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LP Journal News

READ ALL ABOUT IT The Calaca Cultural Center got international publicity when the New York Times featured the Valley-based cultural coalition in a travel article on Oct. 14.  "We are part of the world now," comments Director Marco Albarran, otherwise known as the "Chicano Energizer bunny" for his tireless activities to provide Latino arts in all parts of the Valley. The Times piece by Nora Krug mentions Calaca's shows at ASU and Guadalupe (see Calendar this issue) among Day of the Dead events throughout the country, including Chicago, San Francisco and L.A.  Albarran says to expect a major announcement soon about establishing a permanent location for the Latino cultural center. The link for the Times article is http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/10/14/travel/escapes/14ahead.html

LATINOS ABROAD The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities held its first national conference in Phoenix Oct. 14-18.  Among the highlights was the announcement that more than $8 million will be granted to more than 400 HACU member institutions in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for Hispanic students to study abroad. Each member school will get about $20,000 in tuition grants. In addition, ASU President Michael Crow discussed the crucial role of the Hispanic community in the economic health of this region.

AT LONG LAST The Phoenix City Council has now approved $50,000 in funding for a study that will identify and document  Latinoxx historical sites. The study, funded by up to $40,000 in bond funds and a $10,000 Grant from the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, will develop an overview of Hispanic history in Phoenix and identify historic properties through archival research, community outreach, oral histories, field reviews and photography.  Eligible sites will be nominated to the Phoenix Historic Property Register and National Register of  Historic Places. The program will offer property owners a way to help preserve Phoenix Hispanic heritage. The Hispanic historic property survey will be completed by Athenaeum Public History Group, says Jean Reynolds, APHG historian.

SHACK STORY The previous item is a too-good-to-resist segue into what hopefully is the last word about the Earl and Mary Rose Wilcox historical house demolition story (at least in this publication).  Maricopa County Supervisor Wilcox and her husband avoided going to trial by negotiating an agreement with the city of Phoenix. The Wilcoxes promised to donate $10,000 to the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office to be used toward the survey of historic Hispanic properties. Their defense for reducing to rubble the 105-year-old E.S. Turner house without approval from the city was that the place had become a crack house.  'Nuff said.

OLD MAN RIVER A few old timers who have lived en el Valle del Sol for more than 50 years actually remember taking their families for picnics along the Rio Salado when it ran with water and fish. Those younger than that remember only the mostly dry riverbed that looked more like a trash dump than a riparian paradise. Well, the efforts to revive the rio will kick off on Saturday, Nov. 5. That's when the dedication ceremony for the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project takes place at 9 a.m. on Central Avenue at the Salt River. There will be tours of the restoration project, entertainment, food vendors and acres and acres of nature in its natural state - again. Visitors are encouraged to use the shuttles from various sites in Phoenix to the event.  For more info, visit www.phoenix.gov/riosalado or call (602) 262-4881.

JUDGING BARBARA Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Rodriguez Mundell and other Hispanic judges of the Superior Court bench have established quarterly meetings with Hispanic journalists. Mundell started her five-year term in July. Damian Aros, Superior Court public information officer, says the judge wants to keep an open channel of communication - while not being able to discuss publicly specific cases. Judge Mundell is to be commended. The meetings are a good idea and a help to journalists covering important and complex court cases, proceedings and programs.

APS HELPS DIABLOS Arizona Public Service has pledged to donate $50,000 to Los Diablos, ASU's Latino alumni organization. The partnership is a five-year commitment to the Diablos scholarship program totaling $50,000.George Diaz, president of the Los Diablos, expressed appreciation. "I am very grateful to APS for their generosity.  I am also proud that APS recognizes the value Los Diablos brings to ASU, our community and our scholars.  APS' support of our mission reflects their genuine interest in our community." In addition to providing scholarships, Los Diablos partners each student with a mentor as part its Puentes program. The Puentes program also matches students with professionals to serve as mentors. The group encourages the scholars to give back and get involved with student organizations and the Latino community.

AVONDALE ADELANTE Ruth Espinoza, a special events recreation coordinator with the City of Avondale, wants us to know that Avondale gets awards for the good things it does. For example, the Avondale Friendship Park/Youth Sports Complex has received the 2005 Outstanding Facility Award (population 25,000 -100,000) from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association. Avondale Friendship Park also recently received an "Award of Merit" from Valley Forward in recognition of "outstanding environmental achievement." For those who don't know, Friendship Park is a 55-acre facility that offers 10 multipurpose soccer/football fields, two Little League baseball fields, softball fields, ramadas, a children's playground, a dog park, walking trails, and a Japanese Garden. It's located along McDowell Road, east of the Agua Fria River. Meanwhile,  the Community/Recreation Services Department got awards from  the International Festival & Events Association for its special events coordination. Way to go, Ruth and Avondale.

- ARTS SMARTS The Pima Arts Council in Tucson recently honored artist Daniel Martin Diaz with an award for individual achievement/emerging artist. In addition, the Council named Albert Soto, former council director, as the director of the council's ArtWORKS! Academy.

- ESCRITORES WANTED The University of New Mexico Libraries is looking for emerging Chicana and Chicano writers who have published fewer than two books for the Premio Aztlan literary prize competition. Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya established the competition as a way to nurture beginning writers. Anaya says, "So many times, writers after two books give up, because they think no one appreciates their work." The deadline for entries is Dec. 31. Detailed guidelines at http://elibrary.unm.edu/development/litprize05.pdf

- DINERO SI Si’ TV broadcasting network contributed $600,000 to La Raza Development Fund, which includes the La Raza office in Phoenix, headed by Tommy Espinoza. RDF is a subsidiary of the National Council of La Raza. Si’ TV is an English-language, Latino television network featuring "hip and irreverent, culturally-relevant programming" targeting the growing young Latino and multi-cultural TV audience. Jeff Valdez, co-founder and chairman of S’ TV, presented La Raza Development Fund with a $200,000 check at the NCLR awards dinner this past summer.  In addition, S’ TV will provide NCLR with $400,000 in commercial inventory that will benefit education programs created by the NCLR and its affiliate network. RDF was established in 1998 to provide flexible loans and technical assistance to Latino-serving organizations.