Joe Arce and Debra DeCoster. Terapia de Masaje es beneficiosa para la Salud

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1 YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 TÚ CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 Periódico Bilingüe VOLUME 14 NUMBER 49 / 18 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 Mayor Sly James and the City Council are determined to keep kids safe on the Plaza-even if it means enforcing a curfew. See Complete Story On Page 3. Community Responds - Riggs Gets Handicap Ramp Built Responde la comunidad Construyen una rampa para discapacitados para Riggs Tagging is a seasonal problem El graffiti es un problema estacional INDEPTH REPORT By Joe Arce and Joe Faus It is a problem that plagues home owners and property owners across the city. No sooner than one wall gets cleaned then another gets tagged. Rarely are any charged with the vandalism though the city s codes officers can issue a citation to property owners if they do not remove the offending script. The inconvenience and cost of removal only contributes to the frustration. s Westside was recently the target as a series of tags appeared across many business fronts including the brick façade of the vacated Central Bank on Southwest Boulevard. Arturo Romo, a prominent businessman in the area, spoke with Hispanic News about the mounting frustration of many property owners. We are tired with what is going on in the Westside, with the question of SEE: PLEASE JUST DRAW IT ON PAPER / PAGE 7 Traduce Rico Rogers Es un problema que afecta a los dueños de casas y dueños de propiedades en toda la ciudad. No mucho después de limpiar una pared, más graffiti aparecen en otra pared. Rara vez personas están acusadas por los actos de vandalismo aunque los oficiales municipales de códigos pueden emitir una citación a los propietarios si no eliminan el guión ofensivo. Las molestias y el costo para eliminarlo sólo contribuyen a la frustración. Recientemente, el Westside de Kansas City fue el objetivo cuando apareció mucho graffiti en la parte delantera de varios negocios incluyendo la fachada de ladrillo del edificio vacante del Banco Central en Southwest Boulevard. Arturo Romo, un prominente empresario de la zona, habló con Hispanic News acerca de la creciente frustración de muchos propietarios. "Estamos cansados de lo que está pasando en el Westside, el graffiti y los MIRA: POR FAVOR, SIMPLEMENTE DIBUEJLO / PÁGINA 7 For Mary Riggs having this ramp means having access to the world of family and friends. She is grateful to know that people like Richard and Viviana Medellin and their friends helped build and pay for this ramp. Esta rampa, para Mary Riggs, significa acceso al mundo de su familia y amigos. Ella está agradecida de saber que gente como Richard y Viviana Medellín, y sus amigos, ayudaron a construir y pagar por esta rampa. By Joe Arce and Debra DeCoster Mary Riggs has had one leg amputated at the knee due to health issues. Since her surgery, she has been confined to a wheelchair but it has not dampened her determination to get out and about her neighborhood or to visit family and friends. There was one little hitch - her home was not handicap accessible. Her wheelchair could not be maneuvered easily over the porch steps. She needed a ramp installed to her front door so she could get out of the house. Without the ramp, she had to rely on someone carrying her out. She had no access to her yard, doctor s appointments or trips to the grocery store. She sought to have a ramp installed at her home but the calls to s 311 Call Center left her crying. They told me they did away with the ramp program and they don t send people out to build or install the ramps anymore. I panicked I didn t know what we were going to do. I felt trapped in my home with no way for me to get out. If I had a fire, I have a back door but we have a long staircase to get down. I didn t know how I would get out if I had an emergency, she said. Her husband, Anthony, received plans from the American Disability Act and planned to build the ramp at their home. His plans were put on hold when he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in Tennessee that left him with ten cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. The rehab center had released her with the understanding that a ramp would be built at the home by August 11. If it SEE: I M SURPRISED AT THE OUTPOURING / PAGE 2 Massage Therapy is Beneficial to Health Terapia de Masaje es beneficiosa para la Salud Enrique Orfin believes being a massage therapist is his calling in life. Putting his hands to work and knowing he can help people with a good massage is the career path he has chosen. Enrique Orfin cree que ser terapeuta de masaje es su vocación de la vida. Usar las manos y saber que puede ayudar la gente con masajes buenos, son la razones por su decisión ser terapeuta de masaje. Mucho Corazón Joe Arce and Debra DeCoster Healing people s pain through massage therapy has always been a dream job for 41-year-old Enrique Orfin. In his 20 s, he had been interested in college but life threw him a curve. He had to find a job to help support his younger siblings and his mother but he never let go of his dream. Recently he saw an opportunity when he learned about massage therapy classes at WellSpring School of Allied Health in. He told Hispanic News that if he was going to have a career as a massage therapist, it was time to take the necessary steps that would lead him into the job that he always desired. Orfin visited several schools before deciding to enter WellSpring. I believe in energy and as soon as I stepped into the school I believe something was flowing through me and I said, this is it, this is the school for me. I felt like it was home and everyone was very welcoming. The 21 year old school, which recently changed its name from Massage Therapy Training Institute, is committed to being the leader in wellness education in the Midwest. Each program at the school is dedicated to excellence in wellness education. Don Farquharson, WellSpring president and CEO, recently met Orfin and was impressed by his desire to serve the Latino community and others. It is SEE: ORFIN IS EAGER TO LEARN / PAGE 8 Traduce Rico Rogers La curación de los dolores de la gente a través de la terapia de masaje siempre ha sido un trabajo de sueño para Enrique Orfin, de 41 años de edad. Cuando tenía veinti-tantos años de edad, le interesaba asistir a la universidad pero no le resultó así. Tuvo que buscar un trabajo para ayudar a sus hermanos menores y a su madre pero nunca abandonó su sueño. Hace poco vio una oportunidad cuando se enteró de las clases de terapia de masaje en la Escuela Relacionada a la Salud Wellspring en (Well- Spring School of Allied Health in Kansas City). Él le dijo a Hispanic News que si él iba a tener una carrera como terapeuta de masaje, que este era el momento de tomar las medidas necesarias que lo llevaría al trabajo que él siempre ha deseado. Orfin visitó varias escuelas antes de decidirse a entrar en WellSpring. Yo creo en la energía y tan pronto como entré en la escuela creo que algo estaba fluyendo a través de mí y pensé, esta es, esta es la escuela para mí. Sentí que estaba en casa y todo el mundo era muy acogedor. La escuela que tiene una antigüedad de 21 años, y que recientemente cambió su nombre del Instituto de Capacitación en la Terapia del Masaje, se compromete a ser el líder en la educación de la salud en el medio oeste. Cada programa en la Traduce Rico Rogers A María Riggs le amputaron una pierna desde la rodilla hasta abajo debido a problemas de salud. Desde la cirugía, ella ha estado confinada a una silla de ruedas pero no ha disminuido su determinación de salir a la comunidad o para visitar a familiares y amigos. Había una situación - su casa no era accesible para discapacitados. No se podía mover su silla de ruedas fácilmente por los escalones del porche. Se necesitaba instalar una rampa para que ella pudiera salir de la casa. Sin la rampa, la única manera que ella pudiera salir sería que alguien pudiera llevarla. Ella no tenía acceso a su patio, visitas al médico o viajes a la tienda de comestibles. Ella buscaba la forma de que instalaran una rampa en su casa pero las llamadas al centro de llamadas 311 de la dejaron llorando. "Me dijeron que acabaron con el programa de rampas y que ya no envían a la gente a construir o instalar las rampas. Me entró el pánico... Yo no sabía lo que íbamos a hacer. Me sentía atrapada en mi casa sin una manera de salir. Si hubiera un incendio, tengo una puerta posterior pero tenemos que bajar una larga escalera. Yo no sabía cómo iba a salir si hubiera una emergencia ", dijo ella. Su marido, Anthony, recibió los planes de la Ley de Discapacidad de América y planeaba construir la rampa en su casa. Sus planes quedaron en suspenso por tiempo indefinido cuando se vio involucrado en un grave accidente de moto en Tennessee que lo dejó con diez costillas rotas y un pulmón colapsado. El centro de rehabilitación le había liberado con el entendimiento de que se construiría una rampa en su casa el 11 de agosto. Si no la construyera, ella tendría que volver al centro de rehabilitación. Al aproximarse la fecha, ella desesperadamente empezó a buscar ayuda y llamó al Centro de Llamadas 311 de nuevo pero se le dio la misma respuesta. MIRA: ORFIN ESTA ANSIOSO PARA APRENDER / PÁGINA 8 MIRA: ESTOY SORPRENDIDA POR LA EFUSION / PÁGINA Southwest Blvd., MO NEWSROOM:(816)472.KCHN FAX: (816) 931.NEWS kchnews@swbell.net

2 2 18 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 kchispanicnews.com I m surprised at the outpouring of help CONT./PAGE 1 weren t in place she would have to return to rehab. As the date approached, she desperately began to search for help and she called the 311-call center again, but was given the same answer. They told me they did away with the program. I called City Hall three or four times to make sure that I was told the right information. I said, How am I going to get out of my house? What if there is a fire? They just said, madam, you are just going to have to figure that out. I thought that was so cold to say to me. Once Riggs told her friends, Richard and Viviana Medellin, about her situation they decided they would undertake the ramp project and ensure that she would be able to stay at home and help care for her husband. Both Mary and Anthony have been involved in their community and have extended a helping hand to people in need over the years. The Medellins contacted their friends and asked them to help with the ramp. We called our friends and shared with them the need for this ramp to be built and with no questions asked they said, yes, we want to help and what can we do to help? said Viviana Medellin. One of those that offered to help is Paul Zaragoza, a carpenter. This feels good to be able to help someone. They need this ramp and nowadays money is tight, and so it is really nice when people can help out when someone is in need, he said. Yolanda Alejandre has been amazed at all the telephone calls and people in the neighborhood coming to help her parents. It gives her and her brother peace of mind that others are willing to step up and help them take care of their parents as they both recover. People have been calling to check on them and see if they need help. People have come and have been willing to help clean or help cook meals for them. It has been really nice - it has been overwhelming but it is really nice to know that everyone in the neighborhood cares about her, said Alejandre. Mary has been surprised at the outpouring of help. We appreciate from the bottom of our hearts what they are doing for us and if they ever need anything from us we will be there for them. She told Hispanic News that once she recovers from her surgery, she would be an advocate for people who need handicap ramps installed at their homes. I believe that they need to bring that program back in this area. I know that in the Hispanic community we have a lot of diabetes and people suffering from the side effects of the disease, and this is one program that needs to be continued, she stated. Hispanic News spoke with Dennis Gagnon, communication officer for the City of Kansas City. He said that at one time it was his understanding that the city had received grant money that they used to assist people who needed ramps installed at their home. It would appear that that program is no longer funded because the grant would have run out. Sometimes these programs Anthony and Mary Riggs have enjoyed life to its fullest giving back to the community along the way. When they suffered some health setbacks, it was the community that gave back to them. Anthony y Mary Riggs han disfrutado de la vida a su máximo dando apoyo a la comunidad cuando pueden, pero cuando ambos se encontraron con serias problemas de salud la comunidad salió a ayudarlos. are given grants to jumpstart a program in the city, but if there is no funding with local dollars to keep the program going, then often times it ends up going away. However, if an individual is seeking help with a ramp, they should call 211 for assistance, said Gagnon. An individual calling the 311- call center will be assisted with city issues or services the city provides. Gagnon explained that 311 could assist Riggs if she needed a wheelchair ramp access at a street corner. When Hispanic News asked why Riggs was not given the information to call 211, he said, it probably would have been a good idea for them (call center operators) to think it through Mary Riggs believes the ramp gives her the strength and the ability to be free to go and come as she pleases. Mary Riggs cree que la rampa le da la fuerza y la capacidad de salir y regresar a casa cuando le da la gana. but sometimes a person doesn t think of everything on the spot. That would be a logical place to look for assistance with a ramp, he explained. The 211 Call Center United Way Agency is not a direct service provider but they are aware of 12,000 different programs in the community that provide a variety of services and they may have been able to connect Riggs with an agency that could have provided help with a wheelchair ramp. The best thing to do is call 211 and explain your situation [such as] where you live and what is your income situation? It would depend on what programs are available. In some areas, Christmas in October may be a program that could come out and help. The Day of Caring usually held in June helps with these types of issues. The call specialists are the people who are in the best position to know what programs are out there and are possibilities. We can t make any guarantees but we can point them in the right direction, said Ron Howard, United Way public relations director. One day before the deadline, Mary Riggs tried out her new ramp. To her surprise the width of the ramp accommodates her scooter. This is just a blessing and I have Viviana and Richard and friends to thank for it. I m overwhelmed right now. For the first time in my life I m speechless. I m going to spend my evening out here. It s like a front porch that I always wanted and it is just a ramp but I can sit out here and have some ice tea.... If I really want to get out, I just need to go down the ramp with my husband and sit out there on the driveway and visit with family and friends. I just love it. It s beautiful. Richard Medellin was overjoyed to see his friend on the ramp. I m glad I was able to help them out. She told me if she didn t have this ramp they were going to put her back into the hospital. I have been in the hospital and it s no fun being there. It s better to be with your family. It makes me feel good and that is what friends are for - to help each other out. Estoy sorprendida por la efusión de ayuda CONT./PÁGINA 1 "Me dijeron que acabaron con el programa. Llamé a la Alcaldía tres o cuatro veces para asegurarme que me dijeron la información correcta. Le dije: ' Cómo voy a salir de mi casa? Qué pasa si hay un incendio? "Solamente me dijeron, 'señora, usted va a tener que determinar eso." Pensé que fue tan frío que me dijeran eso." Cuando Riggs hablo a sus amigos, Richard y Viviana Medellín, sobre su situación, ellos decidieron llevar a cabo el proyecto de la rampa para ella y su esposo Anthony y asegurarse de que ella pudiera quedarse en casa y ayudar a cuidar a su marido. Tanto Mary como Anthony han estado involucrados en su comunidad y han extendido una mano de ayuda a las personas necesitadas sobre los años. Los Medellín se contactaron con sus amigos y les pidieron que los ayudaran con la rampa. "Llamamos a nuestros amigos y les contamos acerca de la necesidad de la construcción de esta rampa. Y sin hacernos preguntas ellos respondieron:" Sí, queremos ayudar y qué podemos hacer para ayudar?", dijo Viviana Medellín. Uno de los que se ofreció a ayudar, es Paul Zaragoza, un carpintero. "Se siente bien de poder ayudar a alguien. Ellos necesitan esta rampa y, en la actualidad, el dinero es escaso y, por eso, es muy agradable cuando la gente puede ayudar cuando alguien lo necesita ", dijo él. Yolanda Alejandre ha estado sorprendida por todas las llamadas telefónicas y la gente del barrio que llega al hogar para ayudar a sus padres. Le da a ella y a su hermano la paz de saber que otros están dispuestos a intensificar y ayudar a cuidar a sus padres mientras ambos se recuperen. "La gente ha llamado para saber de ellos y ver si necesitan ayuda. La gente ha venido y han estado dispuestos a ayudar a limpiar o ayudar a preparar las comidas para ellos. Ha sido muy agradable. Ha sido abrumador pero es realmente bueno saber que todos en el vecindario se preocupan por ella", dijo Alejandre. Le ha sorprendido a María la efusión de la ayuda de la comunidad. "Agradecemos desde el fondo de nuestro corazón lo que están haciendo por nosotros y si alguna vez necesitan algo de nosotros estaremos allí para ayudarlos". Ella le dijo a Hispanic News que cuando se recupere de su cirugía, ella será una defensora de las personas discapacitadas que necesitan rampas para que las instalen en sus hogares. "Yo creo que necesitan empezar ese programa de nuevo en esta área. Yo sé que en la comunidad hispana tenemos una gran cantidad de personas con diabetes y que sufren de los efectos secundarios de la enfermedad y esto es un programa que debe continuar", afirmó ella. Hispanic News siguió la historia de María y habló con Dennis Gagnon, director de comunicación de la ciudad de Kansas City, y él dijo que antes, a su entender, la ciudad había recibido dinero de la subvención que se utilizaba para ayudar a las personas que necesitaban instalar rampas en sus casas. "Parece que ese programa ya no es financiado porque la subvención terminó. A veces estos programas reciben subvenciones para poner en marcha un programa en la ciudad pero si no hay financiación con fondos locales para mantener el programa, entonces, muchas veces terminan. Sin embargo, si un individuo está buscando la ayuda de una rampa, deben llamar al 211 para asistencia ", dijo Gagnon. Una persona que llama al Centro de Llamadas 311 será atendida con los problemas de la ciudad o servicios que la ciudad ofrece. Gagnon explicó que el número 311 podría ayudar a Riggs si necesitaba una rampa de acceso para sillas de ruedas en una esquina de la calle. Cuando Hispanic News le preguntó por qué no le dio a Riggs la información de llamar al 211, él dijo, "probablemente hubiera sido una buena idea para ellos (los operadores del centro de llamadas) pensar en eso pero, a veces, una persona no piensa todo al momento. Eso sería un lugar lógico para buscar ayuda con una rampa", explicó él. El Centro de Llamadas 211 del United Way no es un proveedor de servicios directos pero ellos están conscientes de unos programas diferentes en la comunidad que ofrecen una variedad de servicios y ellos podrían haber ayudado conectar a Riggs con una agencia que podría haberle proporcionado ayuda con una rampa para sillas de ruedas "Lo mejor que se puede hacer es llamar al 211 y explicar su situación [como] donde vive y cual es su situación de ingresos?... Dependería de cuáles programas están disponibles. En algunas áreas, la Navidad en Octubre puede ser un programa que podría ayudar. El Día de Cuidado generalmente se celebra en junio y ayuda con este tipo de problemas. Los especialistas / operadoras son las personas que están en la mejor posición para saber cuáles programas existen y cuales son las posibilidades. No podemos ofrecer ninguna garantía pero podemos guiarlos en la dirección correcta ", dijo Ron Howard, director de relaciones públicas de United Way. Un solo día antes del plazo, Mary Riggs probó su nueva rampa. No sólo va a acomodar la silla de ruedas pero también puede acomodar su moto. Esta es una bendición y doy las gracias a Viviana, Richard y sus amigos por ello. Estoy abrumada ahora mismo. Por primera vez en mi vida estoy sin palabras." "Yo voy a pasar mis noches aquí. Es como si fuera un porche que siempre he querido. Es sólo una rampa pero puedo sentarme aquí y tomar un poco de té con hielo... y si realmente quiero salir sólo tengo que bajar la rampa con mi marido y sentarnos allí en el camino y hablar con mis familiares y amigos. Me encanta. Es hermosa. Richard Medellín estaba muy contento al ver a su amiga en la rampa. "Estoy contento de haber podido ayudarlos. Ella me dijo que si ella no tuviera la rampa que la iban a llevar al hospital de nuevo. Yo he estado en el hospital y no es divertido estar allí. Es mejor estar con su familia. Me hace sentir bien y los amigos son para eso, se ayudan los unos a los otros." Paul Zaragoza, and his team of carpenters, spent two days building this ADA ramp. Mary Riggs was happy that the carpenters were able to meet her deadline. Pasó dos días en que Paul Zaragoza y esto carpinteros construyeron esta rampa ADA. Mary Riggs era feliz que los carpinteros pudiera terminar la construcción antes de la entrega.

3 kchispanicnews.com 18 DE AGOSTO DEL In my View Plaza Shooting Leads to Call For Changes Getting Children Ready for School By Marian Wright Edelman From new backpacks to sharp pencils, parents across the country are doing their best to cross the items off their children s back-to-school checklists. They want to be sure that when the first day of school comes, their children will have everything they need to be ready to start and ready to learn. But as a country we re failing to do the same thing and in the current budget debate, some of our leaders are threatening to do just the opposite. Instead of budgeting our limited resources wisely so we ll be able to stock up on the things we know our children need, some shrill, ideologically driven leaders are hijacking the political process and trying to grab money out of our children s small piggybanks and spend it on more gift cards for big corporations and billionaires. No new tax pledges have been signed by 277 members of Congress throwing the entire weight of debt reduction on children, our poorest Americans, the homeless, jobless, helpless, and a middle class treading water and trying to stay afloat. We know that between birth and age five, children learn social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive skills that set the foundation for academic success. Factors including poverty and the lottery of geography create barriers to young children s healthy development. Cognitive gaps emerge between children from families with low and higher incomes as early as nine months, and more often than not, these children are unable to catch up by the time they enter kindergarten. The resulting achievement gap increases over time and often propels children into the cradle to prison pipeline especially if they are poor children of color. Quality child care and early childhood educational experiences are crucial to giving children a sound start in life but they are still out of reach for many families. Although child care is a necessity for many families with working parents, the annual cost of center-based child care for a fouryear-old is more than the annual in-state tuition at a public four-year college in 33 states and the District of Columbia. In 18 states, a family must have an income below 175 percent of the poverty level (below $32,043 for a family of four) to receive a public child care subsidy. Only 13.8 percent of three-year-olds and 38.9 percent of four-year-olds By Jane Honeck, CPA The recent budget crisis catapulted us into this week s stock market turmoil and reaffirms the consequences of ignoring Sir Francis Bacon s 400 year old words, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Those sage words were echoed during FDR s inaugural speech and still ring true today. We clearly see how the fear of future failures and potential losses drives down expectations so we operate from a place of weakness instead of strength. It s the proverbial bogeyman in the closet. The more we focus on him, the bigger, more ferocious he gets! So how can we as individuals move beyond today s economic anxiety and fear and get on with our lives? How do we keep our own stability and help build this economy instead of tear it down? Like it or not, we re all in this together and it s clear what happens when we tackle today s problems as a house divided. Frustration and mistrust grow and the solution seems out of reach and certainly nothing we can influence. But, our own grass roots efforts can make a difference in moving us and the country out of fear back into possibility. Following are simple steps anyone can take to step out of financial paralysis and into building new money muscles: 1. Talk it up: Ignoring your anxieties and keeping fear bottled up only makes them fester and grow. Share your feelings with someone and get their perspective. Without shared perspective, we magnify negative speculation, mix it with past failures, and the financial bogeyman grows. With sharing, things become more balanced and, at the very least, two of you will be shouldering the load instead of just you! 2. Stay in the moment: Affirm your own financial reality now. Did you make it through yesterday, last week, last month? Have things changed that much? Do you have enough today? None of us know what s really ahead but we can be certain about today. Staying in the moment and not getting too far ahead of ourselves puts a stable foundation back in place. 3. Choose your battle: Be honest about what s underneath your concern is it mistrust, lack of control, powerlessness? Today s financial fears keep us worrying about things we can t change. But, we become empowered by transforming those we can. Can we stop the stock market slide? Probably not, but we can make changes in our own financial world. 4. Take the next step: Don t worry about all the steps from here to your own financial stability you only need worry about the next step. Keep your eye on your financial goals and begin shifting from emotion to motion. Pay a bill; start a savings account; cut up a credit card any next step will start the momentum. Ultimately, the culmination of those next steps will build trust were in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs, Head Start, or early intervention/special education in and only 10 states require all schools districts to offer full day kindergarten to get children ready for school. Without positive early childhood experiences, it is easy for children to fall behind in school and American education, which used to be the envy of the world, is in dire straits. Many public school students, kindergarten through 12th grade, are struggling; children of color and poor children struggle most. More than 60 percent of all fourth, eighth, and 12th grade public school students and nearly 80 percent or more of Black and Hispanic public school students in the same grades are reading or doing math below grade level. The U.S. ranks 24th among 30 developed countries on overall educational achievement for 15-year-olds, and in a study of education systems in 60 countries, we ranked 31st in math achievement and 23rd in science achievement for 15-year-olds. Too often children fall behind in school and drop out, increasing their risk of entering the cradle to prison pipeline. Staying in school and receiving a quality education are the best deterrents to juvenile delinquency and the surest route towards responsible, productive adulthood. Yet almost half of our states spend on average more than three times as much per prisoner as per public school pupil. I can t think of a dumber investment policy, one that hurts countless children and families every day. It s clear we re not getting our children what they need to be ready for and to succeed in school and to learn all that we need them to know in order to keep our workforce, military, and country strong in the future. It s time for every voter to tell those shrill partisan and ideologically driven extremists that America s children are not to be sacrificial lambs on the altar of their destructive agendas. If we saw parents spending money to buy themselves a private jet but sending their child to school unprepared, hungry, and empty-handed, we would be shocked and furious at how misguided their priorities were. Why should any of our nation s leaders be allowed to make the same choice? Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children's Defense Fund Recent Budget Crisis Creating Economic Anxiety in yourself and your ability to meet your future goals. 5. Do it again: When the next negative headline appears (and it will) go back to #1. Fear is a part of life, but it doesn t have to take over our life. It may feel like a lot of effort the first time you tackle these steps. But, use them often and eventually you ll slip right through fear and into empowered action with a blink of an eye. There you have it, a simple plan responding to time-tested sage advice. Five easy steps that move us from emotion to motion, paralysis to possibility, fear to trust. And, when we trust, all things are possible. Jane Honeck, CPA, PFS, and author of The Problem With Money! It was the kind of attention that Highwoods Properties was looking to avoid when they petitioned the mayor and city council to roll back the 11 o clock curfew to 9 p.m. on weekends. The call was in response to the increasing crowds of young, mostly African American kids that gather in the popular shopping district. Mayor Sly James and Ad-Hoc leader Alvin Brooks as well as other community leaders came to the Plaza this past Friday to see the situation and talk with kids. Before 11 p.m. shots rang out no more than 50 yards from where James and his group had gathered. Before the police could impose order, three young teens were wounded, his bodyguards threw James to the ground and the reputation of the venerable shopping district took another hit. Last year, the Plaza received unwanted attention when a large crowd of unsupervised teens, estimated at around 900, swelled the area. Police responded in force after a series of complaints. At one point the police were forced to use pepper spray to disperse the crowds. In a statement issued by the mayor s office, James stated, While we may not be able to stop shootings like the one last night, understand that the situation cannot stand. I have been working today, and will continue to work this week ahead of City Council session on Thursday with the police, the council, the courts and the 14 school districts in to determine a path forward that helps keeps kids safe not only on the Plaza but throughout our city. James asserted that the problems in the Plaza are not a police problem. We have a youth problem on the Plaza, but more than that we have a parent problem. Twelve, 13 and 14- year-olds do not arrive on the Plaza by themselves. We need parents to pay attention and get involved. As a city, we can pass any number of ordinances, start all kinds of programs, but if our parents are not more involved in parenting, we cannot solve this issue. A curfew would have merit in our view, but that is a decision our capable mayor and his team of municipal experts need to weigh, Highwoods said in a statement issued Sunday. has a curfew on the books of midnight on weekends and 11 p.m. the rest of the week. The fine is $1 dollar for the first offense, $500 or probation for repeat offenses. Without committing to a specific strategy James added, So I am reaching out to all who will listen. We need your help. Reducing the crime in our neighborhoods and keeping our children safe will require a coordinated effort. It cannot just be the city, or the police department, or churches, or schools; rather it must be all of the above and more. Whatever the solution is, I know it begins and ends at home. Late monday afternoon the mayor s office issued the following statement, It is a distinct possibility, after extensive discussions, the City of will implement a 9 p.m. city-wide curfew beginning as soon as Friday, Aug. 19. The curfew if it takes affect will have to take into account some exemptions in the currnet curfew such as making allowances for work schedules, school activities and running errands for parents.

4 4 18 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 kchispanicnews.com JOHN SILVA SPORTS Chiefs first pre-season game resembles scrimmage If you are someone who believes the pre-season creates momentum for teams to be successful going into the regular season you better not be a Chiefs fan this year. Otherwise, you are going to want to pull your hair out. After a short two-week off-season in St. Joseph, the Chiefs utilized the pre-season opener at home against Tampa Bay to evaluate players battling for positions on the roster. While the Bucs key players on offense and defense all got their feet wet with more than a quarter s worth of play, the home side got a couple of possessions from their starters and sat them for the rest of the game. Even when each side had their A team on the field, Tampa sought to have their playmakers participate. As a result, Grandview s Josh Freeman led his team to successful drives throughout his time on the field and his offense looked effective. The Chiefs had a backup center start and on KC s second possession quarterback Matt Cassel lost the center exchange and gave Tampa the ball deep in Chiefs territory. Cassel didn t get to fire a pass at wide receiver Dwayne Bowe or anyone else in the offense. Outside of the fumble, he handed off and none of those efforts went to Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles. Seventh-round draft pick Shane Bannon started, in what everyone anticipates will be Le Ron McClain s starting fullback spot, in front of an offensive line without its starting center and missing released left guard Brian Waters for the first time since the Gunther Cunningham era. Perhaps it is a good thing none of the Chiefs offensive cornerstones got involved. Guadalupe Lupe Rodriguez, 90 of, MO passed way at the home on, August 12, Family and friends gather for a Visitation on August 15, 2011 at the McGilley Midtown Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, On August 16, 2011 a mass was held at Redemptorist Catholic Church and she was laid to rest in St. Mary s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made of the Redemptorist Church Foundation on Lupe s name. Lupe was born April 27, 1921 to Pablo and Antonina Hernandez. She married Guadalupe Rodriguez on September 7, They owned Acapulco Floral for many years. They had five beautiful children. Lupe was preceded in death by her husband Lupe Rodriguez, daughter Victoria Rodriguez, brother Frank Hernandez, sisters Lilly Morales and Augustina Ramirez and son-in-law Salvador Cervantes. Lupe is survived by two daughters, Rachel Avila (Henry) of Lee s Summit, MO, and Gloria Cervantes of Smithville, MO; two sons, Edward Rodriguez (Susan) of Overland Park, KS and Fred Rodriguez of Kansas City, KS; son-in-law Craig Defensively, there was no Tamba Hali and there was no scheming from defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel s unit. Tampa took advantage of the 3-4 alignment and moved the ball efficiently. That s not to say there were no bright spots in the 25-0 loss. First-round draft choice Jonathan Baldwin looked physically the part of a starting NFL receiver. He was targeted four times during the game and caught one pass on a slant pattern. When Baldwin gets the playbook down pat the offensive options for Cassel look to have increased exponentially. A rookie on the opposite side of the field showed potential as well. Sixth-round nose tackle Jerrell Powe had a few stops, including one in the backfield. Perhaps his most impressive play occurred in the second quarter when Tampa busted loose up the middle for a big gainer and Powe pursued the play 25 yards down the field before making a touchdown saving tackle. The most concerning areas look to be on offense. Both quarterbacks Tyler Palko and rookie Ricky Stanzi could not lead the team down the field for as much as a field goal. Head coach Todd Haley acknowledged both were running for their lives during the game, but neither showed Haley or GM Scott Pioli a reason not to look for a veteran backup to Cassel. The other area appeared to be offensive line depth. Perhaps newly signed tackle Jared Gaither will allow Barry Richardson to be able to backup at both tackle slots, but it was alarming how dominant Tampa was against the pass protection. Chiefs vs, Baltimore Ravens on KCTV5 (Fairway, Kansas) KCTV5 and KSMO-62 will simulcast the Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens pre-season game Friday, August 19 at 6:30 pm. The KCTV5 broadcast tower is experiencing a transmission problem that has affected the broadcast signal in parts of the area for some over-the-air viewers. KCTV5 is FYI August is National Immunization Awareness Month Topeka, KS In its work to help Kansans protect themselves from serious diseases, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is proudly participating in National Immunization Awareness Month. Immunizations can prevent infectious diseases like chickenpox, whooping cough and meningitis. According to the CDC currently working to repair the transmission problems. The signal restoration timeframe is currently estimated to be late next week. Updates will be posted KCTV5.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused for our viewers. We hope to have full power restored quickly so all of our viewers can watch In Loving Memory their favorite CBS shows, as well as KCTV5 local news and programming, However, we wanted to make sure that everyone could watch the Chiefs game this Friday, so we will double up, stated Bobby Totsch in a KCTV5. com web update. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), each year immunizations save thousands of lives and billions of dollars throughout the United States. 42,000 lives are saved 20 million cases of disease are prevented 13.6 billion dollars in direct costs are saved 68.9 billion dollars in direct plus indirect (societal) costs are saved For each dollar invested in these vaccinations, $10.20 is saved Immunizations work, but in order to work correctly it s important to know which immunizations or vaccinations you need and when to get them. We all need a variety of immunizations to not only help protect us throughout our lifetime, but to also help protect those around us, said Mike Parsons, immunization outreach coordinator with KDHE s Bureau of Disease Control & Prevention (BDCP). August is a busy time for immunizations as children head back to school and we enter into the influenza (flu) season. Contact your health provider or local health department to see what immunizations you may need today. Everyone over age 6 months needs to be vaccinated against seasonal flu every year. Other vaccinations work best when they are given at certain ages. Here are some general guidelines: Children need a series of vaccinations from birth to age 6. Pre-teens need recommended vaccinations at age 11 or 12, as well as teenagers as they enter into high school and college, vaccinate before you graduate. All adults need a variety of vaccinations to prevent diseases such as whooping cough, pneumonia, influenza (flu), shingles and more. For more information on immunizations, visit GUADALUPE LUPE RODRIGUEZ Yamamoto of San Francisco, CA; five sisters, Margaret Armendariz, Jane Vasquez (Tony), Angie Hernandez, Mary Vera and Lila Casperson; ten grandchildren, Jenifer, Ryan, Sal, Joe, Manuel, Robert, Lea-Suzanne, Freddy, Craig, Jr. and Emilio; eight great grandchildren, Alijandra, Vance, Antonio, Betsy, Samantha, Salvador, Mallory and Lupe. Lupe s family would like to offer their appreciation to the staff and nurses of John Knox Village Hospice who helped care for Lupe. Please visit to leave fond memories or condolences. Protect Your Kids from Identity Thieves By Jason Alderman You re probably weary of being reminded to take precautions against identity theft, but here s a wrinkle you may not have considered: Identity thieves have broadened their reach by harvesting children s dormant Social Security numbers (SSNs) and using them to illegally obtain jobs, credit accounts, mortgages or car loans and much worse. Many victims have no inkling anything is amiss until they later apply for a student loan, bank account, job or apartment and are turned down because of poor credit history. Some families have even been hounded by collection agencies or served with arrest warrants because the debts or criminal activities thieves executed were so extreme. There s no completely foolproof way to protect your child s identity, but here are some precautions you can take: Although it s tempting to simply not register your kids for SSNs until they turn 18, that s not practical in today s world. For one thing, children need one if you want to claim them as dependents on your taxes. They also may need one if you want to obtain medical coverage or government services for them or open bank accounts or savings bonds in their name. Most parents register their children for SSNs at the same time they apply for birth certificates at the hospital. If you wait until later to apply, you must provide proof of your child s U.S. citizenship, age and identity, as well as proof of your own identity. Because each person s SSN is unique, it s not uncommon for schools, healthcare providers, insurance companies and others to require that parents provide one as an identification tool. However, don t be afraid to ask: Why do they need an SSN is there a legal requirement and if so, what is it? Will they accept alternative identification? What will happen if you don t disclose it? What security precautions do they take with personal information? Will they agree not to use the SSN as your child s personal identification number on correspondence, account statements or ID cards? Warning signs your child s personal data might have been compromised include: Preapproved credit account offers. Calls from collection agencies, creditors or government agencies. You re denied opening a bank account in their name because one already exists with the same SSN. They are denied credit, employment, a driver s license or college enrollment for unknown or credit-related reasons. Por Jason Alderman Probablemente esté cansado de que le recuerden tomar precauciones contra el robo de identidad, pero hay un aspecto que quizás hasta ahora no había considerado: Los ladrones de identidad han expandido su alcance hasta los números inactivos del Seguro Social de los niños (SSN) para utilizarlos ilegalmente para obtener empleos, cuentas de crédito, hipotecas, préstamos para automóviles y cosas peores. Muchas de las víctimas no tienen siquiera idea de que algo está mal hasta el momento de solicitar un préstamo de estudio, una cuenta bancaria, un empleo o un apartamento y son rechazados a consecuencia de un historial crediticio desfavorable. Algunas familias incluso fueron perseguidas por agencias de cobranzas o recibieron órdenes de arresto a causa de las deudas o de las actividades delictivas extremas de los delincuentes. No hay manera de proteger completamente la identidad de sus niños, pero hay algunas precauciones que puede tomar: Si bien es tentador no inscribir a los niños en el SSN hasta que cumplan los 18 años, no es lo más conveniente en el mundo de hoy. En primer lugar, los niños necesitan un número de seguro si usted desea declararlos como dependientes en sus impuestos. Además, también necesitarán uno si desea obtener cobertura médica o servicios del gobierno para ellos o si desea abrir cuentas bancarias o bonos de ahorro a nombre de ellos. La mayoría de los padres inscriben a sus niños en el SSN al momento de gestionar los certificados de nacimiento en el hospital. Si espera hasta más adelante para hacerlo, deberá presentar comprobante de ciudadanía de los Estados Unidos de su hijo, certificación de edad e identidad y además deberá certificar su propia identidad. Como el SSN es único para cada persona, no es raro que las escuelas, proveedores de atención médica, compañías de seguro y otros soliciten a los padres que lo proporcionen a los efectos de la identificación. No obstante, no dude en preguntar: Por qué necesitan un SSN - existe algún requisito legal, y si es así, cuál? Aceptarían una identificación alternativa? Qué sucede si no lo presenta? Qué medidas de seguridad implementan con respecto a la información personal? Estarán de acuerdo en no utilizar en SSN como número de identificación personal de su hijo en la correspondencia, en los resúmenes de cuenta o en las tarjetas de identificación? Algunas señales de alerta de que los datos personales de su hijo podrían estar comprometidos son: Ofertas de cuentas de crédito preaprobadas. Llamadas de agencias de cobranza, acreedores o agencias del gobierno. Imposibilidad de abrir una cuenta bancaria a nombre de ellos porque ya existe una con el mismo SSN. Rechazo de crédito, empleo, licencia de conducir o inscripción en la universidad por motivos desconocidos o problemas crediticios. Puede haber motivos legítimos por los cuales sus niños There may be legitimate reasons why your child is receiving credit offers. For example, if you opened a college fund or they enrolled in a frequent flyer program. However, if you strongly suspect an identity theft has been committed, you can: File a police report and keep a copy as proof of the crime. Contact the fraud units at the three major credit bureaus for instructions: Equifax ( ), Experian ( ) and TransUnion ( ). Notify the Federal Trade Commission ( ). Their Identity Theft site at contains information on fraud alerts, credit freezes, working with police and much more. Ask Social Security ( ) whether anyone has reported income using your child s SSN. Search Identity Theft at gov for information. Contact the IRS Identity Protection Unit ( ). Bottom line: Use the same precautions with your child s personal information as you do with your own and make sure you know the warning signs and what to do if it s compromised. Jason Alderman directs Visa s financial education programs. Proteja a sus niños de los ladrones de identidad Priscilla Kayla Ramos, 22, of, MO died Saturday, August 6, Mass of Christian Burial will be 9:30 a.m., Saturday, August 20, 2011 at Holy Cross Church, St. John and Quincy Streets. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will be 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the church. Priscilla was born August 19, 1988 in, MO to Emmanuel and Bonnie (Taylor) Ramos. She worked In Loving Memory PRISCILLA KAYLA RAMOS at Starbucks Coffee shortly while finishing her AA in Arts at Penn Valley College, which she had just completed. She attended St. Mary s High School and Holy Cross Grade School. Priscilla was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents and paternal grandfather. In addition to her parents, Priscilla is survived by her paternal grandmother, Angela Ramos of, MO; and several aunts, uncles and cousins and many friends. reciben ofertas de crédito. Por ejemplo, si abrió un fondo de ahorros para la universidad o si fueron inscritos en un programa de viajero frecuente. No obstante, si tiene fundamentos sólidos para sospechar de un robo de identidad, puede: Presentar una denuncia policial y conservar una copia como comprobante del delito. Comunicarse con las unidades de fraude de las tres agencias de crédito principales para solicitar instrucciones: Equifax ( ), Experian ( ) y TransUnion ( ). Informar a la Comisión Federal de Comercio ( ). Su sitio sobre el robo de identidad en www. ftc.gov contiene información sobre alertas de fraude, congelación de crédito, cooperación con la policía y mucho más. Consulte al Seguro Social ( ) si alguien ha informado ingresos utilizando el SSN de su niño. Busque acerca del robo de identidad ( Identity Theft ) en para obtener más información. Póngase en contacto con la Unidad de Protección de la Identidad del IRS ( ). Para concluir: Tome las mismas precauciones con la información personal de su niño como lo haría con su propia información y conozca las señales de alerta y qué hacer en caso de peligro. Jason Alderman dirige los programas de educación financiera de Visa. Please visit to leave fond memories and condolences.

5 CLASSIFIEDS & PUBLIC NOTICES / CLASIFICADOS & ANUNCIOS PÚBLICOS 18 DE AGOSTO DEL WBE/MBE INVITATION TO BID: NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE TERMINATION OF THE JAZZ DISTRICT TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLAN Pursuant to RSMo , and in accordance with RSMo , notice is hereby given by way of certified mail to inform you about a public hearing that will be held by the Tax Increment Financing Commission of, Missouri (the Commission ), commencing at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 14, 2011, at the Commission Offices, located at 1100 Walnut, Fourth Floor, Kansas City, Missouri, regarding terminating the Jazz District Tax Increment Financing Plan (the Plan ), dissolving the special allocation fund established pursuant to the Plan (the Special Allocation Fund ) and terminating the redevelopment area described by the Plan. The purpose of this hearing is to terminate the Plan, dissolve the Special Allocation Fund and terminate the designation of the redevelopment area described by the Plan. The Redevelopment Area is described by the Plan as an irregular area generally bounded by The Paseo on the West, Woodland Avenue and the former Attucks School property on the East, a line approximately 300-feet north of E. 17 th Terrace on the North, and E. 19 th Street on the South, in, Jackson County, Missouri (the Redevelopment Area ). The document, as proposed, may be reviewed by any interested party on or after September 7, 2011 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Commission Offices. Fogel-Anderson Construction Co. is soliciting subcontractor/supplier bids from KCMO certified MBE/WBE firms for the Liberty Memorial Site Improvements project. Proposals are due to Fogel-Anderson s office not later than Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 2:00 PM; via fax: (816) or estdept@fogel-anderson.com. Bid documents may be viewed at our office, 1212 E. 8th Street, KCMO 64106, or on CD by contacting Lori Leeka at (816) or estdept@fogel-anderson.com. For technical questions regarding the project please contact Jim Belt at (816) or estdept@fogel-anderson.com. PUBLIC NOTICE POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL (PTC) The Southern Railway Company (KCSR) has been awarded federal funds for the Analog-Digital Communications Upgrade for Positive Train Control Project. The analog to digital microwave communication project includes upgrades on three of KCSR s highest priority PTC deployment groups. Within these deployment groups, 48 existing analog microwave tower facilities will be upgraded to digital microwave capabilities. The Company has established a goal of 2% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) contractor participation for the federally-funded improvements. The project is expected to be completed by the end of The proposed goal and rationale are available for inspection during normal business hours at our corporate office for 30 days following the date of this notice. KCSR and the Department of Transportation (DOT) will accept comments on the goal for 45 days from the date of this notice. Comments may be sent to the address noted below: Southern Railway DBE Liaison Officer (DBELO)- E Scott 427 West 12th Street, MO According to Section (3) all interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. According to Section , each taxing district located wholly are partially within the Redevelopment Area may submit comments or objections to the Commission concerning the subject matter of the public hearing prior to the date of the public hearing. Joseph P. Gonzales Tax Increment Financing Commission of, Missouri 1100 Walnut, Suite 1700, Missouri Need help filling out Immigration papers or renewing your Green Card? I can help you with any kind of paperwork you may need. Insurance forms, letters, whatever. I ve been doing this for my family for a few years now. I can work by the hour or by the job. Let me know what you need, and I can help. Call Leticia (Leti) Rodriguez Kelley, at Necesita ayuda para llenar papeles de inmigración o renovar su recidencia? Yo le puedo ayudar con cualquier papeleo que pueda necesitar, como por ejemplo documentos de aseguranza, cartas y más. Yo he estado haciendolo para mi familia y amigos por algunos años. Puedo trabajar por hora o por todo el trabajo. Dejenme saber que es lo que necesitan y en que puedo ayudarles. Llamar a Leticia (Leti) Rodriguez Kelley al número MBE/WBE Bid Invitation Konrath is seeking qualified MBE and WBE contractors and suppliers to submit bids to us on the KCMO Liberty Memorial Site Improvements project. Please contact Jeffrey Johnson at Konrath with questions or for assistance. Bids due at noon on August 24, EOE/AA INVITATION TO BID Garney Construction, Inc. is seriously soliciting MBE/ WBE subcontractor and supplier participation and all other subcontractors and suppliers for the following project: City of Topeka: Water System Improvement Project No Inch water Main on Indian Hills 41 st Street to 33 rd Street Bid Date August 31, :00 P.M. All Bids Must Be Submitted To Garney Construction by: August 31, :00 A.M. For more information or to send your bid on this project contact Tony Kempf, Garney Construction (816) Ext 236 FAX: (816) Garney Companies is an Equal Employment/Opportunity Employer. College Bookstore Manager For more info: EOE/AA Dean of Allied Health & Nursing For more info: EOE/AA FIREFIGHTER The City of OPKS is accepting applications for the position of Firefighter/EMT. To apply, go to EO/M/F/D/V Invitation to Bid Haines & Associates Const Co Inc is soliciting M/WBE firms for proposals on KCMO SMR J-69 & J-86 for staking, sod, concrete curb & gutter, asphalt patching, trucking, erosion control. Phone fax Invitation to Bid The KCMO Police Dept. is accepting sealed bids for Police Package Motorcycles. Bid # The bid opening is at 2 p.m. Please contact Trina Look for our Facebook Page Today! Search Hispanic News. Busque nuestra página en Facebook! Busque Hispanic News. 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 Southwest Blvd., MO PHONE: (816)472.KCHN FAX: (816)931.NEWS kchnews@swbell.net

6 6 18 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 kchispanicnews.com SEND STUDENTS TO COLLEGE WITH PLAN FOR MANAGING DEBT AND BUILDING SOLID CREDIT HISTORY NEW YORK, In today s difficult economy, many college students are turning to credit cards to finance their education, using them for everything from everyday necessities to books and tuition. Unfortunately, this can result in an excessive amount of debt that can affect their credit score. Students are using their credit cards more frequently and racking up more debt than in years past. According to a 2009 study by Sallie Mae, a leading provider of student loans, the average undergraduate carried $3,173 in credit card debt in College seniors graduated with an average of $4,138 in credit card debt, up 44 percent from 2004, the last time the study was done. The study found that nearly 30 percent put tuition on their credit card, an increase from 24 percent in In total, 92 percent of undergraduate credit cardholders charged textbooks, school supplies, or other direct education expenses, up from 85 percent in the previous study. Eighty-four percent of all incoming freshman will have a credit card when they arrive on campus and most undergraduate students will have four or more cards by the time they graduate, according to Sallie Mae. According to the College Board s Trends in Student Aid Report 2010, 65 percent of private nonprofit bachelor s degree recipients had an average student loan debt of $26,100 in , an increase from 63 percent, with an average debt of $22,300 (in 2009 dollars) in A person s credit history begins with their first credit card. And good credit can help savvy college graduates save money in the following situations: Applying for a Job. Potential employers now routinely check a person s credit history as part of the hiring process. With many applicants vying for positions in today s tough economy, a solid credit history may provide a competitive advantage in the job market. Renting an Apartment. Landlords often rent to the applicant with the best credit history. In many urban areas, available housing is at a premium. Those with a good credit history will more easily find an apartment to rent and may avoid a larger security deposit and/or the need to have the lease co-signed by a guarantor, such as a parent or an employer. Signing Up for Utilities. Local phone, cable, electric and gas companies will on occasion waive cash deposits for customers with solid, established credit histories. Securing Loans. Having a better credit history makes it easier to get a car loan or mortgage, often at a more competitive interest rate. Insuring Your Auto or Home. Having good credit can ultimately save consumers money on auto and homeowners or renters insurance, through a stronger credit-based insurance score. Insurance scores are different from credit scores and it is important to understand the distinction. Your credit score is a number that represents your overall credit worthiness; predicting the likelihood of delinquency or non-payment of credit obligations. It encompasses everything you have ever done credit-wise, from your very first credit card to the regular bills that you pay. Your insurance score, on the other hand, is based in part on your credit score, but it involves other factors pertaining to your insurance history. For example, with auto insurance, information about age, gender, income, the number of car insurance claims you have made, Department of Motor Vehicles points, your timeliness with payments, etc. all factor into the equation that determines your score. Insurers use this score to determine whether you are a good risk to insure. In order to develop a good credit rating, parents and students need to work together on a financial plan for college. Specific educational expenses including tuition, room and board, books and fees can be viewed as good debt and can be covered through student loans, grants and the like. Day-to-day college expenses, including personal needs, transportation costs, telephone and other incidentals, are the types of expenses that students should not charge on credit cards. When deciding on a credit card, students should read the fine print and shop around for the best terms. Look for cards that: Have an annual percentage rate (APR) at or below 15 percent Offer a grace period of at least 25 days Feature no annual fee To develop good financial habits, the I.I.I. suggests that students: Plan and stick to a budget. Living within a budget is an important skill to master. Pay credit card bills on time. Not only will paying bills promptly start to build a solid credit history, late payments can also be costly as they include stiff penalties and may result in an increase in the annual percentage rate (APR). Use credit responsibly. Remember, credit is a loan one that will need to be repaid with interest. Keep in touch with creditors. If students change residences and forget to tell their creditors, a series of lost bills can result in a black mark on a credit report. Such black marks stay on credit reports for seven years and can significantly lower a credit score. Most students on campuses today have computers, so they can take advantage of electronic billing and payment in order to avoid lost bills. What Can You Do to Improve Your Credit Score If It Has Been Damaged? Do not pay someone to fix your credit history. Some credit repair firms promise, for a fee, to get accurate information taken out of your credit report. Accurate information cannot be deleted from your credit report. They may also promise to fix your credit report by challenging information it contains, but they charge you a fee to do so. This is something you can do for yourself without paying the fee. Create a plan to improve your credit over time. Pay your bills on time. Pay at least the minimum balance due, on time, every month. If you cannot make a payment, talk to your creditor. Work to reduce the amount you owe, especially on revolving debt like credit cards. Do not max-out your credit limit. As a general rule, keep limits on credit cards below 50 percent to avoid the risk of hurting your FICO score. Limit the number of new credit accounts you apply for. New applications for credit in a short time will generally lower your credit score. Consider the APRs of your credit cards. APRs are not currently reported by credit card companies to the credit bureaus, and therefore they cannot be explicitly considered when computing your FICO score. However, you should know the APR of all your cards so you can add debt to a low APR card and pay it off from a high APR card. Paying off cards with higher APRs devotes less money towards interest, and leaves more money available to pay down your balances. Keep at it. Your credit history will improve over time if you make changes now. If you manage your credit obligations effectively, your credit-based insurance Mande a sus estudiantes a la universidad con un plan para construir un buen historial de crediticio NEW YORK En la actual difícil situación económica es cada vez más común que los estudiantes recurran al crédito y las tarjetas para sus gastos, desde las cosas del día a día, gastos inesperados, y libros hasta la matrícula universitaria. Tristemente, esta tendencia pudiera resultar en una deuda excesiva para sus ingresos y si se experimentan dificultades para el cumplimiento de sus compromisos, podría afectar fuertemente su historial y puntaje de crédito, indica el Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Los estudiantes usan cada vez más y con más frecuencia las tarjetas de crédito y están acumulando más deudas que el año pasado. Según el estudio de 2009 de Sallie Mae, uno de los proveedores líderes de préstamos estudiantiles, indicó que el monto promedio de deudas que los estudiantes de pre grado arrastraban en tarjetas de crédito en 2008, era de $ Hoy, los graduados de pregrado terminan la carrera con una deuda de tarjeta de crédito promedio de $4.138, lo que significa un aumento del 44% de los montos promedios vistos en Un 92% de los estudiantes de pre grado usan sus tarjetas de crédito para pagar libros, accesorios necesarios para su escuela (cuadernos, gastos de impresión, etc.), y otros gastos similares relacionados directamente con sus estudios. Este número muestra un 85% de aumento comparado con los resultados anteriores del mismo estudio. Un 80% de los estudiantes del primer año de Universidad ya tienen una tarjeta cuando comienzan clases y, al momento de graduarse, prácticamente todos tienen cuatro o más tarjetas, según datos de Sallie Mae. Según el informe Tendencias en los Recursos Financieros Estudiantiles de 2010 (Trends in Student Aid Report 2010) del College Board, un 65% de los graduados universitarios (de ) terminaron sus estudios con una deuda promedio de $26.100, un aumento del 63% si se compara con la deuda que los estudiantes venían acumulando en de $ (calculados en dólares de 2009). El historial crediticio de una persona comienza con la primera tarjeta de crédito. Un buen puntaje de crédito puede ayudar al estudiante astuto a encarar estas situaciones financieras: Al solicitar un trabajo. Los empleadores potenciales hoy día comúnmente revisan el historial de crédito de un candidato potencial como parte del proceso de selección de empleados. Cuando hay muchos solicitantes para una misma posición como suele suceder en situaciones económicas difíciles como las actuales, poseer una sólida historia de crédito puede significar el factor determinante para aventajar en el merado laboral. Al alquilar un apartamento. Por lo general los caseros van a preferir alquilar una vivienda a personas con el mejor historial de crédito posible. En muchas zonas urbanas la disponibilidad de una vivienda es limitada y aquellas personas con buen crédito pudieran encontrar más fácilmente una vivienda alquilada y evitar tener que dejar un alto depósito de seguridad o tener que proveer de un fiador (uno de los padres o la empresa que lo emplea). Al solicitar los servicios públicos como agua, luz o teléfonos. Usualmente las empresas de servicios públicos como la electricidad, gas, teléfono o televisión por cable, dispensan el requisito de un depósito a las personas que poseen un buen historial de crédito establecido. Para obtener préstamos. Un buen historial de crédito hace más fácil obtener préstamos ya sea para un auto, una vivienda o cualquier otro objetivo y, a menudo, ayuda a obtener mejores tasas de interés. Al adquirir seguro para su auto o vivienda. Tener un buen crédito puede a la larga ahorrarle dinero en el seguro de auto o de vivienda a los consumidores pues les permite tener un mejor puntaje crediticio de seguros. El puntaje crediticio de seguros (credit-based insurance score) es diferente del puntaje de crédito regular o credit score. El puntaje de crédito es una representación numérica de su calidad crediticia; éste evalúa las probabilidades que hay que un individuo pague o no sus obligaciones crediticias. Incluye todas las actividades relacionadas a sus cuentas a crédito: desde la primera tarjeta, el pago de sus recibos de servicios públicos, préstamos y otras deudas que se paguen regularmente. El puntaje crediticio de seguros es un número producido por el análisis de la historia crediticia de un individuo en el que se toman en cuenta los indicativos de que la persona pueda incurrir en un reclamo al seguro. Toma en cuenta cosas que están directamente relacionadas con los seguros, por ejemplo, para el seguro de auto serían la edad, sexo, ingresos, número de reclamaciones al seguro que la persona haya realizado, los puntos que asigne al conductor el Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados estatal, cómo paga sus primas, etc. Todos estos factores se incluyen en el cálculo del puntaje crediticio de seguros. Este puntaje es usado por las aseguradoras para determinar qué tanto riesgo supone una persona para ofrecerle cobertura. Para que los jóvenes desarrollen un buen puntaje crediticio necesitan trabajar en conjunto con sus padres en diseñar un plan para financiar sus gastos estudiantiles. Varios de los costos universitarios como matricula, gastos de dormitorio, la pensión alimenticia o los libros, pueden cubrirse con préstamos estudiantiles porque son una deuda buena, y a menudo hay préstamos estudiantiles, becas y otros recursos similares disponibles. Los gastos del día a día, necesidades personales, transporte, teléfono y otros gastos discrecionales no deberían financiarse con las tarjetas de crédito. Cuando busquen una tarjeta de crédito, es esencial que se lean las letras menudas y que se comparen las condiciones ofrecidas para seleccionar las mejores ofertas. Busquen tarjetas de crédito que ofrezcan lo siguiente: Tarjetas que cobren una tasa de interés anual (annual percentage rate -APR) de 15% o menor. Que ofrezcan un periodo de gracia mínimo de 25 días. Aquellas que no cobren cargos anuales de servicio o de membrecía. Para desarrollar buenos hábitos financieros, el I.I.I. sugiere que: Tengan un presupuesto y se use. Vivir dentro de un presupuesto de gastos e ingresos es una de las principales enseñanzas que deberían aprenderse lo antes posible. Paguen las factures y las cuentas de crédito a tiempo. Pagar las cuentas a tiempo ayuda a mantener y mejorar un historial crediticio, pero además, evita los recargos y penalidades, que cuestan dinero adicional; además, evitará que le aumenten la tasa de interés anual (APR). Usen el crédito responsablemente. Hay que recordar que aquello que se carga a una tarjeta es equivalente a tomar un préstamo cualquiera; enseguida será necesario pagarlo y, junto al capital, posiblemente agreguen altos intereses. Manténganse en contacto con los acreedores. Si se mudan, cambien la dirección de sus cuentas, y sobre todo de las tarjetas de crédito, a la nueva residencia. Los recibos o facturas que no lleguen a su destino pueden resultar en pagos atrasados, y estos atrasos, resultar en puntos negativos a su historial de crédito. Las notificaciones o anotaciones negativas suelen estar en su historial crediticio por largo tiempo. Lo más recomendable es aprovechar la nueva tecnología y el acceso electrónico o por internet a las cuentas, para evitar los retrasos y recargos por recibos perdidos o que nunca llegaron. Qué hacer si su historial de crédito ha desmejorado? No pague a nadie para que le arregle su historial de crédito. Hay ofertas de servicios que prometen que, por un pago, sacarán de su historial información que esté afectándolo negativamente inclusive si ésta es correcta. Resulta que la información correcta en su historial de crédito no puede borrarse. Otras empresas ofrecen sacar de su historial cosas que no le pertenecen o información incorrecta, de nuevo, por un pago. Pero esto es algo que usted mismo puede hacer cuando lo desee, sin pagar ningún cargo por servicio u honorarios a nadie. Diseñe un plan para mejorar su historial crediticio con el tiempo. Pague todos sus recibos y facturas a tiempo. Al menos pague el monto mínimo a tiempo cada mes. Si se encuentra que no puede hacer un pago a tiempo en un mes particular, hable con el acreedor, no lo ignore porque la deuda no desaparecerá. Al contrario, siempre trate de reducir el monto de la deuda que tenga, especialmente cuando se trata de tarjetas de crédito o lo que se conoce como deudas cíclicas (revolving debt), que arrastran los intereses y los agregan al capital original. Evite ocupar toda su capacidad de crédito o usar hasta el límite máximo de sus créditos. Como regla general, mantenga el uso de sus líneas de crédito o capacidad de endeudamiento por debajo del 50% de las cuentas, esto ayudará a que no se afecte su puntaje de crédito o FICO score. Limite la cantidad de nuevas cuentas de crédito que solicite. Cada nueva solicitud genera una indagación a su historial de crédito, y muchas en un corto período de tiempo reducirán el puntaje. Esté atento y conozca cuáles son los costos de sus tarjetas de crédito, además de la tasa de interés anual aplicable (APR). Por los momentos las tasas de interés anual no se toman en cuenta en el archivo que se genera con el historial crediticio de cada quién, las tarjetas de crédito no informan de este a las agencias que manejan los archivos crediticio o agencias de crédito, por lo tanto no se usa explícitamente para calcular el Puntaje de Crédito FICO. Sin embargo, conocer cuánto es su APR, le permitirá pagar más rápidamente aquellas cuentas con las tasas más altas y dedicar menos recursos al pago de intereses de manera que pueda score will improve as well. Consider credit counseling. If you find yourself in a financial bind, consider credit and money counseling. Information is available from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the American Center for Credi Education. Students should also consider taking advantage of the financial literacy programs that are offered by many colleges and universities. Information on how to improve your credit score used by lenders is available at MyFico.com. Review your credit report regularly. You have the right to dispute any information in your credit report. By law, the credit reporting agency must provide you with a free copy of your credit report and must correct inaccurate or incomplete information at no charge to you. The three national credit reporting agencies are: - Equifax ~ Experian ~ TransUnion ~ For more information about credit-based insurance scores and a free copy of your credit report, you can access information from Fair Isaac or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). THE I.I.I. IS A NONPROF- IT, COMMUNICATIONS OR- GANIZATION SUPPORTED BY THE INSURANCE IN- DUSTRY. pagar más rápido el capital de sus otras tarjetas. No flaquee en sus pagos. Con sólo manejar bien sus obligaciones crediticias y pagar siempre a tiempo, su historial de crédito sí mejorará con el tiempo y su puntaje también. Considere obtener ayuda de un asesor o firma de consejería crediticia (credit counseling). Si observa que no puede manejar su situación financiera, considere obtener consejería crediticia profesional. Encontrará abundante información crediticia en: National Foundation for Credit Counseling y en American Cneter for Credit Education. Los estudiantes pueden aprovechar los programas de educación financiera de sus colegios universitarios o universidades y, si desean conocer formas adicionales de cómo mejorar el puntaje crediticio que usan los acreedores principalmente, pueden visitar MyFico.com. Revise su historial de crédito con regularidad. Además de tener el derecho a disputar cualquier información errónea que está adjudicada a su archivo personal de crédito, por ley, las agencias crediticias (credit reporting agencies) deberán proveerle de una copia de su informe de crédito una vez al año, gratuitamente. Las correcciones de información errónea en su cuenta tampoco generarán costo alguno para usted. Las tres principales agencias nacionales administradoras de la información crediticia son: - Equifax ~ Experian ~ TransUnion ~

7 kchispanicnews.com 18 DE AGOSTO DEL Please just draw it on paper CONT./PAGE 1 the graffiti and lettering. We have been battling this now for a long time. The thing is we cannot control it because they do it at night when we can t see anything. We are thinking about putting cameras out so that we can see who they are. The indiscriminate nature of the tagging frustrates Romo. We can paint it over but in the case of the recent graffiti, they put it on the brick. You can t paint that. We need to find out who it is so that we can stop it. We want the Westside to be free and clear of all these things but the people can t control that. Romo said the tagging is often a hardship on property owners who have to foot the bill for the cleanup or face city fines for leaving the tags on their walls. Romo explained that often repainting the offending tags is not enough. In some cases the owners must consider painting the whole wall of a building and in the case of the brick, footing additional expense for removing the paint. Romo finds it hard to understand the motivation of those that are defacing the property. Those that are doing this, please just draw it on paper and make it a nice artistic drawing and if you have to use paint do a painting. If you want to pursue something artistic, I can help you get some paint and materials - anything to stop painting on the walls. We don t want to show that this is a neighborhood full of gangs. We want to get rid of this and have people put their artistic talents in some other forms. Matt Tomasic, police officer at the Westside CAN center, told Hispanic News that though there has been an increase of tagging in the Westside it is seasonal. This time of year, we always get an up-tick of the amount of graffiti that goes up on the walls. It is an increase that happens to us every year. I think that far and away you are talking about young kids 10 or 12 or maybe even 16 years old. This is all about neighborhood and they re just vandalizing their own neighborhood. According to Tomasic, the main strategy in combating it is to immediately contact the business owner and ask that they take it down. The CAN center also has volunteers and paint that they can immediately throw at the tags. Graffiti is vandalism - it is unsightly and ugly and it encourages other people to come and maybe cross something off and put their mark up there, said Tomasic. Tomasic agrees with Romo that it sends the wrong message about the community when people come to the area and see the tagging and leave with the impression that the neighborhood is full of gangs. That is part of the reason why we try to cover it up as soon as we can, explained Tomasic. We want to say that this isn t a gang neighborhood. This isn t a neighborhood where criminals control things. There are good people in this community. They are trying to live a better life and trying to raise their kids. That is who runs thing here, not some kid with a spray can. Chato Villalobos is an officer at the Can center and grew up in the Westside. For him it is a personal thing. In the end, the people that do it don t have permission to do it. It is against the law. You re crapping in your own neighborhood. You are taught to have Westside pride but you are doing something that drives a property value down and could even cause people to get hurt. I don t know what their motive is. The whole point of it is if you are going to be involved in gangs be involved in gangs, added Villalobos. I can t tell kids what to do but what I do with kids is say, if you are going to have pride in where you come from and you claim to love the Westside, then I have a hard time with you doing that to your own community. You know where you live. You don t have to write Westside on the wall. I know where I live. I know what side I am proud of. Villalobos also shakes his head when kids try to honor a friend that has died by writing a memorial on a wall. We have had a lot of young people that have been victims of violent crime and people want to remember them a certain way. Well you know what, we have a lot of walls where we could do something creative with you, if you want to do some kind of remembrance wall - something really nice. I have seen people write those names on the floor where people walk by and spit. I have seen it written across walls and it is not even neat when they do it. So how are you honoring someone s name when you are not even doing a good job of it? If you want to spray paint someone s name that you love on the floor, on the ground or on a wall that has other graffiti and crossed out stuff on it, are you really honoring that person? Merchants on the boulevard want shoppers and diners to enjoy themselves while being on the Westside. Merchants are saying that graffiti and tagging are having a financial impact on them and the community. Homeowners dislike the eyesore of the tagging and say it is sending the wrong message to people who visit the area. Los comerciantes del Westside quieren que los compradores y los comensales se gocen mientras están al Westside. Ellos dicen que el graffiti causa um impacto financiero a la comunidad. Los propietarios de viviendas no les gusta la monstruosidad de la graffiti y dicen que el graffiti está mostrando un mensaje de crimen a las personas que visitan la zona. Villalobos points out that not all the stuff that passes as graffiti or tagging is bad. Anything you do where you put up something in a public space you are expressing your feelings but there are legal ways to do this. Tagging can be legal. There are some business owners that like it and they will want you to come and tag their building and that is fine There is some beautiful work throughout the city like over in the Crossroads where they embrace it. Tagging becomes illegal when some of the taggers go and do it on a building where they don t have the permission to do so. Respect is still a big key for Villalobos. He referenced the murals along Cesar E. Chavez Avenida to make a point. There are some murals down on [Chavez Avenida] that started to fade out. It is hard to restore those because of the weathering of the concrete. There have been some initiatives from people in the community that want to restore those or figure out how they can make those last. Eventually a tagger came by and decided they just wanted to tag over this stuff. Those murals had some meaning to this community. They had been there for a long time and they were put up by Westside artists a long time ago and they had permission to do it. Villalobos remembered that a lot of people were upset by the vandalism to the murals. He is quick to note that what he is about to say is hearsay. What I heard is that the tagger told someone that if you are going to be disrespectful by leaving that art up there and deteriorated as it was, then you really don t care about the art, and I disagree with that. You should be involved in helping restore it instead of making your mark without permission on something that is community. Villalobos also is leery of the attention that the media pays to the tagging issue. His feeling is that taggers want the attention that goes with the tagging. I think it gives more publicity to these people. Unfortunately not just good people read your paper. There are a lot of criminals that are copycats. I really strongly believe, from my years in law enforcement experience, that when you see something on TV and you think it is fascinating, it could be coincidental, but soon you start seeing it in your area. Por favor, simplemente dibújelo en el papel CONT./PÁGINA 1 signos. Hemos estado luchando contra esto durante mucho tiempo. La cosa es que no podemos controlarlo porque lo hacen por la noche cuando no podemos ver nada. Estamos pensando instalar cámaras para poder ver quienes son." El carácter indiscriminado del graffiti frustra a Romo. "Podemos pintar sobre ello pero en el caso recientemente, se la pintaron en el ladrillo. No se puede cubrir eso. Tenemos que saber quien está haciéndolo para poder pararlo. Queremos que el Westside esté libre de todas estas cosas pero la gente no puede controlarla". Romo dijo que, a menudo, el graffiti es una privación para los propietarios porque tienen que pagar la factura de la limpieza o se enfrentan a multas municipales por dejarlos en sus paredes. Romo explicó que, a menudo, vuelven a pintarlo encima el graffiti ofensivo no es suficiente. En algunos casos, los propietarios tienen que considerar pintar toda la pared de un edificio, y en el caso de los ladrillos, pagar el gasto adicional para la eliminación de la pintura. Romo encuentra difícil de entender la motivación de aquellos que están desfigurando la propiedad. "Los que están haciendo esto, por favor, simplemente dibújalo en el papel y lo convierten en un dibujo artístico agradable y si tienes que usar la pintura pinte un cuadro. Si ustedes quieren conseguir algo artístico, yo puedo ayudarles a conseguir un poco de pintura y materiales - cualquier cosa para que dejen de pintar en las paredes. No queremos demostrar que este es un barrio lleno de pandillas. Queremos deshacernos de esto y animar a la gente a mostrar su talento artístico en algunas otras formas." Matt Tomasic, oficial de policía en el centro de CAN en el Westside, dijo a Hispanic News que aunque ha habido un aumento de graffiti en el Westside, sucede en épocas. "En esta época del año, siempre tenemos un aumento de la cantidad de graffiti que se acumula en las paredes. Es un aumento que nos sucede todos los años.... Yo creo que, más que nada, son los niños... de 10 o 12 o, incluso, 16 años de edad. Se trata del barrio y, simplemente, están cometiendo actos vandálicos a su propio vecindario." De acuerdo a Tomasic, la estrategia principal para luchar contra él es, inmediatamente, ponerse en contacto con el propietario de la empresa y pedir que se lo saque. El centro de CAN también tiene los voluntarios y la pintura que, de inmediato, puede enviar para batallar contra el graffiti. "El graffiti es vandalismo - es feo y lo alienta a otras personas a venir y quizás rayarlo y poner su propio graffiti allí", dijo Tomasic. Tomasic está de acuerdo con Romo que se envía el mensaje equivocado acerca de la comunidad cuando la gente llega a la zona y ve el graffiti y sale con la impresión que el barrio está lleno de pandillas. "Eso es parte de la razón porque tratamos de cubrirlo lo más pronto posible", explicó Tomasic. "Queremos decir que este no es un barrio de pandilleros. Este no es un barrio controlado por los delincuentes. Hay gente buena en esta comunidad. Ellos están tratando de vivir una vida mejor y tratando de criar a sus hijos. Ellos dirigen aquí, no un chico con una lata de aerosol." Chato Villalobos es un oficial en el centro CAN y se crió en el Westside. Para él es una cosa personal. "Al final, la gente que lo hace no tiene permiso para hacerlo. Es contra la ley.... Usted está echando a perder su propio vecindario.... Le han enseñado a tener orgullo del Westside pero ustedes están haciendo algo que hace bajar el valor de la propiedad, e incluso podría causar daño a la gente. No sé cuál es su motivo ". "El punto es si ustedes van a estar involucrados en las pandillas, estén involucran en pandillas", agregó Villalobos. "No puedo decirles a los niños qué hacer, pero lo que yo hago con los niños es decirles," si ustedes van a tener el orgullo de donde vienen y que dicen amar el Westside, entonces yo tengo problemas con lo que están haciendo a su propia comunidad. Ustedes saben donde ustedes viven. Ustedes no tienen que escribir Westside en la pared. Yo se donde vivo. Yo sé de qué lado estoy orgulloso ". Villalobos también mueve la cabeza cuando los niños escriben un mural en la pared en honor de un amigo que ha muerto. "Hemos tenido un montón de jóvenes que han sido víctimas de delitos violentos y la gente quiere recordarlos de una determinada manera. Bueno, sabes qué, tenemos una gran cantidad de muros en los que podía hacer algo creativo con usted, si usted quiere hacer una especie de muro de recuerdo - algo muy bonito. He visto a gente escribir los nombres en el piso donde la gente camina y escupe. Yo lo he visto escrito en las paredes y ni siquiera está bien cuando lo hacen. Entonces, cómo se honra el nombre de alguien cuando ni siquiera están haciendo un buen trabajo de ello?... Si desea escribir el nombre de un ser querido en el piso, en el suelo o en la muralla con pintura aerosol que tiene otro graffiti y cosas rayadas en el, están realmente honrando a esa persona? Villalobos señala que no todas las cosas que pasan como el graffiti o el etiquetado es malo. "Cualquier cosa que coloques en un espacio público, están expresando sus sentimientos pero hay maneras legales para hacerlo. El graffiti puede ser legal. Hay algunos dueños de negocios que les gusta y van a querer que ustedes vayan y coloquen graffiti en su edificio y que está muy bien... No es un trabajo hermoso en toda la ciudad como la otra vez en la Crossroads a donde les gusta.... El graffiti se convierte en ilegal cuando algunos de los graffiteros lo colocan en un edificio donde no tienen el permiso para hacerlo. " El respeto es todavía una gran clave para Villalobos. Se refirió a los murales a lo largo de la Avenida César E. Chávez para enfatizar su punto. "Hay algunos murales por la [Avenida Chávez ] que comenzaron a desteñirse. Es difícil restaurarlos debido a la erosión del concreto. Ha habido algunas iniciativas de la gente en la comunidad que desea restaurarlos o averiguar cómo pueden hacerlos According to Westside CAN Center police officers, tagging is a constant nuisance. It has become a major issue on the Westside as young adults are expressing themselves illegally on buildings during the dark hours of the night, making it more difficult to apprehend them. Según a la policía del Centro Can en el Westside, el graffiti es un incordio constante. Ha hecho un asunto importante al Westside porque los adolescentes están expresándose ilegalmente por pintando a los edificios durante la noche. Esto hace muy dificil detenerlos. más duraderos. Con el tiempo... un graffitero decidió que sólo querían poner graffiti sobre las murallas viejas. Los murales tenía un significado a esta comunidad. Ellos habían estado allí por mucho tiempo artistas del Westside lo pusieron hace muchos años y que tenían permiso para hacerlo. " Villalobos recordó que muchas personas se molestaron por el vandalismo de los murales. Él se apresura a señalar que lo que está a punto de decir es un rumor. "Lo que escuché es que el graffitero le dijo a alguien que si usted va a ser irrespetuoso por dejar ese arte ahí y deteriorado como está, entonces realmente usted no se preocupa por el arte, y no estoy de acuerdo con eso. Usted debe estar involucrado en ayudar a restaurar en vez de dejar su marca sin autorización en algo que es de la comunidad. " Villalobos también es receloso de la atención que los medios de comunicación ponen al problema de graffiti. Su opinión es que los graffiteros quieren la atención que va con el graffiti. "Creo que le da más publicidad a estas personas. Lamentablemente no sólo la gente buena lee su diario. Hay un montón de criminales copiones.... Realmente creo firmemente, desde mis años de experiencia en aplicación de la ley, que cuando usted ve algo en la televisión y creo que es fascinante, podría ser una coincidencia, pero pronto empieza a verlo en su área."

8 8 18 DE AGOSTO DEL 2011 kchispanicnews.com Orfin is eager to learn CONT./PAGE 1 WellSpring School of Allied Health instructor Mario Torres, who teaches a number of massage technique classes, told Hispanic News It is refreshing to see students from the Latino community because natural healing is part of our roots. My parents used a lot of these techniques, growing up. exciting to have him as a student. He has impressed me with his heart to want to help others learn about health and wellness. The staff also saw this quality in him and the organization offered him a scholarship for school, he stated. Recognizing that Orfin had the talent and drive to become a massage therapist, the staff at WellSpring School encouraged him to apply for the T. Oglesby Founders Award. He was required to write a 500-word essay on Why I will make an excellent massage therapist. There wasn t another essay that would stand up to his essay. His was so powerful and moving. He has heart and his giving to others is pure. We want people like that in our program and we are happy to help them, said Farquharson. When Orfin learned that he had won the $1,500 scholarship, he felt, it was like a light in the sky, it motivated me and opened doors for me to say this is what I want to do. Walking back into school after a 20-year hiatus was intimidating for Orfin but he likes challenges. He has been juggling classes with his regular work schedule at United Airlines and taking care of his family. It hasn t been easy but it has not been impossible, he said when he compared his life chal- CONT./PÁGINA 1 escuela se dedica a la excelencia en la educación de la salud. Don Farquharson, Presidente y CEO de WellSpring, hace poco se reunió con Orfin y quedó impresionado por su deseo de servir a la comunidad latina y otros. Es muy emocionante contar con él como estudiante. Él me ha impresionado con su gran deseo de ayudar a otros a aprender acerca de la salud y el bienestar. El personal también vio esta cualidad en él y la organización le ofreció una beca para estudiar, afirmó él. Al reconocer que Orfin tenía el talento y el impulso para convertirse en un terapeuta de masaje, el personal de la Escuela WellSpring lo animó a solicitar el Premio de Fundadores T. Oglesby. Requería escribir un ensayo de 500 palabras sobre el tema Por qué voy a hacer un excelente terapeuta de masaje. No hubo otro ensayo que podría competir con lo suyo. Lo suyo fue tan poderoso y conmovedor. Él tiene un buen corazón y su entrega a los demás es pura. Queremos gente así en nuestro programa y nos alegra ayudarlos, dijo Farquharson. Cuando Orfin se enteró de que había ganado la beca de $1,500, él sintió que, fue como si se hubiera prendido una luz en el cielo. Me dio motivación y me abrió las puertas para decir que esto es lo que quiero hacer. Fue intimidante para Orfín volver a la escuela después de un paréntesis de 20 años pero le gusta los retos. Él ha estado equilibrando sus estudios con su horario regular de trabajo en United Airlines y el cuidado de su familia. lenges to returning to school. Coming to this country was a challenge, learning English was a challenge, beginning to work for United Airlines 20 years ago was a challenge and keeping that job for 20 years was a challenge, so I am putting myself into another challenge. I like to face challenges, he said. He is excited to attend classes and eager to learn about the different massage techniques such as Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology, acupressure, sports massage and neuromuscular massage just to name a few of the more than 80 different types of massage therapy. He hopes that he can change people s ideas and misconception of massage therapy. When people hear the words massage therapy they think of a spa or it is a luxury, they don t think about the medical benefits of a massage. I hope to change their mind about massage therapy and teach them how it can heal the human body. I have thought about why I want to do this and I know there No ha sido fácil pero no ha sido imposible, dijo él cuando comparó los desafíos en su vida al regresar a la escuela. Venir a este país fue un reto, aprender el inglés fue un reto, empezar a trabajar para United Airlines hace 20 años fue un reto y mantener ese trabajo durante 20 años fue un reto. Así que estoy respondiendo a un nuevo desafío. Me gusta enfrentar los desafíos, dijo él. Él está encantado de asistir a clases y con ganas de aprender sobre las diferentes técnicas de masaje como el masaje sueco, el masaje de tejido profundo, reflexología, acupuntura, el masaje deportivo y el masaje neuro-muscular, por nombrar sólo algunos de los más de 80 diferentes tipos de terapia de masaje. Espera que pueda cambiar las ideas de la gente y la concepción errónea de lo que es la terapia de masaje. Cuando la gente escucha las palabras terapia de masaje, piensa en un spa o piensa que es un lujo. Ellos no piensan en los beneficios médicos de un masaje. Yo espero cambiar su opinión sobre la terapia de masaje y enseñarles cómo se puede curar el cuerpo humano. Yo he pensado sobre por qué yo quiero hacer esto y sé que hay una falta de acceso al cuidado de salud para la comunidad latina. Tenemos que alentar a la comunidad hispana a estar activa y llevar una vida más saludable. A veces una barrera de lenguaje obstaculiza que las personas reciban la atención médica que necesitan. Soy trilingüe porque puedo hablar en portugués como en español e inglés. Te puedo ayudar a vencer la barrera del idioma y aprender lo que le duele o donde le duele y entonces puedo is a lack of health care access for the Latino community. We need to encourage the Hispanic community to get active and live a healthier life. Sometimes it is a language barrier that keeps people from getting the health care they need. I am tri-lingual because I can speak Portuguese as well as Spanish and English. I can help you through the language barrier and find out what is hurting or where they have pain and then I can explain to them what will be happening with the massage therapy, explained Orfin. Massage therapy is the practice of using touch to manipulate the soft tissue of the body. It is performed for a variety of reasons, treating painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries and promoting health in general. Many times we ignore our aches and pains. We wake up with a stiff neck and we say we must have slept wrong. There is something behind that - it is explicarles lo que va a ocurrir con la terapia de masaje, explicó Orfin. La terapia de masaje es la práctica de usar el tacto para manipular los tejidos blandos del cuerpo. Se lleva a cabo por una variedad de razones, el tratamiento de enfermedades dolorosas, descomprimir los músculos cansados y sobrecargados de trabajo, reducir el estrés, la rehabilitación de lesiones deportivas y la promoción de la salud en general. Muchas veces no hacemos caso a nuestros dolores y molestias. Nos despertamos con una rigidez en el cuello y decimos que a lo mejor dormimos en mal posición durante la noche anterior. Hay algo detrás de eso - es cierto que durmió mal, pero qué está detrás de eso? Usted está bloqueando el flujo sanguíneo y eso es lo que está causando la contracción del músculo allí. Quiero explicar la situación a ellos, hacerles sugerencias sobre [cómo ellos] están durmiendo o cambiar su posición durante el sueño. Todos vivimos con el estrés todos los días y tenemos que aliviar la tensión, afirmó él. Hace poco paso diez horas trabajando con el programa de Promotoras al Cuidado de Salud de El Centro. Él trabajó con la población latina de ingresos bajos y marginadas dándoles masajes, así como consejos sobre cómo mantener un cuerpo sano. Durante su tiempo de trabajo con nuestro programa él ha demostrado su dedicación y perseverancia en su compromiso con el bienestar de los demás, dijo Cielo Fernández Ortega, directora del proyecto Promotoras al Cuidado de la Salud. Él se graduará en otoño y, en este momento, él está considerando sus opciones en cuanto al tipo de terapia de masaje que practicará cuando reciba su licencia. Cuando estamos en clase se discuten todos los tipos de masajes. Hay masajes deportivos, masajes de relajación y el linfático. Estoy interesado en masaje deportivo pero no quiero concentrarme en eso solamente. Me gustaría ayudar a otros también, dijo él. Uno de sus objetivos después de recibir su licencia en el otoño es educar a la comunidad latina sobre los beneficios de un masaje. Hay una ausencia mayor de acceso a la atención médica en la comunidad hispana. Al aprender más sobre el masaje, es una manera de ayudar a aliviar el estrés y algunas veces puede ser muy estresante vivir en otro país. true you slept wrong but what is behind that. You are blocking the blood flow and that is what is causing the muscle to contract there. I want to explain the situation to them, make suggestions to them about [how they] are sleeping or change their sleeping position. We are all living with stress every day and we need to relieve the tension, he stated. Recently he spent ten hours working with El Centro s Promotoras Health Care program. He worked with the underserved and low income Latino population providing them with chair massages as well as advice on how to keep a healthy body. During his time working with our program he has shown dedication and perseverance in his commitment to the well-being of others, said Cielo Fernandez- Ortega, Promotoras Health Care Project Manager. He will graduate in the fall and he is considering his options at this time as to the type of massage therapy he will practice once he is licensed. When we are in class we discuss all the types of massages, there is sports massage, relaxation and lymphatic massages. I am interested in sports massage but Orfin está ansioso para aprender Don Farquharson, WellSpring president and CEO, was impressed by Enrique Orfin s desire to serve as a massage therapist in the Latino community. This played a major role in Farquharson s decision to honor Orfin with a scholarship. It is exciting to have him as a student. Don Farquharson, Presidente y CEO de WellSpring, quedó impresionado por el deseo de Enrique Orfin de servir terapeuta de masaje en la comunidad latina. Esto hizo un papel importante en la decision de Farquharson para honrar a Orfin con una beca. Es muy emocionante contar con él como estudiante. More Latino Americans should pursue massage school to get in touch with their heritage and their natural abilities. I had a massage from Enrique and it was amazing. He has a natural healing touch and it is so rare to have someone uniquely wanting to share with his community. Walking back into school after a 20-year hiatus was intimidating for Enrique Orfin but he likes challenges. He has been juggling classes with his regular work schedule at United Airlines and taking care of his family. Fue intimidante para Enrique Orfín volver a la escuela después de un paréntesis de 20 años pero le gusta los retos. Él ha estado equilibrando sus estudios con su horario regular de trabajo en United Airlines y el cuidado de su familia. El instructor Mario Torres de Escuela Relacionada a la Salud Wellspring en, quien enseña varias técnicas de masaje en sus clases, dijo a Hispanic News que Es reconfortante ver estudiantes de la comunidad latina ya que la sanación natural es parte de sus raíces. Mis padres usaron muchas de estas técnicas cuando crecían. Los latinoamericanos deberían buscar la escuela de masaje - para acercarse a su herencia y sus habilidades naturales. Recibí un masaje de Enrique y fue increíble. Tiene un toque sanador natural...y es raro el contar con alguien que quiera compartir esto con su comunidad. I don t want to concentrate on that alone I would like to help others as well, he said. One of his goals after receiving his license in the fall is to educate the Latino community about the health benefits of a massage. There is a greater absence of medical access in the Hispanic community. As I m learning more about massage it s a way to help relieve stress and sometimes it can be very stressful living in a different country. Search Hispanic News. Busque Hispanic News.