CHARITY

By VVHS students and staff T his year at Virgin Valley High School (VVHS), the staff got involved in Project 150, which has been helping Clark County school district’s homeless and students who have been identified as low economic status. Project 150, a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization in Nevada, was founded in December 2011, when the founders heard a news story of 150 homeless high school students at Rancho High School that were in need of support over Christmas break.

Project 150 provides support and services to homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students so they can remain in school, graduate, and build a bright future. High school is tough enough without having to worry about where you are going to sleep at night, where your next meal is coming from, and how you will pay for clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies. Project 150 was created out of our community’s desire to help these students. With the help of Brooke’s Good Deeds we receive deliveries from Vegas weekly.

This school year at VVHS, we have been able to help students and their families through holiday meal boxes, weekend meals, school, and personal supplies. Project 150 is also assisting students in paying for cap and gowns and other fees associated with graduating from high school. The room donated to Project 150 is lucky to hold a space for students to prepare the weekend bags and sort clothing donations that come from staff and students.

Through the help of the Mesquite Rotary, our Project 150 room has added a new level of care. The staff members, after careful consideration, decided to start Project Birthday/Christmas Bag. This project identifies students that would normally not receive anything for their birthday or need something special to show them that they are cared for and wanted. This school year The Mesquite Rotary through donations has made it possible for Project 150, to give at least 20 students a Christmas or birthday gift when the student would have potentially not received one. Each bag includes a gift card to a local restaurant and a soft cuddly blanket made by a staff member.

The first year of Project 150 has been a success. We have been able to help our students consistently each and every week. Hopefully, we have been able to meet a need within our school community. The smiles on the faces of each student, seeing the relief that they feel, knowing that they are cared for, and that they will not have to worry about where their meals will come from when not in school, is priceless.

For more information on Project 150 please visit Project150.org, or if you would like to donate to the Virgin Valley High School Project 150 room or Birthday Bags - we are looking for precut 1.5 yard fabric, gift cards or gift bags and tissue paper. Again, we would like to thank the Mesquite Rotary Club, Brooke’s Good Deeds and the staff and students who have contributed to making the Project 150 room a success. Also to the Administration for allowing us to use the space and seeing the value in having the room available to VVHS students. V

TENNIS tips-n-tricks

By Donna Eades

Power vs. Placement is an important question during any tennis match whether it is singles or doubles. Everyone loves to try for an ace on their serve but is it the best idea? In a doubles match, power could be your enemy unless it includes proper placement of the ball. Most tennis points last around one minute even with the best players. The last ball that is struck by each team makes a difference in the overall play.

How many times have you heard your opponents state what a great shot or serve only to lose the point? The use of placement is especially important with the return of serve. Hitting your hard return at the server’s partner is a losing thought. Your team will only win around 20% of the time if you try this route. While a well-placed lob return in the backhand corner of your opponent will win you around 70% of the points.

This information follows hand and hand with Positioning and Planning. Every doubles team must look for the best way to position your opponents so that there is an ‘open’ court. That positioning requires planning as well as knowing if power is better than placement. One of the tried and true methods is to make your return a drop shot and then lob over your opponents. Planning your next three shots together is vital to the success of your team. All teams should communicate and support each other. Know when your team is on defense or offense at any moment during the game.

The rules of ‘three’ can help with knowing defense or offense during play. For example your team has been lodged deep in the corners two to three times, you are on defense so both of you should move back. If your partner is put under pressure by at least three hard shots at him/her then your team is in the defensive mode. Many points are won by a team playing smart defense and getting that one more ball back.

Offense is sometimes not noted by your team and not taken advantage of by both partners. Your partner returns a ball that is deep at the feet of the server is one example. You should be looking for the easy poach or a weak lob and keep hitting at the server! Most club players have trouble delivering three consistently strong shots back at their opponents. Do not make the mistake of hitting the ball to their partner who is just waiting to get involved in the play. If your partner has made one or both of your opponents take more than three steps, it is time to think offensively since they are probably either on the wrong foot or out of position at this point.

If these tips sound like a game of chess you are right! The best doubles team moves as one and they both see the entire court at the same time. They look for the best move or shot for their team just like a move on the board during chess. Do not rush your shot or serve and think first. Learn to plan to poach as a team and practice it. Add to your team’s communication by using hand signals. Finally, communicate – communicate – communicate!

One trick at the net is to think palm up or down with any low ball and do not try to hit hard when the ball is below the net or at your knees. So just lay your palm up for a forehand or turn it down for a backhand. Just keep it simple without swinging and keep your racquet always in front where you can see it. The harder they hit the ball the easier this trick is for you.

Meet Ang Black: Hilarious Intuitive Reader and Medium

By Ang Black “L aughter is the shortest distance between two people.”, says Danish comedic and musical genius Victor Borge, and it’s something I truly believe. He connected improbable listeners with classical music through comedy, creating a new form of familiar entertainment. I entertain doubtful seekers, communicating with their departed loved ones through comedy, creating a new form of familiar connection.

My name is Ang Black, and I am an intuitive reader and medium. I have often (though not always justifiably) thought of myself as hilarious, a bit of a comedian. After experiencing a few of my group readings, my best friend’s son called me a “comedium.” I now wear the label with pride!

The humor I incorporate in my work surprises most, affronts a few, and serves my purpose superbly. I have always found humor to be healing and connecting. When we are laughing we are in a safe and healthy vulnerability. That is where I like the earthbound souls I am working with to be, safe and open with a healthy level of skepticism.

Though my readings do come with humor, I do not take my work lightly. I see what I do as sacred work, a form of emotional healing. Forgiveness, understanding, relief, recovery – some or all of these happen every time I do a reading. And not just in those still living with whom I am working. My favorite thing is when I feel the healing that happens on both sides. The peace that is brought to those in spirit when they are forgiven, or able to deliver a message of love and comfort to their family and friends is beautiful.

There are many who struggle with understanding what I do, and some who just don’t believe in it. I feel that each person is an authority for himself or herself. It is not my job or my desire to make believers out of skeptics. As I stated before, I see healthy skepticism as important. If cynics leave a reading with me having been convinced that my connections are real, that is awesome! But if I haven’t answered his or her doubts, perhaps someone else will someday. It’s their journey.

I must admit my career is something I never planned on and am still wondrous about. It astounds me every day. I am overwhelmed with gratitude at my good fortune. Blessed that I get to make a living connecting people with their loved ones and walking with them through their grief. It is my greatest hope that I can continue to facilitate healing in this way for many years to come.V

WORK-BASED LEARNING PROGRAMS

By Shehan Peries H ELP of Southern Nevada and Mesquite Works have teamed up to provide employment and training opportunities to youth and adults in Mesquite including the surrounding areas. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) a workbased learning program at HELP of southern Nevada offers paid training opportunities to underserved youth participants (16-24 yrs. old) who are seeking to build successful careers. Through the Work Experience Program (WEX), which is similar to an internship, a job-seeking candidate can participate in 440 hours (11 weeks approximately) of paid, handson training at an employer’s worksite. Through the On-The-Job training (OJT) program, an employer can get reimbursed for the cost of training a new employee by getting reimbursed for 50 percent of the new employee’s wages for up to 24 weeks. Through these work-based learning programs, career-seeking young adults can learn longterm sustainable skills needed to succeed in a workplace, gain meaningful exposure to the world of employment, and work toward building successful careers. Employers have the opportunity to receive additional human capital to strengthen the products and services they provide to the community, connect with job-ready candidates to fill their staffing needs, provide career opportunities to underserved, career-seeking young adults, and help strengthen Southern Nevada’s workforce. Through HELP’s Displaced Homemaker Program, men & women can receive education and support. A Displaced Homemaker is anyone: • Unemployed, underemployed (not enough hours, pay is not equivalent to their education level, etc.) • Returning to the workforce after being out to care for their families • Provided household services to their families and is no longer supported by the same means that allowed them to stay at home • Lost financial support from their family due to death, divorce, job loss or other circumstances • Who maintained their home As you can see, HELP of southern Nevada and Mesquite Works have been instrumental in serving several of the underserved population in our community. V Mesquite Works is located at 312 W. Mesquite Blvd. Suite 102, Mesquite, NV 89027. For more information regarding local WORC services please contact Linda Rino, Career Coach, HELP of Southern Nevada | lrino@helpsonv.org | c:702-480-8114. HELP’s satellite office at Mesquite Works hours: Monday thru Thursday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. HELP is celebrating 50 years of serving those in need in Southern Nevada. To get involved in any of our celebrations contact events@helpsonv.org. For More information on any HELP programs please visit www.helpsonv.org. The WIOA/DH Program is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are provided upon request to people with disabilities. Hearing Impaired Relay 711 or 1-800-326-6868. The WIOA Program is funded by Workforce Connections. The Displaced Homemaker Program is funded by the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation. Through HELP of Southern Nevada

PINE VALLEY, UTAH

By Merry Bradshaw S o, you think you’ve seen one bug, you've seen them all. Not so fast. Most of us agree insects are downright annoying, especially those that sting or bite. Yet, others dazzle us with vibrant colors and delicate shapes. In the middle of Pine Valley, Utah, you can learn all there is to know about insects at the Hoy Insect Museum. Local entomologist, Dr. William Hoy, developed and manages this little museum that displays insects from around the globe. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Dr. Hoy first encountered insects helping his father who was a commercial beekeeper. Afraid of being stung, young Hoy wasn’t eager to work alongside his father. Once shown how to work with bees safely and appreciate the complexity of a bee colony his interest in insects began. Later, while serving in the Peace Corps in Belize, Hoy used his early experiences with bees to teach locals how to create a business selling honey from hives they maintained. At the University of Florida, Hoy earned his Ph.D. in entomology specializing in the systematics of vespids (insect architecture of Yellowjackets and Hornets). Yellowjackets make complex nests from chewing wood fiber into a paper-like pulp. Dr. Hoy is fascinated by their design. There are in fact 17 species of Yellowjackets and Hoy explains only females sting. Not likely, many of us will take the time to check if a buzzing Yellowjacket is a boy or girl. In addition to teaching entomology at the University of Florida, he traveled to many countries locating rare insects for the U.S. Government or private collectors. Having learned the delicate art of “pinning” insects while working summers at the Smithsonian Institute, Hoy worked with foreign countries to set up insect museums and now has his own in Pine Valley, Utah. So why study insects? Hoy explains, “All insects are important and serve a purpose in nature. They are critical to our food chain and cycle of life. And we also learn many things from them.” As a field expert, he is trained to observe the life cycle of an insect and recognize their importance to man. He is proud to point out that many behaviors insects exhibited first were later observed in other animals. At his museum, he displays a mural showing how clever the insect world has always been. Did you know insects were first to fly over 300 million years ago, long before bats, birds or dinosaurs took to the sky? Although in the 20th Century small museum, BIG ON BUGS

Jacques Cousteau became known as the “father” of scuba diving, water beetles were first to take the plunge. Millions of years ago, they learned how to capture an air bubble under their wing, which they used as a scuba tank when they went underwater. How else could an insect avoid the hungry eye of a bird or mammal but to mimic something not so tasty? Also, insects were first to use mimicry. Fossils over 125 million years old show insects that mimicked sticks and leaves. Ask Dr. Hoy to tell you about other insect “firsts.” It’s one of his favorite topics.

When not at his museum you might find Dr. Hoy checking on his insect collection devices in the Pine Valley Mountains. “There is much we can learn about our environment from what kind of insects are showing up in our area. Likewise, we can observe if there is a major increase or decrease in a particular insect population-- which can be an early warning sign that something is out of sync in our food chain, climate, etc.” Surprisingly he has found some of the same insects in Pine Valley and St. George as in other parts of the world. The jewel beetle is one he found in Africa and locally in southern Utah.

Today a visit to the Hoy Insect Museum provides visitors with an amazing collection of insects acquired by Hoy in such far-away places as Vietnam, Thailand, Peru, Japan, Australia, Africa even the Netherlands to name a few. You will see displays of beetles, moths, butterflies, cicadas, scorpions, katydids and more.

While Dr. Hoy may be a bit camera shy, he is definitely not shy talking about insects. When asked, why have a museum devoted only to insects, Hoy says, “We need to learn what man and future generations can do to preserve insect habitats. They are important to our world.” Stop by, you’ll walk away with a greater appreciation of insects than you had before and may take a closer look next time before swatting one away. V

The Hoy Insect Museum is located at 602 Main Street, Pine Valley Utah. The museum is funded solely by patron contributions, so even the smallest donations are appreciated.

INTRODUCING THE STATIONARY HITCH

By Lyndi Wilson H ello Mesquite and viewing area! My name is Lyndi Wilson and I have been a resident of Mesquite since 2004. I have come to love this area, its culture, its climate, and most of all, the people who also call it home, if not for the entire year, at least part of it. From the moment I moved here, it became my home.

I want to introduce you, not only to myself, but to a new product, The Stationary Hitch,- Patent Pending. New products are born of a need that has not yet been met. The problem may have been around for a long time until suddenly, one day, someone says, “Wait… I have an idea.” Thus a new product is born! The Stationary Hitch is no exception.

I have been an inventor since I was little. One of my first inventions was the ultimate boobytrapped bedroom meant to keep my big sisters out of my room. With that crazy collection of kite string, bells, and flying objects, my mom says an inventor was born!

I came up with the idea of The Stationary Hitch while watching family, friends and myself struggle with what to do with a trailer and ATV that wouldn’t both fit in the garage. Either the ATV or the trailer could be stored but there was never room for both. The Stationary Hitch solves this, as well as a variety of other issues where security or space is a concern.

The Stationary Hitch is designed to ensure trailer stability and support for dual storage as well as providing added security while your trailer is not attached to a vehicle. This product makes it possible to have your trailer secured to the ground while not in use so that you can use your trailer as storage for ATV’s, UTV’s, snowmobiles, and any other items requiring storage while the trailer is not attached to the vehicle. This product can be used in a garage, carport, side-yard, lot, driveway or any other location with proper concrete paving as a foundation for installation.V

The Stationary Hitch - Patent Pending - is currently for sale and on display at Ace Hardware, 102 W Mesquite Blvd. in Mesquite, Nevada. The Stationary Hitch is manufactured by Rocky Desert Trailer Innovations LLC. For ordering or inquiry, please give Lyndi a call at (702) 581-9994.