The clinic was founded in February of 2000, by Dr. Miriam Adelson. An expert in treating drug addiction, Dr. Adelson is the founder, sponsor and manager of the clinic. Her medical background includes the study of emergency medicine, internal medicine and chemical dependency. Dr.Adelson wanted to focus particularly on teenage dependency and getting young adults back on track.

            The Adelson clinic is also the only local one that uses methadone as a treatment for drug dependency. This methadone treatment is maintained and used simultaneously with counseling. When handling methadone as a remedy for addiction, patients are not harmed. It has relatively no unfavorable consequences and does not impair mental capacity or function. Counseling treatment includes individual and group meetings along with goal setting, and social development.

            The clinic is a private and non-profit program, offering payment plans and other options based on the client’s capability to pay. This year marks the 10^th anniversary for the clinic, and in order to celebrate the success of the center, there is a gala on October 10, 2010. For more information, please visit http://www.adelsoncliniclasvegas.com/index.html.

-Agnes Poliquin

The Boys and Girls club has been around nationally for years and is still operating as one of the most successful outreach programs for kids.

At The Boys and Girls Club, BGC kids are encouraged to explore the many opportunities and activities provided by the BGC.

Oscar Parra, director of the Jackie Gaughan Boys and Girls Club on Cottage Grove, “The main goal of the club is to build character and leadership in students and enable them to reach their goals,” said Parra.

JGBGC offers many summer programs to students as well.

Programs include a triple play sports and recreation program, “Smart Moves,” which teaches basics on safety and awareness and “Net”, which teaches safety on the internet and the basics of online use.

JGBGC host approximately 125 students each day.

A big influence in the club is the counselors. “They are the ones making a difference,” said Parra.

The counselors take on many different roles including tasks such as leading students in daily projects like art, education or tech support. They are always focusing on what is best for the student.

However, the most important role of a counselor at JGBGC is to build a relationship with the students. “Some [students] hardily see their parents,” said Parra.

Taking the time to build one on one relationships with the students really sets them apart from the other outreach programs.

Parra who has been with BGC for eight years said, “I still keep in touch with kids from my old club and they are [now] 18 and 19.”

“The most rewarding part of the job for me is seeing the kids grow up,” said Parra.

The target audience for the JGBGC “is every child who walks through the door,” said Parra.

The large majority of their students however come from low income families, one parent, or broken homes.

JGBGC provides these students and outlet to be kids and to learn.

JGBGC is a “fun, positive place for kids,” said Parra.

For more information, contact the Jackie Gaughan Boys and Girls club at (702)731-6658 or online at bgclv.org

-Lauren Poulin

With a low fee of $2 for children, $3 for adults, and $1 for seniors, you can enjoy the pool and the classes they provide six days a week. Classes ranging from pre-school swim lessons, swim lessons for all levels, adult swim, parent/child lessons, and there is even a recreational swim team available. They also provide water park rentals for birthdays, family reunions or special events.

Because the pool is open to the public, it creates an atmosphere for children and adults to meet and share a common interest for swim and the water. Mickey Sprott, recreation specialist for aquatics, says “It’s a family friendly environment.” Sprott enjoys seeing all age groups come together and create friendships in a safe surrounding.

Another key concept that the water park provides is a routine safety break, where staff members go around the pool and teach safety skills to children that they can take from the pool to their homes. Some key concepts that they teach are: never swim alone, swim with a buddy, constant adult supervision is essential, if you must leave your area, take your child with you, etc. Whether they are swimming in their pool, at home, or at an apartment complex, kids will know water safety.

Approximately 50% of pre-school aged drowning occurs in residential swimming pools. Of all pre-school aged children who drown, 70% are in the care of one or both of their parents at the time of drowning. Knowing the safety skills and tips that the park provides will help in these figures and ensure parents comfort in their own pools at home.

Kara Hedges, a mother of two, who is constantly looking for a safe place to take her kids to get out of the heat, found that the Paradise Water Park is great at providing a fun and protected location, and leaves her and her kids with the knowledge of pool safety and lessons that will prevent future accidents. She takes home the fun classes and water tips, which gives her the comfort in her own pool at home. “Whenever I mention the water park, my kids have the biggest smiles on their faces.”Hedges said.

Any further questions contact The Aquatics Department: (702) 455-8508

-Tara Bennett

-Samantha Sajna

With two wars, and an exhaustless supply of veterans returning with poor health, the UNLV School of Dental Medicine created a solution to help.  The UNLV School of Dental Medicine provides free clinics for veterans and National Guardsmen giving them comprehensive dental treatment for free.

“A Vietnam Veteran ignores his teeth for two years,” said Lt. John Ferrin, third-year dental student, “his negative oral affects can only be restored.”

When military personal deploys to a war zone, the availability of proper medical facilities and regular treatment disappears.  The problem is that the damage is irrevocable and limited work can fix only a portion of the problem.

National Guardsmen have a worse problem since they lack the 100 percent dental care that active duty soldiers receive.  They must maintain a certain standard of dental care to be eligible to deploy to the wars but the Catch-22 is that they are unable to because they lack the dental plan that active duty receives.

“It originally got started trying to help the Guardsmen to deploy because they don’t receive dental care,” said Lt. Ferrin.

Lt. Ferrin is a National Guardsmen and third-year dental student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).  His family has a tradition of military service and ultimately the name of the clinic, Sgt. Ferrin’s Memorial Clinic, is named posthumously after his brother who died in Iraq.

Lt. Ferrin first brought the idea to Dr. Marshall Brownstein, Associate Dean of Student Affairs at the UNLV School of Dental Medicine.

“His response to the idea was to get teary eyed and said it was a great way to give back to the vets,” said Lt. Ferrin.

Every bureaucratic obstacle was met with instant delight and the idea was rapidly brought to life.

As for naming the clinic, the idea to name it after Sgt. Ferrin was not his brother, Lt. Ferrin’s idea but as he said, “it was the Dean’s idea.”

It takes large sums of money and lots of time to make every clinic functional and with a clinic every six to eight weeks, this becomes quite an obstacle.  In the total of nine clinics, over a $150,000 has been spent.

Where does a $150,000 worth of free treatment come from?

“The National Guard contracts the Veteran Clinics to do the screening for them.  We supply the volunteers and the Army National Guard pays for the clinic,” said Lt. Ferrin.

They will go out to the military installation and do the screening for them.  Then they take that money and use all of it to pay for supplies and lab fees.

All donations, contributions and money earned through the government contracts is used on treatment for veterans with no money going to administration, advertising, or website maintenance.

While they have plenty of volunteers, they always could use financial help.  Also, Lt. Ferrin said, “We need someone to help us create a website.”

The shortage of financial funds is expected but the number of volunteers is astounding.

“Every clinic we have six doctors total and 10 servicemen,” said Jesse Falk, third-year dental student.

This does not include all the other dental students that donate their time simply for volunteer work.  A certain amount of volunteer hours are necessary before graduation but the students working at the clinic have not received any credit for their time.

Though Jesse Falk remains optimistic pointing out as he said, “It has been really successful.  We’ve even gotten guys from WW2.  One had stormed Normandy and was in the Battle of the Bulge.”

Not only are the veterans and National Guardsmen receiving free dental care but the reward these students receive may not be credited hours for work but a more rewarding experience.

For more information, please call 702 774-2460 or visit their website http://www.veteransdental.com/  The website is under construction but they check emails regularly.

-Steven Soder

Standing barely 5 foot 10 inches, with a Santa Clause like countenance, Everett Croxon doesn’t appear like a man who, after a career as an independent financial consultant, would start a non-profit organization to rescue homeless animals all on his own.  Croxon came out of retirement to purchase a foreclosed home in October 2008, turning it into an animal sanctuary and created the non-profit organization Foreclosed Upon Pets.  Resident pets receive vaccines, food, shelter, training and even grooming, without the possibility of euthanasia.

“It’s a tragic misconception that Las Vegans have,” Croxon said. “We believe our tax dollars are going to help rescue and protect homeless pets, but they all end up the same way; euthanized.”

Croxon’s organization centers primarily on the idea of fostering.  A network of volunteers and sympathetic patrons welcome a dog or cat into their home for as little as three days or as long as three weeks.  Foreclosed Upon Pets provides all of the necessary pet equipment; blankets, food and toys.

“We really are not looking for anyone’s money,” Croxon said. “But what we do want is your time.  We want the community to understand that helpless animals are being put to death every day, and we not only put up with it, we pay for it. There needs to be a greater commitment from the 2 million citizens of Las Vegas to protecting our friends”

Croxon tells of the horrors of discovering these animals alone in deserted homes. He explains that neighbors will phone him, claiming to hear whining or barking from the empty house next door.  Cleaning crews will phone him when they arrive discovering animals that haven’t eaten in days, sometimes weeks.

“The truth is we try and get there in time, but more often than not, sadly, we’re too late,” said Croxon.

Despite being surrounded by hurt and sadness, Croxon takes pride in the fact that he is a key factor in the healing process.

“It’s a wonderful feeling when you look at a dog or a cat that has been abused or neglected, and can try and inject a little love into them,” said Croxon. “I tell you that does more good then all of the vaccines or the food or toys combined.”

As the economy continues to flat line, Croxon is positive there will be a need for his work in years to come.  Deeply saddened by current Animal Control euthanasia policies, he wants to people of Nevada to understand the important choice they are faced with when needing to find homes for their animals.

“We are only here to help,” Croxon said. “This is my call to arms.  The people of Las Vegas need to wake up to what is happening to our animals.  Thousands of pets get put to sleep every month and we don’t even blink.  A life is a life and as a civilized society it is our job to look out for those creatures that can’t look out for themselves.  It is our tax dollars at work and we need to demand change.”

Foreclosed Upon Pets offers weekly adoption events every Saturday and Sunday at the following locations between 11:30am-3:00pm. Visit forecloseduponpets.org or call 702-272-0010 for a list of available pets.

-Kathryn Harriss

t is every band’s dream to get signed, but for two UNLV students this dream could soon become reality.

After three years together as Storybook Heroes, Fabian Estefan, 19, and Michael Kershaw, 18, finally scored the chance to compete in a local show with big rewards.

The band will compete in the first round of the A Fight for Fame competition on May 16 at E String Grill and Poker Bar at 2031 W Sunset Rd.

“We could go on a national tour if we make it to the sixth round,” said Kershaw.

Besides the big show, the rewards from surviving each round include a Guitar Center gift card, a meeting with a marketing specialist, a photo shoot, and studio time. In the final round, bands play a main stage show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Storybook Heroes have prepared for this opportunity by performing shows at local venues including The Farm, FADE, the Newman Center at UNLV and Open Mic Night at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

“They say in acting that it takes 50 auditions to get one part. I think that it is the same for music,” said Brittany Carter, Special Events Director of the Rebel Pride Council at UNLV and organizer of Open Mic Night at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on 4550 S Maryland Pkwy. “You have to put yourself out there. You never know who will hear you.”

Although they play at approximately two to three venues a month, they have only had one bad show.

“Our very first show was for the senior picnic at our high school, and I didn’t tune my guitar,” said Kershaw. “We had been so bad in the last song, and I said, ‘We’re going to try that one again,’ and someone said, ‘Please don’t.’”

Besides becoming stronger musically, the band has gone through many changes since it first began.

“I played a solo show, and I wanted ‘Fabby’ to play certain instrumental lead parts. I just felt so much stronger when it was both of us on stage together,” Kershaw said.

Even after they joined together to form the band, they had more changes to make.

“We were first named Rhetoric Rebellion,” said Estefan, “but we didn’t really rebel against anything. So we changed it.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is their style. They prefer an acoustic, singer-songwriter feel because it brings out their lyrics better.

“I write about love a lot,” said Kershaw. “It sounds better on an acoustic guitar.”

“That’s where Storybook Heroes came from,” said Estefan, “because we always write about love.”

With love comes support, which is something very familiar to Storybook Heroes. They both sing, play guitar, and play piano, but they tend to even prefer each other’s songs to their own.

Estefan’s favorites include “West Coast Heartache” and “Patience,” both written by Kershaw. Kershaw says his favorite is “Tune Into My Love.” “It’s the first song that Fabian ever wrote, and it incorporates both of us vocally and instrumentally,” Kershaw said.

Besides support from each other, Storybook Heroes is definitely going to need a lot of help from their fans for the A Fight for Fame competition.

They need to sell 35 tickets before their first performance, and to make it past the first round they need audience participation to get them noticed. The more fans at the show, the more likely they will be to make it to the next rounds.

The band has high hopes for their future educationally as well as musically. “I want to get some sort of degree. Half of the bands nowadays get signed and they go on tour and can’t sell it out,” said Estefan. “You’ve got be able to do stuff you know, you can’t just rely on luck,” Kershaw said.

Getting a record deal and an education aren’t the only big plans these heroes have for the future.

Kershaw said, “We have yet to save a princess, but we’ll figure it out.”

To listen to the music of Storybook Heroes, check out www.myspace.com/sbheroes.

See www.afightforfame.com for more information about the A Fight for Fame competition.

-Chelsea Sendgraff

The nightlife of big cities can be an intoxicating thing. With the combination of bumping music, rivers of liquor, and an atmosphere that encourages the loss of all inhibitions, one can get lost in that feeling of bliss. Another thing that is lost is the capacity to make the right choice.

 In Las Vegas,  a city where alcohol is readily accessible and excess is looked upon as the norm, it is not hard to believe that visitors and inhabitants alike may find themselves with a precarious decision to make: to drive or not to drive. Although the choice may seem to be an obvious one, excuses abound to why people drink and drive but none are acceptable.

For the past 12 years, Designated Drivers has provided an invaluable service that has helped the people of Las Vegas to make the right decision. Designated Drivers not only gives rides home for the impaired person but his or her car as well.

Most great ideas come from people who have noticed their friends are having difficulty with something and try to find a solution. Designated Drivers is no exception.

“[I] had many friends that drank and drove due to the need for having the vehicles the following day and decided that a program should be started that overcame that excuse,” said Designated Drivers President/CEO Billie Smith.

The service is affordable and available all day, everyday. They charge a $55 dollar flat rate for the first ten miles and an addition $5 for each ten miles thereafter. They also provide medical transports for a flat fee of $100.

For Smith, the rewards he gets from his job are not motivated by finance at all.

“Knowing that everyday we potentially save a life or a family,” is all the motivation he needs said Smith.

Moreover, his goals for the company are, “to prevent as many drunk driving accidents and deaths as possible and to develop and administer free ride programs thru our non-profit organization www.designateddriversfoundation.org,” said Smith.

Designated Drivers provides their service to many events in the Las Vegas community. For the more than five years, they have worked along side the YMCA when they hold their annual Y Not Nite event.

“One of the attendees of Y Not Nite suggested we utilize Designated Drivers. We researched Designated Drivers and found out they can provide a very valuable and important service to the YMCA’s guests of Y Not Nite,” said President/CEO of YMCA Las Vegas Mike Lubbe.

“Y Not Nite is designed to raise funds to support the YMCA’s youth programs,” said Lubbe. “It is also an event for friends of the Y to get together and socialize and reconnect with one another.”

This year’s event will be held on May 5 at 5:00 pm at the Siena Golf Club, 10525 Siena Monte Ave.

Lubbe has nothing but good words for Designated Drivers.

“Designated Drivers’ service is excellent. They are cordial, tactful and very reliable,” said Lubbe. “Designated Drivers provides an essential service. We would not want to conduct out event without them.”

Designated Drivers is in the business of saving lives. They say that in life there are no sure things, but Designated Drivers sure puts it to the test.

The number for the service is 702-456-RIDE (7433)

For more information on Designated Drivers visit www.designateddriversinc.com

For more information the Las Vegas YMCA visit www.lasvegasymca.org

- Matthew Scala

When you hear a name like Fiore, you may think of the upcoming local elections. When you hear the name Talhoffer, you may think of a long-dead German composer. But to a local group of martial artists, these names signify a long-dead fighting art, one which they are trying to revive.

The Las Vegas study group for the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts, or ARMA, practices fighting methods from the 14^th to the 17^th century. Masters of Defence from that period left behind fighting manuals that the group works from. Their studies cover techniques ranging from longsword to poleaxe use, and unarmed moves.

“ARMA researches fighting manuals of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, along with period artwork and literature,” said Ryan Bandics, Study Group Coordinator for Las Vegas. “We also base our interpretations on historical weapon specimens.”

The group holds practices each week at Sunset Park, dressed in the red-and-black uniforms of their organization. At each practice, they explore different techniques, as well as various drills, exercises, and even free sparring.

“I like the fact that it’s possible to legitimately study European history by reconstructing a living, physical set of skills,” said Sage Nagai, an applicant to the study group.

ARMA’s reconstruction efforts are directly related to martial arts, but that doesn’t mean the group swings weapons around all day. These practitioners claim that reconstructing their art is a more scholarly enterprise than many give them credit for. Most of the manuals they work from are written in foreign languages, and all of them are written in archaic forms of those languages. The group claims that their art offers just as much mental exercise as it does physical.

“There’s the scholarship side of ARMA, which can be hugely academic,” said Bandics. “Translating a manual from Renaissance Germany is no easy task, and then there’s interpretation and experimentation.”

Even long-time members of the group are sometimes surprised by the breadth and brutality of this old-time fighting art. While the sport of Mixed Martial Arts focuses on knockouts or submissions of an opponent, much of Renaissance martial arts are devoted to killing an opponent. The group has even had to limit practice of certain unarmed techniques because of their inherent danger.

“What surprised me the most is the actual span of what [Renaissance Martial Arts] covers,” said Bandics. “It’s not what you see on TV.”

ARMA’s efforts do raise concerns about the legitimacy of such martial arts in this day and age. Mixed Martial Arts are a far more popular craft to pursue, as is marksmanship with a firearm. The group has responded to these concerns in a variety of ways, by focusing on the more practical aspects of the art, such as dagger-fighting and wrestling.

“The legitimacy of ARMA in today’s world comes from wrestling, strong dagger work, body mechanics, fitness, mental discipline, as well as earning a respect for history and heritage,” said Bandics.

Many of the group’s members practice this martial art for more than self-defense. A number of the group’s members, including Nagai, have an interest in medieval history, and find their martial study to be personally fulfilling.

“It’s been rewarding because I’ve found something that has become a labor of love,” said Bandics.

The group hopes to continue their reconstruction efforts and refine ideas of how medieval combat was fought. But many members believe there is much they will never know, because so little of it was actually written down centuries ago.

“In the end, we try to come up with a legitimate, martially sound recreation of our forefathers’ art,” said Bandics.

For information, visit ARMA’s public website at http://www.thearma.org/.

-Michael Bennes

-Kristina Ellis