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LP Journal

October News

HONORING THE DEAD

On Oct. 2, 2-6:30 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park in south Phoenix, the “Artists Memorial for Immigrants” will honor the memories of the more than 400 immigrants who have died crossing the United States-Mexico border the past two years. More than 200 migrants have died crossing the Arizona border alone in the past 12 months. Area artists will present poetry, skits, and paintings. Marcelino Quiñonez, a Valley-based actor and ASU student, is the event’s coordinator. “This isn’t a political issue,” Quiñonez says. “It’s about how we treat our fellow human beings. This event isn’t about promoting specific immigration policies. That’s the job of our politicians. The Artists Memorial for Immigrants is just our way of saying that as artists and as human beings, we shouldn’t allow these people to die invisible deaths."

JOIN A BOARD

Patty Dimitriou, head of Native Marketing Inc., says that applications are now being accepted for board of director positions for the Phoenix Indian Center. There are currently five vacancies, and a world of opportunity to join the oldest and most dynamic Native American non-profit in the Valley. Hosting social services in education, workforce development and family support services, the Indian Center is a crucial hub of the urban Indian experience and has strong ties to both tribes and corporations alike. For more information, call Dimitriou, board president, at (602) 357-4701.

GLENDALE ARISE

The Glendale Hispanic Network (GHN) is having their first Hispanic Breakfast and Professional Development Conference on Tuesday, Oct.18 at the Glendale Civic Center. Gloria Olaya, a Glendale employee, says the event is to encourage professional excellence among Hispanic executives, managers and employees of the City of Glendale. Marisa Rivera-Albert, president of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, will be the keynote speaker. Rivera-Albert is a nationally-recognized speaker on women’s issues, multiculturalism and Hispanic educational, economic, and political empowerment. The network was founded in 2001 with the mission to empower Hispanics through professional development and community involvement. “We hope this event will inspire Latinos in Glendale to get involved and do things in the community,” Olaya says.

FRIENDS INDEED

Amigos of Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and her husband, Earl, called on Grant Park neighbors to raise money to help them pay legal fees incurred while fighting charges of illegally razing a historic Phoenix home. Armando Gandarilla, a friend of the Wilcoxes and a member of the Grant Park Fight Back Association, led the fundraising effort.

LOOKING FOR J-LO

The bordertown of Nogales, Son., will welcome celeb Jennifer Lopez in early October. The actress will film a movie titled, well, “Bordertown.” Filming was originally set to start in July, but was postponed. The film was written by Gregory Nava, and will co-star Antonio Banderas. Although the movie will portray the unsolved murders of hundreds of mujeres in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Eugenio Puebla, Sonora’s regional tourism coordinator, says that taint of murderous bordertowns shouldn’t hurt Nogales. In addition, he adds, the filming will be good for town business.

DROP IN

In a bit of rare good news about drop-out, the Tucson Unified School District has seen its drop-out rate decline in the past few years. District employees credit innovative programs. TUSD’s drop-out rate was about 14 percent, compared to 17 percent for Arizona overall. The TUSD rate is down from 23 percent for the class of 2000.

LOVE IN

Joe Ray, owner of Phoenix-based Estudio Ray graphic design company, is the featured artist and presenter for the El Amor Ahora traveling exhibition presented at Nordstrom’s at Fashion Square mall. The Nordstrom’s corporation sponsors this annual show for Hispanic Heritage Month. Artists from around the world express their concepts of what love means, and what men and women want from love. Highbrow points for Joe Ray to ponder as he enjoys his chorizo y eggs Benedict.

STOP DEATHS

Beth Sanders, spokeswoman for No More Deaths agency in Tucson says a delegation of faith-based humanitarian groups from Southern Arizona visited our nation’s Capitol in mid September to advocate for comprehensive Immigration reform. The 18-member delegation held meetings with Congressional staff. They also held a public briefing at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Sanders say the message southern AZ took to D.C. was that the U.S. policy of militarizing border regions is a failed policy resulting in the current crisis. Militarization has not led to decreased migrant flows into the United States. Instead, it has forced migrants to cross the border at more remote, less militarized regions, leading to death and suffering. In addition, it has created a “siege” atmosphere in bordertowns, where residents live in fear of harassment and racial profiling. The delegates’ message is summarized in the Faith-Based Principles for Immigration Reform, which is available at http://www.nomoredeaths.org.

STREET SCENES

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon presented his vision of a revitalized Phoenix downtown on Sept. 23 at the Orpheum Theater. The mayor would like to see a First Friday art event EVERY Friday. “Without an arts community, there IS no community,” he said. “Artists make our lives richer, more colorful and more intense.” Amen. In addition, Gordon announced an initiative to generate more excitement downtown by sponsoring street performers…other than the panhandlers with the great hard-luck stories that have you reaching into your pocket. He’d even like the city to stage an international competition of street performers downtown. Quite a vision for the future.

ZARC ART

Zarco Guerrero has had an exceptionally busy summer. His one-man show “Caras 7 Mascaras” features 180 masks and has opened at the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. The show will continue until December. For the week of Dia de Los Muertos, he’ll deliver lectures and present performances.He will also be going back to Flagstaff this fall doing residencies both at the junior and high schools. Zarco says to drop in on his studio art happenings at 551 N. Alma School Road in Mesa. The next events are planned for Oct. 2, Oct. 15 and Nov. 18. Call him at (480) 834-5731 for more info.