By Mel Shields, Sacramento Bee

The career of Frank Sinatra Jr. has never been easy.

His appearance at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on Saturday night will mark the fourth time he’s performed “Sinatra Sings Sinatra,” but he’s quick to point out that this is not a simple undertaking. Nor is it a gimmick.

Frank Sinatra Jr.

“It dates back to 1998 when Frank Sinatra died,” Sinatra said. “At the end of that year, I decided I would do a show that celebrates his music. It was when he was very fresh in people’s minds, and I thought a testament show would be the right way to pay tribute. My original idea was to do it for a year and a half to two years.

“It has been very successful, which is unusual for me, and we’ve been traveling around the world.”

In his early years, the younger Sinatra would open acts for big stars, play the small lounges, occasionally hit the headlines (like with the famous 1963 kidnapping, which happened while he was playing the cabaret at Harrah’s Tahoe), and endure the inevitable comparisons, usually to his detriment, with his famous father.

During the latter years of the elder Sinatra’s life, however, the son embraced the relationship.

“For the last seven years he worked, I had the experience of being his conductor,” Sinatra said. “This gave me a chance to go through all the music and learn all the charts. I did not allow him to do the same music performance after performance. I wanted to keep him frosty.

“It is certainly no secret that, in those late years as he was approaching 80, he was slowing down. I wanted to keep him on his toes.”

Those charts inevitably necessitated a live orchestra. Sinatra would perform in front of 30 musicians. The younger Sinatra will use even more.

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By Robert Schimmel

The art of generosity. Is there such an art? You decide because to me this art form, that comes entirely from the heart and out of service can’t be displayed in any tangible way other than through its effect on others lives.

What or who first comes to your mind when you think about or hear the word “generosity”? My guess is some kind of philanthropic organization or exceptional individual. That’s certainly the case for me, though recently I was reminded how many artists are by nature generous and often to a near fault. Take my recent reunion with David Lemon, a nationally known and respected Western sculptor who has been doing museum quality bronzes for many years yet lives on a shoestring (or Indian feather) most of the time. He just had a show in August of bronzes and in-process clay images at the James Harold Galleries in the Boatworks Mall in Tahoe City during which he sculpted clay daily and interacted with patrons, children and general visitors.

Robert Schimmel

Lemon and I have known each other for 15-plus years, and he has always been gentle-hearted and giving, yet I was particularly touched when he gave one of his unique sculpting tools to the appreciative parent of a budding young artist.

The good news is Lemon is not an anomaly and that a dominant percentage of artists are more than happy to share whatever they have or create. Why?

We all have creativity, but the true and humble artist lives and breathes to grow and express it, and one of the manifestations of that gift and its use is the profound understanding that giving and sharing are part of the package. So, having that personal connection with an artist is just one good reason to attend gallery exhibits, outdoor shows, studio tours and any other venues where artists are featured, not just the art. N We shouldn’t be looking for freebies, but rather supporting the artists and experiencing the magic of those who go out of their way as both a job and a passion to earn a living while giving tirelessly of their time and talents to educate and motivate any audience.

Arts organizations are also a wonderful example, especially the nonprofit variety, and loaded with people who may not be artists but know all about and exhibit the fine art of generosity. They’re called volunteers. You may be one (artist or not) and therefore responsible for entertaining, educating and enriching people’s lives while providing funding for a myriad of causes, events, etc. Thank you, from the fullness of my too often presumptive and forgetful heart.

Wonderful examples of such organizations or groups abound in Tahoe, so I will only name a few, specifically for our kids and youth who need it most: Tahoe Arts Project, Arts for the Schools, BATS (Bringing Art to The Schools), Tahoe Youth Ballet, and the Sphere of Influence.

Taking these few individual and group examples out of generosity’s densely populated barrel in Tahoe recalls to me an oft heard comment, “There’s nothing to do here; sure wish I lived (wherever).” To which I might wryly say, “Move,” if the person is lucky. However, perception is reality to most, so we must look further into and discover all the treasures of generosity available and thus expand our worlds of appreciation as well as support. Only then can one feel the effects of this art form and risk knowing that you, too, are capable of having the “heart” of generosity.

Robert Schimmel is a professional artist and teacher in South Lake Tahoe as well as host of “Lake Tahoe Art Scene” on KTHO radio on Thursdays at 5:15pm.

By Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Sun

Well I hear you went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won,

Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia,

To see the total eclipse of the sun.

— Carly Simon, from “You’re So Vain”

It could be an extraordinary tourism event for rural Nevada and it’s been on the calendar for a millennium.

A total solar eclipse.

They don’t happen very often and when they do, they’re usually over the ocean or in the Southern Hemisphere or someplace far away from home.

But on May 20, the eclipse path will cut through the center of rural Nevada.

“It really should be a good one, just as long as it isn’t a cloudy day,” said Dale Etheridge, the planetarium director at the College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne campus.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and casts a shadow on our planet. As the moon and the Earth move during the day, the shadow moves thousands of miles along a very predictable path.

Eclipse chasers notoriously travel thousands of miles to get a look at the rare phenomenon, which only lasts for a few minutes.

Etheridge said the May 20 event would be an annular eclipse, which means the moon is farther away from the Earth in its oval orbit. The effect on Earth is that when the eclipse is at its best, observers will still be able to see a ring of light from the sun around the moon. At no time will the sun be completely blocked by the moon.

The other oddity of the event is that Nevada is on the tail end of it. That means the sun will be setting as the moon creeps in front of it. Etheridge says the sun would set before the eclipse ends, which could produce some unique sunset photos that evening — especially considering some of the incredible vistas in the places where the eclipse will be visible.

The center point of the eclipse path will run from the northwest part of the state to the southeast. For Nevada, the center point will enter the state just north or Reno along the southern shore of Pyramid Lake. It runs just north of Fernley and Fallon, Tonopah, the Extraterrerstrial Highway and Caliente.

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Lovey is a sweet Dachshund who is very affectionate and playful. She loves to go for walks, and likes her treats, though she could stand to have more walks and fewer treats.

Lovey would make a great pet for just about any family.

Lovey is spayed, microchipped, 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.

Also, the cat and kitten adoption special has been extended through October – the adoption fee is half price, just $40.

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 Jeff Gartner

Today’s youth are tomorrow’s future, and we should make it our mission to do everything in our power to protect them on the road. For young drivers between the ages of 15- and 20-years-old, traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for teens in America.

Teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

“Inexperience combined with speed, a lack of seat belt compliance, distractions, alcohol or any other risk-taking behavior can have deadly results behind the wheel,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner

Joe Farrow. “Unlike a video game, you aren’t given multiple lives and there isn’t a reset button; our goal is to arm California’s youth with enough knowledge to make smart driving decisions.”

The CHP is hoping National Teen Driver Safety week (Oct. 16-22) will serve as an important reminder for teens and their parents or guardians to get involved with any number of the traffic safety programs the department offers which are geared toward teen drivers, including:

· Start Smart, a driver safety education class targeting new and future licensed teenage drivers between the age of 15-19 and their parents/guardians.

· Impact Teen Drivers, a nonprofit, public awareness and education program designed to educate teens about the dangers of distracted driving.

· Every 15 Minutes, a program focused on high school juniors and seniors, which challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and many others.

National Teen Driver Safety week was established by the U.S. Congress in 2007. It is observed annually the third week of each October to raise national awareness to teen driver safety issues and encourage safe teen driver and passenger behavior.

“Kids will imitate you and your behaviors,” added Farrow. “Parents or guardians can help reinforce what their teen drivers learn in these programs by practicing safe driving habits at all times. This will help our young drivers mature into great drivers for the rest of their lives.”

The CHP South Lake Tahoe Area is having a Start Smart Class at South Tahoe High School on Oct. 18 at 6pm. Contact Officer Jeff Gartner with any questions at (530) 577.1001.

Jeff Gartner is a CHP officer stationed in Meyers.

By Emily Listfield, Parade

The other night as I was getting ready for bed, I turned off my phone and put it on the dresser. My 17-year-old daughter stared at me in disbelief. “But, Mom,” she exclaimed, “it’s so far away!”

For today’s youth, technology isn’t just a handy way to keep in touch or organize your calendar; it’s as integral as eating and breathing—and seems to come just as naturally. Between smartphones, iPods, video games, and the Internet, being wired is a way of life. The average teen sends more than 50 texts a day; younger children spend over 10 hours a week playing video games; and the amount of time all kids spend online daily has tripled in the past 10 years.

We are just beginning to assess how this nonstop connectivity is affecting our kids’ social and intellectual development. It is increasingly clear that it’s changing the nature of children’s relationships to each other, to their families, and to the world around them. The latest research suggests it may even be rewiring their brains.

In a world where sexting is on the nightly news, plagiarism is just a Wikipedia click away, and people have hundreds of online friends they’ve never met, helping your kids make smart choices has never been more crucial. But there are few rules of the road, as any parent who has watched his or her child fall down the Facebook hole for hours can tell you. In part this is because technology is changing so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up. Just a few years ago, a 10-year-old with a cell phone could do little with it beyond placing a call. Now, handing her one is giving her the ability to text, go online, and send and receive photos. Are kids ready for that? Are you?

The notion that parents need to get involved in their children’s digital lives as actively as they do in academic or sports activities is still new. “The digital landscape is a positive place for kids,” says Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2011 report on the impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. “It promotes a lot of healthy habits like socialization and a sense of connectedness to the greater world and to causes.” But, she says, children need guidance. Here are some of the thorniest issues and how parents can navigate them.

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By Laura Petrecca, USA Today

Joanne Paholak agonized for months.

This decision would save time and money. But it could also hurt the feelings — as well as affect the income — of someone she cared about.

Finally last spring, she did it. Paholak broke ties with the hairstylist she’d seen for about 25 years.

She now visits the Great Clips chain near her Southfield, Mich., home to get her close-cropped hair cut. The price is about 80 percent less. And since no appointment is required, she can stop in whenever she has a free moment.

Parting ways “was very, very hard to do,” she said. “It had become quite a close relationship as a hairdresser and client.”

But as her stylist upgraded to increasingly chic salons, her prices kept rising. And Paholak, who is 68 and retired, realized she was spending way too much on the trims she received about every five weeks.

Faced with a volatile stock market, reduced home values and shrinking incomes, many folks are making the often-awkward decision to leave long-standing hairdressers, fitness trainers, housekeepers and other personal service providers.

A quarter of respondents have left one or more service providers to save money, according to a September BIGinsight poll conducted for USA Today.

Slightly more than half now do the tasks themselves; 26 percent found a less-expensive provider; 23 percent decided they no longer needed the service.

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Bona Fide Books’ second annual Scary Slam and literary costume contest is Oct. 29 at 7pm at Bona Fide HQ in Meyers.

The event is free and open to the public.

Come prepared to scare with a short story or poem of your creation, or choose a spooky classic to enthrall the crowd. From Edgar Allen Poe to Stephen King, all things scary are game.

Holly Beck won the 2010 costume contest as Hunter S. Thompson. Photo/Suzanne Roberts

There is a $5 entry fee to slam, with the pot going to the most terrifying. Prizes will also be awarded to the crowd’s choice for best literary-inspired costumes.

Reno-based poet and slam organizer Benjamin Arnold will be the evening’s otherworldly emcee. Tarot readings, campy horror flicks, villainous victuals, and haunting company will also be on tap at your local small press.

Bona Fide HQ is located at 1069 Magua St., No. 4, behind the Getaway Café in Meyers.

For more information, contact Kim Wyatt at editor@bonafidebooks.com, call (530) 573.1513 or go online.

Misty is a talkative 9-year-old Singapura who likes other well-mannered cats.

She has a beautiful coat and would like to be an indoor cat.

Misty is spayed, microchipped, 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.

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 Robert Schimmel

You’ve got talent? Absolutely. But it’s still a great question in this day of unrealistic “reality” and overdone “wannabe” shows dialed in on huge, detail saturated LCD screens. The hard to digest truth is we’ve all got it.

It’s not the end of the story, but really just the beginning because so few believe it or understand that talent is the end product of passion, creativity and perseverance. Without debating what actually makes up talent as this end product, my dad (a nationally recognized watercolor artist and teacher) was one with an abundance of it and would definitely be wondering why I’m writing an arts column when I’ve been whining about my own budget – forget the impossible national one – and not painting or doing my own art. My answer? Creativity, dad, creativity (as well as a desire to be proactive in forging a better understanding of it and acceptance for the art it engenders).

Robert Schimmel

So much of what keeps us ticking is just that, creativity in all its nuances, and yet most of us fall into the trap of saying, “I’ve got no talent” or “I can’t even draw a stick figure!” Really? Just what is it you call organizational skills, people pleasing and problem solving, PR, sales, widget making, construction, blue or white collar, etc? I’ll tell you — it’s creativity wrapped in camouflage.

Your talent is not mine and vice-versa, but we need all of it to survive literally, figuratively, and spiritually. For some reason, though, the artist’s end product is normally considered non-functional or impractical (all the while being extremely pleasing to experience or live with and quietly coveted) and we too often discount the impact or reality of the “business of art.”

The creative efforts of the artist, no matter who you lump into this category, are just more obvious and marketed as such. Yet because of the timeless mystery surrounding the terms “artist” and “creative” most of the public can’t connect with or understand how creativity, when packaged as an artist, actually has the potential for helping Tahoe thrive not just survive.

I am definitely of the opinion that “more is better” when it comes to art and creativity. I also know the cumulative effect of encouraging our artists and all who support them is to grow an atmosphere and business climate of excitement conducive to tourism and ultimately to the health of our economy. Plenty of examples of communities exist out there, which sustain themselves primarily through the arts and all its peripheral commerce and activities.

We all know Tahoe can compete with any locale when it comes to natural beauty, so let’s pay attention, be proactive for the arts and their proponents, and make “more is better” an overused phrase. The importance of art to our daily enjoyment of life, to the relationships around us and to our future is staggering.

Robert Schimmel is a professional artist and teacher in South Lake Tahoe as well as host of “Lake Tahoe Art Scene” on KTHO radio on Thursdays at 5:15pm.