News (Noticias) for July 9th, 2007

“The Horror Channel named former Sí­ TV executive Mark Zelenz vice president of sales and distribution.

“Marks vast experience and consistent record of success in the field of affiliate sales lends itself ideally to the growth of The Horror Channel,” CEO Nicholas Psaltos said in a prepared statement. “His work over the years with a variety of cable entities has sparked these companies to grow their subscriber bases exponentially.”"

“The University of New Mexico and the League of United Latin American Citizens are working together on the first National LULAC Leadership Program, which will bring 20 or so of the nations best and brightest Latino 15- and 16-year-olds to the UNM campus this summer.

“These will be stand-out kids,” said Tim Gutierrez, UNMs associate vice president for College Enrichment and Outreach Programs.”

“Felipe Mares groped for words Thursday morning as he tried to explain his complicated feelings about the mayor he voted for with such high hopes just two years ago.

“I feel like a kid. Im confused,” said the Boyle Heights jewelry store owner, lamenting recent revelations of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s affair with a Telemundo newscaster.

Villaraigosa is “a person in a very important position,” Mares said. “I think its embarrassing. Its not supposed to be like that. Hes supposed to be pro-family.”"

“Most of northern Colorado has seen explosive growth in the past two decades.

But Greeley stands out in one particular way: Much of the growth has occurred in the Latino population.

While Loveland and Fort Collins’ populations are about 10 percent Latino, in Greeley it is 30 percent and climbing, according to latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
“

“The Lincoln Center Festival has long been recognized as a cultural melting pot. But this year, one flavor dominates the rest as the festivals theater offerings take a distinctly Latin turn. Over the next month, the festival will present four major productions of Spanish-language works. Chiles Compañí Teatro Cinema begins the Festivals Spanish-language offerings on July 10 with “Gemelos,” a play based on the Hungarian writer Agota Kristofs novel “The Notebook.” Mexicos Ciertos Habitantes will present “De Monstruos y Prodigios: La Historia de los Castrati,” which tracks three centuries of cutaway vocal achievement in a style mixing live vocal, violin, and harpsichord performance with extreme physical comedy. Argentinas “Un Hombre se que Ahoga” is a free adaptation of Chekhovs “The Three Sisters” by troupe Proyecto Chejov. And “Divinas Palabras” comes via the Centro Drámatico Nacional of Madrid, Spain, and brings the tragicomic spectacle of wretched Galician villagers captivated by a devil-like rogue who offers a shot at redemption.”

“It began with a few dedicated members within the Latino community trekking out to Manatee County’s migrant camps, talking to farmworkers and advocating for their health care needs.

Today, in its ninth year, the Latino Community Network continues its mission of helping better the lives of migrants and Latinos by improving health care access, creating alternatives for youth and promoting family-oriented lifestyles.”

“The number of Latinos with Alzheimers disease and related dementia is expected to increase 600 percent by 2050, a new study by the national Alzheimers Association finds.

Whether those people will receive adequate treatment is an open question. Agencies say cultural norms, socio-economic conditions and lack of Alzheimers education are keeping families - especially illegal immigrants - from getting adequate care.

“Weve seen an increase of Latinos diagnosed with Alzheimers, but its a new disease that our community has to become familiar with,” said Jose Rodriguez, chief executive officer of El Concilio, a Stockton-based service agency. In response, El Concilio has translated an Alzheimers booklet into Spanish for the San Joaquin County Alzheimers Society.”

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“Latinas on the Eastside and in northeast Los Angeles forgave Villaraigosas 1994 extramarital affair after he and wife Corina reconciled, and they became a formidable contingent of his two mayoral campaigns - efforts in which Villaraigosa made his family life and values a key element of his appeal.

But many Latinas are now saying they never will think of the mayor in the same way again in the wake of his admission last week that he has been carrying on an extramarital affair with Telemundo anchorwoman Mirthala Salinas that has resulted in the breakup of his 20-year marriage.”

“The Pacific Northwest’s first Spanish-language newscast launches today on KUNS-TV 51, the local Univision station. “Noticias Noroeste” will feature local, regional, national and international news in half-hour newscasts airing at 6 and 11 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Jaime Méndez, who hosts a morning radio program on Radio Sol 1360AM and is already a familiar voice to the areas Spanish-speaking community, will be the newscasts anchor/reporter in Seattle. And Roxy De La Torre will be the Portland anchor/reporter.”

“You get the feeling that Maury County Sheriff Enoch George knows every resident in Columbia, where on the Fourth of July folks place American flags on every downtown corner.

Thanks to recent raids, however, George and his friends have lately been waving goodbye to dozens of illegal immigrants, some who live ”” or lived ”” across the street from George’s office.

In Sheriff Georges town, there is no room for lawbreakers, he says.”

“Arellano learned he had a support network during the annual “Latinas/os Welcome to the U” orientation held in the Union on July 7.

At the event, prospective students and their families learned about the U through workshops and information sessions where students met with representatives from different departments on campus.

“Its basically an opportunity to present some support services to students and their families and answer any questions,” said Luciano Marzulli, administrative program coordinator advisor at the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs.”

“Business is good for Christian Cruz.

All day long, customers come into his Pass Road grocery in Gulfport to pick up the flavors of home. A long rack of red and brown dried peppers sits across from Mexican chocolate drinks and jars of nopalitos, tender prickly pear cactus pads added to salads, soups and other recipes.

The owner of Latino market Costa Latina said his business skyrocketed after Katrina by up to 500 percent with the influx of Latin American workers. That spasm in demand spurred the establishment of nine or 10 other Latin groceries.”

“Whenever she talks about immigration reform, Sharon Morris voice grows tight with disappointment.

The past few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for the Lexington immigration attorney as she and her clients anxiously eyed the U.S. Senates attempts to craft a policy that would have affected the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the country. As hope for reform dissipated, Morris realized she would have to give her clients the advice shes repeated for years:

“Monitor the situation with Congress and maintain a low profile.”"

“Tony Garza was never listed near the top of likely contenders for Texas governor in 2010, but he at least rated a mention.

Though he’s currently ambassador to Mexico and has been Texas Secretary of State and a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, Garza has lived in the shadows of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison when folks speculated about potential Republican gubernatorial contenders.”

“For most local stations, the good old days when broadcast TV ruled the television landscape are just a distant memory. But in the late 1990s, Gary Chapman, chairman, president and CEO of LIN Television, discovered a market where the power of broadcast TV hasnt been diluted by the spread of cable or satellite: the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

“The market was in some ways reminiscent of U.S. television in the 1960s and 1970s,” Chapman recalls. The climate for broadcast-TV advertising was very strong. Cable and satellite penetration was low, its around 43% today, and most people got TV over the air. Three broadcasters””the local Univision and Telemundo stations and independent WAPA””split about 90% of the ad revenue.

Chapman liked those numbers so much that LIN Television snapped up WAPA from GE Capital for about $70 million in 1999.”

“Several universities and colleges in Iowa are ready to add Spanish-language pages to their Web sites and buying Spanish radio ads to help recruit more Hispanic students.

The number of Hispanic students enrolled in Iowas public schools increased from just over 4,000 in 1985 to more than 28,000 in 2005-06 — a nearly 600 percent increase.”

“When black and Hispanic members of the State Legislature blocked a routine renewal of a 1 percent sales tax for Suffolk County, they seemed to be hitting the county executive, Steve Levy, where he lives.

But the lawmakers’ gambit, intended as leverage to pressure Mr. Levy on the issue of creating halls for hiring immigrant day laborers, may have backfired: Many here agree with Mr. Levy’s aggressive stance against illegal immigration, and seem far more outraged by the far-off legislators’ withholding of $320 million from the county’s budget than by their much-loved local leader whose views provoked it. “

““It’s Mexican blue,” Rita Moreno says, “isn’t it wonderful? It’s a special blue that they made up for me.”

She’s pointing to an amazingly vibrant wall and fountain pool that encloses the front of her property. Dark-haired, slim, elegant, stunning, she’s relaxed, yet reserved.

Then her striking, dark-haired daughter, Fernanda Fisher, walks over, and the star visage that’s embedded in our minds breaks into a sunbeam. Academy Award-winner West Side Story, Grammy Electric Company, Emmy Muppet Show & Rockford Files, Tony The Ritz becomes Mom. “

“Professor Charles Calleros will help encourage Hispanic high-school students to consider entering the legal profession during a camp this summer in Washington, D.C.

Calleros, of ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, will teach the students a course aimed at developing their critical thinking skills during the Hispanic National Bar Foundation Inc.’s Law Camp, July 8-15.”

“An Oklahoma City radio station will broadcast the first-ever University of Oklahoma athletic event in Spanish on September 8th when it airs the Miami-OU football game.

KTUZ-FM — known as “La Zeta — did a practice run by covering the OU spring game.”

“Gov. Richardson has run the second-largest amount of local TV ads compared to other presidential hopefuls with 2,232 through June 10, concentrating most of them in Iowa 1,931, according to a report released by Nielsen Media Group. Republican candidate Mitt Romney ranks No. 1 in the category, placing more TV ads than all the other presidential candidates combined with 4,549.”

“It is an honor to learn that an abstract from AL DíA“s editorial on the Puerto Rican Festival, “due to its excellence“, was used in the official test used throughout the US to grade the use of the Spanish language among 135,000 Advanced Placement Spanish high school students.
This, however, is more than a matter of pride; it reaffirms the challenge and commitment of the US Hispanic media to serve as an example regarding the correct use of our language in an English speaking country where it is often threatened. “

“The growing army of Latino immigrants that builds our homes, picks our vegetables and fuels our service economy faces far more dangerous working conditions than native-born Americans, government safety officials say, and the problem is worsening.

As Martinez soon learned, documented and undocumented workers often have a harder time obtaining adequate medical care or compensation for on-the-job injuries — even when the law grants them the same treatment as citizens.”

“MEDirect Latino Inc. Pink Sheets:MLTO, the first national provider of direct-to-consumer Medicare reimbursed medical products focused exclusively on chronic diseases afflicting the Hispanic community, announces a loan in the amount of $1.1 million from the Companys lenders, changes in Management and litigation against its former CEO and its Executive Vice-President.

The Company and its lenders have executed an amendment to the Companys existing $8,250,000 senior secured convertible loan. The amendment calls for immediate funding of $1,100,000 for inventory, the repayment of certain short-term obligations and to support the Companys marketing and media initiatives. The amendment was conditioned, among other things, on the termination of CEO, Debra Towsley and Executive Vice President, Raymond Talarico as officers and employees of the Company. Ms. Towsley was terminated by the Board at a special meeting of the Board on June 25, 2007, and Mr. Talarico was terminated by the Board at a special meeting of the Board on June 28, 2007. In addition, the amendment requires that the Company maintain a minimum of $100,000 in cash and to adjust and set the price at which the lenders may convert a portion of their loan into equity. The Company can give no assurances that it will meet the conditions necessary to borrow these funds.

Director, and Chief Operating Officer Mr. Charles W. Hansen, III has been elected interim-CEO by the board. The board of directors has authorized a subcommittee to begin a search for a permanent CEO.

Ms. Towsley and Mr. Talarico, directly and through counsel, have advised the Board that they do not believe the June 25, 2007, Special Meeting of the Board was properly called under the By-Laws and the Board could not accept the resignation of Rubin King-Shaw as chairman, the appointment of Mr. Webb as new chairman, the termination of Ms. Towsley as CEO and the appointment of Mr. Charles W. Hansen III as interim CEO. The Company believes the actions of the Board were proper, legal and taken in the best interest of the Company.

Counsel for Ms. Towsley and Mr. Talarico have advised the Companys counsel that they are preparing to file an Information Statement for the Company Shareholders of record as of June 30, 2007, to remove Board members Lautz, Webb, Gordon and Charles W. Hansen III under the Companys By-Laws allowing Board members to be removed by 2/3 vote of shareholders without a meeting. The Companys records reflect that Ms. Towsley and Mr. Talarico do not, in and among themselves, have the required 2/3 shares of the Companys outstanding stock and may be soliciting proxies for others to join in their activities. The Company intends to investigate this activity and to bring appropriate legal action if the applicable provisions of the federal securities laws have been violated.

In announcing the changes at MEDirect Latino, Interim-CEO Charles Hansen stated, “We are singularly focused on executing our operating plan to achieve profitability and providing excellent service to our customers. With the support of our lenders and the Board of Directors we hope to accomplish that mission.”"