East-Paradise

What is the FIRST Robotics Competition?

According to USFIRST.org “FIRSTRobotics Competition (FRC) is a unique varsity sport of the mind designed to help high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be. The FIRSTRobotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers, and a committee of engineers and other professionals. FIRST redefines winning for these students because they are rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity, and the ability to overcome obstacles. Scoring the most points is a secondary goal. Winning means building partnerships that last.”

The following text is a transcription of an audio interview conducted at the Las Vegas Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) on 28 March, 2008.

Team interviewed: The Dukes from Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix, Ariz.

Name of robot: Maverick.

Interviewees: President of the club Barrett Ames and club member Ryan Filler.

“Q: How did you get into engineering and robots?

BA: Started out as LEGO as a little kid. Then I got to high school and saw something like this just driving outside… When you see this big bulky machine in the middle of your school you are like “Wow, what’s that?’ So you go check it out.

Q: How did you come up with the idea about this robot?

RF: We do different things. We brainstorm about how it’s going to drive, then how it’s going to manipulate, the game pieces… We also have meetings where we throw in ideas and decide which ideas are good.

Q: What does this robot do?

BA: It drives around, it has an arm which works as a forklift, there are two forks in the front that will drop down and will scoop up the ball and then the arm will lift up and shoot at the overpass area.

Q: What is the best thing about this competition?

RF: Just seeing all the other robots, getting to show off ours…

BA: I’d stay at the shop from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. and it is nice to just finally see it all in one piece and working.

Q: What are some of the downsides of this competition?

BA: The downside is that I am not at home. I can’t go home and sleep in my bed.

Q: What aspect of this competition do you feel will have the greatest impact on you as far as your future, career goals…?

BA: We gain a lot of leadership and teamwork skills, which is important in almost any industry we go into and also many kids decide here if they really want to become engineers…

Q: Do you?

BA: Yeah I do.

Q: How about you?

RF: No. I will always love it but it is more like a hobby.

Q: How do you feel about the judging and awards given at the competition? Do you feel it is all a fair game?

RF: I think they try their best, I mean there is nothing done on purpose. They are constantly trying to improve the rules and how they judge. They always tick the teams just a little bit off here as they don’t have the electronic lab counter. There is probably a higher error here than in Phoenix, but…

Q: How did you guys do there?

RF: We did terrible.

Q: Are you hopeful that this competition will have a better outcome?

BA: Oh yeah. We are doing a lot better already. We just didn’t get ourselves out there; people didn’t know we were there so they didn’t pick us. So we are just selling ourselves basically.

RF: Our robot is pretty good it’s just that in Phoenix we had a lot of bad luck. We constantly paired with not so good teams and so…You really depend a lot on the other robots in the team because even if one is really good, but two are bad, we are still going to lose. We have got to have a good blend of good teams.

Q: So do you guys bring your equipment and start from scratch or most of it is already built before you join the competition? BA: Well 99 percent of it is here. There is a 1 percent of tweaking that we do that gets us from the 30s to the 10s. It’s just a lot of tweaking.

Q: Would you do it again?

BA: I have done it every year, but it’s my last year now. I am a senior.

RF: It’s my second year. I did it as a freshman also.

Q: Barrett, you mentioned you are graduating soon, are you thinking about going to college, applying for an engineering program..?

BA: Yeah, I already have acceptance letters from several universities including Cornell.

Q: What is the biggest obstacle you encounter as a team when you are trying to come up with the most sophisticated prototype?

RF: It’s about choosing the right methods. There is a lot of ways you can come to it and it’s just about perfecting your ideas and making them more efficient so…

BA: It’s really hard to keep it simple as there is so much to do out there. You have this tendency you want to do it all and it’s best if you can keep it as simple as possible. It’s really hard to keep yourself from just expanding…

RF: The biggest obstacle I would say is probably time.

Q: How long did it take you to come up with this one?
FR: The building season for the robots is six weeks so the first week and a half we did brainstorming and designing. Then we started building it.”

For more information about the Dukes team visit http://faculty.brophyprep.org/robotics/roster.html

According to USFIRST.org there were 43 teams registered for this year’s regional competition which ran from March 27 to March 29, 2008 at UNLV ’s Thomas & Mack Center. The following teams from Las Vegas, Nev. also took part in the competition:

For more information about the FIRST Robotics program, competitions and results visit http://usfirst.org/

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Chipotle, in a sense, is the American version of a Mexican fast food restaurant and quite a popular one too.

Well at least the branch across the street from UNLV is. Located on 4530 S Maryland Pkwy, the steaming UNLV neighborhood Mexican grill provides a somewhat different kind of a lunch experience. And one which is not only meant for hungry students who want to avoid the madness of the UNLV Student Union dining area, but also for drivers and pedestrians who are in a rush to get through the day.

Oh, by the way, this is not an invitation for lunch. It is rather a source of information about it.  To begin with some history, because we hardly ever look at the history of our lunch, the following information comes directly from Wikipedia.org;

Distribution of Chipotle restaurants throughout the United States as of December 2007.

Chipotle Mexican Grill originated in Denver, Colorado in 1993. The founder, Steve Ells, still serves as chairman and CEO. He got started in the Mexican food industry after getting a job as a line cook at a restaurant called Stars in San Francisco. He attended the Culinary Institute of America.^[1] Over 500 restaurants have since opened throughout the United States. Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants are company-owned, rather than franchised. In 1997, McDonald’s made an initial minority investment in Chipotle Mexican Grill. By 1999, it had grown to a controlling interest, and by 2005, it was 92%. The McDonald’s connection allowed the firm to quickly expand, from 14 restaurants in 1998 to 480 at the end of 2005.

On October 25, 2005, Chipotle initially filed for its IPO. On December 23, 2005in an updated filing, Chipotle indicated the size of the offering would be approximately 6.3 million shares with a price of $15.50 to $17.50 per share. The price range was increased to $18.00 to $20.00 per share on January 23, 2006, an indication that the demand for the offering was strong. Morgan Stanley and SG Cowen led the offering. The public offering priced on January 25, 2006, at a price of $22 per share. The offering raised approximately $133M in primary capital to fund new store growth. McDonald’s sold $66M, including the 15% greenshoe, which was exercised in full. On its first day as a public company, Chipotle stock rose exactly 100%, closing at $44.00 per share. On September 8, 2006McDonald’s Corp. announced it had started an offer for its shareholders to exchange McDonald’s stock for shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill. The exchange allowed McDonald’s shareholders to acquire Chipotle shares at a 10 percent discount. The offer is capped at a level of 0.9157 Chipotle shares for each McDonald’s share exchanged owned by McDonalds Corporation. On October 13, 2006, McDonald’s Corp. completed a tax-free swap of class B common stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG), for its own common stock. McDonald’s Corp. has now fully divested its investment in Chipotle.

Chipotle said in October 2007, it will add restaurants in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its first store will open by the end of 2008. [3]

But what is a chipotle? Wikipedia.org says;

“A chipotle (pronounced /tʃɨˈpoʊtleɪ/ chee-POTE-lay; Spanish IPA: [tʃiˈpotle]^{[citation needed]}) is a smoke-dried jalapeño chili used primarily in Mexican, Mexican-American, Tex-Mex, and Mexican-inspired cuisine.

There are many varieties of jalapeños which vary in size and heat. In Mexico, the jalapeño is also known as the cuaresmeño and gordo. Until recently, chipotles were almost exclusively found in the markets of central and southern Mexico. As Mexican food became more popular in the United States in the late 20th century, jalapeño production and processing began to move into Northern Mexico and the United States.”

And if you felt somewhat bored reading the above, here is a great calculator which measures the nutritional value of your Chipotle treat, not from someplace else, but directly from the Chipotle Fan website (yes there is one). But don’t get scared, just follow this link http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutrition_calculator and have fun. The website also offers some fun facts, recipes and comments.

Are we hungry yet?

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While many people associate the word “library” with mountains of books, homework and information, many libraries today also offer entertainment and community services too. One of them is right here, in the UNLV community.

Located on East Flamingo Road, the Clark County Library offers a wide variety of activities from free movies, music, readings, exhibits and games, to new residents assistance, language and computer lessons, and even… free belly dancing classes.

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The Maryland Parkway/UNLV community receives attention from a wonderful news organization, which covers community events, news, developments and activities.

The weekly Southeast View newsletter is delivered to residents’ mailboxes for free and it is a great tool to keep the residents up to date with the neighborhood gossip.

The publication includes news, events, dining guide, recreation, weekly crime report, health care information, education resources, entertainment, “Pets of the Week” section and personal view pages where readers can express opinions, post photographs and much more.

Southeast View is part of View News, a Las Vegas Review-Journal publication, which offers newsletters for many other Las Vegas neighborhoods, essentially providing coverage of the entire city area.

For more information see http://www.viewnews.com/.

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Although situated in a convenient location for families, casino employees and students, the East Paradise neighborhood is not among the wealthier neighborhoods in Las Vegas.

A study found on City-Data.com shows that the median income of its residents has been on the lower end of the scale for several years now in comparison to both the city and the state.

According to City-Data.com, the median household income for zip code 89119 was $30,609 in 1999. That compares to a median household income of $44,069 for the city of Las Vegas in 2000.

Although the information is a little outdated, according to the web site, the projected median income for 2005 was estimated to be $32,583 for the neighborhood, significantly below the $47,863 for Las Vegas and $49,169 statewide figure.

This zip code

$32,583

Las Vegas	$47,863
Nevada:	$49,169

The majority of the people living in the neighborhood also rent rather than own their houses or apartments, which may be an indication that the area is not considered for permanent investment by many.

City-Data.com reports that in 2000 only 5, 085, or 25 percent, of the houses or apartments in the area were owned while more than 15, 000 were rented.

In an attempt to explain some of the existing gaps, the New York City Habitat for Humanity website further explores some of the factors involved in the decision for one to own or rent. According to their national housing statistics study;

“Homeownership for low-income families is a particular challenge. While 90 percent of households in the top income quintile own their homes, only 50 percent in the lowest income quintile do. And low-income families who do buy homes may find themselves burdened by debt; mortgages extended to low-income families are often at less favorable rates, and mortgage and maintenance costs can leave families unable to save and invest their income in areas beyond their home.”

On the other hand, the East Paradise neighborhood does not offer many opportunities for growth and home ownership either. There is hardly any land available for construction because the area is already crowded with apartment complexes offering a wide variety of housing for rent.

Nevertheless, at a time when gas and food prices are on the rise, the community still offers affordable living and an easy commute to work or school for many residents.

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Image by Meguiar on Flickr.com. Source: http://flickr.com/photos/14340628@N04/2207113544/sizes/s/

With summer time just around the corner, hanging out in a cool place away from the Las Vegas strip madness is a great way to spend the night.

Located on 4700 Maryland Parkway, the fabulous beer bar Freakin’ Frog provides the atmosphere and much more for those who want to meet new people and share a few laughs.

The lengthy beer menu is impressive with its listings from A to Z, including imports from all around the world. The food selection follows it closely with its specials from North America to Mexico and Italy, and back to the Freakin’ Frog’s own signature meals.

“The largest beer selection on the West Coast, located in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, with over 750 different bottles and 15 ever-changing taps! Live music, food, and a fun atmosphere!”

As best described by David Surratt from the Los Angeles Times;

“For anyone wanting something more, bars in Vegas are a bad-odds gamble, typically as tired and clichéd as they are desperate. Rooting out the exceptions is the game, and bar owner Adam Carmer makes the case for his Freakin’ Frog. ‘People should know there’s no angst here,’ he says. ‘And there’s no gaming — that’s a big deal.’”

Surratt continues sharing his personal experience at the Freakin’ Frog with a sincere delight.

“It’s a Samichlaus. A bock. Eggenberg Brewery, Austria. Its 14% alcohol content makes it one of the strongest beers on Earth, and you can check for yourself with a flip through the Frog’s alphabetical list. There it is, right between Sam Adams Utopias 2003 and Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout. Eight entries down from Ruddles County English Bitter. The bar’s two walk-in refrigerators house around 720 varieties now (not excluding Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can), and Carmer is projecting 1,200 by year’s end. Thirty-two publications, local and national, have awarded his place best-bar and best-beer honors.

Upstairs in the Whisky Attic, the Frog’s companion entity, Carmer has just wrapped up an “Around the World” tasting event — a sort of exotic whiskey seminar given by him and attended by several customers for a $50 buy-in.”

The bar simply offers a taste of the world with many different aspects to it. It is about diversity, culture and art. For many, it is also a way of life.

As Surratt describes it in his review article, there is so much to it and Carmer, the bar owner, sums it all up:

“This is an old-school bar,” he says, tidying up while he talks. “It’s a place where people like to drink and converse and try different things. The impetus for everything I’ve done here comes from listening to the guests and trying to make their experience better, more apropos to the vibe. And it’s a very intelligent vibe here — professors, writers, producers, students.”

Cheers everyone!

To see menus, venues and learn more about the Freakin’ Frog, visit http://freakinfrog.com/.

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From an audio interview with Diane Feliciano, acting manager of Tamarus Park Apartments, conducted at Feliciano’s office on Friday, 15 February, 2008.

Diane Feliciano, a dedicated employee and an acting manager for Tamarus Park Apartments talks about the property with love and affection. According to Feliciano, the complex has been established more than 25 years ago by Pinnacle, full-service real estate management and brokerage firm headquartered in Seattle.  

According to the company’s website, Pinnacle is the nation’s leading third-party manager of investment real estate and it “oversees a portfolio of apartment, office, industrial and retail assets valued at more than $12.3 billion. The portfolio includes properties in 42 states and 266 cities in the United States.” 

For Feliciano however, it is not so much the numbers and the company’s reputation that make the difference in her job, but it is the people who live in the complex and who become part of the “family” as she likes to call it.

“Although most people who come to us are really looking for cheaper rent, we are also located in a very convenient area,” Feliciano says. “There is a shopping plaza with grocery stores and restaurants across the street, The Boulevard mall is two miles away, elementary and high school children get picked up right in front of the complex, and the middle school is within walking distance.”

The complex is also a 15-minute walk from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, which is quite convenient for faculty, staff and students.

“We are mostly family-oriented,” Feliciano says, “but we do have quite a few UNLV students and professors who rent our apartments.”

Although some people may be concerned about the safety reputation of the area, the vast majority of the tenants at Tamarus Park are families with children.Feliciano feels that the crime activity is not as extensive as it is in and around some of the neighboring complexes a couple of miles up the street.

“This is not to say we do not have it, but we do not know anything about it.” Feliciano says. “We do have courtesy patrol and as staff members, we are also Crime Free Multi-Housing program certified by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.”

According to the police department website,”The Las Vegas Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program (LVCFMHP) began on May 2, 1995 with the goal of reducing police calls-for-service by the LVMPD’s Crime Prevention Detail.”

The LVCFMHP is a voluntary program that addresses several aspects of what it takes to make multi-housing-type property safer.

Nevertheless, just like in any city, crime is a concern and a big factor when it comes to property rentals and investments. Feliciano, however feels confident about the future and the fact that some things may be unavoidable;

“People need to understand that Las Vegas is indeed growing, and crime comes with growth. As property employees, we do and will continue to do our best to make everyone feel welcome and safe here.”

For more information about Tamarus Park and other UNLV area apartments visit http://www.sunsetcities.com/Apartments/UNLV-Area-Apartments/. 

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Image source: FreeFoto.com. URL: http://www.freefoto.com/preview/01-07-1?ffid=01-07-1

With the desert climate and water shortage, the landscape in a number of locations in Las Vegas is rapidly changing from a green valley to a rocky mountain.

The UNLV community however still offers some relatively lush areas for the man’s best friend.

If you just moved in the neighborhood or already live there, but recently got a puppy, perhaps you wonder where to take your 4-legged friend for a run.

As noted in the Las Vegas entry on About.com, one of the the nearby options in the UNLV community is Molasky Park Dog Run, part of the Molasky Family Park.

The 10-acre park is located on 1065 E. Twain Ave, off of Katie Road and it includes three dog runs, sitting areas, waste receptacles and water taps.

However for those who are in need of a complete getaway from all the noise and who also have transportation, there is also Mount Charleston, located in the outskirts of the city.

According to the Nevada’s InterMind Internet website;

“The secret to keeping cool during the hot summer months is a trip to Mount Charleston, 45 miles north west of Las Vegas, take Highway 95, turn off onto Highway 157 at Kyle Canyon. Temperatures here average 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the city.

Located in the Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. Mount Charleston stands at 11,918 feet and offers a tranquil contrast to the excitement and high energy of Las Vegas. The Mount Charleston Wilderness contains 18,000 acres of bristlecone pine, the most extensive stand of these ancient trees in the Intermountain Region. Its high, cool forested mountain landscape is in sharp contrast to the surrounding desert landscape, much like an oasis. There are numerous outdoor activities here such as horseback riding, hiking, camping and picnicking. Call the U.S. Forest Service for more information.”

For a complete list of parks and facilities in Las Vegas go to http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/parks/Documents/parkinfo.pdf

For additional information, visit the official Clark County Parks & Recreation website at http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/Parks/Pages/homepage.aspx.

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They are ordinary people who come to the United States from distant parts of the globe with hope for a better future. They grow, they teach, they learn, and in many ways they contribute to the future of the country. According to City-Data.com the foreign-born population for the UNLV neighborhood, zip code 89119, in 2001 was 14,386, or 29.5 percent of the 48,693 living in the area. At the same time the statewide figure was only 15.8 percent.

This zip code:	29.5%
Whole state:	15.8%

City-Data.com

The district commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said that one reason behind the migration to the area is that it still has affordability.

“Also, there may be family members already in the area and that attracts other family members to live nearby,” said Giunchigliani. “Finally, there is some form of transportation compared to other parts of town for folks without cars.”

Giunchigliani views the community as “wonderfully diverse, but also needy.”

“Out of town owners and rental properties haven’t been kept up which creates a ‘worn-out’ look,” she said.

However Giunchigliani added that she is currently working on setting up pride zones to help neighbors to get to know neighbors regardless of their cultural background.

“It will be a community in transition depending on economical downturn and length of the job losses,” she said.

Ardyth Broadrick Sohn, professor and director of the UNLV Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies, also fears for the problems many face.

“I know many have immigration questions, but no time or ability to seek good information that might be available to them at UNLV,” said Sohn. “My hope is that we can begin systematically and collectively to reach out and truly make UNLV part of the neighborhood. Many faculty, students and staff just drive into and out of the neighborhood to work and class. We need to begin to see this as our community…because it really is,” she added.

Today, there are many immigrants who live and work in the UNLV neighborhood, making one of the oldest Las Vegas areas a melting pot of the world.

While some choose this particular location because of its proximity to the healthy job market of the Las Vegas strip, there are others who have somewhat different reasons behind being part of the community.

Danny Aghadjanian, 42-year-old Armenian for example, manages the Mediterranean and Eastern European food store, L.A. Price Market, located on 4972 S. Maryland Parkway.

He came to the United States in 1989 along with his family. They lived in California for 10 years before moving to Las Vegas. Aghadjanian and his brother owned a grocery store in Los Angeles, but decided to move from the big city because of competition.

“We have a friend here (in Las Vegas) and we saw it was easy and less expensive,” said Aghadjanian. “We decided to come and open another store with my family,” he added.

Despite the fact that his business is now expanding and his family is prospering, Aghadjanian still misses his native country and childhood friends. Yet at the same time he is happy to be in the United States and feels welcome in the country.

“I like it here because of the freedom and the opportunity to grow,” said Aghadjanian. “I have young kids and they can go to school here, they can get wherever they want to get.”

Aghadjanian does not recall having had major obstacles since his arrival in America. His goal however is to keep his family happy and together. He considers this to be the biggest challenge in his life.

“It doesn’t matter where you stay, America or elsewhere, the main thing for me is my family,” he said.

There are many others like Aghadjanian who have come to the United States seeking freedom and opportunity for growth.

Erika Solis, 35, had left her home town of Vera Cruz, Mexico and had come to the United States in 1990 along with her cousin.

Similarly to Aghadjanian, she first lived in California where she met her husband. They moved to Las Vegas in 1999 and she now works for an apartment complex in the UNLV neighborhood.

“The hardest thing was coming here without my parents,” said Solis. “I had to work, to go to school. Sometimes around 9 or 10 o’clock at night I go home with no car, no bicycle and have to walk alone at night time.”

Although Solis misses her family and friends whom she left behind more than 15 years ago, she admits that she has always felt welcome in the country.

“It is important how you treat the people,” said Solis. “Even if they are black or white, from Hawaii or from any state, I treat everybody the same way,” she added.

Her goal is to stay in the country as long as possible in order to provide an opportunity for her children to obtain good education and a better future.

“I think the reason we are here is because we have something in mind, we were not happy at the place we were born,” said Solis. “Sometimes you get married here; you make your own family…Immigrants are not coming here to take somebody’s job or to hurt somebody. I think people are here for one reason, everybody wants to make money, wants to make a better future.” she added.

Giunchigliani feels that Americans often fail to consider the fact that people from foreign countries come to seek a better life and that they are not necessarily illegal.

“We have a cultural clash. Many of our older, long term Nevadans are scared and angry about the changes from language to advertising. Some folks think just because you don’t speak English you are undocumented and that isn’t true,” said Giunchigliani. “I came from Chicago where we had enclaves of immigrants that never learned English, from Italians, to Greeks, etc. But overall most people want everyone to live and prosper,” she added.

Despite how some people feel about the immigrants in the UNLV community, the colorful atmosphere and cultural variety strike curiosity and appreciation in many others.

Giunchigliani said she has always lived on the east side because of the variety of cultures and neighborhood feeling.

Sohn, on the other hand, finds the neighborhood to also be a “great untapped resource for journalism students who want to better understand a global perspective.” She recalls her experiences and conversations with foreigners to have been “fascinating.”

“… I talked with students from Serbia and Ukraineabout unrest in their countries and we exchange political news as we receive it,” said Sohn. “To have the opportunity to discuss current events with very informed and committed citizens of other countries is a marvelous situation to me,” she added.

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Laura Croft, Spiderman, Batman, adventure, childhood…

Well, the bad news is that childhood does end in physical reality, the good is that for many people it is an ongoing life quest they are passionate about and they love to share with the rest of us. Two of them in particular are very close to UNLV and the Maryland Parkway community, and comics play a big role in their lives.

The Alternate Reality Comics store, owned by Ralph Mathieu and his wife Katherine, is a great little place where you can read, explore and travel into fantasy world.

Located across from UNLV and behind Wendy’s, the store offers comic books, graphic novels, posters, t-shirts, supplies, and it is open 7 days a week.

Founded by Mathieu in 1995, Alternate Reality Comics is also the place where he met his wife for the first time during her college years at UNLV, as described on the store’s website.

They both certainly share a great passion for comics and as noted further, in 1998 Katherine has also helped with the founding of Sequential Tart, a webzine by women who love comics.

For more information about the Alternate Reality Comics store visit http://www.alternaterealitycomics.net/index.html.

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