I kchispanicnews.com
Transcription
I kchispanicnews.com
VOL. 17 No. 15 | 19 de Diciembre, 2013 Periódico Bilingüe Kansas City A Teenager Tells El Pachuco What He Would Like To Have This Christmas. PRSRT STD U.S POSTAGE PAID KCMO See page 4. PERMIT NO. 990 Un Adolescente Le Dice A El Pachuco Lo Que Le Gustaría Recibir En Esta Navidad. Vea la página 4. KCMO Police Cadets Sworn In As Officers By Debra DeCoster K ansas City Missouri Police Chief Darryl Forte swore in about 30 new police officers last Thursday evening at the Regional Police Academy. As members of the 149th Entrant Officer Class stood to take the oath their voices, loud and filled with pride, echoed in unison. Forte stated he was proud of the diversity in the 2013 graduating class. Female police officers made up one third of the graduates. He hopes that female police officers continue to serve on the police force and rise up through the ranks. “We often talk about the necessity of a police department that reflects the community, and usually those conversations are in the context of race. That is indeed very important, but about half the community we serve is female,” he said. CLASS HAS ... / PAGE 2 Traduce Gemma Tornero E l Jefe de la Policía de Kansas City Missouri, Darryl Forte, juramentó a unos 30 nuevos agentes de la policía el pasado jueves por la noche en la Academia de Policía Regional. Como integrantes de la 149 Clase de Oficiales Participantes estaban de pie para tomar el juramento con sus voces, fuertes y llenas de orgullo, haciendo eco al unísono. Forte dijo que estaba orgulloso de la diversidad en la clase graduada de 2013. Los agentes de policía femeninos formaron una tercera parte de los graduados. El tiene la esperanza de que los oficiales de policía mujeres continúen sirviendo en la fuerza policial y avancen en los rangos. “A menudo hablamos de la necesidad de un departamento de policía que LA CLASE TIENE ... / PÁGINA 2 Cadetes De La Policía de KCMO, Juramentados Como Oficiales Kansas City Missouri Police Chief Darryl Forte swore in about 30 new police officers from the Regional Police Academy last week on the steps of city hall. Chief Forte stated he was proud of the diversity in the 2013 graduating class. Darryl Forte, jefe de la policía de Kansas City, Missouri, juramentó a unos 30 nuevos agentes de la Academia de Policía Regional la semana pasada en las escalinatas del ayuntamiento. Forte dijo que estaba orgulloso de la diversidad en la clase de graduados del 2013. KCK City Hall Getting Face Lift School District Faces Tough Fight El Ayuntamiento De KCK Esta En Renovaciones By Jerry LaMartina T he Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) sued the state of Missouri last week, alleging unfair denial of KCPS’s request for provisional accreditation, which risks a costly flight of students to other districts and threatens the district’s ability to function and possibly to remain solvent. KCPS filed the lawsuit against the Missouri State Board of Education (State Board) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), which the State Board oversees. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Cole County, Mo., three days after a By Debra DeCoster T he Kansas City Kansas City Hall has been home to city government since 1971. The aging building is showing its age as the elements have caused cracks in the masonry joints. The windows have lost their seal, leaking cold air inside the rooms. The carpeting and wall coverings inside the building are over 30 years old. The Municipal Office Building has over 186,000 square feet of space, but over 16,000 square feet of the property is unoccupied due to water infiltration. “There is concern that mold in the building and old carpeting could cause health problems for our workers who could be spending up to 60 hours a week working around these conditions,” said Bill Hurrelbrink, communications director for Mayor Mark Holland. “THEY DESERVE... / PAGE 8 KCPS SUES ... / PAGE 5 Traduce Gemma Tornero El Distrito Escolar Enfrenta Dura Batalla E Traduce Gemma Tornero E scuelas Públicas de Kansas City (KCPS por sus siglas en inglés) demandó al Estado de Missouri la semana pasada, alegando negación injusta de la solicitud de KCPS para acreditación provisional, con lo que se corre el riesgo de un costoso vuelo de los estudiantes a otros distritos y amenaza la capacidad del distrito para funcionar y, posiblemente, para mantener su solvencia. KCPS presentó la demanda contra la Junta Estatal de Educación de Missouri (Junta del Estado) y el Departamento de Educación Primaria y Secundaria de Missouri (DESE por sus siglas en inglés), Over the years, KCK City Hall building has not kept up with needed repairs. There’s been a concern that mold, windows and carpet need to be replaced. City officials said they are addressing some of the concerns. A través de los años, el edificio del Ayuntamiento de KCK no se habia mantenido al día con las reparaciones necesarias. Habia preocupación por la humedad, ventanas y la necesidad de reemplazar alfombras. Funcionarios de la ciudad dijeron estar abordando algunas de las necesidades. KCPS DEMANDA ... / PÁGINA 5 NEWSROOM: (816)472.5246 | FAX: (816) 931.6397 | KCHISPANICNEWS.com | l Ayuntamiento de Kansas City Kansas ha sido el hogar del gobierno de la ciudad desde 1971. El envejecido edificio está mostrando su edad, ya que los factores climáticos han causado grietas en las juntas de mampostería. Las ventanas han perdido sus sellos, causando fugas de aire frío hacia el interior de los cuartos. Las alfombras y los revestimientos del interior del edificio tienen más de 30 años de edad. El Edificio de la Oficina Municipal cuenta con más de 186,000 pies cuadrados de espacio, pero más de 16,000 pies cuadrados de la propiedad están desocupados debido a la infiltración de agua. “Existe la preocupación de que el moho en el edificio y la alfombra vieja puedan causar problemas de salud a nuestros trabajadores, quienes pueden pasar hasta 60 horas a la semana trabajando en torno a estas condiciones”, dijo Bill Hurrelbrink, "ELLOS MERECEN ... / PÁGINA 8 E-MAIL: [email protected] ¡Los Mexicanos Están Llegando, Los Mexicanos Están Llegando! Por Raoul Lowery Contreras E n las ciudades fronterizas de San Diego, las más grandes en el oeste, de Nogales a El Paso y Brownsville en el Golfo de México, los mexicanos están desbordándose al atravesar la frontera en cantidades sin precedentes hoy en día. Ellos no vienen a escondidas o por trabajo ilegal o conducta criminal, sino que vienen con puñados de dólares para barrer con nuestros estantes y limpiarlos de los televisores de pantalla plana, reproductores de Blue Ray, cámaras TURISTAS ESTADOUNIDENSES ... / PÁGINA 1 The Mexicans Are Coming, The Mexicans Are Coming! By Raoul Lowery Contreras I n border cities from San Diego, the largest on the west, to Nogales, to El Paso and Brownsville on the Gulf of Mexico Mexicans are flooding across the border in record numbers today. They come not surreptitiously or for illegal work or criminal mischief; they are coming with fistfuls of dollars to sweep our store shelves clean of flat screen televisions, Blue Ray players, digital cameras, computers and Nieman Marcus fashions. AMERICAN TOURISTS ... / PAGE 3 | 2918 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108 19 de Diciembre de 2013 I kchispanicnews.com Class Has Diversity La Clase Tiene Diversidad CONT./PÁGINA 1 refleje la comunidad, y por lo general en esas conversaciones es en el contexto de raza. Esta es sin duda muy importante, pero alrededor de la mitad de la comunidad a la que servimos son mujeres”, dijo. La policía local durante décadas ha sido predominantemente masculina, pero en los últimos años, las mujeres policías han ocupado su lugar en las filas. No ha sido fácil para las mujeres romper las barreras para entrar a la carrera. Una mujer policía describió el entrenamiento de la academia como agotadora, pero necesaria para prepararlos para el trabajo que tienen por delante. ustedes deben estar orgullosos de sus logros”, dijo a la clase. Él ha visto una variedad de cambios en el departamento de policía durante sus tres décadas, pero destacó que los cuatro principios de la buena labor de la policía siguen siendo lo mismos. “La integridad y el valor son las principales estancias de un buen trabajo policial. Los oficiales deben poseer la capacidad de resolver problemas rápidamente, el valorar el conocimiento, sabiduría y tener buen ojo para los detalles. Las habilidades de comunicación son muy importantes en el trabajo, y como oficial de policía necesita la capacidad de hablar con cualquier persona que conozca”, dijo Piccinini. Emocionada de que el día de graduación, finalmente había llegado, la oficial de policía Angelina Sánchez, habló con Hispanic News acerca de las cualidades que las mujeres aportan al departamento de policía. Chief Darryl Forte said female police officers made up one third of the graduates in this class. The police force for decades has been predominantly male. Lisa Arce Sidenstick said she was proud to be among the ranks and file of the KCMO Police department and is looking forward to her new career. Darryl Forte dijo que los oficiales de policía mujeres componen un tercio de los graduados en esta clase. La policía local durante décadas ha sido predominantemente masculina. Lisa Arce Sidenstick dijo que estaba orgulloso de estar entre las filas y los archivos del departamento de Policía de KCMO y está a la espera de su nueva carrera. CONT./PAGE 1 The police force for decades has been predominantly male, but in recent years, female officers have taken their place among the ranks. The career has not been easy for women to break in. One female officer described the academy training as grueling but necessary to prepare them for the job ahead. Waiting to walk in and take the oath of office, police 0fficer Tynetta Jenkins, was excited that graduation day had arrived. “I feel like a million bucks right now. It was a long process but I am happy to finally be here and ready to embark on an exciting journey,” she said. Police officer Sarah Ferguson was excited to be one of the females in the graduating class. “Females bring a different side to law enforcement. We bring a gentler side and that is important, but we can be tough too when we need to be. It is going to be important as females out there to be able to show our confidence and our command presence,” she said. Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Chief Joe Piccinini has served on the force for 30 years and was honored to be the guest speaker for the graduation ceremony. “Graduating from the police academy is no small feat and you should be proud of your accomplishments,” he told the class. He has seen a variety of changes in the police department during his three decades but he emphasized that the four principles of good police work remains the same. “Integrity and courage are the main stays of good police work. Officers need to possess the ability to solve problems quickly, value knowledge and wisdom and have an eye for details. Communication skills are very important in the job, and as a police officer you need the ability to speak with anyone that you meet,” said Piccinini. Excited that graduation day had finally arrived, police officer Angelina Sanchez, spoke with Hispanic News about the qualities women bring to the police department. “Women will bring diversity, compassion towards people in the street, communication skills in our job — women talk a little more and try to get to know the people they meet while they patrol the streets,” said Sanchez. As Forte watched the number of women applying for the police academy grow this past year, he said, “Women bring unique strengths and perspectives that can be lacking in the male-dominated field of law enforcement. I am happy to see them filling our ranks,” he said. The Police Academy training was tough and difficult at times, but Sanchez feels she is a better person because of the training. “Going through the academy is rough and it is difficult but you just push through it. If they didn’t push us, I wouldn’t be in the shape I am or as strongminded as I am after going through the program. I am ready to go out there and learn the job well,” said Sanchez. Last year marked the first time the Kansas City Missouri police department had two female deputy chiefs serving at the same time. The 150th Entrant Officer Class is in training now and out of the 45 entrant officers, 12 are females. “We’re not going to take a rest now and celebrate. Obviously more work needs to be done. Our recruiters will continue to encourage females to apply, as well as a wide array of people from different races, socioeconomic backgrounds and cultural experiences,” said Forte. Police officer Sandy Thompson is 43 years old and decided to follow his dream to become a police officer. Waiting outside the auditorium before the graduation ceremony began, he said, “I am getting my dream fulfilled.” As he reflected on the past seven months of training, he said that graduation was exciting but he was filled with a little sadness as well. “We have been together in the academy for seven months. Not being able to see all of our classmates, going through our daily routines, all the fun things we did as a group, I will miss that part. We had our ups and downs but towards the end we became brothers and sisters. We are very close,” said Thompson. Esperando para entrar y tomar el juramento del cargo, la oficial de policía Tynetta Jenkins, estaba emocionada de que el día de graduación había llegado. “Me siento como un millón de dólares en estos momentos. Fue un proceso largo, pero estoy feliz de estar finalmente aquí y lista para embarcarme en un viaje emocionante”, dijo. La oficial de policía Sarah Ferguson estaba emocionada de ser una de las mujeres de la clase que se gradúa. “Las mujeres traen un lado diferente a la policía. Traemos un lado más amable y eso es importante, pero podemos ser duras también cuando tenemos que serlo. Va a ser importante como mujeres allá afuera el ser capaces de demostrar nuestra confianza y nuestra presencia de comandos”, dijo. El Jefe de Policía de Lee Summit, Missouri, Joe Piccinini ha sido integrante de la fuerza policial durante 30 años y tuvo el honor de ser el orador invitado para la ceremonia de graduación. “El graduarse de la academia de policía no es poca cosa y “Las mujeres aportarán diversidad, la compasión hacia la gente de la calle, las habilidades de comunicación en nuestro trabajo - las mujeres hablan un poco más y tratan de llegar a conocer a las personas con las que se encuentran mientras patrullan las calles”, dijo Sánchez. Ya que Forte observó que el número de mujeres que solicitan la academia de policía creció este año pasado, dijo: “Las mujeres aportan fortalezas y perspectivas únicas que pueden estar faltando en un campo de la aplicación de la ley dominado por hombres. Estoy feliz de verlas llenar nuestras filas”, dijo. La formación de la Academia de Policía fue dura y difícil a veces, pero Sánchez se siente que ella es una mejor persona, debido a la formación. “El paso por la academia es duro y es difícil, pero una simplemente tiene que empujarse a pasar por ello. Si no nos presionan, yo no estaría en la condición física en que estoy o no seria tan fuerte de mente como soy después de pasar por el programa. Estoy lista para salir y aprender bien el trabajo”, dijo Sánchez. El año pasado fue la primera vez que el departamento de policía de Kansas City Missouri tuvo a dos sub-jefes mujeres en servicio al mismo tiempo. La Clase de Oficiales Participantes 150 que está en entrenamiento ahora, de los 45 oficiales que entrenan, 12 son mujeres. “Nosotros no nos vamos a tomar un descanso ahora y celebrar. Obviamente aún queda trabajo por hacer. Nuestros reclutadores continuarán alentando a las mujeres para que apliquen, así como una amplia gama de personas de diferentes razas, niveles socio económicos y experiencias culturales”, dijo Forte. El oficial de policía Sandy Thompson tiene 43 años y decidió seguir su sueño de convertirse en un oficial de policía. Esperando afuera del auditorio antes de que comenzara la ceremonia de graduación, el dijo: “Estoy haciendo mi sueño realidad”. Al reflexionar en los últimos siete meses de entrenamiento, dijo que la graduación era emocionante, pero estaba lleno de un poco de tristeza también. “Hemos estado juntos en la academia durante siete meses. Sin ser capaces de ver a todos nuestros compañeros de clase, pasando por nuestras rutinas diarias, todas las cosas divertidas que hicimos como grupo, voy a extrañar esa parte. Tuvimos nuestros altibajos, pero al final nos convertimos en hermanos y hermanas. Somos muy cercanos”, dijo Thompson. ART’S Mexican Products It’s that time of year for making Tamales We have all the Ingredients “Pure Corn Masa”, Chile Ancho, Hojas. All the items you need for making homemade Tamales. Es esa época del año para hacer Tamales Contamos con todos los ingredientes “Pure Corn Masa”, Chile Ancho, Hojas. Todo lo que usted necesita para hacer tamales caseros. Pre-Order Early * Haga Su Orden con Anticipacion Call TODAY! * Llamenos Hoy Mismo We have 24/7 Answering Service Tenemos Servicio de Contestador 24/7 913-371-2163 Merry Christmas * Feliz Navidad 615 Kansas Ave en KCK TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 kchispanicnews.com I 19 de Diciembre de 2013 Turistas Estadounidenses Están Regresando A Baja California CONT./PÁGINA 1 digitales, computadoras y ropa de Neiman Marcus. Mientras están aquí compran comida y bebida, visitan a los médicos, se hospedan en hoteles, incluyen excursiones al Zoológico de San Diego, Sea World, o hasta la costa hacia Disneyland, Lego Land y otras atracciones turísticas. Ellos gastan dinero real obtenido de las ventas nacionales de petróleo a Estados Unidos, de los coches construidos en las plantas de Ford, General Motors, Nissan y Volkswagen. Miles de televisores de pantalla plana son ensambladas en Tijuana y Rosarito Beach a pocos minutos al sur de San Diego. Subcontratistas aeroespaciales de las mayores empresas de E.U. resuenan con actividad en parques industriales masivos de Tijuana, México. Es decir, las empresas que sobrevivieron al gran éxodo a China hace diez y veinte años. Durante un tiempo, parecía que las mascotas “Chía” sería la única industria que permanecería en Baja California, en Tijuana y que el New York Times llamó una vez el “Silicon Valley” de México. SONY solía construir miles de televisores de la marca en las fábricas de todo Tijuana. 200 camiones de 18 ruedas llenas de televisores SONY eran enviados a través de la frontera todos los días de la semana, de lunes a sábado. Pero SONY se retiró; China, le hizo señas. No más, el diario Los Ángeles Times publicó recientemente un extenso artículo reportando que las empresas estadounidenses estaban regresando a México y estaban creando miles de nuevos puestos de trabajo como los que había hace veinte y treinta años atrás. Las empresas estadounidenses están abriendo plantas de producción diariamente en Tijuana. La ciudad dispone de un gran aeropuerto internacional, buenas carreteras y las instalaciones de transporte por carretera, el acceso a los puertos de San Diego y Los Ángeles/Long Beach, el servicio ferroviario de los condados de San Diego/Orange y Los Ángeles, y una fuerza de trabajo altamente calificada que gana el salario más alto de todos los mexicanos que trabajan. Tijuana ha sido una ciudad en auge en muchas ocasiones en el pasado. Hace 40 años los desarrolladores de bienes raíces iban de la ciudad de México a comprar un terreno en las afueras de la ciudad e instalar espectaculares que vendían una casa con una extensión de tierra de dos y tres dormitorios con pequeños jardines y vendían la totalidad del proyecto, sin clasificación de tierra o construcción de caminos. Entonces la escasez de agua podía frenar el desarrollo y luego continuar de nuevo cuando el gobierno federal abrió acueductos desde el Río Colorado en el Este. Las chozas de papel de alquitrán cubrieron cada pie cuadrado del fondo de los ríos y laderas. La pobreza proliferó, ¿no? En realidad, las personas se sorprendieron al ver las camionetas nuevas de la marca pick-up estacionadas frente a esas mismas chozas de papel de alquitrán. Las casas no se podían construir lo suficientemente rápido como para satisfacer la demanda. Las calles de Tijuana fueron pavimentadas en “Oro”. Mientras tanto, México aprobó leyes que se ajustaban a los derechos de aduana estadounidenses y que permitieron a las empresas estadounidenses enviar las materias primas o productos semielaborados a Tijuana donde se ensamblaban los productos finales para luego mandarlos de regresó a los E.U. con los derechos de aduana sólo en el “valor agregado”, que significó el costo de la mano de obra mexicana, no el valor del producto acabado. Entonces las empresas se fueron a China para la mano de obra barata. Pero ahora que cuesta más fabricar en China que en México y cuesta menos enviar los productos a los E.U., y se permite la gestión de ejercer en tiempo real el manejo de los productos, diseños y mano de obra, Tijuana está de vuelta, México está de vuelta. Al mismo tiempo, la violencia de los cárteles de drogas a lo largo de la frontera ha disminuido, y los turistas estadounidenses están regresando a Baja California, donde 250,000 estadounidenses viven en el lujo frente al mar, por una cuarta parte de lo que cuesta sólo a unos pocos kilómetros al norte de San Diego/Coronado/ La Jolla. México es nuestro tercer socio comercial después de Canadá y China, hay una enorme diferencia entre el comercio estadounidense con China y México. China restringe las importaciones estadounidenses a China, y México no lo hace. México compra más a los E.U. que toda Europa, por ejemplo. Los mexicanos vienen de compras, a gastar dinero y divertirse. Ayuda a que el nuevo gobierno del centro izquierda del resucitado Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) ha incrementado el Impuesto al Valor Agregado (IVA por sus siglas) a partir del cuál la República Mexicana obtiene la mayor parte de sus ingresos. Todos pagan cuando compran bienes y servicios. La disminución de las tasas de natalidad en los últimos treinta años han contraído la famosa mano de obra excedente de México, la población nacional se está estabilizando y es aberrante hoy encontrar madres con 7 a 10 niños. La disminución de las bolsas de trabajo significan salarios más altos y un menor número de hombres jóvenes que van al norte por empleos en Estados Unidos. México está creciendo de nuevo. Otros países latinoamericanos están sumidos en la pobreza perpetua, poco o ningún crecimiento económico, la falta de libertad de empresa y, en algunos casos, estados fallidos dirigidos por comunistas, criminales y/o carteles de la droga. Los economistas en general coinciden en que México está creciendo rápidamente; tienen razón. Nosotros en San Diego lo vemos todos los días en nuestros centros comerciales. Los libros de Contreras están disponibles en amazon.com Traduce Gemma Tornero American Tourists Are Returning To Baja California CONT./PAGE 1 While here they buy food and drink, visit doctors, stay in hotels, include side trips to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World or up the coast to Disneyland, Lego Land and other tourist attractions. They spend real money earned from national oil sales to the United States, from cars built in Ford, General Motors, Nissan and Volkswagen plants. Thousands of flat screen televisions are assembled in Tijuana and Rosarito Beach just minutes south of San Diego. Aerospace subcontractors of the largest U.S. companies hum with activity in massive industrial parks of Tijuana, Mexico. That is, companies that survived the great exodus to China ten, twenty years ago. For a while, it seemed like “Chia”pets would be the only industry left in Baja California, in Tijuana that the New York Times once called the “Silicon Valley” of Mexico. SONY used to build thousands of brand television sets in factories all over Tijuana. 200 18-wheel trucks full of SONY televisions were shipped through the border EVERY DAY of the week, Monday through Saturday. But SONY pulled out; China beckoned. No more, the Los Angeles Times recently published a lengthy article that American firms were returning to Mexico and creating thousands of new jobs like they used to twenty and thirty years ago. American companies are opening manufacturing facilities every day in Tijuana. It has a large international airport, good roads and trucking facilities, access to San Diego and Los Angeles/ Long Beach harbors, rail service from San Diego/Orange and Los Angeles Counties and a highly skilled work force that earns the highest wages of all working Mexicans. Tijuana has been a boom town many times in the past. 40 years ago real estate developers would come from Mexico City buy land on the city’s outskirts erect billboards selling tract two and three bedroom houses with tiny yards and sell out the entire project without grading the land or building roads. Then water shortages would slow development down then spike up again when the federal government opened up aqueducts from the Colorado River on the east. Tar paper shacks covered every square foot of river bottoms and hillsides. Poverty abounded, no? Actually, people were stunned to see brand new pick-up trucks parked in front of those very same tar paper shacks. Houses couldn’t be built fast enough to satisfy demand. Tijuana streets were paved in “Gold.” Meanwhile, Mexico passed laws that conformed to American customs duties that allowed American companies to ship raw materials or semi-finished goods to Tijuana where the final products were assembled then returned to the US with customs duties just on the “added value” which meant the cost of the Mexican labor, not on the value of the finished product. Then companies left for China for cheaper labor. But now that it costs more to manufacture in China than in Mexico and costs less to ship the products into the U.S. and allows management to exercise real time management of products and designs and TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 labor forces, Tijuana is back; Mexico is back. At the same time, drug cartel violence along the border has receded and American tourists are returning to Baja California where 250,000 Americans live in oceanfront luxury for a fourth of what it costs just a few miles north in San Diego/Coronado/ La Jolla. Mexico is our third largest trading partner after Canada and China; there is a huge difference between American trade with China and Mexico. China restricts American imports into China and Mexico doesn’t. Mexico buys more from the US than all of Europe, for example. Mexicans come to shop, to spend money and to enjoy themselves. It helps that the new left-of-center government of the resurrected Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) has increased the Value Added (sales) Tax (VAT) from which the Republic of Mexico derives most of its revenue. Everyone pays when they buy goods and services. Shrinking birth rates over the past thirty years have contracted the famous Mexican labor surplus, the national population is stabilizing and it is aberrational today to find mothers with 7 to 10 children. Shrinking labor pools mean higher wages and fewer young men going north for jobs in America. Mexico is growing again. Other Latin American countries are mired in perpetual poverty, little or no economic growth, lack of free enterprise and in some cases, are failed states run by communists, criminals and/or drug cartels. Economists generally agree that Mexico is rising fast; they are right. We in San Diego see it every day in our shopping malls. Contreras’ books are available at amazon.com FYI T PILOT PROGRAM ENCOURAGES COMPANIES TO CONSIDER ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES AS AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT he City of Kansas City, Mo., announces the Home Energy Affordability Loan pilot program, an energy-efficiency loan program developed in Arkansas that blends employee quality of life with corporate environmental responsibility. The pilot program was designed by the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Climate Initiative and has been underway for more than four years in Arkansas with many types of participating employers, including hospitals, manufacturers and municipalities. Kansas City, Mo., is one of six additional national locations piloting the program. The pilot program is funded and implemented by the City of Kansas City, Mo., and managed by the Metropolitan Energy Center. “This program is among the first of its kind in the United States,” said Dennis Murphey, the City’s chief environmental officer. “Its goal is to motivate companies to view home energy efficiency analysis and upgrades as a benefit for employees.” Several local employers are participating in the pilot program, which is funded with $400,000 from the City’s EnergyWorks KC program. Funding for EnergyWorks KC is made available from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Neighborhood Program from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. “We’d like to encourage 150 employees to complete a home energy analysis and at least 75 of those to complete energy improvements in their home,” said Gerald Shechter, the City’s sustainability coordinator. Metropolitan Energy Center, the primary service provider for the City’s EnergyWorks KC program, will present energy efficiency information sessions at participating employers’ offices to encourage employees to receive a free home energy analysis – a savings of $300$500. Employees who sign up for the analysis will receive a personalized energy plan that clearly specifies what home energy efficiency improvements can be made and the estimated annual savings for each improvement. They may then decide whether or not to proceed with the upgrades. “The program is a great investment, since participants can expect at least a 15 percent savings in their energy bills as a result – an investment that exceeds the returns of many other common employee benefits,” Murphey said. In addition, all employees of participating employers, who own their home, may participate; there are no income restrictions or other qualifications to meet. “Employees will then pay for their energy efficiency upgrades through payroll deductions, which reduces risk,” said Jenifer Degen, EnergyWorks KC contract manager. “It’s a very wellthought out process.” Participating employers may choose one of two program models to administer the program, with the goal of creating a self-sustaining program in the future after the pilot program ends in March 2014. “Extension of the program into the future will depend upon employer acceptance and implementation of the HEAL program concepts,” Murphey said. Employers interested in participating in this pilot program are advised to contact the Metropolitan Energy Center at 816-531-7283 as soon as possible, as funding for additional participants is limited. Source: City of Kansas City Book Today For Your Event! - ¡Reserve Hoy Para Su Evento! Available for Art Exhibits, Private Parties, Company Parties and/or Family Reunion, Baby Shower and Wedding Shower (816)472-5246 2918 S outhwest B lvd . KCMO YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 19 de Diciembre de 2013 I kchispanicnews.com Pachuco, The other day my mother asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I told her that I wished that Santa was real. That’s because I have a Christmas wish for him. All I want for Christmas is for my father to change the way he treats me. By LUIS CORDOBA & KATHY JULIO Believing that there was more to this question than appeared on the surface, I, the ever-knowing Pachuco, used my sophisticated 007 tracking skills to find the person who wrote me. Okay, maybe I just hit the “reply” button in the email that he sent me. Ene güey (Anyway), here is what I found out. Cisco is a very bright 15-year-old young man attending high school in the Kansas City metro area. He lives with his mother and his two younger brothers. He does not live with his father. That is because his mother separated from his father when he was a baby. This separation created the typical absent father scenario. This forced Cisco’s mother to basically be completely responsible for raising him and his two brothers. While this fulltime working mom feeds and clothes her children, takes them to the doctor and makes sure they do well in school, the father drowns himself in his world of drinking. Or another way to put it … dead beat Dad pendejo (dumb ass) who is more i n t e re s t e d in partying than in being a father. So what does Cisco want for Christmas? In his own words. 1) I wish my father would stop calling me names. My dad has called me güey (idiot), tonto (stupid), pinche (worthless f^%#), and maricón (faggot). My dad has also called me huevón (lazy f^%#) and leva (sell-out bitch). I don’t know what my dad wants from me. I go to school. I study hard. And I like hanging out with my friends. But I am tired of him talking to me like this. When I am with him at his house and he starts calling me names, all I can do is ‘check out.’ If only my father would stop calling me names. 2) I wish I had a bed to sleep on. When I go to my dad’s house, I sleep on the couch in the living room. Every morning when I wake up, my back hurts. Sometimes the pain is so bad that I can hardly walk when I get up. My dad knows that I come visit him every week. But he doesn’t care where I sleep. How I wish I had a bed of my own to sleep on when I am over at my dad’s house. 3) My father wants me to fix tires. My dad owns a repair shop. He tells me I should quit school and work for him. He expects me to take over the business. And he has also told me that I am not going to college. I do not want to work for my dad. And I do not want to own his business. I want to go to college and choose my own path. If only my dad would accept that I have my own dreams and goals. 4) I wish my father was not a drunk. My dad is always drinking. He throws drinking parties at his house and at his repair shop with his drunk friends. He used to drink and drive with me in his truck when I was a baby. When I am over at his house, he and his friends can be up all night drinking while I am trying to sleep on that awful couch. I wish my father was not a drunk. 5) I wish that my father would stop saying, “If Cisco doesn’t call me, why should I call him?” I know that my dad had a hard life growing up. He grew up poor and without his father in his life. Maybe that is why he doesn’t know how to be a father. But why would he not want to call me? Or want to spend time with me? He calls his friends. He hangs out with his friends. He drinks with his friends. I just want my dad to want to spend time with me. So, Pachuco, if there is a Santa, I want him to touch my dad’s heart and help him to know how to be a better father. All I want for Christmas is for my father to change the way he treats me. Cisco, I am truly moved by your honesty about your feelings towards your dad. I know that you are a strong, young man. And as a result of your willingness to share your thoughts, you are helping other young people who are going through the same things you are. I don’t know if you realize it or not but these words of courage and inspiration give out an important message to fathers who are in need of change. You certainly touched my heart as a father. After talking to you, I immediately called my son. As you know by reading my column, he is going through some tough times in his young adult life because of drugs. But I still love him. So Cisco, believe, be patient and let Santa live in your heart. How do you do this? By staying on track with your educational goals. By taking care of your mother by respecting her. By watching out for your little carnalitos (brothers). And then, when you become a father, never forget. Never, ever make your child feel worthless or less than. The Pachuco says to keep believing and maybe one day you will see Santa Claus with his Pancho Villa mustache, his revolutionary sombrero and his horse tied up to the bumper of his ‘58 Chevy Impala. Why? Because his damn horse is too tired to pull the carucha (car) on Christmas Day. ¡Qué viva Santa Claus, Ese! (Long live Santa Claus, Homeboy!) The Pachuco Educado. This column is dedicated to helping youth and families. My mission as the Educated Pachuco is to help people of all ages overcome prejudices and stereotypes. My desire is to encourage youth and families to examine life from a new perspective with the hope of motivating all peoples toward positive life change. If you have a question or concern that you are struggling with, please contact me on Facebook at (www.facebook.com/ educatedpachuco). I look forward to getting to know you. The Pachuco. Educated Advice offered by the Educated Pachuco is intended for informational purposes only. If you have a specific concern that requires professional help, please consult with an appropriately trained and qualified specialist.When you submit responses and any other information, you grant the Educated Pachuco and Kansas City Hispanic News permission to use, reproduce, or modify your submissions in all electronic and print publications here and/or elsewhere. Identifying information will never be included or distributed. Due to the large number of submissions, we regret that we cannot respond personally to each one. The information presented does not represent the opinion of Kansas City Hispanic News or any of its employees. Pachuco: El otro día mi madre me preguntó qué quería para Navidad. Le dije que me hubiera gustado que Santa fuera real. Eso es porque tengo un deseo de Navidad para él. Todo lo que quiero para Navidad es que mi padre cambie la forma en que me trata. Traduce GEMMA TORNERO Esta columna, esta dedicada, a la ayuda de la juventud y las familias. Mi misión como “El Pachuco Educado”, es ayudar a la gente de todas las edades a vencer prejuicios y estereotipos. Mi deseo es animar a la juventud y a las familias a examinar la vida desde un nuevo punto de vista, con la esperanza de motivar a todos los pueblos hacia el cambio de vida positiva. Si usted tiene una pregunta o preocupación con la que lucha, por favor póngase en contacto conmigo en Facebook en www. facebook.com/educatedpachuco). Espero llegar a conocerle. “El Pachuco Educado”. El consejo ofrecido por el Pachuco Educado tiene propósitos informativos unicamente. Si usted tiene una preocupación específica que requiere la ayuda profesional, por favor consulte con un especialista calificado y entrenado apropiadamente. Cuando usted presente propuestas y/o cualquier otra información, a Hispanic News y a El Pachuco Educado usted estará otorgando permiso para usar, reproducir, o modificar sus presentaciones en todas las publicaciones electrónicas e impresas aquí y/o en otros lugares. La información de identificación nunca será incluida o distribuida. Debido al gran número de propuestas, lamentamos que no podamos responder personalmente a cada una. La información presentada no representa la opinión de Hispanic News o de cualquiera de sus empleados. Creyendo que había algo más en esta pregunta que apareció en la superficie, yo, El Pachuco que siempre lo sabe todo, usé mis sofisticadas habilidades de rastreo 007 para encontrar a la persona que me escribió. Esta bien, tal vez solo di clic en el botón de “Responder” en el correo electrónico que me envió. De todas formas, esto es de lo que me enteré. Cisco es un joven muy brillante de 15 años de edad, y asiste a la escuela preparatoria en el área metropolitana de Kansas City. El vive con su madre y sus dos hermanos menores. Él no vive con su padre. Esto se debe a que su madre se separó de su padre cuando él era un bebé. Esta separación creó el escenario típico de un padre ausente. Esto obligó a la madre de Cisco a básicamente ser completamente responsable de la formación de él y sus dos hermanos. Mientras que esta madre que trabaja tiempo completo, alimenta y viste a sus hijos, los lleva al médico y se asegura de que les vaya bien en la escuela, el padre se ahoga en su mundo con la bebida. U otra forma de decirlo el papá ‘pendejo’ está más interesado en la fiesta que en ser un padre. Así, ¿qué quiere Cisco para la Navidad? En sus propias palabras. 1) Me gustaría que mi padre dejara de insultarme. Mi padre me ha llamado ‘güey’, tonto, pinche y maricón. Mi padre también me ha llamado huevón y leva. No sé lo que mi padre quiere de mí. Voy a la escuela. Estudio mucho. Y me gusta salir con mis amigos. Pero estoy cansado de que él esté hablando conmigo así. Cuando estoy con él en su casa y él comienza a insultarme, lo único que puedo hacer es ‘salirme’. Si tan solo mi padre dejara de llamarme por esos nombres. 2) Me gustaría tener una cama para dormir. Cuando voy a la casa de mi papá, yo duermo en el sofá de la sala. Cada mañana cuando me despierto, me duele la espalda. A veces el dolor es tan intenso que casi no puedo caminar cuando me levanto. Mi padre sabe que yo vengo a visitarlo cada semana. Pero a él no le importa donde duermo. Cómo me gustaría tener una cama propia para dormir cuando estoy en casa de mi padre. 3 ) Mi padre quiere que arregle neumáticos. Mi padre es dueño de un taller de reparación. Él me dice que debería dejar la escuela y trabajar para él. Él espera que yo tome las riendas del negocio. Y también me ha dicho que no voy a ir a la universidad. Yo no quiero trabajar para mi padre. Y yo no quiero ser dueño de su negocio. Yo quiero ir a la universidad y elegir mi propio camino. Si mi padre aceptará que tengo mis propios sueños y metas. 4 ) Me gustaría que mi padre no fuera un borracho. Mi papá siempre está bebiendo. Él hace fiestas en su casa y en su taller de reparación donde bebe con sus amigos borrachos. Solía beber y conducir conmigo en su camioneta cuando yo era un bebé. Cuando estoy en su casa, él y sus amigos pueden estar cambio. Por supuesto que me llegó al despiertos toda la noche bebiendo, corazón como a un padre. Después de mientras yo estoy tratando de dormir hablar contigo, de inmediato llamé a en ese horrible sofá. Me gustaría que mi hijo. Como ustedes saben debido mi padre no fuera un borracho. a que leen mi columna, mi hijo está 5) Me gustaría que mi padre dejara pasando por momentos difíciles en su de decir: “Si Cisco no me llama, ¿por vida adulta a causa de las drogas. Pero todavía lo amo. qué debo llamarlo?” Así Cisco, cree, se paciente y Yo sé que mi papá tuvo una vida difícil al crecer. Él creció en la pobreza deja que Santa viva en tu corazón. y sin su padre en su vida. Tal vez por ¿Cómo se hace esto? Al permanecer eso no sabe cómo ser un padre. Pero al día con tus objetivos educativos. ¿por qué él no querría llamarme? Al cuidar de tu madre mediante el ¿O querer pasar tiempo conmigo? respeto hacia ella. Cuidando a tus Él llama a sus amigos. Él sale con pequeños carnalitos. Y luego, cuando sus amigos. Él bebe con sus amigos. te conviertas en padre, nunca olvides. Sólo quiero que mi papá quiera pasar Nunca, nunca hagas que tu hijo se sienta inútil o inferior. tiempo conmigo. El Pachuco dice hay que seguir Así, Pachuco, si hay un Santa, quiero que toque el corazón de mi creyendo y quizás algún día verás a papá y le ayude a saber cómo ser un Papá Noel con su bigote de Pancho mejor padre. Todo lo que quiero para Villa, su sombrero revolucionario y Navidad es que mi padre cambie la su caballo atado al parachoques de su Chevy Impala ‘58. ¿Por qué? Debido forma en que me trata. a que su condenado caballo está Cisco, estoy realmente conmovido demasiado cansado para tirar de la por tu sinceridad acerca de tus carroza el día de Navidad. ¡Que Viva sentimientos hacia tu padre. Yo sé Santa Claus, Ese! que tu eres un hombre fuerte, joven. Y como resultado de tu voluntad de compartir tus pensamientos, estás El Pachuco Educado. ayudando a otros jóvenes que están pasando por las mismas cosas que tú. No sé si te das cuenta o no, pero estas palabras de aliento e inspiración dan un mensaje importante a los padres que están www.facebook.com/educatedpachuco en necesidad de Football Specials Sat/Sun Only Serves 4 To 6 Persons BARBACOA (2 LBS) Served W/Salsa Verde & Roja, Onion, Cilantro $17.99 CARNITAS (2 LBS) Served W/Salsa Verde & Roja and Pico De Gallo $15.99 CHIPS & SALSA With Green Or Red Salsa $11.99 Chips & Queso Dip $14.99 Chips & Guacamole $15.99 TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 kchispanicnews.com I 19 de Diciembre de 2013 KCPS Sues State to Block Student Exodus, Avoid Financial Ruin CONT./PAGE 1 Missouri Supreme Court ruling in a separate case that “opens the door to ... transfers of students residing in KCPS” while the district remains unaccredited, according to the KCPS suit. Missouri law requires a school district that loses accreditation to pay tuition for all resident pupils who attend an accredited school in another district in the same county or an adjoining one, and to pay related transportation costs. The State Board has specific requirements that the state’s school districts must meet for accreditation, DESE spokeswoman Sarah Potter said. But the State Board also has discretion to use other criteria in each case, she said. “It will be difficult for (KCPS) to force the state board to vote on what is a subjective decision,” Potter said. “It’s not merely numbers that are involved here.” The State Board’s objective accreditation standards for K-12 districts are: academic achievement, subgroup academic achievement, college and career readiness, attendance rate and graduation rate. For K-8 districts: academic achievement, subgroup academic achievement, high school readiness and attendance rate. The suit also alleges that Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro developed a behind-the -scenes plan with Education Entrepreneurship Trust (CEETRUST) and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to divide KCPS into charter schools. Potter said that no plan for KCPS exists yet. CEE-TRUST was chosen in an open bid process to help with identifying options for a final plan. The choice of CEE-TRUST was publicly announced. Dividing the district into charter schools is one of many ideas that have been discussed, she said. Kansas City Hispanic News reached out to the Kauffman Foundation for comment, but the foundation didn’t return calls by press time. Arthur Benson of the Benson & Associates law firm said the consequences of denying provisional accreditation to KCPS were “dire.” “The Kansas City school district could be bankrupted in 12 months,” he said. Benson represented the Kansas City school children from 1979 to 2004. He was a district board member from 2008 to 2012. “(KCPS has) certainly earned serious consideration of provisional accreditation,” he said. However, the State Board’s denial of provisional accreditation was “not improper,” based on the board’s discretion, Benson said. The KCPS board said in a news release that the decisions of the Supreme Court and the State Board “will create irreparable harm to the ongoing growth of (the students’) achievement.” KCPS Vice Chair Crispin Rea told Hispanic News that the board “felt like we did not have a fair vetting of our status.” A spokeswoman for Kansas City Mayor Sly James responded to questions from Kansas City Hispanic News via email: “The Mayor’s opinion of the transfer controversy is that it is more about adult issues than issues related to the academic achievement of our city’s students. It’s an erroneous, short-term band-aid for a larger issue with our schools. The current transfer law puts the burden on families to work harder to find quality schools. Instead, we need a system where quality schools are guaranteed in each neighborhood so that no student needs to transfer into a better situation.” “The Commissioner and the Board of Education have said that it is not their policy to make accreditation decisions based on one year’s data. The Mayor’s administration is fact and datadriven so he understands this policy, while also applauding the upward momentum of KCPS.” “The Mayor hopes that the Legislature will amend the transfer law prior to legislative spring break so that the consequences some are predicting will be lessened. However, most of all, the Mayor is concerned about any consequences for students.” Performance requirements for Missouri school districts’ accreditation can be read at http://dese.mo.gov/qs/documents/ MSIP-5-Performance-StandardAppendix-A.pdf. KCPS Demanda Al Estado Para Bloquear El Éxodo Estudiantil, Y Evitar La Ruina Financiera CONT./PÁGINA 1 el cual la Junta Estatal supervisa. La demanda fue presentada en el Tribunal de Circuito del Condado de Cole, Missouri, tres días después de un fallo de la Corte Suprema de Missouri en un caso aparte que “abre la puerta a las transferencias de los estudiantes que residen en KCPS” mientras que el distrito sigue estando no acreditado, según la demanda de KCPS. La ley de Missouri requiere que un distrito escolar que pierde acreditación pague la matrícula de todos los alumnos residentes que asisten a una escuela acreditada en otro distrito del mismo condado o uno adyacente, y pagar los costos de transporte relacionados. La Junta del Estado tiene requisitos específicos que los distritos escolares del estado deben cumplir para la acreditación, dijo la portavoz de DESE, Sarah Potter. Pero la Junta del Estado también tiene la facultad de utilizar otros criterios en cada caso, dijo. “Va a ser difícil (para KCPS ) obligar a la junta estatal a votar sobre lo que es un decisión subjetiva”, dijo Potter. “No son simplemente números los que están involucrados aquí”. Los objetivos estándares de acreditación de la Junta Estatal para los distritos K-12 son: logros académicos, logro académico de subgrupo, la universidad y la disposición a la carrera, el índice de asistencia y de graduación. Para los distritos de K-8: logros académicos, logro académico de subgrupo, preparación para la escuela preparatoria e índice de asistencia. La demanda también alega que el Comisario de Educación de Missouri, Chris Nicastro ha desarrollado un plan tras bambalinas con el Fideicomiso Educación de Emprendimiento (CEE- TRUST por sus siglas en inglés) y la Fundación Ewing Marion Kauffman para dividir KCPS en escuelas charter. Potter dijo que todavía no existe ningún plan para KCPS. CEE- TRUST fue elegido en un proceso de licitación abierto para ayudar en la identificación de opciones para un plan final. La elección de CEE- TRUST fue anunciada públicamente. El dividir el distrito en escuelas charter es una de las muchas ideas que se han discutido, dijo ella. Kansas City Hispanic News se acercó a la Fundación Kauffman para hacer comentarios, pero la Fundación no había regresado las llamadas hasta la hora del cierre. Arthur Benson, de la firma legal Benson & Associates dijo que las consecuencias de negar la acreditación provisional para KCPS eran “terribles”. “El distrito escolar de Kansas City podría estar en bancarrota en 12 meses”, dijo. Benson representaba a los niños de las escuelas de Kansas City desde 1979 hasta el 2004. El era integrante de la junta de distrito del 2008 al 2012. “(KCPS tiene) ciertamente ganada seria consideración de acreditación provisional”, dijo. Sin embargo, la negación de la acreditación provisional de la Junta de Estado no fue “inadecuada”, basada en el criterio de la junta, dijo Benson. La junta de KCPS dijo en un comunicado de prensa que las decisiones de la Suprema Corte y la Junta de Estado “van a crear un daño irreparable para el crecimiento continuo del logro (de los estudiantes)”. El Vicepresidente KCPS Crispin Rea dijo a Hispanic News que la junta “Siente como si no tenemos un veto justo de nuestro estatus”. Un portavoz por parte del Alcalde Sly James, de Kansas City respondió a las preguntas de Kansas City Hispanic News por correo electrónico: “La opinión del alcalde en la polémica transferencia es que se trata más de asuntos de los adultos que los temas relacionados con el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de nuestra ciudad. Se trata de una curita errónea a corto plazo para un problema más grande con nuestras escuelas. La actual ley de transferencia pone la carga sobre las familias que trabajan más duro para encontrar escuelas de calidad. En su lugar, necesitamos un sistema donde las escuelas de calidad están garantizados en cada barrio para que ningún estudiante tenga que transferirse a una mejor situación”. “El Comisionado y la Junta de Educación han dicho que no es su política el tomar decisiones de acreditación en base a los datos de un año. La administración del Alcalde es un hecho y se basan en los datos para que él entienda esta política, al tiempo que aplaude el impulso ascendente de KCPS”. “El alcalde espera que la Legislatura modifique la ley de transferencia antes de las vacaciones de primavera en el legislativo a fin de que se reduzcan las consecuencias que algunos predicen. Sin embargo, por encima de todo, el alcalde está preocupado por las consecuencias para los estudiantes”. Los requisitos de desempeño para la acreditación a los distritos escolares de Missouri se pueden leer en http:// dese.mo.gov/qs/documents/ MSIP-5-Per formanceStandardAppendix-A.pdf. Don’t Let The Math Get In The Way D E P O R T E S By Jose Faus O h man. Here we are, two weeks left in the season and the Chiefs are headed to the playoffs. Who would have thought so? Well honestly a lot of people did but they are called irrational fans. They are those diehards who hold on to every implausible scenario. They are the type of fans that hang on until the math no longer leaves you room to deceive yourself. They are the type of fans that have been on the bandwagon since they saw their first game. I am that type of fan. I saw my first game back in 1966 at old Municipal Stadium. It was a scary place for a young immigrant and more than that a strange place when you have no idea what is going on in the field. I had never seen a game. A family friend thought it would be a great thing to take a couple of young boys to experience the thing live. I can’t honestly remember whom they played but for some reason Buffalo Bills sticks in my mind. All I remember was the infectious clamor that rose from the stands. I also remember that we were treated well. We ate cotton candy. I think the team won. Three years later, I was playing football and I knew the rules of the game and I loved it. But what I loved the most was following the team every Sunday. And it has been a chaotic ride. Those first years sealed it for me. They were winners. They played the hated Oakland Raiders and I loved it. I recalled the championship game against Oakland that sent them to the Super Bowl against Minnesota. (We won’t mention the first one they lost to the Green Bay Packers. Outside of the math the game did not really happen.) They had lost to the Raiders twice that year but you find out how difficult it is to beat a team three times and the Chiefs took it that day. I was living out of state at the time and I remember feeling so nervous before the game. They were playing the awesome Minnesota Vikings, those Vikings of “the purple people eaters” and that bruiser quarterback Joe Kapp who knocked out a linebacker on a quarterback run. They had no chance. And of course they won. They not only won they kicked booty. And the biggest shame of it all? The one most deserving of the Hall of Fame is Otis Taylor, the one of that silky-smooth, tall and lanky glide. The one who took on Ben Davidson after he speared his quarterback and took him to the ground. I remember the championship Christmas day game against the Miami Dolphins. I played guitar back then and a friend had brought over a Martin six string so we could play. He was very disappointed when I chose to listen to the game on the radio rather than play the guitar. I think I strummed it once and gave it back to him. I don’t recall when he left but I was alone in the dark when the game ended and the glory years faded. That was misery. There were the years of wandering in the football wilderness. It was painful to watch. I think Paul Wiggins was a nice guy and he could jump straight up really well but boy that team was ineffective. I think Romeo Crennel matched him in that last year. Both nice guys but bad teams. Reynas Then came Marty Schottenheimer and Carl Peterson. I recall that the year before you could go to the game and get a ticket from a scalper as cheap as 5 bucks. That first game against Oakland with Marty at the helm was 30 bucks. Oh, the glory days were back. And how they were. I still think they went to the Super Bowl. The mathematicians have not caught up yet. There was the agony of the championship game against the Buffalo Bills when Joe Montana’s head bounced off the frozen turf like a tennis ball after a hard tackle. But boy there were some nice moments getting there. The two playoff games against Pittsburg and Houston before the championship game were exhilarating gems. They had the stuff. The math must have been off. I recall the competence that Schottenheimer and Peterson brought to the organization. Something not matched until Dick Vermeil and now “Big Red” came in. Andy Reid is one hell of a coach. Just when Sunday’s Raiders game looked like it was a couple of plays of getting away from him, he called a pass play to Jamal Charles on third and one and the Chiefs took control. I know I am an irrational fan and I thought they would be in this position not because they would have a great record but because they would be decent enough to sneak in to the playoffs. But hey, this team marched right through the gate and one more Denver loss and two Chiefs wins and they have the number one seed and a first-round bye. Implausible? You bet. Unthinkable? No way. As an irrational fan that is all I want. To be able to hold on to the slimmest of hopes and the possibility that until the math proves me wrong they will have as great a chance as any other team to win it all. So come on Indianapolis, let’s keep this wagon on the road. HOT TAMALES How about this Christmas unwrapping one of the best fresh made Tamales in Kansas City? Qué te parece esta Navidad, desenvolver uno de los mejores recién hechos Tamales en Kansas City? Pre-Order your Tamales Pork, Cheese & Jalapeno For The Holidays $12.50 a dozen while they last! Ordene Con Anticipacion Sus Tamales Carne de Cerdo, Queso & Jalapeño Para Las Festividades $ 12.50 la docena hasta que se agoten! Order Now! * Ordena Ahora! 913-281-2287 727 Kansas Avenue - KCK Merry Christmas TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 Feliz Navidad YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 19 de Diciembre de 2013 I kchispanicnews.com Are We Lazy In Our Approach To Educating Boys? They Have Fundamentally Different Learning Patterns Guest Writer Dr. Edmond J. Dixon T he problem of boys in education is not a new one – data has been mounting for many years that our sons are simply falling behind our daughters, says pioneering veteran in education, Edmond J. Dixon, Ph.D. But it’s not because boys are any less intelligent than girls, he adds. A recent study from researchers at the University of Georgia, which followed 10,000 students as they moved from kindergarten to eighth grade, indicates that though boys scored well on tests, indicating mastery of material, girls got better grades. Researchers account for higher scores in girls because they comported themselves better than boys while in the classroom. “I think that, by now, most academics have accepted that boys and girls have fundamentally different learning needs; girls are better at sitting still and listening, whereas boys learn better via kinesthetic learning, which involves more physical activity,” says Dixon, who has more than three decades experience as a teacher and is a parent of boys, and is the author of “Helping Boys Learn: Six Secrets for Your Son’s Success in School,” (HelpingBoysLearn. com). He also has a teacher’s edition titled “Helping Boys Learn: Six Secrets for Teaching Boys in the Classroom.” “There are many other studies, however, showing boys underperforming in school; now, it’s a matter of what we’re going to do about it.” Dixon, a cognitivekinesthetics specialist, discusses why his first three “secrets” are so important in helping boys with active minds and bodies. • Movement matters: Nearly ever time, the student who disrupts class because they cannot sit still is a boy. Research reveals that young boys’ brains develop a tremendous amount of neural wiring to facilitate movement and sensitivity for how things “fit” together. When a boy is a toddler, we would never think that a sedentary child is a good indicator of health, so what makes us think that he should change while in grade school? One tip: Allow a boy to use his “movement wiring” by allowing him to use his body as he learns to represent the topic. • Games work: Their testosterone makes males are naturally competitive. If you want them to become suddenly engaged in something, make a game out of the lesson—it’s just like flipping a switch on. Just look at sports talk shows with analysis such as “Pardon the Interruption;” each expert has a clock clicking down to make his point. Little gaming tricks like this works on the male brain. Tip: create clear rules – they help boys understand victory, and they add legitimacy to the lesson. Games also serve as an excellent method for male bonding, too. • Make them laugh: Observe a group of males; whether young our old, they bust each other’s chops. Not only is it okay, they enjoy it! Everyone has a positive chemical reaction with laughter; boys, however, often use humor as a form of communication, an asset with which most girls do not have a problem. Research has demonstrated that boys’ emotions are processed initially in the more primitive parts of the brain and come more indirectly to the speech centers. That’s why making a crude joke is easier for males to communicate sensitive feelings. Tip: Before starting homework or an assignment, ask a boy to consider what might be funny, weird or strange about it; his mind will be more focused on the topic afterwards. “This is just the tip of the iceberg; if parents and teachers are serious about getting their boys off to a better start in life, I encourage active participation and education,” Dixon says. Edmond J. Dixon, Ph.D., is the founder of the KEEN Differentiated Learning Group. ¿Estamos Siendo Flojos En Nuestro Enfoque Para Educar A Los Niños? Ellos Tienen Fundamentalmente Diferentes Patrones De Aprendizaje Traduce Gemma Tornero E l problema de los niños varones en la enseñanza no es nueva - los datos han ido en aumento desde hace muchos años en relación a que nuestros hijos simplemente están quedándose atrás con respecto a nuestras hijas, dice el veterano pionero en la educación, el Dr. Edmond J. Dixon. Pero no es porque los niños son menos inteligentes que las niñas, añade. Un estudio reciente por parte de investigadores de la Universidad de Georgia, siguió a 10,000 estudiantes a medida que avanzaban desde el kinder hasta el octavo grado, y este indica que aunque los niños obtuvieron una buena puntuación en las pruebas, lo que indica dominio del material, las niñas obtuvieron mejores calificaciones. Los investigadores representan las puntuaciones más altas en las niñas, ya que ellas mismas se comportaron mejor que los niños, mientras están en el salón de clases. “Creo que, por ahora, la mayoría de los académicos han aceptado que los niños y las niñas tienen fundamentalmente diferentes necesidades de aprendizaje, las niñas son mejores para quedarse quietas y escuchar, mientras que los niños aprenden mejor a través del aprendizaje kinestésico (Percepción del equilibrio y de la posición de las partes del cuerpo), lo que implica una mayor actividad física”, dice Dixon, quien tiene experiencia de más de tres PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT (Editor/Presidente) Jose “Joe” Arce VICE PRESIDENT (Vicepresidente) Ramona Arce EDITOR (Editor) Jose Faus SALES REPRESENTATIVES (Representante de Ventas) Richard Ware décadas como profesor y es padre de niños varones y es el autor de “Ayudando a los niños a que aprendan: Seis secretos para el éxito de su hijo en la escuela” (HelpingBoysLearn.com). También tiene la edición para maestros titulado “Ayudando a los niños a que aprendan: 6 secretos para la Enseñanza de los muchachos en el aula”. “Hay muchos otros estudios; sin embargo, que muestran a los niños con bajo rendimiento en la escuela, ahora, es cuestión de qué vamos a hacer al respecto”. Dixon, un especialista cognitivo-kinestésico, analiza por qué sus tres primeros “secretos” son tan importantes para ayudar a los niños con mentes y cuerpos activos. -El movimiento importa: Casi todo el tiempo, en que el estudiante que interrumpe la clase, porque no pueden quedarse quieto, es un niño. La investigación revela que los cerebros jóvenes de los muchachos desarrollan una enorme cantidad de cableado neuronal para facilitar el movimiento y la sensibilidad en como las cosas “encajan” juntas. Cuando un niño es un bebe, nunca pensamos que un niño sedentario es un buen indicador de salud, así ¿qué es lo que nos hace pensar que él debe cambiar ya que está en la escuela primaria? *Consejo: Deje que un niño use su “cableado de movimiento” al permitirle usar su cuerpo al mismo tiempo que él aprende a representar el tema. -Los juegos funcionan: Su testosterona hace que los varones sean competitivos por naturaleza. Si desea que de repente se sientan involucrados en algo, haga un juego de la lección - es como apretar un interruptor. Basta con mirar a los comentaristas de análisis DESIGN/LAYOUT (Diseño Editorial/Diagramación) Janneth-B Rodríguez Gemma Tornero SPANISH TRANSLATION (Traducción a español) Gemma Tornero de deportes como “Pardon the Interruption”; cada experto tiene un reloj corriendo con el tiempo para que den su opinión. Pequeños trucos de juegos como éste funcionan en el cerebro masculino. *Consejo: crear reglas claras - que ayuden a los niños a entender la victoria, y ellos agregan legitimidad a la lección. También los juegos sirven como un excelente método para la vinculación masculina. -Hágalos reír: Observe un grupo de varones, ya sean jóvenes o mayores, ellos se bromean los unos a los otros. No sólo es bueno, ¡ellos lo disfrutan! Todo el mundo tiene una reacción química positiva con la risa, los niños, sin embargo, a menudo usan el humor como una forma de comunicación, un activo con el que la mayoría de las niñas no tienen un problema. La investigación ha demostrado que las emociones de los muchachos son procesadas inicialmente en las partes más primitivas del cerebro y vienen más indirectamente a los centros del habla. Es por eso que hacer una broma cruda es más fácil para los hombres que el comunicar sentimientos sensibles. *Consejo: Antes de iniciar la tarea o un proyecto, pida a un niño el considerar lo que podría ser divertido, extraño o inusual en ello, después su mente estará más centrado en el tema. “Esta es sólo la punta del ‘iceberg’, si los padres y los profesores son serios acerca de cómo pueden llevar a sus hijos a un mejor comienzo en la vida, animó la participación activa y la educación”, dice Dixon. El Dr. Edmond J. Dixon, es el fundador del Grupo de Aprendizaje Diferenciado KEEN. KCHN is a weekly publication of Arce Communications Inc. who bears no responsibility for accuracy or content advertisements. All rights reserverd. Arce Communications Inc does not guarantee the absence of error and every attempt will be made to remedy in KCHN at our next edition. KCHN es una publicacion semanal de Arce Communications Inc. quienes no se hacen responsables por la presición o contenido de los anuncios. Todos los derechos reservados. Arce Communications Inc. no garantiza la ausencia de errores en KCHN los cuales seran corregidos en nuestra siguiente edición. STUDENT INTERN (Becario) Jose Muñiz Armando Noel Baquedano REPORTERS/WRITERS (Reporteros/Periodistas) Debra DeCoster, Jose Faus, Jerry LaMartina TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 2918 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108-1911 PHONE: (816)472.KCHN FAX: (816)931.NEWS E-MAIL: [email protected] www.kchispanicnews.com IS AN EASY WAY TO SPRUCE FYI PAINTING UP YOUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS W ith year-end holidays fast approaching, it won’t be long before friends and family are at your door. Worried that your home isn’t company-ready? “Don’t panic. . .paint,” advises Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. “Adding a fresh paint color scheme is a great way to beautify a home quickly and inexpensively,” says Zimmer. “And with several weekends left before company arrives, there’s still plenty of time to do some interior painting before finishing your holiday preparations.” Interior painting has always been regarded as an effective, hurry-up way to enhance the appearance of a home. But Zimmer says that today, interior painting can be done faster and more easily than ever before using one of the new “paint-and-primer” coatings. “As the name implies, these products work as both primer and paint in a single coat, so they’re ideal for time-pressed do-it-yourselfers,” says Zimmer. Like interior primers, these new products do a great job of hiding the existing paint color and marks on the walls -- and, like high-end paints, they impart a beautiful, easy-to-maintain finish that resists stains and is easily washable. “Getting the performance of both a primer and a paint in a single can lets you short-circuit the normal painting regimen,” says Zimmer. “Rather than applying a coat of primer and two or more coats of paint, you can simply apply two coats of a paint-and-primer product and eliminate the third application, saving a lot of time.” If you think a holiday home makeover may be in your future, Zimmer offers some tips: * Concentrate on painting the rooms where your company will spend the most time – that will provide the best return on your investment. * In very large rooms (or, if you wait until the last minute), consider painting just one “accent wall” in an attractive new color. It will give the entire room a fresh appearance for the holidays, and if you want, you can paint the other walls later on. * If it suits your taste, select a “holiday” paint color. Coincidentally, red is one of the best colors for a dining room; and green and silver-grey, both holiday hues, are projected to be among the “hottest” interior paint colors next year. * Should the weather be mild, think about repainting the front door to help create a great first impression of your home. For the same reason, consider painting your foyer. * To get the most durable paint job, use a quality paint containing 100% acrylic latex, ideally in a higher sheen level. Should your holiday revelers get reckless, you’ll appreciate the easy-to-clean finish on your new paint job. Zimmer offers one last reason to put interior painting on your holiday to-do list: “While lights, decorations, and ornaments will all come down in January, a fresh new interior paint job will bring joy throughout the year and for many holiday seasons to come,” she says. Source Paint Quality Institute LAUNCHES 311 MOBILE APP TO FYI CITY BETTER ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS T he City of Kansas City, Mo., has launched a new mobile app that lets residents submit 311 Call Center service requests with ease. The mobile app, called “KCMO 311 Service Request,” is the first City-supported mobile app and may be downloaded for free for Apple and Android devices in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. “I am pleased to announce our first Citysupported mobile app allowing residents to use familiar technology for submitting 311 cases using their smartphone or tablet,” said Mary Miller, the City’s chief information officer. “The new 311 app is our first step to transform the platform on which we interact with our customers using mobile devices. My staff and I look forward to your feedback related to this mobile app.” The City created the app at no cost to taxpayers through its existing contract with Esri, a geographic information system software company. Users may request a variety of service requests using the KCMO 311 app, including abandoned cars, illegal dumping, missed trash pickup, potholes, zoning violations and more. The new app complements the many other ways that residents may submit 311 requests: by phone, website, Twitter, fax, email and in person. “A phone app to report 311 cases is great news for residents and the city,” said Jean Ann Lawson, operations manager for the City Manager’s Office. “We want to offer residents many options to request services.” The KCMO 311 Service Request phone app immediately opens a service request form, and its GPS system will locate its user’s current location on a map and show if a case has already been reported for that current location. If not, all the user needs to do is enter the service request. He or she will then receive a 311 case number to monitor the request’s progress. If a case has already been reported, the user can check its status. While the app defaults on a user’s current location, the user may enter a different address or intersection into the system to either make a report or view active 311 requests in the location’s vicinity. For more information about the 311 Call Center, please visit www.kcmo.org/311. Source: City of Kansas City, Missouri Protecting You and Your Family from Financial Fraud this Holiday Season A Column By Secretary of State Jason Kander Jefferson City, Mo. — As generosity multiplies during the holiday season, so too do the scammers aiming to prey on – and benefit from – the surplus of good will. Many of the consumer scams are wellknown: bogus charity solicitations, spam email seeking bank account numbers and personal information, and fake or already redeemed gift cards. Caution and vigilance can help protect you from these costly tricks. If red flags appear, it’s wise to slow down and take additional time to investigate the facts. Less well-known but equally deserving of caution and vigilance are cases of financial fraud and threats to any Missourian with savings. Scams targeting seniors and other vulnerable populations are particularly concerning. As Missourians get together over the holidays, it may be a good time for families to discuss best financial practices for children, parents and caretakers. To prepare for that discussion, I encourage you to review the threats discussed below, along with strategies to avoid being taken in by them. Be wary of individuals who claim to have trading expertise and offer to set up or “manage” an online brokerage trading account on your or another investor’s behalf. Allowing unlicensed individuals to set up an account in somebody else’s name or utilize that individual’s username and password can lead to substantial trading losses and account theft. Missouri law requires that investment professionals and the products they sell be registered with my office. Use extreme caution when being solicited with an investment opportunity, as unregistered salespeople or products often overlook important safeguards for investors. The best way to protect yourself is to call my office’s Investor Protection Hotline at 1-800-721-7996 before making any investment. “High yield” and Ponzi investment schemes are a perennial financial danger. It is essential to remember that high yield means higher risk and these types of alternative investments are favorites of scam artists. Generally, they promise an incredibly high return with low risk, offer a reasonable explanation of why the investment is so good or claim false credentials to earn your trust. Eventually, the house of cards collapses. Even as housing prices continue to recover in many U.S. markets, investors should be aware that schemes related to new real estate development projects or buying, renovating, flipping or pooling distressed properties are popular with con artists and can create potential for fraud. Finally, take a cautious approach to investment fads. Digital currency, crowdfunding, Oil & Gas Investments and other new investment opportunities may sound appealing, but could open the door to enterprising fraudsters. Missourians’ savings from years of hard work should never be compromised by bad actors out to deceive trusting family members. All Americans deserve to retire with dignity, and in planning your family’s financial future, these precautions will help safeguard your investments for the coming years. YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 CLASSIFIEDS & PUBLIC NOTICES | Invitation for MBE/WBE Kansas City Mechanical is soliciting Electrical, Insulation and Temperature Controls bids from MBE/WBE contractors for the Cooling Tower Replacement for the Brush Creek Towers. Proposals must be submitted to our office by January 3, at 1: 00 PM. Please contact Yvonne Diehl at 913-3341101 for more information and details on how to obtain plans. kchispanicnews.com CLASIFICADOS & ANUNCIOS PUBLICOS I 19 de Diciembre de 2013 Looking for the Right Investment look no Further Low investment & Overhead BIG income Potential A Compensation plan that does not discriminate! Ground Floor Opportunity Call TODAY Jerry Methner 913-244-7007 Data Collector Contractor The Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) are seeking contractual Data Collectors to join a research project in the Kansas City and St. Joseph regions studying the effects of the MyTeachingPartner-Mathematics/Science Curricula (MTP-M/S) on teaching quality and student learning. These professional positions all require a Bachelor’s degree. Rate of pay 13/hr. For a complete job description, more information about the program, and to apply please visit our website at www.marc.org/jobs MARC is an Equal Opportunity Employer /M/F/V/D The City of Overland Park has two openings for a Court Clerk in the Municipal Court. To apply, go to www.opkansas.org. EO/M/F/D/V PUBLIC NOTICE PART-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITY City of Merriam Parks & Recreation Dept. Program Coordinator Position Qualified applicants should apply at Merriam City Hall, 9001 W 62nd St., Merriam, KS 66202, Mon - Fri from 8:00AM - 4:30PM. Application is also available on-line at www.merriam.org or by calling 913-322-5500. Advertisement for RFQ for Hickman Mills C-1 School District: The Hickman Mills C-1 School District is accepting sealed proposals for Architectural & Engineering Services until 10:00 AM local time, Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at the Hickman Mills Administration Center, 9000 Old Santa Fe Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64138. Bids will be publicly opened at this time. A copy of the Request for Qualificationsmay be obtained by calling 816-316-7049 or by accessing the Hickman Mills C-1 School District website www.hickmanmills.org CLOSING DATE: January 17, 2014 Please view full detailed ad on our Web site at www.merriam.org EOE/ADA/Drug Screen The City of Merriam does conduct background checks/investigations. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS PQ Corporation (PQ), 1700 Kansas Ave, Kansas City, KS has selected the contractors listed below to submit proposals for certain work for its Kansas City, KS Site expansion projects. Any other firms interested in participating in the bidding process are required to work as a sub-contractor with any of the approved bidders. PQ will communicate with and accept bids for any portion of this requirement from the contractors listed below only. Please contact the approved contractors directly and do NOT contact PQ. Scope of Work Summary: RFQ 128-0023-SD: Mechanical/Piping/CSA/Misc. Work RFQ: PQ has installed all piling, pile caps, piers, and slab-on-grades and has purchased all process equipment, tanks, vessels, structural steel, manual valves and instruments (inline) for installation by Contractor. The Contractor will be responsible for furnishing the following: All construction equipment; specialty and misc. items; materials such as concrete, steel reinforcing and other concrete embeds for mezzanines, equipment pads, and misc. areas; all large and small bore pipe and fittings; pipe insulation; all tubing and fittings; support for piping, tubing, and instrumentation; grounding materials; HVAC including several chiller/make-up air units (MAU’s), ductwork, and misc. fans; building insulated panels, translucent panels, CMU walls, doors, and windows; SBS modified bituminous membrane roofing; gutters and downspouts; lab, control room, locker room and restroom interior drywall, ceilings and room finishes, plumbing, fixtures/accessories; lockers; and misc. lab furniture; and the labor, supervision, materials and other items required to install all of the PQ-supplied and Contractorsupplied equipment and materials. www.KCHispanicNews.com Always ONLINE Siempre EN LINEA Notice to LBE/MBE/WBE Firms: PQ has entered into a Performance Agreement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS related to each of certain expansions. The agreement sets forth the guidelines for PQ’s desire to utilize Local (LBE), Minority (MBE) and Women (WBE) Business Enterprises where possible to purchase, construct and equip the project. Contractor/Sub-Contractor Qualifications: Although the agreement contains specific goals and objectives for the utilization of the various business enterprises listed, safe and quality work, and competitive proposals are PQ’s primary objective to complete the project. PQ bidder qualification requirements include the following. • Safety Requirements: All PQ contractors and sub-contractors are required to have an EMR of 1.00 or less for the current rating period and the two prior 12-month rating periods. Also, contractors and sub-contractors shall have OSHA Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) and Lost Workday Case Incident Rates (LWCIR) for the last 3 years that meet or exceed the OSHA average for their business classifications. Further, no fatalities shall have been recorded over the last 5 years. Bidders shall provide documentation to verify these statistics. • General Requirements: All PQ contractors and sub-contractors are also required to submit proof of relevant work experience, business condition, and Certificate(s) of Insurance documenting that the required insurance policies (General Liability, Auto Liability, Excess/Umbrella Liability, and Worker’s Compensation) are in place at the required limits. Schedule: A Request for Quotation (RFQ) and the corresponding Construction Bid Package (CBP) have been issued to the approved contractors listed below. The approved contractors have the ability to arrange sub-contractor job walks where they determine they are needed. Presently, bids from the approved contractors below are due at PQ by Monday, 1/6/14, 4:00pm CT. Construction work is scheduled to begin approximately 1/15/14. Approved List of Contractors: RFQ 128-0023-SD – Mechanical/Piping/CSA/Misc. Work: Foley Company 7501 Front Street Kansas City, MO 64120 Contact: Mia Perez Ph: 816-448-5997 Crossland Construction 833 South East Avenue Columbus, KS 66725 Contact: Matt Still Ph: 620-429-1414 Spirit Construction 3131 Market Street Green Bay, WI 54304 Contact: Matt Mundt Ph: 920-336-9590 PI Group 2151 Haskell Ave., Bldg. 1 Lawrence, KS 66046 Contact: Steve Hinshaw Ph: 785-843-2910 Oscar J. Boldt Construction 101 West Hefner Road Oklahoma City, OK 73114 Contact: Kevin Long Ph: 405-486-1205 www.kchispanicnews.com TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996 19 de Diciembre de 2013 I kchispanicnews.com “They Deserve To Have A Place That Is Nice” Last weekend Hispanic News saw firsthand workers replacing windows with new thermal insulated casings. The new windows are tinted to eliminate glare, energy loss and drafts. The energy makeover is expected to save at least $1.3 million over the next 15 years. El pasado fin de semana, Hispanic News, vio a los trabajadores en la sustitución de ventanas con las nuevas carcasas aislantes térmicas. Las nuevas ventanas están tintadas para eliminar el deslumbramiento, pérdida de energía y corrientes de aire. Se espera que con el cambio, se pueda ahorrar en energía al menos $ 1.3 millón en los próximos 15 años. CONT./PAGE 1 Work has begun on renovations to address the issues. Windows are being replaced with new thermal insulated casings. The new windows are tinted to eliminate glare, energy loss and drafts. The energy makeover is expected to save at least $1.3 million over the next 15 years. The project is being paid for with a Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB). The UG received a QECB allocation of $2.5 million to finance the energy improvements. They will receive a direct federal tax credit of approximately 70 percent to offset interest costs on the bonds. “With the extensive work of the energy improvement project, it became cost effective and timely to also renovate badly worn and outdated offices on the 9th floor. Offices used by the mayor, Unified Government commissioners and County administrator staff had to undergo asbestos abatement and significant repairs to walls … infested with black mold from years of water damage. With the extensive work already underway, it made sense to also replace the carpets, wall coverings and broken plumbing,” said Mike Taylor, Unified Government (UG) public relations director. The cost to repair the plumbing was $35,500. The electrical cost came in at $10,000 and the asbestos abatement and monitoring cost was $19,836. According to a UG statement, the estimated project costs are about $2.2 million dollars and will result in an annual average energy savings of over $93,596 for the next 15. The project also includes funds to replace the existing lighting with high efficiency lamps and ballasts. New LED exit signs for improved visibility in case of an emergency will be installed along with extensive weatherization of the building. The funds will also feed an update to the Johnson Controls Metasys building management system. This system monitors energy consumption data, monitors alarms and adjusts settings to maximize energy efficiency using a secure Internet browser. Another improvement will be the upgrade of the digital communications systems. This improvement will enhance the broadcasts of commission and steering committee meetings on UG’s television station channel. “These broadcasts to the public with our different meetings will make our government more transparent to the public,” Taylor stated. Some Wyandotte County residents were upset to hear of the ninth floor office renovations and took to the Internet pushing an online petition to voice their displeasure at UG spending money to update the mayor’s and commissioners’ offices. “Ellos Merecen Tener Un Lugar Que Sea Agradable” CONT./PÁGINA 1 director de comunicaciones para el Alcalde Mark Holland. Se ha iniciado el trabajo en las reformas para hacer frente a los problemas. Las ventanas están siendo reemplazadas por nuevas cubiertas térmicas aislantes. Las nuevas ventanas están polarizadas para eliminar el deslumbramiento, pérdida de energía y corrientes de aire. Se espera que la renovación respecto a la energía ahorre al menos $1.3 millones en los próximos 15 años. El proyecto está siendo pagado con un Bono Calificado de Conservación de Energía (QECB por sus siglas en inglés). El GU recibió una asignación QECB de 2,5 millones de dólares para financiar las mejoras energéticas. Ellos recibirán un crédito fiscal federal directo de aproximadamente el 70 % para compensar los costos de intereses de los bonos. “Con la extensa obra del proyecto de mejora de la energía, se convirtió en rentable y oportuno en renovar también las oficinas muy desgastadas y obsoletas en la 9na. planta. Las oficinas utilizadas por el alcalde, los comisionados del gobierno unificado y el personal del administrador del condado tuvieron que someterse a la disminución del asbesto y reparaciones significativas a las paredes infestadas de moho negro a causa de años de daños por el agua. Con el amplio trabajo que ya está en marcha, tenía sentido sustituir también las alfombras, los revestimientos de paredes y tuberías rotas”, dijo Mike Taylor, Director de Relaciones Públicas del Gobierno Unificado (GU). El costo de reparación de la tubería fue de $ 35,500 dólares. El costo de la renovación eléctrica fue de $10,000 dólares y el costo de eliminación de asbesto y el monitoreo fue de $19.836 dólares. De acuerdo con un comunicado del GU, los costos estimados del proyecto son aproximadamente de $2,200,000 millones de dólares y se traducirá en un ahorro de energía promedio anual de más de $93.596 dólares para los próximos 15 años. El proyecto también incluye fondos para reemplazar la iluminación existente con lámparas de alta eficiencia y balastos. Se instalarán nuevos letreros de salida LED para mejorar la visibilidad en caso de emergencia, junto con una amplia climatización del edificio. Los fondos también abarcarán una actualización del sistema de gestión del edificio Johnson Controls Metasys. Este sistema supervisa los datos de consumo de energía, los monitores de alarmas y ajusta la configuración para maximizar la eficiencia energética mediante un navegador de Internet seguro. TU CONEXIÓN LATINA DESDE 1996 According to Hurrelbrink, they were aware of some residents questioning the renovations, but he explained, “It is really time for these issues to be addressed. The leaking plumbing, the damaged to the walls and aging carpet, this should have been replaced and fixed years before.” A statement released by the Unified Government states that the improvements are necessary to update the infrastructure, which is inefficient because of its age. By making these improvements, the Unified Government will save money on deferred maintenance costs as well as create a more comfortable and safe environment for the occupants. As the mayor turns his eye to developing the downtown community, hoping to bring back a grocery store to end the food desert in the area and encourage other businesses to open their doors in the inner city, he and city officials felt it was time to give the city’s government building a needed face lift. “The Unified Government hosts the community and other city leaders all the time at City Hall. You don’t want them to come in and see a broken down facility. They deserve to have a place that is nice, where they can hold meetings and greet the public,” said Hurrelbrink. Otra de las mejoras será la actualización de los sistemas de comunicación digital. Esta mejora aumentará las emisiones de reuniones de las comisiones y de los comités de dirección en el canal de televisión del GU. “Estas transmisiones al público de nuestras diferentes reuniones harán que nuestro gobierno sea más transparente para el público”, declaró Taylor. Algunos residentes del Condado de Wyandotte estaban molestos al enterarse de las obras en las oficinas del noveno piso y la inconformidad la llevaron a Internet apoyando una petición en línea para expresar su descontento hacia el GU por gastar dinero para actualizar las oficinas del alcalde y comisionados. Según Hurrelbrink, eran conscientes de que algunos residentes cuestionan las reformas, pero explicó, “Es realmente hora de que estos temas se abordarán. Las cañerías con fugas, la alfombra viejas y las paredes dañadas, esto debió haber sido reemplazado y arreglado años antes”. Un comunicado emitido por el Gobierno Unificado establece que las mejoras son necesarias para actualizar la infraestructura, que es ineficiente debido a su edad. Al hacer estas mejoras, el Gobierno Unificado ahorrará dinero en costos de mantenimiento diferido, así como crear un entorno más cómodo y seguro para los ocupantes. A medida que el alcalde dirige su mirada al desarrollo de la comunidad del centro, con la esperanza de traer de vuelta a una tienda de comestibles para terminar el desierto alimenticio en la zona, y animar a otras empresas a abrir sus puertas en el interior de la ciudad, él y funcionarios de la ciudad sintieron que era hora de darle al edificio del gobierno de la ciudad una renovación. “El Gobierno Unificado es anfitrión de la comunidad y otros líderes de la ciudad todo el tiempo en el Ayuntamiento. Usted no quiere que ellos entren y ven una instalación destartalada. Ellos merecen tener un lugar que sea agradable, donde ellos puedan llevar a cabo reuniones y saludar al público”, dijo Hurrelbrink. YOUR LATINO CONNECTION SINCE 1996
Similar documents
Septiembre 1 - KC Hispanic News
dijo. “Algunas personas
estaban
todavía
enojadas
con
la
situación, y algunos
vecinos
inmediatos
han tenido sus reservas
sobre toda la congestión
de la construcción, pero
en general ha estado
bastan...