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(12/08/05 3:25am)
On a stormy Tuesday night with tornado warnings and sirens blaring, about two dozen people attended Mass at St. Paul's Church. But this was no ordinary Catholic Mass -- it was completely in Spanish. \nMost in attendance were part of the rapidly growing Hispanic community in the Bloomington area. According to the U.S. Census Data for Hispanics/Latinos, Monroe County has seen a 63.5 percent increase in Hispanic residents between 1990 and 2000, while Bloomington has seen a 73.4 percent increase. Of these Hispanic residents in Monroe County, there has been a 162.3 percent increase in those that were born in a Latin American country. \nThe vast majority of these immigrants are Mexican, and they are searching for employment in the United States. Yet numerous cultural barriers have hindered this pursuit of employment. \nLillian Maria Casillas, director of the La Casa Latino Cultural Center at IU, helps many of these immigrants adjust to American culture. Casillas explained that many immigrant families are on the poverty level or just a little above. \n"There is a lot of labor abuse," Casillas said. "Many are paid under the table, below minimum wage with no health insurance."\nCasillas described one man whose apartment caught on fire and was forced to jump from the third story to save himself. The man, who worked in construction, broke both of his arms and was not only without health insurance to pay his medical costs but was also out of a job. \n"I never wish to come to America but had a lot of opportunity to come," said Isaac Salazar, who moved to Bloomington in November of 2002. "It was hard. I don't speak that well English and had no license to drive, so it was hard to move." \nSalazar, a legal immigrant to the United States, now plays music in piano bars, disc jockeys and teaches piano and guitar for others in the Latino community. He explained that it is easy for those with papers to receive $8 to $10 per hour, but those without papers will almost always receive below minimum wage. \nRicardo Castillo, also an immigrant, came to Bloomington last fall from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Castillo said upon coming to America he was afraid of the language and would avoid conversations. The paperwork process to be approved for work can progress very slowly, and Castillo had to wait nine months until he could be employed.\n"At my first job, I didn't get paid for as many hours as I worked," said Castillo through a translator. "I also didn't have health insurance, but thank God I never got sick."\nCastillo is still searching for full-time employment as he continues to go between different short-term jobs, such as his current three-week construction job. He said he has learned a lot in the short time he has lived here but has struggled with racism and people who don't understand him or his culture. \n"Many immigrants have to compete with IU students for jobs, and many work as dish washers in kitchens," said Tim Gonzalez, director of Latino Ministry at St. Paul's Catholic Center.\nGonzalez said that although an employer may give workers 40 hours a week, most of these hours are during weekdays when restaurants have less business; therefore, many are sent home early, cutting their hours down to as low as 30. \nBloomington has acknowledged problems the growing Latino community faces by setting up the Monroe County Latino Needs Task Force. Their goal is 'to provide further information towards constructing a fully integrated and effective service provision for the Latino population in Monroe County.'\nAccording to the Task Force, "Most workers do not know their rights or, if they do, are fearful of demanding them."\nThe report also stated, "Most information on availability of jobs is mostly communicated by word of mouth, which often limits the sphere of possibility for those with limited English capabilities."\nMany immigrants will jump at the opportunity of any job offer in their struggle to provide for their families and children. Their children are not without their struggles, too. \nStudents without legal documentation who have graduated from high school cannot go to a public university and receive in-state tuition rates. And in the public school system, some students are unable to handle the language barrier.\n"Teachers will call about the students getting into fights," said Casillas, referring to the children who are just beginning to learn English. "Usually if they fight it's because they felt stupid. They would rather be accused of being bad than being stupid." \nEven everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping, driving and doctor's visits can be a huge adjustment for immigrants. \n"Montezuma's revenge," the illness some Americans receive after drinking water in Mexico, is also experienced by Mexicans in America. Their bodies are unaccustomed to U.S. processed foods and water, and they can become very ill.\nLatinos will often seek medical care at hospital emergency rooms when mildly ill with the flu, cold or similar non-life threatening problems. And since most have no health insurance, they also have no idea of the excessive costs these visits entail. \n"In Mexico, clinics are part of a social health system and are free to everyone," Casillas said. "They think American hospitals are like these clinics." \nOther health issues may affect the men of the household, who usually come first to America to find employment before bringing their families. Casillas explained that while making the transition, some will turn to drinking and consequently face issues with alcoholism and depression. There are no Spanish-speaking Alcoholics Anonymous groups in Bloomington and most immigrants do not seek, or can't afford psychological help.\nCasillas, who is also a member of the Latino Needs Task Force, displays a button in her office that says "viva la huelga." This is in support of the Latino community's annual strike -- huelga -- protesting racism against the Latino community.\nBut despite strikes like these, new immigrants will continue to face the same struggle to stay afloat day after day while enduring racism and abuse from employers.
(10/18/05 5:30am)
As cold and flu season begins, Hoosiers seeking over-the-counter drugs such as Nyquil and Sudafed will notice a change in the way they obtain these drugs. \nAs of July 1, consumers must be at least 18 years old, present valid identification and sign the Indiana State Police log book, which the pharmacist will certify, in order to purchase medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine -- necessary ingredients in the production of methamphetamine, commonly known as meth. Customers will also be unable to purchase more than 100 tablets of such medicines in a week.\nThe new Indiana law, known as the "Meth Protection Act," was designed to slow the spread of meth, an illegal and dangerous drug, according to the state's Meth Free Indiana Coalition Web site. The prolific use and production of meth in Indiana has been a contentious point in recent state politics.\n"We may never have been focused so single-mindedly on one problem as we are now," Gov. Mitch Daniels said in an Associated Press article. \nHe went on to say lawmakers' focus has significantly slowed meth production and use. In 2004, Indiana had one of the highest meth lab busts per capita, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Indiana trailed behind frontrunners, Missouri -- in first -- and Iowa -- second. In 2003, Indiana led the Midwest in meth lab busts.\nThe new law regulates the display and sale of products in order to restrict the supply to meth makers. Indiana Senate Bill 444 -- sponsored by state Sen. Michael Young, R-Indianapolis -- passed unanimously last February and has regulated the sale of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine drugs in Indiana ever since. \nThirty-five percent of meth in the United States comes from home labs, which use over-the-counter pseudoephedrine drugs, while the majority comes from larger meth labs in Mexico.\nAccording to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, it costs $3,280 to clean up a meth lab, with larger labs costing as much as $10,000. In 2002, meth lab cleanups cost the U.S. government roughly $24 million.\nIndiana meth lab busts have decreased under the new law, from 153 in July and August 2004 to 113 in July and August 2005.\nHowever, the new law attempting to curb homegrown meth has caused confusion for some patients and difficulty for some pharmacists. \n"The initial pulling of Sudafed was a nightmare for the patients wanting to buy these products," said Jim Ostrye, a pharmacist at Wal-Mart. "The patients were in disbelief that they had to show a driver's license and sign for the product. Some have also become fairly irate that they cannot get more than one container of (pseudoephedrine)." \nCritics of the law are skeptical new regulations will deter meth addicts. The meth law Web site states 32 percent of meth lab busts were located in southwestern Indiana near the Illinois border. Illinois has no such law requiring the registration of products purchased containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.\nThose seeking decongestant medicines might not have to deal with these hassles for long, Ostrye said.\n"The manufacturers are reformulating their products because of this law," he said. "They are using the product phenylephrine, which is another type of decongestant similar to pseudoephedrine but cannot be manufactured to meth."\nThe law requires pharmacies to keep a log of customers who have purchased these products and allows each person only 3 grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine over the course of seven days, or 9 grams per month. \nLogs have become a pain for pharmacists such as Ostrye. The logs, which are handwritten, are required for any customer purchasing a drug containing the meth-making ingredients. \n"We have people that are going out checking them, to see if they are regarding compliance," said Indiana State Police Lt. Col. Jay Janke, head of the state police's Drug Enforcement Division. "They are collected or sent to the state police." \nJanke said the Methamphetamine Suppression Unit, a separate entity from the Drug Enforcement Division, was created as a result of the new law. This new unit is entirely devoted to the enforcement of methamphetamine laws.\nCVS pharmacist Sharon Stefenek said seemed skeptical about the law's effectiveness. \n"I don't know how many people were stealing or buying this to make meth with," she said. "But the whole thing seems a little obscure to me."\nThe Den cashier Jennifer Falk sees a verifiable, if not minor, purpose to restricting sales. She said she has seen certain customers who seemed to "be on something" while shopping, buying large amounts of now-restricted drugs at a time. Most customers, she said, don't react to the extra time and effort to buy cold and allergy medicines. But customers who were once buying "excessive" medication are upset when restricted, she said. \nDespite Indiana's efforts, meth addicts are still able to purchase pseudoephedrine products in many nearby states where meth laws are not as strict. Thirteen states have no laws restricting the purchase of these products.\nOregon, for example, implemented a law requiring customers to provide a doctor's prescription to purchase these products.\n"That's always a possibility that people will go to the bordering states, but it's not something that we can worry ourselves with," Janke said. "Since the enactment of the law, it has reduced meth labs in Indiana. It is effective."\n-- City & State Editor Sam \nNissen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(10/11/05 4:21am)
Pet owners who hate to leave their animals in kennels while out of town now have an alternative to caging their loved ones -- in-home pet sitting.\nAnn Wesley said she found Bloomington to be the most attractive place she and her colleagues, Diane Stuercke and Lori Bauden, could start their business.\n"People here care about their pets and the community quickly showed it could support our business," Wesley said in an e-mail. \nBloomington Pet Pals is the only service of its kind in the area. Pet sitters meet with each client in their home so the sitters can get to know pets and their daily habits before the owner leaves. The sitters visit the pets twice daily, then leave detailed reports of the pet's behaviors and eating habits for the owners' return.\n"We took care of a cat who absolutely loved sitting in the bath tub licking drips of water from the faucet. So in the mornings, I would turn the faucet on and off quickly so that she could enjoy her favorite pastime," Wesley said. \nIn addition, they also maintain the security of the owners' homes, performing routine tasks such as turning the lights on and off, bringing in the mail and watering the plants. The business also offers a lawn care service if the clients request it. \n"Ann literally got to know every single one of (our) animals," Pet Pals client Debra Kent said in an e-mail. "When I got back home I found a detailed hand-written account of every day -- how they played with her, whether they were affectionate or not, whether they were sneezing, whatever. She also left 'report cards' for each pet and I'm pleased to say they all got straight A's."\nWesley said all three owners believe many people treat their pets as their children and attention and loving care should be options for pet owners. \n"My dogs had been to kennels, but it was always a traumatic experience for them," she said. "The care was good, but staying in a loud, crowded environment was upsetting to them." \nBloomington Pet Pals is now accepting reservations through its Web site, www.bloomingtonpetpals.com or by calling 320-3375.
(09/29/05 4:46am)
You might have heard his music on a Norah Jones CD, at a Straight No Chaser concert or even back in pre-school without even realizing it. \nHoagy Howard Carmichael -- a Bloomington native who composed such famous hits as "Georgia on my Mind," "Stardust" and "Heart and Soul" -- is permanently memorialized at IU, which houses the largest collection of Carmichael memorabilia in the world.\nThe Hoagy Carmichael Room, located in Morrison Hall Room 006, is a memorial to the famous singer and songwriter. The room was dedicated in October 1986 with a notable audience that included Herman B Wells. \nMegan Glass, office manager of the Archives of Traditional Music, gives tours of the Carmichael Room.\n"The donations of memorabilia in the room started with Hoagy's family wanting to donate something in honor of him to the University. After this, others began to donate, too," Glass said.\nMary Stuart Bowser, a family friend of Carmichael's, was asked to design the room and gladly took the opportunity. \n"If it hadn't been for IU, I wouldn't be where I am today. I can't give them $25,000, but I can give them my time and talent," she said.\nThe room might seem plain but includes many interesting artifacts. The rocking chair of Lida Carmichael, his mother, the basis of Carmichael's song "Ol' Rockin' Chair," is on display in the room. In addition, awards given to Carmichael, such as his Grammy and Oscar, are surrounded by handwritten compositions including "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." \nAlso, one of Carmichael's eight personal pianos -- a rosewood inlaid spinet piano by Storey and Clark -- is on display and is one of only two left in existence. Glass mentioned that the piano is still played during a variety show featuring Carmichael's songs on his annual birthday celebration. \nCarmichael's son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael, explained that his father's link with IU is so strong that there is no other appropriate place for the collection.\n"(The collection) is where it should be. He was born just across Dunn Meadow, grew up here, went to school here, wrote some of his best songs here, had some of his best memories here, returned here often and is buried here," he said. \nThe Carmichael Room is host to a variety of concerts and lectures sponsored by the Archives, titled the "Noon Concert and Lecture Series." These concerts are free and open to the public. The musicians are local artists who play anything from folk to pop and jazz to classical music. The concerts are held at noon every Friday. Sheasby Matiure will perform tomorrow, and the Annual Hoagy Carmichael Birthday Celebration will be Nov. 11. \nThe Hoagy Carmichael Collection's Web site, http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/hoagy, offers a virtual tour of the room. Visitors who are not attending a concert and would like to view the room may access it by appointment by calling 855-4679 during regular Archive hours.