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Para ver esta página en español, oprima aquí. Fortuño: Republicans Best For Status Resolution… Fas Will Accompany Olympic Delegation… San Juan Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week… Hollywood Beach Latin Festival… Feliciano Encourages Blind Teen… Top 10 Cities For Hispanics To Live In… Confirmed As Assoc. Judge, Request For A Federal Investigation Of Rodriguez Is Official
Fortuño: Republicans Best Option For Status Resolution August 3, 2004 SAN JUAN (AP) — Once again mixing local and federal politics, the New Progressive Party (NPP) candidate for resident commissioner, Luis Fortuño, assured on Tuesday that the Republican Party would include more comprehensive language in its platform, regarding Puerto Rico’s status, than the Democratic Party. He anticipated that Republican policy would lean towards statehood, favoring Fortuño’s New Progressive Party. "I’ve been communicating with the Republican Party leadership regarding the issue. In comparison with Democratic Party, the Republican Party historically has favored free determination, including the option of statehood for Puerto Rico. What we could expect is something in that direction," said Fortuño. Without going into details, Fortuño said that republicans within the New Progressive Party would present a draft at the Republican National Convention to be held in New York in upcoming weeks. Fortuño maintained that the language for the draft regarding the island’s status that would be presented at the convention is not yet available. Fas Alzamora Will Accompany The Olympic Delegation August 3, 2004 SAN JUAN (AP) — Contrary to previous occasions in which multiple politicians would accompany Puerto Rico’s Olympic delegation, only Senate President Antonio Fas Alzamora will be in Greece with the local athletes, starting on August 13. Delegation Spokeswoman Sarita Meltz said the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee only invited Fas Alzamora, who will pay for his trip out of his own pocket. Fas Alzamora has been a constant promoter of sports in Puerto Rico and was the lawmaker who years ago filed legislation in favor of the local Olympic Committee. Then former governor Rafael Hernandez Colon signed the bill into law. The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee is composed of 43 athletes, including the basketball team. Meltz said the cost to train and send the delegation to Greece is around $450,000, which was obtained from donations, legislative assignments and matching of funds by the Sports and the Recreation Department. Meltz is the first women to be elected as head of the delegation. "Trainers and athletes see me as a facilitator, someone who is here to really solve their problems," Meltz said. San Juan Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week August 3, 2004 SAN JUAN (AP) — The City of San Juan celebrated on Tuesday World Breastfeeding Week, with the purpose of informing women and future mothers about the importance, necessity, and benefits of breastfeeding during the first few months of an infants life. San Juan’s First Lady, Irma Garriga, said that this week the City of San Juan would hold workshops and forums sponsored by the municipalities Department of Health. "We will offer conferences to mothers and hospital personnel about the benefits of breast feeding and its effects on an infants development. Also, the Department of health fair will inform women about the importance of lactating," said Garriga in a prepared statement. Garriga said that men also need to be informed about the benefits of breastfeeding infants for the first six months after which the practice should be combined with other foods for the first two years. "Breastfeeding in safe because it offers children protection against infections; it is healthy as it contains the right amount of proteins, vitamins, other nutrients, and water necessary for the needs of the infants, not to mention it saves the cost of formula," she added. Hollywood Beach Latin Festival August 3, 2004 Broadwalk, Hollywood -- From Puerto Rico to Peru and Colombia to Cuba, this annual festival spans it all. There will be music from many Hispanic countries, as well as arts and crafts, Latin food and booths for community organizations. The festival benefits the Broward Community College scholarship fund as well as Hispanic Unity of Broward. Aug 15, 2004: noon - 8 p.m. www.hollywoodlatinfestival.com Price: Free Information: 954-921-3404 E-mail address(es): chancock@hollywoodfl.org. Jose Feliciano Encourages Blind Teen By Karla D. Shores, Education Writer August 3, 2004 Multiple Grammy-winning recording artist Jose Feliciano offered encouragement to a blind Florida teen who inner tubed with his friends from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau on Sunday. Feliciano, who is blind, said he understands Jared Hara's desire to be daring. He said he used to walk unguided across town to his friends' house in his native Puerto Rico by mapping out hot and cool patches on the ground with his feet. "It's a positive thing and it shows the sighted world that just because you might be blind, it doesn't mean you can't do things," Feliciano said Monday. Hara said he wanted to prove to himself and his friends he could tackle challenges and still have fun. Hara's father Mark burst into tears when he learned Feliciano responded to his son's feat. "Jose Feliciano is synonymous to beauty, talent, courage and fortitude," Mark Hara said. "He exemplified a true bravery in a society and world that might not have been so open to people with disabilities." Top 10 Cities For Hispanics To Live In By Gigi Anders and Eman Varoqua August, 2004 JULY/AUGUST 2004 Where do we live? And why do we live there? For the 39.9 million Hispanics in the United States, home is where we feel at ease: A sense of comunidad, where we can raise families, have fun, feel heard–and afford it. What matters most to Latinos: jobs, good schools, reasonable living costs, political power and culture. Lots of culture. Whether your idea of the ideal place is big, bustling and cosmopolitan, or laid-back, intimate and earthy, you’re both right. This year’s list of top 10 cities satisfies all tastes: the 10 most manageable cities with the highest quality of bilingual life. 1-Austin 2-Miami 3-San Diego 4-San Antonio 5-El Paso-Las Cruces 6-Albuquerque 7-Tucson 8-Los Angeles 9-Chicago 10-Las Vegas Anabelle Rodriguez Is Confirmed As Associate Judge August 3, 2004 SAN JUAN (AP) — The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Senate majority confirmed Justice Secretary Anabelle Rodriguez on Monday evening as Associate Judge of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. Senate President Antonio Fas Alzamora said Rodriguez needs 14 votes out of 27 in order to be confirmed. According to Fas Alzamora 17 members of the PDP caucus will vote in favor of Rodriguez. "She has the votes to be confirmed today," said Fas Alzamora. Fas Alzamora noted that Sen. Yazmin Mejias will abstain from voting. He added that Rodriguez’s nomination will be taken to the floor as soon as the Nomination Committee files its report. Absent from the PDP caucus were Sen. Julio Rodriguez, who is off the island and Juan Cancel Alegria, who was excused for family reasons. Rodriguez answered questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday for nearly three hours. In her testimony Rodriguez spoke about her professional experience in both the private and public sector. Request For A Federal Investigation Of Rodriguez Official August 3, 2004 SAN JUAN (AP) — At a time when Secretary of Justice Anabelle Rodriguez was confirmed by the Senate to the post of Associate Judge to Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court, the Federal Prosecutor Office received an official request from Judge Juan Perez Gimenez for an investigation of Rodriguez. On Wednesday Perez Gimenez said that he would seek federal determination as to whether Rodriguez, confirmed on Monday to the island’s highest court, engaged in criminal acts when she refused to follow a federal court order related to the Morales Feliciano prison overcrowding case. According to published reports, the document in which Judge Perez Gimenez orders Chief Federal Prosecutor in San Juan, Humberto Garcia, to investigate and notify the courts of possible criminal violations allegedly incurred by Rodriguez, was received only hours after the confirmation of the Secretary to the Supreme Court. Judge Perez Gimenez requested the investigation after a hearing in which a letter written by Rodriguez was presented, the letter instructed Corrections Secretary Miguel Pereira and Secretary of Health Johnny Rullan to follow interagency guidelines and not federal mandates regarding prison medical services. Department of Justice attorney Carlos del Valle accused Perez Gimenez of punishing and persecuting Rodriguez because she challenged constitutional matters in the Federal Court, while challenging his ruling in the Boston Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling in question regarded the jurisdiction in the administration of correctional medical services, which transferred authority from the local government to a private provider contracted by Department of Correction. Rodriguez immediately rejected the allegations because his ruling on the Morales Feliciano case is under appeal in Boston.
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