Thursday, September 22, 2011

New Futuro, Voter Engagement 2012, Museum of Mexican Culture and History, Annual Anti-Violence March


Marty Castro &
August Sallas (right)

            NEW FUTURO: There is a new educational initiative in the Latino community called “New Futuro” [New Future], announced Attorney Martin “Marty” Castro, Chairperson and Co-Founder, New Futuro; Chairperson, Illinois Human Rights Commission and Chairperson, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. New Futuro and Allstate have launched an unprecedented partnership to get 10,000 Latino students into colleges.
            A RECEPTION attended by 150 people was held Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011 at the National Museum of Mexican Fine Arts, 1852 W. 19th St. in Pilsen.
            COMMUNITY leaders, educators, civic and professionals were in attendance. The Mistress of Ceremony was Lourdes Duarte, WGN-TV. Ms. Duarte introduced the featured speakers Marty R. Castro, Esq.; Mike Escobar, Vice Chairman, Chief Diversity & Organization Effectiveness Officer, Allstate Insurance Company; Eddie Brambila, Managing Director, Community Partnerships, Illinois Student Assistance Commission; Juan Salgado, President and CEO, Instituto del Progreso Latino  and Executive Representative from Teach for America.
            "WE'RE THRILLED to have Allstate on board as our corporate sponsor. Allstate's support will advance our goal to motivate 10,000 Latino families to commit to a ten-point plan focused on getting their students into college and beyond," said Marty Castro. "Equally important, though, is the company's willingness to share its diverse human capital--Allstate's people who truly understand and have successfully navigated the path toward succeeding in life."
            OTHER LISTED partners of New Futuro initiative is the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, National Council of La Raza, Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), Teach For America and others. To learn more, visit www.NewFuturo.com or follow New Futuro at www.facebook.com/newFuturo and www.twitter.com/newfuturo .We support New Futuro and wish it success!

            COMMUNITY FORUM: On Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011 more than 134 leaders of business, civic, community and student groups from across the city attended a Community Forum “Voter Engagement 2012” at the UIC Forum. The initiative, sponsored by the Chicago Election Board, was to explore a wide range of election reforms.
            THE GOAL of the project was to identify measures that will increase voter registration and turnouts – for 2012 and beyond. Ideas discussed: letting voters register online or register on Election Day, use universal “vote centers” outside register voters home precincts, and employing new technology, such as online voting for military/overseas voters.
Langdon
D. Neal
            “IT’S COOL TO VOTE”, a concept to promote U.S. citizens to register to vote as a condition of receiving their high school diplomas. “Today, we received valuable information from civic, community and student leaders on how to address our core mission: to register voters and get people to participate in the elections,” said Langdon D. Neal, Chairman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. “We will put this information to work, both internally, and to inform legislators about changes they may consider.”
            LATINO PARTICIPANTS at the forum were Cristina Garcia, Erie House; Maria Salazar and Jose Artemio Arreola, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Natalia Garza, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.; August Sallas and Baltazar Enriquez, Little Village Community Council; Ana Soto, Mujeres Latinas en Accion; Minerva Velasquez, Rose H. Calderon, Maria Eugenia Flores, Southwest Organizing Project; Omar Michel, Erendira Rendon, Danilo Aguilar, The Resurrection Project [Casa Puebla];  Norma Ramos, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dulce Diaz, Jose Torrez, Yanira Solano, Lisbet Ruiz, U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute.

William
Luna
            OPEN HOUSE: The “Museum of Mexican Culture and History”, 3610 W. 26th St. in Little Village is featured as an official Open House site by the Chicago Architecture Foundation openhousechicago 2011 Program. The Open House is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
            THE CURATOR of the Museum of Mexican Culture and History is William Guillermo Luna. Visitors will see Mexican artifacts, photos, memorabilia, cowboy gear and saddles, Mexican food items, military equipment, MAYA calendars and graphics, Aztec World with portraits of the Aztec Emperors.
            LUNA WILL talk about Mexican culture and history and answer questions from the visitors. The presentation is informative and educational. Free admission, donations for the museum will be accepted.

Michael M.
Cabonargi
            LITTLE VILLAGE PARADE: Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Michael M. Cabonargi marched in the Little Village Mexican Independence Parade on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. He was sworn-in Feb. 10, 2011 as the Commissioner of the Second District by Chief Justice Timothy Evans.
            COMMISSIONER Cabonargi served as a senior attorney and prosecutor in the Chicago Regional Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission from 2005-2011. In 2007, he received the Chairman’s Award for bringing the largest private offering fraud case filed by the SEC Commission in the amount of $2.8 billion.
            HE SERVED as an aide to United States Senator Paul Simon from 1993 to 1997. He received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign and a B.A. in Political Science in Foreign Affairs from Miami University in 1993.
            CABONARGI lives with his wife, Erin Lavin, and their sons, William and Jack in Chicago’s Logan Square community.
            THE SECOND District includes Chicago’s downtown, north, northwest and southwest communities, which includes Little Village. Commissioner Cabonargi phone number is 312/603-5560.

            CASA Ciudad de Mexico in Chicago and Universidad Popluar cordially invites you to a reception welcoming a delegation of food producers from Mexico City, led by Francisco Garcia Flores, Municipal President (Delegado) of the region of Mexico City known as Milpa Alta Friday Sept 23, 2011, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
            THE MILPA Alta delegation, specializing in non-traditional products like nopal, and the traditional Mexican delicacy, "mole”, will be attending Universidad Popular’s 6th Annual Feria del Mole. This annual “celebration of a flavorful tradition” will feature the competitive mole cook-off with prizes, and tastings of the variety of authentic homemade moles! The winner of the competition will be crowned, "The Best Mole in Little Village".
            WHILE IN CHICAGO the Mailpa Alta will be promoting their world-famous 2011 International Mole Expo and Fair.


            REMINDER: Robert Esquivel, Chief of Lender Relations, U.S. Small Business Administration will be the guest speaker at the Latin American Chamber of Commerce “Business Roundtable” breakfast, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. Registration & Networking: 8:00 a.m. Breakfast: 8:15 a.m. Presentation: 8:45 a.m. Members and Members' Guests: $25. Lazo's Restaurant, 2009 N. Western Ave., Chicago. (Parking Facility Across the Street). For more info call: 773/252-5211.


Come out and join
Mayor Rahn Emanuel
& Alderman Ray Suarez
Annual Anti-Violence March
March Tuesday 9/27