Photo reprinted from flickr.com

Monday kicked off the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month which begins Sept.15 every year and ends October 15.  According to the KTNV Channel 13 website, Sept. 15 is Independence Day in five Spanish-speaking nations: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.  Mexico and Chile also celebrate the anniversaries of their independence from Spain during this month, on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. 

By the year 2050, the Census Bureau predicts Hispanics will represent one-fourth of the U.S. population.  In Las Vegas, we have already reached that prediction!  Take a look at some of the events going on in our town to celebrate Hispanic heritage.  Thanks to KTNV for posting this info on their website at http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8999491&nav=menu498_8_12

Wednesday, Sept. 17, Mini-Fiesta

Limbo to the music of Dora and Diego to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.  The fun-filled mini-fiesta will include bilingual stories, songs and a craft from 4pm - 5pm in the auditorium at Sunrise Library for kids age 4 to 11.  For more information, visit LVCCLD.org.

Friday, Sept. 19, Mariachi Music Concert

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a concert spotlighting students from the Clark County School District’s award winning Mariachi Music Instructional Program.  The program was instituted in 2002 and is now staffed by 15 full-time, licensed Mariachi educators and boasts over 2,000 students enrolled in the program.  Bring the entire family to listen to traditional mariachi favorites as we cheer on these talented young musicians.  At the Clark County Library Theater at 7pm.  Co-sponsored by the Clark County School District.  For more information, call 702-507-3459.

Friday, Sept. 19, Tropical Latin Dance with Vega Sabor Orchestra

Dance and enjoy the tropical Latin music by the Vega Sabor Orchestra from 7pm - 10pm at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center.  General admission tickets are priced at $10 in advance and $15 on event day.  Participants will enjoy salsa, merengue, cumbia, cha cha and a number of original arrangements in the center’s grand ballroom.  The event will begin with a FREE, pre-dance salsa/merengue workshop at 6pm to refresh those dance moves.   Call 702-229-1515 for more information or directions.

Saturday, Sept. 20, Stories at Enterprise Library

Come and celebrate with stories, crafts, the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Carribean and Central and South America.  In the Story Room from 3pm - 4pm for kids ages 7 to 11.  For more information, vizit LVCCLD.org.

Friday, Sept. 26, Hispanic Heritage Youth Leadership Summit

Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, County Liaison Kelly Benavidez and staff host their Annual Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit at 8am at the West Las Vegas Library.  Listen and learn as youth from throughout the valley discuss the importance of education, in recognition of Hispanic Heritage History month.  For more information, please contact 702-507-3989.  This event is FREE and open to the public.

Tuesday, Sept. 30, Eduardo de la Cruz: Process and Heritage

From 7pm - 8pm at the Enterprise Library in the multi-purpose room, Eduardo de la Cruz, an accomplished draftsman, painter and graphic designer, will review a technique he calls “transparent collage” a sophisticated computer technology.  Eduardo will also share his personal experience as a Hispanic artist and the accomplishments he has achieved through his art.  The lecture will be in Spanish and English.  The exhibition of his work is on display at the Enterprise Library Art Gallery, from now though October 21, 2008.  For more information, visit LVCCLD.org.

Friday, Oct. 3, 6th Annual United Today & Always/Unidos Hoy Y Siempre

Listen to music and poetry, watch dance performances, and browse through arts and crafts displays beginning at 7pm at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center.  Everyone is invited to this FREE event.  Hispanic organizations from throughout the community will share their diverse cultures.  Call 702-229-1515 for more information or directions.

Sunday, October 5, Nevada Chamber Symphony: Music with the Classical Touch Season Premiere

For the opening performance of the concert series, the Nevada Chamber Symphony’s Maestro, Rodolfo Fernandez, has selected a program of popular and classical favorites showcasing the beauty and versatility of the orchestra as it celebrates its 24th year of service to the community.  Joining in the Library District’s recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, guest artists Juan and Andres Vargas will introduce the audience to the traditional music of Chile, South America and demonstrate the unique musical instruments indigenous to their homeland at the Clark County Library Theater at 3pm.  For more information, visit LVCCLD.org.

Thursday, October 9, Bilingual Storytime

From 10 am – 10:45 am at the Clark County Library in the Story Room.  Kids age 5 and under will enjoy stories, songs and crafts in Spanish and English.  For more information, visit LVCCLD.org.

Thursday, Oct. 9, Read to Your Baby

In the Story Room at the Las Vegas Library from 4pm - 5pm, celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with your baby.  In this bilingual storytime, you’ll share bilingual stories, songs and activities.  For more information, visit LVCCLD.org.

Photo reprinted from www.magazine.ucla.edu

There are few things that can strike as much fear into the hearts of parents as seeing their teenager’s photo on a driver license for the first time.  Yet at the same time it can come as a welcome gift to some parents as they are relieved of chauffeuring duties.  For teenagers, it’s a highly-anticipated rite of passage and a ticket to temporary freedom.  Now an auto safety group is encouraging states to put off that teenage milestone by at least a year, maybe two.

Take a look at this article from the Associated Press, which was in the Las Vegas Review Journal Tuesday.

CHICAGO (AP) _ Taking aim at a longstanding rite of passage for 16-year-olds, an influential auto safety group is calling on states to raise the age for getting a driver’s license to 17 or even 18.

Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group funded by the auto insurance industry, acknowledged the idea is “a tough sell,” but noted that car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers.

“The bottom line is that when we look at the research, raising the driving age saves lives,” Lund said. He plans to present the proposal Tuesday at the annual conference of the Governors Highway Safety Association in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Not surprisingly, a lot of teens hate the idea.

“I would really be upset because I’ve waited SO long to drive,” said Diamante White, a 16-year-old in Reading, Pa., who got her permit in July. She said learning to drive is a “growing-up experience.”

View the entire article at

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap-driving-agesep08,0,223447.story?track=rss, then let us know what you think—should the driving age be raised or is it best left alone?

Photo reprinted from www.shapethefuture.org

Last week I mentioned a photography and essay contest for high school students surrounding Hispanic Heritage Month, which is Sept. 15 - Oct. 15.  In addition to that contest, Ford Motor Company and Newspaper In Education programs are sponsoring a program to help middle school and high school educators teach their students more about Hispanic heritage and to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.  This year the theme of the program is “Faces of the Future: Hispanics Who Will Influence the World.”

The program includes a 16-page bilingual supplement, (delivered in all NIE papers, including the Las Vegas Review Journal, September 15-19+), a 20-page bilingual Teacher Guide, a full-color classroom poster and thought-provoking activities for teachers who register online to participate in the program.  The program examines Hispanics who will be future world leaders in the fields of film, music, video, design, Internet communication, multi-media news, literature, drama, architecture, television and entrepreneurship. 

Clark County School District, or private school teachers who want to participate can register at http://www.lasvegasnie.com/hheritage08.html.  Also, homeschool parents interested in this program may call Susan Knoll at 383-4655 or email her at: nie@reviewjournal.com.

Hispanic-Americans now count for 26 percent of the population in Las Vegas. That’s one-fourth of our city! I hope many of our local educators will participate in this program to recognize the great names and faces of Hispanic legacy.