LVEJO - El Cilantro Issue No. 9

addressing the needs of the youth and planting the seeds of revolution
Issue # 9, Volume 2
July 2005 Issue

*(Disclaimer: People’s opinions are very important to us and highly welcomed. However, Articles submitted into El Cilantro
are not entirely reflective of the ideas and beliefs of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization).

This Episode Features

Newsletter Quote of the Month
Cross-Town Collision
DA BEARS --- Next Years Outlook
Gangs
Facts and Random Thoughts (FARTS)
Fall from Grace (Poetry)
How Does Power Plant Affect Our Health, Our Lives?!
interested in art? Design? architecture?
YOUTH UNITED FOR DEMOCRACY DIGNITY & JUSTICE (YUDDJ)
Obesity -Food in the Cafeterias
OIL MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND
Pink Stinks! - The testimonies
Rape/Sexual Abuse
Recruiters Lie
Ten Tips Before Going to College
The Poverty Draft...What you need to know!!!!!!
The Price of a Healthy Neighborhood
Untitled (Poetry)
What’s in a name? Pink Line means Service cuts for 54/Cermak Blue Line riders
What do you see? (Puzzles)
You Know Your Mexican IF…

Newsletter Quote of the Month:

“Anywere in the world, a military presence is the single most reliable predictor of environmental damage ”

Gangs

By: Eric Zaragoza, Farrugut High School

Gangs are a problem in Chicago now more than ever. Gangs are growing more rapidly and they are spreading throughout our neighborhoods.

Everyone is affected when a family member decides to join a gang . There are advantages in joining a gang but for some people those advantages may seem stupid.

One of the advantages are -well for guys is that you become more popular in school and with people you start getting respect and are feared. Another advantage is that guys get more luck with the ladies. It seems all the time that guys who are in a gang always get the pretty girls. Another advantage they may have is that now they can join with a group of guys who have each others backs and go around and do the trouble gang members go and do.

Now in the gang the guys and even girls are more popular and have respect and fear of people who surround them. However, a lot of these gang member’s girlfriends are not treated very nice and if they get pregnant it is very unlikely that the guy will stick around or even be able to take care of her and the baby.

T.he kids that are not in the gang are the ones who have trouble with them. These kids are called neutrons, they are neutral they don’t go for one specific gang. These kids if they dress like gang members are intimidated by gangs by simply living in the wrong block, the wrong street or by wearing certain colors other gangs wear. In Chicago , especially during the summer, gangs are out there protecting their block or “hood”. They are out there making trouble or getting in trouble.

It’s funny how there might be a park in front of your house and you can’t even go to that park because the gang bangers are there.

In my neighborhood it’s rare to see people walking in the sidewalks late at night but if you go to other safer neighborhoods you see people walking outside -not watching their back afraid of being shot.

The most sad thing about gangs is that people of the same race are killing themselves over a block that they don’t even own. It’s not theirs, it’s the city’s property. Blacks are killing blacks, Mexican’s are killing Mexicans over land that is not theirs. In Chicago it’s simple to distinguish gangs you’re either folks or people. Many gangs or "sets," as they are called, are aligned with one of the two Chicago alliances. The more prevalent groups are shown below by alliance. The disadvantages of joining gangs are that you become a criminal, your family is at stake, and even your life is in jeopardy. When you’re in a gang you basically become a criminal by selling drugs, getting arrested for gun possession, and even sometimes by killing rival gang members. People know that if you have a criminal record it follows you everywhere, until the day you die. Joining a gang lowers the life span of a person. I mean, you never know when that bullet of that ak 47 may hit you. You become paranoid, and sometimes you become dead baried six feet underground. Joining a gang affects a family in so many ways. An aunt or uncle may dislike that member of the family because he/she is in a gang. By joining a gang you put those you love in danger; your family, your mother, father, sister, brother are in danger and may end up in dead.

People Nation Sets

Black P-Stone
Latin Kings
Vicelords
Spanish Lords
El Rukns
Bishops
Gaylords
Latin Counts
Kents

Folk Nation Sets

Black Gangster Disciples
Black Disciples
Gangster Disciples
La Raza
Cobras
Eagles
Latin Disciples
Maniac Latin Disciples
Simon City Royals
Spanish Gangsters
Two Sixes

The list just keeps on going.The difference between people and folks is that people go under the 5 point star and wear and throw gang signs to the left, folks are opposite they use the star of David the 6 point star and they ride under the right side.

Crimes between gangs are organized if a rival gang comes to another gang’s neighborhood and kills a member. Then, that gang goes back and gets revenge for their fallen soldier. Gangs are not snitches they don’t go around and tell the cops which gang killed their friend. Instead, they go and get revenge by getting back at them and killing a member of that gang.

Gangs is an issue that needs to be looked at not just here in Chicago but all over the world. We probably cant stop gangs from growing but we can control them, control the number of young kids that die over this problem.

Why Do Gangs Exist?

Gangs exist for the business of drugs for drug money and drug territory. Gangs exist to control as much territory as they can for the sells of narcotics. They exist because they are a product of communities that are starved of good schools and activities that young kids can particpate in and therefore look to alternatives, like gangs. They exist because kids that join sometimes don’t feel a part of anything. They may come from a broken home, or may want to feel powerful because they got picked on all the time. Kids join because they see brothers or friends join and they think its cool because they see people they admire join. Young people join because they think that’s the only way. They don’t believe that they are good enough to go to college -they think they deserve a gang life.

What Can we do about it?

There are a lot of things we can do to stop gang violence; by paying more attention to our kids, by creating more after school programs , by having more proactive cops and have cops patrolling the streets were gang activity is at it’s highest, but most importantly by saying NO to gangs by reporting crime, by encouraging your friends not to join them, and believing in yourself and in your community to fight for something better, -to fight for a good neighborhood!

LVEJO @ May 1 st Immigrant Rights March

What’s in a name?
Pink Line means Service cuts for 54/Cermak Blue Line riders

by Michael Pitula, Public Transit Organizer

The CTA has hyped its contest in which grade school students named the new “Pink Line” last March. But the CTA has still not told riders the Pink Line will mean service cuts on the 54/Cermak Blue Line. The cuts come at a time when ridership on the 54/Cermak Blue Line has been increasing for 2 years.

The Pink Line is a new rail service that will run between the Loop and 54/Cermak starting June 25, 2006. Pink Line trains will circle the Loop El. Then they will merge with westbound Green Line trains on Lake Street. From Lake Street, Pink Line trains will cross I-290 Expressway on the newly rebuilt Paulina Connector. Heading south they will connect with the 54/Cermak Line at Polk Station, running south and west on the same track as Blue Line trains to the end of that line and back (See diagram).

Map courtesy of the Chicago Sun Times

When the Pink Line opens, the CTA will cut service on the 54/Cermak Blue Line, from 100 direct trains to and from O’Hare every day, to just 12 trains each weekday. 54/Cermak Blue Line trains will only run every 1/2 hour, from 6-9am and 3-6pm, Monday through Friday. The CTA claims that this change will increase service on both the Forest Park and 54/Cermak branches. A close look at the plan raises serious questions as to whether or not this is possible.

It is unclear how service will increase on the 54/Cermak branch since Pink Line trains will have to share track with Brown, Green, Orange, and Purple Line trains. All of these lines will probably run slower as trains wait for each other to pass. The Amalgamated Transit Union has concerns that this may also cause safety issues when trains merge on and off the Green Line.

The change will mean more transfers for 54/Cermak riders traveling to and from O’Hare and Forest Park Blue Lines, and the Red Line. Disabled access to Illinois Medical Center will become more difficult. Additionally, Blue Line riders from Berwyn, Cicero, Little Village, North Lawndale, the Near West Side, and Pilsen will lose nearly all direct access to critical employment, education, and recreation centers near the Racine, UIC/Halsted, Clinton, and Lasalle stops, the Red Line transfer tunnels on Dearborn, O’Hare, Jefferson Park, and other areas.

Blue Line riders currently have access to Downtown, Union Station, the main Post Office, UIC, Whitney Young High School, and O’Hare.

Oddly enough, the service changes come at a time when ridership on the 54/Cermak Blue Line branch is increasing. In January 2006, about one year after the completion of Cermak rehabilitation, this branch saw average weekday rides increase by 21%, average Saturday rides increase by 65%, and average Sunday rides increase by 75% over averages from the previous year.

CTA officials have not stated where they will find the estimated $5 million operating budget for the Pink Line. It remains to be seen if this will mean cuts in trains, operators, and funds from existing lines.

The plans for the 54/Cermak reroute were part of a larger study by the CTA called the West Side Corridor Study. The Study included 7000 surveys of bus and rail riders. But in my daily travels I find that most 54/Cermak Blue Line riders are completely unaware of the CTA’s decision to cut Blue Line service and begin the Pink Line.

The few Pink Line posters on trains quote Chicago Public School students’ about why to call the service “Pink Line,” but does not offer any useful information about service changes.

I talk to riders on the train every day about the service cuts. The reaction of riders ranges from surprise to anger and disgust. Commuters on their way to work or school immediately know that they will be slowed down, charged more, and inconvenienced by these plans.

Riders can also contact their Aldermen, State Represenatives and Senators, and U.S. Congressmen to keep the Blue Line service they need to get to work, school, or the doctor.

Michael Pitula is the Public Transit Organizer for Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO).

He can be reached at 773/762-6991 or by email at publictransit@lvejo.org

Pink Stinks! - The testimonies

Hello. My name is Daniel Amador. I am 15 years old and I live in Little Village. When I heard about the CTA service cuts I was outraged! (by the way, I know they’re service cuts because it’s from 4 trains per/hour to 2 trains) I get on the Central Park blue line station and get off on the Racine stop to go to my school, Whitney Young. With the new service I will only be able to get on the Blue Line to my school during rush hours which are from 5:30-9:30 and 2:25- 6, but sometimes there are special schedules or I’m in clubs that keep me from taking the train during rush hour! And I’m not the only one! More than half of my school is involved in extra curricular activities! Assuming that I can take it during rush hour, I have to wait 30 minutes! 30 MINUTES! That's a whole lifetime for busy people like me! Why can't CTA have 4 Pink Line trains and 4 Blue Line trains per hour? It sounds more convenient. (And believe me; I don’t have to be an urban planner to figure this one out) This would be way more convenient for everyone.

Hello. My name is Alex Villanueva. I live in the community known as West Lawn. I frequently ride the Orange Line to get to school. When I heard about the new line now named the Pink Line I thought it was a good idea and that it would be convenient for everyone. Upon further research, I came to realize it was bad for ALL Chicago riders. First of all, we ’ re going to be paying more taxes so that the CTA can successfully run the new line. Second, riders who go to the loop and pass on the elevated platform in the loop (like me) will also be affected. The new line will create more traffic on the loop platform, which is definitely bad. Plus, the elevated platform is really, really old! It could be dangerous. I hope you guys can stop this. You got my support.

By. Mini-Sol

Hewlett Packard's first product was an automatic urinal flusher.
Cranberry Jell-O is the only flavor that contains real fruit flavoring.
Richard Versalle, a tenor performing at New York's Metropolitan Opera House, suffered a heart attack and fell 10 feet from a ladder to the stage just after singing the line "You can only live so long."
The time spent deleting SPAM costs United States businesses $21.6 billion annually.
For every person on earth, there are an estimated 200 million insects.
There are 2,000,000 millionaires in the United States.
The typical American child receives 70 new toys a year, most of them during the holiday season.
George W. Bush, who presents himself as a man of faith, rarely goes to church. Yet he received votes from nearly two out of three voters who attend church at least once a week.
A private elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia, accidentally served margaritas to its schoolchildren, thinking it was lemonade.
Mel Gibson has personally earned almost $400,000,000 from his movie "The Passion of the Christ".
Each year, more people are killed by teddy bears than by grizzly bears.
The New York City Police Department has a $3.3 billion annual budget, larger than all but 19 of the world's armies.
The Nike swoosh was designed by a Portland State University student, and purchased by Nike for $35.
1 pound of lemons contains more sugar than 1 pound of strawberries.

YOUTH UNITED FOR DEMOCRACY DIGNITY & JUSTICE (YUDDJ)

LITTLE VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION

Looking for individuals willing to volunteer their time to forge economic, environmental and social justice, in order to unite our communities talents, and power to build a society that treats all of us equally: no matter what race, culture, age, or gender we are.

LITTLE VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION

WHAT WE DO :

OUR MISSION IS TO WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS TO IMPROVE LIFE IN LITTLE VILLAGE AND C HICAGO THROUGH DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

WHAT ’S IN IT FOR YOU?

GAIN LEADERSHIP SKILLS BE AN ACTIVIST
BE AN ACTIVIST
FULFILL SERVICE LEARNING REQUIREMENTS
LEARN ABOUT EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
BECOME ELIGLBLE FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
MEET COOL PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE
ONE - ON - ONE HELP WITH COLLEGE APPLICATIONS & SCHOLARSHIPS

WANT TO JOIN OR KNOW MORE INFO ?

STOP BY OUR OFFICE , GIVE US A CALL SHOOT US AN EMAIL

WHERE WE ARE :

2856 S. MILLARD AVE. - CHICAGO , IL 60623-4550

PHONE : 773-762-6991
E MAIL : LVEJOYOUTH @SBCGLOBAL .NET
FAX : 773-762-6993

Ten Tips Before Going to College

By: Ceci Quinones

Join clubs and/or sports teams
Participate in volunteer activities (completing required service learning hours).
Build relationships with teachers (need their recommendations).
Look into scholarships, financial aid, and FAFSA.
Ask counselors for application fee waivers (yes, you have to pay to apply).
Familiarize yourself with transcripts.
Start essays and have parents/teachers review them.
Do not plagiarize (institutions can tell when an applicant is lying).
Talk to college students and ask for advice.
Start early!!

Rape/Sexual Abuse

By Cindy Leon, Gary School & Jacqueline Zaragoza, Farragut H.S.

Rape and sexual abuse is what we have been hearing lately on the news. Sexual abuse these days is worse than ever before. According to statistics, every six minutes of every day in the U.S someone is sexually assaulted. Women are being raped, not just here in Little Village but in other places as well. According to a survey, about 44% of women are victims of rape or have been attempted to be raped. Women that are usually attacked are women who look the most vulnerable to attack. It is usually older people, disabled people, substance abusers, and street people. Women are not the only victims of rape. It happens to men and sadly to children too. In most men sexual assaults, gang assaults are the most common. Frequently when it is male-on-male attacks it involves more than just one male. Children are also in danger of being assaulted. 1/3 of girls and 1/6 of boys have experienced sexual assault or abuse during childhood before the age of 18. Most of the time children are raped by acquaintances, usually by a family member or a care taking adult. It’s hard for us to understand that even some fathers have raped their very own children. Children are easily manipulated to keep silence by their assailants, because they are threatened, given false promises, and even because of their own feelings of guilt. Children are innocent: they don’t deserve to have those negative images in their minds. Children might think that they are dirty for what happened to them and kill themselves. Assailants should stop and think for a second the harm they’re causing that person. Victims of sexual abuse do not deserve to feel the physical and emotional pain that those sexual assaulters cause. A lot of people that pass through this sometimes kill themselves and they don’t deserve to die. Sexual assault is wrong and should stop. It robs a person of dignity and a sense of personal safety.

If you need help or know someone that does contact:

Mujeres Latinas En Accion
2124 W. 21st Place
Chicago , IL 60608
(888) 293-2080 - (773) 890-7676

Website: http://www.mujereslatinasenaccion.org/SA.html

Rape Victim Advocates (RVA)
228 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 240
Chicago , IL 60604
(888) 293-2080 - (312) 663-6303

Website: http://www.rapevictimadvocates.org

The Minutemen, Need to Wait Just a Minute

OIL MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND

Oil is now being consumed four times faster than it is being discovered and oil prices have skyrocketed over $3! BUT WAIT, The oil crisis doesn’t only apply to driving your car.

The construction of the average desktop computer consumes ten times its weight in fossil fuels.
Food storage systems such as refrigerators are manufactured in oil-powered plants, distributed across oil-powered transportation networks and usually run on electricity, which most often comes from natural gas or coal.
The construction of an average car consumes the energy equivalent of approximately 20 barrels of oil , which equates to 840 gallo ns, of oil.

Apparently we are reaching the ultimate “Global oil-production peak”.

The term "global oil-production peak" means that a turning point will come when the world produces the most oil it will ever produce in specific year. After this, yearly production will unalterably decline. Global oil-production peak is usually represented graphically in a

bell curve. The peak is the top of the curve, the halfway point of the world's all-time total endowment, meaning half the world's oil will be left. Seems like a lot of oil, huh? But there's a big catch: half the oil is much more difficult to extract, far more costly to get, of much poorer quality and located in countries that want nothing or little to do with the US.

Without oil the world will suffer a crisis that will paralyze production, cause companies to lay-off workers, and public transportation will become a luxury. If we were to start a world-wide campaign to conserve fuel we would cause economic problems. The demand for vehicles would go down causing companies (such as Ford) to go on the verge of bankruptcy. One out of every six jobs in the US is either directly or indirectly dependent on the automobile manufacturing sector. This could potentially lead to a chaotic crash in the stock market.

So the question remains , “Is there an alternative/replacement for oil?”

There are many technological alternatives but none that can supply us with sufficient net energy required by our modern monetary system and industrial infrastructure.
In reality, the alternatives to oil are derivatives of oil. For the first time in the history of civilization, a non-human power has dominated the world; power that would have been enviable to Alexander the great: Petroleum the conqueror!

Obesity -Food in the Cafeterias

By: Emmanuel Trijo, Curie High School

Did you know that 73% of children are overweight or obese?

In Chicago, low-income communities of color lead the city in alarming rates of asthma and obesity. In West Town, which has a large Latino population, 28% of children have asthma and this compares with national averages of 12% for asthma and 26% for overweight or obese.

In order to address these critical issues, the Healthy Schools Campaign, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, West Town Leadership United, Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center and Cook County Bureau of Health Services have formed the Partnership to Reduce Disparities in Asthma and Obesity in Latino Schools.

Are you embarrassed about your weight?

What we can do to stop it?

• Help young people learn skills.

• Give students repeated chances to learn to practice healthy eating.

Make nutrition education activities fun.

• Involve the entire school-community in delivering strong, consistent messages about healthy eating as part of a coordinated school health program.

• Join a sport.

•Limiting the number of calories that your child drinks. For example, many kids drink too much juice and soda each day.

•Avoiding frequent meals of fast food.

•A common problem that contributes to overweight children are meals with portions that are too large.

•Don't force younger children to 'clean their plates.' An important way to help children learn to eat healthy is for them to know that they can stop eating when they are full.

•Limit inactivity by setting strict limits on watching television and playing computer and video games.

•Know what your child is eating and where his calories are coming from.

Weight Loss goals

The first goal in getting kids to a more healthy weight should actually not be

weight loss. Instead, the usual recommendation is for kids to just stop gaining weight, and then, as they get taller, they can 'grow into' their weight.

In general, to lose weight, you either have to decrease the amount of calories you are eating and drinking, exercise to burn more calories, or even better, do a combination of both. Remember that 1 pound is equal to about 3500 calories, so you have to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound or eat an extra 3500 calories to gain a pound.

These are some examples to preventing obesity.

Someone You Should Know

Do you have something cool that you think the rest of the world needs to see?
It could be a poem, a drawing, a music review, a sports review, an article, or an opinion.
E-mail us here

DA BEARS --- Next Years Outlook

Last year the Chicago Bears ended the regular season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses and made the playoffs. With their season long quarterback Kyle Orton struggling, and Rex Grossman; the player who was supposed to be the starter at QB before getting injured in the pre-season, back on the field the, Bears had a QB problem. Orton had been on the field for 10 of the Bears wins, while Grossman won the both games he appeared in. They decided to go with Grossman. Grossman played great in the playoffs, but the Bears were eliminated in the second round.

This year the Bears have renewed the problem. During the off-season they signed veteran QB Brian Griese to a five-year contract. The Bears say Griese will be the back-up to Grossman, but with one year left in Grossman’s contract they might have been planning for the 2007 season. It is hard to believe that they would give Griese a long-term contract with no guarantee of playing time. They might want to sure up the QB position, after the injury problems Grossman has had over the last 3 years.

Grossman was brought to Chicago in the 2003 draft to be the “Quarterback of the future”. In the 2003 season he played 3 games, he won the first two and lost the third while getting injured and wasn’t able to play for the rest of the season. In his second season he played the first the first 3 games, he lost the first one won the second and on the third the Bears lost and Grossman tore his ACL, he was out for the rest of the season. In his third, season, this past season, he broke his ankle in the first pre-season game; he missed all but 3 games of the regular season.

The Bears will have their complete roster available next season. Until further notice Grossman is the Bears starting QB. The Bears will try to build on last season’s playoff berth. They hope to go further into the playoffs, maybe all the way to the Super Bowl. Until the season starts we will see how the Bears will handle the QB position.

Fall from Grace
by La Femme Mystérieuse

You see me as a role model
You see me as PERFECT
Many say I'm a prodigal child
The daughter every couple wanted to have

Too much is EXPECTED from me
There are things I just cannot explain
Yes, It's true I'm all about TRIUMPH
Plaques, medals, trophies, are my luxury.

But if I fail once
The world just breaks apart
Shattered into pieces...
The puzzle yet not solved

People pulling me apart in different directions
Mom wants a porcelain doll, looking pretty and staying still
Dad wants a supreme court justice
Aunt wants a NUN, covered from head to toe to hide my beauty

HERETIC!
You're Full of Pride
Don't know the meaning of SACRIFICE
I played Mary Magdalene, isn't that enough?

But do these people take the time to ask me what I want?
I only ask for the simplest thing
Let me be ME!
Let me be ME!

PRAYER.
Waiting for HIM to answer my call
St. Cecilia picks up
MUSIC will help you heal your soul

I'm put on hold with the most angelic music
1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes
I can't take it ANYMORE! Please open the GATE to heaven!
Child, there are still more obstacles ahead
I've sent you on a mission, be strong, be faithful.

Untitled

By Raquel Arce

Sabiendo que no me quería me deje enamorar
La intensidad de su Mirada iluminaba el mundo
Sabiendo que no me quería me deje enamorar
El mundo entero se paralizaba en admiración cuando el sonreía
Sabiendo que no me quería me deje enamorar
Cuando el estaba presente no había vocabulario solo silencio hermoso
Sabiendo que no me quería me deje enamorar
El nunca me odio pero tampoco me amo
Y aun que el no me ame y yo lo acepte yo siempre lo amare
Sabiendo que no me quiere me deje enamorar

Recruiters Lie

The Price of a Healthy Neighborhood

The Celotex site is a “Federal Government United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Superfund site: which means it has dangerous chemicals to humans and the environment” and its located here in Little Village (28th and Sacramento)!!

The USEPA and Honeywell have been working to clean up the Celotex site and the neighbors’ yards for 13 years and so far HAVE DONE NOTHING!

The USEPA has held only 1 “public meeting” to discuss their proposed “clean-up plan”. The meeting was held at West Side Tech in October, 2004: OUTSIDE of the Little Village neighborhood, WITHOUT TELLING the Celotex neighbors or Little Village schools, churches or community based organizations about the meeting.

Celotex makes $28.9 BILLION per year. It will cost $50 million to clean up Celotex: that’s how much Honeywell makes in 17 HOURS!

Celotex neighbors and LVEJO won 2 victories this year 1. By getting Honeywell to agree to put up a secure fence in May, 2006 2. To have Honeywell test the soil in ALL 194 houses that is in the Celotex area ( 26 th St to 31 st St and Kedzie to Sacramento)

We demand that the USEPA/Honeywell clean up the contamination in each home to Illinois standard

We demand that the City of Chicago, Chicago Planning Dept, the Chicago Park District and Alderman Cardenas give us our a clean park!

Want to join the fight?!

email us info@lvejo.org - or call us at 773-762-6991

How Does Power Plant Affect Our Health, Our Lives?!

Coal Power plants are responsible for three major emissions and elements that affect our health. These are Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Mercury. All of them are airborne gases, with Mercury going into the water and then into our food. Coal is one of the most impure of fuels. Its impurities range from trace quantities of many metals, including uranium and thorium, to much larger quantities of aluminum and iron to still larger quantities of impurities such as sulfur. Products of coal combustion include the oxides of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur; carcinogenic and mutagenic substances; and recoverable minerals of commercial value, including nuclear fuels naturally occurring in coal.

This is how mercury pollution works:

Mercury is released into the air and then falls into water or, when it falls onto land, it makes its way into water. When mercury gets into water, bacteria change it into methylmercury. Methylmercury is absorbed by aquatic organisms. Those organisms are eaten by small fish, which are eaten by bigger fish, which are eaten by humans.

With The other two gases, Sulfur Dioxide, and Nitrogen Dioxide the situation is as follows:

When fuel containing sulfur (mainly coal and oil) is burned at power plants and during metal smelting and other industrial processes, then the sulfur dioxide gas is formed.

Together, SO2 and NOx (Nitrogen Dioxide) are the major precursors to acidic deposition (acid rain), which is associated with the acidification of soils, lakes, and streams and accelerated corrosion of buildings and monuments. SO2 also is a major precursor to PM2.5, which is a significant health concern, and a main contributor to poor visibility.

	For More Information contact Elda Godinez at 773-762-6991 or cleanpower@lvejo.org

Cross-Town Collision

By: Rafael Hurtado , Curie H.S.

On May 20, 2006 the Chicago Cubs played their cross-town rivals and 2005 World Series Champions the Chicago White Sox. It was game two of the three game series in Chicago. The White Sox had already won game one by 5 runs, with the final score being 1-6. But the excitement was just about to begin.

It was the bottom of the second inning in game two of the series. The score was tied at zero. The bases were loaded for Brian Anderson. He hit a routine pop-up to the Cubs’ left fielder Matt Murton. As soon as he caught the ball AJ Pierzynski tagged up on third base and headed to home plate. Matt Threw a long shot down towards home plate but it was off by a mile. The Cubs’ back catcher Michael Barrett stood in front of home base blocking it off to AJ who was charging at him. Then there was the collision. AJ and Barrett collided at the plate.

After the collision AJ’s helmet was behind Michael and when AJ went to pick up his helmet Michael said, “I don’t have the ball bitch.” And Michael Barrett gave AJ Pierzynski a hard right hand punch to the jaw. A soon as the punch was thrown both benches cleared and it became a baseball brawl.

Brian Anderson was the first to get in to this from both teams while coming back from first base. He ran towards John Mabry and twirled him like a little girl to the ground. Later on that day John had to go get his ribs examined due to seven White Sox players jumping on him.

The players were not the only ones that got into the brawl. The White Sox third base coach ran toward the field swinging. He got suspended for two games and fined. The White Sox Center Fielder Brain Anderson was Suspended for five games and fined. AJ Pierzynski was just fined for taking a punch. But the one man who got the worst punishment was Michael Barrett. He got suspended for 10 games and fined a insignificant amount of money. The MLB (Major League Baseball) association did not release the information of how much the players and the third base coach got fined for.

A lot of people are saying that it was Michael Barrett’s fault for blocking the plate. But he never had the ball. There is a rule in baseball no matter if you are playing Tee-ball, Pee Wee, Little League, Pony League, Single A, Double A, Triple A, or Street Ball. If you block the base path every body on base will advance one base. There was a man on third after the collision. Michael Barrett didn’t even have the ball. So if AJ would have not collided with him every one would have advanced a base and the score would have been 2-0. I know Michael’s punch was not necessary.

But was the collision necessary?

What do you see?

The Poverty Draft...What you need to know!!!!!

Overall, the Pentagon spends over $2.5 billion a year targeting high-achieving low-income youth with commercials, video games, personal visits and slick brochures.
They never mention that college money is difficult to come by, and that very few job skills are transferable from military to civilian life.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) revealed in December of 1990 that the percentage of Black People serving in the Persian Gulf was 29.8% Army, 21.3% Navy, 16.9% Marines and 13.5% Air Force. These numbers are disproportionately high considering that African Americans only mane up about 12% of the US population.
Puerto Rico is the Army’s number one recruiting territory. With the unemployment rate on the island of more than 40%, Army recruiting offices in Puerto Rico garner more than 4 times the number of recruits US based recruiting offices average on a yearly basis.
JROTC programs in the US public schools are growing at an exponential rate since Congress lifted the cap on how many schools could have programs.
In spite of the DOD’s claim, more than 50% of JROTC cadets join the military as enlisted personnel.

Most JROTC programs occur in schools where the community is either working class or impoverished and more than often those schools are also predominantly

You Know Your Mexican IF…

You have ever been hit by a chancla.
You grew up scared by something called "El Cucuy."
Others tell you to stop screaming when you are really just talking.
You light a candle on the night of the Lotto drawing.
You use your lips to point something out.
You constantly refer to cereal as "con fleis".
Your mother yells at the top of her lungs to call you to dinner even if it's a one bedroom apartment.
You can dance ranchera, cumbia or salsa without music.
You use "manteca" (lard) instead of olive oil and can't figure out why your butt is getting bigger.
You call your sneakers "tenees".
You have at least thirty cousins.
You can't imagine anyone not liking spicy food.
You are in a 5-passenger car with 7 people in it and a person shouting "subanse, todavia caben".
Whenever you feel under the weather, you compulsively dab on some "Vics" vapor rub all over your chest and inside your nostrils.
Your mom packs your "lonchera" everyday.
You or someone you know uses "Tres Flores" in their hair.
Tamales, champurrado, posole and menudo are must haves on Thanksgiving.
There is at least one member in your family name Maria, Guadalupe, Juan, Jose, or Jesus.
Everyone still thinks Cesar Chavez is the best boxer even if he lost against Oscar De La Hoya.
You've gone to the Pulgamarket every weekend for years.
You step into a house that has all those little figurines taking up every inch of space on/under the TV.
You have a porcelain cat, dog, Buddha, or elephant in your living room.
You have plastic slipcovers on your sofas.
You swear "Choco Mil" is the same as Slim Fast and try to lose weight by drinking it.
You not only know who Don Francisco from Sabado Gigante is, but you tell people he's your tio.
Your mother, tia or hermana's hair is blackcherry, "Sun in" red or a burgundy that would make Celia Cruz jealous.
You always try to find out what town another fellow Latino's family is from.
You go to a wedding or Quiencienera, gossip about how bad the comida is, but be the first to take a plato to go.
You have a chola in your barrio named "La Flaca" who's bigger than a house.
You think Cristina trumps Oprah any day.
You have a cousin named "Guero" who's darker than night.
You drive a "Cheby", an "Ohsmobeel" or a "Bolswahgon"

interested in art? Design? architecture?

ATTENTION!!

VAMOS (volunteer and Mentor One Summer) seeks Little Village Teens (13 to 16 yrs old)

This summer VAMOS will be offering a FREE Architecture course to teens living in Little Village who range in age from 13-16 years.

Classes will be from July 11 - August 17 on Tuesdays and Thursdays [ 4:00-8:00PM ]

Classes will be held at The Illinois Institute of Technology, 3400 S. State Street

The summer program will involve site investigation of vacant lots and run down buildings. Students will then propose site solutions to replace the lots and buildings. Each student's project will be reviewed on a weekly basis by design professionals. At the conclusion of the program each project will be presented to the Little Village Community.

The classes are intended to open the eyes of each student to the triumphs higher education and how architecture can transform their neighborhood. Each student will identify empty lots or run down buildings in Little Village and then propose replacement solutions on those chosen sites. Students will be encouraged to think outside of the box while creating their “solutions”.

Anyone interested should contact Claudette Soto at VAMOS_NFP@yahoo.com.

Application Deadline: June 30 th

Please note we are limited to 10 students so it will be at a first come first served basis.

”Made possible in part by a small art grant from the Little Village Community Development Corporation and LISC.”

Pick up lines NOT to use

Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!
Baby, I'm no Fred Flintstone, but I can make your Bedrock!
Do you have a boyfriend? [No] Want one? [Yes] Well, when you want a MANfriend, come and talk to me.
Excuse me, I'm a little short on cash, would you mind if we shared a cab home together?
Hi, the voices in my head told me to come over and talk to you.
I am conducting a field test of how many woman have pierced nipples.
I know I don't look like much now, but I'm drinking milk.
I'd marry your cat just to get in the family.
I've gotta thirst, baby, and you smell like my Gatorade.
Pardon me miss, I seem to have lost my phone number, could I borrow yours?
Stand back, I'm a doctor. You go get an ambulance, I'll loosen her clothes.
You're so hot you melt the plastic in my underwear.
If you were a booger I'd pick you first.
Hey baby... drop that zero and get with the hero in other words... you better come with me.
Hey baby you're so fine you make me stutter, wha-wha-what's your name?
My name isn't Elmo, but you can tickle me any time you want to
Is your name Pepsi cause' I've gotta have it.
Do you work for UPS? I could have sworn I saw you checking out my package.
This is a test of the emergency pick up line service. Beeeeeeeeeep. If you had been any less beautiful, you would have just heard a bad pick up line.

The Best way to get someone to notice you is to be sincere and yourself! You don’t need crafty sentences or flashy pick up lines to win the heart of the one you desire!