Brian Wallace of the Washoe tribe was recognized by Ecotrust as one of the West’s most innovative indigenous leaders for his efforts to improve conditions in his community.

The recipients were selected by a panel of tribal leaders. The winners’ efforts span the areas of youth advocacy, education, renewable energy, cultural restoration and scholarship.

The Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award has quietly become one of the preeminent programs honoring and supporting tribal, First Nation, and Alaska Native leaders in the West. Tribes and First Nations are more than an ethnic or minority demographic; they are nations and representative governments, major land owners, committed co-managers in natural resources, and they are major drivers of local and regional economies, according to a press release.

The awards — $45,000 total — were given out Dec. 3. Jim Manion, received $25,000, and the four finalists each received $5,000.

A press release said, “Brian Wallace is honored for his tireless efforts to protect, restore, and strengthen Washoe ancestral homelands, community programs, youth programs, and tribal culture. The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California was removed from the heart of its homeland — the Lake Tahoe basin — during the 19th century gold rush, but it withstood extinction and continues to build strength. Wallace contributed by serving four four-year terms as tribal chairman, all while working to protect cultural and environmental resources at home and abroad through true innovation and a unique type of leadership. In 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell nominated Wallace to serve on the U.N. Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, and he has served in multiple leadership capacities associated with the environment, social services, child welfare, and cultural resource protection.”

Other finalists include Janeen Comenote, Allen Pinkham Sr. and Patricia L. Whitefoot.

The El Dorado County Health Services Department, Public Health Division ‘s H1N1 (swine) flu vaccination clinics scheduled for mid-December will be open to all El Dorado County residents.

El Dorado County Health Officer Olivia Kasirye is also advising local physicians in the community, who have been focused on vaccinating high risk individuals over the past several weeks, that they may now offer the vaccine more broadly to their patients who want it.

The vaccine will be administered subject to availability. The upcoming H1N1 vaccination clinic dates and locations include:

Dec. 14 from 1-4 p.m. at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive, Placerville, in the Organ Room.

Dec. 17 from 4-7pm at Lake Tahoe Community College, One College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, in the Board Room/Aspen Room. (The South Lake Tahoe clinic is co-hosted by the Health Services Department, Barton Health, Lake Tahoe Unified School District and Lake Tahoe Community College.)

The Tahoe Choir presents the music of J.S. Bach with a string quartet Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 at 8pm at the LTCC Duke Theatre in South Lake Tahoe.

Tickets may be purchased at the door for $l0 for adults and $8 for seniors and students.

There will be a performance at St. Theresa’s at a 3pm matinee on Dec. 6th.

Also being performed is Camille St. Saens’ Carnival of the Animals featuring the double piano rendition talents of Salli Parker and Mo Leonard. The work will also be narrated. The full choir will open with audience favorites and a small ensemble will sing music from the Renaissance. The entire concert will be conducted by Linda Mitchell.

Parking is free at both locations. And refreshments may be purchased during intermission at all three concerts.

Reno Gazette-Journal

Brian Wilson, songwriter and producer for many classic Beach Boys songs, has been on a creative roll for this past decade. His acclaimed 2004 remake of the lost Beach Boys album “Smile” was followed last year by “That Lucky Old Sun,” a song suite featuring that standard plus new compositions.

Now Wilson is completing unfinished songs by one of his musical idols: composer George Gershwin. This project is being recorded now for release next year, a swift undertaking in stark contrast to the decades between Wilson albums in the ’80s and ’90s.

Wilson also continues to tour, playing not only his new works but also Beach Boys songs. He and his band will play Dec. 5 at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

Read the whole story

The Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus of Sierra College, directed by Susan K. Horst, Chris Nelson, and Tom Acord, presents “Classically Christmas” at the Resort at Squaw Creek, Squaw Valley on Dec. 12 at 7pm and Dec. 13 at 4pm.

The concert has become a tradition in the Truckee, North Tahoe region, ushering in the holiday season with light holiday classics, an audience sing along, and joyous classic literature. The chorus and strings will feature Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and selections from Handel’s Messiah.

General Admission $11, preferred seats are $20 and children and students are free. Six Peaks Grille and Sandy’s Pub, at the Resort at Squaw Creek, will be offering a 20 percent discount on food with proof of tickets.

Advanced tickets are recommended. For more information, go to www.singttcc.org.

By Tracy Owen Chapman

STATELINE — Two dozen students from Whittell High School were transported to another part of the world during Enrichment Day at Kahle Community Center.

Tibet Day special guests included Ven. Lama Sarpo and local photojournalist Rick Gunn.

Ven. Lama Sarpo talks to Whittell High students. Photo/Melanie Foerscher

Melanie Foerschler of www.noteablebowls.com contributed to the event’s success, along with another local, Chris Sullivan, who showed the movie “Everest A Climb for Hope” which is about the expedition Chris and Mike Sullivan went on in 1991 when they traveled from Kathmandu into Tibet to attempt Everest from the Tibetan side.

Enrichment Fridays were created by parents who wanted to give Whittell students something to do other than hang out at home now that the 7-12 school is off on Fridays. These special days are usually once a month, with the last one being Nov. 20.

Tibet Day was filled with cultural enlightenment as the students learned Torma art and Tibetan language from Lama Sarpo. Sarpo was born in the Golok region of northeast Tibet.

Sarpo currently resides in South Lake Tahoe. After receiving a monastic education and becoming a fully ordained monk, he was forced into exile in 2005. He continued his Buddhist studies in Dharamsala, India, where he had the rare opportunity to receive teachings from the Dalai Lama.

In October 2008, Sarpo arrived in the United States and is in the process of learning English. He offers bimonthly ritual ceremonies for those interested in attending. For more information, email Tibet_Tahoe@yahoo.com.

Gunn’s slides from China and Tibet are from his three-year bike trip around the world. The Tibet part of his trip was about halfway into his travels. He spent three months in that region. The students learned about his interactions with the people of Tibet, food and geography.

Students also learned to play ancient Singing Bowls, taught by Foerschler.

There was plenty of time for student questions and reflection about Tibetan culture.

Tracy Owen Chapman is a parent.

Join Eric Rost to learn about the environmental causes of cancer. There are known causal agents and correlation studies that show links between chemicals found in air, food and water. Toxins in the environment include pesticides, herbicides, plastics, cleaning products, engine emissions, smoke, radon, etc. By limiting your exposure to these toxins, you can reduce your risk of some types of cancer.

Date: Dec. 2

Time: 5:30-7:30pm. Lecture begins promptly at 6pm.

Cost:$5 donation requested.No-Host Bar.

Location: Assembly Rooms 139 & 141, Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nevada (on the campus of Sierra Nevada College)

Rost will make recommendations on the top 10 things you can do to protect yourself as well as the top 10 foods that prevent cancer.

Examples of preventative measures you can take might include things like washing fruits and vegetables, buying organic, stop microwaving your food in plastic containers, getting rid of those BPA plastic water bottles, using cleaning products without certain chemicals, and following instructions and safety tips to avoid or reduce contact with harmful substances such as pesticides, used engine oil, solvents and other chemicals. Learn more and protect yourself and your family.

Rost, is a physician who works at the Renown Institute for Cancer in Reno.He is a national leader in TomoTherapy programs and radiation treatment techniques for cancer tumors. Rost has developed a variety of prestigious cancer centers. Most recently, he served with Cancer Hope, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to individualized cancer care. He is highly regarded in the medical world and frequently lectures on modern radiation techniques.

Sierra Green Building Association is sponsoring sustainability panels Dec. 9 in South Lake Tahoe and Jan. 7 in Reno.

The first panel will be at Lake Tahoe Community College, Aspen Room, 1 College Drive in South Lake Tahoe from 6-7:15, with doors opening at 5:30pm. The second panel is Jan. 7 in Reno from 4-6pm at the Builder’s Association of Northern Nevada, 5484 Reno Corporate Drive.

South Tahoe: Is South Shore Lake Tahoe Green? (Opportunities and obstacles) A panel of industry experts will debate trends in renewable energy and sustainability and give a forecast for 2010.

Also to be discussed: What have local businesses and agencies achieved and where does the community fall short in terms of greening the region?

The panel will be moderated by Gantt Miller from Build Tahoe Green. Confirmed panelists include: Leslie Ames – Tahoe Solar Designs, Raejean Fellows — Kirkwood Meadows, Nicoletta Florio — Big George Green Consulting, Carlo Luri — Bently Biofuels, Scott Terrell — Truckee Donner Public Utility District, Tom Wendell — South Lake Sustainability Commission, and Steve Yonker — South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce.

The Resort at Squaw Creek hosts Evenings with Family and Friends in Olympic Valley on Dec. 2, 9 and 16, 4-8pm, with free ice skating and hot cocoa, along with discounts at restaurants and shops.

Northstar-at-Tahoe brings back its Thursday Noel Nights starting Dec. 3, 5-8pm, with s’mores by the fire, free ice skating, hot cocoa, shopping specials, holiday carolers and photos with Santa.

Incline Village and Sierra Nevada College host the 2nd Annual Tree Lighting on campus at Patterson Hall Dec/ 3, 4-6pm. This family-friendly event features holiday crafts and activities, in addition to the tree lighting.

The fun continues in Incline Village when the Sierra Nevada College Choir performs Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” and other seasonal music during its 24th annual Holiday Concert Dec. 3, 7pm, at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church. Tickets are $15/person and are available at the door.

On Dec. 4 Kings Beach has its traditional Tree Lighting Ceremony with Santa at the North Tahoe Event Center from 5-8pm. The Holiday Fair, which opens at 5:30pm, offers refreshments, caroling and holiday shopping.

Tahoe City hosts its Family Winter Wonderland Dec. 5, 11am-3pm at the picturesque Heritage Plaza with $15 pictures with Santa and Lake Tahoe as the backdrop. Guests can also enjoy hot cocoa and are encouraged to bring a toy to donate. At 6 that evening, Tahoe City’s Tree Lighting takes place, along with caroling.

Tahoe Mountain Club presents the Holiday Cooking Demo Dec. 6, 5-9:3pm at Coyote Moon in Truckee with a six-course wine paired tasting demo and popular chef and restaurateur Mark Estee as the emcee. Tickets are $60/person and the event benefits Project Mana’s hunger-relief efforts.

One of Tahoe City’s most popular Santa parties takes place at Granlibakken Resort Dec. 13, noon-4pm, with free sledding and gifts for children preschool to 9 years old. Put on by the Rotary Club of Tahoe City, complimentary cocoa, hot dogs and cookies will also be served.

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE — It was 1975 when Judy Collins won a Grammy for Song of the Year for “Send in the Clowns” – the one song I knew she sang before I saw her in concert Saturday night.

What a shame that I thought this 70-year-old singer-songwriter was all about this one song. In fact, it turned out to be my least favorite song of the night.

Saturday night was like being introduced to someone for the first time, despite hearing her on CDs many a time at my parents. This night I listened with interest.

Collins dazzled the appreciative crowd at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe South Shore Room with lyrics and music of a bygone era. So much of what is on the airwaves today is noise. Collins belted out song after song with lyrics both audible and memorable – stories in words, with a richness coming from the guitar and piano she played so eloquently.

Much of the evening she was accompanied on piano by music director Russell Walden. Collins spent most of the night strumming her Martin, tuning it along the way – just like Eric Clapton.

Her vocal range is what it was years ago – hitting every note as though it was 1961 when she released her first album.

Walking onto the stage in a glittery black pantsuit, Collins began the 90-minute show with “Both Sides Now” – the Joni Mitchell classic that is part of the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The longevity of her career has allowed Collins to be associated with legends in the music industry. Before singing Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” she said, “Harry is up there looking for a rhyme for indictment.” To this, the audience applauded.

This folk artist clearly has a strong following. As a contemporary and friend of Joan Baez, she taps into that style of musicianship that embraces artistry and simplicity.

Collins’ easy manner on stage makes you feel like her friend by the time the night is over. She talks about the songs, the artists who may have first sang the song, the songwriters, life, getting older – and she continuously welcomes the audience to sing with her.

It was 1979 when Collins made her debut in the South Shore Room. She played 11 consecutive nights, two shows a night.

She talked about the beautiful home on Lake Tahoe that Bill Harrah owned and where all she did was sleep because of the schedule she had.

Collins capped the night with her renowned rendition of “Amazing Grace” in a cappella. It brought about the second standing ovation of the night – with the crowd clapping in hopes she’d return to the stage one more time.