Category: News

News, Science, Student Life

 Let’s have a Conversation about Conservation!

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by Meru S.

My local 4-H club recently invited a guest speaker from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to talk about water conservation. He spoke about the most common ways water is wasted in everyday life, and how we can use less water to conserve it. Even with the rain that we have been having during the past two to three months, we still need to continue to use water with awareness of the drought.

Here are some ways in which we can conserve water:

  •  Fix water leaks. Leaks can waste up to two hundred gallons of water a day.
  • Take shorter showers. A ten-minute shower uses about twenty-five gallons.
  • Use the dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand. Most dishwashers use only about six gallons per load. 
  • Irrigate lawns efficiently or install a drip irrigation system. Many sprinklers spray water not only on the lawn but also on the sidewalks or driveways, which wastes a lot. Drip irrigation sends water directly to the roots and does not waste or overwater.
  • Plant drought-tolerant plants that require less water.
  • Make sure to turn off hoses and faucets when not in use.

We removed our lawn and replaced it with Kurapia, a water-wise alternative to grass. We have also planted California natives, which, once established, do not need as much water. Collecting rinsing or cooking water is something we have been doing for the past few months. We keep a watering can in the kitchen and pour the extra water from foods (such as pasta or soaked grains) into it. Then we later use it to water our plants.

Art and photo courtesy – Meru S.

March 22nd is World Water Day. Each year, World Water Day has a different theme. This year, the theme is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. The general goal of this celebration is to ensure that people worldwide have access to clean and safe water. The first World Water Day was held in 1993 and was created by the United Nations. East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is celebrating World Water Day with a Day by the Water at Lake Del Valle in Livermore. With games and activities, you can learn more about water conservation and the different ways in which water is beneficial to us and wildlife. 

News, Student Life

Valentine’s Day, Parkday, All in One!

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by Olive Pea

Wow! It’s already February! We are officially a whole month into the new year. I’m still trying to break the old habit of writing 2022 whenever I write down the date. Since a whole new year has started, this means that the cycle of TVE’s holiday events is starting over! Actually, the first holiday event of 2023 is coming up in the very near future. TVE’s Valentines Exchange will be held at two different Park Days. The first one takes place at Larkey Park Day, Thursday, February 9th. The second one takes place at Boone Acres Park Day, Friday, February 10th.

 WHAT TO EXPECT

TVE’s annual Valentines exchange gives the kids of our homeschool community the opportunity to exchange Valentines with their Park Day friends! Once the exchange starts, everybody who brought Valentines should have them ready. While the kids are getting their Valentines ready, everybody should begin preparing the tables and set up Valentine boxes (or bags) for each participant. Once everything is set up, then kids who brought cards can start to drop them into other people’s boxes. Once everyone has put their Valentines in their friend’s Valentine boxes, the kids can start looking through the Valentines that they received.

THINGS TO BRING

 In order to participate, you must bring these necessities:

  1. A box (or bag) with your name written in large letters on the front. This will be used for others to easily find where to put their Valentine to you.

Note:

 Bags for you to decorate will be provided at the Boone Acres Park Day along with markers and stickers.  

  1. Kid friendly Valentine cards, either pre made or handmade to give to your Park Day friends. Goodies can be included, but they are optional. Food is not allowed, to make sure those with food allergies are also included.

In past events, there were many Valentines received, and many smiling faces. Last year at Boone Acres Park Day the amount of children was underestimated and there was said to be double the amount on Exchange participants! At the Larkey Park Day, there were bouncy balls that everyone had a lot of fun playing with.

We hope to see you at this wonderful event, and hope you get lots of Valentines!

For more information, visit the TVE Park Day pages on Facebook to find out who will be at your Park Day! 

News, Student Life

How to Become a Guest Author

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by Ava Salado

Do you want to publish one of your papers, essays, or creative writing but don’t have time to join The Lighthouse, no problem at all! Just become a guest writer! Email us at: thelighthousetve@gmail.com with your completed work, and we can publish it on our website. As you might have noticed, we have two (yes two!) guest authors this month. And we invite you to become one too!

Arts and Culture, News, Student Life

Poetry for You and Me

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by Olive Pea

First off, Happy New Year everyone! Our Staff hopes all of you had a wonderful holiday season. Now that a new year has started we should all look back to see how far we have come and give ourselves a high-five for all we have accomplished! Don’t just look back, look to the future! The new year hosts many great and exciting opportunities for all of us. This article contains three poems that were submitted for our poetry challenge, so read on!

About the poetry challenge

Last month, our Staff posted a non-competitive poetry challenge. Submissions were to be sent to us by the 20th of December, and we got three fantastic poems! The submitted poems were to be posted in this very article, and never fear, we will not disappoint you!

Here are the three poems that were submitted by three kids from the TVE community! It’s not just poems that were submitted, actually, some art was submitted as well!

Christmastime

By Livi Skikos – 14 years old

Ornaments on every tree, some homemade of clay

People shovel snowy paths while candles light the way

Christmas cheer floods the homes of every girl and boy

Writing letters to the one who’ll bring them a new toy

Families gather ‘round to place a star on the tree

Children sled through the snow, feeling bright and free

Candy canes and silver bells remind you of the day

When Christmastime will come again, with Santa on his sleigh

HOPE

by Aleena Haimor

Hope is the bright flame

Like sunshine in the shadows

That I long to touch

Made by Max Yang

Sunfish

by Max Yang – 8 years old 

Sunfish, sunfish,

you remind me of a wish.

You are like the sun drifting away.

You remind me of the sun on most sunny days.

Oh oh, sunfish,

In my dreams,

you keep me company.

In the Monterey Bay Aquarium,

you wait for me.

Congratulations to all three of you! Give yourself a nice pat on the back for your hard work. These three poems are a joy to read!

These poems were read by our Staff, and were given these titles in the following categories:

Christmastime – Best Rhymes and Most Joyful

Hope – Best Topic

Sunfish – Brightest and Most Creative

We hope that all those who read these poems enjoyed them as much as we did. And a big virtual high-five to the participants. Once again, Happy New Year!

News, Student Life

The Terrific Train of Lights

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by Lydia Martinov

Winter time? Check! Cars? Check! Hot Cocoa? Check! Thousands of lights? Check!  With holiday decorations inside and out, the Train of Lights is ready to choo-choo down the tracks. The antique coaches are quite a sight, especially in the open cars which feature wonderful views of the train. This one and a half hour ride is a truly fun activity, surrounded by a mesmerizing holiday atmosphere. The journey offers a “rare opportunity to experience a train ride through Niles Canyon at night,” as described on the Niles Canyon Railway website. It goes round trip through the Niles Canyon. With Santa Claus hitching a ride too, children of all ages can enjoy his company and the beautiful sights. The Train of Lights comes every year to take people on a Christmas-approved journey during November and December evenings.

The tickets to the train sell out very quickly, so it is recommended to purchase them months in advance. They go on sale on the Niles Canyon Railway website on October 1st, and sell out within the first couple of hours on the same day. First class tickets are sold at a higher price, and sell out even faster. These tickets come with extra perks, such as unlimited free hot chocolate, cookies, other snacks, and access to the exclusive first class cars. After the tickets are purchased, people arrive at the Niles Canyon Railway at the appointed time. The crew on the Train of Lights is made up of very knowledgeable and kind volunteers. Once everybody gets on and takes their seats, the conductor starts the train. You can walk through all the cars, which include the gift shop, a snack car (with snacks for purchase), a couple of open-air cars and uniquely decorated coach cars. Maybe, while you walk through the cars, you’ll find Santa Claus! You can take a picture with him, or ask him a question. 

I took a ride on the Train of Lights to take pictures for you to see. As one of my fellow passengers said, “The beauty of the train doesn’t show as well through photos, as it would in person.”  Here are some of them:

The train turning past a train crossing through the dome car window:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

Inside of one of the cars:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

Some fun Christmas decor

Photo by Lydia Martinov

Enjoying the view in an open car:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

Beautifully decorated open car:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

Some of the cars get pretty busy:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

The outside of the train:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

According to Jaqcuez Verdier, a first-class Dome car volunteer, “There are over a million Christmas lights on the train.” The reason it is called the Train of Lights is because each car is decorated by many lights, which in turn, are powered by 2 generators. 

When Santa came to the car we were in, my sister asked what he would like for Christmas. He said “I would like for all of the boys and girls to get what they wanted for Christmas this year.”

Santa!!!:

Photo by Lydia Martinov

The Train of Lights is a truly magical thing. Maybe you can take a ride someday, and see Santa in person. Don’t forget to have a cup of hot cocoa, and ask the volunteers about the train. They are very knowledgeable. Have a wonderful 2023!

More information at:

Train of Lights

Arts and Culture, News, Student Life

Poetry Submission Competition!

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by The Lighthouse Staff

Hello TVE Kids and Teens!

Time for a poetry challenge! The staff of The Lighthouse (TVE’s own student-led newspaper) invites one and all to take part in our first ever poetry competition! Don’t be afraid to let your creative ideas run wild and why not show them off? We look forward to reading your submissions and getting inspired by your beautiful words! You could even share your poems with your parkday friends. Here are the rules. First off, YOUR POETRY MUST COME OUT OF YOUR OWN CREATIVE MIND. No quoting Edger Allen Poe, people! Second off, NO EXPLICIT LANGUAGE OR CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS. We will not accept any foul poetry submissions. Third off, WE ACCEPT ALL TYPES OF POETRY! We don’t hold grudges against haikus or anything.

POETRY IS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE 20th OF DECEMBER.

You can SUBMIT YOUR POEM AT: thelighthousetve@gmail.com

Our staff will decide who wins in each category, then we will email everyone to congratulate them for their hard work and receive an online certificate! ALL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE POSTED IN THE LIGHTHOUSE NEWSPAPER ON THE 5th OF JANUARY. (Unless you instruct us not to.)

HAVE FUN HAIKU

WE WISH YOU GOOD LUCK

HAVE FUN BEING CREATIVE

YOU CREATIVE KIDS!

Sincerely,

-The Lighthouse staff

News, Science

Tesla’s Optimus: A State-of-the-Art Robot or Another Impractical Toy?

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by Lydia I. Martinov

The future is here! Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has finally unveiled the Optimus (also known as the Tesla robot). This epic piece of machinery contains AI (Artificial Intelligence), meaning that it can perform tasks that usually require a human mind. The Optimus was unveiled by Elon Musk on September 30th, Tesla’s AI day. The event happened at the Tesla office in Palo Alto, California.

 Photo Courtesy of CNBC

The unveiling started with a screen on stage depicting robot hands making a heart, and once everybody settled in their seats, Elon Musk, along with some of the engineers, who helped make the Optimus, took to the stage. One of the engineers explained that it will be the first time that the Optimus will be “without any support cranes, mechanical mechanisms, no cables, nothing.” With that, the robot’s heart hands opened to reveal the Optimus prototype. 

The robot walked out and waved to the crowd, receiving thunderous applause. It performed a simple dance, and one of the engineers pointed out that the robot uses the “self-driving computer that runs in [our] Tesla cars”. The robot walked to the back of the stage, while a video was playing on the screen, showing the prototype connected to wires, and support cranes, performing tasks such as watering plants and bringing in packages. Then, the robot was attached to a small platform, and managed to squat. Optimus must be able to squat in order to pick things up and perform chores.

                                              

Photo courtesy of NBC News

Believe it or not, programming the robot to walk is not easy. In fact, it’s downright difficult. The engineers had to make sure that the robot is balanced, so that it doesn’t fall flat on its face. The Optimus prototype took its first steps in April 2022. Then, in July, the engineers were able to get its pelvis moving, as it walked. In August, they managed to get the robot’s arms to sway. Lastly, in September, they made the movement of its foot transfer from heel to toe, with every step.

Photo courtesy of Tesla

                                                            

The materials that will be used when these bots are put into production include metal and plastic (less metal and more plastic makes the bot lighter). The battery life on the robot is 4 to 23 hours, and it uses the 2.3 kWh, 52V battery. It can pick up 20 pounds with each hand, and weighs 160 pounds. The Optimus is 5’ 8”  tall, and can walk 5 mph (miles per hour). Its eyes are cameras, ears are microphones, and the voice is a speaker. The joints are inspired by the joints of a human.

Optimus is a humanoid, meaning that it is a robot resembling the body of a human in shape. Instead they were powered by a system of levers and pulleys. 

It is expected that by 2027, this epic piece of machinery will be on sale for about $20,000.  So, you better start saving up! Tesla’s Optimus is a truly magnificent item, and many people are very excited for it to become a selling product. I, for one, can definitely utilize this robot to clean my room.

Arts and Culture, News

Diwali — The Festival of Lights

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by Meru S.

Photo by Meru S.

Deepavali (or Diwali) is the Hindu festival of lights. It is celebrated on the new moon that occurs between mid-October to mid-November, according to the Lunar Calendar. The word Deepavali is a combination of two Sanskrit words — Deepa, meaning lamp, and Avali, meaning rows or series. Therefore, Deepavali means rows of lamps.

In Southern India, Deepavali celebrates the defeat of the demon Naraka at the hands of Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. In Northern India, it celebrates the victorious return of Prince Rama, another incarnation of Vishnu, having defeated the demon Ravana. The demons represent the vices in human nature.

Deepavali symbolizes light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair. Families wake up as early as 4:00 AM and apply an herbal medicinal oil before bathing as a cleansing ritual. Hindus celebrate this bright and joyous festival by lighting oil lamps, cooking traditional sweet and savory treats, and, more recently, lighting sparklers or firecrackers.

This is a universal prayer in Sanskrit on the occasion of Deepavali

असतो मा सद्गमय |

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय |

मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय |

ॐ शान्ति  शान्ति  शान्ति | |

Asatho ma sadgamaya,

Thamaso ma jyothirgamaya,

Mrithyorma amritham gamaya,

Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi.

Lead us from untruth to truth,

From darkness to light,

From death to immortality

Peace, Peace, Peace.

Here is a healthy, sweet recipe to celebrate with — Carrot Payasam

Ingredients:

4 large carrots

2 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup water or reserved cooking liquid

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cardamom

4 whole cloves

saffron for garnish (optional)

  1. Peel and cut carrots into two-inch pieces. Steam until thoroughly soft. If cooking on a stovetop, reserve cooking liquid for later use.
  2. Combine the carrots, liquids, sugar, cardamom, and cloves in a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Adjust liquids for preferred consistency and sweetness for preferred taste.
  4. Refrigerate until chilled.
  5. Garnish with saffron and serve chilled. Enjoy!
Photo by Meru S.
Home, News, Student Life

We invite you to join us at The Lighthouse

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by Ava Salado

Hello future journalists! Have you ever wanted to write? Let me elaborate, not just write short ‘thank you’ notes for those gifts your friends gave you at your birthday party or long, drawn out essays about George Washington for school. I mean writing stuff that you are interested in! From Leaping Blennies, flatulence facts, to on-site coverage of Tri-Valley Explorers events. We pride ourselves on being a pretty versatile newspaper. Now, being back from summer break, we are inviting you to be a part of our staff! We accept students from ages 11-18 with a love, passion, and drive for creative writing. Contact us to find out where our bi-weekly meetings are located, when they start and end, and all those other lovely details! At these meeting we will discuss:  

First, how to write interesting, engaging, and proper articles.

Second, our upcoming publishing. Are there any TVE events, world events, or just… cool stuff you would like to write about?

And sometimes we just mess around and play fun writing related games and activities! 

These are the jobs we have open:

Copy Editor

In addition to writing for the publication, this person is responsible for editing all copies in the newspaper. This staff member is responsible for checking grammar, spelling (including names), and mechanics. Additionally, the copy editor will also be responsible for fact checking..

News Editor

In addition to writing for the publication, this person is responsible for making sure that all news stories are assigned and written on time. Each section editor is also responsible for keeping their section populated with new stories and properly updated with current events. 

Sports Editor

In addition to writing for the publication, this person is responsible for making sure that all sports stories are assigned and written on time. Each section editor is also responsible for keeping their section populated with new stories and properly updated with current events.

Op/Ed Editor

In addition to writing for the publication, this person is responsible for making sure that all opinion and editorial stories are assigned and written on time. Each section editor is also responsible for keeping their section populated with new stories and properly updated with current events. 

Just because you have a specific title like, let’s say “Op/Ed Editor” does not mean you can’t write something in the “Sports Section”. Your interests are the most important thing! For all jobs what we ask is that you:

  1. Try your absolute hardest to produce good and clean work. Yes, we do have Copy Editors, but it is our job to do our best and reach our amazing potential.
  1. Make sure you have at least one piece of work every month. We publish twice a month. This is not necessarily a “rule”, but we highly encourage it to keep your author juices flowing. 
  1. Stay respectful in all you say and do. Let’s always keep in mind that not everyone’s passion comes with immediate perfection, we are doing our best and no one will ever be put down, mocked, made fun of, or scrutinized. Also, we promise that we will never be asked to read, spell, or do anything on the spot. I know how hard it can be when you are asked a question you are not comfortable answering. This is a comfortable space! 
  1. In your writings, we ask to stay away from political or ethical “touchy” topics and, of course, refrain from using any profanities, inappropriate subjects, gory pictures and so on. But to be honest, I know you all are too cool for that!

We invite anyone who has any questions or who would like to join to come — and see a meeting in action! This club will be in session until June 1st, 2023. From the Lighthouse staff to you, “we hope to see you there!”

If you are interested, feel free to email us at thelighthousetve@gmail.com.