Mi Hacienda waitress Nikki Rios invites one and all to the Grand Opening of Mi Hacienda’s New Mexican-style Cantina in south Toledo, this Friday, June 2, to enjoy Margaritas, Mariachi, y Más!

More than 400 Jones Junior High students in South Toledo bid farwell to Jones, closing after 81 years as a public school. One of the last events was music by Sylvester Durán, Jesse Ponce, and others. TPS’s José Luna coordinated the event.

Dora Pecina with family and friends at last Sunday's Memorial Day Tejano celebration.

Cleveland’s Young Latino Network (YLN) is hosting a Networking Social on June 2 (starting at 6:00PM) at The Flying Monkey, 819 Jefferson, Cleveland (Tremont), Ohio.  Come and meet YLN’s new Executive Committee. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at ylncleveland@hotmail.com

Ben Konop, who is a candidate for Lucas County Commissioner, attends a fund raiser for Lisa Canales Flores of the Washington Local Board of Education.

Chingo Bling last Friday at Club Rain

OCHLA’s Commissioner Richard Romero and Cleveland City Councilperson Joe Santiago congratulate Howard & Hoby Hanna at the grand opening of its new office, Howard Hanna Smythe Cramer Realty, at its ribbon cutting ceremony on May 16 in Cleveland, next to Lozada’s Restaurant.

38 mothers were serenaded last Sunday for Mother's Day by the men of Latins United in South Toledo including Carmen and Maria

The caballeros of Latinos United stand firm in supporting Latinas on Mother’s Day on May 14 at their hall in Toledo. 38 Mothers were honored by the men.

Cinco de Mayo was celebrated in many venues throughout the United States and México including activities in Lorain and Toledo. Shown above in the top two photos are participants in the Mexican Mutual Society’s annual parade in Lorain with David Flores y hija. Also, El Corazón de México at the Toledo Zoo (bottom).

Izzy Ortiz at his 18^th annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta in Toledo with, L-R, Stanley Smith,  S.R. Smith Ins.; Melvin Long, All-American U.T., Cleveland Browns, & recipient of the Naval Cross; and UAW Rep. Vern, Powertrain.

L-R: María Elena Rodríguez, President of Mexicantown Community Development Corporation; Gerardo Macias from Institute of the Mexican Abroad, Consulate of México; Mary Barela Legislative Assistant of Detroit City Council, and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm at last Friday’s Latino Family Services in Detroit as it celebrates Cinco de Mayo.

Shown above are the servers of la comida mexicana at the Jeep Hispanic Association’s (UAW Local 12) annual Cinco de Mayo celebration and scholarship fundraiser at the UAW Hall in Toledo. Catering was by Montano, with music by Dezeo.

EXPO: The Ohio State Highway Patrol is sponsoring the 6th Annual Law Enforcement and Public Safety Career Expo on Saturday May 20, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The Expo will be held at the Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus.  Anyone interested in a career in law enforcement or public safety is welcomed to attend.  There will be 33 different agencies present to meet with applicants and issue applications.  There is no charge for job seekers.

        Shown above are troopers that attended the 11th Annual Hispanic Leadership Conference hosted by the Coalition for Hispanic/Latino Issues & Progress (CHIP) on April 29 at the Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio.

Latino Caucus hosts fundraiser
The Lucas County Democratic Hispanic/Latino Caucus hosted its annual Cinco de Mayo fundraiser last Thursday at the Paula Brown Art Gallery in downtown Toledo. A variety of artwork was on display for silent auction, donated by area Latina/o artists such as the artwork by Concepción “Connie” Treviño Eason.

In attendance were attorneys Ben Konop, Angelita Cruz Bridges, and Arturo Quintero.  Konop is a visiting law professor at the University of Toledo and a candidate for Lucas County Commissioner. Bridges is an attorney for Student Services at Bowling Green State University and Quintero is a prosecutor for the city of Toledo. 

Danny Contreras is the president of the Caucus.

Carlos Pecina, Pops, and Leno Pecina play ball last weekend at Ravine Park in East Toledo.

Margaret and Benny Perales attend a fundraiser last Saturday at the Recovery Room for Toledo Councilperson Taylor Balderas, who is up for election for Toledo’s District 3 seat on May 2. Balderas is endorsed by the Lucas County Democratic Party and the Lucas County Democratic Hispanic/Latino Caucus. Balderas is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and works for VIVA South. 

Saint Francis de Sales High School Latin American Support Organization prepares for Cinco de Mayo, April 30th

        The Saint Francis de Sales High School Latin American Support Organization (LASSO) will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo Scholarship Event on Sunday, April 30th, in the school cafeteria, W. Bancroft, Toledo.  Funds raised from this dinner will benefit the LASSO Scholarship Endowment Fund, financing a scholarship that will assist a sophomore Latino student with his tuition at St. Francis.  A dinner will be held from 12:00 noon to 5:00PM. A silent auction and entertainment with a DJ and Mexican dancers will also be offered. 

        An authentic Mexican dinner will be served.  The cost is $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for seniors, and $5.00 for students. The public is encouraged to attend and support LASSO. Shown above are: St. Francis de Sales High School students, parents, and faculty in Toledo, Ohio as they prepare for their annual Cinco de Mayo Grand Event.    

The Lucas County Hispanic Latino Democratic Caucus met last Saturday to discuss a variety of issues including the May 2nd election of Taylor Balderas, Toledo City Councilperson for District 3. The Caucus will also host its annual Cinco de Mayo Fundraiser on May 4 at the Paula Brown Art Gallery, 912 Monroe St. Shown above are: Mary Jane Flores, Judge Charles Doneghy, Dan Contreras, Antonia Garza, & Rosalinda Contreraz (first row, L-R); and Bob Vásquez, Lourdes Santiago, Arturo Quintero, and Dominic Montalto (back row, L-R).   

L-R: Mary Santiago (State Commissioner on the Ohio Commission of Hispanic Latino Affairs), Joel Arrendondo (President of CHIP), and Angie Martínez (President of the UAW Hispanic Council) prepare for CHIP’s annual political night in Lorain.

Sue Morano, Democrat for the Ohio State Senate, addresses the audience at CHIP’s political night, where candidates for office in the Lorain County area address important issues.

LWLI presents Rose González the César Chávez-Jane González Award

Shown above is Rose González (left) being presented with the César Chávez-Jane González Award by LWLI conference co-coordinator Julie Alvarado-Zuzga (UAW Local 400) last week in Ypsilanti MI. A detailed report on the 2006 Latina/o Worker’s Leadership Institute will appear in next week’s La Prensa.
 

Shown above are LWLI conference co-coordinators Julie Alvarado-Zuzga and RudyReyes (UAW Local 602) presiding at this year’s Latina/o Workers Leadership Institute in Ypsilanti. LWLI in addition to its many workshops passed a resolution condemning HR 4437. A detailed report on 2006 LWLI will appear in next week’s La Prensa.

Gerardo Macias, Ana María Reyes, and José Casas celebrate the birthday of Isabel Flores (second from left) from the Institute of the Mexican Abroad, Consu- late of México based in Detroit. La fiesta was in Grand Rapids last Saturday.

 Bobby De León y Mas Caliente de Saginaw MI will be at Margarita Rocks, rocking Tejano in downtown Toledo this Friday, March 24. Pictured are Toledoan Paul Ruiz and Bobby with manager Trinidad Sirilo. Mas Caliente will be releasing a new CD shortly and have won several awards including Most Promising Band at the Midwest Tejano Music Awards.

Sue Campos & Dolores Rodríguez are past recipients of Adelante’s Chávez Humanitarian Awards.

     Marylou Olivarez Mason, Dir. of COSSA, dances with Oscar de la Torre Amezcua, Cónsul Encargado del Consulado de México, at: la fiesta de cumpleaños de Isabel Flores.

On March 13, Columbus City Council adopted a unanimous resolution condemning many provisions in HR 4437, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 16, 2005. Shown above, L-R, are: attorney Ruben Castilla Herrera - Latino Leadership Initiative; Berta Santos - Owner; La Oaxaquenia Panaderia in Columbus; William Melendea - President, LULAC, Columbus Chapter; and Henry Guzman - Public Service Director, City of Columbus.

    FLOC to host its March for Justice Rally on April 12, seeking justice for immigrants; FLOC is part of the Statewide March 26 rally in Columbus

On March 7^th, U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) met with members of HOLA (Hispanas Organizadas de Lake y Ashtabula), discussing immigration reform and its impact on Northeast Ohio. L-R with Sen. DeWine are: Lydia Ortega, Santiago Rodríguez, Marcial Rodríguez, Gladys Figueroa Stec, and Veronica Isabel Dahlberg—courtesy of the U.S. Senate Photo Studio.

David Flores of Lorain and Sonia Troche of Adelante, Inc. encourage Latinos to attend both the César Chávez Banquet in Toledo and the Cinco de Mayo Parade in Lorain.

The Latino club at St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo is called LASSO and it has been active in the community for years thanks to the efforts of the St. Francis Administration and its faculty advisor, John Orozco. LASSO meets periodically for breakfast at 7:15AM, before classes commence. Last week, LASSO met to discuss upcoming activities including: the FLOC March for Justice, scheduled for April 12, and a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Rico Neller, editor of La Prensa, was a guest speaker. He emphasized the importance of “success,” defining it as finding ones vocation in a passionate manner, where ones vocation was equated to ones avocation. Neller announced that for the 4^th Annual Latino Scholarship Day with the Toledo Mud Hens, scheduled for July 23^rd, $500 of the ticket sales would henceforth be awarded as a scholarship to a deserving St. Francis de Sales Senior and member of LASSO. Shown above is Mr. Orozco with LASSO.

Shown above are Roxanne Franco and Julio César Guerrero, who co-chaired this year’s Día de La Mujer Conference, hosted last Saturday by Michigan State University at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. This annual, one-day event included over three-dozen workshops for participants of all ages, covering education, health, culture, representation, y más.

Celebrate Rico’s Birthday at Margarita Rocks on Friday, March 10th with Grammy Winner Sunny Sauceda from San Antonio, Texas.

Lisa Rice and Michael P. Marsh of the Fair Housing Center partied hardy, as the center hosted another successful Mardi Gras at Gumbo’s Bayou Grille last week in Toledo.

Amador Reyna, Jr. is back to serve your needs at Burkett’s. Se Habla Español!

In attendance at the highly successful 2006 Ohio Business Women’s Conference and Expo, held on Feb. 16-17 at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel & Conference Center, were, L-R: Mike Ferrer, Mily E. Rodríguez-Weiss (Cleveland’s HBA, Event Committee Chair), Enrique Carrillo (Detroit’s HBA and chair of the Hispanic Business Expo & Economic Summit), Richard Romero, and Dan Poras (director of Cleveland’s HBA)—Photo by Rubén Torres of La Prensa.  

     Maryori Miranda, hija de Jaime y Dennis Miranda de Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia y Antonio Lucio Rios Jr., hijo de Antonio y Carlota Rios de Toledo, Ohio EEUU, se unieron en matrimonio el pasado 13 de febrero de 2006. La boda fue celebrada en Centro Biblico Internacional. Ofreceron una recepción en el Fuerte de Santa Barabara, Castillo de Salgar, Colombia. Los novios fueron de luna de miel a la ciudad de Bogotá, Colombia. Establecierón su hogar en Toledo, Ohio, EEUU.

“Mas Caliente from Saginaw MI is back stronger than ever,” according to Bobby De León, founder and lead vocalist. Mas Caliente is producing a CD of Tejano specials that will be released in the near future including Sangre de Indio and Esta Botella. The award winning band consists of Paul Ruíz of Toledo (bass), David Arriaga de Tejas (keyboards), Steve Fulgencio of Saginaw (guitar), Joe García of Bay City (drums), and De León. Show above are Paul Ruíz and Bobby De León, with its manager, Trinidad. 
 

María Elena Ramírez celebrating her 63rd birthday with her husband Gilbert and daughters Monica and Yolanda at Margarita Rocks.

Bienvenidos de parte del Camino Real Crew

Angel Guzmán was sworn in last week as Cleveland’s Director of Consumer Affairs by Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson. Guzmán served as the CEO of the Hispanic Business Association—photo by D. R. Nottage, Cleveland’s Chief Photographer.

The Puerto Rican Home of Lorain, Ohio hosts Valentine’s Day Dance on February 11th. Shown above are officers of Puerto Rican Home: Treas. Rosie Reyes, Pres. Ramón (Mon) Rivera, Sec. Nancy Molina and Vice Pres. Juan Silva.

Pastor David Martínez and his wife Terry, along with Robert Torres (member of the Toledo School Board) and Sonia Troche (director of Adelante, Inc.) at the Feb. 1st fundraiser of Taylor Balderas (center of photo), who is a candidate for Toledo City Council, District 3. Balderas was appointed to council last month.

Cosmetologist Odilia Rodríguez-Clements is the proud proprietor of:

La Familia Hair Studio, located at 1234 S. Broadway in Toledo.

Odilia will be offering Valentine’s Day Specials at her Studio de Belleza from Feb. 2 thru Feb. 14, with $5 off on all perms.

Shown above are Bill & Esther Móntes Rufo along with Bob Kritz of Fligner’s Grocery Store. Bob Kritz helped organize a fund raiser for Esther, who was recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  Esther is undergoing aggressive chemotherapy at the Ireland Cancer Center. Interested in contributing? A healing account for Esther has been established at Lorain National Bank. Anyone interested in donating can contact the Lorain bank at 440.244.7322 or stop by its Broadway branch, at 457 Broadway.

   Marilyn Rivera celebrated her quinceañera last weekend at Templo Bethel in South Lorain. L-R are: Padrinos Jeremy and Jelsa Rivera with Marilyn Rivera and her mother Marilyn Silva, who felt it was important to continue celebrating the quinceañera tradition.

Lico (far right) enjoying the sounds of Joe Ybarra y Sangre Nueva of Pontiac, Michigan, at last Saturday’s Rosales Promotion’s baile at the Wood County Junior Fair Grounds in Bowling Green, Ohio. L-R: Juan Ybarra, Lupe Vásquez, Terri Lucio, Janie DeLeón, and Lico. The next Rosales promotion will be on April 22 with Lansing’s Tejano Sound Band.

IT IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR:

Belen Medina of H & R Block offers tax services at Manahattan Plaza.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Itzi Cruz, 4 años

John Aguirre (center) celebrates his 60th birthday at Latins United in Toledo. Happy Jan. 13th, Juan!

Isabel Flores and Luis García enjoying an afternoon in downtown Ann Arbor. Sr. García is the publisher of Lazo Cultural.  Sra. Flores, Promoter of the Institute of the Mexican Abroad (IME) at Consulate of México.

Latins/Latinos United elected new officers last Sunday: L-R, front row are María Quiñonez (treas.), Dora Parker (trustee), Jacqueline Urias (recording secretary), Angie Carmona (corresponding secretary); L-R back row are Wes Salisbury (Sgt. at Arms), Jr. López (vice pres.), John Aguirre (pres.), Gasper Herrera (trustee), & Rich Atwater (trustee). The social club has been active for almost 40 years in Ohio. 

Lico knows how to enjoy Margarita Rocks in downtown Toledo.

¡Bienvenidos a La Vista!

De Hoyos and Reyna families celebrate dual graduations

The De Hoyos and Reyna Families celebrated dual graduations several weeks ago. Brianna and Amador Reyna—children of Amador and Petra Reyna and grandchildren of Esteban and the late María De Hoyos of Genoa—graduated from Eastern Michigan University and the University of Toledo, respectively.  They are alumni of Cardinal Stritch High School in Oregon.

Steve Steel, newly elected member of the Toledo Public Schools’ Board of Education at last Saturday’s victory celebration at Local 50 hall in Northwood with his wife Catherine Hernández and mother-in-law Julia Hernández.

Steel was sworn in as a board member last week along with Darlene Fisher and Robert Torres.

Gladys Flores and her daughter Janice enjoy the Three Kings Baile in NE Ohio last Saturday with Rachel Batista, Carmen Vega, and María Gonzáles, at Club Tainos’ annual celebration.

Nationwide Insurance Agent Maggie Rios welcomes one and all to the office’s Grand Opening in Cleveland on January 18th!

Darlene Fisher and Robert Torres are shown at the Jan 3, 2006 Toledo city council meeting, one day prior to their being sworn in as members of the TPS Board of Education. Ms. Fisher was elected the board’s new president.

María Rodríguez-Winter, who is the owner of an Allstate Insurance Agency in South Toledo, and staff present two contributions totaling $8,000 to the Sofia Quintero Art and Cultural Center with Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner in attendance.  The Allstate Foundation donated $5,000 with the balance by Mrs. Rodríguez-Winter.

María Gonzáles of Club Taino invites one and all to its annual Three Kings Baile this Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Roofers Hall on Lewis Avenue in Toledo—see Calendar on page 16 for Three Kings Events.

Danny Contreras (right in photo), who was a Democratic candidate for Lucas County Sheriff last November, attends a Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center Fundraiser at the Center last Saturday in Toledo. Contreras was nominated last Saturday to be the president of the Lucas County Democratic Hispanic Caucus. The current president, Robert Torres, will be stepping down when he assumes his position as a Board member for the Toledo Public Schools. The elections are scheduled at Democratic headquarters in January.

           Dr. Rane Arroyo of the University of Toledo (left in photo) was one of the speakers at the fundraiser, which began at 6:00PM with a Mole Dinner, followed by poetry, music, and art. Joe Balderas is the director of the Center. 

Edgar Meza celebrates with family and friends at Sangrias Italian Restaurant in Royal Oak MI last Saturday. The cause of his celebration?—his graduation from Michigan State University, E. Lansing MI. 

     Mr. Meza plans on attending American University in Washington, D.C., where his brother, Antonio, also is a student. Mr. Meza is the son of Mexican Consul Antonio Meza-Estrada. Felicidades Edgar, de parte de Rico y Carla de La Prensa. 

Shown above are members of the Spanish American Commité, which met last Friday at Club Alma Yaucano in Cleveland for Holiday festivities. The director of The Spanish American Committee (SAC) is Rose Rodríguez Barwell; Andres González is the director of Hispanic Services, El Barrio, Inc.  SAC hosts an annual Navidad Fiesta for the agency, Board members, and volunteers.

Shown above are members of the Young Latino’s Network Board—they got together last Friday at the Flying Monkey in the Tremont area of Cleveland to kick off their Toys for Tots Navidad program. If anyone would like to donate a toy for a needy child please contact member Sergio Diaz @ 216-661-0305.

      The Latino Student Union (LSU) and the Latino Networking Alliance of Bowling Green State University (BGSU) created the above float for Bowling Green’s annual Holiday Parade, held this year on Nov. 19. LSU has about 50 active members and over 100 in-active members.  Hector Hernández, from Weslaco, TX, is the LSU president; its vice president is Brandon Celestino Carreon, from Lorain, OH, who wore the bear suit that wowed the kids. The float was sponsored by Burger King, (the only Latino float from almost 200 entries). One of our LSU student’s wore the Bear suit from Burger King. Photo courtesy of BGSU’s Marsha Olivarez.

Waite HS marches in last Saturdays Thanksgiving Holiday Parade

Adelante, Inc, in  collaboration with Fifth Third Bank, hosted a blanket drive for worthy area residents of South Toledo last Friday at the Sofia Quintero Arts and Cultural Center. Shown above are some of those in attendance including, L-R: Josh Flores (Adelante, Inc. Board), Justin Kruse, Sonia Troche (director of Adelante, Inc.), Benjamin Sánchez, Nicole Erford, Annette Obregon, Jason Aina, and Nick Wilson.

Dominic Montalto joins the Lucas County Hispanic/Latino Democratic Caucus last Saturday at Democratic Headquarters. The Caucus is looking for viable candidates to run for District 3 Toledo City Council. All interested parties should contact Pres. Bob Torres.

LASSO members Gabriel De Hoyos and Alejandro García with teacher John Orozco at last Sunday’s Open House at St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo. De Hoyos is a senior at St. Francis de Sales, and plans to attend OSU, where his brother Andrew is a sophomore. García is a freshman and Mr. Orozco is also one of the coaches of the school’s soccer team. Open House was designed for the families of 5th through 8th grade boys.

LASSO stands for “Latin American Student Support Organization.” Its primary purpose is to act as an instrument to bridge the gap which may occur for Latino students as they enter high school. LASSO celebrates events such as El Grito de Dolores, El Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe, Las Posadas, César Chávez Day, and Cinco de Mayo.

According to Mr. Orozco, LASSO now awards an annual scholarship to a deserving Latino, but the award is not given until after the student completes his freshman year at St. Francis de Sales.  
 

L-R: Gasper and Tony Herrera, Clyde and Dora López with Jesse García in the background at last Saturday’s fundraiser for Antonio López, Jr., who passed away last September. The benefit was held at Latinos United in South Toledo.

Carla Soto, a student of Owens Community College attending the Jobs Fair, hosted by the various trade unions and organizations in the Metro-Toledo area; the fair was held at Owens. Soto is standing next to Marisol Ibarra, Director of Workforce Development of the Alliance of Construction Professionals (ACP) and related organizations.

Joe Belcher, Corinne Chicolini, and Al Longoria,
of the Piping Industry Training Center and/or
Local Union #50.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meza and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sarabia enjoy LAPDC’s Second Annual Masquerade Ball, held last Saturday at the Emporium in downtown Toledo. LAPDC is the Latin American Planning & Development Committee.

Feliz Cumpleanos Carla Soto, 25 de octubre

La Perla   moves down Hill Avenue, or is it up?

La Perla Tortilla Factory, a family name for over
15 years, has moved to a larger facility at
2742 Hill Avenue, Toledo, according to owner, Jimmy Martínez, exclaiming:
“Come to our new location and watch for our
grand opening!”

Right Photo: La Perla Tortilla Factory owner Jimmy Martínez with Claudia Espinoza

Longorias celebrate 41 years of marriage

Reyes “Ray” Longoria and Esperanza “Hope” Longoria (née Davila) were married 41 years ago this October 31. Both are from El Valle, Texas. Their families moved to the Fremont, Ohio area when they were young, and Ray and Hope met. Ray’s father, Fernando, was a famous Tejano accordion player in the Harlingen area and has written numerous Tejano songs still played today, such as El Truckero.  This musical talent passed on to Ray.

Ray and Hope were married and raised six sons, all of whom comprise Los Aztecas, a popular Tejano band based out of the Toledo area, playing for over thirty years.

Los Aztecas is comprised of Reyes, Jr. (guitar, age 40), Richie (bass, 38), Rene (drums, 35), Ronnie (accordion and vocals, 30), Robert (keyboards, 25), and Ricky (congas, 22). Josh Sotelo is the son-in-law of Reyes, Jr., and plays timbales.

Felicidades Ray y Hope de parte de la familia Longoria.

Capitán Batman at the helm on the Maumee River, watching the construction of Toledo’s new bridge, adjacent to Riverside Hospital.

Ohio Commission of Hispanic/Latino Affairs (OCHLA) Director Ezra C. Escudero (center) and OCHLA Commissioner Dr. Silvia Jiménez-Hyre present the Commission’s proclamation to Benito Velázquez, Jr., President of the Organización Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Inc. (OCCHA), for OCCHA’s 33 years of service to the Latino community in Mahoning County.

Maggie McClendon (Coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Youngstown State University), Juan Santiago (Mortgage Loan Specialist, Home Savings Bank), and Patty Quiñonez (Financial Adviser with Quiñonez and Associates) in attendance at the OCCHA recognition last Friday in Youngstown, Ohio. 

L-R: George Emmons, President of Community Banking, Key Bank; Margot James Copeland, Executive Vice President, Director Civic Affairs and Diversity Chair, Key Foundation; and Henry Cisneros at the City Club of Cleveland.

Antonio Meza celebrates his birthday last Thursday at Sangrias Restaurant in Royal Oak, Michigan, with family and friends. Antonio is a graduate of Wayne State University and currently works in Washington, D.C. Meza is the son of Antonio Meza Estrada, México’s Cónsul assigned in Detroit for Michigan and Northern Ohio. ¡Feliz Cumpleaños Antonio!

Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera, Juanita Sanquez, OCHLA Commissioner Richard Romero, Joel Arredondo, and Antonio Barrios at last week’s CHIPS’ Candidates Night.

Lisa Canales-Flores (center) with her parents at last week’s fundraiser at Gloria’s Tex-Mex restaurant in Point Place, Ohio. Canales-Flores is a candidate for Toledo City Council, 6th District.

         Nationwide opens bilingual insurance agency at 4458 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo. Shown above are some of the agents. (Back row, L-R:Jonathon Roth, Martin Fuhrhop, Alan K Fuhrhop, Al Kirby; front row, L-R: Braden Uddin, Reshae Mora of Defiance, Mark Wood, & James Michaelis.)  ¡Se habla español!

Know this musician? He is not Juan Ponce de León but the popular Sammy de León. Photo taken in Cleveland in 1991 when Sammy de León was with Nelson Orta and his orchestra—from La Prensa Archives.

Julian Neller Pinkstaff, age7, engrossed in making that elusive goal last Sunday in Toledo.

L-R Larry Arreguin, MI Governor's Office; Ana Gabriel, VP of Corporate Affairs, Comcast Cable;
L. Brooks Patterson, Oaklind Cty Executive; Enrique Carrillo, VP of Public Affairs for Comerica Bank; Anthondy Adams, Deputy Mayor, City of Detroit; George Franco, Chairman, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; & Fred Feliciano, President of the Hispanic Business Alliance.

  Lorain County Community College’s Antonio Barrios with Miss Teen USA, Allie La Force, from Vermilion, Ohio, at LCCC’s FamilyFest last Saturday. See page 17. Photo provided by Antonio Barrios.

Angel Hernández always enjoyed a good baseball game, as depicted in the photo to the left, where he attended Latino Scholarship Day with the Toledo Mud Hens in July of 2003 when he was 101 years young. Angel passed away Sunday, September 25, just 6 days shy of his 104th birthday. Angel came to Toledo in 1926 and began working for the New York Central Railroad, retiring in 1968 after 42 years as a section laborer. More on page 13 of this issue of La Prensa.

Ann and Brian Hornyak were married last Saturday, Sept. 24, at Sacred Heart Church, Toledo; a reception followed at the Oak Shade Grove in Oregon, Ohio.

Birthday Bubble: Brian Picknell (R) celebrates his 9th birthday (Sept. 23) at his home in Saline MI.

Paula Hicks-Hudson, Margarita De Leon and Al Flores attend the HHM festivities and fundraiser for Lourdes Santiago, who is endorsed Democrat for Toledo Municipal Court judge, at El Camino Real Restaurant.

La Prensa's Adriana Chasteen with Theresa Morris Ramos, Wanda Toohey, Isabel Flores, and Luis Garcia at the Mexican Consulate's annual Mexican Independence Day ceremonies at the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

Emilio and Alvina Costilla celebrate the independence of Mexico at SS Peter and Paul Church with El Grito Ceremonies conducted by Consuls Antonio Meza Estrada and Oscar de La Torre of the consulate for Michigan and Northern Ohio.

Mr. and Mrs. Omar Hernández attend the
Mexican Consulate’s Independence Day Celebration in downtown Detroit.

Joe Ybarra, Jr. plays the accordion with Sangre Nueva band at Club La Vista. Ybarra, Jr. also does vocals with his father, Joe Sr., who founded the Tejano band over 25 years ago in Pontiac, Michigan. The band just released two singles, “No Me Se Rajar” and “Amor de Lejos.”

Felicidades: Augustine Ramos and Theresa Castellanos Morris are pleased to announce their wedding, which took place September 3, 2005 at Mansion View Bed and Breakfast in Toledo’s Historic Old West End.  The ceremony was followed by a reception at the Reynolds Garden Café. The wedding party included matron of honor, Beth Tabarez, friend of bride; Jessica Castellanos, sister of the bride; Alex Ramirez, best man and cousin of groom; and Joel Castellanos, brother of the bride.  Jazz Ebright, goddaughter of the bride, was the flower girl and Onastasia Ebright was the junior attendant. The couple honeymooned in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México.  Mr. and Mrs. Ramos now reside in Toledo.

An Hispanic Youth Walk was hosted by the United Methodist Church in Fremont, pastured by Adolfo Mejia, and the United Methodist Center and the Rev. Mark A. Chow from Maumee, Ohio, last Sunday at Trinity United Methodist Church in Bowling Green, Ohio. The theme was: “The courageous walk in step with God/La caminata valerosa en pasos con el Dios.”  Jesse Arriaga was the DJ, with additional entertainment by Jesse Ponce, Jacob Estrada, and others.

The Labor Day Parade on Monday in Toledo, Ohio lasted over two hours, with all the major unions participating. Politicos were on hand along with their numerous supporters. Shown above are Mayor Jack Ford, mayoral candidate Carty S. Finkbeiner, and a cyclist supporting Lourdes Santiago and Dan Pilrose, candidates for judge. 

Ohio’s Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs met last month at Cleveland State University, as part of its mobile-meeting policy. Shown above are, L-R: Tony Simms Howell, CSU President Michael Schwartz (top photo); Michell Gillcrest (Regional Dir., Office of U.S. Senator DeWine), Ramona Reyes, Simon Rodríguez, & Maritza L. Pérez.

On the left is club owner Hector Cordero
with Grupo Aldaco of Lansing.

Shown above is Linda Parra interviewing her guest Robert Torres on her new radio program. Torres is a candidate for the Toledo School Board. 

Nuestra Gente con Linda Parra first aired last Sunday from 5:00-6:00PM on WCWA 1230AM. Parra has been  involved in radio and other forms of communication for over 16 years in Venezuela.

Parra works for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and looks forward to serving the Latino community with Nuestra Gente con Linda Parra, which is three hours prior to WCWA’s popular LatinoMix. Felicidades and buena suerte Linda. 

San Marcos SuperMercado of Adrian MI opened up a SuperMarket at the foot of the High Level Bridge in South Toledo, 235 S. Broadway, last week, with a variety of Mexican meats, vegetables, drinks, foods, canned goods y más! Hours are: Monday-Thursday, 9:00AM to 9:00PM and Friday-Sunday, 8:00AM to 9:00PM.

La Prensa’s Regional Sales Manager Adriana Chasteen (L) with Ohio sales/distributors Roberto Romero of Leipsic and Amparo Sierra of Findlay.

Aixa Ortiz Vega, OCHLA Commissioner Richard Romero, Carmen Vega, Lisa López, and José Candelario were in attendance at the 9th Annual Labor Day Family Celebration in Lorain, Ohio at Lakeview Park. This is an annual non-alcoholic, family-oriented event, hosted by Lorain County's Labor Unions and Parks and Recreation. It is scheduled this year again on September 4.

Robert Torres, campaigning for Toledo School Board at Viva South’s Mexican Fiesta, July 30, in Toledo, filed his petitions on August 22—photo by Arturo Quintero, Esq.

The Lucas County Board of Elections examining petitions filed by the committee to elect Judge Lynn Schaefer for Toledo Municipal Court Judge—petitions were being challenged by Al Flores, who is the co-chair for the Committee to Elect Lourdes Santiago for Judge. Last Monday’s hearing lasted over 3 hours, with the Board ruling in favor of Judge Schaefer.

The South of the Border Festival went well last weekend in Perrysburg Heights, Ohio. Shown above are: M and M Productions advertising its 2nd Annual Tejano/Conjunto Festival on September 4, 2005 at Centennial Terrace in Sylvania, Ohio, where 10 Ohio/Michigan bands will be performing (right).

Dezeo of Toledo (left) was one of the performing bands along with Rubén Ramos y La Familia of Toledo,  the Bad Boyz of Adrian, Grupo Sueño of Texas, Grupo Energia, 56 Daze, Los Rayos, and Los Cuatro Vientos de Jimmy Bejarano.   All photos by Adriana Chasteen of La Prensa.   

Perrysburg Heights residents attend South of the Border Festival last weekend.

     Toledo diva Aixa Ortiz-Vega has been in New York City since July 4th, participating in the Nueva Estrella Awards’ competition that she first entered in March. The Nueva Estrella Awards is a Latino singing competition, where contestants contend to win a recording contract with Sony BMG. This past Friday, she competed with eight other mujeres and she was chosen to continue to the semi-finals—she even competes this date, August 10. The audience can vote for their favorite contestant by cell phone and listen to the contestants.  Visit www.wcbstv.com/linksnumbers concerning these awards. Aixa’s family and friends encourage one and all to vote for her in this multiple-level event. While in NYC, Aixa received vocal coaching, stage presence, choreography, y más.

Quinceañeras are a frequent occurrence during the summer months in Latino communities through out  the world. Shown above is Raquel Rodríguez and her court at her recent quinceañera in Toledo—Photo courtesy of Gilberto Leal. Gracias!

Fun was had by all at SS Peter and Pauls annual festival

L-R: Dionisio Flores, José “Pepe” Rivera, and Pablo Flores, Jr. as they appeared at the recent Puerto Rican flagraising event along the Black River in downtown Lorain.

La Familia Rocha, City Prosecutor Arturo Quintero, Deacon Rudy Lira, and Jesse García strongly support SS. Peter and Pauls’ annual festival, held last weekend in south Toledo. Sr. Rocha is the manager of El Camino Real restaurant on Douglas Avenue, which donated its cuisine and staff to the church and festival.

How did you spent the 4th of July weekend? Joey Martínez, a talented artist, spent a part of his weekend with a group of youngsters from the Toledo community, in a park painting. Mr. Martínez showed the individuals different painting techniques and as he explained, he was hoping to instill a sense of ownership of our neighborhood into the individuals working with him. He feels that if our youth recognize that they are owners, not tenants, of our community, our neighborhoods will be better taken care of.

                Mr. Martínez  took a few hours out of his weekend to spend with our children. What did you do?—Photo and thoughts courtesy of Gilberto Leal. Gracias!

For over 25 years, the López family has hosted an annual August Family Reunion/Picnic on a 16-acre farm in Amherst, Ohio. The López family arrived to the Lorain area in the 1940s. This year they dedicated the picnic to María Idalia Salas de Monterrey, México; this friend of the family passed away several weeks ago. Over 150 in attendance enjoyed música mexicana, volleyball, hay rides, piñatas, y más.   

Last weekend Alana and Lexy Lopez attend their family reunion at a farm in Amherst Ohio

Club Taino's Annual Puerto Rican Picnic

     Members of FLOC assist the Mexican Consulate last Saturday when Consul Antonio Meza and his staff were at FLOC headquarters in Toledo , Ohio .

       Adrianne de La Prensa attends the Mexican Patriotic Committee’s Fiesta Mexicana last weekend in Detroit, which drew large crowds, to hear a variety of música latina including Graciela Beltran y Banda Azul Tequila. Adrianne has joined La Prensa’s sales team after having successfully telemarketed for over seven years. She is the mother of three. “I look forward to my association with La Prensa, ....si, como no!” exclaimed Adrianne.  

The González/García family (top photo) enjoys Viva South’s Fiesta Mexicana in South Toledo last Saturday along with many of its guests and volunteers. The festival returned to the south end after a three year vacancy. More photos at www.laprensa1.com. 

Shown above is Robert Torres (second from left) with his brothers Gabriel, David, and Usevio “Chevo” (L-R) at last week’s fundraiser at Manhattan’s Restaurant.  Torres is a candidate for the Toledo School Board; his endorsements include the Urban Coalition. Torres, 42, is director of Toledo’s Office of Latino Affairs, having been appointed by Mayor Jack Ford. Other Latino candidates in the 2005 elections include: Lisa Canales-Flores ( Toledo City Council, District 6) and Lourdes Santiago ( Toledo Municipal Court). Some of the candidates will be in the September 13 primary.   

Robert Torres, director of the City of Toledo’s Office of Latino Affairs, introduces his co-managers, Tracey Martínez and Delfina Mora (L-R), and treasurer Sonia Troche at last week’s fundraiser at Manhattan ’s Restaurant. Torres, 42, is a candidate for the Toledo Board of Education, with a primary scheduled for September 13, 2005 . Other candidates include: Board incumbent Steven Thomas, Darlene Fisher, Christopher Myers, and attorney John G. Rust. Incumbents Peter Silverman and David Welch have not decided if they will seek re-election.

The Hernández clan celebrate the 90th birthday of their mother Emma last week at Casa Fiesta in Oregon , Ohio . L-R are: Raul Hernández, Irma Hernández Cook, Rosa Hernández, Rogelio Hernández, Emma W. Hernández, Rudy Hernández, and Zoila Ortiz.  

 The family of Richard López congratulates him for his 40 years at Ford Motor Company and his subsequent retirement. We love you very much—La Familia de Richard López. 

   Suinda Machuca from San German Puerto Rico & Fernando Ramos from Caguas Puerto Rico were crowned Mr. & Ms. Puerto Rico Image 2005 and will appear at the Puerto Rican Parade 2005 in Cleveland this weekend.

The Puerto Rican Home, 1603 E. 28th St. , Lorain , honored Fred Lozano for his many years of service as a Lorain City councilman and for his many contributions to Lorain County at a retirement dinner last Saturday. Lozano has been in city council for twenty years. The Lorain County Commissioners and city council also presented resolutions. Shown above is Fred Lozano (center) at the dedication of the Frank Jacinto Elementary School last October.

Shown above is Gregory Adam Florez with his mother, Theresa A. Florez, of Sylvania, Ohio. Having graduated in June from Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology, Gregory, who is a graduate of Northview HS, hopes to secure employment in Columbus . 

Shown above are some of the attendees at the RTA Career Fair in Cleveland : L-R, Roberto Aquino, Emanuel R. Velez, Teddy Molina, Daisy Reyes, Lisa Zavodsky H.R., Karen J. Minter H.R., Ramon Rodriguez, Hilda Perez, and Byron Adan Gil.

L-R: Juanita Torres, Rubén Torres, and Anasaria Santiago were among the masses enjoying the Sacred Heart Parish Festival last weekend in Lorain .

Raquel Alma Rodríguez celebrates her quinceañera last Saturday with mass at SS. Peter and Paul church, followed by celebration with family, friends, and Los Arcos Hermanos Peña—all in memory of Alicia Guadalupe Barboza.

Nikayla Rios celebrated with her family and friends the baptism of her son Oscar Hernández-Rios with mass at SS. Peter and Paul, followed by reception.  

Irma and K-1 at Club Mystique

Claudia Ramirez from Venezuela at El Camino Real in Toledo

Javier Jr. and brothers with Quacky the Clown