In Brief

Student's project feeds hearts, bellies

Green Valley High School senior Jonathan Litster, 17, was honored by Henderson Mayor James Gibson and the Henderson City Council, Oct. 19, for his landmark Eagle Scout project that is impacting lives at Taylor Elementary School.

Litster's Buddy Backpack program provides much-needed food to students at the at-risk campus. Participating children are able to take home backpacks filled with food on Friday, which they then return on Monday. Students taking part in the program are identified by Taylor Elementary faculty and administrators.

As of Oct. 19, Litster had collected more than 50 backpacks, more than 2,000 cans of food and more than $4,000, which was presented to Taylor Elementary School Principal Janet Dobry. Henderson attorney John Marchiano is assisting with the ongoing efforts by storing food in his office and providing financial assistance.

More than 80 percent of Taylor students currently live in government-subsidized housing. The need for the program was identified by faculty members who discovered that many students were returning to school on Mondays in a hungry and weakened state.

This year's election inspired many voters to turn out for early voting. As of Oct. 28, Clark County's early polls had attracted 207,919 early voters. If you were one of those prompted to cast your vote early, we'd like to hear what inspired you to do so. If you were a first-time voter, we'd like to hear about your experience. Send your comments to the View, c/o Jeannette Carrillo, managing editor, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125; or by e-mail to jcarrillo@viewnews.com. Letters must include the writer's full name, address and phone number for confirmation but not publication.


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