
Congratulations to our daughter
Sylvia Marie Torres, who graduated from Swanton High School. We
are very proud of you and wish you well as you attend Bowling
Green State University this fall.
Love,
Your parents,
Gabriel and Norma Torres
Swanton, Ohio |

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!
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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
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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.
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38 mothers were serenaded last Sunday for Mother's Day by the
men of Latins United in South Toledo including Carmen and Maria
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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.
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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).
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Izzy
Ortiz at his 18th 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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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Southview Color Guard.
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Cónsul Oscar de la Torre and José E. López
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Carlos Pecina, Pops, and Leno Pecina play ball last weekend at
Ravine Park in East Toledo.
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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Sue Campos & Dolores Rodríguez are past recipients of Adelante’s
Chávez Humanitarian Awards.
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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. |
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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.
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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
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On
March 7th, 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. |

The Waite High School Girls'
Basketball Team were recognized on March 14, 2006 by Toledo City
Council for winning the city's championship two years in a row.
Presenting the recognition is Toledo City Councilperson Taylor
Balderas of District 3.
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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.
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Shown above are some of
the 300-plus participants at this year’s Día de La Mujer
Conference, held on Feb. 25 at the Kellogg Center of Michigan
State University. Left to right:
Fransica Gamino, Marina Mendez, Erica Pérez, Ruby Gamino, Catalina
Gamino, and Mercedes Vargas.
According to 8th grade
student Marina Mendez, “This conference gave me an opportunity to
learn how to defend myself and it was good for all ages. The
speakers were very good; they told us about their lives and it was
very interesting. I plan on going again next year.”
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Members of the
Adrian, Michigan Latino business organization HOLA celebrated the
grand opening of Jimadores restaurant in Adrian last week. |
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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 4th
Annual Latino Scholarship Day with the Toledo Mud Hens, scheduled
for July 23rd, $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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
Jaime De Anda of Los Chamacos
performing at Margarita Rocks last Sunday
in downtown Toledo |
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“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.
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Dianne Rodríguez having fun at Margarita Rocks in downtown
Toledo. |
Monica Casanova of Adrian MI celebrating her 27th birthday
with family and friends at Margarita Rocks, 505 Jefferson Ave.,
Toledo, which welcomes Jaime y Los Chamacos this Sunday,
Feb. 19. Also performing are Grupo Tesoro and DJ Abel
Ramos. |
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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
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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Happy 4th Birthday Ana Lesia Marie Encalado! |
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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.
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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.
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Feliz Cumpleaños, Itzi Cruz, 4 años
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John Aguirre
(center) celebrates his 60th birthday at Latins United in Toledo.
Happy Jan. 13th, Juan! |
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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.
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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.
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Lico knows how
to enjoy Margarita Rocks in downtown Toledo. |
¡Bienvenidos a La Vista! |
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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.
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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! |
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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. |
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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. |
Los Cadetes
de Linares performing last Sunday at Wooley Bulley’s Night Club,
1851 Tiffin Ave. in Findlay. Música cada domingo! ¡Wooley Bulley’s
Night Club! 614-657-4657 o 419-425-1965! |
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Hector Cordero and Cecilia Peralta celebrate New Years Eve at
Club La Vista |
Santa Claus/Elves
& La Prensa wish everyone Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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Officer Linda de la Peña of the Lucas County
Sheriff’s Dept. and Jeff Sabo, president of
Toledo’s Chapter of the NLPOA (National Latino Peace Officers
Association) met U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzáles, when the
AG was the keynote speaker at the NLPOA’s 2005 Fall Training
Conference in
Dallas.
AG Gonzáles was
Pres. Bush’s legal advisor before becoming Attorney General. De la
Peña is the
Toledo
Chapter’s Vice President. Its president, Sabo, was a former City
of Sylvania police officer and is now in charge of security at the
Toledo-Lucas County Library. |
Waite HS marches in last Saturdays
Thanksgiving Holiday Parade |
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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.
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Feliz Cumpleaños
Happy 5th Birthday Madison
McQueen
Nov 23 |
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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 Feliz
Cumpleanos Carla Soto, 25 de octubre |
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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. |
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Capitán Batman at the helm on
the Maumee River, watching the construction of Toledo’s new
bridge, adjacent to Riverside
Hospital. |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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! |
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Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera, Juanita Sanquez, OCHLA
Commissioner Richard Romero, Joel Arredondo, and Antonio Barrios
at last week’s CHIPS’ Candidates Night. |
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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! |
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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.
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Julian Neller
Pinkstaff, age7, engrossed in making that elusive goal last Sunday
in Toledo. |
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.” |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Kookie Hernández performing with
Joe Herrera’s sons at last
Sunday’s Tejano Explosion. |
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. |
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Grupo Aldaco performed last weekend
at Club La Vista in downtown Toledo.
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. |
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Manny Santana performs with the Sammy De León Orquesta
last weekend at the Labor Day festivities
sponsored by Lorain Labor. Photo by Rubén Torres. |
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Barber Betty Rodríguez of Adrian MI
cutting the hair of CJ. It wasn’t his first nor will it be his
last! |
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. |
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La Prensa’s Regional Sales Manager
Adriana Chasteen (L) with Ohio sales/distributors Roberto Romero
of Leipsic and Amparo Sierra of Findlay. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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Perrysburg
Heights residents attend South of the Border Festival last
weekend. |
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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.
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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! |
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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. |
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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. |
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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! |
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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.
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Last weekend Alana and Lexy Lopez
attend their family reunion at a farm in Amherst Ohio |
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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
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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.
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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.
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Oscar
de la Torre of the Mexican Consulate (far right), based in
Detroit, explains to Mr. and Mrs. Juan Cruz of Adrian, Michigan
what the Consulate offers, as part of the Consulate’s Mobile
Unit, which spent last Saturday at the headquarters of the Farm
Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) in Toledo, where over 200
individuals were served by the Consulate, according to Consul
Antonio Meza Estrada. A variety of matricula consular, passports,
and other documents were reviewed and/or issued.
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La Revancha of
Bowling Green
,
Ohio
performed at Club La
Vista
in
Toledo
on July 17 at the afterparty of Latino Scholarship Day with
the
Toledo
Mud Hens and at the
Toledo
Mud Hens’ game on July 30,
where the Mud Hens defeated the
Durham
Bulls, 2
-0. |
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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.
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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. |
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El
Valle Optical and Leticia Mora, Optician,
1940
Campbell Street
in
Detroit
are
there to assist your optical needs.
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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.
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Richard
Fernández of Hart, MI and Luis Miguel Villa of Indianapolis, IN
attended the Spanish religious services last weekend at the
SeaGate Convention Centre in downtown Toledo—all part of the
summer, weekly services offered by the Jehovah’s Witnesses from
six states, according to co-organizer Paul Sepúlveda.
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Lyndse
Anderson and Jodi Richards enjoy the food and festivities at El
Camino Real in Oregon,
Ohio
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Los
Aztecas at Club La Vista, downtown Toledo
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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.
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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
.
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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.
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L-R:
Juanita Torres, Rubén Torres, and Anasaria Santiago were among
the masses enjoying the Sacred Heart Parish Festival last weekend
in
Lorain
.
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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.
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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.
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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 |
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