Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cicero Election, Town President Larry Dominick, Labor Endorsements, To The Point, Benito Juarez Movie

Larry Dominick

          CICERO ELECTION: The Town of Cicero, Illinois will be having elections for their public officials on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. According to the 2011 census Cicero has an estimated population of 84,261. The incumbent Town President is Larry Dominick, a 50-year resident of the Town of Cicero and the cornerstone of his administration has been safety for the towns’ residents. “I’ve kept my campaign promises and will continue to make Cicero not only safe but the best place to live, work and shop,” said Town President Larry Dominick.
          DOMINICK graduated from Morton East High School and attended Morton Community College before entering public service in the Town of Cicero. After working 14 years for the Streets Department in the Town of Cicero, Larry joined the Cicero Police Department. He retired from the Police force as First Deputy Superintendent after 20 years of service to the community. In 2005, Dominick was elected as Cicero Town President to a four year term and was sworn into office on May 10, 2005. 
           UNDER DOMINICK’S dynamic leadership, Cicero was named by House Hunt Online among the top 20 Safest Cities in America for 2013. “Safety is what Cicero residents want,” said President Dominick. Another accomplishment under Dominick’s strong leadership was the expansion of social services without raising taxes; for example services for seniors, families, youth and veterans. Cicero has become a magnet for new businesses including Wirtz, Wal-Mart and other business enterprises.

President Dominick’s Record 
  • An aggressive Graffiti program with several graffiti blasters available to remove graffiti the same day. 
  • Bobby Hull Community Ice Rink used by 600 kids on weekends. 
  • Directed the acceptance of the Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad card as a valid form of ID.
  • The Safe Space Resolution for Cicero; A resolution with 10 provisions which stop the Town of Cicero agents [including police] from enforcing federal immigration laws and/or Town services because of immigration status.  
  • Appointed Town Clerk, Maria Punzo-Arias, in 2011. She is the first Mexican American Clerk for the Town of Cicero.  
  • More Hispanics have been hired and appointed to public agencies and to Town government.
  • Hosted 12 Citizenship Workshops to increase citizenship and free Citizenship classes for  town residents.
  • Introduced and supported legislation [House Bill 1241] a.k.a. the Lagunas-Flores Law. The law requires a breathalyzer test given to suspects in all automobile accidents involving a fatality. In 2012 a Chicago police officer, who had been drinking, struck and killed two Cicero residents, Erick Lagunas, 21 and Miguel Flores, 22. The officer was allowed to immediately leave the scene instead of being required to take a breathalyzer test.

Larry Dominick and State Rep. Lisa Hernandez

State Rep. Silvana Tabares
          DOMINICK is endorsed by the Town of Cicero Democratic Organization, Charlie Hernandez, Democratic Committeeman; State Representative Lisa Hernandez and State Representative Silvana Tabares, all elected Cicero Town officials and LOBO organization. Supervisor Joe Virruso said: “Larry Dominick has done more for the Town of Cicero than all of his predecessors combined.” 
          LABOR ENDORSEMENTS: President Dominick has received the unanimous endorsement of SEIU Local 73, Sheet Metal Workers Local 73, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, Bridge, Structural & Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 1, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 9, Construction & General Laborers’ District Council of Chicago & Vicinity, Teamsters Joint Council 25, IAFF Local 717, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399, International Union of Painters & Allied Trades Painters’ District Council No. 14. Give Larry Dominick your vote!
          TO THE POINT: Do you need your knives or scissors sharpened? To The Point sharpening business will set-up shop at the Little Village Community Council, 3610 W. 26th St. They will sharpen knives and scissors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. No appointment necessary. First come, first serve.
          PRICES: Pocket knives $2, Blades up to 4” $3, Blades up to 6” $4, Blades up to 8” $5, Blades up to 12” $6 and scissors $5 - $7.
          MOVIE MATINEE: The movie “Juarez” starring Paul Muni,  Bette Davis, Claude Rains and John Garfield, made in 1939 by Warner Bros., will be featured at the Little Village Community Council, 3610 W. 26th at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Public invited. FREE ADMISSION.


Benito Juarez
1806-1872

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Cuba, Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, Old Havana, Cienfuegos, Ernest Hemingway, To The Point, Movie Matinee "Juarez"


          CUBA: A trip of a lifetime. For me the opportunity to visit Cuba came when my friend Charlie A. Serrano, a mission coordinator, invited me to go come along with the Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International delegates. Lambda Alpha obtained a license to visit Cuba from January 6 to January 13, 2013 through the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury “People to People” program as a professional academic and cultural research exchange mission. Lambda Alpha began in 1930, has chapters all over the world and is the Honorary Society for the Advancement of Land Economics. The mission was in collaboration with the Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation in Cuba.
Lambda Alpha officers: [L to R] Jean M. Meilinger, Donna Jean Pugh,
Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation Director Esther Diaz de Villalvilla,
Sherman Lee Jenkins, Radosveta K. Doytcheva, Joan Maria Berry, Helen Kessler
Charlie Serrano
          OUR GROUP of 27 delegates consisted of professionals from every discipline: lawyers, architects, land developers, building managers, transportation planners, environmentalists, property managers and city officials.  Except me. I was the only Mexican-American community representative in the group. 
          MY JOURNEY began with meeting  the Lambda Alpha delegates, Coordinator Serrano and his assistant, Carlos Jimenez, at the Miami airport. From Miami, we boarded an American Airline charter plane which took approximately 25 minutes to land in Havana, the largest city in Cuba. Once through Cuban customs, we boarded a modern air conditioned bus which was built in China but had an American motor. Our Cuba guide on the bus was Alejandro Infante a.k.a. “Allie”. Allie did a great job sharing a  lot of information about Cuba.
Carlos Jimenez
          THE FIRST thing you notice in Cuba, besides the heat, [in fact the temperature the entire week was 83 to 85 degrees] were the cars. It seemed as if Cuba was frozen in the 1950’s. Most Havana taxies were Chevy’s from 1959 and down. I rode in a 1952, 1953, and 1954 Chevrolet and I was impressed on how well the 60 year old cars were preserved; vibrant and shiny.  I was told most of the cars have different motors, with some of them even having diesel motors.
August Sallas and a 1953 Chevrolet
         THE CITIES we visited were Havana, Pinar de Rio, Cienfuegos and Trinidad. All of them beautiful, unique, exotic, and rustic. At the Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation, we saw a Cuba museum and heard a lecture about land development in Cuba. A meeting was held with representatives [Cuban Lawyers Assn.] of the National Justice Union of Cuba [Union Nacional de Juristas de Cuba] at their headquarters. Introductions were made in Spanish by Cuban Justice Dra. Dorys Quintana Cruz. Cuba is a Spanish speaking country and my Spanish helped our group throughout the trip. During that meeting we were told how several of Cuba laws are changing relative to business and land ownership.
Alejandro Infante
          IN OLD HAVANA, I visited the hotel room of Ernest Hemingway at Hotel Ambos Mundos. It cost two pesos to enter a small room with a single bed, dresser, table, two chairs and a book shelf. Pictures of Hemingway with movie stars lay on his bed. Our guide said Hemingway drank twelve Daiquiri Rum or a.k.a. “Papa Doble” every night at El Floridita, a local bar.
August Sallas holding cigars made by Benito. 
          IN CIENFUEGOS [100 Fires]: We made an impromptu visit to the tobacco farm of farmer Benito. Benito welcomed us into his home and gave us a tour of his large tobacco barn, explaining his work as a tobacco farmer. He gave us a quick demonstration on how Cuba cigars are made and gave us the samples to smoke and enjoy.  Cuba was wonderful to visit. It is a warm and friendly country whose people are beautiful, courteous and kind. My Cuba trip will be continued.
          TO THE POINT: Do you need your knives or scissors sharpened? To The Point sharpening business will set-up shop at the Little Village Community Council, 3610 W. 26th St. to sharpen knives and scissors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. No appointment necessary. First come, first serve.
          PRICES: Pocket knives $2, Blades up to 4” $3, Blades up to 6” $4, Blades up to 8” $5, Blades up to 12” $6 and scissors $5 - $7. 
          MOVIE MATINEE: The movie “Juarez” starring Paul Muni,  Bette Davis, Claude Rains and John Garfield made in 1939 by Warner Bros. will be featured at the Little Village Community Council, 3610 W. 26th at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Public invited. FREE ADMISSION.