August 2016
Volume 12 No. 10
Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Festival de la Familia Hispana 2016
Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
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Editorial/Editorial
El Festival Hispano de Holyoke que casi no se dió A finales del 2014, en un corto y escueto correo electrónico, el director ejecutivo de la organización dueña del festival, Diosdado López, anunció que la Familia Hispana, Inc. no volvería a organizar el Festival de La Familia Hispana y el Desfile Puertorriqueño del Oeste de Massachusetts. En el 2015, ninguno de los dos eventos organizados por la Familia Hispana Inc. se llevó a cabo. Varios grupos en la comunidad hicieron planes para organizar festividades que ocuparan el vacío dejado por esta cancelación de la programación cultural de la Familia Hispana, Inc. Sin embargo, los planes no se materializaron. A principios del 2016, la Familia Hispana decidió revivir el Festival y la Parada. El Festival regresaría a Springdale Park los días 14 -17 de junio y la Parada se realizaría el domingo 17. Después de más de 6 meses de planificación y mucho trabajo, todo apuntaba a que el regreso del Festival se daría sin ningún problema. Sin embargo, al segundo día se corrió la noticia de que el resto de las actividades artísticas serían canceladas. Esta situación surgió como resultado de unas confusas comunicaciones entre la ciudad y El Festival de La Familia, Inc. en cuanto a los permisos necesarios para que los vendedores pudieran utilizar fryolators para preparar frituras en el Festival. El Departamento de Bomberos de la ciudad estaba negando el permiso para que los vendedores operaran los fryolators, lo que resultaría en sustanciales pérdidas económicas no solamente para los vendedores si no para La Familia Hispana, Inc. La ciudad y el Festival ofrecen dos versiones diferentes de cómo se llegó a esta situación.
Cita del Mes/ Quote of the Month
La parte positiva de esta desafortunada situación, fue el hecho de que al enterarse de la noticia, hubo una rápida intervención de un pequeño grupo de lideres comunitarios, comerciantes y políticos que se unieron, se movilizaron y buscaron una solución concreta al problema. El grupo consiguió que los vendedores de comida del Festival pudieran usar las cocinas y el equipo de Nuestras Raíces, Fiesta Café y Holyoke Hummus para preparar las frituras.
contents
2 Editorial / Editorial El Festival Hispano de Holyoke que casi no se dió 3 Portada / Front Page 29vo Festival de la Familia Hispana 6 The Migration of 2014 lowered Revenues by about $100 Million 7 The Status of Newly Arrived Puerto Ricans in Florida 9 ¿Qué Pasa en...? 11 Tinta Caliente / Hot Ink Opinión / Opinion La Felicidad, una Decisión y una Responsabilidad 12 Massachusetts budget shortfalls: The impact on the poor 13 PUBLICATION OF CARTAS A KARINA 14 Salud / Health Nueva Información sobre el Virus de Zika 15 Deportes / Sports Handball Regresa a Holyoke
Este puñado de gente puso en práctica los conceptos de colaboración, solidaridad y comunidad al momento de una crisis. Ejemplo de que hay que saber trabajar juntos y apoyar lo nuestro.
Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month
Boricua Artists at Festival de la Familia Hispana
Founded in 2004 n Volume 12, No. 10 n August 2016 Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572
Editorial Policy El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net.
Professor Alba Martínez and artist Rosalba Jímenez selling their Fine Art at El Festival de la Familia in Holyoke.
El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2016
29vo Festival de la Familia Hispana Los Gigantes de la Plena
José González y Banda Criolla Luis René Robles “El Sonero Feliz”
Grupo NG2
Charlie Berrios
El Poder del Mambo
Orquesta YeraSon
Charlie Aponte
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2016
29vo Festival de la Familia Hispana Diosdado López, La familia Hispana, Inc., Axel Cabrera (La Voz Kid) Padrino, y Carlos González, maestro de ceremonias
Fernando Mendoza, Moryn Mendoza, Asdren, Adrian y Moraima Ortuno de Mendoza
Nilka Ortiz, Oficina del Alcalde de Holyoke, Diosdado López, Victor Cuco Guevara, Dra. Gloria Guevara, Carlos González y Pat Duffy, Oficina del Representante Estatal Aaron Vega
Jesús Pagán, Gran Mariscal y Damaris Rivera de Pagán Nilka Ortiz, Oficina del Alcalde de Holyoke, Diosdado López, Juan Papo Vélez y Lydia Rivera, Carlos González y Pat Duffy, Oficina del Representante Estatal Aaron Vega
Nilka Ortiz, Oficina del Alcalde de Holyoke, Diosdado López, Dra. Sonia Nieto, Angel Nieto, Carlos González y Pat Duffy, Oficina del Representante Estatal Aaron Vega
Fernando Mendoza, Moryn Mendoza, Asdren, Adrian y Moraima Ortuno de Mendoza
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2016
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29vo Festival de la Familia Hispana Charlie Berrios, Freddy Rivera y Hugh Keelan
Hispanic-American Library Grupo Folklórico El Coquí
Joseph Krupczynski y Mari Castañeda
Springfield Puerto Rican Parade
Jerotón
Axel Cabrera, Charlie Aponte y Vicente Rodríguez Maisonet. (Foto cortesía de Vicente Rodríguez Maisonet)
A la derecha de la bandera - Alex Morse, Alcalde de Holyoke, Jossie Valentín, Concejal de Holyoke, Nelson Román, Concejal de Holyoke y Adam Gómez, Concejal de Springfield. (Foto cortesía de Vicente Rodríguez Maisonet)
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2016
The Migration of 2014 lowered Revenues by about $100 Million by CENTRO DE INFORMACIÓN CENSAL, UPR CAYEY (translated by El Sol Latino) Cayey, PR - July 12, 2016. The migration from Puerto Rico to the United States means a loss in tax revenues for the government of Puerto Rico. This is because many of the people who emigrated paid taxes for consumption and income, among others. For example, in 2014, 68, 099 persons migrated, who had an income close to $12 thousand per person. In that same year, the rate of consumption tax (IVU) was 7%, so the estimated excise tax loss was $59 million. In terms of income tax, we started from the premise that only individuals who earned more than $15,000 would have paid taxes at an average rate of 10%. This represented $27 million in losses in revenues. In total, the estimated loss in revenues was approxiamtely $86 million. This data are based on an analysis by the Census Information Center (CIC) located at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, using the American Community Survey of Puerto Rico.
“This is a conservative estimate because the average rate could have been higher and that estimate does not include potential lost revenues in tolls, oil taxes, property taxes and other fees charged by government entities. Furthermore, if we include the revenues that would have arisen by
Jeroton Clown
Music, Games, Balloons and Much More... For More information call: Jerry & Brenda 413-557-8273 • 413-210-5458 jero4817@yahoo.com
economic activity derived from the consumption of these migrants, the loss in revenues could have exceed $100 million. On the other hand, migration may have helped people remittances from abroad rise by $37 million during that year, representing an increase in IVU revenues of $2.6 million for that year. Migration could also help reduce the number of poor people who need government services, representing savings. But in the final analysis, migration negatively affects the government budget, said Dr. José Caraballo Cueto, director of the only Census Information Center in Puerto Rico. During 2015, the net migration to the United States is estimated at 65,089 people. The loss in revenues for 2015 was probably higher than in 2014 as the IVU increased to 11.5%, but the socioeconomic data of this survey have not been published in order to have an estimate for 2015. “These losses in revenues impact all government budgets in the coming years, as it permanently reduces the tax base unless public policies that promote this migration are changed. In other research, I have discovered, like other colleagues, that the employment situation is the main determinant of migration and as we continue with public policies that exacerbate this situation such as austerity, reducing wages, poor public services, increasing taxes and the loss of small and medium enterprises, will continue to increase migration and loss in revenues,” said the doctor in Economics. According to the director of the CIC, the American Community Survey is currently one of the few bases of representative data available in Puerto Rico to measure migration and estimate its loss of revenues. The CIC is attached to the Census Bureau and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, whose aim is to disseminate economic data and population censuses to different communities entity. They also consult with organizations. For more information, please call (787) 738-2161 extension 2615 and 2616 and jose.caraballo8@upr.edu
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2016
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The Status of Newly Arrived Puerto Ricans in Florida by MANUEL FRAU-RAMOS Puerto Rico is in a profound economic and fiscal crisis. The American colony has been experiencing an economic depression since 2006. Data recently released by the US Census Bureau, together with findings published by other studies, highlight a picture of deterioration in Puerto Rican society. The picture presented is a society characterized by high levels of poverty, a high rate of emigration, and a disproportionate increase in the elderly population. Puerto Rico has lost more than one-quarter of a million jobs in recent years, and the unemployment rate at 11.9% is twice the national average According to the Census Bureau, the percentage of people living below the poverty level in Puerto Rico increased last year as household income levels fell, from 44.9% to 46.2% between 2012 and 2014. At the beginning of 2016, the Instituto de Estadísticas of Puerto Rico published its latest report on the migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States. According to their analysis, Puerto Rico could be poised to go through a population exodus of historical levels that could exceed the Great Migration of the early 50’s.
Opportunity in the Sunshine State:
Characteristics of Recent Movers from Puerto Rico to Florida
Florida in 2014 came from the island of Puerto Rico • Puerto Rican movers are younger than the general Florida population. Nearly 23.7% percent of recent movers are younger than 15 years of age, compared to 22.6% of other Latinos and 18.3% of the total Florida population. Only 9.3% of recent movers are older than age 64, compared to 10.7% of other Latinos, and 18.2% for all Floridians. • Only 57.7% of those recently arrived from the island can speak English very well or well, 22.9% do not speak English well, and 19.4% do not speak English at all. • Recent movers from Puerto Rico (38%) do not have a high school diploma, roughly equal to the share of Latinos without a high school degree (40.3%). At the upper end of the education distribution, 17.4% of recent movers have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 14.8% of other Latinos. • The proportion of recent migrants that are unemployed is more than double the state level. The percent unemployed for recent movers is dramatically higher at 15.3% than the rate for Latinos at 7.2% and the rate for Florida’s total population at 6.5%. About 46.0% of Puerto Ricans that have recently moved to Florida are not in the labor force. • Nearly two-thirds of recent movers from Puerto Rico live in or near poverty, a significantly higher rate than other Latinos. • Recent Puerto Rican movers are concentrated in the lower income ranges, where 58.4% of them reported income of less than $10,000 annually. Only 3.4% of recent movers from the island reported incomes higher than $50,000.
According to the Centro de Información Censal (CIC for its acronym in Spanish) of the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, since the economic crisis began in 2006, about 600,000 island residents have moved to the United States. According to the latest estimates of the United States Census Bureau, Puerto Rico has lost about 65,000 inhabitants between July 2014 and July 2015. Another salient point is the growing importance of the state of Florida as a migratory destination of Puerto Ricans. In 2014, the number of Puerto Ricans living in Florida surpassed 1 million (1,006,542), according to a new Pew Research Center, more than doubling the state’s Puerto Rican population over the past 14 years. It is now tied with New York (1, 095, 858) as the state with the largest Puerto Rican population. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) released a report on the status of Puerto Ricans in Florida during its annual conference held in Orlando, Florida in July, 2016. The report, Opportunity in the Sunshine State: Characteristics of Recent Movers From Puerto Rico to Florida, examines the status of newly arrived Puerto Ricans compared to other groups. This is critical to understand the effects of the crisis on individuals. This statistical brief describes the Puerto Ricans recently arrived from Puerto Rico to Florida. The report points out that, “in general, recent movers experience disparities in several areas compared to the overall Florida population, as well as other Latinos in the state. One other striking difference found is that recent movers report having a disability at double the rate of all Latinos in Florida (20.6% versus 9.8%, respectively). These differences highlight areas where more research can be done to understand the status of recent movers and develop solutions to improve their lives. This is critical because it is clear that the ongoing crisis from which they are fleeing places recent movers in a particularly vulnerable position even after they move.” Overview: Puerto Ricans in Florida • In 2014, 57.7% of the total Puerto Rican population residing in Florida was born in the continental United States and 39.9% were born on the Island. The same year, nearly half (47.9%) of Puerto Ricans moving to
Holyoke
The Holyoke Visible project responds to the question: What about Holyoke should be made more visible?
VISIBLE
El Proyecto Holyoke Visible responde a la pregunta: ¿Qué de Holyoke debe hacerse más visible?
AN ARTS AND CULTURE PROJECT FOR HOLYOKE MA / UN PROYECTO DE ARTE Y CULTURA DE HOLYOKE MA
WEDNESDAY
17 AUGUST
5-8 PM WEDNESDAY
24 AUGUST
5-8 PM WEDNESDAY
31 AUGUST
5-8 PM
food comida
Potluck de la comunidad, reparto de recetas, información sobre los derechos de la comida y más...
Community Potluck, Recipe share, food justice information and more...
LANGUAGE idioma Talleres sobre aspectos de la lengua española, exhibiciones de arte y lenguaje, lecturas de poesía y más...
Dwight Street + Main Street
Parking Lot of New Amtrak Train Platform Estacionamiento de la plataforma la nueva estacion Amtrak
CULTURE CULTURa
Music, community resource mapping, art and culture information and more...
Música, mapeamiento de recursos de la comunidad , información sobre el arte y la cultura y más...
Bowers Street + Mosher Street
Parking Lot of Old Train Station Estacionamiento de la estación de tren antigua
más información y actualizaciones / more information and updates:
17 AGOSTO
5-8 PM
Race Street + Cabot Street
Spanish language workshops, art and language exhibition, poetry readings and more...
MIÉRCOLES
MIÉRCOLES
24 AGOSTO
5-8 PM MIÉRCOLES
31 AGOSTO
5-8 PM
www.holyokevisible.org
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El Sol Latino August 2016
EMPIEZA POR
A LG O
DETENTE ANTE
NADA Las clases comienzan el 6 de septiembre.
El Sol Latino May 2014 9 1/8 x 5 3/8
ÂĄMatricĂşlate ahora! hcc.edu
Your community radio station, broadcasting 24/7 from the campus of Springfield Technical Community College
www.wtccfm.org WTCC is your source for music - from salsa to R&R oldies, gospel to jazz, R&B to bluegrass, Motown and more, as well as Ecos del Ritmo, Cantares Latino-Americanos, and Club House Dance Music plus local talk shows with local hosts discussing local issues.
¿Qué Pasa en...?
Holyoke Wistariahurst Museum: August Events
Sonido 1: In the Garden of Wistariahurst
Thursday August 11, 2016 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Join us for a summer night concert on our lawn. Bring a blanket, chair, and your friends for this showcase of music and art. Sonido is a curated series of sound and art in Holyoke. Location, style, and tonality as diverse and interesting as the great community of our city. Donkey No No is a trio with guitarist Omeed Goodarzi, violin/electronics goddess Jen Gelineau, and cymbal bower Edward “Ted” Lee. The trio is bent on an improv-only approach to playing, and their previous cassettes have been about as cautiously wrought as junk pile. Their new album, however, possesses a real sense of instant composition, meaning the music aligns in ways that don’t sound purely chance-based. -Byron Coley, 2016
El Sol Latino August 2016
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Celebran Día de la Independencia de Colombia La comunidad colombiana, junto a otros residentes de la región de Holyoke, celebró el día de la independencia de Colombia el pasado 20 de julio frente a la alcaldía de esa ciudad. Por segundo año consecutivo un grupo de residentes colombianos de la ciudad organizó el evento en donde no solo se conmemora el día de la independencia colombiana si no también su cultura y su aportación a la ciudad de Holyoke. Además de bailes tradicionales y comida típica, el alcalde de Holyoke, Alex Morse, reconoció a Rafael Restrepo, uno de los pioneros colombianos en establecerse en Holyoke. El comité organizador del evento estuvo compuesto por Andrés Villada, Stefany E. García, y Alejandra Sugrue.
Sarah Louise is a 12-string guitarist based in the mountains of North Carolina. The impulse for a new composition comes frequently from observing the sounds and movements of the woods around her home. Lush and ethereal at times, yet embracing dissonance as well as tonal and time-signature shifts, her music often encompasses a full spectrum of emotions within one piece. All-original tunings, picking patterns and bold transitions mark her as a unique player. Emmalee Hunnicutt explores the subtleties of sound with her inventive cello playing. Classically trained from a young age, she brings an intimate understanding of the cello to her compositions and improvisations. Working in the realms of texture and emotion, her work acknowledges the mysterious nature of art and life. In addition to writing and performing as a solo artist, she is also part of a number of collaborative projects.
Foto MFR. Alzamiento de la bandera colombiana frente a la alcaldía de Holyoke.
Suggested donation of $10 at the door, to benefit the artists and on-going cultural performances at Wistariahurst. Cash bar with beer and wine will be available.
Summer Play Day
Saturday - August 20, 2016 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wistariahurst Museum wants to celebrate the end of the summer season with a free Summer Play Day! Enjoy a game of croquet, badminton, bean bag toss on the lawn. Have a hula hoop or bubble blowing contest with your family and friends. Dress up for a garden lemonade party for a perfect photo opportunity. Do you like history? Take a family friendly tour of the historic mansion or explore the fossilized dinosaur footprints lining the walkway. To remember your fun day at Wistariahurst, make a garden craft to take home with you. Rain or shine. Activities will be located indoors in the event of rain.
Foto MFR. Alex Morse, alcalde de Holyoke, Stefany E. García, Rafael Restrepo (homenajeado), el representante estatal Aaron Vega y Andrés Villada.
Foto MFR. Miembros del Grupo Folklórico Tradiciones, de izquierda a derecha – Blanca Osorio-Castillo, Martha Toro y Giselle González-Vendrell.
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¿Qué Pasa en...?
El Sol Latino August 2016
Holyoke Springfield New Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center in Holyoke Library seeks photos for “SPRINGFIELD MY HOME” exhibit HOLYOKE – Holyoke Community College, MGM Resorts and the city of Holyoke announced a new partnership Monday, July 11, designed to enhance the region’s hospitality workforce and prepare students for jobs in the casino MGM is building in downtown Springfield.
The Springfield City Library is looking for digital photo submissions for the upcoming Springfield My Home photography exhibit. Photographers can submit work in response to the question “What do you love about Springfield?” and earn a chance win one of three prizes.
As part of this partnership, Holyoke will contribute $400,000 toward HCC’s new center for hospitality and culinary arts from $1.28 million the city will receive from MGM through neighboring community impact payments over 15 years. MGM is also contributing an additional $100,000 toward the center, which has been given a name that reflects this partnership -- the MGM Resorts HCC Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at Holyoke.
The Central Library will announce the prize winners at a public reception on Wednesday November 2nd. Prizes include a $50 gift card to Red Rose Pizzeria for Best Photograph (amateur submission); a $50 gift card to Leone’s Restaurant for Best Photograph (professional submission); and two tickets to the Springfield Symphony Holiday Pops concert for the Best Springfield Spirit winner.
The 19,888-square-foot facility is now being developed on the first two floors of the Cubit Building on Race Street in Holyoke’s Innovation District, the site of yesterday’s announcement. “This additional half million dollars is going to allow us to get on with the renovations and to open this facility by this time next year,” said HCC president Bill Messner. “This is really going to be a first-class facility. It is beginning to take shape right now, and a year from now, it’s going to be ideal.” Once completed, the center will house HCC’s associate degree and certificate programs in Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts as well as its non-credit workforce training programs in hospitality and culinary arts. The new center will allow for increased capacity in HCC’s credit programs from about 200 students now to nearly 350 when the center opens in 2017. HCC expects to enroll 400 students a year in workforce training courses. MGM officials have said they expect they will need to hire 800 workers for hospitality and culinary jobs at the Springfield casino, which is scheduled to open in September 2018. HCC’s partnership with the city and MGM guarantees 50 free seats each year for Holyoke residents in HCC’s non-credit hospitality and culinary arts workforce training programs at the new center. “I think this announcement today is a testament to our community’s commitment to making this economic development investment a regional opportunity for all of us,” said Holyoke mayor Alex Morse. “As we decided to invest an additional $400,000 of our mitigation payments over the next 15 years, we had a commitment to Holyoke residents first and foremost. So, through this partnership, 50 Holyokers will have access to this program for free, per year. Fifty Holyokers and their families -- that’s impacting hundreds of thousands of people in this city over the next 10 years and beyond.” The total cost of the center is now estimated at $4.3 million. In addition to the $500,000 from the city and MGM, HCC was awarded grants from the state executive office of Housing and Economic Development for $1.75 million and the U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economic Development Administration for $1.55 million. Another half million will be provided by the HCC Foundation.
Veanos@www.issuu.com/elsollatino Veanos@www.issuu.com/elsollatino
With the support of the Springfield Cultural Council, digital photo submissions will be professionally printed and mounted. The exhibit will go on display in various Springfield City Library branches this October and November. At the end of the exhibit, contributing photographers will get to keep the mounted photographs. The three winning photos will remain on display for one year at the Central Library for the general public to enjoy. Submissions should be sent electronically to librarian Matthew Jaquith, and are being accepted now through September 20th. Call or email him for more details. 413-263-6828, x221 or mjaquith@springfieldlibrary.org`
We The Villagers Men’s Fashion Show Founded in 2013 as a grassroots initiative WE The Villagers was created by Isabel Pellot, a longtime community advocate and information and referral specialist. Isabel saw the lack of positive outreach to young men in her city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Her heart was moved by the young men she encountered on the streets. She began inviting them to gather in her living room to share their stories and to ask for the help they needed. Some of the young men were fatherless, some motherless. Others were homeless. Many were involved with gangs or desperately trying to avoid them. Most had never had anyone regard them with the love, respectful attention and personal mentoring “Ms. Isabel” offered to each unreservedly. By utilizing her talent for collaboration and resource-finding, Isabel coordinated small business owners, community volunteers, public institutions and nonprofit organizations to provide tools and services to benefit the young men. This collective response has resulted in personal development, educational and vocational training services and programs through WE The Villagers. WE The Villagers has shared meeting space with other nonprofits, but now has a home to call its own: a larger “living room” where the lives of young men and the Greater Springfield, MA community can continue to be improved - 11 Pearl Street, Suite 232, Springfield, MA, 01103
August 31,2016
TICKETS Time: 6:00 PMWTV m4kk3333313131
MEN’S FASHION SHOW
1677 Main Street Springfield Ma 01103 (413) 328-5250 Support our Future . We are a Non-Profit Tickets are $25 August 31 ,2016-6pm
We The Villagers.
August 31,2016
El Sol Latino August 2016
OT TINTNAT E H INK CALIE au Ramos
Por Manuel Fr
En Holyoke … vender piraguas sale caro. Cuando Oviedo Hernández fue a sacar el permiso para operar su carrito de piraguas (Ice Syrup Cart) se llevó una desagradable sorpresa. Alguien en la oficina del Board of Health (BOH) o del Licensing Board (LB) le indicó a Hernández que tenía ir al cuartel de la policía para que le cogieran las huellas digitales ya que esto era uno de los requisitos del permiso que su negocio requería. El Departamento de la Policía indicó que aunque esto era innecesario, le habían tomado las huellas digitales a Hernández porque la solicitud que le había dado BOH o LB para obtener el permiso así lo exigía. Al fin y al cabo, Hernández pudo haber obtenido un permiso que solo cuesta $62 y no el que la ciudad le indicó que debería adquirir, que le costó $100. Y…las huellas digitales no eran necesarias. Esto merece una disculpa y que le devuelvan la diferencia.
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In Holyoke… selling piraguas turns out to be expensive. When Oviedo Hernández went to get his permit to operate an ice syrup cart (carrito de piraguas), he received an unpleasant surprise. Somebody in the Board of Health (BOH) or the Licensing Board (LB) office told Hernández that he had to go to the police station to get fingerprinted because it was one of the requirements of the permit that his business required. The Police Department indicated that even though it was unnecessary, they had fingerprinted Hernández because the permit application given to him by DOH or LB required it. In the end, Hernández could have obtained a permit that only costs $62 instead of the one that the city indicated to him that he needed, which cost him $100. And…fingerprinting was not necessary. An apology is in order as well as a refund.
Opinión / Opinion La Felicidad, una Decisión y una Responsabilidad por JOSÉ RAÚL GONZÁLEZ Es una obligación del ser humano ser feliz. La felicidad no depende de los demás o de los acontecimientos que nos suceden. Si fuera así, solo podríamos ser felices cuando los demás lo deseen y/o cuando los acontecimientos surjan como los deseamos. La felicidad depende de uno mismo.
coyunturales, pero que tarde o temprano pueden desaparecer tan rápido como vinieron. Si se vive ese tipo de felicidad y se aferra a ella, pensando en su eternidad, al momento de perderla, se sufre una frustración insuperable, depresión e infelicidad. Y esto solo ocurre por falta de razonamiento, pérdida de la perspectiva y desorden conceptual.
La felicidad consiste en ser feliz con todo y a pesar de todo. Incluye buenos y malos momentos. La felicidad no es un estado de ánimo que aparece repentina o milagrosamente, sino que es una actitud personal. Para ser feliz solo hace falta tomar la decisión de querer serlo. Benjamin Franklin decía: “La felicidad humana generalmente no se logra con grandes golpes de suerte, que pueden ocurrir pocas veces, sino con pequeñas cosas que ocurren todos los días.” Jean Paul Sartre decía: “La felicidad no es hacer lo que uno quiere sino querer lo que uno hace.” Para ello, identificarnos con nuestra actividad diaria es fundamental porque implícitamente incorporamos nuestra decisión de ser felices, aún existiendo circunstancias adversas. Determinar ser feliz en cada situatión y en cada momento de la vida es un acto razonable que supone finalmente una decisión.
La felicidad se encuentra partiendo del razonamiento de que tenemos que entender que el mundo no gira en torno a uno. Muchas personas “exitosas” desarrollan el ego a extremos, se inmiscuyen en vidas ajenas, creen ser los salvadores de los problemas ajenos, que todos deben consultar su opinión y hacer conforme ellos decidan. Así, mientras esto ocurre, ellos son “felices.” El día que alguien ignora su “éxito”, omite sus opiniones y vive según sus propias normas e intereses, entonces se tornan infelices. En ese estado de alteración emocional toman las peores decisiones en su vida personal. Todo por ignorar que el mundo y la naturaleza no giran en su entorno, sino en un entorno global de convivencia equilibrada y simbiótica. Lo razonable es ubicarse en esta tónica, entrenando serenamente nuevos conceptos de vida.
En la vida hay cosas que dependen de uno, como la veracidad, el honor, la dignidad, el respeto, el amor en todas sus formas, la justicia, la paz interior etc. Cultivar estos valores solo es posible por voluntad propia y no por imposición o mandamiento. Para ello debemos enseñar a los niños a entender, amar, y comprender al prójimo, a ser cooperativos, solidarios, con sentido del bien común, con mucho significado de igualdad, equidad, paridad ya que con el inmenso desarrollo industrial poco a poco nos fuimos volviendo ’competentes’ y ahora solo se educa con los valores del Mercado, no con los valores de la persona.
A veces podemos estar en trance de desorden conceptual. Para ello tenemos que buscar otras formas de razonar y enfocar la vida. Recordemos que una razón de la vida es ser felices y así el éxito subyace a la felicidad. Nadie puede ser exitoso sin ser feliz; y algo mejor aún es posible entrenar nuestro cerebro para sr feliz. Es decir, podemos aprender a ser felices. Todo depende de nuestra voluntad. Es una decisión personal y nuestra responsabilidad.
También hay cosas que no dependen exclusivamente de uno. Por ejemplo la fortuna, la fama, el matrimonio, la sociedad comercial, el prestigio, el reconocimiento, el poder, etc. que por su naturaleza generalmente son
El autor es natural de Perú, abogado y sociólogo. Fue Magistrado en Lima y Catedrático en la Universidad de San Martin de Porres. Actualmente reside en Springfield, MA. email: qi-negro@hotmail.com
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2016
Massachusetts budget shortfalls: The impact on the poor by WALTER MULLIN, Ph.D. and MIGUEL ARCE Every spring and early summer, the governor of Massachusetts, state senate and state house of representatives enter a process where they allocate money to state programs. Although these government officials are mandated to fund specific government operations, the other decisions they make reflect their own priorities. These decisions serve to define their perspective on the role government should play in the lives of ordinary citizens. As the new budget year begins, we ask the question: How does the 2017 budget address the needs of families who are living in poverty? According to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, the Massachusetts 2017 budget, which began on July 1, 2016, is was developed with the awareness that the state had a budget shortfall of $750 million. Even though it has now been finalized, and signed into law by the governor, there remains economic uncertainty that there will be enough money to pay the bills. The problem is that spending obligations are rising faster than tax revenues. As a result, state legislators are seeking ways to be more frugal. For example, for the first time since 2009, Massachusetts will not have a sales tax holiday this August. Furthermore, Governor Baker released his fiscal year 2017 budget proposal in January 2016, committed to a multi-year effort to bring state spending in line with revenues without raising taxes. He indicated that he wanted to focus on priorities that included aiding cities and towns, increasing education funding, and investing in the child welfare agency, the Department of Children and Families, but did not want to raise taxes to accomplish this. As he proposed increases he knew that some of his goals may not be realized as a result of the revenue shortfall.
Walter Mullin and Miguel Arce
To understand the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ budget problem, it is important to look at some history. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center claims that the state’s chronic budget gaps can be traced back to over $3 billion in tax cuts between 1998 and 2002. This budget gap has never been closed. This serious fiscal challenge is part of a longer-term pattern. The state has muddled through this on-going pattern year after year since the early 2000s by making painful budget cuts as opposed to raising taxes. Karen Spilka, the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Chair, stated on her website that her 2017 budget recommendations were driven by the goal of helping people achieve a good outcome in the face of adversity. On her website, it says that the Massachusetts Senate focused on “creating and sustaining family and community relationships”. The budget, following the
proposed Senate leader’s initiative, underscores that “A healthy environment, especially during a child’s early formative years, is crucial for laying the foundation of resilience. We therefore support programs and services that focus on mental health, education, healthcare, access to healthy food and quality care for our youngest children, as well as their parents”. A commendable statement! So, how did it turn out? How will the state budget avoid dramatic cuts to programs that assist people in poverty, especially in light of no new taxes? Noteworthy, the legislature struggles to increase necessary funding to priority areas of those living in poverty, but ultimately, many programs see a decrease in their budget allocation. In a report entitled: Analyzing the Legislature’s Budget for FY 2017, the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center highlighted the areas that received increased, remained unchanged and/or decreased funding as compared to fiscal year 2016. Included in this competition is the funding for a safety net; that is government funded programs that assist people from not being able to meet the basic needs of daily living, specifically having food, housing and clothing. Following is a sample of the state budget allocation for several safety net programs: • TANF (Temporary Cash Assistance to Needy Families) was funded at a 4.7% lower level for FY 2017 than FY 2016 with a rationale that the economy is better and there are more jobs for people. This program is intended to help families with money to use in daily living. • Emergency food assistance programs were funded with a 2.9% increase over FY 2016. This program helps fund food banks. • Housing programs for shelter and services to homeless individuals was increased while funding to the rental voucher program was decreased. • Chapter 70, the major program of state aid to local public elementary and secondary schools, calculated on the number of low income students in a given district, received a 2.6% increase. • There were budget cuts funding to kindergarten expansion. The income eligible child care waiting list is over 24,500 children. The Legislature’s 2017 budget does not proposed continuing specific funding to reduce the waitlist. • Universal pre-kindergarten, which supports Pre-K quality improvements for children between two years nine months old and kindergarten age is level funded, that is, no increase in resources despite predicted increase in needs. In concluding, we first note a parallel, that is, income problems can be a problem for families as well as state governments. Ultimately there is not enough money to do everything. We appreciate the work done by the decision makers. We conclude with the observation that the results are mixed. While there are considerable strengths in the budget for assistance to low-income and poor families, the funding variables and changes in the FY 2017 budget create confusion and reflect government’s ambivalence about life in poverty. When funding established one year is reduced for the next year, then it has implications for those who need the services connected to that program. Redirecting budget allocations and changing eligibility from year to year create a relationship that leaves those with low-income subservient to changes that might be difficult to understand and ultimately sends a negative message to those who need the assistance. Instead, when there is an embedded, strongly integrated belief that a community wants all people who live there to meet basic living needs, everyone benefits. Walter Mullin, PhD (wmullin@springfieldcollege.edu) is a Professor at the School of Social Work at Springfield College. Miguel Arce MSW (marce@ springfieldcollege.edu) is an Associate Professor at the School of Social work at Springfield College.
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Opinión / Opinion
El Sol Latino August 2016
PUBLICATION OF CARTAS A KARINA BY OSCAR LÓPEZ RIVERA San Juan, Puerto Rico & Atlanta, GA. April, 2016. In 2013 Oscar López Rivera, a Puerto Rican decorated Vietnam veteran imprisoned since 1981 for the “thought crime” of seditious conspiracy, began writing essays in letter form to his beloved granddaughter Karina, who has only known her abuelo “through the glass” of the prison experience. From the humorous challenges of being a vegetarian in prison, with its tale of López Rivera’s highly inventive methods for maintaining his meat-free diet, to the heart-wrenching “On the Threshold of the Inferno” in which he reflects step-by-step on the painful process his daughter Clarisa endures each time she visits him in prison, the letters overflow with insight, emotion, and humanity. These indispensable and beautifully written letters are reflections on Puerto Rico’s status, the plight of the Puerto Rican diaspora, and the dehumanizing conditions behind US prison walls. Many of the Cartas a Karina were published by the Puerto Rican daily El Nuevo Día; their compelling content, language, and often lyric quality made
Nuevo Nombre, Nueva Localización, Los Mismos Magníficos Servicios de Salud para Mujeres MercyCare-Forest Park AHORA es Mercy Women’s Health Services
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them a widely read feature, beyond the readership of the newspaper and the island itself. English language translations of some letters appeared on the website of the National Boricua Human Rights Network (NBHRN), which coordinates the work in the United States for López Rivera’s release. This bilingual volume will bring the letters together, along with additional material, between the covers of a single book. This moving work by one of the world’s longest held political prisoners will soon be available to Spanish and English readers in a single bilingual volume. Cartas a Karina will be released the summer of 2016 by the Cartas a Karina Project (Project CAK). Project CAK is a team of persons on the island and in the diaspora working jointly to make Oscar’s Cartas a Karina available to a wide readership. Advanced sales will begin this spring. To receive updates from the Cartas a Karina Project, contact cartasakarina@gmail.com Writing to you, whose childhood and adolescence i have already irretrievably lost, i feel that i am speaking to thousands of young Puerto Ricans…i am a 70-year-old fighter. i have been imprisoned for 32 years... i only want to reiterate that above all else, i respect life, and that i have not hurt any human being, and never would. Oscar López Rivera, Cartas a Karina
¡En agosto del 2016 Mercy Women’s Health Servicies se estará mudando a su nueva localización en 1777 Dwight Street en Springfield! La nueva localización ofrece un conveniente estacionamiento e interiores recientemente renovados, agradables para los pacientes.
Localizado en Springfield y Holyoke, Mercy Women’s Health Services provee el mismo enfoque holístico para su salud y bienestar. Nuestro equipo de doctores, enfermeras y comadronas se interesan en usted como una persona completa, prestándole atención a todos los aspectos físicos y emocionales que afectan su salud.
New Name, New Location,
Same Great Women’s Health Services MercyCare–Forest Park is NOW Mercy Women’s Health Services Mercy Women’s Health Services is moving to a new location at 1777 Dwight Street in Springfield in August 2016! The new location offers convenient parking and a newly renovated, patient-friendly interior. Located in Springfield and Holyoke, Mercy Women’s Health Services provides the same holistic approach to your health and well being. Our team of doctors, nurses and midwives cares for you as a whole person, paying attention to all the physical and emotional aspects of your life that can affect your health. Mercy Women’s Health Services—Springfield (Our NEW location beginning in August) 1777 Dwight Street • 413-886-0410 Mercy Women’s Health Services—Holyoke 306 Race Street • 413-536-7385 Mercycares.com/Womens-Health A member of the Sisters of Providence Health System and Trinity Health
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Salud / Health
Nueva Información sobre el Virus de Zika !Ya llegó la temporada de viajes de verano! Mientras las personas comienzan a hacer planes de viajes para las vacaciones, es natural que tengan inquietudes sobre aquellos lugares que se encuentran en zonas afectadas por el virus de Zika. Puerto Rico y la República Dominicana son solo dos de los países afectados. En enero pasado, cuando la noticia sobre el virus de Zika hizo explosión a nivel internacional y los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades emitieron una advertencia para las mujeres embarazadas que visitaran la zona donde se había diseminado, les ofrecimos a los lectores algunas respuestas a preguntas importantes sobre el virus de Zika, del Dr. Andrew Healy de Medicina Materno Fetal del Baystate Medical Center. El Dr. Healy da una actualización sobre el virus de Zika, los viajes a las zonas afectadas, los riesgos y la prevención. ¿Cuáles son las diferencias que sabemos ahora sobre el virus de Zika que desconocíamos inicialmente? Al principio existía una conexión entre el ciego y la microcefalia, que es una afección en la cual la cabeza del recién nacido es pequeña porque el cerebro no se ha desarrollado normalmente. Las pruebas que avalan esta conexión se han fortalecido desde el momento de la inquietud original. El conocimiento acerca del mecanismo de la microcefalia en los bebés afectados ha aumentado. Lo que sabemos hasta ahora... • Las mujeres embarazadas pueden infectarse con el virus de Zika. • La principal manera de transmisión del virus de Zika a mujeres embarazadas es por medio de la picadura de un mosquito infectado. • Un hombre puede transmitir el virus de Zika a las personas con las que mantenga relaciones sexuales. • Una mujer embarazada puede pasarle el virus de Zika a su feto. • Una mujer embarazada puede pasarle el virus de Zika a su feto durante el embarazo o en el parto. En las mamás infectadas no sabemos... • Cómo le afectará el virus a ella o a su embarazo. • Las probabilidades de que el virus de Zika pase al feto. • Si el feto se infecta, tendrá malformaciones congénitas. • En bebés sin microcefalia, cuál es el impacto de una infección en el útero, si la hubiere. • No sabemos en qué momento del embarazo la infección puede causar daño al feto. • Si la transmisión sexual del virus de Zika representa un riesgo diferente de malformaciones congénitas comparado con la transmisión por medio del mosquito. ¿Estamos ahora en una situación peor que a principios de año? ¿Va a ser peor a causa del verano? No creo que estemos en una situación peor ahora, porque tenemos más conocimiento sobre el virus y las maneras en que se transmite. Con respecto al verano, depende de la zona específica de la que usted esté hablando. Cualquier lugar donde es más común que los mosquitos transmitan el virus de Zika y las personas tengan más probabilidades de estar expuestas, será una preocupación. Pero recuerde, los mosquitos tienen que tener el virus para poder infectar a la gente. En la actualidad, este no es el caso en EE.UU.
El Sol Latino August 2016
¿Existe una probabilidad real de que el virus de Zika llegue a Massachusetts? Para que esto suceda, tendría que haber el tipo específico de mosquito capaz de transmitir el virus y personas que tengan el virus y que ellos puedan picar. En la actualidad, no se cree que ninguno de los dos esté presente. ¿Existen estados en el país de los que las personas deberían mantenerse alejadas? En la actualidad, los únicos casos que se han diagnosticado en la parte continental de los EE.UU. han sido casos de viajeros que volvían de zonas de riesgo o casos de transmisión sexual. También hay un caso único de un empleado de laboratorio que se pinchó con una aguja. No existen casos de los que se haya informado de personas que se hayan infectado por picadura de mosquito en la parte continental de los EE.UU. Sin embargo, se sabe que el tipo de mosquito que es capaz de transmitir el virus se encuentra presente en los estados de la costa del Golfo. Recuerde, sin embargo, que para que el mosquito pueda transmitir el virus, debe tener el virus. ¿Estamos más cerca de tener una vacuna? Aparentemente faltan años para tener una vacuna. Por consiguiente, se recomienda la prevención por medio de otras técnicas en este momento. ¿Y el sexo? Las parejas en las cuales al menos uno de ellos ha viajado a una zona infectada con el Zika deben usar métodos anticonceptivos de barrera. El enfoque parece centrarse en la microcefalia, ¿pero existen otros problemas relacionados con el Zika? Además de la microcefalia, se han detectado otros problemas entre los fetos y bebés infectados con el virus de Zika antes del nacimiento, como defectos de la vista, pérdida de la audición y problemas de crecimiento. Los investigadores están obteniendo datos para entender mejor el grado de impacto del virus de Zika en las madres y sus hijos. ¿Qué sucede con los embarazos futuros? Basado en las pruebas disponibles, creemos que la infección con el virus de Zika en una mujer que no está embarazada no representaría un riesgo de malformaciones congénitas en embarazos futuros luego de que el virus haya desaparecido de su sangre. Por lo que sabemos de infecciones similares, una vez que una persona ha estado infectada con el virus, probablemente esté protegida contra infecciones de Zika en el futuro. ¿Qué sucede con los viajes de mujeres embarazadas a las Olimpiadas este verano o a otras zonas donde el virus de Zika está presente? Quiero que quede claro, si usted está embarazada o pensando en quedar embarazada, no debería viajar a zonas infectadas con el virus de Zika. ¿Cómo sabe si un destino específico de viaje es una zona afectada por el Zika? Los CDC tienen un sitio web excelente donde identifican estas zonas y se actualiza con regularidad. Si por alguna razón usted se encuentra en una zona infectada con el virus de Zika, debe usar un repelente de insectos que contenga DEET, tratar de mantener cubierta la mayor parte de piel que le sea posible, y quedarse en áreas con aire acondicionado y mosquiteros. Evite el agua estancada u otros medio ambientes donde es más probable encontrar mosquitos. ¿Qué sucede con las mujeres que viajen y que estén tratando de quedar embarazadas? Si usted está tratando de quedar embarazada, entonces no debería viajar a una zona infectada con el virus de Zika. La advertencia se aplica tanto a hombres como a mujeres, dado que se ha encontrado Zika en el semen y puede permanecer en el semen durante semanas, si es que no hasta meses después de una infección. No es simplemente que la concepción no debería ocurrir en una zona afectada por el virus de Zika, sino que existe la inquietud sobre la concepción en cualquier persona que tenga el virus presente ya sea en la sangre o en otros líquidos del cuerpo. Fuente: Baystate Medical Center
Deportes / Sports Handball Regresa a Holyoke por NANCY ORTIZ (especial para El Sol Latino)
¿Sabes lo que es Handball? No lo confundas con Team Handball. Este deporte es único y excitante. Si has ido a los parques de Nueva York, allí se encuentran muchas canchas de handball. Los jugadores usan sus manos y dan golpes hacia la pared con una bola de goma. Handball o “Wall game” se juega en varias ciudades metropolitanas en los Estados Unidos. Se juega en Colombia, Mexico, Italia, España, y otros países internacionales. Es un deporte antiguo que se jugaba en el antiguo Egipto, México, y Roma. Durante la Revolución Francesa en los 1790s, los miembros del Tercer Estado se reunieron en una cancha de Handball para redactar su Constitución y el famoso President Abraham Lincoln fue un jugador de handball. El pasado mes se realizó un torneo de handball en Springdale Park, Holyoke. Participaron ocho equipos en este evento gratuito auspiciado por New England Handballers Association Inc., (NEHA, por sus siglas en inglés). NEHA es una organización comunitaria dirigida por William y Nancy Ortiz, con la misión de promover el deporte a través de Nueva Inglaterra.
El Sol Latino August 2016
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debe tener verja alrededor de la cancha con 10-12 pies de espacio para correr de lado a lado, y como 20-25 pies para atrás. Las canchas de Handball están localizadas en los siguientes lugares: ➢ Roberts Field Sports Complex en Resnic Blvd. y Pine Street: Hay dos canchas de Handball. Teresa Sheppard, la Directora de Parques y Recreación en Holyoke nos dió pintura para pintar la paredes y el piso. Joe, empleado de mantenimiento, puso madera nueva en octobre de 2015. En diciembre de 2014, William, mi esposo, y yo nos reunimos con Teresa y ella nos aprobó este proyecto. Esta cancha de handball fue construida en 1997. ➢ Soucy Park en Main Street: Esta cancha, construída en el 1984, no se puede usar porque no fue construída bien. ➢ Chestnut Street Handball Court, localizada en la Lawrence School, no se puede utilizar. ➢ South Canal Street Handball Court- localizada en South Canal St. y Jackson Street. Esta cancha fue construída en 1998. Había una cancha de Handball que fue construída en los 80s hasta 1992, pero la quitaron porque los jugadores no la usaban. ➢➢ Springdale Park Handball Court- Esta cancha es muy pequeña. Aun así, NEHA Inc. organizó el torneo de handball el sábado, 16 de julio de 2016. NEHA Inc., tiene el compromiso de revivir el deporte de Handball en Holyoke. En los 1980s y los 90s Holyoke tuvo muchos jugadores. En 1997 William Ortiz organizó un torneo en Roberts Field Sports Complex cerca de Holyoke High School.
Jugadores de handball que participaron en el torneo el sábado, 16 de julio de 2016 en Springdale Park.
Handball combate el estrés, agresión, ansiedad, y aburrimiento. Es un deporte económico. Lo único que se necesita es una pared y una bola. Aunque se ve fácil, no lo es. Es muy diferente a otros deportes. El jugador tiene que aprender a tirar la bola a la pared y mantener control. Es un juego ligero e intensivo. Es como racquetball sin la raqueta. Un jugador tiene que practicar sus tiros y jugar consistente para jugar y competir con otros jugadores. De las cinco canchas de Handball existentes en Holyoke, solamente se pueden usar tres. Las canchas que no se están usando, no se construyeron como debe ser. Una pared debe medir 16 pies de alto y 20 pies de ancho,
De lado izquierdo: Héctor Burgos y Edwin Rodríguez (extrema derecha) jugadores de Worcester ganaron el Segundo premio del torneo. Héctor Martes (con camiseta roja) y Wilfredo Chachi Muñiz, ambos de Lawrence, ganaron Primer Premio.
Diecinueve años despues, NEHA Inc. hizo este torneo para promover el deporte. Aunque se jugó en esta pequeña pared, el torneo fue exitoso. Hubo jugadores de Holyoke, Worcester, Springfield, y Lawrence. Si hay jugadores de handball que quieren participar en nuestros torneos o conectarse con otros jugadores que viven en Nueva Inglaterra o quieren aprender a jugar, por favor llame a William Ortiz al (508) 736- 8114 o a Nancy Ortiz al (508) 574 -1526. También puede visitarnos en nuestra página de Facebook, a New England Handballers Association Inc.
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Deportes / Sports
El Sol Latino August 2016