The Lake Tahoe Historical Society will have its fall meeting on Oct. 19 at 7pm in the Lodge at Camp Richardson.
Dave Borges will open the program with a short talk on early days at Emerald Bay followed by a film on the story of Vikingsholm just released by the State Parks of California.
Helen Smith, long time summer docent narrates much of the film. Smith’s mother was a good friend of Lora Knight.
The event is free.
Sounds of winter holiday music are coming from the practice room at the Lake Tahoe Community College as the combined Tahoe Choir and LTCC chorus prepare for their Christmas Concerts. This group of more than 50 singers will be performing seasonal music Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 under the direction of Linda Mitchell with Sallie Parker at the piano.
The notable Reno quartet, The String Beings, will accompany the choir as they present Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria”. In addition to this classical piece, the choir will sing “All Through the Night”, “Silver Bells”, “Sleigh Ride” and other well-known favorites.
The winter concerts have been an anticipated local event for many years. Tickets will be available from choir members and at the door. On Friday night the group will perform at the LTCC Duke Theater at 7:30pm. The Sunday matinee performance will be at 3pm at St. Theresa Catholic Church.
Ticket prices are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and seniors. Children under age 5 are admitted without charge.
Choir members are inviting businesses to place ads in the concert program. This year, in addition to the usual donation categories of $25, $50, and $100, individuals or businesses are being sought to underwrite the cost of bringing the String Beings to South Lake Tahoe for these two concerts. Underwriting donations begin at $200. Contact Linda Mitchell at (530) 541.2635 regarding sponsoring the String Beings. The Tahoe Choir is a 501c(3).
REDBy Howie Nave
I can’t tell you how fun it is to see a bunch of well-seasoned actors in a movie where it genuinely looks like they’re having the time of their lives. This movie will not get any Oscar nods even though the actors here have won a few.
But just like Clint Eastwood’s “Space Cowboys” (and “Gran Torino”), Michael Caine’s “Harry Brown” or Stallone’s “The “Expendables” this movie, if anything, shows that Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation can still kick some geriatric butt and not have to be relegated to “On Golden Pond” or wait for Ron Howard to do another “Cocoon” flick. I don’t know, maybe Hollywood took notice after “The Expendables” became an unlikely hit at the box office and thought there might be an audience out there that was cool with wrinkles on its stars. I know, quite a shock, huh?
Helen Mirren
The plot to “RED” (which btw stands for Retired, Extremely Dangerous) is predictable. But what movie isn’t sometimes? At least the cast here pokes fun (and have fun) at themselves just showing you how real they are and not hiding behind any Botox or boob job to try and look pathetically young for Hollywood’s taste. And in this case experience trumps youth.
I think director Robert Schwentke gave his geriatric actors quite a bit of leeway in their roles especially with Bruce Willis’ character. He’s at the center of this story playing Frank Moses, a former agent who essentially knows too much for his own good. His own people (namely the CIA) want to eliminate any potential threat from Frank sharing his secrets so they decide to take him out. Oh, let me inject here that Frank has been having a long distance romance with a lady who handles his pension checks, Sarah (played hilariously by Mary-Louise Parker) and ultimately she gets caught up in the madness. Frank doesn’t want to take any chances and kidnaps Sarah knowing she too is at risk as a target from these high tech assassins out to kill him.
This is when it gets to be a kick as Frank assembles his old (and I do mean old) team back to assist him in a counter offensive. Helen Mirren must have had so much fun being the cougar (no, make that a saber-toothed tiger) playing Victoria, the classy and well-dressed dame if knocking off the baddies and rarely flinching at all because she just has to. Speaking of which in yet another role that makes shim a standout (like his character in “Secretariat” as the horse trainer) John Malkovich is hands-down the funniest in this movie. He plays the over-the-top Marvin who could have easily been modeled after him. Again, I think Robert Schwentke (as mentioned earlier) gave him liberty to create his character how he saw it which is part whack-job, part “Lethal Weapon” and all confidant.
Some of his best work is low tech, too. Who would have thought you could take out a team using just a baseball bat anyway? Go, Giants!
Morgan Freeman is another joy to watch and makes you think that living in a retirement home is the surest way to shorten one’s life. And like Tommy Lee Jones’ character in “Space Cowboys” doesn’t really have many options left in his old age, so life really begins once he comes out of retirement.
With some added support from Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss and Ernest Borgnine (still alive yes!) “RED” is fun to watch and it’ll be interesting to see if the younger generation out there checks this out. Hey kids, it is based on the DC Comics miniseries so maybe that’ll get your interest up. I know there are no vampires or brooding relationship issues, but that alone is worth giving this a look-see.
“RED” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language with a running time of 1 hour and 52 minutes.
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.
The “Kokanee Literary Journal” reading is Oct. 19 in the Aspen Room at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe.
The reception starts at 6:30pm, reading at 7pm.
The journal will be available for purchase for $10. Refreshments will be served.
The “Kokanee” features poetry, short stories and essays by LTCC students, alumni, and faculty, as well as the work of nationally and internationally-known writers such as Brain Turner, Patricia Smith, Denise Duhamel, Sholeh Wolpe, and Todd James Pierce, who have participated in the LTCC Writers’ Series. The cover art was done by LTCC student artist and winner of the 2010 Kokanee Cover Art Award, Calee Allen.
For more information, contact Suzanne Roberts at (530) 541.4660, ext. 708 or robertss@ltcc.edu.
More than 25 years after the release of their debut album, Night Ranger is on the road again with their long list of hard rocking hits and ethereal love songs at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Oct. 16.
Night Ranger is known as one of America’s most successful touring and recording bands. They left their mark on the charts with a string of best selling albums between 1982 and 1988, including Dawn Patrol, Midnight Madness, 7 Wishes, Big Life and Man in Motion. All went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Their popularity was fueled by an impressive list of instantly recognizable hit singles and signature album tracks that are as much a part of the ’80s rock lore as Night Ranger itself.
“Sister Christian,” “(You Can Still) Rock In America,” “When You Close Your Eyes,” “Sentimental Street,” “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” and “Restless Kind of You” are just a few of the hit singles that catapulted Night Ranger to the top of the pop charts.
Night Ranger boasts some of country’s great rock musicians, including: Jack Blades, bass and lead vocals; Brad Gillis, guitar and vocals; Kelly Keagy, drums and lead vocals; Joel Hoekstra, guitar; and multi-instrumentalist Christian Cullen on keyboards.
The band reunited in 1997 to tour with Ted Nugent and the fans’ reaction convinced them that there is still an audience for their brand of soaring rock ‘n’ roll. In response to the success of their recent tours, RCA records released “The Best of Night Ranger” in 2000. The band continues to bring their guitar crunching, yet melodic brand of rock well into the 21st century.
Night Ranger is on stage Oct. 16 at 7:30pm in the legendary South Shore Room.
Tickets are $35, plus fees, and can be reserved by calling 800.786.8208 or purchase online.
Sierra Nevada College’s next Fireside Chat, hosted by Andy Whyman, will feature a comprehensive, expert panel discussing the social and economic impact of addiction and the possibilities available for constructive, coordinated prevention and control. Panelists with backgrounds in medicine, law, enforcement, and counseling include:
-Judge Harold G. Albright practiced law in Reno for 27 years before being elected judge in 1999. He has served as a member of the Nevada Supreme Court alternative dispute resolution and implementation committees.
– Mark Hall Broadhead, physician, has been the medical director for Renown Behavioral Health since 2001, while also working as an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He has given numerous presentations on addiction, substance use disorders, and the effects of methamphetamines.
– Michael A. Haley serves as the sheriff for Washoe County. He is the senior law enforcement executive in the county overseeing a population of over 410,000 residents and approximately 5.1 million annual visitors.
– Eric W. Lamberts, physician, is the head of the First Day Recovery Program at West Hills Hospital. The First Day Recovery Program includes detoxification, inpatient rehabilitation, and relapse prevention. Lamberts also works as an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
– Charles E. “Charlie” Stookey has been a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor since 1989. He has worked in a social model detox center, transitional recovery house, and a hospital-based treatment center for adults and adolescents.
This panel discussion will be Oct. 21 at 7pm in Sierra Nevada College’s Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, rooms 139/141. Refreshments will be served.
For more information on the event, contact Shelia Leijon at (775) 832.1310, shelia_leijon@ivgid.org, or Debi Noonan at (775) 831.1314, ext. 7420, dnoonan@sierranevada.edu.
Husband, father, brother, pastor, missionary, counselor, teacher, fisherman and friend. Steve Blocher went home to be with the Lord on Oct. 13.
The eldest child of Robert and Mary Jean Blocher, Steve Blocher was called to follow Jesus Christ in his early 20s, working in the fields of Northern California. He met the Forgy family of Yuba City through First Methodist Church and eventually they allowed him to meet their daughter, Janelle. They were soon married and the two of them would spend the next 34 years together sharing Christ’s love with others, raising three children, four dogs, two cockatiels and going wherever in the world they were called to serve the Lord.
Steve Blocher
Steve’s ministry began in youth groups in Yuba City. But a calling in missions and outreach would lead him and Janelle from Alaska (First Presbyterian, Anchorage) down to his family’s base in California’s Central Valley (First Presbyterian, Bakersfield), on to positions in Cairo, Egypt (Heliopolis Community Church) and Mussoorie, India (Woodstock Christian International School) before bringing them to Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church. A lifelong student, Steve studied at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Selly Oak Colleges in the UK, the American University of Cairo and Fuller Seminary in Pasadena (M.Div. and D.Min.).
Steve loved the outdoors, he loved to travel and he loved to share the wonder of God’s creation with others. Whether hiking the Tahoe basin, horseback riding around the Great Pyramids in Giza or piling his family into an Ambassador taxi for a journey across India, Steve knew wonder was best shared with others. The Blocher family home was a regular stop on many travelers’ and missionaries’ journeys wherever it was in the world. The Blochers’ home was often filled with the smell of Steve’s chicken on the barbecue, the sound of his beautiful voice singing along to his amazing guitar playing and the love of Jesus that he would share with any who would listen.
Steve is survived by his wife, Janelle of South Lake Tahoe; daughter Kristin of Sacramento; sons Ryan and Eric of Qingdao, China; and Eric’s wife, Song. He is also survived by his sisters, Janice Stovall and her husband John, Patricia Orth and her husband Bob, Nancy Greenman and her husband Greg, Janelle’s sisters Huntyce Moore, Jeanine and her husband Walter White, Alisan and her husband Brent Hastey, many nieces and nephews and many brothers and sisters in Jesus. He is predeceased by his parents and many others glad this good and faithful servant is home with them today in Heaven.
— Provided by the Blocher family
Publisher’s note: Steve Blocher was minister of the South Lake Tahoe church since 1996. Services are slated for Sunday at 11:30am at the Presbyterian Church in South Lake Tahoe.
A significant collection of historic artifacts, documents and photographs has been donated to the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park by Dangberg family member C. Stephen Achard Jr.
The items help tell the story of the Dangberg family and the history of Carson Valley’s schools, businesses, events and families. Also new to the collection are several items recently found in a hidden dresser drawer just discovered at the park. Selections from both these acquisitions are now on display as part of guided tours of the Dangberg family home.
“Mr. Achard’s donation of family heirlooms and personal memorabilia makes an important contribution to fulfilling the park’s mission,” park interpreter Mark Jensen said in a press release. “The hundreds of items from the 19th and 20th centuries will help the park present the history of Carson Valley and Nevada ranching. There are some real treasures and we thank Mr. Achard for his generosity.”
Several items were recently discovered in a “hidden” drawer located at the bottom of a 19th century dressing table, including prints of skiing photographs shot and signed by Antoinette “Toni” Hiller, a noted sports and fashion photographer in the 1950s, and an herbarium of pressed flowers from the late 19th century.
Tours of the park continue Wednesday through Sunday at 10am and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. Tours run through Dec. 12.
Tours are open to the public and cost $3 for adults, and free for children 12 and younger.
Are you a high school student interested in learning more about science? Would you like to add a great experience onto your college resume while also having a great time and making new friends?
High school students interested in science may apply for the Youth Science Institute (YSI) program by Dec. 17. This afterschool program is offered on Wednesdays from 4 to 6pm at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village beginning Jan. 26 and running through May 25, 2011.
UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) and Space Science for Schools will be hosting the fourth annual Youth Science Institute. This 15-week program is for high school students in grades 9 through 11 who have an interest in exploring different scientific disciplines. Students will conduct different science experiments and activities including stream monitoring, fish dissection, earth science geology hikes, astrobiology, biochemistry, green building demonstrations, lake science on the UC Davis Research Vessel John Le Conte and more. The students will not only gain knowledge and skills in various scientific fields and work with scientists, but will receive opportunities for paid internships, fulfill community service hours, and receive letters of recommendation.
Send applications or any questions to Martin Frye, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center AmeriCorps Member at mfrye@ucdavis.edu or (775) 881.7560, ext. 7483.
Additional details and the application are available online.
Arlen Huggins will discuss cloud seeding to enhance snowfall at Sierra Nevada College on Oct. 20.
Cloud seeding has been conducted in the Sierra Nevada since the 1950s and in the Lake Tahoe area since the 1960s. As a form of weather modification, wintertime cloud seeding is aimed at enhancing snowfall in mountainous regions to increase the snowpack, resulting in more spring runoff and water supplies to the surrounding areas.
Cloud seeding research is still being conducted, but the scientific basis for wintertime cloud seeding evolved mainly from detailed investigations of clouds and their response to various seeding materials in the 1980s and 1990s. Significant results from several of these research efforts will be presented to explain how the conceptual model for seeding winter storms came about, and how it is being applied today in areas like the Tahoe basin.
DRI scientists have played a major role in cloud seeding research and a specific DRI evaluation method using ultra trace chemical analysis of snow samples continues to be applied in ongoing research and operational seeding projects. Some examples of this unique evaluation method will also be presented.
Huggins, with the Desert Research Institute, has an active interest in applied research in summer convective storms and wintertime storms. He has studied the evolution of winter storms over mountainous terrain, including field projects in the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada, the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and the Victorian Alps and Snowy Mountains of Australia. As a researcher Huggins has studied the physical effects of both airborne and ground-based cloud seeding on winter storm clouds, and produced several publications documenting the effects of seeding from cloud to ground. He manages the Cloud Seeding Program at DRI, which is designed to augment snowfall in selected mountainous regions of Nevada, California and Colorado.
Date: Oct. 20
Time: 5:30pm no-host bar/door opens; 6pm program
Cost: $5. Students free.
Location: Assembly Rooms 139 & 141 Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, on the campus of Sierra Nevada College.