FrontPage Stories

Barrio Logan’s Own Business-Owner Turned Community Advocate, Benjamin Hueso, Candidate for SD School Board, Tells His Story of Determination

By Perlita R. Dicochea

Benjamin Hueso, candidate for San Diego School Board, District D, met with La Prensa and openly assessed the experiences in his life that has made him the community leader he is today. Hueso has established close personal relationships with children and adults alike through his leadership roles in local entities such as the non-profit Inner City Business Association, the Boy Scouts, the Sherman Heights Community Center and the Church of Guadalupe Choir, to name a few.

Dressed in sharp business attire, it is hard to imagine that at one point in his life Benjamin Hueso, founder of the successful private company, California Paratransit Services, moved into a van where he lived for two years while attending UCLA as an undergrad.

“It was a very humbling experience, but it helped me focus on my priorities and at that time everything I did was for my education,” Hueso said, who at one point studied in the Ukraine.

I met with Benjamin Hueso at Chicano Perk in the heart of his community, Sherman Heights. Nearby Hueso pointed out several businesses he helped start and revamp, including Chicano Perk.

Ben Hueso at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Hueso plays in the church choir every Sunday during Spanish mass.

“Everybody that I was raised with wanted to live elsewhere. People think you need to move to Chula Vista or someplace else. For many, Barrio Logan is not where one lives if one wants to achieve ‘success,’” Hueso explained. Yet for Hueso, Barrio Logan and Sherman Heights are precisely the areas where he has created success.

During the hour-long interview three community residents walked in for coffee – each made it a point to greet Hueso. That the only three people who walked in to Chicano Perk during our interview knew Hueso well enough to say a casual “hello” struck me as a testament to his consistent involvement in the social and economic development of the area.

“I’m in close contact with my community. I know my neighbors. You know, kids are a lot of work, but you can’t walk away from your kids or wife or family. For me, it’s the same with community and I have to do everything in my power to succeed.”

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School Board Candidates seek stability for San Ysidro
By Pablo Jaime Sainz
After a turbulent year in the San Ysidro School District, the November 2 elections offer an opportunity to the people of San Ysidro to elect two new board members.

Candidatos buscan estabilidad para San Ysidro
Por Pablo Jaime Sainz
Después de un turbulento año en el Distrito Escolar de San Ysidro, las elecciones ofrecen una oportunidad a la gente de San Ysidro para elegir a dos nuevos miembros de la Mesa Directiva.

Modern slavery thriving in the U.S.
Washington, D.C. - A new report on forced labor in the United States reveals in disturbing detail how individuals in communities across the country are forced through threats or violence to work in deplorable conditions for little or no pay.

Stories

Los trabajadores de Casa by the Sea
Por Luis Alonso Pérez
La mañana del viernes 10 de septiembre parecía ser el inicio de un día como cualquier otro en Ensenada, Baja California.

The Workers from Casa by the sea
By Luis Alonso Pérez
The morning of September 10th appeared to be the beginning of a day like any other day in Ensenada, Baja California.

SDSU, UCSD Researchers Start Five-Year Partnership With San Ysidro Community to Study Latino Health Issues
Researchers from San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego, in collaboration with the San Ysidro Health Center, will receive $3.4 million from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the next five years to establish the San Diego Prevention Research Center. The center will study how to promote increased physical activity among Latinos in order to prevent diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases that afflict that group, especially recent immigrants and their families.

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
3 Pasos Sencillos para Obtener Una Tarjeta de Descuento Para Medicinas Recetadas Aprobadas por Medicare
Muchas personas tienen necesidades diferentes y pre-fieren obtener sus medicinas de distintas maneras. Para comparar las tarjetas y decidir cual tarjeta de descuento para medicinas recetadas aprobada por Medicare es la mejor para usted, llame GRATIS a Medicare al 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) o a su Programa de Asistencia para Seguro de Salud Estatal (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés). Si usted va a la página Web www.medicare.gov en Internet, ahí puede descargar nuestra Guía para Escoger una Tarjeta de Descuento para Medicinas Recetadas Aprobada por Medicare para más información.

PREGUNTE A LA DOCTORA ALICE - ¿Está el Doctor? Si no hablas inglés, no está
Gricelda Zamora, de 13 años de edad, era como muchos niños cuyos padres no hablan bien el inglés: sirvió como la intérprete para su familia. Cuando desarrolló un gran dolor en el abdomen, sus padres la llevaron al hospital. Desafortunadamente, Gricelda estuvo demasiado enferma para interpretar por si misma, y el hospital no le brindó ningún intérprete.

La UC enseña a los padres a ayudar a sus hijos a estar preparados para escuela
Los padres, no importa su nivel de escolaridad o conocimientos del inglés, son los maestros más importantes de sus hijos. Es por esto que dos especialistas de Extensión Cooperativa de la Universidad de California han creado un programa que enseña a los padres una variedad de maneras de enriquecer la infancia de sus hijos.

Oaxacan Community Workshop Aims to Educate North County Agencies
The needs of the large and growing Oaxacan indigenous immigrant population will be addressed at a “Oaxacan Community Workshop,” 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, October, 15, 2004, at the San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos.

Community Notes:
Political Candidates Forums:
South Bay Greens Party Forum
WHEN: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT 7 PM

IXCHEL-AHAU
By Diana Gomez
PROSPERITY………………follows the GOLDEN RULE
Amigos, todo es prosperidad y abundancia. When we speak from the heart “nothing will be impossible to you” Mateo’s 17:20

Editorials

Editorial
The Ball Foundation and Chula Vista Elementary
Last week in our September 24 issue La Prensa San Diego published a story on the Ball Foundation and the changing face of education in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. In our opinion, the Ball Foundation is a program that is in need of change, in particular in the education of low income, English language learners (ELL) and in the way teachers are teaching the program.

Ballot Recommendations
Proposition 66: Limitations on “Three Strikes” Makes Sense
It was ten years ago that the voters of California passed the Three Strikes Law. The basic idea behind Three Strikes was to get the repeat criminals off the streets so they could not continue committing crimes. The problem with that law was that it did not distinguish between what would be considered a minor felony crime and a heinous crime. Three Strikes was indiscriminate, committing thousands of petty criminals to a life in prison.

Ballot Recommendations
Election 2004 Ballot Measures
After due consideration, La Prensa San Diego Editorial Board Rejects Ballot PROPOSAL 60A Titled -Surplus Property: Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Commentary
Can Three-Strikes Reformers Finally Win?
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
The seemingly endless battle over three strikes reform in California is heating up again. California locks up more three strikes offenders than all the other 23 states with three strikes laws on their books combined. The big reason for that is that California is the only one of the three strikes states where a felony for any offense can trigger a life sentence upon conviction.

Commentary
Censorship no more!
By Ramona Shashaani
I am appalled at the blatant censorship of Michael Moore by California State University of San Marcos administrators. Last fall, the university entered into a legally binding contract with this politically controversial oscar winning director for a speaking engagement. Due to the San Diego wildfires last October, the speech was delayed and then rescheduled for October 13, 2004. When the student government voted to help subsidize Moore’s appearance, President Karen Haynes revoked Moore’s invitation. In a statement posted on the campus website, she explained the basis of her decision: “As a public university, we are prohibited from spending state funds on partisan political activity or direct political advocacy. After discussion, we concluded that we had two choices – either delay his appearance until after the election, or balance his partisan presentation with an alternative point of view so we would not violate the law.”

Commentary
Political Ignorance Is No Bliss
by Ilya Somin
As we enter the home stretch of the 2004 presidential election, the majority of citizens remain ignorant about many of the issues at stake. Surveys show that 70 percent of American adults don’t know that Congress recently passed a prescription drug benefit for seniors, even though the new law — projected to cost $500 billion over the next 10 years — is probably the most significant domestic legislation passed during the Bush administration. More than 60 percent do not know that President Bush’s term has seen a massive increase in domestic spending, about 25 percent above previous levels, that has led to a major increase in the national debt. And despite the extensive media attention focused on employment numbers, almost two-thirds of the public don’t know that there has been a net increase in jobs this year. Three quarters admit they know little or nothing about the USA Patriot Act and 58 percent mistakenly believe that the Bush administration perceives a connection between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks.

Commentary
Hearsay Convictions at Guantanamo
By Jacob G. Hornberger
The Pentagon’s decision to admit hearsay evidence at its military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay flies in the face of one of the most important principles in the administration of criminal justice — the right to confront one’s accuser and cross-examine him in the presence of the jury. In fact, our American ancestors deemed the principle so important that they included it in the Sixth Amendment: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right ... to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”

Notas Politicas...
Republican Machine Tries to dodge the fact that George Bush was a “DRAFT DODGER” DURING Vietnam War!

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

Todos por la cultura
El suroeste americano tiene un nuevo centro Hispánico
Por Jose Daniel Bort
En lo que se refiere a ofrecimientos culturales, los latinos generalmente carecen de buenas noticias. Son muy pocos los centros culturales que se encargan prioritariamente de exaltar el maravilloso gentilicio Hispánico, Latinoamericano, Chicano o Niuyorican, del que todos los Latinos nos ali-mentamos de alguna u otra forma.

Entretenimiento para niños urbanos
Shark Tale tiene a su demográfica en mente todo el tiempo
Por Jose Daniel Bort
Los estudios animados Dreamworks han tenido un éxito impresionante con las dos películas “Shrek”, donde combinan elementos de la cultura pop actual con los cuentos de hadas. También dieron en el clavo con “Monsters Inc.”, una comedia sencilla clasificada “G” (el rating más bajo) donde una niña pequeña entra en un mundo fantástico de monstruos. En perspectiva, las otras películas no han sido tan impresionantes, pero cada una ha tenido su mérito a la hora de tratar de captar la imaginación pública.

La Amante de Brecht
Por: Paco Zavala
Mencionar o escribir de un personaje como Bertold Brecht, el conocido dramaturgo alemán, me parece aventurado y muy audaz y, más si se le trata como un personaje incluído en una novela.

Macuilxochitl's Kiva
Psychedelic Pioneers Love With Arthur Lee Return To San Diego
By Francisco H. Ciriza
In 1967, the Los Angeles-based psychedelic/folk/rock group Love released what is considered by many to be one of the all-time greatest rock albums, Forever Changes. Predecessors of the Doors (Love was directly responsible for Jim Morrison and company being signed to the Elektra label) and contemporaries of the Byrds, Love featured a multicultural line-up with lead singer/songwriter and guitarist Arthur Lee as its iconic bohemian front man.

Gloria Trevi Free!
El Chente, Fat Joe, J.Lo and more on this week’s Latino Loop
This week, Mexican pop diva Gloria Trevi and two back-up singers were acquitted of all charges of rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors and ordered to be released from prison. The singer had no comments for the media packed courtroom, however prosecutors have five days to appeal the verdict.

Sanchez Brothers Are Double Trouble on Local Gridiron
By John Philip Wyllie
South Bay League offensive and defensive lineman will have two big problems two worry about when they face Castle Park High this season. 6’3” 318 pound senior Tommy Sanchez is one of them and his “little” brother Rocco, a mere 6’2” 302 pounds, is the other.

Local Stars in the Aztec Spotlight
By John Philip Wyllie
For the second week in a row, a former prep star from a local high school has made a major impact for the ever-improving San Diego State Football Team (2-1). Two weeks ago, Aztec wide receiver Robert Ortiz (Horizon High School) contributed a touchdown and had a circus catch that found its way on to the evening ESPN Play of the Day highlight reel.

Bullfight World
By Lyn Sherwood
Another Good Tijuana Afternoon For Zotoluco
According to Tijuana correspondent Gary Sloan, last Sunday’s corrida de toros in the downtown El Toreo plaza de toros featured a herd of bulls from Teofilo Gómez for Eulalio López “El Zotoluco,” Alfredo Gutierrez, and Alfredo Gutierrez. The latter replaced José Maria Luevano, who had been injured.

Fernandez Chasing Third Win of Season at California Speedway
1999 Race Winner Looking to Add to Tally of Three Top-Two Results in Last Four Events
Adrian Fernandez heads to familiar territory this weekend as the IRL IndyCar Series converges on California Speedway for the Toyota Indy 400, the second to the last round of competition on the 16-race 2004 schedule. Fernandez is a previous winner at Fontana, claiming victory in 1999, and only once has failed to finish out of the top five in five career starts on the two-mile oval.

El Alcalde de Tijuana Jesús González Reyes, defiende la permanencia del equipo de beisbol “Toros de Tijuana”
Por: Paco Zavala
El alcalde Jesús González informó que el gobierno municipal y estatal defenderán la permanencia de la plaza del equipo de béisbol Toros de Tijuana y que además se informará a la afición sobre la posición que asumen los actores que se oponen para que continúe la Liga Mexicana en esta ciudad, como es el caso del empresario Juan Manuel Ley

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