Writing
Washington Hispanic

The Egyptian government ordered to sacrifice all the gluttons in the country although no case of porcine flu has registered in Egypt and of that the porcine products cannot transmit the illness.

The panic joined the ignorance of the origin and the effects of the porcine flu, there gave place to an extraordinary slaughter of more 300.000 pigs that existed in Egypt, by order of his president Hosny Mubarak. The photo registers the moment in which a butcher takes to a pig to the slaughterhouse, in Cairo, Thursday, the 30th. In the Moslem world the gluttons are considered to be "impure" and most of the population do not eat his meat due to religious restrictions. The Egyptian government ordered to sacrifice all the gluttons in the country although no case of porcine flu has registered in Egypt and of that the porcine products cannot transmit the illness.

Felipe Lagos
Washington Hispanic

Neighbors Advice has worked for 15 years attending to Hispanics with problems of drug addiction. photos: Álvaro Ortiz/WH

A difficult economic situation forced the directorate of Neighbors Consejo, organization that offers clinical and social services to persons with problems of abuses of substances, to dismiss 13 of his 21 employees in the middle of April.
The problem is born of awful economic handling of the organization, which came to his climax during the period that Alfredo Morales was to the control. When to one of the buildings in which it produces Neighbors the water and the phone cut him in last February, the directorate decided to do the necessary changes, happening for the Mulberry trees dismissal in March 17.
One month later, the directorate communicated the massive dismissal of 13 workers. The affected ones denounce the fact as an outrage, since according to them one had communicated to them that the organization was financed until June or July of this year. Nevertheless, Judy Díaz, the temporary director of the Neighbors, and his directorate presided by Mercy Morganfield, decided to do the clippings because they were not provided with the money to pay the wages.
The unproved statements of the ex-workpeople, led by Betty Martínez, who was getting out of debt like coordinating committee of the program of abuse of substances, aim exactly at Morganfield. “They (the meeting) say that the dismissals were done for economic reasons, but previously it had been confirmed by the administrative part that the dineros of the wages were assured until June or July”, says Martínez.
Morganfield says that the date of June or July was never communicated by the directorate. “What it spends in this type of organizations is that there are many rumors but nobody in the meeting said to them that they were going to be able to work until June or July because we knew that we were going to have to allow to go to persons”.
The fired persons ask Morganfield to resign from his position because they doubt his cultural competition.
Marcial Pacheco, ex-adviser in Neighbors, says that “we think that the directorate is shaped by persons who do not have any cultural sensibility. They do not know the problems of the Latin Americans”.
To the accusation, Morganfield answers that “he must know about what they are speaking. We have a meeting with the very competent people. The problem is that the organization him cannot pay to the workpeople who were there. The organization was paying 1.1 millions in wages a year, but his income was 1.2 millions, without leaving resources for the operation. Also, any of them hard-working did not even have the credentials to work with patients, although some of them were in the process of obtaining them”, says Morganfield.
The current temporary director of Neighbors, Judy Díaz, says that “what has hurt me is that I spoke with the persons who went away and said to them that this had to happen or if we were not closing. The decision was they or it obtains it. This organization is very valuable and it is not just that disappears. The community needs it”, says Díaz.

Víctor Caycho
Washington Hispanic

An about thirty of families of low resources that reside in the District of Columbia (DC) lived through an unforgettable day last Thursday, the 23rd. This day, the above mentioned families received his new apartments, completely renewed and to reasonable prices, in a ceremony headed by the mayor of the city, Adrian Fenty, and the councilman Jim Graham.
The act was fulfilled in 2525 of Ontario Road, NW, where there raises the building Ontario Court Apartments, of four apartments, renewed to a cost for 9 million dollars.
In the ceremony, the tenant Piedad Figueroa used that of word, with 30 years of residence in DC. “I am grateful to Jubilee Housing, a company which mission is to help the people of low income and to which we feel like part of our family”, he affirmed.
Further on, he declared to feel “very happy”, since now tells with an apartment of three quarters, where he lives with his two children, Juan Manuel and Efraín Enrique, “that were born in this building”, and his two granddaughters.
Another tenant is Lucy Beltrán, Ecuadorian, who is employed at Safeway and Carlos Rosario is present at the school to learn English. She is divorced and she lives with his son 10-year-old Steven. “I am only one month old in this building, but thanks to God they approved my request and transferred to me an apartment, where I pay 463 monthly dollars”.
“ It is a God's blessing to have achieved an accommodation renewed and clean, free, like that of mice and cockroaches, where we can live through the families with our children”, it pronounced itself.

Víctor Caycho
Washington Hispanic

The president Barack Obama. Photos: AP.

The president Barack Obama not necessary treats Hispanic topics every day, but it has done that four Hispanics take part in the meetings in the White House that it supports every day with his team of advisers.
After there were fulfilled the first 100 days of his government on Wednesday, the 29th of April, Obama has approached very much the promised to this community during his campaign, including the discussion of the reform of immigration, possibly this year.
After January 20 began his government, several activists of rights of immigrants said that Obama would ignore the reform in his first year because his attention would be concentrated on the economic revival.
They indicated that, in these circumstances, they would remain satisfied if the president only was going so far as to "re-update" the topic in some moment of his first 12 months. Nevertheless, before fulfilling two months, Obama said already to a group of Hispanic conferees that it was going to work for a "effective and integral" reform.
Cecilia Muñoz, director of intergovernmental matters of the White House, affirmed that more recently than the negotiations towards this goal they would start "the same year" opening the way of legalization to million immigrants.
Muñoz is exactly one of four Hispanics who are present at the daily meetings. Others are Luis Caldera, the director of the military office of the White House; Adolfo Carrión, the director of urban matters and Nancy Sutley, director of the council of environmental quality.
In addition to them, there are several Latin Americans more in positions fix, like Dan Restrepo, in the inter-American division of the National Security Council, and Luis Miranda, coordinator of Hispanic means.

Back to top

For Dr. Leonel Flores
For Washington Hispanic

The elect president Mauricio Funes, with the coordinator of “Friends of Mauritius” in Washington DC, Dr. Leonel Flores. Photo: Alvaro Ortiz / Washington Hispanic.

Mauricio Funes, like elect President of El Salvador, has acted in accordance with his already recognized trajectory and prestige: coherent, constant and especially with a lot of responsibility. And now, with a chief's awaited and guessed right conduct. Better times are glimpsed because all the Salvadorans and especially the managerial sector has decided to give him the benefit of the doubt in his new management that begins on June 1.
During the campaign there were said many things that it is necessary to leave aside and, as says the President Barack Obama, it is necessary to look for the future. With the faith and the vision put in a better future, our present will be, undoubtedly, better. It was said up to the satiety that of winning Mauricio Funes there would be an economic tsunami and that there would be a capital escape. Nevertheless, the confidence towards the elect president grows to such a grade that in every speech, of convincing form, he pleads so that the world potency does not forget the most vulnerable countries to the current world economic crisis. El Salvador spends a good moment of hope and stability with a view to the future in spite of the economic mistakes of the past.
Institutionally the things are going in a tidy transition and one hopes that one stops delivering accounts to avoid, in a future, to find surprises that force to check and audit the past. Not only the elect chief has given samples of ripeness and good sense, but also the elect Vice-president and, why not to say it, the same party FMLN.
But what is there of the common and current people in our dear El Salvador? The answer is not very encouraging. They keep on creating ideological divisiveness, unjustified revanchisms, classist struggles, clashes of low level, community opportunism, etc. and etc.
The same happens with the resident Salvadorans in the exterior, especially in the metropolitan area of Washington DC: we must have an attitude change, must leave aside the thirst of protagonismos, the envy, the divisiveness, the malinchismo and work for the change that we need most of Salvadorans and for which we have fought so passionately.
The Salvadorans at the exterior we must be employed shoulder to shoulder and not allow external manipulations to leave or to remove representatives in the exterior. These situations fed by personal and commercial interests believe fissures in the community and they irritate the divisiveness.
We must overcome this ingenious short-sighted person of acting. Of not giving the first step and advancing in concrete solutions proposals to problems that they bother to our nation, we will not happen of being considered to be “rewaiters“ and will have allowed to spend the historical opportunity to be taken into consideration in the reconstruction of a tough country and to contribute to the development of our country and why not to say it: To be taken into consideration in future governments or projects of nation.
There are hundreds of Salvadoran community organizations in the whole USA, which work hard in favor of his communities and seldom his united and humanitarian works are recognized. These organizations are fulfilled with big compatriots and big citizens who have never forgotten his roots. We must join them and imitate. The future is our challenge, but also it is our opportunity. The past has kept us distant and/or in against. That ended already.
(*) Doctor and resident political analyst in Maryland, the USA.

Víctor Caycho
Washington Hispanic

Carlos Lizanne the candidate. Photo: Alvaro Ortiz / Washington Hispanic.

Carlos Lizanne entered the history in 2003, on having turned into the first councilman of Latin origin in 125 years of the municipality of Hyattsville, Maryland. Now, on having concluded his period of six years in the charge, Lizanne, of Salvadoran origin, presents before himself for the reelection in elections programmed for this Monday, the 4th of May.
“ My propaganda flag has always been the diversity, the pluralism and the tolerance, and this year I have put emphasis on these qualities”, affirmed the candidate, who represents to the District 4 of the city, where it resides for 33 years.
His candidacy is provided with the support of the legislators of Maryland, Justin Ross and Víctor Ramírez, of mayor Bill Gardiner and of the councilmen Krista Atteberry, Nicole Hinds and Marc Tartaro, between other authorities.
Lizanne, who is of the Democratic Party, decided to throw himself to the reelection in the last moment., as he said, it is close to the retirement and suffers from a severe chronic evil. “Nevertheless, there presented before himself a republican, extremely conservative candidate, who raises that the services of the city offer themselves exclusively the citizens or legal residents, excluding to all those who are undocumented persons, and that impelled me to go for the reelection”, revealed.
“ I could not allow to try to bow to a good percentage of our people who lives in this situation in Hyattsville, working honestly and reaching port with his taxes to the economy of the city and of the nation”, he emphasized.
“ I know that I am going to win and trust in the support of the community”, it indicated seguidamente, after indicating his incessant work of reconstruction of streets and sidewalks, and reshaping of parks and centers of recreation, which transformed the city, as well as the improvement of the community services, between them those of public safety.
The candidate, who is an owner of the Latin supermarket “The International Godfather”, which it manages along with his wife Carmen, of Panamanian origin, and one of his children – other is in the Army as the first sergeant and has just returned from Iraq - affirms that if it is re-elected “I will keep on giving to all the residents of different ethnic or racial roots a voice in the Town hall of the city”.
On this matter, Lizanne threw an initiative so that in the next local elections it is allowed to support also the residents, “those who have all the right to choose his representatives in the government of the city, where they live or work”.

Classes of English
The Center of Community Services of the Newly arrived person – NCSC - offers to the Hispanics free information about courses of English in Fairfax's County (Virginia). Be contacted in Spanish with Claudia Mantilla, on Monday of 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., on Tuesday of 9:00 to 4:30 p.m and on Wednesday of 11:30 to 4:30 p.m. Phones 703-241-0300 ó 703-241-0301. Direction: 6131 Willston Dr, Lounge # 8, Falls Church, GOES 22044.

Literacy in march
The Latin-American Center of the Youth (LAYC) announces that the inscription remains opened for the persons who want to take part in the literacy programs. The schedules are the following ones: from Monday until Friday the classes are given in the School Carlos Rosario, of 11:45 to 12:45 p.m.; on Tuesday and Thursday in the public school Meridian, of 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., a cost of $ 20 for month is needed; every Friday in the Multicultural Center of the Youth of Maryland, of 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. For major information call Mario Gamboa to 202-607-3901.

Donate food and free trip
The users of Ride On Bus, can travel free if it donates food not perishable or tinned at the moment of entering to the bus. This is a part of a campaign initiated by the County of Montgomery (Maryland), which initiates from Sunday, the 10th until Saturday, the 16th of May. The gathered food will be assined to the food Center Manna, which offers feeding to 3.000 families per month.

Seminar for the proper roof
Housing Counseling Services presents a seminar for the interested parties in buying house. The participants will receive information about the process of the buy of housing. This seminar will be carried out on May 13 between 11:00 and her 1:00 p.m. Interested to call 202-667-7006.

Volunteers please
The Office of the Voluntariado of the County of Arlington invites the community to to integrate across his voluntariado programs. For information about this volunteers' recruiting in Spanish, call Ileana Mayorga 703-228-1198.

Vaccination … for pets
The Department of health of the County of Prince George's realizes the campaign of anti-rabies vaccination for pets: dogs and cats, which will be carried out on the 9th, May 16 and 30. The cost of the vaccine is of $ 5.00. For information about the clinics 301-883-3782.

Examination of the sight for “dogs in service”
The Veterinary School of Ophthalmology realizes a campaign that will offer examinations of the sight to “dogs in service”, as the dogs are named guides, assistance dogs for disabled, dogs police officers and of rescue.
The campaign will realize from May 4 until May 8 in everything the metropolitan area. The dogs need to have some type of certification of training to qualify for this program. For record and information visit www.acvoeyeexam.org.

Back to top

Meter | Spectacles | Sports | Home Guide |
Autoguide | the People | Connections | Subscriptions and Advertising |
Contact Us | Past Issues | The Time | Site Map