Staff
La Costa Latina

DESTIN -- On 26 Feb 2009, Dannie Baker walked over from his townhouse to another one no more than 150 feet away and used a rifle to shoot through a kitchen window.

Inside that townhome, several Chilean students on work visas were having one last get-together before returning to Chile after spending a few months working in the United States as participants in the "Work and Travel USA" program.

The Chilean students befriended one another during their stay in Destin until some became the victims of gunman Dannie Baker.

During his shooting rampage, Baker killed Racine Balbontin, 22, and Nicolás Corp, 23. Additionally, Sebastian Arizaga was shot in the back; David Bilbao was shot in the arm; and Francisco Cofre was shot in the face and arm.

Interviews with neighbors made by local media and the Univision program Aqui y Ahora, indicate that Mr. Baker had spoken negative words about "illegal aliens" and may have been driven to his dastardly act by such ill feelings.

Baker was found incompetent to stand trial nine months ago and sent to a state hospital for treatment. Recently, he was released from the hospital after he was deemed competent and now, his attorneys are going to have him reexamined.

A competency hearing will be held soon. Should he be found competent, a trial may follow. Baker is currently being held at the Walton County Jail.

Robert Elmore, the assistant state attorney prosecuting the case, has stated that "the state will seek the death penalty for the murders should Mr. Baker be found competent to stand trial."

A status conference is scheduled for Aug 3 to review the case.

During the last week in July, Sebastian Arizaga, visited our area...

Finish reading Chilean shot during the 2009 Miramar Beach shooting visits Destin

Filed 19 de Agosto, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Staff
La Costa Latina

Diabetes. Cholesterol. High blood pressure. These are words that most people don't like to discuss--especially with a doctor--but sooner or later, they are health concerns that people across America have to address at some point.

According to the American Diabetes Association, the rate of diabetes among the Latino community is almost double those of non-Latino whites. The American Heart Association reports that cardiovascular disease and stroke ranks as the number one killer of Latino/Hispanic Americans. They claim the lives of 27 percent of the more than 133,000 Hispanics or Latinos who die each year.

After 15 years in the USA, immigrants typically increase their body mass index (BMI) by 1.39, according to a 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

So, the staff and friends of La Costa Latina have volunteered to take part in a 28-day health challenge to eat healthier and exercise. Their hope is to improve their individual health and encourage others to do the same.

For most of the participants, their goal is to lose weight, but overall everyone wants to gain improved physical ability and better health. Some area already dealing with the symptoms of diabetes and high blood pressure.

"I am a Type II diabetic. My doctor told me that if I were to lose the weight, I could get off my diabetes medication," said Robert Calderon, a participant in the challenge. "I want to get in shape to play soccer again, but most of all I want to improve my health."

Each participant...

Finish reading 28-Day Latino Health Challenge

Filed 10 de Agosto, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Staff
La Costa Latina

MOBILE, Ala. - A group of surgeons from The Orthopaedic Group, P.C. in Mobile have returned from a mission trip to Honduras in June. Surgeons from the practice lead a team of 22 medical students from the University of South Alabama on a two-week trip to help train local medical teams as well as treat patients in Honduras.

This is the fourth trip that joint replacement specialist, Dr. Robert McGinley, has led to the capital city of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, and the third trip with medical students from the University of South Alabama. Accompanying McGinley on the mission trip this year will be sports medicine specialists, Drs. Stephen Cope and Albert Haas. The intended goal of these mission trips is to establish an ongoing reciprocal program with doctors and medical residents from Honduras to come to Mobile for training.

The group of physicians and medical students worked at Hospital Escuela, a teaching hospital in Tegucigalpa, providing training to the staff physicians at the hospital and their residents in a variety of orthopaedic techniques, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repairs and total joint replacements. A smaller group, consisting of medical students, traveled to the mountains of Honduras and worked at a medical clinic providing primary medical care to area locals. McGinley says that because of the work the medical students from the University of South Alabama have done, the clinic in the mountains is open year-round.

"It is wonderful to see the difference we can make in peoples' lives," says McGinley. "I am ...

Finish reading Local Surgeons Lead Mission Trip to Honduras

Filed 29 de Julio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

STAFF
La Costa Latina

ORLANDO - Governor Charlie Crist today ceremonially signed House Bill 971, creating a Hispanic specialty license plate and requiring the establishment of a Hispanic Achievers Grant Council to recommend statewide grants to not-for-profit organizations for services, programs and scholarships to benefit Hispanic and minority Floridians.

Finish reading Governor Crist Signs Legislation Supporting Florida's Hispanic Community

Filed 20 de Julio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Staff
La Costa Latina

In an effort to support the wildlife impacted by the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon and the oil threatening it each and every day, KC Tees--a Latina-inspired line of graphic tees has kicked off an initiative to do what they can to help!

KC Tees is a line of Latina-themed graphic tees that are stylish and inspirational, featuring messages in both English and Spanish. Created in an effort to inspire integrity, respect and self-esteem with messages we can all embrace, KC Tees promote universal themes and messages, some of which include: Paz (Peace). Amor (Love), Fe (Faith) and more! They have been featured on Telemundo and the Today Show, in US Weekly, Newsday, OK! Magazine, AOL Latino and more. The tees are also a favorite among celebrities like Jennifer Lopez , Josie Loren, Brooke Mueller, and others.

Starting immediately and continuing through December 31, Tees will donate 20% of the proceeds from every "Peace" and "Unity" (Fuerza en la Unidad) tee sold to the National Wildlife Federation--one of the many organizations leading the efforts to clean up the oil spill and save Gulf Coast Wildlife.

"Seeing the heart-wrenching images of all the oil soaked birds and mammals as a result of this catastrophic oil spill was unfathomable," said Karen Crawford, CEO and Founder of KC Tees. "An avid supporter of animal rights, I ...

Finish reading Latina Supports Wildlife Impacted by Oil Spill Crisis

Filed 8 de Julio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

La Costa Latina

GULF COAST -- Health departments along the Gulf Coast advise residents to avoid contact with tar balls that may be in the water or on shore. Tar balls are fragments or lumps of oil weathered to a semi-solid or solid consistency, feel sticky, and are difficult to remove.

They range in size from a pinhead to approximately 30 centimeters in diameter. Tar balls frequently wash onto Florida beaches -- residents and visitors have seen them for many years.

Tar balls are not harmful - they are a nuisance. If you walk barefoot on the beach in the impacted areas, you may ultimately find tar residue on your feet.

Individuals should avoid contact with tar balls. However, if an individual's skin comes into contact with tar:

1. Wash with soap and large amounts of water. Health officials discourage the use of gasoline, kerosene or other solvents to clean oil from skin.
2. If tar is not removed with soap and water, scrape off the excess tar from your skin and apply a grease removing agent - such as a grease-fighting dish detergent -- or mineral oil. Rinse your skin with large amounts of fresh water.
3. Remove contaminated clothing.
4. If symptoms or irritation occur, call a physician.

Individuals can get information on the possible health effects of contact with oil from the Florida Department of Health and Escambia County Health Department oil spill web page at www.EscambiaHealth.com.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection provides information on tar balls and beach clean-up.

Filed 11 de Junio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

by Grace Resendez McCaffery, Publisher
La Costa Latina

My kids and I recently took an opportunity to live the life of a laborer for a day. It was a great experience that helped us to learn of the kind of work that some immigrants (and Americans) do in our country.

The work was harder than we anticipated. We had to cut the grass and cut back vegetation on a 2.5-acre lot. It took us two days to complete the work.

First, we had to buy some tools. To keep expenses low, we went to Wal-Mart. As we debated quietly amongst ourselves on which items to buy, our little huddled brown-faced family dressed in work clothes drew a few looks. This kind of made us feel like we were already covered in dirt. We later returned to Wal-Mart to buy bottled water after McDonalds on Navy Blvd. wanted to charge us $5.37 ($1.79 each) for three cups of iced water.

The job site was a rental complex, half of which was rented by Latinos. Though they understand almost every word, my boys don't speak much Spanish, so every time we had to shout across the lot at each other, I realized that many of the residents had no idea what the strangers on their property were saying, but might have been annoyed by the racket we were making around their homes.

While we were working around the complex, we decided that we wanted to spruce up the property a little -- go "the extra mile" even if it meant picking up other people's trash, something we weren't asked to do.

Some residents moved their cars away from the grass to make our jobs easier, but we found our attitudes were different toward others who didn't seem to care at all. When we were done, we were tired, dirty, thirsty, hungry, and anxious to get home.

Despite our exhaustion, I remember feeling grateful that we finished the job without any injuries. I thought, "What if someone was cut with a tool or bitten by a snake?" Our day could have ended in an emergency room, and what would we do with no medical insurance?

Another thought came to mind: would I walk here from another country, risking life, limb and freedom for an opportunity to do this kind of work every day...

Finish reading In Their Shoes

Filed 7 de Mayo, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Stanley Walker
La Costa Latina

America's current immigration system is severely broken. Our nation's immigration policies have failed miserably. By not having a reasonable immigration policy in place, we have a system that practically begs people to break the law.

As our own labor force grows older and better educated, our economy is looking for younger, less educated workers to replace the growing number of American workers who are pursuing other opportunities. Instead of providing legal pathways for the workers our economy needs, and a modern system for ensuring that employers follow the law, current immigration policies our pouring millions of dollars into policies that are meant to send a political message to not solve the problem.

Round-ups in small communities won't stop the influx of immigrants from entering our country illegally. And spending $50 billion for a 700 mile fence to nowhere is a colossal waste of time and money. The truth is that we need 21st century solutions to the problems we face at our border, and we need an immigration system that can respond to the economic realities of today. Our economy relies heavily upon the contributions of these workers, many of whom are willing take jobs Americans are less interested in.

What America needs is an immigration policy that allows us to grow our economy with legal workers. A reasonable, orderly, tightly controlled worker program would go far in helping to eliminate the dangerous human smuggling and border crossings that currently plague our system, and would ...

Finish reading We Need Immigration Reform Now

Filed 18 de Febrero, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Louisiana State Police say four children--a 2-year-old, a 12-year-old, a 14-year-old, and a 14-year-old--were killed after the minivan they were riding in lost control when a tire blew out just before noon on I-10 near Baton Rouge on Saturday, November 28. Seven other children remain in a critical condition and two children and an adult passenger are stable. The driver was also killed.

According to the Louisiana State Police, that none of the children were wearing seatbelts. Only the driver and a front-seat passenger were wearing seatbelts.
When the front driver's side tire on the west bound van blew out, the driver lost control of the swerving van, and hit a delivery truck then bounced across the center median, where it flipped. It rolled more than 200 feet landing in the opposite lanes. Most of the occupants were ejected from the vehicle and four dead children were found lying in the median.
Several of the victims were members of the same family from Harvey, LA. An eye witness reported seeing the vehicle flip several times and children flying out of it.
In a radio interview, Louisiana State Police spokesman Trooper Russell Graham said, "Small children can't take care of themselves, they count on the adults to take care of them. They count on those adults to make sure they're buckled up. They count on those adults to make sure that they are safe," Graham said.
"If they're sitting in the back of a minivan, or in the back seat of a car, or in the front seat of a car, and they're not buckled up, they're not safe."
A new Louisiana state law requires ALL vehicle occupants to wear seatbelts.

Filed 7 de Diciembre, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

The following is a report submitted by the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice. La Costa Latina is not responsible for any inaccuracies.

Nearly fifty workers, residents, community advocates and clergy assembled at the New Orleans Police Department Headquarters on November 19. They asked police superintendent, Warren Riley, to renew assurances given in a high profile press conference on September 9 that police officers would not ask for the immigration status of victims.

"We are not going to make someone a victim twice," Riley said. The community also asked for Riley's support in measures to combat wage theft in New Orleans - given that workers must often report employer retaliation to the police.
Workers and advocates lodged an official complaint of police misconduct in a recent case that dramatizes the need for Riley's assurances. In the recent incident, a victim of wage theft called the police for protection against an employer threatening assault with a hammer. The police arrived - but interrogated the worker for his immigration status instead of protecting him. Police interrogated the victim about his immigration status, and issued a citation for disturbing the peace.
As workers and advocates lodge the complaint, clergy lead a prayer vigil and delivered a letter signed by 15 pastors to Superintendent Riley, asking that he renew his promises, make them real, and support passage and implementation of the Justice Ordinance - a City Council measure championed by Councilman Arnie Fielkow to criminalize wage theft and protect workers who report it.

Filed 7 de Diciembre, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

On November 11, murder defendant Dannie Roy Baker was found to be legally mentally incompetent to stand trial on his pending charges for first degree murder, attempted first degree murder and shooting into a building arising from the shooting deaths of Chilean nationals Racine Libia Balbontin Argandona and Nicolas Pablo Corp Torres, and gunshot injuries to Sebastian Mauricio Arizaga Suarez, Francisco Javier Cofre Fernandez, and David Alonzo Andress Bilbao Meza on February 26 of this year in Miramar Beach, Fla.

The court's finding of incompetency was based on the reports of two licensed psychologists who expressed expert opinions that Baker was legally mentally incompetent to assist his legal counsel at trial at this time.

Assistant state attorney, Bobby Elmore, stated that the defendant will remain in custody until the Florida State Hospital staff mental health experts determine he has regained competency to stand trial. State hospital staff will engage the defendant in medication, therapy and training designed to restore the defendant to competency.

Staff experts are required to report to Judge Wells as to their opinion of the defendant's mental status within six months and if the defendant has not regained competency, once each year thereafter.

If the Florida State Hospital determines that the defendant has not regained competency within five years, Florida law requires dismissal of the legal charges against the defendant.

In a case involving a dangerous defendant, the State is entitled to move for the court to order that the defendant remain committed to the secure hospital setting unless and until he regains competency or no longer poses a danger to others.

If the defendant regains competency after a dismissal, the charges may and would be reinstated by the state attorney for further prosecution.

Filed 7 de Diciembre, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

El Pueblo and Project SafeSpace are moving forward into the future with a new address and a new name!

Our total ministry will now be known as ACTS: A Community of Transformation and Service. This more completely describes who we are and what we do. ACTS will include both El Pueblo and Project SafeSpace under its umbrella and will be positioned to reach out with other ministries when necessary and appropriate.

El Pueblo will move forward into 2010 with its ministry to the Hispanic/Latino immigrant community through the Immigration Legal Clinic, the women's empowerment group Mujeres Unidas (Women United), community education, and advocacy efforts.

The Annual Festival Sabor de las Américas (Flavor of the Americas) will continue to showcase and celebrate the diverse and exciting cultures of North, South and Central America each September with food, music and fun.

Project SafeSpace will throw open its doors once again to all those in need of a place of welcome and refuge with day services to the houseless, creating a community of hospitality that empowers them to live lives of purpose, dignity and service.

Our SafeSpace community includes American veterans who have put their own lives in danger so that we all might live in freedom and security, as well as others who have been devastated by medical bills, family tragedy and economic hard times.

Through Project SafeSpace we all can share our gifts to provide immediate needs, meals, clothing, showers, laundry facilities, and to encourage self-sufficiency and self-worth through case management, life skills resources, support groups, opportunities for service and avenues of spiritual growth.

We need your help to continue in this work. We must raise $100,000 by the end of 2009. If 1000 supporters like you each give $100, we will reach our goal.

Please consider sending us a gift of $100 to move ACTS into the New Year on a sure financial footing. If you cannot give that amount, even the smallest gifts add up!

As we approach the Christmas season, we reflect on Mary and Joseph, forced to leave their home, family and community by conditions beyond their control. We see the Christ Child, born in a stable, homeless, with no one to welcome him. And then the little family is forced to flee to a foreign land to save the life of the Author of life.

We remember the words of Jesus, "Whenever you did it to the least of these, you did it to me."

Help us to welcome Jesus today in the immigrant and the homeless we encounter right here on the Gulf Coast!

May God bless you abundantly for your generosity!

Filed 18 de Noviembre, 2009 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)