Page 10 - Sanger Herald 8-2-18 E-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 2B • THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018
SAM inspires creative solutions
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The aspiring tech workers at SAM Academy had been creating their Mars rovers for about a week.
First they programmed the device and then assembled all the pieces. From scratch. Soldering electronic connections and building without a blueprint and ready-made parts can take time.
“We believe the kids have to design and build their own rover rather than build a kit,” said Jerry Valadez, chief executive of the nonprofit SAM Academy in downtown Sanger on N Street. “They’ve already practiced the coding.”
About 20 students spent part of their summer in the academy’s 2018 Coding & Robotics Camp, where they expected to learn not only the programming but hands on construction, logic and design engineering. They worked with a product called Micro:bits and a Raspberry Pi microcomputer. And a lot of other stuff. Weeklong camps continued through the previous month.
Another camp was the Bots to Biology, which focused on science, art, engineering and making habitats and ecosystems of rivers and wetlands.
The rovers in the coding camp didn’t look a lot like those currently on Mars. The Opportunity and Spirit rovers, which landed separately on the red planet in January 2004, measure about 10 feet. The latest, the Curiosity, is car- sized and landed on Mars in August 2012. Spirit has not communicated since March 2010, despite many recent attempts. But the other two
To get an item into the calendar, email details to nemethfeatures@gmail. com or call Mike or Sharon at 559-875-2511.
Calvary Fellowship Church plans an ice cream social and Singspiration at6p.m.Aug.5at737 Church Ave. Singers and musicians are encouraged to come and perform. RSVP requested. Details, Phyllis 559-875-2414.
National Night Out will start at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at Sanger Park.
A Word About Forgiveness — The Ways God Forgives — Part 8
We are in a series about forgiveness. So far, we have dealt with admitting your sin, accepting responsibility for my sins and asking for forgiveness.
You don’t beg, bargain or bribe. You just believe. Here are a couple of more thoughts about forgiveness: You don’t need to ask God over and over and over. You only have to ask God one time.
God heard you the first time. And if you meant it, he forgave you the first
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Mentor Sunny Van, left, assists David Alester in the construction of a tiny rover whose drive requires coding.
Tamez, a senior; Jacob Martinez, a senior; and Josiah Gutierrez, a senior.
Their mission will be chronicling the activity and making sure as many people as possible see what’s going on in the little building on N Street. “We’ll be doing it the rest of the summer,” Tejeda said. “This is a good idea. It introduces us to managing a website and who our audience is.”
Sanchez said she’s interested in recording everything in photographic images, her preferred profession.
And the group will participate in other projects. Much of the goal is to get kids to see what’s going on at SAM Academy and use various social media platforms to pique their interest in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and art.
“It’s better than staying at home watching TV,” Martinez said. “(Social media) is a good way to introduce kids to new jobs in the world.”
“To a new generation,” Sotear Van said. Sunny was her brother. “Kids have more technology (today). So robotics and computers are more normal. Kids need to know these things.”
Bobbi-Ann Phillips, who works as a fundraising specialist for the organization and directs the Boy Scout troop, was impressed with everything going on at the facility over the summer. “It’s incredible what they’re doing,” she said.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
There will also be kraut dogs, mustard dogs and Frito boats. Details, George 559-286-5667.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Community Breakfast is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 4 (the first Saturday of the month) at the American Legion Hall, 1502 O St. Cost is $6. Cub Scout Pack 322 and Boy Scout Pack 322 will assist. The VFW breakfast is usually the first Saturday of the month.
The Sanger Community Task Force meets at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 7 at Tabernacle of Praise, 1919 N. Academy Ave. Details, 559-250-6433.
it mean to be annulled? Annulled means as if it never happened. An annulment is different than a divorce. A divorce stays on the record. An annulment means, like it never happened. This is why the cross is so important.
Next Week: Part 9 — More of the ways God forgives.
Pastor Sam Estes is city advance director and facilitates the Sanger Community Task Force that meets the first and third Tuesdays every month. He can be reached at pastorsam51@gmail.com.
continue to serve NASA’s scientific teams and send troves of data, pictures and video. Updates on these rovers can be found at mars.nasa.gov.
The rover David Alester, 12, worked on with Sunny Van, a SAM mentor, looked more like it would shape up into something the size of a 1:8 scale Tonka truck. The pair started with components and a thin wood platform.
“The total cost of the rover is about $50,” Valadez said. “It’s our own design to make coding and design affordable to kids.”
Josiah Ybarra, 10, was sold on the concept. “I just wanted it to drive backwards and forwards,” he said, adding that it took just a few days to assemble. “You get to use tools and
The Apache Football Boosters plan to start the 7th Annual Kick-Off Dinner at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour Aug. 11 at the Case residence, 3700 S. Newmark Ave. There will be music, silent auction raffle and a photo booth honoring the 1998 championship team. Details, Amanda Pittman 559-246-7559 or Jessica Jones 559-696-6280.
Sanger’s parks and recreation division has begun Open Recreation Futsal at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Sanger
time. You keep asking because you don’t feel forgiven. But He forgave you the first time. In fact, if you keep asking God to forgive you over and over and over, it means you lack faith.
You don’t really believe that God kept his promise. He has. You’ve been forgiven, but you haven’t been healed of that emotion. Every time you ask God to forgive you for something he’s already forgiven, that’s a sin.
Because you’re saying, I don’t really believe you kept your promise to forgive me the moment I asked. It is a lack of faith. What it means is you don’t
stuff and learn how they work.”
Tom Nelson of Lifewire. com put together a list of what he dubbed the top five programmable robot kits for kids. In addition to programming, the kits “also help hone skills used to assemble the robot from a collection of parts into a working device waiting for the builder’s command,” he wrote in his post. “Assembling a robot helps show that patience and fortitude outweigh the instant gratification of a pre-assembled gadget.”
Nelson’s list of commercially available products is as follows: No. 1: Lego Mindstorm EV3 $359.99 on Amazon; No. 2: Makeblock Mbot Ranger $150.24 on Amazon (the better DIY Ultimate 2.0
Community Center, 730 Recreation Ave. The opportunity ends Aug. 30. Men and women 18 and older are encouraged to participate. Details, 559-876-6300 option 2 or recinfo@ci.sanger.ca.us.
The Sanger branch of the Fresno County Library remains closed but is expected to reopen this month. At the Library with Friends events have been cancelled for Aug. 6 and 13. Acoustic Highway plays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20. Mueres Valientes plays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27. The library is at 1812 Seventh St. Details, 559- 305-7130.
Robot is $399.99); No. 3: Boe-Bot Robot kit $159.95 at Amazon; No. 4: Rokit Smart is $119.78 at Amazon; and No. 5: iRobot Create2 Programmmable Robot is $199.99 at iRobot.
Van explained the process of how the rovers are created at SAM Academy. “We have a lot of (data) storage,” he said. “You code into the (desktop) computer and then download it.”
He showed the Micro:bit device, which is about the size of a pack of Extra gum if it were thinner. Then he demonstrated the next step of plugging in the sophisticated data card into a receiving device on the robot that sends the appropriate signals to the various motors.
The construction process requires that the
Ten high school seniors from Fresno and Kings counties have been selected to receive scholarships offered by the Fresno-Kings Counties Cattlewomen. The scholarships support future leaders through organizations such as Future Farmers of America, 4-H Clubs and other community-based organizations. Recipients include Makenzie Flach and Kaitlyn Gens of Sanger High School.
Sanger’s Movie Night in the Park continues this summer. Show times are 8:45 p.m. Here’s the lineup: Aug. 4 “Coco” at Community Pool.
the aspiring technicians learn to solder wires and design electrical systems incorporating a series of components. What results is a far more complex and somewhat more satisfying rover than any the kits provide. Valadez said something comparable to what they produce would cost in the $375 to $500 range if it were purchased in kit form.
New this year at SAM Academy is a seven- member social media marketing team, mentored by Ephiram Bosse, a Fresno State graduate. The content-creation group includes Sebastian Martinez, a senior next year at Sanger High; Sotear Van, a junior; Marina Sanchez, a senior; Abraham Tejeda, a sophomore; Nicholas
The Sanger Woman’s Club plans its Annual Rummage Sale from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 11 and 12 at the club, 1602 Seventh St. There will be clothing, household goods, books and treasures. Proceeds go to community service projects. Details, Doris 559-875-7563.
AMVETS will have a fish fry at 5 p.m. Aug. 3. Its chili dogs will take a hiatus until Aug. 15 when they return from 5 to 8 p.m. Chili dogs will continue the third Wednesdays of the month. The Fish fry will be the first Wednesday of every month. Everybody who’s anybody will be there. Come early. It’s popular.
paid for by Jesus Christ. In Colossians 2, “He (Jesus) has forgiven all your sins. He has utterly wiped out the evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross.”
Here are two things to think about in this verse. First, he wiped it out. All the evidence. He wipes out everything you’ve ever done wrong. Second, God has forgotten it. God doesn’t just forgive, he forgets. He distinctly forgets, intentionally.
“And God has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross.” What does
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PASTOR’S CORNER
understand how God forgives. Jesus’ first word on the cross was, “Father, forgive them.”
It is necessary
to understand
the ways that
God forgives.
He forgives instantly. He doesn’t say you’ve got to suffer a little while.
God never makes us wait. He doesn’t say, “I’ll think about it.” He forgives you the moment you ask. In Isaiah 55:7, “God is merciful and quick to forgive.”
Should a Christian ever feel guilty? The answer is yes, for about 10 seconds.
That’s about as long as it should take. It is a myth that feeling guilty makes me a better person. It does not! It is unnecessary. It just makes you miserable.
God forgives instantly. God forgives completely. You don’t have to keep coming back to him on a single event. When Jesus died for your sins on the cross, which sins did he die for? All of them. That means even the ones I’m going to commit this afternoon and the ones I’m going to do next month and
next year and in 10 years. They’ve already all been
Pastor Sam Estes