who wrote the screenplay with director Edgar Wright, plays the title character, a hapless 29-year-old clerk who, with his best friend Ed (Nick Frost) plot a plan to make a safe exit along with Shaun’s on-again, off-again sweetheart, Liz (Kate Ashfield). The movie also stars Bill Nighy. Trust me, this is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen with regard to brain-eating zombies.

The Thing, R (1982)

Hands down one of the best remakes ever. How good? Well, there was a prequel that came out earlier this year that takes you up to the 1982 remake — that’s how good. I first saw this as a double feature in the theater (yes kids, they used to let you see two movies sometimes for the price of one) not knowing what to expect, but was literally blown out of my seat when I did see it. It was that good. Starring a bearded Kurt Russell as the head of an American Antarctic expedition, “The Thing” still boasts some of the best special effects ever and has an all-star stellar cast that includes Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard A. Dysart and Charles Hallahan. Directed by the master himself, John Carpenter, you’ll be grabbing anything when you see what happens when an alien being replicates itself into anything starting with huskies and moving on up from there. Every movie mentioned so far has had a sequel or two and yet this one is the one that I wanted to see a sequel but alas, Carpenter felt otherwise.

Paranormal Activity, R (2007)

The original was good, but and I could see having a sequel was inevitable — but three sequels? Someone went to the horror well a little too often and that’s why global warming is not a myth. The original was good because of its low-budget quality that made it appear so real with its single-camera, rapid-movement-shot in the first-person style. With each subsequent sequel the budget got bigger as the quality depreciated. “Paranormal Activity” works in much the same way another very low-budget flick, “The Blair Witch Project.” The tension is just as shaky as those hand-held cameras are. You know the story is good when you don’t require any big names to carry your picture. Of course that makes it easier for the filmmakers to control their young actors lest they want to be killed off and not be in another sequel.

Poltergeist, PG-13 (1982)

Would you believe that back then executive producer (and writer) Steven Spielberg had to lobby to give this movie a PG rating? The film was originally given an R rating so he (along with the filmmakers) protested successfully and got a PG rating (the PG-13 rating did not exist at the time). This was the movie that gave us the immortal line, “They’re baaaaaack” that was uttered by Heather O’Rourke, the cute little blonde who played Carol Anne, daughter of Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams in the movie. The movie is a stark reminder of what happens when developers in their zeal to construct urban sprawl forget to move bodies from a cemetery they are building on. The movie took on a life of its own with real life actors dying in each production. The eldest daughter in the movie (played by Dominique Dunne) was killed in real life by her boyfriend upon completion of the first film. Actor Julian Beck died of stomach cancer after shooting the second film and actress Heather O’Rourke died of a mystery case of intestinal stenosis shortly before completion of the third film. Also, many cast members’ careers have suffered after appearing in the films. The ghosts at first appear friendly by moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, but then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they “kidnap” Carol Anne. Still a great scare factor to this day, “Poltergeist” has a great story and great effects that rival only that of “The Thing”.

Psycho, PG (1960)

The one movie that would forever make showers a scary experience (if you’re a woman) and would brand those of the male species who were too close to their mom a horror just waiting to unfold. Think of it as a momma’s boy becoming momma. Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to deliver one of the truly frightening masterpieces of all time. Phoenix office worker Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam (John Gavin) at lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony payments. One Friday afternoon Marion is entrusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and run, Marion leaves town and heads toward Sam’s California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman (Anthony Perkins) who seems to be dominated by his mother. An interesting piece of trivia: After the film’s release, Hitchcock received an angry letter from the father of a girl who refused to have a bath after seeing “Les Diaboliques” (also on this list), and now refused to shower after seeing “Psycho.” Hitchcock sent a note back to the father simply saying, “Send her to the dry cleaners.”

A Nightmare on Elm Street, R (1984)

Outside of John Carpenter, Clive Barker and George Romero, I kind of know I’m going to pretty much enjoy my scare factor when I see horror master Wes Craven’s name attached to it. And with “A Nightmare on Elm Street” I wasn’t disappointed. One could argue that many a subsequent horror flick borrowed their chops (no pun intended) from Craven’s original “Elm Street”. High school kids are being killed off in a small town and nobody knows why. Enter Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) playing detective who traces the cause to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured bum in a slouch hat who sporting knives for fingernails long before Wolverine made it sexy. Still holds up as classic slasher that I think horror fans continue to hold in high esteem in part because it comes across as low-budget and with an intelligent (and original) script featuring some pretty impressive newcomers such as Johnny Depp, Ronee Blakley and Amanda Wyss with Craven himself directing.

28 Days Later, R (2003)

Who would have guessed that the same guy who directed that incredible montage at this year’s 2012 Summer Olympics in London would also be the same chap who brought us one of the more original movies centered on a deadly virus. There’s just something about movies revolving around a deadly virus that creep me out the most. Is it airborne? Can I get it from shaking somebody’s hand? Will it kill me slowly and is there a host to help find us a cure? Whichever it might be director Danny Boyle plays on that scenario (and more) combining the terror of its after effects and the tried and true zombie story. The movie also takes a look at what might happen if we experiment on things that go unchecked. It’s that unknown element that can be the scariest psychologically. Londoner Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital room all alone. No one else is in the entire hospital. He puts his clothes on, walks out into the empty streets. He does meet other survivors, but how long will they survive? Not just that, but it’s the manner in which they die that will make you writhe.

The Shining, R (1980)

The pairing of director Stanley Kubrick with Jack Nicholson’s cold and frightening character (also named Jack) defined this movie and the career of both. “The Shining” introduces the viewer to Jack Torrance (Nicholson), a man who plans to spend the winter in solitude with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), as jack becomes the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel just as workers are shutting it down for the winter. Chef Dick Hallorann (the classic Scatman Crothers) is one of the crew but the movie centers almost entirely around Jack and his slow, deterioration into madness writing the novel that is page after page of the same line. For me it’s a psychological mind thriller at its best and a movie that would label Shelley Duvall as the Queen of Scream and one that every young actress would have to emulate in order to be considered as the leading lady for any horror flick.

Night Of The Living Dead, R (1968)

If this movie were made today, it would be considered tame compared to the current crop of gore flicks out there. “Night of the Living Dead” is a true classic (and always will be) that definitely deserves its place in the Smithsonian Institute of Horror. The movie is still quite effective shot in glorious black and white. I had the rare privilege of seeing this film in a theater at a midnight screening. The audience found themselves screaming and jumping as I did in certain parts of the film. It’s raining weird rays from outer space that causes the dead to awaken from their graves to feed on human flesh for sustenance. After seeing this movie originally on television, I never slept near my sister again when camping with the family.

Diabolique, R (1955)

This movie (original French title “Les Diaboliques”) centers around a nasty headmaster having an affair on his wife who, as it turns out treats his mistress just as badly as he treats his wife. In a twisted three-way the two women conspire to do in he headmaster Robert Bloch, author of “Psycho,” called this his favorite horror movie.

The Fly, R (1958)

You know a movie is good when a generation of fans who creeped out on the original decide that when they become filmmakers in the next generation to try and top the original. They don’t. Tough to make a better one when you have Vincent Price in the original. When a scientist experiments with matter transference and a fly accidentally becomes part of that matter well, let’s just say if you’ve never seen this classic you’ll never look at flies the same way again.

Seven, R (1995)

For one thing I liked seeing Brad Pitt in a role where even he looked scared. David Fincher’s “Seven” stars Pitt as a rookie detective with veteran detective Lt. William Somerset (played by Morgan Freeman) tracking a serial killer who gruesomely kills for world’s ignorance of the seven deadly sins. It gets really good when they get into the killer’s mind and start thinking as he does.

Jaws, PG (1975)

This was the movie that literally put a young Steven Spielberg on the cinematic map. If you think the PG rating is too tame, you’re correct. But back then they hadn’t come up with the PG-13 rating, which is what this should be if seen today. This is one of the best psychological horror-adventure flicks I’ve seen in a while. The idea of a lone, killer shark bent on eating people in a vacation resort community just begs buffet specials. That coupled with the signature shark music of John Williams makes this an all time fav of mine and even to this day I ask myself, “Is it safe to go into the water?”

Zombieland, R (2009)

In much the same way that “Shaun of the Dead” poked fun in London “Zombieland” is a post-apocalyptic America where the undead have already pretty much taken over the entire country. The trick now is how one survives and stay (literally) one step ahead of them. With a cast that includes “The Social Network” lead, Jesse Eisenberg, sexy Emma Stone and zombie hunter Woody Harrelson, “Zombieland” is a laugh out riot using anything handy, even a banjo to rid the world of the walking dead. There’s a cool cameo too of Bill Murray, playing himself, which was unexpected and just added even more laughs to an already soon-to-be-classic. Director Ruben Fleischer mixes just the right amount of gore, glee, fright and slapstick to create what is now a must-see every Halloween.

Honorable Mentions:

There are so many other flicks that make Halloween worth celebrating include the original “Saw” (2004), “Basket Case” (1982), “The Omen” (1976), “House of Wax” (not the Paris Hilton version but the original 1953 rendition with Vincent Price), “The Haunting” (1963), “The Blair Witch Project” (1999), “The Birds” (1963)“Scanners” For campy horror fun you must see “An American Werewolf in London” (1981) and “Scream” (1996), “Dracula” (1931).

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.

Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Constant Contact to present a workshop Nov. 8 on the benefits of social media marketing and email marketing.

Attendees will be given real-world advice and knowledge that can be put to work immediately.

The morning is broken into three components, which may be attended separately. From 8-9am, breakfast at the Lake Tahoe Community College Creekside Café. From 9-10:30am, Social Media Marketing Made Simple will cover the strategies and best practices needed to get the most out of your social media activities, including managing your time, measuring the return on your activities, and growing your business using the essential elements of the power of social media marketing. From 10:30am-noon, Grow Your Business with Email Marketing will help build the relationships that are the key to your business success with easy, inexpensive and highly effective email marketing.

The workshop will be presented by Karen Rice, Constant Contact’s regional development director for Northern California.

The workshop cost is $10 for chamber members or $20 for non-members. The workshop and breakfast are at Lake Tahoe Community College in the Creekside Café.

For more information or to register, call (775) 588.1728.

By Mandy Kendall

Over the past few years going gluten free has been touted as being the best way to boost energy, improve your immune system, lose weight and help many issues ranging from ADHD to chronic headaches. However, before its mainstream popularity, a gluten free diet had long been used as a proven treatment for celiac disease, and more recently for those suffering from the less easily diagnosed gluten sensitivity.

The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown and can develop at any time from infancy to late adulthood. Symptoms vary from person to person, making the disease difficult to diagnose. When sufferers of the disease eat or come into contact with a protein called gluten (found in many foods) their immune system attacks the lining of the intestines. This causes damage to the tissues of the digestive tract and affects the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, and can often lead to malnutrition.

Mandy Kendall

Reports suggest that about 1 percent of the population has celiac disease; however an estimated 10 percent could be suffering from gluten sensitivity.

A study published by the BMC Medicine described gluten sensitivity as a separate condition from Celiac disease, partly because the intestine does not appear damaged and symptoms may not be as severe. However, diagnosing celiac disease is not easy and many people suffer for many years before their condition is recognized, by which time permanent damage has occurred to the body as a result of long-term malnutrition.

Long-term issues as a result of malnourishment from a condition like celiac disease can include: depression or anxiety, fatigue, growth delay in children, itchy skin, mouth ulcers, muscle cramps and joint pain, tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. Children especially can experience defects in the tooth enamel and changes in tooth color, delayed puberty, diarrhea, constipation, fatty or foul-smelling stools, nausea, or vomiting, irritable and fussy behavior or slowed growth and shorter than normal height for their age.

So how do you know if you have celiac disease?

Symptoms can be wide and varied but most commonly include the following: abdominal pain; bloating; gas, or indigestion; constipation; diarrhea, either constant or off and on; lactose intolerance (common when the person is diagnosed, usually goes away after treatment); fatty or foul-smelling stools; and nausea, or vomiting.

Specific blood tests can detect several special antibodies to confirm celiac disease. It is generally advised not to start a gluten free diet before having the tests as this may provide false or misleading results.

Although celiac disease cannot be cured, once diagnosed, many sufferers notice significant, if not total, alleviation of all symptoms by following a gluten free diet. Even those diagnosed as not having celiac disease, but suffering similar symptoms, may still from following a gluten free diet.

However, caution is advised as a gluten free diet can cause deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, fiber, and other nutrients because breads, cereals, and grains are being avoided and these are often fortified with vitamins whereas many gluten-free products may not be. Also, many of the gluten free products can be higher in carbohydrates, fat, and sodium and lower in fiber.

Many foods contain hidden gluten. For example these foods will more than likely contain gluten and should be avoided unless they specifically state they are gluten free: beer, breads, cakes and pies, candies, cereals, cookies and crackers, French fries, imitation meat or seafood, pastas, processed lunch meats, salad dressings, sauces (including soy sauce), seasoned snack foods such as potato and tortilla chips, self-basting poultry, soups and soup bases, food additives such as malt flavoring, modified food starch and medication and vitamins that use gluten as a binding agent.

Certain grains, such as oats, can be contaminated with wheat during growing and processing stages of production. For this reason, doctors and dietitians generally recommend avoiding oats unless they are specifically labeled gluten-free.

So it is important to get advice and dietary guidance from a professional dietician regarding a gluten free diet. More information can be found online.

Until next time.

Mandy Kendall operates Health Connective in South Lake Tahoe, which aligns wellness seekers with their ideal wellness provider. If you have questions, would like some advice, or would like to request some Qwik-e tips on any health and well-being topic, drop her an email at connect@healthconnective.com or keep an eye out on Lake Tahoe News for regular Qwik-e tips on how to make healthy changes one Quick and Easy step at a time.

Local hero Dave Nettle will kick off Alpenglow Sports’ Winter Film Series on Nov. 14 with a fast paced and humorous assortment of stories and images that highlight six recent rock-climbing trips.

The show will take viewers on a visual road trip with destinations from the remote Adamant Range in British Columbia to the Sandstone walls of Zion, from ultra classic free lines to hidden gems. The show will even include newly established first ascent routes on Sierra granite.

The show is free and is designed to motivate, inspire, and educate.

Alpenglow Sports Winter Film Series has a new venue — Squaw Valley’s Olympic Village Lodge. Show begins at 7pm.

Call Alpenglow Sports at (530) 583.6917 with questions.

Publisher’s note: South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler’s 21-year-old son, Alex, died last week. The following is a letter he wrote to his staff that he asked Lake Tahoe News to publish.

By Brian Uhler

I thought it of value to write colleagues in public safety about my son so you might recognize our important role in helping families and people with addiction problems. I do not ask for specific action, but hope you seek to make a positive difference in your own way when the opportunity comes.

Alex was the rare sort of person, having a pure and good heart who truly cared about others even more than he did about himself. Those who met Alex casually would know him as a highly regarded student at Queens University where he worked on special projects involving gene mutation and the probable pigmentation of the eyes on dinosaurs. One professor recently wrote, “I’ll remember Alex for his unending curiosity and his wonderfully dry wit.” He added that Alex “had a love of learning that was unsurpassed by his peers.”

Alex Uhler

He explained that he liked Alex for his “sharp mind, his interest in science, his interest in issues of the world, but also for his unassuming manner.”

When he was about 10 years old, I was driving past a homeless man holding a sign “hungry, please help”. Alex asked, “Daddy, can we give him some money?” To this, I explained, that giving him money would just lead to him buying beer or something. Being quick of mind, even at this young age, Alex says, “Well, can we buy him a hamburger then?” Touched by his sweet nature, I said, “Sure, son.” And we helped that homeless man with a burger.

As a Boy Scout, Alex would take special care of the younger scouts. He would never belittle or make fun and was known to help the “underdog” without second thought.

One day, about tow years ago, Alex came home beaming that he had just eaten 10 tacos at Taco Bell. When I asked, he explained that he was driving in San Francisco and he saw a man trying to push his broken-down Cadillac from the road. The man couldn’t push hard enough so Alex stopped his car and offered a helping hand. When they finished, the man unexpectedly and insisted that Alex take $20 for his kindness. Alex immediately rewarded himself with as many tacos as he could eat.

Growing up, Alex was always a great helper, ever ready to help lift something or participate in a project. I came to respect his intellectual abilities many times over. Typically, I would be struggling with a problem and Alex would glance at it, without any effort at all, and say, “maybe you can….” Sure enough, more often than not, his suggestion would be right.

When he was young, I would tend to dismiss his ideas, but as I progressed in life, I learned that I should listen to Alex.

His sharp mind and amazing ability to recall information was very clear to people who knew him well. You could ask Alex a question about some obscure fact and chances are he would recite an answer like he was reading it from a textbook. As we who were closest to Alex have come to know, his brilliant mind was often racing and restless. Even as a young child, he found it difficult to go to sleep. His mother and I would take turns lying with him, combing our fingers through his hair until he would drift off to sleep.

Many years ago, when Alex was young, he said, “Mommy, I think there’s something wrong with me.” We didn’t think much of it because every visible indication was that Alex was fine (good grades, scouting, sports, etc). Later in life, we learned that Alex struggled with anxiety that was most troubling when he was alone. As a family we helped him in many different ways. Unfortunately, each time we did things to help Alex, we unintentionally burdened him with an inner conviction and determination that he would not hurt us more.

This is what led Alex to conceal his addiction to virtually everyone. I believe with all my heart that he didn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s pain, let alone those he loved most.

On the day the photo was taken, Alex and I started the hike at about 5pm. We took a little less than three hours to make it to the top. At first, he took the lead, boldly making progress up the mountain. Each time I’d fall a little behind, Alex would stop and wait patiently. This happened a couple times. Then he stopped and fell-in behind me. After about an hour of more hiking, I asked, “Hey, buddy, you staying back there so you don’t make your old man feel bad, right?” He said, “Yeah, dad, something like that.” Later that evening, it got cold, we got lost, and had only cell phones to light the way. At one point, he said we should find shelter and wait for daylight. Stubbornly, I refused. Now, I’d give anything to huddle with my buddy on the side of a cold mountain.

Specific information about the memorial service to be held this Sunday will be forwarded later. The family asks that no flowers be sent. Instead, a donation in Alex’s name to a Queens University scholarship fund will be appreciated. This information will be forthcoming.