Quiet Leader Richard Chavez Remembered Se Recuerda al
Transcripción
Quiet Leader Richard Chavez Remembered Se Recuerda al
PRSRT STD U.S POSTAGE PAID KCMO PERMIT NO. 990 YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 Periódico Bilingüe Kansas City www.kchispanicnews.com VOLUME 14 NUMBER 47 / 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 Making Health a Priority Haciendo la salud una prioridad UG Passes 8.9 Percent Property Tax Increase on Homes and Businesses UG Aprueba un Aumento de 8,9 por ciento en los impuestos sobre las casas y Empresas By Debra DeCoster The KC Slimdown Challenge kicked-off at Arrowhead stadium last week. The corporate challenge has enrolled over 85 teams and over 6,500 participants with a goal of shedding 150,000 pounds. El Desafío de Bajar de Peso de KC dio inicio en el Arrowhead Stadium la semana pasada. Las empresas participantes en el desafío han inscrito a más de 85 equipos y más de 6.500 participantes con el objetivo de perder 150.000 libras. By Debra DeCoster Traduce Rico Rogers The KC Slimdown Challenge has metro citizens stepping up and answering the call to lose weight and create a healthier lifestyle by exercising, and making healthier choices about the food they consume. The Slimdown goal is to lose 150,000 pounds community wide. The challenge kicked off last Monday with over 10,000 weigh ins. Cerner Corporation is sponsoring the challenge and is tracking the teams. They currently have enrolled 85 employer teams with 6,500 people signed up to participate in the challenge. “We have more employers participating than we thought we would and that was exciting news for us to hear. There are great employers who really care about their employees’ health,” said Amy Burgess, Cerner marketing direc- El Desafío de Bajar de Peso de KC (KC Slimdown Challenge) ha hecho que los ciudadanos del área intensifiquen su respuesta al desafío de bajar de peso y crear un estilo de vida saludable vía el ejercicio, y tomar decisiones más saludables de los alimentos que consumen. El objetivo del adelgazamiento es perder 150.000 libras entre toda la comunidad. El desafío comenzó el lunes pasado con más de 10.000 personas pesándose. La Corporación de Cerner patrocina el desafío y está siguiendo el progreso de los equipos. En la actualidad se han inscrito 85 equipos de empleadores con 6.500 personas inscritas para participar en el desafío. "Más empleadores participan de lo que esperábamos y esa fue una buena noticia para nosotros. Hay estupendas SEE: METRO TAKES ON KC SLIM DOWN / PAGE 6 VE: LA CIUDAD ACEPTA / PÁGINA 6 In last week edition, business owners Octavio Sosa and Miguel Cervantes expressed their frustration with the UG proposed budget to increase property taxes for residential and business owners in Wyandotte County by almost 9 percent. Business owners and residents agreed with them and turned out to express their concerns at a public hearing held on the 2012 budget in the Board of Commissioners Chambers. Angry Wyandotte County citizens packed the Board of Commission chambers last week to send a clear message to Mayor Joe Reardon, City Administrator Dennis Hays and the Board of Commissioners that they were fed up with high taxes. The economic recession has hit the Unified Government pocketbook hard over the past three years; leaving them with a budget shortfall of more than $8 million due largely to sharp drops in property values since the recession hit in 2008. Hoping to fill the budget shortfall, the Commission approved the 8.9 percent adjustment in the Unified Government property tax rate. The $264 million budget passed after weeks of budget sessions. Commissioner Nathan Barnes, who has worked on 16 budgets, called this the nastiest one he has ever worked on. “This budget was ugly when we began, it is ugly now and it will be ugly when we put it to bed. But the fact of the matter is we need a budget in place now so that when the snow begins to fall we can have our streets plowed,” he said. Funcionarios del Gobierno Unificado escucharon a los residentes claramente durante la reunion del presupuesto - “Ningún aumento de impuestos a la propiedad.” Al final, los comisionados votaron a favor de aumentar los impuestos de la propiedad en un 8,9%. Traduce Rico Rogers En la edición de la semana pasada, los dueños de negocios, Octavio Sosa y Miguel Cervantes, expresaron su frustración con el propuesto presupuesto de UG para aumentar los impuestos a las propiedades de los propietarios de viviendas y negocios en el Condado de Wyandotte en casi un 9 por ciento. Los dueños de negocios y los residentes estuvieron de acuerdo con ellos y salieron a expresar sus preocupaciones en una audiencia pública celebrada sobre el presupuesto 2012 en las Salas de Consejo de la Comisión. Ciudadanos enojados del Condado de Wyandotte llenaron las salas del Consejo de la Comisión la semana pasada para enviar un mensaje claro al Alcalde Joe Reardon, el Administrador Municipal Dennis Hays y a la Junta de Comisionados que estaban hartos de los altos impuestos. La recesión económica ha golpeado fuertemente el bolsillo del Gobierno Unificado durante los últimos tres años, dejándolo con un déficit presupuestario de más de $ 8 millones debido, en gran parte, a la brusca caída en los valores de la VE: EL PRESUPUESTO FUE TERRIBLE / PÁGINA 3 SEE”THIS BUDGET WAS UGLY / PAGE 3 Quiet Leader Richard Chavez Remembered Richard Chavez, an American Community Activist Unified Government officials heard residents loud and clear at the budget hearing – “no increase in property taxes.” In the end, commissioners voted to increase property tax rates by 8.9% Se Recuerda al tranquilo Líder Richard Chávez By Joe Arce and Jose Faus Traduce Rico Rogers Richard Chavez, brother of the late civil rights leader Cesar E. Chavez and a key figure in the farm workers movement, passed away Wednesday of last week following complications from surgery. The 81-year old activist was buried in a pine casket on Monday of this week in Delano, California. The pine casket was a fitting one for Richard. Trained as a carpenter, he used those skills to craft the pine coffin that held his brother Cesar’s body after his death in 1993. Richard was born near Yuma, Arizona in November 1929. Like his family, he was a migrant worker growing up. Later, he became a union carpenter and left the fields. Years later he gave up his work to help his brother in the organizing efforts of the United Farm workers. Richard’s contribution to “La Causa” was important. He mortgaged his house in order to help capitalize the union’s credit union. He was also responsible for designing the black eagle emblem that is the logo of the organization. But his most important contribution is emblematic of the type of hero he was. It was Richard who took a borrowed tractor to a strip of land and cleared it to make way for what eventually became the first headquarters of the UFW, the Forty Acres site. The plot of land was a gathering point in the early 60’s for the nascent organizing efforts among Filipino and Mexican farm workers. Richard Chávez, hermano del fallecido líder de derechos civiles Cesar E. Chávez y una figura clave en el movimiento de los trabajadores agrícolas, falleció el miércoles de la semana pasada por complicaciones de la cirugía. El activista de 81 años de edad fue enterrado en un ataúd de pino el lunes de esta semana en Delano, California. Se correspondía que Richard fuera enterrado en un ataúd de pino. Entrenado como carpintero, él utilizó esas habilidades para elaborar el ataúd de pino que contuvo el cuerpo de su hermano, César, después de su muerte en 1993. Richard nació cerca de Yuma, Arizona, en noviembre de 1929. Al igual que su familia, él era un trabajador emigrante de crecimiento. Más tarde, se convirtió en un carpintero de la unión y dejó los campos. Años más tarde renunció a su trabajo para ayudar a su hermano en los esfuerzos de organización del Sindicato de los Obreros Unidos (United Farm Workers). La contribución de Richard a “La Causa” fue importante. Él hipotecó su casa para ayudar a capitalizar la cooperativa del sindicato. También fue responsable de diseñar el emblema del águila negra que es el logotipo de la organización. Sin embargo, su contribución más importante es el emblema del tipo de héroe que fue. Fue Richard quien tomó prestado un tractor a una franja de tierra y la limpió para dar paso a lo que finalmente se convirtió en la primera sede de la UFW, el sitio de Cuarenta Acres. El terreno fue un punto de encuentro a principios de los años 60 SEE: HIS CONTRIBUTION WAS IMPORTANT / PAGE 4 VE: SU CONTRIBUCION FUE IMPORTANTE / PÁGINA 4 Back to School Hotline open for business KANSAS CITY, MO. – It’s back-to-school time again, and the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD) has re-launched its Back to School Hotline to help families get the latest vital information about transportation and student services. The phone number is (816) 418-7266. From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, bilingual customer service representatives will answer questions and address concerns as part of KCMSD’s annual effort to prepare families for the start of the school year. The operators will also help direct families to their assigned neighborhood school, where the enrollment process takes place. The hotline is just one of many activities initiated by KCMSD to support the back to school effort. A new one-stop web page has been launched with the latest school opening information (www2.kcmsd.net/ Pages/BacktoSchool2011.aspx). Also, the district continues to operate 418-NEWS, an automated phone line with the latest information about KCMSD. KCMSD has also launched Backpacks for Achievement, an effort to provide all 10,000 of its elementary school students with backpacks filled with school supplies on the first day of school – Monday, Aug. 15. The Kansas City Public Schools is dedicated to graduating students that are college, career, and workforce ready. This mission is supported by innovative classroom instruction, engaging programs, highly-qualified employees, and an engaged and well-informed community. To learn more about the ways our community of schools supports students and the community-at-large, please visit www.kcmsd.net, KCMO Schools on Facebook, or KCMOSchools on Twitter. For more information please contact Eileen Houston-Stewart, Executive Director of Public Relations, (816) 3790385 or Andre Riley, Sr. Media Relations Specialist, (816) 442-9337. 2918 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108 Jose “Chepe”Alonzo said he will truly miss his friend Richard Chavez ROYALS IN THE COMMUNITY Back to School Drive to Benefit Joplin Schools Set for August 4-5 KANSAS CITY, MO (July 28, 2011) – The Kansas City Royals continue to support the Joplin relief effort by hosting the Back to School Drive to benefit Joplin schools during the upcoming homestand. Together with Jeff and Catie Francoeur, Royals Wives will collect basic school supplies and backpacks on August 4 and 5. Fans are encouraged to also donate gently-used books for the classrooms. In addition, fans may secure autographed baseballs and player cards from their favorite Royals by making a cash donation (details below). Below is a listing of the club’s upcoming community efforts for August 2-7. JOPLIN RELIEF EFFORT CONTINUES In addition to supporting the Back to School Drive , Royals fans can continue to support the Joplin relief effort by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Fans are encouraged to visit www.royals.com/joplin for more details on the club’s disaster relief efforts and updated information on how they can help. NEWSROOM:(816)472.KCHN FAX: (816) 931.NEWS Tuesday, August 2 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Royals presented by Sprint, 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, August 3 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m. • Dream Factory – Throughout the season, the Royals grant the wishes of Dream Factory children. These youngsters, who face lifealtering challenges, will meet Royals players, watch batting practice from the dugout, and enjoy the game and refreshments. Their Royals experience appears on the KMBC-TV (Channel 9) 10 p.m. newscast. Thursday, August 4 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m. • Back to School Drive to Benefit Joplin Schools – Together with Jeff and Catie Francoeur, the Royals host the seventh annual Back to School Drive to support Joplin schools that were devastated by a tornado on May 22. The collection will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. outside of the Diamond Club, located across from the Majestic Team Store on the SEE: ROYALS BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE / PAGE 7 E-MAIL: [email protected] 2 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 kchispanicnews.com YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 kchispanicnews.com 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 3 “This budget was ugly when we began” CONT./PAGE 1 Frustrated residents some on fixed incomes told the UG staff that if taxes are raised, they worry they won’t be able to pay their bill or they will have to make further cuts in their budgets such as food purchases, clothing and every day necessities. Mario Escobar, a resident of Argentine since 1978, understands that the recession is creating hard times for everyone, but he had hoped that the UG would not raise the property taxes on homes and businesses. “Our property values are going down but our taxes are rising. I will have to make quite a few adjustments on my end to help me cover the higher taxes. I have not had a pay increase in the past three years. In order to cover that type of tax increase, I will have to make cuts in our groceries, clothing. Our fuel prices keep going up and we will have to really look at what we buy in general,” said Escobar. An emotional Dale Hartweg told Mayor Reardon that his home value in the Turner community went up $34,000. “I pay three times as much on real estate taxes as I do on my insurance. I pay more on the real estate tax than I do on the principal of my house. When am I going to get my home paid off? I am 48 years old and I will be dead before my house is paid off because of taxes. I am upset and it keeps going up. … I need help here. … We all need help here,” he said. Escobar told Hispanic News that he has tried to encourage his children to live in Wyandotte County but the high taxes have them looking across the state line. “We have new homes going up in Argentine but people are not going to purchase those homes if taxes go up. When I moved into Argentine they had small businesses there, now we don’t have them. How are we going to attract businesses when taxes go up? Raising our property taxes when our property values are going down is going to affect the morale of the homeowners. They are going to say why should I make improvements to my home and property when the value keeps going down,” said Escobar. The 2012 proposed budget was a no win situation for Wyandotte County. Property taxes had to be raised or the UG would have to cut services by ten percent, which would cut 50 fire fighters and 50 police officers. “We did all the efficiencies we could over the last three years without raising the mill levy. It is a last ditch effort. There is a clear difference between raising taxes and raising the mill levy assessment. Cutting $10 million from our budget would mean cutting 200 jobs. None of us on this board wanted to make cuts in our public safety areas. We have lost significant revenues from the sales tax because sales are down due to the economy. It is with great hesitation that I fully support the increase in the mill levy rate at this time,” said Commissioner Mark Holland. Lynn Smith who lives in the Piper district asked the commission to be accountable to the public about the last sales tax increase. “When I voted to pass the sales tax, I was under the impression that the money from the sales tax would go to support our fire and police, but I am hearing that may not be the case,” she said. The crowd at the public meeting broke into applause as one speaker warned the commissioners and Mayor Reardon that continuing higher tax increases will force residents to leave the county. The speaker also asked for a time table for when relief would come to taxpayers following the increased subsidies given to development in western Wyandotte County. Reardon quickly reprimanded the audience telling them were in a meeting and there would be no applause or outburst. The UG property tax rate was 97 mills in 1997 and it will be 81.3 mills under the 2012 budget. The UG receives 44 percent of the total tax bill paid by a Wyandotte County resident. Public schools, the Kansas City Kansas Community College, and Public Library and the state take 56 percent of the tax bill. The budget reduces the Board of Public Utilities Payment- in-lieu of tax (PILOT) fee by one percent but includes increases in storm water and waste water fees to pay for expensive sewer repairs mandated by the federal government. New initiatives will be funded by the 2012 budget—it will continue funding 37 public safety positions when federal grants end in July 2012; grass and weed mowing will be increased, the neighborhood infrastructure program will be funded so planning and design of improvements such as sidewalks can begin. The JFK Community Center will be operated under the same guidelines as recreation centers. The budget passed by a vote of 6 to 4. Voting against the budget were Commissioners Ann Murguia, Mike Kane, Angela Markley and Butch Ellison. Voting in favor of the budget were Mario Escobar told the Board of commissioners that, “Our property values are going down but our taxes are rising. I will have to make quite a few adjustments on my end to help me cover the higher taxes.” Escobar added that he has not had a pay increase in over three years. Mario Escobar dijo a la Junta de Comisionados que, ”El valor de nuestras propiedades están bajando pero nuestros impuestos van en aumento. Voy a tener que hacer bastantes ajustes por mi lado para ayudarme a pagar los impuestos más altos.” Escobar agregó que él no ha recibido un aumento de sueldo en los ultimos tres años. Commissioners Brian McKiernan, Tarence Maddox, Tom Cooley, Mark Holland, John Mendez and Nathan Barnes. Commissioner Ann Murguia addressed the public before the vote. “I agree with all of you that now is not the time to be raising taxes.” Murguia said she is for new businesses coming into Wyandotte County but that the commissioners need to work towards helping the established businesses that have been in the county for a long time. “Before we raise taxes, I have asked this governing body to look and see if we are operating as efficiently as we can be. We should be very careful with the funds that we collect from all of you in Wyandotte County. We should ensure that we are providing the best services possible to the people of this county,” said Murguia. Commissioners also adopted a resolution calling for elected leaders to conduct a thorough review and analysis of Unified Government operations. The evaluation and data-driven analysis will include major Unified Government operations, services and programs and the benefits of functional integration of operations between the Unified Government and Board of Public Utilities. “Este presupuesto fue terrible cuando empezamos” CONT./PÁGINA 1 propiedad desde que la recesión pegó en 2008. Con la esperanza de aliviar el déficit presupuestario, la Comisión aprobó el ajuste de 8,9 por ciento en la tasa de impuestos a la propiedad del Gobierno Unificado. El presupuesto de $ 264 millones fue aprobado después de semanas de sesiones de presupuestos. El comisionado Nathan Barnes, quien ha trabajado en 16 presupuestos, llamó a este el más repugnante con que él ha trabajado. "Este presupuesto fue terrible cuando empezamos, es terrible y será terrible cuando lo implementemos. Pero el hecho es que necesitamos implementar un presupuesto ahora para que se pueda limpiar nuestras calles cuando la nieve comienzae caer", dijo él. Residentes frustrados, algunos viviendo de ingresos fijos, dijeron al personal de UG que si se aumentan los impuestos, les preocupa que no podrán pagar sus cuentas o van a tener que recortar más gastos de sus presupuestos como la compra de alimentos, ropa y todas las necesidades diarias. Mario Escobar, un residente del barrio de Argentine desde 1978, entiende que la recesión está creando tiempos difíciles para todos, pero tenía la esperanza de que la UG no aumentara los impuestos sobre la propiedad de casas y negocios. "El valor de nuestras propiedades están bajando pero nuestros impuestos van en aumento. Voy a tener que hacer bastantes ajustes por mi lado para ayudarme a pagar los impuestos más altos. No he recibido un aumento de sueldo en los últimos tres años. Con el fin de cubrir ese tipo de aumento de impuestos, voy a tener que hacer recortes en las compras de comida y la ropa. Los precios de los combustibles siguen subiendo y, realmente, vamos a tener que analizar lo que compramos en general ", dijo Escobar. Un emocionado Dale Hartweg dijo al alcalde Reardon que el valor de su casa en la comunidad de Turner subió a $ 34.000. "Yo pago tres veces más para los impuestos de bienes raíces que pago para mi seguro para la casa. Pago más para el impuesto a los bienes raíces que yo pago para el principal del préstamo hipotecario de mi casa. ¿Cuándo voy a terminar de pagar mi casa? Tengo 48 años y voy morir antes de que mi casa se termine de pagar debido a los impuestos. Me molesta y sigue subiendo. ... Necesito ayuda. ... Todos necesitamos ayuda", dijo él. Escobar le dijo a Hispanic News que él ha tratado de animar a sus hijos a vivir en el condado Wyandotte pero, debido a los altos impuestos, ellos están buscando viviendas al otro lado de la línea estatal. "Están construyendo nuevas viviendas en el área de Argentine pero la gente no va a comprar las casas si los impuestos suben. Cuando me mudé a Argentine, tenían pequeños negocios allí, ya no hay. ¿Cómo vamos a atraer a las empresas si los impuestos están subiendo? Subiendo nuestros impuestos a la propiedad cuando los valores de nuestras propiedades están bajando afectará la moral de los dueños de casa. Ellos dirán por qué tengo que hacer arreglos dentro y fuera de mi casa cuando su valor sigue bajando", dijo Escobar. El propuesto presupuesto de 2012 fue un callejón sin salida para el Condado de Wyandotte. Tuvo que subir los impuestos a las propiedades o el UG tendría que reducir los servicios en un diez por ciento, lo que cortaría 50 bomberos y 50 funcionarios de la policía. "Hicimos todo lo posible durante los últimos tres años para no aumentar la tasa de impuestos. Es un último esfuerzo. Hay una diferencia clara entre el aumento de los impuestos y el aumento de la tasación de impuesto a la propiedad. El recorte de 10 millones de dólares de nuestro presupuesto significaría reducir 200 puestos de trabajo. Ninguno de nosotros en este foro quería hacer recortes en nuestras áreas de seguridad pública. Hemos perdido importantes ingresos del impuesto de ventas porque las ventas han bajado debido a la economía. Es con gran vacilación que apoye totalmente el TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 aumento de la tasa de impuesto a la propiedad en este momento ", dijo el Comisionado Mark Holland. Lynn Smith, que vive en el distrito de Piper, pidió a la Comisión rendir cuentas al público sobre el último aumento de los impuestos a las ventas. "Cuando voté a favor de aprobar el impuesto a las ventas, tenía la impresión de que el dinero del impuesto a las ventas iba a apoyar a nuestros bomberos y la policía pero estoy escuchando que posiblemente no fue así", dijo ella. La multitud en la reunión pública se rompió en aplausos cuando un orador advirtió a los comisionados y el Alcalde Reardon que la continuación de mayores aumentos de los impuestos obligará a los residentes a abandonar el condado. El orador también pidió un calendario de cuándo el alivio llegaría a los contribuyentes después del aumento de los subsidios dados al desarrollo en el oeste del Condado de Wyandotte. Reardon rápidamente reprendido al público diciéndoles que estaban en una reunión y no habrían aplausos o arrebatos. La tasa del impuesto sobre las propiedades de UG fue de 97 milésima de dólar en 1997 y será 81,3 milésima de dólar en el presupuesto de 2012. La UG recibe el 44 por ciento de la factura total de impuestos pagados por un residente del Condado de Wyandotte. Las escuelas públicas, Kansas City Kansas Community College y la Biblioteca Pública. El Estado recibe el 56 por ciento de la factura de impuestos. El presupuesto reduce el pago de la Junta de Servicios Públicos en lugar de cuotas de impuestos (PILOT) de un por ciento pero incluye aumentos en los costos por los servicios del agua de lluvia y las aguas residuales para pagar las reparaciones caras de los alcantarillados exigido por el gobierno federal. Nuevas iniciativas serán financiadas por el presupuesto de 2012, se continuará financiando 37 puestos de seguridad pública cuando terminen las subvenciones federales al final de julio de 2012, incrementará el servicio de cortar el césped y las malas hierbas, el programa de infraestructura barrial será financiado para que pueda comenzar la planificación y el diseño de arreglos, tales como las aceras. El Centro Comunitario JFK será operado bajo las mismas pautas que los centros de recreación. El presupuesto se aprobó por una votación de 6 a 4. Los que votaron en contra del presupuesto fueron Comisionados; Ana Murguía, Mike Kane, Angela Markley y Butch Ellison. Los que votaron a favor del presupuesto fueron comisionados; Brian McKiernan, Tarence Maddox, Tom Cooley, Mark Holland, John Méndez y Nathan Barnes. A capacity crowd filled the Board Of Commissioners hearing last week to voice their anger over the proposed budget. While many accept that WYCO has seen a loss of revenue many felt that it was not right to put the burden on already strapped property owners. Una muchedumbre llenó la reunion de la Junta de Comisionados la semana pasada para expresar su indignación por la propuesta de presupuesto. Aunque muchos aceptan que Wyco ha visto una pérdida de ingresos muchos sintieron que no era correcto poner la carga a los propietarios que ya están con problemas económicos. La comisionada Ann Murguía se dirigió al público antes de la votación. "Yo estoy de acuerdo con todos ustedes que ahora no es el momento de aumentar los impuestos.", Dijo Murguía que ella está a favor de la llegada de nuevas empresas al Condado de Wyandotte pero que los comisionados necesitan trabajar para ayudar a los negocios establecidos que han estado en el condado por mucho tiempo. "Antes de aumentar los impuestos, he pedido a este organismo gubernamental que haga un análisis para ver si estamos funcionando en la forma más eficaz posible. Debemos ser muy cuidadosos con los fondos que nosotros obtenemos de todos ustedes en el Condado de Wyan- dotte. Debemos asegurar que estemos rindiendo los mejores servicios posibles a los habitantes de este condado", dijo Murguía. Los miembros de la Comisión también adoptaron una resolución llamando a los líderes elegidos para llevar a cabo una revisión exhaustiva y un análisis de las operaciones del Gobierno Unificado. La evaluación y análisis basados en datos incluirán las principales operaciones del Gobierno Unificado, los servicios, programas y los beneficios de la integración funcional de las operaciones entre el Gobierno Unificado y de la Junta de Servicios Públicos. YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 4 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 kchispanicnews.com His contribution was important CONT./PAGE 1 On Sunday morning, a procession of hundreds walked from Metter Avenue in the center of Delano trailing a tractor carrying Richard’s remains. Alongside the coffin walked Delores Huerta, a co-founder of the UFW and Richard’s partner, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and actor Ed Begley Jr., along with many touched by Richard’s dedication. Florentino Camacho Jr., former LULAC civil rights state director, praised Richard. “We lost a great civil rights leader who fought for the civil rights and human rights of the farm workers. … He changed America’s thinking about the working conditions and low pay for the farm workers. Rest in peace my brother – a job well done.” Dr. Genovevo “Gene” Chavez met Richard in 1998 for the dedication of Cesar E. Chavez Avenida on Kansas City’s Westside. He stayed at his house that weekend. “Richard was a wonderful person, outgoing and easy to talk with and he represented Chavez’s family well,” recalled Gene. “It was a real pleasure having him in our home and it felt like it was familia. … We really enjoyed having him with us. He was very gracious and very knowledgeable of the movement his brother created and dedicated his life to.” Gene noted that the brothers were close in temperament. “One of the things that characterized both Cesar and Richard was humility. There were no airs about them. They just met people where they were and accepted people and were very humble. When I think of Richard I think of a great individual who loved people and loved La Causa and he was willing in his humble way to contribute to making life better for us.” Jose “Chepe” Alonzo maintained a close friendship with Richard over the years since first meeting him over 30 years ago. He met him through Cesar. There was a grape boycott at the old Safeway in the Valentine shopping center. Cesar was scheduled to be there. Chepe made posters and piled them into his car along with the family and went to the picket. “I met him through Cesar … when we were boycotting the grapes. The next time that Richard came to town Chepe got a phone call. He knew I was pretty interested in the United Farm Workers and that I was an activist. Richard called me before he came to town. ‘I am Cesar’s brother and I will be going to Penn Valley to speak. Can you pick me up?’ I took the wife with me and … he stayed with us the weekend.” He met him again in 1998 for the dedication of the Cesar E. Chavez Avenida. “I went to the street that day where they were setting up the stage and I got in front of him and he recognized me and told me to come up on the stage with him. He made me go up and he hugged me. After the dedication, we went to Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine and we ate there and we just talked our heads off. We had a good time.” Chepe remembers that he heard the news of Cesar’s death from Richard. “Richard called me and the reason I remember that is because it was my birthday the 23rd of April.” Richard insisted that Chepe come out to California for the funeral. “He told me, ‘If you can make it down here don’t worry about a place to stay. You can DeLaSalle Charter High School Enrollment Rally Richard Chavez holds up a copy of the emblematic eagle he designed for the United Farm Workers. Richard Chávez sostiene una copia de la emblemática águila que diseñó para los Trabajadores Agrícolas Unidos. stay with us. I said ‘I can’t go … I am recovering from open heart surgery.’ … We talked for a while and he told me all the famous people that were going to be there but I couldn’t make it. Every year I think about that too and now I will think about Richard too.” Chepe’s connection to the Chavez brothers was deep rooted. They had similar backgrounds and motivations. I got involved with this because I used to see my parent come home dead tired from working in the fields and I tried it myself and it wasn’t for me. I started working at nine years old doing that kind of stuff in the radish, potato and sorghum fields in Topeka and I know what it is to do this backbreaking work. I could see my parents bent over working all day long … That is why I became active helping out the farm workers. For Chepe the death is like losing family. He recalls the time he asked Cesar what the E in his name stood for. “He said it was Estrada and I told him, ‘Estrada, that is my mother’s maiden name.” And he said, ‘I guess that is true Chepe, all Chicanos are related.’ I feel a very personal loss with Richard. He was a number one American hero.” When asked what personal memory comes to mind as he thinks of his friend Chepe quickly tells a story. “The very same day that he came down to speak I had just come down from getting a haircut. … I bought this bottle of liquor next door to the barbershop. It was a Pancho Villa bottle but I only bought one. I wish now I had bought two. Richard liked it and he said. ‘I wish I had that bottle cause I am a bottle collector.’ Twenty years later when he came [back] for the street name change, I gave it to him. … At the airport he opened the box and there it was and he turned to me and he said, ‘You know Chepe, I have waited twenty years for this bottle.’ Every time I would get his Christmas card he would say, ‘Pancho Villa is still standing there.’” Chavez is survived by 10 children, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Librado, and sisters Rita Chavez Medina and Vicki Chavez Lastra. Chepe se reunió con él de nuevo en 1998 para la dedicación de la Avenida Cesar E. Chávez. “Fui a la calle ese día donde armaban el escenario y me puse delante de él y él me reconoció y me dijo que entrara en el escenario con él. Me hizo subir donde estaba él y me abrazó. Después de la dedicación, fuimos a la Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y comimos allí y disfrutamos la conversión. Lo pasamos bien “. Chepe recuerda que oyó la noticia de la muerte de César a través de Richard. “Richard me llamó, y la razón porque me recuerdo es porque era mi cumpleaños, el 23 de abril.” Richard insistió en que Chepe fuera a California para asistir al funeral. “Me dijo, ‘Si usted puede venir no se preocupe por un lugar para quedarse. Usted puede quedarse con nosotros.’ Yo le dije ‘no puedo ir. ... me estoy recuperando de una cirugía de corazón abierto.’ ... Hablamos un rato y me dijo que todos los personajes famosos iban a estar allí pero no pude ir. Cada año también pienso en eso, y ahora yo voy a pensar en Richard también.” La conexión de Chepe con los hermanos Chávez fue profunda. Tenían antecedentes y motivaciones similares. Me involucré con esto porque yo veía a mi padre llegar a casa muerto de cansancio por haber trabajado en el campo y yo también lo probé y no era para mí. Empecé a trabajar a los nueve años trabajando en los campos de rábanos, papas y sorgo en Topeka, y sé lo que es hacer este trabajo agotador. Podía verme y a mis padres agachados trabajando todo el día. .... Por eso me involucré para ayudar a los trabajadores del campo. Para Chepe, esta muerte es como perder a su familia. Recuerda la vez que le preguntó a Cesar lo que significaba la E en su nombre. “Él dijo que era Estrada y yo le dije, ‘Estrada es el apellido de soltera de mi madre.’ Y él dijo: ‘Supongo que eso es cierto Chepe. Todos los chicanos son parientes.’ Siento una pérdida muy personal con el fallecimiento de Richard. Él era un héroe Americano de primera clase”. Cuando se le preguntó cuál memoria personal viene a la mente cuando piensa en su amigo, Chepe rápidamente contó una historia. “El mismo día que él vino a hablar yo acababa de venir de la peluquería. ... Yo había comprado una botella de licor de la tienda al lado de la barbería. Era una botella de Pancho Villa, pero yo sólo compré una. Ahora yo quisiera haber comprado dos. A Richard le gustaba y me dijo ‘Ojalá que tuviera esa botella porque soy un coleccionista de botellas.’ Veinte años después, cuando regresó para el cambio de nombre de la calle se lo di a él. ... En el aeropuerto abrió la caja y allí estaba y se dio vuelta para mirarme y me dijo: ‘¿Sabes Chepe? Yo he esperado veinte años para esta botella.’ Cada vez que yo recibía su tarjeta de Navidad solía decir,’ Pancho Villa sigue en pie ahí.’” Chávez dejó 10 hijos de su primer matrimonio, así como de numerosos nietos y bisnietos. También deja a su hermano, Librado, y las hermanas, Rita Chávez Medina y Vicki Chávez Lastra. Su contribución fue importante CONT./PÁGINA 1 para los esfuerzos incipientes de organización entre los campesinos filipinos y mexicanos. El domingo por la mañana, una procesión de cientos de personas caminó desde Metter Avenue, en el centro de Delano, detrás de un tractor que llevaba los restos de Richard. Junto con el ataúd caminaba Delores Huerta, co-fundadora de la UFW y asociada de Richard, Secretaria de Trabajo de los EE.UU. Hilda Solís y el actor Ed Begley Jr., junto con muchos tocados por la dedicación de Richard. Florentino Camacho Jr., ex-director estatal para Los Derechos Humanos de LULAC, elogió a Richard. “Hemos perdido a un gran líder de los derechos civiles que luchó por los derechos civiles y los derechos humanos de los trabajadores agrícolas. ... Él cambió el pensamiento de los Estados Unidos acerca de las condiciones de trabajo y los bajos salarios de los trabajadores del campo. Descansa en paz, mi hermano - un trabajo bien hecho “. Dr. Genobevo “Gene” Chávez conoció a Richard en 1998 durante la dedicación de la Avenida Cesar E. Chávez en “el Westside” en Kansas City. Él Se quedó en su casa ese fin de semana. “Richard fue una persona maravillosa, sociable y fácil de hablar y representaba bien a la familia Chávez”, recuerda Gene. “Fue un verdadero placer tenerlo en nuestra casa y se sentía como si fuera familia. ... Realmente disfrutamos de tenerlo con nosotros. Él fue muy amable y muy conocedor del movimiento que su hermano creó y que dedicó su vida”. Gene señaló que los hermanos tenían temperamentos similares. “Una de las cosas que caracterizaba tanto a César que a Richard fue la humildad. No eran arrogantes. Ellos aceptaban a las personas por lo que eran y eran muy humildes. Cuando pienso en Richard, pienso en una gran persona que amaba a la gente y que amaba a La Causa y él estaba dispuesto, en su humilde manera, a contribuir para mejorar la vida para nosotros.” José “Chepe” Alonso mantuvo una estrecha amistad con Richard en los últimos años desde la primera vez que lo conoció más de 30 años atrás. Lo conoció a través de César. Hubo un boicot de la uva en el antiguo Safeway en el Centro de Comercio de Valentine. César estaba programado para estar allí. Chepe hizo carteles y los amontonó en su coche junto con la familia y se fue a la huelga. “Lo conocí a través de César... cuando estaban boicoteando las uvas.” La próxima vez que Richard llegó a la ciudad Chepe recibió una llamada telefónica. “Él sabía que yo estaba muy interesado en el Sindicato de los Obreros Unidos (United Farm Workers) y que yo era un activista. Richard me llamó antes de venir a la ciudad. ‘Yo soy hermano de César y voy a ir al Penn Valley para hablar. ¿Me puede recoger?’ Llevé mi esposa conmigo... y él se quedó con nosotros el fin de semana.” In Loving Memory Sat. Aug.6, 2011 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. food, games, prizes & live broadcast of Hot 103 JAMZ 3740 Forest Avenue Kansas City, MO 64109 816-561-4445 What is important to you is important to us! Small Classes One-on-One Attention Ability to Work at Your Own Pace Child Care & Parenting Classes And much more! Immediate Openings! Space is filling up fast! (816) 561-4445, ext. 230 We envision a community in which all young people achieve a quality education that fosters and stimulates their true potential. ESTHER G. AUDELO Esther G. Audelo, 89 of Kansas City, MO died Thursday, July 28, 2011 at her daughter’s home surrounded by her loving family. On August 1, 2011 family and friends gather for a visitation and to pray a rosary at McGilley Midtown Chapel. On August 2, 2011 a mass was celebrated in her honor at St. Agnes Church later that day she was laid to rest at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The family request contributions to either St. Luke’s Hospice or St. Agnes Church. Esther was born June 30, 1922 in Scotts Bluff, NE to Benny and Frances (Chavez) Gonzales. Esther worked at Forum Cafeteria, Coca-Cola and lastly at St. Mary’s Hospital on the surgical staff. Her life’s interests ranged from cooking, travel, shopping, dancing and listening to Mexican music. Her love was for her family; after raising her children, she helped raise her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. In health and illness, she always had a smile for everyone. In addition to her parents, Esther was preceded in death by her husband David in 1984 and her two brothers, Jesse Gonzales, Sr. and Alfred Chavez and her sister Irene Gonzales. Left to cherish her memory are two sons, Rodrick Audello and wife Mary, Frederick Audelo; daughter Virginia (Ginger) Camerillo and husband Joe, all of Kansas City, MO; six grandchildren, Michael Audello, Peter Audello. Regina Zarse and husband Jeff; Yvette Burr and husband Nick, Joseph Camerillo, Jr. and wife Aurora, Yvonne Camerillo; 7 great grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren. Please visit www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com to leave fond memories or condolences. TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT (Editor/Presidente) Jose “Joe” Arce VICE PRESIDENT (Vicepresidente) Ramona Arce OPERATION MANAGER (Gerente Operaciones) Lisa Sidenstick EDITOR (Productor) Jose Faus REPORTERS/WRITERS (Reporteros/Periodistas) Debra DeCoster Jose Faus John Silva DESIGN/LAYOUT (Diseño/Diagramacion) Randi Reed Janneth-B Rodríguez SALES REPRESENTATIVES (Representante de Ventas) Richard Ware SPANISH TRANSLATION (Traduccion a Español) Rico Rogers STUDENT INTERN (Estudiante Interno) Jose Muñiz KCHN is a weekly publication of Arce Communications Inc. who bears no responsibility for accuracy or content advertisements. All rights reserverd. Arce Communications Inc does not guarantee the absence of error and every attempt will be made to remedy in KCHN at our next edition. KCHN es una publicacion semanal de Arce Communications Inc. quienes no se hacen responsables por la presicion o contenido de los anuncios. Todos los derechos reservados. Arce Communications Inc. no garantiza la ausencia de errores en KCHN los cuales seran corregidos en nuestra siguiente edicion. 2918 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108-1911 PHONE: (816)472.KCHN FAX: (816)931.NEWS E-MAIL: [email protected] WWW.KCHispanicNew YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 CLASSIFIEDS & PUBLIC NOTICES / CLASIFICADOS & ANUNCIOS PÚBLICOS 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 5 Invitation to Bid at Oak Park Mall We are currently hiring for opportunities in these areas: • Alterations / Tailor Shop • Retail Sales • Retail Support • Restaurant & Specialty Coffee We offer a comprehensive, flexible employee benefits package that includes medical/vision and dental coverage, a generous merchandise discount, an employer-matched 401(K) savings and profit sharing plan and much more. To apply, visit our career site at careers.nordstrom.com. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a diverse environment. Store Management Opportunities Hobby Lobby is a leader in the Arts & Crafts industry with 470 stores located in 39 states.Candidates must have previous retail store management exper-ience in one of the following: Supermarket chain, Craft chain, Mass merchant, Drug chain, Building supply chain Must be willing to relocate. Benefits include: • All Stores Closed on Sunday! • Competitive Salaries • Paid Vacations • 401K Plan • Medical/Dental/LTD • Life Insurance • Merchandise Discount • Flex Spending Plan Qualified Candidates with Retail Management experience as listed above must apply on-line. www.hobbylobby.com Customer Service Position Customer service rep needed for our company. Applicants must speak English and French fluently, must have good typing skills and will earn $3200 monthly. Plus wages and allowance. email [email protected] if interested ACCEPTING BIDS: The Kansas City Kansas Community College Campus Child Care Center is currently accepting bids for providing breakfast and lunch to 30-45 children and 12 adults. Bids must be received no later than, 1:00pm August 11th 2011. Bids will be opened at 1:15pm on August 15th 2011 in the Administration Building. For specification and further information please contact Doris Holleman, Director of Child Care Center at 913-288-7615 or David Root, Director of purchasing at 913-288-7424. Invitation to bid Sealed bids for DE-MOLITION OF 63 BUILDINGS, MISSOURI NATION-AL GUARD CAMP CLARK TRAINING SITE, NEVADA, MISSOURI, Project No. T121001 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 9/1/2001. For specific project Information and ordering plans, go to http://www.oa.mogov/ fmdc/dc/list.Htm. Sealed bids will be accepted by the Purchasing Agent of the City of St. Joseph, Missouri for the Demolition of 1018 S 22nd Street Bid #CD2012-01 Demolition of 1714 Commercial Street Bid #CD2012-02 Until August 10, 2011 at 3:00 P.M. at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud. If there are any questions concerning the specifications, please call Mike Holdren at 816.271.4633. Specifications and drawings are available from the Purchasing Department, 1100 Frederick Avenue Room 201, St. Joseph, Missouri, by calling (816) 271-4696 or downloaded from the website at www.stjoemo.info under Bid Opportunities. The City of St. Joseph reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids. The City of St. Joseph is and Equal Opportunity Employer. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING DBE GOAL FOR FFYs 2012-2014 Pursuant to 49 CFR Part 26, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) has established an overall DBE participation goal of 12.5% for FFYs 2012-2014. The proposed goal and its rationale are available for inspection Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at KCATA’s Procurement offices, 1350 E. 17th St., Kansas City, MO 64108. Comments and inquiries will be accepted from the public for 45 days following the date of this notice and may be directed to Denise Bradshaw, KCATA, at the above address (email [email protected]) or to the Federal Transit Administration Region VII, Civil Rights Office, 901 Locust, Rm 404, Kansas City, MO 64106. A public meeting will be held Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. at KCATA’s Breen Bldg., Large Conf. Rm., 1200 E. 18th St., KCMO. The meeting is to discuss the USDOT’s recommended methodology for setting annual goals, and to include your input in the goal setting processing. To advertise in our classified section please call: Spay & Neuter Kansas City To Hold Clinic at Westside CAN Center DA 2PP (dog vaccine) $10.00 FVRCP (cat vaccine) $10.00 Services: Microchips $10.00 KCMO Pet Licensing $12.00 for altered animals $35 for unaltered pets Prices are good for the 8/6/11 clinic only. (816) 472.5246 "SBE/WBE/MBE INVITATION TO BID Foley Company will be accepting subcontract and/or material bids on the following projects: Fishing River WWTP Expansion Project, Phase II Bid Date & Time: August 23 @ 2:00 PM Ortega mini mart The owners are retiring and now the building and restaurant are for sale Send bids to Foley Company @ 7501 Front Street, KCMO, 64120. Tel: 816/241-3335, Fax: 816/231-5762. www.kchispanicnews.com Saturday, August 6, 2011 9am - 12 Noon Vounteers with Spay and Neuter KC will provide the following: Vaccinations: Rabies $10.00 Please have animals on leash or in carrying case. Please share this information with family and friend pet owners. Print off for neighbors who may not have access to computers/email. For more information about Spay & Neuter Kansas City go to their webside www.snkc.net Part- Time Worker Needed Seeking part-time account representatives, sales payment and bookkeepers. Applicants must be computer literate with access to the Internet, Contact [email protected] Los dueños se jubilan y ahora el edifico y el restaurante se vende call/llame 816-616-6417 and ask for/ pregunte por mary ortega Look for our Facebook Page Today! Search Kansas City Hispanic News. To advertise in our classified section please call: Llame para anunciarse en nuestra sección de clasificados: (816) (816) 472.5246 472.5246 TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 ¡Busque nuestra página en Facebook! Busque Kansas City Hispanic News. YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 6 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 Metro Takes on KC SlimDown Challenge CONT./PAGE 1 tor and project leader for the Slimdown Challenge. Current statistics rank Missouri 11th for obesity with 66 percent of adults overweight or obese. Kansas ranks 16th with 65 percent of adults obese or overweight. Four years ago only one state had an obesity rate over 30 percent. A recent study by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found 12 states with an obesity rate over 30 percent. Hoping to promote healthier life style choices for the Latino community, Mattie Rhodes (MRC) employees have stepped up to the challenge. Paul Gutierrez, MRC team captain, was surprised when he did his official weigh in. According to his body mass index, he needs to shed ten pounds. Exercise was not a priority before but he is making time to exercise and reduce his caloric intake. “It was an awakening to me to see that I weigh more than I thought I did. As a staff, we have already made changes. We use to go out on Tuesdays for tacos, now we aren’t going out and we are beginning to bring healthier choices like yogurt for lunch and I have begun to watch my calorie intake,” he said. As team captain, Gutierrez plans to keep team members focused. As an added incentive MRC is offering prizes to employees over the ten weeks in addition to the ones provided by challenge organizers. Official weigh in locations have been set up all 19 YMCA locations across the metro. When Cerner realized Northeast residents had no YMCA or transportation to travel to a YMCA location, they came in and set up a weigh in kiosk in the MRC office on Topping Avenue. “Cerner has been great. … They were very helpful. When we told them that 80 percent of the communities we serve are Spanish speaking, they had their Slimdown Challenge brochure translated for us into Spanish,” Gutierrez said. The MRC team has set a goal of losing 150 to 175 pounds during the ten-week competition. MRC is encouraging community members to take advantage of the exercise classes and cooking classes they offer. The Slimdown Challenge teams have a large incentive. The team with the highest weight loss percentage will win a fourday stay at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Once at the resort the winners will have a “wine me, dine me” dinner experience with Chef Ricardo in SWB, a visit to Spa Avania, Regency Club Lounge access and $500 spending money. Josie Garcia organized a community challenge team called “In it to Win it.” “The prizes are great incentives to keep exercising and losing weight. We all are looking forward to vacationing in Scottsdale, Arizona when we win,” said Garcia. Her team members, Christina Garcia, Kathy Mesias, Cynthia Crockett, Wachinda Harrell and Qiana Smocks have pledged to make life style changes. “Our goal with this challenge is to tone up and lose weight. We plan to motivate each other and learn healthy habits to continue after the challenge is over for ourselves and our families. My family has graciously offered to participate in new activities with me like tennis, volleyball, walking, running, basketball and soccer and have even agreed to eat healthier also. In the end it will be a win for all of us, “said Garcia. Both KCK Mayor Joe Reardon and KCMO Mayor Sly James weighed in on the Slimdown Challenge express bus. James is excited that 172 city employees have signed up. “This is a great way for Kansas City employees to lead the way in our community’s efforts in losing weight and getting healthy. I am thrilled with the participation from city employees and look forward to seeing the results of the challenge in October.” In an email to 142 Unified Government employees that took up the challenge, Reardon stated “making Wyandotte County healthy is an important goal. That’s why we launched the Healthy Communities Wyandotte effort and the KC Slimdown Challenge fits perfectly with this community health effort. Slimming down and getting healthier this summer is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, our families and to make our community an even better place to live.” Bonnie Bloesser, UG Benefits Administrator and team captain said, “We are definitely hoping that this starts a good momentum for people to make healthier choices. Since this competition kicked off, we have groups that are walking the stairs together twice a day, joining the YMCA to work out; workers have joined water aerobics classes and go to- TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 gether after work. We are definitely seeing a lot of encouragement among co-workers.” “The rate of obesity in the country is staggering both for adults and children and it continues to rise. If members of our community can control obesity and lose weight it will prevent diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart conditions and lower their chances of having a stroke that is associated with obesity,” said Corey Scheer, vice president of Strategic Partnerships, YMCA. New YMCA members will attend wellness coaching sessions. The orientation sessions helps new members to determine their level of physical fitness and how to begin a program that will help them reach their goal. “This has been a great partnership with Cerner and the Y. We don’t have cookie cutter programs, we have programs that we can implement to meet the needs of the community. We can help with more than just exercise. We can help them make healthy choices in the foods that they eat and how to watch their calorie intake.” said Scheer. Cerner’s website, Cerner Health Wins, will help keep people motivated with advice on active lifestyles, creating a health friendly environment at work and nutrition 101 food facts. There is also a KC Slimdown Challenge Facebook page where team members can post their progress or offer words of encouragement. Cerner took the Slimdown challenge last October. As of July of this year, Cerner employees have lost a total of 25,000 pounds. The company’s success led to the current challenge. “We noticed the impact this program had on our associate’s health. People began to eat better, and Cerner did things to help us along the way. Our vending machines are color coded according to healthy snacks, people are walking more and we have a fitness center at one of our locations that we did not have before,” said Burgess. Burgess added that the overwhelming respond has them looking at what will happen after the program ends October 9. “We are meeting to see what we can do for round two, if it will be another one of these challenges or if it will be something different,” she said. kchispanicnews.com La Ciudad Acepta el Desafío de Bajar de Peso de KC The KC Slimdown Challenge took off last week with a metro wide weigh in. First off the mark was Truman Medical Center where participants stepped up to get their weight recorded. El Desafío de Bajar de Peso de KC comenzó la semana pasada en la zona metropolitana con el pesaje de los participantes. El primer evento fue en Truman Medical Center, donde los participantes se acercaron a obtener el registro de su peso. CONT./PÁGINA 1 empresas que realmente se preocupan por la salud de sus empleados", dijo Amy Burgess, directora de marketing de Cerner y líder del proyecto para el Desafío de Bajar de Peso. Las estadísticas actuales muestra que la obesidad en Missouri está en el 11 lugar con el 66 por ciento de adultos con sobrepeso u obesidad. Kansas está en el 16 lugar con el 65 por ciento de los adultos obesos o con sobrepeso. Hace cuatro años, sólo un estado tuvo un índice de obesidad más del 30 por ciento. Un reciente estudio realizado por la Fundación Robert Wood Johnson encontró a 12 estados con un índice de obesidad más del 30 por ciento. Con la esperanza de promover opciones más saludables de estilo de vida para la comunidad latina, los empleados de Mattie Rhodes (MRC) han aceptado el desafío. Paul Gutiérrez, el capitán del equipo de MRC, se sorprendió cuando él se pesó. De acuerdo con su índice de masa corporal, tiene que bajar diez libras. El ejercicio no era una prioridad antes pero él está haciendo tiempo para hacer ejercicio y reducir su ingesta calórica. "Fue una llamada de aviso para mí al ver que peso más de lo que pensaba. Como personal, hemos hecho cambios. Antes, salíamos a comprar tacos los martes. Ahora, no salimos a almorzar y empezamos a traer comida más saludable para el almuerzo como el yogur y yo he comenzado cuidar mi ingesta de calorías ", dijo él. Como capitán del equipo, Gutiérrez tiene previsto mantener a los miembros del equipo enfocados. Como un incentivo adicional, MRC está ofreciendo premios a los empleados en las diez semanas, además de los premios proporcionados por los organizadores del desafío. Lugares de registro de peso oficial se han creado en los 19 centros de YMCA a través del área metropolitana. Cuando Cerner se dio cuenta que los residentes del área Noreste de Kansas City, Missouri no tenían un centro de YMCA o el transporte para viajar a uno, abrió un quiosco de registro de peso en la oficina de MRC en la Avenida Topping. "Cerner se ha portado muy generoso. ... Ellos fueron muy serviciales. Cuando les dijimos que el 80 por ciento de las comunidades que servimos son de habla española, hicieron arreglos para que se tradujera su folleto del Desafío de Bajar de Peso al español para nosotros ", dijo Gutiérrez. El equipo del MRC ha establecido una meta de perder 150 a 175 libras durante la competición de diez semanas. MRC alienta a los miembros de la comunidad que aprovechen las clases de ejercicios y clases de cocina que ofrecen. Los equipos de Desafío de Bajar de Peso tienen un gran incentivo. El equipo con el mayor porcentaje de peso perdido ganará cuatro días de vacación en el Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort y Spa en Scottsdale, Arizona. Ya que estén en el recinto los ganadores recibirán una experiencia de "ser completamente atendidos" por el Chef Ricardo en el SWB, una visita al Spa Avania, Regency acceso al Regencia Club Lounge y $ 500 dólares para gastar. Josie García organizó un equipo de desafío comunitario llamado "In It to Win It" (Estamos en Esto Para Ganar). "Los premios son un gran incentivo para seguir haciendo ejercicio y bajar de peso. Todos esperamos pasar las vacaciones en Scottsdale, Arizona, cuando ganemos ", dijo García. Miembros de su equipo, Cristina García, Kathy Mesias, Cynthia Crockett, Wachinda Harrell y Qiana Smocks se han comprometido a realizar cambios en el estilo de vida. "Nuestro objetivo con este reto es para tonificar y perder peso. Tenemos la intención de motivar la una a la otra y aprender hábitos saludables a seguir después de la prueba que se ha acabado para nosotras mismas y nuestras familias. Mi familia se ha ofrecido amablemente a participar conmigo en nuevas actividades como el tenis, voleibol, caminar, correr, jugar, baloncesto y el fútbol. E incluso, está dispuesta a comer más sano también. Al final, será una victoria para todos nosotros ", dijo García. Tanto el Alcalde Joe Reardon de Kansas City, Kansas y el Alcalde Sly James de Kansas City, Missouri se pesaron en el bus expreso del Desafío (Slimdown). James se enorgullece de que 172 empleados municipales se han inscrito. "Esta es una buena manera para que los empleados de Kansas City lleven la vanguardia en los esfuerzos de nuestra comunidad para bajar de peso y ponerse en forma. Estoy muy contento con la participación de los empleados municipales y esperamos ver los resultados del desafío en octubre." En un correo electrónico a 142 empleados del gobierno unificado que aceptaron el desafío, Reardon afirmó que " haciendo saludable al Condado de Wyandotte es una meta importante. Por eso pusimos en marcha el Esfuerzo de Comunidades Saludables de Wyandotte y el Desafío de Bajar de Peso de KC se concuerda perfectamente con este esfuerzo comunitario de salud. Adelgazar y ponerse en forma este verano es una de las mejores cosas que podemos hacer por nosotros mismos, nuestras familias y hacer de nuestra comunidad un mejor lugar para vivir." Bonnie Bloesser, administradora de beneficios de UG y capitán del equipo dijo: "Definitivamente esperamos que esto comience con un buen impulso para que las personas tomen decisiones más saludables. Ya que esta competición se inició, hay grupos que están caminando juntos por las escaleras dos veces al día, uniéndose a YMCA para hacer ejercicios, los trabajadores se han unido a las clases de aeróbico acuático después del trabajo. Definitivamente estamos viendo mucho ánimo entre los compañeros de trabajo." "La tasa de obesidad en el país es enorme, tanto para adultos como para niños y sigue en aumento. Si los miembros de nuestra comunidad pueden controlar la obesidad y bajar de peso, evitarán enfermedades como la hipertensión arterial, diabetes o enfermedades del corazón y reducir las probabilidades de sufrir un derrame cerebral que se asocia con la obesidad ", dijo Corey Scheer, vicepresidente de las Alianzas Estratégicas, YMCA. Nuevos miembros de YMCA asistirán a las sesiones de entrenamiento de bienestar. Las sesiones de orientación ayudan a los nuevos miembros a determinar su nivel de condición física y cómo comenzar un programa que les ayudará a alcanzar su meta. "Esta ha sido una gran asociación con Cerner y YMCA. No tenemos programas mundanos, tenemos programas que podemos implementar para satisfacer las necesidades de la comunidad. Nosotros podemos ayudarle con más que el ejercicio. Nosotros podemos ayudarle a tomar decisiones saludables en los alimentos que comen y la forma de cuidar su ingesta de calorías. ", Dijo Scheer. El sitio web de Cerner, La Salud de Cerner Gana (Cerner Health Wins), le ayudará a mantener motivada a la gente con consejos sobre estilos de vida activos, creando un ambiente saludable en el trabajo y la información básica sobre los alimentos. También el Desafio de Bajar de Peso de KC tiene una página de Facebook donde los miembros del equipo pueden publicar sus avances o ofrecer palabras de aliento. Cerner aceptó el desafío de Bajar de Peso (Slimdown challenge) el octubre pasado. A partir de julio de este año, los empleados de Cerner han perdido un total de 25.000 libras. El éxito de la compañía animó al desafío actual. "Nos dimos cuenta del impacto que este programa tuvo en la salud de nuestros asociados. La gente empezó a comer mejor, y Cerner hizo cambios para ayudarnos con nuestros esfuerzos. Nuestras máquinas expendedoras están codificadas por colores de acuerdo con refrigerios saludables, la gente camina más y tenemos un gimnasio en una de nuestras sucursales que no teníamos antes ", dijo Burgess. Burgess agregó que la respuesta abrumadora los tiene pensando en lo que sucederá después de que termine el programa el 9 de octubre. "Nos estamos reuniendo para ver qué podemos hacer para la segunda ronda, si haremos otro de estos desafíos o si será algo diferente", dijo ella. Look for our Facebook Page Today! Search Kansas City Hispanic News. ¡Busque nuestra página en Facebook! Busque Kansas City Hispanic News. YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 kchispanicnews.com Royals’ Back to School Drive benefits Joplin CONT./PAGE 1 plaza level. In addition to collecting basic school supplies and new backpacks, the Royals are also encouraging fans to donate gently-used books for the classrooms. Cash donations will also be accepted. Fans making a $40 contribution will receive a baseball autographed by their Royals player of choice (while supplies last), while fans making a $10 donation will receive a photo card autographed by their Royals player of choice (also while supplies last). For details, visit www.royals.community. • Special Olympics Clinic – The Royals welcome athletes from Special Olympics Kansas City Metro and Special Olympics Kansas to Kauffman Stadium from noon to 1:30 p.m. for a special on-field clinic with select Royals instructors. The event also features a meet and greet session. Friday, August 5 – Detroit Tigers vs. Royals presented by Sprint, 7:10 p.m. • Back to School Drive Continues – The Royals host the second day of the Back to School Drive to benefit Joplin schools. Fans making a $40 contribution will receive a baseball autographed by their Royals player of choice (while supplies last), while fans making a $10 donation will receive a photo card autographed by their Royals player of choice (also while supplies last). In addition, fans are encouraged to donate new school supplies and backpacks, as well as gently-used books for the classrooms. • 50/50 Friday – For every Friday home game, volunteers sell raffle tickets from the time gates open until the end of the fifth inning. One winning ticket will be selected with the winner taking home half of the evening’s net proceeds. The other half will be divided between Royals Charities and a local Kansas City charity. KidsTLC will be the designated charity for Friday’s fundraiser. For more information, visit www.royals.com/5050. • State Farm Go To Bat Award – State Farm Insurance honors a local organization that positively impacts the Kansas City area during a special recognition prior to the game. Friday’s recipient is The Hope Center, a faith-based community development or- ganization in the urban core of Kansas City . By offering high-quality choices in education, youth development, health care and housing, The Hope Center strives to see the neighborhood transform into a place where people want to live and raise families. Saturday, August 6 – Detroit Tigers vs. Royals presented by Sprint, 6:10 p.m. • Royals Charities and MLB Players Alumni Association Concourse Auction – Royals Charities partners with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association for an exclusive silent auction featuring memorabilia from current and former MLB stars. The auction, which runs from the time the gates open until the end of the sixth inning, will be located outside the Diamond Club. Proceeds benefit Royals Charities and the MLBPAA to help offer free youth baseball clinics for kids. Sunday, August 7 – Detroit Tigers vs. Royals presented by Sprint, 1:10 p.m. • Royals Troopers – The Royals Grounds Crew welcomes select children who have a Debt ceiling compromise is not a good deal for America FYI STATEMENT OF JANET MURGUÍA, NCLR PRESIDENT AND CEO, ON DEBT CEILING COMPROMISE Washington, D.C.—In a statement email to KCHN newsroom Janet Murguia President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza stated “For the sake of the country, the health of our economy, and global financial stability, raising the debt ceiling was a necessary step. Although this was not the deal we believe would be best for America, NCLR recognizes the importance of raising the debt ceiling given that the prospect of default was far worse. However, it is deeply unfortunate and disappointing that the budget cuts contained within the compromise greatly affect the most vulnerable in our society, including lowincome and Hispanic Americans. Going forward, we hope that lawmakers will put aside their partisan differences and develop a better, more balanced approach to resolving this nation’s budget crisis—one that includes a thoughtful strategy for raising revenue without reducing funding to crucial programs for low-income families, and eliminates loopholes for those Americans who can afford to pay their fair share of taxes. Finally, with the issues surrounding the debt ceiling resolved for the time being, we implore Congress and the administration to give their full attention to the issue of greatest concern to all Americans, including Latinos—fixing our broken economy and creating jobs. NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org AARP Kansas wants to know how we can help you fulfill your goals and dreams. parent deployed through the United States military efforts overseas to join them in game preparations as part of the Royals Troopers program presented by John Deere. The honored kids will help prepare the field prior to the game and will receive game tickets and Royals merchandise. • Royals and 610 Sports Radio Team Up for “Royals Charities presents Royals Weekly” Radio Show Fans can learn about all of the club’s community and charity efforts by tuning into the “Royals Charities presents Royals Weekly” radio program. The one-hour show, which is scheduled to air every Sunday at 10 a.m. throughout the season, can be heard on 610 Sports Radio, the flagship station of the Royals. In addition to the club’s community outreach efforts, the program will highlight upcoming player appearances and provide a season-long radio tour of the Royals Hall of Fame. For more information, members of the media may contact the Royals Publicity Department at (816) 921-8000. MRC’s LAT Hosts Night Out Against Crime Event 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 7 FYI Five Seconds Could Save the Life of a Child Safe Kids Kansas reminds parents to spot their tot before starting the engine Topeka, Kan. — In that rush to get to the store before it closes or in the frenzy of trying to get to the airport before your flight leaves, the focus is often on what is in the car – not what is around it. Safe Kids Kansas encourages anyone driving a car to walk completely around it to check for children before getting in and starting the engine. This applies even to drivers who do not have children but may have kids in the neighborhood. In 2007, it is estimated that there were 5,000 injuries and 205 deaths to children under age 14 as a result of being hit by a vehicle in a driveway or parking area in the United States. These incidences are known as “backovers” or “frontovers,” depending on direction. “We believe these injuries and deaths are preventable as too many result from a driver not seeing children who might be playing, running after or standing near their vehicle,” says Cherie Sage, State Director of Safe Kids Kansas. “What is truly tragic about these stories is that often, the drivers are friends or even family members.” Parents and caregivers can follow these tips to help make sure that children remain safe around cars: • Before getting in the car and starting the engine – walk all the way around the parked vehicle to make sure children are not under or behind it. When possible, engage older kids as helpers to accomplish this. • Use a “Spot the Tot” window sticker as a reminder to walk completely around the vehicle before every trip. Contact Safe Kids Kansas for information on how to obtain one of these stickers. • Ensure that young children are always accompanied by an adult when getting in and out of a vehicle. • Identify a safe play area for children to use far away from parked or moving vehicles. • Identify a safe spot for children to go when nearby vehicles are about to move. Young children should be supervised to ensure they do not chase after a backing vehicle. • When walking near moving vehicles, in driveways, in parking lots, or on sidewalks – make sure to firmly hold the hand of each child that is with you. • Avoid using driveways as play areas if moving cars have access enter- ing or exiting these areas. Mat tie Rhodes • Pay close attention to backup cameras or sensors, available in many Center’s Latino Advocacy vehicles. If your vehicle does not have this feature, consider purchasTaskforce (LAT) hosted a ing an after-market product to assist in visibility. Night Out Against Crime, “No matter how important it is at that moment for you to get to your Wednesday, August 3, destination on time,” says Sage, “taking a five-second walk around your 201l at the Northeast car to make sure that children are not in harm’s way could save your famConcourse at Benton ily and your child from a lifetime of physical and emotional pain.” Blvd and St. John Ave. To learn more about keeping your children safe in and around cars, from 5 to 7 p.m. visit www.safekids.org. The event took place in conjunction with National crime in the Latino community. Night Out Against Crime - a nation wide public safety and antiEvent activities included a free soccer crime campaign. The purpose of Mattie clinic and food, child fingerprinting by Rhodes Center’s Night Out event was to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, provide information on how individuals a fire department pumper truck to keep can make their homes and families safer, everyone cool, and give-aways. reporting crime and working with law In our next issue, Hispanic News enforcement, and information on youth inter views par ticipants on the programming and social services. The importance of the event. event is a response to rising gang related Please join us on Friday August 12, 2011 At the Sylvester Powell, Jr. Community Center 6200 Martway, Mission, KS-Meeting Room C 10:00 AM – 12:00 Executive Council Meeting Noon Luncheon (free) 12:30 – 2:00 PM Diversity Council Listening Tour Stay for the full day or participate in one session. Attendance is free but seating is limited! Please RSVP by Tuesday, August 9th by emailing Janet Clearwater at [email protected] or at 1-866-448-3619, extension 71366. TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 8 04 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 kchispanicnews.com YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996