Your eyes won’t be playing tricks on you. Lights illuminating the Nevada Capitol Building and the Governor’s Mansion in Carson City will turn blue today. This is an effort to raise awareness of diabetes on World Diabetes Day. The Empire State Building in New York, the Sears Tower in Chicago, Niagara Falls, Los Angeles International Airport, as well as other well known landmarks around the world will be bathed in blue light on today.

The effort is coordinated by the International Diabetes Foundation. According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, one out of every three children born in the United States from the year 2000 on will develop some form of diabetes in their lifetime.

“All Nevadans should be aware of this serious disease and do whatever they can to help find a cure,” Gov. Gibbons said in a statement.

The blue lights at the Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion in Carson City will stay in place until the end of November.

On Nov. 18 at 1pm a bronze plaque will be added to the granite cross in the Carson City Pioneer Cemetery detailing the story of Carson County Sheriff John L. Blackburn, the first Nevada peace officer killed in the line of duty.

This is the 148th anniversary of his death.

According to research, Blackburn is likely buried between the grave site of William Allen and the granite cross marking the previous grave site of William Ormsby.

Blackburn was stabbed to death in Carson City’s St. Nicholas Saloon while attempting to arrest William Mayfield. Mayfield was convicted of the murder and later escaped from the territorial jail.

The sheriff was laid to rest next to his friends, Ormsby and Allen whom he served with during the 1860 Paiute Indian war.

The ceremony will start with a mounted sheriff’s deputy leading a riderless horse from 2nd and Carson streets to the Carson City Pioneer Cemetery. They will follow the original 1861 funeral procession route. The site of St. Nicholas Saloon is now the front lawn of the Attorney General’s Office. Once the rider arrives at the cemetery, a short ceremony dedicating the plaque will be conducted.

By Kathryn Reed

It was cold enough to snow Thursday night — which was just what the throng of people at Murphy’s Irish Pub in South Lake Tahoe were hoping for.

It was wall-to-wall people at Sierra-at-Tahoe’s annual Pray for Snow Party. A mix of young and old turned out for the raucous event.

New this year was a mini halfpipe for skaters set up in what is usually the lawn area.

Back as usual was the snow calling contest. Sierra’s General Manager John Rice started things off as he transformed himself into El Nino Grande. His gringo Spanish was hard to hear over the din of the crowd. His sombrero, poncho and goggles easily won best costume contest — though that wasn’t an actual category.

El Nino Grande, aka John Rice, doing a bilingual snow calling chant Nov. 12. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Judges awarded the ladies from Weidinger Public Relations — Jenn, Jenna and Ashley — first place. Apparently their boss’ advice to them before they left the office — make  sure everything was in sync as they danced — did the trick.

Coming in second was Rich Hodge who scribbled his lyrics on a napkin about an hour before hitting the stage.

JC took third — proving being loud has merit.

Sierra is relying on Mother Nature for an opening date — early December, most likely.

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“Gold Star” license plates are now available from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. The license plates allow relatives of U.S. soldiers killed in the line of duty to honor their fallen family member. To be eligible to receive the special license plates, the licensee must be a direct relative of a soldier killed in the line of duty.

Gov. Jim Gibbons gave the first two Gold Star license plates to Roger Varela and Sally Wiley at the DMV office in Carson City.

Varela, a Fernley resident and the founder of the Gold Star Families of Northern Nevada, was presented Gold Star license plate 0001. Varela’s son, Ray, was killed near Baghdad May 19, 2007, when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

Wiley, a Gardnerville resident, received Gold Star plate 0002. Wiley’s son, Sean, was killed Feb. 15, 2009 near As Salam, Iraq. His vehicle was also struck by an IED.

The Gold Star license plate does not raise funds for any organization. The cost for a set is $1 which is the cost to produce the plate.

The Gold Star plates feature a single gold star next to the letters “FV”, which stand for Fallen Veteran.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe brings singer, guitarist and songwriter José Feliciano, to the South Shore Room Nov. 14.

Feliciano is an eight-time Grammy Award winner and recipient of Billboard Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Feliciano’s musical career spans four decades. Born blind to humble beginnings in Lares, Puerto Rico, he began his love affair with music at the age of 3 when he first tapped on a tin cracker can to accompany his musician uncle. After immigrating to New York City at 5, Feliciano learned to play the concertina using a handful of records as a teacher. Wanting to expand his musical talent, he taught himself to play and then master the guitar with a gritty determination that surprised everyone.

At age 17, Feliciano began to play coffee houses in Greenwich Village to help out with his family’s finances. That same year he played his first professional engagement in Detroit.

His first major break occurred in 1966 in the Spanish music market after an amazing performance at the Mar del Plata Festival in Argentina. RCA executives encouraged Feliciano to stay in South America and record an album of Spanish music. The first single from that album, “Poquita Fe,” was a smash hit. Feliciano had taken long-established standards and made them brand new.

By the age of 23, Feliciano had earned five Grammy Award nominations and won two Grammy awards for his revival of The Doors hit “Light My Fire,” which rose to No. 1 on the pop charts in the U.S. and around the world. The second Grammy that year was for the best performance by a male vocalist.

This same year, 1968, Feliciano surprised American TV and radio audiences when he performed a “stylized” version of the national anthem at the fifth game of the World Series.

Feliciano earned his sixth Grammy Award in 1991 and is the only performer who has won Pop Music Awards in two language categories.  In 1997 Feliciano’s Americano album was nominated for a Grammy, marking his fifteenth nomination and in 1998, the Senor Bolero album earned him his sixteenth nomination. His love for the art shines through in his 2004 release with passionate and resonant vocals on Senor Bolero 2, the follow-up to his popular collection of Latin torch songs. The hit single “Lo Que Yo Contingo” (What I Had With You) made Billboard’s Top 40 in 2003.

His 2007 release, The Soundtrax of My Life, is completely self-penned and offers a totally unique recording of original material.  Recorded over a five year period, the album demonstrates why Feliciano is heralded as a legendary songwriter.  Feliciano won both a Grammy Award and a Latin Grammy in 2009 for the CD, Señor Bachata.

Fully embracing the digital age, Feliciano released two new English-language albums for digital download only from his personal websites, one dedicated to “American Classics,” including songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, and the other an instrumental homage to jazz guitar legend Django Reinhardt, who inspired him, and features Feliciano’s song “Djangoisms.”

José Feliciano is on stage in the legendary South Shore Room at 7:30pm; tickets are $45 plus fees. For more information and reservations, call 800.786.8208 or go to www.SouthShoreRoom.com.

The 14th annual Valhalla Holiday Faire is Nov. 20-22.

It is in the Valhalla Grand Hall located on the Tallac Historic Site just past Camp Richardson Resort on Highway 89. The faire will feature the original creations of the best artists and crafts persons selected from the many who applied.

The hall will be decorated with a Christmas tree, holly and lights. There will be a welcoming fire in the fireplace, holiday music and Father Christmas.

Times: Nov 20 – 5:30-8:30pm; Nov. 21-22 – 10am-5pm.

Parking is limited at the Valhalla site. Shuttle transportation will be provided from the former Mikasa parking lot at the northeast corner of the Y and from the Kiva Beach parking lot to Valhalla, courtesy of Woodwind Cruises, every half hour.

The Mission Mountain Wood Band will return to Tahoe on Nov. 27 – the night after Thanksgiving. Booked into the Harrah’s Tahoe South Shore Room, MMWB will bring its inimitable blend of bluegrass, rock, country and whatever else the band may blend in that night.

In their old days of touring, the boys from Mission Mountain covered the country many times, traveling to more than 300 gigs each year. In the decade they were originally together, the band

Mission Mountain Wood Band is coming to Harrah's Tahoe. Photo/Bruce Young

opened for The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffet and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to list just a few.

Mission Mountain Wood Band currently consists of four original band members, who met circa 1970 while at the University of Montana. Rob Quist is on guitar and banjo, Greg Reichenberg is the longtime drummer, Steve Riddle plays bass and Christian Johnson is the multi-instrument whiz – switching deftly and often from electric guitar, mandolin and fiddle.

In 1987, the fifth original player – Terry Robinson – was killed in a plane crash with his then-current group, The Montana Band.

Lately, his place on stage-left has been filled by another Montanan, singer/songwriter Tim Ryan.

Ryan, who has penned songs for many top Nashville acts, has written four new tunes that Mission Mountain has been adding to their line up.

Tickets are $25; 800-786-8208.

Provided by Placer County

More than 32,000 veterans call Placer County home, and it’s Rick Buckman’s job to reach out to them and provide the help and services they need to obtain benefits.

During the 2008-09 fiscal year, Buckman, the county’s veterans services officer, and his staff filed 3,500 claims for Placer County veterans, garnering $22 million in benefits for them. This was an increase from 1,700 claims and $10 million received in benefits for veterans the year before. Since Buckman’s arrival to Placer County in May 2006, services to area veterans have increased dramatically.

The proof is in the numbers. In the year before his arrival, the office filed about 400 claims on behalf of veterans.

“All it takes is a veteran from any war to stop by our office, and we do all the work to file a claim for them,” Buckman said. “We are not the VA – we’re the county and our job is to get our local veterans the federal money and assistance available to them.”

The Veterans’ Service Office provides assistance and advice to veterans and their dependents in obtaining veteran benefits. Its mission is to promote the interests and welfare of veterans and their dependents and survivors and to enhance their quality of life through counseling, education, claims assistance and advocacy.

Some benefits available to veterans include compensation for service injuries, pensions for non-service disabilities, health care enrollment, claims filing for payment of insurance policies and a college fee-waiver program for dependents of disabled veterans who wish to enroll in a communitye college, CSU or UC.

Buckman, who has more than 20 years experience in veterans’ services and is retired from the Army, isn’t surprised at the number of veterans, especially those from World War II, who come into his office unaware of the benefits available to them.

“The older veterans were told years ago they weren’t eligible for benefits, and even though the laws have changed, they still don’t know. They don’t know to ask. Many veterans aren’t aware they have benefits, unless they are connected to a veterans’ group,” said Buckman.

For instance, last year a significant new benefit became available for all veterans, no matter when they served. This benefit allows compensation for veterans suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Surviving spouses are also eligible for compensation. However, Buckman said, most veterans were not aware of this benefit.

“The VA posted it on the website, but most people don’t read their website, and I only had one or two people come in to file a claim. However, when a letter appeared in the newspaper, in one of those nationally syndicated advice columns, then I suddenly I had about 10 people come in to file claims.”

Vietnam veterans should be aware of a recent benefit which specifically affects them. Three more diseases have been added to the presumptive list, meaning if Vietnam veterans suffer from these diseases, they will receive compensation. The diseases recently added to the list are: Parkinson’s disease, Ischemic heart disease and hairy cell leukemia.

Since Buckman took the job as veterans service officer in 2006, he made veterans who are seniors a top priority because many eligible World War II and Korean War veterans were not receiving benefits such as pensions and compensation for injuries. He also found caregivers who assist veterans sometimes are ill informed about how to obtain benefits for veterans. The Veterans Office also took steps to reduce the time needed to process claims by automating the process for submitting claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

As part of his outreach to veterans, Buckman speaks to veterans’ groups and community organizations, such as Veterans and Families and the Gathering Inn. His office also contacts discharged veterans who settle in Placer County to help them with their benefits. Recently, Buckman started visiting Sierra College one day a week to connect with younger, recently discharged veterans to help them file claims for injuries and free VA health care benefits.

To help veterans find jobs, the office works with Roseville One-Stop Career Center and the California Employment Development Department.

Buckman is a busy man. The office has four full-time staffers and the department talks to or helps an average of 450 veterans a month. The three phone lines are constantly busy, and Rick personally sees a client every 30 minutes.

Wednesday is Veterans Day and that morning Buckman and other veterans will march through downtown Auburn in the annual parade. After the parade, Buckman will emcee Veterans Day events at the fairgrounds. This year the theme is “Welcome Home, Vietnam Veterans.”

In mid-January 2010, the Placer County Veterans’ Services office will move from the DeWitt Center in Auburn to its new and larger home at 1000 Sunset Blvd. in Rocklin. The move is due partly to outgrowing its current space and partly to be closer to a larger population of veterans. The new office will combine the Auburn office and the current Roseville office.

Office hours will remain the same: 8am-noon and 1-5pm Monday through Friday.

For more information about the Veterans’ Services Office, call (530)889.7968, email veterans@placer.ca.gov or visit the county website at Placer County Veterans’ Services.

Gina Thompson of the U.S. Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, received the honor of Public Employee of the Year-Federal at the California Film Commission’s Annual On Location Awards.

The event honors those with successful efforts working with film commissioners and local communities, resulting in positive economic impacts of film productions throughout California.

Gina Thompson, left, and Kathleen Dodge. Photo/Provided

Thompson was nominated for this honor by Kathleen Dodge, El Dorado-Lake Tahoe Film & Media Office and Beverly Lewis, Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office.

A panel of entertainment industry professions selected Thompson as the winner and she was honored at the California on Location Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Thompson has assisted with numerous productions in her 21-year career with the Forest Service. In January 2009, she was successful in working to restart the environmental analysis process to authorize more than 30 filming locations in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Sierra Nevada College is presenting the exhibit “Robert Cole Caples: Rooted in Nevada” through Jan. 1. The exhibit highlights the lifelong work of Robert Cole Caples and his deep connection to the landscape and its original inhabitants.

Curated by Nevada Museum of Art, the exhibit is part of the Nevada Arts Council’s Nevada Touring Initiative, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces Initiative.

“Robert Cole Caples: Rooted in Nevada” will be on display in the college’s Prim Library and features works from the Nevada Museum of Art’s permanent collection. In addition to newly acquired drawings, paintings, pastels, notes, and studio materials, this exhibition reveals the interests, inspiration, and character of Robert Caples, whose creative spirit was rooted in Nevada.

Caples is best known for his legendary Indian charcoal drawings from the late 1920s and early 1930s. In these drawings, he portrayed distinct individuals performing everyday tasks. The drawings were reproduced years later in two portfolios published by the University of Nevada Press. However, for Caples, true inspiration stemmed from the landscape that had awed him since 1924 when he arrived in Nevada. He briefly studied at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League of New York, and the Santa Barbara Community School of Art. It wasn’t until his involvement with the 1930s Federal Arts Project, which brought him into contact with a diverse range of painters and printmakers, that Caples began to evolve and expand his work in new directions. Soon after, his work in Nevada’s rural towns and vanishing mining camps was said to reflect stylistic elements of Edward Hopper, Stuart Davis, Thomas Hart Benton, and Grant Wood.

A program of the Nevada Arts Council, the Nevada Touring Initiative supports the work of artists and increases access to cultural events and experiences at the local level, particularly in communities that have typically been underserved. The Nevada Arts Council is a division of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.

Library Hours:

Monday-Thursday – 8am to 10pm

Friday – 9am to 5pm

Saturday – 10am to 4pm

Sunday – 2pm to 10pm

Library hours during the winter semester break will vary; check the website for open hours: http://www.sierranevada.edu.

For more information or to schedule a group visit, contact Library Director Betts Markle at emarkle@sierranevada.edu or (775) 881.7511.