Equine enthusiasts are headed west to attend Nevada’s first United States Hunter Derby and the 24th Annual Draft Horse Classic in California. Both events will showcase some of the west’s finest equine artistry and have hand-selected June Towill Brown’s bronze and Lucite sculptures as the highlight of their art displays and juried shows.

The $25,000 Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby in Carson City will make its inaugural debut on Sept. 19 as a standalone high performance competition in affiliation with the United States Hunter Jumper Association. Paralleling this event is the Promenade which will display the art work of Brown of J.T. Brown Sculptures of Incline Village; other elite commodities will also be on site.

J.T. Brown

During the event, Brown will present a variety of her most recent Series of Three Gypsy Vanner Horses and also her Friesian and Arabian horses in the bronze and Lucite medium.

For more information about the Derby, click here.

The Draft Horse Classic and Harvest Fair is set for Sept. 23-26 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

By Kathryn Reed

“It’s a stroll in the park.”

That’s how Chris Hawken, No. 2 guy with South Lake Tahoe Park’s and Recreation Department, described Saturday’s annual Bijou Bash. And it’s exactly what it looked like.

Kids learn about recycling at the South Tahoe Refuse table on Sept. 11. Photos/Kathryn Reed

With nearly 3,000 people meandering through Bijou Community Park, which was closed off to vehicle traffic, it was one of those Tahoe Saturday’s to bask in the sun, mingle with friends, watch kids scamper about, munch on food from local restaurants, and visit a variety of informational booths.

Tahoe Mountain Milers started things off with a poker run with 30 participants.

Anthony Davis kept things rolling as he emceed the event and had people grooving to the music in between the various stage acts. Demonstrations from Miss Marcia’s dancers to karate to gymnastics brought out hundreds to watch.

At the other end of the park, near the entrance, kids scampered on the big equipment the city brought out. Lots of kids visited the firefighters based on the number of plastic red fire hats being worn all over.

Kristopher Fisher, 10 was all smiles as he climbed into the cab of the Kodiak snowblower with its 1,000 horsepower engine and 1,470 pounds of torque.

In between the areas gymnasts practiced in the stretch of lawn that was put in by park staff last year. Children played on the permanent equipment installed this year as well as on and in the bouncy house apparatuses brought in for the bash.

Exact attendance numbers are hard to calculate because not everyone walks in the main entrance. And with it being free, no tickets are sold. About 2,700 attended last year and it’s anticipated about 300 more came this year. It helped that there wasn’t a downpour this year.

People even showed up before the 11am start time, clearly redefining Tahoe time.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The worlds of digital storytelling, snowsports and technology will converge on Heavenly Mountain Resort Jan. 6-9 for Tahoe Snowcial, a winter festival of technology and snowsports.

The Snowcial Organizing Committee has announced the program and a partial lineup of speakers for the third annual Tahoe Snowcial, which brings together thought leaders and experts in technology, social media and snowsports to spark new ideas for the future, link networks, passions and turns.

Dave Morin, co-founder and CEO of Path, and co-founder of the Facebook Platform and Facebook Connect; Josh Williams, CEO of Gowalla; Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts; and David Norton, CMO of Harrah’s Entertainment will share their stories and online innovations.

Recording artist and entrepreneur M.C. Hammer will also make a special appearance. An event that’s one part theory and three parts practice, Snowcial provides an on- and off-mountain atmosphere where opportunities for personal and professional development flourish.

More information, click here.

In addition to the half-day conference, Tahoe Snowcial 2011 also offers three days of skiing or snowboarding at Heavenly Mountain Resort, two headline concerts at Harrah’s Resort Casino, a welcome reception, two dinners, a lunch, a breakfast and networking opportunities galore. Register before Oct. 1 to secure the best rates. The no-hotel, no-lift ticket option is designed for locals with a Heavenly pass.

Do you have a snowsports-inspired technology or social media story that needs to be heard? Submit a speaker proposal here. The deadline to receive the proposal is Sept. 30. Speakers will be notified shortly thereafter.

By Frank X. Mullen Jr., Reno Gazette-Journal

The Great Reno Balloon Race has been hemorrhaging funding over the past few years, but organizers said the 28-year-old event isn’t in danger of a crash landing.

“I think, considering what’s been happening, we’re doing pretty well,” said Marlene Olsen, executive director for the race. “At least we’re bleeding less than last year.”

The free event began in 1982 with 20 balloons and about 5,000 attendees. By the 1990s, it boasted more than 100 balloons and 100,000 spectators, and its tax returns showed a $250,000 carryover from one year to the next. In those days, companies were lining up to sponsor balloons, Olsen said.

Then came the economic downturn.

Major sponsors dropped out or reduced support. Costs and services became more expensive. Crowds got larger, but volunteerism dropped. Merchandise sales decreased.

Read the whole story

Come see what Saturday Mornings at SNC (formerly Senior Saturdays), the award-winning joint offering of Sierra Nevada College and Incline Village Parks & Recreation Senior Programs, are all about. Share your morning coffee with SNC’s faculty and other knowledgeable locals as they present bite-size offerings of intellectually stimulating material. An optional continental breakfast will be provided for $3.

Date: Sept. 18

Event: Monotype Demonstration

Come to the printmaking studio (3rd floor, David Hall) and watch Mary Kenny (Sierra Nevada College associate professor, Fine Arts Department) create color rich prints. This demonstration will introduce the basic methods and materials of monotype printmaking. Topics covered by the demonstration will include stencils, chine colle (collage using a press), and multiple drop printing. Monotype is a versatile printmaking medium that can accommodate a wide range of approaches.

Kenny is an artist printmaker living in Truckee and teaching at Sierra Nevada College. She has participated in numerous shows regionally and nationally, most recently at Riverside Studio and Western Nevada Community College. Her prints reside in collections at Kent State University, Iowa State University, and Zygote Press, among others.

Time: 10am–noon

Where: Prim Library, Sierra Nevada College, 999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village

Fee: $3 optional continental breakfast

For details on course offerings, click here or call (775) 832.1310.

The West Coast premiere of Standard Films’ “The Storming” presented by Monster Energy comes to the Resort at Squaw Creek on Sept. 18.

An institution in action sports, Standard Films has been capturing the essence of snowboarding since 1991, beginning with the iconic “TB” series that defined a genre of filmmaking. Standard Films’ legacy of portraying the progression of snowboarding through acclaimed film continues with “The Storming.”

The newest HD film by Mike Hatchett and Travis Robb, this marks the 19th annual release from Standard Films. Following its Global Premiere at Red Rocks, Colo., the Standard crew comes home to Lake Tahoe for the West Coast Premiere.

Special guests attending the West Coast Premiere are Mike Hatchett and Travis Rob, with riders Torstein Horgmo, Lonnie Kauk, Sammy Luebke and more.

Doors open at 7:45pm and the show starts at 9pm. Tickets are on sale now at all Porter’s locations (Tahoe City, Truckee, Incline Village). Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

Following the showing special guest performers take the ballroom stage for the after-party. All premiere-goers who want to access the cash bar during the film and after-party must be 21 with valid I.D.

The teaser can be viewed here.

By Jason Hildago, Reno Gazette-Journal

A Las Vegas-based company is betting on apps as a solid platform for gambling.

American Wagering Inc. released a new sports betting app Wednesday for BlackBerry phones through its subsidiary Leroy’s Sportsbooks.

The app is free to download and allows users in the state of Nevada to legally bet on sports. The Leroy’s app was approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and is currently available to BlackBerry users on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. The company is also in discussions with other wireless carriers.

“This is the first app of this nature to be approved (by the gaming control board),” said John English, senior vice president for American Wagering. “It really takes advantage of the technology out there today so we’re really excited about it. I think this will make a big impact on the industry as a whole and I expect to see a lot of creativity in this sector soon.”

Read the whole story

Tahoe Writers Works is hosting the second annual Celebration of Writers Around the Lake on Sept. 17.

It’s an evening of lit at the lake with 12 writers who call Tahoe home or are inspired by Tahoe. The event is at Valhalla in the Grand Hall at 7pm. The $10 admission includes a wine reception followed by a reading and book signing. Books will be available for purchase.

Featured writers include:

• Jeremy Evans, nonfiction, “In Search of Powder: A Story of America’s Disappearing Ski Bum”

• Scott Lankford, nonfiction, “Tahoe Beneath the Surface”

• Ann Ronald, fiction, “Friendly Fallout 1953”

• Janet Smith, poet, “All of a Sudden Nothing Happened”

• Michael J. Makley, nonfiction, “Cave Rock: Climbers, Courts, and a Washoe Indian Sacred Place”

• Suzanne Roberts, poet, “Shameless, Nothing to You”

• Gailmarie Pahmeier, poet, “New Poets of the American West”

• Karen Terrey, “Tangled Roots Writing”

• Jeanine Stevens, poet, “Caught in the Clouds”

• June Saraceno, poet, “Altars of Ordinary Light”

• Krista Benjamin, poet, “New Poets of the American West”

• Scott Lukas, nonfiction, “Fear, Cultural Anxiety, and Transformation: Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Films Remade”

Tahoe Writers Works, formerly the Lake Tahoe Writing Club, is a nonprofit organization based in South Lake Tahoe. Each year, the group organizes events to create a stronger literary and arts community in Lake Tahoe, including Bare Bones Open Mic, Murder Mystery Theater, and the Captain Thunder Old Time Radio Play at Valhalla. The group also publishes the literary journal “EDGE”. For more information, click here.

For general information about the group, contact founder and director Andrea Wexelblatt at (530) 416-.2666, or avantgardencollegestore@yahoo.com.

The American

Rated R

3 bagels out of 5

By Howie Nave

In probably one of his most detached roles ever, George Clooney plays an assassin for hire in director Anton Corbijn’s “The American.” It’s ironic, too, because this movie is billed as a dramatic thriller, but most Americans will probably find this movie too slow. By slow I mean no car chases, explosions, mass killings or handheld cameras that make you almost want to throw up until the person behind the camera runs out of steam.

Don’t get me wrong, the opening sequence jumps right into the story, shaking up your senses and revealing that Sweden doesn’t like Clooney’s character Jack (and also going by the name of Edward). But rather a game of cat ’n mouse it’s more of who can you trust around any cobblestone corner?

Speaking of trust, Jack doesn’t like using too many things high tech where one can be traced. He prefers the low tech style of communication using a land-based phone in a phone booth for communicating with his superior. He holes up in a small Italian village for his next assignment. Jack is multi-talented too because he’s also adept at making firearms from spare parts found in the garage (there’s another story going on here, too).

George Clooney is no James Bond in "The American."

His contact is the stunning Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), but you’re wondering if she too might be trying to eliminate him. Why is it that just when you decide that it’s time to get out of a specialized occupation people want you killed off?

Adapted by Rowan Joffe’s screenplay (from the novel “A Very Private Gentleman: by Martin Booth) “The American” has Clooney in virtually every scene and proves that his star power is still marketable and can carry a movie. What worked in the movie was Clooney’s character coming to terms that he could never have friends or more important an intimate relationship as long as he was on the radar.

His one friend — if you can call him that — is with the local Italian priest, Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli). At first I thought this was an odd association for someone who does nothing but commit sins, but then it made sense for having him as a friend be it either for unloading his sins (doubtful) or needing someone to be there for a final confession if you laid there dying from a gunshot wound.

Dutch director Corbijn has given us an anti-hero and framed it in a movie that is stylistic with a dark mood in its lead character. Those expecting to see a James Bond type of action movie with a nice, complete ending tying up loose ends will be greatly disappointed. And, yes, there is a love interest in the way of Clara (Violante Placido) who actually is the perfect love interest for him being the local hooker. They’re compatible not just because it’s in the script, but because when you think about it they both have their assignments and when finished are paid handsomely being experts in their chosen field.

“The American” is rated R for action and adventure, mystery and suspense, drama with a running time of 1 hour 45 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.

While it’s still summer, the upcoming winter season is right around the corner. As the season approaches, Vail Resorts Echo, the company’s corporate stewardship program, is kicking off the 2010 fall grant process. Open to Tahoe nonprofits, applications are due Sept. 22.

Vail Resorts Echo encompasses environmental stewardship, charitable giving and community engagement. The program is aimed at protecting the beautiful natural resources that surrounds the resorts and helping build stronger communities.

For its charitable contributions, Vail Resorts Echo supports programs that enhance the quality of life in the South Lake Tahoe area. Specifically, the focus of our charitable giving through Echo is in two main areas:

* Supporting educational and youth programs.

* Encouraging innovation in and implementation of environmental stewardship practices.

Local Heavenly leadership from Vail Resorts form the VR Echo Giving Council, and they award cash grants and in-kind donations once a year through a grant application process. Nonprofits that run programs within our focus areas, benefit local residents and are based in El Dorado County and Douglas County may apply.

Vail Resorts Echo has hit the web with a new site, www.vailresortsecho.com, which enables employees as well as the local communities and others to get a comprehensive snapshot at the company’s corporate stewardship initiatives. In addition, nonprofits will be able to download the grant application and find instructions on how to apply.

The details:

* Applications are due Sept 22.

* Instructions and application is available online at www.vailresortsecho.com.

* One application should be submitted for both cash and in-kind requests.

* An organization can receive funds and/or in-kind donations once each year.

If you have any questions about the application process, give Nicky DeFord a call at (720) 524.5020 or email at ndeford@vailresorts.com.