Page 8
^Jortlanh (Observer
January 19, 2011
Triumphs
and Failures
Miracle Theatre Group, the North­ through New York and Cuba be­
west premier Latino arts and culture come aquest forcultural integration
organization, presents “Duende De and gender acceptance. In the
Lorda, an original bilingual play now Americas, he shines like a mad and
playing through Saturday, Jan. 22. fiery diamond, fusing his cante jondo
T he story c en ters aro u n d with an Afro-Cuban son to create a
Federico Garcia Lorca who is cel­ new rhythm of powerfully poetic
ebrated the world over for his po­ drama.
etry, music and plays. Yet at the age
Ajai Tripathi, Rory Stitt
ot 27, he was still a struggling artist
and Danny Moreno in the
living with his parents, and staging
world premiere of Duende de
puppet plays that were laughed off
Lorca, now playing through
the stage by the critics.
Saturday, Jan. 22 at the
Lorca’s need for freedom has
Milagro Theatre, 525 S.E.
fueled his desire to succeed. In
Stark St.
search o f duende, his travels
Some Visits to Cuba Made Easier
But changes fall below expectations
(AP) — Cuba said Sunday that
the Obam a Adm inistration's deci­
sion to lift som e travel restric­
tions on students, academ ics and
religious groups and make it easier
for A m ericans to send m oney
were positive steps, but not nearly
enough while the U.S? m aintains
its 48-year trade em bargo on the
island.
The changes announced last
week mean that students seeking
academic credit and churches and
synagogues traveling for religious
I
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I
I
I
I
I
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purposes will be able to go to Cuba.
Any U.S. international airport with
proper customs and immigration
facilities will be able to offer char­
ter services to the island.
The plan will also let any Am eri­
can send as much as $2,000 a
year to Cuban citizens who are
not part o f the Castro adm inistra­
tion and are not m em bers o f the
C om m unist Party. P reviously,
only relatives could send money.
"Though the m easures are posi­
tive," Cuba's Foreign Ministry said
S u b s c r ib e
503-288-0033
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in a statement Sunday, "they
are well below what was
hoped for, have a limited
reach and do not change
U.S. policy against Cuba."
The ministry said most
o f the changes sim ply bring
U.S. policy back to where it
was during the Clinton A d­
m inistration, before Presi­
dent George W . B ush tough­
ened restrictions. They do
not alter W ashington's trade
em bargo, which Cuba re­
fers to as a "blockade."
"T hese m easures c o n ­
firm that there is no will to
change the policy o f block­
ad e an d d e s ta b iliz a tio n
against Cuba," the ministry
said. "If there exists a real
interest in widening and fa­
cilitating contacts between
o u r p eo p le s, the U n ited
People travel on a bus Friday with an
image of Argentinean born Cuban revolu­
tion leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in
Havana, Cuba.
States should lift the block­
ade and elim inate the restric­
tions that m ake Cuba the
only country in the world to
which North Am ericans can­
not travel."
U n d e r th e e m b a rg o ,
Am erican tourists are still
prohibited from visiting Cuba
and m ost trade with the is­
land is barred.
O bam a had p rev io u sly
m ade it easier for Cuban-
Am ericans to visit family and
send money home, and cul­
tural exchanges had greatly
expanded under his watch.
Still, relations between the
Cold W ar enem ies remain
frosty, in particular over the
detention o f an A m erican
subcontractor held in Cuba
since D ecem b er 2009 on
suspicion o f spying.
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em ail subscriptions@portlandobserver.com
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Executive Shares Talents
When Michele Hom signed on
as a grant professional at Virginia
Garcia Memorial Foundation three
years ago, the organization which
serves migrant, low-income and
minority and disadvantaged popu­
lations, knew they had a talented
person on the team.
Since then, the grant department
has grown to support $ 1 million of
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health
Center's annual budget. Now Hom
is poised to share her knowledge
with other professionals as the Vice
President of the Oregon and South- Michele Horn
west Washington Chapter of the
Grant Professionals Association.
T he n o n -p ro fit a sso c ia tio n
builds and supports an interna­
tional com m unity o f grant profes­
sionals com m itted to serving the
greater public good by practicing
the highest ethical and profes­
sional standards.
“Michele has been an asset to
our team foryears and we are thrilled
that others will benefit from her ex­
pertise," said Christine Rontal, ex­
ecutive director of Virginia Garcia
Memorial Foundation.