Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Bronx 3M

*Looking for Actors*

Casting a new film "Bronx 3M" (working title), the story of three Latino youths (Maria, Michael and Mona) coming of age in a city going up in flames.

Looking for all types and ages -- especially teenagers and young adults. Bilingual (English-Spanish) a plus. Deferred payment.

Please send an updated photo and resume to:
PRDream/MediaNoche
Attn: Clarisel Gonzalez
161 East 106th Street, First Floor
New York, NY 10029

"Bronx 3M" is produced under the auspices of MediaNoche's Digital Filmmakers Program and is made possible with the support of NY Foundation, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, NYSCA and individual donors.

Note: All correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Please do not send electronically. Only mailed correspondence will be considered.
Acting Workshop

ACTING FOR THE CAMERA WORKSHOP - Learn from a PRO
Sunday, April 30th, 2006
A WEEKEND WORKSHOP: April 29 & 30, 10AM - 2PM

Develop your technique in front of the camera. Veteran film and theater actor Cathy Haase leads this highly informative workshop.

(Peruse her recently published book “ACTING FOR THE CAMERA” at Amazon.com)

Registration fee: $25
Workshop fee: $175

For more information or to register:
info@prdream.com or call 212.828.0401

PRdream/MediaNoche
161 East 106th Street, First Floor
New York, NY 10029

(Between Lexington and Third Avenues)

Take the IRT Lexington Avenue Local #6 train to East 103rd Street.

source: prdream.com

100_4420


100_4420
Originally uploaded by croweturtle.
Interesting tidbit

In New York City, Puerto Ricans comprised a larger share of the city's Hispanic population (37%) than any other Hispanic group; they were particularly concentrated in the Bronx and Brooklyn, each of which contained more people of Puerto Rican origin than any other county in the nation.

- United States Census Bureau (2002)

Monday, March 27, 2006

Reminder

PRSUN TV airs in Manhattan tomorrow night (Tuesday)

What? Interviews and exhibit featuring the work of two Bronx boricua photographers:
Marisol Diaz and Enid Alvarez

When? 8:30 p.m., Channel 34, MNN

PRSUN TV is being repeated in the Bronx at 3:30 p.m. Mondays and 12:30 p.m. Thursdays, Channel 69, Bronxnet.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Health

JAMA -- Rates of Cesarean Delivery Among Puerto Rican Women--Puerto Rico and the U.S. Mainland, 1992-2002, March 22/29, 2006, 295 (12): 1369
TV

"Chatting with Family and Friends" to Air in the Bronx

Hi All,

The following are the air dates for our first talk show "Chatting with Family and Friends," a studio team of diverse independent producers:
3/24/06 (Friday) 12PM
4/28/06 (Friday) 12PM
5/26/06 (Friday) 12PM

All three showings will be on channel 70, Bronxnet.

Tune in.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Dance

Los Pleneros de la 21 are currently running their popular Bomba and Plena Community Workshops!

Sessions are available for:

- Adults
- Children and Youth

Register now and receive quality percussion, dance and song instruction in Bomba and Plena by master and veteran LP21 artists!

Children and Youth Sessions also provide unique instruction in puppet theater - students will learn how to act, and create their own puppets to create a lively Carnaval Show! (Classes run every Friday from 4:30 - 6:30 until May, 2006

Adult sessions provide intense two hours of instruction! Classes run every Saturday until April 8, 2006. Sessions will begin once again JUNE 3 until July 1st.

All sessions are held at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center @
1680 Lexington Avenue and 106th Street
Room 213
El Barrio, NY 10029

CALL NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER!
212-427-5221

Telluric totem4951


Telluric totem4951
Originally uploaded by KAP'n Craig.
Community Calendar

A Cultural Extravanganza Honoring the Unique Genius
of Poet and Playwright El Reverendo Pedro Pietri
When: Saturday, April 1st, 2006, 12 Noon – 8:00 PM
Where: The Nuyorican Poets Café, 236 East 3rd Street (between Avenues B & C)
Info: Carmen Pietri-Diaz 212-780-9386 • nuyorican@mindspring.com

The late poet/playwright “El Reverendo” Pedro Pietri will be honored on Saturday, April 1st, 2006 by the New York City Arts community in a day-long Extravaganza of Poetry, Music & Performance. Reverend Pietri – who was more a dark genius poet than an actual holy man — wrote the ground-breaking “Puerto Rican Obituary,” a book-length poem evoking the harsh realities that Puerto Rican immigrants confronted in the US.

In a collaborative effort spearheaded by FEVA (Federation of East Village Artists), former councilwoman Margarita López, The Nuyorican Poets Café, and the merchants, residents and artists of East Third Street, the City of New York will officially rename the block of 3rd Street between Avenues B & C “Rev. Pedro Pietri Way.”

To commemorate this event, a street sign honoring Rev. Pedro Pietri will be posted during a day-long Block Celebration in front of the Nuyorican Poets Café, the legendary arts institution Rev. Pietri helped to establish. The celebration will include performances and presentations outside and inside of the café.

The First Annual Pedro Pietri Hand Awards will be presented to distinguished poets, playwrights, musicians, reporters and community activists. The award takes the form of a black-gloved hand, in honor of Pietri’s trademark accessory. It was designed by artist Adál Maldonado, who collaborated with Pietri on many projects, including the founding of the legendary outpost of bombast, El Puerto Rican Embassy, where “the most interesting minds of our great multicolorful generation congregate as heads of state to keep our aesthetic sancocho warm enough to escort our eternal tropical contemporary urban lifestyle through the 21st Century.”

And in a surrealistic act worthy of the Nuyorican-Dadaist poet/playwright, El Puerto Rican Embassy and the Nuyorican Poets Café will canonize Rev. Pedro as the first Saint of The Church of Our Mother of Tomatoes. On this historic day, Rev. Pedro will become San Pedro Poeta: Patron Saint of Poets & Lost Typewriters, and Spanglish Metaphor Consultant in the Hereafter. Fellow poets and artists will testify to the poetic miracles of Rev. Pietri through marathon readings and performances.

Rev. Pietri was one of the most original poets of the 20th century, and it is fitting that equally legendary performers will be there to honor him: Salsa legends Willie Colón and Dave Valentín, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café Miguel Algarín, poets Amiri Baraka, Sandra Maria Esteves, Jesús Papoleto Meléndez, Mariposa, and The Welfare Poets. Also appearing, DJ extraordinaire Little Louie Vega, Daily News columnist Juan González, among others; hosted by political activist Dylcia Pagan and Obie award winning director/writer Frank Perez.

A series of videos of Pietri performing some of his classics pieces, such as The Spanglish National Anthem, Unseen Faces, Help Me I Can See and The Puerto Rican Obituary will premiere at the Café.

Guests and participants are encouraged to wear Black Attire in honor of Rev. Pedro Pietri’s dark style.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Latino Lens 10


Latino Lens 10
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
Gallery featuring photos by photographer Marisol Diaz. This is part of her "Mis Raises, PR" series.
REMINDER

WHAT? PRSUN TV TO AIR LATINO LENS FEATURING BRONX BORICUA PHOTOGRAPHERS ENID ALVAREZ AND MARISOL DIAZ.

WHEN? Starting at 3:30 p.m. March 20 (Monday)

WHERE? Channel 69, Bronxnet, Bronx

The Splendor of Puerto Rico


The Splendor of Puerto Rico
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

source: MNN

SAVE ACCESS TV! CAMPAIGN UPDATE

In recent days there have been a number of important developments in our campaign to SAVE ACCESS TV

1) ACTION ALERT! - NYC City Council proposes Resolution in support of local franchising.Here there is good news to report and you can take action! On March 1st, New York City council members Gail Brewer, Melinda Katz, Helen Foster, Letitia James and Miguel Martinez proposed City Council Resolution No. 0136-2006 opposing any legislation that would dismantle the local franchises that pay for Public Access TV. If you, or an organization you are involved in, have connections with members of the city council then now is the time to let them know they should VOTE IN SUPPORT of Resolution No. 0136-2006. For sample letters or other information about how to contact your city council members, contact SAVE ACCESS TV at the information provided at the bottom of this email.

2) Congress pushes for new bill to dismantle local franchises that make Community Access TV possible.Early in March, House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton and leading members of the Committee announced they are close to releasing new telecommunications legislation that would replace local franchises with a national franchise. Day-to-day it is hard to tell how this legislation will fare. Some insiders think this legislation will be voted on before the summer, others think it will take longer. We need to stay active and keep getting our message of support for Public Access TV to our politicians and the public!

In addition to jeopardizing Public Access TV, this legislation would take millions of dollars of franchise fees from local communities; fees video-service companies pay in exchange for running their cables on publicly owned streets. In early February the NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) issued a report indicating that NYC receives over $75 million annually in telecommunication franchise-fees. All of this money could be jeopardized by this national legislation.

Click here to read the IBO report: http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/newsfax/insidethebudget146.pdf

3) Other Recent Developments:
March 10th: MNN released the first version of a Save Access TV Toolkit. The 14 page Toolkit offers an introduction to how you can start to organize in support of Community Access TV. Download the toolkit at: http://www.mnn.org/saveaccess

February 28th: S.O.S. (Save Our Shows), a coalition of independent producers organizing to protect Public Access, hosted a live call-in program to alert viewers about the current anti-Public Access TV legislation. Future shows to follow.

February 14th: New Yorkers sent a clear message to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – “don’t take away our Public Access TV!” Over 4,000 comments were submitted to the FCC from around the country, many of them expressing concern that changes in franchising rules could harm Public Access TV. Thanks to all of you who took the time to submit your compelling personal comments.

February 11th: Representatives of MNN’s SAVE ACCESS TV! Campaign presented a workshop at the 3rd New York City Grassroots Media Conference. Over 800 grassroots media activists, social justice organizers, and community access supporters attended the conference. Many of them sent their comments to the FCC using laptop computers supplied by SAVE ACCESS TV.

View all the comments filed with the FCC at:
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/websql/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.hts?ws_mode=retrieve_list&id_proceeding=05-311

Get involved!
To get involved with the SAVE ACCESS TV! Campaign, call (212) 757-2670 x308 or email us at: saveaccess@mnn.org. For more information about all aspects of SAVE ACCESS TV contact: Betty Yu (betty@mnn.org) or Lyell Davies (lyell@mnn.org) or go to our website at: http://www.mnn.org/saveaccess

Or watch our “Access Update” program on the first Tuesday of every month (6:30-7:00pm on Channel 34 (TWC)/ Channel 110 (RCN). New airdates: April 4th, May 2nd, and June 6th). This program is also available on other local access stations across the country & on Free Speech TV (available on Dish Network), reaching over 25 million homes across the country.
Sports
BostonHerald.com - MLB Coverage: �Beisbol� finds its new heart and soul
Film
FilmStew.com � J. Lo Does Dallas
Travel
Puerto Rico: The Caribbean's family destination - Family Travel - MSNBC.com

Saturday, March 11, 2006

PRSUN TV
Have any story ideas you think should be featured on PRSUN TV, a monthly cultural arts program that airs in the Bronx aimed at informing and empowering boricuas? Feel free to e-mail Clarisel at prsuncom@yahoo.com.

The upcoming show (to air March 20) highlights "Latino Lens: Photo Perspectives of Two Boricuas," a photo exhibit on the work of two Puerto Rican photographers with Bronx roots: Marisol Diaz and Enid Alvarez.

Beisbol6


Beisbol6
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
On TV: World Baseball Classic game in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico defeats Cuba, 12-2, Friday night.

Friday, March 10, 2006

A Better Place


A Better Place
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
Comite Amigos de Roberto Clemente Te Invita A Reunion Pro Retiro #21 de Roberto Clemente

Invitamos a los lideres deportivos y lideres comunales a que vengan a brindar su apoyo a esta causa.

Dia: domingo 12 de marzo
Hora: 2 p.m.
Lugar: Juan Laporte's Boxing Gym
El Maestro
700 Elton Ave.
Bronx

Telefono: (718) 585-6753

Comite Amigos de Roberto Clemente Te Invita Pro Retiro #21 de Roberto Clemente
Invites sports and community leaders to attend a meeting on the issue of retiring #21 for Roberto Clemente at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 12, at Juan Laporte's Boxing Gym, El Maestro, 700 Elton Ave., Bronx. Come support this cause.
source: NCLR

NCLR Releases its Pro-Latino Voter Guide

NCLR has released its new NCLR Voter Guide to assist Latino voters in the upcoming 2006 election. The NCLR Voter Guide provides an overview of some of the key issues facing the Latino community in areas such as access to health care, civic engagement, education, criminal justice, economic opportunities, immigration, and jobs and the workforce. The guide also outlines what policy positions a candidate or incumbent would need to have to be considered "pro-Hispanic."

"We are a strongly nonpartisan, bipartisan institution which realizes that enacting legislation to improve the lives of this nation's 41 million Latinos cannot be done without the help and support of members of Congress from both sides of the aisle," continued Murguía. "This guide provides information not only to voters but also to elected officials who are interested in reaching out to our community."

The NCLR Voter Guide is available free of charge on NCLR's website, www.nclr.org.
San Bernardino County Sun - Home Island path to U.S.
Agents view Puerto Rico as risk
Community Calendar

Voting Rights Act Forum in NYC
PRLDEF and a number of civil rights organizations are co-sponsoring an important event on the federal Voting Rights Act. This forum is set for Wed, March 22.
This event consists of an educational and training workshops to mobilize support for the reauthorization of key provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act, a statute that has meant all the difference in increasing ballot access, equal opportunity at the polls, and removing barriers for US citizen minority voters and candidates (racial and language minorities, and disabled voters).

For more information, www.prldef.org.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Latino Lens 7


Latino Lens 7
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
Gallery featuring photos by photographer Enid Alvarez. This is part of her Puerto Rico series. Latino Lens, Boricua College, Bronx, NY
ANNOUNCEMENT

PRSUN TV: NEW TIME, SAME PLACE

PRSUN TV, a cultural arts program that airs monthly in the Bronx, has a new time slot: 3:30 p.m. Mondays.

The next show featuring "Latino Lens: Photographic Perspectives of Two Boricuas" (with Bronx roots) will air at 3:30 p.m. March 20. PRSUN TV talks to photographers Marisol Diaz and Enid Alvarez, who are currently showcasing their work at a photo exhibit at Boricua College, Bronx campus. The exhibit is worth checking out.

Make sure to tune in to PRSUN TV, 3:30 p.m., March 20, Channel 69, Bronxnet, the public access station in the Bronx.
source: PRLDEF

PRLDEF Continues Fight For Day Laborers
With recent victories in New York and New Jersey and new cases in three other municipalities, PRLDEF has become the premier Latino organization fighting for the rights of day laborers throughout the Northeast.
A recent federal court decision stopped Farmingville from unfairly evicting day laborers from their homes and in Freehold PRLDEF stopped the city from closing down an important muster zone. PRLDEF is continuing to fight for the rights of day laborers in Westchester County, Long Island and New Jersey.
In Mamaroneck, city officials recently voted to temporarily close a popular day laborer muster zone. PRLDEF was joined by the Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont, Mamaroneck and MALDEF to urge the city council to quickly resolve the issue.
Soon after the city closed the zone, workers moved to a park a few blocks away. Though city officials recognized the rights of the workers to stand on the sidewalk, there are usually at least two police cars parked on each end of the street. At times, three or four policemen are standing with the workers. The visual effect is dramatic and has resulted in almost no contractors stopping to hire workers.
PRLDEF and the other groups wrote a letter to the city council pointing out that day laborers had a constitutional right to seek work in public areas. Municipalities that have sought to abrogate those rights “have had to confront costly litigation in federal court,” the letter said.
The city has not responded to the letter and in fact has rejected several attempts to resolve the issue without litigation. Several offers to negotiate the use of the park and one offer from the day laborers to clean the park as a sign of good faith have all been rejected. PRLDEF and the other groups are in the process of considering several legal challenges.
PRLDEF has also responded to the needs of the immigrant communities in Morristown, N.J. and Patchogue, N.Y. who are alleging possible discriminatory policies in those communities.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Travel

Saint Louis' Low captures record 4th crown - The Honolulu Advertiser Travel guide to best of Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra

Latino Lens 1


Latino Lens 1
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
Calendar

In celebration of Women's History Month, photographers Enid Alvarez and Marisol Diaz exhibit their work in "Latino Lens: Photographic Perspectives of Two Boricuas" until April 15 at Boricua College, Bronx campus. Robert Waddell, academic facilitator at Boricua College and journalist, is curator.

Coming soon: PRSUN TV speaks to the two photographers.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

In NY's ethnic and immigrant press

Featured story
IPA NY Voices That Must Be Heard Teen pregnancy on the rise in the Hispanic community