Volume XXVI Number 47 November 22, 2002

FrontPage Stories

Blancornelas: An Exclusive Interview with The Godfather of Narcojournalism

By Pablo De Sainz

In Tijuana, the name of Jesús Blancornelas has become an icon in journalism and, above all, in narcoculture. If you ask almost anybody, any person (rich, middle class, a police officer, a taxi driver) who is Jesús Blancornelas, he or she will tell you: “Oh, Mr. Blancornelas writes about the narcos. He writes about the truth. His newspaper is the best paper in Tijuana. He writes for the people…”

Ever since he was almost killed by gunmen related to the Arellano Félix cartel, Blancornelas has reached the status of a legend in Tijuana.

But he doesn’t see himself as an icon.

“I’m just like other journalists working. I see the events and I write about them. That’s all.”

Even though he might not acknowledge it, Blancornelas has revolutionized modern Mexican journalism. Every Friday, if you walk around Downtown Tijuana, you’ll notice many people, men and women, young and old, with a copy of Zeta, the weekly newspaper Blancornelas is co-founder and co-director, under their arms.

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Congress Poised to Rip Off Consumers Over Terror Insurance
 By Lucy Komisar
Congress just handed insurance companies a multi-billion dollar handout — and most U.S. taxpayers don’t even know it.

Letter from Jordan — Stop this Bad Movie
 By Rami G. Khouri
What a bitter reality that we Arabs may once again serve as convenient rest stops on Western imperial routes to exotic lands in Asia. I thought that moving forward to the past was something that happened only in the movies.

A Dialogue With Africa
 By Daniel L. Muñoz
The pieces all fell in place Saturday, November 16, 2002 under arrangements made by Jennifer Varsak, the San Diego Program Director of the San Diego International Visitors Council. At Eleven in the morning a meeting was held between the Publisher of La Prensa San Diego, Daniel Lopez Muñoz and five representatives of three South African Nations: Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde. The meeting was held in the offices of La Prensa San Diego.

Stories

Small Businesses learn from the experts at Hispanic Business Fair
 By Paola Hornbuckle
 In an effort to reach out to the community, Southwestern College held the San Diego Hispanic Business Fair on Tuesday, November 12. Keeping in mind the needs of minority owned small businesses, sponsoring agencies like the EDD, the California Employment Development Department, and the IRS, Internal Revenue Service, among others, focused on topics, issues, and problems often encountered by this rapidly growing segment of the population.

“Salud Sobre Ruedas” Celebration
 Ford breaks down Hispanic healthcare transportation barrier
By Berenice Cisneros
 The ’91 Mazada van used by La Maestra Family Clinic (LMFC) is on a respirator after logging heavy miles as it shuttles community members of City Heights to-and-from the non-profit health clinic, off to see specialist, or to take ailing patients to a hospital. The van is a vital link between the clinic, the community, and the rest of the medical world and when the van finally breaks down, access to healthcare breaks down. But now, thanks to the Ford Motor Company, this link will not be broken for many years to come.

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por Yhamel Catacora
Entendiendo la diabetes
Cuando sentimos que dentro de nuestra casa existe algún malestar que está atacando a gran parte de nuestra familia, por lo general, queremos conocer lo más posible sobre la enfermedad para comprender qué está sucediendo y qué impacto tendrá en nuestras vidas.

A new mural and art program unvield at block party
 Mural restoration and block party sponsored by Bronze Triangle CDC and St. Luke’s Church
 Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa are just four of history’s peacemakers whose images adorn the revitalized mural on the corner of 32nd and Imperial Avenue. World-renowned muralist, sculptor and activist Mario Torero, recently unveiled the restored mural at a community block party celebration.

Southwestern College SUN earns prestigious state and national journalism excellence awards
 The Southwestern College Sun won second place in the nation for community college newspapers at the annual Associated Collegiate Press Convention in Orlando, Florida. The Sun was one of five papers from across the United States to win a General Excellence award from the ACP. The Sun finished third last year.

City wins $1.9 million HUD grant to remove lead-based paint hazards in older homes
 A pilot program started with seed money provided by the City of San Diego is set to expand – thanks to a $1.9 million federal grant that will enable the city to increase efforts to rid older homes of lead-paint hazards.

Grossmont College is Key Link in Teacher Training Pipeline
 EL CAJON - According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), some 2.4 million new teachers will be needed nationwide by 2008, due to teacher attrition, retirement, and increasing enrollment. In the western United States, elementary schools will face even greater need, with increases in enrollment projected as high as 17 percent. The need for teachers increases to 2.7 million when class size reduction efforts are included in the projections.

Tippy Tooth visits San Diego’s Chavez Elementary to fight nation’s leading childhood illness
 Health Net Dental and Vision’s ambassador of proper dental care – Tippy Tooth – made a visit to San Diego’s Chavez Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov. 12, sharing his message of the importance of taking care of your teeth to 160 first and second-graders.

Community Notes:
 Annual Inter-Religious Thanksgiving Prayer Service
Iman Sharif Battikhi, President of the Inter Religious Council of San Diego, warmly invites the public to join the Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christian, Moslems and Bahá’ís in an evening of prayer and reflection:

Editorials

Editorial
 Judge Miliken Soft On White Criminals
 On Wednesday Superior Court Judge James Milliken sentenced the final three youths to jail who participated in the savage attack on migrants, in 2000, near Carmel Valley. Steve Deboer, 19, was sentenced to one year in prison. Bradley Davidofsky, 18, and Adam Ketsdever, 18, each were sentenced to two years in county jail.

Commentary
 Who Wants to Know?
 Understanding in two syllables may not be enough
By Rodolfo F. Acuña
My first experience with a presidential campaign was as a volunteer for Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1952. Just out of high school, I was certain that Stevenson would win. However, a political pro busted my bubble, telling me that the American people would never elect Stevenson because he was an egghead and Americans wanted presidents like themselves that kept it in two syllables.

Comentario
 Acá y allá : ¿un futuro político femenino?
 Por Emmanuelle Le Texier
Para quienes todavía tengan duda, las recientes elecciones americanas han demostrado que las mujeres México-Americanas y las Latinas lideran las contiendas políticas en los Estados Unidos. De modo tangible, el “sexo débil“ está ya haciendose oír del otro lado de la frontera.

Political Notes:
 Women and minorities remain severely under-represented, with this year’s status quo election standing in stark contrast to the 1992 surge in women and racial minorities after the last round of legislative redistricting.

TEZOZOMOC SPEAKS
 Elections are over though some crybabies just won’t admit it. We might not like what and how it happened, but look at it this way you now have until the next election to hammer the winners! We know the elections were a sham, that most of the candidates were bought off, and that as usual votes were not counted, or were lost the swamps in Florida, . . .. But, did you really think elections are any more honest here than in Zimbabwe?

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Entertainment, Reviews, Sporting news, and other tid bits

MACUILXOCHITL: “Five Flower”, The Aztec god of music and dance.
 Music Reviews and Updates:
By Francisco H. Ciriza
VOLOVAN self-titled Lakeshore Records/Suave

Forgotten Heroes: Zapata and the Struggle for Land
 By Roy Cook
 Saturday, November 16, 2002, in the Worldbeat Center, Balboa Park, Tim Redbird, Kiowa and the Red Warrior Drum opened the special showing of the documentary film, “Forgotten Heroes”. This Red Warrior Southern Plains drum sang appropriate Warriors songs for the Heroes of this struggle to protect the land for the people.

Sandra Cisneros takes a trip to Mexico with her new novel Caramelo
 By Pablo De Sainz
December is almost here.

The Edge of Enchantment: Sovereignty and Ceremony in Huatulco, Mexico
 First Book to tell story of hidden paradise
WASHINGTON, DC—The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) announced the release of “The Edge of Enchantment: Sovereignty and Ceremony in Huatulco, Mexico,” with compelling text by Alicia Gonzalez and captivating photography by Roberto Ysais.

Interesante Programa de Trabajo de FOECA.
 Por: Paco Zavala
La Cultura y las Artes son dos corrientes que en la mayoría de las circunstancias se proyectan como una sola.

Tijuana Journalist Jesus Blancornelas to be featured on Forefront, Channel 4 San Diego
 Five years ago, Tijuana journalist Jesus Blancornelas was ambushed. His driver/bodyguard was riddled with 40 bullets, and Blancornelas was hit four times. The first photojournalist at the scene was his son, Rene, who snapped photos as his father lay on a stretcher, having narrowly escaped death.

Vale Callampa: Café Tacvba’s Newest Musical Experiment
 By Pablo De Sainz
Café Tacvba is the band in Mexican rock that experiments the most with its music. The Tacvbos have a great ability to take any instrument typical in regional Mexican music, such as, let’s say, the harp, and blend it with electronic music; or they can also write a song with simple lyrics, such as, let’s say, tell a Mexican peasant’s love story, and create a post-modern bolero.

¡Los Tacvbos no valen callampa!: Las nuevas rolas de Café Tacvba
 Por Pablo De Sainz
 Café Tacvba es la banda de rock mexicano que experimenta más con su música. Los Tacvbos tienen una gran facilidad de tomar cualquier instrumento típico de la música regional mexicana, como, digamos, el arpa, y mezclarlo con música electrónica; o también pueden escribir una canción sencilla en su letra, como, digamos, contar la historia de amor de un campesino mexicano, y crear un bolero posmoderno.

Mosaico de Actividades Culturales en Tijuana
 Por Paco Zavala
El próximo sábado 23 de noviembre se presentará en extraordinario concierto Tijuana Beat Shop en los espaciosos salones de Casa de Cultura Playas Cortijo San José, iniciando a las 7:00 pm. la admisión a este evento será de $ 100.00.

Herrera Cheers For The Silver & Black on Field and in the Office
 Patty herrera’s locker contains two uniforms.

Morales Stuns Ayala For WBC Feather Title!
 By Fiona Manning
Erik “El Terrible” Morales pulled off a stunning performance to capture the vacant WBC featherweight championship with a unanimous decision over Paulie Ayala on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.

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