COLUMBIA, Mo. – Former University of Missouri libero Kiaraliz Perez Catala has signed a professional contract with Las Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico COLUMBIA, Mo. – Former University of Missouri libero Kiaraliz Perez Catala has signed a professional contract with Las Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico will play for her hometown team in her first career professional season Las Changas de Naranjito compete in la Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino in Puerto Rico Perez Catala competed in all 31 matches over the 2024 season with Mizzou as a defensive specialist totaling 210 digs with 19 service aces and 18 assists as an integral part of the 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 team She finished with double-figure digs seven times including three-straight matches from Nov Perez Catala recorded a season-best 19 digs and three assists at Mississippi State on Nov She compiled 11 digs in her first career NCAA Tournament match against Texas State (Dec Perez Catala also had seven digs at SMU (Dec 6) in the NCAA Second Round before wrapping her collegiate career with a personal-best matching three aces to go with eight digs against Kentucky (Dec Perez Catala transferred to Mizzou after earning 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Libero of the Year and All-WAC First Team honors at UTRGV (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) Perez Catala is the third professional player for head coach Dawn Sullivan at Missouri after Dilara Gedikoglu returned to her home country of Turkey to play for Shining Stars following the 2023 campaign and Mychael Vernon signed with Akademia Sant'Anna Messina (Italy) in January MU is an equal opportunity employer © 2025 — The Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information. Privacy Policy An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. | Disability Resources Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Former Penn State women’s volleyball middle blocker Taylor Trammell, who recently won a national championship with the Nittany Lions, signed with Puerto Rican team Las Changas de Naranjito, the team announced Wednesday morning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Changas de Naranjito (@laschangaslvsf) Las Changas de Naranjito are a part of the Liga de Voleibol Superior Feminino and compete in Naranjito Trammell was originally set to join the Pro Volleyball Federation after being drafted by the Indy Ignite in the third round of the league’s draft in November This past season, her third as a Nittany Lion, the 6’2″ fifth-year senior put down career highs in kills with 260 and blocks with 135. In the national championship match against Louisville Trammell had eight kills on a .467 hitting percentage Trammell and her new team will open the 2025 season at 8 p.m when they face the Cangrejeras de Santurce Michael Siroty is a sophomore from Westfield, New Jersey, majoring in broadcast journalism. When he isn't writing articles or making TikToks for Onward State, Siroty is probably somewhere talking about college sports. You can contact him to discuss your sushi order or music taste on Instagram and X @msiroty or by email at [email protected] “Nothing matters enough to hold yourself back Do the things you want to do without worrying about anyone else.” and an interception during the 2023 season Previously private minutes from Wednesday night’s meeting show what happened behind closed doors Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Janecke finished the tournament with three goals and three assists Cover Page Legal HistorySports SearchNaranjito bridge reopens after $33 million rehabThe San Juan Daily StarAug 27 Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia announced on Monday the completion of rehabilitation work on Jesús Izcoa Moure Cable-Stayed Bridge in Naranjito which allowed the immediate opening of four lanes of roadway were completed with combined funding from the Federal Highway Administration and the island Highways and Transportation Authority (HTA) “This project has been an emblematic work of our administration,” the governor said at a press conference “We accepted the challenge and took on the task of rehabilitating this important artery that positively impacts the quality of life of its users.” Pierluisi was accompanied by Transportation and Public Works Secretary Eileen Vélez Vega HTA Executive Director Edwin González Montalvo Pierluisi emphasized that the rehabilitation of road infrastructure is one of the priorities of his administration and the environment for economic progress on the island “I know how important it is for our communities in the center of the island to have safe roads that keep them connected to their neighboring towns and the metropolitan area,” the governor said González Montalvo added that the project has been a priority since 2021 due to its complexity and the need for specialized technical support “We are very satisfied with the rehabilitation of the iconic bridge which will now have two lanes in both directions which in turn will facilitate access for visitors and have a positive effect on the economy of the sector,” he said The work included the rehabilitation of the bridge slab installation of a new layer of fine asphalt Although the bridge was inaugurated in 2008 it was not until January 2023 that rehabilitation work began © 2025 The San Juan Daily Star - Puerto Rico Antonio García Hurtado has been awarded first place in the 2024 ‘Naranjito de Triana’ Flamenco Singing Talent Contest organized by the Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art and Sport (through the Andalusian Agency for Cultural Institutions and the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco) the Municipal Center of Flamenco Art “La Merced” (Cádiz) Following the preselection of all registered candidates, the final event showcased the talent and enthusiasm of the participants, delivering an extraordinary flamenco singing performance Antonio López Núñez received the second prize and Diego Noval Amador was awarded third place the jury granted ACCIONA scholarships to Antonio García Hurtado and Diego Noval Amador hosted by journalist Rafael Cortegana at the Municipal Center of Flamenco Art “La Merced,” featured a speech by Alexandra Hoffer artistic director of the Cristina Heeren Foundation Hoffer highlighted the contest’s role in attracting young talent and fostering employment in the flamenco sector emphasizing its international reach and the success of previous scholarship recipients who are now renowned professionals Business Development Manager of ACCIONA Construction Zone South expressed his satisfaction with ACCIONA’s eight-year partnership with the contest and hoped for its continuation He noted ACCIONA’s commitment to supporting young talents in achieving their goals emphasized the city’s dedication to youth the Andalusian government delegate in Cádiz underscored the government’s commitment to flamenco through the Andalusian Flamenco Law which integrates flamenco into the educational curriculum The awards were presented by various officials: Carolina González director of the Municipal Center of Flamenco Art “La Merced,” handed the third prize; Carmen Sánchez territorial delegate of Development in Cádiz presented the second prize; and Tania Barcelona Manuel Díaz Cuerva and Alexandra Hoffer presented the ACCIONA scholarships the Cristina Heeren Foundation and ACCIONA have endowed the Flamenco Talent Contest prizes as follows: €1,400 for the first prize and €100 each for the fourth and fifth finalists ACCIONA will also grant eight scholarships including ACCIONA Flamenco Talent Scholarships and ACCIONA Practicum Scholarships with an additional stipend for living expenses The scholarships enable recipients to train professionally with the prestigious teachers of the Cristina Heeren Foundation following a rigorous and comprehensive educational methodology such as Antonio Molina “El Choro,” Luisa Palicio Lucía “La Piñona,” Juan Tomás “de la Molía,” Rocio Márquez have achieved significant acclaim in the flamenco world the Flamenco Talent Contests have supported the training of around a hundred emerging artists in singing The Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art has become a crucial incubator for new flamenco talents attracting students through its renowned academic program and talent contests More about Cristina Heeren Foundation Please enter an answer in digits:eight − 2 = by | Feb 28, 2023 | Puerto Rico | 0 comments This has brought a lot of public attention to the issue of a lack of transparency for issues like this and due to allegations that the bridge’s inauguration was sped up so that then-governor Anibal Acevedo Vila (PDP D) could be the one to open the bridge ahead of that year’s elections González Montalvo remarked that there were letters from the bridge designer and construction contractor warning about the safety hazards of the bridge and citizens in the area await more information Join our mailing list to receive the latest news from the US territories every Wednesday This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Pasquines covers the news of the United States territories of Puerto Rico We are produced by a team all over the world but are headquartered in Washington, DC, on the ancestral lands of the Anacostans (Nacotchtank) and the neighboring Piscataway and Pamunkey peoples.LEARN MORE > | TERMS OF SERVICE > | PRIVACY POLICY > Pasquines is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation Join us > Contact us > Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience It has been nearly two months since Hurricane María wreaked havoc on my beautiful homeland and the island I returned to four weeks ago is not the Puerto Rico I know shadeless place that needs ample amounts of love and attention Trees were bare and the breeze no longer lingered through their leaves and branches in a place once known for its lush greenery it was difficult to escape direct sunlight Places that never have been prone to flooding were suffering from flash floods due to copious amounts of debris and garbage that has yet to be collected No matter how much people smiled and went out for a few hours to have a drink and alleviate their stress there was a collective sense of sadness and anxiety in the air People are desperately looking for normalcy in a situation that is anything but normal I travelled to the island to visit family and deliver supplies to hard-hit areas a municipality in the mountainous center of the island The drive there was full of surprises that could easily be dismissed by someone not familiar with the island Puerto Ricans are used to seeing people sell delicious fruit or handmade hammocks on the side of the roads But all I saw were washboards and oil for gas-operated power generators a remote mountaintop community where we were greeted with smiles and open arms half of which were residing with a neighbor because they lost everything in their own homes We heard story after story of María's wrath: a couple having to use their bodies as shields to unsuccessfully prevent their door from collapsing screams from children fearful for their lives and huddled in a bathroom neighbors linking arms to help someone stuck underneath a storm shutter There were at least three cars María dragged around the mountaintop and destroyed I met a couple who told us we arrived "just in time," as they were on their last two candles Like many Puerto Ricans living in the mountains residents of Sector Bernard use mountain springs as their main source of water we saw families collecting water downstream which is problematic given increases in cases of leptospirosis and other bacterial diseases we brought several water filtration systems and handed them out We also brought water purification drops and taught them how to correctly use Clorox and boil water before consuming The most challenging part was explaining why drinking mountain spring water without such treatments is now a public health hazard; many residents have consumed mountain spring water throughout their lives and they could not comprehend how this was now a vessel for disease The most incredible thing was that 23 days after the storm not one government entity had come to Sector Bernard Local residents were actually driving their own garbage down to the city because there had been no garbage collection since the storm residents of Sector Bernard were not bitter and even though they have been forced into an unfortunate reality they were helping one another through it all they asked us to please return this Christmas because they wanted to thank us by having lechón asado a staple pork dish during the holiday season on the island There are some places that have received vast media attention Assisting areas with stark images of devastation has become necessary in the face of the hurricane's aftermath Just because you do not see a picture of a collapsed bridge does not mean an area has not been hit hard Areas in San Juan still flood after rainfall FEMA just recently began to deliver tarps to homes that have had structural damage There are many people and entities helping in Puerto Rico, but it's not enough. This is going to take a collective effort, spanning from federal, state, and local governments; to the private and public sectors; to community organizations and private citizens. That is why several of us are spearheading efforts to work with a local community through the Maryland chapter of Puerto Rico Rising In the upcoming months we will be collecting donations to deliver medical as well as partnering with community leaders to assist in capacity-building and long-term renovations We will also be promoting local events to raise awareness and developing new technologies to assist with telecommunications This is just one way you can assist in making Puerto Rico stronger than ever As we were told by a group of federal workers that had been stationed in Puerto Rico for the previous three weeks These are people who provided relief in Texas after Hurricane Harvey and in Florida after Hurricane Irma Yonaira M. Rivera is a public health practitioner and PhD candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health She is also one of the founding members of Puerto Rico Rising–Maryland Posted in Voices+Opinion Tagged puerto rico By Avery Ellfeldt | 10/11/2022 06:39 AM EDT the hyperlocal lenders have held together the economies of underserved Puerto Rican communities they’re preparing the island for climate change A local credit union in the rural mountain town of Naranjito is among the growing number of financial "cooperativas" across the island that are responding to climate change by spearheading resiliency initiatives and offering green loans Two days after Hurricane Fiona plunged Puerto Rico into darkness the lights came on at an unlikely waypoint in a rural mountain town The local lender cranked on its generator and distributed free water and breakfast to hundreds of people in Naranjito a town whose brightly colored city center experienced flooding and blackouts for more than a week after the September storm The swift response by Cooperativa La Sagrada Familia and many of Puerto Rico’s other 107 credit unions underscores how the hyperlocal lenders are transforming into the island’s financial first responders to climate change They are spearheading disaster response plans and building distribution hubs for food and water The co-ops also offer solar loans to residents whose power from the grid blinks on and off in frequent rituals of frustration Driving those efforts are compounding environmental and economic crises: catastrophic hurricanes frequent power outages — and a bungled response to those problems by local and federal officials lost faith in authorities in general to be able to provide for some basic public needs,” said René Vargas Martínez with the help of community-rooted financiers are “banding together and finding their own solutions,” Vargas added Hurricane Fiona crashed into Puerto Rico’s southwestern coast on Sept dumping more than 30 inches of rain on some parts of the island credit union Lajas Co-op was helping residents in the island’s southwestern corner complete FEMA applications for individual disaster assistance Co-op Santa Isabel worked with churches and community groups to distribute warm meals hundreds of families were able to maintain some semblance of power because of rooftop solar panels and batteries financed by another local lender: Cooperativa Jesús Obrero “As Puerto Ricans say: ‘Pa’lante siempre,’” Aurelio Arroyo González said in a text to E&E News the day after the hurricane The credit unions’ role as climate first responders is a sharp departure from their typical work of financing everything from pieces of furniture to first homes Yet it also tracks with the industry’s decadeslong effort to build wealth in low-income communities That has made them an alternative — and sometimes the only alternative — to traditional banks which have been less likely to do business in low-income and rural areas the executive of the credit union,” said José Julián Ramírez Ruiz who directs the Cooperative Development and Investment Fund which provides financing for member-owned businesses The relationship with Puerto Rico’s underserved residents have contributed to their widespread popularity there are more than 230 credit union branches in all but three of the island’s 78 municipalities They serve about one-third of the territory’s more than 3 million residents There is concern about the viability of some credit unions because of undercapitalization and exposure to risky Puerto Rican government bonds a financial services expert with San Juan-based V2A Consulting The local lenders are also dwarfed in size by the island's three commercial banks — Banco Popular Oriental Bank and FirstBank — which controlled more than $77.4 billion in assets compared to the credit unions’ $11.5 billion in the first quarter of this year the credit unions in 2021 controlled 37 percent of the market compared to banks’ 29 percent Also notable: the credit unions have maintained their presence across the island amid years of economic instability seven of the island’s 11 banks either failed or left the island for more prosperous markets leaving Puerto Rico with just three main commercial banks according to experts and data from the Financial Deposit Insurance Corp just by a smaller margin — from 122 to 108 lenders over the same period the local lenders have grown their total assets and loan books — and at a faster rate than the banks The credit unions’ loan portfolios have grown 32 percent over the last 10 years even as banks’ have decreased by 31 percent according to regulatory data analyzed by Diví who directs economic analysis and policy at consulting firm Estudios Técnicos said the primary objective of banks is “to maximize shareholder value.” That means if they don’t see potential for profit in a risky market like Puerto Rico’s The opposite is true of the island’s homegrown credit unions the executive president of Cooperativa La Sagrada Familia said in Spanish during an interview in Naranjito several months ago The resilience of Puerto Rico’s credit unions was tested in 2017 when Hurricane Maria ravaged the island The Category 4 storm killed an estimated 3,000 people in Puerto Rico destroyed more than 80 percent of its power distribution system and left millions of residents without electricity “Puerto Rican banking institutions collapsed,” said Rafael Sánchez Rodríguez the executive vice president of the Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives of Puerto Rico (COSSEC) struggled to open branches and complete transactions in the hardest hit areas according to multiple experts interviewed for this story Credit cards were useless without electricity and with some ATMs out of service bank customers struggled to withdraw or deposit dollars in what had become a cash economy overnight banks took some contingency measures such as allowing customers to stop making some loan payments for three months after the storm to free up dollars for other expenses executive vice president of the Puerto Rico Bankers Association said in a 2017 interview with a local business publication regional institutions with headquarters and branches in far flung communities across the island the industry was able open its doors more quickly which are usually located within the towns and proximate to people that live in the countryside 17 of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities were served exclusively by credit unions his credit union had removed the cash from its ATMs and started providing customers with up to $250 The response “stayed in the hearts of many Puerto Ricans,” said Sánchez of COSSEC Hurricane Maria also forced the credit unions to take steps to ensure they and their communities would bounce back more quickly from future climate-fueled disasters That appears to have paid off during Hurricane Fiona “The majority of the cooperativas are much better prepared [amid Hurricane Fiona] when compared to how things went during Hurricane Maria,” Sánchez said in a phone interview two days after Fiona struck the island doesn’t rely solely on power from the island’s power grid a solar panel system and a portable gasoline generator that serves as a manual backup system for the credit union’s data center and ATM went so far as to establish an “oasis,” or disaster response center The project — which was equipped with satellite internet and hosted reserves of diesel gasoline and water — was meant to function as a meeting place and resource distribution for four neighboring towns totaling 128,000 people Those resources served as a lifeline in the wake of Hurricane Fiona Experts said that in the storm’s aftermath the vast majority of the industry was depending on the diesel powered generators solar systems or fuel reserves it had acquired in recent years they’re the livelihood of the communities,” Vargas said It’s no accident that Puerto Rico’s credit unions have backup plans for power The island’s fragile grid often goes dark even absent natural disasters and it sometimes can take weeks or more to restore power in some places Puerto Rico’s residents are starting to make similar adjustments they are increasingly turning to rooftop solar panels — paired with battery backup systems — as a way to keep on the lights while sidestepping the high cost of traditional electric bills The island’s residents on average pay more for power than almost anywhere else in the United States. In July, they paid 35.45 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, which is more than twice the national average of 15.46 cents according to the U.S Energy Information Administration is considered by many the brains behind the industry’s embrace of solar lending He likes to call it the “democratization of watts.” His credit union in 2013 became the first in Puerto Rico to offer solar loans but then exploded after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island’s electric grid — leaving some customers without power for up to 11 months “People had no confidence” in local officials’ ability to re-electrify the island “solar energy systems in most parts of the island [became] not only attractive for economic purposes but were attractive for survival purposes.” local and federal officials unveiled plans to modernize the island’s grid which critics say was already feeble due to mismanagement by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Puerto Rico lawmakers passed a law that obligates the island to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 has allocated $13.2 billion to rebuild the grid after Maria and earlier this year launched a 2-year study to identify how funds should be deployed a homeland security and justice director at the Government Accountability Office only $40 million — or 3.1 percent — of the $13.2 billion has been spent so far The result: Puerto Rico today generates around 3 percent of its energy from renewable sources is plagued by frequent power outages and remained partially in the dark for weeks after Hurricane Fiona made landfall The situation has helped sparked a boom in solar finance only a handful of local lenders provided solar loans according to COSSEC — and the figure is expected to keep rising The financial cooperative system in 2019 provided Puerto Ricans with $8.3 million in solar loans Two years later that figure increased fourfold — hitting at least $36 million in solar loans in 2020 and more than $87.7 million in green loans between 2019 and June of 2022 “I have never seen a growth in a type of loan so exponential as I have with green loans for renewable energy,” said Sánchez who has worked at the industry’s regulatory agency for more than two decades credit unions still face obstacles in meeting their communities’ energy needs The loans are too expensive for some households and many credit unions remain wary of taking on risks associated with the island’s rapidly changing energy economy the industry represents a sliver of Puerto Rico’s shift to solar energy more than 1,000 solar cases are submitted to LUMA Energy the private company that manages the island’s electric grid a program director at the clean energy nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council The “great majority” of those installations have been financed by long-term arrangements called leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs) where solar companies install systems for residents who then rent the panels or purchase the power they produce have partnered with installers to help finance many of those transactions the credit union approach offers advantages A credit union loan is structured so customers never pay two bills at once — one to the utility and one to the credit union — and to ensure the installers finish the job Another feature is that residents actually own the system when they pay off the loan which can be cheaper upfront — because solar companies cover permitting and installation expenses — but by the end of the rental period can cost customers twice as much as their system would have been valued at the outset Arroyo said the credit unions have shown they can serve as a “one stop solution” to the obstacles many Puerto Ricans face when going solar identifying reliable contractors and connecting the systems to the grid the credit unions play the most important role in this transformation precisely because they make it possible for people to access solar systems,” Jonathan Castillo Polanco who manages green energy and environment at the Hispanic Federation René Meléndez Bermúdez can attest to the importance of those efforts “I always talk to people about renewable energy because I am living proof that this works,” Meléndez said in Spanish during an interview in his home A small business owner who lives outside San Juan Meléndez’ family in 2015 stumbled across an advertisement for Jesús Obrero’s solar loans Having already been in the market for solar panels It seemed like the credit union could make the process — which can cost between $10,000 and $30,000 — more affordable $15,500 loan for the installation of 20 rooftop solar panels But because most credit unions require customers to purchase insurance Meléndez was able to replace his system with a newer version he paid PREPA around $350 each month for electricity Now he pays nothing to his electricity provider and just over $200 a month to the co-op for his loan — representing about $1,800 in annual savings “It costs a lot of money … but you can have this your whole life.” “The cooperatives have everything that a bank has,” Meléndez said “But a cooperative also has something a bank doesn't Request a FREE trial to receive unlimited access to While almost every World Cup mascot raises a few eyebrows when they're revealed the official mascot of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil actually seems normal compared to the suspicious selections from past World Cups The history of the World Cup mascot got off to a relatively normal start in 1966 when host nation England introduced World Cup Willie a smiling lion with a Union Jack on his chest The Lion is a traditional figure of the United Kingdom and The Three Lions are exhibited on the crest of the England football jersey organizers chose to go with the unconventional route of having a piece of fruit vegetable and stick figure symbolize their event the mascot for the 1982 World Cup in Spain was an orange Because what better way to represent Spain and the beautiful game than with a piece of fruit His name was Naranjito, a smiling orange, wearing a Spanish uniform while holding a soccer ball. In order to promote the tournament, Naranjito had his own cartoon series where he and other characters would get into all kinds of World Cup-related mischief Naranjito had a girlfriend and her name was...Clementine they think of Barcelona defender Gerrard Pique and not the mascot from the 1986 World Cup in Mexico a jalapeño pepper with a mustache and a sombrero wrapped around his head (pepper?) to be their ambassador While it's a far cry from their last mascot in 1970 which featured a little boy wearing a sombrero Pique would surely raise some questions about political correctness given the stereotypical features of the mascot Ciao is probably the most confusing selection for a mascot in the history of the World Cup Ciao is a stick figure and could be mistaken for a poor piece of art created by an elementary school student based on its simplistic design The iconic Italian tricolore of red white and green is featured on the stick body with a soccer ball for a head the suspect officiating during their loss to South Korea in the Round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup is the only blemish that ranks higher than these three creatures The residents of Naranjito benefit from reconstructed roads Nearly $848,000 were allocated for a retaining wall gutters and other mitigation measures that help control erosion and improve the transportation of around 40 families The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated close to $4 billion for over 6,400 projects that support the recovery of all the municipalities of Puerto Rico the agency allocated over $296.8 million for 434 projects to this sector which represents more opportunities to promote the local economy The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded nearly $646 million in Individual… more and more projects have already completed their reconstruction or will soon begin construction We are excited to witness how these works already have a positive impact in the communities and how the municipal development contributes to Puerto Rico’s recovery,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José Baquero One of the completed projects that is already contributing to the socioeconomic development of the municipalities is the Cueva María de la Cruz Historic Park in Loíza In addition to enjoying the archaeological findings in the cave the municipality was able to work on repairs to the María de la Cruz Cave facilities Ahead of what is projected to be another busy holiday travel period the residents of Naranjito benefit from reconstructed roads culverts and other mitigation measures that help control erosion and improve the transportation of around 40 families explained that Hurricane María caused great damage to the Los Martínez Road “to the point that there was a big landslide that endangered the safety of the residents This project is important because it connects the Los Martínez sector with road PR-5.” one of the works that was recently completed is the Abrahonda bridge in San Sebastián The bridge connects highways PR-451 and PR-4451 and provides a more direct route between the Guacio neighborhood and downtown San Sebastián Following the allocation of about $5.1 million the road was reconstructed by raising it with a single-span bridge that remains above flood levels The new bridge was built in accordance with new building codes and is expected to last 100 years The agency’s allocations include $280 million for 139 projects in Añasco $107 million for 350 projects in Utuado and over $88 million for 185 projects in Barranquitas The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is funding the development of projects with m… “Fulfilling our commitment to speed the reconstruction of projects led by the municipalities COR3 implemented various initiatives to guide the execution of currently over 4,150 permanent works whose obligations near $1.9 billion,” said the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery “An example of the initiatives directed towards making the execution of projects possible is the development of the Working Capital Advance pilot program which advances up to 50 percent of the amount awarded by FEMA for the municipalities to begin their reconstruction activities,” he added the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been supporting the Government of Puerto Rico in its recovery efforts due … Around 86% of the projects that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated to address damage by Hurricane María have resourc… Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Maria Ángeles González has won the first prize in the ‘Naranjito de Triana’ Flamenco Singing Talent Contest 2023 organized by the Cristina Heeren Foundation for Flamenco Art with the collaboration of Acciona and the Ministry of Tourism After the pre-selection of all the applicants who registered for the contest, the singing final was full of emotion, talent and, above all, great enthusiasm on the part of the participants, who offered those in attendance a magnificent flamenco singing show The second prize went to Antonio López and the third went to Marta Bogado the contest jury also awarded the Acciona Scholarships associated with this contest these scholarships have been awarded to Marta Bogado and Maria Ángeles González presented by the journalist Rafael Cortegana and held at the Teatro Flamenco Triana was attended and greeted by Cristina Heeren president of the Fundación Cristina Heeren de Arte Flamenco Cristina Heeren emphasized the outpouring of talent and courage on the part of all the participants highlighting the importance of this contest within the Foundation’s program which aims to attract young talent and promote job creation in the sector Heeren emphasized Acciona’s commitment to this contest through their valuable educational scholarships Business Development Manager of Acciona Zona Sur made it clear in his words that he is very satisfied that Acciona has accompanied the Flamenco Talent Contest for seven years young talents are joining the professional scene the event was attended by Cristóbal Ortega director of the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco who insisted on the importance of these contests in the bid to generate new talent and their professionalization Please enter an answer in digits:fifteen − 8 = SearchNew CRIM board members sworn inThe San Juan Daily StarFeb 61 min readBy The Star Staff were sworn in Wednesday as new members of the Municipal Revenue Collection Center (CRIM by its acronym in Spanish) governing board They joined Orocovis Mayor Jesús Colón Berlingeri Bayamón Mayor Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz and Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes who will remain for another term as part of the group of nine mayors who make up the CRIM board The swearing-in took place Wednesday morning in a ceremony at the Puerto Rico State Department and was overseen by Secretary of State Verónica Ferraiuoli The group of mayors was joined by Pedro de Jesús Román who represented Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Executive Director Francisco Domenech on behalf of the central government The new CRIM board will hold its first meeting on Feb where the work agenda for this year will be outlined The mayors who form part of the board are selected by the Mayors Federation and the Mayors Association which represent mayors from the New Progressive Party and Popular Democratic Party residents of the region won't have to travel to metro area to process their mortgages As part of a comprehensive infrastructure and technology investment plan that exceeded $9 million the Sagrada Familia Cooperative inaugurated the new building of its branch in the municipality of Naranjito which also houses the first mortgage center in the mountain The newly released building is the culmination of a modernization period begun by the cooperative several years ago which included the remodeling of its headquarters in Corozal and the renovation of the San Juan and Guaynabo branches explained the executive president of the financial institution the mortgage center and the update to the technology system are part of the development of the Sagrada Familia Cooperative which continues to strengthen itself to serve our partners more efficiently," said Alicea Sáez who leads the operations of the five branches of this financial co-op The construction of the new Naranjito building had an investment of approximately $3 million the first specialized in the mountainous region It will give residents of the central region the ability to process their mortgages without having to travel to the metropolitan area The financial institution has also renovated its servers and communications infrastructure to increase the capacity for processing and storing information The new system will streamline electronic transactions and make it easier to open accounts online through its website "We are working so that our partners and clients can have different payment channels through our home-banking service," he added Alicea Sáez also stressed that the investment in the Naranjito branch will include the next opening of the Oasis La Sagrada Familia community resilience center which will serve 128,000 residents of the municipalities of Corozal and Comerío in the event of an emergency or natural disaster "Oasis is another link that the Sagrada Familia Cooperative has with the communities being a place of support and meeting in times of emergency," he said The resilience center has a drinking water well and in the future it will have a solar system and a kitchen to serve a thousand rations a day Currently, the Sagrada Familia Cooperative has over $215 million in assets and more than 28,000 members. Its social and community work was recently recognized by the Clinton Foundation The DDEC allocated $110,000 in incentives to create jobs Invests nearly $1.3 million and is poised to create 10 jobs presented to the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) its development plans that include a new plant for the manufacture and distribution of products made with a variety of metals and galvanized steel for the construction industry This new project involves an investment of $1,260,000 and the creation of 10 new jobs in 18 months The payroll for new regular jobs amounts to $230,600 "At the DDEC we are very proud to see how Puerto Rican businessmen give their all to move their businesses forward," said Manuel Cidre Miranda announcing that an allocation of $110,000 in incentives will be awarded to this new company Incentives will be awarded for the purchase of equipment and machinery and for the recruitment of 10 full-time jobs The granting of this economic stimulus is offered through the Economic Incentive Fund created by Act 60-2019 "The granting of these incentives has an important meaning for the DDEC as it demonstrates the capacities that our Island has to develop local manufacturing businesses that are highly competitive," said Cidre "We will continue to support and develop similar initiatives by local entrepreneurs that promote economic development and the creation of new jobs The incentive for job creation will be paid annually based on the average number of jobs created in the year ended Regarding the incentive for the purchase of equipment and machinery in the acquisition of these for the establishment of its new plant in Naranjito “Despite the fact that we established our business a few months before the pandemic which at first glance might seem like a setback it has given us the opportunity to create a robust work structure with specific goals of where we want to take this new business of manufacture One of our main objectives is to be able to offer the construction industry from the client who wants to carry out their project on their own to companies and contractors of all kinds high quality products and the best service in the market We thank the DDEC and the Government of Puerto Rico for believing in us and supporting local entrepreneurs," said Nildalisse Rodríguez founder and vice president of MetalMax Caribe Cidre added: "We are extremely pleased that MetalMax Caribe has committed to establishing a new manufacturing plant investing in new machinery and creating new jobs that positively impact the development of our country It is demonstrated that Puerto Rican entrepreneurs have the expertise and capacity to create successful businesses Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Puerto Rico — Just 20 miles from the capital of San Juan residents here are still marooned after Hurricane Maria destroyed the once-lush landscape more than a week ago, but people are finding ways to help each other electricity or reliable communication with the rest of the world since Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Sept 20 as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph and devastated the U.S food and fuel for cars and generators is a daylong mission for each item where a long line of cars and people wait for drinkable water from a tower a smaller line formed near a PVC pipe that had water trickling from a hillside spring said her family uses the water for bathing flushing toilets and — after it's boiled — drinking ► By the numbers: Hurricane Maria damage, recovery in Puerto Rico ► Visiting family: Benicio del Toro dishes on hurricane recovery, politics we don’t come,” Ramos said as she watched people fill coolers “We gather water from the downspouts and wash clothes by hand.” said gathering this water was today’s task “Tomorrow we’re going to try to find gasoline,” Rebollo said in English The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Puerto Rican National Guard are working to deliver food and water to hard-to-access places to set up telecommunications in municipal centers and to deliver supplies to hospitals He said on Saturday that 714 gas stations — more than half the stations on the island — were operating and receiving fuel But many stations that line the roads near Naranjito were closed or had signs saying “No hay gasolina,” no gasoline Puerto Rico will receive more fuel in coming days with eight deliveries from Sunday to next Saturday ► John Brennan: Former CIA director questions Trump's leadership in this crisis► Hurricane help: Josh Norman pledges $100K to aid Puerto Rico Much of the recovery reaching average people in towns like Naranjito is a result of Puerto Ricans helping each other whose tour company Aventura Total is temporarily out of business said she has turned to assisting her neighbors try to find water and gasoline there’s a lot of old people living,” she said Centro de Salud Entegra en Narajito, administrator Felix Ortiz Baez said one of the most common ailments the staff is treating is gastroenteritis from drinking tainted water People are also seeking treatment for pinkeye The water should be boiled before drinking it but some people don't have the facilities or knowledge to do that which has never closed since the storm, has treated an average of 125 cases a day together with two sister facilities in the area The clinic needs more diesel for its generator bottled water and portable generators to give to families “We had a fairly robust plan for emergencies but we weren’t ready for such a catastrophic event,” he said dot the steep hillside among serpentine roads That entailed waiting in line for more than an hour and paying twice the usual price but I can’t keep it because there’s no electricity,” Narvaez said in Spanish ► Tweets: Trump blasts Puerto Rican mayor for 'poor leadership' in crisis► Lin-Manuel Miranda: 'You're going straight to hell' over Puerto Rico tweets So she buys what she’s going to cook each day and feeds her neighbors Narvaez’s home survived the hurricane that turned her lush hillside into a landscape of sticks but she said she won’t stay if things don’t improve soon “We need water and power,” she said At the Ruben Rodriguez Figuera vocational high school on the other side of the hill 119 people turned the facility into a shelter of the Puerto Rico National Guard military police has run the place since Maria turned his home in nearby Comerio into a pile of sodden and splintered boards “I don’t have anywhere to go,” Castillo said in Spanish I have nothing.” So he walked to the shelter with his wife and said: “I’m yours.” Castillo made the shelter and its residents his mission he explained how he helped transform it into a storage room for donated goods with clothing neatly sorted by gender and size He described how he asked for volunteers among the shelter residents and organized them into teams to catalog donations “No one’s going to clean other people’s dirt,” Castillo said “That’s how we’ll take care of Puerto Rico.” Follow Oren Dorell on Twitter: @OrenDorell Photograph: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images Photograph: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images Photograph: Lily Franey/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Photograph: Emilio Ronchini/Mondadori via Getty Images Photograph: Hartmut Reeh/DPA/Press Association Images FORT MITCHELL – Last fall Puerto Rican native Mariela Oyola-Brauch couldn't bear to look at images of her hurricane-ravaged island.  I may not have been able to bring water to all those in need the Fort Mitchell entrepreneur decided she would step up the efforts of her company she has helped thousands of people on her native island Oyola-Brauch used Jibaro’s Facebook page and the hashtag JibaroRoots to reach out to all Puerto Ricans living in the U.S who had not been able to communicate with their loved ones in Puerto Rico.  Due to the lack of electricity and inconsistent internet and cellphone services many families could not stay in touch With the help of Oyola-Brauch's family living in Puerto Rico they were able to locate almost 30 elderly people in 10 different towns and send videos and messages confirming their safety for concerned family members in the U.S bringing cold soft drinks and cookies to orphans as well as musical entertainment to a senior care facility "These weren't necessarily needed items but fun things for the people and children to experience during a time of great need," Oyola-Brauch said It took their minds off of things for a little bit and made them happy." Oyola-Brauch recently helped organize a major hurricane relief effort with leaders at Covington's Madison Avenue Christian Church, partnering with Programa de Adolecentes de Naranjito Inc PANI will use the fundraising proceeds to increase psychological and counseling services for children and adolescents in Naranjito Oyola-Brauch also collaborated with Covenant-First Presbyterian Church in downtown Cincinnati and Cincinnati for Puerto Rico to raise and donate funds toward recovery efforts she managed a project with Water Mission to begin the restoration of an inoperable water well that serves more than 300 families in Naranjito thousands who have been without a functioning water source for more than five months will soon have a sustainable solar-powered well really good to do something for others," she said Oyola-Brauch founded Jibaro – a lifestyle brand with a mission to celebrate and promote authentic Puerto Rican heritage – a year ago this March women and kids apparel including shirts and hats and decorative items for the home.  Oyola-Brauch donates 10 percent of all profits toward nonprofit organizations based in Puerto Rico “I was saddened by the continuing negative news coming out of Puerto Rico and wanted to create something all of us who love Puerto Rico or call ourselves Puerto Ricans could celebrate and enjoy,” Oyola-Brauch said “Our Jibaro products provide a positive way to both promote Puerto Rico and to give back to the people." Oyola-Brauch said the products are also a way to show other Americans the "true beauty of Puerto Rican culture."  Jibaro has partnered with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago the only Puerto Rican museum outside the island Museum executive director Billy Ocasio said it has been a great partnership.  we sell Jibaro's decorative tiles and T-shirts," he said "I like that these pieces remind us of old world Puerto Rico and that our culture is something to be celebrated. Jibaro really does a good job capturing who we are as a people." Ocasio also appreciates that Jibaro is helping to support those who live in Puerto Rico Jibaro has donated more than $1,500 to nonprofit organizations since March 2017 Oyola-Brauch and her parents returned to Naranjito to be closer to family members when she was 5 years old After obtaining a chemistry degree from the University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez Campus She earned a master’s degree at Ohio State University in Columbus Oyola-Brauch worked as a chemist for almost 10 years developing and innovating consumer products for Procter & Gamble one of the world’s most prominent marketing and manufacturing companies and last year decided to pursue her lifelong dream "I've always been an entrepreneur," she said "I can remember in third grade getting in trouble at school for selling things I would even sell candy to the kids on my street I was always looking for a way to sell and make a business." That early hustle has certainly paid off as the now wife and mother-of-two serves as Jibaro's chief executive officer The company has sold its merchandise to customers in 27 U.S Currently, Jibaro has 5,000 Facebook followers.  "Our goal is to become a nationally recognized brand that not only gives back to the people of Puerto Rico but also brings them pride," Oyola-Brauch said "We also want to expand our product offering and are looking into adding coffee PUBLICIDAD / ADVERTISEMENT PUBLICIDAD / ADVERTISEMENT Is Naranjo recognized today as one of the great cantaores of Seville? I don’t think so. Certainly those with a solid knowledge of flamenco appreciate the style and the works of the master from Triana. other times just for the sake of enjoying a good cantaor or cantaora I pick an artist according to my changing moods and yesterday I decided to review the great discography of one of the masters of cante flamenco the unforgettable Naranjito de Triana (Seville a good friend of mine and someone I’ve admired to this day That is actually something that has given me many headaches there were critics and influential aficionados who couldn’t understand my admiration for him the same birthplace of Curro Fernández and Diego Camacho El Boquerón among other flamencos of that district of Seville Fabié street is the first street on the right walking down along Pureza street (the old Larga street) from Plaza Altozano Naranjito’s cante style was typical of Triana He lived for many years outside that district I visited him many times in his beautiful house and we always ended up talking about Triana artists he took as role models for his career in cante without forgetting his admiration for other legends such as Antonio Chacón Talking about cante with Naranjo (1) was like talking to an expert flamencologist because he knew about flamenco perhaps more than anyone else As if all this weren’t enough to merit admiration the master of Triana was also a very cultured man possessing a deep knowledge of many topics He was also someone with a great sense of humor yet not that unoriginal and cheap sense of humor so common in Seville and in flamenco with a natural talent acquired on the streets and in parties but an artist who knew a thousand stories and was able to tell them with a wonderful spark For a few months we were recording a TV series that never aired we would go out to some restaurant to have lunch or dinner as we laughed so much with Naranjo and Valderrama’s stories Listening to them talking about cante was something to behold: the two masters mano a mano I remember one day when Juan Valderrama told a story about an album recording with Montoya and Mojama and Naranjo was amazed with the detail of Juanito’s facts He would even remember the name of the bars where they went for drinks Naranjito also had a prodigious memory and he knew better than anyone else the Triana of post-Civil-War Spain He was able to sing all the Triana styles of soleares and seguiriyas with mastery not because he learned them from recordings Is Naranjo recognized today as one of the great cantaores of Seville Certainly those with a solid knowledge of flamenco appreciate the style and the works of the master from Triana where he showcases a great variety of palos de cante Perhaps no one in Naranjo’s time was able to master as many palos as himself and he excelled in both the basic palos and in the so-called “light palos”(2) although I don’t think there’s such thing as “light palos” just cantaores who either can or can’t perform them Juan Valderrama and Pepe Pinto appreciated him greatly and highlighted his worth as cantaor several times He shouldn’t be forgotten by Triana or Seville because he was a great master and one of the best teachers don José taught at the Fundación Cristina Heeren in Seville and one day he invited me to watch one of his lessons he was teaching a girl from Finland how to sing a soleá alfarera 40 años de investigación flamenca en El Correo de Andalucía Autor de biografías de la Niña de los Peines and website in this browser for the next time I comment Knowledge and passion The depth and the grief EXPOFLAMENCO connects Flamenco communities around the world SPARSE SUPPLIES: Residents line up to collect water from a tanker parked next to the road in Naranjito with supplies for the residents as part of the relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/Tribune News Service HEALTH CARE: Pharmacy owner Victor Rivera talks about health care issues in Naranjito in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico talks about health care issues in Naranjito in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico – In households across Puerto Rico it is the once-overlooked essential that now occupies full attention in daily life And its scarcity means that for many Puerto Ricans their homes and their clothes are not as clean as they would like "The majority of our colleagues are washing their clothes in a creek," said Linaida Santiago Arroyo Limited water particularly dismays Santiago because she has two young children an infant only 4 months old and a 4-year-old boy "We don't have enough water to clean things up There's garbage that they still haven't picked up," she said "It can attract insects that then come closer to the house." Since Hurricane Maria lashed Puerto Rico two weeks ago knocking out the water system for more than half the island's 3.4 million people I use the same water to flush the toilet," Santiago said medical experts say it is one of the factors that make them deeply concerned over a possible spike in infectious diseases in coming weeks Nine out of 10 homes on the island still have no electricity meaning fans and air conditioning units aren't available to stave off pesky mosquitos carrying illness in the storm's aftermath The Federal Emergency Management Agency says 64 of the island's 68 hospitals are open Ricardo Rossello said Thursday only 25 are hooked up to the power grid Others have generators and rely on erratic diesel supplies and suffer occasional breakdowns "Their generators aren't meant to last weeks and months on end They need logistics support," said Navy Capt commanding officer of medical facilities aboard the USNS Comfort a massive naval hospital ship that arrived in San Juan earlier this week and sailed for Ponce on the island's southern coast Thursday military personnel have come to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria and convoys of military vehicles carrying pallets of bottled water and meals are visible in the interior Mosquito control units deployed in six municipalities and five temporary biomedical waste stations have been set up Rossello said that while relief workers have taken food water and other assistance across the island a few hamlets may not have learned that assistance was near With limited phone service and electricity news of assistance does not always travel over across hillsides "We keep hearing about people who haven't received food and water," Rossello said adding that the reports are not often substantiated It is always a priority to identify how to deliver more resources and water." water shortages amount to simply a nuisance I've been bathing with a gallon of water," said Victor Rivera Suarez who works at the San Miguel drugstore in Naranjito that his family has operated for six decades many drug stores operate with small generators and without internet connections Cashiers cannot check the computer system for the health plans of patients who come demanding medicines The patients must pay cash and seek reimbursement on their own A middle-school teacher deployed temporarily to Naranjito as part of a National Guard call-up told of a teenager in his hometown who cut his chin severely in an accident earlier this week His mother took him to see an emergency room doctor It needs to be in a sterile area and there is no light," Cuevas said supplies of both water and diesel fuel to run generators are critical The medical director at the Fresenius Kidney Care branch here said her center was shut down only one day after the storm Some patients receive less dialysis care treatment than is ideal you might get by a little longer," she said While the kidney dialysis center limps along families of patients face their own challenges getting gasoline to bring loved ones for their three-times-a-week dialysis "My concern right now would be public health adding that rumors about deaths in remote areas continue to circulate Authorities hope the arrival of the USNS Comfort will help ease problems at hospitals around the island The hospital ship has one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States and is equipped with three operating rooms Two MH-60 helicopters sit on its landing-pad deck "We can essentially handle anything other than cardiopulmonary bypass like The ship will treat patients and also provide services to other hospitals such as refilling tanks for medical-grade oxygen and re-sterilizing hospital gear and medical personnel expected to see many others with chronic conditions they may have some issues two or three weeks out," said Buckley Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post Saturday’s Mad Collab Block Party in Hagåtña brought together more than 70 local businesses and artists in celebration with hundreds of attendees It was all about the wonders of Artificial Intelligence in the palm of your hand All of the latest features in Samsung's Galaxy AI were showcased at a GTA-sponsored event Thursday University of Guam students and alumni presented original research at the 19th annual International Conference on Business Economics & Information Technology (ICBEIT) hosted by the University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration in Mactan Newtown the United States Department of Health and Human Services has listed oral health as a leading health indicator on the Healthy People 2020 agenda "The health of the mouth and surrounding craniofacial (skull and face) structures is central to a person's overall health and well-being."2 High-priority health issues are addressed Included in the department's objectives regarding oral health: Dental hygienists are the oral health professionals who are optimally qualified to address these objectives Dental hygienists have the qualifications and resources to become involved in community organizations and facilitate partnerships with other professions the ADHA commissioned an environmental scan "This is the very time you need to learn and adapt to a changing environment … Whether you are a new entrant to dental hygiene you have a role to play in shaping the identity and future of the profession … Making sure every community has access to high quality oral health care requires dental hygienists to go outside their comfort zone and lead change from the frontlines."4 I earned a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene and a master's degree in higher education I work as an instructor in the dental hygiene departments of New York City College of Technology (NYCCT) and New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) I have always felt the need to share my knowledge and expertise to help those in need but opportunities were not always available – until a student at NYCCT relayed his outreach experience with an organization called Somos Amigos Packing for the trip to Naranjito had to be light providing food and lodging for the volunteers I lived in Puerto Rico and Costa Rico for several years when I was a child and I'm fluent in Spanish Daniel told me what I could expect from the program so I thought I had a good idea of what the country and climate would be like Somos Amigos has a medical clinic and pharmacy as well as support personnel such as translators There were also several college students and teenagers who were there to help there for very much the same reasons I was excited to get to Naranjito and begin our work The next day we boarded vans and drove to Naranjito a two-hour trip into the hills and countryside we unpacked all the supplies and prepared the clinics for the patients' arrival the next day We rose the next morning at 6:30 to roosters crowing and a majestic radiant sunrise and walked to Lourdes' house If you can imagine a female version of a priest People in the community look to her for advice We walked to the clinic after breakfast and saw that patients had been waiting since the wee hours of the morning There were two hygienists on this trip – myself and Daniel I saw patients of all ages and oral conditions Rarely was there a patient who just needed a routine prophylaxis Many of the children had severe decay and needed extractions I saw many adolescents with missing molars that had been extracted on previous trips by Somos Amigos volunteers I saw pregnant women with advanced periodontitis Most of the patients had heavy calculus accumulation and needed additional treatment which I could not provide because there were so many others waiting to be seen Some patients waited all day for a prophylaxis; others were turned away and had to return the next day I was happy that my years of experience in dentistry enabled me to help the people of Naranjito but I also felt sad that I couldn't provide treatment at the standard to which I was accustomed because the equipment was not yet available I sometimes helped the dentist and dental students who were providing the dental services had the added difficulty of trying to communicate with young patients who did not understand her The dental students did many fillings at one sitting knowing that the patients would be in pain if their teeth were not restored the teeth could cause potentially life-threatening infections They performed challenging extractions that would usually be reserved for oral surgeons They were an extremely impressive group of young people who worked diligently and conscientiously every day I adjusted and developed a routine and overcame my feelings of sadness over not being able to do more Somos Amigos founder Frank Brightwell was always walking through our clinic with his ever-present smile and the knowledge that our actions were directly improving people's lives fueled us and gave us the energy to keep working Kaitlin Stier graduated with her bachelor's degree in dental hygiene from NYUCD She immediately began working in a practice in Poughkeepsie became a part-time faculty member at NYUCD she began noticing the effects of a down economy in her office "Patients that would have gotten an implant five years ago are now getting bridges A lot of my patients are losing their dental insurance." Her office had started accepting Healthplex a government-based insurance for children that offers minimum preventive coverage (they deny sealants) Seeing that there was a need for dental services Kaitlin wanted "to reach as many people as possible in the most affordable and manageable way." She decided to start her own foundation Stier Smile for Life Foundation had its first event on April 28 "I chose kids first because I'd be able to see more children than adults I wanted to educate them and their parents on good oral health habits so they won't have as many dental problems in the future." She contacted local newspapers and they put out a brief press release stating that the foundation was offering free care to children without dental insurance "We also sent a copy of the press release to all the local elementary schools we started to get phone calls from local politicians and dental companies who wanted to be involved." Congressman Maurice Hinchey and Legislator Richard Perkins from Dutchess County all participated in spreading the word about the event and visited the office to lend their support Staff at the office volunteered their time Ian Stier provided the facilities and use of radiographic equipment and supplies and Henry Schein donated products for the kids Kaitlin hopes to expand her foundation and be able to treat all patient populations She also hopes to include restorative services by enlisting the help of volunteer dentists Public health has been a component of the dental hygiene profession since its creation Fones and Irene Newman both felt very strongly that dental hygienists had a responsibility to educate and treat all people It is the core ideology of the ADHA and the first item on its 2012-2015 Strategic Plan – "Helping dental hygienists to achieve their full potential as they seek to improve the public's health."1 Kaitlin Stier worked in a private practice saw the need for dental care in her community Faculty members in accredited programs should be constructing programs involving community service for their students dental hygiene students at the University of Southern Indiana participate in a service-learning project providing oral cancer screenings and oral health education to residents of the Women's Addiction Recovery Manor a dental hygienist and faculty member at Stony Brook University was instrumental in the formation of a program designed to provide care to developmentally disabled children and adults at Stony Brook University Lack of access to dental care for all ages and demographics remains a public health challenge The Census Bureau projects that the elderly population of the U.S "The fact that the coming generations of elderly are maintaining their teeth poses a challenge for satisfying their dental care needs more will be at risk for dental diseases and will need more preventive and periodontal services,"3 according to the report "The Oral Health of Older Americans." I have chosen to work with the developmentally disabled population A colleague and I are scheduled to participate in the Family Support Resource and Transition Fair sponsored by the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council in partnership with the Richard H Hungerford School and Lifestyles Education Center We have invited our students to attend the event with us We hope to create long-lasting relationships and The advantages of creating these programs are twofold people receive the oral care that they need to maintain health populations know and become familiar with dental hygienists and the myriad services and functions that dental hygienists provide This opens the way for an expansion of the definition of dental hygiene as a profession "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Somos Amigos founder Frank Brightwell began that organization 20 years ago as an educational opportunity for his high school students Kaitlin Stier's impetus was to provide dental services and education to people who needed it We must have faith in ourselves to forge new paths and encourage collaborations across communities and professions for the benefit of all DIANA MACRI, RDH, BSDH, MSEd, is a faculty member of the dental hygiene departments at New York University College of Dentistry and New York City College of Technology. She can be contacted at [email protected] Consider reading: Blue moon and whalelighthttp://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-7/feature/blue-moon-and-whalelight.html Consider reading: Adventures for the hygienist’s spirithttp://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-2/feature/adventures-for-the-hygienists-spirit.html Consider reading: Dental tourismhttp://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-31/issue-12/features/dental-tourism.html Somos Amigos is a nonprofit organization that provides medical and humanitarian services and support to people living in medically underserved areas of developing countries and to others living in poverty Somos Amigos sent their first medical and dental team to the Dominican Republic The organization first committed to the community of Naranjito An isolated and rural community in the mountains the region has no economy-subsistence farming is the way of life The medical and dental clinics are stocked through the generosity of many in the medical The participants in the Somos Amigos programs are volunteers who pay their own travel expenses (approximately $700 which covers airfare and hotel fees for two nights) http://www.facebook.com/#!/SomosAmigosMedicalMissions?fref=ts Kaitlin M http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kaitlin-M-Stier-Smile-for-Life-Foundation/[email protected] It is six months since category 4 hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept closed down hospitals and schools as well as the entire electrical grid It altered the lives of over 8 million Puerto Ricans living in the homeland and in the United States Puerto Rican nationalist Richard Lopez and I recently went to Puerto Rico to visit family and to observe the long-lasting effects the storm has had on the island We had many interactions with people across the island They shared similar stories of horror and US government neglect during and following the storm Richard and I took different routes to our motherland Spanish is my second language and I do not speak it fluently My first remembered experience in Puerto Rico is as a 14-year-old–visiting some family for a week and  doing some touring I didn’t connect with the island until my early 20s when I was financially capable of traveling back and forth alone Richard was born in New York City but went back to the island at a young age to grow up there and eventually leave due to our deviant government which intimidates and criminalizes those who seek an independent and sovereign Puerto Rico Deeply angered at US government negligence responsible because it is the colonizer of Puerto Rico and leisurely taking its  time in granting aid to its own “citizens” [Puerto Ricans are U.S though they cannot vote in national elections] We were frustrated that our country was denied aid from countries such as Cuba and Venezuela but prevented from doing so by a web of U.S legislation designed to keep Puerto Rico poor We both noted that the true heroes in the aftermath of hurricane Maria were the Puerto Rican people There were the numerous volunteers who came to Puerto Rico to work on the electrical grid There were brigades that reached the people in isolated mountain areas bringing the people medical supplies and food There were the millions of Puerto Ricans abroad who donated power generators and cash and who loaded and paid to send to the island shipping containers filled with baby clothes food– anything needed for our people Our plane landed in San Juan’s airport in middle of the night we were really able to see the damage that still exists 6 months after the storm  San Juan and the surrounding metro area may have lights but this a small geographical fraction of Puerto Rico As we ventured across the island and into the mountains we saw many areas in complete darkness We  went to several municipalities across the island and witnessed unabashed destruction utility poles were broken in half; many homes still had  their roofs torn off Little attention has been paid to addressing the losses faced by millions of people But corporate giants such as Walmart and McDonalds were easily accessing funds to repair their stores and remain profitable They told us they did not have electrical power for five months For the past three weeks they have had electricity Their home has been running on a diesel-run generator a luxury that many Puerto Ricans cannot afford and the majority of the trees on their property were uprooted A family member of Richard’s was not as lucky will only give her enough money to cover a small portion of the damage renting a room to have a roof over her head We found that abandonment of homes that are no longer habitable is widespread was hurt by the extent of the depopulation The environment of this beautiful land has been depleted He noted “the contamination of bodies of water how people said ‘everything looked burnt,’ making you  think what environmental experiments were they exposed to?”  He continued “We hardly heard coquís [Puerto Rico’s tree frogs] and the island looked desolated from what I remembered you could read the trauma and exhaustion.” The path to the waterfall was a difficult climb through trees and fallen debris “It seemed as though nobody has come up here since Maria,” Richard said He was disgusted of the filth of the water We were even warned by the people of the town not to go into the water including the cities of Bayamon and Jayuya we were told of rat infestations since Maria “Rats were eating everything.” Others pointed out that water contaminated with dead rats and with rat urine has led to cases of Leptospirosis We were also told that many farms were abandoned An overpopulation of pigs is becoming problematic Many Puerto Ricans are waiting for the harvest since Maria devastated the last one  I noted that fruit stands did not have the selection of fruits I am accustomed to in seeing in Puerto Rico Available were some bananas and a couple root vegetable which grow in the ground Rebuilding jobs not given to Puerto Ricans We drove a lot while we were in Puerto Rico The main expressway from San Juan to Ponce was filled with potholes There were long traffic jams in the mountains It turned out that workers were cutting dead limbs off the trees to make the road safer for motorists Turns out the people doing the cutting were from Alabama Why is this work not being done by Puerto Ricans who are suffering massive unemployment The Alabama contractors were being paid high salaries not to mention that tax money was paying for their transportation Only under capitalism would the Puerto Rican workers be neglected as their work was being outsourced to a company that was probably a contributer to Trump’s electoral campaign Puerto Rico has a higher poverty rate than any state in the continental United States Poverty increased from 44 percent to 52 percent after Maria The official unemployment rate hovered around 11 percent before Maria The lack of jobs and services and the destroyed housing has hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans fleeing the island an illegal tariff in place for over a century jacks up the prices of everything in Puerto Rico making simple survival an even greater struggle Add in the swelling debt of $ 72 billion demanded by US banks and you have a formula created in Washington for Puerto Rico’s self-implosion But those who are still in Puerto Rico have remained resilient and spirited the old Puerto Rican flag with the lighter blue colored triangle not beside the American flag of a voracious colonizer “La Estrella no caba en la bandera Americana” [The star (of the Puerto Rican flag) does not fit in the American flag-ed] The only solution to this crisis is a fully independent and sovereign Puerto Rico not a Puerto Rico bought off by big business The Party for Socialism and Liberation is comprised of leaders and activists, workers and students, of all backgrounds. Organized in branches across the country, our mission is to link the everyday struggles of oppressed and exploited people to the fight for a new world. Interested in joining? Click here! France Footix the football playing rooster in '98 now Brazil have chosen an endangered armadillo as the mascot for the 2014 World Cup unveiled by former Brazil striker Ronaldo during a television programme late on Sunday an endangered species indigenous to Brazil While nature's version is light brown in colour FIFA's mascot is yellow with green eyes and a blue shell Other mascots over the years include 'Zakumi' the leopard from South Africa 2010 'Pique' the chillipepper from Mexico 1986 and a lion named 'World Cup Willie' from England in 1966 "The mascot will play a key ambassadorial role in the next two years," said Ronaldo who played in three World Cups and was an unused squad member in 1994 "I'm sure he will inspire many young football fans in Brazil and all over the world with the great passion which he has for the sport and for his country." Three-banded armadillos live mainly in Brazil's arid northeast and are threatened by habitat destruction They are unusual among armadillos in that they can roll up into a ball to defend themselves from predators "The fact that the three-banded armadillo is a vulnerable species is very fitting," said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke "One of the key objectives through the 2014 World Cup is to use the event as a platform to communicate the importance of the environment and ecology "We are glad to be able to do so with the help of a mascot who I'm sure will be much-loved FIFA said a vote would be held to choose the mascot's name "The mascot is one of the key visuals of a FIFA World Cup the LOC (local organising committee) and other stakeholders with a strong and exciting brand asset through which promotional campaigns can be activated and target audiences can be engaged," added FIFA in a statement SI STAFF The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER The story of Spain as a World Cup host nation actually started in Great Britain FIFA chose Spain to host the 1982 World Cup as well as awarded hosting rights for the 1974 and 1978 tournaments It is believed that West Germany and Spain had a deal The countries supported each other: Spain voted for West Germany for the 1974 tournament and West Germany allowed Spain to bid for the 1982 World Cup unopposed It was record turn-out as Spain welcomed the teams that played between 13 June and 11 July FIFA expanded the World Cup finals from 16 to 24 teams in order to allow more countries from Africa and Asia to participate The United Kingdom was represented by England there was some doubt about their participation and whether to withdraw or not from the tournament That was because of the conflict between the UK and Argentina the Falklands war was officially over but the directive (issued by the British sports minister Neil Macfarlane in April at the start of the conflict) advising British representative teams to avoid any contact with Argentina was not rescinded until August It is thought that Macfarlane reported to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that some players and officials were uneasy about participating because of the casualties suffered by British forces and the strong diplomatic ties between Argentina and Spain Argentina had won the previous World Cup held in their country in 1978 and FIFA didn't want one of the most prominent football nations not to participate in the tournament Robert Temple Armstrong who served as cabinet secretary under Margaret Thatcher decided to allow the British national teams to take part explaining that in this way Argentina could not use their absence for propaganda purposes reversing the intended effect of applying political pressure on Argentina The official mascot of the World Cup was Naranjito wearing the kit of Spain's national team and holding a ball under his left arm the match ball for 1982 World Cup was manufactured by Adidas and was named the Tango España The name Naranjito comes from 'naranja' (orange) by adding the diminutive suffix "-ito" Naranjito was born on 19 August 1970 thanks to the Seville publicists María Dolores Salto and José María Martín Pacheco he would have been 12 years old at the time of the World Cup Initially the introduction of Naranjito as a mascot generated more negative comments than good but eventually the anthropomorphised orange was accepted by more people and gained popularity A large number of souvenirs with his image were easily sold Naranjito also starred in a cartoon series on Spanish television 'The Little Orange' was accompanied by other characters - his girlfriend Clementina (Clementine) his lemon-friend Citronio and the robot named Imarchi A football on the flag of Spain surrounded by flags of participating nations was the logo of the 1982 World Cup The official poster called 'La Fiesta' was designed by the famous artist Joan Miró who injected the work with his own style as well as a personal vision of the world and movement Joan Miró apparently captured the aesthetic physical and social expression of football being aware that this would be scorned by the intelligentsia Spain's 1982 FIFA World Cup remains the one that has used the most stadiums in a single country the city councils in Spain had to present their candidacy to the organising committee the cities had to have more than 200,000 inhabitants The final choice was made on logistical criteria and that's why the island cities of Palma de Mallorca and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria were immediately excluded 17 stadiums located in 14 cities (because Madrid Barcelona and Seville had two stadiums each) became official venues for the World Cup Malaga with the La Rosaleda stadium contributed to the event along with Alicante Andalucía might have been represented by two more cities but Cadiz and Granada were rejected along with Santander The matches of Group 6 were played in Andalucía Scotland and New Zealand faced each other in Seville and Malaga The Rosaleda stadium hosted three matches and Scotland played in two of them Scotland defeated New Zealand and on 22 June the team held the Soviet Union to a draw The match between the Soviet Union and New Zealand took place in Malaga on 19 June and finished with a 3-0 scoreline Scotland didn't progress in the competition after finishing third in the group went to the second group stage where they were stopped by West Germany and France Spain were eliminated in the second round much to the frustration of the football-loving country The Italians became world champions for the third time Their triumph on Spanish soil was made memorable by the scoring feats of six-goal striker Paolo Rossi and an iconic celebration by Marco Tardelli Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados Football fans await to see the season's mascot during the World Cup The figure of choice and background story has always been a subject of great interest and intrigue The 1982 mascot 'Naranjito' was inspired by Spanish oranges the mascot got its name from the Spanish word for Orange The mascot of the tournament in Mexico was called 'Pique' one of the country's most significant ingredients-Jalapeño Mexican cuisine is known for including Jalapeños and this mascot did justice to it by being a Jalapeño wearing a 'Sombrero' (traditional Mexican hat) Its name was inspired by the Spanish term for spicy peppers and sauces Unlike typical mascots that tend to be fluffy animals or fruits & vegetables The mascot 'Ciao' was designed by a self-taught graphic designer who had submitted an entry when the Italia 90 organising committee called on a competition He claimed to have come up with the idea at a traffic signal appreciated and approved of the mascot as they believed it represented the start of a new era and a futuristic Italy; most importantly The 1994 mascot 'Striker' was iconic as it was designed by the renowned 'Warner Brothers' who kept it simple at heart the choice was due to it being so common in American households It also represented the American flag with the tri-coloured kit The rooster is one of the national symbols of France; hence was the ideal choice of inspiration for the respective tournament It also replicated the national team shirt with 'FRANCE 98' wording on the chest The name 'Footix' was a combination of the words 'football' and the 'ix' was from the much-loved Astérix comic strip The mascot for this tournament was symbolic as it was the first time there were three elements to a mascot Unlike many other mascots inspired by existing elements Kaz & Nik were computer-generated futuristic characters They also had their version of the game termed 'Atmoball' they got their names through public voting which was taken at McDonald's branches across the countries were the mascots of choice for the German tournament The name Goleo was inspired by the term 'goal' and the Latin for lion a commonly used word for football in Germany The animal was chosen because it is very common in South Africa The green and gold colours were inspired by that of the national sports teams kit 'ZA' is a commonly used acronym for South Africa The 2014 mascot 'Fuleco' paid homage to the endangered 3-banded-armadillo Its name came from the Portuguese words 'Futebol' (football) and 'Ecologia' (ecology) The 2018 mascot known as 'Zabivaka' was brought to life by a student at Tomsk State University The character of choice was a wolf wearing sports glasses to protect himself from his high-speed run The mascot was a subject of much debate at the time as people interpreted the sports glasses to be winter glasses that weren't deemed relevant to a summer event this mascot is one of a kind as it belongs to a parallel universe known as the 'mascot-verse' If you have anything you want to share with us, send us an e-mail at [email protected] Want to send a tip? Drop us an e-mail at [email protected] You have successfully registered your account Your post will appear after we take a quick look!